JP2866570B2 - Substrate 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 of circulating a moving body having a support (arm) for supporting a substrate between a plurality of substrate processing units including a rotary substrate processing apparatus in a predetermined transfer order. The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for transporting and processing substrates between respective substrate processing units in a predetermined transport order.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, in a manufacturing process of a precision electronic substrate (hereinafter, simply referred to as "substrate") such as a liquid crystal display substrate or a semiconductor substrate, for example, a rotary coating processing section (hereinafter, referred to as "spin coater"), A rotary developing unit (hereinafter referred to as "spin developer"), an adhesion strengthening unit, a cooling plate, a hot plate, and the like are appropriately arranged, and a substrate is transferred between the substrate processing units by a substrate transfer means such as a substrate transfer robot. A substrate processing apparatus is used which carries out a series of processes while moving in and out of the processing units while being transported in the transport order. In this specification,
When the spin coater, the spin developer, and the like are individually and specifically described, their names are used, and when they are generally and uniformly described, they are referred to as “substrate processing units”.

[0003] In this substrate processing apparatus, it is assumed that each substrate processing section performs processing on a substrate over a predetermined time, and under this assumption, time management of the entire apparatus is performed. That is, when a substrate that has been processed by a certain substrate processing unit is transported to the next substrate processing unit, the substrate processing unit does not wait for the operation of the next substrate processing unit to be completed, and after a predetermined time elapses, the substrate processing unit The substrate is transported on the assumption that the processing is completed.

[0004]

In the above substrate processing apparatus, when a substrate is transferred, a spin coater,
The theoretical time required for movement between the substrate processing units differs depending on the arrangement of the spin developer, the adhesion enhancing unit, and the like. For example, when the substrate processing unit is arranged as described later (see FIG. 1), the theoretical movement time TMIN from the adhesion strengthening unit AH to the cooling plate CP1 is the shortest, while the theoretical movement time TMIN from the hot plate HP1 to the indexer ID is reduced. The theoretical movement time TMAX becomes the longest.

Therefore, in the conventional substrate processing apparatus, the transfer time T between the substrate processing units is set to the longest transfer time (transfer from any one of the substrate processing units to any one of the substrate processing units). The transfer is simplified by unifying so that only the time TMAX) is secured, and the substrate is transported to the substrate processing unit where the substrate transporter is located when the substrate is transported in a predetermined transport order by the substrate transporter. By making the transfer cycle (hereinafter, referred to as a transport interval) constant, the processing time and processing history in each substrate processing unit do not vary among a plurality of substrates that are continuously processed.

However, if the theoretical moving time T 'required to move from one substrate processing unit to the next substrate processing unit is shorter than the set moving time T (the longest moving time TMAX), it takes time T'. After arriving before the next substrate processing section,
It waits for the time (T-T ') at that location. During this standby time, even if the substrate processing unit is vacant, the substrate processing by the substrate processing unit cannot be performed, causing a decrease in throughput.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and appropriately sets a moving time from an arbitrary substrate processing unit to the next substrate processing unit, and sets a transfer interval to each substrate processing unit. It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of improving the throughput while maintaining the constant.

[0008]

According to the present invention, a moving body provided with a support for supporting a substrate is circulated and moved between a plurality of substrate processing units including a rotary substrate processing apparatus in a predetermined transfer order. A substrate processing apparatus that transports and processes a substrate in a predetermined transport order between respective substrate processing units, and includes a plurality of drive mechanisms that move the moving body in different directions from each other to achieve the above object. Moving means for driving at least one or more driving mechanisms to move the moving body between moving body stop positions for each of the substrate processing units; and A transfer unit that transfers substrates to each other between a predetermined support stand-by position and a substrate processing unit in the moving body that is stopped at the stop position, and the moving body, according to the transfer order by the moving unit, The substrate processing Drive time for storing the required drive time for each drive mechanism corresponding to the different direction required to move from the moving body stop position of any substrate processing unit to the next moving body stop position of the substrate processing unit Storage means, and the drive corresponding to the substrate transfer stored in the drive time storage means corresponding to each substrate transfer from a predetermined substrate processing unit to the next substrate processing unit defined by the transfer order. Read out the required drive time for each mechanism and transfer the board
Sometimes when only one drive mechanism is driven,
Operating time when driving two or more drive mechanisms simultaneously.
Is the maximum required driving time of those required driving times
And a calculating means for calculating a required travel time of the moving object in the substrate transport, the transport time of the substrate from the predetermined substrate processing part defined by said transport order to the next substrate processing unit, by the calculation means The calculated travel time,
And control means for controlling the moving means so as to be the sum of the time required for transfer by the transferring means.

[0009]

According to the present invention, in a different direction required for moving a moving body from a moving body stopping position of an arbitrary substrate processing section to a moving body stopping position of the next substrate processing section in accordance with a transfer order by moving means. The required drive time for each corresponding drive mechanism is stored in the drive time storage means. When a substrate is transferred from a predetermined substrate processing unit defined by a transfer order to a next substrate processing unit, a required drive for each of the drive mechanisms stored in the drive time storage unit is performed according to the transfer. Time is read out and only one drive mechanism is used during transport
Drive time, the required drive time is two or more drives.
If the driving mechanisms are driven simultaneously, their required driving time
Maximum required driving time of the is calculated as the required moving time of the moving object in the substrate transfer. Further, each transfer time of the substrate from the predetermined substrate processing unit to the next substrate processing unit defined by the transfer order is required for the required movement time calculated by the calculation unit and the transfer by the transfer unit. The moving means is controlled so as to be a sum of time and the substrate is transported.

[0010]

【Example】

 A. Configuration of substrate processing equipment

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. In this figure and the following figures, a three-dimensional coordinate system YZ-θ is defined in which a horizontal plane parallel to the floor surface is defined as a Y-θ plane and a vertical direction is defined as a Z direction. And the X direction is defined by the angle θ. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG.

This substrate processing apparatus is an apparatus for performing a series of processing (coating processing, developing processing, adhesion strengthening processing, heating processing, and cooling processing) on the substrate 10, and for performing the coating processing. A spin coater SC and spin developers SD1 and SD2 for performing development processing are arranged in this order in the Y direction, and a substrate processing row A is provided.

The apparatus has a transfer area B extending in the Y direction along the substrate processing row A, and a transfer robot RB is movably disposed in the transfer area B. The configuration and operation of the transfer robot RB will be described later.

An indexer ID for loading and unloading the substrate 10 is provided at one end of the substrate processing row A and the transfer area B, and the transfer robot 40 provided for the indexer ID causes a cassette The substrate 10 is taken out of the transfer robot 30 and sent out to the transfer robot RB. On the contrary, the substrate 10 subjected to a series of processes is received from the transfer robot RB and returned to the cassette 30. Although not shown in FIG. 1, an interface unit IF for transferring the substrate 10 to and from another substrate processing apparatus is provided at the other end of the substrate processing row A and the transfer area B. The transfer process of the substrate 10 is performed by the transfer robot 50 (FIG. 2) in cooperation with the transfer robot RB.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the cooling plates CP1 to CP1 are moved along the moving range of the transfer robot RB.
P3, hot plates HP1 to HP6 and an adhesion strengthening unit AH are two-dimensionally arranged in the Y and Z directions.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 60 denotes a controller provided with an operation unit and a memory.
And the keyboard 62 are connected, and can communicate with the substrate processing unit. Based on data and the like provided by the keyboard 62, a process described later is performed,
Controls the transfer robot RB.

Next, the configuration of the transfer robot RB will be described. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the transfer robot RB as viewed from above. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the transfer robot RB includes two arms 21 and
The arm 21 and the arm 22 independently of each other by the arm driving mechanism (not shown) and the support member standby position (the position of the arm 21 in FIG. 3) and the substrate in each substrate processing unit. It can move back and forth between the delivery position (the position of the arm 22 in FIG. 3). These arms 2
Although 1 and 22 usually overlap in the vertical direction (Z direction),
When the substrate 10 is delivered, one arm, for example, the arm 22 moves forward and backward as shown in FIG.

Although not shown, the moving body 20 has a Y moving mechanism for driving in the Y direction, a Z driving mechanism for driving in the Z direction, and extends in a direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. A θ drive mechanism that rotates around the rotation axis 23 is connected, and by controlling those drive mechanisms, the moving body 20 is moved in front of each substrate processing unit, and the transfer of the substrate 10 is enabled. I have. In addition, for convenience of the following description, this position is referred to as a “mobile body stop position”. In addition, in order to clarify the arrangement relation of each substrate processing unit and the moving object stop position corresponding to each substrate processing unit, as shown in FIG. 4, each substrate processing unit is defined by coordinates (Y, Z, θ). , Z,
θ). In the figure, when the moving body 20 moves in the Y direction by one unit with the spin coater SC as the origin,
The transfer of the substrate 10 to and from the spin developer SD1 becomes possible. The cooling plates CP1 to CP3 have the same height as the indexer ID, the spin coater SC, and the spin developers SD1 and SD2, that is, the Z coordinate is zero.
Attached reinforcement unit AH, hot plate HP1 to H
P6 are stacked in the arrangement shown in FIG. further,
The θ coordinates indicate the arms 21 and 22 that move forward and backward when viewed from the moving body 20.
Indicates the direction in which the forward direction (X direction) is directed. When "0", the direction is 90 ° clockwise rotated from the Y direction as viewed from the Z direction. It is possible to move forward and backward to the developers SD1 and SD2, and "1" indicates a direction rotated 180 degrees clockwise from the Y direction when viewed from the Z direction, and it is possible to advance and retreat to the indexer ID side. "2" indicates a direction rotated 270 ° clockwise from the Y direction as viewed from the Z direction, and the cooling plates CP1 to CP3
"3" is Y when viewed from the Z direction.
It indicates the same direction as the direction, and can move back and forth to the interface unit IF side.

B. Operation of substrate processing equipment

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. Hereinafter, the operation of the apparatus will be described focusing on the procedure for transporting the substrate 10 with reference to this flowchart.

First, the operator inputs information (the coordinates shown in FIG. 4; unit configuration information) relating to the arrangement of each substrate processing unit constituting the apparatus through the keyboard 62 (step S1). The input information is stored in the controller 60.
(Not shown).

Next, in step S2, the order in which the substrates 10 are transferred, that is, the transfer order, is input. Here, for the sake of easy understanding, it is assumed that the process shown in the column of “wafer flow” in Table 1 has been input.

[0023]

[Table 1]

In the "Wafer Flow" column of the table, there is a branch portion (for example, transfer from the spin coater SC to the hot plates HP3 and HP4), because the heating process by the hot plate is performed in parallel. is there.

Next, in step S3, the transport time between each step is calculated by an arithmetic unit built in the controller 60 based on the transport order, and the result is stored in a memory. Specifically, first, the coordinates (0, 0, 1) of the indexer ID
The absolute value of the difference between the coordinates (0, 1 , 2) of the adhesion strengthening unit AH and the coordinates (0, 1 , 2) is obtained for each of the Y, Z, and θ coordinates. 1 (see "Each axis drive time"). Here, the time T1 is Y, Z,
This is the time required to move the moving body 20 by one unit in the θ direction. Then, the maximum value ("T1") of the driving times is obtained as the moving time, and the transfer robot RB is determined.
Is added to the transfer time T2 required for the transfer of the substrate 10, and the result (T2 + T1) is stored in the memory as the transfer time in the movement process from the indexer ID to the adhesion strengthening unit AH. Here, the time T2 is a transfer work time due to the forward and backward movement of the arms 21 and 22 in the X direction. Specifically, one of the free arms receives a new substrate from the indexer ID, and
The time required to pass the processed substrate already held by the other arm to the indexer ID and the movement of the moving body 20 to the moving body stop position of the adhesion strengthening unit AH before the processed substrate is indexed. This is half the sum of the time required for the arm vacated to the ID to receive the substrate from the adhesion enhancement unit AH and for the other arm to pass the new substrate received earlier to the adhesion enhancement unit AH. . In this embodiment, it is assumed that T2 is set to be equal to the time required for each operation, and only the time T2 of the transfer performed immediately before the transfer is considered as the transfer time for the transfer associated with one transfer. And These T2 and T1 are stored in the memory of the controller 60 in advance as numerical values unique to the apparatus.

Subsequently, in the same manner as described above, the transport time in the remaining transport steps is calculated in order and stored in the memory. In this manner, as shown in the column “Transfer time between processing units” in Table 1, data on the transfer time between the substrate processing units is stored in the memory of the controller 60. Note that the data shown in parentheses in Table 1 indicates data when the substrates 10 are transferred in the transfer order indicated by * in the column of “Wafer flow”.

Next, when an apparatus start command is given in step S4, the transport time (T2 + T1) to the adhesion strengthening unit AH is read out from the indexer ID and set to a timer (not shown) of the controller 60 (step S5). ). Then, in step S6, the controller 6
From 0, a command to move to the adhesion strengthening unit AH is given to the transfer robot RB, and the transfer of the substrate 10 from the indexer ID to the adhesion strengthening unit AH is started.

As shown in FIG. 6, the transfer robot RB that has received the command first takes the indexer ID over time T2.
The transfer of the substrate 10 is performed. Subsequently, time T
1 to raise the moving body 20 in the Z direction, and at the same time, rotate the arms 21 and 22 toward the adhesion strengthening unit AH by rotating 90 degrees in the θ direction during the same time T1. Substrate 1 with AH
A state where transfer of 0 is possible is performed.

Next, when it is determined in step S7 that the set time has elapsed, the flow proceeds to the next step S8, in which the transport time (T2 + T1) from the adhesion strengthening unit AH to the cooling plate CP1 is read out, and the same as above. Then, the substrate 10 is transferred from the adhesion strengthening unit AH to the cooling plate CP1.

When such a series of processing is performed and "YES" is determined in step S9, that is, when it is determined that the transfer of the substrate 10 from the hot plate HP1 (or HP2) to the indexer ID is completed, step S9 is performed. S10
It is determined whether or not a series of substrate processing has been performed on the substrates 10 for one cassette, and if "NO" is determined, the process returns to step S5 and the series of processing is repeated, while "YES" is determined. If it is determined, the process is completed.

As described above, in this embodiment, the transfer time between the respective substrate processing units (“the transfer time between the respective processing units” in Table 1)
) Are calculated, stored in the memory,
Since the substrate is transported between the substrate processing units in the corresponding transport time, the substrate 10 is transported in a shorter time than the conventional example in which the substrate is transported between the substrate processing units with the longest movement time. can do. Also, as can be seen from FIG.
In the other substrate processing units except for the hot plates HP1 to HP6 for performing the parallel processing, it is possible to secure a certain transport interval, that is, a processable time (21 · T1 + 11 · T2), and perform the processing within that time. I can do it.

Here, the effect of this embodiment will be described, for example, in comparison with the case where the substrate 10 is processed in the same procedure in a conventional apparatus. In the conventional apparatus, as shown in Table 1 and FIG. 7, the transfer time between the substrate processing units is unified to the longest transfer time, that is, the time (T2 + 3 · T1). T1 +11
T2), which is unnecessarily long. On the other hand, according to this embodiment, the useless moving time (12.T1) can be omitted as described above, and The throughput can be improved while keeping the transport interval constant.

In this embodiment, the hot plate HP
5 and HP6, the substrate processing units having different transfer times for transport from the substrate processing unit in the previous stage (in this case, the interface unit IF) are used for parallel processing. Then, the transfer time is calculated by adopting the longer one of the different transfer times as the transfer time in the transfer, so that the substrate processed by any of the hot plates processes the same heat history. be able to. When the substrate is transported to the substrate processing unit (the hot plate HP6 in this case) which requires only a short moving time, the moving body 20 arrives at the moving body stop position of the substrate processing unit, and then moves to the above-described longer one. It will wait until the time has elapsed.

In the above embodiment, the case where the substrate 10 is transported in accordance with the procedure shown in the column of "wafer flow" in Table 1 and the predetermined processing is performed has been described. However, the present invention is limited to the above case. Instead, it can correspond to an arbitrary procedure. Further, the arrangement relationship of the substrate processing units constituting the apparatus is not limited to that of the above-described embodiment (FIG. 4), but is arbitrary. In this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, the driving time required for moving the moving body 20 by one unit in the Y, Z, and θ directions is equal to T1 in all directions.
However, they are not necessarily equal, and T2 may be different for each substrate processing unit.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention, the moving body is moved from the moving body stopping position of an arbitrary substrate processing section to the moving body stopping position of the next substrate processing section in accordance with the transfer order by the moving means. The required drive time for each drive mechanism corresponding to different directions required for the movement is stored in the drive time storage means. When a substrate is transferred from a predetermined substrate processing unit defined by a transfer order to a next substrate processing unit, a required drive for each of the drive mechanisms stored in the drive time storage unit is performed according to the transfer. Reads the time and transfers it
Required to drive only one drive mechanism
Time is required to drive two or more drive mechanisms simultaneously.
The maximum required driving time of the required driving times is calculated as the required moving time of the moving body in the substrate transfer. Further, each transfer time of the substrate from the predetermined substrate processing unit defined by the transfer order to the next substrate processing unit is determined by the required movement time calculated by the calculation unit and the transfer time by the transfer unit. The substrate is transported while controlling the moving means so as to be the sum of the time. For this reason, the transfer time from an arbitrary substrate processing unit to the next substrate processing unit is appropriately set, and the throughput can be improved while keeping the transport interval to each substrate processing unit constant.

Further, since the time required for the transfer can be shortened, the change in the temperature of the substrate during the transfer time can be suppressed, which is excellent even when using a substrate processing section, particularly a spin coater or a spin developer, which is sensitive to the temperature change. Uniform processing is possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the transfer robot as viewed from above.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an arrangement relationship of a substrate processing unit included in the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a substrate transfer operation in the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a substrate transport operation in a conventional substrate processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Substrate 20 Moving body 21, 22 Arm (support) 60 Controller AH Adhesion strengthening unit CP1-CP3 Cooling plate HP1-HP6 Hot plate ID Indexer IF Interface unit RB Transport robot SC Spin coater SD1, SD2 Spin developer

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A substrate provided between a plurality of substrate processing units including a rotary type substrate processing apparatus is circulated in a predetermined transfer order between a plurality of substrate processing units including a rotary substrate processing apparatus. And a plurality of drive mechanisms for moving the moving body in directions different from each other, wherein at least one or more driving mechanisms are driven to move the moving body. Moving means for moving between moving body stop positions for each of the substrate processing units; and by moving a support relative to the moving body, a predetermined support stand-by position for the moving body stopped at the moving body stop position. A transfer unit for transferring a substrate to and from a substrate processing unit; and a moving body of any one of the substrate processing units in the substrate processing unit according to the transfer order by the moving unit. Next from stop position Drive time storage means for storing a required drive time for each drive mechanism corresponding to the different direction required for moving to the moving body stop position of the substrate processing unit, and a predetermined substrate processing unit defined by the transport order Corresponding to each of the substrate transports to the next substrate processing unit, the required drive time for each of the drive mechanisms corresponding to the substrate transport stored in the drive time storage means is read, and the substrate transport is performed.
Required if only one drive mechanism is driven during transport
When the drive time is to drive two or more drive mechanisms simultaneously
Is the maximum required driving time of those required driving times.
And a calculating means for calculating a required travel time of the moving object in the substrate transport, the transport time of the substrate from the predetermined substrate processing part defined by said transport order to the next substrate processing unit, by the calculation means A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: control means for controlling the moving means so as to be the sum of the calculated required moving time and the time required for transfer by the transferring means.