Substrate holder, substrate processing apparatus, and film forming apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate holder that can suppress breakage of a substrate and hold the substrate. The substrate holder (30) holds the substrate (2) with the processed area (21a) of the substrate (2) exposed, and is characterized by including: clamping portions (310, 320) that clamp both surfaces (21, 22) of the substrate (2) without contacting the corner portions (24) of the substrate (2); and a contact portion (30) that contacts the end surface (23) of the substrate (2) without contacting the corner portions of the substrate (2).

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the application with the application date of November 16, 2018, application number 201811362770.5, and invention creation name of "Substrate Holder and Film Forming Apparatus". Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a substrate holder, a substrate processing apparatus, and a film forming apparatus. Background Art

[0003] In the film forming process of a substrate used for semiconductor devices, there is a method of supporting the substrate in a vertically erected state (the surface to be processed is in a vertical posture) and transferring it between the chambers of a film forming apparatus. The substrate is held by a substrate holder in a state where the surface to be processed is open (exposed) to the outside, and is moved between the chambers by a transfer mechanism that supports the substrate holder (Patent Document 1). As a structure of the substrate holder, as an example, a structure in which the substrate is clamped by two upper and lower frames and the frames are fastened by fastening tools such as screws to fixedly hold the substrate can be cited.

[0004] [Prior Art Documents]

[0005] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] International Publication Gazette WO2016 / 017602 Summary of the Invention

[0007] [Summary of the Invention]

[0008] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0009] Figure 8 It is a schematic cross-sectional view (cut end face view) showing the structure of a conventional substrate holder. As Figure 8 shown, the substrate holder 130 has an opening for exposing the processed area of the substrate 2, and is composed of a first frame 131 that abuts against the first surface 21 of the substrate 2 including the processed area and a second frame 132 that abuts against the second surface 22 of the substrate 2, and is fastened by screws 34. As Figure 8As shown in Section C, a structure is formed in which the corner portions 24 of the substrate 2 (the portions where the first surface 21 meets the substrate side end surface 23 and the portions where the second surface 22 meets the substrate side end surface 23) are in contact with the first frame 131 and the second frame 132. Therefore, chipping (corner defects generating chips (fragments)) occurs at the corner portions 24 due to deformation caused by tightening force or thermal expansion during heating. The corner portions 24 of the substrate 2 are the portions where burrs are generated during substrate manufacturing, and chips are generated due to burr defects, contaminating the inside of the device. Moreover, even if the chipping is initially small, the damaged area is likely to increase in subsequent processes starting from this, and once it occurs, it has a significant impact on productivity. As an existing example of a countermeasure, there is chamfering of the substrate, but there is a problem of an increase in the cost of the substrate.

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate holder that can suppress breakage of a substrate and hold the substrate.

[0011]

Means for Solving the Problem

[0012] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a substrate holder that holds a substrate with the processed area of the substrate exposed, characterized by comprising:

[0013] a clamping portion that clamps both surfaces of the substrate without contacting the corner portions of the substrate; and

[0014] a contact portion that contacts the end surface of the substrate without contacting the corner portions of the substrate.

[0015] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a film forming apparatus that performs a film forming process on a substrate, characterized by comprising:

[0016] a plurality of chambers including a film forming chamber; and

[0017] a substrate transfer mechanism that supports the above substrate holder and moves between the plurality of chambers.

[0018]

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress breakage of the substrate and hold the substrate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view (cut end surface view) of the substrate holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the substrate holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view (cut end surface view) of the substrate holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 4 It is a schematic top view of the second frame of the substrate holder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view (end face view of the cut portion) of the substrate holder according to a modified example of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view (end face view of the cut portion) of the substrate holder according to a modified example of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 7 It is a schematic top view of the second frame of the substrate holder according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 8 It is a schematic cross-sectional view (end face view of the cut portion) of the substrate holder of the conventional example.

[0028] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a sputtering apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 10 It is a schematic diagram of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 11 It is an example of a flowchart of a film forming process.

[0031]

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0032] 2... Substrate, 21... Surface to be processed (first surface), 22... Back surface (second surface), 23... End face, 24... Corner portion, 30... Substrate holder, 31... Substrate pressing member (first frame), 310... First contact surface (first contact portion), 32... Substrate holder main body (second frame), 320... Second contact surface (second contact portion), 33... Positioning pin, 330... Front end surface (contact portion), 34... Screw (fastening mechanism) Detailed Description of the Embodiment

[0033] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a mode for implementing the present invention will be illustratively described in detail based on embodiments. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the structural components described in this embodiment should be appropriately changed according to the structure of the apparatus to which the invention is applied or various conditions. That is, it does not mean that the scope of the present invention is limited to the following embodiments.

[0034] (Embodiment 1)

[0035] <Overall Structure of the Film Forming Apparatus>

[0036] Figure 10It is a schematic diagram generally showing the overall structure of the film forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The film forming apparatus 1 includes: a storage chamber 11 for accommodating a substrate 2 to be film formed; a heating chamber 12 for performing a heating process on the substrate 2; and a film forming chamber 13 for performing a film forming process on the surface to be processed of the substrate 2. In the film forming chamber 13, there are provided: a substrate processing device 14 for performing a pre-treatment such as cleaning the surface to be processed of the substrate 2 or an etching process before the film forming process; and a sputtering device 15 as a film forming processing unit for performing a film forming process on the surface to be processed of the substrate 2. The film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has a structure in which the substrate 2 is transferred between the chambers in a state where it is erected longitudinally (the surface to be processed is in a vertical posture) (refer to FIG. 9).

[0037] Figure 11 It is an example of a flowchart of the film forming process of the present embodiment. The substrate 2 is sequentially transferred from the storage chamber 11 to the heating chamber 12 (S101), from the heating chamber 12 to the substrate processing device 14 in the film forming chamber 13 (S103), and from the substrate processing device 14 to the sputtering device 15 (S105), and the film forming process is carried out. After the substrate 2 is heat-treated by the heater 121 in the heating chamber 12 (S102), first, a surface treatment based on the substrate processing device 14 in the film forming chamber 13 is carried out (S104). The substrate 2 after the surface treatment is then subjected to a sputtering process using targets 151, 152, 153 made of various different materials based on the sputtering device 15 (S106), and the film forming process ends. The process flow of the film forming process shown here is just an example, and is not limited to the process content shown here.

[0038] The film forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can be applied to, for example, various electrode formations accompanied by pre-treatment. As a specific example, there can be cited, for example, the formation of a plating seed crystal film for a FC-BGA (Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array) mounting substrate or a metal laminated film for a SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) device. Moreover, there can also be cited the formation of a conductive hard film at the bonding portion of an LED, the formation of a terminal portion film of an MLCC (Multi-Layered Ceramic Capacitor), etc. In addition, it can also be applied to the formation of an electromagnetic shielding film for an electronic component package or a terminal portion film of a chip resistor. The size of the processing substrate 2 can be exemplified as a size of 200 mm × 200 mm in length and width and a thickness of 0.7 to 6.0 mm. As the material of the substrate 2, there can be cited glass, alumina, ceramics, LTCC (Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics), etc.

[0039] <Substrate transfer structure and sputtering device>

[0040] As described above, the substrate 2 is transferred between the chambers of the film forming apparatus 1 in a vertically erected state, and is also arranged in the sputtering chamber 51 (chamber) with the surface to be processed 21 being vertical (the surface to be processed 21 facing the horizontal direction). As shown in FIG. 9, the substrate 2 is held and supported at the peripheral edge portion of the outer periphery of the area to be processed with the surface to be processed 21 being open (exposed) by the substrate holder 30. The substrate holder 30 for holding the substrate 2 is supported by the substrate holder support portion 43. The substrate holder support portion 43 is provided with wheels 431 as a substrate transfer mechanism at the lower part, and is movably mounted on the track 432 laid on the bottom surface of the sputtering chamber 51 in the sputtering chamber 51 in a state where the substrate holder 30 is supported. It should be noted that the vertical direction mentioned here is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the sputtering chamber 51 or the upper surface of the track 432 (substrate transfer surface), and there may be a case where it is not consistent with the direction of gravity (vertical direction) depending on the device structure. Similarly, there may also be a case where the horizontal direction mentioned here is not consistent with the direction orthogonal to the direction of gravity. That is, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the installation surface of the substrate holder support portion 43 on the inner wall of each chamber is a horizontal plane, and the directions of up, down, left, and right are defined. However, if the direction of this installation surface changes, the definition of the up, down, left, and right directions will of course change accordingly.

[0041] The sputtering chamber 51 of the sputtering apparatus 15 is evacuated to a predetermined high vacuum pressure in advance by the evacuation device 56. The substrate holder 30 moves at a constant speed in the sputtering chamber 51, and during this period, a film forming process based on the cathode unit 50 is performed on the substrate 2. In the sputtering chamber 51, the substrate 2 (substrate holder 30) and the cathode unit 50 are arranged to face each other in the horizontal direction. The sputtering chamber 51 is adjusted by the evacuation device 56 to a vacuum degree suitable for the sputtering process (for example, 2×10 Pa to 2×10 -5 Pa), and the sputtering gas is supplied from the gas supply source 57 with the flow rate controlled. Thereby, a sputtering atmosphere is formed inside the sputtering chamber 51. As the sputtering gas, for example, rare gases such as Ar, Kr, Xe, or reactive gases for film formation can be used.

[0042] The plate-shaped target 151 as a film forming material is arranged in parallel with the transfer path of the substrate 2, that is, the surface to be processed 21 of the substrate 2. A cathode electrode 251 is closely arranged on the opposite side of the target 151 opposite to the substrate 2. The power supply 55 is connected to the cathode electrode 251, and the sputtering chamber 51 is grounded. During the voltage application based on the power supply 55, the cathode electrode 251 becomes the cathode, and the wall portion of the sputtering chamber 51 becomes the anode.

[0043] <Sputtering>

[0044] A plasma region is generated near the opposite surface of the target 151 facing the substrate 2 by forming the above-described sputtering atmosphere and applying a voltage from the power supply 55 to the cathode electrode 251. Sputtering gas ions generated due to the generation of the plasma region collide with the target 151, and target particles are emitted from the opposite surface of the target 151 facing the substrate 2. The target particles emitted from the target 151 fly toward the substrate 2 and accumulate, thereby forming a film on the surface 21 to be processed of the substrate 2. Regarding the targets 152 and 153, only the material is different from that of the target 151, and the film formation processing mechanism based on sputtering is the same.

[0045] <Structure of the substrate holder 30 (feature of this embodiment)>

[0046] Refer to Figures 1 - 4 , and describe the structure of the substrate holder 30, which is a feature of this embodiment.

[0047] Figure 1 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view (cut end face view) of the substrate holder of the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the substrate holder of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view (cut end face view) of the substrate holder of the embodiment of the present invention and is a view for explaining the case where the substrate 2 is assembled to the substrate holder 30. Figure 4 is a schematic top view of the second frame of the substrate holder of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] As described above, the substrate holder 30 is structured to hold the substrate 2 with the surface to be processed of the substrate 2 exposed, and generally holds the substrate 2 by clamping both surfaces of the substrate 2 using the substrate pressing member 31 as the first frame and the substrate holder main body 32 as the second frame. One surface (first surface) of the substrate 2, i.e., the surface 21 to be processed, is composed of a region 21a to be processed where the above-described film formation process and the like are performed and a peripheral region 21b surrounding the outside (periphery) of the region 21a to be processed.

[0049] The substrate pressing member 31 has a first contact surface (first contact portion) 310 that contacts the processed surface 21 at a position on the substrate end portion of the peripheral region 21b of the processed surface 21 of the substrate 2, that is, at a position inside the corner portion 24 (substrate end portion) where the processed surface 21 meets the side end surface 23 of the substrate 2. Within the range where the occurrence of chipping can be suppressed, the position at which the first contact surface 310 contacts the peripheral region 21b of the processed surface 21 is appropriately set at a certain distance inside the corner portion 24. The first contact surface 310 is the front end surface of a convex portion 311 that protrudes along the relative direction opposite to the substrate support body 32 in the substrate pressing member 31. The convex portion 311 is formed in a substantially rectangular ring shape at the relative portion of the substrate pressing member 31 opposite to the substrate support body 32. A groove portion (concave portion) 313 is formed at a position outside the convex portion 311 in the relative portion of the substrate pressing member 31 opposite to the substrate support body 32, and this groove portion (concave portion) 313 is used to form a gap that prevents the substrate pressing member 31 from contacting the corner portion 24 of the substrate 2. Moreover, an opening portion 312 that opens (exposes) the processed surface 21 of the substrate 2 to the outside is formed at a position inside the convex portion 311 in the relative portion of the substrate pressing member 31 opposite to the substrate support body 32. The substrate pressing member 31 is a frame-shaped member that surrounds the periphery of the processed area 21a of the substrate 2.

[0050] The substrate support body 32 has a second contact surface (second contact portion) 320 that contacts the back surface 22 at a position on the other surface (second surface) of the substrate 2, that is, the back surface 22 opposite to the processed surface 21, and inside the corner portion 24 where the back surface 22 meets the side end surface 23 of the substrate 2. Within the range where the occurrence of chipping can be suppressed, the position at which the second contact surface 320 contacts the back surface 22 is appropriately set at a certain distance inside the corner portion 24. The second contact surface 320 is the front end surface of a convex portion 321 that protrudes along the facing direction facing the substrate pressing member 31 in the substrate support body 32. The convex portion 321 is formed in a substantially rectangular ring shape at the facing portion of the substrate support body 32 facing the substrate pressing member 31. A groove portion (concave portion) 323 is formed at a position outside the convex portion 321 in the facing portion of the substrate support body 32 facing the substrate pressing member 31, and this groove portion (concave portion) 323 is used to form a gap that prevents the substrate support body 32 from contacting the corner portion 24 of the substrate 2. Moreover, a concave portion 322 is formed at a position inside the convex portion 321 in the facing portion of the substrate support body 32 facing the substrate pressing member 31, and this concave portion 322 faces the back surface 22 of the substrate 2 with a gap. It should be noted that instead of the concave portion 322, an opening portion may be provided in the same manner as the opening portion 312 of the substrate pressing member 31. That is, a support structure that opens the back surface 22 of the substrate 2 to the outside can be provided.

[0051] In the substrate support body 32, a positioning pin 33, which is a contact member for positioning the substrate 2 relative to the substrate support body 32, is fixed to the substrate support body 32 by a screw 35. The positioning pin 33 has a front end shape with a gradually narrowing width in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 2 and facing the side end face 23 of the substrate 2, and its front end face 330 serves as a contact portion and abuts against the side end face 23 of the substrate 2. Here, the direction perpendicular to the substrate 2 is synonymous with the thickness direction of the substrate 2, the facing direction in which the substrate pressing member 31 and the substrate support body 32 face each other, Figure 2 etc., and is equivalent to the Z-axis direction. The width of the front end face 330 of the positioning pin 33 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 2 is smaller than the thickness of the substrate 2, and it abuts against the side end face 22 at a position avoiding contact with the corner portion 24 (in this embodiment, the central portion in the above direction). The position where the front end face 330 abuts against the side end face 22 only needs to be a position where the occurrence of chipping can be suppressed, and it may not be the above central portion.

[0052] The substrate pressing member 31 and the substrate support body 32 are fastened and fixed to each other by a screw 34, which is a fastening mechanism, in a state where the positioning pin 33 abuts against the end face 23 of the substrate 2 and the first contact surface 310 and the second contact surface 320 sandwich the substrate 2. The substrate pressing member 31 and the substrate support body 32 are fastened at multiple locations by a plurality of screws 34. In this embodiment, the clamping force of each screw 34 is set to 5 to 40 cN / m. The threaded holes 314 of the substrate pressing member 31 and the threaded holes 324 of the substrate support body 32 are provided at positions outside the contact position between the positioning pin 33 and the substrate 2 with respect to the substrate 2. By fastening the screw 34, the first contact surface 310 and the second contact surface 320 form a clamping portion that sandwiches both sides of the substrate 2 without contacting the corner portion 24 of the substrate 2. The substrate pressing member 31, the substrate support body 32, and the positioning pin 33 are made of SUS in this embodiment, but as long as it is a metal with a certain degree of hardness, other metals can also be used. Moreover, as long as the desired positioning and holding function can be obtained, other materials can also be appropriately adopted.

[0053] The first contact surface 310 of the substrate pressing member 31 and the second contact surface 320 of the substrate holder main body 32 are each configured to contact both surfaces of the substrate 2 without contacting the corner portion 24 at a position inside the corner portion 24 of the substrate 2. Thereby, the force acting on the corner portion 24 in the thickness direction (Z direction) of the substrate 2 can be alleviated. Further, the positioning pin 33 is also configured to contact the end surface 23 of the substrate 2 without contacting the corner portion 24 at a position inside the corner portion 24 of the substrate 2. Thereby, the force acting on the corner portion 24 in the width direction of the substrate 2 (the direction parallel to the surfaces 21 and 22 of the substrate 2, the XY direction) can be alleviated. In this way, the substrate holder 30 does not have a portion that contacts the corner portion 24 of the substrate 2, and thus the occurrence of chipping can be suppressed in the substrate 2 that has not been chamfered. That is, according to the present embodiment, the substrate can be held while suppressing the occurrence of breakage of the substrate.

[0054] <Assembly of the substrate 2 to the substrate holder 30>

[0055] As shown in FIG. 3, in the assembly of the substrate 2 to the substrate holder 30, first, the substrate 2 is placed on a predetermined substrate receiving portion of the substrate holder main body 32. Specifically, it is placed on the second contact surface 320 of the convex portion 321 (FIG. 3(A)). At this time, the back surface 22 of the substrate 2 is placed on the second contact surface 320 and the side end surface 23 of the substrate 2 is brought into contact with the front end surface 330 of the positioning pin 33, whereby the substrate 2 can be positioned with respect to the substrate holder main body 32 (FIG. 3(B)). For the substrate holder 30 on which the substrate 2 is positioned, the frame-shaped substrate pressing member 31 is placed so as to cover the outer peripheral edge (peripheral region 21b) of the substrate 2, and a state is formed in which the substrate 2 is clamped by the first contact surface 310 and the second contact surface 320. Then, by tightening with the screw 34, the substrate 2, the substrate pressing member 31, and the substrate holder main body 32 are integrally fixed (FIG. 3(C)).

[0056] <Arrangement of the positioning pins 33>

[0057] As Figure 4 shown, a plurality of positioning pins 33 are provided. The plurality of positioning pins 33 are arranged so as to contact only any one of two mutually facing sides among the four sides of the substrate 2. That is, the positioning pin 33 contacts only any one of the above two sides, and no force in the direction of the substrate 2 acts on the other side from the substrate holder 30. That is, the plurality of positioning pins 33 are not arranged to face each other in the contact direction. By configuring the portion of the substrate 2 opposite to the portion in contact with the positioning pin 33 to be unrestricted in position in the direction of the substrate 2, the substrate 2 can be positioned while absorbing dimensional changes due to dimensional errors or thermal expansion of the substrate 2 or the substrate holder 30.

[0058] In addition, a plurality of positioning pins 33 are respectively arranged at positions where two non-opposite sides among the four sides of the substrate 2 are in contact with the end face 23. That is, by positioning in two directions along the direction of the substrate 2, the substrate 2 can be positioned on the substrate holder 30 with high precision. Moreover, by arranging a plurality of positioning pins 33 in such a way that they are in contact with one of the four sides of the substrate 2 at different positions respectively, higher-precision positioning can be achieved. In addition, by setting the side of the substrate 2 that the positioning pin 33 contacts as the lower side among the four sides of the substrate 2 when the substrate 2 is vertically erected, a structure is formed in which the end face 23, which becomes the lower end face of the substrate 2, is supported by the positioning pin 33 during the conveyance of the substrate 2. Thereby, a more stable holding state of the substrate 2 can be realized.

[0059] <Modification Example 1>

[0060] FIG. 5(A) is a schematic partial cross-sectional view (cut end face view) of a substrate holder 30a according to Modification Example 1 of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In this modification, the same reference numerals are assigned to the structures common to Embodiment 1, and repeated description is omitted. As shown in FIG. 5(A), in this modification, a structure is adopted in which the positioning pins 33 are arranged in the groove portion 323 of the substrate holder main body 32. Moreover, a structure is adopted in which the substrate pressing member 31 and the substrate holder main body 32 are in contact with each other at a portion fastened by the screw 34. In addition, in the substrate holder main body 32, a third contact surface 325 that contacts the substrate pressing member 31 and a second contact surface 320 that contacts the substrate 2 (in Figure 2 the Z direction and the like) are at the same height. According to the above structure, in the manufacture of the substrate holder main body 32, by the process of forming the groove portion 323, the second contact surface 320, the third contact surface 325, and the setting portion of the positioning pins 33 can be formed, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0061] <Modification Example 2>

[0062] FIG. 5(B) is a schematic partial cross-sectional view (cut end face view) of a substrate holder 30b according to Modification Example 2 of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In this modification, the same reference numerals are assigned to the structures common to Embodiment 1 and Modification Example 1, and repeated description is omitted. As shown in FIG. 5(B), in Modification Example 2, different from Modification Example 1, in the substrate pressing member 31, a fourth contact surface 315 that contacts the substrate holder main body 32 and a first contact surface 310 that contacts the substrate 2 (in Figure 2 the Z direction and the like) are at the same height. According to the above structure, in the manufacture of the substrate pressing member 31, by the process of forming the groove portion 313, the first contact surface 310 and the fourth contact surface 315 can also be formed, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0063] <Modification Example 3>

[0064] Figure 6(A) is a schematic partial cross-sectional view (end face view of the cut portion) of the substrate holder 30c of Modification 3 of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In this modification, the same reference numerals are assigned to the structures common to Embodiment 1, Modification 1, and Modification 2, and repeated description thereof is omitted. As shown in Figure 6(A), in Modification 3, a region of the facing portion of the substrate holder main body 32 facing the substrate pressing member 31, which is outside the convex portion 321, is provided with a grooved concavo-convex shape in which grooves 323 such as those in Embodiment 1 are arranged. Specifically, a region of the substrate holder main body 32 outside the second contact surface 320 is composed of a single surface 326 that forms a gap with the substrate 2 to form a non-contact state with the substrate 2. And, a part of this single surface 326 also serves as a surface that contacts the mounting surface of the positioning pin 33 and the fourth contact surface 315 of the substrate pressing member 31. According to the above structure, the substrate holder main body 32 can be formed into a simple structure that does not require the formation of grooves 323 or the mounting portion of the positioning pin 33 as in Embodiment 1, and the cost in the production of the substrate holder main body 32 can be reduced.

[0065] <Modification 4>

[0066] Figure 6(B) is a schematic partial cross-sectional view (end face view of the cut portion) of the substrate holder 30d of Modification 4 of Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In this modification, the same reference numerals are assigned to the structures common to Embodiment 1, Modifications 1 to 3, and repeated description thereof is omitted. As shown in Figure 6(B), in Modification 4, different from Modification 3, a region of the facing portion of the substrate pressing member 31 facing the substrate holder main body 32, which is outside the convex portion 311, is provided with a grooved concavo-convex shape in which grooves 313 such as those in Embodiment 1 are arranged. Specifically, a region of the substrate pressing member 31 outside the first contact surface 310 is composed of a single surface 316 that forms a gap with the substrate 2 to form a non-contact state with the substrate 2. And, a part of this single surface 316 also serves as a surface that contacts the third contact surface 325 of the substrate holder main body 32. According to the above structure, the substrate pressing member 31 can be formed into a simple structure that does not require the formation of grooves 313 as in Embodiment 1, and the cost in the production of the substrate pressing member 31 can be reduced.

[0067] (Embodiment 2)

[0068] Figure 7 is a schematic top view of the substrate holder main body 32e of the substrate holder 30e of Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In this embodiment, the same reference numerals are assigned to the structures common to Embodiment 1, Modifications 1 to 4, and repeated description thereof is omitted. The substrate holder 30e of Embodiment 2 can accommodate and hold two substrates. Specifically, as Figure 7As shown, two substrates can be held side by side horizontally at the same height. It should be noted that Figure 7 Only the substrate holder main body 32e and the positioning pin 33 are shown in the figure, and the substrates and the substrate pressing members are omitted from the illustration.

[0069] As Figure 7 As shown, in the substrate holder main body 32e, two recesses 322a and 322b are provided corresponding to the two substrates respectively, and second abutting surfaces 320 and positioning pins 33 are arranged on their respective outer peripheries. Here, in the present embodiment, a positioning pin 33e is provided that enters the area between adjacent substrates and positions one of the two substrates. The positioning pin 33e has a fixing portion 33e1, an extending portion 33e2, and a protruding portion 33e3. The fixing portion 33e1 is fixed to the substrate holder main body 32e by a screw 35 on the surface (or the facing surface) that abuts against the substrate pressing member by tightening the screw 34 outside the substrate arrangement space. The extending portion 33e2 extends from the fixing portion 33e1 between the two substrate arrangement spaces to a position facing one side of the substrate at a specified position. The protruding portion 33e3 protrudes from the side of the extending portion 33e2 toward the substrate arrangement space, and positions the substrate by abutting against the above-mentioned one side of the substrate with its front end surface 330e.

[0070] According to the positioning pin 33e of the present embodiment, in the holder structure in which two substrates are arranged side by side, a contact portion can be formed using the space provided to form a threaded fastening portion (threaded hole 324) between the two substrate setting spaces. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, two substrates can be arranged at the minimum necessary interval, and the substrates can be held while suppressing the occurrence of breakage. It should be noted that the positioning structure using the positioning pin 33e of the present embodiment can also be applied to a substrate holder capable of holding three or more substrates.

[0071] <Other>

[0072] In the present embodiment, the first abutting surface 310 and the second abutting surface 320 (convex portions 311 and 321) are continuously formed in a substantially rectangular ring shape, but they can also be intermittently formed discontinuously.

[0073] In addition, in the present embodiment, the widths of the first abutting surface 310 and the second abutting surface 320 are respectively formed to be the same width, but they can also be set to different widths. Moreover, the respective abutting positions of the first abutting surface 310 and the second abutting surface 320 can be offset from each other in the width direction of the substrate 2.

[0074] The number or arrangement of the positioning pins 33 or the screws 34 is not limited to the number or arrangement in the above embodiments, and can be appropriately changed. It should be noted that separating the threaded fastening position of the screw 34 from the corner of the substrate by a certain interval can more reliably prevent the occurrence of chipping.

[0075] Each of the above embodiments and each of the variations can combine their respective structures with each other as much as possible.

Claims

1. A substrate holder that holds a substrate having a first main surface including a processed area, a second main surface on a side opposite to the first main surface, and an end surface connecting the first main surface and the second main surface. Characterized in that: It comprises: A first frame having an opening for exposing the processed area; and A second frame fastened to the first frame by a fastening mechanism. The first frame has a first abutting portion that abuts against a peripheral area outside the processed area of the first main surface, is a convex portion protruding along the facing direction facing the second frame in the first frame, and is formed in a ring shape at the facing portion of the first frame facing the second frame. The second frame has a second abutting portion and a third abutting portion. The second abutting portion abuts against a position on the second main surface corresponding to the peripheral area, is a convex portion protruding along the facing direction facing the first frame in the second frame, and is formed in a ring shape at the facing portion of the second frame facing the first frame. The third abutting portion abuts against the end surface. The first abutting portion, the second abutting portion, and the third abutting portion hold the substrate in such a manner that they are separated from either the first frame or the second frame by a first angle formed by the first main surface and the end surface and a second angle formed by the second main surface and the end surface respectively. The first abutting portion abuts against the first main surface at a position leaving inward from the first angle. The second abutting portion abuts against the second main surface at a position leaving inward from the second angle. The third abutting portion abuts against the end surface at positions leaving inward from the first angle and the second angle respectively.

2. The substrate holder according to claim 1, Characterized in that: The first frame has a groove portion outside the first abutting portion for forming a gap between the first frame and the first angle.

3. The substrate holder according to claim 1, Characterized in that: The second frame has a groove portion outside the second abutting portion for forming a gap between the second frame and the second angle.

4. The substrate holder according to claim 1, Characterized in that: The second frame includes a plurality of the third abutting portions.

5. The substrate holder according to claim 1, Characterized in that: The first main surface and the second main surface are respectively rectangles having four sides. The end surface includes a first part to a fourth part respectively distinguished corresponding to each of the four sides. The third abutting portion abuts against the first part of the end surface. A second part facing the first part is separated from either the first frame or the second frame.

6. A substrate processing apparatus, Characterized in that: It comprises a transfer mechanism that transfers the substrate holder according to any one of claims 1 to 5 while holding the substrate in a state where the first main surface and the second main surface are respectively along the vertical direction.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, Characterized in that: The end face of the substrate that abuts against the third abutting portion is located below the vertical direction.

8. A film forming apparatus characterized in that it includes: the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 or 7; and a film forming mechanism that performs a film forming process on the area to be processed of the substrate.

Images