Substrate transport module and method for manufacturing substrate transport module

Abstract

The invention provides a substrate conveying module and a manufacturing method of the substrate conveying module. Provided is a technique for suppressing emission of contaminants from bricks for moving a transport body for transporting a substrate in a vacuum atmosphere by magnetic suspension in a substrate transport module of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing the surface of the substrate. A substrate transport module, which constitutes a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing a substrate and transports the substrate in a transport space as a vacuum atmosphere, is provided with a chamber that constitutes the transport space and has a floor on which a plurality of bricks are provided, each of the plurality of bricks being provided with an electromagnet. And an electromagnet for forming a magnetic field that acts on a magnet provided on a transport body for transporting the substrate in the transport space and moves the transport body in a suspended state, a cover film for suppressing emission of contaminants from members constituting the brick is formed on at least the surface of the brick in contact with the transport space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate transfer module and a method of manufacturing the substrate transfer module. Background Art

[0002] For example, in a substrate processing apparatus that processes a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter also referred to as a "wafer") as a substrate, the wafer is transferred between a carrier that houses the wafer and a substrate processing chamber that performs processing. When transferring the wafer, a substrate transfer mechanism having various structures is used. The applicant has been continuously developing a substrate processing apparatus that uses a substrate transfer body utilizing magnetic levitation to transfer a substrate.

[0003] As a magnetic levitation technique, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a displacement device having: a stator having a coil; and a movable stage having a magnet array that can support a semiconductor wafer. Also, a technique for arranging the magnet array for relatively moving the movable stage with respect to the stator is described.

[0004] Prior Art Documents

[0005] Patent Documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-531189 Summary of the Invention

[0007] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] The present disclosure provides the following technique: in a substrate transfer module of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that processes the surface of a substrate, contamination substances are suppressed from being released from bricks used to move a transfer body that transfers a substrate in a vacuum atmosphere by magnetic levitation.

[0009] Solutions to the Problems

[0010] The substrate transfer module of the present disclosure constitutes a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that processes a substrate, and is used to transfer the substrate in a transfer space that is a vacuum atmosphere. Among them,

[0011] The substrate transfer module includes a chamber that constitutes the transfer space and has a floor provided with bricks. The bricks include electromagnets that form a magnetic field acting on magnets provided on a transfer body to move the transfer body in a suspended state. The transfer body is used to transfer the substrate in the transfer space.

[0012] A covering film that suppresses the release of contamination substances from the members constituting the bricks is formed on at least the surface of the bricks that contacts the transfer space.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to the present disclosure, in a substrate transfer module of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that processes the surface of a substrate, it is possible to suppress the release of contaminants from bricks that use magnetic levitation to move a transfer body that transfers a substrate in a vacuum atmosphere. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 is a plan view showing a structural example of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 is a perspective three-dimensional view showing a transfer body and a floor according to an embodiment.

[0017] Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the transfer body.

[0018] Figure 4 is a partial exploded view of the floor.

[0019] Figure 5 is an enlarged view of a coil unit provided on the floor.

[0020] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram showing a film forming apparatus.

[0021] Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a brick showing a modification example of the present embodiment.

[0022] Figure 8 is a plan view showing a method of installing a brick of a modification example.

[0023] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0024] S1, transfer space; W, wafer; 1, substrate transfer module; 3, floor; 12, outer housing; 30, frame; 31, opening; 40, brick; 45, covering film; 47, first coil; 48, second coil; 70, transfer body; 79, permanent magnet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] <SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS>

[0026] Hereinafter, with reference to Figure 1 , an embodiment of the substrate transfer module 1 of the present disclosure that constitutes a semiconductor processing apparatus (hereinafter, also referred to as "substrate processing apparatus") will be described. Figure 1 is a plan view showing a structural example of a substrate processing apparatus including a substrate transfer module according to the present embodiment. As Figure 1 shown, the substrate transfer module 1 constitutes, for example, a multi-chamber type substrate processing apparatus 2 including a plurality of processing containers 11 capable of performing various processes on a substrate W that is a wafer. Further, the substrate transfer module 1 transfers the substrate W to a desired processing container 11 to process the substrate W.

[0027] When explaining the substrate transfer module 1, it will be described from the overall structure of the substrate processing apparatus 2. The substrate processing apparatus 2 is installed in a clean room of a semiconductor device manufacturing factory. As Figure 1 shown, the substrate processing apparatus 2 includes an atmospheric transfer chamber 61, a load lock chamber 62, a housing 12 as a chamber, and a plurality of processing containers 11, and these components are arranged in sequence in the horizontal direction from the side of the atmospheric transfer chamber 61. In the substrate processing apparatus 2 of this example, the processing container 11 is configured to process the substrate W in a vacuum atmosphere, and the transfer space S1 of the substrate W formed in the housing 12 becomes a vacuum atmosphere.

[0028] Hereinafter, in the description of the entire substrate processing apparatus 2, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system described together in each figure will be used. In this coordinate system, the XY direction is set in the horizontal plane. And, the Figure 1 Y direction in is called the front-rear direction, and the X direction is called the left-right direction. When observing the atmospheric transfer chamber 61 and the housing 12 arranged along the front-rear direction, the direction in which the housing 12 is arranged is set as the depth side (rear side), and the direction in which the atmospheric transfer chamber 61 is arranged is set as the near front side (front side). In addition, the vertical direction is set as the Z direction.

[0029] A loading port 63 is provided on the near front side of the atmospheric transfer chamber 61. The loading port 63 is configured as a mounting table for mounting a carrier C that houses the substrate W to be processed, and for example, 4 are arranged in the left-right direction. As the carrier C, for example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) or the like can be used. The atmospheric transfer chamber 61 becomes an atmospheric pressure (normal pressure) atmosphere, and for example, a downward flow of clean air is formed. In addition, inside the atmospheric transfer chamber 61, for example, a transfer mechanism 66 composed of an articulated arm is provided, and is configured to transfer the substrate W between the carrier C and the load lock chamber 62.

[0030] Between the atmospheric transfer chamber 61 and the housing 12, for example, two load lock chambers 62 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The load lock chamber 62 is configured to be able to switch between an atmospheric pressure atmosphere and a vacuum atmosphere, and has a transfer stage 67 for mounting the substrate W and a lift pin 68 that jacks up and holds the substrate W from below. For example, 3 lift pins 68 are provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the held substrate W, and are configured to be able to move up and down freely. The lift pin 69 described later is also configured in the same way. Between the load lock chamber 62 and the atmospheric transfer chamber 61, and between the load lock chamber 62 and the housing 12, they are respectively configured to be opened and closed freely by gate valves G1, G2.

[0031] As Figure 1As shown, the outer casing 12 is formed to be long in the front-rear direction and has a rectangular shape when viewed from above. The bottom inside the outer casing 12 is configured as a floor 3, and a conveyance space S1 for the substrate W is formed above the floor 3 inside the outer casing 12. A vacuum exhaust mechanism 14 is provided in the outer casing 12, and the upstream end of the vacuum exhaust path connected to the vacuum exhaust mechanism 14 opens inside the outer casing 12 to reduce the pressure so that the conveyance space S1 becomes a vacuum atmosphere. Four processing containers 11 are connected to each of the left and right side wall portions 15 of the outer casing 12 in this example, for a total of eight. In the side wall portion 15, an opening 16 for conveying the substrate W to each processing container 11 is formed, and each opening 16 is configured to be opened and closed freely by a gate valve G3. The substrate W is fed in and out between the outer casing 12 and the processing containers 11 via these openings 16.

[0032] Each processing container 11 is depressurized to a vacuum atmosphere by a vacuum exhaust mechanism (not shown). A mounting table 17 is provided inside each processing container 11, and a prescribed process is performed on the substrate W while it is mounted on the mounting table 17. Examples of the process performed on the substrate W include an etching process, a film forming process, an annealing process, an ashing process, etc. A processing module for performing such a process is provided in each processing container 11. Therefore, in each processing container 11, in addition to the mounting table 17, there may be provided a heater for temperature adjustment of the mounting table 17, a gas supply unit such as a shower head for supplying a processing gas into the processing container 11, etc. Further, there may be provided a group of gas flow-through devices such as valves for introducing gas into the gas supply unit, valves, pumps, etc. for exhausting the inside of the processing container 11 in each processing container 11.

[0033] For example, in the case of processing the substrate W using a processing gas, a gas supply unit and an exhaust mechanism composed of a shower head, etc. are provided in the processing container 11. In the case of performing a heat treatment on the substrate W, an exhaust mechanism and a heater are provided. In addition, these exhaust mechanisms, heaters, and gas supply units are omitted from the illustration. Further, lift pins 69 for performing the transfer of the substrate W being fed in and out are provided on the mounting table 17.

[0034] A conveyance body 70 for conveying the substrate W is disposed inside the outer casing 12. As Figure 1 shown, the conveyance body 70 includes a main body portion 71 configured to be used while being disposed on the floor 3. In the main body portion 71 of this example, a substrate holding portion 72 for holding the substrate W to be conveyed horizontally is provided. The substrate holding portion 72 is provided to protrude in the horizontal direction from the main body portion 71.

[0035] Figure 2It is a perspective three-dimensional view of the bottom surface of the main body 71 of the conveyor 70 and the inside of the floor 3, showing the upper part of the main body 71 of the conveyor 70 and the upper surface part of the brick 40 of the floor 3 described later. The conveyor 70 is configured to be able to move laterally in a state of being suspended from the ground 3S (the upper surface of the floor 3) by the repulsive force of the magnet unit 74 provided on the bottom surface of the main body 71 and many electromagnets provided on the floor 3, which will be described in detail later. It is configured to prevent the generation of dust by the suspended movement of such a conveyor 70 and to maintain the conveyance space S1 at a high cleanliness level.

[0036] In addition, the lateral movement mentioned here includes not only the case where the conveyor 70 moves in the front-rear direction (Y direction) or the left-right direction (X direction) on the floor, but also the case of inclined progressive movement and the case of rotational movement around the vertical axis at its position. In addition, the height at which the conveyor 70 is suspended from the ground 3S can also be changed. Therefore, the conveyor 70 can also move in the vertical direction.

[0037] As Figure 1 shown, for example, the tip of the substrate holding part 72 is configured as a fork 73 that can be arranged so as to sandwich the area where three lifting pins 68 and 69 are provided from both sides. The substrate holding part 72 is configured, for example, to open the gate valve G3 and insert it into the processing container 11 through the opening 16 in a state where the main body 71 is located inside the outer casing 12, so that the length of the substrate W can be transferred to the mounting table 17.

[0038] In addition, the length in the short side direction of the outer casing 12 having a rectangular shape when viewed from above is sized such that the two conveyors 70 holding the substrate W can pass through in a staggered manner in a state of being arranged side by side. In this example, a plurality of conveyors 70 provided inside the outer casing 12 are used to convey the substrate W.

[0039] <Control unit>

[0040] Moreover, the substrate processing apparatus 2 includes a control unit 5. The control unit 5 is composed of a computer having a CPU and a storage unit, and controls each part of the substrate processing apparatus 2. Programs are recorded in the storage unit, and a set of steps (instructions) for controlling the operations of the processing container 11 and the like in various processing steps are incorporated into these programs. These programs are stored, for example, in storage media such as a hard disk, an optical disk, a memory card, and a non-volatile memory, and are loaded from them into the computer. In addition, a program for controlling the wafer transfer operation of the conveyor 70 and a program related to the decompression operation for making the conveyance space S1 into a preset vacuum atmosphere are stored in the storage unit.

[0041] <Transfer operation>

[0042] Next, an example of the transfer operation of the substrate W in the substrate processing apparatus 2 having the above structure will be described. First, the carrier C containing the substrate W to be processed is placed on the loading port 63. Then, using the transfer mechanism 66 in the atmospheric transfer chamber 61, the substrate W is taken out from the carrier C, sent into the load lock chamber 62, and the substrate W is transferred to the stage 67 by the cooperation with the lift pins 68. After that, when the transfer mechanism 66 retracts from the load lock chamber 62, the gate valve G1 is closed, and the atmosphere in the load lock chamber 62 is switched from the atmospheric atmosphere to the vacuum atmosphere.

[0043] After the load lock chamber 62 becomes a vacuum atmosphere, the gate valve G2 is opened. At this time, inside the outer casing 12, near the connection position of the load lock chamber 62, the transfer body 70 stands by in a posture facing the load lock chamber 62. Then, as will be described later, the transfer body 70 is lifted by magnetic levitation.

[0044] Next, the substrate holding portion 72 of the transfer body 70 is inserted into the load lock chamber 62, and the substrate W is received from the stage 67 by the fork 73 of the substrate holding portion 72 with the help of the lift pins 68. Next, the substrate holding portion 72 holding the substrate W is withdrawn from the load lock chamber 62. The transfer body 70 is retracted to the side position of the processing container 11 where the substrate W is processed, and the top side of the substrate holding portion 72 holding the substrate W is arranged on the side of the gate valve G3.

[0045] After the top side of the substrate holding portion 72 reaches the side of the gate valve G3 in this way, the gate valve G3 is opened, and the main body portion 71 rotates, retracts, and advances appropriately, so that the fork 73 enters the processing container 11 and the substrate W reaches above the mounting table 17. Then, the substrate W is transferred to the mounting table 17 with the help of the lift pins 69, and the transfer body 70 is retracted from the processing container 11. Further, after closing the gate valve G3, the processing of the substrate W is started.

[0046] In this process, the substrate W placed on the mounting table 17 is heated as needed to a preset temperature, and when a processing gas supply portion is provided, the processing gas is supplied into the processing container 11. In this way, the desired processing is performed on the substrate W. After the processing of the substrate W is performed for a preset period, the heating of the substrate W is stopped, and when the processing gas is used, the supply is stopped.

[0047] After that, the substrate W is transferred in the reverse order of the feeding, and the substrate W is returned from the processing container 11 to the load lock chamber 62. Further, after switching the atmosphere in the load lock chamber 62 to the atmospheric pressure atmosphere, the substrate W in the load lock chamber 62 is taken out by the transfer mechanism 66 on the side of the atmospheric transfer chamber 61 and returned to the specified carrier C.

[0048] Hereinafter, the structure of the substrate transfer module 1 will be described in detail. As described above, the substrate transfer module 1 is composed of an outer housing 12 and a vacuum exhaust mechanism 14. The outer housing 12 forms a transfer space S1 for transferring the substrate W using the transfer body 70, and the vacuum exhaust mechanism 14 exhausts the transfer space S1 to create a vacuum atmosphere. The bottom of the outer housing 12 is configured as a floor 3 provided with a plurality of electromagnets. As described above, since the substrate processing apparatus 2 is installed in a clean room, the outside of the outer housing 12 is an atmospheric atmosphere. The space of the atmospheric atmosphere outside the outer housing 12 is referred to as an external space 100. As will be described later, the atmosphere of the transfer space S1 and the atmosphere of the external space 100 are separated by the floor 3, and the transfer space S1 is configured to have high airtightness. In the transfer space S1, the above-described substrate W is transferred in a vacuum atmosphere of, for example, 300 Pa or less.

[0049] <Transfer body>

[0050] Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional side view when viewed along the Figure 2 indicated A-A' line, showing the magnet unit 74 and the brick 40 provided on the floor 3 and including an electromagnet. As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the main body 71 of the transfer body 70 is configured to have a square shape in plan view, for example, and the bottom surface of the main body 71 is in a state opposite to the floor 3. In Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the following state is shown: the main body 71 is arranged on the floor 3 such that the four sides forming the periphery of the main body 71 are parallel to the X direction and the Y direction, respectively, and the substrate holding portion 72 extends in the Y direction. The arrangement of the transfer body 70 can be arbitrarily changed, but for the sake of facilitating the description of the structure, the transfer body 70 is made to have the Figure 2 shown arrangement to describe the magnet unit 74 of the transfer body 70.

[0051] <Magnet unit>

[0052] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 illustrated, each magnet unit 74 is a plate-like body having a rectangular shape in plan view and configured to be the same as each other, and is composed of a plurality of magnets, as will be described in detail later. These magnet units 74 extend along the horizontal direction, and the long sides of each are arranged along the four sides of the outer edge of the main body 71. In adjacent magnet units 74, the end portion in the length direction of one magnet unit 74 is located on the extension line in the length direction of the other magnet unit 74. With such an arrangement, the four magnet units 74 are configured as an annular body and arranged in a rotationally symmetric manner about the Z axis.

[0053] In Figure 2Among them, the two magnet units 74 with their long sides arranged along the X direction are called the first magnet units 75, and the two magnet units 74 with their long sides arranged along the Y direction are called the second magnet units 76. As Figure 3 shown by taking the two second magnet units 76 as an example, for example, each magnet unit 74 is composed of nine permanent magnets 79. The nine permanent magnets 79 are formed into an elongated prism shape extending along the Y direction and arranged along the X direction.

[0054] In Figure 3 it, the orientation of the N pole of each permanent magnet 79 is schematically shown by an arrow. As shown in the figure, for each permanent magnet 79, it is arranged with the N pole facing the Z direction or the X direction, and for adjacent permanent magnets 79, the orientation of the N pole differs by 90°. Specifically, when observing in sequence from one end side (+X side) to the other end side (-X side) in the X direction, the N poles of the respective permanent magnets 79 are arranged in the manner of facing +Z, -X, -Z, +X, +Z, -X, -Z, +X, +Z, and the orientation of this magnetic pole changes periodically. That is, these nine permanent magnets 79 form a Halbach array, forming a stronger magnetic field on the lower side than on the upper side, and becoming a structure capable of obtaining a higher levitation force. For the first magnet unit 75, except that the length direction is along the X direction, it has the same structure as the second magnet unit 76. Therefore, the description related to the second magnet unit 76 described so far is replaced by the statement that the second magnet unit 76 is rotated 90° around the Z axis to represent the first magnet unit 75.

[0055] <Floor>

[0056] Figure 4 is a partial exploded view of the floor 3 in the present embodiment. As Figure 3 、 Figure 4 shown, the floor 3, which is the bottom of the outer casing 12, is composed of a lattice-shaped frame 30 formed with a plurality of openings 31 and a plurality of bricks 40 each accommodated inside each opening 31. In addition, in the present embodiment, substantially the entire floor 3 is composed of the frame 30 and the bricks 40, but for example, these components are not provided at the rear end of the floor 3 that is not in the moving area of the conveyor 70. Instead, it becomes an area where the exhaust port 14A opens (refer to Figure 1 ). The vacuum exhaust of the conveying space S1 is performed through the exhaust port 14A by a vacuum exhaust mechanism 14 such as a vacuum pump.

[0057] As Figure 1 、 Figure 2As shown, the housing 30 includes a rectangular outer frame 32 mounted on the outer housing 12 and a plurality of horizontal frame members 33 extending in the X direction and the Y direction within the outer frame 32. These horizontally arranged frame members 33 are arranged in a grid pattern to divide the space inside the outer frame 32 into a grid pattern, forming a plurality of openings 31. Each opening 31 is, for example, square in plan view and is arranged at equal intervals in the X direction and the Y direction. In addition, the interval between the openings 31 adjacent to each other in the X direction is equal to the interval between the openings 31 adjacent to each other in the Y direction. Further, the plan view shape of the opening 31 and the brick 40 is not limited to a square and can be arbitrary. For example, it can be circular in plan view.

[0058] As Figure 3 shown, in the housing 30, an annular arrangement groove 36 is formed on the lower surface side of the edge portion, which is the outer peripheral edge, of each opening 31. The arrangement groove 36 is provided concentrically with respect to the opening 31 and is separated from the opening 31. By arranging an annular member 37 in each arrangement groove 36, the opening 31 is in a state of being surrounded by the annular member 37. The annular member 37 is, for example, an O-ring as an elastomer and is a sealing member for hermetically sealing the inside of the outer housing 12 by being in close contact with the brick 40 provided so as to block the opening 31 from the lower surface side. As Figure 3 , Figure 4 shown, on the lower surface of the housing 30, threaded holes 38 are provided slightly separated from the four corners of each opening 31. The threaded holes 38 are provided on the lower surface of the intersection portion 33b (see Figure 4 ) of the horizontal frame members 33 forming the corners of the opening 31 and are provided for fixing the brick 40 to the horizontal frame members 33 by screw fastening.

[0059] <Brick constituting the floor>

[0060] The brick 40 is mounted on the housing 30 so as to block the opening 31, thereby separating the conveying space S1, which is a vacuum atmosphere, from the external space 100 below the floor 3. As Figure 4 shown, for example, the brick 40 is configured as a flat hexahedron having a square shape in plan view. And the brick 40 includes: a coil portion 41 provided in the upper side region of the brick 40 and having a plurality of coils 47, 48 constituting an electromagnet; a housing 42 provided below the coil portion 41; and a cover portion 43 mounted on the lower surface of the housing 42.

[0061] As a component constituting the brick 40, if the housing 42 and the lid 43 other than the coils 47 and 48 are magnetized by the electromagnet of the coil unit 41, it is possible to change the magnetic field above, which may interfere with the movement control of the conveyor 70. Since it is necessary to prevent this, the constituent materials of the housing 42 and the lid 43 are preferably made of non-magnetic materials, that is, paramagnetic or diamagnetic materials. In addition, if eddy currents are generated in the housing 42 and the lid 43 due to the change in the magnetic field in the conveying space S1, it is also possible to interfere with the movement control of the conveyor 70. The structure for preventing this is preferably made of a conductor or non-conductor with low conductivity. Therefore, the housing 42 and the frame 30 are formed of aluminum (Al), for example.

[0062] In addition, as Figure 3 , Figure 4 shown, the upper surface and side surface of the coil unit 41 and the outer side surface of the housing 42 are covered with a covering film 45 to be described later. As described above, the upper part 40p of the brick 40 covered with the covering film 45 has a hexahedral shape that is square when viewed from above. The size of the upper part 40p of the brick 40 when viewed from above is substantially the same as the opening shape of the opening 31, but is sized to be able to be inserted and arranged inside the opening 31. Therefore, when installed in the frame 30, a gap S3 is formed between the outer side surfaces of the coil unit 41 and the housing 42 with the covering film 45 formed and the inner wall surface of the opening 31. The gap S3 opens upward toward the opening 31, so it communicates with the conveying space S1, and the atmosphere in the gap S3 is the same as that in the conveying space S1.

[0063] The thickness of the coil unit 41 in the vertical direction is thinner than the thickness of the housing 42 arranged on its lower side. The lid 43 is composed of a plate-like member and is arranged on the lower surface of the housing 42, and a flange 431 protruding outward from the side circumference of the housing 42 is formed on its outer peripheral portion. The outer edge of the flange 431 is square when viewed from above, and the length of each side is larger than the length of each side of the opening 31 that is also square when viewed from above.

[0064] The housing 42 forms a flat internal space 44 inside. A through hole 42p for inserting the wiring 52 of the coil unit 41 to be described later into the internal space 44 is formed on the upper surface portion of the housing 42. The through hole 42p is blocked by the coil unit 41 adhered to the upper surface of the housing 42 with an adhesive P1 to be described later. Annular fixing portions 42b are formed at the lower ends of the side walls of the housing 42 so as to protrude horizontally toward the internal space 44 side. The lid 43 is installed on the lower surface of the fixing portion 42b by means of fasteners such as screws, for example.

[0065] Further, an annular arrangement groove 42c opening downward is formed in a region on the outer peripheral edge side of the lower surface of the fixing portion 42b, and an annular member 42d is arranged in the arrangement groove 42c. The annular member 42d is, for example, an O-ring as an elastomer, and by screwing the cover portion 43 to the fixing portion 42b, the gap between the cover portion 43 and the housing 42 is hermetically sealed. In this way, the annular member 42d seals the gap between the lower surface of the housing 42 and the upper surface of the cover portion 43, so that when the mounting frame 30 is installed, the gap S3 and the internal space 44 are prevented from communicating through this gap.

[0066] The cover portion 43 is mounted on the housing 42 so as to cover the internal space 44 from the lower surface side. The upper surface of the flange 431 of the cover portion 43 protruding laterally with respect to the housing 42 contacts the lower surface of the cross beam member 33 and the annular member 37. On the other hand, the lower surface of the cover portion 43 including the flange 431 contacts the external space 100. Connectors 53, 53A, and 53B are provided in the cover portion 43 so as to penetrate the plate surface. Each of the connectors 53, connector 53A, and connector 53B constitutes a connection wiring connected to a control portion 5 described later and a connection portion connected to tubes 55A and 55B arranged between them and the cooler 59. The airtightness of the connectors 53, connector 53A, and connector 53B is relatively low, and the internal space 44 separated from the external space 100 by the flange 431 communicates with the external space 100 through the connectors 53, connector 53A, and connector 53B, becoming an atmospheric atmosphere.

[0067] Figure 5 is Figure 3 an enlarged view of the coil portion 41. In Figure 5 , in order to clarify the structure of the coil portion 41, the wiring 47n connected to the first coil 47 among the first coil 47 and the second coil 48 provided in the coil portion 41 is illustrated as a representative, and the illustration of the wiring connected to the second coil 48 is omitted. Sometimes the wiring connected to the second coil 48 is also referred to as the wiring of the second coil 48 or the wiring described above.

[0068] The lower surface of the coil portion 41 is adhered to the upper surface portion of the housing 42 by an adhesive P1 containing, for example, butyl rubber, epoxy resin, etc. As described above, the coil portion 41 is closely adhered to the upper surface of the housing 42 by the adhesive P1 in a state where many wirings 52 led out from the first coil 47 and the second coil 48 are inserted into the housing 42. According to this structure, the through hole 42p is in a state of being blocked by the adhesive P1. Therefore, the internal space 44 is separated from the transport space S1 in a vacuum atmosphere, and the state of the atmospheric atmosphere can be maintained.

[0069] As Figure 5As shown, an electromagnet is disposed along the upper surface of the coil portion 41 so that a magnetic field is formed in the conveying space S1 disposed above it. Specifically, a plurality of first coils 47 and second coils 48 are configured to be disposed along the upper surface, and the windings of the respective coils 47 and 48 are stacked in the vertical direction. The first coil 47 and the second coil 48 are composed of a plurality of conductive paths 47m and 48m as their respective windings. The conductive paths 47m and 48m are respectively arranged along the upper surface of the brick 40 to form layers, and the layers of the conductive paths 47m and 48m are alternately overlapped and are electrically separated from each other by providing an insulating layer 49 therebetween.

[0070] On one side of the alternately overlapping layers, a plurality of conductive paths 47m arranged along the X direction are arranged along the Y direction. The two end portions of the plurality of conductive paths 47m arranged in the same layer are connected by wiring (not shown) in a spiral shape to form the first coil 47 as a planar coil. A plurality of the first coils 47 configured in this way are arranged along the Y direction. In addition, on the other side of the alternately overlapping layers, a plurality of conductive paths 48m arranged along the Y direction are arranged along the X direction. The two end portions of the plurality of conductive paths 48m arranged in the same layer are connected by wiring (not shown) in a spiral shape to form the second coil 48 as a planar coil. A plurality of the second coils 48 configured in this way are arranged along the X direction. And, these alternately stacked first coils 47 and second coils 48 are connected to an external power source (not shown) of the same type of coils 47 and 48 by wiring (the wiring 47n connected to the first coil 47 is shown in Figure 5 ).

[0071] The conductive paths 47m and 48m are formed of, for example, copper (Cu). The insulating layer 49 is formed of, for example, glass fiber, and the insulating layer 49 is also disposed on the upper surface of the coil portion 41 in addition to between the layers of the conductive paths 47m and 48m.

[0072] On the two side surfaces along the Y direction of the coil portion 41 configured as described above, the respective end portions in the X direction of the conductive paths 47m, 48m and the insulating layer 49, and the wiring 47n are disposed. In addition, on the two side surfaces along the X direction of the coil portion 41, the respective end portions in the Y direction of the conductive paths 47m, 48m and the insulating layer 49, and the above-described wiring connecting the conductive paths 48m are disposed. And, on the lower surface of the coil portion 41, the wiring 47n connected to the two end portions of the first coil 47 and the above-described wiring connected to the two end portions of the second coil 48 are disposed. The coil portion 41 configured as described above is formed integrally by closely fitting the conductive paths 47m and 48m adjacent in the vertical direction with the respective insulating layers 49, and on the side surface, the wiring 47n and the wiring of the second coil 48 are closely fitted.

[0073] The wiring 47n disposed on the lower surface of the coil unit 41 and the wiring of the second coil 48 pass through the through-holes 42p and are led out into the housing 42. In the following description, the wiring 47n connected to the conductive path 47m and the wiring (not shown in Figure 5 ) connected to the conductive path 48m may be collectively referred to as the wiring 52. In addition, a Hall sensor layer (Hall elements) (not shown) for determining the position of the transport body 70 may be provided between the coil unit 41 and the housing 42, in which a plurality of Hall sensors are arranged at intervals.

[0074] Next, return Figure 3 , and the structure inside the housing 42 will be described. As described above, the substrate 51 and the cooling path 54 are disposed in the internal space 44 of the housing 42 that is in an atmospheric atmosphere. The cooling path 54 is disposed between the upper surface portion of the housing 42 and the substrate 51 to cool the coil unit 41 and the inside of the housing 42. One end and the other end of the cooling path 54 are respectively connected to one ends of the pipes 55A and 55B provided in the external space 100 via the connectors 53A and 53B. The other ends of the pipes 55A and 55B are connected to a cooler 59 also provided in the external space 100, and the pipes 55A, 55B, the cooler 59, and the cooling path 54 constitute a refrigerant circulation path. The pipe 55A is a supply pipe for supplying refrigerant to the cooler 59, and the pipe 55B is a discharge pipe for discharging water from the cooler 59. The cooler 59 includes: a pump for circulating the refrigerant; and a flow path connected to the pipes 55A and 55B, and adjusting the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through it to a specified temperature by heat exchange.

[0075] According to the above structure, the refrigerant whose temperature has been adjusted by the cooler 59 is supplied to the cooling path 54 inside the housing 42. Therefore, in particular, the coil unit 41 that generates heat due to energization is cooled by heat exchange with the housing 42 and the wiring 52 inside the housing 42, and the housing 42 and the wiring 52 inside the housing 42 are cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant flowing through the cooling path 54. As a result, the coil unit 41 is adjusted to a preset temperature range, and for the first coil 47 and the second coil 48, changes in electrical characteristics such as resistance values due to temperature are suppressed. In addition, displacement of the magnetic field formed on the floor 3 due to the heat generation of the coil unit 41 is suppressed, so that the position of the transport body 70 can be controlled with high precision. In addition, for the power supply unit and the cooler 59, for the sake of easy illustration, they are shown under the floor of the outer housing 12, but are arranged, for example, in a place far from under the floor.

[0076] The substrate 51 is mounted on the inner side surface of the housing 42 by a fastener such as a screw, specifically, on the fixing portion 42b. The substrate 51 is connected to a plurality of wirings 52 from the coil portion 41, and is connected to the control unit 5 and an external power source (not shown) arranged in the external space 100 through the wiring 52b sandwiching the connector 53.

[0077] The integrated circuit chip 51b is connected to the control unit 5 and the external power source, and is configured to supply currents adjusted according to the transfer control signals from the control unit 5 to the first coil 47 and the second coil 48 respectively. Thereby, a magnetic field for executing the transfer control of the control unit 5 is formed above the coil portion 41. Moreover, the control unit 5 can freely adjust the magnetic fields formed in each part on the floor 3, and as Figure 1 described, can move the carrier 70 in all directions. In addition, regarding the movement of the carrier 70, the case of using the repulsive force has been described, but the attractive force and the repulsive force can also be used in combination, and control such as making the carrier 70 stay at a desired position on the floor 3 can be performed by using the balance between the repulsive force and the attractive force. That is to say, the operation control is not limited to only using the repulsive force.

[0078] When installing the above brick 40 on the frame 30, in a state where the upper portion 40p of the brick 40 is inserted into the opening 31 from the lower side, the flange 431 arranged so as to overlap the lower side of the edge portion of the opening 31 is screwed to the frame 30 and fixed. Then, the above-described annular member 37 as an elastic body is flattened between the flange 431 and the housing 42, and becomes a state of being in close contact with the arrangement groove 36 of the frame 30 and the upper surface of the flange 431 respectively. Thereby, as described so far, at the hole edge of the lower opening of the opening 31, the gap between the frame 30 and the brick 40 is blocked, and the atmosphere is separated between the transfer space S1 and the external space 100.

[0079] The upper surface of the brick 40 is arranged at substantially the same height as the upper surface of the frame 30, and together with the upper surface of the frame 30, constitutes the floor 3S and contacts the transfer space S1. In addition, as Figure 3 、 Figure 5 shown, the upper surface of each flange 431 mounted on the frame 30 contacts the lower surface of the frame 30, and the side surfaces are close to and face the side surfaces of other flanges 431 adjacent in the X direction and the Y direction.

[0080] As described in detail above, the coil portion 41 is formed by alternately laminating conductive paths 47m and 48m made of, for example, copper and an insulating layer 49 made of glass fiber, and the coil portion 41 and the housing 42 are bonded together with an adhesive P1. Further, it is also possible to cause the laminated conductive paths 47m and 48m and the insulating layer 49 to be joined together with an adhesive. In addition, each of the conductive paths 47m and 48m is connected to the wiring 52. Thus, if the coil portion 41 formed of a plurality of constituent members is disposed on the floor 3 of the transport space S1, various contaminants may be released into the transport space S1 which is a vacuum atmosphere. Examples of the contaminants include fiber pieces of glass fiber and copper ions released from the surfaces of the conductive paths 47m and 48m. In addition, the organic solvents contained in the adhesive P1 and the organic solvents contained in coating materials such as polyvinyl chloride in the case where the wiring 52 is coated may also be released as exhaust gas (vaporized organic substances). The exhaust gas sometimes reacts with moisture in the atmosphere and becomes a main cause of generation of fine particles. If these contaminants and fine particles enter the transport space S1 and the processing container 11 and adhere to the substrate W, they become a main cause of contaminating the substrate W.

[0081] Therefore, in the substrate transport module 1 of the present embodiment, a covering film 45 is formed for suppressing the release of contaminants from the upper portion 40p of the brick 40 including the coil portion 41 and the adhesive P1. Specifically, the covering film 45 is formed on the upper surface of the coil portion 41 and the outer side surfaces of the coil portion 41 and the housing 42, and the surfaces facing the transport space S1 and the aforementioned gap S3 (see Figure 5 ) communicating with the transport space S1 are covered with the covering film 45.

[0082] Similar to the constituent materials of the housing 42 and the lid portion 43, in order not to interfere with the movement control of the transport body 70, the covering film 45 is preferably made of a non-magnetic and non-conductive material with a low conductivity. In addition, the covering film 45 is preferably made of a material that does not contain solvents, particularly organic solvents, which are the main causes of exhaust gas and fine particles, and has a low risk of releasing metal ions. Further, it is preferable that the covering film 45 is a material having corrosion resistance at least on its surface.

[0083] As described above, the covering film 45 in this example is formed of, for example, ceramics, preferably aluminum nitride (AlN), yttrium oxide (Y2O3), or alumina (Al2O3) with good corrosion resistance. The thickness of the covering film 45 is, for example, 3 μm to 500 μm, and preferably as thin as possible. The covering film 45 is formed, for example, by aerosol deposition method, which forms a film by utilizing the room-temperature impact curing phenomenon caused by the collision of aerosol particles of the room-temperature covering film raw material with the brick. In this case, the thickness of the covering film 45 can be made 10 μm or less. The film-forming method is not limited to this, and for example, it can also be formed by spraying such as low-temperature spraying. The film-forming example of the aerosol deposition method will be described later.

[0084] The function of the brick 40 with the covering film 45 for film formation will be described in detail. When the conveying space S1 is decompressed by the vacuum exhaust mechanism 14 to become a vacuum atmosphere, due to the pressure difference with the atmospheric pressure in the external space 100 below the floor 3, the brick 40 is pulled upward. Therefore, the annular member 37 is further flattened, and the tightness between the lower surface of the edge of the opening 31 of the frame 30 and the upper surface of the flange 431 is increased. Thereby, the space between this edge and the flange 431 is sealed, and the conveying space S1 is hermetically separated from the external space 100. On the other hand, as Figure 3 , Figure 5 shown, the gap S3 between the brick 40 (coil part 41 and housing 42) and the inner wall surface of the opening 31 is located above the sealing position of the annular member 37, so the state of being in communication with the conveying space S1 is maintained.

[0085] Even in the above state, the upper surface of the brick 40 (the upper surface of the coil part 41) in contact with the conveying space S1 that has become a vacuum atmosphere and the side surface of the brick 40 (the side surfaces of the coil part 41, the adhesive P1, and the housing 42) in contact with the gap S3 are covered by the covering film 45. These covering films 45 prevent the constituent members of the coil part 41 (the glass fiber insulating layer 49, the conductive circuits 47m, 48m formed of copper wires, and the covered wiring 52), the layer of the adhesive P1 from coming into contact with the vacuum atmosphere. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the release of exhaust gas, metal ions, and other contaminants from this surface. In addition, since the covering film 45 is integrated with the coil part 41, the adhesive P1, and the housing 42 that are the base materials, it is difficult for the covering film 45 to break or peel off, and it is also possible to suppress the covering film 45 itself from becoming a pollution source for polluting the conveying space S1.

[0086] In addition, even if a corrosive processing gas flows into the conveying space S1 from the processing container 11 side, the ceramic covering film 45 is hardly reactive, so the covering film 45 is hardly deteriorated, and the pollution of the conveying space S1 can be suppressed effectively for a long time. The corrosive gas is, for example, a fluorine (F)-containing gas or the like used for cleaning the processing container 11 after the film-forming process.

[0087] Here, as a comparative form of the replacement covering film 45, for example, consider the following case: a partition wall made of a thin plate of titanium (Ti) is provided so as to straddle the upper surfaces of the frame body 30 and the plurality of bricks 40, separating the bricks 40 and the frame body 30 from the vacuum atmosphere of the transport space S1 to suppress the entry of contaminants from the bricks 40. In this case, since the space on the lower surface side of the partition wall is partitioned from the transport space S1 of the vacuum atmosphere, a pressure difference is formed between the partition wall and the transport space S1, applying a load to the partition wall. The partition wall subjected to the load generated by the pressure difference may deform and break bulgingly toward the transport space S1.

[0088] Therefore, in order to prevent the deformation and breakage of the partition wall, for example, considering the space on the lower side of the partition wall, an exhaust mechanism is also used to exhaust the same as the transport space S1 to reduce the pressure difference between the spaces sandwiching the partition wall. However, not only is it necessary to add a new exhaust mechanism, but also complex pressure reduction control such as the order and adjustment of exhaust between the vacuum exhaust mechanism 14 of the transport space S1 is required.

[0089] In contrast, according to the covering film 45 formed by film formation on the bricks 40 as in the present disclosure, contamination of the bricks 40 can be prevented with a simple structure, and problems such as those in the case of providing a partition wall do not occur. That is, according to the covering film 45, compared with the case of providing a partition wall, the number of components can be reduced, and the release of contaminants can be effectively suppressed with a simple structure, and maintenance and exhaust control of the space on the lower side of the partition wall are not required.

[0090] Hereinafter, a method for forming the covering film 45 will be briefly described. Figure 6 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of a film forming apparatus 8 for forming a covering film. The film forming apparatus 8 includes an aerosol chamber 81, a film forming chamber 82, a transport gas supply source 83, and a vacuum exhaust mechanism 84. The aerosol chamber 81 includes a vibrator 81a and a raw material container 81b provided on the vibrator 81a. Inside the film forming chamber 82, a nozzle 85 and a stage 86 are provided. The stage 86 is configured to move perpendicular to the ejection direction of the nozzle 85.

[0091] At the time of film formation, first, the lower surface of the flange 431 (at Figure 6The brick 40 is arranged in such a way that its upper surface (the upper surface in the figure) contacts the stage 86. Then, the vibrator 81a is operated, and a carrier gas such as an inert gas is introduced into the raw material container 81b from the carrier gas supply source 83 at a high pressure. The raw material powder obtained by atomizing the raw material for the covering film 45 is accommodated in the raw material container 81b. For example, in the case of forming an alumina film, alumina powder is accommodated. By vibration, the raw material powder is mixed with the carrier gas and aerosolized. In addition, the film formation chamber 82 is evacuated by the vacuum exhaust mechanism 84 to reduce the pressure inside the chamber. The aerosolized raw material powder is transported into the film formation chamber 82 due to the pressure difference and is ejected from the nozzle 85.

[0092] The ejected raw material powder collides with the upper surface (the lower surface in the figure) of the coil part 41 and accumulates here. At this time, the raw material powder accelerated to the speed of sound by gas transportation collides with the upper surface of the coil part 41, and the particles accumulated on the upper surface undergo plastic deformation relative to the upper surface and are densely bonded and solidified (room temperature shock curing phenomenon). Thus, a highly adherent and high-density film is formed. According to the aerosol deposition method using such a room temperature shock curing phenomenon, film formation is performed at room temperature without heat treatment. Therefore, the thermal influence on the electronic components composed of the respective semiconductor elements provided on the substrate 51 and the coil part 41 can be suppressed. Figure 6 By moving the stage 86 when forming a film on the upper surface of the coil part 41, a film can be formed uniformly and without gaps over the entire area of the upper surface of the coil part 41. In addition, when the film is formed over the entire area of the upper surface of the coil part 41, the setting direction of the stage 86 is changed, and the film is formed in the same manner on the four side surfaces of the upper part 40p. The side surfaces of the upper part 40p are composed of the coil part 41, the respective side surfaces of the housing 42, and the adhesive P1 as described above. Therefore, they are composed of different members and may have unevenness. However, according to the aerosol deposition method, in the same manner as the upper surface of the upper part 40p, the covering film 45 can be continuously formed without gaps within the desired coating range.

[0093]

[0094] ​Thus, a covering film 45 is formed so as to cover the entire surface area of the upper portion 40p of the brick 40. The formed covering film 45 becomes a thin film having a thickness of, for example, about 3 μm to 6 μm. The covering film 45 formed with such high adhesion and high density can sufficiently cover the brick 40 to separate it from the vacuum atmosphere, and can effectively suppress the generation of exhaust gas and the like from the brick 40. Further, since the covering film 45 formed in this way hardly encloses the atmospheric atmosphere and is a relatively thin film, it can flexibly follow the deformation of the coil portion 41 and the housing 42 due to the pressure difference, and can effectively suppress the peeling caused by the generation of the pressure difference. In addition, when forming the covering film 45, it is not a necessary condition to use the aerosol deposition method utilizing the room temperature shock curing phenomenon. For example, when the influence on the components constituting the brick 40 is small, the covering film 45 can also be formed by alumina spraying.

[0095] The covering film 45 of the present embodiment covers the entire surface area of the upper portion 40p in contact with the vacuum atmosphere, but it is not necessary to cover the entire surface area in this way. For example, in this example, it is sufficient that at least the surface of the upper portion 40p is covered to such an extent that the coil portion 41 of the laminated structure including the insulating layer 49 does not break due to the pressure difference and does not emit exhaust gas from the side surfaces of the coil portion 41 and the adhesive P1. Therefore, in this example, for example, a part of the side surface of the housing 42 that is far enough from the adhesive P1 may not be covered.

[0096] Further, the covering film 45 is not limited to being formed of ceramics, and can also be formed of glass or a resin resistant to vacuum. A resin resistant to vacuum is a resin that is supposed to be used in a vacuum atmosphere in the semiconductor industry, aerospace industry, etc., the content of impurities is below a preset specification, the emission of exhaust gas and metal ions in the vacuum atmosphere is suppressed, and the water absorption is low. As a specific example, polyetheretherketone (PEEK) can be cited. In addition, it is not limited thereto, and the covering film 45 can also be formed of a non-magnetic material having a low conductivity, for example. In this case, examples of the covering film 45 include those formed of a non-magnetic metal, aluminum, or titanium whose surface is oxidized to a passive state by anodizing treatment or the like. In this case, since the covering film 45 is formed relatively thin, the eddy current is relatively weak, and the influence on the movement control of the conveyor 70 can be suppressed.

[0097] In the above-described embodiment, the floor 3 is composed of a frame body 30 having a plurality of openings 31 and a plurality of bricks 40 respectively disposed in the openings 31, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the floor 3 can also be configured to be composed of a plurality of frame bodies 30 each having one opening 31 in which one brick 40 is disposed, and these frame bodies 30 are connected to each other by welding or the like. In addition, the floor 3 can also be composed of a single brick integrally formed with a plurality of bricks 40.

[0098] Next, a modification of the brick 40 of the present embodiment will be described. Figure 7 It is a longitudinal sectional side view of the brick 40A showing a modification in the transport space S1 in a vacuum atmosphere. In this figure, only the frame 30A is shown in section, and the film thickness of the covering film 45 is not shown. Figure 8 It is a top view showing the installation method of the modified brick 40A. The thick single-dashed line indicates the annular member 42d provided on the housing 42A side. The floor 3A of this modification is configured such that the cross-member 33A is disposed on the lower side of the brick 40A, and the cross-member 33A is not exposed on the upper surface of the plate 3A. Therefore, a magnetic field identical to that in the region directly above the coil portion 41 can also be formed in the region directly above the cross-member 33A.

[0099] As Figure 7 shown in the side view of, the outer shape of the housing 42A is configured as a flat hexahedron, and a protruding portion 42g is provided so that the edge portion of its upper surface protrudes toward the positive direction side of the X axis shown in the figure. On the other hand, as Figure 8 shown in the top view of, the cover portion 43 is disposed offset toward the negative direction side of the Y axis with respect to the directly below of the housing 42A. Therefore, in the brick 40A before being installed in the frame 30A, the portion on the positive side in the Y direction of the annular annular member 42d does not face the flange 431 around the cover portion 43 and is exposed downward from the lower surface of the housing 42A.

[0100] The frame 30A can be separated into two outer frames 32m and 32n, for example. In the outer frame 32m, a plurality of rod-shaped cross-members 33A are provided in a comb shape at intervals along the Y direction. And, elongated openings 31A are formed between the adjacent cross-members 33A. The other outer frame 32n is connected after the brick 40A is provided. The brick 40A is inserted into the above-described elongated opening 31A formed between the cross-members 33A in a manner of being inserted from the side, that is, from the tip side of the cross-member 33A. Thus, as Figure 7 shown, the cross-member 33A is disposed in the gap sandwiched by the protruding portion 42g and the flange 431. And, the cross-member 33A is disposed at the position where the flanges 431 of the adjacent bricks 40A are butted against each other so as to straddle the flange 431. Even when the decompression of the transport space S1 is released and the force for pulling up the brick 40A upward is no longer applied, since the protruding portion 42g abuts against the cross-member 33A and the outer frame 32m, the brick 40A installed in this way can be prevented from falling from the frame 30A.

[0101] As Figure 8As shown, if all the bricks 40A are installed in the frame 30A in the same manner as the above-described method, and the outer frame 32n is connected to the top end portion of the horizontal frame member 33A in a fitting manner, the frame 30A with all the bricks 40A installed is completed. The positive Y-axis side portion of each annular member 42d is in elastic contact with the negative Y-axis side portion of the flange 431 of the adjacent brick 40A on the same direction side and the upper surface of the edge portion of the opening 31A of the outer frame 32m.

[0102] Although no horizontal frame member is disposed between the bricks 40A adjacent in the Y-axis direction, the gaps in the X direction such as the gap between the bricks 40A, the gaps SA between the bricks 40A and the outer frames 32m and 32n are blocked by the portions of the respective annular members 42d exposed on the positive Y-axis side. Thus, in this modification, when the vacuum atmosphere in the transport space S1 is separated from the external space 100 by the bricks 40A and the frame 30A, by forming the surface in contact with the gaps in the X direction, the transport space S1, and the gap S3 with the covering film 45, it is also possible to suppress the release of contaminants.

[0103] In the embodiments and modifications described above, the case where the transport space S1 is in a vacuum atmosphere is shown. However, the method of suppressing the release of contaminants by using the covering film 45 to cover at least the surfaces of the bricks 40 and 40A in contact with the transport space S1 is not limited to these examples, and can also be applied to a substrate transport module that transports the substrate W in an atmospheric pressure atmosphere. Even when the transport space S1 is in an atmospheric atmosphere, it is possible to prevent contaminants that may be released from the inside of the bricks 40 and 40A from being supplied to the transport space S1, and to make the transport space S1 a clean atmosphere.

[0104] Moreover, the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The above embodiments can also be omitted, replaced, changed, and combined in various ways without departing from the scope of the appended claims and their gist.

Claims

1. A substrate transfer module that constitutes a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing a substrate, the substrate transfer module being configured to transfer the substrate in a transfer space that is a vacuum atmosphere, wherein, the substrate transfer module includes a chamber that constitutes the transfer space and has a floor provided with bricks, the bricks including electromagnets configured to form a magnetic field that acts on magnets provided on a transfer body to move the transfer body in a suspended state, the transfer body being configured to transfer the substrate in the transfer space, a covering film that suppresses release of contaminants from components constituting the bricks is formed on at least a surface of the bricks that contacts the transfer space.

2. The substrate transfer module according to claim 1, wherein, the covering film is made of ceramic, glass, non-magnetic metal having a passivated surface, or resin resistant to vacuum.

3. The substrate transfer module according to claim 2, wherein, the ceramic is aluminum nitride, yttrium oxide, or alumina.

4. The substrate transfer module according to claim 2, wherein, the non-magnetic metal is aluminum or titanium.

5. The substrate transfer module according to claim 1, wherein, the thickness of the covering film is in the range of 3 μm to 500 μm.

6. The substrate transfer module according to claim 1, wherein, the electromagnet is composed of a coil portion having a laminated structure formed by alternately laminating a wire that is a winding of a coil and an insulating layer, the covering film is formed not only on an upper surface of the coil portion that contacts the transfer space but also on a side surface of the coil portion.

7. A method for manufacturing a substrate transfer module that constitutes a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing a substrate, the substrate transfer module being configured to transfer the substrate in a transfer space that is a vacuum atmosphere, wherein, the method for manufacturing the substrate transfer module includes the following steps: forming, on at least a surface of a brick including an electromagnet that contacts the transfer space, a covering film that suppresses release of contaminants from components constituting the brick, the electromagnet being configured to form a magnetic field that acts on magnets provided on a transfer body to move the transfer body in a suspended state, the transfer body being configured to transfer the substrate in the transfer space; then, disposing the brick at a lower portion of a chamber that constitutes the transfer space to form a floor.

8. The method for manufacturing a substrate transfer module according to claim 7, wherein, in the step of forming the covering film, aerosol particles of a covering film raw material at normal temperature are made to collide with the brick, and the covering film is formed by utilizing the phenomenon of curing by normal temperature impact.

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