JPH1131730A - Substrate processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate thermal effects from a substrate-holding arm to a substrate, while the substrate is being carried. SOLUTION: This device is provided with substrate-holding arms 29a and 29b for holding substrates, and substrate-carrying device 10 for carrying the substrates held by these substrate holding arms 29a and 29b to plural substrate processing parts, so as to have a series of processing including heating and a cooling operated to the substrates. The substrate-carrying device 10 is provided with a cover member 30 for covering the surrounding of the substrate-holding arms 29a and 29b, and a fan 32 for supplying a gas, adjusted to a prescribed temperature and a temperature and moisture adjusting unit 33, are provided in the inside space of the cover member 30.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus having a substrate holding arm for holding a substrate, and a substrate transfer device for transferring the substrate held by the substrate holding arm to a plurality of substrate processing units. The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that performs a series of processes including a cooling process on a substrate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional substrate processing apparatuses of this type include:
Various types of substrate processing units such as a heat processing unit that heats the substrate, a cooling processing unit that cools the substrate, a spin coater that applies a resist to the substrate, and a spin developer that develops the substrate. 2. Description of the Related Art There is a device that includes a substrate transfer device that performs transfer and performs a resist process before and after exposure processing.

[0003] The substrate transfer device includes a substrate holding arm for holding the substrate. The substrate holding arm holds the substrate and transfers the substrate. It is configured to carry the substrate in and out of the processing unit.

In addition, this type of substrate transfer apparatus usually has two (or more) substrate holding arms,
The configuration is such that the substrates can be exchanged for each substrate processing unit. For example, the replacement of the substrate with respect to the heat treatment unit is performed as follows. The first substrate holding arm holds the substrate before the heat treatment, and the second substrate holding arm is empty and does not hold the substrate. The substrate that has been processed in the heat treatment unit is carried out by the empty second substrate holding arm, and subsequently the substrate before the heat treatment is carried into the heat treatment unit by the first substrate holding arm, thereby replacing the substrate. Is performed. The replacement of the substrate with respect to the other substrate processing units is performed in the same manner.

[0005] By such a substrate transfer apparatus, the substrate is transferred to each substrate processing section in a predetermined order, and a series of processing is performed on the substrate.

[0006]

However, the prior art having such a structure has the following problems. In the processing procedure of this type of substrate processing apparatus, after the heat treatment in the heat treatment unit, the cooling treatment is performed in the cooling treatment unit,
Thereafter, a resist coating process is performed by a spin coater or a development process is performed by a spin developer.

That is, as described above, after the replacement of the substrate in the heat treatment section, the second substrate holding arm holds the substrate which has been subjected to the heat treatment (before the cooling process), and the first substrate holding arm becomes empty. In this state, the substrate transfer apparatus moves to the cooling processing unit, and unloads the substrate that has been processed in the cooling processing unit with the empty first substrate holding arm, and subsequently heats the substrate with the second substrate holding arm. The processed substrate is carried into the cooling processing unit. When the replacement is completed, the substrate transfer device then moves to the next step spin coater or spin developer, and unloads the substrate, which has been processed in the substrate processing unit, with an empty second substrate holding arm, and subsequently, Thus, the substrate subjected to the cooling process by the first substrate holding arm is carried into the substrate processing section.

Here, when the substrates are exchanged in the heat treatment section, both the first and second substrate holding arms are inserted into the heat treatment section, so that a high-temperature atmosphere, heat radiation, or the like in the heat treatment section. As a result, the first and second substrate holding arms are warmed. Then, when the substrates are exchanged in the cooling unit, the warmed first substrate holding arm carries out the cooled substrate and transports the cooled substrate to a spin coater or a spin developer while holding the substrate. Will be brought in.

Therefore, during the transfer of the substrate from the cooling processing section to the spin coater or the spin developer, the cooled substrate is thermally affected by the warmed first substrate holding arm, and the resist coating processing is performed. And the inconvenience that the developing process cannot be performed uniformly.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has as its object to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of eliminating a thermal influence on a substrate from a substrate holding arm during the transfer of the substrate. And

[0011]

The present invention has the following configuration in order to achieve the above object. That is, the present invention has a substrate holding arm for holding a substrate,
A substrate processing apparatus that includes a substrate transfer device that transfers a substrate held by the substrate holding arm to a plurality of substrate processing units and performs a series of processes including a heating process and a cooling process on the substrate. And a temperature control gas supply means for supplying a gas adjusted to a predetermined temperature to a space inside the cover member.

[0012]

The operation of the present invention is as follows. The transfer of the substrate is performed in a state where the substrate holding arm is accommodated in the space inside the cover member. The gas adjusted to a predetermined temperature by the temperature adjusting gas supply means is supplied to the inner space of the cover member. Therefore, for example, even when the substrate holding arm is warmed at the time of loading and unloading the substrate to and from the heat treatment unit,
The substrate holding arm is cooled to a predetermined temperature before moving to the next cooling processing unit.

Further, during the transfer of the substrate from the heating processing section to the cooling processing section, the heated substrate is cooled to some extent (preliminary cooling) by the gas adjusted to a predetermined temperature supplied by the temperature adjusting gas supply means. Therefore, the cooling processing time in the cooling processing unit can be shortened.

Further, if the cooling of the heated substrate with the gas adjusted to a predetermined temperature supplied by the temperature adjusting gas supply means can be performed uniformly and accurately with the same degree as the cooling processing in the cooling processing section, Since the subsequent cooling processing can be performed during the transfer of the substrate, the cooling processing unit can be omitted from the apparatus.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

This substrate processing apparatus is an apparatus for performing a resist coating process, a developing process, a heating process, and a cooling process on a substrate (semiconductor wafer) W.
It comprises a part (indexer module) 1 for storing an unprocessed substrate W or a processed substrate W, and a process module 2 for processing a substrate.

The mounting table 3 of the indexer module 1 is configured such that a plurality (four in the figure) of cassettes C in which substrates W are stacked and stored in multiple stages can be mounted in a line. The indexer module 1 is provided with a substrate W for each cassette C, and a substrate transfer device 10 in the process module 2.
A substrate carry-in / carry-out device 4 is provided for transferring the substrate W between the apparatus and the apparatus.

The process module 2 includes a heating section 5 for heating the substrate W, a cooling section 6 for cooling the substrate W,
Spin coater 7 for applying resist to substrate W, substrate W
The substrate W is transported according to a predetermined order to various substrate processing units such as a spin developer 8 for performing a developing process on the substrate processing units 5 to 8, and the substrate W is loaded into each of the substrate processing units 5 to 8. A substrate transfer device 10 for unloading is provided.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus is provided with an interface section for transferring a substrate W to and from another substrate processing apparatus such as an exposure apparatus (stepper). Have been.

Next, a substrate transfer apparatus 1 which is a main part of the present invention is described.
0 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and the following drawings, the X direction indicates the longitudinal direction of the transport path TR of the substrate transport apparatus 10, and the Y direction indicates a substrate holding arm when loading and unloading the substrate W to and from each of the substrate processing units 5 to 8. 29
a, 29b indicate the directions in which they move forward and backward, and the Z direction indicates the vertical direction.

The substrate transfer device 10 includes an X-direction moving mechanism 17 for moving a pair of substrate holding arms 29a and 29b for holding the substrate W in the X direction, and an advance / retreat mechanism (not shown) for individually moving forward / backward with respect to a moving body 28. ), A Z-direction moving mechanism 21 for moving in the Z-direction, and a turning mechanism for turning around the axis R.

The X-direction moving mechanism 17 includes a screw shaft 14 extending in the X direction, a motor 11 for rotating the screw shaft 14, and a pulley 1 for transmitting the rotation of the motor 11 to the screw shaft 14.
3 and 15 and a belt 16. A nut 19 of an X-direction moving base 18 is screwed to the screw shaft 14.
A guide shaft 20 extending parallel to the screw shaft 14 is slidably fitted in the X-direction moving base 18. As a result, when the motor 11 rotates, the screw shaft 14 rotates, and accordingly, the nut 19 and the X-direction moving table 18 move in the X direction.

The Z-direction moving mechanism 21 includes an X-direction moving table 18.
It has a motor 22 mounted thereon. Motor 2
A screw shaft 23 is connected to the rotation shaft 2 and the screw shaft 23
The nut 24 of the direction moving table 26 is screwed. The Z-direction moving base 26 is formed in a hook shape having a portion extending in the vertical direction and a portion extending in the horizontal direction, and one side surface in the vertical direction slides along the guide member 25. This allows
When the motor 22 rotates, the screw shaft 23 rotates, and accordingly, the Z-direction moving table 26 moves up and down in the Z direction.

The moving body 2 is located on the horizontal plane of the Z-direction moving table 26.
8 are arranged. In the moving body 28, two sets of reciprocating mechanisms constituted by a well-known one-way moving mechanism using a screw shaft or the like are provided.
9a and 29b are configured to be individually moved forward and backward.

Further, in the turning mechanism, the rotation axis is
And a motor 27 connected to the motor. The moving body 28 is turned around the R axis by the rotation of the motor 27.

In the above configuration, the substrate transfer device 10
A cover member 30 that covers the periphery of the substrate holding arms 29a and 29b is provided.

FIGS. 3 to 5 are sectional views of the substrate transfer apparatus 10 provided with the cover member 30. FIG. Hereinafter, the structure of the cover member 30 of each embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 will be described.

The cover member 30 shown in FIG. 3 has a cylindrical case main body 31. The case body 31 has a size that can accommodate the moving body 28 that holds at least the pair of substrate holding arms 29a and 29b. At the upper end of the case main body 31, a fan 32, a temperature / humidity adjusting unit 33, and a filter unit 34 are arranged in this order from above.

As shown in FIG. 6, the temperature and humidity control unit 3
3, a dehumidifier 33a, a heater (such as a heater) 33b, and a humidifier 33c are arranged in order from the top, and after the temperature and humidity of the air sucked by the fan 32 are reduced by the dehumidifier 33a,
After the temperature is adjusted by the heater 33b and the humidity is adjusted by the humidifier 33c, the components to be removed are removed by the filter unit 34 and then supplied to the inner space of the cover member 30. The filter unit 34 includes a filter (for example, an ULPA filter) 34a for removing dust. When a chemically amplified resist is used in the substrate processing apparatus, as shown in FIG. 6B, a chemical adsorption filter 34b for removing a chemical component such as an alkali component is provided after the filter 34a for removing dust. Is provided. In addition, the filter unit 34 is not always necessary,
It may be provided as needed.

Returning to FIG. 3, a fixing member 36 for fixing the case main body 31 to the Z-direction movable base 26 is attached to the lower end of the case main body 31. The fixing member 36 has a porous surface 38 in which a plurality of holes 37 are formed.

A plurality of openings 35 are formed on the side surface of the case body 31 so that the pair of substrate holding arms 29a and 29b can move forward and backward. Substrate holding arm 29
a and 29b carry the substrate W into and out of the substrate processing units 5 to 8 while holding the substrate W through the opening 35. The openings 35 are provided at a plurality of positions in accordance with the turning position of the moving body 28.

When the substrate holding arms 29a and 29b hold and transport the substrate W, the substrate holding arms 29a and 29b
Since 9b is accommodated in the space inside the cover member 30, the substrate holding arms 29a and 29b are brought to a predetermined temperature (for example, 23 ° C.) by a clean airflow taken in by the fan 32 and adjusted to a predetermined temperature and humidity. Will be maintained. Therefore, for example, even if the substrate holding arms 29a and 29b are warmed by loading / unloading the substrate W to / from the heat processing unit 5, the substrate holding arms 29a and 29b are moved to the next cooling processing unit 6.
9b is cooled to a predetermined temperature, and the substrate W is transferred from the cooling processing unit 6 to the spin coater 7 or the spin developer 8.
The substrate W can be prevented from being thermally affected by the substrate holding arms 29a and 29b during the transfer. Further, the heated substrate W taken out of the heat treatment section 5 is also covered with the cover member 3.
Since the wafer W is accommodated in the space inside the wafer W and transferred to the cooling processing unit 6, the substrate W can be pre-cooled during the transfer. Therefore, the cooling processing time in the cooling processing unit 6 can be reduced as compared with the case where the substrate W kept heated by the heating processing unit 5 is cooled to a predetermined temperature in the cooling processing unit 6, and the throughput of the entire apparatus can be reduced. Can be improved. further,
If the cooling of the substrate W in the space inside the cover member 30 can be performed with uniformity and high accuracy as well as the cooling process in the cooling processing unit 6, the substrate is directly transferred from the heating processing unit 5 to the spin coater 7 or the spin developer 8. Since W can be transported, the cooling processing unit 6 can be omitted from the device, and the size of the device can be reduced.

The clean airflow supplied to the fan 32 and adjusted to a predetermined temperature and humidity flows downward from the porous surface 38 on the lower surface of the cover member 30, and fresh air is always supplied to the inner space of the cover member 30. (Clean air adjusted to a predetermined temperature and humidity). Further, a part of the air flow supplied to the inner space of the cover member 30 flows out of the cover member 30 from the opening 35, so that external air can be prevented from flowing into the inner space of the cover member 30,
The temperature and humidity of the space inside the cover member 30 can be kept constant. In addition, a shutter member for opening and closing the opening 35 may be provided.
It is possible to more completely maintain the temperature and humidity of the inner space of zero.

The cover member 30 shown in FIG. 4 differs from the cover member 30 shown in FIG. 3 in that a case main body 31 is fixed to a movable body 28. In the case of this configuration, when the moving body 28 turns around the R axis by the motor 27, the cover member 30 also turns at the same time. Therefore, the positions of the pair of substrate holding arms 29a and 29b and the opening 35 do not change. Therefore, only one opening 35 is required. The other configuration and operation and effect are the same as those of the embodiment of FIG.

The cover member 30 shown in FIG. 5 is different from the cover member 30 shown in FIG. 3 in that the case body 31 is fixed to the X-direction moving table 18 via a fixing member 36. Thereby, substantially the entire substrate transfer device 10 can be stored in the cover member 30. In the case of this configuration, it is necessary to provide a plurality of openings 35 on the side surface of the case body 31 corresponding to the transfer positions of the substrate processing units 5 to 8. The other configuration and operation and effect are the same as those of the embodiment of FIG.

In each of the above embodiments, the fan 32,
Temperature / humidity control unit 33 (and filter unit 34)
Is mounted on the upper part of the cover member 30, but the fan 32 and the temperature / humidity adjusting unit 33 (and the filter unit 34) are fixedly installed at appropriate positions of the substrate processing apparatus, and a predetermined temperature is set therefrom via a duct. It may be configured to supply (clean) air adjusted to humidity into the space inside the cover member 30.

In each of the above embodiments, the cover member 3
Although the air flow whose temperature and humidity are appropriately adjusted is supplied to the inner space of the cover member 30, at least the air flow adjusted to a predetermined temperature may be supplied to the inner space of the cover member 30, Humidifier 33 from temperature and humidity control unit 33
c may be omitted.

[0038]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a cover member for covering the periphery of the substrate holding arm is provided on the substrate transfer device, and the inside temperature of the cover member is adjusted to a predetermined temperature. Since the temperature control gas supply means for supplying the gas is provided, the temperature of the substrate holding arm during the substrate transfer can be always kept constant, and the thermal influence on the substrate from the substrate holding arm during the substrate transfer is eliminated. be able to.

Further, since the heated substrate can be cooled during the transfer of the substrate from the heat processing section to the cooling processing section, the cooling processing time in the cooling processing section can be shortened. If the cooling can be performed with uniformity and accuracy as high as the cooling processing in the above, the cooling processing section can be omitted from the apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of an example of a substrate transfer device that is a main part of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a substrate transfer device provided with a cover member according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a substrate transfer device including a cover member according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a substrate transfer device provided with a cover member according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a temperature / humidity control unit and a filter unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5: Heat treatment unit 6: Cooling treatment unit 7: Spin coater 8: Spin developer 10: Substrate transfer device 29a, 29b: Substrate holding arm 30: Cover member 32: Fan 33: Temperature / humidity adjustment unit W: Substrate

Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yasuo Imanishi, 322 Hashizushi Furukawacho, Nippon Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Masao Tsuji, 322 Hashizushi Furukawacho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Japan Inside the Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yuki Iwami 322 Hashizushi Furukawacho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan Kyoto Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Akihiko Morita Hashizushi Furukawa, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Machi 322 Dai Nippon Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A substrate holding arm for holding the substrate;
A substrate processing apparatus that includes a substrate transfer device that transfers a substrate held by the substrate holding arm to a plurality of substrate processing units and performs a series of processes including a heating process and a cooling process on the substrate. A substrate member provided on the substrate transfer device, and a temperature adjusting gas supply unit for supplying a gas adjusted to a predetermined temperature to an inner space of the cover member.