KR20060077358A - Wet station and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wet cleaning apparatus and a method in which pre-wetting is performed in a cleaning step to prevent cleaning defects in advance and water stains do not occur on a substrate having a pattern such as PR.

To this end, the present invention provides a wet cleaning apparatus and method comprising an aqua knife for spraying liquid onto a surface of a substrate to perform prewetting, and a cleaning unit for spraying a cleaning liquid onto the prewet substrate to clean the surface of the substrate. To provide.

Roll Brush, Bubble Jet, Free Wetting

Description

Wet cleaning apparatus and its method {WET STATION AND METHOD THEREOF}

1 is a diagram illustrating a general photo pre-cleaning process.

2 is a view showing a general wet cleaning device.

3 is a view showing a wet cleaning apparatus according to the present invention.

<Description of Major Symbols in Drawing>

210, 310: substrate 220, 320: sidewall

230, 330: top cover 240, 341, 342: exhaust port

251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256: nozzle

325: bulkhead 335: free wetting cover

351, 352, 353, 354, 355, 356: nozzle

257, 258, 357, 358: Roll Brush

360: air curtain 370: aqua knife

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wet cleaning apparatus and a method thereof, and to a wet cleaning apparatus and a method in which pre-wetting is performed in a cleaning step to prevent cleaning defects in advance and water stains do not occur on a patterned substrate.

When forming a pattern in a flat panel display (FPD) manufacturing process, such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), PR coating is performed. Particles such as organic and inorganic substances present on the surface of the substrate are removed before the PR coating. Substrate cleaning to be removed is performed.

Such a washing process is called a pre-photo cleaning process, and the washing | cleaning installation used for a pre-photo cleaning process is called a photo pre-cleaner (PPCL) or a OO (photo process) cleaner.

1 is a diagram illustrating a general photo pre-cleaning process.

As shown in FIG. 1, the configuration of the photo pre-cleaner 100 includes an in-conveyor 10, an excimer UV 20, a roll brush 30, and a bubble jet 40. It consists of a final rinse (50), an air knife (60), and an out conveyor (70).

Here, the photo pre-cleaning process according to each component of the photo pre-cleaner 100 as follows.

First, the in-conveyor 10 is an area where the substrate 1 is seated in order to transfer the substrate 1 to the cleaning process, and pre-cleans the photo according to an in-line process.

Thereafter, an Excimer UV (Ultra Violet) process 20 is performed to remove organic substances present on the surface of the substrate 1.

Here, an excimer UV lamp is used to irradiate a surface of the substrate 1 with ultraviolet light of a predetermined nm to separate oxygen in the air and excitation oxygen of ozone, thereby chemically bonding the organic material on the substrate to the atmosphere. Since it volatilizes, the organic substance which exists on the surface of the board | substrate 1 is removed.

Thereafter, a roll brush 30 step of removing particles deposited on the surface of the substrate 1 by applying a physical force using a brush is performed.

In addition, the roll brush 30 process is effective for removing particles and organics having a relatively large size.

In addition, in consideration of the warpage of the large-sized substrate 1, roll brushes are provided to face each other up and down.

In addition, the roll brush process is not always used, It is used or not determined by a process.

For example, cleaning is performed through a roll brush process where the flattening pattern is made, but the roll brush process is not used where the pattern form may damage the pattern.

Thereafter, water droplets are generated by mixing the liquid and gas with the pressure of the high pressure pump in the nozzle, and the water droplets are accelerated and sprayed by a high speed gas flow to remove foreign substances on the surface by the elasticity of the fluid on the substrate 1. The bubble jet 40 process is performed.

Subsequently, a nozzle shower is finally performed on the substrate 1 to rinse, an aqua shower is performed in the same area, and evenly sprayed on the entire surface of the substrate 1, and finally, The final rinse 50 step of removing is performed.

Here, the final rinse 50 process is disposed at the rear end of the cleaning process, by spraying at an angle during aqua shower to generate a flow of fluid on the substrate 1, thereby removing the retention particles on the substrate 1. There is.

Thereafter, an air knife 60 process of completely removing and drying the water (Wet) remaining on the substrate 1 is performed.

Thereafter, all of the photo pre-cleaning processes are finished, and the process is completed by bringing out the substrate 1 from the out conveyor 70 to the next process facility.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a wet cleaning apparatus in which the roll brush process of FIG. 1 is performed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bath 200 in which the roll brush process is performed may have sidewalls 220 disposed on both sides thereof, and may be opened and closed through an upper cover 230 at an upper opening thereof. 240, mist, etc. inside the roll brush area may be released.

In addition, referring to the internal structure of the roll brush region based on the traveling direction of the substrate 210, the inlet nozzle showers 251 and 254, the roll brushes 257 and 258, and the roll brush nozzle shower 252 ( 255 and the outlet nozzle shower 253, 256 are comprised by eight nozzle showers of up-down symmetry.

In this way, the inlet, the roll brush, and the outlet nozzle shower are performed in the roll brush area, and the inlet and outlet nozzle showers 251, 254, 253, and 256 use a simple rinse without using a brush. rinse, but the roll brush nozzle showers 252 and 255 are particles removed through the roll brushes 257 and 258 while reducing surface friction between the roll brushes 257 and 258 and the substrate 210. Rinse your back.

During this process, before the nozzle shower, the water droplets 212 due to the use of the brush, the water droplets formed by water condensation due to the fume, and the like, or the water droplets 213 due to poor showering of the inlet nozzle or the like. ) Was unevenly dropped onto the substrate 210 and appeared as a water mask on the substrate 210 on which the pattern was formed through a subsequent process.

Here, as described in the roll brush cleaning step, not only the roll brush cleaning step but also the pre-cleaning step of performing the nozzle shower, a phenomenon in which water droplets fall unevenly onto the substrate 210 before the direct shower is observed, There was a problem that water stain occurs in the patterned substrate 210.

The present invention has been made to solve the problems described above, by pre-wetting at the inlet of the cleaning step to prevent the poor wetting in advance, thereby preventing water stains on the patterned substrate by a subsequent process It is an object of the present invention to provide a wet cleaning apparatus and a method thereof.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the invention,                     

An aqua knife for spraying liquid onto a substrate surface for prewetting and a cleaning unit for spraying a cleaning liquid onto the pre-wet substrate for cleaning the surface of the substrate are provided.

In addition, the air curtain for injecting air is further provided so that the liquid sprayed through the aqua knife does not flow in the opposite direction to the progress of the substrate along the substrate.

In addition, the aqua knife and a free wetting cover surrounding the air curtain is characterized in that it is further provided.

In addition, a partition for separating the pre-wetting region in which the aqua knife is disposed and the cleaning region in which the cleaning unit is disposed is further provided.

In addition, the pre-wetting area and the cleaning area separated through the partition is characterized in that the exhaust port is provided separately.

In addition, a hose connected to the exhaust port from the pre-wetting cover surrounding the aqua knife and the air curtain is further provided.

In addition, the photo equipment for forming a photo resist on the wet cleaning is completed, characterized in that the in-line is arranged.

In addition, the cleaning unit is characterized in that the middle nozzle shower and the outlet nozzle shower.

In addition, the roll brush for removing the particles on the surface of the substrate pre-wetting through the aqua knife through a brush drive is further provided.                     

According to another aspect of the invention,

A method of wet cleaning comprising prewetting the substrate surface and cleaning the prewet substrate surface.

In addition, the cleaning step may include a first step of removing particles from the surface of the substrate pre-wet through roll brush driving, and a second step of rinsing the substrate from which the particles are removed in the first step. .

In addition, the step of pre-wetting the substrate surface is characterized in that for spraying the liquid on the substrate surface through an aqua knife.

In addition, after the cleaning step of cleaning the surface of the substrate, the step of forming a photo resist on the surface of the substrate is characterized in that carried out in-line.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3A and 3B show a wet cleaning apparatus 300 according to the present invention.

3A illustrates a typical nozzle shower area, and FIG. 3B illustrates a nozzle shower area in which a roll brush is installed.

As shown in Figures 3a and 3b, the wet cleaning apparatus 300 according to the present invention, the side walls 320 are placed on both sides, the upper portion can be opened and closed through the upper cover 330, the exhaust passage 2 Air flow in the nozzle shower area 302 exits 342.

In addition, in the wet cleaning apparatus according to the present invention, the inlet nozzle shower is removed from the conventional all nozzle shower area, and a prewetting area 301 is set in the area.

Here, the nozzle shower used for the entire nozzle shower area, including the upper and lower parts, is largely divided into an inlet nozzle shower, an intermediate nozzle shower, and an outlet nozzle shower, and the removed part is called an inlet nozzle shower, and the remainder is called an intermediate part. It is decided by nozzle shower and outlet nozzle shower.

In addition, the roll brush nozzle showers 352 and 355 of FIG. 3B correspond to the middle nozzle showers 351, 352, 354, and 355 of FIG. 3A.

That is, in this invention, it is divided into the prewetting area | region 301 and the remaining nozzle shower area | region 302 of the part which removed the inlet nozzle shower, without changing the whole space of a nozzle shower area | region.

In addition, the portion occupied by the pre-wetting region 301 is about 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 2/5 of the entire nozzle shower region, and may be determined as appropriate.

Referring to the internal structure of the nozzle shower area 302 based on the traveling direction of the substrate 310, as shown in FIG. 3A, the intermediate nozzle showers 351, 352, 354, and 355 and the outlet nozzle shower are shown. (353) (356) order.

In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 3B, the roll brushes 357 and 358 and the roll brush nozzle showers 352 and 355 may be configured in the order of the outlet nozzle showers 353 and 356.

The middle nozzle showers 351, 352, 354 and 355 of Fig. 3A, the roll brush nozzle showers 352 and 355 of Fig. 3B, and the outlet nozzle shower 353 of Figs. 3A and 3B ( The number of 356 is one example, and any number may be used within an appropriate range.

In addition, the number of inlet nozzle showers to be removed is also required for the number of nozzle showers required by the space portion occupied by the pre-wetting region 301 in the entire nozzle shower region, for example, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 2/5. Removed.

Looking at the configuration of such a pre-wetting region 301 is as follows.

That is, in the pre-wetting region 301, an AQUA Knife 370 for pre-wetting by evenly spraying, for example, DI water with a liquid on the surface of the substrate 310, and the Aqua Knife ( When pre-wetting is performed through the 370, an air curtain 360 is provided to inject air such that pure water does not flow along the substrate 310 in a direction opposite to the progress of the substrate 310.

Here, the aqua knife 370 uniformly wets the surface of the substrate 310 with pure water before performing a general nozzle shower on the surface of the substrate, thereby preventing defective wetting due to uneven drop of water droplets in advance. .

Further, the entire cleaning area is divided into a pre-wetting area 301 in which the aqua knife 370 is disposed, and a nozzle shower area 302 for cleaning the surface of the pre-wet substrate 310, and in the nozzle shower area 302. The partition wall 325 is installed to block the generated fume and the like from flowing into the pre-wetting region 301.

In this way, the partition wall 325 which separates the nozzle shower area 302 and the pre-wetting area 301 is provided, thereby minimizing the fume that can be transferred from the nozzle shower area 302 to the free-wetting area 301 and freeing it. Condensation and water droplets are primarily prevented from forming in the wetting region 301.

In the conventional nozzle shower area, there is one exhaust port. In the present invention, the exhaust ports (exhaust 1 and exhaust 2) are provided in each of the prewetting area 301 and the nozzle shower area 302 with the partition wall 325 interposed therebetween. By arranging (341) and 342, even fine fumes that may flow from the nozzle shower area 302 through the partition wall 325 are also prevented, thereby preventing the formation of water droplets in the pre-wetting area 301. .

In addition, the air curtain (A / C) 360 and the aqua knife 370 are wrapped to prevent water droplets from falling unevenly on the surface of the substrate 310 at the front end of the aqua knife 370 of the pre-wetting region 301. Install a free wetting cover (335).

As described above, since the aqua knife 370 and the air curtain 360 are covered, the poor wetting caused by the water droplets can be prevented.

In addition, the space for the air curtain 360 and the aqua knife 370 piping is made in the pre-wetting cover 335 to prevent water droplets from forming on the piping and falling unevenly on the surface of the substrate 310. .

In addition, condensation may be formed in the space where the pre-wetting cover 335 is installed along the surface of the pre-wetting cover 335 by the air from the air curtain 360.

Accordingly, the pre-wetting cover 335 is directly connected to the exhaust port 1 341 through the hose 345, so that the airflow inside the pre-wetting cover 335 and the condensation on the surface of the pre-wetting cover 335 are directly exhaust port 1. Discharge to (341).

Thus, in the present invention, the aqua knife before the cleaning through the intermediate nozzle shower (351) 352 (354) 355, the outlet nozzle shower (353) 356 in the nozzle shower area 302 is made. Pre-wetting the substrate 310 through 370 prevents poor wetting due to water droplets in the nozzle shower.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 3B, the pre-wetting region 301 for pre-wetting the surface of the substrate 370 by spraying evenly pure water, for example, with liquid through the aqua knife 370, and the surface of the pre-wetting substrate 310 are brushed. Partitions into a nozzle shower area 302 to be cleaned using (357), 358, and barrier ribs 325 to block the fumes and the like generated from the nozzle shower area 302 from entering the pre-wetting area 301 along the air flow. Install).

As such, by installing a partition wall 325 that separates the nozzle shower area 302 and the pre-wetting area 301, the fume or the like that can be transferred from the nozzle shower area 302 to the pre-wetting area 301 is minimized. First, the condensation and water droplets are prevented from being formed inside the pre-wetting region 301.

In addition, the configuration of the pre-wetting area 301 is aqua knife 370, air curtain 360, pre-wetting cover 335, hose 345, exhaust port 1 (341), configuration for Figure 3a Since it is the same as, the description is omitted.

In addition, in the nozzle shower area 302, brush nozzle showers 352 and 355 and outlet nozzle showers 353 and 356 are implemented, but the outlet nozzle showers 353 and 356 do not use brushes. Rinse the degree of simple rinsing, but the roll brush nozzle showers 352 and 355 use the roll brushes 357 and 358 to reduce surface friction between the roll brushes 357 and 358 and the substrate 310. Rinse particles removed through it.                     

Looking at the cleaning process in the wet cleaning apparatus according to the present invention configured as described above are as follows.

In the present invention, the existing total nozzle shower area is largely divided into an inlet nozzle shower area, an intermediate nozzle shower area, and an outlet nozzle shower area.

In addition, the inlet nozzle shower is removed, the inlet nozzle shower area is set as a pre-wetting area, and the remaining intermediate nozzle shower area and outlet nozzle shower area are set as the nozzle shower area.

In addition, the partition wall is divided into a pre-wetting area for pre-wetting the substrate surface through an aqua knife and a nozzle shower area for cleaning the substrate surface using a nozzle shower after pre-wetting. Same as

First, the surface of the substrate is pre-wetted by spraying, for example, pure water with liquid using an aqua knife (step 1).

Here, when pre-wetting is made through an aqua knife, air is injected through the air curtain so that pure water does not flow in a direction opposite to the progress of the substrate along the substrate.

Thereafter, the surface of the pre-wet substrate is cleaned by rinsing through a nozzle shower formed above and below the substrate (step 2).

Here, in the case of cleaning using a roll brush, particles on the surface of the substrate that are pre-wet are removed through the roll brush driving formed on the upper and lower portions of the substrate and the shower of the roll brush nozzle, and the removed particles are removed from the outlet nozzle shower. Rinse through.                     

As such, the wet cleaning process according to the invention is mainly carried out in the cleaning step before the PR coating or before another PR coating on the PR coated substrate, by pre-wetting the substrate surface through an aqua knife. It is possible to prevent poor wetting due to non-uniform drop of water droplets.

Therefore, when the wet cleaning apparatus and method according to the present invention are applied, water stains do not occur on the substrate on which the pattern is formed.

In addition, a pre-wetting cover is provided to cover the area where the aqua knife and the air curtain are arranged, to prevent the water droplets generated based on fume, condensation, moisture agglomeration, and the like from falling down at the front end of the aqua knife in the pre-wetting area.

In the above, the wet cleaning apparatus and the method thereof according to the present invention have been described, but may be applied to all cleaning steps in which water stains are generated by using the nozzle shower as well as the cleaning process before the photo.

Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and a person having ordinary skill in the art may change the design or avoid the design without departing from the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. Will be in range.

As described above, the wet cleaning apparatus and the method according to the present invention can prevent poor wetting by removing the inlet nozzle shower and pre-wetting through the aqua knife in the area.                     

In addition, according to the nozzle shower failure and structural cleaning failure, it is possible to remove the water stains appearing on the patterned substrate in the FPD manufacturing process, such as subsequent PR coating.

In addition, by blocking the pre-wetting area and the nozzle shower area with a partition wall to prevent the fume generated in the nozzle shower area from flowing into the pre-wetting area, it is possible to prevent the formation of water droplets in the pre-wetting area.

Claims (13)

An aqua knife that sprays liquid onto the surface of the substrate for pre-wetting; And a cleaning unit for spraying a cleaning liquid onto the pre-wet substrate to clean the surface of the substrate. The method of claim 1, Wet cleaning device characterized in that it further comprises an air curtain for injecting air so that the liquid injected through the aqua knife does not flow in the opposite direction of the progress of the substrate along the substrate. The method of claim 2, Wet cleaning device characterized in that it is further provided with a pre-wetting cover surrounding the aqua knife and air curtain. The method of claim 1, Wet cleaning apparatus, characterized in that the partition further separating the pre-wetting region in which the aqua knife is disposed and the cleaning region in which the cleaning unit is disposed. The method of claim 4, wherein Wet cleaning apparatus, characterized in that the exhaust port is provided separately in the pre-wetting region and the cleaning region separated through the partition wall. The method according to claim 3 or 5, And a hose connected to the exhaust port from a pre-wetting cover surrounding the aqua knife and the air curtain. The method of claim 1, The wet cleaning apparatus, characterized in that the photo equipment for forming a photoresist on the substrate on which the wet cleaning is completed is arranged in-line. The method of claim 1, And said cleaning unit comprises an intermediate nozzle shower and an outlet nozzle shower. The method of claim 1, Wet cleaning device, characterized in that further provided with a roll brush for removing particles on the surface of the substrate pre-wetting through the aqua knife through a brush drive. Prewetting the substrate surface; Cleaning the surface of the pre-wet substrate. The method of claim 10, The cleaning step, A first step of removing particles from the surface of the pre-wet substrate through roll brush driving, And a second step of rinsing the substrate from which the particles have been removed in the first step. The method of claim 10, The prewetting of the substrate surface comprises spraying liquid onto the substrate surface through an aqua knife. The method of claim 10, And after the cleaning step of cleaning the substrate surface, forming a photoresist on the substrate surface is performed in-line.

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