JP2009049228A - Pump and substrate processing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pump which precisely feeds processing liquid and has superior maintainability, liquid exchange property, etc. <P>SOLUTION: The pump 72 which feeds resist liquid to a slit nozzle 41 of a substrate treating device 1 is provided with a housing 74 which contains a tube member 73 and in which indirect liquid is charged. Further, the pump is provided with a membrane member 75 which partitions the inside of the housing 74 from the outside and a piston head 76 which abuts against the membrane member 75 to move in and out of the housing 74. The indirect liquid in the housing 74 is pressed by moving the piston head 76 in along a Z axis to contract the tube member 73. Consequently, the resist liquid reserved in the tube member 73 is discharged toward the slit nozzle 41. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for applying a processing liquid such as a photoresist to the surface of various substrates such as a glass square substrate for liquid crystal, a semiconductor wafer, a flexible substrate for film liquid crystal, a substrate for photomask, and a substrate for color filter. More specifically, the present invention relates to a pump for feeding a processing liquid to be applied to a substrate.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a slit coater that discharges a processing liquid from a discharge port while moving a nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge port with respect to the substrate and applies the processing liquid to the surface of the substrate. In the slit coater, when the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle (discharge port), it is necessary to supply and supply the processing liquid toward the nozzle. In general, there are a method of feeding a liquid such as a processing solution by a pump and a pressure feeding type of feeding by a constant pressure.

  On the other hand, in order to suppress the manufacturing failure of the substrate, it is necessary to increase the accuracy of the coating film thickness when applying the processing liquid to the substrate, and improvement of the coating accuracy is an important proposition of the slit coater. In the coating process in the slit coater, the film thickness is determined by the moving speed of the nozzle and the discharge speed of the processing liquid from the nozzle. Therefore, discharge responsiveness, constant flow rate, maintenance, and liquid replacement are important issues when supplying the processing liquid to the nozzle in the slit coater. In these respects, a pump that is superior to the pressure-feed type is used. The liquid delivery method used has become mainstream. Conventionally, various types of pumps have been proposed, but they are roughly classified into syringe pumps (for example, described in Patent Document 1) and tube pumps (for example, described in Patent Document 2).

  Since the syringe pump has no volume changing portion, it is excellent in discharge response and constant flow rate. On the other hand, the tube pump has a structure in which the tube is crushed by an indirect liquid with a bellows or the like, and since there is no sliding portion, no particles are generated and maintenance is high. Moreover, liquid replacement property is also good by installing a tube vertically and sucking a processing liquid from the lower part. Furthermore, it is also excellent in that the propagation of fine vibrations to the processing liquid is suppressed by using the indirect liquid.

JP 2000-334355 A Japanese Patent No. 3853641

  However, in the syringe pump described in Patent Document 1, when the piston head is pushed in from a state where the processing liquid is filled, the processing liquid remains thinly on the inner wall of the piston, and this is exposed to the atmosphere to change in quality and become particles. There is a fear. That is, generation of particles from the sliding part becomes a problem. In addition, since there is no volume changing portion, there is a problem that a minute pulsation phenomenon occurs in the processing liquid to be fed by the vibration of the drive system that drives the piston being propagated to the processing liquid to be sent.

  On the other hand, the tube pump described in Patent Document 2 has a problem that the responsiveness is lowered because the processing liquid is fed by the volume change of the bellows. And in order to improve this responsiveness, there existed a problem that it was necessary to provide a complicated control mechanism.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pump that delivers a treatment liquid with high accuracy and is excellent in maintainability, liquid replacement property, and the like.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the invention of claim 1 is a pump for feeding a processing liquid, and an elastic tube member that internally forms a flow path for the processing liquid, and the tube member included therein. And a housing in which an indirect liquid is sealed between the tube member, a flexible membrane member that separates the inside of the housing from the outside of the housing, and the membrane member on the outside of the housing It comprises a piston head that abuts from the side, and drive means for advancing and retracting the piston head relative to the inside of the housing.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the pump according to the invention according to claim 1, wherein the membrane member abuts against a front surface and a side surface of the piston head when the membrane member moves forward and backward. To do.

  The invention of claim 3 is a pump according to the invention of claim 1 or 2, further comprising biasing means for biasing the membrane member to the piston head.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pump according to the third aspect of the invention, wherein the biasing means cooperates with the membrane member around a contact portion between the piston head and the membrane member. And a space forming part that forms a sealed space, and a decompression unit that decompresses the inside of the sealed space.

  The invention of claim 5 is a substrate processing apparatus for applying a processing liquid to a substrate, wherein the slit nozzle for discharging the processing liquid from a slit-like discharge port, and the slit nozzle and the substrate are relatively moved. A moving unit and a pump for feeding the processing liquid toward the slit nozzle, the pump including an elastic tube member that forms a flow path for the processing liquid, and the tube member included therein. And a housing in which an indirect liquid is sealed between the tube member, a flexible membrane member that separates the inside of the housing and the outside of the housing, and a piston head that contacts the membrane member, Drive means for moving the piston head forward and backward with respect to the interior of the housing is provided.

  A sixth aspect of the invention is a substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the invention, comprising two or more pumps.

  The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6 includes an elastic tube member in which the inside forms a flow path for the treatment liquid, and a housing that encloses the tube member and encloses the indirect liquid between the tube member. A flexible membrane member that separates the inside of the housing from the outside of the housing, a piston head that abuts the membrane member from the outside of the housing, and a drive that moves the piston head forward and backward with respect to the inside of the housing By providing the means, discharge response and pressure resistance can be improved while having the advantages of the tube pump.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<1. First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 shows a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view showing a side surface of the main body 2 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and main components related to the application operation of the resist solution. In FIG. 1, for the sake of illustration and explanation, the Z-axis direction is defined as the vertical direction and the XY plane is defined as the horizontal plane, but these are defined for convenience in order to grasp the positional relationship. The directions described below are not limited. The same applies to the following drawings.

<Overall Configuration of Substrate Processing Apparatus 1>
The substrate processing apparatus 1 is roughly divided into a main body 2 and a control unit 6, and a rectangular glass substrate for manufacturing a screen panel of a liquid crystal display device is a substrate to be processed (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”) 90. In the process of selectively etching an electrode layer or the like formed on the surface of the substrate 90, the coating device is configured as a coating processing apparatus (slit coater) that applies a resist solution as a processing solution to the surface of the substrate 90. Therefore, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment, the slit nozzle 41 discharges the resist solution. In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be modified and used not only as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device but also as a device for applying a processing liquid (chemical solution) to various substrates for a flat panel display.

  The main body 2 includes a stage 3 that functions as a holding table for mounting and holding the substrate 90 and also functions as a base for each attached mechanism. The stage 3 is made of, for example, an integral stone having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and its upper surface (holding surface 30) and side surfaces are processed into flat surfaces.

  The upper surface of the stage 3 is a horizontal plane and serves as a holding surface 30 for the substrate 90. A large number of vacuum suction ports (not shown) are formed on the holding surface 30 in a distributed manner, and while the substrate 90 is processed in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the substrate 90 is sucked to bring the substrate 90 into a predetermined position, and Hold in a horizontal position. The holding surface 30 is provided with a plurality of lift pins LP that can be moved up and down by a drive mechanism (not shown) at appropriate intervals. The lift pins LP are used to push up the substrate 90 when the substrate 90 is removed.

  A pair of running rails 31 extending in parallel in a substantially horizontal direction are fixed to both ends of the holding surface 30 across the holding area of the substrate 90 (region where the substrate 90 is held). The traveling rail 31 guides the movement of the bridging structure 4 together with a support block (not shown) fixed to the lowermost part of both ends of the bridging structure 4 (the moving direction is defined in a predetermined direction), and holds the bridging structure 4 A linear guide supported above the surface 30 is configured.

  Above the stage 3, a bridging structure 4 is provided that extends substantially horizontally from both sides of the stage 3. The bridging structure 4 is mainly composed of, for example, a nozzle support portion 40 that uses carbon fiber reinforced resin as an aggregate, and elevating mechanisms 43 and 44 that support both ends thereof.

  A slit nozzle 41 is attached to the nozzle support portion 40. A supply mechanism 7 for supplying a resist solution to the slit nozzle 41 is connected to the slit nozzle 41 having a longitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction.

  The elevating mechanisms 43 and 44 are divided on both sides of the slit nozzle 41 and connected to the slit nozzle 41 by the nozzle support portion 40. The elevating mechanisms 43 and 44 are mainly composed of AC servo motors 43 a and 44 a and a ball screw (not shown), and generate elevating driving force for elevating the nozzle support unit 40 based on a control signal from the control unit 6. Thereby, the raising / lowering mechanisms 43 and 44 raise / lower the slit nozzle 41 in translation. The lifting mechanisms 43 and 44 are also used to adjust the posture of the slit nozzle 41 in the YZ plane. Further, the AC servomotors 43 a and 44 a have a function of detecting the rotation amount and outputting the detected rotation amount to the control unit 6.

  A pair of AC coreless linear motors (hereinafter simply referred to as “stator”) and a “moving element 50b” and “stator 51a” and “moving element 51b” are provided at both ends of the bridging structure 4 along the edges on both sides of the stage 3, respectively. , Abbreviated as “linear motor”.) 50 and 51 are fixed. In addition, linear encoders 52 and 53 each having a scale portion and a detector are fixed to both ends of the bridging structure 4. The linear encoders 52 and 53 detect the positions of the linear motors 50 and 51.

  The linear motors 50 and 51 and the linear encoders 52 and 53 mainly constitute the traveling mechanism 5 for moving the bridge structure 4 on the stage 3 while being guided by the traveling rail 31. That is, the traveling mechanism 5 has a function as a moving unit that relatively moves the slit nozzle 41 in the substantially horizontal direction along the surface of the substrate 90. At this time, the control unit 6 controls the operation of the linear motors 50 and 51 based on the detection results from the linear encoders 52 and 53, thereby moving the bridging structure 4 on the stage 3, that is, the substrate 90 by the slit nozzle 41. Scanning is controlled.

  On the holding surface 30 of the main body 2, an opening 32 is provided on the (−X) direction side of the holding area. The opening 32 has a longitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction similar to the slit nozzle 41, and the longitudinal length is substantially the same as the longitudinal direction length of the slit nozzle 41. Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a standby pot, a nozzle cleaning mechanism, and a pre-coating mechanism are provided inside the main body 2 below the opening 32. These mechanisms are used, for example, during preliminary processing such as resist solution supply processing, air bleeding processing, or pre-dispensing processing that is performed prior to application of the resist solution to the substrate 90.

  Although not shown in FIG. 1, the nozzle support portion 40 is provided with the supply mechanism 7 at a position above the slit nozzle 41. The supply mechanism 7 has a function of supplying a resist solution stored in a buffer tank (not shown) to the slit nozzle 41. The details of the supply mechanism 7 will be described later.

  The control unit 6 includes an arithmetic unit 60 that processes various data according to the program and a storage unit 61 that stores the program and various data. In addition, an operation unit 62 for an operator to input necessary instructions to the substrate processing apparatus 1 and a display unit 63 for displaying various data are provided on the front surface.

  Specifically, a RAM used as a temporary working area of the arithmetic unit 60, a read-only ROM, a magnetic disk device, and the like correspond to the storage unit 61. Alternatively, the storage unit 61 may be configured by a storage medium such as a portable magneto-optical disk or a memory card and a reading device thereof. The operation unit 62 includes buttons and switches (including a keyboard and a mouse). Or the apparatus which has the function of the display part 63 like a touchscreen display may be sufficient. The display unit 63 corresponds to a liquid crystal display or various lamps.

<Details of supply mechanism 7>
FIG. 3 is a view showing the slit nozzle 41 and the supply mechanism 7. As shown in FIG. 3, a slit-like ejection port 410 extending along the Y-axis direction is formed on the (−Z) side of the slit nozzle 41.

  The supply mechanism 7 includes a suction pipe 70, a discharge pipe 71, and a pump 72 that sends a resist solution to the slit nozzle 41.

  The suction pipe 70 is connected to a buffer tank (not shown) and is connected to an opening 730 that functions as a suction port of the pump 72. When the cavity 732 formed in the pump 72 (tube member 73) becomes negative pressure, the resist solution is supplied from the buffer tank through the suction pipe 70 and the opening 730 to the cavity 732 and stored. Thus, the suction pipe 70 functions as a flow path for guiding the resist solution from the buffer tank to the pump 72.

  The discharge pipe 71 is connected to an opening 731 that functions as a discharge port of the pump 72 and is connected to a supply port of the slit nozzle 41. When the cavity 732 of the pump 72 (tube member 73) is pressurized, the resist solution stored in the cavity 732 is supplied to the slit nozzle 41 through the opening 731 and the discharge pipe 71 and discharged from the discharge port 410. Thus, the discharge pipe 71 functions as a flow path for guiding the resist solution from the pump 72 to the slit nozzle 41.

  The pump 72 for feeding the resist solution includes a tube member 73, a housing 74, a membrane member 75, a piston head 76, a drive unit 77, and an urging unit 78.

  The tube member 73 is a cylindrical member made of an elastic material, and is arranged so that the longitudinal direction thereof is a direction along the Z axis. The inside of the tube member 73 is a cavity 732. The cavity 732 of the tube member 73 is connected to the suction pipe 70 and the discharge pipe 71 through the openings 730 and 731 as described above. With such a structure, the cavity 732 forms a part of a flow path for guiding the resist solution from the buffer tank to the slit nozzle 41.

  The housing 74 is a member made of a material having relatively high rigidity. In the present embodiment, the housing 74 mainly includes a first housing 740 and a second housing 741. The inside of the first casing 740 that is a cylindrical member is a cavity 742, and the inside of the second casing 741 is a cavity 743. As shown in FIG. 3, a second housing 741 is fixed near the center of the first housing 740 in the Z-axis direction, and the cavity 742 and the cavity 743 are connected to each other.

  In addition, indirect liquid is sealed in the cavity 742 and the cavity 743. The indirect liquid thus sealed is preferably degassed oil, but is not limited thereto. As the indirect liquid, a liquid that does not easily generate bubbles in a negative pressure state and does not easily deteriorate is preferable.

  The tube member 73 is disposed in the cavity 742 formed by the first housing 740. That is, the first housing 740 (housing 74) includes the tube member 73 therein, and the indirect liquid described above is sealed between the first housing 740 and the tube member 73.

  FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the membrane member 75. 5 and 6 are schematic perspective views of the membrane member 75. FIG. 5 shows the state of the film member 75 when the pump 72 starts to discharge the resist solution, and FIG. 6 shows the state of the film member 75 when the pump 72 ends the discharge of the resist solution. Show. Further, FIG. 7 is a view showing the positional relationship between the membrane member 75 and the piston head 76.

  The membrane member 75 is made of a flexible material. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, rubber members 750 and 751 and a cloth member 752 are configured, and the rubber member 750 and the rubber member 751 are bonded to each other with the cloth member 752 interposed therebetween. ing. That is, the cloth member 752 of the membrane member 75 regulates the elongation of the rubber members 750 and 751.

  Thus, since the membrane member 75 is made of a flexible material, the membrane member 75 can be deformed as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In the present embodiment, the rubber members 750 and 751 are made of, for example, EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) rubber, and the cloth member 752 is made of, for example, nylon, but is not limited thereto. It is not something.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the peripheral end portion 753 that forms the outer periphery of the film member 75 is fixed so as to be in close contact with the second housing 741. Thereby, the membrane member 75 has a function of separating the cavity 743 formed by the second housing 741 from the outside of the second housing 741. In other words, the membrane member 75 has a function of sealing the cavity 743.

  A cylindrical convex portion 754 protruding in the (+ Z) direction is formed at the center of the membrane member 75, and a piston head 76 is disposed inside the convex portion 754 as shown in FIG. Then, the central portion (convex) of the membrane member 75 is formed by the mounting member 79 (FIG. 3) disposed on the (+ Z) side of the convex portion 754 and the piston head 76 disposed on the (−Z) side of the convex portion 754. The piston head 76 and the membrane member 75 are fixed to each other by being fixed so as to sandwich the upper end surface portion of the portion 754.

  Returning to FIG. 3, the piston head 76 is a cylindrical member, and a piston shaft 772 is suspended from an end surface in the (−Z) direction. On the other hand, the end surface in the (+ Z) direction of the piston head 76 is in contact with the membrane member 75 as described above. The end face in the (+ Z) direction of the piston head 76 corresponds to the front surface in the present invention, and the cylindrical side surface corresponds to the side surface in the present invention.

  The drive unit 77 includes a drive mechanism 770 that generates a linear drive force, a link member 771 that is driven by the drive mechanism 770, a piston shaft 772 that connects the link member 771 and the piston head 76, and the piston head 76 is a housing. 74 has a function of advancing and retreating with respect to the inside (cavity 743).

  Although not shown in detail, the drive mechanism 770 includes a motor controlled in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 6, a ball screw rotated by the motor, and a nut portion into which the ball screw is screwed. The nut portion is fixed to the link member 771. With such a structure, the drive mechanism 770 can drive the link member 771 forward and backward in the Z-axis direction. In addition, as the drive mechanism 770 that generates the direct drive force for driving the link member 771 to move forward and backward, a mechanism that generates the direct drive force directly, such as a linear motor, may be employed. A well-known mechanism may be adopted.

  As described above, the link member 771, the piston shaft 772, and the piston head 76 are connected to each other to form an integral structure. Accordingly, when the link member 771 is advanced and retracted in the Z-axis direction by the drive mechanism 770, the piston head 76 is also advanced and retracted in the Z-axis direction.

  The urging unit 78 includes a cylindrical member 780, a lid member 781, an O-ring 782, a vacuum pump 783, and an exhaust pipe 784. The urging unit 78 has a function of urging the membrane member 75 toward the piston head 76, as will be described in detail later.

  The cylindrical member 780 is disposed so that the cylindrical axis extends along the Z-axis direction, and the upper end portion of the cylindrical member 780 is fixed in close contact with the second housing 741. In other words, the second housing 741 and the cylindrical member 780 form a structure similar to a piston cylinder.

  A lid member 781 is attached to the lower end of the cylindrical member 780 to seal the lower opening of the cylindrical member 780. However, the lid member 781 is formed with an exhaust port 786 communicating with the through hole into which the piston shaft 772 is inserted and the exhaust pipe 784.

  The O-ring 782 is provided between the piston shaft 772 and the lid member 781 in order to seal the gap between the piston shaft 772 and the lid member 781. Further, the exhaust pipe 784 is connected to a vacuum pump 783 and is sealed so that the inside is not released to the atmosphere.

  As described above, the cylindrical member 780, the lid member 781, the O-ring 782, and the exhaust pipe 784 cooperate with the membrane member 75, so that a sealed space (cavity 785 is formed around the contact point between the piston head 76 and the membrane member 75. ) Is formed. That is, the cylindrical member 780, the lid member 781, the O-ring 782, and the exhaust pipe 784 mainly correspond to the space forming portion in the present invention.

  The cavity 785 formed by the cylindrical member 780 and the cavity 743 formed by the second housing 741 are separated by the membrane member 75. With such a structure, the indirect liquid sealed in the housing 74 (second housing 741) is prevented from leaking to the outside of the housing 74 (on the cylindrical member 780 side).

  The vacuum pump 783 is driven according to a control signal from the control unit 6 and has a function as a general negative pressure source. The vacuum pump 783 has a function of decompressing the cavity 785 by exhausting the atmosphere (gas) in the cavity 785 (sealed space) to the outside via the exhaust port 786 and the exhaust pipe 784. For example, the vacuum pump 783 in the present embodiment maintains the inside of the cavity 785 in a reduced pressure state of about −10 to −90 kPa.

  As a result, the membrane member 75 is always biased to the piston head 76 due to the difference between the pressure of the indirect liquid and the pressure in the cavity 785.

  As described above, a nylon cloth member 752 is used for the membrane member 75 in order to minimize the elongation of the membrane member 75. However, if only the cloth member 752 is provided, the elongation of the film member 75 cannot be sufficiently suppressed, and there is a possibility that the discharge responsiveness is lowered.

  For example, when the film member 75 is elongated due to an increase in the internal pressure of the indirect liquid that occurs when the piston head 76 moves in the (+ Z) direction (when the resist liquid is discharged), the discharge responsiveness of the pump 72 decreases. However, in the pump 72 in the present embodiment, since the cavity 785 is in a reduced pressure state, the membrane member 75 is always in a fully extended state. Therefore, even if the piston head 76 moves in the (+ Z) direction and the pressure of the indirect liquid increases, the amount of the film member 75 (rubber members 750, 751) in the fully extended state is sufficiently small, and the discharge response The decline in sex is suppressed.

  Further, if only the cloth member 752 is provided, the film member 75 may be bent unexpectedly when the piston head 76 moves in the (−Z) direction (when the resist solution is sucked). If discontinuous deformation occurs in the membrane member 75, the discharge flow rate of the pump 72 may not be stable before and after that, and may become unstable. However, in the pump 72 in the present embodiment, since the cavity 785 is in a reduced pressure state, the membrane member 75 is always stuck to the piston head 76. Therefore, the membrane member 75 is not carelessly bent, and the membrane member 75 is smoothly deformed. Thereby, the stability of the discharge flow rate of the pump 72 is ensured.

  The above is description of the structure and function of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in this Embodiment.

<Description of operation of pump 72>
Next, the operation of the pump 72 will be described.

  When the pump 72 discharges the resist solution, first, the control unit 6 controls a valve (not shown) to close the suction pipe 70 and open the discharge pipe 71. Then, the drive mechanism 770 moves the piston head 76 in the (+ Z) direction via the link member 771 and the piston shaft 772 in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 6.

  As a result, the piston head 76 is pushed toward the cavity 743 in the second housing 741, and the pressure of the indirect liquid in the housing 74 (the first housing 740 and the second housing 741) increases.

  When the pressure of the indirect liquid in the first housing 740 increases, the tube member 73 disposed in the cavity 742 in the first housing 740 is crushed, and the resist solution stored in the cavity 732 in the tube member 73 is removed. The ink is discharged from the opening 731. At this time, since the suction pipe 70 is closed by the valve described above, the resist solution does not flow backward from the opening 730. The resist solution discharged from the opening 731 passes through the discharge pipe 71 and is sent toward the slit nozzle 41, and the resist solution is supplied to the slit nozzle 41.

  On the other hand, when the resist solution is sucked into the pump 72, first, the controller 6 controls a valve (not shown) to open the suction pipe 70 and close the discharge pipe 71. Then, the drive mechanism 770 moves the piston head 76 in the (−Z) direction via the link member 771 and the piston shaft 772 in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 6.

  As a result, the piston head 76 moves out of the cavity 743 in the second housing 741, and the pressure of the indirect liquid in the housing 74 (the first housing 740 and the second housing 741) decreases.

  When the pressure of the indirect liquid in the first housing 740 decreases, the tube member 73 disposed in the cavity 742 in the first housing 740 expands, and the resist solution passes through the opened suction pipe 70 to cause the resist solution to be the tube member. 73 is sucked into the cavity 732 in 73. At this time, since the discharge pipe 71 is closed by the valve described above, the resist solution does not flow backward from the opening 731.

  As described above, the pump 72 performs the switching between the discharge operation and the suction operation by moving the piston head 76 back and forth in the Z-axis direction by the drive mechanism 770 in accordance with the control signal from the control unit 6. The liquid is fed toward the slit nozzle 41.

<Description of Operation of Substrate Processing Apparatus 1>
Next, the coating processing operation in the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be briefly described. The following operations of the substrate processing apparatus 1 are performed based on the control of the control unit 6 unless otherwise specified.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1, when the substrate 90 is transported to a predetermined position by an operator or a transport mechanism (not shown), suction from a plurality of vacuum suction ports provided in the stage 3 is started, and a predetermined surface on the holding surface 30. The substrate 90 is sucked and held at the position. Subsequently, based on a control signal from the control unit 6, the elevating mechanisms 43 and 44 move the nozzle support unit 40 in the Z-axis direction and adjust the slit nozzle 41 to an appropriate posture. The proper posture is a posture in the YZ plane of the slit nozzle 41 in which the interval between the slit nozzle 41 and the resist application region is an appropriate interval for applying the resist solution.

  Further, the linear motors 50 and 51 move the bridging structure 4 in the (−X) direction, and move the slit nozzle 41 to the discharge start position. Here, the ejection start position is a position where the slit nozzle 41 substantially extends along one side of the resist coating region.

  When the slit nozzle 41 moves to the discharge start position, the control unit 6 gives a control signal to the linear motors 50 and 51 of the traveling mechanism 5. Based on the control signal, the linear motors 50 and 51 move the bridging structure 4 in the (−X) direction so that the slit nozzle 41 scans the surface of the substrate 90.

  At this time, the pump 72 of the supply mechanism 7 is driven according to a control signal from the control unit 6, and the resist solution is supplied toward the slit nozzle 41, whereby the resist solution is supplied to the slit nozzle 41. As a result, the slit nozzle 41 discharges the resist solution to the resist application region, and a layer (thin film) of the resist solution is formed on the surface of the substrate 90.

  When the slit nozzle 41 moves to the discharge end position, the control unit 6 gives a control signal to the lifting mechanisms 43 and 44, the traveling mechanism 5, and the supply mechanism 7. Based on the control signal, the elevating mechanisms 43 and 44 and the traveling mechanism 5 move the slit nozzle 41 to the standby position, and the supply mechanism 7 stops the pump 72 and stops the supply of the resist solution. The discharge of the resist solution from 41 stops.

  In parallel with the movement of the slit nozzle 41, the stage 3 stops the suction of the substrate 90, and after the lift pins LP lift the substrate 90, the operator or the transport mechanism picks up the substrate 90 from the holding surface 30 and performs the next processing. Transport to process.

  Further, the substrate processing apparatus 1 determines whether or not there is another substrate 90 to be processed, and when there is a substrate 90 to be processed, after performing the suction operation of the pump 72, the above-described processing is performed. repeat. On the other hand, if there is no substrate 90 to be processed, the process is terminated.

  As described above, the pump 72 according to the first embodiment does not have a structure in which the discharge operation is performed by deformation of the bellows member, unlike the conventional tube pump, so that the discharge response is improved. Moreover, since the indirect liquid enclosed in the housing 74 attenuates the fine vibration generated in the drive mechanism 770, the pulsation characteristics are improved as compared with the conventional syringe pump.

  Further, since the durability of the membrane member 75 composed of the EPDM rubber-like rubber members 750 and 751 and the nylon cloth member 752 is 10 million times or more, for example, compared to a conventional syringe pump, the replacement frequency of the member Can be kept low.

  In the structure of the pump 72, the pressure resistance of the seal portion of the indirect liquid in the housing 74 and the seal portion of the membrane member 75 is about 0.3 Mpa when pressurized, and is about −0.1 Mpa when negative pressure is applied. . Therefore, the pump 72 is superior in pressure resistance performance compared to a conventional tube pump in which the bellows member is easily damaged or a conventional syringe pump in which a leak from the seal member between the piston and the cylinder occurs.

<2. Second Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, when a plurality of substrates 90 are processed, the suction operation of the pump 72 is performed after the discharge to the previous substrate 90 until the discharge to the next substrate 90 is started. There was a need.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a supply mechanism 7a of the substrate processing apparatus 1a according to the second embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1a is different from the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the first embodiment in that a supply mechanism 7a is provided instead of the supply mechanism 7. In the following description, in the substrate processing apparatus 1a, the same components as those in the substrate processing apparatus 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

  The supply mechanism 7a includes discharge pipes 71a, 71b, 71c and a three-way valve 71d. The supply mechanism 7a includes a pump 72a in addition to the pump 72 similar to the pump 72 in the first embodiment.

  The upstream side of the discharge pipe 71a is connected to the three-way valve 71d, and the downstream side of the discharge pipe 71a is connected to the slit nozzle 41 in communication. The upstream side of the discharge pipe 71b is connected to the pump 72, and the downstream side of the discharge pipe 71b is connected to the three-way valve 71d. Further, the upstream side of the discharge pipe 71c is connected to the pump 72a, and the downstream side of the discharge pipe 71c is connected to the three-way valve 71d.

  The three-way valve 71d selectively connects one of the discharge pipe 71b and the discharge pipe 71c to the discharge pipe 71a in response to a control signal from the control unit 6. That is, when the pump 72 performs a discharge operation, the discharge pipe 71a and the discharge pipe 71b are communicated, and the discharge pipe 71c is closed. Thus, the resist solution discharged from the pump 72 is guided to the slit nozzle 41 via the discharge pipe 71b and the discharge pipe 71a. On the other hand, when the pump 72a performs the discharge operation, the discharge pipe 71a and the discharge pipe 71c are communicated, and the discharge pipe 71b is closed. As a result, the resist solution discharged from the pump 72a is guided to the slit nozzle 41 via the discharge pipe 71c and the discharge pipe 71a.

  The pump 72a includes a casing 74a as a configuration corresponding to the casing 74 of the pump 72, a piston head 76a as a configuration corresponding to the piston head 76 of the pump 72, and a piston shaft 772a. Is different. The pump 72 a has a structure in which the driving mechanism 770 and the link member 771 in the driving unit 77 are also used as the pump 72.

  The housing 74a includes a first housing 740 and a second housing 741a. The second housing 741a is a member having the same shape as the second housing 741 of the pump 72, but is different in that it is disposed in the opposite direction with respect to the Z-axis direction. Although not described in detail, as the direction of the second casing 741a is reversed, the direction of the urging portion 78 of the pump 72a is also changed as shown in FIG. The biasing portion 78 is disposed in the opposite direction.

  The end of the (+ Z) direction of the piston shaft 772a is fixed to the link member 771, and the end of the (−Z) direction is fixed to the piston head 76a. The end surface of the piston head 76a in the (−Z) direction is in contact with the membrane member 75 of the pump 72a.

  By adopting such a structure, the pump 72a performs a discharge operation when the link member 771 moves in the (−Z) direction (the state of FIG. 8), and a suction operation when moving in the (+ Z) direction. I do. The pump 72 performs a suction operation when the link member 771 moves in the (−Z) direction (state of FIG. 8) and moves in the (+ Z) direction, like the pump 72 in the first embodiment. When performing the discharge operation.

  Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1a according to the second embodiment sucks the resist solution into the pump 72 while discharging the resist solution with the pump 72a, and discharges the resist solution with the pump 72. The resist solution is sucked into the pump 72a. Therefore, after the discharge to the previous substrate 90 by, for example, the pump 72a, since the suction to the pump 72 has already been completed, the discharge by the pump 72 to the next substrate 90 can be started immediately. it can. Therefore, when processing the substrate 90 continuously, there is no need to provide a waiting time for the suction operation.

<3. Modification>
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made.

  For example, in the second embodiment, the drive mechanism 770 and the link member 771 are configured to be shared by the pumps 72 and 72a. However, of course, two drive mechanisms are provided so as to drive each independently. Also good.

It is a figure which shows the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the main component which concerns on the application | coating operation | movement of a resist liquid while showing the side surface of the main body of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows a slit nozzle and a supply mechanism. It is a fragmentary sectional view of a membrane member. It is a schematic perspective view of a membrane member. It is a schematic perspective view of a membrane member. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of a film | membrane member and a piston head. It is a figure which shows the supply mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus in 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1a Substrate processing apparatus 3 Stage 41 Slit nozzle 410 Discharge port 43, 44 Lifting mechanism 5 Traveling mechanism 50, 51 Linear motor 6 Control part 7, 7a Supply mechanism 72, 72a Pump 73 Tube member 732 Cavity (flow path)
74, 74a Housing 75 Membrane member 76, 76a Piston head 77 Drive part 78 Energizing part 783 Vacuum pump (pressure reduction means)
90 substrates

Claims (6)

A pump for feeding a processing solution,
An elastic tube member whose inside forms a flow path for the treatment liquid;
A housing that encloses the tube member and in which an indirect liquid is sealed between the tube member;
A flexible membrane member that separates the inside of the housing from the outside of the housing;
A piston head that contacts the membrane member from the outside of the housing;
Drive means for advancing and retracting the piston head relative to the interior of the housing;
A pump comprising: The pump according to claim 1,
The membrane member is in contact with a front surface and a side surface of the piston head when the membrane member is advanced and retracted by the driving means. The pump according to claim 1 or 2,
2. The pump according to claim 1, further comprising biasing means for biasing the membrane member toward the piston head. The pump according to claim 3, wherein
The biasing means is
A space forming portion that forms a sealed space in cooperation with the membrane member around the contact portion between the piston head and the membrane member;
Decompression means for decompressing the inside of the sealed space;
The pump characterized by having. A substrate processing apparatus for applying a processing liquid to a substrate,
A slit nozzle that discharges the processing liquid from the slit-shaped discharge port;
Moving means for relatively moving the slit nozzle and the substrate;
A pump for feeding a processing liquid toward the slit nozzle;
With
The pump
An elastic tube member whose inside forms a flow path for the treatment liquid;
A housing that encloses the tube member and in which an indirect liquid is sealed between the tube member;
A flexible membrane member that separates the inside of the housing from the outside of the housing;
A piston head in contact with the membrane member;
Drive means for moving the piston head back and forth with respect to the interior of the housing;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5,
A substrate processing apparatus comprising two or more pumps.

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