Apparatus for processing substrates and method for transporting substrates

Abstract

To provide a technique for assisting the transportation of a substrate transported using a magnetic levitation type substrate transport module through a non-travel area in which the substrate transport module cannot move.SOLUTION: An apparatus for transporting a substrate to a substrate processing chamber for processing, comprises: a substrate transfer chamber having a floor portion on which a traveling surface side magnet is provided; and a substrate transport module including a float side magnet which exerts a repulsive force between itself and the traveling surface side magnet and configured to be movable on the traveling surface by magnetic levitation. The substrate processing chamber is connected to a side wall portion of the substrate transport chamber via a gate valve which forms a non-travel area in which the substrate transport module cannot move by magnetic levitation. A transport assist mechanism assists in linear transport of the substrate transported by the substrate transport module through the non-travel area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for processing a substrate and a method for transporting a substrate.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in an apparatus for performing processing on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter also referred to as a "wafer") as a substrate, the wafer is transported between a carrier that houses the wafer and a wafer processing chamber where the processing is executed. Various configurations of wafer transfer mechanisms are used for wafer transfer.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a guide structure for levitating a carrier using magnetic force and non-contact transporting the carrier in the transport direction.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique for assisting the transport of a substrate through a non-travel region where a substrate transport module cannot move, for a substrate transported using a magnetic levitation type substrate transport module.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present disclosure is an apparatus for transporting a substrate to a substrate processing chamber to perform processing on the substrate, a substrate transport chamber having a floor portion provided with a traveling surface side magnet and a side wall portion formed with an opening through which the substrate is loaded and unloaded between the substrate processing chamber, A substrate transport module comprising a substrate holding portion for holding the substrate and a levitation-side magnet acting with a repulsive force between it and the running surface-side magnet, wherein the module is configured to move along a running surface formed in the region where the running surface-side magnet is provided by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force, The substrate processing chamber is connected to the substrate transport chamber via a gate valve that opens and closes the aforementioned opening and the substrate transport module, which forms a non-traveling area where it cannot move by magnetic levitation. The system includes a transport assist mechanism that assists in the linear transport of a substrate transported by a substrate transport module between the substrate transport chamber and the substrate processing position within the substrate processing chamber, via the non-traveling area. 、 The transport assistance mechanism assists the linear transport of the substrate by the substrate transport module by forming a region in the non-traveling area in which the substrate transport module can move by magnetic levitation when the gate valve is in the open state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, for substrates transported using a magnetic levitation substrate transport module, it is possible to assist in transporting substrates that pass through non-traveling areas where the substrate transport module cannot move. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a plan view of the wafer processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a plan view of the first transport module. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the first transport module and the floor surface. [Figure 4] This is the first configuration diagram of the bridging module. [Figure 5] This is the second configuration diagram of the bridging module. [Figure 6] This is a plan view of the second transport module. [Figure 7] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the second transport module and the floor section. [Figure 8A] This is the first operational diagram of the wafer support module. [Figure 8B]It is a second working diagram of the wafer support module. [Figure 9A] It is a third working diagram of the wafer support module. [Figure 9B] It is a fourth working diagram of the wafer support module. [Figure 10A] It is a first working diagram of the telescopic arm in the processing chamber. [Figure 10B] It is a second working diagram of the telescopic arm in the processing chamber. [Figure 10C] It is a third working diagram of the telescopic arm in the processing chamber. [Figure 11] It is a plan view of the wafer processing system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a side view showing a state where wafers are held at a plurality of wafer transfer parts. [Figure 13] It is a longitudinal side view of a configuration in which magnetic levitation tiles are provided outside the vacuum transfer chamber. [Figure 14] It is a layout diagram of the tiles provided outside the vacuum transfer chamber.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, the overall configuration of a wafer processing system 100, which is an "apparatus for processing a substrate" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a multi-chamber type wafer processing system 100 including a plurality of wafer processing chambers 110, which are substrate processing chambers for processing a wafer W. As shown in FIG. 1, the wafer processing system 100 includes a load port 141, an atmospheric transfer chamber 140, a load lock chamber 130, a vacuum transfer chamber 120, and a plurality of wafer processing chambers 110. In the following description, the side where the load port 141 is provided is taken as the front side.

[0010] In the wafer processing system 100, the load port 141, atmospheric transport chamber 140, load lock chamber 130, and vacuum transport chamber 120 are arranged in this order horizontally from the front. The multiple wafer processing chambers 110 are also arranged side-by-side to the left and right of the vacuum transport chamber 120 when viewed from the front.

[0011] The load port 141 is configured as a platform on which carriers C containing wafers W to be processed are placed, and four of them are installed side by side in a left-to-right direction when viewed from the front. For example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) can be used as the carrier C.

[0012] The atmospheric transport chamber 140 maintains an atmospheric pressure (normal pressure) atmosphere, creating, for example, a downflow of clean air. Inside the atmospheric transport chamber 140, a wafer transport mechanism 142 for transporting wafers W is provided. The wafer transport mechanism 142 inside the atmospheric transport chamber 140 transports wafers W between the carrier C and the load lock chamber 130. An alignment chamber 150 for aligning wafers W is provided, for example, on the left side of the atmospheric transport chamber 140.

[0013] Three load lock chambers 130 are installed side by side between the vacuum transport chamber 120 and the atmospheric transport chamber 140. Each load lock chamber 130 has a lifting pin 131 that pushes up and holds the loaded wafer W from below. Three lifting pins 131 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction and are configured to move up and down freely. The load lock chambers 130 are configured to be able to switch between an atmospheric pressure atmosphere and a vacuum atmosphere. The load lock chamber 130 and the atmospheric transport chamber 140 are connected via a gate valve 133. The load lock chamber 130 and the vacuum transport chamber 120 are also connected via a gate valve 132.

[0014] The vacuum transport chamber 120 is reduced to a vacuum atmosphere by a vacuum evacuation mechanism (not shown). The vacuum transport chamber 120 corresponds to the substrate transport chamber in this embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 1, the vacuum transport chamber 120, in which wafers W are transported under a vacuum atmosphere, is composed of a rectangular housing that is long in the front-to-back direction in plan view. In the wafer processing system 100 of this example, a total of six wafer processing chambers 110 are provided, three on each of the left and right side walls of the vacuum transport chamber 120. When the inside of the vacuum transport chamber 120 shown in Figure 1 is viewed from the front and divided into three areas: front, middle, and rear, the wafer processing chambers 110 are installed so as to face each area from the left and right. An opening 121 is formed in the side wall of the vacuum transport chamber 120 to which each wafer processing chamber 110 is connected, allowing wafers W to be loaded and unloaded between the chamber and the wafer processing chamber 110.

[0015] Each wafer processing chamber 110 is connected to the vacuum transport chamber 120 via a gate valve 160 that opens and closes the opening 121 described above. Each wafer processing chamber 110 is reduced to a vacuum atmosphere by a vacuum exhaust mechanism (not shown), and a wafer W is placed on a mounting table 111 provided inside, and a predetermined process is performed on the wafer W. The mounting area of ​​the wafer W on the mounting table 111 corresponds to the processing position of the wafer W. The wafer processing chamber 110 has lifting pins 112 that push up and hold the transported wafer W from below. Three lifting pins 112 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction and are configured to move up and down.

[0016] Examples of processes performed on the wafer W include etching, film deposition, cleaning, and ashing. The mounting stage 111 is equipped with a heater (not shown) for heating the wafer W to a preset temperature. If the processing performed on the wafer W utilizes a processing gas, the wafer processing chamber 110 is equipped with a processing gas supply unit (not shown) consisting of a shower head or the like. The wafer processing chamber 110 may also be equipped with a plasma formation mechanism for converting the processing gas into plasma.

[0017] The vacuum transport chamber 120 houses a first transport module 20, which is configured in the shape of a rectangular plate, and a second transport module 30, which has an arm portion 32 with a fork-shaped substrate holding portion. The first and second transport modules 20 and 30 are configured to move within the vacuum transport chamber 120 by magnetic levitation. The first and second transport modules 20 and 30 correspond to the substrate transport modules of this embodiment.

[0018] In the wafer processing system 100 of this example, wafers W are transported between the two load lock chambers 130 on the left and right sides when viewed from the front, and the four wafer processing chambers 110 on the front and middle sides using the first transport module 20. In addition, wafers W are transported between the one load lock chamber 130 in the center when viewed from the front, and the two wafer processing chambers 110 on the rear side using the second transport module 30.

[0019] The wafer processing system 100 includes a control unit 9 that controls the traveling surface coil 15 and the wafer processing chamber 110, which will be described later. The control unit 9 is composed of a computer with a CPU and a memory unit, and controls each part of the wafer processing system 100. The memory unit stores a program that consists of a set of steps (instructions) for controlling the operation of each transport module 20, 30 and the wafer processing chamber 110. This program is stored on a storage medium such as a hard disk, compact disk, magnetic optical disk, or memory card, and then installed on the computer.

[0020] The configuration of the equipment related to the transport and processing of wafers W using the first transport module 20 will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 2 to 5. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first transport module 20 includes a stage 2, which is a substrate holding section on which a wafer W with a diameter of 300 mm is placed and held. For example, the stage 2 is formed in the shape of a flat rectangular plate with sides of a little over 300 mm.

[0021] The first transport module 20 enters the wafer processing chamber 110 and the load lock chamber 130, and transfers the wafer W between itself and the lifting pins 112 and 131. The first transport module 20 has a slit 21 formed in it to transfer the wafer W while avoiding interference with the lifting pins 112 and 131. The lifting pins 112 and 131 hold the wafer W while protruding from the floor of the wafer processing chamber 110 and the load lock chamber 130. The slit 21 is formed along the trajectory through which the lifting pins 112 and 131 pass when the stage 2 enters and exits a position below the wafer W held by the lifting pins 112 and 131. The slit 21 is also formed so that the direction of entry of the wafer W to the lower position can be reversed by 180°. With the above configuration, the first transport module 20 and the lifting pins 112 and 131 do not interfere with each other, and the first transport module 20 and the wafer W can be positioned vertically so that their centers are aligned.

[0022] As schematically shown in Figure 3, the floor surface 10 of the vacuum transport chamber 120, the load lock chamber 130 into which the first transport module 20 enters, and the floor surface 10 of the wafer processing chamber 110 each have a plurality of traveling surface-side coils 15 arranged inside. The traveling surface-side coils 15 generate a magnetic field when power is supplied from a power supply unit (not shown). The traveling surface-side coils 15 correspond to the traveling surface-side magnets in this embodiment.

[0023] Meanwhile, inside the first transport module 20, a plurality of module-side magnets 35, for example, made of permanent magnets, are arranged. A repulsive force acts between the module-side magnets 35 and the magnetic field generated by the running surface-side coils 15. This action allows the first transport module 20 to be magnetically levitated on the running surface, which is the area of ​​the floor surface 10 where the running surface-side coils 15 are provided. Furthermore, by adjusting the strength and position of the magnetic field generated by the running surface-side coils 15, the first transport module 20 can be moved in a desired direction on the running surface, the amount of levitation can be adjusted, and the orientation of the first transport module 20 can be adjusted.

[0024] The module-side magnets 35 provided in the first transport module 20 correspond to the levitation body-side magnets in this embodiment. The multiple module-side magnets 35 are powered by a battery provided in the first transport module 20 and may be composed of coils that function as electromagnets, or they may be composed of both permanent magnets and coils.

[0025] As described above, the first transport module 20 enters the wafer processing chamber 110 and the load lock chamber 130 to transfer wafers W between the lifting pins 112 and 131. On the other hand, the gate valve 160 located between the vacuum transport chamber 120 and the wafer processing chamber 110, and the gate valve 132 located between the vacuum transport chamber 120 and the load lock chamber 130, are not equipped with coils for magnetic levitation of the first transport module 20. Therefore, the areas where the gate valves 160 and 132 are located may become non-moving areas where the first transport module 20 cannot move.

[0026] Therefore, the wafer processing system 100 in this example is provided with a bridging module 5 that assists in the transport of wafers W transported by the first transport module 20 through a non-traveling area. The configuration of the bridging module 5 will be described below with reference to Figures 4 and 5, using the case where the gate valve 160 provided between the vacuum transport chamber 120 and the wafer processing chamber 110 is a non-traveling area as an example.

[0027] Figures 4 and 5, described below, also include sub-coordinates (X'-Y'-Z' coordinates) to explain the arrangement of equipment installed in each wafer processing chamber 110. The sub-coordinates are set with the front side of the wafer processing chamber 110 as the near side when viewed from the vacuum transport chamber 120, with the Y' direction representing the front-to-back direction and the X' direction representing the left-to-right direction (the same applies to Figures 8A to 10C).

[0028] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the gate valve 160 is positioned between the side wall of the vacuum transport chamber 120 and the side wall of the wafer processing chamber 110 and comprises a valve body 162 having an inlet / outlet 163 that communicates with an opening 121 on the vacuum transport chamber 120 side, a valve element 161 that opens and closes the inlet / outlet 163, and a drive unit 165 connected to the valve element 161 via a valve stem 164 that moves the valve element 161.

[0029] The drive unit 165 moves the valve body 161 up and down and back and forth between a closed position (Figure 4) in which the valve body 161 closes the inlet / outlet 163 and an open position (Figure 5) in which the valve body 161 is retracted downward into the valve casing 162 to open the inlet / outlet 163. In addition, a sealing member 161a is provided on the side of the valve body 161 that, when the valve body 161 is moved to the closed position, comes into close contact with the main body of the valve casing 162 around the inlet / outlet 163, thereby airtightly sealing the inlet / outlet 163.

[0030] In the valve body 162 having the above configuration, the interior of the valve body 162 is the space in which the valve element 161 moves, so the travel surface side coil 15 cannot be placed there. On the other hand, the first transport module 20 may have difficulty moving beyond a non-traveling area that is longer than half of its total length when viewed in the direction of travel. For this reason, if the first transport module 20 is moved between the vacuum transport chamber 120 and the wafer processing chamber 110 without any countermeasures, the first transport module 20 may fall into the valve body 162 or into the area formed by the loading / unloading port 163, and it may become impossible to recover its levitation state.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, the vacuum transport chamber 120 is provided with a bridging module 5 that assists in the entry and exit of the first transport module 20 between the wafer processing chamber 110 and the load lock chamber 130. As shown in the longitudinal cross-sectional side views of Figures 4 and 5, a recessed housing area 122 for housing the bridging module 5 is formed in the floor portion 10 of the vacuum transport chamber 120, in the area on the front side when viewed from the vacuum transport chamber 120. Multiple running surface-side coils 124 are arranged on the bottom portion 123 of the housing area 122, and a magnetic field is generated by power supplied from a power supply unit (not shown). The running surface-side coils 124 correspond to running surface-side magnets for the bridging module 5, which form the running surface of the bridging module 5 on the bottom portion 123.

[0032] The bridging module 5 is housed within the aforementioned housing area 122 and positioned on the bottom surface 123. In this example, the bridging module 5 has a configuration in which two rectangular base plates 52 and a bridging plate 51 are stacked in that order from the bottom. Inside the base plate 52, multiple module-side magnets 54, for example, made of permanent magnets, are arranged. A repulsive force acts between the module-side magnets 54 and the magnetic field generated by the running surface-side coils 124. This action allows the bridging module 5 to be magnetically levitated on the running surface set in the region of the bottom surface portion 123 where the running surface-side coils 124 are provided, enabling movement in a desired direction and adjustment of the amount of levitation.

[0033] The module-side magnets 54 provided on the base plate 52 correspond to the levitation-side magnets for the bridging module in this embodiment. Note that multiple module-side magnets 54 may be powered by a battery provided in the base plate 52 and configured as coils that function as electromagnets. Furthermore, as with the first transport module 20, the module-side magnets 54 may be configured with both permanent magnets and coils.

[0034] Furthermore, multiple travel surface-side coils 53 are arranged inside the bridging plate 51. The travel surface-side coils 53 generate a magnetic field when power is supplied from a power supply unit (not shown). The area where these travel surface-side coils 53 are provided also becomes the travel surface of the first transport module 20, allowing the first transport module 20 to be magnetically levitated, moved in a desired direction, and the amount of levitation to be adjusted. From this perspective, the travel surface-side coils 53 correspond to the travel surface-side magnets provided on the bridging module 5.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, when viewed along the front-to-back direction of the bridging module 5, the length dimension of the upper bridging plate 51 is set to be larger than the length dimension of the lower base plate 52. In addition, the bridging module 5 is configured such that the end of the upper bridging plate 51 protrudes toward the area where the gate valve 160 is installed.

[0036] The bridging module 5, having the configuration described above, can move between the housing position shown in Figure 4 and the bridging position shown in Figure 5 with the first transport module 20 placed on its upper surface. The housing position corresponds to the position where the bridging module 5 is housed in the housing area 122 formed in the floor portion 10 of the vacuum transport chamber 120, and where it forms a running surface that is integrated with the floor portion 10. The bridging position corresponds to the position where, when the gate valve 160 is in the open state, it forms a running surface that covers the non-running area, which is the area where the gate valve 160 is located.

[0037] An example of the operation of the wafer processing system 100 having the configuration described above, in which the wafer W is transported using the first transport module 20 and processed in the wafer processing chamber 110, will be explained. First, when a carrier C containing the wafer W to be processed is placed on the load port 141, the wafer W is removed from the carrier C by the wafer transport mechanism 142 in the atmospheric transport chamber 140. Next, the wafer W is transported to the alignment chamber 150 for alignment. After the wafer W is removed from the alignment chamber 150 by the wafer transport mechanism 142, the gate valve 133 of either the left or right load lock chamber 130 (when viewed from the front of the wafer processing system 100) is opened.

[0038] Next, the wafer transport mechanism 142 enters either the left or right load lock chamber 130, and the lifting pin 131 pushes up and receives the wafer W. After that, when the wafer transport mechanism 142 retracts from the load lock chamber 130, the gate valve 133 is closed. Furthermore, the atmosphere inside the load lock chamber 130 is switched from atmospheric pressure to a vacuum atmosphere.

[0039] When the load lock chamber 130 is in a vacuum state, the gate valve 132 on the vacuum transport chamber 120 side is opened. At this time, the first transport module 20 is waiting on the bridging module 5 located in the vacuum transport chamber 120, which is positioned directly opposite the load lock chamber 130. Then, using the same operation as the bridging module 5 on the wafer processing chamber 110 side, which will be described later, the first transport module 20 is moved into the load lock chamber 130 using the bridging module 5.

[0040] Then, the first transport module 20 is moved within the load lock chamber 130 by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force acting between the load lock chamber 130 and the floor surface 10. Next, the first transport module 20 is positioned below the wafer W supported by the lifting pin 131, and the lifting pin 131 is lowered to transfer the wafer W to the first transport module 20. Subsequently, the first transport module 20, holding the wafer W, exits the load lock chamber 130 using the bridging module 5 in the reverse order of its entry.

[0041] The first transport module 20, having returned to the vacuum transport chamber 120, moves within the vacuum transport chamber 120 by magnetic levitation utilizing the repulsive force acting between it and the floor surface 10. It then moves toward the wafer processing chamber 110, one of the four wafer processing chambers 110 on the front and middle sides, where the wafer W to be transported is processed.

[0042] As shown in Figure 4, the bridging module 5 is waiting in its storage position at a location directly facing the wafer processing chamber 110, the destination for transport. For example, the upper surface of the floor portion 10 inside the vacuum transport chamber 120 and the upper surface of the bridging module 5 in its storage position are almost flush, and a single running surface is formed in the area where the running surface coils 15 and 53 are located. Therefore, the first transport module 20 can move from the floor portion 10 side of the vacuum transport chamber 120 onto the bridging module 5 while maintaining its magnetically levitated state. At this time, as shown in Figure 4, the magnetic levitation state may be temporarily released and the first transport module 20 may be placed on the bridging module 5.

[0043] Next, the valve body 161 of the gate valve 160 is moved to open the loading / unloading port 163. Then, the bridging module 5 is moved from the loading position to the bridging position by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force acting between it and the bottom surface 123 of the loading area 122. Once the bridging module 5 has moved to the bridging position, it is positioned so that the protruding tip of the bridging plate 51 is inserted into the loading / unloading port 163. As a result, the bridging module 5 covers the non-traveling area, which is the area where the gate valve 160 is located.

[0044] After the bridging module 5 moves to the bridging position, the first transport module 20 moves by magnetic levitation from the travel surface of the bridging module 5 to the travel surface of the floor portion 10 inside the wafer processing chamber 110. Having entered the wafer processing chamber 110, the first transport module 20 moves to the area where the lifting pins 112 are located. Then, by raising the lifting pins 112, the wafer W held by the first transport module 20 is thrust up from below and received.

[0045] The first transport module 20, having received the wafer W, moves to the bridging module 5 waiting at the bridging position and exits the wafer processing chamber 110 via the opposite path from the one it entered. After the first transport module 20 has exited, the lifting pin 112 descends downward, transferring the wafer W to the mounting table 111. The operation of the bridging module 5 described above serves as a transport assistance mechanism that assists in the transport of the wafer W between the vacuum transport chamber 120 and the processing position via the non-traveling area.

[0046] Once the first transport module 20 has moved out of the wafer processing chamber 110, the valve body 161 closes the loading / unloading outlet 163 that communicates with the opening 121 of the vacuum transport chamber 120 (closing the opening 121). Meanwhile, the wafer W placed on the mounting table 111 is heated by a heater, a processing gas is supplied via a processing gas supply unit, and the processing gas is plasma-converted as needed, thereby performing a predetermined process.

[0047] After processing the wafer W for a predetermined period, the heating of the wafer W is stopped, and the supply of processing gas is also stopped. If necessary, cooling gas may be supplied into the wafer processing chamber 110 to cool the wafer W. Then, in the reverse order of loading, the first transport module 20 is brought into the wafer processing chamber 110, and the wafer W is returned from the wafer processing chamber 110 to the load lock chamber 130 via the vacuum transport chamber 120. Furthermore, after switching the atmosphere of the load lock chamber 130 to an atmospheric pressure atmosphere, the wafer transport mechanism 142 on the atmospheric transport chamber 140 side removes the wafer W from the load lock chamber 130 and returns it to the predetermined carrier C.

[0048] According to the embodiments described above, with respect to wafers W transported using the first transport module 20, the transport of wafers W passing through non-traveling areas can be assisted by the bridging module 5.

[0049] Here, the method for moving the bridging module 5 between the storage position and the bridging position is not limited to magnetic levitation. For example, a mechanical moving mechanism for moving the bridging module 5 may be provided with respect to the vacuum transport chamber 120, and these positions may be moved using this mechanism.

[0050] Next, we will describe an example in which the wafer W transported by the second transport module 30 shown in Figure 1 is assisted in transporting the wafer W through the non-traveling area using the wafer transfer section 4 in the vacuum transport chamber 120 and the substrate transport section in the processing chamber 110. As shown in Figures 1, 6, and 7, the second transport module 30 includes a rectangular plate-shaped levitation body 31 having approximately the same width as the first transport module 20. An arm portion 32 is provided on this levitation body 31, extending laterally and holding the wafer W horizontally. A fork is provided at the tip of the arm portion 32, which can be positioned to surround from the left and right sides an area where three lifting pins 41, 131 are provided. The fork corresponds to the substrate holding portion in the second transport module 30.

[0051] Here, even if there is a non-traveling area between the wafer processing chamber 110 and the second transport module 30 as described above, if an arm portion 32 of sufficient length is used, the arm portion 32 can be inserted into the wafer processing chamber 110 and the wafer W can be transported to the processing position. However, the longer the arm portion 32 is made, the more difficult it becomes to change the direction of the second transport module 30 in a narrow plane, which may necessitate making the vacuum transport chamber 120 larger.

[0052] On the other hand, by using a second transport module 30 equipped with an arm portion 32, the levitation body portion 31, on which the module-side magnet 35 is provided, and the wafer W held by the arm portion 32 can be separated. As a result, the magnetic influence of the module-side magnet 35 on the wafer W can be reduced. From this perspective, there are advantages to using a second transport module 30 equipped with an arm portion 32.

[0053] Therefore, in this example, the wafer processing system 100 does not insert the arm portion 32 into the wafer processing chamber 110, but rather transfers the wafer W between the wafer transfer portion 4 located in the vacuum transfer chamber 120 and the substrate transfer portion located inside the wafer processing chamber 110. As examples of the configuration of the substrate transport section inside the processing chamber, two examples will be described: one using the wafer support module 170, which will be explained using Figures 8A to 9B, and another using the retractable arm 180 inside the processing chamber, which will be explained using Figures 10A to 10C.

[0054] The wafer transfer unit 4 is located facing the opening 121 of the vacuum transfer chamber 120, that is, facing the wafer processing chamber 110 connected to the vacuum transfer chamber 120. As previously described, in the wafer processing system 100 shown in Figure 1, wafers W are transferred to the two subsequent wafer processing chambers 110 using the second transfer module 30. Therefore, the wafer transfer unit 4 is also located facing these two wafer processing chambers 110. The wafer transfer unit 4 is responsible for the transfer of wafers W between the second transfer module 30 and the substrate transfer unit that holds the transferred wafers W.

[0055] In this example, the wafer transfer section 4 is provided with three lifting pins 41 that form a triangular support surface when viewed from above. The lifting pins 41 are configured to protrude from the floor surface 10 of the vacuum transfer chamber 120 by a lifting mechanism (not shown), and they hold the wafer W by pushing it up from below. In Figure 1, the area where the wafer W supported by the lifting pins 41 is projected onto the bottom surface of the vacuum transfer chamber 120 is shown as the wafer transfer section 4 by a dashed line.

[0056] Meanwhile, within the wafer processing chamber 110, there is a substrate transport unit that transports the wafer W between the processing position of the wafer W and the wafer transfer unit 4. Figures 8A to 9B show an example in which a wafer support module 170, which is one example of the configuration of the substrate transport section in the processing chamber, is provided. Although not shown in these figures, multiple travel surface coils 15 are arranged on the floor surface 10 of the wafer processing chamber 110, similar to the floor surface of the wafer processing chamber 110 shown in Figure 4, for example.

[0057] The wafer support module 170 can transport wafers W by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force acting between it and the traveling surface coil 15 provided on the floor surface 10 of the wafer processing chamber 110. In this view, the traveling surface coil 15 provided on the floor surface 10 of the wafer processing chamber 110 corresponds to the traveling surface magnet that forms the traveling surface for the wafer support module 170.

[0058] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 8A and 9A, two wafer support modules 170 are arranged inside the wafer processing chamber 110. Each wafer support module 170 comprises a rectangular plate-shaped levitation body portion 171 positioned with its plate surface facing vertically, and a rectangular bar-shaped support portion 172 extending laterally from the upper end of the plate thickness surface of the levitation body portion 171. Inside the levitation body portion 171, a plurality of module-side magnets 173, for example, made of permanent magnets, are arranged (Figures 9A and 9B). A repulsive force acts between the module-side magnets 173 and the magnetic field generated by the running surface-side coils 15. This action allows the wafer support module 170 to be magnetically levitated on the running surface set in the area of ​​the floor portion 10 of the wafer processing chamber 110 where the running surface-side coils 15 are provided. The module-side magnets 173 correspond to the levitation body-side magnets for the wafer support module 170.

[0059] As shown in Figure 8A, the two wafer support modules 170 are positioned on either side of the mounting base 111 when viewed from above. In addition, each levitation body 171 is positioned with the tip of its support portion 172 facing toward the gate valve 160, that is, toward the opening 121 of the vacuum transport chamber 120. With the wafer support module 170 configured as described above, two wafer support modules 170 that move by magnetic levitation cooperate with each other to support a common wafer W in their respective support sections 172. These two wafer support modules 170 correspond to the substrate transport section in the processing chamber of this embodiment.

[0060] The wafer transport operation between the wafer support module 170 and the wafer transfer unit 4, as described above, will now be explained. Figures 8A and 8B show an example of the operation of removing a wafer W that has been processed in the wafer processing chamber 110. In Figure 8A, the wafer support module 170 is waiting in the wafer processing chamber 110 during the processing of the wafer W. At this time, a shutter may be used to separate the waiting area of ​​the wafer support module 170 from the processing space of the wafer W in order to avoid the influence of processing gases and plasma.

[0061] Once the processing of the wafer W to be transported is complete, the wafer W is pushed up by the lifting pins 112. Then, each wafer support module 170 is magnetically levitated and the support portion 172 is moved to the lower side of the wafer W. At this time, as shown in Figure 9A, the wafer support module 170 is levitated and moved to the vicinity of the wafer W, and then the wafer support module 170 is rotated around the vertical axis. After the support portion 172 has entered the lower side of the wafer W in this way, the wafer W is lowered, and the wafer W is transferred from the lifting pins 112 to the wafer support module 170 (Figure 9B). In addition, by adding the rotational movement of the wafer support module 170 around the vertical axis, when viewed from above, the two wafer support modules 170 hold the wafer W in a state where they are diagonally facing each other.

[0062] Next, when the gate valve 160 is opened, the wafer support module 170 holding the wafer W moves toward the vacuum transport chamber 120. Then, as shown in Figure 8B, while the levitation body 171 remains positioned within the wafer processing chamber 110, the support portion 172 holding the wafer W passes through the non-traveling area where the gate valve 160 is located. As a result, the support portion 172 protrudes from the opening 121 of the vacuum transport chamber 120, allowing the wafer W to be transported to the wafer transfer section 4. Furthermore, when the wafer W is brought into the wafer processing room 110, the transport is carried out in the reverse order of the above-described procedure.

[0063] Next, we will explain the case where the processing chamber's retractable arm 180, which is another example of the substrate transport section within the processing chamber, is used, with reference to Figures 10A to 10C. The processing chamber telescopic arm 180 is configured as a multi-joint arm that can extend and retract while holding the wafer W. The processing chamber telescopic arm 180 is placed inside the wafer processing chamber 110 and is positioned in the area between the mounting table 111, which is the processing position for the wafer W, and the gate valve 160. Here, a shutter 113 may be provided to avoid the influence of processing gas and plasma supplied to the wafer processing chamber 110 during the processing period of the wafer W (Figures 10B and 10C). The shutter 113 serves to separate the space where the wafer W is being processed from the space where the shutter 113 is located during the processing period of the wafer W placed at the processing position.

[0064] The following describes the wafer W transport operation between the retractable arm 180 in the processing chamber and the wafer transfer section 4. Figures 10A to 10C show an example of the operation of removing a wafer W that has been processed in the wafer processing chamber 110. Once the processing of the wafer W to be transported is complete, the lifting pin 112 pushes the wafer W upward. Then, the processing chamber telescopic arm 180 is extended toward the mounting table 111, and the wafer holding part provided at the tip of the processing chamber telescopic arm 180 enters below the wafer W. Subsequently, by lowering the wafer W, the wafer W is transferred from the lifting pin 112 to the processing chamber telescopic arm 180 (Figure 10A).

[0065] Next, when the gate valve 160 is opened, the processing chamber telescopic arm 180, which holds the wafer W, retracts and then reverses its extension direction. As shown in Figure 10B, it then passes through the non-traveling area while holding the wafer W and transports the wafer W to the wafer transfer section 4. After the wafer W is transferred to the wafer transfer section 4, the processing chamber telescopic arm 180 retracts into the wafer processing chamber 110. After that, the second transport module 30 receives the wafer W from the wafer transfer section 4 and performs transport within the vacuum transport chamber 120. Furthermore, when the wafer W is brought into the wafer processing room 110, the transport is carried out in the reverse order of the above-described procedure.

[0066] In the wafer processing system 100 shown in Figure 1, the wafer transfer unit 4 and the wafer support module 170 or the retractable arm 180 inside the processing chamber, as described above, are also provided for the load lock chamber 130, which is located in the center when viewed from the front. Note that in Figure 1, the wafer support module 170 and the extendable arm 180 within the processing chamber are omitted from the description of the wafer processing chamber 110 on the downstream side and the load lock chamber 130 in the center.

[0067] An example of the operation of the wafer processing system 100 having the configuration described above, in which the wafer W is transported using the second transport module 30 and processed in the wafer processing chamber 110, will be explained. In the same procedure as when transporting the wafer W using the first transport module 20 described above, the wafer W to be processed is loaded into the central load lock chamber 130 when viewed from the front. Once the inside of this load lock chamber 130 is in a vacuum state, the gate valve 132 on the vacuum transport chamber 120 side is opened. Then, using the wafer support module 170 or the telescopic arm 180 located inside the load lock chamber 130, the wafer W is transferred to the wafer transfer unit 4 located on the vacuum transport chamber 120 side.

[0068] The wafer W held in the wafer transfer unit 4 is transferred to the arm 32 of the second transport module 30, which moves by magnetic levitation, and moves toward the wafer processing chamber 110 of the two downstream wafer processing chambers 110 where the wafer W is processed.

[0069] A wafer transfer section 4 is provided on the front side of the wafer processing chamber 110 where the wafers are to be transported. After moving the second transport module 30 to the wafer transfer section 4, the lifting pin 41, which is lowered towards the floor, is raised. Through this operation, the wafer W is transferred from the arm section 32 to the lifting pin 41. In this case, as shown in Figure 10C, the movement path of the second transport module 30 may be set so that it enters or exits the area where the lifting pins 41 are located while viewing the wafer processing chamber 110 diagonally forward. By setting the path in this way, the movement path of the second transport module 30 becomes more compact compared to setting the path so that it enters or exits from a direction directly facing the wafer processing chamber 110, thereby suppressing the enlargement of the vacuum transport chamber 120.

[0070] Next, the gate valve 160 is opened, and the wafer W held by the lifting pin 41 is received using the wafer support module 170 or the telescopic arm 180 inside the wafer processing chamber 110 by the operation described above, and transported to the mounting table 111. Then, the wafer W is received by raising the lifting pin 112 on the mounting table 111 side. After that, the wafer support module 170 or the telescopic arm 180 inside the processing chamber is retracted, and the wafer W is lowered and placed in the processing position. Once the wafer W is placed in the processing position, the gate valve 160 is closed (the opening 121 is closed), and the wafer W is processed according to the predetermined procedure. After the wafer W is processed, the wafer W is unloaded in the reverse order of loading.

[0071] The wafer transfer section 4 described above, and the wafer support module 170 or the retractable arm 180 within the processing chamber, serve as a transport assistance mechanism to assist in the transport of the wafer W between the vacuum transport chamber 120 and the processing position via the non-traveling area.

[0072] According to the above-described embodiment, for wafers W transported using the second transport module 30, the transport of wafers W passing through the non-traveling area can be assisted using the wafer transfer unit 4, the wafer support module 170, and the processing chamber telescopic arm 180.

[0073] Here, Figure 1 illustrates an example in which transport modules 20 and 30 with different configurations are placed within a common vacuum transport chamber 120 for ease of explanation. However, the example is not limited to this one, and wafer W may be transported by placing either one of the transport modules 20 or 30 in the vacuum transport chamber 120.

[0074] Furthermore, in the embodiment described using Figures 6 to 10C, an example was described in which the second transport module 30, the wafer transfer unit 4, and the substrate transport unit inside the processing chamber (wafer support module 170, and extendable arm 180 inside the processing chamber) are used in combination, from the viewpoint of explaining the effect of the length of the arm 32.

[0075] Alternatively, a second transport module 30 equipped with an arm portion 32 may be used, and the wafer W may be transported by the second transport module 30 using a bridging module 5, which is a transport assistance mechanism. In this case, it is not a mandatory requirement to bring the second transport module 30 into the wafer processing chamber 110. For example, the wafer W may be transferred by inserting only the arm portion 32 into the wafer processing chamber 110 on the bridging module 5, which has moved to the bridging position. Furthermore, it is also possible to transport wafers W using a rectangular plate-shaped first transport module 20, utilizing the wafer transfer unit 4, which is a transport assistance mechanism, and the substrate transport unit inside the processing chamber (wafer support module 170, extendable arm 180 inside the processing chamber).

[0076] Next, in the wafer processing system 100a shown in Figure 11, when viewed from above, the vacuum transport chamber 120a is configured as a polygon with five or more sides (a dodecagon in the example of Figure 11). The wafer processing system 100a is configured such that wafer processing chambers 110 are connected to each of the multiple side walls (seven side walls in the example of Figure 11) of the vacuum transport chamber 120a. Conventionally, in wafer processing systems 100a with such a configuration, a retractable multi-joint arm was sometimes placed in the center of the vacuum transport chamber 120a, and this multi-joint arm was used to transport wafers W between each wafer processing chamber 110.

[0077] However, the more wafer processing chambers 110 are connected to a common vacuum transport chamber 120a, the more space is required to accommodate these wafer processing chambers 110. As a result, the distance from the center of the polygonal vacuum transport chamber 120a to the wafer processing chamber 110 becomes longer. On the other hand, there is a limit to the distance over which wafers W can be transported by the extension and retraction of the articulated arm. For this reason, it was sometimes difficult to connect many wafer processing chambers 110 to the vacuum transport chamber 120a.

[0078] In this regard, the wafer processing system 100a shown in Figure 11 transports wafers W using a second transport module 30, a wafer transfer unit 4, and a substrate transport unit inside the processing chamber (wafer support module 170 or extendable arm 180 inside the processing chamber, not shown in Figure 11). By using the second transport module 30, wafers W can be transported without being constrained by the extension range of the articulated arm.

[0079] Furthermore, in the wafer processing system 100a shown in Figure 11, multiple wafer processing chambers 110 are connected to the vacuum transport chamber 120a in a row adjacent to each other. Multiple wafer transfer units 4 are provided at positions facing the opening 121 to which these wafer processing chambers 110 are connected. As previously described, each of these wafer transfer units 4 is configured to hold the wafer W received from the second transport module 30 while supporting it from the bottom side.

[0080] In this case, if the spacing between adjacent wafer transfer units 4 is narrow, there is a risk that the wafers W may overlap and interfere with each other, as shown in Figure 11. Therefore, as shown in Figure 12, the wafer processing system 100a in this example differs the height position at which each wafer W is supported when the adjacent wafer transfer units 4 support the wafer W. This makes it possible to avoid interference between wafers W. In addition, in the wafer processing system 100a shown in Figure 11, the wafer W may be transported using the first transport module 20, or a wafer processing chamber 110 may be provided in addition to the wafer processing system, where the transport modules 20 and 30 are brought in using the bridging module 5.

[0081] Here, with reference to Figures 13 and 14, we will now explain an example of the configuration of the floor surface 10a provided in the vacuum transport chamber 120. Figure 13 shows an example in which the floor portion 10a is formed on the outer surface of the housing that constitutes the vacuum transport chamber 120. As shown in Figure 14, the lower surface of the vacuum transport chamber 120 is divided into a grid by reinforcing ribs 102, and tiles 101 are arranged in each section. Traveling surface side coils 15, as shown in Figures 3 and 7, are arranged on these tiles 101. As previously described, these traveling surface side coils 15 are supplied with power from a power supply unit (not shown) to generate a magnetic field for magnetically levitating the first transport module 20 and the second transport module 30.

[0082] A non-magnetic plate 103, which forms the bottom surface of the housing constituting the vacuum transport chamber 120, is placed on the upper side of the tile 101. By constructing the non-magnetic plate 103 from a non-magnetic material such as aluminum, a magnetic field can be formed inside the vacuum transport chamber 120 without being affected by the non-magnetic plate 103. As a result, the running surfaces of the first transport module 20 and the second transport module 30 can be provided on the upper side of the non-magnetic plate 103.

[0083] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the floor surface 10a is reinforced by a grid-like reinforcing rib 102. Therefore, even if the vacuum transport chamber 120 is enlarged, the thickness of the non-magnetic plate 103 can not be made excessively thick, and the housing structure of the vacuum transport chamber 120 can be maintained against the forces acting due to the vacuum atmosphere inside. Furthermore, from the standpoint of improving the strength of the vacuum conveying chamber 120, the floor surface 10a, which is composed of a combination of reinforcing ribs 102 and tiles 101, may be placed inside the vacuum conveying chamber 120.

[0084] On the other hand, by placing the tile 101 on the side facing the atmosphere, the heat generated when current is supplied to the running surface coil 15 located within the tile 101 can be easily released. As a result, the temperature rise of the tile 101 is suppressed, and the decrease in the efficiency of magnetic force generation in the running surface coil 15 due to the temperature rise can be suppressed. In addition, the generation of distortion caused by thermal expansion of each component of the floor surface 10 (tile 101, reinforcing rib 102, non-magnetic plate 103) due to the temperature rise of the tile 101 can also be suppressed.

[0085] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The above embodiments may be omitted, replaced, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0086] W wafer 10 Floor section 15. Coil on the running surface side 100, 100a wafer processing system 110 Wafer Processing Room 120, 120a Vacuum Transfer Chamber 121 Opening 160 Gate Valve 20. First transport module 30 Second transport module 35 Module-side magnet 5. Bridging Module 9. Control Unit

Claims

1. A device for transporting substrates to a substrate processing chamber and processing the substrates, A substrate transport chamber having a floor portion on which magnets are provided on the travel surface side, and a side wall portion having an opening formed therein for loading and unloading substrates between it and the substrate processing chamber, A substrate transport module comprising a substrate holding portion for holding the substrate and a levitation-side magnet acting with a repulsive force between it and the running surface-side magnet, wherein the module is configured to move along a running surface formed in the region where the running surface-side magnet is provided by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force, The substrate processing chamber is connected to the substrate transport chamber via a gate valve that opens and closes the aforementioned opening and the substrate transport module, which forms a non-traveling area where it cannot move by magnetic levitation. The system includes a transport assist mechanism that assists in the linear transport of a substrate transported by a substrate transport module between the substrate transport chamber and the substrate processing position within the substrate processing chamber, via the non-traveling area. The transport assistance mechanism is a device that assists the linear transport of the substrate by the substrate transport module by forming a region in the non-traveling region in which the substrate transport module can move by magnetic levitation when the gate valve is in the open state.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport assist mechanism forms the running surface integral with the floor surface when the gate valve is in the closed state.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport assistance mechanism moves to the non-traveling area by magnetic levitation to assist the linear transport of the substrate by the substrate transport module.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport assistance mechanism moves to the non-traveling area by a mechanical moving mechanism to assist the linear transport of the substrate by the substrate transport module.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport assistance mechanism is provided on the substrate processing chamber side and includes a substrate transport section within the processing chamber that enters the substrate transport chamber from the gate valve to receive the substrate and performs linear transport of the substrate between the processing position and the processing position.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the substrate transport section within the processing chamber moves by magnetic levitation to perform linear transport of the substrate.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the substrate transport section within the processing chamber is composed of an extendable and retractable substrate transport arm, and performs linear transport of the substrate.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the transport assistance mechanism includes a transfer section at the position where the substrate transport section in the processing chamber enters the substrate transport chamber and receives the substrate, for transferring the substrate received from the substrate transport module to the substrate transport section in the processing chamber.

9. A method for transporting a substrate to a substrate processing chamber where the substrate is processed, A substrate transport chamber having a floor portion on which a magnet on the travel surface side is provided, and a side wall portion having an opening formed therein for loading and unloading substrates between it and the substrate processing chamber, wherein a substrate transport module is configured to transport substrates using magnetic levitation using the repulsive force, and the module is configured to move along a travel surface formed in the region where the magnet on the travel surface side is provided, the substrate transport chamber having a substrate holding portion for holding the substrates and a levitation-side magnet acting as a repulsive force between the levitation-side magnet and the travel surface side, and the substrate transport module is configured to move along a travel surface formed in the region where the magnet on the travel surface side is provided, The process involves opening and closing the aforementioned opening, and assisting the linear transport of the substrate being transported by the substrate transport module between the substrate transport chamber and the processing position of the substrate within the substrate processing chamber, using a transport assistance mechanism, to the substrate processing chamber connected to the substrate processing chamber via a gate valve that forms a non-traveling region where the substrate transport module cannot move by magnetic levitation. The transport assistance mechanism, when the gate valve is in the open state, creates a region in the non-traveling area where the substrate transport module can move by magnetic levitation, thereby assisting the linear transport of the substrate by the substrate transport module. Methods that include...

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