JP4522926B2 - Manufacturing method of adsorption device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an adsorption device , and more particularly to a method for manufacturing an adsorption device capable of adsorbing an insulating substrate.

  Conventionally, a suction device is used to hold a substrate in a vacuum apparatus. In the case of holding a conductive substrate (semiconductor substrate or the like), a capacitor can be formed between the holding object and held by its capacitance.

However, in the case of an insulating substrate (such as a glass substrate) such as a substrate of a liquid crystal display device, a capacitor cannot be formed. Therefore, the insulating substrate is placed in a non-uniform electric field formed by electrodes and held by a gradient force. (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-35907).
An adsorption device using a gradient force has already been used for the production of a liquid crystal display device with a large substrate, and is an important configuration in a liquid crystal dropping and bonding apparatus (FIG. 8 of JP-A-2002-229044).

In an actual device, the glass substrate is first sucked and held in the atmosphere by vacuum suction, and after the glass substrate is carried into the vacuum chamber, the holding power of the glass substrate is changed from the vacuum suction force to the static electricity. It is necessary to switch to force or gradient force. Therefore, it is necessary to generate two types of adsorption forces with a single adsorption device.
Recently, a display device such as a liquid crystal display device has been increased in size, and a strong holding force for holding a large glass substrate is required.

The code | symbol 111 of FIG. 6 has shown the adsorption apparatus of the prior art. Reference numeral 111a is a plan view for explaining the internal structure, and reference numerals 111b and 111c are sectional views taken along lines FF and GG, respectively.
In the adsorption device 111, first and second electrodes 123a and 123b are arranged on an insulating substrate 121.

The first and second electrodes 123a and 123b are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval, and the adsorption device 111 includes a surface of the first and second electrodes 123a and 123b and an insulating substrate 121 positioned therebetween. An insulating protective film 124 that covers the surface is formed.
In the protective film 124, an adsorption groove 126 made of a bottomed groove is formed.

  An exhaust hole 127 that penetrates to the back surface of the substrate 121 is formed in a part of the bottom surface of the suction groove 126.

  The exhaust hole 127 is connected to an evacuation system, and the surface on which the first and second electrodes 123a and 123b of the adsorption device 111 are formed is directed vertically downward so that the protective film 124 on the surface is an adsorption target such as a glass substrate. Adhere closely. Then, when the atmosphere in the adsorption groove 126 is evacuated from the exhaust hole 127, the object to be adsorbed is vacuum adsorbed on the surface of the adsorption device 111 and is held by the vacuum adsorption force.

  When a voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes 123a and 123b, the object to be adsorbed is placed in an electric field formed between the first and second electrodes 123a and 123b, and is applied to the adsorption device 111 by a gradient force. Adsorbed.

Next, when the inside of the vacuum chamber is evacuated, the vacuum adsorption force disappears and the object to be adsorbed is held by the gradient force.
When the gradient force is generated, it is advantageous that the distance between the glass substrate to be attracted and the electrode is short, but the pattern of the attracting groove 126 and the patterns of the first and second electrodes 123a and 123b are mutually independent. Therefore, the suction groove 126 and the first and second electrodes 123a and 123b intersected each other.

FIG. 7A shows the pattern of the suction grooves 126, and FIG. 7B shows the pattern of the first and second electrodes 123a and 123b.
As the suction groove 126 is deeper, the vacuum suction force becomes stronger. For this reason, if the protective film 124 is made thicker, the gradient force becomes weaker.

Since a high voltage is applied to the first and second electrodes 123 a and 123 b, it is necessary to cover the first and second electrodes 123 a and 123 b with an insulating protective film 124. not exposed on the bottom, first, to the second electrode 123a, the thickness T ₁₂ of the protective film 124 on 123b is ensured, the depth D ₁₁ of the suction grooves 126, first, second electrodes 123a, it is necessary to sufficiently shallower than the thickness T ₁₁ of the protective film 124 on 123b.

The depth of the suction groove 126 is required to be at least 30 μm. To obtain a sufficient vacuum suction force, a depth of 100 to 150 μm is desirable. On the other hand, in order to increase the gradient force, the film of the protective film 124 When the thickness was 300 μm or less, the depth of the suction groove 126 was about 50 μm, and the vacuum suction force was weak.
JP 2001-35907 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-229044

 The present invention was created to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an adsorption device that can increase the gradient force and the vacuum adsorption force on an insulating substrate.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention includes a conductive material disposed on a substrate, a first electrode formed of the conductive material, and a second electrode to which different voltages are applied, and the first, An insulating protective film covering the surface of the second electrode, an adsorption groove positioned between the first and second electrodes, and an exhaust hole connected to the adsorption groove and connecting the adsorption groove to a vacuum exhaust system When the object to be adsorbed is disposed on the protective film, and the gas in the adsorption groove is evacuated from the exhaust hole, the object to be adsorbed is adsorbed on the protective film by a vacuum adsorbing force, A manufacturing method for manufacturing an adsorption device configured such that when a voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes, the adsorption object is adsorbed on the protective film by a gradient force, and the surface has an insulating property. Forming a film of the conductive material on the surface of the substrate; The first by patterning the film of sexual material, after forming the second electrode, the first, the protective film is formed on the 100μm thickness of not less than 50μm on the surface of the second electrode layer, and the suction groove Is made deeper than the surfaces of the first and second electrodes, and the suction groove has a depth of the conductive material .
Moreover, this invention is a manufacturing method of the adsorption | suction apparatus which surrounds and forms the said adsorption | suction groove | channel by either one of said 1st or 2nd electrodes.
In the present invention, the patterning of the film of the conductive material may be performed by forming an opening that connects the outer side of the first and second electrodes to one end of the adsorption groove and the exhaust hole. Is a manufacturing method of the suction device in which the other end of the suction groove is disposed.
When the first and second electrodes are formed by patterning the conductive material film, the third electrode separated from the first and second electrodes is formed by patterning the conductive material film. It is a manufacturing method of an adsorption device formed and surrounding the first and second electrodes and the adsorption groove by the third electrode.

  An adsorption device with strong vacuum adsorption force and gradient force is obtained.

Reference numeral 10 in FIG. 4 indicates a vacuum processing apparatus using the suction apparatus manufactured according to the present invention.
The vacuum processing apparatus 10 includes a vacuum chamber 41 and a suction device 11 of the first example of the present invention (or suction devices 12 and 13 of each example described later).

  A high vacuum exhaust system 42 and a low vacuum exhaust system 43 are provided outside the vacuum chamber 41. The vacuum chamber 41 is connected to a high vacuum exhaust system 42 via a valve 45, and when the high vacuum exhaust system 42 is operated to open the valve 45, the inside of the vacuum chamber 41 is vacuum exhausted to a high vacuum atmosphere. It is configured to be able to. The adsorption device 11 is configured to be connectable to both the high vacuum exhaust system 42 and the low vacuum exhaust system 43 via the switching device 44, and by switching the three-way valve in the switching device 44, It is connected to one of the low vacuum exhaust systems 43.

The structure of the adsorption device 11 is shown in FIG. Reference numeral 11a is a plan view for explaining the internal structure, and reference numerals 11b and 11c are sectional views taken along lines AA and BB, respectively.
The adsorption device 11 has a substrate 20 whose surface is insulated at least. Here, the substrate 20 includes a metal substrate 21 and an insulating film 22 formed on the surface of the metal substrate 21.

  On the surface of the substrate 20, first, second and third electrodes 23a, 23b and 23c made of a patterned conductive material film are disposed. The first to third electrodes 23a to 23c are formed by forming a conductive material film having electrical conductivity and then patterning by etching or the like, or forming a conductive material film directly patterned by screen printing. To third electrodes 23a to 23c.

The first to third electrodes 23a to 23c are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other, and the surface of the substrate 20 (here, the insulating film 22) is located therebetween.
The interval between the first to third electrodes 23a to 23c is 2 mm or less, and the width of the first to third electrodes 23a to 23c is 4 mm or less.

  The first and second electrodes 23a and 23b are comb-shaped, and are arranged so as to mesh with each other. The third electrode 23c has a ring shape and surrounds the first and second electrodes 23a and 23b with a predetermined interval.

An insulating protective film 24 is formed on the surfaces of the first to third electrodes 23a to 23c and the surface of the substrate 20 positioned therebetween, and between the first to third electrodes 23a to 23c. Are formed with suction grooves 26 where the protective film 24 is exposed on the bottom and side surfaces.
The depth D ₁ of the suction groove 26 is the same as the thickness T ₃ of the conductive material film constituting the first to third electrodes 23a to 23c, and D ₁ = T ₃ .

When the thickness of the protective film 24 is T ₂ , the conductive material film is formed thick by a method such as application and baking of a conductive paste, and the protective film 24 is thinly formed by CVD or PVD. It has been in ₂ <T _3. As a result, the bottom surface of the suction groove 26 is lower than the upper end of the first to third electrodes 23a to 23c, in the first to third electrodes 23a to 23c, the protective film 24 thickness T ₂ is smaller a, and the adsorption device 11 having a suction groove 26 depth D ₁ is larger is obtained.

A part of the adsorption groove 26 is formed wider than the shortest distance between the first and second electrodes 23 a and 23 b, and the exhaust gas penetrating to the back surface of the substrate 20 is formed on the bottom surface of the wide portion. A hole 27 is provided.
The exhaust hole 27 is connected to the switch 44 at the back surface portion of the substrate 20.

The code | symbol 15 of FIG. 4 is an insulating adsorption | suction target object, such as a glass substrate.
First, the adsorption device 11 is arranged so that the protective film 24 faces downward, and is stationary at a position above the adsorption object 15, the adsorption object 15 and the adsorption device 11 are brought close to each other, and the protective film 24 of the adsorption device 11 is moved. The surface of the adsorption object 15 is brought into contact.

  The height of the protective film 24 on the third electrode 23c is the same as the height of the protective film 24 on the first and second electrodes 23a, 23c, and the protective film 24 on the third electrode film 23c is adsorbed. When closely attached to the object 15, the suction groove 26 is in a state of being covered with the suction object 15. Since the adsorption groove 26 is surrounded by the conductive material constituting the third electrode 23 c, the inside of the adsorption groove 26 is cut off from the atmosphere around the adsorption device 11.

Here, the surface of the protective film 24 on the first to third electrodes 23a to 23c has the same height, and when the protective film 24 on the third electrode 23c is in contact with the adsorption object 15, The surface of the protective film 24 on the second electrodes 23 a and 23 b is also in contact with the adsorption object 15.
The suction object 15 is moved while being vacuum-sucked by the handler 101, and is carried into the vacuum chamber 41.

When the adsorption object 15 is brought into contact with the adsorption device 11, the adsorption device 11 is connected to the low vacuum exhaust system 43 by the switch 44 in advance, and after the adsorption object 15 and the adsorption device 11 are in close contact with each other, the low vacuum exhaust is performed. When the inside of the adsorption groove 26 is evacuated by the system 43, the gas inside the adsorption groove 26 is evacuated, and the inside of the adsorption groove 26 is decompressed to a pressure of a few minutes. The ambient atmosphere around the adsorption object 15 and the adsorption device 11 is atmospheric pressure, and the adsorption object 15 is vacuum adsorbed by the adsorption device 11 due to the differential pressure with the adsorption groove 26.
Even with such a differential pressure, the vacuum suction force is large enough to lift the suction object 15.

Wiring is inserted into the substrate 20 from the back surface or the side surface, and the first to third electrodes 23a to 23c are connected to the power supply device 48 through the wiring.
The vacuum chamber 41 is connected to the ground potential, operates the power supply device 48, and applies a voltage to the first and second electrodes 23a and 23b.

Voltages having opposite polarities are applied to the first and second electrodes 23a and 23b. That is, when a positive voltage is applied to the first electrode 23a, a negative voltage is applied to the second electrode 23b. Conversely, when a negative voltage is applied to the first electrode 23a, the second electrode 23b is applied. A positive voltage is applied to.
The third electrode 23c is short-circuited with either the first electrode 23a or the second electrode 23b, and the same voltage as that of the first or second electrode 23a, 23b is applied.

  When a voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes 23a and 23b, a gradient force is generated by the electric field formed therebetween. The insulating adsorption object 15 is adsorbed by the adsorption device 11 by a gradient force in addition to a vacuum adsorption force.

  The formed gradient force is large enough to hold the adsorption object 15 alone, and after the adsorption object 15 is also held by the gradient force, the vacuum chamber 41 is connected to the high vacuum exhaust system 42 to obtain a high vacuum. The inside of the vacuum chamber 41 is evacuated by the exhaust system 42.

  The high vacuum exhaust system 42 reduces the pressure around the suction device 11 and the suction target 15 in the vacuum chamber 41 and the vacuum suction force disappears when the differential pressure decreases, but the vacuum chamber 41 is in the suction groove 26. When the pressure is lower than the pressure, the residual gas in the suction groove 26 generates not a suction force but a repulsive force that separates the suction target 15 from the suction device 11.

In this vacuum processing apparatus , when the inside of the vacuum chamber 41 is evacuated by the high vacuum exhaust system 42, the switch 44 switches the connection of the adsorption device 11 from the low vacuum exhaust system 43 to the high vacuum exhaust system 42, and the adsorption groove 26. The inside is evacuated together with the inside of the vacuum chamber 41 by a high vacuum evacuation system 42.

  According to the high vacuum exhaust system 42, the inside of the suction groove 26 can be evacuated to a lower pressure than by the low vacuum exhaust system 43, and the vacuum tank 41 and the suction groove 26 are evacuated together by the same high vacuum exhaust system 42. Therefore, a large repulsive force is not generated, and the state in which the adsorption object 15 is held by the adsorption device 11 is maintained by the gradient force.

  When the vacuum processing apparatus 10 is a sputtering apparatus or a vapor deposition apparatus, a target and a vapor deposition source are arranged in the vacuum chamber 41, and a thin film is formed while the adsorption target 15 is held by the adsorption apparatus 11.

  When the vacuum processing apparatus 10 is a panel sealing apparatus, the suction object 15 held by the suction apparatus 11 is aligned with and bonded to another substrate disposed in the vacuum chamber 41.

As described above, in the adsorption device 11 manufactured according to the present invention , even if the conductive material constituting the first to third electrodes 23a to 23c is thickened, the protective film 24 on the electrodes is not thinned. The suction groove 26 can be deepened to 50 μm or more.

The electric field strength between the first and second electrodes 23a and 23b should be as large as possible without causing dielectric breakdown, and it is desirable to form an electric field having an intensity of 3 × 10 ⁶ V / m or more.
About the protective film 24, the thicker one has a longer life but the gradient force becomes weaker. Therefore, a thickness of 100 μm or less is preferable.

Next, another example manufactured according to the present invention will be described.
About the adsorption device 12 and 13 of the following 2nd example and the 3rd example, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same member as the adsorption device 11 of a 1st example, and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In the suction device 11 of the first example, the suction groove 26 is surrounded by the third electrode 23c that is separated from the first and second electrodes 23a and 23b, but like the suction device 12 of the second example of FIG. The suction groove 26 may be surrounded by the first or second electrode (the second electrode 23b in the suction device 12) without providing the third electrode.

  2 is a plan view for explaining the internal structure of the suction device 12 of the second example, and the reference numerals 12b and 12c are sectional views taken along the line CC and the line DD.

  Further, like the suction device 13 of the third example shown in FIG. 3, the suction groove 26 may not be completely surrounded by the conductive material, and the opening 28 may be formed in part. In this case, an exhaust hole 27 is provided at a position far from the opening so that the conductance between the exhaust hole 27 and the opening 28 is reduced, and the suction groove 26 is evacuated to a pressure of a fraction of an atmospheric pressure. That's fine.

Reference numeral 13a in FIG. 3 is a plan view for explaining the internal structure of the suction device 13 of the third example, and reference numeral 13b in FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line E-E.
In the above description, the substrate 20 is composed of a laminate of the metal plate 21 and the insulating film 22, but an insulating plate may be used as the substrate.

After forming the thick protective film 24, the protective film is etched leaving the portions on the first to third electrodes 23a to 23c, so that a deeper adsorption groove 26 can be formed.
In the plan views of the adsorption devices 11 to 13 of the first to third examples, the patterns of the first to third electrodes 23a to 23c are simplified.

First example adsorption device obtained by the production method of the present invention Second example adsorption device obtained by the production method of the present invention Third example adsorption device obtained by the production method of the present invention FIG. (1) for demonstrating the vacuum processing apparatus using the adsorption apparatus obtained by the manufacturing method of this invention FIG. (2) for explaining the vacuum processing apparatus using the adsorption apparatus obtained by the production method of the present invention Prior art adsorption device (a): The pattern of the adsorption groove (b): The electrode pattern

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vacuum processing apparatus 11-13 ... Adsorption | suction apparatus 20 ... Board | substrate 23a ... 1st electrode 23b ... 2nd electrode 24 ... Protective film 26 ... Adsorption groove | channel 27 ... Exhaust hole

Claims (4)

A conductive material disposed on a substrate;
First and second electrodes made of the conductive material to which different voltages are applied;
An insulating protective film covering the surfaces of the first and second electrodes;
A suction groove located between the first and second electrodes;
An exhaust hole connected to the suction groove and connecting the suction groove to a vacuum exhaust system;
When an object to be adsorbed is disposed on the protective film, and the gas in the adsorption groove is evacuated from the exhaust hole, the object to be adsorbed is adsorbed on the protective film by a vacuum adsorption force,
A manufacturing method for manufacturing an adsorption device configured to adsorb the object to be adsorbed on the protective film by a gradient force when a voltage is applied between the first and second electrodes,
Forming a film of the conductive material on the surface of the substrate having an insulating surface;
After patterning the conductive material film to form the first and second electrodes, the protective film is formed on the surfaces of the first and second electrode films to a thickness of 50 μm to 100 μm ,
The manufacturing method of the adsorption | suction apparatus which makes the bottom part of the said adsorption groove deeper than the surface of said 1st, 2nd electrode, and makes the depth of the said adsorption groove the film thickness of the said electroconductive material . The method of manufacturing an adsorption device according to claim 1, wherein the adsorption groove is formed so as to be surrounded by one of the first and second electrodes. When patterning the film of the conductive material, an opening is formed to connect the outside of the outer periphery of the first and second electrodes and one end of the adsorption groove, and the exhaust hole is connected to the other of the adsorption groove. The manufacturing method of the adsorption | suction apparatus of Claim 1 arrange | positioned at an end. When the first and second electrodes are formed by patterning the conductive material film, the third electrode separated from the first and second electrodes is formed by patterning the conductive material film. The method of manufacturing an adsorption device according to claim 1, wherein the adsorption device is formed and surrounds the first and second electrodes and the adsorption groove by the third electrode.

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