KR20050009217A - Stage apparatus for table coater - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A stage apparatus for a table coater is provided to minimize the area where coating stains are generated by the reduction of vibrational effects generated upon coating by separating a yoke portion of a linear motor, a vibration source, and a coating device part. CONSTITUTION: The stage apparatus for a table coater includes a first slider(40A,40B) enabling a nozzle portion(60) to be conveyable, with the top part of a substrate table(30), which is arranged on a surface table(20) disposed on an erection stand(10), as a uniaxial direction. The first slider is constructed as linear motor. An movable portion of the linear motor is adapted to be able to travel along rail portions(21A,21B) disposed on the surface table and stretched in the uniaxial direction. Yoke portions(41A,41B) of the linear motor are arranged to follow the rail portions via arms(11A,11B) structurally separated from the surface table and stretched in the uniaxial direction. At least one vibration-free unit(25) is installed between the erection stand and the surface table.

Description

Stage apparatus for table coater {Stage apparatus for table coater}

The present invention relates to a stage apparatus, and more particularly, to a stage apparatus applied to a table coater machine.

As an example of a coater, for example, a coater for coating and forming a thin film made of a specific material on a glass substrate in the manufacturing process of a liquid crystal plate. Until now, this kind of cotter group has been the mainstream so-called spin cotter group by a spin coating method. However, the spin coater has a problem in that almost all of the expensive coating materials dropped on the substrate are discarded.

Thus, in recent years, table coaters have been provided instead of spin coaters. The table coater is applied by sliding in a uniaxial direction a table having a nozzle portion or a substrate to be processed having a spray port of a coating material of a certain length, and has an advantage of processing so that the waste amount of the coating material is small (for example, a patent). See Document 1).

However, in recent years, the substrate to be processed has been enlarged (for example, 2 m x 2 m), and a stage apparatus capable of coping with this has been demanded.

With reference to FIG. 6, FIG. 7, the example of the stage apparatus for table coaters proposed for the large sized to-be-processed board | substrate is demonstrated. 6 and 7, the stone surface plate 160 is fixed on the temporary table 150. The projection plate 160 has a recessed portion on the upper surface side, and the recessed portion is provided with a substrate table 100 for mounting and holding the substrate to be processed. Rail portions 110A and 110B are provided on both sides of the projection plate 160 corresponding to both sides of the substrate table 100, that is, the portions that are higher than the concave portions so as to extend in parallel to each other. Hereinafter, this extending direction is called a Y axis. Y-axis drive mechanisms 120A and 120B are combined with these rail portions 110A and 110B so as to be able to travel along the rail portions 110A and 110B, respectively. The Y axis drive mechanisms 120A and 120B are realized by a linear motor. That is, the stationary magnet part (yoke part) of a linear motor is arrange | positioned along rail part 110A, 110B, and the Y-axis drive mechanism 120A, 120B has a movable coil part of a linear motor.

The Y-axis drive mechanisms 120A and 120B are further provided with Z-axis drive mechanisms 130A and 130B so as to extend upward therefrom. Z-axis drive mechanism 130A, 130B is a drive source in a Z-axis direction, ie, an up-down direction, and is for driving the nozzle part 140 interposed between them in a Z-axis direction.

The nozzle unit 140 is movable in the Y-axis direction together with the Z-axis drive mechanisms 130A and 130B by the Y-axis drive mechanisms 120A and 120B, and the Z-axis is driven by the Z-axis drive mechanisms 130A and 130B. Can move in the direction.

As shown in FIG. 8, the nozzle part 140 attached to this stage apparatus has length larger than the width | variety of the to-be-processed board | substrate (not shown) mounted on the board | substrate table 100, and has a longitudinal direction in the lowermost part. The coating material is sprayed or droplets are dropped from the micro size slit formed along the bottom.

Hereinafter, the whole movable part including Y-axis drive mechanism 120A, 120B, Z-axis drive mechanism 130A, 130B, and nozzle part 140 is called a slider part, and it demonstrates.

The operation | movement at the time of application | coating of the slider part driven by the above-mentioned table coater stage apparatus becomes as follows.

end. The nozzle unit 140 is lowered to the application height and stopped once just before the substrate to be processed.

I. Accelerate while applying from stationary to constant speed.

All. While applying, it moves at a constant speed toward the end of the substrate to be processed.

la. While applying, deceleration stops immediately before the end of the substrate to be processed.

hemp. After stopping, the nozzle unit 140 is raised by a certain height to return to the application start position.

As mentioned above, the conventional table coater has the following structures.

A. The nozzle part 140 is attached to the slider part.

B. A linear motor for driving the slider portion is disposed on the projection plate 160.

C. The rail portions 110A and 110B and the substrate table 100 on which the slider portions slide are also mounted on the same projection plate 160.

As a result, the reaction force generated at the time of acceleration and deceleration of the slider portion is directly received by the projection table 160. For this reason, the projection plate 160 itself vibrates at the time of the acceleration / deceleration of a slider part, and it causes the unevenness | coating unevenness.

That is, in the conventional table coater, the area | region which a coating unevenness generate | occur | produces under the influence of the vibration which arises when apply | coating to a to-be-processed board | substrate. Film Formation The portion where the coating unevenness occurs in the substrate is an area that cannot be used and must be discarded.

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-167463

Then, this invention makes it a subject to reduce the influence of the vibration which generate | occur | produces at the time of application | coating, and to minimize the area | region where application | coating unevenness arises by isolate | separating the yoke part of a linear motor which is a vibration source.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a front view of the stage apparatus for table coaters which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the stage device shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining the relationship between the linear motor constituting the Y-axis drive mechanism shown in FIG. 1 and the arm for mounting the yoke portion and the projection plate.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the movable portion of the linear motor shown in FIG. 3, the rail portion for guiding its running, the linear scale, and the linear sensor head.

5 is a front view of a stage coater stage device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a side view of a stage coater stage device proposed for a large processing substrate.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the stage coater stage device shown in FIG. 6.

8 is a perspective view for explaining a nozzle unit in the table coater.

[Description of the code]

10, 150: hypothesis

11A, 11B, 71A, 71B: Arm

20, 160: stone table

21A, 21B, 110A, 110B: Rail part

30, 100: substrate table

40A, 40B, 120A, 120B: Y axis drive mechanism

41B: York

42B: Permanent Magnet

43B: movable coil part

44B: moving parts

45B: Linear Scale

46B: Linear Sensor Head

47-1B, 47-2B: Constant pressure air bearing

50A, 50B, 130A, 130B: Z axis drive mechanism

60, 140: nozzle part

According to the present invention, in a table coater stage device comprising a first slider that enables a nozzle part to be transported in a uniaxial direction on a surface plate provided on a temporary table, the first slider is constituted by a linear motor. The movable portion of the motor is allowed to travel along the rail portion extending in the uniaxial direction provided on the surface plate, and the yoke portion of the linear motor follows the rail portion through the uniaxial direction arm that is structurally separated from the surface plate. It is arrange | positioned, The stage apparatus for table coaters provided with at least 1 vibration damping unit between the said temporary stand and the said surface plate is provided.

The first slider is composed of two drive mechanisms by two linear motors that can travel along two rail portions provided to extend in the uniaxial direction on both sides of the surface plate. Two are installed so as to extend in the uniaxial direction in parallel, the two drive mechanisms are combined with a vertical drive mechanism that can move in the vertical direction, respectively, and the nozzle portion is sandwiched between the vertical movement portions of these two vertical drive mechanisms.

The arm is installed on the temporary table or on the floor on which the temporary table is installed.

The surface plate is a stone surface plate, the top surface of which is provided with a recess, the substrate table for mounting the substrate to be processed is provided in the recess, the bottom portion of the recess at a position corresponding to both sides of the substrate table The rail portions made of the same stone material as those of the stone plate are provided at portions that are higher.

A linear scale extending in the uniaxial direction is provided in the rail portion, and a linear sensor head is provided at an opposite position of the linear scale in the movable portion of the linear motor.

The movable part of the linear motor is guided in the uniaxial direction by a static pressure air bearing with respect to the rail part.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

With reference to FIG. 1 thru | or FIG. 4, 1st Embodiment of the stage apparatus for table coaters by this invention is demonstrated. The summary of the characteristics of the stage apparatus by this invention is that the structure of a Y-axis drive mechanism, and the relationship between a temporary stand and a surface plate are improved. Therefore, the shape of two Z-axis drive mechanisms and the nozzle part which spans between them may be the same as that demonstrated in FIG. 6, FIG. Therefore, below, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted about the two Z-axis drive mechanism and the nozzle part which spans between them.

1 and 2, the projection plate 20 is disposed on the temporary table 10 via the plurality of vibration suppression units 25. The projection plate 20 has a recess formed by greatly grinding the upper surface side central portion, and the recess table is provided with a substrate table 30 for mounting and holding the substrate to be processed. Rail portions 21A and 21B are formed on both sides of the projection plate 20 corresponding to both sides of the substrate table 30, that is, the portions higher than the recesses so as to extend in parallel with each other by the same stone material as the projection plate 20. ) Is installed. These rail portions 21A and 21B are provided with Y-axis drive mechanisms 40A and 40B having movable portions that can travel along the rail portions 21A and 21B, respectively. The Y-axis drive mechanisms 40A and 40B are realized by a linear motor, which will be described later in detail.

As described in Figs. 6 and 7, the Y-axis drive mechanisms 40A and 40B are provided with the Z-axis drive mechanisms 50A and 50B. Z-axis drive mechanism 50A, 50B is a drive source in a Z-axis direction, ie, an up-down direction, and is for driving the nozzle part 60 interposed between them in a Z-axis direction. The nozzle unit 60 is movable in the Y-axis direction together with the Z-axis drive mechanisms 50A and 50B by the Y-axis drive mechanisms 40A and 40B, and the Z-axis by the Z-axis drive mechanisms 50A and 50B. Can move in the direction.

On both sides of the temporary table 10, arms 11A, which extend upwards to the height positions of the rail portions 21A, 21B along both sides of the surface plate 20, and extend in the same direction as the rail portions 21A, 21B. 11B) is installed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the yoke part (fixed magnet part) 41B of the linear motor which comprises the Y-axis drive mechanism 40B is provided in the upper end part of the arm 11B. The yoke portion (fixed magnet portion) 41B is formed by fixing a plurality of permanent magnets 42B at regular intervals on the upper and lower inner surfaces of the c-shaped yoke. On the other hand, the movable coil part 43B which magnetically interacts with the yoke part 41B is comprised so that it may extend to the yoke part 41B side from the movable part 44B which travels the rail part 21B.

As shown in FIG. 4, the linear scale 45B extended in a travel direction is provided in the side surface of the rail part 21B, and the linear scale 45B in the movable part 44B of the Y-axis drive mechanism 40B is opposed. The linear sensor head 46B is provided in the position.

In addition, the movable portion 44B has a shape in which its cross-sectional shape surrounds at least three surfaces of the rail portion 21B, and at least one static pressure air bearing 47-each on the inner surface side facing at least two surfaces with each other. 1B and 47-2B) are provided. The constant pressure air bearings 47-1B and 47-2B spray the compressed air against the rail portion 21B so that the movable portion 44B runs in a state where the rail portion 21B floats.

The structure is also the same as with respect to the Y-axis drive mechanism 40A.

The above structure is summarized as follows.

a. The application nozzle 60 is sandwiched between the sliders, that is, the two Y-axis drive mechanisms 40A and 40B.

b. The yoke portions 41A, 41B of the linear motor for driving the slider are fixed to the arms 11A, 11B provided on the temporary table 10.

c. The rail portions 21A, 21B and the substrate table 30 on which the slider travels are fixed on the projection plate 20.

d. A damping unit 25 is provided between the temporary table 10 and the stone plate 20.

According to the above structure, the reaction force generated in the yoke portions 41A and 41B during acceleration and deceleration of the slider is received by the construction table 10 through the arms 11A and 11B. And since the vibration damping unit 25 is provided between the temporary placing table 10 and the projection plate 20, the vibration coming from other than the projection plate 20 is reduced. In order to improve the vibration reduction effect by the vibration damping unit 25, it is preferable to arrange | position at least three vibration damping units 25 at the bottom surface side of the projection plate 20. In three cases, since the precision of the projection plate 20 is made easy, it is preferable to arrange | position it in the position corresponding to the vertex of a regular triangle.

Since the reaction force generated during acceleration and deceleration of the slider acts on the projection plate 20, the linear scale 45A (not shown), 45B and the linear sensor head 46A (not shown), 46B are reduced. Errors due to vibration are also reduced.

The vibration caused by the reaction force, which is a problem in the present invention, is a micro vibration, and even if the yoke portions 41A and 41B side caused by the reaction force are minutely vibrated, the movable coil part 43A (not shown), 43B) and the gap between the permanent magnets 42A (not shown) and 42B is larger than this, so that the slider travels, that is, the travel of the movable parts 44A (not shown) and 44B of the Y-axis drive mechanisms 40A and 40B. It does not interfere with.

5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the arms 71A, 71B for installing the yoke portions 41A, 41B are not installed on the temporary table 10 but on the floor on which the temporary table 10 is installed. In this case, the micro-vibration due to the reaction force generated during acceleration and deceleration of the slider may be transmitted to the temporary table 10 through the floor, but as mentioned above, between the temporary table 10 and the stone plate 20. Since the vibration damping unit 25 is interposed, the vibration to the projection plate 20 is reduced. The shapes of the arms 71A and 71B may be the same as the arms 11A and 11B in the first embodiment.

As mentioned above, although two Embodiment was demonstrated, the stone surface plate 20 and the rail parts 21A and 21B may be implement | achieved with another material, for example, a ceramic material instead of a stone material. The stage apparatus according to the present invention can also perform the following operations. That is, by giving a difference to the thrust of the two Y-axis drive mechanisms 40A and 40B, the micro-rotational movement can be given to the nozzle part 60. The micro-rotational movement is the horizontal oscillation movement in the horizontal plane centered on the central part of the nozzle part 60 in the longitudinal direction.

Industrial availability

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is a stage apparatus including a slider that enables the driven portion to be transported in the uniaxial direction, and is applicable to the entire stage apparatus where the vibration in the driven portion is reduced as much as possible.

The structure of the conventional stage coater for a table coater directly receives the reaction force generated by the slider when the acceleration and deceleration causes the surface plate to vibrate and cause coating stains. On the other hand, in the structure of the stage apparatus according to the present invention, the reaction force is not directly received from the surface plate but is received from the temporary table. Thus, even if the temporary platform vibrates due to the reaction force, the vibration suppression unit provided between the temporary table and the surface plate is used. Vibration is reduced, whereby occurrence of uneven coating due to micro vibrations is prevented. Of course, even if the floor itself vibrates for some reason, this vibration is also reduced by the vibration damping unit.

Claims (7)

In the stage apparatus for table coaters containing the 1st slider which makes it possible to convey a nozzle part to a uniaxial direction, the surface plate provided on the temporary table, The first slider is configured as a linear motor, The movable portion of the linear motor is allowed to travel along the rail portion extending in the uniaxial direction provided on the surface plate, The yoke portion of the linear motor is disposed so as to follow the rail portion through an arm extending in the uniaxial direction, which is structurally separated from the surface plate. And at least one vibration damping unit is provided between the temporary table and the surface plate. The method of claim 1, The first slider is composed of two drive mechanisms by two linear motors that can travel along two rail portions provided to extend in the uniaxial direction parallel to each other on both sides of the surface plate. The two arms are also provided to extend in the uniaxial direction parallel to each other, The two drive mechanisms are combined with a vertical drive mechanism capable of moving in the vertical direction, respectively. And said nozzle portion spans between the vertical movement portions of these two vertical drive mechanisms. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The arm is provided on the temporary table, stage device for a table coater, characterized in that. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The arm is provided on a table coater stage device, characterized in that installed on the floor where the temporary stand is installed. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, The surface plate is a stone surface plate, the top surface of which is provided with a recess, the substrate table for mounting the substrate to be processed is provided in the recess, the bottom portion of the recess at a position corresponding to both sides of the substrate table A stage device for a table coater, wherein the rail portions made of the same stone material as those of the stone surface plate are provided at the higher portions. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, A linear scale extending in the uniaxial direction is provided in the rail portion, and a linear sensor head is provided at an opposite position of the linear scale in the movable portion of the linear motor. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, And a movable part of said linear motor is guided in said uniaxial direction with a static pressure air bearing with respect to said rail part.