JP4679403B2 - Substrate drying apparatus, substrate drying method, and substrate manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate drying apparatus, a substrate drying method, and a substrate manufacturing method using the substrate drying apparatus used for drying a panel substrate or the like for a flat panel display device, particularly for drying both surfaces of a substrate using an air knife. The present invention relates to a suitable substrate drying apparatus, a substrate drying method, and a substrate manufacturing method using them.

  In the process of manufacturing a panel substrate for a flat panel display device such as a liquid crystal display device or a plasma display device, a chemical process such as development, etching, and peeling is performed to form a circuit pattern, a color filter, etc. on the substrate. . Before or after the chemical treatment, it is necessary to clean the substrate using a cleaning liquid such as pure water and to dry the substrate after cleaning. These series of processes including the cleaning and drying of the substrate are often performed while moving the substrate using a moving means such as a roller conveyor, and the drying of the substrate is performed by blowing air onto the substrate using an air knife. In general, the cleaning liquid is washed away from the front surface or the back surface of the substrate.

In the drying of a substrate using an air knife, technologies for providing an air knife symmetrically above and below the substrate via the substrate and simultaneously drying both surfaces of the substrate are disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 as conventional techniques. .
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-21872 JP 2003-133217 A

  Generally, when drying a substrate using an air knife while moving the substrate using a moving means such as a roller conveyor, in order to keep the air flow rate as constant as possible, air is continuously blown from the air knife. Do. Therefore, when the air knives are provided symmetrically above and below the substrate via the substrate, the air blown out from the two air knives until the drying of one substrate is finished and the next substrate is moved. Collide with each other. The height at which the air blown from the two air knives collides is determined by the flow rate and speed of the air of the two air knives.

  Conventionally, in order to make the height at which the air blown from the two air knives collide the same as the height of the substrate, the air flow rate and speed of the two air knives have been set to be the same. However, even if the air flow rate and speed of the two air knives are set to be the same, the air flow rate or speed actually blown from the air knife varies slightly, so the air blown from the two air knives collides. The height to do was not always constant.

  For this reason, when the substrate moves to a position where the air blown from the air knife directly hits it, air is instantaneously strongly blown only on one side of the substrate, and the air is instantaneously applied to the surface of the substrate where a large amount of cleaning liquid exists. When sprayed strongly on the surface, there is a problem that the cleaning liquid scatters from the surface of the substrate and uneven drying occurs.

  Conventionally, the height of the collision of the air blown out from the two air knives is not always constant, so the air flow after the collision is not constant. For this reason, when the substrate comes close to the position where the air blown from the air knife directly hits, before the air blown from the air knife directly hits the substrate, the cleaning liquid on the surface of the substrate is pushed away by the air after the collision to reduce it. I could not.

  An object of the present invention is to uniformly dry both surfaces of a substrate using air knives provided symmetrically via the substrate above and below the substrate. In addition, an object of the present invention is to dry the surface of a substrate on which a large amount of cleaning liquid exists in a short time using an air knife provided symmetrically via the substrate above and below the substrate. Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to produce a high-quality substrate.

  The substrate drying apparatus of the present invention is provided symmetrically via a substrate above and below the substrate, and the first and second air knives for blowing air onto the substrate, and the substrate and the first and second air knives are relative to each other. A first and second air knives in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the substrate and the first and second air knives move relatively. The rectifying means has a width longer than the width and deviates from the width of the substrate in the same direction, and is provided with a rectifying means to which air blown from the first and second air knives hits, and is blown from the first and second air knives. When the air does not directly hit the substrate, the height at which the air blown from the first and second air knives collides is kept at the height of the rectifying means.

  In the substrate drying method of the present invention, the first and second air knives are provided symmetrically via the substrate above and below the substrate, and the substrate and the first and second air knives are moved relatively. A substrate drying method for blowing air from the first and second air knives to the substrate, wherein the first and second air knives are orthogonal to the direction in which the substrate and the first and second air knives move relatively. In the direction, a rectifying means is provided over a width longer than the width of the substrate, and rectifying means that the air blown from the first and second air knives hits at a position deviating from the width of the substrate in the same direction. When the air blown out from the second air knife does not directly hit the substrate, the height at which the air blown out from the first and second air knives collides with the height of the rectifying means.

  Air blown from the first and second air knives hits the rectifying means at a position deviating from the width of the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the substrate and the first and second air knives move relatively. The flow of air is formed at the height of the rectifying means. A region in which rectifying means in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the substrate and the first and second air knives move relatively when the air blown from the first and second air knives does not directly hit the substrate is not provided. The air blown from the first and second air knives is dragged by this air flow to form an air flow, and the height at which the air blown from the first and second air knives collides is high. The height of the rectifying means is maintained.

  Even if there is a slight fluctuation in the flow rate or speed of the air blown from the air knife, the height at which the air blown from the first and second air knives collides is kept constant, so that the substrate is blown from the air knife. When the air moves to a position where it directly hits, the air is instantaneously and strongly blown onto the surface of the substrate where a large amount of the cleaning liquid exists, so that the cleaning liquid does not scatter from the surface of the substrate. Therefore, both surfaces of the substrate are uniformly dried.

  Further, in the substrate drying apparatus of the present invention, the rectifying means is provided at a height above the surface of the substrate. In the substrate drying method of the present invention, the rectifying means is provided at a height above the surface of the substrate.

  Since the rectifying means is provided at a height above the surface of the substrate, when the air blown from the first and second air knives does not directly hit the substrate, the air blown from the first and second air knives collides. The height is kept above the surface of the substrate. Therefore, the air blown out from the first and second air knives forms an air flow at a height above the surface of the substrate. When the substrate approaches the position where the air blown from the air knife directly hits, the flow of air formed by the air blown from the first and second air knives before the air blown from the air knife hits the substrate directly As a result, the cleaning liquid on the surface of the substrate is pushed away and decreases. Accordingly, the surface of the substrate on which a large amount of cleaning liquid is present is dried in a short time.

  The substrate manufacturing method of the present invention is to dry the substrate using any one of the above-described substrate drying apparatuses or substrate drying methods. Using an air knife provided symmetrically above and below the substrate via the substrate, both surfaces of the substrate are uniformly dried to produce a high-quality substrate.

  According to the substrate drying apparatus and the substrate drying method of the present invention, the air blown from the first and second air knives is blown from the first and second air knives when the air blown from the first and second air knives does not directly hit the substrate using the rectifying means. By keeping the height at which the air collides constant, when the substrate moves to a position where the air blown from the air knife directly hits, the air instantaneously and strongly blows to the surface of the substrate where there is a lot of cleaning liquid. Thus, the cleaning liquid can be prevented from splashing from the surface of the substrate. Therefore, both surfaces of the substrate can be uniformly dried using the air knife provided symmetrically via the substrate above and below the substrate.

  Furthermore, according to the substrate drying apparatus and the substrate drying method of the present invention, when the rectifying means is provided at a height above the surface of the substrate, when the substrate approaches a position where the air blown from the air knife directly hits, the air knife Before the air blown out from the substrate directly hits the substrate, the cleaning liquid on the surface of the substrate can be reduced by the flow of air formed by the air blown out from the first and second air knives. Therefore, by using an air knife provided symmetrically above and below the substrate via the substrate, the surface of the substrate on which a large amount of cleaning liquid is present can be dried in a short time.

  According to the substrate manufacturing method of the present invention, since both surfaces of the substrate can be uniformly dried using the air knife provided symmetrically via the substrate above and below the substrate, a high quality substrate can be obtained. Can be manufactured.

  FIG. 1A is a top view of a substrate drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a side view thereof. The substrate drying apparatus includes a plurality of rollers 10, air knives 20 a and 20 b, and a current plate 30. In FIG. 1A, the air knife 20b is hidden under the air knife 20a and cannot be seen.

  The substrate 1 is mounted on a plurality of rollers 10 and is moved in the substrate movement direction indicated by an arrow by the rotation of the rollers 10. Each roller 10 is installed at regular intervals in the substrate moving direction, and is rotated at a predetermined speed by a driving means (not shown).

  In the present embodiment, the substrate 1 is moved in a horizontal state. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the substrate 1 is moved in a direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction or a predetermined angle in the substrate movement direction. You may move in an inclined state.

  A substrate cleaning device (not shown) is disposed upstream of the substrate 1 moved by the roller 10 in the substrate moving direction. A cleaning liquid such as pure water is supplied from the substrate cleaning apparatus to the surface of the substrate 1 to clean the substrate 1. After cleaning by the substrate cleaning apparatus, the substrate 1 is sent to the substrate drying apparatus by the roller 10.

  In the substrate drying apparatus, air knives 20 a and 20 b are provided symmetrically via the substrate 1 in parallel with the substrate 1 above and below the substrate 1 moved by the roller 10. The air knives 20a and 20b are configured, for example, by forming a pressurizing chamber inside a long casing and providing an air passage leading to the pressurizing chamber in a slit shape in the longitudinal direction. Air is supplied from an air supply source (not shown) to the air knives 20a and 20b. The air knives 20a and 20b are uniformly supplied from the air outlet at the tip of the air passage to the front or back surface of the substrate 1 obliquely at a predetermined incident angle in the direction opposite to the substrate moving direction and in the longitudinal direction. Spray. By the air blown from the air knives 20a and 20b, the cleaning liquid on the front surface or the back surface of the substrate 1 is washed away and removed.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, the air knives 20a and 20b are provided at an angle T with respect to the direction orthogonal to the substrate moving direction. You may provide perpendicular | vertical to a moving direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the air knives 20 a and 20 b have a width longer than the width of the substrate 1 in the direction orthogonal to the substrate moving direction. Further, on both sides of the width of the substrate 1 in the direction orthogonal to the substrate moving direction, there are provided rectifying plates 30 on which the air blown from the air knives 20a and 20b hits. The current plate 30 has a flat plate shape, and is installed at a height between the air knives 20a and 20b in parallel with the air knives 20a and 20b. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1B, the rectifying plate 30 is provided at the same height as the substrate 1 moved by the roller 10.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the substrate drying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. On both sides of the width of the substrate 1 in the direction orthogonal to the substrate moving direction, the air blown from the air knives 20a and 20b hits the rectifying plate 30, respectively, and as shown in FIG. An air flow is formed in a direction opposite to the substrate moving direction. When the air blown from the air knives 20a and 20b does not directly hit the substrate 1, it is blown out from the air knives 20a and 20b even in a region where the rectifying plate 30 having a width perpendicular to the substrate moving direction of the substrate 1 is not provided. The air is dragged by this air flow to form an air flow in the direction opposite to the substrate moving direction, and the height at which the air blown out from the air knives 20a and 20b collides is the height of the current plate 30. Kept.

  Even if there is a slight fluctuation in the flow rate or speed of the air blown from the air knives 20a, 20b, the height at which the air blown from the air knives 20a, 20b collides is kept constant, so that the substrate 1 is kept in the air knife 20a, When the air blown from 20b moves to a position where it directly hits, the air is instantaneously and strongly blown onto the surface of the substrate 1 where a large amount of the cleaning liquid 2 exists, and the cleaning liquid 2 may be scattered from the surface of the substrate 1. Absent.

  FIG. 3A is a top view of a substrate drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a side view thereof. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3B, the rectifying plate 30 is provided at a height above the surface of the substrate 1 moved by the roller 10. Other components are the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the substrate drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. Since the current plate 30 is provided at a height above the surface of the substrate 1, when the air blown from the air knives 20 a and 20 b does not directly hit the substrate 1, the air blown from the air knives 20 a and 20 b collides. The height to be maintained is maintained above the surface of the substrate 1. Therefore, the air blown out from the air knives 20a and 20b forms a flow of air at a height above the surface of the substrate 1 in the direction opposite to the substrate moving direction, as shown in FIG. When the substrate 1 approaches a position where the air blown from the air knives 20a, 20b directly hits, the air blown from the air knives 20a, 20b is formed by the air blown from the air knives 20a, 20b before directly hitting the substrate 1 Due to the flow of air, the cleaning liquid 2 on the surface of the substrate 1 is pushed away and decreases.

  According to the embodiment described above, when the air blown from the air knives 20a and 20b does not directly hit the substrate 1 using the rectifying plate 30, the height at which the air blown from the air knives 20a and 20b collides is set. By keeping constant, when the substrate 1 moves to a position where the air blown out from the air knives 20a, 20b directly hits, the air is instantaneously and strongly blown to the surface of the substrate 1 where the cleaning liquid 2 is abundant. The cleaning liquid 2 can be prevented from splashing from the surface of the substrate 1. Therefore, both surfaces of the substrate 1 can be uniformly dried using the air knives 20a and 20b provided symmetrically via the substrate 1 above and below the substrate 1.

  Further, according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, by providing the rectifying plate 30 at a height above the surface of the substrate 1, the substrate 1 approaches the position where the air blown from the air knives 20a, 20b directly hits. Then, before the air blown out from the air knives 20a and 20b directly hits the substrate 1, the cleaning liquid 2 on the surface of the substrate 1 is pushed down by the air flow formed by the air blown out from the air knives 20a and 20b. can do. Therefore, using the air knives 20a and 20b provided symmetrically above and below the substrate 1 with the substrate 1 interposed therebetween, the surface of the substrate 1 having a large amount of the cleaning liquid 2 can be dried in a short time.

  In the embodiment described above, the substrate 1 is moved using the roller 10, but instead of moving the substrate 1, the substrate 1 and the air knives 20a, 20b are moved by moving the air knives 20a, 20b. You may move relatively. In that case, the current plate 30 also moves in synchronization with the air knives 20a and 20b.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the manufacturing process of the TFT substrate of the liquid crystal display device. In the thin film formation step (step 101), a thin film such as a conductor film or an insulator film, which becomes a transparent electrode for driving liquid crystal, is formed on a glass substrate by sputtering, plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD), or the like. In the resist coating process (step 102), a photosensitive resin material (photoresist) is applied by a roll coating method or the like, and a photoresist film is formed on the thin film formed in the thin film forming process (step 101). In the exposure step (step 103), the mask pattern is transferred to the photoresist film using a proximity exposure apparatus, a projection exposure apparatus, or the like. In the development step (step 104), a developer is supplied onto the photoresist film by a shower development method or the like to remove unnecessary portions of the photoresist film. In the etching process (step 105), a portion of the thin film formed in the thin film formation process (step 101) that is not masked by the photoresist film is removed by wet etching. In the stripping step (step 106), the photoresist film that has finished the role of the mask in the etching step (step 105) is stripped with a stripping solution. Before or after each of these steps, a substrate cleaning step and a drying step are performed as necessary. These steps are repeated several times to form a TFT array on the glass substrate.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the manufacturing process of the color filter substrate of the liquid crystal display device. In the black matrix forming step (step 201), a black matrix is formed on the glass substrate by processes such as resist coating, exposure, development, etching, and peeling. In the colored pattern forming step (step 202), a colored pattern is formed on the glass substrate by a dyeing method, a pigment dispersion method, a printing method, an electrodeposition method, or the like. This process is repeated for the R, G, and B coloring patterns. In the protective film forming step (step 203), a protective film is formed on the colored pattern, and in the transparent electrode film forming step (step 204), a transparent electrode film is formed on the protective film. Before, during or after each of these steps, a substrate cleaning step and a drying step are performed as necessary.

  By drying the substrate using the substrate drying apparatus or the substrate drying method of the present invention, the both sides of the substrate are uniformly dried using the air knife provided symmetrically via the substrate above and below the substrate. Therefore, a high-quality substrate can be manufactured.

FIG. 1A is a top view of a substrate drying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a side view thereof. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the board | substrate drying apparatus by one embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3A is a top view of a substrate drying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a side view thereof. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the board | substrate drying apparatus by other embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the manufacturing process of the TFT substrate of a liquid crystal display device. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the manufacturing process of the color filter board | substrate of a liquid crystal display device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate 2 Cleaning liquid 10 Roller 20a, 20b Air knife 30 Current plate

Claims (4)

First and second air knives which are provided symmetrically via the substrate above and below the substrate and blow air to the substrate;
A substrate drying apparatus comprising a substrate and a moving means for relatively moving the first and second air knives,
The first and second air knives have a width longer than the width of the substrate in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the substrate and the first and second air knives move relatively;
Provided with a rectifying means provided at a height above the surface of the substrate at a position deviating from the width of the substrate in the same direction, to which the air blown from the first and second air knives hits,
When the air blown from the first and second air knives does not directly hit the substrate, the height at which the air blown from the first and second air knives collides is maintained at the height of the rectifying means. A substrate drying apparatus. First and second air knives are provided symmetrically above and below the substrate via the substrate,
A substrate drying method for blowing air from the first and second air knives to the substrate while relatively moving the substrate and the first and second air knives,
Providing the first and second air knives over a width longer than the width of the substrate in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the substrate and the first and second air knives move relatively;
A rectifying means that the air blown from the first and second air knives hits at a position deviating from the width of the substrate in the same direction is provided at a height above the surface of the substrate ,
When the air blown from the first and second air knives does not directly hit the substrate, the height at which the air blown from the first and second air knives collides is maintained at the height of the rectifying means. Substrate drying method. A method for producing a substrate, comprising drying the substrate using the substrate drying apparatus according to claim 1 . A method for manufacturing a substrate, comprising drying the substrate using the substrate drying method according to claim 2 .

Images