Curved target substrate cleaning system and method of cleaning curved target substrate

Abstract

The present application relates to a curved target substrate cleaning system and a method of cleaning a curved target substrate, the curved target substrate cleaning system comprising: a pressure-type cleaning unit for cleaning a cleaning area of a target substrate having a curved surface by applying pressure to the cleaning area; a support body detachably supporting the pressure cleaning unit at a predetermined height with respect to a cleaning region of the target substrate having the curved portion; a cleaning area flatness maintaining unit clamping one end of the target substrate having the curved portion and adjusting a height of the one end to maintain a cleaning area of the target substrate in a predetermined orientation with respect to the pressure-type cleaning unit; and a transfer unit that moves the cleaning area flatness maintaining unit back and forth in one direction with respect to the pressure-type cleaning unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present inventive concept relates to a curved target substrate cleaning system and method, and more particularly, to a multi-curved target substrate cleaning system and method that can adapt to various curvatures by applying a height-adjustable clamping member to maintain a cleaning area in an optimal orientation for cleaning regardless of changes in curvature. Background Art

[0002] Currently, the display field is rapidly evolving to keep pace with the information age. As part of this development, flat panel displays (FPDs), which have the advantages of being thinner, lighter, and having lower power consumption, have been widely used.

[0003] As flat panel display devices, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), electroluminescent displays (ELDs), field emission displays (FEDs), and organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, these flat panel display devices are rapidly replacing existing cathode ray tube (CRT) displays.

[0004] Flat panel display devices are being applied to various devices such as mobile communication terminals, laptop computers, monitors, and televisions. In particular, in recent years, various touch screen devices with large screens and no buttons have been widely used.

[0005] These various touch screen devices are covered with glass (cover glass).

[0006] The cover glass protects the underlying display panel from damage caused by user touch. The cover glass is typically made of a glass material. During the manufacturing process of the cover glass, a large sheet of glass is cut into a predetermined cover glass size, and connectors for connecting to internal components such as a display panel, speaker, microphone, and camera of a flat panel display device are formed along at least one edge of the cover glass.

[0007] During the cover glass manufacturing process, the cover glass undergoes a cleaning process to remove foreign matter in order to be bonded to the internal components.

[0008] Conventional cover glass cleaning processes are performed by transporting the cover glass to be cleaned using a conveying device such as a roller or a belt. However, as the curvature and size of the cover glass change more frequently, conventional flat pressing cleaning becomes difficult and may even be impossible. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The present disclosure provides a multi-curved target substrate cleaning system and cleaning method that can respond to various curvatures by maintaining a cleaning area at a predetermined optimal cleaning angle using a height-variable clamping member.

[0010] In addition, the present disclosure provides a cleaning system and a cleaning method for curving a target substrate that can perform pressure cleaning without damaging the cover glass.

[0011] The cleaning system for curving a target substrate according to an embodiment includes: a pressure-type cleaning unit configured to clean a target substrate having a curved portion by applying pressure to a cleaning area; a support body configured to detachably support the pressure-type cleaning unit at a predetermined height relative to the cleaning area of the target substrate having the curved portion; a cleaning area level maintaining unit configured to hold one end of the target substrate having the curved portion and adjust the height of the one end to maintain the cleaning area of the target substrate in a predetermined orientation relative to the pressure-type cleaning unit; and a transfer unit configured to move the cleaning area level maintaining unit back and forth in one direction relative to the pressure-type cleaning unit.

[0012] In the method of cleaning a curved target substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cleaning area level maintaining unit holds the end of the curved target substrate and adjusts the height of the cleaning area of the curved target substrate, wherein the cleaning area of the curved target substrate is set in a predetermined orientation relative to the pressure-type cleaning unit without being affected by a change in curvature.

[0013] The method of cleaning a curved target substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: acquiring curvature information that changes along the surface of the target substrate; holding the end of the curved target substrate with a clamping member based on the curvature information of the target substrate such that the cleaning area of the target substrate is maintained in a predetermined orientation relative to the pressure-type cleaning unit without being affected by a change in curvature; and operating the pressure-type cleaning unit to perform pressure cleaning on the cleaning area of the target substrate.

[0014] Arranging and maintaining the cleaning area of the target substrate in a predetermined orientation (e.g., a horizontal orientation) relative to the pressure-type cleaning unit includes: adjusting the height of the clamping member using a height adjusting unit; and horizontally moving the clamping member relative to the planar pressure-type cleaning unit using the transfer unit.

[0015] Maintaining the cleaning area of the target substrate in a predetermined orientation relative to the pressure-type cleaning unit includes adjusting the angle of the clamping member using a rotational drive member.

[0016] Performing pressure cleaning on the cleaning area of the target substrate includes: determining whether the working speed of the pressure-type cleaning unit is greater than the moving speed of the target substrate; and determining the amount of pressure on the cleaning area.

[0017] Maintaining the cleaning area of the target substrate in a predetermined orientation relative to the pressure-type cleaning unit is associated with obtaining curvature information that changes along the surface of the target substrate, such that the target substrate is positioned in a predetermined orientation relative to the pressure-type cleaning unit, unaffected by the change in curvature, and it may include causing the cleaning area level maintaining unit to perform feedback control.

[0018] The pressure-type cleaning unit includes at least one of a cleaning roller, a blade, a knife blade, and a chemical cleaning device, and the cleaning roller, the blade, and the knife blade may be made of a silicone material.

[0019] According to the cleaning system and method of an embodiment of the present disclosure, by applying a height-variable clamping member, the cleaning area of the target substrate is maintained level, such that it can respond to various curvature shapes and can be widely used.

[0020] According to the cleaning system and method of an embodiment of the present disclosure, since the cleaning area can be maintained in an optimal orientation (e.g., horizontal) during cleaning, the stress applied to the target substrate can be minimized, thereby maximizing the cleaning force.

[0021] According to the cleaning system and cleaning method of an embodiment of the present disclosure, the material of the planar pressure-type cleaning unit is a material such as silicon that is non-sticky to contaminants, and the target substrate is applied to the pressure-type cleaning unit. For the lower support member, a material with higher durability than silicon can be used.

[0022] According to the cleaning system and method of an embodiment of the present disclosure, by increasing the working speed or rotational speed of the pressure-type cleaning unit compared to the moving speed of the target substrate, the probability that the cleaning area of the target substrate is cleaned can be increased.

[0023] According to the cleaning system and cleaning method of an embodiment of the present disclosure, damage such as scratching in the cleaning area of the target substrate can be prevented by controlling the amount of pressure of the pressure-type cleaning unit on the cleaning area of the target substrate.

[0024] According to the cleaning system and method of an embodiment of the present disclosure, heating the target substrate to 60 degrees or higher before cleaning the cleaning area of the target substrate with the pressure-type cleaning unit can effectively remove sticky contaminants and remove adhesives, thereby promoting the removal of contaminants. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a curved target substrate cleaning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 2 shows the use of a cover glass Figure 1 of the cleaning process of the curved target substrate cleaning system.

[0027] Figure 3 is the first curvature cleaning state diagram of the curved target substrate cleaning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 4 is the second curvature cleaning state diagram of the curved target substrate cleaning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 5 is the configuration diagram of the cleaning area level maintaining unit of the curved target substrate cleaning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 6A and Figure 6B are respectively diagrams showing the configuration of the lower fixture of the curved target substrate cleaning system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 7 is the configuration diagram of the curved target substrate cleaning system according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 8 is the configuration diagram of the cleaning roller of the curved target substrate cleaning system according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 9 is the configuration diagram of the curved target substrate cleaning system according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 10 is the configuration diagram of the curved target substrate cleaning system according to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 11 is Figure 10 the internal configuration diagram of the control device.

[0036] Figure 12 is a diagram showing a method for cleaning a curved target substrate according to an embodiment of another aspect of the present disclosure. Detailed Embodiments

[0037] Advantages and features of the present disclosure and methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0038] The present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments explicitly described below and can be implemented in various different forms. The embodiments are presented to ensure that the present disclosure is complete and that common general knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains is not limited. The present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims.

[0039] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on" another element or layer, it includes both the case where the element or layer is directly on top of the other element and the case where another element is interposed therebetween.

[0040] Throughout the specification, like reference numerals denote like elements.

[0041] Although ordinal terms such as "first", "second", etc. are used to describe various components, these components are not limited to any particular order of these terms.

[0042] These ordinal terms are used to distinguish one component from another.

[0043] Thus, without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention, the "first" component mentioned below may also be the "second" component.

[0044] As used herein, "horizontal" means substantially parallel to the ground.

[0045] As used herein, a "multi-curvature" substrate has more than one curvature along its surface, or has one curvature but the curvature varies over the substrate. A "curved substrate" as used herein is intended to mean a substrate having one curvature or a multi-curvature substrate.

[0046] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a curved target substrate cleaning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 2 shows the use of a cover glass Figure 1 of a curved target substrate cleaning system.

[0048] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the curved target substrate cleaning system 100 includes a support 110, a transfer unit 130, a cleaning area horizontal maintaining unit (also referred to as a cleaning area flatness maintaining unit) 150, and cleaning units 200A and 200B.

[0049] The cleaning units 200A and 200B clean a glass panel G or a cover glass CG having various curvature shapes one by one. The cleaning units 200A and 200B are designed to achieve stepwise cleaning to improve cleaning accuracy, and the first cleaning unit 200A and the second cleaning unit 200B may be provided.

[0050] Accordingly, the glass panel G that is cleaned while passing through the first cleaning unit 200A in the first position is cleaned again while passing through the second cleaning unit 200B in the second position.

[0051] The first cleaning unit 200A mainly performs flat pressing cleaning on the adhesive contaminant OCA scattered on the glass panel G or the cover glass CG (hereinafter referred to as the target substrate) having various curvature shapes, and its function is to remove the adhesive contaminant OCA by the pressure type cleaning unit 210.

[0052] The second cleaning unit 200B performs an additional cleaning process by placing ethanol on the cleaning pad and wiping the glass panel G or the cover glass CG in a wiper manner.

[0053] The first cleaning unit 200A and the second cleaning unit 200B can be combined with the replacement rail device 111 of the support body 110, and the replacement rail device 111 can be arranged at a certain height by the vertical support members 113 at both ends, so as to provide a vertical space in which the first cleaning unit 200A and the second cleaning unit 200B can perform cleaning operations on the glass panel G or the cover glass CG having various curvature shapes. The support body 110 can removably support the pressure type cleaning unit 210 at a predetermined height relative to the cleaning area of the glass panel G or the cover glass CG having a curved portion.

[0054] The vertical support members 113 can be firmly fixed and supported by the horizontal support members 115 relative to the horizontal bed.

[0055] The transfer unit 130 includes a conveyor belt for supplying the glass panel G or the cover glass CG to the cleaning units 200A and 200B and a plurality of rollers for supporting the conveyor belt, and the transfer unit 130 can include a suitable horizontal surface to stably support the glass panel G or the cover glass CG during cleaning.

[0056] The transfer unit 130 is a device for horizontally reciprocating the glass panel G or the cover glass CG (i.e., the cleaning area of the curved target substrate of the first cleaning unit 200A and the second cleaning unit 200B). The transfer unit 130 can include a transfer rail 131 (see Figure 5 ) on which a cleaning area horizontal maintaining unit 150 is disposed. The cleaning area horizontal maintaining unit 150 clamps one end of the curved target substrate so as to hold it in a predetermined orientation relative to the pressure type cleaning unit 210. In the present disclosure, for simplicity, the predetermined orientation is described as being horizontal and vertical relative to the support body 110. However, this is not a limitation of the present disclosure, and the inventive concept can be applied to any orientation most suitable for cleaning.

[0057] Figure 3 is the first curvature cleaning state diagram of the curved target substrate cleaning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 4 is the second curvature cleaning state diagram of the curved target substrate cleaning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] As Figure 3 shown in, the curved target substrate cleaning system 100 has a first cleaning area having a first curvature of the curved target substrate CG. The cleaning area level maintaining unit 150 clamps the front end of the curved target substrate CG so that the curved target substrate CG is pressed in a plane by the pressure type cleaning unit 210, and the cleaning area level maintaining unit 150 moves along the transfer track 131 of the transfer unit 130 so that the cleaning area level maintaining unit 150 can be placed close to the pressure type cleaning unit 210.

[0059] As Figure 4 shown in, the curved target substrate cleaning system 100 can clamp the front end of the curved target substrate CG by using the cleaning area level maintaining unit 150, and adjust the height of the front end while moving away from the pressure type cleaning unit 210 along the transfer track 131 of the transfer unit 130, and can lift the front end of the curved target substrate CG at a certain angle, and the second cleaning area having a second curvature of the curved target substrate CG is placed flat against the pressure type cleaning unit 210 on the plane to apply pressure to the flat surface.

[0060] Figure 5 It is a configuration diagram of the cleaning area level maintaining unit of the curved target substrate cleaning system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] As Figure 5 shown in, the cleaning area level maintaining unit 150 of the curved target substrate cleaning system 100 holds one end of the curved target substrate CG between the upper clamping member and the lower clamping member, and includes a rotational drive member 153 that clamps and supports the clamping member 151, a vertical support unit 155 that supports the rotational drive member 153, and a height adjustment unit 157 configured to move the clamping member 151 up and down by adjusting the height of the vertical support unit 155. Among them, the rotational drive member 153 drives the clamping member 151 to perform a small rotation of a predetermined angle. The clamping member 151 moves the end of the curved target substrate CG, and the anti-tipping member 158 protrudes in the direction opposite to the clamping member 151 to ensure stable clamping during operation and prevent tipping, and the transfer track 131 supports the vertical support unit 155 from the bottom, and it may include a transfer track coupling member (also referred to as "transport track joint") 159 that can perform a horizontal reciprocating motion.

[0062] The rotation drive member 153 is provided with a ball joint (also referred to as a hinge ball) that can rotate 360 degrees, and can be adjusted in small increments to 360 degrees, so that the clamping member 151 can be driven to rotate by a small increment by a predetermined angle, so that the cleaning area of the curved target substrate CG can be arranged at a predetermined orientation by the height adjustment unit 157. This adjustment mechanism allows the curved target substrate CG to be arranged at a specific position relative to the pressure type cleaning unit 210, and ensures thorough cleaning without being affected by the curvature change even if a local curvature change may occur.

[0063] The height adjustment unit 157 can use various types of devices, including but not limited to a stepper motor.

[0064] When using a stepper motor, a screw or other configuration can be used to convert the rotational motion of the central axis of the motor into a linear motion, and the connecting shaft can be a screw.

[0065] Since this configuration can be established according to known techniques, a detailed description of how to establish this configuration will be omitted.

[0066] The anti - tipping member 158 can be a heavy object, and includes a coupling member 158a coupled to the transfer track 131, so that the weight of the curved target substrate CG can be offset by the length of the transfer track 131, and even if the curved target substrate CG is very large, the weight can be offset, so that the clamping member 151 can stably clamp the curved target substrate CG.

[0067] Figure 6A and Figure 6B are respectively diagrams showing the configuration of the lower fixture of the curved target substrate cleaning system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0068] As Figure 6A 、 Figure 6B 、 Figure 7 and Figure 8 shown in, the curved target substrate cleaning systems 200A1 / 200A2 have the curved target substrate CG at the bottom of the pressure type cleaning unit 210, and can be provided with lower fixture units 160a and 160b corresponding to the curvature of the curved target substrate G or CG instead of the large idler roller 230 (as Figure 8 shown in) as the lower support unit 160 for transport support.

[0069] The lower fixture units 160a and 160b may include a curving surface member 161 corresponding to the curvature of the curving target substrate G or CG, a supporting member 163 for supporting the curving surface member 161, a lower fixture pivot member (also referred to as a lower fixture swing driving part) 165 for rotating the curving surface member 161 at a specific angle so that it can correspond to the curvature of the curving target substrate G or CG, and a lower fixture height adjusting member 167 for adjusting the height of the supporting member 163.

[0070] The curving surface member 161 may have the curvature of an overall convex surface as shown in Figure 6A and may have the curvature of an overall concave surface as shown in Figure 6B .

[0071] Figure 7 is a curving target substrate cleaning system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0072] As shown in Figure 7 , the curving target substrate cleaning system 200A1 uses a pressure type cleaning unit 210 to clean the curving target substrates G and CG. It may be a knife or blade 201 for scraping off the sticky contaminant OCA from the area, and the knife 201 is rotatably fixed by a knife fixing member 203, while the knife fixing member 203 is inclined at a predetermined angle, and by rotation, the knife 201 can apply a planar pressure to the cleaning area of the curving target substrates G and CG.

[0073] The cleaning area horizontal maintaining unit 150 holds the front end of the curving target substrate CG such that the end of the knife 201 is placed orthogonally to the cleaning area of the curving target substrate CG, and when the cleaning area horizontal maintaining unit 150 moves back and forth along the transfer track 131 of the transfer unit 130, the sticky contaminant OCA can be removed from the cleaning area of the curving target substrate CG.

[0074] The knife 201 is made of hard silicone, natural rubber, silicone rubber, acrylic rubber, polyethylene rubber, PV (polyethylene), EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), etc., and may be a rubber material.

[0075] In addition, the blade may contain a polymer such as polyester, polyethylene, or polyoxymethylene.

[0076] Figure 8 is a configuration diagram of a cleaning roller of a curving target substrate cleaning system according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0077] In the curved target substrate cleaning system 200A2 according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure, the pressure type cleaning unit 210 rotates the viscous contaminant OCA with respect to the cleaning area of the curved target substrate G or CG, and the pressure type cleaning unit 210 may be a cleaning roller 220 that can scrape off the viscous contaminant OCA. For example, the cleaning roller 220 can scrape and grind the viscous contaminant OCA against the cleaning area of the target substrate G or CG.

[0078] The cleaning roller 220 may be formed with protrusions 213 spaced apart from the cylindrical member 211 by a predetermined distance, and the end of the protrusion 213 has a sharp tip to provide support for the curved target substrate G or CG. At the same time, an end 215 configured to scrape off the viscous contaminant OCA may also be provided for the cleaning area of the curved target substrates G and CG. At least a part of the end 215 may be rigid.

[0079] The aforementioned cleaning roller 220 may further include a brush member 217 having bristles, and the length and spacing of the bristles may vary to achieve a substantially corresponding curvature to the multi-curvature of the second cleaning area S2 having a curvature R2. The curvature R2 may be greater than the first curvature R1 of the first cleaning area S1 of the multi-curvature target substrate G or CG.

[0080] The cleaning roller 220 has protrusions 213 and ends 215 arranged in a strip shape along the longitudinal direction with respect to the cylindrical member 211, such that when the cleaning roller 220 rotates, the viscous contaminant (OCA; optical clear adhesive) OCA can be scraped off by the end 215 and discharged through the space 212 between the protrusions 213.

[0081] The protrusions 213 and ends 215 have a greater hardness than the cylindrical member 211 and may be configured to be replaceable together with the cylindrical member 211.

[0082] The protrusions 213 and ends 215 are made of hard silicone, natural rubber, silicone rubber, acrylic rubber, polyethylene rubber, PV (polyethylene), and EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), and it may be a rubber material such as a diene monomer (ethylene propylene diene monomer).

[0083] In addition, the blade may contain a polymer such as polyester, polyethylene, or polyoxymethylene.

[0084] In particular, the protrusions 213 and ends 215 may be made of hard silicone to prevent the viscous contaminant OCA from adhering to the protrusions 213 and ends 215.

[0085] If the constituent materials of the protrusions 213 and ends 215 are different from those of the lower support roller, the lower support roller or the cylindrical member 211 may use urethane having excellent durability compared to silicon.

[0086] The cleaning roller 220 can be made to have a predetermined hardness, preferably a Shore hardness of 50 degrees and a pressing amount of about 2 mm, to prevent scratching or damage to the target substrate G or CG.

[0087] In the cleaning system and method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, since the cleaning area can be maintained in a horizontal position when cleaning with the pressure type cleaning unit 210, the stress applied to the target substrate can be minimized, thereby maximizing the cleaning force.

[0088] Figure 9 is a configuration diagram of a curved target substrate cleaning system according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0089] As Figure 9 shown, in the curved target substrate cleaning system 200A3 according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, the pressure type cleaning unit 210 can be a chemical cleaning unit 240 capable of dissolving and removing the viscous contaminant OCA on the curved target substrates G and CG.

[0090] Regarding the cleaning area of the curved target substrate G or CG, the cleaning area level maintaining unit 150 holds the front end of the curved target substrate CG and moves along the transfer track 131 of the transfer unit 130. While moving, the cleaning area of the curved target substrate CG is arranged to become flat relative to the chemical cleaning unit 240, so that the viscous contaminant OCA can be removed more effectively.

[0091] In addition, before cleaning by the chemical cleaning unit 240, the curved target substrate G or CG can be heated to 60 degrees or above the melting point temperature of the viscous contaminant OCA. In some cases, the curved target substrate G or CG can be heated to 50 to 70 degrees.

[0092] The chemical cleaning unit 240 can include a cleaning liquid tank 241, a first pipe 241a connected to the cleaning liquid tank 241, and a cleaning liquid nozzle 241b. In addition, the cleaning liquid nozzle 241b is formed to correspond to the multi-curvature of the curved target substrate CG, for spraying the cleaning liquid on the cleaning area of the curved target substrate CG in a flat pressure type, and can also include an air pump 243, an air duct 243a, and a blower 243b connected to the air pump 243 to immediately dry and remove the cleaning liquid.

[0093] Since the viscous contaminant OCA is an organic substance, the cleaning liquid contains volatile components and can be volatilized by the air sprayed from the blower 243b.

[0094] Figure 10 is a configuration diagram of a curved target substrate cleaning system according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0095] The cleaning area level maintaining unit 150 of the curved target substrate cleaning system 200A4 grips the front end of the curved target substrate CG and moves along the transfer track 131 of the transfer unit 130, so that the cleaning area of the curved target substrate CG is horizontally arranged adjacent to the planar pressure type cleaning unit 210. And for more precise control, a pressure sensor 10 can be provided so that the pressure type cleaning unit 210 can apply a uniform pressure to the cleaning area of the curved target substrate CG.

[0096] In addition, while the cleaning area level maintaining unit 150 grips the front end of the curved target substrate CG and moves back and forth along the transfer track 131 of the transfer unit 130 to clean the curved target substrate CG, in order to be able to horizontally arrange the cleaning area of the curved target substrate CG, the curved target substrate cleaning system 200A4 may further include a surface curvature measurement sensor 30 capable of measuring the curvature of the curved target substrate CG.

[0097] The surface curvature measurement sensor 30 can be used to measure distances using non-contact laser measurement devices, etc., but is not limited thereto. And for example, infrared methods, ultrasonic sensor methods, etc. can also be used.

[0098] The surface curvature measurement sensor 30 can measure the height of the surface of the cleaning area of the curved target substrate CG to obtain a surface profile, and store it in the memory unit 50 of the pressure type cleaning unit 210. And the moving speed and pressing amount of the planar pressure type cleaning unit 210 can be controlled by the control unit 70.

[0099] Reference Figure 11 and Figure 12 will describe a method for cleaning a target substrate having multiple curvatures according to an embodiment of another aspect of the present disclosure.

[0100] Figure 11 is Figure 10 the internal configuration diagram of the control device, and Figure 12 is a diagram showing a method for cleaning a curved target substrate according to an embodiment of another aspect of the present disclosure.

[0101] The curved target substrate cleaning system 200A4 further includes a control device 400 and a surface curvature measurement sensor 30, and can control the cleaning area level maintaining unit 150 in combination with the surface curvature measurement sensor 30. By operating the micro-curvature of the cleaning area level maintaining unit 150, the micro-curvature of the cleaning area of the curved target substrate CG is operated so that the cleaning area of the curved target substrate CG can be horizontally placed.

[0102] A method for cleaning a curved target substrate uses a pressure sensor 10 or a surface curvature measurement sensor 30 to obtain curvature information S110 that changes along the surface of the target substrate G or CG (e.g., cover glass). The cleaning area level maintaining unit 150 supports the front end of the curved target substrate CG by clamping the curved target substrate CG between the upper and lower clamping members of the clamping member 151 (as shown in Figure 5 ), adjusts the height of the clamping member 151 mainly using the height adjusting unit 157, and rotates the clamping member 151 at a certain angle using the rotation driving member 153. The cleaning area level maintaining unit 150 moves horizontally along the transfer track 131 with the transfer track coupling member 159, so that the cleaning area S120 of the curved target substrate CG is arranged horizontally relative to the pressure type cleaning unit 210.

[0103] Drive the pressure type cleaning unit 210 S130, but it is necessary to determine the working speed of the pressure type cleaning unit 210. For example, when the pressure type cleaning unit 210 is a cleaning roller, determine whether the rotation speed is greater than the moving speed of the cleaning area of the curved target substrate CG, and determine whether the cleaning roller applies a uniform predetermined pressure to the cleaning area of the curved target substrate CG while cleaning the curved target substrate CG.

[0104] If the measured value of the pressure sensor 10 or the surface curvature measurement sensor 30 does not apply a uniform predetermined pressure to the cleaning area of the curved target substrate CG, or if the pressure type cleaning unit 210 is not maintained horizontally with the cleaning area of the curved target substrate CG, feedback control S140 can be performed by the cleaning area level maintaining unit 150.

[0105] The cleaning area level maintaining unit 150 supports the end of the curved target substrate CG by clamping the curved target substrate CG between the upper and lower clamping members of the clamping member 151, and adjusts the height of the clamping member 151 through the height adjusting unit 157. The height of the clamping member 151 is mainly adjusted using the rotation driving member 153, and the transfer track coupling member 159 moves horizontally along the transfer track 131, while the cleaning area of the curved target substrate CG can be modified to be arranged horizontally adjacent to the pressure type cleaning unit 210.

[0106] According to the cleaning system and method of the embodiments of the present disclosure, since the cleaning area can be maintained in a horizontal orientation while cleaning the pressure type cleaning unit (i.e., cleaning roller or cleaning pad), the stress applied to the target substrate can be minimized, thereby maximizing the cleaning force.

[0107] According to the cleaning system and cleaning method of the present disclosure, the material of the pressure-type cleaning unit is a material such as silicon to which sticky contaminants are not easily adhered, and the target substrate is applied to the pressure-type cleaning unit, and for the lower support member, a material having greater durability than silicon can be used.

[0108] According to the cleaning system and method, by increasing the working speed or rotational speed of the pressure-type cleaning unit and the moving speed of the target substrate, the probability of cleaning the cleaning area of the target substrate can be increased.

[0109] According to the cleaning system and cleaning method, damage such as scratching in the cleaning area of the target substrate can be prevented by controlling the amount of pressure of the pressure-type cleaning unit on the cleaning area of the target substrate.

[0110] According to the cleaning system and method, heating the target substrate to 60 degrees or higher before cleaning the cleaning area of the target substrate with the pressure-type cleaning unit can effectively remove sticky contaminants. In some embodiments, the target substrate can be heated to 50 to 70 degrees, which can promote the removal of sticky contaminants.

[0111] The above are examples of embodiments and should not be construed as a limitation of the present disclosure. Although some embodiments have been described, those skilled in the art will readily understand that many modifications are possible in the embodiments without substantially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the inventive concept. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the inventive concept as defined by the claims. Therefore, it should be understood that the above are examples of various embodiments and should not be construed as limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and modifications to the disclosed embodiments and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A curved target substrate cleaning system, comprising: a pressure-type cleaning unit for cleaning a cleaning area of ​​a target substrate having a curved portion by applying pressure, wherein the curvature of a surface of the target substrate varies according to a position on the surface; a support body that detachably supports the pressure-type cleaning unit at a predetermined height relative to the cleaning area of ​​the target substrate having the curved portion; a cleaning region flatness maintaining unit that clamps one end of the target substrate having the curved portion and adjusts a height of the one end to maintain the cleaning region of the target substrate in a predetermined orientation relative to the pressure-type cleaning unit; and A conveying unit moves the cleaning area flatness maintaining unit back and forth in one direction relative to the pressure type cleaning unit.

2. The curved target substrate cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning area flatness maintaining unit comprises: a clamping member for supporting the curved target substrate by clamping a front end of the curved target substrate between an upper clamping member and a lower clamping member; as well as The height adjustment unit is used to adjust the height of the clamping component.

3. The curved target substrate cleaning system according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning area flatness maintaining unit further comprises: Rotating the driving member to cause the clamping member to pivot at a predetermined angle, Wherein, the rotation driving component includes an articulated ball capable of rotating 360 degrees.

4. The curved target substrate cleaning system according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning area flatness maintaining unit further comprises: an anti-falling component protruding from the height adjustment unit in a direction different from that of the clamping component; conveying components, including transport track joints that move back and forth on the conveyor track; as well as A vertical support unit supports the clamping member at a predetermined distance from the transport track joint.

5. The curved target substrate cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein: The pressure type cleaning unit applies pressure to the cleaning area of ​​the target substrate during cleaning, and further includes a lower supporting unit for supporting the target substrate from below, and The lower supporting unit is a lower clamping unit including a curved surface part and a supporting part, the curved surface part having a shape that changes in response to the curvature of the target substrate, the supporting part supports the curved surface part, and the curved surface part is convex or concave for supporting the curved target substrate.

6. The curved target substrate cleaning system according to claim 5, wherein: The lower clamp unit includes a lower clamp swing driving part that rotates the curved surface part at a predetermined angle corresponding to the curvature of the target substrate and a lower clamp height adjusting part that adjusts the height of the supporting part.

7. The curved target substrate cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein: The pressure type cleaning unit is a knife or a blade that scrapes off sticky contaminants on the cleaning area of ​​the target substrate, and the knife or the blade is rotatably fixed and made of a high-hardness silicone material.

8. The curved target substrate cleaning system according to claim 1, wherein: The pressure-type cleaning unit includes a cleaning roller that scrapes and abrades sticky contaminants against the cleaning area of ​​the target substrate, and the cleaning roller includes a central cylindrical part, a protrusion extending from the cylindrical part, wherein the protrusion has a tip attached to an end.

9. The curved target substrate cleaning system according to claim 8, wherein: The cleaning roller further includes a brush member, and the protrusion and the end are made of a silicone material that is non-sticky to pollutants.

10. The curved target substrate cleaning system of claim 1, wherein: The pressure type cleaning unit includes a chemical cleaning unit that melts and removes the sticky contaminants from the cleaning area of ​​the target substrate by heating the target substrate to above a melting point of the sticky contaminants, and includes a cleaning liquid nozzle and a blower for drying the cleaning liquid.

11. The curved target substrate cleaning system of claim 1 , further comprising: a pressure sensing sensor for sensing the pressure of the pressure-type cleaning unit on the cleaning area of ​​the target substrate; a surface curvature measurement sensor, used to measure the curvature of the target substrate; A control unit is used to feedback-control the operations of the pressure-type cleaning unit and the cleaning area flatness maintaining unit according to the measured curvature.

12. A method for cleaning a curved target substrate, comprising: clamping an end of the curved target substrate; The height of the distal end of the curved target substrate is adjusted, wherein a cleaning area of ​​the curved target substrate is in a predetermined orientation relative to a pressure-type cleaning unit without being affected by a change in curvature.

13. The method for cleaning a curved target substrate according to claim 12, comprising: determining whether a pressure-type cleaning unit applies uniform pressure to the cleaning area of ​​the curved target substrate, and measuring a curvature of the curved target substrate; A height adjustment unit, a transport rail joint, and a rotation driving member of a cleaning region flatness maintaining unit are operated according to feedback control to flatly orient the cleaning region of the curved target substrate, wherein the cleaning region flatness maintaining unit is configured to clamp the end of the curved target substrate.

14. The method for cleaning a curved target substrate according to claim 12, wherein: The pressure type cleaning unit includes at least one of a cleaning roller, a knife, a blade and a chemical cleaning unit, wherein the cleaning roller, the knife and the blade are made of a silicone material.

15. The method for cleaning a curved target substrate according to claim 14, wherein: A lower portion of the curved target substrate is supported by a lower clamp unit having a curvature-variable edge having a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the curved target substrate, wherein the curved target substrate is a cover glass.

16. A method for cleaning a curved target substrate, comprising: Acquiring curvature information along a surface change of the target substrate; Based on the curvature information of the target substrate, clamping the end of the curved target substrate with a clamping member so that the cleaning area of ​​the target substrate is maintained at a predetermined orientation relative to a pressure-type cleaning unit without being affected by a change in curvature; as well as The pressure-type cleaning unit is operated to pressure-clean the cleaning area of ​​the target substrate.

17. The method for cleaning a curved target substrate according to claim 16, comprising: Maintaining the cleaning region of the target substrate at a predetermined orientation relative to the pressure-type cleaning unit comprises: adjusting the height of the clamping member using a height adjustment unit; and The gripping member is flatly moved relative to the pressure type cleaning unit by using a transfer unit.

18. The method for cleaning a curved target substrate according to claim 17, comprising: Maintaining the cleaning region of the target substrate at a predetermined orientation relative to the pressure-type cleaning unit without being affected by changes in curvature comprises: The angle of the clamping member is adjusted using a rotation driving member, wherein the target substrate is a multi-curvature cover glass.

19. The method for cleaning a curved target substrate according to claim 16, wherein: Performing pressure cleaning on the cleaning area of ​​the target substrate includes: determining whether the operating speed of the pressure-type cleaning unit is greater than the moving speed of the target substrate, and determining the amount of pressure applied by the pressure-type cleaning unit to the cleaning area of ​​the curved target substrate, and Maintaining the cleaning region of the target substrate at a predetermined orientation relative to the pressure-type cleaning unit comprises: acquiring curvature information along the surface of the target substrate so as to position the surface of the target substrate at a preselected angle relative to the pressure-based cleaning unit, and The cleaning area flatness maintaining unit is feedback-controlled so that the cleaning area is disposed in the predetermined orientation without being affected by a change in curvature.

20. The method for cleaning a curved target substrate according to claim 16, wherein: The pressure type cleaning unit includes at least one of a cleaning roller, a knife, a blade, and a chemical cleaning unit, and the cleaning roller, the knife, and the blade are made of a silicone material, and the target substrate is a cover glass.

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