Dry-wet method composite etching process and equipment for cooling fin

Abstract

The invention discloses a cooling fin dry-wet method composite etching process and equipment, the equipment comprises an etching box body, an etching liquid tank, a pretreatment pool and a controller box body, the top end of the controller box body is fixedly connected with the etching box body, the controller box body is internally provided with a plc controller, the etching box body is internally provided with a dry method etching chamber and a wet method etching groove, and the wet method etching groove is internally provided with a wet method etching groove. The interior of the dry etching chamber is fixedly connected with a cross beam, the side wall of the cross beam is fixedly connected with a transverse plate, the side wall of the transverse plate is fixedly connected with a first sliding rail, the first sliding rail and the surface of the first sliding rail are slidably connected with a first sliding block, the side wall of the longitudinal moving plate is fixedly connected with a mounting bracket, and the mounting bracket is detachably connected with a dry etching device; three-dimensional accurate positioning is achieved through the multi-shaft moving mechanism, the precision of the fine structure of the cooling fin is effectively improved, compared with a traditional technology, improvement is obvious, the dry-wet method technology is integrated on the same equipment, the workpiece transfer time is shortened, and the production period is effectively shortened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of heat sink manufacturing technology, specifically a dry-wet composite etching process and equipment for heat sinks. Background Technology

[0002] Current heat sink etching technology faces numerous bottlenecks. While traditional dry etching offers high precision, it suffers from slow etching rates and high costs, making it difficult to meet the demands of large-area, high-efficiency processing. Wet etching, on the other hand, while highly efficient, suffers from low precision and severe side etching, failing to guarantee the dimensional accuracy of delicate structures such as fins. Furthermore, existing dry and wet etching processes often require separate steps between different devices, which can introduce contamination during workpiece transfer, prolong production cycles, and cause residual substances during process transitions to interfere with subsequent processes, resulting in uneven etching and poor surface quality. Therefore, those skilled in the art have proposed a combined dry and wet etching process and equipment for heat sinks to address the problems mentioned in the background. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a dry-wet composite etching process and equipment for heat sinks to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0005] A dry-wet composite etching process and equipment for heat sinks includes an etching chamber, an etching liquid tank, a pretreatment pool, and a controller chamber. The top of the controller chamber is fixedly connected to the etching chamber, and a PLC controller is installed inside the controller chamber. The etching chamber contains a dry etching chamber and a wet etching tank. A crossbeam is fixedly connected inside the dry etching chamber, and a cross plate is fixedly connected to the side wall of the crossbeam. A first slide rail is fixedly connected to the side wall of the cross plate. A first slider is slidably connected to the surface of the first slide rail. A transverse moving plate is fixedly connected to the side wall of the first slider. A second slide rail is fixedly connected to the side wall of the transverse moving plate, and a second slider is slidably connected to the surface of the second slide rail. A longitudinal moving plate is fixedly connected to the side wall of the second slider, and a mounting bracket is fixedly connected to the side wall of the longitudinal moving plate. A dry etcher is detachably connected to the mounting bracket.

[0006] Furthermore, a first toothed plate is fixedly connected to the side wall of the transverse plate, a first motor is fixedly connected to the side wall of the transverse moving plate, a first gear is fixedly connected to the power output end of the first motor, and the first gear meshes with the first toothed plate.

[0007] Furthermore, a second toothed plate is fixedly connected to the side wall of the longitudinal moving plate, a second motor is fixedly connected to the side wall of the transverse moving plate, a second gear is fixedly connected to the power output end of the second motor, and the second gear meshes with the second toothed plate.

[0008] Furthermore, a placement frame is fixedly connected to the side wall of the crossbeam, a tank chain is installed on the surface of the placement frame, and an air pipe is placed on the inner side wall of the tank chain, which is connected to an external inert gas source.

[0009] Furthermore, a pretreatment tank is fixedly connected to the side wall of the controller housing, an etching liquid tank is fixedly connected above the pretreatment tank, a pump body is fixedly connected to the side wall of the pretreatment tank, and a connecting pipe is fixedly connected to both the output end and the input end of the pump body. The connecting pipe is connected to the pretreatment tank and the etching liquid tank respectively. The outlet end of the etching liquid tank extends to the wet etching tank inside the etching box through the connecting pipe. A flow meter is provided on the surface of the connecting pipe.

[0010] Furthermore, the working method of the dry-wet composite etching equipment for heat sinks includes the following steps:

[0011] Step 1: Preprocessing

[0012] The metal heat sink substrate to be etched is placed in a pretreatment tank for cleaning to remove surface oil, dust, and other impurities. Then, it undergoes drying. Specifically, the cleaning process involves immersing the heat sink substrate in an alkaline cleaning agent for 5-10 minutes, followed by multiple rinses with deionized water. Finally, it is dried using a hot air drying device at 80-100℃ for 3-5 minutes. Step Two: Dry Etching

[0013] The pre-treated heat sink substrate is placed in the etching chamber of the etching box, and etching gas containing fluorine (CF4, SF6, etc.) is introduced. The plasma is generated by the radio frequency power supply, so that the ions and free radicals in the plasma can react physically and chemically with the metal on the surface of the heat sink to perform etching. The power of the radio frequency power supply is set to 100-300W, the flow rate of the etching gas is 50-200sccm, the pressure in the etching chamber is maintained at 1-10Pa, and the etching time is 3-8 minutes. The main purpose is to etch out the fine structural outline on the heat sink, such as the shape and size of the fins, to ensure etching accuracy.

[0014] Step 3: Transition Processing

[0015] Remove the heat sink that has completed dry etching from the dry etching chamber and quickly transfer it to the transition area. Use an inert gas (such as nitrogen) to purge the heat sink to remove residual etching gas and reaction products from the surface. The purging time is 1-2 minutes to prevent residual substances from affecting the subsequent wet etching.

[0016] Step 4: Wet Etching

[0017] The heat sink, after undergoing a transition treatment, is placed in a wet etching bath. An etching solution, a mixture of nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, and water (nitric acid:hydrochloric acid:water volume ratio of 1:2:5-1:3:7), is added. At a temperature of 30-50℃, the etching solution chemically reacts with the metal on the heat sink surface, removing excess metal and improving etching efficiency. The etching time is adjusted according to the material and thickness of the heat sink, generally 5-15 minutes.

[0018] Step 5: Post-processing

[0019] The wet-etched heat sink is removed, cleaned to remove residual etching solution, and then dried and surface-treated, such as with anti-oxidation treatment, to obtain the final heat sink product. The cleaning process also involves multiple rinsings with deionized water. Drying can be done using hot air or vacuum drying at 60-80℃ for 3-5 minutes.

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0022] 1. Achieving precise three-dimensional positioning through a multi-axis moving mechanism effectively improves the dimensional accuracy of the heat sink's fine structure, showing a significant improvement compared to traditional processes. The integration of dry and wet processes on the same equipment reduces workpiece transfer time and effectively shortens the production cycle. The etching solution circulation system reduces raw material consumption and lowers overall costs. The inert gas protection system prevents process interference. PLC fully automated control reduces human factors, thus improving product qualification rate. The etching solution circulation and sealed box design reduce waste liquid discharge and harmful gas leakage, combining environmental protection and safety characteristics, and comprehensively improving the accuracy, efficiency, stability, and sustainability of heat sink etching processing. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of a dry-wet composite etching equipment for heat sinks;

[0024] Figure 2 A rear view of a dry-wet composite etching device for heat sinks;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure inside the dry etching chamber of a heat sink dry-wet composite etching equipment;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first slide rail in the dry etching chamber of a heat sink dry-wet composite etching equipment.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the gear and tooth plate in a dry-wet composite etching equipment for heat sinks.

[0028] In the diagram: 1. Etching box; 2. Controller box; 3. Crossbeam; 4. Horizontal plate; 5. First slide rail; 6. First slider; 7. Lateral moving plate; 8. Second slide rail; 9. Second slider; 10. Longitudinal moving plate; 11. First toothed plate; 12. First gear; 13. First motor; 14. Second toothed plate; 15. Second gear; 16. Second motor; 17. Mounting bracket; 18. Placement rack; 19. Tank chain; 20. Air pipe; 21. Etching liquid tank; 22. Pretreatment tank; 23. Pump body; 24. Connecting pipe; 25. Flow meter. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives, and effects of this invention easier to understand, the invention is further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments. In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "front end," "rear end," "both ends," "one end," and "the other end," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0030] Please see Figures 1-5This invention provides an embodiment of a dry-wet composite etching device for heat sinks, comprising an etching chamber 1, an etching liquid tank 21, a pretreatment pool 22, and a controller housing 2. The top of the controller housing 2 is fixedly connected to the etching chamber 1, and a PLC controller is installed inside the controller housing 2. The etching chamber 1 contains a dry etching chamber and a wet etching tank. A crossbeam 3 is fixedly connected inside the dry etching chamber, and a cross plate 4 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the crossbeam 3. A first slide rail 5 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the cross plate 4. A first slider 6 is slidably connected to the surface of rail 5. A transverse moving plate 7 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the first slider 6. A second slide rail 8 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the transverse moving plate 7. A second slider 9 is slidably connected to the surface of the second slide rail 8. A longitudinal moving plate 10 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the second slider 9. A mounting bracket 17 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the longitudinal moving plate 10. A dry etching device is detachably connected to the mounting bracket 17. A first toothed plate 11 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the transverse moving plate 4. A first motor 13 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the transverse moving plate 7. A first gear 12 is fixedly connected to the power output end of a motor 13, and the first gear 12 meshes with a first toothed plate 11. A second toothed plate 14 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the longitudinal moving plate 10, and a second motor 16 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the transverse moving plate 7. A second gear 15 is fixedly connected to the power output end of the second motor 16, and the second gear 15 meshes with the second toothed plate 14. A placement frame 18 is also fixedly connected to the side wall of the crossbeam 3. A tank chain 19 is mounted on the surface of the placement frame 18, and an air pipe 20 is placed on the inner side wall of the tank chain 19. The gas pipe 20 is connected to an external inert gas source. A pretreatment tank 22 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the controller box 2. An etching liquid tank 21 is fixedly connected above the pretreatment tank 22. A pump body 23 is fixedly connected to the side wall of the pretreatment tank 22. A connecting pipe 24 is fixedly connected to both the output end and the input end of the pump body 23. The connecting pipe 24 is connected to the pretreatment tank 22 and the etching liquid tank 21 respectively. The outlet end of the etching liquid tank 21 extends to the wet etching tank inside the etching box 1 through the connecting pipe 24. A flow meter 25 is provided on the surface of the connecting pipe 24.Automated control is achieved through a PLC controller. Inside the etching chamber 1, the lateral movement system drives the first gear 12, which meshes with the first toothed plate 11 via the first motor 13, causing the first slider 6 to slide on the first slide rail 5. The longitudinal movement system drives the second gear 15, which meshes with the second toothed plate 14 via the second motor 16, causing the second slider 9 to slide on the second slide rail 8. Together, they enable the mounting bracket 17 to precisely position the dry etcher in three-dimensional space, achieving precise etching of different areas of the heat sink. The pretreatment tank 22 and etching liquid tank 21 circulate the etching liquid through the pump body 23 and connecting pipe 24. The flow meter 25 monitors the flow rate in real time. During the transition treatment stage, the air pipe 20 inside the tank chain 19 delivers inert gas to purge the heat sink and prevent residual substances from entering. This process, which affects subsequent wet etching, completes a full-process composite etching process from pretreatment, dry etching, transition treatment to wet etching and post-treatment. A multi-axis moving mechanism achieves precise three-dimensional positioning, effectively improving the dimensional accuracy of the heat sink's fine structure. Compared to traditional processes, this represents a significant improvement. The integration of dry and wet processes on the same equipment reduces workpiece transfer time and effectively shortens the production cycle. An etching solution circulation system reduces raw material consumption and lowers overall costs. An inert gas protection system prevents process interference, and PLC-based fully automated control reduces human error, thus improving product yield. The etching solution circulation and sealed enclosure design reduce waste liquid discharge and harmful gas leakage, combining environmental protection and safety features. This comprehensively improves the accuracy, efficiency, stability, and sustainability of heat sink etching.

[0031] The multi-axis moving mechanism achieves precise three-dimensional positioning, effectively improving the dimensional accuracy of the heat sink's fine structure. Compared with traditional processes, this represents a significant improvement. The integration of dry and wet processes on the same equipment reduces workpiece transfer time and effectively shortens the production cycle. The etching solution circulation system reduces raw material consumption and lowers overall costs. The inert gas protection system prevents process interference. PLC fully automated control reduces human factors, thus improving the product qualification rate. The etching solution circulation and sealed box design reduce waste liquid discharge and harmful gas leakage, combining environmental protection and safety characteristics. This comprehensively improves the accuracy, efficiency, stability, and sustainability of heat sink etching processing.

[0032] The working method and technical principle of the dry-wet composite etching equipment for heat sinks include the following steps:

[0033] Step 1: Preprocessing

[0034] The metal heat sink substrate to be etched is placed in pretreatment tank 22 for cleaning to remove surface oil, dust and other impurities, and then dried. Specifically, the cleaning process involves immersing the heat sink substrate in an alkaline cleaning agent for 5-10 minutes, followed by multiple rinses with deionized water, and then drying it using a hot air drying device at 80-100℃ for 3-5 minutes. Step 2: Dry Etching

[0035] The pre-treated heat sink substrate is placed in the etching chamber of etching box 1, and etching gas containing fluorine (CF4, SF6, etc.) is introduced. A radio frequency power supply is used to generate plasma, causing the ions and free radicals in the plasma to undergo physical and chemical reactions with the metal on the surface of the heat sink, thus etching. The radio frequency power supply is set to 100-300W, the etching gas flow rate to 50-200 sccm, and the pressure inside the etching chamber to be maintained at 1-10Pa. Automated control is achieved through a PLC controller. Inside etching box 1, the horizontal movement system drives the first gear 12 to mesh with the first toothed plate 11 via the first motor 13, causing the first slider 6 to slide on the first slide rail 5. The vertical movement system drives the second gear 15 to mesh with the second toothed plate 14 via the second motor 16, causing the second slider 9 to slide on the second slide rail 8. Together, they enable the mounting bracket 17 to precisely position the dry etcher in three-dimensional space, achieving precise etching of different areas of the heat sink. The etching time is 3-8 minutes, mainly etching out the fine structural contours on the heat sink, such as the shape and size of the fins, to ensure etching accuracy.

[0036] Step 3: Transition Processing

[0037] Remove the heat sink that has completed dry etching from the dry etching chamber and quickly transfer it to the transition area. Use an inert gas (such as nitrogen) to purge the heat sink to remove residual etching gas and reaction products from the surface. The purging time is 1-2 minutes to prevent residual substances from affecting the subsequent wet etching.

[0038] Step 4: Wet Etching

[0039] The heat sink, after undergoing a transition treatment, is placed in a wet etching bath. An etching solution, a mixture of nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, and water (nitric acid:hydrochloric acid:water volume ratio of 1:2:5-1:3:7), is added. At a temperature of 30-50℃, the etching solution chemically reacts with the metal on the heat sink surface, removing excess metal and improving etching efficiency. The etching time is adjusted according to the material and thickness of the heat sink, generally 5-15 minutes.

[0040] Step 5: Post-processing

[0041] The wet-etched heat sink is removed, cleaned to remove residual etching solution, and then dried and surface-treated, such as with anti-oxidation treatment, to obtain the final heat sink product. The cleaning process also involves multiple rinsings with deionized water. Drying can be done using hot air or vacuum drying at 60-80℃ for 3-5 minutes.

[0042] This specification describes embodiments, but not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A dry-wet composite etching apparatus for heat sinks, characterized in that, The system includes an etching chamber (1), an etching solution tank (21), a pretreatment tank (22), and a controller housing (2). The top of the controller housing (2) is fixedly connected to the etching chamber (1). A PLC controller is installed inside the controller housing (2). The etching chamber (1) contains a dry etching chamber and a wet etching tank. A crossbeam (3) is fixedly connected inside the dry etching chamber. A cross plate (4) is fixedly connected to the side wall of the crossbeam (3). A first slide rail (5) is fixedly connected to the side wall of the cross plate (4). The first slide rail (5) has a first slider (6) slidably connected to its surface. The side wall of the first slider (6) is fixedly connected to a transverse moving plate (7). The side wall of the transverse moving plate (7) is fixedly connected to a second slide rail (8). The surface of the second slide rail (8) has a second slider (9) slidably connected to its surface. The side wall of the second slider (9) is fixedly connected to a longitudinal moving plate (10). The side wall of the longitudinal moving plate (10) is fixedly connected to a mounting bracket (17). The mounting bracket (17) is detachably connected to a dry etching device.

2. The dry-wet composite etching process and equipment for heat sinks according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first toothed plate (11) is fixedly connected to the side wall of the horizontal plate (4), and the first motor (13) is fixedly connected to the side wall of the transverse moving plate (7). The first gear (12) is fixedly connected to the power output end of the first motor (13), and the first gear (12) meshes with the first toothed plate (11).

3. The dry-wet composite etching process and equipment for heat sinks according to claim 1, characterized in that, The longitudinal moving plate (10) is fixedly connected to the side wall of the second toothed plate (14), and the transverse moving plate (7) is fixedly connected to the side wall of the second motor (16). The power output end of the second motor (16) is fixedly connected to the second gear (15), and the second gear (15) meshes with the second toothed plate (14).

4. The dry-wet composite etching process and equipment for heat sinks according to claim 1, characterized in that, The side wall of the crossbeam (3) is also fixedly connected to a placement rack (18), a tank chain (19) is installed on the surface of the placement rack (18), and an air pipe (20) is placed on the inner side wall of the tank chain (19), which is connected to an external inert gas source.

5. The dry-wet composite etching process and equipment for heat sinks according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller housing (2) has a pretreatment tank (22) fixedly connected to its side wall. An etching liquid tank (21) is fixedly connected above the pretreatment tank (22). A pump body (23) is fixedly connected to the side wall of the pretreatment tank (22). The output end and input end of the pump body (23) are both fixedly connected to a connecting pipe (24). The connecting pipe (24) is connected to the pretreatment tank (22) and the etching liquid tank (21) respectively. The outlet end of the etching liquid tank (21) extends through the connecting pipe (24) to the wet etching tank inside the etching box (1). A flow meter (25) is provided on the surface of the connecting pipe (24).

6. The working method of the dry-wet composite etching equipment for heat sinks according to claim 1, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Preprocessing The metal heat sink substrate to be etched is placed in the pretreatment tank (22) for cleaning to remove surface oil, dust and other impurities, and then dried. The specific cleaning process is to soak the heat sink substrate in alkaline cleaning agent for 5-10 minutes, then rinse it with deionized water multiple times, and then dry it in hot air drying equipment at a temperature of 80-100℃ for 3-5 minutes. Step 2: Dry Etching The pretreated heat sink substrate is placed in the etching chamber of the etching box (1), and etching gas is introduced. The etching gas contains fluorine (CF4, SF6, etc.). The radio frequency power supply generates plasma, so that the ions and free radicals in the plasma can react physically and chemically with the metal on the surface of the heat sink to perform etching. The power of the radio frequency power supply is set to 100-300W, the flow rate of the etching gas is 50-200sccm, the pressure in the etching chamber is maintained at 1-10Pa, and the etching time is 3-8 minutes. The main purpose is to etch out the fine structural outline on the heat sink, such as the shape and size of the fins, in order to ensure the etching accuracy. Step 3: Transition Processing Remove the heat sink that has completed dry etching from the dry etching chamber and quickly transfer it to the transition area. Use an inert gas (such as nitrogen) to purge the heat sink to remove residual etching gas and reaction products from the surface. The purging time is 1-2 minutes to prevent residual substances from affecting the subsequent wet etching. Step 4: Wet Etching The heat sink that has undergone the transition treatment is placed in a wet etching tank, and an etching solution is added. The etching solution contains a mixture of nitric acid, hydrochloric acid and water (the volume ratio of nitric acid: hydrochloric acid: water is 1:2:5-1:3:7). Under the condition of 30-50℃, the etching solution reacts chemically with the metal on the surface of the heat sink to remove excess metal material and improve etching efficiency. The etching time is adjusted according to the material and thickness of the heat sink, and is generally 5-15 minutes. Step 5: Post-processing The heat sink, after wet etching, is removed, cleaned to remove residual etching solution, and then dried and surface treated, such as with anti-oxidation treatment, to obtain the final heat sink product. The cleaning process also involves multiple rinsings with deionized water. The drying method can be hot air drying or vacuum drying, with a drying temperature of 60-80℃ and a drying time of 3-5 minutes.

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