Substrate treatment apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11964309-B2
Application number	US-202217738010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2022
Priority date	Sep 3, 2021
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

A substrate treatment apparatus includes: a first bath storing a cleaning solution and having a first opening formed in an upper surface thereof; and a first ultrasonic oscillator installed in the first bath and providing ultrasonic waves toward a surface of the cleaning solution exposed by the first opening to form a water film protruding from the surface of the cleaning solution, wherein a substrate is not immersed in the first bath, and a surface of the substrate is placed adjacent to the first opening and cleaned by the water film.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate treatment apparatus comprising:
a first bath storing a cleaning solution and having a first opening formed in an upper surface thereof; and
a first ultrasonic oscillator installed in the first bath and providing ultrasonic waves toward a surface of the cleaning solution exposed by the first opening to form a water film protruding from the surface of the cleaning solution; and
a gas supply unit configured to supply gas to the substrate, the gas supply unit comprising a cylindrical body and a plurality of gas outlets formed in a side surface of the body, wherein each of the gas outlets extends in a longitudinal direction of the body,
wherein a substrate is not immersed in the first bath, and a surface of the substrate is placed adjacent to the first opening and cleaned by the water film, and
the gas supply unit is disposed above the first bath, and the substrate is disposed between the first bath and the gas supply unit such that the other surface of the substrate faces the gas supply unit, to prevent contamination of the other surface of the substrate by supplying gas to the other surface of the substrate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate moves from a first side to a second side, and a first height of a first sidewall of the first bath located on the first side is lower than a second height of a second sidewall of the first bath located on the second side.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a height of the water film is greater than a difference between the first height and the second height.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein an inlet through which the cleaning solution is supplied into the first bath is installed on the second sidewall.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein while the substrate is being cleaned, the cleaning solution is continuously supplied through the inlet.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein an outlet through which the cleaning solution is discharged from the first bath is installed on the first sidewall.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a film wound in a roll shape, and the film is cleaned by the protruding water film as the film is unwound and passes an upper surface of the first opening of the first bath.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate moves from a first side to a second side and further comprising:
a second bath located on the second side of the first bath, storing a cleaning solution, and having a second opening formed in an upper surface thereof; and
a second ultrasonic oscillator installed in the second bath and providing ultrasonic waves toward a surface of the cleaning solution exposed by the second opening to form a water film protruding from the surface of the cleaning solution,
wherein a first frequency of the first ultrasonic oscillator and a second frequency of the second ultrasonic oscillator are different from each other.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second frequency is greater than the first frequency.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first ultrasonic oscillator is provided in plural numbers, and the first ultrasonic oscillators are arranged in a line.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate moves from a first side to a second side, the first ultrasonic oscillator is provided in plural numbers, and the first ultrasonic oscillators are arranged in a “<” shape such that a vertex of the “<” shape faces the second side.

12. A substrate treatment apparatus comprising:
a first bath storing a cleaning solution and having a first opening formed in an upper surface thereof;
a first ultrasonic oscillator installed in the first bath and providing ultrasonic waves of a first frequency toward a surface of the cleaning solution exposed by the first opening to form a first water film protruding from the surface of the cleaning solution;
a second bath located on a side of the first bath, storing a cleaning solution, and having a second opening formed in an upper surface thereof;
a second ultrasonic oscillator installed in the second bath and providing ultrasonic waves of a second frequency greater than the first frequency toward a surface of the cleaning solution exposed by the second opening to form a second water film protruding from the surface of the cleaning solution;
a gas supply unit configured to supply gas to the substrate, the gas supply unit comprising a cylindrical body and a plurality of gas outlets formed in a side surface of the body, wherein each of the gas outlets extends in a longitudinal direction of the body,
wherein as a substrate wound in a roll shape is unwound, the substrate sequentially passes above the first bath and above the second bath without being immersed in the first bath and the second bath, a surface of the substrate is cleaned by the first water film and the second water film as the surface of the substrate passes near the first opening and the second opening, and the first bath comprises a first sidewall not facing the second bath and a second sidewall facing the second bath, wherein a second height of the second sidewall is higher than a first height of the first sidewall, and
the gas supply unit is disposed above the first bath, and the substrate is disposed between the first bath and the gas supply unit such that the other surface of the substrate faces the gas supply unit, to prevent contamination of the other surface of the substrate by supplying gas to the other surface of the substrate.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a height of the first water film is greater than a difference between the first height and the second height.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein an inlet through which the cleaning solution is supplied into the first bath is installed on the second sidewall.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein while the substrate is being cleaned, the cleaning solution is continuously supplied through the inlet to flow over the first sidewall.

Assignees

• Semes Co Ltd

Inventors

• Eom Sung Hun
• Lee Sung Ho
• Jang Ju Yong

Classifications

• B08B5/026

  Cleaning moving webs · CPC title

• B08B3/123 Primary

  Cleaning travelling work, e.g. webs, articles on a conveyor (conveyors B65G; handling webs B65H) · CPC title

• H10P72/3202

  Mechanical details, e.g. rollers or belts · CPC title

• H10P72/0448

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

• H10P72/0411 Primary

  for wet cleaning or washing · CPC title