WO2019198537A1

WO2019198537A1 - Substrate holding device, substrate holding method, and film forming device

Info

Publication number: WO2019198537A1
Application number: PCT/JP2019/013780
Authority: WO
Inventors: 雄亮佐藤
Original assignee: 株式会社アルバック
Priority date: 2018-04-11
Filing date: 2019-03-28
Publication date: 2019-10-17
Also published as: CN111373523A; TWI778250B; JP6808839B2; JPWO2019198537A1; CN111373523B; TW201944526A

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a substrate holding device, a substrate holding method, and a film forming device, with which a plurality of substrates can be stably held in a vertical posture. [Solution] A substrate holding device according to one embodiment comprises a substrate support base and a clamp mechanism. The substrate support base includes a support surface and a rotation mechanism unit. The support surface has a plurality of support regions in which a plurality of substrates are individually disposed. The rotation mechanism unit is configured to be capable of erecting the support surface from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture around an axis parallel to the support surface. The clamp mechanism has a plurality of clamp parts. The plurality of clamp parts are disposed along the periphery of the plurality of support regions, and are configured to be capable of holding the peripheral edges of the plurality of substrates. The plurality of clamp parts include a plurality of first clamp parts that are disposed in gap regions between the plurality of support regions, and that are capable of individually holding the peripheral edges of the plurality of substrates.

Description

Substrate holding apparatus, substrate holding method, and film forming apparatus

The present invention relates to a substrate holding apparatus, a substrate holding method, and a film forming apparatus capable of raising a substrate from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture.

As a film forming apparatus, a vertical sputtering apparatus that forms a predetermined film on the surface of a glass substrate standing in a vertical direction is known. This type of sputtering apparatus generally includes a film formation chamber having a target arranged in a vertical direction, and a substrate holding mechanism capable of raising the substrate from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture in the film formation chamber. is there.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate holding plate for placing a substrate horizontally loaded in a film forming chamber, a substrate clamping mechanism for clamping the substrate placed on the substrate holding plate, and a rotating mechanism for raising the substrate holding plate. Is disclosed.

JP 2004-332117 A

Recently, from the viewpoint of improving productivity, development of a sputtering apparatus capable of simultaneously performing film formation on a plurality of substrates at a time has been underway. Therefore, there is a demand for a technique that can stably stand a plurality of substrates from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture while appropriately holding the plurality of substrates.

In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate holding apparatus, a substrate holding method, and a film forming apparatus that can stably hold a plurality of substrates in a vertical posture.

In order to achieve the above object, a substrate holding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate support base and a clamp mechanism.
The substrate support has a support surface and a rotation mechanism. The support surface has a plurality of support regions in which a plurality of substrates are individually arranged. The rotation mechanism unit is configured to be able to erect the support surface from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture around an axis parallel to the support surface.
The clamp mechanism has a plurality of clamp portions. The plurality of clamp portions are arranged along the periphery of the plurality of support regions, and are configured to be able to hold peripheral portions of the plurality of substrates. The plurality of clamp portions include a plurality of first clamp portions that are disposed in gap regions between the plurality of support regions and that can individually hold the peripheral portions of the plurality of substrates.

In the substrate holding mechanism, since the plurality of clamp portions include the plurality of first clamp portions arranged in the gap regions between the plurality of support regions, the plurality of substrates are maintained while appropriately maintaining the apparatus position between the substrates. Can be stably held in a vertical posture.

The plurality of support regions may include at least two support regions adjacent in the vertical direction when the substrate support is in a vertical posture.

The plurality of clamp portions may further include a plurality of second clamp portions and a plurality of third clamp portions disposed in a peripheral region around the plurality of support regions excluding the gap region.
The plurality of first and second clamp portions have hook portions that face the peripheral portions of the plurality of substrates with a movement substantially parallel to the support surface.
The plurality of third clamp portions include a hook portion that opposes the peripheral portions of the plurality of substrates with a movement approaching the support surface from above the support surface.
According to the said structure, a board | substrate can be hold | maintained with a predetermined alignment precision with respect to a support surface by the 1st and 2nd clamp part, and the flatness of a board | substrate can be ensured by a 3rd clamp part.

The plurality of first and second clamp portions may further include a rotation support portion that rotatably supports the hook portion along a curved track having a certain curvature toward the clamp position.
On the other hand, the plurality of third clamp portions move along a curved track having a maximum height from the support surface that is larger than the plurality of first and second clamp portions, with the hook portions facing the clamp position. You may further have a link mechanism part supported so that it is possible.

The plurality of first to third clamp portions may each further include a biasing member that biases the hook portion to the clamp position.

The clamp mechanism holds the peripheral portions of the plurality of substrates by the plurality of first clamp portions and the plurality of second clamp portions, and then holds the peripheral portions of the plurality of substrates by the plurality of third clamp portions. It may be configured to.
Thereby, even when the substrate is warped, the substrate can be appropriately held on the support surface.

Typically, a glass substrate having a rectangular planar shape is used for the plurality of substrates. In this case, the plurality of third clamp portions may be arranged at positions closer to the corners of the plurality of substrates than the plurality of first clamp portions and the plurality of second clamp portions.
By disposing the third clamp portion at the corner portion of the substrate where warpage or the like is relatively likely to occur, the substrate can be appropriately held.

The clamp mechanism may further include a drive unit capable of moving the plurality of clamp units from the clamp position to the non-clamp position when the substrate support is in a horizontal posture.
The drive unit includes a first base member and a first lifting unit.
The first base member has a plurality of operation shafts arranged corresponding to the plurality of clamp portions.
The first elevating unit includes a raised position for setting the plurality of clamp portions to the non-clamping position by pushing up the plurality of clamp portions by the plurality of operation shafts, and the plurality of clamp portions by the plurality of operation shafts. The first base member is moved up and down between the lowered position where the plurality of clamp portions are set at the clamp position by releasing the push-up.

The driving unit may further include a second base member and a second lifting unit.
The second base member has a plurality of support pins that are arranged in parallel with the first base member and can penetrate the support surface.
The second elevating unit includes a raised position for supporting the back surfaces of the plurality of substrates with the plurality of support pins, and a lowered position for arranging the plurality of substrates supported by the plurality of support pins on the support surface. The second base member is moved up and down.

The substrate support may further include an adsorption part. The adsorption portion is provided on the support surface and configured to electrostatically adsorb the plurality of substrates.

A substrate holding method according to an aspect of the present invention includes:
Arranging the substrates individually in a plurality of support areas on the support surface maintained in a horizontal position,
The substrate is disposed in an intermediate region between the plurality of support regions and a peripheral region of the plurality of support regions excluding the intermediate region, and moves along a peripheral portion of the substrate with a movement substantially parallel to the support surface. The substrate is held by a plurality of clamp portions having first hook portions facing each other,
The substrate is held by a plurality of clamp portions arranged in the peripheral region and having a second hook portion facing the peripheral edge of the substrate with a movement approaching the support surface from above the support surface,
The support surface is erected from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture.

A film formation apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a film formation chamber, a substrate support, and a clamp mechanism.
The film formation chamber has a film formation source.
The substrate support is disposed in the film forming chamber. The substrate support base can stand a support surface having a plurality of support regions on which a plurality of substrates are individually arranged, and the support surface from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture around an axis parallel to the support surface. A rotation mechanism.
The clamp mechanism has a plurality of clamp portions. The plurality of clamp portions are arranged along the periphery of the plurality of support regions, and are configured to be able to hold peripheral portions of the plurality of substrates. The plurality of clamp portions include a plurality of first clamp portions that are disposed in gap regions between the plurality of support regions and that can individually hold the peripheral portions of the plurality of substrates.

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of substrates can be stably held in a vertical posture.

It is a schematic perspective view which shows the structure of the board | substrate holding apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic side view of the film-forming apparatus provided with the said board | substrate holding apparatus. It is a top view of the board | substrate support stand in the said board | substrate holding apparatus. It is principal part sectional drawing of the board | substrate support stand which shows the structure of the 1st and 2nd clamp part in the said board | substrate holding apparatus. It is principal part sectional drawing of the board | substrate support stand which shows the structure of the 3rd clamp part in the said board | substrate holding apparatus. It is a perspective view of the drive part in the said board | substrate holding apparatus. It is a top view of the said drive part. FIG. 8 is a side view showing an example of the operation. It is a side view which shows an example of operation | movement of the said drive part. It is a principal part side view of the support pin in the said board | substrate holding apparatus. It is a principal part side view of the positioning pin in the said board | substrate holding apparatus. It is principal part sectional drawing of the board | substrate support stand which shows the structure of the adsorption | suction part in the said board | substrate holding apparatus.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a substrate holding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a film forming apparatus provided with the substrate holding apparatus.
In the figure, the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis indicate three axial directions orthogonal to each other. The X axis and the Y axis correspond to the horizontal direction (lateral direction), and the Z axis corresponds to the vertical direction (vertical direction). .

[overall structure]
The substrate holding device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a substrate support 10 having a support surface 10s that can support a plurality of substrates. The substrate support 10 includes a housing 11, a platen 12 having a support surface 10 s formed on the upper surface, and a rotation mechanism unit 13 that supports the platen 12 so as to be rotatable with respect to the housing 11. The substrate holding device 100 is configured to support two glass substrates W1 and W2 as a plurality of substrates and to hold the substrates W1 and W2 on the support surface 10s via a clamp mechanism described later. The

The substrate support 10 is configured to be able to stand the platen 12 (support surface 10s) from the horizontal posture shown in FIG. 2A to the vertical posture shown in FIG. The rotation mechanism unit 13 includes a rotation shaft 131 that is parallel to the Y-axis direction, and a drive source 132 that rotates the platen 12 around the rotation shaft 131 between a horizontal posture and a vertical posture. The housing 11 accommodates a drive unit 50 (see FIG. 2B and FIGS. 6 to 8) that constitutes a part of the clamp mechanism.

The film forming apparatus 200 includes a substrate holding device 100, a film forming chamber 210, and a controller 90 that comprehensively controls them.
The substrate holding apparatus 100 is installed inside the film forming chamber 210 as shown in FIGS. The film formation chamber 210 is configured as a sputtering chamber, and includes a vacuum chamber 211 and a target unit 212 as a film formation source installed inside the vacuum chamber 211.

The vacuum chamber 211 is connected to a vacuum exhaust line (not shown), and is configured to be able to exhaust or maintain the inside in a predetermined reduced pressure atmosphere. The target unit 212 includes a target material made of a material to be deposited and a backing plate that supports the target material. In the case of the magnetron sputtering method, the target unit 212 further includes a magnetic circuit that forms a magnetic field on the surface of the target material. Although not shown, the film formation chamber 210 further includes a gas introduction line for introducing sputtering gas and reactive gas into the vacuum chamber 211, a power supply line for supplying predetermined power to the target unit 212, and loading of the substrates W1 and W2. And a gate valve for carrying it out.

The target unit 212 is arranged vertically so that the surface of the target material is parallel to the YZ plane, and is opposed to the support surface 10s of the platen 12 whose posture is changed to the standing position in the X-axis direction with a predetermined interval. . The target material typically has a larger area than the support surface 10s. The film forming apparatus 200 performs a predetermined film forming process on each of the substrates W1 and W2 on the support surface 10s in a state where the platen 12 is erected so that one substrate W1 is on the lower side and the other substrate W2 is on the upper side. It is possible to apply. In the film forming chamber 210, a mask member (not shown) for defining the film forming regions of the substrates W1 and W2 may be installed.

The substrates W1 and W2 are typically rectangular glass substrates, but are not limited thereto, and may be ceramic substrates other than glass, resin substrates, and metal substrates. Various functional layers including a metal layer and an insulating layer may be formed in advance on the film formation surfaces of the substrates W1 and W2. The substrate size is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate according to the size of the support surface 10s and the number of processed sheets. For example, a substrate having a half size of G6 size (1850 mm × 1500 mm) is used.

[Substrate support stand]
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the substrate support 10.

The support surface 10s has a rectangular planar shape and is typically formed as a flat surface. The support surface 10s is made of a metal material such as copper, aluminum, or stainless steel. The support surface 10s may be composed of a single plate material, or may be composed of an array of a plurality of plate materials. The support surface 10s may have therein a circulation passage or a heater through which the refrigerant or the heating medium can circulate so that the substrates W1 and W2 can be cooled or heated to a predetermined temperature.

The support surface 10s includes a plurality (two in this example) of support areas S1 and S2 on which a plurality (two in this example) of substrates W1 and W2 are individually arranged. The support regions S1 and S2 are laid out so that one side of each long side is adjacent to each other with an interval in the vertical direction when the platen 12 is in a vertical posture.

The support surface 10s further includes an intermediate region 10M positioned between the support regions S1 and S2 and a peripheral region 10C (excluding the intermediate region 10M) positioned around the support regions S1 and S2. Each support region S1, S2 is provided with a plurality of first insertion holes V1 into which a plurality of support pins VP1 (see FIGS. 6 to 8) for raising and lowering the substrates W1, W2 with respect to the support surface 10s can be inserted. ing. A plurality of second insertion holes V2 into which a plurality of positioning pins VP2 (see FIGS. 6 to 8) for positioning the substrates W1 and W2 with respect to the support surface 10s can be inserted in the intermediate region 10M and the peripheral region 10C. It has been.

The first insertion hole V1 includes a plurality (three in this example) of insertion holes V11 formed in one support region S1 and a plurality (three in this example) of the other support region S2. Insertion hole V12. The second insertion hole V2 includes a plurality (ten in this example) of insertion holes V21 formed along the periphery of the one support region S1 and a plurality of (books) formed along the periphery of the other support region S2. The example includes 10) insertion holes V22. In the present embodiment, two insertion holes V21 and V22 are arranged on both long sides of the substrates W1 and W2, and three on both short sides of the substrates W1 and W2 (see FIG. 3).

[Clamp mechanism]
The substrate holding device 100 includes a clamp mechanism for holding the substrates W1 and W2 disposed on the support surface 10s. The clamp mechanism includes a plurality of clamp parts (first clamp part C1, second clamp part C2, and third clamp part C3) disposed along the periphery of the support regions S1 and S2, and a drive for driving these clamp parts. Part 50. Each clamp part is comprised so that the peripheral part of board | substrate W1, W2 on support area | region S1, S2 can be hold | maintained.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first clamp part C1 is disposed in an intermediate region 10M between the two support regions S1 and S2. The second and third clamp portions C2 and C3 are disposed in the peripheral region 10C around the support regions S1 and S2, respectively.

The first clamp part C1 includes a plurality of clamp parts C11 capable of holding one side on the intermediate area 10M side of the substrate W1 arranged in the support area S1, and one of the substrate W2 arranged on the support area S2 on the intermediate area 10M side. And a plurality of clamp portions C12 that can hold the long side. The positions and number of the clamp portions C11 and C12 are not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, a total of two clamp portions C11 and a total of four clamp portions are provided near both ends of the one long side of the substrates W1 and W2. C12 is arranged (see FIG. 3). Hereinafter, the clamp portions C11 and C12 are collectively referred to as a first clamp portion C1 unless otherwise described.

The second clamp portion C2 includes a plurality of clamp portions C21 capable of holding three sides on the peripheral region 10C side of the substrate W1 disposed in the support region S1, and the peripheral region 10C side of the substrate W2 disposed in the support region S2. It comprises a plurality of clamp parts C22 that can hold three sides. The positions and number of the clamp portions C21 and C22 are not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, two pieces are provided on the other long side of the substrates W1 and W2, and one piece is provided on both short sides of the substrates W1 and W2. They are arranged one by one (see FIG. 3). Hereinafter, the clamp parts C21 and C22 are generically referred to as a second clamp part C2 unless otherwise described.

The third clamp portion C3 includes a plurality of clamp portions C31 capable of holding three sides on the peripheral region 10C side of the substrate W1 disposed in the support region S1, and the peripheral region 10C side of the substrate W2 disposed in the support region S2. It comprises a plurality of clamp parts C32 that can hold three sides. The positions and number of the clamp parts C31 and C32 are not particularly limited, and in the present embodiment, one each is arranged in the vicinity of the corners (four corners) of the substrates W1 and W2 (see FIG. 3). Hereinafter, the clamp parts C31 and C32 are collectively referred to as a third clamp part C3 unless otherwise described.

(First and second clamp part)
The first and second clamp portions C1 (C11, C12), C2 (C21, C22) are hook portions 21 (see FIG. 5) that face the peripheral portions of the substrates W1, W2 with movement substantially parallel to the support surface 10s. 4). As a result, even when the substrates W1 and W2 are placed with positional displacement with respect to the support regions S1 and S2, the substrates W1 and W2 are positioned in the process of the clamping operation by the first and second clamp portions C1 and C2. Since it can be moved in a direction in which the deviation is eliminated, a predetermined alignment accuracy of the substrates W1, W2 is ensured at the time of clamping.

Here, “movement substantially parallel to the support surface 10s” means not only movement parallel to the support surface 10s but also movement substantially parallel to the support surface 10s. The substantially parallel movement includes movement of the hook portion 21 along a linear or curved path.

FIG. 4 shows a configuration example of the first and second clamp portions C1 and C2. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the substrate support 10 showing the configuration of the first and second clamp parts C1 and C2.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first and second clamp parts C1 and C2 have a hook member 20 having a hook part 21 protruding from the support surface 10s at the tip part, and a constant curvature with the hook part 21 facing the clamp position. Each has a rotation support portion 23 that supports the hook member 20 so as to be able to be rotated along a curved track.

The hook member 20 is composed of a metal plate material that is long in the Z-axis direction and has a hook portion 21 and a base end portion 22. The hook portion 21 is formed by extending one end of the hook member 20 protruding from the support surface 10s to the support regions S1 and S2 side through the opening 10g formed in the support surface 10s. The base end portion 22 is formed by extending the other end of the hook member 20 in the same direction as the hook portion 21. The hook member 20 is supported by the platen 12 via the rotation support portion 23, and can be rotated from the clamp position to the non-clamp position by receiving a push-up operation of operation shafts CP1 and CP2 (described later) with respect to the base end portion 22. Composed.

The unclamping position of the hook portion 21 is set to a position facing the peripheral portions of the substrates W1 and W2 on the support regions S1 and S2 in a direction parallel to the support surface 10s (see FIG. 4). Thereby, the hook part 21 can be moved to the clamp position which opposes the peripheral part of board | substrate W1, W2 and the direction perpendicular | vertical to the support surface 10s with the movement substantially parallel to the support surface 10s.

The rotation support portion 23 includes a rotation shaft 231 that penetrates the hook member 20 and a connecting member 232 that connects the rotation shaft 231 and the platen 12, and the hook portion 21 has a clamping position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 4. 4 is supported so as to be rotatable between the unclamping position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. The pivot support position of the hook member 20 by the rotation support portion 23 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the rotation locus of the hook portion 21 be set to a position as parallel as possible to the support surface 10s. Accordingly, it is possible to finely adjust the positions of the substrates W1 and W2 in the process of moving the hook portion 21 to the clamp position while keeping the rotation angle range of the hook member 20 small.

At the clamp position, the hook portion 21 faces the substrate W1 and W2 placed on the support regions S1 and S2 with a slight gap immediately above the peripheral edge portions of the substrate W1 and W2, and can be prevented from being detached from the support surface 10s. , W2 are held. In the non-clamping position, the hook portion 21 retracts to the outside of the peripheral portions of the substrates W1 and W2 placed in the support regions S1 and S2 so as not to hinder the lifting and lowering operation of the substrates W1 and W2 with respect to the support surface 10s. .

1st and 2nd clamp part C1, C2 has further the urging | biasing member 24 which urges | biases the hook part 21 to a clamp position, respectively. In the present embodiment, the urging member 24 is constituted by a coil spring attached between the platen 12 and the hook member 20, but is not limited thereto, and is attached, for example, around the rotation shaft 231 of the rotation support portion 23. You may comprise a helical spring etc. Since the hook portion 21 is constantly urged to the clamp position by the urging member 24, the holding operation of the substrates W1 and W2 can be maintained regardless of the posture of the platen 12.

In the support areas S1 and S2, a plurality of protrusions 10d for supporting the substrates W1 and W2 at multiple points are installed. The position and number of the protrusions 10d are not particularly limited, but typically, the protrusions 10d are arranged at positions offset from the clamp positions of the substrate W by the clamp parts C1 to C3. The protrusion 10d is for forming a predetermined gap between the back surfaces (non-film-forming surfaces) of the substrates W1 and W2 and the support surface 10s, but may be omitted as necessary.

(Third clamp part)
On the other hand, the third clamp part C3 (C31, C32) has a hook part 31 (see FIG. 5) facing the peripheral part of the substrates W1, W2 with a movement approaching the support surface 10s from above the support surface 10s. . Thereby, even when the peripheral edge portions of the substrates W1 and W2 placed on the support regions S1 and S2 are warped, the warpage of the peripheral edge portion can be corrected in the process of the clamping operation by the third clamp portion C3. Therefore, high flatness of the peripheral edge portion is ensured at the time of clamping.

The warpage of the peripheral portions of the substrates W1 and W2 tends to occur more easily at the corners (four corners). For this reason, it is preferable that the third clamp part C3 is disposed at a position closer to the corners of the substrates W1 and W2 than the first and second clamp parts C1 and C2.

One structural example of the third clamp part C3 is shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the substrate support 10 showing the configuration of the third clamp part C3.

As shown in FIG. 5, the third clamp part C3 includes a hook member 30 having a hook part 31 protruding from the support surface 10s at a tip part, and the first and second clamp parts with the hook part 31 directed to a clamp position. And a link mechanism portion 33 that supports the hook member 30 so as to be movable along a curved track having a maximum height (h) from the support surface 10s larger than C1 and C2.

The hook member 30 is formed of a metal plate material that has a hook portion 31 and a base end portion 32 and is long in the Z-axis direction. The hook portion 31 is formed by extending one end of the hook member 30 protruding from the support surface 10s to the support regions S1 and S2 side through the opening 10g formed in the support surface 10s. The base end portion 32 is formed by extending the other end of the hook member 30 in the same direction as the hook portion 31. The hook member 30 is supported by the platen 12 via the link mechanism 33, and is configured to be movable from the clamp position to the non-clamp position in response to a push-up operation of an operation shaft CP3 (described later) with respect to the base end portion 32. .

Here, the height from the support surface 10s of the hook part 31 at the non-clamping position of the third clamp part C3 is from the support surface 10s of the hook part 21 at the non-clamping position of the first and second clamp parts C1 and C2. It is set larger than the height (see FIGS. 4 and 5). Thereby, the hook part 31 can be moved toward the clamp position along a curved track having a maximum height (h) from the support surface 10s larger than the first and second clamp parts C1 and C2. As a result, the hook part 31 can be moved from the upper side of the support surface 10 s to the clamp position facing the peripheral parts of the substrates W 1 and W 2 with a movement approaching the support surface 10 s.

The link mechanism unit 33 includes two

link members

331 and 332, and includes a four-bar rotation mechanism in which both ends of the

link members

331 and 332 are rotatably connected to the platen 12 and the hook member 30. The link mechanism portion 33 supports the hook portion 31 so as to be movable between a clamping position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 5 and an unclamping position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 5. The position and length of the

link members

331 and 332 constituting the link mechanism portion 33 are not particularly limited, but the hook portion 31 is located directly above the peripheral edge at a position higher than the assumed warpage of the peripheral edge of the substrates W1 and W2. It is preferable to set the position and the length that can be passed.

At the clamp position, the hook portion 31 faces the substrate W1 and W2 placed on the support areas S1 and S2 with a slight gap immediately above the peripheral edge portions, and can be prevented from being detached from the support surface 10s. , W2 are held. At the non-clamping position, the hook portion 31 retracts to the outside of the peripheral portions of the substrates W1 and W2 placed on the support regions S1 and S2 so as not to hinder the lifting and lowering operations of the substrates W1 and W2 with respect to the support surface 10s. .

The third clamp part C3 further includes a biasing member 34 that biases the hook part 31 to the clamp position. In the present embodiment, the urging member 24 is configured by a coil spring attached between the platen 12 and the hook member 20, but is not limited thereto, and is attached, for example, around an arbitrary rotation shaft of the link mechanism 33. You may comprise a helical spring etc. Since the hook portion 31 is constantly urged to the clamp position by the urging member 34, the holding operation of the substrates W1 and W2 can be maintained regardless of the posture of the platen 12.

(Drive part)
Next, details of the drive unit 50 will be described. 6 is a perspective view of the drive unit 50, FIG. 7 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 8 is a side view showing an example of the operation thereof.

The drive unit 50 is configured to be able to move the first to third clamp units C1 to C3 from the clamp position to the non-clamp position when the platen 12 is in a horizontal posture. In this embodiment, the drive part 50 has the 1st base member 60 and the 1st raising / lowering unit 65 as a drive device in a clamp mechanism.

The first base member 60 is housed in the housing 11 (see FIG. 1) and is installed at a position facing the platen 12 in the horizontal posture in the vertical direction. The first base member 60 has a plurality of operation axes CP1, CP2, and CP3 that are disposed in correspondence with the first clamp part C1, the second clamp part C2, and the third clamp part C3, respectively. The operation shafts CP1 to CP3 are shaft-like members erected in parallel to the Z-axis direction on one main surface (upper surface) of the first base member 60. In this embodiment, the shaft lengths of the operation shafts CP1 to CP3 are Each is the same.

The first base member 60 is composed of a metal frame having a rectangular planar shape having an opening 60a in the plane. The operation axes CP1 to CP3 are arranged at positions facing the

base end portions

22 and 32 of the

hook members

20 and 30 constituting the clamp portions C1 to C3 directly above in the Z-axis direction. For example, the operation shaft CP1 corresponding to the first clamp portion C1 is disposed in an intermediate region extending inward from the central portion of each long side of the first base member 60, and corresponds to the second and third clamp portions. The operation axes CP 2 and CP 3 are disposed in the peripheral region 62 of the first base member 60, respectively.

The first elevating unit 65 is supported by the housing 11 and configured to be able to raise and lower the first base member 60 with respect to the platen 12 in the Z-axis direction. The first elevating unit 65 includes a fluid pressure cylinder unit, a ball screw unit, and the like installed on the other main surface (lower surface) of the first base member 60. The number of the first elevating units 65 may be singular or plural (two in this example), and can be determined according to the size of the first base member 60 and the like.

The first elevating unit 65 is configured to be able to raise and lower the first base member 60 between the raised position shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C and the lowered position shown in FIG. 8A. In the raised position, the first to third clamp parts C1 to C3 are pushed up by the operation axes CP1 to CP3 to set the first to third clamp parts C1 to C3 to the non-clamp position. In the lowered position, the first to third clamp portions C1 to C3 are set to the clamp positions by releasing the push-up of the first to third clamp portions C1 to C3 by the operation shafts CP1 to CP3.

Here, for example, if the holding operation by the third clamp part C3 precedes in the state where the peripheral corners of the substrates W1 and W2 are warped, the reaction of the correction operation of the warp by the third clamp part C3 is the substrate W1, W2. There is a possibility that the other portions are lifted and the substrates W1 and W2 cannot be properly held by the first and second clamp portions C1 and C2.

Therefore, the drive unit 50 in the present embodiment holds the peripheral portions of the substrates W1, W2 by the first and second clamp portions C1, C2, and then holds the peripheral portions of the substrates W1, W2 by the third clamp portion C3. Configured. Accordingly, even when the peripheral corner portions of the substrates W1 and W2 are warped, the peripheral portions of the substrates W1 and W2 can be properly held with respect to the support surface 10s by all the clamp portions C1 to C3. It becomes.

The structure for realizing such a configuration is not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the base end of the hook member 20 constituting the first and second clamp portions C1 and C2 is used. The portion 22 has a shape that protrudes downward (on the drive portion 50 side) from the base end portion 32 of the hook member 30 constituting the third clamp portion C3. Thus, when the first base member 60 moves from the raised position to the lowered position, the operation axis CP1 required to move the hook portions 21 of the first and second clamp portions C1 and C2 from the non-clamp position to the clamp position. , CP2 stroke amount H3 (see FIG. 5) of the operating shaft CP3 required to move the hook portion 31 of the third clamp portion C3 from the non-clamping position to the clamping position rather than the stroke amount H1 (see FIG. 4) of CP2. Can be bigger.

[Substrate lifting mechanism]
The drive unit 50 further includes a substrate lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the substrates W1 and W2 with respect to the support surface 10s of the platen 12. That is, the drive unit 50 includes a second base member 70 having a plurality of support pins VP1 that can penetrate the support surface 10s, and a second elevating unit 75 that raises and lowers the second base member 70.

The second base member 70 has a substantially rectangular main plate 71 arranged in parallel with the first base member 60 and four sub-plates 72 arranged at the four corners of the main plate 71. In the present embodiment, the second base member 70 is disposed immediately above the first base member 60 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). In order to facilitate understanding, the second base member 70 is indicated by hatching in FIG.

Each sub-plate 72 is arranged in parallel to the main plate 71, and is integrally fixed to the upper surface of the four corners of the main plate 71 via a connector having an appropriate height. The main plate 71 and the sub plate 72 are positioned directly below the support surface 10s of the platen 12 in a horizontal posture, and the plurality of support pins VP1 are inserted into the plurality of first insertion holes V1 provided in the support surface 10s of the platen 12. It is arranged at the corresponding position.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of support pins VP1 are erected at predetermined positions on the main plate 71 and the sub plate 72, respectively. In this case, the axial length of each support pin VP1 is set so that the height of the top is constant. Here, the support pin VP1 disposed on the sub plate 72 is formed to be shorter than the support pin VP1 disposed on the main plate 71 by an amount corresponding to the difference in height between the main plate 71 and the sub plate 72. The shape of the tip portion of the support pin VP1 that contacts the back surfaces (non-film-forming surfaces) of the substrates W1 and W2 is not particularly limited, and is formed in a curved shape as shown in FIG. 9, for example.

The second elevating unit 75 is supported by the housing 11 and configured to be able to raise and lower the second base member 70 in the Z-axis direction with respect to the platen 12. The second elevating unit 75 elevates and lowers the second base member 70 with a stroke length larger than the stroke length of the first base member 60 by the first elevating unit 65. The second elevating unit 75 includes a fluid pressure cylinder unit, a ball screw unit, and the like installed on the lower surface of the main plate 71. The second elevating unit 75 is installed on the lower surface of the main plate 71 through the opening 60 a of the first base member 60.

The second lifting / lowering unit 75 is configured to be able to lift and lower the second base member 70 between the raised position shown in FIG. 8C and the lowered position shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B. In the raised position, the support pin VP1 passes through the support surface 10s through the first insertion hole V1, and supports the back surfaces of the substrates W1 and W2 so that the substrates W1 and W2 rise by a predetermined height from the support surface 10s. . In the lowered position, the support pin VP1 is extracted from the first insertion hole V1, and the substrates W1 and W2 are placed on the support surface 10s.

The second base member 70 further includes a plurality of positioning pins VP2 for positioning the substrates W1, W2 with respect to the support regions S1, S2 with a predetermined accuracy when placing the substrates W1, W2 on the support surface 10s. . The plurality of positioning pins VP2 are disposed at positions corresponding to the plurality of second insertion holes V2 provided in the support surface 10s.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of positioning pins VP2 are erected at predetermined positions on the main plate 71 and the sub plate 72, respectively. In this case, the axial length of each positioning pin VP2 is set so that the height of the top is constant. Here, the positioning pin VP 2 arranged on the main plate 71 is installed on the main plate 71 via the support base 74. The height of the support pedestal 74 is set such that the top of the positioning pin VP2 disposed on the main plate 71 has the same height as the positioning pin VP2 disposed on the sub-plate 72.

The positioning pin VP2 moves up and down between the raised position and the lowered position simultaneously with the support pin VP1 by driving the second raising / lowering unit 75. The axial length of the positioning pin VP2 is set so that the top of the positioning pin VP2 is positioned above the top of the support pin VP1. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, a block 73 having an inclined surface 73a capable of guiding the peripheral portions of the substrates W1 and W2 to the support regions S1 and S2 is attached to the top of each positioning pin VP2.

Note that the substrate lifting mechanism described above may be omitted as necessary. Alternatively, one of the support pin VP1 and the positioning pin VP2 may be omitted.

[Operation of substrate holding device]
Next, the operation of the substrate holding apparatus 100 of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described together with the operation of the film forming apparatus 200. The operations of the substrate holding apparatus 100 and the film forming apparatus 200 are comprehensively controlled by the controller 90.

Prior to film formation, the inside of the vacuum chamber 211 is maintained in a predetermined reduced pressure atmosphere, and the substrate holding device 100 maintains the platen 12 in a horizontal posture. The driving unit 50 of the substrate holding apparatus 100 causes the first base member 60 and the second base member 70 to stand by at the raised position by the first and second elevating

units

65 and 75. As a result, the first to third clamp portions C1 to C3 are moved to the non-clamping position by pushing up the operation shafts CP1 to CP3, and the support pin VP1 and the positioning pin VP2 protrude above the support surface 10s.

The two substrates W1 and W2 are placed on the support pins VP1 on the support areas S1 and S2 of the support surface 10s of the platen 12 by a transfer robot (not shown) via a gate valve (not shown). At this time, if the substrates W1 and W2 are misaligned, the substrates W1 and W2 receive a guide action toward the support regions S1 and S2 by the inclined surface 73a of the block 73 provided at the tip of the positioning pin VP2. Thereby, a predetermined alignment accuracy of the substrates W1, W2 with respect to the support regions S1, S2 is ensured.

Subsequently, the drive unit 50 of the substrate holding apparatus 100 moves the second base member 70 from the raised position to the lowered position by the second lifting / lowering unit 75. Thereby, the support pin VP1 and the positioning pin PV2 are pulled down from the support surface 10s, and the substrates W1 and W2 are simultaneously disposed on the support regions S1 and S2.

Subsequently, the drive unit 50 of the substrate holding apparatus 100 moves the first base member 60 from the raised position to the lowered position by the first lifting / lowering unit 65. As a result, the

hook portions

21 and 31 of the first to third clamp portions C1 to C3 move from the non-clamping position to the clamping position, so that the peripheral edge portions of the substrates W1 and W2 are held in the support regions S1 and S2.

At this time, the hook portions 21 of the first and second clamp portions C1 and C2 move to the clamp position with movement substantially parallel to the support surface 10s, so that the substrates W1 and W2 move to the support regions S1 and S2. Even when a positional deviation occurs, the substrates W1 and W2 are pressed toward the support areas S1 and S2 in the process of moving the hook portion 21 to the clamp position, so that the desired alignment accuracy is ensured. .

On the other hand, the hook portion 31 of the third clamp portion C3 moves to the clamp position with a movement approaching the support surface 10s from above the support surface 10s, and thus warps the peripheral portions (corners, etc.) of the substrates W1 and W2. Even when the above occurs, the warpage can be corrected and the substrates W1 and W2 can be held with high flatness. In addition, since the third clamp part C3 is configured to hold the peripheral edges of the substrates W1 and W2 behind the operation of the first and second clamp parts C1 and C2, the first and second clamp parts C3 and C2 are held as described above. The appropriate holding operation of the substrates W1, W2 by the two clamp portions C1, C2 can be stably ensured.

Subsequently, the substrate holding apparatus 100 raises the platen 12 from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture via the rotation mechanism unit 13 (see FIG. 2B). Then, a predetermined film forming process is performed on the substrates W1 and W2 on the support surface 10s facing the target unit 212.

According to the present embodiment, the substrates W1 and W2 are stably held on the support surface 10s by the first to third clamp portions C1 to C3, so that they are prevented from falling off from the support regions S1 and S2.
In particular, according to the present embodiment, since the plurality of clamp portions (first clamp portions C1) are also arranged in the intermediate region 10M of the support surface 10s, the plurality of substrates W1 and W2 can be stably held. Furthermore, the relative position between the substrates W1 and W2 can be stably maintained, and the positional accuracy of the substrates W1 and W2 with respect to the support regions S1 and S2 can be ensured. For this reason, high mask accuracy can be maintained even when a mask film is formed.

After film formation, the substrate holding apparatus 100 converts the platen 12 from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture. Then, the substrate holding apparatus 100 sequentially raises the first base member 60 and the second base member 70 in the reverse operation (in the order of FIGS. 8A to 8C). Thus, after the holding operation of the substrates W1 and W2 by the first to third clamp portions C1 to C3 is released, the substrates W1 and W2 are simultaneously lifted from the support surface 10s by the support pins VP1, and a substrate transfer robot (not shown) To be transferred.

<Second Embodiment>
Subsequently, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the substrate holding device 101 in the present embodiment. In the figure, portions corresponding to those of the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11, the substrate support 10 in the substrate holding device 101 of the present embodiment has a suction portion 80 that can electrostatically suck the substrates W1 and W2. The attracting unit 80 is an electrostatic chuck mechanism, and is configured to be capable of electrostatically attracting the substrates W1 and W2 on the support surface 10s upon receiving power supply from the controller 90.

The adsorption part 80 is typically provided over the entire surface of the support surface 10s. However, the adsorbing portion 80 may be provided in each of the regions corresponding to the support regions S1 and S2 on the support surface 10s. Moreover, the adsorption | suction part 80 provided on each support area | region S1, S2 may be divided | segmented and arrange | positioned in several places.

The attracting unit 80 has a chuck electrode that develops an electrostatic attracting force to the substrate W when a voltage of a predetermined level or higher is applied. The type of electrostatic attraction force is not particularly limited, and typically, Coulomb force, Johnson Rabeck force, or the like is employed.

In this embodiment, the suction unit 80 is composed of a bipolar electrostatic chuck, and a chuck electrode for a positive electrode and a chuck electrode for a negative electrode are provided in each chuck region. These two chuck electrodes are arranged adjacent to each other so as to face the support surface 10s. Each electrode is protected by an insulating film and contacts the substrates W1 and W2 through the insulating film. In addition, the adsorption | suction part 80 may be comprised with a monopolar electrostatic chuck. The size (area), the number of arrays, the array form, and the like of the chuck electrodes are not particularly limited as long as the substrates W1 and W2 can be stably held in the standing posture.

The controller 90 is configured to synchronize power supply to and disconnection from each chuck electrode of the suction unit 80. Instead of this, power may be individually supplied to a predetermined chuck electrode. This makes it possible to individually control the adsorption start / release operation by each chuck electrode, so that high flatness can be ensured even for a substrate that is likely to be warped or bent. For example, by controlling the power supply so that the suction operation starts sequentially from the upper edge side to the lower edge side of the substrates W1 and W2, the substrate W can be made to have a desired flatness while utilizing its own weight. It becomes possible to hold it stably.

The suction unit 80 receives the power supply from the controller 90 and starts the holding operation of the substrates W1 and W2, and the power supply is cut off to release the holding operation of the substrates W1 and W2. The controller 90 may be configured to apply a reverse voltage to each chuck electrode during the dechuck operation in order to quickly hold the substrates W1 and W2.

In the substrate holding apparatus 101 of the present embodiment configured as described above, when the substrates W1 and W2 are held, the substrate holding operation by the first to third clamp portions C1 to C3 described above is performed, and then suction is performed. The suction operation of the substrates W1 and W2 by the unit 80 is executed. Thereby, the predetermined alignment accuracy of the substrates W1 and W2 with respect to the support surface 10s is further ensured.

Subsequently, the substrate holding apparatus 101 raises the platen 12 from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture via the rotation mechanism unit 13 and then performs predetermined processing on the substrates W1 and W2 on the support surface 10s facing the target unit 212. A film forming process is performed. At this time, the substrates W1 and W2 are stably held on the support surface 10s by the holding action by the first to third clamp parts C1 to C3 and the electrostatic attraction action by the suction part 80, and the substrates W1 and W2 are separated from the support areas S1 and S2. Dropping is prevented.

After completion of the film forming process, the substrate holding device 101 converts the platen 12 from the standing posture to the horizontal posture through the rotation mechanism unit 13. In the holding release operation of the substrates W1 and W2 with respect to the support surface 10s, after the electrostatic chucking operation by the chucking unit 80 is canceled, the substrate holding operation by the first to third clamp units C1 to C3 is released in the above-described procedure.

As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited only to the above-mentioned embodiment, Of course, a various change can be added.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Substrate support 10s ... Support surface 10C ... Peripheral area | region 10M ... Middle area | region 12 ... Platen 13 ...

Rotation mechanism part

20, 30 ...

Hook member

21, 31 ... Hook part 23 ...

Rotation support part

24, 34 ... Biasing member 33 ... Link mechanism 50 ... Driver 60 ... First base member 65 ... First lifting / lowering unit 70 ... Second base member 75 ... Second lifting / lowering unit 80 ... Suction part 90 ...

Controller

100, 101 ... Substrate holding device 200 ... Film formation Apparatus 211 ... Vacuum chamber 212 ... Target unit C1 ... First clamp part C2 ... Second clamp part C3 ... Third clamp part CP1, CP2, CP3 ... Operation shaft VP1 ... Support pin VP2 ... Positioning pin

Claims

A support surface having a plurality of support regions on which a plurality of substrates are individually arranged; and a rotation mechanism unit capable of raising the support surface from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture around an axis parallel to the support surface. A substrate support,
A plurality of clamp portions arranged along the periphery of the plurality of support regions and capable of holding peripheral portions of the plurality of substrates, wherein the plurality of clamp portions are disposed in an intermediate region between the plurality of support regions; And a clamp mechanism including a plurality of first clamp portions capable of individually holding peripheral portions of the plurality of substrates.
The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 1,
The plurality of support regions include at least two support regions adjacent in the vertical direction when the substrate support is in a vertical posture.
The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The plurality of clamp portions further includes a plurality of second clamp portions and a plurality of third clamp portions disposed in a peripheral region of the plurality of support regions excluding the intermediate region,
The plurality of first and second clamp portions have hook portions that oppose peripheral edges of the plurality of substrates with a movement substantially parallel to the support surface,
The plurality of third clamp portions include a hook portion that faces a peripheral portion of the plurality of substrates with a movement approaching the support surface from above the support surface.
The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 3,
The plurality of first and second clamp parts further include a rotation support part that rotatably supports the hook part toward a clamp position along a curved track having a constant curvature.
The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 3 or 4,
The plurality of third clamp portions are movable along a curved track having a maximum height from the support surface that is larger than the plurality of first and second clamp portions, with the hook portions facing a clamp position. A substrate holding device further comprising a link mechanism for supporting.
The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 4 or 5,
The plurality of first to third clamp portions each further include a biasing member that biases the hook portion to the clamp position.
A substrate holding apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 6, comprising:
The clamp mechanism holds the peripheral portions of the plurality of substrates by the plurality of first clamp portions and the plurality of second clamp portions, and then holds the peripheral portions of the plurality of substrates by the plurality of third clamp portions. A substrate holding device configured to be.
A substrate holding apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 7,
The planar shape of the plurality of substrates is a rectangle,
The plurality of third clamp portions are arranged at positions closer to the corners of the plurality of substrates than the plurality of first clamp portions and the plurality of second clamp portions.
A substrate holding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The clamp mechanism further includes a drive unit capable of moving the plurality of clamp units from a clamp position to a non-clamp position when the substrate support is in a horizontal posture.
The drive unit is
A first base member having a plurality of operation shafts arranged corresponding to the plurality of clamp portions;
By lifting up the plurality of clamp portions with the plurality of operation shafts, releasing the plurality of clamp portions by the plurality of operation shafts, and a lift position for setting the plurality of clamp portions to the non-clamp position. A substrate holding apparatus, comprising: a first elevating unit that elevates and lowers the first base member between a lowered position where the plurality of clamp portions are set at the clamp position.
The substrate holding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein
The drive unit is
A second base member having a plurality of support pins arranged parallel to the first base member and penetrating the support surface;
The second position extends between a rising position where the back surfaces of the plurality of substrates are supported by the plurality of support pins and a lowered position where the plurality of substrates supported by the plurality of support pins are arranged on the support surface. A substrate holding apparatus further comprising: a second lifting unit that lifts and lowers the base member.
A substrate holding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The said board | substrate support stand further has an adsorption | suction part provided in the said support surface and comprised so that electrostatic adsorption | suction of the said several board | substrate was possible. The board | substrate holding | maintenance apparatus.
Arranging the substrates individually in a plurality of support areas on the support surface maintained in a horizontal position,
The substrate is disposed in an intermediate region between the plurality of support regions and a peripheral region of the plurality of support regions excluding the intermediate region, and moves along a peripheral portion of the substrate with a movement substantially parallel to the support surface. The substrate is held by a plurality of clamp portions having first hook portions facing each other,
The substrate is held by a plurality of clamp portions arranged in the peripheral region and having a second hook portion facing the peripheral edge of the substrate with a movement approaching the support surface from above the support surface,
A substrate holding method for raising the support surface from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture.
A deposition chamber having a deposition source;
A support surface that is disposed in the film forming chamber and has a plurality of support regions in which a plurality of substrates are individually disposed, and the support surface is raised from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture around an axis parallel to the support surface. A substrate support having a possible rotation mechanism;
A plurality of clamp portions arranged along the periphery of the plurality of support regions and capable of holding peripheral portions of the plurality of substrates, wherein the plurality of clamp portions are disposed in an intermediate region between the plurality of support regions; And a clamp mechanism including a plurality of first clamp portions capable of individually holding peripheral portions of the plurality of substrates.