A particle cleaning mechanism

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of microparticle cleaning mechanism, including cleaning platform, and be located above the ionization unit of cleaning platform, pulse gas generating assembly and vacuum adsorption unit, ionization unit is used to emit ion to neutralize static charge, pulse gas generating assembly is used to spray pulse airflow to blow microparticle, vacuum adsorption unit is used to recycle swept microparticle;Pulse gas generating assembly is located downstream of ionization unit, it has mixing chamber and the injection port communicated with it;Vacuum adsorption unit has recovery cavity and the recovery port communicated with it, recovery port is close to injection port and is set, and injection port and recovery port are all directed to the surface of cleaning platform, mixing chamber is connected to external compressed gas source module, recovery cavity is connected to external negative pressure module.The application improves the surface cleanliness of glass substrate and wafer by the synergistic effect of ionization unit, pulse gas generating assembly and vacuum adsorption unit, also reduces product defect rate, improves manufacturing yield.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor surface contaminant treatment technology, specifically, it demonstrates a microparticle cleaning mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor and display panel manufacturing industries, the surface cleanliness of glass substrates and wafers is crucial. Any micron or nanometer-sized particulate contaminants can cause short circuits, performance degradation, or reduced yield. Currently, cleaning is mostly done by hand-held air blowing, but this method is generally ineffective for cleaning micron or even nanometer-sized microparticles. These microparticles are electrostatically adsorbed onto the substrate surface, making cleaning difficult. Therefore, developing efficient and non-destructive cleaning technologies has always been a core issue in this field. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a microparticle cleaning mechanism that solves the problem of particles being difficult to remove due to electrostatic adsorption.

[0004] The technical solution is as follows: A microparticle cleaning mechanism includes a cleaning platform, an ionization unit, a pulsed gas generating component, and a vacuum adsorption unit disposed above the cleaning platform. The ionization unit is used to emit ions to neutralize electrostatic charges, the pulsed gas generating component is used to spray pulsed gas flow to purge microparticles, and the vacuum adsorption unit is used to recover the purged microparticles. The pulsed gas generating component is located downstream of the ionization unit and has a mixing chamber and an injection port connected to the mixing chamber; the vacuum adsorption unit has a recovery chamber and a recovery port connected to the recovery chamber, the recovery port is set close to the injection port, and both the injection port and the recovery port point to the surface of the cleaning platform; the mixing chamber is connected to an external compressed gas source module, and the recovery chamber is connected to an external negative pressure module.

[0005] In addition, the above embodiments of this utility model may also have the following additional technical features: According to one embodiment of the present invention, the pulsed gas generating assembly further includes at least one interface communicating with the mixing chamber, and a regulating solenoid valve disposed on the interface pipeline. Multiple interfaces allow connection to multiple gas sources or auxiliary devices, such as different gas types, facilitating the treatment of different materials or types of contaminants.

[0006] The pulsed gas generating assembly includes a valve body and a connecting arm fixedly connected, a mixing chamber formed inside the valve body, and an injection port formed at the lower end of the valve body. This integrated design reduces piping complexity and space occupation, resulting in a shorter airflow path, more timely pulse response, and improved cleaning efficiency.

[0007] Furthermore, one end of the connecting arm is rotatably mounted on the cleaning platform, allowing the connecting arm to rotate relative to the cleaning platform with the connection point as the pivot. This allows the pulsed gas generating component to move above the cleaning platform, covering a larger area of ​​the substrate and achieving comprehensive cleaning.

[0008] According to one embodiment of this invention, the ionization unit adopts a pin array structure with alternating current corona discharge. This generates alternating positive and negative ions, effectively neutralizing the positive and negative electrostatic charges on the substrate surface and preventing charge accumulation that could lead to particle re-adsorption.

[0009] According to one embodiment of this invention, the distance between the spray nozzle and the cleaning platform is less than the distance between the recovery port and the cleaning platform. The lower-positioned recovery port immediately captures suspended particles, preventing them from floating upwards.

[0010] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention lie in the synergistic effect of the ionization unit, the pulsed gas generation component, and the vacuum adsorption unit. First, the ionization unit emits positive and negative ions onto the substrate surface to neutralize the electrostatic charge on the substrate and microparticle surfaces. Then, the pulsed gas generation component provides high-pressure pulsed gas to the jet chamber, generating a significant impact force on the surface to be cleaned, allowing more numerous and smaller particles to be blown away. Finally, the vacuum adsorption unit immediately captures the suspended particles. This achieves efficient and non-destructive cleaning of micron or nano-sized particles, which not only improves the surface cleanliness of glass substrates and wafers but also reduces product defect rates and increases manufacturing yield. Furthermore, the structure is compact and easily integrated into existing automated production lines. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a simplified schematic diagram of the microparticle cleaning mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the ionization unit in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the pulse gas generating component and the vacuum adsorption unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; The relevant markings in the attached diagram are as follows: 100-cleaning platform, 200-ionization unit, 300-pulse gas generation assembly, 400-vacuum adsorption unit; 201-housing, 202-high voltage power generator, 203-discharge needle assembly, 310-valve body, 320-interface, 330-mixing chamber, 340-injection port, 350-connecting arm, 360-rotating hinge shaft, 410-recovery chamber, 420-recovery port. Detailed Implementation

[0012] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0013] Example: This utility model embodiment proposes a microparticle cleaning mechanism to realize a cleaning process of neutralization-purging-recovery. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the cleanroom mainly includes a cleaning platform 100, an ionization unit 200, a pulse gas generating component 300, and a vacuum adsorption unit 400.

[0014] From a spatial layout perspective, the cleaning platform 100 serves as the support platform for the entire mechanism, used to support and place the substrates (such as glass substrates or wafers) to be cleaned. Above the cleaning platform 100, along the cleaning direction, the ionization unit 200, the pulse gas generating component 300, and the vacuum adsorption unit 400 are arranged accordingly to achieve orderly cleaning operations.

[0015] The basic workflow of a microparticle cleanroom is as follows: S1. Static Electricity Neutralization: The substrate first passes under the ionization unit 200, which emits positive and negative ions to the substrate surface to neutralize the static charge accumulated on the surface due to friction, storage, and other processes. Static electricity is one of the main forces that cause micron and nano-sized particles to adhere to the surface. Neutralizing static electricity can greatly weaken the Coulomb force between the particles and the substrate, making the particles "loose" and easy to remove.

[0016] S2, Pulse Purging: Particles that have lost their electrostatic adsorption force move with the substrate to below the pulse gas generating component 300. This component sprays short, high-pressure pulsed gas streams onto the substrate surface. These pulsed gas streams generate sufficient shear and impact forces to overcome surface forces, "prying" the microparticles off the substrate surface and suspending them in the near-field region above the substrate.

[0017] S3. Vacuum Recovery: Almost simultaneously with the particles being blown up, the vacuum adsorption unit 400, located near the pulse gas generating component 300, is activated. Its recovery port generates a directional and powerful suction flow field, rapidly capturing the suspended contaminant particles and guiding them into the recovery chamber, ultimately delivering them to the external filtration system. This prevents the blown-up particles from falling back into the cleaned area or clean substrate surface under gravity or airflow disturbance, causing secondary contamination.

[0018] The close collaboration and orderly spatial layout of these three units enable the effective stripping and physical removal of pollutant particles, forming a highly efficient cleaning system.

[0019] Cleaning platforms are typically made of rigid materials (such as stainless steel or anodized aluminum alloy) to prevent deformation or vibration during cleaning. Their surfaces must be extremely flat to ensure stable placement of the substrate. The cleaning platform 100 is usually fixed to other equipment racks via brackets, and its height and level are adjustable to ensure accurate relative positioning with the units above it.

[0020] In this embodiment, the ionization unit preferably adopts a pin array structure with AC corona discharge. Specifically, as shown below: Figure 2 As shown, the basic structure of the ionization unit 200 includes a long, narrow housing 201. Inside the housing 201 is a high-voltage power generator 202. On the side of the housing 201 facing the cleaning platform, a row of discharge needles 203 are arranged at equal intervals. These discharge needles serve as electrodes; when a high-voltage alternating current is applied, the air around the needle tips is broken down (corona discharge), generating a large number of alternating positive and negative ions. The ionization unit can be fixed above the cleaning platform by a corresponding support arm (not shown), making its height adjustable.

[0021] A row of densely arranged discharge needles can form a uniform and continuous ion coverage area in the width direction of the substrate, ensuring that the static electricity in the entire transverse area of ​​the substrate can be effectively neutralized without dead zones. Moreover, compared with DC corona discharge, AC corona discharge can generate equal amounts of positive and negative ions at the same time. This is especially important for processing substrates with uncertain polarity of surface static charge, as it can neutralize positive or negative charges indiscriminately, ensuring the thoroughness of the neutralization effect. At the same time, AC discharge avoids the net accumulation of charge on the substrate, making it safer and more reliable.

[0022] The purpose of the pulsed gas generating component 300 in this embodiment is to convert stable compressed gas into a high-frequency, controllable pulsed jet. (See attached document.) Figure 3 As shown, its main components include valve body 310, connecting arm 350, mixing chamber 330, injection port 340, and regulating solenoid valve.

[0023] The valve body 310 is a precisely structured metal block with complex internal airflow channels. One end of the connecting arm 350 is fixedly connected to the valve body 310, while the other end is rotatably mounted on the side of the cleaning platform 100 or the frame via a rotating hinge shaft 360. This "cantilever beam" design allows the entire pulse gas generating assembly 300 to rotate at a certain angle within a plane parallel to the cleaning platform 100, using the hinged connection point as a fulcrum. When cleaning substrates of different sizes or targeting specific contaminated areas, its injection position can be adjusted without moving the entire platform or substrate.

[0024] The mixing chamber 330 is a cavity machined inside the valve body 310. It has two main functions: first, it serves as a buffer chamber for compressed gas, smoothing out pressure fluctuations from external pipelines and laying the foundation for generating a stable pulsed airflow; second, it can serve as a gas mixing chamber. If the cleaning process has special requirements (such as introducing cleaning gas mixed with trace amounts of inert gas or a specific medium), it can be connected through multiple ports 320, and the gas can be fully mixed in the mixing chamber 330 before being ejected. This intermittently injected high-pressure gas can effectively disrupt the stable boundary layer between the gas and the surface to be cleaned, generating a large impact force on the surface to be cleaned. The use of pulsed airflow instead of continuous purging avoids microstructural damage or thermal stress problems that may be caused by continuous high-pressure airflow.

[0025] A regulating solenoid valve (not shown) is installed on several interfaces 320 connected to the mixing chamber 330. Its opening and closing are precisely controlled by a control system (such as a PLC). When a control signal is received, the regulating solenoid valve opens within a very short time (e.g., milliseconds), causing high-pressure gas to be instantly ejected from the mixing chamber 330 through the injection port 340. After the signal disappears, the solenoid valve quickly closes, stopping the airflow. By adjusting the frequency and duty cycle of the control signal, the injection frequency and duration of each pulse airflow can be precisely controlled, thereby achieving precise control of the purging force. Controlling the opening and closing of the solenoid valve via a PLC is a conventional technique.

[0026] The nozzle 340 is a slit or multiple micro-holes machined at the lower end of the valve body 310 and communicates with the mixing chamber. Its opening direction is slightly inclined towards the surface of the cleaning platform 100. The slit design can generate a uniform "air knife" that covers the entire width of the substrate; while the micro-hole array can generate multiple concentrated air jets, ensuring that an effective airflow impact force is formed when it reaches the substrate surface, so that more and smaller particles can be blown up, thereby improving the cleaning effect.

[0027] In this embodiment, the vacuum adsorption unit 400 and the pulse gas generating component 300 are designed together to form a synergistic combination of "blowing" and "suction", which mainly includes a recovery chamber 410 and a recovery port 420.

[0028] The recovery chamber 410 is a hollow cavity located on the side or rear of the valve body 310. The two can be integrated into one unit and connected to an external negative pressure module (such as a vacuum generator or vacuum pump) through a pipeline. The recovery chamber needs to have a sufficiently large volume to maintain a stable negative pressure and avoid blockage or drastic pressure fluctuations caused by particle inhalation.

[0029] The recovery port 420 is the opening of the recovery chamber 410 facing the cleaning platform 100. It is typically designed as a long, narrow opening, arranged almost parallel to the jet nozzle 340 of the pulse gas generating assembly 300, ensuring that the position of the recovery port does not interfere with the airflow output of the jet nozzle. A key spatial arrangement is that the end of the recovery port 420 is vertically lower than the end of the jet nozzle 340; that is, the jet nozzle 340 first blows up microparticles from the substrate surface, and then the recovery port immediately captures these microparticles.

[0030] The vacuum adsorption unit 400 can be fixedly connected to the valve body 310 of the pulse gas generating component 300 through a support structure, or it can be integrated with the valve body to ensure that the relative position of the two in space remains unchanged. No matter how the pulse gas generating component 300 rotates, the vacuum adsorption unit 400 can move in tandem with it and always maintain the best cooperative working state.

[0031] This embodiment also works in conjunction with external modules, such as an external compressed air source module, an external negative pressure module, and a control system module, none of which are shown in the figure, but this does not affect other skilled personnel's understanding of this embodiment. The external compressed air source module is used to provide dry, clean compressed air or nitrogen. The gas circuit is usually equipped with a pressure reducing valve and a precision pressure regulating valve to stabilize the gas pressure input to the pulse gas generating component 300. The external negative pressure module is usually an industrial vacuum generator or vacuum pump to generate sufficient suction force to draw in the gas flow containing contaminant particles. The control system uses a programmable logic controller (PLC) or an industrial computer, which controls the start and stop of the ionization unit 200 and its high-pressure output, sends precise pulse control signals to the external compressed air source module of the pulse gas generating component 300 and the regulating solenoid valve 350, and controls the external negative pressure module of the vacuum adsorption unit 400.

[0032] During operation: The solenoid valve opens, and a high-pressure, short burst of airflow is ejected at high speed from the mixing chamber 330 through the injection port 340, impacting the substrate surface. At the microscopic level, sufficient shear force is applied to the contaminants, causing them to desorb from the surface and enter the gas-solid two-phase flow. At the moment the particles are blown up, the recovery port 420 located to the side forms an airflow field in the near field region pointing towards the recovery chamber 410 due to its strong suction effect. This airflow field can effectively "capture" and guide these suspended particles, causing them to be sucked into the recovery port 420 along with the main airflow, enter the recovery chamber 410, and finally be collected by the external filter.

[0033] The technical solution of this embodiment first uses an ionization unit to emit positive and negative ions onto the substrate surface to neutralize the electrostatic charge on the substrate and the surface of the microparticles; then, a pulse gas generation component provides high-pressure pulse gas to the jet chamber, generating a large impact force on the surface to be cleaned, allowing more numerous and smaller particles to be blown away; finally, a vacuum adsorption unit immediately captures the suspended particles. This achieves efficient and non-destructive cleaning of micron or nano-sized particles.

[0034] The above descriptions are merely some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the inventive concept of this utility model, and all such modifications and improvements fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A microparticle cleaning mechanism, characterized in that, It includes a cleaning platform, and an ionization unit, a pulsed gas generating component and a vacuum adsorption unit located above the cleaning platform. The ionization unit is used to emit ions to neutralize electrostatic charges, the pulsed gas generating component is used to spray pulsed gas flow to purge microparticles, and the vacuum adsorption unit is used to recover the purged microparticles. The pulsed gas generating component is located downstream of the ionization unit and has a mixing chamber and an injection port connected to the mixing chamber; the vacuum adsorption unit has a recovery chamber and a recovery port connected to the recovery chamber, the recovery port is set close to the injection port, and both the injection port and the recovery port point to the surface of the cleaning platform; the mixing chamber is connected to an external compressed gas source module, and the recovery chamber is connected to an external negative pressure module.

2. The microparticle cleaning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pulsed gas generating assembly also includes at least one interface communicating with the mixing chamber, and a regulating solenoid valve disposed on the interface pipeline.

3. The microparticle cleaning mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pulsed gas generating assembly includes a valve body and a connecting arm that are fixedly connected. The mixing chamber is formed inside the valve body, and the injection port is formed at the lower end of the valve body.

4. The microparticle cleaning mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, One end of the connecting arm is rotatably mounted on the cleaning platform, and the connecting arm can rotate relative to the cleaning platform with the connection point as the fulcrum.

5. The microparticle cleaning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ionization unit adopts a pin array structure with AC corona discharge.

6. The microparticle cleaning mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The distance between the spray nozzle and the cleaning platform is less than the distance between the recovery port and the cleaning platform.

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