Liquid phase etching method and liquid phase etching apparatus

Abstract

A liquid phase etching method which comprises spraying a chemically reactive liquid, with a specific speed, to a solid article, an aggregate of solid articles or a gelatinous material to be treated; and a liquid etching apparatus having a mechanism for holding a processing object to be treated and a nozzle structure for spraying a chemically reactive liquid to the processing object to be treated which is held by the mechanism. The method and apparatus allow the significant improvement of the etching rate while maintaining the accuracy of etching.

1 . A liquid phase etching apparatus comprising:
 a vacuum chamber; and   a nozzle mechanism provided in the vacuum chamber for spraying a chemical reactive liquid to a processing object in vacuum atmosphere,   wherein at least the nozzle mechanism is protected by anticorrosive treatment, the anticorrosive treatment is a process of forming a thin film of substance having corrosion resistance to the liquid in the exposed part of the nozzle mechanism, and the treatment is a surface treatment by using plasma.   
   
   
       2 . The liquid phase etching apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a stage for holding the processing object,   a charging mechanism provided at the exit of the nozzle mechanism, and   a voltage application mechanism for applying a voltage to the stage,   wherein the charging mechanism applies an electric charge to particles of the sprayed liquid, and   the voltage application mechanism can accelerate the charged particles of the liquid.   
   
   
       3 . The liquid phase etching apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a magnetic field application mechanism, wherein the magnetic field application mechanism controls the trajectory of liquid particles. 
   
   
       4 . The liquid phase etching apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a liquid feed device, wherein the liquid feed device feeds the liquid continuously or intermittently to the nozzle mechanism. 
   
   
       5 . The liquid phase etching apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a surface active agent feed mechanism, wherein the surface active agent feed mechanism includes:
 a spraying section for spraying the surface active agent to the processing object, and   a feed device for feeding the surface active agent to the spraying section.   
   
   
       6 . The liquid phase etching apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vacuum atmosphere has higher degree of vacuum than 1E-3 Torr.