A roll-to-roll continuous etching production apparatus for flexible electronic devices and an etching method thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of roll-to-roll continuous etching production equipment for flexible electronic device and etching method thereof, belong to flexible electronic manufacturing equipment technical field, including unwinding unit, flexible substrate, pretreatment unit, etching unit, post-processing unit, winding unit, tension and speed control system, unwinding unit, pretreatment unit, etching unit, post-processing unit and winding unit are sequentially arranged along the flexible substrate conveying direction, and tension and speed control system are through each unit.In the present application, it can be compatible with roll-to-roll continuous production, with high precision and environmental protection advantage, using gas-solid phase reaction etching principle, realize the continuous, high speed, high precision dry etching of flexible substrate in normal pressure or near normal pressure environment, effectively avoid the waste liquid treatment, substrate swelling and pattern solution loss problem caused by traditional wet etching, especially suitable for the large-scale, low-cost manufacturing of ultra-thin, high-resolution flexible electronic device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of flexible electronics manufacturing equipment technology, and in particular to a roll-to-roll continuous etching production equipment and etching method for flexible electronic devices. Background Technology

[0002] Flexible electronic devices, as the name suggests, are devices that can withstand mechanical deformations such as bending, folding, stretching, and even twisting while still maintaining their normal electronic functions. Roll-to-roll continuous etching is a manufacturing process used for the large-scale production of fine patterns. It gets its name from its working method: flexible substrate material (such as plastic film) is unrolled from a reel like film or newspaper printing, continuously passed through a series of processing stations (including etching stations), and finally wound up and collected at the other end.

[0003] Flexible electronics is an emerging technology that fabricates electronic devices on flexible substrates, with broad application prospects in wearable devices, flexible displays, and electronic skin. Roll-to-roll manufacturing processes are key to achieving low-cost, large-scale production of flexible electronic products.

[0004] Etching is a core process in flexible electronics manufacturing that defines metal wires or semiconductor patterns. Currently, most mainstream roll-to-roll etching technologies are wet etching, which involves immersing or spraying the substrate with a chemical etching solution to remove functional layers not covered by photoresist through a liquid-solid phase reaction. However, wet etching has several drawbacks: 1. Environmental pollution, generating large amounts of waste acid and waste alkali containing metal ions, resulting in high treatment costs; 2. Process defects: Etching solution may cause swelling and deformation of flexible polymer substrate, affecting dimensional stability; it is also prone to lateral drilling, resulting in rough pattern edges and reduced resolution, making it difficult to meet the requirements of high-precision circuits. 3. The equipment is complex, requiring a complicated system for circulating, spraying, and drying the pesticide solution, making maintenance inconvenient.

[0005] Although dry etching (such as plasma etching) is a mature technology in silicon-based microelectronics, it is usually based on monolithic, high-vacuum equipment and cannot be directly applied to roll-to-roll production processes that operate continuously at atmospheric pressure. To address this, we propose a roll-to-roll continuous etching production equipment and method for flexible electronic devices. This equipment is compatible with roll-to-roll continuous production and offers advantages in both high precision and environmental friendliness. It adopts the gas-solid phase reaction etching principle to achieve continuous, high-speed, and high-precision dry etching of flexible substrates under atmospheric or near-atmospheric pressure. This effectively avoids the problems of waste liquid treatment, substrate swelling, and pattern dissolution associated with traditional wet etching. It is particularly suitable for the large-scale, low-cost manufacturing of ultra-thin, high-resolution flexible electronic devices. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention provides a roll-to-roll continuous etching production equipment and etching method for flexible electronic devices, addressing the environmental pollution and precision bottlenecks, compatibility issues between flexible substrates and liquid processes, challenges in achieving high-precision dry etching in roll-to-roll production, process control and stability issues in continuous production, and production flexibility and cost issues in existing flexible electronic device manufacturing, particularly etching processes.

[0007] The present invention provides the following solution to the above-mentioned technical problems: a roll-to-roll continuous etching production equipment for flexible electronic devices, comprising an unwinding unit, a flexible substrate, a pretreatment unit, an etching unit, a post-treatment unit, a rewinding unit, and a tension and speed control system. The unwinding unit, pretreatment unit, etching unit, post-treatment unit, and rewinding unit are arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the flexible substrate, and the tension and speed control system runs through each unit. A patterned mask is provided on the surface of the flexible substrate. The etching unit includes a closed reaction chamber, a negative pressure exhaust port, and a temperature control platform. The etching method includes the following steps: S1: Release the flexible substrate covered with a patterned mask through the unwinding unit; S2: The flexible substrate is subjected to plasma surface treatment by a pretreatment unit; S3: Transfer the pretreated flexible substrate into the reaction chamber of the etching unit; S4: The flexible substrate is heated to the etching reaction temperature by the temperature-controlled stage. At the same time, heated etching gas is injected onto the surface of the substrate by the etching gas injection module, and a directional airflow is formed by the negative pressure exhaust port, so that the functional layer not covered by the mask reacts with the etching gas in a gas-solid phase and is removed. S5: The etched substrate surface is rinsed with inert gas in the post-processing unit to terminate the reaction; S6: The etched flexible substrate is collected by the winding unit.

[0008] Based on the above technical solution, the present invention can be further improved as follows.

[0009] Furthermore, the pretreatment unit is a plasma surface treatment device used to activate and clean the surface of the flexible substrate covered with a patterned mask. It can effectively remove organic contaminants, moisture and dust invisible to the naked eye from the substrate surface, and at the same time significantly improve the energy of the material surface, that is, improve wettability. This ensures that the subsequent etching gas can react uniformly and thoroughly with the functional layer material, avoiding uneven etching, residue or pattern edge defects caused by surface contamination or poor wettability. It is an important prerequisite for obtaining high-precision and high-yield etched patterns.

[0010] Furthermore, the reaction chamber is equipped with one or more etching gas injection modules. Each etching gas injection module has a precision nozzle array facing the flexible substrate. The precision nozzle array is used to spray heated etching gas onto the substrate surface. The precision nozzle array can form a uniform and controllable "gas curtain" to ensure the uniformity of the concentration and distribution of etching gas in the width direction of the substrate. This avoids over-etching or under-etching in some areas due to uneven gas distribution, and provides a key guarantee for achieving a uniform etching rate and linewidth consistency across the entire substrate surface.

[0011] Furthermore, the precision nozzle array of the etching gas injection module selectively opens and closes and controls the gas flow according to a preset etching pattern, achieving localized etching of specific areas. This allows the equipment to directly write and etch patterns without a fixed physical mask, realizing "digital" manufacturing. This not only saves the cost and time of mask production but also easily enables variable data processing and small-batch customized production. Simultaneously, precise control of the gas region further reduces lateral corrosion and improves the resolution of the etched pattern.

[0012] Furthermore, the negative pressure extraction port and the etching gas injection module are positioned opposite each other to form a directional airflow passing through the substrate surface. The temperature-controlled platform supports and heats the flexible substrate to a predetermined reaction temperature during the etching process. The directional airflow immediately carries away the reaction byproducts, preventing them from redepositing on the substrate surface and causing contamination. Simultaneously, it limits the lateral diffusion of the etching gas, thereby obtaining an etching profile with steep edges. The temperature-controlled platform provides the necessary activation energy for the gas-solid phase chemical reaction, ensuring that the etching reaction proceeds at a stable and efficient rate. The combination of these two elements achieves high-precision, high-efficiency dry etching.

[0013] Furthermore, the post-processing unit is a neutral gas purging chamber used to purge inert gas onto the etched flexible substrate surface to terminate the etching reaction and remove residual gas. It can rapidly dilute and remove any corrosive etching gases remaining on the substrate surface, forcibly terminating the etching reaction and preventing over-etching. Simultaneously, it ensures that reaction byproducts are completely removed, resulting in a clean, dry finished surface without the need for additional drying steps. This protects device performance and prepares the device for potential subsequent in-line processing.

[0014] Furthermore, the tension and speed control system includes multiple tension sensors and alignment rollers distributed throughout the equipment. These ensure that the flexible substrate maintains constant tension and precise lateral position during transport. Constant tension is crucial to preventing stretching, wrinkling, or tearing of the ultra-thin flexible substrate during high-speed transport, thus ensuring the stability of the pattern dimensions. The alignment function prevents the substrate from scratching the equipment or causing etching misalignment due to misalignment. It is a core guarantee system for achieving continuous, stable, and high-speed production, greatly improving the automation level of production and product yield.

[0015] Furthermore, the tension and speed control system maintains the transmission tension of the flexible substrate between 50 N and 200 N, and the transmission speed between 0.1 m / min and 5 m / min, providing a clear and optimized process window. This tension range is sufficient to keep the substrate flat and prevent damage due to excessive stretching. This speed range balances production efficiency and process quality, ensuring that the substrate has sufficient residence time in the etching area to complete a full chemical reaction, thereby guaranteeing etching results while achieving industrially feasible production rates.

[0016] Furthermore, in step S3, the flexible substrate is a polyimide, polyvinyl naphthalene, or polyethylene terephthalate film with a thickness of 10 μm to 200 μm. These polymer materials possess excellent heat resistance, mechanical strength, and chemical stability, enabling them to withstand the temperature and chemical environment during the etching process. The clearly defined thickness range indicates the most suitable application areas for this invention, covering everything from ultra-thin, highly flexible high-end devices to ordinary flexible circuit boards with a certain degree of mechanical support, thus clarifying the scope of protection and practical application scenarios of the invention.

[0017] Furthermore, in step S4, by controlling the opening and closing of specific nozzles and the gas flow rate in the precision nozzle array of the etching gas injection module, localized and selective etching of specific areas on the flexible substrate (2) is achieved. The etching gas is a chlorine- or fluorine-containing gas heated to 80°C ~ 200°C, and the functional layer is copper, aluminum, indium tin oxide, or silicon. The chlorine / fluorine-containing gas has a highly efficient and selective gas-solid phase reaction capability on common functional layer materials such as copper, aluminum, and indium tin oxide under heating conditions. This combination proves that the invention is not a pipe dream, but is based on reliable chemical principles, possesses high feasibility and practicality, and can meet the processing requirements of mainstream flexible electronic material systems.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention provides a roll-to-roll continuous etching production equipment and etching method for flexible electronic devices, which has the following advantages: 1. High-precision and high-quality patterning is achieved. By adopting the gas-solid phase reaction principle and combining it with the vertical directional airflow formed by the precision nozzle array and the negative pressure air extraction port, this invention achieves near-anisotropic etching, which greatly suppresses lateral drilling and can obtain micron-level or even submicron-level patterns with steep edges and precise line width, significantly improving the performance and integration of flexible electronic devices. 2. The overall process is green and environmentally friendly and the process is clean. The entire etching process does not use any liquid chemical solutions, eliminating the generation and discharge of toxic waste liquids from the source, which is in line with the development trend of green manufacturing. At the same time, the dry process avoids the problem of substrate swelling and can remove reaction by-products in a timely manner through directional airflow, maintaining a clean process environment and improving product yield. 3. It has excellent process compatibility and stability. The closed reaction chamber and temperature-controlled platform designed specifically for roll-to-roll production enable high-precision dry etching to be carried out continuously under normal pressure (or near normal pressure). The equipment is specifically suitable for mainstream flexible substrates such as polyimide and functional layer materials such as copper and indium tin oxide, and provides an optimized process parameter window to ensure the feasibility and high repeatability of the process. 4. It has high production flexibility and "digital" manufacturing capabilities. The core precision nozzle array has programmable control capabilities and can selectively open and close and adjust the flow according to digital drawings. This enables direct pattern etching without physical masks, breaking the constraints of traditional masks and making it possible to quickly prototype, customize small batches, and etch different patterns on the same roll material. This greatly improves production flexibility and reduces plate-making costs and time. 5. It enables efficient continuous production and stable process control. The integrated tension and speed control system ensures that the ultra-thin flexible substrate is always in the optimal tension and alignment state throughout the entire transmission process through real-time feedback and automatic correction. This not only prevents material damage and process misalignment, but also realizes high-speed, uninterrupted continuous production, which greatly improves production efficiency and automation level, and provides a reliable equipment foundation for the large-scale industrial manufacturing of flexible electronic products.

[0019] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it according to the contents of the specification, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific embodiments of the present invention are given in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of a roll-to-roll continuous etching production equipment and etching method for flexible electronic devices according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 A front view of a roll-to-roll continuous etching production equipment and etching method for flexible electronic devices provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 A system architecture diagram of a roll-to-roll continuous etching production equipment and etching method for flexible electronic devices provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a flowchart of a roll-to-roll continuous etching production equipment and etching method for flexible electronic devices, provided as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] The attached diagram lists the components represented by each number as follows: 1. Unwinding unit; 2. Flexible substrate; 201. Patterned mask; 3. Pre-treatment unit; 4. Etching unit; 401. Reaction chamber; 402. Etching gas injection module; 403. Precision nozzle array; 404. Negative pressure exhaust port; 405. Temperature control platform; 5. Post-treatment unit; 6. Rewinding unit; 7. Tension and speed control system; 701. Tension sensor; 702. Correction roller. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-4 The principles and features of the present invention are described below. The examples given are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The invention is described more specifically in the following paragraphs by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages and features of the invention will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the illustration of the embodiments of the invention.

[0023] It should be noted that when a component is described as "fixed to" another component, it can be directly on the other component or may have a component in between. When a component is considered "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or may have a component in between. When a component is considered "set on" another component, it can be directly set on the other component or may have a component in between. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this document are for illustrative purposes only.

[0024] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the description of the invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0025] like Figure 1-4 As shown, the present invention provides a roll-to-roll continuous etching production equipment for flexible electronic devices, including an unwinding unit 1, a flexible substrate 2, a pretreatment unit 3, an etching unit 4, a post-treatment unit 5, a winding unit 6, and a tension and speed control system 7. The unwinding unit 1, the pretreatment unit 3, the etching unit 4, the post-treatment unit 5, and the winding unit 6 are arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the flexible substrate 2, and the tension and speed control system 7 runs through each unit. A patterned mask 201 is provided on the surface of the flexible substrate 2. The etching unit 4 includes a closed reaction chamber 401, a negative pressure exhaust port 404, and a temperature control platform 405.

[0026] Preferably, the pretreatment unit 3 is a plasma surface treatment device used to activate and clean the surface of the flexible substrate 2 covered with the patterned mask 201. By generating highly active plasma, the surface of the flexible substrate covered with the patterned mask is bombarded and chemically reacted.

[0027] Preferably, the reaction chamber 401 is provided with one or more etching gas injection modules 402. The etching gas injection module 402 is provided with a precision nozzle array 403 facing the flexible substrate 2. The precision nozzle array 403 is used to spray heated etching gas onto the surface of the substrate. As an etching agent delivery system, this module is responsible for uniformly and controllably spraying the preheated etching gas onto the surface of the flexible substrate through an array of numerous tiny nozzles.

[0028] Preferably, the precision nozzle array 403 of the etching gas injection module 402 selectively opens and closes and controls the gas flow according to the preset etching pattern, so as to achieve local etching of a specific area. Through the control system, the opening, closing and gas flow of each or each group of nozzles in the nozzle array can be independently and accurately controlled according to the preset circuit pattern data.

[0029] Preferably, the negative pressure extraction port 404 and the etching gas injection module 402 are positioned opposite each other to form a directional airflow passing through the substrate surface. The temperature control platform 405 is used to support and heat the flexible substrate 2 to a predetermined reaction temperature during the etching process. The negative pressure extraction port and the gas injection module above together form a directional airflow channel that vertically passes through the substrate surface. The temperature control platform is responsible for supporting and precisely heating the flexible substrate during the etching process.

[0030] Preferably, the post-processing unit 5 is a neutral gas rinsing chamber used to purge inert gas onto the etched flexible substrate 2 surface to terminate the etching reaction and remove residual gas. After etching is completed, this unit uses chemically stable inert gases such as nitrogen and argon to purge and rinse the substrate surface.

[0031] Preferably, the tension and speed control system 7 includes multiple tension sensors 701 and correction rollers 702 distributed throughout the equipment to ensure that the flexible substrate 2 maintains constant tension and accurate lateral position during transmission. The tension sensors monitor the tension of the substrate in real time, while the correction rollers automatically detect and correct the lateral position deviation of the substrate during transmission.

[0032] Preferably, the tension and speed control system 7 maintains the transmission tension of the flexible substrate 2 between 50N and 200N, and the transmission speed between 0.1m / min and 5m / min.

[0033] The specific working principle and usage method of this invention are as follows: S1, System initialization and substrate loading; 1. Equipment preparation: The operator first starts the entire system, including the power supply, central control system and thermal management unit. The system performs a self-check to confirm that the temperature control base 405 of etching unit 4 and the heater of etching gas injection module 402 have reached the preset process temperature, such as 150°C. At the same time, it is confirmed that the plasma generator of pretreatment unit 3 and the gas supply of posttreatment unit 5 are normal. 2. Substrate mounting: The prepared flexible substrate roll 2 is mounted onto the roll of the unwinding unit 1. The flexible substrate 2 is usually a polyimide film, on which a functional layer 202, such as a copper film, to be patterned has been pre-deposited, and a patterning mask 201, such as a photoresist, with the target circuit pattern is covered. 3. Threading: The traction end of the flexible substrate 2 is sequentially passed through the reaction chamber 401 of the pretreatment unit 3, the etching unit 4, and the post-treatment unit 5, and finally fixed to the roll of the winding unit 6, ensuring that the substrate path passes through all the key guide rollers and correction rollers 702. S2, initiate production and tension synchronization control; 1. Start-up: Set the process parameters on the central control interface, including the transfer speed (e.g., 1.0 m / min), target tension (e.g., 100 N), and the flow rate and temperature of the etching gas. Then, start the "Production Run" command. 2. Synchronous control and tension stabilization: The motors of the unwinding unit 1 and the winding unit 6 start to operate synchronously, and the tension and speed control system 7 starts to work. Multiple tension sensors 701 distributed on the path monitor the actual tension value of the substrate in real time and feed the data back to the central controller. 3. Core control algorithm: The central controller runs a proportional-integral-derivative control algorithm, which continuously calculates the deviation between the target tension and the measured tension; The proportional term reacts instantly to the current deviation and quickly adjusts the motor torque; the integral term accumulates historical deviations to eliminate persistent static errors and ensure long-term stability; the derivative term predicts future tension change trends and makes advance adjustments to suppress excessive tension oscillations; based on the output of the PID algorithm, the controller controls the torque and speed of the unwinding and rewinding motors in real time and with fine adjustments to ensure that the flexible substrate 2 maintains constant tension and flatness during high-speed transmission and prevents wrinkles or tears. 4. Correction control: At the same time, the edge position sensor on the correction roller 702 detects the lateral deviation of the substrate. If deviation occurs, the correction system will drive the correction roller to swing at a small angle and automatically correct the substrate back to the center line position. S3, Surface pretreatment; The flexible substrate 2 enters the pretreatment unit 3, which is an atmospheric pressure plasma treatment device. Here, the surface of the substrate is exposed to a highly active plasma glow region generated by a radio frequency or microwave power source. The plasma physically bombards and chemically activates the surface of the substrate, effectively removing organic pollutants and adsorbed moisture, and significantly improving the surface energy between the functional layer 202 and the mask 201. This step is crucial for obtaining a clear edge and defect-free etched pattern in the subsequent process. S4, gas-solid phase continuous etching, the pretreated substrate then enters the core etching unit (4). 1. Precise temperature control: The flexible substrate 2 is tightly bonded to the temperature control platform 405 and conveyed thereon. The platform uses built-in heating elements and temperature sensors to precisely maintain the substrate at the optimal temperature required for the etching reaction (e.g., a specific value within the range of 80°C to 200°C). 2. Localized gas injection and reaction: The etching gas injection module 402 starts working, and the preheated etching gas (e.g., chlorine-containing gas for etching copper, or fluorine-containing gas for etching indium tin oxide) is uniformly and vertically injected onto the substrate surface through the precision nozzle array 403. 3. Directional airflow and byproduct removal: The negative pressure suction port 404, positioned opposite the nozzle array, generates a strong suction force, which, together with the gas jet above, forms a highly concentrated "airflow curtain" perpendicular to the substrate. This airflow curtain has two key functions: 4. Restricted Lateral Diffusion: It greatly restricts the lateral diffusion of etching gas, so that the chemical reaction is strictly confined to a local area directly below the nozzle, thereby achieving high-resolution pattern transfer and avoiding lateral drilling. 5. Efficient removal of byproducts: The airflow quickly removes byproducts such as volatile metal compounds (e.g., CuCl2) generated by the gas-solid phase reaction from the reaction zone, preventing them from redepositing on the substrate surface or hindering subsequent etching reactions. 6. Implementation of selective etching: The etching gas reacts chemically only with the functional layer 202 area not covered by the patterned mask 201 to generate volatile products, thereby selectively removing the material in that area, while the area protected by the mask remains intact, ultimately exposing the designed precision circuit pattern on the substrate. S5, reaction termination and surface cleaning; The etched substrate immediately enters the post-processing unit 5, which is an inert gas flushing chamber. High-purity nitrogen or argon gas is sprayed from multiple nozzles to purge the substrate surface. This step has two purposes: first, to dilute and remove any possible residual etching reactive gases and forcibly terminate the etching reaction; second, to ensure that reaction byproducts are completely removed to obtain a clean etched surface, which is ready for subsequent processes (such as film deposition or encapsulation). S6, Finished product rewinding and production end; Finally, the flexible circuit, after all processing, is neatly wound into a roll by the winding unit 6. During the winding process, the tension and speed control system 7 continuously operates to ensure constant winding tension and tight, neat roll material, preventing interlayer slippage from scratching the precision circuit. When the entire roll of substrate is produced or a stop command is received, the equipment stops each unit in sequence and executes the shutdown procedure, such as filling the etching unit with inert gas for protective purging. The operator can then unload the finished roll from the winding unit for quality inspection or transfer it to the next production process.

[0034] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Content not described in detail in this specification is prior art known to those skilled in the art.

[0035] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Those skilled in the art can readily implement the present invention based on the accompanying drawings and the above description. However, any modifications, alterations, or variations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention, utilizing the disclosed technical content, are equivalent embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, any modifications, alterations, or variations made to the above embodiments based on the essential technology of the present invention are still within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A roll-to-roll continuous etching production equipment for flexible electronic devices, comprising an unwinding unit (1), a flexible substrate (2), a pretreatment unit (3), an etching unit (4), a post-treatment unit (5), a rewinding unit (6), and a tension and speed control system (7), characterized in that: The unwinding unit (1), pretreatment unit (3), etching unit (4), posttreatment unit (5) and winding unit (6) are arranged sequentially along the conveying direction of the flexible substrate (2), and the tension and speed control system (7) runs through each unit; a patterned mask (201) is provided on the surface of the flexible substrate (2); the etching unit (4) includes a closed reaction chamber (401), a negative pressure exhaust port (404), and a temperature control platform (405). The reaction chamber (401) is provided with one or more etching gas injection modules (402), and the etching gas injection module (402) is provided with a precision nozzle array (403) facing the flexible substrate (2). The precision nozzle array (403) is used to spray heated etching gas onto the surface of the substrate. The precision nozzle array (403) of the etching gas injection module (402) selectively opens and closes and controls the gas flow according to the preset etching pattern, so as to achieve local etching of a specific area. The negative pressure exhaust port (404) is arranged opposite to the etching gas injection module (402) to form a directional airflow through the surface of the substrate. The temperature control platform (405) is used to support and heat the flexible substrate (2) to a predetermined reaction temperature during the etching process. The post-processing unit (5) is a neutral gas flushing chamber used to blow inert gas onto the surface of the etched flexible substrate (2) to terminate the etching reaction and remove residual gas. The tension and speed control system (7) maintains the transmission tension of the flexible substrate (2) between 50 N and 200 N, and the transmission speed between 0.1 m / min and 5 m / min; The flexible substrate (2) is a polyimide, polyvinyl naphthalene or polyethylene terephthalate film with a thickness of 10 μm to 200 μm; The etching method includes the following steps: S1: The flexible substrate (2) covered with the patterned mask (201) is released through the unwinding unit (1). S2: The flexible substrate (2) is subjected to plasma surface treatment by the pretreatment unit (3); S3: The pretreated flexible substrate (2) is transferred to the reaction chamber (401) of the etching unit (4); S4: The flexible substrate (2) is heated to the etching reaction temperature by the temperature-controlled base plate (405), and heated etching gas is injected onto the substrate surface by the etching gas injection module (402). A directional airflow is formed by the negative pressure exhaust port (404) so ​​that the functional layer (202) not covered by the mask reacts with the etching gas in a gas-solid phase and is removed. The etching gas is a chlorine-containing or fluorine-containing gas heated to 80°C ~ 200°C. The functional layer (202) is copper, aluminum, indium tin oxide or silicon. S5: The etched substrate surface is rinsed with inert gas by the post-processing unit (5) to terminate the reaction; S6: The etched flexible substrate (2) is collected by the winding unit (6).

2. The roll-to-roll continuous etching production equipment for flexible electronic devices according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pretreatment unit (3) is a plasma surface treatment device used to activate and clean the surface of the flexible substrate (2) covered with a patterned mask (201).

3. The roll-to-roll continuous etching production equipment for flexible electronic devices according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tension and speed control system (7) includes multiple tension sensors (701) and alignment rollers (702) distributed throughout the equipment to ensure that the flexible substrate (2) maintains constant tension and precise lateral position during transmission.

4. The roll-to-roll continuous etching production equipment for flexible electronic devices according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S4, by controlling the opening and closing of specific nozzles and the gas flow rate in the precision nozzle array (403) of the etching gas injection module (402), localized and selective etching of specific areas on the flexible substrate (2) is achieved.

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