JPS63111961A - Spin coating method and spin coater - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To apply many spin coatings per unit time by carrying out the removal of a coating soln. from a first substrate and the coating of the coating soln. on a second substrate in parallel. CONSTITUTION:A coating soln. is coated on the substrate 3 to be coated with the coating soln. while rotating the substrate, and the coating soln. in excess of the amt. required for the coating of the substrate is removed by rotating the substrate. In this case, coating mechanisms 1 and 6-8 and removing mechanisms 1, 9, and 10 are provided, and a second substrate 3 is coated while removing the excess soln. from the first substrate 3. As a result, many spin coatings can be carried out per unit time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a spin coating method and a spin coater for applying a coating liquid to a substrate while rotating the substrate.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention provides a spin coating method and a spin coater as described above, by performing the removal of the coating liquid on the first base material and the application of the coating liquid on the second base material in parallel. This makes it possible to perform a spin coating process.

[Conventional technology]

In spin coating, the coating liquid is applied to the base material while rotating the base material, but as the base material moves away from the center of rotation in the radial direction, the coating liquid applied to the base material decreases. The centrifugal force acting on this increases, and the area of the annulus per unit distance in the radial direction also increases.

Therefore, if the number of rotations of the base material per unit time is constant,
Generally, the coating liquid is applied thicker at the center of the substrate and thinner at the outer periphery, and is not applied uniformly. Such a difference in the thickness of the coating liquid becomes larger as the diameter of the base material becomes larger.

For this purpose, conventionally, coating was performed while changing the number of revolutions of the substrate per unit time in multiple stages, and then following the application, the number of revolutions of the base material was generally higher than the number of revolutions during coating. By rotating the coating liquid and scattering off the excess amount of the coating liquid, uniform coating with a desired thickness was achieved.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, as described above, when the rotational speed during coating is varied in multiple stages and furthermore, the excess amount of coating liquid is removed following coating, this step takes an extremely long time compared to other steps.

Therefore, when performing spin coating in an assembly line system, the above-mentioned coating and removal processes are rate-determining processes, and even if the time required for the processes before and after this process, such as the coating liquid curing process, is short, a large number of Spin coating cannot be performed.

[Means for solving problems]

In the spin coating method according to the invention of the present application, coating is performed on the second substrate 3 while removing an excess amount of the coating liquid from the first substrate 3 that has been coated. ing.

Further, the spin coater according to the invention of the present application includes a coating mechanism 1.6.7.8 that applies the coating liquid to the substrate 3 while rotating the substrate 3 to be coated with the coating liquid, and the coating mechanism 1.
．． Removal mechanism 1.9.10 which can operate in the same manner as 6.7.8 and removes an excess of the required amount of the coating liquid applied to the base material 3 by rotating the base material 3
And my husband has it.

[Effect]

In the spin coating method according to the invention of the present application, the first base material 3
Since the coating liquid is applied to the second base material 3 while being applied to the second base material 3, the removal and application of the coating liquid are performed in parallel.

Further, in the spin coater according to the invention of the present application, the coating mechanism 1.
6.7.8, removal mechanism l, 9.10,
Moreover, since these mechanisms 1.6.7.8.9.10 can operate simultaneously, the removal of the coating liquid from the first base material 3 and the application of the coating liquid to the second base material 3 can be performed in parallel. It can be carried out.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, first to third embodiments of the invention of the present application will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 4.

FIG. 1 shows the steps of the first embodiment. In this first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1A, a disk group 4 in which a predetermined number of disks 3 such as video disks, compact disks, memory hard disks, etc. are stored in a cartridge or the like is moved onto an elevator platform 5. First, it is placed on the elevating plate 5a, and the elevating plate 5a is raised to a predetermined position.

Then, the uppermost disk 3 of the disk group 4 is held by the holding part 2 provided at the lowermost part of the movable and rotating holder 1. Note that the holding portion 2 removably holds the disk 3 using a locking claw (not shown) or a vacuum. After the holding, the disk group 4 is lowered to a predetermined position by the lifting table 5.

Next, while rotating the movable rotary holder 1, that is, while rotating the disk 3, the movable rotary holder 1 is moved to above the spin coater tank 6, as shown in FIG. 1B. Next, the elevating plate 8a of the elevating table 8 on which the spin coater tank 6 is placed is raised to a predetermined position. Then, the coating liquid is flowed out from the supply lower a of the coating liquid outflow mechanism 7 provided in the spin coater tank 6, and the coating liquid is applied to the coated surface 3a of the disk 3. At this time, the number of rotations per unit time of the movable rotary holder 1 is changed in multiple stages as described above.

Incidentally, an amount exceeding a predetermined amount of the coating liquid applied to the coated surface 3a of the disk 3 is scattered from the outer edge of the disk 3 due to the rotation of the disk 3, and adheres to the inner circumferential surface of the spin coater tank 6. Further, the coating liquid that has flowed out from the supply lower a but has not been applied to the disk 3 flows down into the spin coater tank 6. These coating liquids are then discharged from the outlet (not shown) of the spin coater tank 6 into a liquid tank (not shown).
Reused. After the above-described coating, the spin coater tank 6 is lowered to a predetermined position by the lift table 8.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1C, the movable rotary holder 1 is moved to above the collection tank 9. After the lifting plate 10a of the lifting platform 10 on which the recovery tank 9 is placed is raised to a predetermined position, the movable rotating holder 1 is rotated at a higher number of rotations than the number of rotations per unit time during the coating. Rotate by number.

This rotation causes the spin coater tank 6 shown in FIG.
The coating liquid in excess of the required amount that was not scattered inside the tank 9 is further scattered from the outer edge of the disk 3 into the recovery tank 9 and removed. After removing the coating liquid in excess of the required amount in this manner, the recovery tank 9 is lowered to a predetermined position by the lifting table 10.

Next, while stopping the rotation of the movable rotary holder 1, the movable rotary holder 1 is moved to the ultraviolet irradiation device 1 as shown in the first diagram.
Move it above 1. Then, the coating liquid applied to the coating surface 3a of the disk 3 is transferred to the ultraviolet irradiation device 11.
Cured by ultraviolet irradiation.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1E, the movable rotary holder 1 is moved to above the elevating section 13. Then, the lifting plate 13a of the lifting table 13 on which the disk group 12 is placed is raised to a predetermined position, and the disk 3 held in the holding part 2 is placed on the topmost disk 3 of the disk group 12. do. After releasing the holding part 2 from holding the disk 3,
The lifting platform 12 is lowered to a predetermined position.

Note that the disk group 2 is one in which disks 3 are housed in a cartridge or the like. Therefore, when the number of disks 3 reaches a predetermined number, the disk group 12 is moved to the elevator plate 13 of the elevator table 13.
After removing the cartridge from above a, move the next cartridge onto the elevating plate 13.
Place it on a.

In the manner described above, spin coating can be performed using an assembly line method. In addition, in the above explanation, one disk 3
However, each process is performed simultaneously at the positions of the lifting table 5.8.10.13 and the ultraviolet irradiation device 11. Therefore, in this first embodiment, five disks 3 are always being processed in one of the steps.

FIG. 2 shows a spin coater used in the first embodiment as described above. This spin coater includes a rotary drive shaft 21, five arms 20 extending radially from the rotary drive shaft 21 at equal angular intervals and having equal lengths, and attached to the tips of these five arms 20. The movable and rotary holders 1 are respectively provided. Therefore, these movable rotary holders 1 are arranged at equal intervals on the same circumference centered on the rotary drive shaft 21.

Although not shown in FIG. 2, below the movable and rotary holder 1 there are the lifting and lowering sections 5.8.10 shown in FIGS. 1A to 1E.
13, the ultraviolet irradiation device 11, etc. are sequentially fixedly arranged in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction in a one-to-one relationship. Therefore, each time the rotary drive shaft 21 is rotated once in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction, a total of five disks 3 can be continuously processed throughout the entire process.

FIG. 3 shows a spin coater used in the second embodiment. This spin coater consists of a pair of driving sprockets 22, a chain 23 that extends between the driving sprockets 22, five arms 20 that are attached to the chain 23 at equal intervals, and these arms. 20 and a movable rotary holder 1 attached to the tip of each.

Below the movable and rotating holder 1, as in the case of FIG.
They are sequentially fixedly arranged in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction in a pair-to-one relationship. Therefore, each time the drive sprocket 22 is rotated and the movable rotary holder 1 is rotated once, a total of five disks 3 can be continuously processed throughout the entire process.

FIG. 4 shows a spin coater used in the third embodiment. This spin coater has a longer chain 23 and doubles the number of movable rotary holders 1 than the spin coater shown in FIG. 3. The arm 20 and the movable rotation holder l are attached to the chain 23 at equal intervals.

Therefore, below these movable and rotary holders 1, a lifting platform 5 is provided.
．． 8.10.13, ultraviolet irradiation device 11, etc. 2 at a time
By appropriately arranging them in a pair-to-one relationship, a total of 10 disks 3 can be processed in a connected manner over the entire process every time the movable rotary holder 1 makes one revolution.

In addition, when arranging two elevating tables 5.8.10.13, ultraviolet irradiation equipment 11, etc., it is convenient to arrange the same equipment next to each other, since the same process can be performed at once in a nearby location. It is.

In any of the embodiments described above, when performing each step shown in FIG.
The disc 3 held by the disc 3 moves intermittently while being held by the disc holder 2.

As mentioned above, the invention of the present application has been explained with reference to the first to third embodiments, but the invention of the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments.
Various changes are possible based on the technical idea of the invention of this application.

For example, although disk 3 was used in the above embodiment,
It is also possible to spin coat rectangular substrates.

Further, in the above embodiment, an air blowing step may be added as necessary to remove dust from the coated surface 3a of the disk 3.

Furthermore, although the ultraviolet irradiation device 11 is used in the above embodiment, a combination of a heating furnace and a lifting platform may be used as an alternative to this device 11.

〔Effect of the invention〕

In the invention of the present application, since the removal of the coating liquid from the first base material and the application of the coating liquid to the second base material are performed in parallel, a large number of spin coating processes can be performed per unit time.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 show first to third embodiments of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a side sectional view sequentially showing the steps of the first embodiment;
2 to 4 are plan views of the spin coaters of the first to third embodiments, respectively. In addition, in the symbols used in the drawings, 1-・-・〜−−−−−−−−−−−−Moving and rotating holder 3−−−−−−−−−−−・Disk 6.
〜−−−−−−・−・−・−・・Spin coater tank 7−−
---・--・--11----Coating liquid outflow mechanism 8.10
−・・−−−−−−−・Lifting platform 9−−−−−−−−
−・−−−−−1−・Recovery tank.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Applying the coating liquid to the base material while rotating the base material to be coated with the coating liquid, and removing an excess amount of the coating liquid applied to the base material. In a spin coating method in which the coating is removed by rotating the substrate after the coating, the coating is applied to a second substrate while the removal is performed to the first substrate on which the coating has been completed. A spin coating method characterized by performing the following steps. 2. A coating mechanism that applies the coating liquid to the base material while rotating the base material to be coated with the coating liquid, and a coating mechanism that can operate simultaneously with the coating liquid and applies the coating liquid to the base material. and a removal mechanism for removing an excess of the required amount by rotating the base material. 3. The spin coater according to claim 2, wherein the application mechanism and the removal mechanism are arranged along a closed loop. 4. The spin coater according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of rotation holding means for holding and rotating the base material are provided so as to be able to rotate along the closed loop.