JP2009078260A - Substrate transport apparatus, coating apparatus, substrate transport method, and coating method - Google Patents

Abstract

A technique for reducing the time required for transporting a substrate and improving the throughput of substrate processing is provided.
A coating apparatus includes: a substrate transport device that transports a substrate; a stage that supports the substrate from below; a coating unit that ejects a predetermined liquid from a nozzle; and a coating unit that coats the substrate. A travel support unit 5 and a control unit 8 that controls each unit are provided. The substrate transport apparatus 2 includes a transport auxiliary roller 22 that can rotate a support unit 221 at the upper end, a horizontal transport roller 23 that is installed on the stage 3 and transports the substrate 90 horizontally, and an alignment unit 24 that positions the substrate 90 in the X-axis direction. Is provided. By supplying the gas upward from the upper surface of the stage 3 by the gas supply unit 33, levitation force is applied to the substrate 90 transported on the stage 3 through the gas.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  In the present invention, when a glass square substrate for liquid crystal, a semiconductor wafer, a flexible substrate for film liquid crystal, a substrate for photomask, a substrate for color filter, a substrate for optical disk, etc. (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”) are processed. The present invention relates to a technique for transporting a substrate to a predetermined position.

  Conventionally, the back surface of the substrate is sucked and held by a suction port provided on a stage (for example, a stone surface plate), and the resist is discharged from a nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge port toward the held surface of the substrate. There is known a coating apparatus for coating a resist. In the liquid crystal manufacturing industry, it is desired to shorten the cycle time of the substrate manufacturing process. Here, a conventional coating apparatus will be briefly described. Here, the coating device refers to a device further provided with a coating function in the substrate transport device.

  FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a conventional coating apparatus 100. The conventional coating apparatus 100 includes a substrate transport device 102, a stage 130 that supports the substrate 190 from below, and a coating unit 104. The substrate transfer apparatus 102 includes a rotary transfer roller 120 and a transfer robot 121 provided on the (−X) direction side and the (+ X) direction side. The stage 130 is provided with lift pins 131 protruding from the upper surface thereof. The application unit 104 includes a nozzle 140 having a slit-like discharge port for discharging a resist, a pre-dispensing roller 160, and a cleaning container 161. In the coating apparatus 100, the substrate 190 is transported from the (−X) direction (upstream side) to the (+ X) direction (downstream side).

  In the conventional coating apparatus 100, an operation for carrying the substrate 190 above the stage 130 by the transfer robot 121 and an operation for carrying it out from above the stage 130, and an operation for placing the substrate 190 on the stage 130 by raising and lowering the lift pins 131, or An operation of pulling up from the stage 130 is performed. Therefore, it takes a long time to apply the substrate 190 by the coating apparatus 100.

  A technique for solving these problems is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. That is, the substrate transport mechanism (roller) is provided on the upper end side of the lift pins while the coating apparatus is not provided with the transport robot as described above. In such a coating apparatus, after the lift pins directly receive the substrate from the upstream transport roller, the substrate can be transported above the stage using a transport mechanism provided on the lift pins. That is, it is possible to shorten the transfer time by the transfer robot.

JP 2002-153801 A

  However, the substrate transport technique described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that it takes time to place and lift the substrate because the substrate placing operation and the lifting operation are performed by raising and lowering the lift pins. Furthermore, since the substrate is lifted from the stage by the force that pushes up the lift pins, the substrate may be broken.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for shortening the time required for transporting a substrate and improving the throughput of substrate processing.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the invention of claim 1 is a substrate transfer apparatus for transferring a substrate from below to a stage that supports the substrate, and mediates gas to the substrate above the stage. And a separation position where the substrate is separated upward from the upper surface of the stage by controlling the levitation force applied to the substrate by the levitation force applying unit and the upper surface of the stage. Levitation force control means for moving up and down between the upper surface position in contact with the substrate and conveying means for moving the substrate between the separation position and an outer position away from above the stage.

  The invention of claim 2 is the substrate transfer apparatus according to the invention of claim 1, wherein the levitation force applying means includes gas supply means for supplying gas upward from the upper surface of the stage, The levitation force control means controls the amount of gas supplied by the gas supply means.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transfer means is provided upstream of the stage in the transfer direction of the substrate, and the substrate is moved to the stage. Upstream conveying means for horizontally conveying toward the substrate, downstream conveying means provided downstream of the stage in the conveying direction of the substrate with respect to the stage, and horizontally conveying the substrate in a direction away from the stage, and above the stage And a horizontal transfer means for horizontally moving the substrate separated from the upper surface of the stage in the transfer direction.

  According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided the substrate transfer apparatus according to the third aspect of the invention, wherein the horizontal moving means abuts only on an end portion of the substrate that is levitated with respect to the stage. To do.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the transfer means is at least between the upstream transfer means and the horizontal transfer means, or the horizontal transfer means. And a conveyance assisting means for assisting the conveyance of the substrate, which is provided at any position between the substrate and the downstream conveyance means.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the substrate transfer apparatus according to the invention of claim 5, wherein the position of the transfer auxiliary means is a transfer position where the transfer of the substrate can be assisted, and a retreat position where the transfer is retracted from the transfer position. It further comprises an advancing / retreating means for advancing / retreating to / from.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the substrate transfer apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a substrate alignment mechanism for aligning the substrate so as to be placed at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the stage. It is further provided with the feature.

  The invention of claim 8 is a coating apparatus for forming a coating film on the surface of a substrate, wherein a slit-shaped discharge port is provided, and a nozzle for discharging a coating liquid onto the surface of the substrate supported by the stage; , A coating liquid supply means for supplying a coating liquid to the nozzle, a stage for supporting the substrate from below, and a levitation force applying means for applying a levitation force to the substrate above the stage via a gas And by controlling the levitation force applied to the substrate by the levitation force applying means, the substrate is moved up and down between a separation position spaced upward from the upper surface of the stage and an upper surface position contacting the upper surface of the stage. It is characterized by comprising a levitation force control means and a transport means for moving the substrate between the separation position and an outward position removed from above the stage.

  The invention according to claim 9 is a substrate transport method for transporting a substrate to a stage, wherein the substrate is directed from an outer position removed from above the stage toward a spaced position spaced upward from the upper surface of the stage. The substrate is levitated with respect to the upper surface of the stage by applying a levitation force through the gas to the substrate carried in toward the separated position by the carrying-in step A first levitating step, a placing step of lowering the levitated substrate by placing the levitating force applied to the substrate in the first levitating step, and placing the substrate on the upper surface of the stage; By increasing the levitation force applied to the substrate, the substrate placed in the placing step is levitated in the second levitation step and the second levitation step in which the substrate is levitated with respect to the upper surface of the stage. Base The characterized in that it has a unloading step for unloading outward position deviated from above the stage.

  The invention of claim 10 is a coating method for forming a coating film on the surface of the substrate, the substrate being directed from an outer position removed from above the stage toward a spaced position spaced upward from the upper surface of the stage. A carrying-in process for carrying in, and a substrate that is carried in toward the separated position by the carrying-in process by applying a levitation force through a gas to float the board with respect to the upper surface of the stage. A first levitation step, a placement step of lowering the levitation substrate and placing it on the upper surface of the stage by reducing a levitation force applied to the substrate in the first levitation step; By reducing the amount of gas supplied in the levitation step, the substrate that is levitated is lowered and placed on the stage, and toward the substrate placed in the placement step Spout the coating solution And applying the coating liquid to the substrate, and increasing the levitation force applied to the substrate after the coating step so that the substrate placed in the placing step is placed on the upper surface of the stage. And a carry-out step of carrying out the substrate that has been levitated in the second levitating process toward an outside position that is off the upper side of the stage.

  In the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the substrate is placed and pulled up by adjusting the levitation force applied through the gas to the substrate above the stage. Loading / unloading time can be shortened. Further, the possibility that the substrate is damaged during the lifting is eliminated. Through the above operation, the throughput of substrate manufacturing can be improved.

  In the second aspect of the invention, the substrate can be easily floated with respect to the stage by supplying the gas upward from the upper surface of the stage.

  In the invention of claim 3, by providing the horizontal transport means, it becomes possible to accurately and reliably horizontally transport the substrate separated from the upper side of the stage.

  In the fourth aspect of the invention, since the horizontal transfer means contacts only the end portion of the substrate, the gas supplied from the upper surface of the stage can be blown over the entire surface of the substrate.

  In the invention according to claim 5, by providing the conveyance assisting means, the substrate can be smoothly conveyed between the stage and the upstream conveying means or between the stage and the downstream conveying means.

  Further, in the invention of claim 6, by providing the forward / backward movement means of the conveyance auxiliary means, the conveyance auxiliary means can be retracted at the time of substrate processing on the stage, etc., so that the conveyance auxiliary means does not become an obstacle. Smoothly execute the process.

  In the invention of claim 7, by providing the substrate alignment mechanism, the mounting position of the substrate on the stage can be made almost constant, so that the processing can be performed uniformly.

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

<1. First Embodiment>
<1.1. Configuration of coating device>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coating apparatus 1 according to the present invention.

  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.

  The coating apparatus 1 includes a substrate transport apparatus 2 that transports the substrate 90, a stage 3 that supports the substrate 90 from below, and a coating unit 4 that discharges and applies a resist to the substrate 90 held on the stage 3 from a nozzle 40. The coating unit travel support unit 5 that functions as a guide when the coating unit 4 travels, the maintenance unit 6 for performing maintenance of the nozzle 40, and the control unit 8 that controls each unit constituting the coating apparatus 1 Broadly divided. The coating apparatus 1 uses a rectangular glass substrate for manufacturing a screen panel of a liquid crystal display device as a substrate to be processed, and in a process of selectively etching an electrode layer or the like formed on the surface of the substrate 90, A resist as a processing liquid is applied to the surface of 90. Therefore, in this embodiment, the nozzle 40 discharges a resist (coating liquid). In addition, the coating device 1 can be modified and used not only as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device but also as a device for generally applying a treatment liquid to various substrates for a flat panel display.

  The substrate transport apparatus 2 mainly includes a transport roller 20, a transport roller driving unit 21, a transport auxiliary roller 22, a horizontal transport roller 23 installed on the stage 3, and an alignment unit 24. The substrate transfer device 2 is extended in the transfer direction ((+ X) direction) of the substrate 90, and forms a transfer line, so that the (+ X) direction (downstream) from the (−X) direction (upstream) side. It is possible to transport the substrate 90 toward the) side.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the transport rollers 20 are provided on the (+ X) direction side with a plurality of upstream transport rollers 20 a provided on the (−X) direction side with the stage 3 and the application unit travel support unit 5 interposed therebetween. It comprises a plurality of downstream-side transport rollers 20b. The conveyance roller 20 has a longitudinal direction in a direction (Y-axis direction) that intersects at right angles to the conveyance direction, and has an axis 201. The shaft core 201 is connected to the transport roller drive unit 21. By driving the transport roller drive unit 21, the power is transmitted to the shaft core 201, and the transport roller 20 is rotated around the shaft core 201. Can be made. Accordingly, the transport roller 20 can transport the substrate 90 in the (+ X) direction while supporting the substrate 90 from below.

  The conveyance auxiliary roller 22 includes an upstream conveyance auxiliary roller 22a provided on the upstream side in the substrate conveyance direction and a downstream conveyance auxiliary roller 22b provided on the downstream side. Since the downstream side conveyance auxiliary roller 22b has the same structure as the upstream side conveyance auxiliary roller 22a, only the conveyance auxiliary roller 22a will be described below.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the upstream side conveyance auxiliary roller 22a. The upstream side conveyance auxiliary roller 22 a includes a support part 221, an arm part 222, and a cylinder part 223 provided at the upper end thereof. The upstream side conveyance auxiliary roller 22 a can extend and contract the arm portion 222 by driving the cylinder portion 223. Therefore, the support part 221 can be moved back and forth in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. Further, the conveyance auxiliary roller 22 does not have a power source for rotationally driving the support portion 221, but the support portion 221 can freely rotate around an axis 2211 fixed on the upper end side of the arm portion 222. it can.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the coating apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the upstream side conveyance auxiliary roller 22 a is provided at a position between the upstream side conveyance roller 20 a and the stage 3. Further, the downstream side conveyance auxiliary roller 22 b is provided at a position between the downstream side conveyance roller 20 b and the stage 3. Further, the conveyance auxiliary roller 22 is installed such that the upper end of the support portion 221 is disposed above the application portion travel support portion 5 when the arm portion 222 is extended. Therefore, for example, the upstream side conveyance auxiliary roller 22a assists the movement of the substrate 90 by supporting the substrate 90 from below when the substrate 90 is moved above the stage 3 from the upstream side conveyance roller 20a.

  In the following description, the position of the support portion 221 in the state of the upstream side conveyance auxiliary roller 22a shown in FIG. 3 is referred to as a “conveyance position”. On the other hand, the position of the support portion 221 that is in the state of the downstream side conveyance auxiliary roller 22b shown in FIG. 3 by contracting the arm portion 222 (the position moved obliquely downward from the conveyance position) is referred to as a “retraction position”.

  A pair of horizontal transport rollers 23 shown in FIG. 1 is installed at each end of the upper surface of the stage 3 (in FIG. 1, two locations on the (−Y) direction side and the (+ Y) direction side). Is done.

  FIG. 4 is a side view of the horizontal conveyance roller 23. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 4 shows a cross section of the stage 3 and the substrate 90, and shows a state in which the substrate 90 floats with respect to the upper surface of the stage 3. The horizontal conveyance roller 23 includes a roller portion 231, a shaft 232, a motor portion 233, an arm portion 234, and a cylinder portion 235. A shaft 232 is suspended from the center of the roller portion 231. The shaft 232 is connected to the motor unit 233. By driving the motor unit 233, the roller unit 231 can be rotated about the shaft 232.

  Further, the motor unit 233 is connected to the cylinder unit 235 via the arm unit 234. The cylinder part 235 is fixed to a base (not shown), and the motor part 233 connected to the arm part 234 can be moved to the substrate 90 side by the cylinder part 235 pushing out the arm part 234. As a result, the roller portion 231 moves from the position indicated by the imaginary line to the position indicated by the solid line, and comes into contact with the side end portion of the substrate 90. In this state, the roller unit 231 is rotated by the motor unit 233, whereby the substrate 90 can be horizontally transported downstream in the transport direction. In addition, the motor unit 233 can be moved away from the substrate 90 by the cylinder unit 235 pulling the arm unit 234. In this case, the roller portion 231 is separated from the substrate 90.

  By installing such horizontal transport rollers 23 at both ends of the upper surface of the stage 3, the substrate 90 can be sandwiched from both sides. Accordingly, the horizontal transport roller 23 has a positioning function for the substrate 90 in the Y-axis direction. In FIG. 4, the position of the horizontal conveyance roller 23 indicated by a solid line is referred to as a “contact position”. On the other hand, the position of the horizontal conveyance roller 23 indicated by an imaginary line is referred to as a “standby position”.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the alignment unit 24 is an upper surface side of the stage 3 cut into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an upstream alignment unit 24 a installed on the (−X) direction side, and a (+ X) direction side It is formed with the downstream alignment part 24b installed in. Since the upstream alignment unit 24a has substantially the same structure as the downstream alignment unit 24b, only the downstream alignment unit 24b will be described below.

  FIG. 5 is a side view of the downstream alignment portion 24b. In FIG. 5, for convenience of explanation, cross sections of the stage 3 and the substrate 90 are shown. As shown in FIG. 5, the alignment portion 24 has a tapered shape, the contact portion 241 with which the front side comes into contact with the substrate 90, the shaft core 242 fixed below the back side of the contact portion 241, and the shaft And a motor unit 243 to which the core 242 is connected.

  By providing such an alignment unit 24, when the substrate 90 is transported onto the stage 3, the substrate 90 contacts the contact surface of the contact unit 241 (the surface of the contact unit 241 facing the substrate 90). It can prevent moving to the back. Further, when the substrate 90 is placed on the stage 3, the substrate 90 moves obliquely downward along the contact surface of the contact portion 241. Therefore, when the substrate 90 is placed on the stage 3, X The position in the axial direction can be made uniform. Therefore, the alignment unit 24 functions as a substrate alignment mechanism.

  FIG. 6 is a rear view when the downstream alignment portion 24b is viewed from the (+ X) direction side. As indicated by an arrow in FIG. 6, when the motor unit 243 is driven, the power is transmitted to the shaft core 242, and the contact unit 241 can be rotated about 90 degrees in the YZ plane. As shown in FIG. 6, when the contact portion 241 is rotated to a position indicated by an imaginary line, the contact portion 241 moves to a position retracted downward from the transport path of the substrate 90. It is possible to carry out in the + X) direction. Here, the position of the contact portion 241 indicated by the solid line in FIG. 6 is referred to as an “alignment position”. Further, the position of the contact portion 241 indicated by an imaginary line is referred to as a “storage position”. Since the upstream side alignment unit 24a installed on the (−X) direction side of the stage 3 has the same configuration, the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the region on the upper surface of the stage 3 where the substrate 90 is placed, a plurality of grooves are formed at predetermined intervals and so as to extend in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction. 31 is formed. Furthermore, a plurality of holes 32 are provided in the inner bottom portions of the plurality of grooves 31. The hole 32 is connected to the gas supply unit 33 and the exhaust unit 34, and by driving the gas supply unit 33, a gas such as nitrogen gas can be injected upward of the stage 3. Further, by driving the exhaust unit 34, the atmosphere in the space above the stage 3 can be sucked. Therefore, when the gas is ejected from the hole 32 when the substrate 90 is in contact with the upper surface of the stage 3, the gas is filled in the groove 31, so that the pressing force acts on the entire lower surface of the substrate 90. be able to. Conversely, when the air is exhausted through the hole 32, the suction force can be applied to the entire lower surface of the substrate 90.

  Further, by increasing the gas supply amount of the gas supply unit 33 by the control unit 8, the substrate 90 in contact with the upper surface of the stage 3 is levitated with respect to the upper surface of the stage 3 and separated (for example, It can be held at a height of about 100 microns from the upper surface of the stage 3. Further, the substrate 90 in a floating state can be lowered to the position of the upper surface of the stage 3 by reducing the gas supply amount.

  The application unit 4 includes a nozzle 40 provided with a slit-like discharge port, a nozzle support unit 41 for horizontally supporting the nozzle 40, and a nozzle lifting unit 42 for moving the nozzle 40 up and down. The nozzle 40 has a longitudinal direction in the X-axis direction. Further, the nozzle 40 is connected to the resist supply unit 401 via a pipe provided on the upper portion thereof.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view seen from the discharge side of the nozzle 40. As shown in FIG. 7, a slit-like discharge port 402 that opens in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle 40 is provided at the lower end of the nozzle 40. The nozzle 40 can discharge the resist from the discharge port 402 when the resist is supplied from the resist supply unit 401. Since the internal structure of the nozzle 40 can adopt a conventional structure, details are omitted.

  The nozzle 40 is attached to the nozzle support 41 at its upper end. Moreover, the nozzle support part 41 is connected with the nozzle raising / lowering part 42 in the both-sides surface part. As shown in FIG. 1, the nozzle 40, the nozzle support part 41, and the nozzle raising / lowering part 42 form a bridge structure.

  The nozzle elevating unit 42 mainly includes an AC servo motor 43 and a ball screw (not shown), and based on a control signal from the control unit 8, the nozzle elevating driving force (driving force in the Z-axis direction) of the nozzle 40 and the nozzle support unit 41. Generate. Therefore, the nozzle 40 can be translated in the vertical direction by the driving force of the nozzle elevating unit 42.

  The pair of application unit travel support units 5 includes a base 50, a travel rail 51 provided on the upper surface of the base 50, an AC coreless linear motor (hereinafter referred to as “linear motor”) 52, and a base 50. It is comprised with the linear encoder 53 provided in a side surface.

  The traveling rail 51 is fitted to support blocks (not shown) provided at the lowermost ends of both ends of the application unit 4 to guide the movement of the application unit 4 while supporting the application unit 4 upward (the movement direction is predetermined). The linear guide is defined in the direction of

  The linear motor 52 includes a mover 52a installed inside a support block (not shown) and a stator 52b provided on the side of the base portion 50. The linear encoder 53 includes a scale unit and a detector, detects the position of the linear motor 52, and transmits it to the control unit 8.

  The linear motor 52 and the linear encoder 53 mainly constitute a moving mechanism for moving the application unit 4 on the stage 3 along the Y-axis direction while being guided by the traveling rail 51.

  Each of the pair of maintenance units 6 mainly includes a pre-dispensing roller 60 and a cleaning container 61 that stores the pre-dispensing roller 60. The maintenance unit 6 is provided adjacent to the stage 3 in the Y-axis direction (two locations in FIG. 1).

  Pre-dispensing roller 60 has a cylindrical shape and has a longitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction. The pre-dispensing roller 60 has an axis 601, and the axis 601 is connected to the pre-dispensing roller driving unit 602. By driving the pre-dispensing roller driving unit 602, the power is transmitted to the shaft core 601, and the pre-dispensing roller 60 can be rotated around the shaft core 601. By causing the nozzle 40 to approach the surface of the rotating pre-dispensing roller 60 and ejecting the resist from the ejection port 402, the altered resist, bubbles, etc. accumulated in the nozzle 40 can be discharged. Thereby, the resist discharge state of the nozzle 40 can be initialized (maintenance).

  The cleaning container 61 is provided below the pre-dispensing roller 60, and a predetermined cleaning liquid is stored therein. Further, the lower end side of the pre-dispensing roller 60 is immersed in the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning container 61. Accordingly, by rotating the pre-dispensing roller 60 by the pre-dispensing roller driving unit 602, it is possible to clean and remove the resist and the like attached to the surface.

  The control unit 8 includes a calculation unit 80 that processes various data and a storage unit 81 that stores programs and various data. Moreover, the operation part 82 for an operator to input a required instruction | indication with respect to the coating device 1 and the display part 83 which displays various data are provided.

  FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a connection configuration between each unit included in the coating apparatus 1 according to the present invention and the control unit 8. The control unit 8 mainly includes a transport roller driving unit 21, a transport auxiliary roller 22, a horizontal transport roller 23, an alignment unit 24, a gas supply unit 33, an exhaust unit 34, a resist supply unit 401, and a nozzle lifting / lowering unit. 42, the linear motor 52, and the pre-dispensing roller drive unit 602, and the operation of each unit is controlled based on input signals from the operation unit 82 and signals from various sensors (not shown). Can be controlled.

  In the configuration of the control unit 8, specific examples of the storage unit 81 include a RAM that temporarily stores data, a read-only ROM, and a magnetic disk device. However, the storage unit 81 may be replaced by a storage medium such as a portable magneto-optical disk or a memory card and a reading device thereof. The operation unit 82 corresponds to buttons and switches (including a keyboard and a mouse), but may have a function of the display unit 83 such as a touch panel display. The display unit 83 corresponds to a liquid crystal display or various lamps.

  The above is the description of the configuration and function of the coating apparatus 1. Next, operation | movement of the coating device 1 is demonstrated.

<1.2. Operation explanation of coating device>
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the coating apparatus 1.

  First, the operator inputs various data to the control unit 8 via the operation unit 82 (step S1). Various types of input information are processed by the calculation unit 80 and stored in the storage unit 81.

  Next, the control part 8 controls each part, and starts the operation | movement which carries in the board | substrate 90 on the stage 3 (step S2). Here, details of step S2 will be described.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the operation of carrying in the substrate 90 by the coating apparatus 1. When the operation of carrying in the substrate 90 onto the stage 3 by the coating apparatus 1 is started, first, the contact portion 241 of the upstream alignment portion 24a is retracted to the storage position (step S21, see FIG. 6). Thereby, the board | substrate 90 can be conveyed downstream in the conveyance direction, without the board | substrate 90 and the upstream alignment part 24a colliding. Next, the contact portion 241 of the downstream alignment portion 24b is moved to the alignment position and protrudes upward from the conveyance path (see step S22, FIG. 6). Further, by driving the cylinder portion 223 of the upstream side conveyance auxiliary roller 22a, the upstream side conveyance auxiliary roller 22a is projected from the retracted position to the conveyance position (step S23).

  Next, rotation of the conveyance roller 20 is started (step S24). As a result, horizontal conveyance of the substrate 90 supported at the position of the upstream conveyance roller 20a (outward position) toward the upper side of the stage 3 is started.

  After the transport of the substrate 90 is started, the gas supply unit 33 is controlled to start the gas injection upward from the hole 32 provided on the upper surface of the stage 3 (step S25). By this operation, gas is blown toward the lower surface of the substrate 90 existing above the stage 3, so that a levitation force can be applied to the substrate 90 through the gas. That is, it can be carried in a state where it floats with respect to the stage 3.

  When the substrate 90 is carried into the stage 3 in a floating state, each cylinder portion 235 of the horizontal conveyance roller 23 is driven to move the roller portion 231 of each horizontal conveyance roller 23 to the contact position. It contacts the end (step S26, see FIG. 4).

  By driving the motor unit 233 of each horizontal conveyance roller 23 in a state where the roller unit 231 is in contact with the substrate 90, the roller unit 231 is rotated in a predetermined direction to start the rotation operation of the horizontal conveyance roller 23 ( Step S27). By this operation, the substrate 90 floating on the stage 3 is horizontally transported in the (+ X) direction (that is, the direction away from the stage 3).

  When the end portion of the substrate 90 comes into contact with the contact portion 241 of the downstream side alignment portion 24b protruding in step S22, the rotation operation of the horizontal transport roller 23 is stopped (step S28). Then, the upstream side conveyance auxiliary roller 22a is retreated from the conveyance position to the retreat position (step S29).

  The above steps S21 to S29 are the details of the operation procedure (step S2) for carrying the substrate 90 above the stage 3 by the coating apparatus 1. Note that when the carry-in operation of the coating apparatus 1 is completed, the rotation of the upstream-side transport roller 20a is stopped. Alternatively, when there is a substrate 90 to be processed next, the substrate 90 may be transported halfway to stop the rotation.

  Returning to FIG. 9 again, when step S2 is completed, the operation of sucking and holding the substrate 90 on the upper surface of the stage 3 is started (step S3). Here, details of step S3 will be described.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the suction holding operation of the substrate 90 by the coating apparatus 1. When the suction holding operation of the substrate 90 of the coating apparatus 1 is started, the contact portion 241 of the upstream side alignment portion 24a that has been retracted to the storage position in step S21 is moved to the alignment position and protruded to the transport path (step). S31). Thereby, it is possible to prevent the substrate 90 from moving in the (−X) direction side.

  Next, the gas supply by the gas supply part 33 is stopped (step S32). As a result, the substrate 90 that has floated with respect to the stage 3 is lowered. As a result, the substrate 90 that has floated with respect to the upper surface of the stage 3 is lowered and placed on the upper surface of the stage 3. At this time, since the substrate 90 is lowered along the contact surface of one of the protruding upstream alignment portion 24a and downstream alignment portion 24b, the position in the X-axis direction is adjusted.

  Then, exhaust of the atmosphere inside the hole 32 provided in the stage 3 is started by driving the exhaust part 34 (step S33), and the inside of the hole 32 is made negative pressure. As a result, the substrate 90 is sucked and held on the upper surface of the stage 3.

  Next, the protruding contact portions 241 of the alignment portions 24 are retracted to the storage positions (step S34, see FIG. 6). Further, the horizontal conveyance roller 23 that has been projected to the contact position in step S23 is retracted to the standby position (step S35, see FIG. 4). By this operation, the vicinity of the edge portion of the substrate 90 is also attracted to the upper surface of the stage 3, and the entire surface of the substrate 90 is attracted and held on the stage 3.

  The above steps S31 to S35 are the details of the procedure of the suction holding operation of the substrate 90 by the coating apparatus 1 (step S3).

  Returning to FIG. 9 again, when the suction holding operation of the substrate 90 in step S3 is completed, the coating operation of the substrate 90 is started (step S4). Here, the details of step S4 will be described.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the coating operation by the coating apparatus 1. First, the nozzle 40 is moved to the application start position that is the end of the resist application region of the substrate 90 (step S41). The “resist application area” is an area where a resist is to be applied on the surface of the substrate 90, and is usually an area obtained by excluding an area having a predetermined width along the edge from the entire area of the substrate 90. It is. Specifically, the position of the discharge port 402 of the nozzle 40 is changed to the substrate by moving the coating unit 4 waiting at a position above the maintenance unit 6 in the Y-axis direction along the coating unit travel support unit 5. Align near the end of 90.

  Next, by controlling the nozzle raising / lowering unit 42, the lower end of the nozzle 40 is lowered to the vicinity of the surface of the substrate 90 (step S42). The resist is supplied to the nozzle 40 by driving the resist supply unit 401 while the nozzle 40 is lowered. Thereby, the resist discharge from the nozzle 40 is started (step S43). With the nozzle 40 starting to discharge the resist, the application unit 4 is moved in the Y-axis direction along the application unit travel support unit 5 to start the movement of the nozzle 40 (step S44). Then, when the position of the discharge port 402 of the nozzle 40 reaches the position above the end of the resist application region (application end position), the movement of the application unit 4 is stopped. This stops the movement of the nozzle 40 (step S45). Further, by stopping the driving of the resist supply unit 401, the resist supply to the nozzle 40 is terminated, and the resist discharge from the nozzle 40 is stopped (step S46).

  By the operations from step S43 to step S46, a resist film is formed on the surface of the resist coating region of the substrate 90.

  Next, the nozzle 40 is raised by driving the nozzle raising / lowering part 42 (step S47). And the application part 4 is retracted to the upper position of the maintenance part 6 by moving the application part 4 in the Y-axis direction along the application part travel support part 5 (step S48). Note that the position where the coating unit 4 is retracted is a position on the opposite side of the position where the coating unit 4 waits before the coating process is started with the stage 3 interposed therebetween.

  Here, if necessary, before the next substrate 90 to be processed is carried into the stage 3, the resist is ejected from the nozzle 40 by performing test driving of the resist on the pre-dispensing roller 60 of the maintenance unit 6. Initialize state.

  The above steps S41 to S48 are the details of the procedure (step S4) of the coating operation by the coating apparatus 1.

  Returning to FIG. 9 again, when the coating operation of the substrate 90 in step S4 is completed, the unloading operation of the substrate 90 is started (step S5). Here, the details of step S5 will be described.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure for carrying out the substrate 90 by the coating apparatus 1. First, the support portion 221 of the downstream side conveyance auxiliary roller 22b is protruded from the retracted position to the conveyance position (step S51). As a result, the substrate 90 can be smoothly moved above the application unit travel support unit 5.

  Next, exhaust of the atmosphere inside the hole 32 is stopped by stopping the driving of the exhaust part 34 (step S52). Thereby, the adsorption | suction with respect to the stage 3 of the board | substrate 90 is cancelled | released. Further, the gas supply unit 33 is driven to start supplying the gas upward from the hole 32 of the stage 3 (step S53). As a result, gas is blown toward the lower surface of the substrate 90, and the substrate 90 is in a state of being lifted with respect to the stage 3.

  Next, by driving the cylinder portion 235 of the horizontal conveyance roller 23, the roller portion 231 of the horizontal conveyance roller 23 is brought into contact with the side end portion of the substrate 90 (step S54, see FIG. 4). Then, the rotation of the roller unit 231 is started by driving the motor unit 233 of the horizontal conveyance roller 23 that is in contact with the three substrates 90 (step S55). As a result, the substrate 90 is transported downstream in the transport direction by the driving force of the rotation of the horizontal transport roller 23 while flying above the upper surface of the stage 3.

  Next, the conveyance roller driving unit 21 is driven to start the rotation of the downstream conveyance roller 20b (step S56). As a result, the substrate 90 transported downstream in the transport direction in step S56 and transported with the assistance of the downstream transport assisting roller 22b is supported from below by the downstream transport roller 20b while continuing in the transport direction. Transport downstream.

  Further, when the substrate 90 is completely unloaded from the stage 3, the cylinder portion 235 of the horizontal conveyance roller 23 is driven to retract the roller portion 231 of each horizontal conveyance roller 23 from the contact position to the standby position. (Step S57).

  The above steps S51 to S57 are the details of the procedure (step S5) of the unloading operation for unloading the substrate 90 on the upper surface of the stage 3 on which the coating process has been completed to the downstream side in the transport direction. For example, after the substrate 90 is transferred to the next substrate processing apparatus (such as a cleaning apparatus) (not shown), the rotation operation of the downstream-side transport roller 20b may be terminated.

  Returning to FIG. 9 again, when the unloading operation of the substrate 90 in step S5 is completed, it is determined whether there is a substrate 90 to be subjected to the next coating process (step S6). As a specific determination method, for example, a method of determining the presence / absence of the substrate to be processed 90 by providing a sensor above the upstream side conveyance roller 20a can be cited. Alternatively, the operator inputs the number of substrates 90 to be processed in advance to the operation unit 82 and determines whether or not the number of substrates 90 processed by the coating unit 4 has reached that number. Also good.

  If it is determined in step S6 that the substrate 90 to be processed next is on the transfer line (in the case of YES), the process returns to step S2 again, and the subsequent operations are repeated. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S6 that the substrate 90 to be processed next is not on the transport line (in the case of NO), the transport operation of the coating apparatus 1 is terminated, and all the coating operations are terminated.

  When the coating operation of the substrate 90 in step S4 is completed, an operation of carrying out the coating substrate 90 from the stage 3 (step S5) is executed, and at the same time, it is determined whether there is a substrate to be processed next. (Step S6) A configuration may be adopted. If there is a substrate 90 to be processed next, the process returns to step S2 to start the next substrate 90 loading operation. In this case, the carry-out operation in step S5 and the carry-in operation in step S2 are executed in parallel.

<1.3. Effects of the present embodiment>
According to the coating apparatus 1, since the conventional substrate placement procedure by lifting and lowering the lift pins can be omitted, the time required for the operation of placing or lifting the substrate on the stage can be shortened. Further, since the substrate is placed and pulled up by adjusting the gas supply amount, the time until the coating process can be shortened, and the possibility that the substrate 90 is broken is eliminated. Therefore, the throughput of substrate manufacture can be improved.

  Further, by installing the horizontal transport roller 23 on the upper surface of the stage 3, the substrate 90 can be moved smoothly even on the stage 3. In addition, the accuracy of the position where the substrate 90 is placed in the Y-axis direction on the stage 3 can be improved, and the coating process can be performed uniformly. Further, since the roller portion 231 of the horizontal transport roller 23 contacts only the end portion of the substrate 90, the substrate 90 can be efficiently lifted with respect to the stage 3 without obstructing the gas supply on the upper surface of the stage 3. Can do.

  Further, by providing the conveyance auxiliary roller 22, the substrate 90 can be smoothly conveyed even above the coating unit travel support unit 5. In addition, since the support portion 221 can be retracted to the retracted position by providing the cylinder portion 223 on the conveyance auxiliary roller 22, the application portion 4 can move without colliding along the application portion travel support portion 5. it can.

  In addition, by providing the maintenance unit 6 on both sides of the stage 3 in the Y-axis direction, the nozzle 40 can be initialized without having to return to the original position after the coating unit 4 finishes the coating process. For this reason, it is possible to shorten the time for which the substrate 90 waits on the transfer line.

  In addition, since the operation of unloading the substrate 90 from the stage 3 and the operation of unloading the next substrate 90 onto the stage 3 can be performed simultaneously, high throughput of the coating apparatus can be realized.

<2. Second Embodiment>
In the above embodiment, the horizontal conveying roller 23 has been described as having the shaft 232 suspended from the central portion of the roller portion 231, but it is not limited to this.

  FIG. 14 is a side view of the horizontal conveyance roller 23a according to the third embodiment. The horizontal conveyance roller 23a includes a roller portion 231a, a shaft 232a that is suspended from a center of the roller portion 231a, and a motor portion 233 to which the shaft 232a is connected. The shaft 232a transmits the power of the motor unit 233 to the roller unit 231a. However, since the shaft 232a is suspended from the center of the roller unit 231a, the roller unit 231a rotates and rotates greatly. Therefore, unlike the horizontal conveyance roller 23, a state (a position indicated by a solid line) and a state (a position indicated by an imaginary line) that are in contact with the substrate 90 are formed without moving the roller portion 231a.

  When the roller portion 231a contacts the substrate 90, the driving force of the roller portion 231a is transmitted to the substrate 90 by friction. As a result, the substrate 90 is horizontally transported downstream in the transport direction. Note that the conveyance force of the horizontal conveyance roller 23a is weaker than that of the horizontal conveyance roller 23 that always abuts on the substrate 90 and conveys it. However, since the substrate 90 is floated with respect to the stage 3, even the horizontal transport roller 23a can be sufficiently transported horizontally. Moreover, since the structure of the horizontal conveyance roller 23a is simple, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost.

  Further, when the substrate 90 is carried into the stage 3, the roller portion 231a is aligned with the position indicated by the imaginary line in FIG. Each motor unit 233 is controlled so that the roller unit 231a is aligned with the position. Thereby, the accuracy of the position where the substrate 90 is placed in the Y-axis direction on the stage 3 can be improved, and the coating process can be performed uniformly.

<3. Third Embodiment>
In the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the conveyance auxiliary roller 22 does not have a power source that rotationally drives the support portion 221. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

  FIG. 15 is a side view of the conveyance auxiliary roller 22a according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 16 is a top view of the conveyance auxiliary roller 22a according to the fourth embodiment.

  The conveyance auxiliary roller 22a includes a cylinder part 223, a first arm part 222a connected to the cylinder part 223, a motor part 224 fixed to the first arm part 222a, and a rotating plate 225 connected to the motor part 224. The second arm portion 226 connected to the motor portion 224, the support portion 221a installed at the tip of the second arm portion, and the belt 227 that is put on the rotating plate 225 and the protruding portion of the support portion 221a. .

  The support portion 221a has a disk shape like the support portion 221, and corresponds to a portion that supports the substrate 90 from below. The conveyance assisting roller 22 c can drive the rotation plate 225 by driving the motor unit 224. The rotating plate 225 is connected to the protruding portion of the support portion 221a by a belt 227. By rotating the rotating plate 225, the support portion 221a can be rotated.

  Even if such a conveyance auxiliary roller 22a is used in place of the conveyance auxiliary roller 22, the same effect can be obtained, and the conveyance auxiliary roller 22a can also be used as a conveyance power source for the substrate 90.

<4. Fourth Embodiment>
In the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the gas supply unit 33 is driven to supply gas from the hole 32 to apply the levitation force to the substrate 90 above the stage 3 to float the substrate 90. However, the mechanism for applying the floating force to the substrate 90 is not limited to this.

<4.1. Configuration of coating apparatus 1a>
FIG. 17 is a side view showing a coating apparatus 1a according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 18 is a top view showing the coating apparatus 1a. As shown in FIG. 17, a coating apparatus 1a according to the present embodiment mainly includes a substrate transfer apparatus 2, a stage 3a, and a control unit 8a.

  The stage 3a is mainly composed of an ultrasonic excitation unit 35, a heat release unit 36, a vibration plate 37, and a substrate side guide 38, and applies a levitation force to the substrate 90 through a gas to A function of floating the substrate 90 and horizontally transporting the substrate 90 in the transport direction is provided.

  The ultrasonic excitation unit 35 mainly includes a horn 351, a transducer 352, and a support body 353, and is provided on the upstream side (−X side) below the diaphragm 37. The horn 351 has a longitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction, and the upper end surface of the horn 351 is fixed to the lower surface of the diaphragm 37.

  The transducer 352 is provided so as to be sandwiched between the horn 351 and the support 353, and has a function of generating ultrasonic vibration of the same frequency when a high-frequency voltage is applied by an oscillator (not shown). The horn 351 vibrates substantially in the vertical direction in synchronization with the ultrasonic vibration generated by the transducer 352 and causes the vibration plate 37 to generate flexural vibration.

  The heat emitting unit 36 mainly includes a horn 361, a transducer 362, and a support 363, and has a configuration substantially similar to that of the ultrasonic excitation unit 35. However, the transducer 362 is connected to a heat dissipation circuit (not shown), and after converting ultrasonic vibration energy transmitted from the ultrasonic excitation unit 35 via the diaphragm 37 and the horn 361 into electric energy, It is configured to convert heat energy and release heat. The operations of the ultrasonic excitation unit 35 and the heat release unit 36 are controlled by the control unit 8a.

  In the stage 3a, when the substrate 90 is transported onto the stage 3a by the upstream transport roller 20a and the upstream transport assisting roller 22a, the ultrasonic excitation unit 35 and the heat release unit 36 are driven. Thus, the vibration plate 37 is excited to start flexural vibration. As a result, acoustic radiation pressure acts on the bottom surface of the substrate 90 above the vibration plate 37, a levitation force is applied, and the substrate 90 is held at a predetermined height position. Here, the holding of the substrate 90 means a state where the substrate 90 floats with respect to the vibration plate 37 while swinging the substrate 90 substantially in harmony with the flexural vibration of the vibration plate 37.

  Further, when the vibration plate 37 is flexibly vibrated, the energy of ultrasonic vibration generated by driving the ultrasonic excitation unit 35 is transmitted to the heat release unit 36 via the vibration plate 37 and finally released as heat energy. Is done. That is, since the flexural vibration of the diaphragm 37 is converted into a traveling wave, a driving force acts on the substrate 90, so that the stage 3a can horizontally transport the substrate 90 in the (+ X) direction.

  The vibration plate 37 is provided so that the upper surface thereof is parallel to the conveyance path of the substrate 90 formed by the plurality of conveyance rollers 20. In the present embodiment, the diaphragm 37 is made of duralumin, but the material is not limited to this.

  Two recesses are provided on each of the upstream side and the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the substrate 90 of the vibration plate 37, and the upstream alignment unit 24 a and the downstream side are provided inside the recesses, as in the coating apparatus 1. Side alignment portions 24b are respectively installed.

  As shown in FIG. 18, a pair of substrate side guides having a longitudinal direction in the X-axis direction are opposed to each other at the center of both end portions on the (+ Y) side and (−Y) side of the diaphragm 37. Provided. The opposing surfaces (inner side surfaces) of the pair of substrate side guides 38 are in contact with the side end portions of the substrate 90 carried onto the stage 3a, thereby positioning the substrate 90 with respect to the Y-axis direction.

  The inner side surfaces of the pair of substrate side guides 38 are inclined inward from the (−X) side toward the center, and the distance between the inner side surfaces is the side on which the substrate 90 enters. It is configured to be longer than the lateral width of the substrate 90 (on the entrance side) and to be approximately the same as the lateral width of the substrate 90 at the center of the substrate side guide 38. Accordingly, the collision between the substrate 90 and the substrate side guide 38 can be prevented at the entrance portion of the substrate 90, and the substrate 90 can be positioned in the Y-axis direction without damaging the substrate 90.

  Further, the height of the substrate side guide 38 is set to a value approximately equal to or less than the thickness of the substrate 90 (for example, 0.7 mm). Thus, when the substrate 90 is placed on the stage 3 a (specifically, the vibration plate 37), the upper end of the substrate side guide 38 is positioned lower than the upper surface of the substrate 90. The above is the description of the configuration of the coating apparatus 1a.

<4.2. Explanation of Operation of Coating Apparatus 1a>
Next, the operation of the coating apparatus 1a will be described. Here, operations different from those of the coating apparatus 1 will be mainly described. When the coating apparatus 1 carries the substrate 90 onto the stage 3 (step S2 in FIG. 9), the gas supply unit 33 is driven to inject gas upward from the upper surface of the stage 3 ( In step S25), in the coating apparatus 1a, the diaphragm 37 is flexibly vibrated by driving the ultrasonic excitation unit 35.

  As a result, acoustic radiation pressure acts on the lower surface of the substrate 90 carried onto the stage 3a, and a levitation force can be applied to the substrate 90. Further, since a traveling wave is generated by the flexural vibration of the diaphragm 37, a propulsive force in the (+ X) direction can be applied to the substrate 90. As a result, the substrate 90 can be conveyed while being floated with respect to the upper surface of the stage 3a (specifically, the upper surface of the diaphragm 37).

  When the substrate 90 is transported on the stage 3a, the inner side surfaces of the pair of substrate side guides 38 and two sides (side end portions) parallel to the X-axis direction among the four sides of the substrate 90 abut. The substrate 90 is positioned in the Y-axis direction. Further, the front end of the substrate 90 and the contact portion 241 of the downstream alignment portion 24b come into contact with each other, so that the substrate 90 stops in a floating state with respect to the upper surface of the stage 3a.

  When placing the substrate 90 on which the substrate 90 has been transported to the stage 3a on the stage 3a, after the upstream alignment unit 24a is disposed at the contact position (see step S31 in FIG. 11), the control unit 8a The bending vibration of the diaphragm 37 is stopped by setting the frequency of the voltage applied to the transducer 352 of the sound wave excitation unit 35 to zero (or stopping the application of the voltage). Thereby, the levitation force does not act on the substrate 90, so that the substrate 90 is placed on the stage 3a.

  When the substrate 90 is placed, the rear end of the substrate 90 and the upstream alignment portion 24a, and the front end of the substrate 90 and the downstream alignment portion 24b contact each other, thereby positioning the substrate 90 in the X-axis direction. Is made. Then, when the substrate 90 is placed on the upper surface of the stage 3a, the coating apparatus 1a retracts the contact portions 241 of the upstream and downstream alignment portions 24 to the storage position, and applies the substrate 90 (see FIG. 12). Execute.

  When the coating process is completed and the substrate 90 is unloaded, the control unit 8a applies the flying force to the substrate 90 by causing the vibration plate 37 to bend and vibrate by applying again to the transducer 352 of the ultrasonic excitation unit 35. To do. As a result, the substrate 90 floats to a position spaced upward from the upper surface of the stage 3a. Further, the substrate 90 starts to move in the (+ X) direction by the flexural vibration of the diaphragm 37. Then, the substrate 90 is continuously transported downstream in the transport direction (in the direction away from the stage 3a) by the downstream transport auxiliary roller 22b and the downstream transport roller 20b.

<4.3. Effect>
In the present embodiment, the coating apparatus 1a flexes and vibrates the vibration plate 37 to convey the substrate 90 while floating, so that particles adhere to the substrate 90 as compared with the case of injecting gas from the upper surface. Can be suppressed.

  Further, since the substrate 90 after the application of the resist is conveyed while being swung, the resist on the substrate 90 is fluidized, so that the uniformity of the film thickness can be improved and the yield of the coating process is improved. be able to.

  Further, by using the substrate side guide 38, the substrate 90 can be easily positioned in the Y-axis direction. Further, by making the thickness of the substrate side guide 38 thinner than the thickness of the substrate 90, it is possible to suppress the interference between the lower end of the nozzle 40 and the substrate side guide 38 during the application of the resist.

<5. Modification>
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention has been described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment.

  In the above embodiment, the plurality of transport rollers 20 are provided on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction, but the transport mechanism is not limited to this. For example, it may be a transport mechanism that transports the substrate 90 while floating by ejecting gas upward and exhausting the upper atmosphere.

  In the above-described embodiment, the transport roller 20 is provided at a position on the (−X) direction side and a position on the (+ X) direction side with the stage 3 interposed therebetween. It is not limited. For example, the arrangement may be such that the substrate 90 is disposed only on the (−X) direction side, and the substrate 90 is loaded from the (−X) direction side to the stage 3 and then unloaded to the (−X) direction side. This makes it impossible to carry in and carry out the substrate 90 at the same time, but it is possible to reduce the arrangement space of the coating apparatus and to reduce the manufacturing cost.

  In the first to third embodiments, the height of the portion of the roller portions 231, 231 a of the horizontal transport rollers 23, 23 a that protrudes upward with respect to the upper surface of the stage 3 is the thickness of the substrate 90. By setting it to a smaller value, it is possible to prevent the roller portion 231 and the nozzle 41 from interfering during resist application.

  Further, in the fourth embodiment, it has been described that the positioning of the substrate 90 in the Y-axis direction is performed by the pair of substrate side guides 38. However, the horizontal direction according to the first embodiment is used instead of the substrate side guides 38. The positioning may be realized by providing the transport roller 23 (FIG. 4) or the horizontal transport roller 23a (FIG. 14) according to the second embodiment.

  In the fourth embodiment, the alignment unit 24 is provided inside the recess provided in the vibration plate 37 and the substrate side guide 38 is fixed on the upper surface of the vibration plate 38. For example, the alignment unit 24 and the substrate side guide 38 may be arranged at a predetermined height position outside the outer peripheral edge of the diaphragm. In this case, even when the vibration plate is flexibly vibrated, the alignment portion 24 and the substrate side guide 38 are not likely to vibrate, so that the positioning accuracy of the substrate 90 can be improved.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, as a method of providing floating force to the board | substrate 90 through a gas, the method (1st thru | or 3rd embodiment) of injecting gas, and the method of applying an acoustic radiation pressure ( In the fourth embodiment, the floating transport mechanism for the substrate 90 above the stage may be realized by combining a floating force generating mechanism using these gases as a medium.

  The above is the description of the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention so that similar actions and effects can be obtained. Is possible.

It is a perspective view of the coating device concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a perspective view of an upstream conveyance auxiliary roller. It is a schematic side view of a coating device. It is a side view of a horizontal conveyance roller. It is a side view of a downstream alignment part. It is a rear view when a downstream alignment part is seen from the (+ X) direction side. It is the perspective view seen from the discharge side of the nozzle. It is the block diagram which showed the connection structure of each part with which a coating device is provided, and a control part. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement procedure of a coating device. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the board | substrate carrying-in operation | movement by a coating device. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the adsorption | suction holding | maintenance operation | movement of the board | substrate by a coating device. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the application | coating operation | movement by a coating device. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the carrying-out operation | movement of the board | substrate by a coating device. It is a side view of the horizontal conveyance roller which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a side view of a conveyance auxiliary roller concerning a 3rd embodiment. It is a top view of the conveyance auxiliary | assistant roller which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the coating device which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a top view which shows a coating device. It is a perspective view of the conventional coating device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1a Coating apparatus 2 Substrate conveyance apparatus 20a Upstream conveyance roller 20b Downstream conveyance roller 22a Upstream conveyance auxiliary roller 22b Downstream conveyance auxiliary roller 223 Cylinder part 23, 23a Horizontal conveyance roller 24a Upstream alignment section 24b Downstream alignment section DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Stage 33 Gas supply part 35 Ultrasonic excitation part 36 Heat release part 37 Diaphragm 38 Substrate side guide 4 Application | coating part 40 Nozzle 401 Resist supply part 5 Application | coating part travel support part 8, 8a Control part 90 Substrate

Claims (10)

A substrate transfer device for transferring a substrate from below to a stage that supports the substrate,
A levitation force applying means for applying a levitation force to the substrate above the stage via a gas;
By controlling the levitation force applied to the substrate by the levitation force applying means, the levitation force that raises and lowers the substrate between a separation position spaced upward from the upper surface of the stage and an upper surface position contacting the upper surface of the stage. Control means;
Transport means for moving the substrate between the spaced position and an outer position removed from above the stage;
The board | substrate conveyance apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1,
The levitation force applying means is a gas supply means for supplying gas upward from the upper surface of the stage,
Including
The levitation force control means controls a gas supply amount by the gas supply means. It is a board | substrate conveyance apparatus of Claim 1 or 2, Comprising:
The conveying means is
An upstream conveying means that is provided upstream of the stage in the substrate conveyance direction and horizontally conveys the substrate toward the stage;
A downstream transport unit that is provided downstream of the stage in the transport direction of the substrate and horizontally transports the substrate away from the stage;
A horizontal transfer means for horizontally moving the substrate in a state of being separated from the upper surface of the stage above the stage in the transfer direction;
A substrate transfer apparatus comprising: It is a board | substrate conveyance apparatus of Claim 3, Comprising:
The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal moving means abuts only on an end portion of the substrate floating on the stage. It is a board | substrate conveyance apparatus of Claim 3 or 4, Comprising:
The conveying means is
A conveyance assisting unit that is provided at least at a position between the upstream conveyance unit and the horizontal conveyance unit or between the horizontal conveyance unit and the downstream conveyance unit, and assists conveyance of the substrate;
A substrate transfer apparatus, further comprising: It is a board | substrate conveyance apparatus of Claim 5, Comprising:
A substrate transfer apparatus, further comprising a forward / backward moving means for moving the position of the transfer auxiliary means between a transfer position where substrate transfer assistance is possible and a retracted position retracted from the transfer position. The substrate transfer apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A substrate transfer apparatus, further comprising a substrate alignment mechanism for aligning the substrate so as to be placed at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the stage. A coating apparatus for forming a coating film on the surface of a substrate,
A nozzle that is provided with a slit-like discharge port and discharges the coating liquid onto the surface of the substrate supported by the stage;
A coating solution supply means for supplying a coating solution to the nozzle;
A stage for supporting the substrate from below;
A levitation force applying means for applying a levitation force to the substrate above the stage via a gas;
By controlling the levitation force applied to the substrate by the levitation force applying means, the levitation force that raises and lowers the substrate between a separation position spaced upward from the upper surface of the stage and an upper surface position contacting the upper surface of the stage. Control means;
Transport means for moving the substrate between the spaced position and an outer position removed from above the stage;
A coating apparatus comprising: A substrate transfer method for transferring a substrate to a stage,
A loading step of loading the substrate from an outer position away from the upper side of the stage toward a separated position spaced upward from the upper surface of the stage;
A first levitation step of levitating the substrate relative to the upper surface of the stage by applying a levitation force to the substrate carried toward the separated position by the loading step via a gas;
A placing step of lowering the flying substrate to place it on the upper surface of the stage by reducing the flying force applied to the substrate in the first flying step;
A second levitating step of levitating the substrate placed in the placing step with respect to the upper surface of the stage by increasing the levitating force applied to the substrate;
An unloading step of unloading the substrate that has been levitated in the second levitating process toward an outward position that is off the upper side of the stage;
A substrate carrying method comprising: A coating method for forming a coating film on the surface of a substrate,
A loading step of loading the substrate from an outer position removed from above the stage toward a spaced position spaced upward from the upper surface of the stage;
A first levitation step of levitating the substrate relative to the upper surface of the stage by applying a levitation force to the substrate carried toward the separated position by the loading step via a gas;
A placing step of lowering the flying substrate to place it on the upper surface of the stage by reducing the flying force applied to the substrate in the first flying step;
A mounting step of lowering the substrate that has been levitated and placing it on the stage by reducing the amount of gas supplied in the first levitation step;
A coating step of discharging the coating liquid toward the substrate placed in the placing step and applying the coating solution to the substrate;
A second levitating step for levitating the substrate placed in the placing step with respect to the upper surface of the stage by increasing the levitating force applied to the substrate after the applying step;
An unloading step of unloading the substrate that has been levitated in the second levitating process toward an outward position that is off the upper side of the stage;
A coating method characterized by comprising:

Images