JPH0550018A - Liquid chemical treatment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the liquid chemical treatment method which prevents the drying defect in a liquid chemical treatment of large-sized substrates and has the advantage of a batch type. CONSTITUTION:The liquid chemical treatment stage and washing stage in the liquid chemical treatment are executed by a batch system and the drying stage is executed by a sheet system. The drying defect is generated by the increased weight resulted from an increase in size if the large-sized substrates are dried batchwise but the substrates are dried sheet by sheet and, therefore, the drying defect is prevented. Since the liquid chemical treatment stage and washing stage are executed batchwise in this method, the method has an advantage of the batch system as well, such as a large number of the substrates which can be treated per unit time.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a chemical liquid processing method for performing chemical liquid processing for forming circuit wiring or the like on a substrate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a chemical treatment apparatus 1 for etching a conventional protective film. In the chemical treatment device 1, a first tank 2, a second tank 3, a third tank 4, a fourth tank 5, a final tank 6 and a drying device 7 are sequentially arranged. The first tank 2 and the third tank 4 are filled with chemical solutions 8 and 10 called buffer fluoride, which is a mixture of hydrofluoric acid for etching the protective film and an aqueous solution of ammonium fluoride.
Further, the second tank 3, the fourth tank 5, and the final tank 6 are filled with pure water 9, 11, and 12.

A plurality of substrates 14 for processing a chemical solution are mounted on the cassette 13. The substrate 14 is at a stage of manufacturing a substrate used for a liquid crystal display device, for example, and a photoresist is formed on a portion to be a protective film to prevent the portion to be a protective film from being etched. The cassette 13 is gripped by a chucking arm 16 protruding from the transfer robot 15, and transferred by the transfer robot 15 along rails 17 formed on the tanks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and the drying device 7. To be done.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the rotary type drying device 7 shown in FIG. Lid 21 mounted so that it can be angularly displaced
A rotary tank 22 is connected to a motor 24 provided outside the tank 20 through a drive shaft 23 in the tank 20 having The drive shaft 23 is rotatably attached to the tank 20, and is driven by a motor 24 so that the rotary tank 22 is rotated via the drive shaft 23.

A cassette guide 25 having projections 26a and 26b is attached to the rotary tank 22 by the projection 26a so as to be angularly displaceable. The size of the cassette guide 25 is selected so that the cassette 13 having a plurality of substrates 14 inserted therein can be inserted.

FIG. 7A is a sectional view of the drying device 7 when the cassette 13 is inserted into the cassette guide 25. The lid 21 of the tank 20 is open, and the insertion hole 25a of the cassette guide 25 faces upward in FIG. The cassette 13 in which the substrate 14 is inserted, which is transported by the transport robot 15, is inserted into the cassette guide 25 through the insertion hole 25a. After that, the cassette guide 25 is angularly displaced in the arrow a direction.

FIG. 7 (2) shows a drying device 7 for drying.
FIG. The cassette guide 25 is angularly displaced in the arrow a direction in FIG. 7A until the protrusion 26 b reaches the rotary tank 22. In this state, the lid 21 is closed, the motor 24 is driven to rotate the rotary tank 22, and the substrate 14 in the cassette guide 25 is dried.

FIG. 8 is a process diagram for explaining a conventional chemical treatment process. In the process a1, the first tank 2 or the third tank 4
The chemical liquid treatment was performed by immersing the substrate 14 in the chemical liquids 8 and 10 therein, and in the step a2, the second tank 3 and the third tank 4 were used when the first tank was used in the step a1. In this case, the substrate 14 is immersed in the pure water 9 and 11 in the fourth tank 5 to remove impurities and chemicals 8 attached to the substrate 14.
10. Wash 10

In step a3, the substrate 14 is immersed in pure water 12 in the final tank 6 to wash impurities that could not be removed in step a3, and in step a4 the substrate 1 is dried by the dryer 7.
4 drying is performed.

[0010]

In recent years, with the increase in size of liquid crystal display devices, the size of the substrate 14 used in the liquid crystal display devices has increased. Cassette 1 with multiple large-sized substrates 14
If attached to 3, the weight will be very large. Drying device 7
Then, since the plurality of substrates 14 are mounted by inserting the cassette 13 into the cassette guide 25, the center of rotation does not coincide with the center of load. When the weight is large, there is a problem that vibration occurs due to eccentricity, which is not generated when the weight is small. If a drying device that does not use the cassette guide 25 is used, the above-mentioned problem does not occur, but the size of the substrate 14 is changed frequently, so that the versatility is lost. Therefore, the problem cannot be solved by not using the cassette guide 25.

Further, if the weight is large, the acceleration at the initial stage of rotation cannot be increased. If the acceleration is small, the time during which the water thin film is present on the substrate 14 becomes long, impurities in the pure water are likely to precipitate, and there is a problem that poor drying such as stains occurs. Although there is a method of increasing the size of the motor 24 to obtain the required acceleration, the drive shaft 23 must be made thicker, which makes sealing difficult, which is not preferable.

Instead of using the rotary type drying device 7, there is a method of drying by using vapor such as alcohol. However, there is a problem that it is dangerous because the flammable solvent is used as vapor. Further, there is a problem that a resist protecting a portion which is not subjected to the chemical treatment during the chemical treatment for forming the circuit wiring on the substrate 14 is weak against alcohol and cannot withstand high temperature alcohol vapor.

There is also an air-blow type drying method in which high-pressure air is blown for drying, but even if a plurality of substrates 14 inserted in a cassette are exposed to high-pressure air, the drying cannot be performed.

Although the above-mentioned problems in the drying process can be solved by carrying out the single-wafer processing for processing the substrates 14 one by one, the number of processed substrates per unit time is small, and the chemical solution and pure water per one substrate are not processed. There arises a problem that the consumption amount becomes large. Further, in the case of a batch type in which a plurality of sheets are processed at the same time, the cassette 13 may be gripped, whereas in the case of a single-wafer type, the substrate 14 must be dipped in the chemicals 8 and 10 by a transfer means such as a transfer robot. Therefore, it becomes difficult to take measures against corrosion of the transportation means.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a chemical treatment method capable of performing good drying of a large substrate and having a batch type advantage.

[0016]

The present invention is a chemical treatment method characterized in that a plurality of substrates are treated with a chemical at the same time and dried one by one.

[0017]

According to the present invention, since a plurality of substrates are simultaneously treated with the chemical solution, the treatment amount per unit time becomes large. Also,
Since a cassette on which a plurality of substrates are mounted is used, the chemical liquid processing apparatus only needs to grip and transport the cassette, and corrosion due to the chemical liquid can be prevented.

Further, since the drying is carried out one by one, the weight increase is small even for a large substrate, and when a plurality of substrates are dried at the same time, the weight is increased and thus the drying failure occurs. The large substrate can be dried well.

[0019]

FIG. 1 is a view showing a chemical liquid processing device after a final tank 36 of a chemical liquid processing device used in one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a first chemical liquid processing device used in one embodiment of the present invention. Tank 3
FIG. 2 is a view showing 2 to the final tank 36, and FIG.
It is a figure which shows 6. The chemical treatment device includes a first tank 32, a second tank 33, a third tank 34, a fourth tank 35, a final tank 36, and a second tank.
The transfer robot 50, the drying device 54, and the third transfer robot 60 are sequentially arranged. The first tank 32 and the third tank 34 are filled with a chemical solution 38, 40 called buffered fluorine, which is a mixture of hydrofluoric acid and an ammonium fluoride aqueous solution for etching the protective film.
Further, in the second tank 33, the fourth tank 35 and the final tank 36,
Pure water 39, 41, 42 is filled.

A plurality of substrates 44 for chemical treatment are attached to the cassette 43. The substrate 44 is at a stage of etching a protective film of a substrate used in, for example, a liquid crystal display device, and a photoresist is formed on a portion to be the protective film to prevent the portion to be the protective film from being etched. There is. The cassette 43 is gripped by the chucking arm 16 protruding from the first transfer robot 45 and transferred by the first transfer robot 45 along rails 47 formed on the tanks 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36. To be done.

FIG. 3A shows the cassette 4 in the final tank 36.
It is the figure in which 3 is immersed. An L-shaped rotating arm 48 is formed in the final tank 36 so as to be angularly displaceable around the end 48a as a fulcrum, and the cassette 43 transferred to the final tank 36 by the first transfer robot 45 rotates. It is mounted on the arm 48. When the cleaning in the final tank 36 is completed, the rotary arm 48 is angularly displaced in the arrow A direction.

FIG. 3B is a view in which the rotary arm 48 is angularly displaced. The rotary arm 48 is angularly displaced so that the substrate 44 becomes horizontal. As a result, the substrate 44 is placed in the final tank 3
Raised from 6.

In the second transfer robot 50, a transfer plate 53 is installed on a main body 51 via a support portion 52 so as to be horizontally movable. As the carrier plate 53 moves horizontally, the substrates 44 that are pulled up to be horizontal are one by one.
Drawn from 3. The rotating arm 48 moves in the vertical direction with the substrate 44 kept horizontal, and then the substrate 4 to be taken out next.
4 is adjusted to the height of the transfer plate 53 of the second transfer robot 50.

The substrate 44 on the carrier plate 53 is gripped by a chucking arm 65 projecting from a fourth carrier robot 64 movable along a rail (not shown) on the second carrier robot 50 and the drying device 54. And is placed on the stage 57 of the drying device 54. The drying device 54 is a tank 58.
A stage 57 is internally connected via a drive shaft 56 to a motor 55 provided outside the bath 58. Stage 57
A plurality of stoppers 57a for fixing the substrate 44 are formed on the. Further, a nozzle 59 for injecting pure water is installed on the stage 57.

The substrate 44 placed on the stage 57 is
It is further washed with pure water that is inhaled from the nozzle 59. After cleaning, the motor 55 is driven, the stage 57 is rotated via the drive shaft 56, and the substrate 44 is dried.
The dried substrate 44 is gripped by a chucking arm 67 projecting from a fifth transfer robot 66 movable along a rail (not shown) on the drying device 54 and the fourth transfer robot 60, and a third The transfer robot 60 is placed on a transfer plate 63, which will be described later.

In the third transfer robot 60, a transfer plate 63 is installed on a main body 61 via a support portion 62 so as to be horizontally movable. The substrate 44 placed on the carrier plate 63 is
Is horizontally accommodated in a cassette 68 adjacent to the third transfer robot 60 and vertically movable. Each time the substrate 44 is stored, the cassette 68 moves vertically, and the storage position of the substrate 44 to be stored next is adjusted to the height of the transfer plate 63 of the third transfer robot 60.

FIG. 4 is an example of a process diagram for explaining a chemical liquid treatment process which is an embodiment of the present invention. In step b1, the substrate 4 is applied to the chemicals 38 and 40 in the first tank 32 or the third tank 34.
By immersing 4 in, a chemical treatment for etching the protective film is performed. In step b2, when the first tank 32 is used in step a1, the second tank 33 and the third tank 44 are used. By immersing the substrate 44 in pure water 39, 41 in the fourth tank 35, impurities and chemicals 38, 40 adhering to the substrate 44 are cleaned.

Two tanks 32 and 3 are used as tanks for chemical treatment.
4 is installed, and two tanks 33 and 35 are installed as tanks for washing with pure water in order to increase the processing capacity, and the first and second tanks 32 and 33 are used. Occasionally, the third and fourth tanks 34, 35 can be cleaned and the chemical solution can be replaced. In step b3, the substrate 44 is immersed in the pure water 42 in the final tank 36 to wash impurities and the like that could not be removed in step b2.

In step b4, the rotary arm 48 is angularly displaced from the final cleaning tank 36 to pull up the substrate 44, and the second transfer robot 50 pulls out one substrate 44. The taken-out substrate 44 is gripped by the fourth transfer robot 64 and placed on the stage 57 of the drying device 54.

In step b5, first, pure water is sprayed from the nozzle 59 onto the substrate 44, and further cleaning is performed. At this time, the motor 55 may be driven to rotate the stage 57. Then, the spraying of pure water from the nozzle 59 is stopped, and the stage 57 is rotated by driving the motor 55 to dry the substrate 44.

In step b6, the substrate 44 on the stage 57 is
Is gripped by the fifth transfer robot 66 and transferred onto the transfer plate 63 of the third transfer robot. The substrate 44 placed on the transport plate 63 is stored in the cassette 68 by the horizontal movement of the transport plate 63.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the chemical solution treatment step and the cleaning step in the chemical solution treatment are performed in a batch type, and only the drying step is performed in a single-wafer type. Rotary dryer 7
When the substrate 44 is dried in a batch system, the size of the substrate 44 is increased, the weight of the substrate processed at one time increases, and the occurrence of vibration and initial acceleration cannot be increased, resulting in poor drying. On the other hand, since the drying process is performed by a single-wafer method, the substrate 44 can be easily dried even if the substrate 44 becomes large in size, and the drying failure of the substrate 44 can be prevented.

Further, since the chemical solution treatment step and the cleaning step are carried out in a batch system, the number of sheets to be treated per unit time is large, the consumption of the chemical solution and pure water is small, and further, the corrosion due to the immersion of the chemical solution treating apparatus is prevented. You can

Therefore, it is possible to perform excellent drying of a large substrate while having the advantage of the batch system.

FIG. 5 is a side view of an air blow type drying device 70 used in another embodiment of the present invention. In the drying device 70, a plurality of nozzles 72 are installed above and below the plurality of transport rollers 71 in FIG. The substrate 44 is transported in the arrow B direction as the transport roller 71 rotates. High-pressure air is blown against the substrate 44 from the nozzle 72,
The substrate 44 is dried.

The same effect can be obtained by using an air blow type drying device 70 instead of the rotary type drying device 54.

In this embodiment, the chemical treatment at the time of etching the protective film has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and is widely applied to substrate treatment apparatuses such as a thin film transistor manufacturing step having a substrate chemical treatment step and a drying step. Can be used. Therefore, tanks 32, 33, 3
The number and role of 4, 35, 36 are not limited to this.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention, since a plurality of substrates are simultaneously treated with a chemical solution, there is an advantage of a batch system in that the number of substrates processed per unit time is large. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the poor drying of the large-sized substrate.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a chemical liquid processing device after a final tank 36 of a chemical liquid processing device used in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a first view of a chemical liquid processing apparatus used in one embodiment of the present invention.
It is a figure which shows from the tank 32 to the final tank 36.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a final tank 36.

FIG. 4 is an example of a process drawing for explaining a chemical liquid processing process that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of an air-blow type dryer 70 used in another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a chemical liquid processing apparatus 1 when etching a conventional protective film.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the rotary drying device 7 shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a process diagram illustrating a conventional chemical treatment process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 32 1st tank 33 2nd tank 34 3rd tank 35 4th tank 36 Final tank 38,40 Chemical liquid 39,41,42 Pure water 43 Cassette 44 Substrate 45 First transfer robot 50 Second transfer robot 54 Drying device 60 Third Transfer Robot 64 4th Transfer Robot 66 5th Transfer Robot

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A chemical treatment method comprising simultaneously treating a plurality of substrates with a chemical and drying each substrate one by one.