JP2018134573A - Etching device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a glass substrate etching device which can inhibit adhesion and accumulation of sludge to the interior of the device.SOLUTION: An etching device 10 is configured to spray an etching liquid to a glass substrate 50 which is subject to etching treatment. The etching device 10 includes: an etching treatment part having at least an injection nozzle 44; and an etching liquid storage part having an etching liquid tank which stores the etching liquid to be supplied to the etching treatment part. In the etching liquid storage part, a strainer 64 configured to cover an inflow port of the injection nozzle 44 is disposed. Further, the etching liquid storage part has a perforated pipeline 66 which is configured to circulate the etching liquid in the etching liquid tank and has multiple hole parts 68 for injecting part of a circulation liquid to an inflow part of the strainer 64.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an etching apparatus configured to inject an etching solution onto a glass substrate, and more particularly to an etching apparatus characterized by suppressing adhesion and accumulation of sludge inside the apparatus.

  In recent years, flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays have been required to be small and thin. As a means for reducing the thickness, there is an etching process in which a glass substrate used in a display panel is brought into contact with an etching solution using a chemical solution such as hydrofluoric acid. The etching process can be broadly classified into a spray type etching method in which an etching solution is sprayed onto a glass substrate and a dip type etching method in which the glass substrate is immersed in the etching solution.

  In recent years, a spray-type etching method is becoming mainstream in order to efficiently process a large glass substrate. As a spray-type etching apparatus, there is an apparatus having a mechanism for injecting an etching solution from above and below on a glass substrate transported in a horizontal direction (for example, see Patent Document 1). The spray-type etching apparatus is said to minimize the contact between the glass substrate and the jig and improve the etching quality.

No. 2013-118867

  When the glass substrate is etched, the glass substrate and the etching solution react to generate an insoluble product (hereinafter also referred to as sludge) in the etching solution. When the sludge adheres to the glass substrate, the etching quality is affected by problems such as the occurrence of irregularities, so that the etching process is performed while removing the sludge from the etching solution using a filtration device or the like.

  However, it is difficult to completely remove sludge from the etching solution, and the etching process is performed in a state where a certain amount of sludge is present in the etching solution. Of course, the sludge concentration in the etching solution is controlled at a level that does not affect the etching quality, but the sludge adheres to the inner wall and piping of the etching apparatus. Furthermore, the sludge gradually accumulates around the adhering sludge, and the spray nozzle and piping may be clogged. In order to remove the sludge in the apparatus, the etching process must be temporarily interrupted and a cleaning operation or the like must be performed, resulting in a reduction in production efficiency. For this reason, a method for suppressing the adhesion and accumulation of sludge in the apparatus has been demanded.

  The objective of this invention is providing the etching apparatus which can suppress adhesion of the sludge to piping and a nozzle inside an apparatus.

  The etching apparatus according to the present invention is an etching apparatus configured to spray an etching solution on a glass substrate to be etched. The etching apparatus includes an etching processing section having at least a spray nozzle and an etching liquid storage section having at least an etching liquid tank for storing an etching liquid to be supplied to the etching processing section. A strainer configured to cover the inlet to the spray nozzle is disposed in the etching solution storage unit. Furthermore, it is configured to circulate the etching solution in the etching solution tank, and has a perforated pipe having a plurality of holes for injecting at least a part of the circulating solution to the inflow portion of the strainer.

  The strainer is disposed at a tip portion on the etching tank side of a pipe connecting the etching liquid tank and the etching processing section, and is configured to prevent sludge in the etching liquid from flowing into the etching processing section. The perforated pipe is configured to agitate the etching liquid in the tank by injecting the etching liquid sucked in the etching tank into the tank. Furthermore, it is possible to remove the sludge adhering to the strainer by injecting the etching liquid sprayed from the perforated pipe also onto the strainer.

  By spraying the circulating fluid from the perforated pipe, it becomes possible to prevent the sludge from adhering to and depositing on the inner wall and strainer of the etching solution tank. For this reason, it becomes possible to operate an etching apparatus over a long period of time, and production efficiency can be improved. In particular, since the strainer is always immersed in the etching solution during the etching process and is the region where sludge is most easily deposited even in the etching solution tank, it is difficult to completely remove the sludge only by circulating the solution in the tank. . By injecting the circulating fluid to the strainer, it is possible to reliably remove sludge adhering to the surface of the strainer.

  Moreover, it is preferable that perforated piping injects a circulating fluid along the surface of a strainer. If liquid is sprayed from the front onto the mesh portion of the strainer, the sludge may be pushed into the strainer. Sludge can be effectively removed by spraying the etching solution along the surface of the strainer.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the perforated pipe injects the circulating fluid in a direction different from the injection direction with respect to the strainer. By injecting the circulating liquid in multiple directions, the liquid circulation in the tank is suitably performed.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it becomes possible to provide the etching apparatus which can suppress adhesion and accumulation | storage of sludge to the inside of an apparatus.

It is a figure which shows an etching apparatus. It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of an etching liquid tank. It is a figure which shows the structure of perforated piping. It is a figure which shows a box-shaped strainer.

  Hereinafter, an etching apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The etching apparatus 10 includes a carry-in unit 12, a pretreatment chamber 14, an etching chamber 16, a water washing chamber 18, a drying chamber 20, and a carry-out unit 22. The etching apparatus 10 is configured to perform an etching process by spraying an etching solution from above and below while conveying the glass substrate 50 in the horizontal direction by the conveying roller 30. The transport rollers 30 are arranged along the length direction of the etching apparatus 10 and are configured to transport the glass substrate 50.

  The carry-in unit 12 is an area for loading the glass substrate 50 into the etching apparatus 10, and the glass substrate 50 is loaded into the etching apparatus 10 by placing the glass substrate 50 on the transport roller 30 in the carry-in unit 12. The

  The pretreatment chamber 14 is configured to inject a pretreatment liquid onto the glass substrate 50 being conveyed. In the pretreatment chamber 14, a spray unit 40 is arranged in the vertical direction of the transport roller 30. The spray unit 40 is configured to uniformly spray the pretreatment liquid onto the glass substrate 50. The spray unit 40 includes a liquid feeding pipe 42 and an injection nozzle 44. A plurality of injection nozzles 44 are arranged on the liquid supply pipe 42 and inject the pretreatment liquid onto the glass substrate 50.

  When the etching solution is brought into contact with the glass substrate in a dry state, the etching reaction proceeds rapidly and white clouding may occur. For this reason, the etching apparatus 10 is configured to come into contact with the etching solution while the glass substrate 50 is moistened in the pretreatment chamber 14. Pure water or city water is used as the pretreatment liquid.

  The etching chamber 16 is configured to inject an etching solution onto the glass substrate 50 being transferred. In the etching chamber 16, the spray unit 40 is arranged in the vertical direction of the transport roller 30, similarly to the pretreatment chamber 14. The configuration of the spray unit 40 is substantially the same as that of the pretreatment chamber, but it is preferable to have a mechanism for swinging and sliding the spray unit 40 in order to spray the etching solution uniformly. In the etching apparatus 10, it is preferable that a first etching chamber 161 and a second etching chamber 162 having substantially the same configuration are arranged. By providing a plurality of etching chambers, it is possible to suppress the influence of enlargement of components and thermal expansion.

  The rinsing chamber 18 is disposed at the rear stage of the second etching chamber 162 and is configured to wash away the etching solution by spraying the cleaning solution onto the glass substrate 50. The drying chamber 20 is configured to remove moisture from the glass substrate 50 by the air knife 36. In addition to the air knife, a squeezing roller or a wiping cloth can be used. The glass substrate 50 subjected to the etching process is taken out from the etching apparatus 10 in the carry-out part 22.

  The etching solution sprayed from the etching chamber 16 is stored in an etching solution tank. The etching apparatus 10 includes a first etching solution tank 241 and a second etching solution tank 242. The first etchant tank 241 is configured to supply the etchant to the first etch chamber 161, and the second etchant tank 241 is configured to supply the etchant to the second etch chamber 162. Further, the etching solution sprayed in each etching chamber is collected in a corresponding etching solution tank. Although the etching apparatus 10 is provided with an etching solution tank separately, a configuration in which the etching solution sprayed at the lower part of the etching chamber can be recovered may be adopted. In addition, the structure of the 1st etching liquid tank 241 and the 2nd etching liquid tank 242 is substantially the same.

  From here, the structure of the 1st etching liquid tank 241 is demonstrated using FIG. The 1st etching liquid tank 241 is comprised so that the etching liquid adjusted to the desired composition may be accommodated. The etching solution contains at least hydrofluoric acid, and appropriately contains an inorganic acid such as hydrochloric acid and a surfactant. The etchant tank is made of a material having resistance to at least hydrofluoric acid, and a resin material such as polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, or polycarbonate can be suitably used.

  The filtration device 26 is connected to the first etching solution tank 241 and the second etching solution tank 242, and is configured to remove sludge in the etching solution supplied from each etching solution tank. When the etching process is continuously performed, the sludge in the etching solution gradually increases. Therefore, the sludge generated in the solution is removed using the filtration device 26. As the filtration device 26, a pressure filtration device such as a filter press or a membrane filtration device using a microfilter can be used. The etching solution filtered by the filtering device 26 is returned again to the first etching solution tank 241 and the second etching solution tank 242, respectively.

  The first etching solution tank 241 includes a circulation pipe 60, a connection pipe 62, a strainer 64, and a perforated pipe 66. In addition, a heat exchanger for adjusting the temperature, a temperature sensor, a liquid level sensor, a concentration sensor, or the like may be arranged in the tank.

  The connection pipe 62 is a pipe for supplying the etching solution in the first etching solution tank 241 to the spray unit 40. One end of the connection pipe 62 is immersed in an etching solution so that the etching solution in the tank flows in. The other end of the connection pipe 62 is connected to the spray unit 40, and the etching solution supplied from the first etching solution tank 241 is injected from the injection nozzle 44.

  The strainer 64 is a cylindrical filter having a mesh portion 70 disposed so as to cover the inlet of the connection pipe 62. The etchant contains sludge generated by the reaction between the etchant and the glass substrate. When the sludge flows into the connection pipe 62, the sludge adheres to the liquid supply pipe 42 and the injection nozzle 44 of the spray unit 40, and there is a possibility that an etching failure such as the difficulty of jetting the etching liquid may occur. The strainer 64 is configured to prevent sludge in the liquid from flowing into the connection pipe 62 at the mesh unit 70. In consideration of the foreign substance passage diameter of the injection nozzle 44 and the particle diameter of sludge in the etching solution, it is preferable to use a mesh diameter of the mesh portion 70 of 0.8 to 2.0 mm. However, the mesh diameter may be appropriately changed depending on the mechanism of the etching apparatus.

  The circulation pipe 60 is configured to suck the etchant from a predetermined location in the first etchant tank 241 and discharge it from the other. The front end portion on the inflow side of the circulation pipe 60 is provided with a suction port 72 arranged so as to be immersed in the etching solution during the etching process. The suction port 72 is a region where a plurality of holes arranged at the tip of the circulation pipe 60 is formed, and is configured such that an etching solution flows from the suction port 72.

  Driving units such as a pump and a motor of the circulation pipe 60 are disposed outside the first etching solution tank 241. Therefore, the circulation pipe 60 is also configured to extend outside the tank and be introduced into the tank again. If a pipe or a drive unit is arranged in the etching tank, it not only deteriorates due to the acid contained in the etching solution, but also has an adverse effect that the liquid circulation is hindered and sludge is accumulated.

  The perforated pipe 66 is disposed at the distal end of the circulation pipe 60 on the discharge side. The perforated pipe 66 is configured to inject the etching solution flowing from the suction port 72. The perforated piping 66 is a U-shaped piping, and has a plurality of holes 68 for injecting an etching solution. Even if the sludge generated in the etching liquid adheres to the inner wall of the tank or the piping in the tank, it can be removed by the liquid flow generated by the etching liquid sprayed from the perforated pipe 66.

  Further, the sludge adhering to the mesh portion 70 of the strainer 64 can be removed by the etching liquid sprayed from the perforated pipe 66. The strainer 64 is particularly prone to deposit sludge even in the etching solution tank due to suction from the connection pipe 62. If the sludge accumulates on the surface of the mesh portion 70, the etching liquid is not supplied to the spray unit 40. Therefore, the etching liquid is sprayed from the perforated pipe 66 to prevent the sludge from adhering to the surface of the strainer 64. doing.

  Further, by making the shape of the perforated pipe 66 substantially U-shaped, it becomes possible to inject the etching solution along the surface of the strainer 64 on the cylinder. When liquid is sprayed from the front onto the mesh of the strainer 64, sludge may flow into the connection pipe 62. The strainer 64 can be efficiently cleaned by spraying the etchant from the U-shaped perforated pipe 66 that can spray the etchant along the surface of the cylindrical strainer 64.

  The perforated pipe 66 is sprayed not only from the strainer 64 side but also from the back surface. 3 (A) and 3 (B) are front views of the perforated pipe. 3A is a front view from the strainer 64 side, and FIG. 3B is a front view from the circulation pipe 60 side. The perforated pipe 66 is provided with a hole 68 on the circulation pipe 60 side, and is configured to inject an etching solution. By injecting the etching solution from multiple directions, it is possible to efficiently perform the liquid circulation in the tank.

  The shape of the strainer is not particularly limited, and a box-shaped strainer can be used. A box-shaped strainer 641 shown in FIG. 4 is connected to the tip of the connection pipe 62. The strainer 641 prevents the sludge from flowing into the connection pipe 62 by the mesh portion 70 disposed on the side surface portion and the top surface portion. Moreover, when the mesh part 70 is arrange | positioned in the position which becomes a blind spot in the injection of the etching liquid from one direction, it is preferable to branch the circulation piping 60 and to arrange a plurality of perforated piping 66.

  The above description of the embodiment is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above embodiments but by the claims. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10-Etching apparatus 12-Carry-in part 14-Pretreatment chamber 16-Etching chamber 18-Water-washing chamber 20-Drying chamber 22-Carry-out part 26-Filtration apparatus 30-Carrying roller 36-Air knife 42-Liquid supply piping 44-Injection nozzle 50 -Glass substrate 60-Circulating piping 62-Connection piping 64-Strainer 66-Perforated piping

Claims (3)

An etching apparatus configured to spray an etchant on a glass substrate to be etched,
An etching processing unit having at least a spray nozzle;
An etching solution container having at least an etching solution tank for containing an etching solution to be supplied to the etching processing unit;
With
The etchant container includes a strainer configured to cover the inlet to the spray nozzle,
A perforated pipe having a plurality of holes for injecting part or all of the circulating liquid to the inflow portion of the strainer, and configured to circulate the etching liquid in the etching liquid tank;
An etching apparatus comprising:   The etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the perforated pipe sprays a circulating liquid along a surface of the strainer.   3. The etching apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the perforated pipe sprays the circulating liquid from a direction different from a spray direction to the strainer.

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