JP6641976B2 - Substrate temperature controller - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate temperature control apparatus for performing a heat treatment for processing a substrate such as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device or a plasma display device.

  With the recent increase in definition of the screen of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, a highly sensitive resist solution has been used, and the aperture ratio of pixels formed on the LCD substrate has been reduced to 40% or less. The aperture ratio and the line width of the color filter pattern have been reduced to about 3 μm.

  In the manufacturing process of such a color pixel pattern of a color filter, a photoresist film is applied and formed on a rectangular LCD substrate as a processing object by a resist application device. After that, the LCD substrate coated with the photoresist film is subjected to a pre-bake process of heating with a substrate temperature controller, cooled, exposed to a predetermined pattern by an exposure device, and developed by exposure with a developing device. After that, a series of processing processes such as performing a post-bake process of heating with a substrate temperature control device and then cooling the substrate are performed.

  Conventionally, for these substrate temperature control devices, for example, a device having a configuration as shown in Patent Document 1 is used, and a device having a temperature control panel for mounting and heating an LCD substrate and a substrate transfer mechanism is used. . The substrate transfer mechanism includes a substrate support pin that passes through a support pin draw-out hole that vertically penetrates the temperature control panel, and a support pin lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the substrate support pin.

  The substrate transfer mechanism of the substrate temperature control device receives the LCD substrate with substrate support pins protruding above the temperature control panel. Then, the substrate support pins are lowered to place the LCD substrate on the temperature control panel. Then, the temperature control panel of the substrate temperature controller heats the LCD substrate to a predetermined temperature of, for example, 50 ° C. to 180 ° C. to perform heat treatment.

JP-A-2000-243687

  In a substrate temperature control device for a resist coating device that performs the heat treatment, the substrate is placed on a temperature control panel and the resist solution is applied. However, the thickness and curing condition of the resist solution applied on the substrate are controlled. However, due to the heat conduction of the support pin draw-out hole of the substrate transfer mechanism, the state becomes different from that of the portion not in contact with the support pin draw-out hole. There was a problem.

  This transfer trace is caused by the fact that the temperature at the position of the support pin draw-out hole has a temperature difference from the other portions of the temperature adjustment plate. This transfer mark may occur after development of the resist pattern, and the transfer mark causes a defect in a final product.

  Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for treating a substrate without directly contacting the temperature control panel as a measure against the transfer mark. However, since the substrate is not directly contacted with the temperature control panel, the temperature of the substrate is adjusted. There was a problem of inefficiency.

  Further, in Patent Document 1, by moving the substrate support pins during the heat treatment of the substrate, it is possible to avoid contact with only one location on the substrate and to protrude only the temperature at that location, thereby avoiding a state different from the other substrate surface. Although possible, there is still a problem that the temperature is not always the same as the other substrate surface.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate temperature control apparatus which does not cause a defect such as a transfer mark on a substrate surface due to a temperature difference of the substrate surface due to a support pin drawing hole on the substrate surface.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a temperature control panel for mounting and controlling the temperature of a substrate, and a vertical movement for mounting the substrate on the tip and mounting the substrate on the surface of the temperature control panel. have a substrate support pin which, with the gas to the jet from the tip portion of the substrate support pins let supporting said substrate, tilt the axial direction of the substrate support pins from the vertical direction of the surface of said substrate, said temperature control board the support pins drawer hole outside the product area of the substrate surface for placing said substrate, said a substrate temperature controller you housed retract the substrate supporting pins, the a tip portion of the substrate support pins A substrate temperature control device comprising a substrate holding portion larger than a diameter of a substrate support pin .

  According to the present invention, the position at which the substrate support pins are housed in the temperature adjustment panel is outside the product area of the substrate, so that transfer marks can be prevented from being generated in the product area of the substrate. There is.

  Further, the present invention is the above-described substrate temperature control apparatus, wherein the temperature of the gas ejected from the tip of the support pin is adjusted to the same temperature as the temperature of the gas around the substrate, and the temperature of the gas is controlled. It is a substrate temperature control apparatus characterized by having means.

  Further, the present invention is the above-described substrate temperature control device, wherein an angle of inclining an axial direction of the substrate support pins from a vertical direction of a surface of the substrate is set at a position for supporting the substrate at a tip end of the substrate support pins. A substrate temperature control device characterized in that different angles are set according to the angle.

  According to the present invention, the axial direction of the substrate support pins has an angle inclined from the vertical direction of the substrate surface, and the substrate support pins support the temperature control panel outside the product area of the substrate on the surface on which the substrate is mounted. It has a board delivery mechanism that is drawn into the pin draw-out hole and housed in the temperature adjustment board.

  According to the present invention, the position at which the substrate support pins are housed in the temperature control panel is outside the product area of the substrate, so that transfer marks can be prevented from being generated in the product area of the substrate. There is.

  Further, the present invention uses gas temperature control means for ejecting gas from the tip of the support pin to support the substrate, adjusting the temperature of the ejected gas to the same temperature as the gas surrounding the substrate, and ejecting the gas. Thereby, there is an effect that transfer marks generated on the substrate can be weakened.

(A) A first side view schematic diagram of the substrate temperature control apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention, (b) a second side view schematic view of the substrate temperature control apparatus according to the first embodiment, and (b) a first side view. It is a plane schematic diagram of a substrate temperature control device of an embodiment. (A) It is a side view of the board | substrate support pin of 1st Embodiment of this invention. (B), (c), (d) It is a top view of the board | substrate holding part installed in the front-end | tip part of the board | substrate support pin of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 4 is a partial side view schematically illustrating the operation of the substrate transfer mechanism of the substrate temperature control apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4A is a schematic side view of a substrate temperature control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a schematic plan view of the substrate temperature control device according to the second embodiment. (A) It is a side view of the board | substrate support pin of 3rd Embodiment of this invention. (B) It is a top view of the board | substrate holding part installed in the front-end | tip part of the board | substrate support pin of 3rd Embodiment. It is a partial side view explaining operation of a substrate delivery mechanism of a substrate temperature control device of a 3rd embodiment of the present invention.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the present invention is applied to a substrate temperature control device for pre-baking a substrate 1 such as an LCD glass substrate.

<First embodiment>
A substrate temperature controller according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1A, the substrate temperature control device of the present embodiment includes a temperature control panel 10, a substrate support pin 20 that constitutes a substrate transfer mechanism for mounting the substrate 1 on the temperature control panel 10, and a temperature control panel. It comprises a support pin pull-out hole 11 formed in the board 10 and a support pin elevating mechanism 14.

  The substrate support pins 20 of the substrate transfer mechanism first receive the substrate 1, and the substrate support pins 20 descend while supporting the substrate 1, and are stored in the temperature control panel 10. 1 is placed.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of the substrate support pin 20, and FIG. 3 is a partial schematic diagram of a side surface of the substrate temperature control device for explaining the operation of the substrate transfer mechanism of the substrate temperature control device. The side view of FIG. 1A or FIG. 3A shows a case where the substrate 1 is supported at a position where the tip end of the substrate support pin 20 is most raised.

  FIG. 3B is a side view showing a state in which the substrate support pins 20 have been lowered halfway while supporting the substrate 1.

  In the side view of FIG. 1B or FIG. 3C, when the substrate support pins 20 are stored in the support pin draw-out holes 11 of the temperature control panel 10 and the substrate 1 is placed on the surface of the temperature control panel 10. Is shown. FIG. 1C is a plan view showing a state where the substrate support pins 20 are housed in the support pin draw-out holes 11 of the temperature control panel 10 and the substrate 1 is placed on the surface of the temperature control panel 10.

(Temperature control panel)
On the upper surface of the temperature control panel 10, a plurality of support pin draw-out holes 11 are provided as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1A, the board support pins 20 are pulled out from the support pin draw-out holes 11, and the board support pins 20 are drawn into the temperature control panel 10 from the support pin draw-out holes 11 and stored.

  Further, a plate heater 12 and a stage temperature measuring device 13 are buried inside the temperature adjusting plate 10, and when the temperature of the temperature adjusting plate 10 decreases, the temperature decrease is detected by the stage temperature measuring device 13 and heated by the plate heater 12. Thus, the temperature of the temperature control panel 10 is controlled to be kept constant.

(Board support pin)
FIG. 2A shows a side view of the substrate support pin 20. At the tip of the substrate support pin 20, a substrate holding part 2 having a size larger than the diameter of the substrate support pin 20 and supporting the substrate 1 in parallel with the substrate 1.
1 is provided.

  As the planar shape of the substrate holding portion 21, various planar shapes such as a rectangle, a circle, and a trapezoid can be used as shown in FIGS. 2B to 2D.

  Further, the substrate support pin 20 is formed of a hollow pipe, and an air ejection hole 22 for ejecting a gas such as air or nitrogen is provided at a tip portion of the substrate support pin 20 where the substrate holding portion 21 is installed. The gas ejected from the air ejection holes 22 forms a gas layer between the substrate 1 and the substrate holding unit 21 and floats and supports the substrate 1 on the substrate holding unit 21.

  In addition, the gas ejected from the air ejection holes 22 at the tips of the substrate support pins 20 prevents the gas layer formed between the substrate holding portion 21 and the substrate 1 from directly touching the substrate holding portion 21 with the substrate 1. Has the effect of

  This reduces the heat conduction from the substrate holding unit 21 to the substrate 1. Even when the temperature of the substrate holding unit 21 at the tip of the substrate support pin 20 has a temperature difference with the gas around the substrate 1, this is also This has the effect of making it possible to weaken the transfer marks generated in the image.

  The gas supporting the substrate 1 flows out into an open space between the lower surface of the substrate 1 and the upper surface of the temperature control panel 10 and is removed. This open space is formed by the substrate support pins 20 lifting the substrate 1 above the temperature control panel 10.

  By forming an open space into which the ejected gas flows, the substrate 1 forms a layer of air with a certain gap between the substrate 1 and the substrate holding unit 21 by the gas ejected from the air ejection holes 22 at the tips of the substrate support pins 20. It is possible to levitate while keeping it.

  The gas ejected from the air ejection holes 22 to float the substrate 1 is usually supplied at a constant temperature from a clean dry air producing apparatus by taking in air in a clean room controlled at a constant temperature and supplying it with a blower. Clean and dry air can be used. When the temperature of the air supply source is always constant and coincides with the temperature of the temperature control panel 10, it is not particularly necessary to adjust the temperature of the air.

(Modification 1)
However, when the temperature of the temperature control panel 10 is different from the temperature of the gas around the substrate 1, the substrate 1 is moved from the position of the tip of the substrate support pin 20 above the temperature control panel 10 to the surface of the temperature control panel 10. The temperature around the substrate 1 changes as the substrate 1 is lowered by lowering the substrate support pins 20 to place the substrate 1 on the substrate 1.

  Therefore, as a first modification, while measuring the temperature of the gas around the substrate 1, the temperature of the gas ejected from the air ejection holes 22 at the tips of the substrate support pins 20 is controlled by gas temperature control means. Thus, the temperature of the gas ejected from the air ejection holes 22 is set to the same temperature as the temperature of the gas around the substrate 1 and ejected from the air ejection holes 22.

(Support pin draw-out hole)
As shown in FIG. 1A, the substrate support pins 20 are inserted into support pin draw-out holes 11 provided at the end of the installation area of the substrate 1 of the temperature adjustment panel 10 and obliquely from the vertical direction of the surface of the substrate 1. Tilt and support. The support pin pull-out hole 11 allows the substrate support pin 20 to be put in and out in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate 1, that is, in a direction inclined obliquely from the direction perpendicular to the surface of the temperature control panel 10. The length of the substrate support pin 20 to be output is made variable.

  The side view of FIG. 1B and the plan view of FIG. 1C or the side view of FIG. 3C show a side view in a state where the substrate support pins 20 are lowered most. That is, the substrate holding unit 21 installed at the tip of the substrate support pin 20 is lowered to a position lower than the height of the upper surface of the temperature adjustment panel 10 and housed in the temperature adjustment panel 10. Then, the substrate 1 is placed on the upper surface of the temperature control panel 10.

(Support pin lifting mechanism)
The support pin elevating mechanism 14 is provided below the support pin draw-out hole 11 in the temperature adjustment panel 10. The support pin elevating mechanism 14 pulls the substrate support pins 20 into the support pin draw-out holes 11 in an oblique direction along the axis of the substrate support pins 20 and sends them out, so that the substrate support pins 20 are moved to the temperature adjustment panel 10. It is raised and lowered relatively up and down.

  The support pin elevating mechanism 14 measures the height of the tip of each of the substrate support pins 20 while measuring the height of the tip of each of the substrate support pins 20 with a support pin tip height detection unit (not shown). It is desirable to control the substrate 1 so that it is placed on one flat surface that supports the lower surface.

(Support pin draw-out hole)
As shown in the plan view of FIG. 1C, the support pin pullout hole 11 for accommodating the substrate support pins 20 in the temperature adjustment panel 10 is provided at the end of the area of the substrate 1 and outside the product area of the substrate 1.

  By providing the support pin withdrawal hole 11 outside the product area of the substrate 1, after the substrate 1 is placed on the temperature adjustment panel 10, the position where the substrate holding unit 21 is stored in the temperature adjustment panel 10 is the position of the substrate 1. Out of product area.

  Then, the transfer mark generated on the substrate 1 due to the difference between the temperature of the surface of the temperature adjusting plate 10 in contact with the substrate 1 and the temperature of the portion of the support pin drawing hole 11 is outside the product area of the substrate 1. Therefore, there is an effect that transfer marks can be prevented from being generated in the product area of the substrate 1.

(Substrate mounting operation of substrate temperature controller)
Next, an operation in which the substrate temperature adjusting device places the substrate 1 on the temperature adjustment panel 10 using the substrate support pins 20 will be described.

  In the substrate temperature control device, the temperature control panel 10 is set in advance to a predetermined temperature of, for example, about 50 ° C. to 180 ° C.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3A, the support pin elevating mechanism 14 raises the substrate support pins 20 above the temperature adjustment board 10. The substrate support pins 20 protrude from the surface of the temperature control panel 10 at an angle inclined from a direction perpendicular to the surface so as to support the lower surface at a middle position of the lower surface of the substrate 1 at the tip.

  Next, the substrate 1 is placed on the substrate support pins 20, and the substrate 1 is supported by air jetted from the air jet holes 22 of the substrate support pins 20 as shown in FIG.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the support pin elevating mechanism 14 performs a lowering operation of storing the substrate support pins 20 in the support pin draw-out holes 11 around the temperature adjustment panel 10.

  As the substrate support pins 20 descend, the tip of the substrate support pins 20 moves from a position in the middle of the lower surface of the substrate 1 to an end of the lower surface of the substrate 1.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 3 (c), the tip of the substrate support pin 20 moves below the surface of the temperature control panel 10, and the substrate support pin 20 is pulled out of the support pin extraction hole 11 of the temperature control panel 10. The substrate 1 is placed on the surface of the temperature control panel 10.

  Here, during the transfer operation from the substrate support pins 20 of the substrate 1 to the temperature adjustment panel 10, the position of the lower surface of the substrate 1 supported by the tip of the substrate support pins 20 changes with time. As a result, transfer marks can be prevented from being formed on the substrate 1 due to the temperature of the tip of the substrate support pins 20 with which the substrate 1 is in contact, so that a uniform coating surface having substantially the same size as the glass substrate can be obtained.

<Second embodiment>
As shown in FIG. 4, the substrate temperature control apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention disperses the tips of the substrate support pins 20 over the entire surface of the large substrate 1 using a plurality of substrate support pins 20 having different inclinations. To uniformly support the lower surface of the substrate 1.

  The support pin elevating mechanism 14 moves the substrate support pins 20 in the axial direction and lowers them, and stores the substrate holding portion 21 at the tip end of the substrate support pins 20 supporting the substrate 1 in the temperature adjustment panel 10, thereby supporting the substrate. The substrate 1 supported by the pins 20 is placed on the surface of the temperature control panel 10.

  Here, the substrate support pins 20 having different inclinations are drawn into the support pin draw-out holes 11 at different speeds by the different support pin lifting / lowering mechanisms 14, so that the lower surface of the substrate 1 is formed by the tip portions of the plurality of substrate support pins 20. Support on a flat surface.

  Here, the support pin elevating mechanism 14 measures the heights of the tip portions of the plurality of substrate support pins 20 with support pin tip height detecting means (not shown), and detects the heights of the tip portions of the plurality of substrate support pins 20. While controlling the height to be placed on one plane supporting the lower surface of the substrate 1, the tip portions of the plurality of substrate support pins 20 are made uniform and lowered at the same time.

<Third embodiment>
A third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, a support pin elevating mechanism 14 that supports the substrate support pins 20 lowers the substrate support pins 20 and changes the inclination of the axis of the substrate support pins 20. Is provided.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, in the third embodiment, the orientation of the substrate holding unit that changes the angle between the direction of the upper surface of the substrate holding unit 21 installed at the tip of the substrate supporting pin 20 and the direction of the axis of the substrate supporting pin 20. Direction rotating means 23 is provided.

(Substrate mounting operation of substrate temperature controller)
In the third embodiment, in a situation where the support pin elevating mechanism 14 draws the substrate support pins 20 into the support pin draw-out holes 11 and lowers the substrate 1 on the surface of the temperature control panel 10, the shaft of the substrate support pins 20 is moved. Change the tilt of the direction to the vertical direction.

  Accordingly, in such a situation, there is an effect that the substrate support pins 20 can be stored within the range of the temperature adjustment panel 10 so that the rear end of the substrate support pins 20 does not protrude out of the temperature adjustment panel 10 in the horizontal plane direction. .

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. That is, the substrate temperature controlling apparatus of the present invention is not limited to a substrate temperature controlling apparatus that performs a pre-bake process on the substrate 1, and applies a resist liquid to the substrate 1. It can be used for a substrate temperature control device for a resist coating device.

  That is, the substrate 1 is placed on the temperature-adjusted temperature control panel 10 by using the substrate transfer mechanism including the substrate support pins 20 inclined from the vertical direction of the surface of the substrate 1 and the support pin elevating mechanism 14. It can be applied to a temperature control device.

  By applying the resist liquid to the substrate 1 by using the substrate temperature control device of the present invention as a resist coating device, it is possible to prevent transfer marks from being formed in the product area of the substrate 1, so that a uniform size of approximately the same size as the glass substrate can be obtained. The effect that a good coating surface can be obtained is obtained.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Substrate 10 ... Temperature adjustment board 11 ... Support pin draw-out hole 12 ... Plate heater 13 ... Stage temperature measuring device 14 ... Support pin elevating mechanism 15 ... Axial rotation means Reference numeral 20: substrate support pin 21: substrate holding part 22: air ejection hole 23: substrate holding part orientation direction rotating means

Claims (3)

A temperature adjustment panel for temperature control by placing the substrate, by placing the substrate in the distal portion have a substrate support pin for the up and down movement for placing the substrate on the surface of the temperature control board, the substrate support pins A gas is ejected from a tip portion to support the substrate, an axial direction of the substrate support pins is inclined from a direction perpendicular to a surface of the substrate, and a product area of the substrate on the surface of the temperature adjustment plate on which the substrate is mounted. the outside of the support pins drawer hole, wherein a substrate support pin substrate temperature controller you housed retract and includes a large substrate holder than said substrate support pin diameter at the tip portion of the substrate support pins A substrate temperature control device, characterized in that: 2. The substrate temperature controller according to claim 1 , further comprising: a gas temperature controller configured to adjust a temperature of a gas ejected from a tip portion of the support pin to be equal to a temperature of a gas around the substrate and eject the gas. A substrate temperature control device, comprising: 3. The substrate temperature control device according to claim 1, wherein an angle at which an axial direction of the substrate support pins is inclined from a direction perpendicular to a surface of the substrate is set at a position where the tip of the substrate support pins supports the substrate. A substrate temperature adjusting device, wherein the substrate temperature adjusting device is set at a different angle according to the angle.

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