Flat panel display manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a flat panel display manufacturing apparatus in a predetermined process is performed using plasma generated therein. In such a flat panel display manufacturing apparatus, a process gas is supplied into a chamber in an evenly diffused state to generate even plasma inside a symmetrical interior space of the chamber. Consequently, the flat panel display manufacturing apparatus can appropriately control flow rate of the plasma, thereby being capable of performing even processing on a large-scale substrate. In the flat panel display manufacturing apparatus, a substrate pedestal thereof is provided with a combination of vertical and horizontal shielding members, thereby being entirely protected from attack of the plasma, resulting in an increased life-span.

1 . A flat panel display manufacturing apparatus comprising: 
 a chamber under vacuum,    a substrate pedestal located in a lower portion of the chamber, on the substrate pedestal being disposed a substrate so that a predetermined process is performed on the substrate using plasma generated in the chamber, and    a shower head, wherein the shower head comprises: 
 a shower head body located in an upper portion of the chamber, the shower head body having a hollow structure opened at a lower surface thereof;  
 a diffusion plate horizontally mounted in the shower head body and having a plurality of diffusion holes formed through predetermined positions;  
 a spray plate spaced apart from the diffusion plate by an even predetermined height so as to be mounted at the open lower surface of the shower head body, the spray plate having a plurality of spray holes formed through predetermined positions; and  
 spray plate supporting members connected at their lower ends to the spray plate and connected at their upper ends to a top wall surface of the shower head body for supporting and fixing the spray plate relative to the shower head body.  
   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein each of the diffusion holes includes a cylindrical upper portion and a conical lower portion.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein each of the spray holes has a diameter in a range of 0.1 mm to 1 mm.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein each of the spray holes has a diameter in a range of 3 mm to 8 mm.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein each of the spray holes is provided with a spray hole plug, the spray hole plug being inserted in the spray hole to protect an inner circumferential wall surface of the spray hole, and having a center through-bore.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the through-bore includes an upper cylindrical portion and a lower cylindrical portion, the lower portion having a smaller diameter than the lower portion.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the smaller diameter of the through-bore is in a range of 0.1 mm to 1 mm.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the spray hole plug is made of cerazole.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein the spray hole plug is made of ceramic.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the spray plate supporting members are made of a highly electrically conductive material.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a gate valve provided external to a substrate entrance/exit opening formed at one side wall of the chamber to communicate with the outside for the introduction and discharge of the substrate, the gate valve being adapted to open or close the substrate entrance/exit opening; and    a shutter provided internal to the substrate entrance/exit opening of the chamber and adapted to open or close the substrate entrance/exit opening.    
   
   
       12 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the shutter is positioned so that an inner plane thereof coincides with an imaginary plane extending from an inner wall surface of the chamber.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the shutter is opened or closed in a sliding manner.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the shutter is installed at the substrate entrance/exit opening so as to be opened or closed in cooperation with opening or closing operation of the gate valve, which connects or disconnects the interior of the chamber to or from the outside.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 baffle means provided in the lower portion of the chamber, the baffle means being interposed in a space defined between the substrate pedestal and a lateral wall surface of the chamber and adapted to adjust flow rate of the plasma flowing through the space between the substrate pedestal and the lateral wall surface of the chamber.    
   
   
       16 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein the baffle means includes: 
 first baffles attached to respective corner regions of the substrate pedestal, below the corner regions being provided exhaust units; and    second baffles attached to respective edge regions of the substrate pedestal provided with no exhaust units.    
   
   
       17 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein the second baffles are positioned at a lower height than the first baffles.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein the first and second baffles are provided with first and second driving units for vertically moving the first and second baffles, respectively.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a plasma shielding device coupled to the substrate pedestal in order to protect the substrate pedestal from the plasma,    wherein the plasma shielding device comprises:    a horizontal shielding member including a plurality of pieces surrounding an edge of an upper surface of the substrate pedestal; and    a vertical shielding member including a plurality of pieces surrounding a lateral surface of the substrate pedestal and an imaginary surface extending downward from the lateral surface,    whereby the horizontal and vertical shielding members are coupled to come into close contact with each other.    
   
   
       20 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein the horizontal shielding member is formed of a combination of a plurality of first corner pieces and a plurality of first edge pieces, 
 whereby the plurality of first corner pieces and the plurality of first edge pieces are coupled so as to come into close contact with one another, thereby shielding the overall edge region of the substrate pedestal.    
   
   
       21 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein engagement surfaces between the first corner piece and the first edge piece or between the first edge pieces of the horizontal shielding member have complementary inclined-line shaped cross sections, respectively, so as to closely engage with one another.  
   
   
       22 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein engagement surfaces between the first corner piece and the first edge piece or between the first edge pieces of the horizontal shielding member have complementary “V”-shaped cross sections, respectively, so as to closely engage with one another.  
   
   
       23 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein engagement surfaces between the first corner piece and the first edge piece or between the first edge pieces of the horizontal shielding member have complementary toothed line shaped cross sections, respectively, so as to closely engage with one another, in such a toothed line shaped cross section, a protrusion and a recess being formed adjacent to each other.  
   
   
       24 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 20 , wherein engagement surfaces between the first corner piece and the first edge piece or between the first edge pieces of the horizontal shielding member have complementary stepped line shaped cross sections, respectively, so as to closely engage with one another, in such a stepped line shaped cross section, the engagement surface being stepped in a thickness direction to have a single step.  
   
   
       25 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein the vertical shielding member is formed of a combination of a plurality of second corner pieces and a plurality of second wall pieces, 
 whereby the plurality of second corner pieces and the plurality of second wall pieces are coupled so as to come into close contact with one another, thereby shielding the overall lateral surface of the substrate pedestal.    
   
   
       26 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 25 , wherein engagement surfaces between the second corner piece and the second wall piece or between the second wall pieces of the vertical shielding member have complementary stepped line shaped cross sections, respectively, so as to closely engage with one another, in such a stepped line shaped cross section, the engagement surface being stepped in a thickness direction to have a single step.  
   
   
       27 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 25 , wherein engagement surfaces between the second corner piece and the second wall piece or between the second wall pieces of the vertical shielding member have complementary inclined-line shaped cross sections, respectively, so as to closely engage with one another.  
   
   
       28 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 25 , wherein engagement surfaces between the second corner piece and the second wall piece or between the second wall pieces of the vertical shielding member have complementary “V”-shaped cross sections, respectively, so as to closely engage with one another.  
   
   
       29 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 25 , wherein engagement surfaces between the second corner piece and the second wall piece or between the second wall pieces of the vertical shielding member have complementary toothed line shaped cross sections, respectively, so as to closely engage with one another, in such a toothed line shaped cross section, a protrusion and a recess being formed adjacent to each other.  
   
   
       30 . The apparatus as set forth in any one of  claims 19  to  29 , 
 wherein the substrate pedestal has a stepped form in a predetermined edge region, and    wherein the plasma shielding device comprises: 
 the horizontal shielding member inserted in the stepped region of the substrate pedestal so as to come into close contact with the substrate pedestal; and  
 the vertical shielding member configured to surround the lateral surface of the substrate pedestal and the imaginary surface extending downward from the lateral surface,  
 whereby an outer circumferential end of the horizontal shielding member is coupled to come into close contact with an upper end of the vertical shielding member.  
   
   
   
       31 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 30 , wherein the horizontal shielding member of the plasma shielding device is configured so that an outer circumferential end thereof protrudes outward beyond a circumferential end of the substrate pedestal by a predetermined length, and 
 wherein the vertical shielding member of the plasma shielding device is configured so that the upper end thereof is stepped so as to be closely coupled with both lateral and lower surfaces of the protruded portion of the horizontal shielding member,    whereby the outer circumferential end of the horizontal shielding member and the upper end of the vertical shielding member are coupled to come into close contact with one another.    
   
   
       32 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 30 , wherein the vertical shielding member of the plasma shielding device is configured so that the upper end thereof protrudes upward from a horizontal plane of the stepped region of the substrate pedestal by a predetermined height, and 
 wherein the horizontal shielding member of the plasma shielding device is configured so that the outer circumferential end thereof is stepped so as to be closely coupled with both lateral and upper surfaces of the protruded portion of the vertical shielding member,    whereby the outer circumferential end of the horizontal shielding member and the upper end of the vertical shielding member are coupled to come into close contact with one another.    
   
   
       33 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 30 , wherein the vertical shielding member of the plasma shielding device is configured so that the upper end thereof protrudes beyond a horizontal plane of the stepped region of the substrate pedestal by the same height as the thickness of the horizontal shielding member and a predetermined part of the protruded portion is stepped, and 
 wherein the horizontal shielding member of the plasma shielding device is configured so that it can be inserted in the stepped region of the substrate pedestal and the outer circumferential end thereof is stepped so as to be closely coupled with the stepped portion of the vertical shielding member,    whereby the outer circumferential end of the horizontal shielding member and the upper end of the vertical shielding member are coupled to come into close contact with one another.    
   
   
       34 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 30 , wherein the horizontal shielding member of the plasma shielding device is configured so that the outer circumferential end thereof protrudes outward from the circumferential end of the stepped region of the substrate pedestal by a predetermined length, and a predetermined part of the protruded portion is stepped, and 
 wherein the vertical shielding member of the plasma shielding device is configured so that the it is coupled to the lateral surface of the substrate pedestal and the upper end thereof is stepped so as to be coupled with the stepped portion formed at the outer circumferential end of the horizontal shielding member,    whereby the outer circumferential end of the horizontal shielding member and the upper end of the vertical shielding member can be preferably coupled to come into close contact with each other.    
   
   
       35 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 20  or  25 , wherein the first or second corner pieces have “L”-shaped cross-sections, respectively.  
   
   
       36 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein the plasma shielding device is made of a plasma-resistant material.  
   
   
       37 . The apparatus as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein the horizontal shielding member, provided on the substrate pedestal, is positioned higher than the substrate pedestal by a predetermined height.