JP2005230807A - Substrate treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To restrain a tact time from being increased due to maintenance. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of slit nozzles 41a, 41b are arranged in the apparatus body 2 of this substrate treatment apparatus 1. A gap sensor 42a, lifting/lowering mechanisms 43a, 44a and movers 501a, 510a of linear motors 50, 51 are provided in the slit nozzle 41a. A gap sensor 42b, lifting lowering mechanisms 43b, 44b and movers 501b, 510b of the linear motors 50, 51 are provided in the slit nozzle 41b. When this substrate treatment apparatus 1 is operated, the slit nozzle 41b is maintained while the coating is performed by the slit nozzle 41a, and the slit nozzle 41a is maintained while the coating is performed by the slit nozzle 41b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for shortening a tact time by cleaning a slit nozzle without stopping processing on a substrate.

  2. Description of the Related Art A slit coater (substrate processing apparatus) that applies a resist solution to a substrate by discharging a processing solution such as a resist solution from a slit nozzle to the surface of the substrate is known as an apparatus used in a substrate manufacturing process.

  Conventionally, in the substrate manufacturing process, it has been eagerly desired to shorten the tact time of substrate processing due to a demand for improvement in productivity. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses such a slit coater. In the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a technique for shortening the tact time by processing a plurality of substrates in parallel by a plurality of slit nozzles has been proposed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-216599

  On the other hand, in the slit coater, it is preferable to perform maintenance such as cleaning the tip of the slit nozzle every time the coating process is performed on the substrate in order to improve the accuracy of the coating process. However, even if the slit coater is in operation, the slit coater cannot perform the coating process on the substrate because the slit nozzle cannot be used during maintenance of the slit nozzle. Therefore, when the maintenance is not completed within the time for carrying in / out the substrate, there is a problem that the cycle time of the substrate processing increases. In particular, the process of removing the air accumulated in the slit nozzle is a process that takes a relatively long time, and there is a problem that it is difficult to finish the process within the time of the substrate loading / unloading process.

  Even in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, if any one of the plurality of slit nozzles takes a long time for maintenance, the substrates processed in the other slit nozzles are also waited accordingly, The problem of increased takt time due to maintenance has not been solved.

  Further, in the slit coater described in Patent Document 1, even if an abnormality occurs in one slit nozzle and a large-scale maintenance is required for the slit nozzle, the entire slit coater is stopped. There was a problem that had to be. That is, when the number of slit nozzles is increased, maintenance opportunities also increase, and the slit coater described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the tact time due to maintenance further increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to prevent an increase in tact time due to maintenance.

  In order to solve the above problems, the invention of claim 1 is a substrate processing apparatus for applying a predetermined processing liquid to a substrate application region, and holding means for holding a single substrate, and holding by the holding means. A plurality of slit nozzles for discharging the predetermined processing liquid from a linear discharge port toward almost the entire coating area of the substrate, and a supply mechanism for supplying the predetermined processing liquid to the plurality of slit nozzles Elevating means for elevating and lowering each of the plurality of slit nozzles independently, and the substrate held by the holding means and the plurality of slit nozzles are each independently in a direction along the surface of the substrate. And a maintenance means for performing predetermined maintenance on the plurality of slit nozzles.

  The invention of claim 2 is the substrate processing apparatus according to the invention of claim 1, wherein the maintenance means includes a cleaning means for cleaning a slit nozzle that is not ejected to the substrate with a predetermined cleaning liquid. It is characterized by that.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cleaning means includes independent cleaning liquid supply paths for the plurality of slit nozzles. .

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the maintenance means performs air bleeding from a slit nozzle that does not discharge the substrate. The apparatus further comprises means.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the supply mechanism has independent processing liquid supply paths for the plurality of slit nozzles. It is characterized by providing.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, an acquisition means for acquiring maintenance conditions, and a storage for storing the maintenance conditions acquired by the acquisition means. And a control means for controlling the maintenance means based on the maintenance condition stored in the storage means.

  The invention of claim 7 is the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein each of the plurality of slit nozzles is spaced from the substrate held by the holding means. The apparatus further comprises measuring means for measuring, wherein the elevating means elevates and lowers the plurality of slit nozzles according to a measurement result by the measuring means.

  The invention of claim 8 is a substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the moving means is a linear motor.

  A ninth aspect of the present invention is the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the plurality of slit nozzles include ones having different widths in the longitudinal direction. .

  In the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 9, a plurality of slit nozzles for discharging a predetermined processing liquid from a linear discharge port toward almost the entire coating region of the substrate held by the holding means, and a plurality of slits By providing maintenance means for performing predetermined maintenance on the nozzle, it is possible to sufficiently perform maintenance of the other slit nozzles while continuing processing on the substrate.

  In the second aspect of the invention, the maintenance unit includes a cleaning unit that cleans the slit nozzle that is not ejected to the substrate with a predetermined cleaning liquid, so that the processing of the other slit nozzle can be performed while continuing the processing on the substrate. Washing can be performed sufficiently.

  In the invention according to claim 3, the cleaning means can supply cleaning liquid suitable for each slit nozzle by providing the cleaning liquid supply paths independent to each of the plurality of slit nozzles.

  In the invention according to claim 4, the maintenance means further includes an air venting means for venting air from the slit nozzles that are not ejecting to the substrate, so that the processing of the substrate can be continued and the air of other slit nozzles can be continued. Unplugging can be performed sufficiently.

  In the fifth aspect of the present invention, the supply mechanism is provided with independent processing liquid supply paths for the plurality of slit nozzles, so that a processing liquid suitable for each slit nozzle can be supplied.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, necessary maintenance can be efficiently performed as appropriate by further including a control unit that controls the maintenance unit based on the maintenance condition stored in the storage unit.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, each of the plurality of slit nozzles further includes a measuring unit that measures a distance between the holding unit and the substrate held by the holding unit. By raising and lowering the slit nozzles, any of the plurality of slit nozzles can cope with a substrate of any thickness.

  In the invention described in claim 8, since the moving means is a linear motor, an increase in footprint can be prevented.

  In the invention according to claim 9, the plurality of slit nozzles can correspond to substrates having different widths by including those having different widths in the longitudinal direction.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<1. First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view showing a side cross section of the main body 2 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and showing main components related to the application operation of the resist solution.

  In FIG. 1, for the sake of illustration and explanation, the Z-axis direction is defined as the vertical direction and the XY plane is defined as the horizontal plane, but these are defined for convenience in order to grasp the positional relationship. The directions described below are not limited. The same applies to the following figures.

<Overall configuration>
The substrate processing apparatus 1 is roughly divided into a main body 2 and a control unit 6, and a rectangular glass substrate for manufacturing a screen panel of a liquid crystal display device is a substrate to be processed (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”) 90. In a process of selectively etching an electrode layer or the like formed on the surface of the substrate 90, the coating apparatus is configured to apply a resist solution as a processing solution to the surface of the substrate 90. Therefore, in this embodiment, the slit nozzles 41a and 41b discharge the resist solution. In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be modified and used not only as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device but also as a device for applying a processing liquid (chemical solution) to various substrates for a flat panel display.

  The main body 2 includes a stage 3 that functions as a holding table for mounting and holding the substrate 90 and also functions as a base for each attached mechanism. The stage 3 is made of, for example, an integral stone having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and its upper surface (holding surface 30) and side surfaces are processed into flat surfaces.

  The upper surface of the stage 3 is a horizontal plane and serves as a holding surface 30 for the substrate 90. A number of vacuum suction ports (not shown) are formed on the holding surface 30 in a distributed manner, and the substrate 90 is held in a predetermined horizontal position by sucking the substrate 90 while the substrate processing apparatus 1 processes the substrate 90. To do. The holding surface 30 is provided with a plurality of lift pins LP that can be moved up and down by driving means (not shown) at appropriate intervals. The lift pins LP are used to push up the substrate 90 when the substrate 90 is removed.

  A pair of running rails 31 extending in parallel in a substantially horizontal direction are fixed to both ends of the holding surface 30 across the holding area of the substrate 90 (region where the substrate 90 is held). The traveling rail 31 guides the movement of the bridging structures 4a and 4b together with a support block (not shown) fixed at the lower end of both ends of the bridging structures 4a and 4b (the moving direction is defined in a predetermined direction) A linear guide that supports the structures 4 a and 4 b above the holding surface 30 is configured.

  Above the stage 3, bridging structures 4 a and 4 b are provided that extend substantially horizontally from both sides of the stage 3.

  The bridging structure 4a mainly includes, for example, a nozzle support portion 40a using carbon fiber reinforced resin as an aggregate, and lifting mechanisms 43a and 44a that support both ends thereof. Since the crosslinked structure 4b has substantially the same configuration as the crosslinked structure 4a, description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

  A slit nozzle 41a and a gap sensor 42a are attached to the nozzle support portion 40a. In FIG. 1, a supply mechanism 7 (resist pump 72a) for supplying a resist solution to the slit nozzle 41a is connected to a slit nozzle 41a having a longitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction.

  The slit nozzle 41 a scans the surface of the substrate 90 and discharges the resist solution supplied by the supply mechanism 7 to a predetermined region (hereinafter referred to as “resist application region”) on the surface of the substrate 90. As a result, the slit nozzle 41 a applies the resist solution to the substrate 90. Here, the resist application region is a region in the surface of the substrate 90 where the resist solution is to be applied, and is usually a region obtained by excluding a region having a predetermined width along the edge from the entire area of the substrate 90. It is. Details of the supply mechanism 7 will be described later.

  The gap sensors 42a and 42b are attached to the nozzle support portions 40a and 40b so as to be in the vicinity of the slit nozzles 41a and 41b, respectively, and between lower objects (for example, the surface of the substrate 90 and the surface of the resist film). The height difference (gap) is measured, and the measurement result is transmitted to the control unit 6. That is, the gap sensor 42a measures the gap between the slit nozzle 41a and the lower entity, and the gap sensor 42b measures the gap between the slit nozzle 41b and the lower entity. As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 independently measures the distance between the substrate 90 held on the stage 3 and each of the plurality of slit nozzles 41a and 41b.

  The elevating mechanisms 43a and 44a are separately arranged on both sides of the nozzle support portion 40a, and are connected to the slit nozzle 41a via the nozzle support portion 40a. The elevating mechanisms 43a and 44a are mainly composed of AC servo motors 430a and 440a and a ball screw (not shown), and generate elevating driving force of the bridging structure 4a based on a control signal from the control unit 6. Thereby, the raising / lowering mechanisms 43a and 44a raise / lower the slit nozzle 41a in translation. The elevating mechanisms 43a and 44a are also used to adjust the posture of the slit nozzle 41a in the YZ plane. The slit nozzle 41b can perform the same operation independently of the slit nozzle 41a by the AC servo motors 430b and 440b of the elevating mechanisms 43b and 44b.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1, stators (stators) 500 and 510 are fixedly provided along the edge sides on both sides of the stage 3. Also, movers 501a and 511a are provided at both ends of the bridge structure 4a, and movers 501b and 511b are provided at both ends of the bridge structure 4b. The stator 500 and the movers 501a and 501b constitute an AC coreless linear motor (hereinafter simply referred to as “linear motor”) 50, and the stator 500 and the movers 501a and 501b constitute a linear motor 51, respectively. That is, each of the linear motors 50 and 51 includes a pair of movers 501a and 501b and 511a and 511b, and independently moves them in the X-axis direction.

  As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment uses the linear motors 50 and 51 as a mechanism for moving the bridging structures 4a and 4b in the X-axis direction, thereby making the stators 500 and 510 common. Can do. Therefore, for example, a footprint can be suppressed as compared with a case where the bridging structures 4a and 4b are moved independently by a general moving mechanism using a rotary motor and a ball screw.

  Further, linear encoders 52a (not shown) and 53a each having a scale portion and a detector are fixed to both ends of the bridging structure 4a. The linear encoder 52 a detects the position of the mover 501 a of the linear motor 50, and the linear encoder 53 a detects the position of the mover 511 a of the linear motor 51. Similarly, linear encoders 52b and 53b are fixed to both ends of the bridging structure 4b. The linear encoder 52b detects the position of the moving element 501b of the linear motor 50, and the linear encoder 53b moves the linear motor 51. The position of the child 511b is detected. Each linear encoder 52a, 52b, 53a, 53b outputs the detected position information to the control unit 6.

  Thus, each linear encoder 52a, 52b, 53a, 53b detects the position of each moving element 501a, 501b, 511a, 511b, and the control unit 6 controls the linear motor 50, 51 according to the detection result. By doing so, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can move the bridge structures 4a and 4b independently of each other. Therefore, the other slit nozzle (for example, the slit nozzle 41b) can be moved without being affected by the state of one slit nozzle (for example, the slit nozzle 41a).

  On the holding surface 30 of the main body 2, openings 32 a and 32 b are provided on both sides in the X-axis direction of the holding area. The openings 32a and 32b have a longitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction like the slit nozzles 41a and 41b, and the length in the longitudinal direction is substantially the same as the longitudinal length of the slit nozzles 41a and 41b. Although not shown in FIG. 1, a cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83a, a standby pot 85a, and a pre-coating mechanism 86a are provided inside the main body 2 below the opening 32a, and the main body 2 below the opening 32b. Are provided with a cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83b, a standby pot 85b, and a pre-coating mechanism 86b.

  FIG. 3 is a view showing the supply mechanism 7 and the cleaning mechanism 8. As shown in FIG. 3, the supply mechanism 7 for supplying the resist solution to the slit nozzles 41a and 41b is mainly composed of a resist bottle 70, pipes 71a and 71b serving as resist solution flow paths, and resist pumps 72a and 72b. The A pipe 71a that continues from the resist bottle 70 to the slit nozzle 41a via the resist pump 72a and a resist pump 72a that feeds the resist liquid in the pipe 71a constitute a resist liquid supply path 73a for the slit nozzle 41a. Similarly, a pipe 71b that continues from the resist bottle 70 to the slit nozzle 41b via the resist pump 72b and a resist pump 72b that feeds the resist liquid in the pipe 71b constitute a resist liquid supply path 73b for the slit nozzle 41b. That is, the supply mechanism 7 includes resist solution supply paths 73a and 73b provided independently for the slit nozzles 41a and 41b, respectively.

  The cleaning mechanism 8 that cleans the slit nozzles 41a and 41b mainly includes a cleaning liquid bottle 80, pipes 81a and 81b that serve as a flow path for the cleaning liquid, pumps 82a and 82b, and cleaning liquid discharge mechanisms 83a and 83b. A pipe 81a that continues from the cleaning liquid bottle 80 to the cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83a through the pump 82a, a pump 82a that supplies the cleaning liquid in the pipe 81a, and a cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83a that discharges the cleaning liquid to the slit nozzle 41a are slit nozzles. A cleaning liquid supply path 84a for 41a is configured. Similarly, a pipe 81b that continues from the cleaning liquid bottle 80 to the cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83b via the pump 82b, a pump 82b that supplies the cleaning liquid in the pipe 81b, and a cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83b that discharges the cleaning liquid to the slit nozzle 41b are provided. The cleaning liquid supply path 84b for the slit nozzle 41b is configured. That is, the cleaning mechanism 8 includes independent cleaning liquid supply paths 84a and 84b for the plurality of slit nozzles 41a and 41b.

  The cleaning liquid discharge mechanisms 83a and 83b are mechanisms that discharge the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid bottle 80 toward the front ends of the slit nozzles 41a and 41b, respectively. Although not shown, the cleaning liquid discharge mechanisms 83a and 83b are supplied with inert gas (nitrogen) from the gas supply unit and can be ejected toward the slit nozzles 41a and 41b. . The cleaning liquid discharge mechanisms 83a and 83b clean the tips of the slit nozzles 41a and 41b by discharging the cleaning liquid while moving below the slit nozzles 41a and 41b along the Y-axis direction by a moving mechanism (not shown). At the same time, the cleaning liquid can be dried by blowing nitrogen gas.

  As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 uses the cleaning mechanism 8 to clean one of the plurality of slit nozzles 41a and 41b that is not ejected to the substrate 90 with the cleaning liquid, thereby cleaning one (maintenance). On the other hand, the processing for the substrate 90 is continued. Therefore, a sufficient maintenance time can be secured while suppressing an increase in tact time.

  When the same cleaning liquid is used for the slit nozzles 41a and 41b as in the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment, the path to the pumps 82a and 82b is shared among the cleaning liquid supply paths 84a and 84b. May be. In that case, the cleaning liquid may be supplied only to the cleaning liquid discharge mechanisms 83a and 83b that perform the cleaning process by opening and closing the pipes from the pump to the cleaning liquid discharge mechanisms 83a and 83b by an open / close valve or the like.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing details of the resist solution supply path 73a of the slit nozzle 41a. A three-way valve 710 and a valve 711 are attached to the pipe 71a. A similar structure is also provided on the slit nozzle 41b side. Although not shown in FIG. 4, the three-way valve 710, the valve 711, and the valve 741 are connected to the control unit 6 and are a kind of electromagnetic valve that opens and closes under the control of the control unit 6.

  The three-way valve 710 is provided at a position where the pipe 81a is connected to the pipe 71a, and selectively connects the upstream side of the pipe 71a and the pipe 81a to the slit nozzle 41a (downstream side of the pipe 71a). Specifically, when supplying the resist solution to the slit nozzle 41a, the upstream side of the pipe 71a is opened and the pipe 81a is closed. Thereby, the resist solution fed from the resist pump 72a is supplied to the slit nozzle 41a. On the other hand, when supplying the cleaning liquid to the slit nozzle 41a, the upstream side of the pipe 71a is closed and the pipe 81a is opened. Thereby, the cleaning liquid fed from the pump 82a is supplied to the slit nozzle 41a.

  In addition, an air bleeding mechanism 74a is attached to the slit nozzle 41a. The air vent mechanism 74 a includes an air vent pipe 740 and a valve 741. The air vent pipe 740 is connected to a recovery mechanism (not shown) and is opened and closed by a valve 741.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment, the resist solution and the cleaning solution are supplied from the left and right sides of the slit nozzle 41a, but may be supplied from one central location, for example.

  The standby pots 85a and 85b are provided so that the tips of the standby slit nozzles 41a and 41b do not dry. While the coating process is not performed for a relatively long time, the slit nozzles 41a and 41b mainly wait. Waiting above the pots 85a and 85b.

  The pre-coating mechanisms 86a and 86b are mechanisms for performing pre-coating immediately before the slit nozzles 41a and 41b perform the coating process on the substrate 90. Each of the pre-coating mechanisms 86a and 86b includes a dispense roll, and the slit nozzles 41a and 41b perform preliminary application by discharging a resist solution to the dispense roll. Thereby, the precision in the coating process of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is improved.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the control unit 6 includes an arithmetic unit 60 that processes various data according to a program and a storage unit 61 that stores the program and various data. In addition, an operation unit 62 for an operator to input necessary instructions to the substrate processing apparatus 1 and a display unit 63 for displaying various data are provided on the front surface.

  The control unit 6 is electrically connected to each mechanism attached to the main body 2 by a cable (not shown) in FIG. The control unit 6 controls each component based on data stored in the storage unit 61, input signals from the operation unit 62, signals from the gap sensors 42a and 42b and other various sensors (not shown), and the like. .

  In particular, the control unit 6 causes the storage unit 61 to store maintenance conditions set by the operator operating the operation unit 62. Further, the maintenance conditions stored in the storage unit 61 are appropriately read out, and the linear motors 50 and 51, the supply mechanism 7, the cleaning mechanism 8, and the like are controlled to perform maintenance corresponding to the situation.

  Specifically, a RAM that temporarily stores data, a read-only ROM, a magnetic disk device, and the like correspond to the storage unit 61. Alternatively, it may be a storage medium such as a portable magneto-optical disk or a memory card, and a reading device thereof. The operation unit 62 corresponds to buttons and switches (including a keyboard and a mouse). Or what has the function of the display part 63 like a touchscreen display may be used. The display unit 63 corresponds to a liquid crystal display or various lamps.

  The above is the description of the configuration and function of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment.

<Description of operation>
5 and 6 are flowcharts showing the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. The following operations of the substrate processing apparatus 1 are performed based on the control of the control unit 6 unless otherwise specified.

  First, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs a predetermined initial setting (step S10), and then waits until the substrate 90 is loaded (step S11). The predetermined initial setting is a step of making preparations necessary for the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1. For example, not only the process (reading of data, etc.) performed automatically by the substrate processing apparatus 1 but also a manual setting operation by the operator (addition of a new recipe, setting of maintenance conditions, etc.) is included. Further, initialization maintenance of the slit nozzles 41a and 41b is also performed in the initial setting.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing details of initialization maintenance performed in the initial setting. In the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment, an internal cleaning process and an external cleaning process are performed on the slit nozzles 41a and 41b in the initialization maintenance. Maintenance is not limited to these. Further, since the initialization maintenance is performed for the slit nozzle 41a and the slit nozzle 41b in substantially the same manner, the processing for the slit nozzle 41a will be described here as an example.

  First, the control unit 6 controls the linear motors 50 and 51 to move the slit nozzle 41a above the pre-coating mechanism 86a (step S101).

  When the movement of the slit nozzle 41a is completed, the control unit 6 controls the three-way valve 710 to open the pipe 81a and close the upstream side of the pipe 71a. Further, the valve 711 is controlled to open the downstream side of the pipe 71a. Thereby, the flow path of the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid bottle 80 to the slit nozzle 41a is connected in communication. Further, the control unit 6 opens the valve 741 of the air bleeding mechanism 74a and opens the air bleeding pipe 740.

  Next, the controller 6 drives the pump 82a to supply the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid bottle 80 toward the slit nozzle 41a (step S102), and also performs air bleeding from the slit nozzle 41a (step S103). When step S102 is executed and the cleaning liquid is supplied to the slit nozzle 41a, the supplied cleaning liquid is discharged from the slit nozzle 41a while being fed downstream of the pipe 71a. Thereby, the inside of the slit nozzle 41a is cleaned.

  Further, the cleaning liquid supplied and supplied by the pump 82a overflows from the air vent mechanism 74a. With this cleaning liquid, the air in the slit nozzle 41a is pushed out toward the air bleeding mechanism 74a and discharged toward the collecting mechanism. Therefore, in FIG. 9, for the sake of illustration, step S102 and step S103 are described as separate processes, but actually, these two processes are processes that proceed in parallel. Note that the air vent mechanism 74a may be provided with an air vent pump to forcibly exhaust air.

  When a predetermined time elapses after the driving of the pump 82a is started, the control unit 6 stops the supply of the cleaning liquid by stopping the pump 82a. Next, the three-way valve 710 is controlled to close the pipe 81a and open the upstream side of the pipe 71a. Thereby, the flow path of the resist solution from the resist bottle 70 to the slit nozzle 41a is connected in communication.

  The time for executing step S102 (S103) (substantial cleaning time in the internal cleaning process) is preset as a maintenance condition and stored in the storage unit 61. Thus, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, maintenance conditions preset by the operator are stored in the storage unit 61, and the control unit 6 handles them as a kind of recipe (maintenance recipe), so that necessary maintenance can be performed at an appropriate timing. Can be executed.

  As a specific example, by incorporating necessary maintenance recipes into the substrate processing recipe (ordinary recipe) to be executed below, it becomes possible to execute maintenance without instructions from the operator step by step, thereby promoting automation. Can do. Therefore, the situation that the operator must intervene is reduced, and the burden on the operator can be reduced. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, it is assumed that various conditions required by the control unit 6 in maintenance are preset and stored as maintenance conditions.

  Next, the controller 6 drives the resist pump 72a to supply the resist solution from the resist bottle 70 toward the slit nozzle 41a (step S104). As a result, the cleaning liquid in the slit nozzle 41a, the pipe 71a and the air vent mechanism 74a is pushed out and replaced with the resist liquid.

  When a predetermined time elapses after the driving of the resist pump 72a is started, the control unit 6 stops the supply of the resist solution by stopping the resist pump 72a. Next, the valve 711 is closed to close the downstream side of the pipe 71a, and the valve 741 is closed to close the air vent pipe 740. As a result, the slit nozzle 41a and the pipe 71a are filled with the resist solution, and the internal cleaning process ends.

  When the internal cleaning process is completed, the control unit 6 controls the linear motors 50 and 51 to move the slit nozzle 41a above the standby pot 85a (step S105). At this time, the controller 6 is at a height position at which the cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83a can scan the vicinity of the discharge port of the slit nozzle 41a (a height position at which the slit nozzle 41a and the cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83a do not interfere). The elevating mechanisms 43a and 44a are controlled.

  When the movement of the slit nozzle 41a is completed, the control unit 6 determines whether or not to discharge the cleaning liquid according to the number of scans of the cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83a (step S106), and drives the pump 82a when discharging the cleaning liquid. Then, the cleaning liquid is supplied toward the cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83a. Accordingly, the cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83a scans the slit nozzle 41a (step S108) while discharging the cleaning liquid toward the slit nozzle 41a (step S107). Therefore, the tip of the slit nozzle 41a is washed from the outside. The speed at which the cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83a is scanned can also be set as a maintenance condition.

  On the other hand, when the cleaning liquid is not discharged (No in step S106), step S107 is skipped and the slit nozzle 41a is scanned (step S108). In step S108, since the cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83a ejects nitrogen gas, the slit nozzle 41a is dried by executing step S108 without discharging the cleaning liquid.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, nitrogen gas is blown because step S108 is executed even when step S107 is executed. This is performed for the purpose of preventing the discharged cleaning liquid from being unnecessarily scattered, but if unnecessary, the blowing of nitrogen gas may be stopped during cleaning. Since such a determination also controls each component according to preset maintenance conditions, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can realize processing as necessary.

  Each time step S108 is executed, the control unit 6 counts the number of scans of the cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83a, and repeats the processing of steps S106 to S109 until the predetermined number of times is finished (step S109).

  When the predetermined number of scans are completed by the cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83a, the external cleaning process is ended and the process returns to the process shown in FIG. At this time, the control unit 6 controls the elevating mechanisms 43a and 44a to lower the slit nozzle 41a and cause the tip portion to enter the standby pot 85a. Thereby, drying of the front-end | tip part of the slit nozzle 41a can be suppressed. Hereinafter, the state of the slit nozzles 41a and 41b at this time is referred to as a “standby state”. The above is the initialization maintenance process.

  Returning to FIG. 6, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, when the substrate 90 is transported to a predetermined position by an operator or a transport mechanism (not shown), the lift pins LP of the stage 3 rise and receive the substrate 90. Then, when the lift pins LP are lowered, the substrate 90 is placed at a predetermined position on the holding surface 30 of the stage 3, and the stage 3 sucks and holds the substrate 90. This operation completes the loading of the substrate 90 (determined as Yes in step S11).

  When the loading of the substrate 90 is completed, the substrate processing apparatus 1 ends the maintenance of the slit nozzle 41a, starts the coating process by the slit nozzle 41a (step S12), and continues the process until the coating process is completed ( Step S13). The maintenance in step S12 is not limited to initialization maintenance, but includes maintenance described later. That is, the maintenance for the slit nozzle 41a only needs to be completed before step S12 is executed. More specifically, the slit nozzle 41a is in a standby state when step S12 is executed.

  The coating process by the slit nozzle 41a will be described. First, the lifting mechanisms 43a and 44a and the linear motors 50 and 51 move the slit nozzle 41a above the pre-coating mechanism 86a in response to a control signal from the control unit 6. Next, when the supply mechanism 7 supplies a predetermined amount of resist solution to the slit nozzle 41a, the slit nozzle 41a discharges the resist solution toward the dispense roller of the pre-coating mechanism 86a. Thereby, the preliminary coating process in the substrate processing apparatus 1 is executed, the preparation of the slit nozzle 41a is completed, and the coating process can be performed.

  When the pre-coating process is completed, based on a control signal from the control unit 6, the elevating mechanisms 43a and 44a set the gap sensor 42a attached to the nozzle support unit 40a to a predetermined altitude higher than the thickness of the substrate 90 (hereinafter referred to as the height of the substrate 90). , Referred to as “measuring altitude”).

  When the gap sensor 42a is set to the measurement altitude, the linear motors 50 and 51 move the bridge structure 4a in the (+ X) direction (that is, move only the movers 501a and 511a), thereby causing the gap sensor 42a to move. Move to above the resist coating area. At this time, the control unit 6 controls the position of the gap sensor 42a in the X-axis direction by giving a control signal to the linear motors 50 and 51 based on the detection results of the linear encoders 52a and 53a.

  Next, the gap sensor 42 a starts measuring the gap between the surface of the substrate 90 and the slit nozzle 41 a in the resist coating region on the surface of the substrate 90, and transmits the measurement result to the control unit 6. At this time, the control unit 6 stores the measurement result of the gap sensor 42 a in the storage unit 61.

  When the measurement by the gap sensor 42a is completed, the control unit 6 causes the calculation unit 60 to determine whether the posture of the slit nozzle 41a in the YZ plane is an appropriate posture (the slit nozzle 41a and the resist coating region) based on the detection result from the gap sensor 42a. The position of the nozzle support portion 40a is calculated so that the distance between the nozzle support portion 40a is an appropriate distance for applying the resist solution (hereinafter referred to as "appropriate attitude"). Furthermore, based on the calculation result of the calculating part 60, a control signal is given to each raising / lowering mechanism 43a, 44a. Based on the control signal from the control unit 6, the respective lifting mechanisms 43a and 44a move the nozzle support unit 40a in the Z-axis direction to adjust the slit nozzle 41a to an appropriate posture.

  Thus, in order to realize uniform application of the resist solution, it is necessary to strictly adjust the distance between the slit nozzle 41a and the surface of the substrate 90. In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the control unit 6 adjusts the distance by controlling the elevating mechanisms 43a and 44a according to the detection result of the gap sensor 42a.

  Further, as described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment is provided with the lifting mechanisms 43a, 43b, 44a, 44b and the gap sensors 42a, 42b independently for the slit nozzles 41a, 41b. Such posture adjustment can be performed individually for each of the slit nozzles 41a and 41b. Therefore, even if the substrate processing apparatus 1 processes the substrate 90 of any thickness, it can be processed by any of the slit nozzles 41a and 41b. That is, the processable slit nozzles 41a and 41b are not limited by the thickness of the substrate 90 to be processed.

  Further, the linear motors 50 and 51 move the bridging structure 4a in the X-axis direction and move the slit nozzle 41a to the discharge start position. Here, the ejection start position is a position where the slit nozzle 41a is substantially along one side of the resist coating region.

  When the slit nozzle 41 a moves to the discharge start position, the control unit 6 gives a control signal to the linear motors 50 and 51. Based on the control signal, the linear motors 50 and 51 move the bridging structure 4a in the (+ X) direction so that the slit nozzle 41a scans the surface of the substrate 90. Further, the control unit 6 monitors whether or not the slit nozzle 41a has moved to the discharge end position based on the detection results of the linear encoders 52a and 53a.

  In parallel with the scanning of the slit nozzle 41a, the control unit 6 gives a control signal to the supply mechanism 7, and the supply mechanism 7 drives the registration pump 72a in accordance with this control signal. As a result, the resist solution is supplied from the resist bottle 70 to the slit nozzle 41a via the resist solution supply path 73a provided independently for the slit nozzle 41a. The control unit 6 controls the supply mechanism 7 so that the flow rate of the resist solution discharged from the slit nozzle 41a becomes a flow rate necessary to form a thin film having a desired film thickness. Specifically, the drive speed of the resist pump 72a is controlled.

  By the operation as described above, the slit nozzle 41 a discharges the resist solution to the resist coating region, and a layer (thin film) of the resist solution is formed on the surface of the substrate 90. That is, the coating process by the slit nozzle 41a is performed.

  When the slit nozzle 41 a moves to the discharge end position, the control unit 6 gives a control signal to the supply mechanism 7. Based on the control signal, the supply mechanism 7 stops the registration pump 72a. Thereby, the discharge of the resist solution from the slit nozzle 41a is stopped, and the coating process by the slit nozzle 41a is completed (determined as Yes in step S13). A coating process by a slit nozzle 41b, which will be described later, is performed in substantially the same manner.

  When the coating process by the slit nozzle 41a is completed, the substrate processing apparatus 1 starts maintenance for the slit nozzle 41a (step S14).

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the maintenance performed on the slit nozzle 41a will be described. First, the control unit 6 gives control signals to the lifting mechanisms 43a and 44a and the linear motors 50 and 51 to move up and down. The mechanisms 43a, 44a and the linear motors 50, 51 move the slit nozzle 41a above the standby pot 85a.

  Next, when the supply mechanism 7 supplies a predetermined amount of resist solution to the slit nozzle 41a, the slit nozzle 41a discharges the resist solution to the standby pot 85a. Thereby, for example, air mixed in the slit nozzle 41a can be removed by sucking back at the end of application. Therefore, when the coating process is performed by the slit nozzle 41a next time, the discharge response and the uniformity of the discharge are improved, so that the discharge accuracy of the slit nozzle 41a can be improved. Thus, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment, the air bleeding process can be performed also by the control unit 6, the supply mechanism 7, and the standby pot 85a (pre-coating mechanism 86a). That is, not only the air bleeding mechanism 74a but also these structures have a function as the air bleeding means of the present invention.

  When the air bleeding process is completed, the cleaning mechanism 8 drives the pump 82a to supply the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid bottle 80 to the cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83a, and moves the cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83a in the Y-axis direction. As a result, a cleaning process (similar to the external cleaning process shown in FIG. 7) of the tip of the slit nozzle 41a is performed, and the adhering resist solution and other contaminants are removed. Therefore, when the coating process is performed by the slit nozzle 41a next time, it is possible to prevent particles from adhering to the substrate 90 and the thickness of the film to be formed from being uneven. Accuracy can be improved.

  The above is the content of the maintenance for the slit nozzle 41a in the substrate processing apparatus 1 during the substrate processing. The maintenance for the slit nozzle 41b described later has substantially the same content.

  In parallel with the execution of step S14 and the start of the maintenance for the slit nozzle 41a, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the unloading process of the substrate 90 after the coating process, and the control unit 6 performs the unloading process of the substrate 90. Completion is monitored (step S15). In the unloading process of the substrate 90, first, the stage 3 stops the suction of the substrate 90 and raises the lift pin LP to lift the substrate 90 to a predetermined height position. The substrate 90 in this state is received by the operator or the transport mechanism, transported to the next processing step, and the unloading process of the substrate 90 is completed (determined as Yes in step S15).

  When the unloading process of the substrate 90 is completed, the substrate processing apparatus 1 ends the operation depending on whether or not there is a substrate 90 to be further processed (hereinafter, the substrate 90 to be processed next is referred to as “substrate 91”). Whether or not to do so is determined (step S16), and if the substrate 91 does not exist (Yes in step S16), the process ends.

  On the other hand, when the substrate 91 is present (No in step S16), the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs a loading operation on the substrate 91 and monitors the completion of the loading operation (step S21).

  When the carry-in of the substrate 91 is completed, the maintenance of the slit nozzle 41b is finished and the coating process by the slit nozzle 41b is started (step S22). The coating process using the slit nozzle 41b is performed in substantially the same manner as the coating process using the slit nozzle 41a.

  As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the slit nozzle 41b performs the coating process on the substrate 91, so that it is not necessary to end the maintenance for the slit nozzle 41a when the substrate 91 is loaded. That is, in the conventional apparatus, after the execution of step S14, only the time for carrying in / out the substrate (corresponding to the time during which steps S15, S16, and S21 are executed) can be used for maintenance. In the processing apparatus 1, the time during which steps S15 and S16, steps S21 to S26, and step S11 are executed can be used for the maintenance time of the slit nozzle 41a. Therefore, even if maintenance that requires a relatively long time, such as an air bleeding process, is performed without stopping the substrate processing apparatus 1, the tact time for the substrate 90 does not increase.

  When the coating process by the slit nozzle 41b on the substrate 91 is completed (Yes in step S23), the substrate processing apparatus 1 starts the maintenance of the slit nozzle 41b (step S24), and starts the unloading operation of the substrate 91. The completion of the work is monitored (step S25).

  When the unloading of the substrate 91 is completed, it is determined whether or not the operation is finished by determining whether or not there is a substrate 90 to be further processed (step S26). Ends the process.

  On the other hand, if there is a substrate 90 to be processed, the process returns to step S11 to continue the process. In this way, the substrate processing apparatus 1 continues the processes of steps S11 to S16 and steps S21 to S26 until there is no substrate 90 to be processed (until determined as No in step S16 or step S26).

  As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes the plurality of slit nozzles 41 a and 41 b that discharge the resist solution toward almost the entire resist coating region of the substrate 90 held on the stage 3. Of the plurality of slit nozzles 41a and 41b, maintenance is performed on the slit nozzles that are not ejecting to the substrate 90, so that the other slit nozzles can be sufficiently cleaned while the processing on the substrate 90 is continued. it can.

  The intervals between the lifting means 43a, 44a, 43b, 44b that lift and lower the plurality of slit nozzles 41a, 41b independently and the substrate 90 held on the stage 3 for each of the plurality of slit nozzles 41a, 41b is set. Gap sensors 42a and 42b for measurement, and by raising and lowering the plurality of slit nozzles 41a and 41b in accordance with the measurement results by the gap sensors 42a and 42b, how are all of the plurality of slit nozzles 41a and 41b? It is possible to deal with a substrate 90 having a large thickness.

  Further, by adopting linear motors 50 and 51 as a mechanism for moving the bridging structures 4a and 4b in the X-axis direction, an increase in footprint can be prevented.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the resist solutions supplied to the slit nozzles 41a and 41b are both supplied from the resist bottle 70 and are common resist solutions. However, the resist bottles 70 connected to the resist solution supply paths 73 a and 73 b may be provided separately, and different resist solutions may be stored in the resist bottles 70. That is, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment may be configured such that the slit nozzles 41a and 41b discharge different processing liquids because the resist liquid supply paths 73a and 73b are independently provided. . In this case, different processing liquids are applied to the substrate 90 and the substrate 91, but even in that case, sufficient maintenance time can be secured for the slit nozzles 41a and 41b.

  Further, the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning mechanism 8 to the cleaning liquid discharge mechanisms 83a and 83b is supplied from the cleaning liquid bottle 80, and is a common cleaning liquid. However, the cleaning liquid bottles 80 connected to the cleaning liquid supply paths 84 a and 84 b may be provided separately, and different cleaning liquids may be stored in the cleaning liquid bottles 80. That is, since the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment is provided with the cleaning liquid supply paths 84a and 84b, respectively, for example, an optimal cleaning liquid is used according to the processing liquid used by the slit nozzles 41a and 41b. You may comprise so that each slit nozzle 41a, 41b may be wash | cleaned.

  Further, when it is difficult to complete the maintenance in step S14 (or S24) (maintenance during the substrate processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1) while processing one substrate, the slit nozzles 41a and 41b are continuously two. The substrate may be coated. That is, it is only necessary to determine how many substrates are processed to replace the slit nozzle 41a and the slit nozzle 41b according to the time required for the maintenance to be performed.

<2. Second Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, the method of ensuring the maintenance time of the slit nozzles 41a and 41b by performing the coating process alternately by the slit nozzles 41a and 41b has been described. However, the maintenance is not limited to what is performed during the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1, for example, maintenance that disassembles and cleans or replaces the slit nozzle due to abnormality of the slit nozzle (hereinafter, referred to as “removal”). Also referred to as “recovery maintenance”. The recovery maintenance is a maintenance that requires a relatively long time and generally requires work by an operator. Therefore, conventionally, the apparatus is stopped, and the operation of the apparatus is restarted by an instruction from the operator when the maintenance is completed. The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention can suppress an increase in tact time even when such recovery maintenance is performed.

  FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are flowcharts showing the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the second embodiment configured based on such a principle. In addition, since the structure of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in 2nd Embodiment is as substantially the same as the substrate processing apparatus 1 in 1st Embodiment, the description regarding a structure is abbreviate | omitted.

  First, when the initial setting (not shown) is completed, it is determined whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the slit nozzle 41a (step S31). If an abnormality has occurred, recovery maintenance of the slit nozzle 41a is started (step S41). ). In addition, the process when abnormality is discovered by the slit nozzle 41a by performing step S31 is mentioned later. In addition, the detection of abnormality may be detected according to the inspection result of the processed substrate 90, the operation from the operator, or the like, and occurs periodically when a predetermined number of processes are performed. There may be.

  On the other hand, when no abnormality has occurred in the slit nozzle 41a, the substrate 90 is carried in and the completion of the carrying-in operation is monitored (step S32).

  When the substrate 90 is carried in, the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment ends the maintenance of the slit nozzle 41a and starts the coating process by the slit nozzle 41a (step S33). The coating process in the present embodiment is the same as the coating process in the first embodiment, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  When it is detected by the execution of step S34 that the coating process by the slit nozzle 41a is completed, the maintenance of the slit nozzle 41a is started (step S35), and the substrate 90 is carried out.

  When completion of unloading of the substrate 90 is detected by execution of step S36, it is determined whether or not there is a substrate 90 to be further processed (step S37). It returns to step S31 and continues a process. On the other hand, if there is no substrate 90 to be processed, the process is terminated.

  That is, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment is different from the conventional apparatus by the slit nozzle 41a until an abnormality that requires recovery maintenance occurs for the slit nozzle 41a (until determined as Yes in step S31). Almost the same processing is performed. Therefore, during the operation, the maintenance performed on the slit nozzle 41a mainly ends during the time during which the substrate 90 is carried in and out (time during which steps S36, S37, S31, and S32 are executed). is there.

  When an abnormality of the slit nozzle 41a is detected during the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the second embodiment (Yes in Step S31), Step S41 is executed as described above to perform recovery maintenance of the slit nozzle 41a. Start.

  Further, the completion of the loading operation of the substrate 90 is monitored while loading the substrate 90 to be processed (step S42). And when the board | substrate 90 is carried in, the maintenance of the slit nozzle 41b will be complete | finished and the coating process by the slit nozzle 41b will be started (step S43).

  That is, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment continues the coating process using the slit nozzle 41b when the slit nozzle 41a needs to be restored. In such a case, in such a case, it is necessary to stop the operation (line stop) and perform recovery maintenance, and during that time, the substrate 90 cannot be processed at all. However, the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment does not need to stop the line even in such a case, and can suppress an increase in tact time due to recovery maintenance.

  When the coating process by the slit nozzle 41b is completed by performing step S44, the substrate processing apparatus 1 starts maintenance of the slit nozzle 41b (step S45) and unloads the substrate 90.

  Further, when the completion of the unloading of the substrate 90 is detected by executing step S46, it is determined whether or not the recovery maintenance for the slit nozzle 41a is completed (step S47). Returning to step S37, the processing is continued.

  If the recovery maintenance for the slit nozzle 41a is not completed, it is determined whether or not there is a substrate 90 to be further processed (step S48). If there is a substrate 90 to be processed, step S42 is determined. Return to and continue processing. On the other hand, if there is no substrate 90 to be processed, the process is terminated.

  As described above, also in the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the second embodiment, an increase in tact time due to maintenance can be suppressed as in the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the first embodiment.

  Note that the recovery maintenance is not limited to the maintenance required when the prediction is impossible such as “abnormal”. For example, maintenance that can be predicted to be performed, such as a resist solution replacement process, is also included.

<3. Third Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, the example in which the internal cleaning process that requires a relatively long time is executed only in the initial setting has been described. However, by appropriately setting the maintenance conditions, the internal cleaning process can be performed while the coating process is continued after the coating process in the substrate processing apparatus 1 is started.

  10 and 11 are flowcharts showing the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the third embodiment. Note that the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment is substantially the same as that of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  First, as in steps S10 and S11 in the first embodiment, initial setting (step S51) and confirmation of completion of loading of the substrate 90 are performed (step S52).

  When the substrate 90 is carried in, the control unit 6 determines whether or not the maintenance for the slit nozzle 41a has been completed (step S53). If the maintenance for the slit nozzle 41a is being performed, the control is further performed. It is determined whether or not the maintenance for is completed (step S54). That is, the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment waits for the coating process while repeating steps S53 and S54 until either the slit nozzle 41a or the slit nozzle 41b becomes usable.

  When the slit nozzle 41a can be used (Yes in step S53), the coating process by the slit nozzle 41a is started (step S55). When the slit nozzle 41b can be used (Yes in step S54), the coating process by the slit nozzle 41b. Is started (step S56). In this manner, the slit nozzle 41a and the slit nozzle 41b that are selected as the slit nozzles that perform the coating process on the substrate 90 are hereinafter referred to as “target slit nozzles”. Note that the coating process using the target slit nozzle is the same as the coating process described in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  When the application process using the target slit nozzle is completed (Yes in step S61), the control unit 6 increments the number of times the target slit nozzle is used. The number of times of use is the number of times that the target slit nozzle has continuously applied the coating process since the previous internal cleaning process. Thereby, in the subsequent process, the control unit 6 can know how many times the slit nozzles 41a and 41b have performed the coating process continuously.

  Next, the control unit 6 starts a maintenance process (step S62) and monitors completion of unloading the substrate 90 (step S63). That is, the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment starts the maintenance process in step S62, but continues the coating process without waiting for the end of the maintenance process.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the maintenance process in the third embodiment. In the maintenance process, first, a slit nozzle check is performed (step S71). The slit nozzle check is a process for specifying a slit nozzle for performing a maintenance process. In the present embodiment, a slit nozzle (target slit nozzle) that has performed a previous coating process is selected.

  When the target slit nozzle is determined, the control unit 6 refers to the counted number of times of use of the target slit nozzle and determines whether or not the target slit nozzle has been used a predetermined number of times (step S72). The predetermined number of times as a determination criterion at this time is previously input and set as a maintenance condition by the operator. The control unit 6 performs the determination in step S72 by referring to the set value stored as a predetermined number of times in the storage unit 61.

  If it has been used a predetermined number of times, the controller 6 controls the linear motors 50 and 51 to move the target slit nozzle above the pre-coating mechanism 86a (or pre-coating mechanism 86b) (step S73). When the movement of the target slit nozzle is completed, an internal cleaning process (step S74) is executed. Note that the internal cleaning process in step S74 is substantially the same as the process in steps S102 to S104 (FIG. 7) in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  On the other hand, if it has not been used a predetermined number of times, steps S73 and S74 are skipped in order to omit the internal cleaning process.

  Next, the control unit 6 controls the linear motors 50 and 51 to move the target slit nozzle above the standby pot 85a (or standby pot 85b) (step S75). When the movement of the target slit nozzle is completed, an external cleaning process (step S76) is executed. Note that the external cleaning process in step S76 is substantially the same as the process in steps S106 to S109 (FIG. 7) in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  In this way, the control unit 6 performs the internal cleaning process (step S74) and the external cleaning process (step S76) after the coating process is completed for the slit nozzles 41a and 41b that have been applied for a predetermined number of times. Are executed continuously. On the other hand, only the external cleaning process (step S76) is performed after the coating process for the slit nozzles 41a and 41b whose continuous use count has not yet reached the predetermined number. As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the control unit 6 can properly maintain the state of the slit nozzles 41a and 41b by appropriately performing necessary maintenance according to the maintenance conditions.

  When the external cleaning process is completed, the control unit 6 controls the elevating mechanisms 43a and 44a (or elevating mechanisms 43b and 44b) to lower the target slit nozzle and place the tip in the standby pot 85a (or the standby pot 85b). To invade. That is, the target slit nozzle is moved to the standby position (step S77).

  The maintenance process ends as described above. As described above, the maintenance process is started in step S62 (FIG. 11), but the coating process is continued without waiting for the end of the maintenance process. Therefore, even if the maintenance process is not completed, when the unloading of the substrate 90 is completed, it is determined whether or not there is a substrate 90 to be further processed (step S64), and there is still a substrate 90 to be subjected to the coating process. In this case, the process returns to step S52 (FIG. 10) to repeat the process.

  However, since the slit nozzles 41a and 41b that are the target of the maintenance process cannot be applied, the target slit is not specified until the process of step S77 is completed after being identified as the target slit nozzle in step S71. The status of the nozzle is “in maintenance”. In Steps S53 and S54 (FIG. 10), the control unit 6 refers to this status to determine the slit nozzles 41a and 41b for performing the coating process next.

  Thus, since the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment includes the plurality of slit nozzles 41a and 41b, if any of them can be used (Yes in steps S53 and S54), the coating process is performed. Can be executed. Accordingly, the coating process can be continued with the other slit nozzle while performing maintenance that requires a relatively long time like the internal cleaning process for one slit nozzle, and the processing efficiency of the substrate 90 can be improved.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, there may be a state in which maintenance processing is performed in parallel with respect to the slit nozzles 41a and 41b, but in that case, until any maintenance processing is completed. Then, the coating process is waited while repeating the processes of steps S53 and S54.

  If it is determined in step S64 that there is no further substrate 90 to be processed, the substrate processing apparatus 1 ends the process after waiting for the end of the maintenance process.

  As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment can also obtain the same effects as those in the above embodiment.

  As shown in the present embodiment, when the slit nozzles 41a and 41b are alternately used from the start of the coating process, the predetermined number of times is reached almost simultaneously, and the internal cleaning process (step S74) is required almost simultaneously. In this case, both slit nozzles 41a and 41b become unusable for a relatively long time. Therefore, for example, the alternate operation may be started after the coating process is performed by only the slit nozzle 41a for the first fixed number of sheets.

<4. Fourth Embodiment>
Since the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes the independent resist solution supply paths 73a and 73b, it has been described in the first embodiment that different resist solutions can be supplied and different coating processes can be performed alternately. . However, when a plurality of types of resist solutions are used, it is also possible to operate so as to ensure time for replacing the resist solution.

  The principle of the present embodiment will be briefly described below. The resist solution supplied to the slit nozzle 41b is replaced with the resist solution B while the coating process using the resist solution A is executed only by the slit nozzle 41a. Thereby, the maintenance time for exchanging to the resist liquid B is securable.

  When the replacement with the resist solution B is completed, the coating process is alternately performed by the slit nozzle 41a and the slit nozzle 41b. Thereby, the maintenance time of the external cleaning process of each slit nozzle 41a, 41b is securable.

  Further, when the coating process for coating the resist solution A is completed, the resist solution A is replaced with the resist solution C while continuing the coating process only with the slit nozzle 41b. Thereby, the maintenance time for replacing | exchanging to the resist liquid C is securable.

  As described above, if it is clear from a manufacturing plan or the like how many substrates 90 are processed with which resist solution in advance, efficient operation can be performed by setting this as a maintenance condition.

<5. Fifth embodiment>
As the maintenance performed to remove the resist solution adhering to the slit nozzles 41a and 41b, the above embodiment has mainly described the external cleaning process, but the method of removing the resist solution is not limited to this. .

  FIG. 13 is a view showing a removal mechanism 75 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the fifth embodiment configured based on such a principle. In FIG. 13, only one removal mechanism 75 is shown, but the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment includes two removal mechanisms 75, which are arranged above the standby pots 85a and 85b, respectively. ing.

  The removal mechanism 75 includes a base 750, a pair of scraping members 751, a feed nut portion 752, a ball screw 753, and a rotation motor (not shown).

  The base 750 is a plate-like member, and a pair of scraping members 751 are arranged and fixed on the (+ Z) side surface in the Y-axis direction. The scraping member 751 is a plate-shaped resin member, and as shown in FIG. 13, a notch 751a is formed in the upper part. The notch 751a has a shape that meets the tip of the slit nozzles 41a and 41b. Note that the number and shape of the scraping members 751 are not limited to those shown in FIG.

  A feed nut portion 752 is fixed to the (−Z) side surface of the base 750. A screw hole penetrating in the Y-axis direction is formed in the feed nut portion 752 that is a substantially box-shaped member, and a ball screw 753 is screwed into the screw hole.

  The ball screw 753 is disposed along the Y-axis, and the length in the Y-axis direction is equal to or longer than the length of the slit nozzles 41a and 41b in the Y-axis direction. In addition, a rotary motor is attached to one end of the ball screw 753, and the ball screw 753 rotates about an axis substantially parallel to the Y axis by driving the rotary motor. Note that the base 750 is in contact with a guide member (not shown) and is not rotated by the rotation of the ball screw 753. Therefore, when the ball screw 753 is rotated by the rotary motor, the feed nut portion 752 moves in the Y-axis direction together with the base 750 and the pair of scraping members 751. Further, the rotation direction and the rotation speed of the rotary motor can be adjusted by the control from the control unit 6.

  A method of removing the resist solution adhering to the slit nozzles 41a and 41b by the removing mechanism 75 having the above configuration (hereinafter referred to as “removal process”) will be described. However, since the methods for the slit nozzles 41a and 41b are substantially the same, only the slit nozzle 41a will be described here.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the removal process is performed following the external cleaning process for the slit nozzle 41a (the same process as steps S106 to S109 shown in FIG. 7).

  First, the controller 6 controls the linear motors 50 and 51 and the elevating mechanisms 43a and 44a to move the slit nozzle 41a that has undergone the external cleaning process above the removal mechanism 75. Further, the slit nozzle 41a is slightly lowered by the elevating mechanisms 43a and 44a, and the leading end portion of the slit nozzle 41a is pressed so as to meet the notch portion 751a of the scraping member 751.

  In this state, the control unit 6 drives the rotary motor to rotate the ball screw 753. As a result, the scraping member 751 moves in the Y-axis direction while the scraping member 751 is in contact with the tip of the slit nozzle 41a. Therefore, the adhering matter adhering to the slit nozzle 41a is scraped off and removed by the scraping member 751.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment, resin is used as the material of the scraping member 751, but any material can be used as long as it is softer than the material forming the slit nozzles 41a and 41b. Good. The scraping member 751 may be attached to the base 750 via a member (for example, a spring or rubber) that biases the scraping member 751 in the (+ Z) direction.

  The control unit 6 repeats scanning as many times as set in the maintenance condition, and then ends the removal process.

  As described above, even if the maintenance means is a mechanism that scrapes and removes the resist solution like the removal mechanism 75, the same effect as the above embodiment can be obtained.

  Instead of the scraping member 751, the removal process can be realized by using a cloth wiping member. In this case, you may comprise so that the adhering resist liquid may be wiped off by winding up a roller-shaped wiping member.

<6. Modification>
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made.

  For example, in either of the slit nozzles 41a and 41b, the maintenance is performed while alternately performing the coating process by the slit nozzles 41a and 41b as in the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the first embodiment until the maintenance is required. However, as in the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the second embodiment, the processing may be performed using the slit nozzle that does not require maintenance.

  Further, each of the cleaning liquid discharge mechanisms 83a and 83b and the pre-coating mechanisms 86a and 86b may be any one. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a side section of the main body 2a of the substrate processing apparatus 1 configured based on such a principle, and main components related to the application operation of the resist solution. The main body 2a shown in FIG. 14 is not provided with a configuration corresponding to the cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83b and the pre-coating mechanism 86b of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the above embodiment. Even with such a configuration, for example, an operation similar to that of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the second embodiment can be performed. That is, normally, the coating process is performed by the slit nozzle 41a. When recovery maintenance such as disassembly maintenance is required for the slit nozzle 41a, the slit nozzle 41a is largely retracted and then the coating process by the slit nozzle 41b is performed. Do. At this time, maintenance during operation of the slit nozzle 41b is performed in the opening 32a. That is, the cleaning liquid discharge mechanism 83a discharges the cleaning liquid while the slit nozzle 41b is waiting above the standby pot 85a, thereby cleaning the slit nozzle 41b and pre-coating when the slit nozzle 41b performs a pre-coating process. An application mechanism 86a is used. Even with this configuration, for example, the same effect as the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the second embodiment can be obtained.

  Further, the slit nozzles 41a and 41b may have different widths in the longitudinal direction (Y-axis direction). In that case, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can cope with substrates having different widths.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the main component concerning the application | coating operation | movement of a resist liquid while showing the side cross section of the main body of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the supply path | route of the resist liquid and the washing | cleaning liquid in a substrate processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the detail of the resist liquid supply path of a slit nozzle. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the substrate processing apparatus in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the substrate processing apparatus in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the initialization maintenance in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the substrate processing apparatus in 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the substrate processing apparatus in 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the substrate processing apparatus in 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the substrate processing apparatus in 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the maintenance process in 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the removal mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus in 5th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the side cross section of the main-body part of the substrate processing apparatus in a modification, and the main components which concern on the application | coating operation | movement of a resist liquid.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate processing apparatus 2,2a Main body part 3 Stage 30 Holding surface 41a, 41b Slit nozzle 42a, 42b Gap sensor 43a, 43b, 44a, 44b Lifting mechanism 4a, 4b Crosslinking structure 50, 51 Linear motor 6 Control part 61 Memory | storage part 62 Operation unit (acquisition means)
7 Supply mechanism 73a, 73b Resist liquid supply path 74a Air vent mechanism 75 Removal mechanism 8 Cleaning mechanism 80 Cleaning liquid bottle 84a, 84b Cleaning liquid supply path 85a, 85b Standby pot 90, 91 Substrate

Claims (9)

A substrate processing apparatus for applying a predetermined processing liquid to an application region of a substrate,
Holding means for holding one substrate;
A plurality of slit nozzles for discharging the predetermined processing liquid from a linear discharge port toward substantially the entire coating area of the substrate held by the holding means;
A supply mechanism for supplying the predetermined processing liquid to the plurality of slit nozzles;
Elevating means for independently elevating and lowering the plurality of slit nozzles;
A moving means for moving the substrate held by the holding means and the plurality of slit nozzles independently in a direction along the surface of the substrate;
Maintenance means for performing predetermined maintenance on the plurality of slit nozzles;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The maintenance means includes
A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a cleaning unit that cleans a slit nozzle that is not ejected to the substrate with a predetermined cleaning liquid. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2,
The cleaning means comprises:
A substrate processing apparatus comprising an independent cleaning liquid supply path for each of the plurality of slit nozzles. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The maintenance means includes
A substrate processing apparatus, further comprising an air venting unit that vents air from a slit nozzle that is not ejecting the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
The supply mechanism is
A substrate processing apparatus comprising a plurality of independent processing liquid supply paths for the plurality of slit nozzles. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
Acquisition means for acquiring maintenance conditions;
Storage means for storing the maintenance conditions acquired by the acquisition means;
Control means for controlling the maintenance means based on maintenance conditions stored in the storage means;
A substrate processing apparatus further comprising: A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
For each of the plurality of slit nozzles, further comprising a measuring means for measuring an interval between the substrate held by the holding means,
The lifting means is
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the plurality of slit nozzles are moved up and down in accordance with a measurement result by the measuring means. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the moving means is a linear motor. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the plurality of slit nozzles include ones having different longitudinal widths.

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