WO2011070723A1

WO2011070723A1 - Foreign object removal device

Info

Publication number: WO2011070723A1
Application number: PCT/JP2010/006591
Authority: WO
Inventors: 仲谷知眞; 藤井茂喜; 佐藤仁
Original assignee: シャープ株式会社
Priority date: 2009-12-11
Filing date: 2010-11-10
Publication date: 2011-06-16
Also published as: JPWO2011070723A1; JP5442031B2; CN102655981B; CN102655981A

Abstract

A device is configured such that a tape which comprises either an abrasive and/or an adhesive on a surface thereof can be run and pressed against a foreign object on the surface of a workpiece, and the state of contact of the tape with a foreign object can be switched between a surface contact state and a point contact state or a line contact state, said surface contact state being a state wherein the foreign object is removed by adhesion, and said point contact state or line contact state being a state wherein the foreign object is removed by abrasion.

Description

Foreign matter removal device

The present invention relates to a foreign matter removing device, and more particularly, to a foreign matter removing device that removes foreign matter existing on the surface of a workpiece by a running tape.

Conventionally, in the production of TFT (Thin Film Transistor) substrates and CF (Color Filter) substrates for color liquid crystal display devices, various films are formed on a glass substrate. If metal powder generated, pieces of film forming material, various fibers generated from clothing, etc. adhere to the substrate surface as foreign matter, the foreign matter becomes a defect and causes display defects such as missing pixels. is there.

In order to prevent such display defects, a correction process for removing foreign matter adhered to the substrate surface using a foreign matter removing apparatus is employed in the production of the TFT substrate and the CF substrate. In this correction step, from the viewpoint of minimizing damage to the substrate surface, the size and address of the foreign matter are detected by the foreign matter inspection apparatus, and the foreign matter is spot-polished based on these.

As the foreign matter removing device, a feeding reel around which a polishing tape is wound, a winding reel that winds up the polishing tape fed from the feeding reel, and a hard reel disposed between the feeding reel and the winding reel. 2. Description of the Related Art There is a known configuration that includes a pressing head and is configured to polish and remove foreign matter by pressing the pressing tape against the foreign matter while running the polishing tape (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2008-290166 A

By the way, when forming an alignment film for controlling the alignment of liquid crystal molecules on the TFT substrate and the CF substrate, the adhesion of foreign matters to the surface of the alignment film becomes a problem. Since it has an adverse effect, a cleaning process such as brush scrubbing or ultrasonic cleaning cannot be performed. For this reason, it is necessary to use a foreign matter removing apparatus as described above to spot and remove the foreign matter adhering to the alignment film surface.

However, there are two types of foreign matter adhering to the alignment film surface, one that adheres firmly to the alignment film and has strong adhesion, and one that has low adhesion to the alignment film. When the polishing tape is used for polishing and removal, if the adhesion of the foreign material to the alignment film is weak, the foreign material itself is blown to another position as the polishing tape travels, or the foreign material is dragged by the polishing tape and oriented. Since the surface of the film may be scratched, there is a risk that the alignment control of the liquid crystal molecules in the product display device may be hindered.

Therefore, it is conceivable that foreign matter with weak adhesion to the alignment film is removed by adhering to the adhesive tape to prevent damage to the alignment film due to the polishing operation. Even if the tape is pressed against the foreign matter, the adhesive tape and the foreign matter are in a point contact state or a line contact state, the contact area is small, the adhesive strength is low, and the foreign matter is difficult to adhere to the adhesive tape.

The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and the object of the present invention is to reliably remove foreign matter having low adhesion to the workpiece by adhesion, and polishing foreign matter having strong adhesion to the workpiece by polishing. By removing, foreign matter existing on the workpiece surface is removed while preventing damage to the workpiece surface.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, the contact state between the foreign matter and the tape pressed against the foreign matter is changed depending on whether the foreign matter on the workpiece surface is removed by polishing or when removed by adhesion. It is.

Specifically, the present invention is directed to a foreign matter removing device that removes foreign matter existing on the surface of a workpiece, and takes the following solution.

That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a tape having at least one of an abrasive and an adhesive on its surface can be run and pressed against foreign matter on the workpiece surface, and the foreign matter is polished and removed from the contact state of the tape with the foreign matter. It is configured to be switchable between a point contact state or a line contact state and a surface contact state for removing foreign substances by sticking.

According to the above configuration, when the foreign matter is removed by polishing, the contact state between the foreign matter and the tape pressed against the foreign matter becomes a point contact state or a line contact state. It is possible to polish and remove. On the other hand, when removing foreign matter by sticking, since the contact state between the foreign matter and the tape pressed against the foreign matter becomes a surface contact state, the adhesive strength is sufficient to attach the foreign matter having weak adhesion to the work to the tape. As a result, it is possible to reliably remove the foreign matter. Therefore, if foreign matter with weak adhesion to the workpiece is removed by adhesion, and then the foreign matter with strong adhesion remaining on the workpiece surface is removed by polishing, the foreign matter existing on the workpiece surface is corrected while preventing damage to the workpiece surface. Is possible.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the foreign matter removing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, a pay-out reel on which a tape having the abrasive and an adhesive on its surface is wound, and a take-up reel for taking up the tape drawn from the pay-out reel And a pressing head that is disposed between the feeding reel and the take-up reel and presses the tape against the foreign matter, and the pressing head presses the tape against the foreign matter when the tip is in contact with the tape. It is configured to be switchable between a hard state that is not deformed and a soft state that is elastically deformed according to the shape of the foreign matter when the tape is pressed against the foreign matter.

According to the above configuration, when removing foreign matter by polishing, the tip of the pressing head is in a hard state, while when removing foreign matter by sticking, the tip of the pressing head is in a soft state, Since it is possible to switch the contact state between the foreign matter and the tape by a single unit including the take-up reel and the pressing head, a compact device configuration can be achieved. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to replace the unit with a dedicated unit depending on whether the foreign matter is removed by polishing or when the foreign matter is removed by sticking, it is possible to quickly remove foreign matter on the workpiece surface.

Furthermore, when the adhesive tape is pressed against a foreign object with a hard pressing head as in the past, if the pressing force of the pressing head is too strong, the workpiece surface may be damaged through the foreign object, whereas According to the configuration of the second invention, when the foreign matter is removed by sticking, the tip of the pressing head is softened so that the pressing force of the foreign matter on the workpiece surface is reduced by the tip of the head. Surface damage is well prevented.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the foreign matter removing apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention, the pressing head is accommodated such that a cylindrical head main body having an opening at the tip and a part of the head main body protruding from the opening. And the inside of the head main body is connected to a pressure adjusting mechanism that adjusts the internal pressure, and when the foreign matter is polished and removed, the pressure adjusting mechanism causes the internal pressure of the head main body to be removed. In the case where the soft elastic member is compressed and cured while the foreign material is removed by adhesion, the internal pressure of the head body is lowered by the pressure adjusting mechanism and the shape of the foreign material is pressed against the foreign material. The soft elastic member can be elastically deformed according to the above.

According to the above configuration, by adjusting the internal pressure of the head main body, the tip of the pressing head can be easily switched between a hard state and a soft state without moving the pressing head. There is no possibility that the position of the tape shifts with respect to the head end portion by the state switching. Therefore, it is possible to perform the polishing removal operation and the adhesion removal operation of foreign matters satisfactorily without providing a special mechanism for preventing the positional deviation of the tape.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the foreign matter removing apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention, the pressing head includes a rotating body that is rotatably supported, a polishing pressing element that protrudes from an outer peripheral surface of the rotating body, and an adhesive pressing unit. The polishing pressing element is formed of a hard member that does not deform when the tape is pressed against a foreign object, and the adhesive pressing element has a shape of the foreign object when the tape is pressed against the foreign object. It is composed of a soft elastic member that is elastically deformed together, and by rotating the rotating body, the tip of the pressing head can be switched between the polishing pressing element and the adhesive pressing element. Features.

According to the above configuration, the tip of the pressing head is attached to a pressing element (a polishing pressing element or an adhesive pressing element) corresponding to the case where the rotating body is rotated to remove the foreign object and the foreign object is removed by sticking. By switching, the tip portion can be switched between a hard state and a soft state, and therefore, it is possible to satisfactorily perform the foreign matter polishing removal operation and the adhesion removal operation with one unit with a simple configuration.

In a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the foreign matter removing apparatus according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, the abrasive is adhered to the surface of the tape over an area of 50% or more and 80% or less with respect to the entire tape surface. The pressure-sensitive adhesive is exposed on the surface of the tape that is fixed by the agent and the abrasive is not fixed.

Since the foreign matter to be removed by sticking with the foreign matter removing apparatus having the above configuration has a weak adhesion to the workpiece, the area of the adhesive on the tape surface may be relatively small, while the abrasive material on the tape surface The larger the area, the more preferable in order to quickly polish and remove foreign matters having strong adhesion to the workpiece. Therefore, as in the above configuration, the abrasive is fixed over a relatively large area of 50% or more and 80% or less with respect to the entire tape surface, and the adhesive is exposed at other tape surface portions. Thus, an adhesive function sufficient for adhering foreign matter can be obtained without impairing the polishing function due to sliding contact with the foreign matter, and both the polishing function and the adhesive function can be satisfactorily realized with a single tape. .

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a polishing feeding reel on which a polishing tape having an abrasive material is wound, a polishing take-up reel that winds up the polishing tape fed from the polishing feeding reel, and the polishing feeding reel. And a polishing unit having a polishing pressing head for pressing the polishing tape against foreign matter on the surface of the workpiece, and an adhesive payout wound with an adhesive tape having an adhesive on the surface A reel, an adhesive take-up reel that winds up the adhesive tape fed from the adhesive pay-out reel, and the adhesive tape disposed between the adhesive pay-out reel and the adhesive take-up reel. A pressure-sensitive adhesive unit having a pressure-sensitive adhesive head that is pressed against the polishing tape, and the tip of the pressure-sensitive polishing head that contacts the polishing tape is different from the polishing tape. The tip of the pressure-sensitive adhesive pressing head that contacts the pressure-sensitive adhesive tape is formed by a soft elastic member that elastically deforms in accordance with the shape of the foreign material when the pressure-sensitive adhesive tape is pressed against the particle. It is configured.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to polish and remove foreign matter by the polishing unit and remove sticking of the foreign matter by the adhesive unit. In this case, the foreign matter is removed by the dedicated tape of a separate unit for the case where the foreign matter is removed by polishing and the case where the foreign matter is removed by sticking, so that the foreign matter removal performance is improved. That is, by using a polishing tape that has sufficient abrasive on the surface for the polishing unit and an adhesive tape that has the entire surface of the adhesive for the adhesive unit, it is possible to polish and remove foreign matters with a simple configuration. In the case of removing the adhesive, the removal performance of the foreign matter is professionally enhanced. For this reason, it is possible to satisfactorily remove and remove foreign substances.

According to the present invention, when removing the foreign matter by polishing, the tape and the foreign matter are brought into a point contact state or a line contact state when the tape is pressed against the foreign matter. When pressed, the tape and foreign matter come into surface contact with each other, so that the foreign matter with low adhesion to the workpiece can be reliably removed by adhesion, and the foreign matter with strong adhesion to the workpiece can be spotted by polishing. Since it can be removed, it is possible to remove foreign matter existing on the workpiece surface while preventing damage to the workpiece surface. As a result, display defects such as pixel defects can be prevented from occurring in the product display device, and display quality can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a foreign matter removing apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating the correction unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an adhesion removal process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a polishing removal process diagram according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating a correction unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an adhesion removing process according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a polishing removal process diagram according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a perspective view schematically illustrating the foreign matter removing apparatus according to the third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating a polishing unit according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating the adhesive unit according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an adhesion removing process according to the third embodiment. FIG. 12 is a polishing removal process diagram according to the third embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

Embodiment 1 of the Invention
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the foreign matter removing apparatus S of the present embodiment.

The foreign matter removing apparatus S includes a base 1 serving as a base and a stage 3 fixedly arranged on the base 1, and a work W to be corrected is placed on the stage 3. The workpiece W in the present embodiment is, for example, a TFT substrate after an alignment film constituting the liquid crystal display device is formed on the surface. A plurality of suction holes are formed on the upper surface of the stage 3, and these suction holes are connected to a vacuum suction means such as a vacuum pump. And the stage 3 is comprised so that the mounted workpiece | work W may be adsorbed and hold | maintained by the drive of a vacuum suction means.

Further, on the base 1, a correction unit 10 that corrects defects due to foreign matter on the workpiece surface is provided in the left-right direction (X direction in FIG. 1), the front-rear direction (Y direction in FIG. 1), and the up-down direction (Z direction in FIG. 1). A moving mechanism 4 that is movably supported is provided. The moving mechanism 4 includes a pair of guide rails 5 that are arranged so as to sandwich the stage 3 and extend in the front-rear direction, and a gantry having a gantry structure that is supported on the pair of guide rails 5 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. Part 7.

The gantry unit 7 is moved in the front-rear direction along the pair of guide rails 5 by a front-rear moving mechanism (not shown) such as a feed screw mechanism or a linear motor that is operated by rotation of a drive motor. On the front side of the gantry section 7, a pair of guide rails 7a extending in the left-right direction and a ball screw 7b extending between the pair of guide rails 7a are provided, and the scanning head 8 moves in the left-right direction on the guide rails 7a. Supported as possible. This scanning head 8 has a slider 8a provided with a ball nut (not shown) screwed to the ball screw 7b on the back side, and the ball screw 7b is rotated by a drive motor 7c provided at one end of the ball screw 7b. By doing so, it moves in the left-right direction along the guide rail 7a.

The scanning head 8 is provided with a height measuring mechanism 9 for measuring the height of the workpiece surface, and a correction unit 10 in the vicinity of the side of the height measuring mechanism 9. The height measuring mechanism 9 includes, for example, a known digital micromirror device. This digital micromirror device is a type of display element that has a number of micromirrors (micromirrors) arranged on the surface, not shown, and is constructed so that the height distribution of the workpiece surface can be grasped by the so-called confocal method. Yes.

The height measuring mechanism 9 includes a digital micromirror device, but other known optical sensors, air sensors, or the like can be used instead.

The correction unit 10 is connected to an elevating mechanism (not shown) that constitutes the moving mechanism 4. This lifting mechanism is configured to be able to move the correction unit 10 up and down in the vertical direction. The correction unit 10 is detachably attached to the scanning head 8. Therefore, when the tape T to be described later is used up, it is possible to supply new tape T without delay by exchanging the entire correction unit 10 and perform a highly efficient removal operation of foreign matters. .

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the correction unit 10.

The correction unit 10 is formed in a cassette shape similar to a normal audio tape, and is arranged on the side of the supply reel 12 with the tape T wound around it and spaced from the supply reel 12 and is supplied from the supply reel 12. A take-up reel 13 for winding the tape T is provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the main body 11. The supply reel 12 and the take-up reel 13 are driven by a drive motor (not shown) provided in the main body 11. The main body 11 further includes a pair of guide rollers 14 for guiding the tape T between the supply reel 12 and the take-up reel 13, and an air cylinder 20 serving as a pressure adjusting mechanism between the pair of guide rollers 14. Each of the air cylinders 20 is provided with a pressing head 15 for pressing the tape T against the work surface.

The tape T is configured by providing an adhesive surface layer on a base material made of polyester or the like, and chromium oxide (Cr ₂ O ₃ ), iron oxide (Fe ₂ O ₃ ), cerium oxide (CeO ₂ ) on the surface layer. Alternatively, an abrasive such as silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) is charged. On the tape surface, the abrasive is fixed with an adhesive over an area of 50% or more and 80% or less with respect to the whole, and the adhesive is exposed on the tape surface portion where the abrasive is not fixed. Yes. As a result, the tape T has an adhesive function sufficient to attach a foreign substance having a weak adhesion to the workpiece W without impairing the polishing function due to sliding contact with the foreign substance. Both functions of the polishing function and the adhesive function are provided. It has.

The pressing head 15 includes a head body 16 formed in a tapered cylindrical shape having openings at the front end (lower side in the figure) and the rear end (upper side in the figure), and a part of the head main body 16 from the front end opening to the inside. And a soft elastic member 17 which is fixed and accommodated so as to protrude. The soft elastic member 17 is a soft elastic member that is easily elastically deformed, such as fluororubber having excellent wear resistance and heat resistance. The tip portion 15a of the pressing head 15 that contacts the tape T is composed of a soft elastic member portion that protrudes from the tip opening.

The air cylinder 20 is connected to the inside of the head body 16 through a rear end opening. The air cylinder 20 is, for example, a single-acting cylinder, and includes a cylindrical cylinder main body 21, a piston 22 that divides the cylinder main body 21 into upper and lower portions and is capable of reciprocating, and a piston rod fixed to the piston 22. 23. An air tube 24 for lowering the piston 22 is connected to the upper side portion of the cylinder body 21. Also, a biasing member (not shown) such as a spring that biases the lowered piston 22 upward is provided inside the cylinder body 21. The air cylinder 20 lowers the piston 22 by supplying air from the air tube 24 to increase the internal pressure of the head main body 16 to be in a pressurized state, and by stopping supply of air from the air tube 24. The piston 22 is raised by the urging force of the urging member, and the internal pressure of the head body 16 is lowered to a low pressure state.

The air cylinder 20 here is a single-acting type. However, the air cylinder 20 is not limited to this, and may be a reciprocating cylinder that lowers and raises the piston by supplying air into the cylinder body. Absent. In addition, the air cylinder 20 and the pressing head 15 are provided in the main body 11 of the correction unit 10. As such, it may be provided on the lower side of the main body of the scanning head 8.

Further, although not shown, the foreign matter removing apparatus S includes a control device for controlling each mechanism on the base 1, and this control device is connected to a host computer. The host computer stores foreign matter information such as the position and size of the foreign matter on the workpiece surface detected by the foreign matter inspection device separate from the foreign matter removing device S. The configuration of the foreign matter inspection apparatus is not particularly limited as long as the foreign matter can be detected by scanning the workpiece surface.

In the foreign matter removing apparatus S configured as described above, when the workpiece W is placed on the stage 3, the control device moves the height measuring mechanism 9 or the pressing head 15 above the foreign matter based on the foreign matter information stored in the host computer. The moving mechanism 4 is driven so that the scanning head 8 moves to the target position located at the position. The height measuring mechanism 9 is driven by the control device so as to measure the height of the foreign matter when positioned above the foreign matter. In the correction unit 10, when the pressing head 15 is positioned above the foreign matter, the lifting mechanism is driven by the control device, so that the tape T is fixed to the foreign matter by the pressing head 15 based on the measurement result of the height measuring mechanism 9. The correction unit 10 is lowered to the position where it is pressed by the pressing force. When the foreign material is removed by polishing, the control device compresses and hardens the soft elastic member 17 by driving the air cylinder 20 to increase the internal pressure of the head body 16 before pressing the tape T against the foreign material. At the same time, the supply reel 12 and the take-up reel 13 are driven to rotate, so that the tape T runs at a predetermined speed. Further, when the foreign matter is removed by sticking, the controller presses the tape T against the foreign matter by driving the air cylinder 20 to reduce the internal pressure of the head body 16 before the tape T is pushed against the foreign matter. Sometimes, the soft elastic member 17 is elastically deformable in accordance with the shape of the foreign matter.

-Foreign matter removal method-
Next, a method for removing the foreign matter A present on the workpiece surface using the foreign matter removing apparatus S will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 with an example. FIG. 3 is a process diagram for removing the foreign matter A on the workpiece surface by adhesion. FIG. 4 is a process diagram for polishing and removing the foreign matter A on the workpiece surface. 3 and 4 indicate the moving direction of the pressing head 15. A broken line arrow in FIG. 4C indicates the traveling direction of the tape T. The same applies to FIGS. 6 and 7 and FIGS.

First, a TFT substrate after forming an alignment film to be corrected is prepared as a workpiece W, and an inspection process for inspecting foreign matter existing on the workpiece surface with a foreign matter inspection device is performed. Thereby, when a foreign substance exists on the workpiece surface, the foreign substance information such as the position and size of the foreign substance is stored in the host computer.

Subsequently, it is determined whether or not a foreign object has been detected, and if a foreign object has been detected, it is determined whether or not the foreign object needs to be removed from position information. When there is no foreign matter or only foreign matter that does not need to be removed, the workpiece W is accommodated in an acceptable product cassette and placed on a normal production line and bonded to the CF substrate. On the other hand, when there is a foreign matter that needs to be removed, the workpiece W is accommodated in the correction target product cassette and conveyed to the foreign matter removing apparatus S that performs the correction process.

In the correction process, the workpiece W is placed on the stage 3, and then the control device controls the foreign matter removing device S according to the sequence of the automatic mode. First, the foreign matter removing apparatus S acquires foreign matter information from the host computer. Then, a foreign object that needs to be removed is selected based on the foreign object information.

Next, based on the position information of the selected foreign object A, the scanning head 8 is moved so that the height measuring mechanism 9 is positioned above the foreign object A. Then, the height of the foreign matter A below the pressing head 15 is accurately measured by the height measuring mechanism 9.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3A, the scanning head 8 is moved so that the pressing head 15 is positioned above the selected foreign matter A. At this stage, the cylinder body 21 is not supplied with air from the air tube 24, and the internal pressure of the head body 16 is in a low pressure state.

Subsequently, the distance from the pressing head 15 to the foreign object A is estimated from the measurement result by the height measuring mechanism 9, and the correction unit 10 is lowered based on the estimated distance. 3B, the pressing head 15 is moved so as to approach the foreign object A, and the tape T is pressed against the foreign object A by the pressing head 15. At this time, since the tip 15a of the pressing head 15 is in a soft state, it is elastically deformed according to the shape of the foreign matter A, and the contact state of the tape T with the foreign matter A becomes a surface contact state. Thereby, sufficient adhesive strength for adhering the foreign matter A to the tape T is obtained. In addition, when the adhesive tape is pressed against a foreign object with a hard pressing head as in the past, if the pressing force of the pressing head is too strong, the workpiece surface may be damaged via the foreign object. Since the front end portion 15a of the head 15 is in a soft state, the head front end portion 15a can relieve the pressing force of the foreign matter A on the work surface, and can favorably prevent damage to the work surface.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3C, the correction unit 10 is raised and the pressing head 15 is moved away from the workpiece surface. At this time, when the adhesion force of the foreign matter A to the workpiece W is weak, the foreign matter A rises together with the tape T in a state of being attached to the surface of the tape in a surface contact state. As a result, the foreign matter A can be reliably removed by adhesion.

On the other hand, when the foreign matter A firmly adheres to the workpiece surface and has a strong adhesion to the workpiece W, the foreign matter can be moved as shown in FIG. 4A even if the pressing head 15 is moved away from the workpiece surface. A remains on the workpiece surface. Therefore, the height of the workpiece surface at the position where the adhesion removal operation of the foreign matter A is performed is again measured by the height measuring mechanism 9, and it is determined from the measurement result whether or not the foreign matter A remains.

When it is determined that the foreign matter A remains on the workpiece surface, the tip of the pressing head 15 is compressed and cured by the air cylinder 20 as shown in FIG. Let 15a be a hard state. Next, as shown in FIG. 4C, the tape T is run, the correction unit 10 is lowered, the pressing head 15 is moved so as to approach the foreign matter A, and the tape T is moved by the pressing head 15 to the foreign matter A. Press on. At this time, since the tip 15a of the pressing head 15 is in a hard state, it does not deform, and the contact state of the tape T with the foreign object A becomes a point contact state or a line contact state. As a result, the foreign matter A having strong adhesion to the workpiece W can be spotted and removed as the tape travels.

Further, after performing the polishing removal work of the foreign matter A on the workpiece surface, the height of the workpiece surface at the position where the polishing removal work has been performed is again measured by the height measuring mechanism 9, and the presence or absence of the remaining portion of the foreign matter A is detected. Thus, it is determined whether or not an additional polishing removal operation is necessary. If necessary, the foreign material A polishing removal operation is performed again.

The above foreign matter removal work by adhesion or polishing is performed on all foreign matters that are judged to be removed by the foreign matter inspection apparatus. As a result, it is possible to remove foreign matter existing on the workpiece surface while preventing damage to the workpiece surface. Finally, the workpiece W is removed from the stage 3, and the defect correction on the workpiece surface is completed. The work W for which the defect correction has been completed is accommodated in a corrected product cassette and is bonded to the CF substrate on a normal production line.

According to the foreign matter removing apparatus S of the first embodiment, since the contact state between the foreign matter and the tape T is switched by one correction unit 10, the scanning head 8 can have a compact device configuration. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to replace the foreign unit with a dedicated unit depending on whether the foreign matter is removed by polishing or when the foreign matter is removed by sticking, the foreign matter on the workpiece surface can be removed quickly.

Further, by adjusting the internal pressure of the head body 16, the tip 15a of the pressing head 15 can be easily switched between a hard state and a soft state without moving the pressing head 15. There is no possibility that the position of the tape T shifts with respect to the head tip portion 15a by the state switching. Therefore, even if a special mechanism for preventing the positional deviation of the tape T is not provided, it is possible to continuously perform the foreign matter adhesion removing operation and the polishing removing operation.

<< Embodiment 2 of the Invention >>
FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of the correction unit 10 according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the configuration of the correction unit 10 is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the configuration of the correction unit 10 is different from that of the first embodiment. In each of the following embodiments, only portions having different configurations will be described, and the same components will be left to the description of the first embodiment based on FIGS. 1 to 4, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The pressing head 25 of the correction unit 10 according to the second embodiment includes a rotating body 26 rotatably supported by a rotating shaft 26 a on a support member 29 fixedly disposed on the lower side of the main body 11, and an outer peripheral surface of the rotating body 26. A polishing pressing member 27 and an adhesion pressing member 28 are provided. The rotating body 26 is formed in a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the rotation axis direction. The polishing presser 27 is disposed on one side of the rotating body 26, and is composed of a hard member made of metal, hard plastic, or the like that is not easily elastically deformed. The pressure-sensitive adhesive pressing element 28 is disposed on the other side of the rotating body 26, and is composed of a soft soft elastic member made of fluorine rubber or the like that is easily elastically deformed. The correction unit 10 is configured to be able to switch the tip portion 25a of the pressing head 25 between the polishing pressing element 27 and the adhesive pressing element 28 by rotating the rotating body 26.

Although the pressing head 25 is supported by the support member 29 fixedly disposed on the lower side of the main body 11 of the correction unit 10, the present invention is not limited to this, and the tape T of the correction unit 10 is hung on the tip 25 a. It may be provided below the main body of the scanning head 8 so that it can be passed.

-Foreign matter removal method-
A method for removing the foreign matter A present on the workpiece surface using the foreign matter removing apparatus S will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 by way of an example. FIG. 6 is a process diagram for removing the foreign matter A on the workpiece surface by adhesion. FIG. 7 is a process diagram for polishing and removing the foreign matter A on the workpiece surface. In addition, the white arrow in FIG.7 (b) has shown the rotation direction of the rotary body 26. FIG.

In the correction step, as shown in FIG. 6A, the rotating body 26 is rotated so that the pressure-sensitive adhesive 28 is positioned on the workpiece W side, and the tip 25 a of the pressing head 25 is used as the pressure-sensitive adhesive 28. Based on the position information of the foreign matter A acquired from the host computer, the scanning head 8 is moved so that the pressing head 15 is positioned above the selected foreign matter A.

Subsequently, the correction unit 10 is lowered based on the measurement result by the height measuring mechanism 9, and the tape T is pressed against the foreign matter A by the pressing head 25 as shown in FIG. At this time, since the tip 25a (adhesive pressing element 28) of the pressing head 25 is a soft elastic member, it is elastically deformed according to the shape of the foreign matter A, and the contact state of the tape T with the foreign matter A becomes a surface contact state. Thereby, sufficient adhesive strength for adhering the foreign matter A to the tape T is obtained.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6C, the correction unit 10 is raised and the pressing head 25 is moved away from the workpiece surface. At this time, when the adhesion force of the foreign matter A to the workpiece W is weak, the foreign matter A rises together with the tape T in a state of being attached to the surface of the tape in a surface contact state. As a result, the foreign matter A can be reliably removed by adhesion. On the other hand, when the foreign matter A firmly adheres to the workpiece surface and has a strong adhesion to the workpiece W, the foreign matter can be moved as shown in FIG. 7A even if the pressing head 25 is moved away from the workpiece surface. A remains on the workpiece surface.

Next, the height of the workpiece surface at the position where the adhesion removal work of the foreign matter A is performed is again measured by the height measuring mechanism 9 and it is determined whether or not the foreign matter A remains from the measurement result. At this time, when it is determined that the foreign matter A remains on the workpiece surface, the rotating body 26 is rotated so that the polishing presser 27 is positioned on the workpiece W side as shown in FIG. The tip 25a of the pressing head 25 is switched to the polishing pressing element 27.

Then, as shown in FIG. 7C, the tape T is run, the correction unit 10 is lowered, and the tape T is pressed against the foreign matter A by the pressing head 25. At this time, the distal end portion 25a (the polishing presser 27) of the pressing head 25 is a hard member and is not deformed, and the contact state of the tape T with the foreign matter A becomes a point contact state or a line contact state. As a result, the foreign matter A having strong adhesion to the workpiece W can be spotted and removed as the tape travels. Thereafter, similarly to the first embodiment, the height of the workpiece surface at the position where the polishing removal work is performed is again measured by the height measuring mechanism 9, and the polishing removal work is performed again as necessary.

By performing the above-described foreign matter removal operation by adhesion or polishing on all foreign matters that have been determined to be removed by the foreign matter inspection apparatus, foreign matter present on the workpiece surface is also removed from the workpiece according to the second embodiment. It can be removed while preventing damage to the surface.

Further, according to the configuration of the second embodiment, the presser (the polishing presser 27 or the polishing presser 27 corresponding to the case where the foreign matter is removed by polishing and the case where the foreign matter is removed by sticking are removed with a simple configuration in which the rotating body 26 is simply rotated. The distal end portion 25a of the pressing head 25 can be switched to the pressure-sensitive adhesive pressing element 28), and the foreign substance polishing removal operation and the adhesion removal operation can be satisfactorily performed by one correction unit 10. In other respects, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

<< Embodiment 3 of the Invention >>
FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the foreign matter removing apparatus S of the third embodiment.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the configuration including the correction unit 10 that performs both polishing removal and adhesion removal of foreign matter existing on the workpiece surface has been described. However, the foreign matter removal apparatus S of the present embodiment performs polishing that removes foreign matter. A unit 30 and an adhesive unit 40 for removing adhesion of foreign substances are provided.

The polishing unit 30 and the adhesive unit 40 are detachably attached to the scanning head 8 so as to be adjacent to each other. When the tapes T1 and T2 to be described later are used up, a

new unit

30 and 40 can be replaced by replacing the

whole unit

30 and 40. It is possible to supply the tapes T1 and T2 without delay and perform a highly efficient removal operation of foreign matters. A lifting mechanism (not shown) is connected to the polishing unit 30 and the adhesive unit 40, and the

units

30 and 40 can be moved up and down independently.

FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of the polishing unit 30.

The polishing unit 30 is formed in a cassette shape like the correction unit 10 of the first embodiment, and the main body 11, the feeding reel 12, the take-up reel 13, the pair of guide rollers 14 and the pressing head of the first embodiment. 15, a polishing reel 31, a polishing take-up reel 33, a pair of guide rollers 34, and a polishing pressing head 35.

A polishing tape T1 having an abrasive on its surface is wound around the polishing supply reel 32. This polishing tape T1 is formed by providing an adhesive surface layer on a substrate in the same manner as the tape T of the first embodiment, and an abrasive is charged on the surface layer. On the surface of the polishing tape T1, an abrasive is fixed with an adhesive over an area of 80% or more and 100% or less of the whole. As described above, the polishing tape T1 is a dedicated tape having a sufficient polishing function by being brought into sliding contact with foreign matter.

The polishing pressing head 35 is held by a holding member 36 fixedly arranged on the lower side of the main body 31. And the front-end | tip part 35a which contact | connects the polishing tape T1 of this pressing head 35 for grinding | polishing is comprised by the hard member which consists of a metal, a hard plastic, etc. and is hard to elastically deform.

FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of the adhesive unit 40.

The adhesive unit 40 is also formed in a cassette shape, and a main body portion 41 corresponding to the main body portion 11, the feeding reel 12, the take-up reel 13, the pair of guide rollers 14, and the pressing head 15 according to the first embodiment, respectively. A feeding reel 42, an adhesive take-up reel 43, a pair of guide rollers 44, and an adhesive pressing head 45 are provided.

The adhesive feeding reel 42 is wound with an adhesive tape T2 having an adhesive on its surface. This pressure-sensitive adhesive tape T2 is a dedicated tape having a pressure-sensitive adhesive function for adhering foreign matter, and is provided with a pressure-sensitive adhesive over the entire surface of the substrate.

The pressing head 45 for adhesion is held by a holding member 46 that is fixedly arranged on the lower side of the main body 41. And the front-end | tip part 45a which contact | connects the adhesive tape T2 of the adhesion pressing head 45 is comprised with the soft soft elastic member which consists of fluororubber etc. and is easy to elastically deform.

The polishing pressing head 35 is fixedly disposed below the main body 31 of the polishing unit 30 and the adhesive pressing head 45 is fixedly disposed below the main body 41 of the adhesive unit 40. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The polishing pressing head 35 may be provided on the lower side of the main body of the scanning head 8 so that the polishing tape T1 of the polishing unit 30 can be passed over the distal end portion 35a. Further, the pressure-sensitive adhesive pressing head 45 may be provided on the lower side of the main body of the scanning head 8 so that the pressure-sensitive adhesive tape T2 of the pressure-sensitive adhesive unit 40 can be passed over the distal end portion 45a.

-Foreign matter removal method-
A method for removing the foreign matter A present on the workpiece surface using the foreign matter removing apparatus S will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12 with an example. FIG. 11 is a process diagram for removing the foreign matter A on the workpiece surface by adhesion. FIG. 12 is a process diagram for polishing and removing the foreign matter A on the workpiece surface.

In the correction process, as shown in FIG. 11A, based on the position information of the foreign matter A acquired from the host computer, the scanning head 8 is moved so that the adhesive pressing head 45 is positioned above the selected foreign matter A. . Subsequently, the adhesive unit 40 is lowered based on the measurement result of the height measuring mechanism 9 and the adhesive tape T2 is pressed against the foreign matter A by the adhesive pressing head 45 as shown in FIG. At this time, since the tip portion 45a of the pressure-sensitive adhesive pressing head 45 is a soft soft elastic member, it is elastically deformed according to the shape of the foreign matter A, and the contact state of the adhesive tape T2 with the foreign matter A becomes a surface contact state. Thereby, sufficient adhesive strength to adhere the foreign matter A to the adhesive tape T2 is obtained.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11 (c), the adhesive unit 40 is raised and the adhesive pressing head 45 is moved away from the work surface. At this time, when the adhesion force of the foreign matter A to the workpiece W is weak, the foreign matter A rises together with the adhesive tape T2 in a state of being attached to the surface of the tape in a surface contact state. As a result, the foreign matter A can be reliably removed by adhesion.

Next, the height of the workpiece surface at the position where the adhesion removal work of the foreign matter A is performed is again measured by the height measuring mechanism 9, and it is determined whether or not the foreign matter A remains from the measurement result. At this time, if it is determined that the foreign matter A remains on the workpiece surface, the scanning head 8 is moved so that the polishing pressing head 35 is positioned above the foreign matter A as shown in FIG. Let

Then, as shown in FIG. 12 (b), the polishing tape T 1 is run, the polishing unit 30 is lowered, and the polishing tape T 1 is pressed against the foreign matter A by the polishing pressing head 35. At this time, since the tip 35a of the polishing pressing head 35 is a hard member, it does not deform, and the contact state of the polishing tape T1 with the foreign material A becomes a point contact state or a point contact state. As a result, the foreign matter A having strong adhesion to the workpiece W can be spotted and removed as the tape travels.

Thereafter, similarly to the first embodiment, the height of the workpiece surface at the position where the polishing removal work is performed is again measured by the height measuring mechanism 9, and the polishing removal work is performed again as necessary.

By performing the above-described foreign matter removal operation by adhesion or polishing on all foreign matters that are determined to be removed by the foreign matter inspection apparatus, the foreign matter present on the workpiece surface is also removed from the workpiece according to the third embodiment. It can be removed while preventing damage to the surface.

Further, according to the configuration of the third embodiment, the polishing unit 30 polishes and removes the foreign matter and the adhesive unit 40 removes the foreign matter, and the simple configuration removes the foreign matter and removes the foreign matter. In both cases, the foreign matter removal performance can be improved professionally. For this reason, it is possible to satisfactorily remove the foreign matter and remove the adhesive.

<< Other Embodiments >>
In each of the above embodiments, the foreign matter existing on the workpiece surface is inspected by the foreign matter inspection device that is separate from the foreign matter removal device S. However, in the foreign matter removal device S, the scanning head 8 is moved so as to scan the entire work surface, The measuring mechanism 9 may inspect foreign matter present on the workpiece surface.

In each of the above embodiments, the adhesion removing operation and the polishing removing operation are sequentially performed on each foreign matter to be removed from the workpiece surface. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the workpiece surface is removed. The adhesion removing operation may be performed on all the foreign matters to be removed, and then the polishing removing operation may be performed on each foreign matter that has not been removed by the adhesion removing operation.

In each of the above embodiments, the workpiece W is the TFT substrate after forming the alignment film constituting the liquid crystal display device, but it may be a TFT substrate before forming the alignment film or a CF substrate. Furthermore, a substrate, a silicon wafer, or the like constituting another display device such as an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device or a plasma display device other than the liquid crystal display device can be used as the work W.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the above embodiment is an exemplification, and that various modifications can be made to the combination of each component and each processing process, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. By the way.

For example, the same polishing unit and adhesive unit as those of the third embodiment may be appropriately replaced as needed and mounted on the scanning head. That is, when removing foreign substances by polishing, the polishing unit is attached to the scanning head, and when removing foreign substances by sticking, the adhesive unit is attached to the scanning head in place of the polishing unit and pressed against the foreign substances and the foreign substances. You may be comprised so that a contact state with a tape may be changed.

As described above, the present invention is useful for a foreign matter removing apparatus that removes foreign matter existing on the surface of a workpiece, and in particular, a foreign matter removing device that is desired to remove foreign matter while preventing damage to the workpiece surface. Is suitable.

A foreign matter S foreign matter removing device T tape T1 polishing tape T2 adhesive tape W work 12 feeding reel 13 take-

up reel

15, 25

pressing head

15a, 25a, 35a, 45a tip portion 16 head body 17 soft elastic member 20 air cylinder (pressure adjustment) mechanism)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 26 Rotating body 27 Polishing press 28 Adhesive press 30 Polishing unit 32 Polishing reel 33 Polishing reel 35 Polishing pressing head 40 Adhesive unit 42 Adhesive feeding reel 43 Adhesive take-up reel 45 Adhesive pressing reel 45 head

Claims

A tape having at least one of an abrasive and an adhesive on its surface can be run and pressed against foreign matter on the workpiece surface, and the contact state of the tape against the foreign matter is a point contact state or a line contact state in which the foreign matter is removed by polishing. The foreign matter removing apparatus is configured to be switchable to a surface contact state in which the foreign matter is removed by sticking.
The foreign matter removing apparatus according to claim 1,
A supply reel on which a tape having the abrasive and the pressure-sensitive adhesive on its surface is wound;
A take-up reel that takes up the tape fed from the feed reel;
A pressing head that is disposed between the feeding reel and the take-up reel and that presses the tape against foreign matter;
The pressing head has a hard state in which a tip portion in contact with the tape is not deformed when the tape is pressed against a foreign material, and a soft state in which the tape is elastically deformed according to the shape of the foreign material when the tape is pressed against the foreign material. A foreign matter removing device characterized in that it is configured to be switchable.
The foreign matter removing apparatus according to claim 2,
The pressing head includes a cylindrical head body having an opening at a tip, and a soft elastic member accommodated inside the tip of the head body so as to partially protrude from the opening,
The inside of the head body is connected to a pressure adjusting mechanism that adjusts the internal pressure,
When removing and removing foreign matter, the pressure adjusting mechanism increases the internal pressure of the head body to compress and harden the soft elastic member. On the other hand, when removing foreign matter by adhesion, the pressure adjusting mechanism causes the head body to be removed. The foreign-matter removing device is characterized in that the soft elastic member can be elastically deformed in accordance with the shape of the foreign matter when the internal pressure of the tape is reduced and the tape is pressed against the foreign matter.
The foreign matter removing apparatus according to claim 2,
The pressing head includes a rotating body that is rotatably supported, and a polishing pressing member and an adhesive pressing member that project from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating body,
The polishing presser is composed of a hard member that does not deform when the tape is pressed against a foreign object,
The pressure-sensitive adhesive pressing member is constituted by a soft elastic member that elastically deforms according to the shape of the foreign matter when the tape is pressed against the foreign matter,
A foreign matter removing apparatus configured to be capable of switching the tip portion of the pressing head between the pressing member for polishing and the pressing member for adhesion by rotating the rotating body.
The foreign matter removing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
On the surface of the tape, the abrasive is fixed with an adhesive over an area of 50% or more and 80% or less with respect to the entire tape surface,
The foreign matter removing apparatus, wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive is exposed at a tape surface portion where the abrasive is not fixed.
A polishing reel that is wound with a polishing tape having a polishing material on its surface, a polishing take-up reel that winds up the polishing tape that is fed from the polishing reel, and the polishing reel and the polishing take-up reel A polishing unit disposed between the reel and having a polishing pressing head for pressing the polishing tape against foreign matter on the workpiece surface;
Adhesive feeding reel wound with an adhesive tape having an adhesive on its surface, an adhesive take-up reel for taking up the adhesive tape fed out from the adhesive feeding reel, and the adhesive feeding reel and the adhesive take-up reel An adhesive unit that is disposed between the reel and has an adhesive pressing head that presses the adhesive tape against foreign matter on the workpiece surface;
The tip of the polishing pressing head in contact with the polishing tape is composed of a hard member that does not deform when the polishing tape is pressed against a foreign object,
The foreign matter removing apparatus, wherein a tip end portion of the pressure-sensitive adhesive pressing head that is in contact with the pressure-sensitive adhesive tape is constituted by a soft elastic member that elastically deforms in accordance with the shape of the foreign matter when the pressure-sensitive adhesive tape is pressed against the foreign matter.