JP3418656B2 - Peripheral exposure equipment - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] [Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a peripheral exposure apparatus for exposing a periphery portion of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. 2. Description of the Related Art A resist solution spin-coated on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or the like is spread over the outer periphery of the substrate. The substrate to which the resist solution has been applied is transported with its peripheral portion (peripheral portion) gripped. If the peripheral portion of the substrate is gripped during transport, the resist formed on the peripheral portion of the substrate is peeled off and scattered, thereby contaminating the resist thin film surface or contaminating other substrate surfaces, thereby lowering the yield. There are cases. Therefore, a peripheral exposure apparatus is used to expose the resist on the peripheral portion of the substrate in advance and remove unnecessary resist on the peripheral portion of the substrate at the same time as developing the resist pattern. FIGS. 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams of a peripheral exposure apparatus. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the peripheral exposure apparatus includes an ultraviolet irradiation unit 20 and an exposure unit 21. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 20 has a light guide 2 for transmitting ultraviolet light to the exposure unit 21.
2 are installed. The light guide 22 is formed by bundling a plurality of optical fibers and covering the surface with a coating material. At the tip of the light guide 22, a lens barrel 23 that emits ultraviolet light is attached. A substrate on which a resist film is formed is disposed in the processing unit of the exposure unit 21, and ultraviolet rays are irradiated from the lens barrel 23 to the peripheral portion of the substrate surface. As a result, the periphery of the substrate is exposed. [0006] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 20 and the exposure unit 21 are formed as separate devices. And the ultraviolet irradiation unit 20
And the exposure unit 21 are appropriately installed at a position close to each other. FIG. 6 shows the ultraviolet irradiation unit 20 and the exposure unit 2
1 are arranged side by side. FIG. 7 shows an arrangement in which an ultraviolet irradiation unit 20 is arranged above an exposure unit 21. [0005] In the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, there is a strong demand for improving processing efficiency and improving throughput. However, the conventional peripheral exposure apparatus is configured such that the ultraviolet irradiation unit 20 and the exposure unit 21 are independent of each other. Therefore, a space for separately disposing the ultraviolet irradiation unit 20 and the exposure unit 21 is required. In addition, it is necessary to individually supply a power supply line, a signal line, and the like, and a space therefor is required. Further, a space for leading the light guide 22 between the ultraviolet irradiation unit 20 and the exposure unit 21 is required. A lens barrel 23 attached to the tip of the light guide 22 reciprocates on the substrate according to the exposure position. For this reason, the light guide 22 is repeatedly subjected to a bending action as the lens barrel 23 reciprocates. Since the portion where the bending action is overlapped tends to be broken or the like, the light guide 22 is drawn around a relatively long path so as to maintain flexibility. For this reason, the space for routing the light guide 22 is increased. When the ultraviolet irradiation unit 20 and the exposure unit 21 are vertically arranged as shown in FIG. 7, the length of the light guide 22 is increased in order to make the light guide 22 flexible. Therefore, the height of the entire peripheral exposure apparatus is increased. As described above, the conventional peripheral exposure apparatus requires a large space for installation. Further, even if the ultraviolet irradiation unit 20 and the exposure unit 21 are arranged in the vertical direction, they are taller, and it is difficult to stack them with other substrate processing units to save space. Therefore, there is a problem that the efficiency of substrate processing cannot be improved by reducing the size of the entire peripheral exposure apparatus. An object of the present invention is to provide a peripheral exposure apparatus which can be reduced in size and can be easily combined with another substrate processing unit. A peripheral exposure apparatus according to the present invention is a peripheral exposure apparatus for performing an exposure process on a peripheral portion of a substrate. A light source having a light emitting portion on a side portion for emitting light for processing, an exposure portion disposed above the light source within the frame body and performing an exposure process on the substrate, and a light source extending upward from the light emitting portion of the light source A light transmitting member for transmitting light from the light transmitting unit to the exposure unit and irradiating the substrate with light, and a connecting unit that rotatably connects one end of the light transmitting member to a light emitting unit of the light source, the exposure unit includes:
It has a mechanism for holding and rotating the substrate, and a mechanism for reciprocating the other end of the light transmitting member with the substrate facing the substrate. In the peripheral exposure apparatus according to the present invention, the light source and the exposure unit are incorporated in one frame, so that the light source unit and the exposure unit which conventionally exist separately are integrated into one unit. Can be handled as a device. For this reason, it becomes easy to incorporate various substrate processing units into a substrate processing apparatus that can continuously perform a series of substrate processing. In addition, the efficiency of the arrangement of the light source and the exposure part can be improved when the light source and the exposure unit are incorporated in the frame body, whereby a downsized peripheral exposure apparatus can be obtained. In addition, the light source and the exposure unit are arranged vertically.
This saves space in two dimensions
In addition, its height is also reduced. Therefore, the whole device
Miniaturized and above or below the peripheral exposure unit
It is possible to arrange another substrate processing unit in
Overall when combined with various substrate processing units
Space can be reduced. Furthermore, the light transmission section
The material is rotatably connected to the light emitting part of the light source.
It is necessary to route the light transmission member to reduce the bending action.
And the length of the light transmission member can be reduced.
As a result, the space for routing the light transmission member is reduced.
Accordingly, the size of the peripheral exposure apparatus can be reduced. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a peripheral exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the peripheral exposure apparatus 1, an exposure unit 2, an ultraviolet irradiation unit 3,
The electrical unit 4 and a controller board (not shown) are incorporated. The ultraviolet irradiation section 3 is incorporated in a lower portion of the frame 5. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 3 has a configuration for generating ultraviolet light for exposing a resist film on the surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. A light guide 6 is connected to an ultraviolet exit of the ultraviolet irradiation section 3. The light guide 6 is formed by bundling a plurality of optical fibers and covering the surface with a covering material. The light guide 6 is disposed so as to extend upward from the side surface of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 3. Further, a lens barrel 7 that emits ultraviolet light is connected to the tip of the light guide 6. FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a detailed structure of the guide mounting portion 40 of the light guide 6. The guide mounting section 40 includes a fixing bracket 48 fixed to the emission port 31 of the ultraviolet irradiation section 3. The fixing bracket 48 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and its central axis is the optical axis 33 of the ultraviolet light 32 from the lamp.
It is attached to match. A light guide entrance end fitting 41 is attached to the entrance end of the light guide 6. The light guide entrance end fitting 41 has first to third cylindrical portions 41a to 41c having different diameters. A bearing 43 is inserted into the second cylindrical portion 41b having the second diameter.
The inner ring 43 a of the bearing 43 is fixed to the light guide entrance end fitting 41 by a stopper 44. Also,
The outer ring 43b of the bearing 43 is provided in the recess 48 of the fixing bracket 48.
a. Further, the bearing 43 is provided with the concave portion 48a.
In this state, the holding plate 45 is fixed to the surface of the fixing bracket 48 by the set screw 46. In this assembled state, the light guide 6 is held rotatably about the optical axis 33 together with the inner ring 43a of the bearing 43. Further, the holding plate 45 prevents the pulling-out in the optical axis 33 direction. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the light guide 6 accompanying the movement of the lens barrel 7. The guide mounting section 40 rotatably mounts the light guide 6 to the emission port 31 of the ultraviolet irradiation section 3 via the bearing 43 as described above. Therefore, when the lens barrel 7 reciprocates in the X-axis direction during the peripheral exposure, the lens barrel 7 rotates around the central axis of the guide mounting portion 10 near the guide mounting portion 40 of the light guide 6 as shown by an arrow B. Therefore, the light guide 6 swings about the guide mounting portion 40 while maintaining a substantially linear state in the vertical direction. Therefore, the light guide 6 hardly undergoes bending deformation. Referring again to FIG. 1, exposure unit 2 is arranged above ultraviolet irradiation unit 3. The exposure unit 2 includes a mechanism for holding and rotating the substrate and a mechanism for performing the exposure processing while moving the lens barrel 7 to a predetermined position. The electrical unit 4 is provided adjacent to the exposure unit 2. The power supply line 4a, the signal line 4b, and the vacuum line 4c are drawn into the electrical unit 4 from the outside, and then distributed to the ultraviolet irradiation unit 3, the exposure unit 2, and the like. The electrical unit 4 controls a current or a signal or controls a vacuuming operation via a wiring line, a vacuum line, or the like connected to the exposure unit 2, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 3, or the controller board. The electrical unit 4 collectively transmits and receives power and signals between the outside and the inside of the peripheral exposure apparatus. In the peripheral exposure apparatus 1, the functions of the ultraviolet irradiation unit and the exposure unit are accommodated in the frame 5 and the wiring path between the functional units is shortened. Are miniaturized as compared with the case where they are stacked individually. And as mentioned above,
The light guide 6 is rotatably attached to the emission port 31 of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 3 via a bearing 43 (see FIG. 2). Therefore, even if the lens barrel 7 reciprocates and the light guide 6 is swung, there is no possibility that the light guide 6 will be broken. Therefore, the length of the light guide 6 is shorter than that of the conventional one. When the light guide 6 is shortened, loss of light during transmission is reduced, and light transmission efficiency is improved. Further, the height of the peripheral exposure apparatus 1 is formed lower than that of a conventional apparatus in which an ultraviolet irradiation apparatus and an exposure unit are stacked. FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing an arrangement example of each unit of the substrate processing apparatus incorporating the peripheral exposure apparatus 1 shown in FIG. This substrate processing apparatus uses the peripheral exposure apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 as one substrate processing unit that performs substrate processing (exposure processing). Therefore, the peripheral exposure device 1 shown in FIG. The peripheral exposure unit 1 is incorporated in the upper part of another substrate processing unit 8. Further, other substrate processing units 9 and 10 are arranged on the side surfaces of the substrate processing unit 8 and the peripheral exposure unit 1. As the substrate processing unit 8, a cooling plate for performing a cooling process on the substrate or a hot plate for performing a heating process on the substrate is disposed. A peripheral exposure unit 1 and a substrate processing unit 8 composed of a hot plate, a cooling plate or the like.
When the substrates are arranged in the vertical direction, the transfer distance when the exposed substrate is transferred to a cooling plate or a hot plate is reduced. Therefore, the processing efficiency of the substrate is improved. FIG. 5 is an overall schematic diagram of a substrate processing apparatus provided with each of the substrate processing units shown in FIG. In the substrate processing apparatus 11, a substrate processing area in which the peripheral exposure unit 1 and the substrate processing units 8 to 10 shown in FIG. Transport areas 16 and 17 are provided on both sides of the substrate processing area, respectively. In each of the transfer areas 16 and 17, transfer robots 14 and 15 for transferring the substrate 18 are provided. Transfer robots 14, 15
Transfers the substrate 18 to a predetermined substrate processing unit while holding the substrate 18 horizontally. As shown in FIG. 5, a substrate processing unit 8 composed of a cooling plate or a hot plate is arranged below the peripheral exposure unit 1. The cooling plate or hot plate is transferred to the transfer area 16.
Openings for taking in and out the substrate 18 are provided on the side and the transfer area 17 side facing the side. Therefore, the substrate 18 can be transferred between the transport area 16 and the transport area 17 facing the transport area 16 through the space area connecting the openings.
For this reason, the substrate 18 is first processed by the substrate processing apparatus capable of being transferred only from the transfer area 16, and then the substrate 18 is transferred to the opposite transfer area 17 through the substrate processing unit 8. The substrate 18 can be supplied to a substrate processing unit that can be transferred only from the side. In FIG. 5, the peripheral exposure unit 1 is arranged at the end of the transport areas 16 and 17, but the peripheral exposure unit 1 is arranged at an appropriate position according to each processing procedure. be able to. Further, another substrate processing unit may be provided above the peripheral exposure unit 1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a peripheral exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a mounted state of a light guide. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a rotating state of a light guide. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an arrangement example of a peripheral exposure unit in the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of an entire substrate processing apparatus including a peripheral exposure unit according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing an example of an arrangement structure of a conventional peripheral exposure apparatus. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the arrangement of a conventional peripheral exposure apparatus. [Description of Signs] 1 Peripheral exposure device (peripheral exposure unit) 2 Exposure unit 3 Ultraviolet irradiation unit 5 Frame 6 Light guide 7 Lens barrel 8 to 10 Substrate processing unit 11 Substrate processing device

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Claims (1)

(1) In a peripheral exposure apparatus for performing an exposure process on a peripheral portion of a substrate, a light emitting unit disposed at a lower portion in a frame body and emitting light for the exposure process. A light source having a side portion, an exposure portion disposed above the light source in the frame, and performing an exposure process on the substrate; and A light transmitting member for transmitting the light to the substrate and irradiating the light to the substrate; and a connecting means for rotatably connecting one end of the light transmitting member to a light emitting portion of the light source. And a mechanism for causing the other end of the light transmitting member to reciprocate while facing the substrate.