KR20220057053A - Substrate supporting unit and substrate treating apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate support unit, comprising: a support plate; a mounting groove recessed from an upper surface of the supporting plate; and a ball unit disposed in the mounting groove of the support plate and spaced apart from the upper surface of the support plate to support the substrate placed on the support plate. The ball is provided to be rotatable with respect to the support plate.

Description

A substrate support unit and a substrate processing apparatus including the same

The present invention relates to a substrate support unit and a substrate processing apparatus including the same.

In order to manufacture a semiconductor device, various processes such as cleaning, deposition, photography, etching, and ion implantation are performed. Among these processes, a deposition and coating process is used as a process for forming a film on a substrate. In general, a deposition process is a process of forming a film by depositing a process gas on a substrate, and the application process is a process of forming a liquid film by applying a treatment solution on the substrate.

Before and after forming the film on the substrate, a baking process of baking the substrate is performed. The bake process is a process of heating a substrate to a process temperature or higher in an enclosed space. The bake process performed after forming the film on the substrate heats and volatilizes the photoresist film applied on the substrate to adjust the film thickness to a set thickness.

1 and 2 are views showing a conventional support unit 1 . 1 and 2 , the support unit 1 may include a housing 2 and a support pin 4 fixedly coupled to the housing 2 . The support unit 1 may be disposed between the substrate W and the support plate 6 . The support unit 1 may support the bottom surface of the substrate W so that the substrate W is spaced apart from the support plate 6 by a predetermined distance. The support unit 1 supports the bottom surface of the substrate W so that an air gap between the substrate W and the support plate 6 is formed, so that the heat of the support plate 6 is transferred to the substrate W. Direct transmission can be blocked. In addition, the substrate W can be heated to a uniform temperature through the air layer formed in the air gap, and the substrate W is contaminated by particles generated during loading and unloading of the substrate W. phenomenon can be prevented.

However, in the conventional support unit 1, since the support pin 4 is fixed, repeated friction is generated in the process in which the substrate W is repeatedly loaded and unloaded. There is a problem in that the upper end of the support pin 4 is worn or the upper end of the support pin 4 is worn due to a chemical reaction with the processing fluid or process gas flowing into the chamber. Figure 2 (a) is a view showing the air gap between the substrate and the support plate in the initial state of the substrate support unit of Figure 1, after repeated use of Figure 2 (b), the air gap between the substrate and the support plate It is the drawing shown. Referring to Figure 2, the air gap between the substrate (W) and the support plate (6) in the initial state in which the support pin (4) is not worn is 100 um, by repeated loading and unloading of the substrate (W) It can be seen that the air gap between the substrate W and the support plate 6 is 50 um in a state where the upper end of the support pin W is worn.

In addition, the temperature of the substrate W is continuously increased due to the narrowing of the air gap between the substrate W and the support plate 6 due to the wear of the support pin 4, which makes it difficult to control the process temperature. , and in this case, there is a problem in that the quality of the substrate W is deteriorated.

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate support unit having a long replacement life or replacement cycle due to excellent wear characteristics, and a substrate processing apparatus including the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate support unit in which the generation of foreign substances due to friction with the substrate is minimized, and a substrate processing apparatus including the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate support unit capable of preventing foreign substances generated by friction with the substrate from flowing into the substrate, and a substrate processing apparatus including the same.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate support unit capable of maintaining the height of the air gap between the substrate and the support plate, through which the process temperature can be easily controlled, and a substrate processing apparatus including the same.

The present invention provides a substrate support unit. The substrate support unit includes a support plate; a mounting groove recessed from the upper surface of the support plate; and a ball unit disposed in the mounting groove of the support plate and including a ball for supporting a substrate placed on the support plate to be spaced apart from an upper surface of the support plate, wherein the ball is rotatably provided with respect to the support plate can be

According to an embodiment, the ball unit is inserted into the mounting groove, and further includes a housing having an insertion groove having an open upper portion, and the ball is inserted into the insertion groove so as to be rotatable within the insertion groove, A portion of the ball may be provided to protrude upward from the insertion groove.

According to an embodiment, when viewed in a cross-section of the insertion groove, the curvature of the side surface of the insertion groove may be different from the curvature of the ball.

According to one embodiment, when viewed in a cross-section of the insertion groove, the curvature of the side surface of the insertion groove may be greater than the curvature of the ball.

According to an embodiment, a locking protrusion for preventing the ball from being separated from the insertion groove may be provided on the upper surface of the insertion groove.

According to an embodiment, when the ball is positioned at the exact center in the insertion groove, the ball may be provided so as not to come into contact with the locking jaw.

According to an embodiment, the ball protrudes above the upper surface of the support plate and makes point contact with the bottom surface of the substrate, and the position of the ball point contact with the bottom surface of the substrate may be changed as the ball is rotated. .

According to an embodiment, the ball may be provided rotatably by friction or vibration with the substrate.

According to an embodiment, the housing includes a lower body and an upper body disposed on the lower body, and the insertion groove includes a lower groove formed in the lower body and an upper groove formed in the upper body. It can be formed by combination.

The present invention provides a substrate support unit. The substrate support unit includes a support plate; a mounting groove recessed from the upper surface of the support plate; and a ball unit disposed in the mounting groove of the support plate and including a ball for supporting the substrate placed on the support plate to be spaced apart from the upper surface of the support plate, wherein the ball is in point contact with the bottom surface of the substrate may be provided to be changeable.

According to an embodiment, the ball unit is inserted into the mounting groove, and further includes a housing having an insertion groove having an open upper portion, and the ball is inserted into the insertion groove so as to be rotatable within the insertion groove, The ball may be provided rotatably by friction or vibration with the substrate.

According to an embodiment, when viewed in a cross-section of the insertion groove, the curvature of the inner surface of the insertion groove may be different from the curvature of the ball.

According to an embodiment, a locking protrusion for preventing the ball from being separated from the insertion groove may be provided on the upper surface of the insertion groove.

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus. A substrate processing apparatus includes: a chamber providing a processing space for processing a substrate; a support unit for supporting a substrate in the processing space; a heater for heating the substrate supported by the support unit, wherein the support unit includes: a support plate; a mounting groove recessed from the upper surface of the support plate; and

and a ball unit disposed in the mounting groove of the support plate and including a ball for supporting a substrate placed on the support plate to be spaced apart from an upper surface of the support plate, wherein the ball is provided rotatably with respect to the support plate. can

According to one embodiment, it is inserted into the mounting groove, further comprising a housing having an insertion groove having an open upper portion, the ball is inserted into the insertion groove so as to be rotatable within the insertion groove, the inside of the insertion groove The curvature of the side may be different from the curvature of the ball.

Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate support unit having excellent wear characteristics and a long replacement life or replacement cycle, and a substrate processing apparatus including the same.

In addition, generation of foreign substances due to friction with the substrate may be minimized.

In addition, it is possible to prevent foreign substances generated by friction with the substrate from flowing into the substrate.

In addition, since the height of the air gap between the substrate and the support plate can be kept constant, the process temperature can be uniformly controlled.

1 is a perspective view of a typical substrate support unit.
Figure 2 (a) is a view showing the air gap between the substrate and the support plate in the initial state of the substrate support unit of Figure 1, after repeated use of Figure 2 (b), the air gap between the substrate and the support plate It is the drawing shown.
3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus showing the application block or the developing block of FIG. 3 .
5 is a plan view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 3 .
FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of a hand of the transport robot of FIG. 5 .
7 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of the heat treatment chamber of FIG. 5 .
8 is a front view of the heat treatment chamber of FIG. 7 .
9 is a view showing a substrate processing apparatus provided in the heating unit of FIG. 8 .
10 is a perspective view illustrating an arrangement relationship between the support plate and the support unit of FIG. 9 .
11 is a perspective view of a support unit according to the present invention;
12 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 11 .
FIG. 13A is a diagram illustrating an air gap between a substrate and a support plate in an initial state, and is a diagram illustrating an air gap between a substrate and a support plate after repeated use of FIG. 13B .

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the present invention may be modified in various forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the following embodiments. This embodiment is provided to more completely explain the present invention to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, the shape of the element in the drawings is exaggerated to emphasize a clearer description.

3 is a perspective view schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus showing the application block or the developing block of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of a hand of the transport robot of FIG. 5 , FIG. 7 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the heat treatment chamber of FIG. 5 , FIG. 8 is a front view of the heat treatment chamber of FIG. 7 , and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a substrate processing apparatus provided to the heating unit of FIG. 8 , FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating an arrangement relationship between the support plate and the support unit of FIG. 9 , and FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the support unit according to the present invention; 12 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 11 , FIG. 13 (a) is a view showing an air gap between the substrate and the support plate in an initial state, and after repeated use of FIG. 13 (b), the air between the substrate and the support plate A diagram showing a gap.

3 to 5 , the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes an index module 20 , a processing module 30 , and an interface module 40 . According to an embodiment, the index module 20 , the processing module 30 , and the interface module 40 are sequentially arranged in a line. Hereinafter, a direction in which the index module 20 , the processing module 30 , and the interface module 40 are arranged is referred to as a first direction 12 , and a direction perpendicular to the first direction 12 when viewed from the top is referred to as a first direction 12 . A second direction 14 is referred to, and a direction perpendicular to both the first direction 12 and the second direction 14 is referred to as a third direction 16 .

The index module 20 transfers the substrate W from the container 10 in which the substrate W is accommodated to the processing module 30 , and accommodates the processed substrate W in the container 10 . The longitudinal direction of the index module 20 is provided in the second direction 14 . The index module 20 has a load port 22 and an index frame 24 . With reference to the index frame 24 , the load port 22 is located on the opposite side of the processing module 30 . The container 10 in which the substrates W are accommodated is placed on the load port 22 . A plurality of load ports 22 may be provided, and the plurality of load ports 22 may be disposed along the second direction 14 .

As the container 10, a closed container 10 such as a Front Open Unified Pod (FOUP) may be used. Vessel 10 may be placed in loadport 22 by an operator or by a transfer means (not shown) such as an Overhead Transfer, Overhead Conveyor, or Automatic GuidedVehicle. there is.

An index robot 2200 is provided inside the index frame 24 . A guide rail 2300 having a longitudinal direction in the second direction 14 is provided in the index frame 24 , and the index robot 2200 may be provided to be movable on the guide rail 2300 . The index robot 2200 includes a hand 2220 on which the substrate W is placed, and the hand 2220 moves forward and backward, rotates about the third direction 16 , and moves in the third direction 16 . It may be provided to be movable along with it.

The processing module 30 performs a coating process and a developing process on the substrate W. The processing module 30 has an application block 30a and a developing block 30b. The coating block 30a performs a coating process on the substrate W, and the developing block 30b performs a development process on the substrate W. A plurality of application blocks 30a are provided, and they are provided to be stacked on each other. A plurality of developing blocks 30b are provided, and the developing blocks 30b are provided to be stacked on each other. According to the embodiment of Fig. 2, two application blocks 30a are provided, and two developing blocks 30b are provided. The application blocks 30a may be disposed below the developing blocks 30b. According to an example, the two application blocks 30a may perform the same process as each other, and may be provided in the same structure. In addition, the two developing blocks 30b may perform the same process as each other, and may be provided in the same structure.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the application block 30a includes a heat treatment chamber 3200 , a transfer chamber 3400 , a liquid processing chamber 3600 , and a buffer chamber 3800 . The heat treatment chamber 3200 performs a heat treatment process on the substrate W. The heat treatment process may include a cooling process and a heating process. The liquid processing chamber 3600 supplies a liquid on the substrate W to form a liquid film. The liquid film may be a photoresist film or an antireflection film. The transfer chamber 3400 transfers the substrate W between the heat treatment chamber 3200 and the liquid treatment chamber 3600 in the application block 30a.

The transfer chamber 3400 is provided so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first direction 12 . The transfer chamber 3400 is provided with a transfer robot 3422 . The transfer robot 3422 transfers a substrate between the heat treatment chamber 3200 , the liquid processing chamber 3600 , and the buffer chamber 3800 . According to an example, the transfer robot 3422 has a hand 3420 on which the substrate W is placed, and the hand 3420 moves forward and backward, rotates about the third direction 16 , and the third direction. It may be provided movably along (16). A guide rail 3300 having a longitudinal direction parallel to the first direction 12 is provided in the transfer chamber 3400 , and the transfer robot 3422 may be provided movably on the guide rail 3300 . .

FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of a hand of the transport robot of FIG. 3 . Referring to FIG. 7 , the hand 3420 has a base 3428 and a support protrusion 3429 . The base 3428 may have an annular ring shape in which a portion of the circumference is bent. The base 3428 has an inner diameter greater than the diameter of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. A support protrusion 3429 extends inwardly from the base 3428 . A plurality of support protrusions 3429 are provided, and support an edge region of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. According to an example, four support protrusions 3429 may be provided at equal intervals.

A plurality of heat treatment chambers 3200 are provided. The heat treatment chambers 3200 are arranged in a row along the first direction 12 . The heat treatment chambers 3200 are located at one side of the transfer chamber 3400 .

7 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of the heat treatment chamber of FIG. 5 , and FIG. 8 is a front view of the heat treatment chamber of FIG. 7 . 7 and 8 , the heat treatment chamber 3200 includes a housing 3210 , a cooling unit 3220 , a heating unit 3230 , and a conveying plate 3240 .

The housing 3210 is provided in the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. An inlet (not shown) through which the substrate W enters and exits is formed on the sidewall of the housing 3210 . The inlet may remain open. Optionally, a door (not shown) may be provided to open and close the inlet. A cooling unit 3220 , a heating unit 3230 , and a conveying plate 3240 are provided in the housing 3210 . The cooling unit 3220 and the heating unit 3230 are provided side by side along the second direction 14 . According to an example, the cooling unit 3220 may be located closer to the transfer chamber 3400 than the heating unit 3230 .

The cooling unit 3220 has a cooling plate 3222 . The cooling plate 3222 may have a generally circular shape when viewed from the top. A cooling member 3224 is provided on the cooling plate 3222 . According to an example, the cooling member 3224 is formed inside the cooling plate 3222 and may be provided as a flow path through which the cooling fluid flows.

The heating unit 3230 is provided as a device for heating the substrate to a temperature higher than room temperature. The heating unit 3230 heats the substrate W in a reduced pressure atmosphere at or lower than normal pressure. The heating unit 3230 may perform a bake process on the substrate W. The heating unit 3230 may be provided with a substrate processing apparatus 3300 that performs a bake process on the substrate W.

9 is a view showing a substrate processing apparatus provided in the heating unit of FIG. 8 . 9, the heating unit 3230 includes a chamber 3310, a substrate support unit 3320, an exhaust unit (not shown), a gas supply unit (not shown), an elevation unit 3360, and a controller ( drawing not shown) may be included.

The chamber 3310 may include an upper chamber 3312 , a lower chamber 3314 , and a sealing member 3316 . The upper chamber 3312 may have a cylindrical shape with an open lower part. The lower chamber 3314 may have a cylindrical shape with an open top. The lower chamber 3314 may be disposed below the upper chamber 3312 . The upper chamber 3312 and the lower chamber 3314 may be combined with each other to form an interior space 3318 .

Also, a sealing member 3316 may be provided between the upper chamber 3312 and the lower chamber 3314 . A sealing member 3316 is positioned between the upper chamber 3312 and the lower chamber 3314 . The sealing member 3316 allows the inner space 3318 to be sealed from the outside when the upper chamber 3312 and the lower chamber 3314 are in contact. The sealing member 3316 may be provided in an annular ring shape. The sealing member 3316 may be fixedly coupled to the upper end of the lower chamber 3314 .

The substrate support unit 3320 supports the substrate W in the inner space 3318 . Also, the support unit 3320 may heat the substrate W. The support unit 3320 is fixedly coupled to the lower chamber 3314 . The support unit 3320 may include a support plate 3322 , a heater 3324 , a lift pin 3325 , a chuck pin 3326 , and a ball unit 5000 . However, some of these components may be omitted.

The substrate support unit 3320 may include a support plate 3322 . The support plate 3322 is provided in a circular plate shape. The upper surface of the support plate 3322 may have a larger diameter than the substrate W. The upper surface of the support plate 3322 may function as a seating surface on which the substrate W is placed. In addition, the support plate 3322 may be provided with a heater 3324 . The heater 3324 may heat the substrate W. In addition, a plurality of heaters 3324 may be provided. The plurality of heaters 3324 may heat the substrate W to a different temperature for each region. For example, some of the plurality of heaters 3324 heat the center region of the substrate W to a first temperature, and other portions of the plurality of heaters 3324 provide a middle and edge of the substrate W. The region may be heated to a second temperature. The first temperature and the second temperature may be different from each other. As another example, the heater 3324 may heat all regions of the substrate W to the same temperature.

The support plate 3322 may include a mounting groove 3323 . The mounting groove 3323 may be recessed from the upper surface of the support plate 3322 . The ball unit 5000 may be disposed in the mounting groove 3323 . At least a portion of the ball unit 5000 may be disposed in the mounting groove 3323 . The housing 5100 of the ball unit 5000 may be disposed in the mounting groove 3323 . The lower body and upper body 5120 and 5140 may be disposed in the Jangcham groove 3323 .

The ball unit 5000 may be provided on the support plate 3322 . The ball unit 5000 may be disposed in the mounting groove 3323 of the support plate 3322 . A plurality of ball units 5000 may be provided. The plurality of ball units 5000 may be spaced apart from each other. The ball unit 5000 may support the substrate W. The ball unit 5000 may support the bottom surface of the substrate W. The ball unit 5000 may prevent the substrate W from directly contacting the support plate 3322 .

The ball unit 5000 may include a housing 5100 . The housing 5100 may be inserted into the mounting groove 3323 of the support plate 3322 . The housing 5100 may include a lower body 5120 and an upper body 5140 disposed on the lower body 5120 .

The housing 5100 may include an insertion groove 5160 . The insertion groove 5160 may have an open top. The insertion groove 5160 may be recessed from the upper surface of the housing 5100 . The insertion groove 5160 may be recessed downward from the upper surface of the upper body 5140 . The insertion groove 5160 may be opened in a direction toward the bottom of the substrate (W). A ball 5200 may be disposed in the insertion groove 5160 . At least a portion of the ball 5200 may be disposed in the insertion groove 5160 . The insertion groove 5160 may be formed by a combination of the lower groove 5162 formed in the lower body 5120 and the upper groove 5164 formed in the upper body 5140 .

The insertion groove 5160 may be formed to be larger than a ball 5200 to be described later. Through this, the ball 5200 may be rotatable within the insertion groove 5160 . The inner surface of the insertion groove 5160 may include a round shape. The inner surface of the insertion groove 5160 may have a curvature. The curvature of the inner surface of the insertion groove 5160 may be different from the curvature of the ball 5200 . The curvature of the inner surface of the insertion groove 5160 may be greater than the curvature of the ball 5100 . Through this, when the ball 5200 rotates within the insertion groove 5160, contact with the inner surface of the insertion groove 5160 can be minimized. In this case, friction between the rotating ball 5200 and the insertion groove 5160 can be minimized. In addition, as the contact and friction between the ball 5200 and the inner surface of the insertion groove 5160 is minimized, the generation of foreign substances or particles may be minimized.

The inner surface of the lower groove 5162 may have a curvature. The curvature of the inner surface of the lower groove 5162 may be greater than the curvature of the ball 5200 . The inner surface of the upper groove 5164 may have a curvature. The curvature of the inner surface of the upper groove 5164 may be greater than the curvature of the ball 5200 . The curvature of the inner surface of the lower groove 5162 and the inner surface of the upper groove 5164 may have the same curvature. Alternatively, the curvature of the inner surface of the lower groove 5162 and the inner surface of the upper groove 5164 may have different curvatures.

The ball unit 5000 may include a ball 5200 . The ball 5200 may be formed in a circular shape. The ball 5200 may be a ceramic ball. The ball 5200 may be disposed in the mounting groove 3323 of the support plate 3322 . At least a portion of the ball 5200 may be disposed in the mounting groove 3323 of the support plate 3322 . The ball 5200 may support the bottom surface of the substrate W. The ball 5200 may be disposed in the insertion groove 5200 . The ball 5200 may be disposed in the lower groove 5162 . The ball 5200 may be disposed in the upper groove 5164 . The ball 5200 may be rotatably disposed in the insertion groove 5160 . The ball 5200 may be rotated by friction or vibration with the substrate W. In this case, a separate driver or power for rotating the ball 5200 may not be required. The rotation directions of the plurality of balls 5200 may be the same or different from each other. That is, the rotation direction of the plurality of balls 5200 may be randomly rotated according to the slip direction of the substrate W seated on each of the plurality of balls 5200 .

A portion of the ball 5200 may protrude upward from the insertion groove 5160 . The ball 5200 may support the substrate W to be spaced apart from the upper surface of the support plate 3322 . The ball 5200 may be in point contact with the bottom surface of the substrate W. The ball 5200 may protrude upward from the upper surface of the support plate 3322 and be in point-contact with the lower surface of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. A position at which the ball 5200 makes point contact with the bottom surface of the substrate W may be changed as the ball W is rotated. Through this, the position at which the bottom surface of the substrate W and the ball 5200 are in contact with each other during repeated loading and unloading of the substrate W may be continuously changed. In addition, the position at which the bottom surface of the substrate W and the ball 5200 are in point contact may continue to change due to vibration by an external force. In the case of the conventional support pin, there is a problem that intensive wear occurs on the upper portion of the support pin because the area in which the substrate and the support pin contact is fixed. However, according to the present invention, since the portion where the substrate W and the ball 5200 are in contact continuously changes, intensive wear of the ball 5200 does not occur and the life of the ball unit 5000 increases, There is an effect that it is easy to manage the process temperature. 13, the separation distance d1 between the substrate W and the support plate 3322 in the initial state is the same as the separation distance d2 between the substrate W and the support plate 3322 after repeated use. can be checked That is, by the rotation of the ball 5200, the contact area between the substrate W and the ball 5200 continues to change during vibration or shock caused by external force, and repetitive loading and unloading of the substrate W, and thus the ball 5200. wear can be minimized. Through this, it is possible to maintain the same separation distance between the substrate W and the support plate 3322 . In this case, an air layer or an air gap between the substrate W and the support plate 3322 is constantly maintained, so that the substrate W can be uniformly heated, and the temperature of the substrate W can be maintained constant. Through this, management or control of the process temperature is easy to minimize quality defects.

A locking protrusion 5166 may be provided on the upper surface of the insertion groove 5160 to prevent the ball 5200 from being separated from the insertion groove 5160 . When the ball 5200 is positioned at the exact center in the insertion groove 5160 , the ball 5200 may be provided so as not to come into contact with the locking jaw 6155 . The locking hair 5166 may be formed on the upper body 5140 . The locking jaw 5166 may be formed in the upper portion of the upper groove 5164 . The diameter of the locking jaw 5166 may be larger than the diameter of the area of the ball 5200 facing the locking jaw 5166 . The locking jaw 5166 may prevent the ball 5200 from being separated. The locking jaw 5166 may prevent foreign substances formed by rotational friction between the rotating ball 5200 and the housing 5100 from leaving the insertion groove 5160 to the outside.

The lift pins 3325 may move the substrate W in the vertical direction. A plurality of lift pins 3325 may be provided. The lift pins 3325 may move the substrate W in the vertical direction when the substrate W is brought in or taken out from the internal space 3318 .

The guide 3226 guides the substrate W so that the substrate W is placed in a fixed position on the seating surface. The guide 3226 is provided to have an annular ring shape surrounding the seating surface. The guide 3226 has a larger diameter than the substrate W. The inner surface of the guide 3226 has a downwardly inclined shape as it approaches the central axis of the support plate 3322 . Accordingly, the substrate W spanning the inner surface of the guide 3226 is moved to the original position riding the inclined surface. In addition, the guide 3226 may prevent a small amount of airflow flowing between the substrate W and the seating surface.

The exhaust unit 3330 may exhaust the internal space 3318 . The exhaust unit 3330 may form an airflow in the interior space 3318 . The exhaust unit 3330 may form an upward airflow in the interior space 3318 . The exhaust unit 3330 may be provided in the upper chamber 3312 .

The lifting unit 3360 may move any one of the upper chamber 3312 and the lower chamber 3314 . For example, the lifting unit 3360 may move the upper chamber 3312 in the vertical direction. The lifting unit 3360 may move the upper chamber 3312 to an open position or a closed position. The open position is a position in which the upper chamber 3312 and the lower chamber 3314 are spaced apart from each other and the inner space 3318 is opened. The blocking position is a position where the inner space 3318 is sealed from the outside by the upper chamber 3312 and the lower chamber 3314 .

The controller 3390 may control the substrate processing apparatus 3330 . For example, the controller 3390 may control the gas supply unit 3340 . The controller 3390 may control the exhaust unit 3330 . The controller 3390 may control the exhaust unit 3390 to adjust the exhaust flow rate per unit time of the center exhaust pipe 3332 or the edge exhaust pipe 3334 .

Referring back to FIGS. 7 and 8 , the transport plate 3240 is provided in a substantially disk shape and has a diameter corresponding to that of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. A notch 3244 is formed at the edge of the conveying plate 3240 . The notch 3244 may have a shape corresponding to the protrusion 3429 formed on the hand 3420 of the transfer robots 3422 and 3424 described above. In addition, the notches 3244 are provided in a number corresponding to the protrusions 3429 formed on the hand 3420 , and are formed at positions corresponding to the protrusions 3429 . When the upper and lower positions of the hand 3420 and the carrier plate 3240 are changed in a position where the hand 3420 and the carrier plate 3240 are vertically aligned, the substrate W between the hand 3420 and the carrier plate 3240 is transfer takes place The transport plate 3240 is mounted on the guide rail 3249 , and may be moved between the first region 3212 and the second region 3214 along the guide rail 3249 by a driver 3246 . A plurality of slit-shaped guide grooves 3242 are provided in the carrying plate 3240 . The guide groove 3242 extends from the end of the carrying plate 3240 to the inside of the carrying plate 3240 . The length direction of the guide grooves 3242 is provided along the second direction 14 , and the guide grooves 3242 are spaced apart from each other along the first direction 12 . The guide groove 3242 prevents the transfer plate 3240 and the lift pins 1340 from interfering with each other when the substrate W is transferred between the transfer plate 3240 and the heating unit 3230 .

The heating unit 3230 provided in some of the heat treatment chambers 3200 may supply a gas while heating the substrate W to improve the adhesion rate of the photoresist to the substrate W. According to an example, the gas may be hexamethyldisilane gas.

Referring back to FIGS. 4 and 5 , a plurality of liquid processing chambers 3600 are provided. Some of the liquid processing chambers 3600 may be provided to be stacked on each other. The liquid processing chambers 3600 are disposed at one side of the transfer chamber 3402 . The liquid processing chambers 3600 are arranged side by side in the first direction 12 . Some of the liquid processing chambers 3600 are provided adjacent to the index module 20 . Hereinafter, these liquid treatment chambers will be referred to as a front liquid treating chamber 3602 (front liquid treating chamber). Other portions of the liquid processing chambers 3600 are provided adjacent to the interface module 40 . Hereinafter, these liquid treatment chambers are referred to as rear heat treating chambers 3604 (rear heat treating chambers).

The front stage liquid processing chamber 3602 applies the first liquid on the substrate W, and the rear stage liquid processing chamber 3604 applies the second liquid on the substrate W. The first liquid and the second liquid may be different types of liquid. According to one embodiment, the first liquid is an anti-reflection film, and the second liquid is a photoresist. The photoresist may be applied on the substrate W on which the anti-reflection film is applied. Optionally, the first liquid may be a photoresist, and the second liquid may be an anti-reflection film. In this case, the anti-reflection film may be applied on the photoresist-coated substrate (W). Optionally, the first liquid and the second liquid are the same type of liquid, and they may both be photoresist.

A plurality of buffer chambers 3800 is provided. Some of the buffer chambers 3800 are disposed between the index module 20 and the transfer chamber 3400 . Hereinafter, these buffer chambers are referred to as a front buffer 3802 (front buffer). The front-end buffers 3802 are provided in plurality, and are positioned to be stacked on each other in the vertical direction. Another portion of the buffer chambers 3802 and 3804 is disposed between the transfer chamber 3400 and the interface module 40 hereinafter. These buffer chambers are referred to as rear buffer 3804 (rear buffer). The rear end buffers 3804 are provided in plurality, and are positioned to be stacked on each other in the vertical direction. Each of the front-end buffers 3802 and the back-end buffers 3804 temporarily stores a plurality of substrates W. As shown in FIG. The substrate W stored in the shear buffer 3802 is loaded or unloaded by the index robot 2200 and the transfer robot 3422 . The substrate W stored in the downstream buffer 3804 is carried in or carried out by the transfer robot 3422 and the first robot 4602 .

The developing block 30b has a heat treatment chamber 3200 , a transfer chamber 3400 , and a liquid treatment chamber 3600 . The heat treatment chamber 3200 , the transfer chamber 3400 , and the liquid treatment chamber 3600 of the developing block 30b are the heat treatment chamber 3200 , the transfer chamber 3400 , and the liquid treatment chamber 3600 of the application block 30a . ) and is provided in a structure and arrangement substantially similar to those of ), so a description thereof will be omitted. However, in the developing block 30b, all of the liquid processing chambers 3600 are provided as the developing chamber 3600 for processing the substrate by supplying a developer in the same manner.

The interface module 40 connects the processing module 30 to the external exposure apparatus 50 . The interface module 40 includes an interface frame 4100 , an additional process chamber 4200 , an interface buffer 4400 , and a transfer member 4600 .

A fan filter unit for forming a descending airflow therein may be provided at an upper end of the interface frame 4100 . The additional process chamber 4200 , the interface buffer 4400 , and the transfer member 4600 are disposed inside the interface frame 4100 . The additional process chamber 4200 may perform a predetermined additional process before the substrate W, which has been processed in the application block 30a, is loaded into the exposure apparatus 50 . Optionally, the additional process chamber 4200 may perform a predetermined additional process before the substrate W, which has been processed in the exposure apparatus 50 , is loaded into the developing block 30b. According to one example, the additional process is an edge exposure process of exposing the edge region of the substrate W, a top surface cleaning process of cleaning the upper surface of the substrate W, or a bottom surface cleaning process of cleaning the lower surface of the substrate W can A plurality of additional process chambers 4200 may be provided, and these may be provided to be stacked on each other. All of the additional process chambers 4200 may be provided to perform the same process. Optionally, some of the additional process chambers 4200 may be provided to perform different processes.

The interface buffer 4400 provides a space in which the substrate W transferred between the application block 30a, the additional process chamber 4200, the exposure apparatus 50, and the developing block 30b temporarily stays during the transfer. A plurality of interface buffers 4400 may be provided, and a plurality of interface buffers 4400 may be provided to be stacked on each other.

According to an example, the additional process chamber 4200 may be disposed on one side of the transfer chamber 3400 along the lengthwise extension line, and the interface buffer 4400 may be disposed on the other side thereof.

The transfer member 4600 transfers the substrate W between the application block 30a, the addition process chamber 4200, the exposure apparatus 50, and the developing block 30b. The transfer member 4600 may be provided as one or a plurality of robots. According to an example, the conveying member 4600 includes a first robot 4602 and a second robot 4606 . The first robot 4602 transfers the substrate W between the application block 30a, the additional process chamber 4200, and the interface buffer 4400, and the interface robot 4606 uses the interface buffer 4400 and the exposure apparatus ( 50), and the second robot 4604 may be provided to transfer the substrate W between the interface buffer 4400 and the developing block 30b.

The first robot 4602 and the second robot 4606 each include a hand on which the substrate W is placed, and the hand moves forward and backward, rotates about an axis parallel to the third direction 16, and It may be provided to be movable along three directions (16).

The hands of the index robot 2200 , the first robot 4602 , and the second robot 4606 may all have the same shape as the hands 3420 of the transport robots 3422 and 3424 . Optionally, the hand of the robot directly exchanging the substrate W with the transfer plate 3240 of the heat treatment chamber is provided in the same shape as the hand 3420 of the transfer robots 3422 and 3424, and the hands of the remaining robots have a different shape. can be provided as

According to one embodiment, the index robot 2200 is provided to directly exchange the substrate W with the heating unit 3230 of the front heat treatment chamber 3200 provided in the application block 30a.

In addition, the transfer robot 3422 provided in the application block 30a and the developing block 30b may be provided to directly transfer the substrate W with the transfer plate 3240 located in the heat treatment chamber 3200 .

The above detailed description is illustrative of the present invention. In addition, the above description shows and describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments. That is, changes or modifications are possible within the scope of the concept of the invention disclosed herein, the scope equivalent to the written disclosure, and/or within the scope of skill or knowledge in the art. The written embodiment describes the best state for implementing the technical idea of the present invention, and various changes required in specific application fields and uses of the present invention are possible. Accordingly, the detailed description of the present invention is not intended to limit the present invention to the disclosed embodiments. Also, the appended claims should be construed to include other embodiments.

3320: support unit 3322: support plate
3323: mounting groove 3324: heater
3325: lift pin 3326: chuck pin
5000: ball unit 5100: ball
5120: lower body 5140: upper body
5160: groove 5162: lower groove
5164: upper groove 5166: locking jaw
5200: ball

Claims (15)

support plate;
a mounting groove recessed from the upper surface of the support plate; and
It is disposed in the mounting groove of the support plate, comprising a ball unit including a ball for supporting the substrate placed on the support plate spaced apart from the upper surface of the support plate,
The ball is a substrate support unit provided to be rotatable with respect to the support plate. According to claim 1,
The ball unit is
It is inserted into the mounting groove, further comprising a housing having an open upper portion of the insertion groove,
The ball is inserted into the insertion groove so as to be rotatable within the insertion groove,
A partial region of the ball is provided to protrude upwardly from the insertion groove. 3. The method of claim 2,
When viewed in a cross-section of the insertion groove, a curvature of a side surface of the insertion groove is different from the curvature of the ball. 3. The method of claim 2,
When viewed in a cross-section of the insertion groove, a curvature of a side surface of the insertion groove is greater than a curvature of the ball. 3. The method of claim 2,
A substrate support unit provided with a locking protrusion on the upper surface of the insertion groove to prevent the ball from being separated from the insertion groove. 6. The method of claim 5,
When the ball is positioned at the exact center in the insertion groove, the ball is a substrate support unit provided so as not to come into contact with the locking protrusion. According to claim 1,
The ball protrudes above the upper surface of the support plate and makes point contact with the lower surface of the substrate,
A position at which the ball makes point contact with the bottom surface of the substrate is changed as the ball is rotated. 8. The method of claim 7,
The ball is a substrate support unit that is provided rotatably by friction or vibration with the substrate. 3. The method of claim 2,
The housing is
A lower body and an upper body disposed on the lower body,
The insertion groove is a substrate support unit formed by a combination of a lower groove formed in the lower body and an upper groove formed in the upper body. support plate;
a mounting groove recessed from the upper surface of the support plate; and
It is disposed in the mounting groove of the support plate, comprising a ball unit including a ball for supporting the substrate placed on the support plate spaced apart from the upper surface of the support plate,
A substrate support unit provided so that a position at which the ball makes point contact with the bottom surface of the substrate can be changed 11. The method of claim 10,
The ball unit is
It is inserted into the mounting groove, further comprising a housing having an open upper portion of the insertion groove,
The ball is inserted into the insertion groove so as to be rotatable within the insertion groove,
The ball is a substrate support unit that is provided rotatably by friction or vibration with the substrate. 12. The method of claim 11,
When viewed in a cross-section of the insertion groove, the curvature of the inner surface of the insertion groove is different from the curvature of the ball. 12. The method of claim 11,
A substrate support unit provided with a locking protrusion on the upper surface of the insertion groove to prevent the ball from being separated from the insertion groove. a chamber providing a processing space for processing a substrate;
a support unit for supporting a substrate in the processing space;
Including a heater for heating the substrate supported by the support unit,
The support unit is
support plate;
a mounting groove recessed from the upper surface of the support plate; and
It is disposed in the mounting groove of the support plate, comprising a ball unit including a ball for supporting the substrate placed on the support plate spaced apart from the upper surface of the support plate,
wherein the ball is provided rotatably with respect to the support plate. 15. The method of claim 14,
It is inserted into the mounting groove, further comprising a housing having an open upper portion of the insertion groove,
The ball is inserted into the insertion groove so as to be rotatable within the insertion groove,
The curvature of the inner surface of the insertion groove is different from the curvature of the ball substrate support unit.

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