Chuck pin and substrate holding device

Abstract

The clamping pin of the present invention is disposed on a rotating base that rotates about a reference axis extending in the vertical direction, and includes a main holding portion and a secondary holding portion. The main holding portion has an abutment surface facing the reference axis when disposed on the rotating base. The secondary holding portion has an auxiliary surface facing the reference axis when disposed on the rotating base, and is disposed on the main holding portion. The abutment surface extends in the vertical direction and has a fixed length when viewed from above. A portion of the abutment surface can abut against the outer peripheral end of a substrate to hold the substrate. The auxiliary surface is formed such that a portion of the abutment surface extends upward. When viewed from the reference axis, the area of ​​the auxiliary surface is smaller than the area of ​​the abutment surface when viewed from the reference axis.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a clamping pin that contacts the outer edge of a substrate to hold the substrate and a substrate holding device. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Substrate processing apparatuses are used to perform various processes on substrates such as semiconductor substrates, FPD (Flat Panel Display) substrates (including liquid crystal display devices and organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display devices), optical disc substrates, magnetic disk substrates, magneto-optical disk substrates, photomask substrates, ceramic substrates, or solar cell substrates. In monolithic substrate processing apparatuses that process substrates one by one, a substrate holding device is used to hold the substrate to be processed.

[0003] For example, the substrate processing apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-1598 includes a rotary table as a substrate holding device. The rotary table has a plurality of clamping pins that contact the outer peripheral end of the substrate to hold the substrate. Each clamping pin has a column shape and is arranged to extend vertically along the periphery of the rotary table.

[0004] A top surface and a support portion are formed at the upper end of the clamping pin. When the substrate is held by a plurality of clamping pins, the support portion and top surface of each clamping pin are arranged sequentially along a radial direction away from the rotation axis of the rotary table. The support portion and the top surface are horizontal surfaces. A step difference is formed between the support portion and the top surface.

[0005] A plurality of portions of the lower surface periphery of the substrate are supported on a plurality of clamping pins. Here, the height of the support portion is lower than the height of the top surface by the thickness of the substrate. Therefore, when the substrate is supported on a plurality of support portions, the upper surface of the substrate supported on the support portions and the top surface are on the same plane. Therefore, when the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate held and rotated by the rotary table disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-1598, the flow of the processing liquid along the upper surface of the substrate toward the outside of the substrate is not obstructed by the plurality of clamping pins. As a result, the processing liquid is prevented from being retained on the substrate due to contact with the plurality of clamping pins, reducing processing defects caused by retained processing liquid. [Summary of the Invention]

[0006] Furthermore, the shape of the substrate held by the substrate holding device is not fixed. For example, warping or dimensional errors that occur during substrate processing can cause a certain degree of deviation in the shape of the substrate. Therefore, in the rotary table disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-1598, it may be impossible to properly support the outer peripheral end of the substrate on a plurality of support portions due to deviations in the shape of the substrate. Also, it may be impossible to stably hold the outer peripheral end of the substrate by a plurality of clamping pins.

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a clamping pin and substrate holding device that can reduce substrate handling defects without reducing the reliability of substrate holding.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, a clamping pin is disposed on a base member that rotates about a reference axis extending in the vertical direction, holding a substrate disposed above the base member, and includes: a main holding portion having an abutment surface facing the reference axis when disposed on the base member; and a secondary holding portion having an auxiliary surface facing the reference axis when disposed on the base member, and being deposited on the main holding portion; wherein the abutment surface is formed to extend in the vertical direction and has a fixed length when viewed from above, a portion of the abutment surface is formed to abut against the outer edge of the substrate disposed on the base member to hold the substrate, and the auxiliary surface is formed such that a portion of the abutment surface extends upward, and the area of ​​the auxiliary surface is smaller than the area of ​​the abutment surface when viewed from the reference axis when disposed on the base member.

[0009] Another embodiment of the substrate holding device of the present invention includes: a base member configured to be rotatable about a reference axis extending in a vertical direction; a rotation drive unit that causes the base member to rotate about the reference axis; a plurality of clamping pins mounted on the base member; and a clamping pin drive unit; wherein each clamping pin is the aforementioned clamping pin, and at least one of the plurality of clamping pins is mounted in a manner rotatable relative to the base member about a pin shaft parallel to the reference axis, and the clamping pin drive unit is configured such that by rotating the at least one clamping pin about the pin shaft, the at least one clamping pin can be switched between a holding state in which it abuts against the outer edge of the substrate to hold the substrate and a release state in which it can move away from the outer edge of the substrate.

[0010] According to the present invention, substrate processing defects can be reduced without reducing the reliability of substrate retention.

Implementation Method

[0012] A clamping pin and a substrate holding device are used in a substrate processing apparatus. Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus having a clamping pin and a substrate holding device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] In the following description, substrate refers to substrates used in liquid crystal display devices or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display devices, such as FPD (Flat Panel Display) substrates, semiconductor substrates, optical disc substrates, magnetic disc substrates, magneto-optical disc substrates, photomask substrates, ceramic substrates, or solar cell substrates. Furthermore, the substrate described below is a substrate with at least a circular shape, and is a circular substrate with a positioning groove formed at one of its outer peripheral ends.

[0014] 1. Basic Configuration of Substrate Processing Apparatus FIG1 is a schematic side view showing the basic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG2 is a schematic top view of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of FIG1. ​​In FIG2, some of the constituent elements (hereinafter referred to as the clamping pin drive unit 50X, the cup drive unit 60X, the processing liquid supply device 70, and the control unit 900) among the plurality of constituent elements shown in FIG1 are omitted.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a rotation drive unit 10, a rotation base 20, two fixed clamping pins 30A and 30B (Figure 2), two guide clamping pins 40A and 40B, two movable clamping pins 50A and 50B, a clamping pin drive unit 50X, a cup 60, a cup drive unit 60X, a processing liquid supply device 70, two substrate detectors 81 and 82, and a control unit 900. These components are housed, for example, in a chamber not shown.

[0016] The rotary drive unit 10, for example, is a motor, fixed to the bottom of the chamber. As shown in FIG1, the rotary drive unit 10 has a rotary shaft 11 extending upward. The central axis of the rotary shaft 11 extends in the vertical direction. In the following description, the central axis of the rotary shaft 11 is referred to as the reference axis CA. A rotary base 20 is connected to the upper end of the rotary shaft 11. The rotary base 20 has a circular plate shape and is supported by the rotary shaft 11 in a horizontal rotatable manner.

[0017] Two fixed clamping pins 30A and 30B, two guide clamping pins 40A and 40B, and two movable clamping pins 50A and 50B are components used to hold the base plate W disposed on the rotating base 20. As shown in FIG2, these plurality of clamping pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) are installed at equal angular intervals (60° intervals in this example) on the periphery of the rotating base 20 with reference to the reference axis CA.

[0018] Regarding the plurality of clamping pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B), in plan view, the fixed clamping pin 30A, fixed clamping pin 30B, guide clamping pin 40B, movable clamping pin 50B, movable clamping pin 50A, and guide clamping pin 40A are arranged sequentially in a clockwise direction along the outer periphery of the rotating base 20. In this configuration, the fixed clamping pin 30A and the movable clamping pin 50B face each other across the reference axis CA in plan view. Furthermore, the fixed clamping pin 30B and the movable clamping pin 50A face each other across the reference axis CA in plan view. Moreover, the guide clamping pin 40A and the guide clamping pin 40B face each other across the reference axis CA in plan view.

[0019] The rotating clamp is composed of a rotating base 20, two fixed clamping pins 30A and 30B, two guide clamping pins 40A and 40B, and two movable clamping pins 50A and 50B. In the following description, the rotating base 20 and the assembly of the plurality of clamping pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) are appropriately referred to as the rotating clamp SC. In the specified figures following FIG1, the substrate W held by the rotating clamp SC is represented by a two-point chain line. Furthermore, in these figures, the illustration of the groove formed on the substrate W is omitted.

[0020] Two fixed clamping pins 30A and 30B and two guide clamping pins 40A and 40B are fixed in a manner that prevents them from moving or rotating relative to the rotating base 20. On the other hand, each of the two movable clamping pins 50A and 50B is mounted on the rotating base 20 in a manner that allows it to rotate about the pin PA2 (Fig. 5). Each movable clamping pin 50A and 50B switches between a holding state, which abuts against the outer peripheral end of the substrate W, and a released state, which allows it to move away from the outer peripheral end of the substrate W, by rotating relative to the rotating base 20. Details of the construction of the above-mentioned clamping pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) will be described below.

[0021] As shown in FIG1, a chuck pin drive unit 50X is provided below the rotating base 20. The chuck pin drive unit 50X includes, for example, a magnet and is configured to rotate the movable chuck pins 50A and 50B by means of magnetic force, and can switch the state of each chuck pin (50A, 50B) between a holding state and a released state.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the support cup 60 is configured to surround the rotary drive unit 10 and the rotary base 20 in a top view. The support cup 60 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction between the upper support cup position and the lower support cup position by means of the support cup drive unit 60X (FIG. 1). The lower support cup position is the position where the upper end of the support cup 60 is located at a height position lower than the rotary clamp SC (vertical position). The upper support cup position is the position where the upper end of the support cup 60 is located at a height position higher than the substrate W held by the rotary clamp SC.

[0023] When processing the substrate W, the processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supply device 70 to the substrate W, which is held and rotated by the rotating chuck SC. Therefore, the cup 60 is positioned in the upper cup position when processing the substrate W. In this way, the cup 60 catches the processing liquid splashed out from the rotating substrate W. On the other hand, when the substrate W is not being processed by the substrate processing device 1, the cup 60 is positioned in the lower cup position.

[0024] The processing fluid supply device 70 includes a nozzle 71 and a processing fluid supply system 72. The processing fluid supply system 72 includes one or more fluid-related devices such as piping, connectors, valves, pumps, and tanks, and is connected to a processing fluid supply source. The processing fluid supply system 72 supplies processing fluid from the processing fluid supply source to the nozzle 71.

[0025] The nozzle 71 is supported by the nozzle moving device 73 (FIG. 8) in such a way that it can move between a processing position above the rotating chuck SC and a standby position to the side of the rotating chuck SC within the chamber of the substrate processing apparatus 1. With the substrate W held by the rotating chuck SC and the nozzle 71 positioned in the processing position, processing liquid is supplied to the nozzle 71 from the processing liquid supply system 72. Thereby, processing liquid is sprayed from the nozzle 71 onto the substrate W, thus processing the substrate W.

[0026] The substrate detectors 81 and 82 are used to determine whether a portion of the substrate W overlaps with any of the plurality of clamping pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) when the substrate W is placed on the rotating clamp SC. As shown in FIG1, the substrate detectors 81 and 82 are positioned at a height slightly above the upper end of the rotating clamp SC, and more specifically, slightly above the upper end of the plurality of clamping pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B). Furthermore, as shown in FIG2, each substrate detector 81 and 82 includes a light-emitting portion 81A, 82A and a light-receiving portion 81B, 82B.

[0027] The light-projecting part 81A has a light-projecting element. The light-receiving part 81B has a light-receiving element that receives light emitted from the light-projecting part 81A. The light-projecting part 81A and the light-receiving part 81B constitute a transmissive photoelectric sensor. The light-projecting part 81A and the light-receiving part 81B are arranged such that the straight line connecting the light-projecting part 81A and the light-receiving part 81B passes through the reference axis CA and transversely through the rotating clamp SC and the support cup 60 when viewed from above.

[0028] The light-projecting part 82A has a light-projecting element. The light-receiving part 82B has a light-receiving element that receives light emitted from the light-projecting part 82A. The light-projecting part 82A and the light-receiving part 82B constitute a transmissive photoelectric sensor. The light-projecting part 82A and the light-receiving part 82B are arranged such that the straight line connecting the light-projecting part 82A and the light-receiving part 82B passes through the reference axis CA and transversely through the rotating clamp SC and the cup 60 when viewed from above, and is orthogonal to the straight line connecting the light-projecting part 81A and the light-receiving part 81B.

[0029] The control unit 900 controls the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1. Details of the control unit 900 will be described below. In the following description, as shown by the hollow arrow in FIG2, the direction (away from the reference axis CA) in the horizontal plane from the reference axis CA toward the central axis (hereinafter pin PA1 or pin PA2) of each clamping pin (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) is called the radiation direction RD. Furthermore, regarding each clamping pin (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B), the direction in the horizontal plane orthogonal to the radiation direction RD is called the circumferential direction CD.

[0030] 2. Composition of Fixed Clamping Pin 30A Fixed clamping pins 30A, 30B and guide clamping pins 40A, 40B have the same composition. As a representative of these clamping pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B), details of fixed clamping pin 30A will be explained.

[0031] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the fixed clamping pin 30A installed on the rotating base 20. Figure 4 is a top view, a side view, and a side view of the fixed clamping pin 30A in Figure 3. In Figure 4, the top view of the fixed clamping pin 30A is shown at the top. The middle view shows a side view of the fixed clamping pin 30A viewed from the reference axis CA in Figure 1 along the radial direction RD. Furthermore, the bottom view shows another side view of the fixed clamping pin 30A viewed along the circumferential direction CD.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3, the fixing clamp pin 30A includes a substrate support portion 100, a main holding portion 200, and a secondary holding portion 300. The substrate support portion 100 is the part of the fixing clamp pin 30A that is mounted on the rotating base 20 in FIG. 1, and has a cylindrical shape. When the fixing clamp pin 30A is mounted on the rotating base 20, the central axis of the substrate support portion 100 extends parallel to the reference axis CA. That is, the central axis of the substrate support portion 100 extends in the vertical direction.

[0033] In Figures 3 and 4, the central axis of the substrate support 100 is represented by a single-point chain line as a pin PA1 extending in the vertical direction. Also, in Figures 3 and 4, to facilitate understanding of the positional relationship between the fixing clamp pin 30A and the pin PA1, the upper part of the fixing clamp pin 30A that intersects with the pin PA1 is represented by a black dot as the intersection point CP1.

[0034] In the fixed clamping pin 30A, the main holding part 200 is laminated on a portion of the substrate support part 100. Also, the secondary holding part 300 is laminated on a portion of the main holding part 200.

[0035] A support surface 101 is formed in the portion of the upper end of the substrate support portion 100 where the main holding portion 200 is not provided, for supporting the outer peripheral end or the vicinity of the substrate W from below. The support surface 101 has a configuration consisting of a plurality of inclined surfaces 102 connected together. The plurality of inclined surfaces 102 are inclined relative to the horizontal plane in a manner that they are oriented at different oblique upwards. In Figures 3 and 4, the connecting portion of the plurality of inclined surfaces 102 in the support surface 101 is shown as a ridge.

[0036] The main holding portion 200 is formed to protrude upward from the support surface 101 of the substrate support portion 100. The main holding portion 200 is located approximately at the center of the upper end of the substrate support portion 100 and has an abutment surface 210 and two flat surfaces 220. The abutment surface 210 is formed to extend upward from the support surface 101. Furthermore, as shown in the upper part of FIG4, the abutment surface 210, when viewed from above, extends in an arc shape with a fixed length, protruding toward the reference axis CA of FIG1 (protruding in the opposite direction to the radiation direction RD). Moreover, the abutment surface 210 is formed to face the reference axis CA of FIG1 (in the opposite direction to the radiation direction RD).

[0037] When the substrate W is held in the rotating clamp SC, by keeping the movable clamp pin 50B in a held state, a portion of the outer peripheral end of the substrate W presses against a portion of the abutment surface 210 of the fixed clamp pin 30A. Thus, a portion of the outer peripheral end of the substrate W is held by the fixed clamp pin 30A. In the following description, the portion of the abutment surface 210 that the substrate W abuts against when held by the rotating clamp SC is referred to as the abutment portion 211.

[0038] As described above, a secondary retaining portion 300 is laminated on the main retaining portion 200. The secondary retaining portion 300 is located at the center of the main retaining portion 200 in the circumferential direction CD when viewed from above. Two flat surfaces 220 of the main retaining portion 200 are upper end surfaces of the main retaining portion 200, and are arranged such that they are separated from the secondary retaining portion 300 when viewed from above. In this embodiment, each flat surface 220 is formed horizontally.

[0039] The secondary holding portion 300 is formed to extend along the radial direction RD in plan view and has an auxiliary surface 310. Furthermore, as shown in the upper part of FIG4, the secondary holding portion 300 is formed such that the width of the circumferential direction CD gradually increases along the radial direction RD in plan view. Therefore, the secondary holding portion 300 has a generally triangular shape in plan view.

[0040] As shown in Figure 3, the auxiliary surface 310 of the secondary retaining part 300 is formed such that the abutting portion 211 of the abutting surface 210 of the main retaining part 200 extends upward. Furthermore, as shown in the middle of Figure 4, when viewing the fixed clamping pin 30A along the radial direction RD from the reference axis CA in Figure 1, the area of ​​the auxiliary surface 310 of the secondary retaining part 300 is smaller than the area of ​​the abutting surface 210 of the main retaining part 200.

[0041] As shown in the lower box of Figure 4, the height of the abutting portion 211 in the abutting surface 210 of the main retaining portion 200 (the length of the abutting portion 211 in the vertical direction) is called the abutting portion height t11. Furthermore, the height of the auxiliary surface 310 of the secondary retaining portion 300 (the length of the auxiliary surface 310 in the vertical direction) is called the auxiliary portion height t12.

[0042] In this case, when the thickness of the substrate W, which will be the object held by the rotating chuck SC, is set as the substrate thickness, the abutment height t11 ​​is preferably greater than 1 / 2 times and less than 2 times the substrate thickness, more preferably greater than 4 / 5 times and less than 6 / 5 times the substrate thickness. Furthermore, the abutment height t11 ​​is preferably the same as or approximately the same as the substrate thickness. The auxiliary height t12 is the same as or slightly different from the abutment height t11.

[0043] Here, the substrate thickness may be the thickness of the outer peripheral end or periphery of the substrate W which is to be held, as designed in the dimensions, or it may be the actual measured thickness of the outer peripheral end or periphery of the substrate W which is to be held.

[0044] As shown in the lower side view of FIG4, a flat notch surface 103 is formed on the upper half of the fixed clamping pin 30A. The notch surface 103 extends obliquely downward from the upper end of the secondary holding part 300, passes through the main holding part 200, and reaches the approximate central part of the substrate support part 100.

[0045] 3. Features (Effects) of the Configuration of the Fixing Clamp Pin 30A (a) As described above, in the fixing clamp pin 30A, the area of ​​the abutment surface 210 when viewed along the radial direction RD is larger than the area of ​​the auxiliary surface 310 when viewed along the radial direction RD. In this case, the degree of wear of the main holding portion 200 due to the abutment surface 210 between the outer peripheral end of the substrate W and the main holding portion 300 is lower than the degree of wear of the secondary holding portion 300 due to the abutment surface 310 between the outer peripheral end of the substrate W and the auxiliary surface 310. According to the above configuration, the outer peripheral end of the substrate W is held by the abutment surface 210. Therefore, compared with the case where the outer peripheral end of the substrate W is held only by the auxiliary surface 310, the short lifespan of the fixing clamp pin 30A is suppressed.

[0046] (b) When processing the substrate W held in the rotating chuck SC, the rotating base 20 is rotated, and the processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supply device 70 to the rotating substrate W. The processing liquid flows from the reference axis CA toward the outer peripheral end of the substrate W in the radial direction RD by centrifugal force. Also, a portion of the processing liquid flows along the surface of the fixed chuck pin 30A to the outer side of the substrate W. At this time, in the fixed chuck pin 30A, a portion of the processing liquid is mainly caught in the portion located above the upper surface of the substrate W.

[0047] If a large amount of the processing liquid is caught, some processing liquid may remain on the outer periphery of the substrate W. To remove the caught processing liquid, it is conceivable to lower the height of the upper end of the retaining clamp pin 30A. However, in this configuration, deviations in the shape of the substrate W may result in insufficient contact between the retaining clamp pin 30A and the outer periphery of the substrate W. That is, the substrate W may not be able to be stably held.

[0048] Therefore, in addition to the abutment surface 210, the aforementioned fixing clamp pin 30A also has an auxiliary surface 310. The auxiliary surface 310 is formed such that the abutment portion 211 of the abutment surface 210 extends upward. In this way, the auxiliary surface 310 assists the abutment surface 210 in holding the substrate W. Therefore, even if the height of the upper end of the abutment surface 210 is lowered to take into account the residue of the processing liquid, the abutment state of the fixing clamp pin 30A against the outer peripheral end of the substrate W will not be insufficient.

[0049] Furthermore, since the area of ​​the auxiliary surface 310 when viewed along the radiation direction RD is smaller than the area of ​​the contact surface 210 when viewed along the radiation direction RD, the portion of the auxiliary surface 310 located above the upper surface of the substrate W is less likely to retain processing liquid compared to the contact surface 210. This reduces processing defects in the substrate W caused by residual processing liquid.

[0050] As a result, the processing defects of the substrate W can be reduced without reducing the reliability of the substrate W’s retention.

[0051] (c) As described above, the abutment height t11 ​​is preferably greater than 1 / 2 times the substrate thickness and less than 2 times the substrate thickness. In this case, when the substrate W is held by the fixing clamp pin 30A, at least a portion of the outer peripheral end of the substrate W is more likely to properly abut against the abutment portion 211 of the abutment surface 210 of the fixing clamp pin 30A. Therefore, compared with the case where the abutment height t11 ​​is less than 1 / 2 times the substrate thickness, the reliability of the fixing clamp pin 30A in holding the substrate W is improved.

[0052] Furthermore, according to the above configuration, compared to the case where the height t11 ​​of the abutment portion is more than twice the thickness of the substrate, the portion of the abutment surface 210 located above the substrate W when the substrate W is held by the fixing clamp pin 30A can be reduced. This reduces the amount of processing liquid in contact with the abutment surface 210, thereby reducing processing defects in the substrate W caused by processing liquid residue on the abutment surface 210.

[0053] Therefore, when the substrate thickness is 0.8 mm, the abutment height t11 ​​is preferably greater than 0.4 mm and less than 1.6 mm. In this case, compared with the case where the abutment height t11 ​​is less than 0.4 mm, the reliability of the fixing clamp pin 30A in holding the substrate W is improved. Furthermore, compared with the case where the abutment height t11 ​​is 1.6 mm or more, the processing defects of the substrate W caused by the residual processing liquid on the abutment surface 210 can be reduced.

[0054] (d) The sub-holding portion 300 extends along the radial direction RD when viewed from above. In this case, compared with the case where the sub-holding portion 300 extends along the circumferential direction CD when viewed from above, the processing liquid flows smoothly on the surface of the sub-holding portion 300 and the flat surface 220 when processing the substrate W. That is, the processing liquid is less likely to remain in the sub-holding portion 300. This reduces processing defects of the substrate W caused by processing liquid residue.

[0055] (e) The flat surface 220 of the main holding portion 200 functions as a passage for the processing liquid to flow at a position above the main holding portion 200. Therefore, when the height position of the upper surface of the substrate W is the same as or approximately the same as the height position of the flat surface 220, the processing liquid flowing on the substrate W during processing flows smoothly along the flat surface 220 to the outside of the substrate W.

[0056] (f) The fixed clamping pin 30B has the same configuration as the fixed clamping pin 30A. Furthermore, when holding the substrate W, by keeping the movable clamping pin 50A in the holding state, a portion of the outer peripheral end of the substrate W presses against the abutment portion 211 of the abutment surface 210. Therefore, according to the fixed clamping pin 30B, the same effect as that of the fixed clamping pin 30A can be obtained.

[0057] The guide chuck pins 40A and 40B also have the same configuration as the fixed chuck pin 30A. Therefore, according to the guide chuck pins 40A and 40B, similar to the fixed chuck pin 30A, it is possible to reduce the processing defects of the substrate W caused by residual processing liquid.

[0058] Furthermore, the guide clamping pins 40A and 40B are used to restrict the direction of movement of the substrate W when the substrate W is placed on the rotating clamp SC with the movable clamping pins 50A and 50B in the released state. Therefore, when the rotating clamp SC holds the substrate W, the outer peripheral end of the substrate W does not press against each of the guide clamping pins 40A and 40B. That is, the force that clamps and holds the substrate W does not act between the two opposing guide clamping pins 40A and 40B.

[0059] Therefore, when the rotating chuck SC holds the substrate W, the abutting surfaces 210 of the guide chuck pins 40A and 40B can contact the substrate W or move away from the substrate W. Thus, among the abutting surfaces 210 of the guide chuck pins 40A and 40B, the portion of the substrate W that abuts or is closest to the substrate W when the rotating chuck SC holds the substrate W becomes the abutting portion 211.

[0060] 4. The movable clamping pin 50A is constructed as described above, and the movable clamping pins 50A and 50B have the same structure. As a representative of these clamping pins (50A and 50B), the details of the movable clamping pin 50A will be explained.

[0061] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the movable clamping pin 50A mounted on the rotating base 20. Figure 6 is a top view, a side view, and a side view of the movable clamping pin 50A in Figure 5. The movable clamping pin 50A shown in Figures 5 and 6 is in a held state. In Figure 6, the top view of the movable clamping pin 50A is shown at the top. The middle view shows a side view of the movable clamping pin 50A viewed from the reference axis CA in Figure 1 along the radial direction RD. Furthermore, the bottom view shows another side view of the movable clamping pin 50A viewed along the circumferential direction CD.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 5, the movable chuck pin 50A includes a substrate support portion 400, a main holding portion 500, a secondary holding portion 600, and a protrusion 700. The substrate support portion 400 is the part of the movable chuck pin 50A that is mounted on the rotating base 20 in FIG. 1, and has a cylindrical shape. When the movable chuck pin 50A is mounted on the rotating base 20, the central axis of the substrate support portion 400 extends parallel to the reference axis CA. That is, the central axis of the substrate support portion 400 extends in the vertical direction.

[0063] In Figures 5 and 6, the central axis of the substrate support 400 is represented by a single-point chain line as a pin PA2 extending in the vertical direction. Also, in Figures 5 and 6, to facilitate understanding of the positional relationship between the movable clamping pin 50A and the pin PA2, the upper part of the movable clamping pin 50A that intersects with the pin PA2 is represented by a black dot as the intersection point CP2.

[0064] The movable chuck pin 50A, when mounted on the rotating base 20, is supported by the rotating base 20 in a manner that allows it to rotate around the pin shaft PA2 in a first rotation direction CW and a second rotation direction CCW opposite to it. The movable chuck pin 50A has a magnet (not shown) corresponding to the chuck pin drive unit 50X in FIG1. ​​The chuck pin drive unit 50X changes the positional relationship between the magnet of the chuck pin drive unit 50X and the magnet of the movable chuck pin 50A. Thereby, the state of the magnetic field between the two magnets changes, and the movable chuck pin 50A rotates within a fixed angle range (e.g., within an angle range of 90°) in either the first rotation direction CW or the second rotation direction CCW.

[0065] In this embodiment, the movable clamping pin 50A changes from a released state to a held state by rotating along the first rotation direction CW, and changes from a held state to a released state by rotating along the second rotation direction CCW. Details of the transition between the released state and the held state of the movable clamping pin 50A will be described below.

[0066] In the movable clamping pin 50A, the main holding part 500 is laminated on a portion of the substrate support part 400. Furthermore, the secondary holding part 600 and the protrusion 700 are laminated on a portion of the main holding part 500.

[0067] A support surface 401 is formed in the upper end portion of the substrate support portion 400 where the main holding portion 500 is not provided, for supporting the outer peripheral end portion or nearby portion of the substrate W from below. Similar to the support surface 101 of the fixing clamp pin 30A, the support surface 401 has a configuration formed by connecting a plurality of inclined surfaces 402. The plurality of inclined surfaces 402 are inclined relative to the horizontal plane in a manner that they are inclined upwards in different directions. In the figures of Figures 5 and 6, the connecting portion of the plurality of inclined surfaces 402 in the support surface 401 is shown as a ridge.

[0068] The main holding portion 500 is formed to protrude upward from the support surface 401 of the substrate support portion 400. The main holding portion 500 has an abutment surface 510 and two flat surfaces 520A and 520B. The abutment surface 510 is formed to extend upward from the support surface 401. Furthermore, as shown in the upper part of FIG6, the abutment surface 510, when viewed from above, extends in an arc shape with a fixed length, protruding toward the reference axis CA of FIG1 (protruding in the opposite direction to the radiation direction RD). Moreover, at least a portion of the abutment surface 510 is formed to face the reference axis CA of FIG1 (in the opposite direction to the radiation direction RD).

[0069] The pin PA2 is located at a position that is significantly off-center from the center of the arc of the contact surface 510 when viewed from above. Therefore, when the movable chuck pin 50A rotates, the contact surface 510 rotates in a significantly eccentric state.

[0070] When the substrate W is held in the rotating clamp SC, by keeping the movable clamp pin 50A in a holding state, a portion of the outer peripheral end of the substrate W abuts against a portion of the abutting surface 510 of the movable clamp pin 50A. Thus, a portion of the outer peripheral end of the substrate W is held by the movable clamp pin 50A. At this time, the substrate W is pressed against the fixed clamp pin 30B in FIG2. In the following description, the portion of the abutting surface 510 that the substrate W abuts against when held by the rotating clamp SC is referred to as the abutting portion 511.

[0071] When the movable chuck pin 50A switches from the holding state to the released state, the movable chuck pin 50A rotates around the pin shaft PA2 in the second rotation direction CCW, and the abutment portion 511 moves away from the reference axis CA of FIG1. ​​On the other hand, other portions of the abutment surface 510 move closer to the reference axis CA of FIG1. ​​In the following description, the portion of the abutment surface 510 that is closest to the reference axis CA of FIG1 when the movable chuck pin 50A is in the released state is referred to as the shaft-opposing portion 512. The abutment portion 511 and the shaft-opposing portion 512 are separated from each other in top view (see FIG7 below).

[0072] As described above, a secondary holding portion 600 and a protrusion 700 are laminated on the main holding portion 500. The secondary holding portion 600 and the protrusion 700 are arranged to be spaced apart from each other on the main holding portion 500. As shown in the upper part of FIG6, the protrusion 700 is located approximately at the center of the substrate support portion 400 in top view. On the other hand, the secondary holding portion 600 is located between the protrusion 700 and the outer peripheral end of the substrate support portion 400.

[0073] Two flat surfaces 520A and 520B of the main retaining portion 500 are the upper end surfaces of the main retaining portion 500 and are arranged to be separated from the secondary retaining portion 600 in plan view. In this embodiment, each flat surface 520A and 520B is formed horizontally. Flat surface 520A is located between the secondary retaining portion 600 and the protrusion 700 in plan view. In other words, in the movable clamping pin 50A, the secondary retaining portion 600 and the protrusion 700 are arranged to face each other across the flat surface 520A in plan view.

[0074] The secondary holding portion 600 is formed to extend along the radial direction RD in plan view when the movable clamping pin 50A is in the holding state, and has an auxiliary surface 610. Furthermore, as shown in the upper part of FIG6, the secondary holding portion 600 is formed such that the width of the circumferential direction CD gradually increases along the radial direction RD in plan view. Therefore, the secondary holding portion 600 has a generally triangular shape in plan view.

[0075] The protrusion 700 is formed to extend along the radial direction RD in plan view when the movable clamping pin 50A is in the holding state, and has a protruding surface 710. Furthermore, similar to the secondary holding portion 600, the protrusion 700 is formed such that the width of the circumferential direction CD gradually increases along the radial direction RD in plan view. Therefore, the protrusion 700 has a generally triangular shape in plan view.

[0076] As shown in FIG5, the auxiliary surface 610 of the secondary holding part 600 is formed such that the abutting portion 511 of the abutting surface 510 of the main holding part 500 extends upward. Furthermore, as shown in the middle of FIG6, when viewing the movable clamping pin 50A in the holding state along the radial direction RD from the reference axis CA in FIG1, the area of ​​the auxiliary surface 610 of the secondary holding part 600 is smaller than the area of ​​the abutting surface 510 of the main holding part 500.

[0077] As shown in the lower box of Figure 6, the height of the abutting portion 511 in the abutting surface 510 of the main retaining portion 500 (the length of the abutting portion 511 in the vertical direction) is called the abutting portion height t21. Furthermore, the height of the auxiliary surface 610 of the secondary retaining portion 600 (the length of the auxiliary surface 610 in the vertical direction) is called the auxiliary portion height t22.

[0078] In this case, similar to the abutment height t11 ​​of the fixing clamp pin 30A, the abutment height t21 is preferably greater than 1 / 2 times the substrate thickness and less than 2 times the substrate thickness, more preferably greater than 4 / 5 times the substrate thickness and less than 6 / 5 times the substrate thickness. Furthermore, the abutment height t21 is preferably the same as or approximately the same as the substrate thickness. The auxiliary height t22 is the same as or slightly different from the abutment height t21.

[0079] As shown in FIG5, the protruding surface 710 of the protrusion 700 is formed such that the axially opposed portion 512 of the abutment surface 510 of the main retaining portion 500 and its surrounding portion extend upward. The height of the protruding surface 710 of the protrusion 700 is the same as or approximately the same as the height t22 of the auxiliary portion (the box at the bottom of FIG6).

[0080] As shown in the lower part of FIG6, a flat notch surface 403 is formed on the upper half of the movable clamping pin 50A in the holding state. The notch surface 403 extends obliquely downward from the upper end of the secondary holding part 600 and the protrusion 700, passes through the main holding part 500, and reaches the approximate central part of the substrate support part 400.

[0081] Figure 7 is a top view illustrating the transition of the movable clamping pin 50A between the released and held states. In Figure 7, the upper part shows a top view of the movable clamping pin 50A in the held state. The lower part shows a top view of the movable clamping pin 50A in the released state. Furthermore, in each top view of Figure 7, to easily identify the substrate support portion 400, the main holding portion 500, the secondary holding portion 600, and the protrusion 700, these plurality of portions are marked with different patterns (shaded patterns and dotted patterns).

[0082] As shown in the upper part of FIG7, the movable clamping pin 50A is held in a holding state by rotating about the pin shaft PA2 along the first rotation direction CW. At this time, with the secondary holding part 600 and the protrusion 700 extending parallel to each other along the radial direction RD, the abutting part 511 of the main holding part 500 abuts against the outer peripheral end of the substrate W.

[0083] The movable chuck pin 50A, which is in the held state, rotates in the second rotation direction CCW with the pin shaft PA2 as the center. This releases the movable chuck pin 50A. At this time, the extending directions of the secondary holding portion 600 and the protrusion 700 are approximately orthogonal to the radial direction RD. Furthermore, the axially opposed portion 512 is closer to the reference shaft CA in FIG1 than the abutting portion 511.

[0084] Normally, if the clamping pin is used continuously, the portion of the clamping pin that abuts the substrate W will wear down. If the wear causes a concave defect in the clamping pin, the outer peripheral end of the substrate W may become embedded in the defect when the clamping pin holds the substrate W. In this case, it is difficult to release the substrate W from the clamping pin.

[0085] In contrast, in the movable clamping pin 50A described above, when switching from the holding state to the releasing state, the abutting portion 511 of the abutting surface 510 moves away from the reference axis CA of FIG1, and the axially opposed portion 512 of the abutting surface 510 moves closer to the reference axis CA.

[0086] Therefore, even when the outer peripheral end of the substrate W is inserted into the abutment portion 511 of the abutment surface 510 in the assumed holding state, when switching from the holding state to the release state, the outer peripheral end of the substrate W will slide from the abutment portion 511 to the axially opposed portion 512 on the abutment surface 510. In this way, the outer peripheral end of the substrate W is forcibly pulled out from the abutment portion 511.

[0087] In the lower part of Figure 7, the dotted line indicates the state of the substrate W, which is not inserted into the abutment portion 511 and is released from the movable clamping pin 50A. Also, the two-dot chain line indicates the state of the substrate W, which is inserted into the abutment portion 511 at the outer peripheral end of the substrate W, and is pulled out from the abutment portion 511 by changing the movable clamping pin 50A from the holding state to the released state.

[0088] Thus, according to the movable chuck pin 50A, the occurrence of poor release of the substrate in the rotating chuck SC is suppressed.

[0089] 5. Features (Effects) of the Configuration of the Movable Clamping Pin 50A (a) As described above, in the movable clamping pin 50A in the holding state, the area of ​​the abutment surface 510 when viewed along the radial direction RD is larger than the area of ​​the auxiliary surface 610 when viewed along the radial direction RD. In this case, the degree of wear of the main holding portion 500 due to the abutment surface 510 between the outer peripheral end of the substrate W and the main holding portion 500 is lower than the degree of wear of the secondary holding portion 600 due to the abutment surface 610 between the outer peripheral end of the substrate W and the auxiliary surface 610. According to the above configuration, the outer peripheral end of the substrate W is held by the abutment surface 510. Therefore, compared with the case where the outer peripheral end of the substrate W is held only by the auxiliary surface 610, the short lifespan of the movable clamping pin 50A is suppressed.

[0090] (b) In addition to the abutment surface 510, the movable clamping pin 50A also has an auxiliary surface 610. The auxiliary surface 610 is formed such that the abutment portion 511 of the abutment surface 510 extends upward. In this way, the auxiliary surface 610 assists the abutment surface 510 in holding the substrate W. Therefore, even if the height of the upper end of the abutment surface 510 is lowered to take into account the residue of the processing liquid, the abutment state of the movable clamping pin 50A against the outer peripheral end of the substrate W will not be insufficient.

[0091] Furthermore, since the area of ​​the auxiliary surface 610 when the movable clamping pin 50A in the held state is observed along the radial direction RD is smaller than the area of ​​the contact surface 510 when observed along the radial direction RD, the portion of the auxiliary surface 610 located above the upper surface of the substrate W is less likely to retain processing liquid compared to the contact surface 510. This reduces processing defects in the substrate W caused by processing liquid residue.

[0092] As a result, the processing defects of the substrate W can be reduced without reducing the reliability of the substrate W’s retention.

[0093] (c) As described above, the abutment height t21 is preferably greater than 1 / 2 times the substrate thickness and less than 2 times the substrate thickness. In this case, when the substrate W is held by the movable clamping pin 50A, at least a portion of the outer peripheral end of the substrate W is more likely to properly abut against the abutment portion 511 of the abutment surface 510 of the movable clamping pin 50A. Therefore, compared with the case where the abutment height t21 is less than 1 / 2 times the substrate thickness, the reliability of holding the substrate W by the movable clamping pin 50A is improved.

[0094] Furthermore, according to the above configuration, compared to the case where the height t21 of the abutment portion is more than twice the thickness of the substrate, the portion of the abutment surface 510 located above the substrate W when the substrate W is held by the movable clamping pin 50A can be reduced. This reduces processing defects in the substrate W caused by processing liquid residue remaining on the abutment surface 510.

[0095] Therefore, similar to the example of the abutment height t11 ​​of the fixed clamping pin 30A, when the substrate thickness is 0.8 mm, the abutment height t21 is preferably greater than 0.4 mm and less than 1.6 mm. In this case, compared with the case where the abutment height t21 is less than 0.4 mm, the reliability of the movable clamping pin 50A in holding the substrate W is improved. Furthermore, compared with the case where the abutment height t21 is 1.6 mm or more, the processing defects of the substrate W caused by the residual processing liquid on the abutment surface 210 can be reduced.

[0096] (d) When the movable clamping pin 50A is in the holding state, the sub-holding portion 600 and the protrusion 700 extend parallel to the radial direction RD when viewed from above. In this case, compared with the case where the sub-holding portion 600 and the protrusion 700 extend circumferentially CD when viewed from above, the processing liquid flows smoothly on the surfaces of the sub-holding portion 600 and the protrusion 700 and the flat surfaces 520A and 520B when processing the substrate W. That is, the processing liquid is less likely to remain in the sub-holding portion 600 and the protrusion 700. This reduces the processing defects of the substrate W caused by the residue of the processing liquid.

[0097] (e) The flat surfaces 520A and 520B of the main holding portion 500 function as passageways for the flow of the processing liquid above the main holding portion 500. Therefore, when the height position of the upper surface of the substrate W is the same as or approximately the same as the height position of the flat surface 220, the processing liquid flowing on the substrate W during processing flows smoothly along the flat surfaces 520A and 520B to the outside of the substrate W.

[0098] (f) The movable clamping pin 50B has the same configuration as the movable clamping pin 50A. Furthermore, when holding the substrate W, by keeping the movable clamping pin 50B in the holding state, a portion of the outer peripheral end of the substrate W abuts against the abutting portion 511 of the abutting surface 510. Thus, a portion of the outer peripheral end of the substrate W is held by the movable clamping pin 50B. At this time, the substrate W is pressed against the fixed clamping pin 30A in FIG2. Therefore, according to the movable clamping pin 50B, the same effect as that of the movable clamping pin 50A can be obtained.

[0099] 6. Control System of Substrate Processing Apparatus 1 The configuration of the control system of substrate processing apparatus 1 and the control unit 900 of FIG1 will be described. FIG8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of substrate processing apparatus 1 of FIG1. ​​As shown in FIG8, the control unit 900 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901, RAM (Random Access Memory) 902, ROM (Read-Only Memory) 903, and a memory device 904. RAM 902 is used as the operating area of ​​CPU 901. The system program is stored in ROM 903. The memory device 904 includes a memory medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory, and stores the substrate processing program. In this example, the substrate processing program is a program used to supply processing liquid to substrate W.

[0100] Here, the substrate processing program in Figure 8 can be stored in a recording medium such as CD-ROM 909 and installed in ROM 903 or memory device 904. Alternatively, the substrate processing program can be transmitted from an external server of substrate processing device 1 via a communication network and installed in ROM 903 or memory device 904. The CPU 901 executes the substrate processing program to control the operation of each part of substrate processing device 1.

[0101] A rotary encoder 12 is provided in the rotary drive unit 10. The rotary encoder 12 detects the rotation amount of the rotor (not shown) of the rotary drive unit 10 and outputs a signal indicating the rotation amount. The control unit 900 controls the rotary drive unit 10 based on the signal output by the rotary encoder 12. This causes the rotary chuck SC to rotate at a predetermined speed. Furthermore, the rotational position (rotation angle) of the rotary chuck SC is adjusted.

[0102] Furthermore, the control unit 900 controls the nozzle moving device 73. This causes the nozzle 71 in FIG1 to move between a processing position and a standby position within the chamber. Also, the control unit 900 controls the processing fluid supply system 72. This supplies processing fluid to the nozzle 71 in FIG1.

[0103] Furthermore, the control unit 900 controls the chuck pin drive unit 50X. Herein, the state of the movable chuck pins 50A and 50B of the rotating chuck SC is switched between a holding state and a released state.

[0104] Furthermore, the control unit 900 controls the cup drive unit 60X. Thereby, based on the handover time of the substrate W to the rotating chuck SC and the time when the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate W, the cup 60 in FIG1 moves between the upper cup position and the lower cup position.

[0105] Furthermore, the control unit 900 controls the substrate detectors 81 and 82. Specifically, the control unit 900 controls the light-emitting part 81A of the substrate detector 81 to emit light from the light-emitting part 81A to the light-receiving part 81B. Furthermore, the control unit 900 controls the light-emitting part 82A of the substrate detector 82 to emit light from the light-emitting part 82A to the light-receiving part 82B.

[0106] When the control unit 900 controls the substrate detectors 81 and 82, it outputs a light-receiving signal representing the amount of light received by each of the light-receiving elements of the light-receiving parts 81B and 82B. This light-receiving signal is provided to the control unit 900. In this case, the control unit 900 determines, based on the light-receiving signal provided by the substrate detectors 81 and 82 (light-receiving parts 81B and 82B), whether a portion of the substrate W is attached to any one of the plurality of clamping pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B).

[0107] For example, when a portion of the substrate W overlaps any one of the plurality of clamping pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B), a portion of the substrate W is positioned above the rotating clamping plate SC. This blocks the light path between the light-emitting section 81A and the light-receiving section 81B. Alternatively, it blocks the light path between the light-emitting section 82A and the light-receiving section 82B. Therefore, when the light-receiving signal output from either the light-receiving section 81B or 82B indicates a light-receiving amount of "0", the control unit 900 determines that a portion of the substrate W overlaps with the clamping pin. On the other hand, when the light-receiving signal output from the light-receiving section 81B or 82B indicates a light-receiving amount greater than "0", the control unit 900 determines that the substrate W is properly placed on the rotating clamping plate SC.

[0108] As shown in FIG8, the substrate processing apparatus 1 further includes an alarm device 910 and an operation unit 920. The alarm device 910 is an output device that outputs an alarm. The alarm device 910 may include a display device that displays an image of an anomaly, a warning light that notifies of an anomaly, and an audio output device that outputs an audio signal of an anomaly. For example, when the control unit 900 determines, based on the detection results of the substrate detectors 81 and 82, that the substrate W is attached to the rotating chuck SC, it controls the alarm device 910 to output an alarm. On the other hand, when the control unit 900 determines that the substrate W is properly placed on the rotating chuck SC, it keeps the alarm device 910 in a stopped state.

[0109] The operation unit 920 includes a keyboard and a pointing device, and is configured to be operated by a user. By operating the operation unit 920, the user can set various operating conditions of the board processing device 1.

[0110] 7. Effects of the Embodiment (a) Each clamping pin (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) in this embodiment includes a main holding portion 200, 500 and a secondary holding portion 300, 600. Thereby, the processing defects of the substrate W can be reduced without reducing the reliability of holding the substrate W.

[0111] (b) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, when the substrate W is placed on the rotating chuck SC, that is, when the rotating chuck SC receives the substrate W, the movable chuck pins 50A and 50B remain in the released state. At this time, the substrate W is preferably placed on the support surfaces 101 and 401 of the plurality of chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B). However, due to errors in the conveying action of the conveying robot arm on the substrate W, the substrate W may not be placed in the proper position on the rotating chuck SC. In this case, if the movable chuck pins 50A and 50B change to the holding state, the substrate W is more likely not to be properly held by the rotating chuck SC.

[0112] Therefore, in the movable chuck pins 50A and 50B, a protrusion 700 is formed on the main holding portion 500. The protrusion 700 has a protruding surface 710 that extends the shaft-opposing portion 512 upward. Therefore, when the movable chuck pin 50A is in the released state, the protrusion 700 is closer to the reference axis CA (see the lower part of Figure 7) than the flat surfaces 520A and 520B of the main holding portion 500 and the secondary holding portion 600.

[0113] Therefore, assuming that the substrate W is placed on the rotating chuck SC in a manner that overlaps with the main holding portion 500 of the movable chuck pin 50A, the substrate W at least overlaps with the protrusion 700 of the movable chuck pin 50A. In this case, by using substrate detectors 81 and 82 to determine the overlap of the substrate W, the reception defect of the substrate W in the rotating chuck SC can be easily and accurately determined based on the determination result.

[0114] Furthermore, in the movable clamping pin 50A, the secondary holding portion 600 and the protrusion 700 are arranged to face each other across the flat surface 520A when viewed from above. This prevents the substrate W from merely overlapping the flat surfaces 520A and 520B without overlapping the secondary holding portion 600 and the protrusion 700. As a result, the occurrence of poor reception of the substrate W, where the substrate detectors 81 and 82 cannot determine the overlap of the substrate W, is suppressed.

[0115] 8. Other embodiments (a) In the rotary chuck SC of the above embodiment, the auxiliary holding portions 300 of the fixed chuck pins 30A, 30B and the guide chuck pins 40A, 40B extend along the radial direction RD in plan view. Furthermore, the auxiliary holding portions 600 of the movable chuck pins 50A, 50B in the holding state extend along the radial direction RD in plan view. However, the present invention is not limited to these.

[0116] FIG9 is a schematic top view of a rotating chuck SC according to another embodiment. As shown in FIG9, the secondary holding portion 300 of the fixed chuck pins 30A, 30B and the guide chuck pins 40A, 40B in this example has a length shape that extends in a direction inclined relative to the radial direction RD. Furthermore, the secondary holding portion 600 of the movable chuck pins 50A, 50B in this example has a length shape that extends in a direction inclined relative to the radial direction RD when the movable chuck pins 50A, 50B are in the holding state.

[0117] In this case, compared to the case where the sub-holding portions 300 and 600 are formed to extend circumferentially along the CD when viewed from above, when processing the substrate W held in the rotating chuck SC, the processing liquid flows smoothly on the sub-holding portions 300 and 600. That is, the processing liquid is less likely to remain in the sub-holding portions 300 and 600.

[0118] Furthermore, the gas surrounding the substrate W is guided by the secondary holding portions 300 and 600 of the rotating chuck SC, forming a smooth flow around the substrate W. This suppresses turbulence generated within the space surrounding the substrate W due to the secondary holding portions 300 and 600. As a result, processing defects in the substrate W caused by turbulence are reduced.

[0119] (b) In the clamping pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) of the above embodiments, the support surfaces 101 and 401 are configured to be connected by a plurality of inclined surfaces 102 and 402, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The support surfaces 101 and 401 may include a flat surface or an inclined surface.

[0120] (c) In the clamping pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) of the above embodiments, the flat surfaces 220, 520A, and 520B of the main holding portions 200 and 500 are formed horizontally, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The flat surfaces 220, 520A, and 520B may also be formed to be inclined relative to the horizontal direction.

[0121] (d) In the clamping pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) of the above embodiments, the secondary retaining portions 300 and 600 have a length shape extending in one direction when viewed from above, and have a generally triangular shape, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The secondary retaining portions 300 and 600 may also have an elliptical shape extending in one direction when viewed from above, or may also have a rectangular shape extending in one direction when viewed from above. Alternatively, the secondary retaining portions 300 and 600 may not have a length shape when viewed from above. For example, the secondary retaining portions 300 and 600 may be formed as square rods or round rods having auxiliary surfaces 310 and 610.

[0122] (e) In the clamping pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) of the above embodiments, the substrate support portions 100 and 400 have a cylindrical shape, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The substrate support portions 100 and 400 may also have a prismatic shape or an elliptical cylindrical shape.

[0123] (f) The rotary chuck SC of the above embodiment is provided with 6 chuck pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B), but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the rotary chuck SC is provided with a plurality of chuck pins capable of holding the substrate W, it is acceptable. Therefore, the number of chuck pins provided on the rotary chuck SC can be 3, 4, 5, or more than 7. In this case, it is preferable that at least one of the plurality of chuck pins, such as the movable chuck pin 50A, is configured to switch between a holding state and a released state.

[0124] (g) The clamping pins (30A, 30B, 40A, 40B, 50A, 50B) of the above embodiments have substrate support portions 100 and 400, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The clamping pins may also not have substrate support portions 100 and 400. In this case, in addition to the clamping pins, the rotating base 20 may also be provided with members that support the outer peripheral end or lower surface of the substrate W.

[0125] (h) In the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the above embodiment, the substrate W that is held by the rotating chuck SC has a circular shape except for the groove forming portion, but the present invention is not limited to this. The substrate W that is held by the rotating chuck SC is not limited to a circular shape, and may also have a rectangular shape.

[0126] 9. Correspondence between the various parts of the implementation method and the various components of the technical solution The following will explain examples of the correspondence between the various components of the technical solution and the various components of the implementation method. Various other elements having the structure or function described in the technical solution may also be used as the various components of the technical solution.

[0127] In the above embodiment, the reference axis CA is an example of a reference axis, the rotating base 20 is an example of a base component, the fixed clamping pins 30A and 30B, the guide clamping pins 40A and 40B and the movable clamping pins 50A and 50B are examples of clamping pins, the abutting surfaces 210 and 510 are examples of abutting surfaces, and the main holding parts 200 and 500 are examples of main holding parts.

[0128] Furthermore, auxiliary surfaces 310 and 610 are examples of auxiliary surfaces, secondary holding parts 300 and 600 are examples of secondary holding parts, abutting parts 211 and 511 are examples of parts of abutting surfaces, supporting surfaces 101 and 401 are examples of supporting surfaces, substrate supporting parts 100 and 400 are examples of substrate supporting parts, radiation direction RD is an example of radiation direction, rotating chuck SC is an example of substrate holding device, rotating base 20 is an example of base member, rotation drive part 10 is an example of rotation drive part, and chuck pin drive part 50X is an example of chuck pin drive part.

[0129] Furthermore, the movable chuck pins 50A and 50B are examples of one of a plurality of chuck pins, the pin shaft PA2 is an example of a pin shaft, the shaft-facing portion 512 is an example of other parts of the abutment surface, the first rotation direction CW is an example of a first direction, the second rotation direction CCW is an example of a second direction, the substrate detectors 81 and 82 and the control unit 900 are examples of substrate detection units, the flat surfaces 520A and 520B are examples of flat surfaces, the protrusion 700 is an example of a protrusion, and the protruding surface 710 is an example of a protruding surface.

[0130] 10. Summary of Embodiments (Item 1) The clamping pin of Item 1 is provided on a base member that rotates about a reference axis extending in the vertical direction, and holds a substrate disposed above the base member, and includes: a main holding portion having an abutment surface facing the reference axis when disposed on the base member; and a secondary holding portion having an auxiliary surface facing the reference axis when disposed on the base member, and being deposited on the main holding portion; wherein the abutment surface is formed to extend in the vertical direction and has a fixed length when viewed from above, a portion of the abutment surface is formed to abut against the outer edge of the substrate disposed on the base member to hold the substrate, and the auxiliary surface is formed such that a portion of the abutment surface extends upward, and the area of ​​the auxiliary surface is smaller than the area of ​​the abutment surface when viewed from the reference axis when disposed on the base member.

[0131] In this clamping pin, the area of ​​the abutment surface when viewed from the reference axis is larger than the area of ​​the auxiliary surface when viewed from the reference axis. In this case, the degree of wear on the abutment surface due to the contact between the outer edge of the substrate and the abutment surface is lower than the degree of wear on the auxiliary surface due to the contact between the outer edge of the substrate and the auxiliary surface. According to the above configuration, the outer edge of the substrate is held by the abutment surface. Therefore, compared with the case where the outer edge of the substrate is held only by the auxiliary surface, the short lifespan of the clamping pin is suppressed.

[0132] When processing a substrate held on a base member, the base member is rotated to supply processing liquid to the substrate. The processing liquid flows from the reference axis toward the outer edge of the substrate by centrifugal force. Also, a portion of the processing liquid flows along the surface of the clamping pin to the outer side of the substrate. At this time, a portion of the processing liquid is caught in the clamping pin, mainly in the portion located above the upper surface of the substrate.

[0133] If a large amount of processing liquid is caught, it may remain on the outer edge of the substrate. To remove the caught processing liquid, it is conceivable to set the height of the upper end of the clamping pin to be the same as or approximately the same as the upper surface of the substrate. However, in this configuration, deviations in the shape of the substrate may result in insufficient contact between the clamping pin and the outer edge of the substrate. That is, the substrate may not be able to be stably held.

[0134] Therefore, in addition to the contact surface for holding the substrate by abutting against the outer edge of the substrate, the aforementioned clamping pin also has an auxiliary surface. The auxiliary surface is formed such that a portion of the contact surface that abuts against the outer edge of the substrate extends upward, assisting the contact surface in holding the substrate. Therefore, even when the height of the upper end of the contact surface is lowered to the same or approximately the same height as the upper surface of the substrate, considering the possibility of residual processing liquid, the contact state of the clamping pin against the outer edge of the substrate will not be insufficient. Furthermore, since the area of ​​the auxiliary surface when viewed from the reference axis is smaller than the area of ​​the contact surface when viewed from the reference axis, the portion of the auxiliary surface located above the upper surface of the substrate is less likely to retain processing liquid compared to the contact surface. This reduces substrate processing defects caused by residual processing liquid.

[0135] As a result, substrate processing defects can be reduced without reducing the reliability of substrate retention.

[0136] (Item 2) The clamping pin described in Item 1 may also include a substrate support portion, which is mounted on the base member and has a support surface formed to support the outer edge of the substrate or its vicinity from below. The main holding portion is deposited on the substrate support portion and is provided thereon. The abutment surface is formed to extend upward from the support surface. When the thickness of the substrate is set as the substrate thickness and the height of the abutment portion in the direction parallel to the reference axis is set as the abutment portion height, the abutment portion height is greater than 1 / 2 times the substrate thickness and less than 2 times the substrate thickness.

[0137] In this case, when the substrate is held by the clamping pin, there is a higher probability that at least a portion of the outer edge of the substrate will properly abut against a portion of the abutting surface of the clamping pin. As a result, the reliability of substrate holding is improved compared to the case where the height of the abutting portion is less than 1 / 2 times the thickness of the substrate.

[0138] Furthermore, according to the above configuration, compared to the case where the height of the abutment portion is more than twice the thickness of the substrate, the portion of the abutment surface located above the substrate when the substrate is held by the clamping pin can be reduced. This further reduces substrate processing defects caused by processing liquid residue on the abutment surface.

[0139] (Item 3) The clamping pin described in Item 1 may also include a substrate support portion, which is mounted on the base member and has a support surface formed to support the outer edge of the substrate or its vicinity from below. The main holding portion is deposited on the substrate support portion and is provided thereon. The abutment surface is formed to extend upward from the support surface. When the height of the abutment surface in a direction parallel to the reference axis is set as the abutment portion height, the abutment portion height is greater than 0.4 mm and less than 1.6 mm.

[0140] In this case, compared with the case where the height of the contact portion is 0.4 mm or less, the reliability of the substrate retention is improved. Furthermore, according to the above configuration, compared with the case where the height of the contact portion is 1.6 mm or more, the substrate processing defects caused by the residue of processing liquid on the contact surface can be further reduced.

[0141] (Item 4) In any of the clamping pins described in Items 1 to 3, when the aforementioned portion of the aforementioned abutting surface abuts against the outer edge of the aforementioned substrate to hold the aforementioned substrate, the aforementioned secondary holding portion has a length shape extending in a radial direction away from the aforementioned reference axis when viewed from above.

[0142] In this case, compared to the case where the sub-holding portion is formed to extend in a direction orthogonal to the radial direction when viewed from above, the processing liquid flows smoothly on the sub-holding portion when processing the substrate held on the base member. That is, the processing liquid is less likely to remain in the sub-holding portion. This reduces the processing defects of the substrate caused by the residue of the processing liquid.

[0143] (Item 5) In any of the clamping pins described in Items 1 to 3, when the aforementioned portion of the aforementioned abutting surface abuts against the outer edge of the aforementioned substrate to hold the aforementioned substrate, the aforementioned secondary holding portion has a length shape extending in a direction inclined toward the radial direction away from the aforementioned reference axis when viewed from above.

[0144] In this case, compared to the case where the sub-holding portion is formed to extend in a direction orthogonal to the radial direction when viewed from above, when processing the substrate held on the base member, the processing liquid flows smoothly on the sub-holding portion. That is, the processing liquid is less likely to remain in the sub-holding portion.

[0145] Furthermore, the gas surrounding the substrate is guided by the secondary holding portion of the clamping pin, forming a smooth flow around the substrate. This suppresses turbulence generated within the space surrounding the substrate due to the secondary holding portion. As a result, substrate processing defects caused by turbulence are reduced.

[0146] (Item 6) The substrate holding device of Item 6 includes: a base member configured to rotate about a reference axis extending in the vertical direction; a rotation drive unit that rotates the base member about the reference axis; a plurality of clamping pins mounted on the base member; and a clamping pin drive unit; wherein each clamping pin is a clamping pin described in any one of Items 1 to 5, at least one of the plurality of clamping pins is mounted in a manner that allows it to rotate relative to the base member about a pin shaft parallel to the reference axis, and the clamping pin drive unit is configured such that by rotating the at least one clamping pin about the pin shaft, the at least one clamping pin can be switched between a holding state in which it abuts against the outer edge of the substrate to hold the substrate and a releasing state in which it can move away from the outer edge of the substrate.

[0147] The substrate holding device includes a plurality of the aforementioned clamping pins. At least one of the clamping pins can be easily switched between a holding state and a released state by rotation about a pin axis. In this way, the substrate disposed on the base member can be easily held. Furthermore, the substrate held on the base member can be easily released to a removable state.

[0148] (Item 7) In the substrate holding device described in Item 6, the at least one clamping pin may switch from the released state to the holding state by rotating about the pin shaft in a first direction, and switch from the holding state to the released state by rotating about the pin shaft in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The abutting surface of the at least one clamping pin is formed such that when the at least one clamping pin switches from the released state to the holding state, a portion of the abutting surface is close to the reference axis and abuts against the substrate, and the other portion of the abutting surface is far away from the reference axis. When the at least one clamping pin switches from the holding state to the released state, a portion of the abutting surface is far away from the reference axis, and the other portion of the abutting surface is close to the reference axis and abuts against the substrate.

[0149] If the clamping pin is used continuously, a portion of the contact surface will wear down. If wear causes a concave defect to form on a portion of the contact surface, the outer edge of the substrate may become embedded in the defect when the clamping pin holds the substrate. In this case, it is difficult to release the substrate.

[0150] In contrast, in the aforementioned at least one clamping pin, when switching from the holding state to the release state, a portion of the abutment surface moves away from the reference axis, while the other portion of the abutment surface abuts against the substrate close to the reference axis. Therefore, even when the outer edge of the substrate is embedded in a portion of the abutment surface in the assumed holding state, when switching from the holding state to the release state, the outer edge of the substrate is forcibly pulled out from a portion of the abutment surface. Thus, the occurrence of substrate release defects in the substrate holding device is suppressed.

[0151] (Item 8) In the substrate holding device described in Item 7, the abutting surface of the at least one clamping pin may also have an arc shape in plan view and be configured to be eccentric relative to the pin shaft, wherein the portion of the abutting surface is separated from the other portions in plan view.

[0152] In this case, the occurrence of poor release of the substrate in the substrate holding device is suppressed by means of a simple structure.

[0153] (Item 9) In the substrate holding device described in Item 7 or 8, a substrate detection unit may also be provided, which detects whether a portion of the substrate exists at a position above the upper end of the plurality of clamping pins, and the main holding portion of each clamping pin has a flat surface facing upward, and the at least one clamping pin further includes a protrusion provided on the main holding portion, and in the at least one clamping pin, the secondary holding portion and the protrusion are arranged to face each other across the flat surface when viewed from above.

[0154] According to the above configuration, the main holding part has a flat surface. In this case, the flat surface functions as a passage for the liquid to flow at a position above the main holding part.

[0155] When a substrate to be held is transferred to the substrate holding device, at least one clamping pin remains in the released state. At this time, the substrate is preferably placed on the support surface of the plurality of clamping pins. However, if a portion of the substrate overlaps with the aforementioned flat surface due to errors in the transfer operation, the substrate cannot be properly held even if at least one clamping pin is switched to the holding state. Furthermore, in this case, since a portion of the substrate does not overlap with the sub-holding part, it is also impossible to perform detection using the substrate detection unit.

[0156] Therefore, a protrusion is provided on at least one clamping pin. In this case, when the substrate to be held is transported to the substrate holding device, the overlap of a portion of the substrate with the flat surface of the main holding portion is reduced. Furthermore, if it is assumed that a portion of the substrate overlaps with the protrusion, the presence of a portion of the substrate at a position higher than the upper ends of a plurality of clamping pins can be determined based on the detection results of the substrate detection unit.

[0157] As a result, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of poor reception of the transported substrate and to accurately grasp the occurrence of poor reception when it occurs.

[0158] (Item 10) In the substrate holding device described in Item 9, the protrusion may also have a protruding surface facing the reference axis when the at least one clamping pin is in the released state, and the protruding surface is formed such that the other part of the abutment surface extends upward.

[0159] In this case, the simple structure can reduce the occurrence of poor reception of the transported substrate, and accurately grasp the occurrence of poor reception when it occurs. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0011] FIG1 is a schematic side view showing the basic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG2 is a schematic top view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG1. ​​FIG3 is an external perspective view of the fixed clamping pin mounted on the rotating base. FIG4 is a top view, a side view and a side view of the fixed clamping pin of FIG3. FIG5 is an external perspective view of the movable clamping pin mounted on the rotating base. FIG6 is a top view, a side view and a side view of the movable clamping pin of FIG5. FIG7 is a top view illustrating the transition of the movable clamping pin between the released state and the held state. FIG8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG1. ​​FIG9 is a schematic top view of a rotating chuck according to another embodiment.

Claims

1. A clamping pin disposed on a base member that rotates about a reference axis extending in a vertical direction, holding a substrate disposed above the base member, and comprising: a main holding portion having an abutment surface facing the reference axis when disposed on the base member; and a secondary holding portion having an auxiliary surface facing the reference axis when disposed on the base member, and being deposited on the main holding portion; wherein the abutment surface is formed to extend in a vertical direction and has a fixed length when viewed from above, a portion of the abutment surface is formed to abut against the outer edge of the substrate disposed on the base member to hold the substrate, the auxiliary surface is formed such that a portion of the abutment surface extends upward, the area of ​​the auxiliary surface is smaller than the area of ​​the abutment surface when viewed from the reference axis when disposed on the base member; and the auxiliary surface is formed flush upward from a portion of the abutment surface and does not protrude in the direction toward the reference axis when viewed from above.

2. The clamping pin of claim 1 further includes a substrate support portion mounted on the base member, having a support surface formed to support the outer edge of the substrate or its vicinity from below, and the main holding portion is deposited on the substrate support portion and the abutment surface is formed to extend upward from the support surface. When the thickness of the substrate is defined as the substrate thickness, and the height of the aforementioned portion of the abutment surface in a direction parallel to the reference axis is defined as the abutment portion height, the abutment portion height is greater than 1 / 2 times the substrate thickness and less than 2 times the substrate thickness.

3. The clamping pin of claim 1 further includes a substrate support portion mounted on the base member, having a support surface formed to support the outer edge of the substrate or its vicinity from below, and the main holding portion is deposited on the substrate support portion and disposed thereon, the abutment surface being formed to extend upward from the support surface, and when the height of the aforementioned portion of the abutment surface in a direction parallel to the reference axis is set as the abutment portion height, the abutment portion height is greater than 0.4 mm and less than 1.6 mm.

4. The clamping pin of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the aforementioned portion of the aforementioned abutting surface abuts against the outer edge of the aforementioned substrate to hold the aforementioned substrate, the aforementioned secondary holding portion has a length shape extending in a radial direction away from the aforementioned reference axis when viewed from above.

5. The clamping pin of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the aforementioned portion of the aforementioned abutting surface abuts against the outer edge of the aforementioned substrate to hold the aforementioned substrate, the aforementioned secondary holding portion has a length shape extending in a direction inclined toward a radial direction away from the aforementioned reference axis when viewed from above.

6. A substrate holding device comprising: a base member configured to rotate about a reference axis extending in a vertical direction; a rotation drive unit that rotates the base member about the reference axis; a plurality of clamping pins mounted on the base member; and a clamping pin drive unit; wherein each clamping pin is a clamping pin as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, at least one of the plurality of clamping pins is mounted in a manner rotatable relative to the base member about a pin axis parallel to the reference axis, and the clamping pin drive unit is configured such that by rotating the at least one clamping pin about the pin axis, the at least one clamping pin can be switched between a holding state in which it abuts against the outer edge of the substrate to hold the substrate and a releasing state in which it can move away from the outer edge of the substrate.

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

8. The substrate holding device of claim 7, wherein the abutment surface of the at least one clamping pin has an arc shape in plan view and is configured to be eccentric relative to the pin shaft, and the portion of the abutment surface is spaced apart from the other portions in plan view.

9. The substrate holding device of claim 7 further includes a substrate detection unit that detects whether a portion of the substrate exists at a position above the upper end of the plurality of clamping pins, and the main holding portion of each clamping pin has an upward-facing flat surface, and the at least one clamping pin further includes a protrusion deposited on the main holding portion, wherein the secondary holding portion and the protrusion are arranged to face each other across the flat surface when viewed from above.

10. The substrate holding device of claim 9, wherein the protrusion has a protruding surface facing the reference axis when the at least one clamping pin is in the released state, and the protruding surface is formed such that the other portion of the abutment surface extends upward.

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