Apparatus for etching or stripping substrate of liquid crystal display device and method thereof

1. An etching and stripping method of an etching and stripping apparatus, comprising:

(a) transferring substrates, loaded from a loader, to an etching reaction vessel through a first neutral unit, the substrates having a deposited layer and a photoresist pattern thereon;

(b) etching the deposited layer, exposed through the photoresist pattern, on the substrates in the etching reaction vessel;

(c) cleaning the substrates after completion of the etching process, in a first cleaning unit;

(d) removing etchant on the cleaned substrates with an air-knife;

(e) transferring the substrates away from the air-knife to a stripping reaction vessel through a first transferring unit and a second neutral unit;

(f) stripping the photoresist pattern on the substrates in the stripping reaction vessel;

(g) cleaning the substrates, after completing the stripping process, using an organic solvent in a processing unit;

(h) cleaning the substrates obtained from the processing unit in a second cleaning unit;

(i) cleaning the substrates obtained from the second cleaning unit in a cavitation jet unit;

(j) cleaning the substrates obtained from the cavitation jet unit by a shower unit;

(k) drying the substrates obtained from the shower unit in a dry unit;

(l) transferring the substrates obtained from the dry unit to an unloading unit through a second transferring unit;

wherein the method comprises:

etching or stripping the substrates in the appropriate reaction vessel by using an etchant from a first etchant tank;

counting a number of the substrates etched or stripped using the etchant from the first etchant tank;

checking readiness of a second etchant tank when the counted number of the substrates processed using the etchant from the first etchant tank reaches a predetermined number, wherein the predetermined number is determined by subtracting a number of substrates which are currently placed in the etching and stripping apparatus from a maximum substrate number for processing by the steps (a) through (l);

stopping loading the substrates from the loader into the etching and stripping apparatus when the second etchant tank fails to be in readiness and the counted number exceeds the predetermined number;

continuing etching or stripping process on the substrates in the appropriate reaction vessel using the etchant from the first etchant tank when the second etchant tank fails to be in readiness and the counted number is between the predetermined number and the maximum substrate number;

finishing the etching or stripping process on the substrates currently placed in the etching and stripping apparatus and then unloading the finished substrates from the etching and stripping apparatus in order; and

generating an alarm informing that the second tank fails to be in readiness after unloading the finished substrates,

wherein the step of checking readiness of the second etchant tank is not performed until the counted number of the substrate processed using the etchant from the first etchant tank reaches the predetermined number lower than the maximum substrate number,

wherein if the second tank fails to be in readiness when the counted number reaches the predetermined number, the steps of stopping loading the substrates, continuing and finishing processing of the substrates currently placed in the etching and stripping apparatus by applying any of the steps (a) to (l) that remain, unloading the finished substrates, and generating the alarm in order.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising placing the first etchant tank be in a state of readiness after the second etchant tank supplies the etchant for carrying out the etching or stripping process.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein placing the first etchant tank in readiness includes:

discharging the etchant in the first etchant tank completely;

waiting for a predetermined delay time;

supplying the first etchant tank with a new etchant amounting to a required quantity;

heating the first etchant tank so that a temperature of the new etchant filling the first etchant tank stays within a setup temperature range; and

checking whether the first etchant tank is in readiness or not.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the readiness of the second etchant tank enables the draining of a required quantity of the etchant to the reaction vessel within a required time and maintaining a temperature of the etchant filling the second etchant tank at a temperature within a setup temperature range.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the maximum substrate number is 900, the number of substrates which are currently placed in the etching and stripping apparatus is 19, and the predetermined number is 881.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein discharging the etchant of the first etchant tank includes checking whether the etchant of the first etchant tank is drained or not by using a sensor.

7. The method of claim 3 , wherein supplying the first etchant tank with the new etchant amounting to a required quantity includes checking how much the first etchant tank is filled with the new etchant by using a sensor.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the predetermined temperature range is 70±2° C.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

draining the etchant in the first etchant when the counted number of the substrates processed using the etchant from the first etchant tank reaches the maximum substrate number; and

generating an alarm when the counted number reaches the maximum substrate number and the second etchant tank fails to be in readiness.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising carrying out the etching or stripping process on the substrates in the appropriate reaction vessel by using the etchant from the second etchant tank when the second etchant tank is in readiness for use and the counted number of the substrates processed using the etchant from the first etchant tank reaches the maximum substrate number.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising placing the first etchant tank in readiness for later use after the second etchant tank supplies the etchant for carrying out the etching or stripping process.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein placing the first etchant tank in readiness includes:

discharging the etchant in the first tank completely;

waiting for a predetermined delay time;

supplying the first etchant tank with a new etchant and simultaneously heating the first etchant tank so that a temperature of the new etchant in the first etchant tank stays within a predetermined temperature range; and

checking whether the first etchant tank is in readiness or not.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the second etchant tank is in readiness for use, a temperature of the etchant in the second etchant tank stays within a predetermined temperature range and a required quantity of the etchant in the second etchant tank is drainable to the appropriate reaction vessel within a required time.