JP7279096B2 - NOZZLE CLEANING DEVICE, NOZZLE CLEANING METHOD, AND COATING DEVICE - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is for precision electronic devices such as glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, semiconductor substrates, glass substrates for PDPs, glass substrates for photomasks, substrates for color filters, substrates for recording disks, substrates for solar cells, and substrates for electronic paper. A coating device for coating a substrate, a rectangular glass substrate, a flexible film liquid crystal substrate, an organic EL substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrate") by discharging a coating liquid from a discharge port provided at the lower end of a nozzle. Also, the present invention relates to a nozzle cleaning technique for cleaning the nozzle by removing deposits adhering to the lower end of the nozzle with a nozzle abutting member.

2. Description of the Related Art A nozzle having a slit-shaped ejection opening is generally used to supply a coating liquid to a substrate, as described in Patent Document 1, for example. With such a nozzle, the coating liquid may adhere to the lower end of the nozzle. When the deposit dries, hardens, and falls onto the substrate, it contaminates the substrate. Therefore, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, before the coating liquid is supplied from the nozzle to the substrate, the coating liquid adhering to the side surface of the lower end portion of the nozzle is removed by a nozzle abutting member and cleaned. In addition, the film is arranged so as to cover the nozzle contact member from below, and the coating liquid removed by the nozzle contact member is collected in the center of the film and then discharged to the outside of the coating device.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-37092

Replacement of the film is performed manually. Therefore, when attaching the film, wrinkles are likely to occur. It takes a considerable amount of time to completely eliminate wrinkles. Moreover, even if it is attached without wrinkles, wrinkles may occur due to aging or carelessness of the operator. When wrinkles occur due to such factors, the coating liquid stays in the wrinkled portions, making it difficult to stably collect the coating liquid and discharge it to the outside of the coating apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle cleaning technique capable of smoothly discharging the coating liquid removed from the lower end of the nozzle to the outside of the coating apparatus.

A first aspect of the present invention is a nozzle cleaning device for cleaning a nozzle, which is installed in a coating device for coating a substrate with a coating liquid by discharging a coating liquid from a slit-shaped discharge port provided at the lower end of a nozzle. a deposit removing portion supported by a supporting member with the nozzle contact member directed toward the lower end of the nozzle; and a moving part for moving the deposit removing part to the bottom of the deposit removing part, and the coating liquid flowing downward through the deposit removing part after being removed by the movement of the nozzle abutting member by the moving part is collected below the deposit removing part. and a discharging part for guiding the coating liquid collected by the collecting part to the outside of the coating apparatus and discharging the coating liquid. and sidewalls erected from the sides of the bottom, the coating liquid is caused to flow toward the discharge part along the recovery area formed by the bottom and the sidewalls , and the recovery part is and an opening/closing member capable of freely opening and closing a drain opening formed in the structure so as to face the discharge part at the accumulation portion where the coating solution is collected at the lowest point in the vertical direction in the recovery area, and the opening/closing member The coating liquid is stored in the recovery area by closing the drainage port, and the coating liquid flows out to the discharge portion by releasing the closure of the drainage port by the opening/closing member and opening the drainage port. is characterized by
In a second aspect of the present invention, a nozzle cleaning device is installed in a coating device for coating a substrate with a coating liquid by discharging a coating liquid from a slit-shaped discharge port provided at the lower end of a nozzle, and cleaning the nozzle. The apparatus comprises: a deposit removal section supported by a support member with a nozzle contact member directed toward the lower end of the nozzle; a moving part for moving the deposit removing part in the installation direction; and a discharging part for guiding the coating liquid collected by the collecting part to the outside of the coating apparatus and discharging the coating liquid, and the collecting part is inclined toward the discharging part below the deposit removing part. a structure having a bottom portion having an inner bottom surface and sidewalls erected from the side portions of the bottom portion, the coating liquid flowing toward the discharge portion along a recovery area formed by the bottom portion and the sidewalls; The recovery unit is moved in the extension direction integrally with the deposit removal unit in a state where the inner bottom surface covers the deposit removal unit from below in plan view from vertically above. Characterized by
In a third aspect of the present invention, a nozzle cleaning device is installed in a coating device for coating a substrate with a coating liquid by discharging a coating liquid from a slit-shaped discharge port provided at the lower end of a nozzle, and cleaning the nozzle. The apparatus comprises: a deposit removal section supported by a support member with a nozzle contact member directed toward the lower end of the nozzle; a moving part for moving the deposit removing part in the installation direction; and a discharging part for guiding the coating liquid collected by the collecting part to the outside of the coating apparatus and discharging the coating liquid, and the collecting part is inclined toward the discharging part below the deposit removing part. a structure having a bottom portion having an inner bottom surface and sidewalls erected from the side portions of the bottom portion, the coating liquid flowing toward the discharge portion along a recovery area formed by the bottom portion and the sidewalls; The collecting portion has a bottom portion extending along a movement range of the nozzle contact member by the moving portion, side walls extending from a pair of side portions of the bottom portion in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the extending direction, and a cross section having a concave shape. and the adhering substance removing section has a shooter that moves integrally with the support member and receives the coating liquid that flows downward along the support member below the support member and causes it to flow down to the gutter member. It is characterized by having

A fourth aspect of the present invention is a nozzle cleaning method for cleaning a nozzle in a coating device that applies a coating liquid by discharging the coating liquid from a slit-shaped discharge port provided at the lower end of the nozzle. and moving the adhered matter removing portion supported by the support member with the nozzle contact member directed toward the lower end of the nozzle in the extending direction of the discharge port while the nozzle contact member is in contact with the lower end of the nozzle. a first step of removing the coating liquid adhering to the lower end portion of the nozzle by the nozzle contact member; and a third step of discharging the recovered coating liquid to the outside of the coating apparatus through the discharge section. A structure having a bottom portion with a bottom surface that slopes downward toward the discharge portion, sidewalls that stand upright from the side portions of the bottom portion, and the lowest coating in the vertical direction of the collection area formed by the bottom portion and the sidewalls The coating liquid is recovered by a recovery section composed of an opening/closing member that can be freely opened/closed with respect to the drainage port that is opened in the structure so as to face the discharge section at the collecting portion where the liquid is collected, and the liquid is drained by the opening/closing member . It is a step of storing the coating liquid in the recovery area by closing the port , and allowing the coating liquid to flow out to the discharge part by releasing the closure of the drainage port by the opening and closing member and opening the drainage port. is characterized by
A fifth aspect of the present invention is a nozzle cleaning method for cleaning a nozzle in a coating device that applies a coating liquid by ejecting the coating liquid from a slit-shaped ejection opening provided at the lower end of the nozzle. and moving the adhered matter removing portion supported by the support member with the nozzle contact member directed toward the lower end of the nozzle in the extending direction of the discharge port while the nozzle contact member is in contact with the lower end of the nozzle. a first step of removing the coating liquid adhering to the lower end portion of the nozzle by the nozzle contact member; and a third step of discharging the recovered coating liquid to the outside of the coating apparatus through the discharge section. It is composed of a structure having a bottom portion having an inner bottom surface that slopes downward toward the discharge portion and side walls that stand upright from the side portions of the bottom portion, and the inner bottom surface is a deposit removal portion in plan view from vertically above. is arranged to cover from below, the coating liquid is recovered by the recovering part that moves in the extending direction integrally with the deposit removing part, and along the recovery area formed by the bottom and the side wall, the discharging part It is characterized by being a process of flowing toward.
A sixth aspect of the present invention is a nozzle cleaning method for cleaning a nozzle in a coating device that applies a coating liquid by discharging the coating liquid from a slit-shaped discharge port provided at the lower end of the nozzle, comprising: and moving the adhered matter removing portion supported by the support member with the nozzle contact member directed toward the lower end of the nozzle in the extending direction of the discharge port while the nozzle contact member is in contact with the lower end of the nozzle. a first step of removing the coating liquid adhering to the lower end portion of the nozzle by the nozzle contact member; and a third step of discharging the recovered coating liquid to the outside of the coating apparatus through the discharge section. It has a bottom portion having an inner bottom surface that slopes downward toward the discharge portion, and side walls that stand upright from the side portions of the bottom portion, the bottom portion extending along the movement range and the side walls extending in the extending direction. The coating liquid is recovered by a recovering part, which is a gutter member having a concave cross-section, standing from a pair of side parts of the bottom in the horizontal direction perpendicular to each other, and is discharged to the discharge part along the recovery area formed by the bottom and the side walls. The deposit removing unit has a shooter that moves integrally with the support member, and causes the coating liquid removed by the nozzle contact member to flow downward through the deposit removing unit. The method is characterized in that the coating liquid flowing downward along the support member is caught by a shooter below the support member and allowed to flow down to the gutter member.

Further, according to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the coating liquid is discharged from a slit-shaped discharge port provided at the lower end of the nozzle to apply the coating liquid to the substrate, and the nozzle cleaning device is provided. It is characterized by

In the invention configured as described above, the coating liquid is removed from the nozzle by the nozzle abutting member provided in the deposit removing section. This coating liquid flows downward through the deposit removal section and is recovered by the recovery section. The recovery section is composed of a structure having a bottom having a bottom surface that slopes toward the discharge section below the deposit removal section and side walls that stand upright from the sides of the bottom. In this recovery part, the coating liquid flows toward the discharge part along the recovery area formed by the bottom and side walls. Then, the coating liquid is discharged to the outside of the coating device through the discharge portion.

As described above, according to the present invention, the coating liquid removed from the lower end portion of the nozzle can be smoothly discharged to the outside of the coating apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a perspective view which shows typically the coating device equipped with one Embodiment of the nozzle washing|cleaning apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a side view which shows typically the coating device shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a top view schematically showing the arrangement of each part of the coating apparatus shown in FIG. 1; 1 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a cleaning unit that is a first embodiment of a nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a deposit removal section and a collection section of the cleaning unit shown in FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a cleaning unit that is a second embodiment of the nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention; FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an attached matter removing section and a collecting section of the washing unit shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a coating device equipped with an embodiment of a nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention. Moreover, FIG. 2 is a side view which shows typically the coating device shown in FIG. Furthermore, FIG. 3 is a top view schematically showing the arrangement of each part of the coating apparatus shown in FIG. 1, 2, 3, and subsequent figures, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system with the Z direction as the vertical direction and the XY plane as the horizontal plane is appropriately attached to clarify the directional relationship. The dimensions and numbers of each part are exaggerated or simplified depending on the situation. Also, in FIGS. 2 and 3, some configurations such as a nozzle support are omitted.

The coating device 1 is a coating device called a slit coater that uses a slit nozzle 2 to apply a coating liquid to a surface 31 of a substrate 3, which is an example of an object to be coated. The coating liquid is a dispersion-type coating liquid in which dispersion-type materials such as pigments and microcapsules are dispersed. In the present embodiment, PGMEA (propyleneglycol monomethyl ether acetate), thinner (ether solvents, ketone organic solvents, etc.), A mixture of PGMEA and PEGME (polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether) is used. Further, the substrate 3 is a glass substrate having a rectangular shape in plan view. In this specification, the “surface 31 of the substrate 3 ” means the main surface of the two main surfaces of the substrate 3 on which the coating liquid is applied.

The coating apparatus 1 includes a stage 4 capable of sucking and holding a substrate 3 in a horizontal posture, a coating processing unit 5 using a nozzle 2 to apply coating processing to the substrate 3 held on the stage 4 , and maintenance processing for the nozzle 2 . and a control section 100 for controlling these sections.

The stage 4 is made of stone material such as granite having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the (-Y) direction side of the upper surface (+Z side) is processed into a substantially horizontal flat surface to hold the substrate 3. It has a holding surface 41 . A large number of vacuum suction ports (not shown) are dispersedly formed on the holding surface 41 . By sucking the substrate 3 with these vacuum suction ports, the substrate 3 is horizontally held at a predetermined position during the coating process. The manner in which the substrate 3 is held is not limited to this, and for example, the substrate 3 may be held mechanically. Further, a nozzle adjustment area RA is provided on the (+Y) direction side of the area occupied by the holding surface 41 on the stage 4. As will be described later, this nozzle adjustment area RA is an embodiment of the nozzle cleaning apparatus according to the present invention. A nozzle maintenance unit 6 having a form is arranged.

The nozzle 2 extends in the X direction. Further, in the YZ cross section, the lower end portion 2a (nozzle lip portion) has a downward tapering shape. A slit-shaped discharge port 21 extends in the X direction at the lower end portion 2a, and the coating liquid pressure-fed from a coating liquid supply portion (not shown) is discharged from the discharge port 21 onto the surface 31 of the substrate 3. be done. As a result, the surface 31 of the substrate 3 is coated with the coating liquid.

The coating processing section 5 has a nozzle support 51 that supports the nozzle 2 . The nozzle support 51 includes a support member 51a extending parallel to the X direction above the stage 4, and two elevating mechanisms 51b that support the support member 51a from both sides in the X direction and raise and lower the support member 51a. have The support member 51a is a rod member made of carbon fiber reinforced resin or the like and having a rectangular cross section. The lower surface of the support member 51a serves as a mounting location 510 for the nozzle 2, and the support member 51a detachably supports the nozzle 2 at the mounting location 510. As shown in FIG. As a mechanism for attaching and detaching the nozzle 2 to and from the mounting portion 510 of the support member 51a, various fastening mechanisms such as latches and screws can be used as appropriate.

The two elevating mechanisms 51b are connected to both ends of the support member 51a in the longitudinal direction, and each have an AC servomotor, a ball screw, and the like. The support member 51a and the nozzle 2 fixed thereto are moved up and down in the vertical direction (Z direction) by these elevating mechanisms 51b. A relative height of the outlet 21 is adjusted. The vertical position of the support member 51a is, for example, although not shown, a scale provided on the side surface of the lifting mechanism 51b and a side surface of the nozzle 2 facing the scale. It can be detected by a linear encoder configured with a detection sensor.

As shown in FIG. 1, the nozzle support 51 configured in this manner has a bridge structure that straddles the holding surface 41 and spans the left and right ends of the stage 4 along the X direction. The coating processing section 5 has a slit nozzle moving section 53 that moves the nozzle support 51 in the Y direction. The slit nozzle moving part 53 is a relative movement means for relatively moving the nozzle support 51 as a bridging structure and the nozzle 2 supported by this along the Y direction with respect to the substrate 3 held on the stage 4. function as Specifically, the slit nozzle moving unit 53 includes, on each of the ±X sides, a guide rail 52 that guides the movement of the nozzle 2 in the Y direction, a linear motor 54 that is a driving source, and a discharge port 21 of the nozzle 2. and a linear encoder 55 for detecting the position.

The two guide rails 52 are provided at both ends of the stage 4 in the X direction, and extend in the Y direction so as to include the section in which the nozzle adjustment area RA and the holding surface 41 are provided. Each of the two guide rails 52 guides the movement of the two lifting mechanisms 51b in the Y direction. The two linear motors 54 are provided on both sides of the stage 4 and are AC coreless linear motors having a stator 54a and a mover 54b. The stator 54a is provided along the Y direction on the side surface of the stage 4 in the X direction. On the other hand, the mover 54b is fixed outside the lifting mechanism 51b. The two linear motors 54 drive the two lifting mechanisms 51b in the Y direction by magnetic forces generated between the stator 54a and the mover 54b.

Each linear encoder 55 has a scale portion 55a and a detection portion 55b. The scale portion 55a is provided along the Y direction under the stator 54a of the linear motor 54 fixed to the stage 4. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, the detector 55b is fixed further outside the mover 54b of the linear motor 54 fixed to the lifting mechanism 51b, and arranged to face the scale 55a. The linear encoder 55 detects the position of the ejection port 21 of the nozzle 2 in the Y direction based on the relative positional relationship between the scale portion 55a and the detection portion 55b.

By driving the nozzle support 51 in the Y direction, the slit nozzle moving unit 53 configured in this manner moves the nozzle 2 between above the nozzle adjustment area RA and above the substrate 3 held on the stage 4. can be moved. The coating apparatus 1 forms a coating layer on the surface 31 of the substrate 3 by moving the nozzle 2 relative to the substrate 3 while ejecting the coating liquid from the ejection port 21 of the nozzle 2 . A region (frame-shaped region) having a predetermined width from the edge of each side of the substrate 3 is a non-coating region that is not to be coated with the coating liquid. Therefore, the rectangular area of the substrate 3 excluding this non-coating area is the coating area RT to which the coating liquid is to be applied (FIG. 3). Therefore, the coating liquid is discharged from the discharge port 21 that moves in the section above the coating region RT of the substrate 3 in the moving section of the nozzle 2 .

Further, during a period during which the coating process is not performed on the stage 4, such as a period during which the substrate 3 is transferred between the coating apparatus 1 and the external transport mechanism (a period during which the substrate 3 is carried in and out), the nozzle 2 is positioned on the holding surface of the substrate 3. 41 in the (+Y) direction side to the nozzle adjustment area RA (state shown in FIG. 1). Then, the nozzle maintenance unit 6 performs various types of maintenance on the nozzles 2 located in the nozzle adjustment area RA.

As shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle maintenance unit 6 is provided in the nozzle adjustment area RA on the (+Y) direction side (right hand side in the figure) from the area occupied by the holding surface 41, and performs nozzle cleaning of the nozzles 2. It has a function of removing deposits adhering to the nozzle 2. Here, various substances that can adhere to the nozzle 2 can be cited as adherents to be removed. For example, this deposit includes the coating liquid itself and a solidified material obtained by drying and solidifying the solute of the coating liquid.

The nozzle maintenance unit 6 has two types of cleaning units 7 and 8 . The cleaning unit 7 corresponds to the first embodiment of the nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention. In the cleaning unit 7, a scraper (nozzle contact member) moves along the outer surface of the lower end portion 2a (nozzle lip portion) of the nozzle 2 in the X direction while contacting the outer surface (scraping operation). As a result, the scraper scrapes and removes the coating liquid and the like adhering to the lower end portion 2a of the nozzle 2. As shown in FIG. The removed coating liquid is discharged to the outside of the coating apparatus 1 together with the rinsing liquid, which will be described later, through a collection section and a discharge section provided in the cleaning unit 7 . The configuration of the cleaning unit 7 will be detailed later.

The other cleaning unit 8 is a device for removing residual deposits that could not be completely removed by the cleaning unit 7 from the nozzle 2 using a cleaning liquid and ultrasonic vibrations. In this cleaning unit 8 , cleaning liquid for cleaning the lower end portion 2 a of the nozzle 2 is stored in the cleaning tank 81 . With the lower end 2a of the nozzle 2 immersed in the cleaning tank 81, ultrasonic vibration is applied to the lower end 2a through the cleaning liquid to remove residual deposits.

FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a cleaning unit, which is the first embodiment of the nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention. Also, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the deposit removal section and recovery section of the cleaning unit shown in FIG. The cleaning unit 7 includes a deposit removing section 71 , a nozzle cleaning moving section 72 , a collection section 73 and a discharge section 74 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the deposit removing section 71 includes two types of nozzle cleaning members, a spreader 711 and a scraper 712, and a support member 713 that supports the spreader 711 and the scraper 712 in a state of facing the lower end portion 2a of the nozzle 2. and Of these, the spreader 711 has a rinse liquid supply function that spreads the rinse liquid supplied to the lower end portion 2a of the nozzle 2 from a rinse liquid supply mechanism (not shown) onto the lower end portion 2a of the nozzle 2, and the scraper 712 serves as a spreader. It has a draining function of removing the rinse liquid from the lower end portion 2a of the nozzle 2 on the downstream side of the movement direction X of 711 . As a result, deposits on the lower end portion 2a of the nozzle 2 can be removed together with the rinsing liquid. In other words, when a deposit such as a dried and solidified coating liquid adheres to the inclined surface of the lower end portion 2a, the rinse liquid spread by the spreader 711 dissolves the deposit to some extent, and the dissolved substance (deposit ) is removed by the scraper 712 . Thus, in this embodiment, the scraper 712 corresponds to an example of the "nozzle contact member" of the present invention, and has a function of removing the coating liquid adhering to the lower end portion 2a of the nozzle 2 together with the rinsing liquid. there is Since the more detailed configuration and operation of the cleaning unit 7 are the same as those of the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, description thereof will be omitted.

The support member 713 is connected to the nozzle cleaning moving section 72 . The nozzle cleaning movement unit 72 reciprocates the support member 713 in the extension direction X of the ejection port 21 according to a movement command from the control unit 100 . As a result, the spreader 711 and the scraper 712 reciprocate in the X direction within the movement range MR shown in FIG. This movement range MR is below the lower end 2a of the nozzle 2 and has a size slightly wider than the size of the lower end 2a in the X direction. When the nozzle cleaning moving unit 72 moves the adhering substance removing unit 71 from the (+X) direction side to the (−X) direction side, the nozzle 2 moves to clean the cleaning unit 7 as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. located in position. That is, while the scraper 712 is in contact with the lower end portion 2a of the nozzle 2, the deposit removing portion 71 moves from the (+X) direction side to the (−X) direction side. As a result, the cleaning process for the lower end portion 2a of the nozzle 2 is performed. On the other hand, in a state where the cleaning process is completed and the nozzle 2 is separated from the cleaning position of the cleaning unit 7, the adhering substance removing section 71 moves from the (-X) direction side to the (+X) direction side, and the solid line in FIG. It is positioned above the discharge section 74 as shown. In this way, the nozzle cleaning moving section 72 functions as the "moving section" of the present invention.

The coating liquid, rinsing liquid, and the like removed from the lower end portion 2a of the nozzle 2 by the cleaning process (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "removed coating liquid"), as indicated by the dotted line in FIG. It flows downward via the removal section 71 . In order to recover this coating liquid, a recovery section 73 is provided in this embodiment. The recovery unit 73 is configured by a box-shaped structure that opens vertically upward. More specifically, the recovery section 73 has a bottom section 731 that has an opening large enough to cover the deposit removing section 71 from below and a rectangular inner bottom surface 731a that faces the opening. Further, side walls 732 to 735 are erected from the four sides of the bottom portion 731, respectively. As a result, a collection region 736 is formed for collecting the removed coating liquid that falls via the deposit removal section 71 .

The recovery unit 73 configured in this manner is arranged such that the inner bottom surface 731a covers the deposit removing unit 71 from below in a plan view from vertically above, and the deposit removing unit 71 is attached to the deposit removing unit 71 by a bracket (not shown). is connected with Therefore, the collecting section 73 moves in the extension direction X integrally with the deposit removing section 71 by the operation of the nozzle cleaning moving section 72 . Therefore, during the cleaning process of the lower end portion 2 a of the nozzle 2 , the removed coating liquid is continuously recovered in the recovery region 736 of the recovery section 73 .

Further, in this embodiment, the bottom portion 731 is configured such that the inner bottom surface 731 a is inclined toward the discharge portion 74 . As shown in FIG. 4, the discharge section 74 is disposed vertically below the (−Y) direction portion of the recovery section 73 on the (+X) direction side of the movement range MR. Correspondingly, the inner bottom surface 731a is the lowest in the vertical direction Z at the (−Y) direction. Therefore, the coating liquid recovered in the recovery region 736 flows along the inner bottom surface 731a in the (-Y) direction and is accumulated in the (-Y) direction. That is, the (−Y) direction portion corresponds to an example of the “accumulated portion” of the present invention. Further, as indicated by the solid line in FIG. 4, a state in which the adhering matter removing unit 71 and the collecting unit 73 are positioned on the (+X) direction side of the moving range MR (hereinafter referred to as a “cleaning standby state”), that is, the discharging unit 74 A drain port 737 is provided in the bottom portion 731 of the recovery portion 73 to allow the coating liquid recovered by the recovery portion 73 to flow out to the discharge portion 74 in a state where the recovery portion 73 is positioned directly above the . More specifically, a drain port 737 is provided at a location corresponding to the stacking portion 736 a in the recovery section 73 so as to face the discharge section 74 . In this embodiment, the drain port 737 is provided at the (−Y) direction portion of the bottom portion 731 , but the drain port 737 may be provided at the lower end portion of the side wall 732 , for example.

An opening/closing member 738 that can be freely opened and closed with respect to the drain port 737 is provided in the recovery section 73 . Then, while the recovery portion 73 is located outside the position directly above the discharge portion 74 within the movement range MR, the opening/closing member 738 closes the drain port 737 . Therefore, the removed coating liquid is stored in the recovery area 736 during this period. On the other hand, when the deposit removal section 71 and the recovery section 73 are in the cleaning standby state, the recovery section 73 is positioned directly above the discharge section 74 . Therefore, for example, when the operator releases the closure of the drainage port 737 by the opening/closing member 738 to open the drainage port 737 , the recovered application liquid flows out to the discharge portion 74 .

The discharge section 74 has a box-shaped receiving member 741 that opens toward the collection section 73 in the standby state for cleaning, and a pipe 742 extending from the bottom surface of the receiving member 741 to the outside of the coating apparatus 1 . In the discharge section 74 , a receiving member 741 receives the coating liquid discharged from the recovery section 73 and discharges the coating liquid through a pipe 742 to a waste liquid processing device (not shown) provided outside the coating apparatus 1 .

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the coating liquid removed from the nozzle 2 by the scraper 712 provided in the adhering matter removing section 71 is discharged to the outside of the coating apparatus 1 through the collecting section 73 and the discharging section 74. Ejected. Moreover, the recovery section 73 includes a bottom section 731 having an inner bottom surface 731a inclined toward the discharge section 74 below the adhering matter removal section 71, and side walls 732 to 735 erected from the sides of the bottom section 731. It consists of a structure with Therefore, various problems that have occurred in the prior art in which the coating liquid is recovered by the film are solved, and the coating liquid removed from the lower end portion 2a of the nozzle 2 can be smoothly discharged to the outside of the coating apparatus 1. can.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the collecting section 73 is moved integrally with the deposit removing section 71 while covering the deposit removing section 71 from below with the structure composed of the bottom portion 731 and the side walls 732 to 735. . Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the recovery unit 73 . Further, as indicated by the solid line in FIG. 4, the coating liquid is discharged from the collecting portion 73 to the discharging portion 74 in the cleaning standby state. Therefore, the locations that are contaminated with the coating liquid are limited, and the burden required for maintenance can be reduced.

By the way, in the above-described first embodiment, the collecting section 73 moves integrally with the adhering matter removing section 71, but this is not an essential requirement of the present invention. In other words, the collecting unit may be configured to remain stationary at a predetermined position while the attached matter removing unit 71 moves. A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a cleaning unit that is a second embodiment of the nozzle cleaning device according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the deposit removal section and recovery section of the cleaning unit shown in FIG. In the second embodiment, the recovery unit 75 is provided detachably from the frame (not shown) of the nozzle maintenance unit 6 at a position below the movement range MR of the adhering matter removal unit 71 . As shown in FIG. 6, the collection unit 75 is configured by a structure having a gutter shape extending along the movement range MR of the adhering matter removal unit 71 and opening vertically upward. More specifically, the collection unit 75 includes a bottom portion 751 having a substantially V-shaped cross section extending along the movement range MR so as to face the movement path of the attached matter removal unit 71 from below, and an extension of the nozzle 2 . A side wall 752 is provided upright from a long side portion on the (+Y) direction side of the bottom portion 751 in the horizontal direction Y orthogonal to the direction X. As shown in FIG. In other words, the collecting part 75 is composed of a gutter member 753 having a concave shape in the YZ cross section. As an example of the concave shape, in this embodiment, the gutter member 753 is finished in a substantially V shape. The gutter member 753 is such that the height position in the vertical direction Z of the inner bottom surface 751a on one side of the movement range MR (the (-X) direction side in FIG. 6) is the other side of the movement range MR (( It is arranged at an angle so that it is lower than the height position on the +X) direction side).

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the side wall 752 is provided with side wall portions 752a to 752c having different inclination angles. That is, the side wall portion 752a extending obliquely upward and outward from the long side portion on the (+Y) direction side of the bottom portion 751 forms a relatively steep inclined surface. Side wall portion 752b extends obliquely upward and outward from side wall portion 752a in the (+Y) direction at a relatively gentle inclination angle. Further, side wall portion 752c extends substantially vertically from side wall portion 752b.

The gutter member 753 constructed in this manner is arranged such that the outflow port of the shooter 715 of the attached matter removing section 71, which will be described below, faces the one slope 751b (FIG. 7) forming the V-shaped inner bottom surface 751a. The gutter member 753 is detachably attached to the frame of the nozzle maintenance unit 6 . 6 is a bolt for fixing the gutter member 753 to the frame. By removing the bolt 754, the gutter member 753 fixed to the frame can be removed, and a new or cleaned replacement gutter can be used. The member 753 can be replaced.

Although the basic configuration of the deposit removing section 71 is the same as that of the first embodiment, the deposit removing section 71 in the second embodiment is configured as follows in order to drop the recovered coating liquid onto the side wall portion 752b of the gutter member 753. It has such a difference. As shown in FIG. 7, the upper surface of the supporting member 713 of the adhering substance removing section 71 is finished to have an inclined surface 713a that descends from the (-Y) direction side to the (+Y) direction side. A guide member 714 is attached to the side surface of the support member 713 on the (+Y) direction side. The guide member 714 has a function of collecting the coating liquid flowing along the side surface in the (+Y) direction in the (+X) direction and dropping it from the narrow portion 714a. Also, a shooter 715 is provided below the narrow portion 714a. Furthermore, a cover member 716 is detachably attached to cover the support member 713 and the guide member 714 from the outside. Therefore, the coating liquid removed from the lower end portion 2a of the nozzle 2 by the cleaning process is restricted from flowing out in the X direction by the upper end portion of the cover member 716, as indicated by the dotted line in FIG. flows between the cover member 716 and the guide member 714 along the upper surface (inclined surface 713a) of the . This coating liquid further flows to the shooter 715 through the narrow portion 714a, and flows down from the tip of the shooter 715 onto one inclined surface 751b of the gutter member 753. As shown in FIG. The coating liquid is thus collected in the gutter member 753 .

This recovery process is continuously performed while the scraper 712 is moving in the X direction along the outer surface of the lower end portion 2a (nozzle lip portion) of the nozzle 2 while being in contact with the outer surface. In addition, the coating liquid collected in the gutter member 753 moves from the side wall portion 752b to the inner bottom surface 751a, flows in the (-X) direction along the inner bottom surface 751a as indicated by the dotted line arrow in FIG. 6, and is discharged. It is sent to section 74 . A receiving member 741 receives the coating liquid from the gutter member 753 and discharges it through a pipe 742 to a waste liquid processing device (not shown) provided outside the coating apparatus 1 .

As described above, in the second embodiment, the recovery portion 75 has a gutter shape having a substantially U shape in the YZ cross section by erecting the side walls 752 and 753 from the pair of long side portions of the bottom portion 751 . It is composed of a body (trough member 753). Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the various problems that have occurred in the prior art in which the coating liquid is collected using a film are resolved, and the coating liquid removed from the lower end portion 2a of the nozzle 2 can be smoothly removed from the coating apparatus. 1 can be discharged to the outside.

Also, the liquid is caused to flow from the tip of the shooter 715 to the inner bottom surface 751 a via one inclined surface 751 b of the gutter member 753 and sent to the discharging section 74 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent new coating liquid from directly flowing down from the shooter 715 to the coating liquid flowing along the inner bottom surface 751a. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the coating liquid from scattering in the recovery section 75, and to stably recover the coating liquid removed by the scraper 712. FIG.

In addition, since the gutter member 753 is replaceable, the only work required for maintenance is to replace it with a new or washed replacement gutter member 753, thus improving maintainability. As for the removed gutter member 753, the gutter member 753 can be cleaned when the worker has time after restarting the coating apparatus 1, and the working efficiency can be improved.

Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the shooter 715 is arranged below the support member 713 and configured to receive the coating liquid flowing downward along the support member 713 and flow down to the gutter member 753 . Therefore, the removed coating liquid can be stably recovered by the gutter member 753 . Also, by providing the inclined surface 713 a , the guide member 714 and the cover member 716 , the flow path of the removed coating liquid is defined and guided to the shooter 715 reliably. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the recovery efficiency of the coating liquid. However, forming such a path is not an essential requirement. For example, like the first embodiment, the shooter 715 may be arranged so as to cover the support member 713 from below. This shooter 715 receives the application liquid flowing on the side surface of the support member 713 and causes it to flow down from its tip to one slope 751 b of the gutter member 753 .

As described above, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the coating processing unit 5 moves the nozzle 2 for ejecting the coating liquid from the ejection port 21 in the Y direction to apply the coating liquid to the substrate 3. A combination of the nozzle 2 and the coating processing section 5 functions as the "coating section" of the present invention.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is applied to a device that cleans nozzles by means of the adhered matter removing section 71 having the spreader 711 and the scraper 712. However, the present invention can also be applied to a nozzle cleaning device that has only the scraper 712. can be applied.

Further, in the second embodiment, the side wall 752 of the gutter member 753 is composed of a single side wall portion, and the side wall 752 is composed of three side wall portions 752a to 752c having different inclination angles. The configuration of the sidewalls is not limited to these, and the number of sidewall portions that form the sidewall 752 is arbitrary.

Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the YZ cross-sectional shape of the "inner bottom surface" of the present invention is finished to be "flat", and in the second embodiment, the YZ cross-sectional shape of the "inner bottom surface" of the present invention is substantially "V-shaped". Although finished, the shape of the "inner bottom surface" is not limited to these, and for example, the YZ cross-sectional shape may be finished in an arc shape.

The present invention relates to a coating device for coating a substrate (hereinafter referred to as "substrate") by discharging a coating liquid from a discharge port provided at the lower end of a nozzle, and a nozzle abutting member that removes deposits adhering to the lower end of the nozzle. It can be applied to all nozzle cleaning techniques that remove and clean.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Coating device 2... Slit nozzle (coating part)
2a... Lower end (of nozzle) 3... Substrate 5... Coating part (coating part)
7... Cleaning unit (nozzle cleaning device)
21... Discharge port 71... Deposit removing part 72... Nozzle cleaning/moving part 73, 75... Recovery part 74... Discharge part 731, 751... Bottom part 731a, 751a... Inner bottom surface (of the bottom part) 732 to 735, 752... Side wall 736... Recovery area 736a Accumulation part 738 Opening/closing member 753 Gutter member MR Moving range X Extension direction Y Horizontal direction Z Vertical direction

Claims (11)

A nozzle cleaning device installed in a coating device for coating a substrate with a coating liquid by discharging a coating liquid from a slit-shaped discharge port provided at a lower end of a nozzle, and for cleaning the nozzle,
a deposit removing unit supported by a support member with the nozzle contact member directed toward the lower end of the nozzle;
a moving unit that moves the deposit removing unit in a direction in which the ejection port extends while the nozzle contact member is in contact with the lower end of the nozzle;
a recovery unit configured to recover, below the deposit removal unit, the coating liquid flowing downward through the deposit removal unit after being removed by the movement of the nozzle contact member by the moving unit;
a discharging unit that guides and discharges the coating liquid collected by the collecting unit to the outside of the coating device;
The recovery unit is a structure having a bottom having an inner bottom surface that slopes toward the discharge unit below the deposit removal unit and side walls that stand upright from sides of the bottom. and flowing the coating liquid toward the discharge part along a recovery area formed by the side wall ;
The recovery unit is
further comprising an opening/closing member capable of freely opening and closing a drain port opened in the structure so as to face the discharge part at an accumulation portion where the coating liquid is collected, which is the lowest in the vertical direction in the recovery area;
By closing the drainage port by the opening/closing member, the coating liquid is stored in the recovery area, and by releasing the closure of the drainage port by the opening/closing member to open the drainage port. A nozzle cleaning device, characterized in that the coating liquid is caused to flow out to the discharge section . A nozzle cleaning device installed in a coating device for coating a substrate with a coating liquid by discharging a coating liquid from a slit-shaped discharge port provided at a lower end of a nozzle, and for cleaning the nozzle,
a deposit removing unit supported by a support member with the nozzle contact member directed toward the lower end of the nozzle;
a moving unit that moves the deposit removing unit in a direction in which the ejection port extends while the nozzle contact member is in contact with the lower end of the nozzle;
a recovery unit configured to recover, below the deposit removal unit, the coating liquid flowing downward through the deposit removal unit after being removed by the movement of the nozzle contact member by the moving unit;
a discharging unit that guides and discharges the coating liquid collected by the collecting unit to the outside of the coating device;
The recovery unit is a structure having a bottom having an inner bottom surface that slopes toward the discharge unit below the deposit removal unit and side walls that stand upright from sides of the bottom. and flowing the coating liquid toward the discharge part along a recovery area formed by the side wall ;
In a state where the inner bottom surface covers the deposit removing portion from below in a plan view from vertically above, the collecting portion is integrated with the deposit removing portion in the extending direction by the moving portion. Nozzle cleaning device characterized by being moved to . The nozzle cleaning device according to claim 2 ,
The recovery unit is
further comprising an opening/closing member capable of freely opening and closing a drain port opened in the structure so as to face the discharge part at an accumulation portion where the coating liquid is collected, which is the lowest in the vertical direction in the recovery area;
By closing the drainage port by the opening/closing member, the coating liquid is stored in the recovery area, and by releasing the closure of the drainage port by the opening/closing member to open the drainage port. A nozzle cleaning device for causing the coating liquid to flow out to the discharge section. The nozzle cleaning device according to claim 3,
The discharge unit is arranged below the range of movement of the recovery unit,
The opening/closing member closes the drainage port while the collection unit is positioned outside the position directly above the discharge unit within the movement range, and the collection unit is positioned directly above the discharge unit. A nozzle cleaning device that opens the drain port when in position. A nozzle cleaning device installed in a coating device for coating a substrate with a coating liquid by discharging a coating liquid from a slit-shaped discharge port provided at a lower end of a nozzle, and for cleaning the nozzle,
a deposit removing unit supported by a support member with the nozzle contact member directed toward the lower end of the nozzle;
a moving unit that moves the deposit removing unit in a direction in which the ejection port extends while the nozzle contact member is in contact with the lower end of the nozzle;
a recovery unit configured to recover, below the deposit removal unit, the coating liquid flowing downward through the deposit removal unit after being removed by the movement of the nozzle contact member by the moving unit;
a discharging unit that guides and discharges the coating liquid collected by the collecting unit to the outside of the coating device;
The recovery unit is a structure having a bottom having an inner bottom surface that slopes toward the discharge unit below the deposit removal unit and side walls that stand upright from sides of the bottom. and flowing the coating liquid toward the discharge part along a recovery area formed by the side wall ;
The collecting portion has the bottom portion extending along the moving range of the nozzle contact member by the moving portion, and the side walls standing from a pair of side portions of the bottom portion in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the extending direction. A gutter member provided with a cross section having a concave shape,
The deposit removal section has a shooter that moves integrally with the support member, receives the coating liquid flowing downward along the support member below the support member, and causes the coating liquid to flow down to the gutter member. A nozzle cleaning device characterized by: The nozzle cleaning device according to claim 5,
The discharge unit is arranged on one side of the range of movement ,
The nozzle cleaning device, wherein the gutter member is inclined so that the height position of the inner bottom surface on one side of the movement range is lower than the height position on the other side of the movement range. The nozzle cleaning device according to claim 5 or 6 ,
The nozzle cleaning device, wherein the gutter member is replaceable. A nozzle cleaning method for cleaning the nozzle in a coating device for coating the coating liquid by ejecting the coating liquid from a slit-shaped ejection port provided at the lower end of the nozzle, comprising:
A deposit removing portion supported by a support member with a nozzle contact member directed toward the lower end of the nozzle is extended from the discharge port with the nozzle contact member in contact with the lower end of the nozzle. a first step of removing the coating liquid adhering to the lower end portion of the nozzle by moving the nozzle in a direction, using the nozzle contact member;
a second step of recovering the coating liquid below the deposit removing section, which flows downward through the deposit removing section after being removed by the nozzle contact member;
a third step of discharging the recovered coating liquid to the outside of the coating device through a discharge unit;
The second step includes: a structure having a bottom portion having an inner bottom surface that slopes toward the discharge portion below the deposit removing portion ; and an accumulation portion, which is the lowest in the vertical direction in the recovery area formed by the side wall and where the coating liquid is collected, is openable and closable with respect to a drainage port opened in the structure so as to face the discharge part. The application liquid is recovered by a recovery unit configured by a member , and the application liquid is stored in the recovery region by closing the drainage port by the opening and closing member , while the drainage is performed by the opening and closing member. A nozzle cleaning method, characterized in that the nozzle cleaning method is a step of releasing the closing of a liquid port and opening the liquid drain port to allow the coating liquid to flow out to the discharge portion. A nozzle cleaning method for cleaning the nozzle in a coating device for coating the coating liquid by ejecting the coating liquid from a slit-shaped ejection port provided at the lower end of the nozzle, comprising:
A deposit removing portion supported by a support member with a nozzle contact member directed toward the lower end of the nozzle is extended from the discharge port with the nozzle contact member in contact with the lower end of the nozzle. a first step of removing the coating liquid adhering to the lower end portion of the nozzle by moving the nozzle in a direction, using the nozzle contact member;
a second step of recovering the coating liquid below the deposit removing section, which flows downward through the deposit removing section after being removed by the nozzle contact member;
a third step of discharging the recovered coating liquid to the outside of the coating device through a discharge unit;
The second step comprises a structure having a bottom portion having an inner bottom surface that slopes toward the discharge portion below the deposit removal portion and side walls that stand upright from the side portions of the bottom portion , In a state where the inner bottom surface is arranged to cover the deposit removing portion from below in a plan view from vertically above, the coating is performed by the recovering portion that is moved integrally with the deposit removing portion in the extending direction. A nozzle cleaning method, comprising recovering a liquid and causing it to flow toward the discharge section along a recovery area formed by the bottom portion and the side wall. A nozzle cleaning method for cleaning the nozzle in a coating device for coating the coating liquid by ejecting the coating liquid from a slit-shaped ejection port provided at the lower end of the nozzle, comprising:
A deposit removing portion supported by a support member with a nozzle contact member directed toward the lower end of the nozzle is extended from the discharge port with the nozzle contact member in contact with the lower end of the nozzle. a first step of removing the coating liquid adhering to the lower end portion of the nozzle by moving the nozzle in a direction, using the nozzle contact member;
a second step of recovering the coating liquid below the deposit removing section, which flows downward through the deposit removing section after being removed by the nozzle contact member;
a third step of discharging the recovered coating liquid to the outside of the coating device through a discharge unit;
The second step has a bottom portion having an inner bottom surface that slopes toward the discharge portion below the deposit removing portion, and side walls that stand upright from side portions of the bottom portion, and the bottom portion The gutter member extends along the movement range of the nozzle contact member, the side walls are erected from a pair of side portions of the bottom portion in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the extending direction, and the gutter member has a concave cross section. a step of recovering the coating liquid by a recovery unit and flowing it toward the discharge unit along a recovery area formed by the bottom and the side wall ;
The deposit removal unit has a shooter that moves integrally with the support member,
When the coating liquid removed by the nozzle abutting member is allowed to flow downward through the deposit removing section, the coating liquid flowing downward along the supporting member is moved below the supporting member. A nozzle cleaning method , wherein the nozzle is received by the shooter and flowed down to the gutter member . a coating unit that discharges a coating liquid from a slit-shaped discharge port provided at the lower end of the nozzle to apply the coating liquid to the substrate;
a nozzle cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ;
A coating device comprising:

Images