JPWO2012147658A1 - Substrate processing apparatus and device manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

The substrate processing apparatus includes a plurality of processing units for processing each of the substrates formed in a strip shape, and a first processing chamber containing a first processing unit capable of executing a common subprocess in the plurality of processing units, Among the plurality of processing units, a second processing chamber that houses the second processing unit, and a transport unit that transports the substrate to each of the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber are provided.

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus.
This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-097122 for which it applied on April 25, 2011, and uses the content here.

  As display elements that constitute display devices such as display devices, for example, liquid crystal display elements and organic electroluminescence (organic EL) elements are known. Currently, in these display elements, active elements (active devices) that form thin film transistors (TFTs) on the substrate surface corresponding to each pixel have become mainstream.

  In recent years, a technique for forming a display element on a sheet-like substrate (for example, a film member) has been proposed. As such a technique, for example, a technique called a roll-to-roll system (hereinafter simply referred to as “roll system”) is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the roll method, one sheet-like substrate (for example, a belt-like film member) wound around a substrate supply side supply roller is sent out, and the fed substrate is wound around the substrate collection side recovery roller, The substrate is subjected to desired processing by a processing unit (unit) installed between the supply roller and the collection roller.

  Then, during the period from when the substrate is sent out to when it is wound up, for example, the substrate is transported using a plurality of transport rollers, etc., and a gate electrode, a gate insulating film, and a semiconductor film constituting a TFT using a plurality of processing units Source / drain electrodes and the like are formed, and the constituent elements of the display element are sequentially formed on the surface to be processed of the substrate.

International Publication No. 2006/100868 Pamphlet

  However, in the above process, there is a possibility that a long conveyance path having a total length of several hundred meters may be required. For example, it is required to efficiently arrange each processing unit in a limited space such as a factory.

  The aspect which concerns on this invention aims at providing the substrate processing apparatus which can arrange | position a process part efficiently.

  According to the aspect of the present invention, a plurality of processing units each performing processing on a belt-shaped substrate and a first processing unit capable of executing a common subprocess in the plurality of processing units are accommodated. Provided is a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing chamber; a second processing chamber that houses the second processing portion among the plurality of processing portions; and a transfer portion that transfers the substrate to each of the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber. Is done.

  According to the aspect of the present invention, the space of the processing unit can be efficiently used.

The figure which shows the whole structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the substrate processing part of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of the heating unit which concerns on this embodiment. The perspective view which shows the structure of the heating unit which concerns on this embodiment. The perspective view which shows the structure of the heating apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. The figure which shows the example of the layout of the heating apparatus arrange | positioned in the process chamber which concerns on this embodiment. The comparison figure which shows the example of the layout of a heating apparatus. The side view which shows the structure of the vibration removal apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. The side view which shows the other structure of a vibration removal apparatus. The side view which shows the other structure of a vibration removal apparatus. The side view which shows the other structure of a vibration removal apparatus. The side view which shows the other structure of a vibration removal apparatus. The side view which shows the other structure of a vibration removal apparatus. The figure which shows the structure between the process chambers which concern on this embodiment. The figure which shows the structure of the fluid removal apparatus which concerns on this embodiment.

Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 processes a substrate supply unit 2 that supplies a strip-shaped substrate (for example, a sheet-like film member) S and a surface (surface to be processed) Sa of the substrate S. A substrate processing unit 3 to be performed, a substrate recovery unit 4 that recovers the substrate S, and a control unit CONT that controls these units are provided. The substrate processing unit 3 performs a variety of processes on the surface of the substrate S after the substrate S is sent out from the substrate supply unit 2 until the substrate S is recovered by the substrate recovery unit 4. 100. The substrate processing apparatus 100 can be used when a display element (electronic device) such as an organic EL element or a liquid crystal display element is formed on the substrate S.

  In this embodiment, an XYZ coordinate system is set as shown in FIG. 1, and the following description will be given using this XYZ coordinate system as appropriate. In the XYZ coordinate system, for example, the X axis and the Y axis are set along the horizontal plane, and the Z axis is set upward along the vertical direction. Further, the substrate processing apparatus 100 transports the substrate S from the minus side (− side) to the plus side (+ side) along the X axis as a whole. In that case, the width direction (short direction) of the strip | belt-shaped board | substrate S is set to the Y-axis direction.

  As the substrate S to be processed in the substrate processing apparatus 100, for example, a foil (foil) such as a resin film or stainless steel can be used. For example, the resin film is made of polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, polyester resin, ethylene vinyl copolymer resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, cellulose resin, polyamide resin, polyimide resin, polycarbonate resin, polystyrene resin, vinyl acetate resin, etc. Can be used.

  The substrate S preferably has a smaller coefficient of thermal expansion so that the dimensions do not change even when subjected to heat of about 200 ° C. For example, an inorganic filler can be mixed with a resin film to reduce the thermal expansion coefficient. Examples of the inorganic filler include titanium oxide, zinc oxide, alumina, silicon oxide and the like.

  The dimension in the width direction (short direction) of the substrate S is, for example, about 1 m to 2 m, and the dimension in the length direction (long direction) is, for example, 10 m or more. Of course, this dimension is only an example and is not limited thereto. For example, the dimension in the Y direction of the substrate S may be 50 cm or less, or 2 m or more. Moreover, the dimension of the X direction of the board | substrate S may be 10 m or less.

  The substrate S is formed so as to have flexibility. Here, the term “flexibility” refers to the property that the substrate can be bent without being sheared or broken even when a force of its own weight is applied to the substrate. In addition, flexibility includes a property of bending by a force of about its own weight. The flexibility varies depending on the material, size, thickness, environment such as temperature, etc. of the substrate. As the substrate S, a single strip-shaped substrate may be used, but a configuration in which a plurality of unit substrates are connected and formed in a strip shape may be used.

  The substrate supply unit 2 sends out and supplies the substrate S wound in a roll shape, for example, to the substrate processing unit 3. In this case, the substrate supply unit 2 is provided with a shaft around which the substrate S is wound, a rotation drive device that rotates the shaft, and the like. In addition, for example, a configuration in which a cover portion that covers the substrate S wound in a roll shape or the like may be provided. In addition, the board | substrate supply part 2 is not limited to the mechanism which sends out the board | substrate S wound by roll shape, What is necessary is just to include the mechanism which sends out the strip | belt-shaped board | substrate S sequentially in the length direction.

  The substrate collection unit 4 collects the substrate S that has passed through the substrate processing apparatus 100 included in the substrate processing unit 3 in a roll shape, for example. Similar to the substrate supply unit 2, the substrate recovery unit 4 is provided with a shaft for winding the substrate S, a rotational drive source for rotating the shaft, a cover for covering the recovered substrate S, and the like. In addition, when the substrate S is cut into a panel shape in the substrate processing unit 3, the substrate S is recovered in a state different from the state wound in a roll shape, for example, the substrate S is recovered in an overlapped state. It does not matter.

  The substrate processing unit 3 transports the substrate S supplied from the substrate supply unit 2 to the substrate recovery unit 4 and processes the surface Sa of the substrate S during the transport. The substrate processing unit 3 includes a processing apparatus 10 and a transfer device (transfer unit) 20.

  The processing apparatus 10 has various apparatuses for forming, for example, organic EL elements on the surface Sa to be processed of the substrate S. Examples of such an apparatus include a partition forming apparatus for forming a partition on the surface Sa, an electrode forming apparatus for forming an electrode, and a light emitting layer forming apparatus for forming a light emitting layer. More specifically, examples include a droplet coating apparatus (for example, an ink jet type coating apparatus), a film forming apparatus (for example, a plating apparatus, a vapor deposition apparatus, and a sputtering apparatus), an exposure apparatus, a developing apparatus, a surface modifying apparatus, and a cleaning apparatus. It is done. Each of these apparatuses is appropriately provided along the transport path of the substrate S. In the present embodiment, as the processing apparatus 10, for example, a coating apparatus 41, heating apparatuses 51 to 53, an exposure apparatus EX, a developing apparatus 42, a cleaning apparatus 43, a plating apparatus 44 (described above in detail in FIG. 2 and subsequent figures), and the like are used. The configuration will be described as an example.

  The transport device 20 includes a plurality of guide rollers (guide units) R (only two rollers are illustrated in FIG. 1) for guiding the substrate S in the substrate processing unit 3. The guide roller R is disposed along the transport path of the substrate S. A rotation drive mechanism (not shown) is attached to at least some of the guide rollers R. In this embodiment, the length of the conveyance path in the conveyance device 20 is, for example, about several hundred meters in total length.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a partial configuration of the substrate processing unit 3.
As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate processing unit 3 has three processing chambers 11 to 13. The processing chambers 11 to 13 are partitioned by a partition portion 14.

  The partition unit 14 includes a partition member 14 a that configures the floor of the processing chamber 11, a partition member 14 b that configures the ceiling of the processing chamber 11 and the floor of the processing chamber 12, and the ceiling and processing chamber 13 of the processing chamber 12. The partition member 14c which comprises the floor part of this, and the partition member 14d which comprises the ceiling part of the process chamber 13 are provided.

  The processing chamber 11 is disposed at the lowermost portion (most −Z side) in the gravity direction among the plurality of processing chambers. The processing chamber 11 forms a processing space for performing processing (wet processing) using a liquid on the substrate S. In the processing chamber 11, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, as the processing apparatus 10, the coating apparatus 41 including a resist solution storage container 41 a that stores a resist solution for applying to the substrate S, and the substrate S are developed. A pattern is formed on the developing device 42 including a developing solution storage container 42 a for storing a developing solution for the cleaning, a cleaning device 43 including a cleaning solution storage container 43 a for storing a cleaning solution for cleaning the substrate S, and the substrate S after the cleaning process. And a plating device 44 including a plating solution storage container 44a for storing a plating solution to be formed. Note that the processing chamber 11 is not limited to the liquids described above, and can accommodate processing apparatuses that use various liquids.

  The coating device 41 is disposed inside the coating device 41 and includes a guide roller R2 that guides the substrate S and a guide roller R3 that carries the substrate S after the coating process from the coating device 41 to the processing chamber 11. A guide roller R1 that guides the substrate S supplied from the substrate supply unit 2 to the coating device 41 is disposed on the upstream side of the guide roller R2 in the transport direction of the substrate S. The developing device 42 includes a guide roller R20 that is disposed inside the developing device 42 and guides the substrate S, and a guide roller R21 that carries the substrate S after the development process from the developing device 42 into the processing chamber 11. . Guide rollers R18 and R19 for guiding the substrate S from the heating device 52 of the processing chamber 12 to the developing device 42 via the guide roller R17 are arranged on the upstream side of the guide roller R20 in the transport direction of the substrate S.

Guide rollers R22 and R23 for guiding the substrate S from the developing device 42 to the cleaning device 43 are disposed on the downstream side of the guide roller R21 in the transport direction of the substrate S. Note that these guide rollers R 1, R 18, R 19, R 22, and R 23 are disposed in the processing chamber 11.
The cleaning device 43 includes a guide roller R24 that is disposed inside the cleaning device 43 and guides the substrate S, and a guide roller R25 that transports the substrate S after the cleaning process from the cleaning device 43 into the processing chamber 11. It has been. The plating apparatus 44 includes a guide roller R28 that is disposed inside the plating apparatus 44 and guides the substrate S, and a guide roller R29 that carries the substrate S after the plating process from the plating apparatus 44 into the processing chamber 11. Is provided.

  The partition member 14a is provided with a plurality of recovery pipes (waste liquid recovery units, recovery units) 45 that constitute a part of a waste liquid recovery flow path connected to a recovery device (not shown). One end of the recovery tube 45 is connected to each of the coating device 41, the developing device 42, and the cleaning device 43, and the other end is connected to a waste liquid recovery channel (not shown) connected to the recovery device. Each recovery tube 45 discharges the resist solution, the developer, and the cleaning liquid that have become waste liquid in the coating device 41, the developing device 42, and the cleaning device 43 to the recovery device through the waste liquid recovery flow path. The recovery pipe 45 is provided with an open / close valve (not shown). The control unit CONT can control the opening / closing timing of the opening / closing valve. In the present embodiment, since a wet processing apparatus is provided in the lowermost processing chamber 11 in the direction of gravity, the length of the flow path system of the waste liquid recovery flow path between these apparatuses and the recovery apparatus is suppressed. be able to.

  The processing chamber 12 is disposed above the processing chamber 11 (+ Z side). The processing chamber 12 forms a processing space where the substrate S is heated. In the processing chamber 12, heating devices 51 to 53 for heating the substrate S are provided as the processing device 10. The heating device 51 heats the substrate S coated with the resist solution by the coating device 41 and dries the resist solution. The heating device 52 heats the substrate S that has passed through the exposure apparatus EX in the processing chamber 13 again, and dries the resist solution. The heating device 52 heats the substrate S at a temperature different from the heating temperature of the heating device 51, for example, a temperature higher than the heating temperature of the heating device 51. The heating device 53 heats the substrate S that has been developed by the developing device 42 and has been cleaned by the cleaning device 43, and dries the surface of the substrate S.

  A guide roller R4 that guides the substrate S that has passed through the coating device 41 in the processing chamber 11 to the heating device 51 is disposed on the upstream side of the heating device 51 in the transport direction of the substrate S. Guide rollers R5, R6 and R7 are arranged along the transport path on the downstream side of the heating device 51 in the transport direction of the substrate S, and the exposure apparatus EX in the processing chamber 13 is guided by these guide rollers R5, R6 and R7. The substrate S is guided.

  Guide rollers R14, R15, and R16 that guide the substrate S that has passed through the exposure apparatus EX in the processing chamber 13 to the heating apparatus 52 via the guide roller R13 are transported upstream of the heating apparatus 52 in the transport direction of the substrate S. It is arranged along the route. A guide roller R17 that guides the substrate S through the guide rollers R18 and R19 is disposed in the developing device 42 of the processing chamber 11 on the downstream side of the heating device 52 in the transport direction of the substrate S.

  A guide roller R26 that guides the substrate S that has passed through the cleaning device 43 to the heating device 53 is disposed on the upstream side of the heating device 53 in the transport direction of the substrate S. Further, a guide roller R27 that guides the substrate S to the plating device 44 in the processing chamber 11 is disposed on the downstream side of the heating device 53 in the transport direction of the substrate S. Further, on the + X side of the guide roller R27, a guide roller R30 for guiding the substrate S to the next process is disposed. These guide rollers R4, R5, R6, R7, R14, R15, R16, R17, R26, R27, and R30 are arranged in the processing chamber 12.

  The partition member 14 b is provided with a plurality of connection portions 15 to 19 for allowing the substrate S to pass between the processing chamber 11 and the processing chamber 12. The connection parts 15-19 are through-holes which penetrate the partition member 14b in the Z direction, for example. Each connection part 15-19 is formed in the dimension which the board | substrate S can pass. The substrate S moves between the processing chamber 11 and the processing chamber 12 by passing through the connection portions 15 to 19.

  The guide roller R3 and the guide roller R4 guide the substrate S so as to pass through the connecting portion 15. The guide roller R17 and the guide roller R18 guide the substrate S so as to pass through the connecting portion 16. The guide roller R25 and the guide roller R26 guide the substrate S so as to pass through the connecting portion 17. The guide roller R27 and the guide roller R28 guide the substrate S so as to pass through the connecting portion 18. The guide roller R29 and the guide roller R30 guide the substrate S so as to pass through the connecting portion 19. As described above, the transfer device 20 guides the substrate S so that the substrate S passes through the connection portions 15 to 19.

  Note that the guide rollers R3, R4, R17, R18, and R25 to R30 arranged with the connecting portions 15 to 19 interposed therebetween may have a temperature control device that adjusts the temperature of the substrate S, for example. . With this configuration, the temperature of the substrate S can be adjusted before and after the heating devices 51 to 53.

Next, the detailed structure of the heating apparatuses 51-53 is demonstrated. Each of the heating devices 51 to 53 has one or a plurality of heating units 50. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing the configuration of the heating unit 50. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the heating unit 50.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the heating unit 50 includes a housing 60 and a heating unit 70 that heats the inside of the housing 60.

  The casing 60 is a rectangle that forms an internal space by a pair of first wall portions (right wall portion 60d and left wall portion 60c) and a pair of second wall portions (upper wall portion 60f and lower wall portion 60e). It is a ring. The internal space formed in the housing 60 functions as a substrate storage chamber (storage chamber) 62. A substrate carry-in port (carry-in port) 61 is formed in one first wall portion (left side wall portion) 60c of the housing 60, and the other first wall portion (right side wall portion) 60d of the housing 60 has A substrate carry-out port (carry-out port) 63 is formed. One end surface (−Y side end surface) of the housing 60 is a first opening end 60a, and the other end surface (Y side end surface) of the housing 60 is a second opening end 60b. The first opening end 60 a and the second opening end 60 b of the housing 60 are provided with connecting portions (not shown) for connecting the plurality of heating units 50.

  The first opening end 60 a and the second opening end 60 b of the housing 60 can be attached with a lid portion that seals the substrate housing chamber 62. For this reason, when only one heating unit 50 is used, it is possible to form a sealed space by closing the end surfaces of the open ends 60a and 60b. Further, by connecting a plurality of heating units 50, a larger sealed space can be formed as compared with the case where a single heating unit 50 is used. In this case, the end face of the heating unit 50 arranged at the end in the coupling direction can be closed with a lid.

  The substrate carry-in port 61 and the substrate carry-out port 63 are formed to dimensions that allow the substrate S to pass through. That is, the dimension in the Z direction of the substrate carry-in port 61 and the substrate carry-out port 63 is formed to be larger than the thickness of the substrate S. Further, the dimensions of the substrate carry-in port 61 and the substrate carry-out port 63 in the Y direction are formed larger than the short dimension of the substrate S.

  The substrate storage chamber 62 is provided with folding rollers (folding portions) 64 to 67 for guiding the substrate S. The folding rollers 64 to 67 are rotatably supported by the housing 60 by a support member (not shown). The folding rollers 64 and 66 are disposed on the + X side end of the substrate housing chamber 62, that is, on the right side wall 60d side. The folding rollers 65 and 67 are disposed on the −X side end of the substrate housing chamber 62, that is, on the left side wall 60 c side. The folding rollers 64, 65, 66 and 67 are arranged in this order from the upper part (+ Z side) to the lower part (−Z side) of the housing 60.

  The folding roller 64 folds the substrate S carried in from the substrate carry-in port 61 and traveling in the + X direction in the −X direction. The folding roller 65 folds the substrate S that is folded by the folding roller 64 and travels in the −X direction in the + X direction. The folding roller 66 folds the substrate S that is folded by the folding roller 64 and travels in the + X direction in the −X direction. The folding roller 65 folds the substrate S that is folded by the folding roller 64 and travels in the −X direction in the + X direction.

  Therefore, the substrate S guided by the folding rollers 64 to 67 is arranged in a state where the folded pieces (part) of the substrate S overlap with each other and the folded pieces are not in contact with each other when viewed in the Z direction. Is done. For this reason, the substrate S is efficiently accommodated in the substrate accommodation chamber 62 while maintaining the state of the processing surface Sa of the substrate S.

  A rotation driving mechanism (not shown) such as a motor is connected to at least one of the folding rollers 64 to 67. The control unit CONT can adjust the rotation speed and rotation timing of the rotation drive mechanism. Therefore, the conveyance speed of the substrate S can be adjusted for each heating unit 50.

  Further, at least one of the folding rollers 64 to 67 may be movable in any one of the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. In this case, the transport path of the substrate S can be adjusted for each heating unit 50 by the control unit CONT controlling the movement of the folding rollers 64 to 67. In the present embodiment, four folding rollers are arranged in the housing 60, but the number thereof can be increased or decreased according to the heating time of the substrate S.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the heating devices 51 to 53.
As shown in FIG. 5, the heating devices 51 to 53 have a plurality of heating units 50 arranged in a row in the Y direction. The plurality of heating units 50 are in a state where adjacent heating units 50 are connected to each other. In FIG. 5, the lid of the first opening end 60a of the heating unit 50 is omitted.

  By connecting the heating unit 50, the substrate housing chambers 62 communicate with each other. Therefore, by connecting the heating unit 50, it is possible to configure one heating furnace provided with a plurality of transport paths for the substrate S. The heating unit 70 may be configured to be provided in common for the plurality of heating units 50, or may be configured to be provided individually for each of the heating units 50.

  When the heating unit 70 is provided in common for the plurality of heating units 50, the heating unit 70 can collectively heat the plurality of substrate storage chambers 62 formed as one heating furnace. For this reason, the several board | substrate S conveyed via a different conveyance path | route is heated by the heating part 70 collectively with one heating furnace. For this reason, the efficiency of heat processing can be achieved. In the case where the heating unit 70 is provided for each heating unit 50, the heating temperature and the heating timing may be adjusted for each heating unit 50. In addition, as the heating unit 70, a heat generation mechanism, an irradiation unit (not shown) that emits electromagnetic waves, or the like can be used.

FIG. 6 is a view showing the arrangement of the heating devices 51 and 52 in the processing chamber 12.
In the configuration shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of (three) heating devices 51 connected to a plurality of heating units 50 in the processing chamber 12 are arranged in the Y direction. Thus, by arranging the heating unit 50 or the heating device 51 side by side in the Y direction, the space in the processing chamber 12 can be saved compared to the configuration in which the heating units 50 as shown in FIG. 7 are arranged in the X direction. can do.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the processing chamber 13 is disposed above (+ Z side) the processing chamber 12. The processing chamber 13 is a processing space for performing an exposure process on the substrate S. In the processing chamber 13, an exposure apparatus EX is provided as the processing apparatus 10. The exposure apparatus EX irradiates the resist layer applied to the substrate S in the coating apparatus 41 with exposure light through a mask pattern. In the processing chamber 13, guide rollers R <b> 10 and R <b> 11 that guide the substrate S are disposed at positions where the exposure light of the exposure apparatus EX is irradiated.

  An opening 90 is formed in the partition member 14c. The opening 90 is formed through the partition member 14c in the Z direction. The substrate S is guided from the processing chamber 12 to the processing chamber 13 through the opening 90 by the guide rollers R8 and R9. The substrate S is guided from the processing chamber 13 to the processing chamber 12 through the opening 90 by the guide rollers R12 and R13. Thus, the opening 90 is a part through which the substrate S passes.

  Inside the opening 90, a vibration removing device (adjusting mechanism) 91 for removing vibration of the substrate S guided by the transport device 20 (for example, guide rollers R8 to R13) is provided. The vibration removing device 91 is configured to remove the vibration transmitted to the substrate S by eliminating the tension of the substrate S and reducing the vibration transmission property of the substrate S. Therefore, the vibration removing device 91 in the present embodiment includes tension release mechanisms 92 and 93 for releasing the tension of the substrate S. It should be noted that the vibration removing device 91 only needs to reduce the vibration to the extent that the processing apparatus can tolerate without completely eliminating the vibration of the substrate S. Therefore, the tension release mechanism can also be referred to as a tension reduction mechanism.

  The tension release mechanism 92 is disposed upstream of the exposure apparatus EX (guide roller R10) in the transport direction of the substrate S. More specifically, the tension release mechanism 92 is disposed between the guide roller R8 and the guide roller R9. The tension release mechanism 93 is disposed downstream of the exposure apparatus EX (guide roller R11) in the transport direction of the substrate S. More specifically, the tension release mechanism 93 is disposed between the guide roller R12 and the guide roller R13.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the tension release mechanisms 92 and 93.
As shown in FIG. 8, the tension release mechanisms 92 and 93 include direction changing rollers 94a and 94b (direction changing portion 94) and nip rollers 95a and 95b (nip portion 95). The direction changing rollers 94a and 94b change the transport direction of the substrate S so that the substrate S is slackened in the gravitational direction (−Z direction). Specifically, a portion Sb between the direction changing roller 94a and the direction changing roller 94b in the substrate S is in a loose state. The direction changing roller 94a is provided with a temperature adjusting mechanism (substrate temperature adjusting unit) 94c. The temperature of the portion of the substrate S that contacts the direction change roller 94a is adjusted by the temperature adjustment mechanism 94c. The temperature adjusting mechanism 94c can be omitted.

  The nip roller 95a is provided at a position where the substrate S is sandwiched between the nip roller 95a and the direction changing roller 94a. The nip roller 95b is provided at a position where the substrate S is sandwiched between the nip roller 95b and the direction changing roller 94b. The nip rollers 95 a and 95 b are connected to the rotation drive unit 96. The rotation drive unit 96 individually adjusts the rotation timing and the rotation speed of the nip rollers 95a and 95b. For this reason, the board | substrate S can be conveyed in the state in which the slack part Sb was formed.

  In addition, the conveyance speed is different between the portion of the substrate S sandwiched between the direction change roller 94a and the nip roller 95a and the portion of the substrate S sandwiched between the direction change roller 94b and the nip roller 95b. The substrate S can be transferred to the substrate. Therefore, the substrate S can be transported while adjusting the size of the slack portion Sb.

  In this way, the tension release mechanisms 92 and 93 form the slack portion Sb to release the tension of the substrate S, so that vibrations from the upstream side of the direction changing roller 94a and the nip roller 95a are reduced. For this reason, vibration transmission of the substrate S is suppressed between the processing chamber 12 and the processing chamber 13 with the tension release mechanisms 92 and 93 interposed therebetween. Therefore, the exposure apparatus EX arranged in the processing chamber 13 performs the exposure process without being affected by vibrations in the processing chamber 11 and the processing chamber 12. Since such tension release mechanisms 92 and 93 are arranged in the partition member 14c, the spaces in the processing chambers 11 to 13 of the substrate processing unit 3 can be efficiently used.

  Next, a process of manufacturing a display element (electronic device) such as an organic EL element or a liquid crystal display element using the substrate processing apparatus 100 configured as described above will be described. The substrate processing apparatus 100 manufactures the display element according to the control of the control unit CONT.

  First, the substrate S wound around a roller (not shown) is attached to the substrate supply unit 2. The controller CONT rotates a roller (not shown) so that the substrate S is sent out from the substrate supply unit 2 from this state. Then, the substrate S that has passed through the substrate processing unit 3 is taken up by a roller (not shown) provided in the substrate recovery unit 4.

  The control unit CONT appropriately transfers the substrate S in the substrate processing unit 3 by the transfer device 20 of the substrate processing unit 3 after the substrate S is sent out from the substrate supply unit 2 and taken up by the substrate recovery unit 4. Transport. The control unit CONT first loads the substrate S into the processing chamber 11 of the substrate processing unit 3. Hereinafter, the operation by the control unit CONT will be described.

  The substrate S carried into the processing chamber 11 is carried into the coating apparatus 41 via the guide roller R1 shown in FIG. In the coating device 41, the substrate S is transported in the + X direction by the guide roller R2. During the conveyance process, a coating film of a photosensitive agent is formed on the surface Sa to be processed of the substrate S. The substrate S processed in the coating apparatus 41 is transported to the processing chamber 12 through the connection portion 15 by the guidance of the guide roller R3.

  The substrate S carried into the processing chamber 12 is carried into the substrate storage chamber 62 from the substrate carry-in port 61 of the heating device 51 through the guide roller R4 (see FIG. 3). In the substrate storage chamber 62, the substrate S is heated in a state where the substrate S is bent a plurality of times, and the substrate S is heated in this transported state. For this reason, the heat processing using the space of the substrate housing chamber 62 efficiently is performed. The heating device 51 dries the coating film formed on the substrate S by heating. After the heat treatment is performed, the substrate S unloaded from the substrate unloading port 63 is conveyed to the opening 90 via the guide rollers R5, R6, and R7.

  The substrate S that has reached the opening 90 is carried into the tension release mechanism 92 by the guide roller R8. In the tension release mechanism 92, the substrate S is slackened by changing the conveyance speed between the portion sandwiched between the direction change roller 94a and the nip roller 95a and the portion sandwiched between the direction change roller 94b and the nip roller 95b. A portion Sb is formed.

  After the slack portion Sb is formed, the conveyance speed of the substrate S by the direction changing rollers 94a and 94b and the nip rollers 95a and 95b is made equal. By this operation, the substrate S is unloaded from the tension release mechanism 92 with the slack portion Sb formed. The substrate S is transported to the processing chamber 13 through the guide roller R9.

  The vibration transmitted from the processing chamber 12 side through the substrate S is removed at the slack portion Sb of the substrate S. For this reason, vibrations are suppressed from being transmitted to the processing chamber 13 via the substrate S. In addition, when the temperature adjustment mechanism 94c is provided in the direction change roller 94a, the temperature adjustment of the board | substrate S is performed in the said direction change roller 94a. Here, for example, the temperature is adjusted to a temperature suitable for the exposure process.

  The substrate S carried into the processing chamber 13 is transported by the guide rollers R10 and R11. An exposure process is performed on the substrate S by the exposure apparatus EX. A predetermined region of the coating film formed on the processing surface Sa of the substrate S is exposed by the exposure process. After the exposure processing is completed, the substrate S is inserted into the opening 90 and then carried into the tension release mechanism 93 through the guide roller R12.

  In the tension release mechanism 93, the slack portion Sb is formed on the substrate S as in the case of the tension release mechanism 92 described above. Therefore, the vibration transmitted from the processing chamber 12 side through the substrate S is removed at the slack portion Sb of the substrate S. On the other hand, as described above, the slack portion Sb is also formed in the tension release mechanism 92. For this reason, the portion of the substrate S disposed in the processing chamber 13 is in a state in which the transmission of vibration from the processing chamber 12 is removed in both the tension releasing mechanism 92 and the tension releasing mechanism 93.

  When vibrations from the guide rollers R8 to R13 and the heating devices 51 and 52 are transmitted to the substrate S, the substrate S and other parts may vibrate at the exposure light irradiation position of the exposure apparatus EX, which may reduce the exposure accuracy. There is. For this reason, by using the vibration removing device 91 to remove the vibration of the substrate S in the portion straddling the exposure apparatus EX, a decrease in exposure accuracy is suppressed.

  The substrate S transferred from the processing chamber 13 to the processing chamber 12 is carried into the heating device 52 via the guide rollers R14, R15, and R16. In the heating device 52, a heat treatment is performed on the photosensitive coating film. After the heat treatment is performed, the substrate S carried out of the heating device 52 is inserted into the connection portion 16 via the guide roller R17 and is transferred to the processing chamber 11 via the connection portion 16.

  The substrate S transferred to the processing chamber 11 is carried into the developing device 42 via the guide rollers R18 and R19. In the developing device 42, the substrate S is transported by the guide roller R20 while being immersed in the developer, and development processing is performed in the transport process. The substrate S on which the development processing has been performed is carried out of the developing device 42 by the guide roller R21 and carried into the cleaning device 43 through the guide rollers R22 and R23.

  In the cleaning apparatus 43, the substrate S is transported by the guide roller R24 while being immersed in the cleaning liquid, and a cleaning process is performed in the transport process. The substrate S on which the cleaning process has been performed is unloaded from the cleaning apparatus 43 by the guide roller R25, and then transferred to the processing chamber 12 through the connection unit 17.

  The substrate S transferred to the processing chamber 12 is carried into the heating device 53 via the guide roller R26. In the heating device 52, a heat treatment for drying the cleaned substrate S, a heat treatment for heating the coating film, and the like are performed. After the heat treatment is performed, the substrate S unloaded from the heating device 53 is transported to the processing chamber 11 via the connecting portion 18 under the guidance of the guide roller R27.

  The substrate S transferred to the processing chamber 11 is carried into the plating apparatus 44. In the plating apparatus 44, the substrate S is conveyed by the guide roller R28 while being immersed in the plating solution, and a plating process is performed in the process of conveyance. A predetermined pattern is formed on the substrate S on which the plating process has been performed. The substrate S after the plating process is unloaded from the plating apparatus 44 by the guide roller R29 and is transferred to the processing chamber 12 through the connection unit 19. In the processing chamber 12, it is carried into a heating device (not shown) via the guide roller R30, and heat treatment is performed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the processing units 3 that perform different types of processing on the substrate S are arranged, and the processing steps (common sub-process) that are common among the processing units 3 are arranged. The processing unit 3 having the above is arranged in the same processing chamber. Further, the substrate S is transported so that the substrate S can be transported across the processing chambers 11 to 13 and the substrate S enters and exits the processing chambers 11 to 13 a plurality of times. Since the transport device 20 is provided, the space of the substrate processing unit 3 can be used efficiently.

For example, when forming the constituent elements of the display element as in the present embodiment, since the heat treatment is frequently performed, a large number of heating devices are provided. When heating devices are collectively arranged in one processing chamber 12 as in the present embodiment, heat energy can be used efficiently. In addition, the processing chamber 12 in which the heating device is arranged is arranged in the center layer in the Z direction, and the processing chamber 11 (wet processing) and the processing chamber 13 (exposure processing) are arranged across the processing chamber 12. As a result, the heating device can be easily accessed. For this reason, the conveyance path | route of the board | substrate S of the whole apparatus can be shortened. Further, since a plurality of heating devices are arranged in the processing chamber 12 so as to overlap in the X direction and the Y direction, the space of the processing chamber 12 can be saved. For this reason, the area of the site required for installing the substrate processing apparatus 100 can be reduced.
In FIG. 2, the processing apparatus 10 has been described with an example of a combination of a coating apparatus, a heating apparatus, an exposure apparatus, a developing apparatus, a cleaning apparatus, and a plating apparatus, but is not limited to this combination. A plurality of the processing apparatuses 10 may be arranged in the X direction or the Y direction. That is, the constituent elements of the display elements are sequentially formed on the substrate S by transporting the substrate S to the coating apparatus of another processing apparatus 10 via the guide roller R30 and repeating the above operation. In this case, when a plurality of processing apparatuses 10 are arranged, the exposure accuracy and resolution of the plurality of exposure apparatuses EX may be different from each other.
When a plurality of the processing apparatuses 10 are arranged in the Y direction, as described above, a configuration in which a plurality of heating units 50 as shown in FIG. 5, that is, adjacent heating units 50 are connected can be used.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, the configuration of the vibration removing device 91 is the configuration using the tension release mechanisms 92 and 93 as shown in FIG. 8, but is not limited thereto. For example, the vibration removing device 91 may be configured as shown in FIGS.
FIG. 9 shows vibration absorbing mechanisms 192 and 193 as another configuration example of the tension releasing mechanisms 92 and 93 in the vibration removing device 91.
The vibration absorbing mechanisms 192 and 193 include direction changing rollers 194a and 194b (direction changing portion 194) and a vibration absorbing portion 196.

  The vibration absorbing portion 196 includes a roller 196a, a roller support portion 196b, a spring member 196c, and a wall portion 196d.

  The roller 196a is disposed between the direction changing roller 194a and the direction changing roller 194b. The roller 196a is hung by a part of the substrate S whose direction has been changed. The roller 196a is attached to the wall portion 196d via a roller support portion 196b and a spring member 196c. For this reason, the vibration of the substrate S is absorbed by the roller 196a and the spring member 196c in the portion Sc.

FIG. 10 shows vibration absorbing mechanisms 292 and 293 as another configuration example of the tension releasing mechanisms 92 and 93 in the vibration removing device 91.
The vibration absorbing mechanisms 292 and 293 include direction changing rollers 294 a and 294 b (direction changing unit 294) and a vibration absorbing unit 297. The vibration absorbing unit 297 includes a roller 297a and a vibration absorbing layer 297b formed on the cylindrical surface of the roller 297a.

  The roller 297a is disposed between the direction changing roller 294a and the direction changing roller 294b. A part of the substrate S whose direction is changed is hung on the roller 297a. For the vibration absorbing layer 297b, for example, a vibration absorbing material such as sorbosein is used. In the configuration shown in FIG. 10, since the vibration of the substrate S is absorbed by the vibration absorbing layer 297b formed on the roller 297a, a simple configuration is sufficient.

FIG. 11 shows vibration applying mechanisms 392 and 393 as another configuration example of the tension releasing mechanisms 92 and 93 in the vibration removing device 91.
The vibration applying mechanisms 392 and 393 include direction changing rollers 394 a and 394 b (direction changing unit 394) and a vibration generating unit 398. The vibration generation unit 398 includes a roller 398a, a vibration adjustment unit 398b that vibrates the roller 398a, and a sensor 398c that detects vibration at a position downstream of the roller 398a in the substrate S.

  The roller 398a is disposed between the direction changing roller 394a and the direction changing roller 394b. A part of the substrate S whose direction is changed is hung on the roller 398a. The vibration adjustment unit 398b generates a vibration that cancels the vibration of the substrate S based on the detection result of the sensor 398c. Therefore, in the configuration shown in FIG. 11, transmission of vibration of the substrate S can be suppressed by canceling the vibration of the substrate S with the roller 398a.

  As shown in FIG. 12, for example, in the configuration of the tension release mechanism 92, the direction changing roller 94a and the nip roller 95a are arranged in the processing chamber 12, and the direction changing roller 94b and the nip roller 95b are set in the processing chamber. In the configuration of the tension release mechanism 93, the direction changing roller 94a and the nip roller 95a are arranged in the processing chamber 13, and the direction changing roller 94b and the nip roller 95b are arranged in the processing chamber 12. It does not matter.

Similarly, in the configuration of the vibration absorbing mechanism 192 shown in FIG. 9, for example, the direction changing roller 194 a and the roller 196 a are arranged in the processing chamber 12, and the direction changing roller 194 b is arranged in the processing chamber 13. The direction change roller 194a may be arranged in the processing chamber 13, and the roller 196a and the direction change roller 194b may be arranged in the processing chamber 12. Moreover, as the wall part 196d, the partition member 14b etc. can be used, for example.
In the configuration of the vibration absorbing mechanism 292 shown in FIG. 10, for example, the direction changing roller 294a and the roller 297a are arranged in the processing chamber 12, and the direction changing roller 294b is arranged in the processing chamber 13, and in the configuration of the vibration absorbing mechanism 293, The direction changing roller 294a may be disposed in the processing chamber 13, and the roller 297a and the direction changing roller 294b may be disposed in the processing chamber 12.
Further, in the configuration of the vibration applying mechanism 392 shown in FIG. 11, for example, the direction changing roller 394a and the roller 398a are arranged in the processing chamber 12, and the direction changing roller 394b is arranged in the processing chamber 13, and in the configuration of the vibration absorbing mechanism 393, The direction changing roller 394a may be arranged in the processing chamber 13, and the roller 398a and the direction changing roller 394b may be arranged in the processing chamber 12.

  In the configuration of the tension release mechanisms 92 and 93 shown in FIG. 8, the direction changing roller 94a and the nip roller 95a, and the direction changing roller 94b and the nip roller 95b are provided in at least one of the processing chamber 12 and the processing chamber 13. It may be an arranged configuration. FIG. 13 shows a configuration in which direction changing rollers 94 a and 94 b and nip rollers 95 a and 95 b are arranged in the processing chamber 13.

In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the vibration removing device 91 is provided between the processing chamber 12 and the processing chamber 13 has been described as an example. However, the configuration is not limited thereto.
For example, between the processing chamber 12 and the processing chamber 13, as shown in FIG. 14, in addition to the vibration removing device 91, the foreign substance movement suppressing device 84 that suppresses the movement of foreign substances and the movement of gas and liquid are regulated. A configuration in which a fluid movement regulating device 85, a temperature adjusting device (substrate temperature adjusting unit) 86 for adjusting the temperature of the substrate S, and the like are provided may be used.
In FIG. 14, the foreign substance movement suppressing device 84, the fluid movement regulating device 85, the temperature adjusting device 86, and the vibration removing device 91 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction of the substrate S. In addition, at least one of the vibration removing device 91, the foreign matter movement suppressing device 84, the fluid movement regulating device 85, and the temperature adjusting device 86 may be disposed between the processing chamber 11 and the processing chamber 12.

  The foreign matter movement suppression device 84 includes an air curtain forming portion 84a and a stage 84b. The foreign matter movement suppressing device 84 forms an air curtain on the substrate S supported by the stage 84b by the air curtain forming portion 84a. Foreign matter on the substrate S is removed by the air curtain.

  The fluid movement restricting device 85 includes an upstream roller 85a, a downstream roller 85b, and a gas injection unit 85c. FIG. 15 is a plan view showing the configuration of the fluid movement restricting device 85. As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the fluid movement restricting device 85 injects gas from the gas injection unit 85 c onto the substrate S that is transported while being hung on the upstream roller 85 a and the downstream roller 85 b. To do.

  For example, with respect to the substrate S in a state where it is hung on the upstream roller 85a and the downstream roller 85b, the gas injection unit 85c has a position on the −Y side, a position on the + X side, and a −Y direction and a + X direction. It is arranged at at least one of the positions between. By injecting a gas to the substrate S, the liquid adhering to the surface of the substrate S by the gas or the gas floating on the surface of the substrate can be removed.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the temperature adjustment device 86 adjusts the temperature of the substrate S from which the fluid has been removed. The temperature adjustment device 86 includes a roller 86a and a temperature adjustment mechanism 86b. In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the temperature adjusting mechanism 94c is provided on the direction changing roller 94a has been described as an example. However, separately from this, the temperature of the substrate S can be adjusted.

  Note that each of the foreign substance movement suppressing device 84, the fluid movement regulating device 85, the temperature adjusting device 86, and the vibration removing device 91 is not limited to the configuration disposed between the processing chamber 12 and the processing chamber 13, and the processing chamber 11 The configuration may be arranged between the processing chamber 12 and the processing chamber 12.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the structure which arrange | positions the processing chambers 11-13 hierarchically to a Z direction was mentioned as an example, it demonstrated and it was not restricted to this. For example, the processing chambers 11 to 13 may be arranged side by side in the X direction or the Y direction. Further, the present invention can be applied even when each of the processing chambers 11 to 13 is formed as an independent apparatus or factory.

In the above embodiment, the substrate S is transported so that the surface Sa to be processed of the substrate S faces a direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity (a direction parallel to the XY plane). However, the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the substrate S may be transported in a state where the processing surface Sa of the substrate S faces a direction parallel to the direction of gravity (a state where the substrate S is erected). In this case, when the substrate S is bent in the direction of gravity in the tension release mechanisms 92 and 93, the surface Sa to be processed of the substrate S may be partially directed in a direction perpendicular to the direction of gravity.
In FIG. 2, the processing apparatus 10 has been described with an example of a combination of a coating apparatus, a heating apparatus, an exposure apparatus, a developing apparatus, a cleaning apparatus, and a plating apparatus, but is not limited to this combination. A plurality of the processing apparatuses 10 may be arranged in the X direction or the Y direction. That is, the constituent elements of the display elements are sequentially formed on the substrate S by transporting the substrate S to the coating apparatus of another processing apparatus 10 via the guide roller R30 and repeating the above operation. In this case, when a plurality of processing apparatuses 10 are arranged, the exposure accuracy and resolution of the plurality of exposure apparatuses EX may be different from each other. When a plurality of the processing apparatuses 10 are arranged in the Y direction, as described above, a configuration in which a plurality of heating units 50 as shown in FIG. 5, that is, adjacent heating units 50 are connected can be used.
In the present embodiment, the pressure in the processing chambers 11 to 13 may be adjusted independently.
For example, in the processing chamber 13 containing the exposure apparatus EX, the pressure in the processing chamber 13 is processed so that foreign matter (particles) adhering to the surface of the optical system does not enter from another processing chamber, for example, the processing chamber 12. It is desirable that the pressure be higher than the pressure in the chamber 12. Further, since a plurality of liquids are used in the processing chamber 11, it is desirable to set the pressure in the processing chamber 13 higher than the pressure in the processing chamber 12 so that these liquids do not enter the processing chamber 12.
Further, among the three processing chambers, the pressure in the three processing chambers is the highest in the processing chamber 13, the lowest in the processing chamber 11, and the processing chamber 12 is placed between the processing chamber 13 and the processing chamber 11. You may set to the pressure of.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS S ... Substrate CONT ... Control part EX ... Exposure apparatus R (R1-R30) ... Guide roller (guide part) 3 ... Substrate processing part (processing part) 10 ... Processing apparatus 41 ... Coating apparatus 42 ... Developing apparatus 43 ... Cleaning apparatus 44 ... Plating devices 11-13 ... Processing chambers (first processing chamber, second processing chamber, third processing chamber) 15-19 ... Connection unit 20 ... Conveying device (conveying unit) 45 ... Waste liquid recovery unit (collection pipe, recovery unit) 51-53 ... Heating device 60 ... Chamber 61 ... Substrate carry-in port (carry-in port) 62 ... Substrate accommodation chamber (accommodation chamber) 63 ... Substrate carry-out port (carry-out port) 70 ... Heating part 84 ... Foreign matter movement suppression device 85 ... Fluid Movement restricting device 86 ... Temperature control device (substrate temperature control unit) 91 ... Vibration removal device (adjustment mechanism) 92, 93 ... Tension release mechanism 96 ... Rotation drive unit 100 ... Substrate processing device 192, 193 ... Vibration absorption mechanism 292 293 ... vibration absorption mechanism 392, 393 ... vibration applying mechanism

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a device manufacturing method.
This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-097122 for which it applied on April 25, 2011, and uses the content here.

The aspect which concerns on this invention aims at providing the substrate processing apparatus and device manufacturing method which can arrange | position a process part efficiently.

Claims (11)

A plurality of processing units for processing each of the substrates formed in a band shape,
A first processing chamber containing a first processing unit capable of executing a common sub-process in the plurality of processing units;
Of the plurality of processing units, a second processing chamber that houses a second processing unit;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a transfer unit configured to transfer the substrate to each of the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the common sub-process includes at least one of a heat treatment step, an exposure treatment step, and a wet treatment step. The common sub-process includes a heat treatment step,
The first processing unit includes:
A carry-in entrance for carrying in the substrate to be carried;
A housing having a storage chamber for storing the substrate carried in from the carry-in port, and a carry-out port for carrying out the substrate;
A heating unit for heating the substrate accommodated in the accommodation chamber;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. The first processing unit has a plurality of the casings,
The substrate processing apparatus of Claim 3. The said heating part is provided in common with respect to the said some housing | casing. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first processing unit includes an adjustment mechanism that adjusts at least one of a transport speed and a transport path of the substrate in the storage chamber for each housing. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first processing unit includes a folding unit that folds the substrate a plurality of times in the accommodation chamber. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the heating unit includes an irradiation unit that irradiates the substrate with electromagnetic waves. Further comprising a connecting portion for connecting the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport unit includes a guide unit that guides the substrate so that the substrate passes through the connection unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the guide unit includes a substrate temperature adjusting unit that adjusts a temperature of the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber are arranged side by side in a gravity direction. Further comprising a third processing chamber for accommodating a plurality of third processing units capable of performing a wet processing step;
The third processing chamber is disposed below the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber with respect to the direction of gravity, and is provided with a recovery unit that recovers waste generated in the wet processing step. Item 11. The substrate processing apparatus according to Item 10.

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