JP3905672B2 - Object detection apparatus and substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, for example, a glass substrate used for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel or a plasma display panel, a semiconductor wafer, a mask substrate for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a device that handles various substrates such as a printed circuit board, and other object detection used for a machine tool. The present invention relates to an apparatus and a substrate processing apparatus for supplying various processing liquids such as pure water, a cleaning chemical, a developer, and a stripping liquid to the surfaces of the substrates to perform various wet processes.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the photolithography process used in the manufacturing process of semiconductors, liquid crystal display panels, plasma display panels, etc., a photoresist film is formed on the surface of the substrate to be processed, and process processing such as development, etching, and peeling is performed in a predetermined manner. A desired patterning is performed by supplying a treatment liquid. In a substrate processing apparatus that performs these steps, it may be necessary to detect the presence or absence of a substrate, for example, to confirm that the substrate has been transported. As a substrate detection apparatus used in such a case, for example, there is an apparatus including a pendulum that is displaced by contact with a substrate that has been transported and a switch that opens and closes a contact by the displacement of the pendulum.
[0003]
However, in a substrate detection apparatus using such a pendulum, when the substrate transport speed is high, the pendulum vibrates greatly due to contact with the substrate and vibrates, and switching of the switch contacts is repeated in a short time. So-called chattering occurred, causing false detection. In addition, depending on the processing liquid used in the substrate processing apparatus, bubbles may be generated in the processing chamber, and the bubbles may fill up to the position of the pendulum of the substrate detection device and push up the pendulum, causing false detection. It was.
[0004]
In addition, the treatment liquid may adhere to the fulcrum of the pendulum and the solute component may be crystallized and deposited, resulting in poor movement and erroneous detection.
[0005]
In addition, in a substrate processing apparatus using such a substrate detection apparatus, the substrate transport control cannot be reliably performed due to the erroneous detection as described above, and the apparatus stops or cannot perform efficient processing. Has occurred.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention provides an object detection device that does not cause false detection due to chattering or the like, and further uses the object detection device to reliably carry out substrate transport control without causing false detection due to chattering or processing liquid bubbles. It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of performing the above.
[0007]
Furthermore, the present invention provides an object detection apparatus that does not cause inconvenience due to crystallization of the processing liquid, and further provides a substrate processing apparatus that can reliably carry out substrate transport control using the object detection apparatus. Objective.
[0008]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus provided with an object detection device that does not impair the quality of the processing liquid in the processing chamber.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  The invention of claim 1An object detection device used in a processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a processing object and processing the processing object, the processing objectWhenWith one endDisplacement due to contactpendulumAnd thependulumDisplacement detection means to detect the displacement ofPure waterContainIn pure waterSaidImmerse from the fulcrum of the pendulum to the other endLiquid container andLiquid level maintaining means for maintaining the liquid level of pure water in the liquid container at a predetermined height;WithThe liquid level maintaining means includes a liquid supply means for supplying pure water into the liquid container, and a liquid discharge means for discharging pure water contained in the liquid container. Is opened, and the opening is provided with a lid that allows the pendulum to be displaced.It is characterized byThe
[0014]
  Claim2The invention of claim1The displacement detection means includes a magnetic member and a magnetoelectric conversion element that outputs a signal in accordance with a change in the magnetic field received from the magnetic member.The
[0015]
  Claim3The invention of claim2In the above, the displacement detecting means is configured such that either the magnetic member or the magnetoelectric conversion element ispendulumIt is characterized by being provided inThe
[0020]
  Claim4The invention includes a chamber structure that constitutes a processing chamber for processing a substrate, a transport mechanism that supports and transports the substrate into the processing chamber, and a processing liquid in the processing chamber with respect to the substrate transported by the transport mechanism. A liquid supply mechanism for supplying the substrate and a substrate transported by the transport mechanismWorkpieceDetect its position asThingsBody detection device and control means for controlling the transport mechanism according to the detection result of the object detection deviceAndPreparationThe object detection device includes a pendulum that is displaced by contact between an object to be processed and one end thereof, a displacement detection unit that detects the displacement of the pendulum, and stores pure water therein, and the pendulum is stored in the stored pure water. A liquid container for immersing from the fulcrum to the other end, and a liquid level maintaining means for maintaining the liquid level of pure water in the liquid container at a predetermined height, and the liquid level maintaining means is provided in the liquid container. A liquid supply means for supplying pure water; and a liquid discharge means for discharging the pure water contained in the liquid container. The liquid container has an upper opening, and the opening has a displacement of the pendulum. A lid that allowsIt is characterized byThe
[0021]
  Claim5The invention of claim4In the aboveThe liquid discharge means is pure water discharged from the liquid container.To the outside of the processing chamberRukoAnd featuresThe
[0022]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a main part of an embodiment of a substrate detection apparatus as an object detection apparatus according to the present invention and a substrate processing apparatus including the same. In this substrate processing apparatus, a rectangular glass substrate W (hereinafter simply referred to as a substrate W) is processed in a horizontal posture or slightly inclined posture while being conveyed by the roller conveyor 1 in the horizontal direction from left to right in the figure. This is a peeling apparatus that supplies a peeling liquid as a liquid to perform a peeling process on the substrate W and supplies pure water after the process to perform a cleaning process. The substrate W has a photoresist film to be peeled off on the surface thereof through a process such as formation of a photoresist film, exposure, development, etching, and the like. Although not shown in the drawing, a drying processing unit that performs drying processing by supplying dry air to the substrate W or rotating the substrate W is provided on the right side of FIG. The substrate processing apparatus includes a peeling processing unit that performs processing with a stripping solution, a cleaning processing unit that performs cleaning processing, and a drying processing unit that performs drying processing. In FIG. 1, the peeling processing unit C and the cleaning processing unit D are illustrated. Show only.
[0023]
A separation processing chamber 2 for performing a separation process on the substrate W and a cleaning processing chamber 4 for performing a cleaning process on the substrate W are partitioned by the chamber structure 3. Further, the chamber structure 3 is formed with an opening 5 for carrying the substrate W into and out of the separation processing chamber 2 and the cleaning treatment chamber 4, and the substrate W is carried into the separation processing chamber 2 through the opening 5, Further, a roller conveyor 1 is provided for carrying in and out of the cleaning processing chamber 4. The substrate W is supported and transported by the roller conveyor 1 in the peeling processing chamber 2 and the cleaning processing chamber 4.
[0024]
The peeling process chamber 2 is provided with a liquid supply mechanism 10 that can supply the processing liquid to the substrate W in the peeling process chamber 2 supported by the roller conveyor 1 at a low pressure or a high pressure. In the liquid supply mechanism 10, the stripping solution tank 18 is connected to the opening 15 below the stripping processing chamber 2 by piping, and the stripping solution discharged from the opening 15 is received by the stripping solution tank 18 and stored. The stripping solution tank 18 is provided with a temperature adjusting mechanism 14 for keeping the stored stripping solution at a predetermined temperature. The stripping solution tank 18 is connected to the nozzle 11 via a pump 19, an on-off valve 22 whose flow rate can be adjusted, and a filter 23. The pump 19 is driven by the output of the inverter 20, and the output of the inverter 20 is controlled by the control device 21. The pump 19 can be driven and controlled by controlling the frequency of the inverter 20 by the control device 21 to arbitrarily switch the discharge pressure directed toward the nozzle 11 between a low pressure and a high pressure. Thereby, the nozzle 11 installed above the roller conveyor 1 can supply the stripping solution to the substrate W supported on the roller conveyor 1 at a low pressure or a high pressure. The nozzles 11 are long in the paper surface depth direction in FIG. 1, or a plurality of the same nozzles 11 are arranged in the paper surface depth direction so that the processing liquid is supplied in the same state in the paper surface depth direction. In this way, processing unevenness is prevented from occurring in the depth direction of the paper processing surface.
[0025]
Sensors 16 and 17 for detecting the presence or absence of the substrate W on the roller conveyor 1 are provided near both ends of the roller conveyor 1 in the peeling processing chamber 2, that is, near the openings 5. The sensors 16 and 17 are connected to the control device 21 via signal processing circuits 46 and 47, respectively. When the substrate W is conveyed on the roller conveyor 1 to the sensors 16 and 17, the control device 21 This is detected based on signals generated by the sensors 16 and 17. The operation of the roller conveyor 1 is controlled by the control device 21 as will be described later, and the roller conveyor 1 is a drive source independent of other parts, particularly in the part located in the peeling processing chamber 2. A reversible motor (not shown) is used, and the substrate W carried on the roller conveyor 1 can be periodically reciprocated between the sensor 16 and the sensor 17 in the separation processing chamber 2. .
[0026]
The nozzle 11 is a high-pressure spray nozzle that supplies the release liquid in a high-pressure spray form to the substrate W when the release liquid is supplied at a high pressure. However, when the release liquid is supplied at a low pressure, the nozzle 11 is applied to the substrate W. In contrast, it is supplied in the form of a low-pressure spray. In addition, a covering member 9 is provided around each nozzle 11 to prevent the peeling liquid discharged from the nozzle 11 from being discharged at high pressure from being scattered as a mist.
[0027]
In the cleaning processing chamber 4, nozzles 24 for supplying pure water in a spray form to the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W carried from the peeling processing chamber 2 by the roller conveyor 1 and cleaning them are provided on the upper and lower sides of the roller conveyor 1. Is provided. Pure water from the pure water supply source 29 is pressurized by a pump 30 and connected to the nozzle 24 via an on-off valve 31 and a filter 32 that can adjust the flow rate. Note that a filter 33 is provided in the upper portion of the cleaning processing chamber 4 to clean and take in the surrounding downward airflow. In addition, an opening 34 is formed in the lower portion of the cleaning treatment chamber 4 for discharging the taken down airflow and discharging the pure water after use.
[0028]
The control device 21 comprises a so-called microcomputer, and is connected (not shown) to the pump 30, the on-off valves 22, 31 and the roller conveyor 1 in addition to the inverter 20 described above. Controls the entire operation of the peeling apparatus, such as feeding and transporting substrates. In particular, when supplying the stripping solution to the substrate W in the stripping chamber 2, the controller 21 strips the substrate W when it detects that the substrate W has been transported from the left to the right in the drawing and has reached the position of the sensor 17. The drive source of the roller conveyor 1 in the processing chamber 2 is reversely rotated, and this time, the substrate W is transported from the right to the left in the drawing. Then, when the substrate reaches the position of the sensor 16 next time, the substrate W is transported from the left to the right in the drawing by rotating the driving source forward. The control device 21 can reciprocate the substrate W periodically within a predetermined range in the separation processing chamber 2 by repeating such control operation. When the processing in the separation processing chamber 2 for the substrate W is completed by such reciprocating movement, the drive source of the roller conveyor 1 is rotated forward to convey the substrate W beyond the position of the sensor 17 in the right direction in the figure. , Can be sent to the cleaning treatment chamber 4.
[0029]
Here, the sensors 16 and 17 are substrate detection devices that detect whether or not the substrate W has been transported to the installation position, and are object detection devices according to the present invention. This configuration will be described in detail below. Describe. 2 and 3 are a front view and a side view of the sensors 16 and 17, respectively. The sensors 16 and 17 have the same configuration, and are rotatable and displaceable by a support shaft 52 serving as a fulcrum between a pair of support plates 50 erected in parallel in the container 70. A pendulum member 54 is provided. A recess 56 is formed at one end of the pendulum member 54, and a roller 58 is mounted in the recess 56 so as to be rotatable by a rotating shaft 60. A permanent magnet 62 is embedded in the other end of the pendulum member 54. The pendulum member 54 is heavy on the permanent magnet 62 side when viewed from the support shaft 52, and normally the permanent magnet 62 side is positioned downward as shown by a solid line in FIG. A Hall element 66 as a magnetoelectric conversion element covered with a drip-proof cover 64 is provided in the vicinity of the lower side of the permanent magnet 62 positioned below the permanent magnet 62. As is well known, the Hall element 66 is an element that uses the Hall effect to convert a change in the amount of acting magnetic force into a change in output voltage, and is connected to the signal processing circuits 46 and 47 by electric wiring 68.
[0030]
A roller 58 provided at the front end of the pendulum member 54 that is a member that is displaced in contact with the substrate W is a member provided to contact the substrate W, and reduces friction during contact with the substrate W. In order to prevent damage to the substrate, it is provided so as to be rotatable. The pendulum member 54 and the roller 58 are formed of Teflon resin. Although Teflon resin is used here, any polymer material may be used. For example, delrin or polyimide may be used. By using a polymer material as a member for contacting the substrate in this way, the substrate W can be more reliably prevented from being damaged. Here, not only the roller 58 that is a member for contacting the substrate W, but also the pendulum member 54 is formed of a polymer material, and this pendulum is attached when the sensors 16 and 17 are attached or adjusted. Even if the member 54 comes into contact with the substrate W, there is little risk of the substrate W being damaged.
[0031]
A liquid supply pipe 81 connected to a pure water supply source (not shown) through a valve is guided to the container 70, and surplus is provided at a position higher than the support shaft 52 and lower than the upper end of the container 70. A discharge pipe 82 for discharging the liquid is connected. By controlling the valve by the control device 21, the container 70 is filled with pure water introduced from the liquid supply pipe 81, and excess pure water is discharged from the discharge pipe 82 by overflowing. The level of pure water in 70 is maintained at a constant height indicated by a two-dot chain line in the drawing, that is, a height at which the support shaft 52 can be immersed. The discharge pipe 82 passes through the chamber structure 3 and is connected to a waste liquid line outside the separation processing chamber 2, and the pure water discharged from the discharge pipe 82 is supplied to the substrate W in the separation processing chamber 2. Distinguishing from the liquid, the liquid is discharged out of the peeling treatment chamber 2. Further, the container 70 has an upper opening, and a lid 71 is provided in the opening in order to prevent the processing liquid used in the peeling processing chamber 2 from directly entering the container 70. . The lid 71 is provided at a position that avoids the displacement path of the pendulum member 54 so as to allow the pendulum member 54 to be displaced when the pendulum member 54 contacts the substrate W.
[0032]
The sensors 16 and 17 are provided in the vicinity of the transport path of the substrate W in the separation processing chamber 2 by attaching the outer surface of the container 70 to the chamber structure 3. The sensors 16 and 17 contact the roller 58 when the roller 58 is positioned at the height of the substrate W conveyed by the roller conveyor 1 and the substrate W moves in the conveyance direction (indicated by an arrow in FIG. 2). Then, the pendulum member 54 is installed so that the rotation surface of the pendulum member 54 and the transport direction of the substrate W are located in the same plane so that the pendulum member 54 rotates about the support shaft 52 as indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. Is done.
[0033]
FIG. 4 is a circuit block diagram of the signal processing circuits 46 and 47. The signal processing circuits 46 and 47 have the same configuration, and respectively generate an amplification circuit 72 that amplifies the output signal of the Hall element 66 to an appropriate level and a reference signal that serves as a threshold value for substrate presence / absence determination The main components are a reference signal generation circuit 74 and a comparison circuit 76 that compares the output signal from the Hall element 66 amplified by the amplifier circuit with the reference signal from the reference signal generation circuit. The reference signal generating circuit 74 is provided with a variable circuit 78 for arbitrarily changing the level of the reference signal. The comparison circuit 76 determines whether or not there is a substrate by comparing whether the output signal from the Hall element 66 amplified by the amplification circuit 72 is larger or smaller than the reference signal as a threshold value. The variable circuit 78 includes a variable resistor 80 that can be operated by an operator of the substrate processing apparatus. By operating the variable resistor 80, the level of the reference signal generated by the reference signal generating circuit 74 can be arbitrarily changed.
[0034]
The detection operation of the substrate W by the sensors 16 and 17 will be described. When the substrate W is not present at the installation position of the sensors 16 and 17, the pendulum member 54 is at the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 2, and the permanent magnet 62 and the Hall element 66 are closest to each other, and the magnetism of the permanent magnet 62 is It acts on the Hall element 66 most strongly. Here, when the substrate W is conveyed by the roller conveyor 1, the substrate W comes into contact with the roller 58 of the pendulum member 54, and the pendulum member 54 is rotationally displaced as shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG. As a result, the positional relationship between the permanent magnet 62 and the Hall element 66 changes, the amount of magnetism received by the Hall element 66 from the permanent magnet 62 changes, and the output signal voltage of the Hall element 66 also changes. The output signal is amplified by the amplifier circuit 72 and compared with a reference signal which is a threshold value by the comparison circuit 76. When the output signal amplified by the amplifier circuit 72 exceeds the threshold value, it is determined that the substrate W has been transported, that is, the substrate W exists at the position of the sensors 16 and 17.
[0035]
At this time, since the lower part of the pendulum member 54 is immersed in pure water in the container 70, when the substrate W comes into contact with the pendulum member 54 and tries to displace it, the viscosity resistance of pure water is reduced. Work to provide a buffering effect. Therefore, even if the conveyance speed of the substrate W is high, the momentum of displacement of the pendulum member 54 is suppressed, and the chattering phenomenon in which the pendulum member 54 vibrates and the output signal becomes unstable is suppressed and hardly occurs. In addition, the container 70 is open at the top, and there is a possibility that the peeling liquid supplied to the substrate W in the processing chamber 2 may adhere to the pendulum member 54 or be mixed into the container 70, but the pendulum member 54 is movable. Since the rubbing portion with the support shaft 52 that is the portion is immersed in pure water, the stripping liquid adheres to the movable portion and its components crystallize, and the movement of the pendulum member 54 becomes smooth or unmovable. There is no inconvenience that occurs, and there is no risk of erroneous detection. Even if the liquid level of the liquid in the container 70 increases due to the mixing of the processing liquid or the like, the excess liquid is discharged from the discharge pipe 82, so that the liquid level in the container 70 is always a predetermined constant height. To be kept. In order to prevent the stripping liquid 70 from being mixed into the liquid in the container 70 and increasing its concentration, a new liquid is always supplied to the container 70 from the liquid supply pipe 81 constantly in small quantities or periodically. It is desirable to supply new liquid.
[0036]
Since the control device 21 controls the operation of the entire peeling device such as the roller conveyor 1 and the supply of the peeling liquid according to the detection results of the sensors 16 and 17, the transport control of the substrate W and the other devices are controlled reliably. It can be done and is highly reliable.
[0037]
The pendulum member 54 can swing and swing in either the left or right direction so that it can be detected whether the substrate W is transported from either the left or right direction in FIG. When transported beyond the positions of the sensors 16 and 17, it is further shaken so as not to prevent the passage of the substrate W.
[0038]
Here, by operating the variable resistor 80 of the variable circuit 78 to change the level of the reference signal, when the output signal amplified by the amplifier circuit 72 exceeds the threshold reference signal, that is, the presence of the substrate. The level of the output signal at the time of determination changes. Thus, the degree of displacement of the pendulum member 54 when it is determined that there is a substrate can be arbitrarily set and adjusted.
[0039]
Now, the operation of the peeling apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described. First, as a first step, when the sensor 16 detects that the substrate W to be peeled off has been transported by the roller conveyor 1 and carried into the peeling treatment chamber 2, the controller 21 causes the pump 19 to discharge pressure low. The peeling liquid is supplied from the nozzle 11 to the substrate W being conveyed at low pressure in a spray form. In this first step, the stripping solution supplied on the substrate W at a low pressure does not collide with the surface of the substrate W and bounce around and scatter around the substrate W as if it was supplied at a high pressure. A liquid film is formed on the surface, and is sufficiently brought into contact with the film to be peeled off, that is, the photoresist film attached to the surface of the substrate W, and the film is swollen. The first step is continued for a predetermined time during which the swelling sufficiently proceeds, and during that time, the supply of the stripping solution is continued in a low pressure state. During this time, since the temperature-adjusted stripping solution is continuously supplied to the substrate W, there is no inconvenience that the temperature of the stripping solution that touches the substrate W during the process is lowered.
[0040]
Further, when the substrate W has been transported to the right end in the drawing of the peeling processing chamber 2 by the roller conveyor 1 before the first step is completed, the position of the substrate W is detected by the sensor 17 and the control device 21. Rotates the driving source of the roller conveyor 1 in reverse, this time, the substrate W is transported from the right to the left in the drawing, and the first process is continuously executed in the peeling processing chamber 2. Similarly, when the substrate W has been transported to the left end in the drawing of the separation processing chamber 2 by the roller conveyor 1 before the first step is completed, the position of the substrate W is detected by the sensor 16 and the control device 21 rotates the drive source of the roller conveyor 1 in the forward direction, this time transports the substrate W from the left to the right in the figure, and continues the first process in the peeling processing chamber 2. In this way, the substrate W periodically reciprocates in the peeling processing chamber 2, and the peeling liquid is sprayed during the movement, so that the supply position of the peeling liquid from the nozzle 11 to the substrate W changes with time. The stripping solution is supplied evenly over the entire surface of the substrate W. The control device 21 monitors the execution time of the first process using a built-in timer, and ends the first process when a predetermined time has elapsed.
[0041]
When the first step is completed in the peeling treatment chamber 2, the second step is subsequently performed. In the second step, the control device 21 drives the pump 19 so that the discharge pressure becomes high, and supplies the stripping solution from the nozzle 11 to the substrate W being conveyed in a spray form at a high pressure. In this second step, a physical impact force is generated when the stripping solution is supplied onto the surface of the substrate W at a high pressure and the stripping solution collides with the photoresist film that is sufficiently swollen during the first step. As a result, the coating is effectively peeled off. This second step is continued for a predetermined time during which the film is sufficiently peeled and removed, while the supply of the stripping solution in a high pressure state is continued. During this time, since the temperature-adjusted stripping solution is continuously supplied to the substrate W, there is no inconvenience that the temperature of the stripping solution that touches the substrate W during the process is lowered.
[0042]
Further, when the substrate W is transported to either end of the separation processing chamber 2 by the roller conveyor 1 before the second step is completed, the substrates 16 and 17 are used by the sensors 16 and 17 as in the first step. Is detected, and the control device 21 controls the rotation direction of the driving source of the roller conveyor 1 to periodically reciprocate the substrate W in the peeling processing chamber 2, and the second process is performed in the peeling processing chamber 2. Continue to run. As described above, since the peeling liquid is spray-supplied while the substrate W moves in the peeling processing chamber 2, the supply position of the peeling liquid from the nozzle 11 to the substrate W changes with time, and the entire surface of the substrate W is not evenly distributed. A stripping solution is supplied. The control device 21 monitors the execution time of the second process using a built-in timer, and ends the second process when a predetermined time has elapsed. When the second step is finished, the control device 21 drives the roller conveyor 1 to convey the substrate W beyond the position of the sensor 17 and send it to the cleaning processing chamber 4.
[0043]
A third step is performed in the cleaning processing chamber 4. In the third step, the control device 21 drives the pump 30 to supply the substrate W being transported from the nozzle 24 in the form of a pure water spray to perform a cleaning process. In the third step, the stripping solution remaining on the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W and the fragments of the stripped photoresist film are washed away with pure water spray. This third step is performed until the substrate W is unloaded from the opening 5 on the right side of the cleaning processing chamber 4 in the drawing.
[0044]
The substrate W carried out from the opening 5 on the right side of the cleaning process chamber 4 in the drawing after the third step is transferred to the drying device by a transfer device (not shown), and the fourth step is executed. In the fourth step, the substrate W is dried by a known drying device, for example, a rotary drying device by rotating the substrate or an air knife type drying device by blowing air. The substrate W after the drying process is immediately sent to the next process or stored in a predetermined container.
[0045]
In the peeling apparatus of this embodiment, the substrate W is periodically reciprocated for the time required for processing in the peeling processing chamber, and processing is performed during that time, so that the state of the coating is not affected regardless of the size of the processing chamber or the conveyance speed. The processing time can be easily changed according to the above. In particular, in the apparatus of this embodiment, it is possible to freely change and set each time of the processing step for discharging the stripping solution at a low pressure and the processing step for discharging the stripping solution at a high pressure. Further, in the apparatus of this embodiment, the process for discharging the stripping solution at a low pressure and the process for discharging at a high pressure are performed in one stripping processing chamber 2, and the apparatus can be miniaturized. In particular, in the apparatus of this embodiment, the liquid supply mechanism 10 such as the nozzle 11 and the pump 19 is shared for both high-pressure discharge and low-pressure discharge, and the effect of reducing the size and cost of the apparatus is great.
[0046]
In the present embodiment, since the sensors 16 and 17 are configured as described above, the electrical contacts are not mechanically opened and closed for the detection of the substrate W. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus exposed to various processing liquid atmospheres. It can be used without any restrictions in the processing chamber. Since the substrate W is detected by magnetism from a member that is displaced by contact with the substrate W, even if the substrate W is a transparent glass substrate, it can be reliably detected, and an error occurs in detection due to the atmosphere of the processing liquid. There is very little fear. Further, in the present embodiment, the Hall element 66 is covered with the drip-proof cover 64 and fixedly provided, so that the reliability is further improved. Then, the signal processing circuits 46 and 47 determine the presence / absence of the substrate W based on the output signal of the Hall element 66, and the control device 21 controls the roller conveyor 1 for transporting the substrate W based on the result. Substrate processing can be performed satisfactorily by reliably detecting the position of the substrate W in the peeling treatment chamber 2 in the liquid atmosphere. Even if the drip-proof cover 64 is damaged for some reason, a liquid such as pure water is seen in the container 70, so that various processing solutions such as acid and alkali used in the processing chamber are directly applied. In this way, the Hall element 66 is not touched, and there is little adverse effect on the element, which helps protect the element. Since the container 70 is provided with the lid 71, it is possible to prevent the processing liquid used in the separation processing chamber 2 from being mixed into the liquid contained in the container 70, and the liquid in the container 70 is processed. Inconveniences such as contamination by the liquid, or conversely, the processing liquid discharged from the discharge pipe 82 together with the liquid are reduced.
[0047]
In the above description of the embodiment, it has been described that the roller conveyor 1 transports the substrate W in the peeling processing chamber 2 or the cleaning processing chamber 4 in a horizontal posture or a slightly inclined posture, but in a slightly inclined posture. It is desirable to carry it for the following reasons. That is, by supporting the substrate W while being inclined slightly to the left or right with respect to the transport direction, for example, the stripped photoresist film debris, dirty stripping solution, pure water, etc. quickly flow down along the tilt. Since the substrate W is removed from the surface, the substrate W can be kept clean.
[0048]
Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the peeling apparatus which uses stripping solution as a processing liquid was demonstrated as an Example of a substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing apparatus of this invention is not restricted to this, For example, various processes, such as washing | cleaning, image development, and etching It can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus that applies The object detection apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the substrate processing apparatus, and can be applied to various apparatuses such as a substrate transfer apparatus and a machine tool. Further, in the above embodiment, the substrate W is processed while reciprocating in the peeling processing chamber 2, but the object detection apparatus of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the substrate is simply transported in one direction. However, the substrate processing apparatus may be used for detecting the position of the substrate.
[0049]
Further, in the above embodiment, the Hall element 66 is used as the magnetoelectric conversion element for the sensors 16 and 17 which are substrate detection devices, but other magnetoelectric conversion elements such as a reed switch or a magnetoresistive element operated by magnetism are used. May be used.
[0050]
Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the permanent magnet 62 was provided in the pendulum member 54 provided so that it might displace by contact with a board | substrate, and the Hall element 66 as a magnetoelectric conversion element was provided in the drip-proof cover 64, these were replaced. The following configuration may be used. In other words, a magnetoelectric conversion element that outputs a signal according to a change in the magnetic field is provided on the pendulum member 54 side that is a displacement member, and the magnetoelectric conversion element is provided in the drip-proof cover 64 according to the displacement of the pendulum member 54 due to contact with the substrate. The permanent magnet 62 is provided so that the magnetic field exerted on the magnetic field changes. In this modification, since the magnetoelectric conversion element is provided on the side of the displacement member that is displaced by contact with the substrate, it is desirable to provide the electrical wiring for taking out a signal from the magnetoelectric conversion element so as not to hinder the displacement of the displacement member. The above embodiment is more excellent in that such consideration is not necessary.
[0051]
In the above-described embodiment, the displacement member that is displaced by contact with the substrate is provided as a pendulum-like member that is rotatable around the support shaft 52. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In short, it may be provided so that the magnetic field that the magnet exerts on the magnetoelectric transducer changes when the displacement member is displaced by contact with the substrate that is the object to be detected. If a pendulum-like member is used as the displacement member in this way, for example, when the substrate that has been transported is detected once and then the substrate has passed, the displacement member automatically returns to its original position due to gravity. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a driving means such as a spring for forcibly returning the displacement member to the original position.
[0052]
Moreover, in the said embodiment, although only a part of the pendulum member 54 which is a displacement member was immersed in pure water, you may make it all immerse. In the above embodiment, the support shaft 52, which is the fulcrum of the displacement member, is immersed in pure water to simultaneously prevent chattering by buffering the displacement member and prevention of false detection by not crystallizing the processing liquid. did it. As another embodiment, for example, even if the pure water level in the container 70 is made lower than the support shaft 52 of the pendulum member 54 so as to perform only a buffering action using the viscous resistance of pure water, the chattering is performed. It is possible to prevent erroneous detection and to ensure conveyance control. In that case, by providing another liquid supply means for spraying the liquid to the support shaft 52 portion, crystallization of the processing liquid in the support shaft 52 portion, which is a movable portion, and erroneous detection due thereto can be prevented. . However, in order to prevent the crystallization of the processing liquid in the movable part, the container 70 is provided inside the movable part 70 so that the movable part is immersed in the liquid in the container 70 rather than supplying the liquid to the movable part in a spray form. The liquid is more excellent in the effect of preventing crystallization.
[0053]
Further, as a means for maintaining the liquid level in the container 70 at a predetermined height, the discharge pipe that overflows is used in the above-described embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a liquid level detection sensor is provided on the wall surface of the container 70. Depending on the detection result, the valve for supplying liquid may be opened and closed via the control device 21.
[0054]
Moreover, in the said embodiment, since the liquid discharged | emitted via the discharge pipe 82 from the container 70 is discharged | emitted separately from the process liquid used in the process chamber 2, it is used in the process chamber 2. Even in the case of the above-described embodiment where the processing liquid to be collected is collected in a tank and circulated and reused, there is no inconvenience that the processing liquid is altered or thinned by the liquid and the quality is deteriorated. Of course, if the processing liquid is not circulated and reused, the liquid discharged from the discharge pipe 82 may be discharged into the processing chamber 2 and discharged and discarded together with the processing liquid. Further, the liquid supplied to the container 70 does not need to be pure water, and may be arbitrarily selected and used in consideration of its viscosity and the like. However, as in this embodiment, the object detection apparatus is used as a substrate processing apparatus. In the case of using, it is necessary to have no adverse effect on the processing in the processing chamber 2, and it is preferable to use pure water from the viewpoint of cost and ease of handling.
[0055]
【The invention's effect】
As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, an object detection device that does not cause erroneous detection due to chattering or the like is provided, and further, erroneous detection due to chattering or bubbles of processing liquid using the object detection device is provided. Therefore, it is possible to provide a substrate processing apparatus that can reliably carry the substrate.
[0056]
Furthermore, according to the present invention, there is provided an object detection apparatus that does not cause inconvenience due to crystallization of the processing liquid, and further provides a substrate processing apparatus that can reliably carry out substrate transport control using the object detection apparatus. be able to.
[0057]
In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate processing apparatus including an object detection device that does not impair the quality of the processing liquid in the processing chamber.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a main part of an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of an essential part of an embodiment of the substrate detection apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the main part of the embodiment of the substrate detection apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a signal processing circuit used in the substrate detection apparatus according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
W ... Board
1 ... Roller conveyor
2 ... Peeling treatment chamber
3 ... Room component
10 ... Liquid supply mechanism
16, 17 ... sensor
21 ... Control device
46, 47 ... Signal processing circuit
54 ... Pendulum member
62 ... Permanent magnet
66 ... Hall element
70 ... container
71 ... Lid
81 ... Liquid supply pipe
82 ... discharge pipe
Variable resistor

Claims (5)

An object detection device used in a processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid to a processing object and processing the processing object,
A pendulum that is displaced by contact between the workpiece and one end thereof ;
Displacement detecting means for detecting the displacement of the pendulum ;
Inside houses the pure water, and the liquid container is immersed up to the other end to the pure water contained from the fulcrum of the pendulum,
Liquid level maintaining means for maintaining the level of pure water in the liquid container at a predetermined height;
Equipped with a,
The liquid level maintaining means is
Liquid supply means for supplying pure water into the liquid container;
Liquid discharging means for discharging pure water stored in the liquid container;
Have
The liquid container is open at the top, and the opening is provided with a lid that allows displacement of the pendulum . The displacement detection means includes
A magnetic member;
The object detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a magnetoelectric conversion element that outputs a signal according to a change in a magnetic field received from the magnetic member . The displacement detection means includes
The object detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein either one of the magnetic member and the magnetoelectric conversion element is provided in the pendulum . A chamber constituting a processing chamber for processing a substrate;
A transport mechanism for supporting and transporting the substrate into the processing chamber;
A liquid supply mechanism for supplying a processing liquid in the processing chamber to the substrate transported by the transport mechanism;
An object detection device for detecting the position of the substrate conveyed by the conveyance mechanism as an object to be detected;
Control means for controlling the transport mechanism according to the detection result of the object detection device;
With
The object detection device includes:
A pendulum that is displaced by contact between the workpiece and one end thereof;
Displacement detecting means for detecting the displacement of the pendulum;
A liquid container containing pure water therein, and dipping from the fulcrum of the pendulum to the other end in the stored pure water;
Liquid level maintaining means for maintaining the level of pure water in the liquid container at a predetermined height;
With
The liquid level maintaining means is
Liquid supply means for supplying pure water into the liquid container;
Liquid discharge means for discharging pure water contained in the liquid container;
Have
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid container is open at an upper portion, and the opening is provided with a lid that allows the pendulum to be displaced. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4,
The liquid discharging means discharges pure water discharged from the liquid container to the outside of the processing chamber. A substrate processing apparatus.

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