coating device

Abstract

To provide a coating device, the adjustment work of which is simple.SOLUTION: A precision stone 15 is provided on a coating support base 10 via a leveling block 16. The precision stone 15 is made by precision machining of stone materials such as granite. The flatness of the top face of the precision stone 15 is 10 μm or less. High flatness can be achieved also for the top face of an application plate 20 by a simple adjustment work of attaching the application plate 20 on the top face of the precision stone 15. The tilt of the precision stone 15 is adjusted by the leveling block 16. An inlet plate 40 and an inlet frame part 35 are assembled, as a module, on a stone surface plate installed separately from a coating device 1, and the module is mounted to span an inlet support base 30 and the coating support base 10. Similarly, an outlet plate 60 and an outlet frame part 55 are assembled, as a module, and the module is mounted on a guide rail 69.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a coating apparatus that floats and conveys a substrate while applying a processing liquid such as a resist liquid onto the upper surface of the substrate. Examples of the substrate to be processed include a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a glass substrate for an organic EL display, a glass substrate for a PDP, or a glass substrate for a photomask.

Background Art

[0002] In the manufacturing process of a liquid crystal display device or the like, a coating apparatus that supplies a processing liquid such as a resist liquid onto the surface of a substrate and applies the processing liquid to the substrate is used. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a coating apparatus that conveys a substrate in a floating state while supplying a resist liquid in a band shape from a nozzle to uniformly apply the resist liquid onto the upper surface of the substrate.

[0003] In the coating apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a floating stage for floating and conveying a substrate is divided into a plurality of stage blocks, and one or a plurality of stage blocks are attached to a transportable stand independently. Each stage block is attached to the stand via an adjustment mechanism for height adjustment that includes a number of columns and adjusters.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the coating apparatus described in Patent Document 1, since it is necessary to eliminate the step between the stage blocks, the height of each stage block is adjusted by manually operating the adjustment mechanism. However, the adjustment work of a large number of adjustment mechanisms on the stand places a heavy burden on the operator and also reduces the work efficiency.

[0006] In particular, the stage blocks that constitute the coating area, where high precision is required, have significantly more adjustment mechanisms than other stage blocks, resulting in complicated adjustment work and a problem of requiring a great deal of man-hours.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a coating device that requires only simple adjustment work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention provides a coating apparatus for coating a substrate with a processing liquid on its upper surface while levitating and transporting the substrate, comprising: a coating support stand; a block body provided on the coating support stand and having a flat upper surface; a coating plate attached to the upper surface of the block body and ejecting gas upward to levitate the substrate; a slit nozzle for supplying the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate as it is levitated and transported on the coating plate; and a tilt adjustment mechanism for adjusting the inclination of the upper surface of the block body with respect to a horizontal plane. An inlet support base provided upstream of the coating support base along the transport direction of the substrate; an outlet support base provided downstream of the coating support base along the transport direction of the substrate; an inlet frame portion, at least a part of which is placed on the inlet support base; an outlet frame portion, at least a part of which is placed on the outlet support base; an inlet plate attached to the inlet frame portion for ejecting gas upward to levitate the substrate; an outlet plate attached to the outlet frame portion for ejecting gas upward to levitate the substrate; a first height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the inlet plate relative to the inlet frame portion; a second height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the outlet plate relative to the outlet frame portion. Equipped with The substrate is levitated and transported from the inlet plate over the coating plate to the outlet plate, and the inlet support base and the outlet support base are each provided at a distance of 50 cm or more and 1 m or less from the coating support base, the inlet frame portion is stretched from the inlet support base to the coating support base and the inlet plate is connected to the coating plate, and the outlet frame portion is stretched from the outlet support base to the coating support base and the outlet plate is connected to the coating plate .

[0009] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the coating apparatus according to the first embodiment is formed of stone.

[0010] Furthermore, the third embodiment is a coating apparatus according to the second embodiment, wherein the stone material is granite.

[0011] Furthermore, the fourth embodiment is a coating apparatus according to any of the first to third embodiments, wherein the flatness of the upper surface of the block body is 10 μm or less.

[0012] Furthermore, the fifth embodiment is a coating apparatus according to any of the first to fourth embodiments, wherein the inclination adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of leveling blocks.

[0013] Furthermore, the sixth aspect is the first to the sixth aspect. 4In the coating apparatus according to any of the aspects, The tilt adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of shims .

[0015] Also, the 7 aspect is Any of the 1st through 6th In the coating apparatus according to the aspect, a mechanism is further provided that enables the outlet frame portion and the outlet plate to be pulled out toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the substrate.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to the coating apparatus according to the first to 7 aspects, since the coating plate is attached to the upper surface of the block body whose upper surface is a flat surface, high flatness can be obtained for the upper surface of the coating plate with a simple adjustment operation.

[0017] Particularly, according to the coating apparatus according to the second aspect, since the block body is formed of a stone material, processing is relatively easy, and thermal expansion and thermal contraction due to temperature changes hardly occur.

[0018] Particularly, according to the coating apparatus according to the fifth aspect, since the inclination adjustment mechanism includes a plurality of leveling blocks, fine adjustment of the inclination of the block body is possible, and the upper surface of the block body can be made horizontal.

[0019] Particularly, according to the coating apparatus according to the 7 aspect, since the outlet frame portion and the outlet plate can be pulled out toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the substrate, the working efficiency during maintenance and the like can be improved.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing an example of a substrate processing system including the coating apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] [[ID=4!]]It is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the coating apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 3]It is a plan view of the inlet plate, outlet plate and coating plate seen from above. [Figure 4] It is a side view of the coating device seen from the position of the coating plate. [Figure 5] It is a plan view of the precision stone seen from above. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the structure and operation of the leveling block. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing the structure and operation of the leveling block. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing the state in which the inlet plate is attached to the inlet frame part by an adjustment bolt. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing the state in which the outlet frame part and the outlet plate are pulled out. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing another example of the structure of the coating device.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following, expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships (e.g., "in one direction," "along one direction," "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," "concentric," "coaxial," etc.) shall, unless otherwise specified, not only strictly represent the positional relationship but also represent a state in which there is a relative displacement in terms of angle or distance within a tolerance or a range in which a similar level of function can be obtained. Similarly, expressions indicating equality (e.g., "identical," "equal," "homogeneous," etc.) shall, unless otherwise specified, not only represent a state in which there is a quantitatively strictly equal state but also represent a state in which there is a difference in which a tolerance or a similar level of function can be obtained. Furthermore, expressions indicating shape (e.g., "circular," "square," "cylindrical," etc.) shall, unless otherwise specified, not only strictly represent the geometrically precise shape but also represent a shape within a range in which a similar level of effect can be obtained, and may have, for example, irregularities or chamfers. Additionally, expressions such as "equipped," "possessing," "containing," "having," etc., for a component are not exclusive expressions that exclude the existence of other components. Furthermore, the expression "at least one of A, B, and C" includes "A only," "B only," "C only," "any two of A, B, and C," and "all of A, B, and C."

[0022] Figure 1 shows an example of a substrate processing system including a coating apparatus according to the present invention. This substrate processing system includes a coating apparatus 1 that applies a processing liquid such as a resist solution to a substrate G, a pre-processing apparatus 2 that performs a pre-processing step before the coating process performed by the coating apparatus 1, and a post-processing apparatus 3 that performs a post-processing step after the coating process. The substrate G to be processed is, for example, a flat rectangular glass substrate, with dimensions of, for example, 2160 mm × 2460 mm (G8). In Figure 1 and subsequent figures, the dimensions and number of parts are exaggerated or simplified as necessary for ease of understanding. In addition, in Figure 2 and subsequent figures, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is appropriately attached, with the Z-axis direction being the vertical direction and the XY plane being the horizontal plane, to clarify their directional relationships.

[0023] The preprocessing steps performed by the preprocessing device 2 include, for example, a cleaning process to clean the surface of the substrate G, and a drying process to dry the substrate G after cleaning. The substrate G is transported from the preprocessing device 2 to the coating device 1, for example, by rotating a large number of rollers. The coating device 1 transports the substrate G by levitation and then supplies a processing liquid (resist liquid in this embodiment) to the upper surface of the substrate G to apply the coating.

[0024] On the other hand, the post-processing operations performed by the post-processing device 3 include, for example, vacuum drying, which dries the resist solution applied to the substrate G by reduced pressure, and heat treatment (pre-baking), which solidifies the components contained in the resist solution to form a resist film on the substrate G. The post-processing device 3 then removes the substrate G after the coating process from the coating device 1, for example, using a transport robot.

[0025] Figure 2 shows the overall configuration of the coating apparatus 1 according to the present invention. This coating apparatus 1 is a slit coater that levitates a substrate G and transports it in the direction indicated by arrow AR1 (in the (+X) direction) while coating the upper surface of the substrate G with resist liquid. The coating apparatus 1 comprises three support bases, three levitation plates supported by them, a slit nozzle 70, and a control unit 90.

[0026] The three support stands, coating support stand 10, inlet support stand 30, and outlet support stand 50, are installed in a line (along the X direction) on a flat floor surface 7 in the factory, for example. The distance between the inlet support stand 30 and the coating support stand 10, and the distance between the outlet support stand 50 and the coating support stand 10 are both 50 cm or more and 1 m or less. Therefore, a person can enter between the inlet support stand 30 and the coating support stand 10, and between the outlet support stand 50 and the coating support stand 10. Each of the coating support stand 10, the inlet support stand 30, and the outlet support stand 50 is constructed from, for example, a stainless steel frame. Inside the frames of the coating support stand 10, the inlet support stand 30, and the outlet support stand 50, for example, a motor and a processing liquid tank are housed.

[0027] Each of the coating support stand 10, the inlet support stand 30, and the outlet support stand 50 is equipped with multiple legs 11, 31, and 51, and is installed on the floor surface 7 via these legs 11, 31, and 51. The legs 11, 31, and 51 are height-adjustable, which allows the coating support stand 10, the inlet support stand 30, and the outlet support stand 50 to be leveled.

[0028] A precision stone 15 is placed on the middle of the three support bases, the coating support base 10, and a coating plate 20 is attached to the upper surface of the precision stone 15. An inlet plate 40 is placed on an inlet support base 30, which is located upstream (towards (-X)) from the coating support base 10 in the direction of transport of the substrate G, via an inlet frame 35. An outlet plate 60 is placed on an outlet support base 50, which is located downstream (towards (+X)) from the coating support base 10 in the direction of transport of the substrate G, via an outlet frame 55. The inlet plate 40 and the outlet plate 60 may each be divided into multiple plates.

[0029] Figure 3 is a plan view of the inlet plate 40, outlet plate 60, and coating plate 20 as seen from above. Each of the inlet plate 40, outlet plate 60, and coating plate 20 is a box-shaped stage made of aluminum (Al). The thickness (length along the Z direction) of the inlet plate 40 and outlet plate 60 is, for example, 30 mm. The thickness of the coating plate 20 is, for example, 50 mm. The inlet plate 40 and the coating plate 20 are provided in substantially gapless contact (in Figures 1 and 3, a small gap is provided for illustrative purposes to distinguish between the two plates). The step difference between the top surface of the inlet plate 40 and the top surface of the coating plate 20 is several tens of micrometers or less. Similarly, the outlet plate 60 and the coating plate 20 are also provided in substantially gapless contact. The step difference between the top surface of the outlet plate 60 and the top surface of the coating plate 20 is also several tens of micrometers or less. The inlet plate 40, the coating plate 20, and the outlet plate 60 are arranged in a virtually seamless manner, and these inlet plate 40, coating plate 20, and outlet plate 60 constitute a floating plate that levitates the substrate G.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3, the inlet plate 40 has multiple nozzles 41 formed in a fixed arrangement pattern and density. Similarly, the outlet plate 60 has multiple nozzles 61 formed in a fixed arrangement pattern and density. On the other hand, the coating plate 20 has multiple nozzles 21 and suction ports 22 formed in a fixed arrangement pattern and density. The multiple nozzles 21 and suction ports 22 are formed at a uniform density across the entire surface of the coating plate 20 without bias. For example, as shown in Figure 3, it is preferable to form the nozzles 21 and suction ports 22 alternately in a grid pattern. Typically, the density of nozzles 21 and suction ports 22 on the coating plate 20 is higher than the density of nozzles 41 and 61 on the inlet plate 40 and outlet plate 60.

[0031] An air supply mechanism 81 is connected to both the inlet plate 40 and the outlet plate 60 via an air supply pipe. The air supply mechanism 81 supplies high-pressure air to both the inlet plate 40 and the outlet plate 60. The high-pressure air supplied to the inlet plate 40 is evenly distributed to multiple nozzles 41 and ejected upward from each nozzle 41. Similarly, the high-pressure air supplied to the outlet plate 60 is evenly distributed to multiple nozzles 61 and ejected upward from each nozzle 61.

[0032] Meanwhile, the coating plate 20 is connected to an air supply mechanism 81 via an air supply pipe and to a suction mechanism 82 via an exhaust pipe. The air supply mechanism 81 supplies high-pressure air to the coating plate 20, and the suction mechanism 82 applies a negative pressure suction force to the coating plate 20. Inside the coating plate 20, there is a separate and independent manifold and ventilation channel for evenly distributing the high-pressure air supplied from the air supply mechanism 81 to multiple nozzles 21, and a separate manifold and ventilation channel for evenly distributing the negative pressure suction force provided by the suction mechanism 82 to multiple suction ports 22. The high-pressure air supplied to the coating plate 20 from the air supply mechanism 81 is evenly distributed to the multiple nozzles 21 and ejected upward from each nozzle 21. The negative pressure suction force applied to the coating plate 20 from the suction mechanism 82 is evenly distributed to the multiple suction ports 22, and negative pressure acts on each suction port 22. In other words, on the upper surface of the coating plate 20, high-pressure air is ejected from multiple nozzles 21, and negative pressure suction is generated from multiple suction ports 22.

[0033] Returning to Figure 2, the coating plate 20 is mounted on the coating support base 10, sandwiching a precision stone 15 with a flat top surface. The precision stone 15 is a precisely processed rectangular stone material. The precision stone 15 is made of, for example, granite. The size of the precision stone 15 is, for example, 2000 mm in width (length in the Y direction), 500 mm in length (length in the X direction), and 300 mm in height (length in the Z direction). The width of the precision stone 15 can be set to an appropriate value according to the size of the substrate G to be processed. Each face of the rectangular stone 15 is finished by high-precision surface finishing. In particular, the flatness of the top surface of the precision stone 15 is set to 3 μm or more and 10 μm or less (5 μm in this embodiment). Flatness is the magnitude of the deviation of a planar shape from a geometrically correct plane, and simply put, it is the height difference between the most protruding part and the most recessed part of the top surface of the precision stone 15.

[0034] The precision stone 15, formed from granite, exhibits almost no expansion or contraction due to temperature changes. Furthermore, the stone is relatively easy to process, making it suitable as a material for high-precision surface finishing.

[0035] The coating plate 20 is fastened to the upper surface of the precision stone 15, for example, by screws. A shim tape may be placed between the precision stone 15 and the coating plate 20. The flatness of the upper surface of the precision stone 15 greatly affects the flatness of the upper surface of the coating plate 20 attached thereto. By attaching the coating plate 20 to the upper surface of the precision stone 15, which has a flatness of 10 μm or less, the flatness of the upper surface of the coating plate 20 also becomes a good, small value.

[0036] Figure 4 is a side view of the coating apparatus 1 as seen from the position of the coating plate 20. Figure 5 is a top view of the precision stone 15 as seen from above. As shown in Figure 5, the precision stone 15 has multiple holes 14 that penetrate vertically. Through each of the multiple holes 14 passes either an air supply pipe connecting the air supply mechanism 81 to the coating plate 20 or an exhaust pipe (see Figure 3) connecting the suction mechanism 82 to the coating plate 20.

[0037] The precision stone 15 is supported on the coating support base 10 via three leveling blocks 16. That is, the precision stone 15 is supported at three points by the three leveling blocks 16. Each leveling block 16 is a height-adjustable component. Figures 6 and 7 show the configuration and operation of the leveling block 16. The leveling block 16 comprises an adjustment bolt 25, an inner block 26, and a pair of upper and lower outer blocks 27. The adjustment bolt 25 is connected to the inner block 26, and by rotating the adjustment bolt 25, the inner block 26 slides from side to side. Tapered surfaces are formed on the outer surface of the inner block 26 and the inner surface of the outer blocks 27 so that they can slide against each other. When the operator rotates the adjustment bolt 25 as shown by arrow AR71, the inner block 26 moves toward the left side of the paper as shown by arrow AR72. As a result, the distance between the pair of outer blocks 27 widens as shown by arrow AR73. When the operator rotates the adjustment bolt 25 in the reverse direction, the inner block 26 moves to the right side of the paper, narrowing the distance between the pair of outer blocks 27. Such a leveling block 16 has the advantage of being able to handle high loads with a small operating torque and allowing for fine height adjustments.

[0038] Three leveling blocks 16 are installed on the coating support base 10 in the positional relationship shown in Figure 5. The precision stone 15 is placed on the outer block 27 of each of the three leveling blocks 16. The operator adjusts the height of the three leveling blocks 16 independently by rotating the adjustment bolts 25 of each leveling block 16 individually. This allows the inclination of the precision stone 15 with respect to the horizontal plane to be adjusted. In this embodiment, the inclination of the precision stone 15 is adjusted so that the upper surface of the precision stone 15 is parallel to the horizontal plane. In other words, the three leveling blocks 16 constitute a tilt adjustment mechanism for adjusting the inclination of the precision stone 15.

[0039] Returning to Figure 2, the coating plate 20 is supported by the precision stone 15, while the inlet plate 40 and outlet plate 60 are supported by the inlet frame section 35 and the outlet frame section 55, respectively. Both the inlet frame section 35 and the outlet frame section 55 are constructed by assembling, for example, stainless steel frames. Both the inlet frame section 35 and the outlet frame section 55 may be constructed by connecting multiple frame structures. If the inlet plate 40 and the outlet plate 60 are divided into multiple plates, the inlet frame section 35 and the outlet frame section 55 may be formed by connecting frame structures corresponding to the divided plates.

[0040] In this embodiment, although a portion of the entrance frame section 35 rests on the entrance support base 30, the (+X) side end of the entrance frame section 35 rests on the coating support base 10. That is, the entrance frame section 35 is stretched from the entrance support base 30 to the coating support base 10, and the entrance plate 40 is connected to the coating plate 20. Similarly, although a portion of the exit frame section 55 rests on the exit support base 50, the (-X) side end of the exit frame section 55 rests on the coating support base 10. That is, the exit frame section 55 is stretched from the exit support base 50 to the coating support base 10, and the exit plate 60 is connected to the coating plate 20. In other words, the entrance plate 40 and the exit plate 60 are supported by a bridge structure, and the entrance frame section 35 and the exit frame section 55 function as bridge girders.

[0041] The entrance plate 40 is attached to the entrance frame 35 via a plurality of adjustment bolts 45. Similarly, the exit plate 60 is attached to the exit frame 55 via a plurality of adjustment bolts 65. Figure 8 shows the entrance plate 40 attached to the entrance frame 35 by the adjustment bolts 45. By turning the threaded portion of the adjustment bolts 45, the distance between the entrance plate 40 and the entrance frame 35 can be increased or decreased, and this distance can be adjusted. By appropriately manipulating the plurality of adjustment bolts 45, the worker can obtain the flatness of the upper surface of the entrance plate 40 and adjust the upper surface to a horizontal plane.

[0042] Similarly, the operator can adjust the distance between the outlet plate 60 and the outlet frame 55 by operating the adjustment bolts 65. By appropriately operating multiple adjustment bolts 65, the operator can obtain the flatness of the upper surface of the outlet plate 60 and adjust that surface to a horizontal plane. However, since the amount of movement of the threaded portion of the adjustment bolts 45 and 65 directly corresponds to the adjustment amount, the precision of the adjustment is inevitably coarser compared to the leveling block 16 described above.

[0043] Furthermore, the exit frame section 55 and the exit plate 60 are designed to be pullable downstream (towards the (+X)) in the transport direction of the substrate G. Specifically, while the inlet frame section 35 is simply placed on the inlet support base 30 and the coating support base 10, the exit frame section 55 is placed on a guide rail 69 that spans the exit support base 50 and the coating support base 10. This allows the exit frame section 55 and the exit plate 60 to be pulled downstream along the guide rail 69 in the transport direction of the substrate G.

[0044] Figure 9 shows the exit frame section 55 and exit plate 60 in the extended position. A gap of 50 cm or more and 1 m or less is provided between the exit support base 50 and the coating support base 10. Therefore, by extending the exit frame section 55 and exit plate 60 downstream in the transport direction of the substrate G along the guide rail 69, a space large enough for one worker to fit between the exit support base 50 and the coating support base 10 is created.

[0045] A slit nozzle 70 is provided above the coating plate 20 (Figures 2 and 4). The slit nozzle 70 is a long nozzle that extends along the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the substrate G. A processing liquid (resist liquid in this embodiment) is supplied to the slit nozzle 70 from a processing liquid supply mechanism (not shown). The resist liquid supplied to the slit nozzle 70 is discharged downward in a strip shape from a slit-shaped discharge port formed at the lower end of the slit nozzle 70. The width (length in the Y direction) of the slit-shaped discharge port is approximately the same as the width of the substrate G.

[0046] Furthermore, the slit nozzle 70 is movable above the coating plate 20 along the transport direction (X direction) of the substrate G by a drive mechanism (not shown). In addition, the slit nozzle 70 is also capable of moving up and down over short distances.

[0047] A substrate transport unit 75 is provided so as to sandwich the floating plate, which is composed of an inlet plate 40, a coating plate 20, and an outlet plate 60, from both the left and right sides (Figures 2 and 4). The substrate transport unit 75 comprises a pair of left and right base units 76 and a suction holding unit 77. The base units 76 are made capable of moving linearly along the X direction by travel guides and linear motors (neither of which are shown) arranged parallel to the floating plate on both sides of the floating plate. The suction holding unit 77 is provided on the base units 76. A suction pad is provided at the upper end of the suction holding unit 77.

[0048] When transporting a substrate, the suction holding parts 77 of the substrate transport unit 75 come into contact with the four corners of the underside of the rectangular substrate G, which is being lifted by the levitation plate. By applying negative pressure to the suction pads of the suction holding parts 77, the substrate transport unit 75 holds the four corners of the floating substrate G by suction. In this state, the substrate transport unit 75 moves along the X direction by a linear motor, causing the substrate G to be transported while floating on the levitation plate.

[0049] The control unit 90 of the coating apparatus 1 controls various operating mechanisms provided in the coating apparatus 1. The hardware configuration of the control unit 90 is similar to that of a general computer. That is, the control unit 90 includes a CPU, which is a circuit that performs various calculations, a ROM, which is a read-only memory that stores basic programs, a RAM, which is a read-write memory that stores various information, and a storage unit (for example, a magnetic disk or SSD) that stores control software and data. Processing in the coating apparatus 1 proceeds when the CPU of the control unit 90 executes a predetermined processing program. Specifically, the control unit 90 controls the supply of high-pressure air to the inlet plate 40 and the outlet plate 60, the supply of high-pressure air and negative pressure suction force to the coating plate 20, the movement of the substrate transport unit 75, and the supply of processing liquid to the slit nozzle 70.

[0050] When assembling the coating device 1, the precision stone 15 with the coating plate 20 attached is placed on three leveling blocks 16 installed on the coating support base 10, and the operator adjusts the inclination of the upper surface of the precision stone 15 by manipulating the three leveling blocks 16. In this embodiment, the inclination of the precision stone 15 is adjusted by the three leveling blocks 16 so that the upper surface of the precision stone 15 is parallel to the horizontal plane. Since the leveling blocks 16 allow for fine adjustments, the inclination of the precision stone 15 can be adjusted with high precision.

[0051] Furthermore, the entrance plate 40 and entrance frame section 35 are assembled as modules at a separate work location (for example, on a granite surface plate) from the coating device 1, and adjustment work is performed on multiple adjustment bolts 45 to obtain the flatness of the upper surface of the entrance plate 40 and to make the upper surface horizontal. Compared to performing the work after mounting the entrance plate 40 and entrance frame section 35 on the entrance support base 30, the work efficiency can be greatly improved by assembling them as modules on a separate granite surface plate and performing the adjustment work. Then, the installation work is completed simply by placing the assembled entrance plate 40 and entrance frame section 35 so as to span across the entrance support base 30 and the coating support base 10.

[0052] Similarly, the outlet plate 60 and outlet frame section 55 are assembled as modules in a separate workspace from the coating device 1, and adjustment work is performed on multiple adjustment bolts 65 to obtain the flatness of the upper surface of the outlet plate 60 and to make that surface horizontal. Compared to performing the work after mounting the outlet plate 60 and outlet frame section 55 on the outlet support base 50, the work efficiency can be greatly improved by assembling them as modules on a separate granite surface plate and performing the adjustment work. Then, the installation work is completed simply by placing the assembled outlet plate 60 and outlet frame section 55 on the guide rail 69.

[0053] When processing the substrate G in the coating apparatus 1, the substrate G, which has first undergone processing (such as cleaning) in the pre-processing apparatus 2, is first transported to the coating apparatus 1 by rollers. In the coating apparatus 1, the substrate G is transported while being levitated. Specifically, high-pressure air is supplied from the air supply mechanism 81 to the inlet plate 40, the outlet plate 60, and the coating plate 20, and a suction mechanism 82 applies negative pressure suction force to the coating plate 20.

[0054] The high-pressure air supplied from the air supply mechanism 81 to the inlet plate 40 is evenly distributed to the multiple nozzles 41 and ejected upward from each nozzle 41. Similarly, the high-pressure air supplied from the air supply mechanism 81 to the outlet plate 60 is evenly distributed to the multiple nozzles 61 and ejected upward from each nozzle 61. As a result, the substrate G floats above the upper surfaces of the inlet plate 40 and the outlet plate 60.

[0055] Meanwhile, the high-pressure air supplied to the coating plate 20 from the air supply mechanism 81 is evenly distributed to the multiple nozzles 21 and ejected upward from each nozzle 21. At the same time, the negative pressure suction force applied to the coating plate 20 from the suction mechanism 82 is evenly distributed to the multiple suction ports 22, and a negative pressure that draws in the surrounding atmosphere acts on each suction port 22. Therefore, on the coating plate 20, an upward force acts on the substrate G due to the high-pressure air ejected from the multiple nozzles 21, while a downward force acts on the substrate G due to the negative pressure suction force emitted from the multiple suction ports 22. Due to the balance between the upward force from the high-pressure air and the downward force from the negative pressure suction force, the substrate G floats at a constant distance from the top surface of the coating plate 20, and as a result, the distance from the discharge port of the slit nozzle 70 to the substrate G also remains constant.

[0056] The four corners of the substrate G, which is floating above the entrance plate 40, are held by the suction holding parts 77 of the substrate transport unit 75. The substrate transport unit 75 holds the floating substrate G and travels at a constant speed in the direction indicated by arrow AR1 in Figure 2 (in the (+X) direction). The substrate transport unit 75 levitates and transports the substrate G from the entrance plate 40, over the coating plate 20, to over the exit plate 60.

[0057] As the floating substrate G passes above the coating plate 20, the resist liquid is discharged in a strip downwards from the slit nozzle 70. This coats the upper surface of the substrate G, which is being transported in the direction indicated by arrow AR1. At this time, the slit nozzle 70 may be stationary or moving along the X direction. If the slit nozzle 70 is moving, it may move in the opposite direction to the transported substrate G (-X direction) or in the same direction as the substrate G (+X direction) at a slower speed than the substrate G. In other words, any configuration in which the substrate G moves relative to the slit nozzle 70 that discharges the resist liquid is acceptable.

[0058] The substrate G coated with the resist solution is levitated and transported above the exit plate 60, and then unloaded from the coating device 1 by the transport robot of the post-processing device 3. In the post-processing device 3, a vacuum drying treatment of the resist solution coated on the substrate G and a heat treatment are performed to solidify the components contained in the resist solution and form a resist film on the substrate G are carried out.

[0059] In this embodiment, a coating plate 20 is attached to the upper surface of a precision stone 15 that has been precisely machined to be flat. The flatness of the upper surface of the precision stone 15 is 10 μm or less. If the precision stone 15 is made of a stone material such as granite, it is relatively easy to finish the upper surface to a flatness of 10 μm or less by processing. For the upper surface of the coating plate 20, a high degree of flatness is required from the viewpoint of lifting the substrate G from the discharge port of the slit nozzle 70 at a uniform and constant interval. For this reason, conventionally, the flatness of the coating plate 20 was obtained by adjusting a number of adjustment mechanisms, but in this embodiment, a high degree of flatness is obtained for the upper surface of the coating plate 20 simply by attaching the coating plate 20 to the upper surface of the precision stone 15 that has been precisely machined to a flatness of 10 μm or less. In other words, a high degree of flatness can be obtained for the upper surface of the coating plate 20 with significantly simpler adjustment work compared to conventional methods.

[0060] Furthermore, stone materials such as granite are not only relatively easy to process, but also undergo almost no thermal expansion and contraction due to temperature changes. Therefore, by attaching the coating plate 20 to the upper surface of the precision stone 15, a consistently high degree of flatness can be maintained on the upper surface of the coating plate 20.

[0061] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inclination of the precision stone 15 is adjusted using three leveling blocks 16. By simply manipulating the three leveling blocks 16, the operator can make the upper surface of the precision stone 15 parallel to the horizontal plane. If the upper surface of the precision stone 15 is parallel to the horizontal plane, the upper surface of the coating plate 20 can also be made parallel to the horizontal plane. In other words, the upper surface of the coating plate 20 can be made parallel to the horizontal plane with relatively simple adjustment work.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the entrance plate 40 and entrance frame section 35 are assembled as modules on a separate granite surface plate from the coating device 1, and the adjustment work of the multiple adjustment bolts 45 is performed before the modules are placed so as to span across the entrance support base 30 and the coating support base 10. In this way, compared to performing the adjustment work after mounting the entrance plate 40 and entrance frame section 35 on the coating device 1, the flatness of the upper surface of the entrance plate 40 can be obtained with simple adjustment work and the upper surface can be made horizontal, and the work efficiency is greatly improved.

[0063] Similarly, the outlet plate 60 and outlet frame section 55 are assembled as modules on a separate granite surface plate from the coating device 1, and after adjusting the multiple adjustment bolts 65, the modules are placed on the guide rail 69. In this way, compared to performing the adjustment work after mounting the outlet plate 60 and outlet frame section 55 on the coating device 1, the flatness of the upper surface of the outlet plate 60 can be obtained with simple adjustment work and the upper surface can be made horizontal, and the work efficiency is greatly improved.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outlet frame 55 and the outlet plate 60 are designed to be retractable toward the downstream side ((+X) side) in the transport direction of the substrate G. By retracting the outlet frame 55 and the outlet plate 60, a space large enough for one worker to fit between the outlet support base 50 and the coating support base 10 is created. This allows, for example, during maintenance of the coating apparatus 1, a worker to enter the space between the outlet support base 50 and the coating support base 10 and perform work on the coating plate 20, slit nozzle 70, etc., thereby improving work efficiency.

[0065] While embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various modifications can be made to this invention without departing from its spirit. For example, in the above embodiments, the precision stone 15 was formed from a stone material such as granite, but the invention is not limited to this. Instead of the precision stone 15, a metal block with a flat top surface or a ceramic block with a flat top surface may be used. That is, the coating plate 20 can be attached to a block body with a flat top surface. However, generally, metal materials are more difficult to achieve surface accuracy with than stone materials, and ceramics are prone to chipping, so it is preferable to use a precision stone 15 made of stone material.

[0066] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the tilt of the precision stone 15 was adjusted using three leveling blocks 16, but it is also possible to adjust the tilt of the precision stone 15 using four or more leveling blocks 16. The more leveling blocks 16 there are, the finer the tilt adjustment of the precision stone 15 becomes possible, but the adjustment work becomes more complicated.

[0067] Alternatively, the precision stone 15 may be supported at three points by a support member without height adjustment functionality and two leveling blocks 16. In this case, the tilt adjustment mechanism, consisting of two leveling blocks 16 and one support member, cannot adjust the height of the precision stone 15, but can only adjust the tilt of the precision stone 15.

[0068] Alternatively, multiple shims that do not have a height adjustment function may be inserted between the coating support base 10 and the precision stone 15 to make the upper surface of the precision stone 15 a horizontal plane.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the coating plate 20 was supported by precision stones 15, and the inlet plate 40 and outlet plate 60 were supported by inlet frame portion 35 and outlet frame portion 55, respectively. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the inlet plate 40 and outlet plate 60 may also be supported by precision stones. Figure 10 shows another example of the configuration of the coating apparatus. In the coating apparatus 1a shown in Figure 10, in addition to the coating plate 20, the inlet plate 40 and outlet plate 60 are also supported by precision stones 15. Each precision stone 15 is a stone material with a flat upper surface, similar to the above embodiment. In addition, each precision stone 15 is supported by a plurality of leveling blocks 16 to adjust its inclination. As shown in Figure 10, if the inlet plate 40, outlet plate 60 and coating plate 20 are all supported by precision stones 15, the upper surfaces of all plates can be made highly flat with simple adjustment work.

[0070] However, since precision-machined granite precision stone 15 is considerably expensive, from the viewpoint of suppressing cost increases, it is preferable to support the coating plate 20 with precision stone 15, as in the above embodiment, and to support the inlet plate 40 and outlet plate 60 with inlet frame section 35 and outlet frame section 55, respectively. The surface accuracy of the upper surfaces of the inlet plate 40 and outlet plate 60, which are adjusted by the inlet frame section 35 and outlet frame section 55, which are constructed by assembling the frames, and adjustment bolts 45 and 65, will inevitably be lower than the surface accuracy of the upper surface of the coating plate 20 supported by precision-machined precision stone 15. However, compared to the surface accuracy required for the coating plate 20, which performs coating processing on the substrate G from the slit nozzle 70, the surface accuracy of the inlet plate 40 and outlet plate 60 can be lower, and it is sufficient if the surface accuracy is such that the substrate G can be levitated and transported.

[0071] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the exit frame section 55 and the exit plate 60 were made pullable toward the downstream side ((+X) side) in the transport direction of the substrate G, but the entrance frame section 35 and the entrance plate 40 may also be made pullable toward the upstream side ((-X) side) in the transport direction of the substrate G. Specifically, for example, similar to the above embodiment, guide rails are placed across the entrance support base 30 and the coating support base 10, and the entrance frame section 35 and the entrance plate 40 are placed on the guide rails. In this way, for example, during maintenance, an operator can enter between the entrance support base 30 and the coating support base 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1,1a Coating device 10. Coating support stand 15 precision stone 16 Leveling Blocks 20 Coating plates 30 Entrance support platform 35 Entrance frame section 40 Entrance Plate 45, 65 Adjusting bolt 50 Exit support 55 Exit frame section 60 Exit Plate 69 Guide rails 70 Slit Nozzles 75. Substrate transport section 90 Control Unit G board

Claims

1. A coating apparatus that levitates and transports a substrate while applying a processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate, Application support stand, A block body provided on the coating support base, with a flat upper surface, A coating plate is attached to the upper surface of the block body and ejects gas upward to levitate the substrate, A slit nozzle that supplies the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate which is floating and conveyed on the coating plate, A tilt adjustment mechanism for adjusting the inclination of the upper surface of the block body with respect to the horizontal plane, An inlet support base provided upstream of the coating support base along the transport direction of the substrate, An outlet support base provided downstream of the coating support base along the transport direction of the substrate, An entrance frame portion, at least a part of which is placed on the entrance support base, An outlet frame portion, at least a part of which is placed on the outlet support base, An inlet plate attached to the inlet frame portion, which ejects gas upward to levitate the substrate, An outlet plate attached to the outlet frame portion, which ejects gas upward to levitate the substrate, A first height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the entrance plate relative to the entrance frame, A second height adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the outlet plate relative to the outlet frame portion, Equipped with, The substrate is transported by floating from the inlet plate, through the coating plate, to the outlet plate. Each of the above-mentioned inlet support base and outlet support base is provided at a distance of 50 cm or more and 1 m or less from the coating support base. The entrance frame is stretched from the entrance support base to the coating support base, and the entrance plate is connected to the coating plate. The outlet frame portion is stretched from the outlet support base to the coating support base, and the outlet plate is connected to the coating plate in the coating apparatus.

2. In the coating apparatus according to claim 1, The aforementioned block body is a coating device formed from stone.

3. In the coating apparatus according to claim 2, The aforementioned stone material is granite, and the coating device is made of granite.

4. In the coating apparatus according to claim 1, A coating apparatus in which the flatness of the upper surface of the block body is 10 μm or less.

5. In the coating apparatus according to claim 1, The tilt adjustment mechanism is a coating device that includes a plurality of leveling blocks.

6. In the coating apparatus according to claim 1, The tilt adjustment mechanism is a coating device that includes a plurality of shims.

7. In the coating apparatus according to claim 1, A coating apparatus further comprising a mechanism that allows the outlet frame and the outlet plate to be pulled out toward the downstream side in the transport direction of the substrate.

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