KR100907150B1 - Developing apparatus with macro inspection - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a developing apparatus having macro inspection, comprising a macro inspection device and a developing device. The macro inspection mechanism is connected with the developing mechanism and is located in front of the developing mechanism. The macro inspection mechanism is first used to inspect the substrate to which the photoresist is applied. The inspector observes what defects have occurred on the substrate. If a defect has occurred on the substrate, the substrate is recovered and discarded, or the photoresist is recoated. Thus, the test time of a new manufacturing process or a new photoresist can be saved. In addition, the quality of the substrate can be observed before development. Thus, product scrap rate is reduced, resulting in lower costs and improved yield.

Developing apparatus having macro inspection, macro inspection mechanism, developing apparatus

Description

Developing apparatus with macro check {DEVELOPING APPARATUS WITH MACRO INSPECTION}

1 is a schematic diagram in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a side view of the apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a cross-sectional view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a front view of the apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a cross-sectional view of an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a front view of the device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

7A is a flowchart of a developing process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7B is a flowchart of a developing process according to another embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a flowchart according to the prior art.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

1: developing device with macro inspection

2: substrate

10: macro inspection mechanism

12: developing mechanism 12

100: cover body

103: light box

107: inspection platform

108: support

1032 cover part

The present invention relates to a developing apparatus, and more particularly to a developing apparatus having a macro inspection.

A conventional manufacturing process for applying and developing photoresist on a substrate is shown in FIG. First, a step (S10) of transferring the substrate to the carrier is carried out. Thereafter, the step of cleaning the substrate (S11) is performed. Next, applying a photoresist on the cleaned substrate (S12) is performed. Thereafter, step S13 is performed to expose the substrate to which the photoresist is applied. Then, in step S14, the exposed substrate is developed. Thereafter, step S15 is performed in which an optical inspection is performed on the developed substrate. Finally, the step S16 of transferring the optically inspected substrate to the carrier is performed. Therefore, after the substrate has been developed, a passive carrier needs to be used to transfer the substrate toward the macro inspection mechanism for inspecting the developed substrate for defects. If a defect is found in the substrate, the substrate must be recovered and discarded. Therefore, a considerable time of the process time has already been consumed. In addition, the material costs and operating costs of the machines have already been wasted.

The macro inspection mechanism described above is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003337106. The macro inspection mechanism is provided with a first hood that protects the first projection light source L1 and a second hood that protects the second projection light source L2, wherein the first and second projection light sources are parallel light. A first Fresnel lens and a second Fresnel lens for causing parallel light are included. The macro inspection mechanism further comprises a mounting-and-supporting member used to support the platform on which the object can be placed and the angle of inclination can be adjusted. In addition, a support member is provided that can be stretched and retracted so that the platform on which the object can be placed can freely stretch and retract. Also included is a controller for manipulating the mounting / support member and the support member to control the inclination angle of the platform.

The prior art described above can filter out defective substrates; The entire manufacturing process must all be carried out, after which the defect can be inspected. Thus, the process time was wasted and the operating cost of the machine was increased.

An object of the present invention is to provide a developing apparatus having a macro inspection, which can inspect a substrate to which a photoresist is applied before development and can inspect in real time whether the substrate has a defect. Thus, process time can be saved and defects in the substrate can be found at an early stage. As a result, costs can be reduced and production yield can be improved.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a developing apparatus having a macro inspection, which can transfer a photoresist-coated substrate to another macro inspection mechanism without labor to perform inspection. Thus, time is saved and production yield is improved.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a developing apparatus having a macro inspection. The developing apparatus includes a macro inspection mechanism and a developing mechanism. The macro inspection mechanism inspects the substrate whether or not a defect has occurred in the substrate to which the photoresist has been applied before development. If a defect is found, the substrate is recovered and discarded. Alternatively, the macro inspection mechanism inspects the substrate to see if a defect has occurred in the substrate to which the photoresist has been applied before development. If a defect is found, the substrate is recovered and the photoresist is recoated.

The macro inspection mechanism includes a light box and an inspection platform. The light box includes one or more light source sets having a plurality of light sources. The light source may be a white light source and a sodium light source. A movable hood is installed in front of the light source set. The movable hood can selectively protect the light sources of the light source set. The light source set projects light onto a substrate that is placed on an inspection platform.

The inspection platform is also connected to a support having one or more threaded shafts. The tilt angle of the inspection platform can be adjusted by adjusting the threaded shaft. In addition, the lid body is installed on the support. The lid body is used to cover the inspection platform inside it. At the upper part of the lid part main body, a light box is provided. In addition, an observation window is installed in the lid body and is installed between the light box and the inspection platform, whereby the inspector can observe whether the substrate has a defect.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to enable better understanding and recognition of the structures and features as well as the effects of the present invention, the detailed description of the present invention, together with the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, is described below.

1 shows a schematic diagram according to one embodiment of the invention. As shown in the figure, the present invention provides a developing apparatus 1 having a macro inspection comprising a macro inspection mechanism 10 and a developing mechanism 12. The macro inspection mechanism 10 is connected to the developing mechanism 12; A transparent substrate coated with a photoresist was applied to examine whether a defect (for example, photoresist non-uniformity or a plurality of mura defects) on a substrate having a photoresist applied thereon occurred on the substrate. Check it. If a defect is found on the substrate, the substrate is discarded. Thus, the time for inspecting the new process and the new photoresist can be saved, and the quality of the substrate can be observed before development. Alternatively, the photoresist-coated substrate is not directly exposed but directly inspected using the macro inspection mechanism 10. If a defect is found on the substrate, the substrate is recovered and the photoresist is reapplied. Thus, process time may not be wasted, production costs may be reduced, and production yield may be improved.

2 shows a side view of the apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the macro inspection mechanism 10 includes a lid body 100, a light box 103, an inspection platform 107, and a support 108. The support 108 supports the inspection platform 107 and is provided with a plurality of threaded shafts 109. The inclination angle of the inspection platform 107 is adjusted by manipulating the plurality of threaded shafts 109. The light box 103 is provided in the upper upper side of the lid main body 100. The lid body 100 is covered on the support 108 such that the inspection platform 107 is located in the lid body 100. The substrate 2 is positioned on the inspection platform 107 and light is projected from the light box 103 to inspect whether a defect has occurred on the substrate 2.

3 shows a cross-sectional view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in the figure, the light box 103 has one or more light source sets 104. In the present embodiment, the light box 103 is provided with six sets of light sources 104, each set of light sources 105 having a plurality of light sources 105. In this embodiment, each light source set 104 has two light sources 105. One of the light sources 105 is a white light source, and the other light source 105 is a sodium light source. In front of each light source set 104, a movable hood 106 is installed to protect one of the light sources 105. The inspector can adjust the movable hood 106 to protect the remaining light source 105. In order to observe whether a defect has occurred, the plurality of light source sets 104 in the light box 103 projects light toward the inspection platform 107 on which the substrate 2 is placed.

4 shows a front view of the apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the observation window 101 is installed in the lid body 100. The observation window 101 is installed between the light box 103 and the inspection platform 107 so that the inspector can easily observe the substrate 2 through the observation window 101. In the center of the observation window 101, a support column 102 is provided to support the observation window 101 and divide the observation window 101 into a first observation window 1010 and a second observation window 1012. . Safety sliding doors 1011 and 1013 are installed in the first and second viewing windows 1010 and 1012, respectively. When the macro inspection mechanism 10 is not in use, the safety sliding doors 1011 and 1013 are closed, so that external dust cannot easily enter the macro inspection mechanism.

Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a device according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, in the present embodiment, when the plurality of light sources 105 of the plurality of light source sets 104 in the light box 103 project light toward the substrate 2, the plurality of light sources 105 By scattering of), the nonuniformity of light on the surface of the substrate 2 can be improved. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the base 1030 is provided below the light box 103 inside the lid main body 100. Base 1030 is used to support lid 1032. The material of the lid portion 1032 is a transparent material. Therefore, when the light of the plurality of light sources 105 is projected onto the substrate 2, the lid portion 1032 can make the projection light uniform on the substrate 2 surface.

6 shows a front view of the apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the present embodiment supports the support pillar 102 that divides the observation window 101 into the first and second observation windows 1010 and 1012 in the center of the observation window 101 in the above-described embodiment. To improve. The divided viewing window 101 generates dead spaces in the field of view, resulting in discomfort during observation. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the support pillars are respectively provided on both sides of the upper side of the observation window 101, and the safety sliding door 1011 is similarly installed. As a result, the observer's gaze is not disturbed.

7A shows a flowchart of a developing process according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, in the conventional developing process, the substrate to which the photoresist is applied is first developed, and then transferred to the macro inspection mechanism for inspection. In general, defective substrates can be recovered and discarded, and considerable time and high costs during machine operation have already been wasted, which is not economical. In contrast, the developing apparatus according to the present invention has a macro inspection mechanism. Before developing the substrate, the substrate is inspected using a macro inspection mechanism. If a defect is found on the substrate, the substrate is discarded. Thus, time for testing new manufacturing processes and new photoresists can be saved. In addition, the product scrap rate can be reduced by observing whether or not the quality of the substrate is poor before development.

In the developing process according to the present invention, first, a step (S20) of transferring a substrate to a carrier is performed. Thereafter, step S21 is performed to clean the substrate. Next, applying a photoresist on the cleaned substrate (S22) is performed. Thereafter, step S23 is performed to expose the substrate coated with the photoresist. Thereafter, the step S24 of inspecting the exposed substrate is performed to observe whether a defect has occurred using the macro inspection mechanism. If a defect has occurred, the step (S25) of discarding the substrate is performed. Otherwise, step S26 of developing the exposed substrate is performed. Finally, an optical inspection is carried out on the developed substrate, and then the transferred substrate is transferred to the carrier (S27).

7B shows a flowchart of a developing process according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, in the above embodiment, the substrate to which the photoresist is applied is immediately exposed to macro inspection. If a defect is found on the substrate, the substrate is recovered and the photoresist is reapplied. Thus, time may not be wasted and costs may be effectively reduced. In the developing process according to the present invention, a step S30 of first transferring a substrate to a carrier is performed. Thereafter, the step of cleaning the substrate (S31) is performed. Next, applying a photoresist on the cleaned substrate (S32) is performed. Thereafter, the step S33 of inspecting the substrate to which the photoresist is applied is performed to observe whether a defect has occurred using the macro inspection mechanism. If a defect has occurred, step S34 of recovering the substrate is executed. Thereafter, the substrate is cleaned and the photoresist is recoated.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that the present invention provides a developing apparatus having a macro inspection, which can discover whether the substrate has a defect before developing the photoresist-coated substrate. If a defect is found on the substrate, the substrate is recovered and reworked. Thus, the new manufacturing process and the test time of the new photoresist can be saved. In addition, the product scrap rate can be reduced by observing whether or not the quality of the substrate is poor before development. Alternatively, production can be paused if a defect is found by inspecting the photoresist-coated substrate prior to development. As a result, the cost due to discarded defective products can be effectively lowered.

Accordingly, the present invention has legal requirements due to its novelty, cost effectiveness and practicality. However, the foregoing descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention, but do not limit the scope and scope of the present invention. Equivalent modifications or variations made based on the shapes, structures, features or ideas described in the claims of the present invention are included within the appended claims of the present invention.

According to the present invention, process time can be saved, and defects in the substrate can be found at an early stage, and as a result, cost can be reduced and production yield can be improved.

Claims (15)

It is a developing device having a macro check, A macro inspection mechanism for inspecting defects on the substrate after applying the photoresist; A developing mechanism connected to the macro inspection mechanism and developing a substrate free of defects, The macro inspection mechanism, Inspection platform, And a light box comprising a set of one or more light sources for projecting light onto a substrate placed on the inspection platform to determine what defects have occurred on the substrate. The developing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is a transparent substrate. delete The developing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the macro inspection mechanism further includes a support for supporting the inspection platform and provided with a plurality of threaded shafts, the support having a macro inspection capable of adjusting an inclination angle of the inspection platform. The developing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light source set has a macro inspection comprising a plurality of light sources. The developing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the light source is a white light source. The developing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the light source is a sodium light source. The developing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light source set includes a movable hood for selectively protecting a light source of said light source set. The phenomenon of claim 1, wherein a base is installed between the inspection platform and the light box, the base being used to support the lid, and the lid having a macro inspection to make the light projected onto the substrate uniform. Device. The developing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the material of the lid portion is a transparent material. 5. The developing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the macro inspection mechanism further comprises a lid body installed on the support and provided with at least one observation window. The developing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the observation window has a macro inspection provided between the inspection platform and the light box to easily observe the state of the substrate. 12. The developing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a support column is installed at the center of the observation window, and the support column has a macro inspection used to divide the observation window into a first observation window and a second observation window. The developing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a safety sliding door is provided in the first observation window and the second observation window, respectively. 12. The developing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein support pillars are respectively provided on upper sides of said observation window, and a safety sliding door is installed on said observation window.

Images