Coating Equipment

Abstract

To provide a coating applicator capable of shortening tact time of a coating operation.SOLUTION: This coating applicator comprises: a stage on which a substrate is placed; and a coating unit that forms a coating film on the substrate by discharging a coating liquid while moving in one direction relative to the substrate placed on the surface of the stage. The coating unit has an applicator that discharges the coating liquid, and a support unit that supports the applicator. The support unit has a support pillar disposed on one side in a width direction orthogonal to a coating direction, and a beam that extends from the support pillar to cross the stage. The applicator is configured to be attached to the beam and thus supported on the support unit with a cantilever beam structure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a coating apparatus that forms a coating film on a substrate by moving a coating unit that discharges a coating liquid relative to the substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] Flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL displays use a substrate made of glass coated with a coating liquid such as a resist liquid (referred to as a coated substrate). This coated substrate is formed by a coating device that uniformly coats the coating liquid. As shown in FIG. 5, this coating device has a stage 100 on which a substrate W is placed and a coating unit 101 that discharges the coating liquid. The substrate W and the coating unit 101 are moved relatively in one direction while the coating liquid is discharged from a coater 102 of the coating unit 101, thereby forming a substrate W on which a coating film of uniform thickness is formed.

[0003] The coating unit 101 of this coating device includes an applicator 102 that discharges a coating liquid and a support unit 103 that supports the applicator 102. The support unit 103 is formed in a gate-like shape known as a gantry, and includes support columns 103a on both sides of the width of the stage 100 in a direction perpendicular to the coating direction, and a rod-shaped beam 103b that spans between the support columns 103a. The applicator 102 is attached to the beam 103b. A drive unit 104 is provided on the support column 103a, and the entire support unit 103 is configured to move relative to the stage 100. In other words, by providing the support columns 103a on both sides and supporting the applicator 102 with the highly rigid support unit 103, the effects of vibrations and the like on the applicator 102 caused by the movement of the coating unit 101 are suppressed, and a coating film of uniform thickness is formed.

[0004] Furthermore, the coating apparatus has a robot hand 105 disposed on one side of the stage 100 in the width direction, and this robot hand 105 loads the substrate W onto the stage 100. At this time, the coating unit 101 is stopped at a position where the coater 102 is located above a maintenance device 106 provided at the end of the stage 100 in the coating direction. The loaded substrate W is supported by lift pins 107, and the lift pins 107 are lowered to place the substrate W on the stage 100 and hold it by suction. The coating unit 101 then moves and stops with the coater 102 positioned at the end of the substrate W in the coating direction. Then, a coating liquid is ejected from the coater 102, and a bead is formed by connecting the coater 102 and the substrate W with the coating liquid. The coating unit 101 then moves while maintaining the bead, thereby forming a coating film of uniform thickness on the substrate W. Then, the coating unit 101 moves to the other side, and the robot hand 105 enters while the substrate W on the stage 100 is lifted by the lift pins 107, and the substrate W is transferred from the lift pins 107 to the robot hand 105, and then the substrate W is ejected (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-093125 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the above coating apparatus has a problem in that it is difficult to reduce the takt time of the coating operation. That is, in the above coating apparatus, when the coating operation starts, the coating unit 101 moves from a coating start position at one end of the coating direction to a coating end position at the other end, and a coating film is formed on the substrate W. To reduce the takt time, it is desirable to have the robot hand 105 enter and discharge the substrate W immediately after the coating film is formed on the substrate W. However, while the coating unit 101 is moving to the maintenance apparatus 106, the support column 103a of the support unit 103 prevents the robot hand 105 from entering onto the stage 100. On the other hand, it is also possible to allow the coating unit 101 to pass by and wait at that position after the coating film is formed, while the robot hand 105 enters and discharges the substrate W. However, it is then necessary to move the coating unit 101 to the maintenance apparatus 106 and initialize it. In either case, waiting is required until the coating unit 101 moves to the maintenance apparatus 106, which results in a problem that the overall takt time is not shortened. In recent years, some substrates W have been formed in a long shape in the coating direction, which has resulted in a long waiting time and a large impact on the takt time.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a coating apparatus that can shorten the takt time of a coating operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the coating apparatus of the present invention is a coating apparatus including a stage on which a substrate is placed, and a coating unit that forms a coating film on the substrate by discharging a coating liquid while moving in one direction relative to the substrate placed on the surface of the stage, the coating unit having an applicator that discharges the coating liquid and a support unit that supports the applicator, the support unit having a support part that is arranged on one side in a width direction perpendicular to the coating direction, and a beam part that extends from the support part so as to cross the stage, and the applicator is attached to the beam part and is supported by the support unit in a cantilever structure. the support unit is mounted on a plurality of guide members along which the support unit travels in the coating direction, at least one of the guide members is provided closer to the stage than the support column, and the support unit is provided eccentrically with respect to the center between the guide members located at both ends in the width direction so that the center of gravity of the support unit is located at the center between the guide members located at both ends in the width direction compared to the center of gravity of the support column. It is characterized by:

[0009] According to the coating device described above, the applicator that discharges the coating liquid is supported in a cantilever structure by the support portion of the support unit located on one side in the width direction. Therefore, the operation of discharging the substrate can be initiated immediately after the coating film is formed, thereby shortening the takt time of the coating operation. In other words, because the applicator is supported by the support portion located on one side in the width direction, there is no support portion on the other side in the width direction. Therefore, by arranging the robot hand on the side opposite the side where the support portion is located, there is no support portion that would hinder the entry of the robot hand. After the coating film is formed on the substrate, the robot hand can be entered to discharge the substrate regardless of the position of the coating unit. This allows the robot hand to enter at any time, thereby shortening the takt time of the coating operation, compared to conventional technology in which the robot hand had to wait until the coating unit moved to the position of the maintenance device. Furthermore, because the support unit is mounted on multiple guide members, its rigidity is higher than when it is mounted on a single guide member. Furthermore, because at least one of the multiple guide members is located closer to the stage than the area where the support column is located, the moment of the applicator about its central axis in the application direction can be reduced, suppressing vibrations that cause the applicator to displace vertically and preventing uneven application. Furthermore, the reaction force and reaction force bias generated in each guide member supporting the support unit can be reduced compared to when the center of gravity of the support column is located in the center between the guide members. This increases the rigidity of the entire support unit, and improves the strength of the entire support unit against moments about the application direction.

[0010] The support column may be configured so that its width dimension in a direction perpendicular to the application direction is greater than the width dimension of the applicator.

[0011] With this configuration, the rigidity of the support portion can be sufficiently increased, so that even when the applicator is supported by a cantilever structure, vibrations that cause vertical displacement of the applicator due to insufficient rigidity can be suppressed, and uneven coating caused by vibrations in the formed coating film can be suppressed.

[0016] The drive unit that moves the support unit in the coating direction may be configured to be formed by a linear motor having a magnetic attraction mechanism.

[0017] According to this configuration, the support unit is attracted to the drive unit side by magnetic force due to the magnetic attraction mechanism of the linear motor, so that vibrations that displace the applicator in the vertical direction (direction away from the drive unit) can be suppressed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the coating device of the present invention, the tact time of the coating operation can be shortened. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a coating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the coating device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a coating unit in the coating device. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the processing operation of the coating device, in which (a) is a diagram showing the state before the substrate is loaded onto the stage, (b) is a diagram showing the state after the robot hand has entered and the substrate has been loaded onto the stage, (c) is a diagram showing the state after the coater has been lowered to the coating height during the coating operation, (d) is a diagram showing the state after the substrate has been handed over to the robot hand after the coating film has been formed, and (e) is a diagram showing the state after the substrate has been loaded off the stage. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional coating device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] 1 and 2 are diagrams that schematically show the appearance of a coating device according to one embodiment of the present invention, with FIG. 1 being a front view and FIG. 2 being a side view.

[0021] The coating apparatus 1 forms a coating film M of a liquid material such as a chemical solution or a resist solution (hereinafter referred to as a coating liquid) on a substrate W, and includes a base 2, a stage 21 for placing the substrate W, and a coating unit 30 configured to be movable in a specific direction relative to the stage 21. When the substrate W is supplied to the stage 21 by the robot hand 9, the coating unit 30 ejects the coating liquid onto the substrate W, and the coating unit 30 moves with the coating liquid ejected, thereby forming a coating film of uniform thickness on the substrate W.

[0022] In the following explanation, the direction in which the coating unit 30 moves (coating direction) will be referred to as the X-axis direction, the direction perpendicular to this on the horizontal plane (width direction) as the Y-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the X-axis and Y-axis directions as the Z-axis direction.

[0023] The substrate W in this embodiment is a long substrate W having a width dimension of 50 to 100 mm and a coating direction dimension of 1500 to 1800 mm. That is, the coating direction dimension is at least twice the width direction dimension, and this substrate W is made of, for example, glass, film, etc., and is flexible.

[0024] The base 2 is formed in a flat plate shape, and the stage 21, the coating unit 30, and the maintenance device 8 (see FIG. 2) are placed on the base 2. That is, the stage 21 and the maintenance device 8 are arranged side by side in the X-axis direction, and the coating unit 30 is provided at a position separated from the stage 21 in the Y-axis direction so as to be movable in the X-axis direction. That is, the coating unit 30 is configured so as to be movable between the stage 21 and the maintenance device 8.

[0025] The stage 21 is used to place and hold the substrate W. The stage 21 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a mounting surface 21a (surface of the stage 21) on which the substrate W is placed is formed to be substantially flat. Specifically, it has a shape extending in the X-axis direction, and is formed so that when the substrate W is placed on the mounting surface 21a, the long substrate W can be held in a flat position along the mounting surface 21a.

[0026] The stage 21 is provided with a substrate lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the supplied substrate W. Specifically, a plurality of pin holes are formed in the mounting surface 21a of the stage 21, and lift pins 25 (see FIG. 4) that are movable up and down in the Z-axis direction are embedded in these pin holes. That is, when the substrate W is loaded with the lift pins 25 protruding from the surface of the stage 21 (see FIG. 4(b)), the tip portions of the lift pins 25 come into contact with the substrate W and can hold the substrate W. Then, by lowering the lift pins 25 from this state and accommodating them in the pin holes, the substrate W can be placed on the mounting surface 21a of the stage 21 (FIG. 4(c)).

[0027] The stage 21 is also provided with a substrate holding means for holding the substrate W. The substrate holding means holds the substrate W by suction. Specifically, the substrate holding means has suction grooves and suction holes formed in the mounting surface 21a of the stage 21, and these suction grooves and suction holes generate suction forces to hold the substrate W on the mounting surface 21a. That is, suction grooves formed to a predetermined depth are arranged on the mounting surface 21a of the stage 21 at approximately equal intervals in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, and are arranged in a lattice pattern so that they intersect with each other. In addition, suction holes are formed at the intersections of the suction grooves, and these suction holes are connected to a vacuum pump via piping. When the vacuum pump is operated, suction forces are generated in the suction holes, and the suction forces are generated across the entire mounting surface 21a via the suction grooves.

[0028] The coating unit 30 forms a coating film M by discharging a coating liquid onto the substrate W. The coating unit 30 has a coater 31 that discharges the coating liquid, and a support unit 40 that supports the coater 31. The coating unit 30 is configured so that the coater 31 moves in the X-axis direction while being supported. That is, the coater 31 moves while discharging the coating liquid from the coater 31 while facing the substrate W placed on the stage 21, so that a coating film M of uniform thickness is formed on the substrate W.

[0029] The applicator 31 discharges a coating liquid to form a coating film M on the substrate W. The applicator 31 is a columnar member having a shape extending in one direction, and is provided so as to extend in the Y-axis direction (width direction) that is substantially perpendicular to the traveling direction (X-axis direction) of the coating unit 30. The applicator 31 has a slit nozzle 31a extending in the longitudinal direction formed on the surface facing the stage 21, so that the coating liquid supplied to the applicator 31 is discharged uniformly from the slit nozzle 31a along the longitudinal direction. Therefore, by traveling the coating unit 30 in the X-axis direction while the coating liquid is being discharged from the slit nozzle 31a, a coating film M (see FIG. 2) of a constant thickness is formed on the substrate W along the longitudinal direction of the slit nozzle 31a.

[0030] The support unit 40 is for supporting the applicator 31 while maintaining the posture of the applicator 31. The support unit 40 has a support column 41 and a beam 42 extending horizontally from the support column 41.

[0031] The support column 41 is a columnar member extending in one direction, and is provided at a position spaced apart from the stage 21. Specifically, the support column 41 is disposed at a distance from the stage 21 on one side in the width direction (Y-axis direction) perpendicular to the application direction, and is provided so as to extend in the vertical direction on the base 2. In this embodiment, a flat base 43 is provided on the base 2, and the support column 41 is provided upright on the base 43.

[0032] Beam portion 42 is a rod-shaped member that supports applicator 31. Beam portion 42 is supported by support portion 41 in an orientation extending in the Y-axis direction, and is formed to a length that crosses stage 21. In other words, beam portion 42 is supported by support portion 41 in a cantilever structure. Applicator 31 is attached to beam portion 42, and is supported in an orientation in which slit nozzle 31a of applicator 31 faces toward mounting surface 21a of stage 21.

[0033] Furthermore, the beam portion 42 is configured to move up and down while being supported by the support column portion 41. Specifically, the support column portion 41 is provided with a rail 44 extending in the Z-axis direction and a slider 45 that slides along the rail 44, and the slider 45 is connected to the beam portion 42. A ball screw mechanism driven by a servo motor is attached to the slider 45, and by driving and controlling the servo motor, the slider moves in the Z-axis direction and can be stopped at any position. In other words, by the vertical movement of the beam portion 42, the applicator 31 is supported so as to be able to approach and separate from the substrate W held on the stage 21.

[0034] Furthermore, the support column 41 is formed so that its width dimension S is larger than the width dimension T of the applicator 31. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the width dimension S of the support column 41 is formed so as to be at least twice as large as the width dimension T of the applicator 31. This allows the applicator 31 and the beam section 42 to be supported with sufficient strength even though they have a cantilever structure. The width dimension S of the support column 41 is the maximum dimension value in the width direction of the support column 41, and the width dimension T of the applicator 31 is the maximum dimension value in the longitudinal direction of the applicator 31 alone.

[0035] A drive unit 5 is provided on the base 43 on which the support column 41 is placed. The drive unit 5 allows the support unit 40 to move in the X-axis direction. Specifically, two rails 51 (guide members of the present invention) extending in the X-axis direction are provided on the base 2, and the base 43 is slidably attached to the rails 51 via a slider 52. A linear motor 55 is attached to the base 2. In this embodiment, the linear motor 55 is attached at the center position in the width direction of the base 43. By driving and controlling the linear motor 55, the support column 41 attached to the base 43, and therefore the application unit 30, moves in the X-axis direction along the rails 51 and can stop at any position. In this embodiment, the applicator 31 can stop at the positions of the stage 21 and the maintenance device 8, and the applicator 31 can move on the stage 21 in a position facing the stage 21.

[0036] In this embodiment, the rails 51 are provided so as to have a dimension larger than the width dimension of the support pillars 41. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the base 43 has an extension 43a that protrudes toward the stage 21, and one of the two rails 51 is provided directly below the extension 43a. The rails 51 are provided at both ends of the base 43 in the width direction, and the support pillars 43 are disposed at positions offset by a predetermined amount outward (on the opposite side from the applicator 31) from the center position of the two rails 51. In other words, the support pillars 41 are disposed eccentrically so that the center of gravity Gs of the entire support unit 40 is located closer to the center of the two rails 51 than the center of gravity G2 of the support pillars 41. That is, the center of gravity Gs of the support unit 40 is located at the position Gs in FIG. 3 from the center of gravity G1 of the beam portion 42 and the center of gravity G2 of the support column portion 41, and this center of gravity Gs is located closer to the center of the two rails 51 than the center of gravity G2 of the support column portion 41. As a result, the reaction force generated in each rail 51 supporting the support unit 40 and the bias of the reaction force can be reduced compared to when the center of gravity G2 of the support column portion 41 is positioned directly below the support column portion 41. Therefore, the rigidity of the entire support unit 40 can be increased, and the strength of the entire support unit 40 against moments about the application direction (X-axis direction) can also be improved. As a result, even if the applicator 31 is supported by a cantilever beam structure, the applicator 31 can be prevented from vibrating in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) due to insufficient rigidity and can be firmly supported, suppressing vibrations that cause vertical displacement of the applicator and preventing uneven application.

[0037] In this embodiment, a linear motor 55 having a magnetic attraction mechanism is used as the linear motor 55 of the drive unit 5. That is, in a coreless linear motor, the mover is magnetically held between upper and lower stators. Therefore, the mover is magnetically supported between the stators without contact, allowing the support unit 41 to displace in the Z direction due to a small gap, which causes the applicator 31 to vibrate. In this embodiment, a cored linear motor 55 having a magnetic attraction mechanism is used, thereby suppressing vibration of the applicator 31. Specifically, the mover 55a of the linear motor 55 is attached to the support unit 41, and the stator 55b is attached to the base 43. As a result, the mover 55a and the stator 55b are magnetically attracted to each other, generating a driving force for the linear motor 55. Therefore, displacement of the support unit 41 away from the base 43 is less likely to occur, and the positional relationship between the support unit 41 and the base 43 is maintained constant with almost no wobble. This prevents the support column 41 from being slightly displaced in the Z direction, thereby minimizing vibration of the applicator 31 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). In this way, even if the applicator 31 is supported by a cantilever beam structure, it is possible to prevent the applicator 31 from vibrating in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) due to insufficient rigidity, rattles, etc., and to prevent uneven application caused by vibration of the applicator 31.

[0038] Furthermore, a maintenance device 8 is disposed at a position away from the stage 21 in the X-axis direction. The maintenance device 8 cleans and initializes the applicator 31. That is, after a predetermined amount of coating liquid is discharged, the slit nozzle 31a of the applicator 31 is wiped with a wiping member, thereby creating a state in which the coating liquid inside the applicator 31 is uniformly filled throughout the longitudinal direction up to the tip of the slit nozzle 31a. This cleans the slit nozzle 31a and initializes it for forming the next coating film M.

[0039] Next, the processing operation of this coating apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIGS. 4(a) to 4(e).

[0040] First, the applicator 31 is initialized and the substrate W is carried in. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, the coating unit 30 is moved so that the applicator 31 is positioned above the maintenance device 8, and the applicator 31 is initialized at this position. That is, a predetermined amount of coating liquid is discharged from the slit nozzle 31a of the applicator 31, and excess coating liquid adhering to the slit nozzle 31a is wiped off with a wiping member, thereby filling the slit nozzle 31a with the coating liquid up to the tip of the slit nozzle 31a.

[0041] Next, the substrate W is carried onto the stage 21. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4(a), when the substrate W is placed on the robot hand 9 arranged on the opposite side of the support column 41 of the coating apparatus 1, the lift pins 25 provided on the stage 21 are in a raised state and stand by. Then, the robot hand 9 enters onto the stage 21 and descends, thereby transferring the substrate W from the robot hand 9 to the lift pins 25 (FIG. 4(b)). After the transfer of the substrate W, the robot hand 9 retreats to its original position. Then, the lift pins 25 descend, thereby placing the substrate W on the placement surface 21a of the stage 21, and the substrate W is positioned by a positioning member (not shown). Thereafter, the substrate W is sucked and held by the substrate holding means in a positioned state on the stage 21.

[0042] Next, the coating process is performed. Specifically, the coating unit 30 moves so that the applicator 31 is positioned at a coating start position on the substrate W, and then the applicator 31 is lowered until its height relative to the substrate W is appropriate for forming a coating film M (FIG. 4(c)). A coating liquid is ejected from the slit nozzle 31a, thereby forming a bead B between the slit nozzle 31a and the substrate W. In this state, the coating unit 30 moves in the X-axis direction (the coating direction), thereby forming a coating film M on the substrate W. Then, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 2, the bead B is drained off while the applicator 31 is positioned at the end of the substrate W, and then the applicator 31 is raised, thereby completing the coating process.

[0043] Next, the substrate W is unloaded while the coater 31 is initialized. Specifically, the coating unit 30, which has completed the coating process, moves so that the coater 31 is positioned at the maintenance device 8 in order to perform initialization. Meanwhile, as the coating unit 30 starts to move, the unloading process of the substrate W is performed. Specifically, the lift pins 25 are raised to position the substrate W at the unloading position. In this state, the robot hand 9 enters and rises from the bottom side of the substrate W, thereby transferring the substrate W from the lift pins 25 to the robot hand 9 (FIG. 4(d)).

[0044] In this case, in the coating apparatus 1 of this embodiment, initialization of the coater 31 and removal of the substrate W can be performed simultaneously. Conventionally, the coater 31 has been supported on both ends to prevent coating accuracy from being affected, and therefore the entry of the robot hand 9 is affected by the position of the support column 41. Therefore, when the coating process is completed and the coating unit 30 is positioned at the end of the substrate W, the presence of the support column 41 prevents the robot hand 9 from entering, and the robot hand 9 must wait until the support column 41 moves away from the stage 21 in the X-axis direction. In contrast, in this embodiment, the coating unit 30 holds the coater 31 with a cantilever structure, and therefore the robot hand 9, which is positioned on the opposite side of the support column 41 in the width direction, can enter the stage 21 regardless of the position of the support column 41. Therefore, once the coating film M is formed on the substrate W, the robot hand 9 can be immediately entered ( FIG. 4( c) ), completing the removal of the substrate W ( FIG. 4( e) ).

[0045] As described above, according to the coating apparatus 1 of the above embodiment, the applicator 31, which discharges the coating liquid, is supported in a cantilever structure by the support portion of the support unit 40 arranged on one side in the width direction. Therefore, the operation of discharging the substrate W can be started immediately after the coating film M is formed, thereby shortening the takt time of the coating operation. In other words, because the applicator 31 is supported by the support portion arranged on one side in the width direction, there is no support portion on the other side in the width direction. Therefore, by arranging the robot hand 9 on the side opposite to the side where the support portion is arranged, there is no support portion that would hinder the entry of the robot hand 9. Therefore, after the coating film M is formed on the substrate W, the robot hand 9 can be entered and the substrate W can be discharged regardless of the position of the coating unit 30. This allows the robot hand 9 to enter at any time, thereby shortening the takt time of the coating operation, compared to the conventional technology in which the robot hand 9 had to wait until the coating unit 30 moved to the position of the maintenance device 8.

[0046] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the support portion 41 is formed with a width dimension larger than the width dimension of the applicator 31. However, although this increases the cost, by forming the support portion 41 from a highly rigid material, the width dimension of the support portion 41 can be configured to be equal to or smaller than the width dimension of the applicator 31.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which two guide members (rails 51) are used for the travel of support unit 40, but one or three or more may be used as long as rigidity is ensured. In particular, when multiple guide members are used, by providing extension portion 43a as described above and arranging the rail so that it is closer to the stage side than the area where support portion 41 is provided, it is possible to reduce the moment of applicator 31 around its central axis in the application direction.

[0048] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which a cored type linear motor 55 having a magnetic attraction mechanism is used as the linear motor 55, but as long as the effect of rigidity does not affect coating unevenness, a coreless type linear motor 55 may be used, or another driving unit 5 such as a ball screw may be used instead of the linear motor 55. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1 Coating device 9 Robot Hand 21 Stages 30 Coating unit 31 Applicator 40 Support Unit 41 Pillar section 43 Extension 51 Rail (guide member) 55 Linear motor B bead

Claims

1. a stage on which a substrate is placed; a coating unit that moves in one direction relative to the substrate placed on the surface of the stage and discharges a coating liquid to form a coating film on the substrate; An application device comprising: the coating unit includes an applicator that discharges a coating liquid and a support unit that supports the applicator; the support unit includes a support column portion disposed on one side in a width direction perpendicular to a coating direction, and a beam portion extending from the support column portion across the stage, the applicator is attached to the beam portion and is thereby supported by the support unit in a cantilever structure; the support unit is mounted on a plurality of guide members along which the support unit travels in a coating direction, and at least one of the guide members is provided closer to the stage than the support column; The coating device is characterized in that the support unit is arranged eccentrically with respect to the center between the guide members located at both ends in the width direction so that the center of gravity of the support unit is located in the center between the guide members located at both ends in the width direction compared to the center of gravity of the support unit.

2. The coating device according to claim 1 , wherein the support portion is formed so that a width dimension in a direction perpendicular to the coating direction is larger than a width dimension of the applicator.

3. 3. The coating device according to claim 1, wherein a driving section for moving the support unit in the coating direction is formed by a linear motor having a magnetic attraction mechanism.

Images