Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co., Ltd.

Kazunobu Yamaguchi

Hiroyoshi Sago

Shigemi Fujiyama

Junji Kutsuzawa

A cleaning device for cleaning a slit-like nozzle having an opening of a predetermined breadth for discharging liquid paint, with uniformity and with a small amount of cleaning liquid, wherein under a condition that a nozzle N is mounted on receiver plates 4, 4, a substantially air-tight space is formed, and a gas supply conduit is opened at one end of a cleaning portion 2 in the direction of the breadth of the nozzle, and an exhaust conduit 7 is opened at the other end thereof, being disposed in a vicinity of the gas supply conduit, so as to supply the cleaning liquid into the air-tight space. Then, since the air inside of the air-tight space is extracted from the exhaust conduit 7, the gas supplied from the one end flows towards the exhaust conduit 7 at the other end. The cleaning liquid contacts with the surface of the nozzle so as to dissolve and wash away any liquid paint adhering thereon.

Cleaning device and cleaning method for applicator nozzle

A vacuum chuck and an inner cup are rotated together by a spinner for spreading and coating a coating solution uniformly on a glass substrate in the inner cup under centrifugal forces. Under the centrifugal forces, gases that are present inward of a rectangular ridge in the inner cup are forced to flow outwardly through a gap between the rectangular ridge and a flow-rectifying plate 42 and also through holes defined in the rectangular ridge. Therefore, turbulent flows and pressure fluctuations are minimized in a space defined inward of the rectangular ridge, i.e., a space which accommodates the glass substrate placed on a bottom surface of the inner cup inwardly of the rectangular ridge. The coating solution applied to the upper surface of the glass substrate is allowed to form a uniform film thereon.

Rotary-cup liquid supply device

A glass substrate is supported on a pedestal in a rotatable cup having an upper opening. The pedestal, which is substantially similar in shape to the glass substrate, has a ridge extending along an outer peripheral edge of an upper surface thereof, for engaging an outer peripheral edge of a lower surface of the glass substrate. After a resist solution to be coated on the glass substrate is applied to an upper surface thereof, the upper opening of the rotatable cup is closed by a cover, and then the rotatable cup is rotated to spread the applied resist solution uniformly over the upper surface under centrifugal forces. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises an inner rotatable cup and an outer rotatable cup, each with its own separate cover. In another embodiment, a pedestal is mounted on the bottom of the inner cup having a vacuum chuck movable therein. In a third embodiment, a flow-rectifying plate is mounted on the lower surface of the cover whereby fluid from nozzles is ejected onto the upper surface of the flow rectifying plate and then into the cup.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Kazunobu Yamaguchi