JP4885032B2 - Nozzle member and substrate heat treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate heat treatment apparatus for performing a heat treatment on a semiconductor substrate, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a glass substrate for a plasma display device, a glass substrate for a photomask, a substrate for an optical disk, etc. (hereinafter referred to as “substrate”). And a substrate heat treatment apparatus.

  As this type of substrate heat treatment apparatus, a hot plate and a substrate support pin that moves out and through the hot plate are provided in the internal space of the housing, and the heat is generated from the hot plate while supporting the substrate with the support pin. Some heat-treat the substrate with heat.

  In this substrate heat treatment apparatus, for example, when a heat treatment is performed on a substrate coated with a resist solution, depending on the type of the resist solution, its components sublimate, and the sublimated product is formed on the inner wall surface of the casing, particularly the upper surface (ceiling surface). ) May adhere and accumulate. If such deposits are peeled off from the inner wall surface of the housing and dropped onto the substrate, it may cause product defects.

  Therefore, in recent years, a substrate heat treatment apparatus as described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed in order to avoid such inconvenience. This apparatus is configured to dispose an ejection nozzle below the ceiling surface of the housing, and to discharge while heating air (clean air) is ejected from the ejection nozzle along the ceiling surface. In other words, the crystallization of the sublimate is prevented by flowing heated air along the ceiling surface of the housing, and further, the sublimate is exhausted together with the heated air, so that the sublimate adheres to the ceiling surface. It prevents deposition.

In the conventional substrate heat treatment apparatus, the ejection nozzle has a long and hollow nozzle shape along one side of the substrate, and is configured to eject heated air from a plurality of openings arranged in the longitudinal direction. The entire nozzle is made of a material having low thermal conductivity such as stainless steel in order to improve heat insulation.
JP 2005-183638 A

  In the substrate heat treatment apparatus as described above, heated air is introduced into the ejection nozzle through a pipe. However, the temperature of the heated air flowing in the nozzle is lowered due to heat radiation and heat conduction to the body. For this reason, in order to uniformly eject air at a desired temperature, it is desirable to introduce heated air to the ejection nozzle at a plurality of positions very close to each other in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle.

  However, due to various circumstances, for example, there are not a few cases where the introduction position of the heated air to the ejection nozzle is limited to one end in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle or one central location. In this case, the temperature of the heated air in the nozzle decreases as the distance from the introduction position increases, and a temperature gradient having a peak at the air introduction position occurs in the temperature of the ejection air. The maximum temperature difference of the ejected air in this temperature gradient increases as the nozzle length increases. For this reason, in an apparatus for a large substrate having a long nozzle length, the temperature difference may become so large that it cannot be ignored when the substrate is subjected to uniform heat treatment. Therefore, it is desirable to improve this point.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a heated gas flow is formed along the ceiling surface using a long jet nozzle in order to prevent adhesion and deposition of a sublimate or the like of a resist solution. An object of the present invention is to allow a gas (fluid) having a more uniform temperature to be ejected over the longitudinal direction of a nozzle in a substrate heat treatment apparatus or the like.

  In order to solve the above problem, the applicant of the present application is configured by making the entire nozzle from a material having high thermal conductivity, and by suppressing the temperature change of the fluid in the nozzle by bringing the entire nozzle close to the fluid temperature. We considered to make the fluid temperature uniform in the longitudinal direction. However, with this configuration, it is possible to make the fluid temperature uniform, but there is a problem in that the amount of heat released to the outside of the nozzle increases and the thermal efficiency is poor. Thus, by improving this point, the inventors have arrived at the following invention.

  That is, the nozzle member of the present invention is a long and hollow nozzle body having an introduction port for introducing a fluid as a heat medium into the inside and a discharge port provided in a part of the peripheral surface in the longitudinal direction. A heat conduction promoting member that is arranged in the longitudinal direction inside the nozzle body and that is made of a material having higher thermal conductivity than the nozzle body and promotes heat conduction in the longitudinal direction. It is provided.

  According to this configuration, when the fluid is introduced, the heat conduction promoting member provided inside the nozzle body easily reaches a temperature close to the fluid temperature in the longitudinal direction. Further, by interposing a member substantially equivalent to the fluid temperature in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle, the temperature change of the fluid at a position away from the inlet is suppressed, and the fluid temperature is made uniform. Moreover, since the nozzle body is made of a material having a lower thermal conductivity than the heat conduction promoting member, it is possible to suppress heat loss due to heat radiation to the outside and to ensure the heat insulation as the entire nozzle member. .

  As a more specific configuration, the heat conduction promoting member is a cylindrical body having an opening in the circumferential direction at an appropriate position in the longitudinal direction, and the introduction port is provided to introduce a fluid into the cylindrical body. (Claim 2).

  According to this configuration, the heat conduction promoting member can be brought closer to the fluid temperature in a shorter time, and as a result, the temperature of the fluid ejected from the nozzle port can be quickly equalized after the introduction of the fluid is started. It becomes possible.

  In addition, since the heat conduction promotion member is made of a material having higher heat conductivity than the nozzle body, it is considered that distortion due to thermal expansion occurs between them. Such inconvenience is eliminated by the following configuration. That is, the heat conduction promoting member has a polygonal cross section, and is placed on the inner bottom surface of the nozzle body on one surface thereof (Claim 3).

  According to this structure, generation | occurrence | production of the distortion by the above thermal expansion can be prevented. However, in this case, if the heat conduction accelerating member is completely free, it is conceivable that a fluid ejection failure or the like may be caused by a displacement of the heat conduction accelerating member in the nozzle body.

  Therefore, it is preferable that the nozzle body has a gap between the nozzle body and the heat conduction promoting member, and a restricting portion that regulates movement of the heat conduction promoting member along the inner bottom surface. (Claim 4). According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent troubles such as ejection failure due to the displacement of the heat conduction promoting member.

  In order to avoid heat loss due to heat conduction to the nozzle body, it is preferable that the heat conduction promoting member is separated from the inner upper surface of the nozzle body.

  On the other hand, the substrate heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention includes a housing in which a base for performing heat treatment on a substrate is provided on the bottom side, and a nozzle member for ejecting heated gas, and the heated gas ejected from the nozzle member In the substrate heat treatment apparatus that performs the heat treatment while forming a heated gas flow along the inner upper surface of the casing, the nozzle member includes the nozzle member as described above (Claims 1 to 5). (Claim 6).

  According to this basic heat treatment apparatus, a heated gas flow having a uniform temperature can be formed along the inner upper surface of the casing along the longitudinal direction of the nozzle.

  According to the nozzle member which concerns on Claims 1-5, it becomes possible to eject the fluid of a more uniform temperature over the longitudinal direction, ensuring the heat insulation of a nozzle member.

  According to the substrate heat treatment apparatus of the sixth aspect, since the heated gas is ejected into the casing using the nozzle member as described above, a good heated gas flow having a uniform temperature is formed over the longitudinal direction of the nozzle. As a result, the substrate can be heated more appropriately.

  A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 and 2 are cross-sectional views showing embodiments of a substrate heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention (a substrate heat treatment apparatus to which a nozzle member according to the present invention is applied), respectively.

  As shown in the figure, a substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as “processing apparatus 1”) has a rectangular cross-section housing 10 having a bottom wall 12, a side wall 13, and a top wall 14 as partition walls. A part of the side wall 13 of the housing 10 is a door body 15, and the door body 15 is opened and closed when the substrate S is carried in and out. Each of the side walls 13 and the like constituting the housing 10 has a double wall structure having a space inside in order to enhance a heat insulating effect. Note that a lattice-like reinforcing wall is provided inside the side wall 13 or the like to ensure rigidity, but this is omitted in the drawing.

  A hot plate 16 is installed on the upper surface of the bottom wall 12 at the inner bottom of the housing 10. The hot plate 16 has a built-in heat source such as a heater, and is provided with a plurality of support pins 17 that are moved forward and backward by receiving a driving force from the elevating drive unit 18. In this embodiment, the hot plate 16 and the support pins 17 correspond to the base of the present invention.

  Further, in the inside of the housing 10, there is an ejection nozzle 20 (in the nozzle member according to the present invention) that ejects heated gas, for example, heated air, in the vicinity of the door body 15 and immediately below the top wall 14. Is equivalent). As will be described in detail later, the ejection nozzle 20 includes a plurality of ejection ports that extend in the width direction of the casing 10 (left and right direction in FIG. 2) along the door body 15 and are arranged in the longitudinal direction. It is configured to eject along the lower surface of the top wall 14.

  A slit-like exhaust port 22 is provided at an upper end portion of the side wall 13 facing the door body 15, and an exhaust nozzle 24 that exhausts the atmosphere in the housing 10 through the exhaust port 22 is provided on the side wall. 13 on the outer surface. That is, while heating air is ejected from the ejection nozzle 20, the exhaust air is exhausted along the lower surface of the top wall 14 by exhausting the atmosphere in the housing 10 by the exhaust nozzle 24. The exhaust gas is exhausted through the exhaust port 22.

  Although not shown in detail, an air supply pipe 30 that guides clean air supplied from a clean air supply source to the ejection nozzle 20 is provided outside the housing 10. A heater 32 is provided in the middle of the air supply pipe 30, and the air is heated by the heater 32 to generate the heated air and supply it to the ejection nozzle 20. Yes.

  FIG. 3 shows a specific configuration of the ejection nozzle 20 in a sectional view.

  The ejection nozzle 20 has an elongated and hollow nozzle body 40 (corresponding to the nozzle body according to the present invention) extending in the width direction of the housing 10. As shown in the figure, the nozzle body 40 is formed in a flat shape in the height direction having a rectangular cross section, and the heated air introduced into the nozzle body 40 through the air inlet 44 is supplied to the nozzle body 40. It has the structure which ejects through the some nozzle opening 42 formed in a front end surface (the left end surface in the same figure). The nozzle ports 42 are elongated in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle body 40 and are provided in a row at a minute interval in the same direction. Thereby, the ejection nozzle 20 has the structure classified into what is called a slit nozzle.

  The nozzle body 40 is integrally provided with a cylindrical port portion 43 on the lower surface of the end portion on one side in the longitudinal direction. A terminal portion of the air supply pipe 30 is connected to and fixed to the port portion 43, and thus the heated air is introduced into the ejection nozzle 20. The air introduction port 44 is constituted by an opening portion at the end of the port portion 43.

  The nozzle body 40 is made of, for example, a metal material having low thermal conductivity such as stainless steel, so that heat dissipation from the inside of the body can be suppressed, and the temperature of the heated air in the nozzle body 40 can be prevented from lowering. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 3, two cylindrical bodies extending in the longitudinal direction and having a rectangular cross section are provided in the nozzle body 40 side by side in the air ejection direction (left and right direction in FIG. 3). Specifically, a first cylindrical body 45 is provided at a position corresponding to the port portion 43, and a second cylindrical body 46 is provided at a portion between the first cylindrical body 45 and the nozzle port 42. ing.

  The first cylindrical body 45 (corresponding to the heat conduction promoting member according to the present invention) is provided with a slit-shaped opening 45a extending in the longitudinal direction at the center of the side surface on the nozzle port 42 side. As shown in the figure, the end of the port portion 43 is fitted on the lower surface thereof, and is placed on the inner bottom surface of the nozzle body 40 in a state of being separated from the ceiling surface of the nozzle body 40.

  The first cylindrical body 45 is made of a material having higher thermal conductivity than the nozzle body 40, for example, a metal material such as aluminum, and is configured to be easily heated by the heated air. The first cylindrical body 45 is placed on the inner bottom surface of the nozzle body, thereby avoiding the occurrence of distortion or the like due to thermal expansion. In the figure, reference numeral 48 denotes a restricting protrusion (corresponding to a restricting portion according to the present invention) provided on the inner bottom surface for restricting the displacement of the first cylindrical body 45 while permitting thermal expansion. ).

  On the other hand, the second cylindrical body 46 is provided with slit-like openings 46a and 46b extending in the longitudinal direction on the side surfaces facing the air ejection direction. More specifically, an opening 46a is provided at the lower end portion of the side surface on the nozzle port 42 side, and an opening portion 46b is provided at the upper end portion of the side surface on the first cylindrical body 45 side. The second cylindrical body 46 is made of the same material as the nozzle body 40 (a metal material having a low thermal conductivity such as stainless steel) and is integrally fixed to the nozzle body 40 with a bolt or the like.

  That is, the ejection nozzle 20 first introduces the heated air introduced into the nozzle body 40 through the air introduction port 44 into the first cylindrical body 45 as indicated by broken line arrows in FIG. It is led out of the first cylindrical body 45 through the opening 45a while filling the inside. The heated air is further introduced into the second tubular body 46 through the opening 46a, and the second tubular body is filled through the opening 46b while filling the inside of the second tubular body 46. 46 is led out from the nozzle port 42 and then ejected from the nozzle opening 42 into the internal space of the housing 10.

  Next, the heating process of the substrate S by the processing apparatus 1 will be described together with the effects thereof.

  In this processing apparatus 1, first, the door body 15 is set at an open position (position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1), and the substrate S horizontally supported on a transfer arm (not shown) is placed in the housing 10 together with the arm. Inserted into. At this time, the support pin 17 is retracted to a predetermined retracted position. When the substrate S is inserted into the housing 10, the support pins 17 are raised, and the substrate S is supported by the support pins 17 and lifted from the transport arm. In this state, the transport arm is retracted out of the housing 10. The door body 15 is closed. Thereafter, the support pins 17 are retracted to a predetermined position, so that the substrate S is placed on the hot plate 16 or is placed close to the hot plate 16 with a small distance. Thus, the substrate S receives heat from the hot plate 16 and is subjected to heat treatment.

  When the substrate S is placed on or placed close to the hot plate 16, supply of heated air to the ejection nozzle 20 is started, and exhausting of the housing 10 by the exhaust nozzle 24 is started. Heated air is ejected from the ejection nozzle 20. When the ejection of the heated air is started in this manner, the heated air is exhausted through the exhaust port 22 while flowing from the door body 15 side to the opposite side along the lower surface of the top wall 14. Therefore, for example, when a heat treatment is performed on the substrate S coated with the resist solution, the resist solution sublimate and the like are effectively discharged to the outside of the housing 10 together with the heated air, and as a result, the ceiling wall Accordingly, the sublimate and the like are prevented from adhering or accumulating on the lower surface of 14.

  Here, since the ejection nozzle 20 is long in the width direction of the housing 10 and supplies heat introduction to one end thereof, the temperature and the amount of ejection of the heated air to be ejected are not uniform in the nozzle longitudinal direction. There is concern. However, since the ejection nozzle 20 has the internal structure as described above, a good heated air flow is formed without such inconvenience. That is, according to this ejection nozzle 20, since the 1st cylindrical body 45 which consists of highly heat conductive materials, such as aluminum, is provided in the inside, when heated air is supplied, this 1st cylindrical body 45 will be heated. It is heated by the air and becomes the same temperature as the air or a temperature close thereto. As a result, the heated air is sequentially guided in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle along the first tubular body 45 heated in this manner, so that heat loss due to heat dissipation and heat conduction during flow in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle is alleviated, and the nozzle The temperature of the heated air in the longitudinal direction is made uniform. Further, when the heated air passes through the second cylindrical body 46 having the slit-shaped entrance / exit (openings 46a, 46b), that is, the heated air is once filled in the second cylindrical body 46, The flow rate of the heating air in the nozzle longitudinal direction is made uniform. Therefore, heated air is ejected from the ejection nozzle 20 in a state where the temperature and flow rate are substantially uniform in the longitudinal phrase, and as a result, a good heated air flow is formed.

  When the heat treatment is thus completed, the support pins 17 are lifted to carry out the substrate S, the substrate S is lifted above the hot plate 16, the door body 15 is opened, and the transfer arm is inserted into the housing 10. Is done. Then, the substrate S is transferred onto the transfer arm in the reverse procedure to that at the time of carrying in, and then the substrate S is pulled out of the housing 10 together with the transfer arm. Note that the supply of heated air to the ejection nozzle 20 is stopped at a predetermined timing after the end of the heat treatment.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, while the heated air is ejected along the lower surface of the ejection nozzle 20 using the ejection nozzle 20 that is long in the width direction of the housing 10, A good heated air flow with a substantially uniform flow rate can be formed. Accordingly, it is possible to satisfactorily avoid the inconvenience caused by the temperature and flow rate of the heating air flow becoming uneven in the width phrase, for example, affecting the uniformity of the heat treatment of the substrate S. Moreover, since the entire nozzle body 40 is made of a metal material having a low thermal conductivity such as stainless steel to prevent heat radiation to the outside, the jet nozzle temperature is uniformized in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle. Heat loss can also be suppressed.

  In addition, in the ejection nozzle 20 of the said embodiment, although the 1st cylindrical body 45 is provided in the nozzle body 40 as a heat conduction promotion member concerning this invention, the heat conduction promotion member does not necessarily need to be cylindrical. Absent. However, if it is cylindrical, the contact area between the heated air and the heat conduction promoting member is increased, and the contact time is also long. Therefore, the temperature of the heat conduction promoting member becomes a temperature close to that of the heated air in a short time. Therefore, there is an advantage that the heated air can be ejected at a uniform temperature in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle at an early point after the introduction of the heated air. As a configuration example of another heat conduction promoting member, for example, configurations as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are conceivable. In FIG. 4, instead of the first cylindrical body 45, a fibrous member 51 made of a high thermal conductivity material such as aluminium is provided in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle. Further, FIG. 5 is provided with baffle plates 53a to 53d extending in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle and made of a high thermal conductive material such as ammonium, whereby the air inlet 44 and the second cylinder are used instead of the first cylindrical body 45. A labyrinth flow path is formed in a portion between the cylindrical body 46. According to these configurations, when the heated air passes through the fibrous member 51 and the baffle plates 53a to 53d, the fibrous member 51 is brought to a temperature close to that of the heated air, and the fibrous member thus heated. When the heated air flows in the nozzle longitudinal direction while touching 51 and the like, heat loss due to heat dissipation and heat conduction during the flow is alleviated, and the temperature of the heated air in the nozzle longitudinal direction becomes uniform. Therefore, also in such a structure, the same effect as the ejection nozzle 20 of the said embodiment can be enjoyed. In the example of FIG. 4, the fibrous member 51 is in contact with the ceiling surface of the nozzle body 40. However, in order to suppress heat conduction to the nozzle body 40, similarly to the first cylindrical pair 45 of the embodiment. It is preferable to dispose the heat conduction promoting member away from the ceiling surface of the nozzle body 40.

  As another example, although not shown, a heating element (a heater or the like) is provided on the inner bottom surface of the nozzle body 40 in place of the first cylindrical body 45, and heated air supplied to the ejection nozzle 20 is supplied. The temperature of the heated air may be made uniform by suppressing the temperature drop of the heated air at a position away from the air introduction port 44 by positively heating. Further, instead of the cylindrical bodies 45 and 46 of the embodiment, pipes that respectively connect the nozzle ports 42 and the air introduction ports 44 may be provided. In this case, each pipe length is set to be longer as it is closer to the air introduction port 44 according to the distance between the corresponding nozzle port 42 and the air introduction port 44. In other words, while heating air is guided through each pipe and ejected from each nozzle port 42, the amount of heat loss due to heat radiation or the like of the heating air guided through each pipe is made uniform, resulting in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle. The temperature of the blown air may be made uniform.

  Further, in the ejection nozzle 20 of the embodiment, both the first cylindrical body 45 for equalizing the temperature of the heated air and the second cylindrical body 46 for equalizing the flow rate of the heated air are provided in the nozzle body. However, the second cylindrical body 46 may be omitted when the flow rate is relatively uniform in the nozzle longitudinal direction, for example, when the volume of the nozzle body 40 is small.

  In the embodiment, as an example of the nozzle member of the present invention, the jet nozzle 20 that supplies the heated air by providing the port portion 43 at one end in the longitudinal direction has been described. Of course, the configuration of the nozzle member according to the present invention is as follows. Also, it can be applied to those that supply heated air to a plurality of locations in the longitudinal direction. Further, in the embodiment, the example in which the nozzle member (jet nozzle 20) according to the present invention is applied to the substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 that performs heat treatment on the substrate S has been described, but it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to other apparatuses. . The nozzle member of the present invention is applicable not only as a gas nozzle member but also as a liquid nozzle member.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a substrate heat treatment apparatus (first embodiment) according to the present invention. It is II-II sectional drawing of FIG. 1 which shows a substrate heat processing apparatus. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows the specific structure of an ejection nozzle. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows the modification of an ejection nozzle. It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram which shows the modification of an ejection nozzle.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate heat processing apparatus 10 Case 16 Hot plate 20 Ejection nozzle 24 Exhaust nozzle 40 Nozzle body 42 Nozzle port 43 Port part 44 Air introduction port 45 1st cylindrical body 46 2nd cylindrical body S board | substrate

Claims (6)

In a nozzle member having a long and hollow nozzle body, having an introduction port for introducing a fluid as a heat medium into the inside, and a discharge port provided in a part of the peripheral surface in the longitudinal direction,
A heat conduction promoting member is provided in the nozzle body so as to extend in the longitudinal direction and is made of a material having higher thermal conductivity than the nozzle body and promotes heat conduction in the longitudinal direction. Nozzle member. The nozzle member according to claim 1,
The heat conduction accelerating member is a cylinder having an opening in a suitable position on the peripheral surface in the longitudinal direction, and the introduction port is provided so as to introduce a fluid into the cylinder. Element. The nozzle member according to claim 2,
The heat conduction promoting member has a polygonal cross section, and is placed on the inner bottom surface of the nozzle body on one surface thereof. In the nozzle member according to claim 3,
The nozzle body has a gap between the nozzle body and the heat conduction promoting member, and has a restricting portion that regulates movement of the heat conduction promoting member along the inner bottom surface. In the nozzle member according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The nozzle member according to claim 1, wherein the heat conduction promoting member is separated from an inner upper surface of the nozzle body. A base provided with a base for performing heat treatment on the substrate is provided on the bottom side, and a nozzle member that ejects heated gas, and heating along the inner upper surface of the casing by the heated gas ejected from the nozzle member In the substrate heat treatment apparatus that performs the heat treatment while forming a gas flow,
A substrate heat treatment apparatus comprising the nozzle member according to any one of claims 1 to 5 as the nozzle member.

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