TWI334401B - Substrate transport apparatus - Google Patents

Description

1334401 IX. The present invention relates to a substrate transfer apparatus, and the present invention relates to holding a large glass substrate of lm or more in a tray, particularly in an inline type vacuum processing apparatus. The substrate transfer device that is transported at high speed (tray). [Prior Art]

In a film forming process or the like for a large-sized glass substrate such as a liquid crystal display device or a plasma display device, an inline vacuum processing device in which a plurality of processing chambers are connected is used. The glass substrate was held on the substrate holder, and was vertically oriented, and was sequentially sent to each processing chamber to perform a predetermined process. Here, in order to prevent tripping of the substrate holder, a guide member such as a bearing is provided on the upper portion of the transport path. However, if the display device is moved in the high-definition direction, granulation due to the guide member is caused. Since film defects and the like are more apparent, various non-contact type guide members have been proposed in order to prevent this. Fig. 5 shows an example of such a conveying device. Circle 5 (a) is a schematic cross-sectional circle that views the inside of the vacuum chamber 10 in the transport direction. Inside the vacuum chamber 10, a bearing 12 for supporting a substrate holder (substrate holder) 23 for guiding and holding a glass substrate and a U for guiding the upper portion of the substrate holder in a non-contact manner are mounted along the conveyance path. The font guiding member 15. Through the drive unit 16, the bearing rotates and the substrate holder 23 moves in a vertical state on the bearing 12. The U-shaped guide member 15 is disposed so as to surround the upper portion of the substrate holder, as shown in a partially enlarged view of FIG. 5(b), and is mounted on the inside of the guide member 5 312XP/invention specification (supplement)/ 94-05/94102869 1334401 There are two magnets 1 6 a, 1 6 b. On the other hand, in a manner of repelling the two magnets 16a, 16b, the magnet 26 is mounted on the substrate holder 23, and the upper portion of the substrate holder is located at any time by the repulsive force of the magnets 16a, 16b and the magnet 26. The font guide is guided by the center of the guide member 1 5 . By using such a non-contact structure guide mechanism, the occurrence of granulation above the substrate can be suppressed, and the substrate holder can be stably conveyed. Similarly, as a guide mechanism using a magnet, a Φ transport device in which a magnet of a substrate holder and magnets on both sides thereof are attracted to each other is also disclosed. [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei. No. Hei. No. Hei. No. 7 - 4 3 5 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 7 - 4 3 5 [Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

However, when the weight of the substrate is increased, and the weight of the substrate carrier is increased, the upper portion of the substrate holder is shaken by the conventional transfer device shown in FIG. 5 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 10-120171). / The vibration becomes large, and if vibration occurs, it is not easy to stop and lasts for a long time. Further, it is also known that the vibration damages the bearing, shortens the life thereof, and increases the amount of granulation in the bearing portion, thereby contaminating the vacuum chamber. Therefore, in order to suppress the occurrence of granulation, it is necessary to reduce the transport speed of the substrate carrier, and as a result, it is necessary to sacrifice the throughput 0 and to use a transport device using a guide mechanism for magnet attraction (Japanese Patent Real Fair 7) - 4 3 No. 5), the same problem. In this case, further, when the substrate carrier is tilted to a certain extent or more, there is a base 6 312XP/invention specification (supplement)/94-05/94102869

1334401 In the case where the magnet of the plate bracket and the magnet of one of the guide members are attracted, if a member for preventing this is provided, there is a problem that dust is generated by the member colliding with the substrate holder. In this case, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate transfer apparatus which is capable of transporting a large-sized substrate at a high speed, which can suppress the shaking of the substrate holder, thereby suppressing the generation of dust, not polluting the environment, and stably transporting at a high speed. . (Means for Solving the Problem) The substrate transfer device of the present invention is a carrier that transports the substrate along the transfer path in the vacuum chamber, and is configured to transport the carrier by a carrier on which a substrate holder for holding the substrate is mounted. a carrier transport mechanism and a carrier guide mechanism for guiding the upper portion of the carrier in a non-contact manner along the transport path, wherein the guide mechanism is magnetized in a slightly vertical direction a magnet row and a second magnet row magnetized in a slightly vertical direction are provided in a mutually attracting manner, the first magnet row being one or more magnets mounted on an upper portion of the carrier in a transport direction, the second magnet Arranged above or below the first magnetic row, spaced apart by a specified spacing, one or more magnets positioned in the vacuum chamber are mounted along the transport path. Another feature is that the first magnet row and the second magnet row are arranged in a plurality of rows in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction in such a manner that the magnetization directions are opposite between adjacent magnetic rows. As described above, the first magnet row on the carrier is mounted and the second iron row fixed to the vacuum chamber is mounted so as to be attracted to each other vertically, whereby a more stable carrier transport can be realized. 312XP/Invention Manual (Supplement)/94-05/94102869 The setting of the iron and iron fixed on the iron and the iron

1334401 Further, by providing the first and second magnet rows so as to be opposite to each other in two or more rows, the attraction force acts between the phase one and the second magnet row, and the two are obliquely oriented. Between the rows of magnets, the repulsive force acts. As a result, even if a force is applied in the direction of the direction, the repulsive force between the oblique magnet rows between the facing magnet rows still has a multiplicative effect to prevent deviation from the transport path. Moreover, even if the substrate bracket is deviated for some reason, the shaking/vibration is generated, and the movement/vibration can be ended in a short time, and the granulation can be suppressed as much as possible. The rack itself is in a stable self-standing structure on the feeder, and it is preferable to carry the transport stability into the second magnet row fixed in the vacuum chamber to be disposed above the first magnet row of the feeder. According to the above configuration, the direction of the carrier is magnetically actuated, and the load acting on the bearing supporting the weight of the carrier can be reduced, and the occurrence of granulation can be suppressed in one step in addition to prolonging the life of the bearing. Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the first magnet row and/or the plurality of magnets in the row are mounted in a spaced manner. The present invention is characterized in that the substrate carrier has a substrate for opposing the substrate from the opposite side. The opening for heating. Further, it is preferable that the above is made to be 0.5 to 3 ° with respect to the vertical direction. Further stability can be achieved by mounting the substrate holder at an angle of this range. In addition, when the angle is 0.5 ° or more, the accident of moving or flying out of the substrate carrier can be eliminated, and in order to alternately face from the inner surface 312XP / invention manual (supplement) /94-05/94102869 The first and the first vertical transporting attractions can be effectively applied to cause the shaking to occur. Set to increase in the load. The above-mentioned load can be applied to the vibration side of the transfer substrate at a specified angle of the feeder or the second magnet, and the heat treatment can be performed on the vibration side of the transfer substrate, and the angle is transmitted through the substrate holder. When the temperature is 3 ° or less, the deflection of the substrate itself can be prevented, and a film formation process having high uniformity can be performed. It is especially suitable for square substrates with a side length of lm or more. - The present invention is characterized in that the carrier is a carrier that is mounted in such a manner that the two substrate holders face each other to resist magnet force in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the upper portion of the carrier The first magnet row and the second magnet row are provided so as to obtain a value of 5.9 to 102.9 N/m in addition to the length of the substrate holder in the transport direction. Through the magnet setting, it is possible to stably transport substrates of various sizes without shaking or the like. (effect of the invention)

As described above, according to the present invention, high-speed conveyance can be performed while suppressing the shaking/vibration of the substrate holder. Therefore, it is possible to cope with an increase in the size of the substrate without reducing the flux. Further, the shaking or vibration of the substrate holder is suppressed, and even if the shaking/vibration is generated, since the attenuation is immediately performed, the occurrence of granulation can be suppressed. The result is applicable to the manufacture of display devices of higher definition. Further, since the carrier is formed as a self-supporting structure for connecting the two substrate holders, the conveyance stability can be further improved, and the two substrates can be simultaneously processed, and the productivity can be further improved. [Embodiment] Hereinafter, a substrate transfer device of the present invention will be described in more detail by way of examples. [Embodiment 1] Fig. 1 is a view showing an example of a vacuum processing apparatus 9 312XP/invention specification (supplement)/94-05/94102869 1334401 having a substrate conveying apparatus according to the present invention. Fig. 1 (a) is a schematic view of the inside of the vacuum processing apparatus from the direction of the vertical conveying direction, and Fig. 1 (b) is an arrow view taken along line A - A ' in Fig. 1 (a). As shown in Fig. 1(a), the vacuum processing chambers 10, 10' are connected by a gate valve 40, and in each vacuum processing chamber, a bearing for supporting the carrier 20 having the two substrate holders 23 is attached. 12, along with a second magnet row 14 for guiding the upper portion of the carrier 20, along the transport path. The second magnet row 14 is disposed on the support 13 fixed to the column 11 of the vacuum chamber.

The carrier 20 is configured to connect the upper portions of the two substrate holders 2 through the connecting member 21, and the first magnet row 22 is attached to the lower surface of the connecting member 21. A coupling member 25 is attached to a lower portion of each of the substrate holders 23 so as to be coupled to the bearing 12, and the carrier is guided by the coupling member 25 and supported by the bearing 12. And move. Each of the substrate holders is mounted at a specified angle with respect to the vertical direction. Here, when the length of one side of the substrate is lm or more, it is preferable that the angle is 0.5° or more, thereby preventing the substrate from being ejected during the transfer, and the conveyance can be performed at a high speed (for example, '500°~ 6 0 0 mm / sec). In addition, since the opening 24 for heating the substrate from the inside is provided on the substrate holder 23 of the present embodiment, if the angle is increased, the substrate is deflected at the opening, and the angle is 3° at the above angle. The following is better. The substrate 30 is held by, for example, a fixing jig (not shown) attached to the four sides of the substrate holder 23 by four-sided pressing. Fig. 2 shows the arrangement of the first magnet row 2 2 and the second magnet row 14 attached to the connecting member 21 and the support body 13. Circle 2 is a partial enlarged view of Fig. 1, 10 3 ] 2XP / invention specification (supplement) /94-05/94 ] 02869 1334401 As shown, the first magnet row 2 2 and the second magnet row 14 are both Magnetized in the vertical direction, set in a mutually attractive manner. Further, the first magnet row (and the second magnet row) are arranged in parallel in the direction of the vertical transport direction in two rows, adjacent magnet rows 2 2 a and 2 2 b (1 4 a and 1 4 b ) The magnetization direction is reversed. Through such a setting and magnetization direction, between the facing magnet rows, that is, between the magnet rows 14a and 22a and 14b and 22b, the action is attractive between adjacent magnet rows, that is, Between the magnet rows 1 4 a and 2 2 b and 14b and 22a, a repulsive force acts, and the carrier is smoothly guided along the second magnet row by multiplying the two forces. Here, the pitch between the first magnet row 2 2 and the second magnet row 14 is appropriately determined depending on the transport speed, the substrate size (carrier weight), and the type of magnet to be used, and is usually left and right. In addition, in the first and second magnet rows, the spacing between adjacent magnet rows (2 2 a and 2 2 b, 1 4 a and 1 4 b ) is also determined in the same manner, usually 0 to 10 mm about.

Next, a specific configuration example in which the substrate is conveyed by the transfer device shown in Fig. 1 and the substrate is heated in a vacuum to perform a film formation process will be described below. The heating chamber 10 and the film forming chamber 10' are connected through a gate valve 40. In the case of a heating chamber, a lamp heater (not shown) is disposed on a wall surface facing the two substrates, respectively, in the film forming chamber 10' A sputtering target (not shown) is attached to each of the substrates. Further, a boiling heater (not shown) for heating the glass substrate to a predetermined temperature even during film formation is attached between the pillars 11 and is passed through the opening of the substrate holder to heat the substrate. structure. Further, a ventilator (not shown) is attached to each of the vacuum chambers. 11 312XP/Invention Manual (Repair)/94-05/94102869 1334401 In the substrate loading chamber (not shown), the length (transport direction) is 1. 7m, the height is 1. 6 3 m, and the thickness is 15 mm. The substrate holder 2 3 is inclined by 2°, and two glass substrates 30 of 1.3 (transport direction) xl.lm (thickness: 0.5 mm) are attached to the carrier 20 connected by the connecting member 21. At this time, the carrier has an overall weight of about 200 k g, and since it is a symmetrical self-supporting structure with respect to the conveyance path, it is stably supported by the bearing.

The carrier was transferred to the heating chamber 10, and the glass substrate 30 was heated to 250 °C by a lamp heater. Then, the gate valve 40 is opened, and it is conveyed to the film forming chamber 1 〇', and exhausted until 1 (Γ5 Pa, the glass substrate is held at a predetermined temperature by a boiling heater, gas is introduced, and high-frequency power is applied to the target. After the film formation, the carrier is transported to a non-loading chamber (not shown), the substrate is processed, and the processing is completed. This step is repeated, whereby a plurality of substrates can be continuously formed. Further, although not shown, a linear gear is formed in the lower end portion of the substrate holder in the transport direction, and the drive gear that is engaged with the drive gear is provided in the vacuum chamber, and the carrier is moved by the rotation of the drive gear. In addition to such a rack and pinion type, the mechanism may be adapted to a magnetic coupling type disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-82. In this embodiment, multiple a ferrite iron magnet piece (20 X 1 5 X 4 0 mm) to form first and second chain iron rows. That is, as the second magnet row, they are separated by a pitch of 5 mm, and the magnetization directions are opposite to each other. Way to set two magnetic The sheet is continuously attached to the support body 13 across the length of the vacuum chamber. On the other hand, as the first magnet row, two magnet pieces are provided at a pitch of 5 mm in the same manner, depending on the transport direction. 12 312XP/Invention Manual (Supplement)/9105/94102869 1334401 As described above, the pitch of the magnet pieces in the various carriers 20 is changed, and the attraction force and repulsive force between the magnets are adjusted. A high-speed transport test of 500 mm/sec. As a result, a magnet structure having a resistance of 10 N or more with respect to a force F (see Fig. 1 (b)) perpendicular to the direction of transport of the upper portion of the carrier is obtained. Then, there is almost no shaking and vibration, and stable transportation is possible. Here, the resistance means that hooks are provided on the connecting member 21, and the spring balance is used to stretch in parallel in the direction of the vertical conveying direction, and the first and second magnet rows are displayed to be offset by 0.5 mm. The value of the spring balance of the time.

Next, the same experiment was carried out on the carrier used for the processing of the larger substrate, and the magnet resistance which was hardly transmitted by the shaking and the vibration was obtained. In addition, the thickness of the substrate holder is 15 m. The results are summarized in Table 1 together with the above examples. [Table Π Substrate (m) 1 . Ox 1 . 3 1 . 3 x 1 . 5 1 . 8 x 2 . 2 Substrate bracket (m ) 1.7x1.63 1. 8x1. 83 2.4x2.53 Magnet resistance (N 10-175 11-185 14-247 Magnet resistance/bracket length (N/m) 5.9-102.9 5. 8-102. 9 5.8-102.9 As shown in Table 1, the resistance of the magnet to ensure stable transfer is As the size of the substrate carrier increases, the value obtained by dividing the length of the carrier in the transport direction is almost the same range. Therefore, regardless of the size of the substrate holder, the magnet structure is selected so that the (magnet resistance/bracket length) is 5.9 to 102. 9 N/m, whereby substrates of various sizes can be stably conveyed. Further, as a result, it is not necessary to continuously provide the first and second magnet rows, and the cost of the magnet can be greatly reduced. In addition, the upper limit (1 0 2 . 9 N / m ) is the case where the Sm—Co rare earth magnet is provided over the entire length of the carrier without a gap. 13 312XP/Invention Manual (Supplement)/ The value of 94-05/94丨〇2869 1334401. On the other hand, if the carrier is used continuously, depending on the situation, the temperature of the magnet rises to 300 to 350 °C. Since the magnetic force of the magnet is lowered due to an increase in temperature, the structure of the magnet must be designed so as to estimate the amount of the decrease. For example, in order to make the above resistance 1 0 N at 350 ° C, it is necessary to require a magnet structure with a room temperature (20 ° C) resistance of 60 N, and to provide a structure. If the temperature of the magnet rises, it is transmitted. The gas discharged from the magnet is contaminated by the film forming space, and the desired film quality cannot be obtained. Therefore, in order to exclude the influence of the gas discharged from the magnet, the magnet is sealed and housed in a container of a non-magnetic metal material (for example, S U S 3 0 4 ), and it is preferably installed in a vacuum chamber and a carrier. [Embodiment 2] Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 2 . This embodiment is as shown in FIG. 3 of the enlarged view of the periphery of the connecting member, and the second magnet row (1 4 a...1 4 f ) and the first magnet row (2 2 a...2 2 f ) are respectively six. In the case of the row, a more stable carrier transport can be performed. In other words, by increasing the number of rows of magnets, the resistance of the force (F) in the direction of the vertical transport direction and the restoring force of the deviation are further increased, and the transport stability is improved. [Embodiment 3] Fig. 4 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a view showing the inside of the vacuum chamber in the direction in which the carrier is conveyed. In the present embodiment, the support body 13 is disposed on the top plate of the vacuum chamber 10, 14 312XP/invention specification (supplement)/94-05/94102869

1334401 A plurality of rows of second magnet rows are mounted on the lower end surface thereof, and a plurality of rows of first magnet rows are mounted on the upper end surface of the carrier connecting member 21. Other than the above, it is the same as the first and second embodiments. That is, the magnetization directions of the magnet rows are both vertical and the opposite is true between adjacent magnet rows. Further, it is provided between the support magnets 1 3 and the pair of magnets facing each other, and the action is attractive, and a repulsive force acts between the phase magnet rows. By forming such a magnet arrangement, since the force acting on the carrier is lifted upward by the action of the magnet, the load on the bearing supporting the carrier is reduced. As a result, not only the life of the bearing is prolonged, but also the occurrence of bearing from the bearing can be prevented for higher quality processing. In the above embodiment, the carrier is configured to transmit the substrate holder through the connection member, to support the lower portion of each of the substrate holders, and to carry the conveyance. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be applied to one substrate. Happening. In addition to the above-described rack and pinion type, the carrier transport mechanism can drive any transport mechanism such as a direct bearing or a magnetically-floating linear motor transport system. In addition, the type of the magnet can be appropriately selected depending on the conditions of the transport speed, the temperature, and the like. However, for example, in addition to the above-described ferrite system magnet and S m - C lanthanide rare earth magnet, N d may be used. — F e — is a rare earth magnet. Further, in the above embodiment, the magnet structure in which the magnet is heated in advance is used, and the cooling structure of the magnet may be employed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 (a) and (b) show a 312XP/invention specification (supplement)/94-05/94102869 with a substrate transfer device of the first embodiment, and a negative grain connection. The other is an example of an example of a null processing device. Fig. 2 is a partial enlarged view of the peripheral portion of the upper portion of the carrier of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing a guiding mechanism of the conveying device of the second embodiment. 4 is a schematic view showing a substrate transfer apparatus of a third embodiment. Fig. 5 (a) and (b) are schematic views showing an example of a conventional substrate transfer apparatus. [Description of main component symbols] 10, 10' 11 12 13 14 14a 14b 1 4 f 15 16 Vacuum processing chamber pillar car by bearing support second magnet row magnet magnet magnet guiding member driving device 16a' 16b magnet 20 carrier 21 connecting member 22 first magnet row 22a magnet 22b magnet 22 f magnet 16 312XP / invention manual (supplement) /94-05/94102869 1334401

23 base plate tray (tray) 24 opening 25 coupling member 26 magnet 30 base plate 40 door valve 3 ] 2XP / invention manual (supplement) /94-05/94102869 17

Claims (1)

1334401 Scope of application: 1. A substrate transfer apparatus that transports a substrate along a transport path in a vacuum chamber, and is characterized in that it is provided with a carrier attached to a substrate holder of a holding substrate a carrier transport mechanism for the carrier; and a carrier guide mechanism for guiding the upper portion of the carrier in a non-contact manner along the transport path; the guide mechanism is in a slightly vertical direction The magnetized first magnet row and the second magnet row magnetized in a slightly vertical direction are disposed in a Φ manner that attracts each other, and the first magnet row is attached to one or more of the upper portions of the carrier in the transport direction. The magnets are arranged above or below the first magnet row, spaced apart at a predetermined pitch, and one or more magnets fixed to the vacuum chamber are mounted along the transport path. 2. The substrate transfer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first magnet row and the second magnet row are arranged in a plurality of rows perpendicular to each other such that magnetization directions between adjacent magnet rows are opposite. The direction of the direction of transport. 3. The substrate transfer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second magnet row is disposed above the first magnet row. 4. The substrate transfer apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second magnet row is disposed above the first magnet row. 5. The substrate transfer apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of magnets of the first magnet row and/or the second magnet row are attached at a pitch. 6. The substrate transfer device 18 312XP/invention specification (supplement)/94-05/94102869 1334401 according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the base substrate is disposed above the vertical substrate, wherein the substrate The bracket has an opening for heating from the opposite side panel of the processing surface. 7. The substrate transfer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the specified angle is 0.5 to 3 degrees with respect to the vertical direction. 8. The substrate transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the carrier is a carrier mounted to the two substrate holders in a manner to be The magnet resistance of the upper portion of the feeder opposite to the conveying direction is set to be 5.9 to 102.9 N/m in addition to the length of the Φ bracket in the conveying direction, and the first magnet row and the second magnet row are disposed. . 19 312XP/Invention Manual (supplement)/94-05/94102869