TWI740723B - Substrate processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] Make the functional part function effectively and prevent interference between the functional part and the substrate. [Solution] The elevating body (33) is arranged between the first rotating shaft (42) and the second rotating shaft (44) above the transport reference plane (18), and on the first and second rollers (31, During the period when both of 32) have not been placed on the upper surface of the substrate (1), they are maintained at a predetermined lowering position with respect to the transport reference surface (18) and placed on at least one of the first and second rollers (31, 32) The upper surface of the substrate (1) is lifted and maintained from the lowered position to the upper side by the rotating shaft of the roller placed on the upper surface of the substrate (1). The elevating direction restricting means (35, 36) restricts the elevating direction of the elevating body (33) when elevating from the lowered position to a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport reference plane (18). The functional part (50) is fixed or integrally provided on the lifting body (33) in a state where the lifting body (33) is lowered to the lowered position, and is located above the transport reference plane (18). The upper surface of the substrate (1) functions.

Description

Substrate processing device

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that transports and processes metal plates such as printed wiring boards and lead frames (hereinafter referred to as target metal plates such as printed wiring boards and lead frames).

Patent Document 1 describes a spray processing device that includes: a means for conveying printed circuit boards with printed circuit board surfaces arranged horizontally, and processing liquids that are arranged on the upper part of the conveying surface of the printed circuit boards and supplied from a supply container A nozzle device for spraying the medium on the upper surface of the printed circuit board, and a suction nozzle unit (suction tube) for sucking the processing medium sprayed on the upper surface of the printed circuit board during the spraying operation.

The suction tube is provided with a plurality of suction nozzles, and the suction nozzle has a slit-shaped opening on the circumference of the suction tube. The suction tube is fixed to the front of the supporting member, and the supporting member is supported by the two upper conveying rollers. [Prior Technical Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document] JP 2003-243811 A

[The problem to be solved by the invention]

The device of Patent Document 1 supports two upper conveying rollers (the first roller on the upstream side in the conveying direction and the second roller on the downstream side in the conveying direction) on the bearing of a supporting member (lift body). After the upper surface of the circuit board (substrate), until the second roller is placed on the upper surface of the substrate, and after the first roller descends from the upper surface of the substrate, the lifting body is It is inclined to the substrate. Therefore, the distance between the opening of the suction tube (functional part) and the upper surface of the substrate is not fixed, and there is a possibility that the suction function cannot be effectively exerted. In addition, when the thickness of the substrate is increased (in the case of processing a thicker substrate), there is a possibility that the substrate interferes with the lifter or the functional part.

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to enable the functional part to function effectively over the entire length of the conveying direction of the upper surface of the substrate, and to surely prevent interference between the lifting body and the functional part and the substrate. [Technical means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the first aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus that transports and processes the substrate in such a manner that the lower surface of the plate-shaped substrate in the lying posture moves substantially horizontally along the transport reference plane, and includes: The first roller, the second roller, the lifting body, the lifting direction restricting means, and the functional part.

The first roller has a first rotating shaft that can be raised and lowered above the conveying reference surface. When it is placed on the upper surface of the substrate during transportation, it is centered on the first rotating shaft while touching the upper surface of the substrate Come spin. The second roller has a second rotating shaft that can move up and down the transport reference surface above the transport reference surface on the downstream side of the transport direction of the first roller. The upper side rotates around the second rotation axis.

The elevator body is arranged above the transport reference plane between the first rotation axis and the aforementioned second rotation axis, and maintains the transport reference plane while both the first and second rollers are not yet placed on the substrate. At the predetermined lowering position, while at least one of the first and second rollers is placed on the top of the substrate, it is lifted from the lowered position to the upper side and maintained by the rotation axis of the roller placed on the top of the substrate. . The elevating direction restricting means restricts the elevating direction of the elevating body when elevating from the descending position (ascending and descending) to a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport reference plane. The functional part is fixed or integrally provided on the lifting body so as to be located above the transport reference plane when the lifting body is lowered to the lowered position, and functions from the top to the upper surface of the substrate in the transport.

In the above structure, the distance between the lower end of the first roller and the lower end of the second roller along the conveying direction of the substrate (the distance between the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis) is set to be greater than that of the substrate along the conveying direction. The overall length (the distance between the downstream end in the conveying direction and the upstream end in the conveying direction) is also short. The downstream end of the substrate in the conveying direction passes through the lower end of the first roller and the lower end of the second roller in sequence. The upstream end of the substrate in the conveying direction passes through the first roller after the downstream end in the conveying direction reaches the lower end of the second roller. The lower end, and passes through the lower end of the second roller.

In the above structure, the first roller is maintained at a predetermined initial height for the transport reference plane before the downstream end of the substrate in the conveying direction reaches the lower end of the first roller. The substrate is placed on the upper surface of the substrate until the upstream end in the conveying direction passes the lower end of the first roller, and after passing the lower end of the first roller at the upstream end in the conveying direction of the substrate, it descends to the initial height.

The second roller is maintained at the initial height before the downstream end of the substrate in the conveying direction reaches the lower end of the second roller, and the substrate is conveyed to the substrate after the downstream end in the conveying direction of the substrate passing through the lower end of the first roller reaches the lower end of the second roller. It is placed on the upper surface of the substrate until the upstream end in the direction passes the lower end of the second roller, and after passing the lower end of the second roller in the conveying direction of the substrate, it descends to the initial height.

The lifting body maintains a predetermined lowered position with respect to the conveying reference surface before the downstream end in the conveying direction of the substrate reaches the lower end of the first roller. When the downstream end of the substrate in the conveying direction reaches the lower end of the first roller, and the first roller is placed on the upper surface of the substrate, the elevating body is lifted upward from the lowered position by the first rotating shaft. The lifting direction restricting means restricts the lifting direction of the lifting body when lifting from the lowered position to a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the transport reference plane. Therefore, the lifting body is placed approximately at the same time as the first roller is placed on the top of the substrate. The thickness component of the substrate rises from the lowered position. After that, even if the upstream end of the substrate in the conveying direction passes through the lower end of the first roller, while the second roller is placed on top of the substrate, the elevator body will not drop from the rising position where the thickness component of the substrate has been raised, but will reach The upstream end in the conveyance direction of the substrate is maintained at the raised position until it passes the lower end of the second roller. If the upstream end of the substrate in the conveying direction passes through the lower end of the second roller and the second roller is lowered, the lifting body descends from the raised position to the lowered position.

The functional part is fixedly installed on the lifting body so that it is located above the transport reference plane when the lifting body is lowered to the lowered position, and the lifting body is arranged between the first roller and the second roller, so that the lifting position of the lifting body is from Since the transport reference plane is a position higher than the thickness of the substrate, the elevator will not tilt the substrate until the downstream end of the substrate in the transport direction reaches below the elevator, but will move from the lowered position to the raised position together with the functional section. Ascending, after the upstream end of the substrate in the conveying direction passes under the lifting body, the substrate does not incline, but descends from the ascending position to the descending position together with the functional part.

Therefore, regardless of the thickness of the substrate, the height position of the functional portion relative to the upper surface of the substrate is maintained constant over the entire length of the upper surface of the substrate in the conveying direction, so that the functional portion can function efficiently. In addition, it is possible to surely prevent the interference between the lifting body and the functional part and the substrate.

A second aspect of the present invention is the substrate processing apparatus of the first aspect, and includes a second lifting direction restricting means that restricts the lifting direction of the first rotating shaft and the lifting direction of the second rotating shaft to a pair of transport reference planes Roughly vertical direction.

In the above structure, the second lifting direction restricting means restricts the lifting direction of the first rotating shaft and the lifting direction of the second rotating shaft to the direction substantially perpendicular to the transport reference plane, so that the lifting body and the functional part can be lifted and lowered. The operation becomes stable, and the interference between the lifting body and the functional part and the substrate can be further reliably prevented.

The third aspect of the present invention is the substrate processing apparatus of the first or second aspect, and the functional part has a suction port for sucking liquid from the upper surface of the substrate.

In the above structure, the suction port can be maintained at a certain distance from the upper surface of the substrate, so that the liquid can be efficiently sucked and removed from the upper surface of the substrate. [Effects of Invention]

According to the present invention, the functional part can function effectively in the full-length area of the conveying direction on the upper surface of the substrate, and the interference between the lifting body and the functional part and the substrate is surely prevented.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is applied to an etching apparatus will be described based on the drawings.

First, the outline of the manufacturing method of the printed wiring board using the etching apparatus of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2.

As shown in Figure 2(a), on both sides of an insulating substrate (processed object) 1 made of thermosetting resin such as epoxy resin or other resins, for example, a thickness of several μm to several tens of μm A conductive layer (layer to be etched) 2 such as copper foil is formed with a film thickness. The method of forming the conductive layer 2 can be any method such as pasting, electroplating, vapor deposition, etc., so that both sides of the substrate 1 become the etching target surfaces.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the resist film 3 is formed on the upper layer of the conductive layer 2 by a photolithography process (dry film resist or liquid resist, etc.), and the pattern is exposed to perform development Processing, thereby forming a resist film 3 on the upper pattern of the conductive layer 2. The formation process of the resist film 3 is performed separately on both sides of the substrate 1.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2(c), the conductive layer 2 on both sides of the substrate 1 is subjected to etching treatment with the resist film 3 as a mask. That is, the conductive layer 2 is etched along the pattern of the resist film 3, and the wiring portion 2a is patterned.

After patterning the wiring portion 2a, for example, the resist film 3 is peeled off by treatment with a strong alkali solution or an organic solvent or the like. Thereby, a desired printed wiring board is formed.

The etching process of the conductive layer 2 using the above-mentioned resist film 3 as a mask is performed using the etching apparatus (substrate processing apparatus) of this embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram schematically showing the etching apparatus of this embodiment.

In the processing chamber 11 of the etching apparatus 10, a horizontal linear conveying path is set from the entrance 14 on one side (the left side in FIG. 1) to the exit 15 on the other side (the right side in Fig. 1) as a conveying means. The conveying path is provided with a plurality of pairs of upper and lower conveying rollers (the lower conveying roller 16 and the upper conveying roller 17). The conveyance rollers 16 and 17 hold the substrate 1 on which the resist film 3 is patterned, and convey it along the conveyance path by holding it in a substantially horizontal shape with one surface facing upward and the other surface facing downward. The upper end of the lower conveying roller 16 defines a conveying reference surface 18 along a substantially horizontal plane from the upstream side to the downstream side. The conveying rollers 16 and 17 convey the substrate 1 into a plate-shaped substrate 1 in a lying posture. The lower part moves substantially horizontally along the transport reference surface 18. The conveyance rollers 16 and 17 may be constituted only by driving rollers that are driven and rotated by a motor or the like, and may include non-driving rollers (driven rollers that rotate by the movement of the substrate 1). In addition, the conveying roller 16 on the lower side that does not pair with the conveying roller 17 on the upper side, and the conveying roller 17 on the upper side that is not paired with the lower conveying roller 16 may be included.

The upper part of the processing chamber 11 between the entrance 14 and the exit 15 constitutes an etching processing part 12 for performing an etching process. A plurality of jet nozzles 20 are arranged in the etching processing section 12. The spray nozzle 20 sprays the etching liquid to the substrate 1 in the processing chamber 11. The jet nozzle 20 may be fixed (still) to the conveying path, or may be shaken (oscillated). The spray form of the spray nozzle 20 is not limited, and it may be a single-fluid nozzle or a two-fluid nozzle. In addition, a plurality of jet nozzles 20 may be constituted by a single-fluid nozzle and a two-fluid nozzle.

At the bottom of the processing chamber 11 below the conveying path, an etching solution (processing liquid) 5 based on copper chloride, ferric chloride, or an alkaline substance is stored. To each spray nozzle 20, an etching liquid supply line 21 is connected, and the etching liquid 5 stored in the processing chamber 11 is supplied. The etching liquid supply line 21 is provided with a pump 22, a filter 24, and a pressure gauge 23. The etching liquid 5 in the processing chamber 11 is filtered from the pump 22 through the filter 24 and then supplied to each spray nozzle 20 at a predetermined pressure. The supply pressure of the etching liquid to the spray nozzle 20 is measured by a pressure gauge 23.

The spray nozzles 20 are respectively arranged above and below the conveying path. The spray nozzles 20 on the upper and lower sides respectively spray and spray the etching liquid onto the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate 1 conveyed by the conveying roller 16.

The gas in the processing chamber 11 containing the components of the etching solution is purified by an exhaust treatment device (not shown in the figure), and then discharged into the atmosphere from an exhaust pipe (not shown in the figure).

Above the transport path (transport reference surface 18) of the etching processing section 12, a plurality of suction units (functional sections) 50 are arranged, which suck the etching liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle 20 on the upper side onto the upper surface of the substrate 1 and suck and Remove. Each suction unit 50 is composed of a suction tube 55 and a plurality of slit-shaped suction nozzles (suction ports) 56. The suction tube 55 is directed in a direction substantially orthogonal to the conveying path so as to cover the full width of the substrate 1. (Apparatus width direction) extends substantially horizontally (refer to FIGS. 5 and 6), and the suction nozzle 56 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the suction pipe 55 (lower surface in this embodiment) and faces the transport reference surface 18 (in this embodiment) The lower) opening (see FIG. 6), the suction nozzle 56 is arranged between the spray areas of the etching liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle 20, and a desired suction effect is generated in the arrangement area.

Each suction pipe 55 is connected to the suction port 52a of the ejector 52 provided in the middle of the liquid circulation pipe 54 through the suction pipe 51. The liquid circulation pipeline 54 is a closed circuit in which both ends are communicated with the inside of the processing chamber 11 and a circulation pump 53 is provided on the way. The circulation pump 53 sucks the etching solution 5 in the processing chamber 11 and returns to the processing chamber 11 again as a state in which pressure is applied by the ejector 52. When the etching liquid circulating in the liquid circulation line 54 passes through the ejector 52, since the suction port 52a of the ejector 52 is at a negative pressure, the etching liquid sprayed on the substrate 1 passes through the suction nozzle 56 through the suction pipe Road 51 was attracted.

As described above, the etching liquid sprayed from the spray nozzle 20 is removed from the upper surface of the substrate 1 at an early stage, and the occurrence of stagnation of the etching liquid that hinders the spraying of the etching liquid can be prevented in advance, and etching with high in-plane uniformity can be performed. .

Next, the support structure 30 of each suction unit 50 (suction tube 55) will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. Furthermore, in the following, the upstream side of the substrate 1 in the conveying direction is regarded as the rear, the downstream side is regarded as the front, and the horizontal direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the substrate 1 is regarded as the device width direction (left-right direction). The orthogonal direction is described as the vertical direction.

The support structure 30 is provided with: an upper roller (first roller) 31 on the upstream side, an upper roller (second roller) 32 on the downstream side, a slider (lifting body) 33, a plurality of lifting guides 34 to 37, and attracting a plurality of Unit 50 is set individually. Each of the lifting guides 34 to 37 is composed of rectangular blocks. On both sides of the width direction of the device and on the upper surface of the device frame 13 on the left and right along the front and rear direction, four are arranged side by side in the front and rear direction, and are fixed to The device frame 13 extends vertically upward. The four lifting guides 34 to 37 on each side in the width direction of the device are composed of: upstream lifting guide (second lifting direction restricting means) 34, center rear lifting guide (lifting direction restricting means, second 2 Lifting direction restricting means) 35, the central front side lifting guide (the lifting direction restricting means, the second lifting direction restricting means) 36, the downstream side lifting guide (the second lifting direction restricting means) 37, which are directed from the upstream side The downstream side is arranged in a straight line with a predetermined interval.

On the upper surface of the left and right device frames 13, upper and lower upstream shaft support blocks 38, 39, the above-mentioned slider 33, and upper and lower downstream shaft support blocks 40, 41 are respectively arranged.

The rear end surface and the front end surface of the upstream shaft support blocks 38, 39 respectively have a concave shape (refer to Figure 5). The lower upstream shaft support block 39 is inserted from above between the upstream lift guide 34 and the central rear lift guide 35, and is placed on the top of the device frame 13 in the state of engaging with the lift guides 34 and 35 And be supported. The upper upstream shaft support block 38 is inserted from above to the upstream lift guide in a state where the lower upstream shaft support block 39 is engaged with the lift guides 34 and 35 to be supported on the upper surface of the device frame 13 The guide 34 and the central rear elevation guide 35 are arranged above the upstream side shaft support block 39 below in a state of being engaged with the elevation guides 34 and 35.

The upstream elevation guide 34 and the central rear elevation guide 35 restrict the elevation direction of the upper upstream shaft support block 38 (and the upper upstream roller support shaft 42 described later) to be substantially perpendicular to the transport reference plane 18 direction. In addition, the engagement form of the upstream side shaft support blocks 38, 39 with the upstream side elevation guide 34 and the central rear side elevation guide 35 is not limited to the above, and the upstream side shaft support blocks 38, 39 may be supported In a form that can slide up and down.

As with the upstream side, the rear end surface and the front end surface of the downstream shaft support blocks 40, 41 respectively have a front end surface that is slidably engaged with the center front side elevation guide 36 and a rear end surface of the downstream side elevation guide 37 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. The concave shape (refer to Figure 5). The lower downstream shaft support block 41 is inserted from above between the central front elevation guide 36 and the downstream elevation guide 37, and is placed on the upper surface of the device frame 13 in a state of engaging with the elevation guides 36 and 37. Be supported. The upper downstream side shaft support block 40 is inserted from above to the central front side lift guide in a state where the lower downstream side shaft support block 41 is engaged with the lift guides 36 and 37 and is supported on the upper surface of the device frame 13 The guide 36 and the downstream elevation guide 37 are arranged above the downstream side shaft support block 41 in a state engaged with the elevation guides 36 and 37.

The central front elevation guide 36 and the downstream elevation guide 37 restrict the elevation direction of the upper downstream shaft support block 40 (and the upper downstream roller support shaft 44 described later) to be substantially perpendicular to the transport reference plane 18 direction. In addition, the engagement form of the downstream side shaft support blocks 40, 41 with the central front elevation guide 36 and the downstream side elevation guide 37 is not limited to the above, as long as the downstream side shaft support blocks 40, 41 can be supported. Just use the form of sliding movement in the up and down direction.

The rear end surface and the front end surface of the slider 33 have a concave shape engaged with the front end surface of the center rear elevation guide 35 and the rear end surface of the center front elevation guide 36 so as to be slidably movable in the vertical direction (see FIG. 5). The slider 33 is inserted between the central rear elevation guide 35 and the central front elevation guide 36 from above, and can be engaged with the elevation guides 35 and 36 to slide in the vertical direction.

Between the left and right upstream shaft support blocks 38 and 39, upstream roller support shafts 42 and 43 that extend in the width direction of the device are arranged side by side, respectively, up and down. Both ends of the upper upstream roller support shaft (first rotating shaft) 42 are rotatably supported by the upper left and right upstream shaft support blocks 38, and the lower upstream roller support shaft 43 is rotatably supported at both ends The upstream shaft support block 39 is groundly supported below the left and right.

On the upper upstream roller support shaft 42, a plurality of upstream upper rollers 31 are fixed separately in the width direction of the device, and on the lower upstream side roller support shaft 43, a plurality of upstream lower rollers 46 are opposed to the upstream upper roller 31 The way is fixed separately in the width direction of the device. The upstream lower roller 46 and the upstream upper roller 31 constitute the conveying rollers 16 and 17, and the upper end of the upstream lower roller 46 defines the conveying reference plane 18. The lowermost position of the upper upstream roller support shaft 42 (the upper upstream shaft support block 38 and the upstream upper roller 31) is determined by the upper upstream shaft support block 38 and the lower upstream shaft support block 39 And/or the abutment between the upper roller 31 on the upstream side and the lower roller 46 on the upstream side. The upper roller 31 on the upstream side descends to the lowest starting height of the transport reference surface 18, and the upper roller on the upstream side The lower end of 31 is close to or in contact with the upper end (conveyance reference surface 18) of the lower roller 46 on the upstream side. If the leading end of the substrate 1 in the middle of conveyance reaches the lower end of the upper roller 31 on the upstream side (between the upper roller 31 on the upstream side and the lower roller 46 on the upstream side), the vertical position of the lower roller 46 on the upstream side does not change, and the upper roller 31 on the upstream side It will hit the top of the substrate 1 and rise from the initial height by the thickness component of the substrate 1. When the upper roller 31 on the upstream side rises, the upper upstream roller support shaft 42 and the upper upstream shaft support block 38 also rise. In addition, the upstream upper roller 31 and the upstream lower roller 46 may be driving rollers or driven rollers. In addition, the lower roller 46 on the upstream side may not be provided.

Between the left and right downstream side shaft support blocks 40 and 41, downstream side roller support shafts 44 and 45 extending in the width direction of the device are arranged side by side up and down, respectively. Both ends of the upper downstream roller support shaft (second rotating shaft) 44 are rotatably supported by the upper left and right downstream shaft support blocks 40, and the lower downstream roller support shaft 45 is freely rotatably supported at both ends The downstream shaft support block 41 is groundly supported below the left and right.

On the upper downstream side roller support shaft 44, a plurality of downstream side upper rollers 32 are fixed separately in the width direction of the device, and on the lower downstream side roller support shaft 45, a plurality of downstream side lower rollers 47 are opposed to the downstream side upper rollers 32 The way is fixed separately in the width direction of the device. The downstream lower roller 47 and the downstream upper roller 32 constitute the conveying rollers 16 and 17, and the upper end of the downstream lower roller 47 defines the conveying reference surface 18. The lowermost position of the upper downstream roller support shaft 44 (the upper downstream shaft support block 40 and the downstream upper roller 32) is determined by the upper downstream shaft support block 40 and the lower downstream shaft support block 41 The contact between the upper roller 32 on the downstream side and the lower roller 47 on the downstream side is defined. The lower roller The lower end of 32 is close to or in contact with the upper end (conveyance reference surface 18) of the lower roller 47 on the downstream side. If the leading end of the substrate 1 during transportation reaches the lower end of the downstream upper roller 32 (between the downstream upper roller 32 and the downstream lower roller 47), the vertical position of the downstream lower roller 47 will not change, and the downstream upper roller 32 It will hit the top of the substrate 1 and rise from the initial height by the thickness component of the substrate 1. When the upper roller 32 on the downstream side rises, the upper downstream roller support shaft 44 and the upper downstream shaft support block 40 also rise. In addition, the downstream upper roller 32 and the downstream lower roller 47 may be driving rollers or driven rollers. In addition, the downstream lower roller 47 may not be provided.

The upstream side shaft support block 38 and the upper downstream side shaft support block 40 are respectively attached with an upstream side spindle 60 and a downstream side spindle 61 extending upward. A male screw 62 is formed on the lower end of the upstream mandrel 60 and the lower end of the downstream mandrel 61, respectively. The upper upstream shaft support block 38 and the upper downstream shaft support block 40 are respectively formed with A female threaded hole 48 extending downward from the upper end surface. Screw the male threaded portion 62 into each female threaded hole 48, and respectively lock the upstream and downstream nuts 63, 64, thereby fixing the upstream mandrel 60 and the downstream mandrel 61 to the upstream shaft support block 38 and the downstream shaft support block 40.

On the upper end surface of the slider 33, an auxiliary plate 66 is fixed through an inverted U-shaped connecting member 65. The auxiliary plate 66 is formed with an upstream mandrel insertion hole 67 and a downstream mandrel penetrating in the vertical direction. Socket hole 68. The upper part of the upstream mandrel 60 protruding upward from the upstream support block 38 is inserted through the upstream mandrel insertion hole 67, and the upper part of the downstream mandrel 61 protruding upward from the downstream support block 40 is inserted The downstream mandrel insertion hole 68 is passed through.

If the upper roller 31 on the upstream side is lifted from the initial height, the upper upstream shaft support block 38 will be guided by the upstream lift guide 34 and the central rear lift guide 35 to shaft from the lower upstream side. In the manner in which the support block 39 is separated, it rises in a direction substantially orthogonal to the transport reference plane 18. If the upstream shaft support block 38 rises, the auxiliary plate 66 is pushed up by the nut 63, and the slider 33 also rises like the upper roller 31 on the upstream side. The ascending direction of the slider 33 is restricted to a direction substantially orthogonal to the pair of transport reference planes 18 by the center rear elevation guide 35 and the center front elevation guide 36. On the other hand, the upper roller 32 on the downstream side does not rise but is maintained at the initial height (refer to FIG. 8).

Conversely, if the upper roller 32 on the downstream side is lifted from the initial height, the upper downstream side shaft support block 40 will be guided by the central front side lifting guide 36 and the downstream side lifting guide 37 to move from the lower downstream The way that the side shaft support block 41 is separated, rises in a direction substantially orthogonal to the transport reference plane 18. If the downstream shaft support block 40 rises, the auxiliary plate 66 is pushed up by the nut 64, and the slider 33 also rises like the upper roller 32 on the downstream side. The ascending direction of the slider 33 is restricted to a direction substantially orthogonal to the pair of transport reference planes 18 by the center rear elevation guide 35 and the center front elevation guide 36. On the other hand, the upper roller 31 on the upstream side does not rise but is maintained at the initial height (refer to FIG. 10).

Both ends of the suction unit 50 (suction tube 55) in the width direction of the device are fixedly supported on the left and right sliders 33, respectively. For example, the slider 33 can be fixed by any method in addition to using a structural member such as a small screw. Inside the suction pipe 55, a rectifying plate 57 for rectifying the etching liquid sucked from the suction nozzle 56 is provided. The etching liquid in the suction pipe 55 circulates through the through hole 57a formed in the rectifying plate 57 and passes through the pipe joint 58. It flows out to the suction line 51. The edge of the lower end after the slider 33 and the suction unit 50 (suction tube 55) is formed in an inclined surface shape or a curved surface shape so as to hardly interfere with the substrate 1.

As described above, the upstream upper roller 31 has an upstream roller support shaft 42 capable of raising and lowering the conveying reference surface 18 above the conveying reference surface 18, and is placed on the substrate 1 in the middle of the conveyance while being in contact with it. The upper side of the substrate 1 rotates around the upstream roller support shaft 42. The downstream upper roller 32 has a downstream roller support shaft 44 capable of raising and lowering the conveying reference surface 18 above the conveying reference surface 18 on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the upper roller 31 on the upstream side. In the upper surface state, while contacting the upper surface of the substrate 1, it rotates with the lower roller support shaft 44 as the center.

The slider 33 is arranged between the upper upstream roller support shaft 42 and the upper downstream roller support shaft 44 above the conveyance reference surface 18. The slider 33 maintains a predetermined lowering position with respect to the transport reference surface 18 during the period when both the upper roller 31 on the upstream side and the upper roller 32 on the downstream side are not placed on the upper surface of the substrate 1. While at least one of the side rollers 32 is placed on the substrate 1, it is supported by the rotation shafts of the rollers placed on the substrate 1 (the upper upstream roller support shaft 42 and/or the upper downstream roller The shaft 44) is lifted from the lowered position to the upper side and maintained.

The center rear elevation guide 35 and the center front elevation guide 36 restrict the elevation direction of the slider 33 when elevating from the lowered position (raising and then descending) to a direction substantially perpendicular to the conveying reference plane 18. The upstream lift guide 34, the center rear lift guide 35, the center front lift guide 36, and the downstream lift guide 37 connect the upper upstream roller support shaft 42 and the upper downstream roller support shaft 44 The raising and lowering direction is restricted to a direction substantially perpendicular to the conveying reference plane 18.

The suction unit 50 (suction tube 55) is fixedly installed on the slider 33 so as to be located above the transport reference surface 18 when the slider 33 is lowered to the lowered position. Function.

And, the distance between the lower end of the upper roller 31 on the upstream side and the lower end of the upper roller 32 on the downstream side along the conveying direction of the substrate 1 (the distance between the upper upstream roller support shaft 42 and the upper downstream roller support shaft 44) is It is set to be shorter than the total length of the substrate 1 along the conveying direction (the distance between the front end (downstream end in the conveying direction) and the rear end (upstream end in the conveying direction)). The front end of the substrate 1 in the conveyance passes through the lower end of the upper roller 31 on the upstream side and the lower end of the upper roller 32 on the downstream side in sequence. The rear end of the substrate 1 passes through the upstream side after the front end of the substrate reaches the lower end of the upper roller 32 on the downstream side. The lower end of the upper roller 31 passes through the lower end of the upper roller 32 on the downstream side.

Next, the operations of the upper roller 31 on the upstream side, the upper roller 32 on the downstream side, the slider 33, and the suction unit 50 that are raised and lowered along with the conveyance of the substrate 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10.

The upper roller 31 on the upstream side is maintained at a predetermined initial height with respect to the transport reference surface 18 before the tip of the substrate 1 reaches the lower end of the upper roller 31 on the upstream side (refer to FIG. 7), and reaches the upper roller 31 on the upstream side at the tip of the substrate 1 After the lower end of the substrate 1 until the rear end of the substrate 1 passes the lower end of the upper roller 31 on the upstream side, it is placed on the upper surface of the substrate 1 (refer to FIGS. 8 and 9), and the rear end of the substrate 1 passes through the upper roller 31 on the upstream side. After the lower end, descend to the initial height (refer to Figure 10).

The upper roller 32 on the downstream side is maintained at the initial height before the front end of the substrate 1 reaches the lower end of the upper roller 32 on the downstream side (refer to FIGS. 7 and 8), and reaches the front end of the substrate 1 passing through the lower end of the upper roller 31 on the upstream side. After the lower end of the upper roller 32 on the downstream side until the rear end of the substrate 1 passes the lower end of the upper roller 32 on the downstream side, it is placed on the upper surface of the substrate 1 (refer to FIGS. 9 and 10) and passes through the rear end of the substrate 1. After the lower end of the upper roller 32 on the downstream side, it descends to the initial height (refer to FIG. 7).

The slider 33 maintains a predetermined lowered position with respect to the transport reference surface 18 until the front end of the substrate 1 reaches the lower end of the upper roller 31 on the upstream side (see FIG. 7). If the front end of the substrate 1 reaches the lower end of the upper roller 31 on the upstream side, and the upper roller 31 on the upstream side is placed on the substrate 1, the slider 33 is moved upward from the lowered position by the upper upstream roller support shaft 42 Lift up (refer to Figure 8). The center rear elevation guide 35 and the center front elevation guide 36 restrict the elevation direction of the slider 33 when the slide 33 is raised and lowered from the lowered position (ascended and then descended) to be substantially perpendicular to the pair of conveying reference planes 18, so the sliding The block 33 raises the thickness D component of the substrate 1 from the lowered position while the roller 31 is placed on the upper surface of the substrate 1 on the upstream side. After that, even if the rear end of the substrate 1 passes through the lower end of the upper roller 31 on the upstream side, while the roller 32 is placed on the upper surface of the substrate 1 on the downstream side, the slider 33 will not increase the thickness D component of the substrate 1 The ascending position is lowered, but is maintained at the ascending position until the rear end of the substrate 1 passes through the lower end of the upper roller 32 on the downstream side (see FIG. 10). If the rear end of the substrate 1 passes through the lower end of the downstream upper roller 32 to lower the downstream upper roller 32, the slider 33 is lowered from the raised position to the lowered position (see FIG. 7).

The suction unit 50 is fixedly installed on the slider 33 to be located above the transport reference surface 18 (for the predetermined height of the transport reference surface 18) with the slider 33 lowered to the lowered position, and the slider 33 is arranged on the upstream side Between the roller 31 and the upper roller 32 on the downstream side, the rising position of the slider 33 is set to a position higher than the thickness D of the substrate 1 from the transport reference surface 18, so the slider 33 reaches the position of the slider 33 at the tip of the substrate 1 During the period from the bottom, the substrate 1 (transport reference surface 18) does not incline, but rises from the lowered position to the raised position together with the suction unit 50. After the rear end of the substrate 1 passes under the slider 33, it does not The substrate 1 is inclined, but is lowered from the raised position to the lowered position together with the suction unit 50.

Therefore, regardless of the thickness D of the substrate 1, the height of the suction unit 50 (suction nozzle 56) on the upper surface of the substrate 1 is maintained at a fixed position (to The way to obtain a higher suction effect is close to the position on the upper surface of the substrate 1), so that the suction unit 50 can function efficiently. In addition, interference between the slider 33 and the suction unit 50 and the substrate 1 can be reliably prevented.

In addition, the upstream elevation guide 34, the center rear elevation guide 35, the center front elevation guide 36, and the downstream elevation guide 37 are the upper and lower upstream roller support shaft 42 in the elevation direction and the upper downstream side The lifting direction of the roller support shaft 44 is restricted to a direction substantially perpendicular to the conveying reference surface 18. Therefore, the movement of the slider 33 and the suction unit 50 when they are raised and lowered can be stabilized, and the slider 33 and the suction unit 50 can be further reliably prevented from being connected to the substrate. 1’s interference.

In addition, the suction nozzle 56 can be maintained at a certain distance from the upper surface of the substrate 1, so that the etching liquid can be efficiently sucked and removed from the upper surface of the substrate 1.

As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated based on the said embodiment, this invention is not limited to the content of the said embodiment, of course, it can change suitably without deviating from the scope of the present invention.

For example, the form of the support structure 30 of the suction unit 50 is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and is configured such that the slider 33 is lifted by at least one of the first and second rotation shafts to rise substantially perpendicular to the transport reference plane 18 , It is enough to maintain the rising position until both the first and second rotating shafts descend. For example, in the example of the support structure 70 shown in Figures 11 and 12, instead of the auxiliary plate 66, the upstream plate 71, the downstream plate 72 and the central plate 73 are provided, and the upstream center attached to the auxiliary plate 66 is omitted. Shaft 60 and downstream mandrel 61. The upstream side plate 71 fixes the upstream side shaft support block 38 provided on the upper side so that one side in the width direction of the device extends toward the downstream side. The upstream side plate 71 of the example shown in the figure is fixed to the upper surface of the upper upstream side shaft support block 38 so that the inner side in the width direction of the device extends toward the downstream side. The downstream side plate 72 fixes the downstream side shaft support block 40 provided on the upper side so that the other side in the width direction of the device extends toward the upstream side. The downstream side plate 72 of the example shown in the figure is fixed to the upper surface of the upper downstream side shaft support block 40 so that the outer side in the width direction of the device extends toward the upstream side. The central plate 73 is fixed to the slider 33 (in the example shown in the figure, it is fixed to the upper surface of the slider 33), and protrudes toward the inside and outside of the slider 33 in the width direction of the device. The front part of the device width direction side of the upstream plate 71 is the device width direction side of the central plate 73 from below (inside in the example shown in the figure), and the device width direction of the downstream plate 72 The rear part on the other side is the other side in the device width direction facing the central plate 73 from below (the outer side in the example shown in the figure). If the upper upstream roller support shaft 42 rises, the upstream plate 71 pushes up the center plate 73, and the slider 33 rises. Similarly, if the upper downstream side roller support shaft 44 rises, the downstream side plate 72 will push up the center plate 73 and the slider 33 will rise. The slider 33 is maintained at the raised position until both the upper upstream roller support shaft 42 and the upper downstream roller support shaft 44 descend.

In addition, the functional part fixed to the lifting body 33 is not limited to the suction unit 50 as in the above-mentioned embodiment, but has other functions (for example, a slit nozzle having a function of spraying gas and/or liquid toward the upper surface of the substrate 1). Etc.) can also be.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the slider 33 and the suction unit 50 are formed separately to fix them, but the two may be formed integrally.

Furthermore, instead of or in addition to the both ends in the width direction of the device, the support structure 30 of the suction unit 50 may be provided in the middle portion in the width direction of the device.

1: substrate 5: Etching liquid (treatment liquid) 10: Etching device (substrate processing device) 11: Processing room 12: Etching department 13: device frame 16,17: Conveying roller (conveying means) 20: Jet nozzle 30, 70: Support structure of suction unit 31: Upper roller on the upstream side (1st roller) 32: Upper roller on the downstream side (2nd roller) 33: Slider (lifting body) 34: Upstream side lift guide (2nd lift direction restriction means) 35: Center rear lifting guide (lifting direction restriction means, second lifting direction restriction means) 36: Center front side lift guide (lifting direction restriction means, second lifting direction restriction means) 37: Downstream side lift guide (2nd lift direction restriction means) 38: Upper upstream shaft support block 39: Lower upstream shaft support block 40: Upper downstream shaft support block 41: Lower downstream shaft support block 42: Upper upstream roller support shaft (1st rotating shaft) 43: Lower upstream roller support shaft 44: Upper downstream roller support shaft (2nd rotating shaft) 45: Lower downstream roller support shaft 46: Lower roller on the upstream side 47: Lower roller on the downstream side 50: Suction Unit (Functional Department) 55: Suction tube 56: Suction nozzle (suction port) 60: Upstream mandrel 61: Downstream mandrel 65: connecting member 66: auxiliary board 71: Upstream side plate 72: Downstream side plate 73: Central plate

[Fig. 1] A schematic configuration diagram showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] An enlarged cross-sectional view of the printed wiring board used to illustrate the etching process. [Fig. 3] A side view of the supporting structure of the suction unit viewed from the outside in the width direction of the device. [Fig. 4] A side view of the supporting structure of the suction unit viewed from the inside in the width direction of the device. [Fig. 5] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V. [Fig. 6] Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI. [Figure 7] A side view showing the state where the slider is maintained at the lowered position. [Fig. 8] A side view showing the state where the roller on the upstream side is placed on the substrate. [Fig. 9] A side view showing the state where the upper roller on the upstream side and the upper roller on the downstream side are placed on the substrate. [Fig. 10] A side view showing the state after the upper roller on the upstream side descends and before the upper roller on the downstream side descends. [Fig. 11] A side view of another example of the support structure of the suction unit viewed from the inside in the width direction of the device. [Fig. 12] A plan view of the supporting structure of Fig. 11 viewed from above.

1: substrate

13: device frame

18: Transport reference plane

30: Support structure of suction unit

31: Upper roller on the upstream side (1st roller)

32: Upper roller on the downstream side (2nd roller)

33: Slider (lifting body)

34: Upstream side lift guide (2nd lift direction restriction means)

35: Center rear lifting guide (lifting direction restriction means, second lifting direction restriction means)

36: Center front side lift guide (lifting direction restriction means, second lifting direction restriction means)

37: Downstream side lift guide (2nd lift direction restriction means)

38: Upper upstream shaft support block

39: Lower upstream shaft support block

40: Upper downstream shaft support block

41: Lower downstream shaft support block

42: Upper upstream roller support shaft (1st rotating shaft)

43: Lower upstream roller support shaft

44: Upper downstream roller support shaft (2nd rotating shaft)

45: Lower downstream roller support shaft

46: Lower roller on the upstream side

47: Lower roller on the downstream side

50: Suction Unit (Functional Department)

60: Upstream mandrel

61: Downstream mandrel

63: Nut

64: Nut

65: connecting member

66: auxiliary board

67: Mandrel insertion hole on the upstream side

68: Downstream mandrel insertion hole

Claims (3)

A substrate processing device that transports and processes the substrate in such a manner that the lower surface of a plate-shaped substrate in a lying posture moves substantially horizontally along a transfer reference plane, and is characterized in that: The first roller has a first rotating shaft that can move up and down the transport reference surface above the transport reference surface, and when it is placed on the upper surface of the substrate during transport, it touches the upper surface of the substrate while using the Rotate with the first rotation axis as the center; The second roller has a second rotating shaft capable of raising and lowering the transport reference surface above the transport reference surface on the downstream side of the transport direction of the first roller, and is placed on the upper surface of the substrate during transport , While contacting the upper surface of the aforementioned substrate while rotating around the aforementioned second rotation axis; The elevating body is arranged between the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft above the transport reference plane, and is for the period when both of the first and second rollers are not placed on the top of the substrate The transport reference surface is maintained at a predetermined lowering position, and while at least one of the first and second rollers is placed on the top of the substrate, it is removed from the substrate by the rotation axis of the roller placed on the top of the substrate. The aforementioned lowered position is lifted to the upper side and maintained; Lifting direction restricting means for restricting the lifting direction of the lifting body when lifting from the lowered position to a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport reference plane; and The functional part is fixed or integrally provided on the lifting body in a state where the lifting body is lowered to the lowered position to be located above the transport reference plane, and functions from the top to the upper surface of the substrate in the transport. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: A second elevating direction restricting means is provided for restricting the elevating direction of the first rotating shaft and the elevating direction of the second rotating shaft to a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport reference plane. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: The functional part has a suction port for sucking liquid from the upper surface of the substrate.

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