JP2010192685A - Substrate conveying device and substrate processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the yield of a product manufactured by a processing system for a substrate by suppressing sticking of particles on the substrate when the substrate is conveyed. <P>SOLUTION: A substrate conveying device includes a substrate holding part 91 for holding the substrate and a lifting mechanism 93 for lifting and lowering the substrate holding part 91 in a vertical direction. On a substrate holding surface 91b of the substrate holding part 91, a plurality of gas jetting holes 100 for jetting a predetermined gas upward are formed. A driving source for the lifting mechanism is a linear motor. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate transfer device such as a semiconductor wafer and a substrate processing system having the substrate transfer device.

  For example, in a photolithography process in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, for example, a resist coating process for coating a resist solution on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer to form a resist film, an exposure process for exposing a predetermined pattern on the resist film, and an exposed resist Various processes such as a development process for developing the film are performed.

  A series of these processes is usually performed using a coating and developing processing system. For example, the coating and developing processing system includes a cassette station for loading and unloading substrates in cassette units, a processing station in which a plurality of processing apparatuses for performing various processes are disposed, and a substrate station between adjacent exposure apparatuses and processing stations. It has an interface station for delivery. In the processing station, a substrate transfer device for transferring the substrate to each processing apparatus is provided.

  In a conventional substrate transfer apparatus, for example, a transfer arm including a main body portion formed in a substantially annular shape and a holding portion that protrudes inside the main body portion and holds the lower surface of the substrate is used. The transfer arm is movable in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and is configured to be rotatable. With this configuration, the substrate transport apparatus can transport the substrate to each processing apparatus (Patent Document 1).

JP-A-8-46010

  However, in the transfer arm as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1, particles adhere to the contact surface between the transfer arm and the substrate during substrate transfer. Further, when the lifting mechanism lifts and lowers the transport arm, the driving mechanism of the lifting mechanism is worn, and therefore the lifting mechanism becomes a particle generation source. Such particles cause a decrease in the yield of products manufactured by the substrate processing system. In particular, as the line width becomes finer, the problem cannot be ignored.

    The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to suppress the adhesion of particles to a substrate and to improve the yield of products manufactured by the substrate processing system when the substrate is transported. It is said.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a substrate transfer apparatus for holding and transferring a substrate, comprising: a substrate holding portion that holds a substrate; and a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the substrate holding portion in a vertical direction. And a plurality of gas injection ports for injecting a predetermined gas upward are formed on the substrate holding surface of the substrate holding portion, and the drive source of the elevating mechanism is a linear motor.

  According to the present invention, since the substrate can be held in a state of being floated by a predetermined distance from the substrate holding unit by the gas jetted from the gas injection port of the substrate holding unit, particles adhere to the substrate during the transfer of the substrate. This can be suppressed. Moreover, since the linear motor is used for the drive part of the raising / lowering mechanism which raises / lowers the board | substrate holding part, a drive part does not wear. For this reason, particles due to wear are not generated from the drive unit, and it is possible to prevent particles generated during the conventional substrate transport from adhering to the substrate. For this reason, it can suppress that a particle adheres to a board | substrate and can improve the yield of the product manufactured with a substrate processing system.

  A rotation mechanism that rotates the substrate holding unit around a vertical axis may be provided, and a drive source of the rotation mechanism may be a linear motor.

  Further, it may have a horizontal movement mechanism for moving the recording board holding portion in the horizontal direction, and the drive source of the horizontal movement mechanism may be a linear motor.

  A plurality of frame members provided on concentric circles of the substrate holding part and extending in the vertical direction may be provided, and the plurality of frame members may be arranged so that a substrate loading / unloading side is opened. .

  You may have the gas header which is provided above the board | substrate hold | maintained at the said board | substrate holding part, and injects predetermined gas in a horizontal direction.

  Another aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing system including the substrate transport apparatus and a processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on the substrate, and the processing apparatus is disposed between the processing apparatus and the substrate holding unit. It has a substrate transport mechanism for delivering a substrate.

  The substrate transport mechanism adjusts a distance between the pair of arm portions, a transport arm provided on the arm portions and a support portion supporting the substrate, and the pair of arm portions, and horizontally moves the transport arms. And an arm moving mechanism for moving in the direction.

  In addition, the substrate transport mechanism includes: an arm portion having a shape that fits an outer periphery of the substrate; a support arm provided on the arm portion; and a support portion that supports the substrate; and the transport arm in the horizontal direction. And an arm moving mechanism for moving.

  The arm moving mechanism may move the transfer arm in a vertical direction.

  The substrate transport mechanism includes a transport arm that holds and transports a substrate, and the transport arm is provided on a plurality of arm portions that are flexibly connected and the arm portion at the tip, and supports the substrate. The substrate transport mechanism may include an arm moving mechanism that moves the transport arm in the vertical direction.

  The substrate transfer mechanism may have a plurality of transfer arms.

  According to the present invention, when carrying a substrate, it is possible to prevent particles from adhering to the substrate and prevent the yield of the substrate processing system from being lowered.

It is a top view which shows the outline of the internal structure of the coating and developing treatment system concerning this Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the outline of the internal structure of the coating and developing treatment system concerning this Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the outline of the internal structure of the coating and developing treatment system concerning this Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the outline of a structure of a board | substrate holding part. It is a side view which shows the outline of a structure of a board | substrate holding part. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of a resist coating apparatus. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of a resist coating device. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the board | substrate conveyance mechanism of a resist coating apparatus conveys a board | substrate. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of the heat processing apparatus. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of the heat processing apparatus. It is the flowchart which showed each process of substrate processing. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of the resist coating apparatus concerning other embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of the resist coating apparatus concerning other embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a coating and developing treatment system 1 according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the coating and developing processing system 1 includes, for example, a cassette station 10 in which a cassette C is carried in and out from the outside, and a plurality of various processing apparatuses that perform predetermined processing in a single wafer type during photolithography processing. And the interface station 13 for transferring the substrate W between the exposure station 12 adjacent to the processing station 11 and the processing station 11 are integrally connected. In the present embodiment, for example, a semiconductor wafer is used as the substrate W.

  The cassette station 10 is provided with a cassette mounting table 30. The cassette mounting table 30 is provided with a plurality of, for example, four cassette mounting plates 31. The cassette mounting plates 31 are arranged in a line in the horizontal X direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1). The cassette C can be placed on these cassette placement plates 31 when the cassette C is carried into and out of the coating and developing treatment apparatus 10.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cassette station 10 is provided with a substrate transfer body 41 that is movable on a transfer path 40 extending in the X direction. The substrate transport body 41 is also movable in the vertical direction and around the vertical axis (θ direction), and the cassette C on each cassette mounting plate 31 and delivery devices 70 to 76 of a third processing unit group G3 described later. The substrate W can be transferred between the two.

  The processing station 11 is provided with a plurality of, for example, four processing device groups G1, G2, G3, and G4 including various devices. For example, the first processing apparatus group G1 is provided on the front side of the processing station 11 (X direction negative direction side in FIG. 1), and on the back side of the processing station 11 (X direction positive direction side in FIG. 1), A second processing device group G2 is provided. Further, a third processing unit group G3 is provided on the cassette station 10 side (Y direction negative direction side in FIG. 1) of the processing station 11, and the processing station 11 interface station 13 side (Y direction positive direction in FIG. 1). Side) is provided with a fourth processing unit group G4.

  For example, in the first processing unit group G1, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of liquid processing units, for example, a development processing unit 50 for developing the substrate W, and an antireflection film (hereinafter referred to as “the substrate W” below the resist film). A lower antireflection film forming device 51 for forming a lower antireflection film), a resist coating device 52 for applying a resist solution to the substrate W to form a resist film, and an antireflection film (hereinafter referred to as an upper layer) on the resist film of the substrate W. , Referred to as “upper antireflection film”), an upper antireflection film forming device 53 is stacked in four stages from the bottom. The number and arrangement of the development processing device 50, the lower antireflection film forming device 51, the resist coating device 52, and the upper antireflection film forming device 53 can be arbitrarily selected.

  For example, each of the devices 50 to 53 of the first processing device group G1 has a plurality of cups F that accommodate the substrate W in the horizontal direction during processing, and can process the plurality of substrates W in parallel.

  For example, in the second processing apparatus group G2, as shown in FIG. 3, a heat treatment apparatus 60 that performs heat treatment of the substrate W, an adhesion apparatus 61 that hydrophobizes the substrate W, and a peripheral exposure apparatus that exposes the outer peripheral portion of the substrate W 62 are provided side by side in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The heat treatment apparatus 60 includes a hot plate for placing and heating the substrate W and a cooling plate for placing and cooling the substrate W, and can perform both heat treatment and cooling treatment. The number and arrangement of the heat treatment apparatus 60, the adhesion apparatus 61, and the peripheral exposure apparatus 62 can be arbitrarily selected.

  For example, the third processing device group G3 is provided with a plurality of delivery devices 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, and 76 in order from the bottom. The fourth processing device group G4 is provided with a plurality of delivery devices 80, 81, 82 in order from the bottom.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a substrate transfer region D is formed in a region surrounded by the first processing device group G1 to the fourth processing device group G4. In the substrate transfer area D, for example, a substrate transfer device 90 is disposed.

  The substrate transfer device 90 is movable, for example, in the Y direction, the θ direction, and the vertical direction. Thereby, the substrate transfer device 90 moves in the substrate transfer region D, and the surrounding first processing device group G1, second processing device group G2, third processing device group G3, and fourth processing device group. The substrate W can be transferred to a predetermined apparatus in G4.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a substrate transport body 110 is provided next to the third processing apparatus group G3 on the positive side in the X direction. The substrate transport body 110 has a transport arm that is movable in the front-rear direction, the θ direction, and the vertical direction, for example. The substrate transport body 110 can move up and down while supporting the substrate W, and can transport the substrate W to each delivery device in the third processing apparatus group G3.

  The interface station 13 is provided with a substrate carrier 120 and a delivery device 121. The substrate transport body 120 has a transport arm that is movable in the front-rear direction, the θ direction, and the vertical direction, for example. The substrate transport body 120 can transport the substrate W to each delivery device and delivery device 121 in the fourth processing device group G4, for example, by supporting the substrate W on the transport arm.

  Next, the configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus 90 will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the substrate transfer apparatus 90 vertically holds the substrate holding portion 91 along the lifting shaft 92, the substrate holding portion 91 that horizontally holds the substrate W, the lifting shaft 92 that extends in the vertical direction, and the lifting / lowering shaft 92. An elevating mechanism 93 that elevates in the direction, a horizontal moving mechanism 95 that horizontally moves the substrate holding portion 91 along a track 94 extending in the horizontal direction (Y direction in FIG. 1), and the substrate holding portion 91 about the vertical axis. It has a turntable 96 as a rotating mechanism for rotating.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the substrate holding portion 91 has a main body portion 91a formed in a substantially circular shape in plan view. On the upper surface of the main body 91a, that is, the holding surface 91b of the substrate W, a plurality of gas injection ports 100 are formed at predetermined positions for injecting a predetermined gas such as nitrogen gas or air upward. 5 is provided with a gas supply pipe 100a that communicates with the gas injection port 100 and supplies a gas from a gas supply source (not shown) to the gas injection port 100 as shown in FIG. For this reason, the substrate holding part 91 can be made to be in a state where the substrate W is floated by a predetermined distance from the surface of the substrate holding part 91 in a horizontal posture by the gas injected from the gas injection port 100.

  On the main body 91a, there are provided a frame member 101 extending in the vertical direction and an annular gas header 102 provided on the frame member 101 and protruding inside the frame member 101. The frame member 101 is semicircular at equal intervals on a concentric circle of the substrate holding portion 91 so that the substrate holding portion 91 is not interfered when the substrate is delivered, for example, the loading / unloading side of the substrate W is opened as shown in FIG. The three are provided to prevent the substrate W from dropping from the substrate holding portion 91. In the gas header 102, a plurality of gas injection ports (not shown) for injecting gas inward in the horizontal direction are formed at predetermined positions. The substrate W held by the substrate holding portion 91 prevents the substrate W from being lifted by a so-called air curtain formed by the flow of gas injected from the gas injection port 100 as shown in FIG. With such a configuration, the substrate holding portion 91 can carry in and hold the substrate W from the opening portion on the side surface of the frame member 101.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the horizontal movement mechanism 95 is provided on the upper surface of the track 94 and incorporates a drive unit (not shown) that moves on the track 94. On the upper surface of the horizontal movement mechanism 95, there is provided, for example, a substantially disk-shaped turntable 96 that incorporates a drive unit (not shown) and is configured to be rotatable. A lifting shaft 92 extending in the vertical direction is provided in the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion of the turntable 96, and a lifting mechanism 93 incorporating a drive unit (not shown) is attached to the lifting shaft 92. The main body portion 91 a of the substrate holding portion 91 is supported on the upper surface of the lifting mechanism 93. Linear motors are used for the driving units of the horizontal movement mechanism 95, the lifting mechanism 93, and the turntable 96. In this case, for example, the lower surface side of the horizontal elevating mechanism 93, the moving mechanism 95, and the turntable 96 form the magnet side of the linear motor, and the elevating shaft 92, the track 94, and the upper surface side of the horizontal moving mechanism 93 form the moving magnetic field side. In addition, as a kind of linear motor, it selects according to a use from an induction | guidance | derivation type | mold, a synchronous type | mold, or a pulse type | mold, The form is not specifically limited. Further, the arrangement of the elevating shaft 92, the elevating mechanism 93, the horizontal moving mechanism 95, and the turntable 96 is not limited to the present embodiment, and the substrate holding portion 91 is, for example, in the Y direction, θ direction, Any arrangement configuration is possible as long as it is movable in the direction, and for example, another horizontal movement mechanism for moving the substrate holding portion 91 in the X direction of FIG. 1 may be provided.

  Next, the configuration of the resist coating apparatus 52 will be described. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the configuration of the resist coating apparatus 52, and FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an outline of the configuration of the resist coating apparatus 52.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the resist coating apparatus 52 has a processing container 130 whose inside can be closed. A loading / unloading port 131 for the substrate W is formed on the surface of the processing container 130 facing the substrate holding portion 91.

A spin chuck 132 for holding and rotating the substrate W is provided in the processing container 130 as shown in FIG. The spin chuck 132 has a horizontal upper surface, and a suction port (not shown) for sucking the substrate W, for example, is provided on the upper surface. The substrate W can be sucked and held on the spin chuck 132 by suction from the suction port.

  The spin chuck 132 has a drive mechanism 133 with a built-in motor (not shown), for example, and can be rotated at a predetermined speed by the drive mechanism 133. Further, the drive mechanism 133 is provided with an elevating drive source such as a cylinder, and the spin chuck 132 can move up and down.

  Around the spin chuck 132, there are provided a plurality of cups F for receiving and collecting the liquid scattered or dropped from the substrate W. The lower surface of the cup F is connected to a discharge pipe 135 that discharges the collected liquid and an exhaust pipe 136 that exhausts the atmosphere in the cup F.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a rail 140 extending along the Y direction (left-right direction in FIG. 6) is formed on the negative side in the X direction (downward direction in FIG. 6) of the cup F. The rail 140 is formed, for example, from the outside of the cup F in the Y direction negative direction (left direction in FIG. 6) to the outside in the Y direction positive direction (right direction in FIG. 6). An arm 141 is attached to the rail 140.

  The arm 141 supports a coating nozzle 142 that discharges a resist solution onto each substrate W. The arm 141 is movable on the rail 140 by the nozzle driving unit 143. The arm 141 can be moved up and down by a nozzle driving unit 143, and the height of the application nozzle 142 can be adjusted.

  A substrate transport mechanism 150 is provided above the spin chuck 132 in the processing container 130 as shown in FIG. The substrate transport mechanism 150 has a transport arm 151 that holds and transports the substrate W. As shown in FIG. 6, the transfer arm 151 supports a pair of arm portions 152, 152 extending in the transfer direction D (X direction in FIG. 6) of the substrate W, and each arm portion 152, and the transfer direction of the substrate W It has the connection part 153 extended | stretched in D and the orthogonal | vertical direction (Y direction in FIG. 6). On the upper surface of each arm portion 152, a suction pad 154 is provided as a support portion that sucks and horizontally supports the back surface of the substrate W.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the transfer arm 151 is provided with an arm moving mechanism 155 incorporating a motor (not shown), for example. The arm moving mechanism 155 can adjust the distance between the pair of arm portions 152, 152 by moving the connecting portion 153 in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction D of the substrate W. The arm moving mechanism 155 can also move the transfer arm 151 in the vertical direction. As the transfer arm 151 moves up and down in this way, the transfer arm 151 can deliver the substrate W to the spin chuck 132 and receive the substrate W from the spin chuck 132.

  A pair of rails 156 and 156 extending in the transport direction D of the substrate W are provided on the inner surface of the processing container 130 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the arm moving mechanism 155 is attached to the rail 156 and is movable along the rail 156. The arm moving mechanism 155 allows the transfer arm 151 to transfer the substrate W between the substrate transfer body 41 and the resist coating apparatus 52 while holding the substrate W as shown in FIG.

  The developing device 50, the lower antireflection film forming device 51, and the upper antireflection film forming device 53 have the same configuration as the resist coating device 52 described above, and include a substrate transport mechanism 150. Further, the adhesion device 61 similarly includes a substrate transport mechanism 150.

  Next, the configuration of the heat treatment apparatus 60 will be described. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the configuration of the heat treatment apparatus 60, and FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an outline of the structure of the heat treatment apparatus 60.

  In the heat treatment apparatus 60, as shown in FIG. 9, four processing containers 160 that can be closed are provided horizontally along the track 94 of the substrate holding portion 91. A loading / unloading port 161 for the substrate W is formed on the side surface of the processing container 160 facing the substrate transfer apparatus 90. A transfer chamber 191 described later is provided adjacent to the processing container 160 in a region facing the loading / unloading port 161. As shown in FIG. 10, the heat treatment apparatus 60 includes a heating unit 162 that heats the substrate W and a cooling unit 163 that cools the substrate W in the processing container 160.

  The heating unit 162 is provided with a hot plate 170 on which the substrate W is placed and heated. The hot plate 170 has a substantially disk shape with a large thickness. The heat plate 170 has a horizontal upper surface, and a suction port (not shown) for sucking the substrate W, for example, is provided on the upper surface. The substrate W can be sucked and held on the hot plate 170 by the suction from the suction port.

  Inside the hot plate 170, a heater 171 that generates heat by power feeding is attached. The heat plate 170 can be adjusted to a predetermined set temperature by the heat generated by the heater 171.

  A plurality of through holes 172 penetrating in the vertical direction are formed in the hot plate 170. A lift pin 173 is provided in the through hole 172. The lift pins 173 can be moved up and down by a lift drive mechanism 174 such as a cylinder. The elevating pins 173 are inserted through the through holes 172 and protrude from the upper surface of the hot plate 170 so that the elevating pins 173 can move up and down while supporting the substrate W.

  The heating plate 170 is provided with an annular holding member 175 that holds the outer peripheral portion of the heating plate 170. The holding member 175 is provided with a cylindrical support ring 176 that surrounds the outer periphery of the holding member 175 and accommodates the lifting pins 173.

  The cooling unit 163 adjacent to the heating unit 162 is provided with a cooling plate 180 for placing and cooling the substrate W. The cooling plate 180 has a thick substantially disk shape. The cooling plate 180 has a horizontal upper surface, and a suction port (not shown) for sucking the substrate W, for example, is provided on the upper surface. The substrate W can be sucked and held on the cooling plate 180 by suction from the suction port.

  A cooling member (not shown) such as a Peltier element is built in the cooling plate 180, and the cooling plate 180 can be adjusted to a predetermined set temperature.

  Other configurations of the cooling unit 163 have the same configuration as the heating unit 162. That is, the cooling plate 180 is formed with a plurality of through holes 181 penetrating in the vertical direction. A lift pin 182 is provided in the through hole 181. The lift pins 182 can be moved up and down by a lift drive mechanism 183 such as a cylinder. The elevating pins 182 are inserted through the through holes 181 and protrude from the upper surface of the cooling plate 180 to support the substrate W and elevate.

  The cooling plate 180 is provided with an annular holding member 184 that holds the outer periphery of the cooling plate 180. The holding member 184 is provided with a cylindrical support ring 185 that surrounds the outer periphery of the holding member 184 and accommodates the lifting pins 182.

  A substrate transport mechanism 190 is provided above the hot plate 170 and the cooling plate 180. As shown in FIG. 9, the substrate transport mechanism 190 includes a transport arm 193 that is movable on a transport path 192 that extends in the Y direction and is provided in a region facing the loading / unloading port 161 of the processing container 160. The transfer arm 193 has a shape that fits the outer periphery of the substrate W, for example, an arm portion 194 configured in a substantially 3/4 annular shape, and a support portion 195 that is provided on the arm portion 194 and directly supports the outer periphery portion of the substrate W, for example. There are places. The support portions 195 are provided at equal intervals on the inner circumference of the arm portion 194 and protrude inside the arm portion 194.

  The transfer arm 193 is also movable in the vertical direction, the X direction, and the vertical axis by an elevating mechanism 196, a horizontal moving mechanism 197, and a rotating mechanism 198. The substrate W can be transferred to and from the transfer device 90.

  In the coating and developing treatment apparatus 10 configured as described above, for example, the following substrate processing is performed. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of main steps of the substrate processing.

  First, a cassette C containing a plurality of substrates W is placed on a predetermined cassette placement plate 31 of the cassette station 10. Thereafter, the substrates W in the cassette C are sequentially taken out by the substrate transfer body 41 and transferred to, for example, the transfer device 73 of the third processing unit group G3 of the processing station 11.

  Next, the substrate W is transferred to the substrate holding portion 91 of the substrate transfer apparatus 90 by the transfer apparatus 73 and transferred to a position corresponding to the heat treatment apparatus 60. The substrate W held by the substrate holder 91 is carried into the heat treatment apparatus 60 by the transfer arm 192 of the heat treatment apparatus 60, and is subjected to heat treatment and temperature adjustment (step S1 in FIG. 11). Thereafter, the substrate W is transferred to the substrate transfer device 90 by the transfer arm 192 and transferred to a position corresponding to, for example, the lower antireflection film forming device 51 of the first processing device group G1. Thereafter, the substrate W is carried into the lower antireflection film forming apparatus 51 by the transfer arm 151 of the lower antireflection film forming apparatus 51, and a lower antireflection film is formed on the substrate W (step S2 in FIG. 11). Thereafter, the substrate W is transferred to the substrate holding unit 91 by the transfer arm 151 and transferred to a position corresponding to the heat treatment apparatus 60 of the second processing apparatus group G2. Thereafter, the heat is transferred into the heat treatment apparatus 60 by the transfer arm 192 of the heat treatment apparatus 60, heated and temperature-adjusted, and then returned to the transfer apparatus 73 of the third processing apparatus group G3 via the transfer arm and the substrate holder 91.

  Next, the substrate W is transferred by the substrate transfer body 110 to the delivery device 74 of the same third processing apparatus group G3. Thereafter, the substrate W is transferred by the substrate transfer apparatus 90 to the adhesion apparatus 61 of the second processing apparatus group G2 and subjected to an adhesion process (step S3 in FIG. 11). Thereafter, the substrate W is transferred to the resist coating device 52 by the substrate transfer device 90, and a resist film is formed on the substrate W (step S4 in FIG. 11). Thereafter, the substrate W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 60 by the substrate transfer apparatus 90 and pre-baked (step S5 in FIG. 11). Thereafter, the substrate W is transferred by the substrate transfer apparatus 90 to the transfer apparatus 75 of the third processing apparatus group G3.

  Next, the substrate W is transferred to the upper antireflection film forming device 53 by the substrate transfer device 90, and an upper antireflection film is formed on the substrate W (step S6 in FIG. 11). Thereafter, the substrate W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 60 by the substrate transfer apparatus 90, heated, and temperature-adjusted. Thereafter, the substrate W is transported to the peripheral exposure device 62 and subjected to peripheral exposure processing (step S7 in FIG. 11).

  Thereafter, the substrate W is transferred by the substrate transfer apparatus 90 to the transfer apparatus 76 of the third processing apparatus group G3.

  Next, the substrate W is transferred to the transfer device 72 by the substrate transfer body 110 and transferred to the transfer device 82 of the fourth processing device group G4 by the substrate transfer device 90. Thereafter, the substrate W is transported to the exposure apparatus 12 by the substrate transport body 120 of the interface station 13 and subjected to exposure processing (step S8 in FIG. 11).

  Next, the substrate W is transferred by the substrate transfer body 120 to the delivery device 80 of the fourth processing apparatus group G4. Thereafter, the substrate W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 60 by the substrate transfer apparatus 90 and subjected to post-exposure baking (step S9 in FIG. 11). Thereafter, the substrate W is transferred to the development processing device 50 by the substrate transfer device 90 and developed (step S10 in FIG. 11). After completion of the development, the substrate W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 60 by the substrate transfer apparatus 90 and subjected to a post-bake process (Step S11 in FIG. 11).

  Thereafter, the substrate W is transferred to the transfer device 70 of the third processing unit group G3 by the substrate transfer device 90, and then transferred to the cassette C of the predetermined cassette placement plate 31 by the substrate transfer body 41 of the cassette station 10. . Thus, a series of photolithography steps is completed.

  According to the above embodiment, since the substrate transport apparatus 90 can transport the substrate without coming into contact with the substrate W, it is possible to prevent particles from adhering to the back surface of the substrate W during substrate transport. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the yield of the coating and developing processing unit due to particles adhering to the substrate W. In addition, since the substrate transport apparatus 90 uses a linear motor as a drive unit for raising / lowering, rotating, and horizontally moving, each drive unit is not worn. For this reason, it is possible to prevent generation of dust due to wear of the drive unit from the substrate transfer device 90 and to reduce noise during substrate transfer. Further, it is possible to prevent a transport error of the transport device, which has conventionally occurred due to wear of the drive unit.

  In the above embodiment, the substrate transfer device 90 capable of holding the substrate in a non-contact manner is disposed in the transfer space D. For example, the substrate transfer body 41 of the cassette station 10 and the substrate of the processing station 11 are arranged. Instead of the transfer body 110 and the substrate transfer body 120 of the interface station 13, a substrate transfer apparatus 90 may be used. In such a case, since the opportunity for the substrate W to come into contact with, for example, the transfer arm is reduced, the adhesion of particles to the substrate W can be further reduced.

  For example, the resist coating apparatus 52 may include a transport mechanism 250 having another configuration as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 instead of the transport mechanism 150 described above. The substrate transfer mechanism 250 has, for example, two articulated transfer arms 251 that hold and transfer the substrate W. Each transfer arm 251 has a plurality of, for example, four arm portions 252. One arm part 252 of the four arm parts 252 is flexibly connected to the other arm part 252 at its end. Power is transmitted between the arm portions 252 so that the transfer arm 251 can bend and stretch. The front arm portion 252a is provided with a suction pad 253 as a holding portion that sucks and horizontally holds the back surface of the substrate W.

  An arm moving mechanism 254 is provided on the lower surface of the base arm portion 252b. The arm moving mechanism 254 includes a shaft 255 that supports the arm portion 252b, and a drive mechanism 256 that is provided below the shaft 255 and incorporates, for example, a motor (not shown). By this arm moving mechanism 254, the transfer arm 251 moves in the vertical direction, and the position of the transfer arm 51 in the height direction is set so as not to interfere with each other when holding the substrate W or moving the transfer arm 251. Can be changed. The transfer arm 251 can transfer the substrate W between the plurality of cups F and the substrate transfer apparatus 40.

  Note that the combination of the transport mechanisms 150, 190, and 250 and the processing apparatuses described above is not limited to the present embodiment, and can be applied to other processing apparatuses.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is obvious for those skilled in the art that various modifications or modifications can be conceived within the scope of the idea described in the claims, and these naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. It is understood. The present invention is not limited to this example and can take various forms. The present invention can also be applied to a case where the substrate is another substrate such as an FPD (flat panel display) other than the substrate or a mask reticle for a photomask. In addition, the present invention can be applied to plasma processing other than CVD processing, such as etching processing, as well as processing other than plasma processing. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the shape of the transfer arm of the present embodiment, and can be applied to other various transfer arms.

  The present invention is useful for transporting a substrate to a processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on the substrate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Coating | development processing system 10 Cassette station 11 Processing station 12 Exposure apparatus 13 Interface station 30 Cassette mounting base 31 Cassette mounting plate 40 Conveyance path 41 Substrate conveyance body 50 Development processing apparatus 51 Lower antireflection film forming apparatus 52 Resist coating apparatus 53 Upper part Antireflection film forming device 60 Heat treatment device 61 Adhesion device 62 Peripheral exposure device 70-76 Delivery device 80-82 Delivery device 90 Substrate transport device 91 Substrate holding portion 91a Main body portion 91b Holding surface 92 Elevating shaft 93 Elevating mechanism 94 Trajectory 95 Horizontal movement Mechanism 96 Turntable 100 Gas injection port 100a Gas supply pipe 101 Frame member 102 Gas header 110 Substrate transport body 120 Substrate transport body 121 Delivery device 130 Processing container 131 Loading / unloading port
132 Spin chuck 133 Drive mechanism 135 Discharge pipe 136 Exhaust pipe 140 Rail 141 Arm 142 Application nozzle 143 Nozzle drive section 150 Substrate transport mechanism 151 Transport arm 152 Arm section 153 Connection section 154 Suction pad 155 Arm movement mechanism 156 Rail 160 Processing container 161 Carrying in Exit 162 Heating unit 163 Cooling unit 170 Heat plate 171 Heater 172 Through hole 173 Lifting pin 174 Lifting drive mechanism 175 Holding unit 176 Support ring 180 Cooling plate 181 Through hole 182 Lifting pin 183 Lifting drive mechanism 184 Holding member 185 Support ring 190 Substrate transport Mechanism 191 Transfer chamber 192 Transfer path 193 Transfer arm 194 Arm part 195 Holding part 250 Substrate transfer mechanism 251 Transfer arm 252 Arm part 252a Arm 253 suction pads 254 arm moving mechanism 255 shaft 256 drive mechanism F cup C cassette

Claims (15)

A substrate transfer device for holding and transferring a substrate,
A substrate holder for holding the substrate;
An elevating mechanism for elevating and lowering the substrate holding part in the vertical direction,
A plurality of gas injection ports for injecting a predetermined gas upward are formed on the substrate holding surface of the substrate holding unit,
The substrate conveying apparatus, wherein a driving source of the elevating mechanism is a linear motor. The substrate transport apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a rotation mechanism that rotates the substrate holding unit around a vertical axis. The substrate transport apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a driving source of the rotation mechanism is a linear motor. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a horizontal movement mechanism that moves the substrate holding unit in a horizontal direction. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a driving source of the horizontal movement mechanism is a linear motor. 6. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of frame members provided on concentric circles of the substrate holding portion and extending in a vertical direction. The substrate transport apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of frame members are arranged so that a substrate loading / unloading side is opened. The substrate transport apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a gas header that is provided above the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and injects a predetermined gas in a horizontal direction. A substrate processing system comprising: the substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1; and a processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a substrate.
The substrate processing system, wherein the processing apparatus includes a substrate transfer mechanism for transferring a substrate between the processing apparatus and the substrate holding unit. The substrate transport mechanism adjusts the distance between the pair of arm portions, a transport arm provided on the arm portions and a support portion that supports the substrate, and the pair of arm portions, and horizontally moves the transport arms. The substrate processing system according to claim 9, further comprising: an arm moving mechanism that moves in a direction. The substrate transport mechanism includes: an arm portion having a shape that fits an outer periphery of the substrate; a support arm provided on the arm portion; and a support portion that supports the substrate; and the transport arm is moved in the horizontal direction. The substrate processing system according to claim 9, further comprising an arm moving mechanism. The substrate processing system according to claim 10, wherein the arm moving mechanism moves the transfer arm in a vertical direction. The substrate transport mechanism has a transport arm that holds and transports a substrate, and the transport arm is provided on a plurality of arm portions that are flexibly connected and the arm portion at the tip, and supports the substrate. The substrate processing system according to claim 9, further comprising: a unit. The substrate processing system according to claim 13, wherein the substrate transport mechanism includes an arm moving mechanism that moves the transport arm in a vertical direction. The substrate processing system according to claim 10, wherein the substrate transport mechanism includes a plurality of transport arms.

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