JP5199323B2 - Substrate processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus.

  Generally, a substrate processing apparatus is an apparatus for performing processes such as physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, ion implantation, and coating on a substrate.

  A conventional substrate processing apparatus aligns a substrate with a carrier in an alignment region when the substrate is pulled in. Thereafter, the aligned substrate is transferred to a process region via a carrier. The transferred substrate is subjected to physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, ion implantation or coating process in the process area, and then transferred again to the alignment area and carried out to the outside.

  In the process area, dust or particles may be generated in physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, ion implantation or coating processes. Dust or particles generated in the process area may diffuse to the alignment area. Dust or particles diffused in the alignment area are placed on the newly introduced substrate and cause defects.

  In order to reduce the occurrence of contamination due to the above dust or particles, a substrate processing apparatus having a longer process area in the substrate processing apparatus is used, but this increases costs and requires a large installation space. There was a problem.

The present invention has been made to solve such problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of preventing substrate contamination due to dust or particles.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus having a reduced size.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, a chamber partitioned into an alignment region where a substrate is drawn in and a process region where a substrate processing step is performed, and the drawn-in substrate are Aligned and transferred to the process area, and formed between the alignment area in the chamber and the process area, and generated in the process area, after transferring the substrate to the alignment area after completion of the process. A substrate processing apparatus is provided that includes a shield that blocks contaminants from flowing into the alignment region and opens and closes in response to the carrier transfer.

  The substrate processing apparatus includes a carrier driving unit that transmits power to the carrier, a shield driving unit that transmits power to the shield, and a control unit that transmits a control signal to the carrier driving unit and the shield driving unit. Further can be included.

  The control signal may include one of a drive signal for moving the carrier, a stop signal for stopping the carrier, an opening signal for opening the shield, and a closing signal for closing the shield.

  When the carrier is located in a region adjacent to the shield, the control unit transmits the stop signal to the carrier driving unit, transmits the opening signal to the shield driving unit, and the carrier passes through the shield. The closing signal can be transmitted to the shield driving unit.

  When the control unit moves to the shield side, the control unit calculates the distance between the shield and the carrier using the moving speed and time of the carrier, and the carrier continuously passes through the calculated distance. The opening signal can be transmitted to the shield driving unit at a possible point, and when the carrier passes through the shield, a closing signal can be transmitted to the shield driving unit.

  The substrate processing apparatus may further include a position sensing unit that is mounted on an inner wall of the chamber or one of the carriers, and generates a sensing signal and transmits the sensing signal to the control unit when the position of the carrier is adjacent to the shield. be able to.

  In the substrate processing apparatus, a partition may be further formed in a region where the shield is provided, and the partition may be formed at a height at which the carrier can move.

  The shield can remain open when the carrier is adjacent to the shield and can be closed when the carrier is far from the shield.

  According to the embodiment of the present invention, by providing a shield between the alignment region and the process region, dust or particles are prevented from diffusing from the process region to the alignment region, and the newly introduced substrate Contamination can be prevented.

  Further, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the length of the chamber can be shortened to reduce the equipment cost, and the installation area can be reduced.

1 is a plan view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view which shows the side surface of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the control part of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is one process figure which shows that a carrier and a shield are controlled by the control part of the substrate processing apparatus of this invention. It is a figure which shows the next process of the process shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a step subsequent to the step shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a step subsequent to the step shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a step subsequent to the step shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a step subsequent to the step shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a step subsequent to the step shown in FIG. 9. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the control part of the substrate processing apparatus by other embodiment of this invention.

  Since the present invention can be modified in various ways and have various embodiments, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the present application. However, this is not to be construed as limiting the invention to the specific embodiments, but is to be understood as including all transformations, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

  In describing the present invention, when it is determined that the specific description of the related art is unknown, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. The numbers used in the description process of the present specification such as “first”, “second”, etc. are merely identification symbols for distinguishing one component from other components.

  In this specification, when a certain component is described as being “coupled” or “connected” to another component, the certain component is directly coupled to the other component, Or, it should be understood that it can be directly connected, and of course can be coupled or connected in the middle and via other components, unless otherwise defined.

  Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG.

  1 and 2, the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a gate 30, a chamber 40, a carrier 20, a carrier driving unit 150, a shield 100, a shield driving unit 160, and a control unit 170. it can.

  Specifically, the gate 30 opens when the substrate 10 is drawn into the chamber 40 and closes during the process to keep the chamber 40 airtight. The gate 30 is provided on one side of the chamber 40 and is disposed on the alignment region 200 side of the chamber 40.

  The carrier 20 is located in the chamber 40, and when the substrate 10 is transferred, the substrate 10 is aligned and transferred to the process region 300. Further, the carrier 20 transfers the substrate 10 that has finished the process to the alignment region 200.

  The carrier driving unit 150 includes a motor or the like, and transmits power to the carrier 20 to move the carrier 20. The carrier driving unit 150 is driven according to a control signal from the control unit 170 described later.

  The chamber 40 is divided into an alignment region 200 and a process region 300. The alignment region 200 is a region where the substrate 10 is placed on the carrier 20 and aligned, and is positioned on the gate 30 side of the chamber 40. In the alignment region 200, when the substrate 10 is drawn from a heating chamber or the like, the carrier 20 is moved or the substrate 10 is moved, so that the process can be performed on the substrate 10 without error during the process. Align like so.

  In the process region 300, the process is performed on the substrate 10. Specifically, in the process region 300, deposition or coating processes such as sputtering, evaporation, and coating are performed. The process region 300 may be equipped with equipment such as a magnet and an ink jet for performing processes such as sputtering, evaporation, and coating. In the process region 300, the process is performed when the substrate 10 is transferred.

  The shield 100 can divide the alignment region 200 and the process region 300 into physical regions. The shield 100 is disposed inside the substrate processing apparatus so as to divide the alignment region 200 and the process region 300. At this time, the shield 100 is disposed inside the chamber 40 so that impurities such as particles generated in processes such as sputtering, evaporation, and coating in the process region 300 do not flow into the alignment region 200. Can be arranged.

  The shield 100 may be configured in the form of a door. The shield 100 is kept closed when the substrate 10 is positioned in the alignment region 200 or the process region 300. The shield 100 opens to allow the substrate 10 and the carrier 20 to move when the substrate 10 moves from the alignment region 200 to the process region 300 or moves from the process region 300 to the alignment region 200.

  The shield driving unit 160 includes a driving device such as a motor and can open and close the shield 100. The shield drive unit 160 is driven in accordance with a drive signal from the control unit 170 described later.

  A partition wall 110 may be further formed in the chamber 40 at a position where the shield 100 is disposed. The partition 110 may be formed so that the carrier 20 can pass through. The partition 110 may be formed in association with the cross-sectional area of the carrier 20. That is, the partition 110 can be formed to have a height that allows at least the carrier 20 to pass through. If the height of the partition wall 110 is too low, particles may flow into the alignment region 200 from the gap around the carrier 20 when the shield 100 is opened. Therefore, the partition wall 110 is formed with a maximum height that allows the carrier 20 to pass therethrough, and particles can be prevented from flowing into the alignment region 200.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the substrate processing apparatus may further include a position sensing unit 120 located inside the chamber 40.
At least one position sensing unit 120 may be disposed in the alignment region 200 or the process region. The position sensing unit 120 may include a first sensing sensor 121 disposed in the alignment region 200 and a second sensing sensor 122 disposed in the process region 300.

  The first sensing sensor 121 senses the position of the carrier 20 that is transferred from the alignment region 200 to the process region 300. In addition, the first detection sensor 121 detects the position of the carrier 20 transferred from the process region 300. When detecting the carrier 20, the first detection sensor 121 generates a detection signal and transmits the detection signal to the controller 170 (see FIG. 3). For example, the first sensing sensor 121 may generate a sensing signal from the time when the carrier 20 starts to be sensed until the time when the carrier 20 completely passes through the first sensing sensor 121 and transmit the sensing signal to the controller 170. In addition, the first sensing sensor 121 may transmit a sensing signal at a moment when the carrier 20 is sensed and a moment when the carrier 20 completely passes through the first sensing sensor 121 to the controller 170.

  The second sensor 122 senses the position of the carrier 20 transferred from the alignment region 200 to the process region 300 and senses the position of the carrier 20 transferred from the process region 300 to the alignment region 200. At this time, similarly to the first sensor 121, the second sensor 122 generates and controls a sensor signal from the time when the carrier 20 starts to be sensed until the time when the carrier 20 completely passes through the second sensor 122. Can be transmitted to the unit 170. In addition, the second sensor 122 can transmit a sensing signal at the moment when the carrier 20 is sensed and a moment when the carrier 20 completely passes through the second sensor 122 to the controller 170.

  The controller 170 transmits a drive signal to the shield driver 160 using the sense signals received from the first sensor 121 and the second sensor 122 to open and close the shield 100. A detailed description of the control unit 170 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As described above, the shield 100 can be opened and closed by sensing the position of the carrier 20 via the position sensing unit 120. Thereby, it is possible to effectively prevent particles generated in the process region 300 from flowing into the alignment region 200.

  In FIG. 1, the position sensing unit 120 is included in the chamber 40, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the position sensing unit 120 may be attached to the carrier 20.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the driving of the carrier 20 and the shield 100 by the control unit 170.
As shown in FIG. 3, according to the embodiment of the present invention, the controller 170 receives a sensing signal from the position sensing unit 120 and generates a control signal for driving the carrier driving unit 150 and the shield driving unit 160. The control unit 170 can transmit the generated control signal to each of the carrier driving unit 150 and the shield driving unit 160. Here, the control signal may include a drive signal for transferring the carrier 20, a stop signal for stopping the carrier 20, an opening signal for opening the shield 100, and a closing signal for closing the shield 100.

  Hereinafter, the operations of the carrier 20 and the shield 100 driven according to the control signals supplied from the control unit 170 to the carrier driving unit 150 and the shield driving unit 160 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 10.

  4 to 7 are diagrams illustrating the operation of the controller 170 when the carrier 20 is transferred from the alignment region 200 to the process region 300. FIG.

  4 to 7, the control unit 170 transmits a stop signal to the carrier driving unit 150 when receiving a detection signal from the position detection unit 120 (the first detection sensor 121 of FIG. 1). When the carrier 20 is stopped at the set position, the control unit 170 transmits an opening signal to the shield driving unit 160 so that the shield 100 is opened. The controller 170 applies a drive signal to the carrier driver 150 so that the carrier 20 is moved to the process region 300 when the shield 100 is fully opened. Next, when the detection signal that detects the end of the carrier 20 is received from the position sensing unit 120 (second sensing sensor 122 in FIG. 1), the control unit 170 transmits a stop signal to the carrier driving unit 150. Next, the control unit 170 transmits a closing signal to the shield driving unit 160 so that the shield 100 is closed. The controller 170 applies a drive signal to the carrier driver 150 after the shield 100 is closed.

  8 to 10 are views showing that the carrier 20 is transferred from the process region 300 to the alignment region 200. Similarly to the method described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7, the controller 170 performs carrier driving. A control signal is supplied to the unit 150 and the shield driving unit 160.

  FIG. 11 is a block diagram schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 11 includes the same configuration as FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 except for the position sensing unit 120, and thus the description of the same configuration is omitted.

  FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment in which a control signal is generated by the control unit 170 and transmitted to the carrier driving unit 150 and the shield driving unit 160.

  The substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 11 can transmit a control signal for controlling the carrier driving unit 150 and the shield driving unit 160 using the movement distance and speed information of the carrier 20 preset by the control unit 170. . Here, the control signal may include a drive signal for transferring the carrier 20, a stop signal for stopping the carrier 20, an opening signal for opening the shield 100, and a closing signal for closing the shield 100.

  When the substrate 10 is mounted on the carrier 20, the controller 170 transmits a drive signal and a stop signal to the carrier driver 150 so that the carrier 20 stops after moving to a set distance. At this time, the set distance is a distance close to the shield 100. The controller 170 applies a drive signal to the shield driver 160 after applying the stop signal, and controls the shield 100 to open. Next, the control unit 170 transmits a drive signal to the carrier driving unit 150 after the shield 100 is completely opened so that the carrier 20 passes through the shield 100. When the carrier 20 passes through the shield 100, the control unit 170 applies a stop signal to the carrier driving unit 150 to stop the carrier 20. Thereafter, the control unit 170 applies a closing signal to the shield driving unit 160 to close the shield 100 and applies a driving signal to the carrier driving unit 150 to move the carrier 20 to the process region 300.

  The controller 170 controls the carrier driver 150 and the shield driver so that the carrier 20 is transferred to the alignment region 200 in the same manner as described above when the substrate 10 that has completed the process is transferred to the alignment region 200. A control signal is applied to 160.

  In addition, the control unit 170 can transmit a drive signal to the carrier driving unit 150 and the shield driving unit 160 in consideration of the process time. For example, the controller 170 may generate the control signal in consideration of the time when the substrate 10 is aligned, the time when the carrier 20 reaches the vicinity of the shield 100, the substrate process time, and the like.

  After the substrate 10 is drawn into the alignment region 200, the controller 170 generates a control signal so that the carrier transfer time, shield opening / closing time, process time, etc. are input in advance and satisfy the set sequence, and the carrier is driven. The unit 150 and the shield driving unit 160 may be supplied.

  Meanwhile, the control unit included in the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can transmit an opening signal and a closing signal to the shield driving unit in consideration of the moving speed of the carrier and the opening speed of the shield.

  The control unit calculates the moving speed of the carrier and the distance between the carrier and the shield, and the opening signal is output to the shield driving unit at a point where the carrier can continuously pass through the region where the shield is formed in the calculated distance. Is transmitted. When the carrier passes through the shield region, the control unit transmits a closed signal to the shield driving unit.

  For example, when the carrier arrives at a position corresponding to the length of the shield so that the carrier passes through the shield when the moving speed of the carrier and the opening speed and closing speed of the shield are substantially the same, a drive signal for opening the shield is generated. To transmit. In this case, when the carrier comes close to the shield, the shield is completely opened, and the carrier can be transferred to the process region without reducing the speed of the carrier. The control unit transmits a drive signal for closing the shield when the carrier passes through the region where the shield is provided.

  The control unit also transmits a drive signal for opening the shield before the carrier reaches the shield as described above even when the carrier moves from the process region to the alignment region. Then, as soon as the carrier passes through the shield region, the control unit transmits a closing signal so that the shield is closed.

  As described above, the control unit transmits the control signal that can open and close the shield in consideration of the moving speed of the carrier and the moving speed of the shield, thereby aligning the particles without further processing time. It is possible to prevent diffusion into the region.

  As described above, the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention provides a shield between the alignment region and the process region to prevent dust or particles from diffusing from the process region to the alignment region. Contamination of the newly introduced substrate can be prevented.

  In addition, the length of the chamber can be shortened by providing a shield instead of the conventional method in which the length of the chamber is increased in order to prevent particle contamination. This saves space and reduces equipment costs.

  Although the description has been given above with reference to the embodiment of the present invention, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the embodiment. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be added to the above-described embodiment. It is apparent from the scope of the claims that the embodiments added with such changes or improvements can be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Board | substrate 20 Carrier 30 Gate 40 Chamber 100 Shield 110 Bulkhead 120 Position sensing part 150 Carrier drive part 160 Shield drive part 170 Control part 200 Alignment area 300 Process area

Claims (6)

A chamber partitioned into an alignment region on the side into which the substrate is introduced and a process region in which a substrate processing step is performed;
Aligning the transferred substrate and transferring it to the process region, and transferring the substrate to the alignment region after completion of the process;
It is formed between the alignment region and the process region in the chamber, and blocks contaminants generated in the process region from flowing into the alignment region, and opens and closes according to the carrier transfer. And a shield
A carrier drive unit for transmitting power to the carrier;
A shield drive unit for transmitting power to the shield;
A control unit for transmitting a control signal to the carrier driving unit and the shield driving unit;
A position sensing unit mounted on one of the inner wall of the chamber or the carrier and generating a sensing signal when the position of the carrier is adjacent to the shield, and transmitting the sensing signal to the control unit;
A substrate processing apparatus including: The control signal is
Claim 1, characterized in that it comprises one of the drive signals for moving said carrier, stop signal for stopping the carrier, open signal and a closed signal to the shield is closed to such the shield is opened 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to 1. The controller is
When the carrier is located in a region adjacent to the shield, the stop signal is transmitted to the carrier driving unit, and the opening signal is transmitted to the shield driving unit,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein when the carrier passes through the shield, the closing signal is transmitted to the shield driving unit. A chamber partitioned into an alignment region on the side into which the substrate is introduced and a process region in which a substrate processing step is performed;
Aligning the transferred substrate and transferring it to the process region, and transferring the substrate to the alignment region after completion of the process;
It is formed between the alignment region and the process region in the chamber, and blocks contaminants generated in the process region from flowing into the alignment region, and opens and closes according to the carrier transfer. And a shield
A carrier drive unit for transmitting power to the carrier;
A shield drive unit for transmitting power to the shield;
A control unit that transmits a control signal to the carrier driving unit and the shield driving unit,
The control signal is
Including one of a drive signal for moving the carrier, a stop signal for stopping the carrier, an open signal for causing the shield to open, and a close signal for causing the shield to close.
The controller is
When moving to the shield side, the distance between the shield and the carrier is calculated using the moving speed and time of the carrier, and the shield drive is performed at a point where the carrier can pass continuously in the calculated distance. The opening signal is transmitted to the part,
Board processor you wherein the carrier transmits a closing signal to the shield drive unit and passing through the shield. A partition is further formed in the region where the shield is provided,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the partition wall is formed at a height at which the carrier can move. The shield is
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate processing apparatus maintains an open state when the carrier is adjacent to the shield, and maintains a closed state when the carrier is far from the shield.

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