JP2008311250A - Reflow system and reflow method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reflow system and a reflow method that hardly cause trouble such as a transfer trace etc., due to drying unevenness of resist when reflow processing is performed by supplying a solvent to a substrate while continuously conveying the substrate. <P>SOLUTION: The reflow system includes: a reflow unit 11 which performs reflow processing on a resist layer by supplying the solvent to the substrate G having the resist layer in a predetermined pattern while the substrate G is conveyed along a conveyance path; a drying unit 12 which dries the substrate having been subjected to the reflow processing on the resist layer; and a heat treatment unit 13 which performs a bake treatment by heating the substrate having been dried by the drying unit 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a reflow system and a reflow method for performing a resist reflow process.

  For example, in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a resist layer is formed on the surface of a substrate on which a predetermined layer is formed, and an exposure pattern formed on the resist layer of the wafer after performing exposure processing corresponding to the predetermined pattern A resist mask corresponding to a predetermined pattern is used by developing so-called photolithography technology.

  By the way, in recent years, high integration and miniaturization of semiconductor devices are progressing, and accordingly, the manufacturing process of the semiconductor devices becomes complicated, the necessary mask patterns increase, and the manufacturing cost increases. For this reason, in order to significantly reduce the manufacturing cost, it has been studied to integrate the mask pattern forming process for photolithography to reduce the total number of processes.

  As a technique for reducing the number of mask pattern formation processes, a resist is softened by infiltrating the resist with an organic solvent, and a new mask pattern is formed by changing the resist pattern shape. A reflow process capable of reducing the formation process has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).

  Such a reflow process is performed by exposing a substrate on which a resist layer is formed to a thinner atmosphere. Conventionally, an apparatus that performs such a process in a sealed chamber has been used (for example, see Patent Document 2). .

  When such reflow processing is applied to the manufacture of thin film transistors (TFTs) for FPDs (flat panel displays), glass substrates for FPDs are becoming larger and reflow devices are becoming larger and more complex. There is a problem that the cost is high.

  In order to solve such a problem, a so-called flat-flow type reflow apparatus that performs reflow processing by supplying thinner to the substrate while the substrate is being continuously transported has been studied. In other words, in such a flat flow method, since thinner is discharged onto the substrate being transported on the transport path for processing, it is easy to handle even a large size substrate, and the apparatus can be simplified. It becomes.

However, the flat flow method cannot be decompressed as in the sealed chamber method, and is transported to the heat treatment unit in a state where drying is insufficient, and is pre-baked, so the solvent is suddenly discharged from the resist layer and dried. There may be inconveniences such as non-uniformity, resulting in transfer marks such as rollers.
JP 2002-334830 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-158054

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and when performing reflow processing by supplying a solvent to the substrate while continuously transporting the substrate, there are inconveniences such as transfer traces due to non-uniform drying of the resist. An object of the present invention is to provide a reflow system and a reflow method that are unlikely to occur.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, in the first aspect of the present invention, the resist layer is reflowed by supplying a solvent to the substrate while the substrate having the resist layer having a predetermined pattern is being conveyed along the conveyance path. A reflow system comprising: a reflow unit; a drying unit that dries a substrate after the reflow treatment is applied to the resist layer; and a heat treatment unit that heats and bake the substrate dried by the drying unit. I will provide a.

  In the first aspect, the reflow unit includes a solvent atmosphere forming device that forms a solvent atmosphere in a reflow processing space formed in the transport path, and the solvent atmosphere forming device supplies a solvent to the reflow processing space. It can be set as the structure which has the solvent supply mechanism to supply, and the suction mechanism which attracts | sucks the solvent supplied to the said reflow process space.

  The drying unit may dry the substrate in a reduced pressure state. In this case, the drying unit has a carry-in port into which the substrate is carried in and a carry-out port through which the substrate is carried out in the side wall portion. A chamber for accommodating the substrate, a gate member for opening and closing the carry-in port and the carry-out port of the chamber, a decompression mechanism for exhausting and depressurizing the inside of the chamber, and transporting the substrate in the horizontal direction to It may be configured to have a transport mechanism that carries the substrate into the chamber, supports the substrate in the horizontal state in the chamber, transports the substrate horizontally after decompression processing, and unloads it from the carry-out port. The transport mechanism includes a belt wound around two pulley members in the chamber, performs a decompression process with the substrate placed on the belt, and operates the belt to operate the substrate. What carries in and out can be used, and it is good also as what has several rollers which convey a board | substrate.

In the first aspect, the drying unit may dry the substrate while applying an air flow to the substrate. In this case, the drying unit is provided along a conveyance path through which the substrate is conveyed, an airflow forming unit in which an airflow is formed therein, and a conveyance mechanism that conveys the substrate along the conveyance path. It is possible to adopt a configuration having Moreover, it is preferable that the airflow forming unit forms an airflow in a direction opposite to the substrate transport direction.

  Further, the heat treatment unit may be configured to heat and bake the substrate while transporting the substrate after being dried by the drying unit along the transport path. The processing unit includes a heating area for heating the substrate while transporting the substrate after being dried by the drying unit along the transport path, and a state in which the substrate after heating is transported along the transport path. It can be set as the structure which has a cooling area which cools a board | substrate. Moreover, as a heat processing unit, what heat-processes a board | substrate with the heated hot plate and can bake can be used suitably.

  In a second aspect of the present invention, a reflow unit that supplies a solvent to the substrate and performs a reflow process of the resist layer while the substrate having the resist layer having a predetermined pattern is transported in one direction along the transport path; A drying unit that transports the substrate after the reflow treatment to the resist layer in the one direction and carries it into the chamber, dries the substrate therein, transports the substrate in the one direction, and carries it out of the chamber; And a heat treatment unit for heating and baking the substrate while the substrate dried by the drying unit is transported in the one direction along the transport path.

  In the second aspect, the drying unit has a configuration in which after the substrate is carried into the chamber, the inside of the chamber is decompressed to dry the substrate under reduced pressure, and after drying under reduced pressure, the substrate is carried out of the chamber. it can. Moreover, the said drying unit may provide an airflow to the board | substrate which provides an airflow to a board | substrate, conveying a board | substrate. Furthermore, the said heat processing unit can use suitably the thing which heats a board | substrate with the heated hot plate and performs a baking process.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, a step of supplying a solvent to the substrate while the substrate having a resist layer having a predetermined pattern is being conveyed along the conveyance path and performing a reflow process on the resist layer; Provided is a reflow method characterized by including a step of drying a substrate after the treatment and a step of baking the dried substrate.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a step of supplying a solvent to a substrate and carrying out a reflow process of the resist layer while the substrate having a resist layer having a predetermined pattern is being conveyed in one direction along the conveyance path; A step of transporting the substrate after the reflow treatment to the layer in one direction and carrying it into the chamber, drying the substrate therein, transporting the dried substrate in the one direction and carrying it out of the chamber And a step of heating and baking the substrate while the dried substrate is transported in the one direction along the transport path.

  In the third and fourth aspects, the drying is performed by loading the substrate into the chamber, then depressurizing and drying the substrate with the inside of the chamber in a reduced pressure state, and transporting the substrate out of the chamber after the reduced pressure drying. It can also be performed by applying an air flow to the substrate while transporting the substrate. Moreover, the said heating can be suitably performed with the heated hotplate.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium that stores a program that operates on a computer and controls a reflow system, and the program is executed when the reflow method according to the third or fourth aspect is executed. A storage medium is provided for causing a computer to control the reflow system.

  According to the present invention, while a substrate having a resist layer having a predetermined pattern is being conveyed along the conveyance path, a solvent is supplied to the substrate to perform a reflow process of the resist layer, and then drying is performed. Since the baking process is performed by heating, the solvent is supplied while transporting, so that the solvent is not released rapidly from the resist layer containing a large amount of solvent, and transfer marks are generated due to uneven drying. Inconvenience can be suppressed.

  In addition, while a substrate having a resist layer having a predetermined pattern is being transported along the transport path, a solvent is supplied to the substrate to perform a reflow process of the resist layer, and then the substrate is transported in the one direction to the inside of the chamber. The substrate is dried in the substrate, and then the substrate is dried. Thereafter, the substrate is transported in the one direction and is transported out of the chamber, and the dried substrate is transported in the one direction along the transport path. Since the substrate is heated and baked during operation, inconveniences such as transfer marks can be suppressed, and the glass substrate unloaded from the above-mentioned flat-flow type reflow unit can be continuously used as it is. A series of processes can be performed in a state of being conveyed. Therefore, simplification of the apparatus can be realized and extremely efficient processing can be performed.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a reflow system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, a system that supplies a gaseous solvent to a resist film after development processing formed on the surface of a glass substrate G for LCD, performs reflow processing, and dries to change the resist pattern shape will be described as an example. To do.

  The reflow system 100 mounts a processing station 1 for performing a series of processes including a reflow process on a glass substrate G on which a resist film having a predetermined pattern is formed, and a cassette in which a plurality of unprocessed glass substrates G are accommodated. An unloading unit 2 for loading the glass substrate G into the processing station 1, and an unloading unit 3 for placing an empty cassette and storing the processed glass substrate unloaded from the processing station 2 in the cassette. And a control unit 4 that controls each component of the reflow processing system 100.

  The processing station 1 includes a plurality of units for performing a resist reflow process on the glass substrate G and a subsequent process. Specifically, a reflow unit 11 for supplying a solvent to the resist layer of the glass substrate G and performing a reflow process, and a drying unit for drying the glass substrate G and volatilizing the solvent after the reflow process in the reflow unit 11 12 and a heat treatment unit 13 that performs a pre-bake treatment on the glass substrate G after drying.

  The reflow unit 11 is a unit used for a reflow process in which a resist patterned on the glass substrate G is softened and fluidized in a solvent atmosphere to change the pattern to form a new resist pattern. The internal configuration of the reflow unit 11 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the reflow unit 11 is a so-called flat-flow type that performs a reflow process while continuously transporting a glass substrate G, and has a casing 21, and a glass is contained in the casing 21. A conveyance path 22 through which the substrate G is conveyed horizontally is formed. A substrate carry-in port 21 a is formed on one side wall of the housing 21, and a substrate carry-out port 21 b is formed on the side wall opposite to the side wall, and the glass substrate G carried in from the substrate carry-in port 21 a is transferred to the transfer path 22. Are transported horizontally and unloaded from the substrate unloading port 21b. Further, as a transport mechanism for transporting the glass substrate G, a plurality of rollers 23 extending in the width direction of the glass substrate G are provided. The plurality of rollers 23 are arranged in the horizontal direction, and a part of the rollers 23 is connected to a rotational drive mechanism (not shown) and rotationally driven, whereby the glass substrate G is conveyed in the horizontal direction. Each roller 23 is provided with a temperature adjusting medium flow path 23a, and the temperature of the glass substrate G can be adjusted by circulating the temperature adjusting medium through the temperature adjusting medium flow path 23a. Yes.

  A plurality of (three in FIG. 2) solvent atmosphere forming devices 24 are provided in the housing 21 along the conveyance path 22.

  FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the reflow processor. As shown in FIG. 3, the reflow processor 24 has a casing 25 having a rectangular tube shape through which a glass substrate G can pass, and a solvent supply unit 27 and a solvent suction unit 28 are provided on the top wall 26. It has been. A substrate carry-in port 25a is provided on the upstream side wall of the casing 25 in the transfer direction, and a substrate carry-out port 25b is provided on the downstream side wall in the transfer direction. Inside the casing 25, a reflow processing space S is formed which becomes a solvent atmosphere during the reflow processing. Thus, the leakage of the solvent is prevented by forming the reflow processing space S inside the casing 25.

  In the reflow processor 24, the solvent supply unit 27 and the solvent suction unit 28 are provided so as to protrude outward (obliquely upward) from the top plate 26. A solvent supply path 27 a is formed inside the solvent supply unit 27, and a plurality of solvent supply pipes 31 are connected to the upper end of the solvent supply path 27 a, and the solvent supply pipe 31 is connected to a solvent supply source 32. Has been. The solvent supply path 27a is continuous with the solvent supply hole 26a provided in the top wall 26, and the solvent supply hole 26a is elongated in the width direction of the glass substrate G so as to face the reflow processing space S. . In the solvent supply hole 26a, for example, a rectifying member 33 having a fine gas flow path such as porous ceramics is provided so that the gas containing the vaporized solvent can be uniformly blown toward the glass substrate G. It is configured.

  Further, the solvent suction portion 28 includes an exhaust passage 28a, and a plurality of exhaust pipes 34 are connected to the upper end of the exhaust passage 28a. The exhaust pipe 34 is connected to a suction mechanism 35 such as a suction pump. Has been. The exhaust path 28a is continuous with an exhaust hole 26b provided in the top wall 26, and the exhaust hole 26b is elongated in the width direction of the substrate G so as to face the reflow processing space S.

Next, the drying unit 12 will be described.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the drying unit 12. This drying unit 12 performs a reduced pressure drying to uniformly dry the solvent contained in the resist layer after the reflow processing of the resist layer formed on the glass substrate G in the solvent atmosphere by the reflow unit 11. And a chamber 41 that can accommodate the glass substrate G, and a transport mechanism 42 that carries the glass substrate G into the chamber 41 and carries it out of the chamber 41.

  The chamber 41 is formed in a thin box shape and can accommodate the glass substrate G in a substantially horizontal state, and has a loading port 41a that forms slits through which the glass substrate G can pass through the side surfaces facing each other in the transport direction. A carry-out port 41 b is provided, and the carry-in port 41 a and the carry-out port 41 b are opened and closed by gate members 43 and 44.

  A plurality of exhaust pipes 46 communicating with the interior of the chamber 41 are provided on the bottom surface of the chamber 41 with a predetermined interval, and the exhaust pipes 46 are connected to an exhaust device 47. Then, the inside of the chamber 41 can be decompressed to a predetermined value by operating the exhaust device 47 in a state where the entrance 41a and the exit 41b are closed by the gate members 43 and 44 and the inside of the chamber 41 is sealed. ing. The exhaust pipe 46 and the exhaust device 47 constitute a decompression mechanism for decompressing the inside of the chamber 41 and drying the resist layer supplied with the solvent of the glass substrate G accommodated in the chamber 41.

  The transport mechanism 42 transports the glass substrate G substantially horizontally, carries it into the chamber 41 from the carry-in port 41a, and carries it out of the chamber 41 through the carry-out port 41b. The transport mechanism 42 includes an in-chamber transport unit 42a that transports the glass substrate G in the chamber 41, a carry-in transport unit 42b that transports the glass substrate G from the transport inlet 41a and transports the glass substrate G to the intra-chamber transport unit 42a, The carrying-out side conveyance part 42c which carries out the glass substrate G of the conveyance part 42a from the carrying-out exit 41b is provided.

  The inner transport section 42a is provided in the chamber 41 at the end portion on the carry-in port 41a side and the end portion on the carry-out port 41b side, respectively, and the pulley members 50a and 50b having a cylindrical shape, and spanning the pulley members 50a and 50b. Belt 51. The belt 51 is disposed such that the upper surface thereof is located within the height range of the carry-in port 41a and the carry-out port 41b. At least one of the pulley members 50a and 50b has a rotating shaft connected to a drive source such as a motor. The belt 51 is operated by the drive source via the pulley member, and the glass substrate G is conveyed.

  The belt 51 is preferably made of an appropriate resin material, for example, a urethane material or a fluorine material such as Teflon (registered trademark). The belt 51 has a width substantially equal to the width of the glass substrate G, and the distance between the pulley members 50a and 50b is set larger than the length of the glass substrate G in the transport direction. Thereby, the belt 51 can support the back surface of the glass substrate G over substantially the entire surface during the vacuum drying process.

  In the chamber 41, guide roller members 54a and 54b are rotatably provided outside the pulley members 50a and 50b, respectively. These guide roller members 54a and 54b are provided so as to be the same height as or slightly higher than the upper surface of the belt 51, and reliably move from the carry-in side conveyance unit 42b to the belt 51 and from the belt 51 to the carry-out side conveyance unit 42c. It is designed to guide you.

  In the space between the belts 51 wound around the pulley members 50 a and 50 b, the filling member 45 is provided so as not to contact the belt 51. Thereby, the volume in the chamber 41 becomes small, and the inside of the chamber 41 can be rapidly decompressed by the decompression mechanism.

  Between the pulley members 50 a and 50 b, an auxiliary roller member 55 that extends in the width direction of the glass substrate G and prevents the belt 51 from bending is provided so as to support the belt 51.

  The carry-in side conveyance unit 42b and the carry-out side conveyance unit 42c each have a plurality of roller members 56 along the conveyance direction. The outer roller member 56 of the carry-in transport unit 42 b transports the glass substrate G after the reflow process into the chamber 41. On the other hand, the outer roller member 56 of the carry-out side conveyance unit 42 c conveys the glass substrate after the reduced pressure drying from the reduced pressure drying unit 12 to the heating unit 13. As described above, since the carry-in side and the carry-out side are of the roller type, the glass substrate G can be transported without requiring a complicated transport mechanism such as an actuator type or a robot type.

  Between the pulley member 50a and the guide roller member 54a in the chamber 41, and between the pulley member 50b and the guide roller member 54b, a nitrogen gas supply unit 62 for supplying nitrogen gas upward is provided. It is provided so as to extend in the width direction of the belt 51. The nitrogen gas supply unit 62 supplies the nitrogen gas into the decompressed chamber 41 so as to quickly increase the pressure in the chamber 41 and to allow the resist layer after the reflow processing of the glass substrate G to come into contact with external air. It is for suppressing. In addition, a local exhaust pipe 63 is provided between the belts 51 (on the back side of the belt 51) along the width direction of the belts in order to discharge dust and the like attached to the belts 51 on the side surface in the chamber 41. The local exhaust pipe 63 is connected to an exhaust device (not shown). A local exhaust pipe 64 is also provided on the surface side of the belt 51. In this case, it is preferable to arrange an ionizer in the local exhaust pipe 64 so that the surface of the belt 51 can be neutralized as a countermeasure against particles, and the local exhaust pipe 64 and the ionizer are used when the belt 51 is operated. It is preferable to operate and control to stop when the belt 51 stops.

Next, the heat treatment unit 13 will be described.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the heat treatment unit 13. This heat treatment unit 13 is for heating the resist layer after the reflow treatment to perform a pre-bake treatment, and is a so-called flat-flow type that performs the heat treatment while continuously conveying the glass substrate G. Then, the glass substrate G after being dried under reduced pressure by the reduced pressure drying unit 12 is subjected to heat treatment. The heat treatment unit 13 includes a housing 71, and a transport path 72 through which the glass substrate G is transported horizontally is formed in the housing 71. A substrate carry-in port 71 a is formed on one side wall of the housing 71, and a substrate carry-out port 71 b is formed on the side wall opposite to the side wall, and the glass substrate G carried in from the substrate carry-in port 71 a is transferred to the transfer path 72. Are transported horizontally and unloaded from the substrate unloading port 71b. Further, as a transport mechanism for transporting the glass substrate G, a plurality of rollers 73 extending in the width direction of the glass substrate G are provided. The plurality of rollers 73 are arranged in the horizontal direction, and a part of the rollers 73 is connected to a rotation drive mechanism (not shown) and is driven to rotate, whereby the glass substrate G is conveyed in the horizontal direction.

  In the casing 71, a heating area 13a for performing an original heat treatment and a cooling area 13b for cooling the heated glass substrate G to a temperature at which the heated glass substrate G can be conveyed are provided.

  In the heating area 13a, a plurality of panel-shaped heaters (hot plates) 74 for heating the glass substrate G and gaps 75 between the plurality of heaters 74 are heated to a predetermined temperature in the upper space of the conveyance path 72. A heated gas supply device 76 for supplying the heated gas, an intake device 77 for taking in air from the gap 75, and an IR (infrared) heater 78 for heating the back surface of the glass substrate G conveyed by the roller 73. It has been. Supply of the heating gas from the heating gas supply device 76 is performed via the heating gas supply piping 79, and suction by the intake device 77 is performed via the intake piping 80.

  When a temperature difference occurs between the front and back surfaces of the glass substrate G, the glass substrate G is warped. Therefore, the outputs of the heater 74 and the IR heater 78 are controlled so that the front and back temperatures of the glass substrate G are approximately the same. Since the distance from the heater 74 to the front surface of the glass substrate G and the distance from the IR heater 78 to the back surface of the glass substrate G are different, the correlation data of the outputs of the heater 74 and the IR heater 78 with respect to the set temperature of the glass substrate G is controlled. The heater 74 and the IR heater 78 are controlled according to the set processing temperature of the glass substrate G.

  When the heating gas is supplied between the glass substrate G and the heater 74 from the heating gas supply device 76 during the heat treatment, the heating of the glass substrate G can be promoted. Further, by supplying and exhausting the heating gas to the space between the glass substrate G and the heater 74 in this way, sublimates generated from the glass substrate G are placed on the air current, and the glass substrate G and the heater 74 are Can be excluded from the space between.

  The IR heater 78 is preferably disposed so as to heat not only the glass substrate G but also the roller 73. Thereby, the glass substrate G is also heated by heat transfer and heat radiation from the roller 73, and the heat treatment time of the glass substrate G can be shortened. For this reason, it is preferable to use what is comprised with the heat storage material (for example, ceramics etc.) for the roller 73. FIG.

  In the cooling area 13b, a cooling plate 81 provided above the conveying path 72 of the glass substrate G for cooling the glass substrate G from the front surface side, and a back surface of the glass substrate G for cooling the glass substrate G from the back surface. There is provided a cooling gas injection device 82 for spraying the cooling gas to the inside.

  The cooling plate 81 has a pipe embedded therein for passing the cooling medium, and is configured so that the refrigerant circulates between the cooling plate 81 and the chiller 83 via the pipe 84. It is good also as a structure which sucks the warmed gas of the space between the cooling plate 81 and the glass substrate G from the clearance gap between the cooling plates 81. FIG.

  Further, the cooling gas injection device 82 includes a cooling gas supply unit 85 that supplies the cooling gas, a cooling gas injection nozzle 86 that discharges the cooling gas, and a cooling that guides the cooling gas from the cooling gas supply unit 85 to the cooling gas injection nozzle 86. And a gas pipe 87.

  In addition, since there is a large temperature difference between the heating area 13a and the cooling area 13b, a configuration in which the influence of heat is eliminated may be configured such that the space between the heating area 13a and the cooling area 13b can be blocked by a shutter or the like.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 4 includes a process controller 14 composed of a microprocessor to which each component of the reflow system 100 is connected, whereby each component is controlled. Connected to the process controller 14 is a user interface 15 including a keyboard for an operator to input commands for managing the reflow system 100, a display for visualizing and displaying the operating status of the reflow system 100, and the like. .

  The process controller 14 also includes a control program for realizing various processes executed by the reflow system 100 under the control of the process controller 14, and a program for causing each component of the reflow system 100 to execute a process, that is, a recipe. Is stored. The recipe is stored in a storage medium in the storage unit 16. The storage medium may be a hard disk or a semiconductor memory, or a portable medium such as a CDROM or DVD. Moreover, you may make it transmit a recipe suitably from another apparatus via a dedicated line, for example. If necessary, an arbitrary recipe is called from the storage unit 16 according to an instruction from the user interface 15 and is executed by the process controller 14, so that a desired flow in the reflow system 100 is controlled under the control of the process controller 14. Processing is performed.

  The reflow system 100 configured as described above has a resist layer patterned in a predetermined pattern, and is subjected to predetermined pre-processing such as re-development processing and adhesion processing for thin film removal as necessary. A cassette containing a plurality of glass substrates G is placed on the carry-in section 2, and the glass substrates G are carried into the processing station 1 one by one from there by an appropriate conveyance mechanism, and conveyed to the reflow unit 11 by a roller or the like.

  In the reflow unit 11, a rotation driving mechanism (not shown) is driven to rotate the roller 23, so that the glass substrate G is transported along the transport path 22 and carried into the housing 21. The glass substrate G transported through the transport path 22 in the housing 21 passes from the solvent supply source 32 to the solvent supply pipe 31 while passing through the reflow processing space S formed in the casing 25 of the reflow processing device 24. Then, a gas containing a solvent such as thinner is supplied to the reflow processing space S in an inclined state through the solvent supply path 27a of the solvent supply unit 27 and the solvent supply hole 26a of the top wall 26. The gas containing the solvent supplied to the reflow processing space S is sucked by the suction mechanism 35 from the exhaust hole 26b formed in the top wall 26 through the exhaust path 28a and the exhaust pipe of the solvent suction unit 28. As a result, a unidirectional flow from the solvent supply hole 26a to the exhaust port 26b is formed in the reflow processing space S, and the resist layer softens and fluidizes on the surface of the glass substrate G due to the flow of the gas containing the solvent. A resist pattern is formed.

  At this time, in such a flat-flow type reflow unit 11, the suction mechanism 35 only sucks the gas containing the solvent supplied to the reflow processing space S, and cannot perform pressure reduction processing as in the sealed chamber system. The glass substrate G is discharged in a high solvent concentration state where the solvent absorbed in the resist layer is not sufficiently discharged.

  Conventionally, the pre-bake treatment was performed in this state. However, if the bake treatment is performed in a state where the solvent concentration in the resist layer is high, the solvent is suddenly discharged from the resist layer by heating, resulting in uneven drying. This may cause inconveniences such as generation of transfer marks such as rollers.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the drying unit 12 is provided adjacent to the reflow unit 11 and the drying unit 12 performs gentle drying so that a non-uniform dry state is not formed.

  The glass substrate G carried out from the reflow unit 11 is transferred to the carry-in side conveyance unit 42b of the drying unit 12, and is carried from the carry-in port 41a until it reaches the belt 51 of the in-chamber conveyance unit 42a. At this time, by rotating the pulley member 50b and operating the belt 51, the glass substrate G that has reached the belt 51 is transferred from the carry-in side conveyance unit 42b to the in-chamber conveyance unit 42a, and is And are accommodated in the chamber 41. When the glass substrate G is accommodated in the chamber 41 and placed on the belt 51 over substantially the entire surface, the operation of the belt 51 is stopped, and the carry-in port 41a and the carry-out port 41b are closed by the gate members 43 and 44. The chamber 41 is sealed.

  In this state, the exhaust device 47 is operated to reduce the pressure in the chamber 41 to a predetermined value. Thereby, the resist layer formed on the surface of the glass substrate G is gently dried, the solvent is not rapidly released, and the transfer trace of the resist layer due to uneven drying is less likely to occur.

  At this time, the belt 51 uniformly supports the glass substrate G in contact with the substantially entire surface, and a mechanism for gripping the glass substrate G and a lift pin are not used when the glass substrate G is transferred. There is no risk of occurrence of transfer, and transfer marks can be made more difficult to occur.

  In this way, when the exhaust device 47 is operated for a predetermined time, the exhaust device 47 is stopped, and the vacuum drying process is stopped. Then, nitrogen gas is supplied into the chamber 41 by the nitrogen gas supply unit 62 to raise the pressure in the chamber 41, and the gate members 43 and 44 are retracted to open the carry-in port 41a and the carry-out port 41b. In this state, the belt 51 is operated and the roller member 56 of the carry-out side conveyance section 42c is driven to carry the glass substrate G out of the chamber 41 and carry it to the heat treatment unit 13.

  In the heat treatment unit 13, the glass substrate G is transported along the transport path 72 by the roller 73 and is carried into the housing 71. The glass substrate G is heated by the heater 74 and the IR heater 78 and is subjected to a pre-bake process while being transported through the transport path 72 and moving in the heating area 13a. At this time, the heating gas is supplied to the space between the glass substrate G and the heater 74, so that the heating is promoted, and the space between the glass substrate G and the heater 74 is exhausted, so that the sublimates and the like are quickly discharged. can do.

  During this heating, since the solvent in the resist layer of the glass substrate G has already been discharged to some extent by the drying unit 12, non-uniform drying does not occur on the resist layer, and transfer traces are unlikely to occur.

  The glass substrate G that has been pre-baked in this way is further transported along the transport path 72, cooled to near room temperature in the cooling area 13b, and discharged from the casing 71. Thereafter, the glass substrate G is transported to the carry-out unit 3 and accommodated in a cassette placed thereon. Then, when a predetermined number of glass substrates G are accommodated in the cassette, the cassette is transported to the processing apparatus of the next process.

  As described above, after the reflow process is performed by the flat-flow type reflow unit, the drying is performed prior to the baking process, so that the rapid drying as in the case of performing the baking process immediately after the reflow process is avoided, and the transfer traces, etc. The inconvenience can be made difficult to occur. In addition, since the reflow unit 11, the drying unit 12, and the heat treatment unit 13 are integrated, the steps from the reflow process to the pre-bake process can be performed efficiently. Further, since the transport mechanism of the drying unit 12 uses the roller 56 and the belt 51 and the heat treatment unit is a flat flow type, the glass substrate G carried out from the flat flow type reflow unit 11 is continuously continuous. A series of processes can be performed in a state of being conveyed to the apparatus, the apparatus can be simplified, and an extremely efficient process can be performed.

  Next, another example of the transport mechanism in the drying unit 12 will be described. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a drying unit provided with another example transport mechanism. The drying unit of FIG. 6 is different from the drying unit of FIG. 4 in that the configuration of the transport mechanism is different and a lift mechanism for moving up and down the glass substrate G is provided. Therefore, the same components as those in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  Here, a transport mechanism 42 ′ is used in which the inner transport part 42 a of the transport mechanism 42 in FIG. 4 is changed to an inner transport part 42 a ′ mainly composed of roller transport. The carry-in side conveyance unit 42b and the carry-out side conveyance unit 42c are configured in the same manner as the conveyance mechanism 42 in FIG.

  The inner transport section 42 a ′ has a plurality of rollers 90 arranged along the transport direction in the chamber 41. By rotating the roller 90, the glass substrate G is fed in the transport direction by roller transport. Then, the glass substrate G sent by roller conveyance from the carry-in side conveyance unit 42 b is drawn into the chamber 41 by roller conveyance at the same speed, and the glass substrate G that has been subjected to the drying under reduced pressure in the chamber 41 is moved outside the chamber 41. It is sent out by roller conveyance to the carry-out side conveyance portion 42c.

  The rollers 90 constituting the inner conveyance section 42a 'are arranged in a line at an appropriate interval along the conveyance direction at a height position corresponding to the carry-in port 41a and the carry-out port 41b. 90 is connected to a transport drive unit (not shown) provided outside the chamber 41. Each roller 90 is configured as a rod that comes into contact with the back surface of the substrate at a cylindrical portion or a column portion having a uniform outer diameter, and both ends thereof are bearings provided on the left and right side walls of the chamber 41 or in the vicinity thereof ( (Not shown) is rotatably supported.

  In the chamber 41, a lift mechanism 92 for supporting the glass substrate G substantially horizontally and moving up and down is provided. The lift mechanism 92 includes a large number of lift pins 93 that are discretely arranged in a predetermined arrangement pattern (for example, a matrix) in the chamber 41, and these lift pins 93 for each predetermined group or group. A pin base 94 composed of a plurality of horizontal bars or horizontal plates supported at a position lower than the substrate transport path, and a lift drive source disposed below the chamber 41 for moving the pin base 94 up and down, for example, And a cylinder 95.

  Specifically, a plurality of lift pins 93 are vertically arranged in a gap between two rollers 90 adjacent to each other at a constant interval in parallel with the rollers 90, and such lift pin rows are appropriately arranged in the transport direction. A plurality of sets are provided at intervals, and one set or a plurality of sets (two sets in the figure) of lift pin rows are supported on each pin base 94. Each pin base 94 inside the chamber 41 is connected to a corresponding cylinder 95 by a lift drive shaft 97 that penetrates the bottom wall of the chamber 41 through a seal member 96 in an airtight state and is movable up and down.

  In the lift mechanism 92 having such a configuration, all the cylinders 95 are simultaneously driven forward (ascended) or retracted (descent) with the same stroke at the same timing, whereby the lift drive shaft 97 and the pin base 94 are interposed. Thus, the lift pins 93 can be moved up and down between a lowered position lower than the conveying path and an elevated position higher than the conveying path as shown in the figure with the heights of the pin tips aligned. ing.

  Each lift pin 93 is configured as a cylindrical rod body having a main body portion made of a rigid material, for example, stainless steel, and a tip portion made of a resin such as PEEK or cerazole (trade name). This tip has a thin diameter of 0.8 mm or less (preferably 0.4 to 0.6 mm), and the tip is rounded at a predetermined R value (0.2 to 0.3 mm).

  A nitrogen gas supply unit 99 is provided at a position lower than the substrate transfer path near the carry-in port 41a and the carry-out port 41b at both ends of the chamber 41 so as to extend in parallel with the roller 90. The nitrogen gas supply unit 99 is configured to discharge nitrogen gas in the same manner as the nitrogen gas supply unit 62 in FIG. 4. By supplying nitrogen gas into the chamber 41 in a reduced pressure state, the inside of the chamber 41 can be quickly discharged. While increasing the pressure, the resist layer after the reflow treatment of the glass substrate G is prevented from coming into contact with external air.

  In such a roller conveyance type drying unit, the glass substrate G carried out from the reflow unit 11 is transferred to the carry-in side conveyance unit 42b of the drying unit 12, and is carried in from the carry-in port 41a, and the inner conveyance unit 42a. 'Is transported on the roller 90 and accommodated in the chamber 41. At this time, the lift pin 93 of the lift mechanism 92 stands by at the lowered position. When the glass substrate G is completely accommodated in the chamber, the transfer operation of the roller 90 is stopped, and the carry-in port 41a and the carry-out port 41b are closed by the gate members 43 and 44 to seal the inside of the chamber 41.

  Next, the lift pins 93 are simultaneously lifted by a predetermined stroke by the cylinder 95 of the lift mechanism 92, and the glass substrate G is lifted to a predetermined position above the conveying path as shown in the horizontal position. In this state, the exhaust device 47 is operated to reduce the pressure in the chamber 41 to a predetermined value. Thereby, the resist layer formed on the surface of the glass substrate G is gently dried, the solvent is not rapidly released, and the transfer trace of the resist layer due to uneven drying is less likely to occur. However, since the glass substrate G is supported by the plurality of lift pins 93 during the drying process, there is a possibility that a transfer mark corresponding to the lift pins is generated. However, since the tip of the lift pin 93 is extremely thin and has a round shape, the contact area is extremely small, and the transfer trace is negligible in practice. In addition, by making the tip part of the lift pin 93 resin and making the main body hollow, it becomes possible to minimize such transfer marks by further reducing heat conduction.

  In this way, when the exhaust device 47 is operated for a predetermined time, the exhaust device 47 is stopped, and the vacuum drying process is stopped. Then, nitrogen gas is supplied into the chamber 41 by the nitrogen gas supply unit 99 to raise the pressure in the chamber 41, and the gate members 43 and 44 are retracted to open the carry-in port 41a and the carry-out port 41b. In this state, the lift pin 93 of the lift mechanism 92 is lowered to place the glass substrate G on the roller 90 of the inner conveyance unit 42a ′, the roller 90 is driven, and the roller member 56 of the carry-out side conveyance unit 42c. Is driven out of the chamber 41 and further transported to the heat treatment unit 13.

  Next, another example of a drying unit suitable for such a reflow system that continuously performs reflow, drying, and pre-baking will be described. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the drying unit.

  The drying unit 12 ′ is provided with a chamber 101 having a conveyance path 102 for the glass substrate G therein, and a plurality (three in the figure) of airflow forming portions 103 are arranged in the chamber 101 along the conveyance path 102. Is provided. The conveyance path 102 is a floating conveyance section 104 in the airflow formation unit 103, and a roller conveyance section 105 between the adjacent airflow formation units 103.

  Here, when the glass substrate G is transported to the drying unit 12 ′, the lower surface of the transported substrate G is surely applied to any one of the plurality of roller transport sections 105, and the rotation of the rollers The glass substrate G is configured to be conveyed by driving. That is, the length along the substrate transport direction of the levitation transport section 104 in one airflow forming unit 103 is configured to be shorter than the length of the glass substrate in the transport direction.

  A levitation stage 106 is disposed in the levitation conveyance section 104, and a plurality of ventilation holes (not shown) are formed in the levitation stage 106 in a staggered pattern. These vent holes are provided with a jet hole for jetting air and a suction hole for sucking air, and are floated from the levitation stage 106 by a predetermined distance by jetting and sucking air.

  Below each levitation stage 106, there is provided a levitation air pressure control mechanism 107 that supplies compressed dry air to the ejection holes, sucks air above the levitation stage 106 from the intake holes, and controls the levitation air pressure.

  In addition, heaters 108 are provided at a plurality of locations in the transport direction of the transport path 102, preferably at least a plurality of locations including the front stage portion of the chamber 101, so that the glass substrate G to be transported can be heated. As the heater 108, for example, a carbon heater, a plate heater, an infrared lamp heater, or the like can be used.

  The air flow forming unit 103 is provided between the air supply path 109 provided on the downstream side in the transport direction, the suction path 110 provided on the upstream side, and the air supply path 109 and the suction path 110. And a formed flow path 111. An air supply mechanism 112 for supplying compressed dry air at a predetermined temperature is connected to the air supply path 109, and a suction mechanism 113 for sucking air in the flow path 111 is connected to the suction path 110. The air supply mechanism 112 and the suction mechanism 113 are connected to an air flow control unit 114 that controls the supply amount and suction amount of air and the temperature of the supplied air. Then, by operating the air supply mechanism 112 and the suction mechanism 113 while being controlled by the airflow control unit 114, a predetermined airflow in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction of the glass substrate G is formed in the flow path 111. Yes. By forming an air flow in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction of the glass substrate G in this way, an air flow of dry air is efficiently formed on the upper surface of the glass substrate G to be conveyed, and the solvent can be dried with high efficiency. .

  In this way, a plurality of air flow forming units 103 are provided along the transport direction, and each of the air flow forming units 103 can be individually controlled by the air flow control unit 114 provided individually. It is possible to adjust the drying effect, for example, by making a difference in the drying effect on the glass substrate G.

  The air supply path 109 is provided with a rectifying plate 115 in which a plurality of air holes are formed, so that the dry compressed air supplied thereby is rectified. The rectifying plate 115 is made of, for example, a sintered metal.

  A plurality of rollers 116 arranged in the substrate transport direction are provided in the plurality of roller transport sections 105 of the transport path 102. Exhaust chambers 117 are respectively provided below the rollers 116, an exhaust passage 118 is provided at the bottom of the exhaust chamber 117, and a common exhaust device 119 is connected to the exhaust passage 118. Then, by operating the exhaust device 119, a downward airflow is formed in the roller conveyance section 105, so that the downstream mechanism is not adversely affected.

  In the drying unit 12 ′ thus configured, the glass substrate G after the reflow process is carried into the chamber 101 along the transport path 102. At this time, first, the glass substrate G is heated by passing over the heater 108 and heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, 100 to 120 ° C.), and the solvent in the resist film formed on the glass substrate is volatilized. It is assumed to be easy. Next, the glass substrate G moves along the conveyance path 102 by the roller conveyance section 105 and enters the flow path 111 of the first airflow forming unit 103. A flow of dry air is formed in the flow path 111 in a direction opposite to the conveyance direction of the glass substrate G. The air flow of dry air efficiently hits the upper surface of the glass substrate G, and the solvent in the resist film is highly efficient. Evaporate. At this time, as described above, since the glass substrate G is heated by the heater 108 and is easily evaporated, the evaporation proceeds more effectively. In addition, drying by such an air flow does not involve a rapid evaporation of the solvent as in the baking process, and thus uniform drying can be performed. Further, at this time, in the flow path 111 of the airflow forming unit 103, the glass substrate G is moved in the conveying direction in a state of being floated by the floating air. It can be performed. The solvent evaporated from the resist film in this manner is quickly sucked and exhausted through the suction path 110.

  The glass substrate G is subjected to a drying process in order from the front end side, and is sequentially conveyed to the plurality of airflow forming units 103, and the drying process by the airflow of dry air is continuously performed. At this time, by changing the drying conditions for each airflow forming unit 103, the resist film of the glass substrate G can be dried stepwise to obtain a more appropriate dry state.

  By applying such a drying process using an air stream of dry air, an exhaust device such as a pump for reducing the pressure in the chamber, such as vacuum drying, and a mechanism for opening and closing the chamber become unnecessary, and the device configuration is further improved. Simple and inexpensive.

  Further, since this drying unit 12 'is a flat flow type, it can be constructed as a completely flat flow system together with other units, and the throughput can be increased.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible. For example, in the above embodiment, as the reflow unit, an example in which a gas flow containing a solvent is formed in the conveyance direction of the glass substrate has been shown. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a reverse flow may be formed. You may form the flow which goes to the both sides of the supply point of the gas containing. In addition, the flat flow type reflow unit is not limited to one using a plurality of reflow treatment devices as a solvent atmosphere forming device as in the above-described embodiment. For example, the entire conveyance path of the glass substrate is a solvent atmosphere. Also good.

  The drying unit is not limited to the belt conveyance type or roller conveyance type as in the above embodiment, and is not limited to vacuum drying or airflow drying. Furthermore, the drying unit is not limited to a unit that can intermittently transport a glass substrate as in the above example or a flat-flow type, but includes, for example, an upper chamber 201 and a lower chamber 202 as shown in FIG. A vacuum drying unit of the type in which a mounting table 203 having a support pin 203a on which a glass substrate G is mounted is disposed, an exhaust path 204 is provided at the bottom of the lower chamber 202, and the inside of the chamber is exhausted by a vacuum pump 206 It may be.

  Further, the heat treatment unit is not limited to the flat-flow type as in the above-described embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a heating plate 213 in which a heater 214 is built in a container 211 is disposed, and a heating plate 213 is disposed thereon. A discharge port 215 formed in the center of the lid 212 from the gap 216 between the container 211 and the lid 212 in a state where the glass substrate G is placed on the formed pin 213 a and the lid 212 is provided on the container 211. It may be a chamber-type heat treatment unit that heats in a state in which an airflow leading to is formed.

  Furthermore, the drying process performed prior to the heat treatment after the reflow process is not limited to the vacuum drying process, and may be any drying method that does not involve heating. For example, other drying methods such as blow drying may be used.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which a glass substrate for FPD is used as a substrate has been described.

1 is a schematic plan view showing a reflow system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the reflow unit mounted in the reflow system of FIG. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows schematic structure of the reflow processor used for a reflow unit. Sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the drying unit mounted in the reflow system of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows schematic structure of the heat processing unit mounted in the reflow system of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the example provided with the conveyance mechanism of another example in the drying unit mounted in the reflow system of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the modification of a drying unit. Sectional drawing which shows the other modification of a drying unit. Sectional drawing which shows the modification of a heat processing unit.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1; Processing station 2; Carry-in part 3; Carry-out part 4; Control part 11; Reflow unit 12, 12 '; Drying unit 13; Heat processing unit 14; Process controller 15; User interface 16; Storage part 24; Reflow system G glass substrate

Claims (22)

A reflow unit for supplying a solvent to the substrate while carrying a substrate having a resist layer of a predetermined pattern along the carrying path, and performing a reflow process of the resist layer;
A drying unit for drying the substrate after the reflow treatment is applied to the resist layer;
A reflow system comprising: a heat treatment unit for heating and baking the substrate dried by the drying unit.   The reflow unit includes a solvent atmosphere forming device that forms a solvent atmosphere in a reflow processing space formed in the transport path, and the solvent atmosphere forming device includes a solvent supply mechanism that supplies a solvent to the reflow processing space; And a suction mechanism for sucking the solvent supplied to the reflow processing space.   The reflow system according to claim 1, wherein the drying unit dries the substrate in a reduced pressure state. The drying unit includes:
A chamber having a carry-in port into which the substrate is carried in and a carry-out port through which the substrate is carried out on the side wall, and accommodating the substrate;
A gate member that opens and closes the carry-in port and the carry-out port of the chamber;
A decompression mechanism for evacuating and depressurizing the chamber;
A transport mechanism for transporting a substrate in a horizontal direction and transporting the substrate into the chamber from the transport inlet, supporting the substrate in a horizontal state in the chamber, transporting the substrate horizontally after decompression processing, and transporting the substrate from the transport outlet; The reflow system according to claim 3, further comprising:   The transport mechanism has a belt wound around two pulley members in the chamber, performs a decompression process with the substrate placed on the belt, and carries in the substrate by operating the belt. 5. The reflow system according to claim 4, wherein the reflow system is carried out.   The reflow system according to claim 4, wherein the transport mechanism has a plurality of rollers for transporting the substrate.   The reflow system according to claim 1, wherein the drying unit dries while applying an air flow to the substrate. The drying unit includes:
A transport path through which the substrate is transported;
An airflow forming portion provided along the transport path, in which an airflow is formed;
The reflow system according to claim 7, further comprising a transport mechanism that transports the substrate along the transport path.   The reflow system according to claim 8, wherein the airflow forming unit forms an airflow in a direction opposite to a substrate transport direction. The heat treatment unit includes:
The substrate is heated and baked while the substrate after being dried by the drying unit is transported along the transport path, according to any one of claims 1 to 9. Reflow system.   The heat treatment unit transports the heated substrate along the transport path while heating the substrate while transporting the substrate after being dried by the drying unit along the transport path. The reflow system according to claim 10, further comprising a cooling area for cooling the substrate therebetween.   The reflow system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the heat treatment unit heats and heats the substrate with a heated hot plate. A reflow unit for supplying a solvent to the substrate and reflowing the resist layer while the substrate having a resist layer of a predetermined pattern is conveyed in one direction along the conveyance path;
A drying unit that transports the substrate after the reflow treatment to the resist layer in the one direction and carries it into the chamber, dries the substrate therein, transports the substrate in the one direction, and carries it out of the chamber; ,
A reflow system comprising: a heat treatment unit that heats and bake a substrate while the substrate dried by the drying unit is conveyed in the one direction along the conveyance path.   14. The reflow according to claim 13, wherein after the substrate is loaded into the chamber, the drying unit depressurizes and drys the substrate in the chamber, and unloads the substrate after the vacuum drying. system.   The reflow system according to claim 13, wherein the drying unit applies an air flow to the substrate while conveying the substrate.   The reflow system according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the heat treatment unit performs baking by heating the substrate with a heated hot plate. A step of supplying a solvent to the substrate while carrying the substrate having the resist layer of a predetermined pattern along the carrying path, and performing a reflow process of the resist layer;
A step of drying the substrate after the reflow treatment is performed on the resist layer;
And a baking process by heating the dried substrate. A step of supplying a solvent to the substrate and reflowing the resist layer while the substrate having the resist layer of a predetermined pattern is being conveyed in one direction along the conveyance path;
The substrate after the reflow treatment is applied to the resist layer is transported in the one direction and carried into the chamber, the substrate is dried therein, and the dried substrate is transported in the one direction and carried out of the chamber. Process,
A step of heating and baking the substrate while the dried substrate is transported in the one direction along the transport path.   18. The drying is characterized in that after the substrate is carried into the chamber, the inside of the chamber is depressurized and the substrate is dried under reduced pressure, and after drying under reduced pressure, the substrate is carried out of the chamber. Item 19. The reflow method according to Item 18.   The reflow method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the drying is performed by applying an airflow to the substrate while the substrate is being conveyed.   The reflow method according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein the heating is performed by a heated hot plate.   A storage medium that operates on a computer and stores a program for controlling a reflow system, the program being stored in a computer such that the reflow method according to any one of claims 17 to 21 is performed at the time of execution. A storage medium for controlling the reflow system.

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