WO2002069392A1

WO2002069392A1 - Lift type substrate treatment device, and substrate treatment system with the substrate treatment device

Info

Publication number: WO2002069392A1
Application number: PCT/JP2002/001583
Authority: WO
Inventors: Shigeru Mizukawa; Katsutoshi Nakata; Shunji Matsumoto
Original assignee: Sumitomo Precision Products Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2001-02-27
Filing date: 2002-02-21
Publication date: 2002-09-06
Also published as: JP3587788B2; CN1246895C; CN1455951A; KR20020093837A; TW529072B; JP2002261143A

Abstract

A lift type substrate treatment device having a function to transfer a substrate from one to the other side of a treatment line and capable of treating the substrate during transfer, and a substrate treatment system having the lift type substrate treatment device; the lift type substrate treatment device, comprising a cabinet-like cover body (11) having a substrate inlet (11a) and a substrate outlet (11b) provided therein parallel with each other in vertical direction, a transfer supporting means forming a treatment mechanism (20) installed in the cover body (11), supportedly accepting the substrate carried in from the substrate inlet (11a), and discharging the substrate from the substrate outlet (11b), a support frame (21) for supporting the transfer/supporting means, the treatment mechanism (20) disposed above the transfer/supporting means and having a treatment fluid discharge means for discharging the treatment fluid onto the substrate, and a lifting mechanism (40) for supportedly lifting the treatment mechanism (20) in vertical direction to move the treatment mechanism (20) to the substrate inlet (11a) and the substrate outlet (11b).

Description

Elevating substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing system provided with the same

The present invention relates to a processing apparatus for performing predetermined processing while moving (transporting) various substrates such as a semiconductor (silicon) wafer, a liquid crystal glass substrate, a photomask glass substrate, and an optical disk substrate; Also, the present invention relates to a substrate processing system configured by connecting a plurality of processing apparatuses. Background art

For example, in the manufacturing process of a liquid crystal glass substrate, application of a developing solution, application of an etching solution, and application of a stripping solution for stripping a resist film are performed. Between treatments, a cleaning treatment and a drying treatment are performed.

Conventionally, as a processing apparatus for performing each of the above-described processes, there is a processing apparatus configured to place a substrate on a transport roller and perform the process while transporting the substrate in a horizontal direction by the transport roller. Further, there is known a substrate processing system as shown in FIG. 10 which is configured by connecting each processing apparatus in order to continuously perform each of the above processes.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a conventional substrate processing system. As shown in FIG. 10, the substrate processing system 200 includes a substrate loading / unloading section 201, It comprises a substrate processing section 205 and a substrate transport section 210. The substrate loading / unloading section 201 includes a mounting table 202 on which a cassette 230 containing a plurality of substrates is mounted, and a cassette 203 mounted on the mounting table 202. From the transfer device 204, which takes out the substrates one by one and puts them into the substrate processing unit 205, takes out the processed substrate from the substrate processing unit 205, and stores it in the cassette 203. Become. Note that the transfer device 204 is usually composed of a robot that can move in the longitudinal direction of the mounting table 202. The substrate processing unit 205 is composed of two processing lines of a first processing unit 206 and a second processing unit 207 arranged side by side in parallel with each other, a first processing unit 206 and As shown in FIG. 11, the second processing unit 200 includes a plurality of transport rollers 208 that transport the substrate in the directions indicated by arrows, respectively. Is performed. For example, the first processing unit 206 is a processing unit for etching a substrate, and an etching liquid is applied to the substrate being transported. Further, the second processing unit 2007 includes a washing processing unit 2007 a and a drying processing unit 2007 b. In the washing processing unit 107 a, cleaning water is supplied to the substrate, and the drying processing unit 200. At 7b, a drying gas is supplied to the substrate.

The substrate transport unit 210 is means for transporting the substrate processed by the first processing unit 206 to the second processing unit 206, and transporting the substrate discharged from the first processing unit 206. A direction switching device 2 1 1 that switches the direction and transports, a plurality of transport rollers 2 1 2 that transports the substrate discharged from the direction switching device 2 1 1 in the discharge direction, and a transport roller 2 1 2 And a direction switching device 213 for transferring the transferred substrate to the second processing unit 207 by switching the transfer direction thereof.

As shown in FIG. 12, the direction switching device 211 transports the substrate K in the same transport direction in the same horizontal plane as the transport surface of the transport rollers 208 forming the first processing unit 206. A plurality of first transport rollers 2 14, a lifter 2 15 disposed between the first transport rollers 2 14, and protruding and retracting vertically from the transport surface of the first transport rollers 2 14; A plurality of substrates, which are disposed above and opposite to the transport rollers 221 and have a central axis orthogonal to the central axis of the first transport rollers 214, and transport the substrate K to the transport rollers 211 side. And a second conveying roller pair 2 16. The second transport rollers 2 16 facing each other can move in directions approaching and moving away from each other. In the figure, reference numeral 217 denotes a stopper for stopping the movement of the substrate K.

According to the direction switching device 211, the substrate K discharged from the first processing section 206 is moved forward until the substrate K comes into contact with the stopper 211 by the first transport roller 214. Conveyed in the discharge direction. At this time, the lifter 2 15 is submerged downward from the transport surface of the first transport roller 2 14. Then, the lifter 2 15 projects upward from the transport surface of the first transport roller 2 14, whereby the substrate K is raised to the position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. At this time, the second transport rollers 2 16 are at positions separated from each other. Then, after the second transport rollers 2 16 move to a position where they approach each other, the lifters 2 15 descend. As a result, the substrate K is in a state of being supported by the second transport rollers 2 16, and thereafter, the direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the first transport rollers 2 14 by the second transport rollers 2 16, that is, The sheet is conveyed and discharged to the conveying roller 2 12 side. In this way, the transport direction of the substrate K is switched.

Although not specifically shown, the direction switching device 2 13 has substantially the same configuration as the above-described direction switching device 2 11, and cuts the substrate K transported by the transport rollers 2 12 in the transport direction. Instead, it is conveyed to the second processing section 207.

As shown in FIG. 10, in the substrate processing system 200, a first processing unit 206, a substrate transfer unit 210, and a second processing unit 207 are arranged in an inverted C shape in plan view. Then, the substrate K taken out of the cassette 203 by the transfer device 204 is first put into the first processing unit 206. Next, the substrate K is subjected to a predetermined process (etching process) while being transported in the first processing section 206 in the direction indicated by the arrow, and then the transport direction is switched in the substrate transport section 210 to be carried out. Input to 2 processing unit 2007. Then, the substrate K is subjected to predetermined processing (washing processing and drying processing) while being transported in the second processing section 2007 in the direction of the arrow, and then is transferred to the cassette 204 again by the transfer device 204. Stored in 3.

By the way, in the first processing unit 206 and the second processing unit 207, when the posture of the substrate K changes during the transfer, for example, when the substrate K is inclined obliquely in a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction, the accuracy is reduced. Cannot perform good processing. Therefore, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 11, a flange portion 208a is formed on rollers at both ends of the transport roller 208, and the substrate K being transported by the flange portion 208a is formed. The attitude of is controlled. This is the same for the first transport roller 214 and the second transport roller 216. However, like this If the flange portion 208a is provided, the flange portion 208a becomes an obstacle, and the transport direction of the substrate K cannot be switched within the transport surface of the transport roller 208. Therefore, in the above-described direction switching devices 211 and 213, the substrate K is lifted above the upper end of the flange portion 208a to switch its transport direction. In addition, in the substrate transport unit 210 configured to raise and lower the substrate K for the above reason, the substrate K cannot be processed in the same unit, and therefore, only the substrate is transported. That is, for example, when the substrate is cleaned in the same part, when the substrate K is moved up and down, the cleaning liquid ejected from the nozzle is strongly applied to the cleaning liquid, and the cleaning liquid is not applied to the cleaning liquid, and the cleaning effect becomes uneven. You.

For this reason, in the conventional substrate processing system 200, the processing on the substrate K is not performed in the substrate transfer unit 210 as described above. Had a problem that That is, for example, as shown in the example shown in FIG. 10, after the substrate K is subjected to the etching process in the first processing unit 206 and transported without being cleaned, the second processing unit 20 The degree of progress of the etching varies depending on the variation of the transfer time to 7, and the etching cannot be controlled with high precision. Since the substrate transport unit 210 has a complicated operation mechanism including a mechanism for moving the substrate K up and down and a mechanism for moving the second transport roller 2 16, it is extremely difficult to control the transport time with high precision. is there.

Further, for example, when the final step of the first processing unit 206 is a cleaning step, if the substrate K is transported without being dried, uneven drying or stains may occur on the surface, and the substrate K may become unclean. It will be a good product.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned conventional substrate processing system 200, the two processing lines of the first processing unit 206 and the second processing unit 207 are arranged in parallel, so that the installation efficiency of the apparatus is poor. There is also a problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has a function of transporting a substrate from one processing line to another processing line, and can perform processing on a substrate being transported. Substrate processing apparatus and the same It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing system provided with: Disclosure of the invention

The present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems, a housing-like cover integrated with a vertically arranged substrate input port and a substrate discharge port,

A processing mechanism housed inside the cover body, wherein the processing mechanism receives and supports the substrate loaded from the substrate input port, and discharges the substrate from the substrate discharge port. A processing mechanism comprising: a support base for supporting the support means; and a processing fluid output means disposed above the transfer and support means and discharging a processing fluid onto a substrate supported by the transfer and support means. An up-and-down type substrate processing apparatus characterized in that the processing mechanism is provided with an elevating mechanism for supporting the processing mechanism and moving the processing mechanism up and down and passing the processing mechanism through the substrate inlet and the substrate outlet.

According to this elevating type substrate processing apparatus, the processing mechanism is moved up and down by the elevating mechanism so as to pass through the substrate input port and the substrate discharge port. Then, the processing mechanism receives the substrate discharged from the processing unit in the preceding process from the substrate input port when passing through the substrate input port, supports the substrate, and moves the substrate to the substrate output port. During this time, the processing fluid is discharged from the processing fluid discharging means onto the substrate. As a result, the substrate is subjected to a predetermined process, and after the process, the substrate is discharged and transferred from the substrate discharge port to the processing unit in the next process.

As described above, according to the elevating type substrate processing apparatus, the entire processing mechanism including the transport-supporting means for supporting the substrate and the processing fluid discharging means for discharging the processing fluid onto the supported substrate is raised and lowered. Therefore, the positional relationship between the substrate and the processing fluid discharge means does not change when the substrate is transported, and thus, for example, when cleaning the substrate, the cleaning liquid discharged from the processing fluid discharge means is not changed. It can be supplied almost evenly to each part on the substrate, and uniform cleaning can be performed.

In addition, since the substrate can be transferred by a single operation of raising and lowering the processing mechanism by the lifting mechanism, the speed can be easily controlled. Therefore, even when performing processing such as etching, it is possible to control this with high precision.

In the present invention, the processing fluid includes a developing solution, an etching solution, a stripping solution for stripping a resist film, a cleaning water for cleaning, and a gas for drying. Various types of fluids are included, and it is possible to supply such various types of processing fluids to the substrate and process them.

Further, the transporting / supporting means may be configured to, after receiving the substrate, repeatedly move the received substrate back and forth in the direction of loading and discharging the substrate.

As described above, in the elevating type substrate processing apparatus, the processing fluid discharged from the processing fluid discharging means can be almost uniformly supplied to each part on the substrate. In some cases, for example, there may be irregularities such as a high pressure area and a low pressure area. In such a case, it is not possible to perform a strictly uniform treatment on the substrate. O

Therefore, as described above, if the substrate received and supported by the transporting / supporting means is configured to be repeatedly moved back and forth in the loading / unloading direction, the back-and-forth movement of the substrate causes the processing fluid to hit the substrate. Pressure unevenness is averaged, and a uniform treatment can be performed on the substrate.

Further, in the liftable substrate processing apparatus, the cover body is divided into two chambers, a driving chamber and a processing chamber, in a loading and discharging direction of the substrate by a partition member. The processing chamber having the substrate discharge port is provided with the processing mechanism, while the driving chamber is provided with the elevating mechanism,

An opening for communicating the processing chamber and the driving chamber is formed along the vertical direction of the partitioning member,

Both edges of the opening formed in the partition member along the up-down direction are respectively formed in a tubular shape, and the pair of tubular portions are provided with surfaces facing each other in an upward and downward direction. Notch grooves are formed along In the processing mechanism, the support base is connected to the lifting mechanism by a connecting tool provided in an opening of the partitioning member.

The connecting member is a band-shaped sheet member disposed between the pair of cylindrical portions and extending upward and downward from the connecting member. Are connected to the sheet bodies inserted into the cylindrical portion from the notch grooves, respectively.

The drive chamber and the processing chamber may be configured to be partitioned by the partition member, the connecting member, and the sheet member.

The developing solution, etching solution, stripping solution and the like contained in the processing fluid are highly corrosive, and if they adhere to the elevating mechanism, the elevating mechanism may be damaged and its function may be impaired. Therefore, as described above, if the driving chamber in which the lifting mechanism is disposed and the processing chamber in which the processing mechanism is disposed are partitioned by the partition member, the connecting member, and the sheet, the processing chamber is used. The processing fluid can be prevented from entering the driving chamber, and the processing fluid can be prevented from damaging the elevating mechanism. In particular, the upper and lower edges of the opening provided in the partitioning member are formed in a cylindrical shape, and both side edges of the sheet body arranged to extend above and below the connecting tool are formed by: By forming a so-called labyrinth structure, which is inserted into the cylindrical portion from a notch groove formed in the cylindrical portion, it is possible to make both the drive chamber and the processing chamber highly airtight. .

Further, the opening, the connecting member, and the sheet body may have a configuration in which a plurality of these are provided. In addition, when an exhaust unit that exhausts the gas in the cylindrical portion is provided, the processing fluid that has entered the cylindrical portion from the gap between the sheet body and the cutout groove can be exhausted by the exhaust unit. Intrusion of the processing fluid into the chamber can be more reliably prevented.

Further, the sheet body can be formed in an endless annular shape. Further, winding Z unwinding mechanisms for winding up and unwinding the sheet body are provided on the upper side and the lower side of the sheet body, respectively, according to the movement of the sheet body raised and lowered by the lifting mechanism. The above-described sheet body may be configured to be wound and fed by the winding / unwinding mechanism. The unwinding mechanism includes a winding shaft for winding the sheet body, and a driving unit for rotating the winding shaft, and further includes: a driving unit that rotates the winding shaft in the feeding direction. May be configured such that only braking force is applied to the winding shaft, while power is transmitted to the winding shaft via a friction clutch when the winding shaft is rotated in the winding direction. . According to the winding / unwinding mechanism, the sheet can be wound and unwound without causing slack in the sheet body.

Further, the driving means comprises: a passive gear connected to the winding shaft; a driving gear coupled to the passive gear; a friction clutch connected to the driving gear; and a rotating shaft connected to the friction clutch. Two one-way clutches respectively connected to both ends of the rotating shaft and allowing rotation of the rotating shaft in only one direction; and a pulley connected to the rotating shaft via one of the one-way clutches. A transmission belt wound around a pulley and a supporting member for supporting the other one-way clutch, wherein the two one-way clutches rotate in a direction for rotating the winding shaft in a winding direction. While allowing rotation of the shaft, the rotation of the rotation shaft in the direction in which the winding shaft is rotated in the feeding direction is regulated, and the transmission belt is rotated by the lifting mechanism. Can be configured.

According to the liftable substrate processing apparatus having the above-described configuration, the first substrate processing apparatus and the second substrate processing apparatus that perform processing while moving the substrate substantially horizontally are arranged vertically above and below the first substrate processing apparatus. The substrate discharge unit of the vertical substrate processing apparatus is connected to the substrate input port of the vertical substrate processing apparatus, and the substrate input section of the second substrate processing apparatus is connected to the substrate discharge port of the vertical substrate processing apparatus. A first substrate processing apparatus, an elevating type substrate processing apparatus, and a second substrate processing apparatus. The first substrate processing apparatus and the second substrate processing apparatus can be sequentially constructed. Substrate processing system that requires less installation space compared to the conventional processing systems described above, which are arranged side by side in the same horizontal plane BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a front sectional view thereof. FIG. 4 is a front sectional view showing the cleaning apparatus according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a plan sectional view of the elevation type substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional plan view of the elevating type substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan sectional view showing the winding Z feeding structure according to the present embodiment. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a side view in the direction of arrow IV in FIG. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system according to a conventional example. FIG. 11 is a front view showing a transport roller according to a conventional example. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a direction switching device according to a conventional example. FIG. 3 is also a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I in FIG. In FIGS. 3 to 7, hatching to the cross-sectional portions is omitted. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, the configuration of the substrate processing system 1 of the present example will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the substrate processing system 1 of the present example includes a substrate input Z discharge section 2, a first substrate processing apparatus 6 and a second substrate processing apparatus 7, which are arranged vertically. And an elevating type substrate processing apparatus 10. The substrate loading / unloading section 2 includes a mounting table 4 on which a cassette 5 containing a plurality of substrates is mounted, and a substrate 5 which is removed from the cassette 5 mounted on the mounting table 4 one by one. (1) A transfer device (3) that puts the substrate into the substrate processing device (6), removes the processed substrate from the second substrate processing device (7), and stores it in the cassette (5). The transfer device 3 is composed of a robot that can move in the longitudinal direction (the direction of the arrow) of the mounting table 4. The cassette 5 is transferred by a transfer device such as an AGV (not shown). The first substrate processing apparatus 6 and the second substrate processing apparatus 7 each include a plurality of transport rollers 208 as illustrated in FIG. 11 for transporting a substrate in the direction indicated by an arrow. A predetermined process is performed while the substrate is being transported. In this example, the first substrate processing apparatus 6 is configured to perform an etching process on a substrate, and the second substrate processing apparatus 7 is configured to perform a cleaning process and a drying process on a substrate.

As shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6, the elevating type substrate processing apparatus 10 includes a casing-shaped cover body 11 and a processing mechanism disposed in the cover integrated body 11. 20 and an elevating mechanism 40. The cover 11 has an opening 11 a communicating with the first substrate processing apparatus 6 and an opening 11 b communicating with the second substrate processing apparatus 7. Further, the cover body 11 is supported by columns 12, and the interior thereof is partitioned into a processing chamber A in which the processing mechanism 20 is disposed and a drive chamber B in which the elevating mechanism 40 is disposed. I have.

The processing mechanism 20 includes a cleaning device 22 and a support base 21 that supports the cleaning device 22. As shown in FIG. 4, the cleaning device 22 includes a housing-like cover 23 provided with an opening 23 a on one side for carrying in and discharging the substrate K, and a cover 23 inside the cover 23. , A plurality of nozzles 29 arranged above the conveying roller 26, and a plurality of nozzles 30 arranged below the conveying roller 26 Etc. The transport roller 26 has the same configuration as the transport roller 208 shown in FIG. The transport roller 26 closest to the opening 23 a is provided with a nip roller 27 that abuts on the upper portion and nips the substrate K. Thus, the substrate is carried in from the opening 23a and discharged from the opening 23a by the forward and reverse rotation of the transport roller 26 and the nipple roller 27.

Each of the nozzles 29 is fixed to a supply pipe 28 connected to a cleaning liquid supply source (not shown), and discharges the cleaning liquid supplied through the supply pipe 28 toward the upper surface of the substrate K. . Similarly, the nozzles 30 are fixed to a supply pipe 31 connected to the cleaning liquid supply source, and discharge the cleaning liquid supplied through the supply pipe 28 toward the lower surface of the substrate K. I do. In the figure, 32 is the substrate K It is a sensor that detects the presence or absence.

A liquid collecting tank 24 is provided at the lower end of the cover 23 and communicates with each other through an opening 23 b. The cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzles 29 and 30 is used for collecting the cleaning liquid. It is collected in the tank 24 and discharged as appropriate through the discharge pipe 25.

In the drive room B, a frame 17 formed of a square pipe and formed in a vertical lattice is provided upright, and the frame 17 is provided with the elevating mechanism 40. The frame 17 is attached to the column 12 via a bracket 18.

The elevating mechanism 40 includes: an elevating platform 44 connected to the support base 13 via connecting tools 55, 56 and 57, 58; A pair of guide rails 45 arranged side by side on the processing chamber A side are movably engaged with the respective guide rails 45 along the guide rails 45, and are fixed to the lift table 44. The slide member 46, the pole screw 41 supported on the frame 17 so as to be rotatable and parallel to the guide rail 45, and a state where the pole screw 41 is screwed to the pole screw 41. It comprises a nut 42 fixed to the lift table 44 and a servomotor 43 fixed to the frame 17 for rotating and driving the ball screw 41.

When the ball screw 41 is rotated by the servo motor 43, the nut 42 screwed thereto moves (elevates) along the ball screw 41, and the elevator 44 connected to the nut 42, The support stand 13 connected to the lift base 44 via the connectors 55, 56 and 57, 58, and the cleaning device 22 supported by the support stand 13 are moved up and down together with the nut 42. I do.

The driving chamber B and the processing chamber A are partitioned by partitioning members 11a, 14 and 16. Openings are formed between the partitioning members 11a and 14 and between the partitioning members 14 and 16 respectively, and the connecting members 55 and so as to be located in the respective openings. 56 and 57, 58 are provided. Further, both side edges 15 of the partitioning member 14 forming each opening are formed in a cylindrical shape along the same, and are formed at the respective edges of the partitioning members 11a and 16 opposed thereto. Is The cylindrical members 13 are fixed along these. Further, notched grooves are formed on the opposed surfaces of the tubular portion 15 on both side edges of the partition member 14 and the tubular member 13 along the vertical direction.

Further, between the tubular portions 15 on both side edges of the partition member 14 and the tubular members 13, strip-shaped sheet bodies 65, 66 are respectively provided along the tubular members 13. The sheet members 65, 66 are inserted into the cylindrical portion 15, the cylindrical member 13, respectively, from the notch grooves at both side edges thereof, and are connected by connecting members 55, 56 and 57, 58. They are fixed to these while being sandwiched from the front and back. The upper ends and lower ends of the sheets 65, 66 are wound by a winding mechanism 70, which will be described later. The gas inside the cylindrical portion 15 and the cylindrical member 13 is exhausted by an appropriate exhaust means (not shown). In this example, a Teflon sheet having excellent friction resistance and corrosion resistance was used for the sheet bodies 65 and 66. However, the material is not limited to this, and other materials such as stainless steel can be used. Thus, the driving chamber B and the processing chamber A are substantially composed of the partition members 11 a, 14, 16, the cylindrical members 13, 13, and the connecting members 55, 56, 57. , 58, and sheet bodies 65, 66.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a drive motor 60 is attached to the lift 44, and a balancer 50 is connected to the drive motor 60. The drive motor 60 is fixed to the elevator 44 via a bracket 62, and drives the transport roller 26 of the cleaning device 22 via a transmission belt 61. On the other hand, the balancer 50 has a guide rod 51 fixed to the frame 17 so as to be parallel to the guide rail 45, and a guide rod movably along the guide rod 51. The main body 52 is engaged with the drop 51 and is also engaged with the lift table 44.

As shown in FIG. 3, the winding Z feeding mechanism 70 is provided on both the upper and lower portions of the frame 17. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 72, 76, a drive shaft 71 connected to both of the winding shafts 72, 76, a gear 85 for driving the drive shaft 71, and the like. The winding shafts 72 and 76 are rotatably supported by brackets 75 and 79, respectively. Then, the end of the sheet body 66 is sequentially wound on the winding shaft 72 via guide rollers 73 and 74 which are supported by the bracket 75 in a rotating manner, and the sheet is taken up. The end of the body 65 is wound around the winding shaft 76 via guide rollers 77 and 78 rotatably supported by the bracket 9 in order.

The gear 85 is fixed to a torque keeper 86 as shown in FIG. The torque cap 86 is passed through a rotating shaft 81, and the rotating shaft 81 is supported by a bearing 90 fixed to a bracket 84 and a one-way clutch 87. A pulley 80 is fixed to an end of the rotating shaft 81 via a one-way clutch 88. The gear 85 is combined with a gear 89 fixed to the drive shaft 71. The one-way clutches 87 and 88 have a function of regulating the rotation direction of the rotating shaft 81. In this example, in the case of the winding / unwinding mechanism 70 provided at the upper part, the rotation of the rotating shaft 81 in the direction of arrow E is restricted, while the rotation in the direction of arrow F is permitted. In the case of the winding / unwinding mechanism 70 provided at the lower part, the rotation of the rotating shaft 81 in the direction of arrow F is restricted, while the rotation in the direction of arrow E is permitted. ing. The torque keeper 86 is a so-called friction clutch, and applies a predetermined braking force (braking force) to the rotating shaft 81.

As shown in FIG. 3, an endless transmission belt 82 is wound around the pulleys 80 provided on the upper and lower sides, and the transmission belt 82 is It is held by a holder 83 fixed to 42.

Next, the operation of the substrate processing system 1 having the above configuration will be described. It is assumed that the liftable substrate processing apparatus 10 is in a state shown by a solid line in FIG.

First, the substrates K are sequentially taken out of the cassette 5 by the transfer device 3 and put into the first substrate processing device 6. The loaded substrate K is subjected to a predetermined process (etching process) while being conveyed in the direction indicated by an arrow in the first substrate processing apparatus 6, and is sequentially discharged from the first substrate processing apparatus 6. The ejected substrate K then passes through the opening 11 a and the opening 23 a of the elevating type substrate processing apparatus 10, enters the cleaning apparatus 22 sequentially, and is internally moved by the action of the transport rollers 26. During or after the transfer of the substrate K, the cleaning liquid is discharged from the nozzles 29 and 30 to start the cleaning of the substrate K. Until the washing is completed, the rotation of the transport roller 26 is continuously switched forward and reverse so that the substrate K moves back and forth by a predetermined distance in the loading / unloading direction. Thus, even if the discharge amount and the discharge pressure of the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzles 29 and 30 are uneven, the unevenness on the upper surface of the substrate K is averaged by moving the substrate K back and forth. Thus, the substrate K can be washed evenly.

When the transfer of the substrate K into the cleaning device 22 is completed, the servomotor 43 of the elevating mechanism 40 is driven, and the cleaning device 22 is lowered. That is, when the ball screw 41 is rotated in the descending direction by the servo motor 43, the nut 42 screwed thereto descends along the ball screw 41, and the lift connected to the nut 42 moves up and down. Table 44, a support base 13 connected to the elevating base 44 via connectors 55, 56 and 57, 58, and a cleaning device 22 supported by the support base 13 is a nut. 4 Descent with 2

When the nut 42 is lowered, the transmission belt 82 connected to the nut 42 via the holder 83 rotates in the direction of arrow C. When the connecting members 55, 56 and 57, 58 are lowered, the sheet members 65, 66 fixed to the connecting members 55, 66 move downward together with the winding member provided at the upper part. The sheet bodies 65, 66 are unwound from the Z unwinding mechanism 70, and the sheet bodies 65, 66 are wound by a winding unwinding mechanism 70 provided at a lower portion.

The winding / unwinding operation of the winding / unwinding mechanism 70 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional plan view of the winding / unwinding mechanism 70 provided at the upper part and the lower part. The connecting members 57 and 58 and the sheet body 66 will be described with reference to the drawings, but the same applies to the connecting members 55 and 56 and the sheet body 65.

First, the winding / unwinding mechanism 70 provided on the upper part will be described. At the top In the provided winding Z feeding mechanism 70, when the connecting members 57, 58 are lowered, tension is generated in the sheet body 66, and rotational power is applied to the winding shaft 72 in the direction indicated by the arrow H. You. This rotating power is transmitted to a drive shaft 71 connected to a winding shaft 72, a gear 88 fixed thereto, a gear 85 combined with the gear 88, and a torque keeper 86 fitted with the gear 85 in order. Is transmitted to the rotating shaft 81 via However, since the rotation of the rotating shaft 81 in the direction indicated by the arrow E is restricted by the one-way clutch 87, the rotation in the same direction is prevented. Therefore, the tension generated in the sheet body 66 gradually increases, and the torque transmitted to the torque keeper 86 increases.

The torque keeper 86 allows the gear 85 to rotate in the torque acting direction when the torque acting on the gear 85 becomes larger than a predetermined magnitude. As a result, the gear 85 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow E, and the gear 88, the drive shaft 71 and the winding shaft 72 rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow H, so that the sheet body 66 unwinds from the winding shaft 72. Will be issued. As described above, since the sheet body 66 is fed out with a predetermined tension, there is no slack when the sheet body 66 is fed out.

On the other hand, when the transmission belt 82 rotates in the direction of arrow C shown in FIG. 3 due to the descent of the nut 42, the pulley 80 receives rotational power in the direction of arrow E, but the pulley 80 The pulley 80 is rotatable in the direction of arrow E with respect to the rotating shaft 81 by a one-way clutch 88 interposed between the rotating shaft 81 and the pulley 80. It rotates in the direction of arrow E following the belt 82. The one-way clutch 88 regulates the rotation of the rotating shaft 81 in the direction of arrow E, but the rotation in the direction of arrow F allows this. Therefore, the one-way clutch 88 is rotatable in the direction indicated by the arrow E with respect to the rotating shaft 81. Next, the winding Z feeding mechanism 70 provided at the lower portion will be described. In the winding / unwinding mechanism 70 provided at the lower portion, when the nut 42 descends and the transmission belt 82 rotates in the direction of the arrow C, the pulley 82 receives rotational power in the direction of the arrow E. As described above, in the case of the winding / unwinding mechanism 70 provided at the lower portion, the one-way clutches 87 and 88 restrict the rotation of the rotating shaft 81 in the direction of arrow F, while the arrow E Rotation in the direction allows this. Therefore, when the pulley 82 receives rotational power in the direction indicated by the arrow E, the rotating shaft 81 is in the same direction. Rotate in the direction. When the rotating shaft 81 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow E, its rotational power is transmitted to the drive shaft 71 and the winding shaft 72 via the torque keeper 86, gear 85 and gear 88, and these are transmitted by the arrow. The sheet body 6 6 is rotated in the direction H shown in FIG.

In this example, the diameter of the winding shaft 72 and the diameter of the pulley 80 are set such that the winding speed of the winding shaft 72 is faster than the moving speed of the sheet body 66 and the transmission belt 82. , And the gear ratio between gear 85 and gear 88 is set. When the winding speed of the winding shaft 72 is higher than the moving speed of the sheet body 66, the tension generated in the sheet body 66 gradually increases, and the torque transmitted to the torque keeper 86 increases. As described above, the torque keeper 86 allows the gear 85 to rotate in the torque acting direction when the torque acting on the gear 85 becomes larger than a predetermined magnitude. As a result, the gear 85 and the rotary shaft 81 slip, and the rotary shaft 81 follows the pulley 80 and rotates in the direction of arrow E without any trouble. As described above, since the sheet body 66 is wound in a state where a predetermined tension is generated, the sheet body 66 does not loosen during winding.

As described in detail above, according to the winding / unwinding mechanism 70 of the present example, the sheets 65, 66 can be wound and unwound without any slack when the cleaning device 22 is lowered. Can be.

When the cleaning device 22 is lowered to the lower end as described above, next, the transport roller 26 is rotated in the discharge direction, the substrate K is discharged from the opening 23 a, and the opening of the cover body 11 is opened. It is transferred from the unit 11 b to the second substrate processing apparatus 7. The state in which the cleaning device 22 has reached the lower end is shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG.

When the discharge of the substrate K is completed, the discharge of the cleaning liquid from the nozzles 29 and 30 in the cleaning device 22 is stopped. Then, the servo motor 43 of the lifting mechanism 40 is driven, and the cleaning device 22 is raised. At this time, the sheet bodies 65, 66 are wound around the winding / unwinding mechanism 70 provided at the upper part by the operation opposite to the above, and the winding / unwinding mechanism 7 provided at the lower part. Sheet bodies 65 and 66 are fed from 0. Then, when the cleaning device 22 reaches the rising end, the above-described operation after the transfer of the substrate K is repeated. The load acting on the servomotor 43 when the cleaning device 22 is moved up and down is reduced by the balancer 50. On the other hand, in the second substrate processing apparatus 7, the loaded substrate K is subjected to predetermined processing (water washing processing and drying processing) while being transported in the direction of the arrow, and the discharged substrate K after the processing is transferred. It is stored in the cassette 5 again by the device 3. As described above, in the substrate processing system 1 of the present example, the substrates K stored in the cassette 5 are sequentially converted into the first substrate processing device 6, the elevating substrate processing device 10 and the second substrate processing device. By passing through 7, predetermined processing is performed and stored in the cassette 5 again.

As described in detail above, according to the substrate processing system 1 of the present example, the first substrate processing apparatus 6 and the second substrate processing apparatus 7 are vertically arranged side by side, and these are vertically movable substrate processing apparatuses 10. The first substrate processing apparatus 6 and the second substrate processing apparatus 7 have a smaller installation space compared to the conventional processing system 200 in which the first substrate processing apparatus 6 and the second substrate processing apparatus 7 are juxtaposed in the same horizontal plane. It is possible to install this efficiently.

In addition, in the elevating type substrate processing apparatus 10 of this example, the entire cleaning apparatus 22 including the transport rollers 26 for transporting and supporting the substrate K and the nozzles 29 and 30 for discharging the cleaning liquid onto the substrate K is raised and lowered. When the substrate K is transported, the positional relationship between the substrate K and the nozzles 29 and 30 does not change, and therefore, the cleaning liquid discharged from the nozzles 29 and 30 is not changed. Can be almost uniformly supplied to each part of the substrate K, whereby uniform cleaning can be performed.

In addition, the substrate K is transported by a single operation of raising and lowering the cleaning device 22 by the elevating mechanism 40, and a high accuracy comprising the servo motor 43, the ball screw 41, and the nut 42. Since it is raised and lowered by a controllable mechanism, its speed can be controlled with high accuracy.

The etchant used in the first substrate processing apparatus 6 is extremely corrosive, and the cleaning water containing the etchant flows out of the cleaning apparatus 22 and moves up and down. If it adheres to the structure 40, it may be damaged and its function may be impaired. According to the elevating type substrate processing apparatus 10 of this example, the driving chamber B in which the elevating mechanism 40 is disposed and the processing chamber A in which the cleaning device 22 is disposed are divided into partitioning members 1 1 a, 1 4, 16, cylindrical members 13, 13, couplers 55, 56, 57, 58, and sheets 65, 66, so they flow out of the cleaning device 22 It is possible to prevent the etched etching liquid from entering the driving chamber B, and prevent the lifting mechanism 40 from being damaged by the etching liquid.

In particular, a tubular portion 15 and a tubular member 13 are provided at the vertical edges of the opening formed between the partition members 1 la, 14, 16, respectively, and the connecting members 55, 56, and 5 are provided. A so-called labyrinth in which both side edges of the sheet bodies 65, 66 fixed to 7, 58 are inserted into cutout grooves formed in the cylindrical portion 15 and the cylindrical member 13, respectively. Since the structure is employed, and the inside of the cylindrical portion 15 and the cylindrical member 13 is exhausted by the exhaust means, the intrusion of the etching solution into the drive chamber B can be reliably prevented.

As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, the specific aspect which this invention can take is not limited to this at all. For example, in the above-described example, the sheet bodies 65 and 66 are wound up and fed out by the winding / unwinding mechanism 70 in accordance with the elevation of the cleaning device 22. However, the sheet bodies 65 and 66 Can be formed endlessly and annularly, and they can be configured to rotate as the cleaning device 22 moves up and down.

Further, in the above example, the cleaning is performed in the liftable substrate processing apparatus 10, but the present invention is not limited to this, and etching or other processing may be performed. This is the same for the first substrate processing apparatus 6 and the second substrate processing apparatus 7.

Further, as another embodiment of the substrate processing system using the lifting type substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, the one shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 can be mentioned. As shown in FIG. 8, the substrate processing system 100 is composed of a substrate input / output unit 101, a dry processing unit 110, and a cleaning device 120.

Substrate loading Z discharge section 101 mounts a cassette 1 3 1 containing multiple substrates And a transfer device 103 for transferring the substrate. The transfer device 103 is provided so as to be movable along a track 104 along the longitudinal direction thereof. It consists of on-board robot 105. The transfer robot 105 has a hand that can be moved to an arbitrary position in the three-dimensional space, and the substrate is placed on the hand. Substrates are taken out one by one and put into the dry processing unit 110, or the substrate discharged from the dry processing unit 110 is put into the cleaning device 120 and discharged from the cleaning device 120. A process is performed to store the loaded board in cassette 13 1 again. Note that the cassette 1311 is carried into the mounting table 102 by the automatic transport vehicle 130 and is carried out from the mounting table 102.

The dry processing section 110 includes a mounting table 113 for transferring the substrate, and two dry processing apparatuses 111 for performing a dry process such as dry etching and film formation on the substrate. It is composed of a transfer robot 1 1 2 arranged between the table 1 1 3 and the dry processing apparatus 1 1 1. The transfer robot 112 has a hand that can be moved to an arbitrary position in a three-dimensional space in the same manner as the transfer robot 105, and the transfer robot 112 has a substrate mounted on the hand. The substrate on the mounting table 1 1 3 is put into the dry processing apparatus 1 1 1, and then the substrate is taken out from the dry processing apparatus 1 1 1 and placed on the mounting table 1 1 3.

As shown in FIG. 9, the cleaning device 120 has a housing-like cover body, and the inside thereof is provided with a substrate receiving part 121, a substrate lowering and conveying part 122, and a brush cleaning part 123. The transfer robot has a configuration in which the transfer robot is divided into a plurality of regions including a tilt rinsing unit 124, a substrate raising / conveying unit 125, a substrate drying unit 126, and a substrate discharging unit 127. The substrate is carried into the substrate receiving portion 121 by 105, and the substrate is discharged from the substrate discharging portion 127.

Substrate receiving section 1 2 1, Substrate lowering transport section 1 2 2, Brush cleaning section 1 2 3, Inclined rinsing section 1 2 4, Substrate ascending transport section 1 2 5, Substrate drying section 1 2 6, and Substrate unloading section 1 Each of the substrates 27 has a plurality of transport rollers 208 as shown in FIG. 11, and the substrate carried into the substrate receiving portion 121 is transported in the direction of the arrow by the transport rollers 208. 1 2 2, brush cleaning section 1 23, Inclined rinsing unit 124, Substrate lifting / conveying unit 125, Substrate drying unit 126 The substrate is conveyed to the substrate unloading unit 127 in order.

In addition, the brush cleaning section 123, the inclined rinsing section 124, the substrate ascending transport section 125, and the substrate drying section 126 perform predetermined processing while transporting the substrate by the transport roller 208. Do.

The substrate ascending and transporting section 125 has substantially the same configuration as the above-described elevating type substrate processing apparatus 10. In the brush cleaning section 123, the substrate is cleaned by a rotating brush that supplies cleaning water, and in the inclined rinsing section 124, cleaning water is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate that is inclined. This is cleaned, and in the substrate ascending and transporting section 125, the same cleaning as in the above-described elevating type substrate processing apparatus 10 is performed, and in the substrate drying section 126, the substrate is blown with a gas for drying. The substrate is dried.

The substrate tilted by the inclined rinsing unit 124 may be returned to the horizontal position by the substrate rising / conveying unit 125, even if the substrate is returned to the horizontal position by the inclined rinsing unit 124. Either way may be used.

Thus, according to the substrate processing system 100, the substrates in the cassette 13 1 mounted on the mounting table 102 are removed one by one by the transfer robot 105. Then, after being put into the dry processing unit 110, it is put into the cleaning device 120, or is put into the cleaning device 120, and then put into the dry processing unit 110.

As a typical example, a case where the substrate is put into the cleaning device 120 after being put into the dry processing unit 110 will be described. The substrate put into the dry processing unit 110 is transferred to the dry processing unit. The robot is put into the dry processing device 111 by the robot 112, and a predetermined dry process is performed. The substrate processed by the dry processing apparatus 111 is taken out by the transfer robot 112 and transferred to the transfer robot 105 via the mounting table 113.

Next, the wafer is put into the cleaning device 120 through the transfer port 105, and the substrate receiving portion 121, the substrate lowering / transporting portion 122, the brush cleaning portion 122, and the inclined rinsing portion 1 are provided. 2 4, board ascending transport section 1 2 5, board drying section 1 2 6 and board unloading Predetermined cleaning is performed while the paper is sequentially passed through and transported to the part 127. The substrate is taken out of the substrate unloading part 127 by the transfer robot 105, and is stored again in the cassette 131. .

In this way, the substrates in the cassette 13 1 are sequentially removed, subjected to a predetermined process, and returned to the cassette 13 1 again. Industrial applicability

The lifting type substrate processing apparatus and the substrate processing system including the same according to the present invention can reduce the installation space as compared with the related art, and are suitable as an apparatus for processing a large-sized substrate.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. A housing-like cover body provided with a substrate input port and a substrate discharge port arranged vertically above and below,

A processing mechanism housed inside the cover body, the transfer mechanism supporting and receiving the substrate loaded from the substrate input port, and discharging the substrate from the substrate discharge port. A processing mechanism comprising: a support gantry for supporting the support means; and a processing fluid discharge means disposed above the transfer and support means for discharging a processing fluid onto the substrate supported by the transfer and support means. An elevating type substrate processing apparatus, comprising: an elevating mechanism for supporting the processing mechanism and elevating the processing mechanism in a vertical direction, and allowing the processing mechanism to pass through the substrate inlet and the substrate outlet.

2. The elevating device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer member supporting means is configured to, after receiving the substrate, repeatedly move the received substrate back and forth in the substrate loading / unloading direction. Type substrate processing equipment.

3. The cover body is divided into two chambers, a driving chamber and a processing chamber, by a partition member in the direction of loading and discharging of the substrate in the Z discharge direction. While a processing mechanism is provided, the drive chamber is not provided with the elevating mechanism.

An opening is formed in the partition member along the vertical direction to communicate the processing chamber and the driving chamber.

Both edges of the opening formed in the partition member along the up-down direction are respectively formed in a tubular shape, and the pair of tubular portions are provided with surfaces facing each other in an upward and downward direction. Notch grooves are formed along

In the processing mechanism, the support base is connected to the lifting mechanism by a connecting tool provided in an opening of the partition member.

The connecting member is a band-shaped sheet member disposed between the pair of cylindrical portions and extending upward and downward of the connecting member, and is provided on both sides thereof. Edges are respectively inserted into the cylindrical portion from the notched grooves. One body is not connected,

3. The lifting substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive chamber and the processing chamber are partitioned by the partition member, the connecting member, and the sheet member.

4. The lifting substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of sets of the opening, the connecting member, and the sheet member are provided.

5. The elevating substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising an exhaust unit that exhausts gas in the cylindrical portion.

6. The liftable substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the sheet body is formed in an endless and annular shape.

7. Winding and unwinding mechanism for winding the sheet body is provided on each of the upper side and the lower side of the sheet body, and according to the movement of the sheet body moved up and down by the elevating mechanism, The lifting substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the take-up / roll-out mechanism is configured to take up the sheet body in a take-up reno.

8. The winding and unwinding mechanism includes a winding shaft for winding the sheet body, and driving means for rotating the winding shaft.

The driving means applies only a braking force to the winding shaft when the winding shaft rotates in the unwinding direction, and applies a friction clutch when rotating the winding shaft in the winding direction. 8. The lifting / lowering substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the lifting / lowering type substrate processing apparatus is configured to transmit power to the winding shaft.

9-the driving means comprises: a passive gear connected to the winding shaft; a driving gear coupled to the passive gear; a friction clutch connected to the driving gear; a rotating shaft connected to a friction clutch; Two one-way clutches respectively connected to both ends of the shaft to allow rotation of the rotating shaft in only one direction; a pulley connected to the rotating shaft via one of the one-way clutches; And a supporting member for supporting the other one-way clutch.

The two one-way clutches allow the rotation of the rotating shaft in a direction for rotating the winding shaft in the winding direction, while rotating the winding shaft in the feeding direction. 9. The lifting substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the lifting belt is configured to restrict rotation of the rotating shaft in a direction, and the transmission belt is configured to be rotated by the lifting mechanism. .

10. A lifting and lowering substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising:

A first substrate processing apparatus and a second substrate processing apparatus that perform processing while moving a substrate substantially horizontally are arranged side by side,

While connecting the substrate discharge unit of the first substrate processing apparatus and the substrate input port of the liftable substrate processing apparatus,

Connecting a substrate loading section of the second substrate processing apparatus and a substrate discharge port of the liftable substrate processing apparatus,

A substrate processing system, wherein a substrate is sequentially passed through a first substrate processing apparatus, an elevating type substrate processing apparatus, and a second substrate processing apparatus.