JPH05106039A - Substrate treating equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide substrate treating equipment, where the deflection of a conveyance arm can be prevented even in the case of conveying a large-sized substrate, by a simplified constitution. CONSTITUTION:A flap valve 30 partitioning a chamber 4 and an air lock chamber 26 is provided so that it can be opened on the downside, and further, a roller 50 supporting a conveyance arm 34 in a state capable of longitudinal motion is attached via a column 52 to the part located in the position above the flap valve 30 in an open state and on the track of the conveyance arm 34.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate in a vacuum such as an ion implantation apparatus, a thin film forming apparatus and an etching apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional example of this type of substrate processing apparatus is shown in FIG. This substrate processing apparatus is adjacent to a processing chamber 4 for processing the substrate 2 in a vacuum and a processing chamber 4 with a flap valve 30 interposed between the processing chamber 4 and the atmosphere. The air lock chamber 26 for taking in and out by the substrate 2
Is provided between the airlock chamber 26 and the processing chamber 4.

In this example, a substrate holding device 10 having the following structure is provided in the processing chamber 4. That is, the substrate holding device 10 includes a substrate table 11 on which the substrate 2 is placed.
An annular clamper 12 for pressing the peripheral edge of the substrate 2 against the substrate base 11, a plurality of clamper shafts 14 for moving the clamper 12 up and down, and a spring for elastically pushing down each clamper shaft 14. (For example, a compression coil spring) 16, a connecting plate 18 for connecting the clamper shafts 14, an elevating pin 20 supported by the connecting plate 18 for elevating the substrate 2, a substrate table 11 and an object attached thereto. A rotating shaft 22 that supports the shaft and rotates as shown by arrow A, and a connecting plate 18 that moves as shown by arrow B
And an elevating shaft 24 for elevating and lowering. 40 in the figure
44 is a packing such as an O-ring for vacuum sealing.

In this example, an ion source 6 for irradiating the substrate 2 held by the substrate holding device 10 with an ion beam 8 to perform a process such as ion implantation is attached to the upper part of the processing chamber 4. ..

The flap valve 30 is a kind of vacuum valve that partitions the processing chamber 4 from the air lock chamber 26 and is opened and closed as indicated by an arrow C. Reference numeral 32 is its rotation axis.

In this example, a lid 28 that is opened and closed when the substrate 2 is taken in and out in the atmosphere and in the airlock chamber 26 is provided above the airlock chamber 26.

In this example, the transfer arm 34 penetrates the wall surface of the airlock chamber 26 and is movable back and forth as indicated by an arrow E, and is attached to the tip of the shaft 36 so that the substrate 2
And a support plate (also referred to as a fork) 38 that supports the.

Explaining an operation example, assuming that the processing chamber 4 is constantly evacuated, the lid 28 is opened, the unprocessed substrate 2 is placed on the support plate 38 of the transfer arm 34, the lid 28 is closed, and the air lock is performed. The chamber 26 is evacuated. At this time, the flap valve 30 is closed, and when the inside of the airlock chamber 26 reaches a predetermined vacuum degree, the flap valve 30 is opened to advance the transfer arm 34, and the lift shaft 24 raises the clamper 12 (see FIG. 1), the substrate 2 is conveyed between the substrate base 11 and the clamper 12, and in that state, the elevating shaft 24 is raised by another step and the elevating pin 20 receives the substrate 2 from the support plate 38.

After that, the transfer arm 34 is retracted, and the lifting shaft 24 is further lowered to hold (nip) the substrate 2 between the clamper 12 and the substrate table 11 by the force of the spring 16, and the flap valve 30 is closed, so that the ion is released. The substrate 2 on the substrate holding device 10 is irradiated with the ion beam 8 from the source 6 to be processed. The unloading of the substrate 2 after processing into the atmosphere is performed in the reverse operation.

[0010]

However, in recent years, as typified by a thin film transistor type liquid crystal display or the like, the substrate 2 has been increased in size, and accordingly, the weight and the stroke have been extended, and the conventional method as described above is used. When a large substrate 2 is placed on the support plate 38 of the transfer arm 34 and transferred by the above apparatus, when the transfer arm 34 moves forward, the transfer arm 34 is largely bent (for example, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2). However, there is a problem that the substrate 2 cannot be conveyed properly. For this, the transfer arm 34
Although it is possible to increase the strength of the
Even so, the bending of the transfer arm 34, which is greatly advanced as described above, cannot be avoided.

Therefore, the present invention has a simple structure.
A main object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of preventing the bending of a transfer arm even when transferring a large substrate.

[0012]

In order to achieve the above object, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is provided with a roller for supporting the transfer arm so as to be movable back and forth on the path of the transfer arm as described above. Is characterized by.

[0013]

According to the above construction, since the transfer arm can be supported by the rollers so as to be movable back and forth, it is possible to prevent the transfer arm from bending even when transferring a large substrate, and thus it is possible to transfer a large substrate. become.

[0014]

1 is a sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The same or corresponding portions as those of the conventional example in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the differences from the conventional example will be mainly described below.

The flap valve 30 described above is designed to open downward as shown in the figure. In this embodiment, the flap valve 30 is located above the open state of the flap valve 30 and on the path of the transfer arm 34. Further, a roller 50 that supports the transport arm 34 so as to be movable back and forth is attached via a column 52. Of course, the roller 50 and the support column 52 are provided at a position that does not interfere with the opening and closing of the flap valve 30 and its original purpose (that is, the partition between the processing chamber 4 and the airlock chamber 26).

With this arrangement, when the transfer arm 34 is moved forward to transfer the substrate 2 into (or out of) the processing chamber 4, the transfer arm 34 is supported by the roller 50 so as to be movable back and forth. Therefore, even when the large substrate 2 is transferred, the bending of the transfer arm 34 can be prevented, and thus the large substrate 2 can be transferred. Moreover, since it is only necessary to provide the roller 50 on the flap valve 30,
The configuration is also very simple.

Further, the roller 50 may be provided at a place different from the flap valve 30, but if it is provided on the flap valve 30 as in this embodiment, no extra space is required and therefore the processing chamber 4 It is also possible to obtain the effect that the air lock chamber 26 does not need to be large.

The configuration of the substrate holding device 10 and the provision of the ion source 6 and the lid 28 described above are merely examples, and the present invention is widely applied to substrate processing devices other than those adopting such a device. be able to.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the roller for supporting the transfer arm so as to be movable back and forth is provided on the path of the transfer arm, the transfer arm is not bent even when transferring a large substrate. This can be prevented, and thus a large substrate can be transported. Moreover, the structure is very simple because it is sufficient to provide rollers.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an example of a conventional substrate processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 substrate 4 processing chamber 26 air lock chamber 30 flap valve 34 transfer arm 36 shaft 38 support plate 50 roller

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A processing chamber for processing a substrate in a vacuum, an air lock chamber for loading and unloading the substrate between the processing chamber and the atmosphere, and a shaft that can be moved back and forth and its tip end. And a supporting plate for supporting the substrate, the substrate processing apparatus including a transfer arm that transfers the substrate between the airlock chamber and the processing chamber by moving the shaft back and forth. A substrate processing apparatus characterized in that a roller that supports the transfer arm so as to be movable back and forth is provided on the path of the arm.