TW201843439A - Substrate processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

In a substrate processing system that comprises processing devices for processing substrates and in which substrate transport regions are provided for the purpose of transporting substrates to the processing devices, an object of the invention is to reliably prevent the adhesion of floating particles to the substrates. A substrate processing system, which comprises heat processing devices 40 and the like as processing devices that process substrates, and in which transport regions R1 to R4 are provided for the purpose of transporting wafers W to the processing devices, further comprises sound wave emission devices 60 and 70 which emit sound waves to prevent floating particles in the transport regions R1 to R4 from adhering to the substrates. The sound wave emission device 70 is provided, for example, in a region adjacent to a transport exit and entry port K2 for the wafer W in the heat treatment device 40 in the transport region R1.

Description

Substrate processing system

The present invention relates to a substrate processing system including a processing device for processing a substrate and a substrate transfer area for transferring the substrate to the processing device.

For example, in a photolithography process in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor element, a coating liquid is sequentially supplied to the surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a "wafer") as a substrate to form an antireflection film or a photoresist film. Coating process, exposure process for exposing the photoresist film to a predetermined pattern, development process for developing the exposed photoresist film, and heat treatment for heating the wafer, etc., to form the predetermined photoresist pattern on the wafer. Next, an etching process is performed using the photoresist pattern as a mask, and then a photoresist film removal process is performed to form a predetermined pattern on the wafer. These series of processing are performed in a coating development processing system, which is a substrate processing system equipped with various processing apparatuses for processing wafers or a transport mechanism for transporting wafers.

Further, in the coating and development processing system, for example, in order to keep the ambient gas in the transfer area clean, the transfer area provided with the transfer mechanism is sealed, and a downflow air supply for supplying clean air is provided on the top surface of the transfer area. ULPA (Ultra Low Penetration Air) filter (Patent Document 1). By setting ULPA filter, the suspended particles in the handling area can flow below the system and be discharged through the exhaust mechanism. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-154688

[Invention to solve the problem]

In addition, the control of the microparticles in the device is accompanied by the miniaturization of the manufacturing process of the semiconductor device, and the microparticles to be managed will be more stringent. Therefore, as a countermeasure for preventing the floating particles from adhering to the substrate, if a ULPA filter is provided only in the transport area as in Patent Document 1, it becomes insufficient to control the particles in the device. For example, even if a ULPA filter is installed, the flow direction of the air flow is blocked or changed due to the operation of the wafer transfer device, etc., and an internal air flow that is different from the stationary state in which the wafer transfer device is not operated may be temporarily downward. Of suspended particles flowing upward again. In this case, there may be particles that have not been discharged from the transfer area for a long time. Depending on the manufacturing process, the management of such particles is also necessary.

The present invention has been made based on the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to provide a substrate processing system including a processing device for processing a substrate and a substrate transfer area for transferring the substrate to the processing device, which can more reliably Prevent aerosols from adhering to the substrate. [Solution to the problem]

In order to achieve the object, the substrate processing system of the present invention includes a processing device for processing a substrate and a substrate transfer area for transferring the substrate to the processing device, and is characterized in that the substrate transfer area is provided with a sound wave emitting device. Sonic emission device set.

According to the present invention, since the substrate transfer area is provided with a sound wave emitting device that emits sound waves, the suspended particles can be moved in the direction of the exhaust mechanism, so that the suspended particles can be more reliably prevented from adhering to the substrate.

The sound wave emitting device may be provided in an area adjacent to the substrate carrying in / out port of the processing device in the substrate carrying area.

The above-mentioned substrate processing system may further include a wafer boat mounting portion on which a wafer boat for accommodating a substrate is mounted, and the acoustic wave emitting device is provided in the substrate transfer area and the substrate loading / unloading exit phase of the wafer boat mounting portion is provided. Adjacent areas.

The substrate processing system may further include a substrate transfer device that moves within the substrate transfer area to transfer the substrate, and the acoustic wave emitting device is mounted on the substrate transfer device.

The sound wave transmitting device may be supported in a swingable manner.

The substrate transfer area may also have an adsorption area that adsorbs fine dust.

The sound waves emitted by the sound wave transmitting device may also have directivity.

The substrate processing system may further include a device adjacent to the substrate transfer area, and the sound wave emitting device may be provided on the adjacent device so as to emit a sound wave toward the substrate transfer area.

The adjacent device may also be a storage device for accommodating a substrate for substrate transfer, and the sonic emission device is provided at a position where the substrate is opposed to the substrate transfer area and the substrate is sandwiched therebetween when the substrate is stored in the storage device.

The sound wave transmitting device can also emit sound waves in cooperation with the movement of the substrate conveying device that moves in the substrate conveying area to convey the substrate. [Inventive effect]

According to the present invention, in a substrate processing system provided with a processing device for processing a substrate and provided with a substrate transfer area for transferring the substrate to the processing device, it is possible to more reliably prevent aerosol particles from adhering to the substrate.

(First Embodiment) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a configuration of a substrate processing system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are a front view and a rear view showing the outline of the internal configuration of each substrate processing system. 4 and 5 are a longitudinal cross-sectional side view and a longitudinal cross-sectional front view that schematically show the internal configuration of each substrate processing system. In this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional structure are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 1 has a structure in which the following components are integrally connected: a wafer boat station 10 that loads / unloads a wafer boat C that houses a plurality of wafers W; a processing station 11 that includes a plurality of wafers Various processing apparatuses that perform predetermined processing on the circle W; and the interface station 13 transfers the wafer W between the exposure apparatuses 12 adjacent to the processing station 11.

At the boat station 10, a boat mounting platform 20 is provided. The wafer boat mounting table 20 is provided with a plurality of wafer boat mounting plates 21. The wafer boat mounting plate 21 is used for loading the wafer boat C when the wafer boat C is carried in / out of the substrate processing system 1. .

At the wafer boat station 10, a wafer transfer area L is set between the wafer boat mounting table 20 and the processing station 11. As shown in FIG. 1, in the wafer transfer area L, a wafer transfer device 23 that is freely movable on a transfer path 22 extending in the X direction is provided. The wafer transfer device 23 can also move freely in the vertical direction and around the vertical axis (θ direction), and can be between the wafer boat C on each wafer boat mounting plate 21 and the transfer device in the third block G3 of the processing station 11 described later , Handling wafer W.

The processing station 11 is provided with a plurality of blocks including various devices, for example, four blocks G1, G2, G3, and G4 are provided. For example, a first block G1 is provided on the front side of the processing station 11 (the negative direction side in the X direction in FIG. 1), and a second side is provided on the back side of the processing station 11 (the positive direction side in the X direction in FIG. 1). Block G2. A third block G3 is provided on the wafer boat station 10 side of the processing station 11 (the negative direction side in the Y direction in FIG. 1), and on the interface station 13 side of the processing station 11 (the positive direction side in the Y direction in FIG. 1). , With the fourth block G4.

As shown in FIG. 2, for example, in the first block G1, a plurality of liquid processing devices are sequentially arranged from the bottom, for example, in order: the development processing device 30 performs a development process on the wafer W; and a lower reflection prevention film is formed. The device 31 forms an anti-reflection film (hereinafter referred to as "lower anti-reflection film") on the lower layer of the photoresist film of the wafer W; the photoresist coating device 32 applies a photoresist liquid to the wafer W to form a photoresist film; and an upper portion The anti-reflection film forming device 33 forms an anti-reflection film (hereinafter referred to as an "upper anti-reflection film") on the upper layer of the photoresist film of the wafer W.

For example, each of the development processing device 30, the lower anti-reflection film forming device 31, the photoresist coating device 32, and the upper anti-reflection film forming device 33 is arranged in an array in the horizontal direction. In addition, the number or arrangement of the development processing device 30, the lower reflection preventing film forming device 31, the photoresist coating device 32, and the upper reflection preventing film forming device 33 can be arbitrarily selected.

In the development processing device 30, the lower reflection preventing film forming device 31, the photoresist coating device 32, and the upper reflection preventing film forming device 33, for example, spin coating is performed by applying a predetermined coating liquid on the wafer W. In spin coating, for example, a coating liquid is sprayed onto a wafer W from a coating nozzle, and the wafer W is rotated to spread the coating liquid on the surface of the wafer W.

As shown in FIG. 3, for example, in the second block G2, the following devices are arranged in an up-down direction and the like: a heat treatment device 40 for performing heat treatment such as heating or cooling of the wafer W; and an attachment device 41 for increasing photoresist Adhesion of the liquid to the wafer W; The peripheral exposure device 42 exposes the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W. The number or arrangement of these heat treatment apparatuses 40, attachment apparatuses 41, and peripheral exposure apparatuses 42 can also be arbitrarily selected.

For example, the third block G3 is provided with a shelving unit formed by stacking a plurality of transfer devices and the like. In addition, in the fourth block G4, a shelving unit formed by stacking a plurality of transfer devices and the like is also provided.

As shown in FIG. 1, a wafer transfer area R is formed in an area surrounded by the first block G1 to the fourth block G4.

As shown in FIG. 1, a wafer transfer device 100 is provided beside the X-direction positive side of the third block G3. The wafer transfer apparatus 100 includes a transfer arm 100 a that can move freely in the X direction, the θ direction, and the up-down direction, for example. The wafer transfer apparatus 100 moves up and down while supporting the wafer W by the transfer arm 100a, and can transfer the wafer W to each transfer device in the third block G3.

The interface station 13 is provided with a wafer transfer device 110 and a transfer device 111. The wafer transfer apparatus 110 includes, for example, a transfer arm 110 a that is movable in the Y direction, the θ direction, and the up-down direction. The wafer transfer device 110 supports, for example, the wafer W on the transfer arm 110 a and can transfer the wafer W between each transfer device, the transfer device 111, and the exposure device 12 in the fourth block G4.

The wafer transfer area R will be further described. As shown in FIG. 4, the wafer transfer area R is formed by stacking four transfer areas R1 to R4 in order from below, and the transfer areas R1 to R4 are each formed from the third block G3 side to the fourth block. The direction on the G4 side (the positive direction in the Y direction in FIG. 4) extends. As shown in FIG. 5, a liquid processing device such as a photoresist coating device 32 is disposed on one side in the width direction of the conveying areas R1 to R4, and a heat treatment device 40 is disposed on the other side, for example. In some cases, an attachment device 41 or a peripheral exposure device 42 may be provided instead of the heat treatment device 40.

Further, each of the transfer areas R1 to R4 is provided with a guide 301 extending along the longitudinal direction (the Y direction in FIG. 5) of the transfer areas R1 to R4 and the transfer arms A1 to A4 along the guide. The carrier 301 transports the wafer W. The transfer arms A1 to A4 are used to transfer wafers W in each of the transfer areas R1 to R4 between all modules adjacent to the areas R1 to R4. The transfer arms A1 to A4 (hereinafter, collectively referred to as the transfer arm A) include: a frame 302 that moves along the guide 301; a lifting body 303 that moves up and down along the frame 302; a rotating body 304 that is on the lifting body 303 rotates; and the wafer support portion 305 advances and retreats on the rotating body 304.

In order to form a coating film by spin coating, a liquid processing device such as a photoresist coating device 32 includes a spin chuck 201 that holds and rotates a wafer W, and a coating liquid supply nozzle (not shown) that supplies a coating liquid. The liquid processing apparatus includes a cup 202 that surrounds the wafer W and recovers the coating liquid scattered from the wafer W; and a filter 203 that is provided above the cup 202 and cleans the inside of the cup 202. air.

The heat treatment device 40 includes a hot plate 401 that heats the wafer W, a plate 402 that transfers the wafer W between the hot plate 401 and the transfer arms A1 to A4 and cools the wafer W, and a rectifying plate 403 that is provided on the hot plate. Above 401; exhaust sections 404 and 405 exhaust the conveyance zones R1 to R4 and the heat treatment device 40. Below the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth heat treatment apparatuses 40 counted from above, a fan device 406 is provided to exhaust the conveyance zones R1 to R4.

The processing station 11 will be further described. The processing station 11 includes a frame 51 in which the above-mentioned devices are housed, and the frame 51 is partitioned by each of the transport areas R1 to R4. A fan filter unit (FFU) 52 is provided on the casing 51, and a vertical duct 53 formed to extend up and down and across the conveyance zones R1 to R4 is connected to the FFU 52. This vertical duct 53 is connected to a horizontal duct 54 extending along the longitudinal direction of each of the transfer areas R1 to R4.

The horizontal duct 54 is provided above the edge portion on the liquid processing device side such as the photoresist coating device 32 in each of the conveyance zones R1 to R4. The horizontal duct 54 has a ULPA filter (not shown) inside. The air sent from the fan filter unit 52 flows into the horizontal duct 54 directly or through the vertical duct 53, is cleaned by the ULPA filter, and is supplied from the horizontal duct 54 to the lower side.

A partition plate 55 is provided below the horizontal duct 54. This partition plate 55 forms a top plate surface of each of the transfer areas R1 to R4, and has a gas diffusion chamber (not shown) therein that diffuses air supplied from the horizontal duct 54. Furthermore, a plurality of ejection outlets are formed on the bottom surface of the partition plate 55, and the plurality of ejection outlets are used to eject the air diffused from the gas diffusion chamber to the transfer areas R1 to R4. The air that has passed through the ULPA filter of the horizontal duct 54 and has been cleaned by removing particulates flows into the gas diffusion chamber of the partition plate 55 and is ejected downward through the ejection port. In this way, in each of the conveyance zones R1 to R4, a downflow of clean air is formed.

The processing station 11 uses the downdraft formed by the clean air to cause the suspended particulates to flow downward, and then discharges them to the outside through the fan device 406. In this processing station 11, in order to make the ambient gas in each of the transfer areas R1 to R4 cleaner, sonic emission devices are respectively provided in the transfer areas R1 to R4. Specifically, the sonic emission device 60 is provided in a region adjacent to the loading / unloading port K1 of the wafer W of the liquid processing device such as the photoresist coating device 32 in the transfer areas R1 to R4, and the transfer areas R1 to R4 Among the regions adjacent to the loading / unloading port K2 of the wafer W of the heat treatment apparatus 40, a sonic emitting device 70 is provided. The sound wave emitting devices 60 and 70 are provided, for example, from above the carrying-in / carrying-out ports K1 and K2 and emit sound waves toward the bottoms of the transporting areas R1 to R4 provided with the exhaust fan device 406.

The sound waves emitted from the sound wave emitting devices 60 and 70 toward the bottom can move the aerosol particles existing near the above-mentioned loading / unloading port downward, and can be discharged to the outside through the fan device 406.

Furthermore, by providing the above-mentioned sonic emission devices 60 and 70 as described above, particles can be prevented from being transferred from the liquid processing device and the heat treatment device 40 when the wafer W between the liquid processing device and the heat treatment device 40 and the transfer arms A1 to A4 is transferred. Intrusion into the transfer areas R1 to R4, or ingress of particles from the transfer areas R1 to R4 into the liquid processing apparatus and heat treatment apparatus 40. Furthermore, by installing the sound wave emitting devices 60 and 70, during maintenance, even if the cleanliness is deteriorated due to the intrusion of particles due to the opening of the conveying areas R1 to R4, etc., or the generation of dust due to human actions, it can be quickly restored Original cleanliness. The loading / unloading ports K1 and K2 are configured to be opened and closed arbitrarily under the control of the control unit 500 described later.

In the illustration, one acoustic wave emitting device 70 is provided for two carrying-in / carrying-out ports K2 of the heat treatment device 40, but one acoustic wave emitting device 70 may be provided for each of the two carrying-in / carrying-out ports K2. Further, the sound wave emitting device 70 may be provided so as not to emit sound waves toward the bottom side of the conveyance zones R1 to R4, but to emit sound waves toward the outer side of the heat treatment device 40 provided with the exhaust portions 404 and 405. Thereby, the microparticles | fine-particles in the vicinity of the carrying-in / carrying-out port of the heat processing apparatus 40 can be moved to an outer side, and can be discharged | emitted to the exterior through the exhaust parts 404 and 405.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of an example of the acoustic wave emitting device 60. The acoustic wave transmitting device 60 is a parametric speaker that emits a directional sound wave by using an ultrasonic wave, and a complex converter 61 that emits an ultrasonic wave is arranged on a flat base 62 to form a parameter array. For example, the base 62 is fixed near the ceiling of the conveyance areas R1 to R4 with the converter 61 facing downward, and a sound wave emitting device 60 is provided. The sound wave emitted by the sound wave transmitting device 60 may be a frequency in an audible range, or may be an ultrasonic wave having a frequency of, for example, 20 kHz or more.

Since the acoustic wave emitting device 60 is constituted by a parameter horn, the suspended particles can be moved in a desired direction, so the suspended particles can be surely discharged to the outside and removed. Moreover, in the illustration, 32 converters 61 are arranged in a total of 4 vertical × 8 horizontal, but the number or arrangement of the converters 61 is not limited to this example. Since the configuration of the acoustic wave transmitting device 70 is the same as that of the acoustic wave transmitting device 60, description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, a control unit 500 is provided in the substrate processing system 1 formed by each of the above devices. The control unit 500 is, for example, a computer and includes a program storage unit (not shown). In the program storage section, a program for controlling the processing of the wafer W in the substrate processing system 1 is stored. The program storage section also stores programs for controlling the operations of the driving systems such as the above-mentioned various processing apparatuses and conveying apparatuses to realize the coating processing described later in the substrate processing system 1. The program can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium H such as a hard disk (HD), a flexible disk (FD), a compact disc (CD), a magneto-optical disk (MO), or a memory card that can be read by a computer, or The recording medium is mounted on the control unit 500.

Next, wafer processing using the substrate processing system 1 configured as described above will be described. First, the wafer boat C containing the plurality of wafers W is transferred to the wafer boat station 10 of the substrate processing system 1, and then each wafer W in the wafer boat C is sequentially transferred to the processing station 11 by the wafer transfer device 23. The transmission device of the third block G3.

Next, the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 40 by the transfer arm A2 of the transfer area R2 of the processing station 11. At the same time as the carrying, the carrying-in / carrying-out port K2 of the heat treatment device 40 in the second block G2 adjacent to the carrying area R2 is opened, and in accordance with this opening operation, a sound wave is emitted from the sonic transmitting device 70 to the bottom of the carrying area R2. It is preferable to start the sound wave transmission before the opening operation of the loading / unloading port K2 is started. In a state where the sound wave is emitted from the sound wave emitting device 70, the wafer support portion 305 of the transfer arm A2 is inserted into the heat treatment device 40, and the wafer W is transferred to the plate 402 of the heat treatment device 40. After the transfer, the wafer support portion 305 of the transfer arm A2 is pulled out of the heat treatment apparatus 40, the carry-in / carry-out port K2 is closed, and the sonic emission from the sonic emission device 70 is stopped. Thereafter, the wafer W is subjected to a temperature adjustment process by the heat treatment apparatus 40.

After the temperature adjustment process, the carry-in / carry-out port K2 of the heat treatment device 40 is opened, and in accordance with this opening action, a sound wave is emitted from the sound wave emission device 70. In a state in which sound waves are emitted from the sonic emission device 70, the wafer support portion 305 of the transfer arm A2 is inserted into the heat treatment device 40, and the wafer W is transferred from the plate 402 of the heat treatment device 40 to the wafer support portion 305 . After the transfer, the wafer support portion 305 of the transfer arm A2 is pulled out of the heat treatment apparatus 40, the carry-in / carry-out port K2 is closed, and the sonic emission from the sonic emission device 70 is stopped. In addition, in the following heat treatment in the heat treatment device 40, the sound wave emission from the sound wave emission device 70 is started / stopped in synchronization with the opening / closing of the loading / unloading port K2, as described above. Therefore, hereinafter, the description of the sound wave emission during the heat treatment using the heat treatment device 40 is omitted.

Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the lower anti-reflection film forming apparatus 31 by the transfer arm A2. At the same time as the carrying, the carrying-in / carrying-out port K1 of the lower anti-reflection film-forming device 31 is opened, and in accordance with this opening action, the sound waves are emitted from the sound wave emitting device 60 toward the bottom of the carrying area R2. It is preferable to start the sound wave emission before the opening operation of the carry-in / carry-out port K1 starts. In a state where sound waves are emitted from the sound wave emitting device 60, the wafer support portion 305 of the transfer arm A2 is inserted into the lower reflection preventing film forming device 31, and the wafer is transferred to the wafer of the lower reflection preventing film forming device 31 Transfer pin (not shown). After the transfer, the wafer support portion 305 of the transfer arm A2 is pulled out from the lower anti-reflection film forming device 31, the loading / unloading port K1 is closed, and the sound wave emission from the sound wave emitting device 60 is stopped. Thereafter, a lower reflection preventing film is formed on the wafer W by the lower reflection preventing film forming device 31.

After the lower anti-reflection film is formed, the carrying-in / carry-out port K1 of the lower anti-reflection film forming device 31 is opened, and in accordance with this opening operation, a sound wave is emitted from the sound wave emitting device 60. In a state where the sound wave is emitted from the sound wave emitting device 60, the wafer support portion 305 of the transfer arm A2 is inserted into the lower anti-reflection film forming device 31. The wafer W is transferred to the wafer support portion 305. After the transfer, the wafer support portion 305 of the transfer arm A2 is pulled out from the lower anti-reflection film forming device 31, the carry-in / carry-out port K1 is closed, and the sound wave emission from the sound wave emitting device 60 is stopped. Also, in the following processing in a liquid processing apparatus other than the lower reflection preventing film forming apparatus 31, the same as above, the opening / closing of the carry-in / carry-out port K1 is synchronized to start / stop the sound wave emission from the sound wave emission device 60 . Therefore, in the following, description of the sound wave emission during the heat treatment by the liquid processing device is omitted.

Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred into the heat treatment apparatus 40 adjacent to the transfer area R2 by the transfer arm A2, and heat treatment and temperature adjustment are performed. Next, the wafer W is transferred to the attachment device 41 adjacent to the transfer area R2 by the transfer arm A2 to perform an attachment process. Although not shown in the drawings, a wafer W loading / unloading port is also provided in the attachment device 41, and a sound wave emitting device is provided in a region adjacent to the loading / unloading port in the transfer zone R2. In addition, the attachment process by the attachment device 41 is the same as the heat treatment by the heat treatment device 40, and the sound wave emission from the sound wave emission device is started / stopped in synchronization with the opening / closing of the loading / unloading port.

Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the transfer device of the fourth block G4 adjacent to the transfer region R2 by the transfer arm A2. Next, the wafer transfer device 110 transfers the wafer W to another transfer device in the fourth block G4 adjacent to the transfer area R3. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the photoresist coating device 32 by the transfer arm A3 in the transfer area R3, and a photoresist film is formed on the wafer W. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 40 adjacent to the transfer region R3 by the transfer arm A3 to perform a pre-baking process. In the pre-baking process, the same process as the heat treatment after the formation of the lower antireflection film is performed, and the same is performed in the heat treatment after the formation of the antireflection film described later, the post-exposure baking process, and the post-baking process. deal with. However, the heat treatment apparatuses 40 used for the respective heat treatments are different from each other.

Next, the wafer W is transferred to the transfer device of the fourth block G4 adjacent to the transfer area R3 by the transfer arm A3. Next, the wafer transfer device 110 transfers the wafer W to another transfer device in the fourth block G4 adjacent to the transfer area R4. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the upper anti-reflection film forming device 33 by the transfer arm A4 in the transport region R4, and an upper anti-reflection film is formed on the wafer W. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 40 adjacent to the transfer area R4 by the transfer arm A4, and heating and temperature adjustment are performed. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the peripheral exposure device 42 adjacent to the transfer area R4 by the transfer arm A4 to perform peripheral exposure processing. Although not shown in the drawings, a wafer W carrying-in / carrying-out port is also provided in the peripheral exposure device 42, and a sound wave emitting device is provided in a region adjacent to the carrying-in / carrying-out port in the transporting area R4. Also, the peripheral exposure processing performed by the peripheral exposure device 42 is the same as the thermal treatment performed by the heat treatment device 40, and the opening / closing of the loading / unloading port is synchronized to start / stop the sound wave emission from the sound wave emitting device.

Next, the wafer W is transferred to the transfer device in the fourth block adjacent to the transfer area R4 by the transfer arm A4. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the exposure device 12 by the wafer transfer device 110, and exposure processing is performed in a predetermined pattern.

Next, the wafer W is transferred to the transfer device of the fourth block G4 adjacent to the transfer area R1 by the wafer transfer device 110. Next, the transfer arm A1 in the transfer area R1 transfers the wafer W to the heat treatment apparatus 40 adjacent to the transfer area R1, and performs post-exposure bake processing. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the developing processing apparatus 30 by the carrying arm A1 to perform a developing process. After the development process is completed, the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 40 adjacent to the transfer region R1 by the transfer arm A1 and is subjected to a post-baking process. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the transfer device of the third block G3 adjacent to the transfer region R1 by the transfer arm A1. Thereafter, the wafer transfer device 23 is used to transfer the wafer W to the wafer boat C of the wafer boat mounting plate 21 to complete a series of photolithography processes.

In the above example, sound waves are transmitted from the sound wave transmitting device 70 in synchronization with the opening and closing, but the timing of sound wave transmission is not limited to this example. For example, the wafer W may be emitted frequently when the wafer W is stored in the processing station 11. Specifically, the wafer W may be emitted when the wafer W is moved to the third block of the processing station 11. When circle W is carried out from the fourth block, the sound wave emission is stopped.

Fig. 7 is a side view of another example of the acoustic wave transmitting device. In the figure, the sound wave emitting device 60´ is a parameter horn that emits a directional sound wave. In order to make the sound wave emitting direction adjustable, the sound wave emitting device 60´ is supported in a swingable manner. Specifically, in the acoustic wave transmitting device 60 ′, a base 62 ′ having a complex converter 61 is supported in a swingable manner by a pivot support 63. Moreover, the pivot support part 63 itself is supported by the housing 51 of the processing station 11, for example.

In this way, by supporting the acoustic wave emitting device 60´ in a swingable manner, a small object can be used as the acoustic wave emitting device 60´, and it is possible to prevent the manufacturing cost of the substrate processing system 1 from increasing significantly. The sound wave emitting device 60 'is controlled to be periodically swingable by the control unit 500, for example.

(Another Example of the First Embodiment) FIG. 8 is a schematic explanatory view of another example of the substrate processing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a front view showing only the wafer boat station. In the example shown in FIG. 5 and the like, sound wave emitting devices 60 and 70 are provided in the transporting areas R1 to R4 of the processing station 11. On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 8, a sound wave emitting device 80 is provided in the handling area L of the wafer boat station 10 '. Specifically, the wafer boat station 10 ′ has a frame 56 having a loading / unloading port K3 facing the wafer boat C placed on the boat mounting table 20. A sound wave emitting device 80 is provided in a region adjacent to the loading / unloading port K3.

In this way, by arranging the sonic emission device 80 in the handling area L of the wafer boat station 10 ′, it is possible to prevent particles from entering the wafer boat C when the wafer W is moved out of the wafer boat C or the wafer W is transferred into the wafer boat C. To the transfer area L, or particles enter the wafer boat C from the transfer area L. The configuration of the acoustic wave transmitting device 80 can be, for example, the same as that of the acoustic wave transmitting device 60 of FIG. 6. Further, the sonic emission device 80 may be provided near the carry-in / carry-out port K3 as shown in FIG. 8, or may be provided near the carry-in / carry-out port K3 and near the top surface.

Although the illustration is omitted, an FFU unit is also provided for the wafer boat station 10 ', and an exhaust mechanism for exhausting the ambient gas in the transfer area L is provided at the bottom of the wafer boat station 10'. The sound wave emitting device 80 is provided, for example, to emit sound waves from above the carrying-in / carrying-out port K3 toward the bottom of the carrying area L provided with the exhaust mechanism.

(Another example of the first embodiment) In the above example, the acoustic wave emitting device is provided only in the area adjacent to the wafer loading / unloading port in the transfer area, but the area where the acoustic wave emitting device is provided is not limited to the above example. For example, a sound wave emitting device may be provided so as to cover the entire top plate surface in a range that does not hinder the downdraft from the top plate surface in the conveying area. In addition, a plurality of acoustic wave emitting devices may be provided in the center of the width direction of the transfer areas R1 to R4 of the processing station 11 along the length direction. Furthermore, a plurality of sound wave emitting devices may be provided along the width direction of the conveyance area. Further, a sound wave transmitting device may be provided in an area adjacent to the transmission device in the third block G3 or the fourth block G4 in the transfer area.

(Another Example of the First Embodiment) FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of another example of the substrate processing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 (A) is a diagram showing the periphery of the substrate conveying device of this example. 9 (B) is a partial view of a sound wave emitting device mounted on the substrate transfer device of FIG. 9 (A). In the example of FIG. 5 and the like, the sound wave transmitting device is mounted on the housing 51 of the processing station 11. On the other hand, in this example, as shown in FIG. 9 (A), the sound wave emitting device 600 is mounted on the outer side of the substrate carrying arm A.

The sound wave emitting device 600 mounted on the substrate carrying arm A includes a first sound wave emitting unit 610 and a second sound wave emitting unit 620. The first sound wave transmitting unit 610 and the second sound wave transmitting unit 620 are parametric speakers that emit directional sound waves by using ultrasonic waves, and include: a plurality of converters 611 and 621 that emit ultrasonic waves; and base members 612 and 622. To fix the converters 611 and 621 to the substrate carrying arm A.

As shown in FIG. 9 (B), the base member 612 includes a support surface 612a that supports the multiple converter 611, and a fixed surface 612b that faces the lifting body 303 of the transfer arm A. The configuration of the second sound wave transmitting unit 620 is the same as that of the first sound wave transmitting unit 610, and therefore description thereof is omitted.

The sound waves from the first sound wave emitting unit 610 and the sound waves from the second sound wave emitting unit 620 are collectively emitted to the entire surface of the wafer placed on the transfer arm A. However, the supporting surface 612a of the supporting converter 611 of the first acoustic wave transmitting unit 610 and the supporting surface of the supporting converter 621 of the second acoustic wave transmitting unit 620 are not parallel to each other. Therefore, the vector V1 of the sound wave from the first sound wave transmitting unit 610 and the vector V2 of the sound wave from the second sound wave transmitting unit 620 are non-parallel, and the sum of the two vectors V1 and V2 becomes the direction from the root of the carrying arm A toward the front end ( X direction (negative direction in the figure) vector V3. Therefore, by transmitting sound waves from the sound wave emitting device 600 during wafer transportation, particles near the surface of the wafer can be separated from the wafer and discharged to the outside, so that particles can be prevented from adhering to the wafer.

As shown in FIG. 9 (B), the first sound wave transmitting unit 610 is fixed to the transfer arm A so that the wafer W is located at the center of a converter group formed by the complex converter 611. More specifically, the first acoustic wave emitting unit 610 is fixed to the carrying arm A so that the long-side direction of the converter group is parallel to the surface of the wafer W, and the center of the short-side direction of the converter group is located on the crystal. Round W surface. The same applies to the second sound wave transmitting unit 620.

In the above example, the sound wave transmitting device 600 is mounted on the outer side of the carrying arm A. However, the sound wave transmitting device may be mounted above the carrying arm A. More specifically, the sonic emission device may be mounted above the wafer support portion 305 of the transfer arm A.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a substrate processing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 10 (A) and 10 (B) are views of a partition plate of the substrate processing system according to this embodiment, respectively. Top view and side view. The substrate processing system according to the second embodiment, like the substrate processing system according to the first embodiment, has a sonic emission device in the transfer areas R1 to R4 and / or the transfer area L, and the transfer areas R1 to R4 and / or the transfer area L. It also has an adsorption area.

Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 10 (A) and FIG. 10 (B), the cooling plate 700 which has been cooled is mounted on the partition plate 55 forming the bottom surface of the conveying area R2 to R4. Due to the thermophoresis effect, the suspended particles in the high temperature region are adsorbed on the cooling plate 700. In other words, the adsorption area is formed by the cooling plate 700 on the partition plate 55.

The cooling plate 700 can be cooled by circulating cooling water inside, for example. However, the cooling method of the cooling plate 700 is not limited to this. For example, the cooling plate 700 may be cooled by cold air. It is also preferable that a cooling plate 700 is also installed on the bottom wall forming the bottom surface of the conveyance area R1.

If an adsorption area is provided on the bottom surface of the conveying areas R1 to R4, not only the suspended particles can be trapped, but also the particles deposited on the bottom surface can be prevented from rotating upward. In addition, as described above, in addition to the acoustic emission device, an adsorption area is further provided, so that even if the cleanliness is deteriorated during maintenance, the original cleanliness can be returned more quickly.

Furthermore, in addition to the manner in which the cooling plate 700 is provided on the partition plate 55 or the bottom wall, for example, cooling water may be circulated inside the partition plate 55 or the bottom wall, and cooling may be formed on the partition plate 55 or the bottom wall. This area is also the adsorption area of suspended particles.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the cooling plate. The cooling plate 700 of FIG. 10 is provided on the partition plate 55 so as to cover the partition plate 55 substantially in its entirety. In contrast, the cooling plate 800 of FIG. 11 covers a portion of the partition plate 55, specifically, does not cover the widthwise center of the transfer areas R2 to R4 of the partition plate 55 and covers only both sides. ， But set on the partition plate 55. The cooling plate 800 can also adsorb suspended particles.

(Other examples of the second embodiment) In the above examples, the cooling plate is attached to a portion of the bottom wall of the conveying area such as the partition plate 55. However, the cooling plate may be mounted on a portion forming a side wall of the transfer area. The cooling plate may be attached to the transfer arm A. When the cooling plate is attached to the transfer arm A, for example, the cooling plate is attached to the lifting body 303. An exhaust mechanism is provided to the transfer arm A, and the exhaust system is discharged from the X-axis / θ-axis through the Z-axis and from the Y-axis. As described above, by installing the cooling plate on the lower part of the transfer arm A such as the lifting body 303, even if the particles leak out from the exhaust passage of the transfer arm A, more specifically, the In the case of leakage of particles, the particles can also be adsorbed by a cooling plate.

(Another example of the second embodiment) In the above example, the adsorption region of the fine particles is formed by the thermal swimming effect using a cooling plate. However, the adsorption method is not limited to the above examples, and the suspended particles may be adsorbed by electrostatic adsorption. In this case, the cooling plate is replaced by a charged live plate, and it is set in the handling area.

In the case where an adsorption area is provided as in this embodiment, the adsorption area is cleaned at a predetermined timing, and the trapped particles are removed. Cleaning of the suction area, for example, during regular maintenance. In addition, it is also possible to monitor the pollution status of the adsorption area, notify the user when cleaning is necessary, and clean the adsorption area according to the notified result. The removal of the particles from the adsorption zone can be performed, for example, by manual suction with a suction nozzle, or can be performed by providing an exhaust mechanism around the adsorption zone and automatically discharging the exhaust mechanism.

(Third Embodiment) A substrate processing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 12 and 13. 12 and 13 are schematic explanatory views of a shelf unit provided in the third block of the substrate processing system of the present embodiment, FIG. 12 is a side view of the shelf unit, and FIG. 13 is a later-described storage provided in the shelf unit Top view of the interior of the block.

The substrate processing system according to the third embodiment includes another acoustic wave emitting device which is adjacent to the conveying areas R1 to R4 and / or the conveying area L and faces the conveying areas R1 to R4 and / or the conveying area. L emits sound waves.

Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, the scaffold unit 900 is a storage device provided in the third block G3 adjacent to the conveyance areas R1 to R4, and the scaffold unit 900 has a direction toward the conveyance areas R1 to R4. Another sound wave transmitting device 910 that emits sound waves.

The shelving unit 900 has a plurality of storage blocks B1 to B4 partitioned so as to correspond to the transport zones R1 to R4. Although not shown in the drawings, each of the storage blocks B1 to B4 of the shelf unit 900 is provided with a mounting rack or a cooling plate as a storage section for storing the wafer W. The cooling plate is used to adjust the wafer W to a predetermined temperature. In addition, the scaffolding unit 900 has a transfer section TR1 and TR2, and the transfer sections TR1 and TR2 have a transfer platform for transferring wafers W in a straight line between the third block G3 and the fourth block G4. The wafer W is transferred between the illustrated shuttle transfer device and the transfer arms A1 to A4.

The acoustic wave transmitting device 910 can have, for example, the same configuration as the acoustic wave transmitting device 60 of FIG. 6. The acoustic wave transmitting device 910 is provided in each of the storage blocks B1 to B4. Furthermore, in this example, in the storage block B1, as shown in FIG. 13, the sound wave transmitting device 910 is disposed in such a manner that the sound wave is transmitted toward the transfer area R1: the wafer W is stored in the storage block At B1, the wafer W is opposed to the transfer area R1 and the wafer W is sandwiched therebetween. The arrangement positions of the acoustic wave emitting devices 910 in the storage blocks B2 to B4 are also the same.

By installing another sound wave transmitting device 910 that emits sound waves toward the conveyance areas R1 to R4 in the shelf unit 900 as in the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent suspended particles existing in the conveyance areas R1 to R4 from entering the shelf unit 900. . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the aerosols in the transfer areas R1 to R4 from adhering to the wafer W stored in the rack unit 900.

The sound wave transmitting device 910 emits sound waves in accordance with the operations of the corresponding carrying arms A1 to A4, for example. Specifically, the sonic emission device 910 starts from the time when the wafer support portion 305 of the corresponding transfer arm A1 starts operating with respect to the storage block B1, that is, from the time when the wafer support portion 305 starts operating from the origin position. During the period until the wafer support portion 305 returns to the origin position, sound waves are emitted. Instead of this, the sonic emission device 910 may also stop the movement of the transport arm A1 toward the rack unit 900 (the negative direction in the Y direction in FIG. 1) to the wafer support when the corresponding transport arm A1 approaches the rack unit 900. While the unit 305 returns to the origin position, it emits sound waves. In addition, the sound wave transmitting device 910 may frequently emit sound waves.

The sound wave transmission timing of the sound wave transmitting device 910 may be the same for the storage blocks B1 to B4, or may be different for each of the storage blocks B1 to B4.

Moreover, in the above-mentioned example, the sound wave transmitting device 910 is provided so as to emit sound waves toward the transfer areas R1 to R4. However, the sound wave transmitting device 910 may be provided in such a manner as to emit sound waves toward the conveyance area L or the conveyance area in which the wafer conveyance device 100 is stored, in addition to or instead of this. However, when only one sound wave transmitting device 910 is provided, it is desirable to install the sound wave toward the transfer areas R1 to R4. In this system, since the movement of the transfer arms A1 to A4 is the most frequent among the transfer arms, there is a high possibility that suspended particles are stored in the transfer areas R1 to R4 provided with the transfer arms A1 to A4.

In the above example, the acoustic wave transmitting device 910 is provided only in the storage blocks B1 to B4 of the shelf unit 900. However, the acoustic wave transmitting device 910 may be provided in the transmission sections TR1 and TR2 in the same manner.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned example, the acoustic wave emitting device 910 is provided in the shelving unit 900 in the third block G3 adjacent to the conveying areas R1 to R4. However, in addition to or instead of this, the sound wave transmitting device 910 may also be provided in a shelving unit in the fourth block G4 adjacent to the conveying areas R1 to R4.

Moreover, in the third embodiment, like the substrate processing system of the first embodiment, it is preferable that the transfer area be provided with a sound wave emitting device. [Industrial availability]

The present invention can be applied to a substrate processing system provided with a substrate transfer area for transferring substrates.

1‧‧‧ substrate processing system

10, 10 ’‧‧‧ Jingzhou Station

11‧‧‧processing station

12‧‧‧ exposure device

13‧‧‧Interface Station

20‧‧‧ Crystal boat mounting platform

21‧‧‧ Crystal Boat Loading Board

22‧‧‧Transportation path

23‧‧‧Wafer Handling Device

30‧‧‧Development processing device

31‧‧‧Lower reflection preventing film forming device

32‧‧‧Photoresist coating device

33‧‧‧ Upper reflection preventing film forming device

40‧‧‧Heat treatment equipment

41‧‧‧ Attachment

42‧‧‧Peripheral exposure device

51‧‧‧Frame

52‧‧‧fan filter unit (FFU)

53‧‧‧Vertical Duct

54‧‧‧ Horizontal catheter

55‧‧‧ divider

56‧‧‧Frame

60, 60´‧‧‧ sound wave transmitting device

61‧‧‧ converter

62, 62´‧‧‧ base

63‧‧‧ pivot branch

70, 80‧‧‧ sound wave transmitting device

100, 110‧‧‧wafer handling equipment

100a, 110a‧‧‧carrying arm

111‧‧‧Transfer

201‧‧‧Rotary Chuck

202‧‧‧ cup body

203‧‧‧filter

301‧‧‧Guide

302‧‧‧Frame

303‧‧‧lifting body

304‧‧‧rotating body

305‧‧‧ Wafer support

401‧‧‧hot plate

402‧‧‧plate

403‧‧‧rectifier

404, 405‧‧‧ exhaust

406‧‧‧fan unit

500‧‧‧Control Department

600‧‧‧ sound wave transmitting device

610‧‧‧1st sound wave transmitting unit

611‧‧‧ converter

612‧‧‧base member

612a‧‧‧ support surface

612b‧‧‧Fixed surface

620‧‧‧Second sound wave transmitting unit

621‧‧‧ converter

622‧‧‧base member

700, 800‧‧‧ cooling plate

900‧‧‧Scaffolding Unit

910‧‧‧Sound wave transmitting device

A‧‧‧ substrate handling arm

A1 ～ A4‧‧‧Handling arm

B1 ～ B4‧‧‧Storage area

C‧‧‧ Crystal Boat

G1 ～ G4‧‧‧‧block

H‧‧‧Recording media

K1 ～ K3‧‧‧‧Moving in / out

L‧‧‧ Wafer Handling Area

R‧‧‧Wafer Handling Area

R1 ～ R4‧‧‧Transportation area

TR1, TR2‧‧‧Transfer Department

V1 ～ V3‧‧‧ vector

W‧‧‧ Wafer

[Fig. 1] A schematic plan view of a configuration of a substrate processing system according to a first embodiment. [FIG. 2] A schematic front view of the configuration of the substrate processing system according to the first embodiment. [FIG. 3] A schematic rear view of the configuration of the substrate processing system according to the first embodiment. [Fig. 4] A schematic longitudinal sectional side view of the configuration of the substrate processing system according to the first embodiment. [Fig. 5] A schematic longitudinal sectional front view of the configuration of the substrate processing system according to the first embodiment. Fig. 6 is a plan view of an example of a sound wave transmitting device. Fig. 7 is a side view of another example of the acoustic wave transmitting device. 8 is a schematic explanatory diagram of another example of the substrate processing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 9] (A) to (B) An explanatory diagram of another example of the substrate processing system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 10] (A) to (B) A schematic explanatory diagram of a substrate processing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 11] Another example of a cooling plate. 12 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a substrate processing system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is an internal plan view of a storage block provided in a shelf unit.

Claims (10)

A substrate processing system is provided with a processing device for processing a substrate and a substrate transfer area for transferring the substrate to the processing device, and is characterized by: a sound wave transmitting device that emits sound waves to prevent suspension in the substrate transfer area The particles are attached to the substrate. For example, the substrate processing system of the scope of application for a patent, wherein the sound wave emitting device is provided in an area adjacent to the substrate loading / unloading port of the processing device in the substrate transfer area. For example, the substrate processing system for item 1 or 2 of the scope of patent application, further includes: a wafer boat placing section for placing a wafer boat for accommodating the substrate; The substrate is carried into / out of the area adjacent to the loading section. For example, the substrate processing system for which the scope of patent application is item 1 or 2 further includes: a substrate carrying device that moves within the substrate carrying area to carry the substrate; and the sonic emission device is mounted on the substrate carrying device. For example, the substrate processing system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the sound wave emitting device is supported in a swingable manner. For example, the substrate processing system according to item 1 or 2 of the patent application scope, wherein the substrate handling area has an adsorption area for adsorbing fine dust. For example, the substrate processing system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the sound wave emitted by the sound wave emitting device is directional. For example, a substrate processing system for which the scope of patent application is 1 or 2 includes a device adjacent to the substrate transfer area, and the sound wave transmitting device is provided on the adjacent device so as to emit sound waves toward the substrate transfer area. . For example, the substrate processing system of the eighth aspect of the patent application, wherein the adjacent device is a storage device that accommodates a substrate for substrate transfer, and the sonic transmitting device is provided when: when the substrate is stored in the storage device, The substrate transfer area faces the substrate and sandwiches the substrate therebetween. For example, the substrate processing system of the eighth aspect of the patent application, wherein the sound wave emitting device emits sound waves in cooperation with the movement of the substrate conveying device that moves within the substrate conveying area to move the substrate.