KR20070019563A - Decompression drier - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a pressure reduction drying apparatus, wherein the pressure reduction drying apparatus (23b) has an entrance opening (61) into which the LCD substrate (G) is carried in and an export opening (62) into which the LCD substrate (G) is carried out. A chamber 6 for accommodating the LCD substrate G carried in from the 61 in a substantially horizontal state, a gate member 63 and 64 and a gate member for opening and closing the inlet 61 and the outlet 62; (63, 64)), the decompression mechanism for depressurizing the inside of the chamber 6 and the LCD substrate G in a state in which the inlet 61 and the outlet 62 are occluded are substantially horizontally conveyed and the inlet 61 In the conveyance mechanism 7 and the chamber 6 which are carried into the chamber 6 and conveyed substantially horizontally after the decompression drying process by a decompression mechanism, and carried out outside the chamber 6 from the discharge opening 62 by A belt 71 capable of supporting the substrate G evenly without having to locally support the substrate G is provided. The present invention provides a technique for providing a reduced pressure drying apparatus that is excellent in safety even when the substrate is large, and at the same time, suppresses the occurrence of vibration and can reliably prevent the transfer occurring in the coating liquid applied to the substrate.

Description

Pressure-Reducing Drying Equipment {DECOMPRESSION DRIER}

1 is a schematic plan view of a resist coating / development processing system for forming a resist film on an LCD substrate and developing the resist film after exposure processing.

2 is a plan view showing a resist coating unit.

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a vacuum drying apparatus according to the present invention which is a component of a resist coating unit.

It is a front view which shows a pressure reduction drying apparatus.

It is a figure which shows the principal part of the inner side conveyance part which comprises a pressure reduction drying apparatus.

It is a top view which shows the pressure reduction drying apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention.

It is a front view which shows the pressure reduction drying apparatus which concerns on other embodiment.

** Description of reference numerals indicating major parts **

6 ... chamber

7 ... return mechanism

7a, 7d ... inner conveying part

7b ... import side conveyance part

7c ... carrying-out conveying part

23a ... resist coating apparatus

23b, 23c ... pressure reduction drying apparatus

61 entrance

62 ... outlet

63, 64 ... gate member

66 Exhaust Pipe

67 Exhaust system

70a, 70b ... pulley member

71 ... belt (substrate support member)

76a, 76b ... outer corro members

79 ... inner corro member (substrate support member)

83, 84

G ... LCD substrate

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a reduced pressure drying apparatus that applies a coating liquid such as a resist liquid to a substrate used for a liquid crystal display (LCD) or the like and then applies a drying treatment to the coating liquid under reduced pressure.

In the manufacture of liquid crystal displays (LCDs), photolithography techniques are used to form electrode patterns on glass substrates (hereinafter simply referred to as LCD substrates) for LCDs. Pattern formation using photolithography is first performed by applying a resist liquid onto a glass LCD substrate to form a resist film, then exposing the resist film to correspond to a circuit pattern, and then developing it.

In the photolithography technology, the LCD substrate coated with the resist liquid is prebaked by carrying it into a heating apparatus to dry the resist liquid. However, in the heating apparatus, the LCD substrate is usually used to avoid direct contact between the LCD substrate and the heating plate. It is placed on the heating plate via a pin provided protruding on the heating plate. For this reason, there is a problem that the trace of the pin is transferred to the resist film. In order to prevent such transfer, there has been proposed a technique of drying the resist liquid applied to a substrate to a reduced pressure and then drying with a heating apparatus to avoid rapid drying (see Patent Document 1, for example).

As an apparatus for performing such a vacuum drying process, an apparatus including a chamber formed from an upper chamber and a lower chamber and a chamber mounted on the LCD substrate, and a pressure reducing mechanism for evacuating and evacuating the inside of the chamber is used. See Patent Document 23). The pressure reduction drying device performs a pressure reduction drying process in a state in which the upper chamber and the lower chamber are in close contact. When the LCD substrate is loaded and unloaded, the upper chamber is lifted by a crane or the like to open the chamber and the mounting table is raised by a suitable driving mechanism. It is to let.

Moreover, in this pressure reduction drying apparatus, it is gripped by an actuator or a robot,

As the LCD substrate of the region is conveyed to the mounting object and the processed LCD substrate is conveyed from the mounting object, the LCD substrate is supported by pins whose ends protrude from the mounting object so as to facilitate gripping by the actuator or robot. Received will be placed on the subject.

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-106341

[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-181079

[Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-241702

By the way, LCD substrates have become large in size, and one side has recently emerged as a huge one of 2 m, and accordingly, the above-mentioned pressure reduction drying apparatus has also been significantly enlarged. For this reason, the said vacuum drying apparatus has to raise a remarkably heavy upper chamber at the time of carrying in and out of an LCD substrate, and there exists a safety problem. In addition, ascending and lowering the remarkably heavy upper chamber increases the vibration generated during the elevating operation of the upper chamber, and the vibration is transmitted to the application device for applying the resist liquid disposed in close proximity to the reduced pressure drying apparatus, thereby increasing the film thickness of the resist liquid. There is a possibility of becoming uneven.

In addition, when the LCD substrate is enlarged, it becomes difficult to support the LCD substrate only by the pins provided at the end thereof. For this reason, the possibility that these traces will be transferred to a resist film will eventually become high, and the pressure reduction drying process will become meaningless.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the related situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a reduced pressure drying apparatus capable of suppressing the generation of vibrations while being excellent in safety even when the substrate is large, and also preventing the transfer occurring in the coating liquid applied to the substrate. It is done.

MEANS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM In order to solve the said subject, this invention is a pressure reduction drying apparatus which apply | coats a coating liquid to a board | substrate, and applies a drying process to this coating liquid at reduced pressure, and has an inlet port into which a board | substrate is carried in, and an outlet port which a board | substrate is carried out to a side wall part. A chamber accommodating the substrate loaded from the inlet in a substantially horizontal state, a gate member for opening and closing the inlet and the outlet of the chamber, and the inlet and the outlet are closed by the gate member. A conveying mechanism for conveying the decompression mechanism and the substrate for depressurizing substantially horizontally and bringing the substrate into the chamber from the inlet port, and at the same time after the decompression drying process by the depressurization mechanism, and conveying the substrate horizontally and out of the chamber from the outlet port; A substrate support member capable of supporting the substrate evenly without locally supporting the substrate in the chamber. It provides a vacuum drying apparatus characterized in that. Also, the inlet and the outlet are the same.

In this invention, the said conveyance mechanism is an inner conveyance part which conveys a board | substrate in the said chamber, an carry-in side conveyance part which carries in a board | substrate from the said delivery opening outside the said chamber, and conveys it to the said inner conveyance part, and the said inner conveyance part outside the said chamber. A carrying side conveying portion for carrying out the substrate conveyed from the discharging opening, the inner conveying portion having a plurality of pulley members rotatably installed in a conveying direction of the substrate and a belt caught by these pulley members, and accompanied by rotation of the pulley member; It is preferable that the belt is conveyed by the operation of the belt, and the belt stops while supporting the substrate to function as the substrate support member. In this case, it is preferable to further provide a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the belt during operation.

Or in this invention, the said conveyance mechanism is an inner conveyance part which conveys a board | substrate in the said chamber, an carry-in side conveyance part which carries in a board | substrate from the said inlet port outside the said chamber, and conveys it to the said inner conveyance part, and the said inner conveyance outside the said chamber. A carrying-side carrying section for carrying out the substrate conveyed from the carrying section from the carrying out port, wherein the inner conveying section has an inner corro member provided in a plurality rotatably in the conveying direction of the substrate, and the substrate is co-conveyed by the rotation of these inner coring members. In addition, it is preferable that a plurality of the inner corro members function as the substrate support members in which part or all of the inner corro members are alternately rotated and swinged to uniformly support the substrate. In this case, it is preferable that the inner coro member is formed to be in contact with the entire width of the substrate), or the inner coro member is formed to be in contact with the substrate at a plurality of positions by opening a gap in the width direction with respect to the substrate and being adjacent to each other. It is preferable that the inner corrow members are configured such that the widthwise positions of the inner corrode members are in contact with the substrate.

In this case, when the carry-in side conveying part has a plurality of outer corro members rotatably installed in the conveying direction of the substrate and the substrates are brought in at least from the inlet by the rotation of the outer corro members to reach the inner conveying part. To the nose until

It is preferable that the said inner conveyance part conveys the board | substrate reached by the said carry-in side conveyance part until it is completely accommodated in the said chamber, and the said carry-in side conveyance part is provided so that it may be adjacent to the application | coating apparatus which apply | coats the said coating liquid to a board | substrate, It is preferable to receive and convey the board | substrate which conveyed and reached substantially horizontally from the said coating apparatus by the rotation of the said outer corro member.

In this case, the inner conveying unit conveys the substrate accommodated in the chamber at least through the discharging port until it reaches the carrying-in conveying unit, and the carrying-out conveying unit is provided with a plurality of outer noses rotatably rotatable in the conveying direction of the substrate. It is preferable to carry out the board | substrate which has a member and reached by the said inner side conveyance part by carrying out at least from the said discharge opening by rotation of the said outer corro member until it completely exposes outside the said chamber.

In the present invention, the gate member is preferably moved along the side wall of the chamber to open and close the inlet and outlet.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiment of this invention is described concretely with reference to an accompanying drawing.

1 is a schematic plan view of a resist coating / development processing system for forming a resist film on an LCD substrate and developing the resist film after exposure processing.

The resist application and development processing system 100 performs a series of processes including resist application and development on the cassette station 1 and the LCD substrate G on which the cassette C for mounting the plurality of LCD substrates G is placed. It is provided with an interface station 3 for carrying out the transfer of the LCD substrate G between the processing station 2 and the exposure apparatus 4 to be applied, and the cassette station 1 and the interface station 3 are each a processing station 2. Are arranged on both sides. In addition, in FIG. 1, the longitudinal direction of the resist coating and developing processing system 100 is made into the Y direction the direction orthogonal to the X direction on a X direction and a plane.

The cassette station 1 is provided with the conveying apparatus 11 which carries in / out of an LCD board G between the mounting base 9 and the processing station 2 which can arrange the cassette C in parallel in a Y direction. The cassette C is conveyed between the mounting table 9 and the outside. The conveying arm 11a provided in the conveying apparatus 11 can move on the conveyance path 10 provided along the Y direction which is the arrangement direction of the cassette C, and between the cassette C and the processing station 2 is carried out. Carrying in and out of the board | substrate G is performed.

The processing station 2 basically has two parallel transfer lines A and B for conveying the LCD substrate G growing in the X direction. A scrub cleaning unit (SCR) 21 on the conveying line A toward the interface station 3 from the cassette station 1 side; First thermal processing unit section 26; A resist coating unit 23; The second thermal processing unit sections 27 are arranged in sequence.

On the conveying line (b) a second thermal processing unit section 27 from the interface station 3 side towards the cassette station 1; Developing unit (DEV) 24; i-ray UV irradiation unit (i-UV, 25); The third thermal processing unit sections 28 are arranged in order. Excimer UV irradiation unit (e-UV, 22) is provided in part on the scrub cleaning unit 21. As shown in FIG. In addition, the excimer UV irradiation unit 22 is provided to remove the organic substance of the LCD substrate G before scrubber cleaning, and the i-ray UV irradiation unit 25 is provided to perform the decolorization process of image development.

In the scrub cleaning unit 21, while the LCD substrate G is conveyed in a substantially horizontal attitude | position, it carries out a washing process and a drying process. In the developing unit 24, the developer coating rinse drying treatment is performed in order while the LCD substrate G is conveyed in a substantially horizontal posture. In these scrub cleaning units 21 and the developing unit 24, the conveyance of the LCD substrate G is performed by, for example, coro conveyance or belt conveyance, and the inlet and the outlet of the LCD substrate G are located at opposite sides facing each other. It is installed. The conveyance of the LCD substrate G to the i-ray UV irradiation unit 25 is continuously performed by the same mechanism as that of the developing unit 24.

The resist coating unit 23 carries the LCD substrate G in a reduced pressure environment with a resist coating apparatus CT, 23a for supplying a resist liquid to form a coating film while conveying the LCD substrate G in a substantially horizontal position as will be described in detail later. ), A reduced pressure drying device (VD) 23b for evaporating the volatile components contained in the coating film formed on the LCD substrate G to dry the coating film.

The first thermal processing unit section 26 has two thermal processing unit blocks (TB; 31, 32) formed by stacking thermal processing units that apply thermal processing to the LCD substrate G, and the thermal processing unit block (31). ) Is provided on the scrub cleaning unit 21 side, and the thermal processing unit block 32 is provided on the resist coating unit 23 side. The 1st conveying apparatus 33 is installed between these two thermal processing unit blocks 31 and 32. As shown in FIG.

The thermal processing unit block 31 includes a pass unit for carrying out the LCD substrate G in order from the bottom; Two dehydration bake units for performing dehydration bake treatment on the LCD substrate (G); It has a structure in which an adhesion unit that applies a hydrophobization treatment to the LCD substrate G is stacked. The thermal processing unit block 32 further includes a pass unit for carrying the LCD substrate G in order from the bottom; two cooling units for cooling the LCD substrate G; It has a structure in which an adhesion unit that applies a hydrophobization treatment to the LCD substrate G is stacked.

The 1st conveying apparatus 33 receives the LCD board | substrate G from the scrub cleaning unit 21 through a pass unit; Loading and unloading of the LCD substrate G between the thermal processing units and the transfer of the LCD substrate G to the resist coating unit 23 through the pass unit are carried out.

The first conveying apparatus 33 can vibrate, swing back and forth, and pivot up and down, and can access any unit of the thermal processing unit blocks 31 and 32.

The second thermal processing unit section 27 has two thermal processing unit blocks (TB; 34, 35) formed by stacking thermal processing units applying thermal processing to the LCD substrate G, and the thermal processing unit block 34 ) Is installed on the resist coating unit 23 side, and the thermal processing unit block 35 is installed on the developing unit 24 side. And the 2nd conveying apparatus 36 is provided between these two thermal processing unit blocks 34 and 35. As shown in FIG.

The thermal processing unit block 34 includes a pass unit for carrying out the LCD substrate G in order from the bottom; Three prebaking units which prebake the LCD substrate G are laminated. In addition, the thermal processing unit block 35 includes a pass unit for carrying the LCD substrate G in order from the bottom; A cooling unit for cooling the LCD substrate G; Two prebaking units for prebaking the LCD substrate G are stacked.

The second conveying apparatus 36 includes: receiving the LCD substrate G from the resist coating unit 23 through the pass unit; carrying in and out of the LCD substrate G between the thermal processing units; Receiving the LCD substrate G to the developing unit 24 through the pass unit and receiving the LCD substrate G for the extension cooling stage EXT COL 44 which is the substrate passing section of the interface station 3 described later. Receive. In addition, the second conveying apparatus 36 has the same structure as the first conveying apparatus 33 and is accessible to any unit of the thermal processing unit blocks 34 and 35.

The third thermal processing unit section 28 has two thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 37, 38 formed by stacking thermal processing units that apply thermal processing to the LCD substrate G, and thermal processing unit blocks 37 ) Is installed on the developing unit 24 side, and the thermal processing unit block 38 is installed on the cassette station 1 side. And the 3rd conveying apparatus 39 is provided between these two thermal processing unit blocks 37 and 38. As shown in FIG.

The thermal processing unit block 37 includes a pass unit for carrying out the LCD substrate G in order from the bottom; It has a structure in which three post-baking units which perform post-baking processing on the LCD substrate G are laminated. The thermal processing unit block 38 further includes a post-baking unit which performs post-bake processing on the LCD substrate G in order from the bottom; The pass / cooling unit that delivers and cools the LCD substrate G also has a configuration in which two post-baking units are stacked.

The third conveying apparatus 39 receives the LCD substrate G from the i-ray UV irradiation unit 25 through the pass unit; carrying in and out of the LCD substrate G between the thermal processing units; The transfer of the LCD substrate G to the cassette station 1 through it is carried out. The third conveying apparatus 39 also has the same structure as the first conveying apparatus 33 and is accessible to any unit of the thermal processing unit blocks 37 and 38.

In the processing station 2, each processing unit and the conveying apparatus are arrange | positioned so that 2 rows of conveying lines A and B may be comprised as mentioned above, and so that order of processing may be basically performed. The space 40 is provided between conveyance lines A and B, and the shuttle 41 is provided in this space 40 so that reciprocation is possible. The shuttle 41 is comprised so that the LCD board | substrate G can be hold | maintained, and delivers the LCD board | substrate G between conveyance lines A and B. FIG. The transfer of the LCD substrate G with respect to the shuttle 41 is performed by the 1st to 3rd conveying apparatuses 33,36,39.

The interface station 3 includes a buffer stage BUF 43 for arranging a transfer cassette 42 and a buffer cassette for carrying in and out of the LCD substrate G between the processing station 2 and the exposure apparatus 4; An external device block 45 having an extension / cooling stage 44, which is a substrate transfer part having a cooling function, and in which a titler and a peripheral exposure device EE are stacked up and down is installed adjacent to the transfer device 42. It is becoming. The conveying apparatus 42 is equipped with the conveying arm 42a, and carries in / out of the LCD substrate G between the processing station 2 and the exposure apparatus 4 by this conveying arm 42a.

In the resist coating and developing processing system 100 configured as described above, first, the LCD substrate G in the cassette C disposed on the mounting table 9 of the cassette station 1 is moved to the processing station 2 by the transfer device 11. It is loaded directly into the excimer UV irradiation unit (22), and the scrub pretreatment is performed. Next, the LCD substrate G is carried in to the scrub cleaning unit 21 by the conveying apparatus 11, and scrub cleaning is carried out. After the scrub cleaning process, the LCD substrate G is carried out to the pass unit of the thermal processing unit block 31 belonging to the first thermal processing unit section 26 by, for example, co-feeding.

The LCD substrate G disposed in the pass unit of the thermal processing unit block 31 is first conveyed to a dehydration bake unit of the thermal processing unit block 31 and subjected to heat treatment. The LCD substrate G is then conveyed to the cooling unit of the thermal processing unit block 32 and cooled, so that the adhering unit of the thermal processing unit block 31 and the thermal processing unit block 32 to increase the fixability of the resist. It is returned to one of the adhance units in and is hydrophobized by HMDS there. Thereafter, the LCD substrate G is conveyed to the cooling unit, cooled, and conveyed to the pass unit of the thermal processing unit block 32. The conveyance process of the LCD substrate G at the time of performing such a series of processes is performed by the 1st conveyance apparatus 33 all.

The LCD substrate G disposed in the pass unit of the thermal processing unit block 32 is carried in the resist coating unit 23 by a substrate transfer mechanism such as a coro transfer mechanism provided in the pass unit. As will be described in detail later, in the resist coating apparatus 23a, the resist liquid is supplied while the LCD substrate G is conveyed in a horizontal position to form a coating film, and then a reduced pressure drying process is applied to the coating film in the reduced pressure drying device 23b. Is carried out. After that, the LCD substrate G is subjected to the second thermal from the resist coating unit 23 by the substrate conveying arm or the like provided in the carrying-out conveying unit 7c of the conveying mechanism 7 described later and the reduced pressure drying units VD and 23b. It is conveyed to the pass unit of the thermal processing unit block 34 belonging to the processing unit section 27 and received.

The LCD substrate G disposed in the pass unit of the thermal processing unit block 34 is prebaked of the thermal processing unit block 34 and the free of the thermal processing unit block 35 by the second conveying device 36. It is conveyed to either of the baking units, prebaked, conveyed to the cooling unit of the thermal processing unit block 35, and cooled to a predetermined temperature. And the LCD board | substrate G is conveyed to the pass unit of the thermal processing unit block 35 by the 2nd conveying apparatus 36. As shown in FIG.

Thereafter, the LCD substrate G is conveyed to the extension cooling stage 44 of the interface station 3 by the second conveying device 36 and, if necessary, by the conveying device 42 of the interface station 3. The exposure process for conveying to the peripheral exposure apparatus EE of the external device block 45, and removing the outer peripheral part (unnecessary part) of a resist film is performed. Then, the LCD substrate G is conveyed to the exposure apparatus 4 by the conveying apparatus 42, and exposure processing is performed to the resist film on LCD substrate G in a predetermined pattern. In addition, LCD substrate G may be temporarily accommodated in the buffer cassette on the buffer stage 43, and may be conveyed to the exposure apparatus 4 after that.

After the end of the exposure, the LCD substrate G is carried into the titler TITLER on the upper end of the external device block 45 by the conveying device 42 of the interface station 3 so that predetermined information is recorded on the LCD substrate G. After that, it is mounted on the extension cooling stage 44. And the LCD board | substrate G is conveyed by the 2nd conveying apparatus 36 from the extension cooling stage 44 to the pass unit of the thermal processing unit block 35 which belongs to the 2nd thermal processing unit section 27. .

The LCD substrate G conveyed to the pass unit of the thermal processing unit block 35 is carried into the developing unit 24 by a conveying mechanism, for example, co-feeding, which extends from this pass unit to the developing unit 24. In the developing unit 24, the developer is activated on the surface of the LCD substrate G being conveyed in a horizontal posture, and the LCD substrate, which has stopped the conveyance once, is tilted at a predetermined angle, and the developer on the surface is dropped in this state. Supply a rinse solution on the surface to rinse off the developer. Thereafter, the LCD substrate G is returned to the horizontal position, and the conveyance is started again, and the LCD substrate is dried by spraying drying nitrogen gas or air onto the LCD substrate G.

After completion of the developing treatment, the LCD substrate G is conveyed from the developing unit 24 to the i-ray UV irradiation unit 25 by a continuous conveying mechanism, for example, coro conveyance, and subjected to decolorization treatment. The LCD substrate G is then carried out to the pass unit of the thermal processing unit block 37 belonging to the third thermal processing unit section 28 by the co-transport mechanism in the i-ray UV irradiation unit 25.

The LCD substrate G disposed in the pass unit of the thermal processing unit block 37 is moved by the third conveying device 39 to the post-baking unit of the thermal processing unit block 37 and the post of the thermal processing unit block 38. It is conveyed to either of the baking units, postbaked, and then conveyed to the pass / cooling unit of the thermal processing unit block 38, cooled to a predetermined temperature, and then cassetted by the conveying device 11 of the cassette station 1. It is housed in a predetermined cassette C arranged in the station 1.

Next, the resist coating unit 23 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a resist coating unit 23, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a pressure reduction drying apparatus 23b according to the present invention which is a component of the resist coating unit 23, and FIG. 4 is a front view thereof.

As shown in Fig. 2, the resist coating device 23a includes a substrate conveyance mechanism 13 for conveying the LCD substrate G in the X direction on the stage 12 and the stage 12 for supporting the LCD substrate G; The resist nozzle 14 which supplies a resist liquid to the surface of the LCD substrate G which conveys the stage 12 image, and the nozzle cleaning unit 15 for cleaning etc. the resist nozzle 14 are provided.

The stage 12 is provided with a plurality of gas injection holes 16 for injecting a predetermined gas upwards, and the LCD substrate G is fixed from the surface of the stage 12 by the gas injected from the gas injection holes 16. It is configured to rise to a height.

The substrate conveyance mechanism 13 includes a slider 50 and a slider 50 which are reciprocally moved along the guides 52a and 52b and the guides 52a and 52b arranged to extend in the X direction with the stage 12 interposed therebetween. It is provided with the board | substrate holding member (not shown), such as an adsorption | attachment batt which is installed in and hold | holds a part of LCD board | substrate G. As shown in FIG. The substrate conveyance mechanism 13 moves the slider 50 along the guides 52a and 52b in a state where the LCD substrate G, which is floated by the gas injected from the gas injection port 16, is held by the substrate holding member. It is comprised so that conveyance is possible in the X direction, and the board | substrate holding member is comprised so that control of holding and holding | release of the LCD board | substrate G is controllable.

The resist nozzle 14 is disposed above the stage 12 and discharges the resist liquid in a substantially band shape that is long in the Y direction toward the bottom. The resist nozzle 14 is configured to be movable in the X direction and to move up and down along with the holding member 54 holding the resist nozzle 14 and to position and nozzle to supply the resist liquid to the LCD substrate G. In the washing | cleaning unit 15, it can move between each position to be wash-processed.

The nozzle cleaning unit 15 is held by the support member 55 and is disposed above the stage 12. The nozzle cleaning unit 15 does not dry the dummy dispense portion 57 and the resist discharge port of the resist nozzle 14 which discharge the resist liquid from the resist nozzle 14 preliminarily before the resist liquid supply to the LCD substrate G. A nozzle bus 58 for holding the resist discharge port in the vapor environment of the solvent and a nozzle cleaning mechanism 59 for removing the resist adhering to the resist discharge port vicinity of the resist nozzle 14 are provided.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the decompression drying apparatus 23b is loaded into the chamber 6 capable of accommodating the LCD substrate G and into the chamber 6 of the LCD substrate G and the chamber of the LCD substrate G ( 6) The conveyance mechanism 7 which carries out to the outside is provided.

The chamber 6 is formed in a thin box shape, which can accommodate the CD substrate G in a substantially horizontal state, and has a slit shape or a rectangular shape that extends in the Y direction through which the LCD substrate G can pass, respectively, in the side portions facing the X direction. Has an inlet (61) and an outlet (62). Moreover, the gate member (63, 64) which opens and closes the delivery opening 61 and the delivery opening 62 is provided in the side part which opposes the X direction of the chamber 6, respectively. The gate members 63 and 64 have a strip-shaped or rectangular shape extending in the Y direction corresponding to the inlet 61 and the outlet 62, respectively, and move, for example, by lifting along the side surface of the chamber 6. The delivery opening 61 and the delivery opening 62 are opened and closed (see the imaginary line in FIG. 4). When the strip-shaped gate members 63 and 64 are raised and lowered along side surfaces of the chamber 6 having the inlet 61 and the outlet 62, the space required for the opening and closing operation of the chamber 6 can be reduced. Therefore, compared with the conventional pressure reduction drying apparatus which has a vertical chamber, substantial space saving of the apparatus itself can be aimed at. In addition, the upper surface portion 69 of the chamber 6 is detachably provided for maintenance.

In the bottom part of the chamber 6, the exhaust pipe 66 which communicates with the inside of this chamber 6 is provided in multiple numbers at predetermined intervals, for example, and the exhaust pipe 66 is connected to the exhaust apparatus 67. As shown in FIG. Then, the inlet 61 and the outlet 62 are closed by the gate members 63 and 64, and the exhaust device 67 is operated while the inside of the chamber 6 is sealed. It is possible to reduce the pressure to a positive value. The exhaust pipe 66 and the exhaust device 67 constitute a pressure reduction mechanism for depressurizing the inside of the chamber 6 to dry the resist liquid of the LCD substrate G accommodated in the chamber 6.

The conveyance mechanism 7 conveys LCD board | substrate G substantially horizontally, it carries in in the chamber 6 from the delivery opening 61, and carries out out of the chamber 6 from the delivery opening 62. As shown in FIG. The conveyance mechanism 7 carries the LCD substrate G out of the inlet 61 from the inside conveyance part 7a which conveys LCD substrate G in the chamber 6, and the chamber 6 outside, and the inner conveyance part ( The carrying-in side conveyance part 7c which carries out the carrying-in side conveyance part 7b conveyed to 7a and the LCD board | substrate G conveyed from the inner side conveyance part 7a outside the chamber 6 from the carrying out opening 62 is provided. Doing.

The inner conveying part 7a opens a space substantially horizontally in the X direction in the chamber 6, and in this case a plurality of substantially cylindrical pulley members 70a provided at the end portions of the inlet 61 side and the outlet 62 side, respectively. And 70b) and belts 71 hooked to these pulley members 70a and 70b. The pulley members 70a and 70b are each formed so as to extend in the Y direction and the upper surface of the belt 71 is located in the height range of the inlet 61 and the outlet port 62, for example in the Y direction. It is rotatably supported by the side surface part which opposes. At least one of the pulley members 70a and 70b, for example, the pulley member 70b is driven by the rotation shaft being connected to a drive source 72 such as a motor to drive the drive source 72 so that the pulley member 70b is driven and rotated. At the same time as the belt 71 operates, the pulley member 70a is driven to rotate and the LCD substrate G mounted on the belt 71 is conveyed in the X direction. In addition, here, the drive source 72 is provided outside the Y-side side part of the chamber 6, and the clearance of the rotation shaft and the Y-side side part of the chamber 6 is rotated by the seal member 80 by the pulley member 70b. It is sealed so as not to impair.

The belt 71 is formed in an endless shape by a urethane-based material or a Teflon (registered trademark) -based material and has a width roughly the same as the width in the Y direction of the LCD substrate (G). As a result, the belt 71 is in contact with the entire width of the LCD substrate G in the Y direction when the LCD substrate G is placed. Moreover, the space | interval between pulley members 70a and 70b is set larger than the X direction length of LCD board | substrate G, and by this, the belt 71 roughly covers the back surface of LCD board | substrate G at the time of pressure reduction drying process by a pressure reduction mechanism. It is configured to touch across the entire surface.

The pulley members 70a and 70b each have a large diameter portion 73 projecting radially outward at both ends in the Y direction, and the belt 71 is disposed between the large diameter portions 73 and 73 of the pulley members 70a and 70b. It is positioning in the direction. This prevents meandering during operation of the belt 71.

In the chamber 6, a substantially cylindrical guide corro member 74a, 74b is provided on the inlet 61 and outlet port 62 side than the pulley members 70a, 70b, respectively. 74a and 74b are rotatably supported by the side surface of the chamber 6 facing, for example in the Y direction, so that the upper end is approximately the same height as the upper surface of the belt 71 or slightly higher than the upper surface of the belt 71. I am getting it. The guide corro member 74a is for reliably guiding the LCD substrate G on the carry-in side conveyance section 7b to be described later onto the belt 71, and the guide corro member 74b is the LCD substrate on the belt 71. It is for guiding reliably on the carrying-out conveyance part 7c mentioned later (G).

In the space | gap in the belt 71, the filling member 65 which interposes this space | gap is attached to the side surface part which opposes to a belt 71, for example so that it may not contact. As a result, the volume in the chamber 6 is reduced, and the pressure in the chamber 6 can be rapidly reduced by the pressure reduction mechanism.

In addition, when the LCD substrate G is large or the gap between the pulley members 70a and 70b is large, the auxiliary corro member for preventing bending of the belt 71 extending in the Y direction between the pulley members 70a and 70b ( It is preferable to provide one or a plurality of 75) to support the belt 71. Moreover, when the tension of the belt 71 which acts on pulley members 70a and 70b is large, as shown in FIG. 5 (FIG. 5 shows the principal part of the inner conveyance part which comprises a pressure reduction drying apparatus), pulley member 70a It is preferable to provide contact members 81 in contact with the X-direction front side portion and the X-direction rear side portion of the pulley member 70b to prevent deformation of the pulley members 70a and 70b. The contact member 81 is configured with a nose mechanism so as not to inhibit rotation of the pulley members 70a and 70b, for example, and is mounted to the side portions facing in the Y direction in the chamber 6.

The carrying-in carrying part 7b and the carrying-out carrying part 7c are provided outside the chamber 6 so as to face the inner conveying part 7a with the side part which has the inlet 61 and the carrying out port 62 between, respectively. It has a substantially cylindrical outer side corro member 76a, 76b provided in plurality, for example, two by two by opening space | interval substantially horizontally in the X direction. The outer corro members 76a and 76b are each substantially flush with the back surface of the LCD substrate G, which has been conveyed by the slider 50 of the resist coating device 23a, so that the upper end is approximately the same height as the upper surface of the belt 71. It is rotatably supported by the support member (not shown) so that it may become the same height. In this case, either or both of the outer corro members 76a and 76b are rotated by a rotation shaft connected to a drive source (not shown) such as a motor to drive the drive source so that the LCD substrate G is conveyed in the X direction. It is composed. Thereby, LCD board | substrate G can be received from resist coating apparatus 23a, without requiring complicated conveyance mechanisms, such as an actuator type and a robot type. Like the resist coating device 23a of the present embodiment, the resist coating device is particularly effective in the case of the so-called flat flow type in which the LCD substrate G is moved substantially horizontally and linearly.

The outer corro members 76a and 76b each have a rotation axis 77 having a small diameter and a large diameter contact portion 78 provided with a plurality of gaps in the Y direction so as to pass through the LCD substrate G. At this time, the contact portion 78 is formed so as to contact the LCD substrate G and support the LCD substrate G. Further, the outer corro member 76a and the outer corro member 76b which are adjacent to each other are configured such that the position of the contact portion 78 in the Y direction is different so that the LCD substrate G is in contact with the contact portion 78. Is prevented from being dispersed in the resist film so that the traces of the contact portion 78 are transferred to the resist film. In addition, similar to the guide corro members 74a and 74b and the outer corro members 76a, the guide shafts 74a and 74b have a rotation axis of a small diameter and a large diameter contact portion provided with a plurality of gaps in the Y direction. ) And the outer corro member 76b are configured such that the position in the Y-direction of the contact portion is different. In addition, the guide corro members 74a and 74b and the outer corro members 76a and 76b may be in contact with each other over the entire width of the LCD substrate G in the same direction as the auxiliary corro members 75. .

A nitrogen gas supply unit for supplying nitrogen gas upwards between the pulley member 70a and the guide corro member 74a in the chamber 6 and between the pulley member 70b and the guide corro member 74b, respectively. 82 is provided to extend in the Y direction. The nitrogen gas supply portion 82 is for supplying nitrogen gas into the reduced pressure chamber 6 to rapidly increase the pressure in the chamber 6 and to suppress the resist film of the LCD substrate G from contacting the outside air. . In addition, a local exhaust pipe 83 is provided at the side surface portion in the Y direction in the chamber 6 so as to extend in the Y direction through the belt 71 so as to discharge dust or the like attached to the belt 71. Is connected to an exhaust device (not shown). Here, although the local exhaust pipe was provided on the back side of the belt 71 (83 position), you may provide it on the surface side of the belt 71 (for example, refer to 84 position of FIG. 4). In this case, it is preferable to arrange the ionizer in the local exhaust pipe 84 so that the surface of the belt 71 can be static-discharged as a countermeasure against particles, and the local exhaust pipe 84 and the ionizer are operated during the operation of the belt 71. It is preferable to control to stop the belt 71 when the belt 71 is stopped. The exhaust device connected to the local exhaust pipe 83 (and 84) and the local exhaust pipe 83 (and 84) constitutes a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the belt 71.

The processing process of the LCD substrate G in the resist coating unit 23 comprised as mentioned above is demonstrated. First, the slider 50 is waited at the end of the thermal processing unit block 32 side of the stage 12, and the stage 12 is in a state in which the LCD substrate G can be floated at a predetermined height in each portion. Then, the LCD substrate G is carried into the stage 12 by the coro conveyance mechanism provided in the thermal processing unit block 32 and received by the slider 50. As a result, the LCD substrate G is held up in a substantially horizontal posture on the stage 12.

And the slider 50 is made to slide at the predetermined speed toward the pressure reduction drying apparatus 23b side. As a result, the liquid crystal substrate is supplied to the surface of the LCD substrate G from the resist nozzle 14 when the LCD substrate G is floated and conveyed toward the reduced-pressure drying apparatus 23b side and passes under the resist nozzle 14 to form a resist film. The LCD substrate G on which the resist film is formed is an outer corro member that is driven to rotate by the drive source of the carry-in side conveying section 7b of the stage 12 by the slider 50 at the end of the pressure-sensitive drying device 23b. It is conveyed until it reaches 76a) or 76b, and the holding by the slider 50 is released there.

By releasing the holding by the slider 50, the LCD substrate G is placed on the outer corro member 76a or 76b of the carry-in side conveyance part 7b. Here, by driving the outer corro member 76a or 76b of the carry-in conveyance part 7b by rotation drive, the LCD board | substrate G is received from the resist coating apparatus 23a to the carry-in conveyance part 7b, and is at least an inlet port. It is carried in from 61, and is conveyed until the inner conveyance part 7a is received and reaches | attains on the belt 71. As shown in FIG. At this time, the LCD substrate G, which has reached the belt 71 by rotating the pulley member 70b to operate the belt 71, is received from the carry-in side conveyance portion 7b to the inner conveyance portion 7a, and the belt The 71 is conveyed and accommodated in the chamber 6. When the LCD substrate G is accommodated in the chamber 6 and placed on the belt 71 over approximately the entire surface, the operation of the belt 71 is stopped, and the inlet 61 and the half are opened by the gate members 63 and 64. The outlet 62 is closed to seal the inside of the chamber 6.

The exhaust device 67 is operated to reduce the pressure in the chamber 6 to a predetermined value. As a result, the resist film formed on the surface of the LCD substrate G can be dried. In the present embodiment, the belt 71 conveys the LCD substrate G while holding the LCD substrate G evenly in contact with the entire surface at the time of the vacuum drying process, and holding and conveying the LCD substrate G such as an actuator type or a robot type. The transfer film can be transferred from the resist coating apparatus to the reduced pressure drying apparatus without using a mechanism, and because the LCD substrate G does not need to be supported by lift pins or the like as in the conventional pressure reduction drying apparatus, the transfer film is attached to the resist film by lift pins or the like. There is no fear to throw it away. That is, the belt 71 functions as a board | substrate support member which supports the LCD board | substrate G uniformly, without having to locally support the LCD substrate G at the time of a pressure reduction drying process.

When the exhaust device 67 is operated for a predetermined time to dry the resist film, the exhaust device 67 is stopped. Next, while nitrogen gas is supplied into the chamber 6 by the nitrogen gas supply 82, the gate members 63 and 64 are evacuated, and the inlet 61 and the outlet 62 are opened to open the chamber 6. Step up. Then, by operating the belt 71 again, the LCD substrate G passes through at least the outlet port 62 and is rotated on the outer corro member 76a or 76b by the drive source of the carry-out conveying part 7c. Conveyed until it reaches.

At this time, by driving the outer corro member 76a or 76b of the carrying-out conveying part 7c by rotation, the LCD board | substrate G is received by the carrying-out conveying part 7c from the inner conveying part 7a. Then, the outer corrow members 76a and 76b are conveyed from the delivery port 62 until they are completely exposed outside the chamber 6, and then passed to the pass unit of the thermal processing unit block 34.

In this embodiment, the inlet 61 and the outlet 62 are provided in the side wall part of the chamber 6, respectively, and the LCD board | substrate G is moved substantially horizontally by the conveyance mechanism 7, and the inlet 61 and Since the carry-out from the carry-out port 62 is comprised, the height of the carry-out 61 and the carry-out port 62 can be set very small so that it may be slightly larger than the thickness of a board | substrate. That is, the inlet port 61 and the outlet port 62 can be formed in a slit shape. For this reason, the gate member 63, 64 which opens and closes the delivery opening 61 and the delivery opening 62 of the chamber 6 largely compared with the chamber which fulfills the role which opens and closes a chamber in the conventional pressure reduction drying apparatus. It can be lightened. Moreover, it is not necessary for the conveyance mechanism 7 to elevate the conveyance mechanism of a board | substrate like the mounting stand provided in the conventional pressure reduction drying apparatus in order to convey | convey belt or co-convey the LCD substrate G to substantially horizontal. Therefore, even if the substrate is enlarged, the safety of the device can be sufficiently secured, and vibration due to the opening / closing operation of the gate members 63 and 64 and the conveying operation of the conveying mechanism 7 can be suppressed.

Moreover, you may comprise with the belt conveyance mechanism which has a pulley member and a belt similarly to the carry-in conveyance part 7b, the carry-out conveyance part 7c, and the inner conveyance part 7a.

Next, the vacuum drying apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. It is a flat surface which shows the pressure reduction drying apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention, and FIG. 7 is the front view.

The pressure reduction drying apparatus 23c changed the inner conveyance part 7a of the pressure reduction drying apparatus 23b, and attaches an eastern arc about the site | part similar to the pressure reduction drying apparatus 23b, and abbreviate | omits description. The inner conveyance part 7d of the pressure reduction drying apparatus 23c has the substantially columnar inner corro member 79 provided in multiple numbers in the X direction. The inner corro member 79 is rotatable, for example, on the side surface facing the Y direction of the chamber 6 so that the upper end is approximately the same height as the upper end of the carrying-in conveyance part 7b and the carrying out conveyance part 7c. Is supported.

Some or all of the plurality of inner corro members 79 are rotated by a rotating shaft connected to a drive source 72 such as a motor to drive the drive source 72, thereby causing the LCD substrate G to move to the inner corro member 79. ) Is conveyed in the X direction. Here, one part or all part of the inner corrow member 79 is comprised by the drive source 72, such as an AC motor, so that it can rotate freely forward and backward. In addition, the inner corrode member 79 is formed so as to be in contact with approximately the entire width of the Y direction of the LCD substrate G, respectively, but the gap is opened in the Y direction to the LCD substrate G in the same manner as the outer corromeal members 76a and 76b. The inner corro members 79 formed to be in contact with each other and adjacent to each other may be configured so that the Y-direction position in contact with the LCD substrate G is different.

Below the inner conveying part 7d is a plate-shaped or dish-shaped fan 68 which prevents direct suction from acting on the LCD substrate G by the operation of the exhaust device 67, for example, the chamber 6. It is attached to the side surface part which faces to the Y direction of this.

The processing process of the LCD substrate G in the inner side conveyance part 7d of the pressure reduction drying apparatus 23c comprised as mentioned above is demonstrated. First, when the LCD substrate G received from the resist coating apparatus 23a and conveyed by the carry-in side conveyance part 7b reached on the inner corro member 79 connected to the drive source 72, it reached the drive source 72. FIG. By rotationally driving the inner corrode member 79, the LCD substrate G is transferred from the carry-in side conveyance section 7b to the inner conveying section 7d and conveyed on the plurality of inner corro members 79 to form the chamber 6 It is brought in completely). Next, the rotation of the inner corrode member 79 is stopped to close the delivery opening 61 and the delivery opening 62 with the gate members 63 and 64 to seal the inside of the chamber 6.

Then, the exhaust device 67 is operated to depressurize the inside of the chamber 6 to a predetermined value, and the resist film formed on the surface of the LCD substrate G is dried. At this time, the LCD substrate G is supported by the plurality of inner corro members 79 while swinging part or all of the plurality of inner corro members 79 by the drive source 72 in an alternate rotation. In other words, the plurality of inner corro members 79 function as a substrate support member that supports the LCD substrate G evenly without locally supporting the LCD substrate G during the vacuum drying treatment. This prevents the transfer marks by the inner corrode member 79 from sticking to the resist film of the LCD substrate G.

When the exhaust device 67 is operated for a predetermined time to dry the resist film, the exhaust device 67 is stopped. Next, while nitrogen gas is supplied into the chamber 6 by the nitrogen gas supply 82, the gate members 63 and 64 are evacuated, and the inlet 61 and the outlet 62 are opened to open the chamber 6. Step up. Then, the inner corro member 79 is rotated again so that the LCD substrate G passes through at least the outlet port 62 and is rotated by the drive source of the carry-out conveying section 7c. Conveyed until it reaches 76b).

According to the present invention, the substrate is particularly suitable for a large size, but is not limited to the LCD substrate, and can be widely applied to the vacuum drying treatment of the coating liquid applied to other substrates, for example, a color filter substrate or a semiconductor wafer of an LCD substrate.

As described above, according to the present invention, the inlet and the outlet are provided at the side wall of the chamber, and the substrate is moved approximately horizontally by the transfer mechanism to carry in and out of the inlet and the outlet. The height can be set very small so that the height is slightly larger than the thickness of the substrate. For this reason, compared with the chamber which fulfills the role which opens and closes a chamber in the conventional pressure reduction drying apparatus, the gate member which opens and closes the inlet and outlet of a chamber can be reduced significantly. Moreover, as mentioned above, it is not necessary to convey a board | substrate substantially horizontally and to raise and lower the conveyance mechanism of a board | substrate like the mounting stand provided in the conventional pressure reduction drying apparatus. Therefore, even if the substrate is enlarged, the safety of the device can be sufficiently secured, and the vibration caused by the opening / closing operation of the gate member and the conveying operation of the conveying mechanism can be suppressed. In addition, it becomes possible to reliably prevent transfer occurring in the coating liquid applied to the substrate, regardless of the size of the substrate, in order for the substrate supporting member to support the substrate evenly in the chamber.

Claims (10)

As a pressure reduction drying apparatus which apply | coats a coating liquid to a board | substrate, and applies a drying process to this coating liquid in a reduced pressure state, A chamber having a carry-in port into which a substrate is carried in and a carry-out port from which the substrate is carried out to a side wall portion, and accommodating the substrate carried from the carry-in port in a substantially horizontal state, A gate member for opening and closing the inlet and the outlet of the chamber; A decompression mechanism for depressurizing the inside of the chamber in a state where the inlet and the outlet are closed by the gate member; A conveying mechanism for conveying the substrate substantially horizontally and carrying it into the chamber from the inlet and at the same time conveying the substrate substantially horizontally after the reduced pressure drying process by the decompression mechanism; And a substrate support member capable of supporting the substrate evenly without locally supporting the substrate in the chamber. The method according to claim 1, The said conveyance mechanism is an inner conveyance part which conveys a board | substrate in the said chamber, the carrying-in side conveyance part which carries in a board | substrate from the said delivery opening outside the said chamber, and conveys it to the said inner conveyance part, and the board | substrate conveyed from the said inner conveyance part outside the said chamber. A carrying-out conveying unit for carrying out the product from the carrying out port, The inner conveying unit has a plurality of pulley members rotatably provided in the conveying direction of the substrate and belts caught by the pulley members, and conveys the substrate by the operation of the belt accompanying the rotation of the pulley member, And the belt stops while supporting the substrate and functions as the substrate support member. The method according to claim 2, And a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the belt during operation. The method according to claim 1, The said conveyance mechanism is an inner conveyance part which conveys a board | substrate in the said chamber, the carrying-in side conveyance part which carries in a board | substrate from the said delivery opening outside the said chamber, and conveys it to the said inner conveyance part, and the board | substrate conveyed from the said inner conveyance part outside the said chamber. A carrying-out conveying unit for carrying out the product from the carrying out port, The inner conveying portion has a plurality of inner corro members rotatably installed in a conveying direction of the substrate, and the substrates are co-conveyed by rotation of the inner corro members, A plurality of said inner corro members are functioning as the said board | substrate support member which one part or all rotate by the alternating direction, and rock the board | substrate to support it evenly. The method according to claim 4, And the inner corro member is formed to be in contact with the entire width of the substrate. The method according to claim 4 The inner coro member is formed so as to be in contact with a plurality of positions by opening the interval in the width direction with respect to the substrate, and the pressure-sensitive drying apparatus, characterized in that the inner side coro member adjacent to each other is configured so that the width direction position in contact with the substrate is different. . The method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, The carry-in side conveying unit has a plurality of outer corro members rotatably provided in the conveying direction of the substrate and carries them into the corrode until the inner conveying unit is brought in at least by bringing the substrate from the inlet through the rotation of the outer corro members. , The said inner conveyance part conveys the board | substrate reached by the said carry-in side conveyance part until it is completely accommodated in the said chamber, The pressure reduction drying apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The method according to claim 7, The carry-in side conveyance part is provided so as to be close to a coating device for applying the coating liquid to a substrate. A substrate which has been conveyed from the coating device substantially horizontally and is reached by receiving the substrate by rotation of the outer corrow member, and transporting it back to the nose. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, The said inner conveyance part conveys the board | substrate accommodated in the said chamber until it reaches the said carrying-in side conveyance part at least through the said carrying out opening, The said carrying side conveyance part has an outer corro member installed in multiple numbers rotatably in the conveyance direction of a board | substrate, and carries out the board | substrate reached by the said inner conveyance part from the said exit port at least by the rotation of the said outer coro member, and completes it outside the said chamber. The pressure reduction drying apparatus, characterized in that the return to the nose until the exposure. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, And the gate member moves along the sidewall of the chamber to open and close the inlet and outlet.

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