JP2011115776A - Coating unit and pattern correction device using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coating unit and a pattern correction device capable of carrying out the retraction of a dummy coating member and the lowering of a coating means promptly with a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: This coating unit 19 includes: a driving device 47 which inserts a dummy coating plate 36 between a coating part 20 and a substrate 1 at the time of dummy coating action, and retracts the dummy coating plate 36 from between the coating part 20 and the substrate 1 after finishing the dummy coating action; and an X table 43 (a profiling mechanism) which elevates the coating part 20 according as the dummy coating plate 36 is inserted, and lowers the coating part 20 according as the dummy coating plate 36 is retracted. Therefore, the retraction of the dummy coating plate 36 and the lowering of the coating part 20 can be carried out promptly with a simple structure. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a coating unit and a pattern correction apparatus using the same, and more particularly to a coating unit that applies a liquid material to a fine region on a substrate and a pattern correction device that corrects a defective portion of a fine pattern formed on the substrate. . More specifically, the present invention relates to a coating unit for correcting various pattern defects such as fine pattern (wiring) open defects, liquid crystal color filter blank defects, or mask defects generated in the manufacturing process of flat panel displays. And a pattern correction apparatus using the same.

  In recent years, with the increase in size and definition of flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays, plasma displays, and EL displays, the probability of defects in wiring (electrodes) and liquid crystal color filters formed on glass substrates has increased. In order to improve the yield, there has been proposed a pattern correction apparatus for correcting defects.

  For example, fine wiring is formed on the surface of a glass substrate of a liquid crystal display. When the wiring is disconnected, a method in which conductive ink (liquid material, correction liquid) is applied to the disconnected portion using a dispenser type nozzle (see, for example, Patent Document 1), or conductive using an inkjet type nozzle. There is a method of applying a conductive ink to a disconnected portion (for example, see Patent Document 2).

JP 2006-202828 A JP 2009-182169 A

  However, in the dispenser method, it is necessary to apply the correction ink by making the inner diameter of the nozzle tip of the dispenser very thin, so that the nozzle tip is likely to be clogged. There was a problem that the tip was easily damaged.

  In the ink jet method, it is preferable to make the droplets discharged from the nozzles smaller, so that the hole diameter of the nozzles is made smaller. As the nozzle hole diameter becomes smaller, it is difficult to discharge the correction ink by the method of discharging the correction ink using pressure or heat. In such a case, a method using an electrostatic force has been proposed.

  In the ink jet method, in order to improve the nozzle clogging and stably apply, the correction ink is once discarded outside the substrate, and then the correction ink is applied back to the defective portion on the substrate. However, recent liquid crystal substrates with a size exceeding 3 m × 3 m exist, and in this case, it takes time to return to the defective part after throwing away from the substrate, and when the defective part is corrected It is assumed that the nozzle is clogged and correction ink cannot be ejected to the defective part. Further, when the nozzle is moved at a high speed in the horizontal direction with respect to the substrate, the correction ink at the tip of the nozzle may be dried by the wind, and it may be difficult to discharge the correction ink.

  As a method for solving this problem, in Patent Document 2, after the correction ink is thrown away on a discarding base disposed immediately below the nozzle, the discarding base (discarding member) is retracted and the nozzle is actually lowered. Application is disclosed. However, it is necessary to adjust the substrate and the nozzle so that there is a certain gap after confirming that the abandoning platform has been retracted in the horizontal direction, and control these two axes separately. For this reason, there is a problem that it is difficult to fit all the mechanisms in a small space.

  In addition, depending on the type of correction ink used and the inner diameter of the discharge part at the tip of the nozzle, the nozzle may be clogged again within a few seconds even after being discarded. It is necessary to descend in a very short time. Furthermore, if the correction ink is continuously discarded (discharged) at the same position on the disposal table with the gap between the nozzle and the disposal table narrowed, the liquid pool of the correction ink accumulated on the disposal table will be at the tip of the nozzle. Contact may adversely affect the subsequent ejection stability.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a coating unit and a pattern correction apparatus using the coating unit, which can quickly retreat the throwing member and lower the coating means with a simple configuration.

  The coating unit according to the present invention includes a coating unit that applies a liquid material to a fine region on a substrate, a discarding member that receives the liquid material discarded by the coating unit, and a discarding operation that discards the liquid material. Inserts a discarding member between the coating unit and the substrate, and after the discarding operation is finished, the driving unit retracts the discarding member from between the coating unit and the substrate, and between the coating unit and the discarding member. A scanning mechanism (cam mechanism) that raises the coating means as the throwing member is inserted between the coating means and the substrate, and lowers the coating means as the throwing member is retracted from between the coating means and the substrate ).

  Preferably, the copying mechanism is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and is provided with a Z table on which the application means is mounted, a roller fixed to the Z table, and a horizontal movement that is provided so as to be mounted on the throwing member. A copying surface is formed at the upper end of the X table, the roller is brought into contact with the copying surface of the X table, and when the X table moves, the roller moves along the copying surface.

  Preferably, the copying mechanism lowers the coating unit when the discarding member is removed from below the coating unit when the discarding member is retracted from between the coating unit and the substrate.

  Preferably, the copying surface includes a horizontal portion and an inclined portion, and when the discarding member is retracted from between the coating means and the substrate, only the retracting operation of the discarding member is performed when the roller is in contact with the horizontal portion. When the roller is in contact with the inclined portion, the retreating operation of the throwing-out member and the lowering operation of the application means proceed simultaneously.

  Preferably, a projection or an upward inclined portion is provided in the horizontal portion of the copying surface so that the application means rises during a predetermined period in which the throwing-out member is removed from below the application means.

  Preferably, the fixing member further includes a fixing member for fixing the coating unit to the Z table, and the distance between the lower end of the coating unit and the reference surface of the fixing member is set to a predetermined reference length. Is attached to the Z table.

  Also preferably, a protective cover is provided on the fixing member and protects the coating means.

  Preferably, the protective cover is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction with respect to the fixing member.

  Preferably, the protective cover is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the application means is inserted into the protective cover. When attaching the applicator to the Z table via a fixing member, the lower end of the protective cover is positioned below the lower end of the applicator to protect the applicator, and when the attachment is completed, the protective cover is moved upward. To expose the lower end of the application part.

  Further preferably, a holding means for holding the protective cover upward and exposing a lower end portion of the applying means is further provided.

  Preferably, the driving means moves the discard member in the first direction. The coating unit further moves the discarding member in a second direction different from the first direction every time the liquid material is discarded, so that the discarded liquid material on the surface of the discarding member is removed. Sub-driving means for disposing the missing portion below the coating means is provided.

  Further preferably, in accordance with a detection means for detecting the number of times the throwing member has moved in the second direction, and the fact that the number of times detected by the detection means has reached a predetermined number of times, a pattern to that effect Informing means for informing the user of the correction device.

  Also preferably, when removing the liquid material discarded on the surface of the discard member, a sheet soaked with a solvent of the liquid material is provided instead of the application means, the sheet is brought into contact with the surface of the discard member, The throwing member is moved by the sub driving means.

  Further preferably, the surface of the discard member is provided at a position different from the position facing the coating unit, the sheet soaked with the solvent of the liquid material is brought into contact with the surface of the discard member, and the auxiliary driving unit is used. A wiping means for wiping off the liquid material on the surface of the throwing member to be moved is provided.

  Preferably, the coating means has a first container in which at least a part of the bottom is formed of a film, and a through-hole having a shape corresponding to the defective portion is opened in the film, and an edge of the opening at the lower end thereof is penetrated. A second container including a cylindrical portion that is disposed on the film so as to surround the hole and into which the liquid material is injected, a guide portion that supports the second container so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and jet at the tip thereof The mouth includes a nozzle that is opposed to the upper end of the second container with a gap and is provided substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the film. The film and the substrate face each other with a gap in a state where the defect portion and the through hole are aligned. The coating unit further injects gas through a nozzle to push the second container downward, projects the range including the through hole in the film downward, and opens the opening below the through hole to the substrate. And a gas injection means for applying the liquid material to the defective portion through the through hole.

Preferably, the coating unit includes an inkjet nozzle.
Preferably, the application means includes a dispenser type nozzle.

  Preferably, the coating unit includes a plurality of sub coating units. The coating unit further includes a selection unit that selects any one of the plurality of sub coating units. The sub-coating means selected by the selecting means among the plurality of sub-coating means apply the liquid material to the fine region on the substrate.

  The pattern correction device according to the present invention is a pattern correction device for correcting a defective portion of a fine pattern formed on a substrate, and includes a coating means for applying a correction liquid to the defective portion of the fine pattern, and a coating means. A discarding member that receives the discarded correction fluid, and a discarding operation that discards the correction fluid, inserts the discarding member between the coating means and the substrate, and after the discarding operation ends, the application means Driving means for retracting the throwing member from between the substrate and the substrate, and provided between the coating means and the discarding member, and as the throwing member is inserted between the coating means and the substrate, the coating means is raised and applied. And a copying mechanism that lowers the coating means as the throwing member is retracted from between the means and the substrate.

  Preferably, an observation optical system for observing the surface of the substrate is further provided. The observation optical system has a plurality of objective lenses having different magnifications and a movable plate having a plurality of objective lenses fixed on the lower surface, and the movable plate is moved in the horizontal direction and selected from the plurality of objective lenses. And an XY table that matches the optical axis of the objective lens with the optical axis of the observation optical system. The coating unit, the discarding member, the driving unit, and the copying mechanism are provided on the lower surface of the movable plate.

  Further preferably, a distance sensor is provided on the lower surface of the movable plate for measuring the distance to the substrate and preventing the lower end of the coating means from contacting the substrate.

  In addition, preferably, a position adjusting unit that adjusts the vertical position of the XY table based on the measurement result of the distance sensor and prevents the lower end of the coating unit from contacting the substrate is provided.

  Preferably, the coating unit includes a plurality of sub coating units. The pattern correction apparatus further includes a selection unit that selects any one of the plurality of sub coating units. The sub coating unit selected by the selection unit among the plurality of sub coating units applies the correction liquid to the defective portion.

Preferably, each sub coating unit applies a different type of correction liquid from the other sub coating units.
Preferably, each sub-coating means applies the correction liquid in a shape different from that of the other sub-coating means.

  In the coating unit according to the present invention, a coating unit that applies a liquid material to a fine region on a substrate, a discarding member that receives the liquid material discarded by the coating unit, and a discarding operation that discards the liquid material Inserts a discarding member between the coating unit and the substrate, and after the discarding operation is finished, the driving unit retracts the discarding member from between the coating unit and the substrate, and between the coating unit and the discarding member. And a copying mechanism that raises the coating means as the throwing member is inserted between the coating means and the substrate, and lowers the coating means as the throwing member is retracted from between the coating means and the substrate. It is done. Therefore, since the copying mechanism is provided, the retreating member can be retracted and the applying means can be quickly lowered with a simple configuration.

It is a figure which shows the TFT (thin film transistor) array substrate which is the correction object of a pattern correction apparatus. It is a figure which shows the state which apply | coated correction ink to the open defect part of the drain line shown in FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a pattern correction apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the application part shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows operation | movement of the application part shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is another cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the application unit illustrated in FIG. 4. It is a front view which shows the structure of the application | coating unit shown in FIG. It is the VIII-VIII sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is A arrow directional view of FIG. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the application | coating unit shown in FIGS. It is another figure which shows operation | movement of the application | coating unit shown in FIGS. FIG. 10 is still another view showing the operation of the coating unit shown in FIGS. 7 to 9. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the pattern correction apparatus shown in FIGS. It is a figure which shows the example of a change of embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the effect of the example of a change shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the other example of a change of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the further another example of a change of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the further another example of a change of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the further another example of a change of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the further another example of a change of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the further another example of a change of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the method of wiping off the surface of the discarding board shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the further another example of a change of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the further another example of a change of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the further another example of a change of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the application | coating unit provided with the protective cover shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the application | coating unit shown in FIG. It is another figure which shows operation | movement of the application | coating unit shown in FIG.

  First, the correction object of the pattern correction apparatus provided with the coating unit of the present application will be described. Here, a TFT array substrate of a liquid crystal panel will be described as a correction target, but the correction target is not limited to this.

  FIG. 1A is a plan view showing a main part of the TFT array substrate 1 to be corrected, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IB-IB in FIG. 1A and 1B, the TFT array substrate 1 includes a glass substrate 2. A gate line 3 extending in the left-right direction in the figure is formed on the surface of the glass substrate 2, and a gate electrode 3 a protruding downward in the figure is formed at a predetermined position of the gate line 3. The surfaces of the gate line 3 and the gate electrode 3 a are covered with a gate insulating film 4, and the surfaces of the gate insulating film 4 and the glass substrate 2 are covered with a gate insulating film 5.

  A plurality of pixel electrodes 6 are formed in a matrix on the surface of the gate insulating film 5. A gate line 3 is arranged in a region between two pixel electrodes 6 adjacent in the vertical direction in the drawing. A semiconductor film 7 is formed above the gate electrode 3a via gate insulating films 4 and 5. A drain line (signal line) 8 extending in the vertical direction in the figure is formed in a region between two pixel electrodes 6 adjacent in the horizontal direction in the figure, and at a predetermined position of the drain line 8 in the figure. A drain electrode 8a protruding leftward is formed. The end of the drain electrode 8 a extends to the surface of one end of the semiconductor film 7. A source electrode 9 is formed from the surface of the other end of the semiconductor film 7 to the surface of one end of the pixel electrode 6.

  In this way, the TFT 10 including the gate electrode 3a, the drain electrode 8a, the source electrode 9, and the semiconductor film 7 is formed. The whole is covered with a protective film 11 and an alignment film (not shown), and the TFT array substrate 1 is completed. The TFT array substrate 1, the liquid crystal, and the color filter constitute a liquid crystal panel.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 1A, it is assumed that an open defect portion 8 b exists in the drain line 8. When the open defect portion 8b is corrected after the protective film 11 is formed, a part of the protective film 11 is removed by laser processing to expose the open defect portion 8b, and the correction ink (conductive ink) 12 is applied and fired. After securing the conduction of the drain line 8, it is necessary to re-form the protective film 11 on the correction portion. For this reason, it is preferable to correct the open defect portion 8b in the step before forming the protective film 11 so as to simplify the correction effort. For example, the protective film 11 is not present when the formation of the drain line 8 is completed, and the open defect portion 8b is corrected at this point.

  As described above, when the straight (I-shaped) open defect portion 8b is corrected, the correction ink 12 is applied so as to overlap the drain lines 8 on both sides of the defect portion 8b as shown in FIG. . The correction ink 12 is applied to the open defect portion 8b and baked to obtain a correction pattern 12a. The width of the drain line 8 tends to be miniaturized, and recently, a drain line having a width of 5 μm or less has been manufactured. The correction pattern 12a does not protrude into the region of the pixel electrode 6 and is formed to be approximately the same as the wiring width of the drain line 8, but when the protrusion is large, a process of removing the protrusion with a laser (not shown) May be added.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the entire configuration of the pattern correction device 13 that can apply the correction ink 12 to the open defect portion 8b and then bak it. In FIG. 3, in this pattern correction device 13, a chuck 15 is provided at the center of the surface plate 14, and the substrate 1 to be corrected is fixed to the chuck 15.

  Further, a gantry type XY stage 16 is mounted on the surface plate 14. The XY stage 16 includes an X-axis stage 16a and a gate-shaped Y-axis stage 16b. The Y-axis stage 16b is provided so as to straddle the chuck 15, and moves in the Y-axis direction in the drawing. The X-axis stage 16a is mounted on the Y-axis stage 16b and moves in the X direction in the figure.

  A Z-axis stage 17 that can move in the vertical direction is mounted on the X-axis stage 16a. On the Z-axis stage 17, an observation optical system 18, a coating unit 19, a laser 22, and a baking device 23 are mounted. By controlling the X-axis stage 16a, the Y-axis stage 16b, and the Z-axis stage 17, each of the observation optical system 18, the laser 22, the coating unit 19, and the baking apparatus 23 is placed above a desired position on the surface of the substrate 1. It can be moved.

  The observation optical system 18 includes an objective lens 24 and is used for observing the defect portion 8b and the like on the substrate 1. The laser 22 irradiates a defect on the substrate 1 with a laser beam via the observation optical system 18, and shapes the defect shape by laser ablation, or removes the defect and the correction ink 12 that has adhered excessively around the defect. Used for. The application unit 19 includes an application unit 20 that applies the correction ink 12 and a discarding unit 21 that receives the correction ink 12 discarded by the application unit 20. In this example, the coating unit 19 is fixed to the Z-axis stage 17 via a Z-axis stage 25 that can advance and retract in the vertical direction. The coating unit 19 may be directly fixed to the Z-axis stage 17 or may be fixed to something other than the Z-axis stage 25. The baking device 23 is used for baking the correction ink 12 applied to the substrate 1.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the application unit 20. In FIG. 4, the application unit 20 includes a cylindrical member 26. The opening at the lower end of the cylindrical member 26 is closed with a circular film 27. The cylindrical member 26 and the film 27 constitute a first container. The outer peripheral portion of the film 27 is bonded or mechanically fixed to the lower end surface of the cylindrical member 26 in a state where a certain tension is applied to the film 27. The film 27 is, for example, a polyimide film, and the thickness thereof is, for example, about 10 to 25 μm.

  A through hole 27 a is formed in the approximate center of the film 27. The through hole 27a is processed into a shape (for example, a straight line shape) corresponding to the open defect portion 8b of the drain line 8 formed on the substrate 1 to be corrected. When the film 27 is a polyimide film, the through hole 27a is processed by laser ablation using a pulse laser such as a YAG third harmonic laser, a YAG fourth harmonic laser, or an excimer laser. When the surface of the film 27 is irradiated with laser light to form the through hole 27a, burrs are generated at the edge of the through hole 27a on the back surface side of the film 27. In order to prevent this burr from adversely affecting the shape of the correction pattern, it is preferable that the surface side (laser irradiation surface) of the film 27 having no burr be directed to the outside (lower side) of the application unit 20.

  Further, when the formation of the through holes 27a by laser ablation is completed, dust generated during laser ablation is scattered on the surface of the film 27 (laser irradiation surface). In order to remove such dust, a low-power laser beam may be irradiated to a wide area of the film 27 around the through hole 27a. At this time, it is possible to remove only dust by switching to the YAG second harmonic laser and irradiating a wide range centering on the through hole 27a with low power laser light. Can be prevented. As the laser, a laser that can selectively emit one of two types of laser light, that is, laser light for opening the through-hole 27a and laser light for removing dust may be used. Alternatively, the film 27 that has been subjected to laser processing may be dried after being cleaned including the cylindrical member 26.

  Further, a guide hole 26a is formed at the center inside the cylindrical member 26, and the opening of the guide hole 26a and the upper surface of the film 27 face each other with a gap therebetween. A cylindrical ink container 28 is inserted into the guide hole 26a, and the ink container 28 is supported by the guide hole 26a and the film 27 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The edge of the opening 28 a at the lower end of the ink container 28 is in contact with the upper surface of the film 27 so as to surround the through hole 27 a of the film 27. The ink container 28 is preliminarily filled with the correction ink 12 to constitute a second container. Thereby, the correction ink 12 is supplied only to a limited range including the through hole 27a.

  As the correction ink 12, when the correction target is a wiring, a metal nano ink such as gold or silver is used. For example, a gold nano ink having a viscosity of about 1 Pa · s to 20 Pa · s can be used. The portion where the opening 28a of the ink container 28 contacts the film 27 is fixed by adhesion, but the adhesion may be omitted when high viscosity ink is used as the correction ink 12. In this case, since the correction ink 12 is held in the gap between the end face of the ink container 28 and the film 27, the amount of the correction ink 12 leaking from the ink container 28 is suppressed. Further, since the correction ink 12 only leaks onto the surface of the film 27, there is no problem in application.

  The opening on the upper side of the cylindrical member 26 is closed by a disk-shaped lid 29. A gas supply hole (nozzle) 29a for supplying gas is formed in the central portion of the lid 29, and one or two or more vent holes 29b are formed around the gas supply hole 29a. The opening of the gas supply hole 29a faces the opening of the ink container 28 with a predetermined gap. For example, the gap is set to about 1 mm to 2 mm. Therefore, even if the lid 29 serves as a stopper and the ink container 28 moves upward, it does not come out of the guide hole 26a. A gas-permeable plug 28b may be inserted in the vicinity of the opening above the ink container 28.

  The outlet of the joint 30 is connected to the gas supply hole 29a of the lid 29, and the inlet of the joint 30 is connected to the gas injection device 31 via a pipe (not shown). The gas injection device 31 controls the regulator (R) 32 that adjusts the gas pressure, the electromagnetic valve (V) 33 that controls on / off of the gas flow into the gas supply hole 29a, and the opening time of the electromagnetic valve 33. Timer (T) 34 to be used. A gas supply source (G) 35 is connected to the regulator 32. For example, nitrogen gas is used as the gas, but compressed air may be used as long as the correction ink 12 to be used does not deteriorate. The electromagnetic valve 33 may be controlled by a timer function of a control computer or PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) without providing the timer 34.

  A process of correcting the open defect portion will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 4, the coating unit 20 and the substrate 1 are relatively moved by a positioning device (not shown), and the through hole 27 a of the coating unit 20 is positioned above the open defect portion 8 b generated in the drain line 8 on the substrate 1. In this state, the film 27 at the bottom of the application unit 20 and the surface of the substrate 1 face each other with a predetermined gap W1. The gap W1 is set in a range in which the film 27 can be deformed to come into contact with the substrate 1 and the drain line 8, for example, about 10 μm to 200 μm.

  Next, the electromagnetic valve 33 is opened for the time set by the timer 34. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the gas is ejected from the tip of the gas supply hole 29a to the range including the opening of the ink container 28, the ink container 28 is pushed by the pressure of the gas and moved downward, and the film 27 is The film 27 is deformed so that the central portion of the film 27 protrudes downward, and the lower surface of the film 27 in a range including the through holes 27 a contacts the substrate 1. Further, the correction ink 12 filled in the ink container 28 is pushed out from the through hole 27a by the gas ejected from the gas supply hole 29a. At this time, the correction ink 12 is applied to the open defect portion 8b through the through hole 27a. The gas injected into the cylindrical member 26 is discharged to the outside through the vent hole 29b.

  When the gas injection is stopped, as shown in FIG. 6, due to the restoring force of the film 27, the film 27 in a range including the through hole 27a is separated from the substrate 1, and the open defect portion 8b has substantially the same shape as the through hole 27a. A correction pattern 12a is formed. The gas pressure and the injection time are adjusted to optimum values based on the results of experiments performed in advance. The gas injection time is, for example, 1 second or less. Moreover, the pressure of gas is set to about 0.1-0.3 MPa, for example.

  Thus, since the gas is ejected to the range including the opening of the ink container 28, the correction ink 12 in the through hole 27a is pushed out to the lower side (substrate 1 side) of the through hole 27a. For this reason, it becomes possible to make the film thickness of the correction pattern 12a thicker.

  Thereafter, if necessary, the correction pattern 12a is baked and cured using the baking apparatus 23 to obtain a conductive correction pattern. As the baking device 23, a YAG second continuous wave laser or the like is used. The correction pattern 12a may be radiated and fired at once, or may be baked while scanning the correction pattern 12a by narrowing the laser beam.

  In this application mode, gas 27 is sprayed to bring the film 27 into contact with the substrate 1 (the surface of the substrate 1 including the open defect portion 8b), so that the film 27 can be pressed uniformly. Even if the surface of the substrate 1 has irregularities, the film 27 comes into contact with the irregularities, so that the correction ink 12 can be applied to the open defect portion 8b without being affected by the irregularities. Further, since the load is not concentrated on the protrusions, the substrate 1 is not deformed or damaged. Further, since the correction ink 12 having a higher viscosity can be used as compared with the application method using an ink jet or a dispenser, the correction film thickness can be increased to lower the resistance value of the correction portion.

  It is possible to repeatedly perform defect correction using the same application unit 20, and it is possible to shorten the takt time for defect correction. When the amount of the correction ink 12 in the application unit 20 decreases, the correction ink 12 may be replenished or the application unit 20 may be replaced. If the correction using the application unit 20 is not performed for a long time and the standby time is extended, the correction pattern 12a may be rubbed during application immediately after standby, or a solvent component of the correction ink 12 may be applied in a large amount. . In such a case, it is usually moved to a discarding area (not shown) provided outside the substrate 1 to perform discarding. However, as the substrate 1 becomes larger, the movement time becomes longer and the correction tact is increased. Tend to be longer. For this reason, it is desirable to provide a disposal portion 21 in the vicinity of the application portion 20 in order to shorten the tact time. If the disposal unit 21 is provided in the vicinity of the coating unit 20, the disposal unit 21 receives the correction ink 12 even if the correction ink 12 leaks in a stand-by manner, so that contamination of the substrate 1 can be prevented. Become.

  7 to 9 are diagrams showing the configuration of the coating unit 19 including the coating unit 20 and the discarding unit 21. In particular, FIG. 7 is a front view of the coating unit 19, and FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII, and FIG. 9 is a view taken in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 7 to 9 show a state in which the discarding plate 36 is opposed to the application unit 20 to which the correction ink 12 is applied, with a gap therebetween, and the discarding operation is possible.

  FIGS. 10 to 12 show a state where the discarding plate 36 is retracted sideways and the application unit 20 is lowered so that the application unit 20 and the substrate 1 face each other with a gap W2. In this state, the correction ink 12 can be applied to the defective portion 8b. 10 is a front view of the coating unit 19, FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 10, and FIG. 12 is a view taken in the direction of arrow B in FIG.

  First, the configuration of the coating unit 19 will be described with reference to FIGS. The base plate 37 that supports the entire coating unit 19 is provided vertically, the slide portion 38 a of the linear motion guide bearing 38 is fixed to the surface of the base plate 37, and the slide of the linear motion guide bearing 39 is fixed to the back surface of the base plate 37. The part 39a is fixed. The slide portion 38a of the linear motion guide bearing 38 is disposed vertically, and the slide portion 39a of the linear motion guide bearing 39 is disposed horizontally.

  A Z table 40 having an L-shaped cross section is fixed to the rail portion 38 b of the linear motion guide bearing 38. Accordingly, the Z table 40 is supported by the linear motion guide bearing 38 so as to be able to advance and retract in the vertical direction with respect to the base plate 37. A roller 41 is fixed to the protruding end of the Z table 40, and a plurality of magnets 42 are embedded on one side surface thereof. An X table 43 is fixed to the rail portion 39 b of the linear motion guide bearing 39. Therefore, the X table 43 is supported by the linear motion guide bearing 39 so as to be able to advance and retreat in the horizontal direction with respect to the base plate 37.

  The application unit 20 is held on the fixed base 44. A plurality of magnets 45 are embedded in one end surface of the fixed base 44. The fixed base 44 is attached to the Z table 40 by the attractive force of the magnet 42 and the magnet 45. Since the magnet 42 and the magnet 45 are arranged so as to be shifted from each other, when the fixed base 44 is mounted on the Z table 40, the fixed base 44 is attracted downward, and its end surface 44a is the upper surface 40a of the Z table 40. To be positioned.

  A motor 46 is fixed to the lower end of the X table 43, and the rotation shaft of the motor 46 is fixed to the center of the surface of the disc-shaped discarding plate 36. By rotating the discarding plate 36 by a predetermined angle by the motor 46, the discarding position of the correction ink 12 can be changed little by little. The throwing plate 36 is opposed to a certain gap W1 directly below the coating unit 20, and a part of the film 27 is brought into contact with the throwing plate 36 and is thrown away. In order to prevent the discarded correction ink 12 from coming into contact with the film 27 and contaminating the film 27, the discarding plate 36 is previously rotated by a predetermined angle before being discarded.

  The roller 41 fixed to the Z table 40 is in contact with the upper end portion of the X table 43. A copying surface (cam surface) having a horizontal portion 43 a and an inclined portion 43 b is formed at the upper end portion of the X table 43. For this reason, the height position of the application unit 20 in the vertical direction is determined by the contact position between the roller 41 and the X table 43. By moving the X table 43 in the horizontal direction and changing the contact position between the roller 41 and the X table 43, it is possible to simultaneously retract the discarding plate 36 and lower the application unit 20. A driving device 47 (for example, an air cylinder or a direct acting solenoid actuator) for moving the X table 43 is fixed to the base plate 37, and its output shaft is connected to the X table 43. The output shaft of the drive device 47 expands and contracts in the horizontal direction.

  When the application unit 20 discards the correction ink 12 in the state of FIG. 7, the correction ink 12 adheres to the discarding plate 36. After the disposal is completed, the rotation shaft of the motor 46 is rotated by a predetermined angle to rotate the disposal plate 36 by a predetermined angle to prepare for the next disposal. If the discarding plate 36 is always rotated at the same position without rotating the discarding plate 36, the discarded droplets of the corrected ink 12 are deposited and come into contact with the lower end surface of the coating portion 20, and in the vicinity of the through hole 27 a of the film 27. There is a concern that the correction ink 12 adheres to the surface of the defective portion 8b during the correction. However, the concern is eliminated by having the function of rotating the throwing plate 36. When the discarding is completed and the discarding plate 36 has been rotated by a predetermined angle, the discarding plate 36 is retracted and the application unit 20 is lowered by operating the driving device 47.

  Next, a process of lowering the Z table 40 as the X table 43 moves will be described. When the X table 43 is moved horizontally by the operation of the driving device 47, the roller 41 and the horizontal portion 43a of the X table 43 are initially in contact with each other. Therefore, the Z table 40 is not lowered and only the X table 43 is horizontal. Move in the direction. This state continues from directly under the application part 20 until the discarding plate 36 is removed. Thereafter, when the roller 41 starts to contact the inclined portion 43 b of the X table 43, the Z table 40 starts to descend by its own weight by the linear motion guide bearing 38, and the protruding portion of the Z table 40 contacts the upper portion of the base plate 37. The descent stops at that point. 10 to 12 show a state in which the Z table 40 is lowered and stopped.

  By adopting such a configuration, even one drive device 47 can perform two-axis drive in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and the device can be simplified. Further, it is possible to retract the discarding plate 36 and lower the application unit 20 in a short time.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a process of correcting the defect portion 8b using the pattern correction device 13. In step S1, defect position information is acquired from an inspection apparatus (not shown). In step S2, the XY stage 16 is controlled based on the acquired defect position information, and the observation optical system 18 is moved to the defect position coordinates. The defect 8b is observed and confirmed. In step S3, the corrected shape of the defective portion 8b is determined based on the observation result of the defective portion 8b, and in step S4, the XY stage 16 is moved so that the coating unit 20 faces the defective portion 8b. In addition, when the application part 20 is mounted in multiple numbers, the application part 20 to be used is determined in step S3.

  In step S5, the discarding of the correction ink 12 is executed, and in step S6, the discarding plate 36 is rotated by a minute angle so that the applied correction ink 12 is not directly under the application unit 20 and is prepared for the next discarding. . In step S7, the retracting plate 36 is retracted and the application unit 20 is lowered. In this step S7, the discarding plate 36 is moved and retracted in the horizontal direction, and the coating unit 20 is lowered, so that the gap between the substrate 1 and the coating unit 20 is narrowed to a gap that can be coated. In this state, correction is possible, and in step S8, the correction ink 12 is applied to the defective portion 8b. In step S9, when the application of the correction ink 12 to the defective portion 8b is completed, the application portion 20 is raised to return the discarding plate 36 to the original state (standby state).

  In step S10, the XY stage 16 is controlled to move the defective portion 8b directly below the observation optical system 18, and the state where the correction ink 12 is applied to the defective portion 8b is observed. In step S11, the defect portion 8b to which the correction ink 12 is applied is moved to the baking position, and the correction ink 12 is baked to ensure conduction of the correction portion. Note that step S6 may be changed between steps S8 and S9 in order to further shorten the time from the disposal operation to the state where application is possible. If there is a defect that needs to be corrected, steps S2 to S12 are repeated.

  Hereinafter, various modified examples of this embodiment will be described. In the modified example of FIG. 14, a protrusion 43 c is provided at a position where the horizontal portion 43 a of the X table 43 ends. Therefore, while the roller 41 is in contact with the protrusion 43c, the Z table 40 becomes higher than the normal position, and the gap between the application unit 20 and the throwing plate 36 is widened.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the relationship between the distance traveled by the discarding plate 36 and the height of the application unit 20 in the operation of retracting the discarding plate 36. The height of the application unit 20 is based on the surface of the substrate 1. When the retracting operation is completed, the gap W2 between the application unit 20 and the substrate 1 is set to a state in which the correction ink 12 can be applied. In FIG. 15, the locus of the dotted line is the case where the protrusion 43c exists.

  A gap W1 between the application unit 20 and the discarding plate 36 is set to be as narrow as 100 μm, for example. Since the movement of the discarding plate 36 and the coating part 20 is performed via the highly rigid linear guide bearings 38 and 39, the copying surfaces 43a and 43a, so that the collision between the coating part 20 and the discarding plate 36 is avoided during the movement. 43b is set, but the safety can be further improved by widening the gap W1 during the movement. In order to prevent the correction ink 12 from flowing and dropping from the discarding plate 36, in the structure in which a ridge or a step is provided on the outer periphery of the discarding plate 36, the flange portion of the discarding plate 36 and the tip of the application unit 20 are provided at that portion. Therefore, the safety is further enhanced by providing a mechanism for increasing the gap such as the protrusion 43c. For example, the gap W1 and the gap W2 are set to be substantially the same.

  The fixing table 44 to which the application unit 20 is fixed is mounted on the Z table 40 that can be moved back and forth in an up and down direction so that it can be easily attached and detached. However, when the application unit 20 is replaced, the entire fixing table 44 is replaced. At this time, if the length of the tip of the application unit 20 fixed to the fixing base 44 is adjusted in advance so as to have a predetermined length using a jig, the gaps W1 and W2 after mounting are set. Adjustment is unnecessary and the replacement time can be shortened.

  In the modified example of FIG. 16, a jig 48 that adjusts the tip position of the application unit 20 is used. A plurality of magnets 49 are embedded in the jig 48 in the same manner as the Z table 40. When the end surface 44a of the fixing table 44 is brought into contact with the end surface 48a of the jig 48, the end surface 44a of the fixing table 44 is pressed against the end surface 48a of the jig 48 by the attractive force of the magnets 45 and 49, and the fixing table 44 is 48 are positioned at predetermined positions.

  After the fixing base 44 with the application part 20 temporarily fixed is mounted on the jig 48, the length L 1 from the end surface 44 a of the fixing base 44 to the tip of the application part 20 matches the length L 2 of the jig 48. The protrusion amount of the application unit 20 is adjusted while viewing the image of the camera 50 that magnifies and observes the tip of the application unit 20. It is also possible to adjust the length L1 using the absolute position of the XY stage 16 while observing using the observation optical system 18 provided in the pattern correction device 13 instead of the camera 50.

  After the alignment of the tip of the application unit 20 is completed using the jig 48, the correction ink 12 is filled in the application unit 20, and the preparation for replacement of the application unit 20 is completed. At the time of replacement work, the applicator 20 is fixed to the fixed base 44 with care so that the tip of the applicator 20 does not touch the operator's hand and surrounding devices. This prevents damage to the tip of the application part 20 and ensures application stability.

  17A to 17C, a protective cover 51 that protects the tip of the application unit 20 is provided on the fixed base 44. In FIGS. 17A to 17C, the magnet 45 of the fixed base 44 is not shown for simplification of the drawing. FIG. 17A shows a state in which the tip of the application unit 20 is protected by the protective cover 51 and the vertical movement of the protective cover 51 is restrained, and the Z table 40 is attached to and detached from this state. FIG. 17B shows a state in which the vertical movement restriction of the protective cover 51 is released. FIG. 17C shows a state in which the protective cover 51 is raised to expose the tip of the application unit 20 so that the correction ink 12 can be applied.

  The protective cover 51 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the application unit 20 is disposed in the protective cover 51. The protective cover 51 is inserted into a hole 44 b provided in the lower part of the fixed base 44. A long hole 51a is formed in the side surface of the protective cover 51, and the pin 52 inserted into the hole 44c formed in the fixing base 44 is disposed so that the tip end portion thereof covers the long hole 51a. 44 is supported so as to be able to advance and retract in the vertical direction within the range of the hole 44b.

  A flange 51b is formed on the protective cover 51, a pin 53 made of a magnetic material is fixed to the side surface, and a pin 54 for holding by hand is fixed to the outer peripheral surface. A magnet 55 is embedded in one end surface of the fixed base 44 facing the pin 53.

  FIG. 17A shows a state in which the tip of the application unit 20 is protected by the protective cover 51, the protective cover 51 is lowered to the lowest end, and the lower end is located sufficiently below the lower end of the application unit 20. . A U-shaped stopper 56 is mounted between the fixed base 44 and the flange 51b of the protective cover 51, and the stopper 56 restrains the protective cover 51 from moving up and down. In this state, the fixed base 44 is mounted on the Z table 40. The discarding plate 36 is mounted in the retracted state of FIG. 10 so that the mounting operation can be easily performed. At this time, the entire coating unit 19 is raised in advance by raising the Z-axis stage 17 or the Z-axis stage 25, and a sufficient gap with the substrate 1 is secured.

  After the fixing base 44 is mounted on the Z table 40, the stopper 56 is pulled out by hand to obtain the state shown in FIG. Thereafter, the pin 54 is lifted by hand, the protective cover 51 is moved upward, and the pin 53 and the magnet 55 are brought into contact with each other to fix and support the protective cover 51 on the fixed base 44 side, as shown in FIG. As shown, the tip of the applicator 20 is exposed. In this state, the mounting of the application unit 20 is completed. When removing the fixed base 44 from the Z table 40, the work is performed in the reverse procedure.

  Thus, since the front-end | tip of the application part 20 can be protected by moving the protective cover 51 up and down with respect to the application part 20, it can avoid that the application part 20 is damaged at the time of attachment or detachment. Further, in the case of a system in which a cap that is independent from the lower side of the application unit 20 is applied, it is assumed that the cap collides with the tip of the application unit 20, but the protective cover 51 is provided as in the structure shown in FIG. If the system is moved up and down, the operability is good without collision between the coating unit 20 and the protective cover 51.

  When the application unit 20 described with reference to FIG. 4 is mounted as the application unit 20, the application shape cannot be changed. Therefore, the application angle is changed by providing the application unit 20 with a rotation mechanism (not shown). It may be. Moreover, the shape of the through-hole 27a provided in the application part 20 is varied, and a plurality of application units 19 are mounted on the pattern correction device 13, and the application unit 19 to be used is selected in accordance with the shape of the defective part 8b. You may do it.

  In the modified example of FIG. 18, the fixing location of the coating unit 19 is changed. The coating unit 19 is fixed on the X axis of the XYZ stage 57 fixedly supported on the table of the Z axis stage 17. In this case, with the observation optical system 18 observing the defect portion 8b, the XYZ stage 57 is operated to insert the coating portion 20 between the objective lens 24 and the substrate 1, and the correction ink 12 is inserted into the defect portion 8b. Can be applied, and the relative movement of the XY stage 16 is omitted.

  In the modified example of FIG. 19, the coating unit 19 is fixed to an objective lens switch (XY stage) 58 that switches the magnification of the objective lens 24. The objective lens switching unit 58 includes a movable plate 58a that is movable in the horizontal direction (XY direction). A plurality of holes are opened in the movable plate 58a. A plurality of objective lenses 24 having different magnifications are mounted on the lower surface of the movable plate 58a. A through hole is opened in the movable plate 58 a corresponding to each objective lens 24. The optical axis of each objective lens 24 penetrates the center of the hole vertically. By controlling the objective lens switching unit 58 so that the optical axis of the objective lens 24 having a desired magnification coincides with the optical axis of the observation optical system 18, the defect portion 8b can be observed at a desired magnification.

  The coating unit 19 is mounted together with the plurality of objective lenses 24 on the lower surface of the movable plate 58a. Therefore, by controlling the objective lens switching unit 58, the coating unit 19 can be moved above the defective portion 8b. In this modified example, since the XYZ stage 57 in the modified example of FIG. 18 can be omitted, the apparatus configuration is simplified. In addition, since the coating unit 19 is arranged at a position close to the position where the defective portion 8b is observed with the objective lens 24, the moving time is shortened and the correction tact time is shortened.

  In the modified example of FIG. 20, a distance sensor 59 that measures the distance between the objective lens switch 58 and the substrate 1 is mounted on the objective lens switch 58. 20 is a diagram corresponding to the view in the direction of arrow C in FIG. Normally, when the image observed with the objective lens 24 is based on the position of the Z-axis stage 17 at the focus position, the throwing plate 36 is retracted and the coating unit 20 is lowered in this state (focus state). Further, the position of the coating unit 19 is fixed so that the gap between the coating unit 20 and the substrate 1 becomes W2.

  However, since the flatness of the surface of the substrate 1 becomes worse as the substrate 1 becomes larger, when the application unit 20 descends automatically with the movement of the throwing plate 36 (step S7), A case where the tip contacts the substrate 1 is assumed. Alternatively, when the throwing plate 36 is moved artificially in the defocused state and the application unit 20 is lowered (step S7), there is a possibility that the application unit 20 and the substrate 1 are similarly contacted. It is not preferable.

  Therefore, in order to avoid contact or collision between the substrate 1 and the coating unit 20, the objective lens switch 58 is provided with a distance sensor 59 that measures the distance to the substrate 1 in a non-contact manner. Before performing step S7, it is determined whether or not step S7 can be performed based on the distance measured by the distance sensor 59. If the distance is insufficient or too long, the Z-axis stage 17 is determined. To finely adjust the vertical position of the objective lens switching unit 58.

  In the modified example of FIG. 21, the motor 46 that rotates the discarding plate 36 is controlled by the discarding control unit 60. The throwing-out control unit 60 includes a rotation angle counter capable of determining whether or not the throwing-out plate 36 has made one rotation, and issues a warning to the operator after one rotation. That is, the discarding control unit 60 executes the discarding in step S21, and rotates the discarding plate 36 by a predetermined angle in step S22. In step S23, the rotation angle counter is integrated (+1). In step S24, it is determined whether or not the throwing plate 36 has made one rotation based on the count value of the rotation angle counter.

  If it is determined that the discarding plate 36 has not made one rotation, the process returns to step S21. If it is determined that the discarding plate 36 has made one rotation, in step S25, the operator knows that the discarding plate 36 has made one rotation. Inform. As a notification method, there are a method of displaying on a monitor screen, a method of lighting a warning light, a method of sounding a buzzer, and the like. When the warning is issued, the correction ink 12 applied on the discarding plate 36 is removed by cleaning.

  FIG. 22 shows a method of cleaning and removing the correction ink 12 applied on the discarding plate 36. In FIG. 22, the wiping unit 61 is mounted on the Z table 40 instead of the fixed base 44 to which the application unit 20 is fixed. A sheet 62 soaked with the solvent of the correction ink 12 is provided at the lower end of the wiping unit 61. The sheet 62 is in contact with the surface of the throwing plate 36. With the sheet 62 in contact with the surface of the discarding plate 36, the discarding plate 36 is rotated, and the correction ink 12 discarded on the discarding plate 36 is wiped with the sheet 62. As the sheet 62, a member capable of absorbing a solvent such as a nonwoven fabric or a sponge is used.

  In the modified example of FIG. 23, the sheet 62 impregnated with the solvent is always brought into contact with the surface of the discarding plate 36 at a position different from the position where the discarding plate 36 and the application unit 20 face each other. The sheet 62 is fixed to the lower end of the column 63, and the column 63 is fixed to the X table 43 that supports the motor 46. A plurality of sheets 62 may be arranged on the flat surface of the discarding plate 36 so as to always wipe off. In this case, the maintenance work for cleaning the correction ink 12 applied to the discarding plate 36 described with reference to FIG. 22 can be omitted. As the solvent, for example, a high boiling point solvent such as terpineol, decanol, or cyclododecene is used, and the early drying of the sheet 62 is suppressed.

  Further, in this embodiment, the disc-shaped discarding plate 36 is used while being rotated by a predetermined angle. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIGS. The throwing plate 65 may be used by moving it linearly by a predetermined distance. The throwing-out plate 65 is disposed horizontally, with the short side directed in the X direction and the long side directed in the Y direction. The discarding plate 65 is moved in the X direction by the X table 43, and is inserted below the coating unit 20 as shown in FIGS. 24 (a) and 24 (b) during the discarding operation, and FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the plate is disposed at a position deviated from the discarding plate 65 when viewed from above.

  At the start of use of the discarding plate 65, the application unit 20 is disposed on the use start position at one end of the surface of the discarding plate 65, as shown in FIGS. The discarding plate 65 is moved by a predetermined distance in the Y direction (left direction in the drawing) by the driving device 66 every time the correction ink 12 is discarded. After performing the discarding operation, the discarding control unit 67 moves the discarding plate 65 by a predetermined distance and counts the number of times of movement. When the counted number reaches a predetermined number, as shown in FIG. 24 (d), the application unit 20 is disposed on the use end position on the other end of the surface of the throwing plate 65, and the application end position is reached. Abandonment has been completed. For this reason, when the number of times the discarding plate 65 is moved reaches a predetermined number, the discarding control unit 67 does so (in other words, cleaning of the surface of the discarding plate 65 or the disposal of the discarding plate 65). Informing the user of the pattern correction device that the replacement is necessary).

  Moreover, when cleaning the surface of the discarding board 65, the wiping unit 68 is provided instead of the application part 20, as shown in FIG.24 (e). At the lower end of the wiping unit 68, a sheet 69 soaked with the solvent of the correction ink 12 is provided. The sheet 69 is in contact with the surface of the discarding plate 65. With the sheet 69 in contact with the surface of the discarding plate 65, the discarding plate 65 is moved in the Y direction by the driving device 66, and the correction ink 12 discarded on the discarding plate 65 is wiped with the sheet 69. As the sheet 69, a member capable of absorbing a solvent such as a nonwoven fabric or a sponge is used.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 24 (f), a sheet 69 soaked with a solvent is constantly brought into contact with the surface of the discarding plate 65 on one end side of the position where the discarding plate 65 and the coating portion 20 face each other. . The seat 69 is fixed to the lower end of the column 70. In this case, the maintenance work described with reference to FIG. As the solvent, for example, a high boiling point solvent such as terpineol, decanol, or cyclododecene is used to prevent the sheet 69 from drying out early.

  FIGS. 25A and 25B are cross-sectional views showing still another modification of the embodiment, and are compared with FIGS. 17A to 17C. 25 (a) and 25 (b) are different from the modified examples of FIGS. 17 (a) to 17 (c) mainly in that a plurality of (two in the figure) application units 20 are provided on the fixed base 44 of the application unit 19. Is fixed, and the protective cover 51 is replaced with a protective cover 71. FIG. 25A shows a state in which the protective cover 71 is lowered to protect the tips of the plurality of application portions 20. FIG. 25B shows a state in which the protective cover 71 is raised to expose the tips of the plurality of application units 20, and shows a state in which the correction ink 12 can be applied by the application unit 20.

  The protective cover 71 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a plurality of application portions 20 are inserted into the protective cover 71. The tip positions of the plurality of application portions 20 are aligned at the same height by the jig 48 shown in FIG. The protective cover 71 is inserted into a hole 44 b provided in the lower part of the fixed base 44. The upper end portion of each application portion 20 is inserted into the hole at the bottom of the hole 44 b of the fixed base 44. As in FIG. 11, a magnet (not shown) is fixed to the fixed base 44 and is detachable by the magnetic attraction force of the magnet. ) (See FIG. 8).

  A lever 72 is fixed to the side surface of the protective cover 71. The lever 72 is inserted into a long hole 44 d formed in the side wall of the hole 44 b of the fixed base 44. The lever 72 is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction within the elongated hole 44d. When the lever 72 is moved up and down by hand, the protective cover 21 moves up and down with respect to the fixed base 44 within the range of the long hole 44d.

  An annular groove 71 a is formed on the outer periphery of the upper end portion of the protective cover 71, and an annular groove 71 b is formed on the outer periphery of the lower end portion of the protective cover 71. A plunger 73 is provided on the side wall at the lower end of the hole 44 b of the fixed base 44. The ball 73a (or cylinder) of the plunger 73 is urged in the vertical direction with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the protective cover 71 by a spring 73b. When the sphere 73a enters the groove 71a or 71b, the protective cover 71 is fixed to the upper position or the lower position.

  When the sphere 73a enters the groove 71a, as shown in FIG. 25A, the protective cover 71 is fixed at the lower position, and the tip of each application section 20 is covered and protected by the protective cover 71. When the sphere 73a enters the groove 71b, as shown in FIG. 25 (b), the protective cover 71 is fixed at the upper position, and the tip of each application part 20 is exposed to allow application by each application part 20. . At this time, if the correction ink 12 having a color different from that of the other application units 20 is injected into each application unit 20, by selecting and applying any one application unit 20 among the plurality of application units 20. The correction ink 12 having a desired color among the correction inks 12 of a plurality of colors can be applied.

  In addition, if a fixed base 44 having a plurality of application portions 20 fixed thereto is attached to the application unit 19 shown in FIG. 7, there is only one disposal mechanism including a disposal plate 36 for the plurality of application portions 20. Therefore, the mechanism can be simplified.

  In addition, since the tip of the application unit 20 can be protected by moving the protective cover 71 up and down with respect to the application unit 20, the tip of the application unit 20 is prevented from being damaged when the fixing base 44 is attached or detached. can do.

  FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the fixing base 44 to which the plurality of application units 20 are fixed is attached to the application unit 19 illustrated in FIG. 7. In FIG. 26, the protective cover 71 is fixed at the upper position, and the tip of each application unit 20 is exposed. A coating command from a control unit (not shown) of the pattern correction device 13 is input to the switching device 74. The switching device 74 selects one of the plurality of application units 20 in accordance with the application command, and applies the correction ink 12 using the selected application unit 20.

  The switching device 74 includes an application control unit 75 that controls the application amount and the like, and a selection unit 76 that sends the signal to the selected application unit 20. Taking the application unit 20 shown in FIG. 4 as an example, the gas injection device 31 corresponds to the application control unit 75, and a multiple valve that connects the gas injection device 31 and the selected application unit 20 is used as the selection unit 76. Is done. In addition, if the application position of each application part 20 is grasped in advance, the defective part 8b can be positioned immediately below the selected application part 20.

  In the state of FIG. 26, the selected application unit 20 is controlled to perform discarding. Thereafter, when the discarding plate 36 is retracted and the Z stage 40 is lowered, the tip of the coating part 20 faces the defective part 8b of the substrate 1 as shown in FIG. In this state, the selected application unit 20 is operated to apply the correction ink 12 to the defective portion 8d.

  FIGS. 28A to 28C show a process of correcting the defective portion 8b of the substrate 1 having the protective film 11 shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B using the coating unit 19 shown in FIG. . In FIGS. 28A to 28C, a disconnection defect portion 8b is present in a part of the wiring (drain line) 8, and a part of the protective film 11 thereabove is also lost to expose the defect portion 8b. It is in. In addition, conductive correction ink 12 is injected into the application part 20 on one side (left side in the figure) of the two application parts 20 fixed to the fixing base 44, and on the other side (right side in the figure). A liquid insulating material (for example, resin ink) 77 is injected into the application unit 20.

  In the first coating step, as shown in FIG. 28B, the conductive correction ink 12 is applied to the defective portion 8b using the coating portion 20 on one side (left side in the drawing) of the two coating portions 20. Is applied and then subjected to local baking to obtain a correction pattern 12a to ensure electrical conduction. In the second application step, as shown in FIG. 28C, the liquid insulating material 77 is applied so as to block the correction pattern 12a using the application part 20 on the other side (right side in the drawing), and then cured. Thus, the protective film 11 is formed.

  In this modified example, the correction ink 12 and the liquid insulating material 77 are applied using the two application parts 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. Color) correction ink 12 may be applied. Alternatively, a plurality of application portions 20 having different application shapes may be fixed to the fixing base 44, and the application portion 20 having an application shape corresponding to the shape of the defect portion 8b may be selected.

  The embodiment using the application unit 20 shown in FIG. 4 has been described so far, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a dispenser type or ink jet type application unit can also be used. In addition, as an ink jet method, various methods such as a discharge method using pressure and heat and an electrostatic method using electrostatic attraction have been proposed, but any method may be used.

  When using an inkjet-type or dispenser-type application unit, when correcting the defective portion 8b, application is performed by ejecting the correction ink 12 while relatively moving the application unit and the substrate 1 in the horizontal direction. By repeatedly ejecting the correction ink 12, the correction ink 12 can be deposited. In addition, when a glass capillary tube (nozzle) is used as the application unit 20, the tip of the nozzle is delicate when attaching to and detaching from the Z table 40 after fixing the application unit 20 to the fixed base 44. Although protection is required, damage to the nozzle tip can be avoided by providing the protective covers 51 and 71.

  The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

  1 TFT array substrate, 2 glass substrate, 3 gate line, 3a gate electrode, 4,5 gate insulating film, 6 pixel electrode, 7 semiconductor film, 8 drain line, 8a drain electrode, 8b open defect part, 9 source electrode, 10 TFT, 11 Protective film, 12 Correction ink, 12a Correction pattern, 13 Pattern correction device, 14 Surface plate, 15 Chuck, 16 XY stage, 16a X axis stage, 16b Y axis stage, 17, 25 Z axis stage, 18 Observation optics System, 19 coating unit, 20 coating unit, 21 throwing unit, 22 laser, 23 baking apparatus, 24 objective lens, 26 cylindrical member, 26a guide hole, 27 film, 27a through hole, 28 ink container, 28a opening, 28b Stopper, 29 lid, 29a gas supply hole, 29b vent hole, 30 joint, 3 Gas injection device, 32 regulator, 33 electromagnetic valve, 34 timer, 35 gas supply source, 36, 65 throwing plate, 37 base plate, 38, 39 linear motion guide bearing, 38a, 39a slide portion, 38b, 39b rail portion, 40 Z table, 40a upper surface, 41 roller, 42, 45, 49, 55 magnet, 43 X table, 43a horizontal portion, 43b inclined portion, 43c protrusion, 44 fixing base, 44a end surface, 44b hole, 44c hole, 46 motor 47, 66 Drive device, 48 jig, 48a end face, 50 camera, 51 protective cover, 51a long hole, 51b flange, 52-54 pins, 56 stopper, 57 XYZ stage, 58 objective lens switch, 58a movable plate, 59 Distance sensor, 60, 67 Throwing control unit, 61, 68 Wiping unit G, 62, 69 Sheet, 63, 70 Prop 51, 71 Protective cover, 71a, 71b Groove, 72 Lever, 73 Plunger, 73a Ball, 73b Spring, 74 Switching device, 75 Application control unit, 76 Selection unit, 77 Liquid insulation material.

Claims (25)

Application means for applying a liquid material to a fine region on the substrate;
A discarding member for receiving the liquid material discarded by the application means;
During the discarding operation for discarding the liquid material, the discarding member is inserted between the coating unit and the substrate. After the discarding operation is completed, the discarding member is inserted between the coating unit and the substrate. Driving means for retracting the throwing member;
Provided between the coating means and the discarding member, the coating means is raised as the discarding member is inserted between the coating means and the substrate, and the gap between the coating means and the substrate is A coating unit comprising: a copying mechanism that lowers the coating unit as the discarding member is retracted. The copying mechanism is
A Z table provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction and mounted with the coating means;
A roller fixed to the Z table;
An X table provided so as to be movable in the horizontal direction and mounted with the discarding member,
2. The copying surface according to claim 1, wherein a copying surface is formed at an upper end portion of the X table, the roller is brought into contact with the copying surface of the X table, and the roller moves along the copying surface when the X table moves. Application unit.   3. The copying mechanism according to claim 2, wherein when the discarding member is retracted from between the coating unit and the substrate, the copying mechanism lowers the coating unit when the discarding member is detached from below the coating unit. The coating unit described. The copying surface includes a horizontal part and an inclined part,
When the discarding member is retracted from between the coating means and the substrate, when the roller is in contact with the horizontal portion, only the retracting operation of the discarding member proceeds, and the roller is inclined. The coating unit according to claim 3, wherein when the abutment member is in contact with the portion, the retracting operation of the discarding member and the lowering operation of the coating unit proceed simultaneously.   The projection part or the uphill inclination part is provided in the horizontal part of the said copying surface so that the said application means may rise in the predetermined period when the said discarding member removes from the downward direction of the said application means. Application unit. Furthermore, a fixing member for fixing the application means to the Z table is provided,
6. The fixing member is attached to the Z table in a state where a distance between a lower end of the applying unit and a reference surface of the fixing member is set to a predetermined reference length. The coating unit according to any one of the above.   Furthermore, the coating unit of Claim 6 provided with the protective cover which is provided in the said fixing member and protects the said application | coating means.   The coating unit according to claim 7, wherein the protective cover is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction with respect to the fixing member. The protective cover is formed in a cylindrical shape,
The application means is inserted into the protective cover,
When the application means is attached to the Z table via the fixing member, the lower end of the protective cover is positioned below the lower end of the application means to protect the application means, and when the attachment is completed, The coating unit according to claim 8, wherein a protective cover is moved upward to expose a lower end portion of the coating unit.   The coating unit according to claim 9, further comprising a holding unit that holds the protective cover upward and exposes a lower end portion of the coating unit. The driving means moves the discard member in a first direction,
Further, each time the liquid material is discarded, the discard member is moved in a second direction different from the first direction, and the discarded liquid material on the surface of the discard member is The coating unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising sub-driving means for disposing a portion that does not exist below the coating means. And detecting means for detecting the number of times the discard member has moved in the second direction;
The coating unit according to claim 11, further comprising a notifying unit that notifies a user of the pattern correction device when the number of times detected by the detecting unit reaches a predetermined number.   When removing the liquid material discarded on the surface of the discarding member, a sheet soaked with the solvent of the liquid material is provided instead of the application means, and the sheet contacts the surface of the discarding member The coating unit according to claim 11, wherein the discarding member is moved by the auxiliary driving unit.   Further, the sub driving means is provided at a position different from the position facing the coating means on the surface of the discarding member, and a sheet soaked with the solvent of the liquid material is brought into contact with the surface of the discarding member, The coating unit according to claim 11, further comprising a wiping unit for wiping the liquid material on a surface of the discard member moved by. The application means includes
A first container in which at least a part of the bottom is formed of a film, and a through-hole having a shape corresponding to the defect portion is opened in the film;
A second container including a cylindrical portion that is disposed on the film so that an edge of an opening at the lower end surrounds the through-hole, and into which the liquid material is injected;
A guide unit that supports the second container so as to be movable in the vertical direction;
A nozzle provided at a front end of the second container facing the upper end portion of the second container with a gap, provided substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the film;
The film and the substrate face each other with a gap in a state where the defect portion and the through hole are aligned,
Further, gas is injected through the nozzle to push the second container downward, and a range including the through-hole of the film is protruded downward to open the opening below the through-hole. The coating unit according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a gas jetting unit that is in contact with a substrate and coats the liquid material onto the defective portion through the through hole.   The application unit according to claim 1, wherein the application unit includes an inkjet nozzle.   The application unit according to claim 1, wherein the application unit includes a dispenser type nozzle. The application means includes a plurality of sub-application means,
And further comprising a selection means for selecting any one of the plurality of sub-coating means.
The sub-application unit selected by the selection unit among the plurality of sub-application units applies the liquid material to the fine region on the substrate. Application unit. A pattern correction apparatus for correcting a defective portion of a fine pattern formed on a substrate,
Application means for applying a correction liquid to the defective portion of the fine pattern;
A discarding member that receives the correction fluid discarded by the application means;
During the discarding operation for discarding the correction liquid, the discarding member is inserted between the coating unit and the substrate. After the discarding operation is completed, the discarding member is inserted between the coating unit and the substrate. Driving means for retracting the throwing member;
Provided between the coating means and the discarding member, the coating means is raised as the discarding member is inserted between the coating means and the substrate, and the gap between the coating means and the substrate is A pattern correction apparatus comprising: a copying mechanism that lowers the application unit as the discarding member is retracted. Furthermore, an observation optical system for observing the surface of the substrate is provided,
The observation optical system is
A plurality of objective lenses having different magnifications;
A movable plate having the plurality of objective lenses fixed on a lower surface thereof, and moving the movable plate in a horizontal direction so that an optical axis of the selected objective lens among the plurality of objective lenses is light of the observation optical system; An XY table that matches the axis,
The pattern correction apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the coating unit, the discard member, the driving unit, and the copying mechanism are provided on a lower surface of the movable plate.   21. The pattern correction according to claim 20, further comprising a distance sensor provided on a lower surface of the movable plate, for measuring a distance to the substrate, and preventing a lower end of the coating unit from contacting the substrate. apparatus.   The position adjusting unit according to claim 21, further comprising a position adjusting unit that adjusts a vertical position of the XY table based on a measurement result of the distance sensor and prevents a lower end of the coating unit from contacting the substrate. Pattern correction device. The application means includes a plurality of sub-application means,
And further comprising a selection means for selecting any one of the plurality of sub-coating means.
23. The pattern correction apparatus according to claim 19, wherein a sub coating unit selected by the selection unit among the plurality of sub coating units applies the correction liquid to the defect portion.   24. The pattern correction apparatus according to claim 23, wherein each sub coating unit applies a different type of correction liquid from the other sub coating units.   24. The pattern correction apparatus according to claim 23, wherein each sub coating unit applies the correction liquid in a shape different from that of other sub coating units.

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