JP6383450B2 - Plating equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a plating apparatus for plating a surface of a substrate such as a wafer, and more particularly to a plating apparatus provided with an airflow forming apparatus that forms a clean airflow. Moreover, this invention relates to the plating method including the process of conveying a board | substrate, forming a clean airflow.

  In TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) and flip chip, a protruding connection electrode (gold, copper, solder, nickel, or a projecting connection electrode in which these are laminated in multiple layers at a predetermined location (electrode) on the surface of the semiconductor chip on which the wiring is formed. Bumps) are formed and electrically connected to the substrate electrode and the TAB electrode through the bumps. As a method of forming the bump, there are various methods such as an electroplating method, a vapor deposition method, a printing method, and a ball bump method. Recently, with the increase in the number of I / Os of semiconductor chips and the fine pitch, electroplating methods that can be miniaturized and have relatively stable performance have come to be used.

  The electroplating method can be either horizontal or horizontal, with the substrate surface (surface to be plated) facing downward, and a plating type or cup type that sprays the plating solution from below, and the substrate is placed vertically in the plating tank. The substrate is roughly classified into a dip type in which plating is performed by immersing the substrate in the plating solution while injecting the solution from the bottom of the plating tank and allowing it to overflow. The electroplating method adopting the dip method has advantages such as good bubble removal that adversely affects the quality of plating, small footprint, and easy adaptability to wafer size changes. For this reason, it is considered that the size of the embedded hole is relatively large and it is suitable for bump plating which requires a considerable time for plating.

JP 11-315383 A

  In Patent Document 1, a clean air in the clean room is improved by forming a downflow (down flow) in the entire clean room in which the plating apparatus is accommodated, and the substrate surface (surface to be plated) is transported when the substrate is transported. A plating apparatus for preventing particles from adhering is disclosed. However, in the electroplating method adopting the dip method, there is a processing tank below the substrate to be transported, and this processing tank hinders the formation of the downward airflow, so it is difficult to form a uniform downward airflow. Become. For this reason, particles floating in the air cannot be completely removed, and as a result, the particles adhere to the surface of the substrate.

  In addition, in the electroplating method adopting the dip method, the substrate is immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank, pulled up from the processing tank, and then transported in the horizontal direction in a vertical posture, so that particles floating in the air Tends to adhere to the surface of the substrate.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a plating apparatus capable of transporting a substrate without causing particles to adhere to the surface of the substrate.

In order to achieve the above-described object, one embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate holder that holds a substrate, a transporter that transports the substrate holder that holds a substrate between a substrate holder raising / lowering mechanism and a processing tank, comprising a cover member for covering the substrate held by the substrate holder, and the air flow forming device for introducing a gas into the space between the cover member and the base plate, the air flow forming device, the gas introduced for introducing a gas A plating apparatus comprising: a tube; and a gas nozzle that is attached to the gas introduction tube and flows out of the gas, wherein the airflow forming device introduces the gas during conveyance of the substrate holder holding the substrate. It is.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the cover member has an upper wall.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tip of the pre SL gas nozzle, the is disposed inside the cover member, the air flow forming device, as the gas flows through the space downwardly, said gas to said substrate holder It is characterized in that it flows out toward the held substrate.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the airflow forming device supplies an inert gas from the gas nozzle .

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, a heating element for heating the substrate and the substrate holder is disposed on the cover member.
A preferred aspect of the present invention is characterized by further comprising a static eliminator that removes static electricity from the substrate.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the apparatus further includes a liquid receiving mechanism that receives the processing liquid dropped from the substrate holder, and the transporter moves the liquid receiving mechanism in a horizontal direction integrally with the substrate holder. .
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the liquid receiving mechanism includes a tray positioned below the substrate holder and an actuator that moves the tray in a horizontal direction, and the substrate holder holding the substrate is placed in the processing tank. While being immersed in the treatment liquid, the actuator moves the tray to a predetermined retreat position.

  One reference example of the present invention includes a treatment tank that stores a treatment liquid, a substrate holder that holds a substrate, and the substrate holder that holds the substrate is immersed in the treatment liquid in the treatment tank. A transporter that pulls up from the processing tank and further transports the substrate holder; and an airflow forming device that forms a clean airflow in front of the substrate in the transport direction of the substrate holder, and the transporter includes the substrate holder In the plating apparatus, the airflow forming device is moved in the horizontal direction integrally with the substrate holder while being transported in the horizontal direction.

In a preferred aspect of the above reference example, the airflow forming device includes a fan filter unit that supplies clean air.
In a preferred aspect of the above reference example, the air flow forming device includes a flow rate regulator that changes a flow rate of the clean air.
In a preferred aspect of the above reference example, the airflow forming device includes a gas introduction pipe that introduces a gas, and a gas nozzle that is attached to the gas introduction pipe and flows out the gas.

A preferable aspect of the above reference example further includes a cover member that covers the substrate held by the substrate holder, and the airflow forming device forms a clean airflow in a space between the cover member and the substrate. And
A preferred embodiment of the above reference example is characterized in that a heating element for heating the substrate and the substrate holder is disposed on the cover member.
A preferred embodiment of the above reference example further includes a static eliminator that removes static electricity from the substrate.

A preferred aspect of the above reference example further includes a liquid receiving mechanism that receives the processing liquid dropped from the substrate holder, and the transporter moves the liquid receiving mechanism in a horizontal direction integrally with the substrate holder. To do.
In a preferred aspect of the above reference example, the liquid receiving mechanism includes a tray positioned below the substrate holder and an actuator that moves the tray in a horizontal direction, and the substrate holder holding the substrate is disposed in the processing tank. The actuator moves the tray to a predetermined retreat position while being immersed in the processing solution.

  In another reference example of the present invention, a substrate is held by a substrate holder, the substrate holder holding the substrate is immersed in a processing solution in a processing tank, the substrate holder is pulled up from the processing tank, and the substrate holder is It is a plating method characterized in that a clean air current is formed in front of the substrate in the transport direction of the substrate holder while the substrate holder is transported in the horizontal direction together with the substrate.

  A preferred embodiment of the above reference example is to increase the flow velocity and flow rate of the clean airflow when the substrate holder is transported to a predetermined position in the vicinity of the blow tank that removes the processing liquid remaining on the surface of the substrate. Features.

  According to the present invention, a clean air current can be formed in front of the substrate held by the substrate holder in the transport direction of the substrate holder. Therefore, the substrate can be transported without causing particles to adhere to the surface of the substrate.

It is a top view which shows typically the plating apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows a substrate holder. It is a top view of the substrate holder shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a right side view of the substrate holder shown in FIG. 2. It is an enlarged view which shows the part enclosed by the symbol V shown in FIG. It is a front view which shows a part of plating apparatus. It is a perspective view of the plating apparatus shown in FIG. It is a front view of the plating apparatus shown in FIG. It is a top view of the plating apparatus shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the positional relationship of the substrate holder and airflow formation apparatus when it is conveyed by the transporter. It is a figure which shows the modification of food | hood. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement sequence of the fan of a fan filter unit. It is a perspective view which shows a part of plating apparatus provided with the airflow formation apparatus and the static elimination apparatus. It is a front view of the plating apparatus shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows a part of plating apparatus provided with the airflow formation apparatus and the cover member. 16 (a) is a front view showing a part of the plating apparatus shown in FIG. 15 in which the airflow forming apparatus is omitted, and FIG. 16 (b) is a part of the plating apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. It is a top view of a cover member. It is a figure which shows the heat generating body arrange | positioned at the cover member. It is a perspective view which shows a part of plating apparatus provided with the liquid receiving mechanism. It is a schematic diagram which shows operation | movement of a liquid receiving mechanism and a substrate holder. It is a perspective view which shows a part of plating apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows a part of cover member.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 22, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a plating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the plating apparatus includes an apparatus frame 1, two load ports 2 on which a cassette containing a substrate such as a wafer is mounted, and a control unit 3 that controls the operation of the plating apparatus. ing. Further, the plating apparatus includes an aligner 4 that aligns the orientation flat or notch of the substrate in a predetermined direction, a spin-rinse dryer (SRD) 6 that rotates the substrate after the plating process at high speed, and a substrate holder 8. 2 (see FIG. 2 to FIG. 5) is provided with a table 20 placed horizontally and a substrate transport robot 22 for transporting the substrate. The aligner 4, the spin / rinse / dryer 6, the table 20, and the substrate transfer robot 22 are arranged in the apparatus frame 1.

  A substrate holder opening / closing mechanism 24 that opens / closes the substrate holder 8 placed on the table 20 and attaches / detaches the substrate to / from the substrate holder 8 is disposed above the table 20. Further, a substrate holder raising / lowering mechanism 26 for raising and lowering the substrate holder 8 is disposed on the side of the table 20.

  Inside the apparatus frame 1 are a stocker 30 for storing and temporarily holding the substrate holder 8, a pre-water washing tank 32 for pre-cleaning (pre-processing) the substrate held by the substrate holder 8 with a pre-treatment liquid such as pure water, A plating tank 34 for plating the substrate held by the substrate holder 8, a rinse tank 36 for rinsing the plated substrate together with the substrate holder 8 with a rinse liquid, and a blow tank 38 for draining the substrate after rinsing are arranged. . The stocker 30, the pre-water washing tank 32, the plating tank 34, the rinse tank 36, and the blow tank 38 are arranged in series in this order.

  The pre-water washing tank 32 is provided with one pre-water washing cell 32a that holds a pretreatment liquid such as pure water. The plating tank 34 is provided with a plurality of (in this example, 10 rows) plating cells 34a and overflow tanks 34b for holding a plating solution therein. The rinse tank 36 includes one rinse cell 36a that holds a rinse liquid therein. The plating cell 34a is, for example, an electrolytic plating cell, and includes an anode electrode inside. The substrate holder 8 is installed in each plating cell 34a, and electrolytic plating is performed in this state. Alternatively, the plating cell 34a may be an electroless plating cell that performs electroless plating on a substrate. In the present embodiment, the plating tank 34 uses one type of plating solution, and the plating solution overflowed from each plating cell 34a flows into the common overflow vessel 34b. The stocker 30 is configured to hold a plurality of substrate holders 8 vertically in parallel. The blow tank 38 is configured to remove and dry the droplets remaining on the surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder 8 by blowing air.

  A paddle motor unit 40 that drives a paddle (not shown) that stirs the plating solution in each plating cell 34 a is provided on one side of the plating tank 34. An exhaust duct 42 is provided on the other side of the plating tank 34.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the substrate holder 8 includes a first holding member (fixed holding member) 54 having a rectangular flat plate shape, and a first holding member 54 attached to the first holding member 54 via a hinge 56 so as to be opened and closed. 2 holding members (movable holding members) 58. As another configuration example, the second holding member 58 is disposed at a position facing the first holding member 54, the second holding member 58 is advanced toward the first holding member 54, and the first holding member 54 is You may make it open and close the 2nd holding member 58 by separating.

  The first holding member 54 is made of, for example, vinyl chloride. The second holding member 58 has a base 60 and a ring-shaped seal holder 62. The seal holder 62 is made of, for example, vinyl chloride, and improves sliding with the presser ring 64 described below. An annular substrate side sealing member 66 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) is attached to the upper portion of the seal holder 62 so as to protrude inward. The substrate-side sealing member 66 is configured to seal the gap between the second holding member 58 and the substrate W by pressing against the outer peripheral portion of the surface of the substrate W when the substrate holder 8 holds the substrate W. An annular holder-side seal member 68 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) is attached to the surface of the seal holder 62 facing the first holding member 54. The holder-side sealing member 68 is configured to seal the gap between the first holding member 54 and the second holding member 58 by pressing against the first holding member 54 when the substrate holder 8 holds the substrate W. Yes. The holder side seal member 68 is located outside the substrate side seal member 66.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the substrate side sealing member 66 is sandwiched between the seal holder 62 and the first fixing ring 70 a and attached to the seal holder 62. The first fixing ring 70a is attached to the seal holder 62 via a fastener 69a such as a bolt. The holder side seal member 68 is sandwiched between the seal holder 62 and the second fixing ring 70 b and attached to the seal holder 62. The second fixing ring 70b is attached to the seal holder 62 via a fastener 69b such as a bolt.

  A step portion is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the seal holder 62, and a presser ring 64 is rotatably attached to the step portion via a spacer 65. The presser ring 64 is mounted so as not to escape by the outer peripheral portion of the first fixing ring 70a. The presser ring 64 is made of a material that has excellent corrosion resistance against acids and alkalis and has sufficient rigidity. For example, the presser ring 64 is made of titanium. The spacer 65 is made of a material having a low coefficient of friction, such as PTFE, so that the presser ring 64 can rotate smoothly.

  A plurality of clampers 74 are arranged on the outer side of the presser ring 64 at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the presser ring 64. These clampers 74 are fixed to the first holding member 54. Each clamper 74 has an inverted L shape having a protruding portion protruding inward. A plurality of protrusions 64 b protruding outward are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the presser ring 64. These protrusions 64 b are arranged at positions corresponding to the positions of the clampers 74. The lower surface of the inwardly protruding portion of the clamper 74 and the upper surface of the protrusion 64b of the presser ring 64 are tapered surfaces that are inclined in opposite directions along the rotation direction of the presser ring 64. Protrusions 64 a that protrude upward are provided at a plurality of locations (for example, three locations) along the circumferential direction of the presser ring 64. Accordingly, the presser ring 64 can be rotated by rotating a rotation pin (not shown) and pushing the convex portion 64a from the side.

  With the second holding member 58 opened, the substrate W is inserted into the center of the first holding member 54, and the second holding member 58 is closed via the hinge 56. By rotating the presser ring 64 in the clockwise direction and sliding the protrusion 64b of the presser ring 64 into the inner projecting part of the clamper 74, the presser ring 64 and the clamper 74 are respectively provided with tapered surfaces. The first holding member 54 and the second holding member 58 are fastened together to lock the second holding member 58. Further, the second holding member 58 is unlocked by rotating the presser ring 64 counterclockwise to remove the protrusion 64b of the presser ring 64 from the clamper 74.

  When the second holding member 58 is locked, the downward projecting portion of the substrate side sealing member 66 is pressed against the outer peripheral portion of the surface of the substrate W. The sealing member 66 is uniformly pressed against the substrate W, thereby sealing the gap between the outer peripheral portion of the surface of the substrate W and the second holding member 58. Similarly, when the second holding member 58 is locked, the downward projecting portion of the holder-side seal member 68 is pressed against the surface of the first holding member 54. The seal member 68 is uniformly pressed against the first holding member 54, thereby sealing the gap between the first holding member 54 and the second holding member 58.

  A pair of holder hangers 108 are provided at the end of the first holding member 54 so as to protrude outward. The holder hanger 108 includes an inner hanger part 90 and an outer hanger part 94. A hand lever 92 extends between the inner hanger portions 90 on both sides. In the pre-water washing tank 32, the plating tank 34, the rinse tank 36, and the blow tank 38, the substrate holder 8 is suspended from the peripheral walls via the inner hanger part 90 or the outer hanger part 94 of the holder hanger 108.

  On the upper surface of the first holding member 54, a ring-shaped protrusion 82 that is substantially equal to the size of the substrate W is formed. The protruding portion 82 has an annular support surface 80 that contacts the peripheral edge of the substrate W and supports the substrate W. A concave portion 84 is provided at a predetermined position along the circumferential direction of the protruding portion 82.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality (12 pieces in the drawing) of conductors (electrical contacts) 86 are disposed in the recess 84. These conductors 86 are respectively connected to a plurality of wires extending from connection terminals 91 provided on the inner hanger portion 90 of the holder hanger 108. When the substrate W is placed on the support surface 80 of the first holding member 54, the end portion of the conductor 86 jumps out to the side of the substrate W and elastically contacts the lower portion of the electrical contact 88 shown in FIG. It is supposed to be.

  An electrical contact 88 electrically connected to the conductor 86 is fixed to the seal holder 62 of the second holding member 58 via a fastener 89 such as a bolt. The electrical contact 88 is formed in a leaf spring shape. The electrical contact 88 has a contact portion that is located outside the board-side seal member 66 and protrudes in the shape of a leaf spring. The electrical contact 88 is easily bent at the contact portion with springiness due to its elastic force. When the substrate W is held by the first holding member 54 and the second holding member 58, the contact portion of the electrical contact 88 is elastically applied to the outer peripheral surface of the substrate W supported on the support surface 80 of the first holding member 54. It is comprised so that it may contact.

  The second holding member 58 is opened and closed by the weight of an air cylinder (not shown) and the second holding member 58. That is, the first holding member 54 is provided with a through hole 54a, and an air cylinder (not shown) is provided at a position facing the through hole 54a when the substrate holder 8 is placed on the table 20. By the piston rod of this air cylinder, the second holding member 58 is opened by pushing up the seal holder 62 of the second holding member 58 upward through the through hole 54a, and the piston rod is contracted. It closes with its own weight.

  Returning to FIG. 1, a transporter 100 is provided that transports the substrate holder 8 together with the substrate between the stocker 30, the pre-rinsing tank 32, the plating tank 34, the rinse tank 36, the blow tank 38, and the substrate holder raising / lowering mechanism 26. ing. The transporter 100 includes a fixed base 102 that is fixed to the apparatus frame 1 and extends in the horizontal direction, a lifter 101 that is configured to be movable in the horizontal direction on the fixed base 102, and an arm 104 that is connected to the lifter 101. I have. The arm 104 has a gripper 103 that holds the substrate holder 8. The arm 104 and the lifter 101 move together in the horizontal direction, and the arm 104 is raised and lowered by the lifter 101. A linear motor or a rack and pinion can be used as a drive source for moving the lifter 101 and the arm 104 in the horizontal direction.

  Next, the processing operation by the plating apparatus configured as described above will be described. First, the vertical substrate holder 8 is taken out of the stocker 30 by the arm 104 of the transporter 100. The arm 104 that holds the substrate holder 8 moves in the horizontal direction and passes the substrate holder 8 to the substrate holder raising / lowering mechanism 26. The substrate holder raising / lowering mechanism 26 changes the substrate holder 8 from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture and places the substrate holder 8 on the table 20. Then, the substrate holder 8 placed on the table 20 is opened by the substrate holder opening / closing mechanism 24.

  The substrate transfer robot 22 takes out one substrate from the cassette mounted on the load port 2 and places it on the aligner 4. The aligner 4 aligns the orientation flat or notch in a predetermined direction. The substrate transfer robot 22 takes out the substrate from the aligner 4 and inserts it into the substrate holder 8 placed on the table 20. In this state, the substrate holder 8 is closed by the substrate holder opening / closing mechanism 24 and the substrate holder 8 is locked.

  Next, the substrate holder raising / lowering mechanism 26 changes the substrate holder 8 from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture. The gripper 103 of the arm 104 holds the substrate holder 8 in the standing state, and in this state, the arm 104 moves the substrate holder 8 in the horizontal direction to a position above the pre-rinsing tank 32. Further, the lifter 101 of the transporter 100 lowers the arm 104 together with the substrate holder 8 to set the substrate holder 8 at a predetermined position in the pre-rinsing tank 32. In this state, the substrate is pre-washed. After the pre-rinsing of the substrate is completed, the gripper 103 of the arm 104 holds the substrate holder 8, and the lifter 101 raises the arm 104 to lift the substrate holder 8 from the pre-water washing tank 32.

  The arm 104 moves the substrate holder 8 in the horizontal direction to a position above the plating tank 34. Further, the lifter 101 of the transporter 100 lowers the arm 104 together with the substrate holder 8, and sets the substrate holder 8 at a predetermined position in the plating cell 34 a of the plating tank 34. In this state, the substrate is plated. After the plating is completed, the gripper 103 of the arm 104 holds the substrate holder 8, and the lifter 101 raises the arm 104 to lift the substrate holder 8 from the plating tank 34.

  The arm 104 moves the substrate holder 8 in the horizontal direction to a position above the rinse tank 36. Further, the lifter 101 of the transporter 100 lowers the arm 104 together with the substrate holder 8 to set the substrate holder 8 at a predetermined position in the rinse tank 36. In this state, rinsing after plating of the substrate is performed. After the rinsing is completed, the gripper 103 of the arm 104 grips the substrate holder 8, and the lifter 101 raises the arm 104 to lift the substrate holder 8 from the rinsing tank 36.

  The arm 104 moves the substrate holder 8 in the horizontal direction to a position above the blow tank 38. Further, the lifter 101 of the transporter 100 lowers the arm 104 together with the substrate holder 8, and sets the substrate holder 8 at a predetermined position in the blow tank 38. The blow tank 38 removes liquid droplets attached to the surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder 8 by air blowing and dries it. After the blow processing is completed, the gripper 103 of the arm 104 holds the substrate holder 8, and the lifter 101 raises the arm 104 to lift the substrate holder 8 from the blow tank 38.

  The arm 104 moves in the horizontal direction and passes the substrate holder 8 to the substrate holder raising / lowering mechanism 26. The substrate holder raising / lowering mechanism 26 places the substrate holder 8 horizontally on the table 20 and opens the substrate holder 8 by the substrate holder opening / closing mechanism 24 in the same manner as described above. The substrate transfer robot 22 takes out the processed substrate from the substrate holder 8 and transfers this substrate to the spin, rinse and dryer 6. The spin-rinse dryer 6 dries the substrate by rotating the substrate at a high speed. The substrate transfer robot 22 takes out the dried substrate from the spin rinse dryer 6 and returns it to the cassette of the load port 2. This completes the processing for one substrate.

  FIG. 6 is a front view showing a part of the plating apparatus. As shown in FIG. 6, the arm 104 is positioned above a processing tank for storing a processing liquid (hereinafter, the pre-water washing tank 32, the plating tank 34, and the rinsing tank 36 are collectively referred to as a processing tank 110). The arm 104 includes a gripper 103 that holds the substrate holder 8. The gripper 103 includes a hook 105 that supports the substrate holder 8 from below and two pressing mechanisms 106 that press the holder hanger 108 downward. The hook 105 has a shape for hooking the hand lever 92 of the substrate holder 8.

  The pressing mechanism 106 includes a pressing member 107 that contacts the upper surface of the holder hanger 108 and an air cylinder 109 that moves the pressing member 107 downward. When the piston rod 109a of the air cylinder 109 is lowered, the pressing member 107 moves downward to press the holder hanger 108 downward. With the hand lever 92 hooked on the hook 105, the pressing member 107 presses the holder hanger 108 downward, whereby the substrate holder 8 is gripped by the gripper 103. The substrate holder 8 held by the gripper 103 is transported in the vertical and horizontal directions by the transporter 100 without shaking.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the plating apparatus shown in FIG. 8 is a front view of the plating apparatus shown in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a top view of the plating apparatus shown in FIG. The plating apparatus of the present embodiment includes an airflow forming apparatus 200, and the airflow forming apparatus 200 includes a fan filter unit (FFU) 201 having an air filter 220 such as a HEPA filter or an ULPA filter. Here, the HEPA filter is an air filter having a collection rate of 99.97% or more for particles having a particle diameter of 0.3 μm. The ULPA filter is an air filter having a collection rate of 99.9995% or more for particles having a particle diameter of 0.15 μm. The ULPA filter has a higher collection rate than the HEPA filter. The fan filter unit 201 includes an air filter 220 and a fan 222 disposed above the air filter 220. A motor (not shown) is connected to the fan 222. When the fan 222 is rotated by driving the motor, air is introduced into the fan filter unit 201. As the air passes through the air filter 220, impurities such as particles are removed from the air, and clean air is discharged downward from the fan filter unit 201.

  The fan filter unit 201 is mounted on the mounting table 202. Around the fan filter unit 201, a peripheral wall 203 including side walls 204A and 204B and a back wall 205 is disposed. A hood 206 is provided below the fan filter unit 201, and the hood 206 is detachably attached to the lower surface of the mounting table 202. The lower end of the hood 206 is open. The fan filter unit 201, the mounting table 202, the peripheral wall 203, and the hood 206 constitute an airflow forming device 200. The width of the opening of the hood 206 is approximately the same as the width (diameter) of the substrate W or slightly larger than the width of the substrate W so that the airflow flows uniformly on the surface of the substrate W.

  The lifter 101 includes a base portion 101a extending vertically and a vertically moving portion 101b that moves up and down relatively with respect to the base portion 101a. As shown in FIG. 9, the airflow forming device 200 is supported by a support member 210, and the support member 210 is fixed to the base portion 101 a of the lifter 101. Therefore, the vertical position of the support member 210 and the airflow forming device 200 fixed thereto is fixed. The arm 104 is fixed to the vertical movement portion 101b, and the arm 104 is raised and lowered by the lifter 101. The support member 210 is disposed in parallel with the arm 104, and the support member 210 is located in front of the arm 104 in the transport direction of the substrate holder 8.

  The substrate holder 8 holding the substrate W is held by the gripper 103 of the arm 104. The airflow forming device 200 is located in front of the substrate W in the transport direction of the substrate holder 8. Therefore, when the substrate holder 8 is being transported in the horizontal direction by the transporter 100, the airflow forming device 200 can form a clean airflow in front of the substrate W held by the substrate holder 8.

  The airflow forming device 200 is fixed to the base portion 101 a of the transporter 100 via a support member 210. The gripper 103 that holds the substrate holder 8 is connected to the up and down moving portion 101 b via the arm 104. Therefore, the airflow forming device 200 is moved in the horizontal direction integrally with the substrate holder 8 by the transporter 100, but does not move up and down together with the substrate holder 8 and the substrate W.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a positional relationship between the substrate holder 8 and the airflow forming device 200 when being transported by the transporter 100. In FIG. 10, the arrow extending in the horizontal direction indicates the transport direction of the airflow forming device 200 and the substrate holder 8, the white arrow indicates the airflow formed by the airflow forming device 200, and the curved arrow indicates particles floating in the air. Shows the flow. As shown in FIG. 10, the airflow forming device 200 is located in front of the substrate W held by the substrate holder 8 in the transport direction of the substrate holder 8. The lower portion of the hood 206 is inclined toward the substrate W held by the substrate holder 8 in the vertical state. For this reason, the air supplied from the fan filter unit 201 hits the surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holder 8 and further flows downward in parallel with the surface of the substrate W. Thus, a clean airflow is formed in front of the substrate W in the transport direction of the substrate holder 8, and the entire surface of the substrate W is covered with the clean airflow during the transport of the substrate W.

  Since the particles floating in the air are caused to flow downward by a clean air flow before reaching the substrate W, the particles do not adhere to the surface of the substrate W. In other words, the clean airflow formed in front of the substrate W can prevent particles from adhering to the surface of the substrate W. As a result, the substrate W is not contaminated, and the processing liquid in the processing tank 110 is not contaminated.

  FIG. 11 is a view showing a modified example of the hood 206. As shown in FIG. 11, in order to prevent the substrate W from drying, the hood 206 may extend in parallel to the surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holder 8 and in the vertical direction. In this example, clean air does not directly contact the substrate W, but flows parallel to the surface of the substrate W and downward. Since the hood 206 is detachably attached to the lower surface of the mounting table 202, the hood 206 shown in FIG. 10 and the hood 206 shown in FIG. 11 can be exchanged.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an operation sequence of the fan 222 of the fan filter unit 201. The blow tank 38 removes droplets remaining on the surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holder 8 by blowing air. For this reason, the particles are wound up by air and float in the surrounding air. The ambient atmosphere around the blow bath 38 is a particularly contaminated area even in the plating apparatus. Therefore, when the substrate holder 8 and the substrate W pass above the blow tank 38, it is necessary to reliably prevent the contamination of the substrate W. Therefore, the fan filter unit 201 includes a flow rate regulator 223 (see FIG. 9) that changes the rotation speed of the fan 222, that is, changes the air flow rate, in order to form a stronger airflow.

  In FIG. 12, the left column shows the operation of the fan 222 of the fan filter unit 201, and the right column shows the operation of the transporter 100. When the transporter 100 is waiting, the fan 222 does not rotate. When the transporter 100 is transporting the substrate W and the substrate holder 8 in the horizontal direction (that is, when the substrate W and the substrate holder 8 are moving between the processing baths 110), the fan 222 is rotated at a low speed. Since a clean airflow is formed in front of the substrate W in the transport direction of the substrate holder 8, particles floating in the air can be prevented from adhering to the surface of the substrate W.

  The transporter 100 transports the substrate W and the substrate holder 8 to a predetermined position above the processing tank 110, and then immerses the substrate W together with the substrate holder 8 in the processing liquid in the processing tank 110. While the substrate W is immersed, the transporter 100 waits at a predetermined standby position in the vicinity of the processing tank 110 or transfers the substrate W and the substrate holder 8 different from the substrate W and the substrate holder 8. When the transporter 100 is on standby, the rotation of the fan 222 is stopped. After the processing of the substrate W is completed, the transporter 100 pulls up the substrate W and the substrate holder 8 from the processing tank 110 and conveys them to the blow tank 38. While the substrate W and the substrate holder 8 are transported in a region where the substrate W and the substrate holder 8 are separated from the blow tank 38 by a predetermined distance range or more, the fan 222 rotates at a low speed.

  When the substrate W and the substrate holder 8 reach within a predetermined distance range from the blow tank 38, the rotation speed of the fan 222 is switched from a low speed to a high speed, whereby the fan 222 is rotated at a high speed. As a result, the flow velocity and flow rate of the clean air current increase. As described above, since the ambient atmosphere of the blow tank 38 is a particularly contaminated area in the plating apparatus, a powerful downflow is formed above the blow tank 38 by rotating the fan 222 at a high speed. It is possible to more reliably prevent particles floating in the surrounding atmosphere from adhering to the substrate W due to the downflow. When the drying of the surface of the substrate W is completed in the blow tank 38, the transporter 100 takes out the substrate W and the substrate holder 8 from the blow tank 38. After the substrate W and the substrate holder 8 are pulled up from the blow tank 38, the substrate holder 8 holding the substrate W is transported in the direction of the table 20. While the substrate W and the substrate holder 8 are being conveyed, the fan 222 is rotated at a high speed while the substrate W and the substrate holder 8 are within a predetermined distance range from the blow tank 38. When the substrate W and the substrate holder 8 are separated from the blow tank 38 by a predetermined distance or more, the fan 222 is rotated at a low speed (the rotation speed of the fan 222 is switched from a high speed to a low speed).

  In this way, the fan 222 of the fan filter unit 201 rotates at a high speed until the substrate W and the substrate holder 8 approach the blow tank 38 and leave the blow tank 38. The fan filter unit 201 forms a stronger airflow than usual and can more reliably prevent contamination of the substrate W.

  FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a part of a plating apparatus provided with an airflow forming device 200 and a static eliminator (ionizer) 250. FIG. 14 is a front view of the plating apparatus shown in FIG. In FIG. 14, the airflow forming device 200 is omitted. The static eliminator 250 is a device that removes static electricity from the substrate W and the substrate holder 8. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the static eliminator 250 is attached to the lower surface of the support member 210. The static eliminator 250 is moved in the horizontal direction integrally with the substrate holder 8 by the transporter 100, but does not move up and down together with the substrate holder 8 and the substrate W. By combining the airflow forming device 200 and the charge removal device 250, it is possible to more effectively prevent particles from adhering to the surface of the substrate W.

  FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a part of the plating apparatus provided with the airflow forming device 200 and the cover member 260. 16A is a front view showing a part of the plating apparatus shown in FIG. 15 in which the airflow forming apparatus 200 is omitted, and FIG. 16B is a diagram of the plating apparatus shown in FIG. It is a front view which shows a part. FIG. 17 is a top view of the cover member 260. As shown in FIGS. 15, 16 (a), and 16 (b), the plating apparatus may include a cover member 260. The cover member 260 has a shape that covers the substrate W held by the substrate holder 8, and prevents particles floating in the air from adhering to the surface of the substrate W.

  The cover member 260 includes a front wall 260a and two side walls 260b. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 17, the front wall 260a is arranged in parallel with the substrate W on the substrate holder 8, and the two side walls 260b are fixed to both ends of the front wall 260a. The lower end of the cover member 260 is open. As shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, inverted L-shaped connecting members 262 and 262 are attached to the upper portion of the side wall 260b. The cover member 260 is connected to the support member 210 by connecting members 262 and 262. Therefore, the cover member 260 is moved in the horizontal direction integrally with the substrate holder 8 by the transporter 100, while not moving up and down together with the substrate holder 8 and the substrate W. The cover member 260 is located in front of the substrate holder 8 and the substrate W in the transport direction of the substrate holder 8.

  A notch 261 is formed in the upper portion of the front wall 260a, and the lower end of the hood 206 is located above the notch 261. Clean air supplied from the airflow forming device 200 is introduced into the space between the substrate holder 8 and the cover member 260 through the notch 261. Clean air flows downward in the space between the substrate holder 8 and the cover member 260 and flows out from the lower end of the cover member 260. As described above, the cover member 260 is disposed in front of the substrate W held by the substrate holder 8 in the transport direction of the substrate holder 8, and a clean airflow is formed between the substrate holder 8 and the cover member 260. Thus, contamination of the substrate W can be prevented more reliably.

  Some types of plating solutions must be maintained at a high temperature during the plating of the substrate W. However, when the low-temperature substrate W and the substrate holder 8 are immersed in the plating solution maintained at a high temperature, the temperature of the plating solution is lowered. In order to solve such a problem, a heating element 264 such as a heater may be disposed on the cover member 260 as shown in FIG. In FIG. 18, two heating elements 264 are arranged on the front wall 260a, but the number and arrangement locations of the heating elements 264 are not limited to this example. The heating element 264 disposed on the cover member 260 transfers heat to the substrate W and the substrate holder 8, thereby heating the substrate W and the substrate holder 8. As a result, even if the substrate W and the substrate holder 8 are immersed in the plating solution, the temperature of the plating solution does not decrease.

  FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a part of the plating apparatus provided with the liquid receiving mechanism 270. When the substrate holder 8 is pulled up from the processing tank 110, the processing liquid remains on the substrate W and the substrate holder 8. If the substrate holder 8 and the substrate W are transported while the processing liquid remains, the processing liquid may fall from the substrate holder 8 during transport and cause contamination. In order to solve such a problem, it is preferable to provide a liquid receiving mechanism 270 below the substrate holder 8 as shown in FIG. The liquid receiving mechanism 270 includes a tray 272 that receives the processing liquid dropped from the substrate holder 8 and an actuator 274 that moves the tray 272 in the horizontal direction. The tray 272 is positioned above the processing tank 110 and is horizontally moved by the actuator 274. The actuator 274 is composed of an electric actuator composed of a combination of a ball screw mechanism and a servo motor. The tray 272 is attached to the actuator 274, and the actuator 274 is attached to the base portion 101 a of the lifter 101. The liquid receiving mechanism 270 is moved in the horizontal direction integrally with the substrate holder 8 by the transporter 100, but does not move up and down together with the substrate holder 8 and the substrate W.

  FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the liquid receiving mechanism 270 and the substrate holder 8. As shown in step 1, the substrate holder 8 is moved by the transporter 100 to a predetermined position above the processing tank 110. Next, as shown in step 2, the actuator 274 horizontally moves the tray 272 to a predetermined retreat position, and the lifter 101 of the transporter 100 lowers the arm 104 together with the substrate holder 8. The retracting operation of the tray 272 is started before or simultaneously with the lowering operation of the substrate holder 8 so that the substrate holder 8 does not contact the tray 272. The lifter 101 lowers the arm 104 to set the substrate holder 8 at a predetermined position in the processing tank 110.

  After the processing of the substrate W is completed, the gripper 103 of the arm 104 holds the substrate holder 8, and the lifter 101 raises the arm 104 to lift the substrate holder 8 from the processing tank 110. When the raising of the arm 104 is completed and the substrate holder 8 is raised to a predetermined position, the actuator 274 horizontally moves the tray 272 from the predetermined retracted position to the liquid receiving position below the substrate holder 8 as shown in Step 3. . The processing liquid dropped from the substrate holder 8 is received by the tray 272. The tray 272 is moved to the next processing tank by the transporter 100 together with the substrate holder 8 while being in the liquid receiving position shown in Step 3.

  As shown in FIG. 19, when a downward clean airflow is formed on the surface of the substrate W by the airflow forming device 200, the processing liquid adhering to the substrate W and the substrate holder 8 travels along the surface of the substrate W and is It becomes a drop and drops easily. According to the present embodiment, even if the processing liquid falls, the processing liquid is received by the liquid receiving mechanism 270, so that the substrate W and other processing tanks 110 below the substrate holder 8 are contaminated. Can be prevented.

  FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing a part of a plating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the cover member 260. As shown in FIG. 21, the airflow forming device 200 according to the present embodiment does not include the fan filter unit 201, and instead includes a gas introduction pipe 302 and a slit nozzle 304. The slit nozzle 304 is attached to the gas introduction pipe 302. The gas introduction pipe 302 is connected to a gas supply pipe 303, and the gas supply pipe 303 is connected to a gas supply source (not shown). As the gas to be introduced, an inert gas such as nitrogen gas is preferably used.

  As shown in FIG. 21, the plating apparatus of this embodiment includes a cover member 260. The cover member 260 shown in FIG. 21 further includes an upper wall 260c, unlike the cover member 260 shown in FIG. The airflow forming device 200 is disposed on the upper portion of the cover member 260 and is moved in the horizontal direction integrally with the substrate holder 8 and the substrate W by the transporter 100.

  As shown in FIG. 22, the slit nozzle 304 is a gas nozzle having a slit at its tip. The tip of the slit nozzle 304 is located inside the cover member 260 and faces the substrate W. The width of the slit is about the same as the width (diameter) of the substrate W or slightly larger than the width of the substrate W so that the airflow flows uniformly on the surface of the substrate W. A gas supplied from a gas supply source (not shown) flows out from the slit nozzle 304 toward the substrate W through the gas supply pipe 303 and the gas introduction pipe 302. The clean gas flows downward in the space between the substrate holder 8 and the cover member 260 and flows out from the lower end of the cover member 260. Thus, the cover member 260 is disposed in front of the substrate W in the transport direction of the substrate holder 8, and a clean air current is formed between the substrate holder 8 and the cover member 260, thereby contaminating the substrate W. This can be prevented more reliably. A plurality of gas nozzles may be attached to the gas introduction tube 302 instead of the slit nozzle 304.

  The embodiments described above can be combined as appropriate. For example, the heating element 264 described above may be disposed on the front wall 260a shown in FIG. Further, the static eliminator 250 and the liquid receiving mechanism 270 may be combined with the embodiment shown in FIG.

  So far, an example of an electroplating apparatus has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to an electroless plating apparatus. In the case of an electroless plating apparatus, a substrate holder that holds a single substrate vertically with its edge hooked is preferably used. The sealing member that prevents the plating solution from coming into contact with the outer peripheral surface and the back surface of the substrate (the surface located on the opposite side of the surface to be plated) is not necessarily provided.

  Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described so far, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that the present invention may be implemented in various different forms within the scope of the technical idea.

1 device frame 3 control unit 4 aligner 6 spin rinse dryer (SRD)
8 Substrate holder 20 Table 24 Substrate holder opening / closing mechanism 26 Substrate holder raising / lowering mechanism 30 Stocker 32 Pre-wash tank 34 Plating tank 36 Rinse tank 38 Blow tank 54 First holding member 56 Hinge 58 Second holding member 62 Seal holder 64 Press ring 66 Substrate side seal member 68 Holder side seal member 92 Hand lever 100 Transporter 101 Lifter 102 Fixed base 103 Gripper 104 Arm 105 Hook 106 Press mechanism 107 Press member 109 Air cylinder 109a Piston rod 110 Processing tank 200 Airflow forming device 201 Fan filter unit 202 Mounting base 203 Peripheral wall 204A, 204B Side wall 205 Back wall 206 Hood 210 Support member 220 Air filter 222 Fan 223 Flow rate regulator 250 Static elimination device 260 Cover member 262 Connection Material 264 heating element 270 receiver mechanism 272 tray 274 actuator 302 gas introduction pipe 303 gas supply pipe 304 slit nozzle

Claims (8)

A substrate holder for holding the substrate;
A transporter for transporting the substrate holder holding the substrate between the substrate holder raising and lowering mechanism and the processing tank;
A cover member that covers the substrate held by the substrate holder;
And an air flow forming device for introducing a gas into the space between the base plate and the cover member,
The airflow forming device includes a gas introduction pipe that introduces a gas, and a gas nozzle that is attached to the gas introduction pipe and flows out of the gas.
The said airflow formation apparatus introduce | transduces gas during conveyance of the said substrate holder holding the board | substrate, The plating apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned.   The plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cover member has an upper wall. Tip before SL gas nozzle is disposed inside the cover member,
The plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air flow forming device causes the gas to flow out toward a substrate held by the substrate holder so that the gas flows downward in the space. The plating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the air flow forming device supplies an inert gas from the gas nozzle. The plating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein a heating element for heating the substrate and the substrate holder is disposed on the cover member. Plating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a charge removing apparatus for removing static electricity from the substrate. A liquid receiving mechanism for receiving the processing liquid dropped from the substrate holder;
The transporter, plating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that moving the liquid receiving mechanism in the horizontal direction together with the substrate holder. The liquid receiving mechanism includes a tray positioned below the substrate holder, and an actuator that moves the tray in a horizontal direction,
The plating apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the actuator moves the tray to a predetermined retreat position while the substrate holder holding the substrate is immersed in a processing liquid in the processing tank. .

Images