KR20080002354A - Plasma processing apparatus for display panel, and plasma processing method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A plasma processing apparatus is provided to effectively perform a surface treatment process by preventing an impure gas from being supplied from the outside in performing a surface treatment of a target caused by plasma discharge. A substrate is mounted on a plate(30). A chamber includes an external gas blocking part(70) for blocking an external gas so that the inside of the chamber maintains a uniform atmosphere when the substrate is loaded/unloaded. First and second electrodes(40,50) confront each other in the chamber. A voltage source applies a voltage to the first electrode. A ground part grounds the second electrode. A reaction gas supply part(10) supplies a reaction gas to the chamber. The external gas blocking part can inject nitrogen gas to a gate(101) of the chamber. A transfer apparatus can transfer the plate to the surface of the second electrode.

Description

Plasma processing apparatus for display panel and plasma processing method using same {PLASMA PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR DISPLAY PANEL, AND PLASMA PROCESSING METHOD USING THE SAME}

1 is a schematic view showing a plasma processing apparatus for a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a step-by-step view of a plasma processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawing)

100: chamber 10: reaction gas supply unit

20: filter part 30: plate

40: first electrode 50: second electrode

60: voltage source 70: external gas blocking unit

101: Gate

The present invention relates to a plasma processing apparatus for a display panel and a plasma processing method using the same.

In general, a flat panel display device includes a liquid crystal display device (LCD), a plasma display panel (PDP), an electro luminescent display (ELD), and the like.

Among these, a liquid crystal display (LCD) may be largely divided into a liquid crystal panel displaying an image and a driving unit for applying a driving signal to the liquid crystal panel, and the liquid crystal panel has a predetermined space and is bonded to the first and second glasses. It consists of a liquid crystal layer injected between the board | substrate and the 1st, 2nd glass substrate.

The first glass substrate (TFT array substrate) may include a plurality of gate lines arranged in one direction at a predetermined interval, a plurality of data lines arranged at regular intervals in a direction perpendicular to the gate lines, and each gate line; A plurality of thin film transistors are formed in a plurality of pixel electrodes formed in a matrix form in the pixel region defined by crossing data lines and are switched by signals of gate lines to transfer signals of the data lines to each pixel electrode.

The second glass substrate (color filter substrate) includes a black matrix layer for blocking light in portions other than the pixel region, an R, G and B color filter layer for expressing color colors, and a common electrode for implementing an image. Is formed.

The driving principle of a general liquid crystal display device uses the optical anisotropy and polarization properties of the liquid crystal. Since the liquid crystal is thin and long in structure, the liquid crystal has directivity in the arrangement of molecules, and the direction of the arrangement of molecules can be controlled by artificially applying an electric field to the liquid crystal.

Accordingly, if the molecular arrangement direction of the liquid crystal is arbitrarily adjusted, the molecular arrangement of the liquid crystal is changed, and light is refracted in the molecular arrangement direction of the liquid crystal due to optical anisotropy to express image information.

The plasma processing apparatus (Apparatus for Processing Plasma) is used to deposit or pattern the structure formed on the upper substrate, the lower substrate of the liquid crystal display device. Here, the plasma refers to an ionized gas state composed of ions, electrons, radicals, and the like, which are very high temperature, strong electric fields, or high frequency electromagnetic fields. Is generated by

On the other hand, when the substrate is surface-treated using plasma discharge, oxygen or other contaminants in the atmosphere enter the plasma discharge region and decompose together with the reaction gas.

Such oxygen or other contaminants may be adsorbed on the substrate in the plasma state or prevent the reaction gas from adsorbing on the substrate, thereby effectively decreasing the surface treatment effect.

If the substrate surface treatment is not properly performed as described above, in particular, the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display device using the inkjet technology is adversely affected.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a plasma processing apparatus for a display panel and a plasma processing method using the same, which can effectively perform surface treatment of a substrate.

Technical problems to be achieved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems, and other technical problems not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. Could be.

Plasma processing apparatus for a display panel according to the present invention for achieving the technical problem is a chamber having a plate on which a substrate is mounted, an external gas blocking unit for blocking an external gas to maintain a constant atmosphere when the inlet and outlet of the substrate, A chamber and a gate having a closed structure in which the first electrode and the second electrode formed to face each other inside the chamber, a voltage source for applying a voltage to the first electrode, a ground part for grounding the second electrode, and a discharge area are blocked from the outside. ), A reactive gas supply unit for supplying a reactive gas to the chamber.

In this case, the external gas blocking unit injects nitrogen (N 2) gas to the gate of the chamber.

The chamber is preferably kept at atmospheric pressure.

In addition, the plasma processing apparatus for the display panel may further include a transfer device for transferring the plate on the second electrode.

The reaction gas is a gas containing fluorine (F), and preferably at least any one of CHF-based, F2, NF3, CF4, and SF6.

Plasma processing method of the display panel according to the present invention comprises the steps of spraying nitrogen (N2) gas to the substrate gate when the substrate is introduced to maintain a constant atmosphere inside the chamber, supplying a plasma discharge gas inside the chamber, and plasma discharge Plasma-discharging the surface of the substrate using a gas.

Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and the drawings. Advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will be apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail with the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

Hereinafter, a plasma processing apparatus and a plasma processing method for a display panel according to an embodiment (s) of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a view schematically showing a plasma processing apparatus for a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a plasma processing apparatus for a display panel includes a chamber 100, a reaction gas supply unit 10, a filter unit 20, a plate 30, a first electrode 40, a second electrode 50, High frequency (RF) voltage source 60, the external gas blocking unit 70 is included.

The plasma processing apparatus may further include a transfer device 80 so that the substrate may be processed in an in-line process. Such a conveying device may be any type of conveying method using a motor or a conveying method using a conveyor belt.

The chamber 100 is a structure including a space in which a substrate (target object, A) can be surface-treated by plasma discharge in a predetermined atmosphere, and has a gate 101 through which a substrate can be introduced and discharged. .

In addition, the chamber 100 includes a reaction gas outlet 102 so that the reaction gas flows out after the plasma discharge.

The reaction gas supply unit 10 supplies a predetermined reaction gas so that the substrate may be surface treated by generating a plasma discharge in the chamber. Such predetermined reaction gas is preferably a gas containing fluorine (F) which can reduce the defect site of the substrate surface, for example, a reaction gas such as CHF-based, F2, NF3, CF4, SF6. .

The filter unit 20 filters the reaction gas supplied to the chamber 100 so that plasma discharge may be efficiently performed.

The plate 30 is a place where the substrate to be surface treated is mounted, and serves to fix the substrate, which is mounted on the transfer apparatus 80, to be the target during the transfer to the next process after the plasma surface treatment.

 The first electrode 40 and the second electrode 50 are formed to face each other at regular intervals in the chamber. In addition, surfaces of the first electrode 40 and the second electrode 50 are coated by an insulating film (not shown), and any one of the first electrode and the second electrode is grounded to the ground portion.

The first electrode and the second electrode may be formed in various shapes, but preferably has a bar shape.

The voltage source 60 is a source for generating a plasma discharge in the chamber by applying a voltage, for example, a high frequency voltage, to an ungrounded electrode of the first electrode and the second electrode.

The external gas blocking unit 70 may maintain a constant atmosphere in the chamber during plasma discharge to increase the surface treatment uniformity of the substrate. That is, to prevent the substrate surface from being contaminated by oxygen or other impurities in the atmosphere, a predetermined gas may be injected into the gate portion of the chamber when the substrate is introduced into or out of the chamber.

In addition, the external gas blocking unit 70 may inject a predetermined gas after opening the door of the chamber to introduce the substrate into the chamber and closing the chamber.

At this time, the predetermined gas is preferably nitrogen (N 2).

The plasma processing method of the plasma processing apparatus for display panel of the present invention having such a structure will be described with reference to FIG.

2 is a diagram illustrating a plasma processing method step by step according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, in the plasma processing method of the display panel of FIG. 2, a substrate mounted on a plate 30 is first introduced into a gate portion 101 of a chamber by a transfer device 80 (S1). When the substrate flows into the chamber gate of the chamber so that external impurity gases do not flow into the chamber, the chamber gate 101 injects nitrogen (N2) gas in an air curtain manner or closes the gate after the substrate enters the chamber and then closes the chamber. Inject nitrogen (N2) inside (S2)

Subsequently, when a voltage, for example, a high frequency voltage is applied to the first electrode 40 while simultaneously supplying the chamber through the filter 20 from the reaction gas supply unit 10, the first electrode 40 and the second electrode 50. The reaction gas supplied in between turns into a plasma state (S3).

At this time, the reaction gas is sufficient as long as the gas containing fluorine (F) as described above, the voltage can be applied to the first electrode by adjusting the intensity and waveform in accordance with the surface treatment conditions of the substrate.

In addition, the inside of the chamber may be maintained at a low pressure state close to vacuum, but at a normal pressure in consideration of the length of the plasma treatment process due to the cost of manufacturing equipment or the time for vacuum pumping.

Subsequently, the reaction gas is surface-treated with respect to the substrate, and the surface-treated substrate is discharged through the gate of the chamber for the next process. Nitrogen (N2) gas is injected in a manner or after the substrate flows out of the chamber, the gate is closed and nitrogen (N2) is injected into the chamber.

In addition, the discharge gas remaining after the plasma discharge is discharged to the outside through the discharge gas outlet 102 of the chamber.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may implement the present invention in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features thereof. I can understand that.

Therefore, since the embodiments described above are provided to completely inform the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, it should be understood that they are exemplary in all respects and not limited. The invention is only defined by the scope of the claims.

Plasma processing apparatus and plasma processing method for a display panel according to the present invention made as described above can prevent the impurity gas from being supplied from the outside during the surface treatment of the target object by the plasma discharge has the effect that the surface treatment can be made effectively have.

Claims (9)

A plate on which the substrate is mounted; A chamber having an external gas blocking unit to block the external gas so that the inside maintains a constant atmosphere upon inflow and outflow of the substrate; A first electrode and a second electrode formed to face each other inside the chamber; A voltage source for applying a voltage to the one electrode; A grounding part for grounding the second electrode; And Reaction gas supply unit for supplying a reaction gas to the chamber Plasma processing apparatus for a display panel comprising a. The method of claim 1, And the external gas blocking unit injects nitrogen (N2) gas into the gate of the chamber. The method of claim 1, And the chamber maintains an atmospheric pressure state. The method of claim 1, And a transfer device for transferring the plate over the second electrode. The method of claim 1, The reaction gas is a plasma processing apparatus for a display panel, characterized in that the gas containing fluorine (F). Injecting nitrogen (N2) gas into the substrate gate when the substrate is introduced to maintain a constant atmosphere inside the chamber; Supplying a plasma discharge gas into the chamber; And Plasma-discharging the surface of the substrate using the plasma discharge gas; Plasma processing method of a display panel comprising a. Closing the gate of the chamber and blocking the external gas after introducing the substrate into the chamber; Nitrogen (N2) into the chamber to maintain a constant atmosphere inside the chamber Injecting a gas; supplying a plasma discharge gas into the chamber; And Performing plasma discharge treatment on the surface of the substrate using the plasma discharge gas; Plasma processing method of a display panel comprising a. The method according to claim 6 or 7, The inside of the chamber maintains a normal pressure state plasma processing method of a display panel. The method according to claim 6 or 7, The plasma discharge gas is a plasma processing method of the display panel, characterized in that the gas containing fluorine (F).

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