KR102564113B1 - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, which is provided to be movable along a predetermined path and includes a transfer belt on which a substrate is seated on an outer surface, a retainer having a substrate accommodating portion formed therein and disposed to surround the circumference of the substrate, and , It is provided on the inside of the substrate accommodating unit and includes a level difference alleviating unit for alleviating the level difference on the inner wall surface of the substrate accommodating unit.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus {SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate processing apparatus capable of increasing substrate processing efficiency and improving polishing stability and polishing uniformity.

Recently, interest in information display has increased and the demand for using portable information media has increased. Research and commercialization are being focused on.

In the field of such a flat panel display, until now, a liquid crystal display device (LCD), which is light and consumes less power, has been the most popular display device, but a liquid crystal display is not a light emitting device but a light receiving device, Since there are disadvantages such as ratio and viewing angle, development of a new display device capable of overcoming these disadvantages is being actively developed. Among them, as one of the next-generation displays that have recently been spotlighted, there is an organic light emitting display (OLED).

In general, a glass substrate having excellent strength and transmittance is used in a display device, but since recent display devices are oriented towards slimness and high-pixel, a glass substrate corresponding to this needs to be prepared.

For example, as one of the OLED processes, in the ELA (Eximer Laser Annealing) process in which a laser is injected into amorphous silicon (a-Si) to crystallize it into poly-Si, protrusions may occur on the surface while poly-silicon is crystallized. Since these protrusions can cause mura-effects, the glass substrate must be polished to remove the protrusions.

To this end, recently, various studies have been made to efficiently polish the surface of the substrate, but it is still insufficient, and development thereof is required.

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of increasing substrate processing efficiency and improving polishing stability and polishing uniformity.

In particular, an object of the present invention is to increase the cleaning efficiency of the conveying belt and to minimize the residual of foreign substances.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to improve productivity and yield.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to continuously supply and process a substrate.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to simplify equipment and reduce manufacturing costs.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above-described objects of the present invention, a transfer belt provided to be movable along a predetermined path and having a substrate seated on an outer surface, and a substrate receiving portion in which the substrate is accommodated are formed, Provided is a substrate processing apparatus including a retainer arranged to surround a circumference, and a step relief portion provided inside the substrate accommodating portion and mitigating a step difference on an inner wall surface of the substrate accommodating portion.

As described above, according to the present invention, advantageous effects of increasing substrate processing efficiency and improving polishing stability and polishing uniformity can be obtained.

In particular, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain advantageous effects of increasing the cleaning efficiency of the transfer belt and minimizing the residual of foreign substances.

In addition, according to the present invention, advantageous effects of shortening the time required to process the substrate and improving productivity and yield can be obtained.

In addition, according to the present invention, an advantageous effect of continuously supplying and processing a substrate can be obtained.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to simplify equipment, reduce manufacturing costs, and obtain advantageous effects of improving space utilization.

1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention;
2 is a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, a perspective view for explaining a polishing part;
3 is a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, a view for explaining a step relief unit;
4 and 5 are a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, a view for explaining another embodiment of the step relief unit;
6 to 8 are substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, views for explaining the loading process of the substrate;
9 is a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, a plan view for explaining a polishing path of a polishing unit;
10 is a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, a view for explaining a retainer;
11 and 12 are a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, a diagram for explaining a substrate unloading process;
13 is a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, a view for explaining a cleaning unit;
14 is a diagram for explaining a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited or limited by the embodiments. For reference, in the present description, the same numbers refer to substantially the same elements, and descriptions may be made by citing contents described in other drawings under these rules, and contents determined to be obvious to those skilled in the art or repeated contents may be omitted.

1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, which is a perspective view for explaining a polishing part. In addition, FIG. 3 is a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, which is a view for explaining a level difference mitigating unit, and FIGS. . 6 to 8 are substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, which are views for explaining a substrate loading process, and FIG. 9 is a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, which is a plan view for explaining a polishing path of a polishing unit. 10 is a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, a view for explaining a retainer. Further, FIGS. 11 and 12 are views for explaining a substrate unloading process as a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 13 is a view for explaining a cleaning unit as a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.

1 to 19, the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the present invention includes a transfer belt 210 provided to be movable along a predetermined path and on which a substrate W is seated on an outer surface, and a substrate W ) A substrate accommodating portion 214a is formed, and a retainer 214 stacked on the transfer belt 210 so as to wrap around the circumference of the substrate, and a retainer 214 provided inside the substrate accommodating portion 214a, and the substrate accommodating portion ( 214a) includes a step relief unit 240 for alleviating the step difference on the inner wall surface.

This is to minimize a decrease in polishing uniformity due to foreign substances (eg, slurry) remaining on the transfer belt and to stably maintain the arrangement of the substrate.

That is, slurry is used during the chemical mechanical polishing process for the substrate, and foreign substances such as the slurry flowing down from the substrate may remain on the outer surface of the transfer belt. As such, if the polishing process for the substrate is performed in a state where foreign matter remains on the outer surface of the transfer belt, the substrate portion where the foreign matter is located protrudes locally by the thickness of the foreign matter remaining between the substrate and the transfer belt, so that the polishing of the substrate There is a problem that the uniformity is lowered. Furthermore, in order to stably maintain the arrangement of the substrate during the substrate polishing process, the movement of the substrate relative to the transfer belt must be suppressed, but if foreign substances remain on the outer surface of the transfer belt, the gap between the substrate and the transfer belt is reduced. There is a problem in that the movement (slip) of the substrate with respect to the transfer belt is difficult to be suppressed by foreign substances remaining on the substrate.

In particular, on the outer surface of the transfer belt, a retainer for suppressing the rebound phenomenon while the polishing unit passes the edge of the substrate protrudes to wrap around the substrate. Since the cleaning brush is difficult to access, there is a problem that foreign substances remain inside the retainer even though cleaning of the conveying belt is performed.

However, in the present invention, the transfer belt 210 is pre-cleaned before the substrate W to be polished is seated on the transfer belt 210, thereby improving the polishing efficiency and An advantageous effect of preventing deterioration in polishing uniformity can be obtained.

Above all, the present invention provides the retainer 214 by providing a step relief portion 240 for alleviating the step on the inner wall surface of the substrate accommodating portion 214a inside the substrate accommodating portion 214a formed in the retainer 214. ) Since the foreign matter remaining inside the retainer 214 can be spaced apart from the inner wall surface of the substrate receiving portion 214a so as to be able to contact the rotating cleaning brush 410, the foreign matter remaining inside the retainer 214 can be more effectively removed. beneficial effects can be obtained.

The conveying belt 210 is disposed between the loading part 100 and the unloading part 300, and the substrate W supplied to the loading part 100 is transferred by the conveying belt 210 to the conveying belt 210. After polishing in a state seated on, it is unloaded through the unloading part 300.

The loading part 100 is provided to load the substrate W to be polished onto the transport belt 210 .

The loading part 100 may be formed in various structures capable of loading the substrate W on the transfer belt 210, and the present invention is not limited or limited by the structure of the loading part 100.

For example, the loading part 100 is provided to transfer the substrate W at the same height as the transfer belt 210, and includes a plurality of loading transfer rollers 110 spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval. The substrate W supplied to the top of the loading and conveying roller 110 is cooperatively transported by the plurality of loading and conveying rollers 110 as the loading and conveying roller 110 rotates.

Here, the loading part 100 transfers the substrate W at the same height as the transfer belt 210, the loading part 100 is disposed at a height allowing bending deformation of the substrate W, and the substrate W ) is defined as transporting For example, in a state in which the substrate protrudes from the loading part (a state in which the substrate is transferred to escape the outermost loading transfer roller), the loading part is slightly higher than the transfer belt 210 in consideration of bending deformation of the substrate (for example, For example, within 10 mm). However, if the bending deformation of the substrate can be suppressed, the height at which the substrate W is transferred in the loading part 100 and the height at which the substrate W is seated and transferred in the transfer belt 210 may be the same. .

In addition, the substrate W supplied to the loading part 100 may be aligned in a posture and position determined by an align unit (not shown) before being supplied to the loading part 100 .

For reference, as the substrate (W) used in the present invention, a rectangular substrate (W) having a length of one side greater than 1 m may be used. For example, as the processing target substrate W on which the chemical mechanical polishing process is performed, a 6th generation glass substrate W having a size of 1500 mm * 1850 mm may be used. In some cases, it is also possible to use 7th and 8th generation glass substrates as substrates to be processed. Alternatively, it is also possible that a substrate (for example, a second-generation glass substrate) having a side length of less than 1 m is used.

The transfer belt 210 is provided to configure the polishing part 200 between the loading part 100 and the unloading part 300 .

The polishing part 200 may have various structures capable of polishing the substrate W including the transfer belt 210, and the present invention is not limited or limited by the structure of the polishing part 200. More specifically, the polishing part 200 includes a transfer belt 210 on which the substrate W is seated, and a substrate support 220 supporting the bottom surface of the substrate W with the transfer belt 210 interposed therebetween; A polishing unit 230 polishing the top surface of the substrate W is included.

For reference, in the present invention, polishing the substrate W by the polishing unit 230 is defined as polishing the substrate W by a mechanical polishing process or a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process. do. For example, in the polishing part 200, a slurry for chemical polishing is supplied together while mechanical polishing of the substrate W is performed, and a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process is performed.

The conveying belt 210 is disposed adjacent to the loading part 100 and is configured to circulate and rotate in an infinite loop manner along a predetermined path. The substrate W transferred from the loading part 100 to the transfer belt 210 is transferred as the transfer belt 210 circulates and rotates while being seated on the outer surface of the transfer belt 210 .

More specifically, the substrate W transferred from the loading part 100 to the transfer belt 210 is placed in a polishing position (substrate upper position of the support). In addition, the polished substrate W may be transferred from the polishing position toward the unloading part 300 as the transfer belt 210 circulates.

Circulation rotation of the transfer belt 210 may be performed in various ways according to required conditions and design specifications. For example, the conveying belt 210 circularly rotates along a path determined by the roller unit 212, and the substrate W seated on the conveying belt 210 linearly moves by the circular rotation of the conveying belt 210. transported along the route.

A moving path (eg, a circulation path) of the transport belt 210 may be variously changed according to required conditions and design specifications. For example, the roller unit 212 includes a first roller 212a and a second roller 212b disposed horizontally spaced apart from the first roller 212a, and the conveying belt 210 includes the first roller ( 212a) and the second roller 212b circularly rotate in an infinite loop manner.

For reference, the outer surface of the transfer belt 210 means an outer surface exposed to the outside of the transfer belt 210, and the substrate W is seated on the outer surface of the transfer belt 210. And, the inner surface of the conveying belt 210 means the inner surface of the conveying belt 210 to which the first roller 212a and the second roller 212b come into contact.

In addition, any one or more of the first roller 212a and the second roller 212b may be selectively configured to linearly move in directions approaching and spaced apart from each other. For example, the second roller 212b to which the first roller 212a is fixed may linearly move in a direction approaching and away from the first roller 212a. In this way, the tension of the transfer belt 210 can be adjusted by allowing the second roller 212b to approach and be separated from the first roller 212a according to manufacturing tolerances and assembly tolerances.

Here, adjusting the tension of the transport belt 210 is defined as adjusting the tension by pulling the transport belt 210 tight or loosening it. In some cases, it is also possible to provide a separate tension control roller and adjust the tension of the transport belt by moving the tension control roller. However, it is preferable to move at least one of the first roller and the second roller to improve structure and space utilization.

In addition, a surface pad (see 210a in FIG. 10 ) may be provided on the outer surface of the transfer belt 210 to suppress slip by increasing the coefficient of friction with respect to the substrate W. That is, the surface pad 210a can restrict the movement of the substrate W relative to the transfer belt 210 (restrict slippage) in a state where the substrate W is seated on the outer surface of the transfer belt 210. , it is possible to stably maintain the arrangement position of the substrate W.

The surface pad 210a may be formed of various materials having adhesion to the substrate W, and the present invention is not limited or limited by the material of the surface pad. For example, the surface pad 210a is made of polyurethane or silicone having excellent elasticity and adhesiveness (frictional force). In some cases, it is also possible to form the surface pad with another material having a non-slip function, for example, engineering plastics having a non-slip function.

Furthermore, by forming the surface pad 210a having elasticity on the outer surface of the transfer belt 210, even if foreign matter is introduced between the substrate W and the transfer belt 210, the portion where the foreign material is located by the thickness of the foreign material Since the surface pad can be pressed in, it is possible to solve the height deviation of the substrate W caused by foreign matter (local protrusion of a specific portion of the substrate due to the foreign material), and as a specific portion of the substrate W locally protrudes, It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of minimizing the deterioration of polishing uniformity according to the

The substrate support part 220 is provided to support the lower surface of the substrate W with the transfer belt 210 interposed therebetween.

More specifically, the substrate support 220 is disposed under the transfer belt 210 so as to face the bottom surface of the substrate W, and supports the inner surface of the transfer belt 210 .

The substrate support 220 may be configured to support the inner surface of the transfer belt 210 in various ways according to required conditions and design specifications. For example, a stone tablet can be used as the substrate support 220 , and the substrate support 220 is placed in close contact with the inner surface of the transfer belt 210 to support the inner surface of the transfer belt 210 .

In this way, by allowing the substrate support 220 to support the inner surface of the transfer belt 210, the transfer belt 210 due to the weight of the substrate W and the polishing unit 230 pressing the substrate W sagging can be prevented.

Hereinafter, an example in which the substrate support 220 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape will be described. In some cases, the substrate support part may be formed in other shapes and structures, and it is also possible to support the inner surface of the substrate carrier by two or more substrate support parts.

Meanwhile, in the embodiments of the present invention described above and illustrated, an example in which the substrate support unit 220 is configured to support the inner surface of the transfer belt 210 in a contact manner has been described, but in some cases, the substrate support unit supports the substrate carrier. It is also possible to configure the inner surface to be supported in a non-contact manner. For example, the substrate support unit may be configured to inject fluid onto the inner surface of the substrate carrier and support the inner surface of the substrate carrier by the spraying force of the fluid (not shown).

In this case, the substrate support unit may inject at least one of gas (eg, air) and liquid (eg, pure water) onto the inner surface of the substrate carrier, and the type of fluid may be determined according to required conditions and design specifications. It can be changed in various ways.

In this way, by supporting the inner surface of the substrate carrier in a non-contact state, an advantageous effect of minimizing the decrease in processing efficiency due to frictional resistance (a factor that hinders the movement (rotation) of the substrate carrier) can be obtained. According to another embodiment of the present invention, it is also possible to configure the substrate support unit to support the inner surface of the substrate carrier in a non-contact manner using magnetic force (eg, repulsive force) or levitation force by ultrasonic vibration.

The polishing unit 230 is provided to polish the surface of the substrate (W) while in contact with the surface of the substrate (W).

For example, the polishing unit 230 is formed to have a size smaller than that of the substrate W, and includes a polishing pad 232 that rotates and moves while being in contact with the substrate W.

More specifically, it is mounted on a polishing pad carrier (not shown) and linearly polishes (flattens) the surface of the substrate (W) while rotating in a state of being in contact with the surface of the substrate (W).

The polishing pad carrier may be formed in various structures capable of rotating the polishing pad 232, and the present invention is not limited or limited by the structure of the polishing pad carrier. For example, the polishing pad carrier may be composed of one body, or may be composed of a plurality of bodies combined, and is configured to be connected to a drive shaft (not shown) to rotate. In addition, the polishing pad carrier is provided with a pressing unit for pressing the polishing pad 232 to the surface of the substrate W (eg, a pneumatic press unit pressurizing the polishing pad with pneumatic pressure).

The polishing pad 232 is made of a material suitable for mechanical polishing of the substrate W. For example, the polishing pad 232 may be made of polyurethane, polyurea, polyester, polyether, epoxy, polyamide, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, fluoropolymer, vinyl polymer, acrylic and methacrylic polymer, It can be formed using silicone, latex, nitrated rubber, isoprene rubber, butadiene rubber, and various copolymers of styrene, butadiene, and acrylonitrile, and the material and characteristics of the polishing pad 232 are determined according to the required conditions and design specifications. It can be varied in various ways.

Preferably, a circular polishing pad 232 having a size smaller than that of the substrate (W) is used as the polishing pad 232 . That is, it is possible to polish the substrate W using the polishing pad 232 having a larger size than the substrate W, but when using the polishing pad 232 having a larger size than the substrate W, polishing Since very large rotational equipment and space are required to rotate the pad 232, there are problems in that space efficiency and design freedom are lowered and stability is lowered.

Substantially, since the length of at least one side of the substrate W has a size greater than 1 m, rotating a polishing pad having a size greater than that of the substrate W (eg, a polishing pad having a diameter greater than 1 m) There is a problem in itself that is very difficult. In addition, when a non-circular polishing pad (eg, a rectangular polishing pad) is used, the entire surface of the substrate W polished by the rotating polishing pad cannot be polished to a uniform thickness. However, the present invention, by rotating the circular polishing pad 232 having a smaller size than the substrate (W) to polish the surface of the substrate (W), without significantly reducing the space efficiency and design freedom, the polishing pad ( 232 can be rotated to polish the substrate W, and an advantageous effect of maintaining a uniform polishing amount by the polishing pad 232 as a whole can be obtained.

At this time, the polishing path of the polishing unit 230 may be variously changed according to required conditions and design specifications.

For example, referring to FIG. 9 , the polishing pad 232 includes a first oblique path L1 inclined with respect to one side of the substrate W and a second oblique path inclined in the opposite direction of the first oblique path L1. It is configured to polish the surface of the substrate W while repeatedly moving zigzag along the path L2.

Here, the first oblique path L1 means a path inclined at a predetermined angle θ with respect to the left side of the substrate W, for example. In addition, the second oblique path L2 means a path inclined at a predetermined angle toward the opposite direction of the first oblique path L1 so as to intersect the first oblique path L1.

Further, in the present invention, the repetitive zigzag movement of the polishing pad 232 along the first oblique path L1 and the second oblique path L2 means that the polishing pad 232 contacts the surface of the substrate W. It is defined that the moving path of the polishing pad 232 with respect to the substrate W is not interrupted and is switched to the other direction (converted from the first oblique path to the second oblique path) while moving in the moved state. In other words, the polishing pad 232 continuously moves along the first oblique path L1 and the second oblique path L2 and forms a continuous wave-shaped movement trajectory.

More specifically, the first oblique path L1 and the second oblique path L2 are axisymmetric with respect to one side of the substrate W, and the polishing pad 232 has the first oblique path L1 and the second oblique path L1. The surface of the substrate (W) is polished while repeatedly moving zigzag along (L2). At this time, when the first oblique path L1 and the second oblique path L2 are said to be line symmetric with respect to one side of the substrate W, the first oblique path L1 with one side 11 of the substrate W as the center ) and the second oblique path L2 are symmetrical, this means that the first oblique path L1 and the second oblique path L2 completely overlap, and one side of the substrate W and the first oblique path L1 ) is defined as the same as the angle formed by one side of the substrate W and the second oblique path L2.

Preferably, the polishing pad 232 has a length smaller than or equal to the diameter of the polishing pad 232 as a reciprocating pitch to the substrate W along the first oblique path L1 and the second oblique path L2. round trip about Hereinafter, the polishing pad 232 has a length equal to the diameter of the polishing pad 232 as the reciprocating pitch P, and along the first oblique path L1 and the second oblique path L2 with respect to the substrate W An example of regular round-trip movement will be described.

In this way, the surface of the substrate W is polished while the polishing pad 232 repeatedly zigzag moves along the first oblique path L1 and the second oblique path L2 with respect to the substrate W, and the polishing pad ( 232 is moved forward with respect to the substrate W at a length equal to or smaller than the diameter of the polishing pad 232 as a reciprocating pitch P, thereby polishing the polishing pad 232 over the entire surface area of the substrate W. ) can obtain an advantageous effect of regularly and uniformly polishing the entire surface of the substrate W without an area where polishing is omitted.

Here, the forward movement of the polishing pad 232 with respect to the substrate W means that the polishing pad 232 moves with respect to the substrate W along the first oblique path L1 and the second oblique path L2. while moving in a straight line toward the front of the substrate W (eg, from the left side of the substrate to the right side with reference to FIG. 9 ). In other words, taking a right triangle composed of the base, the hypotenuse, and the opposite side, for example, the base of the right triangle is defined as the left side of the substrate W, and the hypotenuse of the right triangle is the first oblique path L1 or the second oblique path ( L2), and the opposite side of the right triangle may be defined as the forward movement distance of the polishing pad 232 with respect to the substrate (W).

In other words, the polishing pad 232 is repeatedly zigzag-moved (moved along the first oblique path and the second oblique path) with respect to the substrate W at a length smaller than or equal to the diameter of the polishing pad 232 as a reciprocating pitch. ) while polishing the substrate W, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an area in which the polishing by the polishing pad 232 is omitted in the entire surface area of the substrate W, and thus the thickness deviation of the substrate W It is possible to obtain an advantageous effect of improving polishing quality by uniformly controlling the thickness distribution of the substrate W and adjusting the thickness distribution of the substrate W uniformly with respect to the two-dimensional plate surface.

As another example, the polishing pad polishes the surface of the substrate while repeatedly zigzagging along a first straight path (not shown) along one side of the substrate and a second straight path (not shown) opposite to the first straight path. Grinding is also possible. Here, the first straight path means, for example, a path along a direction from one end of the lower side of the substrate to the other end. In addition, the second straight path means a path heading in the opposite direction to the first straight path.

Also, referring to FIGS. 3 and 10 , the polishing part 200 includes a retainer 214 protruding from the outer surface of the transfer belt 210 so as to surround the circumference of the substrate W.

The retainer 214 is polished at the edge of the substrate W when the polishing pad 232 of the polishing unit 230 enters the inner area of the substrate W from the outer area of the substrate W during the polishing process. The phenomenon in which the pad 232 rebounds (bouncing) is minimized, and the dead zone at the edge of the substrate W due to the rebound phenomenon of the polishing pad 232 (polishing by the polishing pad) is minimized. area) is provided to minimize.

That is, in a state where the substrate protrudes from the outer surface of the transfer belt, a step is generated at the boundary between the inner region of the substrate (upper surface of the substrate) and the outer region of the substrate (edge of the substrate). However, when the polishing unit passes through the edge of the substrate while the polishing unit is polishing the substrate, there is a problem in that the polishing unit rebounds from the substrate due to a step at the edge of the substrate. In particular, when the polishing unit is disposed at a height lower than the upper surface of the substrate in the outer region of the substrate and then enters the inner region of the substrate, the step at the edge of the substrate (the height difference between the lower surface of the polishing unit and the upper surface of the substrate) As a result, the polishing unit collides with the substrate and rebounds from the substrate. In this way, when the rebound phenomenon of the polishing unit occurs at the edge region of the substrate, polishing uniformity at the edge region of the substrate is not guaranteed, and in severe cases, a dead zone (dead zone) at the edge region of the substrate There is a problem in that an area where polishing is not performed) occurs. For example, there is a problem in that the edge region of the substrate corresponding to an area about 10 mm from the edge of the substrate to the inside of the substrate is not polished by the polishing unit.

However, by providing a retainer 214 having a height similar to that of the substrate W around the edge of the substrate W, the polishing unit 230 moves the substrate W in the outer region of the substrate W during the polishing process. The rebound phenomenon of the polishing unit 230 according to the height difference between the inner and outer regions of the substrate W while moving to the inner region of the substrate W or moving from the inner region of the substrate W to the outer region of the substrate W. can be minimized, and an advantageous effect of minimizing the occurrence of non-polished areas due to the rebound phenomenon can be obtained.

A substrate accommodating portion 214a corresponding to the shape of the substrate W is formed through the retainer 214, and the substrate W is seated on the outer surface of the transfer belt 210 inside the substrate accommodating portion 214a. .

In a state where the substrate W is accommodated in the substrate accommodating portion 214a, the height of the surface of the retainer 214 is similar to that of the edge of the substrate W. In this way, by making the edge of the substrate W and the outer region (region of the retainer 214) of the substrate W adjacent to the edge of the substrate W have a similar height to each other, the polishing pad during the polishing process 232 moves from the outer region of the substrate W to the inner region of the substrate W or moves from the inner region of the substrate W to the outer region of the substrate W, while moving from the inner region of the substrate W to the outer region of the substrate W. It is possible to minimize the rebound phenomenon of the polishing pad 232 due to the difference in height between the outer region and the outer region, and an advantageous effect of minimizing the occurrence of non-polishing regions due to the rebound phenomenon can be obtained.

Preferably, the retainer 214 is formed to have the same thickness range as the substrate (W). In this way, by forming the retainer 214 to have the same thickness range as the substrate W, while the polishing pad 232 moves from the outer region of the substrate W to the inner region of the substrate W, polishing is performed. An advantageous effect of preventing a rebound phenomenon due to collision between the pad 232 and the retainer 214 can be obtained.

The step alleviating part 240 is provided inside the substrate accommodating part 214a to alleviate the level difference of the inner wall surface of the substrate accommodating part 214a.

Here, the step alleviation unit 240 alleviates the level difference on the inner wall surface of the substrate accommodating unit 214a. It is defined as mitigating the level difference due to the height difference between the outer surfaces of the transfer belt 210.

More specifically, the step reducing portion 240 is formed to gradually decrease in height along a direction from the outside of the substrate accommodating portion 214a to the inside of the substrate accommodating portion 214a.

In this way, by providing the level difference mitigating part 240 inside the substrate accommodating part 214a to alleviate the level difference of the inner wall surface of the substrate accommodating part 214a, foreign substances remaining inside the retainer 214 are effectively removed. The beneficial effect of elimination can be obtained.

That is, in the structure in which the step relief unit is excluded, since the inner wall surface of the substrate accommodating unit is disposed perpendicular to the outer surface of the transfer belt, it is difficult for the cleaning brush to approach foreign substances remaining on the lowermost inner wall surface of the substrate accommodating unit, even though the transfer belt is cleaned. However, there is a problem in that foreign substances remain inside the retainer.

However, in the present invention, by providing the step relief portion 240 inside the substrate accommodating portion 214a, foreign substances remaining inside the retainer 214 can contact the cleaning brush 410 with the substrate accommodating portion ( 214a), an advantageous effect of more effectively removing foreign matter remaining in the retainer 214 can be obtained.

The step reducing portion 240 may be formed in various structures in which a height gradually decreases along a direction from the outside of the substrate accommodating portion 214a to the inside of the substrate accommodating portion 214a.

For example, referring to FIGS. 2 to 4 , the step relief units 240 and 240 ′ are formed in an inclined cross-sectional shape.

Here, the step alleviation units 240 and 240' are formed in an inclined cross-section, as shown in FIG. 2, the inclined surface of the step alleviation unit 240 is formed in a flat shape, or ') is defined as including all that the inclined plane is formed in the form of a curved surface.

More specifically, referring to FIG. 2 , the step reducing unit 240 has a first bonding surface 242 in close contact with the inner wall surface of the substrate receiving unit 214a and a first bonding surface 242 in close contact with the outer surface of the transfer belt 210. The second contact surface 244, the first contact surface 242, and the second contact surface 244 are connected and gradually along the direction from the outside of the substrate accommodating portion 214a to the inside of the substrate accommodating portion 214a. It includes a step relief surface 246 whose height decreases, and is formed to have a triangular cross-sectional shape.

At this time, the step relief surface 246 may be formed in a flat or curved shape, inclined or stepped.

In addition, the step relief portions 240 and 240' are detachably coupled (eg, attached or bonded) to the retainer 214 (see FIG. 2) or formed integrally with the retainer 214 (see FIG. 4). possible.

Preferably, the step relief portions 240 and 240' are continuously formed along the inner wall surface of the retainer to form a ring shape. In some cases, it is also possible to form the step relief part partially spaced apart from the inner wall surface of the retainer.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, it is also possible to form the step relief unit 240" in a stepwise cross-section. At this time, the number of stepwise steps and the size of the step of the step relief unit 240" are required. It can be changed in various ways according to the conditions and design specifications.

In addition, the retainer 214 is provided to protrude from the surface (for example, the upper surface of the transfer belt) of the substrate holder 201 on which the substrate W is mounted, and the polishing pad 232 of the polishing unit 230 The upper surface of the retainer 214 and the upper surface of the substrate (W) are in contact with each other while passing through the edge of the substrate (W) and polishing the upper surface of the substrate (W).

Preferably, at the polishing start position where the polishing process of the substrate W by the polishing pad 232 of the polishing unit 230 starts, a part of the polishing pad 232 is in contact with the upper surface of the retainer 214, polishing Another part of the pad 232 is disposed in a state of being in contact with the upper surface of the substrate (W).

In this way, at the polishing start position, polishing is started while the polishing pad 232 of the polishing unit 230 is in contact with the upper surface of the substrate W and the upper surface of the retainer 214 at the same time, so that the polishing unit 230 When the polishing pad 232 of ) passes through the edge of the substrate W, an advantageous effect of suppressing a phenomenon in which the polishing pad 232 rebounds from the substrate W can be obtained.

Referring to FIG. 13 , the substrate processing apparatus 10 includes a cleaning unit that cleans the outer surface of the transfer belt.

The cleaning unit 400 may be formed in various structures capable of selectively cleaning the transport belt 210 .

Preferably, the cleaning unit 400 allows the transfer belt 210 to be cleaned during the processing of the substrate W without stopping the processing of the substrate W. More specifically, the cleaning unit 400 is used to transfer another substrate from the loading part 100 to the transfer belt 210 after the polished substrate W is transferred from the transfer belt 210 to the unloading part. It is configured to clean the transport belt 210 before. More preferably, the cleaning unit 400 cleans the level difference reducing portion 240 before the substrate W to be polished is accommodated in the substrate accommodating portion 214a.

For example, the cleaning unit 400 includes a cleaning brush 410 contactable to the level difference reducing unit 240 .

As the cleaning brush 410, a brush made of a common material capable of frictionally contacting the outer surface of the transfer belt 210 (for example, polyvinyl alcohol of a porous material) may be used.

In addition, while cleaning is performed by the cleaning brush 410, the cleaning brush 410 is in contact with the transport belt 210 so as to enhance the cleaning effect by frictional contact between the cleaning brush 410 and the transport belt 210. It is also possible to supply the cleaning liquid to the contact area between the cleaning brush 410 and the conveying belt 210 during cleaning.

In addition, the cleaning unit may include a spray nozzle 420 spraying cleaning fluid to the outer surface of the transfer belt 210 .

The injection nozzle 420 may be configured to inject only one kind of cleaning fluid (gas or liquid) or inject different types of fluids, and the present invention may be achieved by the type of cleaning fluid injected from the injection nozzle 420 It is not limited or restricted.

In some cases, it is also possible to form a linear fluid curtain by spraying the cleaning fluid through the spray nozzle. Here, the linear fluid curtain refers to a curtain in the form of a film made of fluid formed linearly.

In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 10 has a loading transfer speed at which the loading part 100 transfers the substrate W during the loading transfer process of transferring the substrate W from the loading part 100 to the polishing part 200. and a loading controller 120 that synchronizes the transfer speed of the transfer belt 210 for transferring the substrate W by the transfer belt 210 .

More specifically, the loading control unit 120 synchronizes the loading transfer speed and the transfer speed of the transfer belt 210 when one end of the substrate W is disposed at a predefined seating start position SP on the transfer belt 210. let it In other words, when one end of the substrate is detected by the sensing unit (not shown), the loading control unit 120 synchronizes the loading transfer speed of the substrate W with the transfer speed of the transfer belt 210 .

Here, the pre-seating start position SP on the transport belt 210 is defined as a position where the substrate W can start to be transported by the circular rotation of the transport belt 210, and the seating start position SP In , bonding between the transfer belt 210 and the substrate W is provided. For example, the seating start position SP may be set at one side of the substrate receiving portion 214a facing the front end of the substrate W transferred from the loading part 100 .

For reference, when it is detected that one side of the substrate accommodating portion 214a is located at the seating start position SP, the transfer belt ( 210) is stopped. (See Fig. 6)

Thereafter, when the transfer belt 210 stops moving and the sensor 400 detects that the front end of the substrate W is disposed at the seating start position SP, the loading control unit 120 loads the substrate W. The substrate W is transferred to the polishing position by synchronizing the loading transfer speed at which the part 100 transfers the substrate W and the transfer speed of the transfer belt 210 at which the transfer belt 210 transfers the substrate W. let it be

The unloading part 300 is provided to unload the polishing-processed substrate W from the polishing part 200 .

The unloading part 300 may be formed in various structures capable of unloading the substrate W from the polishing part 200, and the present invention is not limited or limited by the structure of the unloading part 300.

For example, referring to FIGS. 11 and 12 , the unloading part 300 transfers the substrate W at the same height as the transfer belt 210, but a plurality of unloading transfer rollers disposed spaced apart at predetermined intervals. 310, and the substrate W supplied to the top of the plurality of unloading conveying rollers 310 is mutually cooperative by the plurality of unloading conveying rollers 310 as the unloading conveying rollers 310 rotate. are transferred to In some cases, it is also possible that the unloading part includes a circulating belt circulating and rotating by an unloading conveying roller.

Here, the fact that the unloading part 300 transfers the substrate W at the same height as the conveying belt 210 means that the unloading part 300 is disposed at a height allowing the bending deformation of the substrate W to It is defined as transporting (W). For example, considering the bending deformation of the substrate in a state in which the substrate protrudes from the transfer belt 210 (a state in which a portion of the substrate is transferred to the outside of the transfer belt 210), the loading part has a height slightly lower than the transfer belt 210 ( For example, within 10 mm). However, if the bending deformation of the substrate can be suppressed, the height at which the substrate W is transferred in the unloading part 300 and the height at which the substrate W is seated and transferred in the transfer belt 210 can be the same. there is.

In addition, in the substrate processing apparatus 10, during an unloading transfer process of transferring the substrate W from the polishing part 200 to the unloading part 300, the transfer belt 210 transfers the substrate W. An unloading controller 320 that synchronizes the conveying speed of the belt 210 and the unloading conveying speed at which the unloading part 300 transfers the substrate W is included.

For example, when one end of the substrate (W) is detected, the unloading control unit 320 synchronizes the unloading transfer speed to the same speed as the transfer speed of the transfer belt 210 at which the transfer belt 210 transfers the substrate (W). let it In some cases, regardless of whether one end of the substrate is detected, the substrate is unloaded to the unloading part by transferring the substrate carrier while rotating the unloading transfer roller so that the substrate carrier transfer speed and the unloading transfer speed are the same. It is also possible to do

Meanwhile, the transport belt 210 moves in a direction away from the bottom surface of the substrate W in a state in which the polished substrate W is transported over a certain period.

More specifically, referring to FIG. 11 , the transport belt 210 is configured to circulate and rotate along a predetermined path to transfer the substrate W, and the substrate W moves along the rotational path of the transport belt 210 . As the transfer belt 210 moves in a direction away from the bottom surface of the substrate W, at the position where the transfer belt 210 starts to move along the curved path along the outer surface of the driving member (a position where the substrate carrier starts to move along the curved path along the outer surface of the driving member), the transfer belt ( 210) is separated.

In this way, in a state in which the transfer belt 210 for transferring the substrate W has transferred the substrate W over a certain period, the transfer belt 210 is moved in a direction away from the bottom surface of the substrate W. Thus, an advantageous effect of naturally separating the substrate W from the transfer belt 210 may be obtained without a separate pick-up process (for example, a pick-up process using a substrate adsorption device).

In some cases, the moving member is wound from one direction to the other, and it is also possible to transfer the substrate carrier (not shown). Here, the moving member is wound from one direction to the other direction. In the reel-to-reel winding method of a normal cassette tape (winding on the first reel and then winding on the second reel in the opposite direction), moving (winding) along the open-loop movement trajectory is defined

Even when the conveying belt 210 moves in a reel-to-reel winding method, the substrate is placed at a position where the moving path of the conveying belt 210 is bent (for example, the conveying belt 210 is along the outer surface of the driving member). At the position at which it begins to move along the curved path), the conveyor belt 210 is separated from the conveyor belt 210 as it moves in a direction away from the bottom surface of the substrate.

In this way, in the present invention, the polishing process for the substrate W is performed in a state in which the substrate W supplied to the loading part 100 is directly transferred to the conveying belt 210 that circulates and rotates, and the substrate W is By directly transferring the substrate W to the unloading part 300 on the transfer belt 210, an advantageous effect of simplifying the processing process of the substrate W and shortening the processing time can be obtained.

That is, in order to load the substrate supplied to the loading part into the polishing part in the past, after picking up the substrate from the loading part using a separate pick-up device (for example, a substrate adsorption device), the substrate is lowered onto the polishing part again. Since it had to be placed, there is a problem in that the processing time increases to the extent that the time required to load the substrate takes several seconds to several tens of seconds. Moreover, conventionally, in order to unload the polished substrate to the unloading part, a separate pick-up device (eg, substrate adsorption device) is used to pick up the substrate from the polishing part, and then the substrate is returned to the unloading part. Since it had to be put down, there is a problem in that the processing time increases to the extent that the time required to unload the substrate takes several seconds to several tens of seconds.

However, the present invention excludes a separate pick-up process when loading and unloading the substrate (W), and processes the substrate (W) in an in-line manner using the conveying belt 210 that rotates and circulates, so that the substrate ( Advantageous effects of simplifying the loading time and unloading process of W) and shortening the time required for loading and unloading the substrate W can be obtained.

Moreover, in the present invention, since there is no need to provide a pick-up device for picking up the substrate (W) during loading and unloading of the substrate (W), equipment and facilities can be simplified, and advantageous effects of improving space utilization are achieved. can be obtained.

Meanwhile, FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the same or equivalent reference numerals are given to the same or equivalent parts as the above-described configuration, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the above and illustrated embodiments of the present invention, an example in which a step relief unit is provided in a retainer made of a single layer is described, but in some cases, a plurality of retainers having substrate receiving units of different sizes are stacked to form a step relief unit It is also possible.

Referring to FIG. 14 , a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a transfer belt 210 provided to be movable along a predetermined path and on which a substrate W is seated on an outer surface, and a substrate in which the substrate is accommodated. A first substrate accommodating portion 215a is formed, a first retainer layer 215 disposed to surround the circumference of the substrate, and a second substrate accommodating portion 216a extending beyond the first substrate accommodating portion 215a are formed. A retainer 214' including a second retainer layer 216 laminated on the outside of the first retainer layer 215, the first inner wall surface of the first substrate accommodating portion 215a and the second substrate accommodating portion The second inner wall surface of (216a) forms a stepped relief portion 240 whose height gradually decreases in a mutually cooperative manner.

For reference, in the embodiment of the present invention, an example in which the retainer 214 ′ is formed by stacking two retainer layers has been described, but in some cases, it is possible to form a retainer by stacking three or more retainer layers.

The first inner wall surface of the first substrate accommodating portion 215a and the second inner wall surface of the second substrate accommodating portion 216a may be formed in various shapes capable of forming the step relief portion 240 according to required conditions and design specifications. can

For example, the first inner wall surface of the first substrate accommodating portion 215a and the second inner wall surface of the second substrate accommodating portion 216a are perpendicular to the outer surface of the transfer belt 210, and the first inner wall surface and The step relief portion 240 formed of the second inner wall surface has a stepped cross-sectional shape.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, it is also possible to form the first inner wall surface and the second inner wall surface in an inclined shape in which the height gradually decreases along a direction from the outside of the substrate accommodating portion toward the inside of the substrate accommodating portion. (not shown)

In addition, the thicknesses of the first retainer layer 215 and the second retainer layer 216 and the sizes of the first substrate accommodating portion 215a and the second substrate accommodating portion 216a may vary according to required conditions and design specifications. It may be changed, and the level difference of the step difference alleviating unit 240 may be adjusted by changing these conditions.

In addition, the first retainer layer 215 and the second retainer layer 216 may be selectively and separably coupled. According to another embodiment of the present invention, it is also possible that the first retainer layer and the second retainer layer are integrally formed.

As described above, although it has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art can variously modify and modify the present invention within the scope not departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the claims below. You will understand that it can be changed.

10: substrate processing device 100: loading part
110: loading conveying roller 120: loading control unit
200: polishing part 201: substrate holder
210: conveying belt 212: roller unit
212a: first roller 212b: second roller
214: retainer 214a: substrate receiving unit
220: substrate support 221: support plate
230: polishing unit 231: carrier head
232: polishing pad 240, 240', 240": step relief unit
300: unloading part 310: unloading transfer roller
320: unloading control unit 400: cleaning unit
410: cleaning brush 420: injection nozzle

Claims (28)

A substrate processing apparatus in which a polishing process of a substrate is performed,
a conveying belt that circulates along a predetermined path in an infinite loop, and a substrate is seated on an outer surface;
a retainer stacked on the outer surface of the transfer belt in a manner surrounding the substrate seated on the outer surface of the transfer belt and forming a substrate accommodating portion in which the substrate is accommodated;
a step alleviation part continuously formed in a form in which an inclined surface gradually decreasing in height along an inner wall surface of the retainer surrounds a circumference of the substrate;
a polishing unit which performs a polishing process on the substrate accommodated in the substrate accommodating portion at a position in which the substrate accommodating portion faces upward by circulating rotation of the transfer belt;
a spray nozzle for spraying a cleaning fluid to an outer surface of the transfer belt at a position where the substrate accommodating part faces downward due to the circular rotation of the transfer belt;
a cleaning brush contacting and cleaning the conveying belt while contacting the step alleviating part while rotating when the substrate accommodating part is located in a downward position due to the circular rotation of the conveying belt;
The substrate processing apparatus comprising: cleaning the step relief portion before the substrate to be subjected to a polishing process is accommodated in the substrate accommodating portion.
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