# US 12,119,230 B2 · Wet etching method and wet etching system

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- Number: US 12,119,230 B2
- Document ID: US12119230B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/220,990
- Filed: 2021-04-02
- Published: 2021-10-28
- Granted: 2024-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2020-04-28
- Assignees: Disco Corporation
- Applicants: Disco Corporation
- Inventors: Kazuma Sekiya; Takashi Ono; Daigo Shitabo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12119230B2

## CPC

- H10P 50/642: {Chemical etching}
- H10P 50/667: {by liquid etching only}
- H10P 70/15: {by wet cleaning only (H10P70/52 takes precedence)}
- H10P 72/0424: {using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

There is provided a wet etching method including an etchant supply step of supplying an etchant from an etchant supply nozzle to a to-be-etched surface of a workpiece, an etching step of etching the to-be-etched surface with the etchant remaining on the to-be-etched surface, and an etchant removal step of, after performing the etching step, removing the etchant, which still remains on the resulting etched surface, from the etched surface. The etchant supply step, the etching step, and the etchant removal step are repeated a plurality of times in this order.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wet etching method comprising:
providing a pressing member having an enchant supply nozzle and an enchant suction nozzle;
an etchant supply step of supplying an etchant from the etchant supply nozzle in the pressing member to a to-be-etched surface of a workpiece;
a pressing step of pressing the etchant supplied to the to-be-etched surface of the workpiece, by the pressing member that includes a pressing surface having an area equal to or greater than an area of the to-be-etched surface of the workpiece and etching resistance;
an etching step of etching the to-be-etched surface with the etchant remaining on the to-be-etched surface; and
an etchant removal step of, after performing the etching step, sucking and removing the etchant still remaining on the resulting etched surface using the etchant suction nozzle on the pressing member, from the etched surface, wherein said etchant suction nozzle is independent of and spaced from the etchant supply nozzle,
wherein the etchant supply step, the pressing step, the etching step, and the etchant removal step are repeated a plurality of times in this order.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The wet etching method according to claim 1, further comprising storing the etchant removed from the etched surface in a collection tank.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The wet etching method according to claim 1, wherein the etchant supply step includes supplying unused etchant from the etchant supply nozzle to the to-be-etched surface of the workpiece.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The wet etching method according to claim 1, wherein the pressing step supplying the etchant to the to-be-etched surface of the workpiece through grooves formed in the pressing surface of the pressing member.