KR20100059229A - Apparatus for spraying gas - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A gas spraying apparatus is provided to enable an operator conveniently to repair an air knife by turning an air knife and positioning a gas jetting hole upward. CONSTITUTION: A gas spraying apparatus comprises an air knife(110), a support member(120), and a drive unit(130). The air knife is expanded in parallel to the surface of a substrate(10). The air knife sprays the gas on the substrate. The support member is installed in the both ends of the air knife. The support member supports the air knife. The drive unit is connected to the air knife. The drive unit rotates the air knife when the air knife is repaired.

Description

Apparatus for spraying gas

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gas ejection apparatus, and relates to a gas ejection apparatus for ejecting gas toward a substrate.

In general, a flat substrate such as a glass substrate is used to manufacture a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display, and various unit processes for forming circuit patterns on the substrate may be performed. For example, a deposition process for forming a film on the substrate, an etching process for forming the film into desired patterns, a cleaning process for removing impurities on the substrate, a drying process for drying the substrate, and the like may be performed. Can be.

The drying process is carried out by a gas injection unit. The gas spray unit sprays gas onto the substrate to remove the cleaning liquid or impurities remaining on the substrate surface.

The gas ejection unit includes an air knife for injecting gas toward the substrate and a fixing member for fixing the air knife such that the air knife is inclined with the substrate. Therefore, the air knife may inject the gas to be inclined with the substrate.

When using the air knife, the gas injection port may be blocked by foreign matter. However, since the gas injection port is located under the air knife, repair of the air knife is difficult, and the repair takes a long time.

The present invention provides a gas injection unit that can improve the maintenance convenience of the air knife.

The gas injection unit according to the present invention extends in parallel with the surface of the substrate, and is provided at both ends of the air knife for injecting gas to the substrate, and the support member and the air for supporting the air knife, respectively. It may be connected to the knife, and may include a drive for rotating the air knife when the air knife is maintained.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the air knife may include an injection port through which gas supplied from the outside is introduced, a chamber for storing the gas introduced through the injection hole, and a chamber connected with the chamber to inject the gas to the substrate. It may have a nozzle to.

The gas injection unit according to the invention can rotate the air knife with a drive. When the air knife is abnormal, the air knife is rotated so that the gas jet port faces upward. Therefore, the air knife can be easily repaired. In addition, the time required for the repair can be reduced.

Hereinafter, a gas injection unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. As the inventive concept allows for various changes and numerous embodiments, particular embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific disclosed form, it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. Like reference numerals are used for like elements in describing each drawing. In the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of the structures are shown in an enlarged scale than actual for clarity of the invention.

The terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as the second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as the first component.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, the terms "comprise" or "have" are intended to indicate that there is a feature, number, step, action, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, and one or more other features. It is to be understood that the present invention does not exclude the possibility of the presence or the addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Terms such as those defined in the commonly used dictionaries should be construed as having meanings consistent with the meanings in the context of the related art and shall not be construed in ideal or excessively formal meanings unless expressly defined in this application. Do not.

1 is a front view for explaining the gas injection unit 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the air knife 110 shown in FIG.

1 and 2, the gas injection unit 100 is for injecting gas toward the substrate 10, and includes an air knife 110, a support member 120, and a driver 130.

The air knife 110 extends parallel to the surface of the substrate 10. For example, the air knife 110 may extend in a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction of the substrate 10. As another example, the air knife 110 may extend in a direction different from the vertical direction. The air knife 110 has a shape in which a cross-sectional area decreases toward an end portion at which an injection hole 110d, which will be described later, is formed.

The air knife 110 has an injection hole 110a, a chamber 110b, a discharge path 110c, and an injection hole 110d therein.

The injection port 110a is provided at one side of the air knife 110. The inlet 110a provides a passage for introducing gas supplied from the outside into the chamber 110b of the air knife 110. In addition, the injection hole 110a has a width for effectively supplying the gas. Preferably, the gas uses compressed air.

The chamber 110b is provided inside the air knife 110 and is connected to the injection hole 110a. The chamber 110b provides a space for storing the gas introduced through the injection hole 110a. The gas is temporarily stored in chamber 110b.

The discharge passage 110c is connected to the lower portion of the chamber 110b. The discharge path 110c provides a passage for injecting the gas stored in the chamber 110b to the outside. The discharge path 110c connects the chamber 110b and the injection hole 110d. The discharge passage 110c has a narrower cross-sectional area than the chamber 110b so that the gas stored in the chamber 110b is injected at a high pressure.

The injection port 110d is connected to the discharge path 110c. For example, the injection hole 110d may have a narrower cross-sectional area than the discharge path 110c. Therefore, the injection port 110d can inject the gas at a higher pressure. As another example, the injection hole 110d may have the same cross-sectional area as the discharge path 110c.

The injection hole 110d is opened at the lower surface of the air knife 110 and is provided along the extending direction of the air knife 110. For example, the injection hole 110d may have a slit shape. As another example, the injection hole 110d may be in the form of a plurality of holes.

Connection pillars 112 are connected to both ends of the air knife 110 in the extending direction. The connecting pillars 112 are used to support the air knife 110.

The support members 120 are disposed at both ends of the air knife 110, respectively. The support member 120 accommodates the connection pillars 112. The support member 120 supports the air knife 110 to be rotatable.

The support member 120 may include a bearing (not shown). The bearing reduces friction between the support member 120 and the connection column 112. Therefore, the air knife 110 can be easily rotated.

The driving unit 130 is connected to one end of the air knife 110. For example, the driving unit 130 may be connected to one of the connection pillars 112.

The driving unit 130 may rotate the air knife 110 based on a central axis passing through the connection pillars 112. Examples of the driver 130 may include a servo motor, a step motor, and the like, capable of precisely controlling the rotational force.

While the air knife 110 is operating normally, the driving unit 130 does not rotate the air knife 110. That is, while the air knife 110 injects gas to the substrate 10, the driving unit 130 fixes the air knife 110 so that the surface of the air knife 110 and the substrate 10 may be reduced. Maintain the picture status.

When an abnormality occurs in the air knife 110, the drive unit 130 rotates the air knife 110 in a direction that is easy to maintain the air knife 110. For example, when there is an abnormality in the injection port 110d of the air knife 110, the driving unit 130 rotates the air knife 110 so that the injection port 110d faces upward. As another example, when there is an error in the injection hole 110a of the air knife 110, the driving unit 130 rotates the air knife 110 so that the injection hole 110a faces upward. Therefore, since the portion to be maintained in the air knife 110 faces upward, the air knife 110 can be easily maintained. In addition, the time required for the maintenance of the air knife 110 can be reduced.

2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a substrate processing apparatus 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the substrate processing apparatus 200 includes a chamber 210, a transfer unit 220, and a gas injection unit 230.

The chamber 210 provides a space for performing a substrate processing process. The chamber 210 has an inlet 212, an outlet 214 and an outlet 216.

The inlet 212 is provided at one side wall of the chamber 210, and the substrate 10 having been cleaned is loaded therein. The discharge port 214 is provided on the other side wall of the chamber 210 facing the one side wall, and the substrate 10 on which the substrate processing process is completed is carried out. The discharge port 216 is provided at the bottom of the chamber 210, and the gas for drying the substrate 10, the cleaning liquid and impurities removed from the substrate 10 are discharged.

The conveying unit 220 includes a plurality of rotating shafts and a plurality of rollers.

The rotating shafts are arranged in the conveying direction of the substrate 10 and extend in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The rollers are coupled to respective rotating shafts and rotated by the rotating shafts.

The transfer unit 220 may include a driving unit connected to the rotation shafts to provide a rotational force for rotating the rotation shafts.

Although not shown, the driving unit may include a motor to generate a rotational force, and the motor may be connected to the driving unit by a belt and a plurality of pulleys or a plurality of gears.

The gas injection unit 230 injects gas onto the substrate 10 while the substrate 10 is transferred. The gas injection unit 230 may be provided above and below the transfer unit 220, respectively, to inject gas onto the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 10. As another example, the gas injection unit 230 may be provided above or below the transfer unit 220 to inject gas onto the upper or lower surface of the substrate 10. Therefore, the gas injection unit 230 removes the cleaning liquid remaining on the substrate 10 to dry the substrate 10.

Detailed description of the gas injection unit 230 may be substantially the same as the description of the gas injection unit 100 with reference to FIG.

As described above, the gas injection unit according to the embodiments of the present invention may rotate the air knife with the driving unit. When the air knife is abnormal, the air knife is rotated so that the gas jet port faces upward. Therefore, the air knife can be easily repaired. In addition, the time required for the repair can be reduced.

While the foregoing has been described with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will be able to variously modify and change the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. It will be appreciated.

1 is a front view for explaining a gas injection unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the air knife shown in FIG. 1.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

100: gas injection unit 110: air knife

120: support member 130: drive part

10: substrate

Claims (2)

An air knife extending parallel to the surface of the substrate and for injecting gas into the substrate; Support members respectively provided at both ends of the air knife to support the air knife; And And a drive unit connected to the air knife and configured to rotate the air knife during maintenance of the air knife. The method of claim 1, wherein the air knife, An injection hole into which a gas supplied from the outside is introduced; A chamber storing the gas introduced in connection with the injection hole; And And a spraying port connected to the chamber for injecting the gas to the substrate.

Images