KR101857821B1 - Coating device and coating method - Google Patents

Abstract

(PROBLEMS) To provide a coating apparatus and a coating method capable of suppressing fluctuation of a substrate floating amount.
Since at least one of the paths of at least one of the first gas supply path and the first suction path is provided with the atmospheric release opening capable of opening to the atmosphere, the change in at least one of the flow rate of the gas to be ejected and the flow rate of the gas to be sucked . ≪ / RTI > This makes it possible to suppress variations in the substrate floating amount.

Description

[0001] COATING DEVICE AND COATING METHOD [0002]

The present invention relates to a coating apparatus and a coating method.

On a glass substrate constituting a display panel such as a liquid crystal display, fine patterns such as wiring patterns and electrode patterns are formed. Generally, such a pattern is formed by a technique such as photolithography. In the photolithography method, a step of forming a resist film on a glass substrate, a step of exposing the resist film to a pattern, and a step of developing the resist film are performed respectively.

An apparatus for applying a resist film on the surface of a substrate is known in which a resist is applied to a glass substrate from a slit nozzle while relatively moving the slit nozzle and the glass substrate while the glass substrate is lifted. As such a floating-type coating apparatus, for example, a configuration is known in which a substrate is ejected with a predetermined pressure onto a stage and the stage is attracted to adjust the floating amount of the substrate. In this case, in order to apply the resist so that the thickness becomes uniform on the substrate, it is necessary to float the substrate with a uniform floating amount.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-88201

However, by moving the substrate on the stage, the stage image is temporarily blocked by the substrate. For this reason, there is a possibility that the jetting pressure and the suction pressure of the gas temporarily change, and the flow rate of the jetted gas and the flow rate of the gas sucked are temporarily changed. In this case, the floating amount of the substrate varies, and it becomes difficult to apply the resist uniformly.

In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a coating apparatus and a coating method capable of suppressing fluctuation of the substrate floating amount.

A coating apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is a coating apparatus comprising a coating unit having a nozzle for discharging a liquid body from a tip portion of a substrate, a substrate having a guide surface for guiding the substrate, And a driving portion for driving at least one of the substrate and the nozzle while facing the tip portion of the substrate in a floating state while the supply portion and the suction portion are formed on the substrate, A gas supply source for supplying gas to the plurality of gas supply ports, a first gas supply path having one end connected to the gas supply source, and a second gas supply path branched from the other end of the first gas supply path, And a second gas supply path connected to each of the spheres, wherein the suction unit includes a plurality of suction And a second suction path branched from the other end of the first suction path and connected to each of the plurality of suction ports, wherein the first suction path has one end connected to the suction source, And at least a part of the path of at least one of the first gas supply path and the first suction path is provided with an atmospheric opening portion capable of opening to the atmosphere.

In this case, at least one of the paths of the first gas supply path and the first suction path is provided with an atmospheric release portion capable of opening to the atmosphere, so that the change of at least one of the flow rate of the gas to be ejected and the flow rate of the gas to be sucked It can be mitigated. This makes it possible to suppress variations in the substrate floating amount.

In the above coating device, the atmosphere opening portion has a branching path branched from a part of the path, and an atmospheric opening is formed at the tip of the branching path.

In this case, since the atmospheric release opening has a branching path branched from a part of the path, and atmospheric opening is formed at the tip of the branching path, the change in at least one of the gas supply amount and the suctioning amount through the branching path and the atmospheric opening, . ≪ / RTI > This makes it possible to suppress the fluctuation of the floating amount.

In the above-described coating device, the atmospheric release section has an adjustment valve capable of adjusting the opening degree of the atmospheric opening.

In this case, since the atmospheric opening portion has the adjusting valve capable of adjusting the opening of the atmospheric opening, the gas supply amount and the suctioning amount can be finely adjusted.

In the above coating device, the atmosphere opening portion has a flow meter for measuring the flow rate of the gas flowing through the atmospheric opening.

In this case, since the atmospheric opening section has the flow meter for measuring the flow rate of the gas flowing through the atmospheric opening, the adjustment amount of the substrate floating amount can be grasped.

In the above coating device, the atmosphere opening portion is formed in the gas supply path, and the flow meter measures the flow rate of gas flowing out from the atmospheric opening to the atmosphere.

In this case, since the atmospheric opening portion is formed in the gas supply path and the flow meter measures the flow rate of the gas flowing out from the atmospheric opening to the atmosphere, the adjustment amount of the gas ejection amount can be grasped.

In the above coating device, the atmosphere opening portion may include: an adjustment valve capable of adjusting the opening degree of the atmospheric opening; a flow meter for measuring a flow rate of a gas flowing through the atmospheric opening; And a valve control section for controlling an adjustment amount of the adjustment valve.

In this case, it is preferable that the air conditioner further includes a control valve capable of adjusting the opening degree of the atmospheric opening, an air flow meter for measuring the flow rate of the gas flowing through the atmospheric opening, and a valve control unit for controlling the adjustment amount of the adjusting valve based on the measurement result by the flowmeter It is possible to automatically adjust the gas ejection amount and the suction amount.

In the above coating device, the floating portion has a stage formed at a position corresponding to the application portion, and the guide surface is formed on the stage.

In this case, when the substrate lifts the guide surface formed on the stage, fluctuation of the floating amount can be suppressed.

A coating method according to a second aspect of the present invention is a coating method comprising a coating portion having a nozzle for discharging a liquid body from a tip portion to a substrate, a substrate having a guide surface for guiding the substrate, And a driving portion for driving at least one of the substrate and the nozzle while facing the tip portion of the substrate in a floating state while the supply portion and the suction portion are formed on the substrate, A gas supply source for supplying gas to the plurality of gas supply ports, a first gas supply path having one end connected to the gas supply source, and a second gas supply path branched from the other end of the first gas supply path, And a second gas supply path connected to each of the spheres, wherein the suction unit includes a plurality of suction And a second suction path branched from the other end of the first suction path and connected to each of the plurality of suction ports, wherein the first suction path has one end connected to the suction source, A coating method using a coating device having a suction path and provided with an atmospheric opening portion capable of being opened to the atmosphere at least a part of a path of at least one of the first gas supply path and the first suction path, Activating the gas supply source and the suction source to form a layer of a gas between the substrate and the guide surface through the gas supply port and the suction port and floating the substrate onto the layer of the substrate; By driving at least one of the substrate and the nozzle while facing the substrate and the tip end portion in a floating state, While moving the stage and the substrate and the nozzle for moving the nozzle relative to the relative and relative to said substrate comprising the step of discharging the liquid material from the tip portion of the nozzle.

In this case, a gas supply source and a suction source are operated in a state in which a part of the path is opened to the atmosphere to form a gas layer between the substrate and the guide surface through the gas supply port and the suction port, The change of at least one of the flow rate of the gas to be ejected and the flow rate of the gas to be sucked can be mitigated. This makes it possible to suppress variations in the substrate floating amount.

In the above coating method, floating the substrate may include adjusting the opening of the atmospheric opening formed in the atmospheric opening portion.

In this case, since the opening degree of the atmospheric opening formed in the atmospheric opening portion is adjusted, the gas supply amount and the suction amount are more finely adjusted.

In the above coating method, floating the substrate includes measuring the flow rate of the gas flowing through the atmospheric opening formed in the atmospheric opening.

In this case, since the flow rate of the gas flowing out from the atmospheric opening to the atmosphere or the flow rate of the gas sucked from the atmosphere is measured, the adjustment amount of the gas ejection amount or the suction amount can be grasped.

In the applying method, the step of floating the substrate includes measuring at least one of a flow rate of a gas flowing out from the atmospheric opening into the atmosphere and a flow rate of a gas sucked from the atmosphere.

In this case, since at least one of the flow rate of the gas flowing out from the atmospheric opening into the atmosphere and the flow rate of the gas sucked from the atmosphere is measured, the adjustment amount of the gas ejection amount can be grasped.

In the applying method, the step of floating the substrate may include: measuring a flow rate of a gas flowing through the atmospheric opening formed in the atmospheric opening portion; measuring an opening of the atmospheric opening according to a measurement result of the flow rate of the gas; . ≪ / RTI >

In this case, since the opening degree of the atmospheric opening is adjusted on the basis of the measurement result by the flowmeter, the gas ejection amount and the suction amount can be adjusted automatically.

According to the present invention, variations in the substrate floating amount can be suppressed.

1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a coating apparatus according to the present embodiment.
Fig. 2 is a front view showing a configuration of a coating apparatus according to the embodiment. Fig.
Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the configuration of the coating device according to the present embodiment. Fig.
Fig. 4 is a side view showing the configuration of a coating device according to the present embodiment. Fig.
Fig. 5 is a view showing a configuration of a main part of a conveying machine.
Fig. 6 is a view showing the structure of the gas ejection mechanism and the suction mechanism of the treatment stage of the coating device according to the embodiment. Fig.
7 is a view showing a configuration of a gas ejection mechanism and a suction mechanism of the treatment stage of the application device according to the embodiment.
8 is a view showing the operation of the coating apparatus according to the present embodiment.
Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the same operation.
Fig. 10 is an operation diagram in the same manner.
Fig. 11 is the same operation diagram.
12 is a table showing the relationship between the shielding rate of the treatment stage, the total flow rate of the gas ejected onto the treatment stage, and the flow rate of the gas flowing out from the atmospheric opening.
Fig. 13 is an operation diagram in the same manner.
Fig. 14 is a diagram showing the same operation.
15 is a view showing a configuration of a transport mechanism according to a modification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a coating device 1 according to the present embodiment.

As shown in Fig. 1, a coating apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is a coating apparatus for coating a resist on a glass substrate used for liquid crystal panels, for example, and includes a substrate carrying section 2, 3, a management unit 4, and a control unit CONT as main components.

In this coating device 1, a resist is coated on the substrate by the coating section 3 while the substrate is lifted and conveyed by the substrate carrying section 2, and the coating section 3 ) State is managed. The control section CONT controls each section of the coating apparatus 1 in a general manner.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the coating device 1, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the coating device 1, and Fig. 4 is a side view of the coating device 1. Fig. With reference to these drawings, the detailed configuration of the application device 1 will be described.

(Substrate carrying section)

First, the configuration of the substrate transfer section 2 will be described.

The substrate transfer section 2 has a substrate carry-in area 20, a coating area 21, a substrate carry-out area 22, a transfer mechanism 23 and a frame part 24 for supporting them . In the substrate transfer section 2, the substrate S is transferred by the transfer mechanism 23 to the substrate carry-in area 20, the coating processing area 21, and the substrate carry-out area 22 in order. The substrate carry-in area 20, the coating treatment area 21 and the substrate carry-out area 22 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the substrate transportation direction. The transport mechanism 23 is formed on one side of each part of the substrate carry-in area 20, the coated area 21 and the substrate carry-out area 22 so as to span the parts.

Hereinafter, in describing the configuration of the application device 1, the direction in the figure will be described using an XYZ coordinate system in order to simplify the notation. And the carrying direction of the substrate as the longitudinal direction of the substrate carrying section 2 is referred to as the X direction. And a direction orthogonal to the X direction (substrate carrying direction) as viewed from the plane is referred to as Y direction. And the direction perpendicular to the plane including the X-directional axis and the Y-directional axis is referred to as the Z-direction. In addition, it is assumed that the arrow direction in the drawing is the + direction and the direction opposite to the arrow direction is the -direction in the X direction, Y direction and Z direction, respectively.

The substrate carry-in region 20 has a carry-in side stage 25 and a lift mechanism 26 as a portion for carrying the substrate S carried from the outside of the apparatus.

The carry-on stage 25 is formed on the upper portion of the frame portion 24 and is a rectangular plate-shaped member viewed from the plane formed of SUS or the like. This carry-in stage 25 has a long X-direction. A plurality of gas ejection openings 25a and a plurality of lift pin projecting / recessing holes 25b are formed in the loading stage 25, respectively. These gas ejection openings 25a and the lift pin projecting / retracting holes 25b are formed so as to pass through the take-in side stage 25.

The gas jet port 25a is a hole through which gas is ejected onto the stage surface (conveying surface) 25c of the receiving side stage 25. The gas jet port 25a is, for example, a region through which the substrate S in the receiving side stage 25 passes Are arranged in a matrix in a plan view. A gas supply source (not shown) is connected to the gas supply port 25a. In this carrying-in stage 25, the substrate S can be lifted in the + Z direction by the gas ejected from the gas ejection port 25a.

The lifting pin projecting / retracting hole 25b is formed in a region of the carrying-side stage 25 on which the substrate S is carried. The lifting pin projecting / retracting hole 25b has a configuration in which the gas supplied to the stage surface 25c is not leaked.

One alignment device 25d is formed at both ends of the carrying-in stage 25 in the Y direction. The alignment apparatus 25d is a device for aligning the position of the substrate S carried in the carrying-in side stage 25. [ Each of the alignment devices 25d has an elongated hole and an aligning member formed in the elongated hole so as to mechanically sandwich the substrate carried on the carry-in side stage 25 from both sides.

The lift mechanism 26 is formed on the back side of the carry-in position of the carry-in side stage 25. The lift mechanism 26 includes a lift member 26a and a plurality of lift pins 26b. The elevating member 26a is connected to a driving mechanism (not shown), and the elevating member 26a is moved in the Z direction by driving the driving mechanism. The plurality of lift pins 26b are installed upright from the upper surface of the elevation member 26a toward the carry-in side stage 25. Each of the lift pins 26b is disposed at a position overlapping with the lift pin projecting / recessing hole 25b as viewed in plan. The elevating member 26a is moved in the Z direction so that each of the elevating pins 26b moves up and down from the elevating pin protruding and retracting hole 25b onto the stage surface 25c. The + Z direction end portions of the lift pins 26b are formed so as to coincide with each other in the Z direction, and the substrate S transferred from the outside of the apparatus can be held in a horizontal state.

In the coating treatment region 21, a treatment stage 27 for lifting and supporting the substrate S is formed at a site where the resist is applied. The processing stage 27 is a rectangular plate-shaped member viewed from a plane covered with a light absorbing material whose main component is hard alumite, for example, and the stage surface (conveying surface) Direction.

In the portion of the treatment stage 27 covered with the light absorbing material, reflection of light such as laser light is suppressed. The processing stage 27 is elongated in the Y direction. The dimension of the processing stage 27 in the Y direction is substantially the same as the dimension of the carrying-in side stage 25 in the Y direction. The processing stage 27 is provided with a plurality of gas ejection openings 27a for ejecting gas on the stage surface 27c and a plurality of suction ports 27b for sucking the gas on the stage surface 27c. The gas spouting port 27a and the suction port 27b are formed so as to penetrate through the processing stage 27. A plurality of unillustrated grooves for imparting resistance to the pressure of the gas passing through the gas ejection port 27a and the suction port 27b are formed in the processing stage 27. [ The plurality of grooves are connected to the gas ejection port 27a and the suction port 27b in the stage.

The processing stage 27 is configured such that the pitch of the gas ejection openings 27a is narrower than the pitch of the gas ejection openings 25a formed in the entry side stage 25 and the gas ejection openings 27a are denser Respectively. Further, in the treatment stage 27, the suction port 27b is densely formed together with the gas ejection port 27a. As a result, the floating amount of the substrate can be controlled with high precision in the processing stage 27 as compared with other stages, and the floating amount of the substrate can be controlled to be, for example, 100 mu m or less, preferably 50 mu m or less have. A detection portion MS capable of detecting the distance between the stage surface 27c and the substrate S is formed in the processing stage 27. [

The substrate carry-out region 22 is a portion for carrying the substrate S coated with the resist to the outside of the apparatus, and has a carry-out side stage 28 and a lift mechanism 29. This carry-out stage 28 is formed on the + X direction side with respect to the process stage 27 and has almost the same material and dimensions as those of the carry-in stage 25 formed in the substrate carry-in area 20. In the carry-out side stage 28, a gas spouting port 28a and a lift pin emergence hole 28b are formed in the same manner as the carry-in side stage 25. The lift mechanism 29 is formed on the back side of the substrate carry-out position of the carry-out side stage 28, and is supported by the frame portion 24, for example. The lift member 29a and the lift pins 29b of the lift mechanism 29 have the same configuration as the respective portions of the lift mechanism 26 formed in the substrate carry- The lift mechanism 29 can elevate the substrate S by the lift pin 29b to / from the substrate S when the substrate S on the carry-out side stage 28 is taken out to an external apparatus Respectively.

The transport mechanism 23 includes a first transport mechanism 60 and a second transport mechanism 61 as shown in Fig. 3 shows the state in which the first transport mechanism 60 holds the substrate S and the illustration of the second transport mechanism 61 disposed below the first transport mechanism 60 is omitted Respectively.

The first conveying mechanism 60 is capable of moving the conveyor 60a, the vacuum pad 60b, the rail 60c and the conveyor 60a on a plane parallel to the conveying surface of the substrate S And a moving mechanism 63 for causing the moving mechanism 63 to move. The second conveying mechanism 61 includes a conveying unit 61a, a vacuum pad 61b, a rail 61c, a lifting mechanism 62 for lifting (vertically moving) the conveying unit 61a, . The rails 60c and 61c extend over the respective stages on the side of the carry side stage 25, the process stage 27 and the carry side stage 28. [

The conveyors 60a and 61a are configured such that linear motors are formed therein. By driving the linear motors, the conveyors 60a and 61a move on the rails 60c and 61c, So that it can move along the stage. That is, the conveyors 60a and 61a are provided with a function as a holding portion for holding the substrate S and a function as a driving portion for driving the holding portion. The conveyors 60a and 61a are configured so that the predetermined portions 60d and 61d are overlapped with the -Y direction end portion of the substrate S when viewed in plan. The portions 60d and 61d overlapping the substrate S are arranged at positions lower than the height position of the back surface of the substrate when the substrate S floats.

As shown in Fig. 4, the second transport mechanism 61 is arranged at the lower end of the step portion 24a on the step portion of the frame portion 24, as compared with the first transport mechanism 60. As shown in Fig. In a plan view, the second transport mechanism 61 is disposed on the stage side with respect to the first transport mechanism 60.

As shown in Fig. 4, the second transport mechanism 61 can access the substrate S by lifting the transport device 61a by the lifting mechanism 62. [0064] As shown in Fig. On the other hand, the first transporting mechanism 60 is capable of accessing the substrate S by horizontally moving the transporting machine 60a on the plane parallel to the transporting surface of the substrate S by the moving mechanism 63 have. The conveyor 60a of the first conveying mechanism 60 and the conveyor 61a of the second conveying mechanism 61 can move independently of each other.

When the first transporting mechanism 60 holds the substrate S, the transporting unit 61a of the second transporting mechanism 61, which does not hold the substrate S, The conveying path of the first conveying mechanism 60 (conveyor 60a) is withdrawn from the conveying path. When the second conveying mechanism 61 holds the substrate S, the conveyor 60a of the first conveying mechanism 60, which does not hold the substrate S, Y direction and retracted from the conveyance path of the second conveying mechanism 61 (conveyor 61a).

3, the vacuum pad 60b is provided with a plurality of (in the present embodiment, three) vacuum pads 60b arranged in a portion 60d of the conveyor 60a overlapping with the substrate S along the conveying direction of the substrate S ). The vacuum pad 60b has an adsorption surface for vacuum adsorption of the substrate S, and the adsorption surface is arranged so as to face upward. The vacuum pad 60b is capable of holding the substrate S by adsorbing the back end of the substrate S by the adsorption surface. It is preferable that these vacuum pads 60b are maintained within 250 mm from the end on the front side in the carrying direction of the substrate S, and it is preferable that these are not more than 80 mm. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the conveyor 60a holds the substrate S so that the distance W from the end of the substrate S in the conveying direction to the vacuum pad 60b is within 80 mm . Thereby, the substrate S is uniformly held by the conveyor 60a, and the substrate end portion is prevented from being sagged down, so that the substrate S can be conveyed in a state in which the substrate S is floated uniformly. Therefore, unevenness is prevented from occurring in the film which is dried and solidified on the resist coated on the substrate S.

The structure of the conveyor 61a in the second conveying mechanism 61 is the same as that of the conveyor 60a although it is not shown in Fig. That is, the vacuum pads 61b of the conveyor 61a are arranged at three positions along the conveying direction of the substrate S at a portion overlapping with the substrate S.

Here, the configuration of the main parts of the conveyors 60a and 61a will be described. In addition, since the conveyors 60a and 61a have the same configuration as described above, the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 5, taking the conveyor 60a as an example. 5A is a plan view showing the main part of the conveyor 60a, and FIG. 5B is a view showing the cross-sectional structure of the main part of the conveyor 60a.

As shown in Fig. 5 (a), the vacuum pad 60b formed on the conveyor 60a has a contact portion with the substrate S in a substantially oval shape when viewed from the top. An exhaust hole 65 connected to a vacuum pump or the like (not shown) is formed inside the vacuum pad 60b. The vacuum pad 60b is capable of vacuum adsorbing the substrate S by exhausting a closed space formed between the vacuum pad 60b and the substrate S through the exhaust hole 65. [

5 (b), a stopper member 66 for restricting the position of the substrate S being transported is provided on the side of the vacuum pad 60b formed on the conveyor 60a. The stopper member 66 has a convex portion 66a opposed to the side surface S1 of the substrate S and opposed to the bottom surface of the substrate S. [ The convex portion 66a functions as a stopper for restricting warpage of the substrate S with respect to the downward direction. As shown in Fig. 5A, the convex portion 66a is formed so as to surround the outer periphery of the vacuum pad 60b in a frame-like manner. The upper surface of the convex portion 66a is preferably set in the range of -30 to +30 占 퐉 with respect to the upper surface of the carry-in side stage 25, and it is preferable to set the upper surface of the convex portion 66a in the vicinity of -20 占 퐉. The positional relationship between the convex portion 66a and the vacuum pad 60b is preferably set to about 0 to 1 mm above the vacuum pad 60b.

It is also possible to arrange the convex portions 66a between the adjacent vacuum pads 60b, that is, the convex portions 66a may surround the four sides of the respective vacuum pads 60b.

The vacuum pad 60b according to the present embodiment is capable of being displaced with respect to the substrate S. In the specific embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum pad 60b has the corrugated box portion 67 formed of a corrugated box structure. Thus, even when the substrate S deforms due to the occurrence of a warp at the end of the substrate S, the vacuum pad 60b follows the movement of the substrate S, So that the adsorption can be reliably maintained. The vacuum pad 60b is capable of satisfactorily absorbing the substrate S by displacing the corrugated box portion 67 even when the amount of floating of the substrate S on the stage is changed.

(Coated portion)

Next, the configuration of the application unit 3 will be described.

The application section 3 is a portion for applying a resist on the substrate S and has a frame 31 and a nozzle 32. [

The door frame 31 has a columnar member 31a and a crosslinking member 31b and is formed so as to extend in the Y direction in the treatment stage 27. [ One of the support members 31a is formed on the Y direction side of the processing stage 27 and each of the support members 31a is supported on both sides of the frame portion 24 on the Y direction side. The respective holding members 31a are formed such that the height positions of the upper end portions coincide with each other. The bridge member 31b is bridged between the upper ends of the respective strut members 31a and is capable of ascending and descending with respect to the strut member 31a.

The frame 31 is connected to the moving mechanism 31c and is movable in the X direction. So that the frame 31 can be moved between the frame 31 and the management unit 4 by the moving mechanism 31c. That is, the nozzle 32 formed in the frame 31 can move with the management unit 4. [ The frame 31 is also movable in the Z direction by a moving mechanism (not shown).

The nozzle 32 is formed in a long elongated shape in one direction and is formed on the surface of the cross member 31b of the door frame 31 on the -Z direction side. At the tip of the nozzle 32 in the -Z direction, a slit-shaped opening 32a is formed along the longitudinal direction of the nozzle 32, and the resist is discharged from the opening 32a. The nozzle 32 is arranged such that the longitudinal direction of the opening portion 32a is parallel to the Y direction and the opening portion 32a is opposed to the processing stage 27. [ The dimension in the longitudinal direction of the opening portion 32a is smaller than the dimension in the Y direction of the substrate S to be transported so that the resist is not applied to the peripheral region of the substrate S. [ In the nozzle 32, an unillustrated flow passage for allowing the resist to flow through the opening portion 32a is formed, and a resist supply source (not shown) is connected to the flow passage. This resist supply source has, for example, a pump not shown, and the resist is discharged from the opening portion 32a by pushing the resist to the opening portion 32a by the pump. A moving mechanism (not shown) is formed in the strut member 31a, and the nozzle 32 held by the crosslinking member 31b can be moved in the Z direction by the moving mechanism. The nozzle 32 is provided with a moving mechanism (not shown), and the moving mechanism allows the nozzle 32 to move in the Z direction with respect to the cross member 31b. The distance in the Z direction between the opening 32a of the nozzle 32, that is, the front end of the nozzle 32 and the facing surface facing the nozzle tip, is measured on the lower surface of the bridge member 31b of the door frame 31 A sensor 33 is mounted.

(Management)

The configuration of the management unit 4 will be described.

The management section 4 is a section for managing the nozzles 32 so that the discharge amount of the resist (liquid substance) discharged onto the substrate S becomes constant, (On the upstream side in the substrate transport direction). The management unit 4 includes a preliminary ejection mechanism 41, a dip tank 42, a nozzle cleaning unit 43, a containing portion 44 for accommodating them, and a holding member 45 for holding the containing portion I have. The holding member 45 is connected to the moving mechanism 45a. The accommodating portion 44 can be moved in the X direction by the moving mechanism 45a.

The preliminary ejection mechanism 41, the dip tank 42, and the nozzle cleaning device 43 are arranged in this order on the -X direction side. The Y-directional dimensions of the preliminary ejecting mechanism 41, the dip tank 42 and the nozzle cleaning device 43 are smaller than the distance between the strut members 31a of the door frame 31, 31 can be accessed over each part.

The preliminary ejection mechanism 41 is a part for preliminarily ejecting the resist. The preliminary ejecting mechanism 41 is formed closest to the nozzle 32. The dip tank 42 is a liquid tank in which a solvent such as a thinner is stored therein. The nozzle cleaning device 43 is a device for rinsing the vicinity of the opening 32a of the nozzle 32. The nozzle cleaning device 43 has a cleaning mechanism (not shown) that moves in the Y direction and a moving mechanism have. This moving mechanism is formed on the -X direction side of the cleaning mechanism. The size of the nozzle cleaning device 43 in the X direction is larger than that of the preliminary ejection mechanism 41 and the dip tank 42 as the moving mechanism is formed. The arrangement of the preliminary ejecting mechanism 41, the dip tank 42, and the nozzle cleaning device 43 is not limited to the arrangement of the present embodiment, and may be other arrangements. The preliminary ejecting mechanism 41, the dip tanks 42, and the nozzle cleaning device 43 are not limited to the case where they are all arranged, and some of them may be omitted.

(Gas ejection mechanism and suction mechanism)

6 is a view showing the configurations of the gas ejection mechanism and the suction mechanism of the bringing-in stage 25, the processing stage 27, and the carry-out stage 28. As shown in Fig. Based on this figure, the constitution relating to gas ejection and gas suction of each stage will be described.

Only the gas ejection mechanisms 150 and 155 are formed on the carry side stage 25 and the carry side stage 28 and no suction mechanism is formed. The configurations of the gas ejection mechanisms 150 and 155 are the same in both stages. The gas ejection mechanisms 150 and 155 each have blowers 151 and 156, temperature control units 152 and 157, and manifolds 153 and 158, respectively.

And is connected to the temperature control units 152 and 157 from the blowers 151 and 156 by pipes 150a and 155a, respectively. The temperature control units 152 and 157 are provided with a cooling mechanism such as a refrigerant mechanism or a heating mechanism such as an electric heating line. By the cooling mechanism and the heating mechanism, the temperature of the supplied substrate can be adjusted . In the temperature control unit 152 and the temperature control unit 157, the temperature of the gas can be independently controlled. The temperature control units 152 and 157 are connected to the manifolds 153 and 158 by pipes 150b and 155b, respectively.

The manifolds 153 and 158 are provided with temperature sensors 154 and 159, respectively.

The temperature sensors 154 and 159 measure the temperature of the gas in the manifolds 153 and 158 and send the measurement results to the temperature control units 152 and 157, respectively. In the temperature control units 152 and 157, the measurement results of the temperature sensors 154 and 159 are fed back so that the temperature of the gas can be adjusted. As described above, the temperature control units 152 and 157 and the temperature sensors 154 and 159 constitute the temperature adjusting mechanisms 181 and 182 for adjusting the temperature of the gas by feedback.

A pressure gauge is mounted on the piping 150b and 155b and is connected to the bring-in stage 25 and the carry-out stage 28 by piping 150c and 155c, respectively. Various valves are formed in the respective pipes 150a to 150c and 155a to 155c. An atmospheric particle amount measuring device for measuring the amount of particles in the air may be formed in the pipes 150a to 150c and 155a to 155c.

On the other hand, in the treatment stage 27, a suction mechanism 170 is formed in addition to the gas spouting mechanism 160.

7 is a view showing the structures of the gas spouting mechanism 160 and the suction mechanism 170 formed on the processing stage 27. As shown in Fig. As shown in the figure, the gas ejection mechanism 160 includes a blower 161, a temperature control unit 162, a filter 163, an auto pressure controller (APC) 164, a manifold 165, (166) and a spray amount monitoring port (167).

The blower 161 is a gas supply source for supplying a gas to the gas ejection mechanism and is connected to the temperature control unit 162 by a pipe 160a. As a gas supply source, a gas supply line such as a factory may be connected instead of the blower 161.

The temperature control unit 162 is, for example, a unit for regulating the temperature of the supplied gas. In the gas circulation portion in the temperature control unit 162, for example, a cooling mechanism such as a refrigerant mechanism and a heating mechanism such as a heating wire are formed. The temperature of the base can be raised or lowered by the cooling mechanism or the heating mechanism. In the temperature control unit 162, the temperature of the gas can be independently controlled with respect to the temperature control units 152 and 157 described above. The temperature control unit 162 is connected to the APC 164 by a pipe 160b.

A filter 163 is formed in the pipe 160b. The filter 163 is a portion for removing foreign matter mixed with the supplied gas. Further, a relief valve (not shown) may be formed in the pipe 160b.

The APC 164 is a unit for adjusting the supply amount of the gas. The APC 164 has a butterfly valve 164a and a controller 164b. The controller 164b is capable of adjusting the opening degree of the butterfly valve 164a so that the supply amount of the gas can be adjusted by adjusting the opening degree of the butterfly valve 164a. The APC 164 is connected to the manifold 165 through a pipe 160c.

The pipe 160c is equipped with a flow meter 169a and a pressure gauge 169b. The flow rate and pressure of the gas in the pipe 160c are measured by the flow meter 169a and the pressure gauge 169b. The results of each measurement are transmitted to the APC 164, for example.

The manifold 165 is a unit for branching the gas flowing through the pipe 160c. In the manifold 165, the pipe 160c is connected to a plurality of branched pipes 160d. Each pipe 160d is connected to the gas spouting port 27a of the processing stage 27. [

The temperature sensor 166 is a sensor for measuring the temperature of the gas in the manifold 165. The temperature data of the gas measured by the temperature sensor 166 is transmitted to the temperature control unit 162 through, for example, a communication line. In the temperature control unit 162, the temperature of the gas can be adjusted by feeding back the measurement result of the temperature sensor 166. As described above, the temperature control unit 162 and the temperature sensor 166 constitute a temperature adjusting mechanism 183 for adjusting the temperature of the gas by feedback.

The jetting rate monitoring port 167 has a port for detecting the flow rate of the gas so that the flow rate detecting port can detect the gas flow rate equivalent to the gas jetting port 27a of the processing stage 27 have. The jetting amount monitoring port 167 is provided with a flow meter 167a and a pressure gauge 167b so that the flow rate and pressure of the gas ejected from the gas ejection port 27a can be measured. The measurement results of the flow meter 167a and the pressure gauge 167b may be transmitted to the controller 164b in the APC 164.

Various valves and the like are attached to the pipes 160a to 160e, and the opening degree of each valve can be appropriately adjusted. Further, the pipe 160c is connected to the atmosphere opening portion 191. [

The atmosphere opening portion 191 has a branch pipe 191a, a gas flow rate adjusting valve 191b, and a flow meter 191c. The branch piping 191a is branched from the piping 160c and has an atmospheric opening 191d whose tip is open to the atmosphere. The gas flow rate adjusting valve 191b can adjust the opening of the atmospheric opening 191d by adjusting the diameter of the flow path in the branch pipe 191a.

The gas flow rate adjusting valve 191b can adjust the flow rate of the gas flowing out from the atmospheric opening 191d to the atmosphere together with the flow of the branch pipe 191a by adjusting the opening of the atmospheric opening 191d. The flowmeter 191c measures the flow rate of the gas flowing through the branch piping 191a to the atmosphere from the atmospheric opening 191d. The control unit CONT adjusts the gas flow rate adjusting valve 191b based on the measurement result of the flow meter 191c.

The suction mechanism 170 has a blower 171, an automatic pressure controller (APC) 172, a trap tank 173, a manifold 174, and a suction amount monitoring port 175. The blower 171, the APC 172, the trap tank 173 and the manifold 174 are connected to each other by pipes 170a to 170c and various valves are attached to the pipes 170a to 170c . Instead of the blower 171, a gas suction line such as a factory may be used. Further, the manifold 174 may not be formed.

The manifold 174 is connected to a plurality of branched pipes 170d. Each pipe 170d is connected to the suction port 27b of the treatment stage 27. [

The APC 172 is provided with a butterfly valve 172a and a controller 172b for regulating the supply amount of the gas. The suction amount monitoring port 175 is connected to the processing stage 27 by a pipe 170e and is connected to a port for detecting the flow rate of the gas. The suction amount monitoring port 175 is capable of detecting the gas flow rate directly under the processing stage 27 by the flow rate detection port. The suction amount monitoring port 175 is provided with a flow meter 175a and a pressure gauge 175b and is capable of detecting the gas flow rate equivalent to the gas spouting port 27a of the treatment stage 27 by the suction port 27b Respectively. The measurement result of the flow meter 175a and the pressure gauge 175b may be transmitted to the controller 172b in the APC 172. [

It is also possible to form a flow meter between the APC 172 and the suction port 27b and feed back the measurement result to the controller 172b in the APC 172. [

In addition, an air vent 192 is connected to the pipe 170c. The atmosphere opening portion 192 has a branch pipe 192a, a gas flow rate adjusting valve 192b, and a flow meter 192c. The branch piping 192a is branched from the piping 170c and has an atmospheric opening 192d whose tip is open to the atmosphere. The gas flow rate adjusting valve 192b can adjust the opening of the atmospheric opening 192d by adjusting the diameter of the flow path in the branch pipe 192a.

The gas flow rate adjusting valve 192b can adjust the flow rate of the gas that sucks the branch piping 192a from the atmosphere through the atmospheric opening 192d together with the flow by adjusting the opening of the atmospheric opening 192d. The flowmeter 192c measures the flow rate of the gas flowing from the atmospheric opening 192d through the branch pipe 192a. The control unit CONT adjusts the gas flow rate adjusting valve 192b based on the measurement result of the flow meter 192c.

Next, the operation of the coating device 1 configured as described above will be described.

Figs. 8 to 14 are plan views showing the operation process of the application device 1. Fig. The operation of applying a resist to the substrate S will be described with reference to the respective drawings. In this operation, the substrate S is carried into the substrate carry-in area 20, the resist S is applied in the coating area 21 while the substrate S is lifted and transported, and the substrate S, Out region 22 from the substrate transferring region 22. 8 to 10, only the outlines of the gate frame 31 and the management section 4 are shown by broken lines, and the configuration of the nozzle 32 and the processing stage 27 can be easily discriminated. The detailed operation of each part will be described below.

Before the substrate is brought into the substrate carry-in area 20, the coating apparatus 1 is put in standby. More specifically, the conveyor 60a of the first conveying mechanism 60 is disposed on the -Y direction side of the substrate carry-in position of the carry-on stage 25, and the height position of the vacuum pad 60b is set to the floating height of the substrate The gas ejection port 27a of the processing stage 27, the suction port 27b of the processing stage 27 and the gas ejection port 28a of the carry-out side stage 28, And the gas is supplied to the surface of each stage so as to float the substrate.

When the substrate S is transported from the outside to the substrate carry-in position shown in Fig. 3 by the unillustrated transfer arm or the like, the lift member 26a is moved in the + Z direction to move the lift pins 26b, Is projected from the lift pin projecting / retracting hole (25b) to the stage surface (25c). Then, the substrate S is picked up by the lift pin 26b, and the substrate S is received. Further, the aligning member is projected from the slot of the alignment device 25d to the stage surface 25c.

After the substrate S is received, the elevating member 26a is lowered to accommodate the elevating pin 26b in the elevating pin emergence hole 25b. At this time, since a layer of the substrate is formed on the stage surface 25c, the substrate S is held floating with respect to the stage surface 25c by the substrate. When the substrate S reaches the surface of the base layer, the alignment of the substrate S is performed by the alignment member of the aligner 25d, and the alignment of the substrate S with respect to the first conveyance The vacuum pad 60b of the conveyor 60a can be vacuum-adsorbed to the -Y direction side end portion of the substrate S by the moving mechanism 63 of the mechanism 60 (Fig. 3). After the -Y side end portion of the substrate S is sucked by the vacuum pad 60b, the conveyor 60a is moved along the rail 60c. The substrate S smoothly moves along the rail 60c even if the driving force of the conveyor 60a is relatively small since the substrate S is floating.

8, when the tip of the substrate S in the carrying direction reaches the position of the opening 32a of the nozzle 32, the resist is moved from the opening 32a of the nozzle 32 toward the substrate S . The resist is ejected while the position of the nozzle 32 is fixed and the substrate S is conveyed by the conveyor 60a.

In the present embodiment, while the resist is applied to the substrate S carried by the first transfer mechanism 60, for example, a transfer arm or the like (not shown) S '). After the substrate S 'is received, the elevation member 26a is lowered and the elevation pin 26b is accommodated in the elevation pin projecting / retracting hole 25b, so that the substrate S' is moved to the stage surface 25c As shown in Fig.

When the substrate S 'reaches the surface of the base layer, alignment of the substrate S' is performed by the alignment member of the alignment device 25d, and alignment of the substrate S ' The conveyor 61a is lifted by the lifting mechanism 62 of the second conveying mechanism 61 and the vacuum pad 61b is vacuum-absorbed to the -Y direction side end portion of the substrate S '. The control unit CONT suitably detects the floating amount of the substrate S 'in the same manner as the substrate S described above.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the conveyor 60a of the first conveying mechanism 60 and the conveyor 61a of the second conveying mechanism 61 can move independently of each other, the first conveying mechanism Another substrate S 'can be transported onto the stage by the second transport mechanism 61 before the resist application processing to the substrate S transported by the transport mechanism 60 is completed. Therefore, the resist can be satisfactorily coated on the substrates S and S ', which are sequentially transferred to the cantilever state, and high throughput can be obtained in the resist coating process.

As the substrate S moves, a resist film R is coated on the substrate S as shown in Fig. The resist film R is formed in a predetermined region of the substrate S by passing the substrate S under the opening portion 32a through which the resist is discharged. Further, the conveyor 61a of the second conveying mechanism 61 moves the substrate S 'downward of the opening 32a.

The substrate S on which the resist film R is formed is conveyed to the carry-out side stage 28 by the conveyor 60a. In the carry-out side stage 28, the substrate S is carried to the substrate carry-out position shown in Fig. 10 in a floating state with respect to the stage surface 28c. The other substrate S 'conveyed by the conveyor 61a passes below the opening portion 32a to form a resist film R on a predetermined region of another substrate S'.

When the substrate S reaches the substrate carry-out position, the attraction of the vacuum pad 60b is released, and the lift member 29a of the lift mechanism 29 is moved in the + Z direction. Then, the lift pin 29b protrudes from the lift pin projecting / recessing hole 28b to the back surface of the substrate S, and the substrate S is lifted by the lift pins 29b. In this state, for example, an external transfer arm formed on the + X direction side of the carry-out side stage 28 accesses the carry-out side stage 28 to receive the substrate S. After the substrate S is delivered to the transfer arm, the transfer mechanism 60a (vacuum pad 60b) is retracted from the lower side of the substrate S by the moving mechanism 63 , And is retracted from the conveying path (moving path) of the second conveying mechanism 61 conveying another substrate S '.

Then, the first transport mechanism 60 is returned to the substrate carry-in position of the carry-side stage 25 again, and waits until the next substrate is transported. 10, the resist is applied to the substrate S 'conveyed to the second conveying mechanism 61. The first conveying mechanism 60, as described above, Side stage 25 to the substrate carry-in position of the carry-in side stage 25 without being interfered with the conveyance of the other substrate S 'by making contact with the second transport mechanism 61, You can come back.

When the substrate S 'carried by the second transport mechanism 61 reaches the substrate carry-out position, an external transfer arm similarly accesses the carry-out side stage 28 to receive the substrate S. Then, the substrate S is returned to the substrate carry-in position of the carry-in side stage 25 and waits until the next substrate S is transported.

Figs. 11A to 11D are views showing a state in which the substrate S moves from the carry-in stage 25 to the carry-out stage 28 via the process stage 27. Fig.

11 (a), when the substrate S moves on the carry-in side stage 25 and does not reach the process stage 27, the process stage 27 is blocked by the substrate S It is not in the state. From this state, as shown in Figs. 11 (b) to 11 (d), the substrate S is moved on the processing stage 27 so that the processing stage 27 is temporarily moved by the substrate S .

When the processing stage 27 is blocked by the substrate S, the jetting pressure and the suction pressure of the gas at that portion are temporarily changed to temporarily change the flow rate of the gas to be jetted and the flow rate of the gas to be sucked . In this case, the floating amount of the substrate S varies, and it may become difficult to uniformly coat the resist film R.

On the contrary, in the present embodiment, before the substrate S reaches the processing stage 27, when the substrate S is transported, the control unit CONT controls the air blow- 191 to open the atmospheric opening 191d. The control unit CONT opens the gas flow rate adjusting valve 192b formed in the air opening portion 192 of the suction mechanism 170 before the substrate S reaches the processing stage 27, The opening 192d is opened.

The gas ejection mechanism 160 can eject the gas from the atmospheric opening 191d in addition to the gas ejection port 27a by making the atmosphere opening 191d open. In this configuration, even when the processing stage 27 is blocked, it can be discharged to the atmospheric opening 191d. Therefore, when the substrate S is transported on the processing stage 27, the fluctuation of the gas ejection pressure at the gas ejection port 27a is suppressed, and the fluctuation of the gas flow rate ejected from the gas ejection port 27a is suppressed .

Likewise, by making the air opening 192d open, the suction mechanism 170 can be sucked from the atmospheric opening 192d in addition to the suction port 27b. In this configuration, even when the processing stage 27 is blocked, the suction amount can be supplemented from the atmospheric opening 192d. Therefore, when the substrate S is transported on the processing stage 27, the fluctuation of the suction pressure in the suction port 27b is suppressed, and the fluctuation of the gas flow rate sucked from the suction port 27b is suppressed.

12 is a table showing the relationship between the shielding rate of the processing stage 27, the total flow rate of the gas ejected to the processing stage 27, and the flow rate of the gas flowing out from the atmospheric opening 191d. In the present embodiment, when the dimension of the processing stage 27 in the X direction is t1 and the dimension of the portion of the substrate S overlapping the processing stage 27 in the X direction is t2, 27,

Shielding ratio = (t2 / t1) x 100 (%)

As an example.

When the substrate S does not reach the processing stage 27, that is, when the shielding rate of the processing stage 27 is 0%, the control section CONT controls the total amount of gas ejected to the processing stage 27 Set the flow rate to, for example, 300 L / min. Further, the flow rate of the gas flowing out from the atmospheric opening 191d is, for example, 2000 liters per minute.

11 (b), when the discharge of the resist film R is started by the nozzle 32, the substrate S is moved in the X direction in the processing stage 27, And almost half of the area in the direction is shielded. In this way, when the shielding rate of the processing stage 27 is approximately 50%, the substrate S shields the processing stage 27, and the gas ejection pressure and the suction pressure are increased accordingly.

Therefore, the control unit CONT opens the gas flow rate adjusting valve 191b to increase the opening of the waiting opening 191d. With this operation, the total flow rate of the gas ejected to the processing stage 27 is maintained at 300 L / min, and the flow rate of the gas flowing out from the atmospheric opening 191 d increases to, for example, 2500 L / min.

The resist film R is further discharged onto the substrate S as shown in Fig. 11 (c), and the substrate S is moved to a region of approximately 75% of the processing stage 27 in the X- The jetting pressure and the suction pressure of the gas are further increased as compared with the case of Fig. 11 (b).

Therefore, the control unit CONT opens the gas flow rate adjusting valve 191b to further increase the opening of the waiting opening 191d. With this operation, the total flow rate of the gas ejected to the processing stage 27 is maintained at 300 L / min, and the flow rate of the gas flowing out from the atmospheric opening 191 d increases to, for example, 2750 L / min.

11 (d), the resist film R is further discharged onto the substrate S, so that the substrate S reaches 100% of the processing stage 27 in the X direction, 11B, the gas ejection pressure and the suction pressure become higher than in the case of Fig. 11C.

Therefore, the control unit CONT opens the gas flow rate adjusting valve 191b to further increase the opening of the waiting opening 191d. With this operation, the total flow rate of the gas ejected to the processing stage 27 is maintained at 300 L / min, and the flow rate of the gas flowing out from the atmospheric opening 191 d increases to, for example, 3000 L / min.

Thereafter, as the substrate S moves in the + X direction and the shielding rate of the processing stage 27 is reduced, the control unit CONT closes the gas flow rate regulating valve 191b to open the atmosphere opening 191d ). With this operation, the total flow rate of the gas ejected to the processing stage 27 is maintained at 300 L / min.

The control unit CONT measures the flow rate of the gas flowing through the atmospheric openings 191d and 192d by the flow meters 191c and 192c and controls the flow rates of the flow meters 191c and 192c, The gas flow rate adjusting valves 191b and 192d may be adjusted based on the measurement results of the gas flow rate adjusting valves 191b and 192d.

In this case, for example, the target value data of the gas flow rate flowing through the atmospheric opening 191d, 192d is stored in the control unit CONT, and the control unit CONT controls the gas flow rate adjusting valve 191b, and 192b, respectively. The target value data can be obtained by experiment, simulation, or the like in advance.

Next, the management operation by the management unit 4 will be described.

As described above, the substrate is transported to the application unit 3 at a time interval. For this reason, the control unit CONT performs a maintenance operation for maintaining or improving the discharge state of the nozzles 32, using a period during which the substrate is not transported to the application unit 3. In this management operation, the management unit 4 is used.

The control unit CONT moves the gate frame 31 to the position of the management unit 4 in the -X direction by the moving mechanism 31c as shown in Fig. The position of the frame 31 is adjusted so that the tip of the nozzle 32 is accessed to the nozzle cleaning device 43 and the nozzle cleaning device 43 is moved to the position where the nozzle cleaning device 43 is located, The tip end 32c of the nozzle is cleaned by the nozzle 43.

After the nozzle tip 32c is cleaned, the nozzle 32 is accessed to the preliminary ejection mechanism 41. The opening 32a of the tip end 32c of the nozzle 32 is moved to a predetermined position in the Z direction while the distance between the opening 32a and the preliminary ejection surface is measured in the preliminary ejecting mechanism 41, The resist is preliminarily ejected from the opening 32a while moving in the -X direction.

After performing the preliminary ejection operation, the door frame 31 is returned to its original position. When the next substrate S is transported, the nozzle 32 is moved to a predetermined position in the Z direction as shown in Fig. As described above, by repeating the coating operation of applying the resist film R to the substrate S and the preliminary discharging operation, a high quality resist film R is formed on the substrate S.

Further, the nozzle 32 may be accessed in the dip tank 42 every time the predetermined number of times of access is made to the management unit 4, for example, as needed. In the dip tank 42, the opening 32a of the nozzle 32 is exposed to the vapor atmosphere of the solvent (thinner) stored in the dip tank 42, thereby preventing the nozzle 32 from drying.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the gas supply path of the gas spouting mechanism 160 and the suction path of the suction mechanism 170 are provided with the air opening portions 191 and 192 that can be opened to the atmosphere, The change of at least one of the flow rate of the gas and the flow rate of the gas to be sucked can be mitigated. This makes it possible to suppress variations in the floating amount of the substrate (S).

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be appropriately changed within a range not departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the first and second transport mechanisms 60 and 61 are each provided with the conveyers 60a and 61a, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited thereto .

As shown in Fig. 15, three rails 60a may be formed on the rails 60c as the first transporting mechanism 60. Although not shown in Fig. 15, the second conveying mechanism 61 may be provided with three conveyers 61a. Although the present invention is described with respect to the structure in which three conveyers 60a and 61a are provided, the present invention is not limited to this. The conveyers 60a and 61a may be provided in two, The present invention is also applicable to a configuration in which each of them is provided.

15, the first conveyor 261, the second conveyor 262, and the third conveyor 263 are indicated in order from the upstream side of the substrate S in the conveying direction. When these are collectively referred to, they are denoted by conveyors 261, 262, and 263.

These conveyors 261, 262, and 263 move on the rail 60c in a synchronized state when the substrate S is conveyed. Each of the conveyors 261, 262, and 263 can independently move on the rail 60c when the substrate S is not conveyed. According to this configuration, the holding position of the substrate S in each of the transporting devices 261, 262, and 263 can be arbitrarily set according to the length of the substrate S to be transported.

It is preferable that the vacuum pad 60b of the conveyor 261 is kept within 250 mm from the end on the front side in the conveying direction of the substrate S, and it is preferable that the vacuum pad 60b is within 80 mm. More specifically, the conveyor 261 holds the substrate S such that the distance W1 from the end of the substrate S in the conveying direction to the vacuum pad 60b is within 80 mm.

It is preferable that the vacuum pad 60b of the conveyor 263 is kept within 250 mm from the end on the rear side in the conveying direction of the substrate S, and it is desirable that it is within 80 mm. More specifically, the conveyor 263 holds the substrate S such that the distance W2 from the end of the substrate S in the conveying direction rearward to the vacuum pad 60b is within 80 mm.

The substrate S is uniformly held by these conveyors 261, 262, and 263, and the substrate end portion is prevented from sagging, and the large substrate S can be conveyed in a state in which it floats uniformly. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unevenness in the film which is dried and solidified on the resist applied onto the large-sized substrate S.

Although the above embodiment has been described by exemplifying the structure in which the atmospheric openings 191 and 192 are formed in both of the gas blowing mechanism 160 and the suction mechanism 170, the present invention is not limited thereto. It is possible to suppress a change in the floating amount of the substrate S as compared with the conventional configuration, provided that at least one of the gas ejection mechanism 160 and the suction mechanism 170 has the atmospheric opening.

In the above embodiment, when the dimension of the processing stage 27 in the X direction is t1 and the dimension of the portion of the substrate S overlapping the processing stage 27 in the X direction is t2, (T2 / t1) x 100 (%), the shielding rate of the shielding film 27 is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, when the area of the stage surface 27c of the processing stage 27 in the Z direction is P1 and the area of the substrate S overlapping the processing stage 27 is P2, Shielding ratio = (P2 / P1) x 100 (%).

CONT:
S: substrate
R: resist film
1: Coating device
2: substrate transfer section
3:
27: Processing stage
27c: stage surface
27a: gas outlet
27b:
32: Nozzle
160: gas ejection mechanism
160c and 170c: piping
170: suction device
191, 192:
191a, 192a: branch piping
191b, 192b: gas flow rate adjusting valve
191c, 192c: Flowmeter
191d, 192d: atmospheric opening

Claims (12)

A coating unit having a nozzle for discharging a liquid body from a tip portion with respect to the substrate;
A floating portion having a guide surface for guiding the substrate and having a gas supply portion and a suction portion for floating the substrate relative to the guide surface,
And a driving unit for driving at least one of the substrate and the nozzle while facing the substrate and the tip end portion in a floating state,
The gas supply unit may include a plurality of gas supply ports formed on the guide surface, a gas supply source for supplying gas to the plurality of gas supply ports, a first gas supply path having one end connected to the gas supply source, And a second gas supply path branched from the other end of the path and connected to each of the plurality of gas supply ports,
Wherein the suction portion includes a plurality of suction ports formed on the guide surface, a suction source for suctioning the plurality of suction ports, a first suction path having one end connected to the suction source, and a second suction path branched from the other end of the first suction path And a second suction path connected to each of the plurality of suction ports,
Wherein at least a part of the path of at least one of the first gas supply path and the first suction path is provided with an atmospheric opening portion capable of being opened to the atmosphere,
Wherein the atmospheric release section has a branch path branched from a part of the path,
An atmospheric opening is formed at the tip of the branching path,
Wherein the atmospheric opening portion includes an adjustment valve capable of adjusting an opening degree of the atmospheric opening and a valve control portion for controlling an adjustment amount of the adjustment valve in accordance with a shielding ratio which is a ratio of an overlapped portion of the substrate to the guide surface Application device. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the atmosphere opening portion has a flow meter for measuring a flow rate of a gas flowing through the atmospheric opening. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the flowmeter measures a flow rate of a gas flowing out from the atmospheric opening to the atmosphere. The method according to claim 2 or 3,
The air-
And a valve control portion for controlling an adjustment amount of the adjustment valve based on a measurement result by the flow meter. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
Wherein the floating portion has a stage formed at a position corresponding to the application portion,
Wherein the guide surface is formed on the stage. A coating unit having a nozzle for discharging a liquid body from a tip portion with respect to the substrate;
A floating portion having a guide surface for guiding the substrate and having a gas supply portion and a suction portion for floating the substrate relative to the guide surface,
And a driving unit for driving at least one of the substrate and the nozzle while facing the substrate and the tip end portion in a floating state,
The gas supply unit may include a plurality of gas supply ports formed on the guide surface, a gas supply source for supplying gas to the plurality of gas supply ports, a first gas supply path having one end connected to the gas supply source, And a second gas supply path branched from the other end of the path and connected to each of the plurality of gas supply ports,
Wherein the suction portion includes a plurality of suction ports formed on the guide surface, a suction source for suctioning the plurality of suction ports, a first suction path having one end connected to the suction source, and a second suction path branched from the other end of the first suction path And a second suction path connected to each of the plurality of suction ports,
At least a part of the path of at least one of the first gas supply path and the first suction path is formed with an atmospheric opening portion capable of being opened to the atmosphere,
Wherein the atmospheric release section has a branch path branched from a part of the path,
A coating method using a coating apparatus provided with an atmospheric opening at the tip of the branch path,
Operating the gas supply source and the suction source in a state in which a part of the path is open to the atmosphere to form a gas layer between the substrate and the guide surface through the gas supply port and the suction port, Floating the substrate on the substrate;
Moving the substrate and the nozzle relative to each other by driving at least one of the substrate and the nozzle while facing the substrate and the tip portion in a floating state,
And ejecting the liquid body from the tip portion of the nozzle with respect to the substrate while relatively moving the substrate and the nozzle,
Wherein the step of floating the substrate comprises adjusting the opening degree of the atmospheric opening according to a shielding rate which is a ratio of the overlapping portion of the substrate with respect to the guide surface. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein floating the substrate includes measuring a flow rate of a gas flowing through the atmospheric opening formed in the atmospheric opening portion. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein floating the substrate includes measuring at least one of a flow rate of a gas flowing out from the atmospheric opening into the atmosphere and a flow rate of a gas sucked from the atmosphere. 9. The method according to claim 7 or 8,
Wherein floating the substrate comprises:
And adjusting the opening of the atmospheric opening according to a measurement result of the flow rate of the gas. delete delete delete

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