JP2010073875A - Electrode forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrode forming apparatus capable of varying widths of electrodes to be formed on a substrate such as a PDP to an intended one. <P>SOLUTION: The apparatus includes a transfer unit for transferring a substrate on which an electrode material layer and a resist material are formed, and an etching unit for spraying an etchant for removing the electrode material layer and the resist material from above the substrate. The etching unit has a shape vertically elongated with respect to the advancing direction of the substrate, and provided with a plurality of spray nozzles for supplying the etchants toward the substrate and a plurality of nozzle piping members for supplying the etchants to the spray nozzles. The plurality of nozzle piping members are arranged in parallel spaced by a predetermined gap in which the number and positions of the spray nozzles disposed to a specific nozzle piping member are set so that an electrode having a predetermined width distribution is formed as the substrate advances below the etching unit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrode forming apparatus, and more particularly to an electrode forming apparatus for a PDP that forms a display electrode of a plasma display panel (hereinafter referred to as PDP) using a wet etching process.

The PDP is composed of a front substrate and a rear substrate that are arranged to face each other, and display is performed by discharge in a number of discharge spaces formed between the two substrates. On the front substrate, a large number of elongated display electrodes including a pair of scan electrodes and sustain electrodes are formed in parallel to each other.
In addition, a plurality of parallel address electrodes are formed on the rear substrate, barrier ribs are formed in parallel thereon, and a discharge space is formed between adjacent barrier ribs.

Such an electrode (display electrode, address electrode) is formed by laminating an electrode material (for example, Cr, Cu, etc.) on a substrate, applying resist, exposing using a photomask, and pattern etching of the resist and electrode material. It is formed by executing a process.
Here, in general, in order to show good display characteristics, it is preferable that the electrode width and the distance between adjacent electrodes are all constant values.

On the other hand, it is known that the write margin and drive power for the electrode depend on the electrode width, and the display quality in the peripheral portion of the panel may be lower than that in the center of the panel due to the manufacturing error of the PDP panel. .
Therefore, in order to suppress such deterioration in display quality, it has been proposed to design the electrode width in the peripheral part of the substrate wider than the electrode width in the central part (Patent Document 1).
Thus, in order to make the electrode width different in one substrate, it is performed by adjusting the laser exposure amount or changing the mask pattern shape of the photomask.
JP 2006-294542 A

  However, since the photomask is generally designed so that an electrode having a uniform electrode width can be formed, in order to make the electrode width different, a special pattern for forming the intended different electrode width is required. It is necessary to prepare a photomask each time.

  In addition, in wet etching in which etching of the resist and electrode material is performed by ejecting an etchant, an arrangement of a spray nozzle that ejects the etchant, the temperature and concentration of the etchant, so that an electrode having a uniform electrode width can be formed. If the conventional wet etching method is used as it is, it is difficult to make the electrode widths of the peripheral part and the central part as desired as described above, which is not intended locally. There is a risk of variations in electrode width.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrode forming apparatus capable of forming an electrode having an intended electrode width distribution when etching a resist and an electrode material with an etchant in a wet etching process.

The present invention removes an electrode material layer and a resist material from a substrate transported in one direction by an electrode material layer and a substrate on which a resist material is formed, and the substrate transported by the transport unit. An etching portion that sprays the etching solution from above on the substrate, and the etching portion has a shape that is long in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the substrate, and for spraying the etching solution onto the substrate. A plurality of spray nozzles are installed, and a plurality of nozzle piping members that supply the etching liquid to the spray nozzles are provided, and the plurality of nozzle piping members are arranged in parallel in the same direction as the traveling direction of the substrate. The nozzle is disposed so as to form an electrode having a predetermined electrode width distribution as the substrate advances below the etching portion. There is provided an electrode forming apparatus, wherein a number and position of the spray nozzles installed in the particular nozzle pipe member is set within the tubular member.
Thereby, since the number and position of the spray nozzle which sprays etching liquid are set, the electrode width of the some electrode formed on a board | substrate can be changed intentionally.

In addition, among the plurality of nozzle piping members, the number of spray nozzles installed in a specific nozzle piping member is less than the number of spray nozzles installed in other nozzle piping members, and the substrate to be transported It is arranged only above a specific area.
According to this, the etching time of a specific region of the substrate can be made different from the etching time of the other region, and by appropriately setting the number of spray nozzles above the specific region, the specific time An electrode having a desired electrode width can be formed in the region.

  In addition, the number of the specific nozzle piping members is two or more, the number of spray nozzles installed in the specific nozzle piping members is different, and the nozzle piping member positioned rearward with respect to the traveling direction of the substrate However, the number of spray nozzles may be set to increase or decrease step by step.

Furthermore, the spray nozzle installed in the specific nozzle piping member is attached so that the spray direction of the etching solution sprayed from the spray nozzle is the direction toward the substrate and opposite to the traveling direction of the substrate. It is characterized by.
When the direction of the etching solution sprayed from the spray nozzle is opposite to the traveling direction of the substrate, the flow of the etching solution flowing on the substrate is stopped by the etching solution in the opposite direction. However, etching does not proceed, and an electrode having a relatively thick electrode width is formed in the specific region.

Further, in the specific nozzle piping member, the number of spray nozzles disposed above a predetermined central region of the substrate to be transported is larger than the number of spray nozzles disposed above the region of the end portion of the substrate. It is characterized by that.
Further, in the specific nozzle piping member, the number of spray nozzles arranged above a predetermined local area of the substrate to be transported is larger than the number of spray nozzles arranged above other areas of the substrate. It is characterized by many.

  The substrate of the present invention can be a PDP substrate, that is, a front substrate or a rear substrate.

  According to the present invention, since the number and position of the spray nozzles for spraying the etching solution are set, the time for etching a specific region on the substrate can be controlled, and the electrode formed on the substrate The electrode width can be controlled as intended.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited by this.
<Description of electrode formation process>
FIG. 1 shows an explanatory view of an embodiment of a process for forming electrodes on the PDP substrate of the present invention.
The formation process of FIG. 1 can be used both when the display electrodes are formed on the front substrate of the PDP and when the address electrodes are formed on the rear substrate.

FIG. 1A shows a state in which three electrode materials are stacked on a substrate 100 and a resist is applied thereon. Here, as the substrate 100, for example, a glass substrate can be used. Here, it is assumed that one display electrode is formed by three stacked electrode materials. The display electrode is formed of only a metal electrode such as Cr-Cu-Cr as described below. The metal electrode is used as a bus electrode, and a wide transparent electrode (for example, ITO) is provided below the metal electrode. And a transparent electrode are known.
First, a first Cr layer 101 is formed on the substrate 100 as a first electrode material. This formation is performed, for example, by sputtering until the film thickness of the Cr layer 101 reaches about 500 mm.

Next, a Cu layer 102 having a thickness of about 3 μm is stacked on the first Cr layer 101.
Further, a second Cr layer 103 having a thickness of about 1000 mm is stacked on the Cu layer 102.
A display electrode is constituted by these three layers (Cr—Cu—Cr). However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be formed as a single electrode made of Ag.
Thereafter, a resist (for example, a negative resist material) is applied on the entire surface of the substrate on the second Cr layer 103.

In FIG. 1B, a photomask capable of irradiating light to a position where a display electrode is to be formed is disposed on the substrate in the state of FIG. 1A, and light (for example, λ = 405 nm) is formed from above. And parallel light with an illuminance of 10 mW / cm ² ) for about 35 seconds. Thereby, the resist at the position where the electrode is to be formed is exposed.
Further, as the photomask used here, the same photomask as in the past for forming an electrode having a uniform electrode width as designed over the entire substrate may be used.
For example, it is not necessary to use a special photomask for performing exposure such that the electrode width of the electrode at the center of the substrate is increased and the electrode width of the electrode at the end is decreased.

In FIG. 1C, the substrate whose surface is exposed is transferred to a wet etching apparatus, and an etching solution for etching the second Cr layer 103 is sprayed on the substrate surface on which the resist is formed. As a result, the resist in the unexposed region and the second Cr layer 103 immediately below the resist are removed.
Here, for example, hydrochloric acid is used as the etching solution.
By this etching, the Cu layer 102 is exposed in a portion that is not an electrode formation region.

In the present invention, as will be described later, when the etching solution is sprayed, for example, the time during which the etching solution is sprayed is different between the central portion and the end portion of the substrate.
Alternatively, the time during which the etching solution is sprayed is locally varied so that the distribution of the electrode widths of the electrodes formed on the substrate becomes the intended distribution.
For example, in the region where the etching solution is sprayed for a long time, the etching time becomes long, so that the etching of the electrode material further proceeds and the electrode width of the electrode becomes small. Conversely, if the time during which the etching solution is sprayed is short, the etching time is short, and the electrode width becomes large.

Alternatively, in addition to the time for spraying the etchant, the flow rate, concentration, temperature, etc. of the etchant may be locally different.
Further, in order to locally vary the time for spraying the etching solution, the number and density of spray nozzles, the angle and direction of spraying the etching solution, and the like may be varied.
Thus, if the time for which the surface of the substrate is exposed to the etching solution is made different, the amount of the electrode material etched can be made locally different, and the electrode width of the electrode in one substrate is intended. Can be controlled.

In FIG. 1D, an etching solution for etching the Cu layer 102 is sprayed. Thereby, the Cu layer 102 in the region where the resist 104 and the second Cr layer 103 are not present is removed. That is, the second Cr layer 103 and the Cu layer 102 at positions to be electrodes are formed.
Also here, the Cu layer 102 having a desired electrode width distribution in which the electrode width is locally varied can be formed by intentionally controlling the time during which the etching solution is locally sprayed.

Further, in FIG. 1E, an etching solution for etching the first Cr layer 101 on the substrate 100 is sprayed. As a result, the first Cr layer 101 in the region where there is no remaining resist 104 is removed, and the formation of the display electrode composed of three layers of Cr—Cu—Cr is completed.
Note that the resist 104 remaining in FIG. 1E may be removed with, for example, sodium hydroxide.
In this case as well, an electrode having a desired electrode width distribution in which the electrode width is locally varied can be formed by controlling the spraying time of the etching solution and the like.

For example, the spraying time of the etching solution sprayed on the region forming the electrode group at the end portion of the substrate (for example, a region of about 100 mm from the end surface) is shorter by about 2 seconds than the region forming the electrode group at the central portion of the substrate. Then, the width of the electrode formed at the end can be made about 0.8 μm thicker than the width of the electrode at the center.
Conversely, if the spraying time of the etching solution sprayed on the substrate end is made longer by about 2 seconds than the spraying time of the etching solution spraying on the central portion, the width of the electrode at the end is set to the width of the electrode formed at the central portion. It can be made thinner by about 0.8 μm than the electrode width.

<Description of wet etching process of the present invention>
The apparatus configuration of the electrode material etching process of the present invention will be described below.
In general, after the photomask is removed, the substrate on which the steps of FIGS. 1A and 1B have been performed is mounted on a transfer table that moves at a predetermined speed, and is transferred into a wet etching apparatus. .
Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 1A, a substrate on which an electrode material or the like (101 to 104) is formed on the substrate 100 is referred to as a substrate 20. Here, the electrodes are mounted on the transport table so that the longitudinal direction of the electrodes to be formed on the substrate 20 is parallel to the transport direction of the substrate 20. Further, the transfer table corresponds to the above-described transfer unit, and the wet etching apparatus corresponds to the above-described etching unit.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the wet etching process.
In FIG. 2, the wet etching apparatus is an apparatus for performing several processes from the left entrance to the right exit, and the substrate 20 is carried in from the left entrance portion and is advanced in the right direction. . Here, it consists mainly of three etching steps.
While the substrate 20 is moved in the right direction, first, a first etching process for etching the second Cr layer 103 immediately below the resist 104 is performed, and then a second etching process for etching the Cu layer 102 is performed. Finally, a third etching process for etching the first Cr layer 101 on the substrate 100 is performed.

In each etching process (first, second, and third), three processes are performed between the respective inlets and outlets.
The three steps are an etching (removal) step for a predetermined electrode material (Cr or Cu), a water washing step for removing the residual etching solution on the substrate 20 with pure water, and residual pure water on the substrate 20 by air blowing. It consists of a liquid draining step to be removed, and is performed in this order.
Here, the water washing and the liquid draining process perform the same process in any etching process. However, since the materials to be removed are different in each removal process, the etching solution, the treatment time, the treatment temperature, and the like are different.
For example, in the removal process of the second Cr layer 103 in the first etching process, an etching solution made of hydrochloric acid is used. Further, in the process of removing the Cu layer 102, an etching solution made of ferric chloride is used. In the removal process of the first Cr layer 101, an etching solution made of potassium permanganate is used.

Further, in the step of removing each electrode material, an etching solution is sprayed from above the surface of the substrate 20 on which the electrode material and the resist 104 are formed on the substrate 20 that proceeds at a constant speed.
The spraying of the etching solution is performed by arranging a number of spray nozzles in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the substrate and ejecting an etching solution of a predetermined flow rate from each spray nozzle onto the substrate. A pipe in which a plurality of spray nozzles are arranged at predetermined intervals and an etching solution is supplied to the spray nozzle is called a spray nozzle pipe member or a nozzle pipe member.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an arrangement example of spray nozzles used in a conventional etching process.
FIG. 3 is a view of the substrate and the spray nozzle as seen from above. Here, a plurality of spray nozzle piping members (1 to 4) are arranged at a predetermined interval, and a plurality of etching solutions are sprayed on one nozzle piping member, for example, in a range covering the entire width of the substrate. Spray nozzles are installed at equal intervals (for example, 110 mm).
Each nozzle piping member has a shape that is long in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction (arrow direction) of the substrate.
The plurality of nozzle piping members are arranged in parallel in the same direction as the traveling direction of the substrate.

The direction of the spray nozzle of the central nozzle piping member (2, 3) is a direction in which the etching solution is ejected perpendicularly from above to the substrate in a direction (downward) toward the substrate.
The direction of the nozzle of the nozzle piping member 1 is downward, but is directed to the right direction, which is the same direction as the traveling direction of the substrate. For example, each nozzle is installed so as to face the right direction at an angle of about 45 to 85 degrees from the vertical downward direction. This is to prevent back flow of the liquid on the substrate.
Further, the nozzle direction of the nozzle piping member 4 is directed to the left direction which is opposite to the traveling direction of the substrate, and is installed at an angle of about 60 to 85 degrees with respect to the vertical downward direction. This is to prevent the liquid on the substrate from being taken into the next tank.

  Etching of the electrode material is performed by the substrate 20 traveling in the right direction (arrow direction) in the lower space region in which the four spray nozzle piping members are arranged. Here, in the conventional apparatus, the interval between the spray nozzle piping members and the interval and the number of each nozzle installed in one piping are such that an electrode having a uniform electrode width distribution is formed over the entire substrate. Designed.

On the other hand, in the present invention, the etching amount of the electrode material is varied so that the distribution of the electrode width of the electrodes formed at the center and the end of the substrate is different. The position and the number of nozzle piping members are set, and the position and number of each nozzle installed in each piping member are set.
For example, as will be described later, for a specific nozzle piping member, an etching solution is not ejected so as to cover the entire width of the substrate, but an etching solution is ejected only to the central portion of the substrate. The nozzle piping member has a small number of nozzles. Furthermore, the jetting direction of the etching solution coming out of the spray nozzle installed in the specific nozzle piping member is set to be opposite to the traveling direction of the substrate. In this case, since the flow of the etching solution on the substrate is stopped by the etching solution ejected from the nozzle provided in the specific nozzle piping member, the etching of the electrode material in the central portion of the substrate does not proceed, and the substrate The width of the center electrode can be made larger than the electrode width at the end.

FIG. 4 shows an explanatory view of an embodiment of a wet etching apparatus for carrying out the wet etching process of the present invention.
In FIG. 4, the example which installed six spray nozzle piping members (11-16) is shown.
Here, the nozzle piping members 11, 12, 13 and 16 are the same as the arrangement of the conventional spray nozzle piping members (1 to 4) shown in FIG. 3, and the nozzles of the nozzle piping members are also arranged at the same interval. It is assumed that
Further, the nozzle piping members 14 and 15 each have a smaller number of spray nozzles installed than the other nozzle piping members (11, 12, 13, 16), and the number of nozzles of the nozzle piping member 14 depends on the progress of the substrate. It is assumed that the number of nozzles of the nozzle piping member 15 located rearward with respect to the direction is smaller.

Further, the nozzles of the nozzle piping members (14, 15) are mounted so as to face in the direction (left direction) opposite to the traveling direction of the substrate, although it is in the direction toward the substrate (downward direction). That is, the nozzles of the nozzle pipe members (14, 15) serve to stop the flow of the etching solution sprayed from the nozzle pipe members (11, 12, 13).
Further, the spray nozzles of the nozzle piping members 14 and 15 are arranged only above a specific region of the substrate to be transported (in FIG. 4, the central portion of the substrate).
In this embodiment, the two nozzle pipe members 14 and 15 are characteristically provided, but the present invention is not limited to this.

FIG. 4A shows a state in which the substrate 20 starts to be carried in from the left direction and is transported to just before the nozzle piping member 14.
At this time, the electrode material is etched in the substrate 20 by the nozzle piping members (11, 12, 13) so as to have a substantially uniform electrode width distribution over the entire substrate, as in the prior art.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the substrate 20 is advanced in the right direction, the etching solution is sprayed from the nozzle of the nozzle piping member 14 in the direction opposite to the direction of the substrate (left direction). In the central portion of the substrate where the nozzle piping member 14 is present, the progress of etching of the electrode material is stopped.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the nozzle piping member 14 and the substrate of FIG. 4 as viewed from the direction of travel of the substrate.
FIG. 5A shows a state in which the nozzle piping member 14 is disposed above the substrate in which the electrode material (101, 102, 103) and the resist 104 are formed on the substrate 100.
Here, four spray nozzles 140 are installed in the nozzle piping member 14, and the etching solution 21 is ejected from each nozzle 140 toward the substrate and in the direction opposite to the substrate traveling direction.

Etching solution 21 is sprayed in a mist form from each nozzle 140 with a slight spread. In FIG. 4, the nozzle pipe member 14 has a region where the etching solution 21 is sprayed since the four nozzles 140 are installed almost above the central portion of the substrate that is traveling. Then, the portions of the electrode material and the resist 104 that were not exposed are removed, and the exposed portions of the resist and the electrode material remain. In the region where the nozzle 140 exists, the flow of the etching solution is stopped, so that the etching is difficult to proceed.
FIG. 5B shows an example of the substrate state when it is assumed that the etching has progressed only by the nozzle piping member 14.
In FIG. 5B, the surface state is slightly exaggerated in order to show that the etching at the central portion of the substrate is difficult to proceed and the etching is advanced at the edge of the substrate.

  In FIG. 4B, the progress of the etching is stopped at the central portion of the substrate by four nozzles that eject the etching solution in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the substrate. Therefore, the etching solution continues to flow and etching proceeds. Since the etching solution is a liquid, it flows slightly outward, and the etching solution flows to a region outside the region where the four nozzles are present, and etching proceeds.

At this time, since the etching time of the central electrode etched by the four nozzles is shortened, the electrode width of the electrode becomes larger than the electrode width of the electrode on the outer side.
In FIG. 4, the number of nozzles of the nozzle piping member 14 is illustrated as four for the sake of explanation. However, the number of nozzles is not limited to this, and the number is smaller than the nozzle piping member 13 and the desired region. An appropriate number is set so that the etching is performed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4C, when the substrate is advanced in the right direction, etching by the nozzle installed in the nozzle piping member 15 is performed.
In FIG. 4C, the number of nozzles of the nozzle pipe member 15 is five, but these five nozzles are etched by an etching solution sprayed in the direction opposite to the substrate traveling direction from these five nozzles. The progress of the etching of the central portion of the substrate where there is is stopped.
At this time, since the number of nozzles of the nozzle piping member 15 is larger than that of the nozzle piping member 14, the progress of etching with respect to the electrode in a wider area is stopped.
Therefore, in the case of the embodiment of FIG. 4C, the electrode in the region etched by the nozzle piping members 14 and 15, the electrode in the region etched by the nozzle piping member 15, and the etching by the nozzle piping members 14 and 15 are etched. Three types of electrodes having different electrode widths are formed between the electrodes in the outermost region that are not formed. In this case, the electrode width of the central electrode is the largest, the electrode width of the slightly outer electrode is slightly narrower, and the electrode width of the electrode in the outer area is the narrowest.

  For example, in the case of FIG. 4, when the conveyance speed of the substrate 20 is 3130 mm / min and the distance between the nozzle piping members 14 and 15 is 105 mm, the etching is performed by the nozzles of the two nozzle piping members (14, 15). There is a difference of about 2.0 seconds in the etching time between the region A in the central portion and the region B just outside the central portion etched only by the nozzle of the nozzle pipe member 15. Here, the outer region B has a longer etching time than the region A.

Here, if a difference of 2 seconds occurs in the etching time, the difference in electrode width between the electrodes formed in these two regions (A and B) is about 0.8 μm. That is, the electrode width of the electrode existing in the region A in the central portion where the etching time is short becomes larger by about 0.8 μm than the electrode width of the electrode in the outer region B where the etching time is long.
From the above, it can be seen that the longer the time during which the etching solution is sprayed (that is, the etching time), the more the etching proceeds, and thus the electrode width of the formed electrode becomes smaller.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a graph showing the relationship between the etching time and the electrode width of the display electrode in the present invention.
Here, the horizontal axis indicates the time (etching time) during which the etching solution is sprayed in the electrode formation region, and the vertical axis indicates the electrode width of the Cu layer 102 that is one of the electrode materials.
According to the graph of FIG. 6, it can be seen that the relationship between the two is almost a straight line, and the longer the etching time, the narrower the electrode width of the Cu layer.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, by arranging a pipe member having a different number of nozzles from other nozzle pipe members, such as the nozzle pipe members (14, 15), at a predetermined position, the An electrode having a desired electrode width can be formed.

The arrangement of the nozzle piping members (14, 15) shown in FIG. 4 is an electrode having two different electrode widths at the central portion of the substrate, and the electrode width of the electrode formed at the central portion of the substrate is the end. This is one example for forming an electrode thicker than the portion, and is not limited to this.
In FIG. 4, among the two nozzle piping members (14, 15), the number of spray nozzles on the nozzle piping member 15 located rearward with respect to the traveling direction of the substrate is increased, and the spray nozzles are gradually increased. The number was to increase. Conversely, the number of spray nozzles in the nozzle piping member 15 located at the rear may be reduced, and the number of spray nozzles may be decreased stepwise.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a nozzle piping member (14, 15) and a nozzle arrangement diagram for making the electrode width of the electrode at the end of the substrate larger than the electrode width at the center.
Here, in the nozzle piping member 14, only one nozzle is provided above the two end portions of the substrate, and the removal of the electrode material is suppressed by the etching solution ejected from the nozzle in the direction opposite to the substrate traveling direction. The electrode width at the end is increased. Further, in the nozzle piping member 15, a total of four nozzles, two each, are provided at the two end portions and immediately inside thereof. As a result, the electrode width of the electrode at the center of the substrate is relatively narrow, but the electrode width of the electrode at the end is the widest, and an electrode having an electrode width slightly narrower than the end is formed slightly inside the end. . Also in this case, three types of electrodes having different electrode widths are formed.

Further, as in the above embodiment, the number of nozzle piping members with different numbers of nozzles is not limited to two, but may be one or three or more.
Thereby, the types of thickness of the electrode width to be varied can be not only three types, but also two types or four or more types.
Furthermore, in one nozzle piping member, the position where the nozzle is provided is not located above the center or end of the substrate, but is disposed above a desired local region where the electrode width is desired to be different. It is also possible to control the electrode width of the electrode existing at the local position.
Further, the number of nozzles arranged above the local area may be made larger or smaller than the number of nozzles arranged in other areas.

In addition, instead of setting the position of the nozzle of one nozzle piping member as a local position, a plurality of nozzles are arranged over the entire width of the substrate in one nozzle piping member, but the portion where the number of nozzles is locally large Or you may make a part with a small number of nozzles.
For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a larger number of nozzles may be installed in the central portion of the substrate 20, and a relatively small number of nozzles may be arranged at the end.

In FIG. 8, in the nozzle piping member 17, the number of nozzles in the central portion of the substrate 20 is larger than that in the end portion, so that a large amount of etching solution 21 is sprayed at a high density in the central portion. Since this etching solution is sprayed in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the substrate, the progress of the etching of the electrode material in the central portion is more difficult to proceed, and an electrode having a relatively thick electrode width is formed.
On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 9, in one nozzle piping member 18, when the number of nozzles at the end of the substrate 20 is larger than the number of nozzles at the central portion, the direction opposite to the traveling direction of a large amount of the substrate at the end Since the etching solution 21 is supplied and the central portion of the electrode is etched for a longer time and the end portion of the electrode is less likely to be etched, the electrode width of the end portion of the substrate 20 can be reduced. .

It is explanatory drawing of one Example of the electrode formation process of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of one Example of the wet etching process of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the example of arrangement | positioning of the spray nozzle utilized by the conventional etching process. It is explanatory drawing of one Example of the etching apparatus which implements the wet etching process of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of one Example which showed the relationship between the nozzle piping member of this invention, and a board | substrate. In this invention, it is a graph which shows one Example of the relationship between etching time and the electrode width of a display electrode. It is one Example of the arrangement | positioning figure of the nozzle piping member of this invention, and the nozzle installed in it. It is a layout of another embodiment of the nozzle piping member and the nozzle in the present invention. It is a layout of another embodiment of the nozzle piping member and the nozzle in the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Nozzle piping member 2 Nozzle piping member 3 Nozzle piping member 4 Nozzle piping member 11 Nozzle piping member 12 Nozzle piping member 13 Nozzle piping member 14 Nozzle piping member 15 Nozzle piping member 16 Nozzle piping member 17 Nozzle piping member 18 Nozzle piping member 20 Substrate 21 Etching solution 100 Substrate 101 First Cr layer 102 Cu layer 103 Second Cr layer 104 Resist

Claims (7)

A transport unit that transports the electrode material layer and the substrate on which the resist material is formed in one direction;
An etching unit for spraying an etching solution for removing the electrode material layer and the resist material from above the substrate on the substrate conveyed by the conveyance unit;
The etching portion has a shape that is long in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the substrate, and a plurality of spray nozzles for spraying the etching solution onto the substrate are installed, and the etching solution is supplied to the spray nozzle. A plurality of nozzle piping members to be supplied;
The plurality of nozzle pipe members are arranged in parallel with a predetermined interval in the same direction as the traveling direction of the substrate, and an electrode having a predetermined electrode width distribution as the substrate travels below the etching portion. The electrode forming apparatus is characterized in that the number and position of the spray nozzles installed in a specific nozzle piping member among the nozzle piping members are set.   Among the plurality of nozzle piping members, the number of spray nozzles installed in a specific nozzle piping member is smaller than the number of spray nozzles installed in other nozzle piping members, and the specific substrate of the substrate to be conveyed 2. The electrode forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrode forming apparatus is disposed only above the region.   The number of the specific nozzle piping members is two or more, the number of spray nozzles installed in those specific nozzle piping members is different, the nozzle piping member located rearward with respect to the traveling direction of the substrate, 3. The electrode forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the number of spray nozzles is set to increase or decrease step by step.   The spray nozzle installed in the specific nozzle piping member is attached so that the spraying direction of the etching solution sprayed from the spray nozzle is the direction toward the substrate and opposite to the traveling direction of the substrate. The electrode forming apparatus according to claim 2.   In the specific nozzle piping member, the number of spray nozzles disposed above a predetermined central region of the substrate to be transported is greater than the number of spray nozzles disposed above the region of the end portion of the substrate. The electrode forming apparatus according to claim 2.   In the specific nozzle piping member, the number of spray nozzles disposed above a predetermined local region of the substrate to be transported is greater than the number of spray nozzles disposed above other regions of the substrate. The electrode forming apparatus according to claim 2.   The electrode forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is a substrate of a plasma display panel.

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