Coating apparatus – Projection or spray type
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-15
2002-07-23
Crispino, Richard (Department: 1734)
Coating apparatus
Projection or spray type
C118S305000, C118S410000, C118S631000, C118S632000, C118S602000, C427S096400
Reexamination Certificate
active
06423139
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chemical liquid treatment apparatus for applying a liquid chemical coating, such as a resist liquid, a developing fluid, or a rinsing liquid or the like, upon a surface of a platelike material to be treated, for example, a glass substrate or a semiconductor wafer or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, for decreasing the amount of an application liquid such as resist liquid or the like which is applied onto a surface of a plate-like material to be treated, such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate or the like, it has been the practice to inject the application liquid from a nozzle opening in a form of a slit, as is disclosed for example in Japanese Laid-open Patent No. Sho 61-65435 (1986), No. Sho 63-156320 (1988), and No. Hei 4-118073 (1992).
In more detail, in Japanese Laid-open Patent No. Sho 61-65435 (1986), there is disclosed a nozzle provided with a flat liquid injection opening, which is directed downward and is perpendicular or normal to a moving direction of a substrate, wherein a treatment liquid is applied like a film coming across the path of the substrate so that the substrate being transferred passes through the film of the treatment liquid while the substrate is attached upon a rotating chuck and is rotated thereby. The substrate, therefore, is treated with the treatment liquid being spread from the slit nozzle positioned thereabove.
In Japanese Laid-open Patent No. Sho 63-156320 (1988), it Is disclosed that a substrate is rotated and a thin film of light-sensitive resist material is formed thereon after the resist liquid is supplied onto the substrate from an opening having a line-like shape, which is part of a resist supplying means (i.e., nozzle).
Further, in Japanese Laid-open Patent No. Hei 4-118073 (1992), in the same manner as mentioned in the conventional art above, it is disclosed that, after a coating liquid is applied upon a substrate through a head having a nozzle opening in the shape of a slit (or slot), the thickness of the applied film is adjusted by spin-type adjustment apparatus for adjusting the thickness thereof.
According to the construction disclosed in every one of the conventional art documents mentioned above, however, the nozzle is connected at a tip of a supply conduit used for feeding the application liquid to be applied, and therefore, the application liquid is injected from the nozzle by opening a valve located on the supply conduit itself, while the injecting of the application liquid from the nozzle is stopped by closing the valve at the supply conduit.
As is mentioned above, in the conventional art, though the injection of the application liquid is stopped by closing the valve located on the supply conduit, there remains an amount of application liquid still within the nozzle. As a result, the remaining application liquid tends to leak from the nozzle, and sometimes drops or falls out of the nozzle even after the closing of the valve, which can cause problems.
Further, if the application liquid leaks from the opening of the nozzle, it is difficult to maintain the thickness of the film applied to a substrate at a constant value, since the amount of application liquid that is applied at the next application cycle is variably increased depending on the amount of liquid that was trapped in the nozzle when the valve was last shut. Therefore, in the conventional art, ordinarily, application of the liquid to a substrate is once again started after necessarily discharging the liquid remaining within the nozzle, which is a waste of the application liquid, and this is a large disadvantage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, for resolving the drawbacks in the conventional art mentioned above, there is provided a chemical liquid treatment apparatus, comprising a coating apparatus for applying a coating liquid, which has a nozzle for applying the coating liquid upon a surface of a plate-like material to be treated, in a predetermined width, wherein the nozzle is connected to a circulating passage for supplying the coating liquid to the nozzle.
When providing the nozzle connected to a circulating passage for supplying the coating liquid, for the purpose of prohibiting generation of bubbles in the liquid due to the supply to and the discharge from the nozzle of the coating liquid, it is preferable to make the cross-sectional shape of the fluid passage formed in the nozzle substantially equal to those of the supply conduit (including any tubes, etc.) and of the discharge conduit (including any tubes, etc.) for supplying the coating liquid to be applied, so as to remove any steps or gradients between them.
Further, it is preferable for the fluid passage for the coating liquid in the nozzle to be formed straight and to be substantially constant in cross-sectional area thereof over substantially its entire length.
Moreover, it is also preferable to provide an air extracting cell and a temperature adjuster in the circulating passage, and to connect an another supply conduit for the coating liquid to the circulating passage.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4932353 (1990-06-01), Kawata et al.
patent: 4938994 (1990-07-01), Choinski
patent: 5622747 (1997-04-01), Todd et al.
patent: 5993553 (1999-11-01), Lim et al.
patent: 6165435 (1986-04-01), None
patent: 63156320 (1988-06-01), None
patent: 4118073 (1992-04-01), None
Kutsuzawa Junji
Nagasawa Koichi
Shimai Futoshi
Blackman William D.
Carrier Joseph P.
Carrier Blackman & Associates P.C.
Crispino Richard
Lorengo J. A.
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