JP2011155106A - Vacuum processing apparatus and method of adjusting substrate transfer mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vacuum processing apparatus equipped with a substrate support mechanism configured to support and transfer a substrate, which detects the substrate support mechanism having abnormality. <P>SOLUTION: A substrate transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate 63 continuously in vacuum processing chambers connected in series, has a CCD camera 103 which photographs the substrate support mechanism 50 transferred in a state of holding the substrate 63, and measures a position where the substrate support mechanism 50 holds the substrate 63 from a picture photographed by the CCD camera 103 to detect the substrate support mechanism 50 whose substrate support position is abnormal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus and a method for adjusting a substrate transport mechanism, and more particularly to a vacuum processing apparatus including a substrate transport apparatus that transports a substrate held by a substrate support mechanism and a method for adjusting the substrate transport mechanism.

  Conventionally, in order to process a large number of substrates at high speed and continuously, a vacuum processing apparatus configured by connecting a large number of vacuum processing chambers provided for each film forming process is known (for example, Patent Documents 1-3). ). Such a vacuum processing apparatus is provided with a substrate transport mechanism for sequentially transporting substrates to a connected vacuum processing chamber. The substrate transport mechanism transports a disk-shaped substrate while being supported by the substrate support mechanism, and includes a substrate attachment / detachment mechanism for attaching / detaching the substrate to / from the substrate support mechanism.

  The board support mechanism moves while supporting the board, and the board mounting / removal operation is frequently performed by the board mounting / removal mechanism. Cause an abnormality. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain high assembly accuracy, and assembly / adjustment work by a skilled worker is indispensable.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-274142 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-091946 JP-A-10-194451

  However, the assembly / adjustment work of the substrate support mechanism is a work that requires a long time because the operator uses a dedicated jig or the like, and there is a problem that the running cost of the vacuum processing apparatus is increased. In addition, there is a possibility that a difference may occur between the workers in the assembly / adjustment work of the substrate support mechanism, and there is a risk of inadequate assembly / adjustment due to this difference.

  Insufficient assembly / adjustment of the substrate support mechanism will cause the substrate to be dropped or transported abnormally, and it will be necessary to stop the vacuum processing equipment and maintain the vacuum processing chamber open to the atmosphere. As a result, the production capacity may be reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and by reducing the time required for assembling / adjusting the substrate support mechanism and making it uniform, the vacuum for reducing the apparatus stop time and increasing the production capacity is achieved. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for adjusting a processing apparatus and a substrate transport mechanism.

A vacuum processing apparatus according to the present invention is a vacuum processing apparatus including a substrate transport mechanism that transports a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber in which the substrate is processed. The substrate transport mechanism holds the substrate and is transferred through the vacuum processing chamber. A substrate support mechanism and a photographing device for photographing the substrate support mechanism, and detecting a support position of the substrate of the substrate support mechanism from an image photographed by the photographing device.
Alternatively, the vacuum processing apparatus according to the present invention is a vacuum processing apparatus including a substrate transport mechanism that transports a substrate in a plurality of vacuum processing chambers in which the substrate is processed, and the substrate transport mechanism includes a plurality of the vacuum processing chambers. The substrate has a conveyance path provided therethrough, a substrate support mechanism that holds the substrate and is transported along the conveyance path, and an imaging device that images the substrate support mechanism. The substrate support position of the support mechanism is detected.

  A substrate transport mechanism adjustment method according to the present invention is a substrate transport mechanism adjustment method provided in the above-described vacuum processing apparatus, and a substrate at a substrate support mechanism serving as a reference whose substrate support position has been adjusted in advance. A first step of setting the support position as a reference value, a second step of photographing the substrate support mechanism for measuring the state in which the substrate is supported by the photographing device, and a substrate support based on the image photographed in the second step In a third step of calculating the substrate support position of the mechanism as a measurement value, a fourth step of calculating a distance between the measurement value set in the first step and the reference value calculated in the third step, and a fourth step And a fifth step of determining pass / fail of the substrate support mechanism based on the calculated distance.

  In the production process, it is possible to eliminate the substrate support mechanism having an abnormal shape, and it is possible to avoid a substrate dropping / conveying abnormality caused by an assembly / adjustment of the substrate support mechanism. Thereby, the stop of production time and the fall of production capacity can be avoided.

  By checking the accuracy of the substrate support mechanism at the pre-production stage during assembly / adjustment, and judging the quality of the assembly / adjustment state, differences between workers during assembly / adjustment can be reduced, and substrate support is achieved. It is possible to avoid substrate dropping and transport abnormalities due to inadequate assembly and adjustment of the mechanism. Thereby, the stop of production time and the fall of production capacity can be avoided. Further, by notifying the operator of the difference between the substrate support mechanism with poor assembly / adjustment and the reference value, the work time in the pre-production stage of assembly / adjustment can be shortened.

1 is a schematic view of a vacuum processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is the one part schematic of the board | substrate support mechanism and conveyance mechanism which concern on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic of the board | substrate holding | grip mechanism which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic of the vacuum processing chamber and CCD camera installation method which concern on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the reference point measurement of the board | substrate support mechanism which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart when detecting and removing imperfect assembly / adjustment in the production process of the substrate support mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart of the measurement in the assembly and adjustment of the board | substrate support mechanism which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

(First embodiment)
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the members, arrangements, and the like described below are examples embodying the present invention and do not limit the present invention, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made in accordance with the spirit of the present invention.

  1 to 6 are views for explaining a vacuum processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the vacuum processing apparatus, and FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a part of a substrate support mechanism and a transport mechanism. 3 is a schematic diagram of a substrate gripping mechanism, FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a vacuum processing chamber and a CCD camera installation method, FIG. 5 is a flowchart of reference point measurement of the substrate support mechanism, and FIG. 6 is an abnormal substrate support mechanism in the production process. It is a flowchart for eliminating. It should be noted that the illustration is omitted except for a part in order to prevent complication of the drawing.

  The vacuum processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a load lock chamber 11, an unload lock chamber 12, a plurality of vacuum processing chambers 13, and vacuum chambers such as a transfer direction changing chamber 14 connected in a rectangular shape. ing. Each vacuum chamber is a vacuum container evacuated by a dedicated or dual-purpose exhaust system, and is connected to adjacent vacuum chambers via a gate valve 15.

  The vacuum processing apparatus 1 includes a rectangular transport path that passes through each vacuum processing chamber 13 and the transport direction changing chamber 14, and a substrate support mechanism 50 (carrier) that supports the substrate 63. The substrate support mechanism 50 includes: The substrate is transported along the transport path while being supported in a vertical posture. A transport mechanism is a mechanism for transporting a substrate in each vacuum chamber using the transport path and the substrate support mechanism 50 as main components. Further, the load lock chamber 11, the unload lock chamber 12, and some vacuum processing chambers 13 are provided with substrate attaching / detaching mechanisms (21, 22) for attaching or removing the substrate 63 to or from the substrate supporting mechanism 50. The vacuum processing apparatus 1 includes a carrier state measuring device for confirming whether the state of the substrate support mechanism 50 is good or bad.

  In the load lock chamber 11, the substrate 63 is mounted on the substrate support mechanism 50 by the substrate attachment / detachment mechanism 21, and in the unload lock chamber 12, the substrate 63 is collected from the substrate support mechanism 50 by the substrate attachment / detachment mechanism 22. . A vacuum processing chamber 13 a disposed between the unload lock chamber 12 and the load lock chamber 11 serves as a passage for returning the substrate support mechanism 50 from the unload lock chamber 12 to the load lock chamber 11. There is a case where a mechanism (ashing processing device) for cleaning the liquid is provided.

  The substrate attaching / detaching mechanism 21 provided in the load lock chamber 11 and the substrate attaching / detaching mechanism 22 provided in the unload lock chamber 12 are both mechanisms for transferring the substrate 63, and the substrate attaching / detaching mechanism 21 is removed from the substrate cassette 11a. On the other hand, the substrate attaching / detaching mechanism 22 performs an operation of removing the substrate 63 from the substrate supporting mechanism 50 and storing it in the substrate cassette 12a. In addition, another substrate attachment / detachment mechanism may be provided in the arbitrary vacuum processing chamber 13, and the substrate 63 is attached / detached from the substrate support mechanism 50 being transferred as necessary.

  The transfer direction changing chamber 14 changes the direction of the substrate support mechanism 50 at a right angle in order to transfer the substrate support mechanism 50 along the rectangular movement path. Specifically, the substrate support mechanism 50 transported to the transport direction changing chamber 14 is rotated while being vertically supported to change the direction of the substrate support mechanism 50.

  FIG. 2 shows the substrate support mechanism 50. The substrate support mechanism 50 includes a slider 51 and a substrate gripping mechanism 60, and is configured by assembling one or a plurality of substrate gripping mechanisms 60 on top of a substantially rectangular plate-like slider 51.

  As described above, at least one substrate gripping mechanism 60 is attached to the slider 51 on the upper side, and permanent magnets 51a with alternating magnetic poles are arranged at equal intervals on the lower side surface. Since the permanent magnet 51a forms a magnetic coupling with the spiral magnet formed on the surface of the magnetic screw 52 formed in each vacuum chamber along the conveyance path, the magnetic force between the permanent magnet 51a and the permanent magnet 51a is increased. The connecting portion can move to advance the slider 51.

An enlarged view of the substrate gripping mechanism 60 is shown in FIG.
The substrate gripping mechanism 60 is configured to support the substrate 63 inside the opening 61 by three claws 62 (62a, 62a, 62b). The claw 62 is a metal leaf spring formed in a substantially L shape that is elastically deformed, supports the substrate 63 at the tip, and is attached to the opening 61 on the opposite side. There are two types of claws 62, two upper claws 62 a attached to the upper side of the opening 61 and 62 b attached to the lower side of the opening 61.

  The operation of attaching the substrate 63 to the substrate gripping mechanism 60 by the robot provided as the substrate attaching / detaching mechanism 21 is performed by placing the substrate 63 held by the arm tips of the substrate attaching / detaching mechanisms (robots) 21 and 22 in the opening 61. Then, the lower nail 62b is bent back. At the time of mounting the substrate, the lower claw 62b is appropriately bent downward by a movable lever (lever) provided on the chamber side.

  The operation of removing the substrate 63 from the substrate gripping mechanism 60 by the substrate support mechanism 22 is performed by bending the distal end side of the lower claw 62b downward by the lever while the distal end portion of the arm is inserted into the opening of the substrate. The substrate 63 is transferred from the substrate gripping mechanism 60 to the substrate attaching / detaching mechanism 22.

  The substrate attaching / detaching mechanisms 21 and 22 are mechanisms for operating the arm based on coordinates based on the position where the robot is attached, and are not configured to control the arm operation while feeding back the position information of the substrate 63. Therefore, in order to attach or detach the substrate 63 to or from the substrate gripping mechanism 60, the position where the substrate 63 is attached to or detached from the substrate attaching / detaching mechanisms 21 and 22 needs to be always constant.

  Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the substrate 63 support position of the substrate gripping mechanism 60, that is, the attachment position of the claw 62 and the assembly position of the substrate gripping mechanism 60 with respect to the slider 51 with high accuracy. When attaching the substrate gripping mechanism 60 to the slider 51 and attaching the claw 62 to the opening 61 of the substrate gripping mechanism 60, assembly / adjustment work using a dedicated jig or the like is performed.

  In order to ensure the accuracy of the attachment position of the claw 62 and the assembly position of the substrate gripping mechanism 60, the vacuum processing apparatus 1 includes a carrier state measurement device for measuring the support position of the substrate 63 with respect to the slider 51. Information necessary for adjusting the attachment position of the claw 62 or the attachment position of the substrate gripping mechanism 60 can be obtained by removing the substrate support mechanism 50 in which an abnormality has been detected by the measurement apparatus.

A carrier state measuring apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.
The carrier state measuring apparatus includes a CCD camera 103 and a control computer 104 as main components, and the CCD camera 103 passes from the outside (atmosphere side) of the vacuum chamber through a viewing port 102 attached to one of the vacuum chambers. It is installed so that the substrate support mechanism 50 can be measured. An illumination device 105 for improving the image quality of the CCD camera 103 is provided as necessary.

  In particular, the CCD camera 103 according to the present embodiment is set so that the three claws 62 and the substrate 63 can be clearly photographed around the opening 61 of the substrate gripping mechanism 60. For example, when the substrate gripping mechanism 60 is photographed by the CCD camera 103, the background coloring and the illumination arrangement are selected so that the outlines of the opening 61 and the nail 62 are clear.

  The control computer 104 is a computer that is connected to the CCD camera 103 and processes images and data from the CCD camera 103. The control computer 104 determines whether or not the substrate support mechanism 50 is in a normal state by comparing the shape of the substrate support mechanism 50 with a preset state (reference value).

A method for measuring the state of the substrate support mechanism 50 using the carrier state measuring device will be described below.
First, a method for setting a reference value based on FIG. 5 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for measuring a reference value used for determining whether the state of the substrate support mechanism 50 is good or bad.

  Step 101 (S101) in FIG. 5 is a step of measuring the substrate support mechanism 50 for measuring the reference value, and the opening 61 of the substrate gripping mechanism 60 attached to the substrate support mechanism 50 is measured. The value of the center coordinates (x, y) of the opening 61 is calculated. Specifically, the substrate support mechanism 50 that has been transported along the transport path by the transport mechanism is stopped at a predetermined position within the photographing range of the CCD camera 103, and the shape of the opening 61 is photographed by the CCD camera 103. The center coordinates (x, y) of the opening 61 are derived from the contour shape calculated by the processing. S102 is a step in which the value of the center coordinate (x, y) of the opening 61 calculated in S101 is stored in the control computer 104 as a reference value.

A method for determining whether or not the substrate support mechanism 50 is in a normal state will be described below.
In the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, the value stored in S102 of the flowchart of FIG. 5 is used as a reference value for determination.

  The flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is a control method for finding and removing an assembly / adjustment defect of the substrate support mechanism 50 during conveyance of the substrate support mechanism 50. S201 in FIG. 6 determines a threshold value for determining the quality of the opening 61 based on the above-described reference value. For example, the threshold value of the present embodiment is set as whether or not the distance between the reference value (x, y) and a measured value to be described later exceeds ± 0.2% of the diameter of the opening 61. S202 is a process for operating a transport mechanism that transports the substrate support mechanism 50 in the vacuum processing apparatus 1. By performing this process, the substrate support is completed until the end of the transport of the substrate support mechanism 50 is declared in S206. The mechanism 50 continues to be sequentially conveyed in the vacuum processing apparatus 1.

  In step S <b> 203, measurement is performed on both or any one of the opening 61 of the substrate support mechanism 50 (substrate gripping mechanism 60) stopped before the CCD camera 103 and the tips of the three claws 62. By processing the image of the CCD camera 103, at least one of the center coordinates (x1, y1) of the opening 61 of the substrate gripping mechanism 60 and the center coordinates (x2, y2) of the circle in contact with the tip of each claw 62 is obtained. Is calculated and input to the control computer 104. At this time, the control computer 104 stores the reference values (x, y) measured in S101 and S102.

  The center coordinates (x1, y1), for example, identify the image of the opening 61 of the substrate support mechanism 50 photographed by the CCD camera 103, the region of the substrate support mechanism 50 and the background region, and coincide with the edge of the opening 61 The position of the substrate support mechanism 50 can be calculated by calculating the center point of the circle. In the case of a substrate support mechanism in which the opening 61 is not formed in an arc shape, an ideal (design) support position of the substrate 63 supported by the substrate support mechanism 50 is calculated from a predetermined position of the substrate support mechanism. be able to.

  Similarly, the center coordinates (x2, y2) identify a predetermined position of each tip of the three claws 62 of the substrate support mechanism 50 photographed by the CCD camera 103, and the center point of a circle passing through the predetermined position. It can be calculated by calculating. The region of the substrate 63 and the substrate support mechanism 50 and the background region are identified from the image of the opening 61 of the substrate support mechanism 50 taken by the CCD camera 103, and a circle that matches the outer periphery of the substrate 63 is selected. The center point of the circle may be the center coordinates (x2, y2).

  In S204, the difference between the stored reference value and the value measured in S203 is compared with a threshold value. Specifically, the distance (difference) between the center coordinates (x1, y1) of the opening 61 or the center coordinates (x2, y2) of the circle in contact with the tip of each claw 62 and the reference value is calculated, The calculated difference value is compared with the threshold value set in S201, and the values of the center coordinates (x1, y1) of the opening 61 and the center coordinates (x2, y2) of the circle in contact with the tip of each nail 62 are obtained. Judge whether it exists in the correct position.

  When the center coordinates (x1, y1) of the opening 61 are used for the carrier state measurement, it is suitable for measuring the shape of the substrate support mechanism 50 or confirming the stop position of the substrate support mechanism 50 in the transport path. . Further, when the center coordinates (x2, y2) of the circle in contact with the tip of each claw 62 and the center point of the circle coinciding with the outer periphery of the substrate 63 are used as the center coordinates (x2, y2), the substrate support mechanism 50 is used. Is suitable for confirming the support position of the substrate 63 relative to the substrate or the support position of the substrate 63 relative to the transport path.

  When the difference between the reference value (x, y) and the center coordinates (x1, y1) or (x2, y2) is smaller than the threshold (S204: Yes), the center coordinates (x1, y1) of the opening 61 or It is determined that the center coordinates (x2, y2) of the circle in contact with the tip of each claw 62 are present at the correct position, and the substrate support mechanism 50 is assumed to be free from assembly and adjustment. In-carriage is continued.

  S204 determines that the center coordinates (x1, y1) of the opening 61 of the substrate gripping mechanism 60 and the center coordinates (x2, y2) of the circle in contact with the tip of each claw 62 are not present at the correct positions (S204). : No) The substrate support mechanism 50 is assumed to be incompletely assembled and adjusted and is discharged from the vacuum processing apparatus 1. The processing from S203 to S205 is repeated until the end of the operation of the transport mechanism is declared in S206.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. Instead of the method (see FIG. 6) for finding and removing the assembly / adjustment deficiencies of the substrate support mechanism 50 according to the first embodiment described above. It can be applied. The flowchart shown in FIG. 7 shows a procedure for assembling and adjusting the substrate support mechanism 50 that is performed at the stage before conveyance in the vacuum processing apparatus 1.

  The substrate support mechanism 50 includes a substrate gripping mechanism 60 as a constituent element, and the substrate gripping mechanism 60 has a claw 62. When the claw 62 is attached to the opening 61 of the substrate gripping mechanism 60 and when the substrate gripping mechanism 60 is attached to the slider 51, assembly / adjustment work is required. 7 is executed.

  In S301, a threshold value is determined. The determination of the threshold is the same as S201 in FIG. In step S302, the substrate support mechanism 50 that is being assembled and adjusted is measured. Measurement of either or either of the opening 61 of the substrate gripping mechanism 60 and the tip of each claw 62 attached to the upper part of the substrate support mechanism 50 is performed, and the center coordinates (x1) of the opening 61 of the substrate gripping mechanism 60 are measured. , Y1) and / or the center coordinates (x2, y2) of the circle in contact with the tip of each claw 62 are input to the control computer 104.

  The control computer 104 stores the reference value measured in S101 and S102. In S303, the stored value is compared with the value measured in S302, and the center coordinates (x1, y1) of the opening 61 of the substrate gripping mechanism 60 and the circle in contact with the tip of each claw 62 are compared. The difference (distance) between the value of both or either of the central coordinates (x2, y2) and the reference value is calculated. By comparing the value of the difference from the reference value with a threshold value, the center coordinates (x1, y1) of the opening 61 of the substrate gripping mechanism 60 and the center coordinates (x2, y2) of the circle in contact with the tip of each claw 62 are obtained. It is determined whether or not both values are present at the correct position.

  By S303, both or one of the center coordinates (x1, y1) of the opening 61 of the substrate gripping mechanism 60 and the center coordinates (x2, y2) of the circle in contact with the tip of each claw 62 exists at the correct position. The substrate support mechanism 50 determined to be present (S303: Yes) is assumed to be free of assembly / adjustment, and in S304, the assembly support / adjustment of the substrate support mechanism 50 is indicated to be incomplete. Assembly / adjustment ends.

  By S303, either or both of the center coordinates (x1, y1) of the opening 61 of the substrate gripping mechanism 60 and the center coordinates (x2, y2) of the circle in contact with the tip of each claw 62 are not present at the correct positions. The substrate support mechanism 50 determined as “No” (S303: No) needs to be assembled and adjusted again, and displays the difference between the measured center coordinates and the reference points stored in S101 and S102 in S305. In step S306, the operator again assembles and adjusts the substrate support mechanism 50.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum processing apparatus 11 Load lock chamber 12 Unload lock chamber 13 Vacuum processing chamber 14 Transfer direction change chamber 15 Gate valves 21, 22 Substrate attaching / detaching mechanism 23 Arm 24 Pick 50 Substrate support mechanism 51 Slider 52 Magnetic screw 60 Substrate gripping mechanism 61 Substrate Opening 62 of gripping mechanism Claw 63 Substrate 101 Vacuum processing chamber wall surface 102 Viewing port 103 CCD camera 104 Control computer 105 Illumination device

Claims (7)

A vacuum processing apparatus comprising a substrate transfer mechanism for transferring a substrate in a vacuum processing chamber in which the substrate is processed,
The substrate transport mechanism includes a substrate support mechanism that holds a substrate and is transferred through the vacuum processing chamber, and an imaging device that photographs the substrate support mechanism,
A vacuum processing apparatus, wherein a substrate support position of the substrate support mechanism is detected from an image captured by the imaging apparatus. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising a substrate transfer mechanism for transferring a substrate in a plurality of vacuum processing chambers in which the substrate is processed,
The substrate transport mechanism includes a transport path provided through a plurality of the vacuum processing chambers, a substrate support mechanism that holds the substrate and is transported along the transport path, and photographing that captures the substrate support mechanism. Having a device,
A vacuum processing apparatus for detecting a substrate support position of the substrate support mechanism from an image photographed by the photographing apparatus. The substrate support mechanism includes a claw having elasticity for supporting the substrate at a predetermined position,
The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photographing apparatus photographs the substrate support mechanism in a state where the substrate is supported by the claw. A method for adjusting a substrate transport mechanism provided in a vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
A first step of setting, as a reference value, a substrate support position in the substrate support mechanism that serves as a reference in which the substrate support position is adjusted in advance;
A second step of photographing the substrate support mechanism for measuring the state in which the substrate is supported by the photographing device;
A third step of calculating a substrate support position of the substrate support mechanism as a measurement value based on the video imaged in the second step;
A fourth step of calculating a distance between the measurement value set in the first step and the reference value calculated in the third step;
And a fifth step of determining whether the substrate support mechanism is good or not based on the distance calculated in the fourth step. 5. The substrate transport mechanism according to claim 4, further comprising a step of displaying a distance between the measurement value set in the first step and the reference value calculated in the third step on an output unit. Adjustment method. 6. The method for adjusting a substrate transport mechanism according to claim 4, further comprising a step of displaying the result determined in the fifth step on an output unit. 7. The method according to claim 4, further comprising a step of excluding the substrate support mechanism determined to be defective in the fifth step from a conveyance path provided through the vacuum processing chamber. 8. The adjustment method of the board | substrate conveyance mechanism of description.