ETCHING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING SAME

Abstract

The present invention relates to an etching apparatus including an etching chamber in which a target object is etched by an etchant, an etchant supply part which collects the etchant in the etching chamber and supplies the etchant to the etching chamber using an etchant pump, a first pressure adjusting unit which injects a gas into the etchant pump to apply an operation pressure, a second pressure adjusting unit which pressurizes the etching chamber and the etchant supply part at the same predetermined pressure, a back pressure adjusting unit which adjusts a pressure of the gas discharged when the etchant pump operates, and a valve which controls an order and a direction in which the gas is injected into or discharged from the etchant pump.

Claims

1. An etching apparatus comprising: an etching chamber in which a target object is etched by an etchant; an etchant supply part which collects the etchant in the etching chamber and supplies the etchant to the etching chamber using an etchant pump; a first pressure adjusting unit which injects a gas into the etchant pump to apply an operation pressure; a second pressure adjusting unit which pressurizes the etching chamber and the etchant supply part at the same predetermined pressure; a back pressure adjusting unit which adjusts a pressure of the gas discharged when the etchant pump operates; and a valve which controls an order and a direction in which the gas is injected into or discharged from the etchant pump.

2. The etching apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a control unit that selectively controls one or more among the first pressure adjusting unit, the second pressure adjusting unit, the valve, etchant pump, and the back pressure adjusting unit to perform an etching process.

3. The etching apparatus of claim 1, wherein a new pipe branched off from a pipe connected from the second pressure adjusting unit to an etching part including the etching chamber and the etchant supply part is connected to the back pressure adjusting unit.

4. The etching apparatus of claim 3, wherein the same pressure as the pressure applied to the etching part through the second pressure adjusting unit is applied to the back pressure adjusting unit through the new pipe.

5. The etching apparatus of claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the first pressure adjusting unit to apply a pressure greater than the pressure applied to the back pressure adjusting unit to the etchant pump.

6. The etching apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a third pressure adjusting unit which independently applies a pressure to the back pressure adjusting unit, wherein the control unit controls the third pressure adjusting unit to apply the same pressure as the pressure applied to the etching part through the second pressure adjusting unit to the back pressure adjusting unit.

7. The etching apparatus of claim 6, wherein the control unit controls the first pressure adjusting unit to apply a pressure greater than the pressure applied from the second pressure adjusting unit or the third pressure adjusting unit.

8. The etching apparatus of claim 1, wherein: discharging pipes of the gas discharged through different paths from the etchant pump through the valve are merged into one pipe; and one back pressure adjusting unit is formed in the one pipe formed by merging the discharging pipes of the gas.

9. The etching apparatus of claim 1, wherein the etchant supply part collects the etchant in the etching chamber in a natural drainage manner through gravity.

10. A method of controlling an etching apparatus which includes an etching chamber, an etchant supply part which supplies an etchant to the etching chamber using an etchant pump, a first pressure adjusting unit which injects a gas into the etchant pump to apply an operation pressure, a second pressure adjusting unit which pressurizes the etching chamber and the etchant supply part at predetermined pressures, a back pressure adjusting unit which adjusts a pressure of the gas discharged when the etchant pump operates, a valve which controls an order and a direction in which the gas is injected into or discharged from the etchant pump, and a control unit, wherein the method comprises: selectively controlling, by the control unit, one or more among the first pressure adjusting unit, the second pressure adjusting unit, the valve, the etchant pump, and the back pressure adjusting unit to perform an etching process; and controlling, by the control unit, the first pressure adjusting unit to apply a pressure greater than a pressure applied to the back pressure adjusting unit to the etchant pump.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprises applying, by the control unit, the same pressure as a pressure applied to an etching part from the second pressure adjusting unit to the back pressure adjusting unit, wherein a new pipe branched off from a pipe connected from the second pressure adjusting unit to an etching part including the etching chamber and the etchant supply part is connected to the back pressure adjusting unit.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising controlling a third pressure adjusting unit to apply the same pressure as a pressure applied to an etching part through the second pressure adjusting unit to the back pressure adjusting unit, wherein the etching apparatus further includes the third pressure adjusting unit which independently applies a pressure to the back pressure adjusting unit.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising controlling, by the control unit, the first pressure adjusting unit to apply a pressure greater than the pressure applied from the second pressure adjusting unit or the third pressure adjusting unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing exemplary embodiments thereof in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] FIG. 1 is an exemplary view illustrating a schematic configuration of an etching apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] FIG. 2 is an exemplary view illustrating a schematic configuration of an etching apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] FIG. 3 is a flowchart for describing a method of controlling operations of the etching apparatus illustrated in FIG. 2;

[0031] FIG. 4 is an exemplary view for describing operations of an etchant pump in FIG. 1;

[0032] FIG. 5 is an exemplary view illustrating a detailed configuration of an etching part in FIG. 1; and

[0033] FIG. 6 is a flowchart for describing a method of controlling operations of the etching apparatus illustrated in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0034] second pressure adjusting unit 160 (S102).

[0035] In addition, the control unit 210 applies the pressure of the third pressure adjusting unit 170 to the back pressure adjusting unit 140 (S103).

[0036] Accordingly, the control unit 210 controls the pressure applied to the back pressure adjusting unit 140 to be the same as a pressure applied to the etching part 110 to prevent damage to a bellows in an etchant pump 120. That is, there is an effect of preventing damage to the bellows by maintaining an external pressure of the etchant pump 120 (for example, a pressure applied to an outer side of the bellows) to be the same as an internal pressure (for example, a pressure by which the bellows is pushed by a pressurized etchant) to prevent deformation or friction of an inner wall of the bellows.

[0037] Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 5, the etching part 110 formed as the pressurization system is configured that the etchant supply part 112 is disposed under the etching chamber 111 so that an etchant used in an etching process in the etching chamber 111 is naturally drained to the etchant supply part 112 through an etchant drain pipe by gravity.

[0038] However, since a thickness of the etchant drain pipe is small (narrow) and a pressure of the etching chamber 111 and a pressure of the etchant supply part 112 are the same, natural drainage of the etchant is not easy.

[0039] Accordingly, in the present embodiment, a gas circulation pipe 191 connecting an upper portion of the etchant supply part 112 (for example, a predetermined point of the upper portion which is positioned higher than a position of the etchant and at which a gas is positioned) and an upper portion of the etching chamber 111 (for example, a predetermined point of the upper portion which is positioned higher than a position of the etchant and at which a gas is positioned) is formed, and an air pump 190 is formed in the middle of the gas circulation pipe 191.

[0040] The gas may include air, and thus the air pump 190 forcibly moves air, a gas, or a gas including air through the gas circulation pipe 191.

[0041] The air pump 190 forms a separate gas circulation path different from an etchant circulation path by forcibly moving a gas present in the etchant supply part 112 to the etching chamber 111 (that is, generating a pressure difference between two ends of the etchant supply part 112 and the etching chamber 111). By forcibly moving the gas using the air pump 190 as described above, the etchant and the gas of the etching chamber 111 are drained (discharged) to the etchant supply part 112 through the etchant drain pipe in order to maintain a pressure balance (that is, in order to remove a pressure difference).

[0042] FIG. 6 is a flowchart for describing a method of controlling operations of the etching apparatus illustrated in FIG. 5, and shows that when the etching apparatus starts operation to supply an etchant to the etching chamber 111 through the etchant pump 120 (Y in S201), the control unit 210 operates the air pump 190 at a predetermined speed (S202).

[0043] Accordingly, as a gas present in the etchant supply part 112 is forcibly moved to the etching chamber 111, the etchant and the gas of the etching chamber 111 are drained (discharged) to the etchant supply part 112 through the etchant drain pipe in order to maintain a pressure balance. That is, even in a pressurized state of the etching part 110, the etchant is smoothly drained from the etching chamber 111 to the etchant supply part 112.

[0044] Meanwhile, when the operation of the etching apparatus stops or the operation of the etchant pump 120 stops to stop the supply of the etchant to the etching chamber 111 (N in S201), the control unit 210 immediately stops the operation of the air pump 190 (S203).

[0045] Accordingly, since the gas present in the etchant supply part 112 does not flow to the etching chamber 111, the etchant and the gas of the etching chamber 111 are not naturally drained (discharged) to the etchant supply part 112 through the etchant drain pipe.

[0046] As described above, the present embodiment has an effect of naturally draining the etchant to the etchant supply part 112 disposed under the etching chamber 111 due to gravity even without using a drain pump (not shown) which forcibly discharges the etchant from the etching chamber 111 to the etchant supply part 112 (that is, when the drain pump is used, there may be a problem in forming an etching atmosphere because synchronization between the drain pump and the etchant pump is not easy). According to embodiments of the present invention, damage to a bellows in an etchant pump configured to transfer an etchant from an etchant supply part to an etching chamber of an etching apparatus can be prevented.

[0047] While the present invention has been described with reference to embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, this is merely exemplary. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and other equivalent example embodiments may be made from the embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. In addition, the present invention described in this specification can be implemented through, for example, a method, a process, an apparatus, a software program, a data stream, or a signal. Even when the present invention is described as being implemented in only a single way (for example, as a method), the described features may be implemented in another way (for example, as an apparatus or program). An apparatus may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or the like. A method may be implemented in an apparatus such as a processor which generally indicates a processing device such as a computer, a microprocessor, an integrated circuit, and a logic device capable of being programmed. Examples of a processor also include a communication device such as a computer, a cell phone, a portable/personal digital assistant (PDA), and another device which facilitates information communication between end-users.