JP4974996B2 - Substrate processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus including a transfer unit that transfers a substrate to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer or an FPD while being held vertically by a plurality of holding bodies.

  In general, in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a photoresist is applied to a semiconductor wafer or FPD (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) as a substrate to be processed, and a circuit pattern is reduced using a photolithography technique and transferred to the photoresist. Then, a development process is performed, and then a series of processes for removing the photoresist from the wafer or the like is performed.

  Further, in the course of the above processing, the wafer or the like is immersed in a processing tank for storing a processing liquid, for example, a chemical solution in a vertical state by a transfer unit that holds the wafer or the like vertically with a plurality of holding bodies, and then the surface of the wafer or the like There is known a substrate processing apparatus that discharges and processes a rinsing liquid.

  In this type of conventional substrate processing apparatus, the transport means includes, for example, a lower holding body that supports a lower end portion of a wafer or the like and a pair of left and right upper holding bodies that hold a lower end portion of the wafer or the like. The lower holding body and the upper holding body are provided with V-shaped or substantially Y-shaped holding grooves.

  In addition, the problem in the Y-shaped holding groove, that is, the problem of generation of contaminants such as particles due to surface contact with the main surfaces on both sides of the wafer, and the problem in the V-shaped holding groove, that is, due to the falling of the wafer etc. In order to solve the problem of contact between adjacent wafers or the like, the holding groove of the lower holding body and the upper holding body has a V-shaped cross section with an opening angle of 2 ° or more and 28 ° or less, and a surface that comes into contact with the wafer or the like Is known as a material having a dustproof property (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Also, in order to improve the removal efficiency of the processing liquid, a large number of support rods constituting each holder are arranged at regular intervals, and support claws that extend toward the wafer or the like and abut against the edge of each wafer or the like The two adjacent support claws disposed on the adjacent holding body are brought into contact with the edge of the wafer or the like individually from both side surfaces so as to prevent the wafer or the like from falling down. (See, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2000-124297 A (Claims, FIG. 4) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-145270 (Claims, FIGS. 2 to 5)

  However, in the one described in Patent Document 1, since the wafer or the like held by the V-shaped holding groove is in contact with both ends of the wafer or the like in the contact cross section, the remaining liquid of the processing liquid used for processing, for example, chemical liquid As a result, it takes time for the drying process after the liquid process to reduce the throughput, and there is a concern that a stain such as a watermark may occur after the drying process.

  Moreover, in the thing of patent document 2, since two adjacent support claws are the structures which contact | abut to the edge part of a wafer etc. separately from the both sides | surfaces, and hold | grip the edge part, a wafer etc. in the same cross section The remaining amount of the processing liquid can be reduced as compared with the case of sandwiching both side surfaces. However, in the thing of patent document 2, since it is a structure which provides the support nail | claw formed in the shape of the quadrangular pyramid which removed the head in the support rod, there exists a possibility that a liquid pool may arise in the junction part of a support rod and a support nail | claw. In addition, it takes time for the drying process after the liquid process to reduce the throughput, and there is a concern that a stain such as a watermark may occur after the drying process. In addition, the structure described in Patent Document 2 has problems that it requires attention to dimensional accuracy and is troublesome to process.

  This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, can achieve high dimensional accuracy with simple processing, and can reduce the occurrence of stains such as watermarks by reducing liquid residue after liquid treatment, In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of holding a wafer or the like in a stable state and improving throughput.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes a transport unit that transports a substrate to be processed while being vertically held by a plurality of holding bodies, and a processing tank that stores a processing liquid. In the substrate processing apparatus for processing the substrate to be processed by immersing the substrate to be processed in the processing liquid in the processing tank in a state where the substrate is held by the holding body of the transport unit, the transport unit has a lower end portion of the substrate to be processed. A lower holding body formed of a hydrophilic member to support, and an upper holding body formed of a pair of left and right hydrophobic members holding the lower side end of the substrate to be processed; The at least one holding body is formed with a substantially V-shaped holding groove that is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the holding body, and a substrate to be processed is formed by a first inclined surface that constitutes the holding groove. Holding one side of the second and forming a holding groove The groove inclined holding body holds the other surface of the substrate to be processed by the two inclined surfaces (claim 1).

In the present invention, the lower holding body is formed of a groove inclined holding body (Claim 2 ), or the lower holding body and the upper holding body are formed of a groove inclined holding body. (Claim 3 ).

In the present invention, adjacent holding bodies are formed by groove inclined holding bodies, and the inclination angles of the holding grooves formed in the adjacent groove inclined holding bodies are symmetric with respect to the center point between both groove inclined holding bodies. (Claim 4 ).

In the present invention, it is preferable that the holding portion of the substrate to be processed held in the holding groove of the holding body in the groove inclined holding body is in a symmetrical position with respect to the center point along the longitudinal direction of the holding body ( Claim 5 ).

Further, in the present invention, the holding portion of the substrate to be processed held in the holding groove of each groove inclined holding body in the lower holding body and the upper holding body is symmetrical with respect to the center point of the surface of the substrate to be processed in plan view. It is preferable to be in the position (Claim 6 ).

In the present invention, the holding surface having the holding grooves in the lower holding body and the upper holding body is preferably provided to face the center of the surface of the substrate to be processed held by the lower holding body and the upper holding body. Preferred (Claim 7 ).

In the present invention, the holding body may have a configuration in which a plurality of holding grooves are arranged at appropriate intervals so as to hold a plurality of substrates to be processed in parallel with each other (claim 8 ).

According to the first aspect of the invention, holding both sides of different positions of the substrate to be processed by the first and second inclined surfaces of the substantially V-shaped holding groove which inclines provided on at least one groove inclined retainer can do.

According to the invention of claim 1 , the lower end of the substrate to be processed can be held by the lower holding body, and the lower side end of the substrate to be processed can be held by the pair of left and right upper holding bodies, By forming at least one of the lower holding body and the upper holding body by the groove inclined holding body, the first and second inclined substantially V-shaped holding grooves provided in the groove inclined holding body are provided. Different positions on both surfaces of the substrate to be processed can be held by the inclined surfaces.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the first and second inclined surfaces of the inclined substantially V-shaped holding groove provided on the groove inclined holding body forming the lower holding body are used to form the substrate to be processed. Different positions on both sides can be held.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the first and second inclined surfaces of the inclined substantially V-shaped holding grooves provided on the inclined groove holding bodies forming the lower holding body and the upper holding body are provided. Different positions on both sides of the substrate to be processed can be held.

According to the invention of claim 4 , since the holding portion of the substrate to be processed held in the holding groove of the adjacent groove inclined holding body is in a symmetrical position with respect to the center point between the adjacent holding bodies, In each holder, the substrate to be processed is held in a stable state.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the holding portion of the substrate to be processed held in the holding groove of the groove inclined holding body is in a symmetrical position with respect to the center point along the longitudinal direction of the holding body. The substrate to be processed is held in a stable state in the body.

According to the invention described in claim 6, the holding portion of the substrate to be processed held in the holding grooves of the lower holding body and the upper holding body is symmetrical with respect to the center point of the surface of the substrate to be processed in plan view. Therefore, the substrate to be processed is held in a stable state by the lower holding body and the upper holding body.

According to the invention of claim 7, the holding surface having the holding groove in the lower holding body and the upper holding body is opposed to the surface center direction of the substrate to be processed held by the lower holding body and the upper holding body. Accordingly, the lower holding body and the upper holding body can be easily assembled to the transfer means, and the substrate to be processed can be held in a stable state.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of substrates to be processed can be held in a stable state, and for example, liquid processing can be performed at the same time.

Further, according to the first aspect of the invention, it is possible to suppress the liquid remaining processing liquid retaining groove of the lower holding member that holds the lower end portion of the substrate to be processed by adsorbing the processing solution to the substrate to be processed In addition, the holding grooves of the upper holding body that holds the lower both side edges of the substrate to be processed can repel the processing liquid and suppress the remaining liquid after processing.

  According to this invention, since it is configured as described above, the following remarkable effects can be obtained.

(1) According to the first aspect of the present invention, different surfaces of the substrate to be processed by the first and second inclined surfaces of the substantially V-shaped holding groove which inclines provided on at least one groove inclined retainer Since the portion can be held, it is possible to reduce the remaining liquid after the liquid processing and suppress the occurrence of stains such as watermarks, improve throughput, and hold the substrate to be processed in a stable state. can do.

(2) According to the first to third aspects of the invention, the lower end of the substrate to be processed is held by the lower holding body, and the lower side end of the substrate to be processed is held by the pair of left and right upper holding bodies. Therefore, in addition to the above (1), the substrate to be processed can be held in a stable state.

(3) According to the invention described in claim 4, since the holding portion of the substrate to be processed held in the holding groove of the adjacent groove inclined holding body is in a symmetrical position with respect to the center point between the adjacent holding bodies. In addition to the above (1), the substrate to be processed can be held in a stable state.

(4) According to invention of Claim 5 , the holding | maintenance part of the to-be-processed substrate hold | maintained at the holding groove | channel of a lower holding body and an upper holding body is symmetrical with respect to the center point along the longitudinal direction of each holding body. Since the substrate to be processed is held in a stable state in each holding body, in addition to the above (1) to (3), the substrate to be processed can be held in a more stable state.

(5) According to the invention described in claim 6 , the holding portions of the substrate to be processed held in the holding grooves of the lower holding body and the upper holding body are symmetrical with respect to the center point of the surface of the substrate to be processed in plan view. Since the substrate to be processed is held in a stable state by the lower holding body and the upper holding body, in addition to the above (2), the substrate to be processed can be further held in a stable state.

(6) According to the invention described in claim 7 , in addition to the above (1), (2), (4), (5), the lower holding body and the upper holding body can be easily assembled to the conveying means. And the substrate to be processed can be held in a stable state.

(7) According to the invention described in claim 8 , in addition to the above (1) to (6), it is possible to hold a plurality of substrates to be processed in a stabilized state, and at the same time, for example, liquid processing. It can be carried out.

(8) According to the first aspect of the present invention, to suppress the liquid remaining processing liquid retaining groove of the lower holding body adsorbs the processing liquid to the target substrate that holds the lower end portion of the substrate The holding groove of the upper holding body that holds the lower side ends of the substrate to be processed can repel the processing liquid and suppress the liquid residue after processing. Therefore, the remaining liquid after the liquid treatment can be surely reduced, and the occurrence of stains such as watermarks can be suppressed.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the best embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, a case where the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a semiconductor wafer cleaning / drying processing apparatus will be described.

<First Embodiment>
As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning / drying processing apparatus includes a processing tank 1 that is a processing chamber that accommodates a semiconductor wafer W (hereinafter referred to as a wafer W) that is a substrate to be processed, and a position above the processing tank 1. A drying chamber 2 for storing a wafer W to be processed, a chemical solution supply means 3 for supplying a chemical solution for removing an oxide film as a processing solution, such as dilute hydrofluoric acid (DHF), to the wafer W in the processing bath 1, and the inside of the processing bath 1 A rinsing liquid supply means 4 for supplying a cleaning rinsing liquid as another processing liquid to the wafer W and a dry gas supply for supplying a dry gas such as nitrogen gas (N2 gas) or clean air into the drying chamber 2 Control (actuation) signals are sent to the means 6, the chemical liquid supply means 3, the rinse liquid supply means 4, the dry gas supply means 6, and the wafer boat 5, the container cover elevating mechanism 8, the shutter 9, etc., which will be described later in the present invention. Control means to communicate eg central performance And an arithmetic processing unit 10 (hereinafter referred to as CPU 10).

  In this case, the processing tank 1 is composed of an inner tank 1a for storing the wafer W and an outer tank 1b for enclosing the outer peripheral portion of the upper end opening of the inner tank 1a. A drain port 1c is provided at the bottom of the inner tank 1a, and a drain pipe 1e having a drain valve 1d interposed therebetween is connected to the drain port 1c. Further, a drain port 1f is provided at the bottom of the outer tub 1b, and a drain pipe 1h having an open / close valve 1g connected to the drain port 1f.

  A supply nozzle 11 is disposed on the lower side of the inner tank 1 a of the processing tank 1. The supply nozzle 11 is connected to a supply source 4 a of pure water (DIW) that is a rinsing liquid via a main supply pipe 12. A first on-off valve V 1 is provided on the main supply pipe 12 on the pure water supply source 4 a side, and rinsing is performed by the pure water supply source 4 a, the main supply pipe 12, the first on-off valve V 1 and the supply nozzle 11. A liquid supply means 4 is formed.

  Further, a switching on / off valve V0 is provided in the middle of the main supply pipe 12, and a chemical tank, for example, hydrofluoric acid (HF) supply tank 3a is connected through a chemical supply pipe 13 connected to the switching on / off valve V0. Has been. A pump 3b is interposed in the chemical solution supply pipe 13. These supply tank 3 a, chemical solution supply pipe 13, pump 3 b, switching on / off valve V 0, main supply pipe 12 and supply nozzle 11 form a chemical solution supply means 3. In this case, pure water flowing through the main supply pipe 12 and HF supplied from the supply tank 3a are mixed and a chemical solution (DHF) having a predetermined concentration is supplied from the supply nozzle 11 into the processing tank 1. ing.

  On the other hand, the drying chamber 2 has a size capable of accommodating a plurality of, for example, 50 wafers W, and has a container body 16a having a loading / unloading port 15 at the upper end and a loading formed at the upper end of the container body 16a. -It is mainly comprised by the container cover 16b which opens or closes the carrying-out port 15. In this case, the container cover 16 b is formed, for example, in an inverted U-shaped cross section, and is formed so as to be movable up and down by the lifting mechanism 8. The elevating mechanism 8 is electrically connected to the CPU 10, and is configured such that the elevating mechanism 8 is operated by the control (operation) signal from the CPU 10 and the container cover 16 b is opened or closed. When the container cover 16b is raised, the loading / unloading port 15 is opened, and the wafer W can be loaded into the container body 16a. After the wafer W is loaded into the container main body 16a and stored, the container cover 16b is lowered to close the loading / unloading port 15. In this case, the gap between the container main body 16a and the container cover 16b is configured to be sealed by, for example, a lip type O-ring 17a.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wafer boat 5 is fixed to the guide portion 7 and the guide portion 7 in a horizontal state so as to support the lower end of the peripheral edge of the wafer W. The body 20 is mainly composed of a pair of left and right upper holding bodies 30 that hold the lower side end of the periphery of the wafer W.

  The lower holding body 20 is provided with 50 substantially V-shaped holding grooves 21 that are inclined at a predetermined angle (showing the same angle in the drawing) with respect to the longitudinal direction of the lower holding body 20 at appropriate intervals. It becomes. Each holding groove 21 includes a first inclined surface 41 on the base end portion side of the lower holding body 20 and a second inclined surface 42 on the distal end side of the lower holding body 20. The lower holding body 20 configured as described above is formed of a groove inclined holding body. In this case, the lower holding body 20 is formed in a rectangular cross section with a hydrophilic member, for example, polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Thus, by forming the lower holding body 20 with a hydrophilic member, the holding groove 21 of the lower holding body 20 adsorbs the processing liquid and suppresses the remaining of the processing liquid on the wafer W. Can do.

  Each of the upper holding bodies 30 has a substantially V-shaped holding groove 31 inclined at the same angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of each upper holding body 30 and at the same angle as the holding groove 21 of the lower holding body 20. It is arranged in places. Each holding groove 31 includes a first inclined surface 41 on the proximal end side of the upper holding body 30 and a second inclined surface 42 on the distal end side of the upper holding body 30. The upper holding body 30 configured in this way is also formed of a groove inclined holding body. In this case, the upper holding body 30 is formed in a rectangular cross section with a hydrophobic member, for example, polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or perfluoroalkoxy fluororesin (PFA). . In this way, by forming the upper holding body 30 with a hydrophobic member, the holding grooves 31 of the upper holding body 30 holding the lower side ends of the wafer W repel the processing liquid, and the remaining liquid after the processing. Can be suppressed.

  According to the wafer boat 5 configured as described above, the lower end portion of the wafer W is held by the holding grooves 21 of the lower holding body 20, and the lower side ends of the wafer W are held by the holding grooves of the pair of upper holding bodies 30. 31 (see FIGS. 2 to 4).

  The form of holding the wafer W by the lower holding body 20 and the upper holding body 30 will be described by taking the lower holding body 20 as a representative. One surface of the wafer W is formed by the first inclined surface 41 constituting the holding groove 21. For example, the front surface Wa is held, and the other surface, for example, the back surface Wb of the wafer W is held by the second inclined surface 42 constituting the holding groove 21 (see FIGS. 4 to 7). In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, the holding portion of the wafer W held in the holding groove 21 of the lower holding body 20, that is, the front-side holding portion 43 a and the back-side holding portion 43 b are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the lower holding body 20. Is symmetric with respect to the center point C1. Here, the holding groove 21 of the lower holding body 20 has been described. Similarly, in the holding groove 31 of the upper holding body 30, the holding portion of the wafer W held in the holding groove 31, that is, the front-side holding portion 43a and the back surface. The side holding part 43b is in a symmetrical position with respect to a center point (not shown) along the longitudinal direction of the upper holding body 30.

Further, in the lower holding body 20 and the upper holding body 30, the holding portion of the wafer W held in the holding grooves 21 and 31 of the lower and upper holding bodies 20 and 30, that is, the front side holding portion 43 a and the back side holding portion. 43b is in a symmetrical position with respect to the plane center point C0 (see FIG. 3) of the wafer W in plan view (see FIG. 4).

Further, the holding surfaces 22 and 32 having the holding grooves 21 and 31 in the lower holding body 20 and the upper holding body 30 face the center of the surface of the wafer W held by the lower holding body 20 and the upper holding body 30. (See FIG. 3). In this case, in FIG. 3, the upper holding body 30 is disposed along the axis L extending in the radial direction from the surface center point C0 of the wafer W. However, as shown in FIG. only opposed to the surface center of the wafer W, may be disposed upper holding member 30 itself parallel to the vertical form the lower retaining member 20. In this way, by arranging the upper holding body 30 itself vertically, the treatment liquid adhering to the upper holding body 30 can be satisfactorily discharged.

  According to the wafer boat 5 configured as described above, the first and second inclined surfaces 41 of the inclined substantially V-shaped holding grooves 21 and 31 provided in the lower holding body 20 and the upper holding body 30. , 42 can hold different positions on both sides of the wafer W. In addition, the holding grooves 21 and 31 of the lower holding body 20 and the upper holding body 30 can be formed in the same inclined substantially V shape, and the holding grooves 21 and 31 with high dimensional accuracy can be obtained by simple processing. Therefore, the plurality of wafers W can be held in a stable state.

Further, the holding parts (front side holding part 43a and back side holding part 43b) of the wafer W held in the holding grooves 21 and 31 of the lower holding body 20 and the upper holding body 30 are the lower holding body 20 and the upper holding body. Since it is in a symmetrical position with respect to the center point C1 along the longitudinal direction of the body 30, the wafer W is held in a stable state by the lower holding body 20 and the upper holding body 30. Further, the holding portions (front side holding portion 43a and back side holding portion 43b) of the wafer W held in the holding grooves 21 and 31 of the lower holding body 20 and the upper holding body 30 are the center of the surface of the wafer W in plan view. Since it is in a symmetrical position with respect to the point C0, the wafer W is held in a stable state by the lower holding body 20 and the upper holding body 30. Therefore, the wafer W can be held in a stable state.

Further, the holding surfaces 22 and 32 having the holding grooves 21 and 31 in the lower holding body 20 and the upper holding body 30 are opposed to the surface center of the wafer W held by the lower holding body 20 and the upper holding body 30. By disposing, the lower holding body 20 and the upper holding body 30 can be easily assembled to the wafer boat 5.

  In the wafer boat 5, a shaft 14 connected to the guide portion 7 is slidably inserted into a through hole 16c provided at the top of the container cover 16b, and between the through hole 16c and the shaft 14, The telescopic O-ring 17b is interposed so that the air-water tightness in the drying chamber 2 can be maintained. A lifting mechanism (not shown) of the wafer boat 5 is connected to the CPU 10 and is configured to be operated by a control (operation) signal from the CPU 10.

  Further, the processing tank 1 and the drying chamber 2 are connected to each other through a communication port 15a, and a shutter 9 serving as an opening / closing means is disposed at the communication port 15a so as to be openable and closable. The drying chamber 2 is shut off. In this case, the drive unit 9a of the shutter 9 is electrically connected to the CPU 10, and is configured to be able to open and close the communication port 15a by a control (operation) signal from the CPU 10.

  The dry gas supply means 6 includes a gas supply nozzle 11A disposed on both sides of the central portion in the drying chamber 2, and a supply source of a dry gas such as N2 gas connected to the gas supply nozzle 11A via a gas supply pipe 18. 6a and the second opening / closing valve V2 interposed in the gas supply pipe 18 constitute a main part. In this case, a temperature regulator 6b is interposed in the gas supply pipe 18, and hot N2 gas is generated by the temperature regulator 6b. The temperature regulator 6b and the second on-off valve V2 are configured to be operable by a control (operation) signal from the CPU 10.

  The chemical solution supply means 3, the rinse liquid supply means 4, the dry gas supply means 6, the wafer boat 5, the container cover elevating mechanism 8, the shutter 9 and the like are controlled based on stored information programmed in advance in the CPU 10. It has become.

  Next, an example of a processing procedure for the wafer W using the cleaning / drying processing apparatus will be briefly described. First, a plurality of, for example, 50 wafers W transferred by a wafer transfer means (not shown) are transferred to the wafer boat 5 rising above the cleaning / drying processing apparatus, and then the container cover 16b is moved after the wafer boat 5 is lowered. The wafer W is closed and the wafer W is accommodated in the processing tank 1. In the state in which the wafer W is accommodated in the processing tank 1, first, the pump 3b is operated, the first on-off valve V1 is opened, and the switching on-off valve V0 is switched to the chemical solution supply tank 3a side. A chemical solution (DHF) is supplied (immersed) into the wafer W accommodated in the wafer, and an etching process is performed with DHF to remove the oxide film on the surface of the wafer W. Next, the pump 3b is stopped, the switching on-off valve V0 is switched only to the pure water supply source 4a side to supply the rinsing liquid (DIW) to the wafer W accommodated in the processing tank 1, and to the outer tank 1b. The surface of the wafer W is cleaned while overflowing. When the wafer W is lifted from the holding groove 21 during the etching process or the rinsing process, the wafer W is prevented from being overturned by the overturn prevention groove 23.

  After performing the etching process for removing the oxide film on the surface of the wafer W and the rinsing process for cleaning the surface of the wafer W as described above, the wafer boat 5 is raised and the wafer W is moved to the drying chamber 2 above the processing tank 1. Move in. At this time, the shutter 9 moves to the closed position, the drying chamber 2 and the processing tank 1 are shut off, and the inside of the drying chamber 2 is sealed. In this state, the second on-off valve V2 is opened, the temperature regulator 6b is operated, hot N2 gas is supplied from the N2 gas supply source 6a into the drying chamber 2, and the wafer W is dried. In this drying process, since the contact area between the wafer W and the holding groove 21 is small and the amount of liquid adhering to the wafer W is small, there is no possibility that a watermark is generated on the surface of the wafer W.

  After performing the drying process as described above, the lifting mechanism 8 is operated, the container cover 16b is lifted, the loading / unloading port 15 of the container body 16a is opened, the wafer boat 5 is lifted, The wafer W is carried out above the drying chamber 2. Then, the wafer W is transferred to a wafer transfer means (not shown) and transferred to the next processing unit.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment, the case where the number of the lower holding bodies 20 is one has been described. However, the number of the lower holding bodies 20A may be two. That is, in the wafer boat 5A of the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the guide portion 7 and the lower end portion of the peripheral edge of the wafer W fixed in parallel to the guide portion 7 are parallel to each other. The two lower holding bodies 20A and 20B to be supported and a pair of left and right upper holding bodies 30 that hold the lower end of the periphery of the wafer W are mainly configured.

  In this case, the two lower holding bodies 20A and 20B are arranged in 50 rows with appropriate V-shaped holding grooves 21 inclined at the same angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the lower holding bodies 20A and 20B, respectively. Set up. Each holding groove 21 includes a first inclined surface 41 on the base end side of the lower holding bodies 20A and 20B and a second inclined surface 42 on the distal end side of the lower holding bodies 20A and 20B. .

  Further, the first inclined surface 41 constituting the holding groove 21 of each of the lower holding bodies 20A and 20B holds one surface, for example, the surface Wa of the wafer W, and the second inclined surface 42 constituting the holding groove 21. The other surface of the wafer W, for example, the back surface Wb is held (see FIGS. 11 to 13). In this case, as shown in FIG. 12, the holding portion of the wafer W held in the holding grooves 21 of the lower holding bodies 20 </ b> A and 20 </ b> B, that is, the front-side holding section 43 a and the back-side holding section 43 b It is in a symmetrical position with respect to the center point C1 along the longitudinal direction.

Further, in the lower holding bodies 20A and 20B and the upper holding body 30, a holding portion of the wafer W held in the holding grooves 21 and 31 of the lower and upper holding bodies 20A, 20B and 30, that is, the front side holding portion 43a The back side holding part 43b is in a symmetrical position with respect to the plane center point C0 (see FIG. 10) of the wafer W in plan view (see FIG. 11).

Further, the holding surfaces 22 and 32 having the holding grooves 21 and 31 in the lower holding bodies 20A and 20B and the upper holding body 30 are the center of the surface of the wafer W held by the lower holding bodies 20A and 20B and the upper holding body 30. (See FIG. 10). In this case, in FIG. 10, the lower holding bodies 20A and 20B and the upper holding body 30 are disposed along the axis L extending in the radial direction from the surface center point C0 of the wafer W, but in FIG. As shown, only the holding surfaces 32 of the lower holding bodies 20A and 20B and the upper holding body 30 are provided to face the center of the surface of the wafer W, and the lower holding bodies 20A and 20B and the upper holding body 30 themselves are vertically arranged. It may be arranged. Thus, by arranging the lower holding bodies 20A and 20B and the upper holding body 30 themselves in a vertical manner, the treatment liquid adhering to the lower holding bodies 20A and 20B and the upper holding body 30 can be satisfactorily removed. can do.

  Similarly to the first embodiment, the lower holding body 20A is formed in a rectangular cross section with a hydrophilic member, for example, polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

  In the second embodiment, since the other parts other than the wafer boat 5A are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

  According to the second embodiment, since the lower end portion of the wafer W can be held by the two lower holding bodies 20 as compared with the first embodiment, the holding of the wafer W can be further stabilized. .

<Other embodiments>
(1) In the above embodiment, the lower holding body 20 and the upper inclined holding body 30 are formed by the groove inclined holding body having the first inclined surface 41 and the second inclined surface 42 that hold the surface of the wafer W. However, at least one of the lower holding body 20 and the upper inclined holding body 30 may be formed of a groove inclined holding body. In this case, it is preferable to form at least the lower holding body 20 with a groove inclined holding body.

  In addition, when the lower holding body 20 is formed of a groove inclined holding body, the holding groove of the upper holding body may be a normal V-shaped holding groove. Thus, by making the holding groove of the upper holding body a V-shaped groove, the lower end portion of the wafer W is held by the V-shaped groove, so that the stability of holding the wafer W is improved.

  The holding groove of the upper holding body may be a Y-shaped groove instead of the V-shaped groove. Thus, by making the holding groove of the upper holding body a Y-shaped groove, the holding stability of the wafer W is increased and the non-contacting effect can be reduced.

(2) In the first and second embodiments, in the lower holding body 20 and the upper holding body 30, the holding portions of the wafer W held in the holding grooves 21 and 31 of the holding bodies 20 and 30 are viewed in plan view. has been described in positions symmetrical with respect to the surface center point of the wafer W in FIG. 14 (a) ~ (d) adjacent as shown in the holding body or lower retaining member 20A, 20B to each other or lower retaining In the body 20, 20A, 20B and the upper holding body 30, the inclination angle of the holding grooves 21, 31 formed in the holding bodies 20, 20A, 20B, 30 is set between the adjacent holding bodies 20, 20A, 20B, 30. You may form symmetrically with respect to the center point C2. In this embodiment, since the other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  (3) In the above embodiment, the lower holding body 20, 20A, 20B is formed of a hydrophilic member such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK), and the upper holding member 30 is a hydrophobic member such as poly Although the case where formed with chlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or perfluoroalkoxy fluororesin (PFA) has been described, the lower holding body 20, 20A, 20B and the upper holding body 30 are the same. You may form with the member of a material, for example, the member made from quartz. Thus, by forming the lower holding body 20, 20A, 20B and the upper holding body 30 with the same quartz member, the lower holding body 20, 20A, 20B and the upper holding body 30 are simultaneously processed and held. Since the grooves 21 and 31 can be formed, the processing can be further facilitated, and the lower holding bodies 20, 20A and 20B and the upper holding body 30 can be made common to reduce the number of members.

  (4) In the above embodiment, the case where the liquid processing apparatus according to the present invention is applied to the cleaning / drying processing apparatus for the wafer W has been described. However, the liquid processing apparatus according to the present invention places the wafer W in a vertical state. The present invention can be applied to all liquid processing apparatuses that process the wafer W by immersing it in the processing liquid in the processing tank by the holding transport means.

  (5) The liquid processing apparatus according to the present invention can be similarly applied to a substrate to be processed other than a wafer, for example, an FPD substrate.

It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the washing | cleaning / drying processing apparatus to which the liquid processing apparatus which concerns on this invention is applied. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a wafer boat in the present invention. It is a principal part top view which shows the holding | maintenance state of the wafer by the wafer boat of 1st Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the holding state of the wafer by the wafer boat of 1st Embodiment. It is the I section enlarged plan view of FIG. It is a principal part side view of FIG. It is sectional drawing (a) in alignment with the II-II line of FIG. 5, and sectional drawing (b) in alignment with the III-III line. It is a principal part front view which shows the modification of the upper side holding body in this invention. It is a perspective view which shows 2nd Embodiment of the wafer boat in this invention. It is a principal part front view which shows the holding state of the wafer by the wafer boat of 2nd Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the holding state of the wafer by the wafer boat of 2nd Embodiment. It is the IV section enlarged plan view of FIG. It is sectional drawing (a) in alignment with the Va-Va and Vb-Vb line | wire of FIG. 12, and sectional drawing (b) in alignment with VIa-VIa and VIb-VIb line. It is a schematic plan view which shows another form of the holding groove | channel of the lower side holding body and upper side holding body in this invention.

Explanation of symbols

W Semiconductor wafer (substrate to be processed)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Processing tank 2 Drying chamber 3 Chemical solution supply means 4 Rinse solution supply means 5, 5A Wafer boat (conveyance means)
6 Drying gas supply means 9 Shutter 10 CPU (control means)
20, 20A, 20B Lower holding body 21 Holding groove 22 Holding surface 30 Upper holding body 31 Holding groove 32 Holding surface 41 First inclined surface 42 Second inclined surface 43a Front side holding portion 43b Back side holding portion

Claims (8)

A transport unit that transports the substrate to be processed in a state of being vertically held by a plurality of holders, and a processing tank that stores the processing liquid, and the substrate to be processed is held by the holder of the transport unit. In a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate to be processed by immersing it in a processing solution in a processing tank ,
The conveying means includes a lower holding body formed of a hydrophilic member that supports the lower end portion of the substrate to be processed and a pair of left and right hydrophobic members that hold the lower end portion of the substrate to be processed. An upper holding body formed by
The at least one holding body is formed with a substantially V-shaped holding groove inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the holding body,
A groove inclined holder that holds one surface of the substrate to be processed by the first inclined surface constituting the holding groove and holds the other surface of the substrate to be processed by the second inclined surface constituting the holding groove. is there,
A substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the lower holding body is formed of a groove inclined holding body. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the lower holding body and the upper holding body are formed of a groove inclined holding body. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
Adjacent holding bodies are formed of groove inclined holding bodies,
A substrate processing apparatus, wherein an inclination angle of holding grooves formed in the adjacent groove inclined holding bodies is symmetrical with respect to a center point between both groove inclined holding bodies. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
In the groove inclined holding body, the holding portion of the substrate to be processed held in the holding groove of the holding body is in a symmetrical position with respect to the center point along the longitudinal direction of the holding body. . The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
In the lower holding body and the upper holding body, the holding portion of the substrate to be processed that is held in the holding groove of each groove inclined holding body is in a symmetrical position with respect to the center point of the surface of the substrate to be processed in plan view. A substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
The substrate processing characterized in that a holding surface having a holding groove in the lower holding body and the upper holding body is opposed to the surface center of the substrate to be processed held by the lower holding body and the upper holding body. apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
The substrate processing apparatus is characterized in that the holding body has a plurality of holding grooves arranged at appropriate intervals so as to hold a plurality of substrates to be processed in parallel with each other.

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