METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE METAL OXIDE THIN FILM

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and an apparatus for removing an electrically conductive metal oxide thin film almost over the whole region. SOLUTION: A positive electrode 14, an insulator 17 and a negative electrode 15 are successively arranged so as to be confronted with an electrically conductive metal oxide thin film 12 formed on the surface of a base material 11 to the moving direction of the base material 11. The negative electrode 15 is positioned so as to come into contact with the electrically conductive metal oxide thin film 12, and voltage is applied to the positive electrode 14 and the negative electrode 15 in a state where an electrolytic solution 13 is interposed among the positive electrode 14, the negative electrode 15 and the electrically conductive metal oxide thin film 12. When, by moving a base material 11, the electrically conductive metal oxide thin film 12 on the surface of the base material 11 is removed by reduction reaction, the electrolytic solution 13 is fed from the positive electrode 14 toward the direction opposite to the negative electrode 15, and thus bubbles generated on the surface of the base material 11 generated by the reduction reaction are removed. Thereby, the electrically conductive metal oxide thin film remaining as-unreduced at the tail part in the moving direction of the base material can be reduced, and further, working velocity can be increased. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT