JP2016137461A - Electrospray coating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrospray coating device which enables fine pattern coating with a simple structure.SOLUTION: An electrospray coating device 1 includes: a plate part 21 on which a substrate 10 is placed; a spray unit 40 having a spray nozzle 42 for spraying a coating liquid; and a voltage application part 70 configured to apply a voltage to an area between the plate part 21 and the spray nozzle 42. The electrospray coating device 1 deposits the coating liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle 42 on the substrate 10 placed on the plate part 21. The spray unit 40 includes a resin hood part 80 which is disposed between the plate part 21 and the spray nozzle 42, encloses a periphery of the coating liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle 42, and has a structure where a plate part 21 side opening size is smaller than a spray nozzle 42 side opening size.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a spray-type coating apparatus that applies a coating solution onto a substrate.

  For example, in electrospray coating application as shown in Patent Document 1, a mask is disposed between a substrate and a nozzle, and the coating liquid is applied only to a portion where the opening of the mask is located. However, when the opening diameter or opening width (slit width) of the mask is small, the coating liquid sprayed from the nozzle does not pass through the mask opening and escapes outside the opening due to repulsion due to charging of the mask surface. Therefore, it is difficult to apply a fine pattern with a mask. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the diameter of the spray so that it can easily pass through a small opening.

  As a method for reducing the diameter of the spray, in the electrospray coating apparatus shown in Patent Document 2, as a method for converging the spray range of the droplet sprayed from the nozzle, the ring-shaped conductor has the same polarity as the nozzle (charged droplet and A method is used in which the droplet flying range is narrowed by the principle of an electrostatic lens that applies a potential of the same polarity and gradually reduces the diameter of a plurality of rings to narrow the electric field. The method consists of a power source for applying a voltage to the ring-shaped conductor, a local electrode placed on the back side of the substrate where the film is to be deposited, and a voltage having a polarity opposite to that applied to the nozzle to the local electrode. It has a device configuration comprising a local electrode power source.

JP 2014-147891 A JP 2011-175922 A

  However, in Patent Document 2, the apparatus configuration is complicated, and particularly when the size of the substrate is large, in order to apply a pattern to the substrate by relative movement of the nozzle and the substrate, the nozzle side of the complicated configuration is fixed. Since the substrate side has to be moved, there is a problem that the installation area (footprint) of the entire coating apparatus increases. Also, the ring-shaped electrostatic lens is provided in multiple stages in the direction of droplet flight because the droplet converging action by the ring (formation of an electric field that repels the droplet) is discrete for each ring. It is difficult to continuously converge the electric field that repels the droplets. Depending on the ring spacing and the adjustment of the voltage applied to the ring (adjustment of the resistance value for voltage drop), the spray droplets may be partially Therefore, there is a problem of moving (leaking) outside the loop, and adjustment to prevent it is not easy. In addition, since a plurality of loop-shaped coils are installed in the vicinity of the mask or the substrate, there is a problem that the workability of coating is poor.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electrospray coating apparatus that can apply a fine pattern with a simple configuration.

  In order to solve the above problems, an electrospray coating apparatus according to the present invention includes a plate unit on which a substrate is placed, a spray unit having a spray nozzle for spraying a coating liquid, and a voltage between the plate unit and the spray nozzle. An electrospray coating apparatus for depositing a coating liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle on a substrate placed on the plate unit, the spray unit comprising: the plate unit; It further includes a resin hood that is disposed between the spray nozzle and surrounds the periphery of the coating liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle, and the opening size on the plate portion side is smaller than the opening size on the spray nozzle side. It is characterized by.

  According to the electrospray applicator, the spray diameter is reduced with a simple configuration. It is possible to apply a fine pattern. Specifically, by providing a resin hood portion, when a high voltage is applied to the spray nozzle, a potential of the same polarity as the nozzle is generated on the surface of the resin hood portion facing the spray nozzle, and the hood portion The surface of the liquid repels droplets sprayed from the spray nozzle. By utilizing this, the direction of the flow of droplets sprayed from the spray nozzle (hereinafter referred to as spray) can be changed. In addition, since the opening size on the plate portion side is smaller than the opening size on the spray nozzle side in terms of the shape of the hood portion, the distance between the hood portion and the spray nozzle is too short to prevent the spray from being generated from the spray nozzle. It is possible to squeeze the diameter.

  The spray nozzle includes a plate unit for mounting the substrate, a spray unit having a spray nozzle for spraying a coating liquid, and a voltage application unit for applying a voltage between the plate unit and the spray nozzle. An electrospray coating apparatus for depositing the coating liquid sprayed from the plate on the substrate placed on the plate unit, wherein the spray unit is disposed between the plate unit and the spray nozzle and is disposed from the spray nozzle. Surrounding the periphery of the sprayed coating liquid, a metal hood portion whose opening size on the plate portion side is smaller than the opening size on the spray nozzle side, and a voltage having the same polarity as the spray nozzle on the basis of the plate portion. The hood part voltage application mechanism applied to the hood part may be further provided.

  By doing so, it is possible to reduce the spray diameter with a simple configuration and apply a fine pattern as described above.

  Further, a mask portion that is disposed between the substrate placed on the plate portion and the spray nozzle and has an opening, and a direction parallel to a surface on which the substrate of the plate portion is placed with respect to the plate portion It is preferable to further include a moving mechanism that synchronizes and relatively moves the spray unit, the hood portion, and the mask portion.

  By doing so, it is possible to draw an arbitrary thin line on the substrate.

  According to the electrospray coating apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to apply a fine pattern with a simple configuration. In addition, since the structure on the spray unit side is simpler than that of the prior art, a structure in which the substrate side is fixed and the spray unit side is moved can be easily formed. The footprint does not increase and the installation area of the apparatus can be small.

It is the schematic of the electrospray coating device in one Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the spray unit of this embodiment. It is the schematic showing the comparative example with respect to this embodiment. It is the schematic showing the comparative example with respect to this embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the formation state of the coating film by the spray unit of this embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the formation state of the coating film by the spray unit of this embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the spray unit of other embodiment.

  An electrospray coating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrospray coating apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the vicinity of a coating unit.

  The electrospray coating apparatus 1 includes a base 2, a plate portion 21 for placing the substrate 10, and a spray unit 40 in the direction of the substrate placement surface 21 a (horizontal plane) of the plate portion 21 with respect to the plate portion 21. The application unit 30 is configured to be movable, and a high voltage is applied between the spray nozzle 42 of the spray unit 40 and the plate portion 21, so that the so-called electrospray deposition method is applied to the tip of the spray nozzle 42. A droplet is sprayed to form a coating film C on the substrate 10. Specifically, for example, a coating material C is formed by spraying a liquid material (hereinafter referred to as a coating solution) such as a material for organic EL display or a conductive material for a wiring pattern.

  In the following description, the direction in which the coating unit 30 moves mainly during the coating operation is the X-axis direction, the direction orthogonal to this on the horizontal plane is the Y-axis direction, and the direction orthogonal to both the X-axis and Y-axis directions. The description will proceed with the Z-axis direction.

  The base 2 is provided with a plate portion 21 at the center thereof. The plate portion 21 is used to place the substrate 10 loaded therein. The plate portion 21 is provided with a substrate placement surface 21a on which the substrate 10 is placed and a substrate holding means (not shown). The substrate holding means 21 holds the substrate 10 on the substrate placement surface 21a. It has become. Specifically, a plurality of suction holes formed in the substrate placement surface 21a of the plate portion 21 are formed. By generating a suction force in the suction holes, the substrate 10 is attracted to the substrate placement surface 21a. Can be held.

  Further, the plate portion 21 is provided with a grounding mechanism 22, and the plate portion 21 is grounded. If the plate portion 21 is grounded in this way, a DC voltage is applied between the plate portion 21 and the spray nozzle 42 when the substrate 10 is placed on the substrate placement surface 21a and coating is performed. Regardless of the conductivity or non-conductivity of the substrate 10, spray coating can be performed on the surface of the substrate 10.

  The plate portion 21 is provided with a substrate lifting mechanism that moves the substrate 10 up and down. Specifically, a plurality of pin holes are formed on the surface of the plate portion 21, and lift pins (not shown) that can be moved up and down in the Z-axis direction are embedded in the pin holes. That is, when the substrate 10 is carried in with the lift pins protruding from the surface of the plate portion 21, the tip portions of the lift pins can contact the substrate 10 and hold the substrate 10. Then, the lift pin is lowered from this state and accommodated in the pin hole, whereby the substrate 10 can be placed on the substrate placement surface 21a.

  The coating unit 30 forms a coating film C by discharging a coating liquid onto the substrate 10. The coating unit 30 includes a portal-shaped gantry frame 31, a spray unit 40 that discharges coating liquid, and a moving mechanism 50 that moves the spray unit 40 relative to the substrate 10. .

  Here, the spray unit 40 is demonstrated using FIG. 2, FIG.

  The spray unit 40 has one or more spray nozzles 42. The spray nozzle 42 discharges the supplied application liquid in a spray form, and has a nozzle body 42a for storing a predetermined amount of application liquid and a needle-like needle part 42b, and is applied from the needle part 42b. Liquid is discharged. The needle part 42b has a cylindrical shape with a minute diameter, and the nozzle body 42a is supported by the frame 41 so that the needle part 42b faces the plate part 21 side. Moreover, the nozzle main body 42a is connected with the syringe pump P by piping, and when the syringe pump P is operated, the coating liquid is supplied to the nozzle main body 42a.

  And the needle part 42b is electrically connected with the voltage application part 70 via the conducting wire 71, and a voltage is applied to the needle part 42b when the voltage application part 70 act | operates. Further, as described above, since the plate portion 21 is grounded by the grounding mechanism 22, when a voltage is applied between the needle portion 42b and the plate portion 21, the needle portion 42b An electric field (lines of electric force) is generated between the substrate 10 and the coating liquid supplied to the needle part 42b destroys the surface tension due to electrostatic force repulsion, and the coating liquid becomes sprayed droplets from the tip of the needle part 42b. It is discharged along the electric field (electric field lines) and applied to the substrate 10.

  Further, the spray unit 40 of the present embodiment further includes a hood portion 80. The hood portion 80 is provided so as to be positioned between the spray nozzle 42 and the plate portion 21, and is a substantially frustoconical and hollow resin hood surrounding the entire spray sprayed from the spray nozzle. The opening size on the side is smaller than the opening size on the spray nozzle 42 side, and is supported on the frame 41 by the hood fixture 44.

  In the present embodiment, the upper end portion (the end portion on the spray nozzle 42 side) of the hood portion 80 is positioned closer to the root side of the needle portion 42b than the tip end of the needle portion 42b, and sprays from the tip end of the needle portion 42b toward the plate portion. The applied coating liquid is prevented from escaping out of the hood 80 from the upper end side of the hood 80. Note that. The lower end portion (the end portion on the plate portion 21 side) of the hood portion 80 is located between the tip of the needle portion 42 b and the plate portion 21.

  Further, the mask portion 60 is used when a fine pattern is drawn on the substrate 10, and the mask portion 60 is disposed between the hood portion 80 and the substrate 10. The mask unit 60 is for controlling the shape of the coating film C formed by the coating liquid discharged from the spray nozzle 42. The mask portion 60 is formed of a flat plate-shaped electrical insulating material, and an opening 61 that penetrates in the thickness direction is formed at a substantially central portion thereof. The mask portion 60 is supported by the frame 41 by a mask fixture 43 and is fixed in such a posture that the penetrating direction of the opening 61 faces the needle portion 42 b of the spray nozzle 42. Accordingly, the coating liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle 42 is applied to the substrate 10 through the opening 61, whereby the shape of the coating film C formed on the substrate 10 is controlled. That is, the shape of the coating film C formed on the substrate 10 is increased by increasing the area of the opening 61, and the shape of the coating film C formed on the substrate 10 is decreased by reducing the area of the opening 61. Becomes smaller.

  The moving mechanism 50 moves the spray unit 40 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. That is, the plate portion 21 is moved in a direction parallel to the surface on which the substrate 10 is placed. In the present embodiment, an X-axis linear motion guide 51 provided on both sides of the plate portion 21 in the Y-axis direction and a Y-axis linear motion guide 52 provided on the gantry frame 31 are configured. The X-axis linear motion guide 51 extends along the X-axis direction of the plate portion 21, and the slider of the X-axis linear motion guide 51 and the gantry frame 31 are connected to each other. Therefore, by driving and controlling the X-axis linear motion guide 51, the gantry frame 31 can be moved in the X-axis direction and stopped at an arbitrary position. A Y-axis linear motion guide 52 is provided at a portion extending in the Y-axis direction of the gantry frame 31, and the slider of the Y-axis linear motion guide 52 and the spray unit 40 are connected to each other. Therefore, by driving and controlling the Y-axis linear motion guide 52, the spray unit 40 moves in the Y-axis direction and can be stopped at an arbitrary position. Therefore, the spray unit 40 can be moved to a predetermined position with respect to the substrate 10 on the plate portion 21 by driving and controlling the X-axis linear motion guide 51 and the Y-axis linear motion guide 52.

  The Y-axis linear motion guide 52 and the spray unit 40 are attached via a Z-axis linear motion guide 53. That is, by driving and controlling the Z-axis linear motion guide 53, the spray unit 40 is driven and controlled to move in the Z direction position (height direction position) and is supported so as to be able to contact and separate from the substrate 10. .

  Next, the application diameter to the substrate in this embodiment is shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 together with the comparative example. The distance d1 between the substrate 10 placed on the plate portion 21 and the spray nozzle 42 is 70 mm.

(Comparative Example 1)
As shown in FIG. 3, the diameter of the coating film C on the substrate 10 when the hood part 80 was not provided was 120 mm. In this case, the voltage applied to the spray nozzle 42 was about 11 kV.

(Comparative Example 2)
As shown in FIG. 4, the hood portion 80 is arranged so that the opening size on the plate portion 21 side of the hood portion 80 is larger than the opening size on the spray nozzle 42 side (referred to as a downward opening). In this case, the voltage applied to the spray nozzle 42 was about 16 kV. Here, the height (dimension in the Z-axis direction) H of the hood portion 80 in this case is 100 mm, and the distance d2 from the substrate 10 is 5 mm. The opening size F1 on the spray nozzle 42 side of the hood portion 80 is 25 mm, and the opening size F2 on the plate portion 21 side is 70 mm.

  In this case, the diameter of the coating film C on the substrate 10 was 42 mm, which was smaller than when the hood portion 80 was not provided. However, in this case, since the hood portion 80 approaches the spray nozzle 42, the generation of spray at the tip of the spray nozzle 42 has become unstable, for example, discharge occurs between the spray nozzle 42 and the hood portion 80.

(Example)
As shown in FIG. 5, the hood portion 80 is arranged so that the opening size on the plate portion 21 side of the hood portion 80 is smaller than the opening size on the spray nozzle 42 side (referred to as an upper opening). In this case, the voltage applied to the spray nozzle 42 was about 28 kV. Here, the height (dimension in the Z-axis direction) H of the hood portion 80 in this case is 100 mm, and the distance d2 from the substrate 10 is 5 mm. The opening size of the hood portion 80 on the spray nozzle 42 side is 70 mm, and the opening size on the plate portion 21 side is 25 mm.

  In this case, the diameter of the coating film C on the substrate 10 was 8 mm, which was smaller than the case of the downward-opening hood portion 80 of Comparative Example 1. In addition, in the case where the opening size on the spray nozzle 42 side is large as in this embodiment, a sufficient distance between the spray nozzle 42 and the hood can be secured, so that the spray can be stably applied without being disturbed. Was able to do.

  From the above, it can be seen that the hood part 80 has an effect of squeezing the spray, and that the hood part 80 has the shape of the upper opening, and the spray is squeezed smaller than the case of the lower opening shape.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the diameter of the coating film C was measured when the hood portion 80 had an upward opening shape and the mask portion 60 was provided between the hood portion 80 and the substrate 10. Here, the thickness of the mask part 60 was 1 mm, the distance d3 between the substrate 10 and the mask part 60 was 2 mm, and the distance d4 between the mask part 60 and the hood part 80 was 5 mm. As a result, although depending on the relationship between the opening diameter of the mask portion 60 and the applied voltage to the spray unit 42, the diameter of the coating film C is reduced when the opening diameter of the mask portion 60 is 1.0 mm and the applied voltage is 16 kV. The thickness could be 0.2 mm. Note that when the hood portion 80 was opened downward, the spray did not pass through the opening of the above-described diameter of the mask 60 and was scattered to the periphery due to the repulsion of the surface of the mask portion 60. Similarly, when there was no hood, the spray did not pass through the opening of the above-mentioned diameter of the mask 60 and was scattered to the periphery due to the repulsion of the surface of the mask portion 60.

  In this way, by using the hood portion 80 having an upper opening shape, the coating voltage C of 1 mm or less is formed by adjusting the nozzle applied voltage, the height of the hood portion 80, and the diameter of the opening of the mask portion 60. can do.

  Further, the spray unit 42 (the spray nozzle 42, the mask unit 60, and the hood unit 80) is moved in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction by the moving mechanism 50, so that the spray nozzle 42, the mask unit 60, and the hood unit 80 are moved. Can be moved in synchronization so that the relative positional relationship remains unchanged, so that fine lines of a predetermined pattern can be drawn.

  Next, the food | hood part of other embodiment is demonstrated using FIG.

  The hood portion 81 in this embodiment is made of a metal having conductivity, and has a hollow and top-open truncated cone shape as in the embodiment of FIG. Further, the hood part 81 is electrically connected to the hood part voltage application mechanism 82.

  Then, the hood portion voltage application mechanism 82 applies a voltage having the same polarity as the spray nozzle 42 with reference to the plate portion 21 (a positive voltage in the example of FIG. 7) to the hood portion 81 while spraying from the spray nozzle 42. By performing, spraying can be performed with the spray diameter reduced. Specifically, the coating liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle 42 is charged with the same polarity as the spray nozzle 42 (positive potential in the example of FIG. 7), and this coating liquid has the same polarity. Since it repels the hood 81, the spray diameter is reduced as a result of being pushed back in the direction of the central axis of the spray.

  On the other hand, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, a non-conductive material such as resin is used for the hood portion 80, but even in this case, the hood is caused by the voltage applied to the spray nozzle 42. Polarization occurs in the portion 80, and a positive charge appears on the surface on the side facing the spray nozzle 42. Thus, repulsion occurs between the sprayed coating liquid and the hood 80.

  In order to simplify the device configuration, the voltage value applied to the hood 81 from the hood unit voltage application mechanism 82 is not changed for each part of the hood unit 81, and one type of voltage is applied to the hood unit 81. To give to. Even with such a configuration, the effect of sufficiently reducing the spray diameter can be obtained.

  With the above electrospray coating apparatus, it is possible to apply a fine pattern with a simple configuration.

  In the above description, the spray unit 40 has the single spray nozzle 42 and the single hood portion 80 and the single mask portion 60 provided for the spray nozzle 42. The unit 40 may have a plurality of spray nozzles 42 and a plurality of hood portions 80 and mask portions 60 provided for the respective spray nozzles 42.

  Moreover, although the spray unit 40 (spray nozzle 42), the hood part 80, and the mask part 60 demonstrated the example which is integral structure in the said embodiment, each provided with a separate moving mechanism, and each can move synchronously. It may be a thing. However, as in the above-described embodiment, a common one is preferable in that the configuration is simplified.

  In addition, the hood portion 80 is not limited to a truncated cone shape, and may have a shape of another truncated cone (such as a square truncated cone).

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the spray nozzle 42 is arrange | positioned above the board | substrate 10 and has taken the form sprayed downward, it may take the form sprayed upward or sideways not only in this.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electrospray coating device 2 Base 10 Board | substrate 21 Plate part 21a Board | substrate mounting surface 22 Grounding mechanism 30 Coating | coated unit 31 Gantry frame 40 Spray unit 41 Frame 42 Spray nozzle 42a Nozzle main body 42b Needle part 43 Mask fixing tool 44 Hood fixing tool 50 Moving mechanism 51 X-axis linear motion guide 52 Y-axis linear motion guide 53 Z-axis linear motion guide 60 Mask portion 61 Opening portion 70 Voltage application portion 71 Conductor 80 Hood portion 81 Hood portion 82 Hood portion voltage application mechanism C Coating film P Syringe pump

Claims (3)

A plate portion for placing a substrate;
A spray unit having a spray nozzle for spraying a coating liquid;
A voltage application unit for applying a voltage between the plate unit and the spray nozzle;
An electrospray coating apparatus for depositing a coating liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle on a substrate placed on the plate part,
The spray unit is disposed between the plate portion and the spray nozzle so as to surround a coating liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle, and the opening size on the plate portion side is smaller than the opening size on the spray nozzle side. An electrospray coating apparatus further comprising a resin hood. A plate portion for placing a substrate;
A spray unit having a spray nozzle for spraying a coating liquid;
A voltage application unit for applying a voltage between the plate unit and the spray nozzle;
An electrospray coating apparatus for depositing a coating liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle on a substrate placed on the plate part,
The spray unit is disposed between the plate portion and the spray nozzle so as to surround a coating liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle, and the opening size on the plate portion side is smaller than the opening size on the spray nozzle side. An electrospray coating apparatus, further comprising: a metal hood section; and a hood section voltage application mechanism that applies a voltage having the same polarity as the spray nozzle to the hood section with reference to the plate section.   The mask unit disposed between the substrate placed on the plate unit and the spray nozzle and having an opening, and the plate unit with respect to the plate unit in a direction parallel to the surface on which the substrate of the plate unit is placed. The electrospray coating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a moving mechanism that synchronizes and relatively moves the spray unit, the hood portion, and the mask portion.

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