KR102266843B1 - Cleaning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The injection module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a chamber in which air and a cleaning liquid are accommodated, a nozzle portion connected to the chamber portion to which the air and cleaning liquid are sprayed, and heat to the chamber to turn the cleaning liquid into steam. To change, it includes a heating member installed on one side of the injection module.

Description

Injection module system{CLEANING APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to a spray module system.

A semiconductor device or flat panel display (FPD) is manufactured through various processing processes on a wafer or flat glass. A cleaning process is important because substrates such as wafers or flat glass are susceptible to degradation or errors due to organic, particulate, or metal/ion contamination.

Recently, among them, a liquid crystal display device that consumes less power and has a small volume and can be driven with low power has been widely used. The liquid crystal display device substantially includes a display panel for displaying an image. A display panel is usually manufactured by repeatedly performing various unit processes for forming a circuit pattern on the substrate, for example, a deposition process, a photo process, an etching process, an etching process, etc. using a large-area substrate made of glass. .

After performing the unit processes, a cleaning process is accompanied. In general, the cleaning process is a process of removing dust or organic matter adhering to the substrate. A washing step using a cleaning solution such as DI water (deionized water), etc., and drying gas (eg, air), etc. are sprayed after the washing process to the substrate. It comprises a drying step of removing and drying the cleaning solution remaining in the.

Among these cleaning processes, the so-called in-line method, which is usually carried out simultaneously with substrate transfer, is used to reduce time and cost, and this in-line method uses IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) or DI (Deionized) liquid cleaning solution. It is cleaned by spraying on the substrate.

However, a cleaning process of removing foreign substances on the substrate by spraying IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) or DI (Deionized) cleaning solution is not effective for removing the fine foreign substances on the substrate. Accordingly, uncleaned fine foreign matter remains on the substrate, and the remaining fine foreign material causes product defects in a subsequent process.

Accordingly, the injection pressure of the IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) or DI (Deionized) cleaning solution is increased to remove the fine foreign matter on the substrate, but there is a problem in that the film located thereunder is damaged.

It was devised based on the technical background as described above, and the present invention is to provide a spray module capable of increasing the cleaning effect even by spraying a small amount of air and fluid.

The injection module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body, a chamber part formed in the main body to accommodate air and cleaning liquid, a nozzle part connected to the chamber part and spraying the air and cleaning liquid, and the chamber part It may include a heating member installed on one side of the body to change the phase of the cleaning liquid into steam by applying heat.

In addition, the chamber unit may include a first chamber in which the cleaning liquid is accommodated, and a second chamber formed to be spaced apart from the first chamber and accommodated in the air.

In addition, the heating member may be installed on one side of the main body adjacent to the first chamber part so as to change the phase of the cleaning liquid into steam by applying heat to the first chamber part.

In addition, the heating member is formed in the extending direction of the main body, a plurality of may be arranged in a line.

In addition, the heating member is formed perpendicular to the extending direction of the injection module, and a plurality of them may be arranged in a line.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a spray module system including the aforementioned spray module and a first supply unit for supplying the spray module after adjusting the temperature of the cleaning liquid.

In addition, the first supply unit may include a storage unit for storing the cleaning liquid and a heating unit for preheating the cleaning liquid supplied from the storage unit and supplying the cleaning liquid in a high temperature liquid state to the spray module.

In addition, the heating unit can maintain the cleaning solution in a temperature range of about 80 ~ 90 ℃.

In addition, it may further include a second supply unit for supplying the storage and the air to the injection module.

In the injection module system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning effect can be increased even by spraying a small amount of air and fluid.

1 is a schematic diagram of a spray module system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating the injection module system shown in FIG. 1 .
3 is a perspective view illustrating the injection module shown in FIG. 2 .
4 is a first modified example of the injection module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a second modified example of the injection module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a cross-sectional view of the injection module shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement them. The present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components throughout the specification.

In the present specification, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification exists, but one or more other features It is to be understood that it does not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Also, when a part of a layer, film, region, plate, etc. is said to be "on" another part, it includes not only the case where it is "directly on" another part, but also the case where there is another part in between. Conversely, when a part of a layer, film, region, plate, etc. is said to be “under” another part, this includes not only cases where it is “directly under” another part, but also a case where another part is in between.

Terms used in this specification will be briefly described, and the present invention will be described in detail.

In the present specification, "substrate (S)" refers to a semiconductor manufacturing process, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a flat panel display (FPD) such as organic light emitting diodes (OLED), a touch panel, etc. A transparent conductive film such as an ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) film on which a pattern of a specific shape is formed, and a PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) film or glass, etc., in which a wiring connected thereto is formed.

1 is a schematic diagram of a spray module system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the injection module system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cleaning unit 100 for cleaning a substrate S, and a substrate S transferred after being cleaned by the cleaning unit 100 . ) may include a drying unit 200 in which the drying process is performed, and a transfer unit 300 in which the substrate is loaded and moved.

The cleaning unit 100 may include a cleaning chamber 110 , a spray module 120 , a first supply unit 130 , a collection unit 150 , and a second supply unit 170 .

The cleaning chamber 110 provides a space for cleaning the substrate S, and the cleaning chamber 110 shields the substrate S from the outside so that the substrate S is not exposed to contaminants from the outside while the cleaning process is performed. can play a role

In addition, a transfer unit 300 for transferring the substrate S in one direction to the drying unit 200 may be installed inside the cleaning chamber 110 . For example, the transfer unit 300 may include a plurality of rollers or conveyor belts installed along the substrate transfer path, and the substrate may be loaded onto the upper surface thereof.

The injection module 120 is disposed to be spaced apart from the substrate S by a predetermined distance above or below the substrate S, and sprays high-temperature and high-pressure steam and air to the substrate S transferred in one direction on the transfer unit 300 . Thus, the cleaning process can be performed.

For example, the injection module 120 may be an air knife. As another example, the spray module 120 is disposed on the upper or lower side, upper and lower sides of the cleaning chamber 110 and may be configured in plurality, and the spraying angle is from about 30 degrees to about 90 degrees depending on the type of object to be cleaned. can be adjusted.

Since the steam has a small particle size, it can easily remove foreign substances with a finer particle size, and its cleaning efficiency is very excellent compared to the cleaning process of spraying ordinary washing water. Accordingly, it is not necessary to increase the injection pressure of the cleaning liquid in order to remove the fine foreign matter, thereby preventing damage to the film located thereunder.

That is, in the conventional cleaning process, IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) or DI Water (Deionized water) cleaning liquid is sprayed in a liquid phase to remove fine foreign substances on the substrate S, but IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) or DI Water (Deionized water) cleaning liquid Since the fine foreign material is not completely removed only by itself, the fine foreign material is removed by increasing the injection pressure of the IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) or DI Water (Deionized water) cleaning solution, but this causes damage to the film located thereunder.

For example, when an alignment layer having a rubbing axis is formed on the substrate, and a high pressure IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) or DI Water (Deionized water) cleaning solution is sprayed to remove fine foreign substances on the alignment layer, the fine particles on the substrate Even if the foreign material is removed, the rubbing axis of the alignment layer is changed, thereby lowering the contrast characteristic.

However, the cleaning process of the present invention can prevent the above problems from occurring by removing fine foreign substances on the substrate S using steam, which has a very excellent cleaning efficiency compared to the cleaning process of spraying ordinary cleaning water. have.

Meanwhile, the first supply unit 130 includes a storage unit 131 and a heating unit 133 , and may be supplied to the spray module after adjusting the temperature or pressure of the cleaning solution.

The storage unit 131 is a device for storing the cleaning liquid, and may be continuously replenished with the cleaning liquid. For example, a cleaning solution such as DI water (deionized water) may be stored.

The heating unit 133 may create a temperature and pressure condition in which the liquid cleaning liquid can be easily converted into vapor phase steam by receiving the cleaning liquid from the storage 131 and increasing the temperature of the cleaning liquid. For example, the cleaning liquid in the heating unit 133 may maintain a temperature of about 80 ~ 90 ℃. The liquid cleaning liquid thus elevated in temperature may be supplied to the injection module 120 to be described later according to the operation of the pump.

The collecting unit 150 may introduce and transport the steam sprayed from the cleaning chamber 110 to separate the collected steam into gas-liquid. After the steam is converted into a liquid phase in the collection unit 150 , the amount converted to the liquid phase may be recovered to the storage unit 131 and recycled.

The second supply unit 170 is a device for supplying air to the injection module 120 , and may be continuously replenished with air. For example, the air may be made of high-purity nitrogen (N2) gas, clean dry air (CDA), or the like.

FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating the injection module system shown in FIG. 1 . 3 is a perspective view illustrating the injection module shown in FIG. 2 . 4 is a first modified example of the injection module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the injection module 120 includes a chamber unit including a first chamber 121 accommodating a cleaning liquid and a second chamber 122 accommodating air therein, the first chamber and the second chamber 121 . , 122) and a nozzle unit including first and second nozzles 126 and 128 for spraying cleaning liquid steam and air, respectively, and a first heating member 129 for transferring heat to the chamber unit. can do.

The first chamber 121 and the second chamber 122 may be formed to be spaced apart from each other in the main body of the injection module 120 . At this time, the cleaning liquid accommodated in the first chamber 121 is phase-changed into steam and sprayed to the outside through the first nozzle 126 , and the air accommodated in the second chamber 122 is discharged to the outside through the second nozzle 128 . can be sprayed.

At this time, the first nozzle 126 is located at the front end of the substrate (S) transfer direction to spray steam to remove the fine foreign matter on the substrate (S), the second nozzle 128 is the substrate (S) transfer direction Air can be sprayed by being located at the rear end of the

Accordingly, the air sprayed from the second nozzle 128 prevents the re-adsorption of the fine foreign matter peeled off on the substrate S by the steam and at the same time prevents the scattering of the steam, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the steam. can

The first heating member 129 may be installed on one side of the spray module 120 to apply heat to the chamber. For example, the first heating member 129 may be installed on a side surface of the injection module 120 adjacent to the first chamber 121 .

At this time, referring to FIG. 3 , the first heating member 129 is embedded in the injection module 120 and disposed adjacent to the first chamber 121 , or the first chamber is disposed on the outer surface of the injection module 120 . (121) may be installed by being inserted into the recess (not shown) in the direction. The first heating member 129 may be a heating element such as a heat transfer tube, and may be formed to extend in the extending direction of the injection module 120 , and a plurality of first heating members 129 may be arranged in a line in the vertical direction. As another example, referring to FIG. 4 , the first heating member 129 may extend in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the spray module 120 , and a plurality of first heating members 129 may be arranged in a line.

At this time, the cleaning liquid having a boiling point of 100 ° C is preheated to have a temperature of about 80 to 90 ° C in the heating unit 133 of the supply unit 130, and the high temperature liquid cleaning liquid is supplied to the first chamber 121 through a pump and , the cleaning liquid inside the first chamber 121 is heated by the first heating member 129 to be phase-changed into vapor-phase steam having a temperature of 100° C. or higher, and may be sprayed through the first nozzle 126 .

That is, in the process in which the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply unit 130 to the spray module 120, the temperature of the cleaning liquid is raised close to the boiling point, and no phase change occurs even if heat loss occurs, so that a high-temperature liquid state can be maintained, and the cleaning liquid Since it is heated above the boiling point by the heat of the first heating member 129 immediately before being sprayed from the injection module 120 and phase-changed into steam, the heat loss is corrected by using a small amount of energy through the first heating member 129 . You can create steam while doing it.

Accordingly, the interior of the first chamber 121 may be uniformly heated by the plurality of first heating members 129 arranged in a line.

5 is a second modified example of the injection module according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the injection module shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the injection module may include a second heating member 129 .

The second heating member 129 may be formed in a plate shape, and a protrusion 129b may be formed on one surface. At this time, an insertion groove 120a which is recessed toward the first chamber 121 is formed on the outer surface of the injection module 120 , and the protrusion 129b may be inserted into the insertion groove 120a. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6 , the second heating member 129 may be installed on one surface of the spray module 120 by the protrusion 129b.

For example, the second heating member 129 has a body made of a ceramic material, and a planar heating element (not shown) formed by arranging a plurality of spiral-shaped band-shaped carbon fibers made of carbon fiber material inside is installed induction. can be

At this time, in a state in which the second heating member 129 is installed in contact with the side surface of the injection module 120 , the planar heating element is heated by supplying electric energy to heat the ceramic outside.

Accordingly, the first chamber 121 is installed on one side of the injection module 120, the inside can be uniformly heated by the second heating member 129 having a planar heating element.

At this time, the heating unit 133 of the supply unit 130 preheats the cleaning solution having a boiling point of 100° C. to a temperature of about 80 to 90° C., and the high-temperature liquid cleaning solution is supplied to the first chamber 121 through the pump and , the cleaning liquid inside the first chamber 121 is heated by the second heating member 129 to be phase-changed into vapor-phase steam having a temperature of 100° C. or higher, and may be sprayed through the first nozzle 126 .

That is, in the process in which the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply unit 130 to the spray module 120, the temperature of the cleaning liquid is raised close to the boiling point, and no phase change occurs even if heat loss occurs, so that a high-temperature liquid state can be maintained, and the cleaning liquid is Since it is heated above the boiling point by the heat of the second heating member 129 immediately before being sprayed from the injection module 120 and phase-changed into steam, the heat loss is corrected by using a small amount of energy through the second heating member 129 . You can create steam while doing it.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments presented herein, and those skilled in the art who understand the spirit of the present invention can add components within the scope of the same spirit. , changes, deletions, additions, etc. may easily suggest other embodiments, but this will also fall within the scope of the present invention.

1: spray module system 100: cleaning unit
110: cleaning chamber 120: spray module
120a: insertion groove
121: first chamber 122: second chamber
126: first nozzle 128: second nozzle
129, 129a: heating member 129b: protrusion
130: first supply unit
131: storage unit 133: heating unit
150: collection unit 170: second supply unit
200: drying unit 210: drying chamber
220: air knife
300: transfer unit S: substrate

Claims (1)

main body;
a chamber part having a first chamber formed inside the body to accommodate a cleaning liquid and a second chamber spaced apart from the first chamber and accommodated in air;
a nozzle unit including a first nozzle through which the cleaning liquid of the first chamber is ejected to the outside and a second nozzle through which the air of the second chamber is ejected to the outside; and
coupled to one side of the main body adjacent to the first chamber so as to change the phase of the cleaning liquid into steam by applying heat to the first chamber,
The main body is formed with an insertion groove joined to the side surface of the first chamber,
It is formed in a plate shape along the extension direction of the main body, a plurality of protrusions are formed on one surface to fit into the insertion groove, and a heating member having a planar heating element therein is included,
It is located between the supply part of the cleaning liquid and the first chamber, and in the process of supplying the cleaning liquid to the first chamber, the cleaning liquid is brought close to the boiling point so that the cleaning liquid does not undergo a phase change and moves to a high-temperature liquid state. Including a heating unit to preheat,
The heating element is
A spray module in which a body is made of a ceramic material, and a plurality of spiral-shaped band-shaped carbon fibers made of carbon fiber are arranged inside.

Images