JP2003051529A - Conveyer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveyer with which a substrate can be stably conveyed without slip and further draining or drying treatment can be exactly perform in liquid treatment. SOLUTION: When conveying a substrate G by a conveyer 51, the substrate G on a conveying roller 43 is conveyed while pressing both terminals with a pressure roller 36. Thus, slip between both terminals of the substrate G and the conveying roller 43 can be prevented and the delay in conveyance time or generation of particle can be prevented. Further, a supporting roller 37 is provided while having a diameter larger than that of a placing part 43a of the conveying roller 43, and the substrate G is conveyed while being projected upward so that the substrate G can be prevented from being warped. Especially, in the middle of conveyance, trouble like making a treatment liquid such as developer or rinse liquid residual near the center of the substrate G can be eliminated and the drying treatment can be exactly performed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LC) in a liquid crystal manufacturing process.
The present invention relates to a transfer device that transfers a glass substrate used for D) or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the process of manufacturing an LCD, in order to form a thin film of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) or an electrode pattern on a glass substrate for LCD, a photolithography technique similar to that used for manufacturing a semiconductor device is used. Used. In the photolithography technique, a photoresist is applied to a glass substrate, which is exposed and further developed.

A series of these resist coating, exposing and developing processes have been conventionally carried out by a coating and developing system which carries out various processes such as coating, developing and baking, and serves as means for transporting a glass substrate to a processing unit. , For example, by using a transfer arm that holds a glass substrate by vacuum suction, or by placing both ends of the glass substrate on a plurality of transfer rollers having a rotation axis and rotating the transfer rollers to transfer the rollers. I am using it.

[0004]

However, due to the recent enlargement of the glass substrate, there is a problem that the substrate is bent by gravity only by mounting two sides of the rectangular glass substrate. Further, for example, there is a problem that a substrate whose cross-sectional shape is warped cannot be corrected horizontally only by supporting a rectangular glass substrate with a horizontal roller. As a result, both ends of the substrate are not normally placed on the transport rollers, and slips occur between the both ends of the substrate and the transport rollers, resulting in delay of the transport time and generation of particles due to the slip.

Further, for example, when liquid processing such as cleaning processing of the substrate is performed while the substrate is being transported, the central portion of the substrate is bent downward due to the gravity of the substrate, so that the cleaning liquid, the rinse liquid and the like are accumulated near the central portion of the substrate. However, there is an inconvenience that the liquid cannot be drained by a drying process in a subsequent process.

Further, for example, when carrying out a cleaning process while transporting a substrate which is warped in a mountain shape, a cleaning liquid, a rinse liquid, etc. cannot be uniformly supplied to the substrate, or a space between the substrate and the air knife is used in a drying process in a subsequent process. Could not be set to a uniform narrow predetermined interval, resulting in poor drying.

In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to stably convey a substrate without slipping,
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a carrier device capable of accurately performing liquid draining and drying in liquid processing.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is to provide at least one pair of conveying rollers which support both ends of the back side of the substrate and convey the substrate by rotation. At least one pair of pressing rollers, which are rotatably arranged close to the pair of conveying rollers and press both ends of the front surface side of the substrate, and a drive unit that rotationally drives the pair of conveying rollers.

According to this structure, since the substrate is conveyed while pressing both ends of the substrate on the conveying roller with the pressing rollers, it is possible to prevent the slip between the both ends of the substrate and the conveying roller. It is possible to prevent time delay and generation of particles.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the pair of pressing rollers are provided with means for pressing the both ends on the front surface side of the substrate with a substantially constant force.

According to such a structure, for example, by providing a spring as a means for pressing both ends on the front surface side of the substrate with a substantially constant force at all, adverse effects such as chipping of both ends of the substrate due to a buffering action are caused. There is no danger of it.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the pair of transport rollers are rotatably arranged coaxially with the rotation axes of the pair of transport rollers and have a diameter larger than the diameter of the pair of transport rollers. It further comprises at least one support roller that supports the vicinity from the back surface side.

According to this structure, since the substrate is conveyed in a mountain shape, the substrate can be prevented from bending.
In particular, it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience that a processing solution such as a developing solution or a rinsing solution remains in the vicinity of the center of the substrate during the transportation, and the drying processing can be performed accurately. Further, for example, even when the substrate is conveyed in a mountain shape, both ends of the substrate are pressed by the pressing rollers, so that slip can be prevented, and the effect of the combination of the pressing roller and the supporting roller becomes even greater.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the transport device further includes a gear portion for driving the support roller to rotate at a rotational speed different from the rotational speed of the transport roller. Accordingly, by adjusting the gear portion so that the rotation speed of the support roller becomes lower than the rotation speed of the transport roller, the speed at which the substrate is transported by the support roller and the transport roller can be equalized. Further, the supporting roller also has a carrying force, and the point of force transmission increases. As a result, the load on each transmission point is dispersed, and the problem of leaving roller marks on the substrate is solved. According to one aspect of the present invention, it further comprises means for separating the pressing roller from the conveying roller. In the present invention, for example, when the substrate is delivered to the outside, the pressing roller is separated from the transport roller, so that the substrate can be delivered quickly and reliably.

According to an aspect of the present invention, means for supplying a developing solution onto the substrate respectively arranged on the substrate conveyed by the conveying rollers, and rinsing on the substrate to which the developing solution is supplied. It further comprises means for supplying a liquid and means for blowing air onto the substrate to dry it. This makes it possible to efficiently perform each processing of the developing solution supply, the rinse solution supply, and the drying processing while transporting the substrate.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the drying means ejects the air, and is conveyed while being supported by the conveying roller and the supporting roller and being pressed by the pressing roller. The ejection port has a shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate. As a result, even if the substrate is conveyed in a mountain shape, the air is uniformly supplied to the substrate surface, so that the drying efficiency can be improved.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the supply amount of the air to the substrate is maximum in the central portion of the substrate,
It gradually decreases toward the end of the substrate. In the present invention, by supplying the maximum amount of air to the central portion of the substrate, which is the top of the chevron shape, the action of the rinse liquid flowing from the central portion of the substrate to the end portion can be promoted and efficient drying can be achieved. Will be realized. Further, in this embodiment, the ejection amount of the air can be maximum at the central portion of the ejection port, and can be gradually reduced toward the end portion of the ejection port. . Further, the direction in which the air is ejected from this ejection port is substantially perpendicular to the substrate at the central portion of the ejection port, and gradually spreads toward the outside of the substrate toward the end of the ejection port. It is also possible to configure the jet outlet as described above.

A second aspect of the present invention is: (a) a plurality of first conveying rollers that support both ends of the back side of the substrate and convey the substrate by rotation; A transport section that is rotatably arranged and has a plurality of first pressing rollers that press both ends of the front surface side of the substrate, and (b) both ends of the back surface side of the substrate transported from the transport section are supported and rotated. A plurality of second transport rollers for transporting the substrate, and a plurality of second pressing rollers arranged so as to be separable and rotatable with respect to the second transport roller and rotatably press the both ends of the front surface side of the substrate, A transfer unit having a plurality of pins that can project and retract from below the second transfer roller and transfer a substrate to and from the outside; and (c) the first transfer roller and the second transfer roller. Rotationally driven ; And a drive unit that.

According to this structure, when the substrate is delivered to the outside, the pressing roller is separated from the carrying roller in accordance with the upward movement of the pin, so that the substrate can be delivered quickly and reliably. be able to.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first pressing roller and the second pressing roller each include means for pressing both ends of the substrate on the front surface side with a substantially constant force.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the first transport roller and the second transport roller are rotatably arranged coaxially with the rotation axes of the first transport roller and the second transport roller, respectively. A plurality of support rollers having a diameter larger than the diameter of the rollers and supporting the vicinity of the center of the substrate from the back surface side are further provided.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings and the description of the embodiments of the invention.

[0023]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an LC to which the carrier of the present invention is applied.
It is a top view which shows the coating development processing system of D board, FIG. 2 is the front view, and FIG. 3 is the rear view.

The coating / developing system 1 includes a cassette station 2 for mounting a cassette C containing a plurality of glass substrates G, and a plurality of processing units for performing a series of processes including resist coating and development on the substrates G. And the interface unit 4 for transferring the substrate G to and from the exposure apparatus 32. The cassette station 2 and the interface unit 4 are arranged at both ends of the processing unit 3, respectively. There is.

The cassette station 2 has a carrying mechanism 10 for carrying the LCD substrate between the cassette C and the processing section 3. And cassette station 2
In, the loading and unloading of the cassette C is performed. Further, the transfer mechanism 10 includes a transfer arm 11 that can move on a transfer path 12 provided along the arrangement direction of the cassettes, and the transfer arm 11 can transfer the substrate G between the cassette C and the processing unit 3. Done.

The processing section 3 has a vertical direction (X direction) in the arrangement direction (Y direction) of the cassettes C in the cassette station 2.
Direction), and a main transfer section 3a extending in the
An upstream part 3b in which each processing unit including a resist coating processing unit (CT) is arranged in parallel, and a downstream part 3c in which each processing unit including a development processing unit (DEV) 18 is arranged in parallel. There is.

The main transport section 3a is provided with a transport path 31 extending in the X direction and a transport shuttle 23 configured to be movable along the transport path 31 and transporting the glass substrate G in the X direction. ing. The transport shuttle 23 is configured to hold and transport the substrate G by, for example, support pins. In addition, at the end of the main transfer section 3a on the interface section 4 side, the substrate G is provided between the processing section 3 and the interface section 4.
A vertical transport unit 7 is provided for delivering and receiving.

A scrubber cleaning processing unit (SCR) 20 for cleaning the substrate G is provided at an end of the upstream portion 3b on the side of the cassette station 2. The scrubber cleaning processing unit (SCR) 20 is provided above the substrate G. Excimer UV treatment unit (e-
UV) 19 is provided. The scrubber cleaning processing unit (SCR) 20 is provided with a roller transfer type transfer device 50 according to the present invention, which will be described later.

Scrubber cleaning processing unit (SCR) 20
Next to the heat treatment system blocks 24 and 2 in which units for performing heat treatment on the glass substrate G are stacked in multiple stages.
5 are arranged. These heat treatment system blocks 24 and 2
The vertical transfer unit 5 is arranged between the blocks 5 and 5, and the transfer arm 5a is movable in the Z direction and the horizontal direction and is rotatable in the θ direction. The substrate G is transferred by accessing the heat treatment system unit. The vertical transport unit 7 in the processing section 3 has the same configuration as the vertical transport unit 5.

As shown in FIG. 2, the heat treatment system block 24
In this example, two baking units (BEKE) for performing a heat treatment on the substrate G before resist application are stacked, and an adhesion unit (AD) for performing a hydrophobic treatment with the HMDS gas is laminated in order from the bottom. On the other hand, heat treatment system block 25
Is a cooling unit (C
OL) is stacked in two layers, and an adhesion unit (AD) is stacked in order from the bottom.

A resist processing block 15 is extended in the X direction adjacent to the heat treatment system block 25. The resist processing block 15 includes a resist coating processing unit (CT) for coating the substrate G with a resist and a reduced pressure drying unit (V) for drying the coated resist by reducing the pressure.
D) and an edge remover (ER) for removing the resist on the peripheral portion of the substrate G are integrally provided. The resist processing block 15 is provided with a sub arm (not shown) that moves from the resist coating processing unit (CT) to the edge remover (ER).
The substrate G is carried in the resist processing block 15 by this sub-arm.

A multi-stage heat treatment system block 26 is disposed adjacent to the resist processing block 15. The heat treatment system block 26 includes a prebaking unit (PREBAK) for performing a heat treatment after applying the resist to the substrate G.
E) is laminated in three stages.

In the downstream portion 3c, as shown in FIG. 3, the heat treatment system block 2 is provided at the end portion on the interface portion 4 side.
9, a cooling unit (COL) and a post-exposure baking unit (PEBAKE) that performs heat treatment after exposure and before development processing are provided.
Are stacked in two layers in order from the bottom.

A development processing unit (DEV) 18 for performing development processing is provided adjacent to the heat treatment system block 29 in the X direction. Next to the development processing unit (DEV) 18, heat treatment system blocks 28 and 27 are arranged, and between these heat treatment system blocks 28 and 27, the same structure as that of the vertical transfer unit 5 is provided, and both blocks are provided. 28 and 2
A vertical transport unit 6 that can access each heat treatment system unit 7 is provided. Further, the i-line processing unit (i
-UV) 33 is provided. Development processing unit (D
The EV) 18 is provided with a transfer device 51 having the same structure as the roller transfer type transfer device 50.

In the heat treatment system block 28, a cooling unit (COL) and a post-baking unit (POBAKE) that heats the substrate G after development are stacked in two stages in order from the bottom. On the other hand, similarly, in the heat treatment system block 27, a cooling unit (COL) and a post-baking unit (POBAKE) are laminated in two stages in order from the bottom.

The interface section 4 has a titler and a peripheral exposure unit (Tiler / EE) 2 on the front side.
2, an extension cooling unit (EXTCOL) 35 is provided adjacent to the vertical transport unit 7,
Further, a buffer cassette 34 is arranged on the back side, and these titler and peripheral exposure unit (Titl).
er / EE) 22, the extension cooling unit (EXTCOL) 35, the buffer cassette 34, and the vertical transfer unit 8 that transfers the substrate G between the adjacent exposure devices 32. The vertical transport unit 8 also has the same configuration as the vertical transport unit 5.

4 and 5 show a plan view and a side view, respectively, of the transport devices 50 and 51 according to one embodiment. In addition,
The transport device 50 in the scrubber cleaning processing unit (SCR) 20 and the transport device 51 in the development processing unit (DEV) are different in the length in the longitudinal direction, but have the same configuration.

A motor 44 is attached to a side portion of a pedestal 60 of the transfer devices 50 and 51, and a shaft member 54 is rotatably mounted by the motor 44 along the transfer direction (X direction) of the glass substrate G. ing. Holding parts 41 are provided on the left and right of the upper part of the gantry 60 in the transport direction. A plurality of shafts 53 rotatably supported by bearings 45 are stretched between the holding portions 41, and a pair of conveying rollers 43 that support both ends of the glass substrate G and convey by rotation by these shafts 53. Are attached, and screw gears 49 are respectively provided at the ends. The shaft member 5
Screw gears 52 that mesh with the screw gears 49 are attached to the disk 4, so that the transport roller 43 is rotated by the drive of the motor 44 and the substrate G is transported.

A mounting portion 43a is provided on each of the pair of conveying rollers 43, and the glass substrate G is mounted on the mounting portion 43a. Also, the mounting portion 4
An O-ring (not shown) is attached to 3a along the mounting surface of the substrate G so as to absorb a shock when the substrate G is transported.

At both ends of the apparatus, a transfer section R for transferring the substrate G to and from the outside is provided. In the transfer section R, a plurality of transfer pins 46 for transferring the substrate G are arranged, and as shown in FIG.
The plurality of transfer pins 46 are configured to be lifted / lowered integrally through an opening 60a provided in an upper portion of a pedestal 60 via a connecting member 47 by a lifting drive of a driving unit 58.

With this transfer pin 46, in the scrubber cleaning processing unit (SCR) 20, the transfer mechanism 1
0 and the lowermost stage of the heat treatment system block 24, the substrate can be transferred, and the development processing unit (DE
In V) 18, the substrate can be transferred between the lowermost stage of the heat treatment system block 29 and the lowermost stage of the heat treatment system block 28. The parts other than the transfer part R are
Hereinafter, it will be referred to as the transport section S.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a pressing roller 36 is rotatably provided above the plurality of conveying rollers 43 so as to sandwich the substrate G between the conveying rollers 43. That is, these pressing rollers 36 are
Both ends of the front side of the are pressed. The pressing rollers 36 are connected to the horizontal support 61 in the transfer section R and to the horizontal support 56 in the transport section S via the spring 39 and the mounting member 62, respectively. The horizontal support 61 in the transfer section R is
For example, the lifting motor 59 is driven to move up and down, whereby the pressing roller 36 can be separated from the mounting portion 43a of the transport roller 43.

The biasing force of the spring 39 is set to such a value that the substrate G does not slip on the transport roller 43. By providing such a spring 39, the substrate G
Since both ends of the substrate G can be pressed with a substantially constant force at all times, the both ends of the substrate G are not adversely affected.

Further, the horizontal supports 56, 61 are connected by, for example, a rod member 55, and both horizontal supports 61 are integrally moved up and down in the transfer section R. In the transport section S, the horizontal support 56 is supported and fixed to the holding section 41 by a vertical support 57 as shown in FIG.

In this way, the pressing roller 36 is mounted on the mounting portion 43a.
When the substrate G is transferred from the outside in the transfer section R, the pressing roller 36 and the mounting section 43 are also moved in accordance with the raising operation of the transfer pin 46.
The substrate G is transferred after being separated from a.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the shaft 53 has a diameter larger than the diameter of the pair of transport rollers 43 and rotates together with the transport rollers 43 in common with the transport section S and the transfer section R. For example, two support rollers 37 are provided. The support roller 37 supports the vicinity of the center of the substrate G so that the substrate G is conveyed in a mountain shape.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a development processing unit (DEV) using the carrying device 51. In this development processing unit (DEV), the carrying section S of the carrying device 51 is used, and on the glass substrate G carried by the carrying rollers 43, the developing solution nozzles 65, 65 are arranged in order from the upstream side (left side in the drawing). The rinse nozzle 66 and the air knife 67 are attached via the attachment members 63, respectively. The developing solution nozzle 65 is a nozzle for supplying a developing solution to the surface of the substrate G and performing a developing process. The rinse nozzle 66 is a nozzle for supplying the rinse liquid to the substrate G to wash away the developing liquid on the substrate G. The air knife 67 is configured to immediately dry the substrate G by blowing high-pressure air onto the substrate G.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing the air knife 67, and the air knife 67 is provided with an air ejection port 67a corresponding to the chevron shape of the substrate G to be conveyed. This air is supplied from the air supply source 68 via the mounting member. With such a configuration, even if the substrate G is conveyed in a mountain shape, the air is uniformly supplied to the substrate surface, so that the drying efficiency can be improved.

In the processing steps of the coating and developing processing system 1 configured as described above, first, the substrate G in the cassette C is transferred to the upstream section 3b in the processing section 3. In the upstream portion 3b, the excimer UV processing unit (e-UV) 1
Surface modification / organic matter removal processing is performed in 9, and then in the scrubber cleaning processing unit (SCR) 20, the cleaning processing and the drying processing are performed while the substrate G is transported by the transport device 50 substantially horizontally. Then heat treatment block 2
Transport arm 5 in the vertical transport unit at the bottom of 4
The substrate G is taken out by a, and the heat treatment system block 24
Heat treatment is performed in the baking unit (BEKE) and hydrophobic treatment is performed in the adhesion unit (AD).
Cooling unit (COL) for heat treatment system block 25
Cooling process is performed.

Next, the substrate G is transferred from the transfer arm 5a to the transfer shuttle 23. Then, after being transferred to a resist coating processing unit (CT) and subjected to resist coating processing, a reduced pressure drying processing unit (VD) performs reduced pressure drying processing, and an edge remover (ER) sequentially performs resist removal processing on the peripheral edge of the substrate. Done.

Next, the substrate G is transferred from the transfer shuttle 23 to the transfer arm of the vertical transfer unit 7, and the prebaking unit (PREB) in the heat treatment system block 26 is transferred.
After the heat treatment is performed by AKE), the cooling treatment is performed by the cooling unit (COL) in the heat treatment system block 29. Subsequently, the substrate G is cooled by the extension cooling unit (EXTCOL) 35 and exposed by the exposure device.

Next, the substrate G is transferred to the vertical transfer units 8 and 7.
Is transferred to the post-exposure baking unit (PEBAKE) of the heat treatment system block 29 via the transfer arm, and the heating process is performed there, and then the cooling process is performed in the cooling unit (COL). Then, the substrate G is transferred to the transfer pin 46 of the transfer device 51 at the lowest stage of the heat treatment system block 29 via the transfer arm of the vertical transfer unit 7.

The substrate G is a development processing unit (DE
In (V), while the substrate G is being transported substantially horizontally by the transport device 51, the developing solution is supplied to the substrate G by the developing solution nozzle 65, the rinse process is performed by the rinse nozzle 66, and finally the air knife 67 is performed. The drying process is performed.

Next, the substrate G is transferred from the lowermost stage of the heat treatment system block 28 by the transport arm 6a of the vertical transport unit 6 and subjected to heat treatment by the post baking unit (POBAKE) in the heat treatment system block 28 or 27. The cooling process is performed in the cooling unit (COL). Then, the substrate G is transferred to the transfer mechanism 10 and accommodated in the cassette C.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when the substrate G is transported by the transport device 51, both ends of the substrate G on the transport roller 43 are transported while being pressed by the pressing rollers 36. It is possible to prevent the slip between the both ends and the transport roller 43, and it is possible to prevent the delay of the transport time and the generation of particles.

Further, a support roller 37 having a diameter larger than that of the mounting portion 43a of the transport roller 43 is provided, and the substrate G
The substrate G can be prevented from being bent by transporting the substrate in a mountain shape. In particular, it is possible to eliminate the inconvenience that the processing liquid such as the developing liquid and the rinsing liquid remains near the center of the substrate G during the transportation, and the drying process can be performed accurately.

Further, even if the substrate G is conveyed in a mountain shape, both ends of the substrate G are pressed by the pressing roller 36, so that slip can be prevented, and by combining the pressing roller 36 and the supporting roller 37. The effect is even greater.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a carrying device according to another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 9, the same components as those in FIG. 6 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In this embodiment, the support roller 37 is provided with the gear mechanism 69. FIG. 10 shows the gear mechanism 69.
The gear mechanism 69 includes an sun gear 71, a planetary gear 72, a carrier 73, and an internal gear 74.

The sun gear 71 is a gear located at the center of the gear mechanism 69, is fixed to the shaft 53, and meshes with the planetary gear 72. The planet gear 72
A plurality of sun gears 71 are provided so as to surround the sun gear 71, for example, three sun gears 71 are provided as in the present embodiment. The sun gears 71 mesh with the sun gear 71 and the internal gear 74. In addition, this planetary gear 72
The respective rotation shafts 75 are fixed to the carrier 73 so as to be located on a perfect circle centered on the rotation shaft of the carrier 73. The carrier 73 is directly connected to each rotation shaft of the planetary gear 72, and also directly connected to the support roller 37. The internal gear 74 is a fixed cylindrical gear, teeth are engraved inside the cylinder, and meshes with the planetary gear 72. The internal gear 74 may be fixed to the pedestal 60 or the like by using an appropriate supporting member, for example. The rotation axes of the sun gear 71, the carrier 73, and the internal gear 74 are installed so as to coincide with each other.

Further, the respective support rollers 37 are linked by a support roller shaft 70 so as to rotate in synchronization.

With the structure of the gear mechanism 69 as described above, first, the rotation of the motor is transmitted through the shaft 53 to the sun gear 7.
Rotate 1. Thus, the rotation can be transmitted to the planetary gear 72 meshing with the sun gear 71.

Upon receipt of this rotation, the planetary gear 72 revolves around the sun gear 71 with the teeth of the fixed internal gear 74 as fulcrums. By this revolution of the planetary gears 72, the rotation can be transmitted to the carriers 73 fixed to the rotation shafts 75 of the respective planetary gears 72. And carrier 7
The rotation of 3 is transmitted to the support roller 37 as an output.

In this embodiment, by increasing or decreasing the number of teeth of each gear, the rotational axis of the shaft 53 is
A rotation shaft having a rotation speed different from the rotation speed of the shaft 53 can be configured. Accordingly, the rotation speed of the support roller 37 can be adjusted so that the transport speed of the substrate G becomes equal between the support roller 37 and the transport roller 43. Further, the supporting roller also has a carrying force, and the point of force transmission increases. Then, the load on each transmission point is dispersed, and the problem of leaving roller marks on the substrate is solved.

Instead of using the mechanism described above as the gear mechanism 69, a harmonic gear mechanism may be used. The harmonic gear is commercially available as a product of Harmonic Drive Systems, Inc.

Next, the air jet 67a of the air knife 67
A modified example will be described.

As shown in FIG. 11, a plurality of holes are provided in the air ejection port 67a to maximize the diameter of the hole located at the center of the air knife 67. Then, the diameter of the hole is gradually reduced toward the end of the air knife 67. By adopting such a configuration, the air ejection amount at the center of the air ejection port 67a is maximized, and the ejection amount gradually decreases toward the end of the air ejection port 67a.

Further, FIG. 12 shows an air jet 67
By providing a plurality of holes in a, the diameter of the hole located in the center of the air knife 67 is maximized, and the diameter of the hole is gradually reduced toward the end of the air knife 67, and at the same time, the direction of the air jetting hole is changed. The air knife 67 is gradually directed to the outside of the substrate from the center to the end. With such a configuration, the air ejection port 6
The air ejection amount in the central portion of 7a becomes maximum, and the ejection amount gradually decreases toward the end of the air ejection port 67a, and the air is made to flow from the central portion to the end portion of the substrate. Can be supplied.

As described above, in the present embodiment, by supplying the maximum amount of air to the central portion of the substrate G which is the top of the mountain shape, the rinse liquid flows from the central portion of the substrate G to the end portion. It can be accelerated and efficient drying is realized. That is, efficient drying utilizing the height difference between the central portion and the end portion of the substrate is realized.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be made.

For example, the support roller 37 of the above embodiment.
Is larger than the diameter of the mounting portion 43a of the transport roller 43, but since it is not necessary to perform the ridge-shaped transport of the substrate G without performing liquid processing or the like in the transfer portion R, the support roller 37 and the support roller 37 are mounted. The diameter of the mounting portion 43a may be substantially the same.

For example, in the development processing unit in the above-described embodiment, the air ejection port 67a of the air knife 67 is adapted to the mountain-shaped transfer shape of the substrate G, but not only the air knife 67 but also the developing solution nozzle 65 and the rinse. Nozzle 6
Similarly, 6 may be adapted to the mountain-shaped transfer shape of the substrate G.

[0074]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The substrate can be stably transported without slipping, and moreover, liquid draining in the liquid processing, drying processing, etc. can be performed accurately.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of a coating and developing treatment system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the coating and developing treatment system shown in FIG.

3 is a rear view of the coating and developing treatment system shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a carrying device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a side view of the transfer device shown in FIG. 4. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the transfer device shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing the development processing unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a front view showing an air knife portion in the development processing unit of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a carrying device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view showing an example of a gear mechanism.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing a modified example of the air ejection port of the air knife.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing another modified example of the air ejection port.

[Explanation of symbols]

G ... Substrate S: Transport section 18 ... Development processing unit 36 ... Pressing roller 37 ... Support roller 39 ... Spring 43 ... Conveyor roller 43a ... Placement part 44 ... Motor 46 ... pin 50, 51 ... Carrier 53 ... Shaft 59 ... Lifting motor 65 ... Developer nozzle 66 ... Rinse nozzle 67 ... Air knife 67a ... Air outlet 69 ... Gear mechanism

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) B65G 49/06 B65G 49/06 ZF term (reference) 3F033 BB02 BC03 BC05 BC07 GA06 GB08 GE01 GE04 5F031 CA05 DA01 FA02 FA11 FA15 GA06 GA47 GA48 GA49 GA53 LA07 LA14 MA23 MA24 MA26 MA27 MA30 PA18 PA26 PA30

Claims (19)

[Claims] 1. At least one pair of transport rollers that support both ends of the back side of the substrate and transport the substrate by rotation, and both ends of the front side of the substrate that are rotatably arranged close to the pair of transport rollers. A conveying device comprising: at least one pair of pressing rollers that press the pair of rollers; and a drive unit that rotationally drives the pair of conveying rollers. 2. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of pressing rollers includes a unit that presses both ends of the substrate on the front surface side with a substantially constant force. 3. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the diameter is larger than the diameter of the pair of conveying rollers and is rotatably arranged coaxially with the rotation shafts of the pair of conveying rollers. A transporting device further comprising at least one support roller that supports the vicinity of the center of the substrate from the back surface side. 4. The transport device according to claim 3, further comprising a gear unit that drives the support roller to rotate at a rotation speed different from a rotation speed of the transport roller. 5. Any one of claims 1 to 4
The transport apparatus according to the item 1, further comprising means for separating the pressing roller from the transport roller. 6. Any one of claims 1 to 4
In the transport device described in the paragraph (1), a unit that is disposed on an upper portion of the substrate transported by the transport roller and that supplies a developing solution onto the substrate, and a unit that supplies a rinsing liquid onto the substrate to which the developing solution is supplied. And a means for spraying air onto the substrate to dry the substrate. 7. The conveyance device according to claim 6, wherein the drying unit ejects the air, conveys the air supported by the conveyance roller and the support roller, and pressed by the pressing roller. And a jetting port having a shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate to be formed. 8. The transfer device according to claim 7, wherein the supply amount of the air to the substrate is maximum in the central portion of the substrate and gradually decreases toward the end portion of the substrate. Characteristic transport device. 9. The transfer device according to claim 8, wherein the amount of air jetted is maximum at the center of the jet outlet and gradually decreases toward the end of the jet outlet. A transport device characterized by. 10. The transfer device according to claim 8, wherein the direction in which air is ejected from the ejection port is substantially perpendicular to the substrate at the central portion of the ejection port, and at the end of the ejection port. A transport device characterized by gradually expanding toward the outside of the substrate as it reaches the end. 11. (a) A plurality of first transport rollers that support both ends of the back side of the substrate and transport the substrate by rotation, and a plurality of first transport rollers that are rotatably arranged close to the first transport rollers, respectively. And a plurality of first pressing rollers that press both ends of the front surface side of the substrate, and Two conveying rollers, a plurality of second pressing rollers which are rotatably and rotatably arranged with respect to the second conveying roller and press both ends of the front surface side of the substrate, and the second conveying roller. And a transfer unit having a plurality of pins that can project and retract from below and transfer the substrate to and from the outside; and (c) a drive unit that rotationally drives the first transport roller and the second transport roller. Possession Conveying apparatus according to claim Rukoto. 12. The conveyance device according to claim 11, wherein the first pressing roller and the second pressing roller each include means for pressing both ends on the front surface side of the substrate with a substantially constant force. A transport device characterized by the above. 13. The transport device according to claim 11, wherein the first transport roller and the second transport roller are rotatably arranged coaxially with rotation axes of the first transport roller and the first transport roller, respectively. A transport device further comprising a plurality of support rollers having a diameter larger than that of the rollers and the second transport roller, and supporting the vicinity of the center of the substrate from the back surface side. 14. The conveying device according to claim 13, further comprising a gear unit that rotationally drives the plurality of support rollers at a rotation speed different from a rotation speed of the first and second conveyance rollers. Characteristic transport device. 15. The transporting device according to claim 11, wherein the first transporting roller is disposed on an upper portion of the substrate, and the developing solution is supplied onto the substrate. And a means for supplying a rinse liquid onto the substrate, and a means for blowing air onto the substrate to dry it. 16. The conveying device according to claim 15, wherein the drying unit ejects the air, is supported by the first conveying roller and the supporting roller, and is pressed by the pressing roller. A transporting device, comprising: a jet port having a shape corresponding to the shape of the substrate transported in the state. 17. The transfer device according to claim 16, wherein the supply amount of the air to the substrate is maximum at the central portion of the substrate and gradually decreases toward the end portion of the substrate. Characteristic transport device. 18. The transport apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the air ejection amount is maximum at the central portion of the ejection port and gradually decreases toward the end portion of the ejection port. A transport device characterized by. 19. The transporting device according to claim 17, wherein the direction in which air is ejected from the ejection port is substantially perpendicular to the substrate at the central portion of the ejection port, and at the end of the ejection port. A transport device characterized by gradually expanding toward the outside of the substrate as it reaches the end.