JP2006157005A - Surface processing system for substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a small surface processing system for substrate in which installation space is reduced and utilization of work space is enhanced. <P>SOLUTION: A substrate cleaning section 20 in which a substrate requiring surface processing is pulled out from a cassette and held by means of a chuck 21, processing liquid is supplied to its surface through a liquid supply opening communicating with a dispenser 24 and dried before the substrate is restocked in the cassette, and a processing liquid processing section 30 arranged to control supply and collection of processing liquid stored in a liquid storage tank 31 communicating with the dispenser are located at upper and lower parts in the same section. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate surface treatment system, and more particularly to a substrate surface treatment system in which a treatment liquid treatment unit is disposed below a surface treatment unit of a substrate.

  In general, a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer is required to have a surface treatment process such as surface etching, cleaning and drying.

  In the conventional system for processing the surface of the substrate, in order to process the surface of the substrate, the substrate is transferred from a predetermined place to a predetermined apparatus and fixed, and then a surface treatment liquid and a dry gas are used. Are supplied to the surface of the substrate in a set order, and the supplied processing liquid is recovered and recirculated or completely discarded as necessary.

  Such a system includes a chuck for transferring and holding a substrate from a cassette or the like in which the substrate is stored, a dispenser and a supply pipe for supplying a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate held by the chuck, Further, it is formed by a chamber in which external piping for collecting the supplied processing liquid according to type is mounted, a robot arm for transferring the substrate, and the like.

  In addition, in order to discharge and collect the processing liquid supplied to the surface of the substrate by type, the chamber communicating with the external pipe is configured to reciprocate vertically at each surface treatment stage. For this purpose, a lifting device is installed in the lower part of the chamber (see Patent Document 1 and FIG. 1) (see Patent Document 2).

  On the other hand, the processing liquid supplied to the dispenser is formed so as to be circulated and recirculated from the state stored in the liquid storage tank according to the type, or discarded outside (Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3). reference).

JP 2002-353186 A JP 2001-126982 A JP 2004-259734 A

  However, in the case of the devices of Patent Documents 1 and 2, since the lifting device provided for the reciprocating movement of the chamber occupies a certain space located in the lower portion of the chamber, the storage of the processing liquid The tank had to be arranged at a position somewhat apart from the dispenser that communicated. Further, even in the case of the apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 3, the storage tank for the processing liquid is disposed at a remote position.

  In this case, since the flow distance of the processing liquid between the liquid storage tank and the dispenser becomes long, a pump with a large capacity involved in the flow of the processing liquid is required, and at the same time, a loss of the processing liquid occurs while the liquid is flowing. There are things to do. Further, since the installation space for the surface treatment system is wide, a large arrangement space is required for installing the system, and it is difficult to secure a wide working space.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a small surface treatment system for a substrate that requires less installation space and improves the utilization of work space.

  In order to achieve the above object, a substrate surface treatment system according to claim 1, wherein a substrate requiring surface treatment is pulled out from a cassette and held by a chuck, and the substrate is treated through a liquid supply port communicating with a dispenser. A substrate cleaning unit formed so that the processing liquid is supplied to the surface, dried and restocked in the cassette, and supply and recovery of the processing liquid stored in a liquid storage tank communicating with the dispenser. It is characterized in that the processing liquid processing section formed so as to be controlled is formed so as to be positioned at the upper part and the lower part in the same section.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the substrate surface processing system according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the substrate cleaning section discharges the chuck that holds the substrate and the processing liquid supplied to the substrate held by the chuck. And at least one combination including a dispenser for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate held in the chuck and rotating at the same position, and the chuck holds or detaches the substrate. A gripper for transporting, a robot arm for receiving the substrate from the gripper and transferring the substrate to the gripper, and a cassette for pulling out and restocking the substrate by the robot arm are formed. is doing.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the substrate surface processing system according to the first aspect, wherein the processing liquid processing section stores a processing liquid and stores a liquid storage tank located in a space immediately below the dispenser. A supply line installed so that the processing liquid in the tank is supplied to the dispenser, and the processing liquid supplied from the dispenser through the supply port is collected through the chamber, and is installed so as to be recirculated and discarded for each processing liquid. A recovery line, a circulation pump installed on the supply line and the recovery line so as to provide circulation power for the processing liquid, and a heater for increasing the temperature of the processing liquid in the supply line. It is characterized by being.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the substrate surface treatment system according to the first or second aspect, wherein the chuck is rotated at a position where the substrate is held and fixed, and protrudes downward from the rotary body. And a drive device for providing a rotational force of the spindle.

  The substrate surface treatment system according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the chamber has a hollow shape and is formed to communicate with external piping between the inner wall and the outer wall; The exhaust line communicates with the interior of the chamber, and an upper exhaust port formed to open downward at the upper end protruding inward of the chamber so that gas flows in, A central exhaust port formed at a height, and an exhaust port formed at a lower portion of the chamber in communication with an external pipe so that liquid sinking into the chamber flows in. It is characterized by being.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the substrate surface treatment system according to the fifth aspect, wherein the exhaust port formed in the middle of the chamber extends so that the cover protrudes downward from the inner wall of the chamber and has a downward opening. It is characterized by being.

  In the present invention, as described above, the substrate surface treatment section and the treatment liquid treatment section are arranged above and below in the same section, so that the treatment liquid flow distance between the liquid storage tank and the dispenser is shortened. As a result, the processing liquid can be smoothly flowed even by a small power unit, the system installation space is reduced, and the utilization of the work space is improved.

  Hereinafter, a substrate surface treatment system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 4 are diagrams schematically showing an external view, an internal view, a system diagram, main members, and the like of a system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

  The substrate surface treatment system 10 according to this embodiment includes a surface treatment unit 20 formed so as to be surface-treated while a substrate is being transferred, and a treatment liquid for treating the surface of the substrate. The surface treatment unit 20 and the treatment liquid treatment unit 30 are arranged in the same section as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. It is installed above and below.

  The surface treatment unit 20 is held by a chuck 21 through a gripper (not shown) after a substrate stocked in a cassette or the like is pulled out by a robot arm, and through the dispenser 24 while the chuck 21 rotates horizontally. A treatment liquid is supplied, and surface treatment such as chemical treatment, rinsing, cleaning, and drying is performed on the surface of the substrate. The surface-treated substrate is formed so as to be restocked in the cassette again by a gripper, a robot arm, or the like. The substrate surface treatment system shown in FIG. 1 includes two substrate cleaning units 20 shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, in the processing liquid processing unit 30, the processing liquid flows from the stored liquid storage tank 31 into the dispenser 24 of the surface processing unit 20 through the supply line 33 and is supplied to the substrate. After the surface treatment of the substrate, it is divided into a part that is discharged through the collection line 34 and completely discarded, and a part that is circulated by the circulation pump 32, collected, filtered, and reused. Further, if necessary, the supplied processing liquid may be supplied after being heated by the heater 36.

  Here, if necessary, a line may be arranged so that ozone (Ozone) is provided to the surface of the substrate together with the surface treatment liquid, and the supply and recovery lines of the treatment liquid include a number of valves and Of course, the sensor is arranged.

  The chuck 21 on which the substrate is held and fixed by the surface treatment unit 20 is arranged so as to horizontally rotate at a position where the rotating body is fixed, and there is a conventional lifting device for reciprocating the chuck vertically. On the other hand, since there is no lifting device, a space for the lifting device is secured, and the processing liquid processing unit 30 is arranged in the secured space.

  At this time, the chuck 21 arranged so that the upper part is accommodated in the chamber 25 rotates horizontally at a position where the rotating body located on the upper part of the chuck 21 is fixed as shown in FIG. A drive device is disposed on the side of a spindle that is mounted on the rotating body so as to protrude downward, and the drive device and the spindle are installed so as to be interlocked with each other by a belt or a chain. It is preferable that a sensor for detecting breakage of the belt or the chain is attached at an appropriate position.

  Further, in order to discharge the processing liquid supplied to the substrate, a rinsing ring may be provided between the chuck 21 and the chamber 25 and vertically reciprocated, or the rinsing ring may be removed.

  When the rinse ring is arranged so as to reciprocate vertically, the treatment liquid is collected by being classified and recirculated or discarded.

  When the rinse ring is not present, as shown in FIG. 4, an exhaust passage 25a is formed between the inner wall and the outer wall of the chamber 25 so that the external pipe 23 communicates with the lower side. A number of exhaust ports 25b and 25c are formed in the upper and middle portions of the chamber 25 so as to allow the gas generated in the chamber 25 to flow into the chamber 25a. The upper exhaust port 25c is formed so as to open downward at the upper end protruding in the direction, and the middle exhaust port 25c is formed so as to open at the middle height of the chamber 25, thereby preventing inflow of liquid. Thus, it has a downward opening portion in which a cover 22 protruding downward from the inner surface is formed. Here, the liquid processing liquid is moved downward toward the discharge port 25 d formed in the lower portion of the chamber 25 and discharged through the pipe 23.

  The system 10 includes a camera, a sensor, etc. for video recording function, image recording function and variable monitoring function in order to check all the environment and conditions until the substrate is pulled out of the cassette and restocked Inspection equipment including is installed and utilized.

  The video recording function captures and stores the process of moving the substrate from the cassette until it is restocked. If a substrate error or damage occurs, the accident location and situation, including the time, etc. are clearly identified. It is a function that can be investigated.

  The image recording function is a function capable of confirming the result of the process provided on the wafer by using a recording device or the like and confirming the reliability of the result value.

  The variable monitoring function continuously checks all the conditions and conditions of each equipment installed for the process provided to the board, and quickly finds the exact cause of the error that occurred on the board after the process is completed. It is a function that can be investigated.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the substrate surface treatment system according to the present embodiment will be briefly described.

  A substrate stocked in a cassette or the like is pulled out by a robot arm and held by the robot arm and gripper on the chuck 21. While the chuck 21 is rotating, a processing liquid is ejected through a dispenser 24 to the surface of the substrate. Surface treatment is carried out step by step, and the surface-treated substrates are restocked in the cassette in the reverse order of withdrawal.

  In order to supply the processing liquid to the substrate held by the chuck 21, the processing liquid is supplied from the liquid storage tank 31 to the dispenser 24 by the circulation pump 32, and is discharged after the surface treatment for recirculation. Collected and filtered or completely discarded.

  At this time, the processing liquid in the liquid storage tank 31 is supplied to the substrate through the supply line 33 via the dispenser 24. The supplied processing liquid is collected in the chamber 25 and recirculated or discarded through the collection line 34.

  The substrate surface treatment system according to the present invention can be applied not only to cleaning of a substrate such as a wafer but also to chemical treatment and the like.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a substrate surface treatment system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the inside of the system shown in FIG. 1. It is the systematic diagram which showed the one part process liquid circulation system of the system shown by FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a chamber of the system shown in FIG. 1.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 System 20 Surface treatment part 21 Chuck 23 Piping 24 Dispenser 25 Chamber 30 Process liquid treatment part 31 Liquid storage tank 32 Circulation pump

Claims (6)

A substrate requiring a surface treatment is pulled out of the cassette and held by the chuck, and the treatment liquid is supplied to the surface through a liquid supply port communicating with the dispenser, dried and restocked in the cassette. The substrate cleaning section and the processing liquid processing section formed to control the supply and recovery of the processing liquid stored in the liquid storage tank communicating with the dispenser are provided at the upper and lower portions in the same section. A surface treatment system for a substrate, wherein the substrate surface treatment system is formed to be positioned. The substrate cleaning unit includes a chuck for holding a substrate, a chamber for discharging the processing liquid supplied to the substrate held by the chuck, and a processing liquid applied to the substrate held by the chuck and rotating at the same position. A gripper that includes at least one combination including a dispenser for supplying, and that conveys the substrate so as to hold or detach the substrate from the chuck, and a robot arm that accepts the substrate from the gripper and delivers the substrate to the gripper The substrate surface processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a cassette on which the substrate is pulled out and restocked by the robot arm. The processing liquid processing section includes a storage tank in which processing liquid is stored and located in a space immediately below the dispenser, and a supply line installed so that the processing liquid in the storage tank is supplied to the dispenser. The processing liquid supplied from the dispenser through the supply port is recovered through the chamber, and a recovery line installed so that the processing liquid is recirculated and discarded, and the circulation power of the processing liquid is provided on the supply line and the recovery line. The substrate surface treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the substrate surface treatment system is formed so as to include a circulation pump installed to provide, and a heater for increasing a temperature of the treatment liquid in the supply line. The chuck includes a rotating body that rotates at a position where the substrate is held and fixed, a spindle that is mounted on the rotating body so as to protrude downward, and a driving device that provides the rotational force of the spindle. The substrate surface treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the substrate surface treatment system is formed. The chamber has a hollow discharge line formed so as to communicate with an external pipe between the inner wall and the outer wall, and the discharge line and the interior of the chamber communicate with each other so that gas can flow into the chamber. An upper exhaust port formed to open downward at an upper end projecting inward, a middle exhaust port formed at a middle height of the chamber, and a liquid sinking into the chamber The substrate surface treatment system according to claim 1, wherein the substrate surface treatment system is formed so as to include an external pipe and a discharge port formed in a lower portion of the chamber so as to flow in. 6. The substrate surface processing system according to claim 5, wherein the exhaust port formed in the middle of the chamber is extended so that the cover protrudes downward from the inner wall of the chamber and has a downward opening.

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