TWI446483B - A placing station, a processing device and a processing system - Google Patents

Description

Mounting table, processing device and processing system

The present invention relates to a mounting table on which a target object such as a small substrate for a flat panel display (FPD) is placed, and a processing apparatus and a processing system including the mounting table.

In the manufacturing process of the FPD represented by a liquid crystal display (LCD), various processes such as etching, film formation, and the like are applied to a target object such as a glass substrate under vacuum, and a TFT (thin film transistor) or the like is formed on the object to be processed. Electronic device. In the production of the FPD, in order to improve the processing efficiency, a method of dividing the substrate by the size of the product after performing various processes by placing a large substrate having a length of one to two meters on one side of the processing container is performed.

However, in recent years, as demand for small FPD products such as mobile phones or portable game machines, solar cell panels, and the like has increased, processing for etching or film formation on a small substrate (small substrate) has been studied. When processing a small substrate, it is more efficient to batch process a plurality of small substrates in a large processing container from the viewpoint of suppressing manufacturing cost.

When the small-sized substrate is processed in batches, a plurality of small-sized substrates are loaded on a disk-shaped carrier and transported into a processing container, and the carrier can be loaded on the mounting table to perform processing. However, in terms of the problem of the method of using the carrier, there is a problem that the carrier is damaged by the action of the plasma, for example, at the time of plasma etching treatment or the like. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically replace the carrier tray, or to form a carrier disk with materials having high resistance to plasma, and the use cost of the carrier tray cannot be ignored.

Further, in the plasma etching treatment or the like, in order to improve the precision of the etching process, it is generally recommended to introduce a cooling gas to the back side of the substrate to suppress an increase in the temperature of the substrate. At this time, another problem of the method of using the carrier disk is that the use of the carrier disk does not directly cool the substrate, and the cooling efficiency is lowered.

Another problem with the method of using the carrier is that the carrier is placed in a state in which the object to be processed is placed, so that the weight of the carrier alone increases the load on the handling mechanism of the object to be processed. In order to avoid burden on the transport mechanism, when the number of processed objects is reduced only for the weight portion of the carrier, the processing efficiency of one process is reduced.

As a substrate transport system for transporting a plurality of substrates in batches to a mounting table without using a carrier, a technique of using a transfer arm having a comb-shaped handle capable of simultaneously supporting a plurality of substrates is proposed (for example, a patent) Document 1). In the substrate transfer system of Patent Document 1, the substrate transfer is performed between the handle and the mounting table by a lift pin that is disposed so as to be movable between the comb teeth and that can be moved up and down.

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-294786

As shown in Patent Document 1, the technique of using a lift pin when transferring a plurality of small-sized substrates to a mounting table is such that when the number of small-sized substrates to be transferred once is increased, the number of lift pins must also be increased. In order to support a small piece of substrate, it is necessary to have 3 to 4 lifting pins. In order to move up and down a large number of small substrates, a large number of lift pins are required, so a complicated mechanism must be provided inside the mounting table. Furthermore, when the lift pins are used, the arrangement intervals or the number of the substrates cannot be changed in accordance with the number or size of the small substrate. Therefore, the technique of Patent Document 1 is not suitable for batch processing for the purpose of processing, for example, a plurality of small-sized substrates.

In addition, when the normal plasma treatment is performed, in order to improve the focusing property of the plasma and prevent abnormal discharge which also serves as a lower electrode mounting table, a structure including an insulating member is disposed around the mounting surface. The focus ring or the insulating member of the shadow ring. Even when a large number of small-sized substrates are subjected to plasma treatment in batches, it is necessary to arrange an insulating member around the small-sized substrate for the same purpose. However, when the small-sized substrate is processed in batches, the structure of the insulating member for realizing the above functions has not been studied.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a first object thereof is to provide a mounting table that can transfer a plurality of objects to be processed in batches. Furthermore, a second object of the present invention is to provide a mounting table in which a plurality of objects to be processed can be processed in batches.

The mounting table according to the first aspect of the present invention belongs to a mounting table on which a target object is placed in a processing apparatus, and includes a plurality of mounting surfaces for placing a plurality of processed objects, and a transfer mechanism When the mounting surfaces are parallel to each other, they are arranged in the same direction with a space therebetween, and have a plurality of movable members that are freely movable, and the movable member supports the object to be processed, thereby executing a plurality of pieces in batches with the conveying device. The transfer of the object to be processed.

In the mounting table according to the first aspect of the present invention, the movable member supports a plurality of objects to be processed while being placed on the mounting surface at a lowered position while supporting a plurality of objects to be processed. The transfer of the object to be processed may be performed between the raised position and the transfer device.

Further, in the mounting table according to the first aspect of the present invention, the movable member is formed of an insulating material and surrounds the periphery of the mounting surface to constitute a first insulation that partitions a portion of the insulating portion of the mounting surface. Sexual components are also available.

Furthermore, in the mounting table according to the first aspect of the invention, the insulating portion may have a second insulating member that surrounds the periphery of the mounting surface, in combination with the first insulating member.

Further, in the mounting table according to the first aspect of the present invention, the insulating member may be formed in a lattice shape by arranging the first insulating member and the second insulating member in a perpendicular manner.

Further, in the mounting table according to the first aspect of the present invention, the first insulating member may be provided with a segment that positions the object to be processed.

Further, in the mounting table according to the first aspect of the present invention, the electrostatic adsorption mechanism that adsorbs and holds the object to be processed may be provided corresponding to each of the plurality of mounting surfaces.

Furthermore, in the mounting table according to the first aspect of the present invention, the discharge surface of the cooling gas on the back surface of the object to be processed may be provided on the mounting surface.

A processing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is directed to a processing apparatus for batch processing a plurality of processed objects, comprising: a processing container; and a mounting table of the first viewpoint disposed in the processing container.

The processing apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention may be a plasma processing apparatus that processes the object to be processed by plasma.

A processing system according to a third aspect of the present invention is directed to a processing apparatus including a processing apparatus for batch processing a plurality of processed objects, and a conveying device having a comb-shaped supporting member that simultaneously supports a plurality of processed objects. In the system, the processing device includes a processing container and a mounting table on which a plurality of objects to be processed are placed in the processing container, and the mounting table includes a plurality of mounting surfaces for placing the object to be processed, and a delivery mechanism. When the mounting surfaces are parallel to each other, they are arranged in the same direction with a space therebetween, and the plurality of movable members that are freely movable and detachably support the object to be processed, and thus are executed in batches with the comb-shaped supporting members. The transfer of the processed object of the sheet.

The mounting table of the present invention is provided with a transfer mechanism that supports a plurality of movable members that are movable up and down in a state of being parallel to the mounting surface, and supports the object to be processed such as a small-sized substrate, and is formed between the transfer device and the transfer device. The batch performs the handover of a plurality of processed objects, and thus does not require a carrier disk, and can solve the above-mentioned numerous problems of performing batch handover of the processed object using the carrier disk in the prior art. In particular, it is possible to achieve the effect of using an electrostatic chucking mechanism or a back cooling mechanism that cools the back surface of the object to be processed because the carrier is not used. Furthermore, when the advancement technique of performing the batch transfer of the object to be processed using the lift pins is performed, the movable member can be displaced up and down by the external simple lifting mechanism, so that the configuration of the transfer mechanism can be simplified and can be confirmed. Hand over the effects of more processed objects in batches.

Further, in the mounting table of the present invention, when the movable member is formed of an insulating material and is used as the first insulating member, and the second insulating member is also formed into a lattice-shaped insulating portion, the object to be processed is formed. When the batch is treated with plasma, it is possible to achieve an effect of preventing abnormal discharge on the upper surface of the mounting table. Further, since the lattice-shaped insulating portion has a function of focusing the plasma toward the object to be processed placed on the inside, it is possible to achieve a complication of the configuration of the apparatus as far as possible, and it can be executed in the processing apparatus by a simple configuration. The effect of batch processing of bulk processing.

[First embodiment]

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, a plasma etching apparatus according to a first embodiment including the mounting table of the present invention and a vacuum processing system including the plasma etching apparatus will be described as an example. Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a vacuum processing system 100, and Fig. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the inside of each chamber. The vacuum processing system 100 constitutes a multi-chamber configuration having a plurality of process chambers 1a, 1b, 1c. The vacuum processing system 100 is a processing system that performs plasma processing on a small piece of glass substrate (hereinafter, simply referred to as "small substrate") S for FPD. Further, examples of the FPD include a liquid crystal display (LCD), an electroluminescence (EL) display, a plasma display panel (PDP), and the like.

The vacuum processing system 100 is connected to a cross shape when most of the large chambers are viewed from above. The transfer chamber 3 is disposed at the center portion, and three process chambers 1a, 1b, and 1c for performing plasma treatment on the small-sized substrate S are disposed adjacent to the three side faces. Further, a load lock chamber 5 is disposed adjacent to one side of the remaining portion of the transfer chamber 3. Any of the three process chambers 1a, 1b, 1c, the transfer chamber 3, and the load lock chamber 5 constitutes a vacuum chamber. An opening (not shown) is provided between the transfer chamber 3 and each of the processing chambers 1a, 1b, and 1c, and a gate valve 7a having a switching function is disposed in each of the openings. Further, a gate valve 7b is disposed between the transfer chamber 3 and the load lock chamber 5. The gate valves 7a, 7b hermetically seal between the chambers in a closed state, and communicate between the chambers in an open state to transfer the small substrate S. Furthermore, even if the gate valve 7c is provided between the load lock chamber 5 and the external atmospheric environment, the airtightness of the load lock chamber 5 is maintained in the closed state, and in the open lock state, the load lock chamber 5 can be inside and outside. The small substrate S is transferred between.

On the outer side of the load lock chamber 5, two cassette indicators 9a, 9b are provided. The cassettes 11a and 11b for accommodating the small-sized substrate S are placed on the respective cassette indicators 9a and 9b. A substrate support (not shown) that supports a plurality of small-sized substrates S is disposed in a plurality of stages in the respective cassettes 11a and 11b with a plurality of intervals therebetween. Further, each of the cassettes 11a and 11b is configured to be movable up and down by the elevating mechanism portions 13a and 13b. In the present embodiment, for example, the cassette 11a can accommodate an unprocessed substrate, and the other cassette 11b can accommodate the processed substrate.

A conveying device 15 for conveying the small-sized substrate S is disposed between the two cassettes 11a and 11b. The conveying device 15 includes a fork portion 17a and a fork portion 17b which are provided in the upper and lower stages, and a driving portion 19 which can support, retreat, and rotatably support the fork portion 17a and the fork portion 17b, and support the driving portion 19. Support table 21.

The process chambers 1a, 1b, 1c are configured to maintain their internal space in a specific reduced pressure environment (vacuum state). As shown in Fig. 2, in each of the processing chambers 1a, 1b, and 1c, a carrier 105 serving as a mounting table on which a plurality of small substrates S are placed is provided. Then, in each of the processing chambers 1a, 1b, and 1c, the small substrate S is placed on the carrier 105, and the small substrate S is subjected to, for example, etching treatment under vacuum conditions, ashing treatment, film formation processing, or the like. Plasma treatment. Next, the detailed configuration of the carrier 105 will be described later.

In the present embodiment, even if the same processing is performed in the three processing chambers 1a, 1b, 1c, it is possible to perform different kinds of processing for each processing chamber. Further, the number of the process chambers is not limited to three, and may be four or more.

The transfer chamber 3 has the same configuration as the process chambers 1a to 1c of the vacuum processing chamber, and can be held in a specific decompression environment. In the transfer chamber 3, as shown in FIG. 2, the fork portions 23a and 23b provided in the upper and lower stages are provided (only the fork portion 23a of the upper stage is shown. Hereinafter, it is referred to as "fork portion 23"). Carrying device 25. The fork portion 23 of the conveying device 25 has a base portion 26a and a thin plate-shaped supporting member 26b fixed to a plurality of the base portions 26a (four in the present embodiment). The fork portion 23 constitutes an ingress, a retreat, and a rotation. The fork portion 23 can support a plurality of small pieces of the substrate S in batches. Then, the bulk conveyance of the small-sized substrate S is performed between the three process chambers 1a, 1b, 1c and the load lock chamber 5 by the conveyance device 25.

The load lock chamber 5 is configured to be held in a specific pressure reducing environment in the same manner as each of the process chambers 1a to 1c and the transfer chamber 3. The loading chamber 5 is for performing the transfer of the small substrate S between the cassettes 11a and 11b located in the atmospheric environment and the transfer chamber 3 of the decompression environment. The load lock chamber 5 is configured to minimize the internal volume in the relationship between the atmospheric environment and the decompression environment. The substrate storage portion 27 for temporarily accommodating the small-sized substrate S is provided in the upper and lower stages of the load lock chamber 5 (only the upper stage is shown in Fig. 2). A plurality of elongated mounting members 29 that support the small-sized substrate S are provided in the respective substrate housing portions 27. The interval between the adjacent placing members 29 is narrower than the width of the small-sized substrate S, and is larger than the fork portion 17a of the conveying device 15, the fork portion 17b, or the substrate supporting portion of the fork portion 23 of the conveying device 25 (for example, the fork portion 23) The width of the support member 26b) is wide. Therefore, the small substrate S placed on the adjacent mounting member 29 can be picked up by the fork portions 17a, 17b or the fork portion 23, or the small substrate can be reversed from the fork portions 17a, 17b or the fork portion 23 S is transferred to the mounting member 29.

As shown in FIG. 2, each component of the vacuum processing system 100 is configured to be connected to the control unit 30 (the drawing is omitted in FIG. 1). The control unit 30 includes a controller 31 having a CPU, a user interface 32, and a memory unit 33. The controller 31 is configured to collectively control, for example, the respective components of the process chambers 1a to 1c, the conveyance device 15, and the conveyance device 25 in the vacuum processing system 100. The user interface 32 is composed of a keyboard that the engineering manager performs a command input operation or the like for managing the vacuum processing system 100, or a display that displays the operation state of the vacuum processing system 100 in a viewable manner. The memory unit 33 stores a processing program for recording a control program (software) for realizing various processes executed by the vacuum processing system 100 under the control of the controller 31, or processing condition data and the like. The user interface 32 and the memory unit 33 are connected to the controller 31.

Then, if necessary, the arbitrary processing program is called from the memory unit 33 by an instruction from the user interface 32, and the controller 31 is executed. Accordingly, the vacuum processing system 100 is executed under the control of the controller 31. I want to deal with it.

The processing programs such as the control program or the processing condition data can be stored in a computer-readable memory medium such as a CD-ROM, a hard disk, a floppy disk, a flash memory, or the like. Alternatively, it may be used on-line from other devices via, for example, a dedicated return line.

Next, an operation of the vacuum processing system 100 constituting the above will be described.

First, the two fork portions 17a and 17b of the conveying device 15 are driven forward and backward, and a plurality of small-sized substrates S are taken from the cassette 11a for accommodating the unprocessed substrate, and are placed on the upper and lower stages of the substrate storage portion of the load lock chamber 5. 27.

After the fork portions 17a, 17b are retracted, the gate valve 7c on the atmospheric side of the load lock chamber 5 is closed. Thereafter, the inside of the load lock chamber 5 is exhausted, and the inside is decompressed to a specific degree of vacuum. Next, the gate valve 7b between the transfer chamber 3 and the load lock chamber 5 is opened, and the plurality of small-sized substrates S accommodated in the substrate housing portion 27 of the load lock chamber 5 are picked up in batch by the fork portion 23 of the transfer device 25. .

Next, the plurality of small-sized substrates S are carried into the process chambers 1a, 1b, and 1c by the fork portion 23 of the conveying device 25, and are handed over to the carrier 105 in batches. Then, a plurality of pieces of the small-sized substrate S are subjected to a specific process such as etching in the process chambers 1a, 1b, and 1c. Next, the processed plurality of small-sized substrates S are transferred from the carrier 105 to the fork portion 23 of the conveying device 25 in batches, and the self-made process chambers 1a, 1b, and 1c are carried out. The batch transfer mechanism for the small substrate S between the fork portion 23 and the carrier 105 executed in the above process will be described in detail later.

Then, the plurality of small-sized substrates S are routed in the opposite direction to the above, and are accommodated in the cassette 11b by the transport device 15 via the load lock chamber 5. Further, even if the processed small-sized substrate S is returned to the original cassette 11a.

Next, a plasma etching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is an example of a mounting table according to the present embodiment and a processing apparatus including the mounting table, will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8 . . Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a plasma etching apparatus 200 which is applicable to the process chambers 1a, 1b or 1c.

As shown in Fig. 3, the plasma etching apparatus 200 constitutes a capacitively coupled parallel plate plasma etching apparatus which performs etching on a plurality of rectangular small-sized substrates S.

The plasma etching apparatus 200 has a processing container 101 which is formed of, for example, a surface treated with alumina treated with an alumite treatment (anodizing treatment) and formed into a rectangular tube shape. A frame-shaped insulating member 103 is disposed at the bottom of the processing container 101. On the insulating member 103, a carrier 105 on which a plurality of small-sized substrate S mounts can be placed is provided. 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the carrier 105, and FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the carrier 105. Further, Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of Fig. 5, Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII, and Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII. Further, the cross-sectional structure of the carrier 105 in Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in Fig. 5.

The main structure of the carrier 105 of the lower electrode is provided with a base material 107, insulating members 117a and 117b surrounding the base material 107, and a delivery mechanism portion 111 having a movable shielding member 123 as a movable member. The delivery mechanism unit 111 can batchly transfer the small substrate S between the fork portions 23 of the conveying device 25.

The base material 107 is formed of a conductive material such as aluminum or stainless steel (SUS). The base material 107 is disposed on the insulating member 103, and a sealing member 113 such as an O-ring is provided at a joint portion between the two members to maintain airtightness. Airtightness is also maintained by the sealing member 114 between the insulating member 103 and the bottom wall 101a of the processing container 101. The outer periphery of the side portion of the base material 107 is surrounded by the insulating members 117a and 117b. Accordingly, the insulation of the side surface of the carrier 105 is ensured, and abnormal discharge at the time of plasma treatment is prevented.

Further, on the upper surface of the base material 107, irregularities are formed in a lattice shape, and a plurality of mounting surfaces 107a for holding a plurality of small-sized substrates S are formed in the convex portions. Further, the fixed shielding member 121 and the movable shielding member 123 are fitted into the concave portion of the lattice-like irregularities. Further, the surface of the substrate 107 is subjected to an alumite treatment.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the carrier 105 is provided with a plurality of fixed shielding members 121 (second insulating members) disposed in the X direction in the drawing, and is disposed in the X direction. A plurality of movable shielding members 123 (first insulating members) that intersect in the Y direction. The fixed shielding member 121 is embedded in the base material 107 of the carrier 105 in such a manner that only the surface portion is exposed. The long plate-shaped movable shielding member 123 is provided to be vertically movable up and down in a state in which the mounting surface 107a is kept parallel. The movable shielding member 123 is fitted into the concave portion 107b formed on the base material 107 at a lowered position, and the upper surface thereof has the same surface as the mounting surface 107a to support the small-sized substrate S. Further, the movable shielding member 123 can be supported regardless of its shape if the small substrate S can be supported thereon.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a segment portion 121a is formed on the upper surface of the fixed shielding member 121. Further, a segment portion 123a is formed on the lower surface of the movable shielding member 123. Then, the two members are alternately arranged such that the unevenness generated by the upper portion 121a of the fixed shielding member 121 and the unevenness generated by the lower portion 123a of the movable shielding member 123 are different from each other. As a result, the fixed shielding member 121 and the movable shielding member 123 cross each other to form a lattice-shaped insulating portion 125. The exposed portion of the surface of the carrier 105 partitioned by the lattice-shaped insulating portion 125 serves as the mounting surface 107a. In other words, the periphery of each of the mounting surfaces 107a formed on the surface of the carrier 105 is surrounded by the lattice-shaped insulating portion 125 composed of the fixed shielding member 121 and the movable shielding member 123.

The lattice-shaped insulating portion 125 formed by the fixed shielding member 121 and the movable shielding member 123 has a function of improving the focusing property of the plasma and concentrating the plasma on the small-sized substrate S placed on the mounting surface 107a. Further, the lattice-shaped insulating portion 125 has a function of preventing abnormal discharge of the substrate 107 constituting the carrier 105 during plasma processing. In particular, in the present embodiment, the unevenness generated by the segment portion 121a of the upper surface of the fixed shielding member 121 and the unevenness of the uneven portion due to the lower portion 123a of the movable shielding member 123 are different from each other. To ensure adequate shielding.

Further, each of the movable shielding members 123 is configured to support the small-sized substrate S while being vertically movable up and down. Then, the movable shielding member 123 also functions as a constituent member of the delivery mechanism portion 111 that performs bulk transfer of the plurality of small substrates S with the fork portion 23 of the conveying device 25. The details of the delivery mechanism unit 111 will be described later.

Referring to Fig. 3, above the carrier 105, a shower head 131 that is parallel to the carrier 105 and that functions as an upper electrode is provided. The shower head 131 is supported on the upper portion of the processing container 101. The shower head 131 is hollow, and a gas diffusion space 133 is provided inside the shower head 131. Further, a plurality of gas discharge holes 135 for discharging the processing gas are formed on the lower surface of the shower head 131 (opposite to the carrier 105). The shower head 131 is grounded to form a pair of parallel plate electrodes together with the carrier 105.

A gas introduction port 137 is provided in the vicinity of the center of the upper portion of the shower head 131. A processing gas supply pipe 139 is connected to the gas introduction port 137. In the processing gas supply pipe 139, a gas supply source 145 for supplying a processing gas for etching is connected via the two valves 141 and 141 and the mass flow controller 143. As the processing gas, for example, a halogen gas or an O ₂ gas may be used, and a rare gas such as an Ar gas or the like may be used.

A plurality of exhaust ports 151 are formed at a plurality of places on the bottom of the processing container 101 (two places are illustrated in FIG. 3). An exhaust pipe 153 is connected to the exhaust port 151, and the exhaust pipe 153 is connected to the exhaust device 155. The exhaust device 155 is provided with a vacuum pump such as a turbo molecular pump, and accordingly, the inside of the processing container 101 can be evacuated to a specific pressure reducing environment.

Further, a substrate loading/unloading port of the drawing type is provided on the side wall of the processing container 101. The substrate loading/unloading port is opened and closed by the gate valve 7a (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Then, in a state where the gate valve 7a is opened, the small-sized substrate S is transported between the adjacent transfer chambers 3 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

A power supply line 171 is connected to the substrate 107 of the carrier 105, and a high frequency power supply 175 is connected to the power supply line 171 via a matching box (M.B.) 173. Accordingly, high frequency power of, for example, 13.56 MHz is supplied from the high frequency power source 175 to the carrier 105 as the lower electrode.

Next, the delivery mechanism unit 111 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 4, the delivery mechanism unit 111 has a plurality of movable shielding members 123, a plurality of rod bodies 187 that support the respective movable shielding members 123 at both ends, and the rod bodies 187 are coupled to both sides of the carrier 105. The connecting member 189 and the driving shaft 191 that vertically displaces the connecting member 189 and the driving portion 193 that drives the driving shaft 191 up and down.

The movable shielding member 123 as a movable member is arranged in a plurality of intervals in the same direction (five sheets in Fig. 4). The adjacent movable shielding members 123 are formed to be spaced apart from each other by a width smaller than the width of the small-sized substrate S. By engaging the both ends of the small-sized substrate S, the small-sized substrate S can be stacked between the adjacent movable shielding members 123. Further, the movable shielding members 123 are spaced apart from each other by a width wider than the support member 26b of the fork portion 23 of the conveying device 25, and can be vertically passed between the movable shielding members 123 without being interfered by the supporting members 26b. The movable shielding member 123 is made of an insulating material such as ceramic or quartz.

The rod body 187 is orthogonally joined to both ends of each of the movable shielding members 123 at both end portions of the carrier 105 to horizontally support the movable shielding member 123. The lower ends of the rod bodies 187 are coupled to each other at both side portions of the carrier 105 by a joint member 189. Each of the rod bodies 187 has a sufficient height, and the connecting member 189 does not interfere with the fork portion 23 of the conveying device 25 at a position where the movable shielding member 123 is raised.

The joint member 189 is a plate-like member that is approximately horizontally supported by the two drive shafts 191. According to the joint member 189 and the rod body 187, the upper heights of the respective movable shield members 123 are horizontally aligned at the same position, and can be vertically displaced.

The drive shaft 191 of the lower support coupling member 189 is provided to penetrate the bottom wall 101a of the processing container 101, and is connected to the drive unit 193 disposed outside the bottom of the processing container 101. The periphery of the drive shaft 191 that penetrates the bottom wall 101a of the processing container 101 is sealed by a sealing mechanism such as a bellows without a pattern to ensure airtightness in the processing container 101.

The drive unit 193 moves the drive shaft 191 up and down, and the connecting member 189, the rod body 187, and the movable shielding member 123 are vertically displaced, and has a drive mechanism that is stationary and positioned at a specific height. As such a drive mechanism, for example, a ball screw mechanism driven by a motor, a cylinder, or the like can be used.

The material of the rod body 187 and the connecting member 189 is the same as that of the movable shielding member 123, and it is preferable to use an insulating material such as ceramic or quartz.

In the present embodiment, the five movable shield members 123 are connected to the connecting member 189 by the five movable members 187 on the left and right sides, and the drive shafts 191 are provided by the left and right drive shafts 191. The connecting member 189 is configured to move up and down. However, the number of the movable shielding member 123, the rod body 187, and the drive shaft 191 can be appropriately changed in accordance with the number of sheets of the small-sized substrate S to be transferred, and the like. Further, even if it is not provided as a support structure that supports the movable shielding member 123 on both sides of the carrier 105, it may be a single support structure that is supported only on one side. Further, when the delivery mechanism unit 111 is a mechanism for holding the horizontal displacement of the movable shielding member 123 of the plurality of small substrates S, the above-described configuration is not limited.

Next, the transfer operation of the delivery of the small-sized substrate S by the delivery mechanism unit 111 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12. First, as shown in FIG. 9, the fork portion 23 of the conveying device 25 on which the plurality of small-sized substrates S are placed is inserted into any one of the processing chambers 1a to 1c, and is moved in and out of the position of the carrier 105. The movable shielding member 123 of the delivery mechanism unit 111 is placed at a position where the plurality of small pieces of the substrate S are supported while being lifted, and the small substrate S is transferred in batches between the fork portions 23 of the conveying device 25. Further, the movable shielding member 123 supports the plurality of small-sized substrates S while placing the small-sized substrates S on the respective placement surfaces 107a at the lowered position. Next, as shown in Fig. 10, the fork portion 23 on which the plurality of small-sized substrates S are placed is stopped at a specific height position above the carrier 105. The stop position A is set such that each of the support members 26b of the fork portion 23 is located directly above the gap between the adjacent movable shield members 123.

Next, the movable shielding member 123 of the delivery mechanism unit 111 is raised to a specific height (position B). In other words, by driving the driving unit 193, the connecting member 189 is raised via the drive shaft 191, and is directly raised while maintaining the horizontal state of the movable shielding member 123. The position B of the rising movable shielding member 123 is set to be higher than the stop position A of the fork portion 23. The movable shielding member 123 does not interfere with the fork portion 23 and rises to a position B higher than the fork portion 23. In the middle of the ascending, the small-sized substrate S placed on the fork portion 23 is batch-transferred to the movable shielding member 123 in a state where both end portions thereof are supported by the adjacent movable shielding member 123 as shown in Fig. 11 . . After the small substrate S is transferred, the fork portion 23 is retracted.

Next, the movable shielding member 123 of the delivery mechanism unit 111 is lowered. In other words, by driving the driving unit 193, the connecting member 189 is lowered by the drive shaft 191, and the movable shielding member 123 is directly lowered while maintaining the horizontal state. In the present embodiment, the upper surface of the movable shielding member 123 at the lowered position has the same surface as the upper surface of the carrier 105. Accordingly, as shown in Fig. 12, the small-sized substrate S is placed in a batch on the carrier 105.

The transfer operation of the small substrate S from the carrier 105 to the fork portion 23 of the transport device 25 can be carried out by a procedure reverse to the above.

In the above-described handover operation, the small-sized substrate S after being transferred to the carrier 105 can be correctly positioned and placed on the mounting surface 107a of the carrier 105 by determining the position of the small-sized substrate S on the fork portion 23 in advance. In the present embodiment, even in the embodiment, for example, a step is provided on each of the support members 26b of the fork portion 23 to form the positioning portion 300 for positioning the small-sized substrate S. Also. By using the fork portion 23 having such a mounting portion 300, it is possible to perform the transfer at the correct position when the small-sized substrate S is transferred to the movable shielding member 123. Further, the placement unit 300 can prevent the positional shift of the small-size substrate S in the middle of the conveyance of the fork portion 23.

Further, as shown in Figs. 14 and 5, it is preferable to form the positioning notch portion 301 as the segment for positioning the small-sized substrate S at the edge portion of the movable shielding member 123. In this way, by providing the positioning notch portion 301 in the movable shielding member 123, it is easy to perform positioning of each small-piece substrate S on the movable shielding member 123. Therefore, when the movable shielding member 123 is lowered, the small-sized substrate S can be accurately positioned and placed on each of the mounting surfaces 107a of the carrier 105. According to this, it is possible to ensure the processing accuracy at the time of performing processing such as etching. Further, by providing the positioning notch portion 301, the upper surface of the small-sized substrate 3 and the upper surface of the movable shielding member 123 can be made the same surface in a state where the small-sized substrate S is placed on the carrier, so that the plasma-on-chip can be lifted. The focus of the substrate S.

In the present embodiment, the method of batch transfer of the small-sized substrate S from the fork portion 23 of the conveying device 25 to the carrier 105 is not limited to the above procedure. For example, when the fork portion 23 is configured to be freely movable, the fork portion 23 is lowered by the state in which the movable shielding member 123 is raised, whereby the small-sized substrate S is batch-transferred from the fork portion 23 to the movable shielding member 123. Also. At this time, even if the movable shielding member 123 is set in advance at the rising position, the fork portion 23 on which the small-sized substrate S is placed may be moved on the carrier 105 in this state.

Next, the processing operation in the plasma etching apparatus 200 configured as described above will be described. First, in a state in which the gate valve 7a is opened, the plurality of small-sized substrates S belonging to the object to be processed are carried into the processing container 101 by the fork portion 23 of the conveying device 25 from the transfer chamber 3 through the unloaded substrate loading/unloading port. . The small-sized substrate S is transferred in a state in which a plurality of sheets, for example, 20 pieces are supported by the fork portion 23 of the conveying device 25 in batches. Then, in accordance with the above procedure, the movable shielding member 123 of the delivery mechanism unit 111 is executed, and the small substrate S is transferred from the fork portion 23 to the carrier 105 in batches. The plurality of small pieces of the substrate S are positioned and placed on the respective mounting surfaces 107a of the carrier 105 to be placed. Thereafter, the gate valve 22 is closed, and the inside of the processor 101 is evacuated to a specific degree of vacuum by the exhaust device 155.

Then, the valve 141 is opened, and the processing gas is introduced from the gas supply source 145 to the gas diffusion space 133 of the shower head 131 via the processing gas supply pipe 139 and the gas introduction port 137. At this time, the flow rate control of the process gas is performed by the mass flow controller 143. The processing gas introduced into the gas diffusion space 133 is uniformly discharged to the small-sized substrate S placed on the carrier 105 through a plurality of discharge holes 135, and the pressure in the processing container 101 is maintained at a specific value.

In this state, high frequency power is applied from the high frequency power source 175 to the carrier 105 via the matching box 173. Accordingly, a high-frequency electric field is generated between the carrier 105 serving as the lower electrode and the shower head 131 serving as the upper electrode, and the processing gas is dissociated to become plasma. The small substrate S is subjected to an etching treatment by the plasma. Since the small-sized substrate S is subjected to plasma treatment in a state surrounded by the lattice-shaped insulating member 125 composed of the fixed shielding member 121 and the movable shielding member 123, the lattice-shaped insulating portion 125 improves the focusing property of the plasma and achieves high efficiency. Processing efficiency. Further, the lattice-shaped insulating portion 125 prevents abnormal discharge in the surface of the carrier 105 even in a high-frequency electric field.

After the etching process is performed, the application of the high-frequency power from the high-frequency power source 175 is stopped, and after the gas introduction is stopped, the inside of the processing container 101 is depressurized to a specific pressure. Then, the gate valve 7a is opened, and the small-sized substrate S is transferred in batch from the movable shielding member 123 of the delivery mechanism unit 111 to the fork portion 23 of the transport device 25, and is carried out from the substrate loading/unloading port (omitted from the drawing) of the processing container 101. Room 3. By the above operation, the batch etching process for the small substrate S is completed.

The carrier 105 according to the present embodiment is provided with a plurality of small-piece substrates S from the fork portion 23 of the conveying device 25 by the delivery mechanism 111 using the movable shielding member 123, and can be delivered to the fork portion 23 in batches. Therefore, the above-mentioned problems in the prior art in which the batch transfer of the small substrate S is performed using the carrier disk can be solved. In particular, since the carrier disk is not used, the electrostatic adsorption mechanism or the back cooling mechanism for cooling the back surface of the small substrate S can be used (refer to the second embodiment later). Furthermore, when the prior art of batch transfer of the small-sized substrate S is performed using the lift pins, the plate-shaped movable shielding member 123 can be displaced up and down by a simple lifting mechanism externally mounted on the carrier 105, so that it can be achieved. The composition of the transfer mechanism is more simplified, and the effect of transferring a plurality of small substrates S can be surely batched. Further, since the transfer mechanism 111 using the movable shielding member 123 has a simple configuration, it is possible to easily perform the exchange of the movable shielding member 123 or the interval adjustment of the adjacent movable shielding member 123. Therefore, the number, width, interval, and the like of the movable shielding member 123 can be freely set in accordance with the size of the small-sized substrate S or the number of sheets to be transferred. Further, the adjustment of the exchange or the interval of the movable shielding member 123 can be performed by, for example, the connection member 189 by the batch exchange lever body 187 and the movable shielding member 123, or even if the rod body in the changeable coupling member 189 is formed. 187 quantity or installation location is also available.

Further, the movable shielding member 123 made of an insulating material reaches the upper surface of the carrier 105 by abutting against the lowered position, and forms a lattice-shaped insulating portion 125 surrounding the small substrate S with the fixed shielding member 121. The shielding function can surely prevent abnormal discharge on the carrier 105. Further, the lattice-shaped insulating portion 125 serves to focus the plasma toward the small-sized substrate S placed on the inner side thereof. In this way, by making the movable shielding member 123 hold the substrate transfer function, the shielding function, and the plasma focusing function, the complexity of the configuration of the maximum avoidance device can be obtained, and the small pieces in the carrier 105 can be processed in a large amount by simple configuration. The substrate S can improve the effect of processing efficiency.

[Second embodiment]

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 16 and 17 . Fig. 16 is a view showing a schematic cross-sectional structure of the plasma etching apparatus 201 of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the carrier 205 is provided with an electrostatic adsorption mechanism that adsorbs and holds the small-sized substrate S and a back-side cooling mechanism that introduces the cooling heat-transfer gas to the back surface of each small-sized substrate S, which is different from the first embodiment. . In the following description, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same configurations as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described.

The plasma etching apparatus 201 is the same as the plasma etching apparatus 200 according to the first embodiment, and can be applied to the processing chamber 1a, 1b, or 1c in the vacuum processing system 100 (refer to Figs. 1 and 2). ).

As shown in Fig. 16, in the plasma etching apparatus 201, the carrier 205 of the lower electrode is also mainly composed of a lower substrate 207 and an upper substrate 209 laminated on the lower substrate 207. The electrostatic adsorption portion 211 formed on the upper substrate 209 and the delivery mechanism portion 111 for transferring the small substrate S to the electrostatic adsorption portion 211 in batches (only the movable shielding ring 123 is illustrated).

Both the lower base material 207 and the upper base material 209 are formed of a material such as aluminum or stainless steel (SUS). A sealing member 215 is disposed between the lower base material 207 and the upper base material 209 to maintain the airtightness of the boundary portion. The outer peripheral portions of the side portions of the lower base material 207 and the upper base material 209 are surrounded by the insulating members 117a and 117b, thereby ensuring insulation and preventing abnormal discharge from the side portion of the carrier 205 during the plasma treatment.

The main structure of the electrostatic adsorption unit 211 includes a dielectric film 219 laminated on the upper substrate 209, and is embedded in a plurality of electrode plates 221 of the dielectric film 219. Each of the electrode plates 221 is connected to the DC power source 225 via a power supply line 223.

The dielectric film 219 is formed of, for example, a ceramic spray film or the like. A plurality of mounting surfaces 219a supporting the small-substrate substrate S are formed on the upper surface of each dielectric film 219. The electrode plate 221 is made of a conductive material such as metal, and the dielectric film 219 is buried in a plurality of portions corresponding to the mounting surface 219a. Then, a direct current voltage is applied to each of the electrode plates 221 from the direct current power source 225, and each of the small-sized substrates S can be adsorbed and held by, for example, Coulomb force.

In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the power supply lines 223 are diverged from one DC power source 225 and simultaneously supplied to the respective electrode plates 221 is employed. Further, the configuration may be such that the power is supplied from the individual DC power sources to the respective electrode plates 221. Further, the electrode plates 221 may be arranged such that one electrode plate 221 straddles the plurality of mounting faces 219a, even if they are not disposed corresponding to the mounting surface 219a in an individual separated state.

The dielectric film 219 may be made of a dielectric material regardless of the material. Further, not only a highly insulating material but also a conductive one having a degree of permitting charge transfer can be used. Such a dielectric film 219 is preferably made of ceramics from the viewpoint of durability and corrosion resistance. At this time, the ceramic is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include _{Al 2 0 3, Zr 2 0} 3, Si 3 N 4 and the like of an insulating material. Further, the dielectric film 219 is preferably formed by sputtering.

A gas supply path 227 penetrating the inside is formed in the lower substrate 207, the upper substrate 209, and the dielectric film 219. The gas supply path 227 has a horizontal supply portion 227a formed at the boundary between the lower substrate 207 and the upper substrate 209, and a plurality of vertical supply holes 227b that are branched by the horizontal supply portion 227a. The vertical supply hole 227b is formed in a plurality of mounting surfaces 219a (only in Fig. 16 in Fig. 16 and Fig. 17). The gas supply path 227 is supplied with a heat transfer gas such as He gas to the back surface of the small-sized substrate S belonging to the object to be processed. Further, a refrigerant circulation path (not shown) is provided inside the lower base material 207. By circulating a refrigerant such as a fluorine-based liquid to the refrigerant cyclone, the heat is transferred to the small-sized substrate S via the heat-conductive gas.

In other words, the heat transfer gas supplied to the gas supply path 227 is temporarily diffused to the horizontal direction by the horizontal supply unit 227a, and then passes through the plurality of vertical supply holes 227b formed vertically in the electrostatic adsorption unit 211, and faces the surface of the electrostatic adsorption unit 211 from the surface. The back side of the small substrate S is ejected. As a result, the cold heat of the carrier 205 is transmitted to each of the small substrates S, and each of the small substrates S is maintained at a specific temperature.

In the present embodiment, since the electrostatic adsorption portion 211 is provided, the small-sized substrate S can be stably held on the mounting surface 219a of the carrier 205. Further, since the branch gas supply path 227 for separately supplying the heat transfer gas is provided on the back side of each of the small-sized substrates S held by the electrostatic adsorption unit 211, the temperature adjustment of the small-sized substrate S can be performed, and for example, etching can be enhanced. Processing accuracy.

The configuration and operation of the delivery mechanism unit 111 according to this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. Therefore, even in the present embodiment, the batch transfer of the small-sized substrate S can be performed by the transfer mechanism portion 111 having the movable shielding member 123. In this case, similarly to the first embodiment, the movable shielding member 123 of the delivery mechanism unit 111 may be provided with a notch portion 301 for positioning (see FIGS. 14 and 15). Further, according to the lattice-shaped insulating portion 125 composed of the fixed shielding member 121 and the movable shielding member 123, the plasma can be focused on the small piece placed on the mounting surface 219a while preventing abnormal discharge of the electrostatic adsorption portion 211. Substrate S.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the heat transfer gas is supplied to the back surface of the small substrate S, it is preferable that a gap is formed between the small substrate S placed on the mounting surface 219a and the mounting surface 219a. For this purpose, for example, as shown in an enlarged view of Fig. 17, the upper surface of the movable shielding member 123 may be slightly higher than the mounting surface 219a in a state where the movable shielding member 123 is lowered. As a result, the both end portions are supported by the small-sized substrate S of the movable shielding member 123, and are slightly floated from the mounting surface 219a to form the cooling gas space 302. By supplying the heat transfer gas from the vertical supply hole 227b to the cooling gas space 302, the small-sized substrate S can be efficiently cooled. At this time, although the drawings are omitted, the upper surface of the fixed shielding member 121 may be fitted with the upper surface of the movable shielding member 123 to form the mounting surface 219a higher. In this manner, the lattice insulating portion 125 surrounds the four sides, whereby the cooling efficiency by the heat transfer gas in the cooling gas space 302 can be further improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 17, a plurality of convex portions 219b that are erected so as to penetrate the cooling gas space 302 from the mounting surface 219a are provided. The convex portion 219b abuts against the back surface of the small-sized substrate S at the top thereof, and functions to support the small-sized substrate S. Further, the convex portion 219b may be a protrusion formed on the surface (mounting surface 219a) of the dielectric film 219a, even if it is formed by a groove which is formed on the surface (mounting surface 219a) of the dielectric film 219a. The convex portion of the concave and convex may also be used.

Other configurations, operations, and effects of the present embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

Further, although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can of course be made. For example, in the above-described embodiment, an RIE type capacitive coupling type parallel plate plasma etching apparatus that applies high frequency power to the lower electrode (substrate 107, lower substrate 207, and upper substrate 209) will be described as an example. However, the type of the high-frequency power is supplied to the upper electrode, and is not limited to the capacitive coupling type, and may be an inductive coupling type.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the plasma etching apparatus, and may be applied to other plasma processing apparatuses such as ashing and CVD film formation.

Further, the mounting table of the present invention having a batch delivery mechanism having a plurality of small-sized substrates S is not limited to a vacuum processing apparatus or a plasma processing apparatus, and may be applied to, for example, a heat treatment apparatus. Further, the chamber having the batch transfer mechanism having the small substrate S may be disposed in, for example, a load lock chamber other than the process chamber.

Further, the small-sized substrate S as the object to be processed is not limited to the production of FPD, and can be used for various purposes. The small substrate S may be a semiconductor wafer.

1a, 1b, 1c. . . Process chamber

3. . . Handling room

5. . . Load lock room

100. . . Vacuum processing system

101. . . Processing container

103. . . Insulating member

105. . . Carrier

107. . . Substrate

107a. . . Mounting surface

111. . . Handover department

117a, 117b. . . Insulating member

121. . . Fixed shielding member

123. . . Movable shielding member

125. . . Lattice insulation

131. . . Sprinkler

133. . . Gas diffusion space

135. . . Gas ejection hole

137. . . Gas inlet

139. . . Processor supply tube

151. . . exhaust vent

153. . . exhaust pipe

155. . . Exhaust

171. . . Power supply line

173. . . Matching box

175. . . High frequency power supply

187. . . Rod body

189. . . Connecting member

191. . . Drive shaft

193. . . Drive department

200, 201. . . Plasma etching device

Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a vacuum processing system including a mounting table of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the vacuum processing system of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a plasma etching apparatus according to a first embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a delivery mechanism in a carrier.

Figure 5 is a top view of the carrier.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of Fig. 5;

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in Figure 5 .

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of Fig. 5;

Figure 9 is a view showing the batch transfer of the small substrate between the fork and the movable shielding member of the carrier.

Fig. 10 is a view for explaining a state in which a fork portion supporting a plurality of small-piece substrates is moved on a carrier.

Fig. 11 is a view showing a state in which the movable shielding member picks up a plurality of small-sized substrates from the fork portion.

Fig. 12 is a view for explaining a state in which a plurality of small-sized substrates are placed on a carrier.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a fork portion forming a placing portion.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing an important part of a movable shielding member for forming a notch for positioning.

Fig. 15 is a view for explaining a state in which a plurality of small-sized substrates are placed on a carrier provided with the movable shielding member of Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a plasma etching apparatus including a carrier according to a second embodiment.

Fig. 17 is a view for explaining the state in which the small-sized substrate is placed on the carrier of the plasma etching apparatus of Fig. 16.

twenty three. . . Fork

26b. . . Support member

101a. . . Bottom wall

105. . . Carrier

111. . . Handover department

123. . . Movable shielding member

187. . . Rod body

189. . . Connecting member

191. . . Drive shaft

193. . . Drive department

Claims (11)

A mounting table in which a plurality of processed objects are placed in a processing chamber of a plurality of processed objects in a batch process, the mounting table being characterized by: a plurality of mounting surfaces, which are used a body to be processed on which a plurality of sheets are placed; and a transfer mechanism that is arranged in the same direction with a space therebetween in parallel with the mounting surface, and has a movable member that constitutes a plurality of freely movable portions. The movable member supports the object to be processed to perform the transfer of the plurality of processed objects in batches with the conveying device. The mounting table according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the movable member supports a plurality of sheets of the object to be processed while supporting the object to be processed, and supports the plurality of sheets while being placed on the mounting surface at a lowered position. The object to be processed performs the transfer of the object to be processed between the raised position and the conveyance device. The mounting table according to the first or second aspect of the invention, wherein the movable member is made of an insulating material and surrounds the periphery of the mounting surface to form a first portion of the insulating portion that partitions the mounting surface. Insulating member. The mounting table according to the third aspect of the invention, wherein the insulating portion has a second insulating member that is combined with the first insulating member and surrounds the mounting surface. The mounting table according to the fourth aspect of the invention, wherein the first insulating member and the second insulating member are arranged orthogonally, and the insulating portion is formed in a lattice shape. The mounting table according to the fifth aspect of the invention, wherein the first insulating member is provided with a segment that positions the object to be processed. The mounting table according to the first or second aspect of the invention, wherein the electrostatic adsorption mechanism that adsorbs and holds the object to be processed is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of mounting surfaces. The mounting table according to the first or second aspect of the invention, wherein the mounting surface is provided with a discharge port for cooling the back surface of the object to be processed. A processing apparatus for batch processing a plurality of processed objects, the processing apparatus comprising: a processing container; and any one of claims 1 to 8 arranged in the processing container The mounting platform. The processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processing apparatus is a plasma processing apparatus that processes the object to be processed by plasma. A processing system comprising: a processing device for batch processing a plurality of processed objects; and a conveying device having a comb-shaped supporting member for simultaneously supporting a plurality of processed objects, wherein the processing system is characterized by: The processing device includes a processing container and a mounting table on which a plurality of processed objects are placed in the processing container, the mounting table including a plurality of mounting surfaces for placing the object to be processed, and a delivery mechanism It is arranged in the same direction with a gap therebetween in a state parallel to the mounting surface, and is configured to be freely movable. The movable member supports the object to be processed, whereby the transfer of the plurality of processed objects is performed in batches with the comb-shaped support member.