JP2009267022A - Application apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an application apparatus capable of improving the efficiency of maintenance and preventing adhesion of dust, dirt or the like to a surface of a substrate carrying unit. <P>SOLUTION: In the application apparatus including an application unit for applying a liquid to a substrate while carrying the substrate by the substrate carrying unit, the application unit has a nozzle for discharging the liquid and includes a moving mechanism capable of moving the application unit up to an area in which an operator can access the nozzle in a carrying direction of the substrate or in the reverse direction to the carrying direction of the substrate. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a coating apparatus.

  On a glass substrate constituting a display panel such as a liquid crystal display, fine patterns such as wirings, electrodes, and color filters are formed. In general, such a pattern is formed by a technique such as photolithography. In the photolithography method, a step of forming a resist film on a glass substrate, a step of pattern exposing the resist film, and a step of developing the resist film are performed.

  As an apparatus for applying a resist film on the surface of a substrate, there is known an application apparatus that fixes a slit nozzle and applies a resist to a glass substrate that moves under the slit nozzle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). For example, if the resist solidifies and adheres to the tip of the slit nozzle, the coating performance deteriorates, such as uneven coating. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the tip of the slit nozzle during maintenance.

The cleaning of the slit nozzle tip is usually performed by the operator manually wiping off foreign matter adhering to the slit nozzle tip. Since the slit nozzle is provided on the stage for transporting the substrate, conventionally, an operator climbs on the stage to access the slit nozzle.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-236092

  However, the stage is designed for transporting the substrate and is not supposed to be entered by an operator. For this reason, when an operator tries to work safely on the stage, the maintenance process becomes complicated. Further, when an operator climbs on the stage, there is a possibility that dust or dirt may adhere to the stage.

  In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a coating apparatus capable of improving the efficiency of maintenance and preventing dust and dirt from adhering to the substrate transport section.

  In order to achieve the above object, a coating apparatus according to the present invention is a coating apparatus including a coating unit that applies a liquid material to a substrate while the substrate is transported by the substrate transport unit, and the coating unit includes the liquid material And a moving mechanism that moves the coating unit in a direction opposite to the substrate transport direction or the substrate transport direction to an area where an operator can access the nozzle. And

  According to the present invention, the coating unit of the coating apparatus including the coating unit that applies the liquid material to the substrate while the substrate is transported by the substrate transport unit includes the nozzle that discharges the liquid material, Since it is equipped with a moving mechanism that moves the coating unit in the substrate transport direction or in the direction opposite to the substrate transport direction to an accessible area, the nozzle is cleaned without the operator climbing directly onto the substrate transport unit. Maintenance such as is possible. Thereby, it is possible to improve maintenance efficiency and prevent dust and dirt from adhering to the substrate transfer unit.

In the coating apparatus, the moving mechanism moves the coating unit on the substrate transport unit with at least one end of the substrate carry-in side and the substrate carry-out side in the substrate transport direction as the region. It is characterized by.
According to the present invention, the moving mechanism is on the substrate transport unit, and the coating unit is moved using at least one end of the substrate carry-in side and the substrate carry-out side in the substrate carrying direction as an area accessible to the operator. As a result, it is possible to make it easier for the operator to access the nozzle.

In the coating apparatus, the moving mechanism moves the coating unit using the portion exceeding the end of the substrate transport unit on one of the substrate carry-in side and the substrate carry-out side in the substrate transport direction as the region. It is characterized by.
According to the present invention, the moving mechanism moves the coating unit using the portion exceeding the end of at least one of the substrate carrying units in the substrate carrying direction and the substrate carrying out side in the substrate carrying direction as an area accessible to the operator. As a result, the operator can access the nozzle at a position off the substrate transfer unit. Thereby, it can prevent more reliably that dust, dust, etc. adhere on a substrate conveyance part.

The coating apparatus further includes a holding mechanism that holds the coating unit at a predetermined position on the substrate transport unit.
According to the present invention, since the holding unit that holds the coating unit at a predetermined position on the substrate transport unit is further provided, the position of the coating unit can be further stabilized. This makes it easier for the operator to access the nozzle.

The coating apparatus further includes a management unit that is provided on the substrate transport unit and manages the state of the nozzle.
According to the present invention, since it is further provided with a management unit that is provided on the substrate transfer unit and manages the state of the nozzles, in addition to managing the state of the nozzles by the management unit, the nozzles are efficiently handled by the operator. As a result, the coating device with high maintainability can be obtained.

The coating apparatus further includes a management unit moving mechanism that moves the management unit to at least one of the substrate carry-in side and the substrate carry-out side.
According to the present invention, since the management unit moving mechanism for moving the management unit to at least one of the substrate carry-in side and the substrate carry-out side is further provided, the position of the management unit is moved according to the movement position of the nozzle. Can do. Thereby, the maintenance of the nozzle by the operator can be performed more efficiently. Further, the management unit can be maintained in the same manner as the nozzle by moving the management unit by the management unit moving mechanism.

In the coating apparatus, the management unit is disposed on the region, and the moving mechanism moves the coating unit on the management unit.
According to the present invention, since the management unit is arranged on the area accessible to the operator and the moving mechanism moves the application unit on the management unit, the management unit is managed below the nozzle during the maintenance of the nozzle. The part can be moved. By arranging the management unit between the nozzle and the substrate transport unit, for example, it is possible to prevent the liquid material solidified on the substrate transport unit from falling from the nozzle during maintenance such as nozzle cleaning. The part can be kept clean.

In the coating apparatus, the moving mechanism moves the coating unit beyond the management unit.
According to the present invention, since the moving mechanism moves the application unit beyond the management unit, the movement position of the application unit can be set regardless of the position of the management unit. Thereby, an operator can perform maintenance of a nozzle still more easily.

In the coating apparatus, the management unit moving mechanism moves the management unit in conjunction with the movement of the coating unit.
According to the present invention, since the management unit moving mechanism moves the management unit in conjunction with the movement of the application unit, the movement time is shortened compared to the case where the application unit and the management unit are moved separately. And movement control can be performed more easily.

In the coating apparatus, a plurality of the coating units are provided.
According to the present invention, since a plurality of application portions are provided, nozzle maintenance is performed on the remaining application portions while, for example, one of the plurality of application portions is applying the liquid material. It can be carried out. Thereby, a processing tact can be shortened, a coating device having high coating performance and good maintainability can be obtained.

In the coating apparatus, the moving mechanism moves a part of the coating unit to the substrate carry-in side in the transport direction, and moves the remaining coating unit to the substrate carry-out side.
According to the present invention, when a plurality of application units are provided, a part of the application units are moved to the substrate carry-in side in the transport direction, and the remaining application units are moved to the substrate carry-out side. Nozzle maintenance can be performed simultaneously on both the substrate carry-in side and the substrate carry-out side of the coating portion. Thereby, the time required for maintenance can be shortened. In addition, since the maintenance can be performed by sharing the plurality of application units, the burden on the operator can be reduced.

The coating apparatus is characterized in that the nozzle is rotatably provided so as to be inclined toward the region.
According to the present invention, since the nozzle is rotatably provided so as to be inclined toward the region, the nozzle can be directed toward the worker when the worker accesses the nozzle. Thereby, the operator can perform maintenance of the nozzle easily.

In the coating apparatus, the substrate transport unit further includes a levitation mechanism that levitates the substrate.
When an operator climbs directly onto the substrate transport unit and performs work, dust or dust easily adheres to the substrate transport unit. In the case where the substrate transport unit includes a levitation mechanism that levitates the substrate, the dust or dust may adhere to the substrate, which may degrade the quality of the substrate. According to the present invention, since it is not necessary for the operator to climb directly onto the substrate transport unit to perform work, it is possible to prevent dust and dirt from adhering to the substrate transport unit. Thereby, the deterioration of the quality of the substrate can be avoided.

  According to the present invention, the coating unit of the coating apparatus including the coating unit that applies the liquid material to the substrate while the substrate is transported by the substrate transport unit includes the nozzle that discharges the liquid material, Since it is equipped with a moving mechanism that moves the coating unit in the substrate transport direction or in the direction opposite to the substrate transport direction to an accessible area, the nozzle is cleaned without the operator climbing directly onto the substrate transport unit. Maintenance such as is possible. Thereby, it is possible to improve maintenance efficiency and prevent dust and dirt from adhering to the substrate transfer unit.

[First Embodiment]
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coating apparatus 1 according to this embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, a coating apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is a coating apparatus that coats a resist on a glass substrate used for a liquid crystal panel, for example, and includes a substrate transport unit 2, a coating unit 3, and a management unit. 4 is the main component. In the coating apparatus 1, a resist is applied onto the substrate by the coating unit 3 while the substrate is lifted and transported by the substrate transport unit 2, and the state of the coating unit 3 is managed by the management unit 4. It has become so.

  2 is a front view of the coating apparatus 1, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the coating apparatus 1, and FIG. The detailed configuration of the coating apparatus 1 will be described with reference to these drawings. Hereinafter, in describing the configuration of the coating apparatus 1, for simplicity of description, directions in the drawing will be described using an XYZ coordinate system. The substrate transport direction is the longitudinal direction of the substrate transport unit 2 and the substrate transport direction is referred to as the X direction. A direction orthogonal to the X direction (substrate transport direction) in plan view is referred to as a Y direction. A direction perpendicular to the plane including the X direction axis and the Y direction axis is referred to as a Z direction. In each of the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction, the arrow direction in the figure is the + direction, and the direction opposite to the arrow direction is the-direction.

(Substrate transport section)
First, the structure of the board | substrate conveyance part 2 is demonstrated.
The substrate transport unit 2 includes a substrate carry-in region 20, a coating processing region 21, a substrate carry-out region 22, a transport mechanism 23, and a frame unit 24 that supports them. In the substrate transport unit 2, the transport mechanism 23 transports the substrate S sequentially to the substrate carry-in area 20, the coating processing area 21, and the substrate carry-out area 22. The substrate carry-in area 20, the coating treatment area 21, and the substrate carry-out area 22 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the substrate carrying direction. The transport mechanism 23 is provided on one side of each part so as to straddle each part of the substrate carry-in area 20, the coating treatment area 21, and the substrate carry-out area 22.

The substrate carry-in area 20 is an area for carrying the substrate S carried from the outside of the apparatus, and has a carry-in stage 25 and a lift mechanism 26.
The carry-in stage 25 is provided at the center in the Y direction on the frame portion 24, and is a rectangular plate-like member made of, for example, SUS or the like in plan view. The carry-in stage 25 has a long X direction. The carry-in stage 25 is provided with a plurality of air ejection holes 25a and a plurality of elevating pin retracting holes 25b. The air ejection holes 25 a and the lifting pin retracting holes 25 b are provided so as to penetrate the carry-in stage 25.

  The air ejection holes 25a are holes for ejecting air onto the stage surface 25c of the carry-in side stage 25. For example, the air ejection holes 25a are arranged in a matrix in a plan view in a region of the carry-in side stage 25 through which the substrate S passes. An air supply source (not shown) is connected to the air ejection hole 25a. In the carry-in stage 25, the substrate S can be floated in the + Z direction by the air ejected from the air ejection holes 25a.

  The elevating pin retracting hole 25b is provided in an area of the loading side stage 25 where the substrate S is loaded. The elevating pin retracting hole 25b is configured such that air supplied to the stage surface 25c does not leak out.

  One alignment device 25d is provided at each end of the carry-in stage 25 in the Y direction. The alignment device 25d is a device that aligns the position of the substrate S carried into the carry-in stage 25. Each alignment device 25d includes a long hole and an alignment member provided in the long hole, and mechanically holds the substrate loaded into the loading stage 25 from both sides.

  The lift mechanism 26 is provided on the back side of the substrate loading position of the loading side stage 25. The lift mechanism 26 includes an elevating member 26a and a plurality of elevating pins 26b. The elevating member 26a is connected to a driving mechanism (not shown), and the elevating member 26a is moved in the Z direction by driving the driving mechanism. The plurality of elevating pins 26b are erected from the upper surface of the elevating member 26a toward the carry-in stage 25. Each raising / lowering pin 26b is arrange | positioned in the position which overlaps with said raising / lowering pin retracting hole 25b, respectively by planar view. As the elevating member 26a moves in the Z direction, each elevating pin 26b appears and disappears on the stage surface 25c from the elevating pin appearing hole 25b. Ends in the + Z direction of the lift pins 26b are provided so that their positions in the Z direction are aligned, so that the substrate S transported from the outside of the apparatus can be held in a horizontal state. .

The coating processing region 21 is a portion where resist coating is performed, and a processing stage 27 that floats and supports the substrate S is provided.
The processing stage 27 is a rectangular plate-like member in a plan view in which the stage surface 27 c is covered with a light absorbing material mainly composed of hard anodized, for example, and is provided on the + X direction side with respect to the loading side stage 25. . In the portion of the processing stage 27 covered with the light absorbing material, reflection of light such as laser light is suppressed. The processing stage 27 has a longitudinal Y direction. The dimension of the processing stage 27 in the Y direction is substantially the same as the dimension of the loading stage 25 in the Y direction. The processing stage 27 is provided with a plurality of air ejection holes 27a for ejecting air onto the stage surface 27c and a plurality of air suction holes 27b for sucking air on the stage surface 27c. The air ejection holes 27 a and the air suction holes 27 b are provided so as to penetrate the processing stage 27. In addition, a plurality of grooves (not shown) are provided inside the processing stage 27 to give resistance to the pressure of the gas passing through the air ejection holes 27a and the air suction holes 27b. The plurality of grooves are connected to the air ejection holes 27a and the air suction holes 27b inside the stage.

  In the processing stage 27, the pitch of the air ejection holes 27 a is narrower than the pitch of the air ejection holes 25 a provided in the carry-in side stage 25, and the air ejection holes 27 a are provided more densely than the carry-in stage 25. Therefore, in this processing stage 27, the flying height of the substrate can be adjusted with higher accuracy than in other stages, and the flying height of the substrate is controlled to be, for example, 100 μm or less, preferably 50 μm or less. Is possible.

  The substrate carry-out area 22 is a part where the substrate S coated with resist is carried out of the apparatus, and includes a carry-out stage 28 and a lift mechanism 29. The carry-out stage 28 is provided on the + X direction side with respect to the processing stage 27, and is composed of substantially the same material and dimensions as the carry-in stage 25 provided in the substrate carry-in region 20. Similarly to the carry-in stage 25, the carry-out stage 28 is provided with an air ejection hole 28a and a lift pin retracting hole 28b. The lift mechanism 29 is provided on the back side of the substrate carry-out position of the carry-out stage 28 and is supported by the frame unit 24, for example. The lift member 29 a and the lift pin 29 b of the lift mechanism 29 have the same configuration as each part of the lift mechanism 26 provided in the substrate carry-in area 20. The lift mechanism 29 can lift the substrate S by lift pins 29b for transferring the substrate S when the substrate S on the unloading stage 28 is unloaded to an external device.

  The transport mechanism 23 includes a transport machine 23a, a vacuum pad 23b, and a rail 23c. The conveyor 23a has a configuration in which, for example, a linear motor is provided therein, and the conveyor 23a can move on the rail 23c when the linear motor is driven. The transporter 23a is arranged such that the predetermined portion 23d overlaps the end portion of the substrate S in the −Y direction in plan view. The portion 23d overlapping the substrate S is provided at a position lower than the height position of the back surface of the substrate when the substrate S is lifted.

  A plurality of vacuum pads 23b are arranged in a portion 23d overlapping the substrate S in the transport machine 23a. The vacuum pad 23b has a suction surface for vacuum-sucking the substrate S, and is arranged so that the suction surface faces upward. The vacuum pad 23b can hold the substrate S by the suction surface adsorbing the back surface end portion of the substrate S. The height position of each vacuum pad 23b from the upper surface of the transfer machine 23a can be adjusted. For example, the height position of the vacuum pad 23b can be raised or lowered according to the flying height of the substrate S. .

  The rail 23c is provided on the side portion 24a on the −Y direction side of the frame portion 24, and extends across each stage to the side of the carry-in side stage 25, the processing stage 27, and the carry-out side stage 28. . The conveyor 23a can move along the respective stages by sliding the rail 23c.

(Applying part)
Next, the configuration of the application unit 3 will be described.
The application unit 3 is a part for applying a resist on the substrate S, and includes a portal frame 31 and a nozzle 32.

  The portal frame 31 includes a support member 31a and a bridging member 31b, and is provided so as to straddle the processing stage 27 in the Y direction. One support member 31 a is provided on the Y direction side of the processing stage 27, and each support member 31 a is supported on both side surfaces of the frame portion 24 on the Y direction side. Each strut member 31a is provided so that the height positions of the upper end portions are aligned. The bridging member 31b is bridged between the upper end portions of the respective column members 31a, and can be moved up and down with respect to the column members 31a.

  The portal frame 31 is connected to a moving mechanism 34. The moving mechanism 34 includes a rail member 35 and a drive mechanism 36. One rail member 35 is provided on each of the side 24a on the −Y direction side and the side 24b on the + Y direction side of the frame 24, and extends in the X direction. The end portions in the −X direction of the two rail members 35 are provided to the end portions in the −X direction of the side portions 24a and 24b of the frame 24, respectively. The drive mechanism 36 is an actuator that is connected to the portal frame 31 and moves the application unit 3 along the rail member 35.

  Since the rail member 35 is provided up to the −X direction ends of the side portions 24 a and 24 b of the frame 24, the coating unit 3 can move to the −X direction end of the loading side stage 25. Along with the movement of the application unit 3, the nozzle 32 provided in the application unit 3 can also be moved to the end of the carry-in stage 25 in the −X direction. Further, the portal frame 31 can be moved in the Z direction by a moving mechanism (not shown).

  The nozzle 32 is formed in a long and long shape in one direction, and is provided on the surface on the −Z direction side of the bridging member 31 b of the portal frame 31. A slit-like opening 32a is provided along the longitudinal direction of the nozzle 32 at the tip in the -Z direction, and a resist is discharged from the opening 32a. The nozzle 32 is disposed so that the longitudinal direction of the opening 32 a is parallel to the Y direction and the opening 32 a faces the processing stage 27. The dimension in the longitudinal direction of the opening 32a is smaller than the dimension in the Y direction of the substrate S to be transported, so that the resist is not applied to the peripheral region of the substrate S. A flow passage (not shown) through which the resist flows through the opening 32a is provided inside the nozzle 32, and a resist supply source (not shown) is connected to the flow passage. The resist supply source has a pump (not shown), for example, and the resist is discharged from the opening 32a by pushing the resist to the opening 32a with the pump. The support member 31a is provided with a moving mechanism (not shown), and the nozzle 32 held by the bridging member 31b is movable in the Z direction by the moving mechanism. The nozzle 32 is provided with a moving mechanism (not shown), and the moving mechanism allows the nozzle 32 to move in the Z direction with respect to the bridging member 31b. On the lower surface of the bridging member 31b of the portal frame 31, a sensor that measures the distance in the Z direction between the opening 32a of the nozzle 32, that is, the tip 32c of the nozzle 32 and the facing surface facing the nozzle tip 32c. 33 is attached. For example, three sensors 33 are provided along the Y direction.

(Management Department)
The configuration of the management unit 4 will be described.
The management unit 4 is a part that manages the nozzle 32 so that the discharge amount of the resist (liquid material) discharged onto the substrate S is constant, and the −X direction side with respect to the coating unit 3 in the substrate transport unit 2. Is provided. The management unit 4 includes a preliminary discharge mechanism 41, a dip tank 42, a nozzle cleaning device 43, a storage unit 44 that stores them, and a holding member 45 that holds the storage unit.

  The preliminary discharge mechanism 41, the dip tank 42, and the nozzle cleaning device 43 are arranged in this order in the −X direction side. The preliminary ejection mechanism 41 is a part that ejects the resist preliminary. The preliminary ejection mechanism 41 is provided at a position closest to the nozzle 32 in a state where the coating unit 3 is disposed on the coating processing region 21. The dip tank 42 is a liquid tank in which a solvent such as thinner is stored. The nozzle cleaning device 43 is a device for rinsing and cleaning the vicinity of the opening 32a of the nozzle 32, and includes a cleaning mechanism (not shown) that moves in the Y direction and a moving mechanism (not shown) that moves the cleaning mechanism. This moving mechanism is provided on the −X direction side of the cleaning mechanism. The nozzle cleaning device 43 has a larger dimension in the X direction than the preliminary discharge mechanism 41 and the dip tank 42 because the moving mechanism is provided. In addition, about arrangement | positioning of the preliminary discharge mechanism 41, the dip tank 42, and the nozzle washing | cleaning apparatus 43, it is not restricted to arrangement | positioning of this embodiment, Other arrangement | positioning may be sufficient.

  The dimension of the accommodating portion 44 in the Y direction is smaller than the distance between the support members 31a of the portal frame 31 so that the portal frame 31 can move in the X direction beyond the accommodating portion 44. . Further, the portal frame 31 can access the preliminary discharge mechanism 41, the dip tank 42, and the nozzle cleaning device 43 provided in the accommodating portion 44 so as to straddle these portions.

  The holding member 45 is connected to the management unit moving mechanism 46. The management unit moving mechanism 46 includes a rail member 47 and a drive mechanism 48. One rail member 47 is provided on each of the side 24a on the −Y direction side and the side 24b on the + Y direction side of the frame 24 and extends in the X direction. Each rail member 47 is disposed between two rail members 35 connected to the portal frame 31 of the application unit 3. The end portions in the −X direction of the two rail members 47 are provided to the end portions in the −X direction of the side portions 24 a and 24 b of the frame 24, respectively. The drive mechanism 48 is an actuator that is connected to the holding member 45 and moves the management unit 4 along the rail member 47.

  Since the rail member 47 is provided up to the −X direction end portions of the side portions 24 a and 24 b of the frame 24, the management unit 4 can move to the −X direction end portion of the loading side stage 25. . Further, since each rail member 47 is disposed between the rail members 35, the management unit 4 moves so as to pass through the portal frame 31 of the application unit 3.

(Coating operation)
Next, operation | movement of the coating device 1 comprised as mentioned above is demonstrated.
5-8 is a top view which shows the operation | movement process of the coating device 1. FIG. With reference to each figure, the operation | movement which apply | coats a resist to the board | substrate S is demonstrated. In this operation, the substrate S is carried into the substrate carry-in region 20, a resist is applied in the coating treatment region 21 while the substrate S is floated and conveyed, and the substrate S coated with the resist is carried out from the substrate carry-out region 22. . In FIGS. 5 to 8, only the outlines of the portal frame 31 and the management unit 4 are indicated by broken lines so that the configurations of the nozzle 32 and the processing stage 27 can be easily distinguished. Hereinafter, detailed operations in each part will be described.

  Before the substrate is carried into the substrate carry-in area 20, the coating apparatus 1 is put on standby. Specifically, the transfer machine 23a is arranged on the −Y direction side of the substrate loading position of the loading side stage 25, the height position of the vacuum pad 23b is matched with the flying height position of the substrate, and the loading side stage 25 is also positioned. The air is ejected or sucked from the air ejection hole 25a, the air ejection hole 27a of the processing stage 27, the air suction hole 27b, and the air ejection hole 28a of the carry-out stage 28, so that the air floats to the surface of each stage. Leave as supplied.

  In this state, for example, when the substrate S is transferred from the outside to the substrate carry-in position shown in FIG. 5 by a transfer arm (not shown), the elevating member 26a is moved in the + Z direction to move the elevating pin 26b from the elevating pin retracting hole 25b. Project to the surface 25c. By the operation of the elevating member 26a, the substrate S is lifted by the elevating pins 26b, and the substrate S is received. Further, an alignment member is projected from the long hole of the alignment device 25d to the stage surface 25c.

  After receiving the board | substrate S, the raising / lowering member 26a is lowered | hung and the raising / lowering pin 26b is accommodated in the raising / lowering pin retracting hole 25b. At this time, since the air layer is formed on the stage surface 25c, the substrate S is held in a state of being floated with respect to the stage surface 25c by the air. When the substrate S reaches the surface of the air layer, the alignment member 25d aligns the substrate S, and the vacuum pad 23b of the transfer device 23a disposed on the −Y direction side of the substrate loading position is used as the substrate. Vacuum adsorption is performed on the end portion of S in the −Y direction. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the −Y direction side end portion of the substrate S is adsorbed. After the end of the −Y direction side of the substrate S is adsorbed by the vacuum pad 23b, the transporter 23a is moved along the rail 23c. Since the substrate S is in a floating state, the substrate S moves smoothly along the rail 23c even if the driving force of the transporter 23a is relatively small.

  When the front end of the substrate S in the transport direction reaches the position of the opening 32a of the nozzle 32, the resist is discharged from the opening 32a of the nozzle 32 toward the substrate S as shown in FIG. The resist is discharged while the position of the nozzle 32 is fixed and the substrate S is transported by the transport machine 23a. As the substrate S moves, a resist film R is applied onto the substrate S as shown in FIG. As the substrate S passes under the opening 32a for discharging the resist, a resist film R is formed in a predetermined region of the substrate S.

  The substrate S on which the resist film R is formed is transported to the unloading stage 28 by the transport machine 23a. In the carry-out stage 28, the substrate S is transported to the substrate carry-out position shown in FIG.

  When the substrate S reaches the substrate unloading position, the suction of the vacuum pad 23b is released, and the elevating member 29a of the lift mechanism 29 is moved in the + Z direction. Due to the movement of the elevating member 29a, the elevating pins 29b protrude from the elevating pin retracting holes 28b to the back surface of the substrate S, and the substrate S is lifted by the elevating pins 29b. In this state, for example, an external transfer arm provided on the + X direction side of the carry-out stage 28 accesses the carry-out stage 28 and receives the substrate S. After the substrate S is transferred to the transport arm, the transport machine 23a is returned to the substrate loading position of the carry-in stage 25 again and waits until the next substrate S is transported.

  Until the next substrate S is transported, the application unit 3 performs preliminary discharge for maintaining the discharge state of the nozzles 32. As shown in FIG. 9, the gate frame 31 is moved in the −X direction to the position of the management unit 4 by the rail member 35.

  After the portal frame 31 is moved to the position of the management unit 4, the position of the portal frame 31 is adjusted so that the tip of the nozzle 32 is accessed to the nozzle cleaning device 43, and the nozzle tip 32 c is cleaned by the nozzle cleaning device 43. To do.

  After cleaning the nozzle tip 32 c, the nozzle 32 is accessed to the preliminary discharge mechanism 41. In the preliminary discharge mechanism 41, while measuring the distance between the opening 32a and the preliminary discharge surface, the opening 32a at the tip of the nozzle 32 is moved to a predetermined position in the Z direction, and the nozzle 32 is moved in the −X direction. The resist is preliminarily discharged from the opening 32a.

  After performing the preliminary discharge operation, the portal frame 31 is returned to the original position. When the next substrate S is transported, the nozzle 32 is moved to a predetermined position in the Z direction as shown in FIG. In this way, a high-quality resist film R is formed on the substrate S by repeatedly performing the coating operation for applying the resist film R on the substrate S and the preliminary ejection operation.

  If necessary, for example, each time the management unit 4 is accessed a predetermined number of times, the nozzle 32 may be accessed in the dip tank 42. In the dip layer 42, drying of the nozzle 32 is prevented by exposing the opening 32 a of the nozzle 32 to a vapor atmosphere of a solvent (thinner) stored in the dip tank 42.

(maintenance)
Next, the maintenance of the nozzle 32 will be described. In the present embodiment, cleaning of the nozzle 32 in the maintenance of the nozzle 32 will be described. Cleaning of the nozzle 32 is performed by an operator wiping off the nozzle 32 manually.

  First, as shown in FIG. 11, the driving mechanism 36 connected to the portal frame 31 of the coating unit 3 is driven, and the coating unit 3 disposed on the coating processing region 21 of the substrate transporting unit 2 is transported to the substrate. It is moved to the end in the −X direction of the substrate carry-in area 20 of the part 2. At this time, the application unit 3 moves beyond the management unit 4.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 12, the drive mechanism 48 connected to the holding member 45 of the management unit 4 is driven to move the management unit 4 to the end in the −X direction of the substrate carry-in area 20 of the substrate transfer unit 2. Let With this operation of the management unit 4, the management unit 4 is arranged directly below the portal frame 31, that is, directly below the nozzle 32. The movement of the coating unit 3 and the movement of the management unit 4 may be moved separately, or the driving mechanism 36 and the driving mechanism 48 may be driven simultaneously so that the coating unit 3 and the management unit 4 are interlocked. good.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the work table 60 is installed on the −X direction side of the frame 24. The work table 60 is provided such that the dimension in the Y direction is at least larger than the dimension in the Y direction of the nozzle 32, and is installed in a range that covers the nozzle 32 in the Y direction. The work table 60 may be arranged in advance in the frame 24 and may be made to appear and disappear as necessary, or may be carried from the outside and installed.

  After the work table 60 is installed, the worker P climbs onto the work table 60 as shown in FIG. In a state where the worker P has climbed on the workbench 60, the accessible range Q of the worker P is an end in the −X direction of the space that the worker P can reach, that is, the space on the substrate transport unit 2. A space including a part and a space on the work table 60. Since the portal frame 31 has moved to the end of the substrate transport unit 2 in the −X direction, it is included in the range Q accessible to the operator P. The worker P accesses the nozzle 32 located within the accessible range Q, and performs the work of wiping off the nozzle tip. After wiping, the positions of the portal frame 32 and the management unit 4 are returned to the original positions, and the coating operation is performed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the movement of moving the coating unit 3 in the transport direction of the substrate S or the direction opposite to the transport direction of the substrate S to the region Q accessible to the operator P with respect to the nozzle 32. Since the mechanism 34 is provided, maintenance such as wiping of the nozzle 32 can be performed without the operator P climbing directly onto the substrate transport unit 2. Thereby, it is possible to improve maintenance efficiency and prevent dust and dirt from adhering to the substrate transfer unit 2.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, since the management unit moving mechanism 46 that moves the management unit 4 to at least one of the substrate carry-in side and the substrate carry-out side is further provided, the management unit is matched to the movement position of the nozzle 32. The position of 4 can be moved. Thereby, the maintenance of the nozzle 32 by the worker P can be performed more efficiently.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the management unit 4 is disposed on the area Q accessible to the worker, and the application unit 3 is moved onto the management unit 4 by the moving mechanism 34 and the management unit moving mechanism 46. Therefore, the management unit 4 can be moved below the nozzle 32 during maintenance of the nozzle 32. By arranging the management unit 4 between the nozzle 32 and the substrate transport unit 2, for example, the resist solidified from the nozzle 32 onto the carry-in side stage 25 of the substrate transport unit 2 during maintenance such as cleaning of the nozzle 32. It can be prevented from falling, and the substrate transfer unit 2 can be kept clean.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Similar to the first embodiment, in the following drawings, the scale is appropriately changed to make each member a recognizable size. Moreover, about the component same as 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted. In the present embodiment, the configuration of the frame 24 and the configurations of the rail member 35 and the rail member 47 are different from those of the first embodiment, and thus this point will be mainly described.

  FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the coating apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 1 in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the end portion T1 in the −X direction of the side portions 24a and 24b of the frame 24 protrudes further to the −X direction side than the end portion T2 in the −X direction of the loading side stage 25 of the substrate transport portion 2. It has become. Further, the rail member 35 and the rail member 47 are provided up to the end portions T1 of the side portions 24a and 24b of the frame 24. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 15, the coating unit 3 and the management unit 4 can move to a position beyond the end portion T <b> 2 in the −X direction in the carry-in side stage 25 of the substrate transport unit 2. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, when the work table 60 is installed in accordance with the end portion T <b> 1 in the −X direction of the side portions 24 a and 24 b of the frame 24, the area Q accessible to the worker is the side portion of the frame 24. Among the spaces on 24a and 24b, the space including the end portion in the −X direction and the space on the work table 60 are provided. Therefore, the application unit 3 and the management unit 4 are provided so as to be movable to an area Q accessible to the operator.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the coating unit 3 is moved along the rail member 35 by setting the portion of the substrate transport unit 2 that exceeds the end portion T2 in the −X direction as the region Q accessible to the operator. As a result, maintenance can be performed by the operator at a position off the substrate transport unit 2. Thereby, it can prevent more reliably that dust, dust, a resist, etc. adhere on the board | substrate conveyance part 2. FIG. In the present embodiment, even if only the rail member 35 is configured to extend beyond the end portion T2 in the −X direction of the substrate transport section 2, the same effect can be obtained.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Similar to the first embodiment, in the following drawings, the scale is appropriately changed to make each member a recognizable size. Moreover, about the component same as 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted. In the present embodiment, since the configurations of the rail member 35 and the rail member 47 are different from those of the first embodiment, this point will be mainly described.

  FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a configuration of the coating apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 1 in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the rail member 35 and the rail member 47 are provided from the end on the −X direction side to the end on the + X direction side of the side portions 24 a and 24 b of the frame 24. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 16, the coating unit 3 and the management unit 4 are provided so as to be movable to the −X direction end of the carry-in stage 25 of the substrate transport unit 2 and the + X direction end of the carry-out stage 28. It has been. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, when the work table 60 is installed along the −X direction side end of the carry-in stage 25, the area Q <b> 1 accessible to the worker is the space on the substrate transport unit 2. -A space including an end portion in the X direction and a space on the work table 60. Further, for example, when the work table 61 is installed along the + X direction side end of the carry-out stage 28, the area Q2 accessible to the operator includes the + X direction end of the space on the substrate transfer unit 2. A space on the work table 61. Therefore, the application unit 3 and the management unit 4 are provided so as to be movable to areas Q1 and Q2 accessible to the worker.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the application unit 3 and the management unit 4 are movably provided in the two areas Q1 and Q2 accessible to the operator. In some cases, the nozzle 32 can be accessed from either the substrate carry-in side or the substrate carry-out side of the coating apparatus 1. Thereby, according to the environment where the coating device 1 is installed, the moving position of the coating unit 3 can be set flexibly.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Similar to the first embodiment, in the following drawings, the scale is appropriately changed to make each member a recognizable size. Moreover, about the component same as 1st Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and the description is abbreviate | omitted. In this embodiment, since the structure of the application part 3 and the structure of the rail member 35 and the rail member 47 differ from 1st Embodiment, it demonstrates centering on this point.

  FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a configuration of the coating apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, and corresponds to FIG. 1 in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, a plurality of, for example, two coating units are provided. The coating unit 3a is provided on the substrate carry-in region 20 side, and the coating unit 3b is provided on the substrate carry-out region 22 side. .

  Further, in this embodiment, as in the third embodiment, the rail member 35 and the rail member 47 are provided from the −X direction end of the side portions 24a and 24b of the frame 24 to the + X direction end. It is configured. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 17, the coating unit 3 a is movably provided at the end on the −X direction side of the carry-in stage 25 of the substrate transport unit 2, and the coating unit 3 b is on the + X direction side of the carry-out stage 28. It is provided so as to be movable to the end of the. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, when the work table 60 is installed along the −X direction side end of the carry-in stage 25, the area Q <b> 1 accessible to the worker is the substrate transfer as in the third embodiment. These are the space on the work table 60 and the space including the end in the −X direction among the spaces on the part 2. For example, when the work table 61 is installed along the + X direction side end of the unloading stage 28, the area Q2 accessible to the worker is the space on the substrate transport unit 2 as in the third embodiment. A space including an end in the + X direction and a space on the work table 61. Therefore, the application part 3a is provided so as to be movable up to the area Q1 accessible to the worker, and the application part 3b is provided so as to be movable up to the area Q2 accessible to the worker.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, when a plurality of coating units are provided, the coating unit 3a is moved to the substrate carry-in region 20 side, and the coating unit 3b is moved to the substrate carry-out region 22 side. Therefore, the maintenance of the nozzle 32 can be performed at the same time on both sides of the substrate carrying-in side and the substrate carrying-out side of the coating units 3a and 3b. Thereby, the time required for maintenance can be shortened. In addition, each worker performs maintenance on the nozzles 32 in a shared manner with respect to the coating units 3a and 3b in the work table 60 installed on the substrate carry-in area 20 side and the work table 61 installed on the substrate carry-out area side 22. Therefore, maintenance efficiency can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, the two application portions are provided. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to a configuration in which three or more application portions are provided. is there. In this case, it is preferable to move a part of the plurality of application units to the substrate carry-in area 20 side and move the rest to the substrate carry-out area 22 side.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, as means for moving the application unit 3 to an area accessible by the operator, the application unit 3 may be moved by a servo and positioned by an encoder (linear scale), or a limit sensor may be added. Moreover, after moving the application part 3, you may provide the holding mechanism hold | maintained mechanically, and you may make it provide the clamp mechanism 62 as shown in FIG. 18 as the said holding mechanism. The clamp mechanism 62 is provided at a position facing the rail member 35 in the column member 31b. For example, the clamp mechanism 62 is provided on both sides of the rail member 35 in the left-right direction in the drawing, that is, on the side in the moving direction of the application unit 3. Yes. After the application unit 3 has moved to a desired position, the clamp mechanism 62 protrudes to contact the rail member 35 and holds the position of the application unit 3 by sandwiching the rail member 35 from both sides.

  Thus, by having the clamp mechanism 62 that holds the coating unit 3 at a predetermined position on the substrate transport unit 2, the position of the coating unit 3 can be further stabilized. Thereby, it becomes easier for the operator to perform maintenance of the nozzle 32. The clamp mechanism 62 may be provided on the holding member 45 of the management unit 4. Further, the configuration of the clamp mechanism 62 is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 18, and other configurations may of course be used.

  Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 19, the nozzle 32 may be configured to be rotatable so as to be inclined toward the worker P side. According to this configuration, since the tip 32c of the nozzle 32 faces the worker P, the worker P can easily access the nozzle 32. This improves the efficiency of maintenance.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the entire configuration of the coating apparatus 1 is configured such that the transport mechanism 23 is disposed on the −Y direction side of each stage, but is not limited thereto. For example, the transport mechanism 23 may be arranged on the + Y direction side of each stage. Further, as shown in FIG. 20, the transport mechanism 23 (transport machine 23a, vacuum pad 23b, rail 23c) is arranged on the −Y direction side of each stage, and the same as the transport mechanism 23 on the + Y direction side. The transport mechanism 53 (the transport machine 53a, the vacuum pad 53b, and the rail 53c) having the configuration described above may be arranged so that different substrates can be transported by the transport mechanism 23 and the transport mechanism 53. For example, as shown in the figure, the transport mechanism 23 transports the substrate S1, and the transport mechanism 53 transports the substrate S2. In this case, since the substrate can be alternately conveyed by the conveyance mechanism 23 and the conveyance mechanism 53, the throughput is improved. When transporting a substrate having an area about half that of the above-described substrates S, S1, and S2, for example, the transport mechanism 23 and the transport mechanism 53 hold the substrates one by one, and the transport mechanism 23 and the transport mechanism 53 are connected. By translating in the + X direction, two substrates can be transported simultaneously. With such a configuration, throughput can be improved.

  In the above embodiment, the rail member 35 of the moving mechanism 34 and the rail member 47 of the moving mechanism 46 are provided on the upper surfaces of the side portions 24a and 24b of the frame 24. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 21, a rail member 35 and a rail member 47 may be provided inside the side portions 24a and 24b of the frame 24, respectively.

  In FIG. 21, the groove 24c and the groove 24d are provided along the X direction on the side portions 24a and 24b of the frame 24, the rail member 35 is provided in the groove 24c, and the rail member 47 is provided in the groove 24d. It has become. Further, the column member 31a is arranged on the rail 35 in a state where the end of the column member 31a of the application unit 3 in the −Z direction is inserted into the groove 24c, and the −Z direction of the holding member 45 of the management unit 4 The holding member 45 is disposed on the rail member 47 in a state in which the end portion thereof is inserted into the groove portion 24d.

  In FIG. 21, the dimension in the Z direction of the groove part 24c is larger than the dimension in the Z direction of the groove part 24d, but of course not limited to this. For example, the dimension in the Z direction of the groove part 24d is the groove part 24c. It may be larger than the dimension in the Z direction, and the dimension in the Z direction may be the same for the groove 24c and the groove 24d.

  In the above embodiment, the coating apparatus 1 that floats and transports the substrate S has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any coating apparatus that performs coating while transporting the substrate floats. The present invention can also be applied to a coating apparatus other than the transport type, such as a coating apparatus that transports a substrate by a transport mechanism such as a transport roller.

  In the above embodiment, only the configuration in which the operator performs maintenance of the nozzle 32 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the management unit 4 is moved to the accessible area Q and maintenance of the management unit 4 is performed. You may make it perform. Further, for example, the application unit 3 and the management unit 4 are moved to the area Q accessible to the operator, and the maintenance of the nozzle 32 is first performed in a state where the management unit 4 is disposed immediately below the nozzle 32, and the maintenance of the nozzle 32 is completed. The application unit 3 may be moved to the application processing region 21 later, and then the maintenance of the management unit 4 may be performed. Thereby, the maintenance efficiency of the coating device 1 can be improved.

The perspective view which shows the structure of the coating device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. The front view which shows the structure of the coating device which concerns on this embodiment. The top view which shows the structure of the coating device which concerns on this embodiment. The side view which shows the structure of the coating device which concerns on this embodiment. The figure which shows operation | movement of the coating device which concerns on this embodiment. Same operation diagram. Same operation diagram. Same operation diagram. Same operation diagram. Same operation diagram. The figure which shows the process of the maintenance of the coating device which concerns on this embodiment. The process drawing. The process drawing. The process drawing. The perspective view which shows the structure of the coating device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the structure of the coating device which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the structure of the coating device which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the other structure of the coating device which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows the other structure of the coating device which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows the other structure of the coating device which concerns on this invention. The figure which shows the other structure of the coating device which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Coating apparatus 2 ... Board | substrate conveyance part 3 ... Coating | coated part 4 ... Management part 24 ... Frame 24a, 24b ... Side part 25 ... Carry-in side stage 28 ... Carry-out side stage 31 ... Portal frame 34 ... Moving mechanism 45 ... Holding member 46 ... Movement mechanism 60, 61 ... Work table 62 ... Clamp mechanism P ... Worker Q, Q1, Q2 ... Area T1, T2 ... End

Claims (13)

A coating apparatus including a coating unit that applies a liquid material to the substrate while transporting the substrate by the substrate transport unit,
The application unit has a nozzle for discharging the liquid material,
A coating apparatus comprising: a moving mechanism configured to move the coating unit in a direction opposite to the substrate transport direction or the substrate transport direction to an area where an operator can access the nozzle. The moving mechanism moves the coating unit on the substrate transport unit with at least one of the substrate carry-in side and the substrate carry-out side in the substrate carrying direction as the region. 2. The coating apparatus according to 1. The said moving mechanism moves the said application part by making the part beyond the edge part of the said board | substrate conveyance part of the at least one board | substrate carrying-in side and board | substrate carrying-out side of the said board | substrate conveyance direction into the said area | region. 2. The coating apparatus according to 1. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a holding mechanism that holds the coating unit at a predetermined position on the substrate transport unit. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a management unit that is provided on the substrate transport unit and manages a state of the nozzle. The coating apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a management unit moving mechanism that moves the management unit to at least one of the substrate carry-in side and the substrate carry-out side. The management unit is arranged on the area,
The said moving mechanism moves the said application part on the said management part. The coating device of Claim 5 characterized by the above-mentioned. The coating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the moving mechanism moves the coating unit beyond the management unit. The coating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the management unit moving mechanism moves the management unit in conjunction with movement of the coating unit. The coating device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a plurality of the coating units are provided. The coating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the moving mechanism moves a part of the coating unit to the substrate carry-in side in the transport direction, and moves the remaining coating unit to the substrate carry-out side. The coating device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the nozzle is rotatably provided to be inclined toward the region. The coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the substrate transport unit further includes a floating mechanism that floats the substrate.

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