Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

To perform positioning of a substrate on a plate easily to process the substrate properly.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device includes: a plate on which a substrate is placed; a pressing member which presses the substrate to the plate side; and an alignment mechanism which positions the substrate on the plate relative to the pressing member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a substrate processing apparatus that forms a coating film on a substrate such as a semiconductor or glass substrate with a predetermined liquid and then heats the substrate in order to form a thin film on the substrate. This substrate processing apparatus is equipped with a hot plate on which the substrate is placed and heated in order to heat the substrate. If the substrate is warped when it is heated, a temperature difference occurs between the central side and the peripheral side of the substrate, which may cause the characteristics of the coating film on the substrate to differ, and may result in failure to obtain a desired pattern. In order to eliminate the warping of the substrate, a substrate processing apparatus has been proposed that has a pressing member that presses the substrate against the plate when heating (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-339485 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 presses the edge of the substrate placed on the hot plate with a pressing member. Therefore, it is required to accurately place the substrate on the hot plate. For example, if the substrate is placed on the hot plate in a state where it is misaligned from the pressing member, the pressing member may come off the substrate and the warping of the substrate may not be eliminated, or the pressing member may come into contact with the coating film on the substrate and damage the coating film, which is undesirable. In addition, the substrate may be carried into the substrate processing apparatus by a transport device. In this case, it is difficult to accurately position and place the substrate on the hot plate using the transport device, as this places a large burden on the transport device.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that are capable of appropriately processing a substrate by easily aligning the substrate on a plate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A substrate processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a plate on which a substrate is placed, a pressing member that presses the substrate toward the plate, an alignment mechanism that positions the substrate on the plate relative to the pressing member, and an upper heating section that heats the substrate from above while it is placed on the plate and positioned by the alignment mechanism and pressed by the pressing member, wherein the plate is a hot plate for heating the substrate from below and includes lift pins that raise and lower the substrate above the plate, and the alignment mechanism positions the substrate at the height at which the lift pins receive the substrate. A substrate processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a plate on which a substrate is placed, a pressing member which presses the substrate toward the plate, an alignment mechanism which positions the substrate on the plate relative to the pressing member, and an upper heating section which heats the substrate from above while it is placed on the plate and positioned by the alignment mechanism and pressed by the pressing member, and the plate is a hot plate for heating the substrate from below. A substrate processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a plate on which a substrate is placed, a pressing member that presses the substrate toward the plate, and an alignment mechanism that positions the substrate on the plate with respect to the pressing member.

[0007] A substrate processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes placing a substrate on a plate, positioning the substrate on the plate at a height at which lift pins that raise and lower the substrate on the plate receive the substrate, pressing the substrate against the plate, and heating the substrate pressed against the plate from both above and below. A substrate processing method according to an aspect of the present invention includes placing a substrate on a plate, positioning the substrate on the plate, pressing the substrate against the plate, and heating the substrate from both above and below while pressed against the plate. A substrate processing method according to an aspect of the present invention includes placing a substrate on a plate, positioning the substrate on the plate, and pressing the substrate against the plate. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method of the above aspects, the substrate can be appropriately processed by accurately aligning the substrate on the plate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1A is a plan view showing an example of the positional relationship between a substrate, a plate, a pressing member, and an alignment mechanism, and FIG. 1B is a view showing an example of one of the movable members as viewed from the +Y direction. [Diagram 3] 1A and 1B show an example of an alignment operation by an alignment mechanism, in which (A) shows a state before a substrate is positioned, and (B) shows a state after the substrate has been positioned. [Figure 4] 5A and 5B show an example of a pressing operation by a pressing member, in which (A) shows a state before pressing, and (B) shows a pressed state. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13A is a diagram showing a pressing operation by a pressing member, and FIG. 13B is a diagram showing a pressing operation by a pressing member according to a modified example. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a substrate processing method according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are process diagrams showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus, in which (A) shows a state in which a chamber shutter is open, and (B) shows a state in which a substrate is carried in. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are process diagrams showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus, in which (A) shows a substrate being positioned, and (B) shows the substrate being placed on a plate. [Figure 9] 1A and 1B are process diagrams showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus, in which (A) shows a substrate being pressed by a pressing member, and (B) shows a substrate being heated. [Figure 10] 1A and 1B are process diagrams showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus, in which (A) shows the pressing member being retracted, and (B) shows the substrate being lifted from the plate. [Figure 11] 1A and 1B are process diagrams showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus, in which (A) shows a state in which a chamber shutter is opened, and (B) shows a state in which a substrate is unloaded. [Figure 12] 1A to 1C are process diagrams showing an example of an operation of the substrate processing apparatus, in which the opening / closing shutter of the chamber is closed. [Figure 13]10A and 10B are process diagrams showing a modified example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus, in which (A) shows a substrate placed on a plate, and (B) shows the substrate being positioned. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a graph showing the results of an evaluation test, in which (A) is a graph showing the results when the substrate is not pressed, and (B) is a graph showing the results when the substrate is pressed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following description. In addition, in order to explain the embodiment in the drawings, the scale is appropriately changed, such as by enlarging or emphasizing a part, and the size and shape may differ from the actual product. In each of the following drawings, the directions in the drawings will be described using an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system. In this XYZ orthogonal coordinate system, a plane parallel to the horizontal plane is the XY plane. In this XY plane, the direction parallel to the transport direction of the substrate S is represented as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction is represented as the Y direction. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the XY plane is represented as the Z direction. In each of the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction, the direction indicated by the arrow in the drawing is the + direction, and the direction opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow is the - direction.

[0011] [First embodiment] <Substrate processing equipment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 heats a substrate S on which a coating film F (see FIG. 4) has been formed. The substrate S is, for example, a semiconductor substrate or a glass substrate. In this embodiment, a rectangular substrate (square or oblong) in plan view is used as the substrate S, but is not limited to a rectangular substrate. figureThe substrate S may be a substrate having a circular, elliptical, or oblong shape. The thickness of the substrate S is, for example, 0.4 mm to 2.5 mm. The coating film F is formed, for example, by applying a predetermined liquid onto the substrate S using a coating device or the like outside the substrate processing apparatus 100, and drying the predetermined liquid. The substrate S has a shape in which the outer peripheral edge portion Sa is not chamfered, but is not limited to this configuration, and may have a shape in which the outer peripheral edge portion Sa is chamfered, for example.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a chamber 10, a lower heating section 20, an upper heating section 30, a lift section 40, a pressing member 50, an alignment mechanism 60, and a control section .

[0013] The chamber 10 is formed in a rectangular box shape. The lower heating unit 20, the upper heating unit 30, the lift unit 40, the pressing member 50, and the alignment mechanism 60 are housed inside the chamber 10. The chamber 10 has an opening 11 in a part of a side wall. The opening 11 communicates the inside and outside of the chamber 10. The opening 11 is formed on the -X side surface of the chamber 10, and is formed to a size that allows the substrate S held by the transfer device 80 to pass through. The substrate S is carried into the chamber 10 through the opening 11 by an arm 81 of the transfer device 80, and is also carried out of the chamber 10 through the opening 11.

[0014] The chamber 10 has an opening / closing shutter 12. The opening / closing shutter 12 is provided in the chamber 10 so as to be slidable in the Z direction by, for example, a drive unit (not shown). The opening / closing shutter 12 can open and close an opening 11 of the chamber 10 by sliding in the Z direction. The chamber 10 can seal the inside by closing the opening 11 with the opening / closing shutter 12. The chamber 10 may have an exhaust mechanism (not shown) that exhausts the inside. The chamber 10 may have a gas supply mechanism (not shown) that supplies gas to the inside. It is optional whether or not the chamber 10 is provided, and the substrate processing apparatus 100 may not have the chamber 10.

[0015] The lower heating unit 20 heats the substrate S from below. The lower heating unit 20 has a plate 21 on which the substrate S is placed. The plate 21 is supported on the bottom of the chamber 10 via a plurality of legs 22. The plate 21 is, for example, a hot plate for heating the substrate S. The plate 21 has, for example, a heating mechanism (heat source) such as an electric heating wire inside. The plate 21 may be a laminated structure in which a sheet-shaped heat source is sandwiched between the plates. The plate 21 has a plurality of proximity pins 23 on the placement surface 21a on the +Z side, which is the upper surface. The proximity pins 23 are arranged to protrude above the placement surface 21a and support the substrate S at their upper ends. The number and arrangement of the proximity pins 23 are arbitrary, and the number and arrangement for supporting the substrate S are applied. The proximity pins 23 may be formed of, for example, a material having antistatic properties (resin, metal, etc.).

[0016] The substrate S supported by the proximity pins 23 and the placement surface 21a are parallel or nearly parallel. The proximity pins 23 prevent the substrate S from contacting the placement surface 21a. The proximity pins 23 ensure a gap between the lower surface of the supported substrate S and the placement surface 21a. This gap is, for example, 0.3 mm. The gap between the lower surface of the substrate S and the placement surface 21a varies depending on the measurement location, and may be smaller than 0.3 mm, for example. In addition, the substrate S may bend between the multiple proximity pins 23, and a part of the lower surface of the substrate S may come into contact with the placement surface 21a. It is optional whether or not to provide the proximity pins 23, and the proximity pins 23 may not be provided. The plate 21 is provided with through holes 21b through which the lift pins 41 of the lift unit 40 described later penetrate.

[0017] The upper heating section 30 heats the substrate S from above. The upper heating section 30 has an upper plate 31. The upper plate 31 is disposed above the plate 21. The upper plate 31 has an internal heating mechanism (heat source) such as an electric heating wire. The upper plate 31 may be a laminated structure in which a sheet-shaped heat source is sandwiched between the plates. In this embodiment, the plate 21 is fixed within the chamber 10, but is not limited to this form and may be configured to be capable of rising and lowering (moving in the Z direction), for example.

[0018] The plate 21 includes a lift unit 40. The lift unit 40 supports the substrate S above the plate 21 and raises and lowers the substrate S. The lift unit 40 includes a plurality of lift pins 41 and a moving unit 42 that is connected to the lower ends of the lift pins 41 and moves up and down (moves in the Z direction). Each lift pin 41 is disposed so as to penetrate a plurality of through holes 21b provided in the plate 21. The moving unit 42 is raised and lowered by a driving unit (not shown), and the plurality of lift pins 41 are raised and lowered simultaneously with the raising and lowering of the moving unit 42. Although two lift pins 41 are shown in FIG. 1, at least three or more lift pins 41 are provided to support the substrate S. The heights of the upper ends of the plurality of lift pins 41 are aligned to be the same or almost the same. The lift pins 41 may be formed of, for example, a material (such as a resin or a metal) having antistatic properties.

[0019] The pressing member 50 presses the substrate S placed on the plate 21 toward the plate 21. The pressing member 50 presses at least a part of the outer peripheral edge portion Sa of the substrate S toward the plate 21. The pressing member 50 may be configured to press the entire outer peripheral edge portion Sa, or may be configured to press a part of the outer peripheral edge portion Sa. In this embodiment, the outer peripheral edge portions Sa on the four sides of the substrate S are pressed downward by two pressing members 50 (see FIG. 2(A)), but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the outer peripheral edge portions Sa on the corresponding two sides of the substrate S may be pressed downward by the pressing members 50. The outer peripheral edge portion Sa is within a range of, for example, 2.2 mm from the outer periphery of the substrate S toward the inside on the front surface side of the substrate S. Since the coating film F is not formed on the outer peripheral edge portion Sa, it is preferable that the outer peripheral edge portion Sa is narrow. For example, the outer peripheral edge portion Sa is preferably within 1.8 mm.

[0020] The pressing member 50 has a pressing surface 51 on the lower surface side that contacts the plate 21. The pressing member 50 is formed of a material that is lower in hardness than the substrate S. That is, the pressing surface 51 has a lower hardness than the substrate S. As a result, damage to the substrate S due to contact with the pressing member 50 can be suppressed. In addition, the pressing member 50 is formed of, for example, a material that is non-electrostatic. An example of a material for such a pressing member 50 is polyether ether ketone. That is, the pressing surface 51, which is a portion that contacts the substrate S, is non-electrostatic. As a result, generation of static electricity caused by contact and separation between the pressing member 50 and the substrate S can be suppressed, and the substrate S can be prevented from being charged.

[0021] The pressing member 50 can be moved (raised and lowered) in the Z direction by a pressing member drive unit 52. The pressing member 50 can be moved between an upper standby position P1 and a lower pressing position P2 (see FIG. 4(B)). The pressing member drive unit 52 has a drive source, such as a cylinder device or an electric motor, and a transmission mechanism that transmits the drive force generated by the drive source to the pressing member 50. The pressing member drive unit 52 raises and lowers the pressing member 50 in the Z direction. A detailed configuration of the pressing member 50 will be described later.

[0022] The pressing member driving unit 52 is driven, for example, under the control of the control unit 70 described later. For example, the control unit 70 controls the pressing force of the pressing member 50 against the substrate S by controlling the number of rotations of the electric motor, the amount of air (oil) supplied to the cylinder, and the like. The control unit 70 may also control the pressing force of the pressing member 50 against the substrate S from the output of a pressure sensor (not shown) or the like. This configuration prevents the pressing member 50 from pressing the substrate S more than necessary, and can prevent damage to the substrate S, etc. Furthermore, by controlling the pressing force of the pressing member 50 with the control unit 70, the pressing force of the pressing member 50 can be controlled according to the thickness even if the thickness of the substrate S varies.

[0023] The alignment mechanism 60 positions the substrate S on the plate 21 with respect to the pressing member 50. In this embodiment, the alignment mechanism 60 positions the substrate S on the plate 21 with respect to the pressing member 50 by contacting the substrate S on the plate 21 and moving the substrate S in a horizontal or substantially horizontal direction. That is, the alignment mechanism 60 of this embodiment positions the substrate S with respect to the pressing member 50 by contacting and moving the substrate S, but is not limited to this form. For example, the alignment mechanism 60 may be configured to move the pressing member 50 without contacting the substrate S and position the pressing member 50 with respect to the substrate S. This configuration will be described later.

[0024] The alignment mechanism 60 includes a positioning member 61 and an alignment drive unit 62. The positioning member 61 includes four fixed members 63 and two movable members 64. In each of the X direction and the Y direction, the fixed members 63 and the movable members 64 are used as a pair of positioning members 61 that sandwich the substrate S horizontally or approximately horizontally. Two of the four fixed members 63 are fixed to fixed positions P31, and the other two of the four fixed members 63 are fixed to fixed positions P32 (see FIG. 2(A)). One of the two movable members 64 moves between a standby position P41 and an alignment position P43, and the other of the two movable members 64 moves between a standby position P42 and an alignment position P44 (see FIG. 3). The movable member 64 is disposed at standby positions P41, P42 when no alignment operation is being performed, and moves to alignment positions P43, P44 when an alignment operation is being performed.

[0025] The fixed member 63 and the movable member 64 are formed of a material having a lower hardness than the substrate S. That is, the portions of the fixed member 63 and the movable member 64 that come into contact with the substrate S have a lower hardness than the substrate S. As a result, damage to the substrate S due to contact with the fixed member 63 and the movable member 64 can be suppressed. In addition, the fixed member 63 and the movable member 64 are formed of, for example, a material having antistatic properties. Examples of materials for such a pressing member 50 include polyether ether ketone. That is, the portions of the fixed member 63 and the movable member 64 that come into contact with the substrate S have antistatic properties. As a result, generation of static electricity caused by contact and separation between the fixed member 63 and the movable member 64 and the substrate S can be suppressed, and the substrate S can be prevented from being charged.

[0026] The alignment drive unit 62 has, for example, a drive source such as a cylinder device or an electric motor, and a transmission mechanism that transmits the drive force generated by the drive source to each of the two movable members 64. The alignment drive unit 62 is controlled by, for example, a control unit 70 described below. Note that the alignment drive unit 62 may be in a form in which one drive source drives the two movable members 64, or in a form in which an individual drive source is provided for each movable member 64.

[0027] Fig. 2(A) is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the substrate S, the plate 21, the pressing member 50, and the alignment mechanism 60. Fig. 2(A) shows a plan view of the plate 21 from above. As shown in Fig. 2(A), the substrate S is disposed at the center or approximately the center of the plate 21 in the X and Y directions.

[0028] Each of the fixed member 63 and the movable member 64 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape extending in the vertical direction, and is disposed at a position not overlapping with the pressing member 50 in a plan view. This arrangement can suppress interference between the fixed member 63 and the movable member 64 and the pressing member 50 in the X direction and the Y direction. Since the fixed member 63 and the movable member 64 are cylindrical, they come into line contact with the outer periphery of the substrate S, and the contact area with the substrate S can be reduced. However, the fixed member 63 and the movable member 64 are not limited to being cylindrical, and may have, for example, an elliptical or oval cross section, or a polygonal shape such as a triangular or rectangular shape.

[0029] The fixing members 63 are disposed at fixing positions P31 and P32 that abut against two sides of the substrate S that sandwich one corner. At least one, or two in this embodiment, the fixing position P31 is set at a position that abuts against one of the two sides that sandwich the corner of the substrate S. The fixing position P31 is set on a straight line along the Y direction. The fixing members 63 are provided at the two fixing positions P31, respectively, to restrict the substrate S pressed by one movable member 64 from rotating. At least one, or two in this embodiment, the fixing position P32 is set at a position P32 that abuts against the other side of the two sides that sandwich the corner of the substrate S. The fixing members 63 are provided at the two fixing positions P32, respectively, to restrict the substrate S pressed by one movable member 64 from rotating. Note that the fixing positions P31 and P32 may be one on either side, or three or more on each side.

[0030] In this embodiment, two fixing members 63 are arranged at two fixing positions P31 that abut against the +X side edge of the substrate S, and two fixing members 63 are arranged at two fixing positions P32 that abut against the -Y side edge of the substrate S. This arrangement makes it possible to suppress deviation of the substrate S in the X and Y directions while also suppressing rotation around the Z axis.

[0031] The movable members 64 are disposed opposite the fixed members 63. During the alignment operation, the movable members 64 are disposed at alignment positions P43, P44 where the movable members 64 sandwich the substrate S between the fixed members 63 in the horizontal or nearly horizontal direction. The alignment position P43 is set at a position where the substrate S is sandwiched between the fixed position P31 and the movable members 64 in the X direction. The alignment position P43 is set at a position intermediate between the two fixed positions P31 in the X direction. The alignment position P44 is set at a position where the substrate S is sandwiched between the fixed position P32 and the movable members 64 in the Y direction. The alignment position P44 is set at a position intermediate between the two fixed positions P32 in the Y direction.

[0032] The movable member 64 is provided at a position where the substrate S is sandwiched between the movable member 64 and the fixed member 63 in a horizontal or substantially horizontal direction. The movable member 64 moves in a horizontal or substantially horizontal direction during the alignment operation. The movable member 64 disposed at the standby position P41 moves parallel or substantially parallel in the +X direction toward the alignment position P43. The movable member 64 disposed at the standby position P42 moves parallel or substantially parallel in the -Y direction toward the alignment position P44. The movable member 64 moves in the X and Y directions, respectively, so that the substrate S can be pressed against the fixed member 63 in the X and Y directions. The substrate S is pressed against the fixed member 63 in the X and Y directions by the two movable members 64, so that the substrate S is positioned in the X and Y directions without rotating around the Z axis. That is, the alignment mechanism 60 positions the substrate S (rectangular substrate) by sandwiching the substrate S between the fixed member 63 and the movable member 64 from two directions.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2A, the pressing members 50 are arranged along the outer peripheral edge portions Sa of the four sides of the substrate S in a plan view. The pressing members 50 are divided to leave a space for the fixed member 63 and the movable member 64 of the alignment mechanism 60. The divided pressing members 50 are arranged so that the pressing surfaces 51 (surfaces on the -Z side) are aligned on the same plane. The pressing members 50 may be configured to be raised and lowered (integrally) at the same timing by the pressing member driving unit 52, or may be configured to be raised and lowered separately at different timings. In this embodiment, the pressing members 50 are configured to press the four sides of the substrate S, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the pressing members 50 may be configured to press two sides of the substrate S on the +X side and the -X side, or the pressing members 50 may be configured to press two sides of the substrate S on the +Y side and the -Y side.

[0034] 2(B) is a diagram showing an example of the movable member 64 arranged at the alignment position P43 when viewed from the +Y direction. As shown in FIG. 2(B), the dimensions of the movable member 64 in the vertical direction (Z direction) are specified so that the movable member 64 can abut against the outer periphery of the substrate S even when the substrate S is arranged at both the raised position S1 and the lowered position S2. The substrate S at the raised position S1 is the substrate S in a state lifted by the lift pins 41 (see FIG. 1). The substrate S at the lowered position S2 is the substrate S in a state in which the lift pins 41 are lowered, or the substrate S in a state placed on the proximity pins 23 of the plate 21.

[0035] The movable member 64 is disposed at a predetermined distance D1 between itself and the mounting surface 21a so as not to interfere with the plate 21 during movement. That is, the movable member 64 is disposed in a non-contact manner with the plate 21. The distance D1 is set to, for example, 0.5 mm. The distance D1 is set to a dimension such that the movable member 64 contacts the outer periphery of the substrate S even when the substrate S is mounted on the plate 21. Therefore, the alignment mechanism 60 can align the substrate S mounted on the plate 21. The distance D1 may be set according to the height of the proximity pins 23 of the plate 21. The fixed member 63 may be provided in a non-contact manner with the plate 21, similar to the movable member 64, or may be fixed to the plate 21 in a state of contact with the plate 21.

[0036] 3 shows an example of an alignment operation by the alignment mechanism 60, in which (A) shows a state before the substrate S is positioned, and (B) shows a state after the substrate S is positioned. As shown in FIG. 3(A), at the start of the alignment operation, the two fixed members 63 are disposed at fixed positions P31 and P32, respectively, and the two movable members 64 are disposed at standby positions P41 and P42, respectively. The standby positions P41 and P42 are set at standby positions P41 and P42 that are off the plate 21 in a plan view, but are not limited to this form and may be set on the plate 21, for example. The substrate S is placed on the plate 21 away from the two movable members 64, and is also away from the two fixed members 63.

[0037] From this state, as shown in FIG. 3B, the alignment driving unit 62 moves the movable member 64. That is, the alignment driving unit 62 moves the movable member 64 arranged at the waiting position P41 linearly in the +X direction toward the alignment position P43. The movable member 64 presses the substrate S in the +X direction, and the substrate S is pressed against the two fixed members 63 arranged at the fixed position P31. As a result, the substrate S is positioned in the X direction. Also, the alignment driving unit 62 moves the movable member 64 arranged at the waiting position P42 linearly in the -Y direction toward the alignment position P44. The movable member 64 presses the substrate S in the -Y direction, and the substrate S is pressed against the two fixed members 63 arranged at the fixed position P32. As a result, the substrate S is positioned in the Y direction. By such an alignment operation of the substrate S, the substrate S is positioned with respect to the pressing member 50.

[0038] 4 shows an example of a pressing operation by the pressing member 50, where (A) shows a state before pressing and (B) shows a state after pressing. As shown in FIG. 4(A), when the substrate S is placed on the plate 21, warping may occur in the substrate S. For example, the outer peripheral edge portion Sa of the substrate S may be warped upward relative to the center of the substrate S. Such warping of the substrate S may occur on the +X side, -X side, +Y side, and -Y side of the substrate S. If the substrate S is heated while such warping occurs, a temperature difference occurs between the center side and the peripheral side of the substrate S due to the difference in distance from the plate 21, which is a hot plate, and the characteristics of the coating film F on the substrate S may differ.

[0039] For this reason, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4B, the pressing member 50 presses the outer peripheral edge portion Sa of the substrate S toward the plate 21. The pressing member driving unit 52 causes the pressing member 50 to move down (in the -Z direction) from the standby position P1 to the pressing position P2. The pressing surface 51 of the pressing member 50 on the lower side comes into contact with the outer peripheral edge portion Sa of the substrate S, and presses the outer peripheral edge portion Sa downward (toward the plate 21). The outer peripheral edge portion Sa in an upwardly warped state is pressed downward by the pressing member 50, and the warpage of the substrate S is eliminated. Note that such elimination of the warpage of the substrate S can be performed to the extent that the substrate S is not damaged. For example, when the thickness of the substrate S is 0.4 mm to 2.5 mm, the elimination can be performed for warpage in which the distance between the center and the outer peripheral edge portion Sa (degree of warpage) is in the range of 0.3 mm to 15 mm.

[0040] 5(A) is an enlarged view of the pressing portion and its vicinity by the pressing member 50. As shown in FIG. 5(A), the pressing member 50 presses the outer peripheral edge portion Sa of the substrate S. At this time, the dimensions of the pressing surface 51 and the position in the X direction and Y direction of the pressing member 50 are set so as not to interfere with the coating film F applied to the substrate S. In general, when forming a coating film F on the substrate S by a coating device, the liquid is not applied to the entire upper surface of the substrate S, but is applied to a portion, for example, 2.2 mm inward from the outer edge of the substrate S. Such an area where the liquid is not applied (area where there is no coating film F) is included in the outer peripheral edge portion Sa described above.

[0041] Therefore, even if the pressing member 50 presses the outer peripheral edge portion Sa of the substrate S, the pressing member 50 will not come into contact with the coating film F, so long as the pressing member 50 is within a range of, for example, 2.2 mm inward from the outer edge of the substrate S. However, depending on the type of substrate S, the coating film F may expand together with the substrate S due to thermal expansion caused by heating. Taking this into consideration, the pressing member 50 is disposed, for example, a predetermined distance D2 away from the outer periphery of the coating film F to the outside of the substrate S. The predetermined distance D2 is set, for example, in the range of 0.35 mm to 0.70 mm.

[0042] FIG. 5(B) is a diagram showing a pressing member 50A according to a modified example. As shown in FIG. 5(B), the pressing surface 51A on the lower surface side of the pressing member 50A is a tapered surface. The pressing surface 51A is inclined with respect to the mounting surface 21a of the plate 21. In this embodiment, the pressing surface 51A is inclined so as to extend downward as it moves outward with respect to the plate 21. Note that the pressing surface 51A shown in FIG. 5(B) is a flat tapered surface, but is not limited to this form and may be a curved surface. In addition, when a plurality of pressing members 50A are used, the inclination of the pressing surface 51A may be the same, or the inclination of the pressing surface 51A may be different for each pressing member 50A.

[0043] When the substrate S is pressed by the pressing surface 51A, the pressing surface 51A moves upward away from the substrate S as it approaches the inside of the substrate S. As a result, even if the coating film F is formed up to the vicinity of the outer edge of the substrate S, the pressing member 50A can be prevented from interfering with the coating film F. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5B, when a chamfered portion Sb is provided on the edge of the substrate S, the pressing surface 51A presses the chamfered portion Sb. That is, when the pressing surface 51A presses the outer peripheral edge portion Sa, the pressing surface 51A comes into surface contact with the chamfered portion Sb, thereby preventing damage to the substrate S. Note that the pressing member 50A having the pressing surface 51A may be used in place of all of the pressing members 50 (see FIG. 3A), or the pressing members 50 and 50A may be used in combination.

[0044] Returning to FIG. 1, the control unit 70 comprehensively controls each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 100. The control unit 70 controls the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing shutter 12. The control unit 70 controls the heating operation by the plate 21 and the upper plate 31. The control unit 70 controls the lifting and lowering operation of the lift unit 40. The control unit 70 controls the pressing member driving unit 52 and the alignment driving unit 62. The control unit 70 controls each of the above-mentioned controlled objects to execute the substrate processing method according to this embodiment.

[0045] <Substrate processing method> Next, the substrate processing method according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing an example of the substrate processing method according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7 to FIG. 12 are process diagrams showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100. Note that in FIG. 7 to FIG. 12, the pressing member driving unit 52, the alignment driving unit 62, and the control unit 70 are omitted. As shown in FIG. 6, first, the control unit 70 opens the opening / closing shutter 12 (step S01). FIG. 7(A) is a view showing the opening / closing shutter 12 of the chamber 10 in an open state. As shown in FIG. 7(A), the opening / closing shutter 12 is lowered by a driving unit (not shown) to open the opening 11. At this time, the control unit 70 places the lift pins 41 of the lift unit 40 below the mounting surface 21a of the plate 21.

[0046] FIG. 7(B) is a diagram showing the substrate S being carried in. After the opening 11 is opened, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the substrate S is carried in by the arm 81 of the external transport device 80 or the like (step S02). For example, the arm 81 enters the inside of the chamber 10 from the opening 11 while holding the substrate S on the upper surface side, and places the substrate S above the plate 21. Next, the control unit 70 raises the lift pins 41. The lift pins 41 lift the substrate S on the arm 81 by raising them. As a result, the substrate S is transferred from the arm 81 to the lift pins 41. After the lift pins 41 receive the substrate S, the arm 81 exits the chamber 10. After the arm 81 exits the chamber 10, the control unit 70 raises the open / close shutter 12 to close the opening 11 (step S03). This operation seals the inside of the chamber 10.

[0047] Fig. 8(A) is a diagram showing the substrate S being positioned. After closing the opening / closing shutter 12, the control unit 70 performs an alignment operation (step S04) as shown in Fig. 8(A). In the alignment operation, the control unit 70 causes the alignment driving unit 62 to move the movable member 64 from standby positions P41, P42 (see Fig. 3(A) for standby position P42) to alignment positions P43, P44 (see Fig. 3(B) for alignment position P44).

[0048] The control unit 70 causes the alignment drive unit 62 to move the movable member 64 arranged at the standby position P41 in the +X direction toward the alignment position P43, and to move the movable member 64 arranged at the standby position P42 in the -Y direction toward the alignment position P44, thereby moving the substrate S in the +X direction and the -Y direction and pressing it against the fixed member 63. The substrate S is sandwiched between the movable member 64 and the fixed member 63 in the X direction and the Y direction, so that the substrate S is positioned relative to the fixed member 63, and the alignment operation is completed. After the alignment operation, the control unit 70 moves the movable member 64 to the standby positions P41 and P42. In this embodiment, the alignment operation of step S04 is performed at the height at which the lift pins 41 received the substrate S, but is not limited to this form. For example, the lift pins 41 may be raised and lowered after receiving the substrate S, and the alignment operation of step S04 may be performed at a height different from the height at which the substrate S was received.

[0049] 8(B) is a diagram showing the substrate S placed on the plate 21. After moving the movable member 64 to the standby positions P41 and P42, the control unit 70 lowers the lift pins 41 as shown in FIG. 8(B) to place the substrate S on the plate 21 (step S05). After placing the substrate S on the plate 21, the lift pins 41 further lower and are separated from the substrate S and become immersed in the plate 21. The substrate S is placed on the proximity pins 23 of the plate 21. As a result, the substrate S is supported with a predetermined gap between it and the placement surface 21a of the plate 21.

[0050] FIG. 9(A) is a diagram showing the substrate S being pressed by the pressing member 50. After the substrate S is placed on the plate 21, the control unit 70 causes the pressing member 50 to press the substrate S as shown in FIG. 9(A) (step S06). The control unit 70 causes the pressing member driving unit 52 to move (lower) the pressing member 50 from the standby position P1 in the -Z direction. The lowering of the pressing members 50 may be performed simultaneously or at different timings. For example, the pressing member 50 may first press the outer peripheral edge portions Sa on the +X side and -X side of the substrate S, and then the pressing member 50 may press the outer peripheral edge portions Sa on the +Y side and -Y side of the substrate S. Alternatively, the pressing member 50 may first press the outer peripheral edge portions Sa on the +X side and +Y side of the substrate S, and then the pressing member 50 may press the outer peripheral edge portions Sa on the -X side and -Y side of the substrate S.

[0051] The substrate S is aligned with respect to the pressing member 50 on the plate 21 by the alignment mechanism 60. Therefore, when the pressing member 50 descends, the pressing surface 51 of the pressing member 50 accurately comes into contact with the outer peripheral edge portion Sa of the substrate S, and the substrate S can be pressed toward the plate 21. The warping of the outer peripheral edge portion Sa of the substrate S is corrected, and the substrate S becomes parallel or nearly parallel to the mounting surface 21a of the plate 21.

[0052] FIG. 9(B) is a diagram showing the substrate S being heated. After pressing the substrate S with the pressing member 50, the control unit 70 causes the plate 21 and the upper plate 31 to perform a heating operation as shown in FIG. 9(B) (step S07). The control unit 70 raises the plate 21 and the upper plate 31, for example, in a range of 50° C. to 170° C. As a result, the substrate S on the plate 21 is heated by the plate 21 and the upper plate 31. The substrate S is heated in a state in which the outer peripheral portion Sa is pressed (pressed down) toward the plate 21 by the pressing member 50. That is, the substrate S is heated in a state in which the warp of the outer peripheral portion Sa is relaxed (corrected) by the pressing member 50. For this reason, the formation of a temperature difference between the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side of the substrate S due to heating is suppressed. The control unit 70 causes the plate 21 and the upper plate 31 to perform a heating operation for a predetermined time, and then stops the heating operation.

[0053] In addition, if the upper plate 31 is configured to be liftable and lowerable, the upper plate 31 may be lowered to the vicinity of the substrate S in the heating operation of step S07. In addition, in this embodiment, the configuration in which the substrate S is heated by both the plate 21 and the upper plate 31 is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the substrate S may be heated by either the plate 21 or the upper plate 31 (for example, only the plate 21). The heating temperature by the plate 21 and the upper plate 31 can be set arbitrarily. For example, the plate 21 and the upper plate 31 may be set to the same heating temperature, or may be set to different heating temperatures. In addition, the central portion and the outer periphery of the substrate S may be set to the same heating temperature, or may be set to different heating temperatures.

[0054] Furthermore, when performing the heating operation in step S07, a predetermined atmosphere may be set inside the chamber 10. For example, prior to the heating operation in step S07, the inside of the chamber 10 may be set to a vacuum atmosphere, or the inside of the chamber 10 may be set to an inert gas atmosphere (e.g., a nitrogen gas atmosphere).

[0055] FIG. 10(A) is a diagram showing the pressing member 50 being retracted. After the heating operation is stopped, the control unit 70 releases the pressing member 50 from pressing the substrate S as shown in FIG. 10(A) (step S08). The control unit 70 moves (lifts) the pressing member 50 in the +Z direction by the pressing member driving unit 52, and moves the pressing member 50 from the pressing position P2 to the waiting position P1. The movement to the waiting position P1 by the multiple pressing members 50 may be performed simultaneously or at different timings. For example, the pressing members 50 that have been pressing the outer peripheral portions Sa on the +X side and -X side of the substrate S may be lifted first, and then the pressing members 50 that have been pressing the outer peripheral portions Sa on the +Y side and -Y side of the substrate S may be lifted. In addition, the pressing members 50 pressing the outer peripheral edge portions Sa on the +X side and +Y side of the substrate S may be raised first, and then the pressing members 50 pressing the outer peripheral edge portions Sa on the -X side and -Y side of the substrate S may be raised.

[0056] Fig. 10(B) is a diagram showing the substrate S lifted from the plate 21. After moving the pressing member 50 to the standby position P1, the control unit 70 lifts the substrate S on the plate 21 by the lift pins 41 as shown in Fig. 10(B) (step S09). The control unit 70 raises the lift pins 41 to cause the lift pins 41 to protrude upward from the plate 21. The substrate S is lifted by the lift pins 41, and is disposed at the elevated position of the lift pins 41. The elevated position of the substrate S is a position where the substrate S can be handed over to the arm 81, for example, to the side of the +X side of the opening 11.

[0057] FIG. 11(A) is a diagram showing the opening / closing shutter 12 of the chamber 10 in an open state. After the substrate S is placed in the raised position by the lift pins 41, the control unit 70 opens the opening / closing shutter 12 as shown in FIG. 11(A) (step S10). The opening / closing shutter 12 opens the opening 11. FIG. 11(B) is a diagram showing the substrate S being carried out. After the opening / closing shutter 12 opens, the arm 81 of the external transport device 80 enters the inside of the chamber 10 from the opening 11 as shown in FIG. 11(B). The arm 81 enters below the substrate S. With the arm 81 positioned below the substrate S, the control unit 70 lowers the lift pins 41. This operation transfers the substrate S from the lift pins 41 to the arm 81. Instead of lowering the lift pins 41, the arm 81 may be raised. After receiving the substrate S, the arm 81 retreats from the opening 11 to the outside of the chamber 10, whereby the substrate S is unloaded from the substrate processing apparatus 100 (step S11).

[0058] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing the state where the opening / closing shutter 12 of the chamber 10 is closed. After the substrate S is unloaded, the control unit 70 closes the opening / closing shutter 12 as shown in Fig. 12, and ends a series of processes (step S12). The substrate S on the arm 81 is transported to a processing device or the like for performing a post-process on the substrate S.

[0059] In this embodiment, the alignment operation in step S04 is described as an example in which after the lift pins 41 receive the substrate S, the alignment operation is performed with the substrate S supported on the lift pins 41. However, the timing of the alignment operation is not limited to this form.

[0060] 13 is a process diagram showing a modified example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100, in which (A) the substrate S is placed on the plate 21, and (B) the substrate S is positioned. After the substrate S is supported by the lift pins 41, the control unit 70 may close the opening / closing shutter 12 as shown in FIG. 13(A), and before performing the alignment operation, lower the lift pins 41 to place the substrate S on the plate 21. Thereafter, the control unit 70 may perform an alignment operation on the substrate S placed on the plate 21 by the fixed member 63 and the movable member 64 as shown in FIG. 13(B). The substrate S moves in the X and Y directions on the plate 21 (on the proximity pins 23) and is positioned with respect to the pressing member 50.

[0061] After the alignment operation, the control unit 70 moves the movable member 64 to standby positions P41 and P42 (see FIG. 3A), while moving the pressing member 50 from standby position P1 to pressing position P2 (see FIG. 9A). In this case, the pressing member 50 can move without interfering with the fixed member 63 and the movable member 64, as in the above. That is, in this modified example, the alignment operation in step S04 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is performed before the operation of placing the substrate S on the plate 21 in step S05, and the order of steps S04 and S05 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 is reversed. The other operations (steps S01 to S03, steps S06 to S12) are the same as those described above.

[0062] As described above, according to the substrate processing apparatus 100 and substrate processing method of the first embodiment, the substrate S on the plate 21 (or on the lift pins 41) is positioned by the alignment mechanism 60, so that the substrate S can be easily positioned with respect to the pressing member 50 and the substrate S can be appropriately processed in a state where the warping of the substrate S is eliminated. Furthermore, by using the alignment mechanism 60 with a simple configuration, the manufacturing cost of the substrate processing apparatus 100 can be reduced.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the alignment mechanism 60 is described as having the fixed members 63 whose positions are fixed and the movable members 64 that are movable, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the four fixed members 63 may be replaced with movable members 64. In this case, the substrate S is positioned in the X direction by being sandwiched between the movable members 64 from both the +X side and the -X side, and is further positioned in the Y direction by being sandwiched between the movable members 64 from both the +Y side and the -Y side.

[0064] [Second embodiment] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus 200 according to a second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 14, the substrate processing apparatus 200 includes a chamber 10, a lower heating section 20, an upper heating section 30, a lift section 40, a pressing member 50, an alignment mechanism 160, and a control section 70. The configurations of the chamber 10, the lower heating section 20, the upper heating section 30, the lift section 40, and the pressing member 50 are the same as those of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the configuration of the alignment mechanism 160 is different from that of the alignment mechanism 60 of the first embodiment. Note that the same reference numerals are used for the same configurations as those of the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted or simplified. The configuration of the alignment mechanism 160 will be described below.

[0065] The alignment mechanism 160 includes a position detector 161 and an alignment driver 162. The position detector 161 may include, for example, a camera capable of photographing the substrate S, or a laser sensor that detects the position of the outer peripheral portion Sa of the substrate S by laser light. The position detector 161 detects the position of the substrate S on the plate 21 in the X direction, the Y direction, and the rotational position around the Z direction. The position detector 161 may also be configured to detect one or more alignment marks provided on the substrate S to detect the position of the substrate S. The position detector 161 is supported, for example, by the ceiling of the chamber 10 or the upper heating unit 30. The position detector 161 transmits the detection result to the controller 70.

[0066] The alignment drive unit 162 moves the pressing member 50 in the X direction and the Y direction. For example, in the case where the pressing member 50 is divided into a plurality of parts as in the first embodiment, the alignment drive unit 162 moves each of the divided pressing members 50 in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. The alignment drive unit 162 may include a configuration capable of rotating the pressing member 50 around the Z axis. The detection by the position detection unit 161 is not limited to being performed on the substrate S placed on the plate 21, and may be performed on the substrate S supported by the lift pins 41.

[0067] The control unit 70 calculates the amount of movement of the pressing member 50 in the X and Y directions based on the detection result by the position detection unit 161. The control unit 70 controls the alignment drive unit 162 based on the set amount of movement, and positions the pressing member 50 according to the position of the substrate S. In this manner, in this embodiment, the substrate S is not moved in the alignment operation, and the pressing member 50 is positioned according to the position of the substrate S on the plate 21 (or on the lift pins 41). Thereafter, the pressing member 50 is lowered to press the outer peripheral edge portion Sa of the substrate S, and then the substrate S is heated, which is similar to the first embodiment described above.

[0068] As described above, according to the substrate processing apparatus 200 in accordance with the second embodiment, the pressing member 50 is positioned with respect to the substrate S by the alignment mechanism 60, so that the pressing member 50 can be accurately positioned with respect to the outer circumferential edge portion Sa of the substrate S.

[0069] Next, an evaluation test in the case where the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example are applied will be described. Fig. 15 shows the results of the evaluation test, where (A) is a graph showing the results of heating the substrate S without pressing it, and (B) is a graph showing the results of heating the substrate S with pressing it. Note that the evaluation results shown in Figs. 15(A) and (B) are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these evaluation results. In the graphs of Figs. 15(A) and (B), the vertical axis indicates temperature [dC] and the horizontal axis indicates time [sec].

[0070] (Evaluation test) As shown in Fig. 15, a warped rectangular glass substrate was placed on a plate, and then opposing peripheral edges of the glass substrate in one direction were pressed with a pressing member made of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) until they came into contact with the plate. Next, the temperature of the plate was raised to 120°C, and the glass substrate was heated. As a comparative example, a similarly warped glass substrate was heated by raising the temperature of the plate to 120°C without pressing the peripheral edges. To investigate the temperature distribution on the glass substrate, the temperature changes at three points C, M, and E on the glass substrate were measured over the course of heating time.

[0071] The glass substrate used was a glass panel (EMC400UM glass panel) measuring 515 mm (length) x 510 mm (width) x 400 μm (thickness). The warp of the glass substrate was 9 mm. A flat hot plate was used as the plate. The temperature was measured at three points on the glass substrate, 17 mm (point E), 125 mm (point M), and 255 mm (point C) from the outer edge of the part pressed by the pressing member toward the center inside. Point E is near the outer edge of the glass substrate.

[0072] (Evaluation Results) As shown in FIG. 15(A), in the comparative example, the temperature of point C rises sharply from the start of heating, while the temperature of point M rises relatively gently with time from the start of heating, and the temperature of point E rises gently with time at a temperature lower than that of point M. It was also confirmed that the temperatures of points M and E do not reach the temperature of point C even at the stage when time T1 has elapsed from the start of heating. It is presumed that in the comparative example, a long time is required for the temperatures of points M and E to reach the temperature of point C. At the time T1, a temperature difference occurs between the center side (point C) and the peripheral side (point E) of the glass substrate (a temperature gradient occurs from the center side to the peripheral side). Therefore, when a coating film is formed on the glass substrate, uniform heating conditions cannot be set for the entire coating film, and the characteristics of the coating film may differ between the center side and the peripheral side of the glass substrate.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 15(B), when the outer peripheral edge of the substrate is pressed by the pressing member, it was confirmed that the temperatures of points E, M, and C all rise rapidly from the start of heating. In addition, it was confirmed that the temperatures of points E, M, and C converge to a constant temperature at the time when time T2, which is almost half of time T1 shown in FIG. 15(A), has elapsed. That is, when the outer peripheral edge of the substrate is pressed by the pressing member, the temperature difference between the center side (point C) and the peripheral side (point E) of the glass substrate is small at time T2 (the temperature gradient from the center side to the peripheral side is small). Therefore, when a coating film is formed on the glass substrate, uniform heating conditions can be set for the entire coating film, and the characteristics of the coating film can be prevented from differing between the center side and the peripheral side of the glass substrate.

[0074] From these evaluation results, when the outer peripheral edge of the substrate is pressed with a pressing member, the entire glass substrate can be heat-treated under uniform heating conditions compared to when the substrate is not pressed with a pressing member, and as a result, for example, the quality of electronic devices formed on the glass substrate can be prevented from varying. Furthermore, when the outer peripheral edge of the substrate is pressed with a pressing member, the temperatures at points E, M, and C converge to a constant temperature at time T2, and therefore the heat treatment time for the glass substrate can be shortened.

[0075] Although the embodiment and the modified examples of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. In addition, it is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above-mentioned embodiment. In addition, forms with such modifications or improvements are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, one or more of the requirements described in the above-mentioned embodiment may be omitted. In addition, the requirements described in the above-mentioned embodiment may be combined as appropriate. In addition, the execution order of each process shown in this embodiment can be realized in any order as long as the result of the previous process is not used in the subsequent process. In addition, even if the operations in the above-mentioned embodiment are described using "first", "next", "followed by", etc. for convenience, it is not essential to carry out the operations in this order. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] D1 Interval D2...distance F... Coating film P1...Standby position P2: Pressing position P31, P32...Fixed position P41, P42...Standby position P43, P44 Alignment position S... Substrate Sa...Outer edge 10. Chamber 11 Opening 12 Open / close shutter 20 Lower heating section 21, 21S... Plate 21a...Placement surface 21b...Through hole 22...legs 23 Proximity pin 30...Top heating section 31...Upper plate 40 Lift section 41 Lift pin 42 Moving part 50, 50A... Pressing member 51, 51A... Pressing surface 52 Pressing member drive unit 60, 160... Alignment mechanism 61 Positioning member 62, 162 Alignment drive unit 63... Fixing member 64... Movable member 70...Control section 80...Transportation device 81 Arm 100, 200...Substrate processing equipment 161 Position detection unit

Claims

1. a plate on which a substrate is placed; a pressing member that presses the substrate toward the plate side; an alignment mechanism that positions the substrate on the plate with respect to the pressing member; an upper heating unit that heats the substrate placed on the plate and positioned by the alignment mechanism and pressed by the pressing member from above; comprising; the plate is a hot plate for heating the substrate from below, and includes lift pins for raising and lowering the substrate on the plate; the alignment mechanism positions the substrate at the height at which the lift pins receive the substrate, a substrate processing apparatus.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member presses at least a part of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate toward the plate side.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the substrate is a rectangular substrate, the pressing member includes pressing surfaces that press at least the outer peripheral edges on two opposing sides of the rectangular substrate toward the plate side.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pressing surface is a tapered surface.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the alignment mechanism contacts the substrate on the plate and positions the substrate with respect to the pressing member by moving the substrate in a horizontal direction or a substantially horizontal direction.

6. The alignment mechanism includes a pair of positioning members that sandwich the substrate in a horizontal direction or a substantially horizontal direction; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the substrate is positioned by sandwiching the substrate with the pair of positioning members.

7. When the substrate is a rectangular substrate, the alignment mechanism includes two fixing members that abut on two sides sandwiching a corner of the rectangular substrate, and two movable members that are arranged opposite to each of the two fixing members and move in a horizontal direction or a substantially horizontal direction; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the rectangular substrate is positioned by sandwiching the rectangular substrate from two directions with the fixing members and the movable members.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein one or both of the movable member and the fixing member are provided in non-contact with the plate.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising a chamber that houses the plate, the pressing member, and the alignment mechanism.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, in the pressing member and the alignment mechanism, a portion that contacts the substrate is formed of a material having a lower hardness than the substrate.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a portion that contacts the substrate is formed of a material having non-charging properties.

12. Placing a substrate on a plate; Positioning the substrate on the plate at a height at which a lift pin that raises and lowers the substrate on the plate receives the substrate; Pressing the substrate toward the plate side; A substrate processing method, comprising heating the substrate pressed toward the plate side from both above and below.

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