Chuck pin and substrate holding device

Abstract

To provide a chuck pin capable of reducing a processing defect of a substrate without reducing reliability in holding the substrate, and a substrate holding device.SOLUTION: A chuck pin 30A is provided on a spin base which is rotated around a reference axis extending in a vertical direction and includes a main holding part 200 and a sub holding part 300. The main holding part 200 includes an abutment surface 210 which is opposed to the reference axis in a state where the chuck pin is provided on the spin base. The sub holding part 300 includes an auxiliary surface 310 which is opposed to the reference axis in a state where the chuck pin is provided on the spin base, and is provided on the main holding part 200. The abutment surface 210 extends in the vertical direction and has a fixed length in a planar view. A portion of the abutment surface 210 is abutted to an outer peripheral end of a substrate W and capable of holding the substrate W. The auxiliary surface 310 is formed so as to extend upward on a portion of the abutment surface 210. An area of the auxiliary surface 310 in a view from the reference axis is smaller than an area of the abutment surface 210 in a view from the reference axis.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a chuck pin and a substrate holding device that contact the outer edge of a substrate to hold the substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] Substrate processing apparatuses are used to perform various processes on substrates such as semiconductor substrates, substrates for FPDs (Flat Panel Displays) such as liquid crystal display devices or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display devices, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, or substrates for solar cells. In a single-wafer type substrate processing apparatus that processes substrates one by one, a substrate holding device is used to hold the substrate to be processed.

[0003] For example, the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a rotary table as a substrate holding device. The rotary table includes a plurality of chuck pins that contact the outer peripheral edge of the substrate to hold the substrate. Each chuck pin has a pillar shape and is arranged to extend vertically around the periphery of the rotary table.

[0004] A top surface and a support portion are formed at the upper end of each chuck pin. When a substrate is gripped by the multiple chuck pins, the support portion and the top surface of each chuck pin are aligned in this order in a radial direction away from the rotation axis of the rotary table. The support portion and the top surface are horizontal surfaces. A step is formed between the support portion and the top surface.

[0005] Multiple portions of the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the substrate are supported on the support portions of the multiple chuck pins. Here, the height position of the support portions is lower than the height position of the top surface by the thickness of the substrate. Therefore, when the substrate is supported on the multiple support portions, the upper surface of the substrate supported on the support portions and the top surface are located on the same plane. Therefore, when a processing liquid is supplied to the substrate being held and rotated on the turntable of Patent Document 1, the flow of the processing liquid along the upper surface of the substrate toward the outside of the substrate is not obstructed by the multiple chuck pins. As a result, the processing liquid flowing over the substrate is prevented from stagnation on the substrate due to hitting the multiple chuck pins, and the occurrence of substrate processing defects caused by stagnation of the processing liquid is reduced. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-1598 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the shape of the substrate to be held by the substrate holding device is not necessarily constant. For example, there is a certain degree of variation in the shape of the substrate due to warping or dimensional errors that occur during the substrate processing process. Therefore, with the turntable of Patent Document 1, due to the variation in the shape of the substrate, the outer edge of the substrate may not be properly supported on the multiple support parts. Furthermore, the outer edge of the substrate may not be stably gripped by the multiple chuck pins.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a chuck pin and a substrate holding device that can reduce processing defects of a substrate without reducing the reliability of holding the substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, a chuck pin is provided on a base member that rotates around a reference axis extending in a vertical direction, and holds a substrate placed above the base member. The chuck pin includes: a main holding portion having an abutment surface that faces the reference axis when the chuck pin is provided on the base member; and an auxiliary holding portion that has an auxiliary surface that faces the reference axis when the chuck pin is provided on the base member and is stacked on the main holding portion. The abutment surface is formed to extend in the vertical direction and to have a constant length in a plan view, and a portion of the abutment surface is formed to abut against an outer edge of the substrate placed on the base member so as to be able to hold the substrate. The auxiliary surface is formed so that the portion of the abutment surface extends upward, and an area of ​​the auxiliary surface when the chuck pin is provided on the base member and viewed from the reference axis is smaller than an area of ​​the abutment surface when viewed from the reference axis.

[0010] A substrate holding device according to another aspect of the present invention includes a base member rotatably mounted around a reference axis extending in an up-down direction, a rotation drive unit that rotates the base member around the reference axis, a plurality of chuck pins attached to the base member, and a chuck pin drive unit, each of the chuck pins being the chuck pin described above, and at least one of the plurality of chuck pins being rotatably mounted on the base member around a pin axis that is parallel to the reference axis, and the chuck pin drive unit is configured to be able to switch the at least one chuck pin between a holding state in which it abuts against the outer edge of the substrate and holds the substrate, and a release state in which it can be moved away from the outer edge of the substrate, by rotating the at least one chuck pin around the pin axis. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce processing defects of substrates without reducing the reliability of substrate holding. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view showing a basic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the appearance of a fixed chuck pin attached to a spin base. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are a plan view, a side view and a side view of the fixed chuck pin of FIG. 3; [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the appearance of a movable chuck pin attached to a spin base. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are a plan view, a side view on one side, and a side view on the other side of the movable chuck pin of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 10 is a plan view for explaining the transition of the movable chuck pin between a release state and a holding state. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of a spin chuck according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The chuck pin and the substrate holding device are used in a substrate processing apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A substrate processing apparatus including a chuck pin and a substrate holding device according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] In the following description, the term "substrate" refers to a substrate for an FPD (Flat Panel Display) used in a liquid crystal display device or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device, a semiconductor substrate, a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magnetic disk, a substrate for a magneto-optical disk, a substrate for a photomask, a ceramic substrate, or a substrate for a solar cell, etc. The substrate described below is a substrate at least partially circular, and is a circular substrate with a positioning notch formed in part of the outer periphery.

[0015] 1. Basic configuration of substrate processing equipment Fig. 1 is a schematic side view showing the basic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of Fig. 1. In Fig. 2, some of the components shown in Fig. 1 (a chuck pin driving unit 50X, a cup driving unit 60X, a processing liquid supply device 70, and a control unit 900, which will be described later) are not shown.

[0016] 1 and 2, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a rotation drive unit 10, a spin base 20, two fixed chuck pins 30A and 30B (FIG. 2), two guide chuck pins 40A and 40B, two movable chuck pins 50A and 50B, a chuck pin drive unit 50X, a cup 60, a cup drive unit 60X, a processing liquid supply device 70, two substrate detectors 81 and 82, and a control unit 900. Each of these components is housed, for example, in a chamber (not shown).

[0017] The rotation drive unit 10 is, for example, a motor, and is fixed to the bottom of the chamber. As shown in FIG. 1, the rotation drive unit 10 has a rotation shaft 11 extending upward. The central axis of the rotation shaft 11 extends in the vertical direction. In the following description, the central axis of the rotation shaft 11 is referred to as the reference axis CA. A spin base 20 is connected to the upper end of the rotation shaft 11. The spin base 20 has a disk shape and is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft 11 in a horizontal position.

[0018] The two fixed chuck pins 30A and 30B, the two guide chuck pins 40A and 40B, and the two movable chuck pins 50A and 50B are members for holding the substrate W placed on the spin base 20. These multiple chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) are attached to the periphery of the spin base 20 at equal angular intervals (60° intervals in this example) based on the reference axis CA, as shown in FIG.

[0019] The multiple chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) are arranged clockwise along the outer circumferential edge of the spin base 20 in the following order in a plan view: fixed chuck pin 30A, fixed chuck pin 30B, guide chuck pin 40B, movable chuck pin 50B, movable chuck pin 50A, and guide chuck pin 40A. In this arrangement, the fixed chuck pin 30A and the movable chuck pin 50B face each other across the reference axis CA in a plan view. Furthermore, the fixed chuck pin 30B and the movable chuck pin 50A face each other across the reference axis CA in a plan view. Furthermore, the guide chuck pin 40A and the guide chuck pin 40B face each other across the reference axis CA in a plan view.

[0020] The assembly of the spin base 20, two fixed chuck pins 30A and 30B, two guide chuck pins 40A and 40B, and two movable chuck pins 50A and 50B constitutes a so-called spin chuck. In the following description, the assembly of the spin base 20 and the multiple chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) will be referred to as the spin chuck SC as appropriate. In certain figures from FIG. 1 onwards, the substrate W held by the spin chuck SC is indicated by a two-dot chain line. Note that in these figures, the notch formed in the substrate W is omitted.

[0021] The two fixed chuck pins 30A, 30B and the two guide chuck pins 40A, 40B are fixed to the spin base 20 so as to be immovable and imrotatable. On the other hand, each of the two movable chuck pins 50A, 50B is attached to the spin base 20 so as to be rotatable about a pin axis PA2 (FIG. 5) described later. By rotating relative to the spin base 20, each of the movable chuck pins 50A, 50B is switched between a holding state in which it contacts the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W to hold the substrate, and a release state in which it can be separated from the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W. The structure of each of the above chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) will be described in detail later.

[0022] 1, a chuck pin driving unit 50X is provided below the spin base 20. The chuck pin driving unit 50X includes, for example, a magnet, and is configured to be able to switch the state of each chuck pin (50A, 50B) between a holding state and a release state by rotating the movable chuck pins 50A, 50B using magnetic force.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 2, the cup 60 is disposed so as to surround the rotation drive unit 10 and the spin base 20 in a plan view. The cup 60 is disposed so as to be movable in the vertical direction between an upper cup position and a lower cup position by a cup drive unit 60X (Fig. 1). The lower cup position is a height position (vertical position) at which the upper end of the cup 60 is located below the spin chuck SC. The upper cup position is a height position at which the upper end of the cup 60 is located above the substrate W held by the spin chuck SC.

[0024] When the substrate W is processed, a processing liquid is supplied from a processing liquid supply device 70, which will be described later, to the substrate W, which is held and rotated by the spin chuck SC. Therefore, the cup 60 is disposed at the upper cup position when the substrate W is processed. This allows the cup 60 to catch the processing liquid that splashes from the rotating substrate W. On the other hand, the cup 60 is disposed at the lower cup position when the substrate W is not being processed in the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0025] The processing liquid supply device 70 includes a nozzle 71 and a processing liquid supply system 72. The processing liquid supply system 72 includes one or more fluid-related devices such as pipes, joints, valves, pumps, tanks, etc., and is connected to a processing liquid supply source. The processing liquid supply system 72 supplies the processing liquid from the processing liquid supply source to the nozzle 71.

[0026] The nozzle 71 is supported by a nozzle moving device 73 (FIG. 8) described later so as to be movable between a processing position above the spin chuck SC and a standby position to the side of the spin chuck SC within the chamber of the substrate processing apparatus 1. With the substrate W held by the spin chuck SC and the nozzle 71 positioned at the processing position, a processing liquid is supplied from a processing liquid supply system 72 to the nozzle 71. As a result, the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle 71 onto the substrate W, thereby processing the substrate W.

[0027] The substrate detectors 81 and 82 are used to determine whether a portion of the substrate W runs onto any of the plurality of chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, and 50B) when the substrate W is placed on the spin chuck SC. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate detectors 81 and 82 are provided at a height slightly higher than the upper end of the spin chuck SC, more specifically, the upper ends of the plurality of chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, and 50B). As shown in FIG. 2, each of the substrate detectors 81 and 82 includes a light-emitting unit 81A or 82A and a light-receiving unit 81B or 82B.

[0028] The light-transmitting unit 81A has a light-emitting element. The light-receiving unit 81B has a light-receiving element that receives light emitted from the light-transmitting unit 81A. The light-transmitting unit 81A and the light-receiving unit 81B form a transmission-type photoelectric sensor. The light-transmitting unit 81A and the light-receiving unit 81B are arranged so that a straight line connecting the light-transmitting unit 81A and the light-receiving unit 81B passes through the reference axis CA in a plan view and crosses the spin chuck SC and the cup 60.

[0029] The light-transmitting unit 82A has a light-transmitting element. The light-receiving unit 82B has a light-receiving element that receives light emitted from the light-transmitting unit 82A. The light-transmitting unit 82A and the light-receiving unit 82B form a transmission-type photoelectric sensor. The light-transmitting unit 82A and the light-receiving unit 82B are arranged so that a line connecting the light-transmitting unit 82A and the light-receiving unit 82B passes through the reference axis CA in a plan view, crosses the spin chuck SC and the cup 60, and is perpendicular to the line connecting the light-transmitting unit 81A and the light-receiving unit 81B.

[0030] The control unit 900 controls the operation of each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control unit 900 will be described in detail later. In the following description, as indicated by the outline arrows in FIG. 2, the direction from the reference axis CA toward the central axis (pin axis PA1 or pin axis PA2 described later) of each chuck pin (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) in the horizontal plane (direction moving away from the reference axis CA) is referred to as the radial direction RD. Furthermore, with respect to each chuck pin (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B), the direction perpendicular to the radial direction RD in the horizontal plane is referred to as the circumferential direction CD.

[0031] 2. Configuration of fixed chuck pin 30A The fixed chuck pins 30A and 30B and the guide chuck pins 40A and 40B have the same configuration. As a representative of these chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B), the fixed chuck pin 30A will be described in detail.

[0032] Fig. 3 is an external perspective view of the fixed chuck pin 30A attached to the spin base 20. Fig. 4 is a plan view, one side view, and the other side view of the fixed chuck pin 30A of Fig. 3. In Fig. 4, the top row shows a plan view of the fixed chuck pin 30A. The middle row shows one side view of the fixed chuck pin 30A as seen in the radial direction RD from the reference axis CA of Fig. 1. Furthermore, the bottom row shows the other side view of the fixed chuck pin 30A as seen in the circumferential direction CD.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 3, the fixed chuck pin 30A includes a substrate support portion 100, a main holder 200, and an auxiliary holder 300. The substrate support portion 100 is a portion of the fixed chuck pin 30A that is attached to the spin base 20 of Fig. 1 and has a cylindrical shape. When the fixed chuck pin 30A is attached to the spin base 20, the central axis of the substrate support portion 100 extends parallel to the reference axis CA. That is, the central axis of the substrate support portion 100 extends in the vertical direction.

[0034] 3 and 4, the central axis of the substrate support part 100 is indicated by a dashed line as a pin axis PA1 extending in the vertical direction. In addition, in Fig. 3 and 4, in order to make it easy to understand the positional relationship between the fixed chuck pin 30A and the pin axis PA1, the upper end portion of the fixed chuck pin 30A where the pin axis PA1 intersects is indicated by a black dot as an intersection point CP1.

[0035] In the fixed chuck pin 30A, the main holding portion 200 is provided by being stacked on a part of the substrate support portion 100. In addition, the sub-holding portion 300 is provided by being stacked on a part of the main holding portion 200.

[0036] A support surface 101 is formed on the upper end of the substrate support part 100, in a portion where the main holder 200 is not provided, for supporting the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W or a portion nearby from below. The support surface 101 has a configuration in which a plurality of inclined surfaces 102 are connected. The inclined surfaces 102 are each inclined with respect to the horizontal plane so as to face obliquely upward at different angles. In each of Figures 3 and 4, the connection portion of the inclined surfaces 102 on the support surface 101 is shown as a ridge line.

[0037] The main holder 200 is formed to protrude upward from the support surface 101 of the substrate support 100. The main holder 200 is located approximately in the center of the upper end of the substrate support 100, and has a contact surface 210 and two flat surfaces 220. The contact surface 210 is formed to extend upward from the support surface 101. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 4, the contact surface 210 extends in an arc shape for a certain length in a plan view so as to bulge toward the reference axis CA in FIG. 1 (so as to bulge in the opposite direction to the radial direction RD). Furthermore, the contact surface 210 is formed to face the reference axis CA in FIG. 1 (so as to face the opposite direction to the radial direction RD).

[0038] When the substrate W is held by the spin chuck SC, the movable chuck pin 50B is set in a holding state, and a portion of the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W is pressed against a portion of the abutment surface 210 of the fixed chuck pin 30A. As a result, a portion of the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W is held by the fixed chuck pin 30A. In the following description, the portion of the abutment surface 210 with which the substrate W abuts while the substrate W is held by the spin chuck SC is referred to as an abutment portion 211.

[0039] As described above, the auxiliary holding portion 300 is stacked on the main holding portion 200. The auxiliary holding portion 300 is located at the center of the main holding portion 200 in the circumferential direction CD in a plan view. The two flat surfaces 220 of the main holding portion 200 are the upper end surfaces of the main holding portion 200 and are arranged to sandwich the auxiliary holding portion 300 in a plan view. In this embodiment, each flat surface 220 is formed horizontally.

[0040] The auxiliary retaining portion 300 is formed to extend in the radial direction RD in a plan view, and has an auxiliary surface 310. Furthermore, as shown in the upper part of Fig. 4, the auxiliary retaining portion 300 is formed so that the width in the circumferential direction CD in a plan view gradually increases in the radial direction RD. Therefore, the auxiliary retaining portion 300 has a substantially triangular shape in a plan view.

[0041] 3, the auxiliary surface 310 of the auxiliary holding part 300 is formed so as to extend upward from the abutting portion 211 of the abutting surface 210 of the main holding part 200. In addition, as shown in the middle part of FIG. 4, when the fixed chuck pin 30A is viewed in the radial direction RD from the reference axis CA in FIG. 1, the area of ​​the auxiliary surface 310 of the auxiliary holding part 300 is smaller than the area of ​​the abutting surface 210 of the main holding part 200.

[0042] 4, the height of the contact portion 211 of the contact surface 210 of the main holding part 200 (the vertical length of the contact portion 211) is referred to as the contact portion height t11. Also, the height of the auxiliary surface 310 of the auxiliary holding part 300 (the vertical length of the auxiliary surface 310) is referred to as the auxiliary portion height t12.

[0043] In this case, the contact portion height t11 ​​is preferably greater than 1 / 2 times but less than 2 times the substrate thickness, and more preferably greater than 4 / 5 times but less than 6 / 5 times the substrate thickness, where t11 is the thickness of the substrate W to be held by the spin chuck SC. Furthermore, the contact portion height t11 ​​is more preferably the same as or approximately the same as the substrate thickness. The auxiliary portion height t12 is the same as or slightly different from the contact portion height t11.

[0044] Here, the substrate thickness may be the designed dimension thickness of the outer edge or peripheral portion of the substrate W to be held, or may be the actually measured thickness of the outer edge or peripheral portion of the substrate W to be held.

[0045] As shown in the other side view in the lower part of Figure 4, the upper half of the fixed chuck pin 30A is formed with a flat cutout surface 103 that extends obliquely downward from the upper end of the auxiliary holding portion 300, through the main holding portion 200, to approximately the center of the substrate support portion 100.

[0046] 3. Features (effects) of the fixed chuck pin 30A (a) As described above, in the fixed chuck pin 30A, the area of ​​the contact surface 210 as viewed in the radial direction RD is larger than the area of ​​the auxiliary surface 310 as viewed in the radial direction RD. In this case, the degree of wear of the main holding part 200 caused by the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W abutting against the contact surface 210 is lower than the degree of wear of the auxiliary holding part 300 caused by the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W abutting against the auxiliary surface 310. According to the above configuration, the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W is held by the contact surface 210. Therefore, the life of the fixed chuck pin 30A is prevented from being shortened compared to when the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W is held only by the auxiliary surface 310.

[0047] (b) When processing the substrate W held on the spin chuck SC, the spin base 20 is rotated, and the processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supply device 70 to the rotating substrate W. The processing liquid flows in the radial direction RD from the reference axis CA toward the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W due to centrifugal force. A portion of the processing liquid also flows outward from the substrate W along the surface of the fixed chuck pin 30A. At this time, a portion of the processing liquid is received by the fixed chuck pin 30A mainly at a portion located above the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0048] If a large amount of the processing liquid is received, the processing liquid may remain on the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W. One possible way to reduce the amount of processing liquid received is to lower the height position of the upper ends of the fixed chuck pins 30A. However, with this configuration, depending on factors such as variations in the shape of the substrate W, the fixed chuck pins 30A may not be in sufficient contact with the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W. In other words, the substrate W may not be stably held.

[0049] Therefore, the fixed chuck pin 30A has an auxiliary surface 310 in addition to the contact surface 210. The auxiliary surface 310 is formed so as to extend upward from the contact portion 211 of the contact surface 210. As a result, the auxiliary surface 310 assists the contact surface 210 in holding the substrate W. Therefore, even if the height position of the upper end of the contact surface 210 is lowered in consideration of the remaining processing liquid, the contact state of the fixed chuck pin 30A with the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W is not insufficient.

[0050] Furthermore, since the area of ​​the auxiliary surface 310 as viewed in the radial direction RD is smaller than the area of ​​the contact surface 210 as viewed in the radial direction RD, the processing liquid is less likely to remain on the portion of the auxiliary surface 310 located above the upper surface of the substrate W than on the contact surface 210. This reduces the occurrence of processing defects of the substrate W due to remaining processing liquid.

[0051] As a result, it is possible to reduce processing defects of the substrate W without reducing the reliability of holding the substrate W.

[0052] (c) As described above, it is preferable that the contact portion height t11 ​​is greater than half the substrate thickness and less than twice the substrate thickness. In this case, when the substrate W is held by the fixed chuck pin 30A, there is a high possibility that at least a part of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W will properly contact the contact portion 211 of the contact surface 210 of the fixed chuck pin 30A. This improves the reliability of holding the substrate W by the fixed chuck pin 30A compared to when the contact portion height t11 ​​is equal to or less than half the substrate thickness.

[0053] Furthermore, with the above configuration, the portion of the contact surface 210 positioned above the substrate W when the substrate W is held by the fixed chuck pins 30A can be made smaller than when the contact portion height t11 ​​is twice or more the substrate thickness. This reduces the amount of processing liquid that comes into contact with the contact surface 210, thereby reducing the occurrence of processing defects in the substrate W caused by the processing liquid remaining on the contact surface 210.

[0054] Therefore, when the substrate thickness is 0.8 mm, it is preferable that the contact portion height t11 ​​is greater than 0.4 mm and less than 1.6 mm. In this case, the reliability of holding the substrate W by the fixed chuck pin 30A is improved compared to when the contact portion height t11 ​​is 0.4 mm or less. Also, compared to when the contact portion height t11 ​​is 1.6 mm or more, the occurrence of processing defects of the substrate W due to the processing liquid remaining on the contact surface 210 can be reduced.

[0055] (d) The sub-holding unit 300 extends in the radial direction RD in plan view. In this case, the processing liquid flows more smoothly over the surface of the sub-holding unit 300 and the flat surface 220 during processing of the substrate W than when the sub-holding unit 300 extends in the circumferential direction CD in plan view. In other words, the processing liquid is less likely to remain on the sub-holding unit 300. This reduces the occurrence of processing defects of the substrate W due to remaining processing liquid.

[0056] (e) The flat surface 220 of the main holding part 200 functions as a passage for circulating the processing liquid at a position above the main holding part 200. Therefore, when the height position of the upper surface of the substrate W and the height position of the flat surface 220 are the same or approximately the same, the processing liquid flowing over the substrate W during processing of the substrate W flows smoothly along the flat surface 220 to the outside of the substrate W.

[0057] (f) The fixed chuck pin 30B has the same configuration as the fixed chuck pin 30A. When holding the substrate W, the movable chuck pin 50A is brought into a holding state, so that a portion of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W is pressed against the abutment portion 211 of the abutment surface 210. Therefore, the fixed chuck pin 30B can achieve the same effect as the fixed chuck pin 30A.

[0058] The guide chuck pins 40A and 40B have the same configuration as the fixed chuck pin 30A. Therefore, similar to the example of the fixed chuck pin 30A, the guide chuck pins 40A and 40B can reduce the occurrence of processing defects of the substrate W caused by residual processing liquid.

[0059] The guide chuck pins 40A, 40B are used to restrict the movement direction of the substrate W when the substrate W is placed on the spin chuck SC with the movable chuck pins 50A, 50B in the released state. Therefore, while the spin chuck SC is holding the substrate W, the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W is not pressed against each of the guide chuck pins 40A, 40B. In other words, no force for sandwiching and holding the substrate W acts between the two opposing guide chuck pins 40A, 40B.

[0060] Therefore, while the spin chuck SC is holding the substrate W, the contact surfaces 210 of the guide chuck pins 40A, 40B may be in contact with the substrate W or may be spaced apart from the substrate W. As a result, the contact portions 211 of the contact surfaces 210 of the guide chuck pins 40A, 40B are the portions that come into contact with or are closest to the substrate W while the spin chuck SC is holding the substrate W.

[0061] 4. Configuration of Movable Chuck Pin 50A As described above, the movable chuck pins 50A and 50B have the same configuration. As a representative of these chuck pins (50A and 50B), the movable chuck pin 50A will be described in detail.

[0062] FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the movable chuck pin 50A attached to the spin base 20. FIG. 6 is a plan view, one side view, and the other side view of the movable chuck pin 50A of FIG. 5. The movable chuck pin 50A shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is in a holding state. In FIG. 6, the upper part shows a plan view of the movable chuck pin 50A. The middle part shows one side view of the movable chuck pin 50A as seen in the radial direction RD from the reference axis CA of FIG. 1. Furthermore, the lower part shows the other side view of the movable chuck pin 50A as seen in the circumferential direction CD.

[0063] 5, the movable chuck pin 50A includes a substrate support portion 400, a main holder 500, a sub-holder 600, and a protrusion 700. The substrate support portion 400 is a portion of the movable chuck pin 50A that is attached to the spin base 20 of FIG. 1 and has a cylindrical shape. When the movable chuck pin 50A is attached to the spin base 20, the central axis of the substrate support portion 400 extends parallel to the reference axis CA. That is, the central axis of the substrate support portion 400 extends in the vertical direction.

[0064] 5 and 6, the central axis of the substrate support part 400 is indicated by a dashed line as a pin axis PA2 extending in the vertical direction. In addition, in Fig. 5 and 6, in order to make it easy to understand the positional relationship between the movable chuck pin 50A and the pin axis PA2, the upper end portion of the movable chuck pin 50A where the pin axis PA2 intersects is indicated by a black dot as an intersection point CP2.

[0065] The movable chuck pin 50A is attached to the spin base 20 and supported by the spin base 20 so as to be rotatable around the pin axis PA2 in a first rotation direction CW and an opposite second rotation direction CCW. The movable chuck pin 50A is equipped with a magnet (not shown) corresponding to the chuck pin driver 50X in FIG. 1. The chuck pin driver 50X changes the positional relationship between the magnet of the chuck pin driver 50X and the magnet of the movable chuck pin 50A. This changes the state of the magnetic field between the two magnets, causing the movable chuck pin 50A to rotate in the first rotation direction CW or the second rotation direction CCW within a certain angular range (for example, an angular range of 90°).

[0066] In this embodiment, the movable chuck pin 50A transitions from the release state to the holding state by rotating in a first rotation direction CW, and transitions from the holding state to the release state by rotating in a second rotation direction CCW. The transition of the movable chuck pin 50A between the release state and the holding state will be described in detail later.

[0067] In the movable chuck pin 50A, the main holding portion 500 is provided by being stacked on a part of the substrate support portion 400. In addition, the sub-holding portion 600 and the protruding portion 700 are provided by being stacked on a part of the main holding portion 500.

[0068] A support surface 401 for supporting the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W or a portion thereof from below is formed in a portion of the upper end of the substrate support part 400 where the main holding part 500 is not provided. The support surface 401 has a configuration in which a plurality of inclined surfaces 402 are connected together, similar to the support surface 101 of the fixed chuck pin 30A. The plurality of inclined surfaces 402 are each inclined with respect to the horizontal plane so as to face obliquely upward at different angles. In each of FIGS. 5 and 6, the connection portions of the plurality of inclined surfaces 402 on the support surface 401 are shown as ridge lines.

[0069] The main holder 500 is formed to protrude upward from the support surface 401 of the substrate support part 400. The main holder 500 has a contact surface 510 and two flat surfaces 520A, 520B. The contact surface 510 is formed to extend upward from the support surface 401. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 6, the contact surface 510 extends in an arc shape of a certain length in a plan view so as to bulge toward the reference axis CA of FIG. 1 (so as to bulge in the opposite direction to the radial direction RD). Furthermore, the contact surface 510 is formed so that at least a portion thereof faces the reference axis CA of FIG. 1 (so as to face the opposite direction to the radial direction RD).

[0070] When viewed from above, the pin axis PA2 is located at a position significantly deviated from the center of the arc of the contact surface 510. Therefore, when the movable chuck pin 50A rotates, the contact surface 510 rotates in a significantly eccentric state.

[0071] When the substrate W is held by the spin chuck SC, the movable chuck pin 50A is set in a holding state, and a portion of the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W abuts against a portion of the abutment surface 510 of the movable chuck pin 50A. As a result, a portion of the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W is held by the movable chuck pin 50A. At this time, the substrate W is pressed against the fixed chuck pin 30B in Fig. 2. In the following description, the portion of the abutment surface 510 that the substrate W abuts against while being held by the spin chuck SC will be referred to as a contact portion 511.

[0072] When the movable chuck pin 50A is switched from the holding state to the released state, the movable chuck pin 50A rotates around the pin axis PA2 in a second rotation direction CCW, causing the abutment portion 511 to move away from the reference axis CA in Fig. 1. Meanwhile, other portions of the abutment surface 510 move closer to the reference axis CA in Fig. 1. In the following description, the portion of the abutment surface 510 that is closest to the reference axis CA in Fig. 1 when the movable chuck pin 50A is in the released state will be referred to as the axis-facing portion 512. The abutment portion 511 and the axis-facing portion 512 are spaced apart from each other in a plan view (see Fig. 7, which will be described later).

[0073] As described above, the auxiliary holding portion 600 and the protruding portion 700 are stacked on the main holding portion 500. The auxiliary holding portion 600 and the protruding portion 700 are arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other on the main holding portion 500. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 6 , the protruding portion 700 is located approximately in the center of the substrate support portion 400 in a plan view. Meanwhile, the auxiliary holding portion 600 is located between the protruding portion 700 and the outer peripheral edge of the substrate support portion 400.

[0074] The two flat surfaces 520A, 520B of the main holding part 500 are upper end surfaces of the main holding part 500 and are arranged to sandwich the auxiliary holding part 600 in a plan view. In this embodiment, each of the flat surfaces 520A, 520B is formed horizontally. The flat surface 520A is located between the auxiliary holding part 600 and the protruding part 700 in a plan view. In other words, in the movable chuck pin 50A, the auxiliary holding part 600 and the protruding part 700 are arranged to face each other across the flat surface 520A in a plan view.

[0075] The auxiliary holding portion 600 is formed to extend in the radial direction RD in a plan view when the movable chuck pin 50A is in a holding state, and has an auxiliary surface 610. Moreover, as shown in the upper part of Fig. 6, the auxiliary holding portion 600 is formed so that the width in the circumferential direction CD in a plan view gradually increases in the radial direction RD. Therefore, the auxiliary holding portion 600 has a substantially triangular shape in a plan view.

[0076] The protruding portion 700 is formed to extend in the radial direction RD in a plan view when the movable chuck pin 50A is in a holding state, and has a protruding surface 710. Similarly to the sub-holding portion 600, the protruding portion 700 is formed so that the width in the circumferential direction CD in a plan view gradually increases in the radial direction RD. Therefore, the protruding portion 700 has a substantially triangular shape in a plan view.

[0077] 5, the auxiliary surface 610 of the auxiliary holding part 600 is formed so as to extend upward from the abutting portion 511 of the abutting surface 510 of the main holding part 500. In addition, as shown in the middle part of FIG. 6, when the movable chuck pin 50A in the holding state is viewed in the radial direction RD from the reference axis CA in FIG. 1, the area of ​​the auxiliary surface 610 of the auxiliary holding part 600 is smaller than the area of ​​the abutting surface 510 of the main holding part 500.

[0078] 6, the height of the contact portion 511 of the contact surface 510 of the main holding part 500 (the vertical length of the contact portion 511) is referred to as the contact portion height t21. Also, the height of the auxiliary surface 610 of the auxiliary holding part 600 (the vertical length of the auxiliary surface 610) is referred to as the auxiliary portion height t22.

[0079] In this case, the contact portion height t21, like the contact portion height t11 ​​of the fixed chuck pin 30A, is preferably greater than 1 / 2 times the substrate thickness but less than 2 times the substrate thickness, and more preferably greater than 4 / 5 times the substrate thickness but less than 6 / 5 times the substrate thickness. Furthermore, the contact portion height t21 is more preferably the same as or approximately the same as the substrate thickness. The auxiliary portion height t22 is the same as the contact portion height t21 or slightly different from the contact portion height t21.

[0080] 5, protruding surface 710 of protruding portion 700 is formed so as to extend upward from axially opposing portion 512 and the surrounding area of ​​abutting surface 510 of main holding portion 500. The height of protruding surface 710 of protruding portion 700 is the same as or approximately the same as auxiliary portion height t22 (in the lower balloon in FIG. 6).

[0081] As shown in the lower part of Figure 6, the upper half of the movable chuck pin 50A in the holding state has a flat cutout surface 403 formed therein, which extends obliquely downward from the upper ends of the auxiliary holding portion 600 and the protruding portion 700, through the main holding portion 500, and to approximately the center of the substrate support portion 400.

[0082] 7 is a plan view illustrating the transition of the movable chuck pin 50A between the release state and the holding state. In FIG. 7, the upper part shows a plan view of the movable chuck pin 50A in the holding state. The lower part shows a plan view of the movable chuck pin 50A in the release state. Furthermore, in each plan view of FIG. 7, in order to easily identify the substrate support portion 400, the main holding portion 500, the sub-holding portion 600, and the protrusion portion 700, different patterns (hatching and dot patterns) are applied to multiple portions thereof.

[0083] 7, the movable chuck pin 50A is placed in a holding state by rotating in a first rotation direction CW about the pin axis PA2. At this time, the abutment portion 511 of the main holding part 500 abuts against the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W, with the auxiliary holding part 600 and the protrusion 700 extending parallel to the radial direction RD.

[0084] The movable chuck pin 50A, which is in the holding state, rotates in the second rotation direction CCW around the pin axis PA2. As a result, the movable chuck pin 50A enters the released state. At this time, the directions in which the sub-holding portion 600 and the protruding portion 700 extend are substantially perpendicular to the radial direction RD. In addition, the shaft-facing portion 512 is closer to the reference axis CA in FIG. 1 than the abutting portion 511.

[0085] Generally, when a chuck pin is used continuously, the portion of the chuck pin that comes into contact with the substrate W wears out. If a recessed portion is formed in the chuck pin due to wear, the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W may become stuck in the recessed portion when the chuck pin holds the substrate W. In this case, it becomes difficult to release the substrate W from the chuck pin.

[0086] In contrast, in the above-described movable chuck pin 50A, when switching from the holding state to the release state, the contact portion 511 of the contact surface 510 moves away from the reference axis CA in FIG. 1, and the shaft-opposing portion 512 of the contact surface 510 moves closer to the reference axis CA.

[0087] As a result, even if the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W gets caught in the abutment portion 511 of the abutment surface 510 in the held state, when switching from the held state to the released state, the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W slides on the abutment surface 510 from the abutment portion 511 to the shaft-opposing portion 512. As a result, the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W is forcibly pulled out of the abutment portion 511.

[0088] 7, the dotted line shows the substrate W in a state where it is released from the movable chuck pin 50A without getting caught in the contact portion 511. Also, the dashed two-dot line shows the substrate W in a state where it is pulled out from the contact portion 511 after the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W gets caught in the contact portion 511 and the movable chuck pin 50A transitions from the holding state to the released state.

[0089] In this way, the movable chuck pin 50A described above suppresses the occurrence of failures in releasing the substrate from the spin chuck SC.

[0090] 5. Features (effects) of the configuration of the Movable Chuck Pin 50A (a) As described above, in the movable chuck pin 50A in the holding state, the area of ​​the abutment surface 510 as viewed in the radial direction RD is larger than the area of ​​the auxiliary surface 610 as viewed in the radial direction RD. In this case, the degree of wear of the main holding part 500 caused by the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W abutting against the abutment surface 510 is lower than the degree of wear of the auxiliary holding part 600 caused by the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W abutting against the auxiliary surface 610. According to the above configuration, the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W is held by the abutment surface 510. Therefore, the life of the movable chuck pin 50A is prevented from being shortened compared to when the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W is held only by the auxiliary surface 610.

[0091] (b) The movable chuck pin 50A has an auxiliary surface 610 in addition to the contact surface 510. The auxiliary surface 610 is formed so as to extend the contact portion 511 of the contact surface 510 upward. As a result, the auxiliary surface 610 assists the contact surface 510 in holding the substrate W. Therefore, even if the height position of the upper end of the contact surface 510 is lowered in consideration of remaining processing liquid, the state of contact of the movable chuck pin 50A with the outer circumferential edge of the substrate W is not insufficient.

[0092] Furthermore, the area of ​​the auxiliary surface 610 of the movable chuck pin 50A in the holding state, as viewed in the radial direction RD, is smaller than the area of ​​the abutment surface 510 as viewed in the radial direction RD, so the processing liquid is less likely to remain on the portion of the auxiliary surface 610 located above the upper surface of the substrate W than on the abutment surface 510. This reduces the occurrence of processing defects of the substrate W due to remaining processing liquid.

[0093] As a result, it is possible to reduce processing defects of the substrate W without reducing the reliability of holding the substrate W.

[0094] (c) As described above, it is preferable that the contact portion height t21 is greater than half the substrate thickness and less than twice the substrate thickness. In this case, when the substrate W is held by the movable chuck pin 50A, there is a high possibility that at least a part of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W will properly contact the contact portion 511 of the contact surface 510 of the movable chuck pin 50A. This improves the reliability of holding the substrate W by the movable chuck pin 50A compared to when the contact portion height t21 is equal to or less than half the substrate thickness.

[0095] Furthermore, with the above configuration, the portion of the contact surface 510 located above the substrate W when the substrate W is held by the movable chuck pins 50A can be made smaller than when the contact portion height t21 is twice or more the substrate thickness. This makes it possible to reduce the occurrence of processing defects of the substrate W caused by the processing liquid remaining on the contact surface 510.

[0096] Therefore, similar to the example of the contact portion height t11 ​​of the fixed chuck pin 30A, when the substrate thickness is 0.8 mm, it is preferable that the contact portion height t21 be greater than 0.4 mm and smaller than 1.6 mm. In this case, the reliability of holding the substrate W by the movable chuck pin 50A is improved compared to when the contact portion height t21 is 0.4 mm or less. Also, compared to when the contact portion height t21 is 1.6 mm or more, the occurrence of processing defects of the substrate W due to the processing liquid remaining on the contact surface 210 can be reduced.

[0097] (d) When the movable chuck pin 50A is in the holding state, the sub-holding portion 600 and the protrusion 700 extend parallel to the radial direction RD in a plan view. In this case, the processing liquid flows more smoothly over the surfaces of the sub-holding portion 600 and the protrusion 700 and the flat surfaces 520A, 520B during processing of the substrate W than when the sub-holding portion 600 and the protrusion 700 extend in the circumferential direction CD in a plan view. In other words, the processing liquid is less likely to remain on the sub-holding portion 600 and the protrusion 700. This reduces the occurrence of processing defects of the substrate W due to remaining processing liquid.

[0098] (e) The flat surfaces 520A, 520B of the main holding part 500 function as passages for circulating the processing liquid at a position above the main holding part 500. Therefore, when the height position of the upper surface of the substrate W and the height position of the flat surface 220 are the same or approximately the same, the processing liquid flowing over the substrate W during processing of the substrate W flows smoothly along the flat surfaces 520A, 520B to the outside of the substrate W.

[0099] (f) The movable chuck pin 50B has the same configuration as the movable chuck pin 50A. When holding the substrate W, the movable chuck pin 50B is set in a holding state, so that a portion of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W abuts against the abutment portion 511 of the abutment surface 510. This allows the portion of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W to be held by the movable chuck pin 50B. At this time, the substrate W is pressed against the fixed chuck pin 30A in FIG. 2. Therefore, the movable chuck pin 50B can achieve the same effect as the movable chuck pin 50A.

[0100] 6. Control system of substrate processing apparatus 1 The control system of the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described together with the configuration of the control unit 900 in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 900 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 902, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 903, and a storage device 904. The RAM 902 is used as a working area for the CPU 901. The ROM 903 stores a system program. The storage device 904 includes a storage medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory, and stores a substrate processing program. The substrate processing program in this example is a program for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate W.

[0101] 8 may be provided in a state stored in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM 909, and may be installed in the ROM 903 or the storage device 904. Alternatively, the substrate processing program may be distributed from a server external to the substrate processing apparatus 1 via a communication network, and may be installed in the ROM 903 or the storage device 904. The CPU 901 executes the substrate processing program to control the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0102] The rotation drive unit 10 is provided with a rotary encoder 12 that detects the amount of rotation of a rotor (not shown) of the rotation drive unit 10 and outputs a signal indicating the amount of rotation. The control unit 900 controls the rotation drive unit 10 based on the signal output from the rotary encoder 12. This causes the spin chuck SC to rotate at a predetermined speed. Also, the rotation position (rotation angle) of the spin chuck SC is adjusted.

[0103] The control unit 900 also controls the nozzle moving device 73, which moves the nozzle 71 in FIG. 1 between a processing position and a standby position in the chamber. The control unit 900 also controls the processing liquid supply system 72, which supplies the processing liquid to the nozzle 71 in FIG. 1.

[0104] The control unit 900 also controls the chuck pin driving unit 50X, thereby switching the state of the movable chuck pins 50A, 50B of the spin chuck SC between a holding state and a release state.

[0105] The control unit 900 also controls the cup driving unit 60X, which moves the cup 60 in FIG. 1 between the upper cup position and the lower cup position in accordance with the timing of the transfer of the substrate W to the spin chuck SC and the timing of the supply of the processing liquid to the substrate W.

[0106] The control unit 900 also controls the substrate detectors 81 and 82. Specifically, the control unit 900 controls the light-projecting unit 81A of the substrate detector 81 to cause the light-projecting unit 81A to emit light to the light-receiving unit 81B. The control unit 900 also controls the light-projecting unit 82A of the substrate detector 82 to cause the light-projecting unit 82A to emit light to the light-receiving unit 82B.

[0107] When the control unit 900 controls the substrate detectors 81 and 82, a light receiving signal indicating the amount of light received by the light receiving unit is output from the light receiving element of each of the light receiving units 81B and 82B. The light receiving signal is provided to the control unit 900. In this case, the control unit 900 determines whether a part of the substrate W has run onto any of the multiple chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) based on the light receiving signal provided from the substrate detectors 81 and 82 (light receiving units 81B and 82B).

[0108] For example, if a portion of the substrate W rides on one of the chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B), that portion of the substrate W will be located above the spin chuck SC. This will block the optical path between the light-projecting unit 81A and the light-receiving unit 81B. Alternatively, the optical path between the light-projecting unit 82A and the light-receiving unit 82B will be blocked. Therefore, the control unit 900 determines that a portion of the substrate W rides on a chuck pin when the light-receiving signal output from either of the light-receiving units 81B and 82B indicates a received light amount of "0." On the other hand, the control unit 900 determines that the substrate W is properly placed on the spin chuck SC when the light-receiving signal output from the light-receiving units 81B and 82B indicates a received light amount greater than "0."

[0109] As shown in FIG. 8, the substrate processing apparatus 1 further includes an alarm device 910 and an operation unit 920. The alarm device 910 is an output device that outputs an alarm. The alarm device 910 may include a display device that displays an image of the abnormality, a warning light that notifies the user of the abnormality, or an audio output device that outputs audio of the abnormality. For example, when the control unit 900 determines that the substrate W has run onto the spin chuck SC based on the detection results of the substrate detectors 81 and 82, the control unit 900 controls the alarm device 910 to output an alarm. On the other hand, when the control unit 900 determines that the substrate W is properly placed on the spin chuck SC, the control unit 900 keeps the alarm device 910 in a stopped state.

[0110] The operation unit 920 includes a keyboard and a pointing device, and is operable by a user. The user can set various operating conditions of the substrate processing apparatus 1 by operating the operation unit 920.

[0111] 7. Effects of the embodiment (a) Each chuck pin (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) according to the present embodiment includes a main holding portion 200, 500 and a sub-holding portion 300, 600. This makes it possible to reduce processing defects of the substrate W without reducing the reliability of the substrate W holding.

[0112] (b) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, when the substrate W is placed on the spin chuck SC, i.e., when the spin chuck SC receives the substrate W, the movable chuck pins 50A and 50B are maintained in a released state. At this time, the substrate W is preferably placed on the support surfaces 101 and 401 of the multiple chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, and 50B). However, the substrate W may not be placed in an appropriate position on the spin chuck SC due to an error in the transfer operation of the substrate W by the transfer robot, etc. In this case, when the movable chuck pins 50A and 50B transition to a holding state, there is a high possibility that the substrate W will not be properly held by the spin chuck SC.

[0113] Therefore, in the movable chuck pins 50A and 50B, a protrusion 700 is formed on the main holder 500. The protrusion 700 has a protruding surface 710 that extends upward from the shaft-facing portion 512. Therefore, when the movable chuck pin 50A is in the released state, the protrusion 700 is closer to the reference axis CA than the flat surfaces 520A and 520B of the main holder 500 and the sub-holder 600 (see the lower part of FIG. 7).

[0114] Therefore, if the substrate W is placed on the spin chuck SC so as to overlap the main holding portion 500 of the movable chuck pin 50A, the substrate W will run onto at least the protruding portion 700 of the movable chuck pin 50A. In this case, by determining whether the substrate W has run onto the main holding portion 500 using the substrate detectors 81 and 82, it is possible to easily and accurately determine whether the spin chuck SC has properly received the substrate W based on the determination result.

[0115] Furthermore, in the movable chuck pin 50A, the sub-holding portion 600 and the protruding portion 700 are arranged to face each other across the flat surface 520A in a plan view. This prevents the substrate W from climbing up only onto the flat surfaces 520A and 520B without climbing up onto the sub-holding portion 600 and the protruding portion 700. As a result, the occurrence of a substrate W being improperly received, which makes it impossible for the substrate detectors 81 and 82 to determine whether the substrate W has climbed up, is suppressed.

[0116] 8. Other Embodiments (a) In the spin chuck SC according to the above embodiment, the auxiliary holding portions 300 of the fixed chuck pins 30A, 30B and the guide chuck pins 40A, 40B extend in the radial direction RD in a plan view. The auxiliary holding portions 600 of the movable chuck pins 50A, 50B in a holding state extend in the radial direction RD in a plan view. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0117] 9 is a schematic plan view of a spin chuck SC according to another embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the auxiliary holding portions 300 of the fixed chuck pins 30A, 30B and the guide chuck pins 40A, 40B of this embodiment have elongated shapes extending in a direction inclined with respect to the radial direction RD. Furthermore, the auxiliary holding portions 600 of the movable chuck pins 50A, 50B of this embodiment have elongated shapes extending in a direction inclined with respect to the radial direction RD when the movable chuck pins 50A, 50B are in a holding state.

[0118] In this case, compared to when the sub-holding parts 300, 600 are formed to extend in the circumferential direction CD in a plan view, the processing liquid flows more smoothly through the sub-holding parts 300, 600 during processing of the substrate W held by the spin chuck SC. In other words, the processing liquid is less likely to remain on the sub-holding parts 300, 600.

[0119] Furthermore, the atmosphere surrounding the substrate W is guided by the sub-holding parts 300, 600 of the spin chuck SC, forming a smooth flow around the substrate W. This suppresses the generation of turbulence caused by the sub-holding parts 300, 600 in the space surrounding the substrate W. As a result, the occurrence of processing defects of the substrate W caused by the generation of turbulence is reduced.

[0120] (b) In the chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) according to the above-described embodiments, the support surfaces 101, 401 have a configuration in which a plurality of inclined surfaces 102, 402 are connected, but the present invention is not limited to this. The support surfaces 101, 401 may be configured as a single flat surface or a single inclined surface.

[0121] (c) In the chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) according to the above-described embodiments, the flat surfaces 220, 520A, 520B of the main holders 200, 500 are formed horizontally, but the present invention is not limited to this. The flat surfaces 220, 520A, 520B may be formed so as to be inclined relative to the horizontal direction.

[0122] (d) In the chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) according to the above-described embodiments, the auxiliary holding portions 300, 600 have a longitudinal shape extending in one direction in a plan view and a substantially triangular shape, but the present invention is not limited to this. The auxiliary holding portions 300, 600 may have an elliptical shape extending in one direction in a plan view, or a rectangular shape extending in one direction in a plan view. Alternatively, the auxiliary holding portions 300, 600 may not have a longitudinal shape in a plan view. For example, the auxiliary holding portions 300, 600 may be formed in the shape of a square bar or a round bar having auxiliary surfaces 310, 610.

[0123] (e) In the chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) according to the above-described embodiments, the substrate support portions 100, 400 have a cylindrical shape, but the present invention is not limited to this. The substrate support portions 100, 400 may have a rectangular pillar shape or an elliptical pillar shape.

[0124] (f) Although the spin chuck SC according to the above embodiment is provided with six chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B), the present invention is not limited to this. The spin chuck SC may be provided with a number of chuck pins sufficient to hold the substrate W. Therefore, the number of chuck pins provided on the spin chuck SC may be three, four, five, or seven or more. In this case, it is preferable that at least one of the plurality of chuck pins be configured to be switchable between a holding state and a release state, like movable chuck pin 50A.

[0125] (g) Although the chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) according to the above embodiments have the substrate support portions 100, 400, the present invention is not limited to this. The chuck pins may not have the substrate support portions 100, 400. In this case, the spin base 20 may be provided with a member that supports the outer peripheral edge or the lower surface of the substrate W in addition to the chuck pins.

[0126] (h) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment, the substrate W to be held by the spin chuck SC has a circular shape except for the portion where the notch is formed, but the present invention is not limited to this. The substrate W to be held by the spin chuck SC is not limited to a circular shape and may have a rectangular shape.

[0127] 9. Correspondence between each part of the embodiment and each element of the claims The following describes examples of correspondence between the elements of the claims and the elements of the embodiments. Various other elements having the configurations or functions described in the claims may also be used as the elements of the claims.

[0128] In the above embodiment, the reference axis CA is an example of a reference axis, the spin base 20 is an example of a base member, the fixed chuck pins 30A, 30B, the guide chuck pins 40A, 40B, and the movable chuck pins 50A, 50B are examples of chuck pins, the abutment surfaces 210, 510 are examples of abutment surfaces, and the main holding portions 200, 500 are examples of main holding portions.

[0129] Furthermore, auxiliary surface 310, 610 is an example of an auxiliary surface, auxiliary holding portion 300, 600 is an example of an auxiliary holding portion, abutment portion 211, 511 is an example of a portion of an abutment surface, support surface 101, 401 is an example of a support surface, substrate support portion 100, 400 is an example of a substrate support portion, radial direction RD is an example of a radial direction, spin chuck SC is an example of a substrate holding device, spin base 20 is an example of a base member, rotation drive unit 10 is an example of a rotation drive unit, and chuck pin drive unit 50X is an example of a chuck pin drive unit.

[0130] Furthermore, the movable chuck pins 50A, 50B are an example of one of the multiple chuck pins, the pin axis PA2 is an example of a pin axis, the axis opposing portion 512 is an example of another portion of the abutment surface, the first rotation direction CW is an example of a first direction, the second rotation direction CCW is an example of a second direction, the substrate detectors 81, 82 and the control unit 900 are examples of a substrate detection unit, the flat surfaces 520A, 520B are examples of flat surfaces, the protruding portion 700 is an example of a protruding portion, and the protruding surface 710 is an example of a protruding surface.

[0131] 10. Summary of the embodiment (1) The chuck pin according to paragraph 1 is a chuck pin provided on a base member that rotates around a reference axis extending in a vertical direction, the chuck pin holding a substrate placed above the base member, a main holding portion having an abutment surface that faces the reference axis when provided on the base member; a sub-holding portion having an auxiliary surface facing the reference axis when provided on the base member and stacked on the main holding portion, the contact surface is formed to extend in the vertical direction and to have a certain length in a plan view, and a portion of the contact surface is formed to be able to contact an outer edge of the substrate placed on the base member and hold the substrate, the auxiliary surface is formed so as to extend upward from the portion of the contact surface; When the auxiliary surface is provided on the base member and viewed from the reference axis, the area of ​​the auxiliary surface is smaller than the area of ​​the contact surface when viewed from the reference axis.

[0132] In this chuck pin, the area of ​​the contact surface as viewed from the reference axis is larger than the area of ​​the auxiliary surface as viewed from the reference axis. In this case, the degree of wear of the contact surface due to the outer edge of the substrate abutting against the contact surface is lower than the degree of wear of the auxiliary surface due to the outer edge of the substrate abutting against the auxiliary surface. With the above configuration, the outer edge of the substrate is held by the contact surface. Therefore, the life of the chuck pin is prevented from being shortened compared to when the outer edge of the substrate is held only by the auxiliary surface.

[0133] When a substrate held on the base member is processed, the base member is rotated and a processing liquid is supplied to the substrate. The processing liquid flows from the reference axis toward the outer edge of the substrate due to centrifugal force. A portion of the processing liquid also flows outward from the substrate along the surface of the chuck pin. At this time, a portion of the processing liquid is received by the chuck pin mainly at a portion located above the upper surface of the substrate.

[0134] If a large amount of processing liquid is received, the processing liquid may remain on the outer edge of the substrate. To eliminate the amount of processing liquid received, it is conceivable to position the upper ends of the chuck pins at the same height as or approximately the same height as the top surface of the substrate. However, with this configuration, depending on the variations in the shape of the substrate, the chuck pins may not be in sufficient contact with the outer edge of the substrate. In other words, the substrate may not be stably held.

[0135] Therefore, the above-described chuck pin has an auxiliary surface in addition to a contact surface for contacting the outer edge of the substrate to hold the substrate. The auxiliary surface is formed so as to extend upward from a portion of the contact surface that contacts the outer edge of the substrate, thereby assisting the contact surface in holding the substrate. Therefore, even if the height position of the upper end of the contact surface is lowered to the same or approximately the same height as the upper surface of the substrate in consideration of residual processing liquid, the chuck pin does not insufficiently contact the outer edge of the substrate. Furthermore, since the area of ​​the auxiliary surface as viewed from the reference axis is smaller than the area of ​​the contact surface as viewed from the reference axis, processing liquid is less likely to remain on the portion of the auxiliary surface located above the upper surface of the substrate than on the contact surface. This reduces the occurrence of substrate processing defects due to residual processing liquid.

[0136] As a result, it is possible to reduce processing defects of substrates without reducing the reliability of substrate holding.

[0137] (Item 2) In the chuck pin according to item 1, The chuck pin is a substrate support portion attached to the base member and having a support surface formed so as to be able to support an outer edge or a portion thereof from below; the main holder is stacked on the substrate support, The abutment surface is formed to extend upward from the support surface, When the thickness of the substrate is defined as a substrate thickness and the height of the portion of the contact surface in a direction parallel to the reference axis is defined as a contact portion height, The height of the contact portion may be greater than half the thickness of the substrate and less than twice the thickness of the substrate.

[0138] In this case, when the substrate is held by the chuck pin, it is highly likely that at least a portion of the outer edge of the substrate will properly abut against a portion of the abutment surface of the chuck pin, thereby improving the reliability of substrate holding compared to when the height of the abutment portion is half the substrate thickness or less.

[0139] Furthermore, with the above configuration, the portion of the contact surface located above the substrate when the substrate is held by the chuck pins can be made smaller than when the height of the contact portion is twice or more the thickness of the substrate, thereby further reducing the occurrence of processing defects on the substrate caused by the processing liquid remaining on the contact surface.

[0140] (Item 3) In the chuck pin according to item 1, The chuck pin is a substrate support portion attached to the base member and having a support surface formed so as to be able to support an outer edge or a portion thereof from below; the main holder is stacked on the substrate support, The abutment surface is formed to extend upward from the support surface, When the height of the portion of the contact surface in a direction parallel to the reference axis is defined as a contact portion height, the contact portion height may be greater than 0.4 mm and smaller than 1.6 mm.

[0141] In this case, the reliability of substrate holding is improved compared to when the contact portion height is 0.4 mm or less. Furthermore, with the above configuration, the occurrence of substrate processing defects caused by processing liquid remaining on the contact surface can be further reduced compared to when the contact portion height is 1.6 mm or more.

[0142] (Item 4) In the chuck pin according to any one of items 1 to 3, The auxiliary holding portion may have an elongated shape that extends radially away from the reference axis in a plan view when the portion of the abutment surface abuts against the outer edge of the substrate to hold the substrate.

[0143] In this case, compared to when the sub-holding portions are formed so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the radial direction in a plan view, the processing liquid flows more smoothly through the sub-holding portions during processing of a substrate held on the base member. In other words, the processing liquid is less likely to remain on the sub-holding portions. This reduces the occurrence of substrate processing defects due to remaining processing liquid.

[0144] (Item 5) In the chuck pin according to any one of items 1 to 3, The auxiliary holding portion may have an elongated shape that, when viewed in a plane, extends in a direction inclined radially away from the reference axis when the portion of the abutment surface abuts against the outer edge of the substrate to hold the substrate.

[0145] In this case, the processing liquid flows more smoothly through the sub-holding portion during processing of the substrate held on the base member than when the sub-holding portion is formed to extend in a direction perpendicular to the radial direction in a plan view, i.e., the processing liquid is less likely to remain on the sub-holding portion.

[0146] Furthermore, the atmosphere surrounding the substrate is guided by the secondary holding portion of the chuck pin, forming a smooth flow around the substrate, thereby suppressing the generation of turbulence caused by the secondary holding portion in the space surrounding the substrate, thereby reducing the occurrence of substrate processing defects caused by the generation of turbulence.

[0147] (Item 6) The substrate holding device according to item 6 is a base member rotatable about a reference axis extending in the vertical direction; a rotation drive unit that rotates the base member around the reference axis; a plurality of chuck pins attached to the base member; a chuck pin drive unit, Each chuck pin is the chuck pin described in any one of items 1 to 5, At least one of the plurality of chuck pins is attached to the base member so as to be rotatable about a pin axis parallel to the reference axis, The chuck pin drive unit is configured to be able to switch the at least one chuck pin between a holding state in which the at least one chuck pin abuts against the outer edge of the substrate to hold the substrate, and a release state in which the at least one chuck pin can be moved away from the outer edge of the substrate, by rotating the at least one chuck pin around the pin axis.

[0148] The substrate holding device includes a plurality of the above-described chuck pins. At least one of the plurality of chuck pins can be easily switched between a holding state and a release state by rotating about a pin axis. This allows the substrate placed on the base member to be easily held. Also, the substrate held on the base member can be easily released to a state where it can be removed.

[0149] (Item 7) In the substrate holding device according to item 6, the at least one chuck pin switches from the release state to the holding state by rotating in a first direction about the pin axis, and switches from the holding state to the release state by rotating in a second direction about the pin axis opposite to the first direction; The abutment surface of the at least one chuck pin may be formed such that, when the at least one chuck pin switches from the released state to the holding state, the portion of the abutment surface moves closer to the reference axis and abuts against the substrate, while the other portion of the abutment surface moves away from the reference axis, and when the at least one chuck pin switches from the holding state to the released state, the portion of the abutment surface moves away from the reference axis and the other portion of the abutment surface moves closer to the reference axis and abuts against the substrate.

[0150] When a chuck pin is used continuously, a portion of the contact surface wears away. If a recessed portion is formed in the contact surface due to wear, the outer edge of the substrate may become trapped in the recessed portion when the chuck pin holds the substrate. In this case, it becomes difficult to release the substrate.

[0151] In contrast, in at least one of the chuck pins, when switching from the holding state to the release state, a portion of the contact surface moves away from the reference axis and another portion of the contact surface moves closer to the reference axis to contact the substrate. As a result, even if the outer edge of the substrate is embedded in a portion of the contact surface in the holding state, the outer edge of the substrate is forcibly pulled out of the portion of the contact surface when switching from the holding state to the release state. Therefore, the occurrence of substrate release failure in the substrate holding device is suppressed.

[0152] (Item 8) In the substrate holding device according to item 7, the abutment surface of the at least one chuck pin has an arc shape in a plan view and is disposed eccentrically with respect to the pin shaft, The one portion and the other portion of the contact surface may be spaced apart from each other in a plan view.

[0153] In this case, with a simple configuration, the occurrence of substrate release failure in the substrate holding device is suppressed.

[0154] (Item 9) In the substrate holding device according to item 7 or 8, a substrate detection unit that detects whether or not a part of the substrate is present at a position above the upper ends of the plurality of chuck pins, The main holding portion of each chuck pin has a flat surface facing upward, the at least one chuck pin further includes a protrusion provided on the main holding portion in a stacked manner; In the at least one chuck pin, the sub-holding portion and the protruding portion may be arranged to face each other across the flat surface in a plan view.

[0155] According to the above configuration, the main holder has a flat surface, which functions as a passage for circulating liquid above the main holder.

[0156] When a substrate to be held is transported to the substrate holding device, at least one chuck pin is maintained in a released state. At this time, the substrate is preferably placed on the support surfaces of the multiple chuck pins. However, if a portion of the substrate rides on the flat surface due to an error in the transport operation or the like, the substrate will not be properly held even if at least one chuck pin is switched to the holding state. In addition, in this case, the portion of the substrate does not ride on the sub-holding portion, and therefore cannot be detected by the substrate detection unit.

[0157] Therefore, at least one of the chuck pins is provided with a protrusion. In this case, when a substrate to be held is transported to the substrate holding device, it is possible to reduce the possibility that a portion of the substrate will ride up on the flat surface of the main holding part. Furthermore, even if a portion of the substrate does ride up on the protrusion, it is possible to know that a portion of the substrate is located above the upper ends of the multiple chuck pins based on the detection result of the substrate detection part.

[0158] As a result, the occurrence of reception failures of transported substrates is reduced, and if a reception failure does occur, it becomes possible to accurately grasp the occurrence.

[0159] (Item 10) In the substrate holding device according to item 9, the protrusion has a protruding surface that faces the reference axis when the at least one chuck pin is in the released state, The protruding surface may be formed to extend upwardly from the other portion of the contact surface.

[0160] In this case, with a simple configuration, the occurrence of reception failures of transported substrates can be reduced, and if a reception failure does occur, it becomes possible to accurately grasp the occurrence. [Explanation of symbols]

[0161] 1...substrate processing apparatus, 10...rotation drive unit, 11...rotation shaft, 12...rotary encoder, 20...spin base, 30A, 30B...fixed chuck pin, 40A, 40B...guide chuck pin, 50A, 50B...movable chuck pin, 50X...chuck pin drive unit, 60...cup, 60X...cup drive unit, 70...processing liquid supply device, 71...nozzle, 72...processing liquid supply system, 73...nozzle moving device, 81, 82...substrate detector, 81A, 82A...light emitting unit, 81B, 82B...light receiving unit, 100, 400...substrate support unit, 101, 401...support surface, 102, 402...inclined surface, 103, 403...notched surface, 200, 500...main holding unit, 21 0,510...contact surface, 211,511...contact portion, 220,520A,520B...flat surface, 300,600...auxiliary holding portion, 310,610...auxiliary surface, 512...shaft opposing portion, 700...protruding portion, 710...protruding surface, 900...control portion, 901...CPU, 902...RAM, 903...ROM, 904...storage device, 909...CD-ROM, 910...alarm device, 920...operation unit, CA...reference axis, CCW...second rotation direction, CD...circumferential direction, CP1,CP2...intersection point, CW...first rotation direction, PA1,PA2...pin axis, RD...radial direction, SC...spin chuck, W...substrate, t11,t21...contact portion height, t12,t22...auxiliary portion height

Claims

1. a chuck pin provided on a base member that rotates around a reference axis extending in a vertical direction, the chuck pin holding a substrate placed above the base member, a main holding portion having an abutment surface that faces the reference axis when provided on the base member; a sub-holding portion having an auxiliary surface facing the reference axis when provided on the base member and stacked on the main holding portion, the contact surface is formed to extend in the vertical direction and to have a certain length in a plan view, and a portion of the contact surface is formed to be able to contact an outer edge of the substrate placed on the base member and hold the substrate, the auxiliary surface is formed so as to extend upward from the portion of the contact surface; an area of ​​the auxiliary surface when viewed from the reference axis in a state where the chuck pin is provided on the base member is smaller than an area of ​​the abutment surface when viewed from the reference axis.

2. a substrate support portion attached to the base member and having a support surface formed so as to be able to support an outer edge or a portion thereof from below; the main holder is stacked on the substrate support, The abutment surface is formed to extend upward from the support surface, When the thickness of the substrate is defined as a substrate thickness and the height of the portion of the contact surface in a direction parallel to the reference axis is defined as a contact portion height, 2. The chuck pin according to claim 1, wherein the height of the contact portion is greater than half the thickness of the substrate and less than twice the thickness of the substrate.

3. a substrate support portion attached to the base member and having a support surface formed so as to be able to support an outer edge or a portion thereof from below; the main holder is stacked on the substrate support, The abutment surface is formed to extend upward from the support surface, 2. The chuck pin according to claim 1, wherein, when a height of the portion of the contact surface in a direction parallel to the reference axis is defined as a contact portion height, the contact portion height is greater than 0.4 mm and smaller than 1.6 mm.

4. 4. The chuck pin according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary holding portion has a longitudinal shape that extends in a radial direction away from the reference axis in a plan view when the portion of the contact surface contacts the outer edge of the substrate to hold the substrate.

5. 4. The chuck pin according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary holding portion has a longitudinal shape that extends in a direction inclined radially away from the reference axis in a planar view when the portion of the contact surface contacts the outer edge of the substrate to hold the substrate.

6. a base member rotatable about a reference axis extending in the vertical direction; a rotation drive unit that rotates the base member around the reference axis; a plurality of chuck pins attached to the base member; a chuck pin drive unit, Each chuck pin is a chuck pin according to any one of claims 1 to 3, At least one of the plurality of chuck pins is attached to the base member so as to be rotatable about a pin axis parallel to the reference axis, The chuck pin drive unit is configured to rotate the at least one chuck pin around the pin axis, thereby switching the at least one chuck pin between a holding state in which it abuts against the outer edge of the substrate to hold the substrate, and a released state in which it can be moved away from the outer edge of the substrate.

7. the at least one chuck pin switches from the release state to the holding state by rotating in a first direction about the pin axis, and switches from the holding state to the release state by rotating in a second direction about the pin axis opposite to the first direction; 7. The substrate holding device of claim 6, wherein the abutment surface of the at least one chuck pin is formed such that, when the at least one chuck pin switches from the released state to the holding state, the portion of the abutment surface approaches the reference axis and abuts against the substrate, while the other portion of the abutment surface moves away from the reference axis, and when the at least one chuck pin switches from the holding state to the released state, the portion of the abutment surface moves away from the reference axis and the other portion of the abutment surface approaches the reference axis and abuts against the substrate.

8. the abutment surface of the at least one chuck pin has an arc shape in a plan view and is disposed eccentrically with respect to the pin shaft, The substrate holding device according to claim 7 , wherein the one portion and the other portion of the contact surface are spaced apart from each other in a plan view.

9. a substrate detection unit that detects whether or not a part of the substrate is present at a position above the upper ends of the plurality of chuck pins, The main holding portion of each chuck pin has a flat surface facing upward, the at least one chuck pin further includes a protrusion provided on the main holding portion in a stacked manner; 8. The substrate holding device according to claim 7, wherein the sub-holding portion and the protruding portion of the at least one chuck pin are arranged to face each other across the flat surface in a plan view.

10. the protrusion has a protruding surface that faces the reference axis when the at least one chuck pin is in the released state, The substrate holding device according to claim 9 , wherein the protruding surface is formed so as to extend upward from the other portion of the contact surface.

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