KR20070047440A - System and method for manufacturing a flat panel display - Google Patents

Abstract

It is a technical object of the present invention to provide a manufacturing system and a manufacturing method of a flat panel display device capable of simultaneously removing organic and inorganic foreign materials on a substrate while avoiding physical contact with the substrate. To this end, the present invention includes an importer carrying a substrate in a previous process line, a scrubber for cleaning the substrate loaded by the importer, and an ejector for carrying the substrate cleaned by the scrubber to a next process line; The scrubber includes a body in which a chamber is formed, and an injector provided in the chamber to inject carbon dioxide in a supercritical state toward the substrate.

Flat Panel Display, Cleaning, Supercritical, Carbon Dioxide

Description

Manufacturing system and method of manufacturing a flat panel display device {SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A FLAT PANEL DISPLAY}

1 is a configuration diagram of a manufacturing system of a flat panel display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a block diagram of a washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a flat panel display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a flat panel display device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

100: importer 300: washing machine

310: body 311: chamber

330: injector 350: feeder

500: dryer 700: ejector

A: supercritical carbon dioxide

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flat panel display, and more particularly, to a manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method of a flat panel display related to substrate cleaning.

In general, a flat panel display device is a display device which is widely used at present, and there are various types such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device.

Among these, the liquid crystal display device consists of two display substrates in which the electric field fish electrode is formed, and the liquid crystal layer inserted between them. Accordingly, an image is displayed by adjusting a transmittance of light passing through the liquid crystal layer while rearranging the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer by applying a voltage to the electrode.

In particular, such a liquid crystal display device is manufactured by the following manufacturing method.

First, a work layer (eg, a semiconductor layer) is formed on the lower display substrate.

Second, an alignment layer for orienting liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal material is applied to the lower display substrate on which the working layer is formed.

Third, an active area defined by a closed-angled frame is formed by using a sealing material on the lower display substrate.

Fourth, the two display substrates are assembled in a vacuum and the sealing material is cured.

In particular, since the contaminants may be deposited or generated on the substrate during the first process, a separate cleaning process is performed.

Conventional cleaning apparatus for performing this cleaning process, the first wet scrubber to remove the inorganic foreign matter (for example, particles, etc.) of the substrate using a brush, and de-ionized water (DIW) And a second wet scrubber to remove organic foreign matter from the substrate.

However, since the first wet cleaner physically removes the inorganic foreign matter from the substrate using a brush, the surface of the substrate may be scratched. Further, the flatness (flatness) of the substrate may be degraded due to the continuous impact of the brush, which may cause gap defects.

 In addition, since the deionized water used in the second wet scrubber is expensive, the manufacturing cost may be high.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the problems associated with the prior art, and the technical problem of the present invention is a manufacturing system and a manufacturing system of a flat panel display device capable of simultaneously removing organic and inorganic foreign matter on a substrate while avoiding physical contact with the substrate. To provide a way.

In order to achieve the above object, a manufacturing system of a flat panel display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, an importer for loading the substrate in the previous process line, a cleaner for cleaning the substrate carried by the importer, and the cleaner And an ejector for carrying out the substrate cleaned by the following process line, wherein the cleaner includes a body in which a chamber is formed, and an injector provided in the chamber to inject a supercritical carbon dioxide toward the substrate.

In addition, the scrubber may be provided on the outside of the body, and may further include a feeder for supplying carbon dioxide in the supercritical state to the injector.

The apparatus may further include a dryer provided between the cleaner and the ejector and drying the substrate having been cleaned by the cleaner.

In addition, at least one working layer may be deposited on the substrate, and the cleaner may perform cleaning before depositing the at least one working layer on the substrate, respectively.

Meanwhile, the method of manufacturing a flat panel display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include forming a gate line on a substrate, forming a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, and an ohmic contact layer on the gate line, on the ohmic contact layer. Forming a data line including a source electrode and a drain electrode, forming a passivation film for the data line, forming a pixel electrode connecting the drain electrode and a contact hole on the passivation film, and forming each of the forming steps Prior to cleaning with supercritical carbon dioxide.

In addition, the manufacturing method of the flat panel display device according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include the step of drying the substrate after cleaning using the carbon dioxide in the supercritical state.

In addition, each forming step may include a deposition step, a photoresist coating step, a developing step, an etching step, and a photoresist removal step, and the cleaning step may include a section between the deposition step and the photoresist coating step and the photoresist coating step And at least one of a section between the developing step, a section between the developing step and the etching step, and a section between the etching step and the photoresist removing step.

Meanwhile, a method of manufacturing a flat panel display device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes forming a black matrix film on a substrate, forming a color filter film for the substrate over the black matrix film, and overcoat the color filter film. Forming a film, forming an ITO film for the overcoat film, and cleaning with carbon dioxide in a supercritical state before each forming step.

In addition, the manufacturing method of the flat panel display device according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include the step of drying the substrate after cleaning using the carbon dioxide in the supercritical state.

In addition, each of the black matrix film forming step and the color filter film forming step may include a deposition step, a photoresist coating step, a developing step, an etching step, and a photoresist removal step, and the cleaning step includes the deposition step and the photoresist film. At least one of a section between a coating step, a section between the photoresist coating step and the developing step, a section between the developing step and the etching step, and a section between the etching step and the photoresist removing step Can be performed.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art may easily implement the present invention. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

1 is a configuration diagram of a manufacturing system of a flat panel display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a manufacturing system of a flat panel display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an importer 100, a cleaner 300, and an ejector 700.

The importer 100 may include a loader 110 and a first robot arm 120. The loader 110 is a place for receiving the substrate 10 processed in the previous process line, and may load a plurality of substrates as needed. The first robot arm 120 is an apparatus for transferring the substrate 10 of the loader 110 to the cleaner 300, and may be replaced with a conveyor type.

The unloader 700 may include a second robot arm 710 and an unloader 720. The second robot arm 710 is a device for transferring the substrate 10, which has been cleaned in the cleaner 300, to the unloader 720, and may be replaced with a conveyor type. The unloader 720 is a place for receiving the substrate 10 transferred by the second robot arm 710, and can load a plurality of substrates as needed, and the substrate 10 to be transferred to the next process line. Wait.

The cleaner 300 is an apparatus which wash | cleans the board | substrate 10 conveyed from the loader 110 by the loading machine 100. As shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, the cleaner 300 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

The cleaner 300 includes a body 310 in which the chamber 311 is formed, and an injector 330 disposed in the chamber 311 to inject carbon dioxide (A) in a supercritical state toward the substrate 10. .

Supercritical State refers to the state of a substance with both gas and liquid properties. Specifically, the supercritical state is a state in which the fluid is heated above the critical temperature and pressurized above the critical pressure.

Supercritical fluids can continuously change their density from lean to near ideal gas to high density near liquid density, so that the fluid's equilibrium (solubility) and transfer properties (viscosity, diffusion coefficient, and thermal conductivity) In addition, molecular clustering can be controlled. In addition, the experiment showed that the organic foreign matter remaining on the substrate is easily decomposed.

Specifically, a first method of removing organic foreign material from a substrate using deionized water (DIW) and ultrasonic waves and a second method of removing organic foreign material from a substrate using a supercritical fluid were performed through experiments. In the first method, about 40 nm of organic foreign matters were observed on the washed substrate. In the second method, organic foreign matters were hardly observed.

In particular, the carbon dioxide in such a fluid is harmless to the human body and has a low impact on environmental pollution, its value is very large compared to other fluids. Furthermore, carbon dioxide is 31 ?? When heated above and pressurized to 73 atmospheres or more, it becomes supercritical state.

In addition, since the injector 330 injects carbon dioxide (A) in a supercritical state toward the substrate 10 in the chamber 311 at high pressure, an inorganic foreign material such as fine particles adhering to the surface of the substrate 10. It can also be removed together.

Furthermore, the scrubber 300 may further include a feeder 350 provided outside the body 310 to supply carbon dioxide A in a supercritical state to the injector 330.

In addition, the manufacturing system of the flat panel display device according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided between the cleaner 300 and the ejector 700, the dryer 500 for drying the substrate 10 is finished cleaning in the cleaner 300 ) May be further included.

In addition, at least one working layer (not shown) is deposited on the substrate 10. For example, the working layer includes a gate electrode forming layer, a gate insulating film layer, a semiconductor layer, an ohmic contact layer, a data line forming layer, a protective film layer, a pixel electrode forming layer, and the like.

And the cleaner 300 is. It is preferable to perform cleaning before depositing each of the above-mentioned layers on the substrate 10. This is because if the deposition is performed in the presence of contaminants, not only the deposition of the working layer may be performed properly but also ultimately, the product may be defective.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a flat panel display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3. In particular, the manufacturing method of the flat panel display device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may correspond to a method of manufacturing a thin film transistor (TFT) substrate which is a lower substrate of the liquid crystal display device.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a flat panel display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

First, the substrate 10 is cleaned using the cleaner 300 (S11). A gate line is formed on the substrate 10 (S13). In particular, such a gate line is formed by sequentially performing deposition, photoresist coating, development, etching, and photoresist removal processes.

Subsequently, contaminants (eg, particles, etc.) generated during the photoresist film removal process are cleaned using the cleaner 300 (S15). A gate insulating film, a semiconductor layer, and an ohmic contact layer are formed on the gate line (S17). In particular, the gate insulating film, the semiconductor layer, and the ohmic contact layer are formed through the same process as the above-described gate line forming process.

Thereafter, the contaminants generated in the process of forming the gate insulating layer, the semiconductor layer, and the ohmic contact layer are cleaned using the cleaner 300 (S19). In operation S21, a data line including a source electrode and a drain electrode is formed on the ohmic contact layer. In particular, such data lines are formed through the same process as the above-described gate line forming process.

Thereafter, the contaminants generated in the process of forming the data lines are cleaned using the cleaner 300 (S23). A protective film is formed for the data line (S25). In particular, such a protective film is formed through the same process as the above-described gate line forming process.

Thereafter, the contaminants generated in the protective film formation process are cleaned using the cleaner 300 (S27). In operation S29, a pixel electrode is formed on the passivation layer to connect the drain electrode and the contact hole. In particular, the pixel electrode is formed through the same process as the gate line forming process described above.

In particular, the scrubber 300 cleans using carbon dioxide in a supercritical state.

In addition, after washing with carbon dioxide in the supercritical state, the substrate 10 is dried using a dryer 500.

In addition, the above-described forming step may include a deposition step, a photoresist coating step, a developing step, an etching step, and a photoresist removal step. Furthermore, in the section between the deposition process and the photoresist coating process, the section between the photoresist coating process and the development process, the section between the development process and the etching process, and the section between the etching process and the photoresist removal process, Cleaning can be performed using the above-described cleaner 300.

In particular, the section requiring cleaning is selected in consideration of all variables such as the amount of contaminants generated, the process time and quality. In addition, the injection force of the injector is properly adjusted so that carbon dioxide in the supercritical state can remove only foreign matter.

Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing a flat panel display device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4. In particular, the manufacturing method of the flat panel display device according to another embodiment of the present invention may correspond to a method of manufacturing a color filter (CF) substrate which is an upper substrate of the liquid crystal display device.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of manufacturing a flat panel display device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

First, the substrate 20 is cleaned using the cleaner 300 (S110). A black matrix film is formed on the substrate 20 (S130). For example, the black matrix film may be formed by sequentially performing deposition, photoresist coating, development, etching, and photoresist removal.

Thereafter, the contaminants (eg, particles, etc.) generated during the photoresist film removal process are cleaned using the cleaner 300 (S150). Then, a color filter film is formed for the substrate 20 over the black matrix film (S170). In particular, the color filter film may be formed through the same process as the above-described black matrix forming process.

Thereafter, the contaminants generated in the process of forming the color filter film are cleaned using the cleaner 300 (S190). An overcoat film is formed for the color filter film (S210). In particular, such an overcoat film can be formed only through a deposition process since there is no need to form a pattern.

Thereafter, the contaminants generated during the overcoat film formation process are cleaned using the cleaner 300 (S230). An indium tin oxide (ITO) film, which is a common electrode, is formed for the overcoat film (S250). In particular, when the ITO film requires a pattern, the ITO film may be formed through the same process as the above-described black matrix film forming process. However, an ITO film which does not need to form a pattern can be formed only through a deposition process.

Thereafter, the contaminants generated during the ITO film formation process are cleaned using the cleaner 300 (S270).

In particular, the scrubber 300 cleans using carbon dioxide in a supercritical state.

In addition, after washing with carbon dioxide in the supercritical state, the substrate 20 is dried using a dryer 500.

In addition, the above-described black matrix film forming step (S130) and the color filter film forming step (S170) may include a deposition step, a photoresist coating step, a developing step, an etching step, and a photoresist film removing step. Furthermore, the section between the deposition process and the photoresist coating process, the section between the photoresist coating process and the development process, the section between the development process and the etching process, and the section between the etching process and the photoresist removal process, requiring cleaning In the above, cleaning can be performed using the above-described cleaner 300.

In particular, the section requiring cleaning is selected in consideration of all variables such as the amount of contaminants generated, the process time and quality. In addition, the injection force of the injector is properly adjusted so that carbon dioxide in the supercritical state can remove only foreign matter.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements of those skilled in the art using the basic concepts of the present invention defined in the following claims are also provided. It belongs to the scope of rights.

As described above, the manufacturing system and the manufacturing method of the flat panel display according to the embodiment of the present invention has the following effects.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, since a scrubber using carbon dioxide in a supercritical state is employed, organic and inorganic foreign matters on the substrate can be simultaneously removed while avoiding physical contact with the substrate.

In addition, according to the embodiment of the present invention, since it is not necessary to use expensive deionized water (DIW), the cost can be reduced.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, before each of the working layers are deposited, supercritical carbon dioxide cleaning is performed, so that deposition is performed properly and product defects can be minimized.

Claims (10)

Importers to import boards from previous process lines, A cleaner for cleaning the substrate brought in by the importer, and An ejector for carrying out the substrate cleaned by the cleaner to a next process line, The washing machine, A body in which the chamber is formed, and An injector provided in the chamber to inject a supercritical carbon dioxide toward the substrate Manufacturing system for a flat panel display device comprising a. In claim 1, The washing machine, And a feeder provided outside the body to supply carbon dioxide in the supercritical state to the injector. In claim 1, And a dryer provided between the cleaner and the discharger to dry the substrate having been cleaned by the cleaner. In claim 1, At least one working layer is deposited on the substrate, The scrubber And perform cleaning before depositing the at least one working layer on the substrate, respectively. Forming a gate line on the substrate, Forming a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, and an ohmic contact layer on the gate line; Forming a data line including a source electrode and a drain electrode on the ohmic contact layer; Forming a protective film on the data line; Forming a pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode through the contact hole on the passivation layer, and And cleaning the carbon dioxide in a supercritical state before each forming step. In claim 5, And cleaning the substrate using carbon dioxide in the supercritical state, followed by drying the substrate. In claim 5, Each forming step includes a deposition step, a photoresist coating step, a developing step, an etching step, and a photoresist removal step, and The cleaning step may include a section between the deposition step and the photoresist coating step, a section between the photoresist coating step and the developing step, a section between the developing step and the etching step, and between the etching step and the photoresist removing step. A method of manufacturing a flat panel display, which is further performed in at least one of the sections. Forming a black matrix film on the substrate, Forming a color filter film for the substrate over the black matrix film, Forming an overcoat film for the color filter film, Forming an ITO film for the overcoat film, and And cleaning the carbon dioxide in a supercritical state before each forming step. In claim 8, And cleaning the substrate using carbon dioxide in the supercritical state, followed by drying the substrate. In claim 8, Each of the black matrix forming step and the color filter forming step, A deposition step, a photoresist coating step, a developing step, an etching step, and a photoresist removal step, and The cleaning step, At least one of a section between the deposition step and the photoresist coating step, a section between the photoresist coating step and the developing step, a section between the developing step and the etching step, and a section between the etching step and the photoresist removing step A method of manufacturing a flat panel display device which is further performed in any one section.

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