JP2005349280A - Slit nozzle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a slit nozzle that uniforms a pressure acting on a treatment liquid within a manifold to store the treatment liquid. <P>SOLUTION: Manifolds 4, 5 are formed on each half 2, 3 constituting the slit nozzle 1. The cross sectional shape of the manifold 4 formed on one half 2 is approximately elliptical in which the vertical direction becomes the longitudinal direction. The cross sectional shape of the manifold 5 formed on the other half 3 is approximately elliptical in which the diagonally upper direction becomes the longitudinal direction. The manifolds 4, 5 are formed so that the central part of the ceiling becomes the highest part based on the length direction of the slit nozzle. The highest part of the manifold 5 is opened through an air vent 8. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a slit nozzle that coats a surface of an object to be processed such as a glass substrate or a semiconductor wafer with a predetermined width, for example, a photoresist solution or a coating solution that becomes a color filter.

  The slit nozzle is generally constructed by joining the left and right halves. In Patent Document 1, a semicircular manifold is formed in one of the left and right halves as a magnetic tape wound around a drum or a slit nozzle for applying a coating liquid onto the film from below, and joining the other halves The surface is shown to be flat.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a process in which a manifold having a semicircular or semi-elliptical cross section is formed on one of the left and right halves, the joining surface of the other half is flat, and formed at the center in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle. A structure in which a processing liquid (coating liquid) is supplied to the manifold from a liquid supply hole is shown.

JP 2000-70811 A JP 2003-71354 A

In the slit nozzle, air may be caught when the processing liquid is supplied to the manifold. When air accumulates in the manifold due to air biting, the pressure distribution of the coating liquid becomes non-uniform, and the amount of the processing liquid discharged from the slit nozzle along the length direction varies along the length direction. Thick coating film cannot be obtained. Further, if the air solution is applied while air bubbles are mixed in the processing liquid, the film thickness becomes non-uniform or the quality deteriorates.
However, in any of the slit nozzles disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, if air enters the manifold, it remains inside or is discharged from the slit together with the treatment liquid. Adversely affect.

In order to solve the above problems, the slit nozzle according to the present invention is formed by joining the left and right halves, a manifold having a treatment liquid supply hole is formed in one half, and an air vent hole is formed in the other half. The opening position of the air vent hole is above the opening position of the treatment liquid supply hole.
In this way, conventionally, a manifold is formed in the other half that does not form a manifold, and an air vent hole is opened in this manifold, so that the air that has entered the manifold as the processing liquid is supplied can be effectively used. Can be eliminated.

  If both the treatment liquid supply hole and the air vent hole are opened in the manifold formed on one half, the flow of the treatment liquid is disturbed in the manifold, and smooth coating cannot be performed.

  If the manifolds formed on the left and right halves have different shapes, the flow of the processing liquid in the manifold can be made smooth.

  Moreover, as a shape of the manifold formed in the left and right halves, it is preferable that the center of the ceiling portion is the highest with respect to the length direction of the slit nozzle. By concentrating the center of the ceiling, air concentrates on this elevated area. Therefore, if an air vent hole is opened at this location, air can be efficiently removed. However, it is not necessary to limit the number of air vent holes to one, and the air vent holes can be changed at any time under conditions such as the length of the nozzle.

  Further, as a specific shape of the manifold, the cross-sectional shape of the manifold formed in one half body is a substantially elliptical shape with the vertical axis as the major axis, and the cross-sectional shape of the manifold formed in the other half body is slanted. It is conceivable to have an approximately elliptical shape with the upper direction as the major axis. By adopting such a shape, the treatment liquid supplied into the manifold of one half easily moves into the manifold of the other half, and further flows without resistance to the slit formed between the two halves.

Although not sticking to the above-described shape, the flow of the treatment liquid and the flow of air are quick when the major axis direction is changed to be substantially elliptical.
Furthermore, by providing a convex wall in the vicinity of the discharge port forming surface of one of the two halves (preferably the manifold where the processing liquid supply hole is open), the processing liquid supplied to the manifold is provided. Is discharged from the slit-shaped discharge port through the discharge port forming surface in a uniform state.

  According to the present invention, when the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply hole enters the manifold and gets over the convex wall portion, the air that has entered the manifold of the slit nozzle can be reliably and easily removed. Accordingly, since only the processing liquid is filled in the manifold and there is no air portion, the pressure distribution along the longitudinal direction of the slit nozzle is constant, and stable coating can be performed.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a side view of a coating apparatus to which a slit nozzle according to the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the slit nozzle, FIG. 3 is an end view of the nozzle body of the slit nozzle, and FIG. 4 is a nozzle body of the slit nozzle. It is sectional drawing in the center part.

  The slit nozzle 1 is supported by a frame 20 capable of horizontal movement and up-and-down movement. A liquid feed pump 21 is provided on the upper surface of one end side of the frame 20. A coating liquid is supplied, and the coating liquid is supplied to the slit nozzle 1 from a liquid feed pump 21 via a supply pipe 23. A gap sensor 24 is attached to the side surface of the slit nozzle 1.

  The slit nozzle 1 is composed of left and right halves 2 and 3, and manifolds 4 and 5 are formed in the respective halves 2 and 3. The cross-sectional shape of the manifold 4 formed on one half 2 is substantially elliptical with the vertical direction as the major axis direction, and the cross-sectional shape of the manifold 5 formed on the other half 3 is long in the diagonally upward direction. It has a substantially oval shape in the axial direction, and each manifold 4, 5 is smoothly continuous in shape at the communicating portion 6.

  A treatment liquid supply hole 7 is opened in the manifold 4. The treatment liquid supply hole 7 is formed obliquely from the upper side toward the manifold 4. One end opens on the outer surface of the half body 2, and the other end opens near the lower part of the manifold 4. By making the tangent and the axis of the processing liquid supply hole 7 substantially equal, the processing liquid is designed to enter the manifold 4 smoothly.

  Further, the manifolds 4 and 5 are formed so that the center of the ceiling portion is the highest with respect to the length direction of the slit nozzle, and an air vent hole 8 is opened at the highest portion of the manifold 5. The air vent hole 8 is formed vertically and opens on the upper surface of the half 3.

Further, the left and right halves 2 and 3 are formed with discharge port forming surfaces 12 and 13 for defining the slit-shaped discharge port 10. The discharge port forming surface 12 is formed flush with the bonding surfaces 2a of the left and right halves 2 and 3, while the discharge port forming surface 13 is formed in a two-step shape with retreating from the bonding surface 3a.
Further, a convex wall portion 9 constituting a part of the manifold 4 is formed in the vicinity of the discharge port forming surface 12 of the half body 2.

  In the above, the processing liquid supplied into the manifold 4 from the processing liquid supply hole 7 gets over the convex wall portion 9 from the manifold 4 and enters the manifold 5, and the air remaining in the manifolds 4, 5 is removed from the air vent hole 8. Are discharged continuously from the slit-shaped discharge port 10 in a curtain shape.

  A pipe is continuously connected to the air vent hole 8, and a valve is attached on the extension of the pipe. When the air venting is finished and the coating liquid supply is started, the valve is closed.

The side view of the coating device which applied the slit nozzle which concerns on this invention Perspective view of the slit nozzle End view of the nozzle body of the slit nozzle Sectional view at the center of the nozzle body of the slit nozzle

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Slit nozzle, 2, 3 ... Left and right half body, 2a, 2b ... Joining surface, 4, 5 ... Manifold, 6 ... Communication part, 7 ... Treatment liquid supply hole, 8 ... Air vent hole, 9 ... Convex wall part DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Slit-shaped discharge port, 11 ... Valve | bulb, 12, 13 ... Discharge port formation surface.

Claims (5)

In the slit nozzle for applying the coating liquid to the surface of the object to be processed with a predetermined width, the slit nozzle is formed by joining the left and right halves, and a manifold having a processing liquid supply hole is formed in one half. The slit nozzle is characterized in that a manifold having an air vent hole is formed in the half of the nozzle, and the opening position of the air vent hole is higher than the opening position of the treatment liquid supply hole. 2. The slit nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the manifolds formed in the left and right halves have different shapes. 3. The slit nozzle according to claim 2, wherein a ceiling portion of a manifold formed in the left and right halves has a highest center portion with respect to a length direction of the slit nozzle. The slit nozzle according to claim 2, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the manifold formed on one half is substantially elliptical with the vertical axis as the major axis, and the cross-sectional shape of the manifold formed on the other half is A slit nozzle having a substantially elliptical shape with a major axis in an obliquely upward direction. 3. The slit nozzle according to claim 2, wherein a convex wall portion is provided in the vicinity of one of the left and right halves of the discharge port forming surface.