KR20050068236A - Photoresist supply apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a photoresist supply apparatus capable of shortening the photoresist replacement time by using a dual structure of two supply parts and a pipe provided from the internal structure of the photoresist supply device for supplying the photoresist in the liquid crystal display manufacturing process. To start. The disclosed invention includes a first supply and a second supply for supplying different photoresists; A first supply pipe and a first valve connected to the first supply part to transfer the photoresist of the first supply part; A second supply pipe and a second valve connected to the second supply part to transfer the photoresist of the second supply part; And a nozzle unit connected to the first or second valve to apply the photoresist on a substrate.

The apparatus may further include a first filter and a second filter for filtering the photoresist disposed and supplied to the first supply pipe and the second supply pipe, respectively.

Description

Photoresist Supply Device {PHOTORESIST SUPPLY APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to a photoresist supply apparatus, and more particularly, to a photoresist supply apparatus capable of continuously performing work without additional pipe cleaning work when supplying heterogeneous photoresist from one supply apparatus.

The liquid crystal display is one of the fastest growing flat panel display devices and is expected to lead the display device market in the future. In order to display a high quality and high contrast of the liquid crystal display, a black matrix having excellent light blocking property is required between three colors of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color filters.

In particular, in the case of an active matrix driving type TFT-LCD using a thin film transistor, high light shielding property is required. In general, a black matrix is formed by forming a metal film such as chromium on a substrate by vacuum deposition or the like, coating a photosensitive resin, and then patterning and etching chromium by a photolithography method.

Therefore, the color filter layer is formed on the color filter substrate of the liquid crystal display in such a manner that color photoresist resin is sequentially applied and developed on the substrate in order to form red, green, and blue color filter layers.

At this time, the red photoresist, green photoresist, and blue photoresist are sequentially supplied. When one color photoresist is supplied, the supply pipe is cleaned to supply another color photoresist, and then another photoresist is supplied. do.

1 is a view schematically showing a photoresist supply apparatus according to the prior art.

As shown in FIG. 1, the structure of the photoresist supply device 100 includes a first supply part 101 and a second supply part 102 that supply heterogeneous photoresists, the first supply part 101, and a second supply part. A supply pipe 107 connected to the 102 and a nozzle unit 150 connected to the supply pipe 107 to supply the photoresist on the substrate are configured.

A valve 103 and a filter 110 are disposed between the supply pipe 107 and the nozzle unit 150 to filter the supply and filter the photoresist.

As shown in the drawing, a photoresist solution of any one of the first supply part 101 and the second supply part 102 containing different types of photoresist solutions is used. When the other solution is used, the second supply part 102 is used. The supply pipe 107 must be cleaned in order to use the photoresist.

In the method of cleaning the supply pipe 107, a cleaning solution is supplied to the supply pipe 107 to clean the inside of the supply pipe 107.

 When the second supply part 102 is directly connected to the supply pipe 107 without being cleaned, the photoresist and the second supply part of the first supply part 101 remaining in the supply pipe 107 may be used. The photoresist of 102 is mixed to cause process defects.

Therefore, after supplying the photoresist in the first supply unit 101, the cleaning process must be performed, and then the photoresist of the second supply unit 102 must be supplied.

However, the conventional photoresist supply apparatus as described above has a disadvantage in that the process delay due to the cleaning operation is inevitable because the supply unit containing different types of photoresist solutions supplies the photoresist to the process chamber through one supply pipe. .

In particular, in recent years, due to the diversification of the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display device, many types of photoresists are used in one photoresist supply equipment. (capacity) is lowered.

In addition, since different photoresists are supplied using one supply pipe, it is difficult to completely remove the photoresist remaining in the supply pipe in the pipe cleaning operation. Thus, a poor process causes the overall process failure.

According to the present invention, two photoresist supply parts are arranged in the photoresist supply device, and independent pipes are provided for each supply part, so that even when heterogeneous photoresists are used in one supply device, the work continues without additional pipe cleaning. Its purpose is to provide a photoresist supply apparatus that can proceed.

In order to achieve the above object, the photoresist supply apparatus according to the present invention,

A first supply part and a second supply part supplying different photoresists;

A first supply pipe and a first valve connected to the first supply part to transfer the photoresist of the first supply part;

A second supply pipe and a second valve connected to the second supply part to transfer the photoresist of the second supply part; And

And a nozzle unit connected to the first or second valve to apply the photoresist on a substrate.

The apparatus may further include a first filter and a second filter for filtering the photoresist disposed and supplied to the first supply pipe and the second supply pipe, respectively.

Then, after supplying the photoresist of the first supply part, when supplying the photoresist of the second supply part, the photoresist is supplied by applying the photoresist by crossing the positions of the first valve and the second valve. It is characterized in that the process and the operation of adding the photoresist to the other supply can be carried out together.

In addition, the photoresist supply device is characterized in that the process of supplying and applying the photoresist and the operation of cleaning the supply pipe and valve of the other supply unit can be carried out together.

According to the present invention, by arranging two photoresist supply parts in the photoresist supply device and arranging independent pipes for each supply part, even when the heterogeneous photoresist is used in one supply device, it continues without additional pipe cleaning work. You can work on it.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a view showing a photoresist supply apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 3 is a view showing a state in which the nozzle portion is used in the photoresist supply apparatus according to the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the structure of the photoresist supply apparatus 200 includes a first supply unit 201 and a second supply unit 202, and a first supply unit 201 that supply heterogeneous photoresists. A first supply pipe 207a connected to the second supply pipe, a second supply pipe 207b connected to the second supply unit 202, a first valve 203a connected to an edge of the first supply pipe 207a, and the first supply pipe 207a. It consists of the 2nd valve 203b connected to the edge of the 2nd supply piping 207b.

In addition, a first filter 210a is disposed in the first supply pipe 207a, and a second filter 210b is disposed in the second supply pipe 207b. 2 filters the photoresist in the supply unit 202 to remove contaminants.

When the photoresist is applied using the first supply unit 201, work is performed from the first supply unit 201 through the first supply pipe 207a, the first valve 203a, and the nozzle unit 250. Proceed.

The second supply pipe 207b and the second valve 203b of the second supply part 202 are positioned toward the drain tank 300. When the second supply pipe 207b and the second supply pipe 207b are not used or are exhausted, the second valve (2) 203b) was placed.

When the photoresist contained in the first supply unit 201 is used up in the process, as shown in FIG. 3, the first valve 203a is positioned in the direction of the drain tank 300, and the The operation is continued by connecting the second valve 203b of the second supply portion 202 containing the photoresist to the nozzle.

Therefore, the photoresist supply apparatus 200 according to the present invention uses the second supply piping connected to the second supply section 202 without the cleaning process of the supply piping even when the photoresist contained in the first supply section 201 is used up. 207b) may continue the photoresist application process.

When the photoresist of the first supply unit 201 is used up, the first supply pipe 207a may be cleaned or the photoresist coating process may be performed without adding a photoresist.

In addition, even when the first supply pipe 207a and the first valve 203a are cleaned, since the pipe and the valve are located in the direction of the drain tank 300, the photoresist coating process is performed by using the second supply unit 202. At the same time, the cleaning process of the first supply pipe 207a and the first valve 203a can be performed.

As described in detail above, the present invention provides two additional photoresist supplies in the photoresist supply device, and an independent pipe for each supply part, thereby enabling additional heterogeneous photoresists in a single supply device. There is an effect that can continue to work without cleaning the pipe.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the following claims.

1 schematically shows a photoresist supply apparatus according to the prior art;

Figure 2 shows a photoresist supply apparatus according to the present invention.

3 is a view showing a state in which the nozzle portion in the photoresist supply apparatus according to the present invention to cross.

* Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings

200: photoresist supply apparatus 201: first supply portion

202: second supply portion 203a: first valve

203b: second valve 207a: first supply piping

207b: second supply pipe 210a: first filter

210b: second filter 250: nozzle part

300: drain tank

Claims (5)

A first supply part and a second supply part supplying different photoresists; A first supply pipe and a first valve connected to the first supply part to transfer the photoresist of the first supply part; A second supply pipe and a second valve connected to the second supply part to transfer the photoresist of the second supply part; And And a nozzle unit connected to the first or second valve to apply the photoresist on a substrate. The method of claim 1, And a first filter and a second filter for filtering the photoresist disposed in the first supply pipe and the second supply pipe, respectively. The method of claim 1, And after supplying the photoresist of the first supply part, and then supplying the photoresist of the second supply part, the photoresist supply device is used by crossing the positions of the first valve and the second valve. The method of claim 1, The photoresist supply device is a photoresist supply device, characterized in that the process of supplying and applying the photoresist and the operation of adding the photoresist to the other supply can be carried out together. The method of claim 1, The photoresist supply device is a photoresist supply device, characterized in that the process of supplying and applying the photoresist and the cleaning of the supply pipe and valve of the other supply unit can be carried out together.