JPH11283909A - Substrate heat treatment equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: A hot plate (1) is formed in a substantially rectangular shape slightly larger than a substrate (S) to be processed in a plan view, and includes a base plate (11) and a planar heater laminated on the base plate (11). And a surface plate 13 laminated on the planar heater 12. The hot plate 1 is almost equally divided into two by a straight line extending in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. A plurality of substantially spherical proximity balls 15 are disposed on the upper surfaces of the divided portions 13A and 13B of the surface plate 13, respectively. The substrate S to be processed is supported on the plurality of proximity balls 15 at a predetermined distance d from the upper surface of the front plate 13. Since the hot plate 1 can be handled by being divided into the respective divided portions, it is possible to easily exchange the front plate 13 and the like.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer,
The present invention relates to a substrate heat treatment apparatus for performing a heat treatment such as a heat treatment or a cooling treatment on various substrates to be processed, such as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device and a glass substrate for a PDP (plasma display panel).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a manufacturing process of a liquid crystal display device, there are a process of drying a substrate having moisture or a substrate after applying a photoresist, and a process of exposing or developing a photoresist film. A step of performing a baking process on the substrate is included. In these steps, a hot plate for performing heat treatment on the substrate and a cool plate for cooling the substrate after the heat treatment are used.

FIG. 8 is a simplified plan view showing the structure of a conventional hot plate, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC shown in FIG. This hot plate is
It is formed in a rectangular shape slightly larger than the substrate S to be heat-treated in a plan view, and has a base plate 81, a sheet heater 82 stacked on the base plate 81, and a heat treatment plate 83 stacked on the sheet heater 82. And

The heat treatment plate 83 is formed, for example, by plating the surface of a metal plate (for example, by subjecting an aluminum plate to an alumite treatment), and its upper surface is in contact with the back surface of the substrate S from below. A plurality of proximity balls 84 for supporting the substrate S are provided. The substrate S to be heat-treated is supported on the plurality of proximity balls 84 at a predetermined distance from the upper surface of the heat-treating plate 83 by being placed on the plurality of proximity balls 84. At the time of heat treatment, the heat generated from the planar heater 82 propagates through the heat treatment plate 83 and is radiated from the upper surface of the heat treatment plate 83,
The substrate S supported above the heat treatment plate 83 is heated.

[0005]

In the proximity type hot plate described above, if the proximity ball 84 is broken, the substrate S cannot be held satisfactorily. Therefore, the heat treatment plate 83 needs to be replaced. Further, when the heat treatment plate 83 is damaged at the time of delivery to the user or even after the delivery, the heat treatment plate 83 must be replaced according to a request from the user.

However, recently, as the size of the hot plate increases with the size of the substrate S, it becomes difficult to transport and replace the heat treatment plate 83. For example, some of the substrates S to be processed have a size of 1 m × 1 m in plan view, and the heat treatment plate 83 provided on the hot plate for processing such a large substrate S weighs about 70 kg. And the handling was very inconvenient.

In addition, it is becoming difficult to obtain a large metal plate for forming the heat treatment plate 83,
When processing such as surface plating of the large metal plate, there is a problem that the capacity of the plating tank itself is limited, and the processing is becoming difficult. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate heat treatment apparatus that can conveniently handle a heat treatment plate and can reduce the labor required for manufacturing.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems and Effects of the Invention According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate heat treatment apparatus comprising: a substrate disposed on a principal surface of a heat treatment plate; In the apparatus, the heat-treated plate is
A substrate heat treatment apparatus characterized by comprising a plurality of plate-like bodies arranged adjacent to each other such that respective main surfaces are included in substantially the same plane.

According to this structure, the heat-treating plate is constituted by arranging a plurality of plate-like bodies adjacent to each other such that their main surfaces are substantially in the same plane. Thus, the heat-treated plate can be handled by being divided into each plate-like body, so that the heat-treated plate can be easily transported or exchanged (installed) as compared with a case where the heat-treated plate is composed of one sheet.

Further, even if the size of the entire heat-treating plate increases as the size of the substrate increases, the size of each plate-like member is kept small by increasing the number of plate-like members constituting the heat-treating plate. Therefore, handling of the heat-treated plate does not become difficult. Further, when the heat-treated plate (plate-shaped body) is damaged, only the damaged plate-shaped body needs to be replaced, and it is not necessary to replace the entire heat-treated plate. be able to.

When the size of the plate is small, the metal plate as the material can be easily obtained. In particular, when the plate is formed by plating the metal plate, Plating treatment of the surface can be easily performed. Note that the substrate heat treatment apparatus may be an apparatus for heating the substrate (hot plate) or an apparatus for cooling the substrate (cool plate).

The heat-treating plate means a plate closest to the substrate to be heat-treated. For example, the substrate heat-treating apparatus is provided with a heating means (such as a planar heater) or a cooling means (such as a cooling water pipe or a Peltier element). And a surface plate provided closely above the surface plate, and when the substrate is set on the surface plate, the surface plate corresponds to the heat treatment plate. Further, the substrate heat treatment apparatus has a heating means or a cooling means, a main plate provided closely above the heating means, and a sub-plate detachably mounted on the main plate,
When the substrate is set on the sub-plate, the sub-plate corresponds to the heat treatment plate.

When the heating means or the cooling means and the heat treatment plate are integrated, the heating means or the cooling means may be divided together with the heat treatment plate.
The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that a spacer for forming a gap between a substrate to be heat-treated and the heat-treatment plate is provided on a main surface of the heat-treatment plate. Substrate heat treatment apparatus.

When a suction hot plate for holding a substrate to be processed by suction on the main surface of the heat-treating plate is divided, if a step on the main surface of the heat-treating plate is caused due to a difference in height between the divided portions, the substrate may be deformed. The back surface may not be in close contact with the main surface of the heat treatment plate, and the substrate may not be heat treated uniformly. Further, if a gap is formed between the heat treatment plates, a part of the back surface of the substrate does not come into close contact with the main surface of the heat treatment plate, and in this case, the substrate may not be heat treated uniformly.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the substrate to be heat-treated is held in a state in which a gap is formed between the substrate and the heat-treating plate by the spacer. Even if there is a non-uniform part such as a step or a gap in the above, thermal non-uniformity in the non-uniform part is alleviated by the gap by the spacer, and the substrate can be heat-treated substantially uniformly.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following, a case where the present invention is applied to a hot plate for heating a substrate will be described, but the present invention may be applied to a cool plate for cooling a substrate.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration of a hot plate according to one embodiment of the present invention. Also, FIG.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along a cutting line AA shown in FIG. 1. The hot plate 1 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape slightly larger than the substrate S to be processed in plan view. For example,
When the substrate S to be processed has a size of 1 mx 1 m, the size of the hot plate 1 is 1.08 mx 1.0
8m.

The hot plate 1 includes a base plate 11
And a planar heater 12 laminated on a base plate 11
And the surface plate 1 stacked on the planar heater 12.
And 3. In other words, the base plate 11
The hot plate 1 is configured by sandwiching the sheet heater 12 between the hot plate 1 and the front plate 13. Base plate 11, planar heater 12, and surface plate 1
The hot plate 1 including 3 is almost equally divided into two by a straight line extending in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. Each of the divided portions 11A and 11B of the base plate 11 is supported by a plurality of legs 14 having an adjuster mechanism (not shown), and the length of each leg 14 is adjusted by the adjuster mechanism, whereby the surface plate is adjusted. The upper surface 16 of the thirteen can be arranged along the horizontal plane.

The surface plate 13 is made of, for example, a metal plate such as an aluminum plate, and a plurality of (13 in this embodiment) spacers are provided on the upper surfaces of the divided portions 13A and 13B, respectively. A substantially spherical proximity ball 15 is provided. The substrate S to be processed is supported on the plurality of proximity balls 15 at a predetermined distance d from the upper surface (main surface) 16 of the front plate 13.

At the time of heat treatment, 26 proximity
With the substrate S set on the ball 15, electric power is supplied in parallel or in series to each of the divided portions 12A and 12B of the planar heater 12. As a result, each of the divided portions 12A and 12B of the planar heater 12 generates heat. Heat generated from each of the divided portions 12A and 12B of the planar heater 12 is generated by each of the divided portions 13A and 13A of the surface plate 13 as a plate-like body.
B is radiated from the upper surface 16 of each of the divided portions 13A and 13B. The substrate S supported at a predetermined distance d from the upper surface 16 of the front plate 13 is heated by the heat radiation from the divided portions 13A and 13B of the front plate 13.

As described above, the hot plate 1 according to this embodiment is divided into two by a straight line extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and can be handled by being divided into each divided part. Therefore, for example, when the proximity ball 15 is damaged, the divided portions 13A and 13B of the surface plate 13 can be separately removed / attached. The plate 13 can be easily replaced.

In addition, when the proximity ball 15 is damaged, the damaged proximity ball is damaged.
13A or 13 where the ball 15 is disposed
Only B needs to be replaced, and it is not necessary to replace the entire surface plate 13, so that the cost required for maintenance can be reduced. Further, since each of the divided portions 13A and 13B of the front plate 13 is half the size of the case where the front plate 13 is constituted by one sheet, the metal plate constituting each of the divided portions 13A and 13B can be easily obtained. In addition to this, plating of the surface can be easily performed.

The substrate S to be processed is placed on the surface plate 1
When the suction-type hot plate that is suction-held on the upper surface of the substrate 3 is divided into two, if a step occurs on the upper surface 16 of the front plate 13 due to the height difference between the divided portions 13A and 13B, the rear surface of the substrate S May not be in close contact with the upper surface 16 of the substrate S, and the substrate S may not be heated uniformly.
When a gap is formed between the divided portions 13A and 13B due to the planar arrangement of the divided portions 13A and 13B, a part of the back surface of the substrate S does not come into close contact with the upper surface 16 of the front plate 13. The substrate S may not be heated uniformly. However, in this embodiment, since the proximity method in which the substrate S to be processed is held at a predetermined distance d from the upper surface 16 of the surface plate 13 is employed, even if the upper surface 16 of the surface plate 13 Can be heated substantially uniformly.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a configuration of a hot plate according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Also. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along a cutting line BB shown in FIG. 3. The hot plate 2 according to the second embodiment includes a main part 2
1 and a sub plate 22 detachably provided on the upper surface of the main portion 21. The main portion 21 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and has a base plate 23, a planar heater 24 laminated on the base plate 23, and a main plate 25 laminated on the planar heater 24. doing.

The sub plate 22 includes a main plate 25
Is used by being placed on the upper surface of
It is exchanged according to the size of the substrate S to be processed. Substrate S
The sub-plate 22 mounted on the main part 21 according to the size of is formed in a substantially rectangular shape slightly larger than the substrate S in a plan view using a metal plate such as an aluminum plate. The sub-plate 22 is divided into two by a straight line extending in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and the upper surface 27 of each of the divided portions 22A and 22B as a plate-like body is
In each case, a plurality of substantially spherical proximity balls 26 as spacers are provided. The substrate S to be processed is supported on the plurality of proximity balls 26 at a predetermined distance d from the upper surface (main surface) 27 of the sub-plate 22.

At the time of heat treatment, 26 proximity
With the substrate S set on the ball 26, electric power is supplied to the planar heater 24. The heat generated by the planar heater 24 propagates through the main plate 25 and the main plate 2
5 to the sub-plate 22. The heat applied to sub-plate 22 propagates through sub-plate 22 and is radiated from upper surface 27 of sub-plate 22. Then, by heat radiation from the upper surface of the sub-plate 22,
The substrate S supported at a predetermined distance d from the upper surface 27 of the sub-plate 22 is heated.

As described above, the hot plate 2 according to the second embodiment has the main portion 21 and the sub-plate 22, and the sub-plate 22 is a straight line extending in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. Has been split. Therefore, in the hot plate 2, since the sub plate 22 can be divided into the divided portions 22A and 22B and handled, even if the hot plate 2 is large, the sub plate 22 can be easily transported and exchanged. be able to.

Each divided portion 22 of the sub-plate 22
Each of the divided portions 22A and 22B is half the size of the case where the sub-plate 22 is constituted by one sheet.
The small metal plates constituting the A and 22B can be easily obtained, and the surface thereof can be easily plated. Further, in the hot plate 1 according to the above-described first embodiment, when the size of the substrate S to be processed changes, the entire hot plate 1 is replaced in order to replace the front plate 13 with a substrate corresponding to the size of the substrate S. Need to be replaced. On the other hand, in the hot plate 2 according to the second embodiment, the sub plate 22 is
Since it is provided detachably with respect to 1, the entire hot plate 2 does not need to be replaced, and the sub-plate 22 can be easily replaced. Proximity
When the ball 15 is damaged or when the upper surface
The same can be said for a case in which 7 is damaged.

Although two embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described two embodiments. For example, in the above-described second embodiment, only the sub-plate 22 is divided into two, but the main plate 21 may be divided into two similarly to the sub-plate 22. In each of the above embodiments, the surface plate 13 or the sub plate 2
2 is divided into two, the surface plate 13 or the sub-plate 22 is, as shown in FIG.
The hot plate 3 may be divided into three divided portions 3A, 3B, 3C by two parallel straight lines extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the hot plate 3. Further, the hot plate 3 may be divided into four or more by three or more parallel straight lines extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the hot plate 3.

Further, it is not always necessary to divide by a straight line extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the hot plate, and it may be divided by a straight line along the longitudinal direction of the hot plate, or to intersect in the longitudinal direction of the hot plate. May be divided by a straight line in the direction of the movement. Further, as in a hot plate 4 shown in FIG. 6, four divided portions 4A, 4 are formed by a straight line along the longitudinal direction of the hot plate 4 and a straight line orthogonal to the straight line.
B, 4C, and 4D. The hot plate may be divided into five or more by a straight line along the longitudinal direction of the hot plate and a straight line orthogonal to the straight line.

Further, the hot plate does not necessarily have to be equally divided. For example, as shown in a hot plate 5 shown in FIG.
In addition, the peripheral portion 5B may be divided into a substantially U-shaped planar divided portion 5B and a substantially inverted U-shaped peripheral divided portion 5C arranged to surround the divided portion 5A. In this case, for example, by setting the heater output in the peripheral divided portions 5B and 5C higher than the heater output in the central divided portion 5A, the heat radiation from the peripheral portion of the substrate S is smaller than the heat radiation from the central portion. The unevenness of heating / cooling of the substrate due to the large size can be eliminated.

In the above description, the proximity type hot plate is more preferable than the adsorption type hot plate in order to avoid the adverse effect of the step or gap at the joint of each divided portion. However, of course, the present invention may be applied to an adsorption-type hot plate. In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a hot plate for heating a substrate has been described. However, the present invention relates to a cool plate for cooling a substrate, It may be applied to an adhesion enhancer application device or the like that applies a reinforcement,
It is widely applied to those that give or remove heat to a substrate close to a heat treatment plate.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to an apparatus for heat-treating a rectangular substrate with a rectangular heat-treating plate has been described. The present invention can be applied to various types of apparatuses such as an apparatus that heat-treats with a plate. In addition, various design changes can be made within the scope of the technical matters described in the claims.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration of a substrate heat treatment apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along a cutting line AA shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a configuration of a substrate heat treatment apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line BB shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram for describing a modification of the first embodiment and the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining another modification of the first embodiment and the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining still another modified example of the first embodiment and the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a simplified configuration of a conventional hot plate.

9 is a sectional view taken along section line CC shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Hot plate (substrate heat treatment apparatus) 13 Surface plate (heat treatment plate) 15, 26 Proximity ball (spacer) 21 Main part 22 Sub plate (heat treatment plate) 16, 27 Main surface

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A substrate heat treatment apparatus for arranging a substrate on a main surface side of a heat treatment plate and performing heat treatment on the substrate, wherein the heat treatment plates are arranged so that their main surfaces are substantially in the same plane. A substrate heat treatment apparatus comprising a plurality of plate-like bodies arranged adjacent to each other. 2. The substrate heat treatment according to claim 1, wherein a spacer for forming a gap between the substrate to be heat treated and the heat treatment plate is provided on a main surface of the heat treatment plate. apparatus.