JP5819123B2 - Method of cleaning the base - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a spinneret cleaning how to clean the mouthpiece for discharging the coating liquid to the substrate.

A flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display, a solar battery panel, and the like use a substrate on which pixels, circuit patterns, and the like are formed. Such a substrate is, for example, a photo that is performed by applying a resist solution (coating solution). It is manufactured by using a lithography technique.
As a device for applying a coating liquid to a substrate, a coating device having a base in which a slit long in the width direction is formed is known. According to this coating apparatus, a film of the coating liquid can be formed on the substrate surface by discharging the coating liquid from the slit while horizontally moving the base with respect to the substrate.

When the coating operation by this coating apparatus is continued for a long time, it is mixed with the solidified product of the coating liquid or the coating liquid on the slit, the tip of the mouth opening the slit, and the outer surface of the tip of the mouth. There are cases where a fixed object such as a foreign substance is fixed, and the fixed object affects the discharge of the coating liquid and may cause a coating defect.
In view of this, for example, a cleaning device for cleaning the die as disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been proposed.

  This cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning tank in which a cleaning liquid is stored and the tip of the base is immersed in the cleaning liquid, and a flow path for flowing the cleaning liquid through the base (slit). Furthermore, an ultrasonic oscillator for applying ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid is provided in the middle of this flow path, and this ultrasonic vibration raises the sticking matter adhering to the inside of the base, thereby increasing the cleaning effect. .

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2007-253093 (see FIGS. 1, 2 and 3)

However, in the case of the cleaning apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the position where ultrasonic vibration is applied to the cleaning liquid is in the middle of the flow path through which the cleaning liquid flows and away from the base (slit). It cannot be expected to attenuate and enhance the cleaning effect of the base.
Therefore, for example, a vibrator is provided at the bottom of the cleaning tank in which the cleaning liquid is stored and the tip of the base is immersed in the cleaning liquid so that the position where the ultrasonic vibration is applied to the cleaning liquid is near the tip of the base. It is conceivable to apply a vibration wave (ultrasonic vibration) to the cleaning liquid by this vibrator to clean the die.

However, just by applying a vibration wave (ultrasonic vibration) to the cleaning liquid by the vibrator provided near the tip of the base immersed in the cleaning liquid, the base of the base having the slit and the tip of the base are opened. The outer surface can be cleaned, but the vibration wave (cavitation based on the vibration wave) applied to the cleaning liquid does not reach the slit with a very narrow opening width (particularly the back of the slit away from the tip of the base), and the fixed object of the slit Can not be washed.
Therefore, in order to make the vibration wave (cavitation based on the vibration wave) applied to the cleaning liquid reach the slit (the back of the slit) of the base, there is a method of sucking the cleaning liquid to which the vibration wave (ultrasonic vibration) is applied from the tip of the base. Conceivable.
However, since the cleaning liquid is difficult to flow in the area where the fixed object is fixed, due to the resistance of the fixed object, simply sucking the cleaning liquid including cavitation from the base will cause the cleaning liquid to flow around the fixed object, and the cavitation is fixed. There is a problem in that it cannot reach the kimono and the fixed matter cannot be washed efficiently.
In other words, conventionally, the cleaning action is weak, and it is difficult to obtain a desired cleaning result without unevenness over the entire slit (die) that is long in the width direction. It needs to be repeated and takes a lot of cleaning time. For this reason, it takes time to restart the coating operation, which hinders improvement in production efficiency.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to make it possible to lift up the remaining fixed matter that has not been sufficiently propagated in vibration waves (cavitation based on vibration waves) in the prior art, and to achieve a desired cleaning result with no unevenness in a short time. the provide cleaning how the mouthpiece can be obtained efficiently.

  The base cleaning method of the present invention is a base cleaning method in which a slit which is long in the width direction and opened at the tip is formed inside, and the tip of the base is immersed in a cleaning liquid to which a vibration wave is applied in the cleaning tank. A first inflow step for allowing the cleaning liquid to flow into the base through the slit, and a state in which the cleaning liquid is allowed to flow into the base in the first inflow step, gas is introduced into the base through the slit. After the gas inflow step to flow in over the entire length in the width direction and the gas inflow step, the tip of the base is immersed in a cleaning liquid provided with a vibration wave in the cleaning tank, and the cleaning liquid flows into the base through the slit. And a second inflow step.

  According to the present invention, in the first inflow process, it is possible to float the fixed matter fixed inside the base by flowing the cleaning liquid to which the vibration wave is applied into the base. Then, from the state in which the cleaning liquid is flowing into the base, the gas is introduced into the base through the slit over the entire length in the width direction of the slit, so that the gas-liquid interface between the gas and the cleaning liquid is spread all over the entire length in the width direction of the slit. Can be moved to. As a result, it is possible to provide an effect of peeling off the fixed matter inside the base, and a vibration wave (cavitation based on the vibration wave) propagates when the cleaning liquid given the vibration wave again in the second inflow process is allowed to flow into the base. The (path) is changed from the first inflow process, and it is possible to lift up the fixed matter that has remained due to insufficient propagation of vibration waves in the past. As a result, a desired cleaning result can be obtained in a short time.

Further, in the gas inflow step, it is preferable that gas is caused to flow through the slit over the entire length in the width direction of the slit by separating the tip of the base and the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid.
In this case, from the state in which the tip of the die is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank, it is only necessary to separate the tip of the die from the surface of the cleaning solution. It can be made to flow in over the entire length.

Since the cleaning liquid that has flowed to the inside of the base when moving from the first inflow process to the gas inflow process contains a large amount of gas, the gas is dissolved in the cleaning liquid, so this cleaning liquid is returned to the cleaning tank as it is. When performing the first inflow process (or the second inflow process) later, a vibration wave is given to the cleaning liquid in which the amount of dissolved gas is increased. In this case, the generation of cavitation due to the vibration wave in the cleaning liquid is hindered by the dissolved gas, and there is a possibility that the effect of floating the fixed object by cavitation may be weakened.
Therefore, the method of cleaning the base includes returning the cleaning liquid to the cleaning tank through the flow path filled with the cleaning liquid flowed from the slit in the first inflow process and the second inflow process, and from the flow path to the gas. It is preferable that the method further includes a gas discharge step of discharging the gas flowing in the inflow step through a discharge channel different from the slit. The “cleaning liquid to be returned to the cleaning tank” may be the cleaning liquid that has been introduced from the slit in the first inflow process and the second inflow process, or may be a new cleaning liquid. When returning the cleaning liquid introduced from the slit, the gas contained in the cleaning liquid is discharged through the discharge channel. In the case of a new cleaning liquid, the gas contained in the cleaning liquid introduced from the slit is discharged together with the cleaning liquid through the discharge channel, and the new cleaning liquid is returned to the cleaning tank instead of the cleaning liquid.
In this case, even if the cleaning liquid is returned to the cleaning tank, an increase in the amount of dissolved gas in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank can be suppressed, and even if the first inflow process (or the second inflow process) is performed later, It is possible to prevent the effect of floating the fixed matter from weakening.

In addition, when foreign matter is floating in the cleaning tank by applying a vibration wave to the cleaning liquid, according to one or both of the first inflow process and the second inflow process, the floating foreign substance in the cleaning tank is connected to the base together with the cleaning liquid. There is a risk of being sucked into the inside.
Therefore, in the method of cleaning the base, the cleaning liquid is caused to flow into the base inside the base in one or both of the first inflow process and the second inflow process in a state where the tip of the base is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank. And further including a finishing step of discharging the cleaning liquid (flowed from the slit or new) from the slit to the cleaning tank, and in this finishing process, the vibration liquid is applied to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank. It is preferable that the tip of the die immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is separated from the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid.
In this case, even if the floating foreign matter in the cleaning tank is sucked into the base together with the cleaning liquid and adheres to the wetted surface inside the base, the cleaning liquid (flowed from the slit or new) is applied according to the finishing process. By discharging to the cleaning tank, the foreign matter in the cleaning tank attached to the liquid contact surface inside the base can be lifted by the vibration wave and discharged from the inside of the base. In addition, the tip of the base immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is separated from the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid while applying a vibration wave to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank, so that the foreign matter floating in the cleaning tank is separated from the inside of the base. It is possible to prevent reattachment to the tip of the base. As a result, after the cleaning operation is completed, it is possible to promptly shift to the application operation without human intervention.

Further, particularly when the foreign matter floating in the cleaning tank has a form (specific gravity, size, etc.) that easily floats in the slit by the vibration wave and enters the base, the first inflow step and the second inflow. According to one or both of the inflow processes, the floating foreign substances in the cleaning tank are easily sucked into the base inside along with the cleaning liquid.
In this case, in the method of cleaning the die, the cleaning liquid flows into the inner side of the die in one or both of the first inflow step and the second inflow step with the tip of the die immersed in the cleaning solution of the cleaning tank. And further including a finishing step of discharging the cleaning liquid (flowed from the slit or new) from the slit to the cleaning tank. In the finishing process, while the cleaning liquid is being discharged to the cleaning tank, It is preferable to stop applying the vibration wave to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank.
In this case, even if floating foreign matter in the cleaning tank is sucked into the base together with the cleaning liquid, according to this finishing process, while the vibration wave is applied to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank (inflow from the slit) By discharging the cleaning liquid (which has been or new) into the cleaning tank, floating foreign substances in the cleaning tank sucked into the base can be easily discharged from the base. Further, at this time, it is possible to avoid foreign matter from adhering to the tip of the die by applying ultrasonic waves. In addition, during the discharge of the cleaning liquid to the cleaning tank, by stopping the application of vibration waves to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank, foreign matter in the cleaning tank settles and floats in the cleaning tank by the vibration waves. It is possible to prevent the foreign matter from adhering to the tip of the base. As a result, after the cleaning operation is completed, it is possible to promptly shift to the application operation without human intervention.

Further, the method of cleaning the base is after the first inflow step and the second inflow step performed by generating the vibration wave by vibrating an ultrasonic vibrator at a low frequency, and again When performing a 1st inflow process, it is preferable to further include the exchange process which replaces at least one part of the washing | cleaning liquid of the said washing tank before performing the said 1st inflow process again.
In this case, it is possible to further enhance the cleaning effect of the die by performing the first inflow process and the second inflow process by generating vibration waves by vibrating the ultrasonic vibrator at a low frequency. The low frequency is 20 kHz or more and 40 kHz or less. However, in the case of such a low frequency, the temperature of the cleaning liquid easily rises, and when the cleaning liquid is caused to flow into the base inside by performing the first inflow process again, the temperature of the base also increases. In this case, the size of the slit changes due to thermal expansion of the base, and if the coating operation is performed immediately using this base, there is a risk of affecting the coating quality. For this reason, it is necessary to suspend the operation until the temperature of the cleaning liquid is lowered to a predetermined temperature, resulting in time loss. Therefore, in such a case, at least part of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is replaced by the replacement process, and the first inflow process can be prevented from being performed again by the cleaning liquid whose temperature has increased.

The base cleaning method further includes a continuous replacement step of replacing at least part of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank while the vibration wave is generated by vibrating an ultrasonic vibrator at a low frequency. Is preferred.
In this case, by generating a vibration wave by vibrating the ultrasonic vibrator at a low frequency (20 kHz or more and 40 kHz or less), the cleaning effect of the base can be further enhanced. In the case of a low frequency, the temperature of the cleaning liquid tends to rise, and when such a cleaning liquid is introduced into the base later, the temperature of the base also increases. In this case, the size of the slit changes due to thermal expansion of the base, and if the coating operation is performed immediately using this base, there is a risk of affecting the coating quality. For this reason, it is necessary to suspend the operation until the temperature of the cleaning liquid is lowered to a predetermined temperature, resulting in time loss. Therefore, in such a case, at least a part of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank can be replaced by the continuous replacement step so that the cleaning liquid whose temperature has risen is not used.

  According to the present invention, the gas-liquid interface between the gas and the cleaning liquid is moved all at once over the entire length in the width direction of the slit, thereby giving the effect of peeling off the fixed matter inside the base, and the cleaning liquid to which the vibration wave has been applied is applied to the base again. The mode (path) of propagation of vibration waves (cavitation based on vibration waves) when inflowing into the interior has been revised, and it is possible to lift up the fixed objects that have remained due to insufficient propagation of vibration waves. Thus, a desired cleaning result can be obtained in a short time.

It is the schematic which shows one Embodiment of the coating device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of a nozzle | cap | die and a washing | cleaning mechanism. It is a flowchart explaining the washing | cleaning method. It is explanatory drawing of the process included in the washing | cleaning method. It is explanatory drawing of a nozzle | cap | die and a washing tank, (A) is a 1st inflow process, (B) is a gas inflow process, (C) and (D) has shown the 2nd inflow process. It is explanatory drawing of a nozzle | cap | die and a washing tank for demonstrating a finishing process. It is explanatory drawing explaining the other example of a gas inflow means.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[About the configuration of the coating device]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of a coating apparatus 1 of the present invention. The coating apparatus 1 includes a stage 2 on which a substrate (rectangular sheet member) W can be placed, a base 3 in which a slit 7 is formed, and a base 3 on which the base 3 is mounted. On the other hand, a drive device 4 for moving the base 3 horizontally (moving in the X direction) is provided. The apparatus main body 8 is constituted by these, and according to the apparatus main body 8, the driving device 4 discharges and applies the coating liquid onto the substrate W from the slit 7 while horizontally moving the base 3. A film (coating film) M made of a coating solution can be formed on the substrate W. For this reason, the moving direction of the nozzle | cap | die 3 turns into an application | coating direction (X direction). Furthermore, the coating apparatus 1 includes a cleaning mechanism 6 that cleans the base 3. In addition, the coating apparatus 1 includes a control device 5 that controls operations of the apparatus main body 8 and the cleaning mechanism 6. The control device 5 controls the coating operation for discharging the coating liquid onto the substrate W and the cleaning mechanism. The cleaning operation of the base 3 by 6 is controlled.

  The slit 7 formed inside the base 3 is long in the width direction of the base 3 and opens at the base end (bottom end) 9. The width direction of the base 3 is a horizontal direction (Y direction) orthogonal to the application direction (X direction). The slit 7 is thin in the coating direction and is connected to the manifold 10 formed inside the base 3, and the coating liquid is discharged from the base end 9 through the manifold 10 and the slit 7. The manifold 10 is also formed long in the width direction like the slit 7. The base end 9 (opening end of the slit 7) where the slit 7 is open is horizontal and is linearly formed over the entire length in the width direction.

  The cleaning mechanism 6 includes a cleaning tank 11 in which a cleaning liquid L for cleaning the base 3 is stored. This cleaning tank 11 is installed in the vicinity of the stage 2. After finishing the application operation, the base 4 can be positioned above the cleaning tank 11 by the drive device 4 moving the base 3 horizontally. The driving device 4 also has a function of moving the base 3 up and down. By lowering the base 3, the base end 9 can be immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 11.

  FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the base 3 and the cleaning mechanism 6. In addition to the cleaning tank 11 that stores the cleaning liquid L, the cleaning mechanism 6 includes an oscillation device 12 that applies a vibration wave to the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11, and a pump 13 that is connected to the base 3 via the pipe P1. And. Furthermore, the cleaning mechanism 6 of this embodiment cleans the cleaning liquid L sucked out including a waste liquid part (waste liquid bottle) 14 connected to the base 3 via the pipe P2 and a pump 15a for sucking out the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11. A circulation channel 15 constituting a channel returning to the tank 11, a degassing module 16 provided in the middle of the circulation channel 15 for degassing the cleaning liquid L, and a cleaning solution provided in the middle of the circulation channel 15 And a heat exchanger 17 for cooling. The circulation channel 15 is provided with a tank 24, filters 18a and 18b, and three-way valves 19a and 19b. The cleaning mechanism 6 includes a lifting device 20 that lifts and lowers the cleaning tank 11.

The pump 13 can cause the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11 to flow into the base through the slit 7 opened at the base tip 9 in a state where the base tip 9 is immersed in the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11. The suctioned cleaning liquid can be temporarily stored.
Further, the cleaning mechanism 6 has a cleaning liquid return unit that reversely flows the cleaning liquid that has flowed into the base inside by the pump 13 and returns the cleaning liquid to the cleaning tank 11. In the present embodiment, the pump 13 also has the function of the cleaning liquid returning unit. That is, the pump 13 is a liquid feeding means that can send the cleaning liquid L in both forward and reverse directions. By switching the operation state, the pump 13 returns the cleaning liquid that has flowed into the base by itself to return to the cleaning tank 11. Can do. Furthermore, the pump 13 can also be used as a supply pump that supplies the coating liquid to the base 3 during the coating operation. In this case, a coating solution storage tank (not shown) and a coating solution supply path connecting the coating solution storage tank to the pump 13 are connected to the pump 13 as separate circuits.
In this embodiment, an example in which the pump 13 is used as the liquid feeding means is shown, but a tank (not shown) may be connected as the liquid feeding means to control the pressure in the tank. . That is, a tank is connected instead of the pump 13, and this tank, a vacuum source, and a pressurization source are connected. Then, the cleaning liquid is caused to flow into the base by controlling the vacuum source, and the cleaning liquid inside the base is caused to flow backward by controlling the pressure source.

Further, the cleaning mechanism 6 branches from the flow path through which the cleaning liquid that flows backward by the function of the pump (cleaning liquid return unit) 13, and the gas contained in the cleaning liquid that flows backward flows into a region other than the cleaning tank 11. A discharge passage for discharging is further provided.
In the present embodiment, the above-described “flow path through which the cleaning liquid that flows backward” refers to the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11 from the pump 13 through the manifold 10 and the slit 7 inside the base as shown in FIG. It is the flow path 21 leading to. The discharge flow path 22 is a flow path that branches from the manifold 10 and leads to a waste liquid portion (waste liquid bottle) 14 outside the base 3. A valve (air vent valve) 22a is provided in the middle of the flow path. It has been. According to FIG. 2, the pipe P <b> 2 constitutes a part of the discharge flow path 22.

  In FIG. 2, the oscillation device 12 includes a vibrator (ultrasonic vibrator) 12a and a controller 12b that controls the frequency (oscillation frequency) of the vibrator 12a. The controller 12b functions in conjunction with the control device 5. The oscillation device 12 applies a vibration wave to the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11 by vibrating the vibrator 12a. In this embodiment, ultrasonic vibration is applied as the vibration wave. In particular, ultrasonic waves are applied by vibrating the vibrator at a low frequency (20 kHz to 40 kHz). Here, when the frequency is lower than 20 kHz or higher than 40 kHz, it is difficult to express the cavitation effect necessary to peel off the firmly fixed object in a short time, so 20 kHz to 40 kHz is preferable. .

The cleaning tank 11 of this embodiment is a two-layer type, and stores a solvent tank 11a in which a solvent S that propagates vibration waves of the vibrator 12a is stored, and a cleaning liquid L that is installed in the solvent tank 11a. And a main cleaning tank 11b. When the vibrator 12a vibrates, the ultrasonic wave (vibration wave) propagates to the solvent S and propagates to the cleaning liquid L through the main cleaning tank 11b. Then, the vibrator 12 a vibrates in a state where the die tip 9 is immersed in the cleaning liquid L, ultrasonic vibration is applied to the cleaning liquid L, and the cleaning liquid L can flow into the base 3. In the cleaning liquid L vigorously shaken by the ultrasonic vibration, positive and negative pressures act alternately, and in the cleaning liquid L, a vacuum cavity (bubble) is generated at the place where the negative pressure is applied, and this cavity (bubble) is generated. The phenomenon of disappearing due to positive pressure occurs (cavitation). Due to the cavitation effect generated by the generation of shock waves when the cavities (bubbles) disappear, it is possible to lift the fixed matter (dirt) from the inner surface of the base 3 and the outer surface of the base end 9.
Since the cleaning tank 11 is of a two-layer type, the circulating flow path 15 has the cleaning liquid L in the main cleaning tank 11b sucked out by the pump 15a, and the sucked cleaning liquid L returns to the main cleaning tank 11b. It becomes a flow path. In order to further enhance the cooling effect of the cleaning liquid L, the solvent S in the solvent tank 11a may be circulated between the solvent tank 11a and the outside of the solvent tank 11a. In this case, the main cleaning tank 11b and The cleaning liquid L and the solvent S are circulated in both the solvent tanks 11a.
The cleaning tank 11 may be of a single layer type. In this case, the vibrator 12a is provided in the cleaning tank 11 in which the cleaning liquid L is stored.

  The degassing module 16 has a function of previously degassing the cleaning liquid supplied to the cleaning tank 11 and can reduce the gas dissolved in the cleaning liquid L. If a large amount of dissolved gas is contained in the cleaning liquid L, the generation of cavitation in the cleaning liquid L is inhibited by the dissolved gas, so that the cleaning effect in the cleaning tank 11 is reduced.

[How to clean the base]
A method for cleaning the die 3 executed by the coating apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the cleaning method, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the steps included in the cleaning method.

[Cleaning preparation process and cleaning operation process]
In order to finish the coating operation by the base 3 and clean the base 3, the driving device 4 (see FIG. 1) moves the base 3 above the cleaning tank 11 based on the command signal of the control device 5, and then The base 3 is lowered and the base tip 9 is immersed in the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11 (main cleaning tank 11b) over the entire length in the width direction (see FIG. 4A: cleaning preparation step S1 in FIG. 3).
Here, the base 3 after finishing the coating operation may be in a state where the inside of the base is filled with the coating liquid, or in an empty state after discharging the coating liquid. When the inside of the base is filled with the coating liquid, the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11 is easily contaminated. When the inside of the base is empty, the coating liquid remaining inside the base is dried. Then, since a new fixed matter is generated, the inside of the die is preferably filled with the cleaning liquid.
Then, ultrasonic vibration (vibration wave) is applied to the cleaning liquid L by the vibrator 12a, and the pump 13 starts the suction operation, and the cleaning liquid L flows into the base through the slit 7 over the entire length in the longitudinal direction of the slit 7 (FIG. 3). First inflow step S2). That is, the cleaning liquid L is sucked into the base while applying ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid L. The first inflow step S2 is continuously performed for a predetermined time.

According to the first inflow step S2, as shown in FIG. 5 (A), the adhering matter adhered to the inside of the base (particularly, the slit 7) by the cleaning liquid L given ultrasonic vibration (vibration wave). F can be lifted. Then, the fixed matter F that has been lifted is sucked into the pump 13 together with the cleaning liquid L. In the first inflow step S2, in the area where a lot of fine bubbles (cavitation) due to ultrasonic vibration collide in the slit 7, the fixed matter F can be lifted and sucked into the pump 13 side. In the region where the bubble (cavitation) collision is weak, the fixed matter F remains.
The difference in region is caused by the flow mode (path) of the cleaning liquid L and the mode in which ultrasonic vibration (cavitation based on ultrasonic waves) propagates. When fine bubbles (cavitation) due to vibration are generated, the fine bubbles continue to be generated efficiently toward the region, but the state continues in a region where the generation efficiency of the fine bubbles is poor. In particular, when a large fixed matter F exists in the slit 7 having a very thin shape, the fixed matter F cannot remain completely lifted by ultrasonic vibration and remains. When the fixed matter F remains in the slit 7 in this manner, the cleaning liquid L is difficult to flow due to the resistance of the remaining fixed matter F, and therefore the cleaning liquid L flows while avoiding the fixed matter F. As a result, the region that the cleaning liquid L avoids becomes a region where the collision (cavitation) of fine bubbles is weak (region where the cleaning effect is low), and the fixed matter F continues to remain.

And in this 1st inflow process S2, the drive device 4 raises the nozzle | cap | die 3 based on the command signal of the control apparatus 5 from the state which is making the washing | cleaning liquid L flow in into the nozzle | cap | die inside with the pump 13, The slit 7 is made. The base 9 that is open is separated from the surface of the cleaning liquid L. As a result, the inside of the base is opened to the atmosphere, and the gas (atmosphere) flows into the base through the slit 7 from the state in which the cleaning liquid L is introduced into the base by the pump 13 (see FIG. 4B: FIG. 3). Gas inflow step S3). That is, in the present embodiment, the driving device 4 serves as a gas inflow unit that causes gas to flow in over the entire width of the slit 7 in the width direction.
The base 9 (opening end of the slit 7) where the slit 7 is open is horizontal and linearly formed, so that the base 3 rises from the state in which the cleaning liquid L is allowed to flow into the base. When the tip end 9 and the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid L are separated from each other, the gas flows from the tip end 9 through the slit 7 into the base over the entire length in the width direction (longitudinal direction) of the slit 7.
In the present embodiment, the atmosphere is used as a gas, but it may be nitrogen or the like, and is not particularly limited as long as it is a gas.

Thus, from the state in which the cleaning liquid L is allowed to flow into the base, the gas is allowed to flow into the base through the slit 7 over the entire length in the width direction of the slit, as shown in FIG. The gas-liquid interface B1 (interface that changes from the cleaning liquid L to the gas a) between the gas a and the cleaning liquid L can be moved all at once to the manifold 10 side over the entire length of the slit 7 in the width direction.
In this gas inflow step S3, the gas-liquid interface B1 starts from the opening end of the slit 7, a band-like space is formed in the width direction by the gas a, and the band-like gas a (space) is slit. 7 suffices to be carried out for a period of time that can pass through 7, and this time is sufficient for a few seconds (2 to 3 seconds), and the die tip 9 may be separated from the surface of the cleaning liquid L for this time.

Then, after the gas inflow step S3, the driving device 4 lowers the die 3 based on the command signal of the control device 5, whereby the tip 9 of the die is immersed again in the cleaning liquid L given ultrasonic vibration in the cleaning tank 11. Then, the cleaning liquid L is caused to flow into the base through the slit 7 over the entire length in the longitudinal direction of the slit 7 (see FIG. 4A: second inflow step S4 in FIG. 3). The second inflow step S4 is continuously performed for a predetermined time. This gas inflow step S3 is a step of temporarily separating the die tip 9 from the liquid surface.
In this way, by allowing the cleaning liquid L to flow into the base again through the slit 7, the cleaning liquid L giving ultrasonic vibration starts to be sucked as shown in FIGS. 5C to 5D. The manner in which the cleaning liquid L propagating ultrasonic waves (ultrasonic cavitation) flows through the slits 7 changes as compared with the first inflow step S2. That is, due to the shaking effect associated with the movement of the gas-liquid interface B2 (see FIG. 5C) that changes from the gas a to the cleaning liquid L, the fixed matter F is completely lifted or a part of the fixed matter F is lifted. As the fixed matter F shrinks, the manner in which the cleaning liquid L flows through the slit 7 changes as compared with the first inflow step. For this reason, it is expected that the region where the collision of fine bubbles (cavitation) was weak in the first inflow step S2 will be changed to the region where many fine bubbles (cavitation) collide in the second inflow step S4. .

According to the first inflow step S2, the gas inflow step S3, and the second inflow step S4 described above, the fixed matter F adhering to the inside of the base can be quickly and efficiently lifted by the cleaning liquid to which ultrasonic vibration is applied. Is possible. Then, the gas a (see FIG. 5B) is caused to flow into the base through the slit 7 over the entire length in the width direction from the state in which the cleaning liquid L is introduced into the base in the first inflow step S2. (Gas inflow step S3), the gas-liquid interface B1 between the gas a and the cleaning liquid L can be moved simultaneously and uniformly over the entire length of the slit 7 in the width direction. Further, the cleaning liquid L is again introduced into the base through the slit 7 over the entire length in the width direction of the slit 7 (see FIGS. 5C and 5D: second inflow step S4), whereby the width direction of the slit 7 is reached. The gas-liquid interface B2 between the gas a and the cleaning liquid L can be moved all at once over the entire length.
As a result, while giving the effect which peels off the fixed matter F inside a nozzle | cap | die, when making the washing | cleaning liquid L which gave the vibration wave again in 2nd inflow process S4 flow in into the nozzle | cap | die inside, the aspect (path | route) of this washing | cleaning liquid L And the aspect (path | route) which an ultrasonic wave (cavitation based on an ultrasonic wave) propagates is amended, and it becomes possible to make the fixed thing which the propagation of a vibration wave did not fully propagate and remain.

Further, since the cleaning liquid that has flowed to the inside of the base when moving from the first inflow process S2 to the gas inflow process S3 contains a large amount of gas, when this cleaning liquid is returned to the cleaning tank 11 as it is, If 1st inflow process S2 is performed again, a vibration wave will be given with respect to the washing | cleaning liquid L whose dissolved gas amount increased. In this case, the generation of cavitation in the cleaning liquid L is hindered by the dissolved gas, and there is a possibility that the effect of floating the fixed substance F by ultrasonic vibration may be weakened.
Therefore, when the second inflow step S4 is finished, the operation state of the pump 13 is switched by the control device 5, and the cleaning liquid that has flowed into the base inside in the first inflow step S2 and the second inflow step S4 is made to flow backward ( (See FIG. 4C). At this time, the valve (air vent valve 22 a) is switched to the open state, and the gas contained in the cleaning liquid is discharged from the flow path 21 that returns the cleaning liquid to the cleaning tank 11 by backflow. It discharges | emits through the path | route 22 (gas discharge process S5 of FIG. 3). The valve 22a is opened only in the gas discharge step S5, and is closed in other steps.

This gas discharge step S5 is executed until all the cleaning liquid sucked by the pump 13 is discharged. A part of the cleaning liquid discharged from the pump 13 flows to the waste liquid part 14 through the discharge flow path 22.
The slit 7 included in the flow path 21 is very thin, whereas the cross section of the discharge flow path 22 is much larger, and the resistance of the cleaning liquid flowing back to the cleaning tank 11 through the slit 7 flows through the discharge flow path 22. Greater than the resistance of the cleaning solution. Further, the branch portion of the discharge flow path 22 in the manifold 10 is located at the top of the manifold 10. For this reason, the gas contained in the cleaning liquid that flows backward is captured by the manifold 10, and the captured gas can flow to the discharge flow path 22 along with a part of the cleaning liquid. And this gas is discharged | emitted through the valve | bulb 22a outside.
According to this gas discharge step S5, the amount of dissolved gas in the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11 increases even if the cleaning liquid that has flowed to the inside of the base by suction of the pump 13 is returned to the cleaning tank 11. Even if the first inflow step S <b> 2 is performed later, it is possible to prevent the effect of floating the fixed object F by ultrasonic vibration from being weakened.

  As described above, the first inflow process S2 to the gas discharge process S5 is one cycle of the cleaning operation process, and this cleaning operation process may be repeatedly executed a plurality of cycles. That is, the number of times that the cleaning operation process is executed is set in the control device 5, and the cleaning operation process is repeatedly executed until this number is reached (in the case of No in the determination step S6 in FIG. 3). When execution is completed for the set number of times (Yes in determination step S6), the process proceeds to finishing step S7.

[Finishing process (1)]
The coating apparatus 1 in FIG. 1 is installed in a clean room. For example, when the driving device 4 or the like is driven, fine metal powder is generated. It may fall into the washing tank 11b). Then, such a metal powder exists in the cleaning liquid L as the foreign matter R in the cleaning tank 11. Thus, when the foreign substance R exists in the washing tank 11, according to the 1st inflow process and the 2nd inflow process, since the foreign substance R floats in the washing tank 11 by giving a vibration wave, the foreign substance R is sucked into the base together with the cleaning liquid L. Therefore, a finishing step S7 for discharging such foreign matter R from the inside of the base is performed.

As shown in FIG. 6 (A), the cleaning liquid that has flowed into the base in the first inflow process S2 and the second inflow process S4 with the base tip 9 immersed in the cleaning liquid L of the cleaning tank 11 is used. Then, the liquid is discharged back to the cleaning tank 11 by the pump 13 (finishing step S7 in FIG. 3). At this time, the valve 22a is in a closed state.
And in this finishing process S7, the drive device 4 raises the nozzle | cap | die 3 based on the command signal of the control apparatus 5 from the middle of a process, giving the ultrasonic vibration to the washing | cleaning liquid L of the washing tank 11 with the oscillation apparatus 12. By doing so, the die tip 9 immersed in the cleaning liquid L of the cleaning tank 11 is separated from the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid L (see FIG. 6B). During the operation of separating the base 9 from the surface of the cleaning liquid L, the cleaning liquid inside the base is discharged.
In this case, even if the foreign matter R present in the cleaning tank 11 is sucked into the base inside along with the cleaning liquid L by the first inflow process and the second inflow process, the cleaning liquid L is discharged to the cleaning tank 11. Thus, the foreign matter R can be discharged from the inside of the base. In addition, since the tip 9 of the base immersed in the cleaning liquid of the cleaning tank 11 is separated from the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid L while the ultrasonic vibration is applied to the cleaning liquid L of the cleaning tank 11, the discharged foreign matter R is temporarily discharged from the tip of the base. 9 can be prevented from reattaching.
In addition, since this step S7 is performed in a state where ultrasonic vibration is applied to the cleaning liquid L, the foreign matter R clogged inside the base is lifted by ultrasonic vibration to reduce the frictional resistance with the inner wall surface of the slit 7, By discharging the cleaning liquid in this state, the foreign matter R can be effectively discharged without adhering to the inside of the base.

[Finishing process (2)]
Another example of the finishing step S7 will be described. When the foreign matter R existing in the cleaning tank 11 has a form (specific gravity, size, etc.) that floats inside the slit 7 by ultrasonic vibration and easily enters the inside of the base, the first inflow step and the first step According to the 2 inflow process, the foreign matter R is easily sucked into the base inside along with the cleaning liquid. In this case, the following finishing step S7 is preferable.

As shown in FIG. 6 (A), the cleaning liquid that has flowed into the base in the first inflow process S2 and the second inflow process S4 with the base tip 9 immersed in the cleaning liquid L of the cleaning tank 11 is used. Then, the liquid is discharged back to the cleaning tank 11 by the pump 13 (finishing step S7 in FIG. 3). At this time, the valve 22a is in a closed state.
And in this finishing process S7, provision of the ultrasonic vibration to the washing | cleaning liquid L in the washing tank 11 is stopped in the middle of discharging to the washing tank 11 by making the washing | cleaning liquid flow backward (refer FIG.6 (C)). ).
In this case, even if the foreign matter R existing in the cleaning tank 11 is sucked into the inner side of the base together with the cleaning liquid L by the first inflow process and the second inflow process, the cleaning liquid L is discharged to the cleaning tank 11. Thus, the foreign matter R can be discharged from the inside of the base. Moreover, since the application of ultrasonic vibration (vibration wave) to the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11 is stopped while the cleaning liquid L is discharged back into the cleaning tank 11 by causing the cleaning liquid L to flow backward, the foreign matter R is subjected to ultrasonic vibration. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the inside of the washing tank 11 from floating and entering the inside of the base.

  When the above finishing process (No. 1 or No. 2) is completed, the driving device 4 (see FIG. 1) moves the base 3 toward the device main body 8 based on the command signal of the control device 5, and on the stage 2 Preparation for starting an application operation for discharging and applying an application liquid to the substrate W held is performed (application preparation step S8). In the finishing step (No. 1 or No. 2), the cleaning liquid is discharged to the cleaning tank 11. This cleaning liquid is not only the cleaning liquid sucked into the inner side of the base, but also a new cleaning liquid supplied to the base 3. It may be.

In each of the above steps, the vibration frequency of the vibrator 12a by the oscillating device 12 is a low band (20 kHz to 40 kHz) in which cavitation with a high cleaning effect can be generated. By generating the ultrasonic vibration based on this low frequency and performing the first inflow step S2 and the second inflow step S4, the cleaning effect of the base tip 9 can be further improved as compared with the case where the frequency is outside this band. This can be further enhanced.
However, when the first inflow step S2 and the second inflow step S4 are performed by generating ultrasonic vibration by vibrating such a vibrator 12a at a low frequency, the temperature of the cleaning liquid L is likely to rise. Then, based on the determination step S6 of FIG. 3 (No in the determination step S6), the first inflow step S2 is performed again, and when the cleaning liquid L whose temperature has risen is caused to flow into the inner side of the base, the temperature of the base 3 is also increased. To rise. In this case, the size of the slit 7 changes due to the thermal expansion of the base 3, and if the coating operation is performed immediately using the base 3, the coating quality may be affected. For this reason, it is necessary to suspend the operation until the temperature of the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11 is lowered to a predetermined temperature, resulting in a time loss.

  Therefore, it is preferable to perform a replacement step S9 (see FIG. 3) in which at least a part of the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11 is replaced before performing the first inflow step S2. According to this step S9, it is possible to prevent the first inflow step S2 from being performed again by the cleaning liquid L whose temperature has increased. A specific example of the replacement step S9 will be described. As a first method, in FIG. 2, the cleaning liquid sucked out by the pump 15a is recovered in the tank 23 as waste liquid by the three-way valve 19a. And the new washing | cleaning liquid replaced with the washing | cleaning liquid used as a waste liquid is supplied through the three-way valve 19b. In the present embodiment, the new cleaning liquid is supplied to the cleaning tank 11 after passing through the deaeration module 16. As described above, a part of the used cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11 can be replaced with a new cleaning liquid, and the temperature of the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11 can be prevented from increasing.

  As a second method, the cleaning liquid sucked out by the pump 15a is sent to the heat exchanger 17 through the three-way valve 19a and cooled. The cooled cleaning liquid is returned to the cleaning tank 11 through the circulation channel 15. In the present embodiment, the circulating cleaning liquid is returned to the cleaning tank 11 after passing through the deaeration module 16. As described above, a part of the used cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11 is circulated, heat exchange is performed in the middle thereof, and the cleaning liquid 11 is replaced with a cooled cleaning liquid L.

  Moreover, you may perform such replacement | exchange of the washing | cleaning liquid L in each process of 1st inflow process S2, gas inflow process S3, and 2nd inflow process S4, or after each process. In other words, in the method of cleaning the die in the present embodiment, at least one cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11 is used while ultrasonic waves are generated by vibrating the ultrasonic vibrator 12a at a low frequency (20 kHz to 40 kHz). A step of replacing parts (continuous replacement step) may be further included.

As described above, according to the method for cleaning the die according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5B, the gas-liquid interface B1 between the gas a and the cleaning liquid L is increased all at once over the entire length in the width direction of the slit 7. As shown in FIG. 5 (C), by moving the gas-liquid interface B2 between the gas a and the cleaning liquid L all at once over the entire length in the width direction of the slit 7, When the cleaning liquid L given the ultrasonic vibration is allowed to flow into the base again, the flow mode (path) of the cleaning liquid L and ultrasonic waves (cavitation based on ultrasonic waves) propagate. The mode (route) to perform is amended. For this reason, it is possible to float up the fixed matter that has not been sufficiently propagated in the ultrasonic vibration in the past, and the cleaning liquid L that has been subjected to the ultrasonic vibration is allowed to flow into the base again. The fixed matter that would have been removed can be washed. As a result, a desired cleaning result can be obtained in a short time.
Since the cleaning time is short, the time for applying the ultrasonic vibration to the cleaning liquid L can be short, the heat generation of the base 3 due to the ultrasonic vibration can be suppressed, and the coating operation can be started quickly. It becomes possible.

  Further, the vibrator 12a may be constituted by a hollow member, and the refrigerant may be passed through the inside. A connection port for supplying a refrigerant (for example, nitrogen gas) to the hollow vibrator 12a is provided, and the refrigerant is caused to flow into the vibrator 12a through this joint port so that heat is not stored in the vibrator 12a and the cleaning liquid L. preferable.

Moreover, the washing | cleaning method of the coating device and nozzle | cap | die of this invention is not restricted to the form to show in figure, The thing of another form may be sufficient within the scope of the present invention.
In the embodiment, in the gas inflow step, in order to separate the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11 and the base tip 9, the position of changing the relative position in the height direction between the liquid level and the base tip 9. Although the changing means has been described as the driving device 4 that moves the base 3 up and down, the changing means may be other than this, and the position changing means may be the lifting device 20 (see FIG. 2) that moves the cleaning tank 11 up and down. Alternatively, although the relative position in the height direction between the die tip 9 and the cleaning tank 11 does not change, the level of the cleaning liquid L is lowered during the gas inflow process, and then the liquid level is raised. Also good. This may be performed by discharging and supplying the cleaning liquid L to the cleaning tank 11.

In addition, in the gas inflow process, in order to cause the gas to flow into the base through the slit 7 over the entire length in the width direction of the slit 7 from the state in which the cleaning liquid L in the cleaning tank 11 is caused to flow into the base by the pump 13. In the above embodiment, the case has been described in which the height of the nozzle tip 9 with respect to the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid L is changed. For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, a gas supply unit 50 having a connection port 50a that can be connected to the base tip 9 is provided in the main cleaning tank 11b. Gas is supplied from the outside of the cleaning tank 11. As shown in FIG. 7 (B) by the drive device 4 (see FIG. 1), the base 3 is lowered to connect the connection port 50a to the inside of the base through the slit 7 from the gas supply part 50. Inject gas. As shown in FIG. 7C, the connection port 50 a is provided over the entire length in the width direction of the slit 7 (cap end 9), and gas can flow in over the entire length in the width direction of the slit 7.
As described above, in order to allow the gas to flow into the base through the slit 7 from the state in which the cleaning liquid L is flowed into the base (FIG. 7A) (FIG. 7B). ), The base 3 may be lowered by the driving device 4, and this lowering is executed by the control of the control device 5. That is, in this case, the driving device 4 and the gas supply unit 50 serve as gas inflow means for causing the gas to flow into the base over the entire length in the width direction of the slit 7.

Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the example which reversely flows back the washing | cleaning liquid L of the washing tank 11 flowed into the inside of a nozzle | cap | die in the gas discharge process and a finishing process, and returns to the washing tank 11, the washing | cleaning liquid L was made to flow in into a nozzle | cap | die. After that, a new cleaning liquid may be returned to the cleaning tank 11.
For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a valve 25 is provided in the pipe P1 (between the base 3 and the pump 13), a three-way valve 27 is provided between the pump 13 and the cleaning liquid supply tank 28, and an output of the three-way valve 27 is provided. One of the ports is connected to the waste liquid tank 23. A valve 26 is provided between the three-way valve 27 and the pump 13. Also with this configuration, the gas contained in the cleaning liquid L (the gas sucked from the slit 7 in the gas inflow process) can be prevented from returning to the cleaning tank 11.

That is, by opening the valve 25 and closing the valve 26 and causing the pump 13 to perform the suction operation, the cleaning liquid containing the gas inside the base is sucked into the pump 13 through the pipe P1. Then, the valve 25 is closed, the valve 26 is opened, and the three-way valve 27 is routed to the tank 23 from the pump 13 side (C1 route in FIG. 2). 23 is discharged. That is, the gas flowing in the gas inflow process from the flow path (flow path from the slit 7 to the pump 13) filled with the cleaning liquid flowing from the slit 7 to the pump 13 together with the cleaning liquid from the pump 13 to the tank 23. It can be discharged to the tank 23 through the flow path (discharge flow path).
Then, the valve 25 is closed, the valve 26 is opened, and the three-way valve 27 is switched to a route (C2 route in FIG. 2) connected from the cleaning liquid supply tank 28 to the pump 13 side. The new cleaning liquid in 28 is sucked into the pump 13. Then, by opening the valve 25 and closing the valve 26 and causing the pump 13 to discharge, the new cleaning liquid sucked into the pump 13 is supplied into the base through the pipe P1. Further, by continuing to operate the pump 13, new cleaning liquid is returned to the cleaning tank 11 through the slit 7. As a result, the gas taken into the cleaning liquid by the gas inflow process can be prevented from returning to the cleaning tank 11, and the propagation of the vibration wave in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 11 is hindered by the dissolved gas. It can suppress that the effect which makes kimono rise is weakened. Even in this case, it is preferable to provide the deaeration module 17 between the cleaning liquid supply tank 28 and the pump 13.

In the above embodiment, the cleaning liquid replacement step is performed after the first inflow step and the second inflow step, and when the first inflow step is performed again, before the first inflow step is performed again. Although the example which replaces at least one part of the washing | cleaning liquid L of the tank 11 was demonstrated, the replacement | exchange process may be performed continuously in any process. Specifically, in each process, while the ultrasonic transducer 12a is vibrated with low vibration to generate a vibration wave, the cleaning liquid is constantly circulated by performing the replacement process at all times.
That is, depending on the temperature of the cleaning liquid, the temperature of the base 3 may rise only by immersing the base 3 in the cleaning liquid. In this case, there is a possibility that the coating quality may be affected by the thermal expansion of the base 3 and the change of the size of the slit 7. Therefore, when the ultrasonic vibrator 12a is operated at a low frequency, the cleaning liquid is always circulated to constantly cool the cleaning liquid. Thereby, the temperature rise of the cleaning liquid can be suppressed, the temperature rise of the base 3 can be suppressed, and the influence on the coating quality can be suppressed.

The reference invention will be described with respect to the method for cleaning the die.
The problem of this reference invention is that, for example, the bottom portion of the cleaning tank that stores the cleaning liquid and immerses the front end of the base in the cleaning liquid so that the position where the ultrasonic vibration is applied to the cleaning liquid is close to the front end of the base. It is conceivable that the vibrator is provided with a vibration wave (ultrasonic vibration) applied to the cleaning liquid by this vibrator to clean the die, but by applying a vibration wave to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank, The foreign matter floats in the cleaning tank, and the floating foreign matter may enter the base during the cleaning of the base.
Therefore, the reference invention is a method for cleaning a die in which a slit that is long in the width direction and opened at the tip is formed inside,
A cleaning step of immersing the tip of the die in a cleaning solution provided with vibration waves in the cleaning tank, and cleaning the inside of the die by flowing the cleaning solution through the slit,
In the state where the tip of the die is immersed in the cleaning liquid of the cleaning tank, after the inside of the base is cleaned in the cleaning process, further including a finishing step of discharging the cleaning liquid from the slit to the cleaning tank,
This finishing step is a cleaning method in which the tip of the die that has been immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is separated from the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid while applying a vibration wave to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank.
According to this reference invention, in the cleaning process, even if foreign matter floating in the cleaning tank penetrates into the base and adheres to the liquid contact surface inside the base, the cleaning liquid is cleaned according to the finishing process. By discharging to the tank, the foreign matter adhering to the liquid contact surface inside the base can be lifted by the vibration wave and discharged from the inside of the base. In addition, the tip of the base immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is separated from the surface of the cleaning liquid while applying a vibration wave to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank, so that the foreign matter floating in the cleaning tank is separated from the inside of the base and the base. It is possible to prevent reattachment to the tip. Thereby, it becomes possible to transfer to a coating operation quickly from a washing process.

Further, another reference invention will be described regarding the method of cleaning the die.
The subject of this reference invention is
For example, the vibrator is provided at the bottom of the cleaning tank that stores the cleaning liquid and immerses the tip of the base in the cleaning liquid so that the position where the ultrasonic vibration is applied to the cleaning liquid is near the tip of the base. It is conceivable to apply a vibration wave (ultrasonic vibration) to the cleaning liquid using a vibrator to clean the die. However, foreign matter floating in the cleaning tank floats in the slit by the vibration wave and enters the die. Especially when it has an easy form (specific gravity, size, etc.), there is a possibility that foreign matters floating in the cleaning tank may enter and adhere to the inside of the base.
Therefore, the reference invention is a method for cleaning a die in which a slit that is long in the width direction and opened at the tip is formed inside,
A cleaning step of immersing the tip of the die in a cleaning solution provided with vibration waves in the cleaning tank, and cleaning the inside of the die by flowing the cleaning solution through the slit,
In the state where the tip of the die is immersed in the cleaning liquid of the cleaning tank, after the inside of the base is cleaned in the cleaning process, further including a finishing step of discharging the cleaning liquid from the slit to the cleaning tank,
This finishing step is a cleaning method in which application of vibration waves to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is stopped while the cleaning liquid is being discharged to the cleaning tank.
According to this reference invention, in the cleaning process, even if foreign matter floating in the cleaning tank penetrates into the inside of the base, according to the finishing process, the cleaning liquid is discharged into the cleaning tank, thereby Can be easily discharged from the inside of the base. Further, at this time, it is possible to avoid foreign matter from adhering to the tip of the die by applying ultrasonic waves. In addition, since the application of vibration waves to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is stopped while the cleaning liquid is being discharged into the cleaning tank, foreign substances in the cleaning tank are prevented from floating in the cleaning tank due to vibration waves. It is possible to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the tip of the base. Thereby, it becomes possible to transfer to a coating operation quickly from a washing process.

  The cleaning process in each of the reference inventions is the same as the cleaning operation process including the first inflow process, the gas inflow process, and the second inflow process described in the embodiment, and the cleaning process in each of the reference inventions. In addition, the items of the cleaning operation process and the finishing process described in the method of cleaning the die according to each of the embodiments can be applied to the finishing process.

  1: coating device 3: base 4: drive device (position changing means) 5: control device 6: cleaning mechanism 7: slit 8: device main body 9: tip of the base 11: cleaning tank 12a: vibrator 13: pump (cleaning liquid returning section) ) 21: flow path 22: discharge flow path a: gas B1, B2: gas-liquid interface F: fixed matter L: cleaning liquid R: foreign matter W: substrate

Claims (7)

A method of cleaning a base in which a slit that is long in the width direction and opened at the tip is formed inside,
A first inflow step of immersing the tip of the base in the cleaning liquid provided with the vibration wave in the cleaning tank, and allowing the cleaning liquid to flow into the base through the slit;
A gas inflow step for allowing a gas to flow into the base through the slit from the state in which the cleaning liquid is caused to flow into the base in the first inflow step;
After the gas inflow step, a second inflow step of immersing the tip of the base in a cleaning liquid provided with a vibration wave in the cleaning tank and flowing the cleaning liquid into the base through the slit;
A method for cleaning a base, comprising:   The said metal inflow process WHEREIN: By separating | separating the said nozzle | tip front-end | tip and the liquid level of the said washing | cleaning liquid, gas is made to flow in into the said nozzle | cap | die through the said slit over the width direction full length of the said slit. Method.   In the first inflow step and the second inflow step, the cleaning liquid is returned to the cleaning tank through the flow path filled with the cleaning liquid introduced from the slit, and the gas flowing in the gas inflow process from the flow path is The base cleaning method according to claim 1, further comprising a gas discharge step of discharging through a discharge flow path different from the slit. In a state where the tip of the base is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank, the cleaning liquid is allowed to flow into the base inside in one or both of the first inflow process and the second inflow process, and then the cleaning liquid is supplied from the slit. It further includes a finishing process for discharging to the washing tank,
In this finishing step, the tip of the die that has been immersed in the cleaning liquid of the cleaning tank is separated from the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid while applying a vibration wave to the cleaning liquid of the cleaning tank. The method of cleaning the base described in 1. In a state where the tip of the base is immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank, the cleaning liquid is allowed to flow into the base inside in one or both of the first inflow process and the second inflow process, and then the cleaning liquid is supplied from the slit. It further includes a finishing process for discharging to the washing tank,
The method of cleaning a die according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein in the finishing step, the application of the vibration wave to the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank is stopped while the cleaning liquid is being discharged to the cleaning tank. .   In the case where the first inflow step is performed again after the first inflow step and the second inflow step performed by generating the vibration wave by vibrating the ultrasonic vibrator at a low frequency, The base cleaning method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further including a replacement step of replacing at least a part of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank before performing the first inflow step again.   7. The continuous replacement step of further replacing at least part of the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank while the vibration wave is generated by vibrating the ultrasonic vibrator at a low frequency. The method for cleaning the die according to the item.

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