Cleaning method and cleaning apparatus for a mask

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9724735-B2
Application number	US-201414378612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2014
Priority date	Jun 12, 2014
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cleaning method and a cleaning apparatus for a mask. The cleaning method includes: step 1, providing a to-be-cleaned mask which is made of metal and has an organic material film attached thereto; step 2, heating the to-be-cleaned mask with microwave to break up the organic material film attached to the mask; step 3, stopping heating with microwave, and spraying the heated mask with a solution to remove off the broken organic material film from the mask; step 4, cleaning residual organic material film on the mask with a solution; step 5, rinsing the cleaned mask to wash off residual solution on the mask; step 6, drying the rinsed mask with microwave. Accordingly, the cleaning period of mask is dramatically shortened, the cleaning productivity is increased and the probability of material residue is decreased.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaning method for a mask, comprising:
step 1: providing a to-be-cleaned mask, wherein the mask is made of metal and has an organic material film attached thereto;
step 2: heating the to-be-cleaned mask with microwave to break up the organic material film attached to the mask;
step 3: stopping the heating with microwave, and spraying a solution onto the microwave-heated mask to remove off the broken organic material film from the mask;
step 4: cleaning residual organic material film on the mask with a solution;
step 5: rinsing the cleaned mask to wash off residual solution on the mask; and
step 6: drying the rinsed mask with microwave;
wherein the step 2 and step 3 both are performed in a microwave dry cleaning tank, the step 4 is performed in a solution wet cleaning tank, and the step 5 is performed in a solution wet washing tank; and
the microwave dry cleaning tank, the solution wet cleaning tank and the solution wet washing tank are adjacently arranged in order.

2. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mask is used for an organic light emitting diode evaporation process.

3. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the microwave dry cleaning tank comprises a tank body, a microwave generator disposed at the bottom of the tank body and a solution sprayer disposed at the top of the tank body; the mask is heated with microwave by the microwave generator; and the mask is sprayed with the solution by the solution sprayer.

4. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein in the step 2 and step 3, the to-be-cleaned mask is obliquely disposed in the microwave dry cleaning tank, the organic material film faces upwards, and the solution sprayer is a low speed solution sprayer.

5. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the solution wet cleaning tank is contained with a solution into which the mask is immersed.

6. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the solution wet washing tank is contained with a detergent into which the mask is immersed.

7. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the step 6 is performed in the microwave dry cleaning tank.

Assignees

• Shenzhen China Star Optoelect
• Shenzhen China Star Optoelect

Inventors

• Kuang Youyuan

Classifications

• B08B3/022

  Cleaning travelling work (B08B3/042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01L51/001

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L51/0011

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B08B3/10 Primary

  with additional treatment of the liquid or of the object being cleaned, e.g. by heat, by electricity or by vibration · CPC title

• H01L51/56

  Electricity · mapped topic