Substrate clamping device, liquid processing device having the same, and substrate processing equipment

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a substrate clamping device, a liquid processing device including the same, and a substrate processing apparatus, which can reduce the replacement cycle caused by wear of the chuck pins that support the substrate on the side. The substrate clamping device according to an embodiment of the present invention is used to clamp a substrate in a substrate processing apparatus, and the substrate clamping device includes: a chuck; a gear box configured to be movable relative to the chuck; a rotating gear disposed inside the gear box; and a chuck pin coupled to the rotating gear and configured to be rotatable and formed to contact a side surface portion of the substrate. According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is configured to support the substrate on the side by each point position of the chuck pin, so that the life of the chuck pin can be improved and costs can be saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate clamping device, a liquid processing device including the same, and a substrate processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate clamping device, a liquid processing device including the same, and a substrate processing apparatus that can improve the wear-based life of chuck pins in contact with a substrate. Background Art

[0002] A semiconductor (or display) manufacturing process, as a process for manufacturing semiconductor elements on a substrate (e.g., a wafer), includes, for example, exposure, evaporation, etching, ion implantation, cleaning, etc. In particular, various organic and inorganic impurities exist on the substrate. Therefore, in order to improve the manufacturing throughput, it is very important to effectively remove the impurities on the substrate.

[0003] To remove impurities, a cleaning process using a processing liquid (cleaning liquid) is mainly used. The cleaning process can be performed by supplying the processing liquid onto the front or back surface of the substrate while rotating the rotary chuck that supports the substrate, and after the cleaning process, a rinsing process using a rinsing liquid and a drying process using a drying gas are performed.

[0004] On the other hand, in a liquid processing process, a technique is used in which a liquid medicine is diffused from the central portion to the peripheral portion by rotating the substrate while supplying the liquid medicine from above or below. For this purpose, support pins below the substrate and chuck pins that contact and hold the side surface of the substrate can be used. On the other hand, as the chuck pins that support the substrate on the side surface repeatedly perform the process, wear may occur. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, an embodiment of the present invention provides a device and a method that can reduce the replacement cycle caused by wear of chuck pins that support a substrate on the side surface.

[0006] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and those skilled in the art will clearly understand other problems not mentioned from the following description.

[0007] A substrate clamping device according to an embodiment of the present invention is used to clamp a substrate in a substrate processing apparatus, and the substrate clamping device includes: a chuck; a gear box configured to be movable relative to the chuck; a rotating gear disposed inside the gear box; and chuck pins coupled to the rotating gear and configured to be rotatable and formed to contact a side surface portion of the substrate.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the gear box may include: a gear box housing providing a space for disposing the rotating gear; and a linear guide fixed to the chuck and providing a path for linearly moving the gear box housing.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a substrate clamping device can be provided, and the substrate clamping device further includes: an angle adjustment gear, which is engaged with the rotation gear and configured to adjust the rotation of the rotation gear.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, it can be that the angle adjustment gear is combined with a support pin that supports the substrate below, and the rotation of the chuck pin is adjusted by the rotation of the support pin.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a substrate clamping device can be provided, and the substrate clamping device further includes: a worm gear, which is engaged with the rotation gear and formed to extend to the outside of the gearbox.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a substrate clamping device can be provided, and the substrate clamping device further includes: a drive source for rotationally driving the worm gear.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a substrate clamping device can be provided, and the substrate clamping device further includes: a stopper for fixing the chuck pin so that the chuck pin does not rotate.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a substrate clamping device can be provided, and the substrate clamping device further includes: an oil seal for preventing the penetration of a liquid medicine into the inside of the gearbox.

[0015] A liquid processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include: a substrate support unit for supporting a substrate; and a processing liquid supply unit for supplying a liquid medicine to the substrate. The substrate support unit may include: a chuck configured to be rotatable; a support pin fixed to the chuck and supporting the substrate below; a gearbox configured to be movable relative to the chuck; a rotation gear provided inside the gearbox; and a chuck pin engaged with the rotation gear and configured to be rotatable and formed to contact the side surface of the substrate.

[0016] A substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an indexing module including a loading port for placing and storing a carrier of a substrate and an indexing robot for transporting the substrate; and a process processing module including a buffer unit for temporarily loading the substrate and a process chamber for performing a liquid processing process on the substrate. The process chamber includes: a substrate support unit for supporting the substrate; and a processing liquid supply unit for supplying a liquid medicine to the substrate. The substrate support unit may include: a chuck configured to be rotatable; a support pin fixed to the chuck and supporting the substrate below; a gearbox configured to be movable relative to the chuck; a rotation gear provided inside the gearbox; and a chuck pin engaged with the rotation gear and configured to be rotatable and formed to contact the side surface of the substrate.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is configured to support the substrate on the side at each point of the chuck pin, thereby being able to improve the life of the chuck pin and save costs.

[0018] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand other effects not mentioned from the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 Shows a schematic configuration of a chuck for supporting a substrate in a liquid processing apparatus.

[0020] Figure 2 And Figure 3 Shows an example of a substrate clamping device.

[0021] Figure 4 And Figure 5 Shows another example of a substrate clamping device.

[0022] Figure 6 And Figure 7 Respectively show examples of a substrate clamping device equipped with a rotary drive type gearbox.

[0023] Figure 8 Shows a schematic configuration of a liquid processing apparatus.

[0024] Figure 9 Shows a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can easily implement it. The present invention can be implemented in various different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0026] In order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0027] In addition, in multiple embodiments, for components having the same structure, the same reference numerals are used to describe only the representative embodiments, and only the structures different from the representative embodiments are described in the remaining other embodiments.

[0028] Throughout the specification, when it is stated that a certain part is "connected (or coupled)" to another part, it includes not only the case of "directly connected (or coupled)", but also the case of "indirectly connected (or coupled)" with other components interposed therebetween. In addition, when it is stated that a certain part "includes" a certain component, unless otherwise specifically stated to the contrary, it means that other components may also be included rather than excluding other components.

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries shall be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the relevant art, and shall not be construed in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined in this application.

[0030] Figure 1 The schematic configuration of a chuck for supporting a substrate in a liquid processing apparatus is shown. Referring to Figure 1 , as a base for rotating the substrate W while fixing it, a chuck 100 having a circular shape is provided. On the upper surface of the chuck 100, support pins 500 for supporting the substrate W from below and chuck pins 400 that come into contact with the side surface of the substrate W to fix the substrate W so as not to come off are provided.

[0031] As Figure 1 shown, the support pins 500 may be arranged at regular intervals from each other on the outer peripheral portion of the chuck 100, and the chuck pins 400 may be arranged at regular intervals from each other on the outer peripheral portion of the chuck 100. Usually, the support pins 500 and the chuck pins 400 are fixed to the chuck 100. The chuck pins 400 may be located on the outer peripheral portion side of the chuck 100 compared to the support pins 500.

[0032] The chuck pins 400 may linearly move in the horizontal direction with respect to the center portion of the chuck 100. When there is no substrate W, the chuck pins 400 are located outside the side surface of the substrate W. If the substrate W is placed, the chuck pins 400 are located at a contact position closer to the center portion to come into contact with the side surface of the substrate W.

[0033] For example, if the substrate W for which liquid processing is to be performed is placed above the support pins 500, the chuck pins 400 linearly move from an external position to the contact position to come into contact with the side surface of the substrate W. The chuck pins 400 clamp the substrate W so that the substrate W for which liquid processing is to be performed does not come off. If the process for the substrate W is completed, the chuck pins 400 linearly move from the contact position to the external position to release the contact with the substrate W. On the other hand, the chuck pins 400 may be configured to come into contact with the substrate W not only by linear movement but also by rotational movement.

[0034] On the other hand, when performing a liquid processing process (e.g., cleaning, coating) on the substrate W, since the substrate W is rotated, wear of the chuck pins 400 may occur due to the contact between the substrate W and the chuck pins 400. When it becomes difficult to appropriately clamp the substrate W due to wear of the chuck pins 400 as the process is repeatedly performed, an operator needs to replace the chuck pins 400.

[0035] When using an ordinary chuck pin 400, since it is fixed to the chuck 100, wear may continuously occur in a part of the area in contact with the substrate W. In this case, even though wear occurs only in a specific area, it is still necessary to replace the chuck pin 400, so improvement is needed in terms of cost efficiency. In addition, when a specific part of the chuck pin 400 is worn, the contact force with the substrate W decreases, so the substrate W cannot be normally supported and the substrate W may rotate idly.

[0036] Therefore, an embodiment of the present invention is configured such that the chuck pin 400 can rotate, so that it can contact the substrate W in multiple areas instead of only a specific part of the chuck pin 400 contacting the substrate W. Hereinafter, a substrate clamping device including a chuck pin 400 configured to be rotatable according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0037] Figure 2 And Figure 3 An example of the substrate clamping device is shown. Figure 2 The structure of the substrate clamping device as viewed from the side is shown, Figure 3 The structure of the substrate clamping device as viewed from above is shown.

[0038] Referring to Figure 2 And Figure 3 , the substrate clamping device for clamping a substrate in a substrate processing apparatus includes a chuck 100, a gear box 200 configured to be movable relative to the chuck 100, a rotating gear 300 disposed inside the gear box 200, and a chuck pin 400 coupled to the rotating gear 300 and configured to be rotatable and formed to contact the side surface of the substrate W. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the chuck pin 400 is configured to be rotatable by the rotating gear 300, so that each point contacts the substrate W along the circular circumference of the chuck pin 400 instead of only a specific part contacting the substrate W. Thus, even if a part of the chuck pin 400 is worn, since the substrate W can be supported by other points, idling of the substrate W can be prevented and the life of the chuck pin 400 can be improved.

[0039] As described above, the chuck 100 can be a support table for setting the chuck pin 400 and is configured to be rotatable. A heater for heating the substrate W can be provided in the chuck 100. In addition, a nozzle for supplying a chemical solution to the back surface of the substrate W can be provided in the central portion of the chuck 100. Above the chuck 100, a support pin 500 for supporting the substrate W below and a chuck pin 400 for supporting the side surface of the substrate W are provided.

[0040] The gear box 200 is disposed on the upper surface of the chuck 100 and can perform linear movement or rotational movement with the central portion of the chuck 100 as a reference. The following Figures 2 to 5 Shows the case where the gear box 200 is linearly driven, Figure 6 And Figure 7Separate illustrations show the case of the rotational drive of the gearbox 200. A circular opening is formed in the gearbox 200 into which the chuck pin 400 is inserted, and a rotating gear 300 is provided inside.

[0041] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the gearbox 200 includes a gearbox housing 210 that provides a space for configuring the rotating gear 300 and a linear guide 220 that is fixedly coupled to the chuck 100 and provides a path for the linear movement of the gearbox housing 210. As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the gearbox housing 210 is configured to linearly move along the linear guide 220, and thus linearly move together with the chuck pin 400. Additionally, a drive source can be provided that provides power for the movement of the gearbox housing 210.

[0042] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate clamping device further includes an angle adjustment gear 350 that is meshed with the rotating gear 300 and is configured to adjust the rotation angle of the rotating gear 300. The angle adjustment gear 350 is coupled to a support pin 500 that supports the substrate W below, and adjusts the rotation of the chuck pin through the rotation of the support pin 500. That is, when it is necessary to rotate the chuck pin 400 so that various regions of the chuck pin 400 can contact the side surface of the substrate W, the chuck pin 400 can be rotated by rotating the support pin 500.

[0043] Figure 4 and Figure 5 Another example of the substrate clamping device is shown. Figure 4 The structure of the substrate clamping device as viewed from the side is shown, Figure 5 The structure of the substrate clamping device as viewed from above is shown.

[0044] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate clamping device includes a worm gear 360 that is meshed with the rotating gear 300 and is formed to extend outside the gearbox 200. According to this embodiment, the rotating gear 300 that is fixed to the chuck pin 400 and rotates the chuck pin 400 meshes with and rotates the worm gear 360, and the worm gear 360 is formed to protrude outside the gearbox housing 210.

[0045] According to an embodiment, the substrate clamping device may include a drive source for rotationally driving the worm gear 360. The worm gear 360 can be rotated by the drive source, thereby rotating the rotating gear 300 and the chuck pin 400. Additionally, the worm gear 360 may be provided with a rotation joystick and manually rotated by an operator, thereby rotating the rotating gear 300 and the chuck pin 400.

[0046] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate clamping device may further include a stopper for fixing the chuck pin 400 so that the chuck pin 400 does not rotate. The stopper may fix the chuck pin 400 and the rotating gear 300 from a rotatable state to a non-rotatable state. The stopper may be implemented in the form of a joystick, and an operator may manually control whether the chuck pin 400 and the rotating gear 300 can rotate.

[0047] On the other hand, an oil seal may be provided to prevent the penetration of the chemical solution into the interior of the gearbox 200. The oil seal seals the space between the chuck 100 and the gearbox 200 or the space into which the chuck pin 400 and the support pin 500 are inserted, thereby preventing the penetration of the chemical solution into the interior of the gearbox 200 and preventing the rotating gear 300, the angle adjustment gear 350, or the worm gear 360 from being damaged by the chemical solution.

[0048] Figure 6 and Figure 7 Examples of the substrate clamping device including the rotation drive type gearbox 200 are respectively shown. Figures 2 to 5 The gearbox 200 of such a form is configured to perform a linear motion through the linear guide 220, or, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the gearbox 200 may also be rotatably coupled to the chuck 100 as Figure 6 and Figure 7 shown. The gearbox 200 may be rotationally driven based on the rotation drive shaft 225, and the chuck pin 400 coupled to the gearbox 200 may be configured to move from a non-contact position relative to the substrate W to a contact position according to whether the substrate W is placed.

[0049] Figure 8 The schematic structure of the liquid processing apparatus is shown.

[0050] Referring to Figure 8 , the substrate processing apparatus 2600 provided in the liquid processing chamber includes a processing container 2620, a substrate support unit 2640, a lifting unit 2660, and a processing liquid supply unit 2680. The substrate processing apparatus 2600 provided in the liquid processing chamber 260 may supply a processing liquid to the substrate W. For example, the processing liquid may be an etching liquid, a cleaning liquid, a rinsing liquid, and an organic solvent. The etching liquid or the cleaning liquid may be a liquid having an acid or an alkali, and may include sulfuric acid (H2SO4), phosphoric acid (P2O5), hydrofluoric acid (HF), and ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH). Alternatively, the processing liquid may be a DSP (Diluted Sulfuric acid Peroxide) mixture.

[0051] The rinsing liquid may be pure water (H2O). The organic solvent may be isopropyl alcohol (IPA) which is a low surface tension fluid.

[0052] The processing container 2620 provides a processing space for processing a substrate inside. The processing container 2620 has a cylindrical shape that is open at the top. The processing container 2620 may have an outer recovery container 2626 (or a first recovery container) and an inner recovery container 2622 (or a second recovery container). Each of the recovery containers 2622, 2626 recovers different processing liquids from the processing liquids used in the process. The inner recovery container 2622 is provided in an annular shape surrounding the substrate support unit 2640, and the outer recovery container 2626 is provided in an annular shape surrounding the inner recovery container 2622. The inner space 2622a of the inner recovery container 2622 functions as an inner inlet 2622a through which the processing liquid flows into the inner recovery container 2622. The space 2626a between the inner recovery container 2622 and the outer recovery container 2626 functions as an outer inlet 2626a through which the processing liquid flows into the outer recovery container 2626. Each of the inlets 2622a, 2626a may be located at different heights. Recovery pipelines 2622b, 2626b are connected below the bottom surfaces of the respective recovery containers 2622, 2626. The processing liquid flowing into each of the recovery containers 2622, 2626 may be supplied to an external processing liquid regeneration system (not shown) through the recovery pipelines 2622b, 2626b and reused.

[0053] The substrate support unit 2640 supports the substrate W in the processing space. The substrate support unit 2640 supports the substrate W and rotates it during the process. The substrate support unit 2640 has a chuck 100, support pins 500, chuck pins 400, and a rotation drive component. The chuck 100 is provided in a substantially circular disk shape.

[0054] A plurality of support pins 500 protrude upward from the chuck 100 to support the back surface of the substrate W.

[0055] A plurality of chuck pins 400 protrude upward from the chuck 100 to support the side portion of the substrate W. The chuck pins 400 support the side portion of the substrate W so that the substrate W does not separate from the fixed position in the lateral direction when the chuck 100 rotates. The chuck pins 400 are provided to be able to linearly move between an outer position and an inner position along the radial direction of the chuck 100. When loading or unloading the substrate W on the chuck 100, the chuck pins 400 are located at the outer position, and when performing a process on the substrate W, the chuck pins 400 are located at the inner position. The inner position is the position where the chuck pins 400 and the side portion of the substrate W are in contact with each other, and the outer position is the position where the chuck pins 400 and the substrate W are separated from each other.

[0056] The rotation drive components 2648 and 2649 rotate the chuck 100. The chuck 100 can rotate about the central axis by the rotation drive components 2648 and 2649. The rotation drive components 2648 and 2649 include a support shaft 2648 and a drive unit 2649. The support shaft 2648 can have a cylindrical shape facing the third direction 16. The upper end of the support shaft 2648 can be fixedly coupled to the bottom surface of the chuck 100. The drive unit 2649 provides a driving force to rotate the support shaft 2648. It can be that the support shaft 2648 rotates through the drive unit 2649, and the chuck 100 rotates together with the support shaft 2648.

[0057] The lifting unit 2660 linearly moves the processing container 2620 in the vertical direction. As the processing container 2620 moves up and down, the relative height of the processing container 2620 with respect to the chuck 100 changes. When loading or unloading the substrate W on the chuck 100, the lifting unit 2660 lowers the processing container 2620 so that the chuck 100 protrudes above the processing container 2620. In addition, during the process, the height of the processing container 2620 is adjusted so that, according to the type of processing liquid supplied to the substrate W, the processing liquid flows into the set recovery containers 2622 and 2626. The lifting unit 2660 includes a bracket 2662, a moving shaft (axis) 2664, and a drive unit 2666. It can be that the bracket 2662 is fixedly provided on the outer wall of the processing container 2620, and the moving shaft 2664 that moves in the vertical direction through the drive unit 2666 is fixedly coupled in the bracket 2662. Optionally, the lifting unit 2660 can move the chuck 100 in the vertical direction.

[0058] The processing liquid supply unit 2680 supplies the processing liquid to the substrate W. A plurality of processing liquid supply units 2680 can be provided, and each processing liquid supply unit 2680 supplies a different type of processing liquid from each other.

[0059] The processing liquid supply unit 2680 can include a moving member 2681 and a nozzle 2690.

[0060] The moving member 2681 moves the nozzle 2690 to the process position and the standby position. Here, it can be that the process position is the position where the nozzle 2690 faces the substrate W supported by the substrate support unit 2640, and the standby position is the position where the nozzle 2690 is disengaged from the process position.

[0061] The moving member 2681 may include a support shaft 2686, an arm 2682, and a driver 2688. The support shaft 2686 is located on one side of the processing container 2620. The support shaft 2686 may be in the shape of a rod extending in a third direction. The support shaft 2686 is provided to be rotatable by the driver 2688. The support shaft 2686 may be provided to be able to move up and down. The arm 2682 may be coupled to the upper end of the support shaft 2686 and extend perpendicularly from the support shaft 2686. The nozzle 2690 is fixedly coupled to the end of the arm 2682. As the support shaft 2686 rotates, the nozzle 2690 may swing together with the arm 2682. The nozzle 2690 may be moved to a process position and a standby position by swinging. Optionally, the arm 2682 may be provided to be able to move forward and backward in the direction of its length. When viewed from above, the path along which the nozzle 2690 moves may coincide with the central axis of the substrate W at the process position.

[0062] The substrate chucking device for chucking a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention may be provided as a part of the substrate support unit 2640 in Figure 8 a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate support unit 2640 for supporting a substrate W and a processing liquid supply unit 2680 for supplying a processing liquid to the substrate W. The substrate support unit 2640 may include a chuck 100, support pins 500 provided on the chuck 100 to support the substrate W thereunder, a gear box 200 configured to be movable relative to the chuck 100, a rotating gear 300 provided inside the gear box 200, and chuck pins 400 coupled to the rotating gear 300 and configured to be rotatable and formed to contact the side surface of the substrate W.

[0063] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the gear box 200 may include a gear box housing 210 providing a space for disposing the rotating gear 300 and a linear guide 220 fixedly coupled to the chuck 100 and providing a path for linearly moving the gear box housing 210.

[0064] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate support unit 2640 may further include an angle adjustment gear 350 meshing with the rotating gear 300 and configured to adjust the rotation angle of the rotating gear 300.

[0065] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the angle adjustment gear 350 may be coupled to the support pin 500 supporting the substrate W thereunder and adjust the rotation of the chuck pin 400 by the rotation of the support pin 500.

[0066] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate support unit 2640 may further include a worm wheel 360 meshing with the rotating gear 300 and formed to extend to the outside of the gear box 200.

[0067] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate support unit 2640 may include a drive source for rotationally driving the worm wheel 360.

[0068] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate support unit 2640 may further include a stopper for fixing the chuck pin 400 so as not to rotate.

[0069] Figure 9 The schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus is shown.

[0070] Refer to Figure 9 , the substrate processing apparatus 1 has an indexing module 10 and a process processing module 20. The indexing module 10 has a load port 120 and a transfer rack 140. The load port 120, the transfer rack 140, and the process processing module 20 are arranged in a row in this order. Hereinafter, the direction in which the load port 120, the transfer rack 140, and the process processing module 20 are arranged is referred to as the first direction 12. When viewed from above, the direction perpendicular to the first direction 12 is referred to as the second direction 14, and the direction perpendicular to the plane including the first direction 12 and the second direction 14 is referred to as the third direction 16.

[0071] In the load port 120, a carrier 18 accommodating a substrate W is placed. A plurality of load ports 120 are provided, and these are arranged in a row along the second direction 14. Figure 9 Four load ports 120 are shown as provided in FIG. However, the number of load ports 120 may also be increased or decreased according to conditions such as the process efficiency of the process processing module 20 and the floor area. In the carrier 18, slots (not shown) are formed to support the edges of the substrates. A plurality of slots are provided along the third direction 16, and the substrates are stacked in a state of being spaced apart from each other along the third direction 16 in the carrier.

[0072] The carrier 18 may use a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP).

[0073] The process processing module 20 has a buffer unit 230, a transfer chamber 240, a process chamber 260, and an exhaust assembly. The transfer chamber 240 is configured such that its length direction is parallel to the first direction 12. The process chambers 260 are arranged on both sides of the transfer chamber 240 along the second direction 14. The process chambers 260 may be provided symmetrically with respect to the transfer chamber 240. Each process chamber 260 may include Figure 8The substrate processing apparatus shown. A part of the process chamber 260 is arranged along the length direction of the transfer chamber 240. In addition, a part of the process chamber 260 is arranged to be stacked on top of each other. That is, on both sides of the transfer chamber 240, the process chambers 260 are arranged in an A×B (where A and B are natural numbers of 1 or more) arrangement. Here, A is the number of process chambers 260 provided in a row along the first direction 12, and B is the number of process chambers 260 provided in a row along the third direction 16. When 4 or 6 process chambers 260 are provided on both sides of the transfer chamber 240 respectively, the process chambers 260 can be arranged in a 2×2 or 3×2 arrangement. The number of process chambers 260 can also be increased or decreased.

[0074] Different from the above, the process chamber 260 can be provided only on one side of the transfer chamber 240. In addition, the process chamber 260 can be provided in a single layer on one side and the other side of the transfer chamber 240. In addition, the process chamber 260 can be provided in various configurations different from the above. In addition, a liquid processing process can be performed on the substrate on one side of the transfer chamber 240 in the process chamber 260, and a drying process for the substrate that has undergone the liquid processing process can be performed on the other side. The drying process can be a supercritical processing process.

[0075] The buffer unit 230 is arranged between the transfer rack 140 and the transfer chamber 240. The buffer unit 230 provides a space for the substrate W to stay before being transported between the transfer chamber 240 and the transfer rack 140. The buffer unit 230 provides a slot (not shown) for placing the substrate W inside, and a plurality of slots (not shown) are provided so as to be separated from each other along the third direction 16. In the buffer unit 230, the surface facing the transfer rack 140 and the surface facing the transfer chamber 240 are respectively open.

[0076] The transfer rack 140 transports the substrate W between the carrier 18 placed on the load port 120 and the buffer unit 230. An indexing rail 142 and an indexing robot 144 are provided in the transfer rack 140. The indexing rail 142 is provided such that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the second direction 14. The indexing robot 144 is disposed on the indexing rail 142 and linearly moves along the indexing rail 142 in the second direction 14. The indexing robot 144 has a base 144a, a main body 144b, and an indexing arm 144c. The base 144a is provided so as to be movable along the indexing rail 142. The main body 144b is coupled to the base 144a. The main body 144b is provided so as to be movable on the base 144a in the third direction 16. In addition, the main body 144b is provided so as to be rotatable on the base 144a. The indexing arm 144c is coupled to the main body 144b and is provided so as to be movable forward and backward relative to the main body 144b. A plurality of indexing arms 144c are provided and are provided to be independently driven. The indexing arms 144c are stacked and arranged at intervals along the third direction 16. It is possible that a part of the indexing arms 144c is used when transporting the substrate W from the process processing module 20 to the carrier 18, and another part is used when transporting the substrate W from the carrier 18 to the process processing module 20. It can prevent particles generated from the substrate W before the process from adhering to the substrate W after the process during the process of loading and unloading the substrate W by the indexing robot 144.

[0077] The transfer chamber 240 transports the substrate W between the buffer unit 230 and the process chamber 260. A guide rail 242 and a main robot 244 are provided in the transfer chamber 240. The guide rail 242 is configured such that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first direction 12. The main robot 244 is disposed on the guide rail 242 and linearly moves on the guide rail 242 in the first direction 12.

[0078] The liquid processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention can be implemented as a part of the above-described process chamber 260. The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an indexing module 10 including a load port 120 for placing and accommodating a carrier 18 storing a substrate W and a transfer rack 140 for transporting the substrate W; and a process processing module 20 including a buffer unit 230 for temporarily loading the substrate W and a process chamber 260 for performing a liquid processing process on the substrate W. The process chamber 260 includes a substrate support unit 2640 for supporting the substrate W and a processing liquid supply unit 2680 for supplying a chemical solution to the substrate W. The substrate support unit 2640 may include a chuck 100 configured to be rotatable, a support pin 500 provided on the chuck 100 to support the substrate W below, a gear box 200 configured to be movable relative to the chuck 100, a rotating gear 300 provided inside the gear box 200, and a chuck pin 400 coupled to the rotating gear 300 and configured to be rotatable and formed to contact the side surface of the substrate W.

[0079] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the gearbox 200 may include a gearbox housing 210 providing a space for configuring a rotating gear 300 and a linear guide 220 fixedly coupled to the chuck 100 and providing a path for linearly moving the gearbox housing 210.

[0080] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate support unit 2640 may further include an angle adjustment gear 350 engaged with the rotating gear 300 and configured to adjust the rotation angle of the rotating gear 300.

[0081] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the angle adjustment gear 350 may be coupled to a support pin 500 supporting the substrate W below and adjust the rotation of the chuck pin 400 by the rotation of the support pin 500.

[0082] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate support unit 2640 may further include a worm gear 360 engaged with the rotating gear 300 and formed to extend to the outside of the gearbox 200.

[0083] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate support unit 2640 may include a drive source for rotationally driving the worm gear 360.

[0084] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the substrate support unit 2640 may further include a stopper for fixing the chuck pin 400 so that the chuck pin 400 does not rotate.

[0085] This embodiment and the accompanying drawings in this specification only clearly show a part of the technical concept included in the present invention. It is obvious that variations and specific embodiments that can be easily derived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical concept included in the specification and drawings of the present invention are all included in the scope of the rights of the present invention.

[0086] Therefore, the concept of the present invention should not be limited to the illustrated embodiments. Not only the appended claims, but all concepts equivalent or equivalently modified to the claims belong to the scope of the concept of the present invention.

Claims

1. A substrate clamping device for clamping a substrate in a substrate processing apparatus, wherein, The substrate clamping device includes: A chuck, configured to be rotatable; A gearbox, disposed on the upper surface of the chuck and configured to be movable relative to the chuck; A rotating gear, disposed inside the gearbox; A chuck pin, capable of linearly moving in the horizontal direction with respect to the central portion of the chuck, and coupled to the rotating gear to be rotatable and configured to contact the side surface of the substrate; and An angle adjustment gear, meshed and coupled with the rotating gear and configured to adjust the rotation of the rotating gear, The angle adjustment gear is coupled to a support pin that supports the substrate below, and adjusts the rotation of the chuck pin through the rotation of the support pin.

2. The substrate clamping device according to claim 1, wherein The gearbox includes: A gearbox housing, providing a space for arranging the rotating gear; and A linear guide rail, fixedly coupled to the chuck and providing a path for linearly moving the gearbox housing.

3. The substrate clamping device according to claim 1, wherein The substrate clamping device further includes: A stopper, fixing the chuck pin to prevent the chuck pin from rotating.

4. The substrate clamping device according to claim 1, wherein The substrate clamping device further includes: An oil seal, for preventing the penetration of the liquid medicine into the interior of the gearbox.

5. A liquid processing device, including: A substrate support unit, supporting a substrate; And A processing liquid supply unit, supplying a liquid medicine to the substrate, The substrate support unit includes: A chuck, configured to be rotatable; A support pin, fixed to the chuck and supporting the substrate below; A gearbox, disposed on the upper surface of the chuck and configured to be movable relative to the chuck; A rotating gear, disposed inside the gearbox; A chuck pin, capable of linearly moving in the horizontal direction with respect to the central portion of the chuck, and coupled to the rotating gear to be rotatable and configured to contact the side surface of the substrate; and An angle adjustment gear, meshed and coupled with the rotating gear and configured to adjust the rotation of the rotating gear, The angle adjustment gear is coupled to the support pin, and adjusts the rotation of the chuck pin through the rotation of the support pin.

6. The liquid processing device according to claim 5, wherein The gearbox includes: A gearbox housing, providing a space for arranging the rotating gear; and A linear guide rail, fixedly coupled to the chuck and providing a path for linearly moving the gearbox housing.

7. The liquid processing device according to claim 5, wherein The substrate support unit further includes: A stopper, fixing the chuck pin to prevent the chuck pin from rotating.

8. A substrate processing equipment, including: An indexing module, including a loading port for placing and accommodating a carrier of a substrate and an indexing robot for transporting the substrate; And A process processing module, including a buffer unit for temporarily loading the substrate and a process chamber for performing a liquid processing process on the substrate, The process chamber includes: A substrate support unit, supporting the substrate; and A processing liquid supply unit, supplying a liquid medicine to the substrate, The substrate support unit includes: A chuck, configured to be rotatable; A support pin, fixed to the chuck and supporting the substrate below; A gearbox, disposed on the upper surface of the chuck and configured to be movable relative to the chuck; A rotating gear, disposed inside the gearbox; A chuck pin, capable of linearly moving in a horizontal direction with respect to the center of the chuck, and coupled to the rotating gear to be rotatable and formed to contact the side surface of the substrate; and An angle adjustment gear, meshed and coupled with the rotating gear, and configured to adjust the rotation of the rotating gear, The angle adjustment gear is coupled to the support pin, and the rotation of the chuck pin is adjusted by the rotation of the support pin.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, The gearbox includes: A gearbox housing, providing a space for arranging the rotating gear; and A linear guide rail, fixedly coupled to the chuck and providing a path for linearly moving the gearbox housing.

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