KR101255718B1 - System for treating substrate and Method for treating substrate using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention, substrate transfer apparatus; Two load lock chambers installed at both sides of the substrate transfer apparatus; A substrate supply unit supplying a substrate to the load lock chamber by the substrate transfer device; Two or more process chambers for processing said substrate; It provides a substrate processing system comprising a transfer chamber for exchanging the load lock chamber and the substrate of the process chamber.

According to the present invention, the process chamber and the load lock chamber may be radially disposed around the transfer chamber, and thus, the process chamber and the load lock chamber may be separated. Can be.

Substrate Processing System, Substrate Supply Unit, Mobile Transfer Chamber

Description

Substrate processing system and substrate processing method using the same {System for treating substrate and Method for treating substrate using the same}

1 is a block diagram of a conventional substrate processing system

2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a substrate washing part

3 is a view showing a substrate exchange process between the transfer robot and the substrate cleaner;

4 is a block diagram of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a view showing a roller arrangement of the substrate supply unit

6 is a view showing a carrying-out member consisting of a standby unit and a dropping member on the upper portion thereof;

7A to 7E are views illustrating a process of carrying in an unprocessed substrate

8A to 8D illustrate a process of carrying out a processing substrate.

Description of the Related Art [0002]

20: process chamber 30: load lock chamber

70: movable transfer chamber 71: transfer chamber guide rail

80: substrate transfer device 90: cassette

100: substrate supply unit 110: loading member

112,122,132: x direction roller 114,134: y direction roller

120: cleaning member 130: carrying in and out member

131: atmospheric member 133: dripping member

210: substrate supply cassette 212: first waiting area

214: supply area 216: first buffer area

220: substrate loading cassette 222: second waiting area

224: loading area 226: second buffer area

300: AGV

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention provides a glass device for manufacturing a display device or a semiconductor device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a field emission display (FED), an organic light emitting diode device (OLED), or the like. Or it relates to a substrate processing system for processing a wafer (hereinafter referred to as a substrate).

In general, to manufacture a display device or a semiconductor device, a thin film deposition process for depositing a thin film of a specific material on a substrate, a photolithography process for exposing or hiding selected areas of the thin films using a photosensitive material, and removing the thin film of the selected area Patterning is done as desired, followed by an etching process, and each of these processes is performed in a chamber designed for the optimal environment.

In particular, in recent years, in order to process a large amount of substrates in a short time, a process chamber for performing a substrate processing process, a load lock chamber which is a buffer area for replacing the substrate, a transfer chamber for transferring or transferring the substrate between the load lock chamber and the process chamber, etc. Many cluster type substrate processing systems are integrally used.

FIG. 1 illustrates a general configuration of such a clustered substrate processing system, and includes a transfer chamber 10, a plurality of process chambers 20 and a loadlock chamber 30 coupled to side portions of the transfer chamber 10. , A transfer unit 40 positioned on the side of the load lock chamber 30, load ports 61 and 62 on one side of the transfer unit 40, and a cassette placed thereon, and located on the other side of the transfer unit 40. Substrate washing section 50 is included.

The process chamber 20 performs processes such as thin film deposition and etching on a substrate while maintaining a high vacuum state, and the transfer chamber 10 uses the process chamber robot 11 located therein to process the process chamber 20. The vacuum is also maintained as a space for transferring the substrate between the process chamber 20 or between the process chamber 20 and the load lock chamber 30. A passage for entering and leaving the substrate is formed between the process chamber 20 and the transfer chamber 10.

The load lock chamber 30 is a space connected to the transfer chamber 10 in the vacuum state and the transfer unit 40 in the atmospheric pressure state, so that one side and the other side have a substrate entrance communicating with the transfer chamber 10 and the transfer unit 40, respectively. And a vacuum state and an atmospheric pressure state are repeated as the substrate enters and exits.

The transfer part 40 is a space for transferring a substrate between the load ports 61 and 62 and the load lock chamber 30 by using the transfer part robot 41. The transfer part 40 is a guide rail for linear movement of the transfer part 41. 42) may be installed.

The substrate cleaner 50 is an area for cleaning the substrate picked up from the cassettes of the load ports 61 and 62 before being loaded into the load lock chamber 30. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 31) and the lower unit (32).

Therefore, when the transfer part robot 41 places the substrate s in one end of the lower unit 32 of the substrate cleaner 50, the substrate s moves to the other end of the lower unit 32 by the roller 33 and It is cleaned by the cleaning liquid sprayed through the shower head 34. After cleaning and drying, the substrate s is moved from the other end of the lower unit 32 to the upper unit 31 by a moving means (not shown), and then along the roller 33 to a position where the transfer unit robot 41 waits. Move.

Since the transfer part robot 41 has a double arm structure, as shown in FIG. 3, the substrate is placed on the lower unit 32 and the substrate that has been cleaned by the upper unit 31 is removed. After completion of the exchange, the substrate is moved along the guide rails 42 to the load lock chamber 30.

However, in such a cluster type substrate processing system, a plurality of process chambers 20 and a load lock chamber 30 are radially coupled around the transfer chamber 10 as well as the transfer chamber robot 11 in the transfer chamber 70. Since it must be able to rotate at, the volume of the transfer chamber 70 is bound to increase.

Therefore, the overall footprint of the device is increased and the price is very expensive. In addition, since the process chamber 20 and the load lock chamber 30 are to be coupled around the transfer chamber 10, the arrangement of the process chamber 20 and the load lock chamber 30 may be limited, thereby limiting the space utilization.

In addition, since the transfer unit robot 41 transfers each substrate s to the substrate washing unit 50 and moves the cleaned substrate to the load lock chamber 30, the transfer of the substrate takes a long time to load the substrate. It is the cause of deterioration.

The present invention is to solve the above problems, and to provide a substrate processing system having a more various arrangement form by escaping from the uniform form of radially arranging the process chamber and the load lock chamber around the transfer chamber. In addition, it is to provide a substrate processing system that can further improve the substrate processing capacity by reducing the time required for transporting the substrate.

The present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a substrate transfer device; Two load lock chambers installed at both sides of the substrate transfer apparatus; A substrate supply unit supplying a substrate to the load lock chamber by the substrate transfer device; Two or more process chambers for processing said substrate; It provides a substrate processing system comprising a transfer chamber for exchanging the load lock chamber and the substrate of the process chamber.

The load lock chamber has a first substrate entrance through which the substrate is exchanged by the substrate transfer device and a second substrate entrance through which the substrate is exchanged by the transfer chamber.

The substrate inlet of the process chamber is provided in the same direction as the second substrate inlet of the load lock chamber.

The transfer chamber includes a substrate transfer means therein, and the substrate is replaced with the load lock chamber or the process chamber in a vacuum state.

The substrate supply unit may include a carrying member for loading and receiving the substrate from the loading member, the loading member into which the substrate is loaded, into the load lock chamber or receiving the substrate carried out from the load lock chamber.

The cleaning device further comprises a cleaning member for cleaning the substrate between the loading member and the carrying-in / out member.

The carrying in / out member includes a dropping member for dropping the substrate carried out from the load lock chamber, which is a standby member that temporarily waits for the substrate before being loaded into the load lock chamber.

The loading member, the waiting member, the dripping member, and the cleaning member are provided with transfer means for continuously moving the substrate.

The loading member and the waiting member may be driven independently of each other and include a first direction moving means and a second direction moving means capable of height adjustment, the dripping member including a first direction moving means, and the cleaning member may include It includes a two-way movement means.

The substrate processing system further includes a substrate supply cassette portion for supplying the substrate to the loading member, and a substrate loading cassette portion for dropping the substrate of the carrying-in / out member.

The substrate supply cassette unit may include: a supply region in which a cassette on which the substrate is loaded is located to supply the substrate to the loading member; A first waiting area in which the cassette on which the substrate is loaded waits; And a first buffer region in which the cassette which has completed supplying the substrate is located, wherein the substrate loading cassette section includes: a loading region for dropping the substrate from the carrying-in and out members onto the cassette; A second waiting area in which the cassette stands for loading the substrate; And a second buffer region in which the cassette where the dropping of the substrate is completed is located.

The cassette having completed supplying the substrate to the first buffer region may be moved to the second standby region.

And a cassette transport means for loading and unloading a cassette into the substrate supply cassette portion and the substrate loading cassette portion.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the substrate processing system according to the embodiment of the present invention, the process chamber 20 and the load lock chamber 30 are not radially coupled around the transfer chamber as in the related art, and the process chamber 20 and the load lock chamber 30 are not. Is characterized by being arranged in an inline form.

Looking in detail with reference to Figure 4, the two load lock chambers 30 are installed on both sides of the substrate transfer device 80 which is installed in the atmospheric pressure facing each other, the side of each load lock chamber 30 The process chambers 20 are arranged in a line.

The substrate transfer device 80 is a device corresponding to a conventional transfer unit robot, and carries the unprocessed substrate supplied from the substrate supply unit to the load lock chamber 30, and takes out the processing substrate from the load lock chamber 30.

Each load lock chamber 30 has a second substrate entrance 32 formed opposite to the first substrate entrance 31 formed toward the substrate transfer device 80.

The substrate inlet 22 of each process chamber 20 is formed in the same direction as the second substrate inlet 32 of the load lock chamber 30, and the substrate exchange between the load lock chamber 30 and the process chamber 20 is performed. Is performed by the movable transfer chamber 70 which linearly moves in front of the second substrate entrance 32 of the load lock chamber and the substrate entrance 22 of the process chamber.

The movable transfer chamber 70 has a vacuum inside, and docks with the second substrate entrance 32 of the load lock chamber or the substrate entrance 22 of the process chamber to exchange the substrate, and has a substrate transportation means therein.

That is, in the state in which the movable transfer chamber 70 is docked with the load lock chamber 30 or the process chamber 20, the substrate transport means inside the movable transfer chamber 70 is the load lock chamber 30 or the process chamber 20. Enter the inside of and exchange the substrate.

Since the movable transfer chamber 70 linearly moves along the arrangement direction of the process chamber 20 and the load lock chamber 30, for this purpose, the substrate entrance 22 of the process chamber and the second substrate entrance 32 of the load lock chamber are provided. The transfer chamber guide rail 71 is installed on the front surface of the) and the transfer chamber 70 moves along the guide rail 71.

In order to dock the movable transfer chamber 70 with the process chamber 20 or the load lock chamber 30, the movable transfer chamber 70 must also be movable in a direction perpendicular to the guide rail 71. Since the specific configuration and docking means of the movable transfer chamber 70 has been separately patented (10-2005-83650), further description thereof will be omitted.

On the other hand, one side of the substrate transfer device 80 is provided with a substrate supply unit 100, one side of the substrate supply unit 100 is a substrate supply cassette 210 and a processing substrate to be supplied with a cassette loaded with an unprocessed substrate is to be loaded The substrate loading cassette portion 220 on which the cassette is placed is located.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the substrate supply unit 100 includes a loading member 110 in which a substrate is loaded from the substrate supply cassette 210, and a cleaning member for cleaning the substrate transferred from the loading member 110. 120, the substrate having been cleaned is loaded into the load lock chamber 30 or is divided into the carrying-out member 130 on which the substrate taken out from the load lock chamber 30 is placed. At this time, the cleaning member 120 may be omitted.

The stacking member 110 includes an x-direction roller 112 and a y-direction roller 114 which are driven independently of each other and whose height is adjustable. Therefore, when the substrate s is supplied from the substrate supply cassette 210, the position of the y-direction roller 114 is higher than that of the x-direction roller 112, so that the substrate s is loaded by the y-direction roller 114. 110, the position of the x-direction roller 112 is higher than that of the y-direction roller 114 to move the substrate s toward the cleaning member 120.

The substrate s continues to move by the x-direction roller 122 of the cleaning member 120 and undergoes a cleaning and drying process during the movement.

After cleaning, the substrate s is transferred to the carrying in / out member 130, and the carrying in / out member 130 includes an x-direction roller 132 and a y-direction roller 134, and the x-direction roller 132 has a cleaning member ( In order to continuously move the substrate transferred from the 120, the y-direction roller 134 finishes the process and removes the substrate carried out from the load lock chamber 30 to the substrate loading cassette unit 220, that is, (-) This is to move in the y-axis direction.

However, since the substrate exchange time increases when the unprocessed substrate and the processed substrate are exchanged through the unloading member 130 having a single structure, the substrate is temporarily waited before the unloading member 130 is loaded into the load lock chamber 30 as shown in FIG. 6. It is more preferable that the dropping member 133 for dropping the waiting member 131 and the substrate carried out from the load lock chamber 30 is configured in multiple layers, and the substrate transfer device 80 is configured with a double arm.

That is, the substrate transfer time can be shortened by letting the substrate transfer device 80 drop the processing substrate carried out from the load lock chamber 30 onto the dripping member 133 and picking up the unprocessed substrate from the standby member 131. .

At this time, the atmospheric member 131 need only be provided with the x-direction roller 132 so that the substrate transferred from the cleaning member 120 can enter, and the dripping member 133 substrates the substrate laid down by the substrate transfer device 80. Since the dripping cassette unit 220 needs to be moved, the y-direction roller 134 should be provided. The positions of the dropping member 133 and the waiting member 131 may be changed up and down.

As shown in FIG. 4, a substrate supply cassette 210 for supplying a cassette on which an unprocessed substrate is loaded is positioned at one side of the substrate supply 100. The substrate supply cassette unit 210 includes a supply region 214, a first standby region 212, and a first buffer region 216, and the supply region 214 and the first standby region 212 provide an unprocessed substrate. The loaded cassette is an area loaded by an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle, 300), and the buffer area 216 is an empty cassette which has finished loading the substrate and is transferred to a neighboring substrate loading cassette unit 220, or by the AGV 300. This area is temporarily waiting until it is taken out.

4 again, not only the substrate supply cassette 210 but also the substrate loading cassette 220 is located at one side of the substrate supply 100. The substrate loading cassette unit 220 is an area in which an empty cassette for loading a processed substrate is placed, specifically, a dropping region 224 in which an empty cassette for loading a processing substrate is placed, and an empty cassette for loading a substrate is waiting. The second standby region 222 and the second buffer region 226 which temporarily waits before the cassette loaded with the processing substrate in the dropping region 224 are taken out to the outside by the AGV.

Hereinafter, a process in which the substrate s is loaded from the cassette to the load lock chamber 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7E.

When the AGV first lowers the cassette 90 on which the unprocessed substrate is loaded in the supply region 214 and the first standby region 212 of the substrate supply cassette portion 210, the cassette in the supply region 214 loads the substrate supply portion. The substrate s is supplied to the member 110.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a sequential cassette is used for loading a substrate. The sequential cassette is a cassette having self-driving means for loading and unloading the loaded substrate.

Therefore, a separate substrate transfer device may be omitted between the cassette 90 of the substrate supply cassette unit 210 and the stacking member 110 of the substrate supply unit 100, and the substrate s supplied from the cassette 90 may be omitted. In order to transport, the y-direction roller 114 may be installed on the stacking member 110 as described above (see FIG. 7A).

The substrate supplied from the cassette 90 moves from the loading member 110 of the substrate supply part 100 to the carrying-in / out member 130 through the cleaning member 120 (see FIG. 7B).

Subsequently, the substrate transfer device 80 moves to the carrying in / out member 130, picks up the cleaned substrate s, and loads it into the load lock chamber 30. At this time, the inside of the load lock chamber 30 is at atmospheric pressure. to be.

The process of picking up the unprocessed substrate from the loading / unloading member 130 by the substrate transfer device 80 is sequentially performed by lowering the processed substrate carried out from the load lock chamber 30 onto the loading / unloading member 130. In addition, when the carrying-out member 130 is divided into the standby member 131 and the dripping member 133 as shown in FIG. 6, the substrate transfer device 80 lays down the processing substrate on the dripping member 133 and waits. The process of picking up the substrate from the member 131 is performed simultaneously or continuously (see FIGS. 7C and 7D).

Meanwhile, while the substrate s is loaded, the cassette of the first standby region 212 waits with the unprocessed substrate loaded. When the cassette 90 of the supply region 214 brings all the substrates into the loading member 110 of the substrate supply unit 100 and becomes an empty cassette, the cassette 90 is transferred from the supply region 214 to the first buffer region 216. At the same time, the cassette of the first waiting area 212 is transferred to the supply area 214.

As described above, in order to move the cassette from the first standby area 212 to the supply area 214 and from the supply area 214 to the buffer area 216, the substrate supply cassette part 210 has a cassette moving means such as a feed roller (not shown). Of course) must be installed (see FIG. 7E).

Hereinafter, referring to FIGS. 8A to 8D, a process of carrying out the processed substrate s ′ from the load lock chamber 30 to the substrate loading cassette unit 220 will be described.

First, in order to carry out the processing substrate, an empty cassette should be waited at the dripping area 224 of the substrate loading cassette unit 220. The empty cassette may be supplied by AGV, but the substrate may be loaded from the substrate supply cassette 210. The empty cassette may be directly transferred to the substrate loading cassette 220 using a transfer means.

As such, when the cassette used in the substrate supply cassette unit 210 is used in the substrate loading cassette unit 220, the substrates before and after the process are stacked in the same cassette, thereby facilitating process management for the substrate and the cassette.

Therefore, when the empty cassette 90 transferred from the first buffer area 216 of the substrate supply cassette part 210 is positioned in the loading area 224 via the second waiting area 222 of the substrate loading cassette part 220. Subsequently, the substrate transfer device 80 takes out the processing substrate s' from the load lock chamber 30 and places it on the loading / unloading member 130, specifically, the dropping member 133 of the substrate supply unit 100. See 8a)

The dripping member 133 transfers the processing substrate s' to the empty cassette 90 positioned in the dripping region 224 of the substrate dripping cassette unit 220 using the y-direction roller 134. The cassette 90 used at this time is preferably a sequential cassette having self-driving means capable of lifting and unloading the loaded substrate (see FIG. 8B).

When the cassette 90 of the dripping area 224 is filled with the processing substrate, the cassette is moved to the second buffer area 226 and the empty cassette 90 of the second waiting area 222 is moved to the dripping area 224. (See Fig. 8c).

The AGV then ejects the cassette 90 of the second buffer region 226, and in the empty second standby region 222, a new empty cassette 90 from the first buffer region 216 of the substrate supply cassette section 210. ) Is transferred (see FIG. 8D).

According to the present invention, the process chamber and the load lock chamber may be radially disposed around the transfer chamber to have a more diverse arrangement, and the installation area of the substrate processing system may be minimized.

In addition, the substrate processing time can be further improved by shortening the substrate transportation time.

Claims (13)

A process chamber for processing the substrate; And a loading member on which the substrate is loaded, a loading / unloading member on which the substrate is supplied from the loading member or carried out from the process chamber, and a cleaning member located between the loading member and the carrying-in / out member. The member, the cleaning member and the carrying-in / out member may include a substrate supply unit arranged along a first direction; A substrate transfer device for transferring the substrate between the process chamber and the substrate supply unit; A substrate supply cassette unit for supplying the substrate in a second direction crossing the first direction on one side of the loading member; And A substrate loading cassette portion for loading the substrate of the carrying in / out member; The substrate loading cassette portion is located on the first side of the carrying-in member and the substrate moves from the carrying-in member to the substrate loading cassette portion in a third direction opposite to the second direction, and the process chamber is carried out by the carrying-in member. A substrate processing system located on the second side of the substrate. The method of claim 1, And the carrying in / out member includes a waiting member which temporarily waits before the substrate is brought into the process chamber and a dropping member in which the substrate carried out from the process chamber is loaded. 3. The method of claim 2, And said loading member, said waiting member, said dripping member, and said cleaning member comprise transfer means for continuously moving said substrate. The method of claim 3, The stacking member is independently driven from each other and can be height-adjusted and is moved by the first moving means capable of moving the substrate in the first direction independently of one another and is capable of height adjustment and moves the substrate in the second direction. And a second moving means, wherein the waiting part and the cleaning member include the first moving means, and the dropping member includes the second moving means. The method of claim 1, The substrate supply cassette unit, A supply region in which a cassette on which the substrate is loaded is located to supply the substrate to the loading member; A first waiting area in which the cassette on which the substrate is loaded waits; And A first buffer region in which the cassette which has completed supplying the substrate is located; The substrate loading cassette unit, A dropping region for dropping the substrate onto the cassette from the carrying-out member; A second waiting area in which the cassette stands for loading the substrate; And A second buffer region in which the cassette where the dropping of the substrate is completed is located; Substrate processing system comprising a. The method of claim 5, A substrate processing system for moving the cassette, in which the supply of the substrate in the first buffer region is completed, to the second standby region. The method of claim 5, And a cassette transport means for loading and unloading the cassette into the substrate supply cassette portion and the substrate loading cassette portion. The method of claim 1, A load lock chamber for exchanging the substrate with the process chamber; And A transfer chamber coupled with the process chamber or the load lock chamber to exchange the substrate in a vacuum state; Substrate processing system comprising a. A process chamber for processing the substrate; And a loading member on which the substrate is loaded, a loading / unloading member on which the substrate is supplied from the loading member or carried out from the process chamber, and a cleaning member located between the loading member and the carrying-in / out member. The member, the cleaning member and the carrying-in / out member may include a substrate supply unit arranged along a first direction; A substrate transfer device for transferring the substrate between the process chamber and the substrate supply unit; A substrate supply cassette unit for supplying the substrate in a second direction crossing the first direction on one side of the loading member; And a substrate loading cassette portion for loading the substrate of the carrying-out member, wherein the substrate loading cassette portion is located on the first side of the carrying-in member and the substrate is loaded in the third direction opposite to the second direction. In the substrate processing system which moves from a member to the said substrate loading cassette part, The said process chamber is located in the 2nd side of the carrying-in / out member. Supplying the substrate to the substrate supply cassette; The substrate sequentially moving the loading member, the cleaning member, and the carrying-in / out member from the substrate supply cassette; Bringing the substrate into the process chamber from the carrying-in / out member by the substrate transfer device; Processing the substrate in the process chamber; Removing the substrate from the process chamber by the substrate transfer device and moving the substrate to the carrying in / out member; And Dropping the substrate onto the substrate loading cassette portion from the carrying in / out member; Substrate processing method using a substrate processing system comprising a. The method of claim 1, The stacking member and the carrying-in / out member can be driven independently of each other and can be height-adjusted, and can be driven independently of each other and can be height-adjusted with a first moving means capable of moving the substrate in the first direction. And second moving means capable of moving said substrate, said cleaning member comprising said first moving means. delete delete delete

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