JP4363046B2 - Coating apparatus, coating method, and manufacturing method of display member - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is used, for example, in the manufacturing field of color liquid crystal displays and color filters that are members thereof, TFT substrates, plasma displays and front and rear plates that are members thereof, optical filters, printed boards, integrated circuits, semiconductors, etc. Specifically, the present invention relates to a coating apparatus and a coating method for forming a coating film while discharging a coating liquid onto a surface of a coated member such as a glass substrate, and an improvement in a method for manufacturing a display member using the coating method.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A color liquid crystal display is composed of an array substrate, a color filter, and the like, and both the array substrate and the color filter include many manufacturing processes in which a low-viscosity liquid material is applied and dried. For example, in a color filter having a fine lattice pattern of three primary colors on a glass substrate, black, red, blue and green coating liquids are sequentially coated on the glass substrate to form the coating film. . In addition, after applying a photoresist material to form a coating film, pattern processing is performed by photolithography, which can be used as a pillar to secure a space for liquid crystal to be injected between the color filter and the array substrate, For example, an overcoat coating film for reducing the thickness of the film is formed. In this type of coating film forming process, spinners have been used in many cases because the coating solution used has a viscosity of several tens of mPaS or less and a uniform coating film can be easily formed. Thus, a combination of reducing the consumption of expensive coating liquid and increasing the size of the apparatus has led to the introduction of many die coaters.
[0003]
This type of die coater comprises a stage capable of reciprocation and a coating head having a downward discharge port. While the glass substrate is sucked and held on the stage, the glass substrate is moved at a constant speed together with the stage. In addition, a coating liquid is discharged from a discharge port of a coating head (die) placed close to the glass substrate to form a coating film on the glass substrate (for example, Document 1).
[0004]
In order to reduce equipment costs and to handle a wide variety of products, a single die coater can be used to form black matrix, R, G, B color paste, resist solution for pattern and column formation, and surface coating overcoat material. It is becoming to be applied. In that case, it is a problem to minimize the coating liquid exchange time in order to increase productivity, and as a means for that purpose, a die coater provided in advance with a plurality of dies filled with different coating liquids has been proposed (for example, literature) 2). In this type of die coater, different types of coating solutions are first filled in the die, and any coating solution can be applied at any timing by an independent coating solution supply device.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-6-339656 (5th column 18th line to 9th column 13th line, 10th column 9th line to 12th column 12th line, FIG. 1)
[0006]
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-6-339658 (Claim 1, second column, 48th line to third column, third line, sixth column, 24th line to seventh column, seventh line, eighth column, 43rd line to ninth column) 49th line, FIG. 3, FIG. 7)
However, after actually applying known means and filling a plurality of dies with the coating solution, the other dies are kept waiting while being applied with one die, and then switched after a certain period of time. When applied with a die that had been used, there was a problem that high-quality coating could not be performed from the beginning. This is because 1) The coating liquid used for liquid crystal display members such as color filters often uses a highly volatile solvent, and the solvent evaporates from the discharge port of the waiting die, Solid matter is deposited in the vicinity of the discharge port, and if applied as it is, the discharged coating solution is obstructed by the solid matter and applied in a streak shape. The coating liquid evaporates and is replaced with air, and there are many areas that are not applied to the start part immediately after switching. 3) Since the coating liquid is not supplied to the die during standby, the coating liquid stays in the die. This is because if a coating solution that is insufficient in stability is used, problems such as pigment aggregation occur in the die, and if it is applied as it is, streaky defects due to the aggregates occur. Due to this problem, the coating solution cannot be switched in a short time, and in extreme cases, the failure cannot be resolved unless a new coating solution is supplied to a new die that is not filled with the coating solution and new coating is performed. Therefore, even if a plurality of dies are prepared, the intended purpose such as improvement of the operation rate and productivity cannot be achieved.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made based on the above-described circumstances, and the object of the present invention is to perform coating by sequentially switching a plurality of coating liquids with a single die coater by switching a plurality of dies. In consideration of the actual conditions such as the characteristics of the coating solution, the coating apparatus and coating method capable of performing high-quality coating with uniform film thickness and no defects immediately after switching, and the display member using this coating method It is to provide a manufacturing method.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  The above object is achieved by the means described below.
The coating apparatus of the present invention is a coating apparatus that forms a coating film on a single member to be coated, and has a discharge port extending in one direction to discharge the coating liquid.2With an applicator,EachSupply coating liquid to applicator2 unitsCoating liquid supply means, a stage for holding a member to be coated,TwoCoatingVesselIn a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the applicatorSeparate round tripMoving means for moving;2Elevating means for bringing the applicator of each close to the member to be coated independently,2 aboveThe coating liquid discharged from the applicatorEachRecovered and saidTwoApplicatorRound trip for applicationMoveEach provided outside the rangeofOnly for applicators provided at the standby positionLiquid receiver,A cleaning device provided to clean the tip of the discharge port of the two applicators and provided individually, and twoSelect the applicator that performs the application sequentially from the applicators.At the same time, control is performed so that the cleaning liquid or a different type of coating liquid is supplied from the coating liquid supply means to the waiting application device.Control deviceWhen,It is characterized by having.
[0009]
The coating method of the present invention has a discharge port extending in one direction.2A coating method in which a plurality of coating liquids are sequentially applied to a member to be coated using the coating device, and the coating liquid is applied to the member to be coated with the selected coating device.repetitionWhile goingAt each standby position provided outside the range in which the two applicators reciprocate for application,If the applicator does not apply, apply the coating liquid from the discharge port.For liquid receiver for applicatorDischarge, collect and wait, Clean the area around the discharge port of the applicator, supply the washing applicator to the waiting applicator or a different coating solution, and clean the applicator or replace it with a different coating solution.It is characterized by.
[0010]
  BookThe manufacturing method of the display member of the invention is the aboveCoatingA display member is manufactured using a cloth method.
According to the coating apparatus and the coating method according to the present invention, while applying with one applicator, the coating liquid is discharged from the waiting applicator, and it is collected by the liquid receiver. Evaporation of the coating liquid around the applicator outlet, solid analysis, or retention of the coating liquid inside the applicator can be prevented. High quality and uniform coating thickness can be applied.
[0011]
According to the method for manufacturing a display member according to the present invention, since the display member is manufactured using the above-described excellent coating method, it is possible to manufacture a high-quality display member with high productivity. It becomes.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic front sectional view of a die coater 1 which is a coating apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a die and a liquid receiving tray as viewed from the position of arrow F in FIG.
Referring to FIG. 1, a die coater 1 of the present invention is shown. The die coater 1 is provided with two dies 20A and 20B. The die coater 1 further includes a base 2, and a pair of guide rails 4 are provided on the base 2. A stage 6 is disposed on the guide rail 4 and is driven by a linear motor 8 to freely reciprocate in the X direction shown in FIG. Further, the upper surface of the stage 6 is a vacuum suction surface made up of suction holes, and can hold the substrate A, which is a member to be coated, by suction.
[0013]
Looking at the center of the base 2, there is a gate-shaped column 10. Two vertical lift units A110 and vertical lift units B70 are provided on both sides of the support column 10, and two dies 20A and 20B for coating the vertical lift unit A110 and the vertical lift unit B70 are respectively attached. ing.
[0014]
The dies 20A and B are formed by superimposing front lips 22A and B and rear lips 24A and B extending in a direction perpendicular to the X direction, that is, a direction perpendicular to the paper surface, in the X direction via shims 32A and B. It is comprised by integrally connecting with the connecting bolt. Manifolds 26A, B are formed in the center of the dies 20A, B, and the manifolds 26A, B also extend in the longitudinal direction of the dies 20A, B. Under the manifolds 26A and B, slits 28A and B are formed in communication. The slits 28A and B also extend in the longitudinal direction of the dies 20A and B, and the lower ends thereof are openings at the lowermost end surfaces of the dies 20A and B, thereby forming the discharge ports 34A and B. Since the slits 28A and B are formed by the shims 32A and B, the gap between the slits A and B (measured in the X direction) is equal to the thickness of the shims 32A and B.
[0015]
Now, since the vertical lift unit A110 that lifts and lowers the dies 20A and 20B is exactly the same, the vertical lift unit B70 will be described in detail in FIG. That is, the up-and-down lift unit B70 guides up and down the suspension holding base 79 that holds the die 20B in a suspended manner, and the pair of left and right lifts 78A and B and the lift bases 78A and 78 that raise and lower the suspension holding base 79. It consists of ball screws 76A and B that convert the rotational motion of the guides 74A and B and the motors 72A and B into the linear motion of the lifting platforms 78A and B. The elevators 78A and 78B can be raised and lowered independently, and the tilt angle of the die 20B with respect to the horizontal can be arbitrarily set. As a result, the lowermost end surface of the die 20B (the surface with the discharge port 34B) and the substrate A can be made substantially parallel over the longitudinal direction of the die 20B. With the vertical lift unit B70 and the vertical lift unit A110 having such a configuration, the die 20B and the die 20A can be moved up and down independently of each other, and the substrate A on the stage 6 and the dies 20A and 20B A certain clearance can be provided between the discharge ports 34A and 34B.
[0016]
By the way, a liquid receiving unit 100A is provided on the left side of the die 20A, and a liquid receiving unit 100B is provided below the die 20B. The liquid receiving units 100A, 100B are linear motors 108A (not shown) along a pair of guides 104 that extend the trays 102A, B, 102A, B for collecting the coating liquid discharged from the dies 20A, 20B in the X direction. ), 108B, tray mounting tables 106A and 106B that are freely reciprocated in the X direction. Further, since the trays 102A and B are connected to the tray mounting bases 106A and B via the receiving bases 109A and 109B, the trays 102A and B are separately controlled in the X direction by independent linear motors 108A and B, respectively. Can be moved. The trays 102A and 102B are connected to a discharge pipe and a collection tank (not shown), and all of the coating liquid accumulated in the trays 102A and 102B can be collected in a collection tank (not shown).
[0017]
Further, when the right end portion of the base 2 is viewed in FIG. 1, the wiping unit 80 is mounted on the guide rail 4 so as to be movable in the X direction. In the wiping unit 80, a wiping head 82 having a shape that engages with the periphery of the discharge ports 34 </ b> A and B of the dies 20 </ b> A and 20 </ b> B is attached to the slider 86 via a bracket 84. The slider 86 is freely moved by the drive unit 88 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the dies 20A, 20B, that is, the X direction. The drive unit 88 and the tray 90 are fixed on a carriage 92. Since the carriage 92 is on the guide rail 4 and guided by the guide rail 4 and can freely reciprocate in the X direction by a linear motor (not shown), the entire wiping unit 80 can reciprocate in the X direction. When wiping is performed, the entire wiping unit 80 is moved in the X direction to a position where the wiping head 82 is engaged with the dies 20A, 20B, and the dies 20A, 20B are lowered and engaged with the wiping head 82. Then, when the driving unit 88 is driven to slide the wiping head 82 in the longitudinal direction of the dies 20A and 20B, the coating liquid and other contaminants remaining in the vicinity of the discharge ports of the dies 20A and 20B are removed and cleaned. be able to. The removed coating liquid and the like are collected in the tray 90. The tray 90 is connected to a discharge line (not shown) and can discharge and collect a liquid such as a coating solution accumulated inside. Since the wiping unit 80 is disposed at a position that does not interfere with the trays 102A and 102B in the vertical direction, the wiping unit 80 can freely move in the X direction regardless of the positions of the trays 102A and 102 in the X direction. The wiping head 82 is preferably made of an elastic body such as rubber or a synthetic resin so that it can be evenly engaged with the dies 20A and 20B.
[0018]
Further, when viewing the left side of the base 2, a thickness sensor 120 for measuring the thickness of the substrate A is attached to the support base 122. The thickness sensor 120 preferably uses a laser. By measuring the thickness of the substrate A by the thickness sensor 120, the gap between the tip end surface of the die 20 </ b> A, B and the discharge ports 34 </ b> A, B and the substrate A for any thickness of the substrate A. Clearance can always be constant.
[0019]
Looking again at the two dies 20A, B, the upstream side of the manifolds 26A, B of the dies 20A, B is connected to the supply hoses 60A, B connected to the coating liquid supply devices 40A, B via an internal passage (not shown). Thus, the coating liquid can be supplied to the manifolds 26A, B from the coating liquid supply devices 40A, B. The coating liquid entering the manifolds 26A and B is uniformly widened in the longitudinal direction of the dies 20A and B, and is discharged from the discharge ports 34A and B through the slits 28A and 28B.
[0020]
The coating liquid supply devices 40A and B include supply valves 42A and B, syringe pumps 50A and B, suction valves 44A and B, suction hoses 62A and B, tanks 64A and B on the upstream side of the supply hoses 60A and B. I have. The coating liquids 66A and B are stored in the tanks 64A and B, and can be connected to the pressure air sources 68A and B to apply a back pressure of an arbitrary magnitude to the coating liquids 66A and B. The coating liquids 66A and B in the tanks 64A and B are supplied to the syringe pumps 50A and 50B through the suction hoses 62A and B, respectively. In the syringe pumps 50A and B, the syringes 52A and B and the pistons 54A and B are attached to the pump bodies 56A and B. Here, the pistons 54A and 54B can reciprocate freely in the vertical direction by a driving source (not shown). The syringe pumps 50A and 50B are filled with a coating solution into syringes 52A and 52B having a constant inner diameter, are pushed out by pistons 54A and B, and are supplied to the die 20A and B by the amount of one substrate A applied. The type of pump. When filling the syringes 52A and B with the coating liquids 66A and B, the suction valves 44A and B are opened, the supply valves 42A and B are closed, and the pistons 54A and B are moved downward. Further, when supplying the coating liquid filled in the syringes 52A and B toward the dies 20A and 20B, the suction valves 44A and B are closed, the supply valves 42A and B are opened, and the pistons 54A and B are moved upward. By doing so, the application liquid inside the syringes 52A, B is pushed up by the pistons 54A, B and discharged. In order to provide airtightness between the male side pistons 54A and 54B and the female side syringes 52A and 52B, it is preferable to attach an O-ring (not shown) to the pistons 54A and 54B as a sealing material.
[0021]
Note that the linear motor 8, the motors 72 </ b> A and B, the linear motors 108 </ b> A and B, the coating liquid supply devices 40 </ b> A and B, and the like that are operated by the control signal are all electrically connected to the control device 200. Then, a control command signal is transmitted to each device in accordance with an automatic operation program incorporated in the control device, and a predetermined operation is performed. When changing the conditions, if a change parameter is appropriately input to the operation panel 202, the change parameter is transmitted to the control device 200, and the change of the driving operation can be realized.
[0022]
Now, in the die coater 1 described above, the switching of the plurality of coating liquids A and B is specifically performed as follows.
[0023]
First, the coating liquids 66A and B are filled from the corresponding tanks 64A and B to the dies 20A and B, respectively. During the filling, the trays 102A and B are arranged below the discharge ports 34A and B of the corresponding dies 20A and B, and collect the coating liquids 66A and B discharged from the discharge ports 34A and B during the filling. If the coating liquid 66A is first applied to the substrate A, the tray 102A is moved to the left side from a position directly below the die 20A so that the die 20A can be brought close to the substrate A. While the die 20A is applied close to the substrate A, the supply amount from the syringe pump 50B is adjusted from the die 20B so that the coating liquid 66B can be discharged toward the minute amount tray 102B. The coating liquid supply pattern may be such that a very small amount of coating liquid is continuously discharged, or the coating liquid may be discharged only for a predetermined time in a constant time cycle. As a result of always discharging the coating liquid during standby in this way, solid content does not precipitate near the discharge port 34B during standby, or the coating liquid near the discharge port 34B evaporates and is not replaced with air. In other words, problems such as pigment aggregation due to retention of the coating liquid 66B inside the die 20B do not occur. Further, since the tray 102B collecting the coating liquid 66B is located above the stage 6, the stage 6 can freely reciprocate below the tray 102B. Therefore, application to the substrate A by the die 20A is not hindered.
[0024]
When the coating liquid to be applied is switched from the coating liquid 66A to the coating liquid 66B, the coating liquid supply device 40B is temporarily stopped, and the discharge of the coating liquid 66B from the die 20B is interrupted. Then, the tray 102B below the die 20B is retracted to the right until it does not interfere even when the die 20B is lowered. On the other hand, after raising the die 20A, the tray 102A is moved below the die 20A. While the die 20B is brought close to the substrate A, the coating liquid supply device 40B is operated to start application of the coating liquid 66B to the substrate A, while the coating liquid supply device 40A is also operated, and according to a command from the control device 200, A very small amount of coating liquid 66A is discharged from the die 20A toward the tray 102A.
Here, since the tray 102A is above the stage 6 and does not hinder the reciprocation of the stage 6, the application to the substrate A by the die 20B is not hindered. Subsequent switching of the coating solution to be applied is performed in the same manner according to the above procedure.
[0025]
The amount of the coating solution discharged during standby is preferably 1-1000 μL / S, more preferably 5-50 μL / S. If it is less than this range, problems occur, and if it is greater than this range, the amount of ineffective consumption of the coating liquid increases and the feature of the die coater that reduces the amount of invalid use of expensive coating liquid is impaired. In addition, before applying, it is necessary to remove the residual coating liquid adhering to the periphery of the discharge ports 34A and B of the dies 20A and B. For this purpose, the wiping unit 80 is operated and cleaned. As a result, the periphery of the discharge ports 34A and 34B is initialized, and application can always be started in the same state, so that stable application can be performed over a long period of time. In particular, immediately after switching between the coating dies 20A and 20B and the coating liquid, the removal of the remaining coating liquid and the cleaning operation by the wiping unit 80 can realize high quality coating and uniform coating film thickness over the entire substrate surface. It is essential for this. According to the coating liquid switching method described above, the coating liquid can be switched in 30 seconds to 5 minutes. Furthermore, since a small amount of coating liquid is always discharged from the waiting die, high-quality and uniform film thickness can be applied immediately after switching, so there is no need to perform invalid dummy coating, etc. Reduction of operating time can be minimized.
[0026]
Next, the whole coating method using the coating apparatus of this invention is explained in full detail.
[0027]
First, when the origin of each operating part of the die coater 1 is returned, the stage 6 is at the left end of FIG. 1 (position indicated by a broken line), the dies 20A and B are at the top, the wiping unit 80 is at the right end, and the trays 102A and B Move to the standby position below the corresponding dies 20A, B. Here, the coating liquids 66A and B are already filled up to the tanks 64A and B to the dies 20A and B, and the operation of discharging the residual air inside the dies 20A and B has already been completed. At this time, the application liquid supply devices 40A and B are in the state where the syringes 52A and B are filled with the application liquids 66A and B, the suction valves 44A and B are closed, the supply valves 42A and B are opened, and the pistons 54A and B are At the lower end position, the coating liquids 66A, B can be supplied to the dies 20A, B at any time.
[0028]
Now, since the coating liquid 66A is first applied by the die 20A, the die 20B to be put on standby operates the coating liquid supply device 40B and applies a small amount of coating liquid toward the tray 102B already under the die 20B. The discharge starts from the discharge port 34B. Next, lift pins (not shown) are raised on the surface of the stage 6, and the substrate A is placed on the upper portions of the lift pins from a loader (not shown).
[0029]
Next, the lift pins are lowered and the substrate A is placed on the upper surface of the table 6 and simultaneously held by suction. In parallel with this, the coating liquid supply device 40A is operated to discharge a small amount of the coating liquid 66A, and then the tray 102A is retracted to the left side from the lower side of the die 20A. Instead, the wiping unit 80 is moved to the lower side of the die 20A. And stop. After the die 20A is lowered and the discharge port 34A of the die 20A is engaged with the wiping head 82, the wiping head 82 is slid in the longitudinal direction of the die 20A so that the vicinity of the discharge port 34A of the die 20A extends in the longitudinal direction of the die. ,to clean up. After cleaning is completed, the wiping unit 80 returns to the original location (right end in FIG. 1). Next, the movement of the table 6 is started, and the substrate thickness is measured when the substrate A passes under the thickness sensor 120. When the coating start portion of the substrate A reaches just below the discharge port 34A of the die 20A, the stage 6 is stopped. At this time, using the measured thickness data of the substrate A, the vertical lift unit A110 is driven to bring the surface of the die 20A where the discharge port 34A is located close to the position separated from the substrate A in advance by the clearance. Then, the piston 54A of the syringe pump 50A is raised at a predetermined speed, the coating liquid 66A is discharged from the die 20A, the movement of the table 6 is started at a predetermined speed, and the application of the coating liquid 66A to the substrate A is started. Form. When the coating end portion of the substrate A comes to the position of the discharge port 34A of the die 20A, the piston 54A is stopped to stop the supply of the coating liquid 66A, and then the vertical lifting unit A110 is driven to raise the die 20A. As a result, the bead formed between the substrate A and the die 20A is cut off, and the application is completed. After confirming the rise of the die 20A, the tray 102A is moved downward.
During these operations, the table 6 continues to move, stops when it reaches the end point position, releases the suction of the substrate A, raises the lift pins, and lifts the substrate A. At this time, the lower surface of the substrate A is held by an unloader (not shown), and the substrate A is transported to the next step. When the substrate A is delivered to the unloader, the table 6 lowers the lift pins and returns to the origin position.
[0030]
In parallel with this, the syringe pump 50A is operated, and a small amount of 10 to 500 μL of coating solution is fed into the die 20A so that there is no gap in the die 20A.
[0031]
After completion, the syringe pump 50A opens the suction valve 44A, closes the supply valve 42A, lowers the piston 54A at a constant speed, and fills the syringe 52A with the coating liquid 66A in the tank 64. After the filling is completed, the piston 54 is stopped, the suction valve 44A is closed, the supply valve 42A is opened, the next substrate A is waited for, and the same operation is repeated.
[0032]
Note that while the coating liquid 66A is being applied to the substrate A with the die 20A, the coating liquid 66B is continuously supplied to the die 20B from the coating liquid supply device 40B, so that the coating liquid 66B is discharged from the die 20B. The paper is discharged from the outlet 34B toward the tray 102B. Then, the coating liquid 66B dropped on the tray 102B is collected through a discharge line (not shown).
[0033]
Now, when the application of the application liquid 66A is completed and the application of the application liquid 66B is started, the application liquid switching operation is performed according to the method described above. That is, the coating liquid 66B is supplied from the coating liquid supply device 40B to the die 20B to apply to the substrate A, while the die 20A is continuously supplied with the coating liquid 66A by a small amount from the coating liquid supply device 40A. The coating liquid 66A is discharged from the discharge port 34A toward the tray 102A and waits. The coating method at this time is the above-described coating method. The die 20A is the die 20B, the coating liquid supply device 40A is the coating liquid supply device 40B, the tray 102A is the tray 102B, and the vertical lift unit A110 is the vertical lift unit B70. , Replace and execute.
[0034]
In the above description of the embodiment, the means for cleaning the vicinity of the die outlet is shown by engaging and sliding the wiping head 82 of the elastic body in the vicinity of the outlet of the die. Means may be used in which the material or solvent is moistened and the vicinity of the die outlet is wiped with a cloth material. Alternatively, a means may be used in which the discharge port of the die is brought close to the rotating roller, the coating liquid is discharged toward the roller, and the coating liquid near the discharge port is transferred to the roller for cleaning. Further, the wiping unit may be provided individually corresponding to a plurality of dies.
[0035]
Next, a die coater 300 which is another embodiment of the coating apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic front sectional view of the die coater 300.
[0036]
In the die coater 300, two dies 312A and 3B are respectively attached to the gate-type gantry 310A and B via the vertical lift units 314A and B. The dies 312A and 3B can move freely in the vertical direction by the operation of the vertical lift unit 314. The gantry 310A, B is guided by a rail 304 disposed on the base 302 and can freely reciprocate in the horizontal direction by a linear motor (not shown). As the gantry 310A, B moves, the dies 312A, B move. A fixed mounting table 306 is provided at the center of the base 302. The upper surface of the mounting table is a suction surface on which the substrate A is mounted. Furthermore, trays 308A and 308B are provided at both ends of the base 2, respectively. A discharge line (not shown) is connected to the trays 308A and 308B, and the coating liquid discharged here can be collected. In addition, two coating liquid supply devices A and B (not shown) are individually connected to the dies 312A and B. Accordingly, two different types of coating liquids A and B are supplied from the coating liquid supply apparatuses A and B to the dies 312A and B, respectively, so that the coating liquids A and B can be separately applied to the substrate A. The gantry 310A and B are not provided with cleaning devices for the dies 312A and B, but are individually provided, and the discharge ports of the dies 312A and B are applied at 316A and the periphery of the B is applied in the longitudinal direction of the die. Can be cleaned before.
[0037]
Application by the die coater 300 is performed by bringing the tip surfaces of the die 312A and B with the discharge ports 316A and B close to the substrate A adsorbed and fixed to the mounting table 306 by the clearance, and applying the coating solution to the dies 312A and B. This is performed by moving the dies 312A and 3B while supplying a certain amount of coating liquid from the supply devices A and B. Further, when the gantry 310A is moved to the standby position D and the gantry 310B is moved to the standby position E, the trays 308A and B are provided immediately below the dies 312A and B, respectively. The liquid can be discharged. Further, even if one of the gantry 310A, B is waiting at the standby positions D, E, application of the other die to the substrate A is not hindered. That is, the standby positions D and E are provided outside the range in which the mounting table 306 and the dies 312A and B on the gantry 310A and B move relative to each other for coating. Specifically, even if the gantry 310A is at the standby position D, the application of the die 312B to the substrate A by the movement of the gantry 310B is not hindered. Conversely, even if the gantry 310B is at the standby position E, the application of the die 312A to the substrate A by the movement of the gantry 310A is not hindered. In this die coater 300, since the discharge of the coating liquid from the waiting dies 312A and 312B and the coating can be performed at a remote location, the mutual influences can be completely eliminated. More specifically, in the die coater 1, the coated substrate A passes under the coating liquid discharged from the waiting die toward the liquid receiving tray, but the die coater 300 provided with a standby position. There is no such situation, and a cleaner application can be performed.
[0038]
In the above embodiment, the example in which the coating is performed by fixing the substrate A and moving the dies 312A and 3B has been described. Since the substrate A and the dies 312A and B need only be moved relative to each other for coating, the mounting table 306 can also be moved, and a position where the gantry 310A and B stops is provided at the center of the base 302. May be applied by any of the stopped dies 312A, 3B. The stop position for applying the gantry 312A, B can be said to be the application position.
[0039]
Next, a coating method using the die coater 300 and a switching method of the coating solution will be described.
[0040]
First, when the origin of each operation unit of the die coater 300 is returned, the gantry 310A moves to the standby position D, the gantry 310B moves to the standby position E, and the dies 312A and B move to the top. Here, the different coating liquids A and B from the respective coating liquid supply devices A and B to the dies 312A and B are already filled, and the operation of discharging the residual air inside the dies 312A and B is also completed.
[0041]
Now, since the coating liquid A is first applied by the die 312A, the waiting die 312B operates the coating liquid supply device B and applies a small amount of the coating liquid B toward the tray 308B below the die 312B. The discharge starts from the discharge port 316B. Next, lift pins (not shown) rise on the surface of the mounting table 306, and the substrate A is placed on the lift pins from a loader (not shown).
[0042]
Next, the lift pins are lowered to place the substrate A on the upper surface of the mounting table 306 and simultaneously hold it by suction. In parallel with this, the coating liquid supply device A is operated to discharge a small amount of the coating liquid A from the discharge port 316A of the die 312A, and then a cleaning device (not shown) provided in the gantry 310A is operated to discharge the die 312A. The vicinity of the outlet 316A is cleaned over the longitudinal direction of the die. After the cleaning is completed, the gantry 310A is moved to the right side, and when the coating start part of the substrate A reaches just below the discharge port 316A of the die 312A, the gantry 310A is stopped. At this time, using the thickness data of the substrate A measured in the previous step, the vertical lift unit 314A is driven to bring the surface with the discharge port 316A of the die 312A close to the position separated from the substrate A in advance by the clearance. . Then, the coating liquid supply apparatus A is operated to discharge a fixed amount of the coating liquid A from the die 312A, and start moving the gantry 310A to the right side at a predetermined speed to start the coating of the coating liquid A onto the substrate A. A film is formed. When the coating end portion of the substrate A comes to the position of the discharge port 316A, the coating liquid supply device A is stopped to stop the supply of the coating liquid A, and then the vertical elevating unit 314A is driven to raise the die 312A. As a result, the bead formed between the substrate A and the die 312A is cut off, and the application is completed. During these operations, the gantry 310A continues to move to the right, stops when it reaches the end position on the left side of the standby position E, releases the suction of the substrate A, raises the lift pins, and lifts the substrate A. At this time, the lower surface of the substrate A is held by an unloader (not shown), and the substrate A is transported to the next step. When the substrate A is delivered to the unloader, the lift pin is lowered, and the gantry 310A is moved to the left side to return to the standby position D. When the gantry 310A returns to the standby position D, the coating liquid supply apparatus A is operated to feed a small amount of 10 to 500 μL of the coating liquid A into the die 312A so that there is no gap in the die 312A. Subsequently, waiting for the substrate A to come, the same thing is repeated.
[0043]
While the coating solution A is being applied to the substrate A with the die 312A, a small amount of another coating solution B is continuously supplied to the die 312B from another coating solution supply apparatus B. The paper is discharged from the discharge port 316B of 312B toward the tray 308B. Then, the coating liquid B dropped on the tray 308B is collected through a discharge line (not shown).
[0044]
When the application of the application liquid A is completed with the die 312A and the application of the application liquid B is started with the die 312B, the gantry 310A is first moved to the standby position D. When the gantry 310A arrives at the standby position D, the coating liquid supply apparatus A is operated to discharge a small amount of the coating liquid A from the discharge port 316A of the die 312A toward the tray 308A. On the other hand, the die 312B stops the supply of the coating liquid B from the coating liquid supply apparatus B, and temporarily stops the discharge of the coating liquid B from the discharge port 316. Then, application of the coating liquid B to the substrate A of the die 312B is started according to the above-described coating method. That is, first, the substrate A is sucked and held on the upper surface of the mounting table 306, and in parallel with this, the coating liquid supply device B is operated to discharge a small amount of the coating liquid B from the discharge port 316B of the die 312B, and then provided to the gantry 310B. The vicinity of the discharge port 316B of the die 312B is cleaned over the longitudinal direction of the die by a cleaning device (not shown). After the cleaning is completed, the gantry 310B is moved to the left side. When the coating start portion of the substrate A reaches just below the discharge port 316B of the slit die 312A, the gantry 310B is stopped. At this time, using the thickness data of the substrate A measured in the previous process, the vertical lift unit 314B is driven to bring the surface with the discharge port 316B of the die 312B close to the position separated from the substrate A in advance by the clearance. . Then, the coating liquid supply device is operated to discharge a certain amount of the coating liquid B from the die 312B, start moving the gantry 310B to the right side at a predetermined speed, start coating the coating liquid on the substrate A, and apply the coating film. Form. When the coating end portion of the substrate A comes to the position of the discharge port 316B, the coating liquid supply device B is stopped to stop the supply of the coating liquid B, and then the vertical elevating unit 314B is driven to raise the die 312B. As a result, the bead formed between the substrate A and the die 312B is cut off, and the application is completed. Even after the application is completed, the gantry 310B continues to move to the right. During this time, the adsorption of the substrate A is released, and the substrate A is transported to the next step. When the gantry 310B reaches the standby position E, the gantry 310B is stopped. Then, the coating liquid supply device B is operated to feed a small amount of the coating liquid B into the die 31B so that there is no gap in the die 312B. Thereafter, the same process is repeated after the substrate A arrives.
[0045]
While the coating liquid B is being applied to the substrate A with the die 312B, a small amount of the coating liquid A is continuously supplied to the die 312A from the coating liquid supply device A, so that the coating liquid A is discharged from the die 312A. The paper is discharged from 316A toward the tray 308A. Then, the coating liquid A dropped on the tray 308A is collected through a discharge line (not shown).
[0046]
Furthermore, when switching from the coating liquid B to the coating liquid A, the same method as described above may be used.
[0047]
In the above embodiment example, two types of coating liquids are repeatedly applied with two dies. However, the type of coating liquid and the number of dies are not limited, and can be applied to a larger number of coating liquids. May be. In particular, when the coating apparatus of the present invention is applied for the manufacture of a color filter, four dies, a coating liquid supply apparatus, and so on, that the steps of black matrix, R, G, and B can be carried out by a single die coater. It is preferable to provide a die lifting / lowering unit. Furthermore, the switching timing of the coating liquid may be managed by time or by the number of coatings. When the substrate management is performed by the cassette, it is preferable to switch the coating liquid by the number of sheets for one cassette, for example, about 10 to 20 sheets or a multiple of the number of sheets for one cassette.
[0048]
Furthermore, for the waiting die, the liquid discharged from the die can be collected by the tray, so that the solvent may be supplied for cleaning. As a result, the cleaning can be performed in parallel with the coating, so that it is not necessary to stop for cleaning, and the operating rate of the coating apparatus can be improved. Further, if a different type of coating solution is supplied to the die after the cleaning is completed or in place of the coating solution in use, the type of coating solution can be changed while being applied. Thereby, since it is not necessary to interrupt application | coating, the operation rate of a coating device can improve and productivity can be improved. When cleaning or when switching to a different type of coating solution, a large amount of cleaning solvent or coating solution is supplied, so that the tray and die are in close contact, and the cleaning solvent and coating solution discharged from the die outlet do not scatter. Like that. For this purpose, it is preferable to increase the sealing performance by sandwiching a sealing material between the tray and the die.
[0049]
The coating liquid to which the present invention can be applied has a viscosity of 1 to 100000 mPaS, desirably 10 to 50000 mPaS and is preferably a Newtonian from the viewpoint of coating properties, but can also be applied to a coating liquid having thixotropy. In particular, it is effective when a coating solution using a solvent having high volatility, for example, PGMEA, butyl acetate, ethyl lactate or the like is switched and applied. Specific examples of the coating solution that can be applied include a black matrix for a color filter and a coating solution for forming a color pixel, a resist solution, an overcoat material, and the like. As a member to be coated which is a substrate, a metal plate such as aluminum, a ceramic plate, a silicon wafer or the like may be used in addition to glass. Further, as a coating state to be used, the clearance is 40 to 500 μm, more preferably 80 to 300 μm, the coating speed is 0.1 m / min to 10 m / min, more preferably 0.5 m / min to 6 m / min, the die lip The gap is 50 to 1000 μm, more preferably 100 to 600 μm, and the coating thickness is 5 to 400 μm, more preferably 20 to 250 μm.
[0050]
【Example】
A color filter was manufactured using a die coater provided with four die heads, a die lifting device, and a coating solution supply means.
[0051]
All four dies had a discharge port length of 360 mm, a slit gap of 100 μm, and a coating film having a width of 360 mm could be formed on the substrate. Further, the four dies were each attached to an independent lifting device, and any one die could be selected and applied. In addition, four black matrix, R color, G color, and B color coating liquids corresponding to the four dies, and four syringe pumps that individually supply these coating liquids to the dies were prepared. The coating liquid for black matrix was adjusted to a solid content concentration of 10% and a viscosity of 10 mPaS using titanium oxynitride as a light shielding material, acrylic resin as a binder, and PGMEA as a solvent. Similarly, the R color coating solution is an acrylic resin binder, PGMEA as a solvent, Pigment Red 177 as a pigment and mixed at a solid content concentration of 15%, and the viscosity is adjusted to 5 mPaS. The G color coating solution is R Pigment green 36 is used as the pigment for the color coating solution, and the viscosity is adjusted to 10 mPaS at a solid concentration of 10%. The coating solution for B color is used as the pigment blue 15 for the R color coating solution and the solid content concentration is 10 % And the viscosity adjusted to 10 mPaS. All the coating liquids had photosensitive characteristics. These four kinds of coating liquids were put into four tanks, and the coating liquids were filled in four sets of tanks to syringe pumps to dies as separate lines.
[0052]
First, in order to apply the black matrix coating liquid, the black matrix coating liquid die is prepared for coating, while the remaining three dies are used to make the R, G, and B coating liquids as small as 10 μL / S. In succession, it was discharged onto a stainless steel tray dedicated to each die and kept waiting. A black matrix coating solution was applied to a 360 × 465 mm non-alkali glass substrate having a thickness of 0.7 mm at a thickness of 10 μm and a clearance of 100 μm between the die and the substrate at 3 m / min. The coated substrate was dried on a hot plate at 100 ° C. for 10 minutes, exposed, developed, and peeled, then heated on a 260 ° hot plate for 30 minutes, cured, and the pitch in the width direction of the substrate was 254 μm. The pitch is 85 μm in the longitudinal direction of the substrate, the line width is 20 μm, the number of RGB pixels is 4800 (substrate longitudinal direction) × 1200 (substrate width direction), the diagonal length is 20 inches (305 mm in the substrate width direction, substrate longitudinal direction) A black matrix film having a lattice shape of 406 mm) and a thickness of 1 μm was prepared. After applying the black matrix coating solution for 100 sheets in a row, the R color coating solution die that was on standby was switched to the application, and the black matrix coating solution die that had been applied so far was switched to standby. It was. The switching time was 1 minute. From the black matrix coating solution die, the black matrix coating solution was discharged onto a dedicated tray continuously at a minute amount of 10 μL / S. During this operation, 100 substrates having a black matrix lattice shape were prepared before the die coater, and after cleaning, the coating solution for R color was 13 μm thick, and the clearance between the die and the substrate was 3 μm at a clearance of 100 μm. And applied. The coated substrate is dried on a hot plate at 90 ° C. for 10 minutes, and then exposed, developed, and peeled off, leaving an R color coating film with a thickness of 2 μm only on the R pixel portion, and heated on a 260 ° hot plate for 30 minutes. Then, it was cured. After applying 100 sheets in the same manner, switching from the R color coating liquid to the G color coating liquid is performed in the same manner, and the G color coating is applied to 100 substrates on which the black matrix and the R color coating film are formed. After applying the liquid at a thickness of 20 μm and a clearance of 100 μm between the die and the substrate at 3 m / min, drying on a hot plate at 100 ° C. for 10 minutes, and then exposing, developing, and peeling off, only on the G color pixel area A G-color coating film having a thickness of 2 μm was left, and curing was performed by heating for 30 minutes on a 260 ° C. hot plate. Further, switching from the G color coating solution to the B color coating solution was performed in the same manner. On the 100 substrates on which the black matrix, R color, and G color coating films were formed, the B color coating solution was formed with a thickness of 20 μm. After applying at 3 m / min with a clearance of 100 μm between the substrate and the substrate, drying on a hot plate at 100 ° C. for 10 minutes, and then exposing, developing, and peeling off, and applying B color with a thickness of 2 μm only on the B color pixel area The film was left and heated on a 260 ° C. hot plate for 30 minutes for curing. The exchange time for each coating solution was completed within 1 minute. The coating quality was satisfactory immediately after switching of each coating solution. When the film thickness distribution was measured, it was good that there was only a fluctuation of ± 3% or less immediately after each coating solution was switched.
[0053]
Finally, ITO was deposited by sputtering to produce 100 color filters. The obtained color filters were all satisfactory in terms of quality because they were free of foreign matters such as pigment aggregates and abrasion powders, and had no uneven coating, so the chromaticity was uniform over the entire surface of the substrate.
[0054]
【The invention's effect】
According to the coating apparatus and the coating method according to the present invention, a small amount of coating liquid is discharged from a waiting die while being coated with a die which is a single coating device, and is collected by a liquid receiver. Therefore, it is possible to prevent evaporation of the coating liquid around the discharge port of the applicator, solid analysis, or stagnation of the coating liquid inside the applicator. Immediately after that, it is possible to perform high-quality coating with no defects and uniform coating thickness.
[0055]
According to the method for manufacturing a display member according to the present invention, since the display member is manufactured using the above-described excellent coating method, it is possible to manufacture a high-quality display member with high productivity. It becomes.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic front sectional view of a die coater 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a die and a liquid receiving tray as viewed from the position of the arrow in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a schematic front sectional view of a die coater 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Die coater
2 base
4 Guide rail
6 stages
8 Linear motor
10 props
20A, 20B Die (Applicator)
22A, 22B Front lip
24A, 24B Rear lip
26A, 26B Manifold
28A, 28B Slit
32A, 32B shim
34A, 34B Discharge port
40A, 40B Coating solution supply device
42A, 42B Supply valve
44A, 44B Suction valve
50A, 50B syringe pump
52A, 52B Syringe
54A, 54B Piston
56A, 56B body
60A, 60B supply hose
62A, 62B Suction hose
64A, 64B tank
66A, 66B Coating solution
68A, 68B Air pressure source
70 Vertical elevator unit B
72A, 72B Motor
74A, 74B Guide
76A, 76B Ball screw
78A, 78B Lifting platform
79A, 79B Suspension holding stand
80 Wiping unit
82 Wiping head
84 Bracket
86 Slider
88 Drive unit
90 trays
100A, 100B Liquid receiving unit
102A, 102B tray
104 Guide
106A, 106B Tray mounting table
108A, 108B Linear motor
109A, 109B cradle
110 Vertical lift unit A
120 Thickness sensor
122 Support stand
200 Controller
202 Operation panel
300 die coater
302 base
304 rail
306 mounting table
308A, 308B tray
310A, 310B Gantry
312A, 312B die
314A, 314B Vertical lift unit
316A, 316B Discharge port
A Substrate (Coating member)
C Coating film

Claims (3)

A coating apparatus for forming a coating film on a single member to be coated, which includes two coating devices having discharge ports extending in one direction for discharging the coating solution, and supplying the coating solution to each coating device. and two of the coating liquid supplying means, a stage for holding a coating member, and moving means for reciprocating separately in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the applicator the two applicators, two applicators Elevating means for bringing them close to the member to be coated independently, coating liquid discharged from the two applicators, respectively , and provided outside the range in which the two applicators reciprocate for coating In addition, the liquid receiver dedicated to the applicator provided at each standby position and the tip of the discharge port of the two applicators are cleaned, and the application is sequentially performed from the cleaning device provided individually and the two applicators. Select the applicator to be applied and apply it to the waiting applicator. Coating apparatus and feature in that and a control unit for controlling so as to supply from the coating liquid supply means washing liquid or a different type of coating solution. A coating method in which a plurality of coating liquids are sequentially applied to a member to be coated using two coating devices having discharge ports extending in one direction, and the coating liquid is repeatedly applied to the member to be coated with the selected coating device. While performing , at each standby position provided outside the range where the two applicators reciprocate for coating, the applicator that does not perform coating supplies the coating liquid from the discharge port to a liquid receiver dedicated to the coating apparatus. Discharging, collecting and waiting , cleaning around the discharge port of the applicator, supplying a cleaning solvent or a different coating solution to the waiting applicator, cleaning the applicator, or applying a different coating solution A coating method characterized by performing replacement . A display member is manufactured using the coating method according to claim 2, wherein the display member is manufactured.

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