TWI470721B - A substrate holder, a substrate handling device, and a substrate processing system - Google Patents

Description

Substrate holder, substrate transfer device, and substrate processing system

The present invention relates to a substrate holder for holding such a substrate for a flat panel display (FPD), a substrate transfer device including the substrate holder, and a substrate processing system.

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 substrate such as a glass substrate under vacuum. A so-called multi-chamber type substrate processing system having a plurality of substrate processing chambers is used in the manufacture of FPDs. Such a substrate processing system includes a transfer chamber in which a substrate transfer device for transporting a substrate is disposed, and a plurality of process chambers provided around the transfer chamber. Then, the substrate is carried into the respective process chambers by the substrate transfer device in the transfer chamber, or the processed substrates are carried out from the respective process chambers. The substrate holder is usually a substrate holder called a fork. The fork has a structure in which a plurality of support grippers are formed in a comb shape on a common base attached to the transportable arm portion that can be accessed and retracted.

Recently, there has been a strong demand for a large-sized substrate for FPD, and a large substrate having a side of more than 2 m is used as a processing target. Then, the fork is also increased in size in accordance with the enlargement of the substrate. When the fork frame is enlarged, even in the state where the substrate is not placed, due to its own weight, the base end portion to the front end portion of the support gripper is bowed and bent. Further, in the state where the large substrate is placed on the fork, the load of the substrate is applied. In order to prevent such bending, a fork formed of a highly rigid ceramic is also performed. However, since it is necessary to perform a firing process for manufacturing ceramic parts, in order to manufacture a large fork by ceramics, it is necessary to have a large-scale baking furnace. In order to solve this problem, Patent Document 1 proposes a wrist portion having a wrist portion and a plurality of end effectors combined with the toggle portion, the end effector being coupled to the base portion of the toggle portion, and The end effector assembly formed by the base in combination with the front end. In other words, in Patent Document 1, the support holder of the yoke is divided into a base portion and a front end portion by a length of about half of the length, and the structure is provided so that the front end portion can be easily manufactured. Ceramic parts.

However, the material of the support picker in the fork is CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics). The lightweight and highly rigid CFRP has the advantage of being a material that supports the picker. However, in terms of the disadvantages of CFRP, due to the composite material of the strong carbon fiber, there is a problem that it is difficult to repair and repair at the time of damage. Further, since the CFRP has a carbon fiber constituting layer structure, the carbon fiber is peeled off from the portion when the glass fiber is damaged, and the fiber of the layer structure is rolled up, which tends to be a source of particle generation. Further, for example, when the glass substrate is damaged during the conveyance by using the CFRP-supported pick-up device, when the support picker is damaged, the minute glass piece enters between the carbon fibers and becomes difficult to remove, and becomes a new particle. The problem of generating the source.

According to the above-mentioned problem, even if a part of the support picker formed of the CFRP material of a high price is damaged, it is necessary to replace the entire support picker.

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-41496

As the fork is enlarged, the control of moving the fork in the substrate processing system becomes more difficult than when using a conventional small fork. Therefore, the accuracy of damage to the system constituent members that support the front end of the picker in contact with the chamber wall or the like constituting the substrate processing system is increased as compared with the prior art. When using CFRP as a material to support the picker, it is also impossible to avoid contact with the system components at a certain frequency.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to prevent damage to a supporting member as much as possible even when a substrate holder having a supporting member for supporting a substrate is in contact with a system constituent member.

A substrate holder according to the present invention includes a base portion and a plurality of support members that are coupled to the base portion with a space therebetween, and the substrate is held by the plurality of support members. Then, in the substrate holder of the present invention, the support member is provided with a body and a detachable protection member that protects the front end of the body.

In the substrate holder of the present invention, the main body may have a hollow cylindrical shape. In this case, the substrate holder of the present invention may be inserted into the front end of the body by the protective member. Furthermore, the protective member may have a convex portion that is inserted into the inside of the main body.

Further, in the substrate holder of the present invention, the protective member may have a covering portion that covers the periphery of the front end of the main body. Further, in the substrate holder of the present invention, the main body may be composed of CFRP.

Further, in the substrate holder of the present invention, the protective member may be composed of a metal or a polymer material having a Young's modulus of 1 MPa or more and 10 GPa or less. In this case, the metal may be stainless steel or aluminum, and the polymer material may be a fluororubber, a polytetrafluoroethylene resin or a nylon resin.

Further, the substrate holder of the present invention may have a detachable first projection that abuts against the substrate from below even on the upper surface of the main body. At this time, even in the upper portion of the protective member, the second protruding portion that abuts against the substrate from below may be provided. Further, even if the height of the apex of the first projection is based on the upper surface of the main body, the height of the apex of the second projection may be increased. Further, the main body may have a plurality of mounting portions that can variably adjust the arrangement position and/or the number of the first projections.

The substrate transfer device according to the present invention includes a transport arm portion that can be moved in and out, and a substrate holder that is attached to the transport arm portion, and is transported by the substrate holder holding substrate. In the substrate transfer device, the substrate holder includes a base portion and a plurality of support members that are coupled to the base portion with a space therebetween. In the substrate transfer device of the present invention, the support member is provided with a main body, and a detachable protective member that protects the front end of the body, or the support member has a body, and a detachable protective member that protects the front end of the body, and a detachable protective member that is disposed on the upper surface of the body and abuts against the substrate from below Protrusion.

A substrate processing system according to the present invention includes a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate, and a substrate transfer apparatus that transports the substrate to the substrate processing apparatus. In the substrate processing system, the substrate transfer device includes a transport arm portion that can be moved in and out, and a substrate holder that is attached to the transport arm portion holding substrate. Further, in the substrate processing system, the substrate holder includes a base portion and a plurality of support members that are coupled to the base portion with a space therebetween. Then, in the substrate processing system of the present invention, the support member is provided with a body and a detachable protection member that protects the front end of the body.

According to the substrate holder of the present invention, by providing the protective member at the front end of the support member, the support member can be protected from damage of the support member even when the support member contacts the chamber wall or the like. Therefore, it is achieved that the life of the support member can be prolonged and the effect of generating particles due to damage of the support member can be prevented.

[First embodiment]

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, an example of a substrate transfer device including the substrate holder of the first embodiment of the present invention and a substrate processing system including the substrate transfer device will be described. Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a vacuum processing system 100 as a substrate processing system, 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 constitutes a processing system for performing plasma processing on, for example, a glass substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as "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 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 portion having no pattern 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 substrate S. Further, a gate valve 7c is also provided between the load lock chamber 5 and the external atmospheric environment so that the airtightness of the load lock chamber 5 can be maintained in the closed state, and the load lock chamber 5 and the outside can be held in the open state. The 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 of the respective storage substrates S are placed on the respective cassette indicators 9a and 9b. The substrate S is placed 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 transporting the substrate S is provided between the two cassettes 11a and 11b. The conveying device 15 includes a fork frame 17a and a fork frame 17b which are provided as a substrate holder in the upper and lower stages, and a drive unit 19 that can support, retreat, and rotate the support of the forks 17a and the forks 17b, and supports The support table 21 of the drive unit 19.

The process chambers 1a, 1b, 1c are configured to maintain a specific reduced pressure environment (vacuum state) in their internal spaces. As shown in FIG. 2, in each of the process chambers 1a, 1b, and 1c, a carrier 2 serving as a mounting table on which the substrate S is placed is provided. Then, in each of the processing chambers 1a, 1b, and 1c, in the state in which the substrate S is placed on the carrier 2, plasma is performed on the substrate S, for example, etching treatment under vacuum conditions, ashing treatment, film formation treatment, and the like. deal with.

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, a transfer device 23 is disposed as shown in Fig. 2 . Then, the conveyance device 23 performs conveyance of the substrate S between the three process chambers 1a, 1b, 1c and the load lock chamber 5.

The transport device 23 includes a transport mechanism that is provided in two stages, and is configured to be independent of each other, and can carry out the loading and unloading of the substrate S. Fig. 3 is a view showing a schematic configuration of an upper conveyance mechanism 23a having a fork 101 as a substrate holder. The transport mechanism 23a is mainly configured to include a pedestal portion 113, a sliding arm 115 that is provided to be slidable to the pedestal portion 113, and a fork that is provided to be slidable on the sliding arm 115 as a supporting member for supporting the substrate S. Rack 101. The fork frame 101 is provided with a picker base 117 as a base, and a plurality of (for example, four) support pickers 119 coupled to the picker base 117. A cover portion 133 as a protective member is provided at the front end of the support gripper 119. Next, the detailed configuration of the fork 101 will be described later.

A guide 121 for sliding the sliding arm 115 against the pedestal portion 113 is provided at a side portion of the sliding arm 115. Then, the base portion 113 is provided with a slide support portion 123 that slidably supports the guide member 121.

Further, on the side of the sliding arm 115, a guide 125 for sliding the fork 101 against the sliding arm 115 is provided in parallel with the above-described guide 121. Then, a slider 127 that slides along the guide 125 is provided, and the fork 101 is attached to the slider 127.

In the third embodiment, the transport mechanism 23a of the upper stage is described. However, the transport mechanism (not shown) of the lower stage has the same configuration as the transport mechanism 23a of the upper stage. Then, the upper and lower conveyance mechanisms are coupled by a connection mechanism (not shown), and the integrated structure can be rotated in the horizontal direction. Further, the transport mechanism that constitutes the upper and lower stages is connected to a drive unit that performs a slide operation of the slide arm 115 and the fork frame 101, or a rotation operation and a lift operation of the base portion 113.

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 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 accommodating portion 27 (only the upper portion is shown in Fig. 2) is provided in the upper and lower stages of the load lock chamber 5, and a plurality of buffers 28 for supporting the substrate S are provided at intervals in the respective substrate accommodating portions 27. The gaps between the buffers 28 are the escape grooves of the comb-shaped support gripper (for example, the support fork 119 of the fork frame 101). Further, in the load lock chamber 5, a positioner 29 that abuts on the vicinity of the opposite corner portions of the rectangular substrate S and performs positioning is provided.

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 storage unit 33. The controller 31 is controlled in the vacuum processing system 100 by coordinating, for example, the respective components of the process chambers 1a to 1c, the conveyance device 15, and the conveyance device 23. 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 process controller 31 is executed. Accordingly, the vacuum processing system is executed under the control of the process controller 31. 100 in the desired treatment.

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

First, the two forks 17a and 17b of the conveying device 15 are driven forward and backward, and the substrate S is taken up from the cassette 11a for accommodating the unprocessed substrate, and the buffers are placed on the lower two stages of the substrate housing portion 27 on the load lock chamber 5. 28.

After the forks 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 substrate S accommodated in the substrate housing portion 27 of the load lock chamber 5 is picked up by the fork 101 of the transport device 23.

Next, the substrate S is carried into the process chambers 1a, 1b, 1c by the fork 101 of the transport device 23, and is delivered to the carrier 2. Then, the substrate S is subjected to a specific process such as etching in the process chambers 1a, 1b, and 1c. Next, the processed substrate S is transferred from the carrier 2 to the fork frame 101 of the conveying device 23, and the self-made process chambers 1a, 1b, 1c are carried out.

Then, the substrate S is housed in the cassette 11b by the transport device 15 via the load lock chamber 5 in a path opposite to the above. Further, even if the processed substrate S is returned to the original cassette 11a.

Next, the fork frame 101 which is the substrate holder according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the fork 101. As described above, the fork 101 is provided with a gripper base 117 fixed to the slider 127, and a plurality of (for example, four) support grippers as support members coupled to the gripper base 117. 119.

The gripper base 117 is surely fixed to a plurality of support grippers 119 (four in the present embodiment), and is configured irrespective of whether it can be coupled to the slide arm 115 (slider 127). Further, the connection structure of the gripper base 117 and the support gripper 119 is also arbitrary. For example, even if the picker base 117 is a fixed structure using two sheets capable of holding the base end portion of the support gripper 119, even if a fixing structure capable of supporting one of the plurality of support grippers 119 is used, Also. In the present embodiment, the picker base 117 is formed by bending a sheet of a U-shaped portion, for example, in a cross-sectional view. Then, the respective base end portions of the plurality of support grippers 119 are inserted into the gap of the bent plate, and fixed by a fixing means such as a screw or the like (not shown).

The support gripper 119 of the fork frame 101 has a body 131 constituting a hollow rectangular tube shape, and a cover portion 133 as a protective member that is detachably attached to the front end of the body 131. As a material for supporting the body 131 of the picker 119, a material which is lightweight and has high rigidity is used so that bending due to a load, such as CFRP, is not generated as much as possible in a state where the large substrate S is placed.

On the top of each of the support grippers 119 of the fork frame 101, a plurality of places (in the fourth figure, two in one of the support pickers 119) are detachably provided with a first projection as a support substrate S. Support protrusion 200. The support protrusion 200 is made of an elastic material such as rubber or PEEK (Polyetheretherketone) resin or PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) resin. Regardless of the shape of the support protrusion 200, even a ring shape such as a hemispherical shape or an O-ring may be used.

Fig. 5 shows a cross-sectional structure of the end portion of the support gripper 119 in a state where the cover portion 133 is attached to the main body 131. The cover portion 133 is mounted to plug the front end of the body 131 supporting the picker 119. In order to reduce the weight of the support gripper 119, the body 131 is formed into a cylindrical shape by using a lightweight and highly rigid material such as CFRP, and it is preferable to make the inside a cavity. However, in the state in which the front end of the hollow-necked body 131 is open, the strength against impact is insufficient, and foreign matter or the like is attached to the inside to become a particle generation source. In the present embodiment, the main body 131 is hollow so as to support the weight reduction of the picker 119, and the front end thereof is closed by the lid portion 133, thereby ensuring impact resistance and preventing generation of particles.

In the present embodiment, the lid portion 133 is detachably fixed to the mounting block 135 inserted at the front end of the hollow body 131 by the screw 137. The mounting block 135 is fixed to the inner surface of the body 131 by, for example, a bonding agent or the like. The cover portion 133 is preferably of a size larger than a sectional area of the main body 131 for the purpose of protecting the front end of the gripper 119, particularly the corner portion. Further, the cover portion 133 is provided only in the vicinity of the front end of the support gripper 119. The length of the lid portion 133 is preferably, for example, about 1/10 to 1/500 with respect to the length of the main body 131. When the length of the cover portion 133 in the entire length of the support gripper 119 is excessively increased, the bending of the support gripper 119 is caused by the increase in the front end weight, so that the length ratio of the cover portion 133 to the main body 131 is preferably within the above range. .

By mounting the cover portion 133, the support picker constructed by the high-priced CFRP material can be protected even when the support picker 119 is in contact with the chamber wall or the like belonging to the system constituent member in the substrate processing system 100. The body 131 of 119. At this time, even if the lid portion 133 is broken, it is only necessary to replace the lid portion 133, so that the life of the body 131 supporting the gripper 119 can be prolonged. Further, since the cover 131 can prevent the main body 131 of the support gripper 119 from being damaged, it is possible to prevent the carbon fibers of the CFRP material from being peeled off from the damaged portion of the body 131 or rolled up to become a particle source. Further, it is also possible to prevent the glass piece or the like from being mixed into the damaged portion of the body 131 to become a particle source.

As a result, by attaching the cover portion 133, it is effective to prevent the body 131 supporting the picker 119 from being damaged or damaged. Moreover, the result of supporting the damage of the body 131 of the picker 119 can be avoided, and the generation of particles can also be reduced.

As the material of the lid portion 133, a polymer material such as rubber or synthetic resin can be used in addition to metal. The characteristics required for the material of the lid portion 133 are exemplified by being lightweight, strong against impact, easy to form, and low in damage to the other side due to contact with other members. From such a viewpoint, evaluation of four items of "weight", "impact strength", "formability", and "possibility of damage" is performed for various materials that are candidates for the lid portion 133.

As a material candidate for the lid portion 133, ceramic (aluminum oxide), glass, CFRP (commercial product name manufactured by Toho Tenax Co., Ltd.), SUS, fluororubber (product name Fluoro-Plus manufactured by Nichias Co., Ltd.), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) are selected. 8 types of aluminum and MC nylon resins.

In this evaluation, the material that is not suitable as the material of the lid portion 133 is "1", and the material that is suitable as the material of the lid portion 133 is "5", and the material of the lid portion 133 can be used as the material of the lid portion 133. The number is set to "3" and evaluated in three stages. Then, based on the total points of all the evaluation items, it is judged whether or not the material of the cover portion 133 can be used. The results are shown in Table 1.

In the present embodiment, the material of 12 points or more in total is judged to be "suitable" as the material of the lid portion 133. In addition, the material whose total point is less than 12 points is judged to be "unsuitable" as the material of the lid portion 133. According to the above evaluation, as the material of the lid portion 133, a metal material such as aluminum or SUS (stainless steel), a polymer material such as fluororubber, PTFE resin or nylon resin is preferably used. Further, since the ceramic has high rigidity, the opposite joint has high damage, and is weak in impact strength, it is less preferable as the material of the lid portion 133. Furthermore, glass or DFRP also has a weak point of lack of impact strength, and the material of the cover portion 133 is relatively poor.

In the present embodiment, the material of the lid portion 133 is made of a material having a Young's modulus of 100 GPa or less (for example, 1 MPa or more and 100 GPa or less) from the viewpoint of sufficiently ensuring impact resistance or fracture toughness. good. The material of the Young's system is 100 GPa or less, and examples of the metal include aluminum. The polymer material represented by the rubber or the synthetic resin is generally a Young's modulus of 100 GPa or less. However, it is preferable to use an elastic polymer material having a Young's modulus of 10 GPa or less (for example, 1 MPa or more and 10 GPa or less). Preferred examples of the polymer material having a Young's modulus of 1 MPa or more and 10 GPa or less include fluororubber, PTFE resin, and MC nylon resin.

As described above, with the fork 101 of the present embodiment, by providing the cover portion 133 at the front end of the support picker 119, even if the support picker 119 is in contact with the cavity belonging to the system constituent member in the substrate processing system 100 The body 131 supporting the picker 119 can also be protected at the time of the wall or the like. Therefore, it is achieved that the service life of the support gripper 119 can be made long-term and the effect of generating particles or the like due to the damage of the body 131 can be prevented.

[Second embodiment]

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the front end portion of the fork ejector 101 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the lid portion 139 has a main protection portion 139a that mainly absorbs an impact in the X direction, and an insertion portion 139b that protrudes from the main protection portion 139a, and has a cross section that is convex. In the following description, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same components as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described.

The lid portion 139 is attached to the front end portion of the body 131 of the support gripper 119 by the insertion portion 139b of a part thereof. The cover portion 139 protects the front end of the support gripper 119 to reduce the impact received when it comes into contact with the chamber wall or the like of the system constituent member in the substrate processing system 100. Further, in the lid portion 139, by fitting the insertion portion 139b in a state of being in close contact with the inner surface of the rectangular tubular body 131, it is possible to hold the function of reinforcing the hollow body 131 from the inside. That is, by the cover portion 139, in the vicinity of the front end of the support gripper 119, not only the impact from the front side (X direction), but also the side from the support gripper 119 or the up and down direction (for example, the Y direction or the Z direction) The impact can also improve the impact resistance. Therefore, the damage of the body 131 can be prevented as much as possible in the end portion of the support picker 119.

Further, the lid portion 139 is fixed to the body 131 in accordance with the frictional resistance by being fitted into the insertion portion 139b on the inner surface of the body 131 which is in close contact with the corner cylinder. Therefore, the insertion portion 139b also functions as a detachment preventing portion that prevents the lid portion 139 from coming off the body 131 of the support gripper 119. This anti-off function can be appropriately adjusted in accordance with the insertion length L1 of the insertion portion 139b inserted into the body 131.

In the present embodiment, it is preferable to form the lid portion 139 with an elastic material such as rubber or synthetic resin. Further, although not shown in the drawings, irregularities (wrinkles) may be formed around the insertion portion 139b of the lid portion 139 to improve the separation prevention effect. Further, the cover portion 139 may be fixed to the main body 131 by a screw or the like.

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

[Third embodiment]

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the front end portion of the support gripper 119 in the fork frame according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 7, the lid portion 141 has a main protection portion 141a that mainly absorbs an impact from the X direction, and a wall-shaped coating portion 141b that is formed at a substantially right angle to the main protection portion 141a. Form a concave shape. The covering portion 141b belonging to a part of the lid portion 141 is attached so as to cover the periphery of the front end of the body 131 supporting the picker 119.

The cover portion 141 protects the front end of the body 131 supporting the picker 119 to reduce the impact received when it comes into contact with the chamber wall or the like of the system constituent member in the substrate processing system 100. In the lid portion 141, since the periphery of the vicinity of the front end of the main body 131 can be covered by the covering portion 141b, it is possible to hold not only the front end of the main body 131 but also the position from the front end to the position on the side of the base end portion. That is, it is covered by the covering portion 141b, whereby in the vicinity of the front end of the support gripper 119, not only the impact from the front side (X direction) but also the side from the support picker 119 or the up and down direction (Y direction or The impact in the Z direction can also improve the impact resistance. Further, it is covered by the covering portion 141b, thereby preventing fine damage in the vicinity of the front end of the support gripper 119. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the breakage of the body 131 or the generation of particles due to breakage as much as possible.

The lid portion 141 is fitted by fitting the corner tubular body 131 to the inside of the covering portion 141b, and is fixed to the main body 131 in accordance with the frictional resistance. Therefore, the covering portion 141b also functions as a detachment preventing portion that prevents the lid portion 141 from coming off the body 131 of the support gripper 119. This anti-off function can be appropriately adjusted depending on the inner diameter of the covering portion 141b covering the side portion of the main body 131 or the covering length L2.

In the present embodiment, it is preferable to form the lid portion 141 with an elastic material such as rubber or synthetic resin. The substrate S can be supported from the lower side on the upper surface of the covering portion 141b by forming the covering portion 141b of the lid portion 141 with an elastic material. At this time, since the substrate S is supported at the most distal end position of the support picker 119, the support substrate S can be stably supported by the fork 101. In addition, in the lid portion 141 of the present embodiment, the uneven portion (wrinkle) that holds the release preventing effect may be formed on the inner circumference of the covering portion 141b. Further, the cover portion 141 may be fixed to the main body 131 by a screw or the like.

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

[Fourth embodiment]

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 10 . Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the front end portion of the fork ejector 101 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, a support protrusion 143 serving as a second protrusion from the lower support substrate S is provided on the upper portion of the lid portion 133 having the same configuration as that of the first embodiment. The support protrusions 143 are formed of an elastic material such as rubber or synthetic resin. The support protrusion 143 may be a ring shape such as an O-ring, in addition to the hemispherical shape as shown in Fig. 8. In the present embodiment, an elastic member formed of another material (for example, rubber) is fixed to the metal cover portion 133 as a support protrusion 143, for example. A method of fixing the support protrusion 143 to the lid portion 133, for example, screw fixing, fixing by a bonding material, or the like. Further, the cover portion 133 and the support protrusions 143 may be integrally formed of an elastic material such as rubber.

In the present embodiment, by providing the support protrusions on the upper portion of the lid portion 133, as shown in Fig. 8, the substrate S can be supported at the foremost end of the support gripper 119. Since the substrate S is more likely to be bent due to the larger size, the support protrusion 143 is supported at the foremost end of the support gripper 119 to support the substrate S.

Further, the support protrusion 143 may be provided in the lid portion 139 of the second embodiment or the lid portion 141 of the third embodiment. Fig. 9 is an example in which the support protrusions 143 are integrally formed on the upper portion of the lid portion 139 according to the second embodiment. In addition, FIG. 10 is an example in which the support protrusions 143 are integrally formed on the upper portion of the lid portion 141 according to the third embodiment.

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

[Fifth Embodiment]

Fig. 11 is a plan view showing a support gripper in the fork frame 101 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the fork frame of the present embodiment, mounting holes 150 for mounting the support protrusions 200 are provided at a plurality of places on the body 131 supporting the picker 119. The mounting holes 150 are disposed above the body 131 supporting the picker 119 at specific intervals.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show an example of a mounting structure of the support protrusions 200 by the mounting holes 150. Fig. 12 shows a state in which the hemispherical support projections 200a are attached by the mounting holes 150 of the support gripper 119. The hemispherical support protrusion 200a is formed by a metal plate (aluminum or the like) baffle 151 disposed above the body 131 supporting the picker 119, and the screw 201 203 sandwiches the flange 201a of the lower portion of the elastic member 201. This is detachably fixed to the body 131. Further, in Fig. 12, since the fixing by the screw 203 is easily performed, the nut side 153 is attached to the mounting hole 150 of the body 131 supporting the picker 119.

Fig. 13 is a view showing a state in which the O-ring-shaped supporting projection 200b is attached by the mounting hole 150 supporting the picker. The O-ring-shaped support projection 200b is detachably fixed to the main body 131 by a screw 203 via a disk-shaped fixing member 211 from above a metal baffle 151 disposed on the upper surface of the support gripper 119. The disk-shaped fixing member 211 serves to abut against the inner peripheral side of the O-ring elastic member 213 and press the elastic member 213 against the shutter 151. Further, in Fig. 13, since the fixing by the screw 203 is easily performed, the nut side 153 is attached to the mounting hole 150 of the support gripper 119.

Further, the attachment structure for attaching the support protrusions 200a and 200b to the attachment hole 150 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 is merely an example, and is not limited thereto.

In the present embodiment, the arrangement of the support protrusions 200 can be freely changed by providing a plurality of mounting holes 150 on the upper surface of the support picker 119. For example, Fig. 14 shows an example in which the hemispherical support protrusions 200a are disposed at two places of the support picker 119. Fig. 15 shows an example in which the hemispherical support protrusions 200a are disposed at four places of the support picker 119, and the support protrusions 143 are also provided in the cover portion 133. Further, Fig. 16 shows that on the upper surface of the support gripper 119, two hemispherical support projections 200a and O-ring-shaped support projections 200b are provided, and the support projections 143 are also provided in the cover portion 133. example. Fig. 17 is a plan view showing the fork frame 101 in which the support projections 200a and 200b are appropriately disposed on the respective support grippers 119.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the mounting holes 150 are provided at a plurality of places of the main body 131, the degree of freedom in arrangement of the support protrusions 200 can be improved. Since the support protrusions 200 are fulcrums of the support substrate S from the lower support frame 119 (the support holders 119), the arrangement or type of the support protrusions 200 can be changed depending on the size of the substrate S, and the like. The substrate S is held on the 101. For example, when it is desired to prevent the substrate S from sticking to the yoke 101, it is important to use a hemispherical support protrusion 200a having a small contact area with the substrate S, or vice versa when it is desired to increase the adsorption force of the substrate S and the yoke 101. Most of the O-ring support protrusions 200b can be arranged for various applications. Further, in the present embodiment, the support protrusions 143 of the cover portion 133 are also utilized as needed. Therefore, by combining the support protrusions 200 and the support protrusions 143, the substrate S holding ability in the yoke 101 can be further improved, and can be stably maintained. Substrate S.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the support protrusions 200 are easily exchanged, the support protrusions 200 can be formed of materials having various functions. For example, by using a conductive material as the material of the support protrusion 200, conduction between the substrate S and the support picker 119 can be achieved. Further, as a constituent material of the support protrusion 200, for example, the substrate S is surely held by using an adsorptive material, or a low-adhesive material having low adhesion to the substrate S is used instead, whereby the substrate S can be prevented from being attached to the yoke 101. .

Further, in the present embodiment, since the plurality of support protrusions 200 can be disposed on the support gripper 119, the picker base 117 side of the support gripper 119 can be provided, for example, as shown in Fig. 18. The lid portion 133 toward the foremost end gradually raises the height of the support protrusion 200. That is, in Fig. 18, with respect to the upper surface of the support gripper 119, the height H ₁ of the first support protrusion 200 closest to the side of the gripper base 117, and the support protrusion 200 of the second number are provided. height H _2, the No. 3 and support projections 200 of a height H _3, the lid portion and support the resolution of 4133 143 of a height of the projection system is set to H _{4 H 4> H 3> H 2} > H 1.

In this manner, in the present embodiment, the support protrusion 200 and the support protrusion 143 can be set such that the support point of the support substrate S gradually rises from the side of the picker base 117 supporting the picker 119 toward the front end side. The height. With such a configuration, when the front end side of the yoke 101 is lowered according to the weight of the substrate S or the bending caused by the self-weight of the support 119, the lowering range can be supported by the height of the supporting protrusion 200 and the supporting protrusion 143. A certain degree of offset. Therefore, the conveyance operation can be performed while maintaining the substrate S stably while the fork frame 101 is close to the horizontal force as much as possible.

In the above description, the lid portion 133 of the first embodiment will be described by way of example. However, it is of course possible to use the lid portion 139 (second embodiment) or the lid portion 141 (third embodiment). The cover portion 133 is replaced. Other configurations, operations, and effects of the present embodiment are the same as those of the first to fourth embodiments.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but 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, the case where the main body 131 supporting the picker 119 has a hollow rectangular tube shape is taken as an example, but the main body shape may be, for example, a flat cylindrical shape in which the upper surface of the cross section is a flat shape. In addition, although the fork 101 which is provided in the conveyance apparatus 23 of the conveyance chamber 3 of the vacuum side is demonstrated as a board|substrate holder, the present invention is also applicable, for example, to the fork 17a of the conveyance apparatus 15 of the atmospheric side, 17b.

Further, the configuration of the substrate transfer device of the substrate holder of the present invention can be used, and is not limited to the slide arm type provided in the upper and lower stages, and may be configured not only in one-stage configuration but also in three stages, and is not limited to a sliding type, even if For example, a multi-joint arm type substrate transfer device may be used.

In addition, the object to be transported by the substrate holder according to the present invention is not limited to the substrate for FPD manufacturing, and can be used for substrates of various uses.

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

3. . . Handling room

5. . . Load lock room

100. . . Vacuum processing system

101. . . Fork

117. . . Picker base

119. . . Support picker

131. . . Ontology

133. . . Cover

135. . . Mounting block

200. . . Support protrusion

Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a vacuum processing system.

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

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a transport mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a fork.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a front end portion of a fork in the fork frame according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the front end portion of the fork in the fork frame according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the front end portion of the fork in the fork frame according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the front end portion of the fork in the fork frame according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the front end of the support gripper in the fork frame according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is still another cross-sectional view showing the front end portion of the fork in the fork frame according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a plan view showing a support gripper in the fork frame according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a view showing a fixing structure for supporting the projections.

Fig. 13 is a view showing another example of the fixing structure for supporting the projections.

Fig. 14 is a plan view showing a support gripper showing an arrangement example of the support projections.

Fig. 15 is a plan view showing a support picker showing another arrangement example of the support protrusions.

Fig. 16 is a plan view showing a support picker showing still another arrangement example of the support protrusions.

Fig. 17 is a plan view showing the fork of the arrangement example of the support projections.

Fig. 18 is a side view showing a support gripper showing an arrangement example of the support projections.

101. . . Fork

117. . . Picker base

200. . . Support protrusion

119. . . Support picker

131. . . Ontology

133. . . Cover

Claims (14)

A substrate holder comprising a base portion and a plurality of support members coupled to the base portion with a space therebetween, wherein the plurality of support members hold the substrate, wherein the support member is provided with a body and a front end for protecting the body The detachable protective member has a detachable first projection that abuts against the substrate from below, and a second projection that abuts against the substrate from below at the upper portion of the protective member. The substrate holder according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the main body has a hollow cylindrical shape. The substrate holder according to claim 2, wherein the front end of the body is plugged by the protective member. The substrate holder according to claim 3, wherein the protective member has a convex portion that is inserted into the inside of the body. The substrate holder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the protective member has a covering portion that covers a periphery of the front end of the body. As stated in any one of claims 1 to 4 of the patent application scope A plate holder, wherein the above system is composed of CFRP. The substrate holder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the protective member is made of a metal material or a polymer material having a Young's modulus of 1 MPa or more and 10 GPa or less. The substrate holder according to claim 7, wherein the metal is stainless steel or aluminum. The substrate holder according to the seventh aspect of the invention, wherein the polymer material is a fluororubber, a polytetrafluoroethylene resin or a nylon resin. In the substrate holder according to the first aspect of the invention, the height of the apex of the second protrusion is formed higher with respect to the height of the apex of the first protrusion based on the upper surface of the main body. The substrate holder according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the main body has a plurality of mounting portions capable of variably adjusting an arrangement position and/or a number of the first protrusions. A substrate transfer device includes a transport arm portion that can be moved in and out, and a substrate holder that is attached to the transport arm portion, and is transported by the substrate holder holding substrate, and is characterized in that: The substrate holder includes a base portion and a plurality of support members coupled to the base portion with a space therebetween. The support member includes a main body and a detachable protection member for protecting a front end of the main body, and has a lower surface on the upper surface of the main body. The detachable first projection that abuts against the substrate has a second projection that abuts against the substrate from below at the upper portion of the protective member. A substrate transporting device including a transport arm portion that can be moved in and out, and a substrate holder attached to the transport arm portion, which is transported by the substrate holder holding substrate, wherein the substrate holder has a base portion and a plurality of support members coupled to the base portion with a space therebetween, wherein the support member includes a main body and a detachable protective member for protecting a front end of the main body, and is disposed on the upper surface of the main body to abut from below The detachable projection on the substrate has a detachable first projection that abuts against the substrate from below, and a second projection that abuts against the substrate from below at the upper portion of the protective member . A substrate processing system including a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, and a substrate transfer device for transporting the substrate to the substrate processing apparatus, wherein the substrate transfer device includes a transport arm that can be moved in and out And a substrate holder attached to the transport arm holding substrate, the substrate holder having a base portion and a plurality of support members coupled to the base portion with a space therebetween, wherein the support member includes a body and protects the body The detachable protective member at the front end has a detachable first projection that abuts against the substrate from below, and a second projection that abuts against the substrate from below at the upper portion of the protective member.