JPH0624780U - Substrate processing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To prevent the size of the entire device from increasing and to prevent water droplets from falling onto the transfer substrate, thereby improving the processing quality. A substrate transfer device 2 for horizontally transferring a substrate W is provided in a processing chamber 1, and the substrate transfer device 2 is provided.
Are provided with nozzles 3 for supplying a processing fluid to the substrate W transported by the above, and the downward surface of the cover member 6 that covers the upper side of the substrate transport apparatus 2 is defined by the central portion in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the substrate W. The uppermost portion W is inclined downward from the uppermost portion toward both ends, and the uppermost portion W is inclined in the substrate transport direction.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention provides, for example, a substrate transfer device for horizontally transferring a substrate in a processing chamber in order to perform processing such as cleaning and etching on a substrate such as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device or a semiconductor wafer. The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus provided with a nozzle that supplies a processing fluid to a substrate transported by a substrate transport apparatus.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 In the substrate processing apparatus as described above, as the processing fluid such as the cleaning solution, the etching solution, or the vapor is supplied to the substrate, the vapor itself or the vapor component in which the processing fluid is volatilized is above the ceiling surface of the processing chamber or above the substrate transfer apparatus. When the cover is covered with a lid, steam or vapor components adhere to the downward surface of the cover member that covers the upper part of the substrate transfer device, such as the downward inner peripheral surface of the lid, and are condensed into water droplets. There has been a problem that water droplets drop onto the substrate being processed, contaminating the substrate and the processing fluid, and degrading the quality.

Therefore, conventionally, there have been the following as means for preventing the occurrence of the above problems.

A. First Conventional Example (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-284386) As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, a substrate transfer device 02 for horizontally transferring a substrate W into a processing tank 01, and a processing liquid to the substrate W. Shower nozzles 03 for jetting and supplying are provided. The upper surface of the processing bath 01 is opened, and one side of the opening edge is inclined so as to be lowered, and further, along with the opening edge, a groove 01a is formed over the entire circumference, and the groove 01a is formed. A flange 04a formed by bending the outer peripheral edge of the lid body 04 is fitted to 01a. The lid body 04 is formed of a flat plate, and in a state where the flange 04a is fitted in the groove 01a, the downward surface thereof is inclined with respect to the surface of the substrate W, so that water droplets attached to the downward surface of the lid body 04 can be prevented. To prevent water droplets from flowing down along the slope and falling to the outside of the substrate transfer device 02 by the liquid draining plate 04b provided on the lowermost side of the lid body 04, to drop onto the substrate W. It is composed of

B. Second conventional example (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 57-43892) As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, a window plate 012 covering the upper part of a substrate transfer device 011 for horizontally transferring a substrate W is formed in an arc shape. With the window plate 012 closed, the inner surface of the window plate 012 above the substrate transporting device 011 becomes a circular shape that inclines downward so that water droplets adhering to the inner surface of the window plate 012 can flow down along the inclination. It has become. Reference numerals 013 ... Show nozzles for supplying the corrosive liquid.

[0006]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, each of the above conventional examples has the following drawbacks.

A. Disadvantages of First Conventional Example In order to allow water droplets adhering to the downward surface of the lid body 04 to flow down along the slope, it is necessary to incline to some degree with respect to the horizontal plane, and in order to improve the flow down, Although it is desirable to make a large inclination, one side wall of the processing bath 01 is inevitably high at one end side in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the substrate transport direction, and there is a disadvantage that the processing bath 01 becomes large as a whole. It was

B. Disadvantages of Second Conventional Example Although the apparatus can be downsized, the innermost part of the horizontal center of the substrate W, which is the highest in the horizontal direction, is almost horizontal, and water droplets attached to the center part of the substrate W However, there was a drawback that it did not flow in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the and dropped, and it was not possible to sufficiently prevent the drop of water drops.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the substrate processing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention prevents water droplets on the transfer substrate while avoiding an increase in the size of the entire apparatus. It is an object of the present invention to satisfactorily prevent falling of water drops, and the substrate processing apparatus of the invention according to claim 4 is to further prevent water drops from falling onto a transfer substrate. It is another object of the substrate processing apparatus of the invention according to claim 5 to prevent water droplets falling from the lower end of the cover member from scattering and to prevent contamination of the substrate better. .

[0010]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention according to claim 1 provides a substrate transfer device for horizontally transferring a substrate in a processing chamber and processes a substrate transferred by the substrate transfer device. In a substrate processing apparatus provided with a nozzle for supplying a fluid, a downward facing surface of a cover member that covers the upper side of the substrate transfer apparatus has a central portion in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the substrate transfer direction as the uppermost portion and its uppermost portion. Is inclined downward from both sides toward the both ends, and the uppermost portion is inclined in the substrate transport direction.

The inclination angle of the downward surface of the cover member with respect to the horizontal plane in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the substrate transport direction is set to 20 to 60 °. This is because if it is less than 20 °, there is no effect of preventing water droplets from falling, while if it exceeds 60 °, the size of the entire device becomes large (claim 2).

Further, the inclination angle of the downward surface of the cover member with respect to the horizontal plane in the substrate transport direction is set to 10 to 30 °. This is because if it is less than 10 °, there is no effect of preventing water droplets from falling, while if it exceeds 30 °, the size of the entire apparatus becomes large (claim 3).

Further, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the lower surface of the cover member is made of a hydrophilic material in order to achieve the above-mentioned object. As the hydrophilic material, a polyamide-based or acrylic-based hydrophilic resin or hydrophilic glass, or an anti-fog film made of acetyl cellulose or the like that can be attached to a base material can be applied.

Further, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the substrate processing apparatus of the invention according to claim 5 has both ends of the downward surface of the cover member in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the substrate transport direction. A gutter is provided at the lower part of the gutter to catch the liquid flowing down through the downward surface and to flow down.

[0015]

[Action]

 According to the structure of the substrate processing apparatus of the first aspect of the invention, even if vapor or vapor components adhere to the downward surface of the cover member and condense into water droplets, they are orthogonal to the substrate transport direction from the top. The water droplets on the uppermost part flow down along the surfaces inclined downward toward both end sides in the horizontal direction, while the uppermost water drops flow downward along the surfaces inclined toward the substrate transfer direction. During the flow-down, it is possible to make the water drop flow down to a position deviated from the upper side of the substrate by making it flow down along the surfaces inclined downward toward both end sides in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the substrate transport direction.

Further, according to the structure of the substrate processing apparatus of the invention as claimed in claim 4, as the vapor or the vapor component adheres to the downward surface of the cover member, it is diffused in the surface direction to form water droplets. Can be combed.

Further, according to the structure of the substrate processing apparatus of the fifth aspect of the present invention, the water droplets flowing down toward both ends of the lower surface of the cover member in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the substrate transport direction are guttered. It is possible to avoid water droplets that have been collected by, dropped on both sides of the substrate and bounced back and scattered and attached to the lower surface of the substrate.

[0018]

【Example】

 Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall horizontal sectional view showing an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an overall vertical sectional view thereof, showing a substrate for horizontally transferring a substrate W into a processing chamber 1. The transfer device 2 is provided, and nozzles 3 for supplying a cleaning liquid as a processing fluid are provided on the upper and lower sides of the substrate transfer device 2 so that the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W transferred by the substrate transfer device 2 are cleaned. It is configured.

In the substrate transfer device 2, rollers 5 each having a collar body 4 for mounting and supporting both ends in the width direction of the substrate W on both ends in the longitudinal direction are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals so as to be driven and rotatable. The lower nozzles 3 ... Are provided so as to be located substantially in the center between the adjacent rollers 5 and 5.

A chevron-shaped cover member 6 that covers the substrate transfer device 2 is provided so that its upper portion is lower toward the upper side in the transfer direction of the substrate W, and the lower surface of the cover member 6 transfers the substrate W. The central portion in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the direction is the uppermost portion and is inclined downward from the uppermost portion toward both end sides, and the uppermost portion is one side in the transport direction of the substrate W. 2 is inclined so that it becomes lower toward the left side.

The cover member 6 is formed by sticking an anti-fog film as a hydrophilic material on the downward surface of the base material, and moisture adhering to the downward surface is diffused in the surface direction, and water drops are less likely to occur. It is like this. As a structure for imparting hydrophilicity to the downward surface, the cover member 6 itself may be made of hydrophilic resin or hydrophilic glass.

A gutter 7 is provided in an inclined state at the lower portion of each end of the lower surface of the cover member 6 in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the substrate W, and catches the water flowing down along the lower surface. , So that it can flow down to a predetermined location that does not affect the substrate W.

In the above embodiment, the dedicated cover member 6 is provided and the downward surface thereof is inclined. However, for example, the ceiling surface of the processing chamber 1 may be inclined without providing the cover member 6, The dedicated cover member 6 and the ceiling forming member of the processing chamber are collectively referred to as a cover member.

The present invention is not limited to the substrate processing apparatus that performs the cleaning process as in the above-described embodiment, but can be applied to the substrate processing apparatus that performs the etching process, and the cleaning liquid, the etching liquid, and the hydrofluoric acid vapor are used. Collectively referred to as processing fluid.

[0026]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, according to the substrate processing apparatus of the first aspect of the invention, the water droplets adhering to the downward surface of the cover member and generated by condensation are moved along the downward surface of the cover member in the substrate transfer direction. Not only is it made to flow downward from the central part in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction toward both ends, but the topmost water droplet is also made to flow down to the substrate transport direction side, and the water droplet is made to flow to a position deviated from above the substrate. , It is possible to satisfactorily prevent water drops from falling onto the transfer substrate without increasing the size of the entire device as in the conventional example in which only one side of the horizontal direction orthogonal to the transfer direction of the substrate is inclined, and It has become possible to improve processing quality by avoiding contamination of the processing fluid and processing fluid.

Further, according to the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the amount of water droplets generated on the downward surface of the cover member is reduced, so that the water droplets can be more effectively prevented from falling on the transfer substrate. , The processing quality can be further improved.

According to the substrate processing apparatus of the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the water droplets flowing down along the downward surface of the cover member are collected by the gutter, the contamination of the substrate due to the rebound of the falling water droplets can be avoided. The processing quality can be further improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is an overall vertical sectional view.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a first conventional example.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a second conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Processing chamber 2 ... Substrate transfer device 3 ... Nozzle 6 ... Cover member 7 ... Gutter W ... Substrate

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location H05K 3/26 7511-4E

Claims (5)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising a substrate transfer device for horizontally transferring a substrate in a processing chamber, and a nozzle for supplying a processing fluid to the substrate transferred by the substrate transfer device. The downward surface of the cover member that covers the upper part of the device is inclined at the central portion in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the transfer direction of the substrate to be the uppermost portion, and is inclined downward from the uppermost portion to both end sides, and A substrate processing apparatus, wherein an uppermost portion is inclined in the substrate transfer direction. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the downward surface of the cover member has an inclination angle of 20 to 60 ° with respect to a horizontal plane in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the substrate transport direction. 3. The inclination angle of the downward surface of the cover member according to claim 1 or 2 with respect to the horizontal plane in the substrate transfer direction.
Substrate processing equipment that is 10-30 °. 4. A substrate processing apparatus in which the downward surface of the cover member according to claim 1 is formed of a hydrophilic material. 5. The liquid which flows down through the downward surface is received at the lower portion of each end of the downward surface of the cover member according to claim 1 in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the substrate transport direction. Substrate processing equipment equipped with a gutter that flows down.