JP2004030941A - Application device and application method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an application method and an application device for manufacturing good products with workability higher than that of a conventional one without causing reduction in precision. <P>SOLUTION: In this application method, there is a rib pattern area having ribs formed in parallel on a base board.When paste is discharged from a discharge hole into a groove between the ribs, the discharge hole and the base board are moved relatively for application. There are a plurality of rib pattern areas, and intervals between the rib pattern areas are separated from each other by clearance areas, and paste is also applied to the clearance areas. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for applying paste to a flat plate such as glass where the paste is applied in advance by a groove or the like, and particularly for the purpose of increasing the size and precision of the plasma display panel back plate and reducing the cost. An apparatus relating to multi-panning and an application method thereof.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In order to apply the paste to the groove between the ribs formed on the substrate, the discharge hole of the nozzle is aligned with the center of the groove, and then the paste is discharged while being relatively moved in parallel with the rib. In such an apparatus, an apparatus for applying by a nozzle having a plurality of discharge holes has been devised in JP-A-10-27543.
[0003]
In such an apparatus, in aligning the groove and the discharge hole, the position of the groove is determined by the positioning mark or the tip of the rib provided on the substrate, but the position of the discharge hole is not directly determined, and the positional information of the attached nozzle is determined. Aligned based on Therefore, when a nozzle having a large number of discharge holes is used, the positions of the holes and grooves of the nozzle are not accurate due to variations in the pitch of the discharge holes due to the limit of the processing accuracy of the nozzles and the distortion of the rib pattern of the substrate. There was a problem that could not be adjusted.
[0004]
As a result, the size of the nozzle cannot be increased, and a plurality of coating operations are required to apply a single substrate, which is time consuming and is not sufficient for a mass production apparatus.
[0005]
Further, in order to make this method compatible with so-called multi-paneling, in addition to the above-mentioned reasons, there are problems that distortion due to thermal shrinkage of the substrate due to enlargement of the substrate and difficulty in maintaining accuracy due to enlargement of the apparatus are caused.
[0006]
Here, “multi-chamfering” refers to, for example, a state in which a member having a groove is formed intermittently over a portion of the substrate shown in FIG.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In order to reduce the manufacturing cost of coated substrates, it is necessary to reduce the process tact time and the equipment cost. Among them, multi-paneling that can produce multiple members in one process on a single substrate is effective. It is a target. However, especially in the case of a PDP substrate, a large substrate size causes a serious problem, for example, as a problem inherent to the substrate, such as deterioration in accuracy due to variations in thermal contraction and deterioration in accuracy due to enlargement of equipment. This may be fatal in a method in which the nozzles are applied to the entire width of the substrate in a single coating operation using a multi-hole nozzle corresponding to the coating position of the entire width of the substrate. The present invention has been made in view of the above problem, and provides a method and apparatus for manufacturing a good product with higher productivity without lowering the accuracy.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention that achieves the above-described object basically has the following configuration. That is,
`` On the substrate, there is a rib pattern region having ribs formed in parallel, and when discharging the paste from the discharge holes to the grooves between the ribs, the discharge holes and the substrate are relatively moved to apply the paste. A coating method, wherein a plurality of the rib pattern regions are present, the rib pattern regions are separated by a gap region, and a paste is also applied to the gap region.
[0009]
Or
`` On a substrate having a plurality of rib pattern regions in which grooves formed in parallel and ribs sandwiched between the grooves are formed on the substrate, while discharging the paste stored in the nozzle into the grooves from the discharge holes, In a coating apparatus that applies a paste by moving a nozzle and a substrate relative to each other, two or more nozzles are arranged, and the position of each nozzle hole is adjusted to coincide with the center of a groove to be applied, and the position of each rib is adjusted. A coating apparatus which starts coating relatively from substantially the same location with reference to a mark on the substrate associated with the coating apparatus.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an example of the paste application device according to the present invention. First, moving means for moving the table and the nozzle relatively to apply the coating liquid on the member to be coated will be described. That is, in FIG. 1, the substrate 1 is placed on a table 2 and fixed by fixing means provided on the table 2, for example, a suction device or the like (not shown). The table 2 is supported by a .theta. Axis (not shown), which is rotatable around its center. The θ-axis is mounted on the Y-axis transport unit 3, and the Y-axis transport unit 3 moves in the Y-axis direction of the machine base 5 along the linear guides 3 a and 3 b provided on the X-axis transport unit 4. The X-axis transport unit 4 moves in the X-axis direction of the machine base 5 along linear guides 4a and 4b provided on the machine base 5. The X and Y axis transport units are adjusted to be orthogonal. The X-axis transport unit 4 is a relative moving unit for applying the paste to the substrate, and moves the table 2 in the X-axis in the applying operation. The X, Y axis transport unit and the θ axis are moving means for moving the table side, but the moving means is not limited to this. The moving means may be provided on the nozzle side, or the moving means may be provided on both sides. You may have.
[0011]
A gate-shaped support base 6 is provided above the center of the machine base 5 so as to allow the table 2 moved by the X-axis transport unit 4 to pass therethrough so as to be orthogonal to the X-axis. The back side of the support base 6 (hereinafter referred to as the downstream side. Note that downstream or upstream is a name according to the process flow, and the member to be processed is transported from the upstream side to the downstream side. When viewed from the member to be processed, the processing proceeds from the downstream side to the upstream side of the member to be processed.) On both sides of the side surface, a Z-axis transport unit 7a that moves in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the table 2 , 7b are provided, and a nozzle 8 for discharging paste is attached to the Z-axis transport section with reference to the center of the table 2 in the Y-axis direction. The nozzle 8 is detachable, and is fixed by a chuck (not shown) provided in the Z-axis transport unit when it is attached to the Z-axis transport unit, at right angles to the X-axis movement direction of the table 2. This nozzle is selected according to the size and specifications (hole diameter, number of holes, hole pitch, etc.) of the substrate to be coated, and the coating is completed in one coating operation for all desired grooves formed on the substrate. Discharge holes are arranged in a substantially straight line. For example, when the substrate to be applied is a back plate of a plasma display, a paste containing a phosphor of any one of R, G, and B colors is applied. Therefore, ejection holes are provided in the nozzle at a pitch corresponding to the groove to be applied.
[0012]
The nozzle 8 has a paste reservoir therein, and is connected to a pipe for supplying paste as supply means for supplying a coating liquid to the nozzle, and an opening / closing valve for controlling the supply of paste is provided at the other end of the pipe. 9, a paste tank 11 is connected. A gas pressure source 12 having a desired pressure is connected to the paste tank via a pipe. The nozzle 8 is connected to a pipe for supplying gas pressure for discharging the paste from the discharge hole. The other end of the pipe is connected to a gas pressure switching valve 10, and one of the pipes is connected to a gas pressure of a desired pressure. The other is connected to a source 12 and open to the atmosphere.
[0013]
The paste is supplied to the nozzle 8 by opening the on-off valve 9 with the switching valve 10 opened to the atmosphere. At this time, for example, a sensor for detecting the liquid level is provided in the paste, and a predetermined amount of the paste is stored in such a manner that a space is left above the reservoir of the paste. Discharge of the paste is performed by switching the switching valve to the gas pressure source 12 and supplying gas pressure to this space.
[0014]
A Y1 transport unit 13, a Y2 transport unit 14, and a Y3 transport unit 15 that are independently movable in the Y-axis direction are provided on a front side (referred to as an upstream side) of the support base 6, and each of the transport units is provided. Is provided with a position sensor for measuring the position of the substrate via a fine adjustment mechanism in the X and Z axis directions. It is preferable to use a CCD camera as the position sensor, and cameras 16, 17, and 18 are attached to the apparatus. The Y1 to Y3 transport sections are adjusted by linear guides 6a and 6b provided on the upstream side surface of the support base 6 so that the height from the table surface is constant even when the transport sections are moved in the Y-axis direction. The X and Z-axis fine adjustment mechanisms of these transport units are used in the reference position adjustment of the camera described later.
[0015]
All axes described above are driven by a servo motor (not shown), and the servo motor is controlled by a control signal from a control unit. The control unit includes a microcomputer, a RAM, a hard disk, etc., and has a touch panel unit for measuring the position of the substrate and the nozzle, supplying the paste to the nozzle and controlling the discharge from the discharge port, and inputting and displaying the application conditions. are doing. Each camera is connected to a monitor television and configured to display an image of the field of view.
[0016]
The substrate according to the present invention has a rib pattern region having ribs formed in parallel on the substrate, a plurality of the rib pattern regions exist on the substrate, and a gap region between the rib pattern regions. Are separated by This is a preferable example of a member for a plasma display, and a plurality of the members can be obtained with one substrate. There is a groove between the ribs, and the groove is not particularly limited, but the groove has a depth of about 50 to 150 μm, a width of about 70 to 550 μm, and a length of about 450 to 900 mm. About 150 μm. The bottom of the groove is roughly a plane substantially horizontal to the substrate plane, but the bottom of the groove before the start of coating has minute irregularities because the electrodes and the dielectric layer have already been formed. Furthermore, in the case of providing a second rib in the horizontal direction that is within the height of the rib in the direction perpendicular to the groove and that is narrower than the rib that separates the groove, and that the rib that separates the groove is not necessarily a straight line Not exclusively. The side wall portion is a plane substantially perpendicular to the substrate plane (the angle between the bottom surface and the side wall is about 90 to 115 °). The gap region is a region separating the rib pattern region, and has substantially no rib. The interval (length of the gap region) between the individual rib pattern regions on the substrate plane is preferably 20 to 50 mm (more preferably 20 to 30 mm). If the value is below the lower limit of the above numerical range, it is difficult to cut the substrate in the subsequent process. On the other hand, if the value exceeds the upper limit, a wasteful substrate area becomes large, which is not preferable.
[0017]
FIG. 2 is a view of an example of a substrate in which two rib pattern regions are formed (a substrate having a gap region having no groove between the two rib pattern regions) as viewed from above. Near the four corners of each of the members (1) and (2) of the substrate, alignment marks A1 to A4 and A5 to A8 indicating a positional relationship with a rib pattern formed on the substrate surface are provided. This alignment mark is created together when forming the rib pattern. By doing so, the positional relationship with the pattern is formed with high accuracy.
[0018]
The alignment marks were provided such that the straight line connecting A1 and A3, the straight line connecting A5 and A7 was parallel to the rib pattern, and the straight line connecting A1 and A2 and A5 and A6 were orthogonal to the rib pattern. The intervals XA and YA of the alignment marks and the reference groove position Ys are given to the control unit as substrate information. The reference groove position Ys is substantially the center of the groove between the center ribs of YA, and is a position for performing alignment with the nozzle reference hole in the Y-axis direction described below, and is given by the distance from the alignment mark A1.
[0019]
FIG. 3 is a partial view of the vicinity of 2 in FIG. 1 as viewed from above and from the side. A camera 19 as a position sensor for detecting the position of the nozzle 8 is attached to the upstream end (left side in FIG. 3) of the X-axis transport unit 4 at the center of the machine base in the Y-axis direction. The lower surface of the nozzle 8 has ejection holes arranged in a substantially linear manner, and a mark M indicating the position of the reference hole corresponding to the reference groove of the substrate is provided near the center thereof. Therefore, the position of the reference hole of the nozzle is measured by the camera 19 by manipulating the X axis so as to be within the visual field.
[0020]
Hereinafter, first, a specific adjustment procedure and operation of the apparatus will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG. First, it is determined whether or not to perform the initial adjustment at the time of starting the apparatus (step 100). At the initial start-up, since the positional relationship between the cameras 16 to 18 for measuring the position of the substrate and the camera 19 for measuring the position of the nozzle is not determined, the substrate and the nozzle cannot be aligned. Therefore, the reference positions of these cameras are adjusted (step 200).
[0021]
The details of step 200 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the reference mark 20 is set on the camera 19 (step 201). The reference mark 20 is, for example, a cross-hair line drawn on the surface of transparent glass, and the height is adjusted to the position of the substrate surface when the substrate is mounted on the table surface. In the example of the present apparatus, the reference mark is detachable and attached to the table. The fiducial mark may be mounted on a camera or a table so as to be movable, and move above the camera. That is, the reference mark 20 is attached to a mechanism that can move in the vertical direction of the camera, and moves on the camera as needed. Alternatively, the reference mark 20 may be provided on a mechanism movable in the Y-axis direction of the table 2, and may be moved on the camera as needed. In this example, the camera 19 is attached to the X-axis transport unit, but may be attached to the Y-axis transport unit 3 or the table 2. The position of the reference mark 20 or the camera 19 is adjusted, and the center of the field of view of the camera 19 and the center of the reference mark 20 are aligned (step 202). At this time, the Y axis and the θ axis of the table 2 are set at the center zero position.
[0022]
Next, with the reference mark 20 fixed to the table 2, the X-axis transport unit 4 is operated to move below the camera 17. (Step 203). By adjusting the Y2 axis 14 of the camera 17 and the X axis of the table 2, the center of the field of view of the camera 17 is adjusted to the position of the reference mark 20. (Step 204). At this time, the coordinates of the Y2 axis and the X axis coordinates of the table 2 are stored and stored. This Y2-axis coordinate is used as a reference point of the camera. The X-axis coordinates are set to the alignment detection camera position (Xa) (step 205).
[0023]
Next, the camera 17 is retracted from above the reference mark, and the camera 16 is moved above the reference mark 20. (Hereafter, the table does not move until the position adjustment is completed) (step 206). The Y1 axis 13 of the camera 16 is adjusted so that the center of the field of view of the camera 16 in the Y-axis direction is aligned with the reference mark 20. In the X-axis direction, the X-axis fine adjustment mechanism of the camera 16 is adjusted so that the reference mark 20 is positioned at the center of the visual field in the X-axis direction (step 207). The coordinates of the Y1 axis of the camera 16 are stored. These coordinates are used as reference points for the camera (step 208).
[0024]
Subsequently, the camera 16 is retracted from above the reference mark 20, and the camera 18 is moved above the reference mark 20 (step 209). Similarly, the Y3 axis 15 of the camera 18 is adjusted so that the center of the camera 18 in the Y-axis direction is aligned with the reference mark 20. In the X-axis direction, the X-axis fine adjustment mechanism of the camera 18 is adjusted so that the mark is positioned at the center of the visual field in the X-axis direction (step 210). The Y3 axis coordinates of the camera 18 are stored. These coordinates are used as reference points for the camera (step 211). The table and each camera are returned to the initial positions and the reference marks are removed (step 212).
[0025]
With the above adjustment, the position of the camera 19, that is, the relative positional relationship between the X coordinate of the table and the cameras 16 to 18 is determined. In this position adjustment, the reference marks and the cameras 16 to 18 are focused by adjusting the respective Z-axis fine adjustment mechanisms. By storing and storing the camera position information obtained in the reference position adjustment in step 200 in the control unit, it is not necessary to perform this adjustment every time the apparatus is started up.
[0026]
Returning to FIG. 5, next, the apparatus is initialized (step 300). In this initial setting, the camera 16 to 18 is moved to each detection position after setting information on the substrate to be coated and the coating conditions. If the substrate information and the application conditions are stored in advance in the apparatus corresponding to the type and name of the substrate, and are called up by selecting the type and name, the setting operation can be omitted. it can.
[0027]
Details of step 300 will be described with reference to FIG. Substrate information such as substrate size, alignment mark interval, and reference groove position is set in the control unit (step 301). These pieces of information are used as information for determining the positions of the cameras 16 and 18. The application conditions such as the application start position, the application end position, and the paste discharge pressure are set (step 302). The application start and end positions are set by the distance in the X-axis direction from the alignment mark. Since the substrate positions the alignment mark with reference to the position of the camera 16, this application position is set relative to the position of the table (X-axis coordinate). Further, by adding the distance from the substrate positioning camera to the nozzle hole measured and stored in the nozzle position measurement in step 800 described later, the application position can be set relative to the nozzle position.
[0028]
The camera 17 is positioned at the reference point of the camera stored in step 205 (step 303). Next, the camera 16 is moved from the reference point of the camera in the plus direction by the value of the reference groove position Ys. The Y-axis of the camera has the reference point as zero, and the left direction toward the nozzle is plus, and the right direction is minus (step 304). Further, the camera 18 is moved in the minus direction from the reference point of the camera by a value obtained by subtracting the reference groove position Ys from the alignment interval YA (step 305). Thus, the position of the position detection camera corresponding to the reference groove of the substrate and the alignment position is determined with reference to the center of the machine base 5 in the Y-axis direction.
[0029]
Returning to FIG. 5 again, the substrate size is changed in the initial setting, and it is determined whether the detection position of the substrate has been changed (step 400). If the detection position has been changed, the next camera position correction amount measurement (step 500) is performed. Do. Note that this camera position correction amount measurement is also performed when initial setting is performed for the first time.
[0030]
When the alignment interval YA of the substrate changes in the initial setting, the positions of the cameras 16 and 18 are moved in the Y-axis direction in accordance with the YA. Although the Y-axis of these cameras is configured to be orthogonal to the X-axis, a slight shift of, for example, about 20 μm occurs in the X-axis direction depending on the position of the Y-axis due to the limitation of mechanical accuracy. Since the position of the substrate is measured with reference to this camera, if there is a deviation, an error will occur when the inclination of the substrate is calculated, and even if the inclination is adjusted based on the result, the X axis of the table and the rib direction of the substrate will be parallel. In other words, the coating cannot be performed along the ribs. If the pitch of the ribs is narrow and the amount of the deviation is large, oblique application to the adjacent groove is also required. In the correction amount measurement, in order to eliminate such a problem, the amount of displacement of the camera in the X-axis direction is obtained, and the position of the substrate can be accurately measured even at the position where the displacement has occurred.
[0031]
By the way, when the size of the substrate increases, the accuracy of orthogonality between the rib direction and the Y-axis direction of the alignment mark cannot be ignored due to mask accuracy of the pattern and distortion of the substrate. This problem appears as the same problem as the X-axis displacement of the camera. Therefore, in this correction amount measurement, the representative substrate of the lot to be coated is used, and the adjustment is made so as to absorb the error due to the distortion of the pattern by using the alignment mark of the substrate.
[0032]
Next, step 500 of the camera position correction amount measurement will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In the initial setting of step 300, the cameras 16 to 18 are positioned so as to correspond to the positions of the alignment marks.
[0033]
The table 2 is moved to the upstream end, and the representative substrate to be applied to the center of the table surface is mounted at a position where the Y axis and the θ axis are zero at the center, so that the ribs are substantially parallel to the X axis direction of the table. (Step 501). In order to bring the substrate to the center of the table and to make the X-axis direction of the rib and the table substantially parallel to each other, for example, on both sides and the upstream side of the table 2, a mechanism for extruding the end face of the substrate in accordance with the size (the centering device and the This is performed by a method of providing a position. By operating the X and Y axes of the table 2, the alignment mark A1 of the substrate is aligned with the center of the visual field of the camera 16. The X and Y axis coordinates at this time are stored as alignment detection positions X and Y (step 502).
[0034]
Next, as shown in FIG. 4, the table 2 is moved in the X direction by the alignment mark interval XA in the downstream direction, and the alignment mark A3 of the substrate is put in the field of view of the camera 10 (step 503). The position of A3 (A3 'in the figure) in the Y-axis direction is measured from the center of the field of view of the camera 10 (step 504). If this position is located at the center of the Y-axis of the camera's field of view, it is determined that the X-axis scanning direction of the table 2 is in parallel with the ribs of the substrate (step 505).
[0035]
When it is determined that there is a displacement in the Y-axis direction position (step 505), for example, when the displacement is 5 μm or more, the inclination θ ′ of the substrate is calculated from the displacement amount and the movement amount XA of the table. Is rotated (step 506), the operation returns to step 502 in the previous section, and is repeated until it is determined that there is no deviation in the Y-axis direction.
[0036]
If there is no deviation in the position in the Y-axis direction, the alignment mark A2 is confirmed in the field of view of the camera 18 as shown in FIG. 4, so the amount of deviation in the X-axis direction from the center of the field of view is measured and used as a correction value dXA. The information is stored (step 507). Since the position of the alignment mark A2 is a position where the X-axis and the rib are parallel to each other, this position is used as a reference when measuring the position of the substrate. That is, the position of the alignment mark A2 is obtained from the center of the field of view of the camera, and the correction value dXA is subtracted, whereby the accurate position of the substrate can be measured. Incidentally, the position of A2 may be shifted from the center of the camera field of view in the Y-axis direction. This shift is caused by the positioning accuracy of the camera, the distortion of the substrate, and the like, but can be ignored when obtaining the inclination of the substrate. In other words, the inclination θ of the substrate in the measurement of the position of the substrate is obtained from the amount of displacement (dX in FIG. 4) of the alignment marks A1 and A2 in the X-axis direction and the distance YA between the alignment marks, and the displacement in the Y-axis direction is YA. This is because it is sufficiently small.
[0037]
Further, at this point, since the image of the reference groove is confirmed substantially in the center of the field of view of the camera 17, the image is registered with reference to the center of the groove (step 508). However, it is assumed that the rib is formed up to the position of the straight line connecting the alignment marks A1 and A2. Also in this case, the reference groove is often located slightly off the center of the visual field of the camera. Although the cause is due to the substrate distortion and the like, the shift amount is sufficiently smaller than the groove width, and the groove located at the center of the visual field may be determined as the reference groove. Here, the image is registered in order to determine the position of the reference groove by the pattern matching method when measuring the position of the reference groove, and may be performed by a method of measuring the groove width by image processing and obtaining the center position thereof.
[0038]
When the camera position correction amount measurement is completed, the process returns to FIG. 5, and it is determined whether or not nozzle replacement is to be performed (step 600). When the substrate size is changed or when the paste is replaced, the nozzle is replaced. Install the nozzle, if not already installed. After installing the nozzle, measure the nozzle position. Once the nozzle is attached and the position is measured, the position measurement is not required until the next nozzle replacement, and the process proceeds to the determination of whether to start the application (step 900).
[0039]
The nozzle replacement operation (step 700) is performed by opening and closing the chuck provided in the Z-axis transport unit as described above. When the nozzle is fixed by the chuck, the position of the central reference hole in the X and Y axis directions is attached to a predetermined position of the machine base 5 within a predetermined range (for example, within ± 0.5 mm). After the nozzle is mounted, the Z-axis transport unit adjusts the discharge surface of the nozzle so that it is parallel to the table surface and has a desired height. The nozzle may be replaced by removing the piping for supplying the paste and replacing only the nozzle, or by replacing the entire tank.
[0040]
After replacing the nozzle, the position of the nozzle is measured (step 800). When the nozzle is replaced, the position of the reference hole varies within the above-mentioned predetermined range. Since the positioning cannot be performed with the reference groove of the substrate at this accuracy, the accurate position of the reference hole of the nozzle is measured.
[0041]
Details of this step 800 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the X-axis transport unit 4 is moved to move the camera 19 to the nozzle detection position (Xn) (Step 801). The height of the nozzle is adjusted by operating the Z axis so that the reference hole of the nozzle is in focus on the camera (step 802). By performing image processing on the image taken by the camera, the reference hole mark is determined and the reference hole is recognized (step 803). The mark is determined by, for example, registering the image in advance and using a pattern matching method. The mark is cut at a predetermined position from the reference hole, and the hole at a predetermined position from the mark is determined as the reference hole. The center positions ΔX and ΔY of the reference holes from the center of the visual field of the camera 19 are measured (step 804).
[0042]
Based on this result, the nozzle position data is stored as follows. The value of ΔY is stored as it is as the nozzle Y-axis position ΔY, and is used when the camera 17 positions the substrate in the reference groove Y-axis direction. That is, since the positions of the cameras 17 and 19 in the Y-axis direction are adjusted to the same position in the adjustment of the reference position in step 200, the position of the reference groove is adjusted to a position shifted by ΔY from the center of the field of view of the camera 17. Can be aligned with the reference hole in the Y-axis direction. As for the positioning, there are a method of moving the substrate by ΔY after positioning the substrate to the position of the camera 17 and a method of moving the camera 17 by ΔY to position the substrate at the center of the field of view of the camera. The substrate may be moved to the position of ΔY by any method.
[0043]
On the other hand, ΔX is added to a value Xan (= Xn−Xa) obtained by subtracting the alignment detection camera position (Xa) stored in step 205 from the nozzle detection position (Xn), and the distance XO (ΔX + Xan) between the substrate positioning camera and the nozzle is calculated. ) (Step 805). This distance XO is reflected in the start position and the stop position of the discharge of the paste when the paste is applied to the substrate in step 1200 described later.
[0044]
It is assumed that all data stored so far will not be lost even if the power of the apparatus is turned off.
[0045]
Returning to FIG. 5 again, it is determined whether the application is to be started next (step 900). At this point, if the application is temporarily stopped without performing the application, and the apparatus is restarted and the application is performed under exactly the same conditions, the reference position adjustment in step 200, the camera position correction in step 500, the nozzle replacement in step 700, the nozzle replacement in step 700, and the It is possible to omit all the nozzle position measurement and start from mounting the substrate.
[0046]
The above-described operations are mainly performed manually. The operations described below are programmed in the control unit in advance and automatically operated.
[0047]
As described in detail in the following embodiments, the application method may also apply to the gap region and then remove the paste applied to the gap region, or do not apply to the gap region, and each rib pattern The application of the regions may be started from relatively substantially the same place, that is, each rib pattern region may be individually applied by the same application operation pattern. Alternatively, a coating device having a plurality of nozzles may be used, and in such a coating device, it is preferable that each nozzle is provided with a nozzle wiping unit. It is preferable to have a mechanism capable of simultaneously applying the rib pattern regions.
[0048]
【Example】
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples, but it should not be construed that the invention is limited thereto. In each of the embodiments, common steps are denoted by the same uppercase alphabetic characters, and slightly different ones are indicated by a dash ('), and completely different ones are further indicated by a lowercase alphabetic letter.
[0049]
Example 1
(Step A) When starting the application, first, the paste is supplied into the nozzle (step 1000). As described above, the paste is supplied until the predetermined amount is reached by opening the opening / closing valve 9 with the switching valve 10 shown in FIG. 1 opened to the atmosphere.
[0050]
(Step B) Next, the process proceeds to step 1100 for mounting the substrate. This operation can be performed in parallel with the supply of the paste into the nozzle, and the waiting time for the supply of the paste can be reduced.
[0051]
(Step C) The table 2 is moved to the upstream end. The substrate to be applied is mounted on the Y-axis and the θ-axis at the position of zero center at almost the center of the table surface by the external transfer machine, and the suction is fixed with the ribs substantially parallel to the X-axis direction of the table. As the external transfer device, for example, a multi-axis robot is used, and the substrate is horizontally held on the table by the arm of the robot. The table is provided with a plurality of pins that can be moved up and down. The pins are raised to receive the substrate, and the arm is retracted to lower the pins to receive the substrate on the table surface. Note that the parallel setting of the rib and the table is performed by the centering device described in the measurement of the correction amount in step 500.
[0052]
(Step D) Next, substrate positioning in step 1200 is performed. This will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The table 2 is moved to the positions of the alignment detection positions X and Y stored in step 502, and the alignment marks A1 and A2 of the substrate are put in the field of view of the cameras 16 and 18 (step 1201).
[0053]
(Step E) Next, the amount of displacement of the alignment mark A1 in the X and Y directions is determined based on the center of the visual field of the camera 16. Further, the amount of displacement of the alignment mark A2 in the X and Y directions from the center of the visual field of the camera 18 is obtained. Regarding the shift in the X-axis direction, a value obtained by subtracting the correction value dXA of the shift amount in the X-axis direction stored in step 507 is set as the shift amount. This shift amount is dX when the alignment mark A2 is at the position of A2 'in FIG. 4 (step 1202). The inclination of the substrate and the amount of movement of the alignment mark A1 when the inclination is corrected are obtained from the two amounts of displacement in the X-axis direction and the interval YA between the alignment marks (step 1203). According to the calculated result, the inclination of the substrate is corrected by rotating the θ axis of the table, and the X and Y axes are moved to align the alignment mark A1 with the center of the visual field of the camera 16 (step 1204).
[0054]
(Step F) At this time, since the reference groove of the substrate is observed in the field of view of the camera 17, the center position of the groove that matches the image of the reference groove registered in step 508 is determined, and The position ΔYS in the Y-axis direction is measured. (Step 1205). Then, by moving the Y axis of the table 2 by a value obtained by subtracting this ΔYS from the nozzle Y axis position ΔY measured and stored in step 804, the position in the Y axis direction between the reference hole of the nozzle and the center of the reference groove of the substrate is determined. Match (step 1206).
[0055]
(Step G) Next, the X-axis coordinate of the table 2 corresponding to the position in the X-axis direction, that is, the application start position and the end position is calculated. By adding the distance XO between the substrate positioning camera and the nozzle stored in step 805 and the current X-axis coordinate value to each of the coating start position and the end position set in step 302, the relative value to the alignment mark is automatically obtained. Is temporarily stored as the paste discharge position and the stop position (step 1207). The temporary storage is performed because the calculation data of the paste discharge and stop positions is updated because the X-axis coordinate changes each time the substrate is positioned.
[0056]
(Step H) When the positioning of the substrate is completed, the operation proceeds to paste application (step 1300). Confirm that the supply of the paste into the nozzle is completed (if not completed, wait), and move the X axis of the table from the positioning position of the substrate in the downstream direction at a pre-programmed speed. The paste is discharged from the nozzle when the X-axis coordinate reaches a paste discharge position having a correlation with one or both of the temporarily stored alignment marks A1 and A3, and the discharge is stopped when the discharge stop position is reached. The discharge and stop of the paste are performed by the switching valve 10 shown in FIG. Here, the speed programmed in advance is, for example, a high-speed movement up to slightly before the paste discharge position, a low-speed movement near the discharge position and the discharge stop position, and a constant speed movement at a medium speed during the discharge, until the start of coating. In addition to reducing the time, the operation is performed so as to uniformly finish the application state from the paste application start end to the paste application end. If the speed and the switching position of the speed can be set from the control unit input, the application state can be easily adjusted.
[0057]
(Step I) By the way, it is known that a more uniform coating state can be obtained by keeping the distance between the nozzle and the substrate within a predetermined range during the discharge of the paste. Also in the present embodiment, it is easy to provide a sensor for detecting the displacement of the substrate surface on the upstream side of the nozzle and control the Z-axis transport unit by this signal to keep the distance between the substrate surface and the nozzle constant. It is.
[0058]
(Step J) Even after the application to the predetermined rib pattern area of the first surface is completed, the application is continuously performed to the rib pattern area of the second surface while the ejection is continued. At this time, it is preferable that the relationship between the nozzle hole position and the groove position of the rib pattern area on the second side is previously stored as internal information, and the fine adjustment of the position with respect to the application on the second side is performed while the gap area is being applied. Execute. In addition, a peelable sheet is formed by attaching a tape or the like to which a slight amount of adhesive is applied between gap regions that are portions that the user does not want to apply, for example, a rib pattern region on the first and second surfaces. After applying, it is also possible to remove the applied paste to remove the applied paste. This tape-shaped sheet may be peeled after applying three colors, or may be peeled for each color.
[0059]
(Step K) When the coating is completed, the process proceeds to substrate discharge (step 1400). To discharge the substrate, the table is moved to the downstream end, the sucked substrate is released, and the pins are lifted and taken out by the transfer machine. By arranging one transfer machine exclusively for loading the substrate on the upstream side and discharging it on the downstream side, the substrate to be applied next can be prepared during the discharging of the substrate, so that the tact from the loading of the substrate to the discharging can be shortened. it can. When the substrate is discharged, a series of operations is completed, and it is determined whether to stop the operation (step 1500). The determination of the stop is made, for example, by setting the number of substrates to be applied in advance in the control unit and subtracting each time one substrate is applied, and ending the process when it becomes zero. In the case of successive application to a substrate having the same specifications, the process starts from paste supply in step 1000.
[0060]
Example 2
(Step A) When starting the application, first, the paste is supplied into the nozzle (step 1000). As described above, the paste is supplied until the predetermined amount is reached by opening the opening / closing valve 9 with the switching valve 10 shown in FIG. 1 opened to the atmosphere.
[0061]
(Step B) Next, the process proceeds to step 1100 for mounting the substrate. This operation can be performed in parallel with the supply of the paste into the nozzle, and the waiting time for the supply of the paste can be reduced.
[0062]
(Step C) The table 2 is moved to the upstream end. The substrate to be applied is mounted on the Y-axis and the θ-axis at the position of zero center at almost the center of the table surface by the external transfer machine, and the suction is fixed with the ribs substantially parallel to the X-axis direction of the table. As the external transfer device, for example, a multi-axis robot is used, and the substrate is horizontally held on the table by the arm of the robot. The table is provided with a plurality of pins that can be moved up and down. The pins are raised to receive the substrate, and the arm is retracted to lower the pins to receive the substrate on the table surface. Note that the parallel setting of the rib and the table is performed by the centering device described in the measurement of the correction amount in step 500.
[0063]
(Step D) Next, substrate positioning in step 1200 is performed. This will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The table 2 is moved to the positions of the alignment detection positions X and Y stored in step 502, and the alignment marks A1 and A2 of the substrate are put in the field of view of the cameras 16 and 18 (step 1201).
[0064]
(Step E) Next, the amount of displacement of the alignment mark A1 in the X and Y directions is determined based on the center of the visual field of the camera 16. Further, the amount of displacement of the alignment mark A2 in the X and Y directions from the center of the visual field of the camera 18 is obtained. Regarding the shift in the X-axis direction, a value obtained by subtracting the correction value dXA of the shift amount in the X-axis direction stored in step 507 is set as the shift amount. This shift amount is dX when the alignment mark A2 is at the position of A2 'in FIG. 4 (step 1202). The inclination of the substrate and the amount of movement of the alignment mark A1 when the inclination is corrected are obtained from the two amounts of displacement in the X-axis direction and the interval YA between the alignment marks (step 1203). According to the calculated result, the inclination of the substrate is corrected by rotating the θ axis of the table, and the X and Y axes are moved to align the alignment mark A1 with the center of the visual field of the camera 16 (step 1204).
[0065]
(Step F) At this time, since the reference groove of the substrate is observed in the field of view of the camera 17, the center position of the groove that matches the image of the reference groove registered in step 508 is determined, and The position ΔYS in the Y-axis direction is measured. (Step 1205). Then, by moving the Y axis of the table 2 by a value obtained by subtracting this ΔYS from the nozzle Y axis position ΔY measured and stored in step 804, the position in the Y axis direction between the reference hole of the nozzle and the center of the reference groove of the substrate is determined. Match (step 1206).
[0066]
(Step G) Next, the X-axis coordinate of the table 2 corresponding to the position in the X-axis direction, that is, the application start position and the end position is calculated. By adding the distance XO between the substrate positioning camera and the nozzle stored in step 805 and the current X-axis coordinate value to each of the coating start position and the end position set in step 302, the relative value to the alignment mark is automatically obtained. Are temporarily stored as the paste discharge position and the stop position (step 1207). The temporary storage is performed because the calculation data of the paste discharge and stop positions is updated because the X-axis coordinate changes each time the substrate is positioned.
[0067]
(Step H) When the positioning of the substrate is completed, the operation proceeds to paste application (step 1300). Confirm that the supply of the paste into the nozzle is completed (if not completed, wait), and move the X axis of the table from the positioning position of the substrate in the downstream direction at a pre-programmed speed. The paste is discharged from the nozzle when the X-axis coordinate reaches a paste discharge position having a correlation with one or both of the temporarily stored alignment marks A1 and A3, and the discharge is stopped when the discharge stop position is reached. The discharge and stop of the paste are performed by the switching valve 10 shown in FIG. Here, the speed programmed in advance is, for example, a high-speed movement up to slightly before the paste discharge position, a low-speed movement near the discharge position and the discharge stop position, and a constant speed movement at a medium speed during the discharge, until the start of coating. In addition to reducing the time, the operation is performed so as to uniformly finish the application state from the paste application start end to the paste application end. If the speed and the switching position of the speed can be set from the control unit input, the application state can be easily adjusted.
[0068]
(Step Ia) The same operation as in Example 1 is performed except that the gap region is not coated. Therefore, when the application of the first surface is completed, the alignment of the second surface is performed. In this operation, the operation after step 1200 described above is executed. At this time, the alignment marks treat A5 and A6 in the same manner as A1 and A2 described above. Alternatively, A5 and A6 may be measured before application on the first side, and only the position adjustment may be performed before actual application. The rib pattern areas on the first and second surfaces have the same coating pattern (coating liquid discharge start / stop position) with respect to the relative position based on the respective alignment marks, and have the same coating speed (X direction), coating liquid pressure, The relative height of the nozzles and the like correspond to a delicate difference in the finished rib pattern area, and therefore, for example, only the coating liquid pressure may be different. In other words, in the rib pattern area on the second surface, the coating pattern is developed by regarding the alignment marks A5 to A8 as the first surfaces A1 to A4, respectively.
[0069]
(Step Ja) Here, although not shown, when applying to a plurality of members in one substrate, the vicinity of the exit of the nozzle hole is sufficiently wiped, and the paste is discharged to the first rib pattern region. It is also important to make the same situation in the next rib pattern area.
[0070]
(Step K) When the coating is completed, the process proceeds to substrate discharge (step 1400). To discharge the substrate, the table is moved to the downstream end, the sucked substrate is released, and the pins are lifted and taken out by the transfer machine. By arranging one transfer machine exclusively for loading the substrate on the upstream side and discharging it on the downstream side, the substrate to be applied next can be prepared during the discharging of the substrate, so that the tact from the loading of the substrate to the discharging can be shortened. it can. When the substrate is discharged, a series of operations is completed, and it is determined whether to stop the operation (step 1500). The determination of the stop is made, for example, by setting the number of substrates to be applied in advance in the control unit and subtracting each time one substrate is applied, and ending the process when it becomes zero. In the case of successive application to a substrate having the same specifications, the process starts from paste supply in step 1000.
Example 3
FIG. 11 shows, for example, a case where there are two rib pattern regions on a substrate, and two nozzles are arranged in the same number as the number of rib pattern regions. For example, more members and nozzles may be arranged, and it is also possible to select an optimal arrangement in terms of cost and the like. Although not shown, each nozzle has a nozzle wiping means, and the wiping operation can be performed independently of each other.
[0071]
Each of the nozzles has a function of accurately adjusting the interval between A1 and A5 of the alignment mark so that the coating operation can be performed simultaneously on two different rib patterns. In the first and second embodiments, the position adjustment in the Y direction is performed only by the stage 2. In the present embodiment, each nozzle is also moved in the Y direction. This is because the positional relationship between the respective nozzles is adjusted in advance in the Y direction as well as the positional relationship between the grooves in order to apply the respective positional relationships between the nozzles when the nozzles are mounted.
[0072]
(Step A ′) When starting the application, first, the paste is supplied into a plurality of nozzles (Step 1000). As described above, the paste is supplied until the predetermined amount is reached by opening the opening / closing valve 9 with the switching valve 10 shown in FIG. 1 opened to the atmosphere.
[0073]
(Step B) Next, the process proceeds to step 1100 for mounting the substrate. This operation can be performed in parallel with the supply of the paste into the nozzle, and the waiting time for the supply of the paste can be reduced.
[0074]
(Step C) The table 2 is moved to the upstream end. The substrate to be applied is mounted on the Y-axis and the θ-axis at the position of zero center at almost the center of the table surface by the external transfer machine, and the suction is fixed with the ribs substantially parallel to the X-axis direction of the table. As the external transfer device, for example, a multi-axis robot is used, and the substrate is horizontally held on the table by the arm of the robot. The table is provided with a plurality of pins that can be moved up and down. The pins are raised to receive the substrate, and the arm is retracted to lower the pins to receive the substrate on the table surface. Note that the parallel setting of the rib and the table is performed by the centering device described in the measurement of the correction amount in step 500.
[0075]
(Step D) Next, substrate positioning in step 1200 is performed. This will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The table 2 is moved to the positions of the alignment detection positions X and Y stored in step 502, and the alignment marks A1 and A2 of the substrate are put in the field of view of the cameras 16 and 18 (step 1201).
[0076]
(Step E) Next, the amount of displacement of the alignment mark A1 in the X and Y directions is determined based on the center of the visual field of the camera 16. Further, the amount of displacement of the alignment mark A2 in the X and Y directions from the center of the visual field of the camera 18 is obtained. Regarding the shift in the X-axis direction, a value obtained by subtracting the correction value dXA of the shift amount in the X-axis direction stored in step 507 is set as the shift amount. This shift amount is dX when the alignment mark A2 is at the position of A2 'in FIG. 4 (step 1202). The inclination of the substrate and the amount of movement of the alignment mark A1 when the inclination is corrected are obtained from the two amounts of displacement in the X-axis direction and the interval YA between the alignment marks (step 1203). According to the calculated result, the inclination of the substrate is corrected by rotating the θ axis of the table. By moving the Y axis, the alignment mark A1 is aligned with the center of the field of view of the camera 16 (step 1204).
[0077]
(Step F) At this time, since the reference groove of the substrate is observed in the field of view of the camera 17, the center position of the groove that matches the image of the reference groove registered in step 508 is determined, and The position ΔYS in the Y-axis direction is measured. (Step 1205). Then, by moving the Y axis of the table 2 by a value obtained by subtracting this ΔYS from the nozzle Y axis position ΔY measured and stored in step 804, the position in the Y axis direction between the reference hole of the nozzle and the center of the reference groove of the substrate is determined. Match (step 1206).
[0078]
(Step Fa) Here, thereafter, the X axis is further moved to put the alignment of A5A6 into view. The same operation as described above is performed for the rib pattern area on the second surface. In addition, similarly to the case where each nozzle has the function of adjusting the distance between A1 and A5 of the alignment mark in the same manner, a plurality of cameras for recognizing the respective alignment positions are similarly installed, and each of the cameras is arranged in the X axis direction On the other hand, by making them relatively the same, an alignment reading operation can be simultaneously performed in a plurality of rib pattern regions. When the difference in the Y-direction position exceeds a predetermined amount from the alignment information of A1A2 and the alignment information of A5A6, the position of each nozzle in the Y-direction can be moved to the position where the error becomes smallest. preferable.
[0079]
(Step G) Next, the X-axis coordinate of the table 2 corresponding to the position in the X-axis direction, that is, the application start position and the end position is calculated. The substrate positioning camera and the distance XO between the nozzles and the current X-axis coordinate value stored and stored in step 805 are added to each of the application start position and the end position set in step 302, and temporarily stored as the paste discharge position and the stop position. (Step 1207). The temporary storage is performed because the calculation data of the paste discharge and stop positions is updated because the X-axis coordinate changes each time the substrate is positioned.
[0080]
(Step H ′) When the positioning of the substrate is completed, the operation proceeds to the operation of paste application (step 1300). Confirm that the supply of the paste into the nozzle is completed (if not completed, wait), and move the X axis of the table from the positioning position of the substrate in the downstream direction at a pre-programmed speed. When the X-axis coordinate reaches the temporarily stored paste discharge position, the paste is discharged from the nozzle, and when the X-axis coordinate reaches the discharge stop position, the discharge is stopped. The discharge and stop of the paste are performed by the switching valve 10 shown in FIG. Here, the speed programmed in advance is, for example, a high-speed movement up to slightly before the paste discharge position, a low-speed movement near the discharge position and the discharge stop position, and a constant speed movement at a medium speed during the discharge, until the start of coating. In addition to reducing the time, the operation is performed so as to uniformly finish the application state from the paste application start end to the paste application end. If the speed and the switching position of the speed can be set from the control unit input, the application state can be easily adjusted.
[0081]
(Step Ia) In these operations, the positional relationship of the nozzles is made relatively the same with respect to the position of the alignment mark of each member, so that a single member can be processed with one nozzle. Can be executed without having multiple pieces of information. Alternatively, it can be executed with only each fine adjustment based on at least one piece of basic information. This saves a great amount of time when it is necessary to construct application information independently.
[0082]
(Step K) When the coating is completed, the process proceeds to substrate discharge (step 1400). To discharge the substrate, the table is moved to the downstream end, the sucked substrate is released, and the pins are lifted and taken out by the transfer machine. By arranging one transfer machine exclusively for loading the substrate on the upstream side and discharging it on the downstream side, the substrate to be applied next can be prepared during the discharging of the substrate, so that the tact from the loading of the substrate to the discharging can be shortened. it can. When the substrate is discharged, a series of operations is completed, and it is determined whether to stop the operation (step 1500). The determination of the stop is made, for example, by setting the number of substrates to be applied in advance in the control unit and subtracting each time one substrate is applied, and ending the process when it becomes zero. In the case of successive application to a substrate having the same specifications, the process starts from paste supply in step 1000.
[0083]
In all of the above-described embodiments, the stage is moved and the nozzle is moved only in the height direction. However, if the relative positional relationship between the substrate and the nozzle is the same, the nozzle becomes: It may move in the X direction or the Y direction. The same applies to cameras.
[0084]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, it is easy to apply a paste to a substrate on which a plurality of members are formed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an entire coating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an example of a substrate on which a paste is applied.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from above and from the side.
FIG. 4 is a view for explaining a method of measuring a measurement position shift amount in a correction amount measurement step of FIG. 8;
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an entire adjustment and coating operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing details of a reference position adjusting step in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing details of an initial setting step in FIG. 5;
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing details of a correction amount measuring step in FIG. 5;
FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating details of a nozzle position measurement step in FIG. 5;
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing details of a substrate positioning step in FIG. 5;
FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of the entire coating apparatus in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1: substrate
2: Table
3: Y-axis transport unit
3a, 3b: Linear guide
4: X-axis transport unit
4a, 4b: Linear guide
5: Machine stand
6: Support base
6a, 6b: Linear guide
7a, 7b: Z-axis transport unit
8: Nozzle
9: Open / close valve
10: Switching valve
11: Paste tank
12: Gas pressure source
13: Y1 transport unit
14: Y2 transport unit
15: Y3 transport unit
16-18: Camera (board position measuring means)
19: Camera (nozzle position measuring means)
20: fiducial mark

Claims (6)

On the substrate, there is a rib pattern region having ribs formed in parallel, and when the paste is discharged from the discharge holes to the grooves between the ribs, the discharge holes and the substrate are relatively moved and coated. In a coating method, a plurality of the rib pattern regions are present, and the rib pattern regions are separated by a gap region, and a paste is also applied to the gap region. The coating method according to claim 1, wherein a peelable sheet is formed in the gap region, and the paste is applied, and then the sheet is peeled. On the substrate, there is a rib pattern region having ribs formed in parallel, and when the paste is discharged from the discharge holes to the grooves between the ribs, the discharge holes and the substrate are relatively moved and coated. In the coating method, a plurality of the rib pattern regions are present, and the rib pattern regions are separated by a gap region, and before performing the coating, at the same time as adjusting the position of the ejection hole and the center of the groove, Coating is started relative to the respective rib pattern regions from substantially the same location relative to the mark provided on the substrate associated with the position of each groove. Method. On a substrate, on a substrate having a plurality of rib pattern regions in which grooves formed in parallel and ribs interposed between the grooves are formed, the nozzles are discharged into the grooves by discharging the paste stored in the nozzles from the discharge holes. In a coating apparatus that applies a paste by relatively moving a substrate, two or more nozzles are arranged, and the position of each nozzle hole is adjusted to coincide with the center of a groove to be applied, and is associated with the position of each of the ribs. A coating apparatus that starts coating from substantially the same location relative to the mark on the substrate. The coating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the same number of nozzle wiping units as the number of nozzles are provided, and wiping operations can be performed independently of each other. The coating apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a mechanism capable of simultaneously performing coating on different rib pattern regions with two or more nozzles.

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