JP2000299298A - Processing apparatus and method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a processing apparatus and a method, where a target processing can be carried out at a low cost when a processing liquid is fed through a spin-less method to carry out prescribed processing. SOLUTION: This processing method is carried out in a manner, where a glass substrate G as a work is supported, with support pins 46 provided on a base 45 in a chamber 40 separated from the base 45 by a certain distance, and a processing liquid is fed to the chamber 40 through an inlet port 42 provided to a side 41 of the chamber 40. The processing liquid fed to the chamber 40 flows toward an outlet port 44 provided to the side 43 opposed to the side 41 where the inlet port 42 is provided and then flows out of the chamber 40 through the outlet port 44. While the liquid is staying in the chamber 40, it is brought into contact with both the front and rear of the glass substrate G, whose position is fixed by a position fixing means. By this setup, even though the processing position of the substrate G is fixed, the glass substrate can be subjected to a prescribed treatment such as a cleaning treatment or a developing treatment without using an exclusive treatment tools such as a brush or the like.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processing apparatus and a processing method for cleaning and developing a glass substrate used for, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and more particularly, to a glass substrate. The present invention relates to a processing apparatus and a processing method in which means for supplying a cleaning liquid or a developing solution to a processing apparatus are improved.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an LCD manufacturing process, a photolithography technique similar to that used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices is used to form an ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) thin film and an electrode pattern on an LCD glass substrate. Used. In the photolithography technique, a photoresist is applied to a washed substrate, which is exposed and further developed.

[0003] Among these steps, for example, in a substrate cleaning step, a cleaning liquid (pure water) is supplied by suction and holding by a spin chuck capable of rotatably holding a glass substrate. Supplies a developer and a cleaning solution (pure water) for washing away the developer by sucking and holding the glass substrate.

[0004]

When the cleaning liquid or the developing liquid is supplied to the glass substrate as described above, at present, the cleaning liquid or the developing liquid is dropped while rotating the glass substrate, and the centrifugal force is reduced. The spin method in which these are spirally diffused and supplied by use is mainly used. However, in this method, in order to hold the glass substrate by suction using a spin chuck, it is necessary to provide a vacuum source for suction and a pipe for suction in the chuck. Therefore, there is a problem that the structure of the chuck is complicated and the manufacturing cost of the device is high. In addition, there is a problem that such a device is very large because it rotates a large glass substrate.

In view of such a problem, a spinless method of performing a predetermined process while holding the glass substrate without rotating it is also performed depending on the process. For example, in the substrate cleaning step, the surface is brush-cleaned while the glass substrate is fixed. However, even in this case, there is a problem that a complicated drive mechanism is required to move the brush along the glass substrate, and the brush does not significantly contribute to reduction in manufacturing cost. Further, it is necessary to periodically clean the brush to remove dirt from the brush itself, so that a large reduction in maintenance cost cannot be expected. In the spinless method in the developing step, a means for supplying the developing solution by moving the developing solution supply nozzle along the glass substrate is employed. In this case, such an operation is performed on the developing solution supply nozzle. The driving mechanism for performing this operation is complicated and has the same problem as that of the cleaning device.

On the other hand, in recent years, the screen size of a liquid crystal display has been increasing. However, when a large-sized glass substrate is handled by the conventional spin method, a larger processing apparatus and power are required, and the cost is increased. Actually, it is difficult to perform a predetermined process while rotating and holding the glass substrate because it is large. For this reason, in particular, when processing a large glass substrate, it is desired to perform the spinless method. However, since the spinless method has the above-described problem, it is necessary to perform the spinless method at a lower cost. The development of a device that can do this has been desired.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a processing apparatus and a processing method capable of performing a target processing at a lower cost when a predetermined processing is performed by supplying a processing liquid by a spinless method. The task is to provide.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a support pin provided at a bottom portion in a chamber and capable of supporting an object to be processed at an interval with respect to the bottom portion, and one side of the chamber. An inlet for the processing liquid or gas formed in the portion, an outlet for the processing liquid or gas formed on the side of the chamber opposite to the side where the inlet is formed, and an outlet from the inlet And a position fixing means capable of fixing the processing position of the object to be processed against a liquid flow of a processing liquid or a gaseous gas flow supplied along the surface direction of the object to be processed. .

According to the present invention, there is provided a support pin provided at a bottom portion in a chamber and capable of supporting an object to be processed at an interval with respect to the bottom portion, and a processing liquid or gas inlet formed at one side of the chamber. An outlet of the processing liquid or gas formed on a side of the chamber opposite to the side formed with the inflow port, and is provided so as to be in contact with the object to be processed supported on the support pin, A presser that functions as a position fixing unit that can fix a processing position of a processing object against a liquid flow of a processing liquid or a gas flow that is supplied along a surface direction of the processing object from an inlet to an outlet. And a lid mounted on the rear surface so as to close the upper opening of the chamber.

According to the present invention, there is provided a support pin provided at a bottom portion in a chamber and capable of supporting an object to be processed at an interval with respect to the bottom portion, and a processing liquid or gas inlet formed at one side of the chamber. An outlet for the processing liquid or gas formed on a side of the chamber opposite to the side on which the inlet is formed, and an outlet provided at an arbitrary position on the bottom of the chamber and a back surface of the object to be processed. And a bulge provided at a height enough to secure a predetermined gap therebetween.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the bulge has a line along an apex of the processing liquid supplied along the surface direction of the object from the inlet to the outlet. It is provided so as to be formed in a direction substantially orthogonal to the liquid flow direction or the gas flow direction.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the bulging portions are formed at predetermined intervals in a flow direction of the processing liquid or a gas flow direction.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is further provided a speed control means for controlling a supply speed of the processing liquid or gas.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the chamber is controlled to be substantially horizontal at the time of accommodating and removing the object to be processed, and during supply of the processing liquid, the side portion having the outlet is formed. Having a chamber control mechanism for controlling the chamber in an inclined state so as to be higher than the side where the inflow port is formed, and having an air vent hole at an arbitrary position near the outflow port in the chamber. It is characterized by.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the chamber is controlled to be substantially horizontal when the object to be processed is accommodated and taken out, and during the supply of the processing liquid, the chamber is changed from the substantially horizontal state to the outlet. In a range where the formed side is higher than the side formed with the inflow port, the chamber has a chamber control mechanism that controls the chamber to swing, and at an arbitrary position near the outflow port in the chamber. It is characterized by having an air vent hole.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a separating member is provided immediately after the inflow port for vertically separating the flow of the processing liquid or gas introduced from the inflow port.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the separation member has a triangular cross section having a top toward the inflow port.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the separating member has a circular cross section.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the inflow port has a plurality of holes. According to one aspect of the present invention, a guide member for guiding the flow of the processing liquid or gas introduced from the inlet immediately after the inlet is provided.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the inlet is slit-shaped.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the outlet is slit-shaped.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the opening area of the inflow port is smaller than the opening area of the outflow port.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the opening area of the inlet is larger than the opening area of the outlet.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the outflow port is provided at a higher position than the inflow port.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a guide member for guiding a processing liquid or gas toward the outlet is provided immediately before the outlet.

According to the present invention, there is provided a processing method for supplying an arbitrary processing liquid or gas to a processing object and performing a predetermined processing, after supporting the processing object on a support pin provided on the bottom of the chamber, The processing position of the object to be processed is fixed by the position fixing means, and then along the surface direction of the object to be processed from the inlet formed on one side of the chamber to the outlet formed on the opposite side. It is characterized by supplying a processing liquid or a gas.

According to one aspect of the present invention, when a cleaning liquid is supplied as the treatment liquid, particles or bubbles are supplied together with the cleaning liquid.

According to one aspect of the present invention, after the cleaning liquid or the gas is supplied at a high flow rate, the speed control means controls the supply so as to be supplied at a low flow rate after an arbitrary timing before the end of the processing. Features.

According to one aspect of the present invention, when a developer is supplied as the processing liquid, the developer is supplied while gradually increasing the concentration until an arbitrary timing, and is gradually increased after the arbitrary timing. It is characterized by supplying while lowering.

According to one aspect of the present invention, during the supply of the developing solution, the chamber accommodating the object to be processed is positioned such that the side where the outflow port is formed is higher than the side where the inflow port is formed. It is characterized in that it is controlled and supplied in such a state that it is inclined.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, during the supply of the developing solution, the chamber for accommodating the object to be processed is changed from a substantially horizontal state to the side where the outlet is formed and the side where the inlet is formed. It is characterized in that it is controlled so as to oscillate in a range where the height is higher than that of the supply position.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the rinse liquid is supplied from the inflow port after the supply of the developer or the cleaning liquid.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the inert gas is supplied from the inlet after the rinsing liquid is supplied.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the inert gas is at a high temperature. According to one aspect of the present invention, high-temperature water is supplied from an inlet before supplying the inert gas.

In the processing apparatus of the present invention, the object to be processed is supported by the support pins provided at the bottom of the chamber at intervals from the bottom, and the processing is performed from the inlet formed at one side of the chamber. Supply liquid. The supplied processing liquid flows toward an outlet formed on the side of the chamber opposite to the side where the inlet is formed, and flows out from the outlet. During this time, the processing liquid comes into contact with the front and back surfaces of the object whose processing position is fixed by the position fixing means. Therefore, while the processing position of the processing object is fixed, it is possible to perform predetermined processing such as cleaning processing and development processing on the processing object without requiring a dedicated processing tool such as a brush. it can.

In the processing apparatus of the present invention, the object to be processed is supported by the support pins provided at the bottom of the chamber at an interval with respect to the bottom, and the processing is performed through the inlet formed at one side of the chamber. Supply liquid. The supplied processing liquid flows toward an outlet formed on the side of the chamber opposite to the side where the inlet is formed, and flows out from the outlet. During this time, the processing liquid comes into contact with the front and back surfaces of the processing target whose processing position is fixed by the lid having the pressing portion on the rear surface. Therefore, while the processing position of the processing object is fixed, it is possible to perform predetermined processing such as cleaning processing and development processing on the processing object without requiring a dedicated processing tool such as a brush. it can.

In the processing apparatus according to the present invention, the object to be processed is supported by a support pin provided at the bottom of the chamber at an interval with respect to the bottom, and the processing is performed from the inlet formed at one side of the chamber. Supply liquid. The supplied processing liquid flows toward an outlet formed on the side of the chamber opposite to the side where the inlet is formed, and flows out from the outlet. During this time, the processing liquid comes into contact with the front and back surfaces of the object to be processed. In the present invention, the processing liquid is provided at the bottom of the chamber at such a height that a predetermined gap can be secured between the processing solution and the rear surface of the object. It has a bulge. Therefore,
The liquid flow of the processing liquid passing through the back side of the object to be processed receives resistance due to the bulging portion, and is relatively smaller than the flow rate of the processing liquid passing through the front side, and the flow of the processing liquid passing through the front side is reduced. Due to the high pressure, a force acts on the object to be pressed toward the bottom surface of the chamber. Therefore, in the present invention,
In order to fix the processing position of the object to be processed, there is no need to provide a pressing portion or the like on the back surface of the lid, and processing by the spinless method can be performed with a simpler configuration.

In the processing apparatus of the present invention, the bulging portion is formed such that the line along the vertex is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the flow of the processing liquid supplied from the inlet to the outlet. are doing. Therefore, a pressure difference between the liquid flow passing through the front surface side of the object to be processed and the liquid flow passing through the back side of the object is reliably generated, and the processing position of the object can be reliably fixed.

In the processing apparatus of the present invention, since the plurality of bulging portions are formed at predetermined intervals in the direction of the flow of the processing liquid, the bulging portion is formed between the liquid flowing through the surface of the object to be processed and the rear side. The function of fixing the processing position of the object to be processed by the pressure difference from the liquid flow passing through can be more reliably exerted.

Since the processing apparatus of the present invention has a speed control means for controlling the supply speed of the processing liquid, for example, in the cleaning processing, the processing liquid is supplied at a high flow rate until the middle of the entire supply time, and then at a low flow rate. It can be controlled to supply. During the supply at a high flow rate, particles and bubbles are mixed into the processing liquid and then supplied.If the supply is performed without mixing the particles, the processing liquid is turbulent during the supply at a high flow rate. As a result, particles and the like violently collide with the object to be processed, and can reliably remove dirt, etc., but since it becomes a laminar flow, it is possible to drop previously supplied particles and bubbles, and it is effective evenly It is possible to perform a proper cleaning process.

In the processing apparatus of the present invention, the chamber is inclined by the chamber control mechanism so that the side where the outflow port is formed is higher than the side where the inflow port is formed only during the supply of the processing liquid. It controls in the state where it was made. Thereby, the air mixed when the processing liquid is supplied flows out of the chamber through the air vent formed from the outlet. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the processing liquid from being adversely affected by air being mixed into the processing liquid.

In the processing apparatus of the present invention, the side where the outflow port is formed is higher than the side where the inflow port is formed from the substantially horizontal state during the supply of the processing liquid by the chamber control mechanism. The chamber is controlled to swing within a range. Thereby, the air mixed when the processing liquid is supplied flows out of the chamber through the air vent formed from the outlet. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the processing liquid from being adversely affected by air being mixed into the processing liquid.

According to the processing method of the present invention, after the object to be processed is supported on the support pins provided on the bottom of the chamber, the processing position of the object to be processed is fixed by the position fixing means, and one side of the chamber is fixed. The processing liquid is supplied from the inflow port formed in the section toward the outflow port formed in the opposite side section along the surface direction of the object to be processed. Therefore, while the processing position of the processing object is fixed, it is possible to perform predetermined processing such as cleaning processing and development processing on the processing object without requiring a dedicated processing tool such as a brush. it can.

In the processing method of the present invention, when a cleaning liquid is supplied as a processing liquid, particles or bubbles are supplied together with the cleaning liquid. Since the particles and the like collide with the object to be processed, dirt and the like can be reliably removed.

In the processing method of the present invention, after the cleaning liquid is supplied at a high flow rate by the speed control means, control is performed so that the cleaning liquid is supplied at a low flow rate after an arbitrary timing before the end of the processing. Therefore, during the supply at a high flow rate, the particles and bubbles are mixed into the processing liquid and supplied, and then the particles are supplied without mixing the particles and the like. The particles and the like violently collide with the object to be processed as a turbulent flow, so that dirt and the like can be reliably removed, but since the flow becomes laminar, the previously supplied particles and bubbles can be dropped, and there is no unevenness. An effective cleaning process can be performed.

In the processing method of the present invention, when the developer is supplied, the developer is supplied while gradually increasing the concentration until an arbitrary timing, and is supplied while gradually decreasing the concentration after the arbitrary timing. . Therefore, the uniformity of the developing process is improved, and the generation of particles due to the solidification of the insoluble resist is reduced.

In the processing method of the present invention, during the supply of the developing solution,
The chamber for accommodating the object to be processed is supplied while being controlled such that the side where the outflow port is formed is higher than the side where the inflow port is formed. Thereby, the air mixed with the developer can be collected at the outlet, and this air can be discharged by providing an air vent hole near the outlet. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the air that has been mixed from affecting the development processing.

In the processing method of the present invention, during the supply of the developer,
From the almost horizontal state,
The supply is controlled such that the side where the outlet is formed swings higher than the side where the inlet is formed. Thereby, the air mixed with the developer can be collected at the outlet, and this air can be discharged by providing an air vent hole near the outlet. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the air that has been mixed from affecting the development processing.

[0049]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, the overall structure of a coating / developing processing system using the processing apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, a loader / unloader section for carrying the glass substrate G in and out of the coating and developing system 1 is provided in front of the coating and developing system 1. In the loader / unloader section, a cassette mounting table 3 on which a cassette C containing, for example, 25 glass substrates G is aligned and mounted at a predetermined position, and a glass substrate G to be processed is taken out from each cassette C. A loader / unloader 4 for returning the glass substrate G, which has been processed in the coating / developing processing system 1, to each cassette C is provided. The illustrated loader / unloader 4 includes a main body 5
Is moved in the arrangement direction of the cassette C by the
The glass substrate G is taken out of each cassette C by the plate-shaped tweezers 6 mounted on the cassette C, and the glass substrate G is returned to each cassette C. Further, on both sides of the tweezers 6, there are provided substrate positioning members 7 for holding and positioning the four corners of the glass substrate G.

At the center of the coating and developing system 1,
Corridor-like transport paths 10, 11 arranged in the longitudinal direction are the first.
Are provided in a straight line via the transfer unit 12 of
Various processing apparatuses for performing each processing on the glass substrate G are arranged on both sides of the transport paths 10 and 11.

In the illustrated coating / developing processing system 1, for example, two cleaning devices 16 for cleaning the glass substrate G by brush and high-pressure jet water are provided on one side of the transport path 10. Has been established. In addition, transport path 1
Two developing devices 17 are arranged side by side on the opposite side with respect to 0,
Two heating devices 18 are stacked next to each other.

Further, on one side of the transport path 11, an adhesion device 20 for hydrophobically treating the glass substrate G before applying the resist liquid to the glass substrate G is provided. Below the adhesion device 20, a cooling device for cooling is provided. Cooling device 21
Is arranged. In addition, these adhesion devices 2
Next to the cooling device 21 and 0, two heating devices 22 are stacked in two rows. Also, the transport path 11
A resist coating device 23 that forms a resist film on the surface of the glass substrate G by applying a resist liquid to the surface of the glass substrate G is disposed on the opposite side of the substrate. Although not shown, an exposure device or the like for exposing a predetermined fine pattern to a resist film formed on the glass substrate G via a second transfer portion 28 is provided on a side portion of the coating device 23. . The second transfer unit 28 includes a loading / unloading tweezers 29 for loading and unloading the glass substrate G.
And a delivery table 30.

The above processing units 16 to 18 and 20 to
23 is disposed on both sides of the transport paths 10 and 11 with the entrance of the glass substrate G facing inward. First
Transfer device 25 moves on the transfer path 10 to transfer the glass substrate G between the loader / unloader unit 2, each of the processing devices 16 to 18, and the first transfer unit 12, and the second transfer device 26 Move on the transfer path 11 to transfer the glass substrate G between the first transfer unit 12, the second transfer unit 28, and each of the processing devices 20 to 23.

Each of the transfer devices 25 and 26 has a pair of upper and lower arms 27 and 27, respectively.
When accessing 18 and 20 to 23, the processed glass substrate G is unloaded from the chamber of each processing apparatus by one arm 27, and the unprocessed glass substrate G is loaded into the chamber by the other arm 27. Is configured.

FIGS. 2 to 5 show a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a cleaning apparatus 16 among the processing apparatuses constituting the coating / developing processing system 1 described above. FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the chamber with the lid removed, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the lid and the chamber.

The cleaning device 16 has a chamber 40 and a lid 50 as shown in these figures. The chamber 40 is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape, and a slit-shaped inlet 42 penetrating in the thickness direction is opened in one side portion 41 in the longitudinal direction of the side portion 41. The inlet 42 may be constituted by a plurality of holes. Similarly, a slit-shaped outlet 44 is provided at a position facing the inlet 42 on the side 43 facing the one side 41 so as to penetrate the side 43 in the thickness direction.

The inflow port 42 is connected to a processing liquid inflow pipe 60, and the outflow port 44 is connected to an outflow pipe 61 for discharging the processing liquid in contact with the glass substrate G. The cleaning liquid, which is the processing liquid, is supplied from the supply source to the inflow pipe 60.
After entering through the chamber 40 and washing the glass substrate G by contact with the glass substrate G, it is discharged from the outflow pipe 61.
In the present embodiment, a reflux pipe 62 is provided between the outflow pipe 61 and the inflow pipe 60. The reflux pipe 62 is further provided with a liquid storage tank 63, a pump 64, and a filter 65 interposed therebetween. The valve 66 provided in the outflow pipe 61 is closed, and the return pipe 62 is provided in the reflux pipe 62. By opening the closed valve 67,
If the cleaning liquid that has come into contact with the glass substrate G is collected and the pump 64 is started, the cleaning liquid can be reused as needed.
In the case of the cleaning liquid used in the cleaning device 16, it is often discarded as it is from the outflow pipe 61. However, when the processing device of the present invention is used for the developing device 17, for example, and the developing solution is used as the processing liquid, In this way, it is preferable to adopt a configuration for reusing through the reflux pipe 62.

A plurality of support pins 46 project from the inner surface of the bottom 45 of the chamber 40 at predetermined intervals. The glass substrate G is placed on the support pins 46 and is held at an interval with respect to the bottom 45. A lift pin 48 is disposed in the through hole 47 formed at an appropriate position on the bottom 45. This lift pin 48 is moved up and down by an arbitrary lifting device (not shown),
It rises when receiving the glass substrate G as the object to be processed from the above-described first transfer device 25, and falls when the glass substrate G is received. When the lift pins 48 descend, the glass substrate G is placed on the support pins 46. After the processing is completed, the lift pins 48 hold the glass substrate G and rise, and are then transferred by the first transfer device 25 to the next step.

As long as the lid 50 can close the upper opening 49 of the chamber 40 in a liquid-tight manner, in this embodiment, the processing position of the glass substrate G is fixed to the back of the lid 50. Part 51 as position fixing means for
Is provided. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, when the cover 50 is attached to the upper opening 49 of the chamber 40, the holding portion 51 is located near the edge of the glass substrate G placed on the support pin 46. Are provided with a thickness and a shape capable of contacting with a plurality of holes, and are provided at predetermined intervals. However, if the range of contact between the holding portion 51 and the glass substrate G is large, the range in which the contact is not possible with the processing liquid becomes large, so that the glass substrate G should be as close to the edge as possible and the contact area should be as small as possible. Preferably, it is formed.

The means for fixing the position of the glass substrate G is not provided on the lid 50 as in this embodiment, but
A projecting piece that projects inward from the inner peripheral wall of the chamber 40 may be formed, or may protrude from the inner lower surface of the chamber 40.

Next, the operation of the cleaning device 16 of this embodiment will be described. First, as described above, the lid 50 is removed, the lift pins 48 are lifted to receive the glass substrate G from the first transfer device 25, and the lift pins 48 are lowered to place the glass substrate G on the support pins 46. . Next, the lid 50
Is mounted on the chamber 40 and the upper opening 49 thereof is closed. Thereby, the pressing portion 51 comes into contact with the surface of the glass substrate G, and the processing position of the glass substrate G is fixed.

Next, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply source of the cleaning liquid through the inflow pipe 60. The cleaning liquid that has passed through the inflow pipe 60 is supplied into the chamber 40 through the inflow port 42, flows along the surface direction of the glass substrate G, makes contact with the front surface and the back surface, and cleans the outflow pipe 61 through the outflow port 44. After being discarded. When the cleaning process is completed, the lid 50 is opened, the lift pins 48 are lifted, the glass substrate G is lifted, and then the glass substrate G is transferred by the first transfer device 25 to the processing device in the next step.

According to the present embodiment, in fixing the processing position of the glass substrate G, a complicated mechanism such as the conventional spin method is not required, and the cleaning liquid as the processing liquid is supplied from one side of the chamber 40 to the other. It is possible to perform processing at low cost without requiring a dedicated processing tool such as a brush just by supplying the glass substrate to the glass substrate G, which is suitable for processing a large glass substrate G.

Next, a preferred cleaning method using the cleaning apparatus 16 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, the glass substrate G is placed on the support pins 46. next,
A cleaning liquid containing particles or bubbles is supplied as the cleaning liquid.
When a cleaning liquid containing particles or bubbles is supplied, the particles and the like come into contact with the glass substrate G, so that the glass substrate G can be more reliably cleaned. Then, after supplying the cleaning liquid containing the particles or bubbles for a predetermined time, a normal cleaning liquid not containing these particles or bubbles is supplied. When a cleaning liquid containing particles or bubbles is supplied, the particles and the like are also washed away with a cleaning liquid containing no particles so that the particles and the like do not adhere to the glass substrate G and remain. The “particles or bubbles” here are not particularly limited, but need to have a hardness such that the surface or the back surface thereof is not damaged even when it comes into contact with the glass substrate G. The term “particles or bubbles” includes not only the case where either one is supplied, but also the case where both are mixed at an appropriate ratio and supplied.

When the cleaning liquid containing particles or bubbles is supplied in this manner, a predetermined speed control means, for example, a means for changing the pressure of a pump (not shown) for pumping the cleaning liquid from a supply source, is used. Until the timing, it is preferable to employ a means for supplying the cleaning liquid containing the particles or bubbles at a high flow rate, and thereafter supplying the cleaning liquid containing no particles or the like at a low flow rate. As a result, while the cleaning liquid is being supplied at a high flow rate, the cleaning liquid is in a turbulent state in the chamber 40, and particles and the like vigorously collide with the front and back surfaces of the glass substrate G. Can be reliably dropped. On the other hand, after that, since the cleaning liquid containing no particles or the like is supplied at a low flow rate, the cleaning liquid is in a laminar flow state in the chamber 40, and the particles or the like remaining on the front and back surfaces of the glass substrate G can be washed away. Also, no particles or the like remain in the chamber 40 after the completion of the cleaning process. Therefore, a more efficient cleaning process can be performed.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
An embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment,
As the chamber 40, a bulge 45a is formed on the inner surface of the bottom 45.
Is also used. This bulge 45a
Is formed in a substantially arc-shaped cross section, and a line L along the vertex thereof is substantially perpendicular to the cleaning liquid flowing along the surface direction of the glass substrate G from the inlet 42 to the outlet 44. That is, it is provided along the width direction of the chamber 40 (see FIG. 7). Bulge 4
One 5a may be formed in the chamber 40, but a plurality of 5a may be formed as in the present embodiment. Further, the lid 50 used in the present embodiment is not provided with a pressing portion as in the first embodiment. Other configurations are almost the same as those of the first embodiment. However, as shown in FIG.
a so that the support pins 4
6 is provided such that when provided on the inner surface of the bottom 45 between the bulges 45a, the height thereof is higher than the apex height of the bulge 45a. Of course, the support pin 46 is
5a may be provided.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. Also in the present embodiment, after the glass substrate G is placed on the support pins 46, the upper opening 49 of the chamber 4 is closed by the lid 50, and the cleaning liquid is supplied from the supply source. Inlet 4
The cleaning liquid supplied into the chamber 40 through 2 passes to the outlet 44 through the front side and the back side of the glass substrate G.

However, as shown in FIG. 8, the gap between the bulging portion 45a and the back surface of the glass substrate G is
a is smaller than the gap between the inner surface of the bottom 45 of the chamber 40 where the a is not provided and the back surface of the glass substrate G, the flow of the cleaning liquid passing through the back surface of the glass substrate G is increased.
When passing through the gap between 5a and the back surface of the glass substrate G, a resistance is applied so that the flow rate is restricted, and the flow velocity in that part becomes faster than in other parts. On the other hand, the glass substrate G
The flow rate of the cleaning liquid passing through the front surface side of the glass substrate G is constant from the inflow port 42 to the outflow port 44, and therefore passes through the front surface side of the glass substrate G at the position where the bulge 45a is formed. There is a difference in flow pressure between the cleaning liquid passing through the back side and the cleaning liquid passing through the back side, and the cleaning liquid passing through the front side becomes higher. Therefore, at the position where the bulging portion 45a is formed,
As shown by an arrow A in FIG. 8, a downward force is generated and presses the glass substrate G in a direction of pressing downward. As a result, in the present embodiment, the bulge 45a serves as a position fixing means for fixing the processing position of the glass substrate G. Therefore, in the present embodiment, no special means for directly contacting the glass substrate G to fix the position of the glass substrate G is required, and the glass substrate G is not directly contacted. The processing range is not limited on the front surface or the back surface.

In this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, when supplying the cleaning liquid, the cleaning liquid containing particles or bubbles is supplied at a high flow rate until a predetermined timing, and then the particles and the like are supplied. It is a matter of course that a means for supplying an unwashed cleaning liquid at a low flow rate can be adopted.

Next, the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
An embodiment will be described. In the present embodiment, on the lower surface of the bottom portion 45 of the chamber 40 constituting the cleaning device 16 (or the developing device 17), which is a processing device, a support table 70 for supporting them, and the support table 70 can be supported. A leg 71 controlled to be vertically movable by a drive mechanism is provided. The support base 70 and the leg 71 constitute a chamber control mechanism. The structure of the cleaning device 16 (or the developing device 17), which is a processing device, is substantially the same as that of the first and second embodiments described above. An air vent hole 52 penetrating in the direction is provided.

In this embodiment, first, when the glass substrate G is received from the first transfer device 25, the cleaning device 16 (or the developing device 17) is set in a horizontal state as shown in FIG. In advance, the lid 50 is removed, and the lift pins 48 are raised and received. When the glass substrate G is placed on the support pins 46 by lowering the lift pins 48 and the lid 50 is attached, as shown in FIG. 9B, the side 43 on which the outlet 44 is formed becomes The leg 71 of the support base 70 is moved up and down so as to be higher than the side portion 42 where the inflow port 42 is formed. In this embodiment, a cleaning liquid or a developing liquid as a processing liquid is supplied from the inflow port 42 in this state. The supplied processing liquid flows along the surface direction of the glass substrate G and flows out from the outlet 44 in the same manner as in each of the above embodiments, but the processing liquid flows from the inlet 42 because the chamber 40 is inclined. The air mixed with the air is discharged to the outside through the air vent hole 52. Therefore, for example, in the developing process, if air is mixed into the developing solution, the uniformity of the processing with the developing solution may be impaired. However, according to the present embodiment, there is no such problem, and the uniform processing can be performed. Can be.

After the processing is completed, the glass substrate G is discharged by raising the lift pins 48 while controlling the chamber 40 to be in a horizontal state again, as shown in FIG. 9A.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, during the processing,
Although the chamber 40 is kept inclined by the zero leg 71, as shown in FIG.
Is moved up and down even during the process, and the chamber 40 is swung from the horizontal state in a range where the side 43 where the outlet 44 is formed is higher than the side 42 where the inlet 42 is formed. It can also be. Even with such a configuration, air mixed in the processing liquid can be discharged to the outside through the air vent hole 52. Note that, even in the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, when the glass substrate G is transferred to and from the first transfer device 25, the chamber 40 is controlled to be in a horizontal state,
This is performed by moving the lift pin up and down.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, the cleaning device 16 is used.
Although the structure of the developing device 17 (or the developing device 17) is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, the bulging portion 45a is formed on the inner surface of the bottom portion 45 of the chamber 40 as in the second embodiment. May be provided.

Further, in the present embodiment, the chamber 4 is set such that the side 43 where the outlet 44 is formed is higher than the side 42 where the inlet 42 is formed from the horizontal state.
As a chamber control mechanism for inclining 0 and swinging it in the range, a support base 70 capable of holding the chamber 40 and a leg 71 for vertically moving the support base 70 are used. Of course it is not something that is done.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In the embodiment described above, the case where the present invention is applied to the cleaning device 16 is mainly described.
It goes without saying that both the first and second embodiments can be applied to other processing devices such as a developing device.

When the present invention is applied to a developing apparatus, the concentration of the developing solution is gradually reduced after an arbitrary timing during processing, that is, the mixing ratio of the developing solution to pure water as a cleaning solution is reduced. By controlling the temperature to be lowered gradually, it is possible to alleviate a sudden change from the developing solution to pure water, and it is possible to prevent solidification of the insoluble resist and generation of particles in the developing process. In this case, the control is performed so that the developer concentration gradually increases until an arbitrary timing, that is, the mixing ratio of the developer to pure water is gradually increased, and only the developer is supplied in the middle. Then, the reaction between the developing solution component and the resist component is moderated, and even if the resist component starts to dissolve in the mixed solution of the developing solution and pure water, the uniformity of the concentration of the developing solution can be maintained well.

As shown in FIG. 11, immediately after the inflow port 42, the flow of the processing liquid or gas introduced from the inflow port 42 is vertically separated, for example, a triangular section having a top toward the inflow port. A separation member 81 having a shape may be provided. Also,
As shown in FIG. 12, the separating member 82 may have a circular cross section. By forming a circular cross section, a turbulent flow is formed, and the cleaning effect can be enhanced.

Further, as shown in FIG. 13, a guide member 83 may be provided immediately after the inflow port 42 to guide the flow of the processing liquid or gas introduced from the inflow port 42 to the upper portion.

Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the outlet 44 may be provided at a position higher than the inlet 42, for example, immediately below the lid.

The opening area of the inflow port may be smaller than the opening area of the outflow port, or vice versa.

Further, a rinsing liquid may be supplied from the inlet after the supply of the developing solution or the cleaning liquid, and then an inert gas such as N 2 may be supplied from the inlet to perform the drying process. In that case, drying can be performed quickly by setting the temperature of the inert gas to a high temperature.

Prior to the supply of the inert gas, high-temperature water may be supplied from the inlet. Also, for example, the present invention can be naturally applied to not only a glass substrate G for LCD as a substrate to be processed, but also a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer.

[0085]

According to the present invention, the supplied processing liquid flows toward the outlet formed on the side of the chamber opposite to the side where the inlet is formed, and flows out from the outlet. During this time, the processing liquid comes into contact with the front and back surfaces of the object whose processing position is fixed by the position fixing means. Therefore, while the processing position of the processing object is fixed, it is possible to perform predetermined processing such as cleaning processing and development processing on the processing object without requiring a dedicated processing tool such as a brush. it can.

In the present invention, the supplied processing liquid flows toward the outlet formed on the side of the chamber opposite to the side where the inlet is formed, and flows out from the outlet. During this time, the processing liquid comes into contact with the front and back surfaces of the processing target whose processing position is fixed by the lid having the pressing portion on the rear surface. Therefore, while the processing position of the processing object is fixed, it is possible to perform predetermined processing such as cleaning processing and development processing on the processing object without requiring a dedicated processing tool such as a brush. it can.

In the present invention, a bulging portion is provided at the bottom of the chamber so that a predetermined gap can be secured between the chamber and the back surface of the object. Therefore, the flow of the processing liquid passing through the back side of the object to be processed is subjected to resistance by the bulging portion, and becomes relatively smaller than the flow rate of the processing liquid passing through the front side, and the processing flow passing through the front side. Due to the high pressure of the liquid, a force acts on the object to be processed toward the bottom surface of the chamber. For this reason, in the present invention, it is not necessary to provide a pressing portion or the like on the back surface of the lid in order to fix the processing position of the object to be processed, and the processing by the spinless method can be performed with a simpler configuration.

In the present invention, the bulge is formed such that the line along the vertex is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the flow of the processing liquid supplied from the inlet to the outlet. . Therefore, a pressure difference between the liquid flow passing through the front surface side of the object to be processed and the liquid flow passing through the back side of the object is reliably generated, and the processing position of the object can be reliably fixed.

In the processing apparatus according to the fifth aspect, since the plurality of bulging portions are formed at predetermined intervals in the direction of the flow of the processing liquid, the bulging portion is formed with a liquid flowing through the surface of the object to be processed. The effect of fixing the processing position of the object to be processed by the pressure difference from the liquid flow passing through the back surface side can be more reliably exerted.

In the present invention, since there is a speed control means for controlling the supply speed of the processing liquid, for example, in the cleaning processing, the processing liquid is supplied at a high flow rate until the middle of the entire supply time, and then supplied at a low flow rate. Can be controlled. During the supply at a high flow rate, particles and bubbles are mixed into the processing liquid and then supplied.If the supply is performed without mixing the particles, the processing liquid is turbulent during the supply at a high flow rate. As a result, particles and the like violently collide with the object to be processed, and can reliably remove dirt, etc., but since it becomes a laminar flow, it is possible to drop previously supplied particles and bubbles, and it is effective evenly It is possible to perform a proper cleaning process.

In the present invention, the chamber control mechanism
Only during the supply of the processing liquid, control is performed in a state where the chamber is inclined such that the side where the outlet is formed is higher than the side where the inlet is formed. Thereby, the air mixed when the processing liquid is supplied flows out of the chamber through the air vent formed from the outlet. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the processing liquid from being adversely affected by air being mixed into the processing liquid.

In the present invention, the chamber control mechanism
During the supply of the processing liquid, the chamber is controlled to swing from a substantially horizontal state in a range where the side where the outlet is formed is higher than the side where the inlet is formed. Thereby, the air mixed when the processing liquid is supplied flows out of the chamber through the air vent formed from the outlet. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the processing liquid from being adversely affected by air being mixed into the processing liquid.

According to the present invention, after the object to be processed is supported on the support pins provided on the bottom of the chamber, the processing position of the object to be processed is fixed by the position fixing means, and the object is formed on one side of the chamber. The processing liquid is supplied from the inflow port to the outflow port formed on the opposite side along the surface direction of the object. Therefore, while the processing position of the processing object is fixed, it is possible to perform predetermined processing such as cleaning processing and development processing on the processing object without requiring a dedicated processing tool such as a brush. it can.

In the present invention, when a cleaning liquid is supplied as a processing liquid, particles or bubbles are supplied together with the cleaning liquid. Since the particles and the like collide with the object to be processed, dirt and the like can be reliably removed.

In the present invention, after the cleaning liquid is supplied at a high flow rate by the speed control means, control is performed such that the cleaning liquid is supplied at a low flow rate after an arbitrary timing before the end of the processing. Therefore, during the supply at a high flow rate, the particles and bubbles are mixed into the processing liquid and supplied, and then the particles are supplied without mixing the particles and the like. The particles and the like violently collide with the object to be processed as a turbulent flow, so that dirt and the like can be reliably removed, but since the flow becomes laminar, the previously supplied particles and bubbles can be dropped, and there is no unevenness. An effective cleaning process can be performed.

In the present invention, when the developer is supplied, the developer is supplied while gradually increasing the concentration until an arbitrary timing, and is supplied while gradually decreasing the concentration after the arbitrary timing. Therefore, the uniformity of the developing process is improved, and the generation of particles due to the solidification of the insoluble resist is reduced.

In the present invention, during the supply of the developing solution, the chamber accommodating the object to be processed is inclined such that the side where the outflow port is formed is higher than the side where the inflow port is formed. Controlled supply in state. Thereby, the air mixed with the developer can be collected at the outlet, and this air can be discharged by providing an air vent hole near the outlet. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the air that has been mixed from affecting the development processing.

In the present invention, during the supply of the developing solution, the side where the outlet is formed is higher than the side where the inlet is formed, from the substantially horizontal state of the chamber accommodating the object to be processed. It is controlled to oscillate in the range and supplied. This allows
The air mixed with the developer can be collected at the outlet, and the air can be discharged by providing an air vent hole near the outlet. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the air that has been mixed from affecting the development processing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coating / developing processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to the cleaning device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the chamber with the lid removed in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a lid and a chamber in the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a cleaning apparatus according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a chamber according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining one aspect of the third embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another aspect of the third embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a modification of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a modification of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a modification of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 16 cleaning device 17 developing device 40 chamber 41 side portion 42 inflow port 43 side portion 44 outflow port 45 bottom portion 45a bulging portion 46 support pin 50 lid 51 pressing portion G glass substrate G

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Kazuhito Miyazaki 272, Oomachi, Katsuchi-gun, Kikuchi-gun LA30 5F046 LA14

Claims (29)

[Claims] A support pin provided at a bottom in the chamber and capable of supporting an object to be processed at an interval with respect to the bottom; an inlet for a processing liquid or a gas formed on one side of the chamber; An outlet for a processing liquid or a gas formed on a side of the chamber opposite to the side on which the inlet is formed, and supplied from the inlet to the outlet along the surface direction of the object to be processed. And a position fixing means for fixing a processing position of the object to be processed against a liquid flow of the processing liquid or a gas flow of the gas. 2. A support pin provided at a bottom in the chamber and capable of supporting an object to be processed at an interval with respect to the bottom, an inlet for a processing liquid or gas formed on one side of the chamber, An outlet for a processing liquid or gas formed on a side of the chamber opposite to the side on which the inlet is formed; and an inlet provided so as to be in contact with the object to be processed supported on the support pin. From the outlet toward the outlet, a holding portion functioning as a position fixing means capable of fixing the processing position of the object to be processed against a liquid flow or a gas flow of the processing liquid supplied along the surface direction of the object to be processed. And a lid mounted on the back surface so as to close the upper opening of the chamber. 3. A support pin provided at a bottom in the chamber and capable of supporting an object to be processed at an interval with respect to the bottom, an inlet for a processing liquid or a gas formed on one side of the chamber, An outlet for the processing liquid or gas formed on a side of the chamber opposite to the side on which the inlet is formed, and at an arbitrary position on the bottom of the chamber, between a back surface of the object to be processed. A bulging portion provided at a height enough to secure a predetermined gap. 4. The processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a line along the vertex of the bulging portion is supplied from the inflow port to the outflow port along a surface direction of the workpiece. A processing apparatus provided so as to be formed in a direction substantially orthogonal to a liquid flow direction of a processing liquid or a gas flow direction of a gas. 5. The processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of said bulging portions are formed at predetermined intervals in a liquid flow direction of the processing liquid or a gas flow direction of the gas. . 6. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a speed control unit for controlling a supply speed of the processing liquid or the gas. 7. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at the time of storing and taking out the object to be processed,
The chamber is controlled to be substantially horizontal, and while the processing liquid is being supplied, the chamber is inclined such that the side where the outlet is formed is higher than the side where the inlet is formed. A processing apparatus comprising: a chamber control mechanism for controlling; and an air vent hole at an arbitrary position near an outlet in the chamber. 8. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at the time of accommodating and removing the object to be processed,
The chamber is controlled to be substantially horizontal, and while the processing liquid is being supplied, the chamber is formed in a range where the side where the outlet is formed is higher than the side where the inlet is formed, from a substantially horizontal state. A processing apparatus, comprising: a chamber control mechanism that controls so as to swing; and an air vent hole at an arbitrary position near an outlet in the chamber. 9. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a separating member that separates a flow of a processing liquid or a gas introduced from the inlet immediately after the inlet into and out of the inlet is provided. A processing device, which is provided. 10. The processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:
Section 3 wherein said separating member has a top towards said inlet
A processing device having a square shape. 11. The processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:
A processing apparatus, wherein the separation member has a circular cross section. 12. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inflow port has a plurality of holes. 13. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a guide member for guiding a flow of a processing liquid or a gas introduced from the inflow port to an upper portion immediately after the inflow port is provided. A processing device, which is provided. 14. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inflow port has a slit shape. 15. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the outlet has a slit shape. 16. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an opening area of the inflow port is smaller than an opening area of the outflow port. 17. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an opening area of the inflow port is larger than an opening area of the outflow port. 18. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the outflow port is provided at a higher position than the inflow port. 19. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a guide member for guiding a processing liquid or gas toward the outlet is provided immediately before the outlet. A processing device characterized by the above-mentioned. 20. A processing method in which an arbitrary processing liquid or gas is supplied to an object to perform a predetermined process, wherein the object is supported on a support pin provided on the bottom of the chamber, and then the position is fixed. The processing position of the object to be processed is fixed by the means, and then the processing solution is processed along the surface direction of the object from the inlet formed on one side of the chamber to the outlet formed on the opposite side. Alternatively, a processing method characterized by supplying a gas. 21. The processing method according to claim 20, wherein
When a cleaning liquid is supplied as the processing liquid, particles or bubbles are supplied together with the cleaning liquid. 22. The processing method according to claim 20, wherein after the cleaning liquid or the gas is supplied at a high flow rate by the speed control means, the cleaning liquid or gas is supplied at a low flow rate after an arbitrary timing before the end of the processing. A processing method characterized in that the processing method is performed in the following manner. 23. The processing method according to claim 20, wherein
When the developer is supplied as the processing liquid, the developer is supplied while gradually increasing the concentration until an arbitrary timing, and is supplied while gradually decreasing the concentration after the arbitrary timing. Method. 24. The processing method according to claim 23, wherein:
During the supply of the developer, the chamber accommodating the object to be processed is controlled and supplied in a state where the side where the outlet is formed is inclined higher than the side where the inlet is formed. A processing method characterized in that: 25. The processing method according to claim 23, wherein:
During the supply of the developing solution, the chamber accommodating the object to be processed is controlled to swing from a substantially horizontal state in a range where the side where the outlet is formed is higher than the side where the inlet is formed. A processing method characterized in that it is supplied as a supply. 26. The processing method according to claim 20, wherein a rinsing liquid is supplied from an inflow port after supplying the developing liquid or the cleaning liquid. 27. The processing method according to claim 26, wherein an inert gas is supplied from an inlet after supplying the rinsing liquid. 28. The processing method according to claim 27, wherein the inert gas is at a high temperature. 29. The processing method according to claim 27, wherein high-temperature water is supplied from an inlet before supplying the inert gas.