JP2020040006A - Liquid application unit and application device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a liquid application unit configured to have a stirrer for liquid materials in an application liquid-container, which allows an application needle to be precisely aligned to a container-penetration hole of the application liquid-container, and an application device.SOLUTION: A liquid application unit comprises an application needle 24, an application liquid-container 21 and a stirrer 26. In a lowest part of the application liquid-container 21 is formed a container-penetration hole 21ph through which the application needle 24 is protruded, and in a highest part of the application liquid-container 21 is formed a container opening part 21op to which the stirrer 26 is fitted. The application liquid-container 21 can move along a horizontal direction. The stirrer 26 includes a vane part 26a formed at a lower side and a guide structure part 26b, formed upper than the vane part 26a, which is larger in dimension along the horizontal direction than the vane part 26a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid application unit and an application device, and more particularly to a liquid application unit that applies a liquid material to an object using an application needle, and an application device including the liquid application unit.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, printed electronics technology for drawing a fine circuit such as an RFID (Rapid Frequency Identifier) tag by a printing (coating) method has been rapidly developed. As a method of forming a fine circuit pattern and an electrode pattern, a printing method, an ink jet method, and the like are generally used. However, as a method of forming a fine circuit pattern and an electrode pattern, a method using an application needle is also attracting attention. This is because, according to the method using a coating needle, fine coating can be performed using a material having a wide range of viscosity. Methods for performing fine application of a liquid material using an application needle are disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2007-268353 (Patent Document 1) and JP-A-2015-112576 (Patent Document 2). In each of these documents, a coating needle is immersed in a coating liquid container. When the application needle projects from the lowermost container through hole of the application liquid container, the liquid material attached to the tip of the application needle is applied to the object to be coated.

  However, if the liquid material to be applied is a conductive liquid material containing a conductive powder, or a liquid material in which other powders or particles are mixed with the conductive powder, the time elapses. May cause the mixture to precipitate easily. Therefore, in such a case, as a method of stirring the liquid material in the application liquid container, a stirrer including a blade-like member is inserted into the application liquid container, and the stirrer is rotationally driven from the outside by a motor or compressed air. Stirring methods are generally well known. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-120956 (Patent Document 3) discloses a method in which a stirrer is installed in a coating liquid container and the liquid material stored in the coating liquid container is stirred to keep the liquid material uniform. Has been proposed.

JP 2007-268353 A JP 2015-112576 A JP-A-2005-120956

  In the application method in which the application needle is projected from the lowermost container through-hole of the application liquid container, it is important to take care not to displace the container through-hole and the application needle. In a configuration in which there is no stirrer in the coating liquid container and only the coating needle penetrates as in JP-A-2007-268353 and JP-A-2015-112576, the coating needle is easily aligned with the container through-hole. be able to. However, in a configuration having a stirrer in a coating liquid container as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-120956, it is not possible to visually recognize the container through hole from the container opening side of the coating liquid container with the stirrer inserted. Have difficulty. This is because the stirrer is arranged so as to hide the container through hole from above. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-120956 does not give any special attention to a precise alignment method.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid coating unit and a coating apparatus which can precisely position a coating needle with respect to a container through hole of a coating liquid container in a configuration having a stirrer for a liquid material in a coating liquid container. That is.

  A liquid application unit according to the present invention includes an application needle, an application liquid container, and a stirrer. The application needle is drivable along the extending direction to apply the liquid material to the object to be applied. The coating liquid container stores a liquid material in a region surrounded by an inner wall surface, and immerses the coating needle in the liquid material. The stirrer is rotatable around the extending direction to stir the liquid material in the application liquid container. A container through-hole for projecting the application needle is formed at the lowermost part of the application liquid container, and a container opening for fitting the stirrer is formed at the uppermost part of the application liquid container. The application liquid container is movable along a horizontal direction that intersects the extending direction of the application needle. The stirrer is formed on the container penetrating hole side in the extending direction, and extends along the extending direction. A guide structure having a large dimension along the direction. The stirrer has a stirrer through-hole that penetrates the application needle in the extending direction, and the stirrer through-hole is disposed at a position that can communicate with the container through-hole.

  According to the present invention, the coating liquid container can move in the horizontal direction. Therefore, by moving the application liquid container, the application needle can be accurately positioned with respect to the container through hole of the application liquid container.

It is a schematic diagram of a coating device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid application unit included in the application device illustrated in FIG. 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a region III surrounded by a dotted line in FIG. 2 in more detail. FIG. 4 is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view of regions IV and V surrounded by a dotted line around a portion of the stirrer in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a schematic front view showing a state in which the stirrer of FIG. 4 is viewed in a plan view from the negative side in the Z direction to the positive side in the Z direction. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a liquid material application method according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the 1st process of attaching the application liquid container to the liquid application unit in a comparative example. It is a schematic diagram which shows the 2nd process of attaching the application liquid container to the liquid application unit in a comparative example. It is a schematic diagram which shows the 1st process of attaching the application liquid container to the liquid application unit in this Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the 2nd process of attaching the application liquid container to the liquid application unit in this Embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid application unit included in the application device illustrated in FIG. 1 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a liquid application unit included in the application device shown in FIG. 1 in a third embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a coating apparatus according to the present embodiment. A coating device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction are introduced for convenience of description. Referring to FIG. 1, a coating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a processing chamber, a Y-axis table 2, an X-axis table 1, a Z-axis table 3, and a liquid. It mainly includes a coating unit 4, an observation optical system 6, a CCD camera 7 connected to the observation optical system 6, and a control unit. The control unit includes a monitor 9, a control computer 10, and an operation panel 8.

  Inside the processing chamber, a Y-axis table 2 is installed on the bottom of the processing chamber. This Y-axis table 2 is movable in the Y-axis direction. Specifically, a guide portion is provided on the lower surface of the Y-axis table 2. The guide section is slidably connected to a guide rail installed on the bottom surface of the processing chamber. A ball screw is connected to the lower surface of the Y-axis table 2. By operating the ball screw by a driving member such as a motor, the Y-axis table 2 is movable along the guide rail (in the Y-axis direction). The upper surface of the Y-axis table 2 is a mounting surface on which the substrate 5 to be processed is mounted. Therefore, the Y-axis table 2 has a function as a holding table for holding the substrate 5 which is an object to be coated with the liquid material.

  On the Y-axis table 2, the X-axis table 1 is installed. The X-axis table 1 is disposed on a structure installed so as to straddle the Y-axis table 2 in the X-axis direction. On the X-axis table 1, a moving body to which the Z-axis table 3 is connected is installed so as to be movable in the X-axis direction. The moving body is movable in the X-axis direction using, for example, a ball screw. The X-axis table 1 is fixed to the bottom of the processing chamber via the above structure. Therefore, the above-described Y-axis table 2 is movable in the Y-axis direction with respect to the X-axis table 1.

  The moving body connected to the X-axis table 1 is provided with the Z-axis table 3 as described above. The observation optical system 6 and the liquid application unit 4 are connected to the Z-axis table 3. The observation optical system 6 is for observing the application position of the substrate 5 which is the object to be applied. The CCD camera converts the observed image into an electric signal. The Z-axis table 3 holds the observation optical system 6 and the liquid application unit 4 movably in the Z-axis direction.

  A control computer 10 and an operation panel 8 for controlling the Y-axis table 2, the X-axis table 1, the Z-axis table 3, the observation optical system 6, and the liquid application unit 4, and a monitor 9 attached to the control computer , Installed outside the processing chamber. The monitor 9 displays image data converted by the above-described CCD camera 7 and output data from the control computer 10. The operation panel 8 is used to input a command to the control computer 10.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid application unit included in the application device illustrated in FIG. 1 according to the first embodiment. With reference to FIG. 2, the liquid application unit 4 of the present embodiment is an application mechanism mainly including a motor 41, a gear 42, and a base body 43. In addition, the liquid coating unit 4 includes a coating liquid container 21, a coating needle 24, a stirrer 26, a bearing base 36, a magnet 37, a ferromagnetic material 38, and a bearing 44 as members that actually contribute to the coating operation. I have.

  The application needle 24 extends in the Z direction, that is, substantially in the vertical direction. The application needle 24 is attached to the base body 43. The application needle 24 has a configuration capable of reciprocating in the Z direction with respect to the stationary base body 43. In other words, the application needle 24 can be driven along the Z direction which is the extending direction. This is indicated by the arrow VT in FIG. In FIG. 2, the lower side in the Z direction of the application needle 24 is the tip, and the upper side is the base.

  The application liquid container 21 is disposed below the base of the application needle 24 in the Z direction. The coating liquid container 21 has an inner wall surface described later. In the coating liquid container 21, a region surrounded by the inner wall surface is a space portion. The application liquid container 21 can accommodate the application needle 24 such that at least a part of the application needle 24 penetrates into the space.

  The stirrer 26 is arranged so as to surround the surface along the direction in which the application needle 24 extends. That is, the stirrer 26 extends along the Z direction in which the application needle 24 extends. At least a part of the stirrer 26 can be housed in a space surrounded by the inner wall surface of the coating solution container 21. Therefore, the stirrer 26 extends along the Z direction.

  A bearing base 36 is disposed around the stirrer 26. The bearing base 36 is, for example, integral with the base body 43. A bearing 44 is mounted between the bearing base 36 and the stirrer 26. Thereby, the stirrer 26 can rotate around the axis in the Z direction which is the extending direction.

  The rotation shaft 41a of the motor 41 constituting the liquid application unit 4 rotates around a central axis shown in the drawing and extending along the Z direction. A gear 42 is attached to a rotating shaft 41 a of the motor 41. Therefore, the gear 42 rotates around the central axis in accordance with the rotation of the rotating shaft 41a of the motor 41. The gear 42 is arranged so as to mesh with a gear as a part of the stirrer 26. Therefore, the stirrer 26 rotates around the axis in the Z direction with the rotation of the gear 42. That is, the stirrer 26 is rotatably supported by the bearing 44 about the axis in the Z direction.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a region III surrounded by a dotted line in FIG. 2 in more detail. Referring to FIG. 3, in liquid application unit 4, an area surrounded by inner wall surface 21if is formed in application liquid container 21. The liquid material 11 is stored inside a space portion as a region surrounded by the inner wall surface 21if. The liquid material 11 is a material that is applied to an object. As described above, the liquid material 11 is held inside the storage portion formed by the inner wall surface 21if of the coating liquid container 21.

  The application needle 24 penetrates into a space surrounded by the inner wall surface 21if. Therefore, the application needle 24 is immersed in the liquid material 11.

  A container through-hole 21ph is formed in the lowermost part of the coating liquid container 21 in the Z direction. That is, the container through-hole 21ph is formed in the bottom of the coating liquid container 21 where the substrate 5 (see FIG. 1) or the like to be coated is opposed. By moving the application needle 24 downward in the Z direction in the container through hole 21ph, at least a part of the application needle 24 can be projected below the lowermost part of the application liquid container 21. More specifically, the application needle 24 has an application needle tip 24nd and an application needle attached root 24g. The tip 24nd of the application needle is located below the root 24g with the application needle in the Z direction. The lowermost part of the application needle tip portion 24nd is sharpened so that the dimension in the direction along the XY plane, that is, the width, is narrower than other areas. When the application needle tip 24nd moves downward in the Z direction within the container through hole 21ph, the application needle tip 24nd is projected so as to be exposed outside the application liquid container 21.

  A container opening 21op is formed at the top of the coating liquid container 21 in the Z direction. The container opening 21op is provided for fitting the stirrer 26 from the upper side in the Z direction in a region for storing the liquid material 11 surrounded by the inner wall surface 21if. The container opening 21op corresponds to a portion of an entrance to a space surrounded by the inner wall surface 21if from above in the Z direction. Therefore, the container opening 21op is continuous with the inner wall surface 21if.

  The wall surface of the container opening 21op is larger in size in plan view than the inner wall surface 21if. In other words, the width of the wall surface of the container opening 21op in the direction along the XY plane is larger than that of the inner wall surface 21if. An inclined surface 21tp is formed in the container opening 21op. The inclined surface 21tp is inclined such that the size of the container opening 21op along the XY plane increases as going upward in the Z direction. That is, the inclined surface 21tp extends in a direction inclined with respect to the extending direction (Z direction) of the application needle 24 and the horizontal direction (direction along the XY plane).

  As described above, the wall surface of the container opening 21op is continuous with the inner wall surface 21if. Further, it is preferable that the inner wall surface 21if is continuous with the container through hole 21ph. Here, it is preferable that the width of the container through-hole 21ph in the direction along the XY plane is smaller than that of the inner wall surface 21if. This is because the liquid material 11 contained in the coating liquid container 21 is prevented from leaking downward from the container through hole 21ph due to the effect of the surface tension.

  For this reason, it is more preferable that the inner wall surface 21if has another inclined surface 21t different from the inclined surface 21tp, in which the width in the direction along the XY plane decreases downward in the Z direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the inner wall surface 21if has a first region extending in the Z direction above the Z direction so as not to become narrower, and a lower region in the Z direction below the first region. It is preferable to include another inclined surface 21t having a reduced width. However, depending on the shape of the stirrer 26, the inner wall surface 21if may have another inclined surface 21t whose width gradually decreases downward in the Z direction as a whole.

  The lowermost portion of the inner wall surface 21if (the lowermost portion of the other inclined surface 21t) is continuous with the container through hole 21ph. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 3, it is preferable that the container opening 21op, the inner wall surface 21if (the other inclined surface 21t), and the container through-hole 21ph are continuously formed from the upper side to the lower side in the Z direction. .

  Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3, application liquid container 21 is movable in a horizontal direction intersecting the extending direction of application needle 24, that is, in the Y direction (X direction). That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the application liquid container 21 is movable in the direction indicated by the arrow HZ in the figure. This movement is made possible by the magnet 37. That is, the liquid application unit 4 includes the base body 43 that supports the rotation of the stirrer 31. The coating liquid container 21 is connected to the base body 43 so as to be movable in the horizontal direction by the magnetic force of the magnet 37. More specifically, for example, in FIG. 2, the base body 43 and the coating solution container 21 face each other. In the portions facing each other, a magnet 37 is arranged on the base body 43, and a ferromagnetic body 38 is arranged on the coating liquid container 21. The magnet 37 of the base body 43 and the ferromagnetic body 38 of the coating liquid container 21 generate a magnetic force that draws the base body 43 and the coating liquid container 21 together. The contact interface between the magnet 37 and the ferromagnetic body 38 extends along the XY plane. Thus, the coating liquid container 21 can move while being adsorbed on the surface of the base body 43.

  At least a part of the stirrer 26 is disposed in a space surrounded by the inner wall surface 21if of the coating liquid container 21. The stirrer 26 is introduced into the space so as to be inserted downward with the container opening 21op as an inlet. Thereby, at least a part of the stirrer 26 is immersed in the liquid material 11 in the coating liquid container 21. Therefore, the stirrer 26 can stir the liquid material 11 in the coating liquid container 21. Here, FIG. 4 is a schematic enlarged sectional view of regions IV and V surrounded by a dotted line centering on the portion of the stirrer in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic front view showing a state in which the stirrer of FIG. 4 is viewed from above from below in the Z direction to above in the Z direction. 3 to 5, the stirrer 26 mainly has a blade 26a and a guide structure 26b.

  The blade portion 26a is formed on the side of the container through-hole 21ph in the extending direction (Z direction) of the stirrer 26, that is, on the lower side. The blade 26a extends along the Z direction. The blade 26a is a member that radially extends in a radial direction (a direction along the XY plane) in a plan view shown in FIG. 5 from an alternate long and short dash line extending in the Z direction in FIG. 3, that is, an axis extending in the center of the stirrer 26. Are formed so as to gather. As an example, in FIG. 5, the blade portion 26a is configured by four radially extending members. In the four radially extending members, it is preferable that an angle formed by a pair of members adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction that is a direction around the central axis is 90 degrees. However, the number of the members is not limited to this, and for example, three members may be arranged such that the angle with the central axis is 120 degrees. Alternatively, six members may be arranged such that the angle with the central axis is 60 degrees.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the blade portion 26 has a blade portion inclined surface 26t formed at the tip end, that is, at the lower portion. That is, in this region, the outer surface of the blade portion 26 is inclined such that the dimension in the width direction of the blade portion 26 gradually decreases toward the lower side in the Z direction. In other words, like the application needle 24, the blade portion 26 has a sharp shape such that the width is narrower at the lowermost portion. It is preferable that the outer surface of the tip having the sharpened blade portion 26 has a shape along the other inclined surface 21t in which the inner wall surface 21if of the coating liquid container 21 is inclined. In other words, it is preferable that the pointed surface of the blade portion 26 and the other inclined surface 21t be substantially parallel in the sectional view so that the angle with respect to the Z direction in the sectional view is substantially equal.

  The guide structure portion 26b is a region of the stirrer 26 formed on the container opening 21op side, that is, on the upper side in the extending direction of the blade portion 26a. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the guide structure 26b has a larger dimension along the horizontal direction (for example, the Y direction) than the blade 26a.

  The guide structure 26b has a cylindrical shape extending along the Z direction. The outermost surface of the cylindrical portion extending along the Z direction is the outer wall surface 26st shown in FIG. The outer wall surface 26st is also the outermost surface of each member of the blade portion 26a. Since the guide structure 26b is wider than the blade 26a, as shown in FIG. 3, the outer wall surface 26st forms a step 26s at the boundary between the blade 26a and the guide structure 26b.

  Further, the stirrer 26 has a stirrer gear 26g. The stirrer gear 26g is formed above the guide structure 26b in the Z direction. The stirrer gear portion 26g is formed to have a larger size (width) than the guide structure portion 26b in plan view (in a direction along the XY plane). The teeth of the stirrer gear portion 26g are arranged so as to mesh with the teeth of the gear 42 connected to the rotating shaft 41a of the motor 41. For this reason, when the gear 42 is rotated by the rotation of the rotation shaft 41a of the motor 41, the stirrer gear 26g is rotated accordingly. The stirrer gear 26g constitutes the stirrer 26 integrally with the guide structure 26b and the blade 26a. Therefore, when the stirrer gear 26g rotates, both the guide structure 26b and the blade 26a rotate about the dashed line extending in the Z direction in FIG. In summary, the stirrer 26 includes a stirrer gear 26g as a power transmission member for transmitting a rotational force to the entire stirrer 26. With such a configuration, the stirrer 26 can rotate using the rotational force supplied from the motor 41. However, the power transmission member is not limited to the stirrer gear 26g. For example, a pulley may be used as the power transmission member instead of a gear such as the stirrer gear portion 26g.

  The stirrer 26 has a stirrer through-hole 26ph at the center thereof. The stirrer through-hole 26ph is formed so as to surround the central axis indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. The stirrer penetrating hole 26ph allows the application needle 24 to move along the Z direction and penetrate the inside thereof. For this reason, the dimension (width) in the direction intersecting with the direction in which the stirrer through-hole 26ph extends is larger than the dimension (width) in the same direction of the coating needle root 24g of the coating needle 24 and the coating needle tip 24nd. The stirrer through hole 26ph is formed at the center of the stirrer 26 in plan view (to surround the central axis) so as to penetrate through all of the stirrer gear portion 26g, the guide structure portion 26b, and the blade portion 26a. I have.

  The stirrer through-hole 26ph is arranged at a position that can communicate with the container through-hole 21ph. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the stirrer through-hole 26ph is arranged so as to overlap the container through-hole 21ph when viewed from the Z direction. More specifically, the stirrer through-hole 26ph is disposed immediately above the container through-hole 21ph at a position at least partially overlapping in plan view. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, it is preferable that the size of the stirrer through-hole 26ph in the direction along the XY plane is larger than that of the container through-hole 21ph.

  Referring again to FIG. 3, a first central axis lost as the central axis of blade portion 26 a of stirrer 26 and a second central axis lond as the central axis of application needle 24 are shown. These indicate the centers of the stirrer 26 and the application needle 24, respectively, and extend along the Z direction so as to pass through the stirrer through hole 26ph. The first central axis lost and the second central axis lond are coaxial. However, since a slight error actually occurs, it is allowable that a certain amount of position error occurs in the direction along the XY plane between the first central axis lost and the second central axis lond. However, the above error is preferably 5 μm or less.

  The third central axis liph as the central axis of the container through-hole 21ph of the coating liquid container 21 and the fourth central axis liop as the central axis of the container opening 21op of the coating liquid container 21 are coaxial. However, since a slight error actually occurs, it is allowed to cause an error of a certain position between the third central axis l iph and the fourth central axis l iop in the direction along the XY plane. However, the above error is preferably 5 μm or less.

  To summarize the above, the first central axis lost, the second central axis londo, the third central axis liph, and the fourth central axis lop are coaxial with each other. However, it is preferable that the error in the interval between the two central axes arbitrarily extracted from the four central axes is 5 μm or less as described above.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view showing a liquid material applying method according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 particularly shows the application liquid container 21 and the liquid material 11 and the application needle 24 disposed therein, and illustration of other parts is omitted. Further, in FIG. 6, each member constituting the liquid application unit 4 other than the application liquid container 21 and the application needle 24 is simplified by omitting the illustration.

  6 shows a state in which the application needle 24 is raised. 6 shows a state in which the application needle 24 is lowered. Referring to FIG. 6, a liquid material 11 is held in a coating liquid container 21 as shown in the diagram on the left. The tip of the application needle 24 is immersed in the liquid material 11 in the application liquid container 21. At this time, the tip of the application needle 24 is arranged so as to face the substrate 5 which is the object to be applied with the liquid material 11. 6 shows a process in which the liquid material 11 is attached to the tip of the application needle 24 as a stage before the supply of the liquid material 11 to the surface of the substrate 5. 6 corresponds to a first state in which the tip of the application needle 24 is located inside the application liquid container 21 in FIG.

  Referring to the right-side view of FIG. 6, the application needle 24 descends from the state of the left-side view of FIG. Specifically, the application needle 24 whose tip has been housed in the application liquid container 21 moves downward as compared to the state shown in the left-hand diagram of FIG. As the application needle 24 descends, its tip projects from the container through hole 21ph to the outside of the application liquid container 21 and comes into contact with the surface of the substrate 5 to be coated. Thus, the liquid material 11 attached to the tip of the coating needle 24 is supplied onto the coating target surface of the substrate 5. The drawing on the right side of FIG. 6 corresponds to a second state in which the tip of the application needle 24 is located outside the application liquid container 21 through the container through hole 21ph. When the application step shown in the right side of FIG. 6 is completed, the application needle 24 is raised again until the tip is located above the container through-hole 21ph, and the state shown in the left side of FIG. 6 is obtained. In this way, as shown by arrows D and U in FIG. 6, the left state (first state) and the right state (second state) can be alternately repeated.

  Next, the operation and effect of the liquid application unit 4 of the present embodiment and a coating apparatus including the same will be described while comparing the comparative example of FIGS. 7 and 8 and the present embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 10. . FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a first step of attaching a coating liquid container to a liquid coating unit in a comparative example. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second step of attaching the coating liquid container to the liquid coating unit in the comparative example. Referring to FIG. 7, the liquid application unit in the comparative example has basically the same configuration as the liquid application unit of the present embodiment. Therefore, the same components are denoted by the same reference characters, and description thereof will not be repeated. However, in the comparative example, the stirrer 26 is not provided, and instead, the lid 28 is provided on the top of the inner wall surface 21if of the coating liquid container 21.

  Referring to FIG. 8, in the liquid application unit 4, at least a part of the distal end of the application needle 24, that is, at least a part of the application needle distal end 24 nd is lowered downward from the container through hole 21 ph formed at the lowermost portion of the application liquid container 21. Protrude. For this reason, when the coating liquid container 21 is attached to the liquid coating unit 4, the second central axis “lond” of the coating needle 24 and the third central axis “liph” of the container through hole 21 ph of the coating liquid container 21 are related on the XY plane. It is required that the positions be substantially matched (coaxial). Therefore, in the comparative example, a lid through hole 28ph is formed in the center of the lid 28 in a plan view. The lid through hole 28ph is formed at a position where the fifth central axis lld in plan view is substantially coaxial with the third central axis l iph in plan view of the container through hole 21ph. Therefore, referring to FIG. 8, first, the application needle 24 is inserted into the lid through hole 28ph with the position of the fifth center axis lld of the lid through hole 28ph provided in the lid 28 of the coating liquid container 21 as a guide. . Thereafter, using the lid through hole 28ph into which the coating needle 24 is inserted as a guide member, the position of the second central axis londo of the coating needle 24 and the third central axis liph of the container through hole 21ph of the coating liquid container 21 match. The application liquid container 21 is attached to the liquid application unit so as to perform the operation.

  However, the technique of positioning the application needle 24 with respect to the container through-hole 21ph by the above-described procedure is performed when the stirrer 26 is not provided and the center position of the small lid through-hole 28ph can be relied on. Applicable. When the liquid material 11 to be applied is, for example, a mixture of a conductive liquid material containing a conductive powder, other powders, and particles, powders and the like in the mixture tend to precipitate over time. Therefore, it is preferable that the liquid material 11 held in the coating liquid container 21 is stirred. From this viewpoint, the stirrer 26 is provided in the present embodiment. By rotating the stirrer 26 around the first central axis lost, the liquid material 11 can be homogenized and maintained in a stable state.

  However, when the stirrer 26 for stirring the liquid material 11 is provided as in the present embodiment, the entirety including this and the coating needle 24 is viewed in plan as compared with the case where only the coating needle 24 is provided. Large size. The stirrer 26 cannot be passed through the small cover through hole 28ph. Therefore, it is difficult to align the application needle 24 with the third central axis lph of the container through-hole 21ph depending on the positional accuracy of the fifth central axis lld of the lid through-hole 28ph.

  Therefore, the procedure for attaching the application liquid container 21 to the liquid application unit 4 of the present embodiment is as follows. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a first step of attaching a coating liquid container to the liquid coating unit in the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a second step of attaching the application liquid container to the liquid application unit in the present embodiment. Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, stirrer 26 included in liquid application unit 4 of the present embodiment has blade portion 26a and guide structure portion 26b. The blade portion 26a is an area where the liquid material 11 is stirred. For this reason, from the viewpoint of securing the flow path of the liquid material 11 agitated by the blade portion 26a, the gap between the outer wall surface 26st of the blade portion 26a and the inner wall surface 21if in the coating liquid container 21 opposed to the outer wall surface 26st is widened. I have. That is, the size of the blade portion 26a along the horizontal direction with respect to the inner wall surface 21if is sufficiently small.

  On the other hand, the dimension of the guide structure 26b along the horizontal direction is larger than the dimension of the blade 26a along the horizontal direction. That is, when the stirrer 26 is inserted into the coating liquid container 21, the outer wall surface 26st of the guide structure 26b faces the inner wall surface 21if. In a region where the inner wall surface 21if extends along the vertical direction (a region other than the other inclined surface 21t), the distance GP (see FIG. 3) between the outer wall surface 26st and the inner wall surface 21if is equal to the outer wall surface and the inner wall surface of the blade portion 26a. 21if is smaller than the interval. For this reason, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the position where the stirrer 26 is inserted into the coating liquid container 21 in the direction along the XY plane.

  This is based on the following reasons. If the dimension of the guide structure 26b in the horizontal direction (along the XY plane) is made as small as that of the blade 26a, the distance GP between the outer wall surface 26st of the guide structure unit 26b and the inner wall surface 21if opposed thereto (see FIG. 3). This is because the dimension of the blade portion 26a along the horizontal direction with respect to the inner wall surface 21if is sufficiently small. In this case, the area in which the guide structure 26b can move in the horizontal direction while being accommodated in the coating liquid container 21 is widened, and the position where the inner wall surface 21if can be arranged with respect to the guide structure 26b varies. Occurs. That is, a large error may occur in the position where the coating liquid container 21 is attached. In such a case, there is a possibility that the positional deviation between the second central axis “lond” of the application needle 24 and the third central axis “liph” of the application liquid container 21 is large. This is because, in the present embodiment, the stirrer 26 and the application needle 24 are coaxial. Therefore, if the horizontal dimension of the guide structure 26b is made larger than the horizontal dimension of the blade 26a, the distance GP between the outer wall surface 26st and the inner wall surface 21if of the guide structure 26b becomes smaller. Therefore, the positional accuracy of the center of the guide structure portion 26b, that is, the position of the first central axis of the stirrer 26 with respect to the application liquid container 21 can be improved. As a result, the positional accuracy of the application needle 24, which is coaxial with the stirrer 26, with respect to the third central axis lph of the application liquid container 21 is also improved.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is preferable that the interval GP shown in FIG. 3 be as narrow as possible so that the outer wall surface 26st can be inserted into the inner wall surface 21if.

  In the present embodiment, in the state shown in FIG. 10, the first central axis lost, the second central axis lond, the third central axis Liph, and the fourth central axis liop are all coaxial. For this reason, when the coating liquid container 21 is attached, it is possible to easily position the coating needle tip 24nd and the container through hole 21ph only by positioning the first center axis Lost and the fourth center axis loop. it can. For this reason, it is very easy to attach the coating liquid container 21, and it is possible to provide the liquid coating unit 4 in which the coating needle tip 24nd projects smoothly from the container through hole 21ph.

  Next, in the present embodiment, the application liquid container 21 is relatively movable with respect to the base body 43 along the horizontal direction. Specifically, a force is generated between the application liquid container 21 and the base body 43 by the magnet 37. The contact interface between the magnet 37 and the ferromagnetic body 38 extends along the XY plane (that is, along the horizontal direction). Thus, the coating liquid container 21 can be moved in the horizontal direction between the coating liquid container 21 and the base body 43. The magnet 37 is provided on the lower surface of the base body 43 facing the coating liquid container 21 in the Z direction. The ferromagnetic material 38 is provided on the surface of the coating liquid container 21 that is opposed to the uppermost base body 43 in the Z direction. Thus, at least in the horizontal direction, the mounting position of the application liquid container 21 has a degree of freedom. Therefore, by appropriately sliding the coating liquid container 21 in the horizontal direction, it is possible to adjust the application liquid container 21 to be arranged at a desired position.

  Further, even if the stirrer 26 comes into contact with the coating liquid container 21 when the stirrer 26 is driven to rotate to generate a frictional force, the generation of the frictional force can be converged. As described above, the coating liquid container 21 can be moved in the horizontal direction with respect to the base body 43 by the magnetic force between the magnet 37 and the ferromagnetic body 38.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when the stirrer 26 is provided, the coating liquid container 21 can be attached to the coating needle 24 at an accurate position.

  In addition, in the present embodiment, an inclined surface 21tp that is inclined with respect to the extending direction (Z direction) and the horizontal direction (direction along the XY plane) of the coating needle 24 is formed in the container opening 21op. . That is, the opening of the container opening 21op is wider on the upper side than on the lower side. Therefore, the container opening 21op has a shape that allows the stirrer 26 to be easily inserted from above.

  The guide structure 26b has a cylindrical shape extending along the extending direction. For this reason, the space GP (see FIG. 3) between the outer wall surface 26st and the inner wall surface 21if can be made as small as possible, and a shape that does not hinder the rotation of the stirrer 26 can be obtained.

Embodiment 2 FIG.
FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid application unit included in the application apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 according to the second embodiment. Referring to FIG. 11, liquid application unit 4 in the present embodiment has basically the same configuration as liquid application unit 4 in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, for example. Therefore, in FIG. 11, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated. However, in the present embodiment, a low friction coefficient part 51 having a lower friction coefficient than the guide structure part 26b is provided on the surface of the guide structure part 26b of the stirrer 26. The low friction coefficient portion 51 is provided on at least a part of the outer wall surface 26st (see FIG. 3) of the guide structure portion 26b so as to face the inner wall surface 21if (see FIG. 3). In this point, the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in configuration. In the liquid application unit shown in FIG. 11, a motor 41 and a gear 42 are provided as in FIG. 2, but these are not shown in FIG.

  With the above configuration, even if the low friction coefficient portion 51 on the surface of the guide structure portion 26b comes into contact with the inner wall surface 21if facing the low friction coefficient portion 51, a large frictional force is exerted between the two. Is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rotation of the stirrer 26 from being greatly hindered.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a liquid application unit included in the application apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 according to the third embodiment. Referring to FIG. 12, liquid application unit 4 in the present embodiment has basically the same configuration as, for example, liquid application unit 4 in the first embodiment shown in FIG. Therefore, in FIG. 11, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated. However, in the present embodiment, the guide structure 26b of the stirrer 26 has a curved surface 62 projecting outward in the horizontal direction. The curved portion 62 is disposed so as to face the inner wall surface 21if of the coating liquid container 21. In this respect, the present embodiment is different in configuration from the first embodiment having the flat outer wall surface 26st (see FIG. 3) without the curved surface portion 62. In the liquid application unit shown in FIG. 12, a motor 41 and a gear 42 are provided as in FIG. 2, but these are not shown in FIG.

  With the above configuration, even if the curved surface portion 62 formed on the guide structure portion 26b and the inner wall surface 21if (see FIG. 3) opposed thereto come into contact with each other, the other guide structure portion 26b is The possibility that the outer wall surface 26st contacts the inner wall surface 21if is reduced. For this reason, the area where both contact is limited to a part of the area on the curved surface portion 62. For this reason, the contact resistance in the contact area is smaller than that in a case where substantially the entire flat outer wall surface 26st contacts the inner wall surface 21if, for example. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rotation of the stirrer 26 from being greatly hindered.

  Although not shown, a configuration having both the low friction coefficient portion 51 of the second embodiment (FIG. 11) and the curved surface portion 62 of the third embodiment (FIG. 12) may be employed. That is, the surface of the curved portion 62 may be the low friction coefficient portion 51.

  The features described in the respective embodiments (each example included therein) may be applied so as to be appropriately combined within a technically consistent range.

  The embodiments disclosed this time are to be considered in all respects as illustrative 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.

  Reference Signs List 1 X axis table, 2 Y axis table, 3 Z axis table, 4 liquid application unit, 5 substrates, 6 observation optical system, 7 CCD camera, 8 operation panel, 9 monitor, 10 control computer, 11 liquid material, 21 coating Liquid container, 21if inner wall surface, 21op container opening, 21ph container through hole, 21t other inclined surface, 21tp inclined surface, 24 coating needle, 24g root with coating needle, 24nd coating needle tip, 26 stirrer, 26a blade , 26b guide structure, 26ph stirrer through hole, 26st outer wall surface, 28 lid, 28ph lid through hole, 36 bearing base, 37 magnet, 38 ferromagnetic material, 41 motor, 41a rotating shaft, 42 gear, 43 base body , 44 Bearing, 51 Low friction coefficient part.

Claims (10)

An application needle that can be driven along an extending direction to apply a liquid material to an object to be applied,
An application liquid container that stores the liquid material in a region surrounded by an inner wall surface and immerses the application needle in the liquid material;
A stirrer rotatable around the extending direction to stir the liquid material in the coating liquid container,
At the lowermost part of the coating liquid container, a container through-hole for projecting the coating needle is formed, and at the uppermost part of the coating liquid container, a container opening for fitting the stirrer is formed. Yes,
The coating liquid container is movable along a horizontal direction intersecting the extending direction of the coating needle,
The stirrer is formed on the container through-hole side with respect to the extending direction, and is formed on a blade portion extending along the extending direction, and is formed on the container opening side on the extending direction with respect to the blade portion. Further, a guide structure portion having a dimension along the horizontal direction larger than the blade portion,
The liquid application unit, wherein the stirrer has a stirrer through-hole that penetrates the application needle in the extending direction, and the stirrer through-hole is disposed at a position that can communicate with the container through-hole. A first central axis of the blade portion of the stirrer is coaxial with a second central axis of the coating needle,
The liquid application unit according to claim 1, wherein a third central axis of the container through hole of the application liquid container and a fourth central axis of the container opening of the application liquid container are coaxial.   The liquid application unit according to claim 2, wherein the first central axis, the second central axis, the third central axis, and the fourth central axis are coaxial with each other.   The liquid application unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the container opening has an inclined surface inclined with respect to the extending direction and the horizontal direction of the application needle.   The liquid application unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the guide structure has a cylindrical shape extending along the extending direction. Further comprising a base body supporting the rotation of the stirrer,
The liquid application unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the application liquid container is connected to the base body so as to be movable along the horizontal direction by magnetic force.   The liquid application unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the stirrer includes a power transmission member that transmits a rotational force to the stirrer.   The liquid application unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a low friction coefficient portion having a lower coefficient of friction than the guide structure portion is provided on a surface of the guide structure portion of the stirrer.   The liquid application unit according to claim 1, wherein the guide structure of the stirrer has a curved surface that protrudes outward in the horizontal direction. An application unit according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A coating table comprising: a holding table configured to hold the object to be coated on which the liquid material is coated by the coating needle.

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