JP2021109136A - Coating apparatus, and coating method - Google Patents

Abstract

To suitably manage a state of a coating head.SOLUTION: A coating apparatus 11 includes: a holding table 21 for holding a substrate 70; a coating part (coating head unit 22) for coating a coating material to the substrate held by the holding table; and a control part 50 for performing such control as to coat the coating material to a predetermined region of the substrate by relative movement between the substrate and the coating part. A coating head 31 for coating the coating material to the substrate is attachably/detachably mounted to/from the coating part. The coating head has a storage part 33 including a first storage area in which unique information of the coating head is stored, and a second storage area in which visit history information of the coating head is stored. The control part reads out the unique information from the first storage area, and stores visit history information in the second storage area according to coating operation of the coating head.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a coating apparatus, a coating method, and a coating head management system.

Conventionally, a coating device for coating a coating material such as a liquid crystal material on a substrate has been widely used (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The coating device includes a holding table for holding the substrate and a coating unit (coating head unit) for applying the coating material to the substrate held on the holding table. The coating device applies the coating material to a predetermined area of the substrate by moving the substrate and the coating portion relatively. A coating head for coating the coating material on the substrate is detachably attached to the coating portion.

Japanese Patent No. 5671414

The conventional coating apparatus described in Patent Document 1 has been desired to suitably control the state of the coating head as described below.

The coating head is periodically removed from the coating device for cleaning and then reattached to the coating device after cleaning. At this time, a coating head different from the one originally attached to the coating device may be attached to the coating device. The driving conditions (for example, the driving voltage of the coating head, the temperature of the heater, etc.) of the coating head are different for each individual due to manufacturing tolerances and the like. Further, if the coating head is left for a long time after use, the coating material adhering to the inside solidifies, so that the characteristics change. Therefore, it has been desired that the conventional coating apparatus appropriately manages the state of the coating head.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a coating apparatus, a coating method, and a coating head management system for appropriately managing the state of a coating head.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a coating device, which comprises a holding table for holding a substrate, a coating portion for applying a coating material to the substrate held on the holding table, and the substrate and the coating. A control unit for controlling the coating material to be applied to a predetermined region of the substrate by moving relative to the unit is provided, and the coating unit is used to apply the coating material to the substrate. The coating head is detachably attached, and the coating head includes a first storage area in which unique information of the coating head is stored and a second storage area in which history information of the coating head is stored. The control unit is configured to read the unique information from the first storage area and store the history information in the second storage area according to the coating operation of the coating head.
Other means will be described later.

According to the present invention, the state of the coating head can be suitably controlled.

It is an external view of the coating apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the main part of the coating head unit (coating portion) in the coating apparatus according to the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the separation structure of the coating head unit (coating part) in the coating apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram of the coating head management system including the coating apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the storage information of the storage part provided in the coating head. It is sectional drawing of the liquid crystal image display device as an example of a product. It is a flowchart which shows the operation of the coating head management system. It is a flowchart which shows the operation of a coating apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram of a droplet inspection mechanism. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically an example of the case which is good in a droplet inspection. It is explanatory drawing (1) which shows typically an example of the case which is inappropriate in a droplet inspection. It is explanatory drawing (2) which shows typically an example of the case which is inappropriate in a droplet inspection. It is explanatory drawing which shows in detail an example of the case which is good in a droplet inspection. It is explanatory drawing (1) which shows in detail an example of the case which is inappropriate in a droplet inspection. It is explanatory drawing (2) which shows in detail an example of the case which is inappropriate in a droplet inspection. It is explanatory drawing (3) which shows in detail an example of the case which is inappropriate in a droplet inspection. It is explanatory drawing (4) which shows in detail an example of the case which is inappropriate in a droplet inspection. It is explanatory drawing (5) which shows in detail an example of the case which is inappropriate in a droplet inspection. It is a schematic block diagram of the measurement inspection mechanism. It is a graph which shows the difference of the relationship between the drive voltage of each coating head and the injection amount of a coating material. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the number of drops of a coating material and the total injection amount of a coating material. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the drive voltage of a coating head and the total injection amount of a coating material. It is a graph which shows the difference of the inclination of the drive voltage of a coating head. It is explanatory drawing (1) which shows the difference of correction by the difference of the inclination of the drive voltage of a coating head. It is explanatory drawing (2) which shows the difference of correction by the difference of the inclination of the drive voltage of a coating head. It is explanatory drawing (3) which shows the difference of the correction by the difference of the inclination of the drive voltage of the coating head. It is explanatory drawing (1) of the dot inspection mechanism. It is explanatory drawing (2) of the dot inspection mechanism. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the case which is inappropriate in a coating omission inspection.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as “the present embodiment”) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that each figure is merely schematically shown to the extent that the present invention can be fully understood. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples. Further, in each figure, common components and similar components are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description thereof will be omitted.

In addition to the above-mentioned problems (the problem that it is desired to appropriately manage the state of the coating head), the conventional coating device has the following problems. In addition to the above-mentioned problems, the present embodiment also intends to provide a coating device capable of solving the following problems.

(1) The coating apparatus may have a plurality of coating lines (coating head units) in addition to a plurality of lines on which the substrate is conveyed, and one coating portion (coating head unit) may be in charge of a plurality of lines. That is, when one coating portion is responsible for only one line, another coating portion may be responsible for two lines. As a result, the frequency of use (usage record) of each coated portion varies. Also, the coating equipment manufactures hundreds of varieties of different coating materials. Therefore, it is difficult for the coating device to adjust a plurality of coating portions (particularly, coating heads attached to each coating portion) to the same state.

(2) Further, among the plurality of coating heads, there are a coating head in a good state and a coating head in a bad state. A coating head in good condition is used for a long time, and a coating head in poor condition tends to be stored in a storage unit prepared in advance and not used (leaved). As a result, the frequency of use (usage record) of each coated portion varies. Therefore, each coating head has a different amount of substrate processing and a different load. Moreover, a coating head in good condition has a short life and is likely to run out. Further, when the coating head in a bad condition is left for a long time, a phenomenon such as solidification of the coating material adhering to the inside occurs, and the condition is more likely to be deteriorated. Therefore, due to such factors, it is difficult for the coating apparatus to adjust the plurality of coating heads to the same state.

(3) Further, the adjustment of the coating head is very delicate. Therefore, it is difficult to adjust the coating head in a short time by mechanical adjustment.

<Structure of coating device and coating head management system including the coating device>
Hereinafter, the configuration of the coating device 11 according to the present embodiment and the coating head management system 10 including the coating device 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 1 is an external view of the coating device 11 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a main part of the coating head unit 22 (coating portion) in the coating device 11. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a separation structure of the coating head unit 22 (coating portion) in the coating device 11. FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a coating head management system 10 including a coating device 11.

As shown in FIG. 1, the coating device 11 according to the present embodiment includes a control device 12, a holding table 21, a coating head unit 22, and a gantry 24.

The control device 12 is a component that controls the overall operation of the coating device 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the control device 12 constitutes a part of the control unit 50.
The holding table 21 is a component that holds the substrate 70. The holding table 21 is arranged horizontally.

The coating head unit 22 is a coating unit that applies a coating material to the substrate 70 held on the holding table 21. The coating device 11 is equipped with a plurality of coating heads 31 (four in the illustrated example). In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the coating head unit 22 is configured to eject a liquid coating material by an inkjet method. A coating head 31 for coating the coating material on the substrate 70 is detachably attached to the lower end of the coating head unit 22. The coating head 31 has a flat lower surface, and ejection ports of a plurality of nozzles 32 (see FIG. 9) for ejecting the coating material are provided on the lower surface at equal intervals.

The gantry 24 is a gate-shaped structure that supports the coating head unit 22. The coating head unit 22 is attached to the gantry 24 by a support portion 27. The coating head unit 22 has a structure that allows it to be attached to and detached from the gantry 24. In the example shown in FIG. 1, four coating head units 22 are attached to the gantry 24.

The coating device 11 has a configuration in which the gantry 24 is arranged above the coil 25 for the linear motor running on the magnet 26 for the linear motor.

The linear motor coil 25 and the linear motor magnet 26 are moving means for moving the gantry 24 in the horizontal direction (see the white arrow). In the present embodiment, the coating device 11 has a structure in which the gantry 24 is moved in the horizontal direction by the linear motor coil 25 and the linear motor magnet 26. However, the coating device 11 is a diagram for moving the substrate 70 in the horizontal direction in addition to the linear motor coil 25 and the linear motor magnet 26 (or instead of the linear motor coil 25 and the linear motor magnet 26). It may be configured to have a means of transportation (not shown). Further, the coating device 11 is a means for moving the gantry 24 in the horizontal direction, which is different from the linear motor coil 25 and the linear motor magnet 26 (for example, a rail and a wheel traveling on the rail). ) May be configured.

The coating device 11 ejects the coating material from the coating head 31 toward the substrate 70 at a predetermined timing while relatively moving the substrate 70 and the coating head unit 22, thereby ejecting the coating material into a predetermined region of the substrate 70. Is applied.

The coating device 11 includes a droplet inspection mechanism 14 (see FIG. 9) and a dot inspection mechanism 16 (see FIGS. 19 and 20). These components will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, the coating head unit 22 includes a coating material tank 23, a coating head 31, pipes 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, valves 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d, a leak valve 36, and a regulator. It has 37 and a pressure gauge 38.

The coating material tank 23 is a coating material storage unit that stores a liquid coating material. The valves 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d and the leak valve 36 are composed of solenoid valves and open and close the paths of the corresponding pipes. The regulator 37 is a negative pressure regulator that supplies the coating material tank 23. The pressure gauge 38 measures the negative pressure supplied to the coating material tank 23.

The pipe 34a and the valve 35a form a gas supply unit that supplies air or an arbitrary gas to the coating material tank 23 from the outside.
The pipe 34b, the valve 35b, the leak valve 36, and the regulator 37 form a negative pressure supply unit that supplies a negative pressure to the coating material tank 23.
The pipe 34c and the valve 35c form a coating material supply unit that supplies the coating material to the coating material tank 23 from the outside.
The pipe 34d and the valve 35d form a coating material supply unit that supplies the coating material from the coating material tank 23 to the coating head 31.

The coating head 31 has a storage unit 33 and a heater 40. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 33 and the heater 40 will be described as being built in the coating head 31.

The storage unit 33 is a component that stores various information about the coating head 31. The storage unit 33 is composed of a semiconductor memory. The storage unit 33 includes a first storage area 33a in which the unique information D10 of the coating head 31 is stored, and a second storage area 33b in which the history information D20 of the coating head 31 is stored (see FIG. 5). ..
The heater 40 is a component for heating the coating head 31 to facilitate ejection of the coating material.

As shown in FIG. 3, the coating device 11 can remove the coating head unit 22 from the support portion 27. Further, the coating device 11 can remove the coating head 31 from the coating head unit 22. The removed coating head unit 22 and coating head 31 are stored in a predetermined storage unit 18 (see FIG. 4) prepared in advance.

As shown in FIG. 4, the coating device 11 has a thermocouple 41 inside the coating head unit 22, and a solid state relay 42, a temperature controller 43, and a main PC 51 inside the control device 12. A motor controller 52, an amplifier 53, and an inkjet controller 54.

The thermocouple 41 is a component that detects the temperature of the heater 40.
The solid state relay 42 is a component that transmits a signal by mechanical movement.
The temperature controller 43 is a component that regulates the temperature.

The main PC 51 is a component that controls the operation of the entire coating device 11.
The motor controller 52 is a component that controls the operation of moving means such as the linear motor coil 25 and the linear motor magnet 26.
The amplifier 53 is a component that amplifies the signal.
The inkjet controller 54 is a component that controls the operation of the coating head 31.

As shown in FIG. 4, the coating device 11 constitutes a part of the coating head management system 10. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the coating head management system 10 includes a coating device 11, a measurement inspection mechanism 13, a storage unit 18, and a coating head management device 19. However, the measurement inspection mechanism 13 and the coating head management device 19 can be incorporated into the coating device 11.

The measurement inspection mechanism 13 is a mechanism for measuring the amount of the coating material. The measurement inspection mechanism 13 has an electronic balance 13a for measuring the amount of the coating material. The electronic balance 13a is connected to the control device 12 and measures the amount of the coating material based on the instruction from the control device 12. Details of the measurement inspection mechanism 13 will be described later.
The storage unit 18 is a component that stores the coating head unit 22 and the like removed from the coating device 11.
The coating head management device 19 is a device that manages the coating head unit 22 and the coating head 31. The coating head management device 19 is composed of a personal computer (PC). The coating head management device 19 can be integrated (integrated) with the main PC 51 of the control device 12.

The control device 12 constitutes a part of the control unit 50. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 50 includes a main PC 51, a motor controller 52, an amplifier 53, an inkjet controller 54, and a coating head management device 19.
The control unit 50 stores the storage information Dst (see FIG. 5) in the storage unit 33 at an arbitrary timing.

<Example of stored information>
Hereinafter, an example of the stored information Dst of the storage unit 33 provided in the coating head 31 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the storage information Dst of the storage unit 33 provided in the coating head 31.

As shown in FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, the stored information Dst includes unique information D10 unique to the coating head 31 and history information D20 representing the history of the coating head 31 as information regarding the coating head 31. It has become.

The unique information D10 is stored in the first storage area 33a of the storage unit 33, and the history information D20 is stored in the second storage area 33b of the storage unit 33. The control unit 50 reads the unique information D10 from the first storage area 33a of the storage unit 33, and stores the history information D20 in the second storage area 33b of the storage unit 33 according to the coating operation of the coating head 31.

The coating device 11 stores the unique information D10 and the history information D20 in the storage unit 33 of the coating head 31. As a result, the coating device 11 can use the driving conditions of the coating head 31 (for example, the driving voltage of the coating head 31 and the temperature of the heater 40), the coating conditions of the coating material, the environmental conditions, the operating conditions such as the material conditions, and the product. History information D20 (usage record information) such as the time used for the production of the coating material, the number of drops of the coating material, and the cumulative coating amount of the coating material can be managed for each coating head 31.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, the unique information D10 has a configuration including serial number information D1a, manufacturer inspection date information D1b, and inspection reference voltage information D1c. This information is mainly stored in the storage unit 33 by the head maker.

The serial number information D1a represents a unique number (including a code) attached to the coating head 31. The timing for writing the serial number information D1a is at the time of manufacture. The purpose of using the serial number information D1a is to specify the model.

The manufacturer inspection date information D1b represents the manufacturer inspection date of the coating head 31. The timing for writing the manufacturer inspection date information D1b is at the time of the manufacturer inspection. The purpose of use of the manufacturer inspection date information D1b is to specify the manufacturer inspection date.

The reference voltage information D1c at the time of inspection represents the reference voltage (value) at the time of manufacturer inspection. The timing for writing the reference voltage information D1c at the time of inspection is at the time of manufacturer inspection. The purpose of using the reference voltage information D1c at the time of inspection is to specify the reference voltage at the time of manufacturer inspection.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, in addition to the unique information D10 and the history information D20, the local first energization date information DA is stored in the storage unit 33. Local first energization date information DA represents the first energization date in the field. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the local first energization date information DA is divided into "year" and "month and day" and stored. The timing for writing the first energization date information DA at the site is when the coating head 31 is attached to the coating head unit 22. The purpose of using the first energization date information DA in the field is to specify the start date of use. The local first energization date information DA may be treated as a kind of history information D20. In this case, the local first energization date information DA is stored in the second storage area 33b of the storage unit 33.

Further, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the history information D20 is roughly classified into operation progress information D21 regarding the operation progress of the coating head 31, drive information D22 regarding the drive of the coating head 31, and error information D23 regarding the error. There is.

The operation progress information D21 includes total energization time information D2a, total injection time information D2b, continuous use time information D2c, final head mounting date / time information D2d, last mounted machine number information D2e, and final mounted line number information D2f. , The configuration includes the final mounted head number information D2g.

The drive information D22 has a configuration including recipe number information D2h, internal heater temperature information D2i, drive voltage information D2j, and drive voltage inclination information D2k.

The error information D23 has a configuration including measurement error number information D2l, injection omission error number information D2m, and communication error number information D2n.

The total energization time information D2a represents the total energization time of the coating head 31. The timing for writing the total energization time information D2a is when the coating head 31 is removed. The purpose of using the total energization time information D2a is to grasp the usage period of the coating head 31.

The total injection time information D2b represents the total injection time of the coating head 31. The timing for writing the total injection time information D2b is the end of injection of the coating head 31. The purpose of using the total injection time information D2b is to grasp the injection usage time of the coating head 31.

The continuous use time information D2c represents the continuous use time of the coating head 31. The timing for writing the continuous use time information D2c is when the coating head 31 is removed. The purpose of using the continuous use time information D2c is to grasp the use period of the coating head 31.

The final head attachment date / time information D2d represents the date and time when the coating head 31 was finally attached. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the last head mounting date / time information D2d is divided into "year", "month / day", and "hour / minute" and stored. The timing for writing the final head mounting date / time information D2d is when the coating head 31 is removed. The purpose of using the final head mounting date / time information D2d is to grasp the unused period of the coating head 31.

The final mounted machine number information D2e represents the number of the machine finally mounted with the coating head 31. The timing for writing the final mounted machine number information D2e is when the coating head 31 is removed. The purpose of using the final mounting machine number information D2e is to grasp the mounting head (coating head unit) that used the coating head 31.

The final mounting line number information D2f represents the number of the line on which the coating head 31 is finally mounted. The timing for writing the final mounting line number information D2f is when the coating head 31 is removed. The purpose of using the final mounting line number information D2f is to grasp the mounting head (coating head unit) that used the coating head 31.

The final mounted head number information D2g represents the number of the coating head unit finally mounted with the coating head 31. The timing for writing the final mounted head number information D2g is when the coating head 31 is removed. The purpose of using the final mounting head number information D2g is to grasp the mounting head (coating head unit) that used the coating head 31.

The recipe number information D2h represents a recipe number (type of material). The timing for writing the recipe number information D2h is when the coating head 31 is removed. The purpose of using the recipe number information D2h is to grasp the materials used by the coating head 31.

The internal heater temperature information D2i represents the control temperature of the heater 40. The timing for writing the internal heater temperature information D2i is when the coating head 31 is removed. The purpose of using the internal heater temperature information D2i is to take over the injection conditions of the coating head 31.

The drive voltage information D2j represents the drive voltage (value) of the coating head 31. The timing for writing the drive voltage information D2j is when the coating head 31 is removed. The purpose of using the drive voltage information D2j is to take over the injection conditions of the coating head 31.

The drive voltage inclination information D2k represents the degree of inclination of the drive voltage (value) of the coating head 31. Here, the "degree of inclination of the driving voltage" represents, for example, the characteristic of the amount of change in the injection amount (mg) of the coating material with respect to the amount of change in the driving voltage (V) of the coating head 31, as shown in FIG. It means how much the slope of the line differs from the ideal slope of the line. The timing for writing the drive voltage inclination information D2k is the end of the measurement inspection of the coating material. The purpose of using the drive voltage inclination information D2k is to correct a calibration curve (a line indicating the inclination of the drive voltage).

The measurement error number information D2l represents the number of times a measurement error has occurred. The timing for writing the measurement error frequency information D2l is the end of the measurement inspection of the coated material. The purpose of using the measurement error number information D2l is to grasp the number of times of measurement error occurrence.

The injection omission error number information D2m represents the number of occurrences of the injection omission error. The timing for writing the injection omission error frequency information D2m is the end of the coating omission inspection of the coating head 31. The purpose of using the injection omission error number information D2m is to grasp the number of times an injection omission error has occurred.

The communication error number information D2n represents the number of times a communication error has occurred inside the control device 12 and between the control device 12 and another device. The timing for writing the communication error number information D2n is when a communication error occurs. The purpose of using the communication error count information D2n is to grasp the number of occurrences of communication errors.

In response to such stored information Dst, the control unit 50 of the coating device 11 automatically writes the operating conditions and the history information D20 (usage record information) during the operation of the coating device 11. The coating head 31 is periodically removed from the coating device 11 for cleaning. When the washed coating head 31 is reattached, the coating device 11 can automatically acquire the history information D20 (usage record information) of the attached coating head 31 from the storage unit 33 of the coating head 31. can.

Further, with respect to such stored information Dst, the coating head management device 19 refers to the history information D20 (usage record information) of each coating head 31, and the coating head 31 having a small operation record is frequently used. The user can be instructed to replace the coating head 31 so that it can be attached to. This instruction is given, for example, by displaying a screen for instructing the replacement of the coating head 31 on a display unit (not shown) of the coating head management device 19. As a result, the coating head management device 19 can optimize the state of the plurality of coating heads 31 as a whole.

<Example of product>
Hereinafter, an example of a product produced by the coating apparatus 11 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional structure view of a liquid crystal image display device 60 as an example of a product. Here, the case where the liquid crystal image display device 60 is a high-definition flat panel display will be described. Further, here, the coating device 11 will be described as applying a liquid crystal material as a coating material to the substrate 70 forming a part of the liquid crystal image display device 60.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the liquid crystal image display device 60, the polarizing filter 61, the glass substrate 62, the color filter 63, the transparent electrode 64, the light distribution film 65, and the liquid crystal layer 66 are arranged in this order from the user's visual side (surface side). , The light distribution film 67, the transparent electrode 68, and the glass substrate 69 are laminated. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the substrate 70 is composed of a polarizing filter 61, a glass substrate 62, a color filter 63, a transparent electrode 64, a light distribution film 65, and a liquid crystal layer 66. The coating device 11 manufactures a component of the liquid crystal image display device 60 by coating the substrate 70 with a liquid crystal material in which a liquid crystal body is mixed in the liquid as a coating material 99.

<Operation of coating head management system>
Hereinafter, the operation of the coating head management system 10 (see FIG. 4) will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the coating head management system 10.

The coating head management system 10 (see FIG. 4) starts its operation when, for example, the user receives an instruction to monitor the state of the coating head 31. The operation of the coating head management system 10 (see FIG. 4) is mainly realized by the control unit 50 (particularly, the coating head management device 19).

As shown in FIG. 7, the coating head management system 10 acquires the unique information D10 and the history information D20 from the storage unit 33 of each coating head 31 and registers them in a storage unit (step S105). The "coating heads 31" referred to here are the coating head 31 attached to the coating head unit 22 mounted on the coating device 11 and the coating head unit 22 stored in the storage unit 18 (see FIG. 4). It means the coating head 31 attached to the coating head 31 and the coating head 31 which are individually stored in the storage unit 18 (see FIG. 4). The coating head 31 stored in the storage unit 18 (see FIG. 4) may be removed from the coating head unit 22 or may be unused.

The coating head management system 10 starts monitoring the operating state of each coating head 31 based on the unique information D10 and the history information D20 of each coating head 31 (step S110).

The coating head management system 10 determines whether or not there is a coating head 31 in an unfavorable state (step S115). Here, the "coating head 31 in an unfavorable state" is a coating head 31 attached to the coating device 11 for a relatively long period of time compared to other objects, or a relatively long period of time compared to other objects. There is a coating head 31 and the like stored in the storage unit 18 (see FIG. 4). The coating head 31 attached to the coating apparatus 11 for a relatively longer period of time than the others may be worse than the others. Further, in the coating head 31 stored in the storage unit 18 (see FIG. 4) for a relatively longer period of time than the others, there is a possibility that the coating material adhering to the inside is solidified. In these coating heads 31, the characteristics of the driving voltage for injecting the coating material may have changed relatively significantly from the initial stage (at the time of manufacturer inspection).

If it is determined in step S115 that there is no coating head 31 in an unfavorable state (in the case of “No”), the process proceeds to step S135. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S115 that there is a coating head 31 in an unfavorable state (in the case of “Yes”), the coating head management system 10 is equipped with the coating head 31 (or the coating head 31). The user is instructed to replace the coating head unit 22) (step S120).

After step S120, when the user replaces the coating head 31 (or the coating head unit 22 to which the coating head 31 is attached), the coating head management system 10 detects the replacement of the coating head 31 with a sensor (not shown). (Step S125).

After step S125, the coating head management system 10 acquires the unique information D10 and the history information D20 from the storage unit 33 of the replaced coating head 31, and updates and registers them in a storage unit (not shown) (step S130).

When it is determined in step S115 that there is no coating head 31 in an unfavorable state (in the case of “No”), or after step S130, the coating head management system 10 gives an instruction to end the condition monitoring of the coating head 31. It is determined whether or not there is (step S135).

If it is determined in step S135 that there is no instruction to end the condition monitoring of the coating head 31 (in the case of "No"), the condition monitoring of the coating head 31 is continued (step S140). After this, the process returns to step S115. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S135 that there is an instruction to end the state monitoring of the coating head 31 (in the case of "Yes"), the series of routine processing ends.

<Operation of coating device>
Hereinafter, the operation of the coating device 11 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the coating device 11.

The coating device 11 starts its operation when, for example, the power is turned on by the user or an instruction for production operation is received. The operation of the coating device 11 is mainly realized by the control unit 50 (particularly the control device 12).

As shown in FIG. 8, the coating device 11 receives an execution instruction of the production operation by the user from an input unit (not shown) (step S605). Then, the coating device 11 reads the unique information D10 (for example, the serial number) from the storage unit 33 of the coating head 31 attached to each coating head unit 22 mounted on the coating device 11 (step S610).

Then, the coating device 11 determines whether or not the coating head 31 has been replaced (step S615). In this determination, the unique information D10 of the coating head 31 registered in advance corresponding to each coating head unit 22 and the unique information D10 of the coating head 31 read in step S610 are stored in a storage unit (not shown) of the coating device 11. It is done by comparing. If they are different, it is determined that the coating head 31 has been replaced, while if they match, it is determined that the coating head 31 has not been replaced.

When it is determined in step S615 that the coating head 31 has been replaced (in the case of “Yes”), the coating device 11 reads the history information D20 from the storage unit 33 of the replaced coating head 31 (step). S620). Then, the coating device 11 applies the driving conditions of the coating head 31 (for example, the driving voltage of the coating head 31 and the heater 40) based on the history information D20 according to the control program prepared in advance for the replaced coating head 31. Temperature, etc.) is determined (step S625).

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S615 that the coating head 31 has not been replaced (in the case of "No"), the coating device 11 drives the coating head 31 (for example, the previous driving of the coating head 31). The voltage, the temperature of the heater 40, etc.) are determined as the previous driving conditions of the coating head 31 (step S630).

After step S625 or step S630, the coating head 31 is driven under the driving conditions determined in step S625 or step S630 to perform a droplet inspection of the coating material (step S635), and further, a measurement inspection of the coating material is performed. Execute (step S640). The drop inspection and the measurement inspection will be described later.

After step S640, it is determined whether or not there is a coating head 31 in each coating head 31 that requires correction of driving conditions (for example, the driving voltage of the previous coating head 31) (step S645).

When it is determined in step S645 that there is a coating head 31 that requires correction of the driving condition (in the case of “Yes”), the coating device 11 has a control program prepared in advance for the coating head 31. According to this, the drive conditions (for example, the drive voltage of the previous coating head 31 and the like) are corrected (step S650). This correction will be described later. After this, the process returns to step S635.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S645 that there is no coating head 31 that requires correction of the driving conditions (in the case of “No”), the coating device 11 starts the production operation and coats the substrate 70. The material is applied (step S655).

After step S655, the coating device 11 executes a dot inspection (coating omission inspection) of the coating material applied to the substrate 70 (step S660). The dot inspection (coating omission inspection) will be described later.

After step S660, the coating device 11 determines whether or not the production operation has been completed (step S665). If it is determined in step S665 that the production operation has not been completed (in the case of "No"), the process returns to step S655. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S665 that the production operation has been completed (in the case of "Yes"), the coating device 11 stores the history information D20 in the storage unit 33 according to the coating operation of the coating head 31. 2 Stored in the storage area 33b (step S670). Further, the coating device 11 stores the unique information D10 (for example, serial number) of the coating head 31 in a storage unit (not shown) corresponding to each coating head unit 22. As a result, the processing of a series of routines is completed.

<Drop inspection>
Hereinafter, the droplet inspection will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 13E. FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of the droplet inspection mechanism. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing an example of a good case in the droplet inspection. 11A and 11B are explanatory views schematically showing an example of an inappropriate case in the droplet inspection, respectively. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing in detail an example of a good case in the droplet inspection. 13A to 13E are explanatory views showing in detail an example of a case where the droplet inspection is inappropriate.

The droplet inspection is an inspection for confirming the state of the coating material in flight ejected by the coating head 31. The droplet inspection is performed before the start of production operation. In the droplet inspection, for example, the droplet inspection mechanism 14 shown in FIG. 9 is used. The droplet inspection mechanism 14 is provided around the holding table 21 (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 9, the droplet inspection mechanism includes a strobe illumination 15a and a droplet inspection camera 15b configured by a high-resolution camera. At the time of the droplet inspection, the strobe illumination 15a and the droplet inspection camera 15b are arranged so as to face each other with the coating material ejected from the nozzle 32 of the coating head 31 interposed therebetween. Then, the strobe illumination 15a continuously emits illumination light that blinks momentarily toward the coating material. On the other hand, the droplet inspection camera 15b continuously takes pictures of the coating material. As a result, the droplet inspection mechanism 14 acquires a photograph of the coating material in flight ejected from the nozzle 32 of the coating head 31. The coating device 11 identifies the state of the coating material based on the photograph of the coating material acquired by the droplet inspection mechanism 14, and performs a droplet inspection of the coating material.

FIG. 10 schematically shows an example of a good case in the droplet inspection. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the shape of the coating material 99 is substantially spherical.

On the other hand, FIGS. 11A and 11B schematically show an example of an inappropriate case in the droplet inspection. In the example shown in FIG. 11A, the coating material 99 has a deformed spherical shape. In addition, the coating material 99, which should be a single substance, is divided into a plurality of pieces. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 11B, a liquid pool 91 of the coating material 99 is generated around the nozzle 32 of the coating head 31. In addition, the coating material 99 is unintentionally dropped.

Further, FIG. 12 shows in detail an example of a good case in the droplet inspection. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the coating material ejected from each nozzle 32 of the coating head 31 is advancing from top to bottom. Then, the coating device 11 determines that the droplet state of the coating material 99 is good based on the following feature points A1 to A5.
(Characteristic point A1) The coating material 99 is ejected from all the designated nozzles 32.
(Characteristic point A2) Each drop of the coating material 99 has a beautiful spherical shape.
(Characteristic point A3) The droplet interval of the coating material 99 is uniform.
(Characteristic point A4) The coating material 99 is less scattered. That is, the space where the droplets of the coating material 99 are present is in a clean state.
(Characteristic point A5) There is no liquid pool 91 (see FIG. 11B) of the coating material 99 on the lower surface of the coating head 31 (the surface provided with the injection port of the nozzle 32).

Further, FIGS. 13A to 13E show in detail an example of an inappropriate case in the droplet inspection. In the examples shown in FIGS. 13A to 13E, the coating material ejected from each nozzle 32 of the coating head 31 is advancing from top to bottom. Then, the coating device 11 determines that the droplet state of the coating material 99 is inappropriate based on the following feature points B1 to B5.
(Characteristic point B1) The coating material 99 is not ejected from all the designated nozzles 32. That is, the coating material 99 is missing from the injection (see FIGS. 13A and 13E).
(Characteristic point B2) The coating material 99 has a collapsed spherical shape (see FIG. 13B).
(Characteristic point B3) The droplet spacing of the coating material 99 is non-uniform (see FIGS. 13B to 13E).
(Characteristic point B4) The coating material 99 is often scattered (see FIGS. 13B and 13C). That is, the space where the droplets of the coating material 99 are present is in a dirty state.
(Characteristic point B5) There is a liquid pool 91 (see FIG. 11B) of the coating material 99 on the lower surface of the coating head 31 (the surface provided with the injection port of the nozzle 32) (see FIG. 13D).

The causes of the above-mentioned feature points B1 to B5 are, for example, as follows.
(Characteristic point B1) The air bleeding of the coating head 31 and the pipe 34d is insufficient.
(Characteristic point B2) The air bleeding of the coating head 31 and the pipe 34d is insufficient. The temperature of the coated material 99 to be injected is low.
(Characteristic point B3) The air bleeding of the coating head 31 and the pipe 34d is insufficient.
(Characteristic point B4) The drive voltage (injection voltage) of the coating head 31 is high. The temperature of the coated material 99 to be injected is high.
(Characteristic point B5) The air bleeding of the coating head 31 and the pipe 34d is insufficient.

The coating device 11 performs a droplet inspection, and when the droplet state of the coating material 99 is inappropriate, for example, the regulator 37 increases the negative pressure of air, the temperature of the heater 40 is changed, or coating is performed. The drive voltage of the head 31 is corrected. The process of increasing the negative pressure in the regulator 37 is performed in order to eliminate the insufficient air bleeding of the coating head 31 and the pipe 34d. The process of changing the temperature of the heater 40 is performed to change the temperature of the coating material 99 ejected from the coating head 31. The process of correcting the drive voltage of the coating head 31 is performed to change the injection amount of the coating material 99 ejected from the coating head 31. When the droplet state of the coating material 99 is poor, the coating head management system 10 (particularly the coating head management device) is a display unit (not shown), and the coating head 31 (or the coating to which the coating head 31 is attached) is coated. Instruct the user to replace or clean the head unit 22).

<Measurement inspection>
Hereinafter, the measurement inspection will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16B. FIG. 14 is a schematic configuration diagram of the measurement inspection mechanism. FIG. 15 is a graph showing the difference in the relationship between the drive voltage of each coating head 31 and the injection amount of the coating material. FIG. 16A is a graph showing the relationship between the number of drops of the coating material and the total injection amount of the coating material. FIG. 16B is a graph showing the relationship between the drive voltage of the coating head 31 and the total injection amount of the coating material.

The measurement inspection is an inspection for measuring the injection amount of the coating material injected by the coating head 31. The measurement inspection is performed before the start of production operation together with the droplet inspection. In the droplet inspection, for example, the measurement inspection mechanism 13 shown in FIG. 14 is used. The measurement inspection mechanism 13 has an electronic balance 13a. The electronic balance 13a is used to measure the injection amount of the coating material ejected from the coating head 31 and adjust the coating amount of the coating material on the substrate 70.

The coating device 11 arranges the electronic balance 13a at a predetermined position on the holding table 21 by operating a transport means (not shown) under the control of the control device 12. By applying a driving voltage to the coating head 31, the coating device 11 ejects the coating material from the coating head 31 toward the electronic balance 13a. The coating device 11 measures the injection amount of the coating material injected from the coating head 31 with the electronic balance 13a. The coating device 11 is equipped with a plurality of coating heads 31. The coating device 11 measures the injection amount of the coating material with respect to all the coating heads 31 and manages the injection amount of the coating material of each coating head 31.

As shown in FIG. 15, the injection amount of the coating material with respect to the drive voltage of the coating head 31 varies among the coating heads 31. Therefore, the coating device 11 controls each coating head 31 so that the injection amount of the coating material at each coating head 31 becomes uniform. The coating head 31 is controlled as follows.

For example, the adjustment of the total injection amount (mg) of the coating material with respect to the target value is controlled by the number of drops (the number of injections) of the coating material. FIG. 16A shows the number of drops of the coating material with respect to the target value of the total injection amount (mg) of the coating material. That is, FIG. 16A shows how many drops of the coating material were dropped when the total injection amount (mg) of the coating material measured by the electronic balance 13a matched the target value. The coating device 11 controls the number of drops (the number of injections) of the coating material on each coating head 31 so that the total injection amount of the coating material on each coating head 31 becomes uniform.

Further, for example, the adjustment of the dropping amount (injection amount) of the coating material with respect to the machine difference (individual difference) of the coating head 31 is controlled by the driving voltage (injection voltage) of the coating head 31. In FIG. 16B, since the total injection amount of the second head is larger than the total injection amount of the first head, the white arrows indicate that the total injection amount of the second head is the same as the total injection amount of the first head. It shows that the drive voltage of the second head is adjusted (changed) as described above. The drive voltage of each coating head 31 before adjustment is a voltage value indicated by the drive voltage information D2j (see FIG. 5) stored in the storage unit 33 of each coating head 31. The coating device 11 indicates by driving voltage information D2j (see FIG. 5) with respect to the driving voltage (injection voltage) of each coating head 31 so that the total injection amount of the coating material at each coating head 31 becomes uniform. Adjust by maintaining or changing the voltage value. When the voltage value is changed, the coating device 11 updates and registers the drive voltage information D2j (see FIG. 5) stored in the storage unit 33 of the coating head 31 to the changed voltage value.

<Correction of drive voltage of coating head>
When the coating device 11 corrects the drive voltage of the coating head 31 in order to change the injection amount of the coating material, the method of correcting the drive voltage and the number of corrections differ due to the difference in the characteristics of the coating head 31. .. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the coating device 11 stores the drive voltage inclination information D2k as information representing the characteristics of the coating head 31 in the storage unit 33 of each coating head 31. Then, when the coating device 11 corrects the driving voltage in order to change the injection amount of the coating material, the coating device 11 corrects the driving voltage by the method of correcting the driving voltage according to the driving voltage inclination information D2k and the number of corrections.

Hereinafter, the correction of the drive voltage of the coating head 31 as an example of the correction of the driving conditions of the coating head 31 will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 to 18C. FIG. 17 is a graph showing the difference in the inclination of the drive voltage of the coating head 31. 18A to 18C are explanatory views showing a difference in correction due to a difference in the inclination of the drive voltage of the coating head 31, respectively.

In the example shown in FIG. 17, lines L11, L12, and L13 are shown as lines representing the characteristics of the injection amount (mg) of the coating material with respect to the drive voltage (V) of the coating head 31. The line L11 shows an example in which the amount of change in the injection amount of the coating material is in an ideal state with respect to the amount of change in the driving voltage of the coating head 31. The line L12 shows an example in which the amount of change in the injection amount of the coating material is excessive with respect to the amount of change in the drive voltage of the coating head 31. Line L13 shows an example in which the amount of change in the injection amount of the coating material is too small with respect to the amount of change in the drive voltage of the coating head 31.

As shown in FIGS. 18A to 18C, when the coating device 11 corrects the driving voltage in order to change the injection amount of the coating material, the characteristics of the lines L11, L12, and L13 (that is, the driving voltage inclination information D2k). The drive voltage is corrected by the method of correcting the drive voltage and the number of corrections according to the above.

For example, as shown in FIG. 18A, in the coating head 31 having the characteristics of line L11 (see FIG. 17), the amount of change in the injection amount of the coating material is in an ideal state with respect to the amount of change in the driving voltage. .. Therefore, the coating head 31 having the characteristics of the wire L11 corrects the drive voltage of the coating head 31 so that the injection amount of the coating material matches the target value when the injection amount of the coating material deviates from the target value. Therefore, the injection amount of the coating material can be set to the target value by correcting the driving voltage once. That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 18A, in a state where the deviation representing the deviation of the injection amount of the coating material from the target value is shifted to the +3 side, the coating head 31 having the characteristic of the line L11 has one drive voltage. The deviation can be set to zero by the correction of.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 18B, the coating head 31 having the characteristic of line L12 (see FIG. 17) is in a state where the amount of change in the injection amount of the coating material is excessive with respect to the amount of change in the drive voltage. ing. Therefore, the coating head 31 having the characteristic of the wire L12 corrects the drive voltage of the coating head 31 so that the injection amount of the coating material matches the target value when the injection amount of the coating material deviates from the target value. However, the amount of change in the injection amount of the coating material becomes excessive. That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 18B, in a state where the deviation is shifted to the +3 side, the coating head 31 having the characteristic of the line L12 is shifted to the minus side even if the first drive voltage is corrected. It will be in a state of Therefore, the coating head 31 having the characteristic of the line L12 makes an additional correction a plurality of times to bring the deviation close to zero.

The number of times the additional correction is performed changes depending on the amount of deviation of the slope of the line L12 with respect to the slope of the line L11. If the amount of deviation is large (that is, if the slope of the line L12 is close to the vertical axis in FIG. 17), the amount of change in the injection amount of the coating material with respect to the amount of change in the drive voltage becomes large. Therefore, in FIG. 18B, the amount of change in the deviation in each correction of the drive voltage becomes large. As a result, it becomes difficult for the deviation to converge to zero. Therefore, the number of additional corrections is increased. On the other hand, if the amount of deviation is small (that is, if the slope of the line L12 is close to the line L11 in FIG. 17), the amount of change in the injection amount of the coating material with respect to the amount of change in the drive voltage becomes small. Therefore, in FIG. 18B, the amount of change in deviation in each correction of the drive voltage becomes small. As a result, the deviation tends to converge to zero. Therefore, the number of additional corrections is reduced.

Further, as shown in FIG. 18C, the coating head 31 having the characteristic of line L13 (see FIG. 17) is in a state where the amount of change in the injection amount of the coating material is small with respect to the amount of change in the drive voltage. Therefore, the coating head 31 having the characteristic of the wire L13 corrects the drive voltage of the coating head 31 so that the injection amount of the coating material matches the target value when the injection amount of the coating material deviates from the target value. However, the amount of change in the injection amount of the coating material becomes too small. That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 18C, in a state where the deviation is shifted to the +3 side, the coating head 31 having the characteristic of the line L12 still has the deviation on the plus side even after the first correction of the drive voltage. It will be in a misaligned state. Therefore, the coating head 31 having the characteristic of the line L13 makes an additional correction a plurality of times to bring the deviation close to zero.

The number of times the additional correction is performed changes depending on the amount of deviation of the slope of the line L13 with respect to the slope of the line L11. If the amount of deviation is large (that is, if the inclination of the line L13 is close to the horizontal axis in FIG. 17), the amount of change in the injection amount of the coating material with respect to the amount of change in the drive voltage becomes small. Therefore, in FIG. 18C, the amount of change in deviation in each correction of the drive voltage becomes small. As a result, it becomes difficult for the deviation to converge to zero. Therefore, the number of additional corrections is increased. On the other hand, if the amount of deviation is small (that is, if the slope of the line L13 is close to the line L11 in FIG. 17), the amount of change in the injection amount of the coating material with respect to the amount of change in the drive voltage becomes large. Therefore, in FIG. 18C, the amount of change in the deviation in each correction of the drive voltage becomes large. As a result, the deviation tends to converge to zero. Therefore, the number of additional corrections is reduced.

Such a coating device 11 can efficiently change the injection amount of the coating material by correcting the driving voltage according to the method of correcting the driving voltage according to the driving voltage inclination information D2k and the number of corrections.

<Dot inspection (coating omission inspection)>
Hereinafter, the dot inspection (coating omission inspection) will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 to 21. 19 and 20 are explanatory views of the dot inspection mechanism, respectively. FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a case where the dot inspection is inappropriate.

The dot inspection (coating omission inspection) is an inspection for confirming the state of the coating material coated on the substrate 70. The dot inspection (coating omission inspection) is performed after the coating material is injected from the coating head 31 during the production operation. In the dot inspection (coating omission inspection), when the position of the coating material applied to the substrate 70 is incorrect or there is an injection defect, the number of cases is counted.

As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the dot inspection mechanism 16 has a plurality of dot inspection cameras (two dot inspection cameras 17a and 17b in the illustrated example). The dot inspection cameras 17a and 17b are cameras that photograph the upper surface (coated surface of the coating material) of the substrate 70. The dot inspection cameras 17a and 17b are arranged so that the photographing portion faces the upper surface (coating surface of the coating material) of the substrate 70. The dot inspection cameras 17a and 17b are arranged in a row in the horizontal direction. The coating device 11 relatively moves the substrate 70 and the dot inspection cameras 17a and 17b, so that the dot inspection cameras 17a and 17b photograph the upper surface of the substrate 70 (the coated surface of the coating material).

FIG. 19 shows an operation when performing a dot inspection (coating omission inspection) in the partial inspection mode. The "partial inspection mode" is a mode in which a specific portion of the substrate 70 is designated and the specific portion is inspected. In the partial inspection mode, the inspection range can be set as the range in which the dot inspection camera can take an image for one dot inspection camera.

In the example of the partial inspection mode shown in FIG. 19, the inspection ranges 71a and 71b are designated as the portions to be photographed by the dot inspection cameras 17a and 17b. After stopping the substrate 70 at a predetermined position, the coating device 11 photographs the inspection range 71a with the dot inspection camera 17a and the inspection range 71a with the dot inspection camera 17b. Then, the coating device 11 identifies the coating state of the coating material in the portion extending in the vertical direction of the upper surface (coating surface of the coating material) of the substrate 70 with respect to the inspection ranges 71a and 71b based on the photographed photograph. .. In the example shown in FIG. 19, the above-mentioned "specific portion" is a portion extending in the vertical direction of the upper surface (coating surface of the coating material) of the substrate 70 with respect to the inspection ranges 71a and 71b.

FIG. 20 shows an operation when performing a dot inspection (coating omission inspection) in all scan modes. The "full scan mode" is a mode for inspecting the entire surface of the upper surface (coated surface of the coating material) of the substrate 70. In the full scan mode, the entire surface of the upper surface of the substrate 70 (the coated surface of the coated material) is the inspection range.

In the example of the full scan mode shown in FIG. 20, the inspection range 71c is designated as a portion to be photographed by the dot inspection cameras 17a and 17b. The inspection range 71c is a range in a horizontal row with respect to the upper surface of the substrate 70 (the coating surface of the coating material). The coating device 11 conveys the substrate 70 in the vertical direction (direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the dot inspection cameras 17a and 17b), and moves the dot inspection cameras 17a and 17b back and forth in the horizontal direction while moving the dot inspection camera 17a and 17b back and forth. , 17b is used to photograph the inspection range 71c. Then, based on the photograph taken, the coating device 11 extends the entire surface of the upper surface (coating material coating surface) of the inspection range 71c in the vertical direction (that is, the entire surface of the upper surface (coating material coating surface) of the substrate 70). ), The coating state of the coating material is identified.

FIG. 21 shows an example of a case where the dot inspection is inappropriate. The substrate 70 is formed with injection omission points 72 (coating omission points). The injection omission points 72 are formed in a line shape in the vertical direction. The coating device 11 can detect the injection omission portion 72 by a dot inspection (coating omission inspection) based on the photograph taken.

The injection exit portion 72 is generated, for example, because the coating head 31 and the pipe 34d are insufficiently evacuated, and air is mixed in the coating material injected from the coating head 31. When the injection omission point 72 occurs, the regulator 37 increases the negative pressure of the air to remove the air from the coating head 31 and the pipe 34d, and repair the coating material to the injection omission point 72 (for repair). It can be dealt with by performing (coating).

<Main features of coating device and coating head management system>
(1) As shown in FIG. 1, the coating device 11 according to the present embodiment has a holding table 21 for holding a substrate 70 and a coating head unit 22 for applying a coating material to the substrate 70 held by the holding table 21. It includes a (coating unit) and a control unit 50 that controls the coating material to be applied to a predetermined region of the substrate 70 by relatively moving the substrate 70 and the coating head unit 22 (coating unit). .. A coating head 31 for coating the coating material on the substrate 70 is detachably attached to the coating head unit 22 (coating portion). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the coating head 31 has a first storage area 33a in which the unique information D10 of the coating head 31 is stored and a second storage area 33b in which the history information D20 of the coating head 31 is stored. It has a storage unit 33 including. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the coating device 11 according to the present embodiment includes a unique information reading step (see step S610) of reading the unique information D10 of the coating head 31 from the storage unit 33 provided in the coating head 31. Corresponding to the coating material coating step (see step S660) in which the coating material is applied to a predetermined region of the substrate 70 by relatively moving the substrate 70 and the coating head unit 22 (coating portion), and the coating operation of the coating head 31. The history information storage step (see step S670) of storing the history information D20 of the coating head 31 in the storage unit 33 is executed. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 50 reads the unique information D10 from the first storage area 33a (step S610), and at the same time, sets the history information D20 into the second storage area 33b according to the coating operation of the coating head 31. Store (step S670).

Since the coating device 11 according to the present embodiment can grasp the coating operation of the coating head 31 based on the history information D20 stored in the second storage area 33b, the state of the coating head 31 is preferably set. Can be managed. Therefore, the coating device 11 according to the present embodiment can easily adjust the coating heads 31 attached to the coating head units 22 to the same state in the plurality of coating head units 22 (coating portions). .. Further, although the adjustment of the coating head 31 is very delicate, the coating device 11 according to the present embodiment can use the history information D20 stored in the storage unit 33 of the coating head 31. , The coating head can be adjusted in a short time.

(2) As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 50 of the coating device 11 according to the present embodiment is attached to the coating head unit 22 (coating unit) by reading the unique information D10 from the first storage area 33a. It is possible to detect the presence or absence of replacement of the coating head 31 (steps S610 and S615).

Since the coating device 11 according to the present embodiment can detect the presence or absence of replacement of the coating head 31, when the coating head 31 is replaced, a new driving condition of the coating head 31 is determined. be able to.

(3) As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 50 of the coating device 11 according to the present embodiment reads the history information D20 from the second storage area 33b and determines the driving conditions of the coating head 31 based on the history information D20. Can be done (steps S620, S625).

The coating device 11 according to the present embodiment has driving conditions of the coating head 31 based on the history information D20 stored in the second storage area 33b (for example, the driving voltage of the coating head 31 and the temperature of the heater 40). Can be determined.

(4) As shown in FIG. 5, in the coating apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment, the history information D20 includes the driving voltage inclination information D2k indicating the inclination of the driving voltage for driving the coating head 31. The control unit 50 can correct the drive voltage of the coating head 31 based on the drive voltage inclination information D2k.

When the driving voltage is corrected in order to change the injection amount of the coating material, the coating device 11 according to the present embodiment is driven according to the driving voltage inclination information D2k as shown in FIGS. 18A to 18C. The drive voltage can be corrected with a method of voltage correction and a small number of corrections.

(5) As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the coating head management device 19 of the coating head management system 10 is a coating head unit based on the history information D20 stored in the storage unit 33 provided in the coating head 31. The state of the coating head 31 attached to 22 (coating portion) can be monitored. The coating head management device 19 can be integrated (integrated) with the main PC 51 of the control device 12.

In the coating head management system 10 including the coating device 11 according to the present embodiment, the coating head 31 (or the coating head unit 22 to which the coating head 31 is attached) is attached to the coating head 31 that needs to be replaced. Can be instructed to replace.

(6) As shown in FIG. 7, the coating head management device 19 of the coating head management system 10 is based on the history information D20 stored in the storage unit 33 of each coating head 31 for the plurality of coating heads 31. The status can be monitored.

The coating head management system 10 including the coating device 11 according to the present embodiment can monitor the state of the coating head 31 with respect to the plurality of coating heads 31.

As described above, according to the coating device 11 according to the present embodiment, the state of the coating head 31 can be suitably managed.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, the above-described embodiment has been described in detail in order to explain the gist of the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to those including all the components described above. In addition, the present invention can add other components to a certain component, or change some components to other components. In addition, the present invention can also delete some components.

Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the main PC 51 is provided inside the coating device 11 (see FIG. 4). However, the main PC 51 may be provided outside the coating device 11.

Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the control unit 50 is divided into a control device 12 and a coating head management device 19 (see FIG. 4). However, the control unit 50 may have a configuration in which the control device 12 and the coating head management device 19 are integrated.

For example, the electronic balance 13a may be used for measuring the amount of the coating material stored in the coating material tank 23.

For example, the coating device 11 may be configured such that a plurality of coating heads 31 are attached to one support portion 27.

10 Coating head management system 11 Coating device 12 Control device 13 Weighing inspection mechanism 13a Electronic balance 14 Droplet inspection mechanism 15a Strobe lighting 15b Droplet inspection camera 16 Dot inspection mechanism 17a, 17b Dot inspection camera 18 Storage unit 19 Coating head management device 21 Holding table 22 Coating head unit (coating part)
23 Coating material tank (coating material storage part)
24 Gantry 25 Linear motor coil 26 Linear motor magnet 27 Support part 31 Coating head 32 Nozzle 33 Storage part 33a First storage area 33b Second storage area 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d Pipe 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d Valve 36 Leak valve 37 Regulator 38 Pressure gauge 40 Heater 41 Thermocouple 42 Solid state relay (SSR)
43 Temperature controller 50 Control unit 51 Main PC
52 Motor controller 53 Amplifier 54 Inkjet controller 60 Liquid crystal image display device 61 Polarizing filter 62 Glass substrate 63 Color filter 64 Transparent electrode 65 Light distribution film 66 Liquid crystal layer 67 Light distribution film 68 Transparent electrode 69 Glass substrate 70 Substrate 71a, 71b, 71c Inspection Range 72 Injection omission point 91 Liquid crystal pool 99 Coating material Dst storage information D1a Serial number information D1b Manufacturer inspection date information D1c Inspection reference voltage information DA Local first energization date information D2a Total energization time information D2b Total injection time information D2c Continuous use Time information D2d Last mounted machine number information D2e Last mounted machine number information D2f Last mounted line number information D2g Last mounted head number information D2h Recipe number information (material model information)
D2i Internal heater temperature information D2j Drive voltage information D2k Drive voltage tilt information D2l Weighing error count information D2m Injection omission error count information D2n Communication error count information D10 Unique information D20 History information D21 Operation progress information D22 Drive information D23 Error information

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a coating device, which comprises a holding table for holding a substrate, a coating portion for applying a coating material to the substrate held on the holding table, and the substrate and the coating. A control unit for controlling the coating material to be applied to a predetermined region of the substrate by moving relative to the unit is provided, and the coating unit is used to apply the coating material to the substrate. The coating head is detachably attached, and the coating head includes a first storage area in which unique information of the coating head is stored and a second storage area in which history information of the coating head is stored. The control unit reads the unique information from the first storage area of the storage unit provided in the coating head, and stores the history information in the storage unit according to the coating operation of the coating head. It is configured to be stored in the second storage area.
Other means will be described later.

The present invention relates to a coating apparatus, and coating how.

The present invention has been made to solve the problems described above, the coating apparatus to suitably manage the state of the coating head, and the primary purpose of providing a coating how.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a coating device, which comprises a holding table for holding a substrate, a coating portion for applying a coating material to the substrate held on the holding table, and the substrate and the coating. A control unit for controlling the coating material to be applied to a predetermined region of the substrate by moving relative to the unit is provided, and the coating unit is used to apply the coating material to the substrate. The coating head is detachably attached, and the coating head is built in a first storage area in which unique information of the coating head is stored , at least the driving voltage of the coating head and the coating head as history information of the coating head. The control unit has a storage unit including a second storage area in which the temperature of the heater is stored, and the control unit is stored in the first storage area of the storage unit provided in the coating head. It is determined whether or not the coating head has been replaced based on the unique information, and when it is determined that the coating head has been replaced, the coating head is stored in the second storage area of the storage unit. When the droplet inspection of the coating material performed using the driving voltage of the coating head and the temperature of the heater determines that the droplet state of the coating material is inappropriate, the driving voltage of the coating head. And the temperature of the heater is changed, and when the coating head is removed from the coating portion, the corrected drive voltage of the coating head and the changed temperature of the heater are obtained as the history information. It is configured to be stored in the second storage area of the storage unit.
Other means will be described later.

Claims (7)

A holding table that holds the board,
A coating portion for applying a coating material to the substrate held on the holding table, and a coating portion.
A control unit for controlling the coating material to be applied to a predetermined region of the substrate by relatively moving the substrate and the coating unit is provided.
A coating head for coating the coating material on the substrate is detachably attached to the coating portion.
The coating head has a storage unit including a first storage area in which unique information of the coating head is stored and a second storage area in which history information of the coating head is stored.
The control unit is a coating device that reads the unique information from the first storage area and stores the history information in the second storage area according to the coating operation of the coating head. In the coating apparatus according to claim 1,
The control unit is a coating device that detects whether or not the coating head attached to the coating unit is replaced by reading the unique information from the first storage area. In the coating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.
The control unit is a coating device that reads the history information from the second storage area and determines a driving condition of the coating head based on the history information. In the coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The history information includes drive voltage inclination information representing the inclination of the drive voltage for driving the coating head.
The control unit is a coating device that corrects the drive voltage based on the drive voltage inclination information. A holding table for holding the substrate and a coating portion for applying the coating material to the substrate held on the holding table are provided, and a coating head for applying the coating material to the substrate is attached to and detached from the coating portion. It is a coating method performed by a freely attached coating device.
A unique information reading step of reading the unique information of the coating head from a storage unit provided in the coating head,
A coating material coating step of applying the coating material to a predetermined region of the substrate by relatively moving the substrate and the coating portion.
A coating method comprising: a history information storage step of storing history information of the coating head in the storage unit according to a coating operation of the coating head. A coating device including a holding table for holding a substrate and a coating portion for applying a coating material to the substrate held on the holding table.
It has a coating head management device that monitors the state of the coating head attached to the coating portion of the coating device.
The coating head management device is a coating head management system characterized in that the state of the coating head is monitored based on history information stored in a storage unit provided in the coating head. In the coating head management system according to claim 6,
The coating head management device is a coating head management system characterized in that a plurality of coating heads are monitored for a state based on the history information stored in the storage unit of each coating head.

Images