JP4717462B2 - Coating device and storage section - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a coating apparatus that is used in printing by a spin coating method and does not generate foreign matter or the like on a formed layer.

  Conventionally, as a method for forming a photosensitive resin layer such as a liquid crystal display device or a plasma display, an adhesive layer, a protective layer, etc. on a substrate, a coating solution is dropped on the substrate, and the substrate is rotated and centrifuged. A spin coating method in which a coating solution is uniformly applied by force is used.

  As an application apparatus used for such a spin coat method, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, a nozzle 1 for dropping a coating liquid and a rotating unit 11 for rotating a substrate 10 to which the coating liquid is dropped are provided. It includes a spin coat unit 2 and a storage unit 3 for temporarily storing the nozzle 1 after dropping the coating liquid. The nozzle 1 moves between the spin coat unit 2 and the storage unit 3 as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 6, for example, and applies a coating liquid to the substrate 10 on the spin coat unit 2, for example. After dripping, it moves to the storage unit 3 side and is stored in the storage unit 3.

  Here, the nozzle is normally filled with the coating solution up to the tip in preparation for the next dripping of the coating solution. Therefore, the coating liquid filled in the vicinity of the tip of the nozzle is easily solidified, for example, while the nozzle is stored in the storage section, and the coating liquid is dropped again by moving the nozzle to the spin coating section. At this time, there is a problem that the solidified material falls onto the printing material and becomes a foreign matter or the like. Normally, when the nozzle is stored in the storage section, there is a wide gap between the nozzle and the storage section, and the cleaning solvent or the coating liquid dropped from the nozzle is discharged in the storage section. Since the waste liquid part (for example, the part shown by a in FIG. 6) is formed directly under the nozzle, the airtightness in the storage part is poor and the solvent in the coating liquid is likely to volatilize. It was due to.

  In order to solve such a problem, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a method of providing a solution holding unit 5 for holding a solution containing a solvent in the storage unit 3 as shown in FIG. . The solution holding unit has a purpose of suppressing the volatilization of the solvent in the coating liquid filled in the nozzle by increasing the concentration of the solvent in the storage unit by the solvent volatilized from the solution in the solution holding unit. It is formed as. However, even in this case, the airtightness is poor due to the presence of the waste liquid part and the like. Therefore, the solvent vaporized from the solution held in the solution holding part is discharged from the gap or the waste liquid part before the concentration of the solvent in the vicinity of the nozzle tip is made constant. It was difficult to prevent the coating liquid from solidifying.

  For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a method of storing a nozzle in a state in which a liquid storage unit storing a liquid having the same composition as the coating liquid is provided in the storage unit, and the tip of the nozzle is immersed in the liquid storage unit. Proposed. However, even in this case, since the airtightness in the storage unit is poor, the liquid may solidify near the surface of the liquid, and it is possible to completely prevent the solidified product such as the coating liquid from adhering to the nozzle. It was difficult.

Patent No. 3099253 Japanese Patent No. 3511230

  Therefore, it is desired to provide a coating apparatus in which the coating liquid filled in the nozzle does not solidify and become foreign matter.

  The present invention includes a nozzle that drops a coating liquid onto a substrate, and a spin coat unit that uniformly applies the coating liquid dropped from the nozzle onto the substrate by rotating the substrate. An application device having a storage part for temporarily storing the nozzles after dropping the coating droplets, wherein the storage part holds an airtightness in the storage part when the nozzles are stored. And a solution holding unit for holding a solution for preventing drying of the nozzle below the nozzle when the nozzle is housed.

  According to the present invention, since the airtight holding portion is formed in the storage portion, the airtightness in the storage portion can be increased, and the solvent volatilized from the solution in the solution holding portion can be stored in the storage portion. Can be charged. In addition, since the solution holding part is positioned below the nozzle when the nozzle is housed, the concentration of the solvent near the tip of the nozzle can be made particularly high. Therefore, the solvent in the coating liquid filled in the nozzle can be prevented from volatilizing in the storage unit, and a coating apparatus in which the solidified product of the coating liquid does not adhere to the nozzle can be obtained. It can be done.

  Moreover, in the said invention, the said solution holding | maintenance part has a convex part which has the upper bottom face angled with respect to the said solution surface in the said solution holding | maintenance part in the area | region directly under the said nozzle at the time of the said nozzle accommodation. Is preferred. Thereby, when a coating liquid falls from the front-end | tip of the said nozzle, the said coating liquid shall flow down in a solution along the said convex part. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the solution splashed by the dropped coating solution from adhering to the nozzle and generating foreign matter.

  Moreover, in the said invention, it is preferable that the said accommodating part has a labyrinth structure which discharges | emits the said solution in the said solution holding part from a waste-liquid pipe | tube, maintaining the airtightness in the said accommodating part. This is because it is possible to discharge the excess solution in the solution holding unit, for example, it is possible to clean the nozzle in the storage unit and discharge the solvent used for the cleaning.

  According to the present invention, the solvent in the coating liquid filled in the nozzle can be prevented from volatilizing in the storage portion, and the solidified product obtained by solidifying the coating liquid can be prevented from adhering to the nozzle. There is an effect that can be.

  The present invention relates to a coating liquid coating apparatus used for coating a coating liquid by a spin coating method. This will be described in detail below.

  The coating apparatus according to the present invention includes a nozzle that drops a coating liquid onto a substrate, and a spin that uniformly applies the coating liquid dropped from the nozzle onto the substrate by rotating the substrate. A coating device having a coating unit and a storage unit that temporarily stores the nozzle after dropping the coating droplets, wherein the storage unit is configured to maintain airtightness in the storage unit when the nozzle is stored. An airtight holding member and a solution holding unit for holding a solution for preventing drying of the nozzle when the nozzle is housed are provided below the nozzle.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the coating apparatus of the present invention includes a nozzle 1 that drops a coating liquid on a printing material 10, and a printing material 10 to which the coating liquid is dropped from the nozzle 1. The spin coating unit 2 that uniformly rotates the coating liquid onto the substrate 10 and the storage unit 3 that temporarily stores the nozzle 1 after dropping the coating liquid. The storage unit 3 holds an airtight holding unit 4 for maintaining airtightness when the nozzle 1 is stored, and a solution for preventing drying of the nozzles below the stored nozzle 1. The solution holding part 5 for doing this is formed. The nozzle 1 moves between the storage unit 3 and the spin coat unit 2 as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1, for example, and is applied to the substrate 10 in the spin coat unit 2. After dropping the liquid, it moves to the storage unit 3 side and is stored in the storage unit 3.

  As described above, in a storage unit in a general coating apparatus, when the nozzle is stored, the airtightness in the storage unit is low because a wide gap is formed between the nozzle and the storage unit. Therefore, the solvent in the coating liquid filled in the nozzle is volatilized and the coating liquid is solidified, and the solidified product adheres to the vicinity of the tip of the nozzle. As a result, when the coating liquid is dropped again using the nozzle, the solidified material falls onto the printed material together with the coating liquid to become foreign matter, which makes it difficult to form a high-quality layer. It was. Further, even in the case where a solution holding unit for holding a solution for preventing the nozzle from drying is provided in the storage unit, the solvent in the coating solution is not preferable in terms of airtightness of the storage unit. It was difficult to prevent volatilization, and it was difficult to prevent the generation of foreign matters due to the solidified product.

On the other hand, in the present invention, since the airtight holding portion is formed, the airtightness in the storage portion can be increased, and the solvent volatilized from the solution held by the solution holding portion can be stored in the storage portion. It can be present at a high concentration in the part. Further, when the nozzle is housed, the solution holding part is positioned below the nozzle, so that the concentration of the solvent particularly near the tip of the nozzle can be made particularly high. Therefore, the volatilization of the solvent in the coating solution filled in the nozzle can be suppressed, and the solidified product obtained by solidifying the coating solution can be prevented from adhering to the nozzle. As a result, when the coating liquid is applied using the coating apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to form a high-quality layer free from foreign matter.
Hereinafter, each configuration of the coating apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail.

1. Storage Unit First, the storage unit in the coating apparatus of the present invention will be described. The storage unit in the coating apparatus of the present invention is a member for temporarily storing the nozzle after dropping the coating liquid until the next coating liquid is dropped. An airtight holding member for holding airtightness in the storage portion when the nozzle is stored, and a solution holding portion for holding a solution for preventing drying of the nozzle below the nozzle when the nozzle is stored Is done.
Hereafter, each structure of the said accommodating part is demonstrated in detail.

(1) Airtight holding part First, the airtight holding part used for this invention is demonstrated. The airtight holding part used for this invention is a member for hold | maintaining the airtightness inside the said accommodating part, when a nozzle is accommodated. Maintaining airtightness in the present invention means that when the nozzle is stored, the solvent volatilized from the solution held in the solution holding unit is filled in the storage unit, and the volatilization of the solvent in the coating liquid filled in the nozzle is suppressed. It means keeping airtightness to the extent that it is done.

  Such an airtight holding portion is not particularly limited as long as the airtightness in the storage portion can be held when the nozzle is housed. For example, as shown in FIG. The holding portion 4 may be formed around the insertion port b so as to narrow the width of the insertion port b of the nozzle 1. In this case, the solvent can be prevented from being discharged to the outside of the storage unit 3 from the gap between the nozzle 1 and the airtight holding unit 4, and the airtightness in the storage unit can be maintained. Such an airtight holding portion may be continuously formed on the entire inner periphery of the insertion port, or may be formed only on a part of the inner periphery of the insertion port. Also good. The formation position, shape, and the like of such an airtight holding portion are appropriately selected according to the shape of the insertion port, the shape of the nozzle, and the like.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the nozzle support part 12 wider than the insertion port b of the nozzle 1 in the storage part 3 is formed above the nozzle 1, the said airtight holding part 4 is stored. It may be formed on the upper surface of the portion 3 on the insertion port b side. In this case, by bringing the airtight holding portion 4 and the nozzle support portion 12 into close contact with each other, it is possible to prevent the solvent from being discharged to the outside of the storage portion 3 and to maintain the airtightness in the storage portion 3. be able to. In addition, it is preferable that such an airtight holding | maintenance part 4 is continuously formed in the outer side of the said insertion port b. Thereby, it is possible to further prevent the solvent from being discharged to the outside of the storage unit, and it is possible to achieve higher airtightness. Here, the shape of such an airtight holding portion is not particularly limited, and for example, the cross section may be trapezoidal, and the cross section may be triangular, semicircular, etc. It may be. The film thickness, width, formation position, and the like of such an airtight holding portion are appropriately selected depending on the shape of the nozzle support portion. Here, in the case where the airtight holding portion has such a structure, there is an advantage that it is not necessary to narrow the width of the insertion port, and the positioning at the time of nozzle storage is easy.

  The material for forming the airtight holding portion as described above is not particularly limited as long as it is a material having low solvent permeability and hardly deteriorates by the solvent, and the type and structure of the solution used, It is appropriately selected depending on the shape of the airtight holding portion. Examples of such materials include various materials such as metals, ceramics, resins, and rubbers. Further, in the present invention, the hermetic holding portion may be formed integrally with the outer wall of the storage portion using the same material as the outer wall of the storage portion, or another material. It may be formed separately.

(2) Solution holder
Next, the solution holding unit used in the present invention will be described. The solution holding part used in the present invention is a member for holding a solution for preventing drying of the nozzle below the nozzle when the nozzle is housed. Here, the solution holding part is in the vicinity of the nozzle tip so that the tip of the nozzle does not come into contact with the solution held in the solution holding part and the solvent in the solution held in the solution holding part is volatilized. It is formed at a position away from the nozzle to such an extent that the concentration of the solvent can be increased. In the present invention, it is particularly preferable that the distance between the tip of the nozzle and the surface of the solution in the solution holding part is close. This is because the solvent concentration in the vicinity of the nozzle tip can be made higher.

  Further, the shape of the solution holding part is appropriately selected according to the shape of the storage part and the like. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a member different from the wall surface or bottom surface of the storage part 3 is used. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the wall surface and bottom surface of the solution holding unit 5 may be configured by the wall surface and bottom surface of the storage unit 3. In the present invention, it is preferable that the solution holding part is formed in a shape having a large surface area of the solution so that the solution is easily volatilized.

  Here, in the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the solution holding unit 5 houses the nozzle 1, an upper bottom surface that is angled with respect to the solution surface in a region immediately below the nozzle 1. It is preferable to have a convex portion 13 having c. In general, when the nozzle is stored in the storage portion, the coating liquid may hang down from the nozzle, but in the present invention, since the solution holding portion is formed below the nozzle, The dripping coating solution may splash the solution, and the solution may adhere to the nozzle. If such a solution adhering to the nozzle or a solidified product of the adhering solution falls on the substrate to be printed when the coating liquid is dropped by the nozzle, it may be a cause of foreign matter or color unevenness.

  Therefore, by making the solution holding part have the convex part, the dropped coating liquid can flow down into the solution along the convex part, and the solution, solidified product, etc. can be supplied to the nozzle. It can be made not to adhere. The upper bottom surface of the convex portion refers to the bottom surface of the convex portion located on the nozzle side. Moreover, the said convex part is normally formed so that an upper bottom surface may become a position higher than the said solution surface. In addition, the angle of the upper bottom surface with respect to the solution surface is set to an angle that allows the coating liquid attached to the upper bottom surface to flow down into the solution.

  Here, the solution held in the solution holding unit is not particularly limited as long as it can prevent the nozzle from being dried, and may be appropriately selected depending on the type of coating liquid filled in the nozzle. Selected. Such a solution is usually a solution containing the same type of solvent as the solvent contained in the coating solution. Moreover, the said solution may consist only of a solvent, for example, it is also possible to use the same coating liquid as the coating liquid with which a nozzle is filled as said solution.

  Specific examples of the solvent contained in the solution held in the solution holding unit include propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, propylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, acrylic monomer, etc., among which propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate is used. It is preferable.

(3) Others In the present invention, the storage part is not particularly limited as long as it has the airtight holding part and the storage part, but the nozzle can be cleaned in the storage part. It is preferable. This is because it is not necessary to separately form a cleaning unit for cleaning the nozzle in the coating apparatus, which can be preferable from the viewpoint of efficiency and cost. Such nozzle cleaning is performed by flowing a solvent into the nozzle instead of the coating liquid. When such nozzle cleaning is performed in the storage unit, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the storage unit 3 wastes excess solution in the solution holding unit 5 while maintaining airtightness in the storage unit 3. It is preferable to have a labyrinth structure that discharges from the tube 6. As a result, even when the cleaning solvent is discharged from the nozzle 1 and a certain amount or more of the solution flows into the solution holding unit 5, the excess solution can be discharged from the waste liquid pipe 6 and the solution holding This is because the amount of the solution in the part 5 can be kept constant. The waste liquid pipe is usually connected to a waste liquid tank.

  In addition, by using the labyrinth structure, it is possible to discharge only an excessive solution, and it is possible to prevent the solvent that is filled in the state of being vaporized in the storage unit from being discharged. Thereby, the density | concentration of the solvent vaporized in the accommodating part becomes low, and it can prevent that the coating liquid with which the nozzle is filled solidifies. Here, examples of the labyrinth structure that maintains the airtightness in the storage unit include a structure that partitions a space on the side where the nozzle is stored and a space near the waste liquid pipe, for example, as shown in FIG. The structure which provided the wall part 7 is mentioned. When the wall portion 7 is formed, only the solvent present in the space on the waste liquid pipe 6 side is discharged from the waste liquid pipe 6, and the concentration of the vaporized solvent on the side where the nozzle 1 is housed remains high. Because it can. As the wall portion in such a labyrinth structure, the shape and the like are not particularly limited as long as the space on the waste liquid pipe side and the space on the side in which the nozzle is accommodated can be blocked. Absent.

2. Nozzle Next, the nozzle used in the present invention will be described. The nozzle used in the present invention is used for dripping a coating liquid onto a printing material on a spin coat portion described later. Such a nozzle is usually a liquid feeding means for always filling the coating liquid up to the tip of the nozzle, an adjusting means for adjusting the dropping amount of the coating liquid when dropping the coating liquid, It is used together with a moving means for moving between the storage section and the spin coat section or determining the dropping position of the coating liquid.

  In the present invention, the nozzle can be the same as the nozzle in a coating apparatus used in a general spin coating method, and therefore a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

3. Next, the spin coat portion used in the coating apparatus of the present invention will be described. As the spin coat unit used in the coating apparatus of the present invention, the substrate to which the coating liquid is dropped from the nozzle described above is rotated by, for example, the rotating unit 11 as shown in FIG. It is a member applied on the substrate 10. A rotating part used for such a spin coat part is usually provided with a printed material holding means for holding the printed material. In addition, a recovery cup or the like for recovering excess coating liquid that is normally spattered out of the substrate by the rotation of the rotating unit is provided around the rotating unit.

  Here, since the spin coat part used in the present invention can be the same as the spin coat part in a general coating apparatus, a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

4). Coating Device The coating device of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has the nozzle, the storage unit, and the spin coat unit. For example, a nozzle cleaning unit for cleaning the nozzle or a cup is cleaned. For example, it may have a cup cleaning section for the purpose.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The above-described embodiment is an exemplification, and has substantially the same configuration as the technical idea described in the claims of the present invention, and has the same operational effects or equivalents thereof. Is included in the technical scope of the present invention.

It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating an example of the coating device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the other example of the coating device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the other example of the coating device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the other example of the coating device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the other example of the coating device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the conventional coating device. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the conventional coating device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Nozzle 2 ... Spin coat part 3 ... Storage part 4 ... Airtight holding part 5 ... Solution holding part

Claims (3)

A nozzle for dripping the coating liquid onto the printed material; a spin coat portion for uniformly coating the coating liquid dropped from the nozzle on the printed material by rotating the printed material; and the coating A coating device having a storage section for temporarily storing the nozzle after dropping a liquid;
The storage unit includes an airtight holding member for maintaining airtightness in the storage unit when the nozzle is stored, and a solution holding unit that holds a solution for preventing drying of the nozzle below the nozzle when the nozzle is stored. A waste liquid pipe for discharging the solution from the solution holding unit,
The storage portion is formed with a wall portion that blocks the space in the storage portion into a space on the waste liquid pipe side and a space on the side where the nozzle is stored,
The lower end portion of the wall portion is below the liquid level of the solution in the solution holding portion, and the solution in the solution holding portion is movable between the waste liquid pipe side and the side in which the nozzle is accommodated. It is formed so that it may become . The coating device characterized by the above-mentioned.   The said solution holding part has a convex part which has the upper bottom face angled with respect to the said solution surface in the said solution holding part in the area | region directly under the said nozzle at the time of the said nozzle accommodation. The coating apparatus as described in. A storage part for temporarily storing the nozzle after coating droplets,
An airtight holding member for holding airtightness in the storage portion when storing the nozzle, a solution holding portion for holding a solution for preventing drying of the nozzle below the nozzle when storing the nozzle, and the solution A waste liquid pipe for discharging the solution from the holding unit,
  Furthermore, a wall portion is formed that blocks the space in the storage portion into a space on the waste liquid pipe side and a space on the side where the nozzle is stored,
The lower end portion of the wall portion is below the liquid level of the solution in the solution holding portion, and the solution in the solution holding portion is movable between the waste liquid pipe side and the side in which the nozzle is accommodated. It is formed so that it may become.

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