TWI673108B - Nozzle cleaning member, nozzle cleaning device, coating device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a nozzle cleaning member, a nozzle cleaning device, and a coating device. On the one hand, the nozzle cleaning member can be used to perform cleaning suitable for stably ejecting the coating liquid from the nozzle, and on the other hand, it can suppress the nozzle cleaning member caused by the replacement of the nozzle cleaning member. Operating costs. The nozzle cleaning member of the present invention is relatively moved relative to a nozzle that ejects a coating liquid from a nozzle provided at a front end, and scrapes off the coating liquid attached to the nozzle. The nozzle cleaning member includes a resin facing portion, The two side surfaces of the nozzle are opposed to each other; and a rubber-made contact portion is provided between the respective front ends of the two side surfaces of the nozzle and abuts on the front end surface of the nozzle where the discharge port is opened.

Description

Nozzle cleaning member, nozzle cleaning device, coating device

The present invention relates to a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a plasma display panel (PDP), a glass substrate for a photomask, and a polyimide precursor film. Substrates for precision electronic devices (such as glass substrates for support, substrates for color filters, substrates for recording magnetic sheets, substrates for solar cells, substrates for electronic paper (hereinafter referred to simply as "substrates") spray coating liquid from the nozzles. A coating device that performs coating, a nozzle cleaning member that removes the coating liquid attached to the discharge port of the nozzle, and a nozzle cleaning device that cleans the nozzle by the nozzle cleaning member.

Conventionally, there has been known a coating device that applies a coating liquid to a substrate by using a slit nozzle that discharges the coating liquid from a discharge port provided at a front end. Further, the coating device of Patent Document 1 is provided with a wiping unit that removes the coating liquid adhered to the slit nozzle. The wiping unit is configured to clean the slit nozzle using a cleaning member having a V-shaped groove corresponding to a shape of a front end portion of the slit nozzle. More specifically, the cleaning member is moved along the slit nozzle while the tip of the slit nozzle is brought into contact with the V-shaped groove of the cleaning member. By sliding the cleaning member to the slit nozzle in this way, the coating liquid adhering to the slit nozzle can be scraped off. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-200614

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] The removal of the coating liquid from the slit nozzle as described above is performed in order to stably eject the coating liquid from the discharge port of the slit nozzle. In particular, when the coating liquid is excessively adhered to the front end surface of the slit nozzle that is opened at the discharge port, it is likely to affect the discharge of the coating liquid from the discharge port. Therefore, in order to discharge the coating liquid stably, it is important to securely attach the cleaning member to the front end surface of the slit nozzle. However, when the cleaning member is firmly fitted to the nozzle, the abrasion of the cleaning member may increase, and there may be a need for frequent replacement of the cleaning member. That is, when it is desired to remove the coating liquid reliably in order to discharge the coating liquid stably, problems such as frequent replacement of the cleaning member and an increase in operating costs occur.

The present invention has been made in view of the problems described above, and an object thereof is to be able to perform a cleaning suitable for stably ejecting a coating liquid from a nozzle by using a nozzle cleaning member, and to suppress an operation cost associated with replacement of the nozzle cleaning member. [Technical means to solve the problem]

The nozzle cleaning member of the present invention wipes off the coating liquid attached to the nozzle by moving relative to the nozzle. The nozzle ejects the coating liquid from a nozzle provided at the front end. The nozzle cleaning member includes a resin facing portion. The two side surfaces of the nozzle are opposite to each other; and the abutting portion made of rubber is provided between the respective front ends of the two side surfaces of the nozzle, and abuts the front end surface of the nozzle where the ejection opening is formed.

The nozzle cleaning device of the present invention removes the coating liquid attached to the nozzle, and the nozzle sprays the coating liquid from a nozzle provided at the front end. The nozzle cleaning device includes the nozzle cleaning member, and a support portion for performing the nozzle cleaning member. A support; and a driving unit that moves the nozzle cleaning member relative to the nozzle by driving the support.

The coating apparatus of the present invention includes a nozzle that sprays a coating liquid from a discharge port provided at a front end, and the nozzle cleaning device.

The nozzle which is a cleaning object of the present invention (nozzle cleaning member, nozzle cleaning device, and coating device) configured as described above includes two side surfaces, and a front end surface provided between the front ends of the two side surfaces, and the ejection opening is opened. In contrast, the nozzle cleaning member includes facing portions facing on both side surfaces of the nozzle, and abutting portions that abut on the front end surface of the nozzle. Therefore, by sliding the nozzle cleaning member with respect to the nozzle, the facing portion of the nozzle cleaning member can scrape off the coating liquid attached to both sides of the nozzle, and the contact portion of the nozzle cleaning member can scrape off the front end surface of the nozzle. Coating solution.

In addition, since the facing portion of the nozzle cleaning member is made of resin, there is almost no abrasion due to nozzle cleaning. In addition, since the resin facing portion does not deform elastically, it does not fit tightly on both sides of the nozzle. However, the amount of coating liquid adhered to both sides of the nozzle is inherently small, and it is sufficient that it can be removed to such an extent that it does not drip onto the front end surface of the nozzle. Therefore, as for the coating liquid adhering to both sides of the nozzle, if it is removed in advance by the resin-based facing portion, it is possible to suppress the influence on the spraying of the coating liquid from the nozzle. In contrast, the contact portion of the nozzle cleaning member is made of rubber. Therefore, it is possible to closely fit the front end surface of the nozzle, reliably remove the coating liquid adhering to the front end surface of the nozzle, and realize stable discharge of the coating liquid from the nozzle. In addition, such a rubber-made contact portion may be worn due to cleaning of the nozzle. However, the front end surface of the nozzle abutted by the abutting portion tends to adhere a large amount of the coating liquid, and the coating liquid functions as a lubricant, so the abrasion of the abutting portion progresses slowly. In addition, when the contact portion is worn to an unusable level, it is only necessary to replace the contact portion, and it is not necessary to replace the nozzle cleaning member itself. In this way, on the one hand, the nozzle cleaning member can be used to perform cleaning suitable for stably ejecting the coating liquid from the nozzle, and on the other hand, it is possible to suppress the operation cost associated with the replacement of the nozzle cleaning member.

In addition, the nozzle cleaning member may be configured to further include a resin body having a groove in which the facing portion is formed in the side portion, and the contact portion is attached to the bottom of the groove. In the above-mentioned configuration, when abrasion occurs in the abutting portion, the abutment portion may be replaced with respect to the main body, and the main body itself may continue to be used. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress operating costs.

At this time, the nozzle cleaning member may be configured in such a manner that the contact portion is detachable from the bottom of the groove. Thereby, the replacement operation of the contact portion with respect to the main body can be easily performed.

In addition, the nozzle cleaning member may be configured such that the body has liquid repellency to the coating liquid. Accordingly, in order to be able to suppress the amount of the coating liquid adhered to the body, the cleaning frequency of the nozzle cleaning member can be suppressed.

Specifically, the nozzle cleaning member may be configured in such a manner that the body is formed of polytetrafluoroethylene or a resin having a contact angle larger than that of the polytetrafluoroethylene. Thereby, the main body of a nozzle cleaning member can be formed so that it may have liquid repellency with respect to a coating liquid.

In addition, the nozzle cleaning member may be configured such that, when the coating liquid adhering to the nozzle is scraped off, the abutment portion comes into contact with the restricting member, and the nozzle has a nozzle for spraying and coating the nozzle outlet by partially blocking the nozzle outlet. A limiting member that limits the range of the liquid. Thereby, the coating liquid adhering to a restriction member can be removed reliably.

In addition, the nozzle cleaning member may be configured such that the coating liquid adhering to the nozzle is scraped off, and the nozzle ejects the coating liquid containing a polyimide precursor and a solvent. Such a coating liquid containing a polyfluorene imide precursor has a higher viscosity than, for example, a coating liquid for a photoresist, and therefore, it is particularly necessary to reliably remove it from the front end surface of the nozzle. On the other hand, according to the present invention, the coating liquid can be reliably removed from the front end surface of the nozzle using the rubber-made abutting portion mounted on the front end surface of the nozzle. On the other hand, since the coating liquid has a high viscosity, it is difficult to cause the coating liquid to drip from both sides of the nozzle to the front end surface. Therefore, removing the coating liquid from both sides of the nozzle is sufficient if it is performed by the resin facing portion. [Effect of the invention]

As described above, according to the present invention, the nozzle cleaning member can be used to perform cleaning suitable for stably ejecting the coating liquid from the nozzle, and it is possible to suppress the operation cost associated with the replacement of the nozzle cleaning member.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a coating apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing the coating apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing the arrangement of each part of the coating apparatus shown in FIG. 1. In addition, in each of Figures 1, 2, 3, and subsequent figures, in order to clarify their directional relationship, it is appropriately noted that the Z direction is set to the vertical direction and the XY plane is set to the horizontal XYZ orthogonal coordinate system, and Exaggerate or simplify the size or number of parts as needed. In addition, in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a part of the structure of a nozzle support body etc. is abbreviate | omitted.

The coating apparatus 1 is a coating apparatus called a slit coater that applies a coating liquid to the surface 31 of the substrate 3 using a slit nozzle 2. The coating liquids each contain a polyimide precursor, ie, a polyamic acid (polyamic acid) as a solute, and N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent. The substrate 3 is a glass substrate having a rectangular shape in a plan view. In addition, in this specification, the "surface 31 of the board | substrate 3" means the main surface of the side which coats a coating liquid among the two main surfaces of the board | substrate 3.

The coating apparatus 1 includes a stage 4 capable of sucking and holding the substrate 3 in a horizontal posture, a coating processing unit 5 that applies a coating process to the substrate 3 held on the stage 4 using a slit nozzle 2, and a cleaning process for the slit nozzle 2. The nozzle cleaning device 6 and a control unit 100 that control the respective units.

The platform 4 is composed of stone material such as granite having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a holding surface 41 that is processed into a substantially horizontal flat surface on the -Y side of the upper surface (+ Z side) of the substrate 3 to hold the substrate 3. A plurality of vacuum suction ports (not shown) are formed on the holding surface 41 in a dispersed manner. By sucking the substrate 3 using these vacuum suction ports, the substrate 3 is horizontally held at a predetermined position during the coating process. The holding form of the substrate 3 is not limited to this, and it may be configured to mechanically hold the substrate 3, for example. A nozzle adjustment area RA is provided on the platform 4 on the + Y side than the area occupied by the holding surface 41, and a nozzle cleaning unit 6 described later is disposed in the nozzle adjustment area RA.

The coating processing unit 5 includes a nozzle support body 51 that supports the slit nozzle 2. The nozzle support body 51 includes a support member 51 a extending parallel to the X direction above the platform 4, and two lifting mechanisms 51 b that support the support member 51 a from both sides in the X direction and raise and lower the support member 51 a. . The support member 51a is a rod member made of a carbon fiber reinforced resin or the like and having a rectangular cross section. The lower surface of the support member 51a is a mounting portion 510 of the slit nozzle 2, and the support member 51a detachably supports the slit nozzle 2 at the mounting portion 510. In addition, as a mechanism for attaching and detaching the slit nozzle 2 to and from the mounting portion 510 of the support member 51a, various fastening mechanisms such as latches and screws can be appropriately used.

The two lifting mechanisms 51b are connected to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the support member 51a, and each include an alternating current (AC) servo motor, a ball screw, and the like. By these lifting mechanisms 51b, the support member 51a and the slit nozzle 2 fixed to it are lifted and lowered in the vertical direction (Z direction), and the interval between the ejection port 21 opened at the lower end of the slit nozzle 2 and the substrate 3, that is, The relative height of the ejection port 21 with respect to the substrate 3 is adjusted. In addition, although the position of the support member 51a in the vertical direction is omitted, for example, it can be detected by a linear encoder including a scale provided on a side of the lifting mechanism 51b. And a detection sensor provided on the side of the slit nozzle 2 or the like opposite to the scale portion.

As shown in FIG. 1, the nozzle support body 51 configured as described above has a cross-over structure that spans the holding surface 41 and is mounted on the left and right end portions of the platform 4 in the X direction. The coating processing section 5 includes a slit nozzle moving section 53 that moves the nozzle support 51 in the Y direction. The slit nozzle moving part 53 functions as a relative moving element that relatively moves the nozzle support body 51 serving as a bridge structure and the slit nozzle 2 supported thereon in the Y direction relative to the substrate 3 held on the stage 4. effect. Specifically, each of the slit nozzle moving sections 53 includes a guide rail 52 that guides the movement of the slit nozzle 2 in the Y direction on the ± X side, a linear motor 54 as a driving source, and a slit for A linear encoder 55 that detects the position of the nozzle 21 of the nozzle 2.

The two guide rails 52 are respectively provided at both ends in the X direction of the platform 4 and extend in the Y direction so as to include a section in which the nozzle adjustment region RA and the holding surface 41 are provided. Further, the two guide rails 52 respectively guide the movement of the two lifting mechanisms 51b in the Y direction. The two linear motors 54 are respectively provided on both sides of the platform 4 and are AC coreless linear motors having a stator 54a and a mover 54b. The stator 54 a is provided on the side surface in the X direction of the platform 4 in the Y direction. On the other hand, the mover 54b is fixedly provided outside the elevating mechanism 51b. The two linear motors 54 respectively drive the two lifting mechanisms 51b in the Y direction by the magnetic force generated between the stator 54a and the mover 54b.

Each linear encoder 55 includes a scale portion 55a and a detection portion 55b. The scale portion 55 a is provided in the Y direction below the stator 54 a of the linear motor 54 fixedly provided on the platform 4. On the other hand, the detection unit 55b is fixedly provided on the outer side of the mover 54b of the linear motor 54 fixedly mounted on the elevating mechanism 51b, and is disposed to face the scale portion 55a. The linear encoder 55 detects the position of the discharge port 21 of the slit nozzle 2 in the Y direction based on the relative positional relationship between the scale portion 55 a and the detection portion 55 b.

The slit nozzle moving unit 53 configured as described above can drive the nozzle support body 51 in the Y direction, so that the slit nozzle 2 can be positioned above the nozzle adjustment region RA and above the substrate 3 held on the stage 4. mobile. The coating apparatus 1 forms a coating layer on the surface 31 of the substrate 3 by moving the slit nozzle 2 relative to the substrate 3 while ejecting the coating liquid from the discharge port 21 of the slit nozzle 2. In addition, the application of the coating liquid is not performed on the entire surface of the substrate 3, but as shown in FIG. 3, the coating liquid is selectively applied to a predetermined coating area RT in the substrate 3. Therefore, the coating liquid is ejected from the ejection port 21 that moves in the upper section of the coating area RT of the substrate 3 among the moving sections of the slit nozzle 2. In addition, two application regions RT divided from each other with respect to the substrate 3 are set. Therefore, as will be described later, the range in which the coating liquid is discharged from the discharge port 21 of the slit nozzle 2 is limited to a range corresponding to each coating area RT.

In addition, during the period when the coating device 1 and the substrate 3 of the external conveyance mechanism are being transferred (the time when the substrate 3 is loaded and unloaded) and the coating process is not performed on the stage 4, the slit nozzle 2 is directed from the holding surface 41 of the substrate 3 toward Avoidance is performed in the nozzle adjustment area RA that is offset from the + Y side (the state shown in FIG. 1). Further, the nozzle cleaning unit 6 performs a cleaning process on the slit nozzle 2 located in the nozzle adjustment area RA. The details of the nozzle cleaning device 6 will be described after the explanation of the slit nozzle 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing a slit nozzle, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing an exploded structure of the slit nozzle of FIG. 4. The slit nozzle 2 includes two nozzle bodies 23, a nozzle body 25, and a nozzle shim 27 sandwiched between the nozzle body 23 and the nozzle body 25 from the Y direction. The nozzle main body 23 and the nozzle main body 25 are respectively extended to have the same width in the X direction, and have a ladder-shaped lower end portion 23a, a lower end portion 25a, a rectangular upper end portion 23b, and an upper end portion 25b in a YZ cross section. The surfaces inside the nozzle body 23 and the nozzle body 25 (on the nozzle pad 27 side) are planes parallel to the ZX plane. On the other hand, the side surfaces 23c and 25c of the nozzle body 23, the lower end portion 23a of the nozzle body 25, and the outside of the lower end portion 25a (the opposite side of the nozzle pad 27) are closer to the nozzle pad 27 as they are directed downward. Inclined inclined surface. Therefore, the front end portion 2a (nozzle lip portion) of the slit nozzle 2 constituted by the nozzle body 23, the lower end portion 23a, and the lower end portion 25a of the nozzle body 25 has a shape in which the tip end becomes thinner.

Further, in each of the nozzle bodies 23 and 25, a bottom surface 23d and a bottom surface 25d are horizontally extended from the front end (lower end) of each of the side surfaces 23c and 25c to the inside (nozzle pad 27 side). The nozzle body 23 and the bottom surface 23 d and the bottom surface 25 d of the nozzle body 25 are aligned flush to form a front end surface 2 d of the slit nozzle 2. A slit-shaped ejection port 21 parallel to the X direction is formed between the nozzle body 23 and the bottom surface 23 d and the bottom surface 25 d of the nozzle body 25. As described above, the side surface 23c and the side surface 25c respectively correspond to the "side surface of the nozzle" of the present invention, and the front end surface 2d extending horizontally between the front end of the side surface 23c and the front end of the side surface 25c and the opening of the discharge port 21 corresponds to the present invention "Front end face of the nozzle".

A flow path F of the coating liquid is formed on the inner surface of the nozzle body 25. The flow path F includes a horizontal hole portion Fa extending parallel to the X direction and a vertical hole portion Fb extending parallel to the Z direction from the center of the horizontal hole portion Fa. Further, both ends in the X direction of the lateral hole portion Fa are opened on both sides of the nozzle body 25 to constitute a side opening A1 and a side opening A2, respectively, and an upper end of the vertical hole portion Fb is opened on the upper surface of the nozzle body 25 to constitute an upper surface. Opening A3.

The nozzle gasket 27 has a flat plate-shaped upper portion 271 extending in the X direction with the same width as the nozzle body 23 and the nozzle body 25. The nozzle pad 27 includes a flat plate-shaped side portion 272 extending from both ends of the upper portion 271 downward in the Z direction, and a flat plate extending from the upper portion 271 downward in the Z direction between the both side portions 272. Shaped spacer 273. Each side portion 272, the spacer portion 273, and the nozzle body 23 and the nozzle body 25 have the same height in the Z direction. The bottom surface 272d of each side portion 272, the bottom surface 273d of the spacer portion 273, and the front end surface 2d of the slit nozzle 2. Arranged flush.

The area below the upper side portion 271 and between each side portion 272 and the spacer portion 273 functions as the cavity CV of the slit nozzle 2. A predetermined upper side portion 271 of the upper end of each cavity CV is positioned above the lateral hole portion Fa of the flow path F, and each cavity CV communicates with the lateral hole portion Fa of the flow path F. Therefore, the coating liquid supplied from one or both of the side opening A1 and the side opening A2 diffuses in each cavity CV. Then, the coating liquid is ejected from the lower end of each cavity CV opened outward. The two cavities CV are provided corresponding to the two coating regions RT, and each of the cavities CV has the same width in the X direction as the corresponding coating region RT (FIG. 3). As described above, the nozzle gasket 27 functions as a restricting member that restricts the range in which the coating liquid is ejected from the ejection port 21 by partially blocking the ejection port 21.

Further, in order to remove the excess coating liquid from the slit nozzle 2 having the above-mentioned configuration, the nozzle cleaning device 6 performs a cleaning process on the slit nozzle 2. Next, the configuration and operation of the nozzle cleaning device 6 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6, 7, and 8.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of a nozzle cleaning device. 7 is a view schematically showing an example of a squeegee used as a nozzle cleaning member in a nozzle cleaning device. FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between the squeegee and the slit nozzle in FIG. 7. The nozzle cleaning device 6 includes a removal unit 6A that removes the coating liquid attached to the front end portion 2a by moving toward the cleaning direction Dc along the front end portion 2a of the slit nozzle 2 along with the squeegee 61, and the removal unit 6A in the cleaning direction Dc The driving unit 6B is driven. Here, the cleaning direction Dc is a direction facing the side opposite to the arrow in the X direction and parallel to the X direction, and the drive unit 6B can move the removal unit 6A back and forth in the X direction.

Further, the nozzle cleaning device 6 includes a washing unit 6C (FIG. 3) that cleans the blade 61 in a sealed space formed by sealing the blade 61. The washing unit 6C is a squeegee 61 that wipes and removes the coating liquid attached to the front end portion 2 a of the slit nozzle 2, and supplies the washing liquid in the closed space to wash away the coating attached to the squeegee 61. Fluid unit. As the washing liquid, a solvent of the coating liquid (NMP in the example here) can be used. As the washing unit 6C, for example, a unit described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-176812 can be used.

The removal unit 6A mainly includes a squeegee 61 that slides to the front end portion 2 a of the slit nozzle 2, and a support portion 62 that supports the squeegee 61. In addition, FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the slit nozzle 2 and the removal unit 6A when the removal unit 6A is positioned more upstream than the upstream end of the slit nozzle 2 in the cleaning direction Dc. .

As shown in FIG. 7, the squeegee 61 includes a body 611 capable of being supported by the support portion 62. The main body 611 of the squeegee 61 is, for example, a rigid body integrally formed of a resin such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The resin body 611 is liquid-repellent to the coating liquid. The central portion of the body 611 is a supported portion 612 supported by the support portion 62. The main body 611 includes an extension portion 613 that is extended from the supported portion 612, and a V-shaped groove 614 that is a V-shaped groove is formed at an upper end of the extended installation portion 613. The V-shaped groove 614 has a shape corresponding to the front end portion 2 a of the slit nozzle 2. Each side portion of the V-shaped groove 614 is formed with facing portions 615 inclined along the side surface 23 c and facing portions 616 inclined along the side surface 25 c. . In addition, the squeegee 61 includes an abutting portion 618 mounted on the bottom of the V-shaped groove 614 of the body 611. The abutting portion 618 is an elastic body made of rubber, and is processed into a flat shape along the front end surface 2d of the slit nozzle 2. The mounting of the abutting portion 618 to the main body 611 is achieved by bonding the abutting portion 618 to the main body 611 with an adhesive.

As shown in FIG. 6, the scraper 61 configured as described above is two fastening metal parts, and is detachably fixed to the support portion 62 by bolts 64, for example. The support portion 62 includes a lifting portion 621 capable of lifting in the Z direction, and a pillar portion 622 standing on the upper surface of the lifting portion 621 in the Z direction. The scraper 61 is fastened to the upper end of the pillar portion 622. More specifically, the supported portion 612 of the squeegee 61 is processed into a shape that can be engaged with the upper end portion of the pillar portion 622. In addition, the squeegee 61 is tilted at a predetermined inclination angle θ (for example, 50 degrees) with respect to the slit nozzle 2 extending in the X direction while the V-shaped groove 614 faces the slit nozzle 2 side. , Fastened to the upper end of the post 622.

The support portion 62 includes a base portion 623 below the lifting portion 621 to which the squeegee 61 is fixed as described above. The lifting portion 621 is supported by the base portion 623 so as to be able to move up and down. That is, the support portion 62 is provided with a guide rail 624 standing up from the upper surface of the base portion 623 in the Z direction, and a pressing member 625 (for example, a compression spring) provided between the base portion 623 and the lifting portion 621. Further, while the movement of the lifting portion 621 is guided in the Z direction by the guide rail 624, the pressing portion 625 presses the lifting portion 621 upward with respect to the base portion 623. Therefore, the squeegee 61 fixed to the raising and lowering portion 621 is pressed upward by the pressing force of the pressing member 625.

The base portion 623 of the support portion 62 is attached to the drive unit 6B. The drive unit 6B includes a pair of rollers 651 and 651 arranged on both outer sides of the slit nozzle 2 in the X direction, and an endless belt 652 mounted on the rollers 651 and 651. The endless belt 652 A base portion 623 of the support portion 62 is mounted on the upper surface of the substrate. The driving unit 6B rotates the rollers 651 and 651 to drive the upper surface of the endless belt 652 in the X direction, and moves the blade 61 in the X direction along with the support portion 62.

The nozzle cleaning device 6 configured as described above slides the blade 61 in the cleaning direction Dc with respect to the front end portion 2a of the slit nozzle 2 to scrape the coating liquid from the front end portion 2a of the slit nozzle 2 (cleaning process). The purpose of performing the cleaning process is, for example, to simply remove excess coating liquid adhering to the slit nozzle 2 or to adjust the state of the coating liquid on the ejection port 21 of the slit nozzle 2 before the coating process is started. When the cleaning process is performed for the latter purpose, the cleaning process is performed after ejecting several coating liquids from the discharge port 21 of the slit nozzle 2.

In the cleaning process, the abutting portion 618 of the squeegee 61 presses the front end surface 2d of the slit nozzle 2 and the nozzle pad 27 (the bottom surface) by the pressure of the pressure member 625. At this time, even if there are some steps between the front end surface 2d of the slit nozzle 2 and the nozzle pad 27 due to the assembly accuracy of the slit nozzle 2, the abutting portion 618 of the blade 61 will be elastically deformed. It is in close contact with the front end surface 2d of the slit nozzle 2 and the nozzle gasket 27. Accordingly, the abutting portion 618 can reliably scrape off the coating liquid adhered to the front end surface 2d of the slit nozzle 2 and the nozzle pad 27. In addition, the facing portion 615 and the facing portion 616 of the squeegee 61 are in contact with the side surface 23c and the side surface 25c of the slit nozzle 2, respectively, or face each other with some clearance. Therefore, the facing portion 615 and the facing portion 616 can scrape off the coating liquid adhered to the side surfaces 23 c and 25 c of the slit nozzle 2.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the slit nozzle 2 as a cleaning target includes both side surfaces 23c and 25c, and a front end surface provided between each of the front ends of the two side surfaces 23c and 25c and opening the ejection port 21 2d. In contrast, the squeegee 61 includes a facing portion 615, a facing portion 616 that faces the two side surfaces 23c and 25c of the nozzle, and a contact portion 618 that abuts the front end surface 2d of the slit nozzle 2. Therefore, by sliding the squeegee 61 relative to the slit nozzle 2, the facing portions 615 and 616 of the squeegee 61 can scrape off the coating liquid adhered to the both side surfaces 23 c and 25 c of the slit nozzle 2, and The abutting portion 618 of the squeegee 61 scrapes off the coating liquid attached to the front end surface 2 d of the slit nozzle 2.

In addition, since the facing portion 615 and the facing portion 616 of the squeegee 61 are made of resin, there is almost no wear caused by cleaning of the slit nozzle 2. In addition, since the resin facing portion 615 and the facing portion 616 are not elastically deformed, they are not closely fitted to both side surfaces 23 c and 25 c of the slit nozzle 2. However, the adhesion amount of the coating liquid on both the side surfaces 23 c and 25 c of the slit nozzle 2 is originally small, and it is sufficient that it can be removed to the extent that it does not drip onto the front end surface 2 d of the slit nozzle 2. Therefore, the coating liquid adhering to both the side surfaces 23c and 25c of the slit nozzle 2 can be prevented from being ejected from the slit nozzle 2 by removing the resin facing portion 615 and the facing portion 616 in advance. The impact. In contrast, the contact portion 618 of the blade 61 is made of rubber. Therefore, the front end surface 2d of the slit nozzle 2 can be closely fitted, the coating liquid adhering to the front end surface 2d of the slit nozzle 2 can be reliably removed, and the coating liquid can be stably ejected from the slit nozzle 2. In addition, the abutting portion 618 made of such a rubber wears along with cleaning of the slit nozzle 2. However, the front end surface 2d of the slit nozzle 2 abutted by the abutting portion 618 tends to adhere a large amount of a coating liquid, which acts as a lubricant, so that the abrasion of the abutting portion 618 progresses slowly. . In addition, when the abutting portion 618 is worn out and unusable, it is only necessary to replace the abutting portion 618 without replacing the scraper 61 itself. In this way, it is possible to use the squeegee 61 to perform cleaning that is suitable for stably ejecting the coating liquid from the slit nozzle 2 and to suppress the operation cost associated with the replacement of the squeegee 61.

In addition, the replacement of the abutting portion 618 may be achieved by removing the abraded abutting portion 618 from the main body 611 and bonding the new abutting portion 618 to the main body 611 with an adhesive. The replacement operation may be performed by a user of the coating apparatus 1 or by a service of a manufacturer of the coating apparatus 1.

In addition, with regard to the problem of the abrasion of the squeegee 61, a countermeasure may be considered: by supplying a rinse liquid or the like between the slit nozzle 2 and the squeegee 61 as a lubricant, the abrasion of the squeegee 61 is suppressed. However, if the rinsing liquid is mixed with the coating liquid discharged from the nozzle 21 of the slit nozzle 2, the viscosity of the coating liquid may be changed, and the coating state of the coating liquid on the substrate 3 may become unstable, or the rinsing liquid may be unstable. Increased consumption. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, there is an advantage in that the problem described above does not occur.

In addition, a scraper 61 is configured as follows: a resin facing portion 616 including a V-shaped groove 614 in which a facing portion 615 and a facing portion 616 are formed in a side portion is provided, and a bottom portion of the V-shaped groove 614 is provided. An abutting portion 618 is installed. In the above-mentioned configuration, when the abutment portion 618 is worn, the body 611 may be replaced with the abutment portion 618, and the body 611 itself may continue to be used. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress operating costs.

The body 611 is liquid-repellent to the coating liquid. Therefore, in order to be able to suppress the amount of the coating liquid attached to the main body 611, the cleaning frequency of the blade 61 in the washing unit 6C can be suppressed.

In addition, the slit nozzle 2 includes a nozzle gasket 27 that restricts the range in which the coating liquid is ejected from the ejection port 21 by partially blocking the ejection port 21. In contrast, in the cleaning process, the abutting portion 618 of the blade 61 is in contact with the nozzle pad 27 of the slit nozzle 2. Thereby, the coating liquid adhering to the nozzle pad 27 can be reliably removed.

The coating liquid of the slit nozzle 2 includes a polyfluorene imide precursor and a solvent. Such a coating liquid containing a polyfluorene imide precursor has a higher viscosity than, for example, a coating liquid for a photoresist, and therefore, it is particularly necessary to reliably remove it from the front end surface 2d of the slit nozzle 2. On the other hand, according to this embodiment, the coating liquid can be reliably removed from the front end surface 2d of the slit nozzle 2 by the rubber contact portion 618 fitted to the front end surface 2d of the slit nozzle 2. On the other hand, since the coating liquid has a high viscosity, it is difficult to cause the coating liquid to drip from both side surfaces 23c and 25c of the slit nozzle 2 to the front end surface 2d. Therefore, the removal of the coating liquid from both the side surfaces 23 c and the side surface 25 c of the slit nozzle 2 is sufficient if it is performed by the resin facing portion 615 and the facing portion 616.

As described above, in the embodiment, the coating device 1 corresponds to an example of the "coating device" of the present invention, the nozzle cleaning device 6 corresponds to an example of the "nozzle cleaning device", and the blade 61 corresponds to An example of the "nozzle cleaning member", the support portion 62 corresponds to an example of the "support portion" of the present invention, the drive unit 6B corresponds to an example of the "drive portion" of the present invention, and the facing portion 615 and the facing portion 616 correspond to this An example of the "opposing portion" of the invention, the abutting portion 618 corresponds to an example of the "abutting portion" of the invention, the body 611 corresponds to an example of the "body" of the invention, and the slit nozzle 2 corresponds to "a portion of the invention" As an example of the "nozzle", the ejection port 21 corresponds to an example of the "ejection port" of the present invention, the side surfaces 23c and 25c correspond to an example of the "both sides" of the present invention, and the front end surface 2d corresponds to the "front end" of the present invention For example, the nozzle gasket 27 corresponds to an example of the "restriction member" of the present invention.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various changes can be made in addition to the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the gist thereof. For example, in the embodiment described above, the abutting portion 618 is adhered to the main body 611 of the squeegee 61 with an adhesive. However, the abutting portion 618 may be detachably attached to the main body 611 of the squeegee 61, specifically, to the bottom of the V-shaped groove 614. Thereby, the replacement operation of the abutting portion 618 with respect to the main body 611 can be easily performed. In addition, various specific mechanisms for making the contact portion 618 detachable from the body 611 are conceivable. For example, as long as an engaging protrusion is provided on the main body 611 and an engaging hole is provided on the abutting portion 618, these engaging protrusions and the engaging holes are engaged with each other, so that the abutting portion 618 is opposed to the body. 611 can be disassembled. Alternatively, a fastening mechanism such as a screw may be used.

In addition, the type of resin constituting the body 611 is not limited to polytetrafluoroethylene. Therefore, the main body 611 may be made of, for example, another type of resin having a contact angle with respect to the coating solution larger than that of polytetrafluoroethylene. At this time, since the main body 611 has liquid repellency to the coating liquid, the cleaning frequency of the main body 611 of the squeegee 61 in the washing unit 6C can be suppressed.

Further, the body 611 does not need to be liquid-repellent to the coating liquid. Therefore, the main body 611 may be formed of another type of resin that does not have liquid repellency to the coating liquid.

In addition, the front end surface 2d of the slit nozzle 2 does not need to be flat, and may have a slight step difference. In particular, in the embodiment described above, the abutting portion 618 of the blade 61 that abuts on the front end surface 2d of the slit nozzle 2 is made of rubber. Therefore, even if there is a step on the front end surface 2d of the slit nozzle 2, The abutting portion 618 is elastically deformed, and may be in close contact with the front end surface 2d. Therefore, the coating liquid can be reliably removed from the front end surface 2 d of the slit nozzle 2.

Moreover, in the said embodiment, the case where the coating liquid was apply | coated to the two divided application | coating area RT was illustrated as an example. However, the squeegee 61 may also perform a cleaning process on the slit nozzles 2 that apply the coating liquid to the single coating area RT effectively.

The opposing portion 615 and the opposing portion 616 are integrally formed on the resin body 611. However, the squeegee 61 may be configured by attaching a resin facing portion 615, a facing portion 616, and a rubber contact portion 618 to a body made of a substance different from resin.

The shape of the contact portion 618 is not limited to a flat shape. For example, the abutting portion 618 may be extended in the Y direction so that both ends of the abutting portion 618 reach the side portion of the V-shaped groove 614. At this time, the abutting portion 618 can be brought into close contact with the portion of the side surface 23c and the side surface 25c of the slit nozzle 2 adjacent to the front end portion, that is, the front end surface 2d, and the coating liquid can be reliably removed from the front end portion.

The liquid that can be used as the coating liquid is not limited to a liquid containing a polyimide precursor and NMP. Therefore, various coating liquids, such as a photoresist liquid which becomes an etching-resistant film, a photoresist liquid for a color filter, a paste (paste) containing silicon, a nano metal ink, or a conductive material, can be used.

In addition, as the substrate 3 to be coated, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a semiconductor substrate, a glass substrate for a PDP, a glass substrate for a photomask, a substrate for a color filter, a substrate for a recording magnetic sheet, and a solar cell may be used. Various substrates such as substrates for precision electronic devices such as substrates for electronic paper, rectangular glass substrates, flexible substrates for thin film liquid crystals, and substrates for organic EL. [Industrial availability]

The present invention can be applied to all nozzle cleaning techniques for cleaning nozzles that eject coating liquid from a discharge port.

1‧‧‧ coating device

2‧‧‧ Slot Nozzle (Nozzle)

2a‧‧‧Front end

2d‧‧‧ front face

3‧‧‧ substrate

4‧‧‧ platform

5‧‧‧ Coating treatment department

6‧‧‧ Nozzle cleaning device

6A‧‧‧Removal unit

6B‧‧‧Driver (Driver)

6C‧‧‧washing unit

21‧‧‧ spout

23, 25‧‧‧ Nozzle body

23a, 25a‧‧‧ lower end

23b, 25b‧‧‧ Upper end

23c, 25c ‧‧‧ side (both sides)

23d, 25d ‧‧‧ bottom surface of nozzle body

27‧‧‧ Nozzle gasket (restrictive member)

31‧‧‧ surface

41‧‧‧ keep face

51‧‧‧ Nozzle support

51a‧‧‧ support member

51b‧‧‧Lifting mechanism

52, 624‧‧‧rail

53‧‧‧Slit nozzle moving part

54‧‧‧ Linear Motor

54a‧‧‧stator

54b‧‧‧ mover

55‧‧‧ linear encoder

55a‧‧‧Scale

55b‧‧‧Testing Department

61‧‧‧Scraper (nozzle cleaning member)

62‧‧‧ support

64‧‧‧ Bolt

100‧‧‧Control Department

271‧‧‧Top

272‧‧‧side

272d‧‧‧ the bottom of the side

273‧‧‧spacer

273d‧‧‧ Underside of the spacer

510‧‧‧Mounting part

611‧‧‧ Ontology

612‧‧‧ Supported

613‧‧‧Extended installation department

614‧‧‧V slot

615, 616‧‧‧ facing department

618‧‧‧Abutment Department

621‧‧‧ Lifting Department

622‧‧‧Column

623‧‧‧Base

625‧‧‧Pressing member

651‧‧‧roller

652‧‧‧ endless belt

A1, A2‧‧‧Side opening

A3‧‧‧ Opening on the top surface

CV‧‧‧ Cavity

Dc‧‧‧cleaning direction

F‧‧‧flow

Fa‧‧‧ horizontal hole

Fb‧‧‧Vertical hole section

RA‧‧‧Nozzle adjustment area

RT‧‧‧Coated area

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a coating apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing the coating apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing an arrangement of each part of the coating apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing a slit nozzle. FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing an exploded structure of the slit nozzle of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of a nozzle cleaning device. 7 is a view schematically showing an example of a squeegee used as a nozzle cleaning member in a nozzle cleaning device. FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing a relationship between a squeegee and a slit nozzle in FIG. 7.

Claims (9)

A nozzle cleaning member scrapes off a coating liquid attached to the nozzle by moving relative to the nozzle, the nozzle ejects the coating liquid from a nozzle provided at a front end, and the nozzle cleaning member is characterized by comprising: a resin Facing portions facing each other on the two sides of the nozzle; and abutment portions made of rubber provided between respective front ends of the both side surfaces of the nozzle and abutting on the ejection port to form an opening. The front end surface of the nozzle. The nozzle cleaning member according to item 1 of the scope of patent application, further comprising: a resin-made body having a groove forming the facing portion on a side portion; and the abutting portion is mounted on a bottom of the groove. . The nozzle cleaning member according to item 2 of the patent application scope, wherein the abutting portion is detachable from the bottom of the groove. The nozzle cleaning member according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the body is liquid-repellent to the coating liquid. The nozzle cleaning member according to item 4 of the scope of patent application, wherein the body is formed of polytetrafluoroethylene or a resin having a contact angle with respect to the coating liquid larger than that of polytetrafluoroethylene. The nozzle cleaning member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: the coating liquid adhering to the nozzle is scraped off, and the nozzle includes a method of partially blocking the ejection port. A restricting member that restricts a range in which the coating liquid is ejected from the ejection port, and the abutting portion is in contact with the restricting member. The nozzle cleaning member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the coating liquid adhering to the nozzle is scraped off, and the nozzle ejects the polyimide Body and solvent of the coating liquid. A nozzle cleaning device removes a coating liquid attached to a nozzle, and the nozzle sprays the coating liquid from a nozzle provided at a front end. The nozzle cleaning device is characterized in that it includes: The nozzle cleaning member according to any one of the claims; a support portion that supports the nozzle cleaning member; and a driving portion that drives the support portion to move the nozzle cleaning member relative to the nozzle. A coating device, comprising: a nozzle that sprays a coating liquid from a nozzle provided at a front end; and a nozzle cleaning device according to item 8 of the scope of patent application.