JP3182103B2 - Method and apparatus for measuring ultrasonic waves in liquid in ultrasonic processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for measuring the operation of ultrasonic waves used in an ultrasonic processing apparatus such as a cleaning apparatus, an etching apparatus, and a developing / peeling apparatus.
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for measuring ultrasonic waves in liquid.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a cleaning apparatus, an etching apparatus, a developing / peeling apparatus, and the like, ultrasonic waves are often used to enhance the effect. Irradiating sound waves. At this time, it is necessary to check whether or not the irradiated ultrasonic wave is operating as expected. The most widely used means for this is a method of immersing an aluminum foil in a liquid. is there. This is based on the fact that a hole is formed in an aluminum foil due to the collapse of cavitation formed by ultrasonic waves, and it is possible to intuitively know the operation state of the ultrasonic wave by visually observing how the holes are formed.

[0003] However, the method using this aluminum foil has a drawback that the higher the frequency of the ultrasonic wave, the smaller the cavitation and the more difficult it is to form a hole, so that the range of usable frequencies is narrow. Specifically, 50k
It is effective for frequencies up to about Hz, but cannot be used for higher frequency ultrasound. There is also a problem in that the liquid is contaminated by fragments of the aluminum foil that break when the hole is opened.

On the other hand, as another measuring means which does not use an aluminum foil, there is known a measuring instrument in which a piezoelectric piezo rubber is attached to a tip of a support rod made of glass, quartz or the like. When the piezo rubber at the tip of the support rod is immersed in a liquid, the measuring device vibrates by ultrasonic waves to generate electric power, so that the operating state of the ultrasonic waves can be known from the output voltage.

[0005] However, since the above-mentioned measuring device is one in which the electrostrictive element (piezo rubber) is directly immersed in the liquid, the electrostrictive element is corroded or deteriorated, and the accuracy is apt to be reduced. In addition, if the vibration is transmitted to the electrostrictive element, all the ultrasonic waves and cavitation collapse vibrations are detected and converted into electric signals, so that the measurement data contains a lot of noise, and the measurement accuracy is high. There is also a disadvantage that is bad.

Therefore, recently, a method has been practiced in which the piezo rubber is not immersed in the liquid but the support rod is immersed. However, in this method, the piezo rubber indirectly receives the resonance of the support rod to generate power. Therefore, it is easy to be affected by the resonance state of the support rod, and the resonance state of the support rod often differs depending on the intensity (frequency) of the ultrasonic waves. Can not.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The main technical problem of the present invention is to provide a simple and clean measurement method capable of easily and cleanly measuring the operation state of ultrasonic waves irradiated into a liquid in an ultrasonic processing apparatus. It is to provide a means. Another technical object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized ultrasonic measuring device in liquid that is convenient to handle and carry.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided, according to the present invention, a horn having a larger tip section than a base section, and an electrostrictive element attached to the base section of the horn. And a display unit for displaying an electric signal from the electrostrictive element as information on an ultrasonic wave.

In the measurement of the ultrasonic wave in the liquid by the measuring device, the tip of the horn is immersed in the liquid to collect and amplify the ultrasonic wave, and the amplified ultrasonic wave is converted into an electric signal by the electrostrictive element. And the display means displays the information as information corresponding to the amount of power generated by the electrostrictive element.

According to the present invention as described above, the ultrasonic waves in the liquid are collected in a state where the ultrasonic waves in the liquid are amplified by the horn, and the amplified ultrasonic waves are converted into electric signals by the electrostrictive element. Measurement can be performed simply, reliably and accurately.
Further, since the electrostrictive element is not directly immersed in the liquid, the liquid is not contaminated, and the electrostrictive element does not corrode or deteriorate.

According to a preferred specific embodiment of the present invention, the measuring device comprises a horn, an electrostrictive element, a cover for covering these horn and the electrostrictive element in a liquid-tight manner, and attached to the cover. A display lamp as display means,
The whole is integrated into a portable size. The measuring device thus configured is not only compact and convenient to carry, but also easy to handle, so that it can be carried around in a factory and immediately measured at a required place.

According to one specific configuration of the present invention, the electrostrictive element is sandwiched between a pair of metal blocks via an insulating member, and one of the metal blocks is brought into contact with the base end surface of the horn. The metal block and the electrostrictive element are fixed to the horn with bolts in a state in which the horn is attached to the horn via the metal block. According to another specific configuration embodiment of the present invention, the electrostrictive element is directly secured to the proximal end face of the horn.

[0013]

FIG. 1 conceptually shows a measuring device according to the present invention. The measuring device 1 comprises a horn 2 for collecting and amplifying ultrasonic waves in a liquid, and a horn 2 2 has a converter 3 for converting the ultrasonic waves collected in step 2 into an electric signal, and display means 4 for converting the electric signal from the converter 3 into visual information for display. It is configured as follows.

The horn 2 has a trumpet shape in which the cross section of the front end portion is larger than that of the base end portion, and is made of a lightweight metal material such as stainless steel or aluminum which is hard to corrode, or a hard material such as glass or quartz. Formed of a non-metallic material. By using these materials, it is possible to obtain a horn with little variation in performance and high durability.

The converting section 3 converts the vibration of the horn 2 which receives the ultrasonic wave and vibrates into an electric signal by an electrostrictive element, and is configured as shown in FIG. 2 or FIG.

That is, the converter 3A shown in FIG. 2 is a disc-shaped electrostrictive element having electrodes 8a, 8b on both sides between a pair of first and second cylindrical metal blocks 6a, 6b. 7
The first metal block 6a is screwed to the stud bolt 10 on the base end surface 2a of the horn 2, and the two metal blocks 6a, 6a, The horn 2 is attached to the base end surface 2a of the horn 2 by screwing a fastening bolt 11 penetrating the 6b and the electrostrictive element 7 to the stud bolt 10. Therefore, the electrostrictive element 7 is attached to the base end face of the horn 2 via the first metal block 6a. In this case, the first metal block 6a is
It is important that the horn 2 is in close contact with the base end surface 2a, and thereby the vibration of the horn 2 can be reliably transmitted to the electrostrictive element 7 via the first metal block 6a. In the drawings, reference numerals 12a and 12b denote terminals for extracting an electric signal from the electrostrictive element 7.

By constructing the converter as shown in FIG. 2, the strength of attachment to the horn 2 can be greatly increased, and the converter may be damaged by the action of external vibration or impact force, or the characteristics may change. And a measuring device that excels in durability and operational stability can be obtained. In addition, since the first metal block 6a reduces or cuts off the transmission of heat from the horn 2 to the electrostrictive element 7, the heat resistance can be improved, and measurement for a high-temperature liquid is possible. It is. For the conversion unit 3A, a bolted Langevin type ultrasonic transducer (BLT) used for a cleaning machine or the like for ultrasonic irradiation can be used.

On the other hand, the converter 3B shown in FIG. 3 is one in which a disc-shaped electrostrictive element 7 is directly fixed to the base end face 2a of the horn 2 by bonding. In this case, when the horn 2 is formed of a metal, an electric insulating member is interposed between the horn 2 and the electrostrictive element 7.

The display means 4 may be any means as long as it can convert the electric signal from the electrostrictive element 7 into visible information and display it. Lamp), which emits light at a brightness corresponding to the above, an ammeter that displays the amount of power generated by the electrostrictive element by current, a voltmeter that also displays voltage, and a wattmeter that similarly displays power. Are used alone or in combination. When a plurality of them are used in combination, it is desirable to provide a lamp and to use one or more of an ammeter, a voltmeter and a wattmeter in combination.

Instead of the display means 4, a display means 4A having an arithmetic function as shown in FIG. 4 can be used. The display means 4A displays an arithmetic means 13 for calculating the frequency and output distribution of the ultrasonic wave by performing arithmetic processing on the electric signal from the electrostrictive element, and displays the frequency, output distribution and the like obtained by the arithmetic means 13. And a panel display panel 14. The display unit 4A includes a power supply for supplying power to the arithmetic unit 13 and the panel display panel 14. The display means 4A may be used alone, or may be used in combination with one or more of the lamp, ammeter, voltmeter or wattmeter in the display means 4 as appropriate.

When measuring the ultrasonic waves in the liquid with the measuring apparatus 1 having the above-mentioned configuration, as shown in FIG. 1, when the tip of the horn 2 is immersed in the liquid being irradiated with the ultrasonic waves, Is collected and amplified by this horn 2,
It is transmitted to the electrostrictive element 7 of the converter 3. Then, the electrostrictive element 7 senses the vibration and generates electric power, which is displayed on the display means 4 or 4A.
The ultrasonic wave in the liquid is measured by being sent as visual information according to the amount of power generation.

Thus, by using the horn 2 for detecting the ultrasonic waves in the liquid, even the weak ultrasonic waves can be reliably collected and amplified, and the ultrasonic waves amplified by the horn can be electrostricted. By converting into an electric signal by the element 7, even if the ultrasonic wave is weak, the ultrasonic wave in the liquid can be measured reliably and accurately. Further, since it is not necessary to directly immerse the electrostrictive element 7 in a liquid, it is possible to perform very clean measurement without contaminating the liquid or causing corrosion or deterioration of the electrostrictive element. .

FIG. 5 shows a specific example in which the measuring device of the present invention is configured as a pen type which is convenient for carrying. The measuring device 1A is configured such that the other part of the horn 2 provided with the converter 3 at the base end except for the distal end is connected to the converter 3
At the same time, a cover lamp 20 is liquid-tightly covered, and a display lamp 21 that is lit at a brightness corresponding to the amount of power generated by the electrostrictive element in the conversion unit 3 is attached to the base end of the cover 20, and covers the display lamp 21. A transparent (including translucent) hood 22 is attached, and the whole is formed in the size of a large fountain pen. In the figure, reference numeral 23 denotes a buffer member for preventing the vibration and heat of the horn 2 and the converter 3 from being transmitted to the cover 20, and reference numeral 24 denotes a retaining piece for retaining the measuring device 1A in a pocket.

As described above, the miniaturized measuring device formed in the shape of a pen can be easily carried around at all times.
The state of the ultrasonic bath installed in the factory can be checked easily and quickly at any time. Moreover, in this case, by making the conversion unit 3 as shown in FIG. 2, the durability of the conversion unit against mechanical vibration can be increased. And a measurement device that is extremely suitable for the field.

The horn 2 of the above embodiment has a trumpet shape whose diameter is increased in a curve toward the tip, but the shape of the horn is not limited to this. FIG.
Are representative examples of some of the horn shapes that can be suitably used in the present invention. The horn 2A shown in FIG. 6A has a diameter linearly enlarged toward the tip, and the horn 2B shown in FIG. 6B has a tip attached to the tip of the base 2b whose curve is enlarged toward the tip. The horn 2C shown in FIG. 6C has the same diameter as or larger than that and has a uniform diameter. The horn 2C shown in FIG. Alternatively, the horn 2D shown in FIG. 6D has a tip 2c having a diameter larger than the base and having a uniform diameter larger than that of the base 2b. Horn 2E shown in FIG.
Is attached to the tip of the base 2b, whose diameter increases linearly toward the tip, and the tip 2 whose diameter increases linearly toward the tip.
c.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, by using a horn for collecting ultrasonic waves in a liquid, even weak ultrasonic waves can be reliably collected and amplified. By converting the ultrasonic wave amplified by the horn into an electric signal by the electrostrictive element, the ultrasonic wave in the liquid can be measured simply, reliably and accurately. In addition, since it is not necessary to immerse the electrostrictive element directly in the liquid, very clean measurement can be performed without contaminating the liquid and without causing corrosion or deterioration of the electrostrictive element. Further, since the device can be miniaturized, it is convenient to carry and easy to handle.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view conceptually showing one embodiment of a measuring apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part showing an example of a conversion unit.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a main part showing a different example of a conversion unit.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram illustrating a different example of a display unit.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a specific configuration example of the measuring device of the present invention.

6A to 6E are side views showing different examples of the horn, respectively.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Measuring device 2 Horn 3 Conversion part 4, 4A Display means 6a, 6b Metal block 7 Electrostrictive element 11 Tightening bolt 20 Cover 21 Lamp

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A horn having a tip section larger in cross section than a base end section is immersed in a liquid being irradiated with an ultrasonic wave, and the horn collects and amplifies ultrasonic waves in the liquid, thereby amplifying the ultrasonic wave. The ultrasonic waves converted into electric signals by an electrostrictive element attached to the base end of the horn, and displaying the information as information corresponding to the amount of power generation by a display means. Measurement method. 2. A horn for collecting and amplifying ultrasonic waves in a liquid, the horn having a cross section at a tip end portion larger than a base end portion, wherein the horn is attached to a base end portion of the horn. An electrostrictive element for converting the converted ultrasonic wave into an electric signal, an electric signal from the electrostrictive element, display means for displaying as information corresponding to the amount of power generated by the electrostrictive element, For measuring ultrasonic waves in liquid in an ultrasonic processing apparatus. 3. A horn for collecting and amplifying ultrasonic waves in a liquid, the horn having a larger cross section at the distal end than the proximal end, and an ultrasonic wave attached to the proximal end of the horn. An electrostrictive element for converting the signal into a signal, a cover that covers the other part except the tip of the horn and the electrostrictive element in a liquid-tight manner, and is attached to the cover according to the power generation amount of the electrostrictive element A measuring lamp for ultrasonic waves in liquid in an ultrasonic processing device, comprising: a display lamp that lights up at a high brightness; 4. The measuring device according to claim 2, wherein the electrostrictive element is sandwiched between a pair of metal blocks via an insulating member, and one of the metal blocks is brought into contact with a base end surface of the horn. In this state, the metal block and the electrostrictive element are fixed to the horn with bolts, so that the horn is attached to the horn via the metal block. 5. The measuring device according to claim 2 or 3, which the electrostrictive element is directly secured to the proximal end face of the horn.