JP2000194139A - Coating/developing method and coating/developing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coating/developing method and a coating/developing device which contrive miniturization, installation space-saving of a facility and reduction of manufacturing cost in the coating/developing of a color filter, etc. SOLUTION: The coating/developing device for applying a plurality of color resists on a substrate and developing them after exposed is provided with cleaning units 21a, 21b for cleaning the substrate, a resist coating unit 22, which has plural resist-discharging nozzles for discharging the plurality of colored resists to the cleaned substrate respectively, and developing units 24a, 24b, 24c for developing this substrate coated with the colored resist after exposure.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for applying a resist to a surface of a substrate for manufacturing a color filter of a color liquid crystal display (LCD), supplying the resist, performing a resist coating process, and performing an exposure process. And a coating / developing treatment apparatus and a coating
The present invention relates to a developing method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the production of a color filter for a color liquid crystal display (LCD), a color resist of four colors (red, green, blue, and black) is applied to a rectangular substrate made of glass, and this is exposed. A color filter is formed by a so-called photolithography technique of developing the color filter.

In the photolithography process of such a color filter, a coating process and an exposure / development process are performed for each color resist. That is, for example, first, after washing the substrate, a red color resist is applied, the red resist is exposed, and subsequently developed, and then, after the substrate is washed, a green color resist is applied, and the green color resist is applied. The resist is exposed and subsequently developed, and thereafter, the same applies to blue and black.

Therefore, cleaning,
Coating, exposure and development processing units are required,
Processing units for washing, coating, exposing, and developing each color are continuously arranged, and are continuously processed from upstream to downstream.

[0005]

However, when a plurality of color resists are applied to one color filter by the above-described application / development processing system, cleaning, application, exposure, and exposure are performed for each color. A processing unit for development is provided, and multiple sets of washing, coating,
Since it is necessary to provide a processing unit for exposure and development, there has been a problem that the equipment configuration is enlarged, the space in a clean room is increased, and the manufacturing cost is also increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to reduce the size and space of equipment when coating and developing a color filter and the like, and to reduce the manufacturing cost. An object of the present invention is to provide a developing method and a coating / developing apparatus. It is another object of the present invention to provide a coating / developing method and a coating / developing apparatus capable of improving product yield.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a predetermined color resist selected from a plurality of types of color resists is applied to a substrate. Transporting the substrate coated with the predetermined color resist to the exposure apparatus, receiving the exposed substrate from the exposure apparatus and developing the same, and sequentially repeating the steps, And a step of accommodating a plurality of sheets in a cassette capable of accommodating a plurality of sheets.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an application / development processing apparatus for applying a plurality of color resists to a substrate and developing the resist after exposure, wherein the plurality of color resists are respectively discharged onto the substrate. And a developing unit for developing the substrate coated with the color resist after exposure after exposure.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a resist coating unit for coating a substrate with a predetermined color resist selected from a plurality of types of color resists, and a substrate coated with the predetermined color resist A resist processing unit that transports the substrate to the exposure apparatus, receives the exposed substrate from the exposure apparatus, and develops the substrate, and a transport mechanism that transports the substrate between these units and the development apparatus. Is provided with at least one nozzle for discharging the plurality of types of color resists, and a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the inside of the nozzle.

According to the present invention, a single coating / developing apparatus including a resist coating unit and a developing unit can perform a coating process of a plurality of color resists and a development process after exposure. Therefore, miniaturization and space saving of the equipment can be achieved,
Manufacturing costs can be reduced.

In particular, the substrate coated with one color resist in the resist coating unit is sequentially transported to an exposure device and a developing unit, and the substrate is transported to the resist coating unit. Extremely efficient processing can be realized by controlling the transporting means so as to sequentially transport the substrate coated with another color resist to the exposure apparatus and the development processing unit.

In the resist coating unit, a plurality of color resists can be coated very efficiently by using one resist discharge nozzle for discharging each of the plurality of color resists. Can be.

Further, immediately after the application of the resist solution, by drying the substrate in a substantially non-heated state, the solvent in the resist solution is gradually released, so that the resist can be dried without adversely affecting the resist. Can be promoted.

Further, by providing a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the inside of the color resist discharge nozzle, it is possible to prevent the color resist from being solidified inside the nozzle and prevent the solidified color resist from being discharged onto the substrate G. As a result, the yield of products can be improved.

Further, by providing a washing mechanism for washing the inside of the container for accommodating the color resists independently or simultaneously at plural times, the resist before the replenishment is not mixed after the replenishment of the resist, and the resist is not replenished on the substrate. Since the resist is not applied, the product yield can be improved.

In the first aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the type of the developing solution for developing the plurality of types of color resists is smaller than the number of the types of the color resists. Is preferably one type.

In the step of applying the color resist to a substrate, the plurality of types of color resists are discharged from at least one nozzle, and after the predetermined color resist is discharged, the inside of the nozzle is cleaned. It is preferable to have

Further, in the step of applying the color resist to a substrate, the plurality of types of color resists are discharged from one nozzle, and after the predetermined color resist is discharged, a next predetermined color resist is formed. It is preferable to include a step of cleaning the inside of the nozzle with one type of cleaning liquid capable of dissolving a plurality of types of color resists until the different color resists are discharged.

Further, it is preferable that the method further comprises a step of independently or simultaneously cleaning a plurality of the insides of the containers each containing the plurality of types of color resists with a liquid of the same type as the cleaning liquid for cleaning the inside of the nozzle.

In the second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the apparatus further comprises a cleaning unit for cleaning the substrate. Further, a transport means for transporting the substrate to the resist coating processing unit and the development processing unit, and sequentially transports the substrate coated with one color resist in the resist coating processing unit to the exposure apparatus, the development processing unit, Transporting the substrate to the resist coating unit,
It is preferable that the apparatus further includes a control unit that controls the transport unit so as to sequentially transport the substrate on which another color resist is applied by the resist coating unit to the exposure apparatus and the developing unit.

Further, the resist coating processing unit applies one color resist to the substrate by one resist discharge nozzle, and then sequentially applies another color resist to the substrate after exposure and development by another resist discharge nozzle. It can be applied.

Furthermore, the plurality of resist discharge nozzles can be arranged at the tip of one nozzle arm rotatably provided in the resist coating unit.

Further, the apparatus may further include a drying unit for drying the substrate coated with the color resist substantially without heating. Examples of such a drying unit include a unit for drying a substrate coated with a resist solution under reduced pressure.

Further, after the drying process without heating, an end face processing unit for removing the resist adhered to the end face of the substrate may be further provided.

[0025] In the third aspect of the present invention, the cleaning mechanism may be configured to perform a plurality of cleaning operations after the predetermined color resist is discharged from the nozzle and before the next color resist different from the predetermined color resist is discharged. It is preferable that the inside of the nozzle is washed with one kind of washing liquid capable of dissolving various kinds of color resists.

It is preferable that the cleaning mechanism cleans the inside of each of the plurality of types of color resists independently or simultaneously using a liquid of the same kind as the cleaning liquid for cleaning the inside of the nozzle.

[0027]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a system for applying and developing a color filter of an LCD to which the present invention is applied.

This coating / developing processing system includes a cassette station 1 on which a cassette C accommodating a plurality of substrates G is placed, and a plurality of processing units for performing a series of processes including resist coating and developing on the substrates G. A processing unit 2 is provided, and an interface unit 3 for transferring a substrate G between the processing unit 2 and an exposure apparatus (not shown). A cassette station 1 and an interface unit 3 are provided at both ends of the processing unit 2, respectively. Are located.

The cassette station 1 has a transport mechanism 1 for transporting the substrate G between the cassette C and the processing section 2.
0 is provided. Then, the cassette C is loaded and unloaded at the cassette station 1. Also, the transport mechanism 1
0 is a transport path 10 provided along the cassette arrangement direction.
A transfer arm 11 is provided which is movable on the substrate a. The transfer arm 11 transfers the substrate G between the cassette C and the processing unit 2.

The processing section 2 is divided into a front section 2a, a middle section 2b, and a rear section 2c.
2, 13 and 14, and each processing unit is disposed on both sides of these transport paths. And, between these, the substrate G is placed between the front part 2a and the middle part 2b or the middle part 2b.
b, relay units 15 and 1 for delivery between the subsequent stage unit 2c
6 are provided.

The front section 2a is provided with a transport means for transporting a substrate movable along the transport path 12, for example, a main transport apparatus 17. On one side of the transport path 12, the substrate G is processed by rotating the substrate G. Two cleaning units (SCRs) 21a and 21b, which are rotation processing units, are arranged, and the transport path 1
2, a cooling unit (COL) 25, a heating processing unit (HP) 26, which is stacked in two upper and lower stages, and a cooling unit (COL) as thermal processing units for performing thermal processing on the substrate G. ) 27 are arranged.

The middle section 2b is provided with a main transfer device 18 which is a substrate transfer means which is movable along the transfer path 13. One side of the transfer path 13 is for applying a color resist. A resist coating processing unit (CT) 22 and an edge remover (ER) 23 which is an end processing unit for removing a color resist on a peripheral portion of the substrate G are provided. On the other hand, as a thermal processing unit for performing thermal processing, a heating processing unit (HP) 28 having a two-tiered structure, and a heat processing unit having a heating processing unit and a cooling processing unit which are vertically stacked.
A cooling unit (HP / COL) 29 and a cooling unit (COL) 30 are arranged.

Further, in the present embodiment, the resist coating unit (CT) 22 and the edge remover (E)
R) 23, a drying processing unit (VD) 40 is provided. Thus, the substrate G on which the color resist is applied is transported to the drying processing unit (VD) 40 to be dried, and thereafter, the edge is removed by the edge remover (ER) 23. The drying unit (VD) 40 will be described later.

Further, the rear stage 2 c is provided with a main transfer device 19, which is a substrate transfer means, which is movable along the transfer path 14, and on one side of the transfer path 14, a processing liquid or the like is applied to the substrate G. Three development processing units (DEVs) 24a, 24b, and 24c, which are liquid processing units that supply and process, are disposed. A thermal system that performs thermal processing on the substrate G is provided on the other side of the transport path 14. As a processing unit, a heat processing unit (HP) 31 formed by stacking two upper and lower stages, and two heat processing / cooling units (HP / COL) 3 formed by stacking a heat processing unit and a cooling unit vertically.
2, 33 are arranged.

The processing section 2 includes a cleaning processing unit 21a and a resist processing unit 2 on one side of the transport path.
2. Only a spinner unit such as the development processing unit 24a is arranged, and only a heat processing unit such as a heating processing unit or a cooling processing unit is arranged on the other side.

A chemical solution supply unit 34 is disposed at a portion of the relay units 15 and 16 on the side where the spinner system unit is disposed, and a space 35 for maintenance is provided.

The main transfer device 17 transfers the substrate G to and from the arm 11 of the transfer mechanism 10, and loads and unloads the substrate G to and from the processing units in the front section 2 a. It has a function of transferring the substrate G between the two. Further, the main transfer device 18 is connected to the relay unit 1.
5 and transfer the substrate G to the middle section 2
b has a function of loading / unloading the substrate G to / from each processing unit and transferring the substrate G to / from the relay unit 16. Further, the main transfer device 19 transfers the substrate G to and from the relay unit 16, and loads and unloads the substrate G to and from each of the processing units in the subsequent unit 2 c, and further transfers the substrate G to and from the interface unit 3. Has the function of performing Note that the relay portions 15 and 16 also function as cooling plates as temperature control means that can adjust the temperature of the substrate G.

The interface section 3 includes an extension 36 for temporarily holding the substrate when transferring the substrate to and from the processing section 2, and two buffer stages 37 provided on both sides thereof for disposing a buffer cassette. And a transfer mechanism 38 as a substrate transfer means for transferring the substrate G in and out of an exposure device (not shown) which is an external device connected thereto. Transport mechanism 38
Is provided with a transfer arm 39 movable along a transfer path 38a provided along the direction in which the extension 36 and the buffer stage 37 are arranged. The transfer arm 39 allows the transfer of the substrate G between the processing unit 2 and the exposure apparatus. Done. By consolidating and integrating the processing units in this manner, space saving and processing efficiency can be achieved.

Further, the coating / developing apparatus having the above configuration is
As shown in FIG. 2, the cassette station 1 and the processing unit 2
a, a processing unit 2b, a processing unit 2c, and an interface unit 3.
Control section 112, processing section 2a control section 113, processing section 2
The operations are individually controlled by the control unit 114 of FIG. 1B, the control unit 115 of the processing unit 2c, and the control unit 116 of the interface unit 3. The control unit of each processing unit is controlled centrally by the main control unit 111. Is done. The processing in each processing mechanism in the cassette station 1, the processing unit 2a, the processing unit 2b, the processing unit 2c, and the interface unit 3 is performed by the main control unit 111 to the control unit 112 of the cassette station 1, the control unit of the processing unit 2a 113, the control unit 114 of the processing unit 2b, the processing unit 2c 115, and the control unit 116 of the interface unit 3 send the substrate on which one color resist is applied in each processing mechanism, for example, the resist coating unit 22 to an exposure apparatus. The substrate G is sequentially transported to the development processing units 24a to 24c, and the substrate G is further transported to the resist coating processing unit 22. The substrate G coated with another color resist by the resist coating processing unit 22 is exposed to an exposure device, a development processing unit. 24a ~
It can be controlled so that the paper is sequentially conveyed to 24c.

In the coating / developing processing system configured as described above, the substrate G in the cassette C is transported to the processing section 2, where the cleaning unit (SCR) 21a, The scrubber is washed at 21 b, and is heated and dried at one of the heat treatment units (HP) 26, and then cooled at one of the cooling units (COL) 27.

Thereafter, the substrate G is transported to the middle section 2b,
A predetermined color resist is applied by a resist coating unit (CT) 22 (a step of applying a color resist to a substrate),
It is dried by the drying processing unit (VD) 40,
An extra color resist on the periphery of the substrate G is removed by the edge remover (ER) 23. Thereafter, the substrate G is pre-baked in one of the heat processing units (HP) in the middle section 2b, and is cooled in the lower cooling unit (COL) of the unit 30 or 29.

Thereafter, the substrate G is transferred from the relay unit 16 to the exposure device via the interface unit 3 by the main transfer unit 19, where a predetermined pattern is exposed (the substrate coated with the predetermined color resist is exposed). Transporting the device). Then, the substrate G is returned to the interface unit 3 again.
And the developing unit (DEV) 24
a), 24b, and 24c (a process of receiving the exposed substrate from the exposure device and developing the substrate). The substrate G that has been subjected to the development processing is subjected to post-bake processing in any one of the heat treatment units (HP) in the subsequent section 2c, and then cooled in the cooling unit (COL).

Such a series of processes for each color is executed according to a preset recipe. For example, the substrate G that has been subjected to the red coating, exposure, and development processing is sequentially subjected to green, blue, and black coating, exposure, and development processing. As described later, different colors are applied to the coating unit (CT) 22. Each color is processed in substantially the same manner, except that the nozzle is used. The completed substrate of the color filter is stored in a predetermined cassette on the cassette station 1 by the main transfer devices 19, 18, and 17 and the transfer mechanism 10.

Next, the resist coating unit (CT) 22 and the drying unit (VD) which are installed in the color filter coating / developing system according to the present embodiment.
40 and the edge remover (ER) 23 will be described. 3 and 4 are a schematic plan view and a schematic side view showing a resist coating unit (CT), a drying unit (VD), and an edge remover (ER).

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the resist coating unit (CT) 22, the drying unit (VD) 40, and the edge remover (ER) 23
Are integrally arranged on the same stage. The substrate G on which a predetermined color resist is applied by the resist coating unit (CT) 22 is dried by a pair of transport arms 41 along a guide rail 43 along with a drying unit (VD) 40.
The substrate G is transported to the edge remover (ER) 23 along a guide rail 43 by a pair of transport arms 42.

This resist coating unit (CT) 2
Numeral 2 denotes a horizontally rotatable spin chuck 51 for sucking and holding the substrate G, and a bottomed opening surrounding the upper end of the spin chuck 51 and surrounding the substrate G sucked and held by the spin chuck 51 and opening at the upper end. Cylindrical rotating cup 5
2. It has a lid (not shown) that covers the upper end opening of the rotating cup 52, and a coater cup 53 that is fixedly arranged so as to surround the outer periphery of the rotating cup 52. When the color resist is dropped, the substrate G is rotated by the spin chuck 51 in a state where the lid is opened, and when the color resist is diffused, the substrate G is rotated by the spin chuck 51 and the lid is simultaneously opened. The closed rotating cup 52 is rotated. Note that an outer cover 54 is provided on the outer periphery of the coater cup 53.

Further, a resist coating unit (CT)
22 has a resist discharge nozzle arm 55 for discharging color resists of four colors (red, green, blue, and black) on a rectangular substrate G made of glass. It is rotatable.

The resist discharge nozzle arm 55 is waiting at a standby position, and when the color resist is dropped, the resist discharge nozzle arm 55 is rotated to the center of the substrate G. Resist discharge nozzle arm 55
Are provided with a red color resist nozzle 56a, a green color resist nozzle 56b, a blue color resist nozzle 56c, a black color resist nozzle 56d, and a thinner nozzle 56e.
A drain pan (not shown) having an open top is fixed below the nozzles 56a to 56d at the standby position.

As shown in FIG. 5, each nozzle 56a
To 56d are connected to containers for storing color resists, for example, resist supply tanks 102a to 102d via resist supply pipes 101a to 101d, respectively.
03a to 103d are provided. In addition, the nozzle 56
Air operated valves 106a to 106d are provided between a to 56d and pumps 103a to 103d. Also,
Nozzle cleaning mechanism 1 for cleaning the inside of nozzles 56a to 56d
17 is provided for each of the nozzles 56a to 56d. As the nozzle cleaning mechanism 117, air-operated three-way valves 104a to 104d are provided between the nozzles 56a to 56d and the pumps 103a to 103d, respectively.
Pipes 105a to 105d from 0 are respectively connected. The cleaning liquid supply tank 110 stores one type of cleaning liquid in which a plurality of types of color resists can be dissolved. Cleaning liquid supply tank 110 is capable of pumping a cleaning liquid into the pipe 105a~105d by pressurizing with _{N 2.} The air operated valves 106a to 106d can be opened and closed according to an instruction from the control unit 107, and the air operated three-way valves 104a to 104d
d is configured to be switchable according to an instruction from the control unit 107.

For example, when discharging a red color resist, the air-operated three-way valve 104a is switched so that the resist flows from the pipe 101a to the nozzle 56a.
The resist can be discharged by driving the pump 103a and opening the air operation valve 106a.

With this configuration, it is easy to apply one color resist to the substrate G by one of the color nozzles 56a to 56d and then perform the coating process by another color nozzle. For example, even if the color of the resist applied to the next substrate is different, it can be easily handled only by changing the nozzle.

Also, after the red color resist is discharged, for example, the inside of the nozzle 56a can be cleaned by switching the air-operated three-way valve 104a so that the cleaning liquid flows from the pipe 105a to the nozzle 56a. The cleaning liquid after the cleaning is discharged from the nozzle 56a toward a drain pan (not shown).

Similarly, the nozzles 56b to 56d can discharge the color resist and clean the inside of the nozzles.

The drying processing unit 40 is provided with a low chamber 61 and an upper chamber 62 which covers the low chamber 61 and keeps the internal processing chamber airtight. The low chamber 61 has a stage 63 for mounting the substrate G thereon.
Are provided at each corner of the low chamber 61.
Exhaust ports 64 are provided, and an exhaust pipe 65 (FIG. 4) connected to the exhaust ports 64 is connected to an exhaust pump (not shown) such as a turbo-molecular exhaust pump, whereby the low chamber 61 and the upper chamber are formed. The gas in the processing chamber between 62 and 62 is evacuated and reduced in pressure to a predetermined degree of vacuum, and the drying process is performed on the substrate G under reduced pressure and substantially without heating.

A stage 71 for mounting the substrate G is provided on the edge remover (ER) 23 (end surface processing). Two stages for positioning the substrate G are provided at two corners on the stage 71. Alignment means 72
Is provided.

On the four sides of the substrate G,
There are provided four remover heads 73 for removing extra color resist from the four edges. Each of the remover heads 73 has a substantially U-shaped cross section so as to discharge the thinner from the inside, and is moved by a moving mechanism (not shown) along four sides of the substrate G. Accordingly, each of the remover heads 73 can remove the extra color resist adhering to the four edges of the substrate G while moving along each side of the substrate G and discharging the thinner.

Next, processing of the substrate G in the resist coating processing unit (CT) 22, the drying processing unit (VD) 40, and the edge remover (ER) 23, which are integrated as described above, will be described.

First, a resist coating unit (CT)
At 22, the substrate G is rotated by the spin chuck 51, the resist discharge nozzle arm 55 is rotated to the center of the substrate G, and the thinner nozzle 56e reaches the center of the substrate G. Is spread from the center of the substrate G to the entire periphery thereof by the centrifugal force.

Subsequently, a nozzle 56a of a predetermined color resist, for example, a red color resist is moved to the spin chuck 51.
(The center of the substrate G), the air-operated three-way valve 1
04a and the air-operated valve 106a are controlled, and a red color resist is dropped at the center of the rotating substrate G so that the substrate G
And is evenly spread from the center of the substrate G to the entire area around the center by the centrifugal force.

After the red color resist is discharged, the resist discharge nozzle arm 55 is rotated to the standby position, and performs a process of cleaning the inside of the nozzle 56a with the cleaning liquid until the next different color resist is discharged. . At this time,
The air-operated three-way valve 104a is switched so that the cleaning liquid flows from the pipe 105a to the nozzle 56a, and the cleaning liquid is discharged from the nozzle 56a to clean the inside of the nozzle 56a. By cleaning the inside of the nozzle 56a, the color resist is not solidified inside the nozzle, and it is possible to prevent the solidified color resist from being discharged onto the substrate G, thereby improving the product yield.

The substrate G coated with the red color resist is transported to the drying processing unit 40 by the transport arm 41, and the gas in the processing chamber between the low chamber 61 and the upper chamber 62 is evacuated to a predetermined vacuum. By reducing the pressure, the solvent such as thinner in the color resist is evaporated to some extent, the solvent in the resist is gradually released, and the drying of the resist can be promoted without adversely affecting the resist, Further, since the drying process is performed substantially without heating, it is possible to effectively prevent transfer from occurring on the substrate G.

The dried substrate G is transferred to the transfer arm 42
, The four remover heads 73 are moved along each side of the substrate G,
Excess color resist adhering to the four edges of the substrate G is removed by the discharged thinner. Since the color resist adhered to the edge of the substrate G is removed, the color resist adheres to the main transport devices 17 to 19 and the transport mechanism 38 when the substrate G is transported by the main transport devices 17 to 19 and the transport mechanism 38. The possibility of causing particles can be reduced.

Thereafter, a resist coating unit (C
T) 22, another substrate G is carried in, the step of cleaning the inside of the nozzle is completed, the resist discharge nozzle arm 55 is rotated, and the same red or another color resist is applied. In the case of the same color, the same operation may be repeated, and in the case of a different color, the same processing can be performed simply by dropping a resist of another color from a different color nozzle, so that it is extremely easy to respond. Can be.

On the other hand, the substrate G on which the above-mentioned red resist is applied is subjected to exposure and development processing, washed again, and then carried into the resist coating unit (CT) 22, where the second color resist, For example, a green color resist is applied to the substrate from the nozzle 56 of the green color resist, and the above-described processing steps are similarly repeated. Similarly, a third color resist, for example, blue, is applied, and a fourth color resist, for example, black, is applied.

As described above, the cleaning unit (SC
R), a plurality of color resists can be sequentially applied by one coating / developing system including a resist coating unit (CT) and a developing unit (DEV), and a developing process after exposure can be performed. . Therefore,
Equipment can be reduced in size and space can be saved, and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

A resist coating unit (CT)
At 22, a plurality of resist discharge nozzles 56a to discharge the respective resists corresponding to the plurality of color resists.
Since 56d is used, a plurality of color resists can be applied very efficiently.

Next, the developing units (DEV) 24a, 24b, 24c according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the developing devices 24a, 24b and 24c, and FIG. 7 is a plan view thereof. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, at the center of the developing devices 24a, 24b, and 24c,
A spin chuck 74 configured to be rotatable and vertically movable by the drive motor 31 is provided. The upper surface of the spin chuck 74 is configured to suction-hold the glass substrate G in a horizontal state by vacuum suction or the like.

A lower container 75 is arranged below the spin chuck 74. An outer cup 76 is arranged so as to surround the outer periphery of the spin chuck 74, and an inner cup 77 is arranged between the lower container 75 and the outer cup 76.

The outer cup 76 and the inner cup 77 are connected by a connecting member 78, and the outer cup 76 and the inner cup 77 are raised and lowered by a lifting cylinder 88. The upper portions of the outer cup 76 and the inner cup 77 are inclined inward so as to become narrower as going upward, and the diameter of the upper end opening of the outer cup 76 is larger than that of the inner cup 77, and The diameters of these upper openings are formed to be large enough to be lowered into the cup while the glass substrate G is kept horizontal.

The lower container 75 has an inclined portion 79 which is inclined downward from the center to the outside, and a tray portion 80 arranged on the outer periphery thereof. The glass substrate G
Support pins 81 for holding the rear surface of
Book is arranged. The height of the tip of the support pin 81 is set to a position where the tip of the support pin 81 contacts the back surface of the glass substrate G when the glass substrate G held by the spin chuck 74 is lowered to the lowest position. . Further, a cylindrical upright wall 82 is provided on the bottom surface of the tray portion 80,
The upright wall 82 is interposed between the outer cup 76 and the inner cup 77. The inclined portion of the inner cup 77 extends to the outer periphery of the upright wall 82 beyond the upright wall 82. Thus, the fluid flowing through the inclined portion of the inner cup 77 flows into the outer chamber 83 partitioned by the upright wall 82 of the tray 80.

An exhaust port 84 for exhausting the inside of the cup is provided on the back side of the inclined portion 79 of the lower container 75.
An exhaust pump (not shown) is connected to the exhaust port 84. Inner chamber 8 partitioned by upright wall 82 of saucer section 80
A drain port 86 is formed in the lower part of the outer chamber 83.
A drain port 87 is formed in the lower part of FIG. The drain 86 is connected to a not-shown recovery tank. The drain port 87 is connected to a collection tank (not shown).

A developing solution discharge mechanism 89 for discharging the developing solution to the surface of the glass substrate G is disposed on one side of the upper portion of the cup, and a cleaning solution is jetted at a high pressure on the surface of the glass substrate G on the other side. A rinsing liquid supply mechanism 91 for supplying a rinsing liquid to the surface of the glass substrate G is disposed. Further, transport rails 92 and 93 are provided in front of and behind the upper portion of the cup. Transport motors 58 and 59 are attached to the developer discharge mechanism 89 and the high-pressure cleaning mechanism 90, respectively.
The transport motors 58 and 59 are controlled based on the control by the control unit 94.
Drive mechanism 89 and high-pressure cleaning mechanism 9
0 is conveyed to the upper part in the cup along the conveying rails 92 and 93.

The developing solution is supplied from the developing solution storage tank 52 to the developing solution discharging mechanism 89 via the pump 95 under the control of the control unit 94. The type of the developing solution is one type, which is smaller than the number of types of the color resist. A heating device 96 for heating the developer is interposed between the developer discharge mechanism 89 and the pump 95. For example, when the ambient temperature is, for example, 23 (° C.), the heating device 96 is set by heating the developer to a temperature higher than the ambient temperature, for example, 25 to 27 (° C.). Thereby, the developing speed can be improved. The high-pressure cleaning mechanism 90 includes a control unit 94.
Liquid tank 9 via pump 97 controlled by
A cleaning liquid is supplied from 8. Similarly, the rinsing liquid supply mechanism 91 is supplied with the rinsing liquid from the rinsing liquid tank 100 via the pump 99 controlled by the control unit 94.

Next, the operation will be described. Developing device 24
a, 24b, and 24c, and the spin chuck 74
The glass substrate G held by this is lowered to a position where it does not come into contact with the support pins 81, the outer cup 76 and the inner cup 77 are raised to the highest position, and the developer discharging mechanism 89
Is conveyed to almost the center of the glass substrate G and stands still. Then, the glass substrate G held by the spin chuck 74 is rotated, and the developing solution is discharged from the developing solution discharging mechanism 89 onto the glass substrate G. The developer scattered from the outer periphery of the glass substrate G hits the inside of the inner cup 77, is collected from the drainage port 86, and at least a part thereof is reused.

Next, the glass substrate G held by the spin chuck 74 is lowered to a position where it comes into contact with the support pins 81, and the outer cup 76 and the inner cup 77 are lowered to a predetermined position, for example, the lowest position. Then, the glass substrate G held by the spin chuck 74 is brought into a stationary state, the high-pressure cleaning mechanism 90 is scanned in the longitudinal direction of the glass substrate G, and the cleaning liquid is discharged to the glass substrate G by the high-pressure cleaning mechanism 90. Note that the cleaning liquid scattered from the outer periphery of the glass substrate G is discharged from the drain port 87 through the space between the inner cup 77 and the outer cup 76. Further, at the time of high-pressure cleaning, since the glass substrate G is supported from the back surface by the support pins 81, the glass substrate G is prevented from being deformed.

Next, the glass substrate G held by the spin chuck 74 is raised to a position where it does not contact the support pins 81, and the outer cup 76 and the inner cup 77 are lowered to the lowest position. Liquid supply mechanism 9
1 is transported to almost the center of the glass substrate G. Then, the glass substrate G held by the spin chuck 74
Is rotated, and the rinse liquid is supplied to the glass substrate G from the rinse liquid supply mechanism 91. The rinsing liquid scattered from the outer periphery of the glass substrate G is applied to the inner cup 77 and the outer cup 76.
And is discharged from the drain port 87.

Finally, the rinsing liquid supply mechanism 91 is conveyed out of the cup, and the glass substrate G held by the spin chuck 74 is rotated at high speed to perform shaking-off drying.

As described above, the cleaning unit (SC
R), a plurality of color resists can be sequentially applied by one coating / developing system including a resist coating unit (CT) and a developing unit (DEV), and a developing process after exposure can be performed. . Therefore,
Equipment can be reduced in size and space can be saved, and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described example, an example was described in which resists of a plurality of colors were sequentially applied to one substrate, and then returned to the cassette after the application of all colors was completed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. When the application of the resist is completed, the color resist can be applied by various procedures such as returning to the cassette and applying the next color in the same procedure.

As shown in FIG. 8, a tank cleaning mechanism 118 capable of cleaning the emptied resist supply tanks 102a to 102d is further provided.
Needless to say, a step of washing the insides 02a to 102d independently or a plurality of times may be performed. The tank cleaning mechanism 118 is provided between the pumps 103a to 103d and the resist supply tanks 102a to 102d in the air-operated three-way valves 108a to 108d. 109d is provided. Here, a case where the inside of the resist supply tank 102a is cleaned will be described as an example. When the color resist in the resist supply tank 102a becomes empty, the air-operated three-way valve 1 is used so that the cleaning liquid flows from the pipe 109a to the resist supply tank 102a.
08a is switched, the cleaning liquid is stored in the resist supply tank 102a, and the inside of the resist supply tank 102a is cleaned. By cleaning the inside of the resist supply tank 102a before supplying new resist to the resist supply tank 102a, the resist before supply is not mixed after the supply of resist, and the resist before supply is not applied onto the substrate G, so that the product Yield can be improved. Note that a plurality of cleanings can be performed at the same time by switching the three-way valves 108a to 108d.

After the cleaning liquid is stored in the resist supply tank 102a, the air-operated three-way valve 108a is switched so that the cleaning liquid flows from the resist supply tank 102a to the pump 103a, and the cleaning liquid in the resist supply tank 102a is discharged from the nozzle 56a. Thus, the air-operated three-way valve 104a is switched so that the cleaning liquid flows from the pipe 101a to the nozzle 56a, the air-operated valve 106a is opened, the pump 103a is driven, and the cleaning liquid is supplied to the nozzle 56a.
And the path from the resist supply tank 102a to the nozzle 56a is also cleaned. Thereafter, the resist is supplied to the resist supply tank 102a, or the resist supply tank 102a is replaced with a new one. When the resist supply tank 102a becomes empty, the resist supply tank 102
Since the path from a to the nozzle 56a can be cleaned, the resist is not solidified in the path while the resist is being supplied to the resist supply tank 102a, and the yield of the product can be improved.

Further, it goes without saying that the cleaning liquid may be a solvent for the resist irrespective of the type as long as the liquid can remove the resist. If nozzle cleaning is performed with a solvent for the resist, for example, a thinner, foreign matters are not mixed in the resist, and the product yield can be improved. Also, thinners are readily available.

Further, as the nozzle cleaning mechanism 117, the cleaning liquid supply tank 110 and the air operated three-way valves 104a to 104a
04d, but without the cleaning liquid supply tank 110 and the air operated three-way valves 104a to 104d as shown in FIG. 9, the resist supply tank 102a when performing nozzle cleaning.
And 102d are replaced with the cleaning liquid supply tank 110, respectively, and the pumps 103a to 103d are driven.
Needless to say, the inside of a to 56d may be cleaned. In this case, the device structure can be simplified, and the device can be downsized. Further, since the device structure can be simplified, the possibility of failure is reduced, and the reliability of the device is improved.

Further, although a plurality of nozzles for discharging the color resist are provided, it goes without saying that the number of nozzles for discharging the color resist may be one. The specified color resist is discharged, and then the inside of the nozzle is cleaned.Therefore, no color resist remains in the nozzle after the nozzle cleaning, and even if another color resist is discharged from the same nozzle after the nozzle cleaning, it is discharged before The mixed color resist does not mix.
Therefore, it is possible to further reduce the size of the device.

Although the inside of the nozzles 56a to 56d is cleaned each time the color resist is discharged, it is needless to say that the cleaning is not performed every time the color resist is discharged, but is periodically determined at intervals. The cleaning is performed when the number of discharges of the color resist on the substrate G exceeds a predetermined number, at the end of the lot of the substrate G, or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the last discharge of the color resist. You can choose from. In this case, the number of times of nozzle cleaning can be reduced,
Throughput can be improved.

The arrangement and number of units in the coating / developing system are not particularly limited.

[0087]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A single coating / developing apparatus including a cleaning unit, a resist coating unit, and a developing unit can perform a coating process of a plurality of color resists and a development process after exposure. Therefore, downsizing of equipment and space saving can be achieved, and manufacturing cost can be reduced.

In particular, the substrate coated with one color resist in the resist coating unit is sequentially transferred to an exposure device and a developing unit, and the substrate is transferred to the resist coating unit. Extremely efficient processing can be realized by controlling the transporting means so as to sequentially transport the substrate coated with another color resist to the exposure apparatus and the development processing unit.

In the resist coating unit, a plurality of color resists can be coated very efficiently by using one resist discharge nozzle for discharging each resist in correspondence with the plurality of color resists. Can be.

Further, immediately after the application of the resist solution, the solvent in the resist solution is gradually released by drying the substrate in a substantially non-heated state, so that the resist can be dried without adversely affecting the resist. Can be promoted.

Further, by providing a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the inside of the color resist discharge nozzle, it is possible to prevent the color resist from solidifying inside the nozzle and prevent the solidified color resist from being discharged onto the substrate G. As a result, the yield of products can be improved.

Further, by providing a washing mechanism for washing the insides of the containers for storing the color resists individually or simultaneously, a resist before the replenishment does not mix after the replenishment of the resist, and the pre-replenishment on the substrate is prevented. Since the resist is not applied, the product yield can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a system for applying and developing a color filter of an LCD to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a control unit explanatory diagram for explaining a control system of a coating / developing processing system for a color filter of an LCD.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing a resist coating unit (CT), a drying unit (VD), and an edge remover (ER).

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a resist coating unit (CT), a drying unit (VD), and an edge remover (ER).

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a resist supply mechanism.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a development processing unit (DEV).

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a development processing unit (DEV).

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the inside of a nozzle for discharging a color resist and a container storing the color resist.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of another embodiment of a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the inside of a nozzle for discharging a color resist.

[Explanation of symbols]

 22; resist coating processing unit 23; edge remover 24a, 24b, 24c; developing processing unit 40; drying processing unit 55; resist discharge nozzle arm (nozzle arm) 56a to 56e; color resist discharge nozzle G;

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G02F 1/1335 505 G02F 1/1335 505 G03F 7/30 502 G03F 7/30 502 H01L 21/027 H01L 21 / 30 564C 569D (72) Inventor Noriyuki Anai No. 272, Heisei, Takao, Otsu-cho, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture 4 Tokyo Electron Kyushu Co., Ltd. Otsu Office

Claims (17)

[Claims] A step of applying a predetermined color resist selected from a plurality of kinds of color resists to a substrate; a step of transporting the substrate coated with the predetermined color resist to an exposure apparatus; A coating process comprising: receiving the exposed substrate from the exposure device and developing the substrate; and sequentially repeating the process, and storing the plurality of substrates in a cassette configured to be capable of being stored.・ Development processing method. 2. The coating / developing method according to claim 1, wherein the type of the developing solution for developing the plurality of color resists is smaller than the number of the plurality of types. 3. The coating / developing method according to claim 2, wherein the kind of said developer is one kind. 4. The step of applying the color resist to a substrate, wherein the plurality of types of color resists are discharged from at least one nozzle, and after the predetermined color resist is discharged, the inside of the nozzle is cleaned. The coating / developing method according to claim 1, further comprising: 5. In the step of applying the color resist to a substrate, the plurality of types of color resists are discharged from one nozzle, and after the predetermined color resist is discharged, different from the next predetermined color resist. 5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of cleaning the inside of the nozzle with one type of cleaning liquid capable of dissolving a plurality of types of color resists until the color resist is discharged. The coating / developing treatment method described in the above section. 6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of independently or simultaneously cleaning a plurality of insides of the containers storing the plurality of types of color resists with a cleaning liquid of the same kind as the cleaning liquid for cleaning the inside of the nozzle. The coating and developing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5. 7. An application / development processing apparatus for applying a plurality of color resists to a substrate and developing the resist after exposure, the resist coating having a plurality of resist discharge nozzles for discharging the plurality of color resists to the substrate, respectively. A coating / developing apparatus comprising: a processing unit; and a developing unit for developing the substrate coated with the color resist after exposure. 8. The coating / developing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a cleaning unit for cleaning the substrate. 9. The resist coating unit applies one color resist to the substrate by one resist discharge nozzle, and then applies another color resist to the substrate after exposure and development by another resist discharge nozzle. 9. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the coating and developing are performed sequentially. 10. A transport means for transporting a substrate to the resist coating processing unit and the developing processing unit, and a substrate coated with one color resist in the resist coating processing unit is sequentially exposed to an exposure apparatus and the developing processing unit. Transport, transport the substrate to the resist coating unit, and control the transport unit so that the substrate coated with another color resist in the resist coating unit is sequentially transported to the exposure apparatus and the development processing unit. The coating / developing apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 9, further comprising a control unit that performs the control. 11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of resist discharge nozzles are arranged at the tip of one nozzle arm rotatably provided in the resist coating unit. The coating / developing apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims. 12. The coating according to claim 7, further comprising a drying processing unit for drying the substrate coated with the color resist substantially without heating.・ Development processing equipment. 13. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the drying unit dries the substrate coated with the resist solution under reduced pressure. 14. The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising an end face processing unit for removing a resist attached to an end face of the substrate after the non-heating drying processing. The coating / developing apparatus described in the above. 15. A resist coating unit for coating a substrate with a predetermined color resist selected from a plurality of types of color resists, and transporting the substrate coated with the predetermined color resist to an exposure apparatus, A development processing unit that receives the exposed substrate from the exposure device and develops the substrate, a transport mechanism that transports the substrate between these units and the development device, and at least the resist coating unit that discharges the plurality of types of color resists. A coating / developing apparatus comprising one nozzle and a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the inside of the nozzle. 16. The cleaning mechanism is capable of dissolving a plurality of types of color resists after the predetermined color resist is discharged from the nozzle and before the next color resist different from the predetermined color resist is discharged. The coating / developing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the inside of the nozzle is cleaned with one type of cleaning liquid. 17. The cleaning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the inside of the container accommodating each of the plurality of types of color resists is independently or simultaneously washed with a liquid of the same type as the cleaning liquid for cleaning the inside of the nozzle. Item 16. The coating and developing apparatus according to Item 15.