Wet etching machine and etching method using the same

• US 10,643,866 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2016
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., Hefei Xinsheng Optoelectronics Technology Company Limited
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Li, Shengrong, Jung, Jaeyun, Wang, Shikai, Kim, Dongseob, Geng, Jun, Li, Dengtao, Li, Qianqian, Liang, Yadong
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Karla A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Klunk, Margaret D
• Application Number:
  US15/134,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20160343594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/30604 Chemical etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6708 using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67173 in-line arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6776 Continuous loading and unloading into and out of a processing chamber, e.g. transporting belts within processing chambers

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a wet etching machine and an etching method. The wet etching machine including an etching chamber in which at least two etching layers are disposed. The etching layers are successively overlapped with each other from up to down, and each etching layer includes a first transfer carrier for receiving and transferring a substrate to be etched and a spraying apparatus disposed right above the first transfer carrier for spraying etching solution. When the total etching time is needed to be longer than the transfer time of the substrate without stopping the substrate, the present disclosure can solve the problems in the prior art of causing the takt time decreased due to the stopping time of the substrate is required to be increased or causing the area of the facility increased due to the number of the etching chambers connected in series is required to be increased.

Claims

1. A wet etching machine comprising:

an etching chamber, wherein at least two etching layers are disposed in the etching chamber, the etching layers are successively overlapped with each other from up to down, and each of the etching layers comprises a first transfer carrier configured to receive and transfer a substrate to be etched and a spraying apparatus disposed right above the first transfer carrier for spraying an etching solution;

a buffering chamber disposed on a first side of the etching chamber, wherein the buffering chamber contains only one second transfer carrier, and the one second transfer carrier is configured to transfer the substrates thereon to be etched to at least two first transfer carriers of the etching chamber that are located in different heights;

a cleaning chamber disposed on a second side of the etching chamber, wherein the cleaning chamber contains only one third transfer carrier, and a cleaning apparatus configured to clean the etched substrates, and the one third transfer carrier is configured to receive the etched substrates respectively from the at least two first transfer carriers and transfer the etched substrates,

the etching chamber, the buffering chamber, and the cleaning chamber are arranged in a line, and the first side is opposite to the second side; and

wherein the spraying apparatus comprises a plurality of nozzles, and the wet etching machine comprises a processor configured to control the spraying apparatuses of the etching layers to simultaneously spray the etching solutions through the plurality of nozzles, to simultaneously etch the substrates to be etched on the etching layers,

wherein the one second transfer carrier is configured to transfer horizontally the substrates to be etched to the at least two first transfer carriers, and each of the at least two first transfer carriers is configured to transfer horizontally the etched substrate to the one third transfer carrier, and

wherein the etching layers are disposed in an accommodating box, and the accommodating box is driven to move up and down, thereby to position a holding surface of the first transfer carrier of one of the etching layers on a same plane with a holding surface of the second transfer carrier or with a holding surface of the third transfer carrier.

2. The wet etching machine according to claim 1, wherein a total etching time of one substrate that has been manufactured in the buffering chamber, the etching chamber, and the cleaning chamber is longer than a transfer time of the one substrate that has been transferred on the first, second, and third transfer carriers.

3. The wet etching machine according to claim 1, further comprising an outlet buffering chamber at a side of the cleaning chamber far away from the etching chamber, wherein the substrate cleaned by the cleaning chamber is transferred to the buffering chamber.

4. The wet etching machine according to claim 1, wherein one second transfer carrier corresponds to at least two first transfer carriers, or one third transfer carrier.

5. The wet etching machine according to claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to control substrates on one second transfer carrier to be respectively transferred onto the at least two first transfer carriers, and control substrates on the at least two first transfer carriers to be transferred onto one third transfer carrier.

6. An etching method using a wet etching machine, the wet etching machine comprising:

an etching chamber, wherein at least two etching layers are disposed in the etching chamber, the etching layers are successively overlapped with each other from up to down, and each of the etching layers comprises a first transfer carrier configured to receive and transfer a substrate to be etched and a spraying apparatus disposed right above the first transfer carrier for spraying an etching solution;

a buffering chamber disposed on a first side of the etching chamber, wherein the buffering chamber contains only one second transfer carrier, and the one second transfer carrier is configured to transfer the substrates thereon to be etched to at least two first transfer carriers of the etching chamber that are located in different heights;

a cleaning chamber disposed on a second side of the etching chamber, wherein the cleaning chamber contains only one third transfer carrier, and a cleaning apparatus configured to clean the etched substrates, and the one third transfer carrier is configured to receive the etched substrates respectively from the at least two first transfer carriers and transfer the etched substrates,

the etching chamber, the buffering chamber, and the cleaning chamber are arranged in a line, and the first side is opposite to the second side; and

wherein the spraying apparatus comprises a plurality of nozzles, and the wet etching machine comprises a processor configured to control the spraying apparatuses of the etching layers to simultaneously spray the etching solutions through the plurality of nozzles, to simultaneously etch the substrates to be etched on the etching layers,

wherein the one second transfer carrier is configured to transfer horizontally the substrates to be etched to the at least two first transfer carriers, and each of the at least two first transfer carriers is configured to transfer horizontally the etched substrate to the one third transfer carrier, and

wherein the etching layers are disposed in an accommodating box, and the accommodating box is driven to move up and down, thereby to position a holding surface of the first transfer carrier of one of the etching layers on a same plane with a holding surface of the second transfer carrier or with a holding surface of the third transfer carrier,

wherein the method comprising;

disposing the substrate to be etched on the first transfer carrier of each of the etching layers; and

etching the substrate disposed on each of the etching layers by driving the spraying apparatus of each of the etching layers to simultaneously spray an etching solution;

wherein the etching layers comprise a first etching layer and a second etching layer.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of disposing the substrate to be etched on the first transfer carrier of each of the first etching layer and the second etching layer comprises:

positioning the holding surface of the first transfer carrier in the first etching layer on the same plane with the holding surface of the second transfer carrier, wherein the second transfer carrier is disposed in the buffering chamber which is disposed on the first side of the etching chamber, and the substrate to be etched is transferred to the etching chamber via the second transfer carrier;

transferring the substrate to be etched, which is disposed on the second transfer carrier, to the first transfer carrier in the first etching layer; and

reloading a new substrate to be etched on the second transfer carrier, positioning the holding surface of the first transfer carrier in the second etching layer on the same plane with the holding surface of the second transfer carrier, and transferring the new substrate to be etched, which is disposed on the second transfer carrier, to the first transfer carrier in the second etching layer.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein after the step of etching the substrates disposed on each of the first etching layer and the second etching layer, the method further comprising the steps of:

positioning the holding surface of the first transfer carrier in the first etching layer on the same plane with the holding surface of the third transfer carrier, wherein the third transfer carrier is disposed in the cleaning chamber which is disposed on the second side of the etching chamber, and the etched substrate is cleaned in the cleaning chamber;

transferring the etched substrate which is disposed on the first transfer carrier in the first etching layer to the third transfer carrier, and transferring the cleaned and etched substrate out of the cleaning chamber after cleaning the etched substrate in the cleaning chamber; and

positioning the holding surface of the first transfer carrier in the second etching layer on the same plane with the holding surface of the third transfer carrier, transferring the etched substrate, which is disposed on the first transfer carrier in the second etching layer, to the third transfer carrier, and transferring the cleaned and etched substrate out of the cleaning chamber after cleaning the etched substrate in the cleaning chamber.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the etching layers comprise two or more etching layers, and wherein in the step of disposing the substrate to be etched on the first transfer carrier of each of the first etching layer and the second etching layer, the method further comprises a step of disposing a substrate to be etched on a first transfer carrier of a third etching layer;

and in the step of etching the substrate to be etched disposed on each of the first etching layer and the second etching layer by driving the spraying apparatus of each of the first etching layer and the second etching layer to simultaneously spray the etching solution, the method further comprises a step of driving the third etching layer together with the first etching layer and the second etching layer to simultaneously spray the etching solution, so as to etch the substrate to be etched disposed on the third etching layer.