JP4485244B2 - Treatment liquid heating device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention LCD, relates treatment liquid heating apparatus that apply to the substrate processing apparatus for performing various processing by supplying a processing liquid to a substrate of a glass substrate and a semiconductor substrate such as a PDP.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a substrate processing apparatus is generally known in which, for example, a substrate such as an LCD or a glass substrate for a PDP is conveyed by a roller conveyor, and a processing liquid is supplied to the substrate to perform processing such as cleaning. ing.

  In this type of substrate processing apparatus, the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate in a temperature-controlled state. Conventionally, for example, a heating device supporting a heater is provided in a hollow housing, and a tank The processing liquid derived from the above is introduced into the housing of the heating device, so that the processing liquid is directly heated by a heater and then supplied to the substrate (Patent Document 1).

However, since an organic solvent is often used as the treatment liquid, the above-described method of directly heating the treatment liquid with a heater cannot wipe off the resistance on the user side, and in recent years, instead of such a direct heating method, indirect In particular, a system (indirect heating system) for heating the treatment liquid is being introduced. Specifically, a heater is incorporated in the lower surface of the tank for storing the processing liquid, and the processing liquid in the tank is indirectly heated using the heat conduction of the tank.
JP-A-10-137737

  However, in this indirect heating method, many electrical connection parts such as the connection part of the heater and its electric power supply wire are exposed to the air (oxygen), so for example, a highly flammable treatment liquid is used. If there is an abnormal situation, such as when a liquid leak occurs, or if a highly flammable or explosive gas (hereinafter referred to as a highly flammable gas) leaks from the processing liquid. When a spark occurs in the electrical connection portion, it is considered that this ignites highly flammable gas or the like and causes a fire in the worst case. Therefore, in order to ensure a higher level of safety in the indirect heating method, even if a spark occurs in the electrical connection portion of the heater at the time of the abnormal situation, the gas or leakage generated from the processing liquid is ignited. It must be possible to prevent it.

  The indirect heating method is generally inferior to the direct heating method, so it is common to assemble a large number of heater bodies in the tank. Therefore, it is reasonable and inexpensive to take the above measures to prevent ignition. It is desirable to have a configuration.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is preferable to prevent ignition of gas generated from the processing liquid and liquid leakage, and more preferably, liquid leakage with a reasonable and inexpensive configuration. The purpose is to prevent igniting.

In order to solve the above problems, the treatment liquid heating apparatus according to claim 1 is an apparatus for heating the treating solution of the substrate processing apparatus for processing the substrate by supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, the A tank for storing the processing liquid; a temperature adjusting heater assembled in the tank; and a gas supply means for supplying an inert gas for preventing ignition to the temperature adjusting heater. The temperature control heater is formed so as to incline downward from one side to the other side, and a pipe of the processing liquid is connected to a side surface of the tank that is positioned on the other side. includes a heater body, and the power supply wires that will be connected thereto, and a case for closing a state close to the electrical connection portion sealed or in between the power supply wires and the heater body and said casing Before The heater body is mounted on the lower surface of the tank so that the heater main body is positioned on the other side of the tank, and the gas supply means supplies inert gas into the case of the temperature control heater. it is shall be supplied.

According to such a configuration, since the electrical connection portion with the heater body and the power supply wires are isolated from the outside, the gas generated in the case or processing liquid leakage occurs in the tank (high flammability Even when an abnormal situation such as gas leakage occurs, it is possible to effectively prevent the electrical connection portion from being exposed to the leakage. In particular, since the electrical connection portion by which the inert gas is supplied to the temperature control in the heater case it is reliably shielded from the outside air (air) and high flammable gas, etc., under the abnormal situation as described above in so that the ignition of the high-flammable gas, etc., even if the spark occurs is reliably prevented in the event the electrical connection portion. In addition, even when leakage occurs from the connection part of the pipe, the heater is assembled so that the bottom surface of the tank is inclined as described above and the case is positioned on the upper side. It is possible to effectively prevent the leaked liquid from flowing into (intruding into) the electrical connection portion such as the main body, and to more reliably prevent the leak from igniting.
In this configuration, it is preferable that the tank includes a liquid receiving member that prevents the processing liquid from flowing down along the side surface on the one side surface.
According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the leaked liquid from flowing down to the lower surface of the tank, so that it is possible to more reliably prevent the leak from being ignited.

Further, in the above-described structure, the heating temperature adjusting data is and having a plurality of heater body the electrical connection of these heater body is Ru is the heater body is arranged so as to be aligned on the same side as said heater body In addition, it is preferable that the electrical connection portions of the heater main bodies are disposed in the common case (Claim 3 ).

  According to this configuration, the treatment liquid can be efficiently heated using a plurality of heater bodies. And since the said electrical connection part of each heater main body is the structure arrange | positioned in a common case, it can prevent ignition to a leak, highly flammable gas, etc. with a rational structure. In other words, since the electrical connection parts of each heater body are collected in a common case, connection work and maintenance work between each heater body and the power supply wire can be performed in one place, and ignition prevention is possible. Since the supply gas can be supplied to one place, the configuration of the gas supply system can be simplified.

In the above configuration , when the temperature adjusting heater has at least one of a temperature sensor and an overheat detection sensor, it is preferable that an electrical connection portion between the sensor and its wiring is disposed in the case. (Claim 4 ).

  That is, since it is considered that a spark is generated in the electrical connection portion between the temperature sensor or the overheat detection sensor and its wiring, a dedicated case is provided and the electrical connection portion of the sensor is arranged in the interior. However, according to the configuration as described above, the case can be made common, so that leakage or high flammability caused by sparks at the electrical connection portion of the temperature sensor or overheat detection sensor can be achieved. It is possible to prevent ignition of gas or the like with a rational configuration.

According to the treatment liquid heating apparatus according to 請 Motomeko 1-4, or if the leakage when using a highly flammable process liquid occurs, or if the treatment liquid high flammable gases such as leaking or the like Even if an abnormal situation occurs, the electrical connection between the heater body and the power supply wire can be shielded from leakage or highly flammable gas. Even if a spark is generated at the electrical connection portion, it is possible to effectively prevent leakage to liquid leakage or highly flammable gas. Therefore, the treatment liquid can be heated more safely.

In particular, according to the processing liquid heating apparatus engaged Ru in claim 3, while heating the efficient treatment liquid with a plurality of heater body, good assembling property and maintainability of the heater temperature control, also flammable prevention Since the supply system of the working gas (inert gas) is also simplified, the construction is rational.

  The best embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is an example of a substrate processing apparatus processing liquid heating equipment according to the present invention is applied is schematically shown.

  The substrate processing apparatus shown in this figure, for example, supplies a processing liquid such as a chemical solution or pure water to the substrate W while carrying a glass substrate W (hereinafter abbreviated as “substrate W”), and performs a predetermined process using the processing liquid. It is applied to the substrate W. This apparatus mainly has an upper and lower two-layer structure of an upper layer part 2 for processing a substrate W and a lower layer part 3 containing a supply system for processing liquid and a control system for the apparatus.

  In the upper layer portion 2, a processing chamber 10 for the substrate W is provided. The processing chamber 10 is provided with a carry-in portion 10a for the substrate W on one side surface (left side surface) and a carry-out portion 10b for the substrate W on the other side surface (right side surface). Further, a roller conveyor 12 having a plurality of rollers 11 arranged in parallel is disposed between the carry-in unit 10a and the carry-out unit 10b, and the substrate W carried into the processing chamber 10 from the carry-in unit 10a. The roller 11 is driven toward the carry-out portion 10b while being supported in a horizontal or inclined posture.

  In the processing chamber 10, a plurality of nozzles 14 for supplying a processing liquid to the substrate W are further provided. These nozzles 14 are provided in a predetermined arrangement above the conveyor 12 and, for example, discharge the processing liquid in a shower shape.

  On the other hand, the lower layer 3 is provided with a tank 15, a processing liquid supply system such as a processing liquid supply passage L 1 and a recovery passage L 2, and a controller 6 as a control system.

  The tank 15 is supported by the frame 4 (shown in FIG. 2) of the lower layer part 3, and in the illustrated example, two tanks 15 are supported side by side. Temperature control heaters 30 are assembled at the bottoms of these tanks 15, and the temperature of the processing liquid is adjusted to an optimum temperature suitable for the processing by indirectly heating the processing liquid via the tank 15. ing. The configuration of the temperature adjusting heater 30 will be described in detail later.

  The processing liquid supply passage L1 has an upstream end connected to the tank 15 and a downstream end connected to the nozzle 14, and a pump 20, a filter 21, an electromagnetic valve 22 and the like are interposed in the middle of the processing liquid supply passage L1. Yes. The upstream end of the processing liquid recovery passage L <b> 2 is connected to the bottom of the processing chamber 10 and the downstream end thereof is connected to the tank 15. That is, the processing liquid stored in the tank 15 is supplied to each nozzle 14 through the supply passage L1 by the operation of the pump 20, sprayed onto the substrate W from each nozzle 14 and used for processing, and then recovered from the bottom of the processing chamber 10. The supply system is configured to circulate and use the processing liquid by collecting it in the tank 15 via the passage L2. In FIG. 1, the supply passage L1 and the recovery passage L2 of the tank 15 on one side are shown. Of course, the supply passage L1 and the recovery passage L2 are similarly provided for the tank 15 on the other side.

  The controller 6 comprehensively controls the substrate processing apparatus. The conveyor 12, the electromagnetic valve 22 in the supply passage L1, the pump 20, and the electromagnetic valve 23 in the gas supply passage L3 described later are all electrically connected to the controller 6. It is connected to the. Although not shown in the figure, the controller 6 is isolated from the tank 15 and the like by being disposed in a storage chamber that is partitioned from the processing liquid supply system such as the tank 15. It is completely shielded from the mist of the processing solution.

  In this substrate processing apparatus, the substrate W is introduced into the processing chamber 10 via the carry-in portion 10a, and is transported at a constant speed while being supported in a horizontal or inclined posture by the conveyor 12. On the other hand, the processing liquid whose temperature is adjusted to the optimum temperature is supplied from the tank 15 to each nozzle 14 by the operation of the pump 20, whereby the processing liquid is sprayed from each nozzle 14 onto the substrate W. Then, until the substrate W is unloaded from the unloading unit 10b, the substrate W is subjected to a predetermined process by the process liquid by being sprayed on the substrate W.

  Next, the configuration of the portion for heating the processing liquid in the tank 15 will be described in detail.

  2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. As shown in this figure, the tank 15 is supported on the frame 4 via leg portions 16 (only one side is shown in the figure) provided on both sides in the width direction (both sides in the direction orthogonal to the paper surface in FIG. 2). .

  The tank 15 is connected to the front side surface thereof (the side on which an operation panel or the like operated by the operator is provided; the left side in FIG. 2) and the pipes constituting the passages L1 and L2 and the drain passage outside the figure. The lower surface 15a of the tank 15 is an inclined surface that descends from the rear side to the front side of the apparatus. As described above, the lower surface 15a of the tank 15 is configured to be lowered, so that when the processing liquid is replaced, the processing liquid in the tank can be drained through the drain passage without leaving the processing liquid, and from the pipe connection portion of the passages L1 and L2. The liquid leakage can be prevented from flowing to the temperature adjusting heater 30 side described later.

  A temperature adjusting heater 30 is assembled to the lower surface 15 a of the tank 15. The temperature adjusting heater 30 is disposed in a space between both leg portions 16.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the temperature adjustment heater 30 includes a plurality of heater bodies 31. These heater bodies 31 are rod-shaped with a pair of connecting wires 31a led out on one end side, and are arranged in parallel in the width direction (the width direction of the tank 15), a metal material having excellent thermal conductivity, For example, it is integrally held by a thick plate-like holder 32 made of aluminum. Specifically, through holes are formed in parallel in the holder 32 at predetermined intervals, and the heater bodies 31 are inserted into the through holes with no gap so that the conductive wires 31a are arranged on the same side. .

  An elongated case 36 having a rectangular cross section and extending in the arrangement direction of the heater main bodies 31 is integrally coupled to the end surface of the holder 32 on the side where the conducting wires 31a are arranged.

  An insertion hole for each heater main body 31 is formed in the coupling surface of the case 36 to the holder 32, and the end of each heater main body 31 held by the holder 32, specifically, on the lead-out side of the conducting wire 31a. The end is inserted into the case 36 through the insertion hole. A seal member 33 is interposed on the coupling surface between the holder 32 and the case 36.

Further, a cylindrical lock member 38 is fixed to a surface of the case 36 that faces the coupling surface with the holder 32. Locking member 38, the heater body 31 and provided we are in each two vertical positions corresponding to the power supply wire 40 for each heater body 31 (hereinafter, referred to as power lines 40) in the the case 36 through the locking member 38 It is inserted and electrically connected to the conducting wire 31a of the corresponding heater body 31 in the case 36.

  Here, although not shown in detail, the lock member 38 is composed of a cylindrical portion fixed to the case 36 and a nut screwed to the outer periphery thereof, and the nut is fastened to the cylindrical portion. As a result, the sealing member provided on the inner surface of the cylindrical portion is configured to be in close contact with the power line 40 and seal between the cylindrical portion and the power line 40. That is, by inserting the power line 40 into the case 36 through the lock member 38 as described above, the power line 40 is introduced into the case 36 while keeping the airtightness in the case 36 to some extent. In addition, the conducting wire 31a and the power line 40 of each heater main body 31 are directly connected by, for example, soldering, and the connecting portion is covered by mounting an insulating shrinkable tube from the outside.

  In addition, a port portion 48 formed of a hose joint communicating with the inside of the case 36 is provided on the lower surface of the case 36, and as shown in FIG. 1, a supply source 24 of nitrogen gas (ignition preventing gas). The leading end of the gas supply passage L3 led out from is connected to the port portion 48. Thus, nitrogen gas can be supplied into the case 36.

  An electromagnetic valve 23 is interposed in the middle of the gas supply passage L3. When the substrate W is processed, the valve 23 is controlled to be opened and closed by the controller 6. In this embodiment, the nitrogen gas supply source 24, the gas supply passage L3, and the like constitute an inert gas supply means according to the present invention.

  The temperature adjusting heater 30 is further provided with a temperature fuse 42 (overheat detection sensor) and a temperature center 46 as shown in FIGS.

  The thermal fuse 42 is housed in the case 36 together with its wiring, that is, the fuse connector 43 which is a connection portion with the conductive wire 45 connected to the controller 6. As shown in the figure, the thermal fuse 42 is fixed integrally to the fuse connector 43 by a fixing bracket 44 on the side surface of the case 36 on the side to which the holder 32 is coupled. The conductive wire 45 of the thermal fuse 42 is led out of the case 36 through a lock member (not shown) having the same structure as the lock member 38 fixed to the case 36 and is electrically connected to the controller 6.

  On the other hand, the temperature sensor 46 is composed of a thermocouple, and is arranged in the center of the temperature adjusting heater 30 in the width direction in parallel with the heater body 31, with the tip temperature measuring part inserted into the holder 32 through the case 36. Is provided. The temperature sensor 46 is of a wiring integrated type. Therefore, no electrical connection is made in the case 36, and the temperature sensor 46 is a lock member having the same structure as the lock member 38 fixed to the case 36. It is led out of the case 36 through 39 and directly connected to the controller 6.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the heater 30 for temperature adjustment as described above is arranged in the width direction of the tank 15, and the case 36 is located on the rear side, that is, the lower surface 15 a of the tank 15. It is fixed to the lower surface 15a with bolts and nuts (not shown) so as to be positioned on the upper side. In addition, a liquid receiving member 18 having a U-shaped cross section is provided on the side surface of the tank 15 on the side of the case 36 of the temperature adjustment heater 30, and when leakage occurs on the rear side surface of the tank 15, The liquid receiving member 18 is configured to receive liquid leakage. 3 and 4, reference numeral 34 denotes a heat insulating cover fixed to the holder 32 by, for example, a bolt and nut so as to cover a portion of the holder 32 of the temperature adjustment heater 30 other than the contact surface with respect to the tank 15. It is configured.

  In the configuration of the tank 15 and the temperature adjusting heater 30 as described above, when the substrate W is processed, the heater body 31 generates heat by supplying power to each heater body 31 through the power line 40, and heat conduction. As a result, the processing liquid in the tank 15 is heated through the holder 32 and the bottom wall surface of the tank 15. On the other hand, the supply of power to the heater body 31 is controlled (indirect control) by the controller 6 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 46, whereby the temperature of the processing liquid is controlled to the optimum temperature for processing. The

  Further, during the operation of the temperature control heater 30, the electromagnetic valve 23 is controlled to open, whereby nitrogen gas is supplied (purged) from the nitrogen gas supply source 24 into the case 36 through the gas supply passage L3. Thereby, the electrical connection portion between the heater body 31 and the power line 40 is shielded from the outside air by the nitrogen gas.

  According to the substrate processing apparatus as described above, the temperature of the processing liquid in the tank can be appropriately adjusted to a desired temperature by heating the processing liquid in the tank by the temperature adjusting heater 30 assembled in the tank 15. In addition, as a result of the tank 15 and the temperature adjustment heater 30 being configured as described above, it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of a fire or the like due to ignition of the processing liquid or the like.

  That is, the temperature adjusting heater 30 has a configuration in which the connecting portion is isolated from the outside by electrically connecting the conductor 31a of the heater body 31 and the power line 40 within the case 36 as described above. Even when a leak occurs from the tank 15, the connecting portion is not easily exposed to the leak. Further, while the temperature control heater 30 is in operation, nitrogen gas is supplied into the case 36 and the connecting portion is completely shielded from the outside air (air), so that a gas that is highly flammable or explosive from the processing liquid is assumed. Even when (highly flammable gas or the like) is generated and leaked, the connecting portion is not exposed to the highly flammable gas or the like. Therefore, even when a spark is generated at the connection portion of the heater body 31 (conductive wire 31a) and the power line 40 due to poor contact or the like, it is possible to effectively prevent ignition to leakage or highly flammable gas. The occurrence of a fire or the like due to the ignition can be prevented in advance.

  In particular, in the heater 30 for temperature control, the fuse connector 43 of the thermal fuse 42 is also housed in the case 36. Therefore, leakage to liquid or flammable gas due to the occurrence of a spark at the contact portion of the fuse connector 43 is achieved. Inflammation can also be effectively prevented.

  Further, the lower surface 15a of the tank 15 is inclined downward from the rear side to the front side (that is, the side to which the pipes constituting the passages L1 and L2 are connected), and the rear side of the lower surface 15a (the upper side of the inclined surface) The temperature adjustment heater 30 is assembled to the tank 15 so that the case 36 is positioned on the side), and the liquid receiving member 18 is provided on the rear side surface of the tank 15. Even when the liquid is generated, the leakage hardly flows to the temperature adjustment heater 30 side, particularly the case 36 portion. Therefore, the electrical connection portion of the heater main body 31 can be reliably protected from leakage, and also in this respect, ignition to the leakage can be effectively prevented.

Meanwhile, the substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment described above is an example of a substrate processing apparatus engaging Ru processing liquid heating device is applied to the present invention, the specific configuration is the heater and for well temperature control of the substrate processing apparatus The specific configuration of the treatment liquid heating device can also be changed as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the heater main bodies 31 are arranged so that the conductive wires 31 a are arranged on the same side, and the electrical connection portions of the conductive wires 31 and the power lines 40 of the heater main bodies 31 are arranged in a common case 36. However, for example, when there is a space limitation or when a heater body 31 having a different shape is used, there is a situation in which the electrical connection portion between the heater body 31 (conductive wire 31a) and the power line 40 cannot be disposed in the common case 36. Alternatively, the temperature control heater 30 may be provided with a plurality of cases 36, and the electrical connection portion between the heater main body 31 (conductive wire 31a) and the power line 40 may be divided into a plurality of locations. However, according to the configuration in which the electrical connection portions of the heater main body 31 (conductive wire 31a) and the power line 40 are concentrated in the common case 36 as in the above embodiment, the heater main body 31 (conductive wire 31a) and the power line 40 Since the connection work can be performed at one place, the temperature control heater 30 is easy to assemble and maintain, and the supply destination of the nitrogen gas is concentrated at one place, so that the structure of the gas supply system is simple. Thus, there is an advantage that a rational and inexpensive configuration is achieved. Therefore, unless there are special circumstances, it is preferable to adopt a configuration in which the electrical connection portion between the heater main body 31 (conductive wire 31a) and the power line 40 is arranged in a common case 36 as in the above embodiment.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the fuse connector 43 of the thermal fuse 42 is arrange | positioned in the said case 36, about this fuse connector 43 grade | etc., You may make it arrange | position in the inside by providing a special case separately. . However, in this case as well, according to the configuration in which the fuse connector 43 and the like are arranged in the case 36 common to the heater main body 31 as in the above-described embodiment, the configuration is rational and inexpensive with a common case. Unless there are special circumstances, it is preferable to arrange the fuse connector 43 and the like in the case 36 common to the heater body 31 as in the above embodiment. Note that the fuse connector 43 may be disposed in the storage chamber of the controller 6, for example, in addition to being disposed in the case 36 together with the temperature fuse 42 as described above. In addition to the thermal fuse 42, a thermostat or the like may be used as the overheat detection sensor.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the wiring integrated thermocouple is used as the temperature sensor 46, of course, you may use temperature sensors 46 other than a thermocouple. In this case, when the temperature sensor 46 and its wiring are connected by a connector, the connector (electrical connection portion) may be arranged in the case 36 and shielded from leakage or the like.

  In the above embodiment, the electromagnetic valve 23 is provided in the middle of the gas supply passage L3, and the supply of nitrogen gas to the case 36 is controlled by opening and closing the valve 23. However, the valve 23 is omitted. However, nitrogen gas may be constantly supplied into the case 36.

  In the above embodiment, nitrogen gas is used as the inert gas (flammable gas) supplied into the case 36. Of course, if possible, other inert gas such as argon gas is used. May be used.

Is a schematic view showing a substrate processing apparatus processing liquid heating equipment according to the present invention is applied. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. 1 which shows the structure of the lower layer part (especially tank) of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the heater for temperature control assembled | attached to a tank. It is BB sectional drawing of FIG. 3 which shows the structure of the heater for temperature control.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Processing chamber 15 Tank 30 Temperature control heater 31 Heater main body 31a Conductor 32 Holder 36 Case 40 Power line (electric power supply electric wire)
48 Port L1 Treatment liquid supply passage L2 Treatment liquid recovery passage L3 Gas supply passage

Claims (4)

The treatment liquid to a device for heating the treatment liquid in a substrate processing apparatus for processing the substrate by supplying the substrate,
A tank for storing the treatment liquid, a temperature adjustment heater assembled to the tank, and a gas supply means for supplying an inert gas for preventing ignition to the temperature adjustment heater,
The tank is formed such that a lower surface of the tank is inclined downward from one side toward the other side, and a pipe of the processing liquid is connected to a side surface of the tank located on the other side. And
Heater the temperature control has a heater body, and the power supply wires that will be connected thereto, and a case for closing the state close to the electrical connection portion sealed or in the heater body and the power supply wires And the case is assembled to the lower surface of the tank so that the case is located on the one side of the tank and the heater body is located on the other side,
The treatment liquid heating apparatus , wherein the gas supply means supplies an inert gas into the case of the temperature control heater . The processing liquid heating apparatus according to claim 1,
The tank is provided with a liquid receiving member for preventing the processing liquid from flowing down along the side surface on the one side surface . In the processing liquid heating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The heater for temperature control has a plurality of heater bodies as the heater body, and the heater bodies are arranged so that the electrical connection portions of the heater bodies are arranged on the same side, and the electrical heaters of the heater bodies are arranged. A treatment liquid heating apparatus , wherein the connection portion is disposed in the common case. In the processing liquid heating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The temperature control heater has at least one of a temperature sensor and an overheat detection sensor, and an electrical connection portion with a wiring to the sensor is disposed in the case .

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