JP2021015900A - Vacuum chamber and substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vacuum chamber which prevents winding up and scattering of particles resulting from vibration incident to driving of a lifting mechanism, prevents generation of particles from a seal member between the chamber body and a lid, and prevents adhesion of particles to a transportation object board.SOLUTION: A load lock chamber 10 consists of arranging multiple block bodies 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D and 10E having an annular open space in the conveyance direction, has an internal space formed by communicating the open spaces of the multiple block bodies, one of the multiple block bodies has a groove formed in the inside lower surface, a base member is fitted in the groove, and multiple board support pins are fixed to the base member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A

Description

The present invention relates to a vacuum chamber and a substrate processing apparatus.

Conventionally, a vacuum processing apparatus including a vacuum chamber called a load lock chamber is known. The load lock chamber transports the substrate between the outside of the vacuum processing apparatus in the atmospheric pressure atmosphere and the inside in the vacuum atmosphere (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Generally, a load lock chamber is composed of a chamber body having an opening having an area larger than that of the substrate to be transported, a lid that closes the upper opening of the chamber body, and a gate valve arranged at the entrance and exit of the load lock chamber. Will be done. Sealing members such as O-rings are provided on the contact surface between the chamber body and the lid and the contact surface between the chamber body and the valve body of the gate valve to ensure the airtightness of the load lock chamber. Has been done.

Inside the load lock chamber having such a configuration, a vacuum atmosphere created by driving a vacuum pump and an atmospheric pressure atmosphere created by supplying a vent gas such as nitrogen gas are repeatedly generated.

By creating an atmospheric pressure atmosphere inside the load lock chamber, it is possible to transfer the substrate between the robot arm on the atmospheric pressure side and the load lock chamber. The lift pin moves up and down by driving the lifting mechanism provided inside the load lock chamber, and the board is handed over from the atmospheric pressure side robot arm to the lift pin, or from the lift pin to the atmospheric pressure side robot arm. Is handed over.

By creating a vacuum atmosphere inside the load lock chamber, it is possible to transfer the substrate between the vacuum side robot arm provided in the transfer chamber adjacent to the load lock chamber and the load lock chamber. The lift pin moves in the vertical direction by driving the lifting mechanism, and the substrate is delivered from the vacuum side robot arm to the lift pin, or the substrate is delivered from the lift pin to the vacuum side robot arm.

Japanese Patent No. 5462946

However, the conventional load lock chamber has the following problems.
(1) When vibration is generated due to the driving of a driving device such as an air cylinder constituting the elevating mechanism, this vibration is transmitted to other members constituting the elevating mechanism or a member adjacent to the elevating mechanism. As a result, there is a problem that the particles accumulated inside the load lock chamber are rolled up and scattered, and the particles adhere to the substrate.
(2) The vacuum atmosphere and the atmospheric pressure atmosphere are repeatedly generated, so that the O-ring is crushed by the lid and a restoring force is generated in the O-ring. As a result, there is a problem that particles are generated from the O-ring due to the friction generated between the O-ring and the lid, are scattered in the internal space of the load lock chamber, and the particles adhere to the substrate. Further, in recent years, the size of the substrate to be conveyed has increased, and for example, the load lock chamber has also increased in size in order to convey a large substrate having a side exceeding 1500 mm. Correspondingly, the amount of bending of the lid increases as the area of the lid increases, and the amount of friction between the O-ring and the lid also increases due to the repeated generation of the vacuum atmosphere and the atmospheric pressure atmosphere. Further, there is a problem that particles are generated not only by the friction between the O-ring and the lid but also by the friction caused by the contact between the member constituting the load lock chamber and the lid, and the particles adhere to the substrate.

The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and provides a vacuum chamber that achieves the following objects, and a substrate processing apparatus provided with the vacuum chamber.
1. 1. It prevents the particles from being wound up and scattered due to the vibration caused by the driving of the elevating mechanism, and prevents the particles from adhering to the substrate to be conveyed.
2. 2. It prevents the generation of particles generated from the sealing member between the chamber body and the lid, and prevents the particles from adhering to the substrate to be transported.

The vacuum chamber according to one aspect of the present invention is configured by arranging a plurality of block bodies having an annular opening space when viewed from the transport direction of the substrate along the transport direction, and the openings of the plurality of block bodies. A vacuum chamber capable of switching the atmosphere of the internal space formed by communicating the spaces between an atmospheric pressure atmosphere and a vacuum atmosphere, the first block body which is one of the plurality of blocks and the plurality of blocks. A second block body that extends in a direction intersecting the transport direction and has a groove formed on the inner lower surface of the opening space, and is connected and fixed to the first block body via a sealing member. The block body, the base member that extends in the extending direction of the groove, the support end that the substrate contacts, and the base member that is located on the opposite side of the support end and fixed to the base member. It has a fixed end to be made, and has a plurality of substrate support pins that support the substrate inside the vacuum chamber.

In the vacuum chamber according to one aspect of the present invention, each of at least two block bodies of the plurality of block bodies is positioned corresponding to four corner regions of the internal space of the vacuum chamber in a plan view of the vacuum chamber. It may have an exhaust part provided in.

In the vacuum chamber according to one aspect of the present invention, the groove is located between the first block body and the second block body, and the base member and the substrate support pin fitted in the groove. A cover may be provided between the fixed end and the first block body to cover the gap between the first block body and the second block body.

In the vacuum chamber according to one aspect of the present invention, a window is provided on at least one side surface of the plurality of blocks in a side view viewed from a direction parallel to the substrate and intersecting the transport direction. It may be formed.

In the vacuum chamber according to one aspect of the present invention, each of at least two of the plurality of block bodies has four corners of the substrate arranged inside the vacuum chamber in a plan view of the vacuum chamber. Each positioning mechanism has a positioning mechanism provided at a position corresponding to the above, and each positioning mechanism has a first roller that can rotate around an axis parallel to the transport direction and an axis parallel to the direction orthogonal to the transport direction. A rotatable second roller, and the position of a corner portion of the substrate by the first roller and the second roller in a state where the substrate is in contact with the support ends of the plurality of substrate support pins. May be determined.

The substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is configured by arranging a plurality of block bodies having an annular opening space when viewed from the transport direction of the substrate along the transport direction, and said the plurality of block bodies. A vacuum chamber capable of switching the atmosphere of the internal space formed by communicating the open spaces between an atmospheric pressure atmosphere and a vacuum atmosphere, a transfer chamber connected to the vacuum chamber, and a process chamber connected to the transfer chamber. And the transfer robot provided inside the transfer chamber, which transfers the substrate between the vacuum chamber and the transfer chamber, and between the transfer chamber and the process chamber. Be prepared. The vacuum chamber is a first block body which is one of the plurality of block bodies and one of the plurality of block bodies, which extends in a direction intersecting the transport direction and is formed on the inner lower surface of the opening space. A second block body which has a groove and is connected and fixed to the first block body via a seal member, a base member which extends in a direction in which the groove extends and is fitted into the groove, and the above. A plurality of substrate support pins having a support end with which the substrate contacts and a fixed end located on the opposite side of the support end and fixed to the base member, and supporting the substrate inside the vacuum chamber. Has.

In the substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, the transfer robot moves the robot hand, the arm that moves the robot hand along the transfer direction, and the robot hand along the vertical direction of the substrate. The robot hand is moved between the lower position of the substrate and the transfer chamber by driving the arm in the internal space of the vacuum chamber, and the elevating mechanism is provided. By driving, the robot hand may move the robot hand up and down between the lower position of the substrate and the upper position of the substrate.

According to the vacuum chamber according to the above aspect of the present invention, the base member is fitted into the groove formed on the inner lower surface of the opening space of the block body (second block body), and a plurality of substrate supports fixed to the base member. The substrate is supported by the pins. With this configuration, it is not necessary to use an elevating mechanism as in the conventional structure, and it is possible to prevent particles from being wound up and scattered due to vibration caused by driving the elevating mechanism.
Further, unlike the conventional structure in which the upper opening of the chamber body is closed with a lid, the vacuum chamber according to the above aspect of the present invention has an internal space formed by communicating an annular opening space. That is, a lidless structure can be realized. With this configuration, it is possible to solve the problem of the conventional structure that particles are generated from the sealing member between the chamber body and the lid.

According to the vacuum chamber according to the above aspect of the present invention, the gas inside the vacuum chamber is directed toward the four exhaust portions by providing the exhaust portions at positions corresponding to the four corner regions of the internal space of the vacuum chamber. Flows in a decentralized manner. On the other hand, in the conventional structure in which only one exhaust unit is provided in the vacuum chamber, the gas inside the vacuum chamber flows intensively toward one exhaust unit. Therefore, according to the vacuum chamber according to the above aspect of the present invention, the flow rate flowing per exhaust unit can be reduced, for example, the flow rate can be reduced to about 1/4 of that of the conventional one, and further. A distributed flow is generated that flows toward the four exhaust sections. Compared with the conventional structure, it is possible to mitigate the generation of the air flow generated in the vacuum chamber, and it is possible to prevent the particles from being wound up and scattered. As a result, it is possible to prevent particles from adhering to the substrate to be transported.

According to the vacuum chamber according to the above aspect of the present invention, the gap between the first block body and the second block body is provided by providing the cover covering the gap between the first block body and the second block body. It is possible to prevent the particles deposited on the vacuum chamber from scattering inside the vacuum chamber. As a result, it is possible to prevent particles from adhering to the substrate to be transported.

According to the vacuum chamber according to the above aspect of the present invention, since the window is formed on the side surface of the block body, the base member to which the substrate support pin is fixed can be replaced and the internal space of the vacuum chamber can be cleaned through the window. It is possible to perform maintenance work such as.

According to the vacuum chamber according to the above aspect of the present invention, the position of the substrate is displaced in the vacuum chamber by providing the positioning mechanism at the position corresponding to the four corners of the substrate arranged in the vacuum chamber. Can be prevented.

According to the vacuum processing apparatus according to the above aspect of the present invention, the same effect as the above-mentioned vacuum chamber can be obtained.

It is a top view which shows the schematic structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the schematic structure of the load lock chamber which comprises the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the load lock chamber which comprises the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and is the front view which shows the load lock chamber seen from the transport direction of the substrate in the state which removed the atmosphere side gate valve. is there. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the load lock chamber which comprises the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and is the sectional view along the line AA shown in FIG. 2B. It is a perspective view which shows the base member arranged inside the load lock chamber which comprises the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the main part of the block body which constitutes the load lock chamber which constitutes the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, the base member, and the substrate support pin, and is the part along the line BB shown in FIG. 3A. It is a sectional view. It is a figure explaining the exhaust system including the piping and the valve provided between the exhaust part provided in the load lock chamber which constitutes the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and a vacuum pump. It is sectional drawing which shows the block body of the load lock chamber which comprises the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and is the side view which shows the positioning mechanism provided on the inner lower surface of a block body. It is a figure explaining the substrate transfer in the load lock chamber which comprises the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the substrate transfer in the load lock chamber which comprises the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the substrate transfer in the load lock chamber which comprises the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the substrate transfer in the load lock chamber which comprises the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

The substrate processing apparatus including the vacuum chamber according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing used for the description of the present embodiment, the scale of each member is appropriately changed in order to make each member recognizable in size.
In the following description, "plan view of the substrate processing apparatus" or "plan view of the vacuum chamber" may be simply referred to as "plan view". This plan view means a plane viewed from above (Z direction in FIG. 1) of the substrate processing apparatus and the vacuum chamber, that is, is synonymous with the plan view shown in FIG.
In addition, the ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", and "third" in the following embodiments are added to avoid confusion of the components, and the quantity is not limited.

(Board processing equipment)
As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a transfer chamber 2, a load lock chamber 10, process chambers 1A to 1E, an air transfer device 3, and a control unit 100.
A vacuum pump (not shown) for holding the internal space in a vacuum state and a gas supply unit for supplying gas to the internal space are connected to the transfer chamber 2, the load lock chamber 10, and the process chambers 1A to 1E. ing.
The control unit 100 controls the transfer chamber 2, the load lock chamber 10, the process chambers 1A to 1E, the vacuum transfer robot 2a (transfer robot), and the atmosphere transfer robot 3a, and the control unit 100 controls a gate valve (not shown). ) Is also controlled.
A load lock chamber 10 is connected to the transfer chamber 2 via a gate valve. Similarly, each of the process chambers 1A to 1E is connected to the transfer chamber 2 via a gate valve.

(Transfer chamber)
The transfer chamber 2 has a polygonal shape in a plan view. A load lock chamber 10 and process chambers 1A to 1E are connected to each side of the transfer chamber 2 via a gate valve.
The transfer chamber 2 may be polygonal, and may have an arbitrary planar shape from a triangle to an octagon.

A vacuum transfer robot 2a is provided inside the transfer chamber 2, and a substrate is placed between the transfer chamber 2 and the load lock chamber 10 and between the transfer chamber 2 and each of the process chambers 1A to 1E. It is said that it can be transported (the board can be delivered).

(Vacuum transfer robot)
The vacuum transfer robot 2a transfers the substrate S (described later) between the load lock chamber 10 and the transfer chamber 2 and between the transfer chamber 2 and each process chamber.
The vacuum transfer robot 2a includes a rotating shaft, an arm 2b attached to the rotating shaft, a robot hand 2c attached to the tip of the arm 2b, and an elevating mechanism 2d for moving the arm 2b and the robot hand 2c in the vertical direction. To be equipped. As the arm 2b rotates around the axis of the rotation axis, the robot hand 2c is arranged at a position facing the process chamber selected from the load lock chamber 10 and the process chambers 1A to 1E. By driving the arm 2b in this state, the robot hand 2c can move between the transfer chamber 2 and the selected process chamber. By driving the elevating mechanism 2d, the robot hand 2c can move along the vertical direction.
A plurality of vacuum transfer robots 2a can be installed in the transfer chamber 2.

The arm 2b can move the robot hand 2c along the transport direction TD (described later) of the substrate S.
More specifically, the robot hand 2c is a state in which the substrate S is mounted on the robot hand 2c by driving the arm 2b, or a state in which the substrate S is not mounted on the robot hand 2c. It is possible to move between the lower position and the transfer chamber 2.

The elevating mechanism 2d can move the robot hand 2c along the vertical direction of the substrate S (vertical direction, gravity direction, Z direction, or direction LD, UD (described later)).
More specifically, the lower position of the substrate S and the substrate in the state where the substrate S is mounted on the robot hand 2c or the substrate S is not mounted on the robot hand 2c by driving the elevating mechanism 2d. It is possible to move the robot hand 2c to and from the position above S.

(Process chamber)
Each of the process chambers 1A to 1E has a closed internal space, and the substrate is processed in the closed internal space such as a vacuum atmosphere. Examples of the substrate treatment performed in each of the process chambers 1A to 1E include coating, sputtering, vapor deposition, film formation such as various CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition), etching, ashing, and cleaning. Process chamber 1A The substrate processing performed in 1E is not limited to the processes listed above.

Further, the types of processing performed in the process chambers 1A to 1E may be the same in two or more process chambers, or may be different from each other.
The number of substrates arranged in the internal space of the process chambers 1A to 1E is not limited, and may be one or a plurality of two or more.

(Atmospheric transport device)
The atmosphere transfer device 3 includes an atmosphere transfer robot 3a and a substrate cassette 4.
The atmospheric transport robot 3a includes a rotating shaft, an arm 3b attached to the rotating shaft, a robot hand 3c attached to the tip of the arm 3b, and an elevating mechanism 3d for moving the arm 3b in the vertical direction. As the arm 3b rotates around the axis of the rotation axis, the robot hand 3c is arranged at a position facing the load lock chamber 10 or the substrate cassette 4. By driving the arm 3b, the robot hand 3c can move along the transport direction TD. By driving the elevating mechanism 3d, the robot hand 3c can move along the vertical direction.

A plurality of substrates are placed on the substrate cassette 4 along the Z direction. The plurality of substrates are parallel to each other in the direction perpendicular to the Z direction. The substrate cassette 4 can mount a pre-processed substrate that has not been processed by the process chambers 1A to 1E and a processed substrate that has been processed by the process chambers 1A to 1E.
The configuration of the substrate cassette is not limited to the configuration in which one substrate cassette mounts both the unprocessed substrate and the processed substrate. A configuration including a dedicated first substrate cassette on which only the unprocessed substrate is mounted and a dedicated second substrate cassette on which only the processed substrate is mounted may be adopted.

(Road lock chamber)
As shown in FIG. 1, the load lock chamber 10 (vacuum chamber) is arranged between the atmospheric transfer robot 3a and the transfer chamber 2. Atmospheric side gate valves AG (AG1, AG2) are provided between the atmospheric transfer robot 3a and the load lock chamber 10 via an O-ring or the like (seal member). A vacuum side gate valve VG (VG1, VG2) is provided between the transfer chamber 2 and the load lock chamber 10 via an O-ring or the like.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the load lock chamber 10 has two internal spaces 11 (11U, 11L) arranged in the vertical direction (Z direction). Atmospheric side gate valve AG1 and vacuum side gate valve VG1 are provided on both sides of the upper internal space 11U located above the two internal spaces 11 in the transport direction TD. The upper internal space 11U is sealed by closing both the atmospheric side gate valve AG1 and the vacuum side gate valve VG1. In this state, the atmosphere of the upper internal space 11U can be switched between the atmospheric pressure atmosphere and the vacuum atmosphere.
Similarly, the atmosphere side gate valve AG2 and the vacuum side gate valve VG2 are provided on both sides of the lower internal space 11L located below the two internal spaces 11 in the transport direction TD. The lower internal space 11L is sealed by closing both the atmospheric side gate valve AG2 and the vacuum side gate valve VG2. In this state, the atmosphere of the lower internal space 11L can be switched between the atmospheric pressure atmosphere and the vacuum atmosphere.

The load lock chamber 10 is composed of a plurality of blocks arranged along the transfer direction TD of the substrate. In the present embodiment, the number of block bodies is 5, and the load lock chamber 10 is provided by the first block body 10A, the second block body 10B, the third block body 10C, the fourth block body 10D, and the fifth block body 10E. Is configured. Two block bodies adjacent to each other among the five block bodies are connected and fixed by fastening members such as screws (not shown) via an O-ring SL (seal member, see FIG. 4) press-fitted into the O-ring groove. ing. As the material of the block body, for example, a metal such as aluminum is adopted.

Each of the plurality of block bodies has an annular opening space OP when viewed from the transport direction TD, that is, each block body has two opening spaces OP1 and OP2.
Specifically, each of the opening spaces OP1 and OP2 is a space surrounded by the inner lower surface IL, the inner upper surface IU, and the two inner side surface ISs, and extends along the transport direction TD.

The upper internal space 11U is formed by communicating the opening spaces OP1 of the five block bodies along the transport direction TD. Similarly, the lower internal space 11L is formed by communicating the opening spaces OP2 of the five blocks along the transport direction TD.
That is, the load lock chamber 10 composed of the above five blocks realizes a lidless structure unlike the conventional structure provided with a lid that closes the upper opening of the chamber in a plan view.

(Internal structure of load lock chamber)
Next, the internal structure of the load lock chamber 10 (internal structure of the upper internal space 11U) will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A to 4. Since the internal structure of the lower internal space 11L is the same as the internal structure of the upper internal space 11U, the description thereof will be omitted. Further, in FIG. 3A, the substrate arranged in the upper internal space 11U is indicated by reference numeral S.

(1st block body)
As shown in FIG. 3A, the first block body 10A has a sealing surface 11a that comes into contact with the atmosphere side gate valve AG1 via a sealing member such as an O-ring. Exhaust portions 11b and 11c are provided on the inner and lower surface ILs of the first block body 10A on both sides of the upper internal space 11U in the X direction. Here, the exhaust portions 11b and 11c are holes (exhaust ports) formed in the first block body 10A.

In the inner lower surface IL of the first block body 10A, the positioning mechanisms 41 and 42 are arranged at positions inside the positions of the two exhaust portions 11b and 11c. Atmospheric side substrate support pin 30a (board support pin close to atmospheric side gate valve AG1) erected from the inner lower surface IL is provided at a position close to the sealing surface 11a and overlapping the end region of the substrate S. ing. In the present embodiment, the number of atmospheric side substrate support pins 30a is two, but the number is not limited.

(2nd block body)
As shown in FIG. 3A, the second block body 10B is fixedly connected to the first block body 10A via an O-ring SL (seal member). Windows 12a are provided on the inner side surface IS of the second block body 10B on both sides of the upper internal space 11U in the X direction.
In other words, the window 12a is formed on the side surface of the second block body 10B in a side view seen from a direction parallel to the substrate S and intersecting the transport direction TD (X direction). A flange 12b is fixed to the outside (outer wall portion) of the window 12a via an O-ring so as to cover the window 12a. That is, even if the window 12a is formed in the second block body 10B, the upper internal space 11U is sealed by the flange 12b. The flange 12b is removable. If the flange 12b is made of a transparent material, the operator can observe the inside of the load lock chamber 10 through the flange 12b.

As shown in FIG. 4, a groove 12G extending in a direction (X direction) intersecting the transport direction TD is formed in the inner lower surface IL of the second block body 10B. The groove 12G has an inverted L-shape having a vertical surface 12GV and a horizontal plane 12GH formed on the second block body 10B. By connecting the first block body 10A and the second block body 10B, a substantially U-shaped fitting groove FG is formed by the end surface 11E and the groove 12G of the first block body 10A. That is, the fitting groove FG is located between the first block body 10A and the second block body 10B.

(Base member 20)
The base member 20 shown in FIG. 3B is fitted in the fitting groove FG. The base member 20 extends in the extending direction (X direction) of the fitting groove FG, that is, the base member 20 is provided so as to fill the forming portion of the fitting groove FG. A plurality of substrate support pins 30 are fixed to the base member 20.

Examples of the material of the base member 20 include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) known as Teflon (registered trademark). By using Teflon as the base member 20, the base member 20 slides smoothly on the surface of aluminum used as a constituent material of the block body. Therefore, the base member 20 can be easily inserted into the fitting groove FG. Further, since the base member 20 can be attached to and detached from the fitting groove FG while sliding the base member 20 on the inner surface of the fitting groove FG, it is excellent in maintainability such as replacement work of the base member 20.
The material of the base member 20 is not limited to Teflon, and the base member 20 may be made of another material as long as the above advantages are obtained.

(Board support pin)
As shown in FIG. 4, each substrate support pin 30 is located on the opposite side of the rod 31, the ball bear 32 (support end) rotatably supported by the upper portion 31U of the rod 31, and the ball bear 32, and the base member. It has a fixed end 33 fixed to 20 and a bolt 34 (fastening portion) fixed to a screw hole 20S formed in the base member 20.
The upper end 32T of the ball bear 32 is a portion that the substrate S contacts. When the substrate S is supported by the substrate support pin 30, the ball bear 32 and the substrate S come into contact with each other. At this time, since the substrate S can be smoothly moved in the horizontal direction (X direction, Y direction) by the rotation of the ball bear 32, it is possible to prevent the substrate S from being scratched.

In the present embodiment, the number of substrate support pins 30 fixed to one base member 20 is four. The number of board support pins 30 is not limited to four. The number of board support pins 30 and the arrangement pitch of the board support pins 30 are set so as to avoid interference with the robot hands 2c and 3c and to minimize the amount of deflection due to the weight of the board S supported by the board support pins 30. Will be decided. The length of the rod 31, that is, the height of the substrate support pin 30, is determined according to the amount of movement of the substrate S in the vertical direction by the robot hands 2c and 3c, the opening height of the opening space OP1, and the like.

The same configurations as those of the substrate support pin 30 are adopted for the above-described configurations of the atmospheric side substrate support pin 30a, the vacuum side substrate support pin 30b (described later), and the substrate corner support pin 30c (described later). However, the heights of the substrate support pin 30, the vacuum side substrate support pin 30b, and the substrate corner support pin 30c are adjusted so that the substrate S is maintained horizontally with respect to the inner lower surface IL.

(Groove cover)
As shown in FIGS. 3B and 4, a groove cover 21 (cover) is arranged between the fixed end 33 of the substrate support pin 30 and the base member 20. The groove cover 21 extends in the direction in which the fitting groove FG extends (X direction), and the width of the groove cover 21 in the Y direction is larger than the width of the base member 20. As described above, the base member 20 is fitted in the fitting groove FG, but the groove cover 21 is not provided inside the fitting groove FG.

The groove cover 21 has a through hole 21P. The through hole 21P is provided at a position corresponding to the screw hole 20S formed in the base member 20. The size of the through hole 21P is larger than the diameter of the bolt 34. The bolt 34 is fixed to the screw hole 20S through the through hole 21P. The groove cover 21 is fixed to the base member 20 by the fastening force of the bolt 34 to the screw hole 20S.

The lower surface 21L of the groove cover 21 is in contact with the inner lower surface IL of the first block body 10A and the second block body 10B. The upper surface 21U of the groove cover 21 is exposed to the upper internal space 11U, and has a shape inclined from the corner portion of the fixed end 33 toward the inner lower surface IL of the first block body 10A and the second block body 10B.
Since the width of the groove cover 21 is larger than that of the base member 20, the gap G between the first block body 10A and the second block body 10B is covered by the groove cover 21 when viewed from the Z direction.
The material of the groove cover 21 may be the same material as that of the base member 20, or may be a different material.

In the structure shown in FIG. 4, the groove cover 21 is a separate body separated from the base member 20. In this case, the groove cover 21 may function as a spacer for adjusting the 30 length (height) of the substrate support pin.
The groove cover 21 may be an integral product formed integrally with the base member 20. In this case, the groove cover 21 is made of the same material as the base member 20. Further, in this configuration, a screw hole may be formed in the through hole 21P.

Also in the third block body 10C, the fourth block body 10D, and the fifth block body 10E described below, the structure in which the base member 20 is fitted in the fitting groove FG and the gap between the two adjacent block bodies A structure in which G is covered with a groove cover 21 is adopted.

(3rd block body)
As shown in FIG. 3A, the third block body 10C is fixedly connected to the second block body 10B via an O-ring SL (see FIG. 4). On both sides of the upper internal space 11U in the X direction, an opening 13a is provided in the inner side surface IS of the third block body 10C, and a vent filter 13b is provided inside the opening 13a. A gas supply unit 13c is provided on the outside (outer wall portion).

The gas supply unit 13c supplies the vent gas (for example, nitrogen gas) to the inside of the load lock chamber 10 through the vent filter 13b. The vent filter 13b uniformly disperses the flow of gas supplied from the gas supply unit 13c to the upper internal space 11U.

As shown in FIG. 4, a groove 13G extending in a direction (X direction) intersecting the transport direction TD is formed in the inner lower surface IL of the third block body 10C. Like the groove 12G, the groove 13G has an inverted L-shape with a vertical plane 13GV and a horizontal plane 13GH. By connecting the second block body 10B and the third block body 10C, a substantially U-shaped fitting groove FG is formed by the end surface 12E and the groove 13G of the second block body 10B. The base member 20 shown in FIG. 3B is fitted in the fitting groove FG.

Regarding the interpretation of the relative relationship between the second block body 10B and the third block body 10C, the second block body 10B corresponds to the "first block body" of the present invention, and the third block body 10C is the present invention. Corresponds to the "second block body" of. That is, the third block body 10C connected and fixed to the second block body 10B corresponds to the "second block body connected and fixed to the first block body" of the present invention. Further, the groove 13G formed in the third block body 10C corresponds to the "groove possessed by the second block body" of the present invention, and is a fitting groove formed by the end face 12E and the groove 13G of the second block body 10B. The FG corresponds to the "groove located between the first block body and the second block body" of the present invention.

(4th block body)
As shown in FIG. 3A, the fourth block body 10D is fixedly connected to the third block body 10C via an O-ring SL (see FIG. 4). Windows 14a are provided on the inner side surface IS of the fourth block body 10D on both sides of the upper internal space 11U in the X direction. Further, on the outside (outer wall portion) of the window 14a, a flange 14b is fixed via an O-ring so as to cover the window 14a. The structure of the window 14a and the flange 14b is the same as the structure of the window 12a and the flange 12b described above.

As shown in FIG. 4, a groove 14G extending in a direction (X direction) intersecting the transport direction TD is formed in the inner lower surface IL of the fourth block body 10D. Like the grooves 12G and 13G, the groove 14G has an inverted L-shape having a vertical plane 14GV and a horizontal plane 14GH. By connecting the third block body 10C and the fourth block body 10D, a substantially U-shaped fitting groove FG is formed by the end surface 13E and the groove 14G of the third block body 10C. The base member 20 shown in FIG. 3B is fitted in the fitting groove FG.

Regarding the interpretation of the relative relationship between the third block body 10C and the fourth block body 10D, the third block body 10C corresponds to the "first block body" of the present invention, and the fourth block body 10D is the present invention. Corresponds to the "second block body" of. That is, the fourth block body 10D connected and fixed to the third block body 10C corresponds to the "second block body connected and fixed to the first block body" of the present invention. Further, the groove 14G formed in the fourth block body 10D corresponds to the "groove possessed by the second block body" of the present invention, and is a fitting groove formed by the end surface 13E and the groove 14G of the third block body 10C. The FG corresponds to the "groove located between the first block body and the second block body" of the present invention.

(5th block body)
As shown in FIG. 3A, the fifth block body 10E has a sealing surface 15a that contacts the vacuum side gate valve VG1 via a sealing member such as an O-ring. Exhaust portions 15b and 15c are provided on the inner and lower surface ILs of the fifth block body 10E on both sides of the upper internal space 11U in the X direction. Here, the exhaust portions 15b and 15c are holes (exhaust ports) formed in the fifth block body 10E.

In the inner lower surface IL of the fifth block body 10E, the positioning mechanisms 43 and 44 are arranged at positions inside the positions of the two exhaust portions 15b and 15c. A vacuum-side substrate support pin 30b (a substrate support pin close to the vacuum-side gate valve VG1) erected from the inner lower surface IL is provided at a position close to the sealing surface 15a and overlapping the end region of the substrate S. ing. In the present embodiment, the number of vacuum-side substrate support pins 30b is two, but the number is not limited.

As shown in FIG. 4, a groove 15G extending in a direction (X direction) intersecting the transport direction TD is formed in the inner lower surface IL of the fifth block body 10E. Like the grooves 12G, 13G, 14G, the groove 15G has an inverted L-shape with a vertical plane 15GV and a horizontal plane 15GH. By connecting the fourth block body 10D and the fifth block body 10E, a substantially U-shaped fitting groove FG is formed by the end surface 14E and the groove 15G of the fourth block body 10D. The base member 20 shown in FIG. 3B is fitted in the fitting groove FG.

Regarding the interpretation of the relative relationship between the 4th block body 10D and the 5th block body 10E, the 4th block body 10D corresponds to the "first block body" of the present invention, and the 5th block body 10E is the present invention. Corresponds to the "second block body" of. That is, the fifth block body 10E connected and fixed to the fourth block body 10D corresponds to the "second block body connected and fixed to the first block body" of the present invention. Further, the groove 15G formed in the fifth block body 10E corresponds to the "groove possessed by the second block body" of the present invention, and is a fitting groove formed by the end surface 14E and the groove 15G of the fourth block body 10D. The FG corresponds to the "groove located between the first block body and the second block body" of the present invention.

(Exhaust system)
As shown in FIG. 3A, of the five block bodies constituting the load lock chamber 10, two block bodies, that is, the first block body 10A and the fifth block body 10E have an exhaust portion. The four exhaust portions 11b, 11c, 15b, and 15c are provided at positions corresponding to the four corner regions K of the upper internal space 11U. In other words, the four exhaust portions are provided at positions corresponding to the four corner portions of the substrate S.
The shape of each exhaust unit is not particularly limited. Circular, elliptical, oval, rectangular, etc. are adopted. The exhaust section located in each of the four corner regions K may be composed of a plurality of exhaust ports. In this case, the number of exhaust ports is not limited. Specifically, in the configuration shown in FIG. 3A, one exhaust port is formed in one corner region K, but a plurality of exhaust ports may be formed in one corner region K.
The four exhaust portions 11b, 11c, 15b, and 15c are also provided in the lower internal space 11L shown in FIG. 2B.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5, for the two upper internal spaces 11U and the lower internal spaces 11L constituting the load lock chamber 10, the exhaust including the pipes and valves provided between the four exhaust portions and the vacuum pump 50P. Explain the system.
Each of the four exhaust portions 11b, 11c, 15b, and 15c formed in the upper internal space 11U is connected to the four branch pipes 50B through the holes formed in the block body. The four branch pipes 50B are connected to the collecting pipe 50M, and the collecting pipe 50M is connected to the vacuum pump 50P via the vacuum valve 50U.

Similarly, each of the four exhaust portions 11b, 11c, 15b, and 15c formed in the lower internal space 11L is connected to the four branch pipes 50B through the holes formed in the block body. The four branch pipes 50B are connected to the collecting pipe 50M, and the collecting pipe 50M is connected to the vacuum pump 50P via the vacuum valve 50L.

The vacuum valves 50U and 50L and the vacuum pump 50P are connected to the control unit 100. The control unit 100 individually controls the opening / closing operations of the vacuum valves 50U and 50L. For example, the control unit 100 can open only the vacuum valve 50U and close only the vacuum valve 50L. In this case, the vacuum pump 50P and the upper internal space 11U communicate with each other, the gas inside the upper internal space 11U is exhausted, and the upper internal space 11U can be made into a vacuum atmosphere. On the other hand, when the vacuum valve 50L is closed, the lower internal space 11L can be made into an atmospheric pressure atmosphere by supplying the vent gas from the gas supply unit 13c to the lower internal space 11L.
Further, it is possible to make the atmosphere of both the upper internal space 11U and the lower internal space 11L into a vacuum atmosphere or an atmospheric pressure atmosphere. The control unit 100 controls the vacuum valves 50U and 50L according to the operation of transferring the substrate in the load lock chamber 10 described later.

(Positioning mechanism)
As shown in FIG. 3A, of the five block bodies constituting the load lock chamber 10, two block bodies, that is, the first block body 10A and the fifth block body 10E have a positioning mechanism.
The four positioning mechanisms 41, 42, 43, 44 are provided at positions corresponding to the four corner regions K of the upper internal space 11U. In other words, the four positioning mechanisms are provided at positions corresponding to the four corners of the substrate S.
In the following description, the positioning mechanism 42 will be described, but since each of the other positioning mechanisms 41, 43, and 44 has the same configuration as the positioning mechanism 42, the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 6, the positioning mechanism 42 includes a base plate 45P fixed to the inner lower surface IL, a substrate corner support pin 30c erected on the base plate 45P, and a first roller support portion erected on the base plate 45P. The 46Y and the second roller support portion 46X, the first roller 45Y rotatably supported by the first roller support portion 46Y via the axis AY, and the second roller support portion 46X rotatably supported via the axis AX. It has a second roller 45X and the like.

The first roller 45Y is rotatable around an axis AY parallel to the transport direction TD. The inner end 45YE of the first roller 45Y is in contact with the end surface of the substrate S which is a corner portion of the substrate S and extends in the Y direction.
The second roller 45X is rotatable around an axis AX parallel to the X direction orthogonal to the transport direction TD. The inner end 45XE of the second roller 45X is in contact with the end surface of the substrate S which is a corner portion of the substrate S and extends in the X direction.

With the substrate S in contact with the ball bears 32 of the plurality of substrate support pins 30, the positions of the corners of the substrate S are determined by the first roller 45Y and the second roller 45X. In particular, the positioning mechanisms 41, 42, 43, and 44 are provided at positions corresponding to each of the four corners of the substrate S, and the positions of the substrate S are determined at the four locations. Even if the inner end 45YE of the first roller 45Y and the inner end 45XE of the second roller 45X come into contact with the end faces of the substrate S, the first roller 45Y and the second roller 45X rotate, so that the substrate S is damaged. Can be prevented.

The load lock chamber 10 having the above-described configuration does not have a drive mechanism for moving the substrate in the vertical direction (Z direction). The vertical movement of the substrate in the internal space 11 is performed by driving the robot hand 3c or the robot hand 2c as described later.

(Operation in load lock chamber)
Next, with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7D, the transfer operation of the substrate S (pre-processed substrate SP, processed substrate) with respect to the load lock chamber 10 will be described in detail.
In the following description, the substrate transfer in the upper internal space 11U will be described. Since the same substrate transfer as in the upper internal space 11U is performed in the lower internal space 11L, the description thereof will be omitted.
7A to 7D show only the main parts of the members constituting the load lock chamber 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3B.

First, the upper internal space 11U is sealed by the atmosphere side gate valve AG1 and the vacuum side gate valve VG, and the vacuum valve 50U is closed. In this state, the vent gas is supplied from the gas supply unit 13c to the upper internal space 11U through the vent filter 13b, and the internal pressure of the upper internal space 11U is controlled to be substantially the same as the atmospheric pressure. Then, with the vacuum side gate valve VG1 closed, the atmosphere side gate valve AG1 opens.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7A, the unprocessed substrate SP is conveyed to the upper internal space 11U.
Specifically, when the atmospheric transfer robot 3a is driven, the robot hand 3c takes out the pre-processing substrate SP from the substrate cassette 4, and the robot hand 3c passes the pre-processing substrate SP through the opening space OP1 along the transfer direction TD. The pre-processed substrate SP is conveyed to the inside of the upper internal space 11U.

Next, the elevating mechanism 3d of the atmospheric transfer robot 3a is driven, and the robot hand 3c descends in the direction LD. The pre-processing board SP held by the robot hand 3c comes into contact with the ball bear 32 of the board support pins 30 (30a, 30b, 30c), and the pre-processing board SP is delivered from the robot hand 3c to the board support pin 30.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 7B, the unprocessed substrate SP is arranged inside the upper internal space 11U. At this time, the four corners of the pre-processing substrate SP come into contact with the first rollers 45Y and the second rollers 45X of the four positioning mechanisms 41, 42, 43, 44, and the pre-processing substrate SP is positioned.
After that, the robot hand 3c is retracted from the upper internal space 11U, and the atmosphere side gate valve AG1 is closed.

Next, the upper internal space 11U is sealed by the atmosphere side gate valve AG1 and the vacuum side gate valve VG, and the vacuum valve 50U is opened. As a result, the upper internal space 11U communicates with the vacuum pump 50P through the four exhaust sections, the four branch pipes 50B, and the collective pipe 50M, and the gas in the upper internal space 11U is exhausted by the vacuum pump 50P.
When the internal pressure of the upper internal space 11U becomes substantially the same as the internal pressure of the transfer chamber 2, the vacuum side gate valve VG opens with the atmospheric side gate valve AG1 closed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7C, the unprocessed substrate SP is transferred from the upper internal space 11U to the transfer chamber 2.
Specifically, when the vacuum transfer robot 2a (arm 2b) is driven, the robot hand 2c enters the upper internal space 11U from the transfer chamber 2 and is arranged at a position below the unprocessed substrate SP. At this time, the robot hand 2c is transferred from the transfer chamber 2 to the pre-processing board SP in a state where a gap is formed between the pre-processing board SP and the robot hand 2c so that the pre-processing board SP and the robot hand 2c do not come into contact with each other. Move toward the lower position of.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7D, the elevating mechanism 2d of the vacuum transfer robot 2a is driven, and the robot hand 2c rises in the direction UD (the direction from the lower position to the upper position of the unprocessed substrate SP). Then, the robot hand 2c supports the lower surface of the unprocessed substrate SP. When the robot hand 2c rises in the direction UD, the pre-processing board SP is separated from the board support pins 30 (30a, 30b, 30c), and the pre-processing board SP is delivered from the board support pin 30 to the robot hand 2c. The robot hand 2c conveys the unprocessed substrate SP from the upper internal space 11U into the transfer chamber 2 while holding the unprocessed substrate SP. When the transfer of the pretreatment substrate SP is completed, the vacuum side gate valve VG is closed.

The pre-treatment substrate SP is processed in at least one of the process chambers 1A to 1E via the transfer chamber 2.
By performing the processing in the process chamber, a processed substrate is obtained, and the processed substrate is returned from the transfer chamber 2 to the upper internal space 11U by the vacuum transfer robot 2a. Here, the vacuum transfer robot 2a does not necessarily have to return the processed substrate to the upper internal space 11U, and may return the processed substrate to the lower internal space 11L. In the following description, a case where the processed substrate is returned to the upper internal space 11U will be described.

First, the vacuum side gate valve VG1 opens in a state where the internal atmosphere of the upper internal space 11U is a vacuum atmosphere. After that, with the processed substrate held by the robot hand 2c, the robot hand 2c of the vacuum transfer robot 2a conveys the processed substrate to the inside of the upper internal space 11U along the transfer direction TD.
Subsequently, the elevating mechanism 2d is driven to lower the robot hand 2c along the direction LD, and the robot hand 2c arranges the processed substrate on the substrate support pins 30 (30a, 30b, 30c). As a result, the processed substrate is delivered from the robot hand 2c to the substrate support pins 30 (30a, 30b, 30c). The processed substrate is positioned by the positioning mechanisms 41, 42, 43, 44. After that, the arm 2b moves from the lower position of the processed substrate toward the transfer chamber 2 with the processed substrate and the robot hand 2c separated from each other. That is, the robot hand 2c is retracted from the load lock chamber 10 and the vacuum side gate valve VG1 is closed.

The upper internal space 11U is sealed by the atmosphere side gate valve AG1 and the vacuum side gate valve VG, and the vacuum valve 50U is closed. In this state, the vent gas is supplied from the gas supply unit 13c to the upper internal space 11U through the vent filter 13b, and the internal pressure of the upper internal space 11U is controlled to be substantially the same as the atmospheric pressure. After that, the atmosphere side gate valve AG1 opens with the vacuum side gate valve VG closed.

After that, by driving the atmospheric transfer robot 3a, the robot hand 3c enters the upper internal space 11U and is arranged at a position below the processed substrate.
The lifting mechanism 3d of the atmospheric transport robot 3a is driven, and the robot hand 3c is raised. Then, the robot hand 3c supports the lower surface of the processed substrate. When the robot hand 3c rises, the processed substrate is separated from the substrate support pins 30 (30a, 30b, 30c), and the processed substrate is delivered from the substrate support pin 30 to the robot hand 3c. The robot hand 3c conveys the processed substrate from the upper internal space 11U to the substrate cassette 4 while holding the processed substrate. When the transfer of the treated substrate is completed, the atmosphere side gate valve AG1 is closed.

According to the load lock chamber 10 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the base member 20 is fitted in the fitting groove FG, and the substrate S (processing) is provided by a plurality of substrate support pins 30 fixed to the base member 20. The front board SP, the processed board) can be supported. With this configuration, it is not necessary to provide an elevating mechanism in the load lock chamber 10 as in the conventional structure, and it is possible to prevent particles from being wound up and scattered due to vibration caused by driving the elevating mechanism.

Further, unlike the conventional structure in which the upper opening of the chamber body is closed with a lid, the load lock chamber 10 of the substrate processing device 1 according to the embodiment has an internal space formed by communicating an annular opening space. That is, a lidless structure can be realized. With this configuration, it is possible to solve the problem of the conventional structure that particles are generated from the O-ring between the chamber body and the lid.

In particular, when a large substrate having a side of more than 1500 mm is adopted as the substrate S, the size of the load lock chamber 10 also increases, but the load lock chamber 10 has a large lidless structure. It is possible to solve the problem in the conventional structure in which the amount of friction between the lid and the O-ring increases remarkably.
Further, in the conventional structure, particles are generated not only by the friction between the large lid and the O-ring but also by the friction caused by the contact between the member constituting the load lock chamber and the large lid, and the particles adhere to the substrate. There is also the problem of doing this, but such a problem can also be solved.

According to the load lock chamber 10 of the substrate processing device 1 according to the present embodiment, the exhaust portions 11b, 11c, 15b, and 15c are provided at positions corresponding to the four corner regions K of the upper internal space 11U (lower internal space 11L). As a result, the gas in the upper internal space 11U (lower internal space 11L) flows in a dispersed manner toward the four exhaust portions. On the other hand, in the conventional structure in which only one exhaust unit is provided in the load lock chamber, the gas inside the load lock chamber flows intensively toward one exhaust unit. Therefore, according to the load lock chamber 10 of the substrate processing device 1 according to the embodiment, the flow rate flowing per exhaust unit can be reduced, for example, the flow rate can be reduced to about 1/4 of that in the conventional case. It can also generate a distributed flow that flows towards the four exhaust sections. Compared with the conventional structure, the generation of the air flow generated in the upper internal space 11U (lower internal space 11L) can be alleviated, and the winding and scattering of particles can be prevented. As a result, it is possible to prevent particles from adhering to the substrate S.

According to the load lock chamber 10 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the gap G between the two adjacent blocks is provided by providing the groove cover 21 that covers the gap G between the two adjacent blocks. It is possible to prevent the deposited particles from scattering in the upper internal space 11U (lower internal space 11L). As a result, it is possible to prevent particles from adhering to the substrate S.

According to the load lock chamber 10 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, since the windows 12a and 14a are formed on the side surfaces of the block bodies 10B and 10D, the substrate support pins 30 are fixed through the windows 12a and 14a. Maintenance work such as replacement work of the base member 20 and cleaning of the upper internal space 11U (lower internal space 11L) can be performed.

According to the load lock chamber 10 of the substrate processing device 1 according to the present embodiment, the positioning mechanisms 41, 42, are located at positions corresponding to the four corners of the substrate S arranged in the upper internal space 11U (lower internal space 11L). By providing 43 and 44, it is possible to prevent the position of the substrate S from shifting in the upper internal space 11U (lower internal space 11L).

(Modification example)
The "groove formed on the inner lower surface of the opening space" of the present invention is not limited to the fitting groove FG (groove 12G, 13G, 14G, 15G) formed at a position between two block bodies adjacent to each other.
Even if a substantially U-shaped groove is directly formed on the inner lower surface IL of at least one of the five block bodies at a position different from the position where the fitting groove FG is formed. Good. In other words, the groove may be formed on the inner lower surface IL, for example, between the groove 12G and the groove 13G, between the groove 13G and the groove 14G, and between the groove 14G and the groove 15G.
A base member 20 is fitted into this groove, and a plurality of substrate support pins 30 are fixed to the base member 20 as in the above-described embodiment.
That is, the load lock chamber 10 according to this modification has a structure in which the base member 20 is fitted in the fitting groove FG, and the base member 20 is also fitted in a groove formed at a position different from the fitting groove FG. It may have both the structure and the structure.

As a result, it is fixed not only to the plurality of board support pins 30 fixed to the base member 20 fitted to the fitting groove FG, but also to the base member 20 fitted to the groove directly formed in the inner lower surface IL. The substrate S can be supported by the plurality of substrate support pins 30. Therefore, in addition to the effect obtained by the above-described embodiment, the number of substrate support pins 30 for supporting the substrate S is increased, and even if the substrate S is made larger, the load is performed while reducing the amount of deflection of the substrate S. The effect that the substrate S can be kept horizontal inside the lock chamber 10 can also be obtained.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above and described above, it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and should not be considered as limiting. Additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be considered as limited by the above description, but is limited by the claims.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the load lock chamber 10 is composed of five block bodies has been described, but the number of block bodies is not limited. The number of blocks may be 6 or more as long as they are 2 or more.

In the above-described embodiment, the fitting grooves FG (grooves 12G, 13G, 14G, 15G) extend in the X direction. The groove does not necessarily have to extend in the X direction, and the groove may be formed in a direction intersecting the transport direction TD, that is, in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the transport direction TD. In this case, the base member 20 fitted in the fitting groove FG also extends in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the transport direction TD.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the windows 12a and 14a corresponding to the upper internal space 11U and the lower internal space 11L are formed on each side surface of the second block body 10B and the fourth block body 10D has been described. The windows may be provided in the first block body 10A, the third block body 10C, and the fifth block body 10E.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the load lock chamber 10 includes two internal spaces of the upper internal space 11U and the lower internal space 11L has been described, but the number of internal spaces is not limited to two. It may be one, or three or more.

In the above-described embodiment, the structure in which the positioning mechanisms 41, 42, 43, and 44 are provided at the positions corresponding to the four corners of the substrate S arranged inside the vacuum chamber has been described, but the number of positioning mechanisms has been described. Is not limited. In addition to the four positioning mechanisms described above, a positioning mechanism including a roller that contacts the end surface of the substrate S parallel to the transport direction TD may be provided inside the load lock chamber 10.

The present invention prevents particles from being wound up and scattered due to vibration caused by driving the elevating mechanism, prevents generation of particles generated from a sealing member between the chamber body and the lid, and adheres particles to the substrate to be transported. It is widely applicable to vacuum chambers to prevent.

1 Substrate processing device, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E Process chamber, 2 Transfer chamber, 2a Vacuum transfer robot, 2b, 3b arm, 2c, 3c Robot hand, 2d, 3d Lifting mechanism, 3 Atmospheric transfer device, 3a Atmosphere Transfer robot, 4 substrate cassette, 10 load lock chamber (vacuum chamber), 10A 1st block body (block body), 10B 2nd block body (block body), 10C 3rd block body (block body), 10D 4th block Body (block body), 10E 5th block body (block body), 11 internal space, 11a, 15a Seal surface, 11b, 11c, 15b, 15c Exhaust part, 11E, 12E, 13E, 14E end surface, 11L lower internal space ( Internal space), 11U Upper internal space, 12a, 14a window, 12b, 14b flange, 12G, 13G, 14G, 15G, groove, 12GH, 13GH, 14GH, 15GH horizontal plane, 12GV, 13GV, 14GV, 15GV vertical plane, 13a opening , 13b Vent filter, 13c gas supply part, 20 base member, 20S screw hole, 21 groove cover, 21L lower surface, 21P through hole, 21U upper surface, 30 board support pin, 30a atmospheric side board support pin (board support pin), 30b Vacuum side board support pin (board support pin), 30c board corner support pin (board support pin), 31 rod, 31U upper part, 32 ball bear (support end), 32T upper end, 33 fixed end, 34 bolts, 41, 42, 43, 44 Positioning mechanism, 45P base plate, 45X 2nd roller, 45XE, 45YE inner end, 45Y 1st roller, 46X 2nd roller support, 46Y 1st roller support, 50B branch pipe, 50L, 50U vacuum valve, 50M Collective piping, 50P vacuum pump, 100 control unit, AG, AG1, AG2 Atmospheric side gate valve, AX, AY axis, FG fitting groove, G gap, IL inner lower surface, IS inner side surface, IU inner upper surface, K angle area, OP, OP1, OP2 opening space, S substrate, SLO ring (seal member), SP pre-processed substrate, TD transport direction, VG, VG1, VG2 Vacuum side gate valve.

Claims (7)

An internal space formed by arranging a plurality of block bodies having an annular opening space when viewed from the transport direction of the substrate along the transport direction, and communicating the opening spaces of the plurality of block bodies. It is a vacuum chamber that can switch the atmosphere between atmospheric pressure atmosphere and vacuum atmosphere.
The first block body, which is one of the plurality of block bodies, and
It is one of the plurality of block bodies, extends in a direction intersecting the transport direction, has a groove formed on the inner lower surface of the opening space, and is connected and fixed to the first block body via a seal member. The second block body and
A base member that extends in the extending direction of the groove and is fitted into the groove,
With a plurality of substrate support pins having a support end with which the substrate contacts and a fixed end located on the opposite side of the support end and fixed to the base member, and supporting the substrate inside the vacuum chamber. ,
Vacuum chamber with. In a plan view of the vacuum chamber
Each of at least two blocks of the plurality of blocks
It has an exhaust section provided at a position corresponding to four corner regions of the internal space of the vacuum chamber.
The vacuum chamber according to claim 1. The groove is located between the first block body and the second block body.
A cover is provided between the base member fitted in the groove and the fixed end of the substrate support pin to cover the gap between the first block body and the second block body.
The vacuum chamber according to claim 1 or 2. In a side view seen from a direction parallel to the substrate and intersecting the transport direction.
A window is formed on at least one side surface of the plurality of blocks.
The vacuum chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 3. In a plan view of the vacuum chamber
Each of at least two blocks of the plurality of blocks
It has a positioning mechanism provided at a position corresponding to four corners of the substrate arranged inside the vacuum chamber.
Each positioning mechanism
A first roller that can rotate around an axis parallel to the transport direction,
A second roller that can rotate around an axis parallel to the direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and
Have,
With the substrate in contact with the support ends of the plurality of substrate support pins, the positions of the corners of the substrate are determined by the first roller and the second roller.
The vacuum chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 4. An internal space formed by arranging a plurality of block bodies having an annular opening space when viewed from the transport direction of the substrate along the transport direction, and communicating the opening spaces of the plurality of block bodies. A vacuum chamber that can switch the atmosphere between atmospheric pressure atmosphere and vacuum atmosphere,
The transfer chamber connected to the vacuum chamber and
The process chamber connected to the transfer chamber and
A transfer robot that transfers the substrate between the vacuum chamber and the transfer chamber, and between the transfer chamber and the process chamber, and is provided inside the transfer chamber.
With
The vacuum chamber
The first block body, which is one of the plurality of block bodies, and
It is one of the plurality of block bodies, extends in a direction intersecting the transport direction, has a groove formed on the inner lower surface of the opening space, and is connected and fixed to the first block body via a seal member. The second block body and
A base member that extends in the extending direction of the groove and is fitted into the groove,
With a plurality of substrate support pins having a support end with which the substrate contacts and a fixed end located on the opposite side of the support end and fixed to the base member, and supporting the substrate inside the vacuum chamber. ,
Have,
Board processing equipment. The transfer robot
With a robot hand
An arm that moves the robot hand along the transport direction,
An elevating mechanism that moves the robot hand along the vertical direction of the substrate,
With
In the interior space of the vacuum chamber
By driving the arm, the robot hand moves between the lower position of the substrate and the transfer chamber.
By driving the elevating mechanism, the robot hand moves the robot hand up and down between the lower position of the substrate and the upper position of the substrate.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6.

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