Cleaning and liquid contact with solids – Processes – Including application of electrical radiant or wave energy...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-15
2003-09-16
Stinson, Frankie L. (Department: 1746)
Cleaning and liquid contact with solids
Processes
Including application of electrical radiant or wave energy...
C134S06400P, C134S12200P, C134S131000, C134S199000, C134S902000, C134S025400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06619301
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to:
(i) an ultrasonic processing device (for instance, an ultrasonic cleaning device, a resist-stripping device) used in a process for fabricating electronic parts of, for example, flat displays such as a liquid crystal display element, a PDP (plasma display panel), and an EL (electro-luminescent) panel, sensor elements of plane- or line-scanning types such as an image sensor, semiconductors such as LSI, solar butteries, and printed-circuit substrates; and
(ii) a method for fabricating electronic parts, using the foregoing device.
The present invention particularly relates to an ultrasonic processing device that can be adapted as an ultrasonic cleaning device and as a resist-stripping device effective for processing a large-size substrate with a width of several hundreds millimeters or over, as well as to a method for fabricating electronic parts using the foregoing device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, in fabrication of electronic parts of flat displays such as a liquid crystal display element, a PDP (plasma display panel), and an EL (electro-luminescent) panel, sensor elements of plane- or line-scanning types such as an image sensor, and semiconductors, a cleaning process for removing particles, soils, and the like adhering to substrates, etc. is indispensable.
Further, in fabrication of such electronic parts, a photolithography process with use of resist is repeatedly applied so as to form predetermined patterns on a substrate. Since the resist need be removed from the substrate upon completion of the photolithography process, the resist-stripping process is indispensable in fabrication of electronic parts in many cases.
Therefore, to efficiently execute the foregoing cleaning process and the resist removing process, cleaning devices or resist-stripping devices of various arrangements have been used conventionally. As the cleaning device or the resist-stripping device, an ultrasonic processing device is often used, since the foregoing cleaning process and the resist-stripping process, in particular, become more efficient if they are executed with projection of ultrasonic.
For instance, a first example of the same is a batch-type ultrasonic processing device (ultrasonic cleaning device). A cleaning section provided in an ultrasonic processing device of this type is arranged so as to be equipped with, as shown in
FIG. 35
, an ultrasonic oscillation element (vibrating element)
103
such as a vibrating plate (diaphragm), at a bottom of a cleaning bath
101
reservoiring cleaning liquid (liquid). In the cleaning section, flow
102
is formed in the cleaning liquid while a processing object such as a substrate
110
is dipped in the cleaning liquid, and in this state the ultrasonic oscillation element
103
is caused to generate ultrasonic. This causes ultrasonic to be projected to the cleaning liquid, then to the processing object via the cleaning liquid, thereby causing the processing object to be cleaned. Incidentally, in
FIG. 35
, the device is drawn in a simplified manner for conveniences' sake, and a concrete arrangement for forming the flow
102
of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning bath
101
is omitted.
Next, a second example of the ultrasonic processing device is a nozzle-type ultrasonic processing device in which processing liquid (liquid) to which ultrasonic is projected is supplied through a nozzle to a processing object. A processing section provided in the ultrasonic processing device of this type is equipped with an ultrasonic processing nozzle
111
disposed above a substrate
110
as a processing object, as shown in FIG.
36
. Besides, the ultrasonic processing nozzle
111
has a nozzle opening
112
in a slit form that is provided along a width direction substantially orthogonal to a transport direction of the substrate
110
.
In the nozzle-type arrangement, the substrate
110
as the processing object is transported in the predetermined transport direction (indicated by an arrow A in the figure) while it is horizontally held. To an upper surface of the substrate
110
being transported, processing liquid (pure water, for instance, is used as cleaning liquid)
107
to which ultrasonic is projected (applied) by the ultrasonic oscillation element
103
is jetted through the nozzle opening
112
of the ultrasonic processing nozzle
111
.
In other words, in the foregoing ultrasonic processing device of the nozzle type, processing liquid to which ultrasonic is projected is jetted through the ultrasonic processing nozzle
111
provided in the width direction, over the entire width-direction dimension of the processing object that is traveling. As a result, as the processing object is traveling, the whole surface of the processing object is subjected to the ultrasonic processing (for instance, cleaning). This, in the case of cleaning for instance, enables to efficiently remove fine particles (particles), soils or the like, made of an organic material and a metal, that adhere to the substrate
110
, while in the case of resist stripping, this enables to efficiently remove resist.
Furthermore, a third example of the ultrasonic processing device is a wet processing device disclosed by the Japanese Publication for Laid-Open Patent Application No. 177978/1998 (Tokukaihei 10-177978 [Date of Publication: Jun. 30, 1998). As shown in
FIG. 37
, this wet processing device is provided with (i) an introduction path
122
having an inlet
121
at one end thereof for supplying wet processing liquid
117
, (ii) a discharge path
124
having an outlet
123
at one end thereof for discharging wet processing liquid
117
a
having been used for wet processing, out of the wet processing system, and (iii) an opening section
126
that is opened toward a processing object such as a substrate
110
, at an intersection
125
where the introduction path
122
and the discharge path
124
cross so that the other end of the introduction path
122
and the other end of the discharge path
124
meet each other.
The foregoing introduction path
122
inclines so that the inlet
121
side part is disposed upper than the intersection
125
side part, while the discharge path
124
likewise inclines so that the outlet
123
side part is disposed upper than the intersection
125
side part. The wet processing liquid
117
is introduced by the inclining introduction path
122
and supplied via the opening section
126
to the substrate
110
that travels in the arrow A direction in the figure, so that a desired wet processing operation is performed. The wet processing liquid
117
a
having been used in the processing operation is discharged out of the wet processing system through the discharge path
124
.
In the wet processing device arranged as above, ultrasonic may be projected during the wet processing operation. For instance, as shown in FIGS.
38
(
a
) and
38
(
b
), a singularity of an ultrasonic oscillation element
103
may be provided above the intersection
125
. Alternatively, as shown in
FIG. 39
, a plurality (three in the figure) of ultrasonic oscillation elements
103
may be linearly arranged in a width direction of the processing object (horizontal direction) above the intersection
125
. Alternatively, as shown in FIGS.
40
(
a
) and
40
(
b
), a plurality (three in the figures) of ultrasonic oscillation elements
103
may be linearly arrayed in a transport direction of the processing object (in this case, in a lengthwise direction of the processing object). By so doing, projection of ultrasonic is enabled. (In FIGS.
38
(
b
),
39
, and
40
(
b
) the position of the ultrasonic element(s)
103
falls on the position of the intersection
125
, but the reference numeral thereof is omitted for conveniences' sake.)
The foregoing wet processing device, since being arranged as above, exhibits a higher processing capability than conventionally, while a quantity of the wet processing liquid
117
used can be decreased by not less than one tenth. Moreover, in the case where the ultrasonic oscillation elemen
Hikida Tomomi
Kobayashi Kazuki
Maida Yuichi
Ono Hitoshi
Tagusa Yasunobu
Conlin David G.
Edwards & Angell LLP
Hartnell, III George W.
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
Stinson Frankie L.
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