KR20020091776A - Transfer apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A conveyor is provided to prevent slip between both sides of a substrate and a conveyor roller with a pressure roller, and to dry securely by restricting remaining processing fluid around the center of the substrate. CONSTITUTION: When conveying a substrate(G) by a conveyer, the substrate on a conveying roller(43) is conveyed while pressing both terminals with a pressure roller(36). Further, a supporting roller(37) having a diameter larger than the diameter of a placing part(43a) of the conveying roller is provided, and the substrate is conveyed while being projected upward so that the substrate is prevented from being warped.

Description

Carrier {TRANSFER APPARATUS}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a conveying apparatus for conveying a glass substrate used in a liquid crystal display (LCD) or the like in a liquid crystal manufacturing process.

In the LCD manufacturing process, the same photolithography technique used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices is used to form a thin film or an electrode pattern of indium tin oxide (ITO) on a glass substrate for an LCD. In photolithography, a photoresist is applied to a glass substrate, which is then exposed to light and developed.

Such a series of processes of resist coating, exposure and development are conventionally performed by a coating and developing processing system which performs each treatment such as coating, developing or baking, and conveys a glass substrate to a processing unit. As means, for example, by using a transfer arm that supports the glass substrate by vacuum adsorption, or by placing the both ends of the glass substrate on a plurality of transfer rollers having a rotating shaft, by rotating the transfer roller The roller conveyance which conveys a board | substrate is also used.

However, in recent years, due to the enlargement of the glass substrate, there has been a problem that the substrate is bent by gravity simply by placing both sides of the rectangular glass substrate. In addition, there is a problem in that, for example, simply supporting a rectangular glass substrate with a horizontal roller does not allow horizontal correction of a substrate having an inverted cross-sectional shape. As a result, both ends of the substrate were not normally placed on the conveying roller, and slipping occurred between the both ends of the substrate and the conveying roller, causing a delay in conveying time and generation of particles due to the slipping.

For example, in the case of performing a liquid treatment such as cleaning of the substrate while conveying the substrate, the center of the substrate is bent downward due to the gravity of the substrate, so that the cleaning liquid or the rinse liquid, etc., gets stuck near the center of the substrate. There was a problem that the water can not be removed in the drying process of the step.

In addition, for example, when the cleaning process is carried out while conveying the substrate in an inverted acid shape, the cleaning liquid or the rinse liquid cannot be uniformly supplied to the substrate, or the substrate and the air knife (air knives) in the drying process of the post-process. There was a possibility that the interval between the knifes could not be set at a predetermined narrow interval with uniformity, resulting in poor drying.

In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a conveying apparatus which can stably convey a substrate without slipping, and which can drain water or reliably dry in liquid treatment. .

1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a coating and developing treatment system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the coating and developing treatment system shown in FIG. 1.

3 is a rear view of the coating and developing treatment system shown in FIG. 1.

4 is a plan view of a conveying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the conveying apparatus shown in FIG. 4. FIG.

6 is a front view of the conveying apparatus shown in FIG. 4.

7 is a side view showing a developing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a front view illustrating an air knife part in the developing unit of FIG. 7.

9 is a side view of a conveying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

10 is an exploded view showing an example of a gear mechanism.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the modification of an air jet port in an air knife.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the modification of another air jet port.

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

G: Substrate S: Carrier

18: developing unit 36: pressure roller

37: support roller 39: spring

43: conveying roller 43a: placing part

44: motor 46: pin

50, 51: conveying apparatus 53: shaft

59: elevating motor 65: developer nozzle

66: rinse nozzle 67: air knife

67a: air outlet 69: gear mechanism

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention provides at least one pair of conveying rollers for conveying the substrate by rotation while supporting both ends of the back side of the substrate and the pair of conveying rollers. And at least one pair of press rollers rotatably disposed close to each other and pressurizing both ends of the surface side of the substrate, and a drive unit for rotating the pair of conveying rollers.

According to such a structure, since the board | substrate is conveyed, pressing the board | substrate on a conveyance roller with a press roller, slipping between the both ends of a board | substrate and a conveyance roller can be prevented, and the delay of a conveyance time and the generation of a particle are prevented. can do.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the pair of pressure rollers are provided with means for pressing the both ends of the surface side of the substrate with a substantially constant force at all times. In the present invention, as a means for always pressing both ends of the surface side of the substrate with a substantially constant force, for example, there is no fear of adversely affecting the both ends of the substrate due to a buffering action by providing a spring.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is arranged to rotate on the same axis as the rotation axis of the pair of conveying rollers, and has a diameter larger than the diameter of the pair of conveying rollers. At least one support roller which is supported by the side is further provided. Thereby, since a board | substrate is conveyed in a mountain form, the curvature of a board | substrate can be prevented. In particular, in the middle of conveyance, the problem that processing liquids, such as a developing solution and a rinse liquid, remain in the vicinity of the center of a board | substrate can be solved, and a drying process can be ensured. In addition, even if the substrate is conveyed in the form of a mountain, for example, since both ends of the substrate are pressed by the pressing roller, slippage can be prevented, and the effect of the combination of the pressing roller and the supporting roller is further increased.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the conveying apparatus further includes a gear portion for rotating the support roller at a rotational speed different from that of the conveying roller. Thereby, by adjusting a gear part so that the rotation speed of the said support roller may become smaller than the rotation speed of the said conveyance roller, the speed which conveys a board | substrate with a support roller and a conveyance roller can be made the same. In addition, the support roller is also provided with a conveying force to increase the transmission point of the force. As a result, since such a burden is distributed to each transfer point, the problem of leaving a trace of the roller on the substrate is eliminated.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is further provided a means for separating the press roller from the conveying roller. In this invention, conveyance of the board | substrate can be made quickly and reliably, for example by separating the said press roller from the said conveyance roller at the time of conveying an exterior and a board | substrate.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a means for supplying a developing solution onto a substrate, each of which is disposed above the substrate conveyed by the conveying roller, a means for supplying a rinse solution onto a substrate supplied with the developing solution, It further includes a means for blowing air on the substrate to dry. Thereby, each process of a developer supply, a rinse solution supply, and a drying process can be performed efficiently, conveying a board | substrate.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the drying means has a shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate which is blown out by the air, supported by the conveying roller and the supporting roller, and conveyed by the pressing roller. It has a jet port provided with. As a result, even in the case of the substrate conveyed in the form of an acid, air is uniformly supplied to the surface of the substrate, so that drying efficiency can be improved.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the supply amount of the air to the substrate is maximized at the center of the substrate, and gradually decreases as it goes to the end of the substrate. In the present invention, by supplying the maximum amount of air to the center of the mountain-shaped substrate, the action of flowing the rinse liquid from the center to the end of the substrate can be promoted, and efficient drying is realized. Moreover, in this aspect, it is possible to comprise so that the blowing amount of the said air may become the largest at the center part of the said blowing port, and gradually decreases as it goes to the edge part of this blowing hole. It is also possible to configure the jet so that the direction in which air is blown from this jet is almost perpendicular to the substrate at the central portion of the jet and gradually toward the outside of the substrate as it goes to the end of the jet.

The second aspect of the present invention is (a) a plurality of first conveying rollers which support both ends of the back surface side of the substrate and conveying the substrate by rotation, and arranged close to each of the first conveying rollers so as to rotate. And a plurality of first conveying rollers each having a plurality of first pressing rollers for urging both ends of the surface side of the substrate, and (b) a plurality of the substrates being rotated while supporting both ends of the back side of the substrate conveyed from the conveying portion. Second conveying rollers, a plurality of second pressing rollers arranged to be detachably and rotatable with respect to the second conveying roller, and pressurizing both ends of the surface side of the substrate, and from below the second conveying roller. And a conveying section including a plurality of pins which can be projected and convey the substrate to the outside, and (c) a driving section for rotating the first conveying roller and the second conveying roller.

According to such a structure, the conveyance of the board | substrate can be made quick and reliable by separating the press roller from the said conveying roller according to the raising operation | movement of a pin at the time of conveying an exterior and a board | substrate.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the first pressing roller and the second pressing roller are each provided with means for pressing the both ends of the surface side of the substrate with a substantially constant force.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is disposed so as to be able to rotate on the coaxial with the rotary shaft of the first conveying roller and the second conveying roller, respectively, and having a diameter larger than the diameter of the first conveying roller and the second conveying roller, A plurality of support rollers for supporting the central portion of the substrate on the rear surface side are further provided.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by reference to the accompanying drawings and the description of the embodiments of the invention.

EXAMPLE

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the Example of this invention is described based on drawing.

1 is a plan view showing a coating and developing processing system for an LCD substrate to which the conveying apparatus of the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a front view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a rear view thereof.

This coating and developing treatment system 1 performs a series of processes including a cassette station 2 on which a cassette C containing a plurality of glass substrates G is placed, and a resist coating and developing on the substrate G. Interface unit 4 for conveying board | substrate G between the process part 3 and the exposure apparatus 32 which have a some process unit for this is provided, Comprising: Cassette stations at both ends of the process part 3, respectively. (2) and the interface part 4 are arrange | positioned.

The cassette station 2 is provided with a conveyance mechanism 10 for conveying the LCD substrate between the cassette C and the processing unit 3. Then, the cassette C is carried in and out of the cassette station 2. Moreover, the conveyance mechanism 10 is provided with the conveyance arm 11 which can move on the conveyance path 12 provided along the arrangement direction of a cassette, and this conveyance arm 11 has the cassette C and the processing part ( The conveyance of the board | substrate G is performed between 3).

In the processing section 3, the main transport section 3a which is installed in the cassette station 2 in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction (Y direction) of the cassette C (X direction), and the main transport section 3a. Upstream part 3b in which each processing unit including a resist coating process unit CT is installed side by side, and downstream part 3c in which each processing unit including a developing processing unit DEV 18 are installed side by side. Is installed.

The main conveying part 3a is provided with the conveyance path 31 extended in the X direction, and the conveyance shuttle 23 which is comprised so that it can move along this conveyance path 31, and conveys the glass substrate G in the X direction. Is installed. This transfer shuttle 23 supports and conveys the board | substrate G with a support pin, for example. Moreover, in the main conveyance part 3a, the vertical conveyance unit 7 which conveys the board | substrate G between the process part 3 and the interface part 4 is provided in the edge part of the interface part 4 side.

In the upstream portion 3b, a scrubber cleaning processing unit (SCR) 20 for cleaning the substrate G is provided at the end of the cassette station 2 side, and the scrubber cleaning processing unit (SCR) is provided. An excimer UV treatment unit (e-UV) 19 for removing organic matter on the substrate G is provided at the upper end of the 20. The scrubber cleaning processing unit (SCR) 20 is provided with a roller conveyance type conveying apparatus 50 according to the present invention, which will be described later.

Next to the scrubber cleaning processing unit (SCR) 20, heat treatment device blocks 24 and 25 are arranged in which units to be heat-treated on the glass substrate G are stacked in multiple stages. A vertical conveying unit 5 is arranged between these heat treatment device blocks 24 and 25 so that the conveying arm 5a can be moved in the Z direction and the horizontal direction, and is provided so as to rotate in the θ direction. Therefore, in both blocks 24 and 25, each heat processing apparatus unit is accessed, and the board | substrate G is conveyed. Moreover, the vertical conveyance unit 7 in the said processing part 3 also has the structure similar to this vertical conveyance unit 5. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the heat treatment apparatus block 24 is hydrophobized by a two-stage baking unit BEKE that is subjected to heat treatment before applying a resist to the substrate G, and HMDS gas. The adhesion reinforcing unit (AD) which carries out the lamination | stacking is laminated | stacked sequentially from the bottom. On the other hand, in the heat treatment apparatus block 25, two stages of the cooling unit COL which cools the board | substrate G, and the adhesion strengthening unit AD are laminated | stacked sequentially from the bottom.

The resist processing block 15 extends in the X direction adjacent to the heat treatment device block 25. The resist processing block 15 includes a resist coating process unit CT for applying a resist to the substrate G, a reduced pressure drying unit VD for drying the applied resist by decompression, and a substrate ( The edge remover (ER: edge remover) which removes the resist of the edge part of G) is comprised integrally. The resist processing block 15 is provided with a sub-arm, which moves from the resist coating process unit CT over the edge remover and is not shown in the figure, and the substrate G into the resist processing block 15 by this sub-arm. ) Is to be conveyed.

Adjacent to the resist processing block 15, a multi-stage heat treatment device block 26 is provided. The heat treatment device block 26 is a prebaking unit for applying a resist to the substrate G and then performing a heat treatment. PREBAKE) is stacked in three stages.

In the downstream portion 3c, as shown in Fig. 3, a heat treatment device block 29 is provided at the end portion of the interface portion 4 side, which is a cooling unit (COL), which is subjected to heat treatment before developing after exposure. The stage post exposure baking unit (PEBAKE) is laminated | stacked sequentially from the bottom.

A developing processing unit (DEV) 18 which is developed adjacent to the heat treatment device block 29 and extends in the X direction is provided. Heat treatment device blocks 28 and 27 are disposed next to the development processing unit (DEV) 18, and between these heat treatment device blocks 28 and 27 are provided with the same configuration as the vertical transfer unit 5, In both blocks 28 and 27, vertical transfer units 6 which are accessible to the respective heat treatment apparatus units are provided. In addition, an i-line processing unit (i-UV) 33 is provided on the end of the developing unit (DEV) 18. The developing unit (DEV) 18 is provided with a conveying apparatus 51 having the same configuration as the conveying apparatus 50 of the roller conveying type.

In the heat treatment apparatus block 28, a two-stage post-baking unit POBAKE for heating the cooling unit COL and the substrate G after development is laminated sequentially. On the other hand, the heat treatment apparatus block 27 is similarly laminated with the cooling unit COL and the two-stage post-baking unit POBAKE from the bottom.

The interface unit 4 is provided with a titler and an ambient exposure unit (Titler / EE) 22 on the front side, and an extension cooling unit (EXTCOL) 35 is disposed adjacent to the vertical transfer unit 7. Further, a buffer cassette 34 is disposed on the rear side, between the titler and the peripheral exposure unit 22, the extension cooling unit (EXTCOL) 35, and the buffer cassette 34 and the exposure apparatus 32 adjacent to each other. The vertical conveyance unit 8 which conveys the board | substrate G is arrange | positioned. This vertical conveyance unit 8 also has the same structure as the said vertical conveyance unit 5.

4 and 5 show a plan view and a side view, respectively, of the conveyers 50 and 51 according to one embodiment. In addition, the conveyance apparatus 50 in this scrubber cleaning process unit (SCR) 20 and the conveyance apparatus 51 in the image development processing unit DEV differ in the length of the longitudinal direction, and the other structure is the same.

The motor 44 is attached to the side part of the mounting table 60 of this conveying apparatus 50, 51, and the glass substrate G so that the shaft member 54 can rotate by this motor 44 is rotated. Is provided along the conveyance direction (X direction). The support part 41 is extended in the conveyance direction and provided in the upper left and right sides of the mounting stand 60. As shown in FIG. A plurality of shafts 53 axially supported by the bearings 45 are interposed between the supporting portions 41, and both shafts 53 support both ends of the glass substrate G and rotate at the same time. Thereby, a pair of conveyance rollers 43 which convey the glass substrate G are attached, and the screw gear 49 is provided in the edge part, respectively. The shaft member 54 is provided with screw gears 52 engaged with the screw gears 49, respectively, whereby the conveying roller 43 is rotated by the driving of the motor 44 to form a substrate. Let (G) be returned.

A pair of conveyance rollers 43 are provided with a mounting part 43a, and the glass substrate G is mounted on this mounting part 43a. Moreover, the O-ring not shown in the figure is attached to the mounting part 43a along the mounting surface of the board | substrate G, and the shock is absorbed at the time of conveyance of the board | substrate G. As shown in FIG.

Both ends of the apparatus are provided with conveyance sections R for conveying the substrate G from the outside. In this conveyance part R, the several conveyance pin 46 for conveying the board | substrate G is arrange | positioned, As shown in FIG. 5, these several conveyance pin 46 is a lifting-up drive of the drive part 58. As shown in FIG. By the connecting member 47 is raised and lowered from the opening (60a) formed integrally on the mounting table (60).

In the scrubber cleaning processing unit (SCR) 20, the transfer pin 46 allows the substrate to be transported between the transfer mechanism 10 and the lowermost end of the heat treatment apparatus block 24, and furthermore, the development processing unit (DEV). In () 18, the substrate can be transported between the lowermost end of the heat treatment apparatus block 29 and the lower end of the heat treatment apparatus block 28. In addition, parts other than this conveyance part R are called conveyance part S hereafter.

This will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. The press roller 36 is rotatably provided in the upper part of the some conveyance roller 43 so that the board | substrate G may be interposed between the conveyance roller 43, respectively. That is, these pressure rollers 36 are configured to press the both ends of the surface side of the substrate G. These press rollers 36 are connected to the horizontal support 61 through the spring 39 and the attachment member 62 in the transport section R, respectively, and to the horizontal support 56 in the transport section S. have. In the conveyance part R, the horizontal support body 61 is moved up and down by the drive of the lifting motor 59, for example, and the press roller 36 arranges the mounting part of the conveyance roller 43 by this. It is to be separated at (43a).

The pressing force of the spring 39 is set to a value at which the substrate G does not slip against the conveying roller 43. By providing such a spring 39, the both ends of the substrate G can always be pressurized with a substantially constant force, so that the both ends of the substrate G are not exerted, or the like.

In addition, the horizontal support bodies 56 and 61 are connected, for example by the rod member 55, and the horizontal support bodies 61 of both sides are integrated by the conveyance part R together. In the conveyance part S, as shown in FIG. 5, the horizontal support body 56 is supported and fixed to the support part 41 by the vertical support body 57, for example.

In this manner, the pressing roller 36 can be separated from the mounting portion 43a so that the pressing roller 36 is pressurized in accordance with the raising operation of the conveying pin 46 when the substrate G is conveyed from the outside in the conveying portion R. The roller 36 is also separated from the mounting part 43a, and the board | substrate G is conveyed.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the shaft 53 is provided with a diameter larger than the diameter of the pair of conveying rollers 43 in common with the conveying unit S and the conveying unit R, and the conveying roller 43. ) And two supporting rollers 37 which rotate at the same time are provided. By this support roller 37, the vicinity of the center of the board | substrate G is supported, and the board | substrate G is conveyed in mountain form.

7 is a side view of a developing unit DEV using this conveying device 51. In this development processing unit DEV, the conveyance part S in the conveyance apparatus 51 is used, and is sequentially from the upstream side (left side in the figure) on the glass substrate G conveyed by the conveyance roller 43. Thus, the developer nozzle 65, the rinse nozzle 66, and the air knife 67 are attached by the attachment member 63, respectively. The developing solution nozzle 65 is a nozzle for supplying a developing solution to the surface of the substrate G for developing. The rinse nozzle 66 is a nozzle for supplying a rinse liquid to the substrate G to wash off the developer on the substrate G. The air knife 67 is comprised so that the board | substrate G may be dried immediately by letting out high pressure air with respect to the board | substrate G. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 8: is a front view which shows the air knife 67, and the air knife 67 is provided with the air blower outlet 67a corresponding to the mountain shape of the board | substrate G to be conveyed. This air is supplied from the air source 68 through the attachment member. With such a configuration, even in the case of the substrate G conveyed in the form of a mountain, air is uniformly supplied to the surface of the substrate, so that drying efficiency can be increased.

Regarding the processing step of the coating and developing processing system 1 configured as described above, first, the substrate G in the cassette C is conveyed to the upstream portion 3b in the processing portion 3. In the upstream portion 3b, surface modification and organic matter removal treatment are performed in the excimer UV treatment unit (e-UV) 19, and then to the conveying apparatus 50 in the scrubber cleaning treatment unit (SCR) 20. As a result, the substrate G is conveyed substantially horizontally, and the cleaning treatment and the drying treatment are performed. Subsequently, in the vertical transfer unit, the substrate G is taken out to the lowest end of the heat treatment apparatus block 24 by the transfer arm 5a, and the heat treatment is performed by the baking unit BEKE of the heat treatment apparatus block 24. The hydrophobization treatment is performed by the adhesion reinforcing unit (AD), and the cooling treatment by the cooling unit (COL) of the heat treatment device block 25 is performed.

Next, the board | substrate G is conveyed to the conveyance shuttle 23 from the conveyance arm 5a. Then, the substrate is conveyed to the resist coating unit CT, and the resist coating process is performed. Then, the pressure reducing drying unit VD performs the pressure reduction drying process, and the edge remover ER removes the resist at the edge of the substrate. It is done sequentially.

Subsequently, the substrate G is conveyed from the transfer shuttle 23 to the transfer arm of the vertical transfer unit 7, and heat-treated by the prebaking unit PREBAKE in the heat treatment apparatus block 26. Cooling is performed in the cooling unit COL in the device block 29. Subsequently, the substrate G is cooled by the extension cooling unit EXTCOL 35 and exposed at the same time by the exposure apparatus.

Subsequently, the substrate G is conveyed to the post exposure baking unit PEBAKE of the heat treatment apparatus block 29 through the conveying arms of the vertical conveying units 8 and 7, where the heat treatment is performed thereafter, followed by the cooling unit COL. Cooling) takes place. And the board | substrate G is conveyed to the conveyance pin 46 of the conveyance apparatus 51 by the conveyance arm of the vertical conveyance unit 7 at the lowest end of the heat processing apparatus block 29. As shown in FIG.

Subsequently, while the substrate G is conveyed substantially horizontally by the conveying apparatus 51 in the developing unit DEV, the developer is supplied to the substrate G by the developer nozzle 65. Then, the rinse treatment by the rinse nozzle 66 is performed, and the drying process by the air knife 67 is performed last.

Subsequently, the substrate G is conveyed by the conveying arm 6a of the vertical conveying unit 6 from the lowermost end in the heat treatment apparatus block 28, and the post-baking unit POBAKE in the heat treatment apparatus block 28 or 27. The heat treatment is carried out by), and the cooling process is performed in the cooling unit (COL). And the board | substrate G is conveyed to the conveyance mechanism 10, and is accommodated in the cassette C. As shown in FIG.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the substrate G is conveyed by the conveying apparatus 51, the substrate G on the conveying roller 43 is conveyed while being pressed by the pressure roller 36. Slip between the both ends of the board | substrate G and the conveyance roller 43 can be prevented, and the delay of a conveyance time and the generation | occurrence | production of a particle can be prevented.

In addition, the bending of the substrate G can be prevented by providing a supporting roller 37 having a diameter larger than the diameter of the mounting portion 43a of the conveying roller 43 and conveying the substrate G in the form of a mountain. have. In particular, the problem that processing liquids, such as a developing solution and a rinse liquid, remain in the vicinity of the center part of the board | substrate G during conveyance can be solved, and a drying process can be ensured.

In addition, even if the substrate G is conveyed in the form of a mountain, since both ends of the substrate G are pressed by the pressure roller 36, slippage can be prevented and the pressure roller 36 and the support roller 37 are prevented. ), The effect is even greater.

9 is a side view of a conveying apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. In addition, in FIG. 9, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected about the same thing as the component in FIG. 6, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

In this embodiment, the gear mechanism 69 is provided in the support roller 37. FIG. 10 shows an example of the gear mechanism 69. The gear mechanism 69 is composed of a sun gear 71, a planetary gear 72, a carrier 73, and an inner gear 74. As shown in FIG.

The sun gear 71 is a gear located at the center of the gear mechanism 69 and is fixed to the shaft 53 and meshes with the planetary gear 72. A plurality of planetary gears 72 are provided to surround the sun gear 71, for example, three, as in the present embodiment, and mesh with the inner gear 74 at the same time as the sun gear 71. In addition, each of the rotary shafts 75 of the planetary gear 72 is fixed to the carrier 73 so as to be located in a garden shape centered on the rotary shaft of the carrier 73. The carrier 73 is also directly connected to other support rollers 37 directly connected to the respective rotation shafts of the planetary gear 72. The inner gear 74 is a fixed cylindrical gear, and teeth are formed inside the cylinder and mesh with the planetary gear 72. The inner gear 74 may be fixed to the mounting table 60 or the like using, for example, a suitable support member. The rotation axis of these sun gear 71, the carrier 73, and the inner gear 74 is provided so that all may correspond.

In addition, each of the supporting rollers 37 is connected by the supporting roller shaft 70 to rotate together.

By the configuration of the gear mechanism 69, rotation of the motor is first transmitted to the shaft 53 to rotate the sun gear 71. FIG. Accordingly, the rotation can be transmitted to the planetary gear 72 meshed with the sun gear 71.

The planetary gear 72 receives this rotation and revolves around the sun gear 71 using the teeth of the fixed inner gear 74 as a point. This revolution of the planetary gear 72 allows transmission of rotation to the carrier 73 fixed to the rotational shaft 75 of each planetary gear 72. Then, the rotation of the carrier 73 is transmitted to the support roller 37 as an output.

In this embodiment, by increasing or decreasing the number of teeth of each gear, the rotating shaft which has a rotation speed different from the rotation speed of the shaft 53 on the rotating shaft of the shaft 53 can be comprised. Thereby, the rotation speed of the support roller 37 can be adjusted so that the conveyance speed of the board | substrate G may become the same in the support roller 37 and the conveyance roller 43. FIG. In addition, the support roller is also provided with a conveying force to increase the transmission point of the force. Then, since such a burden is distributed to each transfer point, the problem of leaving a trace of a roller on a board | substrate is eliminated.

As the gear mechanism 69, a harmonic gear mechanism may be used instead of the mechanism described above. Harmonic gear is marketed as a product of Harmonic Drive.

Next, the modification of the air blowing port 67a of the air knife 67 is demonstrated.

As shown in FIG. 11, a some hole is formed in the air blower opening 67a, and the diameter of the hole located in the center of the air knife 67 is maximized. And the diameter of a hole is gradually reduced as it goes to the edge part of the air knife 67. FIG. By adopting such a configuration, the air blowing amount at the central portion of the air blowing port 67a is maximized, and the blowing amount gradually decreases as it goes to the end of the air blowing port 67a.

In addition, what is shown in FIG. 12 forms the several hole in the air blower outlet 67a, maximizes the aperture of the hole located in the center of the air knife 67, and goes to the edge part of the air knife 67, The aperture is gradually reduced and at the same time, the direction of the hole for ejecting air is gradually directed toward the outside of the substrate as the air knife 67 is moved from the center to the end portion. With such a configuration, the air blowing amount at the center of the air blowing port 67a is maximized and the blowing amount gradually decreases as it goes to the end of the air blowing port 67a, and at the same time, the air flows from the center of the substrate to the end portion. It can be supplied to flow.

As described above, in this embodiment, by supplying the maximum amount of air to the center portion of the substrate G, which is in the form of a mountain, the rinse liquid flows from the center portion to the end portion of the substrate G. Drying is realized. In other words, efficient drying using high and low difference between the center and the end of the substrate is realized.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the Example demonstrated above, A various deformation | transformation is possible.

For example, although the support roller 37 of the said Example was set as larger than the diameter of the mounting part 43a of the conveyance roller 43, the conveyance part R did not process a liquid and the board | substrate G was bought out. Since it is not necessary to convey in a form, the diameter of the support roller 37 and the mounting part 43a may be made substantially the same.

For example, in the above embodiment, as the developing unit, the air blowing port 67a of the air knife 67 is made to correspond to the conveying shape of the mountain shape of the substrate G, but not only the air knife 67 but also the developing solution. Similarly, the nozzle 65 and the rinse nozzle 66 may correspond to the conveyance shape of the mountain shape of the board | substrate G. As shown in FIG.

As described above, according to the present invention, the substrate can be conveyed stably without slipping, and the liquid can be drained, dried, or the like assured.

Claims (19)

At least one pair of conveying rollers which support both ends of the back side of the substrate and convey the substrate by rotation; At least one pair of press rollers rotatably disposed in close proximity to the pair of convey rollers and pressurize both ends of the surface side of the substrate; And a driving unit for rotating the pair of conveying rollers. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pair of pressure rollers are provided with means for pressing the both ends of the surface side of the substrate with a substantially constant force at all times. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of conveying rollers is arranged to rotate coaxially with the rotational axis of the pair of conveying rollers and has a diameter larger than that of the pair of conveying rollers to support the central portion of the substrate on the back surface side. A conveying apparatus, further comprising a support roller. 4. A conveying apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a gear portion for rotating the support roller at a rotational speed different from that of the conveying roller. The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for separating the press roller from the conveying roller. 4. A substrate according to claim 3, which is arranged on top of the substrate conveyed by the conveying rollers, Means for supplying a developer onto a substrate; Means for supplying a rinse solution onto the substrate supplied with the developer; And a means for blowing air to dry the substrate. The said drying means has a shape corresponding to the shape of the board | substrate conveyed in the state which blows out the said air, is supported by the said conveyance roller and the said support roller, and is pressed by the said pressure roller. A conveying apparatus comprising a jet port. 8. The conveying apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the air supply amount to the substrate is maximum at the center of the substrate and gradually decreases as it goes to the end of the substrate. 9. The conveying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the blowing amount of the air is maximum at the central portion of the blowing port and gradually decreases as it goes to the end of the blowing hole. The conveying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the direction in which air is ejected from the jet port is substantially perpendicular to the substrate at the central portion of the jet port, and is gradually directed to the outside of the substrate as it goes to the end of the jet port. (a) A plurality of first conveying rollers for supporting both ends of the back side of the substrate and conveying the substrate by rotation, and adjacent to the first conveying rollers so as to be rotated to press both ends of the surface side of the substrate. The conveying part provided with the some 1st press roller to make, (b) A plurality of second conveyance rollers for conveying the substrate by rotation while supporting both ends of the back side of the substrate conveyed by the conveying unit, and detachable and rotated with respect to the second conveyance roller, respectively. A conveying part including a plurality of second press rollers arranged so as to pressurize both ends of the surface side of the substrate, and a plurality of pins capable of being projected from below the second conveying roller and conveying the substrate between the outside; (c) a conveying apparatus comprising a drive unit for rotating the first conveying roller and the second conveying roller. 12. A conveying apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said first press roller and said second press roller are each provided with means for pressurizing both ends of the surface side of said substrate with a substantially constant force. 12. The substrate of claim 11, wherein the first conveying roller and the second conveying roller are disposed so as to be coaxially rotated, respectively, and have a diameter larger than that of the first conveying roller and the second conveying roller. And a plurality of support rollers supporting the back surface side. 14. The conveying apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a gear portion for rotating the plurality of support rollers at rotational speeds different from the rotational speeds of the first and second conveying rollers. 12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, which is disposed on an upper portion of the substrate conveyed by the first conveyance roller, Means for supplying a developer onto a substrate; Means for supplying a rinse solution onto the substrate supplied with the developer; And a means for blowing air to dry the substrate. The method according to claim 15, wherein the drying means ejects the air and has a shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate conveyed in the state supported by the first conveying roller and the supporting roller and pressed by the pressing roller. The conveying apparatus provided with the ejection opening provided. The conveying apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the supply amount of air to the substrate is maximized at the center of the substrate and gradually decreases as it goes to the end of the substrate. 18. The conveying apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the blowing amount of the air is maximized at the central portion of the blowing port, and gradually decreases as it goes to the end of the blowing port. 18. The conveying apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the direction in which air is ejected from the jet port is substantially perpendicular to the substrate at the central portion of the jet port, and gradually moves toward the outside of the substrate as it goes to the end of the jet port.