JPH11262718A - Chemical liquid treatment device and method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To uniformly treat the lower surface of an object to be treated with a small quantity of chemical liquid by operating a chemical liquid application means to discharge the chemical liquid from a gap between a plain plate and another plain plate opposite to the former. SOLUTION: The lower surface of, for example, a 620W×720L×0.7 t glass substrate 3 is treated with a chemical liquid. The chemical liquid to be used is MCA. The discharge amount of the chemical liquid is 200 ml/min. Further, the upper face of an aqua-knife 1 and the lower surface of the glass substrate 3 are to be 5 mm distant and it is checked whether the chemical liquid is uniformly supplied to the lower surface of the glass substrate 3. In addition, tests are performed by changing the distance(d) between the upper face of the aqua-knife 1 and the lower surface of the glass substrate 3 to obtain the maximum value of the distance(d) at which the chemical liquid can be uniformly supplied to the lower surface of the glass substrate 3. At the time, when the distance(d) between the upper face of the aqua-knife 1 and the lower surface of the glass substrate 3 is 5 mm, the chemical liquid is supplied uniformly to the lower surface of the glass substrate 3 but the supply amount is a little insufficient. In order to supply the chemical liquid sufficiently, the distance(d) should be 3 mm.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a chemical processing apparatus and a chemical processing method which are particularly suitable for use in a process for manufacturing a color filter for a liquid crystal display.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the process of manufacturing a color filter for a liquid crystal display, a positive or negative photosensitive resin colored with a pigment or the like is applied on a substrate, or a photosensitive resin is coated on a colored non-photosensitive resin. Coating in a laminated state, exposure,
The photolithography method for development is dominant. In the photolithography method, there are many steps using a chemical such as a cleaning step, a developing step, and a stripping step, and various methods such as a spin method, a shower method, and a dip method are selected according to the type and step of the chemical solution.

[0003] The spin method is a method in which an object to be processed is rotated, a chemical solution is dropped at a central portion thereof, the chemical solution is radially spread, and the entire object to be processed is treated with a chemical solution.

The shower method is a method in which a chemical liquid is ejected radially by using a nozzle having a plurality of small holes for ejecting the chemical liquid in a linear manner, and the chemical liquid is applied to the whole object to be treated. It is.

The dip method is a method in which a chemical solution is stored in a processing tank and the object to be processed is immersed in the tank so that the entire processing object is treated with the chemical solution.

However, the conventional method has the following problems.

In the spin method, a chemical solution is discharged to the upper surface of the object to perform the chemical solution treatment. Therefore, the lower surface of the object cannot be effectively treated.

[0008] Even in the shower system, it is usually difficult to perform a chemical treatment on the lower surface of the object to be processed because the chemical is discharged from above the object to be processed. In order to discharge the chemical from the lower surface of the object to be processed in order to treat the lower surface with the chemical, it is necessary to discharge a large amount of the chemical at a high pressure, which has led to an increase in running costs.

In the dip method, chemical treatment can be performed on the upper surface and the lower surface of the object, but the supplied new liquid gradually deteriorates. Was a problem.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to improve the disadvantages of the prior art and to provide a chemical processing apparatus and a chemical processing method for uniformly processing a lower surface of an object with a small amount of a chemical. I do.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following means.

(1) In a chemical processing apparatus having at least means for transporting an object to be processed in a horizontal direction and means for applying a chemical in a non-contact state on the lower surface of the object, the means for applying the chemical is: A chemical processing apparatus for discharging a chemical from a gap between a flat plate and a flat plate facing the flat plate.

(2) The chemical treatment apparatus according to the above (1), wherein a water-repellent material is used for a part or all of the members constituting the chemical application means.

(3) The chemical treatment apparatus according to the above (2), wherein the water-repellent material is a fluororesin.

(4) A chemical processing method using the chemical processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (3).

(5) An apparatus for manufacturing a color filter, comprising the chemical solution treatment apparatus according to any one of (1) to (3).

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

The effect of the present invention is not impaired even if the present invention is used for all or a particularly limited part of the chemical liquid treatment apparatus.
When used as a part of an apparatus, a conventional chemical solution processing method may be appropriately selected and combined according to the type and purpose of the object to be processed.

The transfer method of the present invention includes a transfer roller, a transfer machine, a transfer arm and the like, and is appropriately selected according to the form of the object to be processed. A method capable of holding the object to be processed in a horizontal direction is preferable. The horizontal direction does not necessarily have to be a horizontal state in a strict sense, and may be slightly deviated from the horizontal state.

In the present invention, as a means for applying the chemical, a so-called aqua knife system in which water or a chemical is discharged from a gap between the flat plate and the flat plate facing the flat plate is adopted.

The aqua knife system discharges water or a chemical from a component similar to a so-called air knife system, and is usually installed above an object to be processed, and is directed toward the object to be processed below. Is discharged. In the present invention, the aqua knife is provided below the object to be processed, and is used as a means for processing the lower surface of the object by discharging water or a chemical solution toward the upper object.

The cross section of the discharge hole of the aqua knife is desirably rectangular, but any shape may be used as long as the liquid can be uniformly supplied to the portion where the liquid processing is performed. The term “uniform” does not necessarily mean a uniform state in a strict sense, and there may be a difference in the supply amount within a practically acceptable range.

The object to be treated in the present invention is not particularly limited, but is particularly effective for a substrate having a flat lower surface such as a glass substrate. If the lower surface is not flat, it is necessary to form a chemical layer on the aqua knife that is more than the unevenness of the object to be processed, which leads to an increase in the amount of the chemical used. On the other hand, if the part to be treated with the chemical solution is flat, only a small amount of the chemical solution layer needs to be formed on the aqua knife, and the effects of the present invention can be used to the maximum.

The material of the aqua knife is not particularly limited, but metals such as SUS, iron and aluminum are preferably used.

The gap between the flat plates of the aqua knife is appropriately selected depending on the viscosity of the chemical solution, the discharge amount, and the like. When the flat plate is applied over the entire surface of the substrate, the width of the flat plate is preferably slightly larger than the width of the substrate.

As a means for feeding the liquid to the aqua knife, a means such as a pump capable of stably feeding the liquid is employed.

The water-repellent material used for the aqua knife of the present invention is not particularly limited, but a fluorine-based polymer material is preferably used. It is preferably used. The water-repellent material is particularly suitable for use on the upper surface of the aqua knife, and more preferably also for the upper side of the aqua knife.

In the photolithography process of a color filter for a liquid crystal display, in which the present invention is particularly preferably used, in the step of developing a photosensitive resin and / or a non-photosensitive resin after exposure, sodium hydroxide is preferably used. An aqueous solution of an inorganic alkali such as potassium hydroxide or an aqueous solution of an organic alkali such as tetramethylammonium hydroxide is preferably used, but is not particularly limited.

Similarly, in the peeling step after the development, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (hereinafter abbreviated as MCA) or the like is preferably used without any particular limitation.

In the washing step, an aqueous solution containing anionic, cationic and nonionic surfactants, RO water, ozone water and the like are preferably used.

In the prior art, in order to effectively and uniformly treat the lower surface of the object to be processed, it is necessary to discharge a high-pressure, large-volume chemical solution from below the object to be processed. Further, in the case of performing the chemical treatment on the upper surface and the lower surface by using the dip method, there is a problem that the state of the chemical treatment of the treatment object gradually changes when the treatment object is continuously supplied.

In the present invention, the chemical solution is discharged from the aqua knife provided below the workpiece, so that the lower surface of the workpiece can be effectively and uniformly treated with a small amount of the chemical solution. In addition, since the discharged chemical does not deteriorate with time, stable chemical processing can be performed without changing the chemical processing state of the processing target even when the processing target is continuously supplied. Furthermore, if a water-repellent material is used for a part or all of the aqua knife, the water-repellent action of the material forms a thick chemical layer even with a smaller amount of the chemical solution, and effectively and uniformly treats the lower surface of the object to be treated with the chemical solution. can do.

[0033]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described based on examples, but the effects of the present invention are not limited by the examples.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic views showing a chemical processing apparatus used as an embodiment of the present invention.

Reference numeral 1 denotes an aqua knife, which discharges a chemical solution upward from between two flat plates to form a second chemical solution layer. Reference numeral 3 denotes a glass substrate used as an object to be processed. A plurality of glass substrates are continuously conveyed horizontally by a roller 4, and the lower surface is subjected to a chemical treatment by a chemical layer 2 when passing above an aqua knife. Reference numeral 5 denotes a water-repellent material, which has a role of promoting the formation of the chemical liquid layer 2. In this embodiment, "Teflon" is used as the water repellent material.
Was used.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a chemical treatment apparatus for a shower system from below used as a comparative example. Reference numeral 6 denotes a chemical solution shower, and the lower surface of the glass substrate 3 is treated with a chemical solution when passing above the shower 6 as in the apparatus used in the embodiment. Note that a pipe shower was used as a shower.

[Example 1] Using the apparatus shown in FIG.
The lower surface of the × 720L × 0.7 t glass substrate was subjected to chemical treatment. MCA (manufactured by Daicel Chemical Industries, Ltd.) was used as the chemical solution. The discharge rate of the chemical was 200 mL / min. The distance between the upper surface of the aqua knife and the lower surface of the glass substrate is 5 mm,
It was observed whether the chemical was uniformly supplied to the lower surface of the substrate. Further, an experiment was performed by changing the distance d between the upper surface of the aqua knife and the lower surface of the glass substrate, and the maximum value of the distance at which the chemical solution could be uniformly supplied to the lower surface of the glass substrate was determined.

[Embodiment 2] Using the apparatus shown in FIG.
Was examined in the same way.

[Comparative Example] Using the apparatus shown in FIG.

Table 1 shows the examination results of Examples 1 and 2 and Comparative Example.

In Example 1, when the distance d between the upper surface of the aqua knife and the lower surface of the glass substrate was 5 mm, the chemical was uniformly supplied to the lower surface of the substrate, but the amount of supply was slightly insufficient. To supply a sufficient amount, the distance d had to be 3 mm.

In Example 2, when the distance d between the upper surface of the aqua knife and the lower surface of the glass substrate was 5 mm, a sufficient amount of the chemical could be supplied uniformly. Even when the distance d was 6 mm, a sufficient amount could be supplied uniformly.

In the comparative example, when the distance d between the upper surface of the aqua knife and the lower surface of the glass substrate was 5 mm, the chemical did not reach the lower surface of the substrate. Further, even when the distance d was set to 3 mm, the chemical solution could not be uniformly supplied to the lower surface of the substrate. If the distance d was further reduced, there was a concern that the shower would come into contact with the glass substrate, and the glass substrate could not come closer than 3 mm.

[0044]

[Table 1]

[0045]

According to the chemical processing apparatus and the chemical processing method of the present invention, the lower surface of the object to be processed can be effectively and uniformly processed with a small amount of the chemical. Furthermore, by using a water-repellent material for part or all of the chemical liquid supply means, the lower surface of the object to be processed can be treated with a smaller amount of chemical liquid.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a chemical solution treatment apparatus used in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a chemical solution treatment apparatus used in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a chemical treatment apparatus used as a comparative example of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Aqua knife 2: Chemical layer 3: Glass substrate used as an object to be processed 4: Transport roller 5: Water repellent material 6: Shower

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takehiro Kakinuki 1-1-1 Sonoyama, Otsu City, Shiga Pref.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A chemical treatment apparatus comprising at least means for transporting an object to be processed in a horizontal direction and means for applying a chemical in a non-contact state on the lower surface of the object, wherein the means for applying the chemical is: A chemical processing apparatus for discharging a chemical from a gap between a flat plate and a flat plate facing the flat plate. 2. The chemical processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a water-repellent material is used for a part or all of the members constituting the chemical coating means. 3. The chemical treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the water-repellent material is a fluororesin. 4. A chemical processing method using the chemical processing apparatus according to claim 1. 5. An apparatus for manufacturing a color filter, comprising the chemical processing apparatus according to claim 1.