JP3395180B2 - Substrate processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus that carries a substrate into a vacuum chamber and processes the substrate in a vacuum state. [Prior Art] Conventionally, when a thin film transistor or the like is formed, a plasma CVD apparatus, a sputtering apparatus, or the like is used. In these apparatuses, an in-line type is used to improve productivity. An in-line type film forming apparatus generally includes a reaction chamber for performing a film forming process, a preparation room for carrying a substrate from the outside, performing preliminary heating, and transporting the substrate to the reaction chamber, and A take-out chamber for carrying a substrate, performing a cooling process, and transporting the substrate to the outside is arranged continuously. A substrate cart that moves between these chambers is provided. The substrate is held in the substrate cart and moved between a plurality of chambers to form a film in a continuous process.
A vacuum exhaust device is connected to each chamber via a valve. [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] In the conventional in-line type film forming apparatus, there is a problem that dust adheres to the substrate particularly in the preparation room and the take-out room. That is, in a vacuum state, the dust falls without floating, and most of the dust collects at the bottom of each vacuum chamber. The dust adhering to the substrate causes pinholes and the like, which causes the yield of products to deteriorate. An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of reducing dust flying when leaking to atmospheric pressure and improving the yield of the substrate. [Means for Solving the Problems] A substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus including a preparation room in which a substrate is carried in or a removal chamber for carrying out a substrate, wherein the preparation room or the removal room is provided. The chamber has a substrate loaded therein, a vacuum chamber for evacuating from atmospheric pressure, a lower chamber provided at the bottom of the vacuum chamber in communication with the vacuum chamber, and a vacuum chamber and a lower chamber. A gate valve for opening and closing a communication section between the vacuum chamber and a vacuum exhaust device connected to the lower chamber for evacuating the vacuum chamber and the lower chamber; and a gas for leaking to atmospheric pressure. A gas introduction device for separately introducing the gas into the chamber. [Operation] In the present invention, the gate valve is opened to make the vacuum chamber communicate with the lower chamber. Then, the vacuum chamber and the lower chamber are evacuated by a vacuum exhaust device connected to the lower chamber. When each of these chambers reaches a predetermined pressure state, the floating dust in the vacuum chamber passes through a communicating portion between the vacuum chamber and the lower chamber and falls into the lower chamber. Subsequently, the communication part between the vacuum chamber and the lower chamber is closed by the gate valve. In this state, gas is introduced into the lower chamber to blow up the dust, and the dust is floated in the lower chamber, and a vacuum is evacuated by a vacuum exhaust device. This operation is repeated to discharge the dust accumulated in the lower chamber. This prevents dust from rising when the vacuum chamber leaks to atmospheric pressure, and reduces dust adhering to the substrate. Embodiment FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of an in-line sputtering apparatus to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. Hereinafter, an example using a vertical two-sided board cart will be described. In the figure, the sputtering apparatus includes a preparation chamber 1 in which a substrate is loaded, a film formation chamber 21 for performing a film formation process on a substrate, and an extraction chamber 22 for unloading the substrate. . A gate valve 23 is provided on a partition wall of each chamber. In addition, an inlet valve 24 is provided in the bulkhead of the preparation room 1 on the atmosphere side.
However, outlet valves 25 are respectively provided on the partition walls on the atmosphere side of the extraction chamber 22. A lower chamber 2 is provided below the preparation chamber 1 and the take-out chamber 22. Since a vacuum state is always maintained in the film forming chamber 21, a lower chamber for dust processing is not provided in this embodiment. The cart 7 moves in each chamber while holding the substrates 14a and 14b on which films are to be formed. Next, the preparation chamber 1 and the lower chamber 2 provided below the preparation chamber 1 will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure,
A lower chamber 2 is provided below the preparation chamber 1. Preparation room 1
The lower chamber 2 communicates with the lower chamber 2 through an opening 3, and the opening 3 is openable and closable by a partition valve 5 of a partition mechanism 4. The lower side wall 1a of the preparation room 1 is inclined inward. Heaters 6a and 6b for heating the transported substrate are provided on both side walls of the preparation chamber 1, respectively. Also, outside the preparation room 1, the substrate cart 7 is carried into the preparation room 1,
Further, a drive mechanism 8 for carrying out is provided. The drive mechanism 8 includes a pinion 11 that meshes with a rack 10 provided on the lower side of the board cart 9, and a gear train 13 for transmitting rotation of a motor 12 to the pinion 11. The substrate cart 7 is formed in a U-shape, and can hold the two substrates 14a and 14b so as to face each other and in a vertical posture. A roller 15 is provided below the substrate cart 7. The roller 15 is movable on the guide rail 16 of the support frame 1b of the preparation room 1. The support frame 1b and the guide rail 16 are each formed of a thin frame. A rotary pump 17 is connected to the lower chamber 2 via an exhaust valve 18. The preparation chamber 1 and the lower chamber 2 are each provided with a gas introduction valve.
It is connected to the gas tank 19 via 20a and 20b. That is, the preparation chamber 1 and the lower chamber 2 can separately introduce gas from the gas tank 19. The configuration of the film forming chamber 21 is the same as that of the related art, and is omitted here. The removal chamber 22 has the same configuration as the lower chamber 2, the vacuum exhaust device, and the gas introduction device as in the preparation chamber 1. Next, the operation will be described. First, the inlet valve 24 attached to the partition of the preparation room 1 is opened, and the substrate cart 7 on which the substrates 14a and 14b are mounted is carried into the preparation room 1. When the motor 12 rotates, the rotation of the substrate cart 7 is transmitted to the pinion 11 via the gear train 13, and the substrate cart 7 moves in the traveling direction via the rack 10. After the substrate cart 7 has been transferred into the preparation chamber 1, the inlet valve 24 is closed. Subsequently, the heaters 6a and 6b heat the substrates 14a and 14b, respectively. This heating is preliminary heating before performing a film forming process in the next film forming chamber 21. Further, the rotary pump 17 evacuates the lower chamber 2 and the preparation chamber 1 via the exhaust valve 18. At this time, the partition valve 5 of the partition mechanism 4 is connected to the preparation chamber 1 and the lower chamber 2.
The lower chamber 2 and the preparation chamber 1 are in communication with each other. When the evacuation is completed and a predetermined vacuum pressure is reached, the preparation chamber 1
Most of the dust inside falls. The dropped dust slides down directly or on the inwardly inclined lower wall 1a and accumulates in the lower chamber 2. After the heating of the substrates 14a and 14b is completed, the gate valve 23 between the preparation chamber 1 and the film forming chamber 21 is opened, and the substrate cart 7 is transferred into the film forming chamber 21. Substrate cart 7 and substrates 14a and 1
After 4b is transported to the film forming chamber 21, the gate valve 23 between the preparation chamber 1 and the film forming chamber 21 is closed. On the preparation chamber 1 side, first, the gate valve 5 of the partition mechanism 4 is closed, and the opening 3 between the preparation chamber 1 and the lower chamber 2 is closed.
Subsequently, N ₂ leaks from the gas tank 19 into the lower chamber 2 via the gas introduction valve 20b connected to the lower chamber 2 side. As a result, the dust in the lower chamber 2 soars. In this state, the inside of the lower chamber 2 is evacuated by the rotary pump 17. As a result, the dust in the lower chamber 2 is discharged to the outside. The above N ₂ leak and evacuation are repeated several times. When the dust is exhausted in the lower chamber 2, preparation chamber 1 through a gas introduction valve 20a, the lower chamber 2 through the gas introduction valve 20b, a separately, N ₂ from gas tank 19
Make a leak. At this time, since the dust in the preparation chamber 1 has already been dropped and discharged to the lower chamber 2 side, the dust does not soar. Further, in the lower chamber 2, several N ₂ accumulated dust by leaks and vacuuming are discharged, never dust soar. When the pressure in the preparation chamber 1 and the lower chamber 2 becomes atmospheric pressure, the gate valve 5 of the partition mechanism 4 opens the opening 3 between the preparation chamber 1 and the lower chamber 2 to communicate with each other. In this state, as described above, the inlet valve 24 is opened from the outside, and the next substrate cart 7 and substrates 14a and 14b are transported into the preparation chamber 1. At this time, there is almost no dust in the preparation room 1, and the dust does not adhere to the substrate. That is, dust does not adhere to the substrate, pinholes and the like of the substrate can be prevented, and the yield of finished products of the substrate is improved. Since the film forming process in the film forming chamber 21 is the same as the conventional technology, the description is omitted here. The substrates 14a and 14b on which the film formation has been completed are transported to the take-out chamber 22 through the gate valve 23 while being mounted on the substrate cart 7. At this time, the take-out chamber 22 is already in a vacuum state, and the dust has dropped into the lower chamber 2 as in the preparation chamber 1 described above, and the dust does not adhere to the substrate. The dust that has fallen into the lower chamber 2 is subjected to the same dust treatment as that performed in the preparation chamber 1. Then take out room
N ₂ is introduced into 22 and the lower chamber 2 to reach atmospheric pressure. At this time, the dust has already been processed, and the substrates 14a and 14
The dust adhering to b is reduced and does not deteriorate the yield. After the substrates 14a and 14b are sufficiently cooled, the outlet valve 24 is opened, and the substrate cart 7 and the substrates 14a and 14b are transported to the outside. In the above example, an in-line type sputtering apparatus is taken as an example, but an in-line type plasma CVD apparatus or an in-line type etching apparatus may be used. In the preparation room 1 and the take-out room 22 in the above example, the rotary pump 17 was connected only to the lower room 2.
Separate evacuation devices may also be connected to the take-out chamber 22 and the evacuation chamber 22 so that the entire evacuation is efficiently performed. [Effects of the Invention] In the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, a lower chamber is provided below the vacuum chamber, and dust is discharged using the lower chamber. Even if introduced, dust will not soar. As a result, the amount of dust adhering to the loaded substrate is reduced, and the yield of the substrate is improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a preparation chamber and a take-out chamber according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic overall view of an in-line type sputtering apparatus employing one embodiment of the present invention. It is. 1 ... preparation room, 2 ... lower room, 5 ... gate valve, 17 ...
Rotary pump, 18 exhaust valve, 19 gas tank, 20a, 20b gas introduction valve, 22 extraction chamber.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) C23C 14/00-14/58 H01L 21/205 H01L 21/203

Claims (1)

(57) Claims 1. A substrate processing apparatus provided with a preparation room for carrying in a substrate or a take-out chamber for carrying out a substrate, wherein the preparation room or the take-out room has an internal space. A substrate is loaded into the vacuum chamber, and a vacuum chamber for evacuating from atmospheric pressure, a lower chamber provided at the bottom of the vacuum chamber in communication with the vacuum chamber, and a communication section between the vacuum chamber and the lower chamber A gate valve for opening and closing the vacuum chamber, a vacuum exhaust device connected to the lower chamber to evacuate the vacuum chamber and the lower chamber, and a gas for leaking to atmospheric pressure separately to the vacuum chamber and the lower chamber. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a gas introduction device to be introduced;