METHOD FOR TREATING OBJECTS AND APPARATUS FOR CARRYING OUT THE METHOD

Abstract

In a method for treating objects, the objects are transported through a basin by a transporting device. Treatment solution is introduced into the basin by way of at least one feeding device, which is provided with upwardly directed outlet openings. The treatment solution is sprayed upwards by the upwardly directed outlet openings to form jets of treatment solution. The objects are transported through the basin over the upwardly directed outlet openings and a downwardly facing surface of the objects is brought into contact with the jets of treatment solution during the transport of the objects through the basin. There is also described a treatment apparatus for carrying out such a method.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A method of treating objects, the method comprising: introducing a treatment solution into a basin by way of a feed device which includes upwardly directed outlet openings; spraying the treatment solution upward from the upwardly directed outlet openings, thus forming treatment solution jets; transporting objects to be treated through the basin with a transport apparatus, and thereby moving the objects through the basin above the upwardly directed outlet openings, and during a transport of the objects through the basin, bringing a downwardly pointing surface of the objects into contact with the treatment solution jets.

17. The method according to claim 16, which comprises performing a single-sided treatment and thereby treating the downwardly pointing surface of the objects with the treatment solution.

18. The method according to claim 16, which comprises, during the transport of the objects through the basin, bringing each point of the downwardly pointing surface of the objects into contact with the treatment solution jets such that, after running through the basin, each point of the downwardly pointing surface of the objects has been treated with the treatment solution jets (24) for an equal length of time.

19. The method according to claim 16, which comprises forming the treatment solution jets with treatment solution that is already contained in the basin.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein the feed device is a tube-in-tube system with an outer tube and an inner tube inside the outer tube, the treatment solution is introduced into the outer tube via downwardly directed outlet openings of the inner tube, and the treatment solution jets are sprayed out of the outer tube upward into the basin.

21. A treatment apparatus for carrying out the method according to claim 16, the treatment apparatus comprising: a basin configured to hold a treatment solution; a transport apparatus configured to transport objects to be treated in a transport direction through the basin; at least one feed device arranged in said basin and configured for treatment solution to be introduced into said basin; and said at least one feed device having upwardly directed outlet openings for spraying the treatment solution upward.

22. The treatment apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said at least one feed device extends in said basin at least in sections in a non-parallel direction with respect to the transport direction.

23. The treatment apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said at least one feed device extends in the non-parallel direction with respect to the transport direction completely through the basin.

24. The treatment apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said at least one feed device has a straight extent, at least in sections, which is oriented obliquely with respect to the transport direction.

25. The treatment apparatus according to claim 24, wherein: the straight extent extends over an entire length of the at least one feed device; said at least one feed device is configured to generate treatment solution jets which widen conically from the upwardly directed outlet openings; the straight extent is oriented at an angle α with respect to the transport direction, and the angle α is at least approximately:
α=arcsin((B−2R)/L); where: L is a length of the at least one feed device, B is a width of the objects to be treated, and R is a radius of the treatment solution jets at a level of a transport plane of the transport apparatus.

26. The treatment apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said at least one feed device has a plurality of upwardly directed outlet openings which are spaced apart from one another in a longitudinal extent direction of the at least one feed device.

27. The treatment apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said at least one feed device is a tube-in-tube system with an outer tube and an inner tube inside said outer tube, the outer tube having said upwardly directed outlet openings for spraying out the treatment solution upward, and said inner tube having downwardly directed outlet openings configured to introduce the treatment solution into said outer tube.

28. The treatment apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said least one feed device has a plurality of upwardly directed outlet openings which are arranged next to one another obliquely or perpendicularly with respect to the transport direction for spraying out the treatment solution upward.

29. The treatment apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said transport apparatus has a plurality of transport rollers which are arranged one behind another in the transport direction, said at least one feed device is arranged below said transport rollers, and said upwardly directed outlet openings of said at least one feed device are arranged at positions of said transport rollers, in relation to the transport direction.

30. The treatment apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a degassing apparatus for removing gas bubbles and/or gas bubble-rich treatment solution from said at least one feed device, said degassing apparatus having a discharge line connected to said at least one feed device.

31. The treatment apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said treatment apparatus is configured to transport the objects to be treated in a plurality of tracks next to one another along the transport direction, and said at least one feed device is one of a plurality of feed devices, the treatment apparatus in each case having a dedicated feed device for each track.

32. The treatment apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said plurality of feed devices are structurally identical devices.

Description

[0065] In the figures:

[0066] FIG. 1 shows one exemplary embodiment of a treatment apparatus according to the invention for carrying out the method according to the invention, in a plan view,

[0067] FIG. 2 shows a section through the treatment apparatus along the sectional plane A-A from FIG. 1,

[0068] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a feed device of the treatment apparatus,

[0069] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the feed device from FIG. 3,

[0070] FIG. 5 shows a section through the feed device along the sectional plane B-B from FIG. 4 (longitudinal section),

[0071] FIG. 6 shows a section through the feed device along the sectional plane C-C from FIG. 4 (cross section), and

[0072] FIG. 7 shows an enlarged detail of the sectional illustration from FIG. 5 (detailed longitudinal section).

[0073] FIG. 1 shows one exemplary embodiment of a treatment apparatus 1 according to the invention for the single-sided treatment of objects 2, in a view from above.

[0074] The objects 2 to be treated (cf. FIG. 2) can be, for example, substrates, in particular wafers for the solar cell and/or semiconductor industry, the objects 2 not being shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of improved clarity.

[0075] The treatment apparatus 1 comprises a basin 3 for receiving a treatment solution 4, such as an etching solution, for example (cf. FIG. 2). Furthermore, the treatment apparatus 1 comprises a transport apparatus 5, by means of which the objects 2 to be treated can be transported along a horizontal transport direction 6 through the basin 3.

[0076] Furthermore, the treatment apparatus 1 is set up to transport the objects 2 to be treated by means of the transport apparatus 5 in a plurality of tracks 7 next to one another along the transport direction 6. In FIG. 1, dashed lines identify the lateral edges of the respective track 7.

[0077] As can be seen from FIG. 1, the transport apparatus 5 comprises a plurality of transport rollers 8 which are arranged behind one another in the transport direction 6 for the transport of the objects 2. The transport rollers 8 are oriented perpendicularly with respect to the transport direction 6, and are preferably arranged equidistantly with respect to one another.

[0078] Moreover, the treatment apparatus 1 comprises a plurality of feed devices 9, by means of which treatment solution 4 can be introduced into the basin 3. The feed devices 9 are arranged below the transport rollers 8. In addition, the feed devices 9 are preferably arranged at the same level, parallel to one another, and equidistantly with respect to one another. The treatment apparatus 1 in each case has a dedicated feed device 9 for each of the tracks 7. Since, in the present exemplary embodiment, the treatment apparatus 1 is set up to transport the objects 2 to be treated by means of the transport apparatus 5 in five tracks 7 next to one another, the treatment apparatus 1 correspondingly has five feed devices 9.

[0079] The respective feed device 9 has a straight extent 10 which extends over the entire length L of the respective feed device 9 (cf. FIGS. 3 to 5), and is oriented transversely with respect to the transport direction 6. In addition, each of the feed devices 9 is configured as a tube-in-tube system with an outer tube 11 and an inner tube 12 which is arranged in the outer tube 11 (cf. FIGS. 5 to 7).

[0080] The outer tube 11 of the respective feed device 9 has a plurality of upwardly oriented outlet openings 13 for spraying out the treatment solution 4 upward (cf., in particular, FIGS. 3, 4, 6 and 7). The outlet openings 13 are arranged in each case at the positions of the transport rollers 8, in relation to the transport direction 6, the respective outer tube 11 having, in the case of each transport roller 8, a plurality of upwardly oriented outlet openings 13 which are arranged next to one another. Since the transport rollers 8 are arranged above the feed devices 9, the outlet openings 13 of the respective outer tube 11 are concealed by way of the transport rollers 8 in FIG. 1 and are therefore not visible. The inner tube 12 of the respective feed device 9 has a plurality of downwardly oriented outlet openings 14 for the introduction of the treatment solution 4 into the associated outer tube 11 (cf. FIG. 7).

[0081] Furthermore, the treatment apparatus 1 comprises a supply device 15 for the introduction of the treatment solution 4 into the inner tube 12 of the respective feed device 9. The supply device 15 comprises a supply line 16, to which the feed devices 9 (more precisely, the inner tubes 12 of the feed devices 9) are connected in each case by means of a connector unit 17 (cf. FIG. 2).

[0082] Furthermore, the treatment apparatus 1 comprises a degassing apparatus 18 for the removal of gas bubbles and/or gas bubble-rich treatment solution from the feed devices 9. The degassing apparatus 18 has a discharge line 19 to which the feed devices 9 (more precisely the inner tubes 12 of the feed devices 9) are connected in each case by means of a connector unit 20 (cf. FIG. 2).

[0083] FIG. 2 shows a section through the treatment apparatus 1 along the sectional plane A-A from FIG. 1.

[0084] It can be seen from FIG. 2 that the transport rollers 8 of the transport apparatus 5 are arranged at the same level. In the present exemplary embodiment, the transport rollers 8 are arranged in such a way that their uppermost point is arranged in each case at the level of a basin edge 21 of the basin 3. That is to say, the transport plane 22, in which the objects 2 are transported by means of the transport apparatus 5, is situated at the level of the basin edge 21. This achieves a situation where objects 2 which are transported on the transport rollers 8 come into contact only on their downwardly pointing surface 23 with the treatment solution 4, with which the basin 3 is filled up to its basin edge 21.

[0085] The treatment of the objects 2 by means of the treatment solution 4 takes place during the transport of the objects 2 through the basin 3. In the case of the treatment, the objects 2 come into contact with the treatment solution 4 on their downwardly pointing surface 23.

[0086] Treatment solution 4 is introduced into the inner tubes 12 of the feed devices 9 via the supply line 16 of the supply device 15. The treatment solution 4 is introduced from the inner tube 12 of the respective feed device 9 via its downwardly directed outlet openings 14 into the associated outer tube 11. The treatment solution 4 is in turn sprayed out upward from the outer tube 11 of the respective feed device 9 via its upwardly directed outlet openings 13 with the configuration of treatment solution jets 24, of which some are shown diagrammatically by way of example in FIG. 2.

[0087] The treatment solution jets 24 are formed in the treatment solution 4 which is already contained in the basin 3, and come into contact with the objects 2 to be treated. During the passage through the treatment solution 4 which is already contained in the basin 3, the treatment solution jets 24 widen conically.

[0088] As has been mentioned above, the respective feed device 9 is oriented obliquely with respect to the transport direction 6. For the angle α, at which the respective feed device 9 lies with respect to the transport direction 6, it is the case at least approximately that α=arcsin((B−2R)/L), L being the length of the respective feed device 9, B being the width of the objects 2 to be treated, and R being the radius of the treatment solution jets 24 at the level of the transport plane 22. In particular, an orientation of this type of the feed devices 9 relative to the transport direction 6 can achieve a situation where, during the transport of the objects 2 through the basin 3, each point of the downwardly pointing surface 23 of the objects 2 is brought into contact with the treatment solution jets 24 in such a way that, after running through the basin 3, each point of the downwardly pointing surface 23 of the objects 2 has been treated with the treatment solution jets 24 for an equally long time.

[0089] Gas bubbles which are contained in the treatment solution 4 which is fed into the inner tubes 12 of the feed devices 9 collect in the upper part of the respective inner tube 12. Gas bubble-rich treatment solution or possibly only the collected gas can be discharged via the discharge line 19 of the degassing apparatus 18, which discharge line 19 is connected to the inner tubes 12 of the feed device 9. Only treatment solution 4 which is low in gas bubbles or free from gas bubbles exits via the downwardly directed outlet openings 14 of the respective inner tube 12 into the associated outer tube 11, with the result that only treatment solution 4 which is low in gas bubbles or free from gas bubbles is sprayed out upward from said outer tube 11. In this way, the input of gas bubbles into the treatment solution 4 which is situated in the basin 3 is avoided or at least reduced.

[0090] FIG. 3 shows by way of example a plan view of one of the feed devices 9 of the treatment apparatus 1. Since the feed devices 9 of the treatment apparatus 1 are of structurally identical configuration with respect to one another, the following comments also apply analogously to the other feed devices 9 of the treatment apparatus 1.

[0091] In FIG. 3, the upwardly directed outlet openings 13 of the illustrated feed device 9, more precisely of its outer tube 11 (cf. FIG. 5), are visible. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the upwardly directed outlet openings 13 of the feed device 9 are distributed in the longitudinal extent direction 25 of the feed device 9 substantially over the entire length L of the feed device 9.

[0092] Furthermore, FIG. 3 depicts two connector units 17, 20, by means of which the feed device 9 in the treatment apparatus 1 is connected to the discharge line 19 of the degassing apparatus 18 and to the supply line 16 of the supply device 15, respectively. The connector unit 20, by means of which the feed device 9 is connected to the discharge line 19 of the degassing apparatus 18, is arranged in FIG. 3 at the right-hand end of the feed device 9, whereas the connector unit 17, by means of which the feed device 9 is connected to the supply line 16 of the supply device 15, is arranged at the left-hand end of the feed device 9.

[0093] FIG. 4 shows a side view of the feed device 9 from FIG. 3. Moreover, FIG. 4 also shows the two said connector units 17, 20.

[0094] Furthermore, two sectional planes (sectional planes B-B and C-C), to which the sectional illustrations of FIGS. 5 to 7 relate, are illustrated in FIG. 4.

[0095] FIG. 5 shows a section through the feed device 9 from FIG. 3 and through the connector units 17, 20 which are arranged on said feed device 9 along the sectional plane B-B.

[0096] In FIG. 5, apart from the outer tube 11 (already visible in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4) of the feed device 9, its inner tube 12 is also visible.

[0097] FIG. 6 shows a section through the feed device 9 from FIG. 3 along the sectional plane C-C.

[0098] FIG. 6 depicts the outer tube 11 and the inner tube 12 of the feed device 9 in cross section. One of the upwardly directed outlet openings 13 of the outer tube 11 can be seen at the 1 o'clock position. Moreover, a spacer element 26 which is arranged between the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 11 and holds the two tubes 11, 12 of the feed device 9 at a predefined spacing from one another is visible in FIG. 6.

[0099] FIG. 7 shows an enlarged detail of the sectional illustration from FIG. 5.

[0100] FIG. 7 shows a part of the inner tube 12 and a part of the outer tube 11 of the feed device 9, a plurality of the downwardly oriented outlet openings 14 of the inner tube 12 and some of the upwardly oriented outlet openings 13 of the outer tube 11 being visible.

[0101] Through the downwardly directed outlet openings 14 of the inner tube 12, the treatment solution 4 is introduced into the outer tube 11, more precisely into the gap between the inner tube 12 and the outer tube 11, with the separation of gas bubbles. The gas bubbles collect in the upper part of the inner tube 11. Therefore, treatment solution 4 which is low in gas bubbles or free from gas bubbles passes to the upwardly directed outlet openings 13.

[0102] The invention has been described in detail on the basis of the exemplary embodiment which is shown. Nevertheless, the invention is not restricted to or by the disclosed example. Other variants can be derived from said exemplary embodiment by a person skilled in the art, without deviating from the concept which forms the basis of the invention.

LIST OF DESIGNATIONS

[0103] 1 Treatment apparatus [0104] 2 Object [0105] 3 Basin [0106] 4 Treatment solution [0107] 5 Transport apparatus [0108] 6 Transport direction [0109] 7 Track [0110] 8 Transport roller [0111] 9 Feed device [0112] 10 Straight extent [0113] 11 Outer tube [0114] 12 Inner tube [0115] 13 Upwardly directed outlet opening [0116] 14 Downwardly directed outlet opening [0117] 15 Supply device [0118] 16 Supply line [0119] 17 Connector unit [0120] 18 Degassing device [0121] 19 Discharge line [0122] 20 Connector unit [0123] 21 Basin edge [0124] 22 Transport plane [0125] 23 Downwardly pointing surface [0126] 24 Treatment solution jet [0127] 25 Longitudinal extent direction [0128] 26 Spacer element [0129] L Length