JP2021163826A - Substrate processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing device capable of easily changing the number and width of a conveyance lane.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device 100 includes a processing chamber where a substrate is processed, a plurality of guide members 118, and a conveyance lane component 200 for conveying the substrate 300 in a first direction D1. The plurality of guide members 118 are movable so as to change the number and width W1 of a substrate processing lane 119. The conveyance lane component 200 includes: a plurality of support members (first and second rails 211 and 221) capable of constituting a plurality of conveyance lanes 201 lined up along a second direction D2; pitch changing means capable of changing the pitches (pitch P1, P2) of the plurality of support members; and lane width changing means capable of collectively changing the widths W2 of the plurality of conveyance lanes 201 so as to correspond to the width of the substrate 300, by collectively moving at least part of the plurality of support members.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus.

In the substrate manufacturing process, a substrate processing device such as a plasma processing device or a thin film forming device (for example, a CVD device or a sputtering device) may be used for cleaning, etching, film forming, heat treatment, exposure, etc. of the substrate. .. For example, a plasma processing apparatus generally includes a processing chamber and a substrate mounting portion installed in the processing chamber. After mounting the substrate on the substrate mounting portion, the processing chamber is sealed, the process gas is supplied under reduced pressure, and high-frequency power is applied to the substrate mounting portion. As a result, plasma is generated in the processing chamber, and the substrate is plasma-processed.

During plasma processing, a plurality of substrates may be housed in the processing chamber and processed at the same time. At this time, in order to process the plurality of substrates evenly, it is necessary to position each substrate at a predetermined position on the substrate mounting portion. For positioning the substrate, for example, a pair of guide members that support both ends of the substrate are used. However, the size of the substrate to be processed varies depending on the application and the like. Therefore, Patent Document 1 teaches that when a guide member as described above is used, one of the pair of guide members is detachable so that the pitch of the guide member can be adjusted freely. As a result, substrates of various sizes can be easily positioned at predetermined positions in the processing chamber.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-228773

By the way, the plasma processing apparatus may include a transport lane for transporting the substrate from the outside of the processing chamber to the processing chamber. As described above, when a plurality of substrates are plasma-treated at the same time, a plurality of transfer lanes are installed side by side so as to correspond to the guide members. The substrate conveyed in each transfer lane is delivered to a guide member in the processing chamber and placed on the substrate mounting portion.

In this case, if the width of the substrates to be processed and the number of substrates to be processed at the same time change, it becomes necessary to change both the number and width of the transport lanes. Therefore, it takes time and effort to adjust the position of the transport lane, and the productivity tends to decrease.

In such a situation, one of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of easily changing the number and width of transport lanes.

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus is a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate, and is a processing chamber in which the substrate is processed, a plurality of guide members arranged in the processing chamber, and arranged outside the processing chamber. The processing chamber can process by arranging a plurality of the substrates along a second direction intersecting the first direction, including a transport lane component for transporting the substrates in the first direction. The plurality of guide members having a substrate processing region can form a plurality of substrate processing lanes that pass through the substrate processing region and are lined up along the second direction, and at least a part of the plurality of guide members. Is movable so as to change the number of the substrate processing lanes and the width W1 of the substrate processing lanes, and the transport lane constituent device carries the substrate into the processing chamber and the substrate from the processing chamber. The transport lane component device is used for at least one of the transport members, and the transport lane component device includes a plurality of support members capable of forming a plurality of transport lanes arranged along the second direction, and the plurality of support members. The width W2 of each of the plurality of transport lanes so as to correspond to the width of the substrate by collectively moving at least a part of the plurality of support members and the pitch changing means capable of changing the pitch. Includes a lane width changing means that can change all at once.

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a substrate processing apparatus in which the number and width of transport lanes can be easily changed.

It is a perspective view which shows a part of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on this disclosure schematically. It is a perspective view which shows a part of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 and the inside thereof schematically. It is a top view which shows typically an example of the arrangement of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows a part of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 3 schematically. It is a top view which shows typically another part of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows a part of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 3 schematically. It is a top view schematically showing another example of the arrangement of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described. In the following description, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with examples, but the present disclosure is not limited to the examples described below. In the following description, specific numerical values and materials may be exemplified, but other numerical values and other materials may be applied as long as the effects of the present disclosure can be obtained. In the following description, in the example of application (or utilization) of a known member or configuration, in addition to the case where the known member or configuration is applied as it is, the known member or configuration is modified to conform to the present disclosure. It is also included when it is applied.

The substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure is an apparatus for processing a substrate. Hereinafter, the substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure may be simply referred to as a "processing apparatus" or a "device". The processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes a processing chamber in which a substrate is processed, a plurality of guide members arranged in the processing chamber, and a transport lane configuration arranged outside the processing chamber for transporting the substrate in the first direction. Includes equipment. The processing chamber, guide members, and transport lane components will be described below.

(Processing room and guide members)
The processing chamber has a substrate processing region in which a plurality of substrates can be arranged and processed along a second direction intersecting the first direction. The plurality of guide members can form a plurality of substrate processing lanes that pass through the substrate processing region and are arranged along the second direction. At least a part of the plurality of guide members can be moved so as to change the number of substrate processing lanes and the width W1 of the substrate processing lanes.

The substrate processing area is an area in which a predetermined substrate processing is performed on the arranged substrate. An example of substrate processing will be described later. The width W1 of the substrate processing lane means the maximum width of the substrate that can be conveyed in the substrate processing lane. Here, the width of the substrate means the distance between two opposing sides (two sides of the substrate) guided by the guide member. That is, the width of the substrate means the maximum length of the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the first direction.

The second direction is the direction that intersects the first direction and is typically the direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. The second direction is usually a direction parallel to the horizontal direction, but may be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. For example, the second direction may be parallel to the vertical direction. In that case, the substrate is transported in an upright state. The first direction is usually parallel to the horizontal direction, but may be tilted with respect to the horizontal direction.

Examples of movement of the guide member include movement of the position in the treatment chamber, movement from the treatment chamber to the outside of the treatment chamber, and movement from the outside of the treatment chamber to the treatment chamber. That is, at least a part of the guide members can be taken out from the processing chamber. These movements can be made possible by using a fixture for detachably fixing the guide member. Such a fixture is not particularly limited, and a known fixture may be used.

Each substrate processing lane extends along a first direction in which the substrate is conveyed. Although the plurality of guide members can form a plurality of substrate processing lanes, only one substrate processing lane may be formed if necessary. The number of substrate processing lanes is variable and the upper limit is not limited, but may be, for example, in the range of 1 to 5, may be in the range of 1 to 4, or may be in the range of 1 to 3. In these ranges, the lower limit may be 2. By increasing the number of substrate processing lanes, it is possible to increase the number of substrates that can be processed at one time in the processing chamber.

The material and shape of the guide member are not particularly limited, and a known material and shape of the guide member may be applied. Examples of materials for guide members include metals and ceramics. The guide member may include a plurality of rod-shaped members (for example, rail-shaped members) extending along the first direction and lining up along the second direction. That is, the plurality of guide members may be a plurality of rod-shaped members arranged in a stripe shape. The shape of the guide member is not particularly limited as long as it can guide the substrate through the substrate processing lane. The guide member may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape. Alternatively, the guide member may be a rod-shaped member having an L-shaped cross section, or may be a rod-shaped member having a groove extending along the first direction. In that case, the substrate can be guided and supported by a notch or groove portion.

The type of substrate treatment is not particularly limited, and may be substrate cleaning, etching, film formation, heat treatment, exposure, or the like. The processing apparatus of the present disclosure may be an apparatus for processing a substrate in a state where the processing chamber is depressurized. Examples of such an apparatus include a plasma processing apparatus that generates plasma in a processing chamber to process a substrate. Examples of the plasma processing apparatus include a film forming apparatus (CVD apparatus, sputtering apparatus, etc.), an etching apparatus, a plasma cleaning apparatus, a substrate surface treatment apparatus, and the like.

In the case of an apparatus for processing a substrate in a state where the processing chamber is depressurized, a decompression means for depressurizing the processing chamber (for example, a decompression device such as a vacuum pump) is connected to the processing chamber. Further, if necessary, a gas flow path for supplying the gas required for the treatment to the treatment chamber is connected to the treatment chamber. Further, if necessary, the processing apparatus of the present disclosure may include electrodes and a power source for generating plasma or the like for processing. Except for the guide member, the components constituting the processing chamber and the components connected to the processing chamber are not particularly limited, and components used in known devices may be applied, and these are disclosed. It may be modified and applied so as to conform to.

When the substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure is a plasma processing apparatus, the substrate processing apparatus includes a decompression means for depressurizing the processing chamber and a plasma generating means (electrode and power supply) for generating plasma in the processing chamber. Including further.

The substrate processed by the processing apparatus of the present disclosure is not particularly limited, and is selected according to the purpose. Examples of the substrate include a substrate made of an inorganic material (semiconductor substrate, a glass substrate, a metal substrate), a substrate made of an organic material (resin substrate, etc.), and other substrates (a substrate made of a composite material, etc.). Various elements may be formed on the substrate. The shape of the substrate may be rectangular or other. The substrate may be conveyed only by the substrate. Alternatively, an object to be processed fixed to a carrier may be conveyed as a substrate. In that case, a carrier to which the object to be processed is fixed can be regarded as a substrate, and the width of the carrier becomes the width of the substrate.

(Transport lane component)
The transport lane component is used for at least one of the loading of the substrate into the processing chamber and the export of the substrate from the processing chamber. The transport lane configuration device is used for both loading and unloading of the substrate in a preferred example, but may be used only for loading or unloading.

The transport lane configuration device includes a plurality of support members capable of forming a plurality of transport lanes arranged along a second direction, a plurality of pitch changing means capable of changing the pitch of the plurality of support members, and a plurality of support members. Includes a lane width changing means capable of collectively changing the width W2 of each of a plurality of transport lanes so as to correspond to the width of the substrate by moving at least a part of the support members of the above in a batch. .. The transport lane component may further include a transport mechanism that moves the substrate supported by the plurality of support members along the transport lane.

Here, the width W2 of the transport lane means the maximum width of the substrate that can be transported in the transport lane. Each transport lane extends along a first direction.

The members included in the transport lane constituent device may function as at least a part of the pitch changing means and at least a part of the lane width changing means.

The plurality of support members have the same number of transport lanes as the number of substrate processing lanes, the width W2 of the transport lanes is substantially the same as the width W1 of the substrate treatment lanes, and the transport lanes are extended along the first direction. And can be moved so as to overlap the substrate processing lane. As a result, the plurality of substrates conveyed by the transfer lane can be moved to the substrate processing lane as they are. The width W1 of the substrate processing lane and the width W2 of the transport lane are usually slightly larger than the width of the substrate.

In one aspect, the pitch changing means changes the pitch of the plurality of support members to correspond to the number of substrate processing lanes. From another aspect, the pitch changing means changes the pitches of the plurality of support members so as to correspond to the pitches of the plurality of guide members constituting the substrate processing lane.

The shape and material of the support member are not particularly limited, and the support member used in a known substrate transfer device may be applied. Examples of materials for the support member include metals, ceramics and the like. The support member has a shape capable of supporting the substrate so that the substrate passes through the transport lane. The support member is usually a rod-shaped member (for example, a rail) extending along the first direction. The cross-sectional shape of the rod-shaped member may be an L-shaped cross-sectional shape. In this case, the substrate is supported by the notch portion. Alternatively, the cross-sectional shape of the rod-shaped member may be a cross-sectional shape having a U-shaped recess. The rod-shaped member in that case has a groove extending along the first direction on the surface facing the end surface of the substrate. Then, the substrate is supported by the groove portion.

The transfer mechanism for moving the substrate is not limited, and a transfer mechanism used in a known substrate transfer device may be used. It is also possible to move the board manually. An example of the transport mechanism includes a member that pushes the substrate (for example, an end effector) and a mechanism for moving the end effector (for example, a robot).

The substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure may satisfy the following configurations (1) to (3).
(1) The plurality of support members include a plurality of first rails and a plurality of second rails arranged alternately along a second direction. Each of the plurality of transport lanes is composed of one of a plurality of first rails and one of a plurality of second rails.
(2) The pitch changing means includes a first pitch changing means for collectively changing the pitches P1 of the plurality of first rails and a second pitch for collectively changing the pitches P2 of the plurality of second rails. Including means of change.
(3) The lane width changing means includes a means M1 for collectively moving a plurality of first rails along a second direction without changing the pitch P1, and a plurality of first rails without changing the pitch P2. It includes at least one of the means M2 for moving the two rails together along the second direction. That is, the lane width changing means may include only one of the means M1 and the means M2, or may include both of them.

The first and second rails are rails that extend along the first direction, respectively. The plurality of first rails are arranged at equal intervals along the second direction. The plurality of second rails are arranged at equal intervals along the second direction. The number of the plurality of first rails and the number of the plurality of second rails are the same.

The pitch P1 is the distance between two adjacent first rails. More precisely, the pitch P1 is the distance between the ends of two adjacent first rails that support the substrate. The pitch P2 is the distance between two adjacent second rails. More precisely, the pitch P2 is the distance between the ends of two adjacent second rails that support the substrate. The pitch P1 and the pitch P2 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 6 described later.

The substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure may satisfy the following configurations (4) and (5).
(4) The plurality of guide members include a first guide member that guides one end of the substrate and a second guide member that guides the other end opposite to one end of the substrate.
(5) The first pitch changing means collectively changes the pitch P1 so as to correspond to the pitch PG1 of the first guide member, and the second pitch changing means changes to the pitch PG2 of the second guide member. Pitch P2 is changed all at once so as to correspond.

Pitch PG1 and pitch P1 are substantially the same, and pitch PG2 and pitch P2 are substantially the same. When processing a plurality of substrates having the same substrate width, the pitch PG1 and the pitch PG2 are the same, and the pitch P1 and the pitch P2 are the same. Since a plurality of substrates having the same width of the substrate are usually processed, the pitch PG1, the pitch PG2, the pitch P1, and the pitch P2 are all substantially the same. When the pitch P1 and the pitch P2 are different (when the pitch PG1 and the pitch PG2 are different), it is possible to process a plurality of substrates having different widths at the same time.

The substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure may satisfy the following configurations (6) to (8).
(6) The transport lane component includes a first slide rail extending in a direction intersecting the first direction and a second slide rail extending in a direction intersecting the first direction.
(7) The plurality of first rails can be slid along the second direction by the first slide rail, and the plurality of second rails can be slid along the second direction by the second slide rail. It is slidable.
(8) The first pitch changing means includes a first rail moving means for collectively changing the relative distance between the plurality of first rails so that the pitch P1 changes, and the second pitch changing means. The means include a second rail moving means for collectively changing the relative distance between the plurality of second rails so that the pitch P2 changes. Here, the pitch P1 is changed while the plurality of first rails are at equal intervals, and the pitch P2 is changed while the plurality of second rails are at equal intervals.

In this case, the lane component may include a first slide member that slides on the first slide rail and a second slide member that slides on the second slide rail. The first and second slide members are not limited, and known slide members can be applied. The slide member may be integrated into the first and second rails.

The first slide rail (and the plurality of first slide members) and the second slide rail (and the plurality of second slide members) can function as means M1 and M2 (lane width changing means), respectively.

The directions in which the first and second slide rails extend may be perpendicular to the first direction, or may be inclined from the vertical direction, respectively. The direction in which the first slide rail extends and the direction in which the second slide rail extends may be the same or different. The transport rail configuration device may include a plurality of first slide rails and a plurality of second slide rails.

The processing apparatus of the present disclosure may satisfy the following configurations (9) and (10).
(9) The first rail moving means includes a first pantograph mechanism directly or indirectly connected to a plurality of first rails.
(10) The second rail moving means includes a second pantograph mechanism directly or indirectly connected to a plurality of second rails.

The first pantograph mechanism may be indirectly connected to the first rail via a first slide member that slides on the first slide rail. The second pantograph mechanism may be indirectly connected to the second rail via a second slide member that slides on the second slide rail.

The first pantograph mechanism functions as a first pitch changing means, and the second pantograph mechanism functions as a second pitch changing means.

The first and second pantograph mechanisms are not particularly limited, and known pantograph mechanisms can be used. The pantograph mechanism includes a plurality of points Q, and the distance between the most extreme reference point Q (1) and the reference point Q (1) and the nth point Q (n) is the reference point Q (1). ) And the second point Q (2) always satisfy the relationship of (n-1) times the distance. For example, the distance between the reference point Q (1) and the third point Q (3) is twice the distance between the reference point Q (1) and the second point Q (2). By connecting each point and the rail on a one-to-one basis, the relative distance between the plurality of rails can be changed at once so that the pitch changes.

(Board processing device (X))
In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus (X). The substrate processing apparatus (X) is a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, and is a processing chamber in which the substrate is processed, a plurality of guide members arranged in the processing chamber, and a substrate arranged outside the processing chamber. Includes a transport lane configuration device (X1) for transporting in the first direction. In the substrate processing region, a plurality of substrates can be arranged along a second direction that intersects the first direction. The plurality of guide members can form a plurality of substrate processing lanes that pass through the substrate processing region and are arranged along the second direction. The plurality of guide members include a plurality of first guide members that guide one end of the substrate, and a plurality of second guide members that guide the other end opposite to the one end of the substrate. The plurality of first guide members and the plurality of second guide members can be moved so as to change the number of substrate processing lanes and the width W1 of the substrate processing lanes.

The transport lane configuration device (X1) intersects the first direction with a plurality of first rails and a plurality of second rails capable of configuring a plurality of transport lanes arranged along the second direction. Includes first and second slide rails extending in the direction and first and second pantograph mechanisms. The plurality of first rails and the plurality of second rails are alternately arranged along the second direction. Each of the plurality of transport lanes is composed of one first rail and one second rail. The first pantograph mechanism collectively changes the pitch P1 of the plurality of first rails so as to correspond to the pitch PG1 of the first guide member. The second pantograph mechanism collectively changes the pitch P2 of the plurality of second rails so as to correspond to the pitch PG2 of the second guide member. The transport lane component (X1) satisfies the following conditions (a) and / or (b). (A) The plurality of first rails can be collectively moved along the second direction without changing the pitch P1. (B) The plurality of second rails can be collectively moved along the second direction without changing the pitch P2. Since the components of the substrate processing apparatus (X) are the same as those described above, redundant description will be omitted. According to the substrate processing apparatus (X), the effects described for the substrate processing apparatus described above can be obtained.

(Board transfer device)
In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a substrate transfer device. The substrate transfer device is a device for transporting a substrate, and includes a transfer lane component device included in the substrate processing device of the present disclosure, but may or may not include a transfer mechanism. An example of the transport lane configuration device of the substrate transport device is a plurality of support members capable of forming a plurality of transport lanes arranged along a second direction intersecting with a first direction in which the substrate is transported, and a plurality of support members. A pitch changing means capable of changing the pitch of the support members of the above, and the width of each of the plurality of transport lanes corresponding to the width of the substrate by moving at least a part of the plurality of support members at once. It includes a lane width changing means capable of changing W2 all at once. Since the plurality of support members, the pitch changing means, the lane width changing means, and the transport mechanism have been described above, redundant description will be omitted.

Hereinafter, an example of the substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. The above-mentioned components can be applied to the components of the substrate processing apparatus of the example described below. In addition, the components of the substrate processing apparatus of the example described below can be changed, added, and deleted based on the above description. In addition, the matters described below may be applied to the above-described embodiment.

(Embodiment 1)
As an example of the substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure, a perspective view of a part of the plasma processing apparatus 100 that performs plasma processing is schematically shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the inside of the processing chamber of the processing apparatus 100. Further, the inside of the processing chamber and the configuration of the transport lane configuration device are schematically shown in FIGS. 3 to 7.

The plasma processing apparatus 100 includes a processing chamber 130 in which a substrate is processed, a plurality of guide members 118 removably arranged in the processing chamber 130, and a transport lane constituent device 200. The transport lane configuration device 200 transports the substrate 300 along the first direction D1. In the first embodiment, an example will be described in which the processing device 100 includes a transport lane configuration device 200 for loading the substrate into the processing chamber 130 and a transport lane configuration device 200 for transporting the substrate from the processing chamber.

In the following figures, some members and some reference numerals may be omitted for ease of understanding. For example, FIGS. 1 and 2 show only the first rail 211 and the second rail 221 of the transport lane component 200. Further, in FIG. 2, the illustration of the seal member is omitted.

The processing chamber 130 includes a lid 120 having a ceiling portion and a side wall extending from the outer edge of the ceiling portion, and a base 110. An exhaust port 117 is formed on the base 110. With reference to FIGS. 2-4, the processing chamber 130 has a plurality of substrates along a second direction D2 (specifically, a direction perpendicular to the first direction D1) that intersects the first direction D1. Has a substrate mounting portion (board processing area) 112 on which the above can be mounted. That is, a plurality of substrates 300 can be arranged side by side along the second direction D2 on the substrate mounting portion 112, and the substrates 300 can be plasma-processed at the same time.

The guide member 118 constitutes a plurality of board processing lanes 119 in which the board is conveyed so as to pass through the board mounting portion 112. Each of the plurality of substrate processing lanes 119 extends along the first direction D1 and is arranged along the second direction D2. The guide member 118 guides the first guide member 118a that guides one end of the substrate 300 (the end on the right side in the traveling direction) and the other end of the substrate 300 (the end on the left side in the traveling direction). Includes a second guide member 118b. The plurality of first guide members 118a and the plurality of second guide members 118b are alternately arranged along the second direction. One substrate processing lane 119 is composed of one first guide member 118a and one second guide member 118b.

The guide member 118 is movable so as to change the number and width W1 of the substrate processing lanes 119. For example, the guide member 118 may be fixed to any member of the processing chamber 130 by a fixing jig whose position can be changed. The fixing jig is not limited, and a known jig may be used. For example, the guide member 118 may be fixed to the screw hole formed in the substrate mounting portion 112 with a bolt or the like.

The substrate 300 passes through a substrate processing lane 119 defined by a plurality of guide members 118. That is, in the substrate mounting portion 112, both ends of each substrate 300 are positioned by a pair of guide members 118. The guide member 118a and the guide member 118b are rod-shaped members extending along the first direction D1, respectively.

FIG. 3 schematically shows an example of the processing apparatus 100 when the number of substrate processing lanes 119 and transfer lanes 201 is 3. FIG. 3 shows a seal member 116 arranged so as to surround the substrate mounting portion 112 and the exhaust port 117, and the substrate 300. Although FIG. 3 and FIG. 7 described later show only the transport lane configuration device 200 on the side where the substrate is carried in, the transport lane configuration device 200 on the side where the substrate is carried out may have the same configuration. In the drawings after FIG. 3, in order to facilitate understanding, a dot pattern may be attached to the plurality of first rails 211 and the members for moving or fixing the first rails 211.

In the example of FIG. 3, since the three substrate processing lanes 119 are configured, the three substrates 300 can be arranged side by side along the second direction D2 and processed at the same time. It is also possible to arrange a plurality of substrates in one substrate processing lane 119.

The transport lane configuration device 200 includes a plurality of support members (a plurality of first rails 211 and a plurality of second rails 221), a plurality of first slide rails 212, a plurality of first slide members 213, and a first. It includes a pantograph mechanism 214, a plurality of second slide rails 222, a plurality of second slide members 223, and a second pantograph mechanism 224. The slide rails 212 and 222 are fixed to the stage 202.

FIG. 4 shows the first rail 211, the first slide rail 212, the first slide member 213, and the first pantograph mechanism 214 in the state of FIG. The first slide rail 212, the first slide member 213, and the first pantograph mechanism 214 function as a first component 210 (a part of the transport lane component 200) for moving the first rail 211. .. The first component 210 includes a pitch adjusting lever 215 connected to the first pantograph mechanism 214 for collectively changing the pitch P1, and a pitch fixing member (tightening member) 216 for fixing the pitch P1. Further, the first component 210 is connected to one first slide member 213 and includes a position fixing member 217 for fixing the position of the slide member 213 with respect to the stage 202. The pitch fixing member 216 fixes the pitch P1 by fixing the angle formed by the rod-shaped members constituting the first pantograph mechanism 214.

The second rail 221 and the second slide rail 222, the second slide member 223, and the second pantograph mechanism 224 in the state of FIG. 3 are shown in FIG. The second slide rail 222, the second slide member 223, and the second pantograph mechanism 224 function as a second component 220 (a part of the transport lane component 200) for moving the second rail 221. .. The second component 220 includes a pitch adjusting lever 225 connected to the second pantograph mechanism 224 for collectively changing the pitch P2, and a pitch fixing member (tightening member) 226 for fixing the pitch P2. Further, the second component 220 is connected to one second slide member 223 and includes a position fixing member 227 for fixing the position of the slide member 223 with respect to the stage 202. The pitch fixing member 226 fixes the pitch P2 by fixing the angle formed by the rod-shaped members constituting the second pantograph mechanism 224.

The pitch fixing members 216 and 226 may be any members that can fix the shapes of the pantograph mechanisms 214 and 224, respectively, and are not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. Similarly, the position fixing members 217 and 227 may be any members capable of fixing the positions of the first and second rails 211 and 221 respectively, and are not limited to the configuration shown in FIG.

The plurality of first rails 211 and the plurality of second rails 221 are arranged alternately to form a plurality of transport lanes 201. Each transport lane 201 is composed of one first rail 211 and one second rail 221. The plurality of first rails 211 are arranged at equal intervals (pitch P1) along the second direction D2. The plurality of second rails 221 are arranged at equal intervals (pitch P2) along the second direction D2.

A cross-sectional view of the rails 211 and 221 is shown in FIG. In the first embodiment, rails 211 and 221 having an L-shaped cross section are used. In this case, the substrate 300 is supported in the notch portion C. Strictly speaking, the pitch P1 is the distance between the ends of the portions (notches C) supporting the substrate 300 of the two adjacent first rails 211. Strictly speaking, the pitch P2 is the distance between the ends of the portions (notches C) supporting the substrate 300 of the two adjacent second rails 221. All P1s are the same and all P2s are the same. Further, when processing a plurality of substrates having the same width at the same time, the pitch P1 and the pitch P2 are the same.

Each of the pantograph mechanisms 214 and 224 is composed of four rod-shaped members forming a rhombus and a connecting member for rotatably connecting the rod-shaped members. When corresponding to four rails, six rod-shaped members forming two connected rhombuses may be used. Similarly, by increasing the number of rod-shaped members constituting the pantograph mechanism, the number of rails that can be handled can be increased.

The pantograph mechanism is not limited to the illustrated form. For example, when forming the pantograph mechanism of another example, first, rod-shaped members having the same length are rotatably connected at the centers of the rod-shaped members to obtain an X-shaped member. Then, the rhombus is formed by connecting the two ends (ends of the rod-shaped members) of the plurality of X-shaped members. At this time, a plurality of X-shaped members are connected so that the rod-shaped member can rotate at the connecting point. By doing so, another pantograph mechanism can be obtained.

The substrate 300 is conveyed in the first direction in the transfer lane 201 by a transfer mechanism (not shown). The transport mechanism is, for example, arranged adjacent to the base 110 and includes an end effector that can move along the first direction D1 and a mechanism that moves the end effector. The substrate 300 to be processed is pushed by the end effector and carried into the processing chamber 130. The processed substrate 300 can be carried out from the processing chamber 130 by the same transfer mechanism.

The first and second slide rails 212 and 222 each extend in a direction intersecting the first direction D1 (second direction D2 in the first embodiment). The first and second slide rails 212 and 222 are fixed to the stage 202. The first slide member 213 is connected to the first rail 211 and slides on the first slide rail 212. The second slide member 223 is connected to the second rail 221 and slides on the second slide rail 222. With these configurations, the first and second rails 211 and 221 can move freely along the second direction.

The first pantograph mechanism 214 is connected to the first slide member 213. The first pantograph mechanism 214 makes it possible to change the pitch P1 while keeping the distance between the two adjacent first rails 211 all the same. The second pantograph mechanism 224 is connected to the second slide member 223. The second pantograph mechanism 224 makes it possible to change the pitch P2 while keeping the distance between the two adjacent second rails 221 all the same.

As the width of the substrate 300 increases, the number of substrates that can be arranged on the substrate mounting portion 112 along the second direction D2 decreases. In such a case, it is necessary to reduce the number of substrate processing lanes 119 as necessary. A case where the number of substrate processing lanes 119 is set to 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

As shown in FIG. 7, the number of substrate processing lanes 119 is set to 2 by moving the guide members 118a and 118b. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the number of guide members 118a and 118b arranged in the processing chamber 130 is smaller than that in the state shown in FIG.

The transport lane configuration device 200 changes the pitch of the support member (pitch P1) from the state of FIG. 3 to the state of FIG. 7 so as to correspond to the number of board processing lanes 119 and the width of the board (or the width W1 of the board processing lane). And P2) and the width W2 of the transport lane 201 are changed.

Specifically, the pitch P1 of the first rail 211 and the pitch P2 of the second rail 221 are changed so as to be substantially the same as the pitch PG1 of the guide member 118a and the pitch PG2 of the guide member 118b, respectively. .. Further, the width W2 of the transport lane is changed by moving the second rail 221 all at once.

The change from the state of FIG. 3 to the state of FIG. 7 is performed, for example, as follows. First, the pitch P1 of the first rail 211 is collectively changed by moving the pitch adjusting lever 215 after releasing the fixing by the pitch fixing member 216. Then, the pitch P1 is fixed by the pitch fixing member 216. Further, the pitch P2 of the second rail 221 is collectively changed by moving the pitch adjusting lever 225 after releasing the fixing by the pitch fixing member 226. Then, the pitch P2 is fixed by the pitch fixing member 226. Further, after the fixing by the position fixing member 227 is released, the second rail 221 and the second slide member 223 and the second pantograph mechanism 224 are moved together. As a result, the width W2 of each of the plurality of transport lanes 201 can be changed collectively so as to correspond to the width of the substrate 300 without changing the pitch P2. After that, the position of the second slide member 223 is fixed by the position fixing member 227.

In one aspect, the first and second pantograph mechanisms 214 and 224 (and the pitch adjusting levers 215 and 225) have pitches (pitches P1 and P2) of a plurality of support members (first and second rails 211 and 221). ) Functions as a pitch changing means capable of changing.

From one aspect, the first slide rail 212, the first slide member 213, and the first pantograph mechanism 214 (and the pitch fixing member 216) function as lane width changing means. Similarly, the second slide rail 222, the second slide member 223, and the second pantograph mechanism 224 (and the pitch fixing member 226) function as lane width changing means.

From one aspect, the first pantograph mechanism 214 functions as a first rail moving means for collectively moving the plurality of first rails 211 so that the pitch P1 changes. The second pantograph mechanism 224 functions as a second rail moving means for collectively moving the plurality of second rails 221 so that the pitch P2 changes.

As described above, in the transport lane configuration device 200, the intervals can be collectively changed while keeping all the intervals (pitch P1) between the two adjacent first rails 211 the same. Similarly, all the intervals (pitch P2) between the two adjacent second rails 221 can be kept the same, and the intervals can be changed collectively. Therefore, the pitch P1 and the pitch P2 can be easily changed according to the number of substrate processing lanes 119 (pitch of the guide member).

Further, in the transport lane configuration device 200, the plurality of first rails 211 can be moved while the relative distance between the plurality of first rails 211 is fixed (that is, the pitch P1 is not changed). Further, the plurality of second rails 221 can be moved while the relative distance between the plurality of second rails 221 is fixed (that is, the pitch P2 is not changed). Therefore, the width W2 of each of the plurality of transport lanes 201 can be easily changed at once so as to correspond to the width of the substrate 300. It is possible to correspond to the width of the substrate 300 by moving any one of the plurality of first rails 211 and the plurality of second rails 221. That is, the transport lane configuration device 200 may have a mechanism for moving either one of the plurality of first rails 211 and the plurality of second rails 221. A mechanism for moving both of them is not essential.

By making both the plurality of first rails 211 and the plurality of second rails 221 movable at once, the degree of freedom in setting the substrate processing lane 119 is increased. In the substrate processing in the substrate mounting portion 112, the processing variation may become large depending on the location. For example, the treatment may be insufficient at the peripheral edge of the substrate mounting portion 112. In such a case, by making both the plurality of first rails 211 and the plurality of second rails 221 movable at once, the substrate processing lane 119 is avoided by avoiding the peripheral edge portion of the substrate mounting portion 112. It can be provided.

The substrate processing apparatus including the transfer lane configuration device 200 can easily adjust the number and width of the transfer lanes according to the width of the substrate to be processed. Further, the width W2 of the transport lane can be easily changed while keeping the number of transport lanes the same. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently cope with the change in the width of the substrate to be processed.

The plasma processing apparatus 100 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 schematically shows a cross section of the plasma processing apparatus 100 in a state where the closed space S is formed.

The plasma processing apparatus 100 includes a processing chamber 130 including a base 110 and a lid 120. The lid 120 is a box type having a ceiling portion and a side wall extending from the periphery of the ceiling portion, and the end surface of the side wall of the lid 120 and the peripheral edge of the base 110 are brought into close contact with each other to form a box-shaped sealed space S inside. It is formed.

The base 110 includes a substrate mounting portion 112 arranged on a surface facing the lid 120. The board mounting portion 112 is connected to the power supply portion 400 and is insulated from the base 110. By applying high-frequency power from the power supply unit 400 to the substrate mounting unit 112 in the presence of the process gas, plasma is generated in the enclosed space S. The lid 120 has a function as a counter electrode of the substrate mounting portion 112. The power supply unit 400 is composed of, for example, a high frequency power supply 401 and an automatic matching device 402. The automatic matching device 402 has an effect of preventing interference between the high frequency traveling wave and the reflected wave flowing between the substrate mounting portion 112 and the high frequency power supply 401.

The inside of the closed space S can be maintained in a decompressed atmosphere through an exhaust port 117 (see FIG. 2) communicating with the closed space S. The exhaust port 117 is connected to a decompression means (not shown). The depressurizing means includes a vacuum pump, an exhaust pipe, a pressure adjusting valve, and the like. A sealing member 116 is provided between the peripheral edge of the base 110 and the end surface of the side wall of the lid 120 to enhance the airtightness in the sealed space S. Although not shown, a gas supply means for introducing a process gas as a plasma raw material into the closed space S is connected to the processing chamber 130. The gas supply means includes a gas cylinder for supplying a process gas such as argon, oxygen, and nitrogen, a pipe for introducing the process gas into the closed space S, and the like.

When the substrate 300 is carried into the processing chamber 130 and carried out of the processing chamber 130, the lid 120 is raised to open the closed space S. On the other hand, when the substrate 300 is plasma-treated, as shown in FIG. 8, the lid 120 is lowered so that the end surface of the side wall of the lid 120 and the peripheral edge of the base 110 are brought into close contact with each other. The raising and lowering of the lid 120 is controlled by a predetermined driving device (not shown).

The substrate mounting portion 112 is supported by the base 110 via the first insulating member 114. The substrate mounting portion 112 is composed of an upper electrode body 112a facing the substrate 300 during plasma treatment and a lower electrode body 112b facing the base 110 via the first insulating member 114. Both the upper electrode body 112a and the lower electrode body 112b are made of a conductive material (conductor). A frame-shaped second insulating member 115 is mounted on the outer edge of the substrate mounting portion 112 so as to be sandwiched between the upper electrode body 112a and the lower electrode body 112b.

A plurality of guide members 118 are arranged on the substrate mounting portion 112. The guide member 118 positions the substrate 300 in the processing chamber 130. Further, when the substrate 300 is carried in and out of the processing chamber 130, the substrate 300 moves on the substrate mounting portion 112 while being guided by the guide member 118.

Hereinafter, a method of cleaning the substrate 300 using the plasma processing apparatus 100 will be described. First, the arrangement of the plurality of guide members 118 (arrangement of the substrate processing lanes 119) and the arrangement of the transfer lanes 201 for loading and unloading are adjusted according to the number of substrates to be processed at one time and the width of the substrates.

Subsequently, the plurality of substrates 300 are supported by the first and second rails 211 and 221. The end face of the substrate 300 is pushed toward the processing chamber 130 by the end effector of the transport lane configuration device. At this time, the processing chamber 130 is in an open state, and the substrate 300 that has entered the processing chamber 130 is housed between the transport lane 201 and the pair of guide members 118. The substrate 300 is conveyed to the substrate mounting portion 112 while being guided by the guide member 118, and is mounted on the substrate mounting portion 112.

Next, the lid 120 is lowered to seal the inside of the processing chamber 130 to form a closed space S. After that, the air in the closed space S is exhausted by using the decompression means. Then, when a predetermined depressurized state is reached, a process gas such as argon is introduced into the closed space S from the gas supply means connected to the base 110. When the pressure inside the closed space S reaches a predetermined pressure, high-frequency power is applied between the substrate mounting portion 112 and the lid 120 by the power supply unit 400. As a result, the process gas in the closed space S is turned into plasma. As a result, the surface of the substrate 300 is exposed to plasma and the surface of the substrate 300 is cleaned.

When the cleaning of the substrate 300 with plasma is completed, the inside of the closed space S is opened to the atmosphere, and the decompression state is released. Next, the lid 120 is raised. Next, by pushing the end face of the substrate 300 with an end effector, the substrate 300 is moved to the transport lane 201 for carrying out. In this way, the substrate 300 is carried out of the processing chamber 130.

When loading and unloading the substrate 300, at least a part of the transport lane component may be moved so that the transport lane 201 approaches the board mounting portion 112.

In the above embodiment, the case where the substrate 300 is cleaned by plasma using the plasma processing apparatus 100 has been described, but other processing (for example, etching, film formation, heat treatment, exposure, etc.), inspection, and evaluation of the substrate 300 have been described. Etc. are also performed according to the above method.

The present disclosure can be used for substrate processing equipment.

100 Plasma processing equipment (board processing equipment)
112 Board mounting part (board processing area)
118 Guide member 118a First guide member 118b Second guide member 119 Board processing lane 130 Processing chamber 200 Transport lane component 201 Transport lane 211 First rail (support member)
221 Second rail (support member)
D1 First direction D2 Second direction W1 Width of substrate processing lane W2 Width of transport lane P1, P2 Pitch

Claims (7)

It is a substrate processing device that processes substrates.
A processing chamber in which the substrate is processed, a plurality of guide members arranged in the processing chamber, and a transfer lane component device arranged outside the processing chamber for transporting the substrate in the first direction. Including
The processing chamber has a substrate processing region in which a plurality of the substrates can be arranged and processed along a second direction intersecting with the first direction.
The plurality of guide members can form a plurality of substrate processing lanes that pass through the substrate processing region and are lined up along the second direction.
At least a part of the plurality of guide members can be moved so as to change the number of the substrate processing lanes and the width W1 of the substrate processing lanes.
The transfer lane component device is used for at least one of carrying in the substrate into the processing chamber and carrying out the substrate from the processing chamber.
The transport lane component device
A plurality of support members capable of forming a plurality of transport lanes arranged along the second direction, and a plurality of support members.
A pitch changing means capable of changing the pitch of the plurality of support members, and
By moving at least a part of the plurality of support members at once, the width W2 of each of the plurality of transport lanes can be changed at once so as to correspond to the width of the substrate. Substrate processing equipment, including means. The plurality of support members include a plurality of first rails and a plurality of second rails that are alternately arranged along the second direction.
Each of the plurality of transport lanes is composed of one of the plurality of first rails and one of the plurality of second rails.
The pitch changing means includes a first pitch changing means for collectively changing the pitches P1 of the plurality of first rails and a second pitch for collectively changing the pitches P2 of the plurality of second rails. Including means of change
The lane width changing means includes a means M1 for collectively moving the plurality of first rails along the second direction without changing the pitch P1, and the pitch P2 without changing the pitch P2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of the means M2 for moving the plurality of second rails together along the second direction. The plurality of guide members include a first guide member that guides one end of the substrate and a second guide member that guides the other end of the substrate opposite to the one end.
The first pitch changing means collectively changes the pitch P1 so as to correspond to the pitch PG1 of the first guide member.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second pitch changing means collectively changes the pitch P2 so as to correspond to the pitch PG2 of the second guide member. The transport lane component includes a first slide rail extending in a direction intersecting the first direction and a second slide rail extending in a direction intersecting the first direction.
The plurality of first rails can be slid along the second direction by the first slide rail.
The plurality of second rails can be slid along the second direction by the second slide rail.
The first pitch changing means includes a first rail moving means for collectively changing the relative distance between the plurality of first rails so that the pitch P1 changes.
Claim 2 or 3, wherein the second pitch changing means includes a second rail moving means for collectively changing the relative distance between the plurality of second rails so that the pitch P2 changes. The substrate processing apparatus according to. The first rail moving means includes a first pantograph mechanism directly or indirectly connected to the plurality of first rails.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second rail moving means includes a second pantograph mechanism directly or indirectly connected to the plurality of second rails. The substrate processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the transfer lane constituent device includes a transfer mechanism for moving the substrate supported by the plurality of support members along the transfer lane. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a depressurizing means for depressurizing the processing chamber and a plasma generating means for generating plasma in the processing chamber.

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