Release of Compact Excimer Irradiation Devices That Can Be Installed on Existing Manufacturing Lines without Modification
Improves bonding and sealing processes in the manufacture of automobiles and smartphones as more products are expected to be lighter and 5G compatible
Ushio Inc. (Head Office: Tokyo, Chief Executive Officer: Koji Naito, hereinafter “Ushio”) will release the HPV-ST Series (Hyper V-ST Series, hereinafter the “HPV-ST”) in August 2020. The HPV-ST, which is used for the pretreatment of bonding and sealing in the manufacturing process of automotive parts and smartphones, contributes to the dry cleaning of parts and improves their hydrophilicity and adhesiveness through 172nm vacuum UV light (excimer light) irradiation.
The HPV-ST is the latest and most compact model in the Excimer series. Ushio commercialized the product in 1993 for the first time in the world and has since been enjoying a high market share in the application for the manufacturing processes of semiconductors, LCD panels and electronic parts. With the product installed in existing manufacturing lines without the need for special accompanying facilities, manufacturers can solve issues related to parts cleaning and bonding processes at minimum costs, while simultaneously achieving enhancements in quality and improvements in yields.
■Background of the development of compact excimer HPV-ST irradiation devices
Recently, bonding and sealing have become increasingly important for the manufacturing process of automobile parts and smartphones, reflecting manufacturers’ desire to review materials to reduce the weight of automobiles and increase the number of sensors and electronic parts to facilitate self-driving, coupled with the need for incorporating 5G, high definition and unique outer designs in smartphones.
As the use of materials with low adhesiveness has been increasing in these processes, it is highlighted that the cleaning of bonding surfaces and hydrophilization, or the pretreatment of bonding and sealing, have a significant impact on the quality and yield of final products.To introduce measures for improving the pretreatment, it is expected that effectiveness is verified by conducting the pretreatment in real production lines from the perspectives of the combination with post-treatment and the difference in conditions between an experiment and production.
Traditionally, the atmospheric plasma method was used for the pretreatment. However, there was the issue of a large amount of workload for the preparation of utility equipment attributable to a large amount of gas flows when plasma is emitted, combined with the time-consuming daily quality control attributable to the difficulty of monitoring treatment conditions. On the other hand, with respect to the 172nm vacuum UV light irradiation method (excimer devices), there was an issue that a structure should be incorporated to exhaust nitrogen and ozone, on top of the devices being slightly too large to be installed on existing manufacturing lines.
■Solving issues by making the excimer irradiation devices compact and increasing their outputs
To address these issues, Ushio has developed the excimer HPV-ST Series irradiation devices that feature better installability in existing manufacturing lines by making excimer lamps smaller and increasing their outputs as well as by adopting its unique ozone exhaust structure. As a result, it has accomplished the following.
【Product features】
・Easy in-line evaluations and additional installation in existing production lines
Dramatically simplified the treatment chamber structure, which had been essentially complex, by adopting the original ozone exhaust structure.
In addition, reduced customers’ workload for the installation of devices by limiting utility equipment to power and exhaust devices.
・Achieved better performance with fewer lamps by using the high output light source technology developed for the FPD market
Continued to use the large HPV Series flat lamps that feature the industry’s largest output and amount of light exposure.
Demonstrated the greatest performance by increasing the amount of light exposure per lamp, while also maintaining the need for small installation areas and low capital spending.
・Realized compactness and lightweight features through the optimization of functions
Made the weight less than 13 kilograms to ensure operation by one operator while maintaining a high output of the light source.
Made the product 40% smaller in length and depth than conventional products. Improved layout flexibility.
・Environmentally conscious, mercury-free light source
The device features low environmental loads because it is completely mercury-free and can be switched on and off immediately. In addition, it is not affected by the ambient temperature.
【Specifications】
Ushio will continue to satisfy needs arising in a variety of manufacturing processes using “light."
The HPV-ST is the latest and most compact model in the Excimer series. Ushio commercialized the product in 1993 for the first time in the world and has since been enjoying a high market share in the application for the manufacturing processes of semiconductors, LCD panels and electronic parts. With the product installed in existing manufacturing lines without the need for special accompanying facilities, manufacturers can solve issues related to parts cleaning and bonding processes at minimum costs, while simultaneously achieving enhancements in quality and improvements in yields.
■Background of the development of compact excimer HPV-ST irradiation devices
Recently, bonding and sealing have become increasingly important for the manufacturing process of automobile parts and smartphones, reflecting manufacturers’ desire to review materials to reduce the weight of automobiles and increase the number of sensors and electronic parts to facilitate self-driving, coupled with the need for incorporating 5G, high definition and unique outer designs in smartphones.
As the use of materials with low adhesiveness has been increasing in these processes, it is highlighted that the cleaning of bonding surfaces and hydrophilization, or the pretreatment of bonding and sealing, have a significant impact on the quality and yield of final products.To introduce measures for improving the pretreatment, it is expected that effectiveness is verified by conducting the pretreatment in real production lines from the perspectives of the combination with post-treatment and the difference in conditions between an experiment and production.
Traditionally, the atmospheric plasma method was used for the pretreatment. However, there was the issue of a large amount of workload for the preparation of utility equipment attributable to a large amount of gas flows when plasma is emitted, combined with the time-consuming daily quality control attributable to the difficulty of monitoring treatment conditions. On the other hand, with respect to the 172nm vacuum UV light irradiation method (excimer devices), there was an issue that a structure should be incorporated to exhaust nitrogen and ozone, on top of the devices being slightly too large to be installed on existing manufacturing lines.
■Solving issues by making the excimer irradiation devices compact and increasing their outputs
To address these issues, Ushio has developed the excimer HPV-ST Series irradiation devices that feature better installability in existing manufacturing lines by making excimer lamps smaller and increasing their outputs as well as by adopting its unique ozone exhaust structure. As a result, it has accomplished the following.
【Product features】
・Easy in-line evaluations and additional installation in existing production lines
Dramatically simplified the treatment chamber structure, which had been essentially complex, by adopting the original ozone exhaust structure.
In addition, reduced customers’ workload for the installation of devices by limiting utility equipment to power and exhaust devices.
・Achieved better performance with fewer lamps by using the high output light source technology developed for the FPD market
Continued to use the large HPV Series flat lamps that feature the industry’s largest output and amount of light exposure.
Demonstrated the greatest performance by increasing the amount of light exposure per lamp, while also maintaining the need for small installation areas and low capital spending.
・Realized compactness and lightweight features through the optimization of functions
Made the weight less than 13 kilograms to ensure operation by one operator while maintaining a high output of the light source.
Made the product 40% smaller in length and depth than conventional products. Improved layout flexibility.
・Environmentally conscious, mercury-free light source
The device features low environmental loads because it is completely mercury-free and can be switched on and off immediately. In addition, it is not affected by the ambient temperature.
【Specifications】
| HPV-ST Series | 300mm type | 550mm type |
| Lamp house dimensions | 500(W)×160(D)×300(H) | 750(W)×160(D)×300(H) |
| Weight | 13kg | 17kg |
| Rated voltage | AC 200 to 240 V 50/60 Hz (The 300 mm type supports 100 V as well.) | |
| Wavelength | 172nm | |
| UV intensity | 170 mW/cm2 or more | |
| Uniformity | Within ±10% | |
| Process gasses | Atmospheric model/Model that adopts N2 | |
Ushio will continue to satisfy needs arising in a variety of manufacturing processes using “light."