Substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus is provided which can cope with a change in the size of a substrate in the conveyance direction at low cost and quickly, in which a substrate is floated and conveyed in a prescribed conveyance direction, and a processing liquid such as a resist liquid is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate. In the present invention, a first float plate group and a second float plate group are arranged in the conveyance direction along an upstream float platform. In the first float plate group and the second float plate group, the second float plate group is detachable with respect to the first float plate group. For example, if the second float plate group is provided adjacent to the first float plate group, a substrate that is relatively long in the conveyance direction can be processed as a substrate to be processed. On the other hand, if the second float plate group is detached from the first float plate group, a substrate that is relatively short in the conveyance direction can be processed as a substrate to be processed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that floats and transports a substrate, and supplies a processing liquid such as a photoresist solution to the upper surface of the substrate. The substrate includes, for example, substrates for semiconductor packaging such as glass substrates for liquid crystal display devices, substrates for organic electroluminescence (EL) devices, and substrates for fan-out wafer-level package (FOWLP); substrates for semiconductor devices such as glass substrates for photomasks, substrates for color filters, substrates for recording disks, substrates for solar cells, and substrates for electronic paper; rectangular glass substrates; and flexible substrates for film liquid crystals. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacturing process of liquid crystal display devices, a coating apparatus is used to supply a processing liquid such as a photoresist solution to the surface of a substrate and to coat the processing liquid onto the substrate. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus that transports the substrate while it is floating, supplies a processing liquid such as a photoresist solution in a strip shape from a slit nozzle, and uniformly coats the processing liquid onto the upper surface of the substrate.

[0003] [Existing Technical Documents]

[0004] [Patent Literature]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-30264 Summary of the Invention

[0006] [The problem the invention aims to solve]

[0007] In the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the floating platform section for lifting and transporting the substrate is divided into three platforms. More specifically, the floating platform section includes: a coating platform positioned opposite the slit nozzle; an upstream floating platform disposed upstream of the coating platform in the substrate transport direction; and a downstream floating platform disposed downstream of the coating platform in the transport direction. Of these platforms, the upstream floating platform, in particular, is designed according to the size of each substrate in the transport direction. Due to this specialized design, the design time increases, and the manufacturing cost also increases.

[0008] The present invention was made in view of the aforementioned problems, and its object is to provide a substrate processing apparatus that, in which a substrate is floated and transported along a predetermined transport direction and a processing liquid such as a photoresist solution is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate, to handle changes in the substrate size in the transport direction in a low-cost and rapid manner.

[0009] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0010] The present invention is a substrate processing apparatus that, while conveying a substrate that has been floated onto a floating platform in a predetermined conveying direction, supplies a processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate from a nozzle. In the substrate processing apparatus, the floating platform includes: a coating platform disposed in the position opposite to the nozzle; an upstream floating platform disposed upstream of the coating platform in the conveying direction; and a downstream floating platform disposed downstream of the coating platform in the conveying direction. The upstream floating platform includes: a first floating plate group having at least one first floating plate arranged along the conveying direction to float a substrate, and disposed adjacent to the upstream side of the coating platform in the conveying direction; and a second floating plate group having at least one second floating plate arranged along the conveying direction to float a substrate, and disposed adjacent to and detachably disposed upstream of the first floating plate group in the conveying direction. Depending on the size of the substrate in the conveying direction, switching between first substrate conveying and second substrate conveying is possible. First substrate conveying involves detaching the second floating plate group from the upstream floating platform and conveying the substrate to the coating platform using only the first floating plate group. Second substrate conveying involves placing the second floating plate group adjacent to the first floating plate group and conveying the substrate to the coating platform using both the second floating plate group and the first floating plate group.

[0011] In this invention, an upstream floating platform has a first group of floating plates and a second group of floating plates arranged along the transport direction. The second group of floating plates is detachable from the first group of floating plates. For example, if the second group of floating plates is disposed adjacent to the first group of floating plates, a substrate that is longer in the transport direction can be processed as the substrate to be processed. Conversely, if the second group of floating plates is detached from the first group of floating plates, a substrate that is shorter in the transport direction can be processed as the substrate to be processed.

[0012] [The effects of the invention]

[0013] As described above, according to the present invention, in a substrate processing apparatus that floats a substrate, transports the substrate along a predetermined transport direction, and supplies a processing liquid such as a photoresist liquid to the upper surface of the substrate, changes in the substrate size along the transport direction can be handled quickly and at low cost. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall structure of one embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 This diagram shows a floating platform section suitable for large-size substrates.

[0016] Figure 3 This diagram shows a floating platform section suitable for small-sized substrates.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a side view of the floating platform portion suitable for a full-size substrate in the second embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a side view of the floating platform portion suitable for a half-size substrate in the second embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a plan view schematically illustrating the structure of the first floating plate group and the second floating plate group for each substrate size in a third embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a side view of the floating platform portion suitable for a full-size substrate in the fourth embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention.

[0021] Explanation of icon numbers

[0022] 1: Substrate processing device

[0023] 3: Floating Platform Section

[0024] 31: Upstream floating platform

[0025] 32: Coating Platform

[0026] 33: Downstream floating platform

[0027] 71: Nozzle

[0028] 311: First floating plate group

[0029] 312: Second floating plate group

[0030] 313, 315: First floating plate

[0031] 314: Second floating plate

[0032] 331: Third floating plate group

[0033] 332: Fourth Floating Plate Group

[0034] 372: Support platform

[0035] 382: Frame Section (First Frame Section)

[0036] 384: Frame Section (Second Frame Section)

[0037] Dt: Transport direction

[0038] RC: Coating support area

[0039] RD: Downstream Support Area

[0040] RU: Upstream Support Area

[0041] S: Substrate

[0042] Sf: Full-size substrate

[0043] Sh: Half-size substrate

[0044] Sq: Quarter-size substrate Detailed Implementation

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall structure of one embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 1 applies a processing liquid to a substrate that is horizontally positioned from... Figure 1 A slot coater is used to transfer a substrate S from its left side to its right side onto the upper surface of the substrate. Furthermore, in the following figures, to clarify the arrangement of the various parts of the apparatus, the transfer direction of the substrate S is defined as the "X direction," from which... Figure 1 The horizontal direction from the left hand side to the right hand side is called the "+X direction", and the opposite direction is called the "-X direction". In addition, in the horizontal direction Y, which is orthogonal to the X direction, the front side of the device is called the "-Y direction", and the back side of the device is called the "+Y direction". Furthermore, the upward and downward directions in the vertical direction Z are called the "+Z direction" and "-Z direction", respectively.

[0046] First, use Figure 1 This specification provides an overview of the structure and operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1. Furthermore, the basic structure and operating principle of the substrate processing apparatus 1 are common to those described in Patent Document 1. Therefore, in this specification, detailed descriptions are sometimes omitted for structures of the substrate processing apparatus 1 that can be constructed using the same structure as those described in the prior art, and for structures whose construction is easily understood based on those descriptions.

[0047] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the input conveyor 100, the input transfer unit 2, the floating platform unit 3, the output transfer unit 4, and the output conveyor 110 are arranged close together in sequence along the transport direction Dt (+X direction) of the substrate S. As described in detail below, these components form a transport path for the substrate S extending in a generally horizontal direction. Furthermore, in the following description, when indicating positional relationships in relation to the transport direction Dt of the substrate S, the "upstream side of the transport direction Dt of the substrate S" is sometimes simply referred to as the "upstream side," and the "downstream side of the transport direction Dt of the substrate S" is sometimes simply referred to as the "downstream side." In the example described, when viewed from a certain reference position, the (-X) side corresponds to the "upstream side," and the (+X) side corresponds to the "downstream side."

[0048] The substrate S, which is the object of processing, is removed from... Figure 1 The substrate S is fed into the input conveyor 100 from the left side. The input conveyor 100 includes a roller conveyor 101 and a rotary drive mechanism 102 that drives the roller conveyor 101 to rotate. The rotation of the roller conveyor 101 transports the substrate S horizontally downstream, i.e., in the (+X) direction. The input transfer unit 2 includes a roller conveyor 21 and a rotary / lifting drive mechanism 22 that drives the roller conveyor 21 to rotate and lift it. The roller conveyor 21 rotates to further transport the substrate S in the (+X) direction. In addition, the roller conveyor 21 is lifted to change the vertical position of the substrate S. The input transfer unit 2, configured in this way, transfers the substrate S from the input conveyor 100 to the floating platform unit 3.

[0049] The floating platform section 3 includes a flat platform that is divided into three parts along the substrate transport direction Dt. Specifically, the floating platform section 3 includes an upstream floating platform 31, a coating platform 32, and a downstream floating platform 33, with the upper surfaces of each platform forming part of the same plane. On the upper surfaces of the upstream floating platform 31 and the downstream floating platform 33, a plurality of nozzles are arranged in a matrix to eject compressed air supplied from the floating control mechanism 35. The ejected airflow pushes the substrate S upward, causing it to float. Thus, the lower surface of the substrate S is supported in a horizontal position while separated from the upper surface of the platform. The distance between the lower surface of the substrate S and the upper surface of the platform, i.e., the floating amount, can be set, for example, from 10 micrometers to 500 micrometers.

[0050] On the other hand, on the upper surface of the coating platform 32, ejection holes for ejecting compressed air and suction holes for suctioning air between the lower surface of the substrate S and the upper surface of the platform are alternately arranged. The levitation control mechanism 35 controls the amount of compressed air ejected from the ejection holes and the amount of air suctioned from the suction holes, thereby precisely controlling the distance between the lower surface of the substrate S and the upper surface of the coating platform 32. As a result, the vertical position of the upper surface of the substrate S passing above the coating platform 32 is controlled to a predetermined value. As a specific structure of the levitation platform section 3, for example, the structure described in Japanese Patent No. 5346643 can be applied. However, in this embodiment, the upstream levitation platform 31 has a structure different from that in Patent Document 1 in order to accommodate substrates S with different sizes in the transport direction Dt. These aspects will be described in detail later.

[0051] In addition, a lift pin (not shown in the figure) is provided on the upstream floating platform 31, and a lift pin drive mechanism 34 is provided on the floating platform 3 to raise and lower the lift pin.

[0052] The substrate S, which is transferred to the floating platform section 3 via the input transfer section 2, is given a propulsive force in the (+X) direction by the rotation of the roller conveyor 21 and is transported to the upstream floating platform 31. The upstream floating platform 31, the coating platform 32, and the downstream floating platform 33 support the substrate S in a floating state, but do not have the function of moving the substrate S in the horizontal direction. The transport of the substrate S in the floating platform section 3 is performed by the substrate transport section 5, which is arranged below the upstream floating platform 31, the coating platform 32, and the downstream floating platform 33.

[0053] The substrate transport unit 5 includes: a clamping mechanism 51 that partially abuts against the lower surface edge of the substrate S, thereby supporting the substrate S from below; and an adsorption / forward control mechanism 52 that applies negative pressure to the adsorption pad 513 of the holding member 512 provided in the clamping mechanism 51 to adsorb and hold the substrate S, and causes the clamping mechanism 51 to reciprocate in the X direction. When the clamping mechanism 51 holds the substrate S, the lower surface of the substrate S is positioned higher than the upper surface of each platform of the floating platform unit 3. Therefore, the substrate S is adsorbed and held at its edge by the clamping mechanism 51, and its overall horizontal posture is maintained by the buoyancy provided by the floating platform unit 3.

[0054] The clamping mechanism 51 holds the substrate S that has been moved from the input transfer unit 2 to the floating platform unit 3, and in this state, the clamping mechanism 51 moves in the (+X) direction. This transports the substrate S from above the upstream floating platform 31, over the coating platform 32, to above the downstream floating platform 33. The transported substrate S is then transferred to the output transfer unit 4 located on the (+X) side of the downstream floating platform 33. In other words, the substrate S transported from above the upstream floating platform 31 to above the coating platform 32 is equivalent to an example of an "unprocessed substrate," while the substrate S transported from above the coating platform 32 to above the downstream floating platform 33 is equivalent to an example of a "processed substrate."

[0055] The downstream floating platform 33 of each platform in the floating platform section 3 can be raised and lowered between a lower position where its upper surface is lower than the upper surface of the clamping mechanism 51, and an upper position where its upper surface is higher than the upper surface of the clamping mechanism 51. For this purpose, the downstream floating platform 33 is supported by a lifting drive mechanism 36. The lifting drive mechanism 36 raises and lowers the downstream floating platform 33 according to control commands from the control unit 9, and positions it at a predetermined height corresponding to the progress of the process.

[0056] The output transfer unit 4 includes a roller conveyor 41 and a rotation / lifting drive mechanism 42 that functions to rotate and lift the roller conveyor 41. The roller conveyor 41 rotates, thereby applying a pushing force to the substrate S in the (+X) direction, and further transporting the substrate S along the transport direction Dt. Additionally, the roller conveyor 41 lifts and lowers, thereby changing the vertical position of the substrate S. The output transfer unit 4 transfers the substrate S from the downstream floating platform 33 upwards to the output conveyor 110.

[0057] The output conveyor 110 includes a roller conveyor 111 and a rotary drive mechanism 112 that drives the roller conveyor 111 to rotate. The roller conveyor 111 rotates to further transport the substrate S in the (+X) direction, ultimately discharging it outside the substrate processing apparatus 1. Furthermore, the input conveyor 100 and the output conveyor 110 can be provided as part of the structure of the substrate processing apparatus 1, or they can be provided separately from the substrate processing apparatus 1. Alternatively, for example, a substrate discharge mechanism provided in another unit upstream of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be used as the input conveyor 100. Additionally, a substrate receiving mechanism provided in another unit downstream of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be used as the output conveyor 110.

[0058] On the transport path of the substrate S transported in the manner described above, a coating unit 7 is arranged for applying a processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate S. The coating unit 7 has a nozzle 71 that serves as a slit nozzle. A processing liquid supply unit (not shown) supplies processing liquid to the nozzle 71 and ejects the processing liquid from an outlet that opens downwards at the lower part of the nozzle.

[0059] The nozzle 71 can be moved and positioned along the X and Z directions by the positioning mechanism 79 of the coating unit 7. The positioning mechanism 79 positions the nozzle 71 at a coating position (shown by the dashed line) above the coating platform 32. Processing liquid is ejected from the nozzle 71 positioned at the coating position and coated onto the substrate S being transported between the nozzle and the coating platform 32. Thus, processing liquid is coated onto the substrate S.

[0060] Above the transport path of the substrate S, a maintenance unit 8 is provided for maintaining the nozzle 71. The maintenance unit 8 includes: a cleaning fluid storage tank 82 disposed in the tank 80, a nozzle cleaner 81, and a maintenance control mechanism 89 for controlling the operation of the cleaning fluid storage tank 82 and the nozzle cleaner 81.

[0061] With the nozzle 71 positioned above the nozzle cleaner 81 (cleaning position) as shown by the solid line, the nozzle cleaner 81 removes the treatment liquid adhering to the area around the nozzle 71's outlet. By cleaning the nozzle 71 before it moves to the coating position, the spraying of the treatment liquid at the coating position can be stabilized from its initial stage.

[0062] Additionally, the positioning mechanism 79 can position the nozzle 71 in a position where the lower end of the nozzle contacts the cleaning fluid stored in the cleaning fluid reservoir 82 (standby position). When coating is not being performed using the nozzle 71, the nozzle 71 is positioned in this standby position. Furthermore, it can also be configured to apply ultrasonic waves to the cleaning fluid to clean the lower end of the nozzle.

[0063] In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided with a control unit 9 for controlling the operation of each part of the apparatus. The control unit 9 includes: a storage component for storing a predetermined control program or various data; a computing component such as a central processing unit (CPU) for executing the predetermined operation of each part of the apparatus by executing the control program; and an interface component for exchanging information with the user or external devices.

[0064] Next, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 To explain the structure of the floating platform section 3. Figure 2 This diagram shows a floating platform section suitable for large-size substrates. Figure 3This diagram illustrates a floating platform section suitable for small-sized substrates. Here, "small-sized substrate" refers to a substrate having a first length Lh in the transport direction Dt, and "large-sized substrate" refers to a substrate having the same width W as the small-sized substrate and a second length Lf in the transport direction Dt that is longer than the first length Lh. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The upper section of the figure shows a plan view of the floating platform section 3 as seen from above, and the lower section shows a side view of the floating platform section 3. As will be clear from these figures, in this embodiment, in the transport direction Dt, the substrate Sh is half the size of the substrate Sf. Therefore, in order to distinguish between the large-size substrate and the small-size substrate, they are sometimes referred to as "full-size substrate Sf" and "half-size substrate Sh," respectively. On the other hand, when there is no distinction between the two, it is referred to as "substrate S."

[0065] In this embodiment, to accommodate both full-size substrate Sf and half-size substrate Sh, the upstream floating platform 31 has a structure different from the upstream floating platform described in Patent Document 1. More specifically, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the upstream floating platform 31 includes: a first floating plate group 311, disposed adjacent to the coating platform 32 upstream of the conveying platform 32 in the conveying direction Dt; and a second floating plate group 312, disposed adjacent to and detachably disposed upstream of the first floating plate group 311 in the conveying direction Dt. The first floating plate group 311 is configured to form a substantially gapless contact state with the coating platform 32 (in Figure 2 and Figure 3 (In the diagram, a small gap is provided for easy distinction between the two). The step difference between the upper surface of the first floating plate group 311 and the upper surface of the coating platform 32 is less than tens of μm. Additionally, as... Figure 2 As shown, when the second buoyancy plate group 312 is adjacent to the first buoyancy plate group 311, the two are also configured to form a substantially gapless contact state (in Figure 2 (A small gap is provided in the diagram to facilitate the distinction between the two). Thus, the coating liquid on the coating platform 32 is applied with good precision, and the untreated substrate S before coating is smoothly transported from the upstream floating platform 31 to the coating platform 32.

[0066] Similarly, the coating platform 32 and the downstream floating platform 33 are also configured to form a substantially gapless contact state, and the step difference between them is less than tens of μm. As a result, the coating of the processing liquid on the coating platform 32 is performed with good precision, and the substrate coated with the processing liquid (equivalent to the "processed substrate" of the present invention) is smoothly transported from the coating platform 32 to the downstream floating platform 33.

[0067] In this embodiment, the first floating plate group 311 is composed of a single first floating plate 313, and the second floating plate group 312 is composed of a single second floating plate 314. Both the first floating plate 313 and the second floating plate 314 have planar dimensions suitable for floating the half-size substrate Sh, i.e., (first length Lh × width W). When coating a full-size substrate Sf, as... Figure 2 As shown, the upstream floating platform 31 arranges the first floating plate 313 and the second floating plate 314 along the conveying direction Dt, thereby causing the full-size substrate Sf to float. On the other hand, when coating a half-size substrate Sh, as... Figure 3 As shown, after removing the second floating plate 314, the upstream floating platform 31 uses only the first floating plate 313 to float the half-size substrate Sh.

[0068] Furthermore, in order to position the upstream floating platform 31, coating platform 32, and downstream floating platform 33 with the aforementioned accuracy, the floating platform section 3 has the following structure. When the floating platform section 3 performs coating processing on a full-size substrate Sf, as follows... Figure 2 The diagram shows the use of three support stages 371 to 373. On the other hand, when coating a half-size substrate Sh, as... Figure 3 As shown, support platform 371, the second floating plate 314, and the frame portion 381 are removed together, and only support platforms 372 and 373 are used. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the total transport direction length of all the floating plates constituting the upstream floating platform 31 is the same as the full-size substrate Sf or the half-size substrate Sh, but this may differ depending on the relationship with the adjacent roller conveyor 21. For example, it may be configured such that the total transport direction length of the most downstream roller among the multiple rollers constituting the roller conveyor 21, together with all the floating plates constituting the upstream floating platform 31, is the same as the full-size substrate Sf or the half-size substrate Sh. The same applies to the embodiments described later.

[0069] A frame portion 381 is provided on the upper surface of the support platform 371. Multiple adjusting bolts 39 are erected on the upper surface of the frame portion 381, and their tops support the second floating plate 314 (second floating plate group 312) from below. Furthermore, by rotating the threaded portion of each adjusting bolt 39, the height or levelness of the second floating plate 314 in the vertical direction Z can be adjusted. This adjustment made by the adjusting bolts 39 is also the same in the frame portion described later.

[0070] The support platform 372 supports the first floating plate 313 (first floating plate group 311) via the frame part 382, ​​supports the coating platform 32 via the precision stone 383, and supports a portion of the downstream floating platform 33 via the frame part 384.

[0071] More specifically, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a precision stone 383 is provided in the coating support area RC on the upper surface of the support platform 372, and a coating platform 32 is mounted on the upper surface of the precision stone 383. The precision stone 383 is a precision-machined cuboid-shaped stone. The precision stone 383 is formed, for example, from granite. Regarding the dimensions of the precision stone 383, when using a glass substrate of, for example, 2160 mm × 2460 mm (G8) as the full-size substrate Sf, the width (length in the Y direction) is 2000 mm, the length (length in the X direction) is 500 mm, and the height (length in the Z direction) is 300 mm. Furthermore, the width of the precision stone 383 can be set to an appropriate value corresponding to the size of the substrate S to be processed. Each face of the cuboid of the precision stone 383 is precision-machined by high-precision face cutting. In particular, the flatness of the upper surface of the precision stone 383 is set to be 3 μm or more and 10 μm or less (5 μm in this embodiment).

[0072] A frame portion 382 is provided in the upstream support region RU, which is located upstream of the coating support region RC, on the upper surface of the support platform 372. A plurality of adjusting bolts 39 are erected from the upper surface of the frame portion 382 to support the first floating plate 313. Additionally, a frame portion 384 is provided in the downstream support region RD, which is located downstream of the coating support region RC, on the upper surface of the support platform 372. A plurality of adjusting bolts 39 are erected from the upper surface of the frame portion 384 to support the upstream end of the downstream floating platform 33.

[0073] Frame portions 385 and 386 are provided on the upper surface of the support platform 373. Multiple adjusting bolts 39 are erected on the upper surface of these frame portions 384 and 385, and their tops support the central part and downstream end of the downstream floating platform 33.

[0074] The floating platform section 3 thus constructed is divided into a first block B1 comprising a support platform 371, a frame section 381, and a second floating plate 314 (second floating plate group 312), and a second block B2 excluding the first block B1. Furthermore, as... Figure 2 As shown, by combining the first block B1 and the second block B2, the floating platform 3 can apply the coating solution to the full-size substrate Sf. On the other hand, as... Figure 3 As shown, the floating platform section 3, consisting only of the second block B2, is capable of applying the processing liquid to the half-size substrate Sh. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 including the floating platform section 3 has versatility in handling both full-size substrates Sf and half-size substrates Sh. As a result, it is possible to respond quickly and cost-effectively to changes in substrate size in the transport direction Dt.

[0075] In addition, by making the first floating plate 313 and the second floating plate 314 common, design time can be reduced and the cost of the device can also be reduced.

[0076] Furthermore, in the aforementioned embodiment, the upstream floating platform 31 includes a first floating plate group 311 and a second floating plate group 312 that are mutually divided in the transport direction Dt. In existing devices, the upstream floating platform 31 is composed of a single floating plate. Therefore, in order to accommodate, for example, a 2160 mm × 2460 mm (G8) glass substrate, platform material with a corresponding planar size is required for the floating plate, and there are situations where the material is difficult to obtain. In contrast, in the first embodiment, since the upstream floating platform 31 is divided into the first floating plate group 311 and the second floating plate group 312, the availability of platform material can be improved. From this perspective, the downstream floating platform 33 can also be divided into two in the same way as the upstream floating platform 31.

[0077] Furthermore, in the described embodiment, a frame portion 382 is provided adjacent to the coating platform 32 on the support platform 372, which is an example of the "coating support platform" of the present invention. Therefore, the following effect can be obtained: Since the coating process is performed on the coating platform 32, as described above, it is necessary to maintain the step difference between the upper surface of the first floating plate group 311 and the upper surface of the coating platform 32 at less than several tens of μm. To meet this requirement, it is more preferable that the first floating plate group 311 and the coating platform 32 are supported by the same support platform 372, rather than the first floating plate group 311 and the coating platform 32 being supported by different support platforms. In this embodiment, the frame portion 382 is an example of the "first frame portion" of the present invention.

[0078] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the first buoyancy plate group 311 and the second buoyancy plate group 312 are each composed of a single first buoyancy plate 313 and a single second buoyancy plate 314, respectively. However, the number of buoyancy plates is not limited to "1," but is arbitrary. For example, such as... Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the number of constituent plates of the first floating plate group 311 can also be set to "2" (second embodiment).

[0079] Figure 4 This is a side view showing the floating platform portion suitable for a full-size substrate in the second embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. Figure 5This is a side view showing the floating platform portion suitable for a half-size substrate in the second embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the first floating plate 315 constituting the first floating plate group 311 has a planar dimension suitable for floating a quarter-size substrate Sq. The first floating plate group 311 is formed by arranging two first floating plates 315 along the transport direction Dt. Here, "quarter-size substrate Sq" refers to the substrate described below, i.e., as will be explained later. Figure 6 Column (c) shows a substrate with a planar dimension of (length Lq × width W) when half the length of the half-size substrate Sh is set as length Lq in the transport direction Dt. That is, when coating is performed on the full-size substrate Sf, the upstream floating platform 31, as shown in column (c), has a planar dimension of (length Lq × width W). Figure 4 As shown, two first floating plates 315 and second floating plates 314 are arranged along the conveying direction Dt, causing the full-size substrate Sf to float. On the other hand, when coating a half-size substrate Sh, as... Figure 5 As shown, after removing the second floating plate 314, the upstream floating platform 31 uses two first floating plates 315 to float the half-size substrate Sh.

[0080] Thus, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be achieved in the second embodiment. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, since the first buoyancy plate group 311 is divided into two first buoyancy plates 315, the availability of platform materials is further improved. From this perspective, the second buoyancy plate group 312 or the downstream buoyancy platform 33 can also be divided into multiple groups, similar to the first buoyancy plate group 311.

[0081] In addition, in the second embodiment, by providing a frame portion 382 for each first buoyancy plate 315, the upstream buoyancy platform 31 can be configured in three modes (third embodiment).

[0082] Figure 6 This is a plan view schematically illustrating the structure of the first floating plate group and the second floating plate group for each substrate size in a third embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. As the three modes, the following are provided:

[0083] • Figure 6 The full-size pattern described in column (a) consists of two first floating plates 315 + a second floating plate 314.

[0084] • Figure 6 The half-size pattern described in column (b) of the document... two first floating plates 315,

[0085] • Figure 6 The quarter-size pattern described in column (c) of the document... a first floating plate 315,

[0086] The coating process can be selected according to the substrate size.

[0087] Figure 7 This is a side view showing the floating platform portion suitable for a full-size substrate in the fourth embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. A major difference between the fourth embodiment and the first embodiment is that the downstream floating platform 33 and the upstream floating platform 31 are similarly divided into two parts. Furthermore, since other structures are the same as in the first embodiment, the same symbols are used for identical structures, and structural descriptions are omitted.

[0088] The downstream floating platform 33 includes a third floating plate group 331 (with third floating plates 333) and a fourth floating plate group 332 (with fourth floating plates 334) that are separated from each other in the transport direction Dt. In the existing device, the downstream floating platform 33 is composed of a single floating plate. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain materials, just like on the upstream floating platform side. In contrast, in the fourth embodiment, the downstream floating platform 33 is divided into the third floating plate group 331 and the fourth floating plate group 332, thus improving the accessibility of platform materials.

[0089] In addition, such as Figure 7 As shown, a frame portion 384 is provided in the downstream support region RD of the support platform 372, and the third floating plate group 331 is supported by a plurality of adjusting bolts 39 erected from the upper surface of the frame portion 384. That is, in the fourth embodiment, since the first floating plate group 311, the coating platform 32, and the third floating plate group 331 are supported by the same support platform 372, the step difference between the upper surface of the third floating plate group 331 and the upper surface of the coating platform 32 can be easily maintained below tens of μm. Thus, in the fourth embodiment, the frame portion 384 corresponds to an example of the "second frame portion" of the present invention.

[0090] Furthermore, in the described embodiment, a frame portion 382 and a frame portion 384 are provided adjacent to the coating platform 32 on a support platform 372, which is equivalent to a "coating support table" of the present invention. Therefore, the following effect can be obtained: Since the coating process is performed on the coating platform 32, as described above, it is necessary to maintain the step difference between the upper surface of the first floating plate group 311 and the upper surface of the coating platform 32 at a level of 10 μm or less. Similarly, the step difference between the upper surface of the coating platform 32 and the upper surface of the downstream floating platform 33 is also required. To meet these requirements, as in this embodiment, it is preferable to provide the frame portion 382 supporting the first floating plate group 311 and the frame portion 384 supporting the downstream floating platform 33 on the upper surface of the support platform 372 used to support the coating platform 32.

[0091] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and various modifications can be made to the content as long as the spirit of the invention is not departed from. In the described embodiments, the "large-size substrate" and "small-size substrate" of the present invention are exemplified as a full-size substrate Sf and a half-size substrate Sh having a length ratio of 2:1 in the transport direction Dt, but the combination of "large-size substrate" and "small-size substrate" is not limited to this, and can be arbitrary as long as the width W is the same.

[0092] Furthermore, in the described embodiment, the present invention is applied to a substrate processing apparatus that supplies processing liquid to the upper surface of a substrate and performs coating, but the present invention can also be applied to a substrate processing apparatus that supplies processing liquid to the upper surface of a substrate for purposes other than coating.

[0093] [Industry availability]

[0094] This invention can be applied to all substrate processing apparatuses that lift and transport substrates and supply processing liquids such as resist solutions to the upper surface of said substrates.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, wherein a substrate, which is floated onto a floating platform, is conveyed along a predetermined conveying direction while a processing liquid is supplied from a nozzle to the upper surface of the substrate, the substrate processing apparatus being characterized in that, The floating platform includes: A coating platform is positioned opposite the nozzle; An upstream floating platform is configured on the upstream side of the coating platform in the conveying direction; as well as A downstream floating platform is configured on the downstream side of the coating platform in the conveying direction. The upstream floating platform has: A first floating plate group has at least one or more first floating plates arranged along the conveying direction to float the substrate, and is disposed adjacent to each other on the upstream side of the coating platform in the conveying direction. as well as The second floating plate group comprises at least one second floating plate arranged along the conveying direction to float the substrate, and is disposed adjacent to and detachably disposed upstream of the first floating plate group in the conveying direction. in, Depending on the size of the substrate in the transport direction, it is possible to switch between first substrate transport and second substrate transport. The first substrate transfer involves detaching the second floating plate group from the upstream floating platform and transferring the substrate to the coating platform using only the first floating plate group. The second substrate transport involves placing the second floating plate group adjacent to the first floating plate group, and using the second floating plate group and the first floating plate group to transport the substrate to the coating platform.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the small-sized substrate, having a first length in the conveying direction, and the large-sized substrate, having a second length longer than the first length, are used as the substrate, and the processing liquid is supplied, The first group of floating plates is configured such that its length in the conveying direction is the first length. The second group of floating plates is removed from the upstream floating platform.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the large-size substrate is used as the substrate and the processing liquid is supplied, The second floating plate group is arranged adjacent to the first floating plate group, and the length in the conveying direction after the first floating plate group and the second floating plate group are connected becomes the second length.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, Also includes: Coating support platform The coating support platform has a coating support area on its upper surface that supports the coating platform. The upstream floating platform has a first frame portion, which is disposed on the upstream support area of ​​the coating support area in the conveying direction on the upper surface of the coating support platform, and holds the first floating plate group on the upper surface of the first frame portion.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The downstream floating platform has: The third floating plate group has at least one third floating plate arranged along the conveying direction to float the processed substrate that has received the processing liquid supply, and is disposed adjacent to each other on the downstream side of the coating platform in the conveying direction. as well as The fourth floating plate group has at least one fourth floating plate arranged along the conveying direction to float the processed substrate, and is disposed adjacent to and detachably disposed downstream of the third floating plate group in the conveying direction.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, Also includes: Coating support platform The coating support platform has a coating support area on its upper surface that supports the coating platform. The upstream floating platform has a first frame portion, which is disposed on the upper surface of the coating support platform in the upstream support area on the upstream side of the coating support area in the conveying direction, and holds the first floating plate group on the upper surface of the first frame portion. The downstream floating platform has a second frame portion, which is disposed on the downstream support area of ​​the coating support area in the conveying direction on the upper surface of the coating support platform, and holds the third floating plate group on the upper surface of the second frame portion.

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