JPH05144826A - Substrate heater - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To cut down the preheating time before starting the processing step for heating more evenly within the title substrate heater for preheating before starting the processing step. CONSTITUTION:A heating unit 23 using heating lamps as a heating source as well as a cooling unit 25 are provided on the upper and lower part of an airtight chamber while a radiant heat absorbable base plate 45 is elevatingly arranged between the heating unit 23 and the cooling unit 25 simultaneously the base plate 45 is made closely attachable to the cooling unit 25, on the other hand, substrate supportable pins 45 penetrating the base plate 45 are elevatingly arranged so as to heat a substrate mounted on the base plate 45 by the upper heating unit 23. Besides, the base plate 45 is heated by the radiant heat transmitting the substrate furthermore the rear surface of the substrate is heated by the base plate 45 using the heat conduction. Finally, in order to cool down the base plate 45 after finishing the preheating step, the base plate 45 is to be closely attached to the cooling unit 25.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor by forming a thin film on the surface of a substrate or performing surface treatment such as etching treatment, and more particularly to a substrate heating apparatus for preheating before treatment. It is a thing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art One of semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses is one for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel. In this method, various thin films are formed on a glass substrate, or a large number of semiconductor elements are formed on the glass surface by etching or the like.

In such a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a series of processing steps are automated, and the substrate is heated to a temperature suitable for the processing as a preparatory processing for the processing steps.

[0004]

In recent years, liquid crystal display screens have become larger and larger, and semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses are required to meet such demands and to improve manufacturing efficiency such as improvement in yield and throughput. ing.

In order to meet such demands, the present invention provides a substrate heating apparatus for preheating before processing, which is formed without shortening the preheating time before processing, further uniform heating, and without distortion. The substrate is quickly heated without damaging the pattern.

[0006]

According to the present invention, a heating unit having a heating lamp as a heat source is provided in an upper part of an airtight chamber, and a cooling unit is provided in a lower part thereof, respectively, to absorb radiant heat between the heating unit and the cooling unit. A base plate that can be moved up and down, the base plate can be brought into close contact with the cooling unit, and a substrate support pin that can penetrate the cooling unit and the base plate and can support a substrate can be moved up and down. To do.

[0007]

[Function] When heating the substrate, place the substrate on the base plate,
It is heated by the upper heating unit. The base plate is heated by the radiant heat transmitted through the substrate, and further heats the substrate by heat conduction. In order to cool the base plate after completion of preheating, the base plate is brought into close contact with the cooling unit, and the base plate is cooled by the cooling unit.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing a glass substrate in a horizontal state. Hereinafter, a case where the present invention is applied to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus will be described.

First, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus will be briefly described.

In the figure, 1 is a cassette stand, 2 is a loading robot, 3 is a load lock chamber, 4 is a first transfer machine, 5
Is a substrate heating apparatus, 6 is a first film forming chamber, 7 is a second transfer machine, and 8
Is a second film forming chamber, 9 is a third carrier, 10 is a third film forming chamber, 1
1 is an unload lock chamber, 12 is an unloading robot, 13 is a cassette stand, and the load lock chamber 3
And the first carrier 4, the first carrier 4 and the substrate heating device 5, the first
Carrier 4 and first film forming chamber 6, first film forming chamber 6 and second carrier 7, second carrier 7 and second film forming chamber 8, second film forming chamber 8 and third
The carrier 9, the third carrier 9 and the third film forming chamber 10, and the third carrier 9 and the unload lock chamber 11 are connected to each other via gate valves.

The cassette stand 1 is loaded with a cassette 15 having a required number of glass substrates 14 loaded therein, and the cassette stand 1 is loaded with the glass substrates 1 loaded therein.
The cassette 15 is moved up and down intermittently in accordance with the pitch of 4.

The loading robot 2 takes out the glass substrates 14 one by one from the cassette 15 and conveys them to the load lock chamber 3. The load lock chamber 3 has an airtight structure, and has a gate valve 16 at the substrate transfer port,
After the glass substrate 14 is loaded, the gate valve 16 is closed and the inside is evacuated.

Hereinafter, the first carrier 4, the substrate heating device 5, the first film forming chamber 6, the second carrier 7, the second film forming chamber 8, the third carrier 9, the third film forming chamber 10, The glass substrate 14 is processed and transported in the load lock chamber 11 in a vacuum or in a required atmosphere.

The glass substrate 14 transferred to the load lock chamber 3 is transferred to the substrate heating device 5 by the first transfer device 4, and the glass substrate 14 in the substrate heating device 5 is suitable for processing. Heated to temperature.

The preheated glass substrate 14 is transferred to the first film forming chamber 6 by the first transfer machine 4 and the first film forming process is performed in the first film forming chamber 6. .. First
When the layer film formation process is completed, the glass substrate 14 taken out of the first film formation chamber 6 from the second transfer machine 7 becomes the second substrate.
The film is transferred to the film forming chamber 8 and the second film forming process is performed in the second film forming chamber 8. Similarly, when the glass substrate 14 is transferred to the third film forming chamber 10 by the third transfer machine 9 and a film forming process is further performed, and the required film forming process is completed, the third transfer machine 9 performs the above-mentioned process. The glass substrate 14 is conveyed to the unload lock chamber 11.

The inside of the unload lock chamber 11 is pressurized to normal pressure, the gate valve 17 is opened, the glass substrate 14 is taken out by the unloading robot 12, and the cassette 15 placed on the cassette stand 13 is processed. The completed glass substrates 14 are transferred one by one.

In the above-described semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the number of processing chambers may be changed depending on the processing contents of the glass substrate, and the arrangement of the units may be changed depending on the space to be installed or the relationship with related equipment. Is added.

The substrate heating device 5 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

An airtight substrate heating chamber 21 is provided in the frame 20, a lid 22 of the substrate heating chamber 21 can be opened and closed, and a communication window 51 is formed on a side surface of the substrate heating chamber 21 to connect the substrate heating chamber 21. The robot arm 3 of the first carrier 4 through the window 51
0 comes in and goes out.

A heating unit 23 is provided on the lid 22, and a cooling unit 25 is provided on the bottom of the substrate heating chamber 21 via a post 24. Further, a substrate stand unit 26 is provided so as to surround the cooling unit 25, and a substrate elevating unit 28 which penetrates the cooling unit 25 and the substrate stand unit 26 and supports the glass substrate 14 is provided.

The above-mentioned units will be described in more detail below.

First, the heating unit 23 will be described.

A reflector 3 is provided on the lid 22 via a collar 29.
3, a cooling pipe 31 is fixed to the back surface side of the reflection plate 33, the cooling pipe 31 is connected to a cooling source (not shown), and the reflection plate 33 is cooled through the cooling pipe 31. A required number of rod-shaped heating lamps 32 are provided on the reflecting surface side of the reflecting plate 33.

The cooling unit 25 has a cooling pipe (not shown) embedded therein, the cooling pipe is connected to a cooling source (not shown), and is continuously cooled by the cooling source.

The substrate base unit 26 will be described.

A seal block 34 is provided at the bottom of the substrate heating chamber 21, and an elevating rod 35 is provided in an airtight and slidable manner via the seal block 34. Further, a shelf plate 37 is provided on the bottom rear surface side of the substrate heating chamber 21 via a pillar 36, an elevating cylinder 38 is provided on the lower surface of the shelf plate 37, and a rod 39 of the elevating cylinder 38 and lower ends of the elevating rods 35 are provided. The beam 40 that is provided so as to extend over the

Further, a joint metal fitting 41 is provided on the upper end of the elevating rod 35, a shaft 42 extending downward is provided on the joint metal fitting 41, and a base leg 43 is slidably and undetachably provided on the shaft 42. A spring 44 urges the base leg 43 and the joint fitting 41 in a separating direction. Further, a base plate 45 is fixed to the upper end of the base leg 43. A black body is applied to the upper surface of the base plate 45 so as to absorb the radiant heat from the heating lamp 32 of the heating unit 23.

Next, a lift cylinder 50 is attached to the shelf plate 37.
And a rod 46 of the lift cylinder 50 is hermetically and slidably passed through a bottom portion of the substrate heating chamber 21 via a seal block 47. A lift arm 48 having a plurality of arm portions is fixed to the upper end of the rod 46, and a substrate support pin 49 is planted at the tip of each arm portion of the lift arm 48. The substrate support pin 49 penetrates the cooling unit 25 and the base plate 45 and contacts the lower surface of the glass substrate 14 at a position where it does not interfere with the robot arm 30 to support the glass substrate 14. There is.

Although not particularly shown, the communication window 5
1 is provided with a gate valve, and the glass substrate 14
It is designed to be sealed when heated. Also, 52 in the figure
Is a quartz cover that prevents particles from falling onto the glass substrate 14.

The operation will be described below.

Glass substrate 14 by robot arm 30
At the time of carrying in, the base plate 45 cooled to the room temperature is placed above the cooling unit 25, and the lift cylinder 50 lowers the substrate support pin 49 via the rod 46 and the lift arm 48. In this state, the glass substrate 14 is loaded into the substrate heating chamber 21 through the communication window 51.

The robot arm 30 holds the glass substrate 14 above the base plate 45, and the lift cylinder 50 is operated to raise the substrate support pin 49 to support the glass substrate 14 and to hold the glass substrate 14. It is separated from the robot arm 30. The robot arm 30 is retracted and the communication window 51 is closed by a gate valve (not shown).

The lift cylinder 50 is driven to lower the substrate support pin 49 to place the glass substrate 14 on the base plate 45. As described above, since the base plate 45 is at room temperature, when the glass substrate 14 comes into contact with the base plate 45, no distortion or cracking occurs.

The glass substrate 14 is heated from the upper surface of the glass substrate 14 by the heating lamp 32.

Part of the radiant heat from the heating lamp 32 is heated from the upper surface of the glass substrate 14, and the remaining part of the radiant heat is transmitted through the glass substrate 14 and absorbed by the base plate 45. Heat 45. By heating the base plate 45, the glass substrate 14 placed on the base plate 45 is heated from the lower surface.

As described above, the base plate 45 starts to be heated from room temperature, and the glass substrate 14 is heated from both upper and lower surfaces together with the heating unit 23. Therefore, the glass substrate 14 can be heated to a required temperature without causing distortion or cracking.

When the glass substrate 14 is heated to a required temperature, the lift cylinder 50 causes the substrate support pins 4 to move.
9 is lifted to lift the glass substrate 14 from the base plate 45.

Next, a gate valve (not shown) is opened and the robot arm 30 is inserted through the communication window 51. The lift cylinder 50 is operated to lower the glass substrate 14, and the glass substrate 14 is moved to the robot arm 30.
Put on. The robot arm 30 is retracted to take out the glass substrate 14 that has been preheated from the substrate heating chamber 21.

The base plate 45 is heated by the radiant heat of the heating lamp 32, and must be cooled before the next glass substrate 14 is loaded. Therefore, the lifting cylinder 38 is driven to drive the rod 39, the beam 40,
Lifting rod 35, joint fitting 41, spring 4
4. The base plate 45 is lowered via the base legs 43, and further brought into close contact with the cooling unit 25. The cooling unit 25
The contact pressure between the base plate 45 and the base plate 45 is given by the spring 44, and the contact pressure can be set to an appropriate value by appropriately selecting the specifications of the spring 44.

The base plate 45 is cooled by the cooling unit 25.

Although the base plate 45 is coated with a black body in the above-mentioned embodiments, the base plate 45 may be coated with any material capable of absorbing radiant heat, or the base plate 45 is made of a material which easily absorbs radiant heat. May be

Although the substrate is exemplified by a glass substrate, it goes without saying that a substrate having a property of transmitting radiant heat can be used.

[0044]

As described above, according to the present invention, the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate can be simultaneously heated, and the heat source for the upper and lower surfaces can be one heating lamp, and the upper and lower surfaces can be heated under substantially the same conditions. Therefore, preheating can be performed quickly without causing warpage of the substrate, the preheating time can be shortened, and the occurrence of defects during preheating can be prevented, which is an excellent effect that the structure of the heating source can be completed. Exert.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view showing an example of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which the present invention is implemented.

[Explanation of symbols]

 14 glass substrate 21 substrate heating chamber 23 heating unit 25 cooling unit 26 substrate base unit 32 heating lamp 45 base plate 49 substrate support pin

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A heating unit having a heating lamp as a heat source is provided in an upper part of an airtight chamber, and a cooling unit is provided in a lower part thereof, and a base plate capable of absorbing radiant heat can be moved up and down between the heating unit and the cooling unit. The base plate can be closely attached to the cooling unit while being provided, and the cooling unit,
A substrate heating device comprising a substrate support pin penetrating the base plate and capable of supporting a substrate so as to be able to move up and down.