JP5890018B2 - Chemical treatment equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a chemical processing apparatus that performs chemical processing on the surface of a substrate that constitutes a display panel, and more particularly to countermeasures for defective chemical processing caused by dropping of aggregated droplets from the ceiling of a processing tank.

  In manufacturing a display panel, in a process such as an etching process or a cleaning process for an active matrix substrate or a color filter substrate that is a panel constituent member, a chemical solution sprayed from a shower nozzle is sprayed on the substrate surface to perform a predetermined chemical solution treatment. Has been done.

  As an apparatus for performing such a chemical processing, for example, in Patent Document 1, a substrate transport device that transports a substrate to be processed in a horizontal direction is provided in a chemical processing tank, and an upper surface of a substrate transported by the substrate transport device. A substrate processing apparatus having a configuration in which an upper spray nozzle for supplying a chemical liquid to the lower spray nozzle and a lower spray nozzle for supplying a chemical liquid to the lower surface of the substrate is disclosed.

  In this substrate processing apparatus, the chemical liquid supplied from the lower spray nozzle is laterally applied to the chemical liquid supplied from the upper spray nozzle by inclining the chemical blowing direction of the lower spray nozzle with respect to the lower surface of the substrate to be processed. Compared with the case where the chemical liquids from both spray nozzles collide in front, the generation of splashes due to the interference between the chemical liquids is suppressed, and adhesion of water droplets to the processing tank ceiling is prevented.

JP-A-7-37858

  However, even the substrate processing apparatus of Patent Document 1 cannot prevent the chemical solution from being scattered and misted, so that the chemical solution splashes (small droplets) are prevented from adhering to the processing tank ceiling where the chemical solution is not directly applied. Can not. The droplets of chemicals adhering to the processing tank ceiling are concentrated by evaporation of water, and aggregated by various sensors, piping, and other irregularities on the ceiling to form high-concentration droplets on the surface of the substrate to be processed. Will fall.

  In this case, when the chemical solution is an etching solution, an abnormality in the etching rate occurs at the location where the aggregated droplets are dropped, and the etching process becomes non-uniform, causing a defective display panel. In addition, when the chemical liquid is a cleaning liquid made of an acidic liquid or an alkaline liquid, the surface of the substrate to be processed may be partially oxidized or corroded to be damaged.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and the object of the present invention is to prevent the occurrence of defective chemical processing due to the dropping of the condensed liquid droplets from the ceiling of the processing tank, and to the substrate to be processed. There is a good chemical treatment.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, chemical liquid is also supplied to the ceiling of the processing tank so that the droplets of the chemical liquid adhering to the ceiling of the processing tank are not concentrated by evaporation of water, and promptly generate agglomerated droplets. I tried to drop it.

  Specifically, the present invention is directed to a chemical processing apparatus that performs chemical processing on a surface to be processed of a substrate to be processed, and provides the following solution.

That is, the first invention is
A chemical treatment tank into which the substrate to be treated is carried;
A transport means for transporting the substrate to be processed carried into the chemical treatment tank toward the ceiling side of the chemical treatment tank;
Chemical solution spraying means for spraying a chemical solution against the processing surface of the substrate to be processed conveyed by the conveying means,
The chemical solution spraying means sprays the chemical solution also on the ceiling of the chemical solution treatment tank.

  In the first invention, the chemical solution spraying means is configured to spray the chemical solution also on the ceiling of the chemical solution treatment tank. If the chemical solution is sprayed onto the ceiling of the chemical treatment tank during the chemical treatment by this chemical spraying means, even if the spray of chemical solution adheres to the ceiling of the chemical treatment tank due to the scattering or mist of the chemical produced by the chemical treatment of the substrate to be processed, Before the droplets are concentrated by evaporation of moisture, the droplets are mixed with the chemical solution supplied to the ceiling of the chemical solution treatment tank and quickly aggregate and fall by its own weight. Since such agglomerated droplets have the same concentration as when sprayed on the ceiling of the chemical processing tank, even if they fall on the surface of the substrate to be processed, abnormalities in the chemical processing occur or damage to the surface of the substrate to be processed Never give. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the chemical treatment from being caused due to the dropping of the aggregated droplets from the ceiling of the treatment tank, and to perform a good chemical treatment on the substrate to be processed.

2nd invention is the chemical | medical solution processing apparatus of 1st invention,
The ceiling surface of the chemical treatment tank is formed horizontally.

  In this 2nd invention, the ceiling surface of a chemical | medical solution processing tank is horizontal. Since the chemical liquid sprayed by the chemical spraying means on the horizontal ceiling surface in this way aggregates and falls at a plurality of randomly dispersed locations, there is a problem that is a concern when the falling locations of the aggregated droplets are locally biased For example, when the chemical solution is an etching solution, it is possible to avoid the deterioration of the etching rate or the in-plane uniformity of the patterning shape.

3rd invention is the chemical | medical solution processing apparatus of 1st or 2nd invention,
The ceiling of the chemical treatment tank is provided so that existing structures protrude,
The chemical solution spraying means sprays the chemical solution onto the existing structure.

  In the third aspect of the invention, since the chemical solution is sprayed onto the existing structure provided on the ceiling of the chemical solution treatment tank by the chemical solution spraying means, the droplets of the chemical solution adhering to the existing structure in which the condensed droplets are likely to fall are removed. It can be quickly dropped as agglomerated droplets before concentration. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent occurrence of defects in the chemical processing due to the fall of the concentrated aggregated droplets.

4th invention is the chemical | medical solution processing apparatus of any one of 1st-3rd invention,
The chemical solution spraying means has a liquid supply pipe for supplying a chemical solution and a blowout port provided in the liquid supply pipe and directed downward, and a plurality of chemical solutions are sprayed from the blowout port onto the surface to be processed of the substrate to be processed. A first shower nozzle and a plurality of second shower nozzles that are provided in the liquid supply pipe and have an upwardly directed air outlet and spray the chemical liquid from the air outlet to the ceiling of the chemical liquid treatment tank. To do.

  Also according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the operational effects of the first aspect of the invention can be obtained effectively. Furthermore, since the 1st shower nozzle and the 2nd shower nozzle are connected to the same liquid feeding piping, compared with the case where these 1st shower nozzle and 2nd shower nozzle are connected to the separate liquid feeding piping. The piping system can be simplified.

5th invention is the chemical | medical solution processing apparatus of any one of 1st-3rd invention,
The chemical solution spraying means includes a first liquid supply pipe and a second liquid supply pipe for supplying a chemical liquid, and a blowout opening provided in the first liquid supply pipe and directed downward from the blowout opening to the substrate to be processed. A plurality of first shower nozzles for spraying a chemical solution on the surface to be treated, and a plurality of spray nozzles provided on the second liquid supply pipe and directed downward to spray the chemical solution on the ceiling of the chemical treatment tank. The second shower nozzle is provided.

  Also according to the fifth aspect of the invention, the operational effects of the first aspect of the invention can be obtained effectively. Furthermore, since the first shower nozzle and the second shower nozzle are connected to separate liquid feeding pipes, the chemical solution blowing operation of these shower nozzles can be controlled independently. When the first shower nozzle and the second shower nozzle are connected to the same liquid supply pipe, these shower nozzles simultaneously blow out the chemical solution, which is difficult to control and it is difficult to adjust individual flow rates. On the other hand, according to the present invention, the chemical solution blowing operation of the second shower nozzle is controlled separately from the chemical solution blowing operation of the first shower nozzle, and the second shower nozzle can be operated such as intermittent operation.

6th invention is the chemical | medical solution processing apparatus of 4th or 5th invention,
The liquid supply pipe is connected to the main pipe extending along the transfer direction of the substrate to be processed, and is connected to the main pipe at a predetermined interval in the transfer direction of the substrate to be processed from the main pipe to the substrate to be processed. A plurality of branch pipes projecting in a direction intersecting the transport direction of
A plurality of the first shower nozzles and the second shower nozzles are provided in the branch pipes at predetermined intervals along the protruding direction.

  In the sixth aspect of the invention, a large number of first shower nozzles and second shower nozzles are provided at predetermined intervals in the transport direction of the substrate to be processed and in the direction intersecting the transport direction. According to such a configuration, while conveying the substrate to be processed, the chemical solution is sprayed from a large number of first shower nozzles on the surface to be processed of the substrate, and the chemical solution processing is performed. The chemical liquid can be sprayed from a large number of second shower nozzles on the ceiling of the chemical liquid treatment tank to promote the generation and dropping of the aggregated droplets.

7th invention is the chemical | medical solution processing apparatus of 6th invention,
Each of the second shower nozzles swings in the transport direction of the substrate to be processed when the chemical solution is sprayed.

  In the seventh aspect of the invention, each second shower nozzle is configured to spray the chemical liquid on the ceiling of the chemical liquid processing tank while swinging in the conveyance direction of the substrate to be processed. According to this configuration, the chemical spraying range by the individual second shower nozzles is wider in the transport direction of the substrate to be processed than in the case where the chemical spraying direction of the second shower nozzle is fixed. The number of second shower nozzles can be reduced by extending the arrangement interval of the branch pipes connected to each other or by thinning the branch pipes. Thereby, the flow volume of the chemical | medical solution sent out to the liquid feeding piping to which the 2nd shower nozzle was connected can be decreased, and the load concerning the pump used for sending out of a chemical | medical solution can be suppressed.

8th invention is the chemical | medical solution processing apparatus of 6th or 7th invention,
Each of the first shower nozzles swings in the transport direction of the substrate to be processed when the chemical solution is sprayed.

  In the eighth aspect of the invention, each first shower nozzle sprays the chemical solution on the surface of the substrate to be processed while swinging in the transport direction of the substrate to be processed. According to this configuration, the chemical spraying range by the individual first shower nozzles is wider in the transport direction of the substrate to be processed than in the case where the chemical spraying direction of the first shower nozzle is fixed. The number of first shower nozzles can be reduced by increasing the arrangement interval of the branch pipes connected to each other or by thinning the branch pipes. Thereby, the flow volume of the chemical | medical solution sent out to the liquid feeding piping to which the 1st shower nozzle was connected can be decreased, and the load concerning the pump used for sending out of a chemical | medical solution can be suppressed.

  According to the present invention, the chemical liquid is also supplied to the ceiling of the chemical treatment tank so that the droplets of the chemical liquid adhering to the ceiling of the chemical treatment tank are not concentrated by evaporation of water, and the aggregated droplets are quickly generated and dropped. In addition, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of defective chemical processing due to the dropping of the aggregated droplets from the ceiling of the processing tank, and to perform a good chemical processing on the substrate to be processed.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an etching processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration inside the etching treatment tank according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the upper etching shower according to the first embodiment from the lower side. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the ceiling shower according to the first embodiment from above. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state during the etching process in the etching apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the etching treatment tank according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal configuration of an etching treatment tank according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the upper etching shower according to the fourth embodiment from the upper side. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration inside the etching treatment tank according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a state during an etching process in the etching apparatus of the reference example.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

Embodiment 1 of the Invention
In the first embodiment, an etching processing apparatus S will be described as an example of a chemical processing apparatus according to the present invention.

  The etching processing apparatus S of this embodiment forms patterns such as wirings, electrodes, and semiconductor layers on an insulating substrate that is a base substrate when an active matrix substrate constituting a display panel such as a liquid crystal display device is manufactured. It is used to do.

  The substrate W to be processed by the etching apparatus S is, for example, a rectangular flat glass substrate having a side of about 1000 mm to 3200 mm. The substrate to be processed W may be as large as one display panel, or may be as large as a mother substrate corresponding to several display panels.

-Configuration of etching processing apparatus S-
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the etching processing apparatus S.

  The etching processing apparatus S is an apparatus that performs wet etching processing on the surface of the substrate W to be processed by a double-sided shower method. As shown in FIG. 1, the etching processing apparatus S conveys an etching processing tank 10, a cleaning tank 30 and a drying tank 35, which are continuous chemical processing tanks, and a substrate W to be processed. 30 and 35 and a transfer line 40 as transfer means for moving between the tanks 10, 30 and 35. Hereinafter, the transport direction 100 of the target substrate W is simply referred to as a substrate transport direction 100.

  The etching processing tank 10 is configured to perform an etching process by supplying an etching liquid L as a chemical solution to the surface of the substrate W to be processed carried into the tank. The cleaning tank 30 is disposed adjacent to the downstream side of the etching processing tank 10 in the substrate transport direction 100 and is configured to expose the surface of the substrate to be processed W exposed to cleaning water such as pure water for cleaning. Has been. The drying tank 35 is arranged adjacent to the downstream side of the cleaning tank 30 in the substrate transport direction 100 and is configured to dry moisture remaining on the surface of the substrate W to be cleaned at high speed with hot air or the like. ing.

  The conveyance line 40 is configured by a plurality of conveyance rollers 42 (shown in FIG. 2 to be referred to later), which are elongated cylindrical rotators, arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction. The plurality of transport rollers 42 are arranged in parallel with each other at equal intervals along the substrate transport direction 100 so that each axial direction is a direction orthogonal to the substrate transport direction 100. The surface to be treated is horizontally conveyed with the posture facing the ceiling side of the etching treatment tank 10.

  The transfer line 40 is installed so as to pass through the etching processing apparatus S through the inlet and outlet (not shown) formed in each of the tanks 10, 30, and 35, and etches the substrate W to be processed. After carrying in from the outside of the processing apparatus S and passing through the etching processing tank 10, the cleaning tank 30 and the drying tank 35 in order, the processing apparatus S is carried out to the outside of the processing apparatus S.

  Since this invention has the characteristics in the structure of the etching processing tank 10 among the said etching processing tank 10, the washing tank 30, and the drying tank 35, FIGS. 2-4 is shown about the structure of this etching processing tank 10 below. This will be described in detail with reference.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an internal configuration of the etching treatment tank 10.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the etching processing tank 10 is provided with a carry-in port 10 a at the upstream end in the substrate transport direction 100 and a carry-out port 10 b at the downstream end in the same direction 100. Between the carry-in entrance 10a and the carry-out exit 10b, a plurality of transport rollers 42 constituting the transport line 40 are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction.

  Above the transfer line 40 inside the etching processing tank 10, an upper etching shower 12 that sprays the etching solution L onto the upper surface, which is the processing surface of the substrate W to be processed, which is horizontally transferred by the transfer roller 42, is installed. A lower etching shower 18 that blows the etching solution L against the lower surface of the substrate W to be horizontally transported is installed below the transport line 40 in the etching processing tank 10.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the upper etching shower 12 from the lower side.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the upper etching shower 12 has a first liquid supply pipe 14 that is a first liquid supply pipe for supplying an etchant and a first liquid spraying the etching liquid L that is supplied through the upper liquid supply pipe 14. A large number of upper surface treatment shower nozzles 16 are provided as shower nozzles.

  The upper liquid supply pipe 14 is connected to the main pipe 14a extending along the substrate transfer direction 100 to the side of the substrate transfer position corresponding position, and is connected to the main pipe 14a and intersects the substrate transfer direction 100 from the main pipe 14a (for example, And a plurality of branch pipes 14b projecting in a direction orthogonal to each other.

  The main pipe 14 a is connected in communication with a chemical solution tank (not shown) in which the etching solution L is stored outside the etching processing tank 10. The main pipe 14a includes an open / close valve (not shown) that opens and closes the flow path of the main pipe 14a, and the etchant L stored in the chemical tank when the open / close valve is in an open state. A liquid feed pump (not shown) for feeding liquid to each upper surface processing shower nozzle 16 is interposed.

  The branch pipes 14b are arranged at equal intervals in the substrate transport direction 100 at locations corresponding to the substrate transport positions so as to be positioned above the substrate W being transported, and have a comb-teeth shape with respect to the main tube 14a. . Each of these branch pipes 14b is fixed with respect to the main pipe 14a.

  The upper surface processing shower nozzle 16 is provided so as to protrude downward in the lower portion of each branch pipe 14b, and the base of the pipe 14b is arranged along the protruding direction of the branch pipe 14b. A plurality are provided at equal intervals from the end to the tip. At the tip of each of the upper surface processing shower nozzles 16, there is provided a blower outlet 16 a for the etching solution L directed downward.

  Each upper surface processing shower nozzle 16 is arranged with a half pitch shift in the arrangement direction with respect to the upper surface processing shower nozzle 16 provided in the adjacent branch pipe 14b, and constitutes a staggered arrangement as a whole. ing. As the upper surface treatment shower nozzle 16, for example, a full cone type shower nozzle having a circular spray pattern is preferably employed.

  The upper etching shower 12 having the above-described configuration feeds the etching liquid L from the liquid feeding tank to the upper surface processing shower nozzles 16 through the upper liquid feeding piping 14 by driving the liquid feeding pump, and the tips of the upper surface processing shower nozzles 16. The etching liquid L is sprayed on the upper surface of the substrate W being transferred from the blower outlet 16a, and the upper surface of the substrate W is etched.

  The lower etching shower 18 has the same configuration as that of the upper etching shower 12, although the installation position and the direction of the shower nozzle are different.

  In other words, the lower etching shower 18 includes a lower liquid supply pipe 20 that is a first liquid supply pipe for supplying an etchant having a main pipe 20a and a plurality of branch pipes 20b fixedly connected to the main pipe 20a. A number of lower surface treatment shower nozzles 22 are provided as first shower nozzles for spraying the etching liquid L supplied through the side liquid feeding pipe 20.

  The main pipe 20a and each branch pipe 20b are disposed at positions corresponding to the lower side of the main pipe 14a and each branch pipe 14b of the upper etching shower 12, for example. Further, the lower surface treatment shower nozzle 22 is provided so as to protrude upward in the upper portion of each branch pipe 20b, and from the proximal end of the pipe 20b so as to be arranged along the protruding direction of the branch pipe 20b. A plurality are provided at equal intervals across the tip. At the tip of each of the lower surface treatment shower nozzles 22, there is provided an outlet 22 a for the etching solution L facing upward.

  Each of these lower surface treatment shower nozzles 22 is provided so as to be alternately arranged with the upper surface treatment shower nozzles 16 along the projecting direction of the branch pipes 14b and 20b at positions corresponding to the vertical direction of the etching treatment tank 10. Configures a staggered arrangement. As the lower surface treatment shower nozzle 22, for example, a full cone type shower nozzle having a circular spray pattern is preferably used.

  The main pipe 20a of the lower etching shower 18 is also connected to a chemical tank through an open / close valve and a liquid feed pump outside the etching processing tank 10 in the same manner as the main pipe 14a of the upper etching shower 12.

  The lower etching shower 18 having the above-described configuration supplies the etching liquid L from the chemical tank through the lower liquid supply pipe 14 to the lower surface treatment shower nozzles 22 by driving the liquid supply pump, and these lower surface treatment shower nozzles 22. An etching solution is sprayed from the blowout port 22a at the tip to the lower surface of the substrate W to be processed.

  As described above, in the etching treatment tank 10 of the present embodiment, the etching liquid L is sprayed from the shower nozzles 16 and 22 of the upper and lower etching showers 12 and 18 onto both surfaces of the substrate W to be processed. Even if the etching solution L supplied from the shower nozzle 16 to the upper surface of the substrate W to be produced generates a hardly soluble reaction product on the surface of the substrate W, the etching solution L containing the product is exposed to the lower surface ( Therefore, it is possible to perform a high-quality etching process in a short time.

  In the present embodiment, a ceiling shower 24 that sprays the etchant L onto the ceiling surface 10 c of the etching treatment tank 10 is installed above the upper etching shower 12. The ceiling surface 10c of the etching treatment tank 10 to which the etchant L is sprayed by the ceiling shower 24 is formed horizontally. In the present embodiment, the upper etching shower 12, the lower etching shower 18, and the ceiling shower 24 constitute the chemical spraying means of the present invention.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the ceiling shower 24.

  The ceiling shower 24 also has the same configuration as the upper etching shower 12, although the installation position and the direction of the shower nozzle are different.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the ceiling shower 24 supplies the ceiling liquid supply pipe 26 that is the second liquid supply pipe for supplying the etchant and the etching liquid L supplied through the ceiling liquid supply pipe 26. A number of ceiling shower nozzles 28 serving as second shower nozzles that are sprayed toward the ceiling surface 10c of the etching tank 10 are provided.

  The liquid supply pipe 26 for the ceiling includes a main pipe 26a extending along the substrate transfer direction to the side of the substrate transfer position corresponding portion, and a plurality of branch pipes each connected to the main pipe 26a and protruding to the side of the main pipe 26a. 26b.

  Similarly to the main pipe 14a of the upper etching shower 12, the main pipe 26a of the ceiling shower 24 is also connected to a chemical tank via an open / close valve and a liquid feed pump outside the etching processing tank 10. The on-off valve and the liquid feed pump of the ceiling shower 24 are separate from the on-off valves and the liquid feed pumps of the above-described substrate processing etching showers (upper and lower etching showers) 12, 18. The shower 24 and the etching showers 12 and 18 for processing the substrate are configured to be driven independently.

  The branch pipe 26b is disposed at a position corresponding to the substrate transfer position at equal intervals in the substrate transfer direction 100, and has a comb shape with respect to the main pipe 26a. In the present embodiment, these branch pipes 26b are fixed with respect to the main pipe 26a.

  The ceiling shower nozzle 28 is provided so as to protrude upward from the upper portion of each branch pipe 26b and from the base end of the pipe 26b so as to be arranged along the protruding direction of the branch pipe 26b. A plurality are arranged at predetermined intervals across the tip. At the tip of each of these shower nozzles 28 for ceiling, an outlet 28a for the etching solution L facing upward is provided.

  Moreover, each shower nozzle 28 for ceilings is arrange | positioned by a half pitch shift with respect to the shower nozzle 28 for ceilings provided in the adjacent branch pipe 26b, and comprises the zigzag-like arrangement | sequence as a whole. As the ceiling shower nozzle 28, for example, a full cone type shower nozzle having a circular spray pattern is preferably used.

  Thus, the ceiling shower 24 sends the etchant L from the chemical tank to the ceiling shower nozzles 28 through the ceiling feed pipe 26 by driving the liquid feed pump during the etching process on the upper surface of the substrate W to be processed. The etching solution L is applied to the ceiling surface 10c of the etching treatment tank 10 from the outlet 28a at the tip of each ceiling shower nozzle 28 over the corresponding portion of the range where the etching treatment is performed by spraying the etching solution L with the upper etching shower 12. It comes to spray. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production and fall of the aggregation droplet X in the ceiling surface 10c of the etching process tank 10 can be accelerated | stimulated, and the defect generation | occurrence | production of the etching process resulting from fall of this aggregation droplet X can be prevented.

  That is, since the etching liquid L is sprayed onto the ceiling surface 10c of the etching tank 10 during the etching process, the etching process of the substrate W to be processed, for example, the scattering or mist of the etching liquid L generated by the spraying of the etching liquid L onto the substrate W is performed. Even if the droplet X ′ of the etching liquid L adheres to the ceiling surface 10c of the etching treatment tank 10 due to the crystallization, the splash X ′ is concentrated in the etching treatment tank 10 by the ceiling shower 24 before being concentrated by evaporation of moisture. It mixes with the etchant L sprayed on the ceiling surface 10c and quickly aggregates and falls due to its own weight. Since such agglomerated droplet X has the same concentration as when it is sprayed on the ceiling surface 10c of the etching processing tank 10, even if it falls on the surface of the substrate W to be processed, an abnormality in the etching rate does not occur. A good etching process can be performed on the substrate W to be processed.

  Further, a substrate detection sensor (not shown) as a detection means capable of detecting the presence or absence of the substrate to be processed W is provided in the etching processing tank 10. This substrate detection sensor is connected to a control system (not shown) installed outside the etching processing tank 10.

  The control system is also connected to the opening and closing valves of the upper etching shower 12, the lower etching shower 18, and the ceiling shower 24 and the liquid feed pump, and the substrate W to be processed has passed through the etching tank 10 by the substrate detection sensor. On the basis of this determination, the blowout of the etching solution L from each shower nozzle 16, 22, 28 is controlled.

Etching method
Next, an etching process method for manufacturing an active matrix substrate using the etching apparatus S will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a state during the etching process in the etching processing apparatus S. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a state during an etching process in the etching apparatus of the reference example. In FIG. 10, for convenience, portions corresponding to the respective components of the etching processing apparatus S of the present embodiment are given the same reference numerals.

  First, the target substrate W to be processed in the etching processing apparatus S is transported on the transport line 40 and is transported into the etching processing tank 10 from the transport inlet 10a. Here, the target substrate W placed on the transport line 40 has already been subjected to substrate cleaning processing, photoresist coating processing, pre-baking processing, pattern exposure processing, development processing, and post-baking processing, and a thin film is formed on the upper surface thereof. It is formed.

  When the substrate to be processed W is carried into the etching processing tank 10, the substrate detection sensor detects the presence of the substrate to be processed W, and the control system operates to operate the upper etching shower 12, the lower etching shower 18, and the ceiling. Scattering of the etchant L by the shower 24 is started. And while the to-be-processed substrate W is conveyed in the etching processing tank 10 from an upstream end to a downstream end, as shown in FIG. 5, it is processed from each shower nozzle 16 and 22 of the upper and lower etching showers 12 and 18. Etching solution L is sprayed on both surfaces of the substrate W to perform wet etching. In the meantime, the etchant L is also sprayed from the shower nozzles 28 of the ceiling shower 24 to the ceiling surface 10 c of the etching tank 10.

  At the time of performing the etching process, since the liquid L is scattered and mist 200 is generated by spraying the etching liquid L, the droplets X ′ of the etching liquid L adhere to the ceiling surface 10 c of the etching processing tank 10. As shown in FIG. 10, when the etching tank 10 is configured without the ceiling shower 24, the droplet X 'of the etching liquid L adhering to the ceiling of the processing tank 10 is concentrated by evaporation of water and has a high concentration. The agglomerated droplet X may fall on the upper surface of the substrate W being transported, and the etching rate may be abnormal at the location where the agglomerated droplet X falls on the substrate W to be processed, resulting in a defective etching process. Resulting in.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the etching liquid L is sprayed on the ceiling surface 10c of the etching treatment tank 10, the splash X ′ adhering to the ceiling of the treatment tank 10 is generated in each ceiling shower nozzle 28. Since the droplet X quickly drops before being mixed with the etching solution L sprayed from the substrate and concentrated, there is no problem such as an abnormal etching rate even if it drops on the surface of the substrate W to be processed. A good etching process can be performed on the substrate W to be processed.

  When the etching process is completed and the substrate to be processed W reaches the carry-out port 10b, the substrate W to be processed is unloaded from the etching tank 10 through the carry-out port 10b, and then carried into the adjacent cleaning tank 30.

  When the substrate to be processed W is carried into the cleaning tank 30, the pure water shower nozzle provided in the cleaning tank 30 is activated to spray pure water onto the surface of the substrate W to be processed, and etching remaining on the surface of the substrate W Liquid L is washed. The to-be-processed substrate W thus cleaned is carried out from the cleaning tank 30 and subsequently carried into the adjacent drying tank 35.

  When the substrate W to be processed is carried into the drying tank 35, the oven provided in the drying tank 35 is operated to scan the surface of the substrate W to be processed with hot air, thereby drying the surface of the substrate W at high speed. The to-be-processed substrate W thus dried is carried out of the drying tank 35 and the etching process is completed.

-Effect of Embodiment 1-
According to the first embodiment, while the processing target substrate W is being etched, the etching liquid L is sprayed onto the ceiling surface 10c of the etching processing tank 10 by the ceiling shower 24, so that the processing tank 10 has a ceiling surface 10c. Since the droplets X ′ of the adhering etchant L are condensed and generated quickly before dropping, the etching process is poor due to the dropping of the aggregated droplets X from the ceiling surface 10c of the processing tank 10. Generation | occurrence | production can be prevented and a favorable etching process can be performed to the to-be-processed substrate W upper surface.

  Moreover, since the ceiling surface 10c of the etching treatment tank 10 is horizontal, the etching liquid L sprayed on the ceiling surface 10c aggregates and falls at a plurality of randomly dispersed locations, so the location where the aggregated droplet X falls It is possible to avoid the etching rate or the deterioration of the in-plane uniformity of the patterning shape, which is a concern when the is locally biased.

  Further, since the upper surface processing shower nozzle 16 and the ceiling shower nozzle 28 are provided in separate liquid supply pipes 14 and 26, the blowing operation of the etching liquid L of these shower nozzles 16 and 28 is independently controlled. be able to. When the upper surface processing shower nozzle 16 and the ceiling shower nozzle 28 are connected to the same liquid supply pipe, the shower nozzles 16 and 28 simultaneously blow out the etching liquid L, which is difficult to control and is individually controlled. It is difficult to adjust the flow rate. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, the blowing operation of the etching liquid L of the ceiling shower nozzle 28 is controlled separately from the blowing operation of the etching liquid L of the upper surface processing shower nozzle 16, and the ceiling shower nozzle 28 is controlled. Operation such as intermittent operation becomes possible.

<< Embodiment 2 of the Invention >>
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an internal configuration of the etching treatment tank 10 of the second embodiment. In each of the following embodiments, the etching processing tank 10 is configured in the same manner as in the above-described first embodiment with respect to the etching processing apparatus S except that the configuration inside the etching processing tank 10 is different from that in the above-described first embodiment. Only the internal configuration will be described, and the same components will be left to the description of the first embodiment based on FIGS. 1 to 5, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

  In the first embodiment, the configuration in which the ceiling shower 24 is provided separately from the upper etching shower 12 has been described. However, in the present embodiment, the upper etching shower 12 also functions as the ceiling shower 24.

  That is, while the etching liquid L is sprayed on the upper surface of the substrate W to be processed, which is horizontally transported by the transport rollers 42, above the transport line 40 in the etching processing tank 10 of the present embodiment, the top surface 10c of the etching processing tank 10 is sprayed. Also, an upper etching shower 50 for spraying the etching solution L is provided.

  This upper etching shower 50 has a configuration similar to that of the upper etching shower 12 of the first embodiment, and in addition to this configuration, a plurality of ceiling shower nozzles are provided in the upper portion of each branch pipe 14b of the upper liquid feeding pipe 14. The configuration is such that 28 is arranged at equal intervals from the proximal end to the distal end of the branch pipe 14b so as to be arranged along the protruding direction of the branch pipe 14b. Each of the ceiling shower nozzles 28 is arranged so as to form a staggered arrangement as a whole as in the first embodiment.

-Effect of Embodiment 2-
According to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the ceiling shower nozzle 28 is connected to the same liquid supply pipe 14 as the upper surface treatment shower nozzle 16 so that the upper etching shower can be obtained. 50 also has a function of spraying the etching liquid L onto the ceiling surface 10c of the etching treatment tank 10, so that the piping system can be simplified as compared with the case where the ceiling shower 24 is provided separately from the upper etching shower 12. it can.

<< Embodiment 3 of the Invention >>
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an internal configuration of the etching tank 10 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the upper etching shower 50 according to the third embodiment from the upper side.

  In the present embodiment, as in the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the upper etching shower 50 also serves as the ceiling shower 24, and each branch pipe 14 b in the upper etching shower 50 is configured. A plurality of upper surface treatment shower nozzles 16 are provided in the lower part, and a plurality of ceiling shower nozzles 28 are provided in the upper part of each branch pipe 14b.

  The liquid supply pipe 14 of the upper etching shower 50 includes a rotation mechanism (not shown) for rotating each branch pipe 14b and a motor 29, and each branch pipe 14b rotates about its axial direction. It is configured as follows. Thereby, when the etching liquid L is sprayed, each upper surface processing shower nozzle 16 sprays etching on the upper surface of the substrate W to be processed while swinging in the substrate transport direction 100, and each ceiling shower nozzle 28 is in the substrate transport direction 100. Etching solution L is sprayed on the ceiling surface 10c of the etching treatment tank 10 while swinging.

-Effect of Embodiment 3-
According to the third embodiment, the spraying range of the etching liquid L in each of the upper surface processing shower nozzle 16 and the ceiling shower nozzle 28 is fixed when the spraying direction of the etching liquid L of the shower nozzles 16 and 28 is fixed. Compared to the wide range in the substrate transport direction 100, the number of the upper surface processing shower nozzles 16 and the ceiling shower nozzles 28 can be reduced by extending the arrangement interval of the branch pipes 14b or thinning the branch pipes 14b. Thereby, the flow volume of the etching liquid L sent out to the liquid feeding piping 14 with which these shower nozzles 16 and 28 were connected can be decreased, and the load concerning the liquid feeding pump used for sending out the etching liquid L can be suppressed. it can.

<< Embodiment 4 of the Invention >>
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an internal configuration of the etching treatment tank 10 according to the fourth embodiment.

  In the first embodiment, the ceiling shower 24 sprays the etching liquid L onto the ceiling surface 10c of the etching bath 10 in the entire corresponding area where the etching liquid L is sprayed onto the upper surface of the substrate W to be processed by the upper etching shower 12. In the present embodiment, the ceiling shower 24 has been described as being configured so that the droplets X ′ are likely to aggregate on the ceiling surface 10c of the etching tank 10 and the aggregated droplets X are likely to fall. The etching solution L is locally sprayed on the part.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, an existing structure 300 having a convex portion below the substrate detection sensor, the piping system, and the like is provided on the ceiling surface 10 c of the etching treatment tank 10. In the place where such an existing structure 300 is provided, the aggregated droplet X is easily generated and dropped. Therefore, the ceiling shower 24 of the present embodiment is provided in the liquid feeding pipe 26 (main pipe 26a and branch pipe 26b) extending to the lower position of such an existing structure 300, and the upper part of the liquid feeding pipe 26. The ceiling shower nozzles 28 are provided, and the etching liquid L is sprayed from the ceiling shower nozzles 28 to the existing structure 300.

-Effect of Embodiment 4-
According to the fourth embodiment, the droplet X ′ of the etchant L attached to the existing structure 300 that easily causes the aggregation droplet X to fall can be quickly dropped as the aggregation droplet X before being concentrated. In addition, it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of defective etching processing due to the fall of the concentrated aggregated droplet X.

  Also in the first and fourth embodiments, the liquid supply pipes 14 and 26 are configured to be able to rotate the branch pipes 14b and 26b around the axial direction thereof, and each upper surface treatment shower nozzle 16 and each ceiling shower nozzle. 28 may be configured to swing in the substrate transport direction 100 when the etching solution L is sprayed. Further, only one of the upper surface processing shower nozzle 16 and the ceiling shower nozzle 28 may be configured to swing in the substrate transport direction 100 when the etching solution L is sprayed.

  In the first embodiment, the ceiling shower 24 has the same configuration as that of the upper etching shower 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the ceiling shower 24 is different from the upper etching shower 12 in the liquid supply piping. 26 and the configuration of the shower nozzle 28 for the ceiling may be different, as long as the etching liquid L can be sprayed onto the ceiling of the etching treatment tank 10.

  As mentioned above, although preferable embodiment of this invention was described, the technical scope of this invention is not limited to the range as described in each said embodiment. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments are examples, and that various modifications can be made to the combinations of the respective constituent elements and processing processes, and such modifications are within the scope of the present invention. It is a place.

  For example, in each of the above embodiments, the etching processing apparatus S is described as an example of the chemical processing apparatus of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a resist layer used as a mask in a patterning process using photolithography is used. Other chemical liquids such as a resist peeling apparatus that sprays a resist stripping solution as a chemical liquid on the surface to be processed of the substrate W to be processed, and a cleaning apparatus that sprays a cleaning liquid made of acidic liquid or alkaline liquid on the surface to be processed of the substrate to be processed Of course, the present invention can also be applied to a processing apparatus, and can be widely applied to any apparatus that sprays a chemical on the surface of the substrate W to be processed and performs a predetermined process.

  As described above, the present invention is useful for chemical processing apparatuses such as an etching processing apparatus, a resist stripping apparatus, and a cleaning apparatus, and in particular, the occurrence of defective chemical processing due to the fall of aggregated droplets from the ceiling of the processing tank. It is suitable for a chemical processing apparatus that is desired to prevent the above and to perform a good chemical processing on the substrate to be processed.

L Etching solution (chemical solution)
S Etching processing equipment (chemical processing equipment)
W Substrate 10 Etching tank (chemical solution tank)
10c Ceiling surface of etching tank 12 Upper etching shower (chemical spraying means)
14 Upper liquid feeding pipe 14a Main pipe 14b Branch pipe 16 Top surface shower nozzle (first shower nozzle)
18 Lower etching shower (chemical spraying means)
20 Lower liquid feed pipe 20a Main pipe 20b Branch pipe 22 Lower surface shower nozzle (first shower nozzle)
24 Shower for ceiling (Mechanical spraying means)
26 Ceiling liquid supply pipe 26a Main pipe 26b Branch pipe 28 Ceiling shower nozzle (second shower nozzle)
40 Conveying line 42 Conveying roller 100 Conveying direction of substrate to be processed 300 Existing structure

Claims (8)

A chemical processing apparatus for performing chemical processing on a surface to be processed of a substrate to be processed,
A chemical treatment tank into which the substrate to be treated is carried;
A transport means for transporting the substrate to be processed carried into the chemical treatment tank toward the ceiling side of the chemical treatment tank;
Chemical solution spraying means for spraying a chemical solution against the processing surface of the substrate to be processed conveyed by the conveying means,
The chemical solution spraying means sprays the chemical solution also on the ceiling of the chemical solution treatment tank. In the chemical treatment apparatus according to claim 1,
A chemical treatment apparatus, wherein the ceiling surface of the chemical treatment tank is formed horizontally. In the chemical treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The ceiling of the chemical treatment tank is provided so that existing structures protrude,
The chemical solution spraying means sprays the chemical solution on the existing structure. In the chemical | medical solution processing apparatus of any one of Claims 1-3,
The chemical solution spraying means has a liquid supply pipe for supplying a chemical solution and a blowout port provided in the liquid supply pipe and directed downward, and a plurality of chemical solutions are sprayed from the blowout port onto the surface to be processed of the substrate to be processed. A first shower nozzle and a plurality of second shower nozzles that are provided in the liquid supply pipe and have an upwardly directed air outlet and spray the chemical liquid from the air outlet to the ceiling of the chemical liquid treatment tank. Chemical processing equipment. In the chemical | medical solution processing apparatus of any one of Claims 1-3,
The chemical solution spraying means includes a first liquid supply pipe and a second liquid supply pipe for supplying a chemical liquid, and a blowout opening provided in the first liquid supply pipe and directed downward from the blowout opening to the substrate to be processed. A plurality of first shower nozzles for spraying a chemical solution on the surface to be treated, and a plurality of spray nozzles provided on the second liquid supply pipe and directed downward to spray the chemical solution on the ceiling of the chemical treatment tank. A chemical treatment apparatus comprising: a second shower nozzle. In the chemical | medical solution processing apparatus of Claim 4 or 5,
The liquid supply pipe is connected to the main pipe extending along the transfer direction of the substrate to be processed, and is connected to the main pipe at a predetermined interval in the transfer direction of the substrate to be processed from the main pipe to the substrate to be processed. A plurality of branch pipes projecting in a direction intersecting the transport direction of
A plurality of the first shower nozzles and the second shower nozzles are provided on each of the branch pipes at predetermined intervals along the protruding direction. In the chemical treatment apparatus according to claim 6,
Each said 2nd shower nozzle swings in the conveyance direction of the said to-be-processed substrate at the time of chemical | medical solution spraying, The chemical | medical solution processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the chemical processing apparatus according to claim 6 or 7,
Each said 1st shower nozzle swings in the conveyance direction of the said to-be-processed substrate at the time of chemical | medical solution spraying, The chemical | medical solution processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.

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