CN1277299C - Substrate alignment device, substrate processing device and substrate transfer device - Google Patents

Abstract

When the substrate (G) is placed on the workbench (100), high-pressure air from a high-pressure gas supply source is ejected at a predetermined pressure from the gas ejection portion (116) through the gas supply pipe (118) and the ventilation path (114a) in the cylindrical support body (114), thereby substantially lifting the substrate (G) from the support pin (108). Since the gas ejection portion (116) is formed into a trumpet shape, the air that contacts the lower surface of the substrate (G) does not generate vortexes and smoothly passes through the gap (g) and is discharged to the outside. With this structure, the substrate being processed is not damaged or scratched, and no contamination is generated, and the substrate can be aligned safely, accurately, and efficiently.

Description

Substrate alignment device, substrate processing device and substrate transfer device

technical field

The present invention relates to a substrate alignment device, a substrate processing device, and a substrate transfer device used in manufacturing processes such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and particularly relates to a technique for mechanically aligning substrates to be processed.

Background technique

Traditionally, in the LCD manufacturing process, in order to align the processed substrate (glass substrate) on the workbench along the XY direction before processing or during transportation, one side is used to support the substrate substantially horizontally at a predetermined distance. On a plurality of support pins arranged at intervals on the workbench, a mechanical alignment mechanism that pushes the corners of the substrate or the side surfaces of each side in a predetermined direction with an appropriate jig (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-44118 No. 2 and description based on the figure, and Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 of JP-A-6-143177 and description based on these figures). In addition, when the substrate is fixedly held at a set position on the stage, a plurality of vacuum suction pads are provided on the stage at predetermined intervals, and immediately after the substrate is placed on the pads at the set position, the Each pad is connected to a vacuum source, and the substrate is vacuum-adsorbed (for example, refer to FIG. 4 of JP-A-10-106945 and the description based on this figure).

The aforementioned conventional mechanical alignment mechanism can perform alignment without hindrance when the substrate is small. Recently, however, substrates have been considerably enlarged. For example, substrates having dimensions of 850×1000 mm and 1000×1200 mm and each weighing 2 to 4 kg have been produced. In the case of such a large substrate, with the alignment mechanism of the prior art, there is a possibility that even if the side of the substrate is pushed with a jig, the substrate does not slide on the support pins but bends, or even if the back surface of the substrate is slid The front end of the pin is forcibly scratched, or there are problems such as chips.

Contents of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate alignment device capable of safely and accurately aligning substrates with high efficiency without causing damage or scratches to processed substrates and without generating debris.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing device that safely, correctly and efficiently aligns substrates to be processed and improves processing quality and efficiency.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate transfer device that safely, accurately and efficiently aligns substrates to be processed, and improves the transfer accuracy, reliability and efficiency of the substrate.

In order to achieve the above object, the substrate alignment device of the present invention includes: a plurality of supporting parts dispersedly arranged to place and support the substrate to be processed substantially horizontally, and a gas pressure is applied from below to the substrate to be processed in the vicinity of each support part. . A floating mechanism that substantially floats the substrate to be processed, and an alignment mechanism that aligns the floating substrate to be processed by pressing it in a predetermined direction within a horizontal plane.

In the present invention, when the alignment of the substrate to be processed is performed, the floating mechanism causes the substrate to be processed to be in a state of substantially floating from the supporting part, and the substrate to be processed in the floating state is placed in a predetermined horizontal plane by the alignment mechanism. Positioning is performed by pushing in the direction of the substrate to be processed. Therefore, the substrate to be processed can be positioned smoothly and with high precision without causing damage or scratches to the lower surface of the substrate to be processed, and without contamination. In addition, since the floating mechanism partially floats the substrate to be processed in the vicinity of the support portion, consumption of high-pressure gas and the like used can be saved.

In a preferred form of the present invention, the support portion has support pins mounted vertically upward on a substantially horizontal table, and the substrates to be processed are placed on the front ends of the support pins. In this case, in order to obtain an effective floating function, it is preferable that the floating mechanism has a gas ejection part that ejects gas to the lower surface of the substrate to be processed at a predetermined pressure around the support pin, and more preferably, The gas ejection part has a horn-shaped ejection member whose diameter gradually increases toward the upper end.

Another preferred form is that the supporting portion includes a supporting member having an upper surface on which the substrate to be processed is placed and a through hole extending in a vertical direction. In this case, in order to obtain an effective floating function, preferably, the floating mechanism has a gas ejection part that ejects gas from the through hole of the support member to the lower surface of the substrate to be processed at a predetermined pressure, and more preferably Specifically, the supporting member has a lower cylindrical body that is fixed upward on a substantially horizontal table, and an upper cylindrical body that is displaceably attached vertically upward to the lower cylindrical body via the gas ejection portion.

Another preferred form is that the supporting part includes a pad having an upper surface on which the substrate to be processed and a lower surface receiving the pressure of the gas are placed, and is installed on a substantially horizontal workbench and can be rotated in the vertical direction and within a specified range. A pad support mechanism that supports the pad displaceably in the horizontal direction. In this case, in order to obtain an effective floating function, it is preferable that the floating mechanism has a gas ejection part that ejects gas to the lower surface of the pad at a predetermined pressure.

In the present invention, a fixing mechanism that fixes the substrate to be processed on the support portion by vacuum suction force can also be used. As a preferred form, a common gas guide can be provided on the fixing mechanism and the floating mechanism.

In the present invention, preferably, the positioning mechanism can push a pair of opposite corners of the substrate to be processed in the direction along the corner line to position the substrate to be processed, or it can also position a part or all of the substrate to be processed The side of the side of the side is pushed in a direction perpendicular to the side to position the substrate to be processed.

A substrate processing apparatus of the present invention includes the substrate alignment apparatus of the present invention, and a processing mechanism for performing predetermined processing on a substrate to be processed aligned by the substrate alignment apparatus. Since the substrate alignment device of the present invention can be used to align the substrate safely, correctly and quickly, the required processing can be performed on the processed substrate in a safe, high-precision and high-efficiency manner.

The substrate transfer device of the present invention includes the substrate alignment device of the present invention, and a transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate to be processed aligned by the substrate alignment device to a predetermined location. Since the substrate alignment device of the present invention can safely, accurately and rapidly align the substrate to be processed, the accuracy, reliability and efficiency of substrate transportation can be improved.

The above-mentioned and other objects, features, forms, and advantages of the present invention will be clarified more clearly by the following detailed description for understanding the present invention in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a coating and development processing system to which a substrate alignment device, a substrate processing device, and a substrate transfer device of the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure in the coating and development processing system of FIG. 1 .

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the configuration of main parts of a coating processing unit group in the coating and developing processing system in Fig. 1 .

Fig. 4 is a side view showing the configuration of main parts of a coating processing unit group in the coating and developing processing system in Fig. 1 .

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the main part structure of the calibration mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the main part structure and a state of the calibration mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a partial sectional side view showing the main part structure and a state of the calibration mechanism according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the structure of a main part of a calibration mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged perspective view showing the structure of a main part of a calibration mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a frame showing the structure of main parts of a calibration mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part structure and a state of an alignment mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing the configuration of main parts of a calibration mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of main parts and a state of an alignment mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part structure and a state of an alignment mechanism according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of main parts and a state of an alignment mechanism according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration and a state of a modified example of the third embodiment according to the present invention.

Fig. 17 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a main part structure and a state of an alignment mechanism according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 18 is a plan view showing the structure of an embodiment of the transport mechanism of the present invention.

Fig. 19 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a modified example of the fourth embodiment shown in Fig. 17 .

Fig. 20 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of the modification shown in Fig. 19 .

Fig. 21 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of another modification of the fourth embodiment shown in Fig. 17 .

Detailed ways

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a coating and development processing system as a configuration example of a substrate alignment device, a substrate processing device, and a substrate transfer device to which the present invention can be applied. The coating and development processing system is set in a clean room, for example, the LCD substrate is used as the substrate to be processed. During the LCD manufacturing process, cleaning in the photolithography process, coating of photoresist, pre-drying, developing And post-drying and other treatments. Exposure processing is performed with an external exposure device (not shown in the figure) provided adjacent to the system.

The coating and development processing system is roughly divided into a substrate box station (C/S) 10, a processing station (P/S) 12, and an interface unit (I/F).

The substrate cassette station (C/S) 10 provided on one end of the system includes a substrate cassette table 16 on which a predetermined number, for example, up to 4 substrate cassettes C accommodating a plurality of substrates G are placed, on which substrate cassette table 16 on the side and parallel to the arrangement direction of the substrate cassettes C is provided with the transport path 17, and can move freely on the transport path 17, with respect to the substrate box C on the workbench 16 to take out and put in the substrate G Handling mechanism 20. The transfer mechanism 20 has a mechanism capable of holding the substrate G, such as a transfer arm, which can perform four-axis motions of X, Y, Z, and θ, and transfers the substrate with the transfer device 38 on the side of the processing station (P/S) 12 described later. G handover.

The processing station (P/S) 12 is arranged in a row from the above-mentioned substrate cassette station (C/S) station, via (interposed) the substrate relay part 23, the chemical solution supply unit 25, and the gap 27, and is sequentially arranged for cleaning. Processing section 22 , coating processing section 24 , and development processing section 26 .

The cleaning processing section 22 includes two scrub cleaning units (SCR) 28 , upper and lower ultraviolet irradiation/cooling units (UV/COL) 30 , heating unit (HP) 32 , and cooling unit (COL) 34 .

The coating processing section 24 includes a photoresist coating unit (CT) 40, a vacuum drying unit (VD) 42, an edge cleaning unit (ER) 44, and an upper and lower two-stage/cooling unit (AD/COL) 46, Upper and lower two-stage heating/cooling unit (HP/COL) 48, and heating unit (HP) 50.

The development processing section 26 includes three development units (DEV) 52 , two upper and lower two-stage heating/cooling units (HP/COL) 53 , and a heating unit (HP) 55 .

On the central part of each processing part 22, 24, 26, conveying paths 36, 51, 58 are arranged along the longitudinal direction, and the main conveying devices 38, 54, 60 move along each conveying path, enter and exit each unit in each processing part, and carry out substrate processing. G's in/out or shipping. In addition, in this system, in each processing unit 22, 24, 26, units of the spinner system (SCR, CT, DEV, etc.) are arranged on one side of the conveyance paths 36, 51, 58, and heat treatment units are arranged on the other side. Units of the system (HP, COL, etc.).

The interface part (I/F) 14 provided at the other end of the system is provided with an extension part (substrate transfer part) 56 and a buffer table 57 on the side adjacent to the processing station 12, and is provided on the side adjacent to the exposure device. Handling mechanism 59. The transport mechanism 59 can move freely on the transport path 19 extending in the Y direction, and can take out and put in the substrate G with respect to the buffer table 57, and expose or expose the substrate G to the extension part (substrate transfer part) 56 and adjacent parts. Handover of the device.

Fig. 2 shows the steps of processing in this coating development processing system. First, at the substrate box station (C/S) 10, the transport mechanism 20 takes out a substrate G from the specified substrate box C on the workbench 12, and transfers it to the cleaning processing unit 22 of the processing station (P/S) 12 The conveying device 38 (step S1).

In the cleaning processing part 22, the substrate G is transported into the ultraviolet irradiation/cooling unit (UV/COL) 30 in sequence, and the initial dry cleaning with ultraviolet irradiation is carried out in the ultraviolet irradiation unit (UV), and then the drying process is carried out in the cooling unit (COL). Cool to a predetermined temperature (step S2). In this ultraviolet cleaning, organic substances on the surface of the substrate are mainly removed.

Next, the substrate G is subjected to a scrub cleaning process in one of the scrub cleaning units (SCR) 28 to remove particulate dirt from the surface of the substrate (step S3). After scrubbing, the substrate G is dehydrated by heating in the heating unit (HP) 32 (step S4), and then cooled to a certain substrate temperature in the cooling unit 34 (step S5). At this point, the pre-processing in the cleaning processing unit 22 is completed, and the substrate G is transported by the main transport device 38 to the coating processing unit 24 via the substrate transfer unit 23 .

In the coating processing section 24, the substrate G is first transported into the bonding/cooling unit (AD/COL) 46 in sequence, and initially accepts the hydrophobization treatment (HMDS) in the bonding unit (AD) (step S6), and secondly, after cooling The cell (COL) is cooled to a certain substrate temperature (step S7).

Then, the substrate G is subjected to a photoresist liquid coating process in a photoresist coating unit (CT) 40, and then undergoes a drying process by reducing pressure in a vacuum drying unit (VD) 42, and then the edge The cleaning unit (ER) 44 removes the photoresist on the unnecessary part (unnecessary) around the substrate.

Next, the substrate G is transported into the heating/cooling unit (HP/COL) 48 in sequence, and initially the drying (pre-drying) after coating is carried out in the heating unit (HP) (step S9), and secondly, in the cooling unit (COL). ) is cooled to a certain substrate temperature (step S10). In addition, the heating unit (HP) 50 can also be utilized for drying after such coating.

After the above-mentioned coating process, the substrate G is transported to the interface part (I/F) 14 by the main transport device 54 of the coating processing part 24 and the main transport device 60 of the development processing part 26, and is sent to the exposure device from there (step S11). The photoresist on the substrate G is exposed to a predetermined circuit pattern using an exposure device. Then, the pattern-exposed substrate G is returned to the interface unit (I/F) 14 from the exposure apparatus. The conveyance mechanism 59 of the interface part (I/F) 14 transfers the board|substrate G received from the exposure apparatus to the development processing part 26 of the processing station (P/S) 12 via the extension part 56 (step S11).

In the development processing part 26, the substrate G is subjected to the development treatment of one of the development units (DEV) 52 (step S12), and then, is sequentially transported into one of the heating/cooling units (HP/COL) 53, initially in the heating unit. (HP) performs post-drying (step S13), and then cools to a certain substrate temperature in the cooling unit (COL) (step S14). For this post-drying, a heating unit (HP) 55 can also be used.

The substrate G after a series of processing in the developing processing section 26 is returned to the substrate box station (C/S) 10 by the conveying devices 60, 54, 38 in the processing station (P/S) 24, where, It is accommodated in any one of the substrate cassettes C by the transport mechanism 20 (step S1).

In this coating and development processing system, for example, the present invention can be applied to the edge cleaner unit (ER) 44 of the coating processing section 24 . Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to the edge cleaning unit (ER) 44 will be described based on FIGS. 3 to 17 .

3 and 4 show the structure of the main parts of the photoresist coating unit (CT) 40, vacuum drying unit (VD) 42 and edge cleaning unit (ER) 44 in the coating processing section 12.

These coating system processing unit groups (CT) 40 , (VD) 42 , and (ER) 44 are arranged in a row on the support table 60 in the order of processing steps. A pair of guide rails 62,62 are laid on both sides of the support table 60, and one or more groups of transport arms 64,64 that move in parallel along the two guide rails 62,62 are used to directly (not pass through the side of the main transport path 52 side) between the units. The main transfer device 54) exchanges the substrate G.

The photoresist coating unit (CT) 40 includes: a cup-shaped processing container 66 with an open upper surface, and a liftable table 68 for holding the substrate G is horizontally placed in the processing container 66. The table 68 is raised and lowered, and the lifting drive unit 70 provided at the lower part of the processing container 66 is a nozzle that drives the photoresist nozzle 72 for dropping photoresist onto the substrate G on the table 68 from above in the XY direction. The scanning mechanism 74, the nozzle maintenance unit 76 for maintaining the photoresist nozzle 72 that is not in operation on the outside of the processing container 66, and the controllers (not shown in the figure) that control each unit. The nozzle maintenance unit 76 includes a nozzle cleaning unit 78 and a nozzle standby unit 80 .

The nozzle scanning mechanism 74 arranges a pair of Y guide rails 82, 82 extending in the Y direction on both sides of the processing container 66, and an X guide rail 84 extending in the X direction straddles the two Y guide rails 82, 82 so as to be movable in the Y direction. Between 82. The Y-direction drive part 86 that is arranged on the prescribed position, such as one end of the Y guide rail 82 on one side moves the X guide rail 84 along the two Y guide rails 82, 82 to the Y direction via a transmission mechanism (not shown) such as an endless belt. direction drive. In addition, a carriage (carrier) 88 movable in the X direction along the X guide rail 84 is provided, for example, by self-propelled or externally driven, and the photoresist nozzle 72 is detachably attached to the carriage 88 .

The decompression drying unit (VD) 42 has a lower chamber 90 of tray or shallow-bottomed container type with an upper surface opening, and a cover-shaped lid-like structure that can be airtightly attached or fitted to the upper surface of the lower chamber 90. upper chamber 92 . The lower chamber 90 has a substantially square shape, and a table 94 for horizontally placing and supporting the substrate G is arranged at the center, and exhaust ports 96 are provided at four corners of the bottom surface. Exhaust pipes 98 connected to the respective exhaust ports 96 from the lower portion of the lower chamber 90 lead to a vacuum pump (not shown). With the upper chamber 92 covered on the lower chamber 90, the processing space between the two chambers 90, 92 is decompressed to a predetermined vacuum degree by the vacuum pump.

On the edge cleaning unit (ER) 44, a workbench 100 made of, for example, an aluminum plate on which the substrate G is placed horizontally is provided, and an alignment mechanism 102 according to the first embodiment for positioning the substrate G on the workbench 100 is set. Four cleaning heads 104 and the like are used to remove excess photoresist from the peripheral portions (edges) of the four sides of G. The calibration mechanism 102 positions the substrate G on the workbench 100 to a set position, and in a state of being fixedly held in a horizontal posture, each cleaning head 104 moves along each side of the substrate G, and uses a solvent such as a thinner Excess photoresist on the periphery of each side of the attached substrate was dissolved and removed.

The alignment mechanism 102 of the first embodiment is disposed face to face in the direction of a pair of diagonal lines of the table 100, and has a pair of pressing parts 106, 106 movable in the same direction. As shown in FIG. 3 , the two pushing parts 106 , 106 have end effectors whose front ends are opened substantially at a right angle (90°) in the horizontal plane. When aligning the substrate G on the workbench 100, in order for the two end effectors to fit tightly on the opposite corners of the substrate G from both sides in the direction of the diagonal line of the substrate G, two pushing Sections 106, 106 move from the standby position toward the center of table 100 to positions of prescribed outward movement, respectively.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5 , the alignment mechanism 102 has a plurality of support pins 108 for horizontally supporting the substrate G, which are dispersedly arranged on the table 100 at predetermined intervals, and a support pin for substantially floating the substrate G from the support pins 108 . The floating part 110, and the suction fixing part 112 for fixing the substrate G by vacuum suction. In the illustrated example, the columns of the support pins 108 and the floating sections 110 and the columns of the suction-fixed sections 112 are alternately arranged in the row direction.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the support pin 108 extends or protrudes vertically upward from the center portion of the upper end of the cylindrical support 114 fixedly mounted on the table 100 , and the tip of the pin receives the lower surface of the substrate G. The floating part 110 includes a trumpet-shaped gas ejection part 116 extending upward from the upper end peripheral portion of the cylindrical support body 114, and is connected to the gas ejection part 116 through the ventilation path 114a and the gas supply pipe 118 in the cylindrical support body 114. A high-pressure gas supply source (not shown in the figure) on the outlet 116. An on-off valve (not shown) for opening/closing control is provided in the middle of the gas supply pipe 118 . The upper end of the gas ejection portion 116 can be set at a height at which a slight gap g is formed with the back surface (lower surface) of the substrate G placed on the support pin 108 .

As shown in FIG. 7 , under the state where the substrate G is placed on the workbench 100, the high-pressure gas from the above-mentioned high-pressure gas supply source, such as air (or nitrogen, etc.), is passed through the gas supply pipe 118 and the cylindrical When the air passage 114a in the support body 114 is ejected from the gas ejection portion 116 at a pressure that cancels the gravity of the substrate G or exceeds it, the substrate G substantially floats from the support pins 108 . Since the gas ejection portion 116 is formed in a horn shape, the air hitting the lower surface of the substrate G is smoothly discharged through the gap g without generating a vortex.

The material of the support pin 108 can be any material with high physical strength since it hardly rubs strongly against the substrate G, but rubber or resin with a low coefficient of friction against the substrate G is preferable. The gas ejection part 116 of the floating part 110 can also be made of any material, but it is preferably a flexible material that will not damage it through elastic bending even if it comes into contact with the substrate G, such as rubber, cloth, engineering plastics, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the adsorption and fixing part 112 is made of a cylindrical body that is installed vertically upward on the upper surface of the workbench 100 at substantially the same height as the support pin 108. not shown) is connected to a vacuum source such as a vacuum pump or an ejector (not shown). In the state where the substrate G is placed on the table 100, the on-off valve (not shown) for opening/closing control provided in the middle of the suction pipe is opened, and the adsorption and fixing part 112 is connected to the suction pipe. When it reaches the vacuum source, the substrate G is sucked and held on the suction-fixing part 112 by the vacuum suction force. In addition, the material of the suction-fixing portion 112 is preferably rubber, resin, etc., which are not likely to damage the substrate at least at the upper end portion in contact with the substrate G.

Here, the overall function of the calibration mechanism 102 in this embodiment will be described. As described above, the substrate G, which is coated with a photoresist liquid by the photoresist coating unit (CT) 40 and then dried by the vacuum drying unit (VD) 42, is transported by the transfer arm 64, 64 into the edge cleaning unit (ER) 44, on the table 101 and more correctly placed substantially horizontally on the support pins 108. When the substrate is brought in, the floating unit 110 and the suction-fixing unit 112 are in a non-operating state.

After the substrate is brought in, first, the floating unit 110 operates, and as described above, high-pressure air is jetted from the gas jet unit 116 to substantially float the substrate G from the support pins 108 by the pressure of the air. In the state where the substrate G is lifted in this way, the pressing parts 106, 106 operate, and as described above, the two end effectors move in the direction of a pair of diagonal lines of the substrate G until they are tightly engaged with the corners on both sides. On the other hand, during this moving process, the position of the substrate G is finely adjusted in the XY direction, and positioned at the set position on the stage 100 .

During this alignment, the substrate G may be completely suspended, or may be in light contact with a part or all of the supporting pins 108 . Since the gravity of the substrate G is almost canceled by the pressure of the air, even if the lower surface of the substrate G is in contact with the support pins 108, it can slide smoothly, so no damage or scratches are caused, and no contamination occurs. In addition, the substrate G in the suspended state may be at least partially higher than the tip ends of the pins in the vicinity of each support pin 108, and the height between the adjacent pins 108, 108 and the peripheral portion of the substrate may be bent downward to be lower than the height of the tip ends of the pins. Location.

After the above-mentioned alignment of the substrate G is completed, the floating portion 110 is disconnected, and the ejection of high-pressure air is stopped. Then, replace the floating part. The suction-fixing unit 112 operates to apply vacuum suction force to fix and hold the substrate G at a set position in a horizontal posture. The pressing parts 106, 106 are separated from the substrate G at this stage, or immediately after the previous positioning is completed, and retreat to the standby position.

In this way, the substrate G is positioned to a set position on the table 100 by the alignment mechanism 102, and is fixedly held in a horizontal posture. In this state, the cleaning head 104 operates to remove excess photoresist from the peripheral portion of the substrate G as described above. After the edge cleaning is finished, the suction fixing part 112 is closed in the calibration mechanism 102, and the vacuum suction force is released. Afterwards, the transport arms 64, 64 or other transport mechanisms transport the processed substrate G out of the workbench 100 and transport it to the post-process processing unit.

As described above, in the alignment mechanism 102 of this embodiment, when the alignment in the XY direction is mechanically performed on the table 100 using the pressing parts 106, 106, the floating part 100 changes the substrate G from the supporting pin The state of substantially floating on the surface of the substrate G does not cause damage or scratches to the lower surface of the substrate G, and also does not cause contamination, and the substrate G can be positioned on the set position on the table 100 smoothly and with high precision. . Furthermore, since the gas ejection portion 116 of the floating portion 110 is provided in the vicinity of the support pin 108 so as to surround the support pin 108, the substrate G can be locally and efficiently floated from the support pin 108, and the substrate G can be lifted as much as possible. Reduce the consumption of high pressure gas.

In addition, in the edge cleaning unit (ER) 44 of this embodiment, since the calibration mechanism 102 can be used to align the substrate G on the set position on the workbench 100 safely, correctly and quickly, the cleaning head can be used to 104 Perform safe, high-precision, and high-efficiency edge cleaning on the peripheral portions of each side of the substrate G.

Next, the calibration substrate 102 according to the second embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 8 to 13 . The calibration mechanism 102 of the second embodiment, for example, can also be applied to the edge cleaning unit (ER) 44 of the present embodiment, which has the same pushing portion 106 as the first embodiment ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ).

As shown in FIG. 8 , in this embodiment, on the workbench 100 , at predetermined intervals, scattered, for example, in a grid-like arrangement pattern, for example, a cylindrical surface that doubles as a support portion, a floating portion, and adsorption and fixation is disposed. protrusion 120 .

As shown in FIGS. 9, 11, and 13, the protruding part 120 has a lower cylindrical body 122 fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the workbench 100, and the upper part of the lower cylindrical body 122 can The upper cylindrical portion 126 is installed displaceably in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. On the inner wall of the lower cylindrical body 122, an annular groove 122a for fitting and fixing the flange-shaped lower end 124a of the gas guiding part 124 is formed, and on the inner wall of the upper cylindrical body 126, a horn for guiding the gas guiding part 124 is formed. The molded upper end portion 124b is fitted into the ring-shaped groove portion 126a for fixing. The lower end portion of the gas guide portion 124 is connected to a gas pipe 128 passing through the table 100 .

The material of the lower cylindrical body 122 may be any member with high physical strength. The material of the upper cylindrical body 126 is preferably rubber or resin that does not damage the substrate G since it is in direct contact with the lower surface of the substrate G. The gas guide part 124 is preferably made of flexible rubber or cloth.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12 , the gas tube 128 connected to the protruding part 120 (more precisely, the gas guide part 124 ) passes through the on-off valve 130 for on/off control and the two-position valve for flow path switching. The three-way valve 132 communicates with a high-pressure gas supply source 134 and a vacuum source 136 . The on-off valve 130 and the three-way valve 132 are constituted by, for example, electromagnetic valves, and the control unit 138 controls the opening/closing position of the on-off valve 130 and the switching position of the three-way valve 132 . In addition, pressure control devices (not shown) are included in the high-pressure gas supply source 134 and the vacuum source 136 respectively.

In the state where the substrate G is placed on the table 100, as shown in FIG. High-pressure gas from a high-pressure gas supply source 134 , such as air (or nitrogen, etc.) is supplied to the gas guide 124 in each cylindrical body 120 through the gas tube 128 . Thereby, as shown in FIG. 11 , the gas guide part 124 functions as a blowout part to blow the high-pressure gas vertically upward onto the lower surface of the substrate G. As shown in FIG. By setting the air pressure on the side of the high-pressure gas supply source 134 such that the pressure of such vertically upward air cancels the gravity of the substrate G or exceeds the gravity, the substrate G can float from the upper surface of the upper cylindrical body 126. rise. At this time, the air ejected vertically upward from the air guide part 124 is discharged outward through the gap g formed between the lower surface of the substrate G and the upper surface of the upper cylindrical body 126 . Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11 , the gas guide part 124 is pulled upward by the pressure of the vertically upward air, and the upper cylindrical body 126 is in a state of floating from the lower cylindrical body 122 .

In this embodiment, also, in the floating state, the lower surface of the substrate G may lightly contact the upper surface of the upper cylindrical body 126 . In this case, when the substrate G is displaced or moved in the horizontal direction by the pressing force in the horizontal direction generated by the pressing parts 106, 106, since the upper cylindrical body 126 is supported by the flexible gas guide part 124, It is possible to imitate the movement of the substrate G to be displaced in the same direction. Therefore, the substrate G will not be damaged or scratched. Accordingly, the substrate G can be positioned safely, quickly, and accurately at the set position of the stage 100 .

After the above-mentioned alignment is completed, as shown in Figure 12, when the three-way valve 132 is switched to the vacuum source 132 side, the high-pressure gas supply source 134 is cut off, and the vacuum source 136 is connected to the vacuum source 136 via the gas pipe 128 instead. On the gas guide part 124 inside each cylindrical body 120 . Thereby, as shown in FIG. 13 , the gas guide part 124 functions as a suction part, and the substrate G is sucked and fixedly held on the upper surface of the upper cylindrical body 126 . At this time, the gas guide portion 124 and the upper cylinder 126 are sucked vertically downward by vacuum suction, and the upper cylinder 126 is seated on the lower cylinder 122 and fixed. In this way, the substrate G is fixedly held at a set position on the stage 100 . In the edge cleaning unit (ER) 44 , in this state, by operating the cleaning head 104 as described above, a favorable edge cleaning process can be performed on the peripheral portion of the substrate G. As shown in FIG.

As mentioned above, in the second embodiment, when using the pushing parts 106, 106 to mechanically perform the alignment in the XY direction on the table 100, the protruding part 120 on the table 100 is used. The floating function of the substrate G will not cause damage and scratches to the lower surface of the substrate G by making the substrate G in a state of substantially floating from the substrate supporting part (the upper surface of the upper cylindrical body 126), and will not cause any damage. Contamination, the substrate G can be positioned at a set position on the stage 100 smoothly and with high precision. In addition, since the floating mechanism is provided inside the substrate supporting part in the protruding part 120, the substrate G can be partially floated from the substrate supporting part efficiently, and the consumption of high-pressure gas can be reduced as much as possible.

Furthermore, in the second embodiment, since the cylindrical body 120 on the workbench 100 has a vacuum suction function, it is possible to omit a dedicated suction and fixing part, reduce the number of parts, reduce the cost of the parts, and increase the load on the workbench. flatness of the surface.

In addition, the shape and structure of the protruding portion 120 may be variously deformed. For example, a structure in which the protrusion 120 is formed into a square cylinder and a structure in which the upper cylinder 126 and the lower cylinder 122 are integrally formed may be adopted. Instead of the trumpet shape, a structure in which the gas guide part 124 is formed into a cylindrical shape, a structure in which a through hole of a cylinder is used instead, or the like may be employed.

In Fig. 14 and Fig. 15, the structure of the main part of the calibration mechanism 102 according to the third embodiment is shown. The calibration mechanism 102 of this embodiment can also be applied to the edge cleaning unit (ER) 44 of this embodiment, for example, and has the same pushing portion 106 as that of the above-mentioned first embodiment (Fig. 3, Fig. 4).

In this third embodiment, movable support pads 140 serving as both support portions and floating portions are dispersedly arranged on the table 100 at predetermined intervals. The function of fixing and holding the substrate G may be undertaken by a dedicated adsorption member, for example, the adsorption and fixing part 112 in the above-mentioned first embodiment.

In FIGS. 14 and 15 , the support pad 140 constitutes a disc body having a flange portion 140 a at the lower end, and is accommodated in a circular shape formed on the upper surface of a cylindrical base member 142 so as to be displaceable in the horizontal and vertical directions. inside the concave portion 142a. In more detail, a protrusion or a seat portion 144 having a flat upper surface is formed on the center portion of the bottom surface of the concave portion 142a, and the support pad 140 is seated on the upper surface of the seat portion 144 . The ring-shaped flange portion 142c protruding horizontally above the concave portion 142a from the upper end peripheral portion of the base member 142 has a support function for placing the substrate G on the upper surface, and acts as a stopper for blocking the flange portion 140a of the support pad 140 with the lower surface. function.

As shown in FIG. 14 , when the support pad 140 is seated on the seat portion 144 , the upper surface of the support pad 140 is set lower than the upper surface of the flange portion 142 c of the base member 142 . The seat portion 144 is provided with a plurality of vertically penetrating gas ejection holes 144 a connected to gas passages or gas supply pipes 146 penetrating the base member 142 and the table 100 . The gas supply pipe 146 is connected to a high-pressure gas generating source (not shown) via an open/close control on-off valve (not shown).

A plurality of exhaust ports 142d are formed on the bottom surface of the concave portion 142a of the base member 142 . These exhaust ports 142d lead to an exhaust system, such as an exhaust duct (not shown), via an exhaust path or exhaust pipe 148 passing through the base member 142 and the table 100 .

In this embodiment, when the substrate G is aligned on the stage 100, as shown in FIG. The gas ejection hole 144a ejects air at a predetermined pressure from the gas ejection hole 144a. The air in contact with the lower surface of the substrate G is guided by the downwardly curved lower surface of the flange portion 140a of the support pad 140, released to the side of the seat portion 144, and discharged through the exhaust port 142d. Receiving the vertical upward pressure by the high-pressure air, the support pad 140 is in a state of floating from the seat portion 144 with the substrate G placed on it as it is. In this floating state, by operating the pressing parts 106 , 106 , the substrate G can be displaced integrally with the support pad 140 to be positioned at a set position on the table 100 .

After the positioning is completed, the high-pressure gas from the high-pressure gas generating source is cut off, and the support pad 140 is lowered. The substrate G is transferred to the flange portion 142c of the base member 142 during the descent of the support pad 140, and is fixed and held at this height position by the vacuum suction force of the suction fixing portion (112).

In the present embodiment, it is preferable that the support pad 140 places the substrate G at the center position in the base member concave portion 142 a in the neutral state immediately before the pressing portions 106 , 106 operate. In order to realize this neutral position function, as shown in FIG. 16, for example, a plurality of (for example, three at intervals of 120° along the circumferential direction) spirals are arranged radially between the outer peripheral surface of the support pad 140 and the inner surface of the concave portion 142a. Spring 150.

In the present embodiment, when using the pressing parts 106 and 106 on the table 100 to mechanically perform the alignment in the XY direction, by using the gas pressure floating of the support pads 140 distributedly arranged on the table 100, The positioning function allows the substrate G to be in a substantially floating state, without causing damage or scratches to the lower surface of the substrate G, and without contamination, so that the substrate G can be positioned on the workbench 100 smoothly and with high precision. set position. In addition, since the support pad 140 and the floating mechanism act on the table 100 in a dispersed and local manner, the substrate G can be efficiently floated, and the consumption of high-pressure gas can be reduced.

In FIG. 17, the structure of the main part of the calibration mechanism 102 according to the fourth embodiment is shown. The calibration mechanism 102 of this embodiment is also applicable to the edge cleaning unit (ER) 44 of this embodiment, for example, and has the same pushing portion 106 as that of the above-mentioned first embodiment (Fig. 3, Fig. 4).

In the calibration mechanism 102 of the present embodiment, support portions 152 displaceable in the horizontal direction are dispersedly arranged on the table 102 at predetermined intervals. The function of fixing and holding the substrate G is undertaken by a dedicated suction member, for example, the suction-fixing part 112 in the first embodiment described above.

As shown in FIG. 17, a concave portion 100a is formed on the upper surface of the workbench 100, and in the inside of the concave portion 100a, for example, a cylindrical support portion 152 having a spherical caster 154 that can rotate in any direction is provided in the horizontal direction, The supporting portion 152 is supported by a plurality of (for example, three arranged at intervals of 120° in the circumferential direction) coil springs 156 radially arranged.

When aligning the substrate G on the table 100 , as shown in FIG. 17 , the substrate G is placed on the upper surface of the support portion 152 , and the pressing portions 106 , 106 are operated in this state. The supporting part 152 is displaced in the horizontal direction integrally with the substrate G, and positions the substrate G at a predetermined position.

In this fourth embodiment, since there is no gas pressure type floating mechanism as in the above-mentioned first to third embodiments, it is not possible to displace the substrate G in the vertical direction during alignment. However, the mechanism for displacing the support portion 152 in the horizontal direction imitating the displacement of the substrate G makes it difficult to damage and scratch the lower surface of the substrate G. In addition, the support portion 152 is not limited to a cylinder, and may have various shapes.

In the coating and development processing system of this embodiment, in addition to the edge cleaning unit (ER) 44 of the above-mentioned coating processing section 14, the transport mechanism 20 and the interface section (I) of the substrate cassette station (C/S) 10 The present invention can also be applied to the transport mechanism 59 of /F) 14.

FIG. 18 shows an embodiment of the structure of the transport mechanism 59 . This conveyance mechanism 59 has a substantially horizontal and substantially rectangular conveyance table 160 mounted on a conveyance body (not shown) capable of moving along the conveyance path 19 so as to be rotatable in the θ direction and move (elevate) in the vertical direction. .

On the upper surface of the conveyance table 160, a conveyance arm 162 capable of moving forward and backward horizontally along the longitudinal direction of the table is attached. In FIG. 18 , the transfer arm 162 is located at the original position on the workbench 160 . On the upper surface of the transfer arm 162, a plurality of sheet-shaped suction pads 162a for suction-fixing the substrate G are provided.

Furthermore, on the upper surface of the transfer workbench 160, a plurality of (for example 4) supporting pins 164 and a plurality of (for example 4) support pins 164 and a plurality of (for example 4) alignment pins 164 and a plurality of (for example 4) that can be set up and down freely or come in and out are set respectively on the position that does not interfere with the transfer arm 162 on the upper surface of the transfer workbench 160. 4) push pin 166. When the transfer arm 162 is released from the adsorption hold on the substrate G at the original position, the support pin 164 protrudes (raises) from the retracted position to a predetermined height, and the substrate G is transferred from the transfer arm 162 to the support pin 164 .

Each pressing portion 166 is arranged on the outside of the substrate G placed on the transport arm 162 or the support pin 164 in the longitudinal direction of the transport table 160 (the direction of movement of the arm) close to the original position, and can be placed in the guide groove or the elongated hole 168. Move along the length of the table. In the state where the substrate G is placed on the support pins 164, when each push pin 166 moves toward the center of the substrate to a predetermined outward movement position, the substrate G is pushed from both sides by the push pins 166 in the longitudinal direction of the table. Push and position. In addition, a rubber or resin roller (not shown) that is rotatable about a vertical axis may be attached to a portion where each of the pressing pins 166 contacts the substrate G.

Furthermore, a pair of left and right pressing arms 170 , 170 movable in the width direction are provided on the table 100 for positioning in the width direction perpendicular to the length direction of the table (arm moving direction). The pressing pads 172 and 172 attached to these pressing arms 170 and 170 respectively press the opposing side surfaces of the substrate G placed on the support pins 164 from both sides. In order to reduce impact and friction when contacting the substrate G, rubber or resin rollers 174 rotatable around a vertical axis are also attached to these pressing pads 172 .

In this embodiment, for example, the floating portion 110 in the first embodiment may be incorporated into the support pin 164 . That is, the same structure as that in which the floating portion 110 is coupled to the support pin 108 in the first embodiment described above ( FIGS. 5 to 7 ) can be applied to the support pin 164 . However, since it is not fixedly installed on the workbench 160, it must be transformed into a lifting type. Also in this embodiment, high-pressure gas may be supplied to the floating portion 110 to substantially float the substrate G from the support pins 108 as in the first embodiment described above. At the same time, by making the pushing pin 166 and the pushing arm 170 perform the action as described above on the substrate G that has become floating, the lower surface of the substrate G will not be damaged or scratched, and contamination will not occur. The substrate G can be smoothly and accurately positioned at a set position on the table 100 .

After the above alignment is completed, the floating portion 110 is disconnected, and the substrate G is supported on the support pin 164 at the set position. Next, when the pressing pins 166 and the pressing arms 170 are separated from the base G to retract to predetermined original positions, the support pins 164 are also retracted to the original positions, that is, they are vertically lowered downward. As the support pin 164 descends, the substrate G moves from the support pin 164 and is placed on the transfer arm 162 . When the transfer arm 162 receives the substrate G, it holds and fixes the substrate G by the vacuum suction force of the suction pad 162 a. In this way, the transport mechanism 59 can transport the substrate G aligned on the stage 160 to the buffer table 57, the extension part 56, and the adjacent exposure device.

In addition, with the complication and size of the mechanism, in this embodiment, instead of the support pin 164, the structure of the movable support pad 140 (FIGS. 14 to 16) according to the above-mentioned third embodiment can be adopted.

In addition, when the present invention is applied to the transport mechanism 20 of the substrate cassette station (C/S) 10, the same structure and effects as above are obtained.

In the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 17 , the support portion 152 and the substrate G are integrally displaced in the horizontal direction to position the substrate G at a set position, but the substrate G can also be positioned using the structure shown in FIG. 19 . G's location. In the modified example shown in FIG. 19 , for example, a cylindrical support portion 182 , which is installed with a spherical member 184 made of ceramics and can be rotated in any direction along the horizontal direction, is fixed to the upper surface of the workbench 100 with screws, By the rotation of the spherical member 184, the substrate G is displaced in the horizontal direction, and the substrate G is positioned at a set position.

FIG. 20 is an enlarged view showing the main part of the support portion 182 shown in FIG. 19 . A ball bearing 186 is mounted on the upper surface of the support portion 182, and a spherical member 184 is rotatably mounted.

In addition, the positioning of the board|substrate G can also be performed with the structure shown in FIG. In the modified example shown in FIG. 21 , a ventilation path 188 is formed in the support portion 182, and a high-pressure gas such as air (or nitrogen gas, etc.) is supplied to the ventilation path before the substrate G is placed on the spherical member 184. 188 , place the substrate G in a state where the spherical member 184 is floated. When the pressing parts 106 and 106 are operated in this state, the ball 184 rotates, the substrate G is displaced in the horizontal direction, and the substrate G is positioned at a set position. Next, when the supply of air into the air passage 188 is stopped, the spherical member 184 descends, and its rotation is suppressed. Then, the pressing of the substrate G by the pressing parts 106 and 106 is released.

Further, in order to suppress the rotation of the spherical member 184, the air passage 188 may be connected to a vacuum source (not shown in the figure), and the rotation of the spherical member 184 may be fixed by an attractive force.

The above-mentioned air supply state, the state of stopping the air supply, and the switching of the suction state are controlled, for example, by the configuration shown in FIGS. 10 and 12 .

As described above, when the substrate G is displaced in the horizontal direction, the spherical member 184 can be floated and rotated, and since the rotation of the member 184 is suppressed when the substrate G is positioned, the substrate G can be positioned without causing damage or scratches. .

Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to various substrate processing apparatuses or substrate transfer apparatuses other than the above-described embodiments. In addition, the substrate to be processed in the present invention is not limited to LCD substrates, and can be various substrates for flat panel display, semiconductor wafers, CD substrates, glass substrates, photolithography masks, printed circuit substrates, etc.

As described above, according to the substrate alignment device of the present invention, no damage or scratches will be caused to the substrate to be processed, and no contamination will occur, and the alignment of the substrate can be performed safely, correctly, and efficiently.

In addition, according to the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the alignment of the substrate to be processed can be performed safely, correctly and effectively, and the processing quality and efficiency can be improved.

In addition, according to the substrate conveying device of the present invention, the substrate to be processed can be aligned safely, correctly and effectively, and the substrate conveying accuracy, reliability, efficiency, etc. can be improved.

The above surface has described the present invention in detail, but they are only used as examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto. It should be understood that the spirit and scope of the present invention are defined by the appended claims.

Claims (15)

1. A substrate calibration device, comprising: A plurality of supporting parts dispersedly arranged to support the substrate (G) to be processed substantially horizontally, In the vicinity of each of the support parts, a floating mechanism (110) that applies gas pressure to the substrate to be processed from below to substantially float the substrate to be processed, A positioning mechanism (102) for positioning the floating substrate by pressing it in a predetermined direction within a horizontal plane. 2. The substrate alignment device according to claim 1, wherein the support portion has a support pin (108) installed vertically upward on a substantially horizontal table (100), and the substrate to be processed is placed on the front end of the support pin (G). 3. The substrate alignment device according to claim 2, wherein the floating mechanism (110) has a gas blowing mechanism for blowing the gas to the lower surface of the substrate to be processed at a predetermined pressure around the support pin (108). Ministry (116). 4. The substrate alignment device according to claim 3, wherein the gas ejection unit (116) has a trumpet-shaped ejection member whose aperture gradually increases toward the upper end. 5. The substrate alignment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supporting portion has an upper surface on which the substrate to be processed (G) is placed and a through hole extending in a vertical direction. 6. The substrate alignment device according to claim 5, wherein the floating mechanism (110) has a gas that blows the gas from the through hole of the support member to the lower surface of the substrate to be processed (G) at a predetermined pressure. The ejection part (116). 7. The substrate aligning device according to claim 6, wherein the supporting member has a lower cylindrical body (122) fixed to a substantially horizontal workbench (100) facing vertically upwards, and a The upper cylindrical body (126) installed on the lower cylindrical body can be displaced vertically upward. 8. The substrate alignment device according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned supporting portion includes a pad (140) having an upper surface on which the aforementioned substrate to be processed (G) is placed and a lower surface receiving the pressure of the aforementioned gas, and is mounted on a substantially A pad support mechanism for supporting the pad on a horizontal table (100) so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction within a predetermined range. 9. The board alignment device according to claim 8, wherein the floating mechanism (110) has a gas ejection part (144a) that ejects the gas to the lower surface of the pad (140) at a predetermined pressure. 10. The substrate alignment device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising a fixing mechanism (112) for fixing the substrate to be processed (G) to the support portion by vacuum suction force. 11. The substrate alignment device according to claim 10, wherein the fixing mechanism (112) has a common gas guide portion (124) with the floating mechanism (110). 12. The substrate alignment device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the positioning mechanism (102) pushes a pair of opposing corners of the substrate to be processed (G) in a diagonal direction, and The aforementioned substrate to be processed is positioned. 13. The substrate alignment device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the positioning mechanism (102) pushes the sides of a part or all of the sides of the aforementioned processed substrate (G) in a direction perpendicular to the sides Press to position the substrate to be processed. 14. A substrate processing device, comprising: The substrate alignment device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, A processing mechanism that executes predetermined processing on the substrate to be processed (G) that has been aligned by the substrate alignment device. 15. A substrate handling device, comprising: The substrate alignment device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, A transport mechanism (38, 54, 60) for transporting the processed substrate (G) aligned by the substrate alignment device to a predetermined location.

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