KR100701865B1 - Slit nozzle, substrate processing apparatus, and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention provides the technique which can apply | coat a process liquid with a stable application | coating width from a slit nozzle.

In the slit nozzle according to the present invention, the thickness d of the lower end portion 721a of the side plate 721 is 0.7 mm or less. For this reason, even when the moving speed of the slit nozzle 42 is slow or when the viscosity of the resist liquid 90 is low, the expansion width to the outer side of the resist liquid 90 to apply can be made small. Therefore, the fluctuation | variation of the application | coating width of the resist liquid 90 can be suppressed.

Description

SLIT NOZZLE, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD}

1 is a perspective view showing an outline of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention;

2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a nozzle body portion of a slit nozzle;

3 shows the shape of the side plate according to the first aspect;

4 is a diagram showing an application result when the thickness of the side plate is changed.

5 is a view showing the shape of the side plate according to the first aspect;

6 is a view showing the shape of the side plate according to the first aspect;

7 shows the shape of the side plate according to the second aspect;

8 shows the shape of a side plate according to a second aspect;

9 is a view showing the shape of the side plate according to the second aspect;

10 is a view showing the shape of the side plate according to the second aspect;

11 is a view showing the shape of the side plate according to the third embodiment;

12 is a view showing the shape of the side plate according to the third embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a view showing the shape of the side plate according to the third embodiment; FIG.

14 is a view showing the shape of the side plate according to the third embodiment;

15 is a view showing the shape of the side plate according to the fourth embodiment;

Fig. 16 shows the shape of the side plate according to the fourth aspect.

17 is a view showing an electrical configuration for the control unit to adjust the height of the movable plate.

18 is a diagram showing a relationship between the speed of the slit nozzle and the height of the movable plate;

Fig. 19 shows the relationship between the viscosity of a resist liquid and the height of a movable plate;

Fig. 20 is a diagram showing the relationship between the nozzle body part and the side plate when the heights of the lower end part on the front side and the lower end part on the rear side of the nozzle body part are different;

Fig. 21 is a diagram showing the relationship between the nozzle body portion and the side plate when the heights of the lower end portion on the front side of the nozzle body portion and the lower end portion on the rear side are different.

Fig. 22 is a diagram showing a state of a coating process by a conventional coating device.

Fig. 23 is a diagram showing a state of a coating process by a conventional coating device.

Fig. 24 is a diagram showing the state of the coating treatment by the conventional coating apparatus.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

1: substrate processing apparatus 2: substrate

10: main body 20: control unit

30: stage 40: bridge portion

42: slit nozzle 50: drive unit

71: nozzle body portion 71f: lower end of nozzle body portion

73: feeding path 74: discharge port

90: resist liquid

72, 721, 722, 723, 724: side plates

721a, 722a, 723a, 724d: lower part of side plate

721b, 722b, 723b: outer side of lower end of side plate

724a: movable plate 724b: pressing member

721f: thin plate 721g: pressing member

724c: Adjustment bolt 724f: Eccentric cam

The present invention provides a slit nozzle for applying a treatment liquid to a surface of a liquid crystal glass substrate, a semiconductor substrate, a film liquid crystal flexible substrate, a photomask substrate, a color filter substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as a "substrate"), and the slit. A substrate processing apparatus provided with a nozzle and a substrate processing method using the slit nozzle.

Conventionally, the manufacturing process of a board | substrate contains the application | coating process which apply | coats processing liquids, such as photoresist, to the surface of a board | substrate. In the coating step, a coating device (so-called slit coater) for discharging the processing liquid from the slit nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge part to the surface of the substrate is used.

22 shows a state of a coating process by the conventional coating device 100. The coating device 100 moves in the X direction in the drawing while applying the processing liquid 190 from the discharge part 111 of the slit nozzle 110 toward the surface of the substrate 200. As a result, a thin film of the processing liquid is formed on the surface of the substrate 200. Such a conventional coating device is disclosed by patent document 1, for example.

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-275648

However, in the conventional coating device 100, it was difficult to apply the treatment liquid 190 to the stable coating width W.

For example, when the moving speed of the slit nozzle 110 is slow as in the start of coating, as shown in FIG. 23, the processing liquid 190 to be applied tends to expand outward. In this case, the application width W of the processing liquid 190 becomes wide. On the other hand, when the moving speed of the slit nozzle 110 is high, as shown in FIG. 24, the processing liquid 190 to be applied tends to decrease inward. In this case, the application width W of the treatment liquid 190 is narrowed.

In addition, the application width W of the treatment liquid 190 is determined by not only the moving speed of the slit nozzle 110 but also the conditions such as the viscosity of the treatment liquid, the surface tension of the treatment liquid, and the surface state of the substrate 200. Fluctuate. In addition, when the application | coating width W fluctuates in this way, the thickness of the thin film formed thereby will also become unstable.

This invention is made | formed in view of such a situation, and an object of this invention is to provide the technique which can apply | coat a process liquid with a stable application | coating width from a slit nozzle.

In order to solve the said subject, invention of Claim 1 is the slit nozzle which has a slit-shaped discharge port in the lower part, WHEREIN: The nozzle main body part which defines the opening edge along the longitudinal direction of the said discharge port, and the both ends of the said nozzle main body part. And a pair of side plates, each of which is attached to each other and defines an opening edge along the width direction of the discharge port, wherein a thickness of the lower end of the side plate is 0.7 mm or less.

The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the slit nozzle according to claim 1, the angle with respect to the horizontal plane of the outer surface of the lower end of the side plate is 45 degrees or more.

The invention according to claim 3 is the slit nozzle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower end of the side plate is located below the lower end of the nozzle body.

The invention according to claim 4 is the slit nozzle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower end of the side plate is located above the lower end of the nozzle body.

The invention according to claim 5 is the slit nozzle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the side plate has an adjusting means for adjusting the height of the lower end of the side plate.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the slit nozzle according to claim 1 or 2, the side plate has a thin plate defining an end portion of the discharge port, and a pressing member for fixing the thin plate.

In the invention according to claim 7, in the slit nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge port at the bottom thereof, the nozzle body part defining an opening edge along the longitudinal direction of the discharge port is attached to both ends of the nozzle body part, respectively, And a pair of side plates defining opening edges along the width direction of the lower end portion, wherein the lower end portion of the side plate is positioned below the lower end portion of the nozzle body portion.

In the slit nozzle which has a slit-shaped discharge opening in the lower part, invention of Claim 8 is attached to the nozzle main body part which defines the opening edge along the longitudinal direction of the said discharge opening, and the both ends of the said nozzle main body part, respectively, The said discharge opening And a pair of side plates defining opening edges along a width direction of the lower surface, wherein the lower end of the side plate is positioned above the lower end of the nozzle body.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in a slit nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge port at a lower portion thereof, the nozzle body part defines an opening edge along a longitudinal direction of the discharge port, and is attached to both ends of the nozzle body part, respectively, And a pair of side plates defining an opening edge along the width direction of the side plate, wherein the side plate has an adjusting means for adjusting the height of the lower end of the side plate.

The invention according to claim 10 is a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a slit nozzle according to any one of claims 1, 7, 8, and 9, a holding means for horizontally holding a substrate under the slit nozzle, And a scanning means for scanning the slit nozzle relative to the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the discharge port with respect to the substrate held by the holding means, and a supply means for supplying the processing liquid to the slit nozzle.

The invention according to claim 11 is a substrate processing method using the slit nozzle according to claim 9, comprising: a supply step of discharging the processing liquid from the discharge port toward the substrate while scanning the slit nozzle relative to the substrate; It characterized in that it comprises a control step of adjusting the height of the lower end of the side plate according to the viscosity, the speed of the slit nozzle, or both conditions thereof.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, preferred embodiment of this invention is described, referring drawings.

<1. About the whole structure of the substrate processing apparatus>

1 is a perspective view showing an outline of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention. In FIG. 1 and the following figures, the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction are defined for convenience of illustration and description. The X direction is the moving direction of the slit nozzle 42. The Y direction is the length direction of the slit nozzle 42. Z direction is a vertical direction.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus for apply | coating a resist liquid to the square glass substrate which comprises the screen panel of a liquid crystal display device, and has the main-body part 10 and the control part 20. As shown in FIG. The main body portion 10 includes a stage 30, a crosslinking portion 40, and a driving portion 50.

The stage 30 is a holder for loading the substrate 2. The stage is formed of a rectangular parallelepiped stone or the like, and the upper and side surfaces thereof are flatly processed. The upper surface of the stage 30 is a horizontal surface and serves as the holding surface 31 of the substrate 2. The holding surface 31 is formed with a plurality of vacuum suction ports (not shown). When processing the substrate 2 in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the vacuum suction port adsorbs the substrate 2 so that the substrate 2 is kept horizontal.

The holding surface 31 is provided with a plurality of lift pins 32. The lift pin 32 is comprised freely up and down. When loading the substrate 2 on the stage 30, or removing the substrate from the stage 30, the lift pins 32 are raised to hold the substrate. In addition, a pair of traveling rails 33 are fixedly provided at both ends of the holding surface 31 which sandwiched the area | region in which the board | substrate 2 is hold | maintained. The traveling rail 33 supports the bridge | crosslinking part 40, and comprises the linear guide which guides the movement of the bridge | crosslinking part 40 in the X direction.

The opening 34 is provided in the + X direction side of the holding surface 31. A preliminary application mechanism for normalizing the state of the slit nozzle 42, a standby port for preventing drying of the slit nozzle 42, and the like are provided inside the main body portion 10 below the opening 34.

The bridge portion 40 is horizontally hung over the stage 30. The bridge | crosslinking part 40 is a nozzle support part 41 which consists of carbon fiber reinforced resin, etc., the slit nozzle 42 attached to the nozzle support part 41, and the lifting mechanism which supports both ends of the nozzle support part 41 ( 43).

The slit nozzle 42 has a nozzle main body 71 and side plates 72 attached to both ends of the nozzle main body 71. The slit nozzle 42 scans the surface of the substrate 2 while applying the resist liquid to a predetermined region of the surface of the substrate 2. The detailed structure of the slit nozzle 42 is mentioned later.

The lifting mechanism 43 supports the slit nozzle 42 via the nozzle support part 41. The elevating mechanism 43 includes an AC servomotor 43a and a ball screw (not shown), which raises and lowers the slit nozzle 42 translationally based on a control signal from the control unit 20. In addition, the lifting mechanism 43 adjusts the posture in the YZ plane of the slit nozzle 42.

The drive unit 50 includes a pair of stators 51 along both sides of the stage 30 and a pair of movers 52 attached to both ends of the bridge portion 40. The drive part 50 comprises a pair of AC coreless linear motors by the stator 51 and the mover 52, and moves the bridge | crosslinking part 40 to an X direction. In addition, a linear encoder 53 having a scale part and a detector is attached to the drive part 50. The linear encoder 53 detects the position of the mover 52 and transmits the detection result to the control unit 20.

The control unit 20 includes an arithmetic unit 21 for processing various data according to a program, and a storage unit 22 for storing a program or various data. In addition, the front part of the control part 20 is provided with the operation part 23 which receives the instruction input from an operator, and the display part 24 which displays various data.

The control part 20 is electrically connected with the main-body part 10 by the cable which is not shown in figure. The control unit 20 controls the operations of the stator 51 and the mover 52 based on the input signal from the operation unit 23 or the detection result from the linear encoder 53. As a result, the operation of the bridge portion 40 on the stage 30 is controlled. Moreover, the control part 20 controls the operation | movement of the lifting mechanism 43, and the discharge operation of the resist liquid from the slit nozzle 42 based on the input signal from the operation part 23, or the signal from the various sensors which are not shown in figure. do.

<2. About the configuration of the slit nozzle>

The structure of said slit nozzle 42 is demonstrated again. FIG. 2: is a perspective view which shows the structure of the nozzle main-body part 71 of the slit nozzle 42. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, a liquid feeding path 73 is formed inside the nozzle body 71. The liquid feeding path 73 is connected to the resist liquid supply source 75. In addition, a slit-shaped discharge port 74 is formed at the lower end of the nozzle body 71. The resist liquid is supplied from the resist liquid supply source 75 to the liquid feeding path 73 and discharged from the discharge port 74 toward the substrate 2.

The side plate 72 is attached to both ends 71d and 71e of the nozzle main body 71 shown in FIG. That is, the nozzle main body 71 defines the flow of the resist liquid on the front side (-X side) and the rear side (+ X side) of the liquid feeding path 73, and the side plate 72 of the liquid feeding path 73 The flow of the resist liquid is defined at both ends (+ Y side and -Y side). Further, the nozzle body portion 71 defines the opening edge along the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the discharge port 74, and the side plate 72 defines the opening edge along the width direction (X direction) of the discharge port 74. Regulate.

In the present invention, the side plate 72 may take various forms. Hereinafter, various aspects of the side plate 72 will be described.

<2-1. First form of side plate>

First, the first aspect of the side plate 72 will be described. FIG. 3: is sectional drawing which cut | disconnected the side plate 721 vicinity which concerns on 1st aspect to the plane containing the liquid feed path 73. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, in FIG. 3 and FIGS. 5-16, only one side plate vicinity was shown, but the other side plate vicinity also has the same structure.

The side plate 721 is processed so that the thickness d of the lower end part 721a in the Y direction may be 0.7 mm or less. For this reason, even when the resist liquid 90 discharged from the discharge port 74 expands to the side plate 721 side (the state of the broken line in FIG. 3), the expansion width is in the range of the thickness d in most cases. Suppressed into. This is because the expansion of the resist liquid 90 is mainly due to the influence of the meniscus generated between the lower end portion 721a of the side plate 721. For this reason, the fluctuation | variation of the application | coating width of a resist liquid is suppressed in the range of thickness d with respect to one side.

4 shows the thickness of the lower end portion 721a of the side plate 721 under general application conditions (viscosity of the resist liquid 90: 2 to 10 cps, scanning speed of the slit nozzle 42: 50 to 150 m / sec). It is a result of having examined whether d) was changed and whether the application | coating width of the resist liquid 90 fell in the designated range (1000 +/- 1mm). According to this result, when the thickness d was 0.7 mm or less, the coating width fell into the designated range and a stable coating width was obtained.

Returning to FIG. 3, the thickness d of the lower end part 721a of the side plate 721 is processed so that it may become 0.01 mm or more. For this reason, the rigidity in the lower end part 721a of the side plate 721 can be ensured. In addition, the side plate 721 can be easily processed.

The outer surface 721b of the lower end portion 721a of the side plate 721 is a tapered surface. Angle (theta) with respect to the horizontal surface (XY plane) of the outer side surface 721b is 45 degrees or more. Thereby, the resist liquid 90 is prevented from expanding outward beyond the thickness d of the lower end portion 721a.

The outer surface 721b of the lower end portion 721a of the side plate 721 is connected to the outer surface 721e of the upper portion 721d of the side plate 721 through the step 721c. The upper portion 721d of the side plate 721 has a thickness d larger than the thickness d of the lower end portion 721a. For this reason, the rigidity of the whole side plate 721 is ensured, and also the installation to the nozzle main-body part 71 becomes easy.

Thus, in 1st aspect, the thickness d of the lower end part 721a of the side plate 721 shall be 0.7 mm or less. For this reason, even when the moving speed of the slit nozzle 42 is slow or when the viscosity of the resist liquid 90 is low, the expansion width to the outer side of the resist liquid 90 to apply can be made small. Therefore, the fluctuation of the coating width of the resist liquid 90 is suppressed, and the fluctuation of the film thickness of the thin film formed on the substrate 2 is also suppressed.

The side plate 721 which concerns on a 1st aspect may be comprised like FIG. In FIG. 5, the outer surface 721b of the lower end portion 721a of the side plate 721 has an angle θ of 90 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. That is, the outer surface 721b of the lower end portion 721a of the side plate 721 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. In this way, the resist liquid 90 can be further prevented from expanding outward beyond the thickness d of the lower end portion 721a.

The side plate 721 which concerns on a 1st aspect may be comprised like FIG. The side plate 721 of FIG. 6 is comprised combining the thin plate 721f which defines the edge part of the liquid feed path 73 and the discharge port 74, and the press member 721g attached to the outer side of the thin plate 721f. . In this way, each of the thin plate 721f and the pressing member 721g becomes a simple shape. For this reason, the thickness of the lower end part 721a can be made thin, and the shape of the side plate 721 which has the level | step difference 721c can be formed easily.

<2-2. Second form of side plate>

Next, a second aspect of the side plate 72 will be described. FIG. 7: is sectional drawing which cut | disconnected the vicinity of the side plate 722 which concerns on a 2nd form to the plane containing the liquid feeding path 73. As shown in FIG.

The lower end portion 722a of the side plate 722 is provided below the lower end portion 71f of the nozzle body portion 71. That is, the surface (surface defining the end of the liquid feed passage 73) on the side of the nozzle main body 71 of the side plate 722 extends below the lower end 71f of the nozzle main body 71. For this reason, the distance L2 of the side plate 722 and the board | substrate 2 is smaller than the distance L1 of the nozzle main body 71 and the board | substrate 2.

The resist liquid 90 discharged from the discharge port 74 forms a meniscus portion 90a between the side plate 722 and the substrate 2. In this embodiment, since the lower end portion 722a of the side plate 722 approaches the substrate 2, the radius of curvature r of the meniscus portion 90a is reduced. When the surface tension of the resist liquid 90 is γ, the Laplace pressure ΔP, which is a force for pulling the resist liquid 90 toward the outer direction (Y direction), is represented by ΔP = 2γ / r. For this reason, when the curvature radius r of the meniscus part 90a becomes small, the laplace pressure (DELTA) P becomes large. That is, the influence of the capillary phenomenon becomes stronger, and the resist liquid 90 is strongly attracted to the outside. Thereby, even when the resist liquid 90 discharged | emitted from the discharge port 74 reduces inward, the reduction width can be made small.

On the other hand, in order to prevent the resist liquid 90 from greatly expanding outward, the difference between the distance L1 and the distance L2 is preferably 100 μm or less or 70% or less of the distance L1.

In this embodiment, only the side plate 722 is approaching the substrate 2, not the entire slit nozzle 42. For this reason, even when the board | substrate 2 has a ridge | bulb part and the garbage is loaded on the board | substrate 2, the nozzle main body part 71 does not contact them. That is, the nozzle main body 71 is not damaged by rubbish or the like, and the cost and time for replacing the expensive nozzle main body 71 can be reduced.

As described above, in the second aspect, the lower end portion 722a of the side plate 722 is provided below the lower end portion 71f of the nozzle body portion 71. For this reason, even when the moving speed of the slit nozzle 42 is fast or when the viscosity of the resist liquid 90 is high, the reduction width inside the applied resist liquid 90 can be made small. Therefore, the fluctuation of the coating width of the resist liquid 90 is suppressed, and the fluctuation of the film thickness of the thin film formed on the substrate 2 is also suppressed.

The side plate 722 according to the second aspect may be configured as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10. 8-10, the thickness d of the lower end part 722a of the side plate 722 in the Y direction shall be 0.01 mm or more and 0.7 mm or less. Moreover, the angle (theta) with respect to the horizontal surface of the outer side surface 722b of the lower end part 722a of the side plate 722 is 45 degrees or more. By doing in this way, the effect of the said 1st aspect can also be acquired in addition to the effect of this aspect.

<2-3. Third form of side plate>

Next, the third aspect of the side plate 72 will be described. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the side plate 723 according to the third embodiment, cut into a plane including the liquid feeding path 73.

The lower end portion 723a of the side plate 723 is provided above the lower end portion 71f of the nozzle body portion 71. That is, the surface (surface defining the end of the liquid feed passage 73) on the side of the nozzle main body 71 of the side plate 723 does not touch the lower end 71f of the nozzle main body 71. For this reason, the distance L3 of the side plate 723 and the board | substrate 2 is larger than the distance L1 of the nozzle main body part 71 and the board | substrate 2.

In this embodiment, since the distance between the lower end part 723a of the side plate 723 and the board | substrate 2 is large, the Laplace pressure (DELTA) P which pulls out the resist liquid 90 to an outward direction is small. For this reason, even when the resist liquid 90 discharged | emitted from the discharge port 74 expands outward, the expansion width can be made small.

This embodiment is particularly effective when the moving speed of the slit nozzle 42 is remarkably slow or when the viscosity of the resist liquid 90 is remarkably low. At this time, the resist liquid 90 expands outward beyond the lower end of the side plate 723 and tends to form a protruding portion 90b at the edge portion (the state of the broken line in FIG. 11). If the lower end portion 723a of the side plate 722 is spaced apart from the substrate 2 as in this embodiment, the inflation width with respect to the outside can be reduced and the protrusion 90b can be eliminated.

On the other hand, in order to prevent the resist liquid 90 from greatly decreasing inward, it is preferable that the difference between the distance L1 and the distance L2 is set to 500 µm or less.

In this embodiment, only the side plate 723 is away from the substrate 2, not the entire slit nozzle 42. For this reason, while maintaining the distance between the nozzle main body 71 and the board | substrate 2 at the optimal distance L1 for application | coating of the resist liquid 90, the distance L3 of the side plate 723 and the board | substrate 2 ) Can be largely secured.

As described above, in the third aspect, the lower end portion 723a of the side plate 723 is provided above the lower end portion 71f of the nozzle body portion 71. For this reason, even when the moving speed of the slit nozzle 42 is slow or when the viscosity of the resist liquid 90 is low, the expansion width to the outer side of the resist liquid 90 to apply can be made small. In addition, the protrusion 90b formed at the edge of the resist liquid 90 can be eliminated. Therefore, the fluctuation of the coating width of the resist liquid 90 is suppressed, and the fluctuation of the film thickness of the thin film formed on the substrate 2 is also suppressed.

The side plate 723 which concerns on a 3rd form may be comprised like FIG. 12 thru | or FIG. 12-14, the thickness d of the lower end part 723a of the side plate 723 in the Y direction is made 0.01 mm or more and 0.7 mm or less. Further, the angle θ with respect to the horizontal plane of the outer surface 723b of the lower end portion 723a of the side plate 723 is 45 degrees or more. By doing in this way, the effect of the said 1st aspect can also be acquired in addition to the effect of this aspect.

<2-4. Fourth Form of Side Plate>

Finally, a fourth aspect of the side plate 72 will be described. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the side plate 724 according to the fourth embodiment, cut into a plane including the liquid feeding path 73.

The side plate 724 is comprised combining the movable plate 724a which defines the edge part of the liquid feed path 73 and the discharge port 74, and the press member 724b fixed to the nozzle main body 71. As shown in FIG. The movable plate 724a is connected with the press member 724b through the adjustment bolt 724c twisted in the upper part. For this reason, the movable plate 724a can be moved up and down by turning the adjustment bolt 724c. That is, this side plate 724 can adjust the height of the movable plate 724a, and can adjust the height of the lower end part 724d of the side plate 724 by this.

The height of the movable plate 724a is adjusted according to the moving speed of the slit nozzle 42 and the viscosity of the resist liquid 90. For example, when the slit nozzle 42 is moved at low speed, or when the viscosity of the resist liquid 90 is low, the movable plate 724a is adjusted to a relatively high position. In this way, the distance between the lower end part 724d of the movable plate 724a and the board | substrate W becomes large, and the expansion width to the outer side of the resist liquid 90 apply | coated can be made small. In addition, when the slit nozzle 42 is moved at high speed or when the viscosity of the resist liquid 90 is high, the movable plate 724a is adjusted to a relatively low position. In this way, the distance between the lower end part 724d of the movable plate 724a and the board | substrate W becomes small, and the shrinkage width to the inside of the resist liquid 90 apply | coated can be made small.

The side plate 724 which concerns on a 4th aspect may be comprised like FIG. In the side plate 724 of FIG. 16, the movable plate 724 and the press member 724b are connected through the eccentric cam 724f which rotates around the fixed shaft 724e. Even in such a configuration, the height of the movable plate 724a can be adjusted by rotating the eccentric cam 724f.

On the other hand, the side plate 724 may be configured to manually scan the adjustment bolt 724c or the eccentric cam 724f to adjust the height of the movable plate 724a. However, the movable plate 724a may be formed using a power source such as a motor. The height may be adjusted. Moreover, the structure which electrically connects the control part 20 and a power source, and adjusts the height of the movable plate 724a automatically based on the signal from the control part 20 may be sufficient.

The height of the movable plate 724a may be adjusted at the time of stopping the slit nozzle 42, but may be adjusted during scanning of the slit nozzle 42. FIG. 17 shows an electrical configuration for the control unit 20 to adjust the height of the movable plate 724a during the scanning of the slit nozzle 42. The control unit 20 calculates the actual speed of the slit nozzle 42 based on the detection signal from the linear encoder 53. Then, the control unit 20 controls the power source 724g based on the actual speed of the slit nozzle 42. Thereby, the adjustment bolt 724c can be operated according to the actual speed of the slit nozzle 42, and the height of the movable plate 724a can be adjusted. The same configuration may be applied to the eccentric cam 724f in FIG. 16.

When performing a coating process using such a slit nozzle 42, the resist liquid is discharged toward the board | substrate 2 from the discharge port 74 of the slit nozzle 42. FIG. And the slit nozzle 42 is moved by the drive part 50, and the height of the movable plate 724a is adjusted according to the moving speed.

The relationship between the speed of the slit nozzle 42 and the height of the movable plate 724a assumes the relationship as shown in FIG. 18, for example. That is, immediately after the start of scanning or just before stop, when the slit nozzle 42 is at low speed, the movable plate 724a is raised to a relatively high position. When the slit nozzle 42 is moved at high speed, the movable plate 724a is lowered to a relatively low position. In this manner, the expansion width to the outside of the resist liquid 90 and the reduction width to the inside can be appropriately reduced.

In addition, the control part 20 may control the power source 724g based on the viscosity of the resist liquid 90. FIG. The relationship between the viscosity of the resist liquid 90 and the height of the movable plate 724a is, for example, as shown in FIG. 19. That is, when the viscosity of the resist liquid 90 is low, the movable plate 724a is raised to a relatively high position. When the viscosity of the resist liquid is high, the movable plate 724a is lowered to a relatively low position. Moreover, the control part 20 may control the power source 724g based on both conditions of the moving speed of the slit nozzle 42, and the viscosity of the resist liquid 90. FIG.

<3. Variation>

As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to said example. For example, although the said substrate processing apparatus 1 was a structure which scans the slit nozzle 42 with respect to the stopped board | substrate 2, even if it is the structure which moves the board | substrate 2 with respect to the fixed slit nozzle 42, good. That is, what is necessary is just a structure which scans the slit nozzle 42 relatively with respect to a board | substrate.

In addition, in the above example, the nozzle main body 71 has the same height of the lower end portion that is the front side (+ X side) than the liquid feeding passage 73 and the lower end portion that is the rear side (-X side) than the liquid feeding passage 73. The case was explained. In this case, the lower end of the side plate 72 (the lower end of the side plates 721, 722, 723 or the lower end of the movable plate 724d) is higher than the lower end 71f of the nozzle body 71. It is set in the range up to the position. However, as shown in FIG. 20, the nozzle main body 71 may be set so that the lower end 71g of the front side of the liquid feeding path 73 may be located below the lower end 71h of the back side of the liquid feeding path 73. As shown in FIG. In this case, the lower end portion of the side plate 72 is located from the lower portion of the front side of the nozzle body portion 71 (lower end portion of the nozzle body portion 71: 71 g) from the position h1 of the nozzle body portion 71. It is preferable to set in the range up to the position h2 higher than the lower end portion 71h on the rear side of. In addition, as shown in FIG. 21, the lower end portion 71g on the front side of the nozzle main body 71 may be positioned above the lower end portion 71h on the rear side of the liquid feeding passage 73. In this case, the lower end portion of the side plate 72 is located at a position lower than the lower end portion (lowest end portion of the nozzle body portion 71: 71h) of the nozzle body portion 71 from the position h3 of the nozzle body portion 71. It is preferable to set in the range to the position h4 higher than the lower end part 71g which is a front side. When the height of the side plate 72 is set in such a range, a more stable coating width can be obtained.

In addition, the board | substrate of a process target is not limited to the glass substrate for liquid crystals, A semiconductor substrate, a photomask, etc. may be sufficient. The processing liquid to be applied is not limited to the resist liquid, but may be other processing liquids such as a developing solution.

According to invention of Claim 1 thru | or 6, and Claim 10 which quotes these, thickness of the lower end part of a side plate shall be 0.7 mm or less. For this reason, the width | variety of expansion to the outer side of the process liquid apply | coated can be made small. Therefore, the fluctuation | variation of the application | coating width | variety of a process liquid is suppressed, and the fluctuation of the film thickness of the formed thin film is also suppressed.

Especially, according to invention of Claim 2, the angle with respect to the horizontal surface of the outer surface of the lower end part of a side plate shall be 45 degrees or more. For this reason, it can prevent that a process liquid expands outward beyond the lower end part of a side plate.

In particular, according to the invention described in claim 3, the lower end of the side plate is located below the lower end of the nozzle body. For this reason, the pressure which pulls out a process liquid outside becomes strong, and the width | variety which is reduced inward of the process liquid apply | coated can be made small. Therefore, the fluctuation | variation of the application | coating width of a process liquid is further suppressed.

In particular, according to the invention described in claim 4, the lower end of the side plate is located above the lower end of the nozzle body. For this reason, the pressure which pulls out a process liquid outside becomes weak, and the expansion width to the outside of the process liquid apply | coated can be made small. Therefore, the fluctuation | variation of the application | coating width of a process liquid is further suppressed.

In particular, according to the invention described in claim 5, the height of the lower end of the side plate can be adjusted according to the moving speed of the slit nozzle or the viscosity of the processing liquid. For this reason, the expanded width to the outside of the processing liquid and the reduced width to the inside can be appropriately reduced according to circumstances.

In particular, according to invention of Claim 6, each of a thin plate and a press member can be made into a simple shape. For this reason, a side plate can be formed easily.

Moreover, according to invention of Claim 7 and Claim 10 which quoted this, the lower end part of a side plate is located below the lower end part of a nozzle main body part. For this reason, the pressure which pulls out a process liquid outside becomes strong, and the width | variety which is reduced inward of the process liquid apply | coated can be made small. Therefore, the fluctuation | variation of the application | coating width | variety of a process liquid is suppressed, and the fluctuation of the film thickness of the formed thin film is also suppressed.

Moreover, according to invention of Claim 8 and Claim 10 which quotes this, the lower end part of a side plate is located above upper end part of a nozzle main body part. For this reason, the pressure which pulls out a process liquid outside becomes weak, and the expansion width to the outside of the process liquid apply | coated can be made small. Therefore, the fluctuation | variation of the application | coating width | variety of a process liquid is suppressed, and the fluctuation of the film thickness of the formed thin film is also suppressed.

Moreover, according to invention of Claim 9 and Claims 10 and 11 which refer to this, the height of the lower end part of a side plate can be adjusted according to the moving speed of a slit nozzle, and the viscosity of a process liquid. For this reason, the expanded width to the outside of the processing liquid and the reduced width to the inside can be appropriately reduced according to circumstances. Therefore, the fluctuation of the coating width of the treatment liquid is suppressed and the fluctuation of the film thickness of the formed thin film is also suppressed.

Claims (11)

In the slit nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge port in the lower portion, A nozzle body portion defining an opening edge along the longitudinal direction of the discharge port; A pair of side plates attached to both ends of the nozzle body part and defining opening edges in a width direction of the discharge port, Slit nozzle, characterized in that the thickness of the lower end of the side plate is 0.7mm or less. The method of claim 1, Slit nozzle, characterized in that the angle to the horizontal surface of the outer surface of the lower end of the side plate is 45 degrees or more. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The lower end of the side plate is positioned below the lower end of the nozzle body portion, the slit nozzle. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The lower end of the side plate is positioned above the lower end of the nozzle body portion, the slit nozzle. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The side plate has a slit nozzle, characterized in that for adjusting the height of the lower end of the side plate. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The side plate has a thin plate defining an end of the discharge port, and a pressing member for fixing the thin plate. In the slit nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge port in the lower portion, A nozzle body portion defining an opening edge along the longitudinal direction of the discharge port; A pair of side plates attached to both ends of the nozzle body part and defining opening edges in a width direction of the discharge port, The lower end of the side plate is positioned below the lower end of the nozzle body portion, the slit nozzle. In the slit nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge port in the lower portion, A nozzle body portion defining an opening edge along the longitudinal direction of the discharge port; A pair of side plates attached to both ends of the nozzle body part and defining opening edges in a width direction of the discharge port, The lower end of the side plate is positioned above the lower end of the nozzle body portion, the slit nozzle. In the slit nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge port in the lower portion, A nozzle body portion defining an opening edge along the longitudinal direction of the discharge port; A pair of side plates attached to both ends of the nozzle body part and defining opening edges in a width direction of the discharge port, The side plate has a slit nozzle, characterized in that for adjusting the height of the lower end of the side plate. The slit nozzle according to any one of claims 1, 7, 8 and 9, Holding means for horizontally holding the substrate below the slit nozzle; Scanning means for scanning the slit nozzle relative to the substrate held by the holding means in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the discharge port; And a supply means for supplying a processing liquid to the slit nozzle. A substrate processing method using the slit nozzle according to claim 9, A supplying step of discharging the processing liquid from the discharge port toward the substrate while scanning the slit nozzle relative to the substrate; And an adjusting step of adjusting the height of the lower end of the side plate according to the viscosity of the processing liquid, the speed of the slit nozzle, or both conditions thereof.

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