JP6508389B2 - Pattern formation method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pattern formation method.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-097122, filed Apr. 25, 2011, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

  As a display element which comprises display apparatuses, such as a display apparatus, a liquid crystal display element and an organic electroluminescent (organic EL) element are known, for example. At present, in these display elements, active elements (active devices) in which thin film transistors (TFTs) are formed on the surface of a substrate corresponding to each pixel have become mainstream.

  In recent years, a technique has been proposed in which a display element is formed on a sheet-like substrate (for example, a film member or the like). As such a technique, for example, a method called a roll-to-roll method (hereinafter simply referred to as a "roll method") is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the roll method, a sheet-like substrate (for example, a strip-shaped film member) wound on a supply roller on the substrate supply side is sent out and the fed-out substrate is wound up by the collection roller on the substrate collection side. A desired processing is performed on the substrate by a processing unit (unit) installed between the supply roller and the recovery roller.

  Then, the substrate is transported using, for example, a plurality of transport rollers or the like between the time the substrate is fed out and the time it is wound up, and a gate electrode, a gate insulating film, and a semiconductor film constituting a TFT using a plurality of processing units. , Source and drain electrodes and the like are formed, and components of the display element are sequentially formed on the surface to be processed of the substrate.

WO 2006/100868

  However, in the above process, a long transport path such as several hundred meters in total length may be required, and for example, efficient arrangement of each processing unit in a limited space such as a factory is required.

  The aspect which concerns on this invention aims at providing the pattern formation method which can arrange | position a process part efficiently.

  According to the aspect of the present invention, after a flexible belt-like substrate is transported and processed in the longitudinal direction to the exposure apparatus, the pattern of the electronic device is transferred onto the substrate by transporting to the wet processing apparatus. In the pattern forming method to be formed, the exposure apparatus is installed in a first processing chamber partitioned by a partition member, and the wet processing apparatus is located below the first processing chamber in the direction of gravity. The substrate on which the photosensitive agent is applied is carried into the exposure apparatus in a longitudinal direction through the opening provided in the processing chamber of 2 and provided in the partition member of the first processing chamber, and the exposure of the substrate is performed. Exposing the pattern of the electronic device on the coating film by the coating agent, and the exposure device through a connection portion provided on a partition member partitioning the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber in the gravity direction Wherein the exposed said substrate in the longitudinal direction and conveying the wet treatment apparatus, a pattern forming method comprising the steps, the treating said coating film at the liquid is provided.

  According to the aspect which concerns on this invention, the space of a process part can be utilized efficiently.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The figure which shows the whole structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the substrate processing part of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the heating unit which concerns on this embodiment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The perspective view which shows the structure of the heating unit which concerns on this embodiment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The perspective view which shows the structure of the heating apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. The figure which shows the example of the layout of the heating apparatus arrange | positioned at the process chamber which concerns on this embodiment. The comparison figure which shows the example of the layout of a heating apparatus. The side view showing the composition of the vibration removal device concerning this embodiment. The side view which shows the other structure of a vibration removal apparatus. The side view which shows the other structure of a vibration removal apparatus. The side view which shows the other structure of a vibration removal apparatus. The side view which shows the other structure of a vibration removal apparatus. The side view which shows the other structure of a vibration removal apparatus. The figure which shows the structure between process chambers which concern on this embodiment. The figure which shows the structure of the fluid removal apparatus which concerns on this embodiment.

Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a view showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 processes the substrate supply unit 2 for supplying a strip-like substrate (for example, a sheet-like film member) S and the surface (surface to be processed) Sa of the substrate S. A substrate processing unit 3 to be performed, a substrate recovery unit 4 for recovering the substrate S, and a control unit CONT for controlling these units are provided. The substrate processing unit 3 is a substrate processing apparatus for performing various processes on the surface of the substrate S after the substrate S is sent out from the substrate supply unit 2 and before the substrate recovery unit 4 recovers the substrate S. It has 100. This substrate processing apparatus 100 can be used when forming display elements (electronic devices), such as an organic EL element and a liquid crystal display element, on the substrate S, for example.

  In the present embodiment, an XYZ coordinate system is set as shown in FIG. 1, and the following description will be made using this XYZ coordinate system as appropriate. In the XYZ coordinate system, for example, an X axis and a Y axis are set along a horizontal surface, and a Z axis is set upward along the vertical direction. In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 100 transports the substrate S along the X axis as a whole from the minus side (− side) to the plus side (+ side). At that time, the width direction (short direction) of the strip-like substrate S is set in the Y-axis direction.

  As a substrate S to be processed in the substrate processing apparatus 100, for example, a foil such as a resin film or stainless steel can be used. For example, the resin film may be made of polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, polyester resin, ethylene vinyl copolymer resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, cellulose resin, polyamide resin, polyimide resin, polycarbonate resin, polystyrene resin, vinyl acetate resin, etc. It can be used.

  The substrate S preferably has a small thermal expansion coefficient so that the dimensions do not change even if it receives heat of, for example, about 200.degree. For example, an inorganic filler can be mixed with a resin film to reduce the thermal expansion coefficient. Examples of the inorganic filler include titanium oxide, zinc oxide, alumina, silicon oxide and the like.

  The dimension in the width direction (short direction) of the substrate S is, for example, about 1 m to 2 m, and the dimension in the length direction (long direction) is, for example, 10 m or more. Of course, this dimension is only an example, and is not limited to this. For example, the dimension in the Y direction of the substrate S may be 50 cm or less, or 2 m or more. Further, the dimension of the substrate S in the X direction may be 10 m or less.

  The substrate S is formed to have flexibility. The term "flexibility" as used herein means a property capable of bending the substrate without shearing or breaking even when a force of the weight of itself is applied to the substrate. In addition, the property of being bent by the force of its own weight is also included in the flexibility. Also, the flexibility varies depending on the material, size, thickness, environment such as temperature, etc. of the substrate. Note that although a single strip-shaped substrate may be used as the substrate S, a plurality of unit substrates may be connected to form a strip.

  The substrate supply unit 2 feeds and supplies, for example, the substrate S wound in a roll shape to the substrate processing unit 3. In this case, the substrate supply unit 2 is provided with a shaft portion around which the substrate S is wound, a rotation driving device which rotates the shaft portion, and the like. In addition to this, for example, a cover provided to cover the substrate S in a rolled state may be provided. The substrate supply unit 2 is not limited to the mechanism for delivering the substrate S wound in a roll shape, as long as it includes a mechanism for sequentially delivering the strip-like substrate S in the length direction.

  The substrate recovery unit 4 rolls up and recovers, for example, the substrate S which has passed through the substrate processing apparatus 100 provided in the substrate processing unit 3 in a roll shape. Similar to the substrate supply unit 2, the substrate recovery unit 4 is provided with a shaft for winding the substrate S, a rotational drive source for rotating the shaft, and a cover for covering the collected substrate S. When the substrate S is cut into a panel shape in the substrate processing unit 3, the substrate S is collected in a state different from the state of being wound in a roll shape, for example, the substrate S is collected in a stacked state. It does not matter.

  The substrate processing unit 3 transports the substrate S supplied from the substrate supply unit 2 to the substrate recovery unit 4 and performs processing on the processing surface Sa of the substrate S in the process of transport. The substrate processing unit 3 includes a processing apparatus 10 and a transfer device (transfer unit) 20.

  The processing apparatus 10 includes various devices for forming, for example, an organic EL element on the processing surface Sa of the substrate S. As such an apparatus, for example, a partition forming apparatus for forming a partition on the surface to be treated Sa, an electrode forming apparatus for forming an electrode, a light emitting layer forming apparatus for forming a light emitting layer, etc. may be mentioned. More specifically, a droplet applying device (for example, an inkjet type coating device etc.), a film forming device (for example, a plating device, a vapor deposition device, a sputtering device), an exposure device, a developing device, a surface reforming device, a cleaning device etc. are mentioned. Be Each of these devices is appropriately provided along the transport path of the substrate S. In the present embodiment, for example, the coating device 41, the heating devices 51 to 53, the exposure device EX, the developing device 42, the cleaning device 43, the plating device 44 (described in detail in FIG. This configuration will be described by way of example.

  The transport device 20 has a plurality of guide rollers (guide portions) R (in FIG. 1, only two rollers are illustrated) for guiding the substrate S in the substrate processing unit 3. The guide roller R is disposed along the transport path of the substrate S. A rotational drive mechanism (not shown) is attached to at least a part of the guide rollers R among the plurality of guide rollers R. In the present embodiment, the length of the transport path in the transport apparatus 20 is, for example, about several hundred meters in total length.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the substrate processing unit 3.
As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate processing unit 3 has three processing chambers 11 to 13. The processing chambers 11 to 13 are partitioned by the partition unit 14.

  The partition unit 14 includes a partition member 14 a constituting the floor of the processing chamber 11, a partition member 14 b constituting the ceiling of the processing chamber 11 and the floor of the processing chamber 12, a ceiling of the processing chamber 12 and the processing chamber 13. And a partition member 14 d that forms a ceiling of the processing chamber 13.

  The processing chamber 11 is disposed at the lowermost portion (mostly -Z side) in the direction of gravity among the plurality of processing chambers. The processing chamber 11 forms a processing space for performing processing (wet processing) using a liquid on the substrate S. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the processing chamber 11 is provided with a coating device 41 including a resist solution container 41 a for containing a resist solution to be applied to the substrate S as the processing device 10, and the substrate S is developed. The developing device 42 has a developing solution container 42a for storing a developing solution for cleaning, a cleaning device 43 having a cleaning solution storage container 43a for storing a cleaning solution for cleaning the substrate S, and a pattern for the substrate S after the cleaning process. The plating apparatus 44 provided with the plating solution storage container 44a which accommodates the plating solution for forming is provided. In addition, it is possible to accommodate not only the liquid mentioned above in the process chamber 11, but the processing apparatus which uses various liquids.

  The coating device 41 is disposed inside the coating device 41, and has a guide roller R2 for guiding the substrate S and a guide roller R3 for carrying the substrate S for which the coating processing has been completed out of the coating device 41 into the processing chamber 11. On the upstream side of the guide roller R2 in the transport direction of the substrate S, a guide roller R1 for guiding the substrate S supplied from the substrate supply unit 2 to the coating device 41 is disposed. The developing device 42 includes a guide roller R20 disposed inside the developing device 42 for guiding the substrate S and a guide roller R21 for unloading the substrate S on which the development processing has been completed from the inside of the developing device 42 into the processing chamber 11. . On the upstream side of the guide roller R20 in the transport direction of the substrate S, guide rollers R18 and R19 for guiding the substrate S to the developing device 42 from the heating device 52 of the processing chamber 12 via the guide roller R17 are disposed.

On the downstream side of the guide roller R21 in the transport direction of the substrate S, guide rollers R22 and R23 for guiding the substrate S from the developing device 42 to the cleaning device 43 are disposed. The guide rollers R1, R18, R19, R22 and R23 are disposed in the processing chamber 11.
The cleaning device 43 includes a guide roller R24 disposed inside the cleaning device 43 and guiding the substrate S, and a guide roller R25 for unloading the substrate S after the cleaning process from the inside of the cleaning device 43 into the processing chamber 11. It is done. In the plating apparatus 44, a guide roller R28 disposed inside the plating apparatus 44 for guiding the substrate S, and a guide roller R29 for carrying out the substrate S after the plating process from the plating apparatus 44 into the processing chamber 11. It is equipped.

  The partition member 14a is provided with a plurality of recovery pipes (waste solution recovery part, recovery part) 45 which constitute a part of a waste solution recovery flow path connected to a recovery device (not shown). One end of the recovery pipe 45 is connected to each of the coating device 41, the developing device 42, and the cleaning device 43, and the other end is connected to a waste liquid recovery flow path (not shown) connected to the recovery device. Each recovery pipe 45 discharges the resist solution, the developer and the cleaning solution, which are waste liquids in the coating device 41, the developing device 42 and the cleaning device 43, to the recovery device through the waste liquid recovery channel. The recovery pipe 45 is provided with an open / close valve (not shown). The control part CONT can control the timing of opening and closing of the on-off valve. In the present embodiment, since devices for wet processing are provided in the lowermost processing chamber 11 in the gravity direction, the length of the flow path system of the waste liquid recovery flow path between these devices and the recovery device is suppressed be able to.

  The processing chamber 12 is disposed above the processing chamber 11 (+ Z side). The processing chamber 12 forms a processing space in which the substrate S is heated. In the processing chamber 12, heating devices 51 to 53 for heating the substrate S are provided as the processing device 10. The heating device 51 heats the substrate S coated with the resist solution by the coating device 41 to dry the resist solution. The heating device 52 heats again the substrate S which has passed through the exposure device EX of the processing chamber 13 to dry the resist solution. The heating device 52 heats the substrate S at a temperature different from the heating temperature of the heating device 51, for example, a temperature higher than the heating temperature of the heating device 51. The heating device 53 heats the substrate S which has been subjected to development processing by the developing device 42 and cleaned by the cleaning device 43, and dries the surface of the substrate S.

  A guide roller R4 for guiding the substrate S having passed through the coating device 41 in the processing chamber 11 to the heating device 51 is disposed upstream of the heating device 51 in the transport direction of the substrate S. Guide rollers R5, R6 and R7 are disposed along the transport path on the downstream side of the heating device 51 in the transport direction of the substrate S, and the exposure device EX in the processing chamber 13 is arranged by the guide rollers R5, R6 and R7. To the substrate S.

  On the upstream side of the heating device 52 in the transport direction of the substrate S, guide rollers R14, R15 and R16 for transporting the substrate S having passed through the exposure device EX of the processing chamber 13 to the heating device 52 via the guide roller R13 It is arranged along the route. On the downstream side of the heating device 52 in the transport direction of the substrate S, a guide roller R17 for guiding the substrate S via the guide rollers R18 and R19 is disposed in the developing device 42 of the processing chamber 11.

  On the upstream side of the heating device 53 in the transport direction of the substrate S, a guide roller R26 for guiding the substrate S which has passed the cleaning device 43 to the heating device 53 is disposed. Further, on the downstream side of the heating device 53 in the transport direction of the substrate S, a guide roller R27 for guiding the substrate S to the plating device 44 in the processing chamber 11 is disposed. Further, on the + X side of the guide roller R27, a guide roller R30 for guiding the substrate S in the next step is disposed. The guide rollers R4, R5, R6, R7, R14, R15, R16, R17, R26, R27 and R30 are disposed in the processing chamber 12.

  The partition member 14 b is provided with a plurality of connection portions 15 to 19 for passing the substrate S between the processing chamber 11 and the processing chamber 12. The connection parts 15 to 19 are, for example, through holes penetrating the partition member 14 b in the Z direction. Each of the connection portions 15 to 19 is formed in a dimension through which the substrate S can pass. The substrate S moves across the processing chamber 11 and the processing chamber 12 by passing through the connection portions 15 to 19.

  The guide roller R3 and the guide roller R4 guide the substrate S to pass through the connection portion 15. The guide roller R17 and the guide roller R18 guide the substrate S to pass through the connection portion 16. The guide roller R25 and the guide roller R26 guide the substrate S to pass through the connection portion 17. The guide roller R27 and the guide roller R28 guide the substrate S to pass through the connection portion 18. The guide roller R <b> 29 and the guide roller R <b> 30 guide the substrate S to pass through the connection portion 19. Thus, the transport apparatus 20 guides the substrate S so that the substrate S passes through the connection portions 15 to 19.

  Note that the above-described guide rollers R3, R4, R17, R18, R25 to R30 disposed across the connection portions 15 to 19 may have, for example, a temperature adjustment device for adjusting the temperature of the substrate S. . With this configuration, the temperature of the substrate S can be adjusted before and after the heating devices 51 to 53.

Next, the detailed configuration of the heating devices 51 to 53 will be described. The heating devices 51 to 53 each have one or more heating units 50. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing the configuration of the heating unit 50. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the heating unit 50. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the heating unit 50 has a housing 60 and a heating unit 70 that heats the inside of the housing 60.

  The housing 60 is a rectangle which forms an internal space by a pair of first wall portions (right side wall portion 60d and left side wall portion 60c) and a pair of second wall portions (upper wall portion 60f and lower wall portion 60e). It is a ring of The internal space formed in the housing 60 functions as a substrate storage chamber (storage chamber) 62. A substrate loading port (loading port) 61 is formed in one first wall portion (left side wall portion) 60 c of the housing 60, and the other first wall portion (right side wall portion) 60 d of the housing 60 is formed. A substrate outlet (outlet) 63 is formed. Further, one end face (end face on the -Y side) of the housing 60 is taken as a first open end 60a, and the other end face (end face on the Y side) of the housing 60 is taken as a second open end 60b. The first open end 60 a and the second open end 60 b of the housing 60 are provided with connecting portions (not shown) for connecting the plurality of heating units 50.

  The first open end 60 a and the second open end 60 b of the housing 60 can be attached with a lid for sealing the substrate storage chamber 62. Therefore, when only one heating unit 50 is used, it is possible to form a closed space by closing the end faces of the open ends 60a and 60b. Further, by connecting the plurality of heating units 50, a large enclosed space can be formed as compared with the case where a single heating unit 50 is used. In this case, it is possible to close the end face of the heating unit 50 disposed at the end in the connecting direction with a lid.

  The substrate loading opening 61 and the substrate unloading opening 63 are formed in dimensions that allow the substrate S to pass through. That is, the dimensions in the Z direction of the substrate loading opening 61 and the substrate unloading opening 63 are larger than the thickness of the substrate S. The dimensions in the Y direction of the substrate loading opening 61 and the substrate unloading opening 63 are larger than the dimensions in the short direction of the substrate S.

  In the substrate accommodation chamber 62, folding rollers (folded back portions) 64-67 for guiding the substrate S are provided. The folding rollers 64 to 67 are rotatably supported by the housing 60 by a support member (not shown). The folding rollers 64 and 66 are disposed on the + X side end of the substrate storage chamber 62, that is, on the right side wall 60d side. The folding rollers 65 and 67 are disposed on the −X side end of the substrate accommodation chamber 62, that is, on the side of the left sidewall portion 60 c. The folding rollers 64, 65, 66 and 67 are arranged in this order from the top (+ Z side) to the bottom (−Z side) of the housing 60.

  The folding roller 64 folds back the substrate S, which is carried in from the substrate loading port 61 and proceeds in the + X direction, in the −X direction. The folding roller 65 is folded back by the folding roller 64 to fold back the substrate S advancing in the −X direction in the + X direction. The folding roller 66 is folded back by the folding roller 64 to fold the substrate S advancing in the + X direction in the −X direction. The folding roller 65 is folded back by the folding roller 64 to fold back the substrate S advancing in the −X direction in the + X direction.

  Therefore, the substrate S guided by the folding rollers 64 to 67 is disposed in a state where the folded pieces (parts) of the substrate S overlap with each other and the folded pieces do not contact each other when viewed in the Z direction Be done. Therefore, the substrate S is efficiently stored in the substrate storage chamber 62 while maintaining the state of the processing surface Sa of the substrate S.

  For example, a rotational drive mechanism (not shown) such as a motor is connected to at least one of the folding rollers 64 to 67. The control unit CONT can adjust the number of rotations and the timing of rotation of the rotary drive mechanism. Therefore, the transport speed of the substrate S can be adjusted for each heating unit 50.

  In addition, at least one of the folding rollers 64 to 67 may be movable in any of the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. In this case, the control part CONT controls the movement of the folding rollers 64 to 67 so that the transport path of the substrate S can be adjusted for each heating unit 50. In the present embodiment, four folding rollers are disposed in the housing 60, but the number can be increased or decreased according to the heating time of the substrate S.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of heating devices 51-53.
As shown in FIG. 5, the heating devices 51 to 53 have a plurality of heating units 50 arranged in a plurality in the Y direction. The plurality of heating units 50 are in a state in which adjacent heating units 50 are connected to each other. In FIG. 5, the lid of the first open end 60a of the heating unit 50 is omitted.

  By connecting the heating units 50, the substrate storage chambers 62 communicate with each other. Therefore, by connecting the heating units 50, it becomes possible to configure one heating furnace provided with a plurality of transport paths of the substrate S. The heating unit 70 may be configured to be provided commonly to the plurality of heating units 50, or may be configured to be individually provided to each of the heating units 50.

  When the heating unit 70 is provided commonly to the plurality of heating units 50, the heating unit 70 can collectively heat the plurality of substrate accommodation chambers 62 formed as one heating furnace. Therefore, the plurality of substrates S transported through different transport paths are collectively heated by the heating unit 70 in one heating furnace. Therefore, the heat treatment can be made more efficient. When the heating unit 70 is provided for each heating unit 50, the heating temperature and the timing of heating may be adjusted for each heating unit 50. In addition, as the heating unit 70, a heating mechanism, an irradiation unit (not shown) that irradiates an electromagnetic wave, or the like can be used.

FIG. 6 is a view showing the arrangement of the heating devices 51 and 52 in the processing chamber 12.
In the configuration shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of (three) heating devices 51 in which a plurality of heating units 50 are connected in the processing chamber 12 are arranged in the Y direction. Thus, by arranging the heating units 50 or the heating devices 51 in the Y direction, the space of the processing chamber 12 is saved as compared with the configuration in which the heating units 50 are arranged in the X direction as shown in FIG. can do.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the processing chamber 13 is disposed above (+ Z side) the processing chamber 12. The processing chamber 13 is a processing space for performing exposure processing on the substrate S. In the processing chamber 13, an exposure apparatus EX is provided as the processing apparatus 10. The exposure apparatus EX irradiates the resist layer coated on the substrate S in the coating apparatus 41 with exposure light through the pattern of the mask. In the processing chamber 13, guide rollers R10 and R11 for guiding the substrate S at positions where the exposure light of the exposure apparatus EX is irradiated are disposed.

  An opening 90 is formed in the partition member 14c. The opening 90 is formed by penetrating the partition member 14 c in the Z direction. The substrate S is guided from the processing chamber 12 to the processing chamber 13 through the opening 90 by the guide rollers R8 and R9. Also, the substrate S is guided from the processing chamber 13 to the processing chamber 12 through the opening 90 by the guide rollers R12 and R13. Thus, the opening 90 is a portion through which the substrate S passes.

  Inside the opening 90, a vibration removing device (adjustment mechanism) 91 is provided for removing the vibration of the substrate S guided by the transfer device 20 (for example, guide rollers R8 to R13). The vibration removing device 91 is configured to remove the vibration transmitted to the substrate S by releasing the tension of the substrate S and reducing the vibration transferability of the substrate S. Therefore, the vibration removing device 91 in the present embodiment has tension removing mechanisms 92 and 93 for releasing the tension of the substrate S. In addition, the vibration removal apparatus 91 should just reduce vibration to the extent which a processing apparatus can accept, without completely removing the vibration of the board | substrate S. Thus, the tension relief mechanism can also be referred to as a tension relief mechanism.

  The tension canceling mechanism 92 is disposed upstream of the exposure apparatus EX (guide roller R10) in the transport direction of the substrate S. More specifically, the tension release mechanism 92 is disposed between the guide roller R8 and the guide roller R9. The tension canceling mechanism 93 is disposed downstream of the exposure apparatus EX (guide roller R11) in the transport direction of the substrate S. More specifically, the tension release mechanism 93 is disposed between the guide roller R12 and the guide roller R13.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the tension release mechanisms 92 and 93. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 8, the tension release mechanisms 92 and 93 have direction changing rollers 94a and 94b (direction changing portion 94) and nip rollers 95a and 95b (nip portion 95). The direction change rollers 94 a and 94 b change the transport direction of the substrate S so that the substrate S sags in the gravity direction (−Z direction). Specifically, in the substrate S, a portion Sb between the direction changing roller 94a and the direction changing roller 94b is in a slack state. Further, a temperature control mechanism (substrate temperature control unit) 94c is provided on the direction change roller 94a. The temperature adjustment mechanism 94c adjusts the temperature of the portion of the substrate S in contact with the direction changing roller 94a. The temperature adjustment mechanism 94c can be omitted.

  The nip roller 95a is provided at a position sandwiching the substrate S with the direction changing roller 94a. The nip roller 95b is provided at a position to sandwich the substrate S with the direction changing roller 94b. The nip rollers 95 a and 95 b are connected to the rotation drive unit 96. The rotation drive unit 96 individually adjusts the rotation timing and the number of rotations of the nip rollers 95 a and 95 b. Therefore, the substrate S can be transported in a state in which the slack portion Sb is formed.

  In addition, the transport speed is different between a portion of the substrate S sandwiched between the direction changing roller 94a and the nip roller 95a and a portion of the substrate S sandwiched by the direction changing roller 94b and the nip roller 95b. The substrate S can be transported. Therefore, the substrate S can be transported while adjusting the dimension of the slack portion Sb.

  As described above, when the tension release mechanisms 92 and 93 form the slack portion Sb to release the tension of the substrate S, the vibration from the upstream side of the direction changing roller 94a and the nip roller 95a is reduced. For this reason, the transmission of the vibration of the substrate S is suppressed between the processing chamber 12 and the processing chamber 13 sandwiching the tension canceling mechanisms 92 and 93. Therefore, in the exposure apparatus EX disposed in the processing chamber 13, the exposure processing is performed without being affected by the vibrations in the processing chamber 11 and the processing chamber 12. Since such tension release mechanisms 92 and 93 are disposed on the partition member 14c, the space of the processing chambers 11 to 13 of the substrate processing unit 3 can be efficiently used.

  Next, a process of manufacturing a display element (electronic device) such as an organic EL element or a liquid crystal display element using the substrate processing apparatus 100 configured as described above will be described. The substrate processing apparatus 100 manufactures the display element according to the control of the control unit CONT.

  First, the substrate S wound around a roller (not shown) is attached to the substrate supply unit 2. The control part CONT rotates a roller (not shown) so that the substrate S is sent out from the substrate supply part 2 from this state. Then, the substrate S that has passed through the substrate processing unit 3 is taken up by a roller (not shown) provided in the substrate recovery unit 4.

  The control unit CONT appropriately sets the substrate S in the substrate processing unit 3 by the transfer device 20 of the substrate processing unit 3 until the substrate S is fed out from the substrate supply unit 2 and taken up by the substrate recovery unit 4. Transport it. The control unit CONT first carries the substrate S into the processing chamber 11 of the substrate processing unit 3. The operation of the control unit CONT will be described below.

  The substrate S carried into the processing chamber 11 is carried into the coating device 41 via the guide roller R1 shown in FIG. In the coating device 41, the substrate S is transported in the + X direction by the guide roller R2. In the process of conveyance, a coating film of a photosensitive agent is formed on the surface to be processed Sa of the substrate S. The substrate S processed in the coating device 41 is transported to the processing chamber 12 through the connection portion 15 by the guidance of the guide roller R3.

  The substrate S carried into the processing chamber 12 is carried into the substrate storage chamber 62 from the substrate carry-in port 61 of the heating device 51 through the guide roller R4 (see FIG. 3). In the substrate storage chamber 62, the substrate S is heated in a state where the substrate S is bent a plurality of times, and heating of the substrate S is performed in this transport state. For this reason, the heat treatment using the space of the substrate storage chamber 62 efficiently is performed. In the heating device 51, the coating film formed on the substrate S is dried by heating. After the heating process is performed, the substrate S carried out from the substrate outlet 63 is transported to the opening 90 through the guide rollers R5, R6 and R7.

  The substrate S that has reached the opening 90 is carried into the tension release mechanism 92 by the guide roller R8. In the tension release mechanism 92, the substrate S is slackened by causing the conveyance speed to be different between a portion sandwiched by the direction changing roller 94a and the nip roller 95a and a portion sandwiched by the direction changing roller 94b and the nip roller 95b. A portion Sb is formed.

  After the slack portion Sb is formed, the transport speeds of the substrate S by the direction changing rollers 94a and 94b and the nip rollers 95a and 95b are equalized. By this operation, the substrate S is unloaded from the tension release mechanism 92 in a state where the slack portion Sb is formed. The substrate S is transported to the processing chamber 13 through the guide roller R9.

  The vibration transmitted from the processing chamber 12 through the substrate S is removed at the slack portion Sb of the substrate S. For this reason, transmission of vibration to the processing chamber 13 via the substrate S is suppressed. When the temperature control mechanism 94c is provided in the direction change roller 94a, the temperature adjustment of the substrate S is performed in the direction change roller 94a. Here, for example, the temperature is adjusted to a temperature suitable for exposure processing.

  The substrate S carried into the processing chamber 13 is transported by the guide rollers R10 and R11. The exposure process is performed on the substrate S by the exposure apparatus EX. A predetermined area | region is photosensitive among the coating films formed in the to-be-processed surface Sa of the board | substrate S by exposure processing. After the exposure processing is completed, the substrate S is inserted into the opening 90, and then carried into the tension release mechanism 93 through the guide roller R12.

  In the tension release mechanism 93, a slack portion Sb is formed on the substrate S as in the above-described tension release mechanism 92. Therefore, the vibration transmitted from the processing chamber 12 through the substrate S is removed at the slack portion Sb of the substrate S. On the other hand, as described above, the slack portion Sb is also formed in the tension release mechanism 92. For this reason, in the portion disposed in the processing chamber 13 of the substrate S, the transmission of the vibration from the processing chamber 12 is removed in both of the tension releasing mechanism 92 and the tension releasing mechanism 93.

  When the vibrations of the guide rollers R8 to R13 and the heating devices 51 and 52 are transmitted to the substrate S, the substrate S and other parts may vibrate at the exposure light irradiation position of the exposure device EX, which may lower the exposure accuracy. There is. Therefore, by using the vibration removing device 91 to remove the vibration of the substrate S in the portion across the exposure apparatus EX, a decrease in the exposure accuracy is suppressed.

  The substrate S transported from the processing chamber 13 to the processing chamber 12 is carried into the heating device 52 via the guide rollers R14, R15 and R16. In the heating device 52, heat treatment is performed on the sensitized coating film. After the heat treatment is performed, the substrate S carried out of the heating device 52 is inserted into the connection portion 16 through the guide roller R17, and is transported to the processing chamber 11 through the connection portion 16.

  The substrate S transported to the processing chamber 11 is carried into the developing device 42 via the guide rollers R18 and R19. In the developing device 42, the substrate S is transported by the guide roller R20 while being immersed in the developer, and development processing is performed in the process of transportation. The substrate S subjected to the development processing is carried out of the developing device 42 by the guide roller R21 and carried into the cleaning device 43 through the guide rollers R22 and R23.

  In the cleaning device 43, the substrate S is transported by the guide roller R24 while being immersed in the cleaning fluid, and the cleaning process is performed in the process of transportation. The substrate S subjected to the cleaning process is carried out of the cleaning device 43 by the guide roller R 25, and then conveyed to the processing chamber 12 through the connection portion 17.

  The substrate S transported to the processing chamber 12 is carried into the heating device 53 via the guide roller R26. In the heating device 52, a heat treatment for drying the cleaned substrate S, a heat treatment for heating the coating film, and the like are performed. After the heat treatment is performed, the substrate S carried out of the heating device 53 is transported to the processing chamber 11 via the connection portion 18 by the guidance of the guide roller R27.

  The substrate S transported to the processing chamber 11 is carried into the plating apparatus 44. In the plating apparatus 44, the substrate S is transported by the guide roller R28 while being immersed in the plating solution, and the plating process is performed in the process of transportation. A predetermined pattern is formed on the substrate S subjected to the plating process. The substrate S after the plating process is carried out of the plating apparatus 44 by the guide roller R 29 and conveyed to the processing chamber 12 through the connection portion 19. In the processing chamber 12, the sheet is carried into a heating device (not shown) via the guide roller R30, and heat treatment is performed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the processing units 3 that perform different types of processing on the substrate S are disposed, and the processing steps (common sub-processes) common to all of the processing units 3 are performed. Are disposed in the same processing chamber. Furthermore, the substrate S is transported so that the substrate S can be transported across the processing chambers 11 to 13 and the substrate S enters and exits the processing chambers 11 to 13 a plurality of times. Since the transport device 20 is provided, the space of the substrate processing unit 3 can be efficiently used.

For example, as in the present embodiment, when forming a component of a display element, heat treatment is frequently performed, so a large number of heating devices are provided. When the heating devices are collectively arranged in one processing chamber 12 as in the present embodiment, thermal energy can be efficiently used. Further, the processing chamber 12 in which the heating apparatus is disposed is disposed in the middle hierarchy in the Z direction, and the processing chamber 11 (wet processing) and the processing chamber 13 (exposure processing) are disposed with the processing chamber 12 interposed therebetween. Therefore, the heating device can be easily accessed. For this reason, the conveyance path of substrate S of the whole device can be shortened. Further, in the processing chamber 12, a plurality of heating devices are arranged side by side so as to overlap in the X direction and the Y direction, so the space of the processing chamber 12 can be saved. For this reason, the area of the site required for installing the substrate processing apparatus 100 can be reduced.
Further, in FIG. 2, a combination of a coating device, a heating device, an exposure device, a developing device, a cleaning device, and a plating device has been described as an example of the processing device 10, but the combination is not limited to this combination. Also, a plurality of the processing devices 10 may be arranged in the X direction or the Y direction. That is, the constituent elements of the display element are sequentially formed on the substrate S by conveying the substrate S to the coating device of another processing apparatus 10 through the guide roller R30 and repeating the above operation. In this case, when a plurality of processing apparatuses 10 are arranged, the exposure accuracy and the resolution of the plurality of exposure apparatuses EX may be different from each other.
When a plurality of processing apparatuses 10 are arranged in the Y direction, as described above, a configuration in which a plurality of heating units 50 as shown in FIG. 5, that is, adjacent heating units 50 are connected can be used.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, as the configuration of the vibration removing device 91, the tension removing mechanisms 92 and 93 as shown in FIG. 8 are used, but the present invention is not limited to this. The vibration removing device 91 may be configured as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, for example.
FIG. 9 shows vibration absorbing mechanisms 192 and 193 as another configuration example of the tension release mechanisms 92 and 93 in the vibration removing device 91.
The vibration absorbing mechanisms 192 and 193 have direction changing rollers 194 a and 194 b (direction changing portion 194) and a vibration absorbing portion 196.

  The vibration absorbing portion 196 includes a roller 196a, a roller support portion 196b, a spring member 196c, and a wall portion 196d.

  The roller 196a is disposed between the turning roller 194a and the turning roller 194b. A portion Sc of the substrate S, which has been turned, is hung on the roller 196a. The roller 196a is attached to the wall 196d via a roller support 196b and a spring member 196c. For this reason, the vibration of the substrate S is absorbed by the roller 196a and the spring member 196c in the portion Sc.

FIG. 10 shows vibration absorbing mechanisms 292 and 293 as another configuration example of the tension release mechanisms 92 and 93 in the vibration removing device 91.
The vibration absorbing mechanisms 292 and 293 have direction changing rollers 294 a and 294 b (direction changing portion 294) and a vibration absorbing portion 297. The vibration absorbing portion 297 has a roller 297a and a vibration absorbing layer 297b formed on the cylindrical surface of the roller 297a.

  The roller 297a is disposed between the turning roller 294a and the turning roller 294b. A part of the substrate S, which is changed in direction, is hung on the roller 297a. For the vibration absorbing layer 297b, for example, a vibration absorbing material such as sorbosein is used. In the configuration shown in FIG. 10, since the vibration of the substrate S is absorbed by the vibration absorbing layer 297b formed on the roller 297a, the structure can be simplified.

FIG. 11 shows vibration applying mechanisms 392 and 393 as another configuration example of the tension release mechanisms 92 and 93 in the vibration removing device 91.
The vibration applying mechanisms 392 and 393 have direction changing rollers 394 a and 394 b (direction changing portion 394) and a vibration generating portion 398. The vibration generating unit 398 includes a roller 398a, a vibration adjusting unit 398b that vibrates the roller 398a, and a sensor 398c that detects vibration at a position downstream of the roller 398a in the substrate S.

  The roller 398a is disposed between the turning roller 394a and the turning roller 394b. A part of the substrate S, which is changed in direction, is hung on the roller 398a. The vibration adjustment unit 398 b generates a vibration that cancels the vibration of the substrate S based on the detection result of the sensor 398 c. Therefore, in the configuration shown in FIG. 11, the transmission of the vibration of the substrate S can be suppressed by canceling the vibration of the substrate S at the roller 398a.

  As shown in FIG. 12, for example, in the configuration of the tension canceling mechanism 92, the direction changing roller 94a and the nip roller 95a are disposed in the processing chamber 12, and the direction changing roller 94b and the nip roller 95b are the processing chamber. In the configuration of the tension release mechanism 93, the direction changing roller 94a and the nip roller 95a are arranged in the processing chamber 13, and the direction changing roller 94b and the nip roller 95b are arranged in the processing chamber 12. It does not matter.

Similarly, in the configuration of the vibration absorbing mechanism 192 shown in FIG. 9, for example, the direction changing roller 194 a and the roller 196 a are disposed in the processing chamber 12, the direction changing roller 194 b is disposed in the processing chamber 13, and the configuration of the vibration absorbing mechanism 193. Alternatively, the direction changing roller 194 a may be disposed in the processing chamber 13, and the roller 196 a and the direction changing roller 194 b may be disposed in the processing chamber 12. Further, as the wall portion 196d, for example, a partition member 14b can be used.
Further, in the configuration of the vibration absorbing mechanism 292 shown in FIG. 10, for example, in the configuration of the vibration absorbing mechanism 293, the direction changing roller 294a and the roller 297a are disposed in the processing chamber 12, and the direction changing roller 294 b is disposed in the processing chamber 13. The direction changing roller 294 a may be disposed in the processing chamber 13, and the roller 297 a and the direction changing roller 294 b may be disposed in the processing chamber 12.
Furthermore, in the configuration of the vibration applying mechanism 392 shown in FIG. 11, for example, the direction changing roller 394 a and the roller 398 a are disposed in the processing chamber 12, the direction changing roller 394 b is disposed in the processing chamber 13, and the configuration of the vibration absorbing mechanism 393 is The direction changing roller 394 a may be disposed in the processing chamber 13, and the roller 398 a and the direction changing roller 394 b may be disposed in the processing chamber 12.

  Further, in the configuration of the tension release mechanisms 92 and 93 shown in FIG. 8, the direction changing roller 94 a and the nip roller 95 a, and the direction changing roller 94 b and the nip roller 95 b are at least one of the processing chamber 12 and the processing chamber 13. It may be arranged. FIG. 13 shows a configuration in which the direction changing rollers 94 a and 94 b and the nip rollers 95 a and 95 b are disposed in the processing chamber 13.

Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the structure by which the vibration removal apparatus 91 was provided between the process chamber 12 and the process chamber 13 was mentioned as the example and demonstrated, it does not restrict to this.
For example, as shown in FIG. 14, between the processing chamber 12 and the processing chamber 13, in addition to the vibration removing device 91, a foreign material movement suppressing device 84 for suppressing the movement of foreign particles, and movement of gas and liquid are regulated. The fluid movement control device 85, a temperature control device (substrate temperature control unit) 86 for adjusting the temperature of the substrate S, or the like may be provided.
In FIG. 14, the foreign material movement suppression device 84, the fluid movement restriction device 85, the temperature adjustment device 86, and the vibration removal device 91 are disposed in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction of the substrate S. Further, at least one of the vibration removing device 91, the foreign matter movement suppressing device 84, the fluid movement regulating device 85, and the temperature adjusting device 86 may be disposed between the processing chamber 11 and the processing chamber 12.

  The foreign object movement suppression device 84 has an air curtain forming portion 84 a and a stage 84 b. The foreign object movement suppression device 84 forms an air curtain on the substrate S supported by the stage 84 b by the air curtain forming unit 84 a. The air curtain removes foreign matter on the substrate S.

  Further, the fluid movement regulating device 85 has an upstream roller 85a, a downstream roller 85b, and a gas injection unit 85c. FIG. 15 is a plan view showing the configuration of the fluid movement regulating device 85. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the fluid movement regulating device 85 jets the gas from the gas jet unit 85c to the substrate S conveyed while being put on the upstream roller 85a and the downstream roller 85b. Do.

  For example, with respect to the substrate S in a state of being hung on the upstream roller 85a and the downstream roller 85b, the gas injection unit 85c is located on the −Y side, the + X side, and in the −Y and + X directions. And at least one of the positions in between. By injecting a gas onto the substrate S, it is possible to remove the liquid attached to the surface of the substrate S by the gas or the gas floating on the surface of the substrate.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the temperature control device 86 adjusts the temperature of the substrate S from which the fluid has been removed. The temperature control device 86 includes a roller 86a and a temperature control mechanism 86b. In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the temperature adjustment mechanism 94c is provided to the direction changing roller 94a is described as an example, but temperature adjustment of the substrate S can be performed separately from this.

  Each of the foreign matter movement suppression device 84, the fluid movement restriction device 85, the temperature control device 86, and the vibration removal device 91 is not limited to the configuration disposed between the processing chamber 12 and the processing chamber 13; It may be arranged between the processing chamber 12 and the processing chamber 12.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the structure which arrange | positions the process chambers 11-13 hierarchically to a Z direction was mentioned as an example and demonstrated, it does not restrict to this. For example, the processing chambers 11 to 13 may be arranged in the X direction or the Y direction. Further, even when each of the processing chambers 11 to 13 is formed as an independent apparatus or factory, the application of the present invention is possible.

In the above embodiment, the substrate S is transported such that the processing surface Sa of the substrate S faces a direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity (a direction parallel to the XY plane). Alternatively, the substrate S may be transported in a state in which the processing surface Sa of the substrate S faces in a direction parallel to the direction of gravity (the substrate S is erected). In this case, in the tension release mechanisms 92 and 93, when the substrate S is bent in the direction of gravity, the treated surface Sa of the substrate S can be partially oriented in the direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity.
Further, in FIG. 2, a combination of a coating device, a heating device, an exposure device, a developing device, a cleaning device, and a plating device has been described as an example of the processing device 10, but the combination is not limited to this combination. Also, a plurality of the processing devices 10 may be arranged in the X direction or the Y direction. That is, the constituent elements of the display element are sequentially formed on the substrate S by conveying the substrate S to the coating device of another processing apparatus 10 through the guide roller R30 and repeating the above operation. In this case, when a plurality of processing apparatuses 10 are arranged, the exposure accuracy and the resolution of the plurality of exposure apparatuses EX may be different from each other. When a plurality of processing apparatuses 10 are arranged in the Y direction, as described above, a configuration in which a plurality of heating units 50 as shown in FIG. 5, that is, adjacent heating units 50 are connected can be used.
In the present embodiment, the pressure in the processing chambers 11 to 13 may be adjusted independently.
For example, in the processing chamber 13 accommodating the exposure apparatus EX, the pressure in the processing chamber 13 is processed so that foreign particles (particles) adhering to the surface of the optical system do not intrude from other processing chambers, for example, the processing chamber 12 It is desirable to keep the pressure higher than that of the chamber 12. In addition, since a plurality of liquids are used in the processing chamber 11, it is desirable that the pressure in the processing chamber 13 be higher than the pressure in the processing chamber 12 so that the liquids do not enter the processing chamber 12.
The pressure in the three processing chambers is the highest in the processing chamber 13 and the lowest in the processing chamber 11 among the three processing chambers, and the processing chamber 12 is between the processing chamber 13 and the processing chamber 11. It may be set to the pressure of

  S: Substrate CONT: Control unit EX: Exposure device R (R1 to R30): Guide roller (guiding unit) 3: Substrate processing unit (processing unit) 10: Processing device 41: Coating device 42: Development device 43: Cleaning device 44 ... plating apparatus 11 to 13 ... processing chamber (first processing chamber, second processing chamber, third processing chamber) 15 to 19 ... connection unit 20 ... transport device (conveying unit) 45 ... waste liquid recovery unit (collection pipe, recovery unit) 51-53 ... heating device 60 ... chamber 61 ... substrate loading port (loading port) 62 ... substrate storage chamber (storage chamber) 63 ... substrate unloading port (delivery port) 70 ... heating unit 84 ... foreign object movement suppression device 85 ... fluid Movement control device 86 Temperature control device (substrate temperature control unit) 91 Vibration removal device (adjustment mechanism) 92, 93 Tension release mechanism 96 Rotational drive unit 100 Substrate processing device 192, 193 Vibration absorption mechanism 292 293 ... vibration absorption mechanism 392, 393 ... vibration applying mechanism

Claims (7)

A pattern forming method of forming a pattern of an electronic device on the substrate by conveying a flexible strip-like substrate in a longitudinal direction to an exposure apparatus and processing it, and then conveying it to a wet processing apparatus,
The exposure apparatus is installed in a first processing chamber partitioned by a partition member, and the wet processing apparatus is installed in a second processing chamber located below the first processing chamber in the gravity direction.
The substrate on which the photosensitive agent is applied is carried into the exposure apparatus in the lengthwise direction through the opening provided in the partition member of the first processing chamber, and the coating film of the substrate by the photosensitive agent is applied to the electronic device Exposing the pattern;
In the wet processing apparatus, the substrate exposed by the exposure apparatus is extended in a longitudinal direction through a connection portion provided on a partition member which divides the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber in the gravity direction. Conveying and treating the coating film with a liquid;
A pattern forming method including: The pattern forming method according to claim 1,
The wet processing apparatus installed in the second processing chamber
A coating apparatus for forming the coating film on the surface of the substrate before the exposure processing by the exposure apparatus;
And a developing device for processing the coating film of the substrate exposed by the exposure device with a developer.
Pattern formation method. The pattern forming method according to claim 2,
The coating unit in the second processing chamber, the exposure unit in the first processing chamber, and the second processing, by a transport unit including a plurality of rollers for transporting the substrate in the longitudinal direction. Conveying the substrate in the order of the developing devices in the room;
Pattern formation method. The pattern forming method according to claim 3,
In order to transport the substrate between the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber, the transport unit is provided on each of the first processing chamber side and the second processing chamber side. A roller that folds the substrate in the direction of gravity,
Pattern formation method. It is the pattern formation method as described in any one of Claims 1-4, Comprising:
The second processing chamber is provided with a recovery unit configured to recover waste generated by the wet processing apparatus.
Pattern formation method. It is the pattern formation method as described in any one of Claims 1-4, Comprising:
Making the pressure in the first processing chamber higher than the pressure in the second processing chamber,
Pattern formation method. The pattern forming method according to claim 3,
The substrate is transported by the plurality of rollers of the transport unit so as to pass through a third processing chamber disposed between the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber in the gravity direction, and the coating apparatus Drying or removing the coating film applied to the substrate by the treatment in step or the liquid attached to the substrate by treatment in the developing device while the substrate passes through the third treatment chamber;
Pattern formation method.

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