Holding device, substrate processing device, and holding position adjustment method

Abstract

This device provides a holding mechanism that improves work efficiency when adjusting the horizontal level. [Solution] The holding and rotating mechanism (2) comprises a holding part (211) for holding the substrate, a base part (212) on which the holding part is placed, an elastic member (213) provided between the holding part and the base part, and a fixing part (214) that fixes the holding part and the base part by deforming the elastic member by applying force in a direction that brings the holding part and the base part closer together.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a holding device for holding a workpiece, a substrate processing device including the holding device, and a method for adjusting the holding position of a workpiece.

Background Art

[0002] An example of a holding table for holding a workpiece is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The holding table includes a holding portion made of a porous material including a holding surface for holding the workpiece, and a frame body in which a recess for accommodating the holding portion is formed, and a suction passage having one end communicating with the holding portion and the other end connected to a suction source is formed. A screw hole is formed in the bottom on the outer peripheral side of the recess in the frame body, and the holding portion is fixed to the frame body with screws. The holding surface is set to a size covered by the workpiece.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the holding table disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the workability when adjusting the levelness is poor.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention aims to realize a holding device and the like with improved workability when adjusting the levelness.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, a holding device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a holding part for holding a workpiece, a base part on which the holding part is placed, an elastic member provided between the holding part and the base part, and a fixing part that deforms the elastic member by applying force in a direction that brings the holding part and the base part closer together, thereby fixing the holding part and the base part.

[0007] Furthermore, in a holding device according to one aspect of the present invention, the holding portion includes a holding surface that holds the flat workpiece with a surface, and holds the workpiece by adsorption by drawing in air from an intake port formed on the holding surface, and the base portion has a suction passage formed therein, one end of which communicates with the intake port of the holding portion and the other end which is connected to a suction source.

[0008] Furthermore, in a holding device according to one aspect of the present invention, the fixing portion is a screw that fastens the holding portion and the base portion at multiple locations.

[0009] Furthermore, in a holding device according to one aspect of the present invention, the screws are provided at multiple locations inside the outer circumference of the holding surface.

[0010] Furthermore, in a holding device according to one aspect of the present invention, the head of the screw is positioned on the holding portion, and the tip of the screw is positioned on the base portion.

[0011] Furthermore, in a holding device according to one aspect of the present invention, the elastic member is provided so as to surround the central region of the surface of the holding portion that faces the base portion.

[0012] Furthermore, a holding device according to one aspect of the present invention further comprises a rotational drive unit for rotating the holding portion.

[0013] Furthermore, in a holding device according to one aspect of the present invention, the holding portion is made of resin, and the base portion is made of metal.

[0014] Furthermore, a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention comprises any of the above-described holding devices and a processing liquid supply unit that supplies a processing liquid to the substrate, which is the workpiece, held by the holding device.

[0015] Furthermore, a substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention further comprises a heating unit for heating the substrate, which is the workpiece, held in the holding device.

[0016] Furthermore, a method for adjusting the holding position according to one aspect of the present invention is a method for adjusting the holding position in a holding device comprising: a holding part for holding a workpiece; a base part on which the holding part is placed; an elastic member provided between the holding part and the base part; and a fixing part that deforms the elastic member by applying force in a direction that brings the holding part and the base part closer together, thereby fixing the holding part and the base part, wherein the arrangement position of the holding part is measured, and the amount of force applied by the fixing part is adjusted so that the arrangement position of the holding part becomes a predetermined position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to realize a holding device and the like that improves the workability when adjusting the horizontality. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system equipped with one embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a side view showing the internal structure of a processing unit, which is one embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view illustrating the internal structure of the spin chuck in the holding and rotating mechanism. [Figure 4] This is a plan view of the retaining part as seen from a direction perpendicular to the retaining surface. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing a schematic of the holding mechanism used in the experiment. [Figure 6] Figure 5 shows a graph illustrating the experimental results for the holding mechanism. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart illustrating a method for adjusting the holding position of a substrate.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] (Substrate Processing System) FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system equipped with an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. This is not a view showing the appearance of the substrate processing system 100, but a schematic view that clearly shows its internal structure by excluding the outer wall panel and some other components of the substrate processing system 100. This substrate processing system 100 is, for example, installed in a clean room and is a single-piece type apparatus that processes substrates S (workpieces) one by one. Note that the main configuration of the substrate processing system 100 shown here is similar to that described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-134816 filed by the applicant of the present application.

[0020] The substrate processing system 100 includes a plurality of processing units (substrate processing apparatuses) 1 each of which is a processing entity for the substrate S. In FIG. 1, a state where four processing units 1 are arranged in the horizontal direction is shown, but each processing unit 1 can also be stacked in multiple stages in the vertical direction. For example, when the processing units 1 are stacked in six stages, the substrate processing system 100 will include a total of 24 processing units 1.

[0021] In each of the plurality of processing units 1 equipped in the substrate processing system 100, substrate processing with a processing liquid is performed. In this specification, the surface facing downward among the two main surfaces of the substrate is referred to as the "lower surface", and the surface facing upward is referred to as the "upper surface".

[0022] In this embodiment, the "substrate" can be any type of substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a photomask, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display, a glass substrate for a plasma display, a substrate for a Field Emission Display (FED), a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magnetic disk, or a substrate for a magneto-optical disk. The following explanation will primarily use a substrate processing apparatus used for processing semiconductor wafers as an example, with reference to the drawings, but the method can also be applied to processing the various types of substrates exemplified above.

[0023] As will be described later, the processing unit 1 of this embodiment accepts a substrate S on which a thin film of metal or a metal compound is formed on one main surface, and performs a process of removing only the peripheral portion of the thin film formed on the substrate S by etching. Such etching is sometimes called "bevel etching" or simply "beveling." It should be noted that all of the processing units 1 provided in the substrate processing system 100 may perform such bevel etching, or multiple types of processing units that perform different processes may be combined.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the substrate processing system 100 has a substrate processing area 110 for processing substrates S. An indexer unit 120 is provided adjacent to this substrate processing area 110. The indexer unit 120 has a container holding unit 121 that can hold multiple containers C for housing substrates S (such as FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod), SMIF (Standard Mechanical Interface) pod, OC (Open Cassette), etc., which house multiple substrates S in a sealed state). The indexer unit 120 also includes an indexer robot 122 for accessing the containers C held by the container holding unit 121 to remove unprocessed substrates S from the containers C and store processed substrates S in the containers C. Each container C contains multiple substrates S in a nearly horizontal position.

[0025] The indexer robot 122 comprises a main body 122a fixed to the device housing, a multi-joint arm 122b rotatably mounted on the main body 122a around a vertical axis, and a hand 122c attached to the tip of the multi-joint arm 122b. The hand 122c is structured to hold a substrate S placed on its upper surface. Since indexer robots having such a multi-joint arm and a hand for holding a substrate are well known, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0026] In the substrate processing area 110, a mounting table 112 is provided so that substrates S from the indexer robot 122 can be placed on it. In a plan view, a substrate transfer robot 111 is positioned approximately in the center of the substrate processing area 110. Furthermore, multiple processing units 1 are arranged so as to surround this substrate transfer robot 111. Specifically, multiple processing units 1 are positioned facing the space in which the substrate transfer robot 111 is located. The substrate transfer robot 111 randomly accesses the mounting table 112 for these processing units 1 and transfers substrates S between the mounting table 112 and the processing unit 1. On the other hand, each processing unit 1 performs a predetermined process on the substrate S and corresponds to a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. In this embodiment, these processing units (substrate processing apparatus) 1 have the same function. Therefore, parallel processing of multiple substrates S is possible. Note that if the substrate transfer robot 111 can directly receive substrates S from the indexer robot 122, the mounting table 112 is not necessarily required.

[0027] Figure 2 is a side view showing the internal structure of a processing unit 1, which is one embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus. In Figure 2, the dimensions and number of parts may be exaggerated or simplified for ease of understanding. The substrate processing apparatus (processing unit) 1 has a structure in which a substrate processing unit SP is arranged in an internal space 12 within a chamber 11.

[0028] Base support members 16, 16 are fixed to the upper surface of the bottom plate 11a of the chamber 11 by fasteners such as bolts, spaced apart from each other. In other words, the base support members 16 are erected from the bottom plate 11a. A base member 17 is fixed to the upper ends of these base support members 16, 16 by fasteners such as bolts. This base member 17 has a smaller planar size than the bottom plate 11a and is made of a metal plate that is thicker and has higher rigidity than the bottom plate 11a. As shown in Figure 2, the base member 17 is lifted vertically upward from the bottom plate 11a by the base support members 16, 16. In other words, a so-called raised floor structure is formed at the bottom of the internal space 12 of the chamber 11. A substrate processing unit SP for performing substrate processing on a substrate S is installed on the upper surface of this base member 17. Each part constituting this substrate processing unit SP is electrically connected to a control unit 10 that controls the entire device and operates in accordance with instructions from the control unit 10.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, a fan filter unit (FFU) 13 is mounted on the ceiling surface 11f of the chamber 11. This fan filter unit 13 further purifies the air in the cleanroom where the processing unit 1 is installed and supplies it to the internal space 12 of the chamber 11. The fan filter unit 13 is equipped with a fan and filter (e.g., a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter) for taking in air from the cleanroom and sending it into the chamber 11, and it sends clean air through an opening 11f1 provided on the ceiling surface 11f. This creates a downflow of clean air into the internal space 12 of the chamber 11. In addition, a perforated plate 14 with numerous outlet holes is provided directly below the ceiling surface 11f in order to uniformly disperse the clean air supplied from the fan filter unit 13.

[0030] In the processing unit 1, a transport opening is provided in the side wall facing the substrate transport robot 111, connecting the internal space 12 with the outside of the chamber 11. Therefore, the hand (not shown) of the substrate transport robot 111 can access the substrate processing unit SP through the transport opening. In other words, substrates S can be loaded into and out of the internal space 12 through the transport opening. A shutter 15 (Figure 1) for opening and closing this transport opening is also attached to the side wall.

[0031] A shutter opening / closing mechanism (not shown) is connected to the shutter 15, which opens and closes the shutter 15 in response to an opening / closing command from the control unit 10. More specifically, in the processing unit 1, when an unprocessed substrate S is brought into the chamber 11, the shutter opening / closing mechanism opens the shutter 15, and the unprocessed substrate S is brought into the substrate processing unit SP by the handle of the substrate transport robot 111. After the substrate is brought in, when the handle of the substrate transport robot 111 moves out of the chamber 11, the shutter opening / closing mechanism closes the shutter 15. Then, processing of the substrate S is performed by the substrate processing unit SP within the internal space 12 of the chamber 11. After the processing is completed, the shutter opening / closing mechanism opens the shutter 15 again, and the handle of the substrate transport robot 111 removes the processed substrate S from the substrate processing unit SP.

[0032] The substrate processing unit SP includes a holding and rotating mechanism 2 (holding device), a splash prevention mechanism 3, an upper surface protection heating mechanism 4, a processing mechanism 5 (processing liquid supply unit), an atmosphere separation mechanism 6, a centering mechanism 8, and a substrate observation mechanism 9. These mechanisms are mounted on a base member 17. In other words, the holding and rotating mechanism 2, splash prevention mechanism 3, upper surface protection heating mechanism 4, processing mechanism 5, atmosphere separation mechanism 6, centering mechanism 8, and substrate observation mechanism 9 are arranged relative to each other in predetermined positions, with the base member 17 having higher rigidity than the chamber 11 as the reference point.

[0033] The holding and rotating mechanism 2 includes a substrate holding section 2A that holds the substrate S in a substantially horizontal position with the film-forming surface of the substrate S facing downward, and a rotating mechanism 2B (rotating drive section) that synchronously rotates the substrate holding section 2A holding the substrate S and a part of the anti-scattering mechanism 3. Therefore, when the rotating mechanism 2B is activated in response to a rotation command from the control unit 10, the substrate S and the rotating cup section 31 of the anti-scattering mechanism 3 are rotated around a rotation axis AX that extends parallel to the vertical direction.

[0034] The substrate holder 2A is equipped with a spin chuck 21, which is a disc-shaped member smaller than the substrate S. The spin chuck 21 is positioned so that its upper surface is approximately horizontal and its central axis coincides with the rotation axis AX. A cylindrical rotation shaft portion 22 is connected to the lower surface of the spin chuck 21. The rotation shaft portion 22 extends vertically with its axis aligned with the rotation axis AX. A rotation mechanism 2B is also connected to the rotation shaft portion 22.

[0035] The rotating mechanism 2B includes a motor 23 that generates rotational driving force to rotate the substrate holding part 2A and the rotating cup part 31 of the anti-scattering mechanism 3, and a power transmission part 24 for transmitting the rotational driving force. The motor 23 has a rotating shaft 231 that rotates in conjunction with the generation of rotational driving force, and is attached to the base member 17 in a position where the rotating shaft 231 extends vertically downward.

[0036] A first pulley 241 is attached to the tip of a rotating shaft 231 that protrudes downward from the base member 17. A second pulley 242 is attached to the lower end of the rotating shaft portion 22 of the substrate holding portion 2A. More specifically, the lower end of the rotating shaft portion 22 is inserted through a through hole provided in the base member 17 and protrudes downward from the base member 17. The second pulley 242 is provided on this protruding portion. An endless belt 243 is stretched between the first pulley 241 and the second pulley 242. Thus, in this embodiment, the power transmission portion 24 is composed of the first pulley 241, the second pulley 242, and the endless belt 243.

[0037] When using a power transmission unit 24 with this configuration, a long timing belt can be selected as the endless belt 243, thereby extending the lifespan of the endless belt 243. Moreover, while the other mechanisms described below are positioned above the base member 17, the power transmission unit 24 is positioned below the base member 17. By adopting this arrangement, maintenance work by the operator can be performed efficiently without considering interference with other mechanisms.

[0038] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the internal structure of the spin chuck 21 provided by the holding and rotating mechanism 2. As shown in Figure 3, the spin chuck 21 comprises a holding portion 211, a base portion 212, an elastic member 213, and a fixing portion 214.

[0039] The holding portion 211 holds the substrate S (Figures 1 and 2). Specifically, the holding portion 211 includes a holding surface 211a that holds the flat substrate S across its surface. In the following description, the holding surface 211a is assumed to be circular, but it does not necessarily have to be circular. The holding portion 211 is made of resin. A specific example of resin is PEEK (Poly Ether Ether Ketone). This prevents corrosion of the holding portion 211 by the processing liquid described later, and prevents damage to the substrate S due to contact between the substrate S and the holding portion 211. In particular, the holding portion 211 may be made of a porous material.

[0040] Figure 4 is a plan view of the holding portion 211 as seen from a direction perpendicular to the holding surface 211a. As shown in Figure 4, air intake ports 211b are formed on the holding surface 211a. In Figure 4, there are three air intake ports 211b, but the number is not limited to this. The holding portion 211 attracts and holds the substrate S by drawing in air from the air intake ports 211b.

[0041] The base portion 212 supports the holding portion 211. The base portion 212 is made of metal. An example of metal is SUS (stainless steel). This improves the stability of the holding portion 211 that is placed on the base portion 212 compared to, for example, when the base portion 212 is made of resin. In addition, the surface of the base portion 212 is coated to improve corrosion resistance. For example, the surface of the base portion 212 is coated with Teflon®.

[0042] The base portion 212 has a suction passage 25 formed therein, one end of which communicates with the air intake port 211b of the holding portion 211, and the other end of which is connected to a pump 26 (suction source) (Figure 2). The holding portion 211 can hold the substrate S by adsorption when the pump 26 draws in air from the air intake port 211b via the suction passage 25.

[0043] The elastic member 213 is provided between the holding portion 211 and the base portion 212. The elastic member 213 is, for example, an O-ring provided to surround the area where the intake port 211b and the suction passage 25 communicate.

[0044] The retaining portion 211 has a surface 211c on the side opposite to the retaining surface 211a that faces the base portion 212. The elastic member 213 is provided so as to surround the central region of the opposing surface 211c. Therefore, the elastic member 213 can prevent foreign matter from entering the central region of the opposing surface 211c.

[0045] The fixing part 214 deforms the elastic member 213 by applying force in a direction that brings the holding part 211 and the base part 212 closer together, thereby fixing the holding part 211 to the base part 212. Therefore, the horizontality of the holding surface 211a can be adjusted by adjusting the magnitude of the force applied by the fixing part 214 and adjusting the degree of deformation of the elastic member 213.

[0046] The fixing portion 214 consists of screws 214a that fasten the holding portion 211 and the base portion 212 at multiple points. Therefore, by individually adjusting the degree of tightening for each screw 214a, the degree of deformation of the elastic member 213, i.e., the horizontality of the holding surface 211a, can be easily adjusted.

[0047] The retaining portion 211 has a plurality of through holes 211d into which screws 214a are inserted. The plurality of through holes 211d penetrate from the retaining surface 211a to the opposing surface 211c. The plurality of through holes 211d are arranged at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction of the retaining surface 211a. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, eight through holes 211d are arranged at 45° intervals. For the sake of visibility, in Figure 4 only some of the eight screws 214a are labeled with reference numerals.

[0048] The through holes 211d are provided at multiple locations inside the outer circumference of the retaining surface 211a. In other words, the screws 214a are provided at multiple locations inside the outer circumference of the retaining surface 211a. As a result, the entire seating surface of the screws 214a is in contact with the retaining surface 211a, which suppresses the increase in localized pressing force compared to a structure in which only a portion of the seating surface of the screws 214a is in contact with the retaining surface 211a. Therefore, the risk of damage to the retaining surface 211a due to tightening of the screws 214a can be reduced.

[0049] The base portion 212 has a screw hole 212a in a position that overlaps with the through hole 211d in a plan view when the holding portion 211 is placed on it. The holding portion 211 is fixed to the base portion 212 by screwing a screw 214a inserted into the through hole 211d into the screw hole 212a.

[0050] The screw 214a has a head 214b and a tip 214c. In the spin chuck 21, the head 214b is positioned on the holding portion 211, and the tip 214c is positioned on the base portion 212. That is, the screw 214a is inserted into the through hole 211d from the side opposite to the base portion 212. Here, when the substrate S is not held by the holding portion 211, the space above the holding portion 211 is wider than the space below the base portion 212. Therefore, compared to, for example, the case where the head 214b is positioned on the base portion 212, the degree of deformation of the elastic member 213 by the fixing portion 214 can be easily adjusted.

[0051] The retaining surface 211a has a recess 211e around the through hole 211d. The head 214b of the screw 214a is housed in the recess 211e. That is, the recess 211e has a depth such that the head 214b is lower than the retaining surface 211a when the retaining part 211 is fixed to the base part 212 by the fixing part 214. Therefore, the substrate S is held by the retaining surface 211a without contacting the head 214b.

[0052] An O-ring 211f is positioned on the bottom surface of the recess 211e so as to surround the through hole 211d. Therefore, the space between the seating surface of the fixing part 214 and the bottom surface of the recess 211e is sealed by the O-ring 211f. In the base part 212, the screw hole 212a is not coated with Teflon. However, as described above, the space between the seating surface of the fixing part 214 and the bottom surface of the recess 211e is sealed by the O-ring 211f. This prevents corrosion of the screw hole 212a.

[0053] The holding portion 211 is not necessarily limited to a vacuum chuck that adsorbs the substrate S. The holding portion 211 may be, for example, a so-called mechanical chuck that mechanically holds the substrate S.

[0054] Returning to Figure 2, a nitrogen gas supply unit 29 is connected to the spin chuck 21 via a pipe 28 located in the center of the rotating shaft portion 22. The nitrogen gas supply unit 29 supplies ambient temperature nitrogen gas, supplied from a utility in the factory where the substrate processing system 100 is installed, to the spin chuck 21 at a flow rate and timing corresponding to the gas supply command from the control unit 10, causing the nitrogen gas to circulate radially outward from the center on the underside of the substrate S. In this embodiment, nitrogen gas is used, but other inert gases may also be used.

[0055] As shown in Figure 3, the piping 28 may be shared with the suction passage 25. Alternatively, the piping 28 may be separate from the suction passage 25. If the piping 28 is separate from the suction passage 25, the piping 28 may be located in the center of the rotating shaft portion 22, while the suction passage 25 may be offset from the center of the rotating shaft portion 22. Conversely, the suction passage 25 may be located in the center of the rotating shaft portion 22, while the piping 28 may be offset from the center of the rotating shaft portion 22.

[0056] Returning to Figure 2, the rotating mechanism 2B not only rotates the spin chuck 21 integrally with the substrate S, but also has a power transmission unit 27 to rotate the rotating cup portion 31 in synchronization with the rotation. The power transmission unit 27 has a disc member 27a made of a non-magnetic material or resin, a spin chuck-side magnet 27b embedded in the peripheral edge of the disc member 27a, and a cup-side magnet 27c embedded in the lower cup 32, which is a component of the rotating cup portion 31. The disc member 27a is mounted coaxially with the rotating shaft portion 22 and is rotatable around the rotating shaft AX together with the rotating shaft portion 22.

[0057] On the outer edge of the disc member 27a, multiple spin chuck-side magnets 27b are arranged radially around the rotation axis AX and at equal angular intervals. In this embodiment, of two adjacent spin chuck-side magnets 27b, one is arranged so that the outer and inner sides are the north pole and south pole, respectively, while the other is arranged so that the outer and inner sides are the south pole and north pole, respectively.

[0058] Similar to the spin chuck-side magnets 27b, multiple cup-side magnets 27c are arranged radially around the rotation axis AX at equal angular intervals. These cup-side magnets 27c are housed in the lower cup 32. The lower cup 32 is a component of the splash prevention mechanism 3, which will be described next, and has an annular shape. That is, the lower cup 32 has an inner circumferential surface that can face the outer circumferential surface of the disc member 27a. The inner diameter of this inner circumferential surface is larger than the outer diameter of the disc member 27a. The lower cup 32 is positioned concentrically with the rotation axis portion 22 and the disc member 27a with the inner circumferential surface facing the outer circumferential surface of the disc member 27a at a predetermined distance apart. Engagement pins and connecting magnets (not shown) are provided on the upper surface of the outer circumferential edge of the lower cup 32, and these connect the upper cup 33 to the lower cup 32, and this connected body functions as the rotating cup portion 31.

[0059] The lower cup 32 is supported on the upper surface of the base member 17 by bearings (not shown in the drawing) so that it can rotate around the rotation axis AX in the above-described configuration. On the inner peripheral edge of the lower cup 32, the cup-side magnets 27c are arranged radially around the rotation axis AX and at equal angular intervals, as described above. The arrangement of two adjacent cup-side magnets 27c is the same as that of the spin chuck-side magnets 27b. That is, on one side, the outer and inner sides are arranged to be the north pole and south pole, respectively, and on the other side, the outer and inner sides are arranged to be the south pole and north pole, respectively.

[0060] In the power transmission unit 27 configured in this way, when the disc member 27a rotates together with the rotating shaft 22 by the motor 23, the lower cup 32 rotates in the same direction as the disc member 27a while maintaining an air gap (the gap between the disc member 27a and the lower cup 32) due to the magnetic force between the spin chuck-side magnet 27b and the cup-side magnet 27c. In this way, the power transmission unit 27 has a so-called magnetic coupling between the spin chuck-side magnet 27b and the cup-side magnet 27c, and the rotational driving force for the spin chuck 21 is transmitted to the rotating cup unit 31 via the magnetic coupling. As a result, the rotating cup unit 31 rotates around the rotation axis AX. When the substrate S rotates due to the rotation of the spin chuck 21, the rotating cup unit 31 rotates synchronously with the substrate S in the same direction.

[0061] The splash prevention mechanism 3 includes a rotating cup portion 31 that can rotate around the rotation axis AX while surrounding the outer circumference of the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21, and a fixed cup portion 34 that is fixedly provided to surround the rotating cup portion 31. The rotating cup portion 31 is provided so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis AX while surrounding the outer circumference of the rotating substrate S, by connecting the upper cup 33 to the lower cup 32.

[0062] The lower cup 32 has an annular shape. As shown in Figure 2, its outer diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the substrate S, and in a plan view from vertically above, the lower cup 32 is rotatable around the rotation axis AX, protruding radially from the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21. In this protruding region, that is, the upper peripheral edge of the lower cup 32, engaging pins (not shown) and flat lower magnets (not shown) are alternately attached vertically upward along the circumferential direction.

[0063] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 2, the upper cup 33 has a lower annular portion 331, an upper annular portion 332, and an inclined portion 333 connecting them. The outer diameter of the lower annular portion 331 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the lower cup 32, and the lower annular portion 331 is located vertically above the peripheral edge 321 of the lower cup 32. The inner circumferential surface of the upper annular portion 332 and the inner circumferential surface of the lower annular portion 331 are connected by the inclined portion 333 around the entire circumference of the upper cup 33. Therefore, the inner circumferential surface of the inclined portion 333, that is, the surface surrounding the substrate S, is an inclined surface 334. Thus, the inclined portion 333 surrounds the outer circumference of the rotating substrate S and can collect droplets scattered from the substrate S, and the space enclosed by the upper cup 33 and the lower cup 32 functions as a collection space.

[0064] The inclined portion 333 is inclined upward from the lower annular portion 331 toward the periphery of the substrate S. Therefore, droplets collected in the inclined portion 333 flow along the inclined surface 334 toward the lower end of the upper cup 33, i.e., the lower annular portion 331, and are then discharged to the outside of the rotating cup portion 31 through the gap with the lower cup 32.

[0065] The fixed cup portion 34 is provided so as to surround the rotating cup portion 31. The fixed cup portion 34 has a liquid receiving portion 341 and an exhaust portion 342 provided inside the liquid receiving portion 341. The liquid receiving portion 341 has a cup structure that opens from the outside to surround the gap between the upper cup 33 and the lower cup 32. In other words, the internal space of the liquid receiving portion 341 functions as an exhaust space. Therefore, the droplets collected by the rotating cup portion 31 are guided to the liquid receiving portion 341 along with the gaseous components. The droplets then collect at the bottom of the liquid receiving portion 341 and are discharged from the fixed cup portion 34.

[0066] Meanwhile, the gaseous components are collected in the exhaust section 342. This exhaust section 342 is separated from the liquid receiving section 341 via a partition wall 343. A gas guide section 344 is positioned above the partition wall 343. The gas guide section 344 extends approximately horizontally from directly above the partition wall 343, covering the partition wall 343 from above and forming a labyrinthine flow path for the gaseous components. Therefore, the gaseous components of the fluid flowing into the liquid receiving section 341 are collected in the exhaust section 342 via the above flow path. This exhaust section 342 is connected to an exhaust unit 38. As a result, the exhaust unit 38 is activated in response to a command from the control unit 10, adjusting the pressure in the fixed cup section 34, and efficiently exhausting the gaseous components in the exhaust section 342.

[0067] The top surface protection heating mechanism 4 has a shut-off plate 41 positioned above the top surface of the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21. This shut-off plate 41 has a disc portion 42 held in a horizontal position. The disc portion 42 incorporates a heater 421 (heating section) which is driven and controlled by a heater drive unit 422. This disc portion 42 has a diameter slightly shorter than that of the substrate S. The disc portion 42 is supported by a support member 43 such that its lower surface covers the surface area of ​​the top surface of the substrate S, excluding the peripheral edge, from above.

[0068] The lower end of the support member 43 is attached to the center of the disc portion 42. A cylindrical through hole is formed so as to penetrate vertically through the support member 43 and the disc portion 42. A central nozzle 45 is inserted vertically through this through hole. As shown in Figure 2, a heating gas supply unit 47 is connected to this central nozzle 45 via a pipe 46. The heating gas supply unit 47 heats ambient temperature nitrogen gas supplied from the factory where the substrate processing system 100 is installed and supplies it to the substrate processing unit SP at a flow rate and timing corresponding to the heating gas supply command from the control unit 10.

[0069] If the heating gas supply unit 47 is placed in the internal space 12 of the chamber 11, the heat radiated from the heater of the heating gas supply unit 47 may adversely affect the substrate processing unit SP, particularly the processing mechanism 5 and the substrate observation mechanism 9, as will be described later. Therefore, in this embodiment, the heating gas supply unit 47 is placed outside the chamber 11, as shown in Figure 2. In this embodiment, a ribbon heater 48 is attached to a part of the piping 46. The ribbon heater 48 generates heat in response to a heating command from the control unit 10 to heat the nitrogen gas flowing through the piping 46.

[0070] The heated nitrogen gas (hereinafter referred to as "heated gas") is then pumped towards the central nozzle 45 and discharged from the central nozzle 45. For example, when the heated gas is supplied with the disc portion 42 positioned in a processing position close to the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21, the heated gas flows from the center to the periphery of the space sandwiched between the upper surface of the substrate S and the heater-embedded disc portion 42. This prevents the surrounding atmosphere from entering the upper surface of the substrate S. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent droplets contained in the atmosphere from being trapped in the space sandwiched between the substrate S and the disc portion 42. In addition, the upper surface is heated overall by the heating by the heater 421 and the heated gas, making the in-plane temperature of the substrate S uniform. This prevents the substrate S from warping.

[0071] Furthermore, the heater 421 is provided in the processing unit 1 separately from the holding and rotating mechanism 2. Therefore, if the holding part 211 of the holding and rotating mechanism 2 is made of, for example, resin, deformation of the holding part 211 caused by the heat of the heater 421 can be reduced compared to the case in which the holding and rotating mechanism 2 is equipped with the heater 421.

[0072] As shown in Figure 2, the upper end of the support member 43 is fixed to a beam member 49 that extends horizontally. This beam member 49 is connected to a lifting mechanism (not shown) and is raised and lowered by the lifting mechanism in response to a command from the control unit 10. For example, in Figure 2, when the beam member 49 is positioned downward, the disc portion 42 connected to the beam member 49 via the support member 43 is in the processing position. On the other hand, when the lifting mechanism raises the beam member 49 in response to a lifting command from the control unit 10, the beam member 49, support member 43, and disc portion 42 rise together, and the upper cup 33 also rises in conjunction, separating from the lower cup 32. This widens the space between the spin chuck 21 and the upper cup 33 and disc portion 42, making it possible to load and unload the substrate S into and out of the spin chuck 21.

[0073] The atmosphere separation mechanism 6 includes a lower sealed cup member 61 and an upper sealed cup member 62. Both the lower sealed cup member 61 and the upper sealed cup member 62 have a cylindrical shape with openings at the top and bottom. Their inner diameters are larger than the outer diameter of the rotating cup portion 31. The atmosphere separation mechanism 6 is positioned to completely surround the spin chuck 21, the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21, the rotating cup portion 31, and the upper surface protection heating mechanism 4 from above. More specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the upper sealed cup member 62 is fixedly positioned directly below the punching plate 14 such that its upper opening covers the opening 11f1 of the ceiling surface 11f from below. Therefore, the downflow of clean air introduced into the chamber 11 is divided into air that passes inside the upper sealed cup member 62 and air that passes outside the upper sealed cup member 62.

[0074] Furthermore, the lower end of the upper sealing cup member 62 has a flange portion 621 that is folded inward into an annular shape. An O-ring 63 is attached to the upper surface of this flange portion 621. Inside the upper sealing cup member 62, the lower sealing cup member 61 is arranged to be movable in the vertical direction.

[0075] The upper end of the lower sealing cup member 61 has a flange portion 611 that is folded outward and has an annular shape. When viewed from above in a plan view, this flange portion 611 overlaps with the flange portion 621. Therefore, when the lower sealing cup member 61 descends, the flange portion 611 of the lower sealing cup member 61 is locked to the flange portion 621 of the upper sealing cup member 62 via the O-ring 63. This positions the lower sealing cup member 61 at its lower limit. At this lower limit, the upper sealing cup member 62 and the lower sealing cup member 61 are connected in the vertical direction, and the downflow introduced into the upper sealing cup member 62 is guided toward the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21.

[0076] The lower end of the lower sealing cup member 61 has a flange portion 612 that is an annular shape with an outwardly enlarged diameter. When viewed from above in a plan view, this flange portion 612 overlaps with the upper end of the fixed cup portion 34 (the upper end of the liquid receiving portion 341). Therefore, at the lower limit position, the flange portion 612 of the lower sealing cup member 61 is locked to the fixed cup portion 34 via the O-ring 64. As a result, the lower sealing cup member 61 and the fixed cup portion 34 are connected in the vertical direction, and a sealed space 12a is formed by the upper sealing cup member 62, the lower sealing cup member 61, and the fixed cup portion 34. Beveling of the substrate S can be performed within this sealed space 12a.

[0077] In other words, by positioning the lower sealing cup member 61 at its lower limit, the sealed space 12a is separated from the outer space 12b (atmosphere separation). Therefore, beveling can be performed stably without being affected by the outside atmosphere. In addition, although a processing liquid is used for beveling, leakage of the processing liquid from the sealed space 12a to the outer space 12b can be reliably prevented. Thus, the degree of freedom in selecting and designing the components to be placed in the outer space 12b is increased.

[0078] Next, the centering mechanism 8 will be briefly explained as it is basically publicly known. The centering mechanism 8 performs the centering process while the suction by the pump 26 is stopped (i.e., while the substrate S is able to move horizontally on the upper surface of the spin chuck 21). This centering process eliminates the eccentricity of the substrate S, and the center of the substrate S coincides with the rotation axis AX. The centering mechanism 8 has a single contact portion 81 and a multi-contact portion 82 that are positioned on opposite sides of the rotation axis AX of the spin chuck 21, and a centering drive unit 83 that moves the single contact portion 81 and the multi-contact portion 82 in the contact movement direction. For visibility, in Figure 2, the single contact portion 81 and the multi-contact portion 82 are shown on the same side with respect to the rotation axis AX of the spin chuck 21.

[0079] The centering drive unit 83 moves toward the substrate S on the spin chuck 21 while coordinating the single contact portion 81 and the multi-contact portion 82, adjusting the position of the substrate S so that one contact portion of the single contact portion 81 and both contact portions of the multi-contact portion 82 are in contact with the end face of the substrate S. In this way, the eccentricity of the substrate S on the spin chuck 21 is eliminated and centering is achieved.

[0080] Next, the processing mechanism 5 will be described. The processing mechanism 5 supplies processing liquid to the substrate S. The processing mechanism 5 has a nozzle block 50 positioned on the lower side of the substrate S and a processing liquid supply source (not shown) that supplies processing liquid to the nozzle block 50. The nozzle block 50 has a plurality of processing liquid discharge nozzles (not shown) each of which discharges processing liquid.

[0081] The processing liquid supply source is configured to supply chemical solutions such as SC1 liquid and DHF (dilute hydrofluoric acid), as well as functional water (such as CO2 water), as processing liquids. SC1 liquid, DHF, and functional water can be discharged independently from multiple processing liquid discharge nozzles.

[0082] As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, a nozzle support portion 51 that supports the nozzle block 50 is provided below the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21 in order to discharge the processing liquid toward the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the substrate S. The nozzle support portion 51 has a thin-walled cylindrical portion 511 that extends vertically and a flange portion 512 that has an annular shape and is folded radially outward at the upper end of the cylindrical portion 511. The cylindrical portion 511 has a shape that allows it to be freely inserted into the air gap formed between the disc member 27a and the lower cup 32. As shown in Figure 2, the nozzle support portion 51 is fixedly positioned such that the cylindrical portion 511 is freely inserted into the air gap and the flange portion 512 is positioned between the substrate S held by the spin chuck 21 and the lower cup 32. The nozzle block 50 is attached to a part of the upper peripheral edge of the flange portion 512.

[0083] The substrate observation mechanism 9 is a mechanism for optically observing the peripheral edge of the substrate S being processed, for the purpose of confirming whether the processing is being carried out appropriately. The substrate observation mechanism 9 comprises an observation head 91 for optically observing the peripheral edge of the substrate S, and an observation head drive unit 92 that reciprocates the observation head 91 in response to a head movement command from the control unit 10. The observation head drive unit 92 reciprocates the observation head 91 between an observation position and a retracted position located radially outward from the observation position of the substrate S. The observation head drive unit 92 moves the observation head 91 to the retracted position when the substrate S is not being observed. The observation head drive unit 92 moves the observation head 91 to the observation position when the substrate S is being observed.

[0084] The control unit 10 includes an arithmetic processing unit 10A, a storage unit 10B, a reading unit 10C, an image processing unit 10D, a drive control unit 10E, a communication unit 10F, and an exhaust control unit 10G. The storage unit 10B is composed of a hard disk drive or the like and stores a program for executing bevel processing by the processing unit 1. This program is stored, for example, on a computer-readable recording medium RM (e.g., an optical disk, magnetic disk, magneto-optical disk, etc.), read from the recording medium RM by the reading unit 10C, and stored in the storage unit 10B. Furthermore, the provision of this program is not limited to the recording medium RM; for example, the program may be provided via a telecommunications line. The image processing unit 10D performs various processing on the image captured by the substrate observation mechanism 9. The drive control unit 10E controls each drive unit of the processing unit 1. The communication unit 10F communicates with a control unit that integrates and controls each part of the substrate processing system 100. The exhaust control unit 10G controls the exhaust unit 38.

[0085] Furthermore, the control unit 10 is connected to a display unit 10H (for example, a display) that shows various information and an input unit 10J (for example, a keyboard and mouse) that receives input from the operator.

[0086] The arithmetic processing unit 10A is composed of a computer having a CPU (= Central Processing Unit) and RAM (= Random Access Memory), and it achieves predetermined operations by controlling each part of the processing unit 1 according to a program stored in the storage unit 10B. For example, it can perform the bevel processing described above.

[0087] (experiment) This section describes an experiment on the horizontality of the holding part 211 in the holding and rotating mechanism 2, specifically regarding the effects of heat.

[0088] Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of the retaining part 211 used in the experiment. In Figure 5, reference numeral 501 denotes a schematic perspective view of the retaining part 211 of the first modified example. Reference numeral 502 denotes a schematic perspective view of the retaining part 211 of the second modified example. Reference numeral 503 denotes a schematic perspective view of the retaining part 211 of the third modified example. For ease of understanding the differences between these modified retaining parts 211, a schematic of the retaining part 211 of the embodiment is shown by reference numeral 504.

[0089] In each of the reference numerals 501 to 504, the holding surface 211a of the holding portion 211 is shown on the upper side, and the opposing surface 211c is shown on the lower side. For the sake of visibility, reference numerals are assigned to only some of the multiple components.

[0090] As shown by reference numeral 501, the retaining portion 211 of the first modified example has eight screw holes 211g on its opposing surface 211c into which screws 214a (see Figure 3) are screwed. The screw holes 211g do not penetrate to the side of the retaining surface 211a. The retaining portion 211 of the first modified example is used in combination with a base portion 212 which has through holes corresponding to the screw holes 211g. The retaining portion 211 of the first modified example is inserted into the through holes of the base portion 212 from the side opposite to the retaining portion 211 and fixed to the base portion 212 by screws 214a screwed into the screw holes 211g.

[0091] As shown by reference numeral 502, the holding portion 211 of the second modified example differs from the holding portion 211 of the first modified example in that it has six screw holes 211g, but is otherwise identical. Also, as shown by reference numeral 503, the holding portion 211 of the third modified example differs from the holding portion 211 of the embodiment in that it has six through holes 211d, but is otherwise identical.

[0092] In the experiment, the holding parts 211 of the first to third modified examples and the holding part 211 of the embodiment were heated from 22.5°C to 165°C, and the amount of surface runout, which is an indicator of horizontality, was analyzed. In the analysis of surface runout, the displacement from the height before heating at measurement points located on the outer edge of the holding parts 211 of the first to third modified examples and the holding part 211 of the embodiment was measured using a pick tester. A total of 36 measurement points were set at 10-degree intervals in the circumferential direction of the holding surface 211a. In addition, the diameter of the holding parts 211 of the first to third modified examples and the holding part 211 of the embodiment was set to 90 mm.

[0093] Figure 6 is a graph showing the experimental results for the holding part 211 shown in Figure 5. In Figure 6, the horizontal axis represents the measurement point, and the vertical axis represents the displacement (mm). Reference numeral 601 indicates the results for the first modified holding part 211. Reference numeral 602 indicates the results for the second modified holding part 211. Reference numeral 603 indicates the results for the third modified holding part 211. Reference numeral 604 indicates the results for the holding part 211 of the embodiment.

[0094] As shown in Figure 6, the average displacement before and after heating was smaller in the holding parts 211 of the first and second modified examples than in the holding parts 211 of the third modified example and the embodiment. However, the variation in the displacement before and after heating was smaller in the holding parts 211 of the third modified example and the embodiment than in the holding parts 211 of the first and second modified examples. In particular, the variation in the displacement before and after heating was even smaller in the holding parts 211 of the embodiment than in the holding parts 211 of the third modified example.

[0095] Specifically, in the first modified example, the variation in displacement before and after heating was 0.02 mm or more. On the other hand, in the holding part 211 of the embodiment, the displacement before and after heating was suppressed to about 0.002 mm.

[0096] When processing the substrate S, it is preferable to have small variations in the amount of displacement. For this reason, as shown in the example of the holding part 211, it is preferable to fix the holding part 211 and the base part 212 with eight screws inserted from the side of the holding part 211.

[0097] Furthermore, an experiment was conducted to measure the runout of the substrate S held by the holding part 211 of the embodiment. In the experiment, each of the holding part 211 samples N1 to N4, with the horizontality adjusted in four ways, was heated from 22.5°C to 165°C with the substrate S held in place, in the same manner as in the experiment described above. The runout of the substrate S was then measured.

[0098] In the experiment with sample N1, the difference between the maximum and minimum surface runout of the holding portion 211 was 14 μm. The difference between the maximum and minimum surface runout of the substrate S was 44 μm.

[0099] In the experiment with sample N2, the difference between the maximum and minimum surface runout of the holding portion 211 was 17 μm. The difference between the maximum and minimum surface runout of the substrate S was 40 μm.

[0100] In the experiment with sample N3, the difference between the maximum and minimum surface runout of the holding portion 211 was 9 μm. The difference between the maximum and minimum surface runout of the substrate S was 12 μm.

[0101] In the experiment with sample N4, the difference between the maximum and minimum surface runout of the holding portion 211 was 8 μm. The difference between the maximum and minimum surface runout of the substrate S was 32 μm.

[0102] The required cut width accuracy for the bevel etching process of substrate S is, for example, assumed to be around 80 μm. In contrast, in all of samples N1 to N4, the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the surface runout of substrate S is smaller than the required cut width accuracy for substrate S. Therefore, this experiment confirmed that the surface runout of substrate S can be adjusted to a sufficiently small amount by deforming the elastic member 213 with the fixing part 214 and adjusting the horizontality of the holding part 211.

[0103] (Holding position adjustment method) Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for adjusting the holding position of the substrate S in the holding and rotating mechanism 2. In the example shown in Figure 7, first, the holding part 211 is placed on the base part 212 (S1). Next, the amount of force applied by the fixing part 214 is adjusted so that the holding part 211 is positioned in a predetermined location (S2). The predetermined location is the position in which the substrate S placed on the holding part 211 is in an appropriate orientation for processing.

[0104] After adjusting the amount of force applied by the fixing part 214, the position of the holding part 211 is measured (S3). The position of the holding part 211 is measured using, for example, a pick tester, but may be done by another method.

[0105] It is determined whether the measured position of the holding part 211 is in the predetermined position (S4). If the position of the holding part 211 is not in the predetermined position (NO in S4), the procedure from step S2 is repeated. That is, the amount of force applied by the fixing part 214 is adjusted so that the position of the holding part 211 is in the predetermined position. If the position of the holding part 211 is in the predetermined position (YES in S4), the adjustment of the holding position of the substrate S in the holding and rotating mechanism 2 is completed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0106] 2. Holding and rotating mechanism (holding device) 2B Rotation mechanism (rotation drive unit) 211 Holding part 211a Holding surface 211b Air intake 211c Opposite side 212 Base section 213 Elastic members 214 Fixed part 214a Screw 214b Head 214c Tip 25 Suction path 421 Heater (heating section) 5. Processing mechanism (processing liquid supply unit)

Claims

1. A holding part for holding the workpiece, A base portion on which the aforementioned holding portion is placed, An elastic member provided between the holding portion and the base portion, A fixing part that fixes the holding part and the base part by deforming the elastic member by applying force in a direction that brings the holding part and the base part closer together, A holding device equipped with the following features.

2. The holding portion includes a holding surface that holds the flat workpiece with a surface, and holds the workpiece by adsorption by drawing in air from an air intake formed on the holding surface. The holding device according to claim 1, wherein the base portion has a suction passage formed therein, one end of which communicates with the air intake port of the holding portion and the other end of which is connected to a suction source.

3. The holding device according to claim 1, wherein the fixing part is a screw that fastens the holding part and the base part at multiple locations.

4. The holding portion includes a holding surface that holds the flat workpiece over a surface, The retaining device according to claim 3, wherein the screws are provided at multiple locations inside the outer circumference of the retaining surface.

5. The retaining device according to claim 3, wherein the head of the screw is positioned on the retaining portion and the tip of the screw is positioned on the base portion.

6. The holding device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is provided so as to surround the central region of the surface of the holding portion that faces the base portion.

7. The holding device according to claim 1, further comprising a rotational drive unit for rotating the holding unit.

8. The holding device according to claim 1, wherein the holding portion is made of resin and the base portion is made of metal.

9. A holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, A substrate processing apparatus comprising a processing liquid supply unit that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate, which is a workpiece, held by the holding device.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a heating unit for heating the substrate, which is the workpiece, held in the holding device.

11. A method for adjusting the holding position in a holding device comprising: a holding part for holding a workpiece; a base part on which the holding part is placed; an elastic member provided between the holding part and the base part; and a fixing part that deforms the elastic member by applying force in a direction that brings the holding part and the base part closer together, thereby fixing the holding part and the base part, The position of the holding part is measured, A method for adjusting the holding position, which involves adjusting the amount of force applied by the fixing part so that the holding part is positioned at a predetermined location.

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