Method and Apparatus for Cleaning and Sealing Display Packages.

摘要

A method and apparatus for cleaning and sealing components of a display utilizes continuous isolation of the components between the cleaning step and the sealing step. This limits exposure of the components to contaminants and isolates the components from oxidizing agents which can cause an oxide to form on the surface of one or more of the components. In one embodiment, a high vacuum transfer station couples a cleaning station and a sealing station to allow a component to be transferred from the cleaning station to the sealing station without leaving the high vacuum. In another embodiment, the apparatus includes a conveyor transferring the components from the cleaning station at a high vacuum to the sealing station at a similarly high vacuum without exposure to the atmosphere. Within the cleaning station, the component is cleaned using any of a variety of conventional cleaning techniques, including anisotropic and isotropic etching techniques such as reactive ion etching, plasma etching or vapor hydrofluoric acid etching. A third embodiment employs a single chamber for cleaning and sealing.