TWI743614B - Substrate processing device and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a substrate processing device and a substrate processing method. The subject of the present invention is to reliably prevent interference between a correction member and a detection unit that corrects a substrate placed on a platform, and the detection unit moves in a first direction along the upper surface of the platform while facing The surface condition of the upper surface of the corrected substrate is detected. It includes a retreat portion that retracts the correcting member to a position lower than the height of the upper surface of the substrate held on the platform after holding the substrate corrected by the correcting member on the platform and before starting the movement of the detection portion s position.

Description

Substrate processing device and substrate processing method

The present invention relates to a glass substrate, semiconductor wafer (wafer), photomask (photomask) for flat panel displays (Flat Panel Display, FPD) such as liquid crystal display devices or organic electroluminescence (Electroluminescence, EL) display devices using a correction member. ) Substrates for precision electronic devices such as glass substrates, color filter substrates, recording magnetic sheet substrates, solar cell substrates, electronic paper substrates, etc., and semiconductor packaging substrates (hereinafter referred to as "substrates") After the correction, the substrate processing technology that holds the substrate and performs the prescribed processing.

Conventionally, as an example of a substrate processing apparatus, a coating apparatus that performs processing such as coating of a coating liquid on a substrate is known (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). The coating device includes: a substrate holding device that sucks and holds the lower surface of the substrate placed on the upper surface of the platform; and a slit nozzle that faces the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding device in close proximity The substrate is relatively moved in a horizontal direction, thereby applying the coating liquid on the upper surface of the substrate.

In the substrate holding device, in order to suppress the influence of warpage generated near the peripheral portion of the substrate, a pressing member (corresponding to an example of the “correcting member” of the present invention) is arranged around the platform. Furthermore, when the warpage of the substrate is large, the pressing member presses the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate from above to correct the warpage of the substrate. Therefore, the entire area of the substrate can be adsorbed and held on the platform, so that substrate processing such as coating processing can be performed well. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2017-112197 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-167610 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-85773 [The problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the coating apparatus, the slit nozzle moves with respect to the substrate in a state where the ejection port, which is the lower end of the slit nozzle, is in close proximity to the substrate. Therefore, if foreign matter adheres to the upper surface of the substrate or there is a raised portion on the substrate due to the foreign matter between the substrate and the holding surface holding the substrate, there is a concern that the foreign matter or the raised portion contacts the slit nozzle and the slit nozzle is generated. Damage to the substrate, damage to the substrate, or poor coating, etc. Therefore, a technique has been proposed to detect the surface condition of the upper surface of the substrate while moving the detection unit along the upper surface of the substrate before the foreign object or the like comes into contact with the slit nozzle. The relative movement of the slit nozzle is stopped before contact with the slit nozzle (refer to Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3). Therefore, it has been proposed to apply the technique to the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1.

However, if the detection technique described in Patent Document 2 or Patent Document 3 is applied to a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a pressing member that corrects the warpage of the substrate, there is a baffle member for detecting foreign matter (see Patent Document 2) Or, the detection sensor (see Patent Document 3) interferes with the pressing member, which becomes one of the main factors that hinder substrate processing such as coating processing.

The present invention has been completed in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can reliably prevent interference between a correction member and a detection unit, the correction member correcting a substrate placed on a platform, The detection unit detects the surface condition of the upper surface of the corrected substrate while moving in the first direction along the upper surface of the platform.

[Means to solve the problem]

One embodiment of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus including: a platform, a mounting area for substrate mounting is provided on the upper surface, and a substrate placed in the mounting area is held; a moving body is located along the platform The surface moves in the first direction; the detection part moves in the first direction simultaneously with the movement of the moving body in the first direction, while detecting the surface condition of the upper surface of the substrate held on the platform; the correction member is using the platform Before holding the substrate, it is positioned above the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate placed in the mounting area and presses the peripheral portion of the upper surface to the platform side for correction; and the retreat portion is corrected by the correction member. After the substrate is held on the platform and before the movement of the detection unit is started, the correction member is retracted to a position lower than the height position of the upper surface of the substrate held on the platform.

In addition, another embodiment of the present invention is a substrate processing method, including: moving a correction member to a position above a peripheral portion of the upper surface of a substrate, the substrate is placed on a placement area, and the placement area is provided on a platform The step of correcting the upper surface of the upper surface and pressing the peripheral portion of the upper surface to the side of the platform to perform the step of correcting; the step of using the platform to hold the substrate corrected by the correcting member; the step of retreating the correcting member from above the substrate held on the platform The step of moving the moving body in the first direction of the platform and the detecting part in the first direction while the correcting member is in the higher position and lower position, and moving the detecting part in the first direction while A step of detecting the surface condition of the upper surface of the substrate held on the platform.

In the invention configured as described above, the detection unit detects the surface state of the upper surface of the substrate held on the platform while moving in the first direction. In addition, the correction member is positioned above the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate placed on the mounting area of the platform and performs correction of the substrate. In this way, if the detection part and the correcting member are located above the substrate, if all or part of the period overlaps, they will interfere with each other. Therefore, in the present invention, the correcting member for correcting treatment is retracted from above the substrate held on the platform to a position lower than the height position of the upper surface of the substrate, and in the retracted state, while simultaneously moving the movable body The detection unit moves in the first direction while detecting the surface state of the upper surface of the substrate held on the platform. In addition, the term "moving the detection unit in the first direction simultaneously with the movement of the moving body" refers to moving the detection unit integrally with the moving body or independently of the moving body. [Effects of the invention]

As described above, according to the present invention, in a state where the correction member is retracted from above the substrate held on the platform to a position lower than the height of the upper surface of the substrate, the detection unit moves to detect the surface condition of the upper surface of the substrate Therefore, the interference between the correction member and the detection part can be reliably prevented.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a coating apparatus as a first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. In addition, FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the coating device shown in FIG. 1. Furthermore, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the coating device shown in FIG. 1. In addition, in each of FIGS. 1, 2 and the following figures, in order to clarify the directional relationship, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system in which the Z direction is a vertical direction and the XY plane is a horizontal plane is appropriately indicated. In addition, for ease of understanding, the size or number of each part is exaggerated or simplified as necessary.

The coating device 100 includes a computer (controller) 10 composed of a central processing unit (CPU) or a random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM), and the controller 10 is used to control various parts of the device. The upper surface Sa (see FIG. 5B) of the substrate S received from a robot or the like is supplied with a coating liquid as an example of a processing liquid and applied. There are many kinds of substrates S as the processing objects of the coating device 100. In particular, as described later, the coating apparatus 100 includes a mechanism for correcting the warpage of the substrate S, and is therefore suitable for processing a substrate S having a multilayer structure including a layer of a metal such as copper, for example. That is, the multilayer substrate S tends to warp due to the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient of each layer. In contrast, the coating device 100 can hold the substrate S and apply the coating liquid after correcting the warpage. In addition, there are also various shapes of the substrate S to be processed. Here, a configuration in which the coating process is performed with respect to the substrate S having a quadrangular shape in a plan view will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the coating device 100 includes a platform 1 that has a substantially cubic shape and is made of stone such as granite. On the (+X) side of the upper surface 11 of the platform 1, a mounting area 11 a in which the substrate S is mounted is provided with a flat surface processed to be substantially horizontal. A plurality of vent holes (not shown) are dispersedly formed in the mounting area 11a. These vent holes are connected to the air supply part 112 and the air suction part 113. Therefore, the controller 10 of the entire control device can blow air from the vent hole to the substrate S on the mounting area 11a by supplying air to the vent hole by the air supply part 112, or it can blow air from the vent hole to the substrate S on the mounting area 11a, or can use the air suction part 113 to blow air from the vent hole. The air vent sucks air to suck and hold the substrate S in the mounting area 11a.

The coating apparatus 100 includes a plurality of lift pins 12 for placing the substrate S received from a robot (not shown) on the placing area 11 a. That is, on the platform 1, a plurality of pin receiving holes 114 that open to the mounting area 11 a are extended in parallel in the Z direction, and the top pins 12 are accommodated in each of the pin receiving holes 114. Each ejector pin 12 has a pin shape extending in parallel in the Z direction. The controller 10 uses the ejector pin actuator A112 to move the ejector pin 12 up and down, so that the ejector pin 12 advances and retreats with respect to the pin housing hole 114. Then, when the robot transports the substrate S above the placement area 11a, the plurality of ejector pins 12 raised by the drive of the ejector pin actuator A112 protrude above the placement area 11a from the pin accommodating hole 114, and The substrate S is received at each upper end. Then, by the driving of the ejector pin actuator A112, the plurality of ejector pins 12 are lowered and received in the pin accommodating hole 114, thereby placing the substrate S on the placement area 11a from the upper end of the plurality of ejector pins 12.

In the present embodiment, similar to the device described in Patent Document 1, a position adjustment mechanism 2 is provided to align the substrate in the horizontal direction with the substrate S placed on the mounting area 11a before holding the substrate S. The position of S is adjusted, and a correction mechanism 3 is provided to correct the warpage of the substrate S. In addition, these constitutions will be described later.

The substrate S subjected to the position adjustment by the position adjustment mechanism 2 and the warpage correction by the correction mechanism 3 is held by the stage 1 and then subjected to the coating process by the slit nozzle 4. As shown in FIG. 1, the slit nozzle 4 has a slit-shaped opening extending in the Y direction, that is, an ejection port, and is moved in the X direction by a moving mechanism 5. The moving mechanism 5 has a nozzle support body 51 having a bridge structure and a nozzle moving part 52 that moves the nozzle support body 51 in the X direction as main components. The nozzle support 51 supports the slit nozzle 4 in a posture capable of ejecting the coating liquid from the ejection port toward the upper surface Sa of the substrate S held on the stage 1. The nozzle support body 51 has a beam member 51a that sets the Y direction as the longitudinal direction and supports the slit nozzle 4, and a pair of column members 51b that respectively support the Y-direction ends of the beam member 51a. In more detail, as shown in FIG. 1, the nozzle support body 51 has a bridge structure that is erected on the left and right ends of the platform 1 along the Y direction and straddles the upper surface 11 of the platform 1. In addition, the nozzle moving part 52 relatively moves the nozzle support 51 and the slit nozzle 4 fixedly held by the nozzle support 51 in the X direction with respect to the substrate S held on the stage 1. The X direction is the first direction along the upper surface 11 of the platform 1. In this way, the nozzle support 51 fixes and holds the slit nozzle 4 so that the ejection port is along the horizontal direction Y substantially orthogonal to the first direction X, and moves the slit nozzle 4 integrally in the first direction X, which is equivalent to this An example of the "holding part" of the invention also functions as the "moving body" of the invention.

In the slit nozzle 4 and the nozzle support 51 that move integrally in the X direction in this way, the slit nozzle 4 is equipped with a baffle member 61 and a vibration sensor (omitted The first detection unit 6 shown in the figure is further attached to the nozzle support 51 with a second detection unit 7 including a plurality of detection sensors 71 and 72 in the same manner as the device described in Patent Document 3. As described above, the first detection unit 6 and the second detection unit 7 detect the surface condition of the upper surface Sa of the substrate S and prevent in advance the movement of the slit nozzle 4 from foreign matter and the like of the substrate S and the slit nozzle 4 Contact with the lower end portion causes damage to the slit nozzle 4, damage to the substrate S, or poor coating.

The nozzle moving part 52 respectively includes a guide rail 53 on the ±Y side to guide the movement of the slit nozzle 4, the baffle member 61, and the detection sensors 71 and 72 in the X direction; a linear motor 54 as a driving source; and a position sensor The device 55 is used to detect the position of the ejection port of the slit nozzle 4.

The two guide rails 53 respectively extend along the X direction at both ends of the platform 1 in the Y direction to include from the nozzle standby position (the position shown in FIG. 1) to the coating end position (the +X side end of the placement area 11a) Position). Therefore, the lower ends of the two column members 51b are guided by the nozzle moving portion 52 along the two guide rails 53, so that the slit nozzle 4 is between the nozzle standby position and the position facing the substrate S held on the platform 1. move.

In this embodiment, each linear motor 54 is configured as an alternating current (AC) coreless linear motor having a stator 54 a and a mover 54 b. The stator 54a is provided on both sides of the platform 1 in the Y direction along the X direction. On the other hand, the mover 54b is fixedly provided on the outside of the column member 51b. The linear motor 54 functions as a drive source of the nozzle moving part 52 by the magnetic force generated between the stator 54a and the mover 54b.

In addition, each position sensor 55 has a structure of a so-called linear encoder, and each has a scale portion 55a and a detection portion 55b. The scale part 55a is provided in the lower part of the stator 54a of the linear motor 54 fixedly provided in the platform 1 along the X direction. On the other hand, the detection part 55b is fixedly provided in the outer side of the mover 54b of the linear motor 54 fixedly provided in the column member 51b, and is arrange|positioned facing the scale part 55a. The scale portion 55a is provided with grid scales at regular intervals, and whenever the detection portion 55b that moves relative to the scale portion 55a reads the scale, a pulse signal is output from the detection portion 55b. The output signal of the detection unit 55b is input to the controller 10. As described later, the position of the discharge port of the slit nozzle 4 in the Y direction is detected based on the relative positional relationship between the scale portion 55a and the detection portion 55b.

Next, while referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, FIGS. 5A and 5B, the configuration of the position adjustment mechanism 2 and the correction mechanism 3 will be described. 4 is a perspective view showing a correction block of the correction mechanism in the first embodiment and a moving part for moving the correction block. 5A and 5B are side views schematically showing the movement of the correction block in the first embodiment by the moving part. In this embodiment, a pit 13 capable of accommodating the position adjusting mechanism 2 and the correcting mechanism 3 is provided with respect to the platform 1 and the position is adjusted when the slit nozzle 4 and the nozzle support 51 are moved back and forth in the X direction integrally. The mechanism 2 and the correcting mechanism 3 are quite different from the device described in Patent Document 1 in that they can be retracted to the recess 13. On the other hand, the basic configuration of the position adjusting mechanism 2 and the correcting mechanism 3 is the same.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pit 13 is a recess-shaped space dug from the upper surface 11 of the platform 1 downward between the placement area 11a and the side end surface 11b of the platform 1, and is formed from the surrounding A total of four are provided so as to surround the placement area 11a. As described below, the pit 13 corresponds to the position adjustment unit 20 and the correction unit 30 provided corresponding to each side of the substrate S having a rectangular shape.

Next, the configuration and operation of the position adjustment mechanism 2 having the position adjustment unit 20 and the correction mechanism 3 having the correction unit 30 will be described. The position adjustment mechanism 2 is a mechanism that adjusts the position of the substrate S placed on the placement area 11a on the placement area 11a. The position adjustment mechanism 2 has a total of eight position adjustment units 20 arranged two on each side of the placement area 11a, and each position adjustment unit 20 has a pin-shaped positioning pin (alignment) extending in parallel in the Z direction. pin) 21. That is, each of the side surfaces of the recess 13 adjacent to the placement area 11a is provided with two notches 115 vertically cut into the side surfaces and extending in the horizontal direction, and positioning pins 21 are arranged in each notch 115. . The upper end of the positioning pin 21 protrudes from the notch 115 to above the placement area 11a, and the position adjustment unit 20 drives the positioning pin 21 in the horizontal direction along the notch 115 by using the position adjustment actuator A21 to enable the positioning pin 21 The upper part of the mounting area 11a abuts against the peripheral edge of the substrate S. In addition, as the position adjustment unit 20, for example, a unit described in Patent Document 1 can be used. In addition, in this embodiment, as described below, a pair of position adjustment units 20 provided corresponding to each side of the placement area 11a may be combined with those provided in the correction mechanism 3 corresponding to each side of the placement area 11a. The correction block 31 moves integrally.

The correction mechanism 3 is a device that contacts the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate S placed in the placement area 11a and presses the substrate S to the placement area 11a to correct the warpage of the substrate S, and has the sides of the placement area 11a. A total of four correction units 30 are arranged one each. Each correction unit 30 has a correction block 31 that extends along the corresponding side of the placement area 11a and is located above the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate S placed in the placement area 11a, as described later. The peripheral portion of the upper surface is directly pressed to the upper surface 11 of the platform 1 to correct the warpage of the substrate S.

One correction block 31 is provided on each side of the placement area 11a, and the configuration of each correction block 31 is the same. The correction block 31 has a frame 33 and an opposed flat plate 34 attached to the lower surface of the frame 33. The facing flat plate 34 is provided on the lower surface of the frame 33 extending in the horizontal direction along the corresponding side of the mounting area 11 a, avoiding the cutout portion 32. Furthermore, if the correction block 31 is moved above the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate S by the moving portion 35, the contact member 341 is installed at the lower part of the opposed plate 34 to cover the peripheral portion of the upper surface from above. The way is configured oppositely. Then, when the correction block 31 is lowered by the moving portion 35, the contact member 341 comes into contact with the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate S, and is further pressed to the upper surface 11 of the platform 1.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5A, and 5B, the moving part 35 has two vertical actuators 351 and 352 and one leveling actuator 353 as driving sources. The vertical actuators 351 and 352 respectively have rods 351r and 352r that move up and down in accordance with a drive command from the controller 10. Among these, the rod 351r is attached to the frame 33 of the correction block 31 via a bracket 361 processed into a substantially L-shaped cross-sectional shape. In addition, the other rod 352r is attached to the cylindrical portion 351s of the vertical actuator 351 via a bracket 362 processed into a substantially L-shaped cross-sectional shape. Furthermore, the cylindrical portion 352 s of the vertical actuator 352 is supported by the moving plate 371.

The moving plate 37 can advance and retreat in the horizontal direction with respect to the platform 1. In more detail, in the embodiment, the base member 373 is fixed to the platform 1, and then on the base member 373, the rail 372 supports the moving plate 371 in such a way that the moving plate 371 can advance and retreat in the horizontal direction. . Furthermore, a leveling actuator 353 is connected to the moving plate 371, so that the moving plate 371 can be driven in the horizontal direction.

The moving part 35 is configured as described above. Therefore, after the vertical actuators 351 and 352 advance the rods 351r and 352r to the uppermost position in accordance with the instruction from the controller 10, the leveling actuator 353 moves the moving plate 371 to the platform. 1 side, as shown in FIG. 5A, the correction block 31 moves above the platform 1, and the bottom surface of the correction block 31, that is, the lower surface of the facing plate 34 that faces the substrate S, is sufficiently positioned from the substrate S on the platform 1. Leave the height position H1. In addition, although the illustration in the same figure is omitted, as the correction block 31 moves, the position adjustment unit 20 also moves to the platform 1 side. Then, keeping the state of extending the rod 352r of the vertical actuator 352, according to the instruction from the controller 10, the rod 351r of the vertical actuator 351 is retracted to the cylindrical portion 351s, and with this, the contact member 341 is moved onto the platform 1. The substrate S of φ is approaching and is positioned at the height positions H2 and H3 corresponding to the amount of retreat. As a result, the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate S is pressed to the upper surface 11 of the stage 1 to correct the warpage. In addition, the correction operation is the same as the device described in Patent Document 1, so the description is omitted here.

In this way, by moving the correction block 31 to the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate S placed on the mounting area 11a of the platform 1, in more detail, the height position H3, the upper surface peripheral portion is pressed to the platform 1 After that, the substrate S corrected by the correction block 31 is sucked and held on the platform 1.

After the holding of the substrate S is completed, the retreat processing of the correction block 31 is performed in the following manner. After the horizontal actuator 353 moves the moving plate 371 to the side opposite to the platform 1 side in accordance with an instruction from the controller 10, the vertical actuators 351 and 352 retract the rods 351r and 352r to the cylinder portions 351s and 352s. . Thus, as shown in FIG. 5B, the correction block 31 is positioned at the retracted position. In addition, although the illustration in FIG. 5B is omitted, the position adjustment unit 20 that moves integrally with the correction block 31 is also positioned at the retracted position. The retreat position refers to the position where the correction block 31 is separated from the platform 1 in the horizontal direction, and is lower than the height position H4 of the upper surface Sa of the corrected substrate S held on the platform 1 in the vertical direction (FIG. 5B Dotted line). Therefore, by positioning the correcting block 31 and the position adjusting unit 20 at the retracted position, the correcting block 31 and the baffle member 61 can be prevented from colliding or blocking the sensor light 73 projected between the detecting sensors 71 and 72 from light. Therefore, after the correction block 31 is retracted, the movement front side of the slit nozzle 4, that is, the side in the (+X) direction as shown in FIG. Objects (foreign objects, bumps, etc.) on the substrate S where the nozzle 4 interferes are applied while being applied.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the correction block 31 is moved to a position (height position H3) above the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate S placed on the placement area 11a of the platform 1, and the contact member 341 is used to perform the substrate S Correction. Then, after the substrate S is held by the platform 1, the correction block 31 is retracted to a position lower than the height position H4. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the correction block 31 from interfering with the first detection unit 6 and the second detection unit 7, which move in the (+X) direction while performing the correction. The surface state of the upper surface Sa of the substrate S (the presence or absence of foreign matter or the like on the substrate S that interferes with the slit nozzle 4) is detected. As a result, the coating treatment can be performed satisfactorily.

However, in the first embodiment, the contact member 341 of the correction block 31 is directly contacted with the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate S, and the upper surface peripheral portion is pressed to the upper surface 11 of the platform 1 to perform correction. Therefore, damage may be introduced to the part of the substrate S that is in physical contact with the contact member 341. In addition, dust, particles, etc. are generated due to the contact. Therefore, as described below, a coating device 100 is proposed in which a gas layer is formed between the upper surface Sa of the substrate S and the lower surface of the correction block 31, and the upper surface peripheral portion is pressed downward by the gas layer. The warpage of the substrate S is corrected. The present invention can also be applied to the coating device 100. Hereinafter, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6, 7, 8A, 8B, and 9 to 11.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a second embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. 7 is a perspective view showing the correction block of the correction mechanism in the second embodiment and a moving part for moving the correction block. 8A and 8B are side views schematically showing the movement of the correction block in the second embodiment by the moving part. In the present embodiment, a plurality of through holes 342 (FIG. 7) are provided with respect to the opposing stage 34 instead of the contact member 341. In addition, an air layer forming portion 38 is additionally provided, and by supplying air to the correction block 31, an air layer (gas layer) is forcibly formed between the opposed flat plate 34 of the correction block 31 and the substrate S. Then, the warpage of the substrate S is corrected with respect to the upper peripheral portion of the substrate S by the air layer. In addition, the structure and operation other than these are basically the same as those of the first embodiment. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences, and the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description will be omitted.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air layer forming part connected to a correction block and forcibly forming an air layer between the correction block and the substrate. In order to forcibly form an air layer 39 between the correction block 31 and the substrate S, an air layer forming portion 38 is connected to the correction block 31. As shown in FIG. 9, the air layer forming part 38 has a compressor or other compression part 381, a temperature adjustment part 382, a filter 383, a needle valve 384, a flow meter 385, a pressure gauge 386, and an air operation valve 387 . In the air layer forming part 38, the temperature adjustment part 382 adjusts the air compressed by the compression part 381 to a predetermined temperature, and produces|generates the compressed air for air layer formation. A filter 383, a needle valve 384, a flow meter 385, a pressure gauge 386, and a pneumatic valve 387 are provided in the piping through which the compressed air circulates. Furthermore, if the pneumatic valve 387 is opened in accordance with the instruction from the controller 10, the compressed air purified by the filter 383 is pressure-regulated by the needle valve 384, and then the flow meter 385, the pressure gauge 386, and the pneumatic valve 387 and sent to the correction block 31 under pressure. Thereby, the through hole 342 (refer to the partial enlarged view in FIG. 7) provided through the opposed flat plate 34 functions as an ejection hole. An air layer 39 is formed between the correction block 31 and the correction block 31 (in FIG. 9, the area is schematically shown with dots). Furthermore, by lowering the correction block 31 to the height positions H1, H2, H3 with the air layer 39 formed, the air layer 39 can press the upper surface peripheral portion of the substrate S to the platform 1 to correct warpage.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of substrate fixing in the second embodiment. Fig. 11 is an operation explanatory diagram schematically showing an operation performed in accordance with the flowchart of Fig. 10. In addition, in FIG. 11, the flow of air is indicated by dotted arrows, the movement of the substrate S, the positioning pins 21 and the correction block 31 is indicated by solid arrows, and the air layer 39 is indicated by marking dots. In addition, in FIG. 11, symbols H1 to H3 indicate the height position of the correction block 31, and are indicated by the height of the lower surface (opposing surface) of the facing flat plate 34 in the vertical direction Z. In addition, the symbol H4 indicates the height position H4 of the upper surface Sa of the corrected substrate S held on the stage 1 in the vertical direction, similarly to the first embodiment.

The correction blocks 31 respectively provided on the four sides of the placement area 11a are retracted to the retracted position (the position shown in FIG. 8B), and the position adjustment unit 20 is also located at the retracted position, and each positioning pin 21 is located at the spaced position. The retreat position refers to a position separated from the platform 1 in the horizontal direction in the same manner as in the first embodiment, and is a height position H4 lower than the upper surface Sa of the corrected substrate S held on the platform 1 in the vertical direction. (Dotted line in Figure 8B).

In this way, in the loading preparation state where the next substrate S can be loaded, the robot transfers the substrate S to the upper side of the mounting area 11a. Corresponding to this, each ejector pin 12 rises from the pin accommodating hole 114, the upper end of each ejector pin 12 abuts on the substrate S (step S101), and each ejector pin 12 receives the substrate S from the robot (step S102). Then, when each ejector pin 12 descends and the upper end of each ejector pin 12 is received in the pin housing hole 114, the substrate S is placed on the placement area 11a from the upper end of each ejector pin 12 (step S103). Furthermore, as shown in the column (a) of FIG. 11, in the example shown here, the peripheral portion of the substrate S is warped in an arc shape, and the peripheral edge of the substrate S is away from the mounting area 11 a.

In step S104, after the vertical actuators 351 and 352 advance the rods 351r and 352r to the uppermost position by the moving part 35, the horizontal actuator 353 moves the moving plate 371 to the upper side of the platform 1, thereby, The correction block 31 is positioned at the height position H1. The height position H1 can be set in consideration of the amount of warpage of the peripheral portion of the substrate S. By setting it to a position slightly higher than the maximum amount of warpage, interference between the correction block 31 and the substrate S can be reliably prevented, so that the substrate S A space is surely formed between the peripheral portion of φ and the lower surface of the correction block 31. Then, the air layer forming unit 38 pressure-feeds the air to the correction block 31, and blows compressed air from the through hole 342 of the correction block 31 (step S105). Thereby, as shown in the column (a) of FIG. 11, an air layer 39 is formed between the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate S and the correction block 31. Such formation of the air layer 39 continues until the correction operation and positioning operation (position adjustment of the substrate S) described below are completed.

In the state where the air layer 39 is formed, by the moving part 35, the rod 351r of the vertical actuator 351 retreats, and the correction block 31 is lowered to the height position H2 (step S106). At this time, the peripheral portion of the substrate in the warped state is pressed toward the platform 1 by the air layer 39 while maintaining a non-contact state with the correction block 31. Thereby, the warpage is corrected to a certain extent, and the amount of warpage becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value (a value smaller than the height of the positioning pin 21) (temporary correction processing). That is, so-called temporary pressing of the substrate S is performed, and the height of the peripheral portion of the substrate S is suppressed to be lower than the height position H2 and lower than the upper end of the positioning pin 21.

When the temporary correction processing of the substrate S is completed, as shown in the column (b) of FIG. 11, the air supply unit 112 starts to blow air from the vent hole of the platform 1 to the lower surface of the substrate S on the mounting area 11a (step S107) . Thereby, the lower surface of the substrate S is slightly separated from the placement area 11a, and the frictional force between the lower surface of the substrate S and the placement area 11a is reduced. Then, in the next step S108, as shown in the column (c) of FIG. 11, each positioning pin 21 is moved to the substrate S side, thereby adjusting the position of the substrate S on the mounting area 11a (position adjustment processing) . Then, when the position adjustment process is completed, the air supply unit 112 stops blowing (step S109).

In the next step S110, in the state where the air layer 39 is formed, the rod 351r of the vertical actuator 351 is further retracted by the moving part 35, and the correction block 31 is lowered to the height position H3. As a result, as shown in the column (d) of FIG. 11, the peripheral portion of the substrate is pressed to the platform 1 by the air layer 39 while maintaining a non-contact state with the correction block 31, and is corrected in a manner that follows the shape of the placement area 11a. The shape of the substrate S (final correction treatment).

When the lowering of the correction block 31 to the height position H3 is completed, as shown in the column (e) of FIG. S111). Thereby, the substrate S is fixed to the mounting area 11a. Next, the air layer forming part 38 stops the air pressure supply to the correction block 31, and the moving part 35 integrally moves the correction block 31 and the position adjustment unit 20 to the retracted position (refer to the column (f) of FIG. 11). As a result, the correction block 31 and the position adjustment unit 20 are positioned at a position away from the platform 1 in the horizontal direction, and at a height position lower than the upper surface Sa of the corrected substrate S held on the platform 1 in the vertical direction. The position of H4 (the dot-dash line in the column (f) of FIG. 8B and FIG. 11). As a result, it is possible to prevent the correction block 31 from colliding with the baffle member 61 or blocking the sensor light 73 projected between the detection sensors 71 and 72. Therefore, after the correction block 31 is retracted, the movement front side of the slit nozzle 4, that is, the side in the (+X) direction as shown in FIG. Objects (foreign objects, bumps, etc.) on the substrate S where the nozzle 4 interferes are applied while being applied.

As described above, in the second embodiment, the correction block 31 is moved above the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate S placed on the placement area 11a of the platform 1, more specifically at the height position H3, thereby utilizing air The layer 39 presses the substrate S to the mounting area 11a to correct the substrate S. Then, after the substrate S is held by the platform 1, the correction block 31 is retracted to a position lower than the height position H4. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the correcting block 31 from interfering with the first detection unit 6 and the second detection unit 7, which move in the (+X) direction while moving the corrected The surface state of the upper surface Sa of the substrate S (the presence or absence of foreign matter or the like on the substrate S that interferes with the slit nozzle 4) is detected. As a result, the coating treatment can be performed satisfactorily.

In addition, regarding the correction block 31, the substrate S on the mounting area 11a of the platform 1 is pressed to the mounting area 11a by the air layer 39, thereby correcting the warpage of the substrate S in a non-contact manner, and then the substrate S is sucked and held On platform 1. Therefore, when the warpage is corrected, the air layer 39 is in contact with the upper surface of the substrate S. Compared with the first embodiment that directly contacts the contact member 341 for correction, it is possible to prevent damage to the substrate S and to eliminate dust generation. At the same time, the entire area of the substrate S is well maintained.

In addition, in a state where the friction between the lower surface of the substrate S and the placement area 11a is reduced by blowing air on the lower surface of the substrate S, the positioning pins 21 are used to adjust the position of the substrate S, so that the position can be performed smoothly. The position of the substrate S in the adjustment process is adjusted. In addition, as shown in the column (c) of FIG. 11, the position adjustment process is executed after the correction block 31 is lowered to the height position H2. Therefore, even in a case where the warpage of the substrate S placed on the mounting region 11a is relatively large, the position adjustment processing is performed in a state where the warpage of the substrate S is corrected to a certain extent. As a result, the influence of the warpage of the substrate S on the position adjustment of the substrate S on the stage 1 can be suppressed.

In addition, as shown in the columns (d) and (e) of FIG. 11, the correction block 31 pressing the peripheral portion of the substrate S via the air layer 39 is lowered to the height position H3, thereby making the peripheral portion of the substrate S and the carrier After the placement area 11a is in close contact, suction of the substrate S toward the placement area 11a is performed. Therefore, the suction and holding of the substrate S with respect to the mounting region 11a can be performed reliably.

Furthermore, in the second embodiment, all of the through holes 342 provided in the opposed flat plate 34 function as ejection holes for ejecting compressed air, but for example, as shown in FIG. 12, a part of the through holes 342 may be used as The suction hole 343 functions. That is, the air layer forming part 38 can be configured not only to have a compressed air supply system (=compression part 381 + temperature adjustment part 382 + filter 383 + needle valve 384 + flow meter 385 + pressure gauge 386 + pneumatic valve 387), but also A suction system 388 that sucks air from the air layer 39 to stabilize the pressure and expansion of the air layer 39 is provided. In the suction system 388, the suction pipe connected to the suction hole 343 includes a blower 388a as a suction unit, a pressure gauge 388b, and a pressure regulating valve 388c. When the pressure in the 343 is higher than the suction pressure obtained by the blower 388a, the air is released from the pressure regulating valve 388c to the outside through the suction hole 343 and the suction pipe, thereby allowing the air layer 39 to be released. The pressure is kept at a certain fine adjustment.

In addition, in the second embodiment, regardless of the height position of the correction block 31, the compressed air pressure-adjusted by the needle valve 384 is pressure-fed in the same manner. However, it may be configured to be adjusted according to the height position of the correction block 31. Adjust the pressure of compressed air or the discharge flow rate. For example, during the period when the correction block 31 is lowered from the height position H1 to the height position H2, that is, during the temporary correction process, the flow rate of the compressed air is set in the same manner as in the above-mentioned embodiment. During the period during which the height position H2 drops to the height position H3, that is, the period during which the final correction process is performed, the flow rate of the compressed air can be restricted. As a result, air consumption can be suppressed, and running costs can be reduced.

In addition, in the second embodiment, compressed air is used to form the air layer 39, but other gases such as nitrogen or inert gas may also be used.

As described above, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the (+X) direction and the Y direction correspond to the “first direction” and the “horizontal direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction” in the present invention, respectively. In addition, the first detection unit and the second detection unit correspond to an example of the "detection unit" of the present invention. In addition, the correction block 31 corresponds to an example of the "correction member" of the present invention. The moving part 35 corresponds to an example of the "retracting part" of the present invention. The dimple 13 corresponds to an example of the "recess" in the present invention. The slit nozzle 4 corresponds to an example of the "nozzle" in the present invention.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various changes can be made in addition to the above-mentioned embodiment as long as it does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, two types of detection units 6 and 7 are provided in order to perform foreign object detection, but it may be configured to provide only one of them.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the two detection units 6, 7 are configured to move in the X direction integrally with the slit nozzle 4 and the nozzle support 51. However, the integral movement is not an essential condition. For example, it may be configured as The second detection unit 7 is moved in the X direction independently of the slit nozzle 4 and the nozzle support 51 to perform foreign matter detection before the coating process.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the pit 13 is provided on the upper surface 11 of the platform 1, and the inner space of the pit 13 is used as an evacuation space for evacuation of the correction block 31. However, for example, it is described in Patent Document 1. Among the described devices, in the coating device in which the platform is fixed to the base, the following configuration can be used to ensure an evacuation space. For example, in the case where the thickness of the platform is equivalent to the depth of the recess 13 in the above-mentioned embodiment, the moving part 35 functioning as the retreat part of the present invention can be provided adjacent to the platform on the base, so that The correction block moves in a manner adjacent to the side end surface of the platform, so that the correction block can be positioned at a position lower than the height position H4. In addition, in the case where the platform is thinner than the depth of the pit 13, a pit is provided in an area adjacent to the platform in the upper surface of the base, and the correction block is moved to the pit, whereby the correction block can be positioned At a position lower than the height position H4.

In addition, in the above embodiment, before the coating process, the correction block 31 is retracted to a position lower than the height position H4, but it may be configured to retract the correction block 31 to a lower position, for example, lower than the platform 1. The location of the upper surface 11. Thereby, for example, the detection sensors 71 and 72 constituting the second detection unit 7 can be arranged at a position directly above the upper surface 11 of the platform 1, and the design freedom of the device can be increased.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the present invention is applied to the coating device 100, but the scope of application of the present invention is not limited to this. After the substrate is corrected by the correction block, the substrate is held and the upper surface of the substrate is subjected to a predetermined treatment. The substrate processing apparatus is also included in the application of the present invention. For example, the present invention can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus that moves a print head or exposure head in the (+X) direction instead of a slit nozzle, while performing printing processing or printing on the upper surface Sa of the substrate S held on the platform 1 Exposure processing. [Industrial availability]

The present invention can be suitably applied to an overall substrate processing technique that holds the substrate and performs a predetermined process after correcting the substrate with the correcting member.

1: platform 2: Position adjustment mechanism 3: Correction institution 4: slit nozzle 5: Mobile agency 6: The first detection department 7: The second detection department 10: Controller 11: The upper surface (of the platform) 11a: Placement area 11b: side end face 12: Top pin 13: pit (concave) 20: Position adjustment unit 21: positioning pin 30: Correction unit 31: Correction block 32, 115: Notch 33: Frame 34: Opposite plate 35: Moving Department (Evacuation Department) 38: Air layer forming part 39: air layer 51: Nozzle support body (moving body) 51a: beam member 51b: Column member 52: Nozzle moving part 53: Rail 54: Linear motor 54a: stator 54b: mover 55: position sensor 55a: Scale part 55b: Inspection Department 61: baffle member 71, 72: detection sensor 73: Sensor light 100: Coating device 112: Air Supply Department 113: Air suction part 114: Pin receiving hole 341: contact member 342: Through hole/suction hole 351, 352: Vertical actuator 351r, 352r: pole 351s, 352s: barrel part 353: Level Actuator 361, 362: Bracket 371: mobile board 372: Orbit 373: base member 381: Compression Department 382: Temperature Control Department 383: filter 384: Needle Valve 385: Flowmeter 386: Pressure Gauge 387: Pneumatic valve 388: Suction System 388a: Blower 388b: Pressure gauge 388c: pressure regulating valve A21: Position adjustment actuator A112: Top pin actuator H1, H2, H3, H4: height position S: substrate Sa: (of the substrate) upper surface S101, S102, S103, S104, S105, S106, S107, S108, S109, S110, S111, S112: steps X: first direction Y: horizontal direction Z: vertical direction

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a coating apparatus as a first embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the coating device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the coating device shown in Fig. 1. 4 is a perspective view showing a correction block of the correction mechanism in the first embodiment and a moving part for moving the correction block. Fig. 5A is a side view schematically showing the movement of the correction block in the first embodiment by the moving part. Fig. 5B is a side view schematically showing the movement of the correction block in the first embodiment by the moving part. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a second embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a correction block of a correction mechanism in a second embodiment and a moving part for moving the correction block. Fig. 8A is a side view schematically showing the movement of the correction block in the second embodiment by the moving part. Fig. 8B is a side view schematically showing the movement of the correction block in the second embodiment by the moving part. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air layer forming part connected to a correction block and forcibly forming an air layer between the correction block and the substrate. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of substrate fixing in the second embodiment. Fig. 11 is an operation explanatory diagram schematically showing an operation performed in accordance with the flowchart of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing another configuration of the air layer forming section provided in the second embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention.

1: platform

11: (of the platform) upper surface

11a: Placement area

13: pit (concave)

30: Correction unit

31: Correction block

33: Frame

34: Opposite plate

35: Moving part (evacuation part)

341: contact member

351: Vertical actuator

351r, 352r: pole

351s, 352s: barrel part

361, 362: Bracket

371: mobile board

H4: height position

S: substrate

Sa: (of the substrate) upper surface

Claims (6)

A substrate processing device includes: a platform, a loading area for substrate placement is provided on the upper surface, and the substrate placed in the loading area is held; a moving body is positioned along the platform The upper surface moves in the first direction; the detection part moves in the first direction simultaneously with the movement of the moving body in the first direction, while facing the upper surface of the substrate held on the platform The surface condition is detected; the correction member is positioned above the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate placed in the placement area before holding the substrate by the platform and presses the peripheral portion of the upper surface to Correcting on the platform side; and a retreating portion that retreats the correcting member after holding the substrate corrected by the correcting member on the platform and before starting the movement of the detecting portion To a position lower than the height position of the upper surface of the substrate held on the platform; and the detection portion has a pair of detection sensors, along the upper surface of the substrate by projecting light on the one The sensor light between the detection sensors is used to detect the surface state. The base plate and the correcting member are sandwiched in two directions. The substrate processing apparatus according to the first item of the scope of patent application, wherein in the platform, there is provided between the mounting area and the side end surface of the platform A recessed portion dug downward from the upper surface of the platform, and the retreating portion positions the correcting member at a position lower than the height position by moving the correcting member to the recessed portion. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the retreat portion positions the correcting member at a higher height by moving the correcting member to abut the side end surface of the platform. The location is low. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 3 in the scope of patent application, wherein the retreat portion retreats the correction member to a position lower than the upper surface of the platform. A substrate processing device includes: a platform, a loading area for substrate placement is provided on the upper surface, and the substrate placed in the loading area is held; a moving body is positioned along the platform The upper surface moves in the first direction; the detection part moves in the first direction simultaneously with the movement of the moving body in the first direction, while facing the upper surface of the substrate held on the platform The surface condition is detected; the correction member is positioned above the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate placed in the placement area before holding the substrate by the platform and presses the peripheral portion of the upper surface to Correction is performed on the platform side; the retreat part, after holding the substrate corrected by the correction member on the platform and before starting the movement of the detection part, retreat the correction member Avoiding to a position lower than the height position of the upper surface of the substrate held on the platform; and a nozzle having a slit-shaped ejection port for ejecting the processing liquid toward the substrate held on the platform; and The moving body has a bridging structure spanning the placement area, and has a holding portion that fixes the nozzle so that the ejection port is along a horizontal direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction Holding, the nozzle that ejects the processing liquid from the ejection port can be held by the holding portion and can be moved in the first direction, and the detection portion can be opposed to the nozzle on the front side of the movement of the nozzle. Objects on the substrate that interfere with the nozzle during the movement of the nozzle are detected. A substrate processing method includes: moving a correction member to a position above a peripheral portion of an upper surface of a substrate, the substrate is placed on a placement area, the placement area is provided on the upper surface of a platform, and the upper surface The step of pressing the peripheral portion to the side of the platform to perform correction; the step of using the platform to hold the base plate corrected by the correction member; the step of making the correction member self-retaining on all of the platform The step of retracting the upper part of the substrate to a position lower than the height position of the upper surface of the substrate; The upper surface is moved in the first direction, and the detection part is moved in the first direction, and at the same time, the substrate held on the platform is The step of detecting the surface state of the upper surface; and the detection section projects the sensor light between a pair of detection sensors along the upper surface of the substrate, and the pair of detection sensors are arranged along the It is arranged in such a way that it is orthogonal to the first direction and sandwiches the base plate and the correcting member in the second direction of the upper surface of the platform.

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