JP3673397B2 - Substrate cooling device and substrate cooling method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a substrate cooling apparatus and a substrate cooling method for performing a cooling process on various substrates such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, and a glass substrate for a plasma display panel (PDP).
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display device, various thin films are repeatedly formed on the surface of the glass substrate by a photolithography process. In the photolithography process, a resist film having a required pattern is formed on the substrate by exposing the resist film on the substrate using an exposure machine and developing the exposed resist film.
[0003]
In order to increase the exposure accuracy in the exposure machine, it is necessary to strictly manage the substrate temperature before the exposure process and to minimize the deviation of the exposure position and the exposure focus due to the thermal expansion and contraction of the substrate. Therefore, the substrate before being carried into the exposure machine is carried into a substrate cooling apparatus having a substrate cooling body called a cooling plate, and is cooled to 23 ° C. (normal temperature), for example.
[0004]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an adsorption type apparatus that takes heat from a substrate by heat conduction by vacuum-adsorbing the substrate on the surface of a cooling plate has been widely used as a substrate cooling device. However, the size of the substrate to be handled has been increased and the element structure formed on the surface of the substrate has been miniaturized, and the problem of electrostatic breakdown due to peeling electrification that occurs when the substrate is peeled off from the adsorption type cooling plate is remarkable. It is becoming. In addition, there is an adverse effect on peripheral devices such as static electricity generated by the peeling electrification flowing into the substrate transfer robot and stopping the transfer of the substrate. For this reason, so-called proximity type substrate cooling devices have come to be preferred.
[0005]
In the proximity type substrate cooling apparatus, a plurality of proximity balls project from the surface of the cooling plate, and a substrate to be processed is placed on the proximity balls. Then, heat is removed from the substrate by heat convection in the space between the substrate and the cooling plate and heat conduction through the air therebetween, and the substrate cooling process is achieved.
[0006]
In some cases, a proximity adsorption type substrate cooling apparatus using both the adsorption type and the proximity type is employed. In this system, a recess is formed on the surface of the cooling plate, and a proximity ball is projected from the bottom of the recess. And the center part of a board | substrate is supported by the proximity ball | bowl, and a peripheral part is supported by the cooling plate surface around a recessed part, and the inside of a recessed part is pressure-reduced in this state. The advantage of this method is that it is possible to prevent the substrate from warping due to the temperature difference between the front and back surfaces of the substrate.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the proximity type and proximity adsorption type, since the contact area with the cooling plate adjusted to the target temperature (for example, 23 ° C.) is small, the change in the substrate temperature is slow, so that the substrate cooling process takes a long time. Cost. Therefore, if the substrate cooling process is rounded up in a short time, the error of the substrate temperature after the cooling process from the target temperature inevitably increases, and the strict temperature management required for the exposure process is realized. I can't.
[0008]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate cooling apparatus and a substrate cooling method capable of solving the above technical problems and cooling the substrate in a short time.
[0009]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate cooling apparatus and a substrate cooling method capable of performing a precise cooling process in a short time.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention]
  In order to achieve the above object, an invention according to claim 1 is provided, wherein a substrate cooling body provided in a cooling processing chamber and having a substrate cooling surface for cooling by bringing a substrate close to the substrate, and the substrate to be cooled as the substrate Displacing means that is relatively close to or away from the cooling surface;A buffer chamber having a plurality of shelves that can hold and hold a plurality of substrates;By the displacement meanssubstrateSubstrate after proximity to cooling surfaceIs substantially parallel to the substrate held on the plurality of shelves of the buffer chamber with respect to the transport means for unloading the substrate from the cooling processing chamber and loading it into the buffer chamber, and the substrate accommodated in the buffer chamber. To generate a good airflowCooling gasTheSupplyDoGas supplySteppedA substrate cooling apparatus including:
[0011]
  According to this configuration, since the cooling by the substrate cooling body is performed in the cooling processing chamber and the cooling by the cooling gas is performed in the buffer chamber, the cooling processing efficiency is increased and the throughput can be improved. In addition, the use of the buffer chamber has a space advantage as compared with the case where a dedicated external chamber is provided for the cooling process.
Further, for example, the temperature of the substrate cooling body is set lower than the target temperature, and after the substrate is roughly cooled by the substrate cooling body, the substrate is separated from the substrate cooling surface, and the substrate is precisely cooled by the cooling gas. By performing this in the buffer chamber, a highly accurate cooling process can be performed in a short time.
Further, since it is not necessary to precisely control the temperature of the substrate cooling body, there is an advantage that the control process for this temperature control is simplified.
In addition, since a plurality of substrates can be accommodated in the buffer chamber, a difference in processing time from the next process (for example, exposure processing) can be temporarily absorbed. In addition, since the cooling gas is supplied to the substrate waiting in the buffer chamber, the substrate can be sufficiently cooled using the time the substrate is waiting, and the next process is precisely cooled. The processed substrate can be sent out. In addition, since the temperature of the substrate in the buffer chamber is adjusted, there is no problem even if the substrate is kept in the buffer chamber for a long time.
Furthermore, in the present invention, since the cooling gas is supplied so as to generate an air flow substantially parallel to the substrate held on the plurality of stages of the shelf in the buffer chamber, it is held in a stacked state on the plurality of stages of the shelf. The cooling gas can be smoothly supplied to the individual substrates, and a good cooling effect can be obtained. In addition, since the cooling gas can be supplied to both surfaces of the substrate, the substrate can be quickly cooled.
[0013]
  By substrate cooling bodyAs the cooling method, an adsorption method in which the substrate is adsorbed on the substrate cooling surface and cooled by direct heat conduction may be adopted. Proximity type in which the substrate is supported by a small gap between the cooling surface and the substrate is cooled by thermal convection between the substrate and the substrate cooling surface or heat conduction through the air between them. It is preferable that the proximity adsorption type is adopted.
[0014]
The displacement means may include a support member such as a lift pin that supports the substrate and a support member drive mechanism such as a lift drive mechanism that moves the support member close to or away from the substrate cooling surface.
[0015]
Further, the displacing means may move the substrate, move the substrate cooling body, or move both the substrate and the substrate cooling body.
[0016]
The invention as set forth in claim 2 is characterized in that the gas supply means includes air supply means for supplying a cooling gas to the substrate to be cooled by pressure. It is.
[0017]
According to this configuration, the cooling gas can be efficiently supplied to the substrate by pumping the cooling gas.
[0018]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the gas supply means includes exhaust means for supplying a cooling gas to the substrate by exhausting the atmosphere around the substrate to be cooled. A substrate cooling apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.
[0019]
  According to this configuration, by evacuating the atmosphere around the substrate, new empty space that is not heated is used.FeelingSupplied to the substrate. Therefore, in particular,Of the gas around the substrateWhen the temperature is close to the target temperature for substrate cooling, the cooling gas can be supplied to the substrate without providing an air supply means. Therefore, the running cost of the apparatus can be reduced while simplifying the configuration of the apparatus.
[0020]
Further, if push-pull exhaust is performed by combining the air supply means and the exhaust means, the flow rate of the gas around the cooled substrate can be improved, and the cooling gas can be efficiently supplied to the substrate. Therefore, the substrate cooling processing time can be further shortened.
[0033]
  Claim4The invention described in claim 1 is characterized in that the buffer chamber includes a pre-exposure buffer chamber for temporarily storing a substrate to be carried into an exposure machine that performs exposure processing on the substrate.1 to 3It is a board | substrate cooling device of description.
[0034]
It is particularly effective to supply a cooling gas to the substrate in the pre-exposure buffer chamber before the exposure processing by the exposure device requires strict temperature adjustment of the substrate. Thereby, the time difference between the exposure process and the substrate cooling process can be absorbed, and the accuracy of the exposure process can be increased.
[0037]
  Claim5The described invention includes a substrate proximity step for bringing a substrate close to the substrate cooling surface, a proximity cooling step for cooling the substrate close to the substrate cooling surface in the substrate proximity step,To a buffer chamber having a plurality of shelves that can hold and hold a plurality of substrates,The substrate after being brought close to the substrate cooling surface in the substrate approaching stepThe substrate and the substrate accommodated in the buffer chamber so as to generate an air flow substantially parallel to the substrate held on the plurality of stages of shelves in the buffer chamber.And a gas supply step of supplying a cooling gas.
[0038]
By this method, the same effect as that of the first aspect of the invention can be achieved.
[0043]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0044]
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view for explaining the layout of a substrate processing apparatus to which a substrate cooling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The substrate processing apparatus 10 is an apparatus for performing each process for a photolithography process on a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”), for example. That is, the substrate processing apparatus 10 is configured to sequentially perform a cleaning process before resist coating, a resist coating process, an exposure process, and a development process.
[0045]
Specifically, the substrate processing apparatus 10 supplies an unprocessed substrate and stores the processed substrate, the indexer unit 1, a cleaning process, a resist coating process and a development process for these substrates, and these A processing unit section 2 for executing the process associated with the above process, an exposure machine EXP for exposing a resist film formed on the substrate surface, and an intermediary between the exposure machine EXP and the processing unit section 2 The interface unit IF is connected in series.
[0046]
The indexer unit 1 includes a cassette mounting unit 12 that can arrange and mount a plurality of cassettes 11 each capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates in a predetermined direction, and a cassette arrangement in the cassette mounting unit 12 An indexer robot 14 is provided for accessing the arbitrary cassette 11 by reciprocating linearly moving along the conveyance path 13 along the direction, and for loading / unloading the substrate to / from the cassette 11.
[0047]
The processing unit part 2 is configured by arranging various processing units in a two-story structure part including a first-floor part 21 and a second-story part 22 arranged above the first-story part 21. Is arranged with a main transfer robot 24 that can reciprocate linearly along the transfer path 23. The main transfer robot 24 is configured so that the substrate holding hand 24a can be moved up and down, and can be moved back and forth with respect to each processing unit, and an arbitrary processing unit can be accessed to load / unload a substrate. Can do.
[0048]
In the first floor portion 21 of the processing unit section 2, the following processing units are arranged in series along the transport path 23 in order from the indexer section 1 side.
[0049]
Ultraviolet irradiation unit UV: a unit that decomposes organic substances by irradiating the substrate with ultraviolet rays.
[0050]
Spin scrubber unit SS: A cleaning unit that rotates and cleans a substrate.
[0051]
Spin coater unit SC: a resist coating unit for coating a resist while rotating the substrate.
[0052]
End surface cleaning unit ER: A unit for rinsing the end surface of the substrate after resist coating.
[0053]
Spin developer unit SD: a developing unit for developing the exposed resist film with a developer.
[0054]
Above the ultraviolet irradiation unit UV, when the substrate is transferred between the indexer robot 14 and the main transfer robot 24, the substrate is once placed or the direction of the substrate is rotated by 90 degrees, for example. A substrate transfer unit TRP1 is arranged. Further, on the interface unit IF side of the spin developer unit SD, a substrate transfer unit TRP2 for transporting substrates to each other is provided between the interface unit IF and the processing unit unit 2.
[0055]
On the other hand, in the second floor portion 22 of the processing unit section 2, a plurality of heat treatment units as described below are accommodated in a unit accommodation shelf having an upper and lower two-stage structure.
[0056]
Dehydrated bake unit DB: a unit for dehydrating and drying the substrate after cleaning.
[0057]
Adhesion strengthening unit AP: A unit that improves the resist adhesion by treating the substrate surface before resist application with HMDS (hexamethyldisilazane) vapor.
[0058]
Pre-baking unit PB: A unit that performs dry baking after resist coating.
[0059]
Cooling unit CP1: A unit for cooling the substrate before resist application.
[0060]
Cooling unit CP2: a unit for cooling the substrate before the exposure process.
[0061]
Cooling unit CP3: a unit for cooling the substrate before development processing or the like.
[0062]
Cooling unit CP4: a unit that cools the substrate before accommodating the substrate in the indexer unit 1.
[0063]
Post-exposure bake unit PEB: A unit for reducing the line width by heating a substrate coated with a chemically amplified resist film after exposure.
[0064]
Post-bake unit Post B: a unit for drying the substrate after development processing.
[0065]
  The interface unit IF plays a role of temporarily holding and waiting a plurality of substrates in order to buffer a difference in processing speed between the processing unit unit 2 and the exposure apparatus EXP. The interface unit IF includes an in-buffer 31 and an out-buffer 32 arranged on the side of the substrate transfer unit TRP2 arranged between the processing unit unit 2 and the pair of the buffer unit TRP2.bufferAnd a transfer robot 34 that reciprocates linearly on the transfer path 33 along the arrangement direction of the lines 31 and 32. The in-buffer 31 is for accommodating a plurality of substrates before exposure processing, and the out-buffer 32 is for accommodating a plurality of substrates after exposure processing. The transport robot 34 can access the substrate transfer unit TRP2, the buffers 31, 32, and the exposure machine EXP to carry in / out the substrate. Thereby, for example, the transfer robot 34 can receive the substrate from the substrate transfer unit TRP2 and supply it to the in-buffer 31 and the exposure apparatus EXP, and can also receive the substrate from the exposure apparatus EXP and supply it to the out-buffer 32 and the substrate transfer unit TRP2. be able to.
[0066]
The exposure machine EXP includes, for example, an exposure machine such as a reduction projection exposure machine, an alignment mechanism for positioning for pattern printing, and the like, and is configured to expose a resist film on the substrate surface after the pre-baking process. Yes.
[0067]
In addition, for simplification of explanation, each processing unit included in the processing unit section 2 is described as being composed of one unit, but if necessary, the number of processing units may be set as follows. There may be more than one. For example, many processing units that require processing time are provided, and few processing units that do not require processing time are provided.
[0068]
FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram showing an example of processing steps by the substrate processing apparatus. That is, an unprocessed substrate is supplied from the indexer unit 1 to the ultraviolet irradiation unit UV and irradiated with ultraviolet rays, and thereafter, the substrate is subjected to a cleaning process before resist application by the spin scrubber SS. Thereafter, the substrate is subjected to a dehydration process by the dehydrated bake unit DB and further subjected to a process by the adhesion strengthening unit AP. Then, the cooling unit CP1 receives a cooling process for cooling the substrate before resist coating to about room temperature.
[0069]
The substrate on which the resist is applied by the spin coater SC is subjected to a heat treatment in the pre-baking unit PB, and then a cooling treatment for adjusting the temperature of the substrate to room temperature is performed by the cooling unit CP2. The substrate after the cooling process is carried into the exposure machine EXP via the interface unit IF and subjected to the exposure process.
[0070]
The substrate after the exposure process is subjected to a heating process by the post-exposure heating unit PEB, further cooled to room temperature by the cooling unit CP3, and then carried into the spin developer SD for a developing process. After the development, the substrate is subjected to a post-baking process by the post-bake unit Post B, cooled to room temperature by the cooling unit CP4, and then accommodated in the indexer unit 1.
[0071]
Note that other processing steps may be added to the above-described process flow as necessary. For example, a cooling process by a cooling unit is further provided between the heating process by the dehydration bake unit DB and the adhesion strengthening process by the adhesion strengthening unit AP, or the resist coating process by the spin coater SC and the end surface cleaning unit ER. There may be a case where a reduced-pressure drying process of the resist by a reduced-pressure drying unit is further provided between the end face cleaning process by (1).
[0072]
  Figure 3,UpIt is an illustrative sectional view for explaining the configuration of the cooling unit CP2. In the processing chamber 41 (cooling processing chamber) partitioned by the partition wall 40, a cooling plate 42 (substrate cooling body) slightly larger than the substrate S to be processed is disposed. The cooling plate 42 has a substantially horizontal substrate cooling surface 42A, and a plurality of spherical proximity balls 43 project from the substrate cooling surface 42A. A cooling water path 44 is formed inside the cooling plate 42, and the temperature-controlled cooling water (for example, 23 ° C.) from the temperature adjustment water unit 45 is supplied to the cooling water path 44. The cooling water that has exited 44 is returned to the temperature adjustment unit 45 again.
[0073]
A plurality of lift pins 46 are arranged so as to penetrate the cooling plate 42 in the vertical direction, and the substrate S is cooled by the lift pins 46 and a lift drive mechanism 47 including an air cylinder that lifts and lowers the lift pins 46. Displacement means for moving closer to / away from the surface 42A is configured. The lift pin 46 can support the substrate S at the upper end thereof, and the substrate transfer height for transferring the substrate S to and from the main transfer robot 24 (see FIG. 1) by raising and lowering by the raising and lowering drive mechanism 47. In addition to being supported at the position (the position of the solid line), the upper end of the cooling plate 42 is buried below the substrate cooling surface 42A (precisely below the proximity ball 43), so that the substrate S is immersed in the substrate cooling surface 42A. It can be placed on top (precisely on the proximity ball 43) (the position of the two-dot chain line).
[0074]
The front partition wall 40A to which the main transfer robot 24 can face is provided with a substrate passage port 49 at a position corresponding to the substrate delivery height, and a shutter mechanism 48 for opening and closing the substrate passage port 49 is provided. ing. The shutter mechanism 48 includes a shutter plate 48A capable of closing the substrate passage port 49, and a position between the closed position where the substrate passage port 49 is closed and the open position where the substrate passage port 49 is opened. And a shutter drive mechanism 48B that is moved by When the substrate passage port 49 is opened with the shutter plate 48A as the open position, the substrate holding hand 24a of the main transport robot 24 can enter the processing chamber 41 and transfer the substrate S to and from the lift pins 46. it can.
[0075]
The rear partition 40B facing the front partition 40A is generally formed in a horn shape, and an exhaust port 50 is formed in the substantially central portion thereof. One end of an exhaust duct 51 is connected to the exhaust port 50. The other end of the exhaust duct 51 is connected to an exhaust utility pipe provided in the factory, and a blower 52 is interposed in the middle thereof. An exhaust valve 53 capable of opening and closing a gas flow passage in the exhaust duct 51 is further provided in the middle of the exhaust duct 51 between the blower 52 and the exhaust port 50. The exhaust duct 51, the blower 52, the exhaust valve 53, and the like constitute exhaust means for forcibly exhausting the atmosphere in the processing chamber 41. If the blower 52 is configured to be directly ON / OFF controlled by the control device, the exhaust valve 53 is not necessary.
[0076]
The top surface wall 40C above the cooling plate 42 forms a rectifying plate having a plurality of punch holes arranged in a grid, for example. On the top surface wall 40C, a planar cleaning surface filter 55 (for example, HEPA filter) is arranged. An air supply path 57 that guides cooling air from the temperature control air supply device 56 is formed further above the cleaning surface filter 55. The temperature control air supply device 56 has a function as an air supply means for supplying air by pressure-feeding cooling air (for example, 23 ° C.) whose temperature has been adjusted.
[0077]
In order to control the operation of the temperature control unit 45, the lift drive mechanism 47, the shutter drive mechanism 48B, the blower 52, the exhaust valve 53, and the temperature control air supply device 56, a control device 60 (control means) including a microcomputer or the like. For example, the following substrate cooling operation is performed by the operation of the control device 60.
[0078]
The control device 60 controls the temperature adjustment unit 45 to maintain the temperature of the cooling plate 42 at the cooling target temperature (for example, 23 ° C.) of the substrate S.
[0079]
When the main transfer robot 24 carries the unprocessed substrate S into the processing chamber 41, the lift pins 46 are in the raised position (a position corresponding to the substrate delivery position). In this state, the control device 60 controls the shutter drive mechanism 48B to open the shutter plate 48.
[0080]
Thereafter, the main transfer robot 24 places the unprocessed substrate S on the lift pins 46 and retreats out of the processing chamber 41. Thereafter, the control device 60 closes the shutter plate 48 and further controls the lift drive mechanism 47 to lower the lift pin 46 to the lower position (position where the tip is buried below the substrate cooling surface 42A). Thus, the substrate S is placed on and close to the substrate cooling surface 42A, and is cooled by the cooling plate 42 from the lower surface side.
[0081]
At substantially the same timing as the substrate S is placed on the substrate cooling surface 42 </ b> A, the control device 60 starts pumping the cooling air by the temperature adjustment air supply device 56. The temperature of the cooling air is set as a cooling target temperature (for example, 23 ° C.). Thus, the cooling gas cleaned through the cleaning surface filter 55 is supplied toward the upper surface of the substrate S placed on the cooling plate 42. Thus, cooling from the upper surface of the substrate S is performed.
[0082]
The blower 52 is always operated during the operation of the cooling unit CP2. The exhaust valve 53 is opened immediately after the shutter plate 48A is opened. Thus, when the cooling air is being pumped from the temperature control air supply device 56, so-called push-pull exhaust is performed, so that the atmosphere around the substrate S can be efficiently ventilated. Therefore, since a new cooling gas whose temperature is adjusted can be satisfactorily supplied to the substrate S, an efficient cooling process can be performed. Further, even when the cooling gas is not pumped from the temperature control air supply device 56, if a gap is provided between the substrate passage port 49 and the shutter plate 48A, external air enters through the gap. Therefore, the substrate S can be cooled using this gas as cooling air.
[0083]
After a predetermined time has elapsed so that the temperature of the substrate S reaches a temperature near the cooling target temperature (± 1 to 2 ° C.), the control device 60 controls the lift drive mechanism 47 to lift the lift pin 46. And the substrate S is separated from the substrate cooling surface 42A and guided to the substrate delivery position. Then, the control device 60 opens the shutter plate 48A. Thereafter, the main transfer robot 24 receives the substrate S from the lift pins 46, and then the shutter plate 48A is closed. Then, the control device 60 stops the operation of the temperature adjustment air supply device 56 and closes the exhaust valve 53. Therefore, even after the substrate S leaves the substrate cooling surface 42A, it can be cooled by the cooling air in a period before being unloaded by the main transfer robot 24.
[0084]
Note that the pressure-feeding of the cooling air by the temperature control air supply device 56 may be started immediately after the shutter plate 48 is closed, for example. Accordingly, the substrate S can be cooled by the cooling gas from above even in the process in which the substrate S is brought close to the substrate cooling surface 42A by the lowering of the lift pins 46.
[0085]
Further, the temperature control air supply device 56 may be operated throughout the operation of the cooling unit CP2.
[0086]
  As aboveIn addition,Cooling from the lower surface of the substrate S is performed by the cooling plate 42 (proximity cooling step), and at the same time, cooling from the upper surface of the substrate S is performed by cooling air (gas supply step). Can be cooled. In addition, the cooling accuracy of the substrate S can be increased by cooling the substrate S with the cooling air. In particular, by cooling the substrate S with the cooling air after leaving the substrate cooling surface 42A, the temperature of the substrate S can be reliably adjusted to a temperature very close to the cooling target temperature. Therefore, in the subsequent exposure processing, it is possible to suppress the exposure position shift caused by the thermal expansion and contraction of the substrate S.
[0087]
Alternatively, after the substrate S has been raised to the substrate delivery position, it may wait for a certain period of time, and then the shutter plate 48A may be opened and the substrate S may be unloaded by the main transfer robot 24. Thereby, since the board | substrate S can fully be cooled with the air for cooling, the temperature accuracy of the board | substrate S can further be raised.
[0088]
Furthermore, in this case, since it is not necessary to precisely adjust the temperature of the cooling plate 42, there is also an advantage that processing related to this temperature control can be simplified. That is, a precise substrate cooling process can be performed by performing rough cooling with the cooling plate 42 and then performing precise cooling with the cooling gas.
[0089]
In this case, the temperature of the cooling plate 42 may be set lower than the cooling target temperature. For example, when the cooling target temperature is 23 ° C., the temperature of the cooling plate 42 is set to about 17 ° C. Thus, by bringing the substrate S close to the cooling plate 42, the substrate S immediately approaches the cooling target temperature. Therefore, since the time for rough cooling by the cooling plate 42 can be shortened, the entire substrate cooling processing time can be further shortened.
[0090]
Further, as described above, the external air in the clean room is supplied from the substrate passage port 49 by the exhaust by the blower 52, and this external air can be used as the cooling gas, so the temperature of the external gas is substantially equal to the cooling target temperature. In this case, that is, when the cooling target temperature is about room temperature (for example, about 23 ° C.), the temperature control air supply device 56 is not necessarily provided. However, when the temperature of the external air is not appropriate due to the thermal influence from the heat treatment unit, it is preferable to use the temperature control air supply device 56.
[0091]
Further, it is not necessary to supply the cooling air from the temperature control air supply device 56 from above the substrate S. For example, from the side partition walls connected to both sides of the front partition wall 40A in which the substrate passage ports 49 are formed. Cooling air may be introduced. In this case, the cooling air may be introduced from the side wall partition on one side wall, or the cooling air may be introduced from both side wall partitions.
[0092]
  FIG. 4 shows the present invention.oneIt is a perspective view for describing an embodiment, and the composition of the substrate cooling device applied to in buffer 31 is shown. This embodimentDescriptionIn FIG. 1, reference is also made to FIG.
[0093]
  ThisThe fruitIn the embodiment, in the cooling unit CP2 that performs the cooling process before the exposure process, the substrate S is not cooled by the cooling gas, and the substrate S is cooled only by placing the substrate S on the cooling plate. Processing is performed.
[0094]
The substrate S that has undergone the cooling process in the cooling unit CP2 having such a normal configuration is transferred to the substrate transfer unit TRP2 by the main transport robot 24, and is further transferred to the interface unit IF by the substrate transfer unit TRP2. The substrate S is further carried into the in-buffer 31 by the transfer robot 34 and is kept on standby until exposure processing is performed. In this case, the main transfer robot 24, the substrate transfer unit TRP2, and the transfer robot 34 correspond to transfer means.
[0095]
In this embodiment, the internal space of the in-buffer 31 serving as the pre-exposure buffer chamber functions as an external chamber for precisely cooling the standby substrate S with the cooling air. That is, the in-buffer 31 is formed in a box shape whose front surface (side facing the transfer robot 34) and rear surface are opened, and a cleaning surface filter 70 is disposed on the rear surface. An air supply chamber 71 having a cooling air passage formed therein is provided behind the cleaning surface filter 70. The air supply chamber 71 includes cooling air from the temperature control air supply device 72. Is pumped through the duct 73.
[0096]
A plurality of columnar substrate support members 75 for supporting the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the substrate S are fixed to both side walls of the in-buffer 31 as shown in a transparent state in FIG. A total of four substrates: a pair of substrate support members 75 arranged at an interval in front and back on one side wall, and a pair of substrate support members 75 on the other side wall facing the pair of substrate support members 75 The support members 75 are arranged in one horizontal plane, and the four substrate support members 75 form a one-stage shelf that holds one substrate S. Such shelves are formed in a plurality of stages along the vertical direction, so that a plurality of substrates S can be accommodated in the in-buffer 31 in a stacked state.
[0097]
With this configuration, the substrate S that has undergone rough cooling in the cooling unit CP2 is supplied to the in-buffer 31 through the temperature control air supply device 72 and the cleaning surface filter 70, and further through the opening on the rear surface of the in-buffer 31. A precision cooling process is performed by the cooling gas. In the in-buffer 31, the substrate S is normally kept on standby for a relatively long time. Therefore, cooling with a cooling gas is performed in the in-buffer 31 so that a cooling process with high temperature accuracy is possible (± 0.5 ° C). In addition, since the substrate S taken out from the in-buffer 31 is promptly loaded into the exposure machine EXP by the transfer robot 34 and subjected to exposure processing, temperature changes during transfer can be suppressed to a minimum. Thereby, highly accurate exposure processing can be realized.
[0098]
In addition, since cooling by the cooling plate and cooling by the cooling gas are performed in separate chambers, there is an advantage that throughput can be improved.
[0099]
  In this embodiment, since the cooling air flow 77 is formed substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate S, it is efficient for the plurality of substrates S held in the in-buffer 31. Can be supplied with cooling gas.
[0100]
Instead of pumping the cooling air toward the in-buffer 31 by the temperature control air supply device 72, for example, an exhaust duct is connected to the rear surface opening of the in-buffer 31, and the internal space of the in-buffer 31 is connected by a blower or the like. You may make it perform forced exhaustion. In this case, since external air is introduced from the substrate extraction opening 78 on the front surface of the in-buffer 31, the external air can be used as a cooling gas to precisely cool the substrate S in the in-buffer 31. .
[0101]
Further, for example, a so-called push-pull exhaust is performed by pumping a cooling gas from one side wall or both side walls of the in-buffer 31 and forcibly exhausting from the rear surface of the in-buffer 31 using a blower or the like. Also good.
[0102]
  FIG., GroupPlate cooling systemotherFIG. 6 is a schematic plan view for explaining the configuration, and FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view as seen from the section line VI-VI in FIG. 5. thisConstitutionThe cooling unit CP2 that performs the cooling process before the exposure process is also described above.The fruitAs in the case of the embodiment, the cooling unit is a normal cooling unit configured to cool the substrate S by placing the substrate S on the cooling plate.
[0103]
  thisConfiguration of FIG., The cooling gas created by the temperature-controlled air supply device 91 is supplied to the path chamber 90 surrounding the entire path through which the substrate S passes from the cooling unit CP2 to the exposure apparatus EXP.QingIt is supplied through a cleaning surface filter 92. That is, the cleaning surface filter 92 is disposed above the interface unit IF, and the cooling gas from the temperature control air supply device 91 is passed through the cooling gas passage 93 to the cleaning surface filter 92. It is designed to be pumped. The cooling gas purified by the cleaning surface filter 92 is supplied from above to the passage chamber 90 including the internal space of the interface unit 92 and the internal space of the substrate transfer unit TRP2. .
[0104]
  With this configuration, the substrate S roughly cooled in the cooling unit CP2 can be precisely cooled in the passage chamber 90.The fruitThe same effects as in the embodiment can be achieved. And thisConfiguration of FIG.In this case, since the temperature of the substrate S carried out from the cooling unit CP2 is adjusted throughout the process until it is carried into the exposure apparatus EXP, the substrate S that has been subjected to extremely strict temperature adjustment is exposed. Processing can be performed. Thereby, further precise exposure becomes possible.
[0105]
  In addition, thisConfiguration of FIG.For example, the cleaning surface filter 92 is opened above the cleaning surface filter 92 so that the air in the clean room can be taken in, and the air inside the passage chamber 90 is removed at a position closer to the lower side of the interface unit IF. Exhaust means (for example, a blower and an exhaust duct) for forced exhaust may be provided. Thereby, the air in the clean room can be taken into the passage chamber 90 as a cooling gas from above the interface unit IF.
[0106]
In addition, by providing both the exhaust means and the temperature control air supply device 91 and performing so-called push-pull exhaust, cooling air is efficiently supplied to the substrate S in the passage chamber 90. It may be.
[0107]
  Other configuration examples includeFor example,coldThe substrate S after being roughly cooled by the rejection unit CP2 is subjected to a precision cooling process using cooling air in the interface unit IF. A chamber may be provided. That is, for example, a unit for supplying cooling air to the substrate S and performing precise cooling may be added to the second floor portion 22 of the processing unit section 2. Thereby, since the rough cooling and the precise cooling of the substrate S can be performed in separate units, the throughput of the substrate S can be improved.
[0108]
  In this case, if a plurality of stages of shelves for accommodating a plurality of substrates are provided in the external chamber, sufficient time can be taken for cooling with cooling air. That is, by taking out the substrate from the external chamber by a first-in first-out method, a sufficient air cooling time can be secured for each substrate. In other words, it is only necessary to provide shelves in the external room for the number of stages corresponding to the time required for air cooling of each substrate. It is preferable to form a cooling air stream in a direction substantially parallel to the substrate placed on the shelf.The fruitThis is the same as in the embodiment.
[0109]
Furthermore, although the water-cooled cooling plate 42 has been described in the configuration of FIG. 3 described above, a cooling plate that absorbs heat using an electronic cooling element (such as a Peltier element) can also be used.
[0110]
Note that the proximity of the substrate in this specification includes both bringing the substrate into direct contact with the substrate cooling surface and bringing the substrate into proximity with a predetermined gap from the substrate cooling surface.
[0111]
  Also, aboveThe fruitIn the embodiment, the example in which the present invention is applied to the cooling process (CP2) of the substrate before the exposure process has been described. For example, in the process shown in FIG. 2, the cooling process (CP1) before the resist coating (SC) is performed. ), Cooling treatment (CP3) after post-exposure heat treatment (PEB), cooling treatment (CP4) after post-baking (Post B), and cooling treatment (not shown) before adhesion strengthening treatment (AP) The present invention may be applied to any one or two or more.
[0112]
In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the present invention is applied to the cooling process in the photolithography process for the glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device has been described. However, the present invention is applicable to a process for other types of substrates such as a semiconductor wafer. In addition, even in cases other than the above-described photolithography process, it can be applied if the substrate heated to a temperature higher than room temperature is cooled.
[0113]
In addition, various design changes can be made within the scope of technical matters described in the claims.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view for explaining a layout of a substrate processing apparatus to which a substrate cooling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram showing an example of processing steps by the substrate processing apparatus.
[Fig. 3]coldIt is an illustration sectional view for explaining the composition of a rejection unit.
FIG. 4 of the present inventiononeIt is a perspective view for demonstrating embodiment, and the structure of the board | substrate cooling device applied to the in buffer is shown.
[Figure 5]BasePlate cooling systemotherIt is an illustrative top view for demonstrating a structure.
6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along a cutting plane line VI-VI in FIG. 5;
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Substrate processing equipment
CP1, CP2, CP3, CP4 Cooling unit
IF interface section
31 in buffer
32 out buffer
EXP exposure machine
41 treatment room
42 Cooling plate
44 Cooling water passage
45 Temperature control unit
46 Support Pin
47 Lifting drive mechanism
48 Shutter mechanism
48A Shutter plate
48B Shutter drive mechanism
49 Substrate passage opening
50 Exhaust vent
51 Exhaust duct
52 Blower
53 Exhaust valve
55 Surface filter for cleaning
56 Temperature control air supply device
57 Air supply path
60 Control device
70 Surface filter for cleaning
71 Air supply room
72 Temperature control air supply device
75 Substrate support member
90 Route room
91 Temperature control air supply device
92 Surface filter for cleaning
93 Gas passage for cooling

Claims (5)

A substrate cooling body provided in the cooling processing chamber and having a substrate cooling surface for cooling the substrate close to the substrate;
Displacement means for moving the substrate to be cooled relatively close to or away from the substrate cooling surface;
A buffer chamber having a plurality of shelves that can hold and hold a plurality of substrates;
Conveying means for carrying the substrate after being brought close to the substrate cooling surface by the displacement means from the cooling processing chamber and carrying it into the buffer chamber;
The substrate housed in the buffer chamber, to include a gas supply means to supply the cooling gas to generate a substantially parallel air flow with the substrate held on the shelves of a plurality of stages of the buffer chamber A substrate cooling device.   2. The substrate cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas supply means includes an air supply means for supplying a cooling gas by pressure to the substrate to be cooled.   The said gas supply means contains the exhaust means which supplies the gas for cooling with respect to this board | substrate by exhausting the atmosphere around the said board | substrate to be cooled, The said 1 or 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. Substrate cooling device. The buffer chamber, the substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises an exposure system before the buffer chamber for temporarily accommodating a substrate to be conveyed to the exposure apparatus for performing exposure processing on a substrate Cooling system. A substrate proximity process for bringing the substrate close to the substrate cooling surface;
A proximity cooling step for cooling the substrate close to the substrate cooling surface in the substrate proximity step;
A step of transporting the substrate after being brought close to the substrate cooling surface in the substrate proximity step to a buffer chamber having a plurality of stages of shelves capable of holding and storing a plurality of substrates ;
A gas supply step of supplying a cooling gas to the substrate accommodated in the buffer chamber so as to generate an air flow substantially parallel to the substrate held on the plurality of stages of shelves in the buffer chamber. Substrate cooling method.

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