KR102629280B1 - Slit nozzle and substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

In a slit nozzle and a substrate processing device including the same, an operation for equalizing the discharge amount between the central portion and the end portion of the discharge port can be efficiently performed. In order to achieve this purpose, the slit nozzle according to the present invention includes a nozzle body in which a pair of lip portions face each other with a gap to form a discharge port opening in a slit shape, and a pair of lip portions in a relative approach direction and direction. It is provided with an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the opening width of the discharge port by displacing it in the separation direction, and on at least one of the pair of lip portions, a lip portion is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the discharge port on a surface opposite to the opposing surface facing the other lip portion. A groove is formed, and the adjustment mechanism adjusts the opening width by deforming the nozzle body so as to increase or decrease the gap between opposing portions of the nozzle body with the groove in between. The groove is deeper at a position corresponding to the end of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction than at a position corresponding to the central portion of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction.

Description

Slit nozzle and substrate processing device {SLIT NOZZLE AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS}

This invention relates to a slit nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge port and a substrate processing device that applies a processing liquid to a substrate using the slit nozzle. In addition, the above substrates include a semiconductor substrate, a photomask substrate, a liquid crystal display substrate, an organic EL display substrate, a plasma display substrate, a FED (Field Emission Display) substrate, an optical disk substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, and an optical substrate. Includes substrates for magnetic disks, etc.

In the manufacturing process of electronic devices such as semiconductor devices and liquid crystal displays, a substrate processing device is used that supplies a processing liquid to the surface of a substrate and applies the processing liquid to the substrate. In some substrate processing devices, while transporting the substrate in a floating state, the processing liquid is supplied to a slit nozzle and discharged from the discharge port of the slit nozzle onto the surface of the substrate, thereby applying the processing liquid to almost the entire substrate. Additionally, in another substrate processing device, while adsorbing and holding the substrate on the stage, the slit nozzle is moved relative to the substrate in a state in which the processing liquid is discharged from the discharge port of the slit nozzle toward the surface of the substrate, thereby covering almost the entire substrate with the processing liquid. Apply.

Recently, in response to demands for higher quality products, it has become important to increase the uniformity of the film thickness of the processing liquid applied by a substrate processing device. For this purpose, a configuration has been proposed that makes it possible to individually adjust the opening size of the slit-shaped discharge port for each position along the longitudinal direction of the slit.

For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-246280 (Patent Document 1), there is an adjustment mechanism in a structure in which two members are combined and the gap between them is used as a discharge port, and a plurality of differential screws are arranged in the longitudinal direction. A conventional configuration (FIG. 8) and a configuration according to the invention (FIG. 2) in which one member is divided in the longitudinal direction to enable independent gap adjustment at the center and end of the discharge port are disclosed.

Also, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-066537 (Patent Document 2) and Japanese Patent No. 4522726 (Patent Document 3), two nozzle bodies are combined to face each other, so that fluid flows into the gap between the two. A flow path and discharge port are formed. A thin plate-shaped shim plate (sometimes simply referred to as a “shim”) is inserted between the two. The two nozzle bodies are joined to each other by screws (bolts) that are inserted through the core. Bolts are arranged in rows along the longitudinal direction of the discharge port, and by increasing or decreasing the tightening amount of these bolts, it is possible to individually adjust the opening width of the discharge port at each position in the longitudinal direction.

From the viewpoint of miniaturization of electronic devices and efficient use of materials, a higher level than ever before is required for uniformity of application. For this reason, it has become necessary to finely adjust the discharge amount throughout the longitudinal direction of the discharge port. From this, further improvements are desired over the above prior art. In particular, in the vicinity of the center and the ends of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction, the change in discharge amount is not necessarily the same even if the opening width of the discharge port is changed equally. That is, the response sensitivity of the discharge amount to adjustment of the opening width is different at the center and the ends of the discharge opening. For this reason, the fine adjustment work to uniformly adjust the discharge amount from the center to the ends of the discharge port tends to be complicated.

This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and includes a slit nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge port and a substrate processing device including the same for applying a processing liquid to a substrate, including an operation to equalize the discharge amount between the central portion and the end portion of the discharge port. The purpose is to provide technology that can be performed efficiently.

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the slit nozzle according to the present invention includes a nozzle body in which a pair of lip portions face each other with a gap to form a discharge port opening in a slit shape, and the pair of lip portions are positioned relative to each other. provided with an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the opening width of the discharge port by displacing it in the approach direction and the separation direction, and on at least one of the pair of lip portions, the lip portion on a surface opposite to the opposing surface facing the other lip portion. A groove is formed along a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the discharge port, and the adjustment mechanism adjusts the opening width by deforming the nozzle body to increase or decrease the gap between the opposing portions of the nozzle body across the groove. And, the groove is deeper at a position corresponding to an end of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction than a position corresponding to a central portion of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction.

In order to achieve the above object, another aspect of the slit nozzle according to the present invention includes a nozzle body in which a pair of lip portions face each other with a gap to form a discharge port opening in a slit shape, and the pair of lip portions. An adjustment mechanism is provided for adjusting the opening width of the discharge port by relatively displacing it in the approach and separation directions, and is provided on at least one of the pair of lip portions and on a surface opposite to the opposing surface facing the other lip portion. A groove is formed along a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the discharge port, and the adjustment mechanism adjusts the opening width by deforming the nozzle body to increase or decrease the gap between the opposing portions of the nozzle body with the groove in between. Adjusting, the thickness of the lip portion between the bottom of the groove and the opposing surface is at a position corresponding to an end of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction to a central portion of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction. It is smaller than the location.

In the invention structured in this way, the amount of deformation of the lip portion in response to the force applied to deform the lip portion is greater at the ends than at the central portion in the longitudinal direction. The reason is as follows. In the first aspect, the grooves are deeper at the ends than at the central portion. Also, in the second aspect, the thickness of the lip portion at the end portion is smaller than that of the central portion. Therefore, in either embodiment, the amount of deflection of the nozzle body in response to the force to be deformed is greater at the ends than at the center. Therefore, when the adjustment mechanism applies a force to deform the nozzle body to increase or decrease the opening width of the discharge port, the amount of deformation of the opening width of the discharge port corresponding to the same magnitude of force becomes larger at the ends than at the center portion. .

On the other hand, when discharging liquid from a slit nozzle, it is difficult to realize a uniform discharge amount throughout the longitudinal direction of the discharge opening, and there may be a difference in the discharge amount, especially near the center and the ends of the discharge opening. More specifically, in the vicinity of the end of the discharge port, one of the causes is that the resistance to the flow of fluid increases due to the influence of friction with the inner wall of the nozzle around the discharge port, etc., and the discharge amount tends to be smaller than in the central portion. In other words, the amount of change in discharge amount corresponding to the adjustment amount of the opening width of the discharge port has lower sensitivity near the end portion than in the center portion of the discharge port. Therefore, the work to uniformly adjust the discharge amount throughout the discharge port in the longitudinal direction tends to be complicated.

From this, in order to equalize the amount of change in discharge amount in response to mechanical input for adjusting the opening width at the center and end of the discharge port, it is desirable to make the change in opening width in response to mechanical input larger at the ends than at the center. You can. The configuration of the present invention is capable of increasing the sensitivity to changes in the opening width for the same mechanical input at the ends rather than at the center, and is suitable for this purpose.

In addition, another aspect of the slit nozzle according to the present invention is a slit nozzle having a discharge port opening in the shape of a slit and a fluid flow path communicating therewith. In order to achieve the above object, flat surfaces opposing each other through a gap each having a first body portion and a second body portion forming the flow path and the discharge port in the gap, and being sandwiched between the first body portion and the second body portion to determine the size of the gap. In addition, it is provided with a thin plate-shaped spacer member that closes the gap around the flow path other than the discharge port, and a coupling portion that couples the first body portion and the second body portion via the spacer member. Here, the spacer member has a strip-shaped portion that extends continuously from a position corresponding to one end of the discharge port to a position corresponding to the other end along the longitudinal direction of the discharge port, and the main surface of the strip-shaped portion is The width of the contact surface in contact with the first flat surface is smaller in the end regions corresponding to both ends of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction than the central region inside the end regions.

In the invention structured as described above, a spacer member is interposed between the first body portion and the second body portion and abuts against each flat surface, thereby defining a gap between the first body portion and the second body portion. Here, the width of the contact surface is smaller in the end area corresponding to the end of the discharge port than in the central area. In addition, the “width” of the contact surface referred to in the present invention is the width when the strip-shaped portion is viewed along the longitudinal direction of the discharge port, which is the direction of its extension, and is therefore perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and parallel to the flat surface of the first main body. It is the length of the contact surface in the direction.

This means that the gap defining effect by the spacer member is weaker in the end region than in the central region. Therefore, the opening width of the discharge port due to the gap change is likely to be larger in the end region than in the central region. The reason for doing this is as follows.

As described above, even if the opening width of the discharge port is made uniform throughout its longitudinal direction, the amount of fluid discharged is not necessarily uniform. Especially at the end of the discharge port, the discharge amount tends to decrease. In other words, the amount of change in the opening width required to change the discharge amount by the same amount is not constant and varies depending on the position in the longitudinal direction. That is, the response sensitivity of the discharge amount to a change in the opening width varies depending on the position. This is a factor that makes adjustment work to obtain a uniform discharge amount difficult.

On the other hand, in the present invention, the opening width of the discharge port at the end regions where the discharge amount is likely to decrease is configured to change larger than that at the central region. For this reason, it is possible to reduce or eliminate the difference in response sensitivity depending on the position as described above. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform the task of equalizing the discharge amount between the center portion and the end portion of the discharge port more simply and efficiently.

In addition, in one aspect of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a slit nozzle having any of the above configurations is disposed so as to face the discharge port of the slit nozzle, and the slit a relative movement mechanism for relatively moving the nozzle and the substrate in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, and a processing liquid supply unit for supplying processing liquid to the slit nozzle, and applying the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port to the surface of the substrate. Apply to

In the invention structured as described above, the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate from a slit nozzle whose opening width is adjusted using the above-described configuration, thereby stably forming a film with a uniform film thickness in the longitudinal direction.

As described above, in the present invention, in the end region corresponding to the end in the longitudinal direction of the discharge port, the opening width of the discharge port changes more than that in the central region. This solves the problem that the change in discharge amount is different at the center and at the ends, making adjustment difficult, and makes it possible to efficiently perform adjustment work to equalize the discharge amount.

1 is a diagram schematically showing one embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 is an exploded and assembled view schematically showing the first embodiment of the slit nozzle.
Fig. 3 is a three-sided view of the slit nozzle of the first embodiment.
Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the depth profile of a groove.
5A and 5B are cross-sectional views of the slit nozzle.
Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a modification of the slit nozzle of the first embodiment.
Fig. 7 is an exploded and assembled view schematically showing the second embodiment of the slit nozzle.
Fig. 8 is an exploded and assembled view schematically showing the third embodiment of the slit nozzle.
Fig. 9 is a three-sided view of the slit nozzle.
10A and 10B are diagrams showing a modified example of the slit nozzle of the third embodiment.
11A and 11B are diagrams showing a fourth embodiment of a slit nozzle.
12A and 12B are diagrams showing a fifth embodiment of a slit nozzle.
13A to 13B are diagrams showing the cross-sectional structure of the slit nozzle.
Figures 14A to 14D are diagrams showing the structure of a referee.
Figures 15A and 15B are diagrams showing a modified example of a referee.
Figure 16 is a diagram showing another modified example of a referee.
17A and 17B are diagrams showing a sixth embodiment of a slit nozzle.

＜Overall configuration of the applicator＞

1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of a coating device that is one embodiment of a substrate processing device according to the present invention. This coating device 1 is a slit coater that applies a fluid coating liquid (processing liquid) to the surface Sf of the substrate S conveyed in a horizontal position from the left to the right in FIG. 1. For example, various processing liquids, such as a coating liquid containing a resist film material and a coating liquid containing an electrode material, are applied to the surface Sf of various substrates S, such as a glass substrate or a semiconductor substrate, to form a uniform coating film. For the purpose of forming, this coating device 1 can be suitably used.

In addition, in order to clarify the positional relationship of each part of the device in each of the following drawings, right-handed coordinate system XYZ orthogonal coordinates are set as shown in FIG. 1. The conveyance direction of the substrate S is referred to as the “X direction,” the horizontal direction from the left to the right in FIG. 1 is referred to as the “+X direction,” and the reverse direction is referred to as the “-X direction.” In addition, among the horizontal directions Y perpendicular to the In addition, the upper direction and lower direction in the vertical direction Z are called "+Z direction" and "-Z direction", respectively.

First, an outline of the configuration and operation of this coating device 1 will be explained using FIG. 1, and then the detailed structure of the slit nozzle equipped with the technical features of the present invention and the adjustment operation of the opening size will be explained. In the coating device 1, along the conveyance direction Dt of the substrate S, that is, the (+X) direction, an input conveyor 100, an input transfer part 2, a floating stage part 3, The output transfer unit 4 and the output conveyor 110 are arranged close to each other in this order. As will be explained in detail below, these form a transport path for the substrate S extending in a substantially horizontal direction.

The substrate S to be processed is brought into the input conveyor 100 from the left side of FIG. 1 . The input conveyor 100 includes a roller conveyor 101 and a rotation drive mechanism 102 that rotates the roller conveyor 101. By rotation of the roller conveyor 101, the substrate S is conveyed in a horizontal position downstream, that is, in the (+X) direction. The input transfer part 2 is equipped with a roller conveyor 21 and a rotation/elevation drive mechanism 22 which has a function of rotating and driving the conveyor and a function of raising and lowering it. As the roller conveyor 21 rotates, the substrate S is further conveyed in the (+X) direction. Additionally, as the roller conveyor 21 moves up and down, the vertical position of the substrate S changes. By the input transfer unit 2 configured in this way, the substrate S is transferred from the input conveyor 100 to the floating stage unit 3.

The floating stage unit 3 is provided with a flat stage divided into three parts along the substrate transport direction Dt. That is, the floating stage unit 3 is provided with an entrance floating stage 31, an application stage 32, and an exit floating stage 33. The surfaces of each of these stages form part of the same plane. On each surface of the inlet floating stage 31 and the outlet floating stage 33, a plurality of blowing holes for blowing out the compressed air supplied from the floating control mechanism 35 are formed in a matrix shape. The substrate S floats due to the buoyancy provided by the ejected air current. In this way, the back surface Sb of the substrate S is supported in a horizontal position while being spaced apart from the stage surface. The distance between the back surface Sb of the substrate S and the stage surface, that is, the floating amount of the substrate S, can be, for example, 10 micrometers to 500 micrometers.

Meanwhile, on the surface of the application stage 32, blowing holes for blowing out compressed air and suction holes for sucking air between the back surface Sb of the substrate S and the stage surface are alternately arranged. The levitation control mechanism 35 controls the amount of compressed air blown from the blowing hole and the amount of suction from the suction hole, so that the distance between the back surface Sb of the substrate S and the surface of the application stage 32 is precisely controlled. do. For this reason, the vertical position of the surface Sf of the substrate S passing above the application stage 32 is controlled to a specified value. As a specific configuration of the floating stage portion 3, for example, the one described in Japanese Patent No. 5346643 is applicable. In addition, the floating amount on the application stage 32 is calculated by the control unit 9 based on the detection results by the sensors 61 and 62, which will be explained in detail later, and is adjusted with high precision by airflow control. It is possible.

In addition, a lift pin not shown in the drawing is disposed on the inlet floating stage 31, and a lift pin driving mechanism 34 that raises and lowers this lift pin is installed on the floating stage portion 3.

The substrate S brought into the floating stage unit 3 through the input transfer unit 2 is given a driving force in the (+ It is returned to the prize. The entrance floating stage 31, the application stage 32, and the exit floating stage 33 support the substrate S in a floating state, but do not have a function of moving the substrate S in the horizontal direction. The transport of the substrate S in the floating stage unit 3 is performed by the substrate transport unit 5 disposed below the entrance floating stage 31, the application stage 32, and the exit floating stage 33. all.

The substrate transport unit 5 is equipped with a chuck mechanism 51 and an adsorption/travel control mechanism 52. The chuck mechanism 51 supports the substrate S from below by partially contacting the peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate S. The suction/travel control mechanism 52 has the function of adsorbing and holding the substrate S by applying negative pressure to the suction pad (not shown) installed on the suction member on the upper end of the chuck mechanism 51 and moving the chuck mechanism 51 in the X direction. In a state where the chuck mechanism 51, which has a function of reciprocating, holds the substrate S, the back surface Sb of the substrate S is located at a higher position than the surface of each stage of the floating stage portion 3. . Accordingly, the substrate S is held in a horizontal position as a whole by the buoyancy applied from the floating stage portion 3, while the peripheral portion is held by the chuck mechanism 51. In order to detect the vertical position of the surface of the substrate S at the stage where the back surface Sb of the substrate S is partially held by the chuck mechanism 51, the sensor 61 for measuring plate thickness is installed on a roller conveyor ( 21) It is placed nearby. By positioning the chuck (not shown) in a state not holding the substrate S at a position directly below the sensor 61, the sensor 61 can detect the vertical position of the surface of the suction member, that is, the suction surface. It is supposed to be done.

The chuck mechanism 51 holds the substrate S loaded from the input transfer portion 2 to the floating stage portion 3, and in this state, the chuck mechanism 51 moves in the (+X) direction. By doing this, the substrate S is conveyed from above the entrance floating stage 31 via above the application stage 32 to above the exit floating stage 33. The conveyed substrate S is delivered to the output transfer part 4 disposed on the (+X) side of the exit floating stage 33.

The output transfer unit 4 is equipped with a roller conveyor 41 and a rotation/elevation drive mechanism 42 that has a function of rotating and driving the conveyor and a function of raising and lowering it. As the roller conveyor 41 rotates, a driving force in the (+X) direction is given to the substrate S, and the substrate S is further conveyed along the conveyance direction Dt. Additionally, as the roller conveyor 41 moves up and down, the vertical position of the substrate S changes. By the output transfer unit 4, the substrate S is transferred to the output conveyor 110 from above the exit floating stage 33.

The output conveyor 110 includes a roller conveyor 111 and a rotation drive mechanism 112 that rotates the roller conveyor 111. By rotation of the roller conveyor 111, the substrate S is further conveyed in the (+X) direction and is finally discharged out of the coating device 1. In addition, the input conveyor 100 and the output conveyor 110 may be installed as part of the configuration of the applicator 1, but may be separate from the applicator 1. Also, for example, a separate unit substrate dispensing mechanism installed upstream of the coating device 1 may be used as the input conveyor 100. Additionally, a separate unit of substrate receiving mechanism installed on the downstream side of the coating device 1 may be used as the output conveyor 110.

On the transport path of the substrate S transported in this way, an application mechanism 7 for applying the coating liquid to the surface Sf of the substrate S is disposed. The application mechanism 7 has a slit nozzle 71. In addition, although not shown, a positioning mechanism is connected to the slit nozzle 71. By the positioning mechanism, the slit nozzle 71 is positioned at the application position above the application stage 32 (position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1) or an appropriate maintenance position. Additionally, a coating liquid supply mechanism 8 is connected to the slit nozzle 71. The coating liquid is supplied from the coating liquid supply mechanism 8, and the coating liquid is discharged from a discharge port opening downward at the bottom of the nozzle. In addition, the slit nozzle 71 will be described in detail later.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the slit nozzle 71 is provided with a floating height detection sensor 62 for non-contactly detecting the floating height of the substrate S. With this floating height detection sensor 62, it is possible to measure the separation distance between the floating substrate S and the surface of the stage surface of the application stage 32. Based on the detected value, the position where the slit nozzle 71 descends can be adjusted through the control unit 9. Additionally, as the floating height detection sensor 62, an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like can be used.

In order to perform predetermined maintenance on the slit nozzle 71, as shown in FIG. 1, a nozzle cleaning standby unit 79 is installed in the application mechanism 7. The nozzle cleaning standby unit 79 mainly includes a roller 791, a cleaning unit 792, a roller bat 793, and the like. Then, with the slit nozzle 71 positioned at the maintenance position, nozzle cleaning and liquid pool formation are performed, and the discharge port of the slit nozzle 71 is maintained in a state suitable for the next application process.

In addition, the application device 1 is provided with a control unit 9 for controlling the operation of each part of the device. The control unit 9 includes a storage unit that stores predetermined programs and various recipes, an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU that executes predetermined operations in each part of the device by executing the program, a display unit such as a liquid crystal panel, and a keyboard. It has an input section.

Hereinafter, a specific configuration example of the slit nozzle 71 and a method for adjusting the opening size of the discharge port will be described in detail. In addition, the adjustment of the opening size referred to here is not an adjustment aimed at making the opening size constant or a predetermined standard value, but rather means making the thickness of the coating film formed on the surface of the substrate S as a result of discharge uniform. It is a targeted adjustment.

<First embodiment>

FIG. 2 is an exploded and assembled view schematically showing the main structure of the first embodiment of the slit nozzle used in the coating device of FIG. 1. Also, Figure 3 is a three-sided view of the slit nozzle. The slit nozzle 71 has a first body portion 711, a second body portion 712, a first side plate 713, and a second side plate 714. As indicated by the dashed-dotted arrow, the first body 711 and the second body 712 are coupled to each other in the X direction. The nozzle body 710 is formed by combining the first side plate 713 with the (-Y) side end surface of the assembly and the second side plate 714 with the (+Y) side end surface, respectively.

Each of these members is carved out of a metal block such as stainless steel or aluminum, for example. In addition, each member constituting the nozzle body 710 is coupled to each other by being solidified with an appropriate fastening member such as a bolt, for example, and such a bonding structure is known. Therefore, in order to make the drawing easier to read, description of components related to consolidation, such as fixing bolts and screw holes for inserting them, will be omitted here. This point may be the same in other embodiments described later.

The main surface of the first main body 711 on the side opposite to the second main body 712, that is, the lower half of the main surface on the (+X) side, is made to be a flat surface 711a parallel to the YZ plane. Hereinafter, this flat surface 711a is referred to as “the first flat surface.” The upper half of the main surface of the first main body 711 on the side opposite to the second main body 712 is also made to be a flat surface 711b parallel to the YZ plane. Additionally, the lower part of the first body portion 711 protrudes downward to form a first lip portion 711c. The flat surfaces 711a and 711b are spaced apart by grooves 711d in the shape of a substantially semicircular column, with the Y direction as the longitudinal direction and the X direction as the depth direction. This groove 711d functions as a manifold in the flow path of the coating liquid.

On the other hand, the main surface of the second main body 712 on the side opposite to the first main body 711, that is, the main surface on the (-X) side, is a single flat surface 712a parallel to the YZ plane. Hereinafter, this flat surface 712a is referred to as a “second flat surface.” Additionally, the lower part of the second body portion 712 protrudes downward to form a second lip portion 712c. The first body 711 and the second body 712 are coupled so that the flat surface 711b and the upper half of the second flat surface 712a are in close contact.

The first flat surface 711a recedes slightly toward the (-X) side compared to the flat surface 711b. For this reason, when the first body portion 711 and the second body portion 712 are coupled, the first flat surface 711a and the second flat surface 712a face each other in parallel with a small gap. do. In this way, the gap portion between the opposing surfaces (the first flat surface 711a and the second flat surface 712a) serves as a flow path for the coating liquid from the manifold. The lower end of the flow path functions as a discharge port 715 (FIG. 3) that opens downward toward the surface Sf of the substrate S. The discharge port 715 is a slit-shaped opening with the Y direction as the longitudinal direction and a small opening size in the X direction.

A groove 712f extending along the Y direction is formed on the main surface 712e of the second main body portion 712 on the side opposite to the second flat surface 712a. The depth of the groove 712f will be described later. The groove 712f is continuously formed throughout the second main body 712 in the Y direction. For this reason, the lower portion of the second body portion 712 starting from the groove 712f is a protruding portion 712g that has a generally uniform cross-sectional shape in the Y direction and protrudes in the (+X) direction.

On the lower surface of the protrusion 712g, a screw hole 712h is formed that penetrates the protrusion 712g in the vertical direction. A plurality of screw holes 712h are formed in a row along the Y direction and at equal pitches on the lower surface of the protruding portion 712g. An adjustment screw 716 for adjusting the opening size of the discharge port 715 in the X direction is attached to each screw hole 712h, as will be described later. The adjustment screw 716 spans the groove 712f, and its upper end reaches the upper surface of the groove 712f.

For the screw hole 712h, an adjustment screw 716 is installed across the groove 712f. For this reason, when the insertion amount is changed, the second body portion 712 is slightly deformed around the axis in the extending direction (Y direction) of the groove 712f, and the two sides opposing each other across the groove 712f The spacing between parts increases or decreases. Specifically, the second protrusion 712g below the groove 712f is displaced in a direction in which the portion of the second body 712 above the groove 712f is relatively closer to or away from the groove 712f. The spacing changes.

According to this displacement, the second lip portion 712c connected to the second protrusion 712g is displaced in the X direction, that is, in a direction toward and away from the opposing first lip portion 711c. In this way, the first lip portion 711c and the second lip portion 712c that oppose each other are relatively displaced in the approach and separation directions, thereby changing the distance between them, that is, the opening width of the discharge port 715. Therefore, the opening width of the discharge port 715 can be adjusted by adjusting the insertion amount of the adjustment screw 716. By arranging the plurality of adjustment screws 716 along the longitudinal direction of the discharge port 715, it becomes possible to adjust the opening width at each position in the same direction.

The adjustment screw 716 is, for example, a differential screw. The principle of the method of adjusting the opening size of the discharge port when a differential screw is used as the adjustment screw is described, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 09-131561. Since the same principle can be used in this embodiment, detailed description is omitted here.

In addition, in order to make the drawings easier to read, the number of arrangement of adjustment screws 716 is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to be less than the actual number. That is, in the actual device, more adjustment screws 716 are arranged at a finer arrangement pitch than in these drawings.

Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the depth profile of a groove. More specifically, FIGS. 4(a) to 4(d) are cross-sectional views of the nozzle body 710 corresponding to the cross-section along line A-A in FIG. 3, and each shows examples of depth profiles of different shapes. As shown in these figures, the depth of the groove 712f is not uniform in the Y direction, and is relatively shallow at the center of the discharge port 715 in the longitudinal direction (Y direction), and becomes deeper at both ends.

More specifically, in the example shown in FIG. 4(a), the depth of the groove 712f is a constant value Dc in the center portion Rc in the longitudinal direction, and the depth of the groove 712f is a constant value Dc at the ends (Re) on both sides adjacent to the center portion Rc. ), it is a certain value De larger than this. That is, the groove 712f has a depth profile that changes in a step shape. The groove 712f has a substantially constant depth Dc at the central portion Rc in the longitudinal direction, while both end portions Re have a greater depth De. Also, from another perspective, in the area where the groove 712f is formed, the thickness of the second body portion 712 is large at the center portion Rc and small at both ends Re. That is, the thickness Tc of the second body portion 712 at the center portion Rc is greater than the thickness Te at both ends Re.

In the example shown in Fig. 4(b), the depth of the grooves 712f in the central portion Rc and both ends Re is the same as the example in Fig. 4(a). However, the change in depth at the boundary is continuous and gentle. Moreover, in the example shown in FIG. 4(c), the groove 712f has a depth profile in which the depth is generally constant at the central portion Rc, while the depth gradually increases at both ends Re. In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 4(d), the depth profile is shallowest at the center of the groove 712f in the longitudinal direction, and the depth gradually increases toward the outside. Also, for example, the continuous changes shown in Figs. 4(b) and 4(c) can be made into a profile that approximates a multi-step staircase shape.

The depth profile of the groove 712f of the slit nozzle 71 may be any of these. The reason why the depth profile of the groove 712f is made “shallow at the center and deep at both ends” will be explained next. Additionally, here, typically, the groove 712f is assumed to have the depth profile illustrated in FIG. 4(a).

5A and 5B are cross-sectional views of a slit nozzle. More specifically, FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 3. Additionally, line B-B in FIG. 4(a) corresponds to line B-B in FIG. 3, and line C-C in FIG. 4(a) corresponds to line C-C in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 5A, in the B-B cross section corresponding to the central portion in the Y direction of the discharge port 715, the depth of the groove 712f is relatively shallow. In other words, the distance between the bottom of the groove 712f and the second flat surface 712a, that is, the thickness of the second body portion 712 at the position corresponding to the bottom of the groove 712f, is relatively large. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, in the C-C line cross section corresponding to a position close to the end in the Y direction of the discharge port 715, the depth of the groove 712f is deeper. In other words, the distance between the bottom of the groove 712f and the second flat surface 712a, that is, the thickness of the second body portion 712 at the position corresponding to the bottom of the groove 712f, is smaller.

For this reason, the second body portion 712 is more prone to bending when the groove 712f is at a deeper position than at a shallow position. Therefore, the deformation amount of the second body portion 712 with respect to the rotational input amount ΔR applied to the adjustment screw 716 to adjust the opening width, more specifically, the displacement amount ΔZ in the vertical direction (Z direction) of the protrusion 712g. near the end where the groove 712f is deep, it becomes larger than the central portion where the groove 712f is shallower. As a result, the change amount ΔX of the opening width of the discharge port 715 in the

The “rotation input” referred to here is an example of a mechanical input given by an operator to increase or decrease the aperture width, for example, by the rotation amount or rotation angle input to the adjustment screw 716. The input amount ΔR can be expressed quantitatively.

According to the knowledge of the present inventor, the change in discharge amount to an increase or decrease in the opening width, that is, the response sensitivity of the discharge amount to adjustment of the opening width, is high at the center of the discharge port and low at the ends. For this reason, if the amount of change in the opening width is the same, the change in discharge amount is relatively large at the center, but the change in discharge amount is small at the ends.

If, for example, the amount of change Δ If so, the adjustment work to obtain a coating film of uniform thickness by adjusting the discharge amount across the entire discharge port becomes very complicated. In order to prevent this, it is desirable that the response sensitivity of the discharge amount, that is, the amount of change in the discharge amount for the same rotational input amount ΔR, be equal throughout the longitudinal direction of the discharge port. To achieve this, it is required to improve response sensitivity, especially at the ends.

In the slit nozzle 71 of this embodiment, the grooves 712f are made deeper at the ends than at the central portion, so that the change amount ΔX in the discharge opening opening width for the same rotational input amount ΔR is larger at the ends than at the central portion. For this reason, it becomes difficult for a difference in change in discharge amount for the same rotational input amount ΔR to occur between the center portion and the end portion. For this reason, the change in discharge amount corresponding to the rotational input amount to the adjustment screw 716 becomes equal at either the center portion or the end portion of the discharge port. For the operator, it becomes possible to efficiently perform adjustment work to equalize the discharge amount.

By appropriately setting the depth profile of the groove 712f, it is believed that it is possible to suppress the difference in response sensitivity between the center portion and the end portion to a level that does not cause any practical problems. The specific depth profile can be determined experimentally, for example, based on the size of the opening width of the discharge port 715 or the viscosity of the coating liquid used.

Additionally, in the slit nozzle 71 of the first embodiment described above, adjustment screws 716 are arranged in the second body portion 712 at a constant array pitch. However, as shown below as a modified example, the arrangement pitch of the adjustment screws may be uneven. In addition, as a slit nozzle constructed based on the same technical idea, other embodiments other than the above can be considered. Below, these different configuration examples will be described in order. In the following description, in order to make it easier to understand the comparison with other embodiments, the same symbols are given to components that are the same as the previous configuration or have a slight difference but have a corresponding function.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a modification of the slit nozzle of the first embodiment. In the slit nozzle 71A of the modified example shown in FIG. 6, the adjustment screw 716 is arranged at a relatively coarse array pitch in the central portion Rc in the Y direction of the discharge port 715. On the other hand, at the end Re in the Y direction of the discharge port 715, adjustment screws 716 are arranged at a finer array pitch. In application using a slit nozzle, it is easy to obtain a relatively uniform film in the center of the formed coating film, but near the ends, the coating film becomes disturbed due to rising of the high-viscosity coating liquid or outflow of the low-viscosity coating liquid to the outside. easy to do. In order to suppress this disorder, it is desirable that adjustments can be made near the ends of the discharge port 715 in the longitudinal direction with a finer resolution than at the center. The slit nozzle 71A of this modification can meet these requirements.

In other words, the arrangement pitch of the adjustment screws 716 is increased in the central portion Rc where uniformity is relatively easy to be achieved. By doing this, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and the number of adjustment processes, and also contribute to reduction of equipment cost and running cost.

＜Second Embodiment＞

FIG. 7 is an exploded and assembled view schematically showing the main structure of the second embodiment of the slit nozzle used in the coating device of FIG. 1. This type of slit nozzle has a structure in which a thin plate-shaped core is sandwiched between two main body members made of a high-rigidity material. The slit nozzle 71B of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 7 has this structure.

In the slit nozzle 71B, a first body portion 711b and a second body portion 712b, which have flat surfaces facing each other, are joined across a shim 72B. Due to this, the nozzle body 710b is formed. In the first main body 711b, a groove 711k in the shape of a substantially semicircular column that functions as a manifold for the coating liquid is formed on the flat main surface 711a on the side opposite to the second main body 712b. The shim 72B is, for example, a thin metal plate with a cut portion that serves as a flow path for the coating liquid. The shim 72B is sandwiched between the first body portion 711b and the second body portion 712b, thereby defining a gap between the two and forming a flow path for the coating liquid.

Except for these points, the shapes of the first body portion 711b and the second body portion 712b are the same as the corresponding configurations 711 and 712 of the first embodiment. That is, a groove 712f is formed on the main surface of the second main body 712b on the surface 712e opposite to the surface 712a facing the first main body 711b. And a plurality of adjustment screws 716 are arranged in the Y direction so as to span the groove 712f. The shape of the groove 712f and the function of the adjustment screw 716 are the same as those in the above embodiment, and the effects resulting therefrom are also the same.

In this way, the mechanism for adjusting the outlet opening width based on the technical idea of the present invention can be applied to either a nozzle that defines a gap using a shim or a nozzle that does not use a shim.

＜Third Embodiment＞

FIG. 8 is an exploded and assembled view schematically showing the main structure of the third embodiment of the slit nozzle used in the coating device of FIG. 1. Also, Figure 9 is a three-sided view of the slit nozzle. The slit nozzle 71C of this embodiment has a first body portion 711C, a second body portion 712C, a first side plate 713C, and a second side plate 714C. Among these, the structure of the second main body 712C is the same as that of the second main body 712 of the first embodiment. Similar to the first embodiment, these are combined to form the nozzle body 710C.

In the first embodiment, a mechanism (specifically, a groove 712g and an adjustment screw 716) for adjusting the opening width of the discharge port was provided only in the second main body portion 712. Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the same adjustment mechanism is provided in both the first main body 711C and the second main body 712C. More specifically, a groove 711f extending along the Y direction is formed on the main surface 711e of the first main body portion 711C on the side opposite to the first flat surface 711a. The groove 711f is formed in a uniform cross-sectional shape over the entire first body portion 711 in the Y direction. For this reason, the lower portion of the first body portion 711C starting from the groove 711f is a protruding portion 711g that has a generally uniform cross-sectional shape in the Y direction and protrudes in the (-X) direction. Below, when it is necessary to distinguish between the protrusions formed on the two main body portions 711C and 712C, the protrusions may be referred to as “first protrusion” and “second protrusion”, respectively.

Screw holes 711h and 712h are formed on the lower surfaces of the first protrusion 711g and the second protrusion 712g, penetrating them in the vertical direction. A plurality of screw holes 711h are formed along the Y direction on the lower surface of the first protrusion 711g. Additionally, a plurality of screw holes 712h are formed along the Y direction on the lower surface of the second protrusion 712g. An adjustment screw 716 for adjusting the opening size of the discharge port 715 in the X direction is attached to each of the screw holes 711h and 712h, as will be described later. The adjustment screw 716 spans the grooves 711f and 712f, and its upper end reaches the upper surfaces of the grooves 711f and 712f.

As shown in the bottom view of the lower part of FIG. 9, the arrangement position of the adjustment screw 716 is different in the Y direction between the first body portion 711 and the second body portion 712. Specifically, in the Y direction, the adjustment screw 716 on the first main body 711 side is positioned between the two adjacent adjustment screws 716, 716 on the second main body 712 side. , each adjustment screw hole 711h, 712h is arranged. Therefore, when the slit nozzle 71 is viewed from the bottom side, each adjustment screw 716 is arranged in a so-called zigzag arrangement along the Y direction.

By arranging the adjustment screw 716 in this way, the following effects are obtained. That is, in the discharge port 715 extending along the Y direction, the opening size is adjusted in accordance with the displacement of the first lip portion 711c near the position where the adjustment screw 716 is installed in the first body portion 711. Meanwhile, in the vicinity of the position where the adjustment screw 716 is installed in the second body portion 712, the opening size is adjusted according to the displacement of the second lip portion 712c.

Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the adjustment screw is disposed only on either the first main body 711 or the second main body 712, it becomes possible to adjust the opening size more precisely. That is, by arranging the adjustment screws 716 in each of the first body 711 and the second body 712 and arranging them in a zigzag arrangement, the adjustment is adjusted compared to the case where the adjustment screw is arranged only on one side. It is possible to improve the “resolution” by two times. Additionally, in order to obtain equivalent resolution, the arrangement pitch of the necessary adjustment screws can be doubled, making it easy to secure the mechanical strength of each member.

In this embodiment, one or both of the groove 711f formed in the first body 711C and the groove 712f formed in the second body 712C are shown in FIGS. 4(a) to 4(d). ), it has a depth profile of “shallow at the center and deep at both ends” as illustrated in ). For this reason, as in the above embodiment, the response sensitivity of the discharge amount to the rotation input to the adjustment screw 716 for adjustment can be matched at the center portion and the end portion, thereby improving the efficiency of the adjustment operation.

In addition, simply for the purpose of obtaining the same effect as the first embodiment, in the case of arranging the adjustment screw 716 on both the first main body 711 and the second main body 712, the arrangement It is also conceivable to make the positions the same in the Y direction. However, in this case, the effect of improving resolution obtained by arranging the adjustment screws in a zigzag manner as described above is not obtained. Additionally, since two adjustment mechanisms operate independently for one position in the longitudinal direction of the discharge port, the adjustment work may become rather cumbersome.

10A and 10B are diagrams showing a modified example of the slit nozzle of the third embodiment. In the slit nozzle 71D of the modification shown in FIG. 10A and the slit nozzle 71E of the modification shown in FIG. 10B, like the slit nozzle 71A of the modification of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the adjustment screw 716 The array pitch is uneven. Specifically, in the slit nozzle 71D of the modified example shown in FIG. 10A, the central portion Rc in the Y direction of the discharge port 715 in each of the first body portion 711D and the second body portion 712D. ), the adjustment screws 716 are arranged at a relatively coarse array pitch. On the other hand, at the end Re in the Y direction of the discharge port 715, adjustment screws 716 are arranged at a finer array pitch.

Moreover, in the slit nozzle 71E of the modified example shown in FIG. 10B, from the same viewpoint, the adjustment screw 716 is disposed only in the second body portion 712E in the central portion Rc, and in the first body portion 711E, this is It is omitted. By doing this, in practical terms, it is possible to further reduce the number of parts and the number of adjustment processes while maintaining the uniformity of the coating film. Also, contrary to this, of course, it is okay to omit the adjustment screw on the second main body portion 712E side.

＜Fourth Embodiment＞

Next, a fourth embodiment of a slit nozzle applicable to the coating device 1 will be described. In each of the above embodiments, a single discharge port is formed in the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the slit nozzle. However, in this type of coating device, there is also a usage form in which the discharge port is divided into a plurality of parts in the longitudinal direction and a plurality of coating films are formed simultaneously. The slit nozzle 71F of the fourth embodiment shown below responds to these requirements.

11A and 11B are diagrams showing a fourth embodiment of a slit nozzle used in the coating device of FIG. 1. More specifically, Fig. 11A is an exploded and assembled view schematically showing the main structure of the slit nozzle 71F of this embodiment. 11B is a bottom view of the slit nozzle 71F and a cross-sectional view of the slit nozzle 71F with the horizontal plane containing the position corresponding to the groove 712f as the cutting surface. Among these, the cross-sectional view corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along line A-A shown in FIG. 3 in the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, the main body 710F is formed by inserting the shim 72F between the first main body 711F and the second main body 712F. The central portion of the core 72F is provided with a protruding portion 721F that acts as a partition wall of the flow path, thereby dividing the flow path of the coating liquid into two. The protruding portion 710F extends to the lower ends of the first and second lip portions 711c and 712c. At these lower ends, two discharge ports 715a and 715b, each with the Y direction as the longitudinal direction, are formed in a row in the Y direction.

In this case, in order to achieve the purpose of “matching the response sensitivity at the center and the end” in each of the two discharge ports 715a and 715b, as shown in FIG. 11B, an area corresponding to the center portion (Rc) of each discharge port A depth profile of the groove 712f is adopted that is shallow at and deepens in the region corresponding to the end Re. In this drawing, the depth profile corresponding to each discharge port corresponds to Fig. 4(a), but of course it may be the shape shown in Fig. 4(b) to Fig. 4(d).

In addition, since the same concept has already been shown in FIGS. 2, 6, 8, etc., the illustration is omitted, but the following configuration can be considered as a modification example in the fourth embodiment as well. That is, the slit nozzle 71F of the fourth embodiment described above forms two flow paths and two discharge ports by a shim 72F sandwiched between the first body portion 711F and the second body portion 712F. will be. However, as in the example shown in FIG. 2, even if it is a nozzle that forms a flow path and discharge port without using a shim by changing the shape of at least one of the first and second body parts, it is possible to apply the same method as above.

Additionally, as in the example shown in FIG. 6, the arrangement pitch of the adjustment screws 716 may be wide in the area corresponding to the center of each discharge port and narrow in the area corresponding to the ends. Additionally, as in the example shown in FIG. 8, an adjustment mechanism (groove and adjustment screw) may be provided in each of the two main body portions.

In this way, in each of the above-described embodiments, the arrangement pitch of the adjustment screws 716 that increases or decreases the depth and width of the groove formed in the nozzle body is appropriately set depending on the purpose and the characteristics of the device or coating liquid to adjust the opening. Adjust the dimensions. By doing this, it becomes possible to more efficiently realize application conditions that can obtain a uniform coating film.

Next, the fifth and sixth embodiments of the slit nozzle according to the present invention will be described. In the first to fourth embodiments described so far, the opening width of the discharge port is adjusted by deforming at least one of the first body portion and the second body portion constituting the nozzle body. In contrast, in the fifth and sixth embodiments described below, the opening width of the discharge port is adjusted by increasing or decreasing the tightening amount of the fixing screw that joins the first main body and the second main body through the referee. The slit nozzle 75 of the fifth embodiment described below and the slit nozzle 75D of the sixth embodiment can both be used as the slit nozzle 71 of the coating device 1 shown in FIG. 1.

＜Fifth Embodiment＞

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a fifth embodiment of a slit nozzle used in the coating device of FIG. 1. More specifically, FIG. 12A is an external perspective view of the slit nozzle 75 of this embodiment, and FIG. 12B is an exploded and assembled view schematically showing the main configuration of the slit nozzle 75. The slit nozzle 75 has a structure in which the first body 751, the second body 752, and the referee 753 are coupled to each other by a plurality of fixing screws 756. As shown by the dashed-dotted arrow in FIG. 12B, the first main body 751 and the second main body 752 are coupled in a state facing each other in the ) is composed.

The first body portion 751 and the second body portion 752 are carved out of a metal block such as stainless steel or aluminum, for example. Additionally, the referee 753 is a thin plate-shaped member formed of the same metal material.

The main surface of the first main body 751 on the side opposite to the second main body 752, that is, the main surface on the (+X) side, is made to be a flat surface 751a parallel to the YZ plane. Hereinafter, this flat surface 751a is referred to as “the first flat surface.” Additionally, the lower part of the first body portion 751 protrudes downward to form a first lip portion 751c. At the center of the flat surface 751a in the Z direction, a groove 751d having a substantially semicircular column shape with the Y direction as the longitudinal direction and the X direction as the depth direction is formed. This groove 751d functions as a manifold in the coating liquid flow path, and is connected to the coating liquid supply mechanism 8 through a coating liquid supply port (not shown).

On the other hand, the main surface of the second main body 752 on the side opposite to the first main body 751, that is, the main surface on the (-X) side, is a flat surface 752a parallel to the YZ plane. Hereinafter, this flat surface 752a is referred to as a “second flat surface.” Additionally, the lower part of the second body portion 752 protrudes downward to form a second lip portion 752c. The first main body 751 and the second main body 752 are joined via a referee 753 so that the flat surface 751b and the second flat surface 752a face each other with a gap in between.

When the first body 751 and the second body 752 are combined, the first flat surface 751a and the second flat surface 752a have a small gap corresponding to the thickness of the referee 753. They face each other in parallel. In this way, the gap between the opposing surfaces (the first flat surface 751a and the second flat surface 752a) serves as a flow path for the coating liquid from the manifold, and the lower end thereof is the surface of the substrate S. It functions as a discharge port 755 that opens downward toward (Sf). The discharge port 755 is a slit-shaped opening with the Y direction as the longitudinal direction and a small opening size in the X direction.

The referee 753 is formed in an inverted U shape with a downward opening. By inserting the referee 753 into the gap between the first main body 751 and the second main body 752, the upper end part above the groove 751d in the gap space and both sides in the Y direction The end is occluded by judgment 753. For this reason, the space in the gap space that is not blocked by the referee 753 defines the flow path of the coating liquid connecting the groove 751d as the manifold and the discharge port 755. In other words, the plate 753 has a portion that serves as a flow path for the application liquid cut out, and is shaped to surround the flow path for the application liquid other than the discharge port.

In order to make the drawing easier to see, the description is omitted in FIG. 12A, and only a portion is described in FIG. 12B. The first main body 751, the second main body 752, and the referee 753 have a structure that combines them. A hole is formed for inserting a fixing screw (for example, a bolt) 756. Specifically, in the flat surface 751a of the first body portion 751, above the groove 751d, a screw hole 751f is formed with a female thread that engages with a male fixing screw 756. On the other hand, in the second body portion 752, a through hole 752f penetrating in the X direction is formed at a position corresponding to the screw hole 751f. In addition, in the referee 753, a through hole 753f is formed at a position corresponding to the screw hole 751f.

And, the fixing screw 756 inserted into the through hole 752f of the second main body 752 passes through the through hole 753f of the referee 753 and the screw hole 751f of the first main body 751. ) is combined with. Because of this, the first main body 751, the second main body 752, and the referee 753 are integrally coupled to each other. In Figure 12b, only the fixing screw 756 and two holes for inserting it are shown. However, in reality, a large number of holes are arranged in a row in the dotted area in the drawing, and a fixing screw 756 is inserted into each of these holes. That is, the fixing screw 756 is arranged to surround the passage of the coating liquid. As a result, the slit nozzle 75 is formed in which the first body 751, the second body 752, and the referee 753 are firmly bonded together. The arrangement of the holes will be explained later.

13A to 13C are views showing the cross-sectional structure of the slit nozzle, and more specifically, are cross-sectional views using the XZ plane of the slit nozzle 75 as a cutting surface. As shown in FIG. 13A, the first body portion 751 and the second body portion 752 are fixed above the groove 751d with a fixing screw 756 via a plate 753. . As will be described later, a plurality of fixing screws 756 (756a, 756b) are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction (Z direction). For this reason, below the groove 751d, the first flat surface 751a and the second flat surface 752a face each other with a gap, and the gap space serves as a flow path for the coating liquid, and the lower end thereof faces downward. It forms a discharge port 755 that opens. The opening width Wa of the discharge port 755 in the width direction (X direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (Y direction) is defined by the thickness of the substrate 753.

Here, consider a case where the insertion amount (tightening amount) of the lower fixing screw 756b among the upper and lower fixing screws 756 is made larger than the insertion amount of the upper fixing screw 756a. Then, as shown in FIG. 13B, the inner plate 753 is slightly elastically deformed due to an increase in the clamping force, so that the opening width Wb of the discharge port 755 at the lower end of the gap becomes slightly smaller than the original opening width Wa. Also, on the contrary, it is assumed that the insertion amount of the upper fixing screw 756a is larger than the insertion amount of the lower fixing screw 756b. Then, as shown in FIG. 13C, the opening width Wc of the discharge port 755 at the bottom of the gap becomes slightly larger than the original opening width Wa.

In this way, it is possible to adjust the opening width of the discharge port 755 by increasing or decreasing the insertion amount of the fixing screw 756. A large number of fixing screws 756 are arranged along the Y direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the discharge port 755. By individually adjusting these fixing screws 756, it is possible to adjust the opening width of the discharge port 755 at each position in the longitudinal direction.

Figures 14a to 14d are diagrams showing the structure of a referee. Figure 14a shows the planar shape of the referee 753. The outer shape of the envelope of the referee 753, which is a thin plate-shaped member made of metal, is roughly the same as the outer shape of the first flat surface 751a of the first main body 751 and the second flat surface 752a of the second main body 752. same. However, a cutout portion 753d is formed on the lower end side that becomes the discharge port 755. The space formed between the first flat surface 751a and the second flat surface 752a by this cutout 753d serves as a flow path for the coating liquid.

It is possible to rephrase it as follows: The referee 753 has a strip-shaped portion 753a and elongated portions 753b and 753b. The strip-shaped portion 753a has a substantially uniform width extending in the Y direction, including at least positions corresponding to both ends in the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the discharge port 755. The stretched portions 753b, 753b extend downward from both ends of the strip-shaped portion 753a, that is, in the (-Z) direction. The band-shaped portion 753a functions as a partition wall on the back side of the flow passage opposite to the discharge port 755. On the other hand, the stretched portions 753b and 753b function as partition walls defining the side surfaces of both ends of the flow path in the Y direction.

The referee 753 is provided with a plurality of through holes 753f for inserting the fixing screws 756 through them. In the strip-shaped portion 753a above the notch 753d in the plate 753, the entire plate 753 in the Y direction (longitudinal direction of the discharge port 755) is formed in a row shape in the Y direction. A plurality of arranged through holes 753f are formed. More specifically, a plurality of through holes 753f are arranged at a constant pitch in the Y direction along each of three virtual straight lines L1, L2, and L3 at different positions in the Z direction. That is, in this example, three rows in the Y direction consisting of a plurality of through holes 753f are arranged in three rows in the Z direction. The screw hole 751f in the first main body 751 and the through hole 752f in the second main body 752 are also arranged in the same manner.

As described above, by installing a plurality of fixing screws 756 at different positions in the Z direction, it is possible to adjust the opening width of the discharge port 755 by increasing or decreasing the insertion amount. And, by distributing the fixing screws 756 along the Y direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the discharge port 755, and across the entire area between both ends of the discharge port 755, the opening width can be adjusted at each position in the longitudinal direction. there is.

In principle, if there are two rows of fixing screws 756 up and down, the opening width can be adjusted to increase or decrease. In the case of three rows as in this example, the following applications are possible. For example, first, by coupling the first body portion 751 and the second body portion 752 with the fixing screws 756 in the central row (column along straight line L2) in the vertical direction, the discharge port 755 ) can be made the same as the thickness of the ref (753). Next, the fixing screws 756 are temporarily fixed for the upper and lower rows, and the opening width can be increased or decreased by further tightening the fixing screws 756 belonging to either the upper or lower rows as necessary. .

As described above, according to the knowledge of the present inventor, the change in discharge amount to an increase or decrease in the opening width, that is, the response sensitivity of the discharge amount to adjustment of the opening width, is high at the center of the discharge port and low at the ends. For this reason, if the amount of change in the opening width is the same, the change in discharge amount is relatively large at the center portion, but the change in discharge amount is small at the ends. In addition, while the film thickness is relatively stable in the central portion of the coating film in the width direction, fluctuations in film thickness tend to occur near the ends, for example, due to friction with the side wall surface of the flow path. . 12B and 14A, near both ends of the slit nozzle 75, in addition to being arranged along the three straight lines L1, L2, and L3, the coating liquid is located closer to the discharge port 755. Fixing screws 756 are arranged to sandwich the flow path from both sides in the width direction. These fixing screws 756 suppress changes in the opening width due to adjustment of the fixing screws 756 arranged along the straight lines L1, L2, and L3.

For this reason, even if the fixing screw 756 is rotated by the same rotation angle between the central portion and the end portion of the discharge port 755 in the longitudinal direction, the resulting change in discharge amount and, by extension, the change in film thickness of the coating film are, It is different in the center and at the ends. In other words, the adjustment amount (rotation angle) of the fixing screw 756 required to equally change the discharge amount varies depending on the position of the fixing screw 756. If so, the adjustment work to adjust the discharge amount across the entire discharge port and obtain a coating film of uniform thickness becomes very complicated. In order to prevent this, it is desirable that the response sensitivity of the discharge amount, that is, the amount of change in the discharge amount for the same adjustment amount, is equal throughout the longitudinal direction of the discharge port. To achieve this, it is required to improve response sensitivity, especially at the ends. Additionally, in order to cope with the phenomenon that film thickness fluctuations tend to occur near the ends, it is preferable that the adjustment range of the opening width at the ends is wide with respect to the central part. Therefore, the slit nozzle 75 of the present embodiment responds to this request by varying the cross-sectional shape of the referee 753 depending on the position, as will be explained below.

FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 14A. In the position corresponding to the central region Rc excluding the end region Re close to both ends of the discharge port 755, the strip-shaped portion 753a of the referee 753 has a constant thickness. That is, as shown in FIG. 14B, the cross-sectional shape is generally rectangular. The thickness at this time can be the thickness of the thin plate material itself constituting the referee 753. In this case, both main surfaces of the band-shaped portion 753a in the Y direction are in contact with the first flat surface 751a and the second flat surface 752a, respectively. That is, when the surface in contact with the first flat surface 751a and the second flat surface 752a among the strip-shaped portions 753a is referred to as the “contact surface,” the width of the contact surface, that is, the length in the vertical direction is equal to the width of the strip-shaped portion 753a.

Meanwhile, Figure 14c is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of Figure 14a, and the shape of the cross-sectional view taken along line C-C is the same. These show the cross-sectional shape of the strip-shaped portion 753a in the end region Re close to the end of the discharge port 755. In the cross-sectional shape shown at the left end of Fig. 14C, the strip-shaped portion 753a gradually becomes thinner at the upper and lower ends. In addition, in the cross-sectional shape shown in the center, one of the two main surfaces of the strip-shaped portion 753a in the X direction is flat, and the thickness changes only on the other side. In addition, in the cross-sectional shape shown at the right end, the thickness is decreasing at the lower part, but the thickness is constant at the upper part.

The cross-sectional shape shown in Fig. 14C has tapered upper and lower ends. However, instead of this, for example, as shown in FIG. 14D, a step-shaped thickness change may be used in which both ends in the vertical direction become thinner than the central portion. In this case as well, in the cross-sectional shape shown at the left end, a step is formed on both main surfaces of the strip-shaped portion 753a, and in the central cross-sectional shape, a step is formed only on one main surface. In addition, in the cross-sectional shape shown at the right end, a step is formed only on the lower side.

Among the strip-shaped portions 753a appearing in these cross-sectional shapes, a portion having the same thickness as the thickness in the central region Rc is referred to as a “thick portion (Pa).” In addition, the part that is thinner than this is called the “thin meat part (Pb)”. In that case, the cross-sectional shape of the strip-shaped portion 753a in the end region Re can be said to be formed by forming a thin portion Pb adjacent to the thick portion Pa in at least one of the vertical directions. .

By making the strip-shaped portion 753a of the referee 753 into this cross-sectional shape, the contact state between the (-X) side main surface of the strip-shaped portion 753a and the first flat surface 751a is as follows. . That is, the main surface on the (- No. Therefore, the width of the contact surface defined above becomes the width of the thick portion Pa, which is smaller than the width of the strip-shaped portion 753a itself. In other words, the effective scope of judgment (753) is narrowing in this area.

Since the thin portion Pb does not completely close the space between the first flat surface 751a and the second flat surface 752a, it does not fulfill the function of defining the gap. For this reason, the action of the referee 753 interposed between the first body portion 751 and the second body portion 752 and defining the gap between the two is the central region in the end region Re of the discharge port 755. It is weaker than (Rc). That is, deformation of the core 753 due to a change in the insertion amount of the fixing screw 756 is more likely to occur in the end region Re than in the central region Rc. As a result, the change in opening width when a rotation input of the same angle is applied to the fixing screw 756 is greater at the ends of the discharge port 755 than at the center.

In this way, by making the change in aperture width for the same rotational input larger at the ends than at the center, it is possible to reduce or eliminate the difference in response sensitivity between the center and the ends. In other words, the amount of change in discharge amount for the same rotational input can be made equal at the center and the ends of the discharge port 755. For this reason, the change in discharge amount corresponding to the rotational input to the fixing screw 756 becomes equal at either the center portion or the end portion of the discharge port. For the operator, it becomes possible to efficiently perform adjustment work to equalize the discharge amount.

By appropriately setting the thickness profile of the referee 753 in the end region Re, it is believed that it is possible to suppress the difference in response sensitivity between the center portion and the end portion to a level that does not cause any practical problems. The specific thickness profile can be determined experimentally, for example, based on the size of the opening width of the discharge port 755 or the viscosity of the coating liquid used.

Additionally, in the referee 753, a number of through holes 753f are formed for inserting the fixing screws 756 through them. Among these through holes 753f, those formed in the strip-shaped portion 753a are preferably formed so as to penetrate the thick portion Pa. This is because the through hole 753f is formed only in the thick portion Pa, thereby preventing liquid leakage through the through hole. In the thin portion Pb, a slight gap is formed between the first flat surface 751a or the second flat surface 752a. For this reason, if a through hole is formed in this portion, there is a risk that the coating liquid supplied into the flow path will leak into the through hole through this gap.

Figures 15a and 15b are diagrams showing modified examples of referees. As described above, regarding the arrangement of the through holes 753f formed in the core (i.e., the arrangement of the fixing screws 756), there may be two or more locations with different positions in the Z direction. In other words, there need to be at least two rows of fixing screws 756. In this case, like the shim 753A of the modified example shown in Fig. 15A, the upper and lower two through holes 753f for inserting the fixing screw 756 may be at the same position in the Y direction. In addition, like the shim 753B of the modified example shown in FIG. 15B, the upper and lower two through holes 753f for inserting the fixing screw 756 may be arranged in a so-called zigzag arrangement in which the positions in the Y direction are different from each other. . Additionally, in these modified examples, there is basically no need to change the first main body 751 and the second main body 752. However, due to changes in the arrangement of the through hole 753f in the referee, the positions of the screw holes, etc. need to be changed.

It is also conceivable to install four or more fixing screws in the top and bottom directions. However, in this case, when adjusting the fixing screws one by one, there may be cases where the change in the opening width is regulated by other fixing screws. For this reason, it becomes difficult to change the opening width within the required range, and there is a risk that the amount of work for adjustment may become enormous. From the above, it can be said that it is preferable to arrange the fixing screws 756 in two or three rows in the vertical direction.

Figure 16 is a diagram showing another modified example of a referee. The referee 753 shown in FIG. 14A has a cross-sectional shape in which the thickness becomes thinner at both the upper and lower ends in the portion corresponding to the end region Re among the strip-shaped portions 753a. On the other hand, the referee 753C of the modified example shown in FIG. 16 has a structure in which notches 753k are formed at the upper and lower ends of the strip-shaped portion 753c at positions corresponding to the end region Re. That is, in this case, the width, not the thickness, of the strip-shaped portion 753c is changed. Due to this structure, the gap defining effect by the referee 753C at the position corresponding to the end region Re becomes weaker than that of the central region Rc. Therefore, as in the fifth embodiment, the change in the opening width of the discharge port 755 with respect to the adjustment amount of the fixing screw 756 becomes larger at the end portion than the center portion, thereby reducing the difference in the amount of change in discharge amount between the center portion and the end portion. You can.

＜Sixth Embodiment＞

Next, a sixth embodiment of a slit nozzle applicable to the coating device 1 will be described. In the above embodiment, a single discharge port is formed in the longitudinal direction (Y direction) of the slit nozzle 75. However, in this type of coating device, there is also a usage form in which the discharge port is divided into a plurality of parts in the longitudinal direction and a plurality of coating films are formed simultaneously. The slit nozzle 75D of the sixth embodiment shown below responds to these requirements.

17A and 17B are diagrams showing a sixth embodiment of a slit nozzle used in the coating device of FIG. 1. More specifically, Fig. 17A is an exploded and assembled view schematically showing the main structure of the slit nozzle 75D of this embodiment. 17B is a diagram showing the shape of the referee 753A in this embodiment. In addition, in FIGS. 17A and 17B and the following description, the same components as those in the fifth embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 17A, in the slit nozzle 75D of this embodiment, two discharge ports 755a and 755b are formed in a row in the Y direction at the lower end of the nozzle. By using such a nozzle, it is possible to simultaneously form two coating films spaced apart in the Y direction.

The slit nozzle 75D of this embodiment is different from that of the fifth embodiment in the shape of the referee 753D sandwiched between the first body 751 and the second body 752. A protruding portion 753q is formed in the central portion of the plate 753D, thereby forming cut portions 753p and 753r divided into two in the Y direction. For this reason, the protruding portion 753q acts as a partition wall of the flow path, and the flow path for the coating liquid is divided into two. The protruding portion 753q extends to a position corresponding to the lower end of the first and second lip portions 751c and 752c. At these lower ends, two discharge ports 755a and 755b, each with the Y direction as the longitudinal direction, are formed in a row in the Y direction. In this case as well, in the first main body 751 and the second main body 752, it is necessary to change the positions of the screw holes, etc. in accordance with the change in the through hole 753f in the judgment.

In this case, in order to achieve the objective of "matching the response sensitivity at the center and the ends" in each of the two discharge ports 755a and 755b, the thickness profile of the referee 753D is set as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 17B, the cross section of the strip-shaped portion 753d of the referee 753D in the central region Rc corresponding to the central portion of each of the two discharge ports 755a and 755b, that is, the cross section along the line A-A and The shape in the cross section along line B-B has a uniform thickness, as shown in FIG. 14B.

On the other hand, in the cross section of the referee 753D at the end region Re corresponding to the vicinity of the ends of each of the two discharge ports 755a and 755b, that is, in the cross section along the C-C line, the cross section on the D-D line, the cross section on the E-E line, and the cross section on the F-F line, As shown in Figure 14C or Figure 14D, the shape of the shape is such that the thickness decreases at both the upper and lower ends compared to near the center.

With this configuration, the same effects as in the fifth embodiment can be obtained for each of the discharge ports 755a and 755b. In other words, it becomes possible to efficiently perform the adjustment work by matching the response sensitivity of the discharge amount to the adjustment input to the fixing screw from the center to the end of the discharge port. This embodiment can also be modified appropriately by applying the technical idea of the modifications shown in FIGS. 15A to 16.

In this way, in the fifth and sixth embodiments described above, the shape of the shim sandwiched between the two members constituting the slit nozzle is partially changed. More specifically, at the position corresponding to the end of the discharge port, the shim is partially made thinner or narrower than at the position corresponding to the central part. By doing this, the change in the opening width can be made more significant near the end of the discharge port than in the central portion. Therefore, the response sensitivity of the discharge amount to the adjustment input is different at the center and the ends. More specifically, it is possible to suppress the problem that the response sensitivity is lower at the ends than at the center, and to match the response sensitivity throughout the entire discharge port in the longitudinal direction. As a result, in these embodiments, it becomes possible to more efficiently realize application conditions that can obtain a uniform coating film.

＜Other＞

As explained above, in the first to fourth embodiments, the first lip portion 711c and the second lip portion 712c constitute a “pair of lip portions,” and the first body portion 711 and the second lip portion 711c The main body 712 functions as the “first main body” and “second main body” of the present invention, respectively. In addition, the first flat surface 711a of the first main body portion and the second flat surface 712a of the second main body portion, which face each other, correspond to the “opposite surface” of the present invention. In addition, the screw hole 711h, the adjustment screw 716, etc. formed in the first main body portion 711 are integrated and function as an “adjustment mechanism” of the present invention. In addition, the screw hole 712h, the adjustment screw 716, etc. formed in the second main body portion 712 are integrated and function as an “adjustment mechanism” of the present invention. Additionally, the grooves 711f and 712f correspond to the “grooves” of the present invention.

＜Other＞

In addition, in the fifth and sixth embodiments, the coating device 1 corresponds to the “substrate processing device” of the present invention. In addition, the first flat surface 751a of the first main body 751 and the second flat surface 752a of the second main body 752 correspond to the “flat surface” of the present invention. Additionally, the referee 753 functions as a “spacer member” of the present invention, while the fixing screw 756 functions as a “screw member” of the present invention. And, the plurality of fixing screws 756 arranged in a row are integrated and function as a “coupling portion” of the present invention.

In addition, the coating device 1 of the above embodiment corresponds to the "substrate processing device" of the present invention, and includes an input conveyor 100, an input transfer part 2, a floating stage part 3, and an output transfer part 4. ), the output conveyor 110, the substrate transport unit 5, etc. are integrated into the “relative movement mechanism” of the present invention. Additionally, the coating liquid supply mechanism 8 functions as a “processing liquid supply unit” of the present invention.

Additionally, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, in the first to fourth embodiments, a groove 712f is formed on the side of the second main body 712, and the opening size of the discharge port 715 is adjusted by an adjustment screw 716 mounted from below. Adjusting. However, it is not limited to this, and a configuration in which the opening size is adjusted in another manner may be used. For example, a groove may be formed on the lower surface of the nozzle, and the opening size may be increased or decreased by elastically deforming the nozzle with an adjustment screw formed in the horizontal direction.

For example, in the first to fourth embodiments, a differential screw that actively acts in either the direction of widening or narrowing the opening size is used as the adjustment screw, for example, the opening size is set wide in advance. Appropriate adjustment of the opening size is also possible with an adjustment screw that has a one-way adjustment function to reduce or, conversely, to widen the previously narrow opening size.

In addition, although not specifically mentioned in the above description, in the case where the adjustment mechanism is provided on each of the two main body members constituting the nozzle main body as in the third embodiment, the depth profiles of the grooves formed in each main body member are different from each other. They may be different. Additionally, either groove may have a certain depth.

Also, for example, in the judgment 753 of the fifth and sixth embodiments, one of the thickness and width of the strip-shaped portion 753a in the end region Re is reduced. Instead of this, both the thickness and width of the strip-shaped portion 753a may be changed.

In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the relative movement of the slit nozzles 71 and 75 and the substrate S is realized by transporting the substrate S below the slit nozzles 71 and 75. However, the method for realizing these relative movements is not limited to the above. For example, the present invention functions effectively even in a configuration in which a slit nozzle scans and moves with respect to a substrate held on a stage. Additionally, the method of transporting the substrate is not limited to the floating method as described above. For example, various types of conveyance, such as roller conveyance, belt conveyance, and conveyance using a moving stage, are applicable.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the coating device 1 for supplying the coating liquid to the surface Sf of the substrate S, but the subject of application of the present invention is not limited to this. It can be applied to all substrate processing technologies in which a predetermined process is performed by moving the substrate relative to the slit nozzle while supplying the processing liquid to the surface of the substrate from the slit nozzle by supplying the processing liquid to the slit nozzle.

As explained above by giving examples of specific embodiments, the slit nozzle according to the present invention is positioned, for example, from a position corresponding to one end of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction to a position corresponding to the other end. , the depth of the groove can be changed in multiple stages. Alternatively, for example, the groove depth can be configured to change continuously from a position corresponding to one end of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction to a position corresponding to the other end. In any of these configurations, it is possible to suppress the difference in the change in discharge amount in response to the mechanical input for adjusting the opening width between the center portion and the end portion of the discharge port.

Also, for example, the adjustment mechanism includes an adjustment screw that is installed so as to span a groove in the nozzle body and changes the width of the groove according to an increase or decrease in the insertion amount, and even if the plurality of adjustment screws are arranged along the longitudinal direction, do. According to this configuration, it is possible to adjust the opening width of the discharge port at each position by operating each adjustment screw.

In this case, the arrangement pitch of the plurality of adjustment screws may be smaller at a position corresponding to the end of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction than a position corresponding to the central portion of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction. According to this configuration, it is possible to finely adjust the opening width at the end of the discharge port, where unevenness in the discharge amount is likely to occur, and it becomes possible to efficiently perform the task of uniformizing the discharge amount.

Also, for example, a groove and an adjustment mechanism may be provided corresponding to each of the pair of lip portions. According to this configuration, the opening width can be adjusted at each of the pair of lip portions constituting the discharge port. Therefore, it is possible to perform finer adjustment work than in a configuration where only one lip portion is adjusted.

Additionally, in a configuration where the adjustment mechanism has an adjustment screw, the groove and the adjustment screw may be provided correspondingly to each of the pair of lip portions. In this case, the arrangement positions in the longitudinal direction may be different between the adjustment screw provided on one of the pair of lip portions and the adjustment screw provided on the other lip portion. According to this configuration, the adjustment position in one lip portion and the adjustment position in the other lip portion are different in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the opening width can be adjusted to a finer adjustment pitch.

Also, for example, the nozzle body may be formed by combining a first body portion and a second body portion, each of which has a lip portion. According to this configuration, the gap formed between the first body member and the second body member can function as a flow path and discharge port for the liquid. In this case, the first main body and the second main body may be joined with a seam defining the gap therebetween.

In addition, in the slit nozzle according to the present invention, the width and thickness of the strip-shaped member are approximately constant in the central region, while in the end region, the cross section of the strip-shaped portion in the cutting surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is in the central region. It may include a thick part of the same thickness and a thin part thinner than this. According to this configuration, the width of the contact surface is changed by partially varying the thickness of the strip-shaped member.

In this case, in the cross section, the thin portion may be adjacent to at least one of both ends of the thick portion. In this configuration, the thick portion closes the gap to prevent leakage of fluid, while improving response sensitivity by forming the thin portion can be obtained.

Also, for example, the width and thickness of the strip-shaped member in the central region may be approximately constant, while the width of the strip-shaped member in the end regions may be smaller than that of the central region. In this configuration, the width of the strip-shaped member is changed. In this way, by changing at least one of the thickness and width of the strip-shaped member, it is possible to create differences in the gap defining action of the strip-shaped portion depending on the position.

Also, for example, the coupling portion has a plurality of screw members that penetrate the spacer member and fasten the first body portion and the second body portion, and a row of a plurality of screw members arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction of the discharge port is formed in the longitudinal direction. A configuration in which a plurality of rows are formed in a direction perpendicular to may be used. According to this configuration, the opening width can be changed at each position of the discharge port by individually adjusting the insertion amount (tightening amount) of each screw member. In this case, the rows consisting of a plurality of screw members are preferably two or three rows.

Also, for example, through holes for inserting screw members may be formed in the strip-shaped portion, and the plurality of through holes corresponding to the plurality of screw members may have the same depth. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent a gap from occurring between the first body and the spacer member or between the second body and the spacer member around the through hole. As a result, it is possible to prevent fluid from leaking to the outside through the gap and through hole.

Additionally, the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention may form a uniform coating film using a processing liquid on the surface of the substrate. When forming a uniform coating film using a slit nozzle, the discharge amount is different at the center and end of the nozzle discharge port, which may cause unevenness in the thickness of the coating film. By applying the present invention to such a device, it becomes possible to efficiently perform the adjustment work for forming a uniform coating film over the entire discharge port.

This invention is applicable to a slit nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge port and an overall substrate processing apparatus that applies a processing liquid to a substrate using the slit nozzle.

1: Applicator (substrate processing device)
2: Input foreign part (relative movement mechanism)
3: Levitation stage unit (relative movement mechanism)
4: Output transfer part (relative movement mechanism)
5: Substrate transport unit (relative movement mechanism)
8: Coating liquid supply mechanism (processing liquid supply unit)
71, 71A~71F, 75, 75D: Slit nozzle
72B, 72F, 753: Sim
100: Input conveyor (relative movement mechanism)
110: Output conveyor
710: nozzle body
711, 751: First body portion (nozzle body, first body portion)
711a, 751a: First flat surface (opposite surface)
711c, 712c: lip part
711f, 712f: Home
711h, 712h: Screw hole (adjustment mechanism)
712, 752: second body portion (nozzle body, second body portion)
712a, 752a: Second flat surface (opposite surface)
715, 755: discharge port
716: Adjustment screw (adjustment mechanism)
753: Judgment (spacer absent)
753a: Band-shaped portion
753f: Through hole
756: Fixing screw (screw member, coupling part)
Pa: posterior meatus
Pb: thin-walled part
Re: end area
Rc: central region
S: substrate

Claims (20)

A nozzle body in which a pair of lip portions face each other with a gap to form a discharge port that opens in a slit shape,
An adjustment mechanism that adjusts the opening width of the discharge port by relatively displacing the pair of lip portions in the approaching and separating directions.
Equipped with
A groove is formed in at least one of the pair of lip portions, along a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the discharge port, on a surface opposite to the opposing surface facing the other lip portion,
The adjustment mechanism includes an adjustment screw installed in the nozzle body across the groove and changing the width of the groove according to an increase or decrease in the insertion amount, and the plurality of adjustment screws are arranged along the longitudinal direction, Adjusting the opening width by deforming the nozzle body to increase or decrease the gap between opposing portions of the nozzle body with the groove in between,
The slit nozzle wherein the groove is deeper at a position corresponding to an end of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction than a position corresponding to a central portion of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction. A nozzle body in which a pair of lip portions face each other with a gap to form a discharge port that opens in a slit shape,
An adjustment mechanism that adjusts the opening width of the discharge port by relatively displacing the pair of lip portions in the approaching and separating directions.
Equipped with
A groove is formed in at least one of the pair of lip portions, along a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the discharge port, on a surface opposite to the opposing surface facing the other lip portion,
The adjustment mechanism includes an adjustment screw installed in the nozzle body across the groove and changing the width of the groove according to an increase or decrease in the insertion amount, and the plurality of adjustment screws are arranged along the longitudinal direction, Adjusting the opening width by deforming the nozzle body to increase or decrease the gap between opposing portions of the nozzle body with the groove in between,
The thickness of the lip portion between the bottom of the groove and the opposing surface is greater than that at a position corresponding to an end of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction than at a position corresponding to a central portion of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction. Small, slit nozzle. In claim 1 or claim 2,
A slit nozzle wherein the depth of the groove changes in multiple stages from a position corresponding to one end of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction to a position corresponding to the other end. In claim 1 or claim 2,
A slit nozzle wherein the depth of the groove changes continuously from a position corresponding to one end of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction to a position corresponding to the other end. In claim 1 or claim 2,
A slit nozzle wherein the arrangement pitch of the plurality of adjustment screws is smaller at a position corresponding to an end of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction than a position corresponding to a central portion of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction. In claim 1 or claim 2,
The groove and the adjustment screw are provided corresponding to each of the pair of lip portions, and between the adjustment screw provided in one lip portion of the pair of lip portions and the adjustment screw provided in the other lip portion, Slit nozzles having different arrangement positions in the longitudinal direction. In claim 1 or claim 2,
A slit nozzle, wherein the groove and the adjustment mechanism are provided corresponding to each of the pair of lip portions. In claim 1 or claim 2,
The nozzle body is a slit nozzle formed by combining a first body portion and a second body portion, each having the lip portion. In claim 8,
A slit nozzle in which the first body portion and the second body portion are coupled with a shim defining the gap therebetween. A slit nozzle having a discharge port opening in a slit shape and a fluid flow path communicating therewith,
a first body portion and a second body portion, each having a flat surface facing each other through a gap, and forming the flow path and the discharge port in the gap;
a thin plate-shaped spacer member that is sandwiched between the first body and the second body, thereby closing the gap around the flow path other than the discharge port and defining the size of the gap;
A coupling portion that couples the first body portion and the second body portion via the spacer member.
Equipped with
The spacer member has a strip-shaped portion that extends continuously along the longitudinal direction of the discharge port from a position corresponding to one end of the discharge port to a position corresponding to the other end,
The strip-shaped portion has an end region corresponding to both ends of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction and a central region inside the end region,
In the central region, the width and thickness of the strip-shaped portion are constant,
In the end region, a cross section of the strip-shaped portion on a cutting surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is a thick portion formed in the central portion in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and having the same thickness as the central region. portion and a thin portion formed at at least one end in the direction perpendicular to the above-mentioned direction and thinner than the thickness in the central region, wherein the third portion of the main surface of the strip-shaped portion 1 A slit nozzle, wherein the width of the abutting surface of the main body portion abutting the flat surface is smaller than the central region at the end region. In claim 10,
In the cross section, the thin portion is adjacent to at least one of both ends of the thick portion. A slit nozzle having a discharge port opening in a slit shape and a fluid flow path communicating therewith,
a first body portion and a second body portion, each having a flat surface facing each other through a gap, and forming the flow path and the discharge port in the gap;
a thin plate-shaped spacer member that is sandwiched between the first body and the second body, thereby closing the gap around the flow path other than the discharge port and defining the size of the gap;
A coupling portion that couples the first body portion and the second body portion via the spacer member.
Equipped with
The spacer member has a strip-shaped portion that extends continuously along the longitudinal direction of the discharge port from a position corresponding to one end of the discharge port to a position corresponding to the other end,
The strip-shaped portion has an end region corresponding to both ends of the discharge port in the longitudinal direction and a central region inside the end region,
In the central region, the width and thickness of the strip-shaped portion are constant, while in the end region, a notch is formed at an end of the strip-shaped portion in the vertical direction when the discharge port is directed downward, thereby forming the strip-shaped portion. A slit nozzle whose width is smaller than the central region, and wherein the width of an abutting surface of the main surface of the strip-shaped portion that abuts the flat surface of the first main body portion is smaller than the central region at the end regions. The method of any one of claims 10 to 12,
The coupling portion has a plurality of screw members that penetrate the spacer member and fasten the first body portion and the second body portion, and a row composed of the plurality of screw members arranged in a row along the longitudinal direction of the discharge port is A slit nozzle formed in multiple rows in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In claim 13,
A slit nozzle, wherein the rows of the plurality of screw members are formed in two or three rows. In claim 13,
A slit nozzle wherein a through hole for inserting the screw member is formed in the strip-shaped portion, and the plurality of through holes corresponding to the plurality of screw members have the same depth. The slit nozzle according to any one of claims 1, 2, 10 to 12,
a relative movement mechanism that places the substrate opposite the discharge port of the slit nozzle and relatively moves the slit nozzle and the substrate in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction;
Processing liquid supply unit that supplies processing liquid to the slit nozzle
Equipped with
A substrate processing device that applies the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port to the surface of the substrate. In claim 16,
A substrate processing device that forms a uniform coating film using the processing liquid on the surface of the substrate. delete delete delete