JP5222177B2 - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate holding mechanism - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a substrate in a processing chamber and a substrate holding mechanism that holds the substrate in the processing chamber. In addition, as a board | substrate used as the object of this invention, a glass substrate for semiconductor wafers, a photomask, a glass substrate for liquid crystal displays, a glass substrate for plasma displays, a substrate for FED (Field Emission Display), a substrate for optical disks, a substrate for magnetic disks And various substrates such as a magneto-optical disk substrate.

  Some substrate processing apparatuses that perform predetermined processing on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate for liquid crystal display perform processing in a reduced processing chamber. For example, the thin film forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 previously disclosed by the applicant of the present application is a thin film carrier in which a thin film material is applied to a substrate held in a substantially horizontal state by a substrate holding claw in a decompressed processing chamber. This is a thin film forming apparatus for transferring a thin film onto a substrate surface by pressing and heating the sheet film in close contact.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2008-300414 (FIG. 1)

  Such a substrate processing apparatus requires a mechanism for holding the substrate in the processing chamber and releasing the holding. In this case, in order to prevent contamination of the processing space in the processing chamber, it is desirable that a mechanism for opening and closing the holding is provided outside the processing chamber. On the other hand, when the substrate holding claw provided inside the chamber is driven by the drive mechanism provided outside the processing chamber in this way, the drive mechanism and the substrate holding claw are mechanically linked while maintaining the confidentiality of the chamber. However, no specific study has been made on such a mechanism. Also in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the detailed structure of the drive mechanism is not disclosed.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a substrate in the processing chamber and a substrate holding mechanism that holds the substrate in the processing chamber, while maintaining the airtightness of the processing chamber. An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for holding a substrate inside the chamber and releasing it from outside the chamber.

  In order to achieve the above object, a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention is a processing chamber serving as a processing space whose inside is reduced in pressure, and protrudes upward at a top thereof, and a cavity whose inside communicates with the processing space. And a projecting portion having a through-hole drilled in the side surface, or a cavity projecting downward and communicating with an external space outside the processing space, and a through-hole drilled in the side surface A processing chamber provided with a protrusion, a cylindrical expansion / contraction member attached to the protrusion so that one end covers the periphery of the through-hole, and expandable and contractable in a substantially horizontal expansion / contraction direction; A partition wall forming member that closes the other end of the elastic member to form a partition wall that separates the processing space from the external space, and is provided in the processing space and holds the substrate in contact with a peripheral edge of the substrate. You A substrate holding portion having a holding claw and connected to the inside of the processing space of the partition wall forming member, and the partition wall forming member is connected to the partition wall forming member by moving the partition wall forming member in the expansion / contraction direction from the external space. And an opening / closing means for opening / closing the substrate holding unit by moving the substrate holding unit in contact with and away from the substrate.

  A substrate holding mechanism according to the present invention is a substrate holding mechanism that is mounted in a processing chamber serving as a processing space whose inside is reduced in pressure and holds a substrate in the processing chamber. In order to achieve the above object, A projecting portion which is attached so as to project upward and covers an opening drilled in the upper portion of the processing chamber, and has a cavity which communicates with the processing space and has a through hole formed in a side surface thereof. Or a projection that is attached so as to protrude downward and covers the opening, and has a cavity that communicates with an external space outside the processing space and has a through-hole formed in a side surface thereof. A cylindrical expansion / contraction member that is attached to the projecting portion so that one end covers the periphery of the through-hole and that is expandable / contractible in a substantially horizontal expansion / contraction direction, and the other end of the expansion / contraction member is closed. A partition wall forming member that forms a partition wall that separates the processing space from the external space, and a holding claw that is provided in the processing space and holds the substrate in contact with a peripheral edge of the substrate, and the partition wall forming member A substrate holding part connected to the inside of the processing space, and moving the partition forming member from the external space in the expansion / contraction direction, thereby moving the substrate holding part connected to the partition forming member to the substrate And an opening / closing means for opening / closing the substrate with contact and separation.

  In the invention thus configured, the holding claw provided inside the processing space and holding the substrate is opened and closed by driving the partition wall forming member. Since a part of the partition wall forming member that separates the processing space and the external space faces the external space, the opening / closing mechanism itself can be provided outside the processing space. The airtightness of the processing space is maintained as follows.

  As a mechanism for opening and closing the holding claw inside the processing chamber from the outside, a rod with a holding claw attached to the tip is extended to the outside of the chamber through a seal such as an O-ring, and this is driven from the outside of the chamber. Is started. However, in a portion accompanied by movement such as sliding or rotation, the O-ring cannot avoid leakage from the gap and cannot be said to be sufficient to maintain airtightness.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the partition wall forming member that separates the processing space and the external space is attached to the processing chamber via a cylindrical expansion / contraction member that is extendable and airtight, and the expansion / contraction member expands and contracts the partition wall forming member. It was movable in the direction. And it was set as the structure which connected the board | substrate holding part which has a holding nail | claw to the process space inside side of the partition formation member. Thereby, the driving force from the outside is transmitted to the holding claw by the expansion and contraction of the expansion / contraction member, and there is no portion that slides or rotates between the processing space and the external space, so that airtightness can be maintained. As the elastic member, for example, a known bellows can be used.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to open and close the holding of the substrate by driving the holding claw for holding the substrate in the processing chamber from the outside while maintaining the airtightness of the processing space in the processing chamber. It is.

  In this invention, you may provide the raising / lowering means to raise / lower the said board | substrate holding part. By doing so, it is possible not only to open and close the substrate holding, but also to move the substrate in the vertical direction.

  As a more specific configuration, for example, the substrate holding portion includes an elevating member attached to the holding claw and driven up and down by the elevating means, and the opening / closing means attached to the partition forming member and the partition forming member. And a lateral movement member driven in the expansion and contraction direction, and the elevation member may be connected to the lateral movement member so as to be movable up and down. According to such a structure, the holding claw can be moved in two directions, the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, by the vertical movement of the elevating member and the horizontal movement of the lateral movement member. It is possible to carry it up and down.

  In this case, the elevating means drives the holding claw to move up and down between a processing position where the processing is performed on the substrate and a retreat position different from the processing position in the vertical direction. While the connection with the lateral movement member is released, the elevation member and the lateral movement member are coupled at the processing position and attached to the elevation member as the lateral movement member moves in the telescopic direction. The holding claw may be opened and closed by moving in a substantially horizontal direction. In this way, it is possible to switch between holding and releasing of the substrate by the holding claw at the processing position, but the switching can be restricted at the retracted position, and the holding of the substrate can be erroneously released at the retracted position. Absent. As a specific configuration for realizing such a function, for example, each of the elevating member and the laterally moving member engages with each other at the processing position, but releases the engagement at the retracted position. It is conceivable to provide an engaging portion.

  Further, in each of the above-described inventions having lifting means, a part of the opening is exposed to the external space through the opening provided in the upper portion of the processing chamber, and the substrate holding portion is movable in the expansion / contraction direction within the processing space. And a base member that holds the base member up and down with respect to the processing chamber while maintaining airtightness between the opening and the base member. You may make it raise / lower the said board | substrate holding part by raising / lowering the exposed part of the said base member from space. If it does in this way, a substrate holding part can be raised and lowered, maintaining airtightness of processing space. A known bellows can also be used as the seal member in this case. When a plurality of substrate holders are provided, if a plurality of substrate holders are held by one base member, the plurality of substrate holders can be moved up and down collectively.

  In each of the above inventions, an urging member that urges the holding claw in a direction to contact the substrate is further provided, and the opening / closing means separates the holding claw against the urging force of the urging member. Thus, the holding of the substrate may be released. In such a configuration, since the holding claw is constantly urged in the direction in which the holding claw comes into contact with the substrate, the holding of the substrate can be maintained even when no external force is applied. Then, the holding of the substrate can be released by forcibly separating the holding claw against the biasing force of the biasing member by the opening / closing means.

  The substrate processing apparatus to which the above invention is applied is not particularly limited. For example, the first plate having a flat bottom surface and the second plate for supporting a thin film carrier carrying a thin film on the top surface from below are described above. The thin film carrier is disposed oppositely in the chamber, holds the substrate by the holding claws, presses the substrate against the lower surface of the first plate, and brings the first plate and the second plate closer to each other. The present invention can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus for transferring an upper thin film in close contact with the substrate. In such an apparatus, the lower surface of the held substrate needs to be largely opened, and the ease of loading and unloading the substrate into and from the processing chamber is also required. When applied to such an apparatus, the present invention has a particularly excellent effect.

  According to the present invention, the partition wall forming member that separates the processing space and the external space is attached to the processing chamber via the cylindrical expansion and contraction member that is extendable and airtight, and the partition wall forming member is driven from the outside, The substrate holding part connected to the partition wall forming member is moved to open and close the substrate holding. Therefore, it is possible to easily hold and release the substrate by driving from the outside while maintaining the airtightness of the processing chamber.

It is a figure showing one embodiment of a substrate processing device concerning this invention. It is a figure which shows a board | substrate holding mechanism. It is a figure which shows the structure of the nail | claw member holding a board | substrate. It is a figure which shows the horizontal movement of a nail | claw member. It is a figure which shows the state which the board | substrate holding mechanism moved to the lowest part. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the structure which clamps a ring body and a ring body. It is a figure which shows the thin film formation apparatus when the A-A 'cut surface of FIG. 1 is seen from upper direction. It is the figure which showed the state which the push-up pin and the lower clamp engaged. It is a figure which shows the structure of a push-up pin. It is a 1st schematic diagram for demonstrating operation | movement of the thin film forming apparatus of FIG. FIG. 6 is a second schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the thin film forming apparatus in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a third schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the thin film forming apparatus in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows the detail of a thin film transfer process. It is a figure which shows the modification of this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other example of a position adjustment mechanism.

  FIG. 1 is a view showing an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. This substrate processing apparatus is an apparatus (thin film forming apparatus) for forming a thin film such as SOG (Spin-On-Glass) on the surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. FIG. It is a figure. In this apparatus, a transfer unit, which will be described later, is installed in a processing space formed inside the processing chamber 1, and a thin film is formed on the substrate surface by the transfer unit in the decompressed processing space. For convenience of explanation, directions of X, Y, and Z are defined as shown in FIG.

  This transfer unit includes an upper block 3 fixed to an upper plate 11 constituting the processing chamber 1 and a lower block 5 fixed to a bottom plate 19, and a substrate W that is a thin film formation target, and a thin film material The thin film on the sheet film F is transferred to the substrate W by sandwiching the sheet film F as a thin film carrier coated with the upper and lower blocks 3 and 5. As the thin film carrier, for example, a quartz plate may be used instead of the sheet film.

  In the following description, a symbol starting with “3” means that the component constitutes the upper block 3, while a component starting with “5” It shall mean that it constitutes the lower block 5.

  The processing space SP can be evacuated by a vacuum pump 95 connected to the processing chamber 1 via an exhaust pipe 951. The vacuum pump 95 is controlled by a control unit 91 that controls the entire apparatus, and can operate according to an operation command from the control unit 91 to exhaust and decompress the processing space SP. Further, the control unit 91 can adjust the exhaust amount from the processing space SP by the vacuum pump 95 and control the pressure (degree of vacuum) in the processing space SP. Thereby, the thin film can be transferred to the substrate W while controlling the dry state of the thin film. The pressure in the processing space SP is set to a predetermined pressure within the range from atmospheric pressure to several Pa according to the type of thin film.

  In the processing space SP, first and second plates 34 and 54 are accommodated facing each other vertically. The first plate 34 is horizontally fixed and supported by an upper base member 31 fixed to the lower surface of the upper plate 11 constituting the processing chamber 1, and is positioned above the second plate 54. The first plate 34 constitutes a sample stage on which the substrate W is mounted, and the lower surface 342 facing the second plate 54 forms the mounting surface of the substrate W. The lower surface 342 of the first plate 34 is formed in a circular shape. Here, the substrate W to be thin film formed includes, for example, a semiconductor wafer formed in a disk shape and a structure in which electrode wiring is patterned on the semiconductor wafer. A thin film such as an insulating film is transferred.

  The substrate W is mounted on the lower surface 342 of the first plate 34. The first plate 34 includes a heater 341 as a heating means inside. The heater 341 is electrically connected to the heater controller 93, and the heater controller 93 controls the heating of the heater 341 between 25 ° C. and 200 ° C. based on the substrate temperature information from the control unit 91. Note that the lower surface 342 of the first plate 34 may be formed of a quartz plate.

  The upper plate 11 constituting the upper surface of the processing chamber 1 is provided with a substrate holding mechanism 300 that can hold or release the substrate W to be processed and can move the substrate W up and down. Is provided. In this substrate holding mechanism 300, a plurality of (in this embodiment, two) lifters 344 are supported so as to be movable up and down and movable in the horizontal direction. A claw member 345 is fixed to the lower end of each lifter 344. The upper surface of the claw member 345 is finished so that it can engage with the peripheral edge of the substrate W, and the substrate W can be placed on the claw member 345.

  FIG. 2 is a view showing the substrate holding mechanism. The substrate holding mechanism 300 has the following structure in order to move the claw member 345 attached to the lifter 344 by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction (Z direction) and the horizontal direction (X direction). A top plate 312 is provided above the upper plate 11 constituting the processing chamber 1, and a stepping motor 361 whose rotational axis is vertically downward is attached to the top plate 312. A ball screw mechanism 362 is coupled to the rotation shaft of the stepping motor 361. A shaft 363 extending in the vertical direction is attached to the ball screw mechanism 362 via a flange 367 (described later). Therefore, when the stepping motor 361 rotates in accordance with a control command from the control unit 91 as shown in FIG. The rotational movement is converted into a vertical movement (Z direction) by the ball screw mechanism 362 to move the shaft 363 up and down. The ball screw mechanism 362 is provided with a position detecting extension 364 that moves up and down in conjunction with the vertical movement of the shaft 363, while the top plate 312 is provided with a position sensor 365 for detecting this. Based on the output of 365, the vertical position of the ball screw mechanism 362 is controlled by the control unit 91. FIG. 2 shows a state where the substrate holding mechanism 300 is in the uppermost position.

  The other end of the shaft 363 enters the processing space SP in the processing chamber 1 through an opening 111 formed in the approximate center of the upper plate 11 of the processing chamber 1, and a sub-plate 366 is attached to the lower end of the shaft 363. ing. In addition, the upper end portion of the shaft 363 is expanded in diameter to form a flange 367, and a bellows 368 that is extendable in the vertical direction (Z direction) is provided between the lower surface of the flange 367 and the upper surface of the upper plate 11, The opening 111 is blocked. Therefore, when the stepping motor 361 rotates, the ball screw mechanism 362, the shaft 363, the flange 367, and the sub plate 366 move up and down integrally within the expansion / contraction range of the bellows 368. At this time, the air-tightness of the processing chamber 1 is maintained by the expansion and contraction of the bellows 368.

  The sub-plate 366 is provided with two through holes 3661. A slider 370 that is movable in the horizontal direction with respect to the sub-plate 366 and the movement of the slider 370 are uniaxially (X direction) and predetermined. A slider guide 369 that restricts the amount of displacement is attached. A spring 371 is inserted between the slider 370 and the slider guide 369, and the slider 370 is biased to the side close to the shaft 363 (to the center in the drawing) in a state where no external force is applied. The lifter 344 described above is attached to the lower part of the slider 370.

  On the other hand, the upper portions of the two sliders 370 extend upward to form a vertical rod 372, and pass through the two through holes 112 provided at symmetrical positions with respect to the central opening 111 provided in the upper plate 11. As a result, the upper plate 11 is reached upward. Two types of extended portions 3721 and 3722 are provided at the upper end of the vertical rod 372. More specifically, a side surface (inner side) closer to the shaft 363 in the upper end portion of the vertical rod 372 is extended upward to form an extended portion 3721 that extends long. Further, a shorter extending portion 3722 is provided on a side surface (outside) far from the shaft 363 in the upper end portion of the vertical rod 372.

  A housing 373 is attached to the upper plate 11 so as to cover the vertical rod 372 protruding upward from the upper plate 11 through the through hole 112. The inner space of the housing 373 communicates with the processing space SP, and a through hole 3731 is formed on the outer side surface thereof. A transverse rod 374 having a smaller cross section than the size is inserted through the through hole 3731. An engaging pin 3741 that engages with an extending portion 3722 of the vertical rod 372 is provided upright at one end of the horizontal rod 374 that enters the inside of the housing 373.

  On the other hand, a plate-shaped partition wall forming member 375 is attached to the other end of the horizontal rod 374 protruding outward from the housing 373. A bellows 376 that is extendable in the lateral direction (X direction) is attached between the periphery of the through hole 3731 on the outer surface of the housing 373 and the partition wall forming member 375. Therefore, the partition forming member 375 can be displaced in the X direction within the expansion / contraction range of the bellows 376. An air cylinder 377 is attached to the upper portion of the housing 373. When the air cylinder 377 is actuated by a control command from the control unit 91 and the piston 3771 moves in the X direction, the air cylinder 377 is pushed by this and pushed into the partition member 375 and the lateral member. The rod 374 moves integrally in the X direction.

  FIG. 3 is a view showing the structure of the claw member that holds the substrate. A claw member 345 attached to the lower end of the lifter 344 has a base portion 3451 coupled to the lifter 344 and a tip member 3451 fixed to the base portion 3451 by a set screw 3453. The tip member 3452 is formed in an arc shape in accordance with the outer shape of the substrate, and the tip portion has a thickness in the vertical direction that is thinner toward the tip. More specifically, the lower surface of the tip member 3452 is substantially flat, while the upper surface is gradually reduced in thickness as it approaches the tip (lower left in the figure), and finally finished to have a thin blade shape. Yes. When the tip end abuts on the outer peripheral portion of the lower surface of the substrate W, the substrate W is supported from below.

  The tip member 3452 is divided into two pieces and fastened to the base portion 3451 by a set screw 3453, respectively. By loosening the set screw 3453, the positioning adjustment of the two tip members 3452 can be performed individually in the direction approaching / separating from the substrate (arrow direction). As a result, the area of the contact portion where the substrate W contacts the claw member 345 can be reduced, and the substrate can be held securely. In this embodiment, two sets of the claw members 345 configured as described above are provided, and the substrate W to be processed is held from both sides.

  Next, driving of the lifter 344 and the claw member 345 in the vertical direction (Z direction) and the horizontal direction (X direction) by the substrate holding mechanism 300 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 4, and 5. In the state where the substrate holding mechanism 300 is at the uppermost position shown in FIG. 2, the lifter 344 is also at the uppermost position. At this time, the tip of the claw member 345 is positioned immediately below the first plate 34. The position of the claw member 345 at this time is referred to as a “board mounting position”.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing horizontal movement of the claw member. When the lifter 344 is in the uppermost position, the extended portion 3722 provided in the vertical rod 372 and the engagement pin 3741 provided in the horizontal rod 374 are in a positional relationship in which they are just engaged in the housing 373. . Accordingly, when the partition wall forming member 375 is displaced in the X direction, the horizontal rod 374 moves to the left and right accordingly, so that the vertical rod 372 engaged with the horizontal rod 374 can be moved to the left and right. At the same time, the claw member 345 moves in the X direction. That is, by operating the air cylinder 377 and displacing the partition wall forming member 375 in the X direction, the state in which the substrate W is held by the claw member 345 directly below the first plate 34 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4B, the state in which the holding of the substrate W by the claw member 345 is released can be switched.

  More specifically, since the slider 370 connected to the claw member 345 is biased by the spring 371 in the direction in which the claw member 345 is brought into contact with the substrate W, in the state where the air cylinder 377 does not operate, FIG. As shown, the claw member 345 holds the outer periphery of the lower surface of the substrate W. On the other hand, when the air cylinder 377 is activated and the partition wall forming member 375 is displaced outwardly against the urging force of the spring 371 as shown by an arrow in FIG. The longitudinal rods 372 to be joined are also displaced outward, and as a result, the claw member 345 is separated from the substrate W toward the outside, and the substrate holding is released.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the substrate holding mechanism has moved to the lowest position. When the shaft 363 is moved downward by the operation of the stepping motor 361 and the ball screw mechanism 362 and the bellows 368 is contracted, the lifter 344 is also moved downward, and the claw member 345 is located at a position greatly separated from directly below the first plate 34. (Retracted position). At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, the extending portion 3722 provided on the upper portion of the vertical rod 372 is also lowered downward, and the engagement with the engagement pin 3741 provided on the horizontal rod 374 is released. For this reason, even if the air cylinder 377 is activated, the driving force is not transmitted to the vertical rod 372 and the claw member 345 does not move. And since the nail | claw member 345 is urged | biased in the direction contact | abutted from the board | substrate W from the first, the state holding the board | substrate W will be maintained. In this state, the processed substrate W can be carried out to the outside.

  In a state where the substrate W is not held, the pair of claw members 345 are spaced apart from the first plate 34 and maintain a mutual distance at which the substrate can be placed. Therefore, in this state, the substrate W can be carried in from the outside and held by the claw member 345. Then, when a raising command is given from the control unit 91 to the stepping motor 361, the lifter 344 moves upward to bring the substrate W placed on the claw member 345 into close contact with the lower surface 342 of the first plate 34. As a result, the claw member 345 is positioned at the substrate mounting position, and the substrate W is mounted on the first plate 34.

  In a state where the claw member 345 is positioned at the board mounting position, the extending portion 3722 of the vertical rod 372 and the engagement pin 3741 of the horizontal rod 374 are engaged again, and the claw member 345 can be moved horizontally. It should be noted that the longer extending portion 3721 provided on the vertical rod 372 is engaged with the engaging pin of the horizontal rod 374 so as to be surely engaged with the extending portion 3722 of the vertical rod 372 when the vertical rod 372 is raised. A function as a guide for guiding 3741 is provided.

  Thus, in this embodiment, when the claw member 345 is retracted from directly below the first plate 34, the vertical rod 372 and the horizontal rod 374 are disengaged and the claw member 345 contacts the substrate W. Since the substrate W is biased in the contact direction, the holding of the substrate W cannot be released. In other words, the release of the substrate holding in this embodiment is permitted only when the substrate W is held immediately below the first plate 34. By doing in this way, it is prevented that the board | substrate W falls by unnecessary holding | release cancellation | release resulting from the malfunction or failure of the air cylinder 377.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the description of the processing unit will be continued. The second plate 54 is mounted on an elevating unit 52 provided so as to be movable up and down along the moving direction Z (vertical direction), and is disposed below the first plate 34 so as to face each other with its axis line aligned. The elevating unit 52 has a lower base member 51 attached to the bottom plate 19, and a second plate 54 is fixedly supported on the lower base member 51. The second plate 54 constitutes a transfer plate on which the sheet film F is mounted. The upper surface facing the first plate 34 is formed by a quartz plate 5421, and the upper surface 542 of the quartz plate 5421 serves as a mounting surface for the sheet film F. Forming. The upper surface 542 of the second plate 54 is formed in a circular shape. Further, the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the quartz plate 5421 is tapered to provide a tapered surface. The sheet film F is formed in a circular shape larger than the substrate W, and a thin film is formed on the surface (thin film forming surface). Further, the planar size of the upper surface 542 of the second plate 54 is smaller than the planar size of the sheet film F.

  The sheet film F is held by being sandwiched in the moving direction Z by an upper clamping unit and a lower clamping unit, which will be described later, and the second plate 54 is formed on the back surface of the sheet film F (a thin film is formed on both main surfaces of the sheet film). The non-thin film forming surface opposite to the surface is disposed on the side. The second plate 54 has a built-in heater 541 as a heating means. The heater 541 is electrically connected to the heater controller 94, and the heater controller 94 controls the heating of the heater 541 between 25 ° C. and 200 ° C. based on the substrate temperature information from the control unit 91.

  The sheet film F is a sheet-like film made of an organic material having flexibility and plasticity such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) or ETFE (ethylenetetrafluoroethylene).

  The elevating unit 52 has a support shaft 513 that is integrally suspended at the center of the lower surface of the lower base member 51. The support shaft 513 is supported so as to be movable up and down along the movement direction Z, and is configured to be moved up and down by the weighted motor 53. In other words, the weighting motor 53 is connected to the lower end of the support shaft 513, and the lifting unit 52 is moved up and down along the movement direction Z by operating the weighting motor 53 in accordance with an operation command from the control unit 91. Can do. The second plate 54 supported on the lower base member 51 moves up and down along the movement direction Z by the lifting and lowering of the lifting unit 52.

  Further, in this embodiment, in order to improve the handling property of the sheet film F, an integrated ring body RF is formed using a pair of rings Rup and Rdw as shown in FIG. The film F is being transported. Below, the handling structure of the sheet film F is demonstrated, referring FIG. 6 and FIG.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a ring body and a configuration for sandwiching the ring body. This ring body RF holds the sheet film F by sandwiching the periphery of the sheet film F over the entire circumference by the upper ring Rup and the lower ring Rdw. The upper ring Rup and the lower ring Rdw are annular members having the same shape, and by arranging the upper ring Rup and the lower ring Rdw across the sheet film F, the sheet film F can be held by magnetic force adsorption. Yes.

  An upper clamp 35 and a lower clamp 55 are provided around the first and second plates 34 and 54 to hold the ring body RF by sandwiching a pair of rings Rup and Rdw from above and below. Each of the upper clamp 35 and the lower clamp 55 is an annular member having substantially the same inner diameter as the pair of rings Rup and Rdw, and the outer diameter of the upper clamp 35 is smaller than the outer diameter of the pair of rings Rup and Rdw. On the other hand, the outer diameter of the lower clamp 55 is formed larger than the outer diameter of the pair of rings Rup and Rdw.

  With this configuration, when the ring body RF is held between the upper clamp 35 and the lower clamp 55 in the vertical direction (moving direction Z), as a result, the sheet film F becomes the upper side composed of the upper ring Rup and the upper clamp 35. It is in a state of being held (clamped) by the clamping part UH and the lower clamping part DH composed of the lower ring Rdw and the lower clamp 55 (FIG. 6B). That is, when the sheet film F placed on the lower clamping unit DH is pressed from above by the upper clamping unit UH, the sheet film F is clamped by the lower clamping unit DH and the upper clamping unit UH. Hereinafter, the lower clamping unit DH and the upper clamping unit UH are collectively referred to as “a pair of clamping units”.

  The sheet film F sandwiched between the pair of sandwiching portions UH and DH is disposed between the first plate 34 and the second plate 54. Specifically, the surface (thin film forming surface) of the sheet film F on which the thin film is formed faces the first plate 34, while the back surface (non-thin film forming surface) side of the sheet film F faces the second plate 54. Further, the sheet film F is sandwiched between the pair of sandwiching portions UH and DH.

  FIG. 7 is a view showing a thin film forming apparatus when the A-A ′ cut surface of FIG. 1 is viewed from above. Of the two clamps, the lower clamp 55 is supported in a horizontal posture on a clamp receiver 555 composed of a plurality of (three in this embodiment) cylindrical bodies erected on the bottom plate 19. The clamp receivers 555 are arranged radially at equiangular (120 °) intervals around an axis J (hereinafter simply referred to as “center axis”) J that passes through the center of the upper surface 542 of the second plate 54 and extends in the movement direction Z. A recessed portion 551 that is recessed toward the inside capable of accommodating the lower end portion (lower ring Rdw) of the ring body RF is formed in the upper peripheral portion (annular portion) of the lower clamp 55 (FIG. 6A). . Then, by accommodating the lower end portion of the ring body RF in the recess portion 551, the movement of the ring body RF in the horizontal direction can be restricted by the peripheral surface portion 552 surrounding the periphery of the recess portion 551.

  Further, on the lower base member 51, a plurality of (three in this embodiment) push-up pins 56 are clamped radially around the central axis J at equiangular (120 °) intervals and along the circumferential direction. It is erected so as to be positioned between the receptacles 555. On the other hand, on the lower surface of the lower clamp 55, pin insertion holes 553 (FIG. 1) through which the tip portions of the push-up pins 56 can be inserted corresponding to the push-up pins 56 are formed. For this reason, when the elevating unit 52 is driven up, the tip end portion of the push-up pin 56 is inserted into the pin insertion hole 553, and the step surface formed between the tip portion and the rear end portion of the push-up pin 56 is formed. It contacts the lower surface of the lower clamp 55. Thereby, the push-up pin 56 and the lower clamp 55 (a pair of clamping portions UH and DH) are engaged with each other. When the elevating unit 52 is further driven to rise in this state, the lower clamp 55 is separated from the clamp receiver 555 and is integrally lifted with the push-up pin 56 and the lower clamp 55 engaged. As a result, the second plate 54 and the pair of clamping parts, that is, the upper clamping part UH and the lower clamping part DH ascend while maintaining a certain positional relationship.

  FIG. 8 is a view showing a state in which the push-up pin and the lower clamp are engaged. When the push-up pin 56 and the lower clamp 55 are engaged, the second plate 54 comes into contact with the sheet film F held between the pair of holding portions UH and DH, and the sheet film F is pushed up. Thereby, the sheet film F is tensed and tension can be generated in the sheet film F. Here, the upper surface 542 of the second plate 54 is formed in a circular shape, and the peripheral edge of the sheet film F is held (clamped) over the entire circumference by the pair of clamping parts UH and DH. Thus, a uniform tension can be applied in the circumferential direction.

  Further, in this embodiment, by adjusting the relative distance (hereinafter simply referred to as “relative distance”) D in the movement direction Z with respect to the second plate 54 of the engagement portion where the push-up pin 56 engages with the lower clamp 55, It is possible to control the magnitude of the tension generated in the sheet film F. Specifically, a step surface formed between the front end portion and the rear end portion of the push-up pin 56 (an engagement portion where the push-up pin 56 engages with the lower clamp 55) to the upper surface 542 of the second plate 54. By adjusting the distance (relative distance D), it is possible to change the magnitude of the tension generated in the sheet film F. That is, according to the relative distance D, the sheet film F is moved by the second plate 54 after the second plate 54 starts to contact the sheet film F until the push-up pin 56 and the lower clamp 55 are engaged. The amount pushed up along the direction Z (hereinafter simply referred to as “push-up amount”) Q changes. Therefore, by adjusting the relative distance D, the push-up amount Q can be changed and the magnitude of the tension generated in the sheet film F can be adjusted.

  FIG. 9 shows the structure of the push-up pin. A through hole 511 is formed in the lower base member 51 along the movement direction Z, and a push-up pin 56 is inserted into the through hole 511. As a result, the push-up pin 56 provided with the engagement portion (step surface) on the tip side is protruded toward the lower clamp 55 (the pair of clamping portions UH and DH). A screw groove is cut in the rear end portion 561 of the push-up pin 56, while a screw groove that is screwed with the screw of the push-up pin 56 is cut in the inner wall of the through hole 511. Further, a double nut 516 comprising two nuts is screwed onto the rear end portion 561 of the push-up pin 56 on the upper surface side of the lower base member 51, and the push-up pin 56 is tightened to the lower base member 51 without loosening by the double nut 516. Fixed. The tip end portion 562 of the push-up pin 56 can be inserted into the pin insertion hole 553 of the lower clamp 55. Then, by inserting the front end portion 562 of the push-up pin 56 into the pin insertion hole 553, the step surface 563 (engagement site) that connects the rear end portion 561 and the front end portion 562 of the push-up pin 56 is formed on the lower clamp 55. It contacts the lower surface 554. The step surface 563 and the lower surface 554 of the lower clamp 55 are formed in parallel and abut in a surface contact state.

  According to such a configuration, the length L in the movement direction Z from the upper surface of the lower base member 51 to the step surface 563 is adjusted by loosening the double nut 516 and rotating the head 564 of the push-up pin 56. Is done. That is, in the state where the push-up pin 56 and the lower clamp 55 are engaged with each other, the gap between the lower base member 51 and the lower clamp 55 (the pair of clamping portions UH and DH) is adjusted. Then, after adjusting the length L in the movement direction Z from the upper surface of the lower base member 51 to the step surface 563 to a predetermined length, the push-up pin 56 is fixed to the lower base member 51 by tightening the double nut 516. Thus, the relative distance D is adjusted by adjusting the length L in the movement direction Z from the upper surface of the lower base member 51 to the step surface 563. Thereby, the push-up amount Q can be changed, and the magnitude of the tension generated in the sheet film F can be freely adjusted with a simple configuration. Therefore, the optimal tension can be given to the sheet film F according to the kind and film thickness of the sheet film F to be used.

  Returning to FIG. 1 again, the description will be continued. In order to fix the position of the lower clamp 55 in the horizontal direction, a plurality of positioning pins 514 are attached to the lower peripheral edge of the lower clamp 55 so as to extend downward. These positioning pins 514 are inserted into through holes 512 formed in the lower base member 51 along the movement direction Z. A ball spline mechanism or the like is interposed between the positioning pin 514 and the inner wall of the through hole 512, and the positioning pin 514 is supported so as to be movable (up and down) only along the movement direction Z via the ball spline mechanism or the like. The That is, the lower clamp 55 is supported to be movable up and down along the movement direction Z with respect to the lower base member 51 while being restricted from moving in a direction (horizontal direction) orthogonal to the movement direction Z. According to such a configuration, even if the elevating unit 52 (second plate 54) is moved along the movement direction Z, the second plate 54 and the lower clamp 55 (the pair of clamping portions UH and DH) in the horizontal direction. The relative positional relationship between the two can be reliably fixed. For this reason, it can prevent that the 2nd plate 54 and a pair of clamping parts UH and DH mutually shift | deviate to a horizontal direction.

  The other clamp, that is, the upper clamp 35 is fixed to the lower ends of a plurality of rods 356 supported so as to be movable up and down. In this embodiment, three rods 356 are provided to extend upward from the upper clamp 35 radially around the central axis J at equal angular intervals (120 °). Each of the plurality of rods 356 is connected to an air cylinder 357 for driving the upper clamp 35 up and down along the movement direction Z. The upper clamp 35 can be moved up and down along the movement direction Z by operating the air cylinder 357 according to the operation command from the control unit 91. Specifically, the upper clamp 35 is raised so that the ring body RF can be carried in and out of the second plate 54, while the upper clamp 35 is lowered and the ring body RF is clamped and fixed by the lower clamp 55. be able to.

  The air cylinder 357 is disposed on a disk-shaped plate 312 attached to the upper portion of the processing chamber 1 and prevents contaminants such as particles generated from the air cylinder 357 from entering the processing space SP. can do. The drive mechanism that drives the upper clamp 35 to move up and down is not limited to the air cylinder, and other lift driving actuators other than the air cylinder may be used.

  A pressure regulating valve 358 is interposed between the air cylinder 357 and a compressed air supply source for supplying compressed air to the air cylinder 357. The thrust of the rod 356 can be kept constant by adjusting the opening of the pressure regulating valve 358 according to the operation command from the control unit 91. In this embodiment, a load sensor 96 that detects a load pressure that the support shaft 513 receives in the movement direction Z is provided, and the control unit 91 adjusts based on the load pressure detected by the load sensor 96 as described later. The opening degree of the pressure valve 358 is adjusted, and feedback control is performed so as to keep the thrust of the rod 356 constant. Accordingly, the ring body RF placed on the lower clamp 55 can be pressed by the upper clamp 35 with a constant pressing force. That is, it is possible to press the sheet film F disposed on the lower holding portion DH from above with a constant pressing force by the upper holding portion UH.

  Next, the operation of the thin film forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12 are schematic views for explaining the operation of the thin film forming apparatus of FIG. In this embodiment, prior to the loading of the substrate W and the sheet film F into the processing space SP, the length L in the movement direction Z from the upper surface of the lower base member 53 to the step surface 563 is used in each push-up pin 56. It is assumed that the sheet film F is adjusted in advance according to the type and film thickness of the sheet film F to be applied.

  First, the substrate W is carried into the first plate 34 side. That is, the control unit 91 gives a lowering command to the stepping motor 361 and positions the claw member 345 at the retracted position retracted downward from the first plate 34 as shown in FIG. Subsequently, the substrate W on which a thin film is to be formed is carried into the processing space SP through a door (not shown) provided on the outer wall of the chamber, and placed on the claw member 345. Thereafter, the control unit 91 gives an ascending command to the stepping motor 361 and moves the claw member 345 to the substrate mounting position so that the upper surface (non-pattern forming surface) of the substrate W is brought into close contact with the lower surface 342 of the first plate 34. In this state, the substrate W is positioned (FIG. 10B). As a result, the substrate W is mounted on the first plate 34 and positioned at the position for thin film transfer (processing position).

  On the other hand, on the second plate 54 side, the sheet film F is carried into the processing space SP while being sandwiched by the ring body RF. Here, a thin film is formed in advance on the surface (thin film forming surface) of the sheet film F sandwiched between the pair of rings Rup and Rdw constituting the ring body RF, and the thin film forming surface faces upward and the sheet film F Is brought in. At this time, the upper clamp 35 is retracted upward so as not to prevent the ring body RF from being carried in. Further, the upper surface 542 of the second plate 54 is positioned below the lower clamp 55 (a mounting surface on which the ring body RF is mounted). For this reason, when the sheet film F is carried in, it can avoid that the sheet film F and the 2nd plate 54 contact. As a result, it is possible to prevent the thin film from being partially dried in a state where no tension is generated in the sheet film F, thereby preventing the uniform drying of the thin film.

  After the ring body RF is placed on the lower clamp 55, the upper clamp 35 is lowered and the ring body RF placed on the lower clamp 55 is pressed by the upper clamp 35 (FIG. 10C). . Thus, the sheet film F is uniformly pressed with a predetermined pressing force over the entire periphery, and the sheet film F is prevented from being wrinkled or bent. It will be in the state clamped by the clamping part UH and the lower side clamping part DH.

  Thus, when the loading of the substrate W and the sheet film F is completed, the control unit 91 controls each part of the apparatus, and executes a transfer process for transferring the thin film to the substrate W as described below. First, exhaust pressure reduction of the processing space SP by the vacuum pump 95 is started. The heater controller 93 energizes the heater 341 to heat the first plate 34 to heat the substrate W to a desired temperature, and the heater controller 94 energizes the heater 541 to heat the second plate 54. The sheet film F is heated to a desired temperature.

  When the processing space SP is depressurized to a desired pressure, a signal is sent from the control unit 91 to the weighting motor 53, and the ascending / descending unit 52 (second plate 54) starts to be lifted. When the second plate 54 rises, the back surface (non-thin film forming surface) of the sheet film F sandwiched between the pair of sandwiching portions UH and DH and the upper surface 542 of the second plate 54 come into contact with the second plate 54. F is attached. At this time, since the planar size of the upper surface 542 of the second plate 54 is smaller than the planar size of the sheet film F, the entire surface of the upper surface 542 of the second plate 54 is covered with the sheet film F. When the second plate 54 is further raised in a state where the upper surface 542 of the second plate 54 is in contact with the sheet film F, the sheet film F is tensioned and tension is generated in the sheet film F. That is, the second plate 54 is abutted against the sheet film F sandwiched between the pair of sandwiching portions UH and DH, and tension is generated in the sheet film F. As a result, even if the sheet film F is heated by the heater 541 and is stretched and slackened due to thermal expansion, the slack is removed.

  Further, as the elevating unit 52 is raised, the push-up pin 56 engages with the lower clamp 55 placed on the clamp receiver 555 (FIG. 11A). As a result, the relative position of the second plate 54 with respect to the lower clamp 55 (the pair of clamping portions UH and DH) in the movement direction Z is fixed. As a result, the magnitude of the tension generated in the sheet film F is determined and fixed. Further, the lower clamp 55 (the pair of clamping portions UH and DH) is transferred from the clamp receiver 555 to the push-up pin 56 by the rising of the second plate 54.

  Then, as the second plate 54 rises, the pair of sandwiching portions UH and DH are displaced along the moving direction Z while sandwiching the sheet film F. At this time, when the rod 356 connected to the upper clamp 35 moves backward into the air cylinder 357 and the stroke becomes shorter, the pressure in the air cylinder 357 increases and the thrust of the rod 356 increases. As a result, the pressing force against the sheet film F increases, and the weighted pressure detected by the load sensor 96 increases. Therefore, the control unit 91 adjusts the opening of the pressure regulating valve 358 so that the weighted pressure detected by the load sensor 96 is constant, and performs feedback control so as to keep the thrust of the rod 356 constant. That is, the operation from the control unit 91 is performed so that the pressing force to the sheet film F is constant, that is, equal to the pressing force applied to the sheet film F before the second plate 54 contacts the sheet film F. The pressure regulating valve 358 is controlled by the command. The control unit 91 raises the elevating unit 52 and shortens the stroke by retracting the rod 356 into the air cylinder 357 while controlling the pressure regulating valve 358 so that the pressing force to the sheet film F is constant. Go. Thereby, the sheet film F is favorably and reliably held by the pair of sandwiching portions UH and DH without hindering the rise of the second plate 54.

  Further, the pair of clamping portions UH and DH and the second plate 54 move integrally along the movement direction Z in a state where the lower clamp 55 (the pair of clamping portions) and the push-up pin 56 are engaged with each other. The sheet film F rises while maintaining the state where the determined tension is applied to the sheet film F. That is, since the second plate 54 and the pair of sandwiching portions UH and DH are raised while maintaining a certain positional relationship, it is possible to prevent the tension applied to the sheet film F from changing. For this reason, the sheet film F can be brought closer to the substrate W while stably applying tension to the sheet film F.

  Further, the lower clamp 55 and the push-up pin 56 are engaged with each other by inserting the distal end portion 562 of the push-up pin 56 into the pin insertion hole 553 of the lower clamp 55. For this reason, when moving along the movement direction Z in a state where the lower clamp 55 and the push-up pin 56 are engaged, it is possible to prevent the mutual positional relationship from deviating.

  And if the 2nd plate 54 raises further, the thin film on the sheet | seat film F will contact | abut to the board | substrate W (FIG.11 (b)). At substantially the same time, the claw member 345 is retracted to the side to release the substrate held by the claw member 345 (FIG. 11C). As a result, the thin film on the sheet film F and the substrate W come into close contact with each other, and transfer of the thin film to the substrate W is started. Further, the substrate W and the sheet film F are pressed against each other for a predetermined time with a predetermined load while the processing space SP is exhausted and decompressed. In the meantime, the substrate W and the sheet film F are heated to a predetermined temperature. While the thin film is pressed against the substrate W, the sheet film F is held by the pair of holding portions UH and DH, and a certain tension, that is, a tension determined by the engagement between the lower clamp 55 and the push-up pin 56 is engaged. Is in a state that has been granted. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the sheet film F from being wrinkled or bent and to form a flat and uniform thin film on the substrate W.

  When the series of weighting operations are completed and the transfer process is completed, the heater controllers 93 and 94 stop the operation of the heaters 341 and 541 to stop the heating of the first and second plates 34 and 54. Subsequently, a signal is sent from the control unit 91 to the weighting motor 53 so that the weighted state becomes zero, and the lifting unit 52 and the pair of clamping portions UH, DH (upper clamp 35, ring body RF, lower clamp 55) are integrated. Is lowered (FIG. 12A). That is, the control unit 91 advances the rod 356 from the air cylinder 357 and lengthens the stroke while controlling the pressure regulating valve 358 so that the pressing force against the sheet film F is constant. Thereafter, the elevating unit 52 is lowered, and the lower clamp 55 and the ring body RF are transferred onto the clamp receiver 555 while being pressed from above by the upper clamp 35 (FIG. 12B). Further, when the elevating unit 52 is lowered and the elevating unit 52 (second plate 54) returns to the initial position before transfer, the push-up pin 56 is separated from the lower clamp 55. Further, the pressure on the ring body RF by the upper clamp 35 is released (FIG. 12C). As a result, the lower clamp 55 and the ring body RF are supported on the clamp receiver 555.

  Thus, after the second plate 54 returns to the initial position before transfer, the vacuum pump 95 is stopped. When the adhesion of the thin film is completed as described above, the substrate W is integrated with the sheet film F with the thin film interposed therebetween, and the ring body RF is taken out from the processing chamber 1 in this integrated state, and the sheet film F Is transported to a peeling device (not shown) for peeling off.

  FIG. 13 shows details of the thin film transfer process. More specifically, FIG. 13A is a diagram showing a dimensional relationship between the first and second plates 34 and 54 and the substrate W. FIGS. 13B and 13C are views showing only main parts excluding the upper clamp 35 and the lower clamp 55 from FIGS. 11B and 11C, respectively. As shown in FIG. 13A, the diameter R1 of the lower surface 342 of the first plate 34 is made the same as or slightly smaller than the diameter R2 of the substrate W. By doing so, the substrate W can be sandwiched between the first plate 34 and the second plate 54 while being kept flat.

  On the other hand, the periphery of the upper surface of the quartz plate 5421 constituting the upper portion of the second plate 54 is processed into a tapered shape with corners dropped. As a result, the sheet film F hitting the corners of the second plate 54 is smoothly curved, so that the sheet film F is prevented from being lifted or wrinkled on the upper surface of the second plate 54. Further, the sheet film F is not damaged at the corners of the second plate 54. The diameter R4 of the upper surface 542 of the second plate 54 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the substrate W, more precisely, the diameter R3 of the portion excluding the contact portion that contacts the claw member 345 in the lower surface periphery of the substrate W. It is built as follows. The diameter R5 of the second plate 54 main body excluding the tapered portion may be larger than the diameter of the substrate W.

  In the thin film transfer process of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13B, the end portion of the sheet film F gripped by the ring body RF is pulled relatively downward by the second plate 54 being pushed up. It has become. That is, outside the second plate 54, the surface FP of the sheet film F has a shape that recedes below a virtual plane VP that extends the upper surface of the sheet film F on the second plate 54. That is, outside the second plate 54, between the virtual plane VP and the surface FP of the sheet film F, the sheet film F is retreated so as to be rotationally symmetrical with respect to the wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape and the center of the second plate 54. A retreat space ES having a shape is formed.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 13 (c), the second plate 54 is further formed by the above-mentioned dimensional relationship and by flattening the bottom surface of the claw member 345 and finishing the tip thereof in a thin blade shape. Even in the state where the sheet film F is pushed up and brought into close contact with the substrate W, the claw member 345 and the sheet film F do not come into contact with each other. That is, since the diameter R4 of the upper surface 542 of the second plate 54 is smaller than the diameter R3 of the lower surface of the substrate W excluding the contact portion that contacts the claw member 345, the sheet film F is smaller than the contact portion. It is bent downward on the inner side (side closer to the center of the substrate) and retracted downward. Then, the thin claw member 345 enters between the retracted sheet film F and the lower surface of the substrate W, and the substrate W can be held without contacting the sheet film F.

  In other words, the claw member 345 that holds the substrate W is formed as thin as possible so as not to contact the end portion of the pushed up sheet film F, and the lower surface is formed flat. Correspondingly, the end of the sheet film F is pushed down to the extent that it does not contact the claw member 345. By doing so, the claw member 345 does not come into contact with the thin film on the sheet film F during the thin film transfer, and the thin film is not damaged or the sheet film F is not damaged. If the sheet film F is scratched, the sheet film F may be torn off from the scratch in the subsequent step of peeling the sheet film F from the substrate W, which may not be satisfactorily peeled off. By doing as described above, such a problem can be prevented in advance.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the through hole 3731 provided on the side surface of the housing 373 that protrudes from the upper portion of the processing chamber 1 and communicates with the processing space SP is extendable in the horizontal direction (X direction). A partition wall forming member 375 is attached via a bellows 376. Then, by driving this partition wall forming member 375 by an air cylinder 377 provided outside the processing space, the claw member 345 connected to the partition wall forming member 375 is horizontally moved in the processing space SP, and the processing space SP is moved in the processing space SP. The substrate W is held and released. For this reason, it is possible to hold and release the substrate by an external operation while maintaining the airtightness of the processing chamber 1.

  Further, the sub-plate 366 that supports the lifter 344 with the claw member 345 mounted is moved up and down by the vertical movement of the ball screw mechanism 362 and the shaft 363 that extend to the outside of the chamber via the bellows 368, so The substrate W held by moving the claw member 345 up and down can be moved up and down while maintaining the properties.

  Further, since the horizontal rod 374 that moves horizontally as the partition wall forming member 375 moves horizontally and the vertical rod 372 that moves up and down as the ball screw mechanism 362 and the shaft 363 move up and down are mechanically linked, The claw member 345 can be moved two-dimensionally in the vertical and horizontal directions.

  In addition, since the claw member 345 is biased in advance in a direction in contact with the substrate W, the substrate holding state can be maintained even when no external force is applied, and no power is required to hold the substrate W. Further, it is possible to prevent the substrate W from dropping due to a failure or the like. Further, in a state where the claw member 345 is lowered and the substrate W is retracted from the first plate 34, the connection between the vertical rod 372 and the horizontal rod 374 is released. 345 is opened and the substrate W is not dropped.

  Further, the claw member 345 is formed so that the tip portion is thin and the lower surface is flat, and the diameter R4 of the upper surface 542 of the second plate 54 is the diameter of the substrate W excluding the contact portion that abuts the claw member 345. Since the sheet film F, which is smaller than R3 and further carries a thin film, is pushed up with its end pulled and retracted downward, the substrate W is held even when the sheet film F is in close contact with the substrate W. A gap is kept between the claw member 345 and the sheet film F so that they do not come into contact with each other, and damage to the sheet film F and the thin film is prevented.

  Further, since there is no protruding portion at the lower part of the claw member 345, the space between the lower part of the claw member 345 and the second plate 54 can be widened, so that the maintenance of the transfer unit and the loading / unloading operation of the substrate W by the transfer robot can be performed. It can also be expected to improve convenience.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the processing chamber 1 functions as the “processing chamber” of the present invention, and the internal space SP corresponds to the “processing space” of the present invention. Further, the housing 373 attached to the upper part of the processing chamber 1 corresponds to the “projection” of the present invention. In the above-described embodiment, the partition wall forming member 375 and the bellows 376 function as the “partition wall forming member” and the “expandable member” of the present invention, respectively. The air cylinder 377 functions as the “opening / closing means” of the present invention.

  In the above embodiment, the vertical rod 372, the horizontal rod 374, and the claw member 345 function as the “elevating member”, “lateral movement member”, and “holding claw” of the present invention, respectively, and the slider 370, The lifter 344 integrally functions as the “substrate holding portion” of the present invention. Further, the engaging pin 3741 provided on the horizontal rod 374 and the extending portion 3722 provided on the vertical rod 372 function as the “engaging portion” of the present invention.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the shaft 363 and the sub plate 366 integrally function as the “base member” of the present invention, and the stepping motor 361 and the ball screw mechanism 362 function as the “elevating means” of the present invention. Yes. Further, the bellows 368 functions as the “sealing member” of the present invention. The spring 371 functions as the “biasing member” of the present invention. In the above embodiment, the sheet film F corresponds to the “thin film carrier” of the present invention.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the bellows 376 is attached from the side surface of the housing 373 that protrudes upward from the upper plate 11 of the processing chamber 1 to the outside. However, the present invention is not limited to such a structure. It may be as follows.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a modification of the present embodiment. In the example of FIG. 14A, a partition wall forming member 375a is disposed inside a housing 373a that protrudes above the opening 111 of the upper plate 11, and a bellows is provided between the inner side surface of the housing 373a and the partition wall forming member 375a. It is connected by 376a. In the example of FIG. 14B, a housing 373b that protrudes into the processing chamber is provided below the opening 111 of the upper plate 11, and a partition wall forming member 375b is disposed therein. Also in this case, the bellows 376b is provided between the inner surface of the housing 373b and the partition forming member 375b. In the example of FIG. 14C, a housing 373c protruding downward is provided, and a partition wall forming member 375c is provided in the chamber. A bellows 376c is provided between the outer surface of the housing 375c exposed to the processing space SP and the partition wall forming member 375c. In the example of FIGS. 14B and 14C in which a housing is provided below the opening 111 of the upper plate 11, the space inside the housing basically communicates with the external space and is isolated from the processing space SP. Is done.

  In any of these structures, as in the present embodiment, a claw member (illustrated in the processing chamber) is operated by an external operation indicated by an arrow in FIGS. 14A to 14C while maintaining the airtightness of the chamber. (Omitted) can be moved horizontally, so that the substrate can be held and released. The same applies to the flange 367. In this embodiment, the flange 367 is disposed above the upper plate 11, and the bellows 368 is provided between the lower surface of the flange 367 and the upper surface of the upper plate 11. The bellows may be provided between the lower surface of the upper plate 11 and the upper surface of the flange.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the vertical rod 372 and the horizontal rod 374 are engaged and the horizontal movement of the claw member 345 only when the vertical rod 372 is pulled upward and the claw member 345 is positioned directly below the first plate 34. For example, as shown in FIG. 14 (d), a vertical rod 372d provided with a long hole in the upper portion is engaged with the horizontal rod 374 so that the horizontal driving force is always applied to the claw member. It is good also as a structure transmitted to. In such a structure, it is possible to open and close the claw member in the horizontal direction at an arbitrary position in the vertical direction.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the two-dimensional movement of the claw member is realized by combining the movement in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. For example, an apparatus configured to perform only the horizontal movement without providing the lifting means. In addition, the present invention can be applied.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although it adjusts with the push-up pin 56 standingly arranged on the base member 51 which made the magnitude | size of the tension | tensile_strength generate | occur | produced in the sheet | seat film F (FIG. 8), as shown below, An abutting pin may be erected on the lower surface of 55 so as to adjust the position.

  FIG. 15 is a view showing another example of the position adjusting mechanism. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 15, an abutting pin 560 that protrudes downward is provided on the lower surface of the lower clamp 55. When the lower base member 51 rises, the lower end of the abutment pin 560 comes into contact with the upper surface of the lower base member 51, thereby defining the positional relationship between the lower base member 51 and the lower clamp 55. In such an embodiment, the relative distance D (FIG. 8) can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the abutting pin 560 to adjust the tension of the sheet film F.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the bending of the sheet film F is made smooth by providing a taper part in the upper-surface peripheral part of the 2nd plate 54, it replaced with this and the peripheral part was rounded. In other words, the peripheral portion may be a curved surface having a convex curvature. The same applies to the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the first plate 34.

  In the above embodiment, the airtightness of the processing chamber 1 is maintained by the bellows 368 and 376. However, the “expandable member” and the “sealing member” of the present invention are not limited to this, while maintaining the airtightness. Any material can be applied as long as it can expand and contract in the uniaxial direction. In the above embodiment, an air cylinder and a ball screw mechanism are used to expand and contract the bellows, but other actuators such as a piezoelectric actuator, a solenoid, and a linear motor that can drive a load in a uniaxial direction may be used. .

  In the above embodiment, the top surface of the claw member 345 is scraped off stepwise toward the tip, and the tip is thinned and the bottom is flattened while obtaining the required strength. However, the shape is limited to such a shape. For example, the entire claw member may be formed in a thin plate shape as long as sufficient strength is obtained. In the above embodiment, the substrate is gripped by two sets of claw members finished in an arc shape along the outer edge of the substrate, but the number and shape of the holding claws are not limited to this. Is optional. In the present embodiment, the tip member of the claw member 345 is divided into two pieces, but this is not an essential requirement.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described thin film forming apparatus, but is a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for photomask, a glass substrate for liquid crystal display, a glass substrate for plasma display, a substrate for FED (Field Emission Display), a substrate for optical disk, and a magnetic disk The present invention can be applied to all substrate processing apparatuses that perform predetermined processing in a processing chamber that is decompressed with respect to a substrate including a substrate and a magneto-optical disk substrate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Processing chamber 34 ... 1st plate 54 ... 2nd plate 344 ... Lifter (substrate holding part)
345 ... Claw member (holding claw, substrate holding part)
361 ... Stepping motor (lifting means)
362 ... Ball screw mechanism (lifting means)
363 ... Shaft (base member)
366 ... Sub-plate (base member)
368 ... Bellows (seal member)
370 ... Slider (substrate holding part)
371 ... Spring (biasing member)
372: Vertical rod (elevating member, substrate holding part)
3722 ... Extension part (engagement part)
373 ... Housing (protruding part)
374 ... Horizontal rod (transverse member, substrate holder)
3741 ... engaging pin (engaging part)
375 ... Partition forming member 376 ... Bellows (expandable member)
377 ... Air cylinder (opening / closing means)
F ... Sheet film (thin film carrier)
SP ... Processing space

Claims (9)

A processing chamber that is a processing space whose inside is decompressed, and a protruding portion that protrudes upward at the top thereof and that has a hollow that communicates with the processing space and has a through-hole formed in a side surface thereof; Alternatively, a processing chamber provided with a protruding portion that protrudes downward and has a cavity that communicates with an external space outside the processing space and has a through-hole formed in a side surface thereof;
A cylindrical expansion / contraction member attached to the protrusion so that one end covers the periphery of the through-hole, and expandable and contractable in a substantially horizontal expansion / contraction direction;
A partition wall forming member that closes the other end of the elastic member to form a partition wall that separates the processing space and the external space;
A substrate holding portion provided in the processing space, having a holding claw for holding the substrate in contact with a peripheral edge of the substrate, and connected to the processing space inside of the partition wall forming member;
By moving the partition forming member from the external space in the expansion / contraction direction, the substrate holding unit connected to the partition forming member is moved in contact with and separated from the substrate to open and close the holding with respect to the substrate. A substrate processing apparatus comprising an opening / closing means.   The substrate processing apparatus of Claim 1 provided with the raising / lowering means which raises / lowers the said board | substrate holding part.   The substrate holding portion includes a lifting member attached to the holding claw and driven up and down by the lifting means, and a horizontal member attached to the partition forming member and driven in the expansion and contraction direction by the opening and closing means together with the partition forming member. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a moving member, wherein the elevating member is connected to the laterally moving member so as to freely move up and down. The elevating means drives the holding claw up and down between a processing position where the processing on the substrate is performed and a retreat position different from the processing position in the vertical direction,
In the retracted position, the lifting member and the lateral movement member are disconnected, and in the processing position, the lifting member and the lateral movement member are connected, and the lateral movement member moves in the telescopic direction. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the holding claw attached to the elevating member moves in a substantially horizontal direction to open and close the holding of the substrate.   5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the elevating member and the lateral movement member each have an engaging portion that engages with each other at the processing position and releases the engagement at the retracted position. A base member that is partially exposed to the external space through an opening provided in the upper portion of the processing chamber, and that holds the substrate holder movably in the expansion and contraction direction inside the processing space;
A seal member that maintains airtightness between the opening and the base member while holding the base member up and down with respect to the processing chamber;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the elevating unit elevates and lowers the substrate holding unit by elevating an exposed portion of the base member from the external space.   An urging member that urges the holding claw in a direction in contact with the substrate is provided, and the opening / closing means releases the holding of the substrate by separating the holding claw against the urging force of the urging member. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1. A first plate having a flat bottom surface and a second plate for supporting a thin film carrier carrying a thin film on the top surface from below are disposed opposite to each other in the processing chamber.
The substrate is held by the holding claws and pressed against the lower surface of the first plate, and the thin film on the thin film carrier is brought into contact with the substrate by bringing the first plate and the second plate closer to each other. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is transferred in close contact. A substrate holding mechanism that is mounted in a processing chamber serving as a processing space whose inside is reduced in pressure and holds a substrate in the processing chamber,
A projecting portion which is attached so as to project upward and covers an opening drilled in the upper portion of the processing chamber, and has a cavity which communicates with the processing space and has a through hole formed in a side surface thereof. Or a projection that is attached so as to protrude downward and covers the opening, and has a cavity that communicates with an external space outside the processing space and has a through-hole formed in a side surface thereof.
A cylindrical expansion / contraction member attached to the protrusion so that one end covers the periphery of the through-hole, and expandable and contractable in a substantially horizontal expansion / contraction direction;
A partition wall forming member that closes the other end of the elastic member to form a partition wall that separates the processing space and the external space;
A substrate holding portion provided in the processing space, having a holding claw for holding the substrate in contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate, and having the other end connected to the inside of the processing space of the partition wall forming member;
By moving the partition forming member from the external space in the expansion / contraction direction, the substrate holding unit connected to the partition forming member is moved in contact with and separated from the substrate to open and close the holding with respect to the substrate. And a substrate holding mechanism.

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