KR100849977B1 - Resist Liquid supply device and remodeling kit for obtaining the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a resist liquid supply apparatus which can reduce the cost of resist liquid supply as a whole while avoiding the use of expensive small dedicated containers that can be directly connected to the current LCD panel manufacturing line, while reducing the resist liquid transportation cost. do.

The resist liquid supply device detects at least one of the concentration and viscosity of the liquid in the combination tank, and adjusts the amount of injection of the raw material liquid and the solvent according to the detection result to control the dilution, and at the same time, the resist liquid for product obtained by dilution control. It is stored in the buffer tank for a certain period of time to stabilize.

Resist solution supply

Description

Resist Liquid supply device and remodeling kit for obtaining the same}

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a resist liquid supply apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a diagram showing an example of an injection head constituting the resist liquid supply device.

3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a resist liquid supply apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a resist liquid supply apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a resist liquid supply apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

** Description of Signs of Major References **

1: resist liquid supply device 10: raw material liquid

11: Raw material liquid introduction line 12: Raw material liquid flow meter

13,23: three-way valve 20: solvent

21: solvent introduction line 22: solvent flow meter

30: combination tank 31: injection head

32: mixed solution 33: stirring blade

34: load cell 35, 36: partial liquid circulation transfer line

37: concentration detector and / or viscosity detector 38: flow regulator

39: resist liquid transfer line 40: buffer tank

41: resist liquid for product

42,43: resist liquid supply line

51,52,53: Pumps 61,62,63: Filters

71,72,73,74: air valve

The present invention relates to a resist liquid supply apparatus and a retrofit kit for obtaining the resist liquid supply apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device for obtaining a resist liquid for a product of a predetermined concentration from a raw material liquid in a high concentration, and supplying a resist liquid for this product, and a retrofit kit for obtaining the resist liquid supply device.

In liquid crystal display panels (hereinafter, referred to as LCD panels) such as color TVs, PCs, and pachinko plays, TFT liquid crystal displays using thin-film transistors (hereinafter referred to as TFT) liquid crystal systems have become mainstream. This TFT liquid crystal display employs a technique called an active matrix method, and includes an array substrate on which a thin film transistor is mounted, a color filter substrate for coloring, and a liquid crystal cell in which a liquid crystal material is trapped between the two substrates.

In the array substrate and the color filter substrate, for example, a resist pattern is formed on the substrate by coating the resist liquid on the substrate, then exposing and developing the substrate. In particular, in the color filter substrate, it is necessary to repeat the process of coating, exposing and developing the resist liquid for each color using the color resist liquid of black and three primary colors.

By the way, in order to make the color development and contrast of an LCD panel uniform, and to make an image quality favorable, it is preferable that the said array substrate and a color filter substrate do not have a stain or a streak. Therefore, it is important to uniformly coat the resist liquid on the substrate.

As a conventional method of uniformly coating a resist liquid on a substrate, there is a spin coating method using a spin coater (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-196322). The spin coating method is a method of fixing a substrate on a manufacturing apparatus, dropping the resist liquid in the center of the fixed substrate, and then spreading the resist liquid onto the substrate by centrifugal force by horizontally rotating the substrate at high speed. According to the spin coating method, even a resist liquid having a high viscosity can be uniformly coated.

However, in recent years, LCD panels have been enlarged in size, and as the spin coating method has been delayed in responding to the increase in size of a spin coater, which is a device for rotating a substrate, it has become difficult to uniformly coat. In addition, there is a need for a non-spin coating method that does not rotate the substrate, in that a large amount of the resist liquid overflows from the substrate during rotation, and also requires a cross-sectional treatment such as edge rinsing or cross-sectional cleaning after coating. .

In response to these demands, a non-spin coater that does not rotate a substrate has been proposed. This apparatus supplies a resist liquid from the slit nozzle to the substrate surface while moving the slit nozzle from the upper side of the substrate, which is called a slit coater (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-062370). With the advent of slit coaters, the above problems in spin coaters have been solved and the production of large LCD panels has become easier.

By the way, in the application | coating of the resist liquid by the conventional spin coater, since it overlaps with centrifugal force, the solid content of a resist liquid generally becomes about 25 to 30%. This is because the application of the resist liquid by the spin coater is accompanied by a high-speed horizontal rotation, so that if the solid content of the resist liquid is small (that is, low viscosity), the amount of the resist liquid overflowed from the substrate increases.

On the other hand, in the slit coater, since a coating without spin is possible, a resist liquid having a low solid content is used. This is because even a low viscosity resist liquid can be uniformly coated on a substrate.

However, the decrease in the solid content of the resist liquid causes an increase in the resist liquid transport amount. That is, in the resist liquid for slit coaters, it is necessary to raise the compounding quantity of a solvent, and therefore the transport volume as the whole resist liquid increases. The increase in the transportation amount is reflected as the increase in the transportation cost as it is, and as a result, the cost of the resist liquid product increases.

In addition, when a resist liquid for ordinary products is delivered to a manufacturer such as an LCD panel, an expensive small dedicated container is used. This is because the small dedicated container can be directly connected to the LCD panel manufacturing line, is easy to handle, and there is little risk of mixing this water into the resist liquid. Since this small dedicated container is expensive, it is usually used as a so-called circulation container in which a resist liquid is delivered to a manufacturer, then used again by the manufacturer, recovered, cleaned, and filled again.

Such a small dedicated container is not only expensive to purchase, but also causes an increase in the cost of the resist liquid product due to the trouble and cost of managing and recovering the container. In addition, the small dedicated container has a high space occupancy rate of tracks and the like during transportation, but the transportation amount is small, so that the transportation cost in terms of space occupancy rate also increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to reduce the cost of transporting resist liquids, while avoiding the use of expensive small dedicated containers that can be directly connected to current LCD panel manufacturing lines, and supplying resist liquids. It is an object of the present invention to provide a resist liquid supply apparatus which can reduce the overall cost.

In order to solve the above problems, the present inventors carried out a detailed study focusing on the need to transport a high concentration of resist raw material as it is, and to stably supply a resist solution for a product having a desired concentration for each product at a manufacturing site such as an LCD panel. It was. As a result, at least one of the concentration and the viscosity of the liquid in the combination tank is detected, and the dilution control is performed by adjusting the injection amount of the raw material liquid and the solvent based on the detection result, It has been found that the above problem can be solved by storing and stabilizing in a buffer tank for a certain period of time, thereby completing the present invention. More specifically, the present invention provides the following.

(1) A resist liquid supply apparatus for adding a solvent to a high concentration raw material liquid, diluting to a desired concentration, obtaining a product resist liquid of a predetermined concentration, and supplying a resist liquid for this product.

Supplying the introduction portion into which the high concentration raw material liquid is introduced, the mixing stirring portion for mixing and stirring the raw material liquid and the solvent introduced into the introduction portion, and the resist liquid for products obtained by mixing and stirring the concentration at the mixing stirring portion And a mixing tank for storing and stirring the mixed liquid of the raw material liquid and the solvent in the mixed stirring part, the combined tank comprising an injection part for injecting the raw material liquid and the solvent, and the combination. A partial liquid circulation transfer section for extracting and returning a part of the liquid stored in the tank, wherein the partial liquid circulation transfer section detects the viscosity of the resist component of the extracted liquid and the viscosity of the resist component of the extracted liquid On the basis of the detection value by at least one of the viscosity detectors and at least one of the concentration detector and the viscosity detector And a flow regulator for adjusting the injection amount of the raw material liquid and the solvent in the injection portion, and the supply portion receives a resist liquid for a product in the combination tank diluted and controlled to a desired concentration by the flow regulator. A resist liquid supply apparatus comprising a resist liquid buffer tank for a product to be stored.

The resist liquid supply apparatus of (1) can add a solvent to a high concentration raw material liquid, dilute it to a desired concentration, obtain a resist liquid for a product of a desired concentration, and supply the resist liquid for this product. Therefore, according to the invention of (1), the resist liquid of high concentration can be delivered to the installation place of the resist liquid supply apparatus of this invention as it is instead of the low concentration product resist liquid, and the reduction of a transport amount can be aimed at by this. It becomes possible.

In addition, since a high concentration of raw material liquid is transported, it is possible to avoid the use of a small dedicated container that can be directly connected to the current LCD panel manufacturing line. For this reason, when transporting to the large container which can be piped to the resist liquid supply apparatus of (1), the cost of purchasing an expensive small dedicated container, and the trouble and cost in the management and collection | recovery of this container are reduced, and transportation is carried out. It can reduce the space occupancy rate at

In addition, a part of the liquid stored in the combination tank is taken out, the concentration of the resist component of the extracted liquid is detected by the concentration detector, and / or the viscosity of the resist component of the extracted liquid is detected by the viscosity detector. The amount of liquid and solvent injected can be adjusted. Therefore, regardless of the concentration of the high concentration raw material liquid introduced into the resist liquid supplying device, it is possible to supply the desired resist liquid for each product with high precision.

In addition, since the product resist liquid at a predetermined concentration, which is diluted and controlled by adjusting the injection amount of the raw material liquid and the solvent, is stored in the buffer tank for a certain period of time, the concentration of the product resist liquid can be stabilized. Therefore, even if there is a deviation between zero lots of the raw material liquid, it is possible to maintain a predetermined concentration of the target resist liquid for the product.

(2) The resist liquid supplying device according to (1), wherein a plurality of combination tanks are provided.

The resist liquid supply device of (2) includes a plurality of combination tanks. Therefore, according to the invention of (2), it is possible to store the mixed liquid in the combination tank, and it is possible to supply immediately even if the amount is reduced by using the resist liquid in the resist liquid buffer tank for products.

In addition, even when one combination tank cannot be used due to failure, cleaning, or the like, the resist liquid supplying device can be operated by using another combination tank.

(3) The combination tank includes a first combination tank for lowering the concentration of the resist liquid and a second combination tank for precisely adjusting the concentration of the resist liquid adjusted in the first combination tank (1) or ( The resist liquid supply apparatus as described in 2).

The resist liquid supply apparatus of (3) includes a first combination tank and a second combination tank for adjusting the resist liquid in two stages. Therefore, according to the invention of (3), it can be supplied to the second combination tank by adjusting to a concentration close to the desired concentration in the first combination tank. In the first combination tank, since the concentration is uniform by agitation, uniform and precise concentration adjustment is possible as compared with the case of directly supplying the raw material liquid or the solvent.

(4) The resist liquid supply apparatus according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the concentration detector is at least one of a sonic analyzer and a near infrared spectrometer.

The resist liquid supply apparatus of (4) includes a sonic analyzer and / or a near infrared spectrometer as the concentration detector. Therefore, according to the invention of (4), the resist component and the solvent which are solid content in a liquid can be discriminated easily.

(5) The introduction section includes a raw material liquid introduction line for introducing a raw material liquid into the combination tank, and a solvent introduction line for introducing a solvent into the combination tank, and the flow rate regulator includes the raw material liquid introduction line and the solvent introduction. The resist liquid supply apparatus in any one of (1)-(4) which controls the flow volume of the at least one liquid of a line.

The resist liquid supply apparatus (5) controls the flow rate of the raw material liquid introduction line for introducing the raw material liquid into the combination tank and / or the solvent introduction line for introducing the solvent into the combination tank by the flow rate regulator. Therefore, according to the invention of (5), the mixing and stirring are carried out without controlling the raw material liquid and the solvent introduced into the combination tank up to the desired concentration near the target, and then finely adjusted to the predetermined concentration as the finish of dilution. It becomes possible to do Therefore, the resist liquid for products of desired target concentration can be manufactured quickly with high precision.

(6) The injection section includes an injection head for injecting the raw material liquid and the solvent into the combination tank, wherein the injection head has a raw material liquid discharge port which is a discharge port of the raw material liquid, and at least a portion of the solvent in the vicinity of the raw material liquid discharge port. The resist liquid supply apparatus in any one of (1)-(5) provided with the solvent discharge port which discharges a part, and the said raw material liquid discharge port is wash | cleaned with the said solvent.

The resist liquid supply apparatus of (6) is equipped with an injection head, and wash | cleans a raw material liquid discharge port with the solvent from a solvent discharge port. Since the raw material liquid has a high concentration of the resist component, there is a tendency for solids to adhere easily in the vicinity of the raw material liquid discharge port. Therefore, according to the invention of (6), since the solid material from the raw material liquid can be washed with the solvent, it is possible to prevent clogging by the solid material from the raw material liquid, thereby cleaning the discharge port of the raw material liquid regularly. The work can be reduced, and continuous operation can be realized.

(7) The resist liquid supply apparatus according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the product resist liquid buffer tank stores a resist liquid for product larger than the daily usage amount.

Since a dedicated small container conventionally used can only be charged in a capacity which is less than the daily usage, it has to be replaced several times a day.

However, the resist liquid supply apparatus of (7) is provided with a buffer tank for storing more than the daily usage amount. Therefore, according to the invention of (7), a stable continuous supply of at least one day is possible with the effect of stabilizing the resist liquid concentration for the product.

In addition, depending on the capacity of the buffer tank, a failure occurs in the introduction portion and / or the mixing stirrer of the resist liquid supply device of the present invention, or the state in which the portion cannot be used due to cleaning of the introduction portion and / or the mixing stirrer. Even if it is possible to stop the supply of the resist liquid for the product.

(8) The resist liquid supply apparatus according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the resist liquid for product is supplied directly to a production facility for producing a resist film using the resist liquid for product through a pipe line.

The resist liquid supply apparatus (8) supplies the product resist liquid directly through a pipe to a manufacturing facility for producing a resist film using the product resist liquid. Here, "directly through the pipe" means that the product resist liquid supplied from the resist liquid supply device is introduced into the apparatus for producing a resist film through a pipe as it is, without being distributed to an independent container. As long as it is not distribute | distributed to an independent container, in the pipe line between a resist liquid supply apparatus and the manufacturing equipment which manufactures a resist film, you may have a part which adds other components, such as an additive, and a filter etc. may be arrange | positioned.

According to the invention of (8), it is possible to prevent the use of a small dedicated container of a dedicated type directly connected to a production line such as an existing LCD panel having a manufacturing facility for manufacturing a resist film.

In manufacturing a resist film according to a conventional small-sized container, since the container is empty in a short time of 2 to 3 hours, it is necessary to replace the container several times a day. This caused both human and time waste.

However, according to the invention of (8), the product resist liquid accumulated in the product resist liquid buffer tank can be directly supplied to the manufacturing equipment for producing a resist film from the buffer tank through a pipe. Therefore, the human and time loss required for the replacement of the small container can be avoided.

(9) The resist liquid supply apparatus in any one of (1)-(8) whose solid content concentration of the said raw material liquid is 30% or more and 50% or less.

The raw material liquid introduced into the resist liquid supply apparatus of (9) has the solid content concentration of 30% or more and 50% or less. If the solid content concentration of the raw material liquid is within this range, the concentration adjustment is not necessary just by adjusting the sensitivity to the raw material liquid. For this reason, the raw material liquid introduced into the resist liquid supply apparatus of this invention can skip a density adjustment process from the manufacturing process, and as a result, the lead time of raw material liquid delivery can be reduced. The solid content concentration of the raw material liquid is preferably 30% or more and 45% or less, and more preferably 33% or more and 38% or less.

(10) The resist liquid supply apparatus according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the solid content concentration of the resist liquid for products is 10% or more and 30% or less.

The resist liquid for a product differs in solid content concentration according to the coating apparatus used. Generally, the resist liquid solids concentration for a spin coater or a slit-and-spin coater product is higher than the solids concentration of the resist liquid for non-spin coater products, such as a slit coater. In addition, the solid content concentration of the resist liquid for products differs depending on the target product, even when using the same coating apparatus.

Therefore, the resist liquid for products supplied by the resist liquid supply apparatus of (10) makes solid content concentration 10% or more and 30% or less. Therefore, according to the invention of (10), it is possible to easily set the solid content concentration inherent in the intended product. The solid content concentration of the resist liquid for products is preferably 20% or more and 30% or less, more preferably 25% or more and 30% or less for the spin coater or the slit and spin coater. Moreover, for non-spin coaters, such as a slit coater, 10% or more and 20% or less are preferable, and 12% or more and 18% or less are more preferable.

(11) The solvent described in any one of (1) to (10), wherein the solvent includes at least one of waste liquid generated in a process using a predetermined resist liquid and waste liquid generated in a process of cleaning a resist liquid production apparatus. Resist liquid supply device.

The solvent to be introduced into the resist liquid supply apparatus of (11) includes waste liquid generated in a process using a predetermined resist liquid and / or waste liquid generated in a process of washing the resist liquid production apparatus. Here, the "waste liquid generated in the process using a predetermined resist liquid" is not limited to the use of the product resist liquid supplied by the resist liquid supply apparatus of this invention, but arises in any process using various resist liquids. It means waste liquid. In addition, the "waste liquid generated in the process of cleaning a resist liquid manufacturing apparatus" means not only the resist liquid supply apparatus of this invention, but also the manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a resist raw material liquid, etc. Means the waste liquid generated in the process of cleaning the device.

According to the invention of (11), for example, a waste liquid generated in a process using a predetermined resist liquid together with an unused new solvent and / or waste liquid generated in a process of cleaning a resist liquid production apparatus are used. By doing so, it is possible to reuse the waste liquid which has been discarded until now. Therefore, not only waste of solvent resources but also disposal cost can be reduced, and the product price of LCD panels and the like obtained thereafter can be lowered.

(12) The resist liquid supply apparatus according to (11), wherein the waste liquid generated in the step of using the predetermined resist liquid is a waste liquid generated in a resist film manufacturing step of forming a resist film from the predetermined resist liquid.

When forming a resist film from a resist liquid, the resist liquid which overflows from a board | substrate arises to some extent. In particular, in the case of application by a spin coater accompanied by the rotation of the substrate, the amount of the resist liquid that overflows from the substrate during rotation increases.

However, the solvent to be introduced into the resist liquid supply apparatus of (12) includes a waste liquid generated in the resist film manufacturing step of forming the resist film rather than the predetermined resist liquid. Therefore, according to the invention of (12), it is possible to reuse such a resist waste liquid generated in the resist film production process for forming a resist film, and thus has the same effect as the invention of (11).

(13) The resist liquid supplying device according to (11) or (12), wherein the waste liquid generated in the resist film manufacturing step is at least one of waste liquid generated in the slit coater coating step and waste liquid generated in the slit coater cleaning step. .

Substrates for manufacturing LCD panels are becoming increasingly large due to the increasing size of LCD panels. In the formation of the resist film in the large-panel substrate, the use of a slit coater without rotation is preferable. However, since the substrate is large, there is a large amount of resist liquid flowing from the substrate even when the slit coater is used. In addition, the slit coater head should be periodically cleaned with a solvent to remove solids made from the resist liquid attached to the head and to prevent clogging of the head.

However, the solvent introduced into the resist liquid supply apparatus of (13) includes waste liquid generated in the slit coater coating process and / or waste liquid generated in the slit coater head cleaning process. Therefore, according to the invention of (13), since the waste liquid generated in the slit coater applying step and / or the waste liquid generated in the slit coater head cleaning process can be reused, the same effects as in the above (11) can be obtained. Indicates.

(14) The resist liquid supply apparatus according to any one of the joins (1) to (13), wherein the resist liquid buffer tank for the product is movable.

The resist liquid buffer tank for products provided in the resist liquid supply apparatus of (14) is a movable tank. Therefore, according to the invention of (14), even when the manufacturing equipment is dotted, it is not necessary to provide an introduction portion and a mixed stirring portion in each manufacturing equipment, so that the equipment investment cost can be reduced. Moreover, the equipment investment cost can be suppressed by employ | adopting the structure which tanks, such as a resist liquid buffer tank for products, are not provided separately.

Moreover, since the resist liquid required for manufacturing can be supplied to a movable tank and can be moved, the tank suitable for the processing capability of a manufacturing facility can be used.

On the operation side, for example, the movable tank supplied with the resist liquid at night from the mixing stirring part is moved to a manufacturing facility in the morning. At lunch time, the movable bath is supplied from the movable bath to the manufacturing facility, and at night, the empty movable bath is returned to the mixing stirring section. By performing such a series of operations, efficiency of work can be aimed at.

(15) The resist liquid supply apparatus according to any one of joins (1) to (14), wherein a plurality of resist liquid buffer tanks for products are provided and the resist liquid buffer tanks directly connected to the mixing and stirring section are movable.

The resist liquid supply apparatus of (15) is provided with a plurality of product resist liquid buffer tanks, and the product resist liquid buffer tanks directly connected to the mixing and stirring section are movable tanks. Therefore, according to the invention of (15), it can be provided even in a place where the mixing stir section and the supply section are separated, and the supply equipment of the resist liquid from the mixing stir section to the supply section can be simplified. In addition, if the product resist liquid buffer tank is provided so as to be close to the manufacturing facility, the mixed liquid adjusted at at least one mixing and stirring section can be supplied to the product resist liquid buffer tank by a movable tank. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide an introduction part and a mixing stirring part in all the manufacturing facilities, and it can restrain facility investment cost.

(16) The resist liquid supply apparatus according to (14) or (15), wherein the movable jaw is a vehicle having a space capable of sealing the resist liquid for products.

According to the invention (16), since the movable bath is a vehicle having a space capable of sealing the resist liquid for products, the resist liquid for products can be easily moved.

(17) The resist liquid supply apparatus according to any one of (1) to (16), wherein the resist liquid for product is used for liquid crystal display manufacture.

In recent years, with the increase in the size of LCD panels, the coating apparatus for the resist liquid is changing from a spin coater to a slit coater. Since the slit coat resist liquid has a low content (solid content) of the resist component, the dilution ratio by the solvent is high. On the other hand, the usage of the resist liquid is increasing with the increase of the LCD panel.

According to the invention of (17), the resist liquid for a product supplied by the resist liquid supply apparatus is used for liquid crystal display manufacture. Therefore, it is possible to respond quickly and stably even when the dilution ratio is high or when the required amount of the product resist liquid is large so as to be required in the manufacture of the liquid crystal display.

(18) A retrofit kit for retrofitting a developer dilution device to produce a resist solution supply device as described in (1) to (17), wherein at least one of the iron pipe usable on at least one of the raw material solution introduction line and the solvent introduction line; At least one of a concentration detector for detecting a concentration of the resist component in the liquid and a viscosity detector for detecting the viscosity of the resist component in the liquid, the product resist being mounted on a line for extracting and returning a part of the liquid from the combination tank; Retrofit kit comprising a set of filters suitable for filtration of liquids.

The resist liquid dilution apparatus of the present invention can be produced not only in the case of new production but also by retrofitting the existing developer dilution apparatus. By using the retrofit kit (18), since the parts necessary for retrofit are set, the existing resist liquid dilution device can be easily switched to the resist liquid supply device.

(19) The retrofit kit according to (18), further comprising an injection head for injecting a raw material liquid and a solvent into the combination tank in the one set.

According to the invention of (19), since the injection head is further provided in the set, it is possible to prevent clogging due to solids from the raw material liquid at the raw material liquid discharge port of the resist liquid supply device and to reduce the work of periodically cleaning the raw material liquid discharge port. It becomes possible, and continuous operation becomes possible.

(20) A method for converting a developer dilution device into a resist solution supplying device using the retrofit kit according to (18) or (19).

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same code | symbol is used about the component common below, and the description is abbreviate | omitted or simplified.

(First embodiment)

<Overall Configuration of Resist Liquid Supply Device>

1 is a diagram showing a resist liquid supply apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The resist liquid supply apparatus 1 of this embodiment mixes and stirs the introduction part A into which the high concentration raw material liquid 10 is introduced, and the raw material liquid 10 and the solvent 20 introduced into this introduction part A. In FIG. The mixing stirring part B and the supply part C which mix and stir at the mixing stirring part B, and adjust density | concentration, and supply the resist liquid for products obtained by this are provided.

The introduction part A is mainly comprised by the raw material liquid introduction line 11, the raw material liquid flowmeter 12, the solvent introduction line 21, and the solvent flowmeter 22. As shown in FIG. The mixing stirring portion B is mainly composed of the combination tank 30, the injection head 31, the partial liquid circulation transfer lines 35 and 36, the concentration detector and / or the viscosity detector 37, and the flow regulator 38. do. The supply part C is mainly comprised by the buffer tank 40.

<Individual Configuration of Resist Liquid Supply Device>

[Introduction]

The configuration of the introduction portion A of the resist liquid supply apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described below.

(Raw material introduction line)

The raw material liquid introduction line 11 is a hollow pipe, and is a line for introducing a high concentration of the resist raw material solution 10 into the combination tank 30. The length is not specifically limited, What is necessary is just to set suitably according to the magnitude | size of an apparatus. The diameter of the pipe constituting the line is also not particularly limited, but is preferably 5 mm or more and 30 mm or less, more preferably 10 mm or more and 20 mm or less. Since the raw material liquid is high in concentration, it tends to be solidified. If the diameter is in the above range, the flow path can be prevented from clogging even when the solid matter adheres.

Although it does not specifically limit as a material of the pipe which comprises the raw material liquid introduction line 11, For example, iron, PFA, SUS 316, SUS 304, etc. are mentioned. Among these, iron is preferable in view of strength and price.

On the other hand, the raw material liquid introduction line 11 may be provided with an opening valve, an air valve 71, or the like for failure or cleaning, and in some cases, a pump for facilitating the transfer of the raw material liquid 10 may be provided. It may be installed.

(Solvent introduction line)

The solvent introduction line 21 is a hollow pipe, and is a line for introducing the solvent 20 for diluting the high concentration of the resist raw material solution 10 into the combination tank 30. The length is not specifically limited, What is necessary is just to set suitably according to the magnitude | size of an apparatus. Moreover, although the diameter of the pipe which comprises a line is not specifically limited, It is preferable that they are 5 mm or more and 30 mm or less, and it is more preferable that they are 10 mm or more and 20 mm or less.

Although the material of the pipe which comprises the solvent introduction line 21 is not specifically limited, For example, iron, PFA, SUS 316, SUS 304, etc. are mentioned. Among these, iron is preferable in view of strength and price.

On the other hand, the solvent introduction line 21 may be provided with an open valve, an air valve 72, etc. to cope with failure or cleaning, and in some cases a pump for facilitating the transfer of the solvent 20 is provided. You may be.

(Raw material flow meter and solvent flow meter)

The raw material liquid introduction line 11 is provided with a raw material liquid flow meter 12, and the solvent introduction line 21 is provided with a solvent flow meter 22. The kind of the raw material liquid flowmeter 12 and the solvent flowmeter 22 is not particularly limited. It is also possible to use a commercially available flow meter.

[Mixed Stirring]

The structure of the mixing stirring part B which the resist liquid supply apparatus 1 which concerns on a present Example is equipped is demonstrated below. The mixing stirring portion (B) includes a combination tank (30), an injection portion for injecting the raw material liquid (10) and the solvent (20) into the combination tank (30) around the combination tank (30), and a combination The partial liquid transfer part which removes a part of the mixed liquid 32 which is the liquid stored in the tank 30, and returns it to the combination tank 30 is provided.

(Combination tank)

The combination tank 30 mixes and stirs the mixed liquid 32 of the raw material liquid 10 and the solvent 20 therein. Inside the combination tank 30, the stirring blade 33 for mixing and stirring the raw material liquid 10 and the solvent 20 is provided. Further, a lower portion of the combination tank 30 is provided with a combination tank 30 and a load cell 34 for measuring the total mass of the raw material liquid 10 and the solvent 20 injected into the combination tank 30. These stirring blade 33 and the load cell 34 are not specifically limited, What is necessary is just to select suitably according to the magnitude | size of the combination tank 30.

Although the capacity of the combination tank 30 is not specifically limited, It is preferable that it is a capacity which can manufacture the mixed liquid 32 of the quantity larger than the daily usage amount of the resist liquid 41 for products obtained after that. The size of the combination tank 30 depends on the amount of the daily use of the resist liquid 41 for the product and the installation size of the apparatus.

Although the shape of the combination tank 30 is not specifically limited, It is preferable that it is cylindrical in the point which can make stirring uniform to the liquid stored in the inside of the combination tank 30. FIG.

Although the material of the combination tank 30 is not specifically limited, For example, SUS316, SUS304, PFA, etc. are mentioned, A lining tank can also be used. Among these, SUS 304 is preferable because of less corrosion by the liquid stored therein and less manual work.

[Injection department]

The injection portion is a portion for injecting the raw material liquid 10 and the solvent 20 derived from the raw material liquid introduction line 11 and the solvent introduction line 21 into the combination tank 30.

(Injection head)

The resist liquid supply apparatus 1 of this embodiment has an injection head 31 in the injection portion. The injection head 31 is installed in the combination tank 30 to inject the raw material liquid 10 and the solvent 20 into the combination tank 30. Although the installation position of an injection head is not specifically limited, It is preferable to be in the inside of a combination tank and at least near the end of the raw material liquid introduction line 11.

2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the injection head 31. The injection head 31 of FIG. 2 is located at the end of the raw material liquid introduction line 11 and has a solvent in which the raw material liquid discharge port 11a, which is the discharge port of the raw material liquid 10, and the raw material liquid introduction line 11 are disposed. Located at the distal end of the introduction line 21, and provided with a solvent discharge port 21a which is a discharge port of the solvent 20. In the injection head 31, the raw material liquid discharge port 11a is cleaned by the flow of the solvent 20 discharged from the solvent discharge port 21a. Thereby, adhesion of the solid substance X derived from the raw material liquid 10 can be prevented.

The injection head arbitrarily used in the present invention includes a raw material liquid discharge port that is a discharge port of the raw material liquid, and a solvent discharge port provided near the raw material liquid discharge port to discharge at least a part of the solvent. The positional relationship between the raw material liquid discharge port and the solvent discharge port in the injection head is not particularly limited, but is preferably a positional relationship in which the raw material liquid discharge port is cleaned by the flow of the solvent discharged from the solvent liquid discharge port. On the other hand, the size and material of the injection head are not particularly limited.

In the resist liquid supply apparatus of the present invention, the injection head is not an essential component, but the raw material liquid 10 and the solvent directly from the ends of the raw material liquid introduction line 11 and the solvent introduction line 21 to the combination tank 30. The configuration in which 20 is injected may be sufficient.

[Partial liquid circulation transfer part]

The partial liquid circulation transfer part is a part which extracts a part of the mixed liquid 32 which is a liquid stored in the combination tank 30 and returns it to the combination tank 30 again. The partial liquid circulation transfer part of the resist liquid supply apparatus of this embodiment includes a partial liquid circulation transfer line 35 and 36, a concentration detection part and / or a viscosity detection part 37 provided between the lines 35 and 36, and And a flow rate regulator 38 bonded to the concentration detector and / or the viscosity detector 37.

(Partial liquid circulation line)

The partial liquid circulation transfer lines 35 and 36 are hollow pipes connected to the combination tank 30. The partial liquid circulation transfer lines 35 and 36 take out a part of the mixed liquid 32 stored in the combination tank 30 and return to the combination tank 30 again. Send it back. In addition, a concentration detector and / or a viscosity detector 37 to be described later are provided between the partial liquid circulation transfer lines 35 and 36.

Although the length and shape of the partial liquid circulation transfer lines 35 and 36 are not particularly limited, the concentration detector and / or the viscosity detector 37 may be disposed. The material of the pipe constituting these lines is not particularly limited, and the material constituting the raw material liquid introduction line 11 and the solvent introduction line 21 may be used, but iron piping is preferred in terms of strength and price. In view of cleanliness, piping in which SUS is lined is preferable.

(Concentration detector and / or viscosity detector)

The concentration detector and / or viscosity detector 37 provided between the partial liquid circulation transfer lines 35 and 36 is not particularly limited as long as the concentration and / or viscosity of the resist component of the mixed liquid 32 can be detected. The mixed liquid 32 of this invention contains the solvent which is a liquid component, and the resist which is a solid content. Therefore, what is necessary is just a concentration detector and / or a viscosity detector which can distinguish a liquid component and solid content.

As the concentration detector included in the resist liquid supply apparatus of the present invention, an acoustic wave analyzer or a near infrared spectrometer can be preferably used. A sound wave analyzer or a near-infrared spectrometer may be provided either, and both may be provided simultaneously.

It does not specifically limit as an acoustic analyzer, It is also possible to use a commercially available apparatus. A sonic analyzer, which is one of the preferred concentration detectors, is, for example, FUD-1 MODEL-22 or 52, manufactured by Fujigogyo Co., Ltd., Japan.

In addition, it is not specifically limited as a near-infrared spectrometer, A commercially available instrument can also be used. Another near-infrared spectrometer, which is a preferred concentration detector, is NR 800, manufactured by Yokogawa Denki, Japan.

Although it does not specifically limit as a viscosity detector with which the resist liquid supply apparatus of this invention is provided, The viscometer which can continuously measure is preferable. Preferred concentration detectors are, for example, Viscometer BUM-1 manufactured by LEVIIRTONIX.

On the other hand, the resist liquid supplying apparatus of this invention may be equipped with only one of a density detector and / or a viscosity detector, and may be equipped with both a detector simultaneously. Alternatively, the concentration detector may include only one of an acoustic analyzer and a near infrared spectrometer, or may include both spectrometers simultaneously.

(Flow regulator)

The resist liquid supply device 1 of this embodiment is provided with a flow rate regulator 38. The flow regulator 38 is bonded to the concentration detector and / or the viscosity detector 37, and introduced into the raw material liquid flow meter 12 and / or solvent installed in the raw material liquid introduction line 11 according to the detected concentration and / or viscosity. The flow rate of the solvent flow meter 22 provided in the line 21 is controlled.

In the resist liquid supply apparatus 1 of this embodiment, data concerning the target concentration and / or viscosity of a predetermined | prescribed product resist liquid and the density | concentration and / or viscosity of the raw material liquid which are introduce | transduced into the apparatus are previously registered in the flow regulator. When the detection result of the concentration detector and / or the viscosity detector 37 is higher than the target concentration and / or viscosity of the resist liquid for products, the flow rate regulator 38 controls to increase the flow rate value of the solvent flow meter 22. On the other hand, when the detection result of the concentration detector and / or the viscosity detector 37 is lower than the target concentration and / or viscosity of the product resist liquid, the flow rate regulator 38 increases the flow rate value of the raw material liquid flowmeter 12. To control it. In this way, the concentration of the mixed liquid 32 in the combination tank 30 of the resist liquid supply device 1 becomes a predetermined target concentration.

In addition, it does not specifically limit as a flow regulator, A commercially available apparatus can be used.

In addition, in this invention, it is also possible to use the load cell 34 as a flow regulator. In this case, the weight of the mixed liquid 32 in the combination tank 30 is measured by a load cell 34, and according to the detection result of the concentration detector and / or the viscosity detector 37, the raw material liquid flowmeter 12 And / or by controlling the flow rate of the solvent flow meter 22 to control the additional introduction amount of the raw material liquid 10 and / or the solvent 20, whereby the concentration of the mixed liquid 32 in the combination tank 30 is set to a predetermined target concentration. Becomes

(Resist liquid transfer line)

The resist liquid transfer line 39 is a hollow pipe and is a line for introducing the mixed liquid 32 adjusted to a predetermined target concentration by being stirred and mixed in the combination tank 30 and adjusted to a predetermined target concentration. The length is not specifically limited, What is necessary is just to set suitably according to the magnitude | size of an apparatus. Moreover, although the diameter of the pipe which comprises a line is not specifically limited, It is preferable that they are 5 mm or more and 30 mm or less, and 10 mm or more and 20 m or less are more preferable.

Although the material of the pipe which comprises the resist liquid conveyance line 39 is not specifically limited, For example, iron, PFA, SUS 316, SUS 304, etc. are mentioned. The material of the pipe may be a material constituting the raw material liquid introduction line 11 and the solvent introduction line 21, but iron is preferred among them.

The resist liquid transfer line 39 of the resist liquid supply apparatus 1 of this embodiment is provided with a filter 61, an opening valve for coping with a failure or cleaning, and an air valve 73. It has a bypass to block the transfer to the supply. The bypass is provided with an open valve and an air valve 74, whereby it is possible to return to the combination tank 30 of the liquid being transferred inside the resist liquid transfer line 39.

[Supply section]

Supply part C is a part which supplies the resist liquid for products obtained by mixing-stirring and adjusting density in the mixing-stirring part B. FIG.

(Resist liquid buffer tank for the product)

The buffer tank 40 stores the product resist liquid 41 for a predetermined period of time. The mixed liquid 32 having a predetermined target concentration is transferred to the buffer tank 40 through the resist liquid transfer line 39.

Although the buffer tank 40 is not specifically limited, It is preferable that it is a capacity which can store the quantity of product resist liquid more than the daily usage of the product resist liquid 41. As shown in FIG. The size of the buffer tank 40 also varies depending on the daily usage of the product resist liquid 41 and the installation size of the apparatus. For example, the buffer tank 40 may be 500 liters or more and 2000 liters or less. If the capacity is equivalent to the amount used for at least 3 days, a failure occurs in the introduction portion and / or the mixed stirring portion of the resist liquid supply device of the present invention, or the portion may be used depending on the cleaning operation of the introduction portion and / or the mixing stirring portion. In this situation, supply stop of the resist liquid for the product can be avoided.

Although the shape of the buffer tank 40 is not specifically limited, It is preferable that it is cylindrical in the point which can use a commercially available standard product as it is.

Although it does not specifically limit as a material of the buffer tank 40, For example, SUS316, SUS304, PFA, etc. are mentioned, A lining tank can also be used. Among these, SUS is preferable at the point that there is little corrosion by the liquid stored inside and there is little need to touch it separately.

(Resist liquid supply line for product)

The product resist liquid supply line 42 is a hollow pipe and is a line for supplying the product resist liquid 41 stored in the buffer tank 40 for a predetermined period. The length is not specifically limited, According to the magnitude | size of an apparatus, you may set suitably. Moreover, although the diameter of the pipe which comprises a line is not specifically limited, It is preferable that they are 5 mm or more and 30 mm or less, and 10 mm or more and 20 mm or less are more preferable.

The material of the pipe constituting the product resist liquid supply line 42 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include iron, SUS 316, SUS 304, PFA, and the like, and a lining tube may also be used. Among these, iron is preferable in view of strength, price, etc., and PFA is preferable in view of cleanness (pollution).

The resist liquid supply line 42 for products of the resist liquid supply apparatus 1 of this embodiment is provided with the pump 52 for conveyance, the filter 62, and the open valve for responding to failure or cleaning. .

On the other hand, the resist liquid supply apparatus of the present invention is supplied from the supply portion C to the production equipment for producing a resist film using the resist liquid for product directly through the product resist liquid supply line 42 and / or other piping. It is also possible. In this case, the resist liquid supplying apparatus of the present invention is installed at the same place as the manufacturing equipment for producing a resist film using the resist liquid for products.

[Other configurations]

The resist liquid supply apparatus of this invention may also contain another structure in the range which does not impair the effect of this invention. For example, an open valve, an air valve 72, or the like may be provided in the pipe to cope with a failure or cleaning, and in some cases, a pump or the like may be provided to facilitate the transfer. In addition, a bypass for temporarily evacuating the liquid in the line may be provided. Moreover, in addition to the raw material liquid 10 and the solvent 20, a new line may be provided for blending other components such as necessary resins and additives.

<Remodel Kit>

The retrofit kit of the present invention is a retrofit kit for manufacturing the resist solution supply device of the present invention by retrofitting the developer dilution device. The retrofit kit includes at least an iron pipe that can be used for the raw material introduction line and / or the solvent introduction line, a concentration detector and / or a viscosity detector that can be installed in a line for extracting and returning a portion of the liquid from the combination tank, and the resist liquid for the product. A filter suitable for filtration of is provided as one set.

The retrofit kit of the present invention may further include an injection head for injecting the raw material liquid and the solvent into the combination tank as a set.

The method for converting the developer dilution device to the resist solution supply device of the present invention is not particularly limited, but for example, the pipe used in the raw material solution introduction line and / or the solvent introduction line is converted into iron pipe using the above-described remodeling kit. Change the measuring device provided in the line for extracting a part of the liquid from the combination tank to a concentration detector and / or a viscosity detector, and change a filter suitable for filtration of the developing solution into a filter suitable for filtration of the resist liquid for products. Moreover, when using an injection head, it is good to select a suitable place of a combination tank arbitrarily, and to connect and install a raw material liquid introduction line and a solvent introduction line in this place.

<Operation of Resist Liquid Supply Device>

The operation of the resist liquid supplying apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described in parts according to FIG. 1.

[Operation Part]

The introduction part A introduces the raw material liquid 10 and the solvent 20 from each of the raw material liquid introduction line 11 and the solvent introduction line 21. The raw material liquid 10 and the solvent 20 introduced from the raw material liquid introduction line 11 and the solvent introduction line 21 are injected into the combination tank 30 from the injection head 31 of the mixed stirring part B. .

[Operation of Mixed Stirring Unit]

(Injection department)

The mixed stirring part B washes the raw material liquid discharge port 11a which is the discharge port of the raw material liquid 10 through the injection head 31 with the solvent 20 discharged from the solvent discharge port 21a, and the raw material liquid 10 ) And the solvent 20 are injected into the combination tank 30.

At this time, the injection amount of the raw material liquid 10 and the solvent 20 injected into the combination tank 30 is monitored by the raw material liquid flow meter 12 and the solvent flow meter 22, and the total mass is transferred to the load cell 34. Is monitored by The raw material liquid 10 and the solvent 20 injected into the combination tank 30 are mixed and stirred for a predetermined time by the stirring blade 33 in the combination tank 30 to become the mixed liquid 32.

(Partial liquid transfer part)

Subsequently, the partial liquid circulation transfer part removes a part of the mixed liquid 32 stored in the combination tank 30 through the partial liquid circulation transfer line 35. As for the liquid which is a part of the mixed liquid 32 taken out, the density | concentration and / or a viscosity are detected by the density detector and / or the viscosity detector 37. The liquid whose concentration and / or viscosity has been detected is returned to the combination tank 30 through the partial liquid circulation transfer line 36.

Subsequently, the flow rate regulator 38 adjusts and controls the raw material liquid flowmeter 12 and / or the solvent flowmeter 22 of the inlet part A according to the detection result regarding the concentration and / or viscosity, and adds it to the combination tank 30. The injection amount of the raw material liquid 10 and / or the solvent 20 to be injected is controlled. If necessary, by repeating the detection operation of the concentration and / or viscosity and the adjustment control operation of the injection amount, a mixed liquid 32 of a desired concentration is produced to obtain a resist liquid 41 for a product.

The resist liquid 41 for a product having a desired concentration stored in the combination tank 30 is transferred to the buffer tank 40 of the supply part C through the resist liquid transfer line 39 by the pump 51. At this time, the product resist liquid 41 is filtered by the filter 61, and the product resist liquid 41 after filtration is injected into the buffer tank 40. FIG.

[Operation part]

The transferred resist liquid 41 is stored in the buffer tank 40 for a predetermined time. The resist liquid 41 for a product after a predetermined period has been supplied by the pump 52 through the resist liquid supply line 42 for a product. At this time, the product resist liquid 41 is filtered by the filter 62 and supplied after filtration.

<Others>

[Raw material]

The raw material liquid to be introduced into the resist liquid supplying apparatus of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it can chemically react and change in response to light and form a resin resist film. For example, a positive / negative resist for a TFT array, CF Resist for interlayer, resist for interlayer insulating film, resist for spacer, resist for TAB / BUMP, and the like.

It is preferable that solid content concentration which is the resist component concentration of the raw material liquid introduce | transduced into the resist liquid supply apparatus of this invention is 30% or more and 50% or less, More preferably, 30% or more and 45% or less, Especially preferably, 33% or more and 38% or less Do.

[solvent]

The solvent introduced into the resist liquid supply apparatus of the present invention can be diluted with a raw material liquid, and is not particularly limited as long as it is a component that improves the coating property and film thickness uniformity when forming a resist film. It is also possible to use the organic solvent generally used conventionally.

As a specific example of the solvent introduce | transduced into the resist liquid supply apparatus of this invention, for example, methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, propyl alcohol, butyl alcohol, 3-methoxy-3-methyl-1- butanol, 3-methoxy-1- Monohydric alcohols such as butanol; Alkyl carboxylic acid esters such as methyl-3-methoxypropionate and ethyl-3-ethoxypropionate; Polyhydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and propylene glycol; Ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monopropyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol monoethyl ether, propylene glycol monopropyl ether, propylene glycol monobutyl ether, ethylene glycol Polyhydric alcohol derivatives such as monomethyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, and propylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate; Fatty acids such as acetic acid and propionic acid; And ketones such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone and 2-heptanone. These organic solvents may be used alone, or two or more thereof may be mixed and used.

As a solvent introduced into the resist liquid supply apparatus of this invention, it is preferable to contain the waste liquid which arises at the process of using a predetermined | prescribed resist liquid, and / or the waste liquid which arises at the process of washing | cleaning a resist liquid manufacturing apparatus. That is, the solvent is not limited to the resist liquid for products supplied by the resist liquid supply apparatus of the present invention, and the waste liquid generated in the process of using various resist liquids, and / or the resist liquid supply apparatus of the present invention, for example, For example, it is preferable that the manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a resist raw material liquid contains the waste liquid which arises in the process of washing | cleaning apparatus in a change of a production brand, inspection work, etc.

Moreover, it is preferable to contain the waste liquid generated at the resist film manufacturing process which forms a resist film from a predetermined resist liquid among the waste liquids generated at the process using a predetermined resist liquid. Especially, it is preferable to include the waste liquid generated at the slit coater coating process, and / or the waste liquid generated at the slit coater head washing process.

[Product resist liquid]

Solid content concentration of the resist liquid for products which can be supplied by the resist liquid supply apparatus of this invention is not specifically limited, You may set suitably according to each density | concentration required for the product which forms a resist film. In this invention, it is preferable that solid content concentration of the resist liquid for products is 30% or less from the point which can be easily set to the solid content concentration specific to the target product. The solid content concentration of the resist liquid for spin coater or product for slit and spin coater is preferably 20% or more and 30% or less, and more preferably 25% or more and 30% or less. Moreover, for non-spin coaters, such as a slit coater, 10% or more and 20% or less are preferable, and 12% or more and 18% or less are more preferable.

Although the resist liquid for products which can be supplied by the resist liquid supply apparatus of this invention is not specifically limited, It is preferable to be used for LCD panels (liquid crystal display) in which the dilution ratio by a solvent is high and the daily amount is large.

In particular, in an array substrate in an LCD panel, after pattern formation with a resist film, hundreds to hundreds of thousands of TFTs (thin film transistors) are regularly arranged, and electrodes are mounted. In addition, in the color filter substrate, it is necessary to perform a resist pattern forming step a plurality of times for each color. Thus, since the quality of the resist liquid acts on the precision of the resist film obtained later, stable quality is required for the resist liquid. In addition, with the recent spread of LCD panels, the amount of resist liquid required per day has increased.

According to the present invention, the desired product resist liquid can be supplied with high accuracy for each product, the concentration of the product resist liquid can be stabilized, the quality can be maintained, and the stable continuous supply for at least one day is possible.

(Second embodiment)

3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a resist liquid supply apparatus 1a according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Mainly different from the first embodiment in that the resist liquid supply device 1a includes a plurality of combination tanks in the mixing and stirring portion B.

[Introduction]

Although the structure of the introduction part A which concerns on this embodiment is the same as that of 1st Embodiment, the mixing stirring part B is equipped with several combination tank 30,30a. Each of these combination tanks 30 and 30a is coupled with a raw material liquid introduction line 11 and a solvent introduction line 21 branched by three-way valves 13 and 23. On the other hand, in Figure 3, although the mixing stirring portion (B) is provided with two combination tanks, the number of the combination tank is not limited, the raw material liquid introduction line and the solvent introduction line is branched by the number of the combination tank, each combination tank It may be coupled to.

[Mixed Stirring]

The mixing stirring part B is provided with the some combination tank 30,30a. The configuration of the combination tank is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the second embodiment, the concentration of the mixed liquids 32 and 32a can be adjusted independently in each of the combination tanks 30 and 30a.

[Supply Unit]

The structure of the supply part C is the same as that of 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

[Operation of Mixed Stirring Unit]

In this embodiment, the concentration of the resist liquid is independently adjusted in the plurality of combination tanks provided in the mixing stirring portion. Specifically, it is as follows.

In the combination tanks 30 and 30a, the mixed liquids 32 and 32a of desired concentration are manufactured by operation similar to 1st Embodiment.

In this case, the mixed liquid 32 is adjusted in the combination tank 30, the three-way valves 13 and 23 are changed to the other combination tank 30a side, and the mixing of the first embodiment is performed in the other combination tank 30a. Operation similar to the stirring portion is repeated to produce the mixed liquid 32a of the desired concentration.

On the other hand, when the concentration is adjusted in the other combination tank (30a), the buffer tank 40 of the supply portion (C) in the same manner as in the first embodiment of the mixed liquid 32 produced in one combination tank (30) Can be transferred. In this way, the introduction portion A can be effectively used by providing a plurality of combination tanks.

In addition, since the mixed liquids 32 and 32a can be stored in the combination tanks 30 and 30a, the buffer tank 40 may be empty or the product resist liquid 41 by use of the product resist liquid 41. Even if () is reduced, the product resist liquid 41 can be supplied immediately.

(Third embodiment)

4 shows a resist liquid supply apparatus in a third embodiment of the present invention.

The resist liquid supply device 1b includes a first combination tank 30 for lowering the concentration of the resist liquid and a second combination for precisely adjusting the concentration of the mixed liquid 32 adjusted in the first combination tank 30. The mixing stirring part B provided with the tank 30b is provided. In addition, since it is the same structure about introduction part A and supply part C, description is abbreviate | omitted.

[Mixed Stirring]

The mixing stirring part B is equipped with the 1st combination tank 33 and the 2nd combination tank 30b. The configuration of each combination tank is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the same configuration is denoted by the same reference numeral b.

[Operation of Mixed Stirring Unit]

In this embodiment, after adjusting the concentration of the mixed liquid low in the first combination tank 30, the concentration of the mixed liquid is precisely adjusted again in the second combination tank 30b. Specifically, it is as follows.

In the first combination tank 30, the mixed liquid 32 is adjusted to a low level until the desired concentration is reached by the same operation as in the first embodiment.

On the other hand, in the first combination tank 30, since the concentration is precisely adjusted in the second supply tank 30b supplied thereafter, the mixed liquid 32 is adjusted to the concentration close to the desired concentration. Therefore, it is sufficient to adjust the concentration by the raw material liquid flowmeter 12 and the solvent flowmeter 22 without using the concentration detector and / or the viscosity detector 37.

The mixed liquid 32 adjusted in the first combination tank 30 is transferred to the second combination tank 30b by the pump 51 through the resist liquid transfer line 39 for transferring to the second combination tank 30b. do.

Subsequently, the three-way valves 13 and 23 are changed to the second combination tank 30b side so that the raw material liquid 10 and the solvent 20 are introduced into the second combination tank 30b. In the second combination tank 30b, the concentration and / or viscosity of the mixed liquid is detected by the partial liquid circulation transfer unit. Based on this result, the raw material liquid flowmeter 12 and / or the solvent flowmeter 22 are adjusted and controlled by the flow rate regulator 38. Thereby, the mixed liquid 32b precisely adjusted to the desired density | concentration in the 2nd combination tank 30b is manufactured. This mixed liquid 32b becomes a product resist liquid 41.

The resist liquid 41 for product is conveyed to the buffer tank 40 of the supply part C by the pump 51b through the resist liquid transfer line 39b for conveying to the supply part C. As shown in FIG.

Since the mixed liquid 32 supplied to the second combination tank 30b has already been adjusted in the first combination tank 30, it has a concentration close to that of the desired resist liquid. In addition, since the mixed liquid 32 is stirred in the first combination tank 30, the concentration of the mixed liquid is also uniform. Therefore, compared with the case where a raw material liquid and a solvent are mixed directly, uniform and precise density | concentration adjustment is possible.

(Example 4)

5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a resist liquid supply device 1c according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The resist liquid supply apparatus 1c is provided with the supply part which consists of a 1st supply part C 'and a 2nd supply part C, and each of the 1st supply part C' and the 2nd supply part C is a resist liquid for products. A buffer tank is provided. In addition, this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the resist liquid buffer tank for products directly connected to the mixing and stirring portion B is a tank lorry 40c.

[Introduction part, mixed stirring part]

Since the introduction portion A and the mixing stirrer B have the same configuration as in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

[First supply part]

The 1st supply part C 'is a part which supplies the resist liquid for products obtained by mixing-stirring and adjusting density | concentration in the mixing-stirring part B. FIG.

(Resist liquid buffer tank for the product)

The resist liquid buffer tank for products in the first supply part C 'is a tank lorry 40c. This tank lorry 40c is directly connected to the mixing stirring part B. FIG. By using the joining tank lorry 40c which can move the product resist liquid buffer tank, the mixing-stirring part and manufacturing equipment may be spaced apart in the resist liquid supply apparatus of this invention. That is, since it is not necessary to directly combine the mixing stirring part and a manufacturing facility, long distance piping etc. can be abbreviate | omitted.

The movable tank is not particularly limited as long as the tank can be moved. Examples of the movable tank include a tank liquid such as a tank lorry as shown in FIG. By using a movable tank as a vehicle, the resist liquid can be easily supplied to a manufacturing facility. The vehicle may be provided with a space capable of sealing the resist liquid, the product resist liquid may be directly supplied to the sealable space, or a drum can filled with the product resist liquid may be filled. However, in the case of a drum can, the vehicle does not need to have the space which can be sealed.

(Resist liquid supply line for product)

The product resist liquid supply line 43 is a line for supplying a resist liquid from the tank lorry 40c to the product resist liquid buffer tank 40 of the second supply part C. The product resist liquid supply line 43 may be the same as the product resist liquid supply line of the first embodiment. The product resist liquid supply line 43 is preferably provided with a pump 53 and a filter 63 for transferring the resist liquid from the tank lorry 40c to the product resist liquid buffer tank 40. .

[Second supply]

The second supply part C is similar to the supply part C of the first embodiment except for the point where the mixed liquid 32 is transferred from the first supply part C '.

[Operation of the First Supply Part and the Second Supply Part]

The mixed liquid 32 is transferred to the tank lorry 40c from the mixed stirring part B as in the first embodiment. Thereafter, the tank lorry 40c moves to a manufacturing facility in which the resist liquid buffer tank 40 for products is installed. Then, the mixed liquid is supplied from the tank lorry 40c to the product resist liquid buffer tank 40 through the product resist liquid supply line 43 by the pump 53. At this time, the mixed liquid is filtered by a filter 63 provided in the product resist liquid supply line 43.

The supply part C of this embodiment supplies the resist liquid for products to a manufacturing facility by operation | movement similar to the supply part C of 1st Example.

In addition, in this embodiment, the product resist liquid may be supplied directly from the tank lorry 40c to the manufacturing facility without supplying it from the tank lorry 40c to the product resist liquid buffer tank 40. As a result, the resist liquid for the product can be used in the manufacturing facility even if the buffer-join storage tank is not installed in the manufacturing facility.

According to the present invention, a resist liquid for a product having a predetermined concentration can be obtained from a high concentration raw material liquid, and the resist liquid for a product can be supplied. For this reason, the resist raw material liquid itself of a high concentration can be delivered to the installation place of the resist liquid supply apparatus of this invention, and it can aim at the reduction of a transport amount.

In addition, since the high concentration of the resist raw material liquid is transported, it is possible to avoid the use of a small dedicated container that can be directly connected to the current LCD panel manufacturing line. For this reason, transportation by the large container which can be piped to the supply apparatus of this invention is attained, and it saves the trouble of the purchase cost of an expensive small dedicated container, and the management and collection | recovery of this container, It can reduce the space occupancy rate of

In addition, a part of the liquid stored in the combination tank is removed, the concentration of the resist component of the extracted liquid is detected by the concentration detector, and / or the viscosity of the resist component of the extracted liquid is detected by the viscosity detector. The injection amount of the raw material liquid and the solvent can be adjusted. Therefore, regardless of the concentration of the high concentration raw material liquid introduced into the resist liquid supplying device, it is possible to supply the desired resist liquid for each product with high precision.

In addition, since the product resist liquid at a predetermined concentration, which is controlled by dilution, is stored in the buffer tank by adjusting the injection amount of the raw material liquid and the solvent, the concentration of the product resist liquid can be stabilized. For this reason, even if there exists a deviation between the manufacturing lots of raw material liquid, the density | concentration of the resist liquid for target products can be maintained.

Claims (20)

As a resist liquid supply apparatus for adding a solvent to a high concentration raw material liquid, diluting to a desired concentration, obtaining a product resist liquid of a predetermined concentration, and supplying a resist liquid for this product, Supplying the introduction portion into which the high concentration raw material liquid is introduced, the mixing stirring portion for mixing and stirring the raw material liquid and the solvent introduced into the introduction portion, and the resist liquid for products obtained by mixing and stirring the concentration at the mixing stirring portion Having a supply unit to The mixing stirring section is provided with a combination tank for storing and mixing the mixed solution of the raw material liquid and the solvent, the combination tank is an injection portion for injecting the raw material liquid and the solvent, and the liquid stored in the combination tank A partial liquid circulation transfer part for extracting and returning a part of The partial liquid circulation transfer part detects at least one of the concentration detector for detecting the concentration of the resist component of the extracted liquid and the viscosity detector for detecting the viscosity of the resist component of the extracted liquid, and at least one of the concentration detector and the viscosity detector. A flow regulator for adjusting the injection amount of the raw material liquid and the solvent in the injection unit based on a value, And the supply part comprises a product resist liquid buffer tank for receiving a product resist liquid in the combination tank diluted and controlled to a desired concentration by the flow rate regulator for a predetermined time. The method of claim 1, And a plurality of combination tanks. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The combination tank includes at least one of a first combination tank for adjusting the concentration of the resist liquid to a predetermined concentration by a raw material flow meter and a solvent flow meter, and at least one of a concentration and a viscosity for detecting the concentration of the resist liquid adjusted in the first combination tank. The resist liquid supply apparatus provided with the 2nd combination tank which adjusts more precisely than a 1st combination tank based on this. The method of claim 1, The concentration detector is at least one of a sonic analyzer and a near infrared spectrometer. The method of claim 1, The introduction section includes a raw material liquid introduction line for introducing a raw material liquid into the combination tank, a solvent introduction line for introducing a solvent into the combination tank, The flow rate regulator is a resist liquid supply apparatus for controlling the flow rate of at least one liquid of the raw material liquid introduction line and the solvent introduction line. The method of claim 1, The injection portion includes an injection head for injecting the raw material liquid and the solvent into the combination tank, The injection head includes a raw material liquid discharge port that is a discharge port of the raw material liquid, and a solvent discharge port that discharges at least a portion of the solvent in the vicinity of the raw material liquid discharge port, And the raw material liquid discharge port is cleaned by the solvent. The method of claim 1, The product resist liquid buffer tank is a resist liquid supply device for storing a greater amount of product resist liquid than the daily usage. The method of claim 1, A resist liquid supply apparatus for supplying a resist liquid for a product directly through a pipe to a manufacturing facility for producing a resist film using the resist liquid for a product. The method of claim 1, Solid content concentration of the raw material liquid is 30% or more and 50% or less. The method of claim 9, Solid content concentration of the product resist liquid is 10% or more and 30% or less. The method of claim 1, And the solvent comprises at least one of waste liquid generated in a process using a predetermined resist liquid and waste liquid generated in a process of cleaning a resist liquid production apparatus. The method of claim 11, The waste liquid generated in the step of using the predetermined resist liquid is a waste liquid generated in a resist film manufacturing step of forming a resist film from the predetermined resist liquid. The method of claim 12, The waste liquid generated in the resist film manufacturing process is at least one of the waste liquid generated in the slit coater coating process and the waste liquid generated in the slit coater head cleaning process. The method of claim 1, The join resist liquid supply apparatus of the said resist liquid buffer tank is movable. The method of claim 1, A join resist liquid supply apparatus comprising a plurality of resist liquid buffer tanks for said product, wherein a resist liquid buffer tank directly connected to said mixing and stirring section is movable. The method according to claim 14 or 15, And said movable jaw is a vehicle having a space for sealing said resist liquid for products. The method of claim 1, The resist liquid for the product is a resist liquid supply apparatus used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display. delete delete delete

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