KR102580036B1 - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate transferring method - Google Patents

Abstract

[Task] Suppress the deterioration of the structure provided in the opening.
[Solution] A substrate processing device is provided in the substrate loading/unloading module, and a substrate loading/unloading module that is controlled to an atmospheric pressure environment and has an internal space through which the substrate passes when transferring the substrate to an external space controlled to a positive pressure rather than atmospheric pressure. An opening that communicates the space and the external space, a gate valve provided in the opening and having a conveyance space, a blowing part that ejects a purge gas from the external space side toward the edge of the opening, and a conveying space through a path different from the opening. It is provided with an exhaust port.

Description

Substrate processing device and substrate transport method {SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE TRANSFERRING METHOD}

This disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate transport method.

In a substrate processing apparatus, a structure such as a gate valve is provided in an opening through which a substrate passes when unloading the substrate (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-220588

The present disclosure provides a technology for suppressing deterioration of a structure provided in an opening.

A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure is provided with a substrate loading/unloading module having an internal space controlled to an atmospheric pressure environment and through which the substrate passes when transferring a substrate to an external space controlled to a positive pressure rather than atmospheric pressure, and the substrate loading/unloading module. an opening that communicates the inner space and the outer space, a gate valve provided in the opening and having a conveyance space, a blowing portion that blows out a purge gas from the outer space toward an edge of the opening, and a path different from the opening. An exhaust port is provided to exhaust the conveyance space.

According to the present disclosure, deterioration of the structure provided in the opening can be suppressed.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the load lock chamber 4.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the load lock chamber 4 and the gate valve 5.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the load lock chamber 4 and the gate valve 5.
FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the schematic configuration of the substrate G, the gate valve 5, and the load lock chamber 4.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the load lock panel 6.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the load lock panel 6.
Figure 8 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of ejected purge gas.
Figure 9 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of ejected purge gas.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the nozzle 61.
Fig. 11 is a view of the load lock panel 6 from the load lock chamber 4 side.
Figure 12 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of exhausted gas.
Figure 13 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of exhausted gas.
Figure 14 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of exhausted gas.
Figure 15 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of exhausted gas.
Figure 16 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of exhausted gas.
Figure 17 is a diagram schematically showing the flow of exhausted gas.
FIG. 18 is a flow chart showing an example of processing (substrate transport method) performed in the substrate processing apparatus 1.
FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the load lock chamber 4, gate valve 5, nozzle 61, and exhaust pipe 64A.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the substrate processing apparatus and substrate transport method disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the substrate processing apparatus and substrate transport method disclosed are not limited by this embodiment.

In a substrate processing apparatus, when a processed substrate is transported outside, there is a possibility that the processing gas adhering to the substrate may adhere to the structure provided in the opening through which the substrate is transported, causing corrosion or other structural deterioration. Therefore, technology for suppressing deterioration of structures provided in openings through which substrates are unloaded is expected.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. In the drawing, the XYZ coordinate system is shown. The X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction correspond to the left-right direction and the front-back direction, respectively, of the substrate processing apparatus when the side with the opening for unloading the substrate is facing the front. The Z-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction (height direction) of the horizontally arranged substrate processing apparatus.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a process chamber 2, a transfer chamber 3, a load lock chamber 4, a gate valve 5, a load lock panel 6, and a control unit 7. . Also, in Figure 1, the load lock panel 6 is shown separated from the gate valve 5. The control section 7 is shown as a functional block. The load lock chamber 4 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is located on the opposite side from the transfer chamber 3 and is configured to be connectable to the loader 8. The loader 8 may not be a component of the substrate processing device 1 or may be a component of the substrate processing device 1 .

In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the process chamber 2, the transfer chamber 3, and the load lock chamber 4 each have an internal space for accommodating a substrate. Adjacent internal spaces communicate with each other through the opening. A structure for opening and closing is provided in the opening. An example of a structure for opening and closing is a gate valve, one of which is shown as gate valve 5. By closing the opening to make the internal space airtight, the internal spaces can be controlled to different air pressure environments. Examples of controllable atmospheric pressure environments are atmospheric pressure environments and reduced pressure environments. A reduced pressure environment is an environment in which the pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure environment (for example, a vacuum pressure environment).

Hereinafter, the components of the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described in order. In addition, the substrate to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 is shown as a substrate G in FIG. 5 described later, and is hereinafter referred to as a substrate G.

The process chamber 2 is a part (module) that processes the substrate G. The process chamber 2 is illustrated as a plurality of process chambers 21 to 23 capable of performing processing on the substrate G. The processes performed on the substrate G in the process chambers 21 to 23 may be the same process or different processes. An example of the substrate G is a glass substrate for FPD (Flat Panel Display). Examples of FPD are liquid crystal displays, organic EL displays, etc. Another example of the substrate G is a sheet or film made of a bendable material made of synthetic resin such as polyimide. An example of substrate processing is plasma processing. Examples of plasma processing include plasma processing such as etching processing, ashing processing, and film forming processing. In substrate processing, various processing gases are used. Examples of the processing gas are a chlorine-based gas containing chlorine atoms, and a fluorine-based gas containing fluorine atoms. This processing gas may be corrosive to some components of the substrate processing apparatus 1, for example. In particular, when mixed with moisture-containing air, its corrosiveness becomes more pronounced.

The transfer chamber 3 is a part (module) that transfers the substrate G between the process chamber 2 and the load lock chamber 4. The substrate G is transported by, for example, a vacuum robot. Although not shown, the transfer chamber 3 has a transfer robot with a two-stage configuration, and carries out the processed substrate G from the process chamber 2 and holds the unprocessed substrate G in the process chamber 2. Transfer of the incoming substrate is performed.

The load lock room 4 is a substrate loading/unloading module that mediates the transfer of the substrate G between the transfer chamber 3 and the external space by temporarily holding the substrate G in a buffer (not shown) provided inside. In this example, the space of the loader 8 corresponds to the external space, and the load lock room 4 carries out loading and unloading of the substrate G into and out of the loader 8. The loading of the substrate G includes loading (loading) the substrate G (unprocessed substrate) before being processed in the process chamber 2 from the loader 8 into the internal space of the load lock chamber 4. do. The unloading of the substrate G includes taking out (unloading) the substrate G (processed substrate) processed in the process chamber 2 from the load lock chamber 4 to the loader 8. Additionally, since the transfer robot has a two-stage configuration as described above, the load lock room 4 also has a two-stage configuration. The load lock chamber 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 as well.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the load lock chamber 4. The load lock chamber 4 includes a main body 41 and an opening 42. The main body 41 defines an internal space S. The opening 42 communicates with the internal space S and the external space, that is, the loader 8. When the substrate G passes through the internal space S and is carried out to the loader 8, the internal space S is controlled to atmospheric pressure, and the loader 8 is controlled to a positive pressure rather than atmospheric pressure. Control is performed by the control unit 7, which will be described later.

The internal space (S) includes an internal space (SU) (upper internal space) and an internal space (SL) (lower internal space) that are separated from each other up and down. Correspondingly, the opening 42 includes an opening 42U and an opening 42L.

The opening 42U communicates the internal space SU and the loader 8. Among the openings 42U, the edge portion extending in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) is referred to as the edge portion 421U. The edge portion 421U is a pair of edge portions located on the left and right sides of the opening portion 42U. Among the openings 42U, the edge portion extending in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) is referred to as the edge portion 422U. The edge portion 422U is a pair of edge portions located above and below the opening portion 42U.

The opening 42L communicates the internal space SL and the loader 8. Among the openings 42L, the edge portion extending in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) is referred to as the edge portion 421L and is shown in the drawing. The edge portion 421L is a pair of edge portions located on the left and right sides of the opening portion 42L. Among the openings 42L, the edge portion extending in the left-right direction (X-axis direction) is referred to as the edge portion 422L and is shown. The edge portion 422L is a pair of edge portions located above and below the opening portion 42L.

Returning to FIG. 1, the gate valve 5 is provided for the opening of the load lock chamber 4 on the opposite side to the transfer chamber 3 with the load lock chamber 4 in between, that is, the opening on the loader 8 side. do. The gate valve 5 provided for the load lock chamber 4 in this way will be further explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 as well.

3 and 4 are diagrams showing examples of the schematic configuration of the load lock chamber 4 and the gate valve 5. Figure 3 is a half cross-sectional view. The white arrow in FIG. 4 schematically indicates the opening and closing direction of the gate.

The main body 41 of the load lock chamber 4 is shown as a wall portion defining the upper, lower, and side surfaces of the internal space S. Several wall portions are given symbols and are shown as an upper wall 411, a middle wall 412, and a lower wall 413. The upper wall 411 defines the upper surface of the internal space (SU) among the internal spaces (S). The intermediate wall 412 defines the lower surface of the internal space (SU) and the upper surface of the internal space (SL) among the internal space (S). The lower wall 413 defines the lower surface of the internal space (SL) among the internal spaces (S).

A gate valve 5 is provided in the opening 42. More specifically, the gate valve 5 includes a gate valve 5U, a gate valve 5L, and a partition wall 56. The gate valve 5U is an upper gate valve corresponding to the opening 42U. When the gate valve 5U is opened, its opening communicates with the opening 42U. The opening of the gate valve 5U is located between the load lock chamber 4 and the load lock panel 6, and can define an upper transfer space that is continuous with the internal space SU and communicates with the inside of the loader 8. The gate valve 5L is a lower gate valve corresponding to the opening 42L. When the gate valve 5L is opened, its opening communicates with the opening 42L. The opening of the gate valve 5L is located between the load lock chamber 4 and the load lock panel 6, and can define a lower conveyance space that is continuous with the internal space SL and communicates with the inside of the loader 8. The partition wall 56 is provided between the gate valve 5U and the gate valve 5L, and is adjacent to the intermediate wall 412 of the load lock chamber 4. The partition wall 56 may define a portion of the upper conveying space and the lower conveying space. Hereinafter, the upper conveyance space and the lower conveyance space are collectively referred to as conveyance space.

The gate valve 5U includes a gate cover 51U, a valve body 52U, an air cylinder 53U, a guide block 54U, and a guide rail 55U. The gate cover 51U moves up and down together with the valve body 52U provided inside the gate cover 51U. The gate cover 51U moves along the edge 421U of the opening 42U of the load lock chamber 4 along with the vertical movement of the valve element 52U. The valve body 52U moves up and down in conjunction with the air cylinder 53U. The air cylinder 53U is, for example, an actuator configured to control movement in the vertical direction. Additionally, the valve element 52U is slidably connected to the guide rail 55U via the guide block 54U. The guide rail 55U guides the moving direction of the valve body 52U. The guide rail 55U is a pair of guide rails provided at the edge portion 421U of the opening 42U, and extends in the vertical direction. When the valve body 52U moves along the guide rail 55U, the movement of the valve body 52U in the vertical direction is stabilized. Since the guide rail 55U is also a part that supports the movement of the valve body 52U, it requires higher strength than other parts. An example of a material for the guide rail 55U to provide such high strength is SUS440C.

The gate valve 5L includes a gate cover 51L, a valve body 52L, an air cylinder 53L, a guide block 54L, and a guide rail 55L. Since these elements are the same as the corresponding parts of the gate valve 5U, description is omitted. Additionally, the guide rail 55U and the guide rail 55L are collectively referred to as the guide rail 55 (see FIG. 6 described later).

FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the schematic configuration of the substrate G, the gate valve 5, and the load lock chamber 4. Additionally, illustration of the load lock panel 6 is omitted. A white arrow extending in the horizontal direction (Y-axis direction) schematically indicates the direction of movement of the substrate G. The white arrow extending in the longitudinal direction (Z-axis direction) schematically indicates the opening and closing direction of the gate valve 5. For example, when the valve element 52U moves upward and the opening 42U is opened, the substrate G supported by the arm A passes from the loader 8 through the upper conveyance space into the internal space SU. ) is imported into. Additionally, the substrate G is unloaded from the internal space SU to the loader 8 via the upper transport space. The same can be said about the valve body 52L. Additionally, in the load lock chamber 4 and the gate valve 5, seal members for improving airtightness are shown in black circles.

Returning to Figure 1, the load lock panel (6) is mounted on the gate valve (5). Details of the load lock panel 6 will be described later with reference to FIG. 6 and beyond.

The control unit 7 controls the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control unit 7 includes a controller 71, a user interface 72, and a storage unit 73. The controller 71 is equipped with a CPU and includes, for example, nozzles ( 61) (described later), etc. The user interface 72 has, for example, a keyboard through which the process manager inputs commands to manage the substrate processing device 1, and a display that visualizes and displays the operation status of the substrate processing device 1. . The storage unit 73 stores a recipe in which a control program (software) and processing condition data for realizing various processes performed in the substrate processing apparatus 1 under the control of the controller 71 are recorded. The user interface 72 and the storage unit 73 are connected to the controller 71. Then, as necessary, an arbitrary recipe is loaded from the storage unit 73 and executed by the controller 71 by an instruction from the user interface 72, so that the substrate processing device 1 is operated under the control of the controller 71. The desired processing in is executed. Recipes such as control programs and processing condition data can be stored in a computer-readable recording medium, such as a CD-ROM, hard disk, flexible disk, or flash memory. Additionally, it is also possible to use it online by transmitting it at any time from another device, for example, via a dedicated line.

The loader 8 is a part (module) that carries out loading and unloading of the substrate G into and out of the load lock chamber 4. The loader 8 includes, for example, an indexer and a pair of cassettes disposed on the indexer and accommodating the substrate G. In the cassette, the substrates G are arranged in multiple stages at intervals up and down. For example, one cassette accommodates an unprocessed substrate, and the other cassette accommodates a processed substrate.

Among the operations of the substrate processing apparatus 1 described above, an outline of operations related to transport of the substrate G will be described in particular. The gate valve 5 is opened, and the substrate G is loaded from the loader 8 into the load lock chamber 4. The gate valve 5 is closed, and the load lock chamber 4 is controlled from atmospheric pressure to a reduced pressure environment. The substrate G loaded into the load lock chamber 4 is transferred to the process chamber 2 through the transfer chamber 3. The transfer chamber 3 and the process chamber 2 are also controlled to a reduced pressure environment. When transferring the substrate G from the load lock chamber 4 to the transfer chamber 3, the load lock room 4 and the transfer chamber 3 are controlled to the same degree of reduced pressure environment. In the process chamber 2, processing of the substrate G using a processing gas is performed. After processing is completed, the substrate G is transferred to the load lock room 4 via the transfer room 3. After the load lock chamber 4 is controlled to rise to atmospheric pressure, the gate valve 5 is opened, and the substrate G is unloaded from the load lock chamber 4 to the loader 8.

In this specification, when the substrate G (processed substrate) processed in the process chamber 2 is transferred to the loader 8 through the transfer chamber 3 and the load lock chamber 4, the load lock chamber 4 is controlled to increase the pressure to atmospheric pressure, but the loader 8 is controlled to have a positive pressure rather than atmospheric pressure. For this reason, an airflow is generated from the loader 8 toward the load lock chamber 4. In addition, processing gas adheres to the substrate G (a substrate that has been processed). For this reason, the processing gas adhering to the unloaded substrate G diffuses from the loader 8 toward the load lock chamber 4 and travels with the air current to the edge of the opening 42 of the load lock chamber 4. It touches and attaches to a structure (for example, the guide rail 55 of the gate valve 5). Since the structure provided at the edge of the opening 42 is exposed to the atmosphere, there is a possibility of corrosion (deterioration) due to a reaction between components of the processing gas and moisture in the atmosphere.

In order to suppress adhesion of the processing gas to the structure provided at the edge of the opening 42 (i.e., deterioration of the structure), in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment, the opening 42 is provided from the loader 8 side. Gas is ejected toward the edge of . Examples of the blowing means (blowing unit) include a nozzle that blows out purge gas supplied as gas from a purge gas supply line, a fan that blows surrounding gas from the loader 8 side, etc. Below, an example in which the jetting portion is a nozzle will be described. An example of a means for realizing purge gas ejection by a nozzle is the load lock panel 6. The load lock panel 6 is constructed, for example, by assembling a nozzle or the like in a partition between the load lock room 4 and the external space.

6 and 7 are diagrams showing examples of the schematic configuration of the load lock panel 6. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the load lock chamber (4), gate valve (5), and load lock panel (6). Fig. 7 is a view of the load lock panel 6 from the loader 8 side. The load lock panel (6) is provided on the opposite side of the load lock chamber (4) with the gate valve (5) interposed therebetween, and faces the load lock chamber (4) and the gate valve (5). 6 and 7 show, among the components of the load lock panel 6, a nozzle 61, an opening 62, an air supply pipe 63, and a partition wall 66.

The nozzle 61 is provided opposing the edge of the opening 42 to eject purge gas from the loader 8 side toward the edge of the opening 42 of the load lock chamber 4. Since the guide rail 55 is provided as a structure at the edge of the opening 42, the nozzle 61 is provided opposing the guide rail 55 to eject the purge gas toward the guide rail 55. Specifically, the nozzle 61 includes a nozzle 61U and a nozzle 61L. The nozzle 61U is a pair of nozzles provided to face the edge portion 421U of the opening 42U, that is, the pair of guide rails 55U. The nozzle 61L is a pair of nozzles provided to face the edge portion 421L of the opening 42L, that is, the pair of guide rails 55L.

The opening 62 is provided to communicate with the opening 42 of the load lock chamber 4 and the opening of the gate valve 5. The opening 62 includes an opening 62U and an opening 62L. The opening 62U is provided to communicate with the opening 42U and the opening of the gate valve 5U. The opening 62U may define an end of the upper conveying space. The opening 62L is provided to communicate with the opening 42L and the opening of the gate valve 5L. The opening 62L may define an end of the lower conveying space.

The air supply pipe 63 is an air supply passage (supply passage) that supplies purge gas to the nozzle 61. An example of a purge gas is dry air. The air supply pipe 63 includes an air supply pipe 63U and an air supply pipe 63L. The air supply pipe 63U supplies purge gas to the nozzle 61U. The air supply pipe 63L supplies purge gas to the nozzle 61L.

The partition 66 divides the opening 62U and the opening 62L and is provided in connection with the partition wall 56 of the gate valve 5. The partition wall 66 may define an end portion of the upper conveyance space and a portion of an end portion of the lower conveyance space.

Since the nozzle 61 is provided to face the guide rail 55, the nozzle 61 ejects the purge gas toward the front of the guide rail 55. Thereby, the purge gas can be efficiently brought into contact with the guide rail 55. This will be explained with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9.

Figures 8 and 9 are diagrams schematically showing the flow of ejected purge gas. As shown in FIG. 8, when purge gas is ejected toward the side of the guide rail 55, a flow of purge gas is unlikely to occur in a portion opposite to the side across the guide rail 55. Therefore, in locations where the flow of purge gas is difficult to occur, the processing gas diffusing from the loader 8 may adhere to the guide rail 55. As shown in FIG. 9, when purge gas is ejected toward the front of the guide rail 55, a flow of purge gas occurs in either the front portion or both sides of the guide rail 55. Therefore, the processing gas diffusing from the loader 8 is removed by the flow of purge gas before reaching the guide rail 55, making it difficult to adhere to the guide rail 55. Therefore, it is preferable that the purge gas is ejected toward the front of the guide rail 55, rather than toward the side of the guide rail 55.

Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a nozzle. In this example, the nozzle 61 is a shower plate that ejects purge gas from a plurality of holes, and includes a plate 611, a plate 612, and a seal member 613. The plate 611 includes ports 611a, 611b, and 611c provided at different positions. By selectively connecting the air supply pipe 63 to one of these ports, the connection point of the air supply pipe 63 is adjusted. In this example, the air supply pipe 63 is connected to the port 611b, and the other ports 611a and 611c are blocked. In addition, the number of ports to which the air supply pipe 63 is connected does not necessarily need to be three, and only one port may be provided if the optimal position for gas ejection from the plate 12 to the guide rail 55 is determined, and may be provided depending on the situation. In order to appropriately select the optimal position, a plurality of positions may be provided.

The plate 612 has a plurality of blowing holes 612a. The plurality of jet holes 612a are provided to obtain a desired flow rate, for example, a flow rate of tens to hundreds of L/min. The plurality of blowing holes 612a are provided in a grid shape in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and the left-right direction (X-axis direction), for example. Each blowing hole 612a has a circular shape with a diameter of, for example, several millimeters. In addition, without being limited to the above, the plurality of blowing holes 612a may be arranged in a parallelogram shape, concentric circle shape, etc., and each blowing hole may have a rectangular or elliptical shape, etc.

The plates 611 and 612 form an airtight internal space through which the purge gas supplied to the port (port 611b in this example) of the plate 611 is guided to each blowing hole 612a of the plate 612. So, they are coupled via the seal member 613.

By using the nozzle 61 as a shower plate, for example, it becomes easy to adjust the ejection range of the purge gas. For example, the configuration for exhausting the purge gas ejected by the nozzle 61 as described above is also assembled to the load lock panel 6. This will be explained with reference to FIG. 11 .

Fig. 11 is a view of the load lock panel 6 from the load lock room 4 side. In addition to the nozzle 61, opening 62, air supply pipe 63, and partition 66 described so far, the load lock panel 6 includes an exhaust pipe 64, an exhaust port 641U to an exhaust port 646U, and an exhaust port ( 641L) to exhaust ports 646L, and a purge gas controller 65. In addition, in this example, the air supply pipe 63U of the air supply pipe 63 branches off at the branch point 63Ua at the upper center of the load lock panel 6 and extends in the left and right direction (X-axis direction), and the nozzle 61U ) is connected to. The air supply pipe 63L of the air supply pipe 63 branches off at a branch point 63La in the lower center of the load lock panel 6, extends in the left and right directions, and is connected to the nozzle 61L.

The exhaust pipe 64 is an exhaust flow path for exhausting the conveyance space. The exhaust pipe 64 includes an exhaust pipe 64U and an exhaust pipe 64L.

The exhaust pipe 64U is connected to the exhaust port 641U to the exhaust port 646U. The exhaust ports 641U to 646U exhaust the upper conveyance space through different paths from the opening 42U, the opening of the gate valve 5U, and the opening 62U of the load lock panel 6. The exhaust ports 641U to 646U are provided near the edge portion 422U of the opening 42U of the load lock chamber 4 (for example, within a range of several mm to several centimeters), and are located near the edge portion 422U of the opening 42U of the load lock chamber 4. It is provided along (422U) (in the X-axis direction).

The exhaust pipe 64L is connected to the exhaust port 641L to the exhaust port 646L. The exhaust ports 641L to 646L exhaust the lower conveyance space through different paths from the opening 42L, the opening of the gate valve 5L, and the opening 62L of the load lock panel 6. The exhaust ports 641L to 646L are provided near the edge portion 422L of the opening 42L of the load lock chamber 4 and are provided along the edge portion 422L (in the X-axis direction).

The exhaust pipe 64U and the exhaust pipe 64L will be further described. The exhaust pipe 64U branches off at a branch point 64Ua in the upper center of the load lock panel 6, extends in the left and right directions, and is connected to each of the exhaust ports 641U to 646U. Exhaust ports 641U to 646U are provided above within the upper conveyance space. The exhaust ports 641U to 646U have a central axis direction (in this example, a central axis direction in the Z-axis direction) that intersects the opening central axis direction (Y-axis direction) of the opening 42U. The exhaust ports 641U to 646U are located between a pair of guide rails 55U provided on the left and right edge portions 421U of the opening 42U. The exhaust port 641U and the exhaust port 646U are provided near the guide rail 55U. The exhaust port 643U and the exhaust port 644U are provided near the center of the upper conveyance space. The exhaust port 642U is provided between the exhaust port 641U and the exhaust port 643U. The exhaust port 645U is provided between the exhaust port 644U and the exhaust port 646U.

The exhaust pipe 64L branches off at a branch point 64La in the lower center of the load lock panel 6, extends in the left and right directions, and is connected to each of the exhaust ports 641L to 646L. Exhaust ports 641L to 646L are provided below in the lower conveyance space. The exhaust ports 641L to 646L have a central axis direction (in this example, a central axis direction in the Z-axis direction) that intersects the opening central axis direction (Y-axis direction) of the opening 42L. The exhaust ports 641L to 646L are located between a pair of guide rails 55L provided on the left and right edge portions 421L of the opening 42L. The exhaust port 641L and the exhaust port 646L are provided near the guide rail 55L. The exhaust port 643L and the exhaust port 644L are provided near the center of the lower conveyance space. The exhaust port 642L is provided between the exhaust port 641L and the exhaust port 643L. The exhaust port 645L is provided between the exhaust port 644L and the exhaust port 646L.

As described above, by providing an exhaust port not only in the vicinity of the guide rail 55 but also near the center of the upper conveyance space and the lower conveyance space, the entire conveyance space becomes easy to be exhausted. This will be explained with reference to FIGS. 12 to 17.

12 to 17 are diagrams schematically showing the flow of exhausted gas. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , when an exhaust port is provided only near the guide rail 55, an exhaust flow of purge gas is formed only near the guide rail 55. As shown in Figures 14 and 15, when an exhaust port is provided between the vicinity of the guide rail 55 and the vicinity of the center of the conveyance space (intermediate position), an exhaust flow of purge gas is formed also at the intermediate position. As shown in Figures 16 and 17, when an exhaust port is provided in the center of the conveyance space, an exhaust flow of purge gas is also formed near the center. Therefore, it is desirable that the exhaust port is provided not only near the guide rail 55 but also near the center of the conveyance space.

Returning to FIG. 11 , the purge gas controller 65 controls the supply of purge gas by the supply pipe 63. Examples of purge gas supply control include turning the supply air ON/OFF and adjusting the flow rate. Additionally, the purge gas controller 65 controls exhaust by the exhaust pipe 64. Examples of purge gas exhaust control include turning exhaust gas on and off and adjusting the flow rate. For such air supply control and exhaust control, the purge gas controller 65 may be configured to include variable valves, flow meters, etc. provided for the air supply pipe 63 and the exhaust pipe 64.

An example of ON/OFF control of air supply and exhaust by the purge gas controller 65 will be described. When unprocessed substrates are brought into the load lock chamber 4 from the loader 8, air supply and exhaust are controlled to be OFF. When unloading a processed substrate from the load lock chamber 4 to the loader 8, air supply and exhaust are controlled to ON. Additionally, although this is not done in normal processing, when unprocessed substrates are unloaded from the load lock room 4 to the loader 8 for some reason, air supply and exhaust are controlled to be OFF. When the substrate processing apparatus 1 is running (idle state), air supply and exhaust are controlled to ON. When the substrate processing apparatus 1 is not running (in a down state), air supply and exhaust are controlled to be OFF. If the purge gas supply and/or exhaust does not operate normally, the air supply and exhaust are controlled to be OFF. Additionally, the air supply control and exhaust control by the purge gas controller 65 may be performed under the control of the control unit 7 (FIG. 1). When the supply and/or exhaust of purge gas by the purge gas controller 65 does not operate normally (for example, when the flow rate decreases), the control unit 7 may execute control that generates an alarm.

Among the operations of the substrate processing apparatus 1 described above, in particular the operation when unloading the substrate G from the load lock chamber 4 to the loader 8 will be described with reference to FIG. 18 .

Fig. 18 is a flow chart showing an example of processing (substrate transport method) performed in the substrate processing apparatus. Except where specifically stated, each process is executed under the control of the control unit 7. Initially, the substrate G is assumed to be in the process chamber 2 in a state before processing.

In step S1, substrate processing is performed. That is, in the process chamber 2, processing of the substrate G using a processing gas (for example, chlorine-based gas) is performed. The remaining processing gas that was not consumed during processing adheres to the substrate G.

In step S2, the load lock room is controlled to a reduced pressure environment. That is, the load lock chamber 4 is controlled to a reduced pressure environment rather than atmospheric pressure. Additionally, the reduced pressure environment may be maintained continuously from the time the unprocessed substrate G is brought into the process chamber 2 from the load lock chamber 4.

In step S3, the purge gas is ejected and exhausted. That is, the purge gas is supplied to the nozzle 61 through the air supply pipe 63 and is ejected toward the guide rail 55U and the guide rail 55L. At the same time, the conveyance space is exhausted via the exhaust ports 641U to 646U, the exhaust ports 641L to 646L, and the exhaust pipe 64.

In step S4, the substrate G is unloaded. That is, with the purge gas being ejected and exhausted as in step S3, the substrate G passes from the process chamber 2 through the transfer chamber 3 and the load lock chamber 4, and is loaded into the loader 8. is exported to At this time, the substrate G transferred from the transfer chamber 3 to the load lock chamber 4 is once stored in the load lock chamber 4, and after pressurizing the load lock chamber 4 to atmospheric pressure, the gate valve 5 is opened and carried out to the loader (8). Additionally, the ejection and exhaust of the purge gas may be started in parallel with the transfer of the substrate G from the process chamber 2 to the transfer chamber 3, and after the transfer of the substrate G to the transfer chamber 3, the gate valve may be opened. It may be started until (5) is opened.

In the above processing, when the substrate G is unloaded from the load lock chamber 4 to the loader 8, purge gas is ejected and the conveyance space is evacuated (steps S3 and S4). Therefore, as explained so far, deterioration of the structure (e.g., guide rail 55) provided in the opening 42 due to adhesion of the processing gas to the structure is suppressed.

The embodiment described above is an example in all respects and should not be considered limiting. The above embodiment may be implemented in various forms. The above embodiments may be omitted, replaced, or changed in various ways without departing from the scope of the claims and their spirit.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the upper upper conveyance space is evacuated from above has been described. However, the upper conveyance space may be exhausted from below. In this case, the exhaust port is provided below the upper conveyance space. Additionally, the upper conveyance space may be exhausted from both above and below. In this case, exhaust ports are provided above and below within the upper conveyance space.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the lower conveyance space is exhausted from below has been described. However, the lower conveyance space may be exhausted from above. In this case, the exhaust port is provided above within the lower conveyance space. Additionally, the lower conveyance space may be exhausted from both the upper and lower sides. In this case, for example, exhaust ports are provided above and below within the lower conveyance space.

For example, when the process gas exhausted together with the purge gas is lighter than air, the gas tends to move upwards in the upper and lower conveyance spaces, so upward exhaust is more efficient than downward exhaust. This increases the likelihood of being able to exhaust the gas. When the processing gas exhausted together with the purge gas is heavier than air (for example, in the case of chlorine-based gas), the gas tends to move downward in the upper and lower conveying spaces, so downward exhaust is preferred. The possibility of being able to exhaust gas more efficiently than through exhaust increases. An example in which the upper conveyance space is also exhausted downward will be described with reference to FIG. 19.

Fig. 19 is a diagram (half cross-sectional view) showing an example of the schematic configuration of the load lock chamber 4, gate valve 5, nozzle 61, and exhaust pipe 64A. The load lock panel 6 omits parts other than the nozzle 61 and the exhaust pipe 64A. The exhaust pipe 64A, which is an exhaust flow path, includes an exhaust pipe 64UA and an exhaust pipe 64LA. The exhaust pipe 64UA is connected to a plurality of exhaust ports through an edge portion on the partition wall 56 of the gate valve 5. Among the plurality of exhaust ports, the exhaust port 646UA and the exhaust port 645UA are exemplified. This exhaust port provided on the partition wall 56 is provided below in the upper conveyance space and exhausts the upper conveyance space from below. Like the exhaust pipe 64L, the exhaust pipe 64LA is connected to a downward exhaust port in the lower conveyance space, and therefore the lower conveyance space is also exhausted from below.

In the above embodiment, an example in which elements related to purge gas ejection and exhaust, such as the nozzle 61 and the exhaust port 641U, etc., are assembled to the load lock panel 6 has been described. However, it is not limited to this aspect, and elements related to blowing and exhausting the purge gas may be provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1 in all aspects.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the process chamber 2 is three process chambers including the process chamber 21 to the process chamber 23 has been described. However, the process chamber 2 may be a single process chamber, or may be two or four or more process chambers.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the substrate loading/unloading module is the load lock room 4 has been described. However, in addition to the load lock chamber 4, any module capable of loading and unloading the substrate G in the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be used as a substrate loading and unloading module.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 described above is specified as follows, for example. As explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 17 and the like, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a substrate loading and unloading module (e.g., load lock chamber 4), an opening 42, a gate valve 5, and a blowout module. It is provided with a part (for example, nozzle 61) and an exhaust port (exhaust port 641U, etc.). The substrate loading/unloading module has an internal space (S) through which the substrate (G) passes, which is controlled to an atmospheric pressure environment when the substrate (G) is transported to an external space (e.g., loader 8) controlled to a positive pressure rather than atmospheric pressure. . The opening 42 is provided in the substrate loading/unloading module and communicates the internal space S with the external space. The gate valve 5 is provided with respect to the opening 42 and has a conveyance space. The ejection portion ejects the purge gas from the external space side toward the edge of the opening 42. The exhaust port (641U, etc.) exhausts the conveyance space through a different path from the opening 42.

According to the substrate processing apparatus 1 described above, purge gas is ejected from the outer space side of the opening 42 toward the edge of the opening 42 . Additionally, the conveyance space is exhausted through a different path from the opening 42. As a result, it is possible to suppress adhesion of the processing gas adhering to the substrate G to the structure provided at the edge of the opening 42 when the substrate G is unloaded. Therefore, deterioration of the structure provided in the opening 42 can be suppressed.

As explained with reference to FIG. 11 and the like, a plurality of exhaust ports may be provided along the edges 422U and 422L of the opening 42 (exhaust ports 641U to 646U, and exhaust ports 641L) to exhaust port (646L), etc.). This makes it easier to evacuate the entire conveyance space.

As explained with reference to FIG. 11 and the like, the exhaust port may have a central axis direction (for example, a central axis direction in the Z-axis direction) that intersects the opening central axis direction (Y-axis direction) of the opening 42. For example, in this way, the conveyance space can be exhausted in a direction different from the opening 42.

As explained with reference to FIGS. 11 and 19 , the exhaust port may include an exhaust port provided below the conveyance space (exhaust port 641L, etc., exhaust port 646UA, etc.). By exhausting the conveyance space downward, gas heavier than air can be efficiently exhausted.

As described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, 6, and 11, the interior space (S) includes an upper interior space (internal space (SU)) and a lower interior space (internal space (SL)), The conveyance space includes an upper conveyance space communicating with the upper interior space and a lower conveyance space communicating with the lower interior space, and exhaust ports may be provided in both the upper conveyance space and the lower conveyance space (such as an exhaust port 641U and an exhaust port 641L). ) etc). Thereby, exhaust can be discharged to both the upper and lower conveyance spaces.

As explained with reference to FIG. 10 and the like, the jetting portion may be a shower plate. This makes it easier to adjust, for example, the ejection range of the purge gas.

As explained with reference to FIGS. 3, 4, 6, and 7, the gate valve 5 includes a valve body 52U moving along the edge 421U of the opening 42, etc., and a valve body. (52U), etc., may include a guide rail 55 that guides the direction of movement, and the ejection portion may eject purge gas toward the guide rail 55. The substrate processing apparatus 1 may be provided with a process chamber 2 for processing the substrate G using a processing gas that may corrode the guide rail 55 (for example, a processing gas containing chlorine atoms). good night. Thereby, corrosion of the guide rail 55 can be suppressed.

The substrate transport method described with reference to FIG. 18 is also an aspect of the present disclosure. That is, in the substrate transport method, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, a purge gas is ejected from the outer space side (loader 8 side) than the opening 42 toward the edge of the opening 42, and at the same time, the It includes a step (S3) of exhausting the conveyance space through a different path. By this substrate transport method, as described so far, deterioration of the structure provided in the opening 42 can be suppressed.

1: Substrate processing device
2: Process chamber
3: Return room
4: Load lock room
5: Gate valve
6: Load lock panel
7: Control unit
8: loader
42: opening
51U: Gate cover
51L: Gate cover
55: guide rail
61: nozzle (blowout part)
421U: Edge part
421L: Edge part
422U: Edge part
422L: Edge part
641U: Exhaust port
642U: Exhaust port
643U: Exhaust port
644U: Exhaust port
645U: Exhaust port
646U: Exhaust port
641L: Exhaust port
642L: exhaust port
643L: Exhaust port
644L: Exhaust port
645L: Exhaust port
646L: Exhaust port

Claims (11)

A substrate loading and unloading module that is controlled to an atmospheric pressure environment and has an internal space through which the substrate passes when the substrate is transported to an external space controlled to a positive pressure rather than atmospheric pressure;
an opening provided in the substrate loading/unloading module and communicating the internal space and the external space;
a gate valve provided for the opening and having a conveyance space;
a blowing part that blows out a purge gas from the external space side toward an edge of the opening;
Provided with an exhaust port that exhausts the conveyance space through a path different from the opening.
Substrate processing equipment. According to claim 1,
The exhaust port is provided in plurality along the edge of the opening.
Substrate processing equipment. The method of claim 1 or 2,
The exhaust port has a central axis direction that intersects the opening central axis direction of the opening.
Substrate processing equipment. The method of claim 1 or 2,
The exhaust port includes an exhaust port provided below the conveyance space.
Substrate processing equipment. The method of claim 1 or 2,
The interior space includes an upper interior space and a lower interior space,
The conveyance space includes an upper conveyance space communicating with the upper interior space and a lower conveyance space communicating with the lower interior space,
The exhaust port is provided in both the upper conveyance space and the lower conveyance space.
Substrate processing equipment. The method of claim 1 or 2,
The ejection part is a shower plate.
Substrate processing equipment. The method of claim 1 or 2,
The substrate loading/unloading module is a load lock room configured to be connectable to a loader having the external space.
Substrate processing equipment. The method of claim 1 or 2,
The gate valve includes a valve body that moves along a first edge extending in a first direction among the edges of the opening, and a guide rail that guides the moving direction of the valve body,
The ejection unit ejects the purge gas toward the guide rail.
Substrate processing equipment. According to claim 8,
A process chamber for processing the substrate using a processing gas that has the potential to corrode the guide rail.
Substrate processing equipment. According to clause 9,
The processing gas contains chlorine atoms
Substrate processing equipment. When transporting a substrate to an external space controlled to a positive pressure rather than atmospheric pressure, a substrate carrying-in/out module is provided, which is controlled to an atmospheric pressure environment and has an internal space through which the substrate passes, and is provided in the substrate carrying-in/out module, the internal space and the external space. A substrate processing apparatus comprising a communicating opening and a gate valve provided for the opening and having a transfer space,
A step of ejecting a purge gas from the outer space side of the opening toward an edge of the opening and exhausting the conveyance space through a different path from that of the opening.
Substrate transport method.