JP3489460B2 - Coating device and coating method - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coating apparatus and a coating method for coating a resist solution on a glass substrate used in, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the manufacturing process of LCD, in order to form a thin film of ITO (Indium TinOxide) and an electrode pattern on a glass substrate for LCD, a photolithography technique similar to that used for manufacturing a semiconductor device is used. Used. In the photolithography technique, a photoresist is applied to a substrate, which is exposed and further developed.

In such a resist coating process, it has been conventionally practiced to drop a resist solution on the glass substrate G while rotating the glass substrate G.

FIG. 11 is a front view showing an example of a conventional resist coating apparatus, and FIG. 12 is a plan view thereof. As shown in these figures, the opening 1 for loading and unloading the glass substrate G
01 is provided on the top of the glass substrate G in the cup 102.
Is arranged by vacuum suction and held, and the spin chuck 103 is rotated by a rotation drive mechanism (not shown). Then, after the glass substrate G is vacuum-adsorbed and held on the spin chuck 103, the nozzle 104 is positioned above substantially the center of the glass substrate G, and the resist solution is dropped from the nozzle 104 onto the upper surface of the glass substrate G. There is.

[0005]

However, in such a resist coating apparatus, in order to coat the resist solution over the entire surface of the glass substrate G, the resist solution is applied to the glass substrate G from the nozzle 104 more than necessary. Therefore, there is a problem in that the amount of resist solution used increases. Further, if the liquid is directly deposited on the developing nozzle, the first impact on the resist becomes large, air bubbles may be taken in, and the resolution may decrease.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a coating apparatus and a coating method capable of reducing the amount of a coating liquid such as a resist liquid used and reducing defective coating films. The purpose is to provide.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a coating apparatus and a coating method capable of easily cleaning a member for supplying a coating liquid to an object to be treated.

[0008]

In order to solve such a problem, the coating apparatus of the present invention is provided with a holding member for holding an object to be processed and a object to be processed held by the holding member so that the object can travel. A receiver nozzle having an opening at the top and a slit at the bottom, and a supply nozzle for supplying the coating liquid to the receiver nozzle through the opening. That is, in the present invention, while the coating liquid is supplied from the supply nozzle to the receiver nozzle through the opening, the receiver nozzle travels on the object to be processed, so that the object to be processed through the slit from the receiver nozzle. The coating liquid is applied to the surface.
At that time, instead of ejecting the coating liquid onto the surface of the object to be treated by pressure as in the conventional case, it acts so as to drip the coating liquid from the slit to the surface of the object to be treated due to the weight of the coating liquid. The coating liquid dripping on the surface acts to pull the coating liquid dripping from the slit due to the surface tension and viscosity of the coating liquid, so that the coating liquid is evenly applied to the surface of the target object. The amount of coating liquid used can be reduced. Further, since the receiver nozzle and the supply nozzle can be physically separated, the receiver nozzle, which is a member for supplying the coating liquid to the object to be processed, can be easily washed.

In the coating apparatus of the present invention, a holding member for holding a rectangular object to be processed, an opening provided in the upper part and a slit provided in the lower part, and having a length substantially the same as the short side of the object to be processed. Receiver nozzle, a traveling drive mechanism that causes the receiver nozzle to travel on the object to be processed held by the holding member along the long side of the object to be processed, and a receiver that travels through the opening. And a supply nozzle for supplying the coating liquid to the container nozzle. That is, in the present invention, the amount of the coating liquid used can be reduced, the receiver nozzle can be easily washed, and the width of the receiver nozzle can be shortened, which contributes to downsizing of the apparatus. Will contribute.

The coating apparatus of the present invention comprises: a holding and rotating member that rotates while holding an object to be processed; a receiver nozzle having an opening in the upper part and a slit in the lower part; and the receiver nozzle. A travel drive mechanism that travels on the object to be processed that is held and rotated by the holding rotation member, and a supply nozzle that supplies the coating liquid to the receiver nozzle that travels through the opening are provided. That is, since the coating liquid is dripped from the receiver nozzle onto the surface of the target object while rotating the target object, the coating liquid is more evenly spread on the surface of the target object by the centrifugal force. Therefore, the usage amount of the coating liquid can be further reduced.

The coating apparatus of the present invention has a holding and rotating member that rotates while holding a rectangular object to be processed, an opening provided in the upper part and a slit provided in the lower part, and has a diagonal length of the object to be processed. The receiver nozzle has a length that is approximately half the length, a traveling drive mechanism that travels on the object to be held and rotated by the holding and rotating member while holding the receiver nozzle, and travels through the opening. And a supply nozzle for supplying the coating liquid to the receiver nozzle. That is, according to the present invention, the amount of the coating liquid used can be further reduced, the receiver nozzle can be easily washed, and the width of the receiver nozzle can be shortened, thereby reducing the size of the apparatus. Will contribute to.

In the coating apparatus of the present invention, the supply nozzle is provided with a plurality of discharge holes for discharging the coating liquid toward the opening, and the supply nozzle runs through the receiver nozzle. Is characterized by following. That is,
In the present invention, the coating liquid can be supplied from the discharge hole to the receiving nozzle while dropping the coating liquid from the receiver nozzle to the surface of the target object, so that the coating liquid can be stably and uniformly applied from the slit to the surface of the target object. Can be hung.

In the coating apparatus of the present invention, the supply nozzle is provided with a discharge hole for discharging the coating liquid toward the opening, and the discharge hole is provided along the opening of the receiver nozzle that runs. It is characterized in that the supply nozzle is rotated so as to travel. That is, in the present invention, since the coating liquid is supplied to the receiver nozzle by rotating the supply nozzle provided with the discharge hole at the tip portion, in addition to the above operation, the size of the supply nozzle can be simplified. Can be achieved,
Further, the present invention can be realized by a simple improvement of the conventional configuration.

The coating apparatus of the present invention further comprises cleaning means for cleaning the receiver nozzle. That is, in the present invention, since the cleaning means for cleaning the receiver nozzle is provided,
The coating liquid containing impurities and the coating liquid having a variable concentration will not be applied to the object.

In the coating apparatus of the present invention, the cleaning means includes a cleaning tank for storing the cleaning liquid so that the receiver nozzle is immersed. That is, in the present invention, since the receiver nozzle is cleaned by the cleaning tank that stores the cleaning liquid so that the receiver nozzle is immersed, the receiver nozzle can be efficiently cleaned with a simple configuration.

In the coating apparatus of the present invention, the cleaning means includes a spraying mechanism for spraying the cleaning liquid toward the vicinity of the slit of the receiver nozzle. That is, according to the present invention, since the receiver nozzle is cleaned by the ejection mechanism that ejects the cleaning liquid toward the receiver nozzle, the receiver nozzle can be efficiently cleaned with a simple configuration.

In the coating apparatus of the present invention, the cleaning means is provided with an ejection mechanism for ejecting the cleaning liquid from the opening of the receiver nozzle toward the inner wall of the receiver nozzle. That is, in the present invention, since the cleaning liquid is jetted toward the inner wall of the receiver nozzle to clean the inside of the receiver nozzle, the cleaning effect can be further enhanced.

The coating apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that a spatula-shaped member for spreading the coating liquid applied to the object to be processed from the slit is attached to the tip of the receiver nozzle. That is, in the present invention, since the spatula-shaped member for spreading the coating liquid applied to the object to be processed from the slit is attached to the tip of the receiver nozzle, the coating liquid applied to the object to be processed is It can be spread evenly and evenly.

In the coating method of the present invention, a step of cleaning a receiver nozzle having an opening provided in an upper part and a slit provided in a lower part, and the cleaned receiver nozzle is run on an object to be processed. At the same time, the step of supplying the coating liquid to the receiver nozzle through the opening. That is, in the present invention, it is possible to reduce the amount of coating liquid used, and
The receiver nozzle can be easily cleaned.

In the coating method of the present invention, a step of cleaning a receiver nozzle having an opening provided in an upper part and a slit provided in a lower part, and the cleaned receiver nozzle on a rotating object to be processed. A step of supplying the coating liquid to the receiver nozzle through the opening while traveling. That is, in the present invention, the amount of the coating liquid used can be further reduced, and the receiver nozzle can be easily cleaned.

The coating method of the present invention is characterized in that the receiver nozzle is cleaned for each object to be treated. That is, in the present invention, the cleaning effect can be further enhanced.

The coating method of the present invention, for each object to be treated,
The feature is that a required amount of coating liquid for one object is supplied to the receiver nozzle. That is, in the present invention, it is possible to always apply a fresh coating liquid.

[0023]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coating / developing processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, in front of the coating / developing processing system 1, a loader / unloader unit 2 for loading / unloading the lath substrate G into / out of the coating / developing processing system 1 is provided. In the loader / unloader unit 2, for example, a cassette mounting table 3 on which a cassette C containing, for example, 25 glass substrates G at a predetermined position is arranged and mounted, and a glass substrate G to be processed is taken out from each cassette C, Also coating / developing system 1
A loader / unloader 4 for returning the processed glass substrate G to each cassette C is provided. The loader unloader 4 shown in the figure is a cassette C when the main body 5 runs
The glass substrate G is taken out from each cassette C by the plate-shaped tweezers 6 mounted on the main body 5, and the glass substrate G is returned to each cassette C. Further, on both sides of the tweezers 6, there are provided substrate alignment members 7 for holding the four corners of the glass substrate G and performing alignment.

At the center of the coating / developing system 1,
The corridor-shaped transport paths 10 and 11 arranged in the longitudinal direction are first
Is provided in a straight line through the delivery section 12 of
Various processing devices for performing each processing on the glass substrate G are arranged on both sides of the transport paths 10 and 11.

In the coating / development processing system 1 shown in the figure, for example, two cleaning devices 16 are provided on one side of the transport path 10 for cleaning the glass substrate G with a brush and the high-pressure jet water. It is set up. Also, the transport path 1
Two developing devices 17 are arranged side by side on the opposite side across 0.
Next to it, two heating devices 18 are stacked and provided.

Further, an adhesion device 20 for hydrophobically treating the glass substrate G before applying the resist solution to the glass substrate G is provided on one side of the transport path 11, and below the adhesion device 20 is a cooling device. Cooling device 21
Are arranged. In addition, these adhesion devices 2
0 and the cooling device 21 are adjacent to each other and two heating devices 22 are arranged in two rows. In addition, the transport path 11
A resist coating device 23 for coating a resist solution on the surface of the glass substrate G to form a resist film on the surface of the glass substrate G is disposed on the opposite side of the glass substrate G. Although not shown, an exposure device and the like for exposing a predetermined fine pattern on the resist film formed on the glass substrate G via the second transfer part 28 is provided on the side of the coating device 23. . The second transfer unit 28 is a carry-in / take-out tweezers 29 for carrying in and carrying out the glass substrate G.
And a delivery table 30.

Each of the above processing devices 15-18 and 20-
23 is arranged on both sides of the transport paths 10 and 11 with the entrance and exit of the glass substrate G facing inward. First
Of the transfer device 25 moves on the transfer path 10 to transfer the glass substrate G among the loader / unloader unit 2, the processing devices 15 to 18 and the first transfer unit 12, and the second transfer device 26. Moves on the transfer path 11 to transfer the glass substrate G among the first transfer section 12, the second transfer section 28, and the processing devices 20 to 23.

Each of the transfer devices 25 and 26 has a pair of upper and lower arms 27 and 27, respectively.
When accessing 18 and 20 to 23, one arm 27 carries out the processed glass substrate G from the chamber of each processing apparatus, and the other arm 27 carries in the unprocessed glass substrate G into the chamber. Is configured.

FIG. 2 shows the resist coating device 23 shown in FIG.
Is a front view and FIG. 3 is a plan view thereof. As shown in these figures, a cup 29 is arranged in the approximate center of the resist coating device 23, and a spin chuck 28 for holding the glass substrate G is arranged in the cup 29.

The spin chuck 28 is connected to a vacuum suction device 37 for holding the glass substrate G under vacuum. An opening 38 for inserting and removing the glass substrate G is provided on the upper portion of the cup 29. The upper lid 30 is put on the opening 38. Top lid 30
Is movably supported by an opening / closing mechanism (not shown).

The first motor 31 is a drive source for rotating the spin chuck 28, and the second motor 32 is a drive source for rotating the cup 29. The lift cylinder 33 is a drive source for moving the spin chuck 28 up and down in the Z-axis direction.

A seal member 41 is attached to the lower surface of the mounting portion 40 of the spin chuck 29 on the outer peripheral side. When the spin chuck 28 is lowered to bring the seal member 41 into contact with the bottom portion of the cup 29, an airtight processing space 42 is formed.

The rotation drive of the first motor 31 and the second motor 32 is controlled by the CPU 36. Further, the elevating cylinder 33 is controlled to elevate and lower by the CPU 36.

The rotating shaft 43 of the elevating cylinder 33 is slidable on a spline bearing 47 fitted on the circumferential surface of a rotating cylinder 46 which is rotatably mounted on the inner peripheral surface of a fixed collar 44 via a bearing 45. Are linked to. A driven pulley 48 is mounted on the spline bearing 47, and a timing belt 51 is stretched between the driven pulley 48 and a drive pulley 50 mounted on a drive shaft 49 of the first motor 31.

Therefore, when the first motor 31 is driven, the rotary shaft 43 is rotated via the timing belt 51, and the spin chuck 28 is rotated.

The lower side of the rotary shaft 43 is disposed in a cylinder (not shown), and the rotary shaft 43 is driven by the lift cylinder 33 via the vacuum seal 52 to move the rotary shaft 43 in the Z-axis direction. You can move to.

The cup 29 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the fixed collar 44 via a connecting cylinder 55 fixed to the upper end of a rotating outer cylinder 54 mounted via a bearing 53, and is attached to the rotating outer cylinder 54. The drive from the second motor 32 is transmitted to the cup 29 by the timing belt 59 wound around the driven pulley 56 and the drive pulley 58 mounted on the drive shaft 57 of the second motor 32.
Is configured to rotate horizontally.

A hollow ring-shaped drain cup 60 is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the cup 29.
The mist scattered from can be collected.

Further, an encoder 61 is attached to the first motor 31 and an encoder 62 is attached to the second motor 32. These encoders 61, 6
The detection signal detected by 2 is transmitted to the CPU 36, and the rotation operation of the first motor 31 and the second motor 32 is controlled based on the output signal which is compared and calculated by the CPU 36. .

On both sides of the cup 29, there are rails 7 for transportation.
1, 71 are arranged. Then, the receiver nozzle 72 and the supply nozzle 73 are configured to travel along the transfer rails 71, 71 by a drive mechanism (not shown). Further, the receiver nozzle 72 and the supply nozzle 73 are
It can be moved up and down by a lifting mechanism (not shown). Further, at the traveling ends of the transfer rails 71, 71,
A nozzle cleaning bath 74 is arranged outside the cup 29.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the receiver nozzle 72 is provided with an opening 75 in the upper portion and a slit 76 in the lower portion. Further, the supply nozzle 73 has
A plurality of ejection holes 77 for ejecting the resist liquid toward the opening 75 are provided along the opening 75.

The nozzle cleaning bath 74 has a receiving nozzle 72.
The size is large enough to accommodate. A cleaning liquid such as thinner for cleaning the receiver nozzle 72 is stored in the nozzle cleaning bath 74. The cleaning liquid is exchanged each time the resist liquid is applied to one glass substrate G by a cleaning liquid supply mechanism and a waste liquid mechanism (not shown).

Further, on the upper part of the nozzle cleaning bath 74, a jet for spraying a cleaning liquid such as thinner from the opening 75 of the receiver nozzle 72 housed in the nozzle cleaning bath 74 toward the inner wall of the receiver nozzle 72. A mechanism 78 is arranged. In the ejection mechanism 78, the cleaning nozzle 79 that ejects the cleaning liquid is moved by the drive mechanism 80 along the opening 75 of the receiver nozzle 72 housed in the nozzle cleaning bath 74.

Next, the operation of the resist coating device 23 thus constructed will be described. Spin chuck 28
The glass substrate G is transferred from the transfer device 26 onto the spin chuck 28 in a state in which the glass substrate G is raised above the opening 38 of the cup 29, and is vacuum suction-held.

Then, the spin chuck 28 is lowered by driving the elevating cylinder 33, and the glass substrate G is opened 38.
It is carried into the cup 29 via.

Then, the rotation of the spin chuck 28 is started by the first motor 31. At the same time, the receiver nozzle 72 cleaned in the nozzle cleaning bath 74 runs on the glass substrate G along the transfer rails 71, 71. At that time, the supply nozzle 73 that moves together with the receiver nozzle 72
The resist solution is discharged from the discharge port 77 toward the opening 75 of the receiver nozzle 72. The resist solution is discharged in an amount corresponding to, for example, one glass substrate G. By such an operation, the resist liquid is supplied from the slit 76 of the receiver nozzle 72 over the entire surface of the rotating glass substrate G.

A thinner may be supplied onto the glass substrate G prior to the supply of the resist solution. As a result, the resist solution is applied to the surface of the glass substrate G wet by the thinner, and the amount of the resist solution used can be reduced.

After that, the rotation of the first motor 31 is stopped and the rotation of the glass substrate G is stopped. Further, the receiver nozzle 72 is conveyed to the nozzle cleaning bath 74, housed in the nozzle cleaning bath 74, and cleaned by the stored thinner. At this time, thinner is jetted from the jetting mechanism 78 arranged above the nozzle washing bath 74 toward the inner wall of the receiver nozzle 72, and the inside of the receiver nozzle 72 is also washed.

The upper lid 30 is lowered by an opening / closing mechanism (not shown) to cover the opening 38, and the opening 38 is opened.
Is closed. Then, the spin chuck 28, the cup 29, the upper lid 30, and the glass substrate G are integrally rotated by synchronously rotating the first motor 31 and the second motor 32. As a result, the resist solution applied on the glass substrate G is dried and a resist film is formed on the glass substrate G.

After that, the rotation of the first motor 31 and the second motor 32 is stopped, and the spin chuck 28 and the cup 2 are stopped.
9, the integral rotation of the upper lid 30 and the glass substrate G is stopped, the upper lid 30 is lifted by the opening / closing mechanism (not shown), and the opening 38 is opened.

Next, the spin chuck 28 is raised by driving the elevating cylinder 33, and the glass substrate G is opened 38.
The glass substrate G is carried out of the cup 29 via the, and the glass substrate G is transferred from the spin chuck 28 to the transfer device 26.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
From the slit 76 to the glass substrate G by the weight of the resist liquid.
The resist solution is supplied so as to drip upward, and moreover, the resist solution dripped on the glass substrate G from the slit 76 and applied is caused by the surface tension and viscosity of the resist solution.
It acts like pulling the application liquid dripping from the
The resist solution can be uniformly applied to the surface of the glass substrate G in a small amount.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the glass substrate G is rotated when the resist solution is supplied,
The resist solution may be supplied while the glass substrate G is stationary. At that time, as shown in FIG. 6, if the receiver nozzle 72 is configured to run along the long side direction of the glass substrate G, the length of the receiver nozzle 72 corresponds to the short side of the glass substrate G. The length is improved, and the size of the device can be reduced.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the supply nozzle 81
Is provided in a discharge hole 82 for discharging the resist liquid toward the opening 75 of the receiver nozzle 72 at the tip of the supply nozzle 81, and the opening of the receiver nozzle 72 through which the discharge hole 82 runs. The supply nozzle 81 may be configured to rotate so as to travel along 75. This allows
The supply nozzle can be downsized and simplified, and the present invention can be realized by a simple improvement of the conventional configuration.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, when the resist solution is supplied onto the rotating glass substrate G, the receiver nozzle 83 may be set to have a length substantially half the diagonal length L of the glass substrate G. The resist solution can be supplied over the entire surface of the glass substrate G. As a result, the size of the device can be reduced.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the receiver nozzle 72 is provided in the nozzle cleaning bath 74 which stores the thinner liquid.
Although the receiver nozzle 72 was washed by immersing it in the nozzle cleaning bath 74, a spraying mechanism 84 for spraying a cleaning liquid such as thinner toward the slit 76 of the receiver nozzle 72 is provided in the nozzle cleaning bath 74 as shown in FIG. You may do it.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, a spatula-shaped member 85 for spreading the resist solution applied to the glass substrate G from the slit 76 at the tip of the receiver nozzle 72.
May be attached. This makes it possible to spread the resist solution evenly and uniformly.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the present invention is applied to the apparatus for applying the resist solution, but the present invention can naturally be applied to the apparatus for applying other coating solution such as the developing solution. The present invention can be applied not only to the glass substrate but also to other objects to be processed.

[0059]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A holding member that holds the object to be processed, a receiver nozzle that is movably arranged on the object to be processed held by the holding member, an opening portion is provided in the upper portion, and a slit is provided in the lower portion, and the opening Since it is configured to include a supply nozzle that supplies the coating liquid to the receiver nozzle via the section, the amount of the coating liquid used can be reduced and the receiver nozzle can be easily washed.

According to the present invention, the holding member for holding the rectangular object to be processed, the opening provided in the upper part, and the slit provided in the lower part have substantially the same length as the short side of the object to be processed. A receiver nozzle, a travel drive mechanism that causes the receiver nozzle to travel on the object to be processed held by the holding member along the long side of the object to be processed, and a receiver that travels through the opening. Since it is configured to have a supply nozzle that supplies the coating liquid to the nozzle, the amount of the coating liquid used can be reduced, the receiver nozzle can be easily washed, and the device can be downsized. Contribute to.

According to the present invention, the holding and rotating member that rotates while holding the object to be processed, the receiver nozzle having the opening at the top and the slit at the bottom, and the receiver nozzle are Since the structure is provided with a traveling drive mechanism for traveling on the object to be retained and rotated by the retaining / rotating member and a supply nozzle for supplying the coating liquid to the receiver nozzle traveling through the opening, The amount of liquid used can be further reduced.

According to the present invention, a holding and rotating member that rotates while holding a rectangular object to be processed, an opening portion provided in an upper portion and a slit provided in a lower portion, and a diagonal length of the object to be treated is almost equal. A receiver nozzle that is half the length, a traveling drive mechanism that travels on the object to be processed that is held and rotated by the holding and rotating member while holding the receiver nozzle, and a receiver that runs through the opening. Since it is configured to have a supply nozzle for supplying the coating liquid to the container nozzle, the amount of the coating liquid used can be further reduced, and the receiver nozzle can be easily washed and the apparatus Contributes to miniaturization.

According to the present invention, the supply nozzle is provided with a plurality of discharge holes for discharging the coating liquid toward the opening, and the supply nozzle is used for running the receiver nozzle. Since it is configured to follow the coating liquid, it is possible to stably and uniformly drip the coating liquid from the slit to the surface of the target object.

According to the present invention, the supply nozzle is provided with a discharge hole for discharging the coating liquid toward the opening, and the discharge hole extends along the opening of the receiver nozzle that runs. Since the supply nozzle is configured to rotate so as to travel, the supply nozzle can be downsized and simplified, and the present invention can be realized by a simple improvement of the conventional structure.

According to the present invention, since the cleaning means for cleaning the receiver nozzle is further provided, the coating liquid containing impurities or the coating liquid having a variable concentration can be coated on the object. Disappears.

According to the present invention, since the cleaning means comprises the cleaning tank for storing the cleaning liquid so that the receiver nozzle is dipped, the receiver nozzle is efficiently cleaned with a simple structure. can do.

According to the present invention, the cleaning means is configured to have a jetting mechanism for jetting the cleaning liquid toward the vicinity of the slit of the receiver nozzle, so that the receiver nozzle is efficiently cleaned with a simple structure. can do.

According to the present invention, the cleaning means is provided with the ejection mechanism for ejecting the cleaning liquid from the opening of the receiver nozzle toward the inner wall of the receiver nozzle. It can be increased.

According to the present invention, the spatula-shaped member for spreading the coating liquid applied to the object to be processed from the slit is attached to the tip of the receiver nozzle. The coating liquid applied to the treatment object can be spread evenly and uniformly.

According to the present invention, the step of cleaning the receiver nozzle having the opening at the upper part and the slit at the lower part, and the cleaned receiver nozzle while traveling on the object to be processed. And the step of supplying the coating liquid to the receiver nozzle through the opening, the amount of the coating liquid used can be reduced and the receiver nozzle can be easily cleaned. You can

According to the present invention, the step of cleaning the receiver nozzle having the opening provided in the upper part and the slit provided in the lower part, and the cleaned receiver nozzle traveling on the rotating object to be processed. In addition, since it is configured to include a step of supplying the coating liquid to the receiver nozzle through the opening, the amount of the coating liquid used can be further reduced, and the receiver nozzle can be easily formed. Can be washed.

According to the present invention, since the receiver nozzle is cleaned for each object to be processed, the cleaning effect can be further enhanced.

According to the present invention, 1 is set for each object to be processed.
Since it is configured to supply the required amount of the coating liquid to the one nozzle to be supplied to the container nozzle, it is possible to always apply the fresh coating liquid.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coating / developing processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a front view of the coating device shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is a plan view of the coating device shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

4 is a front view of the receiver nozzle and the like shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

5 is a side view of the receiver nozzle and the like shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a coating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a coating device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a coating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a front view of a receiver nozzle and the like according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a front view of a receiver nozzle and the like according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a front view showing an example of a conventional resist coating apparatus.

FIG. 12 is a plan view showing an example of a conventional resist coating apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

23 Resist coating device 28 Spin chuck 72 Receiver nozzle 73 Supply nozzle 74 nozzle cleaning bath 75 opening 76 slits 77 Discharge hole 78 Ejection mechanism G glass substrate G

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-7-80385 (JP, A) JP-A-9-289161 (JP, A) JP-A-10-113597 (JP, A) JP-A-7- 328513 (JP, A) JP 10-76207 (JP, A) JP 10-135124 (JP, A) JP 5-166715 (JP, A) JP 4-124812 (JP, A) Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-335543 (JP, A) Actual development No. 6-41869 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B05C 11/08 B05C 5/00 101 G02F 1 / 13 101 G03F 7/16 502 H01L 21/027

Claims (15)

(57) [Claims] 1. A holding member that holds an object to be processed, and a receiver that is movably disposed on the object to be processed held by the holding member, and has an opening provided in an upper portion and a slit provided in a lower portion. A coating apparatus comprising: a nozzle; and a supply nozzle that supplies a coating liquid to a receiver nozzle through the opening. 2. A holding member for holding a rectangular object to be processed, and a receiver nozzle having an opening provided in an upper part and a slit provided in a lower part and having a length substantially equal to a short side of the object to be processed. A traveling drive mechanism that causes the receiver nozzle to travel on the object to be processed held by the holding member along the long side of the object to be processed, and a coating liquid to the receiver nozzle that travels through the opening. And a supply nozzle for supplying. 3. A holding / rotating member that rotates while holding an object to be processed, a receiver nozzle having an opening provided in an upper portion and a slit provided in a lower portion, and the receiving nozzle having the holding / rotating member. A coating device comprising: a traveling drive mechanism that travels on the object to be held and rotated; and a supply nozzle that supplies a coating liquid to a receiver nozzle that travels through the opening. 4. A holding and rotating member that rotates while holding a rectangular object to be processed, an opening provided in an upper part and a slit provided in a lower part, and a length approximately half a diagonal length of the object to be processed. Receiver nozzle, a travel drive mechanism for holding the receiver nozzle, and a traveling drive mechanism for traveling on the object to be held and rotated by the holding and rotating member, and applying to the receiver nozzle traveling through the opening. A coating device comprising a supply nozzle for supplying a liquid. 5. Any one of claims 1 to 4
The coating device according to the item, wherein the supply nozzle is provided with a plurality of discharge holes for discharging a coating liquid toward the opening, and the supply nozzle is used for running the receiver nozzle. A coating device characterized by following. 6. Any one of claims 1 to 4
The coating device according to the item, wherein the supply nozzle is provided with a discharge hole for discharging the coating liquid toward the opening, and the discharge hole extends along the opening of the receiver nozzle that runs. A coating device, wherein the supply nozzle is rotated so as to run. 7. Any one of claims 1 to 6
Item 5. The coating apparatus according to item 1, further comprising a cleaning unit that cleans the receiver nozzle. 8. The coating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning unit includes a cleaning tank that stores cleaning liquid so that the receiver nozzle is immersed. 9. The coating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning unit includes a spray mechanism that sprays the cleaning liquid toward the vicinity of the slit of the receiver nozzle. 10. Any one of claims 7 to 9.
2. The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning unit includes a spray mechanism that sprays a cleaning liquid from an opening of the receiver nozzle toward an inner wall of the receiver nozzle. 11. The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coating liquid applied to the object to be processed from the slit is spread on the tip of the receiver nozzle. A coating device having a spatula-shaped member attached thereto. 12. A step of cleaning a receiver nozzle having an opening provided in an upper part and a slit provided in a lower part, and the opening part while the cleaned receiver nozzle is traveling on a target object. And a step of supplying the coating liquid to the receiver nozzle via the nozzle. 13. A step of cleaning a receiver nozzle having an opening provided in an upper part and a slit provided in a lower part, and the cleaned receiver nozzle running on a rotating object to be processed, And a step of supplying the coating liquid to the receiver nozzle through the opening. 14. The coating method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the receiver nozzle is washed for each one of the objects to be treated. 15. The coating method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein, for each object to be processed, a nozzle for receiving a required amount of the coating liquid for the object to be processed is a receiver nozzle. The coating method is characterized by supplying to.