JP3782795B2 - Substrate processing apparatus and maintenance method thereof - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer in a main chamber and a maintenance method thereof.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An exposure apparatus using an electron beam as a substrate processing apparatus includes a main chamber. The main chamber has a container body and an upper lid that covers the upper opening of the container body. An irradiation unit for irradiating an electron beam is provided on the upper lid, and a wafer stage for positioning and holding the semiconductor wafer is provided in the container body. As such a substrate processing apparatus, there is one in which positioning of a wafer stage in a predetermined axial direction is performed through a sub chamber including a driving mechanism provided outside the main chamber.
[0003]
For example, in the exposure apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a sub chamber including a driving mechanism is provided on one side wall portion of a main chamber, and a Y table movable in the Y direction is provided in the main chamber. . A drive rod that extends from the sub-chamber through the side wall portion into the main chamber is connected and fixed to the Y table, and the rotation of the motor is converted into a linear motion of the drive rod so that the Y table is moved to the Y table. Directional positioning is made.
[0004]
In the exposure apparatus described above, the side wall portion of the main chamber in which the sub chamber is provided is provided so as to be openable and closable. At the time of maintenance of the wafer stage, the sub chamber, the side wall, and the wafer stage are pulled out in the Y direction as a unit, and can be maintained outside the main chamber.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-171715
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described conventional exposure apparatus, since the sub chamber and the side wall are heavy, the work of pulling out the wafer stage integrally with them is a heavy labor, and a special tool such as a crane may be required. There was a problem that the nature was bad.
[0007]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of improving maintainability and a maintenance method thereof.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention includes (1) a main chamber for processing a substrate, (2) a sub chamber connected to the main chamber outside the main chamber, and (3) a gap from the main chamber. A housing portion that can house the sub-chamber. The sub-chamber is configured to be able to be accommodated in the accommodating portion after being disconnected from the main chamber.
[0009]
In this substrate processing apparatus, the connection between the sub-chamber and the main chamber can be released, and the sub-chamber can be moved and accommodated in the accommodating portion. Therefore, it is possible to easily perform maintenance on the main chamber side regardless of the sub-chamber, and the maintainability can be improved.
[0010]
In the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, a substrate holding part for positioning and holding the substrate is provided in the main chamber, and the sub-chamber displaces the drive rod extending in a predetermined direction and the drive rod in a predetermined direction. And a drive source for positioning the substrate holding portion in a predetermined direction.
[0011]
A substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention includes an opening / closing door for opening / closing an opening provided in a side wall portion of a main chamber, and a driving rod of a sub chamber passes through a through hole provided in the opening / closing door, and a substrate holding portion It may be characterized in that it is detachably connected to the head. In this way, the connection between the sub-chamber and the main chamber is released by releasing the connection between the drive rod and the substrate holder. And the maintenance of a board | substrate holding part is attained by opening an opening-and-closing door.
[0012]
The substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention may further include a guide mechanism that is detachably mounted between the main chamber and the accommodating portion and guides the movement of the sub chamber. In this way, the movement of the sub chamber is facilitated.
[0013]
The substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention further includes a casing provided movably on the installation surface of the substrate processing apparatus, and the accommodating portion is provided in the casing, and the casing is adjacent to the main chamber. When positioned, at least a part of the sub-chamber can be accommodated in the accommodating portion. In this way, since the casing can be disposed adjacent to the main chamber during normal operation, the footprint can be reduced.
[0014]
The substrate processing according to the present invention may be provided between the main chamber and the accommodating portion, and may include a gantry for mounting a substrate holding portion that is pulled out from the main chamber through the opening. In this way, the substrate holding part drawn out from the main chamber can be mounted on the gantry and maintenance can be performed.
[0015]
The substrate processing apparatus maintenance method according to the present invention is the above-described substrate processing apparatus maintenance method. This method includes: (1) a connection releasing step for releasing the connection between the main chamber and the sub chamber; and (2) a sub chamber accommodating step for moving the sub chamber and accommodating it in the accommodating portion. .
[0016]
In this maintenance method, the connection between the main chamber and the sub-chamber is released, and the sub-chamber can be moved and accommodated in the accommodating portion. Therefore, it is possible to easily perform maintenance on the main chamber side regardless of the sub-chamber, and the maintainability can be improved.
[0017]
In the maintenance method for a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a guide mechanism that is detachably mounted between the main chamber and the accommodating portion and guides the movement of the sub chamber. It is good also as providing the horizontal mounting process which crosses a guide mechanism between parts. In this way, the movement of the sub chamber is facilitated.
[0018]
In the maintenance method for a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a housing that is movable on the installation surface of the substrate processing apparatus, and the accommodating portion is provided in the housing. A housing positioning step for positioning the body away from the main chamber may be provided. In this way, the casing is disposed adjacent to the main chamber during normal operation to reduce the footprint, and at the start of maintenance, the casing is spaced apart and positioned, and the sub-chamber is accommodated in the accommodating portion. Maintenance is possible.
[0019]
In the maintenance method of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, a substrate holding part for positioning and holding the substrate is provided in the main chamber, and the substrate holding part is pulled out of the main chamber after the sub-chamber housing step. It is good also as providing a holding part drawer process. In this way, the substrate holder can be maintained outside the main chamber.
[0020]
The maintenance method of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention may include a connecting step of connecting the substrate holding part drawn out of the main chamber and the sub-chamber accommodated in the accommodating part. In this way, it is possible to test the movement of the substrate holder by the sub chamber outside the main chamber.
[0021]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.
[0022]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an electron beam exposure apparatus (hereinafter also simply referred to as “exposure apparatus”) as a substrate processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the exposure apparatus 10 includes a main chamber 12, a sub chamber 14, and a control panel 16.
[0023]
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the main chamber 12 and the sub-chamber 14. The main chamber 12 includes a container body 18 having an upper end opened, and an upper lid 20 that closes the upper opening of the container body 18.
[0024]
The upper lid 20 has a rectangular rectangular cross section, and an electron beam irradiation unit 22 for irradiating an electron beam at the center is provided. The electron beam irradiation unit 22 includes an electron barrel 24 including an upper wall portion and a side wall portion, an electron gun 26 provided on the upper wall portion in the electron barrel 24, and an electron beam emitted from the electron gun 26. A collimating lens 28 and a polarizer 30 are provided. The electron gun 26, the lens 28, and the polarizer 30 are arranged in this order downward in the vertical direction. The electron beam emitted from the electron gun 26 is collimated by the lens 28 and scanned by the polarizer 30. Irradiated onto the semiconductor wafer W.
[0025]
The container main body 18 includes a bottom wall portion (a surface plate) 18a having a rectangular plane cross section and two sets of side wall portions 18b erected on the edge of the bottom wall portion 18a. A wafer stage (substrate holding unit) 32 that holds a semiconductor wafer W for performing exposure processing is accommodated in the container body 18. The wafer stage 32 has a base 34, an X stage 36, a Y stage 38, and an electrostatic chuck 40.
[0026]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the wafer stage 32. As shown in FIG. 3, the base 34 has a rectangular cross section and is mounted on the bottom wall portion 18 a of the container body 18. On the upper surface of the base 34, a pair of protrusions 42 extending in the X direction in FIG. 3 (hereinafter, this direction is referred to as the X direction for the entire exposure apparatus 10) is provided. The base 34 is positioned and fixed on the bottom wall portion 18a during the exposure process. During maintenance, the positioning and fixing are released, and the wheel (142 in FIG. 16) provided on the lower surface of the base 34 is released. The wafer stage 32 can be pulled out of the main chamber 12 from the opening 44 by sliding in the X direction.
[0027]
The X stage 36 is mounted on the base 34 described above. A pair of liners 46 having a U-shaped cross section extending in the X direction are provided on the lower surface of the X stage 36, and the pair of liners 46 are fitted to a pair of protrusions 42 on the base 34. A pair of protrusions 48 extending in the Y direction in FIG. 3 (hereinafter, this direction is referred to as the Y direction for the entire exposure apparatus 10) is provided on the upper surface of the X stage 36. A connecting rod 52 extending in the X direction is provided on the right side surface of the X stage 36 facing the open / close door 50. The connecting rod 52 is detachably connected to a driving rod 56 of the sub-chamber 14 described later through a through hole 54 formed through the opening / closing door 50. Accordingly, when the connecting rod 52 is pushed or pulled in the X direction by the drive rod 56, the X stage 36 is positioned in the X direction by being guided by the pair of protrusions 42 on the base 34. .
[0028]
The Y stage 38 is mounted on the X stage 36. A pair of liners 58 having a U-shaped cross section extending in the Y direction are provided on the lower surface of the Y stage 38, and the pair of liners 58 are fitted to a pair of protrusions 48 on the X stage 36. An ultrasonic motor 62 is provided on the lower surface of the Y stage 38. A rod 60 extending in the Y direction is connected to the upper surface of the X stage 36, and the ultrasonic motor 62 is displaced in the Y direction with respect to the rod 60. Accordingly, the Y stage 38 is positioned in the Y direction while being guided by the pair of protrusions 48 on the X stage 36. An electrostatic chuck 40 is mounted on the upper surface of the Y stage 38. Accordingly, the semiconductor wafer W is positioned by the X stage 36 and the Y stage 38 while being attracted by the electrostatic chuck 40.
[0029]
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a mask stage 64 for positioning and holding a mask M on which a desired pattern is formed is accommodated in the container body 18. The mask stage 64 performs positioning in a rotational direction (θ direction) in a horizontal plane, a vertical direction (hereinafter, this direction is the Z direction for the entire exposure apparatus 10), and a fine tilt. The mask stage 64 is mounted on a reference base 66 erected on the bottom wall portion 18 a of the main chamber 12.
[0030]
In the container main body 18, a photodetector 68 such as a white light microscope that irradiates light onto the mask M and the semiconductor wafer W and detects light scattered by an alignment mark (not shown) is provided. This photodetector 68 is mounted on the reference base 66. The data detected by the photodetector 68 is sent to an image processing device (not shown) mounted on the control panel 16 and processed, and the positional relationship between the mask M and the semiconductor wafer W is obtained from the degree of alignment mark overlap. . When the mask M and the semiconductor wafer W are misaligned, a signal for correcting the position of the mask M and / or the semiconductor wafer W is generated. Based on this signal, the position of the mask M and / or the semiconductor wafer W is determined. Minor correction. In this way, precise positioning between the mask M and the semiconductor wafer W is performed. In the present embodiment, the mask M is arranged close to the semiconductor wafer W (the gap between the mask M and the semiconductor wafer W is about 50 μm).
[0031]
The internal space of the main chamber 12 is decompressed by a vacuum pump (not shown). Under this reduced pressure environment, the desired pattern is transferred to the resist on the semiconductor wafer W at the same magnification by scanning the entire surface of the mask M with the electron beam emitted from the electron beam irradiation unit 22.
[0032]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the main chamber 12 is mounted on a vibration isolation table 70 provided below the bottom wall portion 18a. An opening 44 is provided in the right side wall of the main chamber 12, and an opening / closing door 50 is provided in the opening 44. Therefore, the wafer stage 32 can be maintained outside the main chamber 12 by opening the door 50 and sliding the wafer stage 32 in the horizontal direction (X direction in FIG. 3).
[0033]
As shown in FIG. 1, the open / close door 50 is attached to the container body 18 by a hinge 72 so as to be openable / closable. A terminal 74 for introducing a current into the main chamber 12 is provided in the vicinity of the hinge of the open / close door 50. Here, “provided near the hinge 72 of the open / close door 50” means that it is provided at least on the hinge 72 side from the center of the open / close door 50 in the Y direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the terminal 74 is airtightly attached to the open / close door 50 via an O-ring 76 and is connected to a connector 78 in the main chamber 12. As a result, various devices housed in the main chamber 12 are driven. The wiring cable 80 extending from the terminal 74 extends toward the control panel 16 as shown in FIG.
[0034]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the subchamber 14 is disposed adjacent to a position facing the open / close door 50 outside the main chamber 12. The sub-chamber 14 includes a drive rod 56 that extends in the X direction (predetermined direction), a drive source that displaces the drive rod 56 in the X direction, and a housing 80 that houses the drive rod 56 and the drive source. Yes. The drive source includes a screw rod 82 having a screw engraved on its surface in a spiral shape and a motor 84 that rotates the screw rod 82 about its axis. The screw rod 82 extends along the X direction. A cylindrical member 86 is inserted into the screw rod 82, and a screw engraved on the inner surface of the cylindrical member 86 is engaged with a screw engraved on the surface of the screw rod 82.
[0035]
The cylindrical member 86 is connected to the starting end of the drive rod 56. The bottom portion of the cylindrical member 86 is fitted into a liner 88 having a groove extending along the X direction on the top surface, and the cylindrical member 86 is guided to move in the X direction in a state where rotation is restricted. It has become so. Therefore, when the motor 84 rotates and the screw rod 82 rotates, the cylindrical member 86 moves in the X direction, and accordingly, the drive rod 56 moves in the X direction. By the movement of the drive rod 56, the X stage 36 (and the Y stage 38 mounted thereon) is positioned in the X direction via the connecting rod 52.
[0036]
Two pairs of wheels 90 are provided on the bottom surface of the housing 80 of the sub-chamber 14. The sub-chamber 14 described above is mounted and supported on a support base 92 provided at the lower part of the right side wall portion of the main chamber 12. In addition, a bellows-like bellows 94 that airtightly closes the space between the sub chamber 14 and the main chamber 12 is detachably provided between the sub chamber 14 and the open / close door 50 of the main chamber 12. . One end of the bellows 94 is airtightly attached around the through hole 54 of the opening / closing door 50 through which the connecting rod 52 and the drive rod 56 are inserted, and the other end of the housing 80 of the sub-chamber 14 through which the drive rod 56 is inserted. It is airtightly attached to the front surface and covers the connecting portion between the drive rod 56 and the connecting rod 52. Thereby, the inside of the main chamber 12 and the sub-chamber 14 is evacuated by a vacuum pump (not shown), and a reduced pressure environment is realized.
[0037]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the control panel 16 is disposed so as to face the right side wall portion where the opening / closing door 50 of the main chamber 12 is provided. This control panel 16 performs various controls for performing exposure processing on the semiconductor wafer W in the main chamber 12 such as image processing for positioning the semiconductor wafer W and the mask M and performing exposure correction. A control device 96 is included, and these control devices 96 are accommodated in a casing 98 whose outer shape is a rectangular parallelepiped. A lower portion of the casing 98 is hollow to form a space portion 100, and an extra length portion of the wiring cable 80 extending from the terminal 74 of the main chamber 12 to the control panel 16 can be accommodated.
[0038]
The control panel 16 is provided so as to be movable along the drawing direction of the wafer stage 32 (X direction in FIG. 3). That is, the control panel 16 has a normal operation position adjacent to the right side wall of the main chamber 12 (see FIG. 6) and a maintenance position separated from the main chamber 12 by a predetermined distance along the X direction (see FIG. 1). Between the two and the guide rails 102 are provided so as to be movable.
[0039]
The pair of rails 102 are laid parallel to each other between the normal operation position and the maintenance position. The control panel 16 is guided on a pair of rails 102 via wheels 104 provided at the lower part of the casing 98 and can move in the X direction.
[0040]
As shown in FIG. 5, by using a partial space in the housing 98 of the control panel 16, the accommodating portion 106 that can accommodate the sub-chamber 14 at a height position substantially the same as the height of the sub-chamber 14. Is provided. The accommodating portion 106 has a mounting surface on which the sub-chamber 14 is mounted, and a rib 108 for positioning the sub-chamber 14 is provided on a side edge portion of the mounting surface. As shown in FIG. 6, the accommodating portion 106 can accommodate at least a part of the sub-chamber 14 when the control panel 16 is located at the normal operation position.
[0041]
In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the exposure apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes a guide rail (guide mechanism) 110 that is detachably mounted between the main chamber 12 and the accommodating portion 106 of the control panel 16. Yes. The guide rail 110 includes a pair of rails 112 having an L-shaped cross section, a pair of ribs 114 provided on the bottom surface of the rail 112, and a connection for connecting the pair of ribs 114 to connect the pair of rails 112. Rib 116. The pair of rails 112 are connected so as to correspond to the distance between the wheels 90 provided on the bottom surface of the sub-chamber 14, and the wheels 90 of the sub-chamber 14 roll and move on the rails 112. At this time, the bent portion 112a of the rail 112 prevents the sub chamber 14 from falling to the side.
[0042]
One end of the guide rail 110 is provided with a locking portion 120 that is locked to the rail receiving portion 118 of the housing portion 106 provided in the control panel 16. The locking portion 120 is composed of a flat plate connected between the pair of rails 112. As shown in FIG. 5, the locking portion 120 is fitted and locked in a rail receiving portion 118 including a recess having a U-shaped cross section provided on the front surface of the housing portion 106. As shown in FIG. 8, the other end of the guide rail 110 is placed on a rail receiving portion 122 having an L-shaped cross section provided on the front surface of the support base 92 of the main chamber 12. The rail receiving portion 122 includes a substrate portion 122a and a bent plate portion 122b. The substrate portion 122a is fixed on the front surface of the support base 92 so that the plate surface is along the vertical direction, and the bent plate portion 122b supports the guide rail 110. To receive. In this way, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the guide rail 110 is horizontally mounted between the main chamber 12 and the accommodating portion 106 of the control panel 16.
[0043]
8 and 10, a pair of screw holes are provided in the bent plate portion 122b of the rail receiving portion 122 on the main chamber 12 side, and bolts 124 are engaged with the screw holes. The bolt 124 can adjust the height of the bolt 124 protruding in the vertical direction from the upper surface of the bent plate portion 122b. By rotating and raising the bolt 124, the guide rail 110 can be lifted and lowered via the pair of rails 112 that are in contact with the upper end of the bolt 124. The inclination of the guide rail 110 can be adjusted between (inclination adjusting means).
[0044]
In addition, the exposure apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes a gantry 126 that can be installed between the main chamber 12 and the control panel 16 as shown in FIG. The pedestal 126 has a base portion 128 and a pair of rails 130. Wheels 132 are provided on the bottom surface of the base portion 128 and can be easily moved on the installation surface. The pair of rails 130 are provided on the upper surface of the base portion 128 in a state of being parallel to each other. The distance between the pair of rails 130 is set so as to correspond to the distance between the wheels (142 in FIG. 16) provided on the lower surface of the base 34 of the wafer stage 32. The length of the pair of rails 130 in the longitudinal direction is longer than the length of the base portion 128 in that direction, and both end portions of the rails 130 protrude from the side walls of the base portion 128. On the upper surface of the pair of rails 130, a groove for guiding a wheel (142 in FIG. 16) provided on the lower surface of the base 34 of the wafer stage 32 is provided.
[0045]
One end of the pair of rails 130 is provided with a bracket 134 for connection to the sub chamber 14 accommodated in the accommodating portion 106. In addition, a bracket 136 for connecting to the main chamber 12 is provided at the other end of the pair of rails 130. The positioning of the gantry 126 using these brackets 134 and 136 will be described later.
[0046]
Further, on the upper surface of the end portion of the pair of rails 130 on the side where the bracket 134 is provided, a protrusion 138 for positioning the wafer stage 32 mounted on the mount 126 guided by the pair of rails 130. Is provided. Further, a screw hole 140 is formed in the side surface at the end portion of the pair of rails 130 where the bracket 136 is provided. The positioning of the wafer stage 32 using these protrusions 138 and the screw holes 140 will be described later.
[0047]
The above-described gantry 126 is installed between the main chamber 12 and the control panel 16 during maintenance as shown in FIGS. At this time, as shown in FIG. 14, the bracket 134 is connected to the sub-chamber 14 that is accommodated and positioned in the accommodating portion 106 of the control panel 16. Further, the bracket 136 is connected to the right side wall portion of the main chamber 12 as shown in FIG. In this way, the gantry 126 is positioned between the main chamber 12 and the control panel 16. At this time, the end portions of the pair of rails 130 on the main chamber 12 side are located at substantially the same height as the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 18 a of the main chamber 12 on which the wafer stage 32 is mounted, up to the opening 44. It extends. Thereby, the movement of the wafer stage 32 to the pair of rails 130 is performed smoothly.
[0048]
As described above, the wheel 142 is provided on the lower surface of the base 34 of the wafer stage 32. As shown in FIG. 16, the wafer stage 32 is guided on the pair of rails 130 via the wheel 142, and the pedestal is supported. It can be pulled out on 126. As shown in FIG. 16, the wafer stage 32 pulled out on the gantry 126 moves in the X direction by causing the right side wall of the base 34 to abut against the protrusion 138 and the left side wall to abut against the stopper 144. It is possible to position by regulating.
[0049]
As shown in FIG. 17, the stopper 144 is an L-shaped member having a base portion 144 and a contact portion 146. An elongated hole 150 is formed through the base 146 of the stopper 144. The stopper 144 is fixed to the side surface of the rail 130 by engaging the male screw 152 with the screw hole 140 through the elongated hole 150 on the side surface of the end portion of the pair of rails 130 where the bracket 136 is provided. It has become. At this time, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 17, the position of the stopper 144 in the X direction can be finely adjusted by the long hole 150, and the contact portion 148 can be reliably brought into contact with the left side wall of the base 34. It is like that. In this way, the movement of the wafer stage 32 mounted on the gantry 126 in the X direction is restricted.
[0050]
As shown in FIG. 16, the connecting rod 52 can be connected to the drive rod 56 of the sub-chamber 14 accommodated in the accommodating portion 106 of the control panel 16 in a state where the wafer stage 32 is mounted on the mount 126. ing.
[0051]
Next, a maintenance method for the exposure apparatus 10 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
[0052]
During normal operation (exposure processing), as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the subchamber 14 is mounted on and supported by the support base 92 and faces the open / close door 50 outside the main chamber 12. Located adjacent to the position. The drive rod 56 is connected to the connecting rod 52 of the wafer stage 32 through the through hole 54 of the open / close door 50. A bellows 94 is attached between the sub chamber 14 and the open / close door 50 of the main chamber 12, and the space between the sub chamber 14 and the main chamber 12 is hermetically closed. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the control panel 16 is disposed at a normal operation position adjacent to the right side wall portion of the main chamber 12. At this time, a part of the sub-chamber 14 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 106 of the control panel 16.
[0053]
In this state, as shown in FIG. 2, the semiconductor wafer W is supplied into the container body 18 and is attracted onto the electrostatic chuck 40. Further, the mask M is supplied into the container body 18 and is held on the mask stage 64. Then, the positioning of the mask M and the semiconductor wafer W is performed. The positioning of the mask M and the semiconductor wafer W is performed by determining the positional relationship between the mask M and the semiconductor wafer W by the control device 96 of the control panel 16 based on the signal detected by the photodetector 68. This is done on the basis of a signal sent to the chamber 12 that corrects both of these positions.
[0054]
At this time, the positioning of the semiconductor wafer W is performed as follows. That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when the screw rod 82 is rotated by the rotation of the motor 84 of the sub-chamber 14, the cylindrical member 86 is guided in the X direction by the liner 88, and the drive rod 56 is moved in the X direction. It is displaced to. When the drive rod 56 is displaced in the X direction, the connecting rod 52 connected thereto is pushed or pulled in the X direction. Thereby, the X stage 36 (and the Y stage 38 mounted thereon) is positioned in the X direction. Further, the rod 60 is pushed or pulled in the Y direction by the ultrasonic motor 62. Thereby, the Y stage 38 is positioned in the Y direction. In this way, the semiconductor wafer W is positioned in the XY directions. In the present embodiment, the mask M and the semiconductor wafer W are positioned in a state where they are close to each other (the gap between the mask M and the semiconductor wafer W is about 50 μm).
[0055]
Next, irradiation of the electron beam from the electron beam irradiation unit 22 is started in the main chamber 12 under a reduced pressure environment. The electron beam emitted from the electron gun 26 of the electron beam irradiation unit 22 is collimated by the lens 28 and scanned by the polarizer 30 to scan the entire surface of the mask M. Thereby, a desired mask pattern is transferred to the resist on the semiconductor wafer W at the same magnification.
[0056]
The above process is repeated and a predetermined number of exposure processes are performed. However, in the case of regular or sudden trouble, the wafer stage 32 is pulled out from the main chamber 12 to perform maintenance. At the time of maintenance, the control panel 16 is first moved from the normal operation position in FIG. 6 to the maintenance position in FIG. 1 while being guided along the rail 102 on the installation surface (step S101: housing positioning step). At this time, the wiring cable 80 accommodated in the space 100 provided below the control panel 16 is extended.
[0057]
Next, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the guide rail 110 is horizontally mounted between the main chamber 12 and the accommodating portion 106 of the control panel 16 (step S <b> 102: horizontal mounting step). At this time, one end of the guide rail 110 is received by the rail receiving portion 118 on the housing portion 106 side, and the other end is received by the rail receiving portion 122 on the main chamber 12 side. And the inclination of the guide rail 110 is adjusted so that it may fall several mm toward the accommodating part 106 by rotating the volt | bolt 124 of the rail receiving part 122 and adjusting height (step S103).
[0058]
Next, after removing the bellows 94, the connection between the drive rod 56 of the sub-chamber 14 and the connection rod 52 of the wafer stage 32 is released (step S104: connection release step). Then, as shown in FIG. 19, while guiding the guide rail 110 on the wheels 90, the sub-chamber 14 is moved to the accommodating portion 106 and accommodated (step S105: sub-chamber accommodating step). Then, the tip of the bolt 156 protrudes from below the mounting surface of the housing portion 106 to function as a wheel stopper, thereby positioning the sub-chamber 14 and preventing the housing portion 106 from jumping out.
[0059]
Next, the guide rail 110 laid horizontally between the main chamber 12 and the control panel 16 is removed (step S106), and as shown in FIG. 20, the open / close door 50 of the main chamber 12 is opened (step S107).
[0060]
Next, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the gantry 126 is inserted between the main chamber 12 and the control panel 16 (step S <b> 108). At this time, if the flat plate 125 is installed between the rails 102 for guiding the control panel 16 on the installation surface, and the wiring cable 80 is put under the flat plate 125, the installation of the mount 126 is performed. Further, the wiring cable 80 does not get in the way. Then, as shown in FIG. 14, the bracket 134 provided at one end of the rail 130 on the gantry 126 is connected to the tip portion of the sub chamber 14 accommodated in the accommodating portion 106. Further, a bracket 136 provided at the other end of the rail 130 on the gantry 126 is coupled to the main chamber 12 as shown in FIG. In this manner, the gantry 126 is positioned between the main chamber 12 and the control panel 16.
[0061]
Then, as shown in FIG. 16, the wafer stage 32 is pulled out onto the gantry 126 while being guided on the rail 130 via the wheels 142 (step S <b> 109: substrate holding unit pulling out step). Thereby, maintenance of the wafer stage 32 such as cleaning can be performed outside the main chamber 12.
[0062]
In this embodiment, the movement of the X stage 36 and the Y stage 38 may be tested through the following steps. When testing the movements of the X stage 36 and the Y stage 38, the right side wall of the base 34 is first brought into contact with the protrusions 138 provided on the pair of rails 130, as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 17, the male screw 152 is engaged with the screw hole 140 on the side surface of the rail 130 through the long hole 150 to fix the stopper 144 to the side surface of the rail 130. At this time, the stopper 144 is positioned in the X direction by the long hole 150, and the contact portion 148 is brought into contact with the left side wall of the base 34. Thereby, the wafer stage 32 is positioned between the protrusion 138 and the stopper 144, and movement in the X direction is restricted (step S110).
[0063]
Next, the drive rod 56 of the sub-chamber 14 housed in the housing portion 106 of the control panel 16 and the connecting rod 52 of the X stage 36 are connected (step S111: connecting step). Then, the motor 84 of the sub chamber 14 is driven to test the movement of the X stage 36. Further, the ultrasonic motor 62 on the X stage 36 is driven to test the movement of the Y stage 38 (step S112). In this manner, the movement of the X stage 36 and the Y stage 38 is confirmed outside the main chamber 12, and maintenance such as fine adjustment is performed as necessary. Through the above steps, the maintenance of the wafer stage 32 is completed.
[0064]
When the maintenance is completed, the connection between the drive rod 56 and the connecting rod 52 is released. Further, the stopper 144 fixed to the rail 130 is removed. Then, the wafer stage 32 is returned into the main chamber 12 while being guided by the rail 130 and positioned in the main chamber 12.
[0065]
Next, the connection between the sub chamber 14 and the bracket 134 and the connection between the main chamber 12 and the bracket 136 are removed, and the gantry 126 is removed from between the main chamber 12 and the control panel 16. Then, the opening / closing door 50 is closed to close the opening 44 of the main chamber 12.
[0066]
Next, the guide rail 110 is placed horizontally between the main chamber 12 and the accommodating portion 106 of the control panel 16. At this time, by adjusting the height by rotating the bolt 124 of the rail receiving portion 122, the inclination of the guide rail 110 is adjusted so as to rise several mm toward the main chamber 12.
[0067]
Next, the sub chamber 14 is moved while being guided on the guide rail 110, and is mounted on and supported by the support base 92. Then, the connecting rod 52 of the wafer stage 32 whose end is exposed outside the main chamber 12 through the through hole 54 of the opening / closing door 50 and the driving rod 56 of the sub-chamber 14 are connected, and the bellows 94 is attached. Then, the guide rail 110 horizontally mounted between the main chamber 12 and the accommodating portion 106 of the control panel 16 is removed.
[0068]
Finally, as shown in FIG. 6, the control panel 16 is moved from the maintenance position to the normal operation position while guiding on the rail 102 provided on the installation surface.
[0069]
As described above in detail, in the present embodiment, the connection between the drive rod 56 and the connection rod 52 of the wafer stage 32 is released, and the sub-chamber 14 is moved to the accommodating portion 106 while being guided by the guide rail 110. Can be accommodated. Therefore, the opening / closing door 50 can be easily opened regardless of the sub-chamber 14 and the wafer stage 32 can be maintained outside the main chamber 12. When the maintenance is completed, the sub-chamber 14 is moved from the accommodating portion 106 to the main chamber 12 while the door 50 is closed and guided by the guide rail 110, and the drive rod 56 and the connecting rod 52 of the wafer stage 32 are connected again. Can be linked. In this way, maintenance can be performed with a simple operation, and the maintainability can be improved.
[0070]
In the present embodiment, the sub-chamber 14 can be easily moved by rolling of the wheel 90 provided on the bottom surface of the sub-chamber 14, thereby further improving maintainability.
[0071]
Further, in the present embodiment, the control panel 16 is provided so as to be movable on the installation surface, and when located at a position adjacent to the main chamber 12, at least a part of the sub-chamber 14 can be accommodated in the accommodating portion 106. Therefore, the footprint can be reduced by arranging the control panel 16 adjacent to the main chamber 12 during normal operation.
[0072]
Further, in the present embodiment, the sub-chamber provided between the main chamber 12 and the accommodating portion 106 is provided in the main chamber 12 and the inclination of the guide rail 110 horizontally mounted between the accommodating portion 106 is adjusted. 14 can be easily moved, and the maintenance can be further improved.
[0073]
In the present embodiment, the open / close door 50 is provided so as to be openable / closable via a hinge 72, and a terminal 74 for introducing a current into the main chamber 12 is provided in the vicinity of the hinge 72 of the open / close door 50. Thus, the position variation of the terminal 74 before and after the opening / closing of the opening / closing door 50 becomes small, and it is not necessary to release the connection between the terminal 74 and the connector 78 in the main chamber 12 each time the opening / closing door 50 is opened / closed. Can be further improved.
[0074]
Further, in the present embodiment, by installing the gantry 126 between the main chamber 12 and the accommodating portion 106, the wafer stage 32 pulled out from the main chamber 12 is mounted on the gantry 126, and maintenance is performed outside the main chamber 12. It is possible to perform maintenance work easily. At this time, the wafer stage 32 can be easily moved onto the gantry 126 by being guided by the rail 130.
[0075]
Further, in the present embodiment, in a state where the wafer stage 32 is mounted on the gantry 126, the sub chamber 14 accommodated in the accommodating portion 106 is connected via the drive rod 56, so that the wafer by the sub chamber 14 on the gantry 126. The movement of the stage 32 can be tested. At this time, since the gantry 126 is connected to the subchamber 14 that is accommodated and positioned in the accommodating portion 106 and the wafer stage 32 is positioned on the gantry 126, the distance between the wafer stage 32 and the subchamber 14 is maintained. Thus, the movement test of the wafer stage 32 on the gantry 126 can be reliably performed.
[0076]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, the connection between the connection rod 52 and the drive rod 56 of the sub-chamber 14 may be released before the guide rail 110 is horizontally mounted.
[0077]
In the above embodiment, the electron beam exposure apparatus 10 has been described as the substrate processing apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the wafer stage 32 includes the sub-chamber 14 for positioning the wafer stage 32 in a predetermined direction. The present invention can be applied to other processing apparatuses as long as the substrate processing apparatus performs maintenance by pulling out 32 from the side wall. For example, the present invention can be applied to an exposure apparatus that uses ultraviolet light or the like as a light source, or an electron beam drawing apparatus that performs drawing directly on a substrate.
[0078]
Further, the present invention is applicable not only to a processing apparatus for a semiconductor wafer W but also to a liquid crystal panel manufacturing apparatus for forming a pattern such as an ITO film on a glass substrate in forming a liquid crystal panel.
[0079]
【The invention's effect】
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the substrate processing apparatus which can aim at the improvement of maintainability, and its maintenance method are provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an electron beam exposure apparatus according to the present embodiment (a state in which a control panel is located at a maintenance position).
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a main chamber and a sub chamber.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a wafer stage provided in the main chamber.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a terminal for introducing a current into the main chamber.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a control panel.
FIG. 6 is a front view showing the configuration of the electron beam exposure apparatus according to the present embodiment (a state in which the control panel is located at a normal operation position).
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a guide rail.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a rail receiving portion that receives one end of a support base and a guide rail that support a sub-chamber.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which a guide rail is horizontally mounted between the main chamber and the housing part of the control panel.
FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state in which a guide rail is horizontally mounted between the main chamber and the housing part of the control panel.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a gantry for mounting a wafer stage.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a state in which a gantry is installed between the main chamber and the control panel.
FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a state in which a gantry is installed between the main chamber and the control panel.
FIG. 14 is a partially enlarged view showing a state of connection between a bracket provided at one end of a rail on the gantry and a sub-chamber.
FIG. 15 is a partially enlarged view showing a state of connection between a bracket provided at the other end of the rail on the gantry and the main chamber.
FIG. 16 is a front view showing a state in which a wafer stage is pulled out and mounted on a gantry.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a state in which the stopper is connected to the screw hole of the rail via the bolt.
FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a flow of a maintenance method for the exposure apparatus according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 19 is a front view showing a state in which the sub chamber moved while being guided by the guide rail is housed in the housing portion.
20 is a perspective view showing a state in which the guide rail is removed from the state shown in FIG. 19 and the open / close door is opened. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Electron beam exposure apparatus, 12 ... Main chamber, 14 ... Sub chamber, 16 ... Control panel, 32 ... Wafer stage, 44 ... Opening part, 50 ... Opening / closing door, 54 ... Through-hole, 56 ... Drive rod, 72 ... Hinge , 74 ... Terminal, 82 ... Screw rod, 84 ... Motor, 90 ... Wheel, 96 ... Control device, 98 ... Housing, 106 ... Housing, 110 ... Guide rail, 124 ... Bolt, 126 ... Mounting stand, 130 ... Rail, W: Semiconductor wafer, M: Mask.

Claims (11)

A main chamber for processing the substrate;
A sub chamber connected to the main chamber outside the main chamber;
A housing portion that is provided with a gap from the main chamber and is capable of housing the sub-chamber,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the sub-chamber is configured to be able to be accommodated in the accommodating portion after being disconnected from the main chamber. A substrate holder for positioning and holding the substrate is provided in the main chamber,
The sub-chamber includes
A drive rod extending in a predetermined direction;
A drive source for displacing the drive rod in the predetermined direction and positioning the substrate holder in the predetermined direction;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: An open / close door for opening and closing an opening provided in the side wall of the main chamber;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the drive rod of the sub-chamber is detachably connected to the substrate holding portion through a through hole provided in the opening / closing door. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a guide mechanism that is detachably mounted between the main chamber and the housing portion and guides the movement of the sub chamber. . It further comprises a housing provided movably on the installation surface of the substrate processing apparatus,
The housing portion is provided in the housing, and when the housing is located adjacent to the main chamber, at least a part of the sub-chamber can be housed in the housing portion. The substrate processing apparatus in any one of Claims 1-4. 4. The substrate according to claim 3, further comprising a pedestal for mounting the substrate holding portion that can be installed between the main chamber and the housing portion and is pulled out from the main chamber through the opening. Processing equipment. A maintenance method for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
A connection releasing step for releasing connection between the main chamber and the sub chamber;
A sub-chamber housing step of moving the sub-chamber and housing the housing in the housing portion;
A maintenance method for a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: The substrate processing apparatus further includes a guide mechanism that is detachably mounted between the main chamber and the accommodating portion and guides the movement of the sub chamber,
8. The maintenance method for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a horizontal step of horizontally mounting the guide mechanism between the main chamber and the accommodating portion. The substrate processing apparatus further includes a housing provided movably on an installation surface of the substrate processing apparatus, and the housing portion is provided in the housing.
The maintenance method for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a housing positioning step for positioning the housing apart from the main chamber. A substrate holder for positioning and holding the substrate is provided in the main chamber,
After the subchamber housing step,
The maintenance method for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a substrate holding part pulling step for pulling out the substrate holding part to the outside of the main chamber. The maintenance method of a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a connecting step of connecting the substrate holding part drawn out of the main chamber and a sub chamber accommodated in the accommodating part.

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