JP7680266B2 - Liquid resin application nozzle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid resin application nozzle that applies liquid resin to a target object such as a semiconductor wafer.

As disclosed in Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, or Patent Document 3, a liquid resin application device that applies liquid resin to a substrate mixes liquid resin with high-pressure air, atomizes the liquid resin, and sprays it onto the substrate to apply it.

JP 2011-255296 A JP 2011-110523 A JP 2006-175358 A JP 2014-115435 A

The technology disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document cannot atomize liquid resin in a place where high-pressure air cannot be supplied, and when the viscosity of the liquid resin is high, it is difficult to atomize the liquid resin with high-pressure air.
Therefore, when atomizing liquid resin and applying it to a substrate or other object to form a thin resin film, it is desirable to atomize the liquid resin without using high-pressure air. Also, there is a problem to be solved in that it is desirable to atomize highly viscous liquid resin and apply it to the object.

The present invention, which aims to solve the above problems, is a liquid resin application nozzle that atomizes liquid resin and applies it to a target object, and is equipped with an ultrasonic horn that is cylindrical and has an ultrasonic vibrator that vibrates one end face at high frequency in a direction perpendicular to the end face, an ultrasonic horn support section that supports the two ultrasonic horns by facing the two ultrasonic horns and forming a small gap between the end faces, and a liquid resin supply section that supplies liquid resin to the gap, and synchronizes the high frequency vibration period so that the facing end faces approach or move away from each other, atomizes the liquid resin supplied to the gap on the outer periphery of the gap, and releases the atomized resin from the outer periphery of the gap to apply it to the target object.

The liquid resin supply section is preferably provided with a second outlet formed in at least one of the ultrasonic horns and opening at the center of the end face, a second inlet formed in the ultrasonic horn, and a second communication passage connecting the second outlet and the second inlet, and liquid resin is supplied to the gap from the center of at least one of the end faces.

The liquid resin supply unit preferably includes a supply nozzle that supplies liquid resin from outside the gap toward the gap.

It is preferable to have an air injection unit that is positioned outside the gap and injects air in a direction toward the target object, and to apply atomized resin atomized by the air injected by the air injection unit to the target object.

The liquid resin application nozzle according to the present invention, which atomizes liquid resin and applies it to an object, includes an ultrasonic horn having a columnar ultrasonic vibrator that vibrates one end face at a high frequency in a direction perpendicular to the end face, a plate that is arranged facing the end face with a small gap formed between the end face, a connecting part that connects the center of the end face and the center of the plate, and a liquid resin supplying part that supplies liquid resin to the gap. The high frequency vibration generated by the ultrasonic vibrator vibrates the end face at a high frequency, and the high frequency vibration of the end face is transmitted to the plate via the connecting part, and the liquid resin supplied to the gap by vibrating the end face and the plate at a high frequency is atomized at the outer periphery of the gap, and the atomized resin is released from the outer periphery of the gap and applied to the object. In other words, since the liquid resin is atomized by ultrasonic vibration and applied to the object, it is possible to apply the liquid resin evenly to the object even without high pressure air. In addition, even if the viscosity of the liquid resin is high, the ultrasonic vibration is transmitted to the liquid resin, so that the liquid resin can be atomized and applied to the object.

The liquid resin application nozzle according to the present invention, which atomizes liquid resin and applies it to an object, includes an ultrasonic horn with a columnar ultrasonic vibrator that vibrates one end face at a high frequency in a direction perpendicular to the end face, an ultrasonic horn support section that supports the two ultrasonic horns by facing each other and forming a small gap between the end faces, and a liquid resin supply section that supplies liquid resin to the gap. This synchronizes the high frequency vibration period so that the facing end faces approach or move away from each other, and the liquid resin supplied to the gap is atomized at the outer periphery of the gap, and the atomized resin is released from the outer periphery of the gap and applied to the object. In other words, since the liquid resin is atomized by ultrasonic vibration and applied to the object, it is possible to apply the liquid resin evenly to the object even without high pressure air. Furthermore, even if the viscosity of the liquid resin is relatively high, the liquid resin can be atomized and applied to the object because the ultrasonic vibration is transmitted to the liquid resin.

The liquid resin application nozzle according to the present invention is also equipped with an air injection section that is positioned outside the gap and injects air in a direction toward the target object, and the atomized resin atomized by the air injected by the air injection section is applied to the target object, thereby shortening the application time.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a liquid resin application nozzle according to the first embodiment. This is a side view of a liquid resin application nozzle of embodiment 1, in which the liquid resin supply section has an outlet that opens to the side of the connecting section that communicates with the gap, an inlet that is disposed in the ultrasonic horn, and a communicating passage that connects the outlet and the inlet. 1 is a side view of a liquid resin application nozzle of embodiment 1, in which a liquid resin supply unit is provided with a supply nozzle that supplies liquid resin from outside the gap toward the gap. This is an oblique view showing a liquid resin application nozzle of embodiment 1, which further includes an air injection unit that is positioned outside the gap and injects air in a direction toward the target object, and applies atomized resin atomized by the air injected by the air injection unit to the target object. This is a side view showing a liquid resin application nozzle of embodiment 1, which is equipped with an air injection unit that is positioned outside the gap and injects air in a direction toward the target object, and applies atomized resin atomized by the air injected by the air injection unit to the target object. Fig. 6(A) is a side view showing the tip of the supply nozzle entering the gap between the disk and the end face of the ultrasonic horn, and Fig. 6(B) is a front view showing the tip of the supply nozzle entering the gap between the disk and the end face of the ultrasonic horn, as viewed from the disk side. 7A is a side view showing the state where the supply nozzle is positioned on the portion of the elliptical plate that protrudes beyond the end face of the ultrasonic horn, and FIG 7B is a front view showing the state where the supply nozzle is positioned on the portion of the elliptical plate that protrudes beyond the end face of the ultrasonic horn, as viewed from the elliptical plate side. Fig. 8(A) is a side view showing the tip of the supply nozzle entering the gap between the rectangular plate and the end face of the ultrasonic horn, and Fig. 8(B) is a front view showing the tip of the supply nozzle entering the gap between the rectangular plate and the end face of the ultrasonic horn, as viewed from the rectangular plate side. 9A is a side view showing the tip of the supply nozzle entering the gap between the multi-pointed star-shaped plate and the end face of the ultrasonic horn, and FIG 9B is a front view showing the tip of the supply nozzle entering the gap between the multi-pointed star-shaped plate and the end face of the ultrasonic horn as viewed from the multi-pointed star-shaped plate side. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of a liquid resin application nozzle of embodiment 2 configured with two ultrasonic horns facing each other. FIG. 11 is a front view showing an example of a liquid resin application nozzle of embodiment 2 configured with two ultrasonic horns facing each other. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a protective film forming apparatus including a liquid resin application nozzle according to a first embodiment.

The liquid resin application nozzle 2 according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the liquid resin application nozzle 2 of embodiment 1) shown in FIG. 1 atomizes the liquid resin and applies it to a target object such as a semiconductor wafer. The liquid resin application nozzle 2 according to the present invention includes an ultrasonic horn 20 having a columnar ultrasonic vibrator 29 that vibrates one end face 207 at high frequency in a direction perpendicular to the end face 207 (the Z-axis direction in FIG. 1), a disk 22, for example, that is disposed facing the end face 207 and forms a small gap 220 between the end face 207, a connecting portion 23 that connects the center of the end face 207 and the center of the disk 22, and a liquid resin supply portion 27 that supplies liquid resin to the gap 220.

The ultrasonic horn 20 comprises, for example, a first cylindrical portion 201 made of a predetermined metal (for example, titanium alloy or stainless steel), a second cylindrical portion 202 connected to the first cylindrical portion 201 with the same central axis and having a diameter larger than that of the first cylindrical portion 201, and an ultrasonic transducer 29 connected, for example, to the free end side (+Z direction end side) of the second cylindrical portion 202 via a third cylindrical portion 203.

The first cylindrical portion 201 has its base integrally connected to the second cylindrical portion 202. The outer peripheral surface of the base of the first cylindrical portion 201 is formed to have, for example, a widened R-shaped incline as shown in FIG. 2.

In this embodiment, the ultrasonic horn 20 further includes a third cylindrical portion 203 in addition to the first cylindrical portion 201 and the second cylindrical portion 202 .
The third cylindrical portion 203 is a cylindrical rod-like body made of a specified metal with a lower side having a smaller diameter than the upper side. One end face (the end face in the -Z direction in Figure 1) of the third cylindrical portion 203 is connected to the free end face of the second cylindrical portion 202 by a connecting screw or the like (not shown).

The upper side of the third cylindrical section 203 is set to have, for example, approximately the same diameter as the diameter of the ultrasonic transducer 29. The ultrasonic transducer 29 is fixed to the other end (upper end) of the third cylindrical section 203 by adhesive bonding with a predetermined brazing material or the like. The third cylindrical section 203 acts as a booster that increases or decreases the amplitude (vibration magnitude) of the ultrasonic vibration transmitted from the ultrasonic transducer 29. Note that the ultrasonic horn 20 does not necessarily have to have the third cylindrical section 203.

The ultrasonic transducer 29 is, for example, a stack of plate-shaped first and second piezoelectric elements 291 and 292 that expand and contract when a voltage is applied. The first and second piezoelectric elements 291 and 292 are, for example, piezo elements, which are a type of ceramic. Electrodes (not shown) are attached to the first and second piezoelectric elements 291 and 292, respectively, and a high-frequency power source 295 is connected to apply an AC voltage via the electrodes and wiring to supply high-frequency power to the ultrasonic transducer 29. The high-frequency power source 295 repeatedly turns on and off the application of a voltage at a predetermined frequency, thereby generating an expansion and contraction motion in the Z-axis direction in the first and second piezoelectric elements 292. This expansion and contraction motion becomes mechanical ultrasonic vibration.

A fixing plate 204 is disposed on the ultrasonic transducer 29, and the fixing plate 204 is fixed onto the ultrasonic transducer 29 by a fixing bolt (not shown) that screws into the third cylindrical portion 203. The ultrasonic transducer 29 is then sandwiched and fixed on both sides in the Z-axis direction between the fixing plate 204 and the third cylindrical portion 203.

The connecting part 23, which is made of a specified metal or the like and has its upper end connected to the center of the flat end surface 207, which is the lower end surface of the first cylindrical part 201 of the ultrasonic horn 20 shown in FIG. 1, is formed in a much thinner cylindrical shape than the first cylindrical part 201. The center of the upper surface of a plate made of a specified metal or the like is connected to the lower end surface of the connecting part 23, and the plate is a disk 22. Note that instead of the disk 22, a plate formed in a polygonal shape such as a square or hexagon may be used, or a plate formed in an ellipse may be used. A gap 220 of, for example, 0.5 mm is formed between the flat upper surface and the end surface 207 of the disk 22. The uniform thickness of the disk 22 is, for example, 1 mm. Note that the connecting part 23 and the disk 22 are preferably formed of the same metal as the ultrasonic horn 20, for example, a titanium alloy or stainless steel.

2, which shows the liquid resin application nozzle 2 shown in Fig. 1 laid on its side, the liquid resin supply section 27 that supplies liquid resin to the gap 220 includes an outlet 271 that opens on the side surface 230 of the connecting section 23 and communicates with the gap 220, an inlet 272 disposed in the ultrasonic horn 20, and a communication passage 273 that communicates between the outlet 271 and the inlet 272. For example, the inlet 272 opens in the center of the fixed plate 204, and communicates with the liquid resin supply source 28 via a joint or a resin tube (not shown).
The liquid resin that can be delivered by the liquid resin supply source 28 is, for example, a protective film forming agent made of a water-soluble resin (polyvinylpyrrolidone or polyvinyl alcohol), and one example is HogoMax manufactured by Disco Corporation. The viscosity of HogoMax is set to, for example, 30 cp to 300 cp. The liquid resin to be used is not limited to the above example.

The communication passage 273 that communicates with the inlet 272 passes in a straight line through the interior of the fixed plate 204, the ultrasonic transducer 29, the third cylindrical portion 203, the second cylindrical portion 202, and the first cylindrical portion 201, and communicates with a plurality of outlets 271 that open, for example, at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the side surface 230 of the connecting portion 23. Note that there may be only one outlet 271 that opens on the side surface 230. Also, the inlet 272 may be formed, for example, on the side surface of the first cylindrical portion 201.

The liquid resin supply unit is not limited to the liquid resin supply unit 27 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and may include a supply nozzle 279 that supplies liquid resin from outside the gap 220 toward the gap 220 shown in Fig. 3. The supply nozzle 279, which has a supply port facing the gap 220 above the gap 220, is connected to the liquid resin supply source 28. For example, as shown in Figs. 6(A) and 6(B), the supply nozzle 279 may be inserted into the gap 220.

For example, as shown in Figures 7(A) and 7(B), in the liquid resin application nozzle 2, instead of the disk 22, an elliptical plate 24 may be connected by aligning its center with the center of the connecting portion 23. For example, the long axis of the elliptical plate 24 is larger than the diameter of the end face 207 of the ultrasonic horn 20, and the short axis is smaller than the diameter of the end face 207. In this case, a part of the long axis of the elliptical plate 24 may protrude radially outward from the end face 207 of the ultrasonic horn 20, and the supply port of the supply nozzle 279 may be positioned at the protruding part of the elliptical plate 24. In this case, more atomized resin is sprayed outward at a point 246 shown in Figure 7(B) where the outer periphery of the end face 207 and the outer periphery of the elliptical plate 24 intersect in a front view in the outer periphery of the gap 220.
The supply port of the supply nozzle 279 may be positioned at a portion 247 where a part of the end surface 207 in the minor axis direction of the elliptical plate 24 protrudes from the elliptical plate 24 as shown in FIG. 7B.

8(A) and 8(B), in the liquid resin application nozzle 2, instead of the disk 22, a square plate 26 may be connected by aligning its center with the center of the connecting part 23. For example, the length and width of the square plate 26 are approximately the same as the diameter of the end face 207 of the ultrasonic horn 20. For example, a pair of diagonal corners of the square plate 26 face the +Z axis direction and the -Z axis direction. In this case, for example, the supply port of the supply nozzle 279 may be positioned in a part of the square plate 26 that protrudes to the left and right with respect to the end face 207 of the ultrasonic horn 20. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8(B), the supply nozzle 279 may be inserted into the gap 220, and more atomized resin may be sprayed outward at the point 267 where the outer periphery of the gap 220 meets the outer periphery of the square plate 26 in a front view.

For example, as shown in Figures 9(A) and 8(B), in the liquid resin application nozzle 2, instead of the disk 22, a multi-pointed star-shaped plate 25 may be connected by aligning its center with the center of the connecting part 23. For example, the multi-pointed star-shaped plate 25 has multiple vertices that protrude radially outward beyond the outer periphery of the end face 207 of the ultrasonic horn 20. Then, as shown in Figure 9(B), the supply nozzle 279 may be inserted into the gap 220 and positioned.

As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid resin application nozzle 2 of this embodiment 1 may include an air injection unit 70 that is positioned outside the gap 220 and injects air in a direction toward the object 90 such as a semiconductor wafer (in FIG. 2, the -Z direction), and the atomized resin atomized by the air injected by the air injection unit 70 may be applied to the object 90.

The air injection unit 70 is an injection nozzle with an injection port facing the outside vicinity of the gap 220 on the side of the gap 220 (upward in FIG. 2), and the air injection unit 70 is connected to an air supply source 79 consisting of a compressor or the like. The air supplied from the air supply source 79 and injected from the air injection unit 70 toward the outside vicinity of the gap 220 causes the mist resin generated in the gap 220 and released to the outside from the gap 220 to fall toward the target object 90 faster than in the absence of air, making it possible to shorten the time it takes to apply the mist resin to the upper surface 900 of the target object 90. In addition, by scattering the mist resin with air, it is possible to increase the application area and shorten the application time.

Instead of the air injection unit 70 shown in FIG. 2, the liquid resin application nozzle 2 of the first embodiment may be provided with an air injection unit 72 shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. The air injection unit 72 is a cylindrical casing, and includes a cylindrical side wall 720 and a bottom 721 integrally formed at the lower end of the side wall 720. The ultrasonic horn 20 is inserted into the cylindrical space formed inside the side wall 720 with its longitudinal direction (Z-axis direction in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5) aligned, and the lower end of the first cylindrical portion 201 of the ultrasonic horn 20 is slightly exposed downward and outward from the opening 722 of the bottom 721.

5, the bottom 721 is tapered toward the opening 722. An air flow path 724 is formed inside the side wall 720, and the upper end side of the air flow path 724 is connected to an air supply source 728. The lower end side of the air flow path 724 is an annular air injection port 725 that opens so as to surround the opening 722 of the bottom 721, and the gap 220 of the liquid resin application nozzle 2 is located immediately below the air injection port 725. The mist resin generated in the gap 220 and released to the outside from the gap 220 by the air supplied from the air supply source 728 and injected from the air injection port 725 toward the outside vicinity of the gap 220 falls toward the target object 90 faster than in the case where there is no air, so that the application time of the mist resin to the upper surface 900 of the target object 90 can be shortened. The shape of the bottom end of the air injection port 725 may be flared to allow the atomized resin to be dispersed over a wide area, thereby shortening the application time.

The liquid resin application nozzle 4 according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the liquid resin application nozzle 4 of embodiment 2) shown in Figures 10 and 11, which atomizes liquid resin and applies it to a target object such as a semiconductor wafer, is equipped with the previously described ultrasonic horn 20 that is columnar and has an ultrasonic vibrator 29 that vibrates one end face 207 at high frequency in a direction perpendicular to the end face 207 (in Figures 10 and 11, the X-axis direction), an ultrasonic horn support section 42 that supports the two ultrasonic horns 20 by facing each other and forming a small gap 209 between the end faces 207, and a liquid resin supply section 49 that supplies liquid resin to the gap 209.

The ultrasonic horn support 42 is formed in a gate shape, and its lower end is connected to the upper outer surface of the second cylindrical portion 202 of each ultrasonic horn 20, which is arranged facing each other so that their central axes are aligned in a straight line in the X-axis direction.

The liquid resin supply unit 49 includes, for example, a supply nozzle 490 that supplies liquid resin toward the gap 209 from the upper outside of the gap 209. A liquid resin supply source 496 capable of supplying HogoMax, for example, is connected to the supply nozzle 490 that has a supply port facing the gap 209 above the gap 209. The supply nozzle 490 is attached to the center of the front surface (the side surface in the +Y direction) of the ultrasonic horn support unit 42, and the gap 209 is located directly below the supply nozzle 490. The gap 209 is set within a range of 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm.
For example, the liquid resin that the liquid resin supply source 496 can supply to the supply nozzle 490 is the above-mentioned HogoMax, but a type with a higher viscosity can be used than that used in the liquid resin application nozzle 2 of embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1.

For example, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the liquid resin application nozzle 4 of embodiment 2 is provided with an air injection unit 48 that is positioned outside the gap 209 and injects air in the direction (-Z direction) toward the target object 90 (shown only in Figure 11), and the atomized resin atomized by the air injected by the air injection unit 48 can be applied to the target object 90.

An air supply source 481 is connected to an air nozzle 480 of the air injection unit 48, which has an injection port facing toward the outside of the gap 209 above the gap 209. As shown in FIG. 10, the air nozzle 480 is attached to the center of the rear surface (the side surface in the -Y direction) of the ultrasonic horn support unit 42.

The air supplied from the air supply source 481 shown in FIG. 11 and sprayed from the air nozzle 480 toward the vicinity of the outside of the gap 209 causes the mist resin generated in the gap 209 and released to the outside from the gap 209 to fall toward the target object 90 faster than if there was no air, making it possible to shorten the time it takes to apply the mist resin to the top surface 900 of the target object 90.

The liquid resin application nozzle 4 of the second embodiment may include a liquid resin supply unit 46 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 instead of the liquid resin supply unit 49 .
The liquid resin supply section 46 is formed in at least one of the ultrasonic horns 20 and includes a second outlet 462 opening at the center of the end face 207, a second inlet 464 formed in the ultrasonic horn 20, and a second communicating passage 467 connecting the second outlet 462 and the second inlet 464, and supplies liquid resin from the center of at least one of the end faces 207 to the gap 209.

For example, in the illustrated example, a second inlet 464 opens in the center of the side surface of the fixed plate 204 of the ultrasonic horn 20 on the -X direction side, and communicates with the liquid resin supply source 28 via a joint and a resin tube (not shown). A second communication passage 467 communicating with the second inlet 464 penetrates the inside of the fixed plate 204, the ultrasonic transducer 29, the third cylindrical portion 203, the second cylindrical portion 202, and the first cylindrical portion 201 in the line-up direction, and communicates with a second outlet 462 opening in the center of the end face 207.

The protective film forming apparatus 1 shown in Figure 12 at least includes a holding table 30 that holds an object 90, such as a circular semiconductor wafer, a rotation mechanism 32 that rotates the holding table 30, and a liquid resin application nozzle 2 of embodiment 1, such as that shown in Figures 4 and 5 described above.
The protective film forming apparatus 1 can be used alone, or can be incorporated into a cutting device, a grinding device, or the like.

The object 90 is, for example, a circular semiconductor wafer made of a silicon base material, but is not limited to this and may be made of gallium arsenide, sapphire, gallium nitride, resin, ceramics, silicon carbide, or the like other than silicon, or may be a rectangular package substrate, etc.

The protective film forming device 1 has a cylindrical casing 10 with a bottom and a circular opening at the top end, and the holding table 30 is housed in the internal space of the casing 10. In FIG. 1, a part of the side wall of the casing 10 is cut away so that the inside can be seen. The casing 10 is supported by legs 100 arranged on the bottom side.

A rotation mechanism 32 that rotates the holding table 30 is disposed below the holding table 30. The rotation mechanism 32 includes at least a spindle 320 whose upper end is fixed to the holding table 30 and whose axial direction is the Z-axis direction (vertical direction), and a rotation drive source 321 that is composed of a motor or the like and is connected to the lower end side of the spindle 320.

The holding table 30 has, for example, a circular outer shape and is provided with a flat holding surface 300 made of a porous material or the like that suction-holds the object 90. The holding surface 300 is connected to a suction source (not shown), and the suction force generated by the suction source is transmitted to the holding surface 300, causing the holding table 30 to suction-hold the object 90 on the holding surface 300.
For example, if the object 90 is a work set supported by a tape having a larger diameter than the object 90 and an annular frame attached to the tape, the holding table 30 may be capable of clamping and fixing the annular frame.

For example, the holding table 30 may be movable up and down by a lifting unit (not shown) consisting of an air cylinder or the like. The lifting unit (not shown) raises the holding table 30 to position the holding table 30 at the height position for loading and unloading the object 90, and also lowers the holding table 30 while holding the object 90 to position the holding table 30 at the height position for forming the protective film inside the casing 10.

12 swivels the liquid resin application nozzle 2 in the horizontal direction. Specifically, a rotating arm 370, which is inverted L-shaped when viewed from the side and constitutes the nozzle movement mechanism 37, is erected on the bottom plate of the casing 10 via a bearing or the like (not shown), and the liquid resin application nozzle 2 is disposed on the tip side of the rotating arm 370. A rotating motor 373 is connected to the lower end side of the rotating arm 370.
The ultrasonic horn support portion 42 of the liquid resin application nozzle 4 of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 may be connected to the tip end of the rotating arm 370 .

The operation of the liquid resin application nozzle 2 in particular when a protective film is formed on the object 90 using the protective film forming device 1 will be described below.
First, the object 90 is placed on the holding surface 300 of the holding table 30 so that its center roughly coincides with the center of the holding surface 300 of the holding table 30 , and the object 90 is held by suction on the holding table 30 .

Then, the rotation mechanism 32 rotates the holding table 30 at a predetermined rotation speed. In addition, the rotation motor 373 shown in FIG. 12 rotates the rotation arm 370, so that the liquid resin application nozzle 2 is moved from a retracted position outside the holding table 30 to above the object 90 that is being held by suction.

A predetermined amount of liquid resin is supplied from the liquid resin supply source 28 to the gap 220 through the inlet 272, the communication passage 273, and the outlet 271 (see FIG. 5). In addition, high-frequency power of a predetermined frequency is supplied from the high-frequency power source 295 (see FIG. 4 and FIG. 5) to the ultrasonic transducer 29, causing the ultrasonic transducer 29 to vibrate in the Z-axis direction. The frequency of the ultrasonic transducer 29 is preferably set within the range of 20 kHz to 60 kHz. As described above, the ultrasonic vibrations oscillated from the ultrasonic transducer 29 are amplified before reaching the first cylindrical portion 201, causing the end surface 207 of the first cylindrical portion 201 to vibrate at a high frequency in the Z-axis direction.

Furthermore, the high-frequency vibration of the end face 207 is transmitted to the disk 22 via the connecting portion 23, and the disk 22 also vibrates at high frequency in the Z-axis direction. The liquid resin sequentially supplied to the gap 220 is then finely broken down and atomized mainly on the outer periphery of the gap 220 by the high-frequency vibration received from the end face 207 of the first cylindrical portion 201 and the disk 22, which each vibrate at high frequency in the Z-axis direction.

Then, the atomized resin is released from the outer periphery of the gap 220 toward the outside. The atomized resin falls directly toward the target object 90 and is applied evenly to the top surface 900 of the target object 90 without forming lumps.

In addition, in this embodiment, the air supplied from the air supply source 728 shown in FIG. 5 and sprayed from the air nozzle 725 toward the outside vicinity of the gap 220 causes the mist resin generated in the gap 220 and released to the outside to fall toward the target object 90 faster than in the absence of air, making it possible to shorten the time it takes to apply the mist resin to the upper surface 900 of the target object 90.

For example, the liquid resin application nozzle 2 passes above the center of the object 90 and then rotates back and forth above the object 90 at a predetermined angle, so that the atomized resin falls almost evenly over the entire upper surface 900 of the object 90 that is being rotated by the holding table 30, making it possible to form a protective film of almost uniform thickness.

As described above, the liquid resin application nozzle 2 according to the present invention, which atomizes liquid resin and applies it to the object 90, is equipped with an ultrasonic horn 20 having a columnar ultrasonic vibrator 29 that vibrates one end face 207 at a high frequency in a direction perpendicular to the end face 207, a disk 22, for example, that is arranged facing the end face 207 with a small gap 220 formed between the end face 207, a connecting portion 23 that connects the center of the end face 207 to the center of the disk 22, and a liquid resin supply portion 27 that supplies liquid resin to the gap 220. The high-frequency vibration generated by the ultrasonic vibrator 29 vibrates the end face 207 at a high frequency, and the high-frequency vibration of the end face 207 is transmitted to the disk 22 via the connecting portion 23, and the end face 207 and the disk 22 are vibrated at a high frequency to atomize the liquid resin supplied to the gap 220 mainly at the outer periphery of the gap 220, and the atomized resin is released from the outer periphery of the gap 220 and can be applied to the object 90. That is, the liquid resin is atomized by ultrasonic vibration and applied to the object 90, so it is possible to apply the liquid resin evenly to the object 90 without high-pressure air. Also, even if the viscosity of the liquid resin is high, the liquid resin can be atomized and applied to the upper surface 900 of the object 90 because the ultrasonic vibration is transmitted to the liquid resin.

The application of atomized resin to the object 90 when the ultrasonic horn support portion 42 of the liquid resin application nozzle 4 of embodiment 2 shown in Figures 10 and 11 is connected to the tip side of the swivel arm 370 shown in Figure 12 will be described below.
The liquid resin application nozzle 4 is moved by the nozzle moving mechanism 37 from the retracted position outside the holding table 30 shown in FIG. 12 to above the object 90 which is being sucked and held and rotated.

For example, a predetermined amount of liquid resin (e.g., 50 ml) with a predetermined viscosity (e.g., 230 cp) begins to be supplied from the liquid resin supply source 28 shown in Figures 10 and 11 to the gap 209 (e.g., size 0.1 mm) through the second inlet 464, the second communication passage 467, and the second outlet 462. Alternatively, a predetermined amount of liquid resin is supplied from the liquid resin supply source 496 to the supply nozzle 490, and the liquid resin is sprayed/dried from the supply port of the supply nozzle 490 toward the gap 209.

Furthermore, high-frequency power of a predetermined frequency (for example, 55 kHz) is supplied from the high-frequency power source 295 to each ultrasonic transducer 29 of the two ultrasonic horns 20, causing each ultrasonic transducer 29 to vibrate in the X-axis direction. Then, as described above, the ultrasonic vibrations oscillated by the ultrasonic transducer 29 are amplified before they reach the first cylindrical portion 201, causing the end face 207 of the first cylindrical portion 201 to vibrate at high frequency in the X-axis direction.

Here, the high-frequency vibration period is synchronized by the high-frequency power supply 295 so that the end faces 207 facing each other in the X-axis direction above the object 90 shown in FIG. 11 approach or move away from each other. That is, at the same time that the end face 207 of the ultrasonic horn 20 on the -X direction side shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 moves in the +X direction, the end face 207 of the ultrasonic horn 20 on the +X direction side moves in the -X direction, and both end faces 207 approach each other. Next, at the same time that the end face 207 of the ultrasonic horn 20 on the -X direction side shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 moves in the -X direction, the end face 207 of the ultrasonic horn 20 on the +X direction side moves in the +X direction, and both end faces 207 move away from each other. This is repeated.

The liquid resin sequentially supplied to the gap 209 is broken down and atomized finely by the high-frequency vibrations received from the end faces 207 of the first cylindrical portions 201 which vibrate at high frequency in synchronous with each other in the X-axis direction.
In addition, for low-viscosity liquid resin, a large amount of atomized resin may be generated by lowering the frequency. In other words, the frequency for atomizing the resin increases in proportion to the increase in the viscosity of the resin.

Then, the atomized resin is released from the outer periphery of the gap 209 outward. The atomized resin falls directly toward the target object 90 and is applied evenly to the top surface 900 of the target object 90 without forming lumps.

In addition, in this embodiment, the air supplied from the air supply source 481 and sprayed from the air nozzle 480 toward the outside of the gap 209 causes the mist resin generated in the gap 209 and released to the outside to fall toward the target object 90 faster than if there was no air, making it possible to shorten the time it takes to apply the mist resin to the upper surface 900 of the target object 90.

For example, the liquid resin application nozzle 4 passes above the center of the object 90, and is moved back and forth at a predetermined angle above the object 90 by the nozzle movement mechanism 37 shown in FIG. 12, so that the atomized resin falls almost evenly over the entire upper surface 900 of the object 90 rotated by the holding table 30, making it possible to form a protective film of almost uniform thickness.

As described above, the liquid resin application nozzle 4 according to the present invention, which atomizes the liquid resin and applies it to the object 90, includes an ultrasonic horn 20 having an ultrasonic vibrator 29 that is columnar and vibrates one end face 207 at high frequency in a direction perpendicular to the end face 207, an ultrasonic horn support section 42 that supports the two ultrasonic horns 20 by facing the two ultrasonic horns 20 and forming a small gap 209 between the end faces 207, and a liquid resin supply section 49 that supplies liquid resin to the gap 209. By synchronizing the high-frequency vibration period so that the facing end faces 207 approach or move away from each other, the liquid resin supplied to the gap 209 is mainly atomized at the outer periphery of the gap 209, and the atomized resin is released from the outer periphery of the gap 209 and applied to the object 90. In other words, the liquid resin is atomized by ultrasonic vibration and applied to the object 90, so that the liquid resin can be evenly applied to the object 90 even without high-pressure air. In addition, even if the viscosity of the liquid resin used is relatively high, the ultrasonic vibrations are transmitted to the liquid resin, so the liquid resin can be atomized and applied to the object 90. Furthermore, compared to the conventional method of forming a protective film by spin coating, etc., it is possible to reduce waste of the liquid resin.

The liquid resin application nozzle according to the present invention is not limited to the liquid resin application nozzle 2 of the above-mentioned embodiment 1 or the liquid resin application nozzle 4 of embodiment 2, and may be embodied in various different forms within the scope of the technical concept. Furthermore, the process of forming a protective film on the target object 90 using the protective film forming device 1 including the liquid resin application nozzle 2 or the liquid resin application nozzle 4, and each configuration of the protective film forming device 1 are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and may be appropriately changed within the scope in which the effects of the present invention can be achieved.
For example, liquid resin application nozzle 2 or liquid resin application nozzle 4 may be used when applying liquid resin to install a protective plate on a display panel as disclosed in Patent Document 4, using the liquid resin as an adhesive.

90: Object to be processed 900: Upper surface of object to be processed 2: Liquid resin application nozzle of embodiment 1 20: Ultrasonic horn 201: First cylindrical portion 207: End surface 202: Second cylindrical portion
203: third cylindrical portion
29: Ultrasonic vibrator 291: First piezoelectric element 292: Second piezoelectric element 295: High frequency power supply 204: Fixed plate 22: Disk 220: Gap 23: Connection portion 27: Liquid resin supply portion 271: Outlet 272: Inlet 273: Communication passage 28: Liquid resin supply source 70: Air injection portion 79: Air supply source 72: Air injection portion 720: Side wall 721: Bottom 722: Opening 724: Air flow path
725: Air injection port 728: Air supply source 4: Liquid resin application nozzle of embodiment 2 20: Ultrasonic horn 209: Gap 42: Ultrasonic horn support part
49: Liquid resin supply section 490: Supply nozzle 496: Liquid resin supply source 48: Air spray section 480: Air nozzle 481: Air supply source 46: Liquid resin supply section 462: Second outlet 464: Second inlet 467: Second communication passage 1: Protective film forming device 10: Casing 100: Leg 30: Holding table 300: Holding surface 32: Rotation mechanism 320: Spindle 321: Rotation drive source 37: Nozzle movement mechanism 370: Swivel arm 373: Swivel motor 24: Elliptical plate 26: Square plate 25: Multi-pointed star-shaped plate

Claims (4)

A liquid resin application nozzle that atomizes liquid resin and applies it to an object,
an ultrasonic horn having a columnar ultrasonic transducer that vibrates one end surface at a high frequency in a direction perpendicular to the end surface;
an ultrasonic horn support portion that supports the two ultrasonic horns by facing the two ultrasonic horns and forming a small gap between the end faces of the two ultrasonic horns;
a liquid resin supply unit that supplies liquid resin to the gap,
The liquid resin application nozzle synchronizes high-frequency vibration periods so that the opposing end faces approach or move away from each other, atomizes the liquid resin supplied into the gap at the outer periphery of the gap, and releases the atomized resin from the outer periphery of the gap to apply it to the object. The liquid resin supply section comprises a second outlet formed in at least one of the ultrasonic horns and opening to the center of the end face, a second inlet formed in the ultrasonic horn, and a second connecting passage connecting the second outlet and the second inlet, and supplies liquid resin to the gap from the center of at least one of the end faces. The liquid resin application nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the liquid resin supply unit is provided with a supply nozzle that supplies liquid resin from the outside of the gap toward the gap. an air injection unit that is disposed outside the gap and injects air in a direction toward the target object;
4. The liquid resin application nozzle according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the atomized resin atomized by the air spraying portion is sprayed onto an object.

Images