Substrate transfer module and method for manufacturing substrate transfer module

Abstract

To provide a technique for suppressing the release of contaminants from tiles used to move a transfer body that transfers a substrate under a vacuum atmosphere by magnetic levitation in a substrate transfer module of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that performs processing on the surface of the substrate.SOLUTION: A substrate transfer module which constitutes a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that performs processing on a substrate and transfers the substrate in a transfer space under a vacuum atmosphere, comprises a chamber which constitutes the transfer space, has a floor provided with a plurality of tiles, each having an electromagnet for forming a magnetic field that acts on a magnet provided to a transfer body for transferring the substrate in the transfer space to move the transfer body in a levitated state. On at least a surface of each tile that is in contact with the transfer space, a coating film that suppresses the release of contaminants from a material constituting the tile is formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] For example, in a substrate processing apparatus that performs processing on 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 where the processing is executed. Various configurations of substrate transfer mechanisms are used for wafer transfer. The applicant is developing a substrate processing apparatus that transfers a substrate using a substrate transfer body that utilizes magnetic levitation.

[0003] As a magnetic levitation technology, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a displacement device including a stator having a coil, a movable stage having a magnet array, and capable of supporting a semiconductor wafer. And a technique related to the arrangement of the magnet array for relatively moving the movable stage with respect to the stator is described.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique for suppressing the release of contaminants from tiles for moving a carrier that transfers a substrate in a vacuum atmosphere by magnetic levitation in a substrate transfer module of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that processes the surface of a substrate.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The substrate transfer module of the present disclosure constitutes a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing a substrate, and is a substrate transfer module for transferring the substrate in a transfer space that is a vacuum atmosphere. A chamber having a floor provided with tiles each provided with an electromagnet for forming a magnetic field that acts on a magnet provided on a carrier that constitutes the transfer space and transfers the substrate in the transfer space, and moves the carrier in a floating state. On at least the surface of the tile that contacts the transfer space, a coating film is formed to suppress the release of contaminants from the members constituting the tile.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, in the 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 tiles for moving a carrier that transfers a substrate under a vacuum atmosphere by magnetic levitation.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] <Substrate Processing Apparatus> Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1, an embodiment of the substrate transfer module 1 of the present disclosure that constitutes a semiconductor processing apparatus (hereinafter also referred to as a "substrate processing apparatus") will be described. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus including the substrate transfer module of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate transfer module 1 constitutes a multi-chamber type substrate processing apparatus 2 including a plurality of processing containers 11 capable of performing various processes on a substrate W, which is a wafer, for example. And the substrate transfer module 1 transfers the substrate W to a desired processing container 11 in order to perform a process on the substrate W.

[0010] In describing 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 in a semiconductor device manufacturing factory. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 2 includes an atmospheric transfer chamber 61, a load lock chamber 62, a housing 12 that is a chamber, and a plurality of processing containers 11, which are arranged in this order horizontally from the atmospheric transfer chamber 61 side. In the substrate processing apparatus 2 in this example, the processing container 11 is configured to process the substrate W in a vacuum atmosphere, and the transfer space S1 for the substrate W formed in the housing 12 is in a vacuum atmosphere.

[0011] Hereinafter, in the description of the entire substrate processing apparatus 2, the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system shown in each figure will be used. In this coordinate system, the XY directions are set in the horizontal plane. And in FIG. 1, the Y direction is called the front-rear direction, and the X direction is called the left-right direction. When looking at 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 the back side (rear side), and the direction in which the atmospheric transfer chamber 61 is arranged is the front side (front side). Also, the vertical direction is set as the Z direction.

[0012] A load port 63 is provided in front of the atmospheric transfer chamber 61. The load port 63 is configured as a mounting table on which a carrier C accommodating a substrate W to be processed is placed, and, for example, four of them are arranged side by side 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 has an atmospheric pressure (normal pressure) atmosphere, and, for example, a down - flow of clean air is formed. Further, inside the atmospheric transfer chamber 61, a transfer mechanism 66 composed of, for example, an articulated arm is provided, and is configured to transfer the substrate W between the carrier C and the load lock chamber 62.

[0013] Between the atmospheric transfer chamber 61 and the housing 12, for example, two load lock chambers 62 are arranged side by side. 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 on which the substrate W is placed and a lifting pin 68 that pushes up and holds the substrate W from below. For example, three lifting pins 68 are provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the substrate W to be held, and are configured to be able to move up and down. Note that the lifting pin 69 described later has the same configuration. 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 each configured to be openable and closable by gate valves G1 and G2, respectively.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 12 is long in the front - rear direction and is formed in a rectangular shape in plan view. The bottom inside the housing 12 is configured as a floor 3, and a transfer space S1 for the substrate W is formed above the floor 3 inside the housing 12. The housing 12 is provided with a vacuum exhaust mechanism 14, and the upstream end of the vacuum exhaust path connected to the vacuum exhaust mechanism 14 opens inside the housing 12 to reduce the pressure so that the transfer space S1 becomes a vacuum atmosphere. Four processing containers 11, a total of eight, are connected to the left and right side wall portions 15 of the housing 12 in this example. In the side wall portion 15, an opening 16 for transferring the substrate W to the corresponding processing container 11 is formed for each processing container 11, and each opening 16 is configured to be openable and closable by a gate valve G3. The substrate W is carried in and out between the housing 12 and the processing container 11 through these openings 16.

[0015] Each processing container 11 is depressurized by a vacuum evacuation mechanism (not shown) to create a vacuum atmosphere. A mounting table 17 is provided inside each processing container 11, and a substrate W is placed on the mounting table 17 and a predetermined process is performed. Examples of the process performed on the substrate W include an etching process, a film forming process, an annealing process, an ashing process, etc. Each processing container 11 is provided with a processing module for performing such a process. For this reason, in addition to the mounting table 17, each processing container 11 may be provided with a heater for adjusting the temperature 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, each processing container 11 may be provided with a group of gas flow devices such as valves for introducing gas into the gas supply unit, and an exhaust mechanism such as valves and pumps for exhausting the inside of the processing container 11.

[0016] For example, when processing the substrate W using a processing gas, the processing container 11 is provided with a gas supply unit and an exhaust mechanism composed of a shower head or the like. When performing a heat treatment on the substrate W, an exhaust mechanism and a heater are provided. Note that these exhaust mechanisms, heaters, and gas supply units are not shown in the drawings. Further, the mounting table 17 is provided with lifting pins 69 for transferring the substrate W to be carried in and out.

[0017] Inside the housing 12, a transporter 70 for transporting the substrate W is disposed. As shown in FIG. 1, the transporter 70 includes a main body portion 71 that is arranged and used on the floor 3. The main body portion 71 of this example is provided with a substrate holding portion 72 for horizontally holding the substrate W to be transported. The substrate holding portion 72 is provided so as to protrude horizontally from the main body portion 71.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the bottom surface of the main body 71 of the carrier 70 and the inside of the floor 3, and shows a perspective view of the upper part of the main body 71 of the carrier 70 and the upper surface portion of the tile 40 described later on the floor 3. As will be described in detail later, the carrier 70 is configured to be movable horizontally in a state of floating from the floor surface 3S (the upper surface of the floor 3) by utilizing the repulsive force between the magnet unit 74 provided on the bottom surface of the main body 71 and a large number of electromagnets provided on the floor 3. Such floating movement of the carrier 70 prevents dust generation and is configured to maintain a high cleanliness in the transport space S1.

[0019] Note that the horizontal movement here includes, in addition to the carrier 70 moving in the front-rear direction (Y direction) or the left-right direction (X direction) on the floor, oblique translational movement and rotational movement around the vertical axis on the spot. Also, the floating height of the carrier 70 from the floor surface 3S can be changed. Therefore, the carrier 70 is also movable in the vertical direction.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, for example, the tip of the substrate holding portion 72 is configured as a fork 73 that can be arranged so as to sandwich the region where the three lifting pins 68 and 69 are provided from both sides. The substrate holding portion 72 is configured to have a length such that, for example, with the main body 71 positioned within the housing 12, the gate valve G3 is opened and the substrate W can be transferred to the mounting table 17 by inserting it into the processing container 11 through the opening 16.

[0021] Also, the length in the short side direction of the rectangular housing 12 in plan view is dimensioned such that two carriers 70 holding the substrate W can pass by side by side. In this example, the substrate W is transported using a plurality of carriers 70 provided within the housing 12.

[0022] <Control Unit> Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 2 includes a control unit 5. The control unit 5 is composed of a computer including a CPU and a storage unit, and controls each part of the substrate processing apparatus 2. In the storage unit, a program in which a group of steps (instructions) for controlling the operations of the processing container 11 and the like in various processing steps is assembled is recorded. This program is stored in a storage medium such as a hard disk, a compact disk, a memory card, or a non-volatile memory, and is installed in the computer from there. Also, in the storage unit, a program for controlling the wafer transfer operation of the transfer body 70 and a program related to the decompression operation for making the transfer space S1 into a vacuum atmosphere with a preset degree of vacuum before the transfer operation of the substrate W are stored.

[0023] <Transfer operation> Next, an example of the transfer operation of the substrate W in the substrate processing apparatus 2 having the above-described configuration will be described. First, a carrier C containing the substrate W to be processed is placed on the load port 63. Then, the transfer mechanism 66 in the atmospheric transfer chamber 61 takes out the substrate W from the carrier C, carries it into the load lock chamber 62, and transfers the substrate W to the stage 67 in cooperation with the lifting pins 68. After that, when the transfer mechanism 66 withdraws from the load lock chamber 62, the gate valve G1 is closed, and the inside of the load lock chamber 62 is switched from the atmospheric atmosphere to the vacuum atmosphere.

[0024] When the inside of the load lock chamber 62 becomes a vacuum atmosphere, the gate valve G2 is opened. At this time, inside the housing 12, the transfer body 70 is waiting in a posture facing the load lock chamber 62 in the vicinity of the connection position of the load lock chamber 62. Then, as will be described later, the transfer body 70 is lifted by magnetic levitation.

[0025] Next, the substrate holding part 72 of the carrier 70 is made to enter the load lock chamber 62, and via the lifting pins 68, the substrate W is received from the stage 67 by the fork 73 of the substrate holding part 72. Subsequently, the substrate holding part 72 holding the substrate W is made to exit the load lock chamber 62. The carrier 70 is retracted to the side position of the processing container 11 that executes the processing of the substrate W, and the front end side of the substrate holding part 72 holding the substrate W is disposed laterally of the gate valve G3.

[0026] Thus, when the front end side of the substrate holding part 72 reaches laterally of the gate valve G3, the gate valve G3 is opened, and the main body part 71 appropriately performs rotation, retraction, and advancement to make the fork 73 enter the processing container 11 and reach above the mounting table 17 with the substrate W. Next, the substrate W is transferred to the mounting table 17 via the lifting pins 69, and the carrier 70 is retracted from the processing container 11. Further, after closing the gate valve G3, the processing of the substrate W is started.

[0027] In this process, the substrate W placed on the mounting table 17 is heated as necessary to raise the temperature to a preset temperature, and when a processing gas supply part is provided, a processing gas is supplied into the processing container 11. Thus, a desired process on the substrate W is executed. When the processing of the substrate W is executed for a preset period, the heating of the substrate W is stopped, and when a processing gas is being used, the supply is stopped.

[0028] After that, the substrate W is transported in the reverse procedure of the loading process, and the substrate W is returned from the processing container 11 to the load lock chamber 62. Further, after switching the atmosphere of the load lock chamber 62 to the atmospheric pressure atmosphere, the substrate W in the load lock chamber 62 is taken out by the transport mechanism 66 on the atmospheric transport chamber 61 side and returned to a predetermined carrier C.

[0029] Hereinafter, the configuration of the substrate transfer module 1 will be described in detail. The substrate transfer module 1 is composed of a housing 12 that forms a transfer space S1 in which the substrate W is transferred using the transfer body 70 as described above, and a vacuum exhaust mechanism 14 that exhausts the transfer space S1 to create a vacuum atmosphere. The bottom of the housing 12 is configured as a floor 3 provided with a large number of electromagnets. Since the substrate processing apparatus 2 is installed in a clean room as described above, the outside of the housing 12 is in an atmospheric atmosphere. The space in the atmospheric atmosphere outside the housing 12 is referred to as the external space 100. As will be described later, the atmosphere of the transfer space S1 and the atmosphere of the external space 100 are partitioned by the floor 3, and the transfer space S1 is configured to have high airtightness. In the transfer space S1, the above-described transfer of the substrate W is performed in a vacuum atmosphere of, for example, 300 Pa or less.

[0030] <Transfer body> FIG. 3 is a longitudinal side view taken along the line A-A' shown in FIG. 2, and shows a magnet unit 74 and a tile 40 provided on the floor 3 and including an electromagnet. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the main body portion 71 of the transfer body 70 is configured, for example, in a square shape in plan view, and the bottom surface of the main body portion 71 faces the floor 3. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the main body portion 71 is arranged on the floor 3 such that the four sides constituting the periphery of the main body portion 71 are parallel to the X direction and the Y direction, respectively, and the substrate holding portion 72 is shown in a state of extending along the Y direction. The arrangement of the transfer body 70 can be arbitrarily changed, but for the convenience of explaining the configuration, the magnet unit 74 of the transfer body 70 will be described assuming that the transfer body 70 is in the arrangement shown in FIG. 2.

[0031] <Magnet unit> As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, each magnet unit 74 is a plate-like body configured as a rectangle having the same shape in plan view, and is composed of a plurality of magnets as will be described in detail later. These magnet units 74 each extend along the horizontal direction, and each long side is arranged along the four sides of the outer edge of the main body 71. In adjacent magnet units 74, the end in the longitudinal direction of one magnet unit 74 is located on the extension line in the longitudinal direction of the other magnet unit 74. With such an arrangement, the four magnet units 74 are configured to form an annular body and are arranged to be rotationally symmetric about the Z axis.

[0032] In FIG. 3, two magnet units 74 with long sides arranged along the X direction are referred to as the first magnet units 75, and two magnet units 74 with long sides arranged along the Y direction are referred to as the second magnet units 76. As shown by representing two of the second magnet units 76 in FIG. 3, for example, each magnet unit 74 is composed of nine permanent magnets 79. The nine permanent magnets 79 are formed in an elongated prismatic shape extending along the Y direction and are arranged along the X direction.

[0033] In FIG. 3, the direction in which the N poles of each permanent magnet 79 are arranged is schematically indicated by arrows. As shown in the figure, for each permanent magnet 79, the N pole is arranged to face the Z direction or the X direction, and the N pole directions of adjacent permanent magnets 79 are different by 90°. Specifically, when viewed in order from one end side (+X side) to the other end side (-X side) in the X direction, the N poles of each permanent magnet 79 are arranged to face +Z, -X, -Z, +X, +Z, -X, -Z, +X, +Z, and the directions of the magnetic poles change periodically. That is, these nine permanent magnets 79 form a Halbach array, and a stronger magnetic field is formed on the lower side than on the upper side, resulting in a configuration capable of obtaining a high levitation force. The first magnet unit 75 has the same configuration as the second magnet unit 76 except that the length direction is along the X direction. Therefore, the description of the second magnet unit 76 described so far, read as if the second magnet unit 76 is rotated 90° about the Z axis, represents the first magnet unit 75.

[0034] <Bed> FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the bed 3 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the bed 3, which is the bottom of the housing 12, is composed of a lattice-shaped frame body 30 in which a plurality of openings 31 are formed, and a plurality of tiles 40 respectively housed inside each opening 31. In the present embodiment, substantially the entire bed 3 is composed of this frame body 30 and the tiles 40. However, for example, at the rear end of the bed 3 outside the moving area of the carrier 70, these members are not provided, and instead, it is an area where the exhaust port 14A opens (see FIG. 1). Vacuum exhaust of the conveyance space S1 is performed by a vacuum exhaust mechanism 14 such as a vacuum pump through the exhaust port 14A.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the frame body 30 includes a rectangular outer frame 32 attached to the housing 12, and a plurality of horizontal members 33 extending in the X direction and the Y direction inside the outer frame 32. These horizontally arranged members 33 are arranged in a lattice pattern to form a plurality of openings 31 by partitioning the space inside the outer frame 32 into grid-like sections. Each opening 31 is, for example, square in plan view and is arranged at equal intervals in each of the X direction and the Y direction. Also, the interval between the openings 31 adjacent to each other in the X direction and the interval between the openings 31 adjacent to each other in the Y direction are equal. Note that the planar shapes of the openings 31 and the tiles 40 are not limited to squares and can be arbitrary, for example, circular in plan view.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3, in the frame body 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 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 surrounded by the annular member 37. The annular member 37 is, for example, an O-ring made of an elastic body, and is a seal member for keeping the inside of the housing 12 airtight by closely adhering to the tile 40 provided so as to close the opening 31 from the lower surface side. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, screw holes 38 are provided on the lower surface of the frame body 30, slightly separated from the four corners of each opening 31 respectively. The screw holes 38 are provided on the lower surface of the intersection portion 33b (see FIG. 4) of the horizontal cross-member 33 that constitutes the corner of the opening 31, and are provided for fixing the tile 40 to the horizontal cross-member 33 by screwing.

[0037] <The tile that constitutes the floor> The tile 40 is attached to the frame body 30 so as to close the opening 31, thereby separating the transport space S1 that becomes a vacuum atmosphere from the external space 100 under the floor 3. As shown in FIG. 4, for example, the tile 40 is configured in a flat hexahedron shape that is square in plan view. The tile 40 includes a coil portion 41 provided in its upper side region and having a plurality of coils 47 and 48 that constitute an electromagnet, a case 42 provided below the coil portion 41, and a lid portion 43 attached to the lower surface of the case 42.

[0038] As members constituting the tile 40, the case 42 and the lid portion 43 other than the coils 47 and 48 may change the upper magnetic field when magnetized by the electromagnet of the coil portion 41, which may interfere with the movement control of the carrier 70. Therefore, in order to prevent this, the constituent materials of the case 42 and the lid portion 43 are preferably made of a non-magnetic material, that is, a paramagnetic material or a diamagnetic material. Also, if eddy currents are generated in the case 42 and the lid portion 43 due to a change in the magnetic field in the transport space S1, it may similarly interfere with the movement control of the carrier 70. The said configuration which needs to prevent this is preferably made of a conductor or an insulator with low conductivity. From the above, the case 42 and the frame body 30 are made of, for example, aluminum (Al).

[0039] Also, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper surface and side surfaces of the coil portion 41 and the outer surface of the case 42 are covered with a coating film 45, which will be described in detail later. The upper portion 40p of the tile 40 covered with the coating film 45 has a hexahedral shape that is square in plan view as described above. The size of the upper portion 40p of the tile 40 in plan view is substantially the same as the opening shape of the opening 31, but is dimensioned to be insertable and disposed inside the opening 31. Therefore, when attached to the frame body 30, a gap S3 is formed between the outer surfaces of the coil portion 41 and the case 42 on which the coating film 45 is formed and the inner wall surface of the opening 31. Since the gap S3 opens upward toward the opening 31, it communicates with the transport space S1, and the atmosphere inside the gap S3 is the same as that of the transport space S1.

[0040] The vertical thickness of the coil portion 41 is thinner than the thickness of the case 42 disposed on its lower side. The lid portion 43 is composed of a plate-like member, is disposed on the lower surface of the case 42, and a flange 431 protruding outward from the side circumference of the case 42 is formed on its outer peripheral portion. The outer edge of the flange 431 is square in plan view, and the length of each side is larger than the length of each side of the opening 31, which is also square in plan view.

[0041] The case 42 has a flat internal space 44 formed inside. A through hole 42p for inserting the wiring 52 of the coil portion 41, which will be described later, into the internal space 44 is formed in the upper surface portion of the case 42. The through hole 42p is blocked by the coil portion 41 adhered to the upper surface of the case 42 with an adhesive P1, which will be described later. An annular fixing portion 42b is formed at the lower end of each side wall of the case 42 so as to protrude horizontally toward the internal space 44. The lid portion 43 is attached to the lower surface of the fixing portion 42b via a fastening tool such as a screw.

[0042] And in the region on the outer peripheral edge side of the lower surface of the fixing portion 42b, an annular arrangement groove 42c that opens downward is formed, and an annular member 42d is arranged in the arrangement groove 42c. The annular member 42d is, for example, an O-ring made of an elastic body, and when the lid portion 43 is screwed to the fixing portion 42b, it airtightly closes the space between the lid portion 43 and the case 42. In this way, by the annular member 42d closing the gap between the lower surface of the case 42 and the upper surface of the lid portion 43, when the frame body 30 is attached, communication between the gap S3 and the internal space 44 through the gap is prevented.

[0043] The lid portion 43 is attached to the case 42 so as to cover the internal space 44 from the lower surface side. The upper surface of the flange 431 of the lid portion 43 that protrudes laterally from the case 42 contacts the lower surface of the horizontal member 33 and the annular member 37. On the other hand, the lower surface of the lid portion 43 including the flange 431 contacts the external space 100. Connectors 53, 53A, and 53B are provided on the lid portion 43 so as to penetrate the plate surface. Each of the connectors 53, 53A, and 53B constitutes a connection wiring with the control unit 5 described later and a connection portion with the pipes 55A and 55B arranged between the connectors and the chiller 59. The connectors 53, 53A, and 53B have low airtightness, and the internal space 44 partitioned from the external space 100 by the flange 431 communicates with the external space 100 through the connectors 53, 53A, and 53B and becomes an atmospheric atmosphere.

[0044] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the coil portion 41 in FIG. 3. In FIG. 5, in order to clarify the configuration of the coil portion 41, among the first and second coils 47 and 48 provided in the coil portion 41, the wiring 47n connected to the first coil 47 is shown as a representative, and the illustration of the wiring connected to the second coil 48 is omitted. The wiring connected to the second coil 48 may also be referred to as the wiring of the second coil 48 or the wiring described above.

[0045] The coil portion 41 is adhered to the upper surface portion of the case 42 by an adhesive P1 containing, for example, butyl rubber or epoxy resin on its lower surface. As described above, the coil portion 41 is provided in close contact with the upper surface of the case 42 via the adhesive P1 with a large number of wirings 52 drawn from the first coil 47 and the second coil 48 inserted into the case 42. With this configuration, the through-hole 42p is blocked by the adhesive P1. Therefore, the internal space 44 is separated from the transport space S1 in a vacuum atmosphere and can maintain the state of the atmospheric atmosphere.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 5, an electromagnet is arranged along the upper surface of the coil portion 41 so as to form a magnetic field in the transport space S1 arranged above it. Specifically, a plurality of first and second coils 47 and 48 are arranged along the upper surface, and the windings of each coil 47 and 48 are stacked in the vertical direction. The first coil 47 and the second coil 48 are each composed of a plurality of conductive paths 47m and 48m which are their respective windings. The conductive paths 47m and 48m are arranged along the upper surface of the tile 40 to form a layer, and each layer of the conductive paths 47m and 48m is alternately overlapped and electrically separated from each other by providing an insulating layer 49 therebetween.

[0047] On one side of the layer superimposed on the interaction, a plurality of conductive paths 47m provided to extend in the X direction are arranged along the Y direction. A plurality of conductive paths 47m arranged in the same layer are connected in a spiral shape by wiring (not shown) at both ends in the X direction to form a first coil 47 which is a planar coil. A plurality of the first coils 47 configured in this way are arranged along the Y direction. On the other side of the layer superimposed alternately, a plurality of conductive paths 48m provided to extend in the Y direction are arranged along the X direction. A plurality of conductive paths 48m arranged in the same layer are connected in a spiral shape by wiring (not shown) at both ends in the Y direction to form a second coil 48 which is a planar coil. A plurality of the second coils 48 configured in this way are arranged along the X direction. And these alternately laminated first coils 47 and second coils 48 are connected to an external power source (not shown) for each of the same type of coils 47 and 48 by wiring provided along the Z direction (in FIG. 5, wiring 47n connected to the first coil 47 is shown).

[0048] 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 in addition to between the layers of the conductive paths 47m and 48m, the insulating layer 49 is also disposed on the upper surface of the coil portion 41.

[0049] On two side surfaces of the coil portion 41 configured as described above along the Y direction, the respective ends in the X direction of the conductive paths 47m, 48m, and the insulating layer 49 and the wiring 47n are arranged. On two side surfaces of the coil portion 41 along the X direction, the respective ends 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 arranged. And on the lower surface of the coil portion 41, the wiring 47n connected to both ends of the first coil 47 and the above-described wiring connected to both ends of the second coil 48 are arranged. The coil portion 41 configured as described above is integrally formed by closely adhering the adjacent conductive paths 47m and 48m in the vertical direction to each insulating layer 49, and on the side surface, the wiring 47n and the wiring of the second coil 48 are closely adhered.

[0050] The wiring 47n arranged on the lower surface of the coil portion 41 and the wiring of the second coil 48 are drawn out into the case 42 through the through holes 42p. In the following description, the wiring 47n connected to the conductive path 47m and the wiring (not shown in FIG. 5) connected to the conductive path 48m may be collectively referred to as the wiring 52. Note that a hall sensor layer (hall elements) (not shown) in which a number of hall sensors for specifying the position of the carrier 70 are arranged at intervals may be provided between the coil portion 41 and the case 42.

[0051] Next, returning to FIG. 3, the configuration inside the case 42 will be described. As described above, the substrate 51 and the cooling channel 54 are arranged in the internal space 44 of the case 42 which is in an air atmosphere. The cooling channel 54 is arranged between the upper surface portion of the case 42 and the substrate 51 and cools the coil portion 41 and the inside of the case 42. One end and the other end of the cooling channel 54 are respectively connected to one ends of pipes 55A and 55B provided in the external space 100 via connectors 53A and 53B. The other ends of the pipes 55A and 55B are connected to a chiller 59 also provided in the external space 100, and the pipes 55A, 55B, the chiller 59, and the cooling channel 54 form a refrigerant circulation path. The pipe 55A is a refrigerant supply pipe to the chiller 59, and the pipe 55B is a water discharge pipe from the chiller 59. The chiller 59 includes a pump for circulating the refrigerant, and a flow path connected to the pipes 55A and 55B and for adjusting the temperature of the flowing refrigerant to a predetermined temperature by heat exchange.

[0052] With the above configuration, the refrigerant whose temperature is adjusted by the chiller 59 is supplied to the cooling passage 54 in the case 42. Therefore, in particular, the coil portion 41 that generates heat when energized is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant flowing through the cooling passage 54 and by heat exchange with the case 42 and the wiring 52 inside the case 42. Thus, the coil portion 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 value due to temperature are suppressed. And since displacement of the magnetic field formed on the floor 3 due to heat generation of the coil portion 41 is suppressed, the position of the carrier 70 can be controlled with high accuracy. For the sake of illustration, the power supply unit 6 and the chiller 59 are shown under the floor of the housing 12, but for example, they are arranged at a location away from the floor.

[0053] The substrate 51 is attached, for example, to the inner surface of the case 42, specifically, on the fixing portion 42b, by a fastening tool such as a screw. The substrate 51 is connected to a plurality of wirings 52 from the coil portion 41 and is also connected to the control unit 5 arranged in the external space 100 and an external power supply (not shown) by a wiring 52b with a connector 53 interposed therebetween.

[0054] The integrated circuit chip 51b is connected to the control unit 5 and the external power supply, and is configured to supply currents adjusted according to the conveyance control signal from the control unit 5 to the first and second coils 47 and 48 respectively. Thereby, a magnetic field for executing conveyance control by the control unit 5 is formed above the coil portion 41. And the control unit 5 can adjust the magnetic field formed in each part on the floor 3 and can move the carrier 70 in each direction as described with reference to FIG. 1. Although the movement of the carrier 70 has been described as using a repulsive force, a control such as combining an attractive force with the repulsive force and keeping the carrier 70 at a desired location on the floor 3 by the balance between the repulsive force and the attractive force may be performed. That is, it is not limited to the operation control using only the repulsive force.

[0055] When attaching the above tile 40 to the frame 30, with the upper part 40p of the tile 40 inserted downward into the opening 31 and placed therein, the flange 431 arranged so as to overlap the lower part of the edge of the opening 31 is screwed to the frame 30 and fixed. Then, the annular member 37, which is the elastic body described above, is crushed between the flange 431 and the case 42 and comes into close contact with each of the arrangement groove 36 of the frame 30 and the upper surface of the flange 431. As a result, as described above, at the hole edge in the lower opening of the opening 31, the gap between the frame 30 and the tile 40 is closed, and the atmosphere is separated between the conveyance space S1 and the external space 100.

[0056] The upper surface of the tile 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 surface 3S and is in contact with the conveyance space S1. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the upper surfaces of the respective flanges 431 attached to the frame 30 are in contact with the lower surface of the frame 30, and the side surfaces are close to and face the side surfaces of the other flanges 431 adjacent in the X direction and the Y direction.

[0057] As described in detail above, the coil unit 41 is configured by alternately laminating conductive paths 47m and 48m made of, for example, copper and an insulating layer 49 made of glass fiber. The coil unit 41 and the case 42 are adhered by an adhesive P1. Further, the laminated conductive paths 47m and 48m and the insulating layer 49 may be brought into close contact via an adhesive. Also, each of the conductive paths 47m and 48m is connected to a wiring 52. Thus, when the coil unit 41 composed of various types of constituent members is arranged on the floor 3 of the transport space S1, there is a risk that various contaminants will be released toward the transport space S1 that is in a vacuum atmosphere. Examples of contaminants include fiber pieces of glass fiber and copper ions released from the surfaces of the conductive paths 47m and 48m. Also, when the adhesive P1 contains an organic solvent or when the wiring 52 is coated, the organic solvent contained in the coating material such as polyvinyl chloride may also be released as outgas (gassified organic matter). Outgas may react with moisture in the atmosphere and the like to become a factor in generating particles. When these contaminants and particles enter the transport space S1 or the processing container 11 and adhere to the substrate W, it becomes a factor in contaminating the substrate W.

[0058] Therefore, in the substrate transport module 1 of the present embodiment, a coating film 45 is formed to suppress the release of contaminants from the upper portion 40p of the tile 40 including the coil unit 41 and the adhesive P1. Specifically, the coating film 45 is formed on the upper surface of the coil unit 41 and the outer surfaces of the coil unit 41 and the case 42, and the surfaces facing the transport space S1 and the above-described gap S3 (see FIG. 5) communicating with this transport space S1 are covered with the coating film 45.

[0059] Similar to the constituent materials of the case 42 and the lid portion 43, the coating film 45 is preferably made of a non-magnetic material that is an insulator or a material having a low conductivity so as not to interfere with the movement control of the transport body 70. Also, the coating film 45 is preferably made of a material that does not contain a solvent that causes outgas or particles, particularly an organic solvent, and has a low risk of releasing metal ions. Further, the coating film 45 is preferably a substance having corrosion resistance at least on its surface.

[0060] From the above, the coating film 45 in this example is formed of, for example, ceramics, and preferably formed of aluminum nitride (AlN), yttrium oxide (Y2O3), or alumina (Al2O3) with good corrosion resistance. The thickness of the coating film 45 is, for example, 3 μm to 500 μm, and it is preferably as thin as possible. The coating film 45 is formed by an aerosol deposition method that forms a film by utilizing a room-temperature impact solidification phenomenon caused by colliding aerosol particles of a room-temperature coating film raw material with the tile. In this case, the thickness of the coating film 45 can be made 10 μm or less. The film-forming method is not limited to this, and it may be formed by spraying such as low-temperature spraying. An example of film formation by the aerosol deposition method will be described later.

[0061] The action of the tile 40 with such a coating film 45 formed thereon will be described in detail. When the transport space S1 is depressurized by the vacuum exhaust mechanism 14 to form a vacuum atmosphere, the tile 40 is pulled upward by the pressure difference from the atmospheric pressure in the external space 100 under the floor 3. For this reason, the annular member 37 is further crushed, and the adhesion between the lower surface of the edge of the opening 31 in the frame body 30 and the upper surface of the flange 431 increases. As a result, the transport space S1 is sealed between the edge and the flange 431 and is hermetically separated from the external space 100. On the other hand, the gap S3 between the tile 40 (the coil portion 41 and the case 42) and the inner wall surface of the opening 31 is located above the seal position by the annular member 37 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, so the state of communicating with the transport space S1 is maintained.

[0062] Even in the above state, the upper surface of the tile 40 (the upper surface of the coil portion 41) in contact with the conveyance space S1 that has become a vacuum atmosphere, and the side surface of the tile 40 (the side surfaces of the coil portion 41, the adhesive P1, and the case 42) in contact with the gap S3 are covered with the coating film 45. These coating films 45 prevent the components of the coil portion 41 (the insulating layer 49 made of glass fiber, the conductive paths 47m and 48m made of copper wire, the covered wiring 52) and the layer of the adhesive P1 from coming into contact with the vacuum atmosphere. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the release of contaminants such as outgas and metal ions from the surface. Further, since the coating film 45 is integrated with the coil portion 41, the adhesive P1, and the case 42 which are the base materials, it is difficult for cracks or peeling of the coating film 45 to occur, and it is also suppressed that the coating film 45 itself becomes a contamination source that contaminates the conveyance space S1.

[0063] Also, even if a processing gas having corrosiveness flows into the conveyance space S1 from the processing container 11 side, since the ceramic coating film 45 is hardly reactive, the coating film 45 is hardly deteriorated, and contamination of the conveyance space S1 can be suppressed effectively and for a long time. The corrosive gas is assumed to be, for example, a fluorine (F)-containing gas for cleaning the processing container 11 after the film formation process.

[0064] Here, as a comparative form to replace the coating film 45, for example, assume a case where a partition wall made of a thin titanium (Ti) plate is provided so as to straddle the upper surfaces of the frame body 30 and the plurality of tiles 40 to separate the tiles 40 and the frame body 30 from the vacuum atmosphere of the conveyance space S1 and suppress the entry of contaminants from the tiles 40. In this case, since the space on the lower surface side of the partition wall is partitioned from the conveyance space S1 of the vacuum atmosphere, a pressure difference is formed between the conveyance space S1, and a load is applied to the partition wall. The partition wall that has received the load due to the pressure difference may bulge, deform, and break toward the conveyance space S1.

[0065] Therefore, in order to prevent the deformation and damage of the partition wall, for example, it is conceivable to exhaust the space below the partition wall by an exhaust mechanism in the same manner as the transport space S1 to reduce the pressure difference in the space sandwiching the partition wall. However, a new exhaust mechanism is additionally required, and complicated pressure reduction control such as the exhaust order and adjustment with the vacuum exhaust mechanism 14 of the transport space S1 is also required.

[0066] On the other hand, according to the coating film 45 formed by film formation on the tile 40 as in the present disclosure, contamination by the tile 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 coating film 45, the number of parts can be reduced compared to the case of providing a partition wall, and the release of contaminants can be effectively suppressed with a simple structure, and maintenance and exhaust control of the space below the partition wall are also unnecessary.

[0067] Hereinafter, the film formation method of the coating film 45 will be briefly described. FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a film forming apparatus 8 used for forming a coating film. The film forming apparatus 8 includes an aerosol chamber 81, a film forming chamber 82, a carrier 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 injection direction of the nozzle 85.

[0068] At the time of film formation, first, the tile 40 is installed on the stage 86 so that the lower surface (the upper surface in FIG. 6) of the flange 431 is in contact. 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 container 81b contains a raw material powder obtained by atomizing the raw material of the coating film 45, for example, alumina powder when forming an alumina film. By vibration, the raw material powder is mixed with the carrier gas and aerosolized. Further, the film forming chamber 82 is evacuated by the vacuum exhaust mechanism 84 to reduce the pressure in the chamber. The aerosolized raw material powder is transported into the film forming chamber 82 due to the pressure difference and is ejected from the nozzle 85.

[0069] The sprayed raw material powder collides with the upper surface (the lower surface in FIG. 6) of the coil portion 41 and accumulates there. At this time, the raw material powder accelerated to about the speed of sound by gas transportation collides with the upper surface of the coil portion 41 and plastically deforms and tightly bonds to the upper surface and the particles deposited on the upper surface, and solidifies (room temperature impact solidification phenomenon). As a result, a film with high adhesion and high density is formed. According to the aerosol deposition method using such a room temperature impact solidification phenomenon, since the film is formed at about room temperature without heat treatment, the thermal influence on the electronic components composed of each semiconductor element provided on the substrate 51 and the coil portion 41 can be suppressed.

[0070] By moving the stage 86 when forming a film on the upper surface of the coil portion 41, a film can be formed uniformly and without gaps over the entire upper surface of the coil portion 41. Further, after forming a film over the entire upper surface of the coil portion 41, the installation orientation on the stage 86 is changed, and films are similarly formed on the four side surfaces of the upper part 40p. The side surfaces of the upper part 40p are composed of the side surfaces of the coil portion 41 and the case 42 as described above, and the adhesive P1, and thus are composed of different members and may be uneven. However, according to the aerosol deposition method, a coating film 45 can be continuously formed without gaps in the intended coating range, similar to the upper surface of the upper part 40p.

[0071] As described above, the coating film 45 is formed so as to cover the entire surface of the upper part 40p of the tile 40. The formed coating film 45 becomes a thin film with a thickness of about 3 μm to 6 μm, for example. The coating film 45 formed with high adhesion and high density can sufficiently cover the tile 40 and separate it from the vacuum atmosphere, and can effectively suppress the generation of outgas and the like from the tile 40. And the coating film 45 formed in this way is difficult to enclose the atmospheric atmosphere and is a relatively thin film, so it can flexibly follow the deformation due to the pressure difference between the coil portion 41 and the case 42, and can effectively suppress the peeling due to the generation of the pressure difference. It should be noted that it is not an essential requirement to adopt the aerosol deposition method using the room temperature impact solidification phenomenon in the formation of the coating film 45. For example, when the influence on the members constituting the tile 40 is small, the coating film 45 may be formed by spraying alumina.

[0072] In this embodiment, the coating film 45 covers the entire surface of the upper portion 40p in contact with the vacuum atmosphere, but it is not necessary for the entire surface to be covered in this way. For example, in this example, as long as the coil portion 41 of the laminated structure including the insulating layer 49 is not damaged by the pressure difference and outgas is not released from the side surfaces of the coil portion 41 and the adhesive P1, at least the surface of the upper portion 40p may be covered. Therefore, in this example, for example, a part of the side surface of the case 42 sufficiently separated from the adhesive P1 may not be covered.

[0073] And the coating film 45 is not limited to being formed of ceramic, and may be formed of glass or a resin compatible with vacuum. A resin compatible with vacuum is assumed to be used under a vacuum atmosphere in the semiconductor industry, aerospace industry, etc., and the content of impurities is below a preset standard, the release of outgas and metal ions in the vacuum atmosphere is suppressed, and it has low water absorption. As a specific example, polyetheretherketone (PEEK) can be mentioned. Also, the coating film 45 is not limited to these, and may be formed of, for example, a non-magnetic material with low conductivity. In this case, examples of the coating film 45 formed of a non-magnetic metal such as aluminum or titanium whose surface has been oxidized to become passive by anodizing or the like can be given. In this case, since the coating film 45 is formed relatively thin, the eddy current becomes weak, and the influence on the movement control of the carrier 70 can be suppressed.

[0074] 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 tiles 40 respectively arranged in each opening 31, but it is not limited to this. For example, the floor 3 may be composed of a plurality of frame bodies 30 each having one opening 31 in which one tile 40 is arranged, and these frame bodies 30 may be connected to each other by welding or the like. Also, the floor 3 may be composed of a single tile formed by integrally forming a plurality of tiles 40.

[0075] Next, a modification example of the tile 40 in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal side view showing the modified tile 40A in the transfer space S1 in a vacuum atmosphere. In the figure, only the frame body 30A is shown in cross section, and the film thickness of the coating film 45 is not shown. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the mounting method of the tile 40A in the modification example. The thick dashed line indicates the annular member 42d provided on the case 42A side. In the floor 3A of this modification example, the cross member 33A is arranged on the lower side of the tile 40A, and the cross member 33A is not exposed on the upper surface of the floor 3A. Therefore, a magnetic field similar to that in the directly above region of the coil portion 41 can be formed even in the directly above region of the cross member 33A.

[0076] As shown in the side view of FIG. 7, the case 42A is configured such that its outer shape is a flat hexahedron, and a protruding portion 42g is provided at the edge of the upper surface so as to protrude toward the positive direction side of the X axis shown in the figure. On the other hand, as shown in the plan view of FIG. 8, the lid portion 43 is arranged so as to be displaced toward the negative direction side of the Y axis with respect to directly below the case 42A. Therefore, in the tile 40A before being attached to the frame body 30A, the portion on the positive side in the Y direction of the annular annular member 42d is exposed downward from the lower surface of the case 42A without facing the flange 431 around the lid portion 43.

[0077] The frame body 30A can be separated into, for example, two outer frames 32m and 32n. A plurality of rod-shaped cross members 33A are provided in a comb-like manner at intervals along the Y direction on the outer frame 32m. And, a strip-shaped elongated opening 31A is formed between the adjacent cross members 33A. The other outer frame 32n is connected after the tile 40A is installed. The tile 40A is inserted so as to be inserted laterally, that is, from the tip side of the cross member 33A, with respect to the strip-shaped opening 31A formed between the cross members 33A. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the cross member 33A is disposed in the gap sandwiched between the protruding portion 42g and the flange 431. And, the cross member 33A is disposed so as to straddle these flanges 431 at the position where the flanges 431 of the adjacent tiles 40A abut each other. The tile 40A attached in this way is prevented from falling from the frame body 30A because the protruding portion 42g abuts against the cross member 33A or the outer frame 32m even when the pressure reduction in the transport space S1 is released and the force for pulling up the tile 40A upward is no longer applied.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 8, when all the tiles 40A are attached to the frame body 30A in the same manner as the above-described method and the outer frame 32n is connected so as to fit into the tip of the cross member 33A, the frame body 30A with all the tiles 40A attached is completed. The positive Y-axis side portion of each annular member 42d is elastically in contact with the negative Y-axis side portion of the flange 431 of the adjacent tile 40A in the same direction or the upper surface of the edge of the opening 31A of the outer frame 32m.

[0079] Although no cross member is disposed between the tiles 40A adjacent along the Y-axis direction, the gaps along the X direction such as the gap between the tiles 40A and the gaps SA between the tile 40 and the outer frames 32m and 32n are blocked by the portions exposed on the positive Y-axis side of each of the above-described annular members 42d. Therefore, also in this modification, when separating the vacuum atmosphere of the transport space S1 from the external space 100 by the tile 40A and the frame body 30A, by configuring the surface in contact with the gap along the X direction and the transport space S1 and the gap S3 with the coating film 45, the release of contaminants can be suppressed.

[0080] In the embodiments and modifications described above, the case where the transport space S1 is a vacuum atmosphere has been shown. However, the method of covering the tiles 40 and 40A on at least the surfaces in contact with the transport space S1 with the coating film 45 to suppress the release of contaminants is not limited to these examples, and may be applied to a substrate transport module that transports the substrate W under an atmospheric pressure atmosphere. Even when the transport space S1 is an atmospheric atmosphere, it is possible to prevent contaminants that may be released from within the tiles 40 and 40A from being supplied to the transport space S1, and the transport space S1 can be made into a clean atmosphere.

[0081] And the embodiments disclosed this time should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The above embodiments may be omitted, substituted, changed, and combined in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0082] S1 Transport space W Wafer 1 Substrate transport module 3 Floor 12 Housing 30 Frame 31 Opening 40 Tile 45 Coating film 47 First coil 48 Second coil 70 Carrier 79 Permanent magnet

Claims

1. A substrate transfer module that constitutes a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing a substrate and transfers the substrate in a transfer space that is a vacuum atmosphere, A chamber having a floor provided with tiles each provided with an electromagnet for forming a magnetic field that acts on a magnet provided on a carrier for configuring the transfer space and transferring the substrate in the transfer space, and moving the carrier in a floating state, A substrate transfer module, wherein a coating film for suppressing the release of contaminants from the members constituting the tiles is formed on at least the surface of the tiles in contact with the transfer space.

2. The substrate transfer module according to claim 1, wherein the coating film is made of ceramic, glass, non-magnetic metal having a passive film formed on its surface, or resin compatible with 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 coating film has a thickness in the range of 3 μm to 500 μm.

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

7. A method for manufacturing a substrate transfer module that constitutes a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing a substrate and transfers the substrate in a transfer space that is a vacuum atmosphere, A step of forming a coating film for suppressing the release of contaminants from the members constituting the tiles on at least the surface of the tiles provided with an electromagnet for forming a magnetic field that acts on a magnet provided on a carrier for transferring the substrate in the transfer space and moving the carrier in a floating state, Next, a step of disposing the tiles at the lower part of the chamber constituting the transfer space to form the floor, A method for manufacturing a substrate transfer module, including:

8. In the step of forming the coating film, the coating film is formed by causing aerosol particles of a coating film raw material at room temperature to collide with the tiles and utilizing the room temperature impact solidification phenomenon. The manufacturing method of the substrate transfer module according to claim 7.

Images