SUBSTRATE HOLDING DEVICE AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME

Abstract

To extend the service life of a substrate by allowing it to open smoothly even if wear occurs.SOLUTION: When a movable pin 33 is in the first state, the rotational position regulator 43 holds the outer edge of the substrate W. When a rotary table 27 is rotated to complete processing on the substrate W, a rotary magnet 47c brings the rotational position regulator 43 from the first state to the second state. At this time, the outer edge of the substrate W is pushed away from the rotational position regulator 43 by an extrusion member 45. Therefore, even if the rotary position regulator 43 is worn off by the outer edge of the substrate W, the outer edge of the substrate W is smoothly released from the rotary position regulator 43. Therefore, the frequency of replacement of the movable pins 33 can be reduced, thus extending their service life.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate holding device that supports by contacting the outer edge of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, a substrate for a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) display device, a glass substrate for a photomask, a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magnetic disk, a ceramic substrate, or a substrate for a solar cell (hereinafter simply referred to as a substrate), and a substrate processing apparatus equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, this type of device supports a substrate by abutting the outer edge of the substrate with the underside of the substrate spaced from the rotating table (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Specifically, the rotating table has a plurality of pin bases along the outer periphery of the substrate. The pin bases have support pins. The pin bases have a vertical rotation axis. The support pins are arranged at positions away from the rotation axis of the pin bases in a plan view. The support pins regulate the horizontal position of the substrate.

[0003] When the pin base rotates in one direction, the side of the support pin abuts against the peripheral edge of the substrate, thereby holding the substrate in a horizontally positioned state. When the pin base rotates in the other direction, the side of the support pin moves away from the peripheral edge of the substrate, thereby releasing the substrate.

[0004] A cleaning process is performed on a substrate held by such a rotating and holding device, for example, as follows. With the substrate held, the turntable is rotated to rotate the substrate. A processing liquid is then supplied to the upper surface of the substrate. Furthermore, a brush is applied to the upper surface of the substrate while applying pressure to the substrate. The brush is scanned from the center of the substrate to the outer periphery. In this way, the cleaning process is performed on the entire upper surface of the substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-204061 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the conventional example having such a configuration has the following problems. In other words, in conventional devices, the contact points of the support pins with the substrate wear out, and the outer edge of the substrate may be bitten into. When this happens, the substrate cannot be released smoothly when the pin base rotates. For this reason, the support pins are generally replaced periodically after a certain number of substrates have been processed.

[0007] However, wear of the support pins may progress faster than expected. In other words, there is a problem that the life of the support pins may be shorter than expected. Substrates that have undergone various processes may bend in the thickness direction due to differences in thermal expansion coefficients. Therefore, when the brush scans the upper surface of a substrate that is convex upward, the substrate vibrates in the vertical direction. As a result, the outer edge of the substrate rubs against the side of the support pin. Therefore, depending on the number of times the brush scans and the degree of bending of the substrate, wear of the support pins may progress faster than expected. In such cases, the support pins must be replaced more frequently.

[0008] In addition, as described above, the substrate holding device may be configured by mixing not only movable ones that rotate around the vertical rotation axis, but also fixed ones that do not rotate. Even in this case, the fixed support pins are pressed by the outer periphery of the substrate, so wear occurs and the same problems as with movable ones occur.

[0009] Furthermore, if the substrate cannot be released smoothly due to the wear of the support pins described above, the position of the substrate in the horizontal direction may shift. This may cause problems in transferring the substrate to the transport arm, resulting in transport failure. Transport failure may result in damage to the substrate. Damage to the substrate often results in damage to other components of the support pins, which takes time to recover. Therefore, it is important to be able to release the substrate smoothly even if the support pins are worn.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a substrate holding device and a substrate processing apparatus equipped with the same that can extend the life of the device by allowing the substrate to be released smoothly even if wear occurs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration. That is, the invention described in claim 1 relates to a substrate holding device for holding and rotating a substrate, the substrate holding device including a turntable that rotates within a horizontal plane, a base portion, and a position regulating portion that protrudes upward from the base portion and abuts against the outer periphery of the substrate to regulate the horizontal position of the substrate on the turntable, the turntable including three or more holding portions disposed at intervals on the outer periphery of the turntable, and at least one of the three or more holding portions includes a rotating base portion having a base portion that is rotatable around a vertical axis, and the position regulating portion is provided at a position away from the axis in a plan view and protrudes toward the outer periphery of the substrate, and abuts against the outer periphery of the substrate as the turntable rotates. the substrate holding device includes a rotational position regulating unit that regulates the horizontal position of the substrate on the rotating table; a rotation mechanism that switches the rotational position regulating unit between a first state in which the rotational position regulating unit abuts against the outer peripheral edge of the substrate to hold the substrate and a second state in which the rotational position regulating unit moves away from the outer peripheral edge of the substrate to release the substrate by rotating the rotational base unit; and an extrusion member that is provided on the rotational base unit and protrudes toward the outer peripheral edge of the substrate, moves away from the substrate when the rotational position regulating unit is in the first state, and abuts against the outer peripheral edge of the substrate to push the substrate in a direction away from the position regulating unit when the rotational position regulating unit is switched from the first state to the second state.

[0012] [Function and Effect] According to the invention described in claim 1, when the rotational position regulating part of at least one holding part provided to protrude upward from the base part is set to a first state by the rotation mechanism, the rotational position regulating part holds the outer periphery of the substrate. When the turntable is rotated and processing of the substrate is completed, the rotational position regulating part is changed from the first state to the second state by the rotation mechanism. At this time, the outer periphery of the substrate is pushed out in a direction away from the rotational position regulating part by the pushing member. Therefore, even if the position regulating part is worn down by the outer periphery of the substrate, the outer periphery of the substrate is smoothly released from the position regulating part. Therefore, the frequency of replacement of the holding part can be reduced, thereby achieving a longer life.

[0013] In the present invention, it is preferable that at least three of the holding parts include the rotation base part, the rotation position regulating part, the rotation mechanism, and the pushing member (claim 2).

[0014] At least three holding parts are rotatable, so that the substrate can be positioned in the horizontal direction with high precision.

[0015] In the present invention, it is preferable that all of the holding parts arranged on the outer periphery of the rotating table include the rotation base part, the rotation position regulating part, the rotation mechanism, and the pushing member (claim 3).

[0016] Since all of the holding parts are rotatable, the frequency of replacement of all of the holding parts can be reduced, thereby further extending the life of the substrate gripping device and the substrate processing apparatus including the same.

[0017] In the present invention, it is preferable that the push-out member is provided on the opposite side of the rotation position regulating portion across the shaft core in a plan view (claim 4).

[0018] As the rotation position restricting portion moves away from the outer periphery of the substrate, the rotation position restricting portion moves toward the outer periphery of the substrate. Therefore, with a simple configuration, the pushing member can reliably push out the outer periphery of the substrate from the rotation position restricting portion.

[0019] In the present invention, it is preferable that the push-out member has a length toward the outer periphery of the substrate that is shorter than the rotation position regulating portion (claim 5).

[0020] When in the first state, the push-out member does not come into contact with the outer periphery of the substrate. Therefore, in the first state, the outer periphery of the substrate can be held only by the rotation position regulating part. As a result, the contact points with the outer periphery of the substrate can be minimized in the first state, thereby suppressing cross-contamination caused by contact.

[0021] In the present invention, it is preferable that the at least three holding portions are disposed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle in a plan view (claim 6).

[0022] By arranging the holders at the vertices of an equilateral triangle, the minimum number of parts is needed to hold the board, which reduces the number of parts and keeps costs down.

[0023] In the present invention, it is preferable that the device further comprises a plurality of lower surface holding parts that come into contact with the lower surface of the substrate and regulate the height position of the substrate (claim 7).

[0024] Since the height position of the substrate is restricted by the lower surface holding portion, even if the holding by the rotation position restricting portion in the first state becomes loose, the lower surface of the substrate can be prevented from contacting the turntable.

[0025] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is preferable that the present invention is characterized in that the substrate is positioned between the substrate holding device and a substrate transport section that transports the substrate between the substrate holding device, and the substrate is positioned between the substrate transport section and the substrate holding device by the action of the push-out member pushing the substrate in a direction away from the rotation position regulating section (Claim 8).

[0026] Even if the rotation position restricting portion of the substrate holding portion is worn by the outer periphery of the substrate, the outer periphery of the substrate is smoothly released from the rotation position restricting portion by the pushing member. Therefore, the substrate is unlikely to shift position in the substrate holding portion, and can be easily positioned with the substrate transport portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the substrate from falling when being handed over during transport. Effect of the Invention

[0027] According to the substrate holding device of the present invention, when the substrate holding device is put into the first state by the rotation mechanism, the rotation position regulating part holds the outer periphery of the substrate. When the turntable is rotated and processing of the substrate is completed, the rotation position regulating part is put into the second state from the first state by the rotation mechanism. At this time, the outer periphery of the substrate is pushed out by the pushing member in a direction away from the rotation position regulating part. Therefore, even if the position regulating part is worn by the outer periphery of the substrate, the outer periphery of the substrate is smoothly released from the position regulating part. Therefore, the frequency of replacement of the holding part can be reduced, and the life of the holding part can be extended. Also, even if all the holding parts are rotatable, the outer periphery of the substrate is urged toward the center by the pushing member. As a result, even if all the holding parts are configured to rotate, the horizontal positioning of the substrate can be performed with high accuracy. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the entire turntable. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2A is a plan view showing a first state of the movable pin, and FIG. 2B is a plan view showing a second state of the movable pin. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] Photograph (a) shows wear on the rotation position regulating portion, and photograph (b) is a view from the direction of the dashed double-dashed line arrow in photograph (a). [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a modified example of the movable pin. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing another modified example of the movable pin. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a modified example of the chuck unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0030] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view showing an entire turntable.

[0031] The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment is a single-wafer type apparatus that processes substrates W one by one. The substrate W has, for example, a circular shape in a plan view. The substrate processing apparatus 1 performs, for example, a process on the upper surface of the substrate W. For example, the process may be a cleaning process for removing contaminants such as particles on the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0032] <1. Overall composition>

[0033] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a base unit 3, a chuck unit 5, a guard 7, a brush cleaning unit 9, a transfer arm 11, and a control unit 13.

[0034] <2. Base unit>

[0035] The base unit 3 is equipped with a chuck unit 5. The base unit 3 rotates the chuck unit 5. The base unit 3 causes the chuck unit 5 to hold and release the substrate W. The chuck unit 5 rotates the substrate W in a horizontal plane while holding the substrate W in a horizontal position. The guard 7 prevents the supplied processing liquid from splashing around during cleaning processing by the brush cleaning unit 9. The guard 7 is raised and lowered between a processing height indicated by a solid line in FIG. 1 and a transfer height indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1 (two-dot chain line in FIG. 1). The transfer height is located below the processing height.

[0036] The base unit 3 includes an electric motor 15 and a switching mechanism 17 .

[0037] The electric motor 15 and the switching mechanism 17 are covered with a cover 19. The cover 19 is resistant to the processing liquid used in the present apparatus. In other words, the cover 19 is chemical resistant. The cover 19 is disposed below the chuck unit 5. Because the electric motor 15 and the switching mechanism 17 are covered with the cover 19 that is chemical resistant, there is no need to treat the electric motor 15 and the switching mechanism 17 to be chemical resistant. This allows the cost of the base unit 3 to be reduced.

[0038] The electric motor 15 is equipped with a rotating shaft 21. The rotating shaft 21 extends in the vertical direction. The rotating shaft 21 is rotated by the electric motor 15 around a vertical axis P1. The electric motor 15 outputs the rotational position of the rotating shaft 21 from an encoder 23. The rotational position is information indicating the angle at which a specific point of the rotating shaft 21 is located in a plan view. An inner ring of a bearing 25 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft 21. A cover 19 is attached to the outer ring of the bearing 25. The rotating shaft 21 extends upward from the cover 19 and the bearing 25. A chuck unit 5 is attached to the upper end of the rotating shaft 21.

[0039] <3. Chuck unit>

[0040] The chuck unit 5 includes a rotating table 27 and a holding mechanism 29 .

[0041] 2, the turntable 27 has a circular shape in a plan view. The turntable 27 has a diameter larger than the diameter of the substrate W. The turntable 27 has a thin plate shape. The turntable 27 is made of a material that is resistant to the processing liquid supplied during the cleaning process. An example of the material is fluororesin. More preferably, the material is PEEK (polyether ether ketone).

[0042] The holding mechanism 29 includes a plurality of holding pins 31. In this embodiment, for example, six holding pins 31 are included. More specifically, of the six holding pins 31, four are movable pins 33 and two are fixed pins 35. In this embodiment, two fixed pins 35 facing each other in the horizontal direction in FIG. 2 are included. Each movable pin 33 is arranged around the axis P1 at 60° intervals from the fixed pin 35. The above-mentioned holding pins 31 correspond to the "holding portion" in the present invention.

[0043] In addition, in the holding mechanism 29, all six holding pins 31 may be movable pins 33. This allows the holding pins 31 to be of one type, thereby reducing costs.

[0044] The fixing pins 35 support the lower surface of the outer periphery of the substrate W to regulate the height of the substrate W. Specifically, the fixing pins 35 come into point contact with the lower surface of the outer periphery of the substrate W to keep the height of the lower surface of the substrate W relative to the upper surface of the turntable 27 constant.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 1, the rotating table 27 has a plurality of through holes 37. The plurality of through holes 37 are formed on the outer periphery of the rotating table 27. Specifically, the plurality of through holes 37 are formed corresponding to the positions where the six holding pins 31 are arranged. Each through hole 37 penetrates the rotating table 27 from the upper surface to the lower surface. Each fixed pin 33 is inserted into the through hole 37 and fixed around a vertical axis. Four movable pins 33 are rotatably attached to each through hole 37. The movable pins 33 are rotatably attached around a vertical axis P2.

[0046] Each holding pin 31 is made of a material that is resistant to the processing liquid. The holding pins 31 are preferably made of, for example, PBI (polybenzimidazole). PBI has excellent abrasion resistance in addition to chemical resistance, and is therefore suitable for holding the substrate W. However, this does not exclude the holding pins 31 being made of other materials. For example, the holding pins 31 may be made of other materials such as fluororesin.

[0047] Now, reference is made to Figure 3. Figure 3(a) is a plan view showing a first state of the movable pin, and Figure 3(b) is a plan view showing a second state of the movable pin.

[0048] Here, the first state of the movable pin 33 is a state in which the substrate W is held. The second state of the movable pin 33 is a state in which the substrate W is released. The first state is a state in which the movable pin 33 is rotated to one side, for example, clockwise, around the axis P2 in a plan view. The second state is a state in which the movable pin 33 is rotated to the other side, for example, counterclockwise, around the axis P2 in a plan view. The axis P2 is formed in the center of the holding pin 31 in a plan view.

[0049] An inclined surface 39 and a protrusion 41 are formed on the upper part of the movable pin 33. The inclined surface 39 is located on the axis P1 side. The inclined surface 39 is formed on the upper surface of the movable pin 33 such that the upper surface is lowered toward the axis P1 side. The protrusion 41 is located on the outer periphery side of the rotating table 27. The protrusion 41 is located on the opposite side of the axis P1 across the axis P2. The protrusion 41 includes, for example, two rotation position regulating portions 43. The protrusion 41 includes, for example, one pushing member 45.

[0050] The two rotation position regulating parts 43 are formed to protrude upward and toward the axis P1. Each rotation position regulating part 43 is formed on one side centered on the axis P2. The two rotation position regulating parts 43 are arranged apart from each other so that their radial side surfaces are approximately parallel. Each rotation position regulating part 43 has approximately the same shape. The axis P1 side of each rotation position regulating part 43 is semicircular in plan view. The semicircular part of each rotation position regulating part 43 in plan view abuts against the outer periphery of the substrate W. Therefore, the contact area can be minimized. As a result, mutual contamination of substrates W that are processed sequentially can be suppressed. However, the shape of the axis P1 side of the rotation position regulating part 43 is not limited to a semicircular shape.

[0051] The pushing member 45 is formed on the opposite side of the two rotation position regulating parts 43. In other words, the pushing member 45 is formed on the opposite side of the two rotation position regulating parts 43 across the axis P2 in a plan view. The pushing member 45 is formed on the other side of the axis P2. Like the rotation position regulating parts 43, the pushing member 45 is formed to protrude toward the axis P1 side. However, the pushing member 45 has a shorter length toward the outer periphery of the substrate W than each of the rotation position regulating parts 43. In other words, the pushing member 45 has a longer distance to the outer periphery of the substrate W than each of the rotation position regulating parts 43.

[0052] As a result, when the first state is established, the push-out member 45 does not come into contact with the outer periphery of the substrate W. Therefore, in the first state, the outer periphery of the substrate W can be held only by the rotation position regulating part 43. As a result, the points of contact with the outer periphery of the substrate W can be minimized in the first state, thereby suppressing cross-contamination due to contact.

[0053] The length of the push-out member 45 is set so that when the movable pin 33 is in the second state, the center of the substrate W and the axis P1 approximately coincide with each other when the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W is pushed toward the axis P1.

[0054] Next, the configuration of the movable pin 33 of the holding pin 31 will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the movable pin. Note that a detailed description of the fixed pin 35 will be omitted.

[0055] The movable pin 33 includes a lower pin portion 47 and an upper pin portion 49 .

[0056] The lower pin portion 47 is provided at the lower portion of the rotating table 27. The lower pin portion 47 is connected to the upper pin portion 49 through the through hole 37. The lower pin portion 47 includes a pin support portion 47a, a fixing screw 47b, a rotating magnet 47c, a cover member 47d, a bearing 47e, and a cylindrical member 47f.

[0057] The upper pin portion 49 is fixed to the upper portion of the pin support portion 47a by a fixing screw 47b. The rotary magnet 47c is attached to the lower portion of the fixing screw 47b. The rotary magnet 47c is attached to the lower portion of the movable pin 33. The rotary magnet 47c generates a rotational force for rotating the movable pin 33 around the axis P2 by switching the magnetic poles around it. The cover member 47d fixes the rotary magnet 47c to the pin support portion 47a. The bearing 47e and the cylindrical member 47f attach the pin support portion 47a to the through hole 37 so as to be rotatable around the axis P2. The pin support portion 47a is fixed only to the inner ring of the bearing 47e, and is not fixed to the outer ring of the bearing 47e. The outer ring of the bearing 47e is fixed to the through hole 37. The cylindrical member 47f fixes the outer ring of the bearing 47e to the rotating table 37 with the lower surface thereof spaced apart from the upper surface of the pin support portion 47a.

[0058] The bearing 47e is made of a material that is resistant to the processing liquid. For example, the bearing 47e is preferably made of conductive PEEK mixed with carbon nanotubes. The rolling elements of the bearing 47e are preferably made of SiC (silicon carbide). This can improve the wear resistance of the bearing 47e.

[0059] The upper pin portion 49 includes a shaft portion 49a and a protruding portion 41. As described above, the protruding portion 41 includes two rotation position regulating portions 43 and a push-out member 45. The shaft portion 49a is fixed to the pin support portion 47a of the lower pin portion 47 in a state where it is attached to the inner ring of the bearing 47e. The upper pin portion 49 holds the substrate W by abutting the lower surface and outer peripheral edge of the substrate W with the inclined surface 39 and the protruding portion 41.

[0060] The shaft portion 49a corresponds to the "rotation base portion" in the present invention. The fixing pin 35 corresponds to the "lower surface holding portion" in the present invention.

[0061] <5. Switching mechanism>

[0062] Here, FIG. 1 is referred to. The switching mechanism 17 includes an air cylinder 51, a support arm 53, a first drive magnet 57, and a second drive magnet 59. The first drive magnet 57 is attached below the second drive magnet 59. In other words, the second drive magnet 59 is attached above the first drive magnet 57. The air cylinder 51 includes an operating shaft 61 that expands and contracts in the vertical direction. The support arm 53, the first drive magnet 57, and the second drive magnet 59 are annular in plan view. The first drive magnet 57 and the second drive magnet 59 are located on the inner periphery side of the rotary magnet 47c in plan view. In other words, the first drive magnet 57 and the second drive magnet 59 are arranged on the axis P1 side of the rotary magnet 47c.

[0063] For example, the air cylinder 51 is in a non-operated state with the operating shaft 61 extended. For example, the air cylinder 51 is in an operated state with the operating shaft 61 retracted. When the operating shaft 61 extends, the first drive magnet 57 moves to the same height as the rotating magnet 47c. When the operating shaft 61 retracts, the second drive magnet 59 moves to the same height as the rotating magnet 47c.

[0064] When the first driving magnet 57 moves to the same height as the rotating magnet 47c, the movable pin 33 rotates clockwise around the axis P2 in plan view due to the relationship of the magnetic poles. The magnetic poles are, for example, such that the first driving magnet 57 and the rotating magnet 47c are mutually attracted to each other. This state is the first state shown in FIG. 3(a). As a result, the outer periphery of the substrate W is abutted and supported by the two rotation position regulating parts 43. In addition, since the first driving magnet 57 has an annular shape in plan view, when the first driving magnet 57 is at the same height as the rotating magnet 47c, the rotation position regulating part 43 can always abut and support the substrate W. Specifically, even when the chuck unit 5 is rotating, the rotation position regulating part 43 can abut and support the substrate W.

[0065] When the second drive magnet 59 moves to the same height as the rotary magnet 47c, the movable pin P2 rotates counterclockwise around the axis P2. The magnetic poles of the second drive magnet 59 and the rotary magnet 47c are in a mutually repelling relationship, for example. This state is the second state shown in FIG. 3(b). As a result, the outer periphery of the substrate W is released from the holding by the two rotation position regulating parts 43.

[0066] When the air cylinder 51 is not in operation, including when it is not energized, the operating shaft 61 extends. Therefore, for example, when the power is cut off due to a power outage, the first driving magnet 57 moves to the same height as the rotating magnet 47c, so that the substrate W is held by the movable pin 33. Therefore, there is no risk of the substrate W being damaged due to unintentional release of the holding. In addition, since the second driving magnet 59 has an annular shape in a plan view, when the second driving magnet 59 reaches the same height as the rotating magnet 47c, the substrate W can be released from the holding by the rotation position regulating unit 43 regardless of the position at which the second driving magnet 59 stops in the circumferential direction as the rotation of the chuck unit 5 stops.

[0067] The above-mentioned rotating magnet 47c, the first drive magnet 57, and the second drive magnet 59 are preferably, for example, neodymium magnets. The neodymium magnets are rare earth magnets whose main components are neodymium, iron, and boron. The neodymium magnets generate a strong magnetic field. Therefore, the substrate W can be stably held and reliably released.

[0068] In a plan view, the switching mechanism 17 is disposed closer to the axis P1 than the rotary magnet 47c. Therefore, the first drive magnet 57 and the second drive magnet 59 can be disposed closer to the axis P1. Therefore, the diameter of the annular support arm 53 can be reduced, and the switching mechanism 17 can be made more compact.

[0069] The above-mentioned rotating magnet 47c, first drive magnet 57, and second drive magnet 59 correspond to the "rotation mechanism" of the present invention.

[0070] <6. Brush cleaning unit 9>

[0071] As shown in FIG. 1, the brush cleaning unit 9 includes a base 63, an arm 65, and a brush part 67. The base 63 is rotatable around a vertical axis P3. The base 63 is configured to be extendable and retractable in the vertical direction. The arm 65 is connected at its base end to the base 63. The arm 65 includes a brush part 67 at its tip end. The brush part 67 acts on the upper surface of the substrate W to clean the upper surface of the substrate W. The brush part 67 is configured to apply a pressing pressure to the upper surface of the substrate W during processing, for example. The brush part 67 is configured to be rotatable around a vertical axis. The arm 65 is swung around the axis P3 by the base 63, and the brush part 67 is swung from the axis P1 of the substrate W to the outer periphery. As a result, the entire upper surface of the substrate W is cleaned.

[0072] The brush cleaning unit 9 may be configured to move the brush part 67 in parallel with the base part 63 at the same time, instead of moving the brush part 67 by swinging.

[0073] A nozzle 69 is disposed near the guard 7. The nozzle 69 supplies the processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W beyond the upper edge of the guard 7. The nozzle 69 supplies the processing liquid to the axis P1 of the rotating substrate W. The processing liquid may be, for example, a chemical liquid. The chemical liquid may be, for example, a chemical liquid containing at least one of sulfuric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid, hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, ammonia water, and hydrogen peroxide water. A more specific example of the chemical liquid that may be used is SC-1, which is a mixture of ammonia water and hydrogen peroxide water.

[0074] <7.Transport Arm 11>

[0075] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the transport arm 11 includes an arm body 71, a front support piece 73, and a rear support piece 75. The arm body 71 is configured to be movable forward and backward with its lower surface separated from the upper surface of the rotating table 27. The arm body 71 has a front support piece 73 formed on its upper surface at the tip end. The arm body 71 has a rear support piece 75 formed on its upper surface at the rear end. The front support piece 73 and the rear support piece 75 abut and support the outer periphery of the substrate W. The transport arm 11 advances and retreats between the multiple holding pins 31 of the rotating table 27. The transport arm 11 transfers the substrate W between the rotating table 27. When the movable pin 33 is switched from the first state to the second state, the outer periphery of the substrate W is pushed out in the direction of the axis P1 by the pushing member 45, and the substrate W is positioned in the horizontal direction by the front support piece 73, the rear support piece 75, and the pushing member 45. Thereafter, the transport arm 11 rises and transports the substrate W held by the front support piece 73 and the rear support piece 75 .

[0076] The above-mentioned transport arm 11 corresponds to the "substrate transport section" in the present invention.

[0077] <8. Control Unit>

[0078] The control unit 13 controls the above-mentioned components. The control unit 13 is composed of a CPU, a memory, and the like. The control unit 13 controls the rotation of the electric motor 15. The control unit 13 controls the position where the electric motor 15 stops based on a signal from the encoder 23. Specifically, the control unit 13 controls the position where the rotating table 27 stops so that the transport arm 11 and the holding pin 31 do not interfere with each other. The control unit 13 controls the lifting and lowering of the first driving magnet 57 and the second driving magnet 59 by the switching mechanism 17. The control unit 13 controls the height of the guard 7 over the processing height and the delivery height. The control unit 13 operates the base unit 63 to control the lifting and lowering of the brush unit 67, the movement of the brush unit 67 on the surface of the substrate W, the rotation speed of the brush unit 67, and the pressing pressure of the brush unit 67. The control unit 13 controls the supply of the processing liquid from the nozzle 69.

[0079] <Examples of processing>

[0080] In the substrate processing apparatus 1 configured as described above, for example, processing is performed as follows. In the initial state, the operating shaft 61 of the air cylinder 51 is contracted, the second driving magnet 59 faces the rotary magnet 47c, and the movable pins 33 are rotated counterclockwise. That is, the four movable pins 33 are rotated as shown in FIG. 3(b) and are in the second state.

[0081] The control unit 13 moves the guard 7 to the transfer height. The control unit 13 advances the transport arm 11 supporting the unprocessed substrate W above the turntable 27. The control unit 13 lowers the transport arm 11 to transfer the substrate W onto the fixed pin 35 and the inclined surface 39 of the movable pin 33. The control unit 13 causes the transport arm 11 to retract to the outside of the turntable 27. The control unit 13 extends the operating shaft 61 of the air cylinder 51 by the switching mechanism 17. As a result, the first drive magnet 57 faces the rotary magnet 47c, the movable pin 33 is rotated clockwise, and the outer periphery of the substrate W is abutted and supported by the rotation position regulating unit 43 of the movable pin 33. That is, the four movable pins 33 are rotated as shown in FIG. 3(a) to be in the first state. In other words, the outer periphery of the substrate W is clamped by the four movable pins 33.

[0082] The control unit 13 rotates the electric motor 15 to rotate the substrate W at a processing speed according to the recipe. The control unit 13 supplies the processing liquid from the nozzle 69 to the center of the substrate W. The control unit 13 operates the base unit 63 to move the brush unit 67 to the center of the substrate W and presses the brush unit 67 to a pressure that is applied during processing. The control unit 13 operates the base unit 63 to move the brush unit 67 to the outer periphery of the substrate W. Such a scanning operation is repeated a predetermined number of times according to the recipe. When the predetermined number of scanning operations are completed, the control unit 13 retreats the brush unit 67 and stops the supply of the processing liquid from the nozzle 69. The control unit 13 switches the rotation speed of the electric motor 15 to a high speed rotation to perform shaking-off drying on the substrate W. When the shaking-off drying is completed, the control unit 13 stops the rotation of the electric motor 15. At this time, the stop position of the turntable 27 is a position where the transport arm 11 and the holding pin 31 do not interfere with each other.

[0083] The control unit 13 advances the transport arm 11 to the rotating table 27. The control unit 13 contracts the operating shaft 61 of the air cylinder 51 using the switching mechanism 17. This causes the four movable pins 33 to release the substrate W. At that time, as shown in Fig. 3(a) to Fig. 3(b), the pushing member 45 moves so as to push out the outer periphery of the substrate W in the direction of the axis P1.

[0084] Here, reference is made to Figure 5. Figure 5(a) is a photograph showing wear of the rotation position regulating portion, and Figure 5(b) is a photograph seen from the direction of the two-dot chain line arrow in Figure 5(a).

[0085] As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the cleaning process is performed while rotating the substrate W. If this is continued, the side surface of the rotation position regulating portion 43 of the movable pin 33 is particularly worn. An example of this state is shown in FIG. 5(a) and FIG. 5(b). In this example, the side surface of the rotation position regulating portion 43 facing the axis P1 is worn outward by about 0.7 mm. When such wear occurs, in the configuration of the movable pin 33 in the conventional example, even if the movable pin 33 is rotated, the outer periphery of the substrate W bites into the worn portion and cannot be released smoothly. In this embodiment, the movable pin 33 is provided with a pushing member 45, and even if the outer periphery of the substrate W bites into the worn portion, the outer periphery of the substrate W is pushed out toward the axis P1. Therefore, even if the movable pin 33 is worn, the substrate W can be released smoothly.

[0086] Furthermore, the positioning of the substrate W is performed by the action of the push-out member 45 pushing out the outer periphery of the substrate W in the direction of the axis P1, and by the front support piece 73 and the rear support piece 75 of the transport arm 11. That is, the substrate W is released so that the center of the substrate W coincides with the axis P1. This makes it possible to prevent the substrate W from shifting its position in the horizontal direction, and prevents problems in transferring the substrate to the transport arm 11 and causing transport failures.

[0087] According to this embodiment, when the movable pin 33 is set to the first state, the rotational position regulating part 43 holds the outer periphery of the substrate W. When the turntable 27 is rotated and processing of the substrate W is completed, the rotational position regulating part 43 is changed from the first state to the second state by the rotating magnet 47c. At this time, the outer periphery of the substrate W is pushed out by the pushing member 45 in a direction away from the rotational position regulating part 43. Therefore, even if the rotational position regulating part 43 is worn down by the outer periphery of the substrate W, the outer periphery of the substrate W is smoothly released from the rotational position regulating part 43. This reduces the frequency of replacement of the movable pin 33, thereby enabling a longer life.

[0088] Furthermore, in the holding mechanism 29, all the holding pins 31 are movable pins 33, and there are no fixed pins for abutting and supporting the outer periphery of the substrate W to position it in the horizontal direction. Conventionally, the degree to which the substrate W is clamped due to the rotation of the movable pins 33 varies, so if all the holding pins 31 were movable pins 33, the substrate W could not be positioned in the horizontal direction with high precision. However, in this embodiment, all the movable pins 33 are equipped with push-out members 45, and the outer periphery of the substrate W is urged toward the center by the push-out members 45. As a result, even if all the holding pins 31 are configured to rotate, the substrate W can be positioned in the horizontal direction with high precision.

[0089] <Variation 1>

[0090] Here, reference is made to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing a modified example of the movable pin.

[0091] In the above-described embodiment, the movable pin 33 includes two rotation position regulating parts 43 formed to protrude upward and toward the axis P1. The number of rotation position regulating parts 43 may be one. As shown in FIG. 6, the movable pin 33A may include one cylindrical rotation position regulating part 43A that is erected. By using such a cylindrical rotation position regulating part 43, the movable pin 33 can be easily manufactured. The movable pin 33A may include two cylindrical rotation position regulating parts 43A. By using a cylindrical rotation position regulating part 43A, it is possible to prevent the processing liquid supplied to the substrate W and flowing to the outer periphery from accumulating on the movable pin 33A.

[0092] <Variation 2>

[0093] Here, reference is made to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a plan view showing another modified example of the movable pin.

[0094] 7, the movable pin 33B is also configured with a cylindrical pusher member 45A. By using such a cylindrical pusher member 45A, it is possible to easily manufacture the movable pin 33. By using a cylindrical rotation position restricting portion 43A and pusher member 45A, it is possible to further prevent the processing liquid supplied to the substrate W and flowing to the outer circumferential edge from remaining in the movable pin 33B.

[0095] <Modification 3>

[0096] Reference is now made to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a modified example of the chuck unit.

[0097] In the above-described chuck unit 5, the holding mechanism 29 includes four movable pins 33 and two fixed pins 35. In the chuck unit 5A according to this modification, the holding mechanism 29 includes three movable pins 33 and three fixed pins 35. The three movable pins 33 are disposed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle in a planar view on the outer periphery side of the rotating table 27A. The three fixed pins 35 are disposed at the vertices of an equilateral triangle in a planar view on the outer periphery side of the rotating table 27A, and are shifted by 90° from the three movable pins 33 around the axis P1.

[0098] In addition, since each movable pin 33 has an inclined surface 39 and can regulate the height position of the substrate W, the fixed pin 35 may be omitted. This makes it possible to minimize the number of holding pins 31 while still stably holding the substrate W. This allows the cost of the device to be reduced.

[0099] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be modified as follows.

[0100] (1) In the above-described embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is exemplified in which the brush portion 67 acts on the upper surface of the substrate W while supplying the processing liquid from the nozzle 69. However, the present invention is not limited to this type of substrate processing apparatus 1. In other words, the present invention can be applied to any apparatus that processes the substrate W while holding it with the movable pins 33.

[0101] (2) In the above-described embodiment, a rotation configuration is adopted in which the movable pin 33 is rotated in a non-contact manner by utilizing a magnetic force. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. In other words, a configuration in which the movable pin 33 is rotated by direct contact via a link mechanism or the like may be adopted.

[0102] (3) In the above-described embodiment, the movable pin 33 has the inclined surface 39 and abuts against and supports the lower surface of the outer periphery of the substrate W. However, the movable pin 33 does not need to have the inclined surface 39 that abuts against the substrate W, and may have a configuration including only the rotation position regulating portion 43 and the pushing member 45.

[0103] (4) In the above-described embodiment, an apparatus for processing a substrate W having a circular shape in a plan view has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a substrate W. For example, the present invention may be applied to an apparatus for processing a substrate W having a rectangular shape.

[0104] (5) In the above embodiment, an example of the device in which three or four movable pins 33 (holding pins 31) equipped with a push-out member 45 and a rotation position regulating portion 43 are arranged on the outer periphery of the turntable 27 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this device configuration. That is, a device configuration in which one movable pin 33 (holding pin 31) equipped with a push-out member 45 and a rotation position regulating portion 43 is arranged on the outer periphery of the turntable 27 may be used. In this case, the shaft portion 49a of the other holding pin 31 is configured to have only a position regulating portion similar to the rotation position regulating portion 43, and the shaft portion 49a (corresponding to the "base portion" in the present invention) does not rotate. Even in such a configuration, when the rotation position regulating portion 43 of the movable pin 33 changes from the first state to the second state, the push-out member 45 pushes the substrate W in a direction away from the rotation position regulating portion 43 and the position regulating portion. Therefore, even if the rotation position regulating portion 43 and the position regulating portion are worn by the outer periphery of the substrate W, the outer periphery of the substrate W is smoothly released from the rotation position regulating portion 43 and the position regulating portion. Therefore, the frequency of replacement of the holding pin 31 can be reduced, and the life of the holding pin 31 can be extended. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] W … Substrate 1 ... Substrate processing equipment 3 … Base unit 5 … Chuck unit 7. Guard 9 … Brush cleaning unit 11 ... Transport arm 13 ... Control section 15 … Electric motor 17 ... Switching mechanism 21 … Rotation axis P1 … Axis center 27 … Rotating table 29 … Retention mechanism 31 ... Retaining pin 33 ... Movable pin 35 … Fixing pin P2 … Axis center 39 … Inclined surface 41 … Projection 45 ... Extrusion member 43 ... Rotation position control part 47 … Lower pin part 47c … Rotating magnet 49 … Upper pin section 51 ... Air cylinder 53 ... Support arm 57 ... First drive magnet 59 ... Second drive magnet 61 ... Working shaft 71 ... Arm body 73 … Front support piece 75 … Rear support piece

Claims

1. A substrate holding device that holds and rotates a substrate, A rotating table that rotates in a horizontal plane; a base portion; and a position restricting portion that protrudes upward from the base portion and restricts the horizontal position of the substrate on the rotating table by contacting the outer periphery of the substrate. Three or more holders are disposed at intervals on the outer periphery of the rotating table. Equipped with At least one of the three or more holding portions is The base portion has a pivot base portion that is pivotable about a vertical axis; a rotation position regulating portion that protrudes toward an outer periphery of the substrate at a position away from the axis in a plan view and abuts against the outer periphery of the substrate as the rotation base portion rotates, thereby regulating a horizontal position of the substrate on the turntable; a rotation mechanism that switches the rotation position regulating unit between a first state in which the rotation position regulating unit abuts against an outer peripheral edge of the substrate to hold the substrate and a second state in which the rotation position regulating unit moves away from the outer peripheral edge of the substrate to release the substrate by rotating the rotation base unit; a push-out member that is provided on the rotation base portion and protrudes toward an outer periphery of the substrate, the push-out member being spaced from the substrate when the rotation position regulating portion is in the first state, and being in contact with the outer periphery of the substrate when the rotation position regulating portion is switched from the first state to the second state, thereby pushing out the substrate in a direction away from the position regulating portion; A substrate holding device comprising:

2. 2. The substrate holding device according to claim 1, At least three of the retaining portions are The rotation base portion; The rotation position restriction portion, The rotation mechanism; The pusher member; A substrate holding device comprising:

3. 2. The substrate holding device according to claim 1, All of the holders arranged on the outer periphery of the turntable are The rotation base portion; The rotation position restriction portion, The rotation mechanism; The pusher member; A substrate holding device comprising:

4. 4. The substrate holding device according to claim 1, The substrate holding device according to claim 1, wherein the push-out member is provided on the opposite side of the rotation position regulating portion across the shaft core in a plan view.

5. 4. The substrate holding device according to claim 1, The substrate holding device according to claim 1, wherein the push-out member has a length to an outer periphery of the substrate that is shorter than the length of the rotation position regulating portion.

6. 3. The substrate holding device according to claim 2, The substrate holding device, wherein the at least three holding parts are disposed at vertices of an equilateral triangle in a plan view.

7. 4. The substrate holding device according to claim 1, The substrate holding device further comprises a plurality of lower surface holding parts that come into contact with the lower surface of the substrate and regulate the height position of the substrate.

8. A substrate holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a substrate transport unit that transports the substrate between the substrate holding device and the substrate transport unit; a substrate processing apparatus including: a substrate conveying unit that conveys the substrate to the substrate conveying unit; a substrate conveying unit that conveys the substrate to the substrate conveying unit;

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