A Korean manufacturer of Developer Recycling System (DRS) and Developer Control System (DCS) is looking for a partner who has concentration control technology under manufacturing or service agreement to improve its existing DRS. Concentration control system measures the three concentrations of Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), Carbonate (CO3) and Photoresist (PR) in real-time which is formed after photoresist (PR) is dissolved by TMAH.
A Korean company started its main field of business in full-length control in the field of manufacturing semiconductors and LCD equipment in 2005. With steady growth since establishment, the company has developed and produced high-purity Central Chemical Supply System (CCSS), and Chemical Recycle System (CRS), which is liquid chemical reproducing equipment. Particularly, for reproducing equipment, the company has been recognized by a leading domestic large conglomerate for its technology and has succeeded in receiving orders from overseas (China and Taiwan) to be recognized globally for its reliable capability.
In the production of high-resolution products including LCD, LED and OLED, the display proceeds with the photo litho process using photosensitive material for the internal circuit composition. Most of the components are usually removed after the circuit is composed, but the photoresist applied to high-resolution products will remain inside the cell such as OC and bank layer for its flattening and bulk-head function.
The Developer Recycling System (DRS) developed by the company is a system that selectively separates photoresist (PR), a photosensitive material dissolved in the wasted developer, from used developing liquid and regenerates it to the level of the new liquid.
The chemicals recycled through this recycling system are supplied back to the developer equipment to minimize the number of wastes. These noticeable advantages also lead to cost reduction on both the process and treatment for wasted liquid.
One of the components of the DRS system is the concentration control system. It determines whether it is possible to recycle regenerated developing liquid.
The existing concentration control system measures concentrations of only two variables, TMAH and PR apart from CO3. Additionally, since it is not connected with absorbance analyser, measuring the PR level (or rate) of the developing liquid, the concentrations of CO3 and PR cannot be shown separately.
Accordingly, the company is looking for concentration control technology that measures conductivity, sound velocity and temperature of the regenerated developing liquid and converts them into concentrations of TMAH, PR and CO3 respectively. This is because it is possible to take accurate concentration measurement without being affected by the change of each variable even if PR or CO3 is increased. This new system can be also connected with absorbance analyser, enabling to do comparison operation of PR concentration.
The potential partner has new type of concentration control technology and the partnership considered is manufacturing agreement or service agreement to apply this technology to its DRS system.
For more information please contact Enterprise Europe Network Latvia.
