Substrate processing apparatus and method of manufacturing display panel using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11508762-B2
Application number	US-202117159518-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2021
Priority date	Apr 20, 2020
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a first process chamber in which a target substrate is processed, a first tank connected to the first process chamber to supply a first chemical to the first process chamber, a second process chamber in which the target substrate is processed, and a second tank connected to the second process chamber to supply a second chemical to the second process chamber. A metal ion contained in the first chemical supplied to the first process chamber has an ion concentration greater than an ion concentration of the metal ion contained in the second chemical supplied to the second process chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a first process chamber in which a target substrate is processed;
a first tank connected to the first process chamber to supply a first chemical to the first process chamber;
a second process chamber in which the target substrate is processed; and
a second tank connected to the second process chamber to supply a second chemical to the second process chamber,
wherein a metal ion contained in the first chemical supplied to the first process chamber has an ion concentration greater than an ion concentration of the metal ion contained in the second chemical supplied to the second process chamber.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a transfer part which transfers the target substrate,
wherein the target substrate is transferred in a direction from the first process chamber to the second process chamber by the transfer part.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third process chamber in which the target substrate is processed; and
a third tank connected to the third process chamber to supply a third chemical to the third process chamber,
wherein the metal ion contained in the third chemical supplied to the third process chamber has an ion concentration less than the ion concentration of the metal ion contained in the second chemical supplied to the second process chamber.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the target substrate is processed in the first process chamber and then transferred to the second process chamber, and processed in the second process chamber and then transferred to the third process chamber.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a concentration meter connected to the third tank to measure the metal ion concentration of the third chemical contained in the third tank.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the third chemical does not comprise the metal ion.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a standby tank which supplies a new chemical to each of the first tank, the second tank, and the third tank.

8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the new chemical does not comprise the metal ion.

9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a drain pipe connected to each of the first tank, the second tank, and the third tank to transfer the first to third chemicals from the first tank, the second tank, and the third tank, respectively.

10. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the drain pipe comprises:
a first drain pipe which transfers the third chemical from the third tank to the second tank;
a second drain pipe which transfers the second chemical from the second tank to the first tank; and
a third drain pipe which discharges the first chemical from the first tank.

11. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first chemical and the second chemical comprises an etchant for etching a metal part in the target substrate.

12. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 , wherein
the metal part comprises a first metal oxide layer, a metal layer, and a second metal oxide layer, which are sequentially laminated one on another, and
the metal layer comprises silver (Ag).

13. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the metal ion contained in each of the first chemical and the second chemical is a silver (Ag) ion.

14. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first supply pipe which supplies the first chemical from the first tank to the first process chamber;
a first discharge pipe which discharges the first chemical to the first tank after the target substrate is processed in the first process chamber;
a second supply pipe which supplies the second chemical from the second tank to the second process chamber; and
a second discharge pipe which discharges the second chemical to the second tank after the target substrate is processed in the second process chamber.

15. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the target substrate is a display panel in a display device.

16. A display panel manufacturing apparatus for providing a plurality of pads in a display panel, the display panel manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a first process chamber in which the display panel is processed;
a first tank connected to the first process chamber to supply a first chemical to the first process chamber;
a second process chamber in which the display panel processed in the first process chamber is further processed; and
a second tank connected to the second process chamber to supply a second chemical to the second process chamber,
wherein a metal ion contained in the first chemical supplied to the first process chamber has an ion concentration greater than an ion concentration of an ion contained in the second chemical supplied to the second process chamber.

17. The display panel manufacturing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein
the first process chamber and the second tank are spaced apart from each other, and
the second process chamber and the first tank are spaced apart from each other.

18. A method of manufacturing a display panel, the method comprising:
preparing a pad part comprising a first metal layer;
providing an electrode part comprising a second metal layer on the pad part; and
etching the electrode part,
wherein the etching the electrode part comprises:
etching the electrode part in a first process chamber by using a first chemical;
etching the electrode part in a second process chamber by using a second chemical after the etching the electrode part in the first process chamber; and
etching the electrode part in a third process chamber by using a third chemical after the etching the electrode part in the second process chamber,
wherein a metal ion contained in the second chemical has an ion concentration less than an ion concentration of the metal ion contained in the first chemical, and
the metal ion contained in the third chemical has a metal ion concentration less than the ion concentration of the metal ion contained in the second chemical.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein
the first metal layer comprises aluminum (Al), and
the second metal layer comprises silver (Ag).

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the metal ion contained in the first to third chemicals is a silver (Ag) ion.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Youngdae
• Kim Jinseock
• Park Jonghee

Classifications

• H10P72/3314

  Continuous loading and unloading into and out of a processing chamber, e.g. transporting belts within processing chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0456

  in-line arrangement · CPC title

• H10P72/0424 Primary

  using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles · CPC title

• H10P72/0422 Primary

  for wet etching · CPC title