JP2012069637A - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate processing apparatus which prevents an electrical part of a transfer mechanism, which transfers a substrate from a substrate holder transferred from a processing chamber, from having high temperature.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus has a boat holding a wafer, a processing chamber processing the wafer held by the boat, a transfer chamber to which the boat is transferred from the processing chamber, and a wafer transfer mechanism provided in the transfer chamber and transferring the wafer held by the boat. The wafer transfer mechanism has a power unit which transmits power to a lifting part which lifts a wafer transfer device transferring the wafer, an electrical part forming an electric circuit of the power unit, and a cooling device cooling the electrical part.

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus.

  The substrate processing equipment is used in the process of forming an IC (Integrated Circuit), a CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) film such as an insulating film, a metal film, or a semiconductor film on the substrate or diffusing impurities. is there.

  This type of substrate processing apparatus includes a processing chamber for batch processing a boat holding a plurality of substrates, a transfer chamber for transferring substrates to the boat, and a boat between the processing chamber and the transfer chamber. Some have a boat elevator that raises and lowers the boat.

  In Cited Document 1, a processing chamber for processing wafers, a boat for holding wafers into a processing chamber, a standby chamber for waiting for the boat to enter and exit the processing chamber, and a nitrogen gas circulate in the standby chamber There is disclosed a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a circulation path to be supplied, a supply pipe for supplying nitrogen gas to the circulation path, and a discharge pipe for discharging nitrogen gas from the circulation path.

JP 2004-119888 A

  An object of this invention is to provide the substrate processing apparatus which can suppress that the electrical equipment part of the conveyance mechanism which conveys a substrate from the substrate holder carried out of a process chamber becomes high temperature.

A feature of the present invention is that a substrate holder that holds a substrate, a processing chamber that processes the substrate held by the substrate holder, a first transfer mechanism that carries the substrate into and out of the holder, and A transfer chamber having at least one of second transfer mechanisms for transferring the substrate holder to the processing chamber, and the first transfer mechanism and the second transfer having at least one of the transfer chambers. A power unit provided in the mechanism; an electrical component that forms an electrical circuit that controls the power unit; and a cooling device that cools the electrical component;
A substrate processing apparatus having

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the substrate processing apparatus which can suppress that the electrical equipment part of the conveyance mechanism provided in the transfer chamber becomes high temperature can be provided.

It is a perspective view of the substrate processing apparatus used for one Embodiment of this invention. It is side surface perspective drawing of the substrate processing apparatus used for one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the processing furnace used for one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram of the control structure of each part which comprises the substrate processing apparatus used for one Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic of the raising / lowering drive part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is the schematic of the raising / lowering drive part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is the schematic of the raising / lowering drive part which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

[First Embodiment]
Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a substrate processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the substrate processing apparatus 10.

  The substrate processing apparatus 10 is configured as a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus that performs processing steps in a semiconductor device (IC) manufacturing method. The substrate processing apparatus 10 is, for example, a vertical apparatus that performs an oxidation process, a diffusion process, a CVD process, or the like on a wafer 2 as a substrate.

  The substrate processing apparatus 10 has a housing 12 in which main parts are arranged. In the substrate processing apparatus 10, a FOUP (hereinafter referred to as a pod 4) as a substrate container for storing a wafer 2 made of, for example, silicon (Si) is used as a wafer carrier.

A pod loading / unloading port 14 is opened on the front wall 12 a of the housing 12 so as to communicate with the inside and outside of the housing 12. The pod loading / unloading port 14 is opened and closed by a front shutter 16.
A load port 18 is installed on the front front side of the pod loading / unloading port 14. The load port 18 is configured such that the pod 4 is placed and the placed pod 4 is aligned. The pod 4 is exchanged between the in-process transfer device (not shown) and the load port 18.

A rotary pod shelf 20 is installed at a substantially upper center in the front-rear direction in the housing 12. The rotary pod shelf 20 includes a support column 22 that is vertically set up and intermittently rotates in a horizontal plane, and a plurality of shelf plates 24 that are supported on the support column 22 radially, for example, at three positions on the upper and lower sides. Yes. Each of the shelf boards 24 is configured to hold a plurality of pods 4 placed thereon.
Thus, the rotary pod shelf 20 is configured to store a plurality of pods 4.

A pod transfer device 30 is installed between the load port 18 in the housing 12 and the rotary pod shelf 20. The pod carrying device 30 includes a pod elevator 30 a that can move up and down while holding the pod 4, and a pod carrying mechanism 30 b that supports the pod 4.
The pod transfer device 30 is configured to transfer the pod 4 between the load port 18, the rotary pod shelf 20, and a pod opener 36 described later by continuous operation of the pod elevator 30 a and the pod transfer mechanism 30 b. ing.

A sub-housing 32 is constructed over the rear end at a substantially central lower portion in the front-rear direction in the housing 12.
On the front wall 32a of the sub-housing 32, wafer loading / unloading ports 34 for carrying the wafer 2 in and out of the sub-housing 32 are opened in, for example, two vertical stages. A pod opener 36 is installed at each wafer loading / unloading port 34.

  The pod opener 36 includes a mounting table 38 on which the pod 4 is mounted and a cap attaching / detaching mechanism 40 that attaches / detaches a cap (lid) of the pod 4. The pod opener 36 is configured to open and close the wafer inlet / outlet port of the pod 4 by attaching / detaching the cap of the pod 4 installed on the mounting table 38 by the cap attaching / detaching mechanism 40.

  The auxiliary housing 32 constitutes a transfer chamber 42 that is fluidly isolated from the space in which the pod transfer device 30 and the rotary pod shelf 20 are installed.

A wafer transfer mechanism 50 that is a first transfer mechanism is installed in a front region in the transfer chamber 42. The wafer transfer mechanism 50 includes a wafer transfer device 52 that can rotate or linearly move the wafer 2 in the horizontal direction, a lift unit 54 that lifts and lowers the wafer transfer device 52, and a lift drive unit that drives the lift unit 54. 56. The raising / lowering drive part 56 is arrange | positioned at the upper part of the raising / lowering part 54. As shown in FIG.
The wafer transfer mechanism 50 uses the tweezers 58 of the wafer transfer device 52 as a placement unit for the wafer 2 to load (charge) the wafer 2 into the boat 60 serving as a substrate holder, or remove the wafer 2 from the boat 60. It is configured to discharge (discharge).

  The boat 60 includes a plurality of holding members, and is configured to hold a plurality of (for example, about 50 to 125) wafers 2 horizontally with the centers thereof aligned in the vertical direction. Yes.

  A transfer control unit 62 (see FIG. 4) is electrically connected to the pod transfer device 30, the pod opener 36, the wafer transfer mechanism 50, and the like. The transfer control unit 62 performs a desired operation. It is configured to control at a desired timing.

A clean unit 64 is installed on the opposite side of the transfer chamber 42 opposite to the lift 54. The clean unit 64 includes a supply fan and a dustproof filter so as to supply a clean atmosphere or clean air that is an inert gas.
Between the clean unit 64 and the wafer transfer device 52, a notch alignment device 66 is installed as a substrate alignment device for aligning the circumferential position of the wafer 2.

  Clean air blown out from the clean unit 64 passes through the wafer transfer device 52 and the notch alignment device 66, and is provided with a lift unit 54 and a lift drive unit 56 disposed on the opposite side of the transfer chamber 43, and a boat elevator 74 described later. And the like, and then sucked into a duct (not shown) and exhausted outside the housing 12. Alternatively, the clean air blown out from the clean unit 64 is circulated to the primary side (supply side), which is the suction side of the clean unit 64, instead of being exhausted to the duct, and again in the transfer chamber 42 by the clean unit 64. It is configured to be blown out.

A processing furnace 70 is provided above the rear region in the transfer chamber 42. A lower end portion of the processing furnace 70 is configured to be opened and closed by a furnace port shutter 72.
Below the processing furnace 70, a boat elevator 74, which is a second transport mechanism, is installed.

On the arm of the boat elevator 74, a seal cap 76 as a furnace port lid is installed in the horizontal direction. The seal cap 76 is made of, for example, a metal such as stainless steel and is formed in a disk shape.
The seal cap 76 is configured to support the boat 60 vertically and to close the lower end portion of the processing furnace 70. The boat 60 is moved up and down by the seal cap 76 being lifted and lowered in the vertical direction by the boat elevator 74.
As described above, the transfer chamber 42 constitutes a chamber for transferring the wafers 2 to and from the boat 60 and also constitutes a loading / unloading chamber into which the boat 60 is loaded / unloaded from the processing furnace 70.

  Next, details of the processing furnace 70 will be described.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of the processing furnace 70 and shows a longitudinal sectional view.
The processing furnace 70 has a heater 82 as a heating mechanism. The heater 82 has a cylindrical shape and is vertically installed by being supported by a heater base 84 as a holding plate.

  Inside the heater 82, a process tube 86 as a reaction tube is disposed concentrically with the heater 82. The process tube 86 includes an inner tube 88 as an internal reaction tube and an outer tube 90 as an external reaction tube provided outside the process tube 86.

The inner tube 88 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz (SiO ₂ ) or silicon carbide (SiC), and is formed in a cylindrical shape with an upper end and a lower end opened.
A processing chamber 92 in which the wafer 2 is processed is formed in the cylindrical hollow portion of the inner tube 88. The processing chamber 92 is configured such that the wafers 2 can be accommodated in a state in which the wafers 2 are arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction in a horizontal posture.
The outer tube 90 is made of a heat resistant material such as quartz or silicon carbide. The outer tube 90 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the inner tube 88, is formed in a cylindrical shape with the upper end closed and the lower end opened, and is provided concentrically with the inner tube 88.

  Below the outer tube 90, a manifold 94 is disposed concentrically with the outer tube 90. The manifold 94 is made of, for example, stainless steel and has a cylindrical shape with an upper end and a lower end opened. The manifold 94 is engaged with the inner tube 88 and the outer tube 90, and is provided so as to support them.

An O-ring 96a as a seal member is provided between the manifold 94 and the outer tube 90.
By supporting the manifold 94 on the heater base 84, the process tube 86 is installed vertically.
A reaction vessel is formed by the process tube 86 and the manifold 94.

  Below the manifold 94, a seal cap 76 is disposed as a furnace port lid capable of airtightly closing the lower end opening of the manifold 94. The seal cap 76 is brought into contact with the lower end of the manifold 94 from the lower side in the vertical direction. On the upper surface of the seal cap 76, an O-ring 96 b is provided as a seal member that contacts the lower end of the manifold 94.

A nozzle 102 as a gas introduction unit is connected to the seal cap 76 so as to communicate with the inside of the processing chamber 92, and a gas supply pipe 104 is connected to the nozzle 102.
A processing gas supply source (not shown) or an inert gas supply source (not shown) is an on-off valve 106 and a processing gas supply source (not shown) on the upstream side opposite to the connection side with the nozzle 102 of the gas supply pipe 104. It is connected via a mass flow controller (MFC) 108 that measures the gas flow rate of the gas supplied to the chamber 92.
The MFC 108 has a function of correcting the reference value (reference value correction function) in order to cope with a change in reference value (reference value shift) caused by clogging of pipes, deterioration of sensors, and the like.

  A gas flow rate control unit 110 (see FIG. 4) is electrically connected to the valve 106 and the MFC 108. The gas flow rate control unit 110 controls the valve 106 and the MFC 108 so that the flow rate of the supplied gas becomes a desired amount. The MFC 108 is configured to be controlled at a desired timing.

  The manifold 94 is provided with an exhaust pipe 112 that exhausts the atmosphere in the processing chamber 92. The exhaust pipe 112 is disposed at the lower end portion of the cylindrical space 114 formed by the gap between the inner tube 88 and the outer tube 90, and communicates with the cylindrical space 114.

A temperature sensor 120 is installed in the cylindrical space 114 as a temperature detector that detects the temperature of the processing chamber 92.
A temperature control unit 122 (see FIG. 4) is connected to the heater 82 and the temperature sensor 120. The temperature control unit 122 is configured to control the heater 82 at a desired timing based on the measurement result detected by the temperature sensor 120 so that the inside of the processing chamber 92 has a desired temperature.

  On the downstream side of the exhaust pipe 112 opposite to the connection side of the manifold 94, a vacuum is provided via a pressure sensor 130 as a pressure detector and a pressure adjusting device 132 that adjusts the pressure by adjusting the exhaust amount. A vacuum exhaust device 134 such as a pump is connected.

  A pressure control unit 136 (see FIG. 4) is electrically connected to the pressure sensor 130 and the pressure adjusting device 132. The pressure control unit 136 is configured to control the vacuum evacuation device 134 at a desired timing based on the measurement result detected by the pressure sensor 130 so that the inside of the processing chamber 92 has a desired pressure.

A rotation mechanism 140 that rotates the boat 60 is installed on the side of the seal cap 76 opposite to the processing chamber 92 (lower side in FIG. 3). The rotating shaft 142 of the rotating mechanism 140 is connected to the boat 60 through the seal cap 76, and is configured to rotate the wafer 2 by rotating the boat 60.
The boat 60 is carried into and out of the processing chamber 92 as the boat elevator 74 moves the seal cap 76 up and down.

  A drive control unit 144 (see FIG. 4) is electrically connected to the rotation mechanism 140 and the boat elevator 74, and the drive control unit 144 desires the rotation mechanism 140 and the boat elevator 74 to perform a desired operation. It is comprised so that it may control at the timing of.

  In the lower part of the boat 60, for example, a plurality of heat insulating plates 148 as a disk-shaped heat insulating member made of a heat resistant material such as quartz or silicon carbide are arranged in a multi-stage in a horizontal posture. It is configured to be difficult to be transmitted to the manifold 94 side.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of a control configuration of each part constituting the substrate processing apparatus 10.
The conveyance control unit 62, the gas flow rate control unit 110, the temperature control unit 122, the pressure control unit 136, the drive control unit 144, an inflow side pressure control unit 238, and an outflow side pressure control unit 248, which will be described later, have an operation unit and an input / output unit. It is electrically connected to a main controller 160 that configures and controls the entire substrate processing apparatus 10.
The transport control unit 62, the gas flow rate control unit 110, the temperature control unit 122, the pressure control unit 136, the drive control unit 144, the inflow side pressure control unit 238, the outflow side pressure control unit 248, and the main control unit 160 are used as the controller 162. It is configured.

  Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 10 will be described. In the following description, the operation of each unit constituting the substrate processing apparatus 10 is controlled by the controller 162.

  When the pod 4 is supplied to the load port 18 by the in-process transfer device, the pod loading / unloading port 14 is opened by the front shutter 16. The pod 4 on the load port 18 is carried into the housing 12 from the pod loading / unloading port 14 by the pod carrying device 30.

  The pod 4 carried into the housing 12 is delivered to the designated shelf 24 of the rotary pod shelf 20 by the pod transport device 30 and temporarily stored, and then the shelf 24 is transferred to the pod opener 36. It is transported and transferred to the mounting table 38. Alternatively, the pod 4 carried into the housing 12 is directly transferred to the pod opener 36 and transferred to the mounting table 38 without passing through the shelf plate 24.

At this time, the wafer loading / unloading port 34 provided in the auxiliary housing 32 is closed by the cap attaching / detaching mechanism 40, and clean air is circulated and filled in the transfer chamber 42.
For example, the transfer chamber 42 is filled with an inert gas such as nitrogen (N ₂ ) or argon (Ar) as clean air, and the oxygen concentration in the transfer chamber 42 is set inside the housing 12 ( It is set so as to be lower than the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere) (about 20 ppm or less).

  The opening side end surface of the pod 4 placed on the mounting table 38 is pressed against the opening edge of the wafer loading / unloading port 34, and the cap attaching / detaching mechanism 40 removes the cap of the pod 4 to open the wafer loading / unloading port. The

When the wafer loading / unloading port of the pod 4 is opened, the wafer 2 is picked up from the pod 4 by the tweezer 58 of the wafer transfer device 52 through the wafer loading / unloading port. Then, the wafer 2 is aligned (positioned) in the circumferential direction by the notch aligning device 66, and then loaded (charged) into the boat 60 behind the transfer chamber 42.
After transferring the wafer 2 to the boat 60, the wafer transfer device 52 returns to the pod 4 and loads the next wafer 2 into the boat 60.

  In parallel with the loading operation of the wafer 2 to the boat 60 in one (upper or lower) pod opener 36, the other pod 4 is transferred from the rotary pod shelf 20 to the other pod opener 36 by the pod transfer device 30. In the other pod opener 36, the other pod 4 is opened.

  When a predetermined number of wafers 2 are loaded into the boat 60, the furnace port shutter 72 is opened, and the lower end of the processing furnace 70 is opened. Subsequently, the boat 60 holding the plurality of wafers 2 is loaded into the processing furnace 70 when the seal cap 76 is raised by the boat elevator 74. And the seal cap 76 will be in the state which sealed the lower end of the manifold 94 via the O-ring 96b.

  After the wafer 2 is transferred into the processing chamber 92, a predetermined process is performed on the wafer 2.

  The processing chamber 92 is evacuated by the evacuation device 134 so that the inside of the processing chamber 92 has a desired pressure (degree of vacuum). At this time, the pressure in the processing chamber 92 is measured by the pressure sensor 130, and the pressure adjusting device 132 is feedback-controlled based on the measured pressure.

  The processing chamber 92 is heated by the heater 82 so that the inside of the processing chamber 92 has a desired temperature. At this time, the power supply to the heater 82 is feedback-controlled based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 120 so that the inside of the processing chamber 92 has a desired temperature distribution.

  The wafer 2 is rotated as the boat 60 is rotated by the rotation mechanism 140.

A predetermined processing gas is supplied into the processing chamber 92. The processing gas is supplied from a processing gas supply source, controlled to have a desired flow rate by the MFC 108, flows through the gas supply pipe 104, and is introduced into the processing chamber 92 from the nozzle 102.
The introduced gas rises in the processing chamber 92, flows out from the upper end opening of the inner tube 88 into the cylindrical space 114, and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 112. The gas comes into contact with the surface of the wafer 2 as it passes through the processing chamber 92, and at this time, a thin film is deposited on the surface of the wafer 2 by a thermal CVD reaction.

  When a preset processing time elapses, the inert gas is supplied from the inert gas supply source, the inside of the processing chamber 92 is replaced with the inert gas, and the pressure in the processing chamber 92 returns to normal pressure. Is done.

The seal cap 76 is lowered by the boat elevator 74 and the lower end of the manifold 94 is opened. Next, the processed wafer 2 is carried out from the lower end of the manifold 94 to the outside of the process tube 86 (boat unloading) while being held in the boat 60.
Thereafter, the processed wafer 2 is taken out from the boat 60 (wafer discharge).

As processing conditions for processing the wafer 2 in the processing furnace 70 of the substrate processing apparatus 10, for example, when a silicon nitride (Si ₃ N ₄ ) film is formed, a processing temperature: 600 to 700 ° C., a processing pressure: 20 to 40 Pa, gas type: dichlorosilane (SiH ₂ Cl ₂ ), ammonia (NH ₃ ), gas supply flow rate: 0 to 99.999 slm are exemplified.
The wafer is processed by keeping each processing condition constant at a certain value within each range.

Next, the detail of the raising / lowering drive part 56 of the wafer transfer mechanism 50 is demonstrated.
5A and 5B are schematic views of the elevating drive unit 56. FIG. 5A shows a perspective view of the elevating drive unit 56, and FIG. 5B shows a side sectional view of the elevating drive unit 56.

  The elevating drive unit 56 includes a power unit 212 such as a motor that generates power to be transmitted to the elevating unit 54, an electrical unit 214 that forms an electrical circuit that transmits electrical instructions to the power unit 212, and the electrical unit A cooling device 216 that cools 214 and a lid portion 218 that shuts off the electrical component 214 and the external space.

The cooling device 216 includes a cooling body portion 216a formed in a cylindrical shape. A first coupling portion 220a is formed on an upper portion of a side wall 216b of the cooling body portion 216a, and a second coupling portion 220b is formed on a lower portion. Yes.
The cooling main body 216a is configured to be divided by the dividing unit 216c. For this reason, the cooling device 216 can be attached to the power unit 212 or the like without interfering with the wiring of the electrical unit 214 or the like.

  The cooling main body 216 a is arranged such that the first coupling portion 220 a is coupled to the coupling receiver 218 a of the lid portion 218, and the second coupling portion 220 b is coupled to the coupling receiver 212 a of the power unit 212.

As described above, in this embodiment, the electrical component 214 is disposed in the storage chamber 230 that is a space surrounded by the power unit 212, the cooling device 216, and the lid 218.
In the present embodiment, the cooling main body 216a and the lid 218 may be integrally formed.

The cooling device 216 is provided with a gas inflow portion 232 and a gas outflow portion 234.
The gas inflow portion 232 includes an inflow portion 236 for flowing an inert gas such as N ₂ or Ar into the cooling main body 216a (accommodating chamber 230) from a gas inflow source (not shown), and a pressure on the inflow portion 236 side. And an inflow side pressure control unit 238 (see FIG. 4).
The gas outflow portion 234 includes an outflow portion 246 for flowing an inert gas inside the cooling main body 216a (accommodating chamber 230) into a gas discharge portion (not shown), and an outflow side pressure for controlling the pressure on the outflow portion 246 side. It is comprised by the control part 248 (refer FIG. 4).

  For this reason, the inflow part 236 side is set to atmospheric pressure, and the outflow part 246 side is set to a pressure (negative pressure) lower than the atmospheric pressure by the outflow side pressure control unit 248, so that the gas inflow source is inactivated from the inflow part 236. Gas flows into the storage chamber 230. The gas flowing into the storage chamber 230 is discharged to the gas outflow source via the outflow portion 246.

Thereby, the electrical component 214 arranged in the storage chamber 230 is air-cooled. That is, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects (cracks, etc.) due to heat in the electrical component 214.
By allowing the gas to flow into the storage chamber 230 with the outflow side as a negative pressure, for example, even when the cooling main body 216a or the like is damaged, the gas flowing in from the inflow portion 236 is externally ( Leakage to the transfer chamber 42 etc. is suppressed.

  Gas may be allowed to flow into the storage chamber 230 from the inflow portion 236 at all times. In particular, the gas may flow into the storage chamber 230 in accordance with the timing when the electrical component 214 is exposed to heat from the processing chamber 92 of the boat 60.

In the above embodiment, the case where the inflow portion 236 side is set to atmospheric pressure and the outflow portion 246 side is set to negative pressure has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the inflow portion 236 side is changed from the atmospheric pressure by the inflow side pressure control unit 238. May be set to a large pressure (positive pressure), and the gas may flow into the storage chamber 230 with the outflow portion 246 side as the atmospheric pressure.
Thereby, an inert gas is forcibly sent out toward the electrical equipment part 214, and the electrical equipment part 214 is efficiently cooled compared with the case where this structure is not provided.

In the above embodiment, the case where the lifting / lowering driving unit 56 is provided in the wafer transfer mechanism 50 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the lifting / lowering driving unit 56 is provided in the transfer chamber 42. It can also be applied as a drive unit that drives the.
Specifically, the lift drive unit 56 may be applied as a drive unit that drives the boat elevator 74 to move up and down.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described.
6A and 6B are schematic views of the elevating drive unit 56 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the elevating drive unit 56, and FIG. A side sectional view is shown.

  In the present embodiment, the elevating drive unit 56 includes a power unit 212 such as a motor that generates power to be transmitted to the elevating unit 54, and an electrical unit 214 that forms an electrical circuit that transmits electrical instructions to the power unit 212. And a cooling device 302 that cools the electrical component 214 and a lid 304 that blocks the electrical component 214 and the external space.

  The lid portion 304 is disposed so as to cover the periphery of the electrical component portion 214. That is, in this embodiment, the electrical component 214 is disposed in the storage chamber 230 that is a space surrounded by the power unit 212 and the lid 304.

The cooling device 302 has a cooling main body portion 302a formed in a cylindrical shape, and the cooling main body portion 302a is configured so that gas flows through the side wall 302b and the upper wall 302c. The cooling device 302 is provided such that the cooling main body portion 302a surrounds the periphery (side surface and upper surface) of the lid portion 304 from the outside.
For this reason, the inert gas such as N ₂ or Ar flowing from the gas inflow source via the inflow portion 236 passes through the side wall 302b and the upper wall 302c of the cooling main body portion 302a and passes through the outflow portion 246. It is discharged to the gas spill source.

  As a result, the interior of the storage chamber 230 is air-cooled via the lid portion 304, and the electrical component 214 disposed in the storage chamber 230 is cooled. That is, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects (cracks, etc.) due to heat in the electrical component 214.

  The cooling device 302 is provided with a coupling portion 312. The cooling device 302 is fixed to the lid portion 304 by coupling the coupling portion 312 and the coupling receiver 314 provided on the lid portion 304. It is comprised so that. Each of the coupling portion 312 and the coupling receiver 314 is provided in a plurality (for example, two locations so as to face each other with the accommodation chamber 230 therebetween).

  The coupling portion 312 is, for example, a screw (screw and screw hole) or the like, and the coupling receiver 314 is, for example, a tap hole or the like, and the cooling device 302 is inserted by inserting the screw of the coupling portion 312 into the tap hole of the coupling receiver 314. Is fixed to the lid 304.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described.
7A and 7B are schematic views of the lifting drive unit 56 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 7A shows a perspective view of the lifting drive unit 56, and FIG. 7B shows the lifting drive unit 56. A side sectional view is shown.

  In the present embodiment, the elevating drive unit 56 includes a power unit 212 such as a motor that generates power to be transmitted to the elevating unit 54, and an electrical unit 214 that forms an electrical circuit that transmits electrical instructions to the power unit 212. And a cooling device 402 that cools the electrical component 214 and a lid 304 that blocks the electrical component 214 and the external space.

  The lid portion 304 is disposed so as to cover the periphery of the electrical component portion 214. That is, in this embodiment, the electrical component 214 is disposed in the storage chamber 230 that is a space surrounded by the power unit 212 and the lid 304.

The cooling device 402 has a cooling main body portion 402a formed in an isolated shape, and the cooling main body portion 402a is configured so that gas flows through the side wall 402b. The cooling device 402 is provided such that the cooling main body portion 402a surrounds the side surface of the lid portion 304 on the processing furnace 70 side from the outside.
For this reason, the inert gas which flowed in from the gas inflow source via the inflow portion 236 passes through the side wall 402b of the cooling main body portion 402a and is discharged to the gas outflow source via the outflow portion 246.

  Thereby, especially in the processing furnace 70 side where heat is transmitted, the inside of the storage chamber 230 is air-cooled via the lid portion 304, and the electrical component 214 arranged in the storage chamber 230 is cooled. That is, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects (cracks, etc.) due to heat in the electrical component 214.

    The cooling device 402 is provided with a coupling portion 412, and the cooling device 402 is fixed to the lid portion 304 by coupling the coupling portion 412 and the coupling receiver 414 provided on the lid portion 304. It has become so. A plurality of (for example, two) coupling portions 412 and coupling receivers 414 are provided.

  The coupling portion 412 is, for example, a screw (screw and screw mounting portion) or the like, and the coupling receiver 414 is, for example, a tap hole or the like. By inserting the screw of the coupling portion 412 into the tap hole of the coupling receiver 414, the cooling device 402 is fixed to the lid 304.

[Preferred embodiment of the present invention]
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be additionally described.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, a substrate holder that holds a substrate, a processing chamber that processes the substrate held by the substrate holder, and a transfer chamber that carries the substrate holder out of the processing chamber; A first transport mechanism that is provided in the transfer chamber and transports the substrate held by the substrate holder, a power unit provided in the first transport mechanism, and an electric circuit of the power unit. There is provided a substrate processing apparatus having an electrical component to be formed and a cooling device for cooling the electrical component.

  Preferably, the cooling device includes an inflow portion into which an inert gas flows, an outflow portion from which the inflow portion flows out of the inert gas, an outflow side pressure control portion that controls the pressure of the outflow portion, The outflow side pressure control unit controls the outflow portion side pressure to be lower than the inflow portion side pressure.

  Preferably, the cooling device includes an inflow portion into which an inert gas flows, an outflow portion from which the inflow portion flows out of the inert gas, an inflow side pressure control portion that controls the pressure of the inflow portion, The inflow side pressure control unit controls the inflow side pressure to be higher than the outflow side pressure.

  Preferably, the inert gas into which the inflow portion flows is either nitrogen or argon.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a substrate holder that holds a substrate, a processing chamber that processes the substrate held by the substrate holder, and a transfer chamber in which the substrate holder is unloaded from the processing chamber. A second transport mechanism that is provided in the transfer chamber and that transports the substrate holder, a power unit that is provided in the second transport mechanism, and an electrical unit that forms an electrical circuit of the power unit And a cooling device that cools the electrical component.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a load port through which a substrate transport container loaded with at least one substrate is loaded and unloaded, a rotary pod shelf that houses at least one substrate transport container, and the rotation A pod opener for mounting at least one substrate transport container stored in a pod shelf, and a transport device for transporting the substrate transport container between the load port, the rotary pod shelf, and the pod opener. A substrate holder for holding at least one substrate, a substrate transfer container placed on the pod opener, a first transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate between the substrate holders, and the substrate holder A processing chamber for processing the held substrate, a second transport mechanism for transporting the holder to the processing chamber, a transfer chamber provided with the first transport mechanism, and a substrate holder. A processing chamber for processing a substrate; a power unit provided in the transfer chamber for operating the second transport mechanism; a lift driving unit for storing an electrical unit for controlling the power unit; and the lift driving An inflow part provided in a part, an outflow part provided in the elevating drive part to which a vacuum line is connected, the load port, the rotary pod shelf, the pod opener, the transport device, and the first transport A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is provided that includes a mechanism, a second transfer mechanism, the power unit, the processing chamber, the inflow unit, the vacuum line, and a controller that controls the electrical unit.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the process of loading and unloading the substrate transport container loaded with at least one substrate loaded into the load port, and the transport device removes the substrate transport container from the load port. A step of loading / unloading the substrate, a step of loading / unloading the substrate transfer container from the rotary pod shelf to the pod opener, and a first transfer mechanism provided in a transfer chamber, A step of transporting from the substrate transport container placed on the pod opener to the substrate holder and a second transport mechanism provided in the transfer chamber process the substrate holder on which at least one substrate is held. A step of transporting the substrate to the substrate transport container, a step of processing the substrate held by the substrate holder in the processing chamber, and a step of transporting the substrate from the holder to the substrate transport container. Lifting drive unit A step in which the electrical unit provided controls the power unit; a step in which the inflow unit supplies gas into the lift drive unit; a step in which the outflow unit discharges gas from the lift drive unit; There is provided a semiconductor manufacturing method including a transfer device, the first transfer mechanism, the second transfer mechanism, the load port, the rotary pod shelf, the pod opener, and the electrical component. .

2 Wafer 4 Pod 10 Substrate Processing Device 18 Load Port 20 Rotating Pod Shelf 30 Pod Transfer Device 32 Secondary Housing 42 Transfer Chamber 50 Wafer Transfer Mechanism 52 Wafer Transfer Device 54 Lifting Unit 56 Lifting Drive Unit 60 Boat 62 Transfer Control Unit 70 Processing furnace 92 Processing chamber 110 Gas flow rate control unit 122 Temperature control unit 132 Pressure adjustment unit 136 Pressure control unit 144 Drive control unit 160 Main control unit 162 Controller 212 Power unit 214 Electrical component 216 Cooling device 218 Lid 230 Storage chamber 232 Gas Inflow portion 234 Gas outflow portion 236 Inflow portion 238 Inflow side pressure control portion 246 Outflow portion 248 Outflow side pressure control portion

Claims (1)

A substrate holder for holding the substrate;
A processing chamber for processing the substrate held by the substrate holder;
A transfer chamber having at least one of a first transport mechanism for carrying the substrate in and out of the holder and a second transport mechanism for transporting the substrate holder to the processing chamber;
A power unit provided in the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism in which the transfer chamber has at least one of them;
An electrical component that forms an electrical circuit for controlling the power unit;
A cooling device for cooling the electrical component;
A substrate processing apparatus.

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