JP4145604B2 - Substrate rotation processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the present invention, three or more peripheral end portions of various substrates (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrates”) such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for photomask, a glass substrate for liquid crystal display, a glass substrate for plasma display, and an optical disk substrate are provided. The present invention relates to a substrate rotation processing apparatus that rotates a substrate while being held by a movable member.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As this type of substrate rotation processing apparatus, for example, one described in JP-A-10-135172 is known. In this conventional apparatus, a spin base (rotating member) is provided so as to be rotatable around a predetermined rotation axis, and three or more movable members that hold the outer peripheral edge of the substrate at three or more locations near the periphery of the spin base. A member is provided. These movable members are rotatable about a predetermined center axis of rotation, and are urged to rotate in one direction so as to contact the outer peripheral edge of the substrate and hold the substrate, while being urged to rotate in the opposite direction. As a result, the holding of the substrate is released away from the outer peripheral edge of the substrate.
[0003]
In addition, in order to hold the substrate by the movable member and to release the substrate, driving means for driving the movable member to come into contact with and separate from the substrate is provided. In this conventional apparatus, the drive means is composed of a link mechanism, a coil spring, an air cylinder, and the like. That is, a link mechanism is connected to each movable member, and a biasing force of a coil spring is applied to the link mechanism to rotationally bias the movable member in one direction, and contact the outer peripheral edge of the substrate as described above. And configured to hold the substrate. On the other hand, in order to release the substrate holding, an air cylinder is fixedly provided at a position corresponding to the link mechanism, and the rod of the air cylinder is applied to the link mechanism to reverse the movable member against the biasing force of the coil spring. As described above, the substrate is released from being held away from the outer peripheral edge of the substrate.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the substrate rotation processing apparatus configured as described above, the substrate holding by the air cylinder is released unless the spin base is positioned and stopped at the position where the rod and the link mechanism of the air cylinder correspond to each other. This makes it difficult to control the operation of the apparatus.
[0005]
In addition, there is a demand for concentrating drive means on a spin base in order to solve such problems and to reduce the size and simplify the apparatus. However, in order to satisfy this demand, it is necessary to provide an electrical connection mechanism such as a slip ring to transmit electric power and signals to the drive means, and it is difficult to rotate at high speed, or sliding at the electrical connection portion. Due to the problem of dust generation due to operation, the degree of freedom in designing the substrate rotation processing apparatus has been greatly limited.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a substrate rotation processing apparatus having a high degree of design freedom and excellent performance.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides at least three or more rotating members that are rotatably provided and at least three movable members that can be separated from and contacted to the outer peripheral edge of the substrate. and capable of holding the substrate holding means the substrate by causing contact with the outer peripheral edge of the substrate, provided on said rotary member, a driving means for separation and contact driving said movable member relative to said substrate, said comprising a detector for detecting the operation of holding the substrate by the substrate holding means, and a power supply means having an output portion disposed away from the rotating member to the linked transmission portion and the rotating member, and the output unit The first high-frequency signal is transmitted to the transmission unit in a non-contact manner, and the second high-frequency signal having a frequency different from the first high-frequency signal transmitted from the transmission unit is received in a non-contact manner. The transmission unit The detector and the driving unit are operated by receiving the first high-frequency signal and applying power based on the signal, and a signal corresponding to the detection signal from the detector is used as the second high-frequency signal. It sends out to the said output part, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.
[0008]
In the invention configured as described above, the rotating member is provided with the driving means for driving the movable member so as to separate and abut, and the electric power is supplied to the driving means in a non-contact manner. Then, upon receiving this electric power, the driving means drives the movable member, and the movable member is brought into contact with or moved away from the outer peripheral end of the substrate to hold / release the substrate.
[0009]
Here, the power supply means for supplying power to the driving means in a non-contact manner, for example, an output unit that generates a signal and a transmission that receives a signal from the output unit and transmits power based on the signal to the driving means It can be composed of parts. In this case, the output unit is disposed away from the rotating member, while the transmission unit may be connected to the rotating member, and the driving unit is configured only to be able to receive the signal from the output unit by the transmitting unit. In addition, power can be supplied reliably and stably.
[0010]
In addition, a detector is provided to detect the substrate holding operation by the substrate holding means, but by operating the detector with the power supplied by the power supply means, the detector can be operated stably. it can. Further, the detection signal of the detector can be transmitted reliably and stably. Further, the control unit may be configured to control the apparatus based on the detection signal from the detector. In this case, the detection signal regardless of the rotation of the rotary member at the Turkey be transmitted in a non-contact detection signal to the control unit is reliably transmitted to the control unit, precisely, moreover stably operating the apparatus be able to.
[0011]
Moreover, you may provide the control means which is electrically connected with the said output part and controls the whole apparatus based on the said 2nd high frequency signal received by the said output part. The transmission unit may be configured to transmit the detection signal of the detector to the output unit by turning on and off the second high-frequency signal based on the detection signal of the detector. Further, the movable member is applied with a biasing force in a direction to hold the substrate by contacting the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate, and the driving means holds the movable member against the peripheral end of the substrate against the biasing force. The movable member may be driven in a direction away from the part to release the substrate holding.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view showing an embodiment of a substrate rotation processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the substrate rotation processing apparatus of FIG. This substrate rotation processing apparatus is an apparatus that performs a cleaning process and a drying process on a substrate W supported substantially horizontally.
[0017]
In this substrate rotation processing apparatus, a hollow motor 1 is provided as a drive source for rotating the substrate W. The rotary shaft 2 is arranged so as to penetrate the central portion of the hollow motor 1 in the vertical direction, and rotates around the rotation center axis A0 in response to the rotational driving force of the hollow motor 1. A substantially disc-shaped spin base 3 is attached to the upper end portion of the rotating shaft 2 as a “rotating member” of the present invention, and is rotatable about the rotation center axis A0.
[0018]
Near the periphery of the spin base 3, as shown in FIG. 2, three movable members 4 are provided radially about the rotation center axis A0, and each movable member 4 is brought into contact with the outer peripheral end of the substrate W. Thus, the substrate W can be held at a position above the spin base 3. As described above, in this embodiment, the substrate holding means for holding the substrate W is configured by the three movable members 4. However, the substrate holding means is configured to hold the substrate W by providing four or more movable members 4. You may make it do.
[0019]
Above the substrate W held by these movable members 4, a nozzle 10 for supplying a cleaning liquid such as a chemical solution or pure water to the upper surface (usually the surface) of the substrate W is disposed. The cleaning process can be performed. Further, a nozzle 11 for supplying a gas such as an inert gas (such as nitrogen gas) or dry air to the upper surface of the held substrate W is also provided in order to promote a drying process after the cleaning process.
[0020]
In this embodiment, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the lower surface of the held substrate W, and the lower surface of the held substrate W can be cleaned. That is, the rotary shaft 2 is cylindrical, and the outer tube 21 is erected in the hollow portion of the rotary shaft 2. A cleaning liquid supply pipe 22 is provided inside the outer pipe 21, and the upper end portion of the cleaning liquid supply pipe 22 is used as a cleaning liquid ejecting section, and the cleaning liquid is ejected from the cleaning liquid ejecting section toward the lower surface of the substrate W held therein. It is supposed to be. Further, the space between the inner peripheral surface of the outer tube 21 and the outer peripheral surface of the cleaning liquid supply tube 22 is used as a gas supply path, and the upper end portion of the lower surface of the substrate W held as a gas outlet, that is, the held substrate. A gas is supplied to the space between the lower surface of W and the upper surface of the blocking member 31 to accelerate the drying process after the cleaning process.
[0021]
FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view showing the movable member. Since all the three movable members 4 have the same configuration, the configuration of one movable member 4 will be described here with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. The movable member 4 includes a columnar main body 41 provided on the spin base 3 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis A 1, and a substrate mounting holder 42 fixed to the upper surface of the main body 41. Further, in the substrate mounting holder 42, a support portion 421 projects upward from the upper surface along the vertical axis A1 so that the substrate W can be supported from the lower surface side. Further, the substrate mounting holder 42 is provided with an extending portion 422 extending laterally, and a holding portion 423 is projected upward from the front end surface of the extending portion 422. For this reason, when the movable member 4 is urged to rotate clockwise (+ α) about the vertical axis A1 by the drive mechanism described below, the holding portion 423 is formed at the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate W supported by the support portion 421. The substrate W is held in contact. Conversely, when the movable member 4 is urged to rotate counterclockwise (−α) about the vertical axis A1 by the drive mechanism, the holding portion 423 is separated from the outer peripheral end of the substrate W to release the substrate holding.
[0022]
The drive mechanism 5 has a motor 50 attached to the spin base 3. A power transmission unit is provided on the spin base 3 in order to rotate the movable member 4 about the rotation center axis A 1 using the rotational driving force of the motor 50. That is, the first gear 51 is fixed to the rotating shaft 501 of the motor 50, and the second gear 52 is attached to the rotating shaft 55 so as to mesh with the first gear 51. A third gear 53 is fixed to the rotary shaft 55, and a fourth gear (inner gear) 54 is attached to the inner ring 56 so as to mesh with the third gear 53 to form an inner mesh. ing.
[0023]
The inner ring 56 is rotatably arranged around the rotation center axis A 0 on the upper side of the spin base 3 while being guided by a plurality of guide rollers 57. Further, an outer ring 58 is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the inner ring 56 so as to be rotatable around the rotation center axis A 0 above the spin base 3 while being guided by a plurality of guide rollers 59. When the motor 50 is operated, the rotational driving force of the motor 50 is transmitted to the first to third gears 51 to 53, and the inner ring 56 is rotated about the rotation center axis A0 in conjunction with the rotation of the third gear 53. Rotate around.
[0024]
In addition, an engagement plate 561 is attached to each of the three upper surfaces of the inner ring 56, and the engagement plate 561 moves along a predetermined movement path as the inner ring 56 rotates. In particular, when the inner ring 56 rotates in the clockwise direction (+ β) on the paper surface of FIG. 2, the engagement plate 561 engages with the protruding portion 581 protruding from the outer ring 58 in the inner circumferential direction, and further, the inner ring 56 When 56 is driven to rotate, the outer ring 58 rotates in the clockwise direction (+ β) around the rotation center axis A 0 together with the inner ring 56.
[0025]
In addition, a coil spring 60 is connected to each of the three outer peripheral portions of the outer ring 58, and the outer ring 58 is urged counterclockwise (−β) on the paper surface of FIG. Therefore, when the motor 50 is rotated in the reverse direction to rotate the inner ring 56 in the counterclockwise direction (−β), the outer ring 58 is also rotated in the counterclockwise direction (−β) by the biasing force of the coil spring 60. Although not shown in the drawings, a stopper is provided to restrict the outer ring 58 from rotating more than necessary counterclockwise (−β).
[0026]
In the outer ring 58 configured as described above, elongated holes 582 are formed corresponding to the respective movable members 4. Then, one end of the link member 61 is connected to each elongated hole 582, and the other end of the link member 61 is connected to the main body 41 of the movable member 4. Therefore, when the outer ring 58 rotates in the clockwise direction (+ β) against the urging force of the coil spring 60 according to the operation of the motor 50 as described above (the broken line position in FIG. 2), the link member 61 moves the movable member. 4 rotates counterclockwise (-α) about the rotation center axis A 1 and is separated from the outer peripheral end of the substrate W to release the substrate. On the other hand, when the inner ring 56 rotates counterclockwise (−β) according to the operation of the motor 50, the outer ring 58 rotates counterclockwise (−β) by the biasing force of the coil spring 60 (the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 2). ) And the link member 61 causes the movable member 4 to rotate clockwise (+ α) about the rotation center axis A1, and contacts the outer peripheral end of the substrate W to hold the substrate W. The holding force at this time is determined by the biasing force of the coil spring 60, and the substrate can be held with a stable force.
[0027]
In this embodiment, in order to detect holding / release of the substrate W as described above, the light shielding members 71 and 72 are attached to the inner ring 56 and the outer ring 58, respectively, and the light shielding members 71 and 72 are detected. An optical sensor 73 such as a photo interrupter is arranged at a predetermined position. The holding operation of the substrate W is detected based on the detection signal from each optical sensor 73, and the optical sensor 73 functions as the “detector” of the present invention. It goes without saying that other sensors or switches may be used as detectors instead of the optical sensors.
[0028]
Furthermore, in order to supply electric power to the motor 50 and the optical sensor 73 and to transmit a detection signal from the optical sensor 73 to a control unit that controls the entire apparatus, in this embodiment, the “power supply means” of the present invention and As a “transmission unit”, a remote device including an output unit 81 and a transmission unit 82 is provided. More specifically, the output unit 81 is fixed to the upper surface of the hollow motor 1, while the transmission unit 82 is connected and fixed to the spin base 3 with a fastening member such as a bolt. And it communicates between the output part 81 and the transmission part 82, and is comprised so that electric power and a detection signal may be transmitted electromagnetically without contact. As the output unit 81 and the transmission unit 82, for example, those described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-334783 can be used. That is, the output unit 81 and the transmission unit 82 are electromagnetically coupled via a coupling coil including an output side coil and a transmission side coil. The high frequency signal electromagnetically supplied from the output unit 81 via the output side coil and the transmission side coil is detected by the transmission unit 82 and rectified / smoothed to obtain drive power. Further, the transmission unit 82 turns on / off the oscillation operation of the high frequency signal having a frequency different from that of the high frequency signal, and transmits and outputs the high frequency signal to the output unit 81 via the transmission side coil and the output side coil. The output unit 81 is configured to detect the transmission content based on the received high frequency signal.
[0029]
Next, the electrical configuration of the substrate rotation processing apparatus configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. In this substrate rotation processing apparatus, the motor 50 of the drive mechanism 5, the optical sensor 73, and the transmission unit 82 are connected and fixed to the spin base 3, and these are integrated as the spin base 3 is driven to rotate. Thus, it rotates about the rotation center axis A0. In FIG. 4, the electrical configuration that rotates integrally with the spin base 3 is surrounded by a one-dot chain line.
[0030]
On the other hand, the output part 81 is fixed to the upper part of the hollow motor 1. And it is electrically connected with the control part 9 which controls the whole apparatus, and the external power supply 91, receives the electric power supplied from the external power supply 91, for example, transmits the high frequency signal (1st high frequency signal) of 70 kHz to the transmission part 82. Can be sent to In addition, a signal transmitted from the transmission unit 82 based on the detection signal (a high-frequency signal greatly separated from the first high-frequency signal, for example, a 455 kHz signal) can be received, and the detection signal is determined based on the presence or absence of the second high-frequency signal. Is output to the control unit 9.
[0031]
On the other hand, the transmission unit 82 is configured to detect the first high-frequency signal transmitted from the output unit 81 and to supply electric power obtained by rectification / smoothing to the motor 50 and the optical sensor 73 (same as above). (See the solid line in the figure). The transmission unit 82 receives the detection signal output from the optical sensor 73 (see the broken line in the figure), turns on or off the oscillation operation of the second high-frequency signal based on the signal level, and outputs the detection signal to the output unit 81. Output.
[0032]
Thus, in this embodiment, it is possible to transmit power and a detection signal in a non-contact manner by transmitting and receiving a high frequency signal between the output unit 81 and the transmission unit 82, and the motor 50 that rotates together with the spin base 3. In addition, electric power can be reliably and stably supplied to the optical sensor 73. Of course, since transmission is performed in a non-contact manner, a complicated wiring structure is not required, and the apparatus can be reduced in size and simplified.
[0033]
Next, the operation of the substrate rotation processing apparatus configured as described above will be described. In this apparatus, the motor 50 supplied with power from the output unit 81 in a non-contact manner operates to rotate the outer ring 58 clockwise (+ β) against the urging force of the coil spring 60 and move to the position of the broken line in FIG. Let As a result, the movable member 4 rotates counterclockwise (−α) about the rotation center axis A1 and is positioned at the position where the substrate holding is released, that is, the release position. In this released state, an unprocessed substrate W is transported by a transport robot (not shown) and placed on the support portion 421 of the movable member 4.
[0034]
When the motor 50 rotates in the reverse direction and the inner ring 56 is rotationally driven in the counterclockwise direction (−β), the outer ring 58 is rotationally moved in the counterclockwise direction (−β) by the urging force of the coil spring 60, and the link member 61. As a result, the movable member 4 rotates in the clockwise direction (+ α) around the rotation center axis A 1 and contacts the outer peripheral end of the substrate W to hold the substrate W. Thereby, the substrate holding by the movable member 4 is completed.
[0035]
Next, the hollow motor 1 is driven, the rotary shaft 2 is rotated about the axis A0, and the held substrate W is rotated about the axis A0. Then, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate W from the nozzle 10 and the cleaning liquid ejecting portion, respectively, and the cleaning process is performed on both surfaces of the substrate W.
[0036]
Further, when a predetermined cleaning time has elapsed, the supply of the cleaning liquid from the nozzle 10 and the cleaning liquid jetting unit is stopped, but the rotation of the substrate W is continued and the cleaning liquid adhering to the substrate W is shaken off and dried. Let During this drying process, the drying process is promoted by supplying gas from the nozzle 11 and the gas outlet.
[0037]
Then, when a predetermined drying time has elapsed, the supply of gas from the nozzle 11 and the gas outlet is stopped, and the rotation of the substrate W is stopped by stopping the driving of the hollow motor 1. Further, the motor 50 is operated to rotate the outer ring 58 in the clockwise direction (+ β) against the urging force of the coil spring 60, whereby the movable member 4 is positioned at the release position and the substrate holding is released. The held substrate W is unloaded by the transfer robot, the next substrate W is placed on the support portion 421 of the movable member 4, and the next substrate W is cleaned and dried by the above-described operation. Is called. Thereafter, similarly, the substrate W is sequentially cleaned and dried.
[0038]
As described above, according to this embodiment, the drive mechanism 5 for separating and driving the movable member 4 is provided in the spin base 3, and the electric power electromagnetically transmitted from the output unit 81 to the transmission unit 82 is driven. Since power is supplied to the motor 50 of the mechanism 5, that is, power is supplied to the motor 50 in a non-contact manner, power can be supplied stably without providing an electrical connection mechanism such as a slip ring. The base 3 can be rotated at high speed. Moreover, the problem of dust generation can be solved. In addition, since the drive mechanism 5 for driving the movable member 4 can be integrated into the spin base 3 without considering the wiring connection between the drive mechanism 5 and the external power source 91, the apparatus can be reduced in size and simplified. It is advantageous in terms of the surface and the degree of freedom in designing the substrate rotation processing apparatus can be increased.
[0039]
Further, not only the power supply but also the detection signal can be transmitted from the spin base 3 side to the control unit 9 in a non-contact manner, so that the same effect as described above can be obtained. That is, the detection signal detected by the optical sensor 73 can be reliably transmitted to the control unit 9 in a non-contact manner, and the apparatus can be operated with high accuracy and stability. Of course, since the optical sensor 73 can be disposed on the spin base 3 without considering the wiring connection between the optical sensor 73 and the control unit 9, the conventional apparatus is reduced in size, simplification, and design freedom. Better than.
[0040]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the control unit 9 is provided at a position away from the spin base 3, but may be configured to be coupled and fixed to the spin base 3 and rotated together with the spin base 3 as shown in FIG. Good. In this case, the control unit 9 can be stably operated by feeding the control unit 9 with the electric power transmitted from the output unit 81 to the transmission unit 82 in a contactless manner.
[0041]
In the above-described embodiment, the motor 50 is used to drive the movable member 4 away from and in contact with the outer peripheral end of the substrate W. However, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied.
[0042]
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a substrate rotation processing apparatus that performs cleaning and drying processing on the substrate W. However, the application target of the present invention is not limited to this, and a resist coating apparatus, The present invention can be applied to any apparatus such as a developing apparatus, that is, a substrate rotation processing apparatus that rotates a substrate and performs a predetermined process.
[0043]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, as provided with the rotary member driving means and the detector, driving the movable member by supplying to the drive means in a non-contact electric power to the drive means and the detector Since it comprises, it can supply electric power reliably and stably with respect to the drive means rotated integrally with a rotating member. Further, the detection signal from the detector that rotates integrally with the rotating member can be transmitted reliably and stably. Therefore, the degree of freedom in designing the apparatus can be increased, and excellent performance can be obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a substrate rotation processing apparatus according to the present invention.
2 is a plan view of the substrate rotation processing apparatus of FIG. 1; FIG.
FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view showing a movable member.
4 is a diagram showing an electrical configuration of the substrate rotation processing apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view showing another embodiment of a substrate rotation processing apparatus according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
3. Spin base (rotating member)
4 ... Moveable member 5 ... Drive mechanism (drive means)
9. Control unit (control means)
50 ... motor 73 ... optical sensor (detector)
81 ... Output unit 82 ... Transmission unit W ... Substrate

Claims (4)

A rotating member provided rotatably;
Substrate holding capable of holding the substrate by providing at least three or more movable members that can be brought into and out of contact with the outer peripheral end of the substrate on the rotating member, and bringing the movable member into contact with the outer peripheral end of the substrate. Means,
A driving means provided on the rotating member for driving the movable member to come into contact with the substrate;
A detector for detecting the holding operation of the substrate by the substrate holding means;
A power supply means having a transmission unit connected to the rotating member and an output unit disposed away from the rotating member ;
The output unit transmits the first high-frequency signal to the transmission unit in a non-contact manner and non-contacts a second high-frequency signal having a frequency different from the first high-frequency signal sent from the transmission unit. While receiving
The transmission unit operates the detector and the driving unit by receiving the first high-frequency signal and applying power based on the signal, and outputs a signal corresponding to the detection signal from the detector to the second A substrate rotation processing apparatus, wherein the substrate rotation processing apparatus sends the high frequency signal to the output unit . The substrate rotation processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that is electrically connected to the output unit and controls the entire apparatus based on the second high-frequency signal received by the output unit .   The substrate rotation process according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit transmits the detection signal of the detector to the output unit by turning on and off the second high-frequency signal based on the detection signal of the detector. apparatus.   The movable member is applied with an urging force in a direction to hold the substrate by contacting the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate, and the drive means moves the movable member from the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate against the urging force. The substrate rotation processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable member is driven in a separating direction to release the substrate holding.

Images