Apparatus for cleaning substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9409214-B2
Application number	US-201514683921-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2015
Priority date	Oct 2, 2014
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning a substrate includes a suction unit generating a suction force, a suction head suctioning contamination particles remaining on the substrate that is transferred in a first direction by using the suction force, and a suction tube connected to the suction unit and the suction head so as to transfer the suction force into the suction head and providing the contamination particles suctioned by the suction head into the suction unit. The suction head may include: a plurality of suction regions arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction; and a plurality of shutters for opening and closing the suction regions. The suction regions corresponding to a width of the substrate in the second direction are opened by the shutters so as to suction the contamination particles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for cleaning a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
a suction unit generating a suction force;
a suction head suctioning contamination particles remaining on the substrate that is transferred in a first direction by using the suction force; and
a suction tube connected to the suction unit and the suction head so as to transfer the suction force into the suction head, and providing the contamination particles suctioned by the suction head into the suction unit;
wherein the suction head comprises:
a plurality of suction regions arranged in a second direction crossing the first direction; and
a plurality of shutters for opening and closing the suction regions;
wherein the suction regions corresponding to a width of the substrate in the second direction are opened by the shutters so as to suction the contamination particles.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the shutters comprises a first shutter and a second shutter that are reciprocated in the first direction, and the first and second shutters move in a direction opposite to each other.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the suction head further comprises a plurality of partition walls for partitioning the suction head into the suction regions.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the suction unit comprises:
a suction force generation part for generating the suction force;
a filter having a closed loop shape, the filter filtering the contamination particles;
first and second roller parts disposed with the suction force generation part therebetween in the second direction so as to move the filter in a predetermined direction; and
a third roller part disposed adjacent to the first roller part so as to remove the contamination particles adsorbed onto the filter;
wherein the filter moves via a lower portion of the suction force generation part.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the suction force generation part comprises a rotor.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the filter is a porous filter.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first roller part comprises:
a first roller generating a rotation force;
a second roller disposed lower than the first roller; and
a third roller disposed lower than the second roller;
wherein each of the first, second and third rollers has a cylindrical shape extending in the first direction, the second roller is disposed more adjacent to the suction force generation part than the first roller, and the third roller overlaps the first roller in a third direction crossing the first and second directions.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein a lowermost spot of an outer circumferential surface of the second roller is disposed lower than a bottom surface of the suction force generation part.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second roller part comprises fourth, fifth and sixth rollers that respectively correspond to the first, second and third rollers,
wherein each of the fourth, fifth and sixth rollers has the same shape as that of each of the first, second and third rollers corresponding thereto, and is symmetrical to each of the first, second and third rollers corresponding thereto with respect to the suction force generation part in the second direction; and
wherein the filter moves along an outer circumferential surface of each of the first to sixth rollers in a predetermined direction by rotation of each of the first to sixth rollers.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the filter contacts an upper outer circumferential surface of the first roller, a right-lower outer circumferential surface of the second roller, a right-lower outer circumferential surface of the third roller, an upper outer circumferential surface of the fourth roller, a left-lower outer circumferential surface of the fifth roller, and a left-lower outer circumferential surface of the sixth roller so as to move.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first, third, fourth, and sixth rollers rotate in a first rotation direction, and the second and fifth rollers rotate in a second rotation direction which is opposite to the first rotation direction.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each of the first to third rollers has a width greater than that of the filter in the first direction, and the filter has a width greater than that of the suction force generation part in the first direction.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the third roller part comprises:
a seventh roller disposed adjacent to the first roller; and
an adhesion member disposed on an outer circumferential surface of the seventh roller;
wherein the seventh roller rotates in a direction opposite to that of the first roller, and the adhesion member is in contact with the filter that moves by the first roller.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the contamination particles adsorbed onto the filter moving by the first roller are transferred to the adhesion member due to an adhesion force of the adhesion member, and are removed from the filter.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the adhesion member is periodically replaced.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the adhesion member comprises an adhesion tape.

17. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the suction regions comprise:
a plurality of first suction regions;
a plurality of second suction regions arranged at a left side of the first suction regions in the second direction; and
a plurality of third suction regions arranged at a right side of the first suction regions in the second direction.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the suction tube comprises:
a first suction tube connected to the first suction regions and to a central portion of a bottom surface of the suction unit;
a plurality of second suction tubes connected to the second suction regions corresponding thereto and to one side surface of the first suction tube in the second direction; and
a plurality of third suction tubes connected to the third suction regions corresponding thereto and to another side surface of the first suction tube in the second direction.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the first suction tube defines a moving path through which the contamination particles suctioned from the first suction regions move into the suction unit;
wherein the second suction tubes define moving paths through which the contamination particles suctioned from the second suction regions move into the suction unit; and
wherein the third suction tubes define moving paths through which the contamination particles suctioned from the third suction regions move into the suction unit.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the filter has a width greater than a width of the first suction tube in the first direction.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jang Euiyun
• Lee Sang-Gu
• Jang Yun

Classifications

• A47L9/20

  Means for cleaning filters · CPC title

• B08B5/04 Primary

  Cleaning by suction, with or without auxiliary action · CPC title

• A47L9/12

  Dry filters · CPC title

• B08B7/0028

  by adhesive surfaces · CPC title

• B08B5/043

  Cleaning travelling work · CPC title