JP2010167484A - Method and apparatus of removing thin film of thin film laminated glass substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To remove an unnecessary film in the periphery of a thin film laminated glass substrate by laser without degrading quality as a device while more surely preventing evaporated matters, plasma, dust, etc., generated during machining from sticking to parts composing the device in a substrate. <P>SOLUTION: A thin film removing apparatus (A) includes: a receptacle pin (11) that holds the substrate (5), with a thin film (51) put on the lower side; a laser scanning part (4) that removes the unnecessary portions of the thin film (51) by irradiating a machining part through a glass plate (50) with a laser beam from the glass plate (50) side of the substrate (5); a gas supply part (2) that supplies gas in parallel with the film face of the thin film (51) from the side of a non-machining region in the lower part of the substrate (5); and a gas sucking part (3) that sucks the gas supplied in the gas supply part (2), and the atmosphere containing the evaporated matters, plasma, dust, etc., generated in the machining part, in the manner flowing to each side direction in parallel with the film face of the thin film (51). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for removing a thin film from a thin film laminated glass substrate. More specifically, when an unnecessary thin film at the periphery of the thin film laminated glass substrate is removed by a laser, the thin film laminated glass substrate is not damaged by heat, and the evaporated material generated at the processing point, plasma, dust, etc. It is related with what can prevent adhesion.

  For example, in a manufacturing process of a thin film solar cell or a flat panel display, a thin film laminated glass substrate which is a glass substrate on which thin films of functional materials are laminated is manufactured. This thin-film laminated glass substrate may be sealed at the periphery of the glass substrate in order to keep the substrates bonded together and to keep the thin film portion airtight.

  At that time, since the laminated thin film of the functional material may cause a decrease in adhesive force or leakage of electricity to the outside in the peripheral portion of the glass substrate that becomes the bonding location, the thin film in that portion is removed in advance. A process is required. Conventionally, this process has often been performed by polishing or wet corrosion treatment, but recently, from the viewpoint of running cost and generated waste, an apparatus for removing a thin film using a laser has been proposed ( For example, see Patent Document 1).

  The laser processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a laser device that irradiates a workpiece with laser light, and a jet port that faces the scan area of the workpiece to be processed by the laser beam. Equipped with an air jetting device that blows air and a dust collector that collects dust generated from the workpiece by laser light, and prevents dust generated during laser processing from adhering to the workpiece It can be done.

JP2007-185685

However, the laser processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 has the following problems.
That is, in processing, the glass substrate is set with the thin film on which the device is provided on the upper surface side, and the work of blowing air that sends evaporate, plasma, dust etc. generated at the processing point to the suction part from diagonally above Since it is performed above the film surface of the glass substrate, a part of the evaporated material, plasma, dust, etc. that leaks from the air flow descends onto the thin film due to gravity and adheres to the parts that make up the device, insulating. There was a risk that the merchantability would be impaired, such as causing a decrease in the resistance value of the part.

  In general, when performing removal processing of a thin film using a laser, a high-power pulse laser having an average output of 500 W or more is often employed in order to increase the processing capability. However, in processing with a high-power pulse laser, the temperature of the glass substrate locally becomes extremely high when the thin film is removed, and there is a risk that fine cracks and the like may occur due to the heat on the glass plate in contact with the thin film. there were.

  The object of the present invention is to more reliably prevent the evaporation, plasma, dust, etc. generated at the processing point from adhering to the part constituting the device in the substrate, and the thin film laminated glass substrate without deteriorating the quality as the device It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus capable of removing an unnecessary thin film around the periphery of the substrate with a laser.

  In addition to the above object, another object of the present invention is to make it difficult for the thin film laminated glass substrate to be damaged such as fine cracks due to laser heat.

Means taken by the present invention to solve the above problems are as follows.
The present invention
An apparatus for removing unnecessary portions of a thin film provided with devices in a thin film laminated glass substrate from a glass plate,
A holding part for holding the thin-film laminated glass substrate with the thin film facing down,
A laser scanning unit that removes unnecessary portions of the thin film by applying a laser to the processing unit through the glass plate from the glass plate side of the thin film laminated glass substrate;
A gas supply unit that supplies gas in parallel with the film surface of the thin film from the non-processed region side of the thin film laminated glass substrate below the thin film laminated glass substrate;
Each side parallel to the film surface of the thin film from the non-processed area side of the thin film laminated glass substrate, including the gas supplied by the gas supply unit and the atmosphere containing evaporant, plasma, dust, etc. generated in the processed part of the thin film laminated glass substrate A gas suction part for sucking so as to flow in the direction;
A thin film removing apparatus for a thin film laminated glass substrate.

The present invention
The laser scanning unit scans the entire surface of the processing unit by moving the processing unit of the thin film laminated glass substrate in the same direction as the gas flow direction while reciprocating and scanning in parallel with the side of the thin film laminated glass substrate. Like to do,
A thin film removing apparatus for the thin film laminated glass substrate.

The present invention
The average output of the pulse laser oscillator of the laser scanning unit is 200 W or less,
A thin film removing apparatus for the thin film laminated glass substrate.

The present invention
A method for removing unnecessary portions of a thin film on which a device is provided in a thin film laminated glass substrate from a glass plate,
Hold the thin film laminated glass substrate with the thin film facing down,
Under the thin film laminated glass substrate, gas is supplied in parallel with the film surface of the thin film from the non-processed region side of the thin film laminated glass substrate,
Pass the glass plate from the glass plate side of the thin film laminated glass substrate and apply laser to the processed part to remove the unnecessary part of the thin film,
The atmosphere containing the supplied gas and the evaporant, plasma, dust, etc. generated in the processing part of the thin film laminated glass substrate flows from the non-processed area side of the thin film laminated glass substrate in the direction of each side parallel to the film surface of the thin film. To suck into,
It is the thin film removal method of a thin film laminated glass substrate.

The present invention
The scanning of the laser is performed on the entire surface of the processing portion by moving in the same direction as the direction of gas flow while reciprocating scanning in parallel with the side portion of the thin film laminated glass substrate in the processing portion of the thin film laminated glass substrate.
It is the thin film removal method of the said thin film laminated glass substrate.

The present invention
Removing unnecessary portions of the thin film using a laser emitted from a pulse laser oscillator having an average output of 200 W or less;
It is the thin film removal method of the said thin film laminated glass substrate.

(Function)
The operation of the thin film removing apparatus for a thin film laminated glass substrate according to the present invention will be described. Here, the constituent elements used in the description are assigned in correspondence with the reference numerals given to the respective parts in the embodiments described later. These reference numerals are the same as the reference numerals described in the claims of the claims. Similarly, it is only for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the contents, and the meaning of each component is not limited to the above-described parts.

In the thin film removal apparatus for thin film laminated glass substrate, first, the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) is held at a predetermined position by the holding unit (11) with the thin film (51) provided with the device facing down.
Next, under the thin film laminated glass substrate (5), gas such as air is supplied in parallel with the film surface of the thin film (51) from the non-processed region side of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) by the gas supply unit (2). At the same time, the gas supplied by the gas supply unit (2) and the surrounding atmosphere including the gas are sucked by the gas suction unit (3). Thereby, the flow of the atmosphere which goes to the outer side of each side part from the inner side of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) which is a non-processed area can be created below the thin film laminated glass substrate (5).

Next, while maintaining the flow of this atmosphere, the laser scanning unit (4) passes the glass plate (50) from the glass plate (50) side of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) to the thin film laminated glass substrate (5). Scanning is performed so as to remove unnecessary portions of the thin film (51) by applying a laser to the processed portion.
At the processing point where the laser strikes in the thin film (51), vapor, plasma, dust, etc. are generated by the heat of the laser. These evaporates and the like float in the atmosphere maintaining the flow or fall downward due to gravity.

An evaporating substance that falls downward does not adhere to the film surface of the thin film (51) of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) located above. In addition, vaporized substances that float in the atmosphere, along with the atmosphere, are sent in parallel with the film surface of the thin film (51) of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) above and adhere to the thin film (51). Instead, the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) is fed from the non-processed region side to the outside of each side portion and discharged to the outside.
In this manner, unnecessary portions of the thin film (51) on which the device is provided in the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) can be removed from the glass plate (50).

  The laser scanning by the laser scanning unit (4) is moved in the same direction as the direction of gas flow while reciprocating scanning in parallel with the side of the glass substrate (5) in the processed part of the glass substrate (5), What is performed on the entire surface of the processing part is that even if the evaporant generated at the processing point on the upstream side adheres to the film surface of the thin film (51) on the downstream side, the attached part is subsequently laser Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the possibility that the evaporant or the like remains on the film surface.

  When the average output of the pulse laser oscillator (40) of the laser scanning unit (4) is 200 W or less, the heat generated at the processing point can be suppressed, so fine cracks caused by the laser heat on the glass substrate (5) It is possible to make it difficult to cause damage. In addition, since the temperature rise at the processing point of the thin film (51) can be suppressed and the influence of heat can be reduced, vaporization and plasmaization of the thin film (51) at the processing point can be suppressed, and the generated evaporant And the amount of plasma and the like can be reduced.

The present invention has the above-described configuration and has the following effects.
(A) Evaporated matter, plasma, dust, etc. generated at the processing point are formed on the inside of the thin film laminated glass substrate which is a non-processed region depending on the gas flowing along the film surface of the thin film on the lower surface side of the glass substrate and the atmosphere containing the gas. To the outside of each side. In addition, since the thin film laminated glass substrate is processed while being held with the thin film facing down, even if the evaporating substance leaks from the atmosphere flow, it does not adhere to the thin film as it falls due to gravity.
As a result, it is possible to more reliably prevent the thin film laminated glass substrate from adhering to the parts constituting the device, so that an unnecessary thin film around the thin film laminated glass substrate can be removed with a laser without deteriorating the quality of the device. Can be removed.

(B) When the average output of the pulse laser oscillator of the laser scanning unit is 200 W or less, the heat generated at the processing point can be suppressed, so that the glass substrate is unlikely to be damaged by fine cracks due to the heat of the laser. Can be. Moreover, since the temperature rise at the processing point of the thin film can be suppressed and the influence of heat can be reduced, vaporization and plasmatization of the thin film at the processing point can be suppressed, and the amount of generated evaporants and plasma can be reduced. Can be reduced.

Side surface sectional explanatory drawing which showed one Embodiment of the thin film removal apparatus for thin film laminated glass substrates which concerns on this invention, and represented the use condition. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Plan view explanatory drawing which showed one Embodiment of the thin film removal apparatus for thin film laminated glass substrates which concerns on this invention, and represented the use condition. Explanatory drawing which shows the scanning locus | trajectory by the laser in a thin film laminated glass substrate.

  The present invention will be described in detail based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.

  In FIG. 2, the laser scanning unit 4 is not shown for convenience of illustration.

  A thin film removing apparatus A for a thin film laminated glass substrate removes unnecessary portions in the peripheral part (four sides) of the square glass plate 50 of the thin film 51 provided with devices in the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 described later. The apparatus has a structure including a pedestal 1, a gas supply unit 2, a gas suction unit 3, and a laser scanning unit 4. Hereinafter, each will be described in detail.

(Stand 1)
The thin film removing apparatus A for a thin film laminated glass substrate includes a base 1 having a rectangular shape (rectangular shape) in plan view. The upper surface 10 of the base portion 1 is horizontal, and receiving pins 11 (holding portions) for placing and holding the thin-film laminated glass substrate 5 at a total of five locations are provided near the center and each corner of the upper surface 10. It has been. Each receiving pin 11 uses an organic polymer resin material so as not to damage the film surface of the thin film laminated glass substrate 5. Each receiving pin 11 has the same length, and is 5 mm in the present embodiment. In addition to the receiving pin 11, a suction cup that holds the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 by suction or a holding tool that holds and holds the thin film laminated glass substrate from the lateral direction can also be adopted as the holding portion.

  Therefore, the gap (gas flow part 13) between the film surface of the lower thin film 51 and the upper surface 10 held by each receiving pin 11 is also 5 mm. Note that the length of the receiving pins 11 is not limited to 5 mm, and can be set as appropriate according to the required interval of the gas flow part 13, and the number and arrangement of the receiving pins 11 are also the same as those of the thin film laminated glass substrate 5. It can be appropriately set according to the shape and size.

(Gas supply unit 2)
In addition, gas supply portions 2 are provided at four locations surrounding the receiving pin 11 in the central portion on the upper surface 10. Each gas supply unit 2 includes an ejection unit 20 that can eject gas (air in the present embodiment) in a horizontal circumferential direction on the upper surface 10, and an air supply pipe 21 that sends gas to the ejection unit 20. I have. In addition, each ejection part 20 is provided so as to be lower than each receiving pin 11.

  Thereby, each ejection part 20 is a thin film from the inside of the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 (the substrate central part which becomes a non-processed region) in the gas flow part 13 below the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 held by each receiving pin 11. Gas can be supplied in parallel with the film surface. In addition, in order to prevent inflow of the dust etc. to the gas distribution | circulation part 13 of the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 center, the gas ejected from each ejection part 20 uses the high pressure gas (compressed air etc.). As the gas, in addition to air, for example, a harmless and safe gas such as argon or helium can be used alone or as a mixed gas in which these are mixed in an appropriate ratio.

(Gas suction part 3)
The said base part 1 is provided with the side part 12 of four sides. In the vicinity of each side surface portion 12, the atmosphere containing the gas supplied from each gas supply unit 2 and the evaporant, plasma, dust, etc. generated in the processing unit of the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 is not processed in the thin film laminated glass substrate 5. A gas suction unit 3 is provided for suctioning from the region side so as to flow in the four directions parallel to the film surface of the thin film 51.

  Each gas suction part 3 includes an intake part 30 and a gas injection part 31. Each intake part 30 is arranged on the outside of each side part 12 with a slight gap (gas circulation part 14) with the side part 12. Each intake portion 30 has a structure in which an exhaust pipe 302 is connected to a suction tool 301 having a mouth portion that expands in a trumpet shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the intake portions 30 are provided at three locations on the long side surface portion 12, and are provided at two locations on the short side surface portion 12.

  The gas injection part 31 is provided on each side part 12. Each gas injection unit 31 includes an injection nozzle 311 and an air supply pipe 312 that sends gas to the injection nozzle 311. Each injection nozzle 311 is provided such that the width of the injection port is substantially the same as the width of each side surface portion 12, and the injection direction of each injection nozzle 311 is directed to each suction tool 301.

  When the gas is injected at high speed from the injection nozzle 311 of each gas injection unit 31 to each suction tool 301, the surrounding gas becomes negative pressure (according to Bernoulli's law), and the gas flows into the gas circulation units 13 and 14. Create a flow. By this gas, an atmosphere containing evaporant, plasma, dust and the like generated in the processed portion of the glass substrate is taken in, sucked by each suction tool 301, and discharged to the outside through the exhaust pipe 302.

(Laser scanning unit 4)
The laser scanning unit 4 passes the glass from the glass plate 50 side of the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 and applies a laser to the processing unit to remove unnecessary portions of the thin film. The laser scanning units 4 are provided at four positions above the four sides of the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 to be processed.

  Each laser scanning unit 4 includes a laser oscillator 40 and two galvanometer mirrors 41 of an optical system. The laser oscillator 40 has a relatively low output, and an average output of 200 W is employed in this embodiment.

  By adopting a low-power laser oscillator 40, it is possible to prevent the glass substrate from being damaged due to thermal effects such as cracks. Moreover, the temperature rise of the glass substrate at a processing point can be suppressed, the influence of heat can be reduced, and vaporization and plasmatization of the thin film 51 which is a removed material generated during processing can be suppressed. .

  Since the laser scanning unit 4 performs processing using a low-power laser, the processing capability is lower than when a high-power laser is used. Therefore, in order to improve this, the laser spot P (see FIG. 3) and the galvanometer mirror 41 can scan the laser at high speed so that sufficient processing capability can be exhibited.

(Function)
With reference to FIG. 1 thru | or 3, the effect | action of the thin film removal apparatus A for thin film laminated glass substrates and the method of removing the thin film of a thin film laminated glass substrate are demonstrated.
The arrows in FIGS. 1 and 2 represent the flow of gas or atmosphere.

The thin film laminated glass substrate 5 to be processed is composed of a glass plate 50 and a thin film 51 laminated on one surface thereof and provided with a device (not shown).
In the thin film removal apparatus A for thin film laminated glass substrate, the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 is first placed and held by each receiving pin 11 with the thin film 51 provided with the device facing down.

  Next, air is supplied to the gas circulation part 13 from the ejection part 20 of the gas supply part 2 below the thin film laminated glass substrate 5. The air is supplied in parallel with the film surface of the thin film 51 from the non-processed region side inside the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 together with the atmosphere.

  Simultaneously with the supply of the air, the gas supplied by the gas supply unit 2 in the gas flow units 13 and 14 and the surrounding atmosphere including the gas in the gas flow units 13 and 14 by the gas suction units 3 in the vicinity of the side surfaces 12 of the base unit 1. Inhale. Thereby, the flow of the atmosphere which goes to the outer side of each side part from the inner side of the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 which is a non-process area | region under the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 is created.

  Next, in a state where the atmosphere flow in the gas flow parts 13 and 14 is maintained, the laser scanning part 4 passes the glass plate 50 from the glass plate 50 side of the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 to apply a laser to the processing part, and no thin film is required. Scan to remove portions.

Laser scanning by the laser scanning unit 4 is performed simultaneously on each side (four sides) of the thin film laminated glass substrate 5. This scanning is performed in parallel with each side of the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 as shown in FIG. 3, and linear processing is performed by one scanning. Surface processing can be performed by scanning the laser by repeating the reciprocation by shifting the linear processing by the line width. In FIG. 3, the scanning ranges on each side are partially overlapped at both ends. However, they may be overlapped in a wider range, and if the remaining thin film 51 is not generated, it is not overlapped. Also good.
In FIG. 3, for convenience of illustration, a gap is provided between the scanning lines.

At that time, the scanning position of the first laser is set to a position close to the center of the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 in the processing portion to be processed. Thereafter, the laser scanning position is gradually moved to the outside of the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 for processing. That is, the process is gradually extended outward from the center of the thin-film laminated glass substrate 5 in time series.
According to this, even if the evaporant generated at the processing point P on the upstream side adheres to the film surface of the thin film 51 on the downstream side, the adhering part is then processed by the laser and finally removed. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the possibility that the evaporant or the like remains on the film surface.

After passing through the inside of the glass plate 50, the laser is absorbed at the processing point P of the thin film 51 laminated on the glass plate 50 and converted into thermal energy. As a result, the thin film 51 becomes solid dust due to evaporant, plasma, or its impact, and is removed from the glass plate 50.
At that time, the generated evaporant, plasma, dust or the like floats in the atmosphere maintaining the flow, or falls below the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 by gravity and scatters.

  In addition, since the average output of the pulse laser oscillator 40 of the laser scanning unit 4 is 200 W, the heat generated at the processing point P can be suppressed, and the thin laminated glass substrate 5 is damaged by minute cracks and the like due to the heat of the laser. It can be made difficult to occur. Moreover, since the temperature rise of the processing point P of the thin film 51 can be suppressed and the influence of heat can be reduced, vaporization and plasmatization of the thin film 51 at the processing point P can be suppressed.

  Among the evaporates and the like, those that fall and scatter due to gravity do not adhere to the film surface of the thin film 51 of the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 located above. Moreover, what floats in the atmosphere among the evaporates and the like is trapped in the atmosphere and sent together with the atmosphere in parallel with the film surface of the thin film 51 of the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 located above, and does not adhere to the thin film 51. The thin film laminated glass substrate 5 is fed from the non-processed region side inside the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 to the outside of each side portion and is discharged outside by the gas suction unit 3.

  Thus, according to the thin film removal apparatus A for thin film laminated glass substrates, the unnecessary part of the thin film 51 in which the device is provided in the thin film laminated glass substrate 5 can be removed from the glass plate 50.

  Note that the terms and expressions used in this specification are merely explanatory and are not limiting at all, and terms and expressions equivalent to the features described in this specification and parts thereof. There is no intention to exclude. It goes without saying that various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

A thin film removal apparatus for thin film laminated glass substrate 1 base part 10 upper surface 11 receiving pin 12 side part 13 gas flow part 14 gas flow part 2 gas supply part 20 ejection part 21 air supply pipe
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Gas suction part 30 Air intake part 301 Suction tool 302 Exhaust pipe 31 Gas injection part 311 Injection nozzle 312 Supply pipe 4 Laser scanning part 40 Laser oscillator 41 Galvanometer mirror 5 Thin film laminated glass substrate 50 Glass plate 51 Thin film

Claims (5)

An apparatus for removing unnecessary portions of a thin film (51) provided with devices in a thin film laminated glass substrate (5) from a glass plate (50),
A holding part (11) for holding the thin-film laminated glass substrate (5) with the thin film (51) on the lower side,
A laser scanning section (4) for removing unnecessary portions of the thin film (51) by applying a laser to the processing section through the glass plate (50) from the glass plate (50) side of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5);
A gas supply unit (2) for supplying gas in parallel with the film surface of the thin film (51) from the non-processed region side of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) below the thin film laminated glass substrate (5),
The atmosphere containing the gas supplied by the gas supply unit (2) and the evaporant, plasma, dust, etc. generated in the processing unit of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) from the non-processed region side of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) A gas suction part (3) for sucking so as to flow in the direction of each side parallel to the film surface of the thin film (51);
An apparatus for removing a thin film from a thin film laminated glass substrate. Laser scanning by the laser scanning unit (4) is performed in the same direction as the gas flow direction while reciprocally scanning the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) in the processed part of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) substantially parallel to the side of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5). It is moved and performed on the entire surface of the processing part.
The thin film removal apparatus of the thin film laminated glass substrate of Claim 1. A method for removing an unnecessary portion of a thin film (51) provided with a device in a thin film laminated glass substrate (5) from a glass plate (50),
Hold the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) with the thin film (51) on the bottom,
Under the thin film laminated glass substrate (5), gas is supplied in parallel with the film surface of the thin film (51) from the non-processed region side of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5),
Applying a laser to the processed part through the glass plate (50) from the glass plate (50) side of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) to remove unnecessary portions of the thin film (51),
The film surface of the thin film (51) from the non-processed area side of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) to the atmosphere containing the supplied gas and evaporant, plasma, dust, etc. generated in the processed part of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) Suction to flow in the direction of each side in parallel with
A method for removing a thin film from a thin film laminated glass substrate. The scanning of the laser is performed in the processing part of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5) by moving in the same direction as the gas flow direction while reciprocating and scanning in parallel with the side part of the thin film laminated glass substrate (5). To do the entire surface,
The thin film removal method of the thin film laminated glass substrate of Claim 3. Removing unnecessary portions of the thin film using a laser emitted from a pulse laser oscillator having an average output of 200 W or less;
The thin film removal method of the thin film laminated glass substrate in any one of Claim 3 or 4.

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