JP2003282682A - Board holding device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent adhesion of a residue or generation of particles due to a remaining liquid by promoting falling of a droplet. <P>SOLUTION: A board holding device 1 is provided with contact supporting parts 25 and 27 and a falling prevention part 29 in its holding part that are brought into contact with a periphery of a board W and keep the board W erected, and it is also provided with droplet guides 25c, 27c and 29c for promoting the falling of a droplet in the contact supporting parts 25 and 27 and the falling prevention part 29. The droplet guides 25c, 27c and 29c promote the falling of the droplets adhering on the front and rear surfaces or in the periphery of the board W, so that no droplet is left in the contact supporting parts 25 and 27 and around the falling prevention part 29. Therefore, the adhesion of the residue or the generation of the particles due to the remaining liquid can be prevented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate holding device for holding a substrate in an upright posture by contacting a peripheral portion of a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate for liquid crystal display (hereinafter, simply referred to as a substrate).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a substrate holding device of this type, there is a device provided with a holding portion extending in a direction for aligning a plurality of substrates. A plate-shaped guide member for abutting the peripheral portion of the substrate and holding the substrate in an upright posture is attached to the holding portion.

In the substrate holding device having such a structure, for example, the substrate held in the holding section is lowered into the processing liquid stored in the processing tank and immersed in the processing liquid. Then, after the lapse of a predetermined processing time, the substrate holding device is raised above the processing liquid together with the substrate. At this time, the IPA vapor may be supplied to accelerate the drying of the substrate.

[0004]

However, the conventional example having such a structure has the following problems. That is, in the conventional device, the droplets that flow down the peripheral surface of the substrate surface may remain on the surface of the substrate and the peripheral edge thereof, and in the vicinity of the guide portion and the holding portion due to the influence of the guide member and the holding portion. Therefore, the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the substrate located near the guide member and the holding portion is prevented from drying. Therefore, there is a problem that a residue adheres to that portion or particles are generated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and by promoting the flow of droplets, it is possible to prevent the attachment of residues and the generation of particles due to the remaining liquid. The purpose is to provide a device.

[0006]

The present invention has the following constitution in order to achieve such an object. That is, in the invention according to claim 1, in the substrate holding device including a guide member for holding the substrate in an upright posture by abutting on the peripheral portion of the substrate, the droplet guide for promoting the flow of the droplets is provided. It is characterized by being attached to a guide member.

(Operation / Effect) The droplet guide attached to the guide member promotes the flow of the droplets adhering to the front and back surfaces of the substrate and the peripheral portion thereof, so that the droplets near the substrate, the guide member and the holding portion. Can be prevented from remaining. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the adhesion of the residue and the generation of particles due to the remaining liquid.

The invention described in claim 2 is the same as claim 1.
In the substrate holding apparatus described in the above item 3, the holding portion is provided at three locations along the peripheral edge of the substrate, and the droplet guide is provided in at least a central guide member.

(Operation / Effect) Since droplets flow down from both sides to the central guide member, a large amount of droplets adhere to the guide member and the holding portion. Therefore, by providing the droplet guide in this portion, it is possible to efficiently suppress the attachment of residues and the generation of particles.

Further, the guide member is often provided with a pair of plate-shaped members which come into contact with the peripheral portion of the substrate (claim 3), and droplets are likely to remain on the peripheral portion of the substrate including the gap.
Therefore, if a guide is provided between the pair of plate-shaped members (claim 4), the flow of the droplets can be effectively promoted. The droplet guide can be made to spread downward from the peripheral edge side of the substrate (claim 5) to facilitate the flow of the droplet.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 relate to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus including a substrate holding apparatus according to the embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a substrate holding according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the apparatus, and FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing a main part of the substrate holding apparatus.

A substrate processing apparatus having the substrate holding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is exemplified by one having a structure shown in FIG. This substrate processing apparatus performs a cleaning process on a substrate W, for example. On the front side 3 located on the back side,
A substrate loading / unloading port 5 is provided. A plurality of processing units are arranged in parallel in a row located on the opposite side of the substrate loading / unloading port 5.

For example, the first cleaning processing section 7 is located on the back side (left side in FIG. 1) located on the opposite side of the front side 3, the second cleaning processing section 9 is on the front side thereof, and the third cleaning processing is on the front side thereof. Part 11
Has been deployed. Each cleaning processing unit 7, 9, 11 is provided with a transport mechanism 7a, 9a, 11a for moving a plurality of substrates W between its own processing tanks. These can be raised and lowered independently of each other and can be moved in the horizontal direction.

Further, on the front side of the third cleaning processing section 11,
A main transfer mechanism 13 is provided for transferring one lot of substrates W to and from the cleaning processing units 7, 9, 11.

Each of the transfer mechanisms 7a, 9a, 11a is equipped with a substrate holding device 1. Substrate holding device 1
As shown in FIG. 2, each transport mechanism 7a, 9a, 11a
Is attached to each base member 15.

The base member 15 is a plate-shaped member having a length such that the substrate W can be immersed in each processing section. On the side of the processing tank, there is provided
The holding portion 17, the second holding portion 19, and the third holding portion 21 are attached. For example, these first holding portions 17
The second holding portion 19 and the third holding portion 21 are in the shape of a rectangular rod, and their tip end sides are fixed by the connecting member 23.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first holding portion 17, the second holding portion 19, and the third holding portion 21 are arranged so as to be located below the vertical center of the substrate W. ing.

Contact support portions 25 and 27 (corresponding to guide members in the present invention) that abut the peripheral portion of the substrate W are erected on the first holding portion 17 and the third holding portion 21. The contact support portions 25 and 27 are respectively a pair of plate-shaped members 25.
a, 25b, 27a, 27b.

The plate-like members 25a and 25b are formed to be longer on the side closer to the left end of the substrate W so as to follow the outer shape of the peripheral edge of the substrate W. Further, in order to prevent the liquid droplets from flowing down along the plate-shaped members 25a and 25b and toward the lowermost end of the substrate W, the substrate W of the plate-shaped members 25a and 25b is suppressed.
The surface toward the left end side of the has a shape inclined downward. In addition, the plate-shaped members 27a, 2a are provided except that the surface of the substrate W facing the right end side is formed to be inclined downward.
7b also has the same shape as the plate members 25a and 25b. The plate-shaped members 25a, 25b, 27a, 27b are provided with, for example, V-shaped notches at a plurality of predetermined intervals so that a plurality of substrates W can be held.

The second holding portion 19 prevents the substrate W from tilting in the surface direction (paper surface direction in the drawing). The second holding portion 19 has a pair of plate-like members 29 formed at the same height.
a and 29b. These plate-shaped members 29a, 2
9b has, for example, a V-shaped notch formed therein, but in order to prevent it from coming into contact with the front and back surfaces of the substrate W,
The width is formed wider than the thickness of the substrate W. In addition, the droplet does not flow down along the plate-shaped members 29a and 29b,
In order to prevent the substrate W from flowing down to the lowermost end, the substrate W
The surface on the side close to the left and right ends of the has a shape inclined downward.

A droplet guide 25c for accelerating the flow of droplets is attached to the contact support portion 25 of the first holding portion 17. Specifically, it is erected between the pair of plate-shaped members 25a and 25b. The droplet guide 25c in this example has a triangular cross section. The height may be such that the apex abuts on the edge of the substrate W or may be separated from the edge of the substrate W. This is because the surface tension acts so that the flow of droplets can be promoted even if they are separated.

The droplet guides 25c, 29c, 27c
For example, the material used to make is a thermoplastic super-heat-resistant polymer resin that has both excellent mechanical properties and functionality, and especially in heat resistance, chemical resistance, impact resistance, fatigue resistance, etc. The excellent PEEK (polyether ether ketone) is preferred. In addition to PTFE, which has excellent characteristics such as operating temperature range, chemical resistance, electrical insulation, low friction, non-adhesiveness, weather resistance, and flame resistance, as well as good mechanical, thermal, and electrical characteristics, Alternatively, PVDF having excellent chemical resistance may be used, or silicon or the like may be used.

Next, a case where the substrate W is processed by the first cleaning processing unit 7 using the substrate holding apparatus 1 thus constructed will be described with reference to FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the flow of droplets in the substrate holding device 1, and is an enlarged view of the second holding portion 19.

A plurality of substrates W are transferred from the main transport mechanism 13 to the substrate holding device 1. As a result, in each of the substrates W, the left and right portions of the lower peripheral edge portion are located at the first holding portion 17
And is supported by the third holding portion 21. Further, the second holding portion 19 is located close to the lower edge of the substrate W,
The substrate W is prevented from falling by coming into contact with either one of the front and back surfaces of the substrate W.

The substrate holding apparatus 1 supporting the substrate W in this way moves to the first cleaning unit 7 and descends into the processing tank storing pure water. After doing this for a certain period of water washing,
For example, the substrate W is pulled up while replacing the pure water.
Specifically, the substrate holding device 1 while supplying the vapor of IPA
Is pulled out of the processing tank. After that, an inert gas such as nitrogen is supplied and the inside of the processing tank is depressurized to dry the substrate W.

In the above process, when the substrate holding device 1 is pulled up from the processing tank, the liquid droplets flow down toward the lower side of the substrate W as shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. Since the second holding portion 19 is located at this position, a part of the second holding portion 19 flows toward the plate-shaped members 29a and 29b, and flows downward along the inclination and the like. Further, the liquid droplets flowing down from above the central portion of the substrate W are the lower edge of the substrate W and the pair of plate-shaped members 2.
The droplet guide 29 tries to stay between 9a and 29b.
The downward flow is promoted by c and smoothly flows down along the droplet guide 29c.

The first holding portion 17 and the third holding portion 21
Also in the above, the liquid droplet guides 25c and 27c promote the flow of the liquid droplets that try to stay at the lower edge portion of the substrate W, between the pair of plate-shaped members 25a and 25b, and between the pair of plate-shaped members 27a and 27b. The liquid drops smoothly.

The substrate holding device 1 having the above-mentioned structure
According to the above, since the liquid droplet guides 25c, 27c, and 29c promote the flow of the liquid droplets attached to the front and back surfaces of the substrate W and the peripheral portion thereof, the liquid is not formed near the contact support portions 25 and 27 and the fall prevention portion 29. It is possible to prevent drops from remaining. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the adhesion of the residue and the generation of particles due to the remaining liquid. As a result, process performance is improved and
The processing time can also be shortened. Besides, IPA
It is possible to reduce the consumption amount of the so that the cost can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, the first holding portion 1
Although the liquid droplet guides 25c, 29c, and 27c are provided in all of 7, 7, the second holding unit 19, and the third holding unit 21, only the second holding unit 19 located in the central portion where the liquid drops most flow A drop guide 29c may be provided. Even with such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the adhesion of residues and the generation of particles due to the remaining liquid, as compared with the conventional example.

<Modification> A modification of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Note that FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the substrate holding device.

This substrate holding device 1A has a first holding portion 17A corresponding to the above-mentioned first holding portion 17 and third holding portion 21.
And the third holding part 21A, and the first holding part 17 and the third holding part 21 described above.
It is provided near the lower end of the substrate W at an interval narrower than the arrangement interval of the holding portions 21. The first holding portion 17A includes the contact support portion 25.
A is provided with a pair of plate-shaped members 25Aa and 25Ab. In the meantime, the droplet guide 25Ac is provided. Further, the third holding portion 21A includes a pair of plate-shaped members 27Aa and 27Ab on the contact support portion 27A, and a droplet guide 27Ac between them.

Further, the second holding portion 19 for preventing the falling.
The second holding portion 19A corresponding to is provided not on the lower end of the substrate W but on the diagonally lower right side of the substrate W. However, this second
The holding unit 19A includes only the fall prevention unit 29A, and the droplet guide is omitted.

Even if such a structure of the substrate holding device 1A is adopted, due to the action of the droplet guides 25Ac and 27Ac,
The same effects as those of the substrate processing apparatus 1 described above can be obtained.

In the above description, the case where the droplet guide has a triangular vertical cross-sectional shape has been described as an example, but the droplet guide in the present invention is not limited to such a shape. Needless to say.

By the way, in the above-described embodiment, the droplet guides 25c, 27c, 29c are provided between the pair of plate-like members, and in the modification, the droplet guide 25A is provided between the pair of plate-like members.
c, 27Ac, 29Ac. However, in the present invention, it is not essential that the substrate holding device is provided with the pair of plate-shaped members.

Specifically, the second holding portion 39 will be described as an example with reference to FIG. The fall prevention portion 41 of the second holding portion 39 includes a plate-shaped member 41a at the center thereof,
This portion prevents the substrate W from collapsing. On the left and right sides thereof, there are provided droplet guides 41b and 41c whose longitudinal sectional shapes are substantially similar to those of the plate-shaped members 29a and 29b (see FIG. 4) described above. Even in the case of such a second holding portion 39, it is possible to achieve the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment and modification.

In the above description, the structure in which a plurality of substrates W are held is illustrated, but the present invention can be applied to a mode in which one or several substrates W are held.

[0038]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the droplet guide promotes the flow of droplets adhering to the front and back surfaces and the peripheral portion of the substrate. It is possible to prevent a droplet from remaining on the surface. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the adhesion of the residue and the generation of particles due to the remaining liquid.

As a result, the process performance can be improved and the processing time can be shortened. In addition, it is possible to reduce the consumption amount of the solvent and the like used together during drying, so that the cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus including a substrate holding device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate holding device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a main part of the substrate holding device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a flow of droplets in the substrate holding device.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing a modified example of the substrate holding device.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a main part of a modified example of the substrate holding device.

[Explanation of symbols]

W ... Substrate 1 ... Substrate holding device 17 ... 1st holding part (holding part) 25 ... Contact support part (guide member) 25a, 25b ... Plate-shaped member 25c ... Droplet guide 19 ... 2nd holding part (holding part) 29 ... Tilt prevention unit (guide member) 29a, 29b ... Plate-shaped member 29c ... Droplet guide 21 ... Third holding portion (holding portion) 27 ... Contact support portion (guide member) 27a, 27b ... Plate-shaped member 27c ... Droplet guide 23 ... Connecting member

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Hidehiko Ozaki             4-chome Tenjin, which runs up to Teranouchi, Horikawa-dori, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto             1 Kitamachi No. 1 Dai Nippon Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd.             Inside the company F-term (reference) 5F031 CA02 CA05 FA01 FA02 FA09                       FA12 FA18 HA73 HA74 PA26

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. In a substrate holding device having a holding member for holding a substrate in an upright posture by abutting on a peripheral portion of the substrate, a droplet guide for promoting the flow of droplets is attached to the guide member. A substrate holding device. 2. The substrate holding device according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion is provided at three locations along a peripheral edge of the substrate, and at least a central guide member is provided with the droplet guide. A characteristic substrate holding device. 3. The substrate holding device according to claim 1, wherein the guide member includes a pair of plate-shaped members that are in contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate. 4. The substrate holding device according to claim 3, wherein the droplet guide is provided between the pair of plate-shaped members. 5. The substrate holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the droplet guide has a shape that widens toward the bottom from the peripheral edge side of the substrate.