WO2020059796A1

WO2020059796A1 - Flotation conveyance device

Info

Publication number: WO2020059796A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/036747
Authority: WO
Inventors: 一馬竹内; 聡天ヶ瀬; 央入江
Original assignee: 株式会社Ｎｓｃ; 株式会社京マシナリー
Priority date: 2018-09-20
Filing date: 2019-09-19
Publication date: 2020-03-26
Also published as: JP2020047820A; CN113412535B; JP6853520B2; CN113412535A

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a floatation conveyance device which can stably convey a thin substrate that is wet after an etching process etc. [Solution] A floatation conveyance unit 60 includes: a water flotation conveyance part 62; an air knife 64; a first air flotation conveyance part 66; a second air flotation conveyance part 68; an auxiliary roller 70; and a conveyance belt 72, the floatation conveyance unit conveying a glass substrate 24 in a state where the glass substrate is caused to float. The water flotation conveyance part 62 has a water film forming plate 621 configured to form a water film on the surface. The air knife 64 is configured to jet air to the substrate to be treated. The first air flotation conveyance part 66 has a flotation conveyance plate 67 in which jetting holes 82 are formed for jetting air to the glass substrate 24 from below. The second air flotation conveyance part 68 has a porous plate 681. The auxiliary roller 70 and the conveyance belt 72 convey the glass substrate 24 along the conveyance direction.

Description

Floating transfer device

The present invention relates to a floating transfer device for transferring a thin substrate such as a glass substrate in a floating state.

フラット In recent years, demands for thinner flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays have been increasing. Generally, a liquid crystal panel is subjected to a thinning process by wet etching. The thickness of the liquid crystal panel subjected to the thinning process by the etching process is about 0.1 to 0.3 mm.

(4) The mechanical strength of the liquid crystal panel after the etching process is low, so that it is difficult to handle the liquid crystal panel. For example, if the substrate is transported with small scratches, it may be damaged starting from the scratches. In the case of a thin substrate, bending during transportation may also cause damage.

The substrate is generally transported while being placed on a roller, but contact with the roller causes damage to the substrate. Further, if the arrangement interval of the rollers is widened, the substrate may be bent between the rollers during the transportation, and may fall during the transportation of the substrate. In some cases, even if an attempt is made to reduce the distance between the rollers, the distance between the rollers cannot be sufficiently reduced due to the relationship between the driving mechanism and the gears.

For this reason, it has been considered to transport a thin substrate using a floating transport device capable of transporting in a non-contact state. It is said that the levitation transport device can float a thin substrate to a certain height by controlling the balance between injection of pressurized gas from a porous pad and vacuum suction (for example, see Patent Document 1). ). By using the floating transfer device, it is possible to transfer the glass substrate in a non-contact state and without causing bending or the like.

JP 2016-12015 A

However, the substrate after the etching process is in a wet state with the processing liquid or the like. When a wet substrate is transported using the floating transport device, water attached to the substrate is sucked by the suction hole for performing vacuum suction, and the suction hole is closed. For this reason, the balance between the buoyancy and the suction force cannot be maintained, resulting in poor conveyance.

ため In order to prevent such a problem, it is necessary to dry the substrate before transporting the substrate by the floating transport device. However, during the drying process, it is necessary to transport the substrate so as not to damage the substrate. Therefore, it has been difficult to use a conventional drying device or a conventional transport mechanism.

An object of the present invention is to provide a floating transfer device that transfers a thin substrate in a floating state.

The floating transport device according to the present invention is a floating transport device that transports a substrate in a floating state, and includes a water floating transport unit, an air knife, an air floating transport unit, and a transport roller. The water levitation transport unit has a water film forming plate configured to form a water film on the surface. The air knife is arranged at a stage subsequent to the water levitation transfer unit, and is configured to jet air to the substrate to be processed. The air levitation transport unit includes a levitation transport plate that is disposed downstream of the air knife and has an injection hole for injecting air from below into the substrate to be processed. The transport roller is disposed along the transport direction of the substrate to be processed in the water floating transport section and the air floating transport section.

The water levitation transport unit is configured to support the substrate to be processed in a state of being floated by the water film on the water film forming plate. Note that the term “floating” in the present invention includes a state in which a part of a substrate to be processed is supported by a transport roller. It is difficult to transport the substrate to be processed only by the water floating transport section, and the transport roller is configured to transport the substrate along the transport direction of the floating transport device.

The air knife is configured to dry the substrate to be processed by injecting air. At this time, since the substrate to be processed is held by the surface tension with the water film of the water floating transport unit, it is possible to prevent problems such as lifting and bending due to air from the air knife.

The air floating transport unit is configured to transport the substrate in a floating state by injecting air from below the substrate that has passed through the air knife. The substrate to be processed is also transported by the transport rollers in the air floating transport section. Since the water droplet has been removed from the substrate to be processed by the air knife, there is no possibility that the air injection holes are blocked by moisture attached to the substrate. By performing stable transport by the air floating transport section, operations such as transport to a post-processing step and packing of a substrate to be processed are facilitated.

Further, it is preferable that the air levitation transport section has a first air levitation transport section and a second air levitation transport section. The first air levitation transport unit is disposed between the air knife and the second air levitation transport unit. The second air levitation transport unit has a levitation transport plate having a suction hole formed on its surface for sucking air.

The floating transfer of the substrate to be processed is more stable if the substrate is transferred by controlling the balance between the ejection and suction of air.However, if water droplets adhere to the substrate that has passed through the air knife, the suction holes may be blocked. is there. For this reason, the substrate is transported by the second air levitation transport unit after passing through the first air levitation transport unit that transports the substrate to be processed only by air injection, and thereby more stable transport is performed. Becomes possible.

Further, it is preferable that the first levitation conveyance section includes a suction hole for sucking air in a region in contact with the air knife. When the substrate to be processed passes through the air knife, the tip of the substrate to be processed that has passed through the water levitation transport unit may be lifted. Therefore, the substrate to be processed can be stably transported by sucking the substrate to be processed by the suction hole of the first floating transport unit.

It is preferable that the air knife injects air to both main surfaces of the substrate to be processed. By injecting air to both main surfaces, it is possible to prevent moisture from being brought into the air floating conveyance section, and to perform more stable conveyance. In addition, lifting and bending of the substrate due to the ejection of air from the lower surface can be suppressed by the water floating transport unit.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a floating transfer device capable of floating a thin substrate such as a glass substrate.

It is a schematic diagram of an etching device provided with a floating conveyance device concerning one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic side view of an etching apparatus provided with a levitation transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an etching chamber of the etching apparatus. It is a figure showing the state where the door body of the ceiling part was opened. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a floating transport unit. It is a figure showing the state of the glass substrate conveyed by the water floating conveyance part.

浮 A description will now be given, with reference to the drawings, of a floating transport unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are schematic diagrams of a glass substrate etching apparatus 10 including a floating transport unit 60. The etching apparatus 10 includes a carry-in section 12, a pre-washing chamber 14, a first etching chamber 161, a second etching chamber 162, a post-washing chamber 18, a transport roller 30, and a floating transport unit 60.

(2) The transport roller 30, as shown in FIG. 2, is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the etching apparatus 10, and is configured to transport the glass substrate 24 in the horizontal direction. The transport rollers 30 are arranged at regular intervals in the transport direction of the glass substrate 24, and are configured to transport the glass substrate 24 by supporting it from below. The transport speed of the glass substrate 24 is preferably set as appropriate in consideration of the size and thickness of the glass substrate 24, the jet pressure of the etching solution, the composition of the etching solution, and the like. The etching apparatus 10 is configured to perform an etching process such as thinning by spraying an etchant on the glass substrate 24 being transported by the transport roller 30.

The loading unit 12 is configured to introduce the glass substrate 24 into the etching apparatus 10 by placing the glass substrate 24 on the transport roller 30. The glass substrate 24 is etched by passing through each chamber while being transported in the horizontal direction by the transport roller 30, and is etched until a desired thickness is obtained. The glass substrates 24 are sequentially put into the etching apparatus 10 at predetermined intervals.

The pre-washing chamber 14 is arranged at the rear stage of the loading section 12. The pre-washing chamber 14 is configured to spray cleaning liquid onto the glass substrate 24 being transported by the transport roller 30 from spray units 32 disposed above and below the transport roller 30. If the etchant is brought into contact with the dried glass substrate, the glass substrate may become cloudy. For this reason, the etching apparatus 10 is configured to spray the cleaning liquid at a stage preceding the etching chamber. In the present embodiment, city water is used as the cleaning liquid.

{Circle around (1)} The first etching chamber 161 and the second etching chamber 162 have substantially the same configuration, and are configured to spray an etching solution onto the glass substrate 24 being transported. In each of the

etching chambers

161 and 162, a spray unit 32 is disposed above and below the transport roller 30, and the spray liquid is sprayed from the spray unit 32 onto the glass substrate 24 on the transport roller 30.

The spray unit 32 has a plurality of spray nozzles 36 arranged in a liquid feed pipe 34, and is configured such that an etchant is sprayed uniformly on the glass substrate 24. The etchant is configured to be supplied from a tank or the like that contains the etchant whose composition has been adjusted. The reciprocating movement of the spray unit 32 makes it possible to spray the etchant more uniformly on the glass substrate 24 and prevent the etchant from remaining on the upper surface of the glass substrate 24. Note that the arrangement of the spray units 32 and the number of the injection nozzles 36 can be appropriately changed according to the size of the substrate to be processed and the etching amount.

(3) The etching solution sprayed in each etching chamber is discharged from a discharge port 38 arranged at a lower part of the etching chamber as shown in FIG. The etching liquid discharged from the discharge port 38 is collected in a tank (not shown), and is supplied from the tank to the spray unit 32 again.

エッチング The etching solution in the present embodiment contains at least hydrofluoric acid, and may contain an inorganic acid such as hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid or a surfactant. The composition and temperature of the etching solution can be appropriately changed depending on the amount of etching and the type of the substrate to be processed. Although the etching apparatus 10 has two etching chambers, the number of etching chambers can be changed in consideration of a substrate to be processed, an installation place, and the like.

(1) Each of the

etching chambers

161 and 162 is covered with a ceiling part 40 having an arcuate cross section as shown in FIGS. The ceiling 40 includes a transparent member 42, a frame body 44, and a protective film 46. The transparent member 42 is made of a resin member that is resistant to an etchant, and has an arc shape in cross section. Examples of the resin member used as the transparent member 42 include a polyethylene resin, a fluorine resin, and a polypropylene resin. The transparent member 42 can be processed into a desired curved shape by thermal processing.

The frame body 44 is attached to the outer wall side of the transparent member 42 in order to maintain the strength of the processing chamber. The frame body 44 is made of a metal member such as iron, and is arranged in a lattice. Since the frame body 44 is attached to the outer wall side of the transparent member 42, there is no need to arrange an extra structure on the inner wall side of the transparent member 42. This eliminates the problem that the scattered etchant accumulates in the uneven portions on the inner wall side, and allows the etchant to be discharged along the wall surface of the ceiling 40. Further, since the ceiling 40 has a small number of structures, visibility in the etching chamber can be improved.

The protective film 46 is a transparent film attached to the inner side of the transparent member 42. As the protective film 46, a polymethylpentene film can be used. Since the polymethylpentene film is a transparent film and has chemical resistance, it does not deteriorate even if it is attached to the inner wall of the etching chamber. In addition, since polymethylpentene has a low surface tension, the etchant scattered on the inner wall easily flows along the wall surface.

When a polymethylpentene film is used, the polymethylpentene resin is stretched, cut into a predetermined size suitable for a component to be applied, and then subjected to a surface modification treatment by a corona surface treatment machine. The surface modification treatment can be performed using a known corona discharge treatment device such as a vacuum tube method or a thyristor method. In this embodiment, a distance of about 0.1 to 10 mm is provided between the discharge electrode and the polymethylpentene film, and the processing is performed by applying an applied voltage of 0.1 to 50 kV. The surface of the polymethylpentene film on which the surface modification treatment has been performed is a surface to be adhered to another transparent resin, and an adhesive layer is formed on the surface to be adhered.

扉 As shown in FIG. 4A, the transparent member 42 is provided with a door 50 that can be opened and closed. The door body 50 selectively opens or closes an opening 52 formed in the ceiling 40. At the time of closing, the door body 50 is fitted into the opening 52, and the etching chamber is sealed. A sealing material is arranged on the periphery of the opening 52 to improve the sealing of the etching chamber.

The door body 50 is formed of the transparent member 42 like the ceiling part 40, and has a curved shape. Further, a protective film 46 is also attached to the inner surface side of the door body 50. Thus, the possibility that the etching solution stays in the door body 50 is reduced, and the etching solution drops along the ceiling 40.

The door body 50 is rotatably supported at the end of the opening 52 by a hinge 54. Note that the hinge part 54 is also formed of the transparent member 42. As shown in FIG. 4A, the door body 50 can be opened by rotating upward. The door body 50 is provided with a grip portion 56, and is configured such that an operator or the like lifts the grip portion 56 so that the door body 50 rotates about the hinge portion 54. Note that the door body 50 is preferably fixed by a fixing mechanism that can be fixed in a state of being opened upward.

エッチング Due to the curved shape of the door body 50, even when the door body 50 is opened, the etching liquid attached to the inner wall side of the door body 50 does not adhere to the periphery of the etching device 10. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4B, since the etching liquid flows along the curved shape of the door body 50, the etching liquid finally falls through the opening 52 into the etching chamber. Thereby, the contamination of the peripheral portion of the etching apparatus 10 can be prevented.

(2) Two adjacent processing chambers such as the pre-washing chamber 14 and the first etching chamber 161 are separated by a partition as shown in FIG. The housing of the etching chamber including the partition walls (excluding the ceiling portion 40) is formed of a resin having a resistance to hydrofluoric acid such as polyvinyl chloride. A slit 22 is formed in the partition wall to allow the glass substrate 24 to pass therethrough, which communicates the two processing chambers. The slit portion 22 is formed to a height such that the glass substrate 24 can pass through, and is preferably formed to a height of 4 to 10 mm.

(4) The post-washing chamber 18 is disposed after the second etching chamber 162. The post-washing chamber 18 is configured to wash away the etching solution by injecting a cleaning solution from above and below the glass substrate 24, similarly to the pre-washing chamber 14. As the cleaning liquid, city water is used similarly to the pre-washing chamber 14.

絞り A throttle roller 26 is arranged at the most downstream portion of the rear washing chamber 18. The squeezing roller 26 is a columnar member disposed above the transport roller 30, and is configured to rotate along the upper surface of the glass substrate 24 and physically remove water on the glass substrate 24.

A liquid cutter 28 is disposed above the carry-out port of the post-washing chamber 18 at the rear stage of the squeezing roller 26. The liquid cutter 28 injects air onto the upper portion of the glass substrate 24 to remove the cleaning water. By disposing the liquid cutter 28, it is possible to prevent the glass substrate 24 from being transported to the floating transport unit 60 with a large amount of cleaning water remaining on the glass substrate 24. The jet pressure and jet angle of the air from the liquid cutter 28 are appropriately adjusted according to the thickness and size of the glass substrate.

ガラス The glass substrate 24 that has passed through the post-washing chamber 18 is transported by the floating transport unit 60. As shown in FIG. 5, the floating transport unit 60 includes a water floating transport unit 62, an air knife 64, a first air floating transport unit 66, a second air floating transport unit 68, an auxiliary roller 70, and a transport belt 72. Then, the glass substrate 24 is transported in the direction indicated by the arrow. The water floating transport section 62, the air knife 64, the first air floating transport section 66, and the second floating transport section 68 are arranged along the transport direction of the glass substrate 24.

The water floating transfer unit 62 is configured to transfer the glass substrate 24 transferred from the post-wash chamber 18 to the air knife 64. The water levitation transport unit 62 includes three water film forming plates 621 to 623. Each of the water film forming plates 621 to 623 is a substrate having the same mechanism, but has a different shape depending on the arrangement of the air knife 64. Each of the water film forming plates 621 to 623 is spaced apart by a predetermined amount in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the glass substrate 24 is conveyed.

As shown in FIG. 6 (A), a water ejection hole 80 is formed on the main surface of the water film formation plate 621 so as to eject a predetermined amount of water. Water spouted from the water spouting hole 80 accumulates on the main surface of the water film forming plate 621 to form a water film. The water film forming plate 621 is configured to form a water film on the surface and float the glass substrate 24. While the glass substrate 24 is being conveyed, the water ejection holes 80 continuously eject water to keep the height of the water film constant. The configuration of the water film forming plate is not limited to this, and a porous substrate from which water spouts from a hole on the surface may be used.

(4) The auxiliary roller 70 and the transport belt 72 are arranged between the water film forming plates 621 to 623. The auxiliary roller 70 is a roller that is rotated by a drive mechanism (not shown). The transport belt 72 is an endless belt stretched over a pair of auxiliary rollers 70. The transport belt 72 is arranged so as to be in contact with the lower surface of the glass substrate 24, and is configured to transport the glass substrate 24 in the block arrow direction shown in the drawing.

(4) Since the glass substrate 24 that has passed through the post-washing chamber 18 is transported with the cleaning water adhered thereto, it is difficult to perform airborne transport by air due to the adhesion between the glass substrate 24 and the floating transport unit. For this reason, it is conveyed by the conveyance belt 72 while being floated on the water film. Although the glass substrate 24 is in contact with the conveyor belt 72, since the glass substrate 24 is floating on the water film, no local pressure is applied.

The air knife 64 includes an upper air knife 641 and a lower air knife 642, and is configured to inject air to the glass substrate 24 that has passed through the water floating transport unit 62. The upper air knife 641 and the lower air knife 642 are configured to remove water droplets attached to the glass substrate 24 by injecting air onto the main surface of the glass substrate 24, respectively.

The upper air knife 641 is configured to inject air shared from the air supply pipe 651 from the air ejecting unit 652 to the upper main surface of the glass substrate 24. The jet pressure and jet angle of the air are appropriately adjusted according to the thickness and size of the glass substrate 24. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6A, the upper air knife 641 is disposed so that the tip of the upper air knife 641 faces the water floating transport unit 62 side.

The lower air knife 642 is disposed below the upper air knife 641 and is configured to inject air to the lower surface of the glass substrate 24. The lower air knife 642 includes an air supply pipe 74, an air ejection section 76, and a slit nozzle 78, as shown in FIG. The air jet unit 76 of the lower air knife 642 is disposed at a position lower than the main surface of the water film forming plate 621, and jets air from below to the lower main surface of the glass substrate 24.

The air supply pipe 74 extends in the vertical direction toward the air injection unit 76, and air supplied from an air supply source (not shown) passes therethrough. The air ejecting unit 76 is an opening that ejects air to the lower air knife 642 at the distal end. Further, the air injection unit 76 includes a storage unit 77 that stores the slit nozzle 78. The storage section 77 is configured such that the slit nozzle 78 is rotatably supported in the storage section 77.

The slit nozzle 78 is a cylindrical member arranged at the tip of the lower air knife 642, and is supplied with air from the air supply pipe 74. The slit nozzle 78 has slits formed on the air supply pipe 74 side and the air injection unit 76 side, respectively, and is configured to jet air from the slit on the air injection unit 76 side. The width of the slit on the side of the air injection unit 76 is adjusted in the range of 0.1 to 0.5 mm.

Since the slit nozzle 78 is rotatable in the housing portion 77, it is possible to adjust the air injection angle according to the size and thickness of the glass substrate 24. In addition, since the injection angle can be adjusted by the slit nozzle 78, the lower air knife 642 does not need to be disposed to be inclined with respect to the glass substrate 24, and the water floating transport unit 62 and the first air floating transport unit 66 Can be arranged in the gap.

The air knife 64 is provided so as to be inclined in a plane with respect to the transport direction of the glass substrate 24. In the present embodiment, by arranging the air knife 64 at an angle, air is blown toward the third water film forming plate 623 on the downstream side in the transport direction of the glass substrate 24, so that the water on the glass substrate is in one place. Since it moves, it can be dried efficiently. In addition, it is possible to prevent the glass substrate 24 from rising and bending due to the air from the lower air knife 642 by the surface tension of the lower surface of the glass substrate 24 and the water film.

{Circle around (1)} The first air floating transport unit 66 is configured to float the glass substrate 24 by injecting air from below into the glass substrate 24 that has passed through the air knife 64. In the first air floating transport section 66, a plurality of floating transport plates 67 are arranged in a matrix with a predetermined gap. The floating transport plate 67 has substantially the same configuration, but the floating transport plates 671 to 673 adjacent to the air knife 64 have different shapes from the other floating transport plates according to the inclination of the air knife 64.

The floating transport plate 67 has a plurality of injection holes 82 formed on a main surface thereof, and is configured to inject a predetermined amount of compressed air. The size of the diameter of the injection holes 82 is 0.1 to 0.9 mm, and it is preferable that the injection holes 82 are arranged in a staggered manner at predetermined intervals in the transport direction of the glass substrate 24. The injection amount of air from the injection holes 82 is appropriately adjusted according to the size and thickness of the glass substrate 24.

The glass substrate 24 that has passed through the air knife 64 is brought into a floating state by the injection of air from the injection holes 82, and is transported along the transport direction by the auxiliary roller 70 and the transport belt 72. With this configuration, the glass substrate 24 can be levitated and transported in the first air levitating transport unit 66.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the floating transport plates 671 to 673 are provided with suction holes 84 in a region adjacent to the air knife 64. The suction holes 84 are formed on the main surfaces of the floating transport plates 671 to 673, and are configured to suck air by reduced pressure suction or the like. The tip of the glass substrate 24 that has passed through the air knife 64 may be lifted by air jetted from the floating transport plate 67. The suction from the suction holes 84 makes it possible to prevent the glass substrate 24 from rising.

{Circle around (2)} The second air levitation transport section 68 is configured to transport the glass substrate 24 that has passed through the first air levitation transport section 66 in a state of being floated by a predetermined amount. In the second air levitation transport section 68, three porous pads 681 are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction. As each porous plate 681, a known porous floating transfer plate can be used. The porous plate 681 can maintain the glass substrate 24 at a constant height by a balance between gas injection from a hole formed on the surface and vacuum suction.

{Circle around (2)} Since the second air floating transfer section 68 can transfer the glass substrate 24 without bending it, it is also possible to measure the thickness of the glass substrate 24 during transfer. In this case, a known thickness sensor may be disposed above the second air levitation transport unit 68. By measuring the thickness of the glass substrate 24 after the etching process smoothly, it is possible to improve the production efficiency.

{Circle around (2)} The glass substrate 24 passes through the pre-washing chamber 14, the first etching chamber 161, the second etching chamber 162, and the post-washing chamber 18, thereby performing the etching process. By putting the glass substrate 24 into the etching apparatus 10 one or more times, the thickness is reduced to, for example, about 0.05 to 0.3 mm. The floating transport unit 60 can stably transport the glass substrate 24 that has been subjected to the thinning process without being damaged.

In particular, the glass substrate 24 on which the etching process has been performed is transported in a wet state to the floating transport unit 60. However, since the drying process is performed by the air knife 64 via the water floating transport unit 62, the glass substrate 24 is a thin substrate. The drying process is performed without causing any lifting or bending. Further, even when water droplets adhere to the glass substrate 24 after the drying process, the water droplets are removed by the air from the injection holes 82 while being transported by the first air floating transport unit 66, so that the second air floating The transfer section 68 prevents the glass substrate 24 from sticking and the suction holes from being closed, thereby enabling stable transfer. Since the diameter of the injection hole 82 is larger than that of the hole on the surface of the second air floating conveyance unit 88, there is little possibility that the injection hole 82 is closed by water droplets.

Although the present embodiment has been described by taking a glass substrate as an example, the floating transfer device according to the present invention is not limited to the transfer of a glass substrate, and may be applied to a resin substrate or a laminated substrate as long as it is a thin substrate. It is possible to

説明 The above description of the embodiments is illustrative in all aspects and should not be construed as limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the embodiments described above. Further, the scope of the present invention is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10-Etching apparatus 12-Loading part 14-Front rinsing chamber 161-First etching chamber 18-Rinse rinsing chamber 24-Glass substrate 30-Transport roller 60-Floating transport unit 62-Floating transport unit 64-Air knife 66- 1st air levitation transporter 68-2nd air levitation transporter

Claims

A floating transfer device that transfers a substrate to be processed in a floating state,
A water-floating transporter having a water-film forming plate configured to form a water film on the surface,
An air knife arranged at a subsequent stage of the water levitation transfer unit and configured to inject air to the substrate to be processed,
An air levitation transport unit that is disposed at a stage subsequent to the air knife and has a levitation transport plate formed with an injection hole for injecting air from below into the substrate to be processed,
In the water floating transport unit and the air floating transport unit, a transport roller disposed along a transport direction of the substrate to be processed,
A floating transport device comprising at least:
The air levitation transport section includes a first air levitation transport section, a second air levitation transport section,
Has,
A first air levitation transport unit, which is disposed between the air knife and the second air levitation transport unit;
2. The levitation transport device according to claim 1, wherein the second air levitation transport unit has a suction hole for sucking air formed on a surface of the floating transport plate. 3.
The floating transport device according to claim 2, wherein the first floating transport unit includes a suction hole for sucking air in a region in contact with the air knife.
The floating transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the air knife injects air to both main surfaces of the substrate to be processed.