TWI863270B - Coating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a technology that can cope with multiple types of substrates with different substrate sizes. The coating device of the present invention holds the peripheral portion of the substrate by a holding portion, and blows a fluid to the lower central portion of the substrate by a suspension mechanism to support the substrate in a horizontal posture. The holding portion has: a pair of moving members, which are arranged to correspond to the two end portions of the substrate in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the substrate, and move along the conveying direction; and a holding member, which is independently constructed from the moving member, and at least one is installed on each of the pair of moving members to hold the end portion of the substrate in the width direction. At least one of the pair of moving members can be changed in multiple stages or continuously in at least one direction of the conveying direction and the above-mentioned width direction in the installation position of the holding member relative to the moving member.

Description

Coating equipment

The present invention relates to a coating device that blows a fluid toward the bottom of a substrate, keeps the substrate in a horizontal position in a suspended state, and coats the top of the substrate with a treatment liquid. Furthermore, the above-mentioned substrate includes a semiconductor substrate, a substrate for a mask, a substrate for a liquid crystal display, a substrate for an organic EL display, a substrate for a plasma display, a substrate for a FED (Field Emission Display), a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magnetic disk, a substrate for a magneto-optical disk, etc.

In the manufacturing process of electronic components such as semiconductor devices or liquid crystal display devices, a coating device is used to supply a liquid such as a photoresist liquid toward the surface of a substrate to coat the liquid on the substrate. For example, the coating device described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-113329 (Patent Document 1) transports the substrate while the substrate is suspended, and supplies the liquid to a slit nozzle, and discharges the liquid from the discharge port of the slit nozzle to the surface of the substrate to coat the substantially entire substrate.

In the coating device, gas is blown from the top of the suspension stage opposite to the center of the bottom of the substrate to suspend the substrate, and the peripheral part of the substrate is held by adsorption using a chuck mechanism. In this way, the substrate is transported in a horizontal transport direction while the posture of the substrate is stabilized. With such a structure, even for large-sized substrates, the posture in the position opposite to the nozzle can be precisely controlled to make the thickness of the coating film uniform.

In the manufacturing plants of such substrates, in addition to standardized substrates of standard size, there are also cases where substrates with slightly different external dimensions are used. For example, in the glass substrates used in the manufacture of liquid crystal display panels, compared with the substrate size of 2160mm×2460mm, which is usually called G8 size, there are also some derivative sizes with at least one of the length and width differing by tens of mm (for example, the so-called 2200mm×2500mm).

On the other hand, in coating devices, the design must be optimized for substrates of a specific size. In particular, in devices such as the above that suspend the substrate while holding the periphery for transportation, it is extremely important to maintain the horizontal posture of the substrate. Therefore, the mechanical components used to hold the substrate also need to be optimized according to the expected substrate size. As a result, even if the substrate size is slightly different as mentioned above, it is necessary to redesign and manufacture the components that match it.

The present invention is made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a technology that can be used for a plurality of types of substrates with different substrate sizes in a coating device that can suspend a substrate while coating a processing liquid on it.

One aspect of the coating device of the present invention comprises: a holding part that holds the peripheral part of the substrate and holds the substrate horizontally; a suspension mechanism that sprays fluid from the upper surface arranged opposite to the lower center of the substrate held by the holding part and supports the substrate in a suspended state and in a horizontal posture; a moving mechanism that moves the holding part in a horizontal direction and transports the substrate supported by the suspension mechanism; and a nozzle that is arranged opposite to the upper surface of the substrate supported by the suspension mechanism and sprays the processing liquid toward the upper surface of the substrate.

Here, the holding part has: a pair of moving members, which are respectively arranged at the two ends of the substrate in the width direction, and the width direction is orthogonal to the conveying direction of the substrate; and a holding member, which is configured as a member independent of the moving member. The pair of moving members moves along the conveying direction by the moving mechanism, and at least one holding member is installed on each of the pair of moving members to hold the end of the substrate in the width direction. At least one of the pair of moving members can be changed in multiple stages or continuously in at least one direction of the conveying direction and the width direction in the installation position of the holding member relative to the moving member.

In the invention thus constructed, it is possible to change the mounting position of the retaining member relative to the moving member. Therefore, for various substrates of different sizes, it is possible to support the periphery of the substrate by changing the position of the retaining member.

As described above, in the present invention, in the holding portion of the peripheral portion of the holding substrate, it is configured to be able to change the mounting position of the holding member relative to the moving member. Therefore, it can correspond to a plurality of types of substrates with different substrate sizes.

1: Coating device

2: Input transfer unit

3: Suspended platform (suspension mechanism)

4: Output transfer unit

5: Substrate transport unit

7: Coating unit

8:Maintenance unit

9: Control unit

10: Base

21: Roller conveyor belt

22: Rotation/lifting drive mechanism

31: Entrance suspension platform

32, 32a: coating carrier (carrier component)

33: Export suspension platform

35: Suspension control mechanism

36: Lifting drive mechanism

41: Roller conveyor belt

42: Rotation/lifting drive mechanism

51: Chuck mechanism (holding part)

51L, 51R: Chuck unit

52: Adsorption/migration control mechanism

53: Cable carrier

57L, 57R: Traveling rails (moving mechanism)

58L, 58R: Linear motor (moving mechanism)

59L, 59R: Linear scale

71: Narrow nozzle (nozzle)

74L, 74R: Transition rails

75L, 75R: Linear motor

76L, 76R: Linear scale

79: Positioning mechanism

81: Nozzle cleaner

82: Cleaning fluid storage tank

84L, 84R: Transmission rails

89:Maintenance control mechanism

100: Input conveyor belt

101: Roller conveyor belt

102: Rotary drive mechanism

110: Output conveyor belt

111: Roller conveyor belt

112: Rotary drive mechanism

320: Support part

321: Sub-carrier (support part)

322: Foot (support part)

323: Supporting components

511: Slider

512: Base (transition member)

512a: base

512b: base

513: Retaining components

513a: Retaining member

513b: Retaining member

514: Fastening components

515: screw hole

515a: screw hole

515b: screw hole

516:Through hole

516a:Through hole

516b: Long hole (slot hole)

517: screw hole

518: Adsorption pad (adsorption mechanism)

519: Intake port

520: Negative pressure applying part (adsorption mechanism)

521: Manifold

522: Hose

711: Spit it out

731: Beam components

732, 733: Column components

734: Lifting mechanism

735: Lifting mechanism

736: Slider

861: Beam components

862, 863: Column components

864: Board

866, 867: Slider

S: Substrate

S1: Substrate

S2: Substrate

Sf: Top surface of substrate

Sb: bottom of substrate

FIG1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall structure of an implementation form of the coating device of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the coating device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an exploded assembly diagram showing the structure of the chuck mechanism.

Figure 4A is a diagram showing the relationship between the substrate size and the position of the retaining member.

Figure 4B is a diagram showing the relationship between the substrate size and the position of the retaining member.

Figure 4C is a diagram showing the relationship between the size of the substrate and the position of the retaining member.

FIG5A is a diagram showing another configuration example of the chuck unit.

FIG5B is a diagram showing another example of the configuration of the chuck unit.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall structure of one embodiment of the coating device of the present invention. The coating device 1 is a slit coating machine for coating a coating liquid on an upper surface Sf of a substrate S, and the substrate S is transported in a horizontal posture from the left hand side to the right hand side of FIG. 1. Furthermore, in the following figures, in order to make the arrangement relationship of each part of the device clear, the transport direction of the substrate S is set as the "X direction", the horizontal direction from the left hand side to the right hand side of FIG. 1 is called the "+X direction", and the opposite direction is called the "-X direction". In addition, the front side of the device in the horizontal direction Y orthogonal to the X direction is called the "-Y direction", and the back side of the device is called the "+Y direction". In addition, the upward direction and the downward direction of the vertical direction Z are respectively referred to as the "+Z direction" and the "-Z direction".

First, the structure and operation of the coating device 1 are briefly described using FIG. 1. In addition, the basic structure and operation principle of the coating device 1 are the same as those described in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-187597 previously disclosed by the applicant. Therefore, in this specification, for the various structures of the coating device 1, the contents that are applicable to the same structure as those described in the well-known literature, and the contents whose structure is easy to understand from the description, the detailed description may be omitted.

In the coating device 1, the input conveyor belt 100, the input transfer unit 2, the suspension platform unit 3, the output transfer unit 4, and the output conveyor belt 110 are arranged in close proximity in the order of the input conveyor belt 100, the input transfer unit 2, the suspension platform unit 3, the output transfer unit 4, and the output conveyor belt 110. As described in detail below, a conveying path of the substrate S extending in a substantially horizontal direction is formed by them. Furthermore, in the following description, when it is associated with the conveying direction Dt of the substrate S to show the positional relationship, there is a case where the "upstream side in the conveying direction Dt of the substrate S" is abbreviated as the "upstream side", and the "downstream side in the conveying direction Dt of the substrate S" is abbreviated as the "downstream side". In this example, when viewed from a certain reference position, the (-X) side corresponds to the "upstream side" and the (+X) side corresponds to the "downstream side" relatively speaking.

The substrate S to be processed is carried into the input conveyor 100 from the left hand side of FIG. 1. The input conveyor 100 has a conveyor roller 101 and a rotation drive mechanism 102 for rotationally driving the conveyor roller. By the rotation of the conveyor roller 101, the substrate S is conveyed in a horizontal position toward the downstream side, i.e., the (+X) direction. The input transfer unit 2 has a conveyor roller 21 and a rotation/elevation drive mechanism 22 having the function of rotationally driving the conveyor roller and the function of elevating the conveyor roller. By the rotation of the conveyor roller 21, the substrate S is further conveyed toward the (+X) direction. In addition, by the elevating and lowering of the conveyor roller 21, the vertical position of the substrate S is changed. By means of the input transfer unit 2 constructed in this way, the substrate S is transferred from the input conveyor belt 100 to the suspended stage unit 3.

The suspension platform section 3 has a flat platform divided into three parts along the conveying direction Dt of the substrate. That is, the suspension platform section 3 has an inlet suspension platform 31, a coating platform 32, and an outlet suspension platform 33. The top surfaces of the platforms constitute a part of the same plane. A plurality of ejection holes are arranged in a matrix on the top surfaces of the inlet suspension platform 31 and the outlet suspension platform 33, respectively. The ejection holes can eject compressed air supplied from the suspension control mechanism 35, and the substrate S is lifted and suspended by the ejected airflow. In this way, the bottom surface Sb of the substrate S is supported in a horizontal posture in a state separated from the top surface of the platform. The distance between the bottom Sb of the substrate S and the top of the stage, i.e. the suspension amount, can be set to, for example, 10 microns to 500 microns.

On the other hand, the coating stage 32 is alternately provided with ejection holes for ejecting compressed air and suction holes for sucking air between the bottom Sb of the substrate S and the top of the stage. The suspension control mechanism 35 precisely controls the distance between the bottom Sb of the substrate S and the top of the coating stage 32 by controlling the ejection amount of compressed air from the ejection holes and the suction amount from the suction holes. Thus, the vertical position of the top Sf of the substrate S above the coating stage 32 is controlled to a predetermined value. As a specific structure of the suspension stage part 3, for example, that described in Japanese Patent Gazette No. 5346643 can be applied.

Furthermore, a lifting pin not shown in the figure is provided at the entrance suspension platform 31. In addition, a lifting pin driving mechanism 34 for lifting the lifting pin is provided at the suspension platform part 3.

The substrate S carried into the suspension stage section 3 via the input transfer section 2 is applied with a thrust force in the (+X) direction by the rotation of the roller conveyor 21, and is then transported to the entrance suspension stage 31. The entrance suspension stage 31, the coating stage 32, and the exit suspension stage 33 support the substrate S in a suspended state, but they do not have the function of moving the substrate S in the horizontal direction. The substrate S in the suspension stage section 3 is transported by the substrate transport section 5 arranged below the entrance suspension stage 31, the coating stage 32, and the exit suspension stage 33.

The substrate transport unit 5 is equipped with: a chuck mechanism 51, which supports the substrate S from below by partially contacting the lower peripheral portion of the substrate S; and an adsorption/transfer control mechanism 52, which has the function of applying negative pressure to the adsorption pad (not shown) of the holding member 513 provided on the chuck mechanism 51 to adsorb and hold the substrate S, and the function of reciprocating the chuck mechanism 51 along the X direction. When the chuck mechanism 51 holds the substrate S, the lower surface Sb of the substrate S is located at a position higher than the upper surface of each platform of the suspension stage unit 3. Therefore, the substrate S is held by the chuck mechanism 51 while the peripheral portion is adsorbed and held, and the buoyancy applied by the suspension stage unit 3 is used to maintain the entirety in a horizontal position.

The chuck mechanism 51 holds the substrate S that is carried from the input transfer unit 2 to the suspension stage unit 3. In this state, the chuck mechanism 51 moves in the (+X) direction. As a result, the substrate S is transported from above the entrance suspension stage 31 to above the exit suspension stage 33 via above the coating stage 32. The transported substrate S is received by the output transfer unit 4 disposed on the (+X) side of the exit suspension stage 33.

The exit suspension platform 33 among the platforms of the suspension platform section 3 is configured to be able to rise and fall between a lower position whose upper position is lower than the upper position of the chuck mechanism 51 and an upper position whose upper position is higher than the upper position of the chuck mechanism 51. For this purpose, the exit suspension platform 33 is supported by a lifting drive mechanism 36. The lifting drive mechanism 36 lifts and lowers the exit suspension platform 33 according to the control command from the control unit 9, and positions it at a predetermined height corresponding to the processing.

The output transfer section 4 has a conveyor roller 41 and a rotation/lifting drive mechanism 42 that has the function of rotating and lifting the conveyor roller 41. By rotating the conveyor roller 41, a thrust force in the (+X) direction is applied to the substrate S, and the substrate S is further transported along the transport direction Dt. In addition, the vertical position of the substrate S is changed by lifting the conveyor roller 41. The substrate S is transferred from the top of the exit suspension platform 33 to the output conveyor belt 110 by the output transfer section 4.

The output conveyor 110 includes a conveyor roller 111 and a rotation drive mechanism 112 for rotationally driving the conveyor roller 111. The substrate S is further transported toward the (+X) direction by the rotation of the conveyor roller 111, and is finally sent out of the coating apparatus 1. The input conveyor 100 and the output conveyor 110 may be a part of the coating apparatus 1, but they may be separate objects from the coating apparatus 1. In addition, for example, a substrate sending mechanism of another unit provided on the upstream side of the coating apparatus 1 may be used as the input conveyor 100. In addition, the substrate receiving mechanism of other units located downstream of the coating device 1 can also be used as the output conveyor belt 110.

On the conveying path of the conveyed substrate S, a coating unit 7 for coating the upper surface Sf of the substrate S is arranged. The coating unit 7 has a slit nozzle, namely a nozzle 71. The coating liquid is supplied from a coating liquid supply unit (not shown) toward the nozzle 71, and the coating liquid is discharged from a discharge port opened downward at the lower part of the nozzle.

The nozzle 71 can be moved and positioned in the X direction and the Z direction by the positioning mechanism 79 of the coating unit 7. The nozzle 71 is positioned at the coating position (the position shown by the dotted line) above the coating stage 32 by the positioning mechanism 79. The coating liquid is ejected from the nozzle 71 positioned at the coating position and is coated on the substrate S transported between the nozzle 71 and the coating stage 32. In this way, the coating liquid is coated on the substrate S.

Above the conveying path of the substrate S, a maintenance unit 8 is provided for maintaining the nozzle 71. The maintenance unit 8 includes a cleaning liquid storage tank 82 provided in a tank 80, a nozzle cleaner 81, and a maintenance control mechanism 89 for controlling the operation of the cleaning liquid storage tank 82 and the nozzle cleaner 81.

When the nozzle 71 is located above the nozzle cleaner 81 (cleaning position) shown by the solid line, the nozzle cleaner 81 removes the coating liquid attached to the periphery of the discharge port of the nozzle 71. By cleaning the nozzle 71 before moving toward the coating position, the discharge of the coating liquid at the coating position can be stable from the initial stage.

In addition, the positioning mechanism 79 can position the nozzle 71 at a position (standby position) where the lower end of the nozzle contacts the cleaning liquid stored in the cleaning liquid storage tank 82. When the coating process using the nozzle 71 is not performed, the nozzle 71 is positioned at the standby position. Furthermore, the lower end of the nozzle can also be cleaned by applying ultrasonic waves to the above-mentioned cleaning liquid.

In addition, a control unit 9 for controlling the actions of various parts of the device is provided in the coating device 1. The control unit 9 has: a memory means for storing a predetermined control program and various data; a calculation means such as a CPU, which enables various parts of the device to perform predetermined actions by executing the control program; an interface means for exchanging information with users and external devices; and others.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the coating device shown in FIG. 1 , and specifically, it is a view of the main part of the coating device 1 viewed in the (+X) direction. As shown in FIG. 2 , the coating unit 7 has a bridge structure. Specifically, the coating unit 7 has the following structure: a pair of column members 732 and 733 erected upward from the base 10 are used to support both ends of the beam member 731 in the Y direction, and the beam member 731 is extended along the Y direction above the suspension platform part 3. A lifting mechanism 734 composed of, for example, a ball screw mechanism is installed on the column member 732, and the (+Y) side end of the beam member 731 is supported by the lifting mechanism 734 so as to be freely raised and lowered. In addition, a lifting mechanism 735, such as a ball screw mechanism, is installed on the column member 733, and the (-Y) side end of the beam member 731 is supported and lifted freely by the lifting mechanism 735.

The lifting mechanisms 734 and 735 are linked according to the control command from the control unit 9, so that the beam member 731 maintains a horizontal posture and moves along the vertical direction (Z direction). As the above-mentioned lifting mechanism, a suitable linear motion mechanism such as a linear motor, a linear motion guide rail, a cylinder, an electromagnetic valve, etc., etc., can also be used to replace the ball screw mechanism.

The nozzle 71 is installed at the lower center of the beam member 731 so that the outlet 711 faces downward. Therefore, the nozzle 71 can be moved in the Z direction by the action of the lifting mechanisms 734 and 735.

The column components 732 and 733 are configured to be movable along the X direction on the base 10. Specifically, a pair of travel guides 74L and 74R extending along the X direction are respectively installed on the (+Y) side and (-Y) side ends of the base 10. The column component 732 is engaged with the travel guide 74L on the (+Y) side through a slider 736 installed at its lower portion. The slider 736 can move freely along the travel guide 74L toward the X direction. Similarly, the column component 733 is engaged with the travel guide 74R on the (-Y) side through a slider 737 installed at its lower portion, and can move freely toward the X direction.

In addition, the column members 732 and 733 are moved in the X direction by the linear motors 75L and 75R. Specifically, the magnet modules of the linear motors 75L and 75R are extended and arranged on the base 10 along the X direction as stators, and the coil modules are installed at the lower parts of the column members 732 and 733 as movers. The linear motors 75L and 75R operate according to the control instructions from the control unit 9, so that the coating unit 7 moves along the X direction as a whole. In this way, the nozzle 71 can be moved in the X direction. The X-direction position of the column members 732 and 733 can be detected by the linear scales 76L and 76R arranged near the sliders 736 and 737. Similar to the lifting mechanisms 734 and 735, in this case, the movement of the coating unit 7 can also be achieved by using a suitable linear motion mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism, a linear motion guide rail, etc., to replace the linear motor.

Thus, the nozzle 71 moves in the Z direction by the action of the lifting mechanisms 734 and 735, and moves in the X direction by the action of the linear motors 75L and 75R. That is, by controlling the mechanisms by the control unit 9, the nozzle 71 can be positioned toward each stop position (coating position, cleaning position, standby position, etc.). Therefore, the lifting mechanisms 734 and 735, the linear motors 75L and 75R, and the control unit 9 that controls the same are integrated and can function as the positioning mechanism 79 of FIG. 1.

Next, the maintenance unit 8 is described. As shown in FIG1 , the maintenance unit 8 has a structure in which a nozzle cleaner 81 and a cleaning liquid storage tank 82 are housed in a tank 80. As shown in FIG2 , the tank 80 is supported by a beam member 861 extending along the Y direction, and both ends of the beam member 861 are supported by a pair of column members 862 and 863. The pair of column members 862 and 863 are installed at both ends of the plate 864 extending along the Y direction.

A pair of travel rails 84L and 84R are provided below the two ends of the plate 864 in the Y direction and are extended along the X direction on the base 10. The two ends of the plate 864 in the Y direction are engaged with the travel rails 84L and 84R via the sliders 866 and 867. Therefore, the maintenance unit 8 can move in the X direction along the travel rails 84L and 84R.

In this way, the maintenance unit 8 can move in the X direction. However, in the operation of the coating device 1 of this embodiment, there is no situation in which the maintenance unit 8 is moved along the X direction. For example, when the entire device is maintained or components are replaced, the maintenance unit 8 can be moved according to the user's requirements. The movement for this purpose can be performed manually by the operator or driven by an appropriate linear motion mechanism such as a linear motor.

Next, referring to FIG. 2 , the structure of the chuck mechanism 51 is described. The chuck mechanism 51 has a pair of chuck units 51L and 51R, which have mutually symmetrical shapes with respect to the XZ plane and are separated and arranged in the Y direction. The chuck unit 51L arranged on the (+Y) side is supported in a manner that it can move along the X direction by a moving guide rail 57L extending along the X direction on the base 10. Specifically, the chuck unit 51L has a flat base 512, the upper surface of which is flattened and extended in the X direction. A slider 511 is provided on the base 512, and the slider 511 engages with the moving guide rail 57L. Thereby, the base 512 can move in the X direction along the moving guide rail 57L.

A holding member 513 is provided on the top of the base 512, and the holding member 513 is provided with a suction pad described later at the upper end. As shown in FIG1 , the holding member 513 corresponds to the two end positions of the substrate S in the X direction, and two holding members 513 are arranged in different positions in the X direction. If the base 512 moves in the X direction along the moving guide rail 57L, the two holding members 513 move in the X direction integrally with it. Furthermore, the base 512 can also be a structure as follows: it is divided into two parts, and by keeping a certain distance in the X direction while moving, it can play the function of a base that is integrated in appearance. If the distance is set according to the length of the substrate, it can correspond to substrates of various lengths.

The chuck unit 51L can be moved in the X direction by the linear motor 58L. That is, the magnet module of the linear motor 58L is extended and arranged on the base 10 along the X direction as a stator, and the coil module is installed at the bottom of the chuck unit 51L as a mover. The linear motor 58L moves according to the control command from the control unit 9, thereby moving the chuck unit 51L along the X direction. The X-direction position of the chuck unit 51L can be detected by the linear scale 59L.

The chuck unit 51R disposed on the (-Y) side is similarly provided with a base 512 and a retaining member 513. However, its shape is symmetrical with respect to the XZ plane with respect to the chuck unit 51L. The base 512 is engaged with the travel guide 57R via the slider 511. In addition, the chuck unit 51R can be moved in the X direction via the linear motor 58R. That is, the magnet module of the linear motor 58R is extended and disposed on the base 10 along the X direction as a stator, and the coil module is installed at the lower part of the chuck unit 51R as a mover. The linear motor 58R operates according to the control command from the control unit 9, whereby the chuck unit 51R moves in the X direction. The X-direction position of the chuck unit 51R can be detected by the linear scale 59R.

The control unit 9 controls the positions of the chuck units 51L and 51R so that they are always at the same position in the X direction. In this way, a pair of chuck units 51L and 51R move as a chuck mechanism 51 that is integrated in appearance. Compared with the case where the chuck units 51L and 51R are mechanically combined, it is easy to avoid interference between the chuck mechanism 51 and the suspended stage part 3.

There are a total of 4 holding members 513, which are respectively arranged at the four corners corresponding to the held substrate S. That is, the two holding members 513 of the chuck unit 51L respectively hold the (+Y) side peripheral portion of the substrate S, that is, the upstream side end portion and the downstream side end portion in the conveying direction Dt. On the other hand, the two holding members 513 of the chuck unit 51R respectively hold the (-Y) side peripheral portion of the substrate S, that is, the upstream side end portion and the downstream side end portion in the conveying direction Dt. Negative pressure can be supplied to the adsorption pad of each holding member 513 as needed, whereby the four corners of the substrate S can be adsorbed and held from below by the chuck mechanism 51.

The chuck mechanism 51 holds the substrate S while moving along the X direction to transport the substrate S. In this way, the linear motors 58L, 58R, the mechanism for supplying negative pressure to each holding member 513 (not shown), and the control unit 9 for controlling the same can function as the adsorption/transfer control mechanism 52 of Figure 1 as a whole.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the chuck mechanism 51 transports the substrate S while holding the bottom of the substrate S above the top of each platform of the suspension platform section 3, namely, the entrance suspension platform 31, the coating platform 32, and the exit suspension platform 33. Since the chuck mechanism 51 only holds a portion of the peripheral portion of the substrate S that is closer to the outside of the central portion of each of the entrance suspension platform 31, the coating platform 32, and the exit suspension platform 33 in the Y direction, the central portion of the substrate S is bent downward relative to the peripheral portion. The suspension platform section 3 has the function of controlling the vertical position of the substrate S by blowing gas from the bottom toward the central portion of the above-mentioned substrate S to maintain a horizontal posture.

The coating stage 32, which requires the highest precision in flatness and height setting in the suspended stage section 3, is supported by a strong support section 320. Specifically, the lower side of the coating stage 32 is assisted by a sub-stage 321, which is formed into a flat plate with high flatness precision by, for example, using a stone material whose shape changes very little with temperature changes. In addition, the sub-stage 321 is supported by a foot 322.

FIG3 is a disassembled assembly diagram showing the structure of the chuck mechanism. Although the chuck unit 51L located on the left side relative to the direction of travel of the substrate S is described here, the structure of the chuck unit 51R on the right side is the same. The chuck unit 51L has a flat base 512 extending in the X direction as the length direction, and two retaining members 513 mounted on the base 512. Each retaining member 513 is configured to be removable relative to the base 512, and can be connected to the base 512 by a fastening member 514 such as a bolt.

The upper end of the holding member 513 is processed to be flat, and at least one (two in this example) adsorption pad 518 is provided on it. By supplying negative pressure from the negative pressure applying part 520 described later toward the adsorption pad 518, the holding member 513 can make the adsorption pad 518 contact the bottom surface Sb of the substrate S to adsorb and hold the substrate S.

The top surface of the base 512 is processed to be flat, and is provided with a plurality of screw holes 515 for mounting the retaining member 513. On the other hand, a through hole 516 is provided in the retaining member 513 for inserting the fastening member 514. By screwing the fastening member 514 inserted into the through hole 516 of the retaining member 513 into the screw hole 515 of the base 512, the retaining member 513 can be coupled to the base 512.

Among them, the screw holes 515 of the base 512 are arranged to be greater in number than the through holes 516 of the retaining member 513. Specifically, a plurality of (in this case, 3) through holes 516 are arranged on the retaining member 513 and at a certain pitch in the X direction. On the other hand, a plurality of (in this case, 5) screw holes 515 are arranged on the base 512 and in the X direction at the same pitch as the through holes 516 arranged on the retaining member 513 and greater than the through holes 516 on the retaining member 513. Moreover, on the base 512, the rows of screw holes 515 arranged along the X direction as described above are arranged in a plurality of rows (in this case, 3 rows) at different positions from those in the Y direction.

Therefore, the mounting position of the retaining member 513 relative to the base 512 is not a single one, but multiple positions are prepared in the X direction and the Y direction. In other words, the retaining member 513 can take multiple positions on the base 512. Multiple mounting positions of the retaining member 513 are prepared in this way at the (-X) side end and the (+X) side end of the base 512.

The negative pressure applying part 520 is mounted on the base 512 and corresponds to each of the holding members 513 mounted on the base 512. The negative pressure applying part 520 has a manifold part 521 having a cavity formed inside to form a manifold space, and a hose 522 connected to the manifold part 521. When the holding member 513 is mounted on the base 512, the hose 522 is connected to the air inlet 519 provided in the holding member 513 and connected to the adsorption pad 518. The internal space of the manifold part 521 is connected to a negative pressure generating source (not shown) through a pipe in the cable carrier 53 connected to the base 512.

Therefore, the negative pressure supplied from the negative pressure generating source is supplied to the adsorption pad 518 via the manifold 521 and the hose 522, thereby adsorbing and holding the peripheral portion of the bottom surface of the substrate S.

In addition, a plurality of screw holes 517 may be provided in the central portion of the base 512, which is closer to the inner side than the two ends. Thus, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 3, the retaining member 513 may be additionally mounted to the base 512. In particular, for a large substrate S, by supporting not only the four corners of the substrate S but also the middle portion in the conveying direction, its posture may be maintained more stably. In addition, for example, a plurality of substrates having a length in the X direction of less than half of that of a normal substrate may be retained at the same time.

Although the substrate S to be processed by the coating device 1 can be of various sizes, in practice, several standard sizes are widely used. However, there are cases where sizes slightly different from the above standard sizes are used depending on the purpose. For example, in the glass substrate used for manufacturing liquid crystal display devices, there are derived sizes such as G8.5 and G8.6 relative to the standard G8 size. The difference between these derived sizes and the standard size is about several tens of mm in length and width. For such a small size difference, in the chuck mechanism 51 of this embodiment, it can be corresponded by changing the mounting position of the retaining member 513 relative to the base 512.

Figures 4A to 4C are diagrams showing the relationship between the size of the substrate and the position of the holding member. Among them, two substrates S1 and S2 with slightly different sizes in the width direction (Y direction) are taken as an example. As shown in Figure 4A, when using the substrate S1 with a relatively small width among the envisioned substrates, a set of the innermost ((-Y) side as viewed from the chuck unit 51L) of the screw hole 515 provided in the base 512 can be used to install the holding member 513. In this way, the peripheral portion of the substrate S1 can be held by the chuck mechanism 51.

The area Rt on the surface (upper side) of the substrate S1 that is held by the chuck mechanism 51 and the area Re on the lower side that is assisted by the coating stage 32 become effective areas where the height is precisely controlled and a uniform coating film can be formed.

On the other hand, for a wider substrate S2, as shown in FIG4B, by using the central or outer screw holes 515 to install the retaining member 513, the periphery of the substrate S2 can be retained. When the configuration of the retaining member 513 is not changed from the state of FIG4A to retain the substrate S2, the substrate S2 is retained further inward than its periphery, and the periphery is not managed, and there is a situation where the substrate S2 fluctuates. This problem can be eliminated by changing the position of the retaining member 513 according to the size of the substrate.

However, if the size of the coating stage 32 is the same, the expansion range of the effective area Re is limited. When the effective area Re does not need to be expanded even if the substrate size increases, as shown in FIG. 4B , only the position of the retaining member 513 needs to be changed.

On the other hand, when the effective area Re is expected to be expanded along with the expansion of the substrate size, it is expected that the entire expanded effective area Re can be assisted by the coating stage 32. For example, as shown in FIG4C, a coating stage 32a having a size corresponding to the substrate size can be installed instead of the coating stage 32. At this time, if the end of the coating stage 32a is extended and cannot be assisted by the auxiliary stage 321, it is difficult to ensure the plane accuracy of the coating stage 32a, and surface bending caused by uneven temperature may become a problem.

Therefore, by also installing the supporting member 323 on the side of the sub-carrier 321, the assistance to the coating carrier 32a can be extended to the end of the coating carrier 32a without changing the sub-carrier 321. In this way, the effective area Re can be expanded to the outside. Preferably, the supporting member 323 is formed of the same material as the sub-carrier 321 (for example, stone) so as not to be strained due to the temperature difference with the sub-carrier 321. In addition, it is preferred that the supporting member 323 is combined with the sub-carrier 321.

Furthermore, the correspondence of the change of the substrate size in the Y direction, i.e., the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction Dt of the substrate S, has been explained here. The change of the substrate size in the conveying direction Dt of the substrate S, i.e., the X direction, can also be corresponded in the same way. That is, by making the position of the screw hole 515 of the mounting fastening member 514 different in the X direction, the change of the substrate size in the X direction can be corresponded. In particular, in the X direction, by changing the combination of the mounting positions between the two holding members 513, various sizes can be corresponded.

In this way, by preparing a plurality of mounting positions of the holding members 513 relative to the base 512 in the X direction and the Y direction in advance, and changing the mounting positions according to the size of the substrate, the size change of the substrate S can be corresponded. Preferably, when the width of the substrate S is changed, the size of the coating stage 32 is also changed. However, by the above-mentioned structure, at least the mechanism for transporting the substrate S can directly use existing components without large-scale changes.

Negative pressure is supplied to the adsorption pad 518 through the hose 522. Therefore, it can correspond to the position change of the holding member 513. Even if the holding member 513 is installed at any position, negative pressure can be well supplied to the adsorption pad 518, and the substrate S can be adsorbed and held reliably.

Furthermore, here, by providing a plurality of screw holes 515 on the base 512, the mounting position of the retaining member 513 relative to the base 512 can be changed. Instead of this, or in addition to this, as described below, the mechanism for changing the mounting position is provided on the side of the retaining member 513, which is also possible.

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are diagrams showing other configuration examples of the chuck unit. In the modification shown in FIG. 5A, in the retaining member 513a, three rows of through holes 516a arranged along the X direction (three in this example) are formed in the Y direction. On the other hand, in the base 512a, a plurality of screw holes 515a (five in this example) are formed along the X direction. In such a configuration, by selecting the through hole 516a through which the fastening member 514 is inserted, the position of the retaining member 513a in the Y direction can be changed in multiple stages. In addition, by selecting the screw hole 515a that screws the fastening member 514, the position of the retaining member 513a in the X direction can be changed in multiple stages.

In the variation shown in FIG. 5B , the arrangement of the screw hole 515b in the base 512b is the same as in the above variation. On the other hand, a long hole (slot hole) 516b is formed in the retaining member 513b with the Y direction as the length direction. Therefore, the position of the retaining member 513b can be set in multiple stages in the X direction as described above, and the position of the retaining member 513b can be continuously changed in the Y direction. According to such a structure, the position of the retaining member 513b can be optimized for substrates S of various sizes with slightly different sizes.

As another variation, the configuration of the through holes and screw holes described above can be appropriately changed or combined. For example, if the base 512 shown in FIG. 3 and the retaining member 513a shown in FIG. 5A are combined, the position of the retaining member 513a relative to the base 512 can be adjusted more finely. In this case, it is more preferable that the arrangement spacing of the screw holes 515 on the base 512 and the arrangement spacing of the through holes 516a on the retaining member 513a in the Y direction are different from each other. In this way, the position of the retaining member 513a achieved by the combination of the screw holes 515 on the base 512 and the through holes 516a on the retaining member 513a can be finely changed.

For example, the long hole provided in the retaining member may be extended toward the X direction. According to such a structure, the mounting position of the retaining member can be continuously changed in the X direction. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, by providing a plurality of screw holes 515 arranged along the Y direction on the side of the base 512, the position can be changed in multiple stages in the Y direction.

The change of the mounting position of the retaining member 513 accompanying the change of the substrate size is implemented, for example, in batches, and the switching sequence is changed by the operator. In order to perform precise positioning in accordance with the substrate size, an adjustment jig can be appropriately used. In addition, in order to support the substrate S in a horizontal position, it is extremely important to align the height of each retaining member 513 as specified. Therefore, the upper surface of the base 512 and the lower surface of the retaining member 513 are preferably processed to have a high degree of flatness. In addition, a height adjustment gasket can be inserted between the base 512 and the retaining member 513 as needed.

As described above, in the above embodiment, the chuck mechanism 51 for holding and transporting the substrate S has a pair of chuck units 51L and 51R that move along the transport direction Dt of the substrate S. In each chuck unit 51L and 51R, the mounting position of the holding member 513 relative to the base 512 can be changed in multiple stages or continuously in at least one direction of the transport direction and the width direction. Therefore, by changing the mounting position of the holding member 513 in response to the change in the size of the substrate, the holding member 513 can be used to hold the peripheral portion of the substrate for substrates of various sizes.

Therefore, it is not necessary to make design changes to various parts of the device accompanying the size change of the substrate, or it can be suppressed to a minimum. Therefore, it can suppress the increase in device cost accompanying the size change.

As described above, in the coating device 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment, the suspension platform portion 3 can function as the "suspension mechanism" of the present invention, wherein the coating platform 32 can function as the "platform component" of the present invention, and the sub-platform 321 and the foot 322 as a whole can function as the "supporting portion" of the present invention. In addition, the chuck mechanism 51 is equivalent to the "holding portion" of the present invention, and the base 512 and the holding component 513 can respectively function as the "pair of moving components" and the "holding component" of the present invention. In addition, the negative pressure applying portion 520 and the adsorption pad 518 can function as the "adsorption mechanism" of the present invention.

In addition, the travel guides 57L, 57R and the linear motors 58L, 58R can function as a "moving mechanism" of the present invention as a whole. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the slit nozzle 71 can function as a "nozzle" of the present invention.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned implementation forms. As long as it does not deviate from its substantial content, it can also be modified in addition to the above-mentioned implementation forms. For example, in the above-mentioned implementation forms, by changing the installation position relative to the base 512, the same shape of the retaining member 513 can correspond to substrates S of multiple sizes. In addition, in order to correspond to a variety of substrate sizes, multiple types of retaining members of different shapes can also be prepared.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a pair of chuck units 51L and 51R arranged along the Y direction are respectively configured to change the mounting position of the holding member 513 relative to the base 512. In this way, the center of the substrate S in the Y direction can be aligned with the center of the slit nozzle 71. On the other hand, for example, when the change in the size of the substrate is slight, the mounting position can be adjusted by using any chuck unit.

In addition, the chuck mechanism 51 of the above-mentioned embodiment is a structure as follows: the fastening member 514 is inserted into the through hole 516 provided in the holding member 513, so that it is screwed with the screw hole 515 provided in the base 512, so as to install the holding member 513 on the base 512. Therefore, the loading and unloading operation of the holding member 513 can be implemented by entering from the top. On the contrary, it is also possible to provide a through hole in the base 512 and a screw hole in the holding member 513, and to implement the loading and unloading operation by entering from the bottom. In addition, it is also possible to provide a structure in which the shape of the base and the holding member is modified, and the loading and unloading operation is implemented by entering from the side.

In addition, the chuck mechanism 51 of the above-mentioned embodiment is to make the holding member 513 with the adsorption pad 518 disposed thereon contact with the bottom Sb of the substrate S to adsorb and hold the substrate S. However, the substrate holding method is not limited to this, for example, it is also possible to use a mechanism that holds the peripheral portion of the substrate to support the substrate.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, although the present invention is applied to a coating device 1 that supplies a coating liquid toward the upper surface Sf of a substrate S, the application of the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, it can be applied to all substrate processing technologies that implement a predetermined process by conveying a processing liquid toward a nozzle and supplying the processing liquid from the nozzle toward the surface of the substrate while moving the substrate relative to the nozzle.

The coating device of the present invention described above in an exemplary manner may also be configured to have a fastening member, wherein a through hole is provided on one of the retaining member and the moving member, and a screw hole is provided on the other, and the retaining member and the moving member are connected by being inserted into the through hole and screwed into the screw hole. According to such a configuration, the retaining member and the moving member can be easily connected and separated by attaching and detaching the fastening member, and the adjustment operation for changing the installation position can be easily performed.

More specifically, the number of screw holes can be greater than the number of through holes in at least one of the width direction and the transport direction. In addition, on the contrary, the number of through holes can be greater than the number of screw holes in at least one of the width direction and the transport direction. Even in any of the above structures, by changing the combination of the through holes and screw holes inserted through the fastening member, the installation position of the retaining member can be changed in multiple stages.

In addition, for example, the through hole can also be set as a long hole with the width direction or the conveying direction as the length direction. According to such a structure, the installation position of the holding member relative to the moving member can be continuously changed within the length range of the long hole.

In addition, in the coating device of the present invention, for example, an adsorption mechanism that abuts against the bottom of the substrate to adsorb and hold the substrate can be provided on the holding portion. According to such a structure, the substrate can be held only by abutting from the bottom side of the substrate, and the substrate can be held in a state where the side and top sides of the substrate are open. Therefore, the coating of the processing liquid on the top side of the substrate can be implemented without being hindered by the holding portion.

In addition, for example, the suspension mechanism has: a stage member whose upper surface is processed into a plane and is opposite to the lower center of the substrate held by the holding portion, and a spray hole for spraying fluid is provided on the upper surface; and a support portion, which supports the stage member from the lower side; it can be set to a structure in which the stage member is detachably mounted on the support portion. According to such a structure, when it is necessary to change the size of the substrate, stage members of different sizes can be installed and used. That is, by exchanging the stage member, it can correspond to substrates of different sizes.

When the platform member is longer than the support portion in the width direction, the suspension mechanism may also have a support member that is coupled to the support portion and assists the platform member that is longer than the support portion in the width direction from below. For example, when the platform member is longer than the support portion in the width direction, the flatness of the top surface may be reduced due to the bending of the peripheral portion of the platform member. By coupling the support member that assists the portion from below to the support portion, the bending can be suppressed and the flatness of the top surface of the platform member can be maintained.

The present invention can be applied to all coating devices that support a substrate in a suspended and horizontal state while transporting and coating a processing liquid on the substrate, and the type of processing liquid coated can be various processing liquids.

51L: Chuck unit

53: Cable carrier

512: Base (transition member)

513: Retaining components

514: Fastening components

515: screw hole

516:Through hole

517: screw hole

518: Adsorption pad (adsorption mechanism)

519: Intake port

520: Negative pressure applying part (adsorption mechanism)

521: Manifold

522: Hose

Claims (8)

A coating device comprises: a holding portion that holds the peripheral portion of a substrate and holds the substrate horizontally; a suspension mechanism that ejects a fluid from an upper surface that is arranged opposite to the lower center portion of the substrate held by the holding portion and supports the substrate in a suspended state and in a horizontal posture; a moving mechanism that moves the holding portion in a horizontal direction and transports the substrate supported by the suspension mechanism; and a nozzle that is arranged opposite to the upper surface of the substrate supported by the suspension mechanism and ejects a processing liquid toward the upper surface of the substrate; the holding portion has: a pair of moving nozzles; The row members are arranged to correspond to the two ends of the substrate in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the substrate, and are moved along the conveying direction by the moving mechanism; and the holding member is configured as a member independent of the row members, and at least one is installed on each of the pair of row members to hold the ends of the substrate in the width direction; at least one of the pair of row members can be changed in multiple stages or continuously in at least one of the conveying direction and the width direction in the mounting position of the holding member relative to the row member. As in claim 1, a coating device, wherein a through hole is provided in one of the retaining member and the moving member, and a screw hole is provided in the other, and a fastening member is provided which is inserted through the through hole and screwed into the screw hole to connect the retaining member and the moving member. As in claim 2, the coating device, wherein in at least one of the width direction and the conveying direction, the number of the screw holes is greater than the number of the through holes. As in claim 2, the coating device, wherein in at least one of the width direction and the conveying direction, the number of the through holes is greater than the number of the screw holes. As in claim 2, the coating device, wherein the through hole is a long hole with the width direction or the conveying direction as the length direction. A coating device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the holding portion is provided with an adsorption mechanism that abuts against the bottom of the substrate to adsorb and hold the substrate. A coating device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the suspension mechanism comprises: a carrier member whose upper surface is processed into a plane and is opposite to the lower central portion of the substrate held by the holding portion, and a spray hole for spraying the fluid is provided on the upper surface; and a support portion that supports the carrier member from the lower side; the carrier member is detachably mounted on the support portion. As in claim 7, the coating device, wherein the suspension mechanism has a support member that is combined with the support portion and assists the carrier member from below, and the carrier member is longer than the support portion in the width direction.