Coating apparatus and coating method

Abstract

To enhance the versatility of a coating device that coats a processing liquid through relative movement of a slit nozzle that discharges the processing liquid along an upper surface of a substrate held by a holding unit and applies maintenance processing to the slit nozzle.SOLUTION: A pair of guide rails for moving a first bridging structure to which a first maintenance unit and a first slit nozzle are attached, in a first horizontal direction is mounted on a base. In contrast, a holding unit is independent of the pair of guide rails, the first bridging structure, and the first maintenance unit, and is detachably mounted on the base. Therefore, even if the holding unit differs according to the substrate size, it is possible to apply a processing liquid onto a substrate after a change by replacing only the holding unit in accordance with the change in the substrate size. In other words, the processing liquid can be applied to the substrates of different sizes only by replacing the holding unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a coating method for supplying and coating a processing liquid from a slit nozzle onto a substrate for precision electronic devices such as glass substrates for FPDs (e.g., liquid crystal display devices and organic EL display devices), semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for photomasks, substrates for color filters, substrates for recording disks, substrates for solar cells, substrates for electronic paper, etc., and substrates for semiconductor packages (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrates"). technology It relates thereto.

Background Art

[0002] As an example of a substrate processing apparatus, there is known a coating apparatus that applies a processing liquid to a substrate by discharging the processing liquid from a slit nozzle while relatively moving the slit nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge port with respect to the substrate. For example, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the processing liquid is applied to the substrate by moving the slit nozzle above the stage surface while holding the substrate on the stage surface of the stage.

[0003] In this substrate processing apparatus (coating apparatus), a stage that functions as a holding unit for placing and holding the substrate is provided. This stage is, for example, integrally made of stone and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The upper surface of the stage is processed into a flat surface and functions as a holding surface for the substrate. A pair of guide rails extending substantially parallel in the horizontal direction are fixed to both ends of the holding surface of the substrate sandwiching the holding area of the substrate. A gantry part with a cross-linked structure is movable along them. A slit nozzle is attached to the gantry part. Then, as the gantry part moves, the processing liquid supplied by the supply mechanism is supplied onto the upper surface of the substrate while the slit nozzle scans the surface of the substrate. Also, in the stage, maintenance parts (cleaning liquid discharge mechanism + standby pot + pre-coating mechanism) for maintaining the slit nozzle are provided on both sides of the holding area in the moving direction of the slit nozzle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-230807 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] As described above, conventional devices have a pair of guide rails and a maintenance section attached to the holding section for mounting and holding the substrate. Therefore, if the substrate size changes or the specifications of the maintenance process change, it is necessary to replace the entire holding section, including the pair of guide rails and the maintenance section. As a result, there was room for improvement in terms of versatility.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and applies a processing liquid by moving a slit nozzle that discharges a processing liquid along the upper surface of a substrate held in a holding part, and also applies a maintenance treatment to the slit nozzle. technology The aim is to increase its versatility. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention is a substrate holding device comprising: a base having a holding portion installation area and a first adjacent area adjacent to the holding portion installation area in a first horizontal direction on its upper surface; a holding portion detachably attached to the holding portion installation area; a pair of guide rails attached to the upper surface of the base so as to sandwich the holding portion installation area and the first adjacent area in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction; a first bridging structure provided to be movable in a first horizontal direction between above the holding portion installation area and above the first adjacent area, while being spanned between the pair of guide rails; a first slit nozzle attached to the first bridging structure so as to be able to discharge a first processing liquid from a slit-shaped first discharge port toward a substrate held on the upper surface of the holding portion; a drive unit for driving the first bridging structure along the pair of guide rails; a first maintenance unit attached to the base in the first adjacent area for performing a first maintenance process on the first slit nozzle; and a plurality of adjustment units erected above the holding portion installation area and configured to adjust the height position of the holding portion while supporting the holding portion from below. A second aspect of the present invention is ,SoA coating apparatus comprising: a base having a holding portion installation area and a first adjacent area adjacent to the holding portion installation area in the first horizontal direction on its upper surface; a pair of guide rails attached to the upper surface of the base so as to sandwich the holding portion installation area and the first adjacent area in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction; a first bridging structure provided to be movable in the first horizontal direction between above the holding portion installation area and above the first adjacent area, while being spanned between the pair of guide rails; a first slit nozzle attached to the first bridging structure so as to be able to discharge a first processing liquid downward from a slit-shaped first discharge port; a drive unit for driving the first bridging structure along the pair of guide rails; and a first maintenance unit attached to the base in the first adjacent area for performing a first maintenance treatment on the first slit nozzle, wherein a first substrate is detachably attached to the holding portion installation area. The coating method is performed by switching between a first step of applying a first processing liquid discharged from a first slit nozzle that moves in a first horizontal direction together with a first cross-linking structure to a substrate of a first size held by a first holding part equipped on a holding mechanism, and a second step of applying a first processing liquid discharged from a first slit nozzle that moves in a first horizontal direction together with a first cross-linking structure to a substrate of a second size different from the first size, which is held by a second holding part having the same planar size as the first holding part and equipped on a second substrate holding mechanism that is detachably attached to the holding part installation area. The coating method is characterized in that, when switching between the first and second steps, the first slit nozzle is moved along a pair of guide rails together with the first cross-linking structure, thereby retracting it into the space above the first maintenance part, and the first substrate holding mechanism and the second substrate holding mechanism are swapped.

[0008] In this configuration, a pair of guide rails for moving the first bridging structure, to which the first maintenance unit and the first slit nozzle are attached, in the first horizontal direction is mounted on a base. In contrast, the holding unit is independent of the pair of guide rails, the first bridging structure, and the first maintenance unit, and is detachably attached to the base. Therefore, even if the holding unit differs depending on the substrate size, the processing liquid can be applied to the modified substrate by simply replacing the holding unit when the substrate size changes. In other words, the processing liquid can be applied to substrates of different sizes simply by replacing the holding unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] As described above, according to the present invention, the processing solution can be applied to each substrate while accommodating substrates of different sizes with minimal work, that is, a highly versatile coating method. technology You can obtain this. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing one embodiment of the coating apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2A] Figure 1 schematically shows the arrangement of the base, coating mechanism, substrate holding mechanism, and maintenance mechanism in the coating apparatus shown. [Figure 2B] This is a partial plan view of the coating apparatus shown in Figure 2A, viewed from above. [Figure 3A] This is a top view of a substrate holding mechanism for large circuit boards. [Figure 3B] This is a top view of a substrate holding mechanism for small circuit boards. [Figure 4] This diagram schematically shows the configuration of the substrate holding mechanism. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the substrate holding process in a coating apparatus. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows the procedure for temporarily straightening a circuit board using a circuit board holding mechanism. [Figure 7]This is a flowchart showing the replacement process performed by the coating device shown in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing one embodiment of a coating apparatus according to the present invention. To clarify their directional relationships, Figure 1 and subsequent figures are appropriately labeled with an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system, where the Z direction is vertical and the XY plane is horizontal. In the movement direction Y of the slit nozzle 2, which will be explained later, the upstream side corresponds to the (-Y) side and the downstream side corresponds to the (+Y) side. Furthermore, in each figure, the dimensions and number of parts are exaggerated or simplified as needed.

[0012] The coating apparatus 1 comprises a base 100 made of cast iron, a coating processing mechanism that performs coating processing using a slit nozzle 2, a substrate holding mechanism equipped with a stage 3 which corresponds to an example of the "holding part" of the present invention, a maintenance mechanism having various maintenance units 6 for performing maintenance processing on the slit nozzle 2, and a control unit 200 that controls each of these parts. The control unit 200 controls each part of the coating apparatus 1. As a result, with the substrate S held by the stage 3 of the substrate holding mechanism, the processing liquid is applied to the surface Sa of the substrate S by the slit nozzle 2 moving relative to the substrate S in the Y direction. In other words, the coating apparatus 1 is a device called a slit coater. As the processing liquid, various processing liquids in paste or slurry form containing, for example, photoresist liquid, color filter pigment, polyimide precursor, silicon agent, nanometal ink, or conductive material can be used. The substrate S is a glass substrate having a rectangular shape in plan view. Furthermore, the coating can be applied to various substrates S, including rectangular glass substrates, semiconductor substrates, flexible substrates for film liquid crystal displays, photomask substrates, color filter substrates, solar cell substrates, organic EL (ElectroLuminescence) substrates, and semiconductor package substrates. In this specification, "surface Sa of substrate S" refers to the main surface of the substrate S on which the processing solution is applied. In this embodiment, the coating process is performed with the surface Sa of substrate S facing upwards, and "surface Sa of substrate S" corresponds to the "upper surface of the substrate" of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the base, coating mechanism, substrate holding mechanism, and maintenance mechanism in the coating apparatus shown in Figure 1. Figure 2B is a partial plan view of the coating apparatus shown in Figure 2A, viewed from above. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the base 100 is provided with a holding unit installation area 101, an upstream adjacent area 102, a downstream adjacent area 103, and a rail area 104.

[0014] The holding part installation area 101 is located at the center of the upper surface of the base 100, and the stage 3 of the substrate holding mechanism is detachably attached to the holding part installation area 101. In the following, after explaining the configuration and operation of the substrate holding mechanism, the coating processing mechanism and the maintenance mechanism will be described in detail.

[0015] In the holding part installation area 101, as shown in FIG. 2B, an opening is provided for raising and lowering four lift pins, which will be described later. Further, the adjustment part 33 and the fixing part 34 during transportation are alternately arranged so as to surround this opening. The adjustment part 33 has a support member 331 that supports the stage 3 from below, and a screw member 332 that raises and lowers the support member 331 by being rotated by an operator around a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction Z. On the other hand, the fixing part 34 during transportation not only has a support member 341 that supports the stage 3 from below and a screw member 342 that raises and lowers the support member 341 by being rotated by an operator around a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction Z, but also additionally equipped with a fixing bolt 343, and can be switched between a fixing mode during transportation and a release mode as described below.

[0016] The bolt 343 has a shaft part that can be inserted into a fixing through hole 35 (FIG. 2A) provided at the peripheral part of the stage 3. And when transporting the coating device 1, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 2A, with respect to the stage 3 supported by the support member 341, the shaft part of the bolt 343 is inserted into the fixing through hole 35 from above, and a male screw part (not shown) is screwed into a female screw part formed on the support member 341. As a result, the stage 3 is sandwiched and fixed between the head of the bolt 343 and the support member 341 (fixing mode during transportation). As a result, during the transportation of the device, problems such as damage to the stage 3 can be reliably prevented.

[0017] After the coating apparatus 1 is transported to the factory, the bolt 343 is removed by an operator, and the fixing of the stage 3 to the base 100 is released (release mode). By operating the screw members 332 and 342 by the operator, the height position, the levelness, etc. of the stage 3 are adjusted with high precision. In the present embodiment, the stage adjustment is performed using the adjustment unit 33 and the transport-time fixing unit 34 after the bolt is removed, but the stage adjustment may be performed by only the adjustment unit 33.

[0018] Also, in the present embodiment, the transport-time fixing unit 34 fixes the stage 3 by bolt fastening, but other mechanical methods, for example, clamping and fixing the peripheral portion of the stage 3 may be used.

[0019] FIGS. 3A and 3B are plan views of the substrate holding mechanism as viewed from above. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the substrate holding mechanism. The substrate holding mechanism shown in FIG. 3A corresponds to a large-sized substrate S, and the substrate holding mechanism shown in FIG. 3B corresponds to a small-sized substrate S. Although these have the same planar size of the stage 3, and other configurations are different in arrangement, size, etc. according to the substrate size, basically the shape and function are the same.

[0020] For this Stage 3, a granite surface plate or the like is used, whose upper surface, i.e., the mounting surface 31 on which the substrate S is placed, has a flatness of several micrometers. The central part of the mounting surface 31 functions as a substrate mounting area on which the substrate S can be placed. In the substrate mounting area, a grid-like arrangement of suction grooves 312 is provided corresponding to the effective area of ​​the substrate S. Here, the effective area of ​​the substrate S refers to the area in the center of the upper surface of the substrate S on which multiple elements are provided. For example, in the case of a semiconductor package, a rectangular glass substrate corresponds to the substrate S, and multiple semiconductor chips and wiring between chips, which are stacked and arranged in the center of the upper surface of the glass substrate, correspond to multiple elements. When the substrate S is placed in the substrate mounting area, the effective area is located above the center of the substrate mounting area. In the center of the substrate mounting area, as shown in Figure 2, suction grooves 312 are engraved in a grid pattern to firmly adsorb and hold the effective area of ​​the substrate S on the mounting surface 31. Specifically, grooves extend from the mounting surface 31 to a certain depth in the X and Y directions, and through holes 313 are drilled in the Z direction at some points where the grooves intersect, connecting from the intersection to the lower surface 32 of the stage 3.

[0021] Each through-hole 313 is connected to a negative pressure generating unit 7, as shown in Figure 4. The negative pressure generating unit 7 includes a suction pipe 71, a suction source 72, and an on-off valve 73. More specifically, the suction source 72 is connected to the through-hole 313 by the suction pipe 71. As the suction source 72, for example, a vacuum pump may be used, or the power of the factory where the coating apparatus 1 is installed may be used. An on-off valve 73 is interposed in the suction pipe 71. When the on-off valve 73 is closed in response to a closing command from the control unit 200, the supply of negative pressure to the through-hole 313 is stopped. On the other hand, when the on-off valve 73 is opened in response to an opening command from the control unit 200, negative pressure is supplied to the through-hole 313. In other words, as will be explained later, when the on-off valve 73 is opened in response to an opening command from the control unit 200 after the substrate S has been placed on the substrate mounting area, negative pressure is supplied to the through-hole 313. As a result, air is discharged from the space between the lower surface of the effective area of ​​the substrate S and the mounting surface 31 through the suction groove 312 and through hole 313, and the substrate S is held in place by suction on the mounting surface 31. Note that the manner in which the substrate S is held is not limited to this, and for example, the substrate S may be held mechanically.

[0022] To enable the transfer of the substrate S to and from the stage 3 configured in this way, a lifting mechanism is provided corresponding to the holding mechanism installation area 101 of the base 100. The lifting mechanism has a plurality of lift pins 75 arranged to move up and down through an opening provided in the center of the holding mechanism installation area 101, and a lift pin drive unit 76. The stage 3 is provided with a plurality of pin storage holes 315 that extend parallel to the Z direction and open to the mounting surface 31, and a lift pin 75 is housed in each pin storage hole 315. Each lift pin 75 has a pin shape that extends parallel to the Z direction, and the control unit 200 that controls the entire device gives a lifting command to the lift pin drive unit 76 to raise and lower the lift pin 75. As a result, the lift pin 75 moves forward and backward relative to the pin storage hole 315. When the lift pin 75 rises until its tip reaches a preset height position as shown in Figure 4, it becomes possible to transfer the substrate S to and from a robot (not shown). In other words, this height position corresponds to one example of a transfer position for the substrate S. For example, when the robot transports the substrate S to the upper part of stage 3, multiple lift pins 75, driven by the lift pin drive unit 76, rise and protrude from the pin storage holes 315 above the mounting surface 31, receiving the substrate S at their respective upper ends. Subsequently, the multiple lift pins 75 descend and settle into the pin storage holes 315, driven by the lift pin drive unit 76, so that the substrate S is placed on the mounting surface 31 from the upper ends of the multiple lift pins 75. When lifting the substrate S from the mounting surface 31, the multiple lift pins 75 rise and protrude from the pin storage holes 315 above the mounting surface 31, driven by the lift pin drive unit 76.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a positioning unit 8 is provided to horizontally position the substrate S before coating, which has been transferred from the robot to a plurality of lift pins 75. In addition, a pressing unit 9 is provided to perform a warp correction process to correct the warp of the substrate S, either simultaneously with or before or after the positioning process.

[0024] In this embodiment, the positioning section 8 and the pressing section 9 employ the same configuration as the position adjustment mechanism and pressing mechanism described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-112197. A detailed explanation of the configurations of the positioning section 8 and the pressing section 9 will be omitted below, and their general configurations will be described with reference to Figures 3A, 3B, and 4.

[0025] The positioning unit 8 has a total of eight position adjustment means 81, two of which are arranged on each side of the mounting surface 31. Each position adjustment means 81 has a pin-shaped alignment pin 82 that extends parallel to the Z direction. In other words, two alignment pins 82 are arranged on each side of the stage 3. The alignment pins 82 are positioned above the mounting surface 31 and are horizontally movable between the space above the stage 3 and the space separated from the space above the stage to the outside of the stage. Moreover, when the substrate S is positioned at the positioning position, the alignment pins 82 face the end face of the substrate S in the horizontal direction.

[0026] An alignment pin drive unit 83 is connected to the alignment pin 82 configured in this way. When the alignment pin drive unit 83 is activated in response to a positioning command from the control unit 200, the alignment pin 82, which was in the retracted position, moves horizontally toward the substrate S at the positioning position and comes into contact with the end face of the substrate S. As a result, the substrate S is positioned at a predetermined position in the horizontal direction (alignment process). After this alignment process, when the control unit 200 gives a retraction command to the alignment pin drive unit 83, the alignment pin 82 moves away from the substrate S and returns to the retracted position.

[0027] The pressing section 9 has a total of four pressing means 91, one on each side of the mounting surface 31, and each pressing means 91 has a pressing member 92 that extends along the corresponding side of the mounting surface 31. Each pressing member 92 is provided to be movable between a standby position, a temporary correction position, and a final correction position. The standby position refers to the position of the pressing member 92 when loading and unloading the substrate S, when waiting for the substrate S to be loaded, and during the coating process. As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, while the pressing member 92 is in the standby position, it does not interfere with the loading and unloading of the substrate S, allowing for smooth loading and unloading of the substrate S. Furthermore, during the coating process, it is separated from the substrate S and does not interfere with the slit nozzle 2, allowing for smooth coating.

[0028] The temporary correction position refers to the position where the peripheral edge of the substrate S, located at the positioning position, is pressed from above. In other words, at this temporary correction position, the lower surface of the pressing member 92 covers the peripheral edge of the substrate S from above and is located at the positioning position in the vertical direction Z. As a result, if the peripheral edge of the substrate S at the positioning position has an upward curve, that is, if the substrate S is curved in a concave shape, the pressing member 92 presses down on the peripheral edge of the substrate S from above at the temporary correction position to correct the warp of the substrate S (temporary correction process). As a result, even if the peripheral edge of the substrate S is warped upward when the substrate is loaded, at the positioning position, the substrate S, having undergone the temporary correction process, is supported by multiple lift pins 75 with its end face facing the side surface of the alignment pin 82. Therefore, the positioning process can be performed stably. Also, when performing the positioning process, the alignment pin 82 and the pressing member 92 come into contact with the substrate S. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the contact position where the alignment pin 82 contacts the end face of the substrate S and the pressing position where the pressing member 92 presses the peripheral edge of the substrate S are configured to be different from each other in the circumferential direction of the substrate S. As a result, it is possible to smoothly perform both the preliminary correction process and the positioning process at the positioning position.

[0029] This correction position refers to the position where the peripheral edge of the substrate S placed on the mounting surface 31 is pressed from above. In other words, at this correction position, the lower surface of the pressing member 92 and the mounting surface 31 sandwich the peripheral edge of the substrate S, correcting the warp of the substrate S (this correction process).

[0030] Each pressing member 92 is connected to a pressing drive unit 93. When the pressing drive unit 93 is activated in response to a command from the control unit 200, the pressing member 92 returns from the standby position to the standby position via the temporary correction position and the final correction position. This series of pressing and moving operations, including the substrate holding operation, is performed for each substrate S as will be described below.

[0031] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the substrate holding process in the coating apparatus of Figure 1. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure for temporary alignment of the substrate by the substrate holding mechanism. In step S101, the pressing members 92, which are provided corresponding to each of the four sides of the mounting surface 31, move to a standby position and wait. That is, the pressing members 92 move to a non-interference position that is higher than the transfer position and outside the substrate S being transported by a robot (not shown), and wait. Then, in the next step S102, each alignment pin 82 is positioned in a spaced-out space. The upper end of the lift pin 75 is also housed in the pin storage hole 315. When the robot transports the substrate S above the mounting surface 31, each lift pin 75 rises from the pin storage hole 315, and the upper end of each lift pin 75 makes point contact with the substrate S at the transfer position (step S103), and each lift pin 75 receives the substrate S from the robot (step S104).

[0032] Then, the lift pin 75 descends until its upper end is at the positioning position. As a result, the substrate S moves to the positioning position with its lower surface supported from below by the lift pin 75 (step S105). In other words, the central part of the substrate S almost coincides with the positioning position in the vertical direction Z. On the other hand, the peripheral part of the substrate S does not necessarily coincide with the positioning position. For example, if the peripheral part of the substrate S that has been delivered is warped upward, the edge of the substrate S may be higher than the positioning position in the vertical direction Z. Moreover, the distance from the positioning position is proportional to the degree of warping of the substrate S. Here, for example, if the amount of warping of the substrate S is large, the edge of the substrate S may be higher than the upper end of the alignment pin 82. In this case, if the alignment pin 82 is moved horizontally toward the substrate, the alignment pin 82 will come into direct contact with the lower surface of the substrate S, not the edge of the substrate S. Therefore, the positioning accuracy of the substrate S in the horizontal direction is greatly reduced.

[0033] Therefore, in this embodiment, the preliminary straightening process of the substrate S shown in Figure 6 is performed (step S106). That is, the four pressing members 92 move horizontally toward the substrate and are positioned directly above the corresponding edges of the substrate S (step S201). Subsequently, each pressing member 92 descends to the positioning position (step S202). At this time, if the peripheral edge of the substrate S is warped upward, the pressing members 92 descending to the positioning position press downward on the warped peripheral edge of the substrate S, thereby correcting the warp of the substrate S to some extent. As a result, the height of the peripheral edge of the substrate S is approximately at the positioning position and is lower than the upper end of the alignment pin 82. Consequently, in the horizontal direction, the side surface of the alignment pin 82 faces the end surface of the substrate S.

[0034] Once the preliminary correction of the substrate S is complete, the multiple alignment pins 82 move horizontally toward the substrate S at the positioning position, positioning the substrate S in the horizontal direction (step S107: positioning process). After the positioning process, the alignment pins 82 move away from the substrate S and return to their original retracted position.

[0035] Subsequently, the descent of the lift pins 75 is resumed (step S108). As a result, the substrate S descends toward stage 3 while being supported by the lift pins 75. Synchronized with this, the pressing member 92 also descends toward stage 3 (step S109). In other words, if the substrate S has undergone the temporary straightening treatment in step S106, the substrate S descends while remaining in the temporarily straightened state.

[0036] Further lowering of the lift pins 75 causes the upper ends of the lift pins 75 to fit into the pin storage holes 315. As a result, the substrate S is placed on the mounting surface 31 from the upper ends of each lift pin 75 (step S110). The pressing member 92 also presses the peripheral edge of the substrate S against the mounting surface 31, correcting the shape of the substrate S to conform to the shape of the mounting surface 31. In this embodiment, the substrate S is placed on the mounting surface 31 while this correction process is being performed. Then, the air suction unit sucks air from the ventilation holes, adsorbing the substrate S to the mounting surface 31 (step S111). As a result, the substrate S is fixed to the mounting surface 31. Subsequently, the pressing member 92 returns to its original standby position. This completes the substrate holding process. After that, the coating process is performed by the slit nozzle 2 of the coating process mechanism.

[0037] Next, the configuration of the coating process mechanism and the maintenance mechanism will be described. In the coating process mechanism, two coating processing units 5 having the same structure are provided for one substrate holding mechanism. In particular, when it is necessary to distinguish between the two coating processing units 5, the coating processing unit 5 on the (-Y) side is designated with reference numeral 5a, and the coating processing unit 5 on the (+Y) side is designated with reference numeral 5b. Correspondingly, the nozzle 2 provided in the coating processing unit 5a is designated with reference numeral 2a, and the nozzle 2 provided in the coating processing unit 5b is designated with reference numeral 2b.

[0038] Furthermore, one set of maintenance units 6 is provided for each of the two nozzles 2a and 2b. When it is necessary to distinguish between them, the unit located on the (-Y) side that performs maintenance on nozzle 2a is designated with reference numeral 6a, and the unit located on the (+Y) side that performs maintenance on nozzle 2b is designated with reference numeral 6b. These maintenance units 6a and 6b are located in the upstream adjacent area 102 and the downstream adjacent area 103, respectively. The configuration of the maintenance units 6a and 6b will be described in detail after the configuration of the coating processing unit 5 is explained.

[0039] As shown in Figures 1 and 2B, Stage 3 has rail regions 104, 104 extending in the Y direction. The rail regions 104, 104 are provided so as to sandwich the holding portion installation region 101, the upstream adjacent region 102, and the downstream adjacent region 103 in the horizontal direction X. Guide rails 52 are provided on each rail region 104.

[0040] Returning to Figure 1, the slit nozzles 2(2a,2b) have a shape that tapers downwards at their lower ends (nozzle lip portions). A slit-shaped discharge port 21 extends in the X direction from the lower surface of this lower end, and the processing liquid, which is pumped from a processing liquid supply unit (not shown), is discharged from the discharge port 21 onto the surface Sa of the substrate S. In this way, the processing liquid is applied to the surface Sa of the substrate S. The processing liquid discharged from the discharge port 21 of slit nozzle 2a corresponds to the "first processing liquid" of the present invention, and the processing liquid discharged from the discharge port 21 of slit nozzle 2b corresponds to the "second processing liquid" of the present invention.

[0041] The coating processing unit 5 (5a, 5b) has a nozzle support 51 that supports the slit nozzles 2 (2a, 2b). This nozzle support 51 has a support member 511 that extends parallel to the X direction above the stage 3, and two lifting mechanisms 512, 512 that support the support member 511 from both sides in the X direction and raise and lower the support member 511. The support member 511 is a rod member with a rectangular cross-section, made of, for example, carbon fiber reinforced resin. The slit nozzles 2 are detachably supported on the lower surface of this support member 511. Various fastening mechanisms such as latches or screws can be used as appropriate for attaching and detaching the slit nozzles 2 to and from the support member 511.

[0042] Two lifting mechanisms 512, 512 are connected to both longitudinal ends of the support member 511 and each has an AC servo motor and a ball screw, etc. These lifting mechanisms 512, 512 raise and lower the support member 511 and the slit nozzle 2 fixed thereto in the vertical direction (Z direction), and adjust the distance between the discharge port 21 that opens at the lower end of the slit nozzle 2 and the substrate S, that is, the relative height of the discharge port 21 with respect to the substrate S. The vertical position of the support member 511 can be detected by a linear encoder, for example, which is composed of a scale part provided on the side of the lifting mechanism 512 and a detection sensor provided on the side of the slit nozzle 2 opposite the scale part, although this is not shown in the figure.

[0043] As shown in Figure 1, the nozzle support 51 configured in this way has a cross-linking structure that spans the stage 3, stretched across both ends of the stage 3 in the X direction along the X direction. The coating processing unit 5 has a slit nozzle moving unit 53 that moves the nozzle support 51 in the Y direction. The slit nozzle moving unit 53 functions as a relative moving means that moves the nozzle support 51 as a cross-linking structure and the slit nozzle 2 supported thereon relative to the substrate S held on the stage 3 along the Y direction. Specifically, the slit nozzle moving unit 53 has, on each of the ±X sides, a guide rail 52 that guides the movement of the slit nozzle 2 in the Y direction, a linear motor 54 which is a drive source, and a linear encoder 55 for detecting the position of the discharge port of the slit nozzle 2.

[0044] As shown in Figures 1 and 2B, the pair of guide rails 52 are provided on the ±X sides of the stage 3 and maintenance units 6a and 6b, respectively. More specifically, they extend parallel to each other in the Y direction to include the section in which the stage 3 and maintenance units 6a and 6b are provided (= holding unit installation area 101 + upstream adjacent area 102 + downstream adjacent area 103).

[0045] The two guide rails 52 each guide the movement of the two lifting mechanisms 512, 512 in the Y direction. The two linear motors 54 are each provided on either side of the stage 3 in the X direction and are AC coreless linear motors having a stator 541 and a mover 542. The stator 541 is provided on the X-side of the stage 3 along the Y direction. The mover 542, on the other hand, is fixed to the outside of the lifting mechanism 512. The two linear motors 54 each drive the two lifting mechanisms 512, 512 in the Y direction by the magnetic force generated between the stator 541 and the mover 542.

[0046] Each linear encoder 55 also has a scale section 551 and a detection section 552. The scale section 551 is provided along the Y direction at the lower part of the stator 541 of the linear motor 54 fixed to the stage 3. On the other hand, the detection section 552 is fixed further outside the movable element 542 of the linear motor 54 fixed to the lifting mechanism 512 and is positioned opposite the scale section 551. Based on the relative positional relationship between the scale section 551 and the detection section 552, the linear encoder 55 detects the position of the slit nozzle 2 in the Y direction, more specifically the position of the discharge port.

[0047] The slit nozzle moving unit 53 configured in this way can move the slit nozzle 2 between above the maintenance unit 6 and above the substrate S held on the stage 3 by driving the nozzle support 51 in the Y direction. More specifically, the slit nozzle moving unit 53 moves the slit nozzle 2a between above the upstream maintenance unit 6a and above the substrate S. It also moves the downstream slit nozzle 2b between above the substrate S.

[0048] The coating apparatus 1 then forms a processing liquid layer on the surface Sa of the substrate S by moving the slit nozzle 2a in the (+Y) direction while discharging the processing liquid from the discharge port 21 of the slit nozzle 2b.

[0049] After the application of the processing liquid is complete, as shown in Figure 2A, the slit nozzle 2a returns to a waiting position above the upstream adjacent area 102, and the slit nozzle 2b returns to a waiting position above the downstream adjacent area 103. While the slit nozzles 2a and 2b are waiting above the upstream adjacent area 102 and the downstream adjacent area 103, respectively, the area above the holding unit installation area 101 is open, making it easy to attach and detach the substrate holding mechanism (=stage 3 + positioning unit 8 + pressing unit 9) to and from the holding unit installation area 101. Also, as shown in Figure 1, when the slit nozzle 2a is positioned above the holding unit installation area 101 and the slit nozzle 2b is waiting above the downstream adjacent area 103, the area above the upstream adjacent area 102 is open, making it easy to attach and detach the maintenance unit 6a to and from the upstream adjacent area 102, as well as to change the configuration of the maintenance unit 6a. Furthermore, although not shown in the diagram, if the slit nozzle 2b is positioned above the holding unit installation area 101, while the slit nozzle 2a is positioned above the upstream adjacent area 102, the area above the downstream adjacent area 103 is left open, making it easier to attach and detach the maintenance unit 6b to the downstream adjacent area 103 and to change the configuration of the maintenance unit 6b.

[0050] In this embodiment, considering that a relatively low-viscosity processing liquid is discharged from the slit nozzle 2a while a relatively high-viscosity processing liquid is discharged from the slit nozzle 2b, the cleaning section configurations of the maintenance units 6a and 6b are different, as shown in Figure 2A. More specifically, the maintenance unit 6a includes a pre-dispensing mechanism 61, a cleaning block 62, and a standby pod 63. The maintenance unit 6a, equipped with these components, has the function of removing excess processing liquid adhering to the slit nozzle 2a and preparing the tip of the slit nozzle 2a for application, and these processes constitute an example of the "first maintenance process" of the present invention. Since known components can be applied to these components, a detailed explanation is omitted. For example, the components described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-290031, previously disclosed by the applicant, can be applied.

[0051] On the other hand, the maintenance unit 6b includes a cleaning block 62, a standby pod 63, a scraper block 64, and a scraper cleaning unit 65. The maintenance unit 6b, which includes these components, has the function of performing a cleaning process by the cleaning block 62 and scraping off any remaining processing liquid by the scraper block 64, and these processes constitute an example of the "second maintenance process" of the present invention. As these components can also be those of known origin, a detailed explanation is omitted. For example, those described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-158298, previously disclosed by the applicant, can be applied. In addition, a scraper cleaning unit 65 is provided for cleaning the scraper block 64.

[0052] Incidentally, the processing conditions for coating substrates S are not always constant, and it may be necessary to change the specifications of the maintenance process when coating substrates S of different sizes or when changing the processing liquid used. For example, when changing from a relatively large substrate to a smaller one, it is necessary to use the coating apparatus 1 equipped with the substrate holding mechanism shown in Figure 3B. In this regard, with the coating apparatus 1 configured as described above, after removing the substrate holding mechanism for large substrates (Figure 3A) from the base 100, the substrate holding mechanism for small substrates (Figure 3B) can be attached. In other words, the substrate holding mechanisms can be replaced. Furthermore, each maintenance unit 6 (6a, 6b) can also be removed from the base 100 as a whole and replaced with one that is suitable for the maintenance process after the specification change. In addition, it is also possible to individually replace the components that make up the maintenance unit 6 (pre-dispense mechanism 61, cleaning block 62, standby pod 63, scraper block 64, scraper cleaning unit 65, etc.). Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 200 controls each part of the device according to a replacement program stored in the storage unit (not shown) in advance, thereby enabling the replacement process to be carried out smoothly. The replacement process performed in the coating device 1 will be described below with reference to Figure 7.

[0053] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the replacement process performed by the coating apparatus shown in Figure 1. The control unit 200 acquires processing conditions such as changes in substrate size or changes in maintenance processing specifications for the next coating process each time the coating process is completed, by applying the processing liquid to the substrate S (step S301). The control unit 200 then determines whether or not the processing conditions have been changed (step S302). For example, if the substrate S to be coated is changed from a large size to a small size, the substrate holding mechanism needs to be replaced from the one shown in Figure 3A to the one shown in Figure 3B. Similarly, if the specifications for the maintenance process are changed, the maintenance unit 6 and the configuration of the unit need to be replaced. Therefore, while the control unit 200 determines "NO" in step S301, it continues the coating process with the current processing conditions. On the other hand, if the control unit 200 determines "YES" in step S302, it executes the following steps (steps S303 to S314).

[0054] In step S303, the control unit 200 determines whether or not the substrate size has been changed. If it determines in step S303 that a change in substrate size has occurred, the control unit 200 assists the operator in replacing the substrate holding mechanism (steps S304 to S306). On the other hand, if it determines in step S303 that no change in substrate size has occurred, the control unit 200 skips the substrate holding mechanism replacement process and proceeds to step S307.

[0055] In step S304, the control unit 200 controls the slit nozzle moving unit 53 to move the upstream coating processing unit 5a and the downstream coating processing unit 5b above the maintenance units 6a and 6b, respectively. As a result, as shown in Figure 2A, the area above the holding unit installation area 101 is opened, allowing the substrate holding mechanism (=stage 3 + positioning unit 8 + pressing unit 9) to be attached to and detached from the holding unit installation area 101. Subsequently, the control unit 200 displays a message on the display unit (not shown) requesting the operator to replace and adjust the substrate holding mechanism to match the changed substrate size (step S305). Of course, notification to the operator is not limited to a message; instead of a message, or together with a message, notification may be given by voice. The same applies to the replacement and adjustment of all or part of the upstream maintenance unit 6a and the downstream maintenance unit 6b, which will be explained later.

[0056] In response to a request to replace the substrate holding mechanism, the operator removes the substrate holding mechanism installed in the holding unit installation area 101 and installs a substrate holding mechanism that fits the size of the next substrate S in the holding unit installation area 101. The operator also adjusts the height and horizontal position of the newly installed substrate holding mechanism and then inputs to the control panel (not shown) of the control unit 200 that the replacement process is complete. Upon receiving this, the control unit 200 determines in step S306 that the replacement of the substrate holding mechanism is complete and proceeds to the next step S307.

[0057] In step S307, the control unit 200 determines whether the content of the maintenance process to be performed on the upstream maintenance unit 6a has changed. If it determines in step S307 that a change in the content of the maintenance process has occurred, the control unit 200 assists the worker in replacing the entire upstream maintenance unit 6a or a part of the components of the upstream maintenance unit 6a (steps S308 to S310). On the other hand, if it determines in step S307 that no change in the content of the maintenance process has occurred, the control unit 200 skips the replacement process for the upstream maintenance unit 6a and proceeds to step S311.

[0058] In step S308, the control unit 200 controls the slit nozzle moving unit 53 to move the upstream coating processing unit 5a above the stage 3. This opens up the area above the upstream adjacent area 102, as shown in Figure 1. This allows the upstream maintenance unit 6a to be attached to and detached from the upstream adjacent area 102. It also allows for the replacement or substitution of components of the upstream maintenance unit 6a (in Figure 2A, these correspond to the pre-dispense mechanism 61, the cleaning block 62, and the standby pod 63). Subsequently, the control unit 200 displays a message on the display unit (not shown) requesting the operator to replace and adjust all or part of the upstream maintenance unit 6a to conform to the modified maintenance specifications (step S309).

[0059] In response to this replacement request, the worker removes the upstream maintenance unit 6a installed in the upstream adjacent area 102 and installs an upstream maintenance unit 6a that is suitable for the modified maintenance process in the upstream adjacent area 102. Alternatively, instead of replacing the entire upstream maintenance unit 6a, the worker may replace or substitute some of the components of the upstream maintenance unit 6a. After doing so, the worker adjusts the height and horizontal position of each part of the upstream maintenance unit 6a. Then, the worker inputs the completion of the replacement process to the control panel of the control unit 200. Upon receiving this, the control unit 200 determines in step S310 that the replacement of the upstream maintenance unit 6a is complete and proceeds to the next step S311.

[0060] In step S311, the control unit 200 determines whether the content of the maintenance process to be performed on the downstream maintenance unit 6b has changed. If it determines in step S311 that a change in the maintenance process has occurred, the control unit 200 assists the worker in replacing the entire downstream maintenance unit 6b or a part of its components (steps S312 to S314). On the other hand, if it determines in step S311 that no change in the maintenance process has occurred, the control unit 200 skips the replacement process for the downstream maintenance unit 6b and terminates the series of assistance processes.

[0061] In step S312, the control unit 200 controls the slit nozzle moving unit 53 to move the downstream coating processing unit 5b above the stage 3. This opens up the area above the downstream adjacent area 103. This allows the downstream maintenance unit 6b to be attached to and detached from the downstream adjacent area 103. It also allows for the replacement or substitution of components of the downstream maintenance unit 6b (in Figure 2A, these include the cleaning block 62, standby pod 63, scraper block 64, and scraper cleaning unit 65). Subsequently, the control unit 200 displays a message on the display unit (not shown) requesting the operator to replace and adjust all or part of the downstream maintenance unit 6b to conform to the modified maintenance specifications (step S313).

[0062] In response to this replacement request, the worker removes the downstream maintenance unit 6b installed in the downstream adjacent area 103 and installs a downstream maintenance unit 6b that is suitable for the modified maintenance process in the downstream adjacent area 103. Alternatively, instead of replacing the entire downstream maintenance unit 6b, the worker may replace or substitute some of its components. After doing so, the worker adjusts the height and horizontal position of each part of the downstream maintenance unit 6b. Then, the worker inputs the completion of the replacement process to the control panel of the control unit 200. Upon receiving this, the control unit 200 determines in step S314 that the replacement of the downstream maintenance unit 6b is complete and terminates the series of assist processes.

[0063] In this embodiment, the control unit 200 proactively moves the coating processing units 5a and 5b when performing the replacement process. Of course, it goes without saying that the operator may also give a command to the control unit 200 to move the coating processing units 5a and 5b, and the operator may proactively perform the replacement process.

[0064] As described above, according to this embodiment, maintenance units 6, 6 and guide rails 52, 52 are attached to the base 100. The coating processing units 5a, 5b move along the guide rails 52, 52, and the coating process is performed by discharging the processing liquid from the slit nozzle 2. On the other hand, the substrate holding mechanism including the stage 3 is independent of the maintenance units 6, 6, guide rails 52, 52 and coating processing units 5a, 5b, etc., and is detachably attached to the base 100. Therefore, when changing the substrate holding mechanism from, for example, the one shown in Figure 3A to the one shown in Figure 3B due to a change in substrate size, the processing liquid can be applied to substrates S of different sizes by simply replacing and adjusting the substrate holding mechanism. As a result, compared to the conventional technology in which the maintenance unit and guide rails were attached to the stage, the coating apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can apply the processing liquid to each substrate S while accommodating substrates S of different sizes with less work, and has high versatility.

[0065] The same applies to the maintenance unit 6. In other words, the maintenance unit 6 is detachably attached to the base 100. Therefore, as described above, the coating device 1 can be adapted to changes in the maintenance process by replacing or substituting the entire maintenance unit 6 or its components, thus providing even greater versatility.

[0066] Furthermore, the coating apparatus 1 can accommodate multiple substrate sizes and multiple maintenance processes, and the processing conditions that can be executed by the coating apparatus 1 are numerous, expanding the options for coating processes.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the Y direction and X direction correspond to the "first horizontal direction" and "second horizontal direction" of the present invention, respectively. Furthermore, the upstream adjacent region 102 and the downstream adjacent region 103 correspond to examples of the "first adjacent region" and "second adjacent region" of the present invention, respectively. Furthermore, the coating processing units 5a and 5b correspond to examples of the "first crosslinking structure" and "second crosslinking structure" of the present invention, respectively. Furthermore, the slit nozzle 2a and the discharge port 21 of the slit nozzle 2a correspond to examples of the "first slit nozzle" and "first discharge port" of the present invention, respectively. Furthermore, the slit nozzle 2b and the discharge port 21 of the slit nozzle 2b correspond to examples of the "second slit nozzle" and "second discharge port" of the present invention, respectively. Furthermore, the slit nozzle moving unit 53 corresponds to an example of the "moving unit" of the present invention. The upstream maintenance unit 6a and its components (pre-dispense mechanism 61, washing block 62, and standby pod 63) correspond to an example of the "first maintenance unit" of the present invention, and the downstream maintenance unit 6b and its components (washing block 62, standby pod 63, scraper block 64, and scraper washing unit 65) correspond to an example of the "second maintenance unit" of the present invention.

[0068] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to a coating apparatus 1 in which two coating processing units 5 having the same structure are provided for one substrate holding mechanism, but the present invention can also be applied to a coating apparatus in which a single coating processing unit 5 is provided, as described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-112197.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a coating apparatus 1 in which two different maintenance units 6 are provided for one substrate holding mechanism. However, the present invention can also be applied to a coating apparatus in which two identical maintenance units 6 are provided, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, or to a coating apparatus in which a single maintenance unit 6 is provided, as described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-112197.

[0070] Furthermore, although the above embodiment uses a substrate holding mechanism in which the positioning unit 8 and the pressing unit 9 are attached to the stage 3, the present invention can also be applied to coating devices in which only one of the positioning unit 8 and the pressing unit 9 is attached, or to coating devices in which neither the positioning unit 8 nor the pressing unit 9 is attached. [Industrial applicability]

[0071] This invention involves applying a processing liquid to a substrate held by a holding unit such as a stage by supplying the processing liquid from a slit nozzle. technology It can be applied in general. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1... Coating device 2…Slit nozzle 2a…(First) Slit Nozzle 2b…(Second) Slit Nozzle 3,11,401… Stage 5a…Coating treatment section (first cross-linked structure) 5b…Coating treatment section (second cross-linking structure) 6…Maintenance Unit (Maintenance Department) 6a…Upstream maintenance unit (First maintenance section) 6b…Downstream maintenance unit (2nd maintenance section) 21...Discharge port 33...Adjustment section 34…Fixed part during transportation 61…Pre-dispensing mechanism (maintenance section) 62…Cleaning block (maintenance section) 63... Standby Pod (Maintenance Department) 64... Scraper block (maintenance section) 65... Scraper cleaning section (maintenance section) 100... base 101...Holding part installation area 102... Upstream adjacent area (first adjacent area) 103... Downstream adjacent area (second adjacent area) 200... Control Unit S... Circuit board Sa... (the surface of the circuit board) X…(2nd) Horizontal direction Y…Movement direction (first horizontal direction)

Claims

1. The base has a holding portion installation area on its upper surface and a first adjacent area adjacent to the holding portion installation area in the first horizontal direction, A retaining part that is detachably attached to the retaining part installation area, A pair of guide rails are attached to the upper surface of the base so as to sandwich the holding portion installation area and the first adjacent area in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, A first bridge structure is provided to be movable in the first horizontal direction between the above the holding portion installation area and the above the first adjacent area, while being spanned between the pair of guide rails, A first slit nozzle attached to the first crosslinking structure is configured to discharge a first processing liquid from a slit-shaped first discharge port toward a substrate held on the upper surface of the holding portion, A drive unit for driving the first bridge structure along the pair of guide rails, A first maintenance unit is attached to the base in the first adjacent region and performs a first maintenance process on the first slit nozzle, Multiple adjustment units are erected above the area where the holding unit is installed, and are configured to support the holding unit from below while allowing the height position of the holding unit to be adjusted. A coating apparatus characterized by comprising:

2. The coating apparatus according to Claim 1, A coating apparatus comprising a plurality of transport fixing units configured to allow switching between a transport fixing mode, in which the holding unit is fixed to the base during transport of the apparatus while the holding unit is mounted in the holding unit installation area, and a release mode, in which the fixing of the holding unit to the base is released after the completion of transport of the apparatus.

3. A coating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, The coating device wherein the first maintenance section is detachably attached to the base in the first adjacent area.

4. A coating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, The second bridge structure and The second slit nozzle, It includes a second maintenance department, The base has a second adjacent region on its upper surface that is opposite to the first adjacent region with respect to the holding portion installation region and adjacent to the holding portion installation region in the first horizontal direction, The pair of guide rails extend to the second adjacent area, The second bridge structure is provided so as to be movable in the first horizontal direction between the holding portion installation area and the second adjacent area while being spanned between the pair of guide rails. The second slit nozzle is attached to the second crosslinking structure so that it can discharge the second processing liquid from the slit-shaped second discharge port toward the substrate held on the upper surface of the holding portion. The second maintenance unit is attached to the base in the second adjacent region and performs a second maintenance process on the second slit nozzle in the coating apparatus.

5. The coating apparatus according to claim 4, A coating apparatus in which the first maintenance section and the second maintenance section are detachably attached to the base in the first adjacent region and the second adjacent region, respectively.

6. A base having a holding portion installation area and a first adjacent area adjacent to the holding portion installation area in the first horizontal direction on its upper surface, A pair of guide rails are attached to the upper surface of the base so as to sandwich the holding portion installation area and the first adjacent area in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, A first bridge structure is provided to be movable in the first horizontal direction between the above the holding portion installation area and the above the first adjacent area, while being spanned between the pair of guide rails, A first slit nozzle attached to the first cross-linking structure is provided so that the first processing liquid can be discharged downward from the slit-shaped first discharge port, A drive unit for driving the first bridge structure along the pair of guide rails, Using a coating apparatus comprising a first maintenance unit attached to the base in the first adjacent region and performing a first maintenance process on the first slit nozzle, A first step involves applying the first processing liquid, discharged from a first slit nozzle that moves in the first horizontal direction together with the first crosslinking structure, to a substrate of a first size held by a first holding part equipped on a first substrate holding mechanism that is detachably attached to the holding part installation area, A second step involves applying the first processing liquid, discharged from a first slit nozzle that moves in the first horizontal direction together with the first crosslinking structure, to a substrate of a second size different from the first size, which is held by a second holding part having the same planar size as the first holding part and equipped on a second substrate holding mechanism that is detachably attached to the holding part installation area. A coating method that switches and executes, A coating method characterized in that, when switching between the first and second steps, the first slit nozzle is moved together with the first cross-linking structure along the pair of guide rails, thereby retracting it into the space above the first maintenance section, and the first substrate holding mechanism and the second substrate holding mechanism are then swapped.

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