JP2013163592A - Humidification processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a humidification processing device.SOLUTION: A humidification processing device for constituting a lift processing facility in a processing chamber so as to be inexpensive and highly durable includes a first gate where a substrate is carried in and a second gate where the substrate is carried out; a moving table provided to be lifted up and down in the processing chamber and having the substrate placed thereon; a plurality of support bodies connected to the moving table; a driving part connected to at least one of the supporting bodies, and provided to lift up and down the moving table; a fixed table disposed to face the moving table in the processing chamber and provided so that at least one of the supporting bodied is penetrated; and a flexible plurality of protection members located between the fixed table and the moving table, and enclosing each of the supporting bodies.

Description

  The present invention relates to a wet processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a wet processing apparatus capable of processing a surface of a substrate in a wet manner.

  A display substrate including a thin film transistor and a substrate for a semiconductor element are subjected to a substrate surface treatment process for removing the silicon oxide film on the surface or flattening the surface of the silicon film.

  Such a substrate surface treatment step is performed by providing a treatment liquid such as an etching liquid on the surface of the substrate.

  In such a wet processing apparatus, since the inside of the process chamber where the process is performed is easily contaminated by the processing liquid, the equipment installed in the process chamber is easily corroded by the processing liquid. For this reason, equipment installed in a process chamber where wet processing is performed is made of a material having high corrosion resistance and chemical resistance. By the way, this not only excessively increases the equipment cost, but also prevents installation of equipment such as a complicated lifting system in the process chamber due to material limitations.

  The present invention is for overcoming the problems and / or limitations of the prior art as described above, and is a wet process capable of constructing an elevating treatment facility in a process chamber so as to be inexpensive and highly durable. The purpose is to provide a device.

  To achieve the above object, the present invention is provided with a process chamber including a first gate into which a substrate is carried in and a second gate from which the substrate is carried out, and to be moved up and down in the process chamber. A moving table on which the substrate is placed, a plurality of supports connected to the moving table, and a driving unit connected to at least one of the supports and moving up and down the moving table; In the process chamber, the fixed table is disposed so as to be opposed to the movable table, and is configured to penetrate at least one of the supports, and is positioned between the fixed table and the movable table. And a plurality of protective members that surround each of the supports and are configured to be stretchable.

  The fixed table may be located between the moving table and the driving unit.

  According to still another aspect of the present invention, the fixed table may include a first fixed table positioned between a bottom surface of the process chamber and the moving table.

  According to still another aspect of the present invention, the fixed table may include a second fixed table positioned between the upper surface of the process chamber and the moving table.

  The support may include at least one lower support coupled to the lower surface of the moving table.

  According to still another aspect of the present invention, the support may include at least one upper support coupled to an upper surface of the moving table.

  According to still another feature of the present invention, the support body that is not connected to the drive unit among the plurality of support bodies may be a guiding part.

  According to still another aspect of the present invention, the fixed table may be combined with a sidewall of the process chamber so that the process chamber is sealed.

  The first gate and the second gate may be disposed in directions perpendicular to each other.

  According to still another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus may further include a wet processing unit installed in the process chamber and provided to provide a processing liquid on the substrate.

  According to the present invention, since the support and the drive unit, which are the lifting system capable of moving the moving table up and down, are protected from the processing liquid, these components are expensive and have high corrosion resistance and high chemical resistance. There is no need to use a material, and the cost can be reduced.

  Moreover, durability of the said raising / lowering system can be improved with a wet processing apparatus.

  And although the wet processing part is installed in the process chamber, the elevating system can be installed in the process chamber.

  In addition, the upper surface and the bottom surface of the process chamber can be protected from the scattering of the processing liquid.

  Furthermore, since the processing liquid is received by the first fixed table, the drainage of the processing liquid becomes smoother, and is further useful for processing the processing liquid, and environmental pollution can be reduced.

  The wet processing apparatus of the present invention may be used as a direction changing device for changing the direction of a substrate in a substrate surface processing system arranged in-line.

1 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a wet processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the fragmentary perspective view which illustrated an example of the movement table of FIG. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating a state in which a substrate is tilted by the moving table of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a wet processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a wet processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of a moving table having first to fourth support points.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a wet processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As can be seen from FIG. 1, the wet processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a process chamber 20, a moving table 40 disposed in the process chamber 20, and a first fixed table 51.

  The process chamber 20 is a chamber in which wet processing is performed on the substrate 10, and a first gate 21 into which the substrate 10 is carried and a second gate 22 into which the substrate 10 is carried out are provided on one side wall. Including. The first gate 21 and the second gate 22 may be disposed in directions perpendicular to each other. In the embodiment of the present specification, the first gate 21 is disposed above one side wall of the process chamber 20, and the second gate 22 is disposed immediately below the first gate 21. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and the second gate 22 is disposed on one side wall of the process chamber 20, and the first gate 21 is directly below the second gate 22. May be arranged. Further, the first gate 21 may be disposed above one side wall of the process chamber 20, and the second gate 22 may be disposed below the other side wall of the process chamber 20. The first gate 21 may be disposed below one side wall of the process chamber 20, and the second gate 22 may be disposed above the other side wall of the process chamber 20.

  Although not shown in the drawings, a fan filter unit (not shown) may be installed outside the process chamber. The fan filter unit advances the exhaust of the inside of the process chamber 20 so that the inside of the process chamber 20 is maintained in a clean state and prevents particles from adhering to the surface of the substrate 10.

  The moving table 40 disposed in the process chamber 10 is provided on which the substrate 10 is placed.

  FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the movement table 40, and as can be seen from FIG. 2, the movement table 40 can include a frame 41. The frame 41 extends in the X-axis direction, which is the horizontal traveling direction X1 of the substrate 10, and is separated from each other in parallel with the first frame 411 and the second frame 412, and the Y-axis is a direction perpendicular to the horizontal traveling direction X1. A third frame 413 and a fourth frame 414 extending in the direction and spaced apart from each other in parallel. The first frame 411 to the fourth frame 414 are coupled to form a substantially square shape. The third frame 413 positioned at one end of the horizontal traveling direction X1 is positioned below the other frames so that the substrate can be easily carried in. Of course, although not shown in the drawing, when the substrate 10 is carried out in a direction different from the direction in which the substrate 10 is carried in, the fourth frame 414 is also the first frame 411 and the second frame like the third frame 413. It can be located below 412.

  On the upper surfaces of the first frame 411 and the second frame 412, support rollers 43 that support the side surfaces of the substrate are installed. A support roller 43 may be provided on the upper surface of the fourth frame 414 located at the other end in the horizontal traveling direction X1.

  As can be seen from FIG. 2, a plurality of support rods 421 are arranged on the first frame 411 and the second frame 412 at regular intervals. Each support bar 421 is provided with a plurality of drive rolls 422 that are separated by a predetermined distance. Both ends of each support bar 421 are embedded in the first frame 411 and the second frame 412, respectively. Gears are installed at both ends of each support bar 421. At least one of the first frame 411 and the second frame 412 is provided with a helical gear, and the helical gear is rotated by a separate driving unit (not shown). When the helical gear is rotated by the drive unit, this rotational force is transmitted, and the plurality of support rods 421 are rotated, whereby the drive roll 422 is rotated simultaneously. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate 10 is placed on the drive roll 422, and the substrate 10 is moved in the horizontal traveling direction X1 by the rotation of the drive roll 422.

  A plurality of supports 44 are connected to the lower part of the moving table 40, and a protective member 45 provided to be extendable is provided outside the support 44 so as to surround the support 44.

  The moving table 40 can be moved up and down by the up-and-down movement of the support 44, that is, the up-and-down movement (or expansion and contraction movement) in the Z-axis direction in FIG. At this time, when the contraction lengths of the pair of support bodies 44 positioned at one end in the Y-axis direction and the pair of support bodies 44 positioned at the other end are different from each other, the moving table 40 tilts at a predetermined angle. Thus, the substrate 10 placed on the surface thereof is tilted at a predetermined angle θ from the first position P1 to the second position P2, as shown in FIG. In this case, the substrate 10 does not fall further by the support roller 43 on the first frame 411. Such tilting is further useful for handling a large-area substrate, and is further useful when the processing liquid on the surface of the substrate 10 is poured out.

  According to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a wet processing unit 30 is provided in the process chamber 20 so as to provide a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate 10. The wet processing unit 30 can provide the substrate 10 with at least one processing liquid capable of cleaning or etching the surface of the substrate 10, and is provided along the surface of the substrate 10. A linear blade unit provided to spray the processing liquid onto the surface of the substrate 10 while reciprocating linearly in the horizontal direction, and at least one spray nozzle. Can be a spray unit equipped to be able to spray.

  A driving unit 60 is installed in the lower part of the process chamber 20. A first support 44 a is connected to the drive unit 60. The upper end of the first support 44 a is coupled to the lower surface of the moving table 20. The driving unit 60 drives the first support body 44a up and down (or expands and contracts) simultaneously or partially so that the moving table 40 is moved up and down in the process chamber 20. The driving unit 40 and the first support body 44a may be included in a cylinder device or a motor and gear device.

  A first fixed table 51 arranged to face the moving table 40 is located in the process chamber 20. The first fixed table 51 is located between the moving table 40 and the bottom surface 24 of the process chamber 20.

  The driving unit 60 is located between the first fixed table 51 and the bottom surface 24 of the process chamber 20. Accordingly, the first support 44 a connected to the driving unit 60 penetrates the first fixed table 51. Connected to the moving table 40. The first support body 44 a is installed so that its up and down movement is not interfered with the first fixed table 51.

  The first support 44a is surrounded by a first protection member 45a. The first protection member 45a is formed to be extendable in the vertical direction. The first protection member 45a may be formed of a synthetic resin material having good chemical resistance, but protects the first support 44a from the processing liquid discharged from the wet processing unit 30. Therefore, in the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the first support 44a located between the moving table 40 and the first fixed table 51 is sealed against the processing liquid by the first protection member 45a. .

  The first fixed table 51 may be bonded to the side wall of the process chamber 20 so as to be sealed. Thereby, the drive part 60 located in the lower part of the 1st fixed table 51 and the part of the 1st support body 44a are protected from the said process liquid. Although not shown in the drawing, a drainage system may be coupled to the first fixed table 51. Thereby, the 1st fixed table 51 receives the process liquid which falls to the bottom face 24, and drains this smoothly.

  As described above, in the present invention, the first support body 44a and the driving unit 60 are protected from the processing liquid, and it is not necessary to form these components with expensive materials having high corrosion resistance and high chemical resistance. And the durability of the first support body 44a and the driving unit 60 can be improved. Thus, although the wet processing unit 30 is installed in the process chamber 20, the lifting equipment for the moving table 40 such as the first support body 44 a and the driving unit 60 is installed in the process chamber 20. It can be installed.

  In the case of the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the substrate 10 is carried in from the first gate 21 located at the upper part. At this time, the moving table 40 is located at the upper part of the process chamber 20 and receives the carried substrate 10. Thereafter, the moving table 40 is lowered to the lower part of the process chamber 20, and here, wet processing is performed on the surface of the substrate 10 by the wet processing unit 30. Thereafter, the substrate 10 is unloaded from the process chamber 20 via the second gate 21. The wet processing unit 30 may be located at the top of the process chamber 20, but in this case, when the moving table 40 is located at the top, the wet processing can be performed. After the wet processing is performed, the processing liquid on the surface of the substrate 10 is poured out by the above-described tilting process, or a separate air blade unit is installed, and the liquid air is supplied to the substrate 10 through this. By spraying on the surface, it is possible to eliminate the residual treatment liquid on the surface of the substrate 10.

  FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention, in which a second fixed table 52 is installed between the moving table 40 and the upper surface 23 of the process chamber 20. The driving unit 60 is located between the second fixed table 52 and the upper surface 23 of the process chamber 20. A second support body 44 b is connected between the moving table 40 and the drive unit 60. Accordingly, the second support body 44 b connected to the driving unit 60 passes through the second fixed table 52 and is connected to the moving table 40. The second support 44b is installed so that its up-and-down movement (or expansion and contraction movement) is not interfered with the second fixed table 52.

  The second support 44b is surrounded by a second protective member 45b. The second protection member 45b is formed to be extendable in the vertical direction. The second protective member 45b may be formed of a synthetic resin material having good chemical resistance, but protects the second support 44b from the processing liquid. Therefore, in the embodiment according to FIG. 4, the second support body 44b positioned between the moving table 40 and the second fixed table 52 is sealed with respect to the processing liquid by the second protection member 45b. .

  The second fixed table 52 may be bonded to the side wall of the process chamber 20 so as to be sealed. As a result, the drive unit 60 and the second support body 44b located above the second fixed table 52 are protected from the processing solution and / or a strong corrosive environment inside the process chamber 20. In addition, since the wet processing method is the same as that of the embodiment according to FIG. 1 described above, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 5 illustrates still another embodiment of the present invention. In addition to the embodiment according to FIG. 4, the moving table 40 and the bottom surface 24 of the process chamber 20 are provided in the process chamber 20. In the middle, the first fixed table 51 is further positioned. As a result, the first fixed table 51 can receive the processing liquid flying to the bottom surface 24 of the process chamber 20.

  A plurality of first supports 44 a are installed on the lower surface of the moving table 40, and the other end of the first support 44 a passes through the first fixed table 51 and extends to the bottom surface 24 of the process chamber 20. Good. The first support body 44a is not connected to the driving unit, but merely serves as a guiding unit that guides the movable table 40 in a stable and movable manner. Thereby, even when the drive part 60 is located in the upper part, the moving table 40 can move up and down more stably. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and a separate drive unit (not shown) is installed below the first fixed table 51, and the first support 44a is also included in the drive unit. It may be connected. In FIG. 5, the driving unit 60 positioned at the upper part can be positioned at the lower part of the first fixed table 51, and the second support body 44 b can be used as a guiding part.

  The first support 44a is surrounded by a first protective member 45a, but this is the same as the embodiment according to FIG.

  FIG. 6 schematically shows a plane of the moving table 40. In the moving table 40, the aforementioned support (second support and / or first support) is provided at four corners. Each may be installed.

  That is, when viewed in FIG. 6, the first support point 441 and the third support point 443 are located at two corners adjacent to the horizontal traveling direction X <b> 1 in which the substrate is carried in and / or out, and 2 on the opposite side. The second support point 442 and the fourth support point 444 can be located at one corner. At the first support point 441 to the fourth support point 444, the above-described support (the second support and / or the first support) is installed.

  In the present invention, the structure of the first support body 44a and the second support body 44b of FIG. 5 described above can be applied to the first support point 441 to the fourth support point 444 in a composite manner.

  For example, the first support point 441 can be configured as the first support body 44a, and the second support point 442 to the fourth support point 444 can be configured as the second support body 44b. At this time, as described above, the driving unit can be disposed at the lower portion and connected to the first support body 44a, or can be disposed at the upper portion and connected to the second support body 44b. Of course, in this case, the first support body 44 a can be further configured at the second support point 442 to the fourth support point 444.

  On the other hand, the first support point 441 may have the structure of the second support body 44b, and the second support point 442 to the fourth support point 444 may be configured as the first support body 44a. At this time, as described above, the driving unit can be disposed at the lower portion and connected to the first support body 44a, or can be disposed at the upper portion and connected to the second support body 44b. Of course, in this case, it is possible to further configure the first support body 44 a at the first support point 441.

  In addition, the first support point 441 and the third support point 443 can be configured by the first support body 44a, and the second support point 442 and the fourth support point 444 can be configured by the second support body 44b. It is. At this time, as described above, the driving unit can be disposed at the lower portion and connected to the first support body 44a, or can be disposed at the upper portion and connected to the second support body 44b. Of course, in this case, the first support body 44 a can be further configured at the second support point 442 and the fourth support point 444.

  At least one of the first support point 441 and the third support point 443 adjacent to the horizontal traveling direction X1 in which the substrate is carried in and / or out is constituted by the first support 44a, so that the substrate moves. Even when moving horizontally on the table 40, it is possible to minimize the probability of interference with the second support 44b.

  In the wet processing apparatus of the present invention described above, the wet processing unit 30 does not necessarily have to be installed in the process chamber 20. For example, the wet processing unit 30 may be installed in another process chamber connected to the process chamber 20. Even in this case, since the process chamber 20 is exposed to the corrosive environment, the substrate lifting system can be protected from the corrosive environment as described above.

  Although the present invention has been described with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it is merely exemplary and various modifications and variations will occur to those skilled in the art if they are skilled in the art. It will be understood that other equivalent embodiments are possible. Accordingly, the true scope of protection of the present invention is determined solely by the claims.

  The wet processing apparatus of the present invention can be effectively applied to, for example, a technical field related to a thin film transistor.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Substrate 20 Process chamber 21 1st gate 22 2nd gate 23 Upper surface of process chamber 24 Bottom surface of process chamber 30 Wet processing part 40 Moving table 41 Frame 411 1st frame 412 2nd frame 413 3 frame 414 4 frame 421 Support rod 422 Drive roll 43 Support roller 44 Support body 44a First support body 44b Second support body 441 First support point 442 Second support point 443 Third support point 444 Fourth support point 45 Protection member 45a First protection member 45b Second protection Member 51 First fixed table 52 Second fixed table 60 Drive portion P1 First position P2 Second position

Claims (10)

A process chamber including a first gate into which a substrate is loaded, and a second gate from which the substrate is unloaded;
A moving table provided to be raised and lowered in the process chamber, on which the substrate is placed;
A plurality of supports coupled to the moving table;
A driving unit connected to at least one of the supports and configured to move the moving table up and down;
In the process chamber, a fixed table that is fixedly disposed so as to face the moving table, and configured so that at least one of the supports penetrates,
A wet processing apparatus including a plurality of protective members positioned between the fixed table and the movable table, surrounding each of the support bodies and configured to be stretchable.   The wet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixed table is located between the moving table and the driving unit.   The wet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixed table includes a first fixed table positioned between a bottom surface of the process chamber and the moving table.   The wet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixed table includes a second fixed table positioned between an upper surface of the process chamber and the moving table.   The wet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support includes at least one first support connected to a lower surface of the moving table.   The wet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support includes at least one second support coupled to an upper surface of the moving table.   The wet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a support that is not connected to the driving unit among the plurality of supports is a guiding unit.   The wet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixed table is combined with a side wall of the process chamber so that the process chamber is sealed.   The wet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first gate and the second gate are arranged in directions perpendicular to each other.   The wet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a wet processing unit installed in the process chamber and configured to provide a processing liquid on the substrate. .