JP4817707B2 - Etching jig - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a jig that is a wet etching apparatus used for etching a piezoelectric element plate such as a crystal plate and that can uniformly etch a piezoelectric element plate such as a crystal plate that is a workpiece.

  In recent years, with the miniaturization of piezoelectric vibrators and oscillators, the shape and plate thickness of the piezoelectric elements mounted on them have become increasingly smaller and thinner. For example, in the case of an artificial quartz, for example, in the case of an artificial quartz, the external quartz is obtained by cutting and surface polishing the artificial quartz obtained by growing it in an artificial growth furnace. Processing is performed to reduce the plate thickness until the oscillation frequency is obtained.

  Furthermore, wet etching is used as a processing method for finely adjusting the plate thickness of the quartz base plate, that is, for reducing the plate thickness for obtaining a desired oscillation frequency. Wet etching processing can adjust the thickness of a fine quartz base plate that cannot be obtained by mechanical polishing, and the surface of the quartz base plate (main surface) generated by thickness processing (machining) including cutting processing. By etching the state (removal of the work-affected layer) to obtain a smooth resonator main surface, the electrical characteristics and temperature characteristics of the quartz base plate when incorporated in a quartz resonator or crystal oscillator are improved. A quartz base plate that does not cause abnormal oscillation can be obtained.

  As an example of the wet etching method described above, a processing basket covered with fine holes to the extent that the piezoelectric element plate does not leak out during etching is immersed in a hydrofluoric acid-based etchant solution that is an etching solution, Etching is performed by swinging or rotating a processing basket (jig) as appropriate in the etchant.

  Since the progress of the chemical reaction with the piezoelectric element plate decreases each time the etching process is repeated, the etching liquid is appropriately replenished while taking care not to lower the etching process efficiency while supplementing the etchant.

  At this time, if a phenomenon occurs in which the piezoelectric element plate sticks between the processing baskets, the etching solution is not supplied to the surface of the piezoelectric element plate. A level difference occurs at the interface in the pasted portion.

In addition, since the etching process can be finely adjusted in thickness compared to the thickness reduction process by the mechanical polishing process, it is also a process of driving to a desired frequency, so a plurality of piezoelectric element plates to be processed at a time If the above-mentioned sticking phenomenon occurs on one side of the piezoelectric element plate when the frequency is adjusted to the same frequency, the work-affected layer on one side cannot be removed, and the other side is excessively etched. Sometimes.
JP, 2003-110387, A In addition to the prior art document specified by prior art literature information mentioned above, the applicant did not find the prior art literature relevant to the present invention by the time of this application. .

  In the etching method shown in the prior art, since the piezoelectric element plate is rapidly becoming smaller and thinner, even if the etching basket is swung or rotated in the etching solution in the conventional etching method, Since the weight of the piezoelectric element plate is light and the impact caused by the collision between the etching process baskets or the piezoelectric element sheets is small, the rate of occurrence of the above-mentioned sticking phenomenon increases. There is a problem that a step is formed on the substrate, which deteriorates the CI of the piezoelectric element.

  In addition, many holes in the etching basket for replacement of the etching solution must be sized so that the piezoelectric element to be etched does not fly out, but as the piezoelectric element plate becomes smaller and thinner, When the hole size of the etching basket is reduced, the replacement of the etching solution cannot be performed smoothly. In addition, the air in the etching basket is not discharged outside the processing basket, and the etching process itself cannot be performed. It was.

Regarding the above-mentioned points, the inventor feels problems in the following points in daily work. Etching jigs that have been used in the past use a taper hole in the inner cage and inner lid.
1. The contact area with the etching object (workpiece), which is a piezoelectric element plate, is wide, the work separation when transferring to the beaker is poor, and the work remains in the basket, so that contamination occurs.
2. When the basket is submerged in the liquid, the amount of residual air in the basket is large and the stirring space is narrowed.
3. Work floating occurs on the water surface in the cage due to the second factor.
4). When the basket is pulled up from the liquid, it takes time until the liquid in the basket runs out.
5). From the above 4, since it takes time to transfer to the cleaning tank, the processing result is higher than the desired frequency. Such problems are mentioned.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is an etching jig for etching a piezoelectric element plate that is rotated and stored while being immersed in an etching solution as a whole. and basket, a lid integral with the cage placed over the said basket is provided with a, in a part of a part and the lid of the basket, and a gap distance Do Ri of a material resistant etching solution, A mesh material of 0.5 mm to 0.9 mm is used.

In short, the etching jig of the present invention is an improvement of the disadvantages of the conventional etching jig, and when etching the piezoelectric element plate that is rotated and stored while the entire etching jig is immersed in the etching solution , The etching solution is sufficiently taken into the etching jig, and the piezoelectric element plate efficiently etches the piezoelectric element plate by the flow of the etching solution.

as a result,
1. The contact area with the piezoelectric element plate (workpiece) is reduced, the workpiece is separated when transferred to a beaker, and another piezoelectric element plate with different workpiece dimensions (specifications) is etched by reliably discharging the workpiece. Case contamination can be prevented.
2. When the basket is submerged in the liquid, the amount of residual air in the basket can be reduced, and the stirring space becomes wider.
3. The second effect eliminates work floating on the water surface in the cage.
4). When the basket is pulled up from the liquid, the time of running out of liquid in the basket can be shortened.
5). The transfer time to the washing tank is shortened from 4 above, and it is possible to completely process to a desired frequency.
Thus, the conventional problems such as the above can be solved and the etching process can be performed efficiently.

According to the etching apparatus using the etching jig of the present invention, the etching process can be simplified by efficiently etching the piezoelectric element plate which has been miniaturized and thinned and has a high frequency. And when it sees as piezoelectric components, such as a piezoelectric vibrator using a piezoelectric element board, the effect which can be provided cheaply by reducing the manufacturing cost of a piezoelectric element board is acquired.

Moreover, since the etching jig of the present invention can be used with existing equipment in the company as in the prior art, no new equipment is required.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol in each figure shall show the same object. FIG. 1 is a view showing the concept of an etching jig in the present invention. Note that the etching jig described below is made of a material that can withstand a hydrofluoric acid solution used as an etching solution.

As an etching solution stored in the container 1 in FIG. 1, for example, an ammonium fluoride solution is used as a hydrofluoric acid-based solution, and a piezoelectric element plate is housed in the container 1 and is made of a solution-resistant material that swings and rotates. The produced etching jig 2 is arranged, and the piezoelectric element plate is etched in a state where the entire etching jig 2 is immersed in the etching solution. That have been in FIG. 1, a schematic depiction, but is intended to rotate motion put etching jig 2 in the container 1.

  FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram paying attention to the etching jig, but the example shown here is an example, and the shape is not characteristic. As an example depicted in FIG. 2, the etching jig 2 is shaped so as not to leak out the piezoelectric element plate to be stored by covering the cage with a concave cage that can store the piezoelectric element plate and covering the cage. Therefore, for example, a structure is adopted in which the basket and the lid are integrated by screws. 2A is a front view, and FIG. 2B is a side view. Note that FIG. 3 is expressed by the same drawing method in the conventional example.

  The etching jig shown in FIG. 2 shows, for example, a polyhedral structure, and a gap distance of 0.5 mm is provided on the bottom surface of the cage, each surface, and a part of the lid so that the etching solution can flow smoothly. It is characterized by using a mesh material of ˜0.9 mm. In FIG. 2, a hexahedron is used for explanation.

Contact area as the feature in place of the mesh, conventional etching jig in relation using those in the inner cage and the inner lid opened tapered hole, the etching object is a piezoelectric element plate (the workpiece) In many cases, for example, when the piezoelectric element plate is transferred to the workpiece after the etching process, the workpiece is not separated from the workpiece, and the workpiece remains in the basket. .

  Further, when the cage is submerged in the liquid, the amount of air remaining in the cage is large, the stirring space is narrowed, and the workpiece may float on the water surface in the cage. As described above, the etching jig with the tapered hole has a problem that when the jig is pulled up from the etching solution, it takes time until the liquid in the cage runs out, or sufficient etching processing due to etching unevenness cannot be performed. By replacing with a mesh material, the flow of the etching solution is made smooth to eliminate the problem.

It is a perspective view which shows the concept of the whole etching container of this invention. It is the conceptual diagram which paid its attention to the etching jig of this invention. It is the conceptual diagram which showed the mode of the hole processing of the etching jig used conventionally.

Explanation of symbols

1 container 2 etching jig

Claims (1)

An etching jig for etching a piezoelectric element plate that is rotated and stored while being entirely immersed in an etching solution,
A concave basket in which the piezoelectric element plate is stored;
A lid that covers the cage and is integrated with the cage;
With
Etching jig to a part of a part and the lid of the basket, the and gap distance Do Ri of a material resistant etching solution, characterized in that the mesh material of 0.5mm~0.9mm are used.

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