JP2011142141A - Holder maintenance device - Google Patents

Abstract

In recent years when the diameter of a substrate tends to increase, the two substrates on which a circuit is formed are aligned with high accuracy so that electrodes to be joined come into contact with each other. There is a need for a mechanism for precisely managing the two substrate holders that respectively hold the substrate.
A holder maintenance device comprising a holder rack for accommodating a substrate holder and a cleaning device for cleaning a substrate holder taken out of the holder rack, the holder rack being attachable to and detachable from a processing unit including the cleaning device.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a holder maintenance device.

  It is known that two substrates on which a circuit is formed are bonded together by heating and pressing so that the electrodes to be bonded are in contact with each other. Here, there is no positional deviation between the two substrates after the two substrates are aligned and overlapped and bonded by heat and pressure, and the uniformity of pressure and temperature in the bonding stage is increased. For the purpose, two substrates are held between two substrate holders from above and below.

JP 2005-302858 A

  In recent years, when the diameter of the substrate tends to increase, it has become difficult to perform alignment with submicron accuracy over the entire surface of the substrates that are superimposed. Under such circumstances, in order to align the substrate with higher accuracy, a mechanism for precisely managing the two substrate holders holding the substrate is required.

  In order to solve the above problems, a holder maintenance device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a holder rack that accommodates a substrate holder, and a cleaning device that cleans a substrate holder taken out of the holder rack. It can be attached to and detached from the processing unit including the cleaning device.

  It should be noted that the above summary of the invention does not enumerate all the necessary features of the present invention. In addition, a sub-combination of these feature groups can also be an invention.

It is a top view which shows roughly the structure of a superposition apparatus and a holder maintenance apparatus. It is a top view which shows the structure of an upper board | substrate holder roughly. It is a top view which shows the structure of a lower substrate holder roughly. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a holder case roughly. It is a perspective view which shows roughly the external appearance of the housing | casing of a holder rack. It is a perspective view which shows roughly the structure of the rack main body of a holder rack. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of a dust detection apparatus roughly. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of a washing | cleaning apparatus roughly. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of a baking apparatus schematically. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of a holder maintenance apparatus.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. In addition, not all the combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the solving means of the invention.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the structure of the stacking apparatus 100 and the holder maintenance apparatus 400 according to the present embodiment. The superimposing apparatus 100 holds the two substrates 120 on which the circuit patterns are formed by the two substrate holders 190, and superimposes them so that the electrodes to be bonded are in contact with each other and heat and press to bond them. Device. A holder rack 300 that accommodates the substrate holder 190 is detachable from the superimposing apparatus 100, and the superimposing apparatus 100 carries the substrate holder 190 out of the mounted holder rack 300 for use.

  The holder maintenance device 400 is a device that performs maintenance by cleaning the substrate holder 190. The holder rack 300 can also be attached to and detached from the holder maintenance device 400, and the holder maintenance device 400 carries out the maintenance by unloading the substrate holder 190 from the mounted holder rack 300.

  The superimposing apparatus 100 includes an atmospheric environment unit 102 and a vacuum environment unit 202 formed in a common housing 101. The atmospheric environment unit 102 has a control unit 110 and an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) 112 facing the outside of the housing 101.

  Each element of each apparatus included in the superimposing apparatus 100 is operated by the control unit 110 that controls the entire superimposing apparatus 100 or the control arithmetic unit provided for each element performs integrated control and cooperative control. To do. The control unit 110 includes a storage unit 111 that stores information for controlling the superposition apparatus 100 and an operation unit that is operated by the user from the outside when the superposition apparatus 100 is turned on and various settings are made. Furthermore, the control unit 110 may include a connection unit that connects to other deployed devices.

  The EFEM 112 includes three load ports 113, 114, 115 and a robot arm 116. Each load port is equipped with a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod). The FOUP is a sealed substrate storing pod and can accommodate a plurality of substrates 120.

  A plurality of substrates 120 are accommodated in the FOUP attached to the load ports 113 and 114, and are carried into the atmospheric environment unit 102 by the robot arm 116. With this configuration, the substrate 120 can be transported from the FOUP to the atmospheric environment unit 102 without being exposed to the outside air, and dust can be prevented from adhering to the substrate 120. The substrate 120 bonded by the atmospheric environment unit 102 and the vacuum environment unit 202 is stored in a FOUP attached to the load port 115.

  Here, the substrate 120 is a single silicon wafer, a compound semiconductor wafer, or the like on which a plurality of circuit patterns are already formed periodically. In addition, the loaded substrate 120 may be a laminated substrate that is already formed by laminating a plurality of wafers.

  The atmospheric environment unit 102 includes a preliminary aligner 130, a main aligner 140, a reversing mechanism 150, a separation mechanism 160, and a transport mechanism 170, which are disposed inside the casing 101. The inside of the housing 101 is temperature-managed so that the temperature is substantially the same as the room temperature of the environment in which the overlay apparatus 100 is installed. Thereby, since the accuracy of the aligner 140 is stabilized, positioning can be accurately performed. Further, a known air filter is provided inside the housing 101, and a high cleanliness is maintained.

  The holder rack 300 is attached to and detached from the atmospheric environment unit 102 via a holder rack attaching / detaching unit 103 provided in a part of the housing 101. The holder rack 300 has a casing having a shutter and a rack main body installed in the casing, and has a structure in which the shutter is opened in a state of being attached to and closely attached to the holder rack attaching / detaching portion 103. It is possible to maintain the cleanliness by suppressing the disturbance of the atmosphere of the atmospheric environment unit 102 due to the attachment / detachment of the holder rack 300.

  Since the preliminary aligner 130 is highly accurate, the positions of the individual substrates 120 are temporarily aligned so that the positions of the substrates 120 are within the narrow adjustment range of the aligner 140. Thereby, the positioning in this aligner 140 can be ensured.

  The spare aligner 130 includes a turntable 131 and a holder table 132. The substrate 120 is placed on the turntable 131 by the robot arm 116 of the EFEM 112. Then, the position of the substrate 120 in the rotation direction is adjusted by the turntable 131. A substrate holder 190 transported from the holder rack 300 by the transport mechanism 170 is placed on the holder table 132. The substrate 120 conveyed from the turntable 131 to the holder table 132 by the substrate slider is placed on the substrate holder 190 after being accurately aligned.

  The holder table 132 is provided with power supply pins, and is connected to a power supply terminal provided on the back surface of the substrate holder 190 to supply power to the substrate holder 190. The substrate holder 190 supplied with power from the power supply terminal causes a potential difference on the substrate holding surface by the electrostatic chuck provided therein, and electrostatically attracts the substrate 120. The substrate 120 and the substrate holder 190 integrated in this way are called a workpiece.

  The aligner 140 includes a fixed stage 141, a moving stage 142, and an interferometer 143. Further, a heat insulating wall 144 and a shutter 145 are provided so as to surround the aligner 140. The space surrounded by the heat insulating wall 144 and the shutter 145 communicates with an air conditioner or the like and is temperature-controlled to maintain the alignment accuracy in the aligner 140.

  The fixed stage 141 is positioned above the moving stage 142 and holds the workpiece downward in a fixed state. A workpiece held on the fixed stage 141 is called an upper workpiece, and a substrate holder 190 constituting the upper workpiece is called an upper substrate holder 191. The moving stage 142 conveys the placed work. A workpiece placed on the moving stage 142 is referred to as a lower workpiece, and a substrate holder 190 constituting the lower workpiece is referred to as a lower substrate holder 192. Specific configurations of the upper substrate holder 191 and the lower substrate holder 192 will be described later.

  The upper workpiece held on the fixed stage 141 and the lower workpiece held on the moving stage 142 are precisely aligned so that the joint surfaces face each other. Then, by raising the lower workpiece, the joining surfaces come into contact with each other and are temporarily joined. The two temporarily joined workpieces are collectively called a workpiece pair.

  The reversing mechanism 150 is positioned below a first transport unit 171 and a second transport unit 172 described later, and holds the substrate holder 190 or a plurality of support pins that support the workpiece and the substrate holder 190 or the workpiece. A rotation gripping part to be reversed is provided. The substrate holder 190 or the work that has been transported by the first transport unit 171 or the second transport unit 172 is supported by the support pins, and the substrate holder 190 or the work on the support pins is gripped by the rotary gripping part and reversed.

  After the reversal, the substrate holder 190 or the work is again supported on the support pins, so that the first transport unit 171 or the second transport unit 172 can carry out the work. Since the plurality of support pins are provided at positions corresponding to the outer peripheral region of the substrate holding surface of the substrate holder 190, the substrate holder 190 or the workpiece can be supported upward or downward.

  The separation mechanism 160 takes out the substrate 120 that is sandwiched and bonded by the substrate holder 190 from the workpiece pair that has been heated and pressurized by the heating and pressing apparatus 240 described later. Here, if dust or the like adheres between the substrate 120 and the substrate holder 190 during heating and pressurization, a part of the substrate 120 and the substrate holder 190 may be fixed due to the biting or melting of the dust. is there.

  The fixed dust may remain on the substrate holder 190 after the substrate 120 is separated. Further, when dust or the like adheres between the substrate holder 190 and the heating and pressurizing stage of the heating and pressing apparatus 240, the fixing may occur. However, the adhered dust may remain in the substrate holder 190. There is sex. In particular, if dust adhered to the substrate holding surface of the substrate holder 190 remains, the flatness of the substrate holding surface is deteriorated, so that the heating and pressing by the heating and pressing device 240 is locally insufficient. There is a possibility that problems such as insufficient bonding strength and unstable electrostatic attraction of the substrate 120 may occur.

  The transport mechanism 170 includes a first transport unit 171, a second transport unit 172, a first delivery port 173, a second delivery port 174, a single slider 175, and a robot arm 176. The first transfer unit 171 and the second transfer unit 172 transfer the substrate 120, the substrate holder 190, the workpiece, and the workpiece pair between the spare aligner 130, the reversing mechanism 150, the first transfer port 173, and the second transfer port 174. .

  The first transport unit 171 and the second transport unit 172 travel independently on rails provided in parallel in the vertical direction. The first transport unit 171 is positioned above the second transport unit 172, and has a structure that can pass even while holding the substrate 120, the substrate holder 190, the workpiece, and the workpiece pair.

  The first delivery port 173 is provided in the upper part of the separation mechanism 160 and includes a substrate holder 190 and a push-up pin for placing a work pair. The second delivery port 174 also includes a push-up pin, and plays a role of mediating delivery of the single slider 175, the substrate holder 190, the workpiece, and the workpiece pair between the first conveyance unit 171 and the second conveyance unit.

  The single slider 175 conveys the workpiece and the workpiece pair between the second delivery port 174 and the main aligner 140. The robot arm 176 conveys a work pair between the first delivery port 173, the separation mechanism 160, and a load lock chamber 220 described later. The robot arm 176 transports the substrate holder 190 among the holder rack 300, the first delivery port 173, and the separation mechanism 160.

  The vacuum environment unit 202 includes a heat insulating wall 210, a load lock chamber 220, a robot arm 230, and a plurality of heating and pressurizing devices 240. The heat insulating wall 210 surrounds the vacuum environment unit 202 to maintain the internal temperature of the vacuum environment unit 202 and blocks heat radiation to the outside of the vacuum environment unit 202. Thereby, the influence which the heat of the vacuum environment part 202 has on the atmospheric environment part 102 can be suppressed. The robot arm 230 is a transfer device that transfers a work pair, and transfers the held work pair between the load lock chamber 220 and the heating and pressurizing device 240.

  The load lock chamber 220 includes shutters 222 and 224 that open and close alternately on the atmosphere environment unit 102 side and the vacuum environment unit 202 side. When the workpiece pair is carried from the atmospheric environment unit 102 to the vacuum environment unit 202, first, the shutter 222 on the atmospheric environment unit 102 side is opened, and the robot arm 176 carries the workpiece pair into the load lock chamber 220. Next, the shutter 222 on the atmosphere environment unit 102 side is closed, and the air in the load lock chamber 220 is exhausted to make a vacuum state.

  After the inside of the load lock chamber 220 is in a vacuum state, the shutter 224 on the vacuum environment unit 202 side is opened, and the robot arm 230 carries out the workpiece pair. By such a loading operation to the vacuum environment unit 202, the workpiece pair can be loaded into the vacuum environment unit 202 without leaking the internal atmosphere of the air environment unit 102 to the vacuum environment unit 202 side.

  Next, the robot arm 230 carries the work pair carried out from the load lock chamber 220 into one of the plurality of heating and pressurizing devices 240. The heating / pressurizing device 240 heats and presses the workpiece pair. Thereby, the board | substrate 120 carried in in the state pinched | interposed into the board | substrate holder 190 is joined permanently.

  When the workpiece pair is carried out from the vacuum environment unit 202 to the atmospheric environment unit 102, the shutter 224 on the vacuum environment unit 202 side is first opened, and the robot arm 230 carries the workpiece pair into the load lock chamber 220. Next, the shutter 224 on the vacuum environment section 202 side is closed, and the shutter 222 on the atmosphere environment section 102 side is opened.

  The holder rack 300 includes a holder case 350 that accommodates the substrate holder 190 and a shelf on which the holder case 350 is placed. The substrate holder 190 in the holder case 350 placed on the holder rack 300 is put in and out by the robot arm 176. A specific configuration of the holder rack 300 will be described later.

  The holder maintenance device 400 is a device that performs maintenance by cleaning the substrate holder 190, and can maintain the substrate holder 190 used in the stacking device 100. Here, an example of cleaning by cleaning the substrate holder 190 will be described. The holder maintenance device 400 includes a processing unit 401 and a control unit 404 facing the outside of the processing unit 401. A holder rack attaching / detaching unit 402 is provided in a part of the processing unit 401, and the holder rack 300 is attached thereto.

  Each element of each device included in the holder maintenance device 400 is operated by the control unit 404 that controls and calculates the entire holder maintenance device 400 or the control calculation unit provided for each element performs integrated control and cooperative control. To do. The control unit 404 includes a storage unit 405 that stores information for controlling the holder maintenance device 400 and an operation unit that is operated by the user from the outside when the holder maintenance device 400 is turned on and various settings are made. Furthermore, the control unit 404 includes a connection unit that connects to the control unit 110 of the superimposing apparatus 100.

  The processing unit 401 includes a dust detection device 430 that detects dust adhering to the substrate holder 190, a cleaning device 440 that cleans the substrate holder 190, and a baking device 450 that heats the substrate holder 190. The specific configuration of each device will be described later. The robot arm 420 can move on the rail 421 while holding the substrate holder 190, and conveys the substrate holder 190 between the holder rack 300, the dust detection device 430, the cleaning device 440, and the baking device 450. The robot arm 420 has a function of rotating the held substrate holder 190.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the upper substrate holder 191 that holds the substrate 120. The upper substrate holder 191 includes a holder main body 911 and a magnet unit 912, and has a disk shape whose diameter is slightly larger than that of the substrate 120 as a whole. The holder body 911 is integrally formed of a highly rigid material such as ceramic or metal.

  The holder main body 911 includes a region for holding the substrate 120 on the surface thereof. This holding region is polished and has high flatness. The substrate 120 is held by suction using an electrostatic force. Specifically, a voltage difference is applied between the upper substrate holder 191 and the substrate 120 by applying a voltage to the electrostatic chuck embedded in the holder body 911 via a voltage application terminal provided on the back surface of the holder body 911. And the substrate 120 is attracted to the upper substrate holder 191. Note that the suction surface of the substrate 120 is a surface opposite to the surface on which the circuit region is provided.

  A plurality of magnet units 912 are arranged in the outer peripheral area outside the held substrate 120 on the surface holding the substrate 120. In the case of the figure, a total of six magnet units 912 are arranged every 120 degrees with two as one set.

  The upper substrate holder 191 includes a collar portion 913 that is a portion of the outer peripheral shape of the upper substrate holder 191 that does not match the outer peripheral shape of the lower substrate holder 192. When the separation mechanism 160 pulls the lower substrate holder 192 away from the bonded substrate 120, the upper substrate holder 191 receives a pressing force from the lower substrate holder 192 side in the region including the collar portion 913.

  At this time, the electrostatic adsorption of the upper substrate holder 191 is made effective and the electrostatic adsorption of the lower substrate holder 192 is made invalid, so that the substrate 120 is lifted together with the upper substrate holder 191 and separated from the lower substrate holder 192. . By having such a configuration, the separation mechanism 160 can separate the substrate 120 and the upper substrate holder 191 even when a part of the substrate 120 and the upper substrate holder 191 is fixed. The upper substrate holder 191 may remain.

  The upper substrate holder 191 has a two-dimensional code 193 on the back surface which is the surface opposite to the substrate holding surface. The two-dimensional code 193 includes identification information unique to each substrate holder 190 and is read by a two-dimensional code reader provided in the holder rack 300.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing the lower substrate holder 192 that holds the substrate 120. The lower substrate holder 192 includes a holder main body 921 and a suction unit 922, and has a disk shape whose diameter is slightly larger than that of the substrate 120 as a whole. The holder main body 921 is integrally formed of a highly rigid material such as ceramic or metal.

  The holder main body 921 includes a region for holding the substrate 120 on the surface thereof. This holding region is polished and has high flatness. The substrate 120 is held by suction using an electrostatic force. Specifically, a voltage difference is applied between the lower substrate holder 192 and the substrate 120 by applying a voltage to the electrostatic chuck embedded in the holder body 921 via a voltage application terminal provided on the back surface of the holder body 921. And the substrate 120 is attracted to the lower substrate holder 192. Note that the suction surface of the substrate 120 is a surface opposite to the surface on which the circuit region is provided.

  A plurality of suction units 922 and a surface on which the substrate 120 is held are arranged in an outer peripheral region outside the held substrate 120. In the case of the figure, a total of six suction units 922 are arranged every 120 degrees with two as one set. The suction unit 922 is made of a magnetic material such as iron, and is disposed so as to correspond to the magnet unit 912 of the upper substrate holder 191, respectively.

  When the upper substrate holder 191 that holds the substrate 120 and the lower substrate holder 192 that holds the substrate 120 face each other and the magnet unit 912 and the attracting unit 922 act, the two substrates 120 are overlapped. Can be clamped and fixed. At this time, since the adsorption unit 922 and the magnet unit 912 are coupled with a certain amount of impact, fine dust may be generated by the impact and may adhere to the substrate holder.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of the holder case 350. The holder case 350 includes an opening / closing lid 351, a confirmation window 352, a positioning sesame 353, a mounting table 354, a handle 355, and an insertion portion 356. The opening / closing lid 351 is a lid for entering and exiting the substrate holder 190 to be accommodated, and is provided on a surface facing the attaching / detaching surface of the holder rack 300 when the holder case 350 is placed on the shelf. When the robot arm 176 carries out or carries in the substrate holder 190, the opening / closing lid 351 is opened and closed by an actuator provided in the holder rack 300.

  The confirmation window 352 is a window for confirming whether the substrate holder 190 is accommodated in the holder case 350. Through the confirmation window 352, whether or not the substrate holder 190 is accommodated is confirmed by a holder detector provided in the holder rack 300. The holder detector is configured by, for example, a photo reflector. The positioning sesame 353 is a frame provided at the bottom of the holder case 350 in order to store the substrate holder 190 in an accurate position. In this embodiment, two positioning sesame 353 are installed on the opening / closing lid 351 side of the holder case 350.

  Each of the two positioning sesame 353 includes a convex portion 357 on the surface side on which the substrate holder 190 is placed. The robot arm 176 places the substrate holder 190 so that the side surface of the substrate holder 190 is inside the convex portion 357, so that the substrate holder 190 is stored in an accurate position. The mounting table 354 is a table for mounting the substrate holder 190 provided at the bottom of the holder case 350 on the handle 355 side. The substrate holder 190 is stably held by being mounted on the two positioning balls 353 and the mounting table 354.

  The holder case 350 has a structure that can be pulled out from the holder rack 300 as a whole, and the user can hold the handle 355 and pull the holder case 350 to the handle 355 side. The insertion portion 356 has a different shape depending on the type of the holder case 350. Then, when the shape of the side surface of the mounting stage of the holder rack 300 and the shape of the insertion portion 356 do not match, the holder case 350 is configured so that it cannot be inserted. Can be prevented from being placed.

  4 shows a state in which the upper cover of the holder case 350 is removed, the upper cover can be installed in the holder case 350. By installing the upper lid, the inside of the holder case 350 becomes a sealed space, and dust can be prevented from entering. In particular, when carrying the holder case 350, dust easily enters, so it is desirable to install an upper lid.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of the housing 301 of the holder rack 300. The housing 301 includes a shutter 302, a shutter driving unit 304, and a detachable member 305. The holder rack 300 is detachable from the stacking apparatus 100 and the holder maintenance apparatus 400. When the holder rack 300 is mounted on the stacking apparatus 100, the mounting / demounting member 305 is attached to the mounting / demounting member insertion section provided in the holder rack mounting / demounting section 103. It is fixed by inserting.

  The attachment / detachment member 305 is provided with an attachment / detachment detection sensor. When the attachment / detachment detection sensor detects attachment, the housing 301 drives the shutter drive unit 304 to open the shutter 302. In this way, by opening the shutter 302 in a state where the overlapping device 100 and the holder rack 300 are in close contact with each other, the atmosphere environment unit 102 and the holder rack 300 can be communicated with each other without contaminating the atmosphere of the atmosphere environment unit 102. Note that an operation unit may be provided on the back surface of the housing 301 opposite to the surface on which the shutter 302 is provided, and the shutter 302 may be opened and closed by a user instruction to the operation unit. When removing the holder rack 300, the shutter driving unit 304 is driven to close the shutter 302, and then the entire holder rack 300 is retracted and the detachable member 305 is pulled out.

  The same applies to the case where the holder rack 300 is attached to the holder maintenance device 400, and the holder rack 300 is fixed by inserting the attachment / detachment member 305 into the attachment / detachment member insertion portion provided in the holder rack attachment / detachment portion 402 of the holder maintenance device 400. Then, the robot arm 420 can access the rack body by driving the shutter driving unit 304 and opening the shutter 302 in a state where the holder maintenance device 400 and the holder rack 300 are in close contact with each other. Although the shutter is used in the present embodiment, a door, a lid, or the like may be used instead of the shutter.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of the rack main body 303 installed in the housing. The rack body 303 includes a shelf 310 on which the holder case 350 is placed, a detection unit 320, and a Z drive unit 330. The shelf 310 includes an upper shelf 311 for placing an upper holder case for housing the upper substrate holder 191, a lower shelf 312 for placing a lower holder case for housing the lower substrate holder 192, and workpieces collected in the event of an abnormality. A collection shelf 313 and a spare shelf 314 are provided. In the present embodiment, the upper shelf 311 and the lower shelf 312 are each composed of eight stages.

  The recovery shelf 313 mounts a recovery case for storing a pair of workpieces recovered when an error occurs, such as when the separation mechanism 160 cannot separate the substrate 120 from the bonded workpieces, or when the substrate 120 is damaged during the separation process. It is a shelf to place. Since the recovery case accommodates the workpiece pair, it differs from the holder case 350 in that it is wider in the vertical direction than the holder case 350. The work accommodated in the collection case is taken out by the user together with the collection case.

  The spare shelf 314 is a shelf used as a spare. In the present embodiment, the spare shelf 314 includes two mounting stages, each having a shape corresponding to the insertion portion 356 of the upper holder case and the lower holder case. In addition, it is good also as a shape corresponding to both the insertion parts 356 so that it can mount in any of an upper holder case and a lower holder case. By comprising in this way, two upper holder cases or two lower holder cases can be mounted as a reserve.

  The detection unit 320 includes an opening / closing unit 321, a holder detection unit 322, and a two-dimensional code reader 323. The detection unit 320 is moved up and down by the Z driving unit 330 to access each mounting stage. The opening / closing part 321 opens and closes the opening / closing lid 351 of the holder case 350 by an actuator. The holder detection unit 322 confirms whether the substrate holder 190 is accommodated in the holder case 350 through the opening provided on each mounting step side surface of the rack body 303 and the confirmation window 352 provided on the side surface of the holder case 350. To do.

  The two-dimensional code reader 323 reads the two-dimensional code 193 on the substrate holder 190 when the substrate holder 190 is taken in and out of the holder rack 300. Information acquired by reading the two-dimensional code 193 is stored in the storage unit 111.

  In the present embodiment, the attachment / detachment surface of the holder rack 300 with respect to the stacking device 100 and the attachment / detachment surface with respect to the holder maintenance device 400 are configured as the same surface, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The attachment / detachment surface attached to / detached from the holder maintenance device 400 may be different from the attachment / detachment surface attached to / detached from the stacking device 100.

  For example, in FIG. 5, first, the right side surface of the housing 301 is also provided with a detachable member, a shutter, and a shutter drive unit. The shutter driving unit that drives the right side shutter opens and closes both the front and right side shutters by installing a mounting stage on the upper side of the shutter driving unit 304 that drives the front shutter 302. be able to.

  In FIG. 6, the substrate holder 190 can also be taken in and out from the right side surface of the rack body 303 opposite to the surface on which the detection unit 320 is installed. In this case, the holder case 350 includes another opening / closing lid on the right side in addition to the opening / closing lid 351, and the insertion portion 356 is provided on the upper lid instead of the side surface. Further, by adding two positioning balls 353 instead of the mounting table 354 and holding the substrate holder 190 with the four positioning screws 353, the robot arm can be moved from the opening / closing lid 351 side and from the opening / closing lid side of the right side surface. Also, the substrate holder 190 can be taken in and out.

  Accordingly, the rack main body 303 of the holder rack 300 provides an opening on the right side surface, thereby providing a space in which the opening / closing lid on the right side surface of the holder case 350 can be opened and closed. Furthermore, the detection unit 320 and the Z drive unit 330 are also provided on the back surface of the rack body 303 so that the opening / closing lid on the right side surface of the holder case 350 can be opened and closed.

  With this configuration, the holder rack 300 can be mounted on both the stacking apparatus 100 and the holder maintenance apparatus 400, and the processing of the stacking apparatus 100 and the processing of the holder maintenance apparatus 400 can be performed in parallel. it can. That is, when the used substrate holder 190 is collected in the holder rack 300 in the stacking apparatus 100, the holder maintenance apparatus 400 can maintain the substrate holder 190 while the stacking apparatus 100 is operating.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the dust detection device 430. The dust detection device 430 includes an illumination light source 431, an imaging unit 432, and an image processing unit 433. The illumination light source 431 irradiates the surface of the substrate holder 190 with the inspection illumination light 434 at a shallow incident angle. The imaging unit 432 is disposed at a position where the regular reflection light 435 from the surface of the substrate holder that has been irradiated with the inspection illumination light 434 is not received, and images the surface of the substrate holder 190.

  When dust 436 is present on the substrate holder 190, the inspection illumination light applied to the dust 436 is irregularly reflected, and a part of the scattered light 437 that is the irregularly reflected light is incident on the imaging unit 432. The captured image including the scattered light 437 incident on the imaging unit 432 is subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 433, whereby the size and position of the dust 436 are detected. Information indicating the size and position of the detected dust 436 is stored in the storage unit 405.

  FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the cleaning device 440. The cleaning device 440 is a device for cleaning the substrate holder 190 taken out from the holder rack 300, and includes a holding unit 441 that holds the substrate holder 190, a liquid ejection nozzle 442 that ejects pure water, a liquid supply unit 443, and a liquid pressurizing unit. 444 and a discharge port 445. The holding unit 441 holds the substrate holder 190 so that the surface of the substrate holder 190 is substantially parallel to the XZ plane. The holding portion 441 is configured to be able to move up and down in the Z direction while holding the substrate holder 190.

  The liquid ejection nozzle 442 is connected to the liquid supply unit 443 and the liquid pressurization unit 444, and ejects pure water supplied from the liquid supply unit 443 toward the substrate holder 190. The liquid ejection nozzle 442 is configured to swing in the X direction, and ejects pure water to a specified position on the surface of the substrate holder 190 by interlocking with the up-and-down movement of the holding unit 441 in the Z direction. Can do. By having such a configuration, the dust 436 is removed by injecting pure water toward the position where the dust exists with reference to the position information of the dust 436 stored in the storage unit 405 in particular.

  The liquid pressurizing unit 444 is configured by, for example, a high-pressure cylinder, and can adjust the water pressure of the pure water to be injected by pressurizing the pure water supplied to the liquid jet nozzle 442. As a result, for example, it is possible to increase the water pressure at a location where dust is strongly fixed, thereby increasing the dust removal force. The pure water ejected from the liquid ejection nozzle 442 and the removed dust are discharged from the discharge port 445.

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the baking apparatus 450. The bake device 450 includes a heating plate 451 incorporating a heater and support pins 452 that support the substrate holder 190. The substrate holder 190 after being cleaned by the robot arm 420 is carried into the bake device 450. The loaded substrate holder 190 is placed on the support pins 452. The substrate holder 190 placed on the support pins 452 is heated by the heating plate 451, and moisture attached by the cleaning by the cleaning device 440 is evaporated and dried.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of the holder maintenance device. This flow starts after the holder rack 300 is removed from the stacking apparatus 100 by the user and mounted on the holder maintenance apparatus 400. The processing of each step is mainly performed by the control unit of the holder maintenance device 400, and is executed by cooperative control and integrated control with a control unit included in each device included in the holder maintenance device 400.

  In step S <b> 1001, the robot arm 420 unloads the substrate holder 190 in the holder case 350 placed on the holder rack 300 and loads it into the dust detection device 430. The order in which the substrate holder 190 is unloaded can be set in advance, such as the order from the upper stage and the order from the lower stage.

  In addition, the control unit 110 of the superimposing apparatus 100 manages the used substrate holder 190 and the unused substrate holder 190 to store management information in the storage unit 111, and the control unit 404 connects to the control unit 110. By referencing the management information, the substrate holder 190 carried out by the robot arm 420 may be limited to the used one. The control unit 110 manages use / unuse based on the identification information read by the two-dimensional code reader 323 of the holder rack 300.

  In step S <b> 1002, the dust detection device 430 detects dust adhering to the carried substrate holder 190. Information on the position and size of the detected dust is stored in the storage unit 405. When the dust detection on one side of the substrate holder 190 is completed, the robot arm 420 unloads the substrate holder 190, reverses it, and loads it into the dust detection device again, thereby detecting the dust on the other side. The

  In step S1003, it is determined whether dust is detected by dust detector 430. If dust is detected, the process proceeds to step S1004. If no dust is detected, the process proceeds to step S1008. In step S <b> 1004, the robot arm 420 unloads the substrate holder 190 from the dust detection device 430 and loads it into the cleaning device 440. Here, the robot arm 420 rotates the held substrate holder 190 vertically and carries it into the holding unit 441 of the cleaning device 440.

  In step S1005, the cleaning device 440 cleans the substrate holder 190. At this time, the position of spraying water is determined with reference to the dust information stored in the storage unit 405. Here, referring to the dust information stored in the storage unit 405, if the amount of dust is large, the cleaning time is lengthened, the cleaning time is increased at a position where the size of the dust is large, or pure water to be sprayed is injected. You may comprise so that adjustment, such as raising a water pressure, may be carried out.

  In step S <b> 1006, the robot arm 420 loads the cleaned substrate holder 190 into the baking apparatus 450. The substrate holder 190 is placed on the support pins 452 of the baking apparatus 450. In step S1007, the baking apparatus 450 heats the substrate holder 190 by the heating plate 451. When the substrate holder 190 is heated, water droplets attached to the substrate holder 190 by evaporation are removed by evaporation, and the substrate holder 190 is dried. In step S <b> 1008, the robot arm 420 unloads the substrate holder 190 from the baking apparatus 450, moves it to the front of the holder rack 300, and loads it into the holder rack 300.

  In step S1009, it is determined whether there is a substrate holder 190 to be processed next. If it is determined that there is a processing target substrate holder 190, the process returns to step S1001, and the robot arm 420 carries another substrate holder 190 from the holder rack 300 into the dust detection device 430. If it is determined that there is no processing target substrate holder 190, the processing is terminated.

  Here, if the fixed dust remains on the substrate holder 190 after the substrate holder 190 is cleaned in step S1005, there is a possibility that it is more strongly fixed by heating by the baking device 450. Therefore, the dust may be detected again after cleaning the substrate holder 190, and if there is no dust, it may be carried into the baking device as it is, and if there is dust, it may be carried into the cleaning device and washed again. By comprising in this way, it can prevent that the adhesion | attachment which remained after washing | cleaning adheres more strongly. The dust detection after cleaning may be controlled so that the robot holder 420 returns the substrate holder 190 to the dust detection device 430, or a dust detection device is provided between the cleaning device 440 and the bake device 450. You may make it detect dust with the dust detection apparatus.

  Further, in this case, if the water droplets adhered by the cleaning of the cleaning device 440 remain on the substrate holder 190, it is conceivable that the accuracy of dust detection is reduced. Therefore, the cleaning device 440 may include a gas injection nozzle that injects gas in addition to the liquid injection nozzle 442, and may be configured to remove water droplets by blowing air after cleaning.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the board | substrate holder 190 after washing | cleaning is dried by heating with the baking apparatus 450, it is not restricted to this. Instead of the baking apparatus 450, other known drying apparatuses such as a centrifugal drying apparatus or a spin drying apparatus may be used.

  In the above embodiment, the cleaning device 440 is configured to eject pure water to a specified position of the substrate holder 190 by moving the holding unit 441 up and down in the Z direction and swinging the liquid ejection nozzle 442. But it is not limited to that. The holding unit 441 may be fixed so that the liquid ejecting nozzle 442 can move up and down in the Z direction and swing, or the liquid ejecting nozzle 442 can be configured to move in the XZ plane. . With this configuration, since pure water can be sprayed to different positions on the front and back of the substrate holder 190, dust can be efficiently removed when the positions of the dust on the front and back of the substrate holder 190 are different. can do.

  Further, a large number of liquid ejecting nozzles 442 may be arranged, and only the liquid ejecting nozzles 442 corresponding to the designated position of the substrate holder 190 among the plurality of liquid ejecting nozzles 442 may be operated. In the above-described embodiment, the cleaning device 440 ejects pure water. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and another liquid such as a chemical solution may be ejected.

  In the above embodiment, the example of cleaning the substrate holder 190 is described as an example of cleaning the substrate holder 190. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The substrate holder 190 may be configured to be jetted for cleaning, or may be configured to be cleaned with a brush or the like.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated using embodiment, the technical scope of this invention is not limited to the range as described in the said embodiment. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be added to the above-described embodiment. It is apparent from the scope of the claims that the embodiments added with such changes or improvements can be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  The order of execution of each process such as operations, procedures, steps, and stages in the apparatus, system, program, and method shown in the claims, the description, and the drawings is particularly “before” or “prior to”. It should be noted that the output can be realized in any order unless the output of the previous process is used in the subsequent process. Regarding the operation flow in the claims, the description, and the drawings, even if it is described using “first”, “next”, etc. for convenience, it means that it is essential to carry out in this order. It is not a thing.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Overlay apparatus, 101 Case, 102 Atmosphere environment part, 103 Holder rack attaching / detaching part, 110 Control part, 111 Storage part, 112 EFEM, 113 Load port, 114 Load port, 115 Load port, 116 Robot arm, 120 Substrate, 130 spare aligner, 131 turntable, 132 holder table, 140 aligner, 141 fixed stage, 142 moving stage, 143 interferometer, 144 heat insulation wall, 145 shutter, 150 reversing mechanism, 160 separating mechanism, 170 conveying mechanism, 171 1st Transfer unit, 172 Second transfer unit, 173 First transfer port, 174 Second transfer port, 175 Single slider, 176 Robot arm, 190 Substrate holder, 191 Upper substrate holder, 192 Lower Plate holder, 193 Two-dimensional code, 202 Vacuum environment section, 210 Heat insulation wall, 220 Load lock chamber, 222 Shutter, 224 Shutter, 230 Robot arm, 240 Heating and pressing device, 300 Holder rack, 301 Housing, 302 Shutter, 303 Rack body, 304 Shutter drive unit, 305 Detachable member, 310 Shelf, 311 Upper shelf, 312 Lower shelf, 313 Recovery shelf, 314 Spare shelf, 320 Detection unit, 321 Opening / closing unit, 322 Holder detection unit, 323 Two-dimensional code Reader, 330 Z drive part, 350 Holder case, 351 Open / close lid, 352 Confirmation window, 353 Positioning sesame, 354 Mounting table, 355 Handle, 356 Insertion part, 357 Protruding part, 400 Holder maintenance device, 401 Processing part, 402 Holder rack Detachable part 404 control unit, 405 storage unit, 420 robot arm, 421 rail, 430 dust detection device, 431 illumination light source, 432 imaging unit, 433 image processing unit, 434 inspection illumination light, 435 specular reflection light, 436 dust, 437 scattered light 440 Cleaning device, 441 Holding unit, 442 Liquid jet nozzle, 443 Liquid supply unit, 444 Liquid pressurizing unit, 445 Discharge port, 450 Bake device, 451 Heating plate, 452 Support pin, 911 Holder body, 912 Magnet unit, 913 Brim, 921 Holder body, 922 Suction unit

Claims (5)

A holder rack for accommodating substrate holders;
A cleaning device for cleaning the substrate holder taken out from the holder rack,
The holder rack is a holder maintenance device that can be attached to and detached from a processing unit including the cleaning device.   The holder maintenance device according to claim 1, wherein the holder rack has a first attachment / detachment surface attached / detached to / from the processing unit and a second attachment / detachment surface attached to another device different from the first attachment / detachment surface. The holder rack has a case for housing the substrate holder, and a shelf on which the case is placed,
3. The holder maintenance according to claim 1, wherein the case includes an opening / closing lid for entering and exiting the substrate holder accommodated on a surface facing the attachment / detachment surface of the holder rack when the case is placed on the shelf. apparatus.   The holder maintenance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processing unit includes a dust detection device that detects dust attached to the substrate holder.   The holder maintenance apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the processing unit includes a baking device that heats the substrate holder.

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