KR20080073974A - Apparatus and method for cleaning sputtering target - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for cleaning a sputtering target are provided to prevent secondary contamination of the target and to reduce the time of a target cleaning process by cleaning and drying the moving target, using a wet cleaning member and an air injector. An apparatus for cleaning a sputtering target comprises an ultrasonic cleaning member(110), a transfer member, a wet cleaning member, and a drying member. The ultrasonic cleaning member cleans the target by ultrasonic waves. The wet cleaning member cleans the moving target by a wet cleaning process. The drying member dries the target. The transfer member has a conveyer belt(124) for transferring the target. The wet cleaning member includes an air injector(134) for injecting a cleaning agent to the moving target, and a brush(138) cleaning the surface of the target.

Description

Target cleaning device for sputtering and cleaning method {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CLEANING SPUTTERING TARGET}

1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a target cleaning apparatus for sputtering according to the present invention.

 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the target cleaning apparatus for sputtering according to the present invention.

3 is an enlarged perspective view of region A of FIG. 1.

4 is a perspective view showing a modification of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100: target cleaning device for sputtering 110: ultrasonic cleaning member

120: transfer member 124: conveyor belt

126a, 126b: drain hole 130: wet cleaning member

134: injector 138: brush

140: drying member 144: air injector

150: target 152, 154, 156, 158: optical sensor

200: target cleaning device step for sputtering

The present invention relates to a sputtering target cleaning device, and more particularly, to a sputtering target cleaning device that can systematically clean foreign substances on the surface of the sputtering target.

Recently, in the fields of flat panel displays (FPDs), recording media, semiconductor devices, and the like, sputtering targets are used for deposition and surface treatment. Among them, in the field of FPD, the sputtering target itself is being enlarged as the screen is enlarged.

Although sputtering targets used in various fields are known to be made of various composition materials, sputtering targets may cause arcing when sputtering if foreign substances such as dust and organic materials are present on the surface of the target, and sputtering even unnecessary foreign substances. This can adversely affect the thin film properties. Therefore, it is required to remove the foreign matter from the target before sputtering to suppress the arcing phenomenon or other effects. At present, an ultrasonic cleaning member is used to clean the target, and after using the ultrasonic cleaning member, a cleaning process of wiping the target surface with a tool such as a cloth is also introduced.

However, the cleaning process used in the past has a large problem of loss of time and manpower efficiency since the cleaning process is manually performed after the mechanical process using the ultrasonic cleaning member.

In addition, the cleaning of the target surface may not be properly performed due to the mistake of the operator or the environmental requirements. As such, when foreign matters such as dust and organic material are present on the target surface, foreign matters are sputtered during sputtering, affecting thin film properties or arcing due to foreign matters, thereby deteriorating the life of the target.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a sputtering target cleaning device that can automate the cleaning process of the target. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sputtering target cleaning device that reduces the working time of the target cleaning process through the automation of the target cleaning device that can be continuously moved, and further increases the work output.

In addition, the present invention provides a cleaning apparatus for a target for sputtering, which can reduce a cleaning failure due to an operator mistake. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a sputtering target cleaning device that prevents secondary contamination that may occur in manual operation and efficiently removes dust and organics from a target surface, and does not affect thin film properties.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object of the present invention, the target cleaning apparatus for sputtering is mounted to move adjacent to the transfer member, the transfer member for transferring the target from the ultrasonic cleaning member and the ultrasonic cleaning member A wet cleaning member for wet cleaning the target, and a drying member mounted adjacent to the conveying member to dry the target passed through the wet cleaning material.

The ultrasonic cleaning member may clean the target in a wet environment by using a liquid such as water, and may remove foreign substances attached to the target surface by using ultrasonic waves. As the ultrasonic cleaning member using the ultrasonic cleaning and the cleaning liquid and the cleaning liquid as the target, various cleaning apparatuses can be applied according to the required conditions, and the present invention is not limited by the form and structure.

The target from which foreign matter is first removed through the ultrasonic cleaning member may pass through another wet cleaning member. The wet cleaning member may include a brush and an injector, and the brush may remove foreign matters that could not be removed in a process using ultrasonic cleaning and a cleaning solution on the surface of the target. In the present invention, the brush is formed in a cylindrical shape and rotates with respect to the target and may serve to sweep off the foreign matter remaining on the surface of the target like a normal broom. In other words, the brush in contact with the target may move in a direction opposite to the direction in which the target moves. However, the rotation of the brush according to the present invention may vary in the direction of rotation according to the viewing direction of the user. Therefore, the rotational direction of the brush does not limit the present invention, and the shape of the brush does not limit the present invention.

In addition, the injector is formed adjacent to the brush, it is possible to continuously supply the cleaning liquid to the brush by spraying the cleaning liquid, such as the cleaning liquid on the surface of the target. The cleaning liquid may serve to drop foreign substances remaining on the target in the direction of the ground, and may also serve to remove foreign substances remaining on the brush with an injector.

The target cleaned by the ultrasonic cleaning process and the wet cleaning process may be transferred along the transfer member. The conveying member may be formed in an inclined direction with respect to the ground, and a belt for conveying the target may be used. The belt may be formed in a conveyor shape, and the belt may include a drain hole for draining the cleaning liquid remaining on the belt.

The conveyor belt may be formed of a plurality of conveyor belts for the transfer of the target, and the conveyor belt may be formed in parallel with each other to move the target. Preferably, the conveyor belt may be formed at a position where both ends of the target are positioned so that the target can be stably moved without shaking or moving when the target is moved.

The conveying member may be formed to be inclined at an angle with respect to the ground, and the angle may be made to be moved without slipping or deviation of the target at an angle greater than 0 ° and less than 90 °. The reason for the inclination of the transfer member is that the cleaning liquid used in the wet cleaning of the target can naturally flow down. As the process related to the target cleaning is automated, the secondary contamination of the target generated by manual operation can be prevented, so that organic matter on the target surface can be removed more efficiently. In addition, the cleaning liquid remaining after the wet cleaning is configured to flow along the drain hole of the conveyor belt formed in the conveying member to prevent re-contamination of the target.

In this case, a plurality of optical sensors may be included on the movement path of the target. The optical sensor senses the movement of the target when the target moves, and the transfer member moves automatically to play the role of cleaning the target. Although the target may be continuously passed and cleaned in large quantities, the optical sensor may limit the throughput of the target to prevent contamination between the targets. For example, the entire surface of the target past the wet cleaning member may be removed, but the cleaning liquid or foreign matter from the sprayer may be transferred to the next target to cause secondary contamination.

A drying member may be formed to remove the cleaning liquid of the target, and the drying member may include an air injector through which air is injected. The drying member may prevent stains from being formed on the surface of the target due to natural drying of the cleaning liquid, and may prevent dust or foreign matter from falling down on the target during the drying process and contaminate the target secondaryly.

The drying member is formed to be inclined at an angle with respect to the conveying member to inject air. That is, the angle of the drying member may be formed to more easily and quickly dry the cleaning liquid formed on the surface of the target. In addition, the drying member may be formed using heat or a sensor to remove the cleaning liquid formed on the target, but in the case of the drying member using the heat or sensor, the cleaning liquid formed on the surface of the target may remain as stains. It is preferably formed using air.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, but the present invention is not limited or limited by the embodiments. In describing the present invention, a detailed description of known functions or configurations may be omitted to clarify the gist of the present invention.

1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a target cleaning apparatus for sputtering according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the sputtering target cleaning apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes an ultrasonic cleaning member 110, a transfer member 120, a wet cleaning member 130, and a drying member 140. Include.

The ultrasonic cleaning member 110 may clean the target in a wet environment by using a liquid such as water, and may include an ultrasonic generator for generating ultrasonic waves. The foreign matter adhering to the surface of the target 150 may be primarily removed through the ultrasonic waves of the ultrasonic generator, and the frequency region of the ultrasonic waves may be variously changed according to the characteristics and types of the targets. As an example, the ultrasonic wave provided to the ultrasonic generator may destroy cohesion of molecules as the energy increases, and the provided ultrasonic wave may form a hole in the surface of the target 150, so that the frequency range of the ultrasonic wave is appropriate according to the required condition. Can be changed. In this case, the ultrasonic cleaning member is not limited to the ultrasonic generator, and various ultrasonic cleaning members for cleaning the target 150 using an ultrasonic cleaning process may be applied.

The target 150 from which foreign matter is first removed by the ultrasonic cleaning member 110 may pass through the wet cleaning member 130 along the transfer member 120 to be described below. The wet cleaning member 130 may include a brush 138 and an injector 134. The brush 138 may remove foreign substances remaining without being removed from the ultrasonic cleaning member 110 on the surface of the target 150. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the brush 138 may be formed in a cylindrical shape to sweep away foreign matter remaining on the surface of the target 150, such as a conventional broom. According to the present invention, the brush 138 is provided to have a cylindrical shape, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the brush 138 may be formed to have a different shape and size to remove foreign substances remaining on the surface of the target 150. In this case, the brush 138 may be rotated to remove the foreign matter, and the rotation direction, the rotation speed, the strength of the rotation, and the like do not limit the present invention. In other words, the direction in which the target 150 moves and the portion in which the brush 138 and the target 150 contact each other may be reversed, and the rotation direction may be changed according to the viewing direction of the user, so that the brush 138 is rotated. The foreign material of the target 150 may be removed by various methods, such as by wiping off foreign matter.

In addition, the injector 134 injects the cleaning liquid onto the surface of the target 150, and the injector 134 flows the foreign matter separated from the brush 138 along the drain hole 126a to prevent recontamination of the target 150. It also prevents, and may also play a role of removing foreign matter remaining in the brush 138 with the cleaning liquid without being separated from the brush 138.

Here, the brush 138 is formed of a material such as a polymer, and at this time, the present invention is not limited due to the material of the brush 138. That is, it is also possible to use a brush of another material that can remove the foreign matter of the target 150 more reliably, and at this time, the brush 138 is preferably formed of at least one or more for the complete cleaning of the target 150. will be. In addition, the injector 134 may be formed in the form of a nozzle for injecting the cleaning liquid, the shape or material of such a nozzle does not limit or limit the present invention. For example, polyethylene, polypropylene, or the like may be used as a polymer for manufacturing the brush 138.

The target 150 cleaned by the ultrasonic cleaning process and the wet cleaning process may be transferred along the transfer member 120. The transfer member 120 is formed in an inclined direction with respect to the ground, and the cleaned target 150 may move along the transfer member 120. In addition, the transfer member 120 may include a belt for transferring the target 150, such a belt may be formed in the shape of the conveyor belt 124, the conveyor belt 124 includes a drainage hole 126a of the drainage You may.

The conveyor belt 124 may be formed of a plurality of conveyor belts 124 for the transfer of the target 150, the conveyor belt 124 is formed in parallel with each other to move the target 150. That is, the conveyor belt 124 may be formed at a position where both ends of the target 150 are positioned so that the target 150 does not shake or move when the target 150 is moved. In addition, since both ends of the target 150 face each other and are parallel to each other, the shape of the conveyor belt 124 may also be formed in parallel.

The conveying member 120 may be formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle α with respect to the ground, and the angle may be made to be moved without slipping or leaving the target 150 at an angle of more than 0 ° and less than 90 °. have. The reason for the inclination to form the transfer member 120 is because it can remove the cleaning solution 136 that can be formed in the wet cleaning of the target 150.

In this case, the conveyor belt 124 of the transfer member 120 may include a plurality of optical sensors 128. The optical sensor 128 detects the movement of the target 150 when the target 150 moves, and thus the transfer member 120 automatically moves to perform the cleaning of the target 150. That is, when the target 150 passes through the cleaning process in the ultrasonic cleaning member 110 and moves to the wet cleaning member 130, the optical sensor 152 mounted adjacent to the ultrasonic cleaning member 110 is operated to operate the ultrasonic cleaning member. It is possible to stop the operation of (110). In addition, when the moving target 150 passes through the optical sensor 152 mounted close to the direction of the ultrasonic cleaning member 110, the wet cleaning member 130 may operate. In addition, when the cleaning process of the wet cleaning member 130 is finished in the same manner as the ultrasonic cleaning member 110, the optical sensor 154 mounted to be adjacent to the direction in which the target 150 passes and the wet cleaning member 130 operates to operate. The injector 134 and the brush 138 may stop operating. The target 150 past the wet cleaning member 130 passes through the optical sensor 156 at which the ultrasonic cleaning member 110 starts, and the drying member 140 operates simultaneously with the optical sensor 156. In addition, when the target 150 dried by the drying member 140 passes the optical sensor 158 where the drying member 140 ends, the operation of the drying member 140 is performed like the optical sensors 152 and 156 described above. I can stop it.

In this way, the entire surface of the target 150 past the wet cleaning member 130 may be removed, but the cleaning liquid 136 due to the injector 134 may be formed to cause secondary contamination. That is, the surface of the target 150 due to the cleaning liquid 136 may be stained, dust or foreign matter may be settled may cause secondary contamination of the target 150. Accordingly, the drying member 140 may be formed to remove the cleaning liquid 136 of the target 150, and the drying member 140 may include an air injector 144 through which air is injected. In this case, the air injector 144 may be formed in the form of a nozzle, and the nozzle may be formed in various types and shapes, and the present invention is not limited or limited by the type and characteristics of the nozzle. The operation of the drying member 140 is automatically operated by the optical sensor 128 mounted on the conveyor belt 124 as described above, the optical sensor 128 is a target in accordance with the movement of the target 150 It can be activated by sensing the position of 150.

The drying member 140 is formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle β about the transfer member 120 to inject air. That is, the angle (β) of the drying member 140 is formed to dry the cleaning liquid 136 formed on the surface of the target 150 more easily and quickly, the angle of the drying member 140 to the present invention It is not limited. In addition, the drying member may be formed using heat or a sensor to remove the cleaning liquid 136 formed on the target 150, but in the case of the drying member using heat or a sensor, the cleaning liquid formed on the surface of the target 150 ( 136) may remain as a stain so that the drying member is formed using air. The target 150 that has passed up to the drying member 140 may be packaged without contamination of the surface by moving to the packaging room in a dried state.

3 is an enlarged perspective view of region A of FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of drainage holes 126a are formed in the conveyor belt 124, and the drainage hole 126a has a cleaning liquid 136 sprayed from the injector 134 to fall out of the conveyor belt 124. Naga may serve to prevent secondary contamination of the target 150. For example, if the drainage hole 126a is not formed in the conveyor belt, the cleaning liquid 136 injected into the target 150 may flow to the rear surface of the target 138. The cleaning liquid 136 flowing to the rear surface may include foreign substances swept away by the brush 138 and the foreign substances may flow back to the rear surface of the target 150 to be the secondary contamination of the target 150. Therefore, the drain hole 126a formed in the conveyor belt 124 may serve to prevent secondary contamination of the target 150.

4 shows a modification according to the present invention. In addition, the same or equivalent reference numerals are given to the same or equivalent components as those described above, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the above-described and illustrated embodiments of the present invention, an example in which the drain hole 126a is formed at the center of the conveyor belt 124 in parallel is described. However, the structure for forming the drain hole 126a is a product. It can be changed in various ways according to the installation condition and required condition

As an example, the conveyor belt 124 may be formed in the form of one surface. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the drain hole 126b may be formed on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 124 having one surface, such that the target 150 may be formed such that the cleaning solution 136 remaining after the wet cleaning process may flow down. At this time, the drainage hole 126b may serve to prevent the secondary contamination of the target 150 by the cleaning liquid 136 injected from the injector 134 exiting the conveyor belt 124. For example, if the drainage hole 126b is not formed in the conveyor belt, when the cleaning liquid 136 injected into the target flows to the rear surface of the target 150, the brush 138 is applied to the cleaning liquid 136 flowing to the rear surface of the target 150. The foreign matter shaken by) may be buried in the cleaned target 150, and may be caused by secondary contamination of the target 150. Therefore, the drain hole 126b formed in the conveyor belt 124 may serve to prevent secondary contamination of the target 150.

Meanwhile, the sputtering target 150 passes through the ultrasonic cleaning member 110 and the target 150. In this case, the ultrasonic cleaning member 110 may be composed of an ultrasonic cleaning using ultrasonic waves and a device using a cleaning liquid.

Next, the target 150, which has been primarily cleaned in the ultrasonic cleaning member 110, may move to the transfer member 120. At this time, the transfer member 120 may use a transfer member 120 formed in a predetermined angle inclined around the ground. In addition, the transfer member 120 may include a conveyor belt 124 for transferring the target 150. In addition, as described above, the conveyor belt 124 may include a drainage hole 126a for drainage, and may be formed of at least two conveyor belts 124 for the transfer of the target 150. At this time. The two conveyor belts 124 formed may move in parallel with each other to move the target 150.

Next, the target 150 transferred to the transfer member 120 passes through a step of cleaning the target with the wet cleaning member 130. In this case, as described above, the wet cleaning member 130 may clean the moving target 150 with the brush 138 and spray the cleaning liquid 136. The brush may be formed of a plurality of brushes 138 made of a polymer. In addition, the cleaning liquid 136 sprayed on the target 150 may be sprayed on both the top and bottom surfaces of the target 150, and the brush 138 and the cleaning liquid 136 may be driven at the same time. In the wet cleaning member 130, the cleaning target 150 is moved upward by the above-mentioned transfer member 120.

Next, the above steps are followed by drying the cleaned target 150 with a drying member 140. The target 150 from which the foreign matter and the cleaning liquid 138 are removed after the drying member 140 may be packaged in the packing room.

As described above, the sputtering target cleaning apparatus according to the present invention has an effect of providing convenience for the target cleaning process by providing a sputtering target cleaning apparatus equipped with automation so that the target can be continuously cleaned. . That is, the target cleaning device that can move continuously without the influence of the operator can be provided to reduce the work time required for the target cleaning process.

In particular, since the manpower required for the target cleaning process can be replaced by a machine, manpower required for the work may be efficiently used. In addition, there is an effect that the machine can replace the work that can not be replaced by manpower to increase the work output.

In addition, it is possible to prevent the secondary contamination of the target generated during the manual target cleaning process of the conventional, there is an effect that the dust and organic matter on the target surface can be more efficiently removed through a three-step cleaning process.

In particular, the present invention can remove foreign matters more accurately in the target cleaning process by adding a wet cleaning process, compared to the conventional mechanical cleaning process. By preventing secondary contamination, organic matter may not remain on the surface of the target, and thus may not affect the thin film formation of the target. Furthermore, by adding a drying process after the wet cleaning process, there is an effect of preventing re-contamination of the target that may occur in the wet cleaning process.

Claims (15)

In the apparatus for cleaning the target for sputtering, An ultrasonic cleaning member for cleaning the target with ultrasonic waves; A transfer member for transferring the target from the ultrasonic cleaning member; A wet cleaning member mounted adjacent to the transfer member and configured to wet clean the moving target; And A drying member mounted adjacent to the transfer member to dry the target passing through the wet cleaning member; Sputtering target cleaning device having a. The method of claim 1, Sputtering target cleaning device, characterized in that the transfer member is disposed inclined with respect to the ground to transfer the target in an inclined direction. The method of claim 2, The transfer member is a sputtering target cleaning device, characterized in that it comprises a conveyor belt for transferring the target. The method of claim 1, And the wet cleaning member includes an injector for injecting a cleaning liquid into the moving target, and a brush for cleaning the surface of the target through which the cleaning liquid passes. The method of claim 4, wherein The brush is sputtering target cleaning device, characterized in that for rotating the portion in contact with the target to move in the opposite direction of the target. The method of claim 4, wherein The conveying member includes a conveyor belt for conveying the target, The conveyor belt is a target cleaning device for sputtering, characterized in that it comprises a drain hole. The method of claim 4, wherein The drying member includes an air injector mounted above and below the transfer member, and the air injector sprays both the upper and lower surfaces of the target. In the method for cleaning the target for sputtering, Cleaning the target with an ultrasonic cleaning member; Transferring the target from the ultrasonic cleaning member to a transfer member; Cleaning the moving target with a wet cleaning member mounted adjacent to the transfer member; And Drying the target, which is mounted adjacent to the transfer member and passes through the wet cleaning member, to a drying member; Cleaning step of the target for sputtering comprising a. The method of claim 8, In the step of transferring the target to the conveying member, the target is cleaning method of the target for sputtering, characterized in that to move in a direction inclined with respect to the ground. The method of claim 9, The method of transferring the target to the transfer member is a cleaning method of the target for sputtering, characterized in that for moving the target using a conveyor belt. The method of claim 8, In the cleaning of the target with the wet cleaning member, a cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the moving target, and the cleaning method of the target for sputtering, characterized in that to clean the surface of the target through which the cleaning liquid passes. The method of claim 11, The brush for sputtering target cleaning method, characterized in that for rotating the brush so that the portion in contact with the target in the brush moves in the opposite direction of the direction of the target. The method of claim 11, The brush is a cleaning method of the target for sputtering, characterized in that made of a polymer. The method of claim 11, The transfer member includes a conveyor belt for the transfer of the target, the conveyor belt cleaning method of the target for sputtering, characterized in that it comprises a drain hole. The method of claim 11, The drying member includes an air injector mounted above and below the transfer member, and the air injector sprays the upper and lower surfaces of the target.

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