KR20180014587A - Substrate treating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for treating a substrate. According to the present invention, the apparatus for treating a substrate comprises: a rod port having a mounting table whereon a cassette is placed; an applying and developing module carrying out process treatment; an index module which transfers the substrate treated from the applying and developing module from the cassette or supplies the substrate treated from the applying and developing module into the cassette; and a controller. Each of the rod port, the applying and developing module, and the index module comprises: a casing; a fan filter unit supplying gas to an internal space of the casing; an exhaust member discharging the gas of the internal space; and a sensor placed in the internal space. Moreover, the controller controls the exhaust member and the fan filter unit in accordance with a measured value of the sensor.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION [0002] Substrate treating apparatus [

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus.

To fabricate semiconductor devices or liquid crystal displays, various processes such as photolithography, etching, ashing, ion implantation, thin film deposition, and cleaning are performed on the substrate. The photolithography process is a process for forming a desired circuit pattern on a substrate, and the application process, the exposure process, and the development process are sequentially performed. In the coating step, a photosensitive liquid such as a photoresist is coated on the substrate. In the exposure step, a circuit pattern is exposed on the substrate having the photosensitive film. In the developing step, the exposed region is selectively developed on the substrate.

The present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of efficiently processing a substrate.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cassette comprising: a load port having a cassette on which a cassette is placed; An application and development module for performing a process operation; An index module for taking out the substrate processed in the coating and developing module from the cassette or for bringing the substrate processed in the coating and developing module into the cassette; And a controller, wherein the load port, the application and development module, and the index module each comprise: a casing; A fan filter unit for supplying gas to an inner space of the casing; An exhaust member for exhausting the gas in the inner space; And a sensor positioned in the inner space, and the controller may be provided with a substrate processing apparatus for controlling the exhaust member and the fan filter unit in accordance with the measured value of the sensor.

In addition, the sensor may include a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the inner space.

In addition, the index module may include an inspection chamber that performs an inspection on the processed substrate, and the controller may cause the processed substrate to be inspected in the inspection chamber when the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor is outside the set range .

In addition, the sensor may include a particle sensor for measuring particles in the inner space.

The controller may increase the amount of gas supplied to the inner space and the amount of gas discharged from the inner space when the particle sensed by the particle sensor exceeds the set value.

In addition, the controller may cause the processed substrate to be inspected in the inspection chamber when the particle sensed by the particle sensor exceeds a set value.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cassette comprising: a load port having a tray on which a cassette is placed; An application and development module for performing a process operation; An index module for taking out the substrate processed in the coating and developing module from the cassette or for bringing the substrate processed in the coating and developing module into the cassette; And a controller, wherein the load port, the application and development module, and the index module each comprise: a casing; A fan filter unit for supplying gas to an inner space of the casing; An exhaust member for exhausting the gas in the inner space; And a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure in the inner space, and the controller may be provided with a substrate processing apparatus for monitoring the pressure in the inner space through the pressure sensor.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cassette comprising: a load port having a cassette on which a cassette is placed; An application and development module for performing a process operation; An index module for taking out the substrate processed in the coating and developing module from the cassette or for bringing the substrate processed in the coating and developing module into the cassette; And a controller, wherein the load port, the application and development module, and the index module each comprise: a casing; A fan filter unit for supplying gas to an inner space of the casing; An exhaust member for exhausting the gas in the inner space; And a particle sensor for measuring particles in the inner space, and the controller may be provided with a substrate processing apparatus for monitoring particles in the inner space through the particle sensor.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a substrate processing apparatus capable of efficiently processing a substrate can be provided.

1 is a top view of the substrate processing apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a view of the facility of Fig. 1 viewed from the direction AA.
Fig. 3 is a view of the equipment of Fig. 1 viewed from the BB direction.
Fig. 4 is a view of the facility of Fig. 1 viewed from the CC direction; Fig.
5 is a view showing a casing of a part of the substrate processing apparatus.
6 is a view showing a control relationship of a configuration connected to the casing.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments of the present invention can be modified in various forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the following embodiments. This embodiment is provided to more fully describe the present invention to those skilled in the art. Thus, the shape of the elements in the figures has been exaggerated to emphasize a clearer description.

1 is a plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 viewed from the direction AA, FIG. 3 is a view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 viewed from the BB direction, FIG. 4 is a view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 In the CC direction.

1 to 4, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a load port 100, an index module 200, a first buffer module 300, a coating and developing module 400, a second buffer module 500 An exposure pre- and post-processing module 600, and an interface module 700. The load port 100, the index module 200, the first buffer module 300, the application and development module 400, the second buffer module 500, the pre-exposure processing module 600, and the interface module 700, Are sequentially arranged in one direction in a single direction.

Hereinafter, the load port 100, the index module 200, the first buffer module 300, the coating and developing module 400, the second buffer module 500, the pre-exposure processing module 600, 700 are referred to as a first direction 12 and a direction perpendicular to the first direction 12 as viewed from above is referred to as a second direction 14 and a direction in which the first direction 12 and the second And a direction perpendicular to the direction 14 is referred to as a third direction 16.

The substrate W is moved in a state accommodated in the cassette 20. At this time, the cassette 20 has a structure that can be sealed from the outside. For example, as the cassette 20, a front open unified pod (FOUP) having a door at the front can be used.

Hereinafter, the load port 100, the index module 200, the first buffer module 300, the application and development module 400, the second buffer module 500, the pre-exposure processing module 600, 700 will be described in detail.

The load port 100 has a mounting table 120 on which the cassette 20 accommodating the substrates W is placed. A plurality of mounts 120 are provided, and the mounts 200 are arranged in a line along the second direction 14. [ In Fig. 2, four placement tables 120 are provided.

The index module 200 transfers the substrate W between the cassette 20 placed on the table 120 of the load port 100 and the first buffer module 300. The index module 200 has a frame 210, an index robot 220, and a guide rail 230. The frame 210 is provided generally in the shape of an inner rectangular parallelepiped and is disposed between the load port 100 and the first buffer module 300. The frame 210 of the index module 200 may be provided at a lower height than the frame 310 of the first buffer module 300 described later. The index robot 220 and the guide rail 230 are disposed within the frame 210. The index robot 220 is moved in the first direction 12, the second direction 14 and the third direction 16 so that the hand 221 that directly handles the substrate W can be moved and rotated in the first direction 12, the second direction 14, . The index robot 220 has a hand 221, an arm 222, a support 223, and a pedestal 224. The hand 221 is fixed to the arm 222. The arm 222 is provided with a stretchable structure and a rotatable structure. The support base 223 is disposed along the third direction 16 in the longitudinal direction. The arm 222 is coupled to the support 223 to be movable along the support 223. The support 223 is fixedly coupled to the pedestal 224. The guide rails 230 are provided so that their longitudinal direction is arranged along the second direction 14. The pedestal 224 is coupled to the guide rail 230 so as to be linearly movable along the guide rail 230. Further, although not shown, the frame 210 is further provided with a door opener for opening and closing the door of the cassette 20. The index module 200 may be provided with a test chamber 240. The inspection chamber 240 may perform the inspection prior to removal for the processed substrate.

The first buffer module 300 has a frame 310, a first buffer 320, a second buffer 330, a cooling chamber 350, and a first buffer robot 360. The frame 310 is provided in the shape of an inner rectangular parallelepiped and is disposed between the index module 200 and the application and development module 400. The first buffer 320, the second buffer 330, the cooling chamber 350, and the first buffer robot 360 are located within the frame 310. The cooling chamber 350, the second buffer 330, and the first buffer 320 are sequentially disposed in the third direction 16 from below. The second buffer 330 and the cooling chamber 350 are located at a height corresponding to the coating module 401 of the coating and developing module 400 described later and the coating and developing module 400 at a height corresponding to the developing module 402. [ The first buffer robot 360 is spaced apart from the second buffer 330, the cooling chamber 350 and the first buffer 320 by a predetermined distance in the second direction 14.

The first buffer 320 and the second buffer 330 temporarily store a plurality of substrates W, respectively. The second buffer 330 has a housing 331 and a plurality of supports 332. The supports 332 are disposed within the housing 331 and are provided spaced apart from each other in the third direction 16. One substrate W is placed on each support 332. The housing 331 is constructed so that the index robot 220, the first buffer robot 360 and the developing robot 482 of the developing module 402 described later mount the substrate W on the support 332 in the housing 331 (Not shown) in the direction in which the index robot 220 is provided, in the direction in which the first buffer robot 360 is provided, and in the direction in which the developing robot 482 is provided, so that the developing robot 482 can carry it in or out. The first buffer 320 has a structure substantially similar to that of the second buffer 330. The housing 321 of the first buffer 320 has an opening in a direction in which the first buffer robot 360 is provided and in a direction in which the application unit robot 432 located in the application module 401 described later is provided. The number of supports 322 provided in the first buffer 320 and the number of supports 332 provided in the second buffer 330 may be the same or different. According to one example, the number of supports 332 provided in the second buffer 330 may be greater than the number of supports 322 provided in the first buffer 320.

The first buffer robot 360 transfers the substrate W between the first buffer 320 and the second buffer 330. The first buffer robot 360 has a hand 361, an arm 362, and a support base 363. The hand 361 is fixed to the arm 362. The arm 362 is provided in a stretchable configuration so that the hand 361 is movable along the second direction 14. The arm 362 is coupled to the support 363 so as to be linearly movable along the support 363 in the third direction 16. The support base 363 has a length extending from a position corresponding to the second buffer 330 to a position corresponding to the first buffer 320. The support member 363 may be provided longer in the upward or downward direction. The first buffer robot 360 may be provided so that the hand 361 is simply driven in two directions along the second direction 14 and the third direction 16.

The cooling chamber 350 cools the substrate W, respectively. The cooling chamber 350 has a housing 351 and a cooling plate 352. The cooling plate 352 has an upper surface on which the substrate W is placed and a cooling means 353 for cooling the substrate W. [ As the cooling means 353, various methods such as cooling with cooling water and cooling using a thermoelectric element can be used. In addition, the cooling chamber 350 may be provided with a lift pin assembly (not shown) for positioning the substrate W on the cooling plate 352. The housing 351 is provided with an index robot 220 so that the developing robot 482 provided in the index robot 220 and a developing module 402 to be described later can carry the substrate W into or out of the cooling plate 352 (Not shown) in the direction provided and the direction in which the developing robot 482 is provided. Further, the cooling chamber 350 may be provided with doors (not shown) for opening and closing the above-described opening.

The application and development module 400 performs a process of applying a photoresist on the substrate W before the exposure process and a process of developing the substrate W after the exposure process. The application and development module 400 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. The coating and developing module 400 has a coating module 401 and a developing module 402. The application module 401 and the development module 402 are arranged so as to be partitioned into layers with respect to each other. According to one example, the application module 401 is located on top of the development module 402.

The application module 401 includes a process of applying a photosensitive liquid such as a photoresist to the substrate W and a heat treatment process such as heating and cooling for the substrate W before and after the resist application process. The application module 401 has a resist application chamber 410, a bake chamber 420, and a transfer chamber 430. The resist application chamber 410, the bake chamber 420, and the transfer chamber 430 are sequentially disposed along the second direction 14. [ The resist application chamber 410 and the bake chamber 420 are positioned apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 430 interposed therebetween. A plurality of resist coating chambers 410 are provided, and a plurality of resist coating chambers 410 are provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. In the figure, six resist coating chambers 410 are provided. A plurality of bake chambers 420 are provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. In the drawing, six bake chambers 420 are provided. Alternatively, however, the bake chamber 420 may be provided in a greater number.

The transfer chamber 430 is positioned in parallel with the first buffer 320 of the first buffer module 300 in the first direction 12. In the transfer chamber 430, a dispenser robot 432 and a guide rail 433 are positioned. The transfer chamber 430 has a generally rectangular shape. The applicator robot 432 is connected to the bake chambers 420, the resist application chambers 400, the first buffer 320 of the first buffer module 300, and the first buffer module 500 of the second buffer module 500 And transfers the substrate W between the cooling chambers 520. The guide rails 433 are arranged so that their longitudinal directions are parallel to the first direction 12. The guide rails 433 guide the applying robot 432 to move linearly in the first direction 12. The applicator robot 432 has a hand 434, an arm 435, a support 436, and a pedestal 437. The hand 434 is fixed to the arm 435. The arm 435 is provided in a stretchable configuration so that the hand 434 is movable in the horizontal direction. The support 436 is provided so that its longitudinal direction is disposed along the third direction 16. The arm 435 is coupled to the support 436 so as to be linearly movable in the third direction 16 along the support 436. The support 436 is fixedly coupled to the pedestal 437 and the pedestal 437 is coupled to the guide rail 433 so as to be movable along the guide rail 433.

The resist coating chambers 410 all have the same structure. However, the types of the photoresist used in each of the resist coating chambers 410 may be different from each other. As an example, a chemical amplification resist may be used as the photoresist. The resist coating chamber 410 applies a photoresist on the substrate W. [ The resist coating chamber 410 has a housing 411, a support plate 412, and a nozzle 413. The housing 411 has a cup shape with an open top. The support plate 412 is located in the housing 411 and supports the substrate W. [ The support plate 412 is rotatably provided. The nozzle 413 supplies the photoresist onto the substrate W placed on the support plate 412. The nozzle 413 has a circular tube shape and can supply photoresist to the center of the substrate W. [ Alternatively, the nozzle 413 may have a length corresponding to the diameter of the substrate W, and the discharge port of the nozzle 413 may be provided as a slit. In addition, the resist coating chamber 410 may further be provided with a nozzle 414 for supplying a cleaning liquid such as deionized water to clean the surface of the substrate W to which the photoresist is applied.

The bake chamber 420 heat-treats the substrate W. For example, the bake chambers 420 may be formed by a prebake process for heating the substrate W to a predetermined temperature to remove organic substances and moisture on the surface of the substrate W, A soft bake process is performed after coating the substrate W on the substrate W, and a cooling process for cooling the substrate W after each heating process is performed. The bake chamber 420 has a cooling plate 421 or a heating plate 422. The cooling plate 421 is provided with a cooling means 423 such as a cooling water or a thermoelectric element. The heating plate 422 is also provided with a heating means 424, such as a hot wire or a thermoelectric element. The cooling plate 421 and the heating plate 422 may be provided in a single bake chamber 420, respectively. Optionally, some of the bake chambers 420 may include only the cooling plate 421, and the other portions may include only the heating plate 422.

The developing module 402 includes a developing process for supplying a developing solution to obtain a pattern on the substrate W to remove a part of the photoresist and a heat treatment process such as heating and cooling performed on the substrate W before and after the developing process . The development module 402 has a development chamber 800, a bake chamber 470, and a transfer chamber 480. [ The development chamber 800, the bake chamber 470, and the transfer chamber 480 are sequentially disposed along the second direction 14. The development chamber 800 and the bake chamber 470 are positioned apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 480 therebetween. A plurality of developing chambers 800 are provided and a plurality of developing chambers 800 are provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. In the drawing, an example in which six developing chambers 800 are provided is shown. A plurality of bake chambers 470 are provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. In the drawing, six bake chambers 470 are provided. Alternatively, however, the bake chamber 470 can be provided in greater numbers.

The transfer chamber 480 is positioned in parallel with the second buffer 330 of the first buffer module 300 in the first direction 12. In the transfer chamber 480, the developing robot 482 and the guide rail 483 are positioned. The delivery chamber 480 has a generally rectangular shape. The development robot 482 is connected to the bake chambers 470, the development chambers 800, the second buffer 330 and the cooling chamber 350 of the first buffer module 300 and the second buffer module 500, And the second cooling chamber 540 of the second cooling chamber 540. The guide rail 483 is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first direction 12. The guide rail 483 guides the developing robot 482 to linearly move in the first direction 12. The developing sub-robot 482 has a hand 484, an arm 485, a supporting stand 486, and a pedestal 487. The hand 484 is fixed to the arm 485. The arm 485 is provided in a stretchable configuration to allow the hand 484 to move in a horizontal direction. The support 486 is provided so that its longitudinal direction is disposed along the third direction 16. The arm 485 is coupled to the support 486 such that it is linearly movable along the support 486 in the third direction 16. The support table 486 is fixedly coupled to the pedestal 487. The pedestal 487 is coupled to the guide rail 483 so as to be movable along the guide rail 483.

The second buffer module 500 is provided as a path through which the substrate W is transferred between the coating and developing module 400 and the pre- and post-exposure processing module 600. The second buffer module 500 performs a predetermined process on the substrate W such as a cooling process or an edge exposure process. The second buffer module 500 includes a frame 510, a buffer 520, a first cooling chamber 530, a second cooling chamber 540, an edge exposure chamber 550, and a second buffer robot 560 I have. The frame 510 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The buffer 520, the first cooling chamber 530, the second cooling chamber 540, the edge exposure chamber 550, and the second buffer robot 560 are located within the frame 510. The buffer 520, the first cooling chamber 530, and the edge exposure chamber 550 are disposed at a height corresponding to the application module 401. The second cooling chamber 540 is disposed at a height corresponding to the development module 402. The buffer 520, the first cooling chamber 530, and the second cooling chamber 540 are sequentially arranged in a row along the third direction 16. The buffer 520 is disposed along the first direction 12 with the transfer chamber 430 of the application module 401. [ The edge exposure chamber 550 is spaced a certain distance in the second direction 14 from the buffer 520 or the first cooling chamber 530.

The second buffer robot 560 carries the substrate W between the buffer 520, the first cooling chamber 530, and the edge exposure chamber 550. A second buffer robot 560 is positioned between the edge exposure chamber 550 and the buffer 520. The second buffer robot 560 may be provided in a structure similar to that of the first buffer robot 360. The first cooling chamber 530 and the edge exposure chamber 550 perform a subsequent process on the substrates W that have been processed in the application module 401. The first cooling chamber 530 cools the substrate W processed in the application module 401. The first cooling chamber 530 has a structure similar to the cooling chamber 350 of the first buffer module 300. The edge exposure chamber 550 exposes its edge to the substrates W that have undergone the cooling process in the first cooling chamber 530. [ The buffer 520 temporarily stores the substrate W before the substrates W processed in the edge exposure chamber 550 are transported to a preprocessing module 601 described later. The second cooling chamber 540 cools the substrates W before the processed substrates W are transferred to the developing module 402 in the post-processing module 602 described later. The second buffer module 500 may further have a buffer added to the height corresponding to the development module 402. In this case, the substrates W processed in the post-processing module 602 may be temporarily stored in the added buffer and then conveyed to the developing module 402.

The pre- and post-exposure processing module 600 includes a step of applying a protective film for protecting the photoresist film applied to the substrate W during liquid immersion exposure when the exposure apparatus connected to the interface module 700 performs the liquid immersion exposure process Can be processed. In addition, the pre- and post-exposure processing module 600 may perform a process of cleaning the substrate W after exposure. In addition, when the coating process is performed using the chemically amplified resist, the pre- and post-exposure processing module 600 can process the post-exposure bake process.

The pre-exposure post-processing module 600 has a pre-processing module 601 and a post-processing module 602. The pre-processing module 601 performs a process of processing the substrate W before the exposure process, and the post-process module 602 performs a process of processing the substrate W after the exposure process. The pre-processing module 601 and the post-processing module 602 are arranged so as to be partitioned into layers with respect to each other. According to one example, the preprocessing module 601 is located on top of the post-processing module 602. The preprocessing module 601 is provided at the same height as the application module 401. The post-processing module 602 is provided at the same height as the developing module 402. The pretreatment module 601 has a protective film application chamber 610, a bake chamber 620, and a transfer chamber 630. The protective film application chamber 610, the transfer chamber 630, and the bake chamber 620 are sequentially disposed along the second direction 14. The protective film application chamber 610 and the bake chamber 620 are positioned apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 630 therebetween. A plurality of protective film application chambers 610 are provided and are arranged along the third direction 16 to form layers. Alternatively, a plurality of protective film application chambers 610 may be provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. A plurality of bake chambers 620 are provided and are disposed along the third direction 16 to form layers. Alternatively, a plurality of bake chambers 620 may be provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively.

The transfer chamber 630 is positioned in parallel with the first cooling chamber 530 of the second buffer module 500 in the first direction 12. In the transfer chamber 630, a pre-processing robot 632 is located. The transfer chamber 630 has a generally square or rectangular shape. The preprocessing robot 632 is connected between the protective film application chambers 610, the bake chambers 620, the buffer 520 of the second buffer module 500 and the first buffer 720 of the interface module 700, The substrate W is transferred. The preprocessing robot 632 has a hand 633, an arm 634, and a support 635. The hand 633 is fixed to the arm 634. The arm 634 is provided with a retractable structure and a rotatable structure. The arm 634 is coupled to the support 635 so as to be linearly movable along the support 635 in the third direction 16.

The protective film applying chamber 610 applies a protective film for protecting the resist film on the substrate W during liquid immersion exposure. The protective film application chamber 610 has a housing 611, a support plate 612, and a nozzle 613. The housing 611 has a cup shape with its top opened. The support plate 612 is located in the housing 611 and supports the substrate W. [ The support plate 612 is rotatably provided. The nozzle 613 supplies a protective liquid for forming a protective film onto the substrate W placed on the supporting plate 612. The nozzle 613 has a circular tube shape and can supply the protective liquid to the center of the substrate W. [ Alternatively, the nozzle 613 may have a length corresponding to the diameter of the substrate W, and the discharge port of the nozzle 613 may be provided with a slit. In this case, the support plate 612 may be provided in a fixed state. The protective liquid includes a foamable material. The protective liquid may be a photoresist and a material having a low affinity for water. For example, the protective liquid may contain a fluorine-based solvent. The protective film application chamber 610 supplies the protective liquid to the central region of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W placed on the support plate 612.

The bake chamber 620 heat-treats the substrate W coated with the protective film. The bake chamber 620 has a cooling plate 621 or a heating plate 622. The cooling plate 621 is provided with a cooling means 623 such as a cooling water or a thermoelectric element. Or heating plate 622 is provided with a heating means 624, such as a hot wire or a thermoelectric element. The heating plate 622 and the cooling plate 621 may be provided in a single bake chamber 620, respectively. Optionally, some of the bake chambers 620 may have only the heating plate 622, while others may only have the cooling plate 621.

The post-processing module 602 has a cleaning chamber 660, a post-exposure bake chamber 670, and a delivery chamber 680. The cleaning chamber 660, the transfer chamber 680, and the post-exposure bake chamber 670 are sequentially disposed along the second direction 14. Accordingly, the cleaning chamber 660 and the post-exposure baking chamber 670 are positioned apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 680 therebetween. A plurality of cleaning chambers 660 are provided and may be disposed along the third direction 16 to form layers. Alternatively, a plurality of cleaning chambers 660 may be provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. A plurality of post-exposure bake chambers 670 are provided and may be disposed along the third direction 16 to form layers. Alternatively, a plurality of post-exposure bake chambers 670 may be provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively.

The transfer chamber 680 is positioned in parallel with the second cooling chamber 540 of the second buffer module 500 in the first direction 12 as viewed from above. The transfer chamber 680 has a generally square or rectangular shape. A post processing robot 682 is located in the transfer chamber 680. The post-processing robot 682 is connected to the cleaning chambers 660, post-exposure bake chambers 670, the second cooling chamber 540 of the second buffer module 500, and the second And transfers the substrate W between the buffers 730. The postprocessing robot 682 provided in the postprocessing module 602 may be provided with the same structure as the preprocessing robot 632 provided in the preprocessing module 601. [

The cleaning chamber 660 cleans the substrate W after the exposure process. The cleaning chamber 660 has a housing 661, a support plate 662, and a nozzle 663. The housing 661 has a cup shape with an open top. The support plate 662 is located in the housing 661 and supports the substrate W. [ The support plate 662 is rotatably provided. The nozzle 663 supplies the cleaning liquid onto the substrate W placed on the support plate 662. As the cleaning liquid, water such as deionized water may be used. The cleaning chamber 660 supplies the cleaning liquid to the central region of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W placed on the support plate 662. Optionally, while the substrate W is rotating, the nozzle 663 may move linearly or rotationally from the central region of the substrate W to the edge region.

The post-exposure bake chamber 670 heats the substrate W subjected to the exposure process using deep UV light. The post-exposure baking step heats the substrate W and amplifies the acid generated in the photoresist by exposure to complete the property change of the photoresist. The post-exposure bake chamber 670 has a heating plate 672. The heating plate 672 is provided with a heating means 674 such as a hot wire or a thermoelectric element. The post-exposure bake chamber 670 may further include a cooling plate 671 therein. The cooling plate 671 is provided with a cooling means 673 such as a cooling water or a thermoelectric element. Further, a bake chamber having only the cooling plate 671 may be further provided.

As described above, the pre-processing module 601 and the post-processing module 602 in the pre-exposure processing module 600 are provided to be completely separated from each other. The transfer chamber 630 of the preprocessing module 601 and the transfer chamber 680 of the postprocessing module 602 are provided in the same size and can be provided so as to completely overlap each other when viewed from above. Further, the protective film application chamber 610 and the cleaning chamber 660 may be provided to have the same size as each other and be provided so as to completely overlap with each other when viewed from above. Further, the bake chamber 620 and the post-exposure bake chamber 670 are provided in the same size, and can be provided so as to completely overlap each other when viewed from above.

The interface module 700 transfers the substrate W between the exposure pre- and post-processing module 600 and the exposure apparatus 900. The interface module 700 has a frame 710, a first buffer 720, a second buffer 730, and an interface robot 740. The first buffer 720, the second buffer 730, and the interface robot 740 are located within the frame 710. The first buffer 720 and the second buffer 730 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance and are stacked on each other. The first buffer 720 is disposed higher than the second buffer 730. The first buffer 720 is positioned at a height corresponding to the preprocessing module 601 and the second buffer 730 is positioned at a height corresponding to the postprocessing module 602. The first buffer 720 is arranged in a line along the first direction 12 with the transfer chamber 630 of the preprocessing module 601 while the second buffer 730 is arranged in the postprocessing module 602, Are arranged in a line along the first direction 12 with the transfer chamber 630 of the transfer chamber 630. [

The interface robot 740 is spaced apart from the first buffer 720 and the second buffer 730 in the second direction 14. The interface robot 740 carries the substrate W between the first buffer 720, the second buffer 730 and the exposure apparatus 900. The interface robot 740 has a structure substantially similar to that of the second buffer robot 560.

The first buffer 720 temporarily stores the substrates W processed in the preprocessing module 601 before they are transferred to the exposure apparatus 900. The second buffer 730 temporarily stores the processed substrates W in the exposure apparatus 900 before they are transferred to the post-processing module 602. The first buffer 720 has a housing 721 and a plurality of supports 722. The supports 722 are disposed within the housing 721 and are provided spaced apart from each other in the third direction 16. One substrate W is placed on each support 722. The housing 721 is movable in the direction in which the interface robot 740 is provided and in the direction in which the interface robot 740 and the preprocessing robot 632 transfer the substrate W to and from the support table 722, 632 are provided with openings (not shown) in the direction in which they are provided. The second buffer 730 has a structure substantially similar to that of the first buffer 720. However, the housing 731 of the second buffer 730 has an opening (not shown) in the direction in which the interface robot 740 is provided and in a direction in which the postprocessing robot 682 is provided. Only the buffers and robots can be provided as described above without providing a chamber for performing a predetermined process on the substrate W in the interface module.

The development chambers 800 all have the same structure. However, the types of developers used in the respective developing chambers 800 may be different from each other. The development chamber 800 is provided with an apparatus for developing a substrate. The development chamber 800 removes a region of the photoresist on the substrate W where light is irradiated. At this time, the area of the protective film irradiated with the light is also removed. Depending on the type of selectively used photoresist, only the areas of the photoresist and protective film that are not irradiated with light can be removed.

5 is a view showing a casing of a part of the substrate processing apparatus.

The casing 1100 is provided in the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1. [ Specifically, the casing 1100 includes the above-described chambers (the resist application chamber 410, the bake chamber 420, the bake chamber 470, the protective film application chamber 610, the bake chamber 620, the cleaning chamber 660, , The post-exposure bake chamber 670, and the development chamber 800). The casing 1100 also includes a robot for transferring the substrate (index robot 220, first buffer robot 360, applying robot 432, developing robot 482, second buffer robot 560, (The frame 210 of the index module 200, the frame 310 of the first buffer module 300, the transfer chamber (not shown) of the first buffer module 300) in which the robot 632, the postprocessing robot 682, The frame 510 of the second buffer module 500, the transfer chamber 630, the transfer chamber 680, and the frame 710 of the interface module 700) of the first buffer module 500, the transfer chamber 480, the second buffer module 500, do.

The casing 1100 is connected to the fan filter unit 1200 for supplying gas to the inner space. For example, the fan filter unit 1200 may be located inside the casing 1100 or may be provided to be connected to the upper portion of the casing 1100. The gas supplied by the fan filter unit 1200 may be air, dry air that has been dehumidified or reduced, and the like.

The inner space of the casing 1100 is connected to the exhaust member 1300. The exhaust member 1300 provides a negative pressure against the inner space to exhaust gas in the inner space.

A sensor 1400 is located in the inner space of the casing 1100. The sensor 1400 measures the state of the inner space. The sensor 1400 may include a pressure sensor 1410. The pressure sensor 1410 measures the pressure in the inner space. The sensor 1400 may include a particle sensor 1420. The particle sensor 1420 may be positioned below the inner space. The particle sensor 1420 measures particles in the inner space.

6 is a view showing a control relationship of a configuration connected to the casing.

The controller 900 controls the configurations of the substrate processing apparatus 1 including the fan filter unit 1200 and the exhaust member 1300.

The controller 900 adjusts the fan filter unit 1200 and the exhaust member 1300 so that the inner space of the casing 1100 is within the set error range with respect to the set pressure or set pressure. The controller 900 controls the fan filter unit 1200 and the exhaust member 1300 such that the pressure of the inner space is formed to be larger than the pressure outside the substrate processing apparatus 1. [ Therefore, the inflow of air from the outside into the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be shut off.

The controller 900 controls the fan filter unit 1200 and the exhaust member 1300 such that the pressure in the inner space is differently formed in accordance with each casing 1100. [ For example, the controller 900 may control the pressure of the inner space of the structure such as the resist application chamber 410 to perform processing with respect to the substrate, such that the inner space of the inner space of the configuration where the robot for substrate transfer is located, The fan filter unit 1200 and the exhaust member 1300 are controlled so that the pressure is greatly increased. The robot for substrate transfer generates friction between components during operation. This causes particles from wear of the component. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the pressure of the inner space pressure of the structure for performing the process processing on the substrate is formed to be larger than the pressure of the space where the robot is located, so that the inner space So that the particles can be prevented from flowing into the space.

The controller 900 adjusts the fan filter unit 1200 and the exhaust member 1300 such that the inner space of the casing 1100 is kept within a set error range with respect to the set pressure or set pressure. Specifically, the controller 900 can sense the pressure in the inner space through the pressure sensor 1410. [ The controller 900 adjusts the operation state of the fan filter unit 1200 and the exhaust member 1300 so that the pressure in the inner space is lower than the set pressure Or the set pressure can be restored to within the set error range.

In addition, the controller 900 can sense the pressure difference between the casing 1100 and the casing 1100 through the pressure of each casing 1100. [ The controller 900 controls the operation of the fan filter unit 1200 and the exhaust member 1300 connected to one or more casings 1100 when the pressure difference between the casing 1100 and the casing 1100 is out of the set range. The pressure difference between the casings 1100 can be restored to the set range by adjusting the operating state.

Also, the controller 900 may cause the particles in the inner space to remain below a set value. Specifically, the controller 900 can monitor the degree of particles in the inner space through the particle sensor 1420. When the measured particles exceed the set value, the controller 900 increases the amount of gas supplied to the inner space and the amount of gas discharged from the inner space, thereby reducing particles in the inner space.

In addition, the controller 900 can adjust the fan filter unit 1200 and the exhaust member 1300 in conjunction with the quality of the processed substrate. The controller 900 determines whether the pressure measured in the inner space of one or more casings 1100 is out of the setting range or when the pressure difference between one or more casings 1100 and the casing 1100 is set If out of the range, or if the particles inside one or more casings 1100 exceed the set value, then the processed substrate can be inspected in the inspection chamber 240 before it is taken out. Such inspection may be performed at set intervals for the substrates being carried out continuously or with respect to the substrates being carried out. The pressure adjustment of the inner space, the pressure difference adjustment between the inner spaces or the particle adjustment of the inner space as described above can be continued until the inspection result of the substrate to be taken out is restored to the normal processing of the substrate processing apparatus 1 .

In addition, the controller 900 can be inspected in the inspection chamber 240 before it is taken out, with respect to the substrate or any substrate of the set interval. When the inspection result of the substrate is different from the normal processing of the substrate processing apparatus 1, it is possible to control the pressure in the inner space, adjust the pressure difference between the inner spaces, or adjust the particles in the inner space as described above. At this time, the controller 900 controls the operation of the casing 1100 in which the fluctuation of the pressure to the set value is large, the casing 1100 in which the fluctuation of the pressure difference is large, or the casing 1100 ) Can be prioritized to perform the adjustment.

The foregoing detailed description is illustrative of the present invention. In addition, the foregoing is intended to illustrate and explain the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention may be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments. That is, it is possible to make changes or modifications within the scope of the concept of the invention disclosed in this specification, within the scope of the disclosure, and / or within the skill and knowledge of the art. The embodiments described herein are intended to illustrate the best mode for implementing the technical idea of the present invention and various modifications required for specific applications and uses of the present invention are also possible. Accordingly, the detailed description of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiments. It is also to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover such other embodiments.

100: Load port 200: Index module
210: frame 300: first buffer module
220: Index robot 400: Application and development module
430: transfer chamber 500: second buffer module
600: before and after exposure processing module 700: interface module

Claims (8)

A load port having a placement table on which a cassette is placed;
An application and development module for performing a process operation;
An index module for taking out the substrate processed in the coating and developing module from the cassette or for bringing the substrate processed in the coating and developing module into the cassette; And
A controller,
The load port, the application and development module, and the index module,
Casing;
A fan filter unit for supplying gas to an inner space of the casing;
An exhaust member for exhausting the gas in the inner space; And
And a sensor located in the inner space,
Wherein the controller controls the exhaust member and the fan filter unit according to a measured value of the sensor. The method according to claim 1,
The sensor
And a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the inner space. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the index module comprises an inspection chamber for performing inspection on the processed substrate,
Wherein the controller causes the processed substrate to be inspected in the inspection chamber when the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor is out of a setting range. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the sensor comprises a particle sensor for measuring particles in the interior space. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the controller increases the amount of gas supplied to the inner space and the amount of gas discharged from the inner space when the particle sensed by the particle sensor exceeds a set value. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the controller causes the processed substrate to be inspected in the inspection chamber when the particle sensed by the particle sensor exceeds a set value. A load port having a placement table on which a cassette is placed;
An application and development module for performing a process operation;
An index module for taking out the substrate processed in the coating and developing module from the cassette or for bringing the substrate processed in the coating and developing module into the cassette; And
A controller,
The load port, the application and development module, and the index module,
Casing;
A fan filter unit for supplying gas to an inner space of the casing;
An exhaust member for exhausting the gas in the inner space; And
And a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the inner space,
Wherein the controller monitors the pressure in the inner space through the pressure sensor. A load port having a placement table on which a cassette is placed;
An application and development module for performing a process operation;
An index module for taking out the substrate processed in the coating and developing module from the cassette or for bringing the substrate processed in the coating and developing module into the cassette; And
A controller,
The load port, the application and development module, and the index module,
Casing;
A fan filter unit for supplying gas to an inner space of the casing;
An exhaust member for exhausting the gas in the inner space; And
And a particle sensor for measuring particles in the inner space,
Wherein the controller monitors particles in the inner space through the particle sensor.

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