Coating apparatus for semiconductor process

A coating apparatus for coating a target region of an LCD semiconductor substrate with a process liquid selected from the group consisting of a photo-resist liquid and a developing liquid for a photo-resist, wherein the target region has a width substantially covering the width of the LCD substrate, comprising:

• a plurality of lower conveyer rollers configured to support said substrate substantially horizontal and to linearly convey said substrate in a conveying direction while being in contact with a bottom surface of said substrate;
• an upper conveyer roller having a rotational axis parallel to those of said lower conveyer rollers, wherein said substrate is conveyed while being sandwiched between said lower conveyer rollers and said upper conveyer roller, and wherein said upper roller is arranged so as not to be brought into contact with said target region of said substrate but only with part of said substrate;
• a main support roller configured to support said substrate in cooperation with said lower conveyer rollers while being in contact with said bottom surface of said substrate, said main support roller having a rotational axis extending perpendicular to said conveying direction;
• a supply nozzle arranged above said main support roller and configured to supply said process liquid onto said target region when said substrate is being conveyed by said lower conveyer rollers and is passing over said main support roller, said supply nozzle having a supply port which is laterally long and narrow for supplying said process liquid as a band all at once substantially all over a width of said target region perpendicular to said conveying direction;
• and
• a positioning mechanism configured to position said substrate relative to said supply nozzle in a direction perpendicular to said conveying direction when said substrate is passing over said main support roller and is being supplied with said process liquid from said supply nozzle, wherein said positioning mechanism comprises a pair of upper guide surfaces arranged on said upper conveyer roller so as to be brought into contact with opposite edges of said substrate, which define a width of said substrate in a direction perpendicular to said conveying direction, and wherein said pair of upper guide surfaces are defined by side surfaces of a pair of conical portions arranged on said upper conveyer roller so as to decrease their diameters toward each other.

A coating apparatus for coating a target region of an LCD semiconductor substrate with a process liquid selected from the group consisting of a photo-resist liquid and a developing liquid for a photo-resist, wherein the target region has a width substantially covering the width of the LCD substrate, comprising:

• a plurality of lower conveyer rollers configured to support said substrate substantially horizontal and linearly conveying said substrate in a conveying direction while being in contact with a bottom surface of said substrate;
• an upper conveyer roller having a rotational axis parallel to those of said lower conveyer rollers, wherein said substrate is conveyed while being sandwiched between said lower conveyer rollers and said upper conveyer roller, and wherein said upper roller is arranged so as not to be brought into contact with said target region of said substrate but only with part of said substrate;
• a main support roller configured to support said substrate in cooperation with said lower conveyer rollers while being in contact with said bottom surface of said substrate, said main support roller having a rotational axis extending perpendicular to said conveying direction;
• a supply nozzle arranged above said main support roller configured to supply said process liquid onto said target region when said substrate is being conveyed by said lower conveyer rollers and is passing over said main support roller, said supply nozzle having a supply port which is laterally long and narrow for supplying said process liquid as a band all at once substantially all over a width of said target region perpendicular to said conveying direction;
• and
• a positioning mechanism configured to position said substrate relative to said supply nozzle in a direction perpendicular to said conveying direction when said substrate is passing over said main support roller and is being supplied with said process liquid from said supply nozzle, wherein said positioning mechanism comprises a pair of lower guide surfaces arranged on one of said lower conveyer rollers and said main support roller so as to be brought into contact with opposite edges of said substrate, which define a width of said substrate in a direction perpendicular to said conveying direction, and wherein said pair of lower guide surfaces are defined by side surfaces of a pair of conical portions arranged on one of said lower conveyer rollers and said main support roller so as to decrease their diameters toward each other.