Apparatus and method for cleaning a stencil and a method for forming the apparatus

Abstract

This application provides an apparatus for cleaning a template. The template includes at least one cavity on a first surface of the template and a plurality of openings extending within the template, and the apparatus includes: a carrier; a support member attached to the carrier and including a base and at least one cleaning portion protruding from the base, wherein each of the at least one cleaning portion mates with and is receptacle within one of the at least one cavities of the template; and a wiping member detachably disposed on the support member, wherein the wiping member is configured to be pressed against the template by the support member when the template is placed on the apparatus to remove residues through direct contact between the wiping member and residues within the openings.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application generally relates to semiconductor technology, and more specifically, to an apparatus for cleaning a template, a method for forming said apparatus, and a method for cleaning a template. [Previous Technology]

[0002] A widely used method for manufacturing circuits is to apply solder paste to selected areas of a printed circuit board and then mount electronic components onto the applied solder paste. A reflow soldering process is then performed on the solder paste to melt it and reshape it, thereby bonding the electronic components to the printed circuit board and forming a circuit.

[0003] During the solder paste printing process, solder paste is applied through a stencil with openings, the openings being located in areas where electronic components will be connected to the printed circuit board. Solder paste is applied to the top surface of the stencil, and a portion of the solder paste flows down through the stencil openings and adheres to the printed circuit board. In some cases, cavities may be formed within the stencil based on the layout of the circuitry to be formed.

[0004] In order to form reliable solder bumps using a template, it is essential to thoroughly remove any residue remaining in the openings of the template after the solder paste printing process. This is crucial so that the residue will not adversely affect the formed solder bumps in subsequent solder paste printing processes using the same template.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a device for cleaning templates with improved cleaning performance. [Summary of the Invention]

[0006] The purpose of this application is to provide a device for cleaning templates with improved cleaning effect.

[0007] According to one aspect of this application, an apparatus for cleaning a template is provided. The template includes at least one cavity at a first surface thereon, and a plurality of openings extending within the template between the at least one cavity and a second surface of the template, the second surface opposite to the first surface, wherein the apparatus includes: a carrier; a support member attached to the carrier, the support member including a base and at least one cleaning portion protruding from the base, wherein each of the at least one cleaning portion mates with and is accommodated within one of the at least one cavities of the template; and a wiping member detachably disposed on the support member, wherein the wiping member is configured such that when the template is placed on the apparatus, the wiping member is pressed against the template by the support member to remove the residue through direct contact between the wiping member and residue within the plurality of openings.

[0008] According to another aspect of this application, a method for manufacturing an apparatus for cleaning a template is provided. The template includes at least one cavity at a first surface thereon, and a plurality of openings extending within the template between the at least one cavity and a second surface of the template, the second surface opposite to the first surface. The method includes: providing a carrier; attaching a support material to the carrier; patterning the support material according to the template to form a support member, the support member including a base and at least one cleaning portion protruding from the base, wherein each of the at least one cleaning portion mates with and is receptacle within one of the at least one cavities of the template; and placing a wiping member on the support member.

[0009] According to another aspect of this application, a method for cleaning a template is provided. The template includes at least one cavity at a first surface thereon, and a plurality of openings extending within the template between the at least one cavity and a second surface of the template, the second surface opposite to the first surface. The method includes: providing a template cleaning device, wherein the template cleaning device includes a carrier; a support member attached to the carrier and the support member including a base and at least one cleaning portion protruding from the base; and a wiping member detachably disposed on the support member; mounting the template on the template cleaning device to accommodate each of the at least one cleaning portion within one of the at least one cavities of the template, and pressing the wiping member against the template; and moving the template cleaning device relative to the template to remove the residue through direct contact between the wiping member and residue within the plurality of openings of the template.

[0010] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and illustrative only, and do not limit the invention. Furthermore, the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with this specification, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Implementation Method

[0018] The following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of this application refers to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the description. The drawings illustrate specific exemplary embodiments in which this application may be practiced. The detailed description, including the drawings, describes these embodiments in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice this application. Those skilled in the art can further utilize other embodiments of this application and make logical, mechanical, and other changes without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, the reader of the following detailed description should not interpret the description in a limiting sense, and the scope of the embodiments of this application is defined only by the appended claims.

[0019] In this application, unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of the singular includes the plural form. In this application, unless otherwise stated, the use of "or" means "and / or". Furthermore, the use of the term "comprising" is not restrictive. Additionally, unless otherwise expressly stated, terms such as "element" or "component" cover both elements comprising one unit and elements comprising more than one subunit. Furthermore, the section headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the subject matter described.

[0020] As used herein, for ease of description, spatial relative terms such as “below,” “under,” “above,” “upper,” “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and “side” may be used to describe the relationship between an element or feature and another element (or feature) or feature (or feature), as shown in the figures. In addition to the orientations depicted in the figures, the spatial relative terms are intended to cover different orientations of the device in use or operation. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptors used herein shall be interpreted accordingly. It should be understood that when an element is referred to as “connected to” or “coupled to” another element, the element may be directly connected to or coupled to the other element, or there may be intermediate elements present.

[0021] As mentioned above, during the solder paste printing process, solder paste is applied through a stencil with openings, the locations of which correspond to the areas where electronic components will be connected to the printed circuit board. Solder paste is applied to the top surface of the stencil, and a portion of the solder paste flows down through the stencil openings and adheres to the printed circuit board. To ensure reliable circuitry formation using the stencil, it is crucial that any residue remaining in the stencil openings be thoroughly removed after the solder paste printing process so that it does not adversely affect subsequent solder paste printing processes using the same stencil.

[0022] In some cases, multiple cavities can be formed within a template, with openings extending between the cavities and the top surface of the template. However, it is difficult to remove residues from the cavities, especially solder paste residues in the openings within such cavities, using conventional template cleaning tools. To address this problem, this application provides a novel device for cleaning templates. The device includes a support member having at least one cleaning portion protruding from its base, each of the at least one cleaning portion matching and being accommodated within one of the cavities of the template. A wiping element is also provided on the support member, which can be used to remove residues through direct contact between the wiping element and the residues within the openings. Therefore, the novel device can improve the cleaning effect on templates with uneven surfaces.

[0023] Figures 1A to 1D show a template and a device for cleaning the template according to a first embodiment of the present application. More specifically, Figure 1A shows a perspective view of the template and the device for cleaning the template as viewed from the top of the template, Figure 1B shows a perspective view of the template as viewed from the bottom of the template, Figure 1C shows a cross-sectional view of the template shown in Figure 1A along line AA', and Figure 1D shows a cross-sectional view of the device for cleaning the template shown in Figure 1A along line BB'.

[0024] As shown in FIG1A, a stencil 100 having a plurality of openings 102a is provided. The stencil 100 is used to perform a solder paste printing process, wherein solder paste is applied through the plurality of openings 102a of the stencil 100 to form an electrical connection between a printed circuit board and at least one electronic component mounted thereon. After the solder paste printing process, a thorough cleaning process shall be performed to remove solder paste residue within the plurality of openings 102a of the stencil 100. As shown in FIG1B and FIG1C, the stencil 100 also includes at least one cavity 103 on a first surface of the stencil 100, such as the bottom surface 101b of the stencil 100. The at least one cavity 103 extends from the interior of the stencil 100 to the bottom surface 101b of the stencil 100.

[0025] A plurality of openings 102a are arranged on a second surface of the template 100, such as the top surface 101a of the template 100, opposite to the first surface. The plurality of openings 102a extend from the second surface 101a into at least one cavity 103 within the template 100, and are thus in fluid communication with at least one cavity 103. The interconnected plurality of openings 102a and cavities 103 form corresponding channels extending through the template 100, which allow solder paste to pass through the template 100. In some embodiments, each of the at least one cavity 103 has a rectangular layout, and each of the at least one cavity 103 is connected to a set of openings 102a arranged in mutually parallel lines along the longitudinal direction Y of the template 100. In some other embodiments, the cavities 103 may have different layouts, such as circular, hexagonal, or octagonal. In some embodiments, the stencil 100 further includes a plurality of additional openings 102b extending through the stencil 100 between its top surface 101a and bottom surface 101b, the additional openings 102b not connecting to cavities. The additional openings 102b may also be arranged in a group similar to the group of openings 102a, such that each group of additional openings 102b is arranged adjacent to a group of openings 102a. However, it should be understood that the openings 102a and 102b may have different arrangements based on the desired layout of solder bumps to be formed on a printed circuit board or other similar substrate. In some embodiments, the stencil 100 may be made of stainless steel, nickel, brass, or other suitable materials. The stencil 100 may be pre-formed according to solder paste printing requirements.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1A and 1D, an apparatus 110 for cleaning a stencil 100 is provided. After the solder paste printing process, the apparatus 110 is used to remove solder paste residue within openings 102a and 102b of the stencil 100, or to clean other areas of the stencil 100. The apparatus 110 includes a carrier 111 having an optional intermediate layer on its top surface, the intermediate layer serving as a platform for placing cleaning elements. A support member 112 is attached to the carrier 111 via the intermediate layer. The support member 112 includes a base 114 and at least one cleaning portion 113 projecting from the base 114. In an embodiment, each of the at least one cleaning portion 113 mates with one of the at least one cavities 103 of the stencil 100, such that the at least one cleaning portion 113 can be accommodated within one of the at least one cavities 103. In other words, in the width direction X and height direction Z of the template 100, each of at least one cleaning portion 113 has a similar size to each of at least one cavity 103 (e.g., substantially the same or slightly smaller). Furthermore, the outer surface of at least one cleaning portion 113 also matches the inner surface of at least one cavity 103 in configuration or profile, so that when the template 100 is placed on the device 110, at least one cleaning portion 113 forms direct or indirect contact with the template 100 within at least one cavity 103. This contact between the cleaning portion 113 and the template 100 (particularly within the cavity 103) can generate friction that helps remove residues from the template 100.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1D, the device 110 further includes a wiping element 120 detachably disposed on the support member 112. When the template 100 is placed on the device 110, the wiping element 120 is disposed between the template 100 and the support member 112, so that it can be pressed against the template 100 by the support member 112 at all areas of at least one cleaning portion 113 and the base 114. Thus, the wiping element 120 can directly contact the residue remaining on the template 100 to effectively remove the residue. In some embodiments, the wiping element 120 comprises polypropylene or cotton. It should be understood that the wiping element 120 includes other materials suitable for cleaning, such as fabric materials.

[0028] Referring again to Figures 1A to 1D, at least one cavity 103 and at least one cleaning section 113 are arranged along the width direction X of the template 100. In the length direction Y of the template 100, the dimension of each of the at least one cleaning section 113 is smaller than the dimension of the corresponding cavity 103 in the at least one cavity 103. In some embodiments, when the device 110 cleans the template 100, the carrier 111 is movable relative to the template 100 in the length direction Y. Thus, the support member 112 attached to the carrier 111 can move with the movement of the carrier 111. In some embodiments, the carrier 111 is shaped like a roller, and a drive may be coupled to the carrier 111 to cyclically roll the carrier 111 relative to the template 100 when the device 110 cleans the template 100. In some other embodiments, the carrier 111 may be formed as a plate or other similar planar structure and may be placed on the template 100 and cyclically moved along the template 100 when the device 110 cleans the template 100.

[0029] More specifically, each of at least one cleaning section 113 moves along the length Y direction of the template 100 within one of the at least one cavity 103. During this process, the wiping element 120 disposed on the support member 112 can wipe the bottom surface 101b of the template 100 and the inner surface of the at least one cavity 103 as the support member 112 moves. Since the template includes an opening 102a and an additional opening 102b, the device 110 can simultaneously remove residues within the opening 102a and the additional opening 102b. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1A and 1D, the base 114 can be a rectangular strip whose dimension in the width direction X of the template 100 is similar to the width dimension of the template 100. Thus, when the support member 112 moves relative to the template 100 in the length Y direction, the wiping element 120 disposed on the support member 112 can directly contact almost all areas of the bottom surface 101b of the template 100 and the inner surface of the at least one cavity 103. Therefore, residues within openings 102a and additional openings 102b can be thoroughly removed. It is also understood that the support member 112 allows direct contact between the wiping member 120 and residues within opening 102a, but permits a small gap between the wiping member 120 and the surface of the template 100. In some embodiments, one or more support members 112 may be individually attached to the carrier 111 to further improve cleaning efficiency. The support members 112 may be integrated into an intermediate layer optionally disposed on the carrier 111.

[0030] In some other embodiments, the support member 112 may further include at least one protrusion on its edge. Correspondingly, the template 100 may include at least one groove configured to receive at least one protrusion, such that each of the at least one protrusion can move within one of the at least one groove when the support member 112 moves relative to the template 100. In this way, displacement between the template 100 and the support member 112 can be avoided, resulting in a uniform and thorough cleaning effect. It should also be understood that the at least one protrusion may be formed on an edge region of the carrier 111 to be received within the at least one groove.

[0031] It should be noted that, for simplicity, a portion of the template 100 corresponding to the additional opening 102b in Figures 1A and 1B is omitted in Figure 1C, and for simplicity, a portion of the device 110 for cleaning the template 100 corresponding to the portion of the additional opening 102b of the template 100 is also omitted in Figure 1D. In other words, Figure 1C exemplarily shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of the template 100 having the opening 102a shown in Figures 1A and 1B, and Figure 1D shows a portion of the device 110 for cleaning the template 100 corresponding to the portion of the template 100 having the opening 102a.

[0032] In another aspect of this application, a method for manufacturing an apparatus for cleaning a template is provided. The template and apparatus may be similar to the template 100 and apparatus 110 shown in Figures 1A to 1D.

[0033] More specifically, a carrier is provided, which serves as a platform for placing a cleaning element. Next, a support material is attached to the carrier. In some embodiments, the support material may include silicone rubber or other materials that can be etched to change their shape. A support template with a through-hole is placed on the support material. The opening of the support template is formed in a layout and configuration corresponding to at least one cavity of the template to pattern the support material and form at least one cleaning portion, such as cleaning portion 113 shown in Figures 1A and 1D. More specifically, the opening is aligned with a portion of the template other than at least one cavity. The top surface of the support material may be covered by a portion of the support template aligned with at least one cavity. Next, the portion of the support material exposed by the opening of the support template can be etched using a dry etching process or a wet etching process. Due to the coverage of the support template, another portion of the support material can be prevented from being etched, thereby forming a base and at least one cleaning portion protruding from the base, such as base 114 and cleaning portion 113 shown in Figures 1A and 1D. In this way, a support member is formed. In some other embodiments, a photomask layer with through openings can be formed on the top surface of the support material to form at least one clean section, instead of using a support template. The photomask layer may include a photoresist material or other corrosion-resistant material to pattern the support material during the etching process.

[0034] In some other embodiments, the support material comprises a flexible material that is deformable when an external force is applied. Additionally, in some embodiments, the flexible material can be cured by a heating process after deformation, thereby solidifying the support material into a desired shape. More specifically, a template is placed on the flexible material, which can be pressed against a carrier by the template. During the pressing step, a portion of the flexible material can be extruded into at least one cavity of the template, thereby forming at least one cleaning portion corresponding to at least one cavity of the template. Thus, at least one cleaning portion can be formed and accommodated in one of the at least one cavities of the template in a low-cost and convenient manner. Next, the support material is cured by a heating process to form a support member. In some embodiments, the flexible material may include silicone, rubber, and other deformable materials. In some embodiments, the support material may shrink after curing, thereby providing space and thickness for mounting the wiping element thereon. In some embodiments, the flexible material comprises a thermosetting material. Before placing the template on the thermosetting material, the thermosetting material may first be heated to a certain temperature to increase its flexibility. In some other embodiments, the soft material includes a thermoplastic material that can be re-deformed by a heating process after curing, thereby being reusable in support materials used in equipment for cleaning different templates.

[0035] Next, the wiping element is placed on the support member (e.g., by means of an adhesive). In this way, the device can be formed.

[0036] Further details of the template and the equipment for cleaning the template may be similar to those shown in Figures 1A to 1D as template 100 and equipment 110, and will not be elaborated here for simplicity.

[0037] Figures 2A to 2D illustrate the various steps of a method for cleaning a template according to a second embodiment of this application.

[0038] As shown in FIG2A, a stencil 200 that has been used in the aforementioned solder paste printing process is provided. During the solder paste printing process, solder paste residue 230 may remain in the openings 202a of the stencil 200, and said residue needs to be removed from the stencil 200. The stencil 200 having at least one cavity 203 can be similar to the stencil 100 shown in FIG1A to 1C, and will not be described in detail here for simplicity.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2B, a template cleaning device 210 is provided. The template cleaning device 210 includes a carrier 211, a support member 212 attached to the carrier 211, and a wiping member 220 detachably disposed on the support member 212. The support member 212 includes a base 214 and at least one cleaning portion 213 protruding from the base 214. The template cleaning device 210 may be similar to the device 110 for cleaning template 100 shown in FIG. 1A and 1D, and will not be described in detail here for simplicity.

[0040] Next, the template 200 is mounted on the template cleaning device 210 so that each of at least one cleaning part 213 is accommodated within one of the at least one cavities 203 of the template 200. In an embodiment, the size of each of the at least one cleaning part 213 is smaller than the size of the corresponding cavity 203 in the longitudinal direction Y of the template 200. At least one cleaning part 213 may be positioned on the front side of the cavity 203.

[0041] Next, the wiping member 220 is pressed against the template 200 to achieve direct contact between the wiping member 220 and the residue 230. In some embodiments, the wiping member 220 is in direct contact with the inner surface of at least one cavity 203 and the bottom surface 201b of the template 200, for example, as shown in FIG2B. In some other embodiments, the wiping member 220 is in direct contact with the residue 230 within the opening 202a, while there may be a small gap between the wiping member 220 and the surface of the template 200. Next, a cleaning agent may be applied between the wiping member 220 and the template 200 to improve cleaning efficiency. In some embodiments, the cleaning agent includes isopropyl alcohol.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2C, the carrier 211 can be moved relative to the template 200 along the length direction Y of the template 200 by a driver coupled to the carrier 211. The support member 212 attached to the carrier 211 can move relative to the template 200 as the carrier 211 moves. More specifically, each of at least one cleaning section 213 moves along the length direction Y of the template 200 within one of at least one cavity 203, specifically from the front side of the cavity 203 to the rear side of the cavity 203. During this process, the wiping member 220 disposed on the support member 212 can wipe the surface of the template 200 as the support member 212 moves. For example, the portion of the wiping member 220 disposed on the cleaning section 213 can wipe the inner surface of at least one cavity 203 through direct contact with the residue 230 in the opening 202a above the cavity 203. Additionally, the portion of the wiping member 220 disposed on the top surface of the base 214 can be used to wipe the bottom surface of the template 200, wherein the cavity 203 does not extend to the aforementioned bottom surface, which can be the bottom surface of the portion of the template 200 having the additional opening 202b. Therefore, although there is a height difference between the opening 202a and the additional opening 202b, the residue 230 within both opening 202a and the additional opening 202b can be removed simultaneously, thereby improving cleaning efficiency and effectiveness.

[0043] In some embodiments, the cleaning process of the template 200 may include multiple cleaning cycles in which the template cleaning device 210 moves relative to the template 200. During a first cleaning cycle, the carrier 211 moves such that each of at least one cleaning part 213 moves within one of at least one cavity 203, specifically from the front side of the cavity 203 to the rear side of the cavity 203, as shown in direction Y1 in FIG2C. Once at least one cleaning part 213 reaches the rear side of at least one cavity 203, the carrier 211 may move in the opposite direction such that each of at least one cleaning part 213 moves from the rear side of the cavity 203 to the front side of the cavity 203 (as shown in direction Y2 in FIG2C), which is referred to as a second cleaning cycle. In some embodiments, the cleaning process may include more than two cleaning cycles, and the carrier 211 has opposite directions of movement, such as Y1 and Y2, in every two consecutive cleaning cycles. In other words, the template cleaning device 210 moves relative to the template 200, specifically, cyclically moving back and forth between the front and rear sides of the template 200. Therefore, as the wiping member 220 rubs back and forth toward the surface of the template 200, the residue 230 within the openings 202a and additional openings 202b can be removed more thoroughly. In some embodiments, the template 200 may include multiple modules, and each cleaning cycle may be used to clean a different module. The carrier 211 may also be moved along the width direction X or any other arbitrary direction by a driver to move the support member 212 to match it to other modules of the template 200 during different cleaning cycles. In some embodiments, the carrier 211 is shaped like a roller, and a driver may be coupled to the carrier 211, and the driver is configured to cyclically roll the carrier 211 relative to the template 200 as the template cleaning device 210 cleans the template 200.

[0044] Next, the template cleaning device 210 is removed from the template 200. As shown in FIG2D, the residue 230 in the openings 202a and additional openings 202b of the template 200 can be thoroughly removed. Finally, a cleaning process can be applied to the template 200 to remove any remaining cleaning agent, thereby completing the cleaning process of the template 200.

[0045] Although exemplary devices and methods for cleaning templates of this application have been described in conjunction with the corresponding drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that modifications and adjustments can be made to the devices and methods for cleaning templates without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0046] Various embodiments have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it will be apparent that various modifications and alterations can be made thereto, and other embodiments can be implemented, without departing from the broader scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Furthermore, other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the description and practice of one or more embodiments of the invention disclosed herein. Therefore, the examples in this application and herein are intended to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are indicated by the list of exemplary claims appended. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0011] The accompanying drawings referenced herein form part of this specification. Unless expressly indicated otherwise in the detailed description, the features shown in the drawings illustrate only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments of this application, and should not be construed as implying to the reader of this specification that all embodiments are possible.

[0012] FIG1A shows a perspective view of a template and an apparatus for cleaning the template according to a first embodiment of the present application. The perspective view is a perspective view viewed from the top of the template.

[0013] Figure 1B shows a perspective view of the template as viewed from the bottom of the template shown in Figure 1A.

[0014] Figure 1C shows a cross-sectional view of the template shown in Figure 1A along line AA'.

[0015] Figure 1D shows a cross-sectional view along line BB' of the equipment for cleaning templates shown in Figure 1A.

[0016] Figures 2A to 2D illustrate the various steps of a method for cleaning a template according to a second embodiment of this application.

[0017] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same or similar parts.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cleaning a template, characterized in that the template includes at least one cavity at a first surface thereon, and a plurality of openings extending within the template between the at least one cavity and a second surface of the template, the second surface being opposite to the first surface, wherein, The device includes: a carrier; a support member attached to the carrier, the support member including a base and at least one cleaning portion protruding from the base, wherein each of the at least one cleaning portion matches and is accommodated within one of the at least one cavities of the template; and a wiping member detachably disposed on the support member, wherein the wiping member is configured to be pressed against the template by the support member when the template is placed on the device, so as to remove the residue through direct contact between the wiping member and the residue within the plurality of openings.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one cavity is arranged along the width direction of the template, and in the length direction of the template, the size of each of the at least one cleaning part is smaller than the size of a corresponding cavity in the at least one cavity, and the carrier is movable relative to the template in the length direction of the template such that when the device cleans the template, each of the at least one cleaning part moves within a cavity in the at least one cavity.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support member comprises silicone rubber.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support member comprises a soft material cured by a heating process.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the support member comprises a thermosetting material or a thermoplastic material.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wiping element comprises polypropylene or cotton.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier is in the shape of a roller.

8. The device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising: A driver, coupled to the carrier, is configured to cyclically roll the carrier relative to the template while the device is cleaning the template.

9. A method of manufacturing an apparatus for cleaning a template, the template comprising at least one cavity at a first surface thereon, and a plurality of openings extending within the template between the at least one cavity and a second surface of the template, the second surface opposite to the first surface, and wherein the method comprises: Provide a carrier; Attach the support material to the carrier; According to the template, the support material is patterned to form a support member, the support member including a base and at least one cleaning portion protruding from the base, wherein each of the at least one cleaning portion matches and is accommodated within one of the at least one cavities of the template; and a wiping member is placed on the support member.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the process of patterning the support material comprises: Based on the at least one cavity of the template, at least a portion of the support material is etched accordingly to form the at least one cleaning section.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the support material comprises a flexible material capable of being cured by a heating process, wherein the process of patterning the support material includes: Place the template on the supporting material; The template is used to press the support material against the carrier to form at least one cleaning section corresponding to at least one cavity of the template; And the support material is cured by a heating process to form the support member.

12. A method for cleaning a template, wherein the template includes at least one cavity at a first surface thereon, and a plurality of openings extending within the template between the at least one cavity and a second surface of the template, the second surface being opposite to the first surface, wherein the method includes: A template cleaning device is provided, wherein the template cleaning device includes a carrier, a support member attached to the carrier and the support member including a base and at least one cleaning part protruding from the base, and a wiping element detachably disposed on the support member; The template is installed on the template cleaning device so that each of the at least one cleaning part is accommodated in one of the at least one cavities of the template, and the wiping member is pressed against the template; And to move the template cleaning device relative to the template to remove the residue through direct contact between the wiping element and the residue in the plurality of openings of the template.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one cavity is arranged along the width direction of the template, and in the length direction of the template, the size of each of the at least one cleaning section is smaller than the size of a corresponding cavity in the at least one cavity, the process of moving the template cleaning device relative to the template includes: The carrier is moved relative to the template in the length direction of the template, such that each of the at least one cleaning part moves within one of the at least one cavities.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the process of moving the template cleaning device relative to the template includes a plurality of cleaning cycles, and each of the cleaning cycles includes: The template cleaning device is moved back and forth cyclically between the front and rear sides of the template relative to the template.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein before moving the template cleaning device relative to the template, the method further comprises: A cleaning agent is applied between the wiping element and the template.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the cleaning agent comprises isopropanol.

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