Apparatus for etching substrate and method of fabricating thin-glass substrate
AssigneeNEC Corporation
InventorKazushige Takeshi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for etching a substrate includes (a) a nozzle system including at least one nozzle through which acid solution containing at least hydrofluoric acid is sprayed onto the substrate, (b) a mover which moves at least one of the nozzle system and the substrate relative to the other in a predetermined direction in such a condition that the substrate and the nozzle system face each other, (c) a filter system which filters off particles out of the acid solution having been sprayed onto the substrate, and (d) a circulation system which circulates the acid solution having been sprayed onto the substrate, to the filter system, and further, to the nozzle system from the filter system.
Claims9
A method of fabricating a thin-glass substrate, comprising:
- preparing an apparatus for etching a substrate;
- and
- etching a glass substrate containing silicon dioxide as a principal constituent at an etching rate equal to or higher than 2 micrometers per a minute by means of said apparatus,
- said apparatus comprising:
- (a) a nozzle system including at least one nozzle through which acid solution containing at least hydrofluoric acid is sprayed onto said substrate;
- (b) a mover which moves at least one of said nozzle system and said substrate relative to the other in a predetermined direction in such a condition that said substrate and said nozzle system face each other;
- (c) a filter system which filters off particles out of said acid solution having been sprayed onto said substrate, said filter system including:
- a container which temporarily contains said acid solution before said acid solution is supplied to said nozzle mechanism after said acid solution was sprayed onto said substrate;
- a rotator which produces vortex in said acid solution in said container;
- and
- a particle collector which collects particles precipitating at an inner edge of said container;
- and
- (d) a circulation system which circulates said acid solution having been sprayed onto said substrate, to said filter system, and further, to said nozzle system from said filter system.
A method of fabricating a device, comprising:
- (A) fabricating a device by adhering a glass substrate containing silicon dioxide as a principal constituent and a flexible substrate to each other, a thin film device has been already fabricated on each of upper surfaces of said glass substrate and said flexible substrate, said glass substrate and said flexible substrate being adhered to each other such that said upper surfaces face each other;
- and
- (B) etching only said glass substrate through lower surfaces thereof,
- said step (B) comprising:
- preparing an apparatus for etching a substrate;
- and
- etching said glass substrate at an etching rate equal to or higher than 2 micrometers per a minute by means of said apparatus,
- said apparatus comprising:
- (a) a nozzle system including at least one nozzle through which acid solution containing at least hydrofluoric acid is sprayed onto said substrate;
- (b) a mover which moves at least one of said nozzle system and said substrate relative to the other in a predetermined direction in such a condition that said substrate and said nozzle system face each other;
- (c) a filter system which filters off particles out of said acid solution having been sprayed onto said substrate, said filter system including:
- a container which temporarily contains said acid solution before said acid solution is supplied to said nozzle mechanism after said acid solution was sprayed onto said substrate;
- a rotator which produces vortex in said acid solution in said container;
- and
- a particle collector which collects particles precipitating at an inner edge of said container;
- and
- (d) a circulation system which circulates said acid solution having been sprayed onto said substrate, to said filter system, and further, to said nozzle system from said filter system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.