JP5471281B2 - Liquid supply system, liquid supply method, and coating apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid supply system, a liquid supply method, and a coating apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a liquid supply system that supplies liquid to an application part of a coating apparatus, a liquid supply method using the same, and a coating apparatus including the same.

  There is a system in which a bag-shaped liner for containing a chemical solution is loaded into a metal container for supplying a chemical solution such as a resist or a pigment dispersion in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor or a liquid crystal display device, and the liner is filled with the chemical solution. Widely used. In this method, gas for pressurized liquid feeding is introduced into the gap between the liner and the outer metal container, the liner is contracted by the pressure, and the chemical liquid is pumped through the tube, and the content chemical liquid is covered with the liner. Therefore, there is an advantage that the gas for pressurization and the chemical liquid surface are not in direct contact with each other, and the gas can be prevented from penetrating and being absorbed into the content liquid under a pressurized atmosphere. An example of such a liner and a metal container is shown in Patent Document 1.

  The above advantages are particularly beneficial for positive resists that do not use radical polymerization (such as those containing novolak resin and diazonaphthoquinone). On the other hand, in negative photoresists containing photopolymerization initiators, etc., monomers and oligomers in the chemical solution generate radicals due to thermal energy during storage (dark reaction), so gas containing oxygen is dissolved. By securing a predetermined volume of an air layer in contact with the resist solution at the top of the chemical solution container, free radicals generated by oxygen contained in the air are inactivated to inhibit dark reactions and improve storage stability.

  For this reason, such effects cannot be sufficiently obtained by sealing and filling a liner with little contact with air, and it cannot be said that the photoresist is optimally stored using a radical polymerization reaction.

  In terms of operation, the outer container can be reused by cleaning and washing the outer container and replacing the used liner and tube. However, the initial introduction cost of procurement of the outer container and replacement and purchase of consumable parts of the liner and tube Costs are incurred, and the period of cleaning and transportation of the outer container is required, so that it is necessary to prepare spare inventory more than the actual number of containers used for regular operation.

  In addition, used liners and tubes are often difficult to reuse for the quality of chemicals and become waste. The Teflon (registered trademark) material used for the resist attached to the liner or the like or the liner or the like is difficult to recycle, and the recycling efficiency is lowered.

  Thus, it is conceivable to apply a chemical solution in a metal container such as a drum or a pail can to supply the chemical solution. In this method, gas is introduced into a container containing a chemical solution to pressurize the chemical solution, and the chemical solution is fed through a siphon tube or the like by a siphon effect. Since the container is a metal, it is easy to recycle. However, it is difficult to handle because there is a risk of deformation such as impact resistance during transportation or damage due to external force, damage, and leakage of contents. In addition, the amount of waste increases due to packaging for container protection.

  On the other hand, a chemical solution may be put in a resin container and applied to the chemical solution supply in the same manner. In the chemical solution supply system to which the resin container is applied, the variable cost is suppressed as compared with the type using the liner, and the clean specification resin container is easily available as a commercial product. Furthermore, since it has elasticity compared to a metal container or the like, it is excellent in terms of preventing damage from the outside due to impact such as dropping. If the resin container is made of polyethylene or the like, it is possible to reduce the environmental burden by material recycling and thermal recycling of used containers.

  By the way, when manufacturing a semiconductor or a liquid crystal display device, in order to prevent a decrease in yield due to foreign matter or the like, a filtration filter is generally provided in a piping path for sending a chemical solution to a discharge portion such as a discharge pump. . The filtration filter removes aggregated particles and gel-like foreign matters. For example, a filter obtained by processing a filter such as depth, membrane, or fiber into a pleat or a disk is used alone or in combination (0.1 to 0.1 in pore size). About 10 μm). A degassing module (for example, Nitosep (registered trademark) manufactured by Nitto Denko Corporation) may be installed in order to remove minute bubbles such as microbubbles generated by dissolved gas in the chemical solution.

  However, when a filtration filter or the like is installed in the pipe line, pressure loss occurs, and the liquid feeding force may be insufficient during liquid feeding at a low pressure. In such a situation, in order to send the chemical liquid to the discharge part side by the siphon effect, it is necessary to push out the chemical liquid with a force greater than the pressure loss or to suck it by the discharge part or the like. However, the former requires a high pressure, and the latter causes a negative pressure in the piping path, causing dissolved gas in the chemical solution to foam and cause microbubbles. Parts may be deteriorated or damaged.

  Therefore, considering the pressure loss in the liquid supply piping route, the necessary pressure is added to the chemical solution in the chemical solution container and pumped through a siphon tube etc. A method of reducing the load of a pump or the like may be taken.

  However, in order to obtain a necessary chemical supply amount within a desired time, it is necessary to apply a pressurizing force corresponding to the supply rate to the chemical solution in the chemical container. The higher the chemical supply amount per hour, the higher the supply rate. Therefore, it is necessary to apply a higher pressure to improve the pressure.

  In the manufacture of liquid crystal display devices and the like, the amount of chemicals used for processing per substrate has increased with the recent increase in size of mother glass, and therefore liquids are often fed at a relatively high pressure. .

JP 2008-007153 A

  Since a resin container (or a metallic container such as a drum or a pail can) as described above is not a pressure vessel, it is difficult to directly pressurize only the inside of the container with a high pressure. For example, in the case of a resin container, due to the characteristics of the resin, if only the inside of the container is directly pressurized and the high pressure state is constantly maintained, plastic deformation is likely to occur due to expansion deformation of the container, which causes damage to the container, etc. Sometimes.

  For this reason, generally, a cylindrical pressure-resistant outer container is used on the outside of the container, and measures such as pressurizing the inside of the container and feeding the liquid and also applying pressure from the outside are taken.

An example of this is shown in Figure 10. In the manufacture of liquid crystal display devices using large mother glass, the die coating method is widely used in the coating process. One of these types of coating devices is a reciprocating stage or gantry, and a coating nozzle (die). And a chemical solution supply system for supplying a chemical solution to be applied to the application nozzle. FIG. 10 illustrates an example of the chemical solution supply system. The same applies to FIG. 11 described later.

In FIG. 10 , 31 is a resin container, 33 is a siphon tube, 35 is a pressure-resistant outer container, 37 (37-1, 37-2) is a conduit, 39 is a valve, 41 is a regulator, 43 is a filtration filter, 45 is A discharge part (discharge pump or the like) 47 is a coating nozzle.

In the example of FIG. 10 , the resin container 31 is hermetically sealed in a pressure-resistant outer container 35 having a cylindrical shape, and a gas such as compressed air is filled with a chemical solution via a pipe line 37-1. And the gap between the resin container 31 and the pressure-resistant outer container 35. Further, suction by the discharge unit 45 is performed. Then, due to the siphon effect accompanying the pressurization, the chemical solution in the resin container 31 is supplied to the liquid storage part provided in the discharge part 45 via the siphon pipe 33 and the pipe line 37-2, and the volume change or the like. Accordingly, the chemical solution is discharged from the application nozzle 47. Since the resin container 31 is pressurized from the inside and outside thereof, deformation due to the pressure does not occur.

Further, the resin container 31 is not sealed in the pressure resistant outer container 35 as described above, but the outer periphery of the resin container 31 is covered with a pressure protector that is slightly larger than the resin container 31, and the resin container 31 is covered. The resin container 31 may be restrained from expanding and deforming when only the inside of the container is directly pressurized. FIG. 11 shows an example of this, and 51 is a pressure protector. 11, elements having the same functions and configurations to FIG. 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

In the example of FIG. 11 , a gas such as compressed air is introduced into the inside of the resin container 31 in which a chemical solution is put, through a pipe line 37-1. Further, suction by the discharge pump 45 is performed. Then, due to the siphon effect accompanying the pressurization, the chemical solution in the resin container 31 is supplied to the liquid storage part provided in the discharge part 45 via the siphon pipe 33 and the pipe line 37-2, and the volume change or the like. Accordingly, the chemical solution is discharged from the application nozzle 47. Expansion and deformation of the resin container 31 due to pressurization are restricted by a pressurization protector 51 on the outside thereof.

  The pressure-resistant outer container 35 and the pressure protector 51 are made of a material having excellent mechanical strength such as stainless steel, and are effective for suppressing expansion and deformation of the container during pressurization.

  However, in order to make the diameter of the pressure resistant outer container 35 larger than the diameter of the body portion of the resin container 31 to be loaded therein (a general gallon container or the like requires a container having an inner diameter of about 200 to 300 mm). When a large-capacity resin container 31 having a higher exchange efficiency during production is used, the diameter of the pressure-resistant outer container 35 is increased accordingly.

  Therefore, for example, when a pressure as high as 100 kPa (atmospheric pressure reference, the same applies hereinafter) is applied to the pressure-resistant outer container 35, the force applied to the lid or the like becomes very large. At this time, if the sealed portion having a large cross-sectional area such as a lid is opened without performing the operation of purging the pressurized pressure-resistant outer container 35 to the atmospheric pressure, parts such as the pressurized lid portion and chemicals may be scattered. In order to ensure safety, careful handling is required. Moreover, although the danger is reduced by providing an appropriate safety mechanism, since the potential danger remains, it is difficult to ensure the safety of the worker in unexpected use.

  On the other hand, in the method in which the chemical solution is supplied by directly applying pressure to the resin container 31 while restraining the deformation of the resin container 31 using the pressure protector 51, the resin container 31 is added by plastic deformation due to expansion. Engages with the pressure protector 51, and the resin container 31 cannot be easily taken out during replacement work, or the stress of expansion and deformation concentrates on the part that is not in close contact with the pressure protector 51, causing partial tearing, rupture, liquid leakage or falling There is a possibility of safety, etc.

  In addition, when a chemical solution is pumped by a pressurizing force with a pressurized medium (a gas such as compressed air or compressed nitrogen), the pressurized atmosphere gradually dissolves into the chemical solution as the pressurizing time elapses. The amount of dissolved gas increases. When a high pressure is applied, the amount of dissolved gas increases.

  If there is a point where the inner diameter of the pipe sharply narrows at the orifice or joint of the pipe path such as the pipe line 37-2, the flow velocity increases due to the venturi effect and the pressure in the pipe path decreases, resulting in cavitation. The gas dissolved in the chemical solution is generated as microbubbles that are minute bubbles that are invisible. These may aggregate and grow into large foams.

  As an influence of such bubbles, microbubbles deteriorate the refractive index and film thickness uniformity of the coating film in the manufacturing process of semiconductors and liquid crystal display devices. This influence deteriorates the processing quality and increases the productivity such as yield. descend.

  In addition, if large bubbles remain in the resist applied to the base material, a difference in local surface tension occurs, which causes a deterioration in film thickness uniformity and unevenness in appearance. In addition, if air bubbles remain in the coating film and are dried in a vacuum drying chamber in a vacuum drying process, the air bubbles may expand and burst, thereby reducing the quality.

  Further, in the die coating method, the volume change of the liquid storage part of the discharge part 45 caused by the suction of the chemical liquid is transmitted as a compressive force to the chemical liquid in the pipe connected to the application nozzle 47, so A chemical solution corresponding to the volume change and pressure change is discharged. For this reason, the ejection from the application nozzle 47 needs to follow the volume change caused by the suction operation without delay. When small bubbles gather and stagnate in the pipes, joints, and gaps to the discharge part 45 and the slit part of the application nozzle 47, the volume change caused by the suction operation at the start of the application operation acts on the shrinkage of the remaining bubbles. In other words, a delay in time (response speed) occurs in the rise of the pressure for discharging the chemical solution in the piping path.

  The coating film forming method by the die-coating method is preferable because the time delay of the chemical solution discharge causes deterioration in thickness uniformity near the coating start portion and the coating completion portion, and causes quality deterioration such as stripes and unevenness. Absent.

  Although it is possible to reduce the coating speed and reduce the effect of response delay to some extent as a countermeasure, not only will the processing time become longer and the productivity will be reduced, but bubbles will be generated along with the flow of chemicals during multiple processing. As a result, the response of the coating liquid varies, and it becomes difficult to maintain the production quality with stable uniformity (reproducibility).

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid supply system and the like excellent in safety, economy, and productivity.

In order to achieve the above-described object, a first invention is a liquid supply system for supplying a liquid to an application unit of a coating apparatus, the storage unit for storing the liquid, the first flow path, A second flow path for connecting to the storage section and supplying liquid to the storage section, a third flow path for connecting to the storage section and supplying gas to the storage section, and the storage section And a fourth channel for connecting the application unit and supplying a liquid from the storage unit to the application unit, wherein the first channel and the second channel are predetermined container can be connected removably to said first flow path, Ri can der to supply gas to the predetermined container connected, wherein the fourth channel, sucking the liquid in the reservoir A discharge part of the application part is connected, and a filter is provided in the fourth channel between the storage part and the discharge part. It is, together with pressurizing the reservoir portion by the gas supplied through the third flow path, a liquid supply system characterized respirable der Rukoto the liquid in the reservoir by the discharge unit.

  The storage section has an air release means for opening the inside of the storage section to the atmosphere, and the first, second, third, and fourth flow paths are provided with opening and closing means for opening and closing each flow path. It is done. Moreover, it is desirable that the storage section is provided with a liquid level detection means for detecting the height of the liquid level.

  The liquid supply system according to the first aspect of the present invention further includes a container connecting portion that can removably connect the predetermined container, and the first flow path and the second flow path are connected via the container connecting section. It is desirable that the predetermined container can be connected.

  The container connecting portion has a groove portion on an inner peripheral surface, and the groove portion is screwed with a convex portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the opening portion of the predetermined container, whereby the container connecting portion and the predetermined container are connected. It is desirable to be able to connect.

Moreover, the reservoir may Rukoto to generate a swirling flow in the liquid in the reservoir is desirable.

Moreover, the reservoir may Rukoto provided collecting bubbles tube for taking air bubbles therein.

  Note that the application unit of the application apparatus refers to a mechanism for applying a chemical solution to a substrate or the like, such as a discharge unit such as a discharge pump or an application nozzle.

  With the above configuration, the pressure state in the predetermined container and the pressure state in the storage unit are independently controlled, and liquid such as a chemical solution placed in the predetermined container is supplied by pressurization and once filled in the storage unit, The liquid can be supplied to the coating unit of the coating apparatus while pressurizing the inside of the storage unit. That is, when the liquid is not fed directly from the container to the coating unit, but is fed to the coating unit, the inside of the storage unit is pressurized. Therefore, the pressure applied in the container for liquid feeding to the reservoir can be set to a low pressure in the range of 5 kPa to 100 kPa, for example. For this reason, there is no need for a container that can withstand a high applied pressure, and a container such as a resin container that is usually used for transporting chemicals is used as a predetermined container in a removably connected manner to the flow path of the liquid supply system. Can be used. After using the chemical solution in the container, it can be removed and replaced with another container, which is economical. Since the pressure applied in the container can be kept low, the container can be exchanged safely.

  Moreover, since the liquid supply to the reservoir is performed with the inside of the predetermined container at a low pressure, the amount of dissolved gas in the liquid does not become excessive. Accordingly, generation of bubbles such as microbubbles due to cavitation can be suppressed. For this reason, the influence on the quality due to the above-mentioned bubbles is suppressed, and when the chemical solution is applied from the application part, the rise delay time of the pressure in the pipe is suppressed to reduce the shortage of the initial discharge amount, and the stable uniformity is high. It becomes possible to supply quality products. Furthermore, when feeding liquid to the application section, it is possible to use both the suction operation by the discharge section such as a pump and the liquid feeding of the chemical liquid by pressurization in the storage section. In addition, the pressure loss due to the filtration filter or the like and the negative pressure associated with the suction operation can be offset, which also leads to suppression of the generation of bubbles. Further, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the discharge portion such as the discharge pump and its motor parts are deteriorated or damaged by the suction load.

  Furthermore, a predetermined container can be connected to the flow path via the container connecting portion. At this time, when the predetermined container is connected by screwing the groove portion on the inner peripheral surface of the container connection portion with the convex portion provided on the outer periphery of the opening portion of the predetermined container, Airtightness is generated at the container connecting portion, and the container connecting portion is less likely to loosen or leak gas. Also, when the container is replaced, even if the container connection part is loosened, it can be caught by the convex part of the container and the groove part of the container connection part, so that the container and the container connection part are not scattered and the pressurized gas is loosened. The inside of the container can be safely brought to atmospheric pressure by removing from the gap generated by the above. Therefore, the replacement work of the container becomes safer.

  In addition, since the chemical liquid supply can be controlled according to the liquid level position using the liquid level detection means such as a sensor, a gas layer can always exist in the reservoir. Thereby, the gas dissolved in the liquid can escape to the gas layer in the reservoir and be separated from the liquid. Therefore, the amount of gas mixed in the liquid supplied to the application unit can be reduced, and generation of bubbles such as microbubbles can be further suppressed.

  Accordingly, it is possible to provide a liquid supply system for supplying a liquid to the coating portion of the coating apparatus, which is excellent in safety, economy, and productivity, particularly in manufacturing a semiconductor device or a liquid crystal display device.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the second invention is a second part for connecting a storage part for storing a liquid, a first flow path, and the storage part, and supplying a liquid to the storage part. Connected to the flow path, the third flow path for supplying gas to the storage section, and to the storage section and the application section of the coating device, and liquid from the storage section to the application section A first flow path for supplying a predetermined container, wherein the first flow path and the second flow path can be detachably connected to a predetermined container, and the first flow path is connected Ri der can be supplied to the gas in the predetermined container, and wherein the fourth flow path, for sucking the liquid in the reservoir, the discharge portion of the coating portion is connected to the fourth flow the road, with the liquid supply system filter that is provided between the discharge portion and the storage portion, subjected liquid coating unit of the coating apparatus A liquid supply method for pressurizing the inside of the predetermined container connected to the first flow path and the second flow path with a gas supplied via the first flow path, a predetermined reservoir liquid supply to be supplied to the reservoir portion of the liquid through the second flow path in the container step, under pressure by the gas supplied to the reservoir portion through the third flow path And an application part liquid supply step of supplying the liquid in the storage part to the application part via the fourth flow path by sucking the liquid in the storage part by the discharge part. It is the liquid supply method characterized.

  With the above configuration, the pressure state in the predetermined container and the pressure state in the storage unit are independently controlled, and liquid such as a chemical solution placed in the predetermined container is supplied by pressurization and once filled in the storage unit, The liquid can be supplied to the coating unit of the coating apparatus while pressurizing the inside of the storage unit. That is, when the liquid is not fed directly from the container to the coating unit, but is fed to the coating unit, the inside of the storage unit is pressurized. Therefore, the pressure applied in the container for liquid feeding to the reservoir can be reduced. For this reason, there is no need for a container that can withstand a high applied pressure, and a container such as a resin container that is usually used for transporting chemicals is used as a predetermined container in a removably connected manner to the flow path of the liquid supply system. Can be used. After using the chemical solution in the container, it can be removed and replaced with another container, which is economical. Since the pressure applied in the container can be kept low, the container can be exchanged safely.

  Moreover, since the liquid supply to the reservoir is performed with the inside of the predetermined container at a low pressure, the amount of dissolved gas in the liquid does not become excessive. Accordingly, generation of bubbles such as microbubbles due to cavitation can be suppressed. For this reason, the influence on the quality due to the above-mentioned bubbles is suppressed, and when the chemical solution is applied from the application part, the rise delay time of the pressure in the pipe is suppressed to reduce the shortage of the initial discharge amount, and the stable uniformity is high. It becomes possible to supply quality products. Furthermore, when feeding liquid to the application section, it is possible to use both the suction operation by the discharge section such as a pump and the liquid feeding of the chemical liquid by pressurization in the storage section. In addition, the pressure loss due to the filtration filter or the like and the negative pressure associated with the suction operation can be offset, which also leads to suppression of the generation of bubbles. Further, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the discharge portion such as the discharge pump and its motor parts are deteriorated or damaged by the suction load.

  Therefore, it is possible to provide a liquid supply method for supplying a liquid to the coating unit of the coating apparatus, which is excellent in safety, economy, and productivity.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a third invention is a coating apparatus comprising the liquid supply system of the first invention.

  With the above configuration, the pressure state in the predetermined container and the pressure state in the storage unit are independently controlled, and liquid such as a chemical solution placed in the predetermined container is supplied by pressurization and once filled in the storage unit, The liquid can be supplied to the coating unit of the coating apparatus while pressurizing the inside of the storage unit. That is, when the liquid is not fed directly from the container to the coating unit, but is fed to the coating unit, the inside of the storage unit is pressurized. Therefore, the pressure applied in the container for liquid feeding to the reservoir can be set to a low pressure in the range of 5 kPa to 100 kPa, for example. For this reason, there is no need for a container that can withstand a high applied pressure, and a container such as a resin container that is usually used for transporting chemicals is used as a predetermined container in a removably connected manner to the flow path of the liquid supply system. Can be used. After using the chemical solution in the container, it can be removed and replaced with another container, which is economical. Since the pressure applied in the container can be kept low, the container can be exchanged safely.

  Moreover, since the liquid supply to the reservoir is performed with the inside of the predetermined container at a low pressure, the amount of dissolved gas in the liquid does not become excessive. Accordingly, generation of bubbles such as microbubbles due to cavitation can be suppressed. For this reason, the influence on the quality due to the above-mentioned bubbles is suppressed, and when the chemical solution is applied from the application part, the rise delay time of the pressure in the pipe is suppressed to reduce the shortage of the initial discharge amount, and the stable uniformity is high. It becomes possible to supply quality products. Furthermore, when feeding liquid to the application section, it is possible to use both the suction operation by the discharge section such as a pump and the liquid feeding of the chemical liquid by pressurization in the storage section. In addition, the pressure loss due to the filtration filter or the like and the negative pressure associated with the suction operation can be offset, which also leads to suppression of the generation of bubbles. Further, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the discharge portion such as the discharge pump and its motor parts are deteriorated or damaged by the suction load.

  Furthermore, a predetermined container can be connected to the flow path via the container connecting portion. At this time, when the predetermined container is connected by screwing the groove portion on the inner peripheral surface of the container connection portion with the convex portion provided on the outer periphery of the opening portion of the predetermined container, Airtightness is generated at the container connecting portion, and the container connecting portion is less likely to loosen or leak gas. Also, when the container is replaced, even if the container connection part is loosened, it can be caught by the convex part of the container and the groove part of the container connection part, so that the container and the container connection part are not scattered and the pressurized gas is loosened. The inside of the container can be safely brought to atmospheric pressure by removing from the gap generated by the above. Therefore, the replacement work of the container becomes safer.

  In addition, since the chemical liquid supply can be controlled according to the liquid level position using the liquid level detection means such as a sensor, a gas layer can always exist in the reservoir. Thereby, the gas dissolved in the liquid can escape to the gas layer in the reservoir and be separated from the liquid. Therefore, the amount of gas mixed in the liquid supplied to the application unit can be reduced, and generation of bubbles such as microbubbles can be further suppressed.

  Accordingly, it is possible to provide a coating apparatus that is excellent in safety, economy, and productivity.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a liquid supply system that is excellent in safety, economy, and productivity.

The figure which shows embodiment of the liquid supply system of this invention The figure which shows the flow of the liquid supply method in a liquid supply system The figure which shows the flow of the liquid supply method in a liquid supply system The figure which shows the flow of the liquid supply method in a liquid supply system The figure which shows the flow of the liquid supply method in a liquid supply system The figure which shows the flow of the liquid supply method in a liquid supply system The figure which shows another embodiment of the liquid supply system of this invention Diagram showing an example of attachment The figure which shows the example of a structure of a coating device Diagram showing an example of a pressure-resistant outer container The figure which shows the example of the pressure protector

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the liquid supply system and the like of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the liquid supply system of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the liquid supply system 1 of this embodiment is incorporated as a part of a coating apparatus 100 used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device or a semiconductor device. In addition to the liquid supply system 1, the coating apparatus 100 includes a control unit 110, a coating unit 120, a substrate holding unit 130, and the like.

  The control unit 110 is configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, and controls operations of the liquid supply system 1, the coating unit 120, and the substrate holding unit 130.

  The application unit 120 includes, for example, a discharge unit such as a pump provided with a liquid storage unit, an application nozzle (die), and the like, and a drive mechanism for driving them, and actually applies a chemical solution such as a resist on the substrate.

  The substrate holding unit 130 includes, for example, a stage that can reciprocate by placing and holding the substrate, and a drive mechanism that drives the stage.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid supply system 1 of this embodiment has a buffer tank 3 (storage part), a pipe 5 (flow path), a valve 7 (opening / closing means), a regulator 9 and the like, and is made of resin. A resist solution in a container 17 (predetermined container), a chemical solution (liquid) such as a pigment dispersion liquid is supplied to the discharge unit 13 and the application nozzle 14 (application unit 120) side. Operations of the valve 7, the regulator 9, the discharge unit 13, and the like can be controlled by the control unit 110.

The buffer tank 3 is preferably made of a material and a structure excellent in strength against deformation even in a supply state of a high-pressure gas (compressed gas, compressed nitrogen, etc.) of 100 kPa or more. In addition, it is desirable that a container design capable of permanently maintaining pressure resistance performance without causing leakage or deformation of gas or chemical solution even in a pressurized state of at least 200 kPa is desirable. However, these do not limit the specific material and shape of the buffer tank. For example, the material of the buffer tank 3 can be a metal such as SUS304 stainless steel or aluminum. When the content chemical solution has a property of corroding the metal or when the workability is important, the conditions satisfy the pressure resistance. Fluorine resin, MC nylon (registered trademark), or the like can be used as a material. Moreover, in order to provide chemical resistance, the inner surface may be subjected to resin coating or plating.

  The buffer tank 3 is preferably provided with a sensor 4 as a liquid level detecting means for detecting the liquid level of the chemical liquid in the tank. In order to keep an air layer of a predetermined volume or more always present in the upper part of the buffer tank 3, for example, the sensor 4 has a predetermined (below the upper limit position) so that the liquid level does not exceed a predetermined upper limit position. ) It is desirable to control the opening / closing of a valve provided in the pipe line by detecting the liquid level height so that the supply of the chemical liquid is blocked. As the sensor 4, for example, a capacitive sensor, a pressure sensor, a float sensor, an ultrasonic displacement sensor, or the like can be used.

  Pipe line 5 (5-1, 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, 5-5) is a pipe line (5-1, 5- 3, 5-4) and a gas or liquid flow path including a conduit (5-2, 5-5) through which a liquid can flow for supplying a chemical solution. As the material, shape, etc., those usually used as this kind of pipe line can be used.

  The pipe 5-1 (first flow path) extends from an air supply unit (not shown) and is connected to the resin container 17. The pipe 5-1 is a piping path for supplying gas from the air supply unit into the resin container 17 in order to pressurize the resin container 17.

  The pipe line 5-2 (second flow path) is connected to the resin container 17 and the buffer tank 3. The pipe line 5-2 is a piping path for supplying the chemical solution in the resin container 17 to the buffer tank 3 by the siphon effect in response to the pressurization in the resin container 17.

  The pipe line 5-3 is a piping path for connecting the outside and the buffer tank 3 and releasing the buffer tank 3 to the atmosphere so that the inside of the buffer tank 3 is at atmospheric pressure.

  A pipe line 5-4 (third flow path) branches from the pipe line 5-1, and is connected to the buffer tank 3. The pipe line 5-4 is a piping path for connecting the air supply unit and the buffer tank 3 and supplying gas from the air supply unit into the buffer tank 3 in order to pressurize the buffer tank 3.

  The pipe line 5-5 (fourth flow path) is connected to the buffer tank 3 and the discharge section 13 (application section 120). The pipe line 5-5 is a pipe path for supplying a chemical solution from the buffer tank 3 to the application unit 120 such as the discharge unit 13 and the application nozzle 14.

  The valve 7 (7-1, 7-2, 7-3, 7-4, 7-5) is an opening / closing means for opening or blocking the flow of the liquid or gas in the pipe line 5, and its structure. Etc. are not particularly limited, and various known ones can be used. In addition, the control unit 110 can automatically control the opening / closing of these valves with an air operation valve or the like according to various conditions. Further, an operator or the like may open and close these valves by manual operation.

  The valve 7-1 (V1) is provided in the pipeline 5-1, the valve 7-3 (V3) is provided in the pipeline 5-3, and the valve 7-4 (V4) is provided in the pipeline 5-4. Thus, the flow of the gas flowing through the corresponding pipe line 5 is adjusted.

  The valve 7-3 controls the gas flow through the pipe line 5-3 by opening and closing thereof, and serves as an atmospheric release means for releasing (and blocking) the atmosphere in the buffer tank 3. However, the mechanism for opening the buffer tank 3 to the atmosphere is not limited to this. For example, if the outer surface of the buffer tank 3 is in direct contact with the atmosphere, it can serve as the atmosphere release means simply by opening and closing a part of the buffer tank 3.

  The valve 7-2 (V2) is provided in the pipe line 5-2, and the valve 7-5 (V5) is provided in the pipe line 5-5. adjust.

  Although not particularly illustrated, the buffer tank 3 may be connected to a conduit for collecting the chemical solution in the tank and a conduit for injecting a solvent for cleaning the inside of the buffer tank 3. Each pipe line may be provided with a valve for controlling the flow of liquid in the pipe line by opening and closing.

  The regulator 9 (9-1, 9-2, 9-3) is configured so that the pressure supplied by the gas in the resin container 17 or the buffer tank 3 is an arbitrary constant pressure value. Pressure adjusting means for adjusting and maintaining the pressure. Similar to the valve 7, the control can be automatically performed by the control unit 110 under various conditions, but may be performed manually by an operator or the like.

  The regulator 9-1 (REG1) is provided closer to the air supply part than the branch part between the pipe 5-1 and the pipe 5-4, and controls the pressure of the gas supplied to the resin container 17 or the buffer tank 3. Adjust pressure.

  The regulator 9-2 (REG2) is provided on the resin container 17 side from the branch portion with the pipe 5-4 in the pipe 5-1, and regulates the pressure of the gas supplied to the resin container 17.

  The regulator 9-3 (REG3) is provided in the pipeline 5-4, and regulates the pressure of the gas supplied to the buffer tank 3.

  A filtration filter 11 is provided in the pipeline 5-5. As described above, the filtration filter 11 removes agglomerated particles, gel-like foreign matter, and the like. For example, a filter obtained by processing a filter such as a depth, a membrane, or a fiber into a pleat or a disk is used alone or in combination. (A pore size of about 0.1 to 10 μm). Further, a deaeration module as described above can be further installed.

  The discharge part 13 is connected to the pipe line 5-5. The discharge unit 13 is, for example, a discharge pump or a dispenser, and includes a liquid storage unit (not shown) that stores a chemical solution supplied to the application nozzle 14. The discharge unit 13 sucks the chemical solution into the liquid storage unit, and sends the chemical solution in an amount corresponding to the volume change of the liquid storage unit to the application nozzle 14.

  The application nozzle 14 is a die head, a syringe needle, or the like, and is connected to the discharge unit 13 via a flow path. The application nozzle 14 applies the chemical solution supplied from the discharge unit 13 onto the base material through an opening such as a slit.

  The discharge unit 13 and the coating nozzle 14 function as the coating unit 120 of the coating device 100, and actually apply a chemical solution onto the substrate in a coating process in manufacturing a semiconductor or a liquid crystal display device.

  The resin container 17 is a container for storing a chemical solution such as a resist or a pigment dispersion, and a container that is small in deformation due to pressurization is used. Specifically, a container that can suppress the change in the volume of the container due to deformation to 5% or less after 12 hours from the beginning in an environment where gas pressure of 50 kPa is continuously applied to the inside is used. For this reason, it is preferable that the resin container be made of a resin having a flexural modulus of 500 MPa or more. However, this does not limit the material and shape of the resin container 17, and for example, polyethylene or fluororesin can be used as the material.

  In many cases, chemicals are transported and supplied by resist manufacturers, etc. in a state of being stored in a resin container, but the container at that time satisfies the above strength for safety during transportation. There are many. That is, the chemical solution container used for transportation can be applied to the present liquid supply system 1 as it is, and in that case, it is not necessary to use a special container for the liquid supply system 1, which is advantageous in terms of economy. is there.

  If the above conditions are satisfied, the material of the container is not limited to resin, and a metal container or the like can be used instead of the resin container 17. However, as described above, the use of the resin container 17 is excellent in terms of preventing damage from the outside due to an impact such as dropping due to the elasticity of the resin. In addition, if the resin container is made of polyethylene or the like, it is advantageous in that the environmental burden can be reduced by material recycling and thermal recycling of the used container.

  The resin container 17 is detachably connected to the pipeline 5-1 and the pipeline 5-2 via the attachment 15 (container connection portion). As shown in FIG. 8, a convexity that is continuous along the outer periphery of the side surface of the opening 24 (pour spout) at the top of the resin container 17 and protrudes outward in the plane of the opening 24. A portion 25 is provided. On the inner peripheral surface of the attachment 15, a spirally continuous groove portion 27 corresponding to the convex portion 25 is provided. By engaging these, the opening 24 at the top of the resin container 17 can be attached to and fixed to the attachment 15. At the time of attachment, the resin container 17 and the attachment 15 are relatively rotated, and the convex portion 25 and the groove portion 27 are screwed together to attach the opening 24 at the top of the resin container 17 to the attachment 15.

  The attachment 15 is preferably made of a material that has pressure resistance and is less deformed by pressure than the material of the resin container 17. For example, the attachment 15 is made of metal such as aluminum or stainless steel of SUS304, or has chemical resistance. Although it is desirable that the necessary portions are made by combining materials such as Teflon (registered trademark) with this, it is not limited thereto.

  When the inside of the resin container 17 is directly pressurized when supplying the chemical solution, the resin container 17 slightly expands from the inside. At this time, the convex portion 25 on the outer peripheral surface of the opening 24 of the resin container 17 presses the groove portion 27 of the attachment 15 having a high deformation strength isotropically from the inside to cause mutual engagement, thereby improving the airtightness. Looseness and gas leakage due to this are less likely to occur.

  Further, even if the attachment 15 is loosened, it can be caught by the convex portion 25 of the resin container 17 and the groove portion 27 of the attachment 15, so that the convex portion 25 is locked by the groove portion 27 and the attachment 15 is not scattered. Moreover, the inside of the resin-made container 17 can be safely made into atmospheric pressure because the gas for pressurization escapes from the clearance produced by looseness.

  In addition, since the cross-sectional area of the attachment 15 can be suppressed to the cross-sectional area of the opening 24 (which has a diameter smaller than that of the body) of the resin container 17, the force applied to the attachment 15 is a resin. It is smaller than the lid portion of the above-described pressure-resistant outer container having a size larger than the diameter of the body portion of the container 17 and can provide a safe working environment.

For example, if the diameter of the lid of a cylindrical pressure-resistant outer container (such as a stainless steel vessel) is 300 mm, the force applied to the entire lid is about 7065 N / m ² when the inside is pressurized at 100 kPa.

On the other hand, the diameter of the attachment 15 attached to the spout of the resin container 17 can be about 80 mm. At this time, when the inside of the resin container 17 is pressurized at 10 kPa (which will be described later, the pressure inside the resin container 17 can be reduced in the liquid supply system 1), the force applied to the attachment 15 is about 50.24 N / m ^2. It can be seen that the safety is further improved.

  The attachment 15 has at least one pressurizing port 22 and a liquid feeding port 23. The pressurizing port 22 can be detached from the pipe 5-1, and the liquid feeding port 23 can be detached from the pipe 5-2. Connecting.

  The pressurization port 22 is a flow path that connects to the pipe 5-1 at one end and penetrates the attachment 15 in the direction of the resin container 17, and conducts the pipe 5-1 and the inside of the resin container 17. Connect.

  The liquid supply port 23 is a flow path that connects to the pipe line 5-2 at one end and penetrates the attachment 15 in the direction of the resin container 17, and conducts the pipe line 5-2 to the inside of the resin container 17. Connect. The other end is a siphon tube 19. The siphon tube 19 is a tube that extends to the lower portion of the resin container 17.

  Next, the flow of the liquid supply method in the liquid supply system 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  When supplying liquid in the liquid supply system 1, the pipe 5-1 and the pressure port 22, the pipe 5-2 and the liquid feed port 23 are connected to the pipe 5-1 and the pipe 5-2. The opening 24 at the top of the resin container 17 is attached to the attachment 15 attached in advance as described above. Alternatively, the resin container 17 is attached to the attachment 15, and the attachment 15 is further attached to the pipeline 5-1 and the pipeline 5-2.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 2, a gas for pressurization (compressed air, compressed nitrogen, etc.) is supplied into the resin container 17 through the pipe line 5-1 and the like, and the resin container 17 in which the chemical solution is stored. Pressurize the inside. At this time, the valve 7-1 is opened. In the present embodiment, the pressure is regulated and held at about 10 kPa by the regulator 9-1 and the regulator 9-2. Further, the valve 7-4 is closed and the valve 7-3 is opened to make the inside of the buffer tank 3 atmospheric pressure. Further, the valve 7-5 is closed and the valve 7-2 is opened so that the buffer tank 3 can be filled with the chemical solution. However, the buffer tank 3 may be in a pressure state lower than that in the resin container 17, and may be in a pressure state higher than the atmospheric pressure as long as this is the case.

  Then, due to the siphon effect accompanying the differential pressure between the resin container 17 (10 kPa) and the buffer tank 3 (atmospheric pressure), the chemical solution in the resin container 17 enters the buffer tank 3 via the conduit 5-2 and the like. As shown in FIG. 3, the buffer tank 3 is filled with a chemical solution. Since the inside of the resin container 17 is in a low pressure state, the amount of gas dissolved in the chemical solution does not become excessive.

  In addition, if an applied pressure exceeding 100 kPa is constantly applied for a long time in the sealed resin container 17 under an atmospheric pressure environment, expansion may occur over time, and there is a risk of liquid leakage, rupture, or overturning. Concerns arise about ensuring the safety of workers. Therefore, in the liquid supply system 1 of the present embodiment, the pressure applied by the gas inside the resin container 17 is set in the range of 5 kPa to 100 kPa for ensuring safety. Moreover, when making safety | security further reliable, it is desirable to use a pressurizing force as the range of 5 kPa-50 kPa. However, when another container is used depending on the strength of the resin container 17 or in place of the resin container 17, there is no risk of liquid leakage, rupture, or overturning, and ensuring the safety of the operator is ensured. As long as it can be applied, the pressure that can be applied may change.

  Here, 21 is a gas-liquid separation surface, which is the upper liquid surface of the chemical solution. There is a possibility that air bubbles may be mixed into the chemical liquid from the pipe line on the resin container 17 side when the chemical liquid is supplied. In this way, the buffer tank 3 separates and removes the bubbles mixed into the chemical liquid and the chemical liquid. The gas-liquid separation surface 21 is provided. That is, the upper part of the chemical solution does not reach the upper surface of the buffer tank 3, and a space filled with a gas such as air is always ensured to have a predetermined capacity or more. Thereby, bubbles rise to the gas-liquid separation surface 21 and are discharged into the upper gas to be separated from the chemical solution.

  For this purpose, it is desirable to provide the aforementioned sensor 4 in the buffer tank 3. In order to maintain a state where an air layer having a predetermined volume or more is always present in the upper part of the buffer tank 3, the sensor 4 is appropriately set to a predetermined (upper limit position) so that the gas-liquid separation surface 21 does not exceed a predetermined upper limit position. It is desirable to detect the height of the gas-liquid separation surface 21 (below) so that the supply of the chemical solution is blocked by valve opening / closing control or the like.

  If the gas-liquid separation capability of the buffer tank 3 alone is insufficient, a bubble removing mechanism such as a gas-liquid separation container or a deaeration module may be added to the pipe line.

  Further, as an example of more efficient deaeration in the buffer tank 3, for example, a chemical solution supplied via a pipe line 5-2 in a direction tangential to the inner wall of the plane of the cylindrical buffer tank 3 or obliquely with respect to the inner wall The buffer tank 3 may be provided with a through-hole for flowing water, and the chemical solution may be discharged from the through-hole in a direction tangential to the inner wall of the buffer tank 3 or in an oblique direction with respect to the inner wall. At this time, a swirling flow of the chemical solution is generated in the buffer tank 3 to produce a swirl effect, whereby a high-density liquid moves in the inner wall direction of the buffer tank 3 and a low-density gas moves in the plane center direction. The gas moves from the center of the plane of the buffer tank 3 to the gas-liquid separation surface 21. In this way, gas-liquid separation can be improved.

  If the amount of chemical solution to be supplied and the flow rate are insufficient and a sufficient swirling flow for deaeration as described above cannot be obtained, swirling blades such as a magnet stirrer and a stirring screw are provided in the buffer tank 3, Thereby, you may forcibly give the swirl | flow of a chemical | medical solution. At this time, if the shape of the swirl blade is, for example, a shape that spreads upward, a cyclonic swirl flow toward the gas-liquid separation surface 21 in the upward direction is generated, which is preferable.

  Further, in order to collect bubbles moving in the center of the plane of the buffer tank 3 by the swirling flow, guide them to the upper gas-liquid separation surface 21 and discharge them into the gas, a hole for capturing and collecting the bubbles inside is provided. You may install the foam collection pipe | tube which is a pipe body which has in a side surface. Inside the bubble collecting tube, bubbles gather to form large bubbles, which promotes upward movement.

  When the sensor 4 detects that the liquid level (gas-liquid separation surface 21) has reached a predetermined position, the valve 7-2 is closed and the line 5-2 is passed through as shown in FIG. Shut off the liquid supply. Further, the valve 7-3 is closed to shut off the atmosphere, while the valve 7-4 is opened to supply a gas for pressurization (compressed air, compressed nitrogen, etc.) into the buffer tank 3, and the discharge unit 13 (application unit) 120) Pressurization in the buffer tank 3 necessary for liquid supply to 120) is performed. At this time, the valve 7-5 remains closed.

  This applied pressure does not generate a differential pressure when the chemical solution is sucked by the discharge unit 13, and can offset the pressure loss in the pipe line 5-5 caused by the filter 11 or the like and the negative pressure accompanying the chemical solution suction operation of the discharge unit 13. This is the pressure required for pumping the chemical solution. In the liquid supply system 1, a necessary pressure is applied to the buffer tank 3 within a range of about 10 kPa to 200 kPa. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and depending on the strength of the buffer tank 3, etc. The pressure that can be applied varies.

  After the predetermined pressure is applied to the chemical solution in the buffer tank 3, as shown in FIG. 5, the valve 7-5 is opened, the chemical solution is sucked by the discharge unit 13, and the liquid storage unit of the discharge unit 13 is supplied. The chemical solution is charged, and the chemical solution is applied onto the substrate from the application nozzle 14.

  Pressure loss occurs in the pipe line 5-5 due to the filtration filter 11 and the like provided in the pipe line 5-5. In addition, a negative pressure is generated in the liquid storage part in accordance with the suction operation by the discharge part 13, which becomes a suction load. Further, a differential pressure is also generated in the flow path between the filtration filter 11 and the like having a high pressure loss, and the dissolved gas remaining in the chemical liquid is foamed by cavitation in the pipe line 5-5 or in the liquid storage part. There is a fear.

  However, in the present liquid supply system 1, while the chemical solution is sucked by the discharge unit 13, the liquid is applied while applying pressure to the pressure in the buffer tank 3 so as to offset the pressure loss or negative pressure generated in the filter 11 or the like. Therefore, foaming in the pipe line 5-5 and the liquid storage part as described above can be prevented. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the parts from being deteriorated and damaged by an excessive load on the discharge unit 13 such as the motor of the discharge pump during suction.

  Note that, when the assist pressure in the buffer tank 3 causes a slight residual pressure in the liquid storage part, the chemical solution may overshoot at the start of application, or the chemical solution may leak from the application nozzle 14 or the like. Performs a pre-dispensing operation before the main coating, thereby returning the application unit 120 (the flow path from the liquid storage unit to the opening of the application nozzle 14) to atmospheric pressure or opening the valve 7-3. By opening the valve 7-5 after opening the buffer tank 3 to the atmosphere, the residual pressure in the liquid storage part can be removed and the application part 120 can be made equal to the atmospheric pressure.

  It is also possible to supply the chemical solution into the buffer tank 3 and supply the chemical solution from the buffer tank 3 to the application unit 120 at the same time. In this case, when the gas-liquid separation surface 21 reaches a predetermined position, the pressure in the buffer tank 3 and the application from the buffer tank 3 to the application unit 120 such as the discharge unit 13 and the application nozzle 14 are maintained with the valve 7-2 open. The chemical solution will be supplied.

  At this time, when the bubbles separated from the chemical liquid are sucked into the pipe line 5-5 together with the chemical liquid, or the chemical liquid before sufficiently separating the gas is sucked into the pipe line 5-5 (possibly) First, after supplying the chemical solution into the buffer tank 3, the valve 7-5 is opened after a time interval required for the gas to be separated and the bubbles to be discharged upward to complete the gas-liquid separation. It is good to supply a chemical | medical solution to an application part via the pipe line 5-5. The defoaming property may differ depending on the viscosity of the chemical solution and the surfactant added to the chemical solution, and the waiting time at this time is not particularly specified.

  By the above operation, the inside of the resin container 17 is pressurized at a low pressure, the amount of dissolved gas in the chemical solution is suppressed, the bubbles are separated from the chemical solution in the buffer tank 3, and only the liquid is applied to the application unit 120. Selectively supply. Further, by the assist pressurization in the buffer tank 3, the chemical loss can be supplied to the application unit 120 by offsetting the pressure loss caused by the filtration filter 11 and the like and the negative pressure accompanying the suction operation. Thereby, the influence on the quality by the bubble mentioned above can be suppressed. In addition, when discharging the chemical solution from the application nozzle 14 by the discharge unit 13, it is possible to suppress the rise delay time of the internal pressure of the pipe and to reduce the shortage of the initial discharge amount associated therewith, and to supply a high quality product with stable uniformity. Is possible.

  When charging of the liquid storage part of the pump 13 is completed, as shown in FIG. 6, the valve 7-4 and the valve 7-5 are closed, and then the valve 7-3 is opened to open the buffer tank 3 to the atmosphere. . The reason why the valve 7-5 is closed before the valve 7-3 is to prevent the chemical liquid from flowing back into the buffer tank 3 when the atmosphere is opened.

  When the valve 7-2 is opened, as shown in FIG. 6, due to the siphon effect caused by the differential pressure in the resin container 17 and the buffer tank 3, the chemical solution in the resin container 17 is again fed into the siphon tube 19 and the liquid feeding port 23. Then, it is pumped into the buffer tank 3 through the pipe 5-2, and the chemical solution is filled in the buffer tank 3.

  As described above, the liquid supply system 1 of the present embodiment can separate and control the interior of the resin container 17 and the buffer tank 3 into independent pressure states. Thereby, by maintaining the low pressure (for example, in the range of 5 kPa to 100 kPa) to the resin container 17 and opening the valve 7-2 of the pipe line 5-2 after setting the inside of the buffer tank 3 to atmospheric pressure, The chemical solution can be supplied to the buffer tank 3 by the siphon effect.

  Therefore, it is not necessary to use the resin container 17 in combination with a pressure-resistant outer container or a pressure protector, or to use a specially strong one, and the resin container 17 is usually used as a resin container 17 during transportation. Since the container can be used alone, the equipment cost is reduced and the safety device mechanism is simplified, thereby improving the economy. In addition, workability such as container replacement and cleaning when the residual liquid in the chemical container is consumed is improved, and efficient operation becomes possible. Furthermore, it is suitable also in terms of recycling. Further, since the pressure applied to the container is kept low, the container can be exchanged safely.

  Moreover, since the liquid supply to the buffer tank 3 is performed in a state where the inside of the resin container 17 is at a low pressure, the amount of dissolved gas in the chemical solution does not become excessive. Therefore, foaming in the pipe line 5-5 and the liquid storage part can be suppressed. Furthermore, when supplying the chemical solution in the buffer tank 3 to the application unit 120, a weak pressurizing force that cancels out the pressure loss caused by the filter 11 or the like is applied, and a discharge pump (syringe, tube diaphragm, diaphragm, etc.) is applied. Since the discharge operation of the chemical solution by the discharge unit 13 or the like is assisted, even when the filtration filter 11 or the like is provided in the pipe line 5-5, the pressure loss due to the filtration filter 11 or the like and the negative pressure associated with the suction operation are offset. This leads to suppression of foaming in the pipe line 5-5 and the liquid storage part.

  Thereby, the influence on the quality by the bubble mentioned above can be suppressed. In addition, it is possible to eliminate the delay in the pressure rise time at the start of application due to bubbles, and it is possible to perform precise and uniform coating by feeding a stable chemical solution. Therefore, it becomes easy to maintain high quality with stable uniformity, and productivity can be improved. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the parts from being deteriorated and damaged by an excessive load on the discharge unit 13 such as the motor of the discharge pump during suction.

  Further, in the liquid supply system 1, the inside of the resin container 17 is directly pressurized. At this time, the pipe 5-1, the pipe 5-2 and the resin container 17 are connected via the attachment 15. The resin container 17 is formed by screwing the convex portion 25 on the outer peripheral surface of the opening 24 (spout) and the groove portion 27 on the inner peripheral portion of the attachment 15 provided so as to correspond to the convex portion 25, It is attached to the attachment 15. Accordingly, when the resin container 17 is slightly expanded by pressurization, the convex portion 25 on the outer peripheral surface of the opening 24 meshes with the groove portion 27 of the attachment 15, so that the airtightness is high and the risk of loosening and leakage is low. Become.

  Further, even when the attachment 15 is loosened, such as when the container is replaced, the protrusion 25 of the resin container 17 and the groove portion 27 of the attachment 15 can be hooked, so that the protrusion 25 is locked by the groove portion 27 and the attachment 15 is attached. The inside of the resin container 17 can be safely brought to atmospheric pressure by preventing the gas for pressurization from flowing out of the gap generated by the loosening. Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of the attachment 15 can be reduced to about the opening 24 of the resin container 17, thereby reducing the force applied to the attachment 15. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a safer working environment.

  In addition, a sensor 4 is provided in the buffer tank 3 to control the supply of the chemical solution according to the liquid surface position, so that a constant volume of a gas layer is always present in the buffer tank 3. Accordingly, bubbles due to the gas mixed in the chemical liquid can be levitated from the pipeline 5-2 and discharged from the gas-liquid separation surface 21 to be separated from the chemical liquid. Thereby, it can suppress that a bubble mixes in the pipe line 5-5 by the side of the application part 120, such as the discharge part 13 and the application nozzle 14, and leads to suppressing generation | occurrence | production of bubbles, such as a microbubble.

  Furthermore, excessive pressure is not accumulated in the chemical solution in the liquid storage part of the discharge part 13, and a pre-dispensing operation is performed before the main coating, or the valve 7-5 and the valve 7-3 are opened to open the liquid storage part. By removing the residual pressure and making it equal to the atmospheric pressure, it is possible to prevent the chemical solution in the application nozzle 14 from being pushed out before application or overshooting at the start of discharge.

  Another embodiment of the liquid supply system of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 7, elements having the same functional configuration as those in FIG.

  In the liquid supply system 30 of the present embodiment, the pipe line 5-6 (first flow path) extends from the air supply unit (not shown) and is connected to the resin container 17. The pipe line 5-6 supplies gas from the air supply unit into the resin container 17 in order to pressurize the resin container 17.

  Further, the pipe line 5-7 (third flow path) extends from an air supply unit (not shown) and is connected to the buffer tank 3. The pipe line 5-7 supplies gas from the air supply unit into the buffer tank 3 in order to pressurize the inside of the buffer tank 3.

  That is, in the present embodiment, the pipe line (pipe line 5-7) for supplying the gas for pressurization to the buffer tank 3 is the pipe line (pipe line 5-6) for supplying the gas for pressurization to the resin container 17. These are piped so as to be connected to the air supply unit independently without branching from the air supply. A valve 7-1 and a regulator 9-2 are provided in the middle of the pipeline 5-6, and a valve 7-4 and a regulator 9-3 are provided in the middle of the pipeline 5-7. The pressure state is controlled independently.

  Also in this case, it is possible to perform application by supplying a chemical solution to the application unit 120 such as the discharge unit 13 and the application nozzle 14 by the same method and procedure as described above, and the effect at that time is the same as that described above. is there. That is, the arrangement of pipes, valves, regulators, etc., after introducing gas into the resin container 17 (at a low pressure) and supplying the chemical solution into the buffer tank 3 by the differential pressure with the buffer tank 3, As long as the chemical solution can be sent to the application unit 120 while introducing a gas into the buffer tank 3 and applying a predetermined pressure to the chemical solution in the buffer tank 3 (in combination with the chemical solution suction operation by the discharge unit 13). The present invention is not limited to those shown in the embodiments.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a liquid supply system that is excellent in safety, economy, and productivity.

  Note that the chemical liquid that is desirably applied to the liquid supply system 1 is a liquid having a viscosity of about 1 to 100 mPa · s, preferably about 1 to 10 mPa, and more preferably a Newtonian fluid. This is because the physical properties of the chemical solution suitable for the leaf-by-leaf coating by the die coating method can be applied to a non-Newtonian fluid chemical solution having thixotropy and the like.

  From another point of view, a chemical solution that is desirably applied is a chemical solution that uses PGMEA, PGME, EEP, MBA, EDM, DMDG, butyl acetate, ethyl lactate, etc. as a main solvent. Examples include photolithography for semiconductors, active matrix elements, photolithography for wiring formation, photolithography for color filter formation, etc. in the manufacture of semiconductors and liquid crystal display devices, such as photolithography for color filter formation. For example, black matrix formation for light shielding, RGBY or CMY color pixel formation for coloring, white layer and scattering layer formation, alignment regulating protrusion formation, photo spacer formation, overcoat layer formation, and the like.

  In addition, examples of the substrate to which the chemical solution is applied include a silicon wafer, glass, metal, plastic, and film.

  The preferred embodiments of the liquid supply system and the like according to the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such examples. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea disclosed in the present application, and these naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ......... Liquid supply system 3 ......... Buffer tank 4 ......... Sensor 5 (5-1, 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, 5-5) ......... Pipe 7 (7-1) 7-2, 7-3, 7-4, 7-5) ......... Valve 9 (9-1, 9-2, 9-3) ......... Regulator 11 ......... Filter 13 ......... Pump 14 ……… Application nozzle 15 ……… Attachment 17 ……… Resin container 19 ……… Siphon tube 21 ……… Gas-liquid separation surface 22 ……… Pressure port 23 ……… Liquid feed port 25 ……… Convex part 27... Groove part 100.

Claims (9)

A liquid supply system for supplying a liquid to a coating unit of a coating apparatus,
A reservoir for storing liquid; and
A first flow path;
A second flow path for connecting to the reservoir and supplying liquid to the reservoir;
A third flow path for connecting the reservoir and supplying gas to the reservoir;
A fourth flow path connected to the storage section and the application section, for supplying a liquid from the storage section to the application section,
The first flow path, the second flow path can be connected detachably predetermined container, said first flow path, Ri can der to supply gas to the predetermined container connected ,
The fourth flow path is connected to a discharge section of the application section that sucks the liquid in the storage section,
The fourth flow path is provided with a filter between the storage part and the discharge part,
The third with pressurizing the reservoir portion by the gas supplied through the flow path, the liquid supply system, characterized in respirable der Rukoto the liquid in the reservoir by the discharge unit. The storage unit has an air release means for opening the storage unit to the atmosphere,
2. The liquid supply system according to claim 1, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth flow paths are provided with opening / closing means for opening and closing each flow path. 3. The liquid supply system according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit is provided with a liquid level detection means for detecting the height of the liquid level. A container connecting part capable of detachably connecting the predetermined container;
The liquid supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the predetermined container can be connected to the first flow path and the second flow path via the container connecting portion.   The container connecting portion has a groove portion on an inner peripheral surface, and the groove connecting portion is connected to the convex portion provided on the outer peripheral surface of the opening portion of the predetermined container to connect the container connecting portion and the predetermined container. The liquid supply system according to claim 4, wherein the liquid supply system can be used. The liquid supply system according to claim 1 , wherein the storage section generates a swirling flow in the liquid in the storage section . The liquid supply system according to claim 6 , wherein a foam collection tube for taking in air bubbles is provided in the storage unit . A storage section for storing liquid, a first flow path, a second flow path for supplying liquid to the storage section, connected to the storage section, connected to the storage section, and the storage A third flow path for supplying gas to the part, and a fourth flow path for connecting the storage part and the application part of the coating device to supply liquid from the storage part to the application part. And the first flow path and the second flow path can be removably connected to a predetermined container, and the first flow path can supply gas to the connected predetermined container. der is, wherein the fourth flow channel, said sucking the liquid in the reservoir, the discharge portion of the coating portion is connected, wherein the fourth flow channel, between the discharge portion and the storage portion in filters with the liquid supply system that is provided to a liquid supply method for supplying liquid to the coating of the coating apparatus,
The inside of the predetermined container connected to the first flow path and the second flow path is pressurized by the gas supplied through the first flow path, and the liquid in the predetermined container is A reservoir supplying process for supplying the reservoir into the reservoir via the flow path;
Wherein together under pressure by the reservoir portion gas supplied through the third flow path, wherein the discharge portion by sucking the liquid in the reservoir, the liquid fourth flow path in the reservoir An application unit liquid supply step for supplying the application unit via
The liquid supply method characterized by comprising. A coating apparatus comprising the liquid supply system according to claim 1.

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