Washing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9362146-B2
Application number	US-56927209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2009
Priority date	Nov 14, 2008
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

A washing device is disclosed, which is capable of preventing damage of a substrate caused by drooping of the substrate. The washing device includes a plasma irradiating part supplied with a substrate from a substrate loading part to remove dirt from the substrate by irradiating plasma to the substrate; a dirt washing part supplied from the substrate from the plasma irradiating part to remove dirt remaining on the substrate; a finishing washing part supplied with the substrate from the dirt washing part to wash the substrate; a drying part supplied with the substrate from the finishing washing part to dry the substrate; and a substrate unloading part supplied with the substrate from the drying part to unload the substrate, wherein the plasma irradiating part includes a plasma irradiation unit that irradiates plasma to the substrate and a floating unit that maintains the substrate in a floating state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A washing device comprising:
a plasma irradiating part configured to receive a substrate from a substrate loading part, and the plasma irradiating part further configured to remove dirt from the substrate by irradiating the substrate with plasma;
a dirt washing part configured to receive the substrate from the plasma irradiating part, and the dirt washing part further configured to remove dirt remaining on the substrate;
a finishing washing part configured to receive the substrate from the dirt washing part, and the finishing washing part further configured to wash the substrate;
a drying part configured to receive the substrate from the finishing washing part, and the drying part further configured to dry the substrate;
a substrate unloading part configured to receive the substrate from the drying part, and the substrate unloading part further configured to unload the substrate; and
a plurality of transfer rollers configured to transfer the substrate within the washing device, the plurality of transfer rollers comprising:
a first transfer roller mounted to the substrate loading part to transfer the substrate to the plasma irradiating part;
a second transfer roller mounted between the plasma irradiating part and the dirt washing part to transfer the substrate from the plasma irradiating part to the dirt washing part, the second transfer roller separating the plasma irradiating part from the dirt washing part;
a third transfer roller mounted between the dirt washing part and the drying part to transfer the substrate from the dirt washing part to the drying part, the third transfer roller separating the dirt washing part from the drying part;
a fourth transfer roller mounted to the substrate unloading part to transfer the substrate from the drying part to the outside; and

a first floating unit disposed between the first and second transfer rollers, and a second floating unit disposed between the second transfer roller and the third transfer roller, wherein the first and second floating units let air toward the substrate and do not contact the substrate,
wherein:
the dirt washing part includes a washing unit which is disposed above the third transfer roller to jet a detergent solution to the substrate placed on the third transfer roller; and
the plasma irradiating part includes a plasma irradiation unit and the first floating unit facing each other, thereby forming a transfer space therebetween for the substrate to pass through, and wherein the first floating unit is configured to jet air toward the transfer space and simultaneously draws the jetted air back, thereby preventing the substrate from drooping when being transferred across the transfer space by the first transfer roller and the second transfer roller,
wherein the substrate is transferred through the plasma irradiating part, the dirt washing part and the drying part by the first, second, and third transfer rollers disposed outside and between the plasma irradiating part, the dirt washing part and the drying part, and the substrate is prevented from drooping between the first and second transfer rollers by only the first floating unit, and is prevented from drooping between the second and third transfer rollers by only the second floating unit.

2. The washing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first floating unit comprises first to third floating devices disposed between the first transfer roller and the second transfer roller, wherein the first floating device is adjacent to the first transfer roller, and a surface of the first floating device is slanted to be lowered toward the first transfer roller,
the third floating device is adjacent to the second transfer roller, and a surface of the third floating device is slanted to be lowered toward the second transfer roller, and
the surfaces of the first and the third floating devices are slanted away from the second floating device.

3. The washing device according to claim 2 , wherein a distance from a lowermost position among the slanted surfaces of the first floating device to the ground is equal to a distance from a central axis of the first transfer roller to the ground, and
a distance from a lowermost position among the slanted surfaces of the third floating device to the ground is equal to a distance from a central axis of the second transfer roller to the ground.

4. The washing device according to claim 1 , wherein the dirt washing part comprises an upper dirt washing unit and a lower dirt washing unit facing each other at a predetermined interval to thereby form a transfer space for the substrate to pass through,
the upper dirt washing unit jets air toward the transfer space and draws in the jetted air simultaneously whereas the lower dirt washing unit jets air toward the transfer space and draws in the jetted air simultaneously to maintain the substrate in a floating state,
the upper dirt washing unit jets a detergent solution to the transfer space and generates foam using the detergent solution and the jetted air, thereby removing dirt formed at an upper surface of the substrate passing through the transfer space,
the lower dirt washing unit jets the detergent solution to the transfer space and generates foam using the detergent solution and the jetted air, thereby removing dirt formed at an lower surface of the substrate passing through the transfer space, and
the upper and the lower dirt washing units discharge the detergent solution to the outside using the air being drawn.

5. The washing device according to claim 4 , wherein the upper and the lower dirt washing units are made of a porous material so that the air supplied from the outside can be jetted to the transfer space by passing through the upper and the lower dirt washing units.

6. The washing device according to claim 4 , wherein the dirt washing part comprises:
a first dirt washing part disposed at one side of the second transfer roller; and
a second dirt washing part disposed at one side of the third transfer roller,
wherein the first and the second dirt washing parts jet the air upward and simultaneously draw in the jetted air, thereby maintaining the substrate in a floating state, the first and the second dirt washing parts along with the upper and lower dirt washing units constituting the second floating unit.

7. The washing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a third floating unit disposed between the third transfer roller and the fourth transfer roller,
wherein the drying part comprises:
a first drying part disposed at one side of the third transfer roller; and
a second drying part disposed at one side of the fourth transfer roller,
wherein the first and the second drying parts jet the air upward and simultaneously draw in the jetted air, thereby maintaining the substrate in a horizontal state without drooping, and
wherein the first drying part and the second drying part constitute the third floating unit.

Assignees

• Oh Tae Young
• Lee Eun Ha
• Lg Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Oh Tae Young
• Lee Eun Ha

Classifications

• H10P72/3314

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

• H10P72/0436

  mainly by radiation · CPC title

• H10P72/0414

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

• H10P72/0406

  for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/78

  using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks · CPC title