JPH1015509A - Cleaning method by electrolytic ion water and apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To lessen the occurrence of cleaning unevenness. SOLUTION: Anionic water NW obtained by electrolysis of an electrolytic liquid by an electrolytic ion water producing unit 10 is jetted out of a nozzle 23 by a cleaning unit 20 to clean a substrate 30 and the water used for the cleaning treatment of the substrate 30 is recovered after the cleaning, turned back to the electrolytic ion water producing unit 10, and circulated and re-used. The anionic water NW is stirred during circulation and at the same time the anionic water NW at the tip end part of the nozzle 23 is dispersed by being jetted and adhere to the surface of the substrate 30, so that the concentration unevenness of the anionic ion water on the surface of the substrate 30 can be lessened and consequently, occurrence of cleaning unevenness can be lessened.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention electrolyzes pure water containing a small amount of electrolyte (hereinafter referred to as "electrolyte solution") to produce cation water and anion water. The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for cleaning a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a manufacturing process of a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device (hereinafter referred to as "substrate"), it is necessary to remove particles and the like on the substrate. As one of such substrate cleaning methods, there is a method of cleaning a substrate with electrolytic ionized water. In the cleaning method using electrolytic ionized water, the substrate is cleaned by immersing the substrate in anion (OH ⁻ ) water generated by electrolyzing an electrolytic solution. As a substrate cleaning apparatus for cleaning such a substrate, an apparatus as shown in FIG. 2 is typical.

That is, a DC power supply 10 is
2 is provided with an anode 103 and a cathode 104 connected to each other, and an ion separator 105 is provided so as to be sandwiched between the two electrodes, so that the electrolytic cell 101 has an anode-side cell chamber 101P and a cathode-side cell chamber 101N. And is divided into.
Then, the electrolytic solution is injected into the electrolytic bath 101, and an appropriate voltage is applied to the stored electrolytic solution by the anode 103 and the cathode 104 to electrolyze the electrolytic solution.

[0004] By performing such electrolysis, H ₂ is generated on the side of the cathode 104, and accordingly, the electrolytic cell 101 is produced.
Anion water NW containing a large amount of anions is generated in the cathode side chamber 101N.

[0005] Then, the substrates are cleaned by a batch method such that a plurality of substrates 110 are accommodated in a cassette or the like and immersed at a time in the anion water NW generated in the cathode-side chamber 101N.

[0006]

By the way, in cleaning the substrate with electrolytic ionic water as described above, the substrate 11
0 is immersed in the anion water near the cathode 104 and the anion water at a position away from the cathode 104,
Anion water NW in which the concentration of anions in the vicinity is high, and conversely, the concentration of anions is low at a position away from the cathode 104
, A difference in the degree of cleaning of the substrate was generated, and uneven cleaning was likely to occur.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for cleaning electrolytic ionized water with less occurrence of uneven cleaning.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for electrolyzing an electrolytic solution to produce cationic water and anionic water, and producing anionic water. A method for performing a cleaning treatment of a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device using the method, wherein the anion water and the cation water are generated in an electrolysis tank, and the anion water is jetted from a nozzle outside the electrolysis tank to form the anion water. The cleaning of the substrate is performed.

Further, the method of claim 2 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the method of claim 1, the anion water used for the cleaning is returned to the electrolytic cell, whereby the anion water is recycled. Features.

[0010] Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, the electrolytic solution is electrolyzed to generate cation water and anion water,
An apparatus for performing a cleaning process on the substrate using anion water, wherein the electrolysis solution is electrolyzed to generate cation water and anion water, and an electrolysis water generation unit generates the electrolysis solution. The anion water is supplied via an anion water supply path, and a cleaning processing unit that performs cleaning of the substrate by jetting the anion water from a nozzle, and collects anion water that has been used for cleaning. And an anion water return path for returning to the electrolytic ionic water generator.

The apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the apparatus according to the third aspect, wherein the cleaning section cleans the substrate while translating the substrate. Is characterized by having an array of a plurality of nozzles each of which injects anion water in opposition to the transport path of the substrate.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0013]

[1. FIG. 1 shows a mechanical configuration and an arrangement of the apparatus according to the embodiment.
1 is a diagram showing an electrolytic ionized water cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the horizontal plane parallel to the floor is X-
A three-dimensional coordinate system XY with the Y plane and the vertical direction as the Z direction
-Z is defined.

This electrolytic ionic water cleaning apparatus is an apparatus for successively cleaning a substrate using an anion water generated by an electrolytic cell as a cleaning liquid. The apparatus comprises an electrolytic cell 1, a DC power supply 2, an anode 3, The cleaning unit 20 includes an electrolytic ionized water generation unit 10 including the cathode 4, pipes 6, 8, 9, a pump 7 and an upper cover 21, a recovery tank 22, a plurality of nozzles 23, and a plurality of transport rollers 24.

In the electrolytic ionic water generating unit 10,
The electrolytic cell 1 is divided into two parts by being substantially equally divided into an anode-side cell chamber 1P and a cathode-side cell chamber 1N by an ion diaphragm 5, and the electrolytic cell 1 is connected to both positive and negative output terminals of a DC power supply 2. The anode 3 and the cathode 4 are fixed so as to be immersed in the electrolytic solution stored in the electrolytic cell 1, respectively.

One end of a pipe 6 is fixedly provided on the cathode 4 side of the electrolytic ionic water generating unit 10, and the other end of the pipe 6 is connected to a pump 7. One end of a pipe 8 is further connected to the pump 7, and the other end of the pipe 8 extends into the cleaning unit 20.

An upper cover 21 above the cleaning unit 20 and a recovery tank 22 below the cleaning unit 20 are integrally formed in a housing shape. Further, openings 20h and 20h are formed on both sides in the X direction of the cleaning unit 20, respectively. 20i are provided.

A plurality of nozzles 23 in the cleaning unit 20 are connected to the pipe 8 connected to the cleaning unit 20.
Are arranged, and a plurality of transport rollers 24 are further provided below the array.

Anion water N below the plurality of transport rollers 24
One end of the pipe 9 is connected to the collection tank 22 for collecting W, and the other end is supported above the electrolytic cell 1 on the cathode 4 side.

The main part will be described in more detail.

The cleaning unit 20 can carry the substrate 30 into the cleaning unit 20 through the opening 20h and drive out the substrate 30 through the opening 20i by a drive mechanism (not shown).

Further, the pipe 8 connected to the cleaning unit 20 has a longitudinal direction X in the cleaning unit 20 so that the anion water NW can be jetted onto the loaded substrate 30.
A plurality of nozzles 23 are provided downward at a portion of the pipe 8 inside the cleaning unit 20. Each of the nozzles 23 is configured to be capable of injecting the anion water NW sucked up from the cathode side chamber 1N of the electrolytic cell 1 by the pump 7 into a cone (full cone) having a widened downward portion. The nozzles 23 are provided at equal intervals in the pipe 8 at intervals such that full cones formed by the anionic water NW injected from the nozzles 23 adjacent to each other fill the surfaces formed by the upper surfaces of the plurality of transport rollers 24 without gaps. I have.

Further, inside the cleaning unit 20, a plurality of transport rollers 24 having a rotation axis in the Y direction in the XY plane and being arranged in a line in the X direction are provided. Each of the transport rollers 24 is driven to rotate about a rotation axis by a drive mechanism (not shown).

The upper cover 21 is provided with the cleaning unit 20.
In the inside, the rebound of the anion water NW jetted from the plurality of nozzles 23 onto the substrate 30 from the surface of the substrate 30 is received.

Further, the transport roller 2 of the cleaning unit 20
A hole 22h is formed in the lower surface of the collection tank 22 provided below
The pipe 9 is connected to the opening 22 h at one end thereof, and the other end of the pipe 9 is supported above the electrolytic cell 1 of the electrolytic ionic water generation unit 10. The collection tank 22 of the cleaning unit 20 includes a plurality of nozzles 23
The anion water NW sprayed from the substrate and used for cleaning the substrate 30 is collected and discharged to the pipe 9. The pipe 9 is used to convert the used anion water NW into the electrolytic ionic water generation unit 1.
Return to 0.

[0026]

[2. Hereinafter, a description will be given of a substrate cleaning process performed by the electrolytic ionic water cleaning apparatus according to this embodiment.

First, an electrolytic solution is stored in the electrolytic cell 1, and an appropriate voltage is applied to the electrolytic solution by the DC power supply 2. As a result, the electrolytic solution is electrolyzed, and H ₂ is generated on the cathode 4 side.
^- ) Is generated, whereby an anion water NW containing a large amount of anions is generated in the cathode side chamber 1N.

The anion water NW thus generated is sucked up by the pump 7 through the pipe 6 and sent to the cleaning unit 20 through the pipe 8.

The cleaning unit 20 has an opening 20h from outside.
The substrates 30 are sequentially carried one by one as indicated by an arrow A1. Then, the substrate 30 carried into the cleaning unit 20 is jetted from above by the nozzles 23 while being translated and transported in the X direction by the rotation of the transport roller 24. Thereby, the positively charged particles attached to the upper surface of the substrate 30 are neutralized and washed away.

The substrate 30 having been subjected to such a cleaning process is carried out through the opening 20i as indicated by an arrow A2, and is carried to another processing unit.

While one substrate 30 is cleaned and transported, the next substrate 30 is carried in through the opening 20h and subjected to the same cleaning processing. Similarly, a plurality of substrates 30 to be processed are sequentially processed. After being carried into the cleaning unit 20 through the opening 20h and subjected to a cleaning process, it is carried out of the cleaning unit 20 through the opening 20i and transported to another processing unit.

As described above, this electrolytic ionic water cleaning apparatus performs the cleaning processing of the substrate 30 in a continuous single-wafer manner.

Further, in the cleaning unit 20, the substrate 3
Thereafter, the anion water NW used in the cleaning treatment of No. 0 was recovered in the recovery tank 22, returned to the cathode side chamber 1N of the electrolytic cell 1 through the pipe 9 through the opening 22h, and neutralized during the cleaning processing. The material is again mixed with the electrolytic solution and electrolyzed to be activated again to be used again for the cleaning process.

Since such a series of cleaning processes are continuously and repeatedly performed, during the cleaning process of the substrate 30, the anion water NW is constantly sucked up from the cathode side chamber 1 N and sent to the cleaning unit 20. After the cleaning process is used.

As described above, the electrolytic ionic water cleaning apparatus circulates and uses the anionic water NW.

As described above, the electrolytic ionic water cleaning apparatus and the electrolytic ionic water cleaning method using the same according to the present embodiment provide the electrolytic ionic water cleaning unit 10 with an anionic ionic water produced by electrolyzing the electrolytic solution. Cleaning unit 20 for water NW
, Where the anion water NW is used for cleaning the substrate 30 and then collected to collect the electrolytic ion water generation unit 10.
, The anion water NW is circulated and used. Therefore, since the anion water NW is stirred during the circulation, the concentration unevenness of the anion water NW is small, and the occurrence of uneven cleaning of the substrate 30 is reduced.

Furthermore, since the cleaning of the substrate 30 with the anion water NW is performed by spraying the anion water NW from the plurality of nozzles 23 toward the substrate 30, the substrate 30 is cleaned. Since the ionic water NW is sprayed and diffused and adheres to the surface of the substrate 30, the concentration unevenness of the anion water NW on the surface of the substrate 30 is small, thereby reducing the occurrence of cleaning unevenness.

[0038]

[3. Modification In the electrolytic ionic water cleaning apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the anion water used for the cleaning processing of the substrate is recovered in the recovery tank 22, returned to the cathode side of the electrolytic ionic water generation unit and reused. However, it is not essential to reuse the anion water after use, and it is possible to discharge the anion water outside the apparatus.

Although the electrolytic ion water cleaning apparatus of this embodiment has a configuration in which a plurality of nozzles are provided in the cleaning unit, it may have a configuration in which only one nozzle is provided.

In the electrolytic ion water cleaning apparatus of this embodiment, the number of the plurality of nozzles and the number of the transport rollers are not particularly limited. However, the number may be any number necessary for cleaning the substrate. is there.

Further, in the electrolytic ionized water cleaning apparatus of this embodiment, the upper cover and the recovery tank of the cleaning unit are formed in an integral housing, but they may be provided separately, respectively. The shape of the recovery tank is not limited to the housing, and the recovery tank may be a hemisphere.

[0042]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the electrolytic ionic water washing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the flow rate of the anionic water is 40 liter / liter.
The electrolysis is controlled so that the conductance of the anion water is maintained at about 500 to 1500 μS, and the flow rate and conductance at this level are particularly suitable for cleaning the glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device. It is.

[0043]

As described above, the electrolytic ionic water cleaning method according to the first and second aspects and the electrolytic ionic water cleaning apparatus according to the third and fourth aspects eject a negative ion water from a nozzle to display a liquid crystal. Since the apparatus glass substrate is cleaned, the surface of the substrate 30 is cleaned by spraying the anion water at the tip of the nozzle to be diffused to clean the surface of the substrate 30. And the occurrence of uneven cleaning can be reduced.

Further, in the method for cleaning electrolytic ionic water according to claim 2, after the anion water obtained by electrolyzing the electrolytic solution in the electrolytic bath is used for cleaning the glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device outside the electrolytic bath. The anionic water is circulated and used by collecting and returning to the electrolytic cell. In the electrolytic ionic water washing apparatus according to the third aspect, the anionic water obtained by electrolyzing the electrolytic solution in the electrolytic ionic water generating unit is obtained. Since the anion water is used for cleaning the glass substrate for the liquid crystal display device in the cleaning processing unit and then returned to the electrolytic ionic water generation unit by the anion water return path, the anion water is circulated and used. Is stirred during the circulation, the concentration unevenness of the anion water is reduced, and the occurrence of uneven washing of the glass substrate for the liquid crystal display device can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing an embodiment of an electrolytic ion water cleaning apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a conventional electrolytic ionized water cleaning apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electrolyzer 2 DC power supply 3 Anode 4 Cathode 5 Ion diaphragm 6,8,9 Piping 7 Pump 10 Electrolyzed ionic water generation unit 20 Cleaning unit 21 Upper cover 22 Recovery tank 23 Nozzle 24 Transport roller 30 Substrate NW Anion water 1N Cathode side Tank room 1P Anode side tank room

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Agency reference number FI Technical display location H01L 21/304 341 H01L 21/304 341N (72) Inventor Tetsuya Kita 4-chome, Kamodanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture No. 1 Fujitsu Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tsugio Nakamura 1 at 480 Takamiyacho, Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. 1 Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. in Hikone area

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A method of electrolyzing an electrolytic solution to produce cationic water and anionic water, and performing a cleaning process on a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device using the anionic water. An electrolytic ionic water cleaning method, comprising generating water and cationic water, and washing the substrate by jetting anionic water from a nozzle outside the electrolytic cell. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the anion water used for the cleaning is returned to the electrolytic cell, whereby the anion water is recycled. 3. An apparatus for electrolyzing an electrolytic solution to generate cationic water and anionic water, and for performing a cleaning treatment of the substrate using the anionic water, wherein the electrolytic solution is electrolyzed to form a positive electrode. An electrolytic ionic water generating unit for generating ionic water and anionic water, and an anionic water generated by the electrolytic ionic water generating unit are supplied through an anionic water supply path, and eject the anionic water from a nozzle. A washing processing section for washing the substrate by using the above-mentioned method, and an anion water return path for collecting anion water used for the washing and returning the collected anion water to the electrolytic ionic water generating section. apparatus. 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the cleaning processing unit performs the cleaning of the substrate while translating the substrate, and the cleaning processing unit faces a transport path of the substrate. And an array of a plurality of nozzles each of which injects anion water.