JP4725142B2 - Coated substrate edge development jig - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a coated substrate end developing jig that swells or dissolves and removes unnecessary thick coating films at the ends and four corners of a coated substrate obtained by coating a substrate with a resist or the like.

For example, in a color filter used in a color liquid crystal display device, a black matrix, a red filter, a green filter, a blue filter, a spacer, and the like are formed on a large substrate through various processes using photolithography.
With the recent increase in size and cost of color liquid crystal display devices, color filters for color liquid crystal display devices used in terminal displays have become more multifaceted for cost reduction, and color liquid crystal display devices used in color liquid crystal televisions. Since the filter is increased in size (30 inches or more), the substrate to be processed used for manufacturing the color filter tends to be increased in size to 550 × 650 mm, 650 × 750 mm, and 700 × 900 mm.

  On the other hand, color liquid crystal display devices used for terminal displays are increasing in size and miniaturization, and color filters used therein are also required to have finer patterns and improved pattern processing accuracy.

As the substrate to be used for the color filter, a transparent glass substrate is often used because there are many transmissive liquid crystal display devices.
In the photolithography process (particularly, the coating film forming process and the pattern exposure process) for forming a black matrix, a red filter, a green filter, a blue filter and a spacer on a substrate made of a transparent glass substrate or the like, pattern processing accuracy In order to improve this, a coated substrate on which a uniform coated film is formed is required.

Here, for example, a manufacturing process of a color filter as a liquid crystal color display device will be described as an example.
First, a photosensitive resin solution in which a color pigment is dispersed in advance is applied onto a substrate on which a black matrix is formed, thereby producing a coated substrate. At this time, in order to form a uniform coating film on the substrate, a certain amount of photosensitive material is dropped on the center of the substrate or a certain amount is applied to the entire surface of the substrate using a slit die, and then the substrate is rotated at a constant speed. A method of spreading the coating solution thinly and uniformly is common.

Next, preliminary coating such as pre-baking is performed to dry the coating film.
Further, the coating film is subjected to pattern exposure through a photomask having a certain pattern, developed with a dedicated developer, and post-baked or the like to form a color pattern of a predetermined color.
By repeating the above steps several times, a color filter having several color patterns can be obtained.

Here, when spin coating a resist or the like on the substrate, as shown in FIG. 8, a coating film 72c thicker than the coating film 72 at the center of the substrate is formed around the substrate 71 due to surface tension.
If exposure / development is performed with this portion left unattended, the thick coating film cannot be completely removed at the edge of the substrate, resulting in film residue.

A substrate edge developing method and a developing device for removing the thick coating film around the coated substrate have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
FIG. 5A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional developing jig 200, and FIG.
6 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which the coated substrate end portion of the coated substrate 70 is developed using 0, and FIG. 6 is a schematic sectional view taken along the line CC ′ of FIG. 5B. .
As shown in FIG. 5A, the developing jig 200 includes a U-shaped developing jig composed of an upper jaw jig 30 and a lower jaw jig 40. A processing liquid reservoir 62 for developing the coated substrate end, a processing liquid supply unit 61 for supplying the processing liquid to the processing liquid reservoir 62, and a processing liquid discharger 63 for discharging the processing liquid are provided at the front end. Are formed, and the processing liquid supply unit 61 and the processing liquid discharge unit 63 are connected to each other through a weir 41 through a discharge path 64.
As shown in FIG. 5 (b), the development of the coating substrate end portion is performed by holding the coating substrate end portion in the processing liquid storage portion 62 of the U-shaped developing jig 200 and storing the processing substrate storage portion 62. The thick coating film 72c unnecessary at the end is swollen or dissolved and removed by the liquid. Further, the U-shaped developing jig 200 is moved to rotate the coating substrate 70 which has been developed at both ends of the coating substrate by 90 °, so that another pair of both ends of the coating substrate 70 are gripped. The thick coating film 72c is swollen or dissolved and removed.

In FIG. 7A, the edge of the coated substrate 70 is developed using the developing jig 200, the thick coating film 72c formed on the edge of the coated substrate is dissolved and removed, and the coated film 72d that has been edge-treated. FIG. 7B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the coated substrate 70d that has been subjected to the edge processing, and FIG.
Thus, by using the U-shaped developing jig 200, the thick film at the end of the coated substrate can be removed.

However, bubbles may be introduced when a processing solution such as a developing solution is supplied to the processing solution storage unit 62 of the U-shaped developing jig 200. The introduced air bubbles stay as they are because the discharge path 64 between the upper jaw jig 30 and the weir 41 is narrow and the lower surface of the upper jaw jig 30 of the processing liquid storage section 62 is flat, and the coating substrate 70 is retained. When the coating substrate 70 is inserted into the treatment liquid storage section 62 between the upper jaw jig 30 and the lower jaw jig 40, it remains as bubbles on both the upper and lower coating films of the coating substrate 70.
The bubbles remaining on the coating film obstruct the removal of the coating film by the treatment liquid, and the film remains.
Since the film residue on the substrate causes problems in the subsequent process, it is necessary to take measures such as newly providing a process for removing the film residue. It has problems such as leading to deterioration in yield.
JP 2003-188082 A

  The present invention has been devised in view of the above problems, and the remaining film when swelling or dissolving the unnecessary thick coating film at the edges and four corners of the coated substrate formed by coating a resist or the like on the substrate is formed. An object of the present invention is to provide a coated substrate edge developing jig that does not generate such as.

In order to achieve the above object in the present invention, first, in claim 1, an end portion of a coating substrate on which a coating film such as a resist is formed is a U-shape in which a processing liquid such as a developer is stored. A coating substrate end developing jig that selectively swells or dissolves and removes a thick coating film formed on the coating substrate end by being inserted into a developing jig and immersed in the processing solution for a certain period of time, In the coating substrate jig, the upper jaw jig 10 and the lower jaw jig 20 constitute a U-shaped developing jig, and an end portion of the coating substrate is provided at the tip between the upper jaw jig 10 and the lower jaw jig 20. A processing liquid storage section 52 for developing the processing liquid, a processing liquid supply section 51 for supplying the processing liquid to the processing liquid storage section, and a processing liquid discharge section 53 for discharging the processing liquid, respectively. The supply unit 51 and the processing liquid discharge unit 53 are connected by a discharge path 54 via the weir 21, Detchi maxillary jig 10 a lower surface of the 54 is obtained by a coating substrate end development tool, characterized in that a tapered shape 11.

  Further, in claim 2, when the taper angle of the taper shape 11 is θ, the taper angle θ is in the range of 5 to 20 degrees. It is a thing.

Furthermore, in claim 3, the processing region at the end of the coated substrate of the U-shaped developing jig is W, the processing region at both ends is Wb, and the processing region excluding both processing regions Wb is Wa. The length from the weir 21 of the treatment liquid reservoir of Wa to the tip of the upper jaw jig 10 is La, and the length from the weir 21 of the treatment liquid reservoir of the both end treatment area Wb to the tip of the upper jaw jig 10 is set. When L
3. The coated substrate end developing jig according to claim 1, wherein a relationship of La <L is satisfied.

  By using the coated substrate end developing jig of the present invention to develop the end of the coated substrate on which a coating film such as a resist is formed, a uniform film can be produced without generating a film residue on the coated substrate end. Since a coated substrate having a coating film can be obtained, it can contribute to pattern miniaturization and improvement of pattern processing accuracy in a series of patterning processes such as pattern exposure and development, and to reduce manufacturing costs of color filters for liquid crystal display devices. Can be connected.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.
The coated substrate end developing jig according to the first aspect of the present invention is a U-shaped developing jig comprising an upper jaw jig 10 and a lower jaw jig 20 as shown in FIGS. 100, and a processing liquid reservoir 52 for developing the coating substrate end at the tip between the upper jaw jig 10 and the lower jaw jig 20, and a processing liquid for supplying the processing liquid to the processing liquid storage section A supply part 51 and a treatment liquid discharge part 53 for discharging the treatment liquid are formed. The treatment liquid supply part 51 and the treatment liquid discharge part 53 are connected by a discharge path 54 via the weir 21, and the discharge path 54. A taper shape 11 is provided on the lower surface of the upper jaw jig 10.

A feature of the coated substrate end developing jig of the present invention is that a tapered shape 11 is provided on the lower surface of the upper jaw jig 10 on the discharge path 54, and the processing liquid in which bubbles are mixed is supplied from the processing liquid supply section 51 to the processing liquid storage section. 52, since the taper shape 11 is provided on the lower surface of the upper jaw jig 10 on the weir 21, the bubbles pass through the discharge path 54 between the weir 21 and the taper shape 11 on the lower surface of the upper jaw jig 10. Thus, it is easily discharged to the processing liquid discharge unit 53.
Here, the height of the weir 21 is designed to secure the liquid amount of the treatment liquid storage parts 52 and 52a and to secure the discharge path 54 for discharging the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid discharge part 53. It cannot be changed freely.
Therefore, in the present invention, in a state where the height of the conventional weir 21 and the liquid amount of the processing liquid storage section 52 are secured, the bubbles are easily discharged to the processing liquid discharge section 53 via the discharge path 54. The tapered shape 11 is provided on the lower surface of the upper jig 10 of the discharge path 54.

In the invention according to claim 2, when the taper angle of the taper shape 11 is θ, the taper angle θ is in the range of 5 to 20 degrees.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a U-shaped developing jig 100 in which the state of the tapered shape 11 is easily understood.
The taper shape 11 includes bubbles when a taper is provided on the lower surface of the upper jaw jig 10 starting from the back of the processing liquid reservoir 52a and when a flat surface is formed in the taper and the processing liquid discharge part 53. As a result of an experiment on the discharge state of the upper jaw jig 10 as shown in FIG. Thus, the bubbles were discharged well in a state where a flat surface was formed from the point exceeding the width of the weir 21.
Furthermore, when the taper angle θ is 15 degrees, the storage of the processing liquid in the processing liquid storage section 52a is stable, and there is no retention of bubbles in the processing liquid storage section 52a, and the liquid is discharged well from the discharge path 54.

On the other hand, if the taper angle is larger than 20 degrees, the taper length becomes long and bubbles cannot flow to the end. When the taper angle was 5 degrees or less, the effect of discharging bubbles was not obtained.
Furthermore, in the structure without the taper shape, bubbles brought into the processing liquid storage part 52a stay, and when the coating substrate end is inserted into the processing liquid storage part 52a as described above, bubbles are formed on the end coating film. Adhering and film residue occurred.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the length from the weir 21 of the processing liquid reservoir 52a of the U-shaped developing jig 100 to the tip of the upper jaw jig 10 is defined by the position of the coating substrate. From the weir 21 of the processing liquid reservoir in the processing region Wa, the processing region at the end of the coated substrate of the letter-shaped development jig is W, the processing region at both ends is Wb, and the processing region excluding both processing regions Wb is Wa. La <L, where La is the length to the tip of the maxillary jig 10 and L is the length from the weir 21 of the treatment liquid reservoir in the treatment area Wb to the tip of the maxillary jig 10. Is to be satisfied.

As shown in FIG. 8, when a coating film 72 is formed by applying a resist or the like on the substrate 71, a coating film 72c thicker than the center portion is formed at the end and four corners of the coating substrate 70. However, the thick coating film 72 c is formed thicker at the four corners of the substrate 71 than at the end of the substrate 71.
When the edge processing of the coated substrate is performed using a developing jig having the same length from the weir 21 to the tip, the development processing at the four corners of the substrate 71 is inevitably delayed, and a film residue is likely to occur.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1 (a), a process excluding the four corner regions of the coated substrate (both end processing regions Wb in FIG. 1 (a)) and other processing regions (both end processing Wb in FIG. 1 (a)). In the region Wa), the length of the processing liquid reservoir 52a of the upper jaw jig 10 from the weir 21 to the tip is changed to change the storage amount of the processing liquid in the processing liquid reservoir 52a.

  By using the developing jig having such a structure, defects such as film residue may occur at the ends and four corners of the coated substrate 70 even if the edges and four corners of the coated substrate 70 are developed in the same processing time. There is no.

The case where the edge part process of a coating substrate is processed using the coating substrate edge part developing jig of this invention is demonstrated.
3 and 4 are explanatory views of a method of processing the edge of the coated substrate using the coated substrate edge developing jig 100 of the present invention.
First, a pair of coated substrate end developing jig 100 as shown in FIG. 1A is prepared, and the processing liquid of the coated substrate end developing jig 100 is applied to the end of the coated substrate 70 on which the coating film is formed. It is inserted into the filled processing liquid reservoirs 52 and 52a and immersed in the processing liquid for a certain period of time to selectively swell or dissolve and remove the unnecessary thick film formed on the edge of the coated substrate (FIG. 3 ( a)).
The coated substrate 70a from which the end of the coated substrate is removed is removed from the pair of coated substrate end developing jigs 100. FIG. 3B shows an end-treated coating substrate 70a in which the end portions on both sides of the coating substrate are removed and the end-treated coating film 72a is formed.

Next, the coated substrate 70a from which both side edge portions of the coated substrate are removed is rotated 90 degrees, and the end portion of the coated substrate 70a on which the coated film is formed is processed by the coated substrate end developing jig 100 in the same manner as described above. By inserting into the processing liquid reservoirs 52 and 52a filled with the liquid and immersing in the processing liquid for a certain period of time, the unnecessary thick film formed on the coated substrate end is selectively swollen or dissolved (see FIG. 4 (a)).
The coated substrate 70b from which the end of the coated substrate is removed is removed from the pair of coated substrate end developing jigs 100. FIG. 4B shows an end-processed coated substrate 70b in which the end portion on the four side of the coated substrate is removed and an end-processed coating film 72b is formed.

  As described above, by processing the edge of the coated substrate using the coated substrate edge developing jig 100 of the present invention, without generating film residue at the edge and four corners of the coated substrate that has been edge-treated, Since a coated substrate having a uniform coating film can be obtained, in a series of patterning processes such as pattern exposure and development, it can contribute to the refinement of the pattern and the improvement of the pattern processing accuracy. It can lead to reduction.

(A) is a top view which shows one Example of the coating substrate edge part developing jig of this invention. (B) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A ′ of the top view of (a). FIG. 4C is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line B-B ′ of the top view of FIG. It is the typical composition sectional view which expanded field Wa except for both ends Wb of processing field W of the coated substrate edge part of the coated substrate edge development jig of the present invention. (A) is explanatory drawing which shows the state which is carrying out the edge part process of the coating substrate using the coating substrate edge part developing jig of this invention. (B) is explanatory drawing which shows the state of the coating substrate which performed the edge part process. (A) is explanatory drawing which shows the state which is carrying out the edge part process of the coating substrate using the coating substrate edge part developing jig of this invention. (B) is explanatory drawing which shows the state of the coating substrate which performed the edge part process. (A) is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a conventional coated substrate end developing jig. (B) is an explanatory view showing a state in which the edge processing of the coated substrate is performed using a conventional coated substrate edge developing jig. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which the bubble has adhered to the coating substrate edge part, when a coating substrate is inserted in the process liquid storage part of the conventional coating substrate edge part developing jig. (A) is a top view which shows an example of the state of the coating substrate which performed the edge part process. (B) is sectional drawing which shows an example of the state of the coating substrate which performed the edge part process. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the state of the coating film of a coating substrate.

Explanation of symbols

10, 30... Upper jaw jig 11... Tapered shape 20, 40... Lower jaw jig 21, 41 .. Weir 51, 61... Processing liquid supply section 52, 52 a, 62. ... Treatment liquid discharge sections 54 and 64... Discharge path 70... Application substrates 70a, 70b, and 70d .... End-treated application substrates 71 .... Substrate 72. Application films 72a, 72b, and 72d. Coating film 72c... Thick coating film 100, 200...

Claims (3)

The end of the coating substrate on which a coating film such as a resist is formed is inserted into a U-shaped developing jig in which a processing solution such as a developer is stored, and is immersed in the processing solution for a certain time. A coating substrate end developing jig that selectively swells or dissolves a thick coating film formed on an end,
The coating substrate jig comprises a U-shaped developing jig by an upper jaw jig (10) and a lower jaw jig (20) ,
The distal end portion between the upper jaw jig (10) mandible jig (20), and supplies the processing liquid reservoir for developing (52), the processing solution to the processing liquid reservoir coated substrate end A processing liquid supply section (51); a processing liquid discharge section (53) for discharging the processing liquid; the processing liquid discharge section (53) positioned above the processing liquid supply section (51); and the upper jaw jig. (10) and weir protruding direction (21) but are formed respectively,
Wherein the treatment liquid supplying section (51) and said processing liquid discharging portion (53) is connected with the discharge passage (54) between the weir (21) and said upper jaw jig (10),
A taper that extends from the lower surface of the upper jaw jig (10) on the discharge passage (54) to the lower surface at a position facing the weir (21) in the discharge direction of the processing liquid in a sectional view. A coated substrate edge developing jig provided with a shape (11).   2. The coated substrate end developing jig according to claim 1, wherein the taper angle θ is in the range of 5 to 20 degrees when the taper angle of the taper shape (11) is θ. The shaped processing region of the coating the substrate end of the developing jig co (W), the two ends processing area (Wb), the processing region excluding the both ends processing area (Wb) and (Wa), the processing region ( Wa) is the length from the weir (21 ) of the treatment liquid reservoir to the tip of the upper jaw jig (10), and the length of the treatment liquid reservoir from the weir (21) of the treatment liquid storage area (Wb) to the upper jaw jig. 3. The coated substrate end portion developing jig according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a relationship of La <L is satisfied, where L is a length to the tip portion of (10).

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