Apparatus for supplying chemical liquid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11121007-B2
Application number	US-201916532986-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2019
Priority date	Sep 27, 2018
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus for supplying chemical liquid may include a chemical liquid discharging member, a reservoir, a chemical liquid supplying member and a chemical liquid circulating member. The chemical liquid discharging member may discharge a chemical liquid onto a substrate. The reservoir may store the chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid discharging member. The chemical liquid supplying member may supply the chemical liquid stored in the reservoir. The chemical liquid circulating member may circulate the chemical liquid from the chemical liquid discharging member to the reservoir.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for supplying chemical liquid comprising:
a chemical liquid discharging member for discharging a chemical liquid onto a substrate, the chemical liquid discharging member including a plurality of ink jet heads;
a reservoir for storing the chemical liquid being supplied to the chemical liquid discharging member;
a chemical liquid supplying member for supplying the chemical liquid stored in the reservoir;
a chemical liquid circulating member for circulating the chemical liquid from the plurality of ink jet heads to the reservoir.

2. The apparatus for supplying chemical liquid of claim 1 , wherein the chemical liquid supplying member includes a supplying line for connecting the reservoir to the chemical liquid discharging member and a supplying pump for pumping the chemical liquid from the reservoir to the chemical liquid discharging member, and wherein the chemical liquid circulating member includes a circulating line for connecting the chemical liquid discharging member to the reservoir and a circulating pump for pumping the chemical liquid from the chemical liquid discharging member to the reservoir.

3. The apparatus for supplying chemical liquid of claim 1 , wherein the chemical liquid supplying member is connected to a first portion of the reservoir and the chemical liquid circulating member is connected to a second portion of the reservoir.

4. The apparatus for supplying chemical liquid of claim 1 , further comprising a bubble removing member disposed in the reservoir to remove bubbles which can be generated in the chemical liquid.

5. The apparatus for supplying chemical liquid of claim 4 , wherein the bubble removing member includes at least one plate having a plurality of holes and the at least one plate divides a space of the reservoir into a plurality of sections in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the chemical liquid flows in the reservoir.

6. The apparatus for supplying chemical liquid of claim 5 , wherein the at least one plate includes a hydrophobic material.

7. The apparatus for supplying chemical liquid of claim 5 , wherein each of the holes has a diameter of about 300 μm to about 500 μm.

8. The apparatus for supplying chemical liquid of claim 1 , further comprising a negative pressure providing member for providing a negative pressure to the chemical liquid discharging member to maintain a meniscus of the chemical liquid discharging member.

9. The apparatus for supplying chemical liquid of claim 8 , further comprising a negative pressure controlling member for adjusting the negative pressure provided to the chemical liquid discharging member to constantly maintain the meniscus of the chemical liquid discharging member.

10. The apparatus for supplying chemical liquid of claim 9 , wherein the negative pressure controlling member includes a sensing member for sensing conditions of the chemical liquid and a controlling member for controlling the negative pressure providing member on the basis of the conditions of the chemical liquid sensed by the sensing member.

11. The apparatus for supplying chemical liquid of claim 9 , wherein the negative pressure controlling member includes a sensing member for sensing conditions of the chemical liquid and a controlling member for controlling the supplying pump of the chemical liquid supplying member and the circulating pump of the chemical liquid circulating member on the basis of the conditions of the chemical liquid sensed by the sensing member.

12. The apparatus for supplying chemical liquid of claim 10 , wherein the sensing member includes a first pressure sensor for sensing a first pressure of the chemical liquid flowing in the supplying line, a second pressure sensor for sensing a second pressure of the chemical liquid flowing in the circulating line, and a flow sensor for sensing a flow rate of the chemical liquid flowing in the circulating line, and wherein the controlling member for controlling the negative pressure providing member or the supplying pump and the circulating pump on the basis of the first pressure, the second pressure and flow rate transmitted from the sensing member.

13. The apparatus for supplying chemical liquid of claim 1 , further comprising a damping member for absorbing a vibration which can be generated in the reservoir by a flow of the chemical liquid in the reservoir.

14. The apparatus for supplying chemical liquid of claim 1 , further comprising a buffer reservoir for temporarily storing the chemical liquid supplied to the reservoir.

15. An apparatus for supplying chemical liquid comprising:
a chemical liquid discharging member for discharging a chemical liquid onto a substrate;
a reservoir for storing the chemical liquid being supplied to the chemical liquid discharging member;
a buffer reservoir for temporarily storing the chemical liquid supplied to the reservoir; and

a bubble removing member disposed in the reservoir to remove bubbles which can be generated in the chemical liquid flows to a second portion of the reservoir from a first portion of the reservoir,
wherein the chemical liquid discharging member is connected to the first portion of the reservoir and the buffer reservoir is connected to the second portion of the reservoir.

16. The apparatus for supplying chemical liquid of claim 15 , wherein the bubble removing member includes at least one plate having a plurality of holes and the at least one plate divides a space of the reservoir into a plurality of sections in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the chemical liquid flows in the reservoir.

17. The apparatus for supplying chemical liquid of claim 16 , wherein the at least one plate includes a hydrophobic material.

18. The apparatus for supplying chemical liquid of claim 16 , wherein each of the holes has a diameter of about 300 μm to about 500 μm.

19. An apparatus for supplying chemical liquid comprising:
a chemical liquid discharging member for discharging a chemical liquid onto a substrate;
a reservoir for storing the chemical liquid being supplied to the chemical liquid discharging member;
a chemical liquid supplying member for supplying the chemical liquid stored in the reservoir;
a chemical liquid circulating member for circulating the chemical liquid from the chemical liquid discharging member to the reservoir; and
a bubble removing member disposed in the reservoir to remove bubbles which can be generated in the chemical liquid.

20. An apparatus for supplying chemical liquid comprising:
a chemical liquid discharging member for discharging a chemical liquid onto a substrate;
a reservoir for storing the chemical liquid being supplied to the chemical liquid discharging member;
a chemical liquid supplying member for supplying the chemical liquid stored in the reservoir;
a chemical liquid circulating member for circulating the chemical liquid from the chemical liquid discharging member to the reservoir; and
a damping member for absorbing a vibration which can be generated in the reservoir by a flow of the chemical liquid in the reservoir.

Assignees

• Semes Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jae-Youl
• Jung Jeeyong
• Seo Young Ho
• Kim Dae Sung
• Oh Beomjeong
• Jun Kwangbok
• Kwon Hyungoo
• Son Sanguk

Classifications

• H10P72/0448 Primary

  Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/0404 Primary

  for general liquid treatment, e.g. etching followed by cleaning · CPC title

• H10P72/0402

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• B05C11/10

  Storage, supply or control of liquid or other fluent material; Recovery of excess liquid or other fluent material {(B05C1/0813, B05C5/0225, B05C17/002 and B05C19/06 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B05C11/1013

  responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material (B05C11/101 takes precedence; control of flow in general G05D7/00; control of fluid pressure in general G05D16/00) · CPC title