JP7640487B2 - Coating Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a coating device that applies a coating liquid onto a substrate, and in particular to a coating device that dries the coating liquid immediately after it is discharged.

In recent years, substrates W on which a uniform thin film has been formed (called coated substrates) are used for various purposes. For example, when forming a coating film of uniform thickness on a substrate, the coating film is formed by a coating device having a slit-shaped nozzle. As shown in FIG. 6, this coating device has a stage 100 on which the substrate W is placed, and a coater 101 having a slit-shaped nozzle that ejects coating liquid. By moving the substrate W and the coater 101 relatively while ejecting the coating liquid from the slit of the nozzle, a coating film C of a predetermined thickness is formed on the substrate W.

The formed coated substrate W is then removed from the coating device and dried by a drying device 102 separate from the coating device (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below).

JP 2010-034309 A

However, the above coating device has a problem in that the functionality of the formed coating film C cannot be fully demonstrated. In recent years, some materials have the characteristics that they stably function when they are dried immediately after being applied as the coating film C, and such materials are used, for example, in perovskite solar cells. In the above coating device, after the coating film C is formed, it takes time for it to be transported to another drying device 102, and this time affects the crystalline state of the coating film C, making it difficult for the functionality of the material to be stably demonstrated.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a coating device that can dry the coating film immediately after it is applied by the applicator and also suppresses any deterioration in film thickness accuracy.

In order to solve the above problems, the coating device of the present invention is a coating device that includes a stage on which a substrate is placed, and an applicator that moves relative to the substrate placed on the stage while ejecting a coating liquid from a nozzle to form a coating film on the substrate, and the applicator is provided with a dryer on the side opposite to the coating progress side that supplies air to the coating film formed by ejecting the coating liquid from the nozzle to dry the coating film, and a vibration-proof member is provided between the applicator and the dryer to suppress the effects of vibration of the dryer.

According to the above coating device, since the dryer is provided on the side opposite to the coating progress side, the coating film can be dried immediately after it is ejected from the nozzle and formed. That is, the drying of the formed coating film is promoted by supplying air from the dryer. When air is supplied from the dryer, the vibration is transmitted to the coater and then to the coating liquid (bead 103) connecting the nozzle and the substrate W, affecting the accuracy of the thickness of the coating film. However, by providing a vibration-proof member between the coater and the dryer, it is possible to prevent the vibration generated by the dryer from being transmitted to the coater. This allows the coating film to be dried immediately after it is applied by the coater, and further prevents a decrease in the thickness accuracy of the formed coating film.

The vibration-proof member may also be configured to have a flat plate shape and be formed with dimensions at least equal to or greater than the discharge width of the applicator through which the coating liquid is discharged.

With this configuration, the vibration-proofing member can reduce the effects of vibration on the applicator across the entire discharge width of the applicator.

The dryer may have an air discharge portion from which air is discharged, and the vibration-proof member may be formed to extend to a position lower than the air discharge portion.

With this configuration, the vibration-proofing member acts to block the air flow, preventing the air discharged from the air discharge section from directly hitting the bead. In other words, the vibration-proofing member not only suppresses vibrations caused by the dryer, but also functions as a straightening plate, preventing a decrease in the film thickness accuracy of the coating film caused by providing a dryer to the applicator.

The vibration-proof member may also be configured to extend to a position closer to the substrate than the nozzle position.

This configuration more reliably prevents air from the dryer from hitting the beads directly.

The air discharge section may also be configured so that the direction of the discharged air is adjusted so that it hits the vibration-proof member directly.

With this configuration, the air discharged from the air discharge section hits the vibration-proof member once before being supplied to the coating film, so the force of the air can be reduced compared to when the air hits the coating film directly, and the coating film can be dried by indirectly supplying air. In other words, the coating film can be dried while preventing the air flow from affecting the coating film and causing coating unevenness.

The air supplied from the dryer may also be heated by a heater.

With this configuration, the supply of heated air can accelerate the drying of the coating film.

The coating device of the present invention allows the coating film to dry immediately after it is applied by the applicator, and also prevents any deterioration in film thickness accuracy.

1 is a perspective view showing a coating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the vicinity of a leg of the application unit. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an applicator provided with a dryer. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing a state in which a coating liquid is discharged from the applicator. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a state in which application liquid is discharged from an applicator in another embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional coating device and drying device.

The embodiment of the present invention will be explained using the drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic diagram of an application device according to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a diagram showing the vicinity of the legs of the application unit, and Figure 3 is a diagram showing an applicator equipped with a dryer.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the coating device forms a coating film of a liquid material such as a chemical solution or a resist liquid (hereinafter referred to as a coating liquid) on a substrate W, and includes a base 2, a stage 21 for placing the substrate W, and a coating unit 30 configured to be movable in a specific direction relative to the stage 21.

In the following explanation, the direction in which the coating unit 30 moves is the X-axis direction, the direction perpendicular to this on the horizontal plane is the Y-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the X-axis and Y-axis directions is the Z-axis direction.

A stage 21 is disposed in the center of the base 2. The stage 21 is used to place the substrate W that has been brought in. The stage 21 is provided with a substrate placement surface 21a on which the substrate W is placed, and a substrate holding means (not shown), which holds the substrate W. Specifically, the substrate placement surface 21a of the stage 21 is formed with a number of suction holes, and by generating a suction force through the suction holes, the substrate W can be attracted to and held on the substrate placement surface 21a.

The stage 21 is also provided with a substrate lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the substrate W. Specifically, a number of pin holes are formed in the surface of the stage 21, and lift pins (not shown) that can be raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction are embedded in these pin holes. That is, when the substrate W is loaded with the lift pins protruding from the surface of the stage 21, the tip portions of the lift pins come into contact with the substrate W and can hold the substrate W. Then, by lowering the lift pins from this state and accommodating them in the pin holes, the substrate W can be placed on the substrate placement surface 21a.

The coating unit 30 ejects a coating liquid onto the substrate W to form a coating film C. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the coating unit 30 has legs 31 connected to the base 2 and a coater 34 extending in the Y-axis direction, and is attached so as to be movable in the X-axis direction while straddling the base 2 in the Y-axis direction. Specifically, rails 22 extending in the X-axis direction are provided at both ends of the base 2 in the Y-axis direction, and the legs 31 are attached to the rails 22 so as to be able to slide freely. A linear motor is attached to the legs 31, and by controlling the drive of this linear motor, the coating unit 30 moves in the X-axis direction and can be stopped at any position.

As shown in FIG. 2, an applicator 34 that applies a coating liquid is attached to the leg 31 of the coating unit 30. Specifically, the leg 31 is provided with a rail 37 extending in the Z-axis direction and a slider 35 that slides along the rail 37, and the slider 35 and the applicator 34 are connected. A ball screw mechanism driven by a servo motor is attached to the slider 35, and by controlling the drive of the servo motor, the slider 35 moves in the Z-axis direction and can be stopped at any position. In other words, the applicator 34 is supported so as to be able to approach and separate from the substrate W held by the stage 21.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the applicator 34 discharges the coating liquid to form a coating film C on the substrate W. The applicator 34 is a columnar member having a shape extending in one direction, and is provided so as to be approximately perpendicular to the traveling direction of the coating unit 30. The applicator 34 has a side portion 34b extending in the vertical direction, and a substrate-facing surface 34d that faces the substrate W via an inclined surface portion 34c formed in an inclined manner from the side portion 34b. A slit nozzle 34a is formed on the substrate-facing surface 34d, and the coating liquid is discharged from the slit nozzle 34a. That is, the slit nozzle 34a is formed on the substrate-facing surface 34d of the applicator 34 so as to extend in the longitudinal direction, and the coating liquid supplied to the applicator 34 is discharged uniformly from the slit nozzle 34a along the longitudinal direction. Therefore, by moving the coating unit 30 in the X-axis direction while the coating liquid is being discharged from the slit nozzle 34a, a coating film C of a constant thickness is formed on the substrate W along the longitudinal direction of the slit nozzle 34a. In this embodiment, the direction in which the coating unit 30 is moved while the coating liquid is being discharged from the slit nozzle 34a to apply the coating liquid is referred to as the coating direction, and the coating direction side is referred to as the coating advancement side.

The coater 34 is also provided with a dryer 40. This dryer 40 dries the coating film C formed on the substrate W. Here, drying does not only mean complete drying, but also includes drying to a semi-dry state, and drying to a degree that promotes crystallization of the material compared to drying in the air.

In this embodiment, the dryer 40 is attached integrally to the applicator 34 so as to be adjacent to the side opposite the coating progress side. That is, when the applicator 34 moves in the coating progress direction while discharging the coating liquid, the dryer 40 moves integrally with the applicator 34, and the coating film C is dried by the dryer 40 immediately after it is formed on the substrate W.

The dryer 40 is provided along the longitudinal direction of the applicator 34 and has an air blower 41 that supplies air. In this embodiment, the air blower 41 is arranged adjacent to the applicator 34.

The air blower 41 supplies air to the coating film C formed on the substrate W. In this embodiment, it has an air blower main body 411 and an air discharge section 42, and the air stored in the air blower main body 411 is blown out through the air discharge section 42.

The air blower body 411 has a box shape and is formed in a shape that extends in the longitudinal direction along the side portion 34b of the applicator 34. In this embodiment, it is formed to have a dimension longer than the longitudinal dimension of the slit nozzle 34a. In addition, the air blower body 411 is provided with a cavity 41b that stores air to be supplied to the coating film C, and air supplied from an air supply source (not shown) can be temporarily stored in the cavity 41b. The cavity 41b is formed in a shape that extends in the longitudinal direction, and is connected to the air discharge portion 42 by a communication flow path 43 that is narrower than the cavity 41b. Therefore, when air is supplied to the cavity 41b, it spreads throughout the cavity 41b and is temporarily stored, and by passing through the narrow communication flow path 43, air is uniformly supplied to the air discharge portion 42 in the longitudinal direction.

The air discharge section 42 is for directing the air supplied to the blower main body 411 to the coating film C. The air discharge section 42 has an opening 34c from which air is discharged, and in the example of FIG. 3, it is formed vertically downward. This opening 34c is connected in communication with the communication flow path 43, and when the air supply source is operated, the air in the cavity 41b is discharged from the opening 43c through the communication flow path 43. The height position of the opening 41c is formed to extend to the vicinity of the height position of the slit nozzle 34a. In the example of FIG. 3, it is formed to a position slightly higher than the height position of the slit nozzle 34a, that is, to a height position that does not abut against the coating film C formed on the substrate W. As a result, when the air supply source is operated, the air in the cavity 41b is discharged from the opening 41c through the communication flow path 43, and the air can be directed to the coating film C immediately after it is formed by discharging the coating liquid from the slit nozzle 34a.

The opening 41c of the air discharge section 42 is formed in a slit shape and is formed to extend in the longitudinal direction of the applicator 34. The longitudinal dimension of the opening 41c is formed to be approximately the same as the longitudinal dimension of the slit nozzle 34a of the applicator 34. Therefore, the air discharged from the air discharge section 42 is supplied approximately uniformly across the width of the formed coating film C.

A vibration-proof member 60 is provided between the dryer 40 and the applicator 34. This vibration-proof member 60 is intended to suppress the effects of vibration on the applicator 34. In other words, when air is discharged from the dryer 40, vibrations occur in the dryer 40 itself, in the air flowing in from the air supply source, and in the discharged air. The vibration-proof member 60 blocks the effects of these vibrations as much as possible and suppresses the transmission of vibrations to the applicator 34.

For this vibration-proofing member 60, for example, a versatile vibration-proofing material such as a rubber material, a silicon material, a urethane material, etc. can be used, and a material that has both chemical resistance and heat resistance to withstand the coating environment is selected. In this embodiment, the vibration-proofing member 60 is formed in a flat plate shape of uniform thickness and is fixed adjacent to each of the dryer 40 and the applicator 34. In addition, the vibration-proofing member 60 is formed to the same dimensions as the longitudinal dimensions of the applicator 34 and the dryer 40, and is provided so as to be interposed between the applicator 34 and the dryer 40 over the entire longitudinal direction of the applicator 34 and the dryer 40. In other words, since it is formed to a dimension at least equal to or larger than the discharge width of the slit nozzle 34a from which the coating liquid is discharged, even if vibration occurs from the dryer 40, the vibration is absorbed in the longitudinal direction by the vibration-proofing member 60, so that the vibration can be suppressed from being transmitted to the applicator 34.

The vibration-proof member 60 is provided so as to cover the entire side surface of the blower main body 411, and is formed to extend to a position lower in height than the air discharge section 42. In the example of FIG. 3, it is formed to extend to a position lower in height than the slit nozzle 34a (a position closer to the substrate W). This makes it possible to prevent the air discharged from the air discharge section 42 from affecting the coating liquid (bead B) that connects the slit nozzle 34a and the substrate W.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the air discharged from the air discharge unit 42 is discharged in the direction in which the opening 41c opens, that is, vertically downward in the example of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, toward the coating film C formed on the substrate W. The air blown out hits the coating film C directly, but the wind pressure is adjusted to a degree that does not cause coating unevenness on the coating film C due to the air hitting it. The air blown out from the air discharge unit 42 flows toward the coating film C and also flows with a certain spread, so that some of the air flows toward the bead B side, and some of the air flows toward the bead B side after hitting the coating film C. However, since the vibration-proof member 60 extends to a position lower than the air discharge unit 42 (a position lower than the height position of the slit nozzle 34a in the example of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4), it is possible to block some of the air that is about to flow toward the bead B side, and it is possible to suppress the air that hits the bead directly. The amount of air flowing toward the bead B can be adjusted by adjusting the gap between the anti-vibration member 60 and the formed coating film C, and the impact on the bead B can be effectively reduced by extending the anti-vibration member 60 to a degree that does not cause it to come into contact with the coating film C. In this way, the anti-vibration member 60 can also function as a straightening plate for the air from the air discharge portion 42.

In this way, according to the coating device in the above embodiment, since the dryer 40 is provided on the side opposite to the coating progress side, the coating film C can be dried immediately after it is discharged from the slit nozzle 34a and formed. That is, the drying of the formed coating film C is promoted by supplying air from the dryer 40. When air is supplied from the dryer 40, the vibration is transmitted to the coater 34 and further to the coating liquid (bead B) connecting the slit nozzle 34a and the substrate W, affecting the accuracy of the thickness of the coating film C. However, by providing a vibration-proof member 60 between the coater 34 and the dryer 40, the vibration generated from the dryer 40 can be suppressed from being transmitted to the coater 34. As a result, the coating film C can be dried immediately after it is applied by the coater 34, and further, the deterioration of the thickness accuracy of the formed coating film C can be suppressed.

In the above embodiment, the air discharged from the air discharge portion 42 of the dryer 40 is discharged vertically downward toward the coating film C, but the air discharged from the air discharge portion 42 may be adjusted so that it directly hits the vibration-proof member 60. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, a spacer S is interposed between the dryer 40 and the vibration-proof member 60, and the opening 41c of the dryer 40 is attached in a position facing the vibration-proof member 60. As a result, the air discharged from the air discharge portion 42 hits the vibration-proof member 60 once and then flows to the coating film C, thereby preventing the discharged air from directly hitting the coating film C and allowing the air to be supplied indirectly. In other words, the momentum of the air can be suppressed compared to when the air hits the coating film C directly, so that the drying of the coating film C can be promoted in a state where coating unevenness is less likely to be formed on the coating film C even if the amount of air supplied from the air discharge portion 42 is increased. Even in this embodiment, vibrations caused by the dryer 40 are transmitted through the spacer S, but the vibration-proof member 60 can prevent them from being transmitted to the applicator 34.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example of a flat plate-shaped vibration-proof member 60 was described, but as long as it is interposed between the applicator 34 and the dryer 40, it may have any shape, and it does not have to extend uniformly in the longitudinal direction, but may be arranged intermittently in the longitudinal direction.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the vibration-proof member 60 extends to a position lower than the height position of the air discharge portion 42. However, even if the vibration-proof member 60 is higher than the height position of the air discharge portion 42, as long as the vibration-proof member 60 is interposed between the applicator 34 and the dryer 40, it is possible to at least suppress vibrations caused by the dryer 40.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the air supplied from the blower 41 is at the temperature of the air supply source (the temperature of the space in which the coating device is installed), but a heater may be provided between the air supply source and the blower 41, and air heated by the heater may be supplied. For example, by setting the temperature to about 35°C to 45°C, which is slightly higher than the temperature of the space in which the coating device is installed, the drying of the coating film C can be promoted compared to when the air from the air supply source is used as is.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the applicator 34 has a slit nozzle 34a, but any applicator (e.g., inkjet) that moves in one direction and requires drying immediately after forming the coating film C can be used, and the ejection method is not particularly limited.

21 stage 30 coating unit 34 coater 34a slit nozzle 40 dryer 41C opening B bead P landing point S spacer W substrate

Claims (6)

A stage on which a substrate is placed;
a coater that moves relative to the substrate placed on the stage and ejects a coating liquid from a nozzle to form a coating film on the substrate;
A coating apparatus comprising:
The coating device is characterized in that the applicator is provided with a dryer on the side opposite to the side where the coating proceeds, which dries the coating film formed by ejecting from the nozzle by supplying air to the coating film, and a vibration-damping member is provided between the applicator and the dryer to suppress the effects of vibration of the dryer. The coating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the vibration-proof member has a flat plate shape and is formed with dimensions at least equal to or greater than the discharge width of the applicator through which the coating liquid is discharged. 3. The coating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dryer has an air discharge portion for discharging air, and the vibration-proof member is formed so as to extend to a position lower than the air discharge portion. The coating device described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the vibration-proof member is formed to extend to a position closer to the substrate than the position of the nozzle. 4. The coating device according to claim 3 , wherein a direction of the air discharged from the air discharge portion is adjusted so that the air directly hits the vibration-proof member. 6. The coating apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the air supplied from the dryer is heated by a heater.

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