JP4643630B2 - Processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a processing apparatus for performing a series of processing including resist coating and development processing after exposure on a target substrate such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) glass substrate.

  In the manufacture of LCD, after forming a predetermined film on the LCD glass substrate, which is the substrate to be processed, a photoresist film is applied to form a resist film, and the resist film is exposed corresponding to the circuit pattern, A circuit pattern is formed by a so-called photolithography technique in which this is developed.

  In this photolithography technique, the LCD substrate as a substrate to be processed is subjected to a series of processes including cleaning processing → dehydration baking → adhesion (hydrophobization) processing → resist coating → prebaking → exposure → development → post baking. A predetermined circuit pattern is formed on the resist layer.

  Conventionally, in such processing, processing units for performing each processing are arranged on both sides of the transport path in consideration of the process flow, and a substrate to be processed is carried into each processing unit by a central transport apparatus that can travel on the transport path. This is performed by a processing system in which one or a plurality of process blocks to be output are arranged. Since such a processing system is basically random access, the degree of freedom of processing is extremely high.

  However, the above processing system is basically a closed system, and a cassette containing a substrate to be processed for which a previous process such as a film forming process has been completed is set in a cassette station which is a loading / unloading unit. After sequential processing, it is necessary to store the cassette in the cassette again and transport the cassette to a subsequent process such as etching, which is a factor that hinders improvement in processing throughput.

  On the other hand, recently, there is a strong demand for a large-sized LCD substrate, and even a huge one having a side as long as 1 m has appeared, and the processing system having the above-described planar arrangement has a very large footprint. However, from the viewpoint of space saving, there is a strong demand for reducing the footprint. However, it is difficult for the central transport apparatus to satisfy the demand for reducing the footprint.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and performs a series of processes including resist coating and development processing after exposure on a substrate to be processed at a high throughput including its pre-process and post-process. An object of the present invention is to provide a processing apparatus that can perform the above-described processing. Another object of the present invention is to provide a processing apparatus capable of minimizing the footprint as much as possible.

In order to solve the above-described problems, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus for performing a series of processing including resist coating and development after exposure on a substrate to be processed. A cleaning processing unit that performs cleaning processing and drying processing using a cleaning liquid while being transported substantially horizontally in a direction, and a resist processing that includes application of a resist solution while a substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally in the first direction. A resist processing unit, and a development processing unit that performs developer coating, developer removal after development, and drying processing, and the cleaning processing unit, the resist processing unit, and the development processing unit are an exposure apparatus. The resist processing unit is provided so as to face the cleaning processing unit with a space therebetween, and the cleaning processing unit and Serial resist processing one end provided adjacent to the unit, a first conveying device which performs loading of the substrate into the resist processing unit through the cleaning unit and the first path unit, wherein A substrate to be processed from the resist processing unit via the second pass unit , provided adjacent to the other end of the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit, via the cleaning processing unit and the third pass unit A second transfer device that carries out the unloading, and a placement movement means that is movable in the space with the substrate to be processed placed thereon, wherein the placement movement means is provided from the second transfer device. The substrate to be processed that has been cleaned and dried is received, moved in the space in the second direction opposite to the first direction, and before the first transport device has moved in the space. Receive a substrate to be processed, which is the cleaning and drying process from placing mobile unit, to provide a processing apparatus characterized by being configured to carry the resist processing unit through the first pass unit .

In a second aspect of the present invention, a cleaning processing unit in which a cleaning process and a drying process are performed with a cleaning liquid while a substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally in a first direction, and the cleaning processing unit is opposed to each other with a space therebetween. A resist processing unit that performs resist processing including application of a resist solution while the substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally in the first direction, and one of the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit. A first transfer device that is provided adjacent to an end and carries a substrate to be processed into the resist processing unit via the cleaning processing unit and the first pass unit ; the cleaning processing unit; and the resist processing provided adjacent the other end of the unit, said through the cleaning unit and the third pass unit through the second pass unit A second transfer device that carries out the substrate to be processed from the dyst processing unit; and a placement moving means that is movable in the space in a state where the substrate to be processed is placed. The substrate to be processed that has been subjected to the cleaning and drying process is received from the second transport device, moved in the space in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the first transport device is The substrate to be processed that has been cleaned and dried is received from the placement moving means that has moved in the space, and is loaded into the resist processing unit via the first pass unit. A processing apparatus is provided.

In a third aspect of the present invention, a cleaning processing unit in which a cleaning process and a drying process with a cleaning liquid are performed while a substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally in a first direction, and the cleaning processing unit is opposed to each other across a space. A resist processing unit that performs resist processing including application of a resist solution while the substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally in the first direction, and one of the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit. A first thermal processing unit section including a first pass unit provided at an end and a second pass unit provided on a carry-in entrance side of the resist processing unit; A third pass unit provided at the other end of the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit and provided on the carry-out side of the cleaning processing unit. A second thermal processing unit section including a fourth pass unit provided on the carry-out side of the resist processing unit, a pass cooling unit provided at the other end, and the first thermal unit A first transfer device provided adjacent to the processing unit section, a second transfer device provided adjacent to the second thermal processing unit section, and the substrate to be processed placed Mounting movement means movable in the space, the first transport device transports the substrate to be processed from the first pass unit to the cleaning processing unit, the second transport device, The substrate to be processed that has been cleaned and dried is transported from the third path unit to the placement movement means, and the placement movement means moves in the space in a second direction opposite to the first direction. Cleaning and drying process The processed substrate is moved to a position adjacent to the first transfer device, and the first transfer device has moved the cleaned and dried substrate to be processed in the space. Conveying from the placement moving means to the second pass unit, the second transport device is configured to transport the resist-treated substrate from the fourth pass unit to the pass cooling unit. that is to provide a processing apparatus according to claim.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus that performs a series of processing including cleaning, resist coating, and development after exposure on a substrate to be processed, a pre-processing unit provided upstream of the exposure apparatus; A post-processing unit provided on the downstream side of the exposure apparatus; a first interface unit that delivers the substrate to be processed from the pre-processing unit to the exposure apparatus; and a substrate to be processed from the exposure apparatus to the post-processing unit. A second interface unit for delivering, and the pre-processing unit includes a carry-in unit into which a substrate to be processed is carried, a cleaning process using a cleaning liquid and drying while the substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally in the first direction. a cleaning unit which processes are performed, the resist processing including the application of the resist solution while being conveyed substantially horizontally to the substrate to be processed the first direction is performed, provided to face the cleaning process unit via the space A resist processing unit, a first thermal processing unit section in which a plurality of thermal processing units for performing predetermined thermal processing on a substrate to be processed unloaded from the cleaning processing unit are integrated, and the resist processing A second thermal processing unit section in which a plurality of thermal processing units for performing predetermined thermal processing on the substrate to be processed unloaded from the unit are integrated; and between the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit. The resist processing unit is provided so as to be movable in the space, and moves in the second direction opposite to the first direction in the space with the substrate to be processed unloaded from the cleaning processing unit placed thereon. And a post-processing unit that moves the substrate to be loaded to a position where the substrate to be loaded can be carried into the substrate. A third thermal process in which a development processing unit that performs image liquid removal and drying processing and a plurality of thermal processing units that perform predetermined thermal processing on the target substrate carried out of the development processing unit are integrated. There is provided a processing apparatus having a unit section and a carry-out unit from which a substrate to be processed is carried out.

In the fourth aspect of the present invention described above, the pre-processing unit has a carry-in port on the carry-in unit side and a carry-out port on the first interface unit side in both the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit. The first thermal processing unit section is provided adjacent to the carry-in portion, and the second thermal processing unit section is provided adjacent to the first interface portion, and the carry-in portion The substrate to be processed is transferred to the cleaning processing unit, and the substrate to be processed placed on the placement moving means is transferred to the first thermal processing unit section and from the first thermal processing unit section. the resist a first conveying device for passing to the processing unit, the processing is carried out from the cleaning unit via the first path unit substrate to be processed Passing to said placing the moving means the plate through the second pass unit, and the resist process the substrate to be processed is unloaded from the unit to the third through said path unit of a second thermal processing unit section And a second transfer device that transfers the substrate to be processed from the second thermal processing unit section to the first interface unit via a fourth pass unit. it can.

  The post-processing unit includes the third thermal processing unit section adjacent to the carry-out unit, and transfers the substrate to be processed of the second interface unit to the development processing unit. And a fourth apparatus for transferring a substrate unloaded from the development processing unit to the third thermal processing unit section and a substrate to be processed from the third thermal processing unit section to the unloading section. It can comprise so that it may further have a conveyance device.

  Further, each of the first, second and third thermal processing unit sections may be configured to have a thermal processing unit block configured by stacking a plurality of thermal processing units in a vertical direction. it can.

  According to the present invention, the resist processing unit and the development processing unit are provided on both sides of the exposure apparatus, and when there is a cleaning processing unit, the cleaning processing unit is provided on one side of the exposure apparatus. And the resist processing unit, and these are arranged so that the development processing unit exists on the other side. By using such a processing apparatus, the preceding process, for example, the film forming process, and the present processing apparatus The resist coating / exposure / development and the subsequent steps, for example, the etching step, can be performed continuously, and the throughput of the overall processing can be increased.

  In addition to the above, the resist processing unit, the development processing unit, and the cleaning processing unit are configured such that predetermined processing is performed while the substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally, so that a plurality of conventional processing can be performed. A large-scale central transport device that travels between units and a central transport path on which it travels are basically unnecessary, so that space can be saved and the footprint can be reduced.

  In addition, a cleaning processing unit and a resist processing unit configured to perform predetermined processing while the substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally are arranged in the upstream processing unit on the upstream side of the exposure apparatus, and downstream of the exposure apparatus. A development processing unit configured to perform predetermined processing while the substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally is disposed in the subsequent processing unit on the side, and a plurality of thermal processing units include these cleaning processing and resist processing. Since the first, second, and third thermal processing unit sections aggregated for each corresponding to the development processing are configured, the footprint can be further reduced while maintaining high throughput. .

  Further, in addition to the above, in the pre-processing section, the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit are provided so as to face each other through a space, and the substrate to be processed unloaded from the cleaning processing unit by the shuttle that moves in the space is registered. Since it is transported to a position where it can be loaded into the processing unit, space can be saved and the footprint can be further reduced compared to the case where the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit are arranged in a row in the pre-processing unit. be able to.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an LCD glass substrate resist coating and developing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The resist coating and developing apparatus 100 includes a pre-stage processing unit 1 and a post-stage processing unit 2 that are provided with an exposure apparatus 3 interposed therebetween. A first interface unit 4 is provided between the pre-processing unit 1 and the exposure apparatus 3, and a second interface unit 5 is provided between the exposure unit 3 and the post-processing unit 2. Then, the LCD glass substrate G that has been subjected to a predetermined process by an apparatus that performs a pre-processing process such as an ITO (indium-tin oxide) film forming process is delivered to the pre-processing unit 1 one by one. The processed substrate G is transferred from the unit 2 to an apparatus that performs post-processing such as etching. In FIG. 1, the longitudinal direction of the resist coating and developing apparatus 100 is defined as the X direction, and the direction orthogonal to the X direction on the plane is defined as the Y direction.

  In the pre-stage processing unit 1, a scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21 and a resist processing unit 23 are provided so as to face each other across the space 20 along the X direction. A first thermal processing unit section 24 in which thermal processing units that perform thermal processing with heating and cooling are gathered is provided at the end of the upstream processing unit 1 opposite to the exposure apparatus 3, which will be described later. A pass unit (PASS) for transferring the substrate G transported from a pretreatment process such as a film forming process is provided. Further, a second thermal processing unit section 25 is provided at the end on the exposure apparatus 3 side so as to be adjacent to the first interface unit 4. An excimer UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 22 is provided in a part on the end side on the scrub cleaning unit (SCR) 21. The excimer UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 22 is provided to remove organic substances on the substrate G prior to scrub cleaning.

  In the space 20, a first transfer device 26 adjacent to the first thermal processing unit section 24 and a second transfer device 27 adjacent to the second thermal processing unit section 25 are provided. Further, a shuttle 28 is provided in the space 20 as a placing movement means that can move in a state where the substrate G is placed. As will be described later, the shuttle 28 holds the substrate G and transfers the substrate G from the second transfer device 27 to the first transfer device 26.

  The scrub cleaning unit (SCR) 21 performs the cleaning process and the drying process while the substrate G is transported substantially horizontally without being rotated in the conventional manner. In the scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21, the substrate G is transported by, for example, roller transport or belt transport, and the carry-in port and the carry-out port of the substrate G face the space 20, and the first and second transport devices, respectively. 26 and 27, the substrate G is carried in by the first transfer device 26 and unloaded by the second transfer device 27. Note that the carry-in / out port of the excimer UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 22 is provided at a position facing the space 20 and corresponding to the first transfer device 26, and the first transfer device 26 carries in / out the substrate G. Is to be done.

  2, the resist processing unit 23 applies a resist solution by dropping a resist solution from a nozzle (not shown) while rotating the substrate G by a spin chuck 51 in the cup 50. As shown in FIG. CT) 23a, a reduced pressure drying device (VD) 23b for drying the resist film formed on the substrate G in the reduced pressure container 52 under reduced pressure, and a solvent discharge head 53 capable of scanning four sides of the substrate G placed on the stage 54. The peripheral resist removing device (ER) 23c for removing excess resist adhering to the peripheral edge of the substrate G is disposed in that order, and the substrate G is interposed between the pair of sub-arms 56 guided and moved by the guide rail 55. Is transported substantially horizontally. The resist processing unit 23 is provided with a carry-in port 57 and a carry-out port 58 for the substrate G on opposite short sides. The guide rail 55 extends outward from the carry-in port 57 and the carry-out port 58, and the substrate is extended by the sub arm 56. Delivery of G is possible.

The first thermal processing unit section 24 includes two thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 29 and 30 configured by stacking thermal processing units for performing thermal processing on the substrate G, The thermal processing unit block (TB) 29 is provided at the end of the pre-processing unit 1 opposite to the exposure apparatus 3, and the thermal processing unit block (TB) 30 is provided at the carry-in side of the resist processing unit 23. . As shown in the side view of FIG. 3, the thermal processing unit block (TB) 29 includes a pass unit (PASS) 61 that carries in the substrate G from the previous step in order from the bottom, and a cooling unit (COL) that cools the substrate G. ) 62, an adhesion processing unit (AD) 63 that performs a hydrophobization process on the substrate G is stacked, and the thermal processing unit block (TB) 30 transfers the substrate G in order from the bottom. A pass unit (PASS) 64, a cooling unit (COL) 65, and an adhesion processing unit (AD) 66 to be performed are stacked in three stages. The first transfer device 26 carries the substrate G after the processing of the previous process is completed through the pass unit (PASS) 61, and carries the substrate G into and out of the plurality of thermal processing units. ) The substrate G is transferred to the resist processing unit 23 via 64 and the substrate G on the shuttle 28 is received.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first transport device 26 includes a guide rail 91 that extends vertically, a lifting member 92 that moves up and down along the guide rail, and a base member 93 that is turnable on the lifting member 92. The substrate holding arm 94 is provided so as to be able to move forward and backward on the base member 93 and holds the substrate G. The elevating member 92 is moved up and down by the motor 95, the base member 93 is turned by the motor 96, and the substrate holding arm 94 is moved back and forth by the motor 97. Since the first transport device 26 is provided so as to be able to move up and down, move back and forth, and turn as described above, it can access any of the thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 29 and 30.

  The second thermal processing unit section 25 has three thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 31, 32, 33 formed by laminating thermal processing units for performing thermal processing on the substrate G. The thermal processing unit block (TB) 31 is provided on the carry-out side of the scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21, and the thermal process unit block (TB) 32 is provided on the carry-out side of the resist processing unit 23. The thermal processing unit block (TB) 33 is provided adjacent to the first interface unit 4. As shown in the side view of FIG. 4, the thermal processing unit block (TB) 31 includes a pass unit (PASS) 67 for transferring the substrate G in order from the bottom, and two dehydration processes for performing a dehydration baking process on the substrate G. Bake units (DHP) 68 and 69 are stacked in three stages, and the thermal processing unit block (TB) 32 is supplied to the pass unit (PASS) 70 for transferring the substrate G in order from the bottom, and to the substrate G. The three pre-baking units (PREBAKE) 71, 72, 73 for pre-baking are stacked in four stages, and the thermal processing unit block (TB) 33 transfers and cools the substrate G in order from the bottom. Pass cooling unit (PASS COL) 74, cooling unit (COL) 75, two pre-baking units (PREBA) Is constituted by four stages stacked in E) 76, 77. The second transfer device 27 receives the substrate G from the scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 23 through the pass unit (PASS) 67, carries the substrate G into and out of the plurality of thermal processing units, and passes the pass unit ( The substrate G is received from the resist processing unit 23 via the PASS 70, the substrate G is transferred to the shuttle 28, and the first interface unit 4 is passed through the pass cooling unit (PASS COL) 74. Deliver the substrate G. The second transfer device 27 has the same structure as the first transfer device 26 and can access any of the thermal processing unit blocks 31, 32, and 33. Further, in the side view, the thermal processing unit block 33 is hidden behind the second transfer device 27 and cannot be seen, but in FIG. 4, the thermal processing unit block (TB) 33 is drawn above the second transfer device 27 for convenience. ing.

  In the scrub cleaning unit (SCR) 21, the substrate G is transported by, for example, roller transport as described above, and after passing the scrub cleaning unit (SCR) 21, the thermal processing unit block (TB) 31 passes. The substrate G is transported to the unit (PASS) 67 by roller transport, for example, and the substrate G lifted by a pin (not shown) protruding by the pass unit (PASS) 67 is transported by the second transport device 27. Further, the substrate G is carried into the resist processing unit 23 after the substrate G is transferred to the pass unit (PASS) 64 of the thermal processing unit block 30 by the first transfer device 26 and then carried by the pair of sub arms 56. Performed from mouth 57. In the resist processing unit 23, the substrate G is transferred by the sub arm 56 through the carry-out port 58 to the pass unit (PASS) 70 of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 32, and on a pin (not shown) protruding there. The substrate G is unloaded.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the shuttle 28 is provided so as to be able to project and retract from the surface of the base member 101, and a plurality of lifting pins 102 that lift and lower the substrate G, and a guide member 103 that positions the substrate G. And a pin driving unit 104 for driving the elevating pin 102 and a connecting unit 105, and the connecting unit 105 is slidably connected to a guide rail 106 extending in the X direction in the space 20. Then, the shuttle 28 is moved along the X direction in the space 20 along the guide rail 106 by a driving mechanism (not shown) of an appropriate method such as driving using a magnet or belt driving. From the viewpoint of preventing dust generation, the magnet drive is more advantageous. The shuttle 28 transports the substrate G received from the second transport device 27 to a position adjacent to the first transport device 26. Then, the substrate G on the shuttle 28 is received by the first transfer device 26 at that position. Unlike the conventional central transport apparatus, such a shuttle 28 only holds and moves the substrate to be processed, so that no large-scale mechanism is required, and the central transport path on which the conventional central transport apparatus travels. Such a large space is unnecessary.

  The first interface unit 4 is configured to transfer a substrate G between the pre-processing unit 1 and the exposure apparatus 3, a buffer stage (BUF) 35 in which a buffer cassette is arranged, and the substrate G to a predetermined level. And a cooling stage (COL) 36 for cooling to a temperature. The transport mechanism 34 includes a transport arm 34a, and the transport arm 34a carries in and out the substrate G between the pre-processing unit 1 and the exposure apparatus 3.

  The second interface unit 5 is configured to transfer a substrate G between the exposure apparatus 3 and the post-processing unit 2, a buffer stage (BUF) 38 in which a buffer cassette is arranged, and a substrate G to a predetermined level. And a cooling stage (COL) 39 for cooling to a temperature. The transport mechanism 37 includes a transport arm 37a, and the transport arm 37a loads and unloads the substrate G between the exposure apparatus 3 and the post-processing unit 2.

  The post-processing unit 2 includes a development processing unit (DEV) 43 provided along the X direction. Loading of the substrate G into the development processing unit (DEV) 43 is performed by the third transfer device 41 through the extension stage 40 from the second interface unit 5, and the substrate G is transferred out by the exposure device of the post-processing unit 2. 3 is performed by a fourth transport device 45 provided at the end opposite to the third side. On the opposite side of the third transport device 41 from the development processing unit (DEV) 43, an external device block 42 in which a titler (TITLER) and a peripheral exposure device (EE) are vertically stacked is provided. On the other hand, a third thermal processing unit section 44 in which thermal processing units that perform thermal processing are gathered in the vicinity of the fourth transport device 45 and an i-line UV irradiation unit (i−) for performing decoloring processing of development. UV) 48 is provided. Further, a fifth transport device 49 for transporting the substrate G to a device for performing post-processing such as etching processing is provided at the end of the development processing unit (DEV) 43 on the carry-out side. A buffer stage (BUF) 110 for arranging a buffer cassette is provided in the vicinity of the transport device 49.

  The development processing unit (DEV) 43 is similar to the scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21, while the substrate G is not rotated in the development processing unit (DEV) 43, while being transported substantially horizontally, the developer is applied and the developer is washed after development. , And a drying process. Also in the development processing unit (DEV) 43, the substrate G is conveyed by roller conveyance or belt conveyance, for example. In addition, the substrate G is carried into and out of the development processing unit (DEV) 43 through a carry-in port and a carry-out port (both not shown) provided at both ends of the longitudinal surface.

  The third thermal processing unit section 44 includes two thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 46 and 47 configured by stacking thermal processing units that perform thermal processing on the substrate G. Are arranged on both sides of the fourth transfer device 45. As shown in the side view of FIG. 6, the thermal processing unit block (TB) 46 is formed by stacking three post-baking units (POBAKE) 78, 79, and 80 that perform post-baking processing on the substrate G. The thermal processing unit block (TB) 47 includes a pass / cooling unit (PASS / COL) 81 and three post-bake units (POBAKE) 82, 83, and 84 for transferring and cooling the substrate G in order from the bottom. It is composed of four layers. The i-ray UV irradiation unit (i-UV) 48 is disposed on the opposite side of the development processing unit (DEV) 43 with the fourth transport device 45 interposed therebetween. The fourth transfer device 45 carries the substrate G into and out of the i-ray UV irradiation unit (i-UV) 48, carries the substrate G into and out of the plurality of thermal processing units, and the substrate from the development processing unit (DEV) 43. Carry out G. The fourth transport device 45 has the same structure as the first transport device 26 and can access any of the thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 46 and 47. Further, the third transfer device 41 and the fifth transfer device 49 also basically have the same structure as the first transfer device 26.

  In the resist coating and developing apparatus 100 configured as described above, first, the substrate G on which a pre-process such as an ITO (indium-tin oxide) film forming process has been completed is carried into the pre-processing unit 1. Specifically, one by one is transferred to the pass unit (PASS) 61 of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 29 belonging to the first thermal processing unit section 24, and the substrate G transferred to the pass unit (PASS) 61 is the first. 1 is directly carried into the excimer UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 22 by the transport device 26, and scrub pretreatment is performed. Next, the first transfer device 26 carries the substrate G into a scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21 disposed under the excimer UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 22 for scrub cleaning. In this scrub cleaning, the cleaning process and the drying process are performed while the substrate G is transported substantially horizontally without being rotated as in the prior art. It is possible to realize the same processing capacity as using two units in a smaller space. After the scrub cleaning process, the substrate G is carried out to the pass unit (PASS) 67 of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 31 belonging to the second thermal processing unit section 25 by, for example, roller conveyance.

  The substrate G arranged in the pass unit (PASS) 67 is lifted by protruding a pin (not shown), and is dehydrated and baked (DHP) 68 of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 31 by the second transport device 27. , 69 and heated. Next, the substrate G is transferred onto the shuttle 28 by the second transfer device 27, and the shuttle 28 holding the substrate G moves in the space 20 to the vicinity of the first transfer device 26. Then, the substrate G on the shuttle 28 is received by the first transfer device 26 and transferred to one of the cooling units (COL) 62 and 65 belonging to the first thermal processing unit section 24 as necessary for cooling. After that, in order to improve the fixability of the resist, it is transported to one of the adhesion processing units (AD) 63 and 66 of the thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 29 and 30, where the adhesion processing (hydrophobization processing) is performed by HMDS. Is done. Thereafter, it is transported to one of the cooling units (COL) 62 and 65, cooled, and further transported to the pass unit (PASS) 64 of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 30. In some cases, the adhesion process is not performed. In this case, the substrate G is immediately transferred to the pass unit (PASS) 64 after dehydration baking and cooling.

  Thereafter, the substrate G placed in the pass unit (PASS) 64 is carried into the resist processing unit 23 by the sub-arm 56 of the resist processing unit 23. Then, the substrate G is first transported to the resist coating processing device (CT) 23a therein, where the resist solution is spin-coated on the substrate G, and then transported to the vacuum drying device (VD) 23b by the sub-arm 56 to reduce the pressure. The substrate is dried, and further conveyed to the peripheral resist removing device (ER) 23c by the sub-arm 56 to remove excess resist on the peripheral edge of the substrate G. After the peripheral resist removal is completed, the substrate G is unloaded from the resist processing unit 23 by the sub arm 56. As described above, the decompression drying device (VD) 23b is provided after the resist coating processing device (CT) 23a. If this is not provided, the substrate G coated with the resist is prebaked or after the development processing. After the post-bake treatment, the shapes of lift pins, fixing pins, etc. may be transferred to the substrate G. In this way, the solvent in the resist can be obtained by performing vacuum drying without heating by a vacuum drying apparatus (VD). Is released gradually and does not cause rapid drying as in the case of drying by heating, can accelerate the drying of the resist without adversely affecting the resist, and effectively prevents transfer on the substrate. Because it can be done.

After the coating process is completed in this way, the substrate G carried out from the resist processing unit 23 by the sub arm 56 is transferred to the pass unit (PASS) of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 32 belonging to the second thermal processing unit section 25. ) 70. The substrate G placed in the pass unit (PASS) 70 is pre-baked by the second transfer device 27 and the pre-baking units (PREBAKE) 71, 72, 73 of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 32 and the thermal processing unit block (TB). ) It is transported to one of the 33 pre-baking units (PREBAKE) 76 and 77 and pre-baked, and then the cooling unit (COL) 75 of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 33 or the pass cooling unit (PASS / COL). It is conveyed to 74 and cooled to a predetermined temperature. Then, when cooled by the cooling unit (COL) 75, it is transported to the pass / cooling unit (PASS / COL) 74 by the second transport device 27 and cooled by the pass / cooling unit (PASS / COL) 74. In some cases it is left there.

  Thereafter, the substrate G on the pass / cooling unit (PASS / COL) 74 is transferred to the cooling stage (COL) 36 by the transfer mechanism 34 of the first interface unit 4 and held at a predetermined temperature. Then, the resist film on the substrate G is exposed to form a predetermined pattern. In some cases, the substrate G is accommodated in a buffer cassette on a buffer stage (BUF) 35 and then transferred to the exposure apparatus 3.

After the exposure is completed, the substrate G is transported to the cooling stage (COL) 39 by the transport mechanism 37 of the second interface unit 5 and held at a predetermined temperature, and then transported to the extension stage 40 of the post-processing unit 2. In some cases, the substrate G is accommodated in a buffer cassette on the buffer stage (BUF) 38 and then transferred to the subsequent processing unit 2.

  The substrate of the extension stage 40 is transported by the third transport device 41 to the lower peripheral exposure device (EE) on the lower stage of the external device block 42 for exposure for removing the peripheral resist, and then to the upper titler (TITLER). After being loaded and predetermined information is written on the substrate G, the substrate G is loaded into the development processing unit (DEV) 43 by the third transport device 41 and subjected to development processing. In this development processing, the substrate G is not rotated as in the prior art, and for example, the developer application, the developer removal after development, and the drying treatment are performed while being transported substantially horizontally by roller transport. As a result, the same processing capability as conventionally using three rotation type development processing units can be realized in a smaller space.

  After the development processing is completed, the substrate G is taken out from the development processing unit (DEV) 43 by the fourth transport device 45 and transported to the i-ray UV irradiation unit (i-UV) 48 to be subjected to decoloring processing. Thereafter, the substrate G is transferred by the fourth transfer device 45 to the post-baking units (POBAKE) 78, 79, 80 of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 46 belonging to the third thermal processing unit section 44 and the thermal processing unit block. (TB) It is transported to one of post-baking units (POBAKE) 82, 83, 84 of 47 and post-baked, and then passed to a pass cooling unit (PASS / COL) 81 of a thermal processing unit block (TB) 47. After being transported and cooled to a predetermined temperature, the substrate G is transported by a fifth transport device 49 to a device that performs post-processing such as etching. At that time, in order to adjust the processing timing, the substrate G is accommodated in a buffer cassette on the buffer stage (BUF) 110 in some cases.

  As described above, the scrub cleaning unit (SCR) 21 and the resist processing unit 23 are arranged in the upstream processing unit 1 on the upstream side of the exposure apparatus 3, and the development processing unit ( DEV) 43 is arranged, so by using such a processing apparatus, its pre-process, for example, a film-forming process, resist coating / exposure / development in this processing apparatus, and subsequent processes, for example, an etching process are continuously performed. This eliminates the need for once storing in a cassette and transporting it to the next process as in the prior art, thereby increasing the overall processing throughput.

  Further, since the scrub cleaning unit (SCR) 21, the resist processing unit 23, and the development processing unit (DEV) 43 are configured to perform predetermined processing while the substrate G is transported substantially horizontally, Such a large-scale central transport device that travels between a plurality of processing units and a central transport path on which it travels are basically unnecessary, so that space can be saved and the footprint can be reduced. In particular, the scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21 and the development processing unit (DEV) 43 are a so-called flat-flow method that performs processing while transporting the substrate G in the horizontal direction without rotating it, so that the conventional substrate G is rotated. It is possible to reduce the mist that has been generated a lot.

  Further, a plurality of thermal processing units for performing subsequent thermal processing are aggregated for each liquid processing unit for each scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21, resist processing unit 23, and development processing unit (DEV) 24. The third thermal processing unit sections 24, 25 and 44 are provided, and these are constituted by the thermal processing unit block (TB) in which a plurality of thermal processing units are stacked, so that the footprint is further reduced accordingly. In addition, the thermal processing can be performed along the flow of the processing of the substrate G by reducing the transport of the substrate G as much as possible, so that the throughput can be further increased. Further, since the first, second and fourth transfer devices 26, 27 and 45 are provided corresponding to the respective thermal processing unit sections, the throughput can be increased also by this.

  Furthermore, in the pre-stage processing unit 1, a scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21 and a resist processing unit 23 are provided so as to face each other via a space 20, and a scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) is moved by a shuttle 28 that moves in the space. Since the substrate G unloaded from the substrate 21 is transported to a position where it can be loaded into the resist processing unit 23, space can be saved as compared with the case where these units are arranged in a row in the pre-processing unit 1. Furthermore, the footprint can be reduced.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the idea of the present invention. For example, the device layout is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. Further, the scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR), the resist processing unit, and the development processing unit (DEV) are of a type that sequentially processes while the substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally. It does not matter. Further, the structure of the shuttle is not limited to the above structure, and for example, it may be the same structure as the sub arm used in the resist processing unit in the above embodiment. Furthermore, although the case where an LCD substrate is used as the substrate to be processed has been described, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to the case of processing other substrates to be processed such as color filters.

The top view which shows the resist application development processing apparatus of the LCD glass substrate which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The top view which shows the inside of the resist processing unit of the resist coating development processing apparatus of the LCD substrate which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The side view which shows the 1st thermal processing unit section and 1st conveying apparatus of the resist application | coating development processing apparatus of the LCD substrate which concern on one Embodiment of this invention. The side view which shows the 2nd thermal processing unit section and the 2nd conveying apparatus of the resist application development processing apparatus of the LCD substrate which concern on one Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the structure of the shuttle used for the resist application development processing apparatus of the LCD substrate which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The side view which shows the 3rd thermal processing unit section of the resist application development processing apparatus of the LCD substrate which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and a 4th conveying apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Pre-stage processing part 2 ... Post-stage processing part 4 ... 1st interface part 5 ... 2nd interface part 21 ... Scrub cleaning processing unit (cleaning processing unit)
23 …… Registry processing unit 24 …… First thermal processing unit section 25 …… Second thermal processing unit section 26 …… First transport device 27 …… Second transport device 28 …… Shuttle Moving means)
29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 46, 47 ... Thermal processing unit block 41 ... Third transport device 43 ... Development processing unit 44 ... Third thermal processing unit section 45 ... Fourth Conveying device 100 ... Resist coating and developing processing device (processing device)
G …… LCD glass substrate

Claims (9)

A processing apparatus for performing a series of processes including resist coating and development after exposure on a substrate to be processed,
A cleaning processing unit in which a cleaning process and a drying process are performed with the cleaning liquid while the substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally in the first direction;
A resist processing unit that performs resist processing including application of a resist solution while the substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally in the first direction;
A development processing unit for performing a developer application, a developer removal after development, and a drying process;
The cleaning processing unit, the resist processing unit, and the development processing unit are provided on both sides of an exposure apparatus,
The resist processing unit is provided so as to face the cleaning processing unit across a space,
A first substrate is provided adjacent to one end of the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit, and carries a substrate to be processed into the resist processing unit via the cleaning processing unit and the first pass unit . A transport device;
Processed from the resist processing unit via the second processing unit and the third pass unit , which is provided adjacent to the other end of the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit. A second transfer device for carrying out the substrate;
A placement moving means that is movable in the space with the substrate to be processed placed thereon, and
The placing movement means receives the substrate to be processed that has been cleaned and dried from the second transport device, and moves in the space in a second direction opposite to the first direction,
The first transport device receives the substrate to be processed that has been cleaned and dried from the placement moving means that has moved in the space, and carries the substrate into the resist processing unit via the first pass unit. It is comprised so that the processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. A cleaning processing unit in which a cleaning process and a drying process are performed with the cleaning liquid while the substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally in the first direction;
A resist processing unit that is provided so as to face the cleaning processing unit across a space, and performs a resist process including application of a resist solution while the substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally in the first direction;
A first substrate is provided adjacent to one end of the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit, and carries a substrate to be processed into the resist processing unit via the cleaning processing unit and the first pass unit . A transport device;
Processed from the resist processing unit via the second processing unit and the third pass unit , which is provided adjacent to the other end of the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit. A second transfer device for carrying out the substrate;
A placement moving means that is movable in the space with the substrate to be processed placed thereon, and
The placing movement means receives the substrate to be processed that has been cleaned and dried from the second transport device, and moves in the space in a second direction opposite to the first direction,
The first transport device receives the substrate to be processed that has been cleaned and dried from the placement moving means that has moved in the space, and carries the substrate into the resist processing unit via the first pass unit. It is comprised so that the processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. A cleaning processing unit in which a cleaning process and a drying process are performed with the cleaning liquid while the substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally in the first direction;
A resist processing unit that is provided so as to face the cleaning processing unit across a space, and performs a resist process including application of a resist solution while the substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally in the first direction;
A first pass unit provided at one end of the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit, a first pass unit provided at the one end, and a second pass provided at the carry-in side of the resist processing unit A first thermal processing unit section containing the unit;
A third pass unit provided at the other end of the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit, provided on the carry-out side of the cleaning processing unit, and a fourth pass provided on the carry-out side of the resist processing unit. A second thermal processing unit section including a pass cooling unit provided at the other end of the pass unit;
A first transport device provided adjacent to the first thermal processing unit section;
A second transport device provided adjacent to the second thermal processing unit section;
A placement moving means that is movable in the space with the substrate to be processed placed thereon, and
The first transport device transports a substrate to be processed from the first pass unit to the cleaning processing unit,
The second transport device transports the substrate to be processed, which has been cleaned and dried, from the third pass unit to the placement moving means,
The placement moving means moves the substrate to be processed which has been cleaned and dried in the second direction opposite to the first direction in the space to a position adjacent to the first transfer device. Move
The first transport device transports the substrate to be processed, which has been cleaned and dried, from the placement moving means that has moved in the space to the second pass unit,
The processing apparatus, wherein the second transfer device is configured to transfer a substrate to be processed, which has been subjected to resist processing, from the fourth pass unit to the pass / cooling unit. The first thermal processing unit section is a first cooling unit that is vertically stacked on the first pass unit and cools the substrate to be processed, and a first hydrophobic unit that performs a hydrophobic treatment on the substrate to be processed. 2 adhesion processing units, a second cooling unit that is vertically stacked on the second pass unit and that cools the substrate to be processed, and a second adhesion processing unit that performs hydrophobic treatment on the substrate to be processed Further comprising
The second thermal processing unit section includes a dehydration bake unit that vertically stacks on the third pass unit and performs a dehydration bake process on the substrate to be processed, and a vertical on the fourth pass unit. The processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a pre-bake unit that performs a pre-bake process on the substrates stacked in a direction. A development processing unit that performs developer coating, developer removal after development, and drying treatment, and an exposure apparatus are further provided.
The processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the cleaning processing unit, the resist processing unit, and the development processing unit are provided on both sides of the exposure apparatus. A processing apparatus for performing a series of processing including cleaning, resist coating and development after exposure on a substrate to be processed,
A pre-processing unit provided on the upstream side of the exposure apparatus;
A post-processing unit provided on the downstream side of the exposure apparatus;
A first interface unit that delivers a substrate to be processed from the pre-processing unit to the exposure apparatus;
A second interface unit that delivers a substrate to be processed from the exposure apparatus to the subsequent processing unit;
The pre-processing unit is
A carry-in section into which the substrate to be treated is carried;
A cleaning processing unit in which a cleaning process and a drying process are performed with the cleaning liquid while the substrate to be processed is transported substantially horizontally in the first direction;
A resist process including application of a resist solution is performed while the substrate to be processed is conveyed substantially horizontally in the first direction, and a resist processing unit provided facing the cleaning processing unit through a space;
A first thermal processing unit section in which a plurality of thermal processing units for performing predetermined thermal processing on the target substrate unloaded from the cleaning processing unit are aggregated;
A second thermal processing unit section in which a plurality of thermal processing units for performing predetermined thermal processing on the target substrate unloaded from the resist processing unit are aggregated;
The space between the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit is movably provided, and the substrate is unloaded from the cleaning processing unit with the substrate to be processed placed on the space opposite to the first direction. And a placement moving means for moving the substrate to be processed to a position where the substrate can be loaded into the resist processing unit.
The post-processing unit is
A development processing unit that applies the developer, removes the developer after development, and performs a drying process while the substrate to be processed is conveyed substantially horizontally;
A third thermal processing unit section in which a plurality of thermal processing units for performing predetermined thermal processing on the substrate to be processed unloaded from the development processing unit are integrated;
A processing apparatus comprising: an unloading unit from which a substrate to be processed is unloaded. The pre-processing unit is
Both the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit have a carry-in port on the carry-in unit side, and have a carry-out port on the first interface unit side,
The first thermal processing unit section is provided adjacent to the carry-in portion; the second thermal processing unit section is provided adjacent to the first interface portion;
The substrate to be processed in the carry-in portion is transferred to the cleaning processing unit, and the substrate to be processed placed on the placement moving means is transferred to the first thermal processing unit section and the first thermal processing is performed. A first transfer device for delivering a substrate to be processed from a unit section to the resist processing unit via a first pass unit ;
The substrate to be processed unloaded from the cleaning processing unit is transferred to the placement moving means via the second pass unit , and the substrate to be unloaded from the resist processing unit is transferred via the third pass unit. A second transfer device that transfers the substrate to be processed from the second thermal processing unit section to the first interface unit via a fourth pass unit while transferring the substrate to the second thermal processing unit section. The processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising: The post-processing unit is
Having the third thermal processing unit section adjacent to the unloading section;
A third transfer device for delivering the substrate to be processed of the second interface unit to the development processing unit;
A fourth transfer device that transfers the substrate unloaded from the development processing unit to the third thermal processing unit section and transfers the substrate to be processed from the third thermal processing unit section to the unloading unit; The processing apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising: 7. The first, second, and third thermal processing unit sections each include a thermal processing unit block configured by vertically stacking a plurality of thermal processing units. The processing apparatus according to claim 8.

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