Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture – Differential fluid etching apparatus – With microwave gas energizing means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-03
2001-05-08
Mills, Gregory (Department: 1763)
Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
Differential fluid etching apparatus
With microwave gas energizing means
C118S726000, C134S037000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06228211
ABSTRACT:
This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 1998-37000 filed on Sep. 8, 1998 which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for etching a glass substrate, and more particularly to an apparatus for etching uniformly a glass substrate.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Lots of researches have been made for flat panel display devices such as LCD(Liquid Crystal Display), PDP(Plasma Display Panel), ELD(Electroluminescent Display), and VFD(Vacuum Fluorescent Display). In these flat panel display devices, the LCD has been most actively researched recently because of good picture quality and low consumption in spite of various disadvantage.
Although portable televisions and notebook computers with the LCD have been marketed, there are various problems yet to be solved. Because televisions and computers have become portable electronics, the reduction of the size and weight is one of the goals in the LCD research.
There are various methods to reduce the size and weight of the LCD. It is, however, difficult to reduce the number of the essential elements of the LCD. In addition, the weight and size of the essential elements are so small that the weight and size of the essential elements hardly can be reduced further.
Fortunately, a glass substrate, which is one of the most basic element of the LCD, may be reduced in weight. Specially, the weight reduction of the glass substrate is very important because it makes up a large portion of the total weight of the LCD.
To reduce the weight of the glass substrate, the substrate has to be thinner. The glass thinning process is, however, very difficult technically because the processed thin glass can be easily damaged and the surface becomes rough after the process.
Conventionally, the most useful method of reducing the weight of the glass substrate is to etch the surface of the glass substrate by soaking the substrate in a container having an ethchant. In this method, however, the substrate is often not etched uniformly. Further, the impurities generated during the etching process are attached to the surface of the substrate, so that the surface becomes even rougher.
To solve the aforementioned problems, a glass thinning method is introduced wherein the substrate is set up in the container having the etchant and then bubbles are generated to the surface of the substrate through a porous plate to remove the impurities attached on the surface of the substrate and a fresh etchant is applied to the surface of the substrate. In this method, however, since the bubbles having different sizes are applied on the upper portion and lower portion of the substrate, there is a thickness difference between the upper portion and lower portion. As a result, the substrate is still easily damaged even by light force during the LCD process because of the non-uniformity of the substrate. Further, the substrate has to be soaked for a long period, for example, scores of minutes, to etch the substrate sufficiently. Thus, the processing cost is increased in this method.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an apparatus for etching glass substrate that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for etching glass substrate having a thin thickness and uniform surface.
In order to achieve the object, the present invention provides an apparatus for etching a glass substrate comprising a container; a porous plate set in the container and having a plurality of holes; and a bubbling plate under the porous plate and providing bubbles to the porous plate.
The glass substrate is uniformly etched because the liquid etchant is provided uniformly to the surface of the glass substrate through the holes of the porous plate. Further, the impurities on the surface of the glass substrate is easily removed by the bubbles generated by the bubbling plate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3689333 (1972-09-01), Hillhouse
patent: 3756898 (1973-09-01), Frantzen et al.
patent: 3869313 (1975-03-01), Jones et al.
patent: 4125594 (1978-11-01), Su et al.
patent: 4147581 (1979-04-01), Nelson
patent: 4240880 (1980-12-01), Tsuchibuchi et al.
patent: 4332649 (1982-06-01), Sälzle
patent: 4341841 (1982-07-01), Ohno et al.
patent: 4482425 (1984-11-01), Battey
patent: 4501636 (1985-02-01), Valley
patent: 4624729 (1986-11-01), Bresciani et al.
patent: 4715686 (1987-12-01), Iwashita et al.
patent: 4826556 (1989-05-01), Kobayashi
patent: 4846868 (1989-07-01), Aratani
patent: 4886590 (1989-12-01), Tittle
patent: 4953952 (1990-09-01), Okumura et al.
patent: 4980017 (1990-12-01), Kaji et al.
patent: 5000795 (1991-03-01), Chung et al.
patent: 5002627 (1991-03-01), Scheithauer et al.
patent: 5082518 (1992-01-01), Molinaro
patent: 5112437 (1992-05-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 5112453 (1992-05-01), Behr et al.
patent: 5159787 (1992-11-01), Suenaga et al.
patent: 5164018 (1992-11-01), Barcelona, Jr.
patent: 5246540 (1993-09-01), Soda
patent: 5251980 (1993-10-01), Hiraoka et al.
patent: 5277715 (1994-01-01), Cathey
patent: 5378308 (1995-01-01), Thoms
patent: 5389148 (1995-02-01), Matsunaga
patent: 5429711 (1995-07-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 5434433 (1995-07-01), Takasu et al.
patent: 5505804 (1996-04-01), Mizuguchi et al.
patent: 5540784 (1996-07-01), Ranes
patent: 5543181 (1996-08-01), Fehn et al.
patent: 5654057 (1997-08-01), Kitayama et al.
patent: 5766493 (1998-06-01), Shin
patent: 5788871 (1998-08-01), Huh
patent: 5808715 (1998-09-01), Tsai et al.
patent: 5818559 (1998-10-01), Yoshida
patent: 5819434 (1998-10-01), Herchen et al.
patent: 6017374 (2000-01-01), Huxham
patent: 1 920 009 (1970-10-01), None
patent: 36 11 387 (1987-10-01), None
patent: 38 53 904 (1995-10-01), None
patent: 0 586 147 (1994-03-01), None
patent: 0 659 521 (1995-06-01), None
patent: 1 200 180 (1959-12-01), None
patent: 829605 (1960-03-01), None
patent: 2 178 895 (1987-02-01), None
patent: 2 178 894 (1987-02-01), None
patent: 60-163435 (1985-08-01), None
patent: 1-189631 (1989-07-01), None
patent: 2-141703 (1990-05-01), None
patent: 2-138459 (1990-05-01), None
patent: 2-196222 (1990-08-01), None
patent: 3-022390 (1991-01-01), None
patent: 7-168172 (1995-07-01), None
Von Bernd Hartmann, “Neue Recyclingtechniken und Abwasser—behandlungsmethoden”,Technische Rundschau, 37/90, pp. 104-107 & 109 (No English Abstract) No Date Available.
LG. Philips LCD Co. Ltd.
Long Aldridge & Norman
MacArthur Sylvia R
Mills Gregory
LandOfFree
Apparatus for etching a glass substrate does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus for etching a glass substrate, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus for etching a glass substrate will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2529893