JP2865642B2 - Photoresist processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for removing a substrate from a cassette in which substrates such as semiconductor wafers are stored in multiple stages, and transporting the substrate to a substrate processing section such as a spinner section for coating a photoresist or a heat treatment section. The present invention relates to a photoresist processing apparatus that performs required processing on a substrate in each substrate processing unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, as a substrate take-out mechanism provided in this type of photoresist processing apparatus, there is the following one. For example, the cassette storing the substrates is intermittently moved up and down at the same pitch as the pitch of the substrate storage grooves in the cassette, and the presence or absence of the substrate in each groove in the cassette is detected by an optical sensor fixedly installed at a predetermined position. Go. A substrate support arm for taking substrates in and out of the cassette is configured to only move back and forth with respect to the cassette. When removing substrates from the cassette, raise and lower the cassette,
The groove where the presence of the substrate is detected is set at the height of the approach path of the substrate support arm. Subsequently, the substrate support arm enters the cassette and takes out the substrate from the cassette.

[0003]

However, the prior art having such a structure has the following problems. That is, according to the conventional apparatus, when the cassette is moved up and down, the cassette vibrates, so that the dust adhering in the cassette separates and adheres to the substrate, or the inner wall of the substrate accommodating groove and the substrate end come into contact with each other. There is an inconvenience that dust is generated due to friction. Therefore, according to the conventional photoresist processing apparatus, there is a problem that the substrate is easily contaminated by the influence of dust caused by vibration of the cassette.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a photoresist processing apparatus capable of improving the quality of substrate processing by minimizing generation of dust when taking out a substrate from a cassette. It is intended to provide.

[0005]

The configuration of the present invention is as follows. In other words, the invention according to claim 1 is a substrate loading / unloading unit for removing a substrate from a cassette or loading a substrate into the cassette, and a process unit for coating the substrate removed from the cassette with a photoresist and performing heat treatment. The substrate loading / unloading unit comprises a cassette mounting portion for stationaryly mounting a plurality of cassettes accommodating substrates in multiple stages, and a cassette mounting portion moving along the cassette mounting portion. A substrate take-out mechanism that raises and lowers the height to be stored in the upper and lower stages, and a substrate take-out mechanism are provided. The process unit includes a spinner unit, a heat treatment unit, and a substrate support arm. A substrate transport mechanism that transports the substrate in a state in which the substrate has been set, and sequentially sets the substrate to the spinner unit and the heat treatment unit. The substrate that has been taken out of the cassette in the substrate loading / unloading unit and aligned, The wafer is transported to a spinner unit and a heat treatment unit, and is loaded into a cassette in the substrate loading / unloading unit.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate loading / unloading unit for removing a substrate from a cassette or loading a substrate into the cassette, and a process for coating the substrate removed from the cassette with a photoresist and performing heat treatment. The substrate loading / unloading unit comprises a cassette loading section for stationaryly loading a plurality of cassettes accommodating substrates in multiple stages, and a cassette loading section, which moves along the cassette loading section, and the cassette And a substrate take-out mechanism that raises and lowers the height in which the substrates are stored in multiple stages. The light-emitting element and the light-receiving element face each other at an angle with respect to the horizontal And location, comprising an optical sensor mounted vertically movably together, and a light sensor elevating mechanism for elevating the light sensor, wherein the process unit includes a spinner portion,
A heat treatment unit, and a substrate transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate mounted on the substrate support arm and sequentially setting the substrate to the spinner unit and the heat treatment unit, wherein the substrate loading / unloading unit detects the optical sensor. Wherein the substrate take-out mechanism which has moved up and down to a height corresponding to the substrates in the cassette is taken out of the cassette, and the substrate positioned by the positioning mechanism is transported to a spinner unit and a heat treatment unit in the process unit. And

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the photoresist processing apparatus of the first or second aspect, the substrate unloading mechanism includes a substrate suction arm that moves back and forth toward the cassette. .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the photoresist processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the substrate is a semiconductor wafer, and the alignment mechanism is substantially equal to an outer diameter of the substrate. A plurality of protrusions arranged so as to have the same curvature are brought into contact with and separated from the periphery of the substrate to perform center alignment of the substrate.

[0009]

The operation of the first aspect of the invention is as follows. A substrate unloading mechanism of the substrate loading / unloading unit moves to a position facing a predetermined cassette along the cassette mounting portion. Then, the substrate is taken out of the cassette by moving up and down the substrate take-out mechanism. The positioning mechanism moved together with the substrate take-out mechanism performs center positioning of the taken-out substrate. The center-aligned substrate is transferred to the substrate transport mechanism of the process unit. The substrate transport mechanism transports the substrate to a spinner unit and a heat treatment unit. The processed substrate is transported by the substrate transport mechanism of the process unit and transferred to the substrate unloading mechanism of the substrate loading / unloading unit. The substrate unloading mechanism carries the substrate into the cassette. Since the cassette does not move when the substrate is taken out of the cassette or when the substrate is carried into the cassette, generation of dust due to vibration of the cassette is suppressed.

The operation of the invention described in claim 2 is as follows. First, the optical sensor elevating mechanism of the substrate loading / unloading unit raises and lowers the optical sensor, and the optical sensor detects the substrate in the cassette. The substrate is taken out of the cassette by moving the substrate take-out mechanism up and down to a height corresponding to the detected substrate. After the taken-out substrate is center-aligned by the alignment mechanism, it is transferred to the substrate transport mechanism of the process unit, and the substrate transport mechanism transports the substrate to the spinner unit and the heat treatment unit. Since the cassette does not move when detecting the substrate in the cassette and loading / unloading the substrate into / from the cassette, generation of dust due to vibration of the cassette is further suppressed.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, after the substrate take-out mechanism moves up and down to a height corresponding to the substrate to be taken out, the substrate suction arm of the substrate take-out mechanism moves forward to suck the substrate in the cassette. Then, the substrate is taken out from the cassette by the retreat of the substrate suction arm.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the center of the substrate is aligned by the plurality of protrusions coming into contact with and separating from the periphery of the substrate taken out of the cassette.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus as an embodiment of a photoresist processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 4 is an apparatus for coating a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or the like with a photoresist or the like and heat-treating the substrate.
1 and a substrate loading / unloading unit 1 for loading and unloading a substrate W into the cassette C, and a process unit 2 for performing required processing on the substrate W taken out of the cassette C.

As shown in the plan views of FIGS. 4 and 5,
A plurality of cassettes C for accommodating the substrates W in multiple stages are installed on the cassette mounting table 3 of the substrate loading / unloading unit 1, and a main portion of the substrate detection device is provided inside the cassette mounting table 3. Have been. Substrate loading / unloading unit 1
Is provided with a substrate unloading mechanism 4 that moves horizontally along the cassette installation table 3.

The substrate unloading mechanism 4 has a substrate suction arm 5 which can be moved up and down and moved back and forth (up and down in FIG. 5). The substrate suction arm 5 can be used to take out a substrate W stored in a groove in each cassette C. Alternatively, the processed substrates W are stored in the cassette C.

The substrate take-out mechanism 4 has a movable up and down 3 supporting the substrate W taken out by the substrate suction arm 5.
Of support pins ₆₁ through 65 _3, and the support pins ₆₁ through 65
Positioning plates 7 ₁ , 7 _2, etc., for centering the substrate W supported by ₃ are provided. Positioning plate 7
There are a plurality of protrusions 8 arranged on the _first and the _second 72 so as to have substantially the same curvature as the outer diameter of the substrate W.
_The horizontal reciprocation of the _first and the _second 72 causes the protrusions 8 to come into contact with and separate from the periphery of the substrate W, thereby performing the center position adjustment of the substrate W.

The cassette C is moved by the substrate take-out mechanism 4.
The substrate W taken out of the substrate and aligned is moved by the substrate take-out mechanism 4 to a substrate delivery position (P in FIG. 4).
Is transferred to the substrate transfer mechanism 9 provided in the process unit 2.

The substrate transport mechanism 9 transports the substrate W while the substrate W is mounted on a U-shaped substrate support arm 10, and spinner units 11 ₁ , 11 provided in the process unit 2.
₂ and, going sequentially setting the substrate W to the thermal processing unit 12 ₁ to 12 _3. The substrate W processed in the process unit 2 is
At the substrate transfer position P, after being transferred from the substrate transfer mechanism 9 to the substrate removal mechanism 4, the substrate is returned to the cassette C by the substrate removal mechanism 4.

An example of the substrate detecting device provided in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 is a partially cutaway front view of the substrate detection device, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 02-02 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 03-03 of FIG.

Each of the cassettes C mounted on the cassette mounting table 3 is provided with a U-shaped bracket 21 which can be moved up and down, and a substrate W accommodated in the cassette C is provided at the tip of the bracket 21. An optical sensor 24 including a light projecting element 22 and a light receiving element 23 for detecting the light is mounted. The light projecting element 22 and the light receiving element 23 are attached at an angle (for example, 2 to 3 degrees) at which the optical axis is slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, so that the irradiation light from the light projecting Even if the substrate W is not narrowed down to the thickness or less, a light-shielding / light-transmitting state can be obtained depending on the presence or absence of the substrate W.

As shown in FIG. 2, below the cassette mounting table 3, an optical sensor integrally mounted on a bracket 21 is provided.
There is an optical sensor raising / lowering mechanism 25 for raising / lowering the 24. The optical sensor elevating mechanism 25 includes a rodless cylinder 26 and a guide rod 27 which are supported side by side on the support plate 20 in the vertical direction, and a movable member 28 slidably fitted therein is attached to the cassette mounting table 3.
Is connected to the bracket 21 via a vertical member 29 penetrating through. When air is supplied from the upper and lower ends of the rodless cylinder 26 to move a magnet (not shown) in the rodless cylinder 26 up and down, the movable member 28 moves up and down, thereby causing the optical sensor attached to the bracket 21 to move. 24 moves up and down along the cassette C.
The optical sensor elevating mechanism 25 is not limited to the rodless cylinder 26 described above, but may be configured by a normal air cylinder, a screw feed mechanism using a motor, or the like.

A comb-shaped pitch member 30 is vertically connected to the movable member 28. The pitch member 30 is formed with the same number of slits 31 as detection sites at the same pitch as the storage grooves of the cassette C. In order to detect each slit 31 of the pitch member 30, a timing detection sensor 32 such as a photo interrupter is attached to the support plate 20. The pitch member 30 and the timing detection sensor 32 described above correspond to timing generation means and also to height detection means.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a control system of the above-described substrate detecting apparatus. The optical sensor 24 for detecting the substrate, the timing detection sensor 32, and the optical sensor elevating mechanism 25 are connected to the CPU 34 via the input / output interface 33.
It is connected to the. The CPU 34 corresponds to a memory control unit, and includes the optical sensor 24 and the timing detection sensor 32.
The presence / absence information of the substrate is written into the memory 35 as a storage means based on the detection signal from the CPU.

Hereinafter, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Step S1: Prior to the detection of the substrate in the cassette C, C
The PU 34 sets the count value N of the internal counter to an initial value.
Here, the count value N is set to “0”.

Step S2: A command for raising the optical sensor 24 is issued to the optical sensor lifting mechanism 25. Here, the optical sensor 24
Is set at the lower end of the cassette C. When a command to raise the optical sensor 24 is issued, the rodless cylinder 26 of the optical sensor lifting mechanism 25 is driven, and the bracket 21 to which the optical sensor 24 is attached is continuously driven from the lower end to the upper end of the cassette C. At the same time, the pitch member 30 rises accordingly.

Step S3: After issuing the command to raise the optical sensor 24, the CPU 34 monitors whether or not the timing detection sensor 32 is in the light transmitting state, that is, whether or not the slit 31 of the pitch member 30 has been detected.

Step S4: When the slit 31 is detected,
By adding "1" to the count value N (initial value "0" at start-up), the address A of the memory 35 for writing the board presence / absence information is designated. The address A _i specified when N = i corresponds to the substrate storage groove at the i-th stage from the bottom of the cassette C.

[0029] Step S5, S6: Then, captures the detection signals from the light sensor 24, the address A ₁ region of memory 35 corresponding to the current count value N (= 1), obtained from the detection signal of the optical sensor 24 Write the information on the presence or absence of the board. Here, if there is a substrate, “1” is set, and if there is no substrate,
“0” is written.

[0030] Step S7: Next, the count value N is, determines whether it is the numerical value N ₀ defined in accordance with the number of the cassette C. If the count value N has become N ₀ , it means that the presence or absence of the substrate has been confirmed for all the grooves in the cassette C, and the processing is terminated. If the count N is not N _0, the process proceeds to step S8.

Step S8: Here, it is confirmed whether the slit 31 detected in step S3 has passed. That is, if the timing detection sensor 32 is in the light-shielded state, it means that it has passed the slit 31 detected in step S3, so the flow returns to step S3 to monitor whether the next slit 31 is detected. And the same processing is repeated. As described above, for all the grooves in the cassette C, the information indicating the presence or absence of the substrate is written in the predetermined address area of the memory 35.

In the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 4, while the substrate W is being taken out from a certain cassette C, the other substrate C is subjected to the above-described substrate detection processing, so that the inside of each cassette C Information on the presence or absence of the substrate is collected in advance. When a substrate in the next cassette C is to be taken out by the substrate take-out mechanism 4, the substrate presence / absence information of the cassette C stored in the memory 35 is sequentially read out, and the groove in the cassette C in which the substrate W is contained is read. Then, the substrate W is taken out by continuously moving the substrate suction arm 5 up and down to the position of the groove.

As described above, if the optical sensor 24 is continuously raised and lowered in advance to collect the presence / absence information of the substrate of the cassette C and the substrate suction arm 5 is driven based on the collected information, the light Compared to the conventional method of checking the presence or absence of a substrate for each groove in the cassette C while intermittently feeding the sensor and taking out the substrate, the time required for taking out the substrate is shortened. The processing speed can be improved.

The present invention can be modified as follows. (1) In the embodiment, an apparatus for applying a photoresist to a semiconductor wafer has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to the semiconductor wafer, and the photoresist processing of various substrates accommodated in a cassette such as a substrate for a liquid crystal display. Can be used.

(2) In the embodiment, the pitch member 30 is moved as the optical sensor 24 moves up and down, and the slit 31 of the pitch member 30 is detected by the timing detection sensor 32 fixed and installed.
In this case, the pitch member 30 may be fixedly installed and the timing detection sensor 32 may be moved.

(3) The timing generating means is not limited to the pitch member 30 in which the slit 31 is formed as in the embodiment. For example, a protrusion corresponding to the groove of the cassette C is formed on the pitch member. The protrusion may be detected by a proximity switch or the like.

(4) Further, when the cassette C is transferred to another device, the presence / absence information of the substrate written in the memory 35 of the embodiment device is transferred to the next device with the transfer of the cassette C. You may make it transmit and use.

(5) The present invention is characterized in that the presence / absence of a substrate in a cassette is detected without lifting / lowering a cassette containing the substrates, and the substrate is loaded / unloaded to / from the cassette based on the detection. Therefore, the mechanism for detecting the presence / absence of a substrate in the cassette is not limited to that of the embodiment. For example, the presence or absence of a substrate in the cassette may be detected without moving the cassette by intermittently feeding the substrate detection optical sensor up and down along the cassette using a pulse motor.

[0039]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention has the following effects. According to the first aspect of the present invention, the substrate is taken out of the cassette while the cassette is stationary and transported to the spinner unit and the heat treatment unit of the process unit. There is no problem that dust adheres to the substrate, and the quality of substrate processing can be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, since the substrate taken out of the cassette is transferred to the substrate transfer mechanism after being positioned, the positional accuracy of the substrate transfer can be improved.

Further, since the positioning mechanism for centering the substrate moves along the cassette mounting portion together with the substrate removing mechanism, the substrate retrieved by the substrate removing mechanism can be immediately positioned. Therefore, according to the present invention, the substrate alignment is quicker than in the case where the substrate is taken out of the cassette and then transported to an alignment station where the substrate is aligned, and as a result, As a result, the throughput of this type of processing apparatus can be improved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the substrate in the cassette is detected while the cassette is stationary,
In addition to the effects of the first aspect of the present invention, the generation of dust associated with substrate detection can be suppressed, and the quality of substrate processing can be further improved.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the substrate in the cassette is easily taken out by the substrate suction arm provided in the substrate taking out mechanism.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the plurality of protrusions come into contact with and separate from the periphery of the substrate taken out of the cassette, whereby the center of the substrate can be accurately aligned.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing a substrate detecting device in a cassette in an apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 02-02 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along arrow 03-03 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing an example of a photoresist processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a plan view of a substrate loading / unloading unit of the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a control system of the embodiment device.

FIG. 7 is an operation flowchart.

[Explanation of symbols]

C ... cassette W ... substrate 1 ... substrate loading and unloading unit 2 ... process unit 3 ... cassette table 4 ... substrate takeout mechanism 5 ... substrate suction arm (substrate support arms) 9 ... substrate transport mechanism 11 _1, 11 ₂ ... spinner portion 12 _{1 to} 12 ₃ … Heat treatment part 24… Optical sensor 22… Light emitting element 23… Light receiving element 25… Optical sensor elevating mechanism 30… Pitch member (timing generating means) 32… Timing detection sensor (timing generating means) 34… CPU ( Memory control means) 35 ... Memory (storage means)

Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Takeo Okamoto Kyoto Nishi Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-2-1113 (JP, A) JP-A-1-238135 (JP, A) JP-A 1-140739 (JP, A) JP-A-59- 175740 (JP, A) Fully open 1986-129340 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H01L 21/68 H01L 21/027

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A substrate loading / unloading unit for removing a substrate from a cassette or loading a substrate into the cassette, and a process unit for coating the substrate removed from the cassette with a photoresist and performing heat treatment. The carry-in / carry-out unit includes a cassette mounting portion for stationaryly mounting a plurality of cassettes for accommodating the substrates in multiple stages, and a height for moving along the cassette mounting portion and for the cassette to accommodate the substrates in upper and lower multiple stages. A substrate unloading mechanism that moves up and down, and a positioning mechanism that is provided in the substrate unloading mechanism, moves along the cassette mounting part together with the substrate unloading mechanism, and the substrate unloading mechanism aligns the center of the substrate extracted from the cassette. A spinner unit, a heat treatment unit, and a substrate mounted on a substrate support arm. A substrate transport mechanism for transporting and sequentially setting substrates to the spinner unit and the heat treatment unit, wherein the substrate taken out of a cassette and aligned in the substrate loading / unloading unit is a spinner unit and a heat treatment unit in the process unit. Wherein the substrate is carried into the cassette in the substrate carrying-in / out unit. 2. A substrate loading / unloading unit for taking out a substrate from a cassette or carrying a substrate into the cassette, and a process unit for coating a substrate taken out of the cassette with a photoresist and performing heat treatment. The carry-in / carry-out unit includes a cassette mounting portion for stationaryly mounting a plurality of cassettes for accommodating the substrates in multiple stages, and a height for moving along the cassette mounting portion and for the cassette to accommodate the substrates in upper and lower multiple stages. A substrate unloading mechanism for raising and lowering the substrate, a positioning mechanism that is provided in the substrate unloading mechanism, moves along with the cassette mounting unit together with the substrate unloading mechanism, and the substrate unloading mechanism aligns the center of the substrate extracted from the cassette, The light-emitting element and light-receiving element are opposed to each other at an angle with respect to the horizontal direction with the cassette in An optical sensor mounted on the substrate, an optical sensor elevating mechanism for elevating and lowering the optical sensor, wherein the process unit comprises: a spinner unit; a heat treatment unit; And a substrate transport mechanism for sequentially setting substrates to the heat treatment unit. In the substrate loading / unloading unit, the substrate unloading mechanism, which is raised and lowered to a height corresponding to the substrate in the cassette detected by the optical sensor, is a cassette. A photoresist processing apparatus, wherein the substrate taken out of the processing unit and aligned by the alignment mechanism is transported to a spinner unit and a heat treatment unit in the process unit. 3. The photoresist processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate unloading mechanism includes a substrate suction arm that moves back and forth toward a cassette. 4. The photoresist processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is a semiconductor wafer, and said alignment mechanism is arranged to have substantially the same curvature as an outer diameter of said substrate. A photoresist processing apparatus, wherein the plurality of projections are brought into contact with or separated from the periphery of the substrate to perform center alignment of the substrate.