JPH10289940A - Substrate treatment device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent non-uniformity of treatment caused by the thermal influence of a substrate holding arm. SOLUTION: In this substrate treatment device provided with a heat treatment part, a cooling treatment part, a resist application part, a developing/treatment part, a substrate retaining arm 14 which retains a substrate W, and a substrate conveying structure 6 which carries the substrate W between substrate treatment parts and carries in and out the substrate W to each substrate treatment part, a Peltier element 20, which maintains the substrate retaining arm 14 at the prescribed temperature is provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention has a plurality of substrate processing units including a heat processing unit, and a substrate holding arm for holding a substrate. The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus provided with a substrate transfer means for carrying in / out a substrate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional substrate processing apparatuses of this type include:
For example, there is a resist processing apparatus. This resist processing apparatus includes a plurality of substrate processing units such as a heating processing unit, a cooling processing unit, and a resist coating processing unit, and a substrate transport mechanism having a substrate holding arm. The substrate transfer mechanism holds the substrate on the substrate holding arm and transfers the substrate between the respective substrate processing units, and also loads / unloads the substrate from / to each substrate processing unit. Processing is performed on the substrate.

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned conventional apparatus has the following problems. That is, the loading of the substrate into each substrate processing unit by the substrate transport mechanism is performed by causing the substrate holding arm holding the substrate to enter the substrate processing unit,
This is performed by transferring the substrate from the substrate holding arm to the substrate processing unit. On the other hand, unloading of a substrate to each substrate processing unit by the substrate transfer mechanism is performed by moving an empty substrate holding arm into the substrate processing unit and receiving the substrate from the substrate processing unit to the substrate holding arm. In other words, when loading / unloading a substrate to / from each substrate processing unit by the substrate transfer mechanism, the substrate holding arm is advanced into the substrate processing unit. It is.

[0004] Therefore, when loading / unloading a substrate into / from the heat treatment unit, the substrate holding arm that has entered the heat treatment unit is exposed to a high-temperature atmosphere in the heat treatment unit, or a hot plate or heat treatment inside the heat treatment unit. It is heated by heat radiation from the inner wall of the outer periphery of the part. Then, by repeatedly carrying in / out the substrate to / from the heat treatment section, heat is accumulated in the substrate holding arm, and the temperature of the substrate holding arm is raised.

In the above substrate processing apparatus, the substrate is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heat processing section before the resist coating processing by the resist coating section, and the substrate heated by the heat processing section is cooled by the cooling processing section to a predetermined temperature near normal temperature. Although the substrate is cooled to the temperature, the temperature of the substrate held by the substrate holding arm is reduced by the heat stored in the substrate holding arm when the substrate is transferred from the cooling processing unit to the resist coating processing unit. Due to the deviation from the set temperature or the non-uniform temperature distribution of the entire substrate, there has been an inconvenience that the resist coating process cannot be performed uniformly in the resist coating unit.

[0006] In general, the resist coating processing section includes:
Although the temperature and humidity atmosphere inside is strictly controlled, when loading / unloading the substrate from / to this resist coating unit,
When the substrate holding arm enters the resist coating section, the temperature and humidity atmosphere in the resist coating section may be thermally affected by the heat stored in the substrate holding arm. This is considered to be one of the factors that cause unevenness.

Such inconvenience is not limited to the resist coating process. In an apparatus provided with a developing section, the developing process becomes uneven due to the thermal influence from the substrate holding arm, and the substrate holding arm is not used in other substrate processes. It is conceivable that the treatment becomes non-uniform due to the thermal influence from the heat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has as its object to provide a substrate processing apparatus in which non-uniform processing does not occur due to thermal influence from a substrate holding arm. I do.

[0009]

The present invention has the following configuration in order to achieve the above object. That is, the invention according to claim 1 includes a plurality of substrate processing units including a heat processing unit, and a substrate holding arm that holds a substrate,
In a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate transfer unit configured to transfer a substrate between the respective substrate processing units and carry in / out a substrate to / from each of the substrate processing units; Temperature control means for maintaining the temperature of the holding arm at a predetermined temperature is additionally provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus of the first aspect, the temperature adjusting means is constituted by a Peltier element.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, a temperature detecting means for detecting a temperature of a substrate holding arm of the substrate transfer means, and the temperature detecting means. And control means for controlling the temperature adjusting means so as to maintain the temperature of the substrate holding arm at a predetermined temperature based on the detection data.

[0012]

The operation of the present invention is as follows. That is,
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the substrate holding arm is caused to enter the inside of the heat treatment unit and to carry the substrate into / out of the heat treatment unit.
When the substrate holding arm is warmed by carrying out, the temperature adjustment means attached to the substrate holding arm itself cools the substrate holding arm to maintain the temperature of the substrate holding arm at a predetermined temperature. Therefore, heat is not stored in the substrate holding arm, so that it is possible to prevent thermal influence on the substrate and thermal influence on the atmosphere in the substrate processing unit, and to perform uniform processing on the substrate. .

Further, since the temperature adjusting means is attached to the substrate holding arm itself, the substrate holding arm can be directly cooled. For example, the temperature adjusting means is brought close to the substrate holding arm and the substrate holding arm is indirectly cooled. The time required to return the temperature of the substrate holding arm warmed by the heat treatment unit to the predetermined temperature can be shortened, and the temperature fluctuation of the substrate holding arm can be reduced as compared with the case of cooling (with air). It can be suppressed in a short time.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the Peltier element is attached to the substrate holding arm itself, and the Peltier element absorbs heat of the substrate holding arm warmed by the heat treatment unit, cools the substrate holding arm, and cools the substrate holding arm. The temperature is maintained at a predetermined temperature. Since the temperature adjusting means is constituted by the Peltier element as described above, the temperature adjusting means can be reduced in size, and the temperature fluctuation of the substrate holding arm can be suppressed in a shorter time.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the control means controls the temperature adjusting means to maintain the temperature of the substrate holding arm at a predetermined temperature based on the temperature of the substrate holding arm detected by the temperature detecting means. Control. Thus, the temperature of the substrate holding arm can be more accurately controlled.

When the temperature adjusting means is constituted by a Peltier element, the cooling efficiency of the Peltier element is increased at the start of cooling, and the substrate holding arm is finally brought to the target temperature while monitoring the detection data of the temperature detecting means. The driving of the Peltier element can be controlled in such a manner as described above, and with such control, the time required for cooling the substrate holding arm to the target temperature can be further reduced.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a substrate loading / unloading unit 2, a heat treatment unit 3, a resist coating unit (spin coater) 4, a development unit (spin developer) 5, a substrate transfer unit And a mechanism 6. Further, an interface device 8 for transferring a substrate W between the present substrate processing apparatus 1 and an exposure processing apparatus 7 including a stepper (not shown) is also provided in the present substrate processing apparatus 1.

The substrate loading / unloading section 2 includes a cassette mounting table 2a on which a cassette C capable of storing a plurality of substrates W is mounted.
The substrate W is taken out of the cassette C and the substrate transport mechanism 6
And a substrate transfer mechanism 2b that receives the substrate W, which has been subjected to a series of substrate processing in each substrate processing unit, from the substrate transport mechanism 6 and stores the substrate W in the cassette C.

The heat treatment section 3 is configured such that a heat treatment section 3a and a cooling treatment section 3b are stacked in multiple stages in the vertical direction (Z direction), and are arranged side by side in the X direction in the drawing.
The heat treatment section 3a supports a hot plate HP that supports the substrate W on the upper surface and heats the substrate W to a predetermined temperature, and a hot plate HP that passes through the hot plate HP and that can move up and down. It is provided with substrate support pins WP and the like. Each of the heat treatment sections 3a is covered with an outer periphery to form a processing space. An opening OP for loading / unloading the substrate W is provided on the outer periphery, and a shutter SH for opening and closing the opening OP is also provided. The shutter SH opens the opening OP only when loading / unloading the substrate W,
During the heat treatment, the opening OP is closed.

The cooling processing unit 3b is substantially the same as the heating processing unit 3a except that a cooling plate CP for supporting the heated substrate W on the upper surface and cooling it to a predetermined temperature near normal temperature is provided instead of the hot plate HP. It has a similar configuration.

The heating section 3a (cooling section 3b)
In the heating process (cooling process), the substrate W is placed directly on the upper surface of the hot plate HP (cool plate CP) or
With the support at a small distance, the hot plate HP
This is performed by heating (cooling) the (cool plate CP).

The resist coating unit 4 holds the substrate W in a horizontal position and rotates the substrate W about a vertical axis (Z direction), or a spin chuck SC and the substrate W held by the spin chuck SC. An anti-scattering cup F disposed around to prevent the resist solution or the like from scattering around.
C, a resist supply nozzle RN for supplying a resist solution to the upper surface of the substrate W, a nozzle arm NA for displacing the resist supply nozzle RN between a processing position above the substrate W and a standby position on a lateral side of the substrate W, and the like. It is configured. The spin chuck SC and the scattering prevention cup FC are configured to be able to move up and down relatively, and a spin base SB of the spin chuck SC is provided.
Is projected from above the scattering prevention cup FC (FIG. 2).
In the state of the two-dot chain line), the transfer of the substrate W between the spin base SB and the substrate transport mechanism 6 can be performed. In addition, the code | symbol M in FIG. 2 shows the electric motor of the spin chuck SC, and RJ shows the rotation axis.

The resist coating unit 4 is also covered by the outer periphery. A gas G4 maintained at a predetermined temperature and humidity flows down from a ceiling portion in the outer periphery, and the gas G4 is exhausted from a bottom portion in the outer periphery to maintain an atmosphere in the outer periphery at a predetermined temperature and humidity atmosphere. It is configured as follows. It should be noted that the gas G4 maintained at the predetermined temperature and humidity is also supplied to the processing space inside the scattering prevention cup FC.
, The atmosphere in the processing space is maintained at a predetermined temperature and humidity atmosphere, and the resist coating process on the substrate W is performed in the greenhouse atmosphere. In this resist coating process, the substrate W is rotated in a state where the scattering prevention cup FC is arranged around the spin chuck SC and the substrate W held by the spin chuck SC, and the resist solution dropped on the upper surface of the substrate W is centrifuged. This is performed by a so-called spin coating method in which the substrate W is thinly applied on the entire upper surface of the substrate W with force. If the temperature distribution of the entire substrate W varies, or if the temperature and humidity atmosphere in the processing space fluctuates, the resist film is not uniformly applied to the substrate W. As will be described later, the present embodiment is configured so that such inconvenience can be solved.

An exhaust duct and a waste liquid drain (not shown) are connected to the bottom of the scattering prevention cup FC so as to individually exhaust and collect the atmosphere in the processing space. It is configured so that the received waste liquid can be collected.

An opening OP for loading / unloading the substrate W is also provided around the resist coating unit 4, and a shutter SH for opening and closing the opening OP is provided. The shutter SH also opens the opening OP only when loading / unloading the substrate W, and closes the opening OP during the resist coating process.

The development processing section 5 has a scattering prevention cup FC for development processing, and has a nozzle arm NA with a developer supply nozzle and a pure water supply nozzle (neither shown) instead of the resist supply nozzle RN. Except for being provided, the configuration is substantially the same as that of the resist coating unit 4.
In the development processing in the development processing unit 5, the substrate W is rotated while the scattering prevention cup FC is arranged around the spin chuck SC and the substrate W held by the spin chuck SC.
The developing solution dropped on the upper surface of the substrate W is spread over the entire upper surface of the substrate W by centrifugal force, and in this state, the rotation of the substrate W is stopped and the substrate W is left standing for a predetermined time to be developed.
This is performed by rotating the substrate W at high speed to shake off the developing solution, supplying pure water to the upper surface of the substrate W, and rinsing (cleaning) the upper surface of the substrate W. In this process, if there is a thermal effect on the substrate W as in the case of the above-described resist coating process, the developing process is not performed uniformly. It is configured to be able to.

The heat treatment section 3, the resist coating section 4 and the development section 5 are opposed to each other with the transport path TR of the substrate transport mechanism 6 interposed therebetween. As shown in FIG. 2, the transport path TR has a clean gas G6 near room temperature from the ceiling.
Flows down, and the gas G6 is exhausted from the bottom part, so that a downflow flow of the gas G6 is formed.

Next, the substrate transport mechanism 6 which is a main part of the present invention is described.
Will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a substrate holding arm portion of the substrate transfer mechanism, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

The substrate transfer mechanism 6 includes a base table 10,
Elevating / swiveling drive unit 11, elevating / swiveling shaft 12, arm support 13, substrate holding arm (hereinafter also simply referred to as arm)
14 and the like.

The base table 10 is adapted to be horizontally moved in the X direction along the rail 15 provided on the transport path TR. The horizontal movement of the base table 10 in the X direction is realized by a well-known uniaxial drive mechanism such as a ball screw (not shown). An elevating / turning drive unit 11 is vertically provided below the base 10, and the elevating / turning drive unit 11 penetrates through the base 10 from an upper portion thereof.
The pivot 12 protrudes above the base 10.
The elevating / swiveling drive unit 11 raises / lowers the elevating / swiveling shaft 12 by a well-known uniaxial driving mechanism such as a ball screw (not shown), and moves the elevating / swiveling shaft 12 in the vertical direction (Z direction) by the rotational force of a motor (not shown). It is configured to be turned around the axis of. An arm support 13 is integrally attached to the upper end of the elevating / rotating shaft 12. On the upper surface side of the arm support 13, two arms 14 are vertically stacked, and are provided to be individually extendable and retractable (movable in the horizontal direction) with respect to the arm support 13. Each drive mechanism 16 that expands and contracts each arm 14 is provided in the arm support base 13. In FIG. 4, the drive mechanism 16 includes a motor 16a, a screw shaft 16b,
Although the mechanism is constituted by the guide shaft 16c, it may be realized by another uniaxial drive mechanism. Reference numeral 14a in the drawing indicates a connecting member that connects the arm 14 and the drive mechanism 16.

Each arm 14 is formed in a U-shape in which the distal end is bifurcated, and is provided with three or more holding portions 17. Each holding unit 17 has a support pin 17a that supports the lower surface of the substrate W by point contact and a horizontal regulation unit 17b that regulates the horizontal movement of the substrate W. Thereby, the substrate W is supported at several points (three points in the figure) on the lower surface by point contact,
Each of the substrate processing sections 3a, 3b, and 4 is held by the arm 14 in a state where the horizontal movement is restricted, and has a small contact area with a different member, and is prevented from falling off during transportation due to the horizontal movement restriction. , 5 or the like. Base stand 10
The arm support 13 (arm 14) is moved in the X and Z directions by the movement in the X direction and the movement of the elevating and rotating shaft 12 before and after the substrate processing unit for carrying in / out the substrate W. The arm W is moved and the arm 14 is rotated by the rotation of the elevating / rotating shaft 12 (the arm support base 13) so that the expansion / contraction direction of the arm 14 is directed toward the substrate processing unit that carries in / out the substrate W. Is performed.

The transfer of the substrate W to the heating section 3a by the substrate transfer mechanism 6 is performed as follows. First, FIG.
As shown in (2), the arm 14 holding the substrate W extends from the arm support 13 and enters the heat processing unit 3a. Next, the substrate support pins WP are raised. And the arm 14
The substrate W is delivered to the substrate support pins WP by the lowering of the (arm support 13). The arm 14 that has been emptied by delivering the substrate W retreats and withdraws from the heat processing unit 3a.
On the other hand, the substrate support pins WP that have received the substrate W are lowered to support the substrate W on the upper surface of the hot plate HP.

Further, the heat treatment section 3 by the substrate transport mechanism 6
The unloading of the substrate W with respect to a is performed in substantially the same operation as the above-described loading. That is, the substrate support pins WP are lifted, and the substrate W on which the heat treatment has been completed is lifted above the hot plate HP. Next, the empty arm 14 enters the heat treatment unit 3a so as to be located below the substrate W supported by the substrate support pins WP. Then, as the arm 14 moves up, the arm 14 receives the substrate W from the substrate support pins WP so as to scoop up, and the arm 14 that has received the substrate W retreats and exits the heat processing section 3a. On the other hand, the substrate support pins WP that have delivered the substrate W descend.

The loading / unloading of the substrate W to / from the cooling section 3b by the substrate transport mechanism 6 is performed in the same manner as the loading / unloading of the substrate W to / from the heating section 3a.

The transfer of the substrate W to the resist coating section 4 (development processing section 5) by the substrate transfer mechanism 6 is performed as follows. That is, the spin chuck SC and the scattering prevention cup FC are relatively moved up and down to form the spin base SB.
The arm 14 holding the substrate W enters the resist coating unit 4 (developing unit 5) such that the arm 14 holding the substrate W is located above the spin base SB in a state where the arm 14 projects above the scattering prevention cup FC. Next, as the arm 14 descends, the substrate W is placed on the spin base SB and delivered. The arm 14 that has been emptied by delivering the substrate W is retracted and exits the resist coating unit 4 (developing unit 5). On the other hand, the spin base SB having received the substrate W holds the substrate W, and the spin chuck SC and the scattering prevention cup FC are relatively moved up and down in the opposite directions so that the spin base SB and the substrate W are processed in the processing space in the scattering prevention cup FC. Is stored in.

The unloading of the substrate W to and from the resist coating section 4 (development processing section 5) by the substrate transfer mechanism 6 is performed in substantially the reverse operation of the above-described loading. That is, in a state where the spin chuck SC and the scattering prevention cup FC are relatively moved up and down and the spin base SB is projected above the scattering prevention cup FC, the processed substrate W on which the empty arm 14 is held by the spin base SB. Into the resist coating processing section 4 (developing processing section 5) so as to be located below. Next, the holding of the substrate W by the spin base SB is released, and the arm 14 is lifted, thereby receiving the substrate W from the spin base SB to scoop up the substrate W, and receiving the substrate W from the arm 14.
Retreats and exits from the resist coating unit 4 (the developing unit 5).

Referring back to FIGS. 3 and 4, the substrate transfer mechanism 6 of the present embodiment has a Peltier element 20 attached to each arm 14. The Peltier element 20 is attached to the upper surface on the base end side of the arm 14 with the heat absorption side facing the arm 14 (radiation side facing upward). In addition, in order to carry in / out the substrate W to / from the heat processing unit 3a, as shown in FIG. 5, the Peltier device 20 moves out of the heat processing unit 3a while the arm 14 enters the inside of the heat processing unit 3a. The Peltier element 20 is mounted at a position as shown in FIG. As a result, the thermal effect in the heat treatment section 3a is reduced by the Peltier device 2.
It is prevented from directly giving to 0.

The radiating side (upper surface) of the Peltier element 20 is a downflow airflow G6 (FIG. 2) flowing through the transport path TR.
(See Air Cooling). Here, the substrate transfer mechanism 6 of the apparatus of the present embodiment includes two arms 1
Since the Peltier elements 4 are stacked one above the other, the following measures are taken to prevent the upper arm 14 from hindering the air cooling on the heat radiation side of the Peltier element 20 attached to the lower arm 14. That is, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the mounting position of the Peltier element 20 on the upper and lower arms 14 is shifted in the direction in which the arm 14 expands and contracts. An opening 14b is provided at the base end of the upper arm 14 facing above the Peltier element 20 attached to the lower arm 14, and the Peltier element attached to the lower arm 14 through this opening 14b. The airflow G6 of the downflow flowing in the transport path TR is applied to the heat radiation surface of the cooling device 20 to perform air cooling.

The arm 14 is made of a material having good thermal conductivity, for example, aluminum, and is configured so that the cooling effect of the Peltier device 20 can be uniformly and promptly transmitted to the entire arm 14. In addition, since the arm 14 is made of aluminum, the weight of the arm 14 can be reduced, and the power of the expansion and contraction drive of the arm 14 can be reduced. The holding portion 17 is made of a resin having low thermal conductivity, and makes it difficult to conduct heat of the arm 14 directly to the substrate W.

Each arm 14 is provided with a temperature detection sensor 21 for detecting the temperature of each arm 14.

The controller 30 (see FIG. 2) maintains the temperature of the arm 14 at a predetermined temperature (for example, 23 ° C. near normal temperature) based on the data detected by the temperature detection sensor 21 (the temperature of the arm 14). Then, the Peltier element 20 attached to the arm 14 is controlled (current supply to the Peltier element 20 is controlled).

The controller 30 controls the overall operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 such as the operation control of the substrate transport mechanism 6 and the processing control of the substrate processing units 3a, 3b, 4, and 5 in addition to the control of the Peltier elements 20 described above. Also do.

The interface device 8 receives the substrate W from which the substrate processing has been completed before the exposure processing from the substrate transport mechanism 6 and delivers the substrate W to the exposure processing apparatus 7. A substrate transfer mechanism (not shown) that receives from the exposure processing apparatus 7 and transfers it to the substrate transport mechanism 6 is provided.

Next, the operation of the embodiment device having the above configuration will be described. Focusing on one substrate W, the substrate W taken out of the cassette C is subjected to a series of substrate processing in the following steps 1 to 11, for example. Is stored in. Note that 1 to 5 are substrate processes before the exposure process, and 7 to 11 are substrate processes after the exposure process.

1. 1. Heat treatment in heat treatment section 3a 2. Cooling processing in cooling processing unit 3b 3. resist coating processing in resist coating processing section 4 4. Heat treatment in heat treatment section 3a 5. Cooling processing in cooling processing section 3b 6. Exposure processing in exposure processing apparatus 7 7. Heat treatment in heat treatment section 3a 8. Cooling processing in cooling processing unit 3b Development processing in development processing section 5 10. Heat treatment in heat treatment section 3a 11. Cooling processing in cooling processing unit 3b

The substrates W in the cassette C are sequentially taken out and delivered to the substrate transport mechanism 6, and the substrate processing in each substrate processing section is performed in parallel.

The substrate transport mechanism 6 carries out the loading / unloading of the substrate W to / from each substrate processing section by using two arms 14 to exchange the substrates. For example, if one arm 14 has i
When the second substrate W is held and transported to the heat treatment unit 3a, the heat treatment in the heat treatment unit 3a is completed (i-
If the (1) th substrate W is present in the heat treatment section 3a, the (i-1) th substrate W is unloaded from the heat treatment section 3a using the other empty arm 14 and subsequently Then, the i-th substrate W is carried into the heat processing section 3a.
Loading / unloading of the substrate W to / from the other substrate processing units is performed in the same manner as described above.

As described above, the controller 30 controls the Peltier device 20 for each arm 14 based on the temperature of the arm 14 detected by the temperature detection sensor 21 so as to maintain the temperature of the arm 14 at a predetermined temperature. Control,
When loading / unloading the substrate W into / from the heat processing unit 3a, even if the arm 14 enters the heat processing unit 3a and the arm 14 is warmed, the arm 14 is cooled and the temperature of the arm 14 is set to a predetermined temperature. It can be returned and no heat is stored in the arm 14.

Further, since the Peltier element 20 is attached to the arm 14 itself, the arm 14 can be directly cooled. For example, the temperature control means is brought close to the arm 14 so that the arm 14 is indirectly connected (by air). B) The arm 1 warmed by the heat treatment unit 3a, compared to the case of cooling
The time required to return the temperature of No. 4 to the predetermined temperature can be shortened, and the temperature fluctuation of the arm 14 can be suppressed in a short time. Further, for example, the substrate W with respect to the heat treatment unit 3a
When the temperature rise of the arm 14 is relatively large as in the case of the temperature fluctuation of the arm 14 after loading / unloading, the target temperature of the arm 14 is set to be lower than the target temperature (predetermined temperature) when the cooling of the arm 14 is started. If the Peltier element 20 is controlled so as to cool the arm 14 and the detection data of the temperature detection sensor 21 approaches the target temperature, the Peltier element 20 is controlled so that the arm 14 is set to the target temperature. It is possible to return to the target temperature faster.

Accordingly, the cooling process (2, 8) preceding the resist coating process and the developing process is completed, and the substrate W
Since the temperature of the unloading arm 14 has already reached the predetermined temperature when the substrate W is unloaded from the cooling processing unit 3b, the substrate W after the cooling process is not affected by the heat from the arm 14 Can be transported and carried into the resist coating processing section 4 and the developing processing section 5, and each processing can be performed without thermally affecting the substrate W, the resist coating processing atmosphere and the developing processing atmosphere, and the processing is performed uniformly. be able to. If the substrate W is thermally affected, the exposure processing may not be performed uniformly. However, in the present embodiment, the substrate W after the cooling processing of the above 5 is unloaded from the cooling processing unit 3b. ,
The temperature of the arm 14 that carries out the unloading is already at a predetermined temperature, and the substrate W after the cooling process can be delivered to the exposure processing apparatus 7 without affecting the heat from the arm 14, Non-uniformity of exposure processing due to thermal influence can also be prevented.

The arm 14 is brought to such an extent as to cause unevenness in the substrate processing.
The temperature rise occurs when loading / unloading the substrate W into / from the heat processing unit 3a. Therefore, the controller 30 sets the temperature of the substrate W to the heat processing unit 3a in each of the heating processes 1, 4, 7, and 10 above. Immediately after the loading and unloading are completed (the arm 14 is withdrawn from the inside of the heating section 3a)
The Peltier device 20 attached to the arm 14 may be controlled so as to cool the arm 14 used for loading and unloading and maintain the temperature of the arm 14 at a predetermined temperature.

In the above control, for example, the heat treatment section 3
The appropriate cooling control method of the arm 14 is experimentally obtained in advance for each heating temperature of the substrate W in the step a, and the cooling control method is used to cool the arm 14 after loading and unloading the substrate W into and from each heating unit 3a. If control is performed, the temperature detection sensor 2
Although 1 may be omitted, the following effects can be obtained by controlling the Peltier element 20 based on the detection data of the temperature detection sensor 21.

First, the fact that the temperature of the arm 14 has reached the predetermined temperature can be confirmed by the detection data of the temperature detection sensor 21, so that the arm 14 can be accurately returned to the target temperature.

Further, as described above, when the cooling of the arm 14 is started, the arm 14 is cooled aiming at a temperature lower than the target temperature of the arm 14, and finally the Peltier element 20 is set so that the arm 14 reaches the target temperature. Can be controlled, and by performing such control, the arm 14 can be returned to the target temperature at a higher speed.

Further, the controller 30 constantly monitors the data detected by the temperature detection sensor 21, and when the temperature of the arm 14 becomes higher than a predetermined temperature, the controller 30 controls the Peltier element 20 to cool the arm 14 to the predetermined temperature. For example, even when the temperature of the arm 14 rises due to factors other than the loading / unloading of the substrate W to / from the heat processing unit 3a, the arm 14
Temperature fluctuation can be suppressed.

Therefore, it is preferable to provide a temperature detection sensor 21 for detecting the temperature of each arm 14 and control the Peltier element 20 based on the data detected by the temperature detection sensor 21.

The temperature control means attached to the arm 14 itself is not limited to the Peltier device 20;
By using 0, the temperature adjusting means can be reduced in size, and the arm 14 can be cooled at a high speed. Therefore, it is preferable to use a Peltier element as the temperature adjusting means.

The arm 14 of the substrate transfer mechanism 6 is not limited to the embodiment described above, and for example, as shown in FIG.
The arm 14 may cover the outer peripheral edge of the arm. In addition, in the arm 14 of FIG.
3 and 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIGS.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the substrate processing apparatus having the substrate transfer mechanism 6 having two arms 14,
The present invention can be similarly applied to a substrate processing apparatus provided with a substrate transfer mechanism 6 having three or more substrates.

Further, the present invention can be similarly applied to the substrate transfer mechanism 6 having a structure other than that of the above embodiment. For example, depending on the arrangement of the substrate processing unit, the substrate transfer mechanism may be configured such that the arm support 13 can only move up and down and turn without moving in the horizontal direction.
The present invention can be similarly applied to a substrate processing apparatus provided with such a substrate transport mechanism.

In the above embodiment, the heat treatment section 3, the resist coating section 4, the development section 5, and the substrate transfer mechanism 6 are provided. For example, the heat treatment section 3, the resist coating section 4, and the substrate transfer section A substrate processing apparatus provided with the mechanism 6 (not provided with the development processing unit 5), or a substrate processing apparatus provided with the heat treatment unit 3, the development processing unit 5 and the substrate transfer mechanism 6 (not provided with the resist coating processing unit 4) In addition, the present invention can be similarly applied to a substrate processing apparatus including a plurality of substrate processing units including a heat treatment unit and a substrate transfer unit.

[0063]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the temperature adjusting means for maintaining the temperature of the substrate holding arm at a predetermined temperature in the substrate holding arm itself of the substrate transfer means. Therefore, even if the substrate holding arm is warmed by loading / unloading the substrate to / from the heat treatment section, the temperature control means cools the substrate holding arm to maintain the temperature of the substrate holding arm at a predetermined temperature, Since heat is not stored in the arm, it is possible to prevent the substrate holding arm from thermally affecting the substrate and the atmosphere in the substrate processing unit, and to uniformly process the substrate.

Further, since the temperature adjusting means is attached to the substrate holding arm itself, the substrate holding arm can be directly cooled. For example, the temperature adjusting means is brought close to the substrate holding arm to cool the substrate holding arm. Compared with such a case, the temperature fluctuation of the substrate holding arm can be suppressed in a short time.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the temperature adjusting means is constituted by the Peltier element, the temperature adjusting means can be reduced in size, and the temperature fluctuation of the substrate holding arm can be suppressed in a shorter time.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the temperature adjusting means is controlled to maintain the temperature of the substrate holding arm at a predetermined temperature based on the temperature of the substrate holding arm detected by the temperature detecting means. With this configuration, the temperature of the substrate holding arm can be more accurately controlled.

Further, if the temperature control means is constituted by a Peltier element, the Peltier element can be controlled while monitoring the temperature fluctuation of the substrate holding arm, and the time required to cool the substrate holding arm to the target temperature can be reduced. It can also be shortened.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a substrate holding arm portion of the substrate transfer mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining loading of a substrate into a heat treatment unit.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a configuration of a modification of the substrate holding arm.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: substrate processing unit 3: heat treatment unit 3a: heating processing unit 3b: cooling processing unit 4: resist coating processing unit 5: development processing unit 6: substrate transfer mechanism 14: substrate holding arm 20: Peltier element 21: temperature detection sensor 30 : Controller W: Board

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Masao Tsuji 322 Hashizushi Furukawacho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture Nippon Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Akihiko Morita 322 Dai Nippon Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Rakusai Office (72) Inventor Yuki Iwami Yukimi Nishimura Kyoto University, Kyoto Prefecture Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture 322 Hashizushi Furukawacho, Fushimi-ku Dai Nippon Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of substrate processing units including a heat processing unit, and a substrate holding arm for holding a substrate, wherein a substrate is transferred between the substrate processing units and a substrate is loaded into and unloaded from each of the substrate processing units. And a substrate transporting means for performing the step (a), wherein the substrate holding arm itself of the substrate transporting means is provided with temperature adjusting means for maintaining the temperature of the substrate holding arm at a predetermined temperature. Substrate processing equipment. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said temperature adjusting means is constituted by a Peltier device. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a temperature of said substrate holding arm of said substrate transfer means is detected, and said substrate holding arm is detected based on data detected by said temperature detecting means. Control means for controlling the temperature adjusting means so as to maintain the temperature of the substrate at a predetermined temperature.