TWI397120B - Apparatus and method for etching a substrate - Google Patents

Description

Apparatus and method for etching a substrate

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for etching a substrate. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus and methods for etching a substrate having a uniform thickness.

In general, a liquid crystal display ("LCD") device includes an LCD panel having a thin film transistor ("TFT") substrate, a color filter substrate facing the TFT substrate, and a TFT substrate. A liquid crystal layer disposed between the color filter substrate and the color filter substrate.

Recently, with the increasing demand for mobile electronic devices such as mobile terminals, multimedia players, laptops, etc., LCD devices have become increasingly popular due to their light weight.

The weight of the glass substrate such as the TFT substrate of the LCD device and the color filter substrate accounts for a large proportion of the weight of the LCD device. Therefore, an etching apparatus is generally used to reduce the thickness of the glass substrate to reduce the weight of the LCD device.

However, when the substrate is etched using a conventional device for etching, impurities are generated, so that the substrate may not be uniformly etched.

The present invention provides an apparatus for uniformly etching a substrate by uniformly spraying bubbles onto a glass substrate.

The invention also provides a method of etching a substrate using the apparatus.

In an apparatus for etching an substrate according to the present invention, the apparatus includes an etching vessel, a plurality of bubble jets, and a gas supply member. The etched container houses a plurality of glass substrates such that the glass substrates are disposed perpendicular to the bottom surface of the etched container and parallel to each other in the etched container. Each bubble ejector is inserted into each glass substrate for spraying bubbles onto the glass substrate. A gas supply component is disposed external to the etch vessel for supplying gas to the bubble ejector.

Each bubble ejector includes a spray plate having a gas passage formed in the spray plate; and a plurality of spray nozzles formed on a surface of the spray plate facing one of the glass substrates and connected to the gas aisle. The spray nozzle is formed in a lattice structure on the spray plate.

The apparatus further includes a mounting plate disposed within the etched container and having a retaining clip formed thereon. The fixing clip fixes the glass substrate. The fixed plate includes a gas inlet port that connects the gas supply member to the gas passage of each bubble ejector.

Each bubble ejector includes a frame having an opening portion formed in a central portion of the frame; a first tube disposed in the frame and coupled to the gas supply member; and a second tube securing The spacer is vertically connected to the first tube to traverse the opening portion and has a plurality of ejection holes formed corresponding to a surface facing one of the glass substrates. The injection holes are formed on the second tube at regular intervals.

The etch vessel is filled with an etchant fluid and may include hydrofluoric acid (HF). The bubble jet can include polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

In another example apparatus for etching a substrate in accordance with the present invention, the apparatus includes an etch vessel, a bubble jet tube, and a gas supply member. The etched container houses a plurality of glass substrates such that the glass substrates are disposed perpendicular to the bottom surface of the etched container and are parallel to each other. The bubble jet tube is formed longitudinally along the vertical direction of the glass substrate and disposed on the side of the glass substrate for spraying the bubbles onto the glass substrate. The gas supply member is disposed outside the etching vessel for supplying gas to the bubble jet tube.

A bubble jet tube is disposed on the side of the glass substrate for spraying the bubbles onto the glass substrate.

The bubble jet tube includes a plurality of spray holes formed at a fixed interval toward the side surface of the glass substrate.

The apparatus further includes a transfer device for transferring the bubble jet tube along the side of the glass substrate. The transfer device includes a cylinder disposed outside the etching vessel, a cylinder load combined with the cylinder and transferred along the side of the glass substrate, a connecting member for connecting the cylinder load and the bubble jet pipe, and a portion covering the connecting member and guiding the bubble jet Guide for moving the tube. The cylinder is driven by at least one of a pneumatic type and a hydraulic type.

The apparatus further includes each of a plurality of bubble jets inserted into each of the glass substrates for ejecting bubbles onto the glass substrate.

In an exemplary method for etching a substrate according to the present invention, the method includes positioning a plurality of glass substrates perpendicular to a bottom surface of the etching container, the glass substrates being disposed in parallel with each other; positioning to be inserted into each glass substrate Each of the plurality of bubble ejector in the material; supplying gas to the bubble ejector from a gas supply member disposed outside the etch vessel; and spraying the bubble onto the glass substrate using a bubble ejector for eliminating impurities.

Each bubble ejector ejects bubbles via a plurality of spray nozzles formed on the surface of the spray plate facing one of the glass substrates and the spray plate has a gas passage positioned within the spray plate. A gas aisle is connected to the gas supply component.

Each bubble ejector ejects bubbles via a plurality of injection holes formed on a plurality of second tubes corresponding to surfaces facing each of the glass substrates, the second tubes being vertically connected to the first tube connected to the gas supply member .

In another example method for etching a substrate according to the present invention, the method includes positioning a plurality of glass substrates perpendicular to a bottom surface of the etching container, the glass substrates being disposed in parallel with each other; positioning two bubble jet tubes To respectively correspond to both sides of the glass substrate; and transfer the bubble jet tube along the sides of the glass substrate and spray the bubbles onto the glass substrate for eliminating impurities. The bubble jet tubes are transferred at substantially the same rate.

According to the present invention, each bubble ejector is disposed between each of the glass substrates and sprays the bubbles onto the glass substrate so as to prevent impurities generated in the etched glass substrate from adhering to the glass substrate and also Eliminate impurities that have adhered to the glass substrate. Therefore, the glass substrate can be uniformly etched.

The invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which, However, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, the present embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and comprehensive and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the figures, the dimensions and relative dimensions of the layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity.

It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " Connected to or coupled to other elements or layers or there may be intervening elements or layers. In contrast, when an element is referred to as "directly on" or "directly connected to" or "directly connected to" another element or layer, there is no intervening element or layer. The same number always refers to the same component. The term "and/or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

It will be appreciated that, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe a plurality of elements, components, regions, layers and/or portions, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or portions will It is not limited by such terms. The terms are used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or portion of a singular element, component, region, layer or portion may be referred to as a second element, component, region, layer or portion.

For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "lower", "lower", "lower", "above", "above" and the like may be used herein to describe one element or The relationship of a feature to another component or feature. It will be appreciated that spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, elements that are described as "below" or "beneath" or "the" Thus, the term "below" may encompass both the orientation above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or other orientation) and interpreted accordingly by the spatially relative descriptors used herein.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and As used herein, the singular " " " It should be further understood that the term "comprising", when used in the specification, means that there are a specified feature, integer, step, operation, element, and / or component, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations , components, components, and/or combinations thereof.

Embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to cross-section illustration of an idealized embodiment (and intermediate structure) of the present invention. As such, variations and/or tolerances of the shapes of the illustrations of the results of the manufacturing techniques are contemplated. Thus, the embodiments of the invention are not to be understood as being limited to the specific shapes of For example, an implanted region illustrated as a rectangle will typically have rounded or curved features and/or an implant concentration gradient at its edges rather than a binary change from the implanted region to the non-implanted region. Likewise, a buried region formed by implantation can cause some implantation of the region between the buried region and the surface through which implantation occurs. Therefore, the regions illustrated in the figures are illustrative in nature and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

All terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs, unless otherwise defined. It should be further appreciated that terms such as those defined in the commonly used dictionary should be interpreted as having meaning consistent with their meaning in the relevant art and will not be idealized or excessive unless explicitly defined herein. Formal meaning to explain.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a front elevational view showing an apparatus for etching a substrate according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the glass substrate, bubble jet, and fixing plate of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a substrate etching apparatus 100 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an etching vessel 110, a plurality of bubble injectors 120, and a gas supply member 150.

The etch vessel 110 includes a bottom surface 112 and sidewalls 114 and is filled with an etchant fluid 10. The sidewalls 114 extend from the sides of the bottom surface 112 and are perpendicular to the bottom surface 112. An example of a material that can be used to etch fluid 10 can include hydrofluoric acid ("HF"). The etching fluid 10 is made by mixing HF with deionized water ("DI") at a certain ratio.

Typically, HF is classified as a weak acid and has features for etching glass, quartz, and the like. For example, to avoid etching by HF, the etching vessel 110 may include a resin material.

Since HF is detrimental to human skin and mucous membranes, substrate etching apparatus 100 can further include an additional container that houses etch vessel 110 to prevent HF from leaking out of substrate etching apparatus 100.

A plurality of glass substrates 200 are disposed perpendicular to the bottom surface 112 of the etch vessel 110 and are positioned parallel to each other. In this case, for example, the glass substrate 200 can be a thin film transistor ("TFT") substrate and a color filter substrate, which is a liquid crystal display ("LCD") that displays an image in an LCD device. The main components of the panel. The glass substrate 200 may be an LCD panel having a TFT substrate, a color filter substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the TFT substrate and the color filter substrate. Since the weight of the TFT substrate and the color filter substrate constitutes a majority of the weight of the LCD device, when the substrate etching apparatus 100 of the present invention is used to reduce the thickness of the TFT substrate and the color filter substrate, the LCD device The total weight can be significantly reduced.

The substrate etching apparatus 100 further includes a fixing plate 140 for fixing the glass substrate 200. The fixing plate 140 is disposed between the bottom surface 112 of the etching container 110 and the glass substrate 200. Additionally, the fixed plate 140 can include the same material as the etched container 110 to avoid etching by the etch fluid 10 having HF.

To fix the glass substrate 200, a fixing clip 142 is formed corresponding to both edge portions of each of the glass substrates 200 contacting the fixing plate 140. Each of the fixing clips 142 includes a fixing groove 143. The thickness of the fixing groove 143 is slightly greater than or equal to the thickness of the glass substrate 200. For example, the two edge portions of the glass substrate 200 are inserted into the fixing groove 143 to be fixed. The retaining clips 142 may be integrally formed with the fixed plate 140 or may be separately formed and then attached to the fixed plate 140.

After the etching vessel 110 is filled with the etching fluid 10 and the glass substrate 200 is positioned in the etching vessel 110, the glass substrate 200 is etched. The glass substrate 200 is etched depending on the HF density and the immersion time in the etching fluid 10. Therefore, the etching of the glass substrate 200 can be controlled by changing the density of the HF in the etching fluid 10 and the immersion time according to the needs of the operator.

When the glass substrate 200 is etched, impurities are naturally generated. The impurities are then adhered to the glass substrate 200 as described above such that the glass substrate 200 can be etched to have an uneven surface.

When the TFT substrate or the color filter substrate of the LCD panel of an example embodiment of the glass substrate 200 is etched, the uneven surface due to impurities may deteriorate the display quality. Accordingly, the substrate etching apparatus 100 may require a separate bubble ejector 120 for preventing impurities from re-adhering to the glass substrate 200.

Each of the plurality of bubble jets 120 is inserted into each of the glass substrates 200 for spraying the bubbles 20 onto the glass substrate 200. For example, each bubble ejector 120 sprays the bubbles 20 onto the glass substrate 200 for preventing impurities from re-adhering onto the glass substrate 200 and for simultaneously ejecting the bubbles 20 on the plurality of glass substrates 200 to shorten the etching of the substrate. Before the time.

Each bubble ejector 120 is disposed on the fixed plate 140. In this case, the fixed plate 140 includes a plurality of first gas inlet holes 144 on the surface contacting each of the bubble ejector 120. A first gas inlet aperture connects each bubble ejector 120 to the gas supply component 150.

In this case, the fixing plate 140 is divided into a first portion for the glass substrate 200 and a second portion for the bubble ejector 120. The first portion and the second portion may be separately fabricated and may be combined into a fixed plate 140. Therefore, when the bubble ejector 120 ejects the bubble 20, the glass substrate 200 and the bubble ejector 120 can be repeatedly moved in opposite directions to each other so that the bubble 20 can be uniformly sprayed onto the glass substrate 200.

Alternatively, each bubble ejector 120 can be separate from the stationary plate 140 and can be directly coupled to the gas supply component 150 via an air tube. In this case, in addition to the bubble ejector 120, the fixing plate 140 may move with the glass substrate 200 so that the fixing plate 140 can be modified more flexibly according to the size of the glass substrate 200. In particular, when the size of each glass substrate 200 is larger than the size of each bubble ejector 120, each of the glass substrates 200 moves the fixing plate 140 up and down and left and right so that the bubbles 20 can be uniformly sprayed onto the glass substrate 200.

Bubble ejector 120 includes the same material as etch vessel 110 to avoid etching by etch fluid 10 having HF. An example of a material that can be used for the bubble ejector 120 can include polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

The gas supply component 150 is disposed outside of the etching vessel 110 for supplying the gas injector 30 to the bubble injector 120. The gas supply component 150 includes a compressed gas 30 to form a gas pressure at a fixed level. For example, the gas supply part 150 supplies the gas 30 to the fixed plate 140 using the gas pressure, so that the gas 30 is supplied to the bubble ejector 120.

The gas supply member 150 may include a regulator for supplying the gas 30 to the fixed plate 140 at a gas pressure at a fixed level. The regulator includes a meter through which the level of gas pressure can be checked to quantitatively control the level of gas pressure.

Therefore, the air supply member 150 supplies the gas 30 having the gas pressure at a fixed level to each of the bubble ejector 120 via the fixed plate 140 and the first gas inlet hole 144 so that the bubble ejector 120 can eject the bubble 20. In this case, an example of a material that can be used for the gas 30 may include nitrogen (N ₂ ), atmospheric air, and the like.

Alternatively, the substrate etching apparatus 100 can include a filter 160, a storage tank 170, and a pump 180 for purifying and replenishing the etching fluid 10.

The purification and replenishment methods using the above components are as follows. First, when passing through the filter 160, impurities are separated from the etching fluid 10 of the etching vessel 110 and the impurity-free etching fluid 10 is supplied to the storage tank 170. Next, the impurity-free etching fluid 10 is supplied from the storage tank 170 to the etching vessel 110 by the pump 180. In this case, the pump 180 can be controlled by an operator or a water level sensor that can be placed in the etch vessel 110. Alternatively, the etchant fluid 10 may include additional DI or HF for maintaining the mixing ratio of DI to HF at a fixed level in the storage tank 170.

3 is a perspective view illustrating an example embodiment of one of the bubble ejector of FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the bubble ejector of FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4, each bubble ejector 120 includes a spray plate 122 and a plurality of spray nozzles 124 formed on the surface of the spray plate 122. The surface of the spray plate 122 faces one of the glass substrates 200.

The spray plate 122 has a rectangular plate shape. The spray plate 122 has a gas passage 126 formed therein. Additionally, the spray plate 122 further includes a second gas inlet aperture 128. A second gas inlet aperture 128 is formed on the side of the spray plate 122 that contacts the fixed plate 140 for connecting the gas aisle 126 to the first gas inlet aperture 144.

Injection nozzle 124 is coupled to gas passage 126. The ejection nozzle 124 is formed on the ejection plate 122 in a lattice structure for uniformly ejecting the bubble 20 onto the glass substrate 200. Therefore, the gas passage 126 is also formed in a straight line from the second gas inlet hole 128.

For example, the gas aisle 126 can be formed in the spray plate 122 from the second gas inlet aperture 128 by conventional drilling methods. However, since the aspect ratio of the hole (defined as the aspect ratio) is an important factor in the conventional drilling method, when the width of the ejection plate 122 is too small or the depth of the ejection plate 122 is too deep to exceed a certain aspect ratio, Gas aisle 126 may not be formed by this drilling method. In this case, when the gas aisle 126 is separated into two or more pieces in a direction perpendicular to the drilling process, the gas aisle 126 can be formed by a conventional drilling method. Alternatively, the gas aisle 126 can be formed using a high precision machining center having excellent aspect ratio features.

Alternatively, gas aisle 126 can have a variety of configurations when gas aisle 126 can supply gas 30 to each of injection nozzles 124. In addition, when each of the ejection nozzles 124 is separated from the adjacent ejection nozzles 124 by the same distance, the ejection nozzles 124 may be formed on the ejection plate 122 in any structure other than the lattice structure.

The spray nozzle 124 can be classified into two types including a change spray angle type and a fixed spray angle type. The spray nozzle 124 of the present invention preferably has a fixed spray angle type for uniformly spraying the bubble 20 onto the glass substrate 200. However, when it is necessary to control the injection angle in accordance with the position of the ejection plate 122, a varying injection angle type can also be used in the present invention.

The ejection nozzles 124 are formed on the surface of the ejection plate 122 in a lattice structure at a fixed interval and the surface of the ejection plate 122 faces one of the glass substrates 200 so that the bubbles 20 can be uniformly ejected according to the position of each of the glass substrates 200. On the glass substrate 200. Therefore, the glass substrate 200 can be uniformly etched by preventing impurities from adhering to the glass substrate 200 and eliminating impurities adhering to the glass substrate 200.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing another example embodiment of one of the bubble ejector of Figure 2 and Figure 6 is a plan view illustrating the bubble ejector of Figure 5.

The plurality of bubble ejector of this example embodiment is disposed in the same position but has a different configuration and shape than the bubble ejector referred to as reference numeral 120 in Fig. 1, and thus the bubble ejector of this example embodiment is For reference numeral 130.

Referring to Figures 1, 5 and 6, each bubble ejector 130 includes a frame 132, a first tube 134 disposed in the frame 132, and a plurality of second tubes 138 vertically coupled to the first tube 134.

The frame 132 has an opening portion 133 formed in a central portion of the frame 132. For example, the frame 132 has a rectangular frame shape. Alternatively, the frame 132 may have a shape in which a pair of rectangular rods are disposed in parallel with each other.

The first tube 134 is connected to the gas supply part 150. The first tube 134 is disposed parallel to the glass substrate 200. At least one edge portion of the first tube 134 is exposed to the outside and the exposed edge portion of the first tube 134 is the second gas inlet hole 135 such that the gas 30 is applied from the gas supply member 150 to the second gas inlet hole 135. Gas 30 is then applied to second tube 138.

Alternatively, the unexposed edge portion of the first tube 134 is sealed with cork 136 for preventing gas 30 from escaping. In this case, it is preferred to use a polyxylene surround cork 136 for sealing.

The second tube 138 is vertically connected to the first tube 134 at a fixed interval. In addition, the second tube 138 traverses the opening portion 133 of the frame 132 for spraying the air bubbles 20 onto the glass substrate 200. The second tube 138 includes a plurality of injection holes 139 formed corresponding to the surface facing each of the glass substrates.

For example, two first tubes 134 are disposed on both side portions of the second tube 138 and the second tube 138 is vertically connected to the two first tubes 134 at both end portions. In this case, one end portion of each of the first tubes 134 is exposed to the outside, and each of the exposed end portions of the first tubes 134 is formed in the opposite direction to each other. Each exposed edge portion of the first tube 134 is a second gas inlet aperture 135.

Under this condition, the gas pressure applied from the gas supply member 150 is significantly lowered as it passes through the first tube 134 and the second tube 138, so that the gas pressure may differ depending on the position of the injection hole 139. Therefore, the two first tubes 134 are placed to prevent the gas pressure from being different. For example, the bubbles 20 are unevenly sprayed onto the glass substrate 200 such that the glass substrate 200 is unevenly etched. However, when the size of the glass substrate 200 is sufficiently small, the difference in gas pressure in the injection holes 139 is almost negligible, so that it is sufficient that only one first tube 134 is disposed at one side portion of the second tube 138.

The injection holes 139 are formed in each of the second tubes 138 at regular intervals. The injection pressure and size of the bubble 20 depends on the size of each of the injection holes 139. For example, the ejection holes 139 may have various sizes depending on the size, thickness, and etching state of the glass substrate 200.

Therefore, the injection holes 139 are formed in the second tube 138 of each of the bubble ejector 130 at regular intervals so that the bubbles 20 can be uniformly sprayed on the air substrate 200. Additionally, each bubble ejector 130 differs from each of the bubble ejector 120 of FIGS. 3 and 4 in that it has a first tube 134 and a second tube 138 through which the gas 30 passes through the first tube 134 and the second tube 138 and The first tube 134 and the second tube 138 can be easily separated from the frame 132. Therefore, the bubble ejector 130 has the advantage that it can be easily maintained and the maintenance cost can be reduced.

Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method of etching a substrate using a device in accordance with a first example embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 7, a method of etching a substrate using a substrate etching apparatus 100 in accordance with a first example embodiment of the present invention includes positioning a plurality of glass substrates 200 in an etching vessel 110 filled with an etching fluid 10 ( Step S1). In this case, each of the glass substrates 200 is placed in parallel with each other. Additionally, each glass substrate 200 is disposed perpendicular to the bottom of the etch vessel 310.

The method of etching a substrate includes positioning a plurality of bubble ejector 120 and bubble ejector 130 for insertion into each glass substrate 200 (step S2).

Next, the method of etching the substrate includes supplying gas to the bubble ejector 120 and the bubble ejector 130 from the gas supply part 150 disposed outside the etching container 110 (step S3).

Finally, the method of etching the substrate includes spraying the bubble 20 onto the glass substrate 200 using the bubble ejector 120 and the bubble ejector 130 for eliminating impurities (step S4).

In this case, when the bubble ejector is the example embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the bubble ejector 120 and the bubble ejector 130 inject the bubble 20 via the plurality of injection nozzles 124. The spray nozzle 124 is formed on the surface of the spray plate 122 having a gas passage 126 connected to the gas supply member 150 in the spray plate 122 and the surface of the spray plate 122 facing one of the glass substrates 200.

Alternatively, when the bubble ejector is the example embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the bubble ejector 120 and the bubble ejector 130 inject the bubble 20 through the plurality of injection holes 139. The injection holes 139 are formed on the plurality of second tubes 138 to correspond to the surface facing each of the glass substrates 200. The second tube 138 is vertically connected to the first tube 134 that is connected to the gas supply member 150.

Figure 8 is a front view showing an apparatus for etching a substrate according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the bubble jet tube and the glass substrate of Figure 8, and Figure 10 is particularly illustrative Fig. 9 is a side view of the injection hole of the bubble jet tube.

According to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus for etching a substrate is the same as the first example embodiment explained above in FIGS. 1 to 6 except for the structure for ejecting bubbles on the glass substrate. . Therefore, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same or similar components as those described in the first example embodiment and any additional repetitive explanation relating to the above elements will be omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 8 through 10, a substrate etching apparatus 300 according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an etching vessel 310, a bubble jet pipe 320, and a gas supply member 150. The etch vessel 310 houses a plurality of glass substrates 200 that are perpendicular to the bottom 312 of the etch vessel 310 and that are parallel to one another. The bubble jet pipe 320 is formed longitudinally in the vertical direction of the glass substrate 200. The gas supply part 150 is disposed outside the etching vessel 310 for supplying the gas 30 to the bubble injection pipe 320. In this case, the etching fluid 10 fills the etching vessel 310 for etching the glass substrate 200.

The bubble jet tube 320 is disposed at one side of the glass substrate 200 for spraying the bubble 20 onto the glass substrate 200. Alternatively, as in the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of bubble jet tubes 320 may be separately disposed on both sides of the glass substrate 200. The bubble jet pipe 320 sprays the bubble 20 into a space between the glass substrates 200 disposed in parallel with each other.

Therefore, the bubble jet pipe 320 sprays the bubble 20 parallel to the surface of the glass substrate 200 in order to prevent the impurities from adhering to the surface of the glass substrate 200 and to eliminate impurities adhering to the surface. In addition, the bubble jet tube 320 includes polyvinyl chloride (PVC) that is not etched by the etching fluid 10 including HF.

The bubble jet tube 320 includes a plurality of spray holes 334. The injection holes 334 are formed on the bubble jet pipe 320 at regular intervals. The bubble jet tube 320 may include a plurality of jet nozzles having an injection angle instead of the spray holes 334.

The bubble injection pipe 320 is connected to the gas inlet line 332 to supply the gas 30 to the bubble injection pipe 320 by the gas supply part 150. Gas supply line 152 is coupled to gas supply component 150 and gas inlet line 332 is combined with gas supply line 152 by additional clamps 330. Therefore, the bubble jet pipe 320 and the gas supply member 150 can be separated from each other so that the problem in the supply gas 30 can be easily solved. In this case, the clamp 330 generally has a ring shape, but the clamp 330 may have a latch shape for convenience.

Alternatively, gas inlet line 332 and gas supply line 152 may be combined with one another by a combination of rapid coupling types. Due to the high gas pressure, the combination of the quick coupling types can be more easily separated than the combination of the clamps 330 type and thus additional safety devices (not shown) should be placed in the gas supply component 150. For example, a safety device may be disposed in the gas supply member 150 for blowing out the gas in the gas supply member 150 when the gas pressure exceeds a predetermined level.

Substrate etching apparatus 300 further includes a transfer device 340. The transfer device 340 transfers the bubble jet tube 320 along the side of the glass substrate 200. In this case, the first direction 40 is defined as the direction of transfer along the sides of the glass substrate 200.

The transfer device 340 includes a cylinder 342, a cylinder load 344, a connecting member 346, and a guiding member 348. The cylinder 342 is disposed on the outer side of the etching vessel 310. Cylinder load 344 is combined with cylinder 342 and shifted in a first direction 40. The connecting member 346 connects the cylinder load 344 and the bubble jet pipe 320. The guiding member 348 partially covers the connecting member 346 and guides the bubble jet pipe 320 to move in the first direction 40.

The cylinder 342 induces a linear movement via piston movement. The cylinder 342 is generally of the oil pressure type and the air pressure type, but in the present invention, when the cylinder 342 moves at a low speed in the first direction 40, the cylinder 342 is preferably of a pneumatic type. An additional printed circuit board designed by the operator controls the direction of entry of oil or air for oil or air pressure. Additionally, the transfer device 340 can further include a regulator that controls the velocity of the bubble jet tube 320. The speed of the bubble jet tube 320 can be controlled by varying the amount of oil or air supplied to the cylinder 342.

In an example embodiment of the invention, two cylinders 342 may be disposed facing each other on either side of the etch vessel 310. However, the relatively low power is sufficient to move the bubble jet tube 320 such that one cylinder 342 can be disposed on one side of the etch vessel 310.

Cylinder load 344 and cylinder 342 are manufactured simultaneously, and cylinder load 344 causes cylinder 342 to move linearly to the exterior. The first edge of the connecting member 346 is combined with the cylinder load 344, and the second edge of the connecting member 346 is combined with the edge of the bubble jet tube 320. In this case, the connecting member 346 can be combined with the cylinder load 344 and the bubble jet tube 320 using a screw. Since the connecting member 346 has the etching fluid 10 therein, the connecting member 346 includes a resin material to avoid etching by the etching fluid 10 including HF.

The guiding member 348 includes a guiding groove (not shown) having a width substantially the same as the diameter of the bubble jet pipe 320 or a width slightly larger than the diameter of the bubble jet pipe 320. Therefore, the guiding member 348 maintains the linear movement of the bubble jet pipe 320 to avoid problems such as separation of the connecting member 346 from the bubble jet pipe 320 and damage of the glass substrate 200 by the bubble jet pipe 320. Since the guiding member 348 also has the etching fluid 10 therein, the guiding member 348 includes a resin material to avoid etching by the etching fluid 10 including HF.

Therefore, the bubble jet tube 320 is disposed to correspond to both sides of the glass substrate 200 and uniformly sprays the bubble 20 on the glass substrate 200 in the first direction 40 by using the transfer device 340 to prevent the impurities from adhering to the glass again. The substrate 200 is coated with impurities that have adhered to the glass substrate 200.

Alternatively, transfer device 340 can move bubble jet tube 320 in a first direction 40 using a servo motor that can easily control speed, time, and direction of rotation. For example, the transfer device 340 applies the rotational power of the servo motor to the rack via a slewing gear to convert the circular movement into a linear movement so that the transfer device 340 can move the bubble jet tube 320.

The substrate etching apparatus 300 may include the bubble ejector 120 and the bubble ejector 130 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 in place of the bubble jet tube 320 of the second example embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 11 is a front elevational view showing an apparatus for etching a substrate in accordance with a third example embodiment of the present invention.

Example embodiments of the present invention include the first example embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6 and the second example embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 8 through 10, and thus the same reference numerals will be used to indicate that they are in the first instance The same or similar components are described in the embodiments and any other repeated explanation about the above elements will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 11, a substrate etching apparatus 400 according to a third example embodiment of the present invention is filled with an etching fluid 10 and includes an etching vessel 310, a bubble ejector 120, and a bubble jetting pipe 320. The etch vessel 310 houses a plurality of glass substrates 200 disposed perpendicular to the bottom 312 and disposed in parallel with one another. Each bubble ejector 120 is inserted into each glass substrate 200. The bubble jet tube 320 is disposed to correspond to both sides of the glass substrate 200.

Therefore, the bubble ejector 120 and the bubble jet pipe 320 supply the gas 30 from the gas supply member 150 and can uniformly spray the bubble 20 onto the glass substrate 200 for preventing the impurities from adhering to the glass substrate 200 and eliminating The impurities adhered to the glass substrate 200 so that the substrate can be uniformly etched.

However, the substrate etching apparatus 400 of the third example embodiment can be destroyed more frequently due to its complicated structure. Additionally, an additional boosting device may be necessary for the gas supply component 150 to simultaneously supply the gas 30 to the bubble ejector 120 and bubble jet tube 320.

Figure 12 is a flow chart illustrating a method of etching a substrate using an apparatus in accordance with a second example embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 8-10 and 12, a method of etching a substrate using a substrate etching apparatus 300 in accordance with a second example embodiment of the present invention includes positioning a plurality of glass substrates 200 in an etching vessel filled with an etching fluid 10. 310 (step S10). In this case, each of the glass substrates 200 is placed in parallel with each other. Additionally, each glass substrate 200 is disposed perpendicular to the bottom 312 of the etch vessel 310.

The method of etching the substrate includes positioning the two bubble jet tubes 320 to correspond to both sides of the glass substrate 200, respectively (step S20).

Next, the method of etching the substrate includes transferring the bubble jet tube 320 along the side of the glass substrate 200 (for example, in the first direction 40) and spraying the bubble 20 onto the glass substrate 200 for eliminating impurities (step S30).

In this case, the bubble jet tubes 320 are transferred at substantially the same speed. In particular, the bubble jet tube 320 is activated substantially simultaneously from the lower portion of the glass substrate 200 and is moved to the upper portion of the glass substrate 200 at substantially the same speed for the elimination of impurities.

Alternatively, the bubble jet tube 320 can be moved for a fixed time difference to minimize interference between the bubbles 20. In particular, after the bubble jet tube 320 at the first side first starts moving, the bubble jet tube 320 on the second side can start moving with a time delay. In addition, the bubble jet tubes 320 are movable in directions opposite to each other. In this case, when the glass substrate 200 is placed in the etching container 310, impurities are generated by etching the glass substrate 200.

Therefore, the method of etching the substrate using the substrate etching apparatus 300 according to the second example embodiment can be modified to be applied to substrates of various sizes by merely changing the length of the bubble jet tube 320 so that the substrate can be uniformly etched At the same time, the manufacturing cost of equipment even for larger glass substrates 200 is reduced.

Subsequently, the glass substrate 200 that has been etched is cleaned by DI and then dried. When the glass substrate 200 is a TFT substrate or a color filter substrate of an LCD panel, the substrate etching apparatus 300 can be applied to an LCD manufacturing method.

According to the apparatus for etching a substrate of the present invention and a method of etching the substrate using the apparatus, each bubble ejector is inserted into each of the glass substrates and sprayed on the glass substrate for preventing borrowing The impurities generated by etching the glass substrate are then adhered to the glass substrate and the impurities that have adhered to the glass substrate are eliminated. Therefore, the glass substrate can be uniformly etched.

Having described the example embodiments of the present invention and its advantages, it is to be understood that various changes, substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

10. . . Etching fluid

20. . . bubble

30. . . gas

40. . . First direction

100. . . Substrate etching equipment / etching equipment

110. . . Etching container

112. . . Bottom surface

114. . . Side wall

120. . . Bubble ejector

122. . . Spray plate

124. . . Spray nozzle

126. . . Gas aisle

128. . . Second gas inlet

130. . . Bubble ejector

132. . . frame

133. . . Opening part

134. . . First tube

135. . . Second gas inlet

136. . . cork

138. . . Second tube

139. . . Spray hole

140. . . Fixed plate

142. . . Securing clip

143. . . Fixed groove

144. . . First gas inlet

150. . . Gas supply unit

152. . . Gas supply line

160. . . filter

170. . . Storage tank

180. . . Pump

200. . . Glass substrate

300. . . Substrate etching equipment

310. . . Etching container

312. . . bottom

320. . . Bubble jet tube

330. . . clamp

332. . . Gas inlet line

334. . . Spray hole

340. . . Transfer device

342. . . cylinder

344. . . Cylinder load

346. . . Connecting part

348. . . Guide member

400. . . Substrate etching equipment

1 is a front elevational view showing an apparatus for etching a substrate according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the glass substrate, bubble jet, and fixing plate of FIG. 1; 3 is a perspective view illustrating an example embodiment of each bubble ejector in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the bubble ejector of FIG. 3; and FIG. 5 is another view illustrating one of the bubble ejector of FIG. A perspective view of an example embodiment; FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating the bubble ejector of FIG. 5; and FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method of etching a substrate using the apparatus according to the first example embodiment of the present invention; A front view of an apparatus for etching a substrate according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating the bubble jet tube and the glass substrate of FIG. 8; FIG. Side view of the injection hole of the bubble jet tube; FIG. 11 is a front view showing an apparatus for etching a substrate according to a third example embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 12 is a view illustrating the use of the second aspect according to the present invention. Method of etching a substrate by an apparatus of an example embodiment flow chart.

10. . . Etching fluid

20. . . bubble

30. . . gas

100. . . Substrate etching equipment / etching equipment

110. . . Etching container

112. . . Bottom surface

114. . . Side wall

120. . . Bubble ejector

140. . . Fixed plate

142. . . Securing clip

150. . . Gas supply unit

160. . . filter

170. . . Storage tank

180. . . Pump

200. . . Glass substrate

Claims (21)

An apparatus for etching a substrate, comprising: an etching vessel that houses a plurality of glass substrates such that the glass substrates are perpendicular to a bottom surface of the etching vessel and parallel to each other in the etching vessel Positioning; a plurality of bubble jets, each of which is inserted into each of the glass substrates for spraying bubbles onto the glass substrates; and a gas supply member disposed on the etching Outside the container for supplying a gas to the bubble ejector. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the bubble ejector comprises: a spray plate having a gas passage formed in the spray plate; and a plurality of spray nozzles attached to the spray plate Formed on a surface that faces one of the glass substrates, and the spray nozzles are coupled to the gas passage. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the spray nozzles are formed on the spray plate in a lattice structure. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a fixing plate disposed inside the etching container and having a fixing clip formed thereon, the fixing clips for fixing the glass substrates. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the fixed plate includes a gas inlet opening connecting the gas supply member and the gas passage of each of the bubble ejector. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the bubble ejector comprises: a frame having an opening portion formed in a central portion of the frame; a first tube disposed in the frame And connected to the gas supply member; and a second tube vertically connected to the first tube at a fixed interval to traverse the opening portion and having an opposite surface shaped to correspond to each of the glass substrates a plurality of injection holes. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the injection holes are formed on the second tubes at regular intervals. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the etching vessel is filled with an etching fluid and comprises hydrofluoric acid (HF). The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the bubble jets comprise polyvinyl chloride (PVC). An apparatus for etching a substrate, comprising: an etching vessel that houses a plurality of glass substrates such that the glass substrates are perpendicular to a bottom surface of the etching vessel and parallel to each other in the etching vessel Positioning; a bubble jet tube longitudinally formed along one of the glass substrates in a vertical direction and disposed on one side of the glass substrates for spraying bubbles onto the glass substrates; and a gas supply A component is disposed outside the etching vessel for supplying a gas to the bubble jet tube. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a plurality of the bubble jet tubes are disposed on opposite sides of the glass substrate for spraying the bubbles onto the glass substrates. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the bubble jet tube comprises a plurality of spray holes formed at regular intervals to face the side of the glass substrate. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a transfer device for transferring the bubble jet along the side of the glass substrates. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the transfer device comprises: a cylinder disposed outside one of the etched containers; a cylinder load coupled to the cylinder that is transferred along the side of the glass substrate; a connecting member for connecting the cylinder load to the bubble jet tube; and a guiding member for partially covering the connecting member and guiding movement of the bubble jet tube. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the cylinder is driven by at least one of a pneumatic type and an oil pressure type. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of bubble jets, each of which is inserted into each of the glass substrates for spraying the bubbles onto the glass substrates. A method for etching a substrate, comprising: positioning a plurality of glass substrates perpendicular to a bottom surface of an etched container, the glass substrates being disposed in parallel with each other; positioning each of the plurality of bubble ejector Inserting into each of the glass substrates; supplying a gas to the bubble ejector from a gas supply member disposed outside the etch vessel; and spraying the bubbles onto the glass substrates using the bubble ejector The material is used to eliminate impurities. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the bubble jets ejects the bubbles via a plurality of jet nozzles formed on a surface of the spray plates, the surface facing one of the glass substrates, And the spray plate has a gas passage in the spray plate, the gas passage being connected to the gas supply member. The method of claim 17, wherein each of the bubble ejector ejects the bubbles via a plurality of ejection orifices formed on the plurality of second tubes to correspond to each of the glass substrates The opposite surface of one of the second tubes is vertically connected to a first tube connected to the gas supply member. A method for etching a substrate, comprising: positioning a plurality of glass substrates perpendicular to a bottom surface of an etching container, the glass substrates being disposed in parallel with each other; positioning two bubble jet tubes to respectively correspond to The two sides of the glass substrate; and the bubble jets are transferred along the side of the glass substrates and bubbles are sprayed onto the glass substrates for the elimination of impurities. The method of claim 20, wherein the bubble jet tubes are transferred at substantially the same speed.