Method and apparatus for coating resin

Abstract

Method and apparatus for coating a surface of a work with a thin resin or plastic film suitable for use in imprinting a pattern by impressing a master pattern on a transfer surface of a mold on the coated resin film. A curable resin liquid is coated on a work by the use of an inkjet feed means having a plural number of inkjet nozzle holes in a row or rows on a nozzle assembly, in association with actuators to propel droplets of resin liquid from the respective inkjet nozzle holes in controlled timings while moving the inkjet feed means and the work relative to each other.

1 . A resin coating apparatus for coating a surface of a substrate plate with a thin resin film suitable for use in imprinting a pattern by impressing thereon a master pattern on a transfer surface of a mold, characterized in that said apparatus comprises: 
 an inkjet feed means having a plural number of inkjet nozzle holes in an array on a nozzle assembly to feed droplets of a resin liquid onto a surface of said substrate plate, each one of said inkjet nozzle holes having an actuator to propel a droplet of said resin liquid intermittently in a controlled timing; and    a linear or rotational drive means adapted to move said inkjet feed means and said substrate plate relatively at least in a direction perpendicular to said array of said inkjet nozzle holes or in a rotational direction.    
     
     
         2 . A resin coating apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said substrate plate is in the form of an annular disc, said inkjet nozzle holes on said nozzle assembly are arrayed in a row or in rows extending over a length sufficient to fully cover whole diameter of said substrate plate, and said drive means is adapted to put either said substrate plate or said nozzle assembly in rotation; 
 said inkjet feed means further comprising a control circuit adapted to control drop feed timings from said inkjet nozzle holes in such a way that droplets of said resin liquid are fed onto said substrate plate at shorter time intervals in outer peripheral side than in inner peripheral side of said substrate plate.    
     
     
         3 . A resin coating apparatus as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said nozzle assembly is located at a space of 1 to 2 mm from a coating surface of said substrate plate.  
     
     
         4 . A method for coating a surface of a work with a thin resin film suitable for use in imprinting a pattern by impressing thereon a master pattern on a transfer surface of a mold, characterized in that said method comprises the steps of: 
 providing an inkjet feed means having a plural number of inkjet nozzle holes in a nozzle assembly;    positioning said nozzle assembly face to face with a coating surface of said work; and    propelling droplets of a resin liquid toward said work from the respective inkjet nozzle holes while moving said work relative to said inkjet feed means or vice versa.