JP2000150445A - Processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the atmosphere in a process chamber from entering a drive system of a drive means and to prevent particles at the drive system from entering the process chamber. SOLUTION: A process chamber 36 for processing a semiconductor wafer W, a wafer boat 40 for moving the semiconductor wafer W in the process chamber 36, and a ball screw mechanism 50 for driving the wafer boat 40, are provided. Here, the ball screw mechanism 50 is provided in a space 39 partitioned by a partition wall 37 from the process chamber 36. A connection member 42 which connects the wafer boat 40 and the ball screw mechanism 50 together is formed for mobility in a guide hole 38 provided at the partition wall 37, and a suction cylinder 70 provided with a suction hole 71 opened on the side of the connection member 42 is provided near the guide hole 38 of the partition wall 37, with the suction cylinder 70 connected to an exhaust means. Thus, the atmosphere in the process chamber is prevented from entering the ball screw mechanism 50 while the particles at the ball screw mechanism 50 are prevented from entering the process chamber 36.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a processing apparatus for processing an object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer or an LCD glass substrate, for example, in a cleaning processing chamber.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, in a semiconductor manufacturing process, a semiconductor wafer or an LCD glass substrate, which is an object to be processed, is sequentially transferred to a processing tank or a drying unit in which a processing liquid such as a chemical or a rinsing liquid (cleaning liquid) is stored. Processing devices that perform processes such as cleaning and insertion are widely used.

In the above processing apparatus, the object to be processed is c.
In order to process eha efficiently, a plurality of e.g.
EHA is transported to a predetermined processing chamber by the transport means, and each processing chamber is
, A plurality of wafers can be collectively moved
After being handed over to an eha boat, processed by a wafer boat
The wafer is moved into the tank, and the wafer is treated with a processing solution (for example,
Numonia water (NH_FourOH + H_TwoO_Two+ H_TwoO), hydrogen peroxide
(HCl + H_TwoO_Two+ H _TwoO) or diluted hydrofluoric acid (HF +
H_TwoO) Using the deionized water or pure water,
Particles, metal contaminants, organic contaminants or oxide films
Processing such as removal is performed.

[0004]

In the above-described processing apparatus, the processing chamber for processing a wafer as an object to be processed is under a chemical solution atmosphere, and this chemical solution atmosphere is used for transferring or moving the wafer or the processing chamber. When the drive unit such as an opening / closing means for opening and closing the opening, for example, a shutter opening / closing moving means, enters the driving system, the driving unit is corroded, which not only hinders the transfer and movement of the wafer, but also shortens the life of the apparatus. Was.

On the other hand, when particles generated in a driving unit such as a transfer unit or a moving unit enter the processing chamber, there is a problem that particles and the like adhere to the wafer, thereby lowering the product yield.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and prevents an atmosphere in a processing chamber from entering a driving system of a driving unit, and prevents particles generated in the driving system from entering a processing chamber. It is an object of the present invention to provide a processing apparatus as described above.

[0007]

To achieve the above object, a first processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a processing chamber for processing an object to be processed, and a moving means for moving the object in the processing chamber. And a driving unit for driving the moving unit, wherein the driving unit is disposed in a space defined by the partition wall and the processing chamber, and in a guide hole provided in the partition wall. A connecting member for connecting the moving means and the driving means is formed so as to be movable, and a suction cylinder body having a suction hole opened on the connecting member side is provided near the guide hole of the partition wall; The suction cylinder is connected to an exhaust means (claim 1).

With this configuration, it is possible to exhaust the atmosphere in the processing chamber into the driving means through the suction hole and the suction cylinder. Further, it is possible to exhaust the particles generated from the driving means into the processing chamber through the suction hole and the suction cylinder.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the driving means is accommodated in a housing having an opening on the connecting member side, and a cover having a moving opening for the connecting member is attached to the opening of the housing. It is more preferable (claim 2). In this case, it is preferable to dispose a shielding plate between the driving means and the opening for moving the cover in the housing (claim 3).

With this configuration, it is possible to prevent particles generated from the driving means from entering the processing chamber.
It can be blocked by covers or shields. Also,
The drive unit exposed to the outside through the opening for movement can be blinded by the shield plate.

According to a second processing apparatus of the present invention, there is provided a processing chamber for processing an object to be processed, opening and closing means for opening and closing an opening provided in the processing chamber, and opening and closing driving means for driving the opening and closing means. In a processing apparatus comprising: a connecting member that connects the opening / closing drive unit and the opening / closing unit is movably formed; and near a connecting portion between the opening / closing drive unit and the connecting member,
Along with disposing a suction cylinder having a suction hole opened on the connecting member side, the suction cylinder is connected to exhaust means.
(Chart 4).

With this configuration, it is possible to exhaust particles generated by movement of the opening / closing drive means and the connecting member into the processing chamber through the suction hole and the suction cylinder. Further, the intrusion of the atmosphere in the processing chamber into the opening / closing drive means can be exhausted through the suction hole and the suction cylinder.

According to a third processing apparatus of the present invention, there is provided a processing chamber for processing an object to be processed, opening and closing means for opening and closing an opening provided in the processing chamber, and opening and closing driving means for driving the opening and closing means. Wherein the opening / closing drive unit is housed in a cylindrical housing, and a connecting member connecting the opening / closing unit and the opening / closing drive unit is movable in a guide hole provided in the cylindrical housing. Forming, near the guide hole of the cylindrical housing, disposing a suction cylinder having a suction hole opened on the connection member side, and connecting the suction cylinder to an exhaust means. (Claim 5).

According to this structure, similarly to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent particles generated by movement of the opening / closing drive means and the connecting member from entering the processing chamber by the suction hole and the suction cylinder. Can be exhausted through the body. Further, the intrusion of the atmosphere in the processing chamber into the opening / closing drive means can be exhausted through the suction hole and the suction cylinder.

In the processing apparatus according to claim 1, 4 or 5, the suction cylinder has a plurality of suction holes formed at appropriate intervals along the moving direction of the connecting member. It is preferable to connect the exhaust means to one end (claim 6). In this case, a partition wall is provided in the suction cylinder body from one end in the arrangement direction of the plurality of suction holes formed in the suction cylinder body to a position near the other end to form a bypass passage, and an end of the bypass passage is formed. It is also possible to connect exhaust means to the section (claim 7).

[0016] With this configuration, the connection side of the suction cylinder to the exhaust means is positioned in, for example, a portion of the processing chamber where the concentration of the chemical atmosphere is high, so that the chemical atmosphere can be more reliably penetrated into the drive system. Can be prevented. Also,
By providing the bypass passage, the exhaust means can be positioned above the suction cylinder, so that the degree of freedom of the location of the exhaust means can be increased.

Further, in the processing apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, the suction hole formed in the suction cylinder is formed so as to gradually increase in diameter from the connection side of the exhaust means to the other side. This is preferable in that the atmosphere in the processing chamber can be uniformly exhausted (claim 8).

Further, in the processing apparatus according to the fifth aspect, the cylindrical housing is formed to have a substantially rectangular cross section, and a guide hole is formed in a side surface of the cylindrical housing opposite to the opening / closing means side. It is preferable that the member has a connecting piece inserted into the cylindrical housing at one end and connected to the opening / closing driving means, and has a substantially crank-shaped cross section having a mounting piece of the opening / closing means at the other end. Item 9).

With this configuration, it is possible to make it difficult for particles generated from the opening / closing drive means to flow out to the processing chamber side, and to more reliably prevent the particles from entering the processing chamber side.

Further, in the processing apparatus according to the fifth or ninth aspect, it is preferable to provide a clean gas supply means in the cylindrical housing (claim 10). In this case, the clean gas supply means is disposed within the cylindrical housing, and has a clean gas supply cylinder having a discharge hole toward the vicinity of the guide hole, and a clean gas supply source connected to the clean gas supply cylinder. (Claim 11). Here, as a clean gas,
For example, an inert gas such as a nitrogen (N ₂ ) gas, clean air, or the like can be used.

With this configuration, the inside of the cylindrical housing accommodating the opening / closing driving means can be kept in a clean gas atmosphere, and the atmosphere in the processing chamber can be more reliably prevented from entering the opening / closing driving means. can do.

[0022]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a case where the processing apparatus of the present invention is applied to a semiconductor wafer cleaning / drying processing system will be described.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a cleaning / drying processing system to which the processing apparatus of the present invention is applied.

The cleaning / drying processing system includes a loading / unloading unit 2 for loading and unloading a container, for example, a carrier 1 for horizontally storing a semiconductor wafer W (hereinafter, referred to as a wafer) as a substrate to be processed. A processing unit 3 that performs a liquid processing such as a chemical liquid and a cleaning liquid on the wafer W and also performs a drying processing;
It mainly includes a wafer transfer unit, for example, an interface unit 4, which is located between the unloading unit 2 and the processing unit 3 and performs transfer of the wafer W, position adjustment, posture conversion, interval adjustment, and the like.

The loading / unloading section 2 has a carrier loading / unloading section 5a and a carrier loading / unloading section 5b, and a wafer loading / unloading section 6 at one end of the cleaning / drying processing system. In this case, a transport mechanism (not shown) is provided between the carrier loading / unloading section 5a and the wafer loading / unloading section 6, so that the carrier 1 is transported from the carrier loading section 5a to the wafer loading / unloading section 6 by the transport mechanism. It is configured.

A carrier lifter (not shown) is provided in each of the carrier carrying-out section 5b and the wafer carrying-in / out section 6, and the carrier lifter is used to carry an empty carrier 1 above the carrying-in / out section 2. It is configured to be able to perform delivery to a standby unit (not shown) and reception from the carrier standby unit.

The wafer loading / unloading section 6 is open to the interface section 4, and a lid opening / closing device 7 is provided in the opening. The lid (not shown) of the carrier 1 is opened or closed by the lid opening / closing device 7. Therefore, the lid of the carrier 1 for storing the unprocessed wafers W transferred to the wafer loading / unloading section 6 is removed by the lid opening / closing device 7 and the wafer W in the carrier 1 is removed.
Can be carried out, and after all the wafers W have been carried out, the lid can be closed again by the lid opening / closing device 7. Further, the lid of the empty carrier 1 transported from the carrier standby unit to the wafer loading / unloading unit 6 is removed by the lid opening / closing device 7 so that the wafers W can be loaded into the carrier 1, and after all the wafers W have been loaded, The lid can be closed again by the lid opening / closing device 7. A mapping sensor 9 for detecting the number of wafers W stored in the carrier 1 is provided near the opening of the wafer loading / unloading section 6.

The interface section 4 holds a plurality of wafers W, for example, 25 wafers in a horizontal state, and transfers the wafers W in a horizontal state to and from the carrier 1 of the wafer loading / unloading section 6. And a plurality of, for example,
Interval adjusting means for holding the two wafers W vertically at a predetermined interval, for example, a pitch changer (not shown);
An attitude conversion device 10 positioned between the wafer transfer arm 8 and the pitch changer for converting a plurality of wafers W, for example, 26 wafers, between a horizontal state and a vertical state, and provided on the wafer W whose attitude has been changed to a vertical state. Position detecting means, for example, a notch aligner 11 for detecting the notch (not shown) is provided. The interface unit 4 includes a processing unit 3
Is provided, and the transfer path 21
A transfer means, for example, a wafer transfer chuck 20 is movably provided.

In this case, the wafer transfer arm 8 takes out and transfers a plurality of wafers W from the carrier 1 of the wafer loading / unloading section 6 and also has two holding sections for accommodating the plurality of wafers W in the carrier 1, for example. Arm body 8a, 8b
It is attached. The arms 8 a and 8 b are formed so as to be movable in the horizontal direction (X and Y directions), the vertical direction (Z direction) and the rotation direction (θ direction), and the carrier 1 mounted on the wafer loading / unloading section 6. The transfer of the wafer W is performed between the apparatus and the attitude conversion device 10. Therefore, an unprocessed wafer W can be held by one arm body 8a, and a processed wafer W can be held by the other arm body 8b.

On the other hand, the processing unit 3 includes a first processing unit 31 for removing particles and organic contaminants adhering to the wafer W, and a second processing unit 32 for removing metal contaminants adhering to the wafer W. A cleaning / drying processing unit 33 and a chuck cleaning unit 34 for removing and drying a chemical oxide film adhered to the wafer W are linearly arranged, and are provided at positions opposed to these units 31 to 34. A wafer transfer chuck 20 movable in the X, Y directions (horizontal direction), the Z direction (vertical direction), and the θ direction (rotation direction) is provided in the path 21. Note that the chuck cleaning unit 34 does not necessarily need to be disposed between the cleaning / drying processing unit 33 and the interface unit 4. For example, the chuck cleaning unit 34 is disposed between the second processing unit 32 and the cleaning / drying processing unit 33. Alternatively, it may be disposed adjacent to the first processing unit 31.

In the first to third processing units 31 to 33, a processing tank 35 for storing a predetermined processing liquid such as a chemical solution or pure water, and a wafer W are moved (loaded / loaded) into the processing tank 35. A moving means for carrying out (eg, a wafer boat) 40 is provided. In addition, the first and second processing units 31, 3
An opening provided in a processing chamber 36 accommodating the processing tank 35 is opened and closed between the processing tank 35 storing the chemical solution and the processing tank 35 storing the pure water in the processing tank 35 disposed in the inside 2. Opening / closing means, for example, a shutter 60 is provided.

In the processing apparatus configured as described above, when the chemical liquid atmosphere in the processing chamber 36 enters the driving section of the wafer boat 40 and the driving section of the shutter 60, the driving section of the wafer boat 40 and the driving section of the shutter 60 are driven. May be corroded and hinder the movement and processing of the wafer W. Also,
When particles generated in the driving unit of the wafer boat 40 and the driving unit of the shutter 60 enter the processing chamber 36, they adhere to the wafer W and hinder the processing of the wafer W.
There is a risk of lowering the product yield. In order to solve such a problem, the present invention prevents the atmosphere in the processing chamber 36 from entering the drive unit side and prevents particles generated in the drive unit from entering the processing chamber 36 side as described below. Preventing.

First Embodiment FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a main part of a wafer boat and driving means in a first embodiment of the processing apparatus of the present invention, and FIG.
It is a sectional side view of a wafer boat and a drive means.

A plurality of wafer boats 40, for example,
A structure in which one lower holding member 40a that holds the lower end portions of two wafers W and a pair of side holding members 40b that hold both side portions of the wafer W are supported in a cantilever manner by a supporting member 41. It has become. The wafer boat 40 configured as described above is connected to the driving unit 50 via the connecting member 42, and is configured to be able to move up and down (move in the Z direction) by driving of the driving unit 50. Therefore, a plurality of sheets transferred by the wafer transfer chuck 20, for example, 5
After the two wafers W are received by the wafer boat 40,
The wafer boat 40 is lowered by the driving of the driving unit 50, and the cleaning process can be performed by immersing the wafer W in the processing liquid stored in the processing tank 35. Further, after the processing, the wafer boat 40 is lifted to take out the wafer W from the processing tank 35 and is transferred to the wafer transfer chuck 20 again to perform the subsequent processing.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the driving means 50 receives the power from a stepping motor 51, which is a driving source, via a timing
3 and a ball screw mechanism composed of a mover 54 slidably screwed to the screw shaft 53. The driving means constituted in this manner, that is, the ball screw mechanism 5
The connection member 42 is connected to the zero mover 54.
The ball screw mechanism 50 is provided in a space 39 partitioned from the processing chamber 36 by the partition wall 37. In this case, the partition wall 37 is provided with a guide hole 38 for guiding the connecting member 42 so as to be movable (elevated). And
In the vicinity of both sides of the guide hole 38 in the partition wall 37, a pair of suction cylinders 70 are provided, in which a plurality of suction holes 71 opening toward the connecting member 42 are formed at appropriate intervals. An upper cap 70a and a lower cap 70b are closed at openings at the upper and lower ends of the suction cylinder 70, respectively, and exhaust means such as a suction pump 80 is provided at the lower end of the suction cylinder 70 via a valve 81. Connected (Figure 3
And FIG. 4 (a)).

Accordingly, by driving the suction pump 80, the atmosphere of, for example, a chemical solution in the processing chamber 36 becomes the guide hole 38.
Can be prevented from invading the ball screw mechanism 50 through the suction port, and particles generated by driving the ball screw mechanism 50 can be prevented from entering the processing chamber 36 through the guide hole 38 by suction. be able to.

The ball screw mechanism 50 is connected to the connecting member 4.
The housing 55 is housed in a housing 55 having an open side.
The cover 57 having the moving opening 56 of the connecting member 42 is attached to the opening 55a of the ball screw mechanism 50.
Is prevented from scattering outside the space 39. Further, the mover 54 of the connecting member 42
A forked portion 43 surrounding the screw shaft 53 is formed at the connecting portion with the screw shaft 5 on the inner side of the forked portion 43.
A shielding plate 58 is provided between the moving opening 3 and the moving opening 56 to blind the screw shaft 53 from being visible through the moving opening 56 to improve the appearance. Note that the shielding plates 58a and 58 are also provided between the outer sides of the forked portion 43 and the housing 55.
58b, the ball screw mechanism 5
Particles generated from 0 can be prevented from scattering outside (in the space 39).

In the above description, the suction cylinder 70 is
The case where the diameters of the suction holes 71 are the same has been described.
Is the hole diameter of the suction hole 71 on the connection side of the suction pump 80 at the lower end?
The diameter may gradually increase toward the other side. One
In other words, as shown in FIG.
The suction hole closest to the side_{1}And this suction hole 71
_{1}The suction hole adjacent to_{2}And the suction port
The suction hole away from the connection side of the_{3}, 71
_{4}... 71_{n-1}, 71_{n}And 71_{｛ 1｝}<
71_{2}<71_{3}<71_{4}... 71_{n-1}<7
1_{n}Even if the diameter of the suction hole is changed so that
Good. By forming in this manner, the suction pump 80
Enhances the suction force of the suction holes far from
The force can be made uniform, and the atmosphere in the processing chamber 36 and
Suction and exhaust of particles generated in the ball screw mechanism 50
Can be performed efficiently.

In the above description, the case where the suction pump 80 is connected to the lower end side of the suction cylinder 70 has been described. A suction pump 80, a valve 81, and the like must be provided on the upper side of the suction cylinder 70. In this case, as shown in FIG.
A partition wall 72 is provided from one end or upper end in the longitudinal direction of the suction cylinder 70 to a position near the other end or lower end to form a bypass passage 73, and an end of the bypass passage 73, that is, an upper cap 70a of the suction cylinder 70 is provided. Then, a suction pump 80 may be connected via a valve 81. With this configuration, it is possible to facilitate the piping of the exhaust system such as the suction pump 80 and the valve 81 when there is not enough space below the suction cylinder 70. Further, by forming the bypass passage 73 upward again from above through the lower side, the suction on the lower side close to the processing tank 35 housed in the processing chamber 36 is strengthened and the exhaust of the chemical liquid atmosphere is positively performed. It can be carried out.

In the above description, the case where the driving means is formed by a ball screw mechanism has been described. However, the driving means does not necessarily need to be a ball screw mechanism, and may be formed by a cylinder, for example.

Second Embodiment FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing a shutter according to a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view showing a shutter drive unit, and FIG. It is an expanded sectional view.

The shutter 60 is formed in a rectangular shape so as to open and close a rectangular opening 36a provided in a side wall of the processing chamber 36. Opening and closing driving means such as a rodless cylinder 90 ( It is connected to a slider 91 of a cylinder 90 via a connecting member 42A.

The cylinder 90 is arranged in the vertical direction (Z direction).
And a guide hole 3 provided along the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical housing 92.
The connecting member 42A is formed so as to be movable in the inside 8A.
In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the cylindrical housing 92 is formed in a substantially rectangular cross section, and has a guide hole 38A formed on the side surface on the side opposite to the shutter 60 side. The connecting member 42A has a connecting piece 44 that is inserted into the cylindrical housing 92 at one end and is connected to the slider 91 of the cylinder 90 via the piece-shaped connecting block 46. , And has a substantially crank-shaped cross section having a mounting piece 45 for the shutter 60.

With such a configuration, particles generated from the cylinder 90 can be made difficult to flow out to the processing chamber 36 side.
Intrusion into the side 6 can be reliably prevented.

In the vicinity of the outside of the guide hole 38A of the cylindrical housing 92, a plurality of suction holes 7 opened in the connecting member 42A are provided.
A suction cylinder 70A is formed in the vertical direction (Z direction), and the suction cylinder 70A is formed in the vertical direction (Z direction).
Exhaust means, for example, a suction pump 80A is connected to the lower end of A via a valve 81A. In this case, the suction hole 71
A is preferably located near the edge of the shutter side opening of the guide hole 38A. The reason is that the amount of particles generated from the cylinder 90 flowing toward the processing chamber 36 can be reduced as much as possible.

With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent particles generated by driving the cylinder 90 from entering the processing chamber 36 through the guide holes 38A by suction by driving the suction pump 80A. At the same time, it is possible to prevent the atmosphere of the chemical solution in the processing chamber 36 from entering the cylinder 90 through the guide hole 38A by suction.

In the cylindrical housing 92, a clean gas supply means for converting the inside of the cylindrical housing 92 to an atmosphere of a clean gas such as an inert gas such as nitrogen (N ₂ ) gas or a gas such as clean air. For example, N ₂ gas supply means 93 is provided. In this case, the N ₂ gas supply means 93 is disposed inside the cylindrical housing 92 and has a clean gas supply pipe, for example, an N ₂ gas supply pipe 95 having a discharge hole 94 toward the vicinity of the guide hole 38A. ₂
A clean gas supply source such as an N ₂ gas supply tank 96 connected to the gas supply pipe 95 is provided. In this case,
N ₂ gas supply tank 96, an intermediate portion of the N ₂ gas supply pipe 95 may be connected to one position of the upper or lower ends, or by partitioning the N ₂ gas supply pipe 95 into plural, each An N ₂ gas supply pipe 95 may be connected to each partition.

As described above, the clean gas, for example, N ₂ gas is injected from the N ₂ gas supply source into the cylindrical case 92 through the N ₂ gas supply pipe 95 and the discharge hole 94 to thereby form the inside of the cylindrical case 92. To N
_{With the two-} gas atmosphere, the atmosphere in the processing chamber 36 can be prevented from entering the cylinder 90 side. Therefore, the suction and exhaust by the suction cylinder 70A and the N ₂ gas purge in the cylindrical housing 92 together prevent the atmosphere in the processing chamber 36 from entering the cylinder 90 side.

In the above description, the case where the opening / closing drive means is formed by a rodless cylinder has been described. However, a normal cylinder may be used instead of the rodless cylinder, or a ball screw mechanism may be used. Good.

Also, in the second embodiment, the suction hole 71 formed in the suction cylinder 70A is replaced with the suction pump 71 similarly to the suction hole 71 formed in the suction cylinder 70 in the first embodiment. The hole diameter may be gradually increased from the connection side of 80A toward the opposite side.

When arranging the shutter 60, the processing tank 35 is fixedly mounted as shown in FIG. 10 in order to secure a space for arranging the shutter 60 beside the processing tank 35. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, an adjustment block 101 for setting the plate 100 on which the processing tank 35 is placed extends from the front side to the depth side of the cleaning / drying processing unit and is fixed. 1
By bolting from 02, the processing tank 35 can be installed at a predetermined position without interfering with the shutter 60. In this case, the adjusting block 101 has a substantially inverted L-shaped cross section, and the horizontal piece 1 of the adjusting block 101
03 is provided with a long hole 104 extending in the longitudinal direction, so that the bolt 105 can be connected to the plate 100 through the long hole 104.
, The position of the processing tank 35 in the depth direction can be easily adjusted (see FIGS. 11 and 12).

As shown in FIG. 13, a piece block 10 having a substantially L-shaped cross section is fixed to the side wall of the processing chamber 36.
6, the plate 100 and the processing tank 35 can be installed. Also in this case, by providing the elongated hole 104 extending in the depth direction in the horizontal piece 107 of the piece block 106, it is possible to easily adjust the position of the processing tank 35 in the depth direction.

In the above embodiment, the case where the processing apparatus of the present invention is applied to a semiconductor wafer cleaning / drying processing system has been described.
It can also be applied to a drying treatment system. Further, it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to processing apparatuses other than the cleaning / drying processing system, for example, a resist coating apparatus and a developing apparatus.

In the above embodiment, the driving means such as the ball screw mechanism 50 and the open / close driving means such as the cylinder 90 are used.
Has been described in the case of moving in the vertical direction (Z direction), but these driving means and opening / closing driving means are not necessarily limited to those moving only in the vertical direction, and move in the horizontal direction or the inclined direction, for example. The processing apparatus of the present invention can also be applied to a processing apparatus.

[0055]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the above-described configuration is employed, the following excellent effects can be obtained.

(1) According to the first aspect of the invention, the intrusion of the atmosphere in the processing chamber into the driving means can be exhausted through the suction hole and the suction cylinder, and is generated from the driving means. The intrusion of particles into the processing chamber can be exhausted through the suction hole and the suction cylinder. Accordingly, corrosion of the driving unit can be prevented, and
Since particles can be prevented from adhering to the object to be processed, the life of the apparatus can be increased, and the product yield can be improved.

(2) According to the second aspect of the present invention, the driving means is housed in a housing having an opening on the connecting member side, and a cover having an opening for moving the connecting member in the opening of the housing is provided. Since the particles are attached, the particles generated from the driving means can be prevented from entering the processing chamber by the cover or the shielding plate. In this case, by disposing the shielding plate between the driving means and the moving opening of the cover in the housing, it is possible to blind the driving unit from being exposed to the outside through the moving opening, and to provide a beautiful appearance. Can be improved (claim 3).

(3) According to the invention described in claims 4 and 5,
The invasion of particles generated by the movement of the opening / closing drive means and the connecting member into the processing chamber can be exhausted through the suction holes and the suction cylinder, and the atmosphere in the processing chamber enters the opening / closing drive means. This can be exhausted through a suction hole and a suction cylinder. Therefore, corrosion of the opening / closing drive unit can be prevented, and particles can be prevented from adhering to the object to be processed, so that the life of the apparatus can be increased and the product yield can be improved.

(4) According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the suction cylinder has a plurality of suction holes formed at appropriate intervals along the moving direction of the connecting member, and one end of the suction cylinder. Since the exhaust means is connected to the suction chamber, the suction side of the suction cylinder is connected to the exhaust means, for example, in a portion of the processing chamber where the concentration of the chemical solution is high, thereby further surely preventing the chemical atmosphere from entering the drive system. be able to. In this case, a partition wall is provided in the suction cylinder from one end in the arrangement direction of the plurality of suction holes formed in the suction cylinder to a position near the other end to form a bypass passage, and an end of the bypass passage is formed. By connecting the exhaust means to the exhaust means, the degree of freedom in the location of the exhaust means can be increased, and intrusion of the chemical solution atmosphere into the drive system can be more reliably prevented in the same manner as described above. ). Further, by forming the suction hole formed in the suction cylinder so as to gradually increase in diameter from the connection side of the exhaust means toward the other side,
The atmosphere in the processing chamber can be uniformly exhausted (claim 8).

(5) According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the tubular housing is formed to have a substantially rectangular cross section, and a guide hole is formed on the side surface of the tubular housing opposite to the opening / closing means side, and the connection is established. The member has a connecting piece inserted into the cylindrical housing at one end and connected to the opening / closing drive means, and has a substantially crank-shaped cross section having a mounting piece of the opening / closing means at the other end. The particles generated from the particles can be made hard to flow out to the processing chamber side, so that the particles can be more reliably prevented from entering the processing chamber side.

(6) According to the tenth and eleventh aspects of the present invention, the clean gas supply means is provided in the cylindrical housing.
The inside of the cylindrical housing accommodating the opening / closing drive means can be kept in a clean gas atmosphere, and the atmosphere in the processing chamber can be more reliably prevented from entering the opening / closing drive means.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a semiconductor wafer cleaning / drying processing system to which a processing apparatus of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a main part of a wafer boat and a driving means in the first embodiment of the processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the wafer boat and a driving unit.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are a cross-sectional view illustrating a suction cylinder in the first embodiment and a schematic side view illustrating a modification of a suction hole formed in the suction cylinder.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a modified example of the suction cylinder.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing a shutter in a second embodiment of the processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view showing a driving unit of the shutter.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of a drive unit of the shutter.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a shutter driving unit and a suction cylinder in a second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing an attached state of a processing tank in the processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a side view showing an attached state of the processing tank.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing an adjustment block used for attaching a processing tank.

FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing another attachment state of the processing tank.

[Explanation of symbols]

W Semiconductor wafer (object to be processed) 36 Processing chamber 37 Partition wall 38, 38A Guide hole 39 Space 40 Wafer boat (moving means) 42, 42A Connecting member 50 Ball screw mechanism (driving means) 55 Housing 55a Opening 56 Moving opening 57 Cover 58, 58a, 58b Shielding plate 60 Shutter (opening / closing means) 70 Suction cylinder 71, 71 _{{1} to} 71 _{n} suction hole 72 Partition wall 73 Detour passage 80 Suction pump (exhaust means) 90 Rodless cylinder (opening / closing) driving means) 92 cylindrical casing 93 N ₂ gas supply means (clean gas supply means) 96 _{N 2} gas supply tank (clean air supply source)

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber for processing an object to be processed; moving means for moving the object in the processing chamber; and driving means for driving the moving means. A connecting member for connecting the moving unit and the driving unit is formed in a guide hole provided in the partition wall so as to be movable; A processing apparatus, comprising: a suction cylinder body provided with a suction hole opened to the connecting member side near a guide hole of a wall; and the suction cylinder body connected to an exhaust unit. 2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving means is accommodated in a housing having an opening on the side of the connecting member, and a cover having a moving opening for the connecting member is covered on the opening of the housing. A processing device characterized by being worn. 3. The processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a shielding plate is arranged between the driving means in the housing and the opening for moving the cover. 4. A processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber for processing an object to be processed; opening and closing means for opening and closing an opening provided in the processing chamber; and opening and closing driving means for driving the opening and closing means. A connecting member for connecting the means and the opening / closing means is formed so as to be movable, and a suction cylinder having a suction hole opened on the connecting member side is provided near a connecting portion between the opening / closing drive means and the connecting member. And a suction device connected to the exhaust means. 5. A processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber for processing an object to be processed; opening and closing means for opening and closing an opening provided in the processing chamber; and opening and closing driving means for driving the opening and closing means. The means is housed in a cylindrical housing, and a connecting member for connecting the opening / closing means and the opening / closing driving means is movably formed in a guide hole provided in the cylindrical housing; A processing apparatus, comprising: a suction cylinder body provided with a suction hole opened to the connecting member side near a hole; and connecting the suction cylinder body to an exhaust unit. 6. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the suction cylinder has a plurality of suction holes formed at appropriate intervals along a moving direction of the connecting member. A discharge unit connected to one end of the processing unit. 7. The processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a partition wall is provided in the suction cylinder from one end in the arrangement direction of a plurality of suction holes formed in the suction cylinder to a position near the other end. A processing apparatus comprising: forming a bypass passage; and connecting exhaust means to an end of the bypass passage. 8. The processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a suction hole formed in the suction cylinder has a diameter gradually increasing from a connection side of the exhaust means toward the other side. A processing device characterized by the above-mentioned. 9. The processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the cylindrical housing is formed to have a substantially rectangular cross section, and a guide hole is formed in a side surface of the cylindrical housing opposite to the opening / closing means. Has a connecting piece inserted into the cylindrical housing at one end and connected to the opening and closing drive means, and has a substantially crank-shaped cross section having a mounting piece of the opening and closing means at the other end. Processing equipment. 10. The processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a clean gas supply unit is provided in the cylindrical housing.
A processing device characterized by the above-mentioned. 11. The processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the clean gas supply means is provided in a cylindrical housing, and has a discharge hole toward a vicinity of the guide hole.
A processing apparatus comprising a clean gas supply source connected to the clean gas supply cylinder.