Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/JP4982306B2/en
Timestamp: 2020-02-20 15:54:33
Document Index: 747633158

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 23', 'art 82', 'art 83', 'art 22', 'art 23', 'art 20', 'art 23', 'art 231', 'art 232', 'art 234', 'art 3', 'art 32', 'art 322']

JP4982306B2 - Coating apparatus and coating method - Google Patents
JP4982306B2
JP4982306B2 JP2007230600A JP2007230600A JP4982306B2 JP 4982306 B2 JP4982306 B2 JP 4982306B2 JP 2007230600 A JP2007230600 A JP 2007230600A JP 2007230600 A JP2007230600 A JP 2007230600A JP 4982306 B2 JP4982306 B2 JP 4982306B2
JP2007230600A
JP2009061380A (en
幸一 上野
2007-09-05 Application filed by 大日本スクリーン製造株式会社 filed Critical 大日本スクリーン製造株式会社
2007-09-05 Priority to JP2007230600A priority Critical patent/JP4982306B2/en
2009-03-26 Publication of JP2009061380A publication Critical patent/JP2009061380A/en
2012-07-25 Publication of JP4982306B2 publication Critical patent/JP4982306B2/en
The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a glass substrate for a PDP, a glass substrate / ceramic substrate for a magnetic disk, a photosensitive resin (photoresist), etc. for a glass substrate / ceramic substrate for an optical disk. It is related with the technique which performs application.
Conventionally, a back surface of a substrate is sucked and held by a suction port provided on a stage (for example, a stone surface plate) of a substrate holding device, and a photoresist liquid (from a nozzle having a slit-like discharge port toward the held substrate surface ( Hereinafter, there is known a coating apparatus that simply applies “resist”) to apply a resist onto the surface of a substrate. Here, a conventional coating apparatus will be described.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a conventional coating apparatus 100. A conventional coating apparatus 100 includes a transport unit 102 and a coating unit 103. The transport unit 102 includes a rotary transport roller 120 and a transport robot 121 provided on the (−X) direction (upstream) side and the (+ X) direction (downstream) side. The application unit 103 includes a stage 130 on which the substrate 190 is placed, a lift pin 131 protruding from the upper surface of the stage 130, a slit-like discharge port, a nozzle 132 for discharging a resist, a pre-dispensing roller 133, And a cleaning container 134. The substrate 190 is transported from the (−X) direction to the (+ X) direction.
In the conventional coating apparatus 100, an operation for carrying the substrate 190 above the stage 130 and an operation for carrying it out from above the stage 130 are performed by the transfer robot 121. In addition, by lifting and lowering the lift pins 131, an operation of placing the substrate 190 on the stage 130 or an operation of lifting the substrate 190 from the stage 130 is performed. For example, in the liquid crystal manufacturing industry, it is desired to reduce the tact time of the substrate manufacturing process. However, in order to perform the coating process in the coating apparatus 100, the above-described operation is necessary. Is taking a lot of time.
In addition to the above, in the conventional coating apparatus 100, the maintenance of the nozzle 132 takes time. FIG. 19 is a side view showing the movement of the nozzle 132 provided in the conventional coating apparatus 100. In order to perform the coating process uniformly, it is necessary to initialize (maintenance) the nozzle 132. Here, the maintenance of the nozzle 132 will be described.
For example, the resist RG may be altered inside the nozzle 132 when the coating process of the substrate 190 is not performed for a relatively long time or when the coating apparatus 100 is maintained. Further, when the substrate 90 is continuously coated, bubbles may be generated inside the nozzle 132. Here, in order to perform uniform coating processing, it is necessary to remove these altered resists RG and bubbles. Further, in order to form a resist RG film having a uniform thickness on the substrate 90, it is necessary that the resist RG is uniformly attached to the tip portion of the nozzle 132. For the above purpose, the maintenance of the nozzle 132 is performed by discharging the resist RG (dummy dispensing or priming process).
As shown in FIG. 19, the maintenance of the nozzle 132 is performed at a position L <b> 1 above the pre-dispensing roller 133. By discharging the resist RG from the nozzle 132 to the surface of the pre-dispensing roller 133, the discharge adjustment of the nozzle 132 is performed. Then, when the substrate 190 is placed on the stage 130 by the lowering process of the lift pins 131, the nozzle 132 moves horizontally from the position L1 to the position L2, and further moves downward to the position L3. Thereafter, the nozzle 132 discharges the resist while moving horizontally from the position L3 to the position L4. As a result, a film of resist RG is formed on the substrate 190. Then, the nozzle 132 moves upward to the position L5.
As described above, in the conventional coating apparatus 100, the moving distance of the nozzle 132 during maintenance (that is, the distance from the position L5 to the position L1) is large. Therefore, when the maintenance of the nozzle 132 is performed, a time for waiting for the substrate 190 to be processed next to be held by the upstream transfer roller 120 or the transfer robot 121 is generated, thereby realizing high throughput of substrate processing. It was difficult to do.
A technique for solving the above-described conventional problems is proposed in Patent Document 1, for example. That is, the resist is applied to the substrate by discharging the resist from the nozzle while the substrate is transported by a predetermined transport mechanism. In this coating apparatus, it is not necessary to perform the operation of holding the substrate 190 on the stage 130 by the transport robot 121, the lift pins 131, or the like as shown in FIG. 18, and the substrate can be coated while being transported. Therefore, the time required for the coating process can be shortened.
JP 2005-247516 A
However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, a configuration for initializing the nozzle cannot be provided immediately below the nozzle. For this reason, the nozzle must be moved outside the transport line to perform maintenance of the nozzle, and the problem that the coating process is rate-limited by the maintenance of the nozzle has not yet been solved.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to realize a high throughput of substrate processing while shortening the substrate coating processing time.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention of claim 1 is a coating apparatus for forming a coating film on the surface of a substrate, wherein a nozzle having a slit-like discharge port and a coating liquid is supplied to the nozzle. A liquid supply unit that discharges the coating liquid from the discharge port, a transport unit that horizontally transports the substrate in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the discharge port, and an axis that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the discharge port. A rotating body disposed below the nozzle, a driving means for rotating the rotating body around the axis, and an operation mode of the coating apparatus, wherein the coating liquid discharged from the discharge port is applied to the rotating body. A setting means for setting a maintenance mode to be applied, or a substrate application mode in which a coating liquid is applied to a substrate conveyed by the conveying means while being supported by the rotating body; and removing the coating liquid from the rotating body. Characterized in that it comprises a removal means.
The invention of claim 2 is the coating apparatus according to the invention of claim 1, further comprising vibration suppression means for suppressing vibration generated in the substrate transported by the transport means.
The invention of claim 3 is the coating apparatus according to the invention of claim 2, wherein the vibration suppressing means injects gas from below to the non-supporting region of the substrate, and It is characterized by exhausting the atmosphere.
The invention of claim 4 is the coating apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the vibration suppressing means is upstream of the rotating body in a direction in which the substrate is conveyed by the conveying means. It is arranged on the side and the downstream side.
A fifth aspect of the present invention is the coating apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, wherein the shape of the rotating body is cylindrical.
A sixth aspect of the present invention is the coating apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, wherein the shape of the rotating body is a belt-like shape and an annular shape, and the substrate is supported on the surface of the rotating body. The region to be processed has a horizontal plane.
The invention of claim 7 is the coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the nozzle is moved up and down between a coating position in the substrate coating mode and a maintenance position in the maintenance mode. It further comprises nozzle raising / lowering means for advancing and retreating.
The invention of claim 8 is a coating method in which a coating liquid is formed on the surface of a substrate by discharging a coating liquid from a slit-shaped discharge port provided in a nozzle, and an axial center is a longitudinal direction of the discharge port. A rotating step of rotating a rotating body arranged below the discharge port so as to be substantially parallel to the discharge port, and a coating liquid from the discharge port toward the rotating member rotated by the rotating step. A maintenance process for initializing the state of the discharge port, a removal process for removing the coating liquid adhering to the surface of the rotating body, and a substrate supported by the rotating body while transporting the substrate And a setting process for setting execution of the maintenance process or the application process. The application process includes discharging the coating liquid from the discharge port to apply the coating liquid onto the substrate.
According to the first to eighth aspects of the present invention, since the substrate can be carried in while carrying out the substrate, the time for the coating process can be shortened. In addition, the moving distance of the nozzle can be reduced as compared with the conventional case, and the nozzle maintenance time required for coating can be shortened. Further, it is not necessary to deliver the substrate by lifting and lowering the lift pins as in the prior art. Therefore, the waiting time can be shortened and the working efficiency is improved. Further, it is possible to perform maintenance of the nozzle below the substrate transfer line, and it is possible to prevent particles such as coating liquid and cleaning liquid and mist from adhering to the substrate. With the above operation, the throughput of the substrate coating process can be improved.
In the invention described in claim 2, since the vibration of the substrate can be suppressed by providing the vibration suppressing means, the substrate can be uniformly applied.
In the invention according to claim 3, the substrate can be stabilized by the pressing force by the gas injection of the vibration suppressing means and the suction force by the gas suction. Further, by suppressing vibration without touching the substrate in this way, it is possible to uniformly apply the substrate while suppressing the substrate from being scratched.
Further, in the invention according to claim 4, the vibration suppressing means is disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side in the direction in which the substrate is conveyed with respect to the rotating body, so that only one of the substrates is disposed. Can be made more stable.
<1.1. Configuration of coating device>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coating apparatus 1 according to the present invention.
In FIG. 1, for the sake of illustration and explanation, the Z-axis direction is defined as the vertical direction and the XY plane is defined as the horizontal plane, but these are defined for convenience in order to grasp the positional relationship. The directions described below are not limited. The same applies to the following drawings.
The coating apparatus 1 is roughly divided into a transport unit 2, a coating unit 3, and a control unit 8, and a rectangular glass substrate for manufacturing a screen panel of a liquid crystal display device is a substrate to be processed (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”). 90), and is configured as a processing apparatus for applying a resist RG (coating liquid) as a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate 90 in a process of selectively etching an electrode layer or the like formed on the surface of the substrate 90. ing. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the nozzle 32 is configured to discharge the resist RG. In addition, the coating device 1 can be modified and used as a device for coating a treatment liquid not only on a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device but also on various substrates for a flat panel display. Further, the present invention is not limited to the rectangular glass substrate, and can be modified for use in processing a circular or non-circular polygonal substrate.
The conveyance unit 2 includes a plurality of conveyance rollers 20 provided on both sides of the upstream side ((−X) direction side) and the downstream side ((+ X) direction side) that convey the substrate 90, a conveyance roller driving unit 22, It is comprised by the vibration suppression part 23 of the upstream and downstream arrange | positioned so that it may be pinched | interposed between the rollers 20. The transport unit 2 extends in the transport direction ((+ X) direction) of the substrate 90 and forms a transport line.
The conveyance roller 20 has a cylindrical shape and has a longitudinal direction in a direction (Y-axis direction) intersecting at right angles to the conveyance direction. Each of the conveyance rollers 20 has an axis 201, and the axis 201 is connected to the conveyance roller driving unit 22. By driving the transport roller driving unit 22, the power is transmitted to the shaft core 201, and the transport roller 20 can be rotated around the shaft core 201. Therefore, the transport roller 20 can transport the substrate 90 in the transport direction while supporting the substrate 90 from below.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vibration suppressing unit 23. The vibration suppressing portion 23 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape (plate shape) and has a longitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction. The vibration suppressing portion 23 is provided with a groove portion 231 and an exhaust port 232 extending along the Y-axis direction on the upper surface thereof. The exhaust port 232 is provided inside the groove 231 and is connected to an exhaust mechanism (not shown) such as a vacuum pump. As a result, the air in the space above the vibration suppressing portion 23 can be sucked through the groove portion 231 and the exhaust port 232.
Further, the vibration suppressing portion 23 has a porous surface portion 233 on the upper surface, and a large number of holes are formed on the upper surface of the surface portion 233. The surface portion 233 is connected to a gas supply portion (not shown) that supplies nitrogen gas or the like, and injects gas toward the space above the vibration suppression portion 23 through a large number of holes in the surface portion 233. can do.
As shown in FIG. 1, the vibration suppression unit 23 is disposed below the non-supporting region of the substrate 90, and injects gas from a large number of holes formed in the surface portion 233 toward the non-supporting region, and the groove portion. The atmosphere in the space below the non-supporting region is exhausted to the outside through the H.231 and the exhaust port 232. The non-supporting region of the substrate 90 is a region of the substrate 90 that is not supported by the transport roller 20 or the pre-dispensing roller 33 (rotary body).
The application unit 3 shown in FIG. 1 mainly includes a nozzle 32, a pre-dispensing roller 33, a cleaning container 34 that houses the pre-dispensing roller 33, and a liquid draining blade 35 provided inside the cleaning container 34. The The application unit 3 is disposed between the upstream and downstream vibration suppression units 23.
As shown in FIG. 1, the nozzle 32 has a longitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction. Further, the nozzle 32 is connected to the resist supply unit 321 through a pipe provided in the upper portion thereof.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the nozzle 32 as seen from the discharge side. As shown in FIG. 3, a slit-like discharge port 323 that opens in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle 32 is provided at the lower end of the nozzle 32. The nozzle 32 can discharge the resist RG downward from the discharge port 323 by being supplied with the resist RG from the resist supply unit 321 (see FIG. 1). The details of the internal structure of the nozzle 32 are omitted.
Further, as conceptually shown in FIG. 1, the nozzle 32 is connected to the nozzle lifting mechanism 322 on the side surface. By driving the nozzle raising / lowering mechanism 322, the nozzle 32 can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).
The pre-dispensing roller 33 has a cylindrical shape, has a longitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction, and is disposed below the nozzle 32. The pre-dispensing roller 33 has a shaft core 331, and the shaft core 331 is connected to the roller driving unit 332. By driving the roller driving unit 332, the power is transmitted to the shaft core 331, and the pre-dispensing roller 33 can be rotated about the shaft core 331.
Further, the pre-dispensing roller 33 is disposed so that the position of the upper end of the pre-dispensing roller 33 substantially coincides with the height position of the lower surface of the substrate 90 being conveyed. Therefore, the coating apparatus 1 can perform the coating process while supporting the substrate 90 from below with the pre-dispensing roller 33. Further, by rotating the pre-dispensing roller 33, the pre-dispensing roller 33 can be used as power for transporting the supporting substrate 90.
The cleaning container 34 is provided below the pre-dispensing roller 33, and a predetermined cleaning liquid is stored therein. The lower end side of the pre-dispensing roller 33 is immersed in the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning container 34. Therefore, by rotating the pre-dispensing roller 33, the resist RG attached to the surface can be cleaned and removed.
The liquid draining blade 35 is provided inside the cleaning container 34 and is a member that removes liquid from the surface of the pre-dispensing roller 33. The liquid draining blade 35 has a protruding shape that protrudes toward the surface of the pre-dispensing roller 33 when viewed from the Y-axis direction, and has a longitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction. Further, the protrusion of the liquid draining blade 35 is in contact with the entire width of the surface of the pre-dispensing roller 33 in the Y-axis direction along the Y-axis direction. When the pre-dispensing roller 33 rotates, the liquid draining blade 35 scrapes and removes the liquid adhering to the surface. Therefore, even if the pre-dispensing roller 33 comes into contact with the lower surface of the substrate 90 to support the substrate 90, it is possible to prevent the resist RG and the cleaning liquid from adhering to the substrate 90. These cleaning container 34 and liquid draining blade 35 correspond to the removing means according to the present invention.
The control unit 8 includes a calculation unit 80 that processes various data and a storage unit 81 that stores programs and various data. Moreover, the operation part 82 for an operator to input a required instruction | indication with respect to the coating device 1 and the display part 83 which displays various data are provided. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a connection configuration between each unit included in the coating apparatus 1 and the control unit 8. As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 8 is electrically connected to the above-described conveyance roller driving unit 22, resist supply unit 321, nozzle lifting mechanism 322, and roller driving unit 332, and controls these operations. Can do.
In the configuration of the control unit 8, specific examples of the storage unit 81 include a RAM that temporarily stores data, a read-only ROM, and a magnetic disk device. However, the storage unit 81 may be replaced by a storage medium such as a portable magneto-optical disk or a memory card and a reading device thereof. The operation unit 82 corresponds to buttons and switches (including a keyboard and a mouse), but may have a function of the display unit 83 such as a touch panel display. The display unit 83 corresponds to a liquid crystal display or various lamps.
The above is the description of the configuration of the coating apparatus 1. Next, operation | movement of the coating device 1 is demonstrated.
<1.2. About the operation of the coating device>
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the coating apparatus 1.
First, the operator inputs various data to the control unit 8 via the input unit 82 (step S1). Various types of input information are stored in the storage unit 81 via the calculation unit 80.
Next, the control unit 8 outputs a drive signal to the transport roller driving unit 22 of the transport unit 2 based on the information stored in the storage unit 81, thereby starting the rotation of the transport roller 20. As a result, conveyance of the substrate 90 supported by the conveyance roller 20 in the conveyance direction is started (step S2).
Next, it is determined whether maintenance of the nozzle 32 is necessary (step S3).
Here, the case where maintenance is necessary refers to, for example, a case where the resist RG has deteriorated inside the nozzle 32, a case where bubbles are generated in the resist RG, or a state where the tip of the nozzle 32 is uniformly wetted by the resist RG. There may be cases where it is not.
If the resist RG is altered or bubbles are generated in the resist RG, uniform coating processing by the coating apparatus 1 becomes difficult, and processing accuracy decreases. Accordingly, in such a case, the coating apparatus 1 determines that maintenance is necessary in step S3, and discharges the resist RG from the nozzle 32 toward the pre-dispensing roller 33, thereby together with the discharged resist RG. The altered resist RG and air bubbles are removed.
Even when the tip portion of the nozzle 32 is not uniformly wetted by the resist RG, the coating apparatus 1 determines that maintenance is necessary in step S3. Also in this case, the coating apparatus 1 causes the resist RG to uniformly adhere to the tip of the nozzle 32 by discharging the resist RG from the nozzle 32 in a state where the nozzle 32 and the pre-dispensing roller 33 are close to each other. By such a maintenance operation, the tip portion of the nozzle 32 is uniformly wetted by the resist RG.
Although the risk that the resist RG is altered is low when the coating apparatus 1 is continuously performing the coating process, the coating apparatus 1 is not performing the coating process for a long time (the nozzle 32 is discharging for a long time). If not, there is a risk that the resist RG will be altered. Therefore, for example, when the coating process is not performed for a predetermined time (relatively long time), the coating apparatus 1 determines that it is necessary to remove the altered resist RG, and determines Yes in step S3.
In addition, the generation of bubbles in the resist RG and the state where the nozzles 32 are not uniformly wet by the resist RG are obtained after the disassembly cleaning process of the nozzles 32 and the replacement process of the resist RG (the coating process is not performed for a relatively long time). In some cases, it may occur by repeating the coating process. Therefore, when the predetermined number of substrates 90 have been processed, the coating apparatus 1 determines Yes in step S3 and performs maintenance.
However, a sensor that detects the altered resist RG and the generated bubbles may be provided in the coating apparatus 1, and the coating apparatus 1 may perform the determination in step S3 according to the detection result of the sensor. Further, it may be determined by the operator visually checking whether the nozzle 32 is uniformly wet by the resist RG. Alternatively, an optical sensor or the like that detects the wet state of the nozzle 32 may be provided.
In addition, the reference | standard (cause) and the judgment method which the coating device 1 judges that a maintenance is required in step S3 are not limited to what was shown here.
Next, when it is determined in step S3 that the maintenance of the nozzle 32 is necessary (in the case of YES), the operation mode of the coating apparatus 1 is set to the maintenance mode (step S4). The maintenance mode refers to an operation state in which the discharge adjustment of the nozzle 32 is performed by discharging the resist RG from the nozzle 32 onto the surface of the pre-dispensing roller 33. Details of the maintenance mode will be described later.
When it is determined in step S3 that maintenance of the nozzle is unnecessary (in the case of NO), or when the maintenance mode in step S4 ends, the operating state of the coating apparatus 1 is set to the substrate coating mode (step S5). ). The substrate coating mode refers to an operating state of the coating apparatus 1 that forms a resist RG film on the substrate 90 by discharging the resist RG from the nozzle 32 onto the upper surface of the substrate 90 to be transported. Details of the substrate coating mode will be described later.
Next, it is determined whether or not the next substrate 90 (substrate to be processed) to be processed is on the transport line (step S6). As a specific determination method, for example, a method of determining the presence / absence of the substrate to be processed 90 by providing a sensor above the transport roller 20 on the upstream side of the transport unit 2 can be cited. Alternatively, a method may be used in which the operator inputs the number of substrates 90 to be processed in advance into the input unit 82 and determines whether or not the number of substrates 90 processed by the coating unit 3 has reached that number. .
If it is determined in step S6 that the substrate 90 to be processed next is on the transport line (in the case of YES), the process returns to step S3 again, and the subsequent operations are repeated.
On the other hand, when it is determined in step S6 that the substrate 90 to be processed next is not on the transfer line (NO), the transfer operation by the transfer unit 2 is stopped (step S7). Here, it is necessary to prevent the substrate 90 that has undergone the coating process from remaining on the transport line. For example, the upstream transport roller 20 is first stopped and the downstream transport roller 20 is stopped after a certain period of time. What is necessary is just to control the conveyance roller drive part 22 so that rotation of this may be stopped. The operation procedure of the coating apparatus 1 has been described above. Next, operations in the maintenance mode (step S4) and the substrate coating mode (step S5) of the coating apparatus 1 will be described.
<1.2.1 Maintenance mode>
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure in the maintenance mode of the coating apparatus 1. 7 and 8 are side views for explaining the operation of the coating apparatus 1 in the maintenance mode.
As shown in FIG. 7, the operation of the maintenance mode of the coating apparatus 1 is started in a state where the nozzle 32 stands by at a predetermined position. The position of the nozzle 32 shown in FIG. 7 is referred to as a “standby position”.
First, when the roller driving unit 332 is driven, the pre-dispensing roller 33 starts to rotate (step S41).
Next, the nozzle 32 descends from the standby position to near the upper end of the pre-dispensing roller 33 (step S42, see FIG. 8). The position of the nozzle 32 shown in FIG. 8 is referred to as a “maintenance position”. In this maintenance position, the height from the lower end of the nozzle 32 to the surface of the pre-dispensing roller 33 at the maintenance position is substantially the same as the height from the lower end of the nozzle 32 to the upper surface of the substrate 90 when the resist RG is actually discharged toward the substrate 90. It is preferable to set to be, but of course not limited to this.
Next, when the resist RG is supplied from the resist supply unit 321 to the nozzle 32, the resist RG is discharged from the discharge port 323 of the nozzle 32 toward the rotating pre-dispensing roller 33 (see step S43, FIG. 8). . As shown in FIG. 8, the discharged resist RG is collected in the cleaning container 34 along with the rotation of the pre-dispensing roller 33 or along the surface thereof.
The liquid draining blade 35 removes the resist RG attached to the surface of the pre-dispensing roller 33. Therefore, of the surface applied to the nozzle 32 of the pre-dispensing roller 33, the portion before the resist RG is applied is always kept in a state where the resist RG or the like is not attached.
Next, when the nozzle 32 discharges the resist RG for a predetermined time, the supply of the resist RG from the resist supply unit 321 is stopped. Thereby, the discharge of the resist RG from the nozzle 32 is stopped (step S44).
Next, the nozzle raising / lowering mechanism 322 is controlled, so that the nozzle 32 rises and moves to the standby position (step S45, see FIG. 7). At this position, the nozzle 32 is in a standby state.
The above is the description of the operation procedure of the coating apparatus 1 in the maintenance mode. Next, the operation procedure of the coating apparatus 1 in the substrate coating mode will be described.
<1.2.2. About substrate coating mode>
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure in the substrate coating mode of the coating apparatus 1. 10 to 13 are side views for explaining the operation of the coating apparatus 1 in the substrate coating mode. The operation of the coating apparatus 1 in the substrate coating mode is started in a state where the nozzle 32 is disposed at the standby position shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 10, when supported by the transport roller 20 and the substrate 90 is transported above the vibration suppression unit 23, the vibration suppression unit 23 starts operating (step S51). Specifically, the vibration suppression unit 23 starts suction of the upper atmosphere via the exhaust port 232 and starts jetting of gas from a large number of holes in the surface portion 233. By the vibration suppressing unit 23, the substrate 90 is stably held in a floating state. Then, the substrate 90 is transported by the power of the transport roller 20, and the substrate 90 is transported downward of the nozzle 32.
Next, when the position of the end on the (+ X) direction side of the resist coating area of the substrate 90 reaches a position below the nozzle 32 (see FIG. 11), the rotation of the transport roller 20 and the pre-dispensing roller 33 is stopped. Then, the movement of the substrate 90 is stopped. At this time, the end of the substrate 90 is supported by the upper end of the pre-dispensing roller 33 as shown in FIG. The “resist application region” is a region of the surface of the substrate 90 where the resist RG is to be applied. Usually, a region having a predetermined width along the edge is excluded from the entire area of the substrate 90. It is an area.
Next, by driving the nozzle raising / lowering mechanism 322, the nozzle 32 is lowered from the standby position to a position near the transfer height position of the substrate 90 as shown in FIG. 11 (step S53). The position of the nozzle 32 shown in FIG. 11 is referred to as “application position”.
Next, the resist RG is supplied from the resist supply unit 321 to the nozzle 32. Thereby, the resist RG is discharged toward the substrate 90 from the discharge port 323 of the nozzle 32 (see step S54, FIG. 12).
Next, rotation of the conveyance roller 20 and the pre-dispensing roller 33 is started (step S55). With these powers, the movement of the substrate 90 is started in the transport direction, and at the same time, a resist RG film is formed on the upper surface of the substrate 90.
Next, as shown in FIG. 13, when the position of the end on the (−X) side in the resist coating region of the substrate 90 reaches a position below the nozzle 32, the resist from the resist supply unit 321 to the nozzle 32 is registered. The supply of RG ends. Thereby, the resist RG discharge from the nozzle 32 is completed (step S56).
Next, by driving the nozzle lifting mechanism 322, the nozzle 32 moves upward from the application position to the standby position (step S57). During this time, the transport roller 20 and the pre-dispensing roller 33 continue to rotate, so that the substrate 90 with the resist RG film formed on the surface is transported downstream in the transport direction.
The above is the description of the operation procedure in the substrate coating mode of the coating apparatus 1.
<1.3. Effects of the present embodiment>
By configuring the coating apparatus 1 as in the present embodiment, the following various effects can be obtained.
Since the coating apparatus 1 includes the nozzle 32 in the transport line, the coating process of the resist RG can be performed while the substrate 90 is continuously loaded into and unloaded from the transport line. Further, the coating device 1 includes a pre-dispensing roller 33 immediately below the nozzle 32. Therefore, after the coating process of the substrate 90 is completed, the nozzle 32 is initialized (maintenance) only by moving the nozzle 32 up and down until the next substrate 90 to be processed reaches the coating start position. It can be performed. Therefore, since the moving distance of the nozzle is shortened as compared with the prior art, the time for maintenance of the nozzle 32 is shortened. As a result, the coating process of the substrate 90 can be realized with high throughput.
Moreover, the space which a coating device occupies can be reduced by providing the pre-dispensing roller 33 in a conveyance line.
Further, by arranging the cleaning container 34 in which the resist RG and the cleaning liquid are stored below the height position of the substrate 90 to be transported, it is possible to suppress the generated particles and mist from adhering to the substrate 90. .
A liquid draining blade 35 is provided inside the cleaning container 34 provided in the coating apparatus 1. Thereby, since the resist RG and the cleaning liquid adhering to the surface of the pre-dispensing roller 33 can be removed, it is possible to prevent the substrate 90 from being contaminated even if the substrate 90 contacts the pre-dispensing roller 33. Therefore, the pre-dispensing roller 33 can have a function of supporting the substrate 90. Furthermore, the pre-dispensing roller 33 can be used as a power source for transporting the substrate 90 by supporting the substrate 90 while rotating around the axis 331.
In addition, the coating apparatus 1 includes vibration suppression units 23 on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the pre-dispensing roller 33. As a result, the substrate 90 positioned above the vibration suppressing portion 23 is stably supported while being levitated, so that it is possible to uniformly apply the resist RG to the substrate 90. Further, the substrate 90 can be held more stably as compared with the case where the pre-dispensing roller 33 is provided on either the upstream side or the downstream side. In the coating apparatus 1, since the resist RG film is formed on the surface of the substrate 90 in contact with the pre-dispensing roller 33, vibration may occur in the substrate 90. By providing the vibration suppression unit 23 in front of and behind the roller 33, vibration generated in the substrate 90 can be suppressed.
In the first embodiment, the shape of the pre-dispensing roller 33 has been described as a cylindrical shape, but of course it is not limited to this. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the pre-dispensing roller 33a provided in the coating apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment. The pre-dispensing roller 33a includes a belt-shaped and annular belt portion 333a and a cylindrical roller 334a having three shapes inside the belt portion 333a. Each of the rollers 334a has an axis 3341a and is connected to a roller driving unit (not shown). By rotating the roller 334a around the shaft core 3341a, the belt portion 333a wound around the roller 334a can rotate.
As shown in FIG. 14, the three rollers 334a are arranged such that the respective shaft cores 3341a are positioned at the vertices of the inverted triangle when viewed from the ((+ Y) direction side). Therefore, when the periphery of these rollers 334a is wound around the belt portion 333a, a horizontal and belt-like surface is formed on the upper surface of the pre-dispensing roller 33a. Even with the pre-dispensing roller 33 a having such a configuration, the same effect as that of the pre-dispensing roller 33 can be obtained. Other configurations and operations other than the pre-dispensing roller 33a are the same as those of the coating apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, and thus details thereof are omitted.
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made.
In the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the vibration suppressing portions 23 are provided on both the upstream side and the downstream side of the pre-dispensing rollers 33 and 33a. However, the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 15 is a side view of the coating apparatus 1 including the vibration suppressing unit 23a according to the modification. As shown in FIG. 15, the vibration suppressing unit 23 a is configured by a support roller 234 a having the same shape as the transport roller 20. The support rollers 234a are arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the pre-dispensing roller 33 and above and below the height position at which the substrate 90 is transported. These support rollers 234a contact the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 90 to support the substrate 90. Even with such a configuration, the substrate 90 can be stably held. Moreover, since the conveyance roller 20 can be used as it is, compared with the case where the vibration suppression part 23 is used, manufacturing cost can be suppressed.
Further, the mechanism for preventing the vibration of the substrate 90 is not limited to the vibration suppressing portions 23 and 23a. FIG. 16 is a side view of the coating apparatus 1 including the vibration suppressing unit 23b according to the modification. As shown in FIG. 15, the vibration suppression unit 23b is obtained by replacing the upper side of the upper and lower support rollers 234a of the vibration suppression unit 23a with a gas injection unit 235b. The gas injection unit 235b is connected to a gas supply unit (not shown) and can eject a gas such as nitrogen gas downward. Even with such a configuration, the substrate 90 can be stably held. Further, as compared with the case where the vibration suppressing portion 23a is used, the surface of the substrate 90 on which the resist RG film is formed is not directly touched, so that the occurrence of dirt, scratches, or the like can be prevented. In addition to the vibration suppression units 23a and 23b, a mechanism for suppressing the vibration of the substrate 90 may be realized by combining the gas injection unit 235b and the support roller 234a.
Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated that the shape of the conveyance roller 20 was cylindrical shape, of course, it is not restricted to this. FIG. 17 is a side view illustrating the shape of the transport roller 20a included in the coating apparatus 1 according to the modification. As shown in FIG. 17, both end portions of the transport roller 20a have a tapered shape along an obliquely upward direction. By using the transport roller 20a having such a shape, even when the substrate 90 is placed on the transport roller 20a in a state of being displaced obliquely with respect to the transport direction, for example, the substrate 90 is formed by the tapered portion. Slides downward, so that the position of the substrate 90 can be adjusted. Thus, the positional deviation can be corrected before the substrate 90 reaches below the nozzle 32.
In the above-described embodiment, the cleaning liquid is stored in the cleaning container 34, and the resist RG attached to the surface is cleaned by immersing the lower ends of the pre-dispensing rollers 33 and 33a in the stored cleaning liquid. However, the cleaning mechanism is not limited to this. For example, a cleaning mechanism is realized by providing a nozzle that discharges cleaning liquid toward the surfaces of the pre-dispensing rollers 33 and 33a in the cleaning container 34. Also good.
Moreover, in the said embodiment, it demonstrated that the nozzle 32 was moved in order of a standby position, an application position, and a standby position by operation | movement of the coating device 1 in board | substrate application | coating mode. However, of course, it is not limited to this. For example, when a plurality of substrates 90 are continuously processed (that is, when the coating apparatus 1 is not set to the maintenance mode), the next substrate to be processed 90 is placed in the coating position without returning the nozzle 32 to the standby position. It may be conveyed.
Further, in the above embodiment, when the operation mode of the coating apparatus 1 is shifted from the maintenance mode to the substrate coating mode, the nozzle 32 is moved from the maintenance position to the standby position and then moved to the coating position. did. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the application process may be performed by directly moving from the maintenance position to the application position without going through the standby position.
In the above-described embodiment, it has been described that in the operation of the coating apparatus 1 in the substrate coating mode, the movement of the substrate 90 is stopped by stopping the rotation of the transport roller 20 and the pre-dispensing roller 33 (step S52). However, the discharge of the resist RG from the nozzle 32 may be started without stopping the movement of the substrate 90 (that is, omitting step S52). In this case, it is desirable that the position of the nozzle 32 is arranged in advance at the application position before the discharge of the resist RG is started.
In the above-described embodiment, the vibration suppressing portion 23 has been described as having the groove portion 231 and the exhaust port 232 inside the groove portion 231 on the upper surface, and a large number of holes on the surface portion. However, the vibration suppression unit 23 is not limited to the one having such a configuration. For example, a plurality of rows of gas supply ports and exhaust ports that can supply gas to the upper surface thereof are alternately arranged. A mechanism for suppressing the vibration of the substrate 90 may be realized.
It is a perspective view of the coating device which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view of a vibration suppression part. It is a perspective view of a nozzle. It is the block diagram which showed the connection of each part with which a coating device is provided, and a control part. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure of a coating device. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure in the maintenance mode of a coating device. It is a side view for demonstrating operation | movement in the maintenance mode of a coating device. It is a side view for demonstrating operation | movement in the maintenance mode of a coating device. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure in the board | substrate application | coating mode of a coating device. It is a side view for demonstrating the operation | movement in the board | substrate coating mode of a coating device. It is a side view for demonstrating the operation | movement in the board | substrate coating mode of a coating device. It is a side view for demonstrating the operation | movement in the board | substrate coating mode of a coating device. It is a side view for demonstrating the operation | movement in the board | substrate coating mode of a coating device. It is a side view which shows the shape of the conveyance roller with which the coating device in 2nd Embodiment is provided. It is a side view of a coating device provided with the vibration suppression part which concerns on a modification. It is a side view of a coating device provided with the vibration suppression part which concerns on a modification. It is a side view which shows the shape of the conveyance roller with which the coating device which concerns on a modification is provided. It is a perspective view of the conventional coating device. It is a side view which shows the movement of the nozzle with which the conventional coating device is provided.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Application | coating apparatus 2 Conveyance part 20,20a Conveyance roller 22 Conveyance roller drive part 23,23a, 23b Vibration suppression part 231 Groove part 232 Exhaust port 233 Surface part 234a Support roller 235b Gas injection part 3 Application part 32 Nozzle 321 Resist supply part 322 Nozzle Elevating mechanism 323 Discharge port 33, 33a Pre-dispensing roller 331 Axle core 332 Roller drive unit 34 Cleaning container 35 Liquid draining blade 8 Control unit 90 Substrate RG resist
A coating apparatus for forming a coating film on the surface of a substrate,
A nozzle having a slit-like discharge port;
Liquid supply means for discharging the coating liquid from the discharge port by supplying the coating liquid to the nozzle;
Transport means for horizontally transporting the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the discharge port;
A rotating body disposed below the nozzle so that the axis is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the discharge port;
Drive means for rotating the rotating body around the axis;
The operation mode of the coating apparatus is the maintenance mode in which the coating liquid discharged from the discharge port is applied to the rotating body, or the coating liquid is applied to the substrate transported by the transporting means while being supported by the rotating body. Setting means for setting to the substrate coating mode,
Removing means for removing the coating liquid from the rotating body;
The coating apparatus according to claim 1,
The coating apparatus further comprising a vibration suppressing unit that suppresses vibration generated in the substrate conveyed by the conveying unit.
The coating apparatus according to claim 2,
The vibration suppressing means is
A coating apparatus that ejects gas from below to an unsupported region of a substrate and exhausts the atmosphere in the lower space.
The coating apparatus according to claim 2 or 3,
The coating apparatus, wherein the coating device is disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side in the direction in which the substrate is transported by the transport unit with respect to the rotating body.
The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
An applicator characterized in that the shape of the rotating body is cylindrical.
The shape of the said rotary body is strip | belt shape and cyclic | annular, The area | region which supports the said board | substrate among the surfaces of the said rotary body has a horizontal plane, The coating device characterized by the above-mentioned.
The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A coating apparatus, further comprising a nozzle lifting / lowering means for moving the nozzle up and down between a coating position in the substrate coating mode and a maintenance position in the maintenance mode.
A coating method in which a coating film is formed on the surface of a substrate by discharging a coating liquid from a slit-shaped discharge port provided in a nozzle,
A rotating step of rotating a rotating body disposed below the discharge port so that the shaft core is substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the discharge port;
A maintenance step of initializing the state of the discharge port by discharging a coating liquid from the discharge port toward the rotating body rotated by the rotation step;
A removing step of removing the coating liquid adhering to the surface of the rotating body;
An application step of applying the application liquid onto the substrate by discharging the application liquid from the discharge port toward the substrate while conveying the substrate supported by the rotating body;
A setting step for setting execution of the maintenance step or the coating step;
A coating method characterized by comprising:
JP2007230600A 2007-09-05 2007-09-05 Coating apparatus and coating method Active JP4982306B2 (en)
JP2007230600A JP4982306B2 (en) 2007-09-05 2007-09-05 Coating apparatus and coating method
JP2009061380A JP2009061380A (en) 2009-03-26
JP4982306B2 true JP4982306B2 (en) 2012-07-25
ID=40556483
JP2007230600A Active JP4982306B2 (en) 2007-09-05 2007-09-05 Coating apparatus and coating method
JP (1) JP4982306B2 (en)
KR101062208B1 (en) 2009-04-29 2011-09-05 주식회사 디지아이 Inspection device for print head
KR101085395B1 (en) 2009-08-21 2011-11-21 주식회사 케이씨텍 Inline type substrate coater apparatus
KR101405668B1 (en) 2011-12-22 2014-06-10 다이니폰 스크린 세이조우 가부시키가이샤 Application apparatus
JP6062776B2 (en) * 2013-03-14 2017-01-18 中外炉工業株式会社 Coating machine with backing roll
CN104707761A (en) * 2015-03-16 2015-06-17 苏州优逸克智能科技有限公司 On-line dispenser
JP2000005683A (en) * 1998-06-22 2000-01-11 Toppan Printing Co Ltd Apparatus and method for cleaning slot type coating head
JP2002346463A (en) * 2001-05-24 2002-12-03 Toppan Printing Co Ltd Sheet glass coating device
JP4091372B2 (en) * 2002-07-16 2008-05-28 大日本スクリーン製造株式会社 Substrate processing equipment
JP2005247516A (en) * 2004-03-05 2005-09-15 Tokyo Electron Ltd Levitated substrate conveying treatment device
JP2005254062A (en) * 2004-03-09 2005-09-22 Toyota Motor Corp Manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method for sheet material
JP4727203B2 (en) * 2004-10-18 2011-07-20 大日本スクリーン製造株式会社 Substrate processing equipment
JP4901200B2 (en) * 2005-11-30 2012-03-21 東京応化工業株式会社 Solvent recovery system
2007-09-05 JP JP2007230600A patent/JP4982306B2/en active Active
JP2009061380A (en) 2009-03-26
CN100557769C (en) 2009-11-04 Stage apparatus and coating treatment device
JP2009297718A (en) 2009-12-24 Coating device
TW200837515A (en) 2008-09-16 Decompression drying device
JP2010103131A (en) 2010-05-06 Apparatus and method for treating liquid
JP3960332B2 (en) 2007-08-15 Vacuum dryer
JP6014477B2 (en) 2016-10-25 Peeling device, peeling system and peeling method
JP4455102B2 (en) 2010-04-21 Substrate processing equipment