JP4305918B2 - Floating substrate transfer processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a floating substrate transfer processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid such as a resist solution to a substrate to be processed such as a glass substrate for LCD.

  In general, in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a resist film is formed by applying a resist solution to a glass substrate for LCD (hereinafter referred to as a substrate) as a substrate to be processed, and a circuit pattern is reduced using photolithography technology. The resist film is transferred to the resist film, developed, and then subjected to a series of processes for removing the resist film from the substrate.

  For example, as a method for forming a resist film, a resist supply nozzle that discharges a resist solution obtained by dissolving a photosensitive resin in a solvent in a strip shape and a rectangular substrate are relatively arranged in a direction perpendicular to the resist discharge direction. A method of performing a coating process by translating is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

According to this method, since the resist solution is discharged (supplied) from one side of the substrate to the other side in a strip shape, a resist film can be formed on the entire surface of the rectangular substrate on average.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-156255 (Claims, FIG. 1)

  However, in the technique described in the above Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-156255, the apparatus is configured to move at least one of a resist supply nozzle installed above the substrate or a stage that holds the substrate in a horizontal posture. There is a problem in that it is large and complicated, and enormous energy is required to move the resist supply nozzle and the stage which are heavy. In addition, since the resist supply nozzle and the stage, which are heavy in weight, are moved back to their original positions after processing and moved again to perform processing, there is a problem in that processing efficiency is lowered.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a floating substrate transfer processing apparatus that can reduce the size and simplify the apparatus and can improve the processing efficiency. It is.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention is arranged above the levitation stage, a levitation stage that can inject or inject and suck gas from the surface to float the substrate to be processed to an arbitrary height, A processing liquid supply means for supplying a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate to be processed in a strip shape, a plurality of substrate holding members that detachably hold both side ends of the substrate to be processed, and parallel to both sides of the floating stage. A moving mechanism for moving the slider along a guide rail disposed on the substrate, and a connecting means for connecting the substrate holding member and the slider, and displaceable following the flying height of the substrate to be processed. In the first aspect of the present invention, the connecting means is formed by a leaf spring member, and the leaf spring member is continuously provided in a moving direction of the substrate to be processed. A holding portion for holding a member, are column set at intervals through the notch, comprises a connecting portion having flexibility for connecting the said holding part and the slider, characterized in that.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the connecting means includes a balance weight on the side opposite to the substrate holding part side of the swinging member pivotally attached to the slider at the intermediate portion, and the end of the swinging member It is characterized in that a balance weight is screwed to the part so as to be able to advance and retreat.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the connecting means is formed by a substantially bell crank-shaped link member pivotably attached to the slider, and a vertical piece of the link member and an opposing surface of the slider, An electromagnet that generates a repulsive force smaller than the adsorption holding force of the substrate holding member by excitation is provided.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the floating substrate transfer processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the vertical movement is coupled to the slider and is engaged with and disengaged from the front and rear edges in the movement direction of the substrate to be processed. It further comprises a possible guide pin, vertical movement means for moving the guide pin in the vertical direction, and positioning horizontal movement means for moving the guide pin and vertical movement means in the horizontal direction. In this case, the guide by projecting the support pin for supporting a substrate in the hollow portion of the pin, it is possible to have the function of vertically movable lift pins to pass the substrate to the guide pin (claim 5).

(1) According to the first to third aspects of the present invention, both side ends of the substrate to be processed that are levitated on the levitation stage are sucked and held by the substrate holding member, and the connecting means follows the flying height of the substrate to be processed. In this state, the processing liquid can be supplied from the processing liquid supply means in the form of a strip while moving below the processing liquid supply means. Therefore, even if the flying height of the substrate to be processed and the height between the sliders vary, the substrate can be transported and processed while maintaining the interval between the substrate to be processed and the processing liquid supply means at a predetermined interval. Further, since the floating substrate is transported, the apparatus can be reduced in size and simplified, and the processing efficiency can be improved.

(2) According to the invention described in claim 4 , in addition to the above (1), a guide pin that is vertically movable to be engaged with and disengaged from the front and rear edges in the moving direction of the substrate to be processed is provided. It is possible to prevent inadvertent movement of the substrate to be processed due to acceleration at the start / stop of the conveyance of the substrate. Therefore, the acceleration parameter can be afforded and the processing accuracy can be maintained. In addition, since the number of substrate holding members can be reduced and the substrate holding force can be reduced, the number of constituent members and the size of the apparatus can be reduced.

(3) According to the invention described in claim 1, the leaf spring member constituting the connecting means is spaced apart from the holding portion that holds the plurality of substrate holding members continuously in the moving direction of the substrate to be processed. Since it is provided with a flexible connecting portion that is arranged and connects the holding portion and the slider, the rigidity of the connecting means in the transport direction can be secured, and the substrate to be processed can be transported more reliably. Can do.

(4) According to the invention described in claim 4, the apparatus further comprises a vertical moving means for moving the guide pin in the vertical direction, and a positioning horizontal moving means for moving the guide pin and the vertical moving means in the horizontal direction. Thus, in addition to the above (2), the substrate to be processed can be further positioned, so that the processing accuracy can be improved.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the best embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, a case will be described in which the floating substrate transfer processing apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a resist coating processing apparatus in a resist coating and developing processing apparatus for an LCD glass substrate.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the resist coating and developing apparatus includes a loading / unloading unit 1 for placing a cassette C that houses a plurality of glass substrates G for LCD (hereinafter referred to as substrates G), and a substrate. A processing unit 2 having a plurality of processing units for performing a series of processes including resist coating and development on G, and an interface unit 3 for transferring the substrate G to and from the exposure apparatus 4; The loading / unloading unit 1 and the interface unit 3 are disposed at both ends of the processing unit 2, respectively. In FIG. 1, the longitudinal direction of the resist coating and developing apparatus is the X direction, and the direction orthogonal to the X direction in plan view is the Y direction.

  The loading / unloading unit 1 includes a transport mechanism 5 for loading / unloading the substrate G between the cassette C and the processing unit 2, and the loading / unloading unit 1 loads / unloads the cassette C to / from the outside. . The transport mechanism 5 has a transport arm 5a and can move on a transport path 6 provided along the Y direction, which is the arrangement direction of the cassettes C. The transport arm 5a allows the cassette C and the processing unit 2 to move. The substrate G is loaded and unloaded between the two.

  The processing unit 2 basically has two parallel rows of transport lines A and B for transporting the substrate G extending in the X direction. From the loading / unloading unit 1 side to the interface unit 3 along the transport line A. A scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 11, a first thermal processing unit section 16, a resist processing unit 13, and a second thermal processing unit section 17 are arranged. Further, a second thermal processing unit section 17, a development processing unit (DEV) 14, an i-ray UV irradiation unit (i-UV) 15, and the like from the interface unit 3 side toward the carry-in / out unit 1 along the transport line B A third thermal processing unit 18 is arranged. An excimer UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 12 is provided on a part of the scrub cleaning unit (SCR) 11. In this case, an excimer UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 12 is provided to remove organic substances on the substrate G prior to scrubber cleaning. An i-ray UV irradiation unit (i-UV) 15 is provided for performing a decoloring process for development.

  The first thermal processing unit section 16 has two thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 31 and 32 configured by stacking thermal processing units that perform thermal processing on the substrate G. The thermal processing unit block (TB) 31 is provided on the scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 11 side, and the thermal processing unit block (TB) 32 is provided on the resist processing unit 13 side. A first transport mechanism 33 is provided between the two thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 31 and 32.

  The second thermal processing unit section 17 has two thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 34 and 35 formed by stacking thermal processing units for performing thermal processing on the substrate G. The thermal processing unit block (TB) 34 is provided on the resist processing unit 13 side, and the thermal processing unit block (TB) 35 is provided on the development processing unit 14 side. A second transport mechanism 36 is provided between the two thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 34 and 35.

  The third thermal processing unit section 18 includes two thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 37 and 38 configured by stacking thermal processing units that perform thermal processing on the substrate G. The thermal processing unit block (TB) 37 is provided on the development processing unit (DEV) 14 side, and the thermal processing unit block (TB) 38 is provided on the cassette station 1 side. A third transport mechanism 39 is provided between the two thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 37 and 38.

  The interface unit 3 includes an extension / cooling stage (EXT / COL) 41, an external device block 42 in which a peripheral exposure device (EE) and a TITRA are stacked, a buffer stage (BUF) 43, A fourth transport mechanism 44 is provided.

  In the interface unit 3 configured as described above, the substrate G transported by the second transport mechanism 36 is transported to the extension / cooling stage (EXT / COL) 41, and the external device block 42 is transported by the fourth transport mechanism 44. To the peripheral exposure apparatus (EE), exposure for removing the peripheral resist is performed, and then the fourth transport mechanism 44 transports the exposure apparatus 4 to expose the resist film on the substrate G. A predetermined pattern is formed. In some cases, the substrate G is accommodated in the buffer stage (BUF) 43 and then transferred to the exposure apparatus 4. After the exposure is finished, the substrate G is carried into the TITRA of the external device block 42 by the fourth transport mechanism 44, and predetermined information is written on the substrate G, and then the extension / cooling stage (EXT / COL). ) 41 and transported to the processing unit 2 again.

  The resist processing unit 13 includes a resist coating processing apparatus 20 to which the floating substrate transfer processing apparatus according to the present invention is applied, and a resist film formed on the substrate G by the resist coating processing apparatus 20 in a decompression container (not shown). ) And a reduced pressure drying apparatus (VD) 21 for drying under reduced pressure.

  Next, a resist coating processing apparatus 20 to which the floating substrate transfer processing apparatus according to the present invention is applied will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a main part of the first embodiment of the resist coating apparatus 20, and FIG. 3 is a substrate G showing a state in which a resist solution is supplied (discharged) to the substrate G by the resist coating apparatus 20. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view along a direction orthogonal to the movement direction of the substrate G.

  The resist coating processing apparatus 20 is disposed above the levitation stage 22 so that the substrate G floats at different heights by jetting or jetting and sucking gas from the surface, and a processing liquid is placed on the surface of the substrate G. A resist supply nozzle 23 which is a processing solution supply means for supplying the resist solution R in a strip shape, a plurality of substrate holding members 24 for detachably sucking and holding both side ends of the substrate G, and both sides of the floating stage 22. A moving mechanism 27 that moves the slider 26 along the guide rails 25 arranged in parallel, the substrate holding member 24, and the slider 26 are coupled, and a coupling means 50 that can be displaced following the flying height of the substrate G. And is mainly composed.

  In this case, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the levitation stage 22 includes a carry-in region 22a including a plurality of lift pins 28a that can be moved up and down to receive a substrate G transported by a transport arm (not shown), and a resist supply. An application region 22b that maintains a gap between the nozzle 23 and the substrate G at a certain distance, for example, 100 to 150 μm, and a carry-out region 22c that includes a plurality of, for example, four lift pins 28b that can move up and down to transfer the substrate G are provided. Yes. In the carry-in area 22a and the carry-out area 22c, gas, for example, air is injected from a large number of injection holes 29a provided on the surface of the levitation stage 22, and the substrate G is levitated at a height of about 100 to 150 μm. Further, in the application region 22b, a large number of injection holes 29a and suction holes 29b are provided on the surface of the levitation stage 22, for example, in a staggered manner. Gas or air is injected from the injection holes 29a and suction is performed from the suction holes 29b. As a result, the substrate G is levitated at a height of about 50 μm. In addition, between the carrying-in area | region 22a and the application | coating area | region 22b, and between the application | coating area | region 22b and the carrying-out area | region 22c, the connection area | regions 22d and 22e which respectively connect the height gap between both are provided. In these connection regions 22d and 22e, a large number of injection holes 29a and suction holes 29b are provided so that the substrate G is gradually lowered or raised by adjusting the injection amount and the suction amount of air, which is a gas. It is configured.

  The resist supply nozzle 23 is fixed to a gate-shaped frame (not shown) straddling the top of the floating stage 22, and the resist solution R supplied by a supply pipe 23a connected to a resist tank (not shown) is supplied to the substrate G. It is configured so as to be supplied (discharged or dropped) in the form of a band on the surface.

  The substrate holding member 24 includes a plurality of suction pads 60 that detachably hold both side ends of the substrate G, and a vacuum tube 61 that connects each suction pad 60 to a vacuum device (not shown). In this case, as shown in FIG. 11, the suction pad 60 is provided with, for example, a plurality of elongated suction holes 60b on the upper surface of a synthetic rubber pad body 60a. The suction hole 60b may be a small hole instead of a long hole. The vacuum tube 61 connected to a chamber (not shown) provided in the pad main body 60a is formed by a synthetic rubber belt-like tube having a plurality of passages 60c. As shown in FIG. 5, the vacuum tube 61 formed in this way is pivotally attached to the upper portion of the slider 26 constituting the moving mechanism 27 via a hinge 62 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the vacuum tube 61 can also be displaced following the displacement of the substrate holding member 24, that is, the suction pad 60. In addition, the vacuum pipe | tube 61 connected to each suction pad 60 is connected to the vacuum apparatus through the common main vacuum pipe | tube (not shown).

  The moving mechanism 27 is formed by a linear motor that moves a slider 26 that is slidably mounted on guide rails 25 that are arranged parallel to each other on both sides of the levitation stage 22.

  On the other hand, the connecting means 50 is formed by a leaf spring member 51 that connects the suction pad 60 of the substrate holding member 24 and the slider 26 and can be displaced following the flying height of the substrate G. In this case, the spring constant of the leaf spring member 51 is set so that the substrate holding member 24 has a holding force for holding the substrate G, that is, a spring force (elastic force) that is weaker than the suction force of the suction pad 60. By setting the spring constant of the leaf spring member 51 in this manner, the substrate holding member 24 follows the flying height of the substrate G while maintaining the holding force (adsorption force) of the substrate G by the substrate holding member 24. Can be displaced.

  The leaf spring member 51 may be a plurality of members that connect the suction pads 60 and the slider 26, but it is preferable that the leaf spring member 51 be formed of one member. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the holding portions 51 a that hold the suction pads 60 of the plurality of substrate holding members 24 and the notches 51 b are arranged at intervals from each other continuously in the moving direction of the substrate G. Thus, it is preferable to form the holding portion 51a and the slider 26 with one member including a flexible connecting portion 51c. Thus, by forming the leaf spring member 51 with one member, the rigidity of the connecting means 50 in the transport direction of the substrate G can be secured, and the substrate G can be transported more reliably.

  Next, the operation | movement aspect of the resist coating processing apparatus 20 comprised as mentioned above is demonstrated. First, when the substrate G that has been heat-treated by the thermal processing unit (TB) 31 is loaded onto the loading region 22a of the levitation stage 22 by a transfer arm (not shown), the lift pins 28a rise to receive the substrate G. Thereafter, the transfer arm retracts outward from the levitation stage 22. After receiving the substrate G, the lift pins 28a are lowered, while the substrate G is levitated to a height of about 100 to 150 μm by the air ejected from the surface of the carry-in area 22a, and in this state, the vacuum apparatus is activated. The substrate G is sucked and held by the suction pad 60 of the substrate holding member 24. At this time, since the leaf spring member 51 absorbs the gap between the flying height of the substrate G and the height of the slider 26, the substrate G is in a horizontal state at a height of about 100 to 150 μm on the loading area 22 a of the flying stage 22. Maintained.

  Next, the linear motor 27 (moving mechanism) is driven to transport the substrate G to the coating region 22b. In the coating region 22b, the substrate G is levitated from the surface of the levitation stage 22 to a position having a height of about 50 μm due to the balance between air ejection and suction. At this time, since the leaf spring member 51 absorbs the gap between the flying height of the substrate G and the height of the slider 26, the substrate G is maintained in a horizontal state at a height of about 50 μm on the coating region 22 b of the flying stage 22. Then, a predetermined gap S (100 to 150 μm) is maintained with the resist supply nozzle 23. In this state, the resist solution R is supplied (discharged) in a strip shape from the resist supply nozzle 23 and the substrate G is moved, whereby a resist film is uniformly formed on the surface of the substrate G.

  When the substrate G on which the resist film is formed is moved to the carry-out region 22c, the substrate G is levitated to a position having a height of about 100 to 150 μm by the air ejected from the surface of the carry-out region 22c. Is stopped and the adsorption holding of the substrate G is released. Then, the lift pins 28b are moved up to move the substrate G to the upper delivery position. In this state, a transfer arm (not shown) receives the substrate G and transfers the substrate G to the vacuum drying apparatus (VD) 21 in the next process.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the connecting means 50A in the present invention. In FIG. 7, the connecting means 50 </ b> A is formed by an arm member 52 pivotally attached to the slider 26. That is, this is a case where the suction pad 60 of the substrate holding member 24 is connected to the other end of the arm member 52 pivotally attached to the slider 26 via the hinge pin 52a so as to be swingable in the vertical direction. In addition, the shape of the arm member 52 may be arbitrary, for example, any of rod shape, plate shape, etc. may be sufficient.

  With this configuration, the arm member 52 follows the gap between the flying height position of the substrate G and the slider 26 so that the flying height of the substrate G is set to a predetermined position. Can be maintained.

  A connecting member 50B may be formed by attaching a spring member, for example, a return spring 53 to the pivot portion of the arm member 52. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the connecting means 50B is formed by the arm member 52 pivotably attached to the slider 26, and the holding force of the substrate holding member 24 is applied to the pivoting portion of the arm member 52. A spring member having a spring force acting against it, for example, a return spring 53 may be attached and formed.

  In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment, so the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view showing still another embodiment of the connecting means 50C in the present invention. In FIG. 9A, the connecting means 50C is formed by a swing member 55 having an intermediate portion pivotably attached to the slider 26 and having a balance weight 54 on the side opposite to the substrate holding portion side. That is, the suction pad 60 of the substrate holding member 24 is connected to one end, and the middle portion of the swinging member 55 having the balance weight 54 is connected to the slider 26 so that the slider 26 can swing in the vertical direction via the hinge pin 52b. This is the case when it is pivotally attached.

  With this configuration, when the substrate G is attracted and held, the balance weight 54 acts and the swing member 55 follows the gap between the flying height position of the substrate G and the height position of the slider 26. Therefore, the flying height of the substrate G can be maintained at a predetermined position.

  In the above description, the swing member 55 and the balance weight 54 are integrally formed. However, the swing member 55A and the balance weight 54A may be formed separately. That is, as shown in FIG. 9B, the female thread portion 55a is provided at the end opposite to the suction pad 60 side in the swing member 55A pivotably mounted by the hinge pin 52b on the bracket 26a protruding from the upper surface of the slider 26. The balance weight 54A may be formed so that the balance weight 54A can be advanced and retracted by connecting the thread portion 54a projecting from the balance weight 54A to the female thread portion 55a. A lock nut 54b is screwed into the threaded portion 54a, and the mounting position of the balance weight 54A is fixed by pressing the lock nut 54b against the end surface of the swing member 55A.

  As described above, the balance weight 54A is screwed to the opposite side to the suction pad 60 side of the swing member 55A so that the balance weight 54A can be advanced and retracted, so that the flying height of the substrate G defined by the flying stage 22 is not affected. Thus, the load applied to the substrate G from the suction pad 60 can be adjusted.

  In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment, so the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing still another embodiment of the connecting means 50D in the present invention. In FIG. 10, the connecting means 50D is formed by a substantially bell crank-shaped link member 56 pivotally attached to the slider 26 via a hinge pin 52c so as to be swingable in the vertical direction, and a vertical piece 56a of the link member 56. And an electromagnet 57 that generates a repulsive force smaller than the suction holding force of the substrate holding member 24 (suction pad 60) by excitation. In this case, when the electromagnet 57 is excited (ON), a repulsive force is generated in the electromagnet 57 and the suction pad 60 is raised. When the electromagnet 57 is not excited (OFF), the electromagnets 57 are attracted to each other and the suction pad 60 is It is configured to descend. The link member 56 may be formed of a spring member. By forming the link member 56 with a spring member, a weak (small) spring constant can be obtained, so that the flying height of the substrate G can be maintained with higher accuracy.

  With the configuration described above, when the suction pad 60 of the substrate holding member 24 holds the substrate G by suction, if the electromagnet 57 is excited (ON), a repulsive force is generated in the electromagnet 57 and the suction pad 60 is raised. Then, the substrate G is sucked and held. When the substrate G is transported in this state, the repulsive force of the electromagnet 57 acts to displace the suction pad 60 following the gap between the flying height position of the substrate G and the height position of the slider 26. The flying height of G can be maintained at a predetermined position.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment. Therefore, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing still another embodiment of the connecting means 50E according to the present invention. In FIG. 12, the connecting means 50 </ b> E is connected to the slider 26 at one end and connected to the support member 100 having the cylindrical bearing 101 at the other end and the lower portion of the suction pad 60, and is slidable within the cylindrical bearing 101. It is formed by the bearing which has the raising / lowering shaft 102 inserted. In this case, it is preferable to make the weight of the lifting shaft 102 as small as possible.

  Thus, the connecting means 50E is inserted into the cylindrical bearing 101 at the end of the support member 101 connected to the slider 26, and is slidably inserted into the cylindrical bearing 101 so as to be movable in a telescope shape ( By forming the bearing by the lift shaft 102 that moves up and down), the lift shaft 102 follows and displaces (lifts) the gap between the flying height position of the substrate G and the height position of the slider 26. The flying height of the substrate G can be maintained at a predetermined position.

  In the connecting means 50E, it is necessary to adjust the injection amount of air injected from the levitation stage 22 in consideration of the weight of the lifting shaft 102.

  FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing still another embodiment of the connecting means 50F in the present invention. In FIG. 13, the connecting means 50 </ b> F includes the cylindrical bearing 101, a cylindrical porous bush 204 that is inserted into the cylindrical bearing 101, and a loose fit, that is, a gap in the porous bush 204. Formed by an elevating shaft 102 to be inserted and an air bearing having a gas supply means 200 for supplying gas, for example, air, to form an air layer between the porous bush 204 and the elevating shaft 102 via the cylindrical bearing 101. Has been. In this case, O-rings 201 and 202 that are press-contacted to the inner surface of the cylindrical bearing 101 are provided around the upper and lower portions of the porous bush 204 to maintain the sealing performance of the supplied air. Further, an air supply port 203 constituting the gas supply means 200 is provided between the O-rings 201 and 202 in the cylindrical bearing 101, and air supplied from an air supply source (not shown) is supplied between the O-rings 201 and 202. By doing so, air is blown out from the entire inner circumference of the porous bush 204 to reduce the frictional resistance of the vertical movement of the lifting shaft 102, and the followability of the lifting shaft 102 to the substrate G can be ensured. Therefore, the conveyance of the substrate G can be stabilized. In this case as well, it is preferable to make the weight of the lifting shaft 102 as small as possible.

  In addition, as described above, the coupling means 50F is formed of an air bearing, thereby reducing the frictional resistance of the vertical movement of the lifting shaft 102 and ensuring the followability of the lifting shaft 102 to the substrate G. Since the injection amount of the air injected from 22 can be set, the flying height of the substrate G can be maintained at a predetermined position with high accuracy.

  When a part of the connecting means 50F is formed by an air bearing, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 13, a stopper piece 103 protrudes inwardly on the upper end opening side of the cylindrical bearing 101 and moves up and down. The shaft 102 is provided with a protrusion 104 that can be engaged with the stopper piece 103, so that the lifting shaft 102 is raised by air pressure and the stopper piece 103 and the protrusion 104 are engaged with each other. Can be regulated. Thereby, it is possible to secure the adhesion between the substrate G and the suction pad 60 during the substrate suction holding.

  FIG. 14 is a sectional view showing still another embodiment of the connecting means 50G in the present invention. In FIG. 14, the connecting means 50G includes a magnet bearing instead of the bearing and the air bearing. That is, the connecting means 50G includes a first magnet body 301 in which the opposing portions of the inner surface of the cylindrical bearing 101 are mounted in a quadrupole spline with the same polarity, and the opposing portions of the outer surface of the lifting shaft 102. Are formed with the same polarity, and the second magnet body 302 is mounted in a four-pole spline shape that promotes a magnetic attraction force with the first magnet body 301.

  As described above, by forming a part of the connecting means 50G by the magnet bearing, a magnetic attractive force is promoted between the first magnet body 301 and the second magnet body 302, and the weight of the lifting shaft 102 is increased. Canceled to zero gravity. Therefore, the amount of air injected from the levitation stage 22 can be set without considering the weight of the elevating shaft 102, so that the flying height of the substrate G can be maintained at a predetermined position with high accuracy. .

  The magnets of the first magnet body 301 and the second magnet body 302 may be formed of electromagnets so that the magnetic attractive force can be adjusted.

  FIG. 15 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a second embodiment of a resist coating processing apparatus to which the floating substrate transfer processing apparatus according to the present invention is applied, FIG. 16 is a side view of FIG. 15, and FIG. It is a schematic side view which shows the guide pin in embodiment.

  The second embodiment is configured in the same manner as the resist coating apparatus of the first embodiment, and is connected to the slider 26 and vertically movable to be engaged with and disengaged from the front and rear edges in the moving direction of the substrate G. 70 is further provided to prevent inadvertent movement (displacement) of the substrate G due to acceleration at the start and stop of conveyance of the substrate G. Here, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  In the second embodiment, a holding bracket 71 protrudes inward from the front and rear end portions in the moving direction of both sliders 26, and a horizontal cylinder that is a horizontal moving means for positioning is provided on the holding bracket 71. 72 is mounted and fixed. In addition, a vertical cylinder 73 as vertical moving means is connected to the piston rod 72 a of the horizontal cylinder 72, and a guide pin 70 extends on the tip side of the piston rod 73 a of the vertical cylinder 73.

  According to the resist coating apparatus of the second embodiment configured as described above, as shown in FIG. 17A, after the substrate G is carried above the levitation stage 22 by a transfer arm (not shown), lift pins ( First, the vertical cylinder 73 is actuated to raise the guide pin 70 (see FIG. 17B). Next, the horizontal cylinder 72 is actuated to bring the guide pins 70 into contact with the front and rear end edges in the movement direction of the substrate G, and positioning (alignment) on the movement direction side of the substrate G is performed (see FIG. 17C). In this case, it is desirable to place the tip surface of the guide pin 70 and the surface of the substrate G substantially on the same plane so that the tip portion of the guide pin 70 does not interfere with the resist supply nozzle 23.

  Further, when the guide pin 70 has only a function of preventing the displacement of the substrate G due to the acceleration at the start and stop of the conveyance of the substrate G, either one of the guide pins 70 at the front and rear ends of the substrate G is raised. Also good.

  The positioning (alignment) in the direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the moving direction (X direction) of the substrate G is connected to the piston rod 81a of the horizontal cylinder 81 placed near both ends in the moving direction of both sliders 26. The vertical cylinder 82 is positioned by a guide pin 80 that is movable in the Y direction and extends toward the tip of the piston rod 82a of the vertical cylinder 82.

  As described above, if the substrate G is moved in a state where the guide pins 70 are in contact with the front and rear edges of the substrate G, the substrate G is inadvertently moved due to acceleration at the start and stop of conveyance of the substrate G ( Misalignment) can be prevented. Therefore, the acceleration parameter can be afforded and the processing accuracy can be maintained. In addition, since the number of substrate holding members 24 (suction pads 60) can be reduced and the substrate holding force can be reduced, the number of constituent members and the size of the apparatus can be reduced.

  In addition, in FIG. 15, although the case where the connection means 50 formed by the leaf | plate spring member 51 was used was demonstrated, it is needless to say that other connection means 50A-50G may be used.

  In addition to the second embodiment, the guide pin 70 may have a lift pin function. For example, by providing a support pin 90 in the middle of the guide pin 70 in the horizontal direction, the substrate G can be transferred by the lifting and lowering operation of the guide pin 70. That is, as shown in FIG. 18A, when the substrate G is loaded above the levitation stage 22, first, the guide pins 70 are moved horizontally to contact the edge of the substrate G (see FIG. 18B). ). Next, the guide pins 70 are raised, the lower surface of the substrate G is supported by the support pins 90, and the substrate G is received (see FIG. 18C). Next, after the substrate G is sucked and held by the suction pad 60, the guide pins 70 are lowered to release the support pins 90, and the substrate G is held in a state where the guide pins 70 are in contact with the front and rear edges of the substrate G. It moves (see FIG. 18D). When the processed substrate G moved to the carry-out area 22c is transferred to the transfer arm, the substrate G can be carried out from the resist coating apparatus 20 by performing the same operation as described above.

<Other embodiments>
In the above embodiment, the case where the substrate holding member 24 is formed by the suction pad 60 has been described. However, instead of the suction pad 60, an electrostatic pad 60A as shown in FIG. The electrostatic pad 60A applies a voltage to the metal electrode 60d provided therein to generate positive and negative charges on the surface of the substrate G and the electrostatic pad 60A, and the substrate G is caused by the Jansen-Rahbek force acting between them. Adsorbed and held. In FIG. 19, the monopolar electrostatic pad 60A has been described. However, a plurality of (for example, two) electrodes 60d are provided inside the electrostatic pad, and a potential difference is applied between the electrodes 60d to attach the substrate G. It is also possible to use a bipolar electrostatic pad that is attracted and held.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the floating substrate transfer processing apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a resist coating processing apparatus has been described. However, the present invention can be applied to apparatuses other than the resist coating processing apparatus, for example, development processing apparatuses. is there.

1 is a schematic plan view showing a resist coating and developing treatment apparatus for a glass substrate for LCD to which a floating substrate transfer processing apparatus according to the present invention is applied. It is a schematic perspective view which shows 1st Embodiment of the resist coating processing apparatus to which the said floating type substrate conveyance processing apparatus is applied. It is a schematic sectional drawing in alignment with the moving direction of the board | substrate of the said resist coating processing apparatus. It is a schematic sectional drawing in alignment with the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the board | substrate of the said resist coating processing apparatus. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows 1st Embodiment of the connection means in this invention. It is a perspective view at the time of forming the leaf | plate spring member which forms the said connection means by 1 member. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows another embodiment of the connection means in this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows another embodiment of the connection means in this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the case where another embodiment of the connection means in this invention is equipped with a rocking | swiveling member and a balance weight. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows another form in case the connection means in this invention comprises a rocking | swiveling member and a balance weight. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows another embodiment of the connection means in this invention. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the suction pad which forms the board | substrate holding member in this invention. In another embodiment of the connection means in this invention, it is a schematic sectional drawing in the case of comprising a bearing. It is a schematic sectional drawing in case the connection means in this invention comprises an air bearing. It is sectional drawing (b) in alignment with the II line | wire of schematic sectional drawing (a) and (a) in case the connection means in this invention comprises a magnet bearing. It is a schematic plan view which shows 2nd Embodiment of the resist coating processing apparatus to which the floating type substrate conveyance processing apparatus which concerns on this invention is applied. FIG. 16 is a side view of FIG. 15. It is a schematic side view which shows the operation | movement aspect of the guide pin in 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic side view which shows the operation | movement aspect of the modification of the said guide pin. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows another form of the board | substrate holding member in this invention.

G Glass substrate for LCD (substrate to be processed)
22 Floating stage 23 Resist supply nozzle (Processing liquid supply means)
24 substrate holding member 25 guide rail 26 slider 27 linear motor (movement mechanism)
50, 50A, 50B, 50C, 50D, 50E, 50F, 50G Connecting means 51 Leaf spring member 52 Arm member 52a, 52b, 52c Hinge pin 53 Return spring (spring member)
54, 54A Balance weight 54a Screw part 55, 55A Oscillating member 55a Female thread part 56 Link member 57 Electromagnet 60 Adsorption pad 60A Electrostatic pad 70 Guide pin 72 Horizontal cylinder (horizontal moving means for positioning)
73 Vertical cylinder (vertical moving means)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Support member 101 Cylindrical bearing 102 Elevating shaft 200 Gas supply means 201,202 O-ring 203 Gas supply port 204 Porous bush 301 First magnet body 302 Second magnet body

Claims (5)

A levitation stage capable of levitation of a substrate to be processed to an arbitrary height by jetting or jetting and sucking gas from the surface;
A processing liquid supply means disposed above the levitation stage and supplying a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate to be processed in a strip shape;
A plurality of substrate holding members that detachably hold both side ends of the substrate to be processed;
A moving mechanism for moving the slider along guide rails arranged parallel to each other on both sides of the levitation stage;
A connecting means for connecting the substrate holding member and the slider, and displaceable following the flying height of the substrate to be processed;
The connecting means is formed by a leaf spring member,
The leaf spring members are arranged in a row at intervals from each other via a notch, a holding portion for holding a plurality of substrate holding members continuously in the moving direction of the substrate to be processed, and the holding portion and the slider are connected to each other. And a connecting portion having flexibility for connection. A levitation stage capable of levitation of a substrate to be processed to an arbitrary height by jetting or jetting and sucking gas from the surface;
A processing liquid supply means disposed above the levitation stage and supplying a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate to be processed in a strip shape;
A plurality of substrate holding members that detachably hold both side ends of the substrate to be processed;
A moving mechanism for moving the slider along guide rails arranged parallel to each other on both sides of the levitation stage;
A connecting means for connecting the substrate holding member and the slider, and displaceable following the flying height of the substrate to be processed;
The connecting means comprises a balance weight on the side opposite to the substrate holding part side in the swinging member pivotally attached to the slider at the intermediate part,
A floating substrate transfer processing apparatus, wherein a balance weight is screwed to an end of the swing member so as to be able to advance and retreat. A levitation stage capable of levitation of a substrate to be processed to an arbitrary height by jetting or jetting and sucking gas from the surface;
A processing liquid supply means disposed above the levitation stage and supplying a processing liquid to the surface of the substrate to be processed in a strip shape;
A plurality of substrate holding members that detachably hold both side ends of the substrate to be processed;
A moving mechanism for moving the slider along guide rails arranged parallel to each other on both sides of the levitation stage;
A connecting means for connecting the substrate holding member and the slider, and displaceable following the flying height of the substrate to be processed;
The connecting means is formed by a substantially bell crank-shaped link member pivotably attached to the slider, and the substrate holding member is attracted and held by excitation between the vertical piece of the link member and the opposing surface of the slider. A floating substrate transfer processing apparatus comprising an electromagnet that generates a repulsive force smaller than a force. In the floating type substrate transfer processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
A guide pin connected to the slider and vertically movable to be engaged with and disengaged from the front and rear edges in the moving direction of the substrate to be processed, vertical moving means for moving the guide pin in the vertical direction, and the guide pin and the vertical moving means A floating substrate transfer processing apparatus, further comprising a horizontal moving means for positioning that moves in a horizontal direction. In the floating type substrate transfer processing apparatus according to claim 4 ,
A levitation-type substrate transport processing apparatus, wherein a support pin for supporting a substrate protrudes from an intermediate portion of the guide pin.

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