U.S. patent application number 10/021013 was filed with the patent office on 2002-06-27 for etching apparatus of glass substrate.
Invention is credited to Doh, Yong II.
Application Number | 20020079289 10/021013 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19703702 |
Filed Date | 2002-06-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020079289 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Doh, Yong II |
June 27, 2002 |
Etching apparatus of glass substrate
Abstract
The present invention discloses an etching apparatus comprising
an etching bath having an etchant; an etchant recycling part in the
etching bath; a DI and undiluted etchant supply part for supplying
a DI water and a undiluted etchant; an etchant mixing part for
mixing the DI water and the undiluted etchant; and an etchant
heating part for heating the mixed etchant.
Inventors: |
Doh, Yong II;
(Taegu-Kwangyokshi, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SONG K. JUNG
LONG ALDRIDGE & NORMAN LLP
701 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 600
Washington
DC
20004
US
|
Family ID: |
19703702 |
Appl. No.: |
10/021013 |
Filed: |
December 19, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
216/31 ;
156/345.18; 216/109; 216/84; 216/97 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G02F 2201/48 20130101;
G02F 1/133302 20210101; C03C 15/00 20130101; G02F 1/1303
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
216/31 ; 216/84;
216/97; 216/109; 156/345.18 |
International
Class: |
B44C 001/22; C23F
001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 27, 2000 |
KR |
2000-83103 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An etching apparatus comprising: an etching bath; an etchant
recycling part in the etching bath; a DI and undiluted etchant
supply part for supplying a DI water and an undiluted etchant; an
etchant mixing part for mixing the DI water and the undiluted
etchant for producing a mixed etchant; and an etchant heating part
for heating the mixed etchant.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the etchant heating part heats
the mixed etchant to a temperature higher than room
temperature.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the etching bath comprises: a
container for holding etchant; a bubble plate at a lower portion of
the container, the bubble plate for generating bubbles using a
supplied gas; a gas supply tube connected to the bubble plate for
supplying a gas; and a temperature measuring unit within the
container.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the gas includes at least one
of nitrogen (N.sub.2) and oxygen (O.sub.2).
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the etchant recycling part
comprises: a storage tank storing the etchant; and at least one
filter filtering the etchant into the storage tank.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cooling water
tube in the etchant mixing part.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a concentration
measuring unit in the etchant mixing part.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a tube connected to
the etching bath, the etchant recycling part, the etchant mixing
part and the etchant heating part.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the tube includes at least one
pump.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the etchant includes HF.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a cleaning bath
for cleaning the etched substrate; and a drying bath for drying the
etched substrate.
12. An apparatus for etching a material, comprising: an etching
bath containing an etchant; a temperature measuring unit for
measuring the temperature of the etchant in the etch bath; and an
etchant heating element for heating the etchant.
13. The apparatus for etching a material of claim 12, further
comprising: an undiluted etchant supply part for supplying
undiluted etchant; a water supply part for supplying water; and a
mixing part for mixing the undiluted etchant and the water.
14. The apparatus for etching material of claim 13, wherein the
etchant heating element is in the mixing part.
15. The apparatus for etching material of claim 13, further
comprising an etchant concentration measuring unit in the mixing
part.
16. The apparatus for etching material of claim 13, further
comprising: an etchant recycling unit for receiving etchant from
the etching bath and providing etchant to the mixing part.
17. The apparatus for etching material of claim 16, wherein the
etchant recycling unit includes a filter and a storage tank.
18. The apparatus for etching a material of claim 12, wherein the
etching bath includes a bubble plate.
19. The apparatus for etching a material of claim 12, wherein the
etchant includes HF.
20. A method of etching a material, comprising: providing an
etchant in an etching bath; providing a material to be etched in
the etching bath to etch the material; monitoring temperature of
the etchant in the etching bath after the material is provided in
the etching bath; and stopping etching of the material in the
etching bath when the temperature of the etchant is a predetermined
value.
21. The method of claim 20, further comprising: maintaining a
constant concentration of the etchant in the etching bath.
22. The method of claim 20, wherein the material to be etched is
glass.
23. The method of claim 20, wherein the etchant is HF.
24. The method of claim 20, further comprising: heating the etchant
in the etching bath.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent
Application No. 2000-83103 filed on Dec. 27, 2000, which is hereby
incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to an etching apparatus of a
glass substrate, and more particularly, to an etching apparatus of
a glass substrate using a heating unit.
[0004] 2. Discussion of the Related Art
[0005] Recently, research of flat panel displays such as liquid
crystal display (LCD), plasma panel display (PDP),
electroluminescent display (ELD), vacuum fluorescent display (VFD),
etc., is being performed and these displays are being used in
various apparatus.
[0006] Among these displays, LCDs are most widely used in that they
have good picture quality and low power consumption
characteristics. They are being used as the display in portable
televisions and notebook computers.
[0007] Portable televisions or notebook computers are obtaining the
popularity due to their lightness in weight. A main component of
technology development is to decrease their weight. To this end,
there are specific efforts to decrease the weight of the LCD
itself.
[0008] Various ways for decreasing the weight of the LCD have been
tried. However, LCD structure and current technology limit the
decrease of weight and size to the main elements of the LCD.
[0009] In the meanwhile, glass substrate, which is one of the most
basic elements of the LCD, still has margin to decrease the weight
of the LCD according to developments in processing technologies.
Since the glass substrate occupies most of the total weight of the
LCD, research for decreasing the weight of the glass substrate is
being performed for the purpose of decreasing the weight of the
LCD.
[0010] In order to decrease the weight of the glass substrate, its
thickness should be decreased preferentially. However, if the
thickness decreases below a specific value, the glass substrate is
broken during its processing or cracks are generated. Therefore,
there is a limitation in decreasing the thickness of the glass
substrate.
[0011] As a way for decreasing the thickness of the glass
substrate, after an LCD is fabricated using a glass substrate
having the specific thickness and more, the glass substrate is
etched by dipping the glass substrate in an etching bath in which
an etchant is contained.
[0012] This method, however, has disadvantages in that the glass
substrate is nonuniformly etched due to the incompleteness of the
glass substrate itself, or foreign particles generated during the
etch process are again attached to the etched surface of the glass
substrate and thus the surface of the glass substrate becomes
irregular.
[0013] Hereinafter, a conventional etching apparatus is described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0014] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional etching
apparatus of glass substrates.
[0015] First, a method for fabricating an LCD using a glass
substrate is described.
[0016] A pair of large-sized glass substrates each having plural
pixel regions are prepared. An LCD panel is fabricated using the
pair of glass substrates by attaching the glass substrates with a
space between the glass substrates. The LCD panel is cut to have a
selected size. Liquid crystal is injected into the space between
the glass substrates.
[0017] Specifically, in the LCD panel, on one glass substrate,
generally called "TFT substrate", gate lines and data lines normal
to the gate lines are formed to thereby define pixel regions. A
pixel electrode is formed on the defined unit pixel region. On the
other glass substrate, generally called "color filter substrate",
color filter of red, green, blue (R, G, B) and a common electrode
are arranged. The TFT substrate and the color filter substrate are
aligned with a space for the liquid crystal between them and then
they are attached each other. The attached substrates are cut and
then the liquid crystal is injected into the space.
[0018] In the aforementioned LCD panel fabrication process, the
attached substrates are etched to decrease the weight of the
substrates prior to cutting the attached substrates.
[0019] Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional etching apparatus
includes: an etching bath 1 for etching a glass substrate using an
etchant to a selected thickness; a cleaning bath 6 for cleaning the
etched substrate using deionized (DI) water; a drying bath 7 for
drying the cleaned substrate; an etchant recycling part 2 for
reproducing the etchant used in the etching bath 1; a DI supply
part 3 for supplying DI water or distilled water; an undiluted
etchant supply part 4 for supplying a undiluted etchant; and an
etchant for mixing the DI and the undiluted etchant supplied from
the DI supply part 3 and the undiluted etchant supply part 4
respectively with the recycled etchant supplied from the etchant
recycling part 2 and supplying the mixed etchant to the etching
bath 1.
[0020] FIG. 2 shows a detailed constitution of the etching bath 1
described in FIG. 1.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 2, the etching bath 1 includes: a
container 1a containing the etchant; a bubble plate 1c established
at a lower portion of the container 1a, for uniformly distributing
a bubble using a gas supplied from an outside source; a gas supply
tube 1b for supplying nitrogen (N.sub.2) or oxygen (O.sub.2) to the
bubble plate 1c; and a container cover 1d for covering the upper
portion of the container.
[0022] Here, generating the bubbles using nitrogen or oxygen gas is
to uniformly etch the surface of the glass substrate by removing a
reactant remaining on the surface of the etched glass substrate
when the glass substrate is etched by an exothermic reaction with
the etchant used.
[0023] The etchant mixing part 5 is connected to the etching bath 1
to supply the mixed etchant to the etching bath 1. The DI supply
part 3 and the undiluted etchant supply part 4 are respectively
connected to the etchant mixing part 5 to supply the DI water and
the undiluted etchant to the etchant mixing part 5.
[0024] The etchant mixing part 5 has to mix the DI water and the
undiluted etchant with the refined etchant in a constant
concentration. To do so, a concentration measuring part 5a is
provided in the etchant mixing part 5. The concentration measuring
part 5a measures the concentration of the etchant mixed in the
etchant mixing part 5. When the concentration of a finally mixed
etchant in the etchant mixing part 5 arrives at a reference
concentration, the concentration measuring part 5a informs a
control part (not shown) of such a fact. By the control of the
control part, the supply from the DI supply part 3 and the
undiluted etchant supply part 4 is stopped.
[0025] The glass substrate is etched in the etch container 1a of
the etching bath 1 by an exothermic reaction between the glass
substrate and the finally mixed etchant supplied from the etchant
mixing part 5.
[0026] The aforementioned conventional etching apparatus, however,
has a drawback as follows.
[0027] As described above, since the glass substrate is etched in
the etch container 1a of the etching bath 1 by an exothermic
reaction between the glass substrate and the finally mixed etchant,
and the etchant mixing part 5 supplies the finally mixed etchant to
the etching bath 1 at a room temperature, a long etch time is
required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0028] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to
provide an etching apparatus of a glass substrate capable of
shortening the etch time by heating an etchant for etching the
glass substrate to a certain temperature and supplying the heated
etchant to an etching bath.
[0029] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be
set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be
apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the
invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention
will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed
out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the
appended drawings.
[0030] To achieve the above object, there is provided an etching
apparatus comprising: an etching bath having an etchant; an etchant
recycling part in the etching bath; a DI and undiluted etchant
supply part for supplying a deionized (DI) water and an undiluted
etchant; an etchant mixing for part mixing the DI water and the
undiluted etchant; and an etchant heating part for heating the
mixed etchant.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0031] It is understood that both the foregoing general description
and the following detailed description are exemplary and
explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the
invention as claimed.
[0032] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a
further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of
the invention and together with the description serve to explain
the principles of the invention.
[0033] In the drawings:
[0034] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an etching apparatus of
glass substrates in accordance with the conventional art;
[0035] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the etching bath of the
etching apparatus of FIG. 1;
[0036] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an etching apparatus of
glass substrates in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention; and
[0037] FIG. 4 is a detailed block diagram of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0038] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred
embodiment of the present invention, example of which is
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
[0039] In the following description, same drawing reference
numerals are used for the same elements even in different drawings.
The matters defined in the description such as a detailed
construction and elements of a circuit are nothing but the ones
provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the
invention. Thus, it is apparent that the present invention can be
carried out without those defined matters. Also, well-known
functions or constructions are not described in detail since they
would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.
[0040] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an etching apparatus in
accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 3, an etching apparatus includes: an
etching bath having an etchant and for etching a glass substrate
for an LCD; a cleaning bath 16 for cleaning the etched substrate
using a deionized (DI) water, etc.; a drying bath 17 for drying the
cleaned substrate; an etchant recycling part 12 for removing a
foreign particle contained in the etchant used in the etching bath
11 and storing the foreign particle-removed etchant; a DI supply
part 13 for supplying DI water or distilled water; an undiluted
etchant supply part 14 for supplying an undiluted etchant; an
etchant mixing part 15 for mixing the DI and the undiluted etchant
supplied from the DI supply part 13 and the undiluted etchant
supply part 14, respectively, with the recycled etchant supplied
from the etchant recycling part 12 to a certain concentration; and
an etchant heating part 18 for heating the mixed etchant to a
certain temperature.
[0042] Here, the etchant includes an HF solution.
[0043] FIG. 4 is a detailed block diagram of FIG. 3.
[0044] Referring to FIG. 4, the etching bath includes; an etchant
container 11a containing the etchant; a bubble plate 11c
established at a lower portion of the container 11a, for generating
bubbles using a gas supplied from outside; a gas supply tube 11b
connected to the bubble plate 11c in a form of at least one tube,
for supplying nitrogen (N.sub.2) or oxygen (O.sub.2) gas; a
temperature measuring unit 11e established within the container
11a; and a container cover 11d for covering the container 11a.
[0045] Here, the temperature measuring unit 11e is used in
controlling the etch time. In other words, the etchant as used is
to remove silicon oxide (SiO.sub.2) contained in the glass
substrate. Thus, a reaction between the glass substrate and the HF
solution is expressed as the following chemical equation Eq. 1.
SiO.sub.2+HF.fwdarw.SiF.sub.4+2H.sub.2O+E Eq. 1
[0046] where, numeral "E" is the heat generated when the glass
substrate is etched.
[0047] Thus, since heat is generated upon etching the glass
substrate, it is possible to know the degree of etching performed
by measuring the generated heat regardless of the concentration of
the etchant used and the etch time. Accordingly, a temperature of
the reaction heat is computed depending on the thickness and number
of a desired substrate and the etch process is stopped as the real
temperature of the etchant arrives at the computed value, so that a
substrate having a uniform thickness is obtained.
[0048] The etchant recycling part 12 includes a filter 12a for
removing a foreign particle remaining in the etching bath 11 after
etching the substrate in the etching bath 11 and a storage tank 12b
for storing the etchant refined through the filter 12a.
[0049] A concentration measuring unit 15a is installed within the
etchant mixing part 15 to measure the concentration of the etchant
mixed in the etchant mixing part 15. Selectively, a PCW tube is
installed at a selected portion within the etchant mixing part 15
to constantly maintain the temperature of the mixed etchant.
[0050] The concentration measuring unit 15a helps to constantly
maintain the concentration of the etchant such as HF solution. This
is because the concentration of the etchant, as well as a pressure
of bubbles of the nitrogen or oxygen gas, affects the etch time. In
other words, when the concentration of the etchant is low, the etch
time is lengthened, while when the concentration of the etchant is
high, the surface of the glass substrate is non-uniformly etched
due to an abrupt exothermic and chemical reaction, and thus a spot
is generated on the surface of the glass substrate.
[0051] The filter 12a is connected to a rear end of the storage
tank 12b and is preferably connected to the rear end and the front
end of the storage tank 12b at least one. The filter 12a removes
sludge deposited within the storage tank 12b.
[0052] To transfer the etchant, tubes are connected between the
etching bath 11 and the etchant heating part 18, between the
etchant heating part 18 and the etchant mixing part 15 and between
the etchant mixing part 15 and the etchant recycling part 12. At
least one pump is installed between the tubes.
[0053] Next, an operation mechanism of the etching apparatus having
the aforementioned constitution is described.
[0054] A glass substrate for an LCD is dipped in the etch container
11a of the etching bath 11, and the pump (not shown) between the
etching bath 11 and the etchant heating part 18 is operated. An
etchant is heated by the etchant heating part 18 and is transferred
to the etch container 11a of the etching bath 11 through a tube. An
exothermic reaction between the heated etchant and the glass
substrate is generated in the etch container 11a and thus the glass
substrate is etched. At this time, oxygen or nitrogen gas is
injected into the bubble plate 11c of the etching bath 11 from the
gas supply tube 11b, and thus bubbles are generated in the etchant
contained in the etch container 11a. The generated bubbles remove
foreign particles adhered to the surface of the glass
substrate.
[0055] After that, the used etchant is transferred from the etch
container 11a into the etchant recycling part 12 through a tube
connected between them. The etchant is refined by passing through
the filter 12a and then is stored in the storage tank 12b.
Afterwards, the refined etchant is again transferred to the etchant
mixing part 15. Then, the etchant mixing part 15 mixes the refined
etchant with DI water or distilled water supplied from the DI
supply part 13 and the undiluted etchant supplied from the
undiluted etchant supply part 14.
[0056] At this time, when the concentration of the mixed etchant in
the etchant mixing part 15 arrives at a reference concentration,
the etchant mixing part 15 stops the supply from the DI supply part
13 and the undiluted etchant supply part 14 using the concentration
measuring unit 15a installed therein.
[0057] The etchant mixed in a constant concentration within the
etchant mixing part 15 is introduced into the etchant heating part
18 through a tube connected between them and then is heated at the
etchant heating part 18 in a temperature higher than the room
temperature. The heated etchant is again introduced into the etch
container 11a of the etching bath 11 by the pump pressure.
[0058] Then, an exothermic reaction occurs between the supplied
etchant and the glass substrate, and thereby the glass substrate
dipped is etched. The temperature measuring unit 11e of the etching
bath continuously measures a temperature variation of the etchant
contained in the etch container 11a generated by the exothermic
reaction. As a result of the measurement, when the measured
temperature does not arrive at the reference temperature, the
aforementioned steps are repeatedly performed, while when the
measured temperature arrives at a reference temperature, the etch
process is automatically stopped.
[0059] As described previously, the etching apparatus of the
present invention has the following advantages.
[0060] First, the etchant is heated and thus a fast exothermic
reaction between the etchant and a workpiece such as glass
substrate occurs, so that the etching rate is enhanced.
[0061] Second, the enhanced etching rate allows the amount of the
undiluted etchant which is used for constantly maintaining the
concentration of the etchant to be decreased, so that production
costs are substantially lowered.
[0062] In other words, since the exothermic reaction between the
etchant and the glass substrate at a temperature higher than the
room temperature shortens the reaction time greatly over that at
the room temperature, the etching apparatus of the present
invention shortens the reaction time, thereby improving the
performance of the apparatus.
[0063] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications and variation can be made in the present invention
without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus,
it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications
and variations of this invention provided they come within the
scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *