JPH1145924A - Substrate processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate processing device with which static electrification on the surface of a substrate is sufficiently prevented in a simple structure. SOLUTION: A humidifier 50 supplies moisture vapor component to clean air controlled at an appropriate temperature to humidify. The clean air sent out from the humidifier 50 with a fan 60 is supplied to a chamber 30 through a duct 62. A lot of openings are formed at the bottom of the chamber 30, and the clean air passing through the opening passes through a filter 40 and forms a uniform downflow DF in a main body of a substrate processing device 10. The downflow DF prevents the surface of a substrate W from taking a charge by hitting against the substrate W in an indexer ID and the substrate W in a spin scrubber SS.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate for performing a series of processes including a heating process, a cooling process, and a chemical solution process on a substrate such as a semiconductor substrate or a liquid crystal glass substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as a "substrate"). It relates to a processing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a substrate processing apparatus as described above, a substrate is taken out of a cassette by a substrate transfer robot provided in a substrate loading / unloading section, and the substrate is transferred by a substrate transfer robot provided in a unit arrangement section. The substrate is circulated and transported between various processing units such as a heat treatment unit for performing a heat treatment, a cooling treatment unit for performing a cooling treatment, and a chemical treatment unit for performing a chemical treatment, thereby achieving a series of substrate treatments.

In the above-described substrate processing apparatus, it is necessary to prevent the generation of defects in products due to the attachment of fine particles (hereinafter, particles) to the substrate in the substrate processing step.

[0004] As one of the factors that cause particles to adhere to a substrate, an attractive force due to static electricity is considered.
For this reason, it is necessary to neutralize the substrate to prevent particles from adhering. As a first method, a portion of the substrate processing apparatus that is in contact with the substrate, for example, a transfer robot that transports the substrate, and a substrate that is supported when the substrate rotates. It is considered that the material for the spin chuck or the like is formed of a conductive material. As a second method, it has been considered to supply an ionized gas onto a substrate using an ionizer to remove static electricity on the substrate.

[0005]

However, in the former method, static elimination can be performed only on a part of the back side of the substrate which is in contact with the conductive material, but sufficient static elimination cannot be achieved on the front side of the substrate. .

In the latter method, it is necessary to secure a space for disposing the ionizer, which is a constraint on the design of the substrate processing apparatus. For example, installing an ionizer in each processing unit complicates the structure of each processing unit, increases the size of the processing unit more than necessary, and increases the size of the entire substrate processing apparatus.

Therefore, the present invention can provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of preventing the surface of a substrate from being charged with a simple and small structure.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus for transporting a substrate between a plurality of processing units for performing a predetermined process on the substrate and processing the substrate in a predetermined procedure. A humidified air generating means for generating humidified air for preventing particles from adhering to the substrate due to charging, and a supply means for supplying the humidified air generated by the humidified air to the periphery of the substrate. It is characterized by having.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus, wherein the substrate processing apparatus includes a plurality of processing units and a substrate transfer device for transferring a substrate between the plurality of processing units. A substrate loading / unloading unit for transferring the substrate between the unit and the supply unit. The supplying unit supplies humidified air to a substrate transport path provided in the unit arrangement unit and the substrate loading / unloading unit.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus, the unit arranging unit includes, as the processing unit, one of a developing unit for performing a developing process on the substrate and a cleaning unit for performing a cleaning process on the substrate. Supplies humidified air to a region including any of the development processing unit and the cleaning processing unit.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the supply means is a cover for covering a space including a substrate supporting position where the substrate is supported when the substrate is transported along the substrate transport path. It is characterized by supplying humidified air.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the substrate processing apparatus, wherein the supply means covers a space including a substrate supporting position where the substrate is supported when the substrate is handled in any of the developing processing section and the cleaning processing section. And supplying humidified air into the cover.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a substrate processing apparatus 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front layout view of the apparatus 10.

As shown, the substrate processing apparatus 10 comprises:
Unit arrangement part PP in which a plurality of processing units are appropriately arranged
And an indexer unit ID as a substrate loading / unloading unit.

The unit arrangement section PP includes a first processing section group G1 composed of cleaning processing units and a second processing section group G2 composed of heat treatment units for performing a series of processing on the substrate W. These first and second processing unit groups G1 and G2
The substrate transport unit TP, which is arranged in parallel with the columns and transports the substrate W between the respective processing units constituting the same, accesses the respective processing units constituting the two processing unit groups G1 and G2 to transfer the substrate W. It has a substrate transfer robot TR1 for transfer.

The first processing unit group G1 includes a pair of spin scrubbers SS as a cleaning processing unit for cleaning the substrate W using a cleaning liquid or pure water while rotating the substrate W.
Are juxtaposed. On the other hand, the second processing unit group G2 includes, as a heat treatment unit for performing a desired heat treatment on the substrate W,
The heating unit HP and the cooling unit CP are two-dimensionally stacked and arranged.

The indexer unit ID is a table 21 on which the cassette CA containing the substrates W is placed, and the substrates W are sequentially taken out of the cassette CA on the table 21 and passed to the substrate transfer robot TR1 on the unit placement unit PP side. And a substrate transfer robot TR2 for storing the substrate W received from the substrate transfer robot TR1 in the cassette CA.

Above the substrate processing apparatus 10, a rectangular chamber 30 is disposed as a means for supplying humidified air, which covers the unit arrangement section PP and the indexer section ID from above. The chamber 30 is supplied with humidified clean air from a humidifier (not shown).
The clean air discharged downward through the filter 40 forms a downflow that flows uniformly downward. By forming the downflow of the humidified clean air in this manner, the humidified clean air is supplied to the periphery of the substrate W, so that the surface of the substrate W can be prevented from being charged.

In the above-described apparatus 10, when the cassette CA conveyed by the external conveying device is set on the mounting table 21 of the indexer unit ID, the substrate transfer robot TR2 is moved under the downflow of humidified clean air. Sequentially takes out the substrates W from the cassette CA, the substrate transport robot TR1 receiving the substrates W circulates and transports the substrates W between the respective processing units included in the two processing unit groups G1 and G2, and a series of the substrates W Process automatically proceeds.

FIG. 2 shows the front structure of the substrate processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. Humidifier 50 as humidified air generating means
Supplies a water vapor component to clean air adjusted to an appropriate temperature to humidify the clean air. The clean air sent from the humidifier 50 by the fan 60 is supplied to the chamber 30 through the duct 62. A large number of openings are formed in the lower part of the chamber 30, and the clean air that has passed through these openings is filtered by the filter 40.
To form a uniform downflow DF inside the main body of the substrate processing apparatus 10. The down flow DF can prevent the surface of the substrate W from being charged by hitting the substrate W in the indexer unit ID or the substrate W in the spin scrubber SS. The humidifier 50
When the water vapor component is contained in the clean air, it is necessary to set the water vapor pressure to a level that does not cause dew condensation inside the main body of the substrate processing apparatus 10. Also, the humidifying device 50
It is also possible to divert an air conditioning unit.

[Second Embodiment] FIG. 3 is a view for explaining a planar arrangement structure of a substrate processing apparatus 110 according to a second embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 110 according to the second embodiment is a modified example of the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment.

In the substrate processing apparatus 110, a spin coater SC for applying a resist solution to the substrate W, instead of the spin scrubber SS, is provided as a processing unit constituting the first processing section group G11 of the unit arrangement section PP, and an exposure apparatus. A spin developer SD for developing the subsequent resist.

As shown, the device 1 of the second embodiment
In 10, a chamber 130 for forming a downflow of humidified clean air is disposed above the indexer unit ID, the substrate transport unit TP, and the spin developer SD.
By such a down flow, the surfaces of the substrate W being transferred by the indexer unit ID, the substrate W being transferred by the substrate transfer unit TP, and the substrate W being developed in the spin developer SD are prevented from being charged. can do.

In the spin coater SC, when applying a resist, it is indispensable to manage a unique humidity suitable for forming a desired uniform resist film. Supplying air is not always desirable. For this reason, the chamber 130 for generating the humidified down flow is not arranged above the spin coater SC.

[Third Embodiment] FIG. 4 is a view for explaining a planar arrangement structure of a substrate processing apparatus 210 according to a third embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 210 according to the third embodiment is a modification of the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment.

As shown, the device 2 of the third embodiment
In FIG. 10, above the indexer unit ID and the substrate transport unit TP, that is, above the substrate transport path in which the substrate W moves,
A chamber 230 for forming a humidified downflow is arranged. By such a downflow, the surface of the substrate W being transferred by the indexer unit ID and the surface of the substrate W being transferred by the substrate transfer unit TP are prevented from being charged, and such a substrate W is charged. Can discharge this quickly.

[Fourth Embodiment] FIG. 5 is a view for explaining a main part of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment is similar to the substrate processing apparatus 210 according to the third embodiment.
This is a modified example.

In the substrate processing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment, as in the case of the apparatus 210 according to the third embodiment, the indexer unit I is provided.
D, and a chamber 230 for forming a humidified downflow DF is disposed above the substrate transport unit TP. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a cover member 80 is provided for each spin scrubber SS. The cover member 80 includes a duct 81 connected to a humidifier (not shown),
The chamber 82 includes a chamber 82 to which the clean air passing through the duct 81 is supplied, and a filter 83 through which the clean air discharged from the chamber 82 passes. In this case, with respect to only the necessary processing units such as the spin scrubber SS, the clean air downflow DF is provided above the support position of the substrate W.
Will be formed. Thereby, the substrate W before and after cleaning is
Humidified clean air is supplied to the periphery of the substrate W, thereby preventing the surface of the substrate W from being charged before and after cleaning.

A slit 85 for loading and unloading the substrate W is provided on the front side of the cover member 80.

In the above-described fourth embodiment, the cover member 80 is provided above the spin scrubber SS. However, in the substrate processing apparatus having the spin developer as in the second embodiment, the above-described components are provided above the spin developer. A similar cover member 80 may be provided.

[Fifth Embodiment] FIG. 6 is a view for explaining the main parts of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fifth embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth embodiment is a modification of the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment.

In the substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth embodiment, unlike the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment, a chamber for forming a humidified downflow DF is not disposed above the substrate processing apparatus. However, in the substrate processing apparatus of the fifth embodiment, the head portion of the substrate transfer robot TR1 (see FIG. 1) disposed in the substrate transfer section TP and the head of the substrate transfer robot TR2 (see FIG. 1) disposed in the indexer section ID. A cover member 180 is provided around the portion.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cover member 180
A flexible duct 181 connected to a humidifier (not shown) is provided, and a cover body 184 to which clean air passing through the duct 181 is supplied.

The substrate transport robot TR1 can be horizontally moved along the substrate transport section TP by a mechanism not shown and can be vertically moved up and down, and can be rotated by a rotating mechanism 90a provided on the stage 90. A main body 91 and a transport hand 92 that supports the substrate W and is capable of moving in the horizontal direction by a mechanism (not shown). The substrate transport robot TR1 can transfer the substrate W between the spin scrubber SS, the heating unit HP, and the like via a plurality of slits 185 provided on the side wall of the cover main body 184.

In the case of the fifth embodiment, the substrate transfer robot T
The humidified clean air is supplied to the substrate supporting position where the substrate is supported at R1 or the like, and it is possible to prevent the surface of the substrate W from being charged during and before and after the transfer. Further, since the periphery of the substrate W is covered with the cover member 180, the substrate W does not receive the resistance of the surrounding airflow when moving, and the substrate W having a large size can be moved at high speed.

[Sixth Embodiment] FIG. 7 is a view for explaining the main parts of a substrate processing apparatus according to a sixth embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus according to the sixth embodiment is a modification of the substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth embodiment.

In the substrate processing apparatus according to the sixth embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, of the head parts of the substrate transport robot TR1 and the like arranged in the substrate transport part TP, around the head body 91, together with the head body 91. A cover member 280 that rotates about a vertical axis is provided.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cover member 280
It includes a flexible duct 281 connected to a humidifier (not shown), and a cover body 284 to which clean air passed through the duct 281 is supplied. The substrate transport robot TR1 can transfer the substrate W to and from the spin scrubber SS, the heating unit HP, and the like via the slit 285 provided on the side wall of the cover main body 284.

In the case of the sixth embodiment, the substrate transport robot T
Since the humidified clean air is supplied to the substrate supporting position such as R1, the surface of the substrate W during and before and after the transfer can be prevented from being charged.

[0040]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the apparatus of the first aspect, since the supply means supplies the humidified air generated by the humidified air generation means to the periphery of the substrate, the apparatus has a relatively simple structure. It is possible to prevent the surface of the substrate from being charged, and to leak the charged static electricity relatively quickly.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the supply means supplies the humidified air to the substrate transport path provided in the unit arrangement section and the substrate loading / unloading section, so that the substrate is transported when the substrate is transported. The occurrence of electrification on the surface can be prevented.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the supply means supplies the humidified air to the area including either the developing unit or the cleaning unit, so that the substrate is developed and cleaned when the substrate is developed and cleaned. The occurrence of electrification on the surface can be prevented.

According to the apparatus of claims 4 and 5, the supply means is a cover for covering a space including a substrate supporting position where the substrate is supported when the substrate is transported along the substrate transport path. Since the humidified air is supplied into the cover, the humidified air is supplied only to a necessary area to achieve efficient antistatic.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating the substrate processing apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a structure of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating a structure of a substrate processing apparatus according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating a main part of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a side view illustrating a main part of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a side view illustrating a main part of a substrate processing apparatus according to a sixth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 110, 210 Substrate processing apparatus 30 Chamber 40 Filter 50 Humidifier PP unit arrangement section ID indexer section SS spin scrubber SC spin coater SD spin developer HP heating unit CP cooling unit TR1 substrate transport robot TR2 substrate transfer robot W substrate

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Masao Tsuji 322 Hazukashi Furukawacho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto Dainippon Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. Dainichi Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (72) Inside the Rakusai Office (72) Inventor Yoichi Nishimura 322 Habushishi Furukawa-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto Dainichi Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Akihiko Morita 322 Habushishi Furukawacho Dainichi Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Rakusai Office

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A substrate processing apparatus for transporting a substrate between a plurality of processing units for performing a predetermined process on a substrate and performing a process in a predetermined procedure on the substrate, wherein adhesion of particles to the substrate due to charging is prevented. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: humidified air generating means for generating humidified air; and supply means for supplying the humidified air generated by the humidified air generating means to a periphery of a substrate. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate processing apparatus receives a substrate between the plurality of processing units and a substrate transfer device configured to transfer a substrate between the plurality of processing units. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a substrate carrying-in / carrying-out section, wherein the supply unit supplies the humidified air to a substrate carrying path provided in the unit arrangement section and the substrate carrying-in / carrying-out section. 3. apparatus. 3. The processing unit according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit includes one of a developing unit for performing a developing process on the substrate and a cleaning unit for performing a cleaning process on the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the humidified air is supplied to a region including any one of a cleaning unit and a cleaning unit. 4. The supply means is a cover that covers a space including a substrate supporting position where the substrate is supported when the substrate is transported along the substrate transport path, and supplies the humidified air into the cover. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: 5. The supply means is a cover for covering a space including a substrate supporting position where the substrate is supported when the substrate is handled in any of the developing processing section and the cleaning processing section. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the humidified air is supplied to the substrate.