Cover module and substrate processing apparatus including the same

Abstract

The invention relates to a cover module and a substrate processing apparatus including the same. The cover module includes: a base portion; a cover portion disposed on an upper portion of the base portion, the cover portion including: an upper plate; a first cover provided at a first end of the upper plate so as to be openable and closable; and a second cover disposed at a second end of the upper plate to be openable and closable, and a gas supply unit including a first supply portion disposed on the upper plate and a second supply portion disposed on at least one of the first cover and the second cover.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10 - 2023 - 0195874, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on December 29, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to a cover module and a substrate processing apparatus including the cover module. Background art

[0004] To fabricate semiconductor devices, it may be necessary to form a predetermined pattern on a substrate such as a wafer. When forming a predetermined pattern on a substrate, a deposition process, a lithography process, and an etching process may be continuously performed. These processes may be performed in separate chambers (units), and a substrate on which a process has been completed in one chamber may be transported to another chamber by a transfer unit, and a subsequent process may be performed.

[0005] Humidity control may be a key factor in chemicals based on metal - oxide resist (MOR), and humidity control may be performed in a chamber. However, when a substrate is carried out of the chamber for transportation, humidity may not be controlled. In this regard, when performing a substrate processing process in a facility, chemicals based on MOR may move in a state where the substrate is disposed on the robot hand of the transfer unit, and the transfer unit may be disposed in an externally exposed state. Therefore, the substrate may inevitably come into contact with moisture in the facility. When the substrate comes into contact with moisture, the OH - of the moisture may ultimately affect CD variation. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a technology capable of preventing contact with moisture when transporting a substrate. Summary of the invention

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a cover module and a substrate processing apparatus including the same, the cover module being capable of preventing a substrate from coming into contact with external air and moisture while being transported to a processing chamber.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cover module including: a base portion; a cover portion disposed on an upper portion of the base portion, the cover portion including: an upper plate; a first cover disposed at a first end of the upper plate to be openable and closable; and a second cover disposed at a second end of the upper plate to be openable and closable, and a gas supply unit including a first supply portion disposed on the upper plate and a second supply portion disposed on at least one of the first cover and the second cover.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a substrate processing apparatus is provided. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a first processing chamber having a first internal space, a first opening connected to the first internal space, and a first opening / closing part for opening and closing the first opening; a cover module disposed on one side of the first processing chamber, the cover module including a base part, a cover part, and a gas supply unit, the cover part being disposed on an upper portion of the base part, the cover part including: an upper plate; a first cover disposed at a first end of the upper plate to be openable and closable; and a second cover disposed at a second end of the upper plate to be openable and closable, the second cover being opposite to the first cover in a first direction, the gas supply unit including a first supply part disposed on the upper plate and a second supply part disposed on at least one of the first cover and the second cover.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a substrate processing apparatus is provided. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a first processing chamber having a first internal space, a first opening connected to the first internal space, and a first opening / closing part for opening and closing the first opening; a second processing chamber disposed at a distance from one side of the first processing chamber; a cover module between the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber, and a transfer unit; the cover module includes: a base part having an accommodation space formed to be recessed inwardly from an upper surface of the base part; a cover part disposed on an upper portion of the base part, the cover part including an upper plate; a first cover disposed at a first end of the upper plate to be rotatable in a first rotation direction; and a second cover disposed at a second end of the upper plate to be rotatable in a second rotation direction, the second cover being opposite to the first cover in a first direction, and a gas supply unit including a first supply part disposed on the upper plate and a second supply part disposed on at least one of the first cover and the second cover; the transfer unit is disposed on the base part and is reciprocable in a length direction of the base part between the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber. The cover part can close the upper portion of the base part using the first cover and the second cover to form a transfer space between the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber, and the first cover can be rotated to close one side surface of the transfer space such that an outer end of the first cover contacts the base part, and the second cover can be rotated to close the other side surface of the transfer space such that an outer end of the second cover contacts the base part. The first opening / closing part can be lowered and inserted into the accommodation space to allow the first internal space and the transfer space to communicate with each other. When the first opening / closing part is lowered, the first cover and the second cover can start to rotate to close opposite side surfaces of the base part.

[0010] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a lid module and a substrate processing apparatus including the same can supply nitrogen gas after closing the peripheral portion of the transfer unit before introducing the substrate into the processing chamber, thereby creating an N2 atmosphere. Accordingly, the substrate can be transported in an N2 atmosphere while moving between the processing chambers, thereby preventing the substrate from coming into contact with external gas and moisture included in the external gas until the substrate is supplied to the processing chamber. Accordingly, problems such as damage to the substrate due to contact with moisture and damage to the pattern due to particles included in the external gas can be prevented, thereby minimizing defects in the substrate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 is a top view of a substrate processing apparatus;

[0013] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a view of the substrate processing apparatus in the A-A direction;

[0014] Figure 3 is Figure 1 a view of the substrate processing apparatus in the B-B direction;

[0015] Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a lid module not including a lid portion according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 5 is a perspective view of an open state of a lid module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 6 is Figure 5 a cross-sectional view of the lid module in the I-I' direction;

[0018] Figure 7 is Figure 5 a cross-sectional view of a portion of the lid module in the II-II' direction;

[0019] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a closed state of a lid module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 9 is Figure 8 a cross-sectional view of the lid module in the I-I' direction; and

[0021] Figure 10 is Figure 8Cross-sectional view of a portion of the lid module in the II-II' direction. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

[0022] Hereinafter, preferred exemplary embodiments will be described in detail so that the present disclosure can be easily implemented. When determining that a detailed description of known technology related to the present disclosure may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure, its detailed description will be omitted. In addition, throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for components having similar functions and operations. Further, as used herein, terms such as "upper", "upper portion", "upper surface", "lower", "lower portion", "lower surface", and "side surface" may vary based on the direction in which the elements or components are actually arranged, based on the drawings.

[0023] In addition, it will be understood that "comprises" or "includes" and / or "comprising" or "including" specify the presence of components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of other components.

[0024] Figure 1 is a top view of a substrate processing apparatus, Figure 2 is Figure 1 a view of the substrate processing apparatus in the A-A direction, and Figure 3 is Figure 1 a view of the substrate processing apparatus in the B-B direction.

[0025] Referring Figures 1 to 3 , the substrate processing apparatus 1 may include a load port 100, an index module 200, a buffer module 300, a coating and developing module 400, and a cleaning module 700. The load port 100, the index module 200, the buffer module 300, the coating and developing module 400, and the interface module 600 may be arranged in a row in one direction in sequence. The cleaning module 700 may be disposed in the interface module 600. Alternatively, the cleaning module 700 may be disposed in various positions, such as a position to which an exposure apparatus 800 connected to the rear end of the interface module 600 is connected, or a side portion of the interface module 600. Hereinafter, the direction in which the load port 100, the index module 200, the buffer module 300, the coating and developing module 400, and the interface module 600 are disposed may be referred to as a first direction Y, and the direction perpendicular to the first direction Y may be referred to as a second direction X, and the direction perpendicular to each of the first direction Y and the second direction X may be referred to as a third direction Z.

[0026] The substrate W can be moved while being accommodated in a wafer cassette 20. The wafer cassette 20 can be sealed from the outside. As an example, a front-opening unified pod (FOUP) having a door at its front can be used as the wafer cassette 20.

[0027] Hereinafter, the load port 100, the transfer module 200, the buffer module 300, the coating and developing module 400, the interface module 600, and the cleaning module 700 will be described in detail.

[0028] The load port 100 can have a mounting table 120, on which the wafer cassette 20 accommodating the substrate W is provided. A plurality of mounting tables 120 can be provided, and the mounting tables 120 can be arranged in a row in the second direction X. Figure 1 An example in which four mounting tables 120 are provided is shown, but the number thereof can be changed.

[0029] The transfer module 200 can transfer the substrate W between the wafer cassette 20 provided on the mounting table 120 of the load port 100 and the buffer module 300. The transfer module 200 can include a frame 210, a transfer robot 220, and a guide rail 230.

[0030] The frame 210 can have a rectangular parallelepiped shape having an empty space therein, and can be provided between the load port 100 and the buffer module 300. The frame 210 of the transfer module 200 can have a height lower than the height of the frame 310 of the buffer module 300.

[0031] The transfer robot 220 and the guide rail 230 can be provided in the frame 210. The transfer robot 220 can be arranged such that a hand 221 for directly manipulating the substrate W is movable and rotatable in a first direction Y, a second direction X, and a third direction Z. The transfer robot 220 can include a hand 221, an arm 222, a support 223, and a base 224. The hand 221 can be fixedly mounted on the arm 222. The arm 222 can have a telescopic structure and a rotatable structure. The support 223 can be arranged such that its longitudinal direction is the same as the third direction Z. The arm 222 can be coupled to the support 223 so as to be movable along the support 223. The support 223 can be fixedly coupled to the base 224. The guide rail 230 can be arranged such that its longitudinal direction is the same as the second direction X. The base 224 can be coupled to the guide rail 230 to be linearly movable along the guide rail 230. In addition, although not shown, the frame 210 can further include an opener for opening and closing the door of the wafer cassette 20.

[0032] The buffer module 300 may include a frame 310, a first buffer 320, a second buffer 330, and a cooling chamber 340. The frame 310 may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an empty space therein, and may be disposed between the indexing module 200 and the coating and developing module 400. The first buffer 320, the second buffer 330, and the cooling chamber 340 may be positioned within the frame 310. The cooling chamber 340, the second buffer 330, and the first buffer 320 may be sequentially disposed from the bottom in the third direction Z. The first buffer 320 may be positioned to have a height corresponding to the height of the coating module 401 of the coating and developing module 400, and the second buffer 330 and the cooling chamber 340 may be disposed to have a height corresponding to the height of the developing module 402 of the coating and developing module 400.

[0033] Each of the first buffer 320 and the second buffer 330 may temporarily store a plurality of substrates W. The first buffer 320 may include a housing 321 and a plurality of supports 322. In the first buffer 320, the supports 322 may be disposed within the housing 321 and may be spaced apart from each other in the third direction Z. The second buffer 330 may have a housing 331 and a plurality of supports 332. In the second buffer 330, the supports 332 may be disposed within the housing 331 and may be spaced apart from each other in the third direction Z. One substrate W may be disposed on each of the supports 322 of the first buffer 320 and each of the supports 332 of the second buffer 330. The housing 331 may have an opening in the direction in which the indexing robot 220 is disposed, such that the indexing robot 220 can carry the substrate W into or out of the supports 332 in the housing 331.

[0034] The first buffer 320 may have a structure substantially similar to that of the second buffer 330. However, the housing 321 of the first buffer 320 may have an opening in the direction in which the indexing robot 220 is disposed and in the direction in which the coating part robot 421 (positioned in the coating module 401) is disposed. The number of supports 322 provided in the first buffer 320 may be the same as or different from the number of supports 332 provided in the second buffer 330. According to an example, the number of supports 332 provided in the second buffer 330 may be greater than the number of supports 322 provided in the first buffer 320.

[0035] The cooling chamber 340 can cool the substrate W. The cooling chamber 340 can include a housing 341 and a cooling plate 342. The cooling plate 342 can have an upper surface on which the substrate W is disposed, and a cooling tool 343 for cooling the substrate W. Various methods (such as cooling using a coolant or cooling using a thermocouple) can be used in the cooling tool 343. In addition, the cooling chamber 340 can include a lift pin assembly for positioning the substrate W on the cooling plate 342. The housing 341 can have openings in the direction where the indexing robot 220 is provided and in the direction where the developing part robot (positioned in the developing module 402) is provided, so that the indexing robot 220 and the developing part robot can transport the substrate W into or out of the cooling plate 342. In addition, a door for opening and closing the above openings can be provided in the cooling chamber 340.

[0036] In the above exemplary embodiment, the buffer module 300 has been described as including the cooling chamber 340, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the cooling chamber 340 can be omitted when necessary.

[0037] The coating module 401 can include a process of coating a photosensitive liquid such as photoresist on the substrate W, and heat treatment processes such as heating and cooling the substrate W before and after the resist coating process. The coating module 401 can have a coating chamber 410, a heat treatment chamber section 500, and a transfer chamber 420. For example, the coating chamber 410, the transfer chamber 420, and the heat treatment chamber section 500 can be sequentially provided in the second direction X. That is, with respect to the transfer chamber 420, the coating chamber 410 can be provided on one side of the transfer chamber 420, and the heat treatment chamber section 500 can be provided on the other side of the transfer chamber 420.

[0038] A plurality of coating chambers 410 can be provided in the third direction Z. In addition, as Figure 1 shown, a plurality of coating chambers 410 can be provided, or one coating chamber 410 can be provided in the first direction Y.

[0039] The heat treatment chamber section 500 can include a baking chamber 510 and a cooling chamber 520, and a plurality of baking chambers 510 and a plurality of cooling chambers 520 can be provided in the third direction Z. The transfer chamber 420 can be positioned in the first direction Y parallel to the first buffer 320 of the buffer module 300. A coating part robot 421 and a guide rail 422 can be disposed in the transfer chamber 420. The transfer chamber 420 can have a generally rectangular shape. The coating part robot 421 can transfer the substrate W between the baking chamber 510, the cooling chamber 520, the coating chamber 410, and the first buffer 320 of the buffer module 300.

[0040] The guide rail 422 can be arranged such that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first direction Y. The guide rail 422 can guide the coating part robot 421 to linearly move in the first direction Y. The coating part robot 421 can have a hand 423, an arm 424, a support 425, and a base 426. The hand 423 can be fixedly mounted on the arm 424. The arm 424 can have a telescopic structure such that the hand 423 can move in the horizontal direction. The support 425 can be arranged such that its longitudinal direction is the same as the third direction Z. The arm 424 can be coupled to the support 425 so as to be linearly movable along the support 425 in the third direction Z. The support 425 can be fixedly coupled to the base 426, and the base 426 can be coupled to the guide rail 422 so as to be movable along the guide rail 422.

[0041] All the coating chambers 410 can have the same structure. However, the types of processing liquids used for the coating chambers 410 can be different from each other. The processing liquid used for forming a photoresist film or an antireflection film can be used as the processing liquid.

[0042] The coating chamber 410 can coat the processing liquid on the substrate W. A processing unit including a processing container 411, a support portion 412, and a nozzle portion 413 can be provided in the coating chamber 410.

[0043] As an example, one processing unit can be provided in each coating chamber 410 in the first direction Y, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and two or more processing units can be provided in one coating chamber 410. The processing units can all have the same structure. However, the types of processing liquids used for the processing units can be different from each other. The processing container 411 of the coating chamber 410 can have a shape with an open upper portion. The support portion 412 can be provided in the processing container 411 and can support the substrate W. The support portion 412 can be rotatably provided. The nozzle portion 413 can supply the processing liquid onto the substrate W provided on the support portion 412. The processing liquid can be coated on the substrate W in a spin coating manner. In addition, the coating chamber 410 can also selectively include nozzles (not shown) for supplying a cleaning liquid (such as deionized water (DIW)) to clean the surface of the substrate W on which the processing liquid is coated, and a backflush nozzle (not shown) for cleaning the lower surface of the substrate W.

[0044] In the baking chamber 510, when the substrate W is mounted by the coating part robot 421, the substrate W can be heat-treated. In the baking chamber 510, before coating the processing liquid, a pre-baking process of removing organic substances or moisture from the surface of the substrate W by heating the substrate W to a predetermined temperature can be performed, or after coating the processing liquid on the substrate W, a soft baking process can be performed, and after each heating process, a cooling process of cooling the substrate W can be performed.

[0045] The heating plate 511 may be a support plate on which a substrate W supplied into the baking chamber 510 is supported. The heating plate 511 may include a heating tool.

[0046] The heating tool may heat the substrate W disposed in the baking chamber 510. In this case, the substrate W may be heated in a state where the baking chamber 510 is sealed, and the heating tool may heat the entire area of the substrate W to a uniform temperature. This heat treatment process may stabilize a liquid film formed by coating a treatment liquid onto the substrate W by blowing an organic substance onto the liquid film.

[0047] In addition, the baking chamber 510 may further include a cooling plate (not shown). The cooling plate may receive a coolant from a cooling unit to cool the substrate W, thereby preventing the substrate W from being heated to an excessively high temperature by the heat treatment process. After the heat treatment process is completed, the substrate W may be transported to the cooling chamber 520.

[0048] The cooling chamber 520 may perform a cooling process of cooling the substrate W before coating the treatment liquid. The cooling chamber 520 may include a cooling plate. The cooling plate may include a cooling tool in which various methods (such as cooling using a coolant or cooling using a thermocouple) are used to cool the substrate W.

[0049] The interface module 600 may connect the coating and developing module 400 to an external exposure apparatus 800. The interface module 600 may include an interface frame 610, a first interface buffer 620, a second interface buffer 630, and a transfer robot 640, and when the coating and developing module 400 is terminated, the transfer robot 640 may transfer the substrates transported to the first interface buffer 620 and the second interface buffer 630 to the exposure apparatus 800. The first interface buffer 620 may include a housing 621 and a support 622, and the transfer robot 640 and the coating part robot 421 may carry the substrate W into the support 622 or carry the substrate W out of the support 622.

[0050] Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of a cover module that does not include a cover part according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 is a perspective view of an open state of a cover module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 is Figure 5 a cross-sectional view of the cover module in the I-I' direction. Figure 7 is Figure 5 a cross-sectional view of a part of the cover module in the II-II' direction.

[0051] Reference Figures 4 to 7, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may further include a cover module 900 and a transfer unit 1000.

[0052] The transfer unit 1000 may transfer the substrate W between a plurality of processing chambers provided in the substrate processing apparatus 1. In this case, the transfer unit 1000 may include a transfer portion 1010 and a transport portion 1020.

[0053] The transfer portion 1010 may be provided on the base portion 910 described below so as to be reciprocable. More specifically, the transfer portion 1010 may be provided so as to be reciprocable in the longitudinal direction of the base portion 910. In this case, the longitudinal direction of the base portion 910 may be one of a direction parallel to the first direction Y, a direction parallel to the second direction X, or an inclined direction with respect to the first direction Y. However, for ease of description, the case where the longitudinal direction of the base portion 910 is parallel to the second direction X will be described.

[0054] The transport portion 1020 may hold the substrate W so that the transport portion 1020 can transport the substrate W. The transport portion 1020 may include a first robotic arm 1021 and a second robotic arm 1022 to carry the substrate W out of the processing chambers C10 and C20, or to carry the substrate W into the processing chambers C10 and C20.

[0055] In addition, the transfer portion 1010 may rotate about a rotation axis (not shown) extending in a direction parallel to the third direction Z. The rotational drive of the transfer portion 1010 may be performed by a driving force generated by a driver (not shown) connected to the rotation axis. The rotational drive of the transfer portion 1010 may allow the transport portion 1020 provided on the transfer portion 1010 to rotate in various directions.

[0056] For example, the transfer unit 1000 may be the above-described coating portion robot 421. As another example, the transfer unit 1000 may be a device including a robotic hand provided separately from the coating portion robot 421.

[0057] The cover module 900 may be provided between the processing chambers C10 and C20 adjacent to each other. The cover module 900 may selectively close the space in which the transfer unit 1000 is provided, thereby preventing contact with moisture in the air when transporting the substrate W. In this case, the cover module 900 may include a base portion 910, a cover portion 920, and a supply unit 930.

[0058] The above-described transfer unit 1000 may be provided on the base portion 910. In this case, the base portion 910 may connect some of the plurality of processing chambers included in the substrate processing apparatus 1 to each other.

[0059] In an exemplary embodiment, the base portion 910 may be disposed between the first processing chamber C10 and the second processing chamber C20 (two adjacent processing chambers). In this case, the base portion 910 may connect one side surface of the first processing chamber C10 and one side surface of the second processing chamber C20 to each other. In this case, one side surface of the first processing chamber C10 and one side surface of the second processing chamber C20 may be arranged to face each other in the second direction X.

[0060] In the first processing chamber C10, some of the processes of the substrate processing process performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be executed. For example, the first processing chamber C10 may be one of the baking chamber 510, the cooling chamber 520, and the coating chamber 410, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In this case, the first processing chamber C10 may include a first internal space A20, a first opening C11, and a first opening / closing portion C12.

[0061] In the first internal space A20, a heating device, a cooling device, or a coating device for performing a process of processing the substrate W may be provided. The first internal space A20 may communicate with the outside through the first opening C11.

[0062] The first opening / closing portion C12 may be a door configured to open and close the first opening C11. For example, the first opening / closing portion C12 may reciprocate in the third direction Z to selectively open or close the first opening C11.

[0063] In the second processing chamber C20, a different type of processing process from the processing process of the first processing chamber C10 may be executed. In this case, the second processing chamber C20 may include a second internal space (not shown), a second opening (not shown) connected to the second internal space (not shown) to allow the second internal space to communicate with the outside, and a second opening / closing portion (not shown) for opening and closing the second opening (not shown), and its specific features may be the same as or similar to those of the first processing chamber C10.

[0064] As another example, at least one of the first processing chamber C10 and the second processing chamber C20 may be a chamber including a buffer module 300 for temporarily storing the substrate W before starting the substrate processing process.

[0065] The base portion 910 may have a height lower than the heights of the first processing chamber C10 and the second processing chamber C20. Therefore, when the first processing chamber C10 and the second processing chamber C20 are connected to the base portion 910 inserted between the first processing chamber C10 and the second processing chamber C20, the base portion 910 may have a shape similar to the shape of "C" in a side view.

[0066] The base portion 910 may have a receiving space 911. The receiving space 911 may have a concave shape that extends from the upper surface of the base portion 910 toward the interior of the base portion 910 in the downward direction -Z. The first opening / closing portion C12 of the first processing chamber C10 may be selectively inserted into the receiving space 911. When the second opening / closing portion is provided in the second processing chamber C20, a receiving space (not shown) into which the second opening / closing portion can be selectively inserted may also be provided therein.

[0067] The cover portion 920 may cover the peripheral portion of the transport unit 1000 provided on the base portion 910. The cover portion 920 may include an upper plate 921, a first cover 922, and a second cover 923. When the first cover 922 and the second cover 923 are closed, the cover portion 920 may form a transport space A10 around the upper region of the base portion 910 together with the upper surface of the base portion 910.

[0068] The upper plate 921 may be provided on the upper portion of the base portion 910. More specifically, the upper plate 921 may be provided on the upper side of the first opening / closing portion C12. As an example, the upper plate 921 may be a plate having a cross-section that is the same as or similar to the cross-section of the upper surface of the base portion 910. In this case, the upper plate 921 may have the same length as the base portion 910. The upper plate 921 may have the same width as the base portion 910, or may have a width that is narrower than the width of the base portion 910.

[0069] The first cover 922 and the second cover 923 may be respectively provided at opposite side ends of the upper plate 921. In this case, the opposite side ends of the upper plate 921 may be opposite ends provided in the first direction Y (i.e., the width direction Y of the base portion 910). For ease of description, the opposite side ends of the upper plate 921 are respectively referred to as the first end and the second end. The upper plate 921 may be formed to have a width that is narrower than the width of the base portion 910.

[0070] The first cover 922 may be provided at the first end of the upper plate 921. The first cover 922 may open and close one side portion of the transport space A10. In this case, one side portion of the transport space A10 may be opposite side portions that are formed opposite to each other in the width direction Y of the transport space A10, and the opposite side portions may be respectively opened and closed by the first cover 922 and the second cover 923.

[0071] The first cover 922 may have a shape corresponding to a side portion of the transportation space A10. As an example, a side portion of the transportation space A10 may be a rectangular opening area. In this case, the first cover 922 may be provided as a plate having the same cross-sectional shape and size as the cross-sectional shape and size of a side portion of the transportation space A10.

[0072] In an exemplary embodiment, the first cover 922 may be connected to the first end of the upper plate 921 by a rotating member M. In this case, the first cover 922 may rotate in a first rotation direction R1 about a virtual first central axis (not shown) that extends along a second direction X (i.e., the length direction X of the upper plate 921) and passes through the center of the rotating member M.

[0073] The rotating member M may use any rotatable method, such as rotation by a hinge or the like. In addition, a driver (not shown) may be connected to the rotating member M to provide a driving force for allowing the first cover 922 to rotate. The driver may use various methods including, for example, a hydraulic cylinder method, a rotating motor method, etc.

[0074] The second cover 923 may be provided at the second end of the upper plate 921. The second cover 923 may open and close another side portion of the transportation space A10. In this case, another side portion of the transportation space A10 may be another side portion of the opposite side portion of the transportation space A10 and may be provided to be opposite to the side portion to which the first cover 922 is connected in the width direction Y.

[0075] The second cover 923 may have a shape corresponding to the shape of another side portion of the transportation space A10. For example, when another side portion of the transportation space A10 is a rectangular opening area, the second cover 923 may be a plate having the same cross-sectional shape and size as the cross-sectional shape and size of another side portion of the transportation space A10 so as to correspond thereto.

[0076] In an exemplary embodiment, the second cover 923 may be connected to the second end of the upper plate 921 by a rotating member M. In this case, the second cover 923 may rotate in a second rotation direction R2 about a virtual second central axis (not shown) that extends in the length direction X of the upper plate 921 and passes through the center of the rotating member M. In this case, the second rotation direction R2 may be a direction opposite to the first rotation direction R1 of the first cover 922.

[0077] The rotating member M can be rotated using any rotatable method, such as rotation through a hinge or the like. In addition, a driver (not shown) can be connected to the rotating member M. The driver can be configured to provide a driving force for allowing the second cover 923 to rotate, and for example, as described above, various methods such as a hydraulic cylinder method, a rotary motor method, etc. can be used.

[0078] The supply unit 930 can supply gas to the transport space A10. The supplied gas can be dry air or nitrogen with a small moisture content. Hereinafter, for ease of description, the case where the gas is nitrogen will be mainly described. Nitrogen can be supplied by the supply unit 930 to prevent the substrate W transported by the transport unit 1000 from coming into contact with moisture in the transport space A10. In this case, the supply unit 930 can include a first supply portion 931 and a second supply portion 932.

[0079] The first supply portion 931 can be provided on the upper plate 921 of the cover portion 920. As Figure 6 and Figure 7 shown, the first supply line L10 can be connected to the first supply portion 931. The first supply line L10 can supply nitrogen supplied from a gas supply device (not shown) to the first supply portion 931. The first supply portion 931 is shown having a rectangular shape, but the shape and size of the first supply portion 931 can be changed.

[0080] A plurality of first supply portions 931 can be provided. The plurality of first supply portions 931 can be provided on the upper plate 921 in a distributed manner. The first supply line L10 can be connected to each of the plurality of first supply portions 931. In this case, the first supply line L10 can be connected to the above-mentioned gas supply device to receive nitrogen.

[0081] The plurality of first supply portions 931 can be arranged in various shapes. For example, as shown in the drawings, the plurality of first supply portions 931 can be arranged on the upper plate 921 to have a lattice shape. Since the first supply portions 931 are uniformly provided over the entire upper plate 921, nitrogen can be uniformly supplied to all regions of the transport space A10.

[0082] The second supply portion 932 can be provided on at least one of the first cover 922 and the second cover 923. As an example, the second supply portion 932 can be provided on both the first cover 922 and the second cover 923. As another example, the second supply portion 932 can be provided only on one of the first cover 922 and the second cover 923.

[0083] As Figure 6As shown, the second supply line L20 can be connected to the second supply section 932. The second supply line L20 can supply nitrogen gas supplied from a gas supply device (not shown) to the first supply section 931. In this case, the second supply line L20 can be connected to the same gas supply device as the gas supply device of the first supply line L10, but can also be connected to a gas supply device different from the gas supply device of the first supply line L10. The second supply section 932 is shown to have a rectangular shape, but the shape and size of the second supply section 932 can be changed.

[0084] A plurality of second supply sections 932 can be provided. The plurality of second supply sections 932 can be provided in a distributed manner on the first cover 922 and the second cover 923. The second supply line L20 can be connected to each of the plurality of second supply sections 932. In this case, the second supply line L20 can be connected to the above gas supply device to receive nitrogen gas.

[0085] The plurality of second supply sections 932 can be arranged in various shapes. For example, as shown in the drawings, the plurality of second supply sections 932 can be arranged on each of the first cover 922 and the second cover 923 to have a lattice shape. Since the second supply sections 932 are uniformly provided over the entire first cover 922 and the second cover 923, when the first cover 922 and the second cover 923 are closed, nitrogen gas can be uniformly supplied to the transport space A10 over the entire height of the transport space A10 in the third direction Z.

[0086] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a closed state of a cover module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 9 is Figure 8 a cross-sectional view of the cover module in the I-I' direction. Figure 10 is Figure 8 a cross-sectional view of a part of the cover module in the II-II' direction.

[0087] Reference Figures 8 to 10 , when the transport unit 1000 transports the substrate W to the first processing chamber C10, the first opening C11 of the first processing chamber C10 can be opened by the first opening / closing part C12. In this case, the opening of the first opening C11 can be performed in such a way that the first opening / closing part C12 descends and is inserted into the accommodation space 911 of the base part 910.

[0088] In addition, when the first opening / closing part C12 starts to descend, the first cover 922 and the second cover 923 can rotate in the first rotation direction R1 and the second rotation direction R2, respectively, to close the opposite side portions of the transportation space A10. In this case, the first cover 922 can rotate in the first rotation direction R1 until the outer end of the first cover 922 contacts the upper surface of the base portion 910. Thus, one side portion of the transportation space A10 can be closed. In addition, the second cover 923 can rotate in the second rotation direction R2 until the outer end of the second cover 923 contacts the upper surface of the base portion 910. Thus, the other side portion of the transportation space A10 can be closed.

[0089] The base portion 910 may further include a sealing member (not shown). In this case, when the first cover 922 and the second cover 923 are closed, the sealing member can be disposed on each of the portions of the upper surface of the base portion 910 that contact the outer end portion of the first cover 922 and the outer end portion of the second cover 923. Due to the sealing member, when the cover portion 920 closes the transportation space A10, the space between the first cover 922 and the second cover 923 and the base portion 910 can be more firmly sealed.

[0090] In an exemplary embodiment, the upper plate 921 can be configured to rise and fall above the base portion 910. More specifically, the upper plate 921 can rise and fall at a position higher than the position of the first opening / closing part C12 (or the first opening / closing part C12 and the second opening / closing part (not shown)). In this case, when the first opening / closing part C12 starts to descend as described above, the upper plate 921 of the cover portion 920 can also descend a predetermined distance, and then the first cover 922 and the second cover 923 can be rotatably driven. The distance by which the upper plate 921 descends can be the same as or similar to the distance by which the opening / closing part (i.e., the first opening / closing part C12 and the second opening / closing part (not shown)) descends. In another exemplary embodiment, the position of the upper plate 921 can be fixed. In this case, the upper plate 921 can be directly fixedly mounted above the first opening / closing part C12 (or the first opening / closing part C12 and the second opening / closing part (not shown)). In this case, the upper plate 921 can be maintained in a fixed state in the third direction Z, and only the first cover 922 and the second cover 923 can be rotatably driven.

[0091] As described above, the opposite side portions of the transportation space A10 can be covered by the first cover 922 and the second cover 923 that are arranged to face each other, so that the transportation space A10 can be separated from the outside and closed, thereby preventing air other than the gas supplied by the supply unit 930 and moisture included in the air from flowing into the transportation space A10 from the outside of the transportation space A10.

[0092] The process of opening or closing the transport space A10 by the lid module 900 according to the above exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be as follows.

[0093] First, when the transport unit 1000 disposed on the base portion 910 is not transporting the substrate W, the opening / closing portions of the processing chambers C10 and C20 may be in a state where the openings of the processing chambers C10 and C20 are closed therein. That is, the first opening C11 of the first processing chamber C10 may be closed by the first opening / closing portion C12, and the second opening (not shown) of the second processing chamber C20 may be closed by the second opening / closing portion (not shown). Accordingly, the first internal space A20 of the first processing chamber C10 and the second internal space (not shown) of the second processing chamber C20 may be separated from the transport space A10 without being in communication with the transport space A10. In this case, the substrate W may be disposed in the second internal space of the second processing chamber C20, and the first internal space A20 of the first processing chamber C10 may be in a state where the substrate W is not supplied therein.

[0094] Even before starting the transport of the substrate W as described above, the first supply portion 931 may supply nitrogen gas to the transport space A10. For example, the supply of nitrogen gas through the first supply portion 931 may start immediately before opening the second opening / closing portion of the second processing chamber C20. As another example, the supply of nitrogen gas through the first supply portion 931 may start immediately after completing the process of processing the substrate W performed in the second processing chamber C20. As another example, the first supply portion 931 may continuously supply nitrogen gas while performing the entire substrate processing process performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0095] Subsequently, when the substrate processing process is completed in the second processing chamber C20 where the process of processing the substrate W is performed, or when the substrate W is moved into the second processing chamber C20 including the first buffer 320 and the second buffer 330, the second opening may be opened by lowering the second opening / closing portion. In this case, the first opening / closing portion C12 may be opened simultaneously or sequentially lowered to open the first opening C11.

[0096] When the first opening / closing part C12 or the second opening / closing part starts to descend, the first cover 922 and the second cover 923 of the cover part 920 can rotate to close the opposite side parts of the transport space A10. In this case, the first supply part 931 can supply nitrogen as described above, and the second supply part 932 can supply nitrogen into the transport space A10 after the rotation operation of the first cover 922 and the second cover 923 is completed. In a state where the transport space A10 is sealed by the cover part 920, nitrogen can be supplied into the transport space A10 through the first supply part 931 from the upper part of the transport space A10 and through the second supply part 932 from the opposite side part of the transport space A10.

[0097] Subsequently, the transport unit 1000 can move in the second direction X to the second processing chamber C20, grip the substrate W, and then rotate to move in the opposite direction to the first processing chamber C10. In this process, the transport unit 1000 can at least partially pass through the first opening C11 and transport the substrate W into the first internal space A20. When the transport unit 1000 transports the substrate W, the supply unit 930 can continuously supply nitrogen. Therefore, when the substrate W is transported between the processing chambers C10 and C20, the substrate W can be prevented from coming into contact with moisture included in the external air.

[0098] Subsequently, when the transportation of the substrate W into the first processing chamber C10 is completed and the transport unit 1000 returns to its initial position, the first opening / closing part C12 can rise again in the third direction Z to close the first opening C11. When the first opening C11 is completely closed, the second supply part 932 can stop supplying nitrogen. Thereafter, the first cover 922 and the second cover 923 can rotate again to return to their initial positions parallel to the upper plate 921.

[0099] As described above, a plurality of cover modules 900 can be provided. The plurality of cover modules 900 can be respectively provided between the processing chambers of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and between the processing chamber and the buffer module 300 to prevent the substrate W from coming into contact with moisture when being transported.

[0100] As described above, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the lid module 900 and the substrate processing apparatus 1 including the same may supply nitrogen gas after closing the peripheral portion of the transfer unit 1000 before introducing the substrate W into the processing chambers C10 and C20, thereby creating an N2 atmosphere. Accordingly, the substrate W may be transported in the N2 atmosphere while being moved between the processing chambers C10 and C20, thereby preventing the substrate W from coming into contact with external gas and moisture included in the external gas until the substrate W is supplied to the first processing chamber C10. Accordingly, problems such as damage to the substrate W due to contact with moisture and damage to the pattern due to particles included in the external gas may be prevented, thereby minimizing defects in the substrate W.

[0101] Although the exemplary embodiments have been shown and described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. Cover module, including: Basic part; A cover portion, arranged on the upper portion of the base portion, the cover portion comprising: upper plate; A first cover provided at a first end of the upper plate to be openable and closable; and a second cover provided at a second end of the upper plate to be openable and closable, and The gas supply unit includes a first supply portion provided on the upper plate and a second supply portion provided on at least one of the first cover and the second cover.

2. The cover module according to claim 1, wherein: The first cover and the second cover are disposed opposite to each other.

3. The cover module according to claim 1, wherein: The first cover is rotatably connected to the first end of the upper plate in a first rotational direction, and the second cover is rotatably connected to the second end of the upper plate in a second rotational direction.

4. The cover module according to claim 3, wherein: The first cover rotates in the first rotation direction so that an outer end of the first cover contacts the base portion, and the second cover rotates in the second rotation direction so that an outer end of the second cover contacts the base portion.

5. The cover module according to claim 1, wherein: The upper plate rises and falls above the base portion.

6. The cover module according to claim 1, wherein: providing a plurality of said first supplying parts, and The plurality of first supply parts are disposed on the upper plate in a distributed manner.

7. The cover module according to claim 1, wherein: providing a plurality of said second supply parts, and The plurality of second supply parts are provided in a distributed manner on the first cover and the second cover.

8. Substrate processing equipment, including: a first processing chamber having a first internal space, a first opening connected to the first internal space, and a first opening / closing portion that opens and closes the first opening; A cover module is disposed on one side of the first processing chamber, and the cover module includes: Basic part; A cover portion, arranged on the upper portion of the base portion, the cover portion comprising: upper plate; A first cover provided at a first end of the upper plate to be openable and closable; and a second cover provided at a second end of the upper plate to be openable and closable, the second cover being opposite to the first cover in a first direction, and The gas supply unit includes a first supply portion provided on the upper plate and a second supply portion provided on at least one of the first cover and the second cover.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: The transport unit is disposed on the base portion so as to be capable of reciprocating in the second direction.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: The cover portion closes the upper portion of the base portion using the first cover and the second cover to form a transport space.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The first cover is rotatably connected to the first end of the upper plate in a first rotational direction, and the second cover is rotatably connected to the second end of the upper plate in a second rotational direction.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: The first cover rotates in the first rotation direction to close one side surface of the transport space so that an outer end of the first cover contacts the base portion, and the second cover rotates in the second rotation direction to close the other side surface of the transport space so that an outer end of the second cover contacts the base portion.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: The upper plate has a width narrower than a width of the base portion.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: The upper plate rises and falls above the first opening / closing portion.

15. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: providing a plurality of the first supply parts and a plurality of the second supply parts, and The plurality of first supply parts are disposed in a distributed manner on the upper plate, and the plurality of second supply parts are disposed in a distributed manner on the first cover and the second cover.

16. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The base portion has a receiving space formed to be recessed inwardly from an upper surface of the base portion.

17. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein: The first opening / closing portion is lowered and inserted into the accommodation space to allow the first internal space and the transportation space to communicate with each other.

18. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein: When the first opening / closing portion descends, the first cover and the second cover rotate to close the opposing side surfaces of the base portion.

19. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: the first supplying part supplies nitrogen gas into the transport space before the first cover and the second cover close the opposite side surfaces of the transport space, and The second supply part supplies nitrogen gas into the transportation space when the first cover and the second cover close the opposing side surfaces of the transportation space.

20. A substrate processing device comprising: a first processing chamber having a first internal space, a first opening connected to the first internal space, and a first opening / closing portion that opens and closes the first opening; a second processing chamber disposed to be spaced apart from one side of the first processing chamber; A cover module, between the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber, the cover module comprising: a base portion having a receiving space formed to be recessed inwardly from an upper surface of the base portion; A cover portion, arranged on the upper portion of the base portion, the cover portion comprising: upper plate; A first cover disposed at a first end of the upper plate to be rotatable in a first rotation direction; and a second cover provided at a second end of the upper plate to be rotatable in a second rotation direction, the second cover being opposite to the first cover in the first direction, and A gas supply unit including a first supply portion provided on the upper plate and a second supply portion provided on at least one of the first cover and the second cover; and a transport unit, disposed on the base portion, and capable of reciprocating between the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber in a length direction of the base portion, wherein the cover portion closes the upper portion of the base portion using the first cover and the second cover to form a transport space between the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber, and the first cover rotates to close one side surface of the transport space so that an outer end of the first cover contacts the base portion, and the second cover rotates to close the other side surface of the transport space so that an outer end of the second cover contacts the base portion, the first opening / closing portion descends and is inserted into the accommodation space to allow the first internal space and the transportation space to communicate with each other, and When the first opening / closing portion descends, the first cover and the second cover start rotating to close the opposite side surfaces of the base portion.

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