JPH0787898B2 - UV treatment device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultraviolet treatment apparatus for treating a solid surface such as glass, metal or plastic with ultraviolet rays and ozone generated by the ultraviolet rays.

Conventional technology and its problems In recent years, optical cleaning that decomposes and removes organic contaminants using an ultraviolet lamp, and irradiation of ultraviolet rays on the glass / resin surface to modify the surface to improve wettability during coating In addition, a technique that can improve the adhesion of the deposited film has been put into practical use. Since this surface treatment using ultraviolet rays has a high cleaning effect,
It is expected to be effectively used in the field of manufacturing semiconductors and liquid crystal display devices.

The lamps used for these emit ultraviolet rays having wavelengths mainly at 185 nm and 254 nm, and the 185 nm ultraviolet rays change oxygen in the air into ozone, so a large amount of ozone is generated.
The 185 nm and 254 nm ultraviolet rays and ozone act on the surface of the irradiated object to bring about the effects of photocleaning and surface modification.

That is, the 185 nm ultraviolet ray cuts the chemical bond of the organic substance, the 254 nm ultraviolet ray acts on ozone to make an activating oxygen atom, chemically reacts with the cut organic substance, and changes into a gaseous substance, It is said to form a surface layer.

Since the surface treatment using ultraviolet rays uses ozone generated by the irradiation of ultraviolet rays, the treatment efficiency tends to increase as the ozone concentration increases. However, ozone is harmful to the human body, and the occupational safety and health standards stipulate that the ozone concentration as a working environment atmosphere be kept below a certain value.

In the far-ultraviolet treatment device, when the exhaust volume is constant, it is preferable to make the ozone concentration in the irradiation chamber as high as possible and to make it slightly negative pressure so that it does not leak to the outside. Therefore, it takes too much time to discharge ozone from the irradiation chamber, resulting in poor productivity. On the contrary, if the exhaust amount is increased significantly, the exhaust time may be short, but the ozone concentration may be too low or the pressure in the irradiation chamber may be too low, and the irradiation chamber may be deformed due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside.

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been devised to solve these conflicting problems. That is, the present invention provides an ultraviolet ray treatment apparatus including an irradiation chamber and an exhaust chamber, the irradiation chamber being provided with an exhaust port and a release valve which operates at a constant pressure or less, and the exhaust port is provided with an ozone gas decomposition filter, a forced gas through an exhaust duct. It is connected to an exhaust device consisting of an exhaust blower and an exhaust amount adjustment damper. The exhaust amount adjustment damper is in a closed state while the workpiece is being irradiated with the lamp, and the lamp is turned off when the irradiation is completed or the device is abnormal. After that, it is configured to increase the exhaust amount by opening it, and the gas pressure in the irradiation chamber is lower than the atmospheric pressure and more than the set operating pressure of the release valve regardless of whether the damper for adjusting the exhaust amount is open or closed. It is characterized by being adjusted to be higher.

The irradiation chamber has a gas supply port, an exhaust port, and a release valve.Other than that, it has a closed structure to prevent ozone from leaking to the outside, and the exhaust system consists of an ozone decomposition filter, a damper, and a blower. There is. When the lamp is on, the air supply and exhaust are adjusted so that the irradiation chamber is in a slightly negative pressure state.After the lamp is turned off, the damper operates from the closed state to the open state, increasing the exhaust volume of the irradiation chamber from that during the lamp is turned on. The generated ozone gas is discharged through the decomposition filter in a short time, and a release valve that operates at a constant pressure prevents the irradiation chamber from being deformed due to the pressure difference.

Examples Hereinafter, the present invention will be described using preferred examples.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention. The processing apparatus is composed of an irradiation chamber A and a power supply / exhaust chamber B.
In the irradiation room, the wavelength is 185n mainly with a lamp power of about 400W.
A low-pressure mercury lamp 1 made of synthetic quartz, which radiates ultraviolet rays of m and 254 nm, is disposed, and an object 2 to be processed is irradiated from one side for processing. In the irradiation chamber A, an air supply port 3 for supplying a gas such as clean air, an exhaust port 4 for discharging the processed gas and an irradiation chamber are automatically opened when the pressure in the irradiation chamber becomes a certain pressure or less, and external air is introduced. A release valve 9 is provided.

The exhaust port 4 is connected via an exhaust duct 5 to an exhaust device including an ozone gas decomposition filter 6, a forced exhaust blower 7, and an exhaust amount adjusting damper 8.

The lamp 1 is connected to a power supply device 10 including a ballast for lighting the lamp and various control units.

While the processing device is operating normally and the lamp is lit, the exhaust damper 8 is adjusted so that the gas pressure in the irradiation chamber becomes slightly negative than the atmospheric pressure while supplying a constant amount of gas from the air supply port 3. As a result, ozone in the irradiation chamber is maintained at a high concentration of about 500 ppm, and ozone will not leak outside. After the irradiation of the object to be processed is completed or the lamp is turned off due to an abnormality on the device such as a lamp defect, door opening, or water leakage, the exhaust damper 8 is in a fully opened state, and the exhaust volume is significantly larger than in the normal state. Increase. At this time, when the gas pressure in the irradiation chamber decreases below a certain level, the release valve also operates and external air is introduced to prevent the irradiation chamber from being deformed by depressurization, and at the same time, the ozone concentration of about 500 ppm generated in the irradiation chamber is 2 to It was possible to discharge to 0ppm in 3 minutes, and the irradiation chamber door could be opened in a short time. As a result, the conventional device with a constant displacement has a 5
Compared to the case where it took ~ 10 minutes, the time can be greatly shortened and productivity can be improved.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION As described above, the ultraviolet treatment apparatus of the present invention holds high concentration ozone in the device while the lamp is lit and at the same time prevents ozone leakage, and after the lamp is turned off, the ozone gas in the device is not deformed without deformation of the device. Can be quickly discharged, and safety and productivity for the human body can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

 FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention. A ... Irradiation chamber, B ... Power supply / exhaust chamber 1 ... Lamp, 2 ... Object to be treated, 3 ... Air inlet 4 ... Exhaust port, 5 ... Exhaust duct, 6 ... Ozone decomposition filter 7 ...... Forced exhaust blower 8 …… Displacement adjustment damper, 9 …… Release valve

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location C23G 5/00 9352-4K

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ultraviolet treatment apparatus comprising an irradiation chamber and an exhaust chamber, wherein the irradiation chamber is provided with an exhaust port and a release valve which operates at a constant pressure or less, and the exhaust port is provided with an ozone gas decomposing filter and a forced gas through an exhaust duct. It is connected to an exhaust device consisting of an exhaust blower and an exhaust amount adjusting damper. The exhaust amount adjusting damper is in a closed state while the workpiece is being irradiated with the lamp, and the lamp is turned off when the irradiation is completed or the device is abnormal. After that, it is configured to increase the exhaust amount by opening it, and the gas pressure in the irradiation chamber is lower than the atmospheric pressure and is lower than the set operating pressure of the release valve regardless of whether the damper for adjusting the exhaust amount is open or closed. An ultraviolet treatment device characterized by being adjusted to be higher.