JP2014112725A - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To form a photoresist film on a substrate by preventing the substrate from hanging down, while transferring the substrate in the horizontal direction.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus includes a coating module and a drying module. The coating module supplies a photoresist composition onto the substrate to form a photoresist film while transferring the substrate in the horizontal direction. The drying module dries the photoresist film formed on the substrate transferred directly from the coating module.

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, to an apparatus for forming a photoresist film on a substrate and drying the photoresist film in the manufacture of a flat display device.

  Generally, in the manufacture of a flat display device, an electric circuit pattern is formed on a substrate made of silicon or glass. The circuit pattern may be formed by performing a series of unit processes such as a deposition process, a photolithography process, an etching process, and a cleaning process.

  In particular, the photolithography process includes a coating process for forming a photoresist film on a substrate, a drying process for drying the photoresist film, a soft baking process for curing the photoresist film, and a coating process on the photoresist film. An exposure process for transferring the target pattern, a development process for developing the photoresist film to form a photoresist pattern, and a hard baking process for curing the photoresist pattern can be included.

  A robot for transferring a substrate may be disposed between the unit modules for performing the process, for example, between the module for performing the coating process and the drying process.

  However, the robot can increase the manufacturing cost of the apparatus for performing the photolithography process. When the substrate is transferred using the robot, there is a limit in increasing the processing speed of the substrate. When using the robot, it is difficult to integrate and operate the modules.

  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of forming a photoresist film on a substrate while transferring the substrate in a horizontal direction without using a substrate transfer robot.

  In order to achieve the above object, a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention transports a substrate in a horizontal direction, and supplies a photoresist composition onto the substrate while transporting the substrate, thereby forming a photoresist film. A coating module for forming and a drying module for transferring the substrate directly from the coating module adjacent to the coating module and drying the photoresist film formed on the substrate may be included.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, the coating module supplies an air blower for supplying air to the lower surface of the substrate to float the substrate, and a substrate transfer unit for transferring the floated substrate in the horizontal direction. A nozzle for supplying the photoresist composition onto the substrate that is transferred in the horizontal direction by extending in another horizontal direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction at the top of the air blower.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the coating module, the air blower may include a perforated plate having a plurality of holes for supplying the air.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the coating module, the air blower may include a porous plate made of a porous material and a side wall disposed on a side surface of the porous plate so as to supply the air. .

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the coating module, the substrate transfer unit may include a plurality of vacuum chucks that grip both side edge portions of the lower surface of the substrate using vacuum pressure.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the coating module, the substrate transfer unit is configured to transfer the substrate to the inside of the drying module.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the coating module, the substrate transfer unit may include a plurality of rollers arranged in a direction parallel to the horizontal direction to support both side edge portions of the lower surface of the substrate. .

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus, the drying module is disposed in the drying chamber for receiving the substrate, and air is disposed on the lower surface of the substrate to float the substrate. Connected to the drying chamber to dry the photoresist film formed on the substrate supported by the substrate support unit, an air blower for supplying the substrate, a substrate support unit for supporting the substrate on the air blower, A vacuum module.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, the air blower in the drying module may include a perforated plate having a plurality of holes for supplying the air.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, the air blower in the drying module may include a porous plate made of a porous material so that the air can be supplied, and a side wall disposed on a side surface of the porous plate.

  According to the embodiment of the present invention, the drying module may further include a substrate transfer unit for transferring the substrate floated by the air blower in the horizontal direction.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the drying module, the substrate transfer unit may include a plurality of vacuum chucks that grip both side edge portions of the lower surface of the substrate using vacuum pressure.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the drying module, the substrate transfer unit may include a plurality of rollers arranged in a direction parallel to the horizontal direction to support both side edge portions of the lower surface of the substrate.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the drying module, the drying chamber may be formed with a loading / unloading port for transferring the substrate along the horizontal direction.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, the inlet and the outlet of the drying module may each include a gate valve for sealing the drying chamber.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the drying module, the substrate support unit may include a plurality of support fins installed to support up and down on the substrate transfer unit and supporting the substrate.

  According to the embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus may include a coating module and a drying module. The substrate is transferred in a horizontal direction from the loader to the unloader via the coating module and the drying module. The substrate may be directly transferred from the coating module to the drying module without going through a separate transfer member. That is, the substrate can be processed in an inline manner using an air blower, although a substrate transfer robot is used.

  As a result, the time required to process the substrate can be reduced, and the cost required to manufacture the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced. Also, since the substrate transfer robot is unnecessary, the cost and time required for maintaining, maintaining, and managing the apparatus can be reduced.

It is a schematic block diagram for demonstrating the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic plan view for demonstrating the coating module shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the coating module shown in FIG. 1. It is a schematic sectional drawing for demonstrating the other form of the air blower shown in FIG.2 and FIG.3. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view for explaining still another embodiment of the air blower shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view for explaining still another embodiment of the air blower shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining another embodiment of the air blower shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view for explaining still another embodiment of the air blower shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining another embodiment of the air blower shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. It is a schematic plan view for demonstrating the other form of the coating module shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the coating module shown in FIG. 1. It is a schematic plan view for demonstrating the drying module shown in FIG. It is a schematic front view for demonstrating the drying module shown in FIG. It is a schematic sectional drawing for demonstrating the other form of the air blower shown to FIG.12 and FIG.13. It is a schematic plan view for demonstrating the other form of the drying module shown in FIG. It is a schematic front view for demonstrating the other form of the drying module shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. However, this should not be construed as limiting the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. In describing the drawings, the same components are used, and in the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of the structure are enlarged in order to clarify the invention, or the schematic configuration is described. Shown smaller than actual. Terms such as first, second, etc. can be used to describe various components, but these components should not be limited by terms. The term can be used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, a first component can be named a second component without departing from the scope of the present invention, and similarly, a second component can be named a first component.

  The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The singular form includes the plural form unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In this specification, terms such as “including” or “having” are intended to indicate that there is a feature, number, step, action, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification. It is understood that the existence or possibility of addition of one or more other features or numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof is not excluded in advance. Should.

  Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, are generally understood by those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. Has the same meaning. It should be understood that the same terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries have meanings that are consistent with the meanings in the context of the related art and are ideal or unless otherwise explicitly defined herein. It should not be interpreted as a formal meaning.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 1, a substrate processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be used to form a photoresist film on a substrate 2 made of silicon or glass in the manufacture of a flat panel display device. .

  For example, the substrate processing apparatus 10 may include a coating module 100 for forming a photoresist film on the substrate 2 and a drying module 200 for drying the photoresist film formed on the substrate 2. The substrate processing apparatus 10 further includes a loader 20 for moving (for example, carrying in) the substrate 2 by the coating module 100 and an unloader 30 for transferring (for example, carrying out) the substrate 2 from the drying module 200. Can do.

  For example, after the substrate 2 is subjected to a coating process in the coating module 100, the substrate 2 is directly transferred by the drying module 200 by transferring the coating module 100 without passing through a separate transfer member.

  The coating module 100 can transfer the substrate 2 in a horizontal transfer direction, and supplies a photoresist composition onto the substrate 2 to form a photoresist film on the substrate 2 while the substrate 2 is transferred. can do.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view for explaining the coating module shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the coating module shown in FIG.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the coating module 100 supplies an air blower (air blower) 1 for supplying air to a lower surface of the substrate 2 to float the substrate 2.
02) and a substrate transfer unit 104 for holding the floated substrate 2 and transferring it in the horizontal transfer direction, and the photoresist composition on the substrate 2 transferred in the horizontal transfer direction by the substrate transfer unit 104 A nozzle 106 may be included for supplying objects.

  The nozzle 106 can be extended in another horizontal direction perpendicular to the horizontal transfer direction above the air blower 102, and a slit (not shown) for supplying the photoresist composition onto the substrate 2. ). The slit may extend along an extension direction of the nozzle 106, and the photoresist composition may be formed on the substrate 2 through the slit while the substrate 2 is transferred in the horizontal transfer direction by the substrate transfer unit 104. Can be supplied.

The air blower 102 may include a perforated plate (108) having a plurality of holes 108a for supplying the air. The perforated plate 108 may be disposed under the nozzle 106 and connected to the air supply unit 110. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the perforated plate 108 is connected to an air manifold (112) that limits the buffer space 112a, and the air manifold 112 is connected to an air supply unit 110. Accordingly, the plurality of holes 108a are connected to the buffer space 112a, and the air can be supplied from the buffer space 112a to the lower surface of the substrate 2 through the holes 108a. Although not shown in detail, the air supply unit 110 may include a pneumatic pump and an air tank, and may be connected to the air manifold 112 through an air pipe 110a. In addition, the air supply unit 110 may further include a valve (not shown) that is disposed in the air pipe 110a and adjusts the flow rate of air supplied through the porous plate 108.

  The perforated plate 108 may be made of a metal such as aluminum, and the plurality of holes 108a may have a diameter of about 0.1 to 2.3 mm. The distance between the holes 108a may be about 10 to 150 mm. On the other hand, when the diameter of the hole 108a is larger than 2.3 mm, the temperature of the portion of the substrate 2 adjacent to the hole 108a is changed, whereby the thickness of the photoresist film 4 formed on the substrate 2 is increased. It is not desirable because it may become non-uniform.

  The substrate transfer unit 104 can hold both side edge portions of the lower surface of the substrate 2 levitated by the air blower 102, and can move the substrate 2 in the horizontal transfer direction. At this time, the perforated plate 108 may have a width narrower than the width of the substrate 2 in order to secure an edge portion for the substrate transfer unit 114 to hold the substrate 2.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate transfer unit 104 may include a plurality of vacuum chucks 114 that hold an edge portion of the lower surface of the substrate 2 using a vacuum pressure. The vacuum chuck 114 may be moved in the horizontal transfer direction by linear motors 116 disposed on both sides of the perforated plate 108. In contrast, the vacuum chuck 114 may be moved by a driving mechanism including a linear motion guide, a ball screw, and a ball block. Although not shown in detail, the substrate transfer unit 114 may be mounted on a frame (100a).

Meanwhile, although not shown in detail, the substrate transfer unit 104 is configured to transfer the substrate 2 from the coating module 100 to the inside of the drying module 200. For example, the linear motor 116 is configured to move the vacuum chuck 114 to the inside of the drying module 200 in the horizontal transfer direction. Therefore, the linear motor 116 can have a two-stage linear structure. That is, the substrate transfer unit 104 for transferring the floated substrate 2 in the coating module 100 in the horizontal transfer direction performs the role of transferring the substrate 2 from the coating module 100 to the drying module 200. Can do.

The nozzle 106 can extend in another horizontal direction perpendicular to the horizontal transfer direction of the substrate 2 and can be supported by a gantry (100b) disposed on the air blower 102. In particular, the gantry 100b can move horizontally on the frame 100a. The arm of the gantry 100b can be extended in the other horizontal direction perpendicular to the horizontal transfer direction at the upper part of the air blower 102, and the nozzle 106 is connected to the lower part of the gantry arm 100c. Can do. In addition, the nozzle 106 may be mounted to be movable in a vertical direction with respect to the gantry arm 100c. For example, the nozzle 106 can be moved in the vertical direction by a motor and a ball screw.

  Although not shown, a cleaning unit (not shown) for cleaning the nozzle 106 may be disposed on the air blower 102. That is, the gantry 100b can move the nozzle 106 horizontally and vertically to clean the nozzle 106.

  The nozzle 106 supplies a photoresist composition onto the substrate 2 while the substrate 2 is moved in the horizontal transfer direction by the air blower 102 and the substrate transfer unit 104, so that the photoresist film 4 is formed on the substrate 2. Can be formed.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining another embodiment of the air blower shown in FIGS.

Referring to FIG. 4, in another embodiment, the air blower 120 is a porous material.
a porous plate 122 made from material). In addition, the air blower 120 may further include a sidewall 124 disposed on a side surface of the porous plate 122 μm to prevent air from leaking through the side surface of the porous plate 122.

  The porous plate 122 is made of carbon or stainless steel and may be formed by a sintering process. In addition, the porous plate 122 may have a pore size of about 10 to 100 μm.

  The porous plate 122 may be connected to the air supply unit 110 through the air manifold 112. An additional detailed description of the air manifold 112 and the air supply unit 110 is the same as that described above with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view for explaining another embodiment of the air blower shown in FIGS.

Referring to FIG. 5, in another embodiment, the air blower 130 may include a perforated plate 132 having a plurality of holes 132 a for supplying air onto the lower surface of the substrate 2. The perforated plate 132 may have a slit 134, and idle rollers 136 may be disposed in the slit 134, respectively. The idle roller 136 can support the substrate 2 in order to prevent the substrate 2 from sagging. In contrast, a roller that is rotated by a separate drive mechanism may be disposed in the slit 134 to move the substrate 2 in the horizontal transfer direction.

  Meanwhile, a porous plate made of a porous material as shown in FIG. 4 may be used in place of the porous plate 132. In this case, the inner surface of the slit 134 may be used to prevent air leakage. An inner wall may be disposed on the outer surface, and an outer wall may be disposed on the outer surface of the porous plate.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view for explaining another embodiment of the air blower shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and FIG. 7 explains another embodiment of the air blower shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

  Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, in another embodiment, the air blower 140 may include a porous plate 142 having a plurality of first holes 142 a for supplying air onto the lower surface of the substrate 2. The first hole 142 a of the porous plate 142 may be connected to the air supply unit 144. For example, the perforated plate 142 may be connected to an air manifold 146 that defines a buffer space 146a, and the air manifold 146 may be connected to an air supply unit 144 through an air pipe 144a. Although not shown in detail, the air supply unit 144 may include a pneumatic pump and an air tank, and may be connected to the air manifold 146 through an air pipe 144a. The air supply unit 144 may further include a valve disposed in the air pipe 144 a for adjusting the flow rate of air supplied through the first hole 142 a of the porous plate 142.

  The perforated plate 142 may be made of a metal such as aluminum, and the first holes 142a may have a diameter of about 0.1 to 2.3 mm. On the other hand, when the diameter of the first hole 142a is larger than 2.3 mm, the temperature of the portion of the substrate 2 adjacent to the first hole 142a can be changed, and thereby the thickness of the photoresist film formed on the substrate 2 can be changed. This is not desirable because of non-uniformity.

  The perforated plate 142 may include a plurality of second holes 142 b for exhausting air supplied between the substrate 2 and the upper surface of the perforated plate 142. The second hole 142 b is provided for stable transfer of the substrate 2 and can be connected to the exhaust manifold 148. The exhaust manifold 148 may be connected to the exhaust unit 149 through an exhaust pipe 149a. Although not shown, the exhaust pipe 149a is provided with a valve for adjusting the flow rate of the exhausted air.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view for explaining another embodiment of the air blower shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, and FIG. 9 explains another embodiment of the air blower shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. FIG.

  Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, in another embodiment, the air blower 150 includes a porous plate 151 made of a porous material and the porous plate 151 to prevent air from leaking through a side surface of the porous plate 151. 151 may include sidewalls 152 disposed on the sides of 151.

The porous plate 151 is made of carbon or stainless steel and may be formed by a sintering process. The porous plate 151 may have a pore size of about 10 to 100 μm.

  The porous plate 151 may be connected to an air manifold 156 that defines a buffer space 156a, and the air manifold 156 may be connected to an air supply unit 154 through an air pipe 154a.

  In addition, the porous plate 151 may include a plurality of holes 151 a for exhausting air supplied between the substrate 2 and the upper surface of the porous plate 151. The hole 151 a is provided for stable transfer of the substrate 2 and can be connected to the exhaust manifold 158. The exhaust manifold 158 may be connected to the exhaust unit 159 through an exhaust pipe 159a.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view for explaining another form of the coating module shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the coating module shown in FIG.

  Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, in another embodiment, the coating module 300 may supply an air blower 302 for supplying air to the lower surface of the substrate 2 to float the substrate 2, and the floating substrate 2 in the horizontal transfer direction. The substrate transfer unit 304 for transferring to the substrate and the substrate transfer unit 304 may include a nozzle 306 for supplying the photoresist composition onto the substrate 2 transferred in the horizontal transfer direction.

  A detailed description of the air blower 302 is the same as the example described in advance with reference to FIGS.

The nozzle 306 can extend in another horizontal direction orthogonal to the horizontal transfer direction of the substrate 2 and can be supported by a gantry 300 b disposed on the air blower 302. In particular, the gantry 300b can move horizontally on the frame 300a. The arm of the gantry 300b can extend in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the horizontal transfer direction at the upper part of the air blower 302, and the nozzle 306 can be connected to the lower part of the gantry arm 300c. . The nozzle 306 is perpendicular to the gantry arm 300c (vertical dir).
mounted so that it can be moved to (Election). For example, the nozzle 306 can be moved in the vertical direction by a motor and a hole screw.

  Although not shown, a cleaning unit (not shown) for cleaning the nozzle 306 may be disposed on the air blower 302. That is, the gantry 300b can move the nozzle 306 horizontally and vertically to clean the nozzle 306.

  The nozzle 306 may supply a photoresist composition onto the substrate 2 while the substrate 2 is moved in the horizontal transfer direction by the substrate transfer unit 304 to form the photoresist film 4 on the substrate 2. .

  The substrate transfer unit 304 may include a plurality of rollers 312 that partially support the substrate 2 and are arranged in a direction parallel to a horizontal transfer direction of the substrate 2. For example, the roller 312 can support both side edge portions of the lower surface of the substrate 2 and can be rotated to move the substrate 2 in the horizontal transfer direction.

The roller 312 is rotatably mounted on the frame 300a. In addition, the substrate transfer unit 304 may further include a motor 314 for rotating the roller 312, and the roller 312 may be interconnected by a belt 316. For example, a pulley 318 may be provided on one side of each of the rollers 312, and the pulley 318 may be interconnected by the belt 316. Further, as shown, an idle pulley 319 for adjusting the tensile force of the belt may be provided between the rollers 312.

  Referring to FIG. 10, two motors 314 are used to rotate the roller 312. However, the roller 312 can be rotated using one motor. In this case, a rotating shaft connected to the motor can be extended through the air blower 302, and a set of rollers is attached to edge portions on both sides of the rotating shaft.

  Referring to FIG. 1 again, the photoresist film 4 formed on the substrate 2 is dried through a drying process.

  The drying module 200 can be used to dry the photoresist film 4 formed on the substrate 2. That is, the drying module 200 can be used to remove the solvent from the photoresist film 4 formed on the substrate 2. For example, the drying module 200 can dry the photoresist film 4 by evaporating the solvent from the photoresist film 4 using a vacuum pressure.

  12 is a schematic plan view for explaining the drying module shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 13 is a schematic front view for explaining the drying module shown in FIG.

  Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the drying module 200 includes a drying chamber 202 for receiving the substrate 2 on which the photoresist film 4 is formed, and a substrate 2 disposed inside the drying chamber 202 to float the substrate 2. An air blower 204 for supplying air to the lower surface of the substrate 2, a substrate support unit 206 for supporting the substrate 2 on the air blower 204, and the substrate 2 supported by the substrate support unit 206. A vacuum module 208 connected to the drying chamber 202 may be included to dry the photoresist film 4. The drying module 200 may further include a substrate transfer unit 210 for transferring the substrate 2 in the horizontal transfer direction in order to unload the substrate 2 from the drying chamber 202. The substrate transfer unit 210 may be used to receive the transferred substrate 2 and transfer it to the inside of the drying module 200 when the substrate 2 is transferred from the coating module 100.

  The drying chamber 202 provides a space for drying the photoresist film 4 formed on the substrate 2 using a vacuum pressure. The drying chamber 202 has a carry-in port 202a for carrying the substrate 2 in the horizontal transfer direction in the drying chamber 202 and a carry-out port 202b for carrying the substrate 2 out of the drying chamber 202 in the horizontal transfer direction. . The carry-in port 202a and the carry-out port 202b are formed along the horizontal transfer direction. That is, when the carry-in port 202a is formed on one side wall of the drying chamber 202a, the carry-out port 202a can be formed on the side wall located in the horizontal transfer direction from the carry-in port 202a. The carry-in port 202a and the carry-out port 202b are extended in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal transfer direction so that the substrate 2 is transferred in the horizontal transfer direction in a horizontal state and loaded and unloaded in the drying chamber 202. . In particular, when the substrate transfer unit 104 of the coating module 100 is configured to transfer the substrate 2 to the inside of the drying module 200, the coating module 100 is formed to ensure a space in which the substrate transfer unit 104 can operate.

The drying chamber 202 uses a vacuum pressure to dry the photoresist film 4 formed on the substrate 2. Therefore, the drying chamber 202 must be sealed after the substrate 2 is loaded to form a vacuum. For this reason, each of the carry-in port 202a and the carry-out port 202b has a configuration capable of sealing the drying chamber 202. That is, the carry-in port 202a and the carry-out port 202b may include a sliding door type gate valve. In contrast to this, the carry-in port 202a and the carry-out port 202b are configured by a sliding door system which is opened by rotating counterclockwise with respect to a reference point on one side.

  The drying chamber 202 is provided with a plurality of lower vacuum holes 202 c in a lower panel (for example, a bottom panel) for drying the substrate 2, and the lower vacuum holes 202 c are connected to the vacuum module 208 through a lower manifold 212. be able to. Although not shown in detail, the vacuum module 208 may include a vacuum pump and a valve for adjusting the pressure inside the drying chamber 202.

  On the other hand, when the vacuum module 208 is connected to the lower panel of the drying chamber 202 as described above, the pressure distribution in the drying chamber 202 may be non-uniform. In order to solve this problem, the floor panel of the drying chamber 202 is provided with an upper vacuum hole 202 d, and the upper vacuum hole 202 b can be connected to the vacuum module 208 through the upper manifold 214. In addition, a perforated plate 215 for making the pressure distribution uniform may be disposed in the drying chamber 202 in the horizontal direction above the substrate 2.

  The air blower 204 may include a perforated plate 216 having a plurality of holes 216a for supplying the air. The perforated plate 216 may be connected to an air manifold 218 that defines a buffer space 218 a, and the air manifold 218 may be connected to an air supply unit 220.

  The perforated plate 216 may be made of a metal such as aluminum, and the plurality of holes 108a may have a diameter of about 0.1 to 2.3 mm. The distance between the holes 108a may be about 10 to 150 mm.

  The substrate support unit 206 supports the substrate 2 on the air blower 204. Specifically, the substrate support unit 206 performs a drying process on the substrate 2 by forming a vacuum in the drying chamber 202 after the substrate 2 is completely loaded into the drying chamber 202. The substrate 2 is supported. That is, the air supply of the air blower 204 is interrupted while the drying of the substrate 2 is in progress, and the substrate support unit 206 supports the substrate 2 when the floating of the substrate 2 by the air blower 204 is removed. And dried.

  For example, the substrate support 206 may include a plurality of support fins disposed on the air blower 204 to support the substrate 2. The support fins are preferably uniformly distributed on the upper surface of the air blower 204 so that the substrate 2 is supported without dripping. Further, when the support fin protrudes in a state for supporting the substrate 2, it is not desirable because the support fin is applied when the substrate 2 is carried in and out. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, the support fin is configured to be able to perform an up / down operation. The support fin moves down when the substrate 2 is carried in or out and supports the substrate 2 when the substrate 2 is dried with vacuum pressure.

The substrate transfer unit 210 can grip both side edge portions of the lower surface of the substrate 2 levitated by the air blower 204, and can move the substrate 2 in the horizontal transfer direction. At this time, the porous plate 216 may have a width narrower than the width of the substrate 2 in order to secure an edge portion for the substrate transfer unit 210 to hold the substrate 2.

  According to an exemplary embodiment, the substrate transfer unit 210 may include a plurality of vacuum chucks 222 for holding an edge portion of the substrate 2 using a vacuum pressure. The vacuum chuck 222 can be moved in the horizontal transfer direction by linear motors 224 disposed on both sides of the perforated plate 216. In contrast, the vacuum chuck 222 may be moved by a driving mechanism including a linear motion guide, a ball screw, and a ball block. The substrate transfer unit 210 may be mounted on the frame 200a.

  FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining another form of the air blower shown in FIGS.

  Referring to FIG. 14, in another form, the air blower 230 may include a porous plate 232 made of a porous material. In addition, the air blower 230 may further include a sidewall 234 disposed on the side surface of the porous plate 232 to prevent air from leaking through the side surface of the porous plate 232.

  The porous plate 232 is made of carbon or stainless steel and may be formed by a sintering process. The porous plate 232 may have a pore size of about 10 to 100 μm.

  Meanwhile, in the drying module 200, the air blowers 130, 140, and 150 previously described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 9 may be used instead of the air blower 204.

  15 is a schematic plan view for explaining another embodiment of the drying module shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 16 is a schematic front view for explaining another embodiment of the drying module shown in FIG. FIG.

  Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, in another embodiment, the drying module 400 includes a drying chamber 402 for receiving the substrate 2 on which the photoresist film 4 is formed, and the substrate disposed in the drying chamber 402. An air blower 404 for supplying air to the lower surface of the substrate 2 to float the substrate 2, a substrate support portion 406 for supporting the substrate 2 on the air blower 404, and a substrate supported by the substrate support portion 406 2 may include a vacuum module 408 connected to the drying chamber 402 to dry the photoresist film 4 formed on the substrate 2. The drying module 400 may further include a substrate transfer unit 410 for transferring the substrate 2 in the horizontal transfer direction in order to carry the substrate 2 out of the drying chamber 402. The substrate transfer unit 410 may be used to receive the transferred substrate 2 and transfer it to the inside of the drying module 200 when the substrate 2 is transferred from the coating module 100.

  The drying chamber 402 provides a space for performing a drying process on the substrate 2, and the drying chamber 402 includes a carry-in port 402 a and a carry-out port 402 b for loading and unloading the substrate 2. Therefore, the drying chamber 402 is the same as the drying chamber 202 described in advance with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13 and thus will not be described in detail.

The air blower 404 supplies air to float the substrate 2, and an air supply unit 430 for supplying air is connected to the air blower 402. Therefore, the air blower 40
4 is any one of the air blowers 204 and 230 previously described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14, and any one of the air blowers 130, 140, and 150 previously described with reference to FIGS. One of these can be used. Therefore, additional detailed description for the air blower 404 is omitted.

  The substrate support part 406 is configured to support the substrate 2 on the air blower 404 and to be up / down. Therefore, the substrate support unit 406 is the same as the substrate support unit 206 described in advance with reference to FIGS.

  The substrate transfer unit 410 may include a plurality of rollers 422 that partially support the substrate 2 and are arranged in the drying chamber 402 in a direction parallel to a horizontal transfer direction of the substrate 2. For example, the roller 422 can support both side edge portions of the lower surface of the substrate 2 and can be rotated to move the substrate 2 in the horizontal transfer direction.

  The roller 422 may be rotatably mounted on the side wall of the drying chamber 402. In addition, the substrate transfer unit 410 may further include a motor 424 for rotating the roller 422, and the roller 422 may be interconnected by a belt 426. For example, a pulley 428 may be provided on one side of each of the rollers 422, and the pulley 428 may be interconnected by the belt 426. Further, as shown, an idle pulley 429 for adjusting the tensile force of the belt may be provided between the rollers 422.

  As shown in FIG. 16, two motors 424 are used to rotate the roller 422. However, the roller 422 can be rotated using one motor. In this case, a rotating shaft connected to the motor can be extended through the air blower 404, and a set of rollers can be attached to edge portions on both sides of the rotating shaft.

  Referring to FIG. 1 again, the loader 20 may be disposed adjacent to the coating module 100, and the unloader 30 may be disposed adjacent to the drying module 200. Each of the loader 20 and the unloader 30 may include a roller for transferring the substrate 2 in the horizontal transfer direction.

  As described above, the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a coating module and a drying module. The substrate may be transferred in a horizontal direction from the rotor to the unloader via the coating module and the drying module, and the substrate may be directly transferred from the coating module to the drying module. In addition, the substrate may be transferred in the horizontal direction while being floated using an air blower in the coating module and the drying module. That is, the substrate may be processed in an inline manner, and may be directly transferred from the coating module to the drying module and processed by the substrate transfer unit of the coating module. Thereby, the time taken to process the substrate can be shortened.

  In addition, since the robot used in the prior art is unnecessary, the cost required for manufacturing the substrate processing apparatus and the time and cost required to maintain, maintain and manage the substrate processing apparatus are reduced. Can do.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, those who have ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field may not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the following claims. Thus, it can be understood that the present invention can be modified and changed in various ways.

2 Substrate 4 Photoresist film 10 Substrate processing apparatus 20 Loader 30 Unloader 100 Coating module 102 Air blower 104 Substrate transfer unit 106 Nozzle 108 Porous plate 110 Air blower 112 Air manifold 114 Vacuum chuck 116 Linear motor 120 Air blower 122 Porous plate 124 Side wall 130 Air blower 132 Perforated plate 134 Slit 136 Idle roller 140 Air blower 142 Perforated plate 144 Air supply unit 146 Air manifold 148 Exhaust manifold 149 Exhaust unit 150 Air blower 151 Porous plate 152 Side wall 154 Air supply unit 156 Air manifold 158 Exhaust manifold 159 Exhaust unit 200 Drying module 202 Drying chamber 204 Air blower 206 Substrate support unit 20 Vacuum module 210 Substrate transport unit 212 Lower manifold 214 Upper manifold 216 Porous plate 218 Air manifold 220 Air supply unit 230 Air blower 232 Porous plate 234 Side wall 300 Coating module 302 Air blower 304 Substrate transport unit 306 Nozzle 312 Roller 314 Rotating motor 316 Belt 318 Pulley 319 Idle pulley 400 Drying module 402 Drying chamber 404 Air blower 406 Substrate support unit 408 Vacuum module 410 Substrate transfer unit 422 Roller 424 Rotating motor 426 Belt 428 Pulley 429 Idle pulley

Claims (14)

A coating module for supplying a photoresist composition on the substrate to form a photoresist film while transferring the substrate in a horizontal direction, and a coating module adjacent to the coating module. In a plate processing apparatus including a drying module for directly transferring the substrate and drying a photoresist film formed on the substrate,
The coating module is
A first air blower for supplying air to a lower surface of the substrate to float the substrate;
A substrate transfer unit for transferring the floated substrate in the horizontal direction;
A nozzle for supplying the photoresist composition onto a substrate transferred in the horizontal direction extending in another horizontal direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction at an upper portion of the first air blower;
The first air blower is connected to an air supply unit, and a funnel-shaped air manifold defining a buffer space therein;
A lower surface of the substrate which is disposed on the air manifold below the nozzle and has a number of holes through which air supplied from an air supply section passes through a buffer space of the air manifold, and passes this air above the surface. A perforated plate that floats on the substrate
A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: an idle roller that is disposed in a slit formed in the perforated plate and supports the substrate so as to prevent the substrate from sagging.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air blower includes a porous plate made of a porous material so that the air can be supplied, and a side wall disposed on a side surface of the porous plate.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the substrate transfer unit includes a plurality of vacuum chucks that hold edge portions on both sides of the lower surface of the substrate using vacuum pressure.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the substrate transfer unit is configured to transfer the substrate to the inside of the drying module.   5. The substrate transfer unit according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transfer unit includes a plurality of rollers arranged in a direction parallel to the horizontal direction to support edge portions on both sides of the lower surface of the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to item. The drying module includes:
A drying chamber for receiving the substrate;
A second air blower disposed within the drying chamber for supplying air to a lower surface of the substrate to float the substrate;
A substrate support for supporting the substrate on the second air blower;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a vacuum module connected to the drying chamber for drying a photoresist film formed on the substrate supported by the substrate support unit.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second air blower includes a perforated plate having a plurality of holes for supplying the air. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the air blower includes a porous plate made of a porous material so that the air can be supplied, and a side wall disposed on a side surface of the porous plate. .   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the drying module further includes a substrate transfer unit for transferring the substrate floated by the air blower in the horizontal direction.   The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the substrate transfer unit includes a plurality of vacuum chucks that grip edge portions on both sides of the lower surface of the substrate using vacuum pressure.   The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the substrate transfer unit includes a plurality of rollers arranged in parallel to the horizontal direction so as to support both side edge portions of the lower surface of the substrate.   9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the drying chamber is formed with a carry-in port and a carry-out port for transferring the substrate along the horizontal direction.   13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein each of the carry-in port and the carry-out port includes a gate valve for sealing the drying chamber.   9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the substrate support unit includes a plurality of support fins installed so as to be able to be up / down on the substrate transfer unit and supporting the substrate.

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