Slot die coating apparatus and coating method

Abstract

To provide a slot die coating device and a coating method of the same which can form a frame-shape coating on a substrate having an obstacle.SOLUTION: A flow passage is divided by a shim group into a first flow passage and a second flow passage. The first flow passage is used to first coat a coating nozzle from a central portion and the second flow passage is used to first coat the coating nozzle from both sides. A height at which a slot die coating device 1 performs coating can be adjusted. Slurry may be exposed from the first flow passage or may be exposed from the second flow passage. This can avoid a substrate 72 from contacting an obstacle 73 during coating to achieve optimal coating.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4D

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a die coating apparatus, and more particularly to a die coating apparatus in which two flow paths are completely separated and a coating method thereof.

Background Art

[0002] A slot coating head is used to discharge a slurry through a slot nozzle for slot die coating and apply it to a substrate to be coated. Since the slot nozzle has a wide width, it is extremely suitable for large-area coating. The slot nozzle can be used in combination with a roller or a conveyor to achieve continuous coating.

[0003] However, when components are on the substrate, the components on the substrate become three-dimensional obstacles during the slot coating process. For example, when it is necessary to perform frame-shaped coating around the components, due to the presence of obstacles, the frame-shaped coating cannot be completed in a single process. However, slot coating is still considered an efficient process to use. Therefore, in the conventional method, a pair of two corresponding side portions of the frame are first coated, and then the substrate is rotated 90 degrees to coat the other pair of two opposite side portions. In this method, the overall process of the process becomes complicated and time-consuming, and it is also difficult to achieve continuous mass production.

[0004] Furthermore, when the thickness of the components on the substrate is relatively large, when the coating head passes through the components, the bottom of the slot nozzle may collide with the components, which may damage the surface of the components. Therefore, in this case, frame-shaped coating must be performed on each of the four side portions. The complexity and time cost of the entire process are significantly increased.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides a slot die coating apparatus and a coating method thereof for alleviating or avoiding the above problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a completely new slot die coating apparatus and coating method that enables a single process of forming a frame-shaped coating on a substrate with obstacles without significantly changing the structure of the slot coating head apparatus by using a group of shims. Therefore, process complexity and manufacturing costs are significantly reduced.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a slot die coating apparatus and a coating method thereof. The flow path of the slot die coating apparatus is divided into a first flow path and a second flow path to coat the lateral and longitudinal sides of the frame coating, respectively. Thus, frame coating around a component is achieved by a single slot die coating apparatus in a single process. In addition, the height of the slot die coating apparatus is adjustable to avoid collisions between the slot die coating apparatus and the component on the substrate, and the coating quality is optimized.

[0008] To achieve the above, the present invention discloses a slot die coating apparatus including an upper die, a lower die, and a shim group. The upper die has an upper inlet and a first slurry storage slot connected to the upper inlet. The lower die has a lower inlet and a second slurry storage slot connected to the lower inlet. The shim group is sandwiched between the upper and lower dies and has a central shim plate, an upper shim plate, and a lower shim plate. The upper shim plate has at least one notch and is sandwiched between the central shim plate and the upper die. The notch is connected to the first slurry storage slot to discharge slurry from the upper inlet for coating. The lower shim plate is sandwiched between the other side of the central shim plate and the lower die and has at least one first flow path slot and at least one second flow path slot to discharge slurry from the lower inlet for coating, both flow path slots being connected to the second slurry storage slot. The first and second flow path slots are located at both ends of the notch, respectively, and partially overlap the notch. The system controls the ejection of slurry from notches before and after the substrate obstacle to form the lateral portion, and from first and second flow path slots on both sides of the substrate obstacle to form the longitudinal portion of the substrate. Thus, frame-like coating around the component is achieved in a single process. Collisions between the slot die coating device and the component on the substrate are avoided.

[0009] The present invention further relates to a slot die coating method adapted for coating a substrate with obstacles, wherein the method involves using the aforementioned slot die coating apparatus to coat a slurry around an obstacle on the substrate to form a frame, and the slot die coating method is: A process for providing a substrate and slot die coating apparatus with obstacles, A step of forming a first lateral portion by discharging slurry from a notch in front of an obstacle on the substrate, A process that, upon detecting approach to an obstacle, stops dispensing from the notch and pulls the slot die coating device away from the substrate to prevent collision with the obstacle. A process of discharging slurry from first and second flow channel slots on both sides of an obstacle on the substrate to form a first longitudinal side and a second longitudinal side on the substrate. Upon detecting that an obstacle has been passed, the process involves stopping the discharge from the first and second flow path slots and moving the slot die coating apparatus back to its original height relative to the substrate, and A process of forming a second lateral portion by discharging slurry from a notch behind an obstacle on the substrate. The present invention discloses methods including the following:

[0010] Further scope of application of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. However, please understand that while the detailed description and specific examples illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention, various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description and are therefore listed merely as examples.

[0011] The present invention will be understood more fully from the detailed description below, but this is merely illustrative and not limiting to the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the slot die coating apparatus of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an exploded view of an embodiment of the slot die coating apparatus of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the slot die coating apparatus of the present invention, showing the coating state. [Figure 4A] This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the slot die coating method of the present invention. [Figure 4B] This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the slot die coating method of the present invention. [Figure 4C] This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the slot die coating method of the present invention. [Figure 4D] This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the slot die coating method of the present invention. [Figure 5A] This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the slot die coating method of the present invention. [Figure 5B]It is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the slot die coating method of the present invention. [Figure 6A] It is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the slot die coating method of the present invention. [Figure 6B] It is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the slot die coating method of the present invention. [Figure 7A] It is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the slot die coating method of the present invention. [Figure 7B] It is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the slot die coating method of the present invention. [Figure 8A] It is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the slot die coating method of the present invention. [Figure 8B] It is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the slot die coating method of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0013] The present invention is described with reference to specific drawings with respect to specific embodiments, but the present invention is not limited thereto and is limited only by the claims. Any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope. The drawings described are only schematic and not limiting. In the drawings, the dimensions of some elements may be exaggerated for illustrative purposes and not to scale.

[0014] The terms used in this specification are for the purpose of describing only specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the overall concept of the present invention. As used in this specification, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless otherwise specified, all terms used in this specification (including technical and scientific terms) have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the exemplary embodiments belong. Further, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be construed to have a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and should not be construed in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this specification.

[0015] Throughout this specification, when we describe "one embodiment" or "an embodiment", it means that the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in relation to the embodiment are included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, when the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appear in various places throughout this specification, they do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, but it is possible. Furthermore, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure, the specific features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0016] In the description of the present invention, the terms "installed", "connected", and "arranged" should be understood in a broad sense and may, for example, be fixed or removable, and may be mechanical or electrical, and may be directly or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and may also be an internal connection between two components. It should be noted that the specific meaning of the above terms of the present invention is understandable by those skilled in the art in a specific situation.

[0017] The present invention discloses a slot die coating apparatus. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 2, the slot die coating apparatus 1 includes a die body 10 and a coating nozzle 20 located at the bottom of the die body 10. The slurry is injected into the die body 10 through external equipment such as a pump, and then discharged through the coating nozzle 20. The details of external equipment such as a pump are the same as those of a conventional slot coating head. Therefore, the external pump is ignored in the figure. The figure mainly shows the slot die coating apparatus 1 which is a feature of the present invention.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the die body 10 consists of an upper die 11 with a trapezoidal cross-section and a lower die 12 with a trapezoidal cross-section. The upper die 11 has a first slurry storage slot 112, and the lower die 12 has a second slurry storage slot 122. The upper die 11 and the lower die 12 also have an upper inlet 111 and a lower inlet 112, respectively, and the two inlets are completely separated. The upper inlet 111 is connected to the first slurry storage slot 112, and the lower inlet 121 is connected to the second slurry storage slot 122. In a conventional structure, the upper die 11 and the lower die 12 are directly connected to each other. The first slurry storage slot 112 and the second slurry storage slot 122 are assembled to form a single flow path. Dispensing nozzles formed at the ends of the two trapezoidal inclined surfaces discharge the slurry for dispensing. However, in this invention, a group of shims 13 is placed between the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12 to completely separate the first slurry storage slot 112 and the second slurry storage slot 122. Thus, a first flow path and a second flow path that are not connected to each other are formed.

[0019] The shim group 13 is sandwiched between the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12 and includes a central shim plate 131, an upper shim plate 132, and a lower shim plate 133. The central shim plate 131 is a substantially thin square plate with dimensions equal to those of the upper mold 11 and the lower mold 12. The central shim plate 131 has no holes or slots in the positions corresponding to the first slurry storage slot 112 and the second slurry storage slot 122. Thus, the first slurry storage slot 112 and the second slurry storage slot 122 are completely separate, forming a first flow path and a second flow path, and the two flow paths are not connected to each other. The upper shim plate 132 is U-shaped and has an upper shim plate body 1322 and two extensions 1323 that extend from the two side edges of the upper shim plate body 1322 toward the coating nozzle 20. Thus, a notch 1321 is formed in the central part. The width of the notch 1321 is T1. The upper shim plate 132 is positioned flat on the central shim plate 131. The notch 1321 connects to most of the first slurry storage slot 112, covering only two edges of the first slurry storage slot 112. Slurry from the first slurry storage slot 112 is blocked by the central shim plate 131 and exposed through the notch 1321 to form a first flow path, which discharges the slurry from the central portion of the dispensing nozzle 20. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the notch 1321 corresponds to the first outlet 21.

[0020] The lower shim plate 133 is sandwiched between the other side of the central shim plate 131 and the lower mold 12. The lower shim plate 133 has a lower shim plate body 1331 and at least two flow path slots, a first flow path slot 1332 and a second flow path slot 1333. The two flow path slots are located on the lower shim plate 1331 and extend toward the coating nozzle 20, forming an open end. Slurry from the second slurry storage slot 122 is blocked by the central shim plate 131 and exposed from the first flow path slot 1332 and the second flow path slot 1333 to form a second flow path, which discharges slurry from both sides of the coating nozzle 20. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the first flow path slot 1332 and the second flow path slot 1333 correspond to the second outlet 22. As shown in Figure 1, in the case of the die body 10, the second outlet 22 is located on both sides of the first outlet 21.

[0021] By separating them at the central shim plate 131, the first and second flow paths (formed by the first slurry storage slot 112 and the second slurry storage slot 122, respectively) are completely separated and not connected to each other. Therefore, by setting whether the slurry enters the upper inlet 111 or the lower inlet 121, it is possible to control whether the slurry is discharged from one side of the flow path, i.e., from the first flow path or the second flow path. The slurry can be selected or adjusted to be discharged from the first flow path, which is the central part, or from the second flow paths, which are on either side of the coating nozzle 20. Thus, coating can be applied in both the longitudinal and transverse directions, achieving frame coating in a single process with a single coating head. In other words, the object to be coated is held to move in only one direction and is not rotated, and frame coating can be achieved through the slot die coating apparatus 1 of the present invention. Further details are described below.

[0022] Referring to Figure 3, the slot die coating apparatus 1 of the present invention is adapted to coat a substrate 72 with an obstacle 73, forming a frame-shaped coating around the obstacle 73. The obstacle 73 may be a semiconductor chip placed on the substrate 72, or any other component protruding from the surface of the substrate 72. The frame has at least a first lateral portion 31 and a second lateral portion 33, which are lateral portions near the front and rear ends of the obstacle 73, and a first longitudinal portion 321 and a second longitudinal portion 322, which are longitudinal portions near both sides of the obstacle 73. As shown, if the substrate 72 is thin or flexible, the substrate 72 can be driven using a roller 71 to move it relative to the slot die coating apparatus 1. The slurry is then ejected by the slot die coating apparatus 1 to coat the surface of the substrate 72. However, the roller 71 is merely illustrative, and the present invention is not limited to using only a roller 71 to move the substrate 72 relative to the slot die coating apparatus 1 and coat the surface of the substrate 72. Other methods, such as a conveyor or any other means, can be used. Furthermore, in order to complete the frame, the first lateral section 31 and the second lateral section 33 must be connected to the first longitudinal section 321 and the second longitudinal section 322. Therefore, the width T1 of the notch 1321 of the upper shim plate 132 must overlap with the portions of the first flow slot 1332 and the second flow slot 1333. The first flow slot 1332 and the second flow slot 1333 are located at both ends of the notch 1321, respectively. The first flow slot 1332 partially overlaps with the notch 1321, and the second flow slot 1333 also partially overlaps with the notch 1321; see Figures 1 and 2. In other words, the width of the notch 1321 is T1. The distance between the inner wall of the first flow slot 1332 and the inner wall of the second flow slot 1333 is T2. If the length of the lateral side of obstacle 73 is T3, then the relationship of their sizes is T1 > T2 > T3.

[0023] Furthermore, referring to Figure 3, the obstacle 73 is a component that is pre-formed on the surface of the substrate 72 before the frame is coated. Since the component has a certain height, this is a so-called obstacle 73. The type of component is not limited. When coating the first longitudinal side portion 321 and the second longitudinal side portion 322 on both sides of the obstacle 73, the slot die coating apparatus 1 needs to pass over the obstacle 73 in a single coating process. Since the obstacle 73 is considered to have a certain height, and in order to prevent scratching the surface of the component, the slot die coating apparatus 1 moves away from the surface of the substrate 72 during the process of coating the first longitudinal side portion 321 and the second longitudinal side portion 322 compared to coating the first lateral side portion 31 and the second lateral side portion 33. A more detailed explanation of this process is given below.

[0024] This invention discloses a slot die coating method; please refer to Figure 4A. The slot die coating apparatus 1 of this invention is used to coat a substrate 72 with obstacles 73. The slurry is discharged around the obstacles 73 on the substrate 72 to form a frame. As previously stated, the feeder of the slot die coating apparatus 1, the drive system for the substrate 72, etc., are not the main features of this invention. Therefore, these devices or equipment are not shown in the following figures, including this one. Also, in this figure, only one obstacle 73 is shown for illustrative purposes. When considering mass production, the obstacles 73 on the substrate 72 can also be designed to be arranged in multiple configurations or periodic configurations. The first and second flow paths can be switched at predetermined times or in progress for control. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4D, a sensor 50 may be used to detect the relative position of the obstacles 73 on the substrate 72 with respect to the slot die coating apparatus 1 for more accurate coating. The following description presents the case where the sensor 50 is present.

[0025] Referring to Figure 4B, a substrate 72 with an obstacle 73 and a slot die coating apparatus 1 are provided. The structure of the slot die coating apparatus 1 is as described above and shown in Figure 1, and the slurry discharge can be switched between a first outlet 21 of a first flow path which is the central part and a second outlet 22 of second flow paths which are on both sides. Referring to Figures 4C to 4D, the first flow path of the slot die coating apparatus 1 is used to discharge slurry in front of the obstacle 73 on the substrate 72 to form the first lateral portion 31. Referring also to Figure 2, it means that the slurry is supplied from the upper inlet 111. The slurry flows through the first slurry storage slot 112, is exposed from the notch 1321 of the upper shim plate 132, and is discharged from the first outlet 21.

[0026] Referring to Figure 5A, when the sensor 50 detects that the slot die coating device 1 is approaching the obstacle 73, discharge from the first flow path is stopped. The slot die coating device 1 then moves away from the substrate 72. As shown in the figure, the direction A in which the slot die coating device 1 moves is upward. In other words, the slot die coating device 1 moves upward along the Z-axis direction of the plane in which the substrate 72 is located. Therefore, the first outlet 21 of the first flow path moves upward so as not to collide with the obstacle 73. The height to which the slot die coating device 1 rises depends on the thickness of the obstacle 73 and the original height of the slot die coating device 1. Therefore, after the height of the slot die coating device 1 has risen, the distance between the slot die coating device 1 and the substrate 72 increases. This prevents the first outlet 21 from colliding with and being damaged by the obstacle 73, and prevents scratches on the first outlet 21 and the obstacle 73.

[0027] Next, the second flow path of the slot die coating apparatus is used to coat both sides of the obstacle 73 on the substrate 72, forming the first longitudinal portion 321 and the second longitudinal portion 322. See Figure 5B. The second outlet 22 of the second flow path is used continuously for coating until the first longitudinal portion 321 and the second longitudinal portion 322, located on both sides of the obstacle 73, are completed, as shown in Figures 6A to 6B. Referring to Figures 7A to 7B, discharge from the second flow path is stopped when it detects the passage of the obstacle 73. The slot die coating apparatus 1 then moves downward relative to the substrate 72 to its original height. As shown, the direction B in which the slot die coating apparatus 1 moves is downward. In other words, the slot die coating apparatus 1 moves downward along the Z-axis direction of the plane in which the substrate 72 is located. The first outlet 21 of the first flow path is used to discharge slurry behind the obstacle 73 on the substrate 72 to form the second lateral portion 33. Referring to Figures 8A to 8B, the coating of the second lateral portion 33 is the same as the coating of the first lateral portion 31 described above. Therefore, repeated explanations are omitted. In this way, the coating of the frame around the obstacle 73 is completed. Only one slot die coating device 1 is used in a single process, and the driving direction of the substrate 72 is not changed as in conventional coating. In addition, the height of the slot die coating device 1 during coating, i.e., the movement in the Z-axis direction is controlled to optimize the coating of the entire frame without collision with the obstacle 73 on the substrate 72.

[0028] From the above manufacturing process, which coats the entire frame, it can be seen that the substrate 72 moves only along a single axis (horizontal in the figure) relative to the slot die coating device 1, and the slot die coating device 1 moves only along the Z axis (perpendicular to the plane of the substrate 72) relative to the substrate 72. This differs from conventional coating, where the substrate needs to rotate relative to the coating head device to complete the coating of the entire frame. Therefore, in this invention, rollers or conveyors can be used to transport the substrate 72 in order to achieve efficient and continuous production.

[0029] Therefore, the present invention provides a slot die coating apparatus and a coating method thereof that, by using a group of shims, can realize a single process of forming a frame-shaped coating on a substrate with obstacles without significantly changing the structure of the slot coating head apparatus. Thus, process complexity and manufacturing costs are significantly reduced. Furthermore, the flow path of the slot die coating apparatus is divided into a first flow path and a second flow path to coat the lateral and longitudinal sides of the frame-shaped coating, respectively. Thus, frame-shaped coating around a component is achieved in a single process with a single slot die coating apparatus. In addition, the height of the slot die coating apparatus is adjustable to avoid collisions between the slot die coating apparatus and components on the substrate, and the coating quality is optimized.

[0030] Although the present invention has been described in this manner, it is clear that the invention may be modified in various ways. Such modifications should not be considered to depart from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications that would be obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be included within the following claims.

Claims

1. A slot die coating apparatus adapted for coating onto a substrate, An upper mold having an upper inlet and a first slurry storage slot connected to the upper inlet, A lower mold having a lower inlet and a second slurry storage slot connected to the lower inlet, A group of shims sandwiched between the upper mold and the lower mold, The central shim plate and The upper shim plate has at least one notch, sandwiched between the central shim plate and the upper mold, the notch being connected to the first slurry storage slot for discharging slurry from the upper inlet for coating, Sandwiched between the other side of the central shim plate and the lower mold, the lower shim plate has at least one first flow path slot and at least one second flow path slot for discharging slurry from the lower inlet for coating, both flow path slots are connected to the second slurry storage slot, and the first and second flow path slots are located at both ends of the notch, respectively, and partially overlap the notch. A group of shims, including, The system includes a sensor for detecting the relative position of the obstacle on the substrate with respect to the slot die coating apparatus, The sensor detects the relative position of the obstacle and sets the notch or the first flow path slot and the second flow path slot to expose the slurry. A slot die coating apparatus in which the height of the slot die coating apparatus is adjustable according to the relative position.

2. The slot die coating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the central shim plate completely separates the first slurry storage slot and the second slurry storage slot.

3. The slot die coating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the width of the notch in the upper shim plate is slightly greater than the distance between the inner wall of the first flow path slot and the inner wall of the second flow path slot.

4. A slot die coating method suitable for coating a substrate with obstacles, wherein a method is used to form a frame by coating a slurry around an obstacle on the substrate using the slot die coating apparatus described in claim 1, wherein the slot die coating method is: The process of providing a substrate with obstacles, The process involves discharging the slurry from the notch in front of the obstacle on the substrate to form a first lateral portion, When the sensor detects approach to the obstacle, the ejection from the notch is stopped, and the slot die coating device is pulled away from the substrate to prevent the slot die coating device from colliding with the obstacle. The process involves discharging the slurry from the first flow path slot and the second flow path slot on both sides of the obstacle on the substrate to form a first longitudinal side and a second longitudinal side on the substrate, When the sensor detects that the obstacle has passed, the dispensing from the first flow path slot and the second flow path slot is stopped, and the slot die coating apparatus is moved back to its original height relative to the substrate. The process involves discharging the slurry from the notch behind the obstacle on the substrate to form a second lateral portion. A slot die coating method, including the above.

5. A slot die coating apparatus suitable for coating onto substrates, A die body having a flow channel and a coating nozzle, wherein the die body receives a slurry from the flow channel and discharges the slurry from the coating nozzle, The group of shims arranged on the die body, A central shim plate completely separates the flow path into a first flow path and a second flow path. An upper shim plate having a notch in the central portion and positioned on one side of the central shim plate, wherein the notch is connected to the first flow path for discharging the slurry from the central portion of the coating nozzle for coating, and A lower shim plate positioned on the other side of the central shim plate, covering the central portion of the second flow path, having a first flow path slot and a second flow path slot on both sides, the first and second flow path slots being connected to the second flow path to discharge the slurry from both sides of the coating nozzle for coating. A group of shims, including, The system includes a sensor for detecting the relative position of the obstacle on the substrate with respect to the slot die coating apparatus, The sensor detects the relative position of the obstacle and sets the central portion or both sides of the coating nozzle to expose the slurry. A slot die coating apparatus in which the height of the slot die coating apparatus is adjustable according to the relative position.

6. The slot die coating apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the width of the notch in the upper shim plate is slightly greater than the distance between the inner wall of the first flow path slot and the inner wall of the second flow path slot.

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