TW202010576A - Supply device, coating device, and supply method to efficiently remove the dissolved gas in the high-viscosity processing liquid, and to reduce the size of the device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a supply device capable of efficiently removing the dissolved gas in a liquid with high viscosity, a coating device including the supply device, and a supply method. The supply device 30 is a supply device for supplying a high-viscosity processing liquid to the supply target 22. The supply device 30 includes: a liquid supply pipe 32 that connects the tank 31 storing the processing liquid to the supply port 320, a main pump 33 that is sequentially inserted into the liquid supply pipe 32 from the downstream side, a degas unit 34, an auxiliary pump 35, and a filter 36. The auxiliary pump 35 is on the upstream side of the degassing unit 34 and configured to pressurize the processing liquid toward the degassing unit 34. The degassing unit 34 has a plurality of hollow fiber membranes housed inside the casing, and a decompression mechanism that decompresses the outer space of the hollow fiber membranes. This makes it possible to efficiently remove the dissolved gas in the high-viscosity processing liquid, and to reduce the size of the device.

Description

Supply device, coating device and supply method

The present invention relates to a supply device that supplies a high-viscosity liquid to a supply target, a coating device that includes the supply device, and a supply method that supplies a high-viscosity liquid.

Conventionally, glass substrates for liquid crystal display devices, semiconductor substrates, glass substrates for plasma display panels (PDP), glass substrates for photo masks, and color filter substrates, Substrates for precision electronic devices such as substrates for disks, substrates for solar cells, substrates for electronic papers, rectangular glass substrates, flexible substrates for thin-film liquid crystals, and organic electroluminescence (EL) applications In the manufacturing process of a substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as a “substrate”), a coating device that applies a liquid such as photoresist on the surface of the substrate is used. The conventional coating device is described in Patent Document 1, for example. The coating device of Patent Document 1 ejects a coating liquid from a slit die having a slit-shaped ejection port for a substrate sucked and held by a stage that can move freely in a horizontal direction. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2017-23990

[Problems to be solved by the invention] In such a coating device, if dissolved gas is present in the liquid, so-called "bubbling" easily occurs in the slit nozzle. Once "foaming" occurs, the liquid may not be uniformly applied from the discharge port, resulting in a decrease in the uniformity of the coating film. Therefore, conventionally, a degassing treatment is performed to remove dissolved gas from the liquid before coating. In the conventional coating apparatus, the dissolved gas in the liquid is bubbled in advance by setting the degassing tank in which the liquid before coating is stored to a negative pressure. When the viscosity of the liquid is low, the bubbles generated in the liquid can easily float up to the liquid surface and be discharged out of the container.

However, in the case of using a high-viscosity liquid, it takes a very long time for the bubbles to rise to the liquid surface. In particular, the finer bubbles tend to be more difficult to float. Therefore, when the liquid consumption rate such as a continuous coating process is high, the number of degassing tanks must be increased. As a result, there is a problem that the entire device is enlarged. In recent years, in the manufacturing process of a flexible element or a battery, the demand for a device that applies a high-viscosity liquid to the surface to be treated has increased. Along with this, a technique capable of efficiently removing dissolved gas from a high-viscosity liquid without increasing the volume specifications of the device is required.

The present invention has been completed in view of the circumstances described above, and an object thereof is to provide a supply device capable of efficiently removing dissolved gas in a liquid with high viscosity, a coating device including the supply device, and a supply method. [Technical means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the problem, the first invention of the present application is a supply device for supplying a high-viscosity processing liquid to a supply target. The supply device includes: a tank to store the processing liquid; The processing liquid is supplied to the supply target; a liquid supply pipe that connects the tank and the supply port with a flow path; a main pump is inserted in the liquid supply pipe and faces from the tank The supply port conveys the treatment liquid; a degassing unit, which is inserted into the liquid supply piping on the upstream side of the main pump; and an auxiliary pump, which is inserted on the upstream side of the degassing unit In the liquid feed pipe, the processing liquid is pressurized toward the degassing unit; and a filter is inserted in the liquid feed pipe on the upstream side of the degassing unit, the degassing The unit includes: a cylindrical casing; a plurality of hollow fiber membranes housed inside the casing; and a decompression mechanism that reduces the space inside the casing and outside the hollow fiber membrane Pressure.

The second invention of the present application is the supply device according to the first invention, wherein the auxiliary pump includes: a fluid storage chamber capable of increasing or decreasing the internal volume; and a tube capable of contraction, constituting a flow path, and arranged in the fluid Inside the storage chamber, when the volume of the fluid storage chamber becomes smaller, the pressure applied to the outer circumferential surface of the tube becomes larger, and the volume inside the tube becomes smaller, thereby discharging the treatment liquid from the tube .

The third invention of the present application is the supply device according to the second invention, wherein the auxiliary pump is a coaxial tube (Coaxial Tubephragm, CT) pump.

The fourth invention of the present application is the supply device according to any one of the first to third inventions, wherein the processing liquid is a varnish containing a polyimide precursor, and the supply target is the one that sprays the varnish nozzle.

A fifth invention of the present application is a coating device that applies liquid to a surface to be treated. The coating device includes: the supply device of any one of the first to fourth inventions; and the nozzle, which is The supply target of the supply device has a discharge port that discharges the processing liquid.

The sixth invention of the present application is a coating device according to the fifth invention, further comprising: a frame body having a stage on the upper surface, the stage being placed on a substrate to be processed, and the nozzle being movably arranged on the The upper part of the stage houses the main pump and the degassing unit inside the casing.

The seventh invention of the present application is a supply method for supplying a high-viscosity treatment liquid to a supply target, the supply method including the following steps: a) From the tank storing the treatment liquid, the auxiliary pump The gas unit pressurizes and supplies the treatment liquid; b) In the degassing unit, the treatment liquid passes through a plurality of hollow fiber membranes in which the outer space is decompressed, thereby removing dissolved gas in the treatment liquid ; And c) The main pump is used to deliver the treatment liquid that has passed through the degassing unit. [Effect of invention]

According to the first to seventh inventions of the present application, it is possible to efficiently remove the dissolved gas in the processing liquid with high viscosity, and it is possible to miniaturize the device.

In particular, according to the second invention and the third invention of the present application, it is possible to suppress the phenomenon that particles are generated in the auxiliary pump and are mixed into the processing liquid.

In particular, according to the sixth invention of the present application, by arranging the degassing unit close to the nozzle, it is possible to supply the degassed treatment liquid to the nozzle before absorbing the gas again.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<1. About the structure of the coating device> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a coating device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The coating device 1 applies a processing liquid (coated material) as a high-viscosity liquid to the upper surface of a glass carrier substrate 9 (hereinafter referred to as "substrate 9") in the manufacturing process of a flexible element Device. The treatment liquid coated on the upper surface of the substrate 9 is then cured into a thin film. Then, a pattern of electrodes or the like is formed on the surface of the thin film, and the thin film is peeled off from the substrate 9, thereby forming a flexible element.

For the treatment liquid, for example, a melt resin containing a polyimide precursor as a fluid with high viscosity is used. The viscosity of the treatment liquid is, for example, about 1,000 cP to 10,000 cP. Hereinafter, the term "high viscosity" means 1000 cP or more.

As shown in FIG. 1, the coating device 1 includes a coating unit 20, a supply unit 30 that supplies a processing liquid to the coating unit 20, and a control unit 10.

The coating unit 20 is configured to apply the processing liquid supplied from the supply unit 30 to the substrate 9. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the coating section 20. In the following, for convenience of description, the moving direction of the slit nozzle 22 in the coating device 1 is referred to as “front-rear direction”, and the horizontal direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction is referred to as “left-right direction”.

As shown in FIG. 2, the coating section 20 of this embodiment includes a frame 21, a slit nozzle 22, a nozzle holding section 23, and a running mechanism 24.

The housing 21 has a stage 210 on which the substrate 9 is placed and held. Inside the housing 21, a part of the supply unit 30 is housed. The upper surface of the stage 210 is flat, and a plurality of vacuum suction holes (not shown) are provided. When the substrate 9 is placed on the stage 210, the lower surface of the substrate 9 is attracted to the upper surface of the stage 210 by the suction force of the vacuum suction hole. Thus, the substrate 9 is fixed on the stage 210 in a horizontal posture. Also, inside the stage 210, a plurality of lift pins are provided. When the substrate 9 is carried out from the stage 210, a plurality of draft pins protrude onto the stage 210. Thus, the substrate 9 is separated from the upper surface of the stage 210.

The slit nozzle 22 is a nozzle that ejects the processing liquid. The slit nozzle 22 has a nozzle body 221 long in the left-right direction. At the lower end of the nozzle body 221, a slit-shaped ejection port 223 extending in the left-right direction is provided. The ejection port 223 faces the upper surface of the substrate 9 placed on the stage 210. When the processing liquid is supplied from the supply unit 30 into the nozzle body 221, the processing liquid is discharged from the discharge port 223 of the slit nozzle 22 toward the upper surface of the substrate 9 to be processed.

The nozzle holding portion 23 is a mechanism for holding the slit nozzle 22 above the stage 210. The nozzle holding portion 23 has a bridge portion 231 extending in the left-right direction, and a pair of columnar support portions 232 that supports both ends of the bridge portion 231. The slit nozzle 22 is attached to the lower surface of the bridge portion 231. In addition, each support portion 232 has an elevating mechanism 233 that adjusts the height of the end of the bridge portion 231. When the left and right lifting mechanisms 233 are operated, together with the bridge portion 231, the height and posture of the slit nozzle 22 are adjusted.

The traveling mechanism 24 is a mechanism for moving the slit nozzle 22 in the front-rear direction. The traveling mechanism 24 has a pair of rails 241 and a pair of linear motors 242. The pair of walking rails 241 extend in the front-rear direction on the left and right sides of the stage 210. The walking rail 241 supports the pair of support portions 232 while guiding the lower ends of the support portions 232 in the front-rear direction. That is, the pair of running rails 241 function as linear guides that restrict the movement direction of the pair of support portions 232 in the front-rear direction.

The linear motor 242 has a stator 242 a fixed to the stage 210 and a mover 242 b fixed to the support portion 232. The stator 242a extends in the front-rear direction along the left and right side edges of the stage 210. During the operation of the coating section 20, a magnetic attractive force or a magnetic repulsive force is generated between the stator 242a and the mover 242b. Thereby, the mover 242b, the nozzle holding portion 23, and the slit nozzle 22 move in the front-rear direction as a unit.

The supply unit 30 includes a supply tank 31, a liquid delivery pipe 32, a main pump 33, a degassing unit 34, an auxiliary pump 35, and a filter 36. The supply unit 30 is a supply device for supplying a high-viscosity processing liquid to the slit nozzle 22 of the coating unit 20 as a supply target.

The supply tank 31 is a tank for storing the processing liquid before supply. The supply unit 30 of this embodiment has six supply tanks 31.

The liquid supply pipe 32 is a pipe for supplying the processing liquid from the supply tank 31 to the slit nozzle 22. A supply pipe 311 extending from each supply tank 31 is connected to one end (upstream end) of the liquid supply pipe 32. The other end (downstream end) of the liquid supply pipe 32 becomes a supply port 320 for supplying the processing liquid to the slit nozzle 22 as a supply target. That is, the other end of the liquid supply pipe 32 is connected to the slit nozzle 22.

The main pump 33 is interposed in the liquid supply pipe 32. The main pump 33 conveys the processing liquid from the supply tank 31 toward the supply port 320. For the main pump 33, for example, a pipeline pump such as a coaxial tube (Coaxial Tubephragm, CT) pump or a quantitative discharge parallel tube (Parallel Tubephragm, PT) pump is used.

The degassing unit 34 is inserted into the liquid supply pipe 32 on the upstream side of the main pump 33 and the downstream side of the auxiliary pump 35. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the degassing unit 34. The degassing unit 34 is a so-called hollow fiber membrane degassing module. As shown in FIG. 3, the deaeration unit 34 has a cylindrical casing 41, a plurality of hollow fiber membranes 42 and a decompression mechanism 43.

The housing 41 has an inflow port 411, an outflow port 412, and two exhaust ports 413. The inflow port 411 is provided at one end of the casing 41 and is connected to the upstream side of the liquid supply pipe 32 with the degassing unit 34 on the upstream side. The outflow port 412 is provided at the other end of the housing 41 and is connected to the flow path of a portion of the liquid supply pipe 32 that is closer to the downstream side of the degassing unit 34. The exhaust port 413 is provided on the side of the housing 41 and connected to the decompression mechanism 43.

The hollow fiber membrane 42 is a thin cylindrical membrane. One end of all the hollow fiber membranes 42 is respectively connected to the inflow port 411 with a flow path. In addition, the other ends of all the hollow fiber membranes 42 are respectively connected to the outlet 412 through a flow path. Thereby, when the flow of the processing liquid occurs in the liquid feed pipe 32, the processing liquid is supplied to the hollow fiber membrane 42 from the inflow port 411, and the processing liquid is discharged from the outflow port 412.

Since the hollow fiber membrane 42 is used for degassing treatment, it is formed of a gas permeable membrane that does not pass liquid and allows gas to pass through. The inner diameter of the hollow fiber membrane 42 used in the degassing unit 34 of this embodiment is 0.5 mm to 3 mm. In addition, the number of hollow fiber membranes 42 used in the degassing unit 34 of this embodiment is about 100 to 1,000. In addition, the inner diameter and number of the hollow fiber membrane 42 used in the degassing unit 34 are appropriately changed according to the type or flow rate of the processing liquid.

The decompression mechanism 43 includes a decompression pipe 431 and a decompression pump 432. One end of the decompression pipe 431 is branched into two, and is connected to the exhaust port 413 of the housing 41. In addition, the other end of the decompression pipe 431 is connected to the decompression pump 432. When the decompression pump 432 is driven, gas is sucked from the space in the housing 41 via the decompression pipe 431 and the two exhaust ports 413. As a result, the air pressure in the space inside the housing 41 drops. That is, the air pressure in the external space of the hollow fiber membrane 42 drops. In addition, in the example of FIG. 3, there are two exhaust ports 413, but the exhaust port 413 may be one, or may be three or more.

As described above, by setting the outer space of the hollow fiber membrane 42 to a lower pressure than the inside of the hollow fiber membrane 42, air bubbles in the liquid passing through the hollow fiber membrane 42 or gas dissolved in the liquid can be removed It is discharged to the external space of the hollow fiber membrane 42. As a result, the liquid in the hollow fiber membrane 42 can be degassed.

The auxiliary pump 35 is inserted into the liquid feed pipe 32 on the upstream side of the degassing unit 34 and the downstream side of the filter 36. The auxiliary pump 35 pressurizes toward the degassing unit 34 and supplies the processing liquid. The auxiliary pump 35 of this embodiment is a type of tube pump called a coaxial tube (Coaxial Tubephragm, CT) pump. 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views showing the structure of the auxiliary pump 35. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the auxiliary pump 35 includes a frame 50, a lower check valve 51, an upper check valve 52, a tube 53, and a fluid holding portion 54.

The housing 50 has an inflow port 501 at the lower end and an outflow port 502 at the upper end. The liquid feed pipe 32 is connected to the upstream side of the auxiliary pump 35 to the flow path of the inflow port 501. The liquid delivery pipe 32 is connected to the flow path of the outflow port 502 on the downstream side of the auxiliary pump 35. From the inflow port 501 to the outflow port 502, the inner space of the lower check valve 51, the tube 53, and the upper check valve 52 are connected in order to constitute the flow path 500. Both the lower check valve 51 and the upper check valve 52 are check valves that pass only the flow of fluid from below to above.

The tube 53 is a collapsible tubular member arranged inside the fluid holding portion 54. As described above, the tube 53 constitutes a part of the flow path 500.

The fluid holding portion 54 is a cylindrical member arranged outside the tube 53. The internal space of the fluid holding portion 54 constitutes a fluid storage chamber 540. That is, the tube 53 is arranged inside the fluid storage chamber 540. The space outside the tube 53 of the fluid storage chamber 540 is filled with an indirect fluid. The internal space of the tube 53 is not in communication with the external space of the tube 53. Therefore, the processing liquid flowing through the flow path 500 does not mix with the indirect fluid filled in the fluid storage chamber 540. In addition, the indirect fluid can be either liquid or gas.

The fluid holding portion 54 has a small-diameter bellows 541, a large-diameter bellows 542, a bellows center 543, and a moving mechanism 544. The small-diameter bellows 541 and the large-diameter bellows 542 are each a bellows-shaped tubular member arranged in the vertical direction. The bellows center 543 is a ring-shaped member. The moving mechanism 544 is a mechanism for moving the position of the bellows center 543 in the vertical direction. The diameter of the small-diameter bellows 541 is smaller than the diameter of the large-diameter bellows 542. One end of the small-diameter bellows 541 is fixed to the frame 50. The other end of the small-diameter bellows 541 and one end of the large-diameter bellows 542 are fixed to the center 543 of the bellows. The other end of the large-diameter bellows 542 is fixed to the frame 50.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the bellows center 543 moves upward by the moving mechanism 544, the small-diameter bellows 541 becomes shorter in the up-down direction, and the large-diameter bellows 542 becomes longer in the up-down direction. As a result, the volume of the fluid storage chamber 540 increases, and the pressure in the fluid storage chamber 540 decreases. As a result, the pressure in the tube 53 also drops, and the processing liquid is sucked into the tube 53 from the upstream side of the liquid supply pipe 32 through the inflow port 501 and the lower check valve 51.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, when the bellows center 543 moves downward by the moving mechanism 544, the small-diameter bellows 541 becomes longer in the up-down direction, and the large-diameter bellows 542 becomes shorter in the up-down direction. As a result, the volume of the fluid storage chamber 540 decreases, and the pressure in the fluid storage chamber 540 increases. As a result, the pressure from the indirect fluid is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the tube 53, and the processing liquid in the tube 53 is discharged to the downstream side of the liquid supply pipe 32 via the upper check valve 52 and the outlet 502.

As described above, by moving the position of the bellows center 543, the internal volume of the fluid storage chamber 540 can be increased or decreased. As a result, the processing liquid in the auxiliary pump 35 can be sucked and discharged.

As for the auxiliary pump 35, as described above, it is preferable to use a so-called in-line pump of a type that sends liquid by applying the pressure of the fluid to the outer peripheral surface of the collapsible tube. As described above, by pressing the tube filled with the processing liquid from the outside to discharge the processing liquid, it is possible to suppress the phenomenon that particles generated in the auxiliary pump 35 are mixed into the processing liquid.

6 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the configuration of the auxiliary pump 35A. The auxiliary pump 35A of the example of FIG. 6 is a type of pipeline pump called a quantitative discharge parallel pipe (Parallel Tubephragm, PT) pump.

In the auxiliary pump 35A of the example of FIG. 6, the fluid storage chamber 540A includes: a functional section 61A with a tube 53A arranged inside; a shaft arrangement section 62A with a drive shaft 55A arranged inside; and a connecting section 63A with the functional section 61A and shaft arranged The part 62A performs flow path connection. The drive shaft 55A can protrude into the shaft arrangement portion 62A. In addition, the side surface of the drive shaft 55A may have a bellows-shaped bellows.

As indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6, when the drive shaft 55A protrudes into the shaft arrangement portion 62A, the pressure of the indirect fluid in the shaft arrangement portion 62A increases. Thereby, in the functional portion 61A, the pressure of the indirect fluid also increases, and the pressure from the indirect fluid is applied to the outer circumferential surface of the tube 53A. As a result, the processing liquid is discharged from the tube 53A through the outflow port 502A.

Conversely, when the protruding drive shaft 55A returns to the original position, the pressure of the indirect fluid in the shaft arrangement portion 62A drops. As a result, in the functional portion 61A, the pressure of the indirect fluid also decreases, and the pressure in the tube 53A also decreases. As a result, the processing liquid is sucked into the tube 53A via the inflow port 501A.

Even if the auxiliary pump 35A is an in-line pump other than the CT pump as in the example of FIG. 6, it is possible to suppress the phenomenon that particles are generated in the auxiliary pump 35A and are mixed into the processing liquid.

The filter 36 is interposed in the liquid feed pipe on the upstream side of the degassing unit 34 and the auxiliary pump 35. The filter 36 removes foreign substances contained in the processing liquid flowing through the liquid feed pipe 32.

The control unit 10 is a member for controlling the operation of each unit in the coating apparatus 1. As conceptually shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 10 includes a computer including an arithmetic processing unit 11 such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM) A storage unit 13 such as a memory 12 and a hard disk drive (hard disk drive). The control unit 10 is electrically connected to each part in the coating part 20 such as the die lifter, the travel mechanism 24 and the like. In addition, the control unit 10 is also electrically connected to a valve provided in the supply unit 30, the main pump 33, the auxiliary pump 35, the decompression pump 432, and the moving mechanism 544. The control unit 10 temporarily reads out the computer program or data stored in the storage unit 13 into the memory 12, and based on the computer program and data, the arithmetic processing unit 11 performs arithmetic processing, thereby Each unit in the covering device 1 performs operation control. This advances the coating process on the substrate 9.

The supply unit 30 of the coating device 1 is provided with a degassing unit 34 and an auxiliary pump 35 as a mechanism for degassing the processing liquid. In the degassing unit 34 having a plurality of hollow fiber membranes 42, the inner diameter of the hollow fiber membrane 42 is very small compared to the inner diameter of the liquid supply pipe 32, so the flow path resistance in the degassing unit 34 is greater than the liquid supply pipe 32 Resistance in the flow path. Therefore, independently of the main pump 33 that adjusts the discharge speed in the slit nozzle 22, on the upstream side of the degassing unit 34, an auxiliary pump 35 for sending the processing liquid to the degassing unit 34 is arranged. Thereby, the processing liquid can be smoothly supplied to each hollow fiber membrane 42 of the deaeration unit 34.

As described above, in the degassing tank which is a conventional degassing mechanism, degassing takes time. Therefore, when the consumption rate of the processing liquid is high, the number of degassing tanks increases, and the entire apparatus becomes large. On the other hand, in the supply part 30, the small deaeration unit 34 can perform deaeration. In the degassing unit 34 using the hollow fiber membrane 42, even in the case where the processing liquid passes at a relatively large flow rate, the degassing process can be sufficiently performed. That is, in the supply unit 30, the dissolved gas in the processing liquid with high viscosity can be efficiently removed, and the apparatus can be miniaturized.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as conceptually shown in FIG. 1, the degassing unit 34 and the main pump 33 of the supply unit 30 are housed inside the housing 21 of the coating unit 20. Depending on the raw material forming the liquid-feeding pipe 32, the liquid-feeding pipe 32 may slightly permeate the gas. As described above, the degassing unit 34 is arranged in the vicinity of the slit nozzle 22, so that the processing liquid subjected to the degassing process can be supplied to the slit nozzle 22 immediately before absorbing the gas again.

<2. About each process in the coating device> Next, each step in the coating device 1 will be described. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of each step performed on the processing liquid in the coating device 1.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the coating device 1, when the flow from the supply tank 31 toward the slit nozzle 22 occurs in the liquid supply pipe 32 by the main pump 33 and the auxiliary pump 35, the supply tank 31 supplies The processing liquid in the liquid piping 32 first removes foreign matter in the filter 36 (step S101).

Then, the processing liquid that has passed through the filter 36 is supplied to the auxiliary pump 35 next. Next, the processing liquid passes through the auxiliary pump 35, is pressurized toward the degassing unit 34, and is supplied to the downstream side of the liquid supply pipe 32 (step S102 ). Thereby, the processing liquid is smoothly supplied to the deaeration unit 34 having a relatively large flow path resistance.

The processing liquid supplied from the auxiliary pump 35 is immediately supplied to the degassing unit 34 after being discharged from the auxiliary pump 35. In the degassing unit 34, the processing liquid passes through the plurality of hollow fiber membranes 42 whose outer space is decompressed. Thus, the dissolved gas in the processing liquid is removed (step S103).

Next, the processing liquid from which the dissolved gas has been removed in the degassing unit 34 is sent through the main pump 33 and supplied to the slit nozzle 22 (step S104). In the main pump 33, the processing liquid required for the coating process in the slit nozzle 22 is supplied in an amount required in the coating process. The processing liquid supplied to the slit nozzle 22 is ejected and applied toward the upper surface of the substrate 9 (step S105). As described above, the processing liquid in the supply tank 31 is degassed and applied to the substrate 9.

<3. Modifications> In the above, one embodiment of the present invention has been described, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

In the above-described embodiment, the supply unit 30 that is a supply device that supplies a high-viscosity processing liquid is used together with the coating unit 20 having the slit nozzle 22 as a supply target, and constitutes the coating device 1 as a whole. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The supply device of the present invention may use a device other than the coating portion for the purpose of coating the processing liquid as the supply target.

Furthermore, the coating device 1 is a process for manufacturing the substrate of the flexible element itself, but the coating device of the present invention can also be used for the process of forming a protective film on the surface of the substrate after element formation. Furthermore, the coating device of the present invention can also be used for the process of coating the adhesive when bonding the substrate to the substrate. Furthermore, the coating device of the present invention can also be used in the manufacturing process of liquid crystal display devices or semiconductor substrates other than flexible elements. Furthermore, the coating device of the present invention can also be used in a manufacturing process of a lithium ion (lithium ion) secondary battery or a fuel cell. That is, the coating device of the present invention is particularly suitable for the process of coating high-viscosity materials.

Moreover, the details of the supply device and the coating device may be different from the structures shown in the drawings of the present application. Furthermore, each element appearing in the above-mentioned embodiment or modification may be appropriately combined within a range that does not cause conflicts.

1: coating device 9: substrate (carrier substrate) 10: Control Department 11: Operation processing section 12: memory 13: Storage Department 20: Coating Department 21: Frame 22: slit nozzle 23: Nozzle holder 24: Walking mechanism 30: Supply Department 31: Supply tank 32: Liquid delivery piping 33: main pump 34: Degassing unit 35, 35A: auxiliary pump 36: filter 41: Shell 42: Hollow fiber membrane 43: Decompression mechanism 50: frame 51: Lower side check valve 52: upper side check valve 53, 53A: Tube 54: Fluid holding part 55A: Drive shaft 61A: Function Department 62A: Shaft arrangement 63A: Connection 210: stage 221: Nozzle body 223: Outlet 231: Bridge Department 232: Support 233: Lifting mechanism 241: Walking track 242: linear motor 242a: stator 242b: mover 311: Supply piping 320: supply port 411, 501, 501A: flow inlet 412, 502, 502A: Outflow 413: Exhaust 431: Decompression piping 432: Pressure reducing pump 500: flow path 540, 540A: fluid storage room 541: Small diameter bellows 542: Large diameter bellows 543: Bellows Center 544: mobile mechanism S101～S105: Procedure

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a coating apparatus. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a coating portion. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the degassing unit. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an auxiliary pump. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an auxiliary pump. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of another example of an auxiliary pump. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of each step performed on the processing liquid in the coating device.

1: coating device

10: Control Department

11: Operation processing section

12: memory

13: Storage Department

20: Coating Department

21: Frame

22: slit nozzle

30: Supply Department

31: Supply tank

32: Liquid delivery piping

33: main pump

34: Degassing unit

35: auxiliary pump

36: filter

311: Supply piping

320: supply port

Claims (7)

A supply device for supplying a high-viscosity processing liquid to a supply target, the supply device comprising: Tank to store the treatment liquid; A supply port to supply the processing liquid to the supply target; A liquid supply pipe to connect the groove and the supply port with a flow path; A main pump, inserted in the liquid delivery pipe, conveys the treatment liquid from the tank toward the supply port; A degassing unit, inserted in the liquid delivery pipe on the upstream side of the main pump; An auxiliary pump interposed in the liquid feed pipe on the upstream side of the degassing unit to pressurize the treatment liquid toward the degassing unit; and A filter is interposed in the liquid sending pipe on the upstream side of the degassing unit, The degassing unit includes: Cylindrical shell; A plurality of hollow fiber membranes are housed inside the casing; and The decompression mechanism decompresses the space inside the casing and outside the hollow fiber membrane. The supply device according to item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein, The auxiliary pump includes: The fluid storage chamber can increase or decrease the internal volume; and The collapsible tube constitutes a flow path and is arranged inside the fluid storage chamber, When the volume of the fluid storage chamber becomes smaller, the pressure applied to the outer peripheral surface of the tube becomes larger, and the volume inside the tube becomes smaller, thereby discharging the treatment liquid from the tube. The supply device according to item 2 of the patent application scope, wherein, The auxiliary pump is a coaxial pipeline pump. The supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The treatment liquid is a varnish containing a precursor of polyimide, The supply target is a nozzle that sprays the varnish. A coating device that applies liquid to a surface to be treated. The coating device includes: The supply device described in any one of items 1 to 4 of the patent application scope; and The nozzle is the supply target of the supply device, and has a discharge port that discharges the processing liquid. The coating device as described in item 5 of the patent application scope also includes: The frame has a stage on the upper surface, and the stage mounts a substrate to be processed, The nozzle is movably arranged on the upper part of the stage, Inside the housing, the main pump and the degassing unit are housed. A supply method for supplying a high-viscosity processing liquid to a supply target, the supply method including the following steps: a) From the tank storing the processing liquid, pressurize and supply the processing liquid to the degassing unit through the auxiliary pump; b) In the degassing unit, the treatment liquid passes through a plurality of hollow fiber membranes whose outer space is decompressed, thereby removing dissolved gas in the treatment liquid; and c) The processing liquid that has passed through the degassing unit is delivered by the main pump.

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