A carrier plate etching method and a carrier plate etching device

Abstract

This application relates to the field of etching apparatus technology, and more particularly to a carrier plate etching method and apparatus. The technical solution includes a conveying device and a spray system mounted above it. The spray system comprises multiple sets of local spray modules arranged sequentially along the carrier plate's movement direction. Each module includes a mounting box, a sealing mechanism located on both sides of the mounting box and forming a seal on the carrier plate surface, multiple etching nozzles, a flow guiding nozzle, and a recovery mechanism. The sealing mechanism defines a sealed etching area between the mounting box and the carrier plate. The flow guiding nozzle blows airflow towards the other side of this area, causing the etching solution to flow in a directional direction. The recovery mechanism then recovers the etching solution flowing to that side. This apparatus decomposes large-area spraying into multiple independent and controllable local etching segments, preventing uneven etching caused by irregular lateral diffusion and concentration decay of the etching solution. It also improves the etching solution exchange rate and etching efficiency, and enables timely recovery of waste liquid, reducing pollution and consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of etching apparatus technology, and more particularly to a substrate etching method and a substrate etching apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Carrier etching is a critical process in the manufacturing of printed circuit boards, IC packaging substrates, and panel-level packaging. Current technologies typically employ conveyor belts, conveyor rollers, or air-floating platforms to move the carrier at a constant speed. Multiple fixed spray nozzles are positioned above the carrier along the direction of movement to continuously spray etching solution onto the carrier surface, achieving large-area continuous etching. This equipment has a relatively simple structure and high production efficiency, and is widely used in various substrate production lines.

[0003] However, the aforementioned wide-width continuous spraying method has significant drawbacks in practical applications. First, after the etching solution is sprayed onto the substrate surface, it naturally flows outwards due to gravity and surface tension. In particular, the etching solution in the central area diffuses to both sides simultaneously, resulting in a much larger amount of etching solution contacting the sides of the substrate compared to the central area, causing uneven lateral etching. Second, as the etching solution that has already participated in the reaction in the central area moves towards the edges, its effective components are gradually consumed, and its concentration continuously decreases. When this ineffective etching solution flows to the edges, it interferes with the normal etching in the edge areas, further widening the difference in etching rate between the edges and the center, severely affecting the uniformity of the linewidth across the entire board. Furthermore, existing technologies lack active control over the flow direction of the etching solution and timely recovery methods. Reaction byproducts easily remain on the substrate surface, reducing etching efficiency, and excessive flowing etching solution can pollute the conveying device and the surrounding environment, increasing chemical consumption and the burden of waste liquid treatment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to address the problems existing in the background art by proposing a substrate etching method and a substrate etching apparatus.

[0005] On one hand, this application proposes a substrate etching apparatus, including a conveying device for conveying the substrate, characterized in that it further includes: A spray system installed above the conveying device includes multiple sets of local spray modules arranged sequentially along the moving direction of the carrier plate. Each group of localized spray modules includes: Installation box; Multiple etching nozzles for spraying etching liquid onto the surface of the carrier plate are installed inside the mounting box, and a flow guide nozzle is installed on one side of the mounting box. The flow guide nozzle is used to blow airflow toward the other side of the mounting box to guide the etching liquid sprayed onto the surface of the carrier plate from one side to the other side. The sealing mechanism installed on both sides of the mounting box is used to form a seal between the two sides of the mounting box and the surface of the carrier plate, forming a sealed etching area. A recovery mechanism is located on the mounting box and on the side away from the flow nozzle. The recovery mechanism is used to recover the etching solution flowing to this side. Optionally, the conveying device can be any one of a conveyor belt, conveyor rollers, or air flotation platform.

[0006] Optionally, both sides of the mounting box are provided with circular sealing covers. The sealing mechanism includes a rotating shaft coaxially arranged with the sealing cover, multiple sets of elastic telescopic rods fixedly installed on the rotating shaft, and a mounting seat fixedly installed on the same set of telescopic rods. A cylindrical roller for sealing contact with the carrier plate is rotatably installed on the mounting seat. Optionally, the telescopic rod includes a sliding sleeve fixedly mounted on a rotating shaft and a sliding rod slidably mounted inside the sliding sleeve. The sliding rod extends to the outside of the sliding sleeve and is fixedly connected to the mounting base. A spring is fixedly mounted between the sliding rod and the rotating shaft.

[0007] Optionally, the lower end of the sealing cover is provided with an opening, and arc-shaped guide plates are provided on both sides of the opening. At least one of the rollers is located inside the opening and in contact with the carrier plate. The roller is in contact with the inside of the sealing cover and the connection is sealed.

[0008] Optionally, a drive mechanism for driving two rotating shafts to rotate synchronously is installed on one side of the mounting box. The drive mechanism includes a servo motor fixedly installed on one side of the mounting box. The output shaft of the servo motor is coaxially and fixedly connected to one of the rotating shafts. The two rotating shafts are connected by a transmission belt.

[0009] Optionally, the linear velocity of the rotating roller is the same as the velocity of the carrier plate.

[0010] Optionally, the multiple circular rollers on the side away from the guide nozzle are hollow. The recovery mechanism includes multiple adsorption holes on the hollow circular rollers and a negative pressure box fixedly installed on one side of the mounting box. The negative pressure box is provided with an annular groove, and a sealing ring is rotatably and sealingly connected to the annular groove. Multiple connecting pipes corresponding to the circular rollers are installed on the sealing rings, and the connecting pipes connect the cavity inside the circular rollers to the negative pressure box.

[0011] Optionally, the negative pressure box is connected in sequence to a gas-liquid separator and an air pump system for evacuating air from the negative pressure box.

[0012] On the other hand, this application proposes a substrate etching method applied to the substrate etching apparatus described above, the method comprising the following steps: Step 1: The carrier plate is moved at a constant speed along a predetermined direction by a conveying device; Step 2: The carrier plate sequentially enters the sealed etching area enclosed by the sealing mechanism and the mounting box in each local spray module; Step 3: In a confined area, the etching nozzle sprays etching solution onto the surface of the carrier board; Step 4: The guide nozzle blows air out towards the other side of the mounting box, guiding the etching solution from one side to the other. Step 5: The recycling mechanism will suck up and recycle the etching solution flowing to this side; Step 6: The carrier board continuously passes through multiple sets of local spray modules to complete the segmented etching of the entire board.

[0013] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: This application sets up multiple local spraying modules arranged sequentially along the moving direction of the carrier plate, and uses a sealing mechanism in each module to form a closed etching area between the two sides of the mounting box and the surface of the carrier plate. This decomposes the traditional large-scale free flow into multiple independent and controllable local processing areas, fundamentally avoiding the unevenness caused by the irregular diffusion of the etching solution from the center to both sides. Inside each module, the flow guide nozzle blows out a directional airflow, forcing the fresh etching solution to move at a uniform speed from one side to the other, which significantly improves the liquid phase mass transfer rate and allows the waste liquid after the reaction to be quickly pushed to the recycling side, ensuring that the substrate surface is always in contact with a high concentration of fresh solution, thereby greatly improving etching efficiency and process consistency. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the substrate etching apparatus. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the sprinkler system. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the sealing mechanism; Figure 4 for Figure 3 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the drive mechanism; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the mounting box; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the location distribution of the etching nozzle and the guide nozzle. Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the recycling mechanism Figure 1 ; Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the recycling mechanism Figure 2 .

[0015] Reference numerals: 1. Conveying device; 2. Spraying system; 21. Mounting box; 211. Sealing cover; 212. Guide plate; 22. Etched nozzle; 23. Guide nozzle; 24. Sealing mechanism; 241. Rotating shaft; 242. Sliding sleeve; 243. Sliding rod; 244. Spring; 245. Mounting base; 246. Circular roller; 25. Drive mechanism; 251. Servo motor; 252. Transmission belt; 26. Recovery mechanism; 261. Adsorption hole; 262. Negative pressure box; 263. Annular groove; 264. Sealing ring; 265. Connecting pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0017] Device Examples like Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 As shown, the present application proposes a carrier etching apparatus, including a conveying device 1 for conveying the carrier, which can be any one of a conveyor belt, conveyor roller or air flotation platform, and a spraying system 2 installed above the conveying device 1. The spraying system includes multiple sets of local spraying modules arranged sequentially along the carrier moving direction. Each set of local spraying modules includes a mounting box 21, multiple etching nozzles 22 set in the mounting box 21 for spraying etching liquid onto the surface of the carrier, and a guide nozzle 23 set on one side of the mounting box 21. The guide nozzle 23 is used to blow airflow toward the other side of the mounting box 21 to guide the etching liquid sprayed onto the surface of the carrier from one side to the other side. By blowing out directional airflow, the guide nozzle 23 can form a unidirectional liquid flow in the closed etching area, forcing the fresh etching liquid to move at a uniform speed from one side of the mounting box 21 to the other side, thereby avoiding the local concentration difference caused by the irregular diffusion of etching liquid on the surface of the carrier in traditional wide-width spraying. On the one hand, it can promptly push the etching solution that has already participated in the reaction and whose effective components have decreased away from the carrier plate surface, and quickly remove it through the subsequent recycling mechanism 26, which significantly improves the exchange rate between the etching solution and the carrier plate surface, thereby accelerating the etching reaction speed and improving production efficiency. Because the flow direction is controllable and the path is short, the concentration of the etching solution inside each local spray module is kept uniform, avoiding the problem of edge concentration fluctuation caused by the central etching solution spreading to both sides. This is because in traditional technology, the etching solution relies only on gravity to flow naturally or centrifugal force to spread, which easily forms a stagnant layer in the central area of ​​the carrier board. The reaction byproducts cannot be discharged in time, resulting in a decrease in etching rate and a decrease in uniformity.

[0018] like Figures 2 to 4As shown, the carrier etching apparatus of this embodiment also includes sealing mechanisms 24 installed on both sides of the mounting box 21. The sealing mechanisms 24 are used to form a seal between the two sides of the mounting box 21 and the surface of the carrier plate, forming a sealed etching area. Both sides of the mounting box 21 are provided with circular sealing covers 211. The sealing mechanism 24 includes a rotating shaft 241 coaxially arranged with the sealing cover 211, and multiple sets of elastic telescopic rods fixedly installed on the rotating shaft 241. A mounting base 245 is fixedly installed on the same set of telescopic rods, and a cylindrical part for sealing contact with the carrier plate is rotatably mounted on the mounting base 245. The circular roller 246 has an opening at the bottom of the sealing cover 211. Under the elastic action of the telescopic rod, the circular roller 246 is always pressed against the surface of the carrier plate. At the same time, the circular roller 246 can rotate freely around its own axis. When the carrier plate moves on the conveying device 1, the circular roller 246 rolls with the carrier plate, which not only achieves effective dynamic sealing of both sides of the mounting box 21 to prevent the etching liquid from leaking from that side, but also does not scratch the surface of the carrier plate. Multiple sets of telescopic rods are distributed circumferentially along the rotating shaft 241, so that at any time there is at least one circular roller 246 at the bottom opening of the sealing cover 211 and in contact with the carrier plate, thereby ensuring the continuity of the seal.

[0019] Furthermore, the telescopic rod includes a sliding sleeve 242 fixedly installed on the rotating shaft 241 and a sliding rod 243 slidably installed inside the sliding sleeve 242. The sliding rod 243 extends to the outside of the sliding sleeve 242 and is fixedly connected to the mounting base 245. A spring 244 is fixedly installed between the sliding rod 243 and the rotating shaft 241. The spring 244 always applies an outward pushing force to the sliding rod 243. When the circular roller 246 rotates to a position close to the carrier plate, the spring 244 pushes the sliding rod 243 to extend, so that the circular roller 246 fits tightly against the surface of the carrier plate. When the roller 246 rotates with the shaft 241 to a position away from the carrier plate, i.e. inside the sealing cover 211, the reaction force of the carrier plate on the roller 246 disappears. The spring 244 still maintains a certain preload, but the roller 246 will not overextend under the limit of the inner wall of the sealing cover 211. This allows the roller 246 to automatically adjust the amount of extension and retraction according to the rotation angle within a long sealing contact range, ensuring the reliability and stability of the seal.

[0020] It should be noted that the lower end of the sealing cover 211 is provided with an opening, and arc-shaped guide plates 212 are provided on both sides of the opening. The guide plates 212 guide the circular rollers 246 located on the outside to the inside of the sealing cover 211. At least one circular roller 246 is located inside the opening and in contact with the carrier plate at the same time. The circular roller 246 is in contact with the inside of the sealing cover 211 and the connection is sealed. The circular roller 246 and the inside of the sealing cover 211 maintain a sealed contact, so that the etching solution cannot leak from the gap between the circular roller 246 and the carrier plate to the external environment. At the same time, due to the circumferential arrangement of multiple sets of telescopic rods, no matter what angle the rotating shaft 241 rotates to, there will always be at least one circular roller 246 located at the opening and pressing the carrier plate, thereby forming a dynamic and uninterrupted sealing barrier, reliably confining the etching solution within the sealed space formed by the two circular rollers 246 that are in contact with the carrier plate at the same time.

[0021] like Figures 2 to 5 As shown, in this embodiment, a drive mechanism 25 for driving two rotating shafts 241 to rotate synchronously is installed on one side of the mounting box 21. The drive mechanism 25 includes a servo motor 251 fixedly installed on one side of the mounting box 21. The output shaft of the servo motor 251 is coaxially fixedly connected to one of the rotating shafts 241. The two rotating shafts 241 are connected by a transmission belt 252. The servo motor 251 drives the active rotating shaft 241 to rotate. The transmission belt 252 causes the rotating shafts 241 on both sides to rotate synchronously in the same direction. As the rotating shaft 241 rotates, multiple sets of rollers 246 installed on it pass through the opening area of ​​the sealing cover 211 in sequence, continuously updating the rollers 246 in contact with the carrier plate. This driving method ensures that the sealing mechanism 24 can work continuously.

[0022] It is worth noting that the linear velocity of the roller 246 when it rotates is the same as the velocity of the carrier plate. By controlling the speed of the servo motor 251, the linear velocity of the surface of the roller 246 is equal to the moving speed of the carrier plate on the conveying device 1. At this time, the roller 246 and the carrier plate are in pure rolling contact without relative sliding. This avoids scratches or particle contamination on the surface of the carrier plate that may be caused by sliding friction, and also reduces the driving resistance.

[0023] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the carrier etching apparatus of this embodiment also includes a recovery mechanism 26 disposed on the mounting box 21 and away from the flow nozzle 23. The recovery mechanism 26 is used to recover the etching liquid flowing to this side and to collect the etching liquid pushed to the other side of the mounting box 21 by the airflow of the flow nozzle 23.

[0024] In traditional technology, the etching solution flows freely on the surface of the carrier plate and easily flows down from the edge of the carrier plate. In the movement path from the center to the edge, the already reacted etching solution will block the new etching solution sprayed from the edge from contacting the carrier plate. Moreover, the edge of the carrier plate is not only etched by the new etching solution but also interfered with by the etching solution flowing from the center to the outside. Therefore, the etching uniformity between the center and the outside is inconsistent.

[0025] By setting the flow guide nozzle 23 and the recovery mechanism 26 on both sides of the mounting box 21, a closed-loop path of spraying → directional flow → instant recovery is formed, so that the etching solution is quickly absorbed after completing the etching of the current local area, avoiding the failure of the etching solution from flowing to the subsequent area or adjacent local spray modules, thereby eliminating the problems of cross interference and uneven concentration. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the multiple circular rollers 246 on the side away from the guide nozzle 23 are hollow structures. The recovery mechanism 26 includes multiple adsorption holes 261 on the hollow circular rollers 246 and a negative pressure box 262 fixedly installed on one side of the mounting box 21. The negative pressure box 262 is provided with an annular groove 263, and a sealing ring 264 is rotatably and sealingly connected to the annular groove 263. Multiple connecting pipes 265 corresponding one-to-one with the circular rollers 246 are installed on the sealing rings 264, connecting... Pipe 265 connects the cavity inside the roller 246 to the negative pressure box 262. When the carrier plate moves, these rollers 246 roll on the surface of the carrier plate, and the adsorption holes 261 on them are close to the carrier plate or maintain a small gap. The negative pressure box 262 continuously evacuates the inside of the roller 246 through the annular groove 263, the sealing ring 264 and the connecting pipe 265, so that the etching liquid flowing to the side boundary is drawn into the cavity of the roller 246 by the adsorption holes 261, and then flows into the negative pressure box 262 through the connecting pipe 265. The cooperation between the annular groove 263 and the sealing ring 264 ensures that the negative pressure passage of the roller 246 remains connected during rotation.

[0026] The negative pressure box 262 is connected in sequence to a gas-liquid separator and an air pump system for evacuating air from the negative pressure box 262. The air pump system continuously draws gas from the negative pressure box 262 to maintain it in a negative pressure state. The gas-liquid mixture drawn in enters the gas-liquid separator. The separated etching solution can be recycled and reused, while the gas is purified and discharged into the atmosphere or recycled. This setting ensures that the recycling mechanism 26 can work efficiently and continuously, while avoiding damage caused by etching solution being sucked into the air pump.

[0027] Working principle: The conveying device 1 drives the carrier plate forward at a constant speed and passes through multiple sets of local spraying modules in sequence. Inside each local spraying module, the roller 246 of the sealing mechanism 24 rolls in contact with the surface of the carrier plate, forming a sealed chamber with the sealing cover 211 to prevent the etching liquid from leaking out and to eliminate relative friction. The etching nozzle 22 sprays fresh etching liquid onto the surface of the carrier plate, and the guide nozzle 23 blows air out to the other side, causing the etching liquid to flow in a direction within the sealed area and promptly pushing the waste liquid after the reaction to the recycling side. The recycling mechanism 26 draws the waste liquid into the hollow roller 246 through negative pressure and into the negative pressure box 262. Finally, it is recovered through gas-liquid separation. Since each set of local spray modules works independently and the liquid flow path is short and the exchange is fast, it completely overcomes the problems of etching liquid retention in the central area and uneven etching caused by the concentration fluctuation of diffusion liquid at the edge in traditional wide-width spraying. At the same time, the design of matching the linear speed of the roller 246 with the speed of the carrier plate ensures the stability of long-term sealing and low wear.

[0028] This embodiment proposes a substrate etching method, applied to the above-described substrate etching apparatus, which includes the following steps: Step 1: The carrier plate is moved at a constant speed along the predetermined direction by the conveying device 1; Step 2: The carrier plate sequentially enters the sealed etching area formed by the sealing mechanism 24 and the mounting box 21 in each local spray module; Step 3: Within the confined area, etching nozzle 22 sprays etching solution onto the surface of the carrier plate; Step 4: The guide nozzle 23 blows airflow toward the other side of the mounting box 21, guiding the etching solution from one side to the other. Step 5: The recycling mechanism 26 will suck up and recycle the etching solution flowing to this side; Step 6: The carrier board continuously passes through multiple sets of local spray modules to complete the segmented etching of the entire board.

[0029] The above specific embodiments are merely several optional embodiments of the present invention. Based on the technical solutions of the present invention and the relevant teachings of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can make various alternative improvements and combinations to the above specific embodiments.

Claims

1. A substrate etching apparatus, comprising a conveying device (1) for conveying a substrate, characterized in that, Also includes: A spray system (2) installed above the conveying device (1) includes multiple sets of local spray modules arranged sequentially along the moving direction of the carrier plate. Each group of localized spray modules includes: Installation box (21); Multiple etching nozzles (22) for spraying etching liquid onto the surface of the carrier plate are provided in the mounting box (21), and a flow guide nozzle (23) is provided on one side of the mounting box (21). The flow guide nozzle (23) is used to blow airflow toward the other side of the mounting box (21) to guide the etching liquid sprayed onto the surface of the carrier plate from one side to the other side. The sealing mechanism (24) installed on both sides of the mounting box (21) is used to form a seal between the two sides of the mounting box (21) and the surface of the carrier plate, forming a closed etching area; A recovery mechanism (26) is provided on the mounting box (21) and on the side away from the flow nozzle (23), the recovery mechanism (26) being used to recover the etching solution flowing to that side.

2. The substrate etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conveying device (1) is any one of a conveyor belt, a conveyor roller, or an air flotation platform.

3. The substrate etching apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both sides of the mounting box (21) are provided with circular sealing covers (211). The sealing mechanism (24) includes a rotating shaft (241) coaxially arranged with the sealing cover (211), and multiple sets of elastic telescopic rods fixedly installed on the rotating shaft (241). A mounting seat (245) is fixedly installed on the same set of telescopic rods. A cylindrical roller (246) for sealing contact with the carrier plate is rotatably installed on the mounting seat (245).

4. The substrate etching apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The telescopic rod includes a sliding sleeve (242) fixedly installed on a rotating shaft (221) and a sliding rod (243) slidably installed inside the sliding sleeve (242). The sliding rod (243) extends to the outside of the sliding sleeve (242) and is fixedly connected to the mounting base (245). A spring (244) is fixedly installed between the sliding rod (243) and the rotating shaft (241).

5. The substrate etching apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The lower end of the sealing cover (211) is provided with an opening, and arc-shaped guide plates (212) are provided on both sides of the opening. At least one of the rollers (246) is located inside the opening and in contact with the carrier plate. The roller (246) is in contact with the inside of the sealing cover (211) and the connection is sealed.

6. The substrate etching apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, A drive mechanism (25) for driving two rotating shafts (241) to rotate synchronously is installed on one side of the mounting box (21). The drive mechanism (25) includes a servo motor (251) fixedly installed on one side of the mounting box (21). The output shaft of the servo motor (251) is coaxially fixedly connected to one of the rotating shafts (241). The two rotating shafts (241) are connected by a transmission belt (252).

7. The substrate etching apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The linear velocity of the rotating roller (246) is the same as the velocity of the carrier plate.

8. The substrate etching apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The multiple circular rollers (246) on the side away from the guide nozzle (23) are hollow structures. The recycling mechanism (26) includes multiple adsorption holes (261) on the hollow circular rollers (246) and a negative pressure box (262) fixedly installed on one side of the mounting box (21). The negative pressure box (262) is provided with an annular groove (263). A sealing ring (264) is rotatably and sealingly connected to the annular groove (263). Multiple connecting pipes (265) corresponding one-to-one with the circular rollers (246) are installed on the sealing rings (264). The connecting pipes (265) connect the cavity inside the circular rollers (246) and the negative pressure box (262).

9. The substrate etching apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The negative pressure box (262) is connected in sequence to a gas-liquid separator and an air pump system for evacuating air from the negative pressure box (262).

10. A substrate etching method, applied to the substrate etching apparatus of claim 9, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: Step 1: The carrier plate is moved at a constant speed along the predetermined direction by the conveying device (1); Step 2: The carrier plate enters the sealed etching area formed by the sealing mechanism (24) and the mounting box (21) in each local spray module in sequence; Step 3: In a sealed area, the etching nozzle (22) sprays etching solution onto the surface of the carrier plate; Step 4: The guide nozzle (23) blows airflow toward the other side of the mounting box (21) to guide the etching solution from one side to the other. Step 5: The recycling mechanism (26) sucks away and recycles the etching solution flowing to this side; Step 6: The carrier board continuously passes through multiple sets of local spray modules to complete the segmented etching of the entire board.

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