Substrate processing device, and substrate processing method

Abstract

This substrate processing device comprises: a first electrostatic chuck that has a first electrode and a second electrode to which a voltage is applied, and that attracts and holds a first substrate; a first sensor that measures the capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a control circuit. The control circuit performs control for applying a first voltage across the first electrode and the second electrode and measuring the capacitance by means of the first sensor after the first substrate and the first electrostatic chuck are brought into contact with each other, control for determining whether the material of the first substrate is a first material by using the measurement value from the first sensor, and control for, when the material of the first substrate is the first material, applying a second voltage larger than the first voltage across the first electrode and the second electrode and attracting the first substrate onto the first electrostatic chuck.

Description

Substrate Processing Apparatus and Substrate Processing Method

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

[0002] The bonding apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a first holding unit that holds a first substrate, a second holding unit that holds a second substrate, and a pressing mechanism that bonds the first substrate and the second substrate by relatively moving the first holding unit and the second holding unit. The first holding unit electrostatically adsorbs the first substrate, and the second holding unit electrostatically adsorbs the second substrate.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-216500

[0004] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a technique capable of suppressing dielectric breakdown of an electrostatic chuck.

[0005] A substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first electrode and a second electrode to which a voltage is applied, a first electrostatic chuck that adsorbs a first substrate, a first sensor that measures a capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a control circuit. The control circuit performs control to apply a first voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode and measure the capacitance with the first sensor after the first substrate comes into contact with the first electrostatic chuck, control to determine whether the material of the first substrate is a first material using the measured value of the first sensor, and control to apply a second voltage greater than the first voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode and adsorb the first substrate to the first electrostatic chuck when the material of the first substrate is the first material.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, dielectric breakdown of the electrostatic chuck can be suppressed.

[0007] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a combination of the material of the first substrate and the capacitance. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a bonding system. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the first substrate and the second substrate. FIG. 6 is a plan cross-sectional view showing an example of the bonding apparatus. FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view showing an example of the bonding apparatus.

[0008] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, identical or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions may be omitted. In this specification, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions are perpendicular to each other. The X-axis and Y-axis directions are horizontal, and the Z-axis direction is vertical.

[0009] The X-axis direction includes the positive X-axis direction and the negative X-axis direction, which is the opposite direction to the positive X-axis direction. The Y-axis direction includes the positive Y-axis direction and the negative Y-axis direction, which is the opposite direction to the positive Y-axis direction. The Z-axis direction includes the positive Z-axis direction and the negative Z-axis direction, which is the opposite direction to the positive Z-axis direction. The positive Z-axis direction is upward, and the negative Z-axis direction is downward.

[0010] An example of a substrate processing apparatus 1000 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The substrate processing apparatus 1000 includes a first electrostatic chuck 1010, a first sensor 1020, and a control circuit 1090. The first electrostatic chuck 1010 has a first electrode 1011 and a second electrode 1012 to which a voltage is applied, and attracts the first substrate 1100. The first sensor 1020 measures the capacitance C between the first electrode 1011 and the second electrode 1012.

[0011] The control circuit 1090 is, for example, a computer. The control circuit 1090 includes, for example, an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit such as memory. The storage unit stores programs that control various processes performed in the substrate processing device 1000. The control circuit 1090 controls the operation of the substrate processing device 1000 by causing the arithmetic unit to execute the programs stored in the storage unit.

[0012] The control circuit 1090 includes electronic circuits such as a CPU, GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control circuit 1090 performs various control operations described in this specification by executing instruction codes stored in a storage medium such as memory, or by being designed as a circuit for special applications. The control circuit 1090 performs the following controls (A) to (C).

[0013] The control circuit 1090 performs the following control: (A) After the first substrate 1100 and the first electrostatic chuck 1010 come into contact, it applies a first voltage V1 between the first electrode 1011 and the second electrode 1012 and measures the capacitance C with the first sensor 1020. The first voltage V1 is set so that dielectric breakdown of the first electrostatic chuck 1010 does not occur, regardless of whether the material of the first substrate 1100 is a semiconductor or an insulator. The first voltage V1 may be smaller than the voltage used when attracting either a semiconductor substrate or an insulating substrate.

[0014] The control circuit 1090 performs control to determine whether the material of the first substrate 1100 is the first material using the measurement value of the first sensor 1020. An example of a combination of the material of the first substrate 1100 and capacitance C is shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 2, when the material of the first substrate 1100 is a semiconductor, the capacitance C is larger than when it is an insulator. The first material is not particularly limited, but for example it is an insulator.

[0015] The control circuit 1090, when (C) the material of the first substrate 1100 is the first material, applies a second voltage V2 greater than the first voltage V1 between the first electrode 1011 and the second electrode 1012 to control the attraction of the first substrate 1100 to the first electrostatic chuck 1010. The second voltage V2 is set according to the first material and is set so that sufficient attraction force can be obtained. Attracting an insulating substrate such as a glass substrate requires the application of a larger voltage than attracting a semiconductor substrate.

[0016] The second voltage V2 may be a voltage at which dielectric breakdown occurs in the first electrostatic chuck 1010 when the material of the first substrate 1100 is not the first material, for example, when it is a semiconductor instead of an insulator. Since it has been confirmed in advance that the material of the first substrate 1100 is the first material, for example an insulator, dielectric breakdown of the first electrostatic chuck 1010 will not occur when the second voltage is applied, and the first substrate 1100 can be sufficiently attracted.

[0017] Furthermore, it is conceivable to use an optical sensor as a sensor to confirm the material of the first substrate 1100. The optical sensor measures the reflected light intensity from the first substrate 1100. If the material of the first substrate 1100 is a semiconductor, the semiconductor reflects light, so the light received by the optical sensor will be high. On the other hand, if the material of the first substrate 1100 is an insulator, such as glass, the glass transmits light, so the light received by the optical sensor will be low.

[0018] However, if the first substrate 1100 has a semiconductor substrate and a thin film formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, the thin film may suppress light reflection. As a result, the material of the first substrate 1100 may be mistakenly identified as glass. In that case, a large voltage to attract the glass substrate is applied to the first electrostatic chuck 1010, causing dielectric breakdown of the first electrostatic chuck 1010.

[0019] Furthermore, if the first substrate 1100 is a laminated substrate having a glass substrate and a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate reflects light. Therefore, a small voltage is applied to the first electrostatic chuck 1010 to attract the semiconductor substrate. When the semiconductor substrate is in contact with the first electrostatic chuck 1010, sufficient attraction force is obtained. On the other hand, when the glass substrate is in contact with the first electrostatic chuck 1010, sufficient attraction force is not obtained.

[0020] According to this embodiment, the first sensor 1020 is used as a sensor to confirm the material of the first substrate 1100, rather than an optical sensor. The first sensor 1020 measures the capacitance C between the first electrode 1011 and the second electrode 1012. Therefore, a voltage suitable for the material of the first substrate 1100 can be applied, and sufficient adsorption force can be obtained. In addition, dielectric breakdown of the first electrostatic chuck 1010 can be suppressed.

[0021] If the material of the first substrate 1100 is not the first material, it is possible that a substrate that does not conform to the recipe has been mistakenly installed in the first electrostatic chuck 1010 as the first substrate 1100. Therefore, it is preferable that the control circuit 1090 performs control to notify an alarm if the material of the first substrate 1100 is not the first material. The alarm notification device 1080 can be a display, a warning light, or a buzzer.

[0022] Furthermore, if the material of the first substrate 1100 is not the first material, it is possible that a substrate not according to the recipe was manually installed for purposes such as operational verification. Therefore, if the material of the first substrate 1100 is not the first material, the control circuit 1090 may apply a voltage corresponding to the material of the first substrate 1100, that is, a voltage different from the second voltage V2, between the first electrode 1011 and the second electrode 1012, and control the first substrate 1100 to be attracted to the first electrostatic chuck 1010. For example, if the first material is glass, and the material of the first substrate 1100 is a semiconductor instead of glass, the control circuit 1090 will apply a voltage smaller than the second voltage V2 between the first electrode 1011 and the second electrode 1012. The voltage when attracting a semiconductor substrate is smaller than the second voltage V2 when attracting a glass substrate. The voltage when attracting a semiconductor substrate may be larger than the first voltage V1, as long as dielectric breakdown of the first electrostatic chuck 1010 does not occur.

[0023] If the nth first substrate 1100 is made of the first material, the control circuit 1090 may, after contact between the (n+1)th first substrate 1100 and the first electrostatic chuck 1010, apply a second voltage V2 to pick up the (n+1)th first substrate 1100 without applying a first voltage V1 and determining the material. Here, the number of first substrates 1100 is counted, for example, per lot. One lot consists of multiple first substrates 1100 housed in a cassette described later. By omitting the application of the first voltage V1 and determining the material from the (n+1)th substrate onward, the processing time can be shortened. However, the application of the first voltage V1 and determining the material may be performed for all substrates.

[0024] A modified example of the substrate processing apparatus 1000 will be described with reference to Figure 3. In addition to the first electrostatic chuck 1010 and the first sensor 1020, the substrate processing apparatus 1000 may also include a second electrostatic chuck 1030 and a second sensor 1040. The second electrostatic chuck 1030 has a third electrode 1031 and a fourth electrode 1032 to which a voltage is applied, and attracts the second substrate 1200. The second sensor 1040 measures the capacitance C between the third electrode 1031 and the fourth electrode 1032. The control circuit 1090 performs the following controls (D) to (F).

[0025] The control circuit 1090 performs the following control: (D) After the second substrate 1200 and the second electrostatic chuck 1030 come into contact, it applies a third voltage V3 between the third electrode 1031 and the fourth electrode 1032 and measures the capacitance C with the second sensor 1040. The third voltage V3 is set so that dielectric breakdown of the second electrostatic chuck 1030 does not occur, regardless of whether the material of the second substrate 1200 is a semiconductor or an insulator. The third voltage V3 may be smaller than the voltage applied when attracting either a semiconductor substrate or an insulator substrate.

[0026] The control circuit 1090 performs control to determine whether the material of the second substrate 1200 is the second material using the measurement value of the second sensor 1040 (E). The first material in (B) and the second material in (E) may be different materials or the same material. In the former case, for example, the first material may be glass and the second material may be a semiconductor. In the latter case, for example, the first material may be glass and the second material may be glass.

[0027] The control circuit 1090, when the material of the second substrate 1200 is the second material, applies a fourth voltage V4 greater than the third voltage V3 between the third electrode 1031 and the fourth electrode 1032 to control the attraction of the second substrate 1200 to the second electrostatic chuck 1030. The fourth voltage V4 is set according to the second material and is set to obtain sufficient attraction force.

[0028] When the first and second materials are different, the second voltage V2 and the fourth voltage V4 are different. For example, if the first material is glass and the second material is a semiconductor, the fourth voltage V4 is smaller than the second voltage V2. The fourth voltage V4 when adsorbing a semiconductor substrate is smaller than the second voltage V2 when adsorbing a glass substrate. On the other hand, when the first and second materials are the same, the second voltage V2 and the fourth voltage V4 are the same. For example, if both the first and second materials are glass, the second voltage V2 and the fourth voltage V4 are the same. The fourth voltage V4 when adsorbing a glass substrate and the second voltage V2 when adsorbing a glass substrate are approximately the same.

[0029] According to this embodiment, the second sensor 1040 is used as a sensor to confirm the material of the second substrate 1200, rather than an optical sensor. The second sensor 1040 measures the capacitance C between the third electrode 1031 and the fourth electrode 1032. Therefore, a voltage suitable for the material of the second substrate 1200 can be applied, and sufficient suction force can be obtained. In addition, dielectric breakdown of the second electrostatic chuck 1030 can be suppressed.

[0030] If the material of the second substrate 1200 is not the second material, it is possible that a substrate that does not conform to the recipe has been mistakenly installed in the second electrostatic chuck 1030 as the second substrate 1200. Therefore, it is preferable that the control circuit 1090 performs control to notify an alarm if the material of the second substrate 1200 is not the second material. The alarm notification device 1080 can be a display, a warning light, or a buzzer.

[0031] Furthermore, if the material of the second substrate 1200 is not the second material, it is possible that a substrate not according to the recipe was manually installed for purposes such as operational verification. Therefore, if the material of the second substrate 1200 is not the second material, the control circuit 1090 may apply a voltage corresponding to the material of the second substrate 1200, that is, a voltage different from the fourth voltage V4, between the third electrode 1031 and the fourth electrode 1032, and perform control to attract the second substrate 1200 to the second electrostatic chuck 1030. For example, if the second material is a semiconductor, and the material of the second substrate 1200 is not a semiconductor but glass, the control circuit 1090 will perform control to apply a voltage greater than the fourth voltage V4 between the third electrode 1031 and the fourth electrode 1032. The voltage when attracting a glass substrate is greater than the fourth voltage V4 when attracting a semiconductor substrate. Alternatively, if the second material is glass and the material of the second substrate 1200 is a semiconductor rather than glass, the control circuit 1090 controls the application of a voltage smaller than the fourth voltage V4 between the third electrode 1031 and the fourth electrode 1032. The voltage applied when adsorbing a semiconductor substrate is smaller than the fourth voltage V4 applied when adsorbing a glass substrate. The voltage applied when adsorbing a semiconductor substrate may be larger than the third voltage V3, as long as dielectric breakdown of the second electrostatic chuck 1030 does not occur.

[0032] If the nth second substrate 1200 is made of the second material, the control circuit 1090 may, after contact between the (n+1)th second substrate 1200 and the second electrostatic chuck 1030, apply a fourth voltage V4 to pick up the (n+1)th second substrate 1200 without applying a third voltage V3 or determining the material. Here, the number of second substrates 1200 is counted, for example, per lot. One lot consists of multiple second substrates 1200 housed in a cassette described later. By omitting the application of the third voltage V3 and determining the material from the (n+1)th substrate onward, the processing time can be shortened. However, the application of the third voltage V3 and determining the material may be performed for all substrates.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the substrate processing apparatus 1000 may include a moving mechanism 1050. The moving mechanism 1050 moves the first electrostatic chuck 1010 and the second electrostatic chuck 1030 relative to each other to join the first substrate 1100 and the second substrate 1200. An adhesive layer (not shown) may be provided between the first substrate 1100 and the second substrate 1200. The moving mechanism 1050 may move either the first electrostatic chuck 1010 or the second electrostatic chuck 1030, or both.

[0034] The substrate processing apparatus 1000 is not limited to a bonding apparatus. The technology of this disclosure is applicable to any apparatus having an electrostatic chuck. Examples of apparatus having an electrostatic chuck include plasma apparatus. The electrostatic chuck is preferably used in a vacuum atmosphere, because a vacuum chuck cannot be used in a vacuum atmosphere.

[0035] The arrangement of the first electrostatic chuck 1010 and the second electrostatic chuck 1030 is not limited to the arrangement shown in Figure 3. The arrangement of the first electrostatic chuck 1010 and the second electrostatic chuck 1030 may be reversed, with the first electrostatic chuck 1010 positioned above and the second electrostatic chuck 1030 below.

[0036] The technology of this disclosure is particularly effective when the first electrostatic chuck 1010 and the second electrostatic chuck 1030 simultaneously attract substrates of different materials. An example of a combination of substrates of different materials is a combination of a glass substrate and a semiconductor substrate. In this case, a mix-up between the glass substrate and the semiconductor substrate could result in the destinations of the glass substrate and the semiconductor substrate being swapped.

[0037] An example of the bonding system 1 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. The bonding system 1 forms a polymerized substrate T by bonding a substrate W to be processed and a glass substrate S via an adhesive G, as shown in Figure 5. The glass substrate S is an example of the first substrate 1100 shown in Figure 3, etc., and the substrate W to be processed is an example of the second substrate 1200 shown in Figure 3, etc. The substrate W to be processed is a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon wafer.

[0038] In the following, as shown in Figure 5, the side of the substrate W to be processed that is joined to the glass substrate S via adhesive G is referred to as the "joint surface Wj," and the side opposite to the joint surface Wj is referred to as the "non-joint surface Wn." Similarly, the side of the glass substrate S that is joined to the substrate W via adhesive G is referred to as the "joint surface Sj," and the side opposite to the joint surface Sj is referred to as the "non-joint surface Sn."

[0039] The substrate W to be processed is, for example, a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon wafer or a compound semiconductor wafer on which multiple electronic circuits are formed, and the side of the substrate on which the electronic circuits are formed is the bonding surface Wj. After bonding with the glass substrate S, the substrate W to be processed is thinned by polishing the non-bonding surface Wn.

[0040] On the other hand, the glass substrate S, which serves as the support substrate, is a substrate with approximately the same diameter as the substrate W to be processed, and supports the substrate W to be processed. Furthermore, a thermoplastic resin, for example, is used as the adhesive G.

[0041] As shown in Figure 4, the joining system 1 comprises an input / output station 2, a first transport area 3, and a joining station 4. The input / output station 2, the first transport area 3, and the joining station 4 are integrally connected in this order in the positive X-axis direction.

[0042] The loading / unloading station 2 is a place where cassettes Cw, Cs, and Ct, which contain multiple substrates (for example, 25) in a horizontal position, are placed. In this loading / unloading station 2, for example, four cassette mounting tables 21 are placed in a row. Each cassette mounting table 21 is placed on a cassette Cw containing the substrates to be processed W, a cassette Cs containing the glass substrates S, and a cassette Ct containing the polymerized substrates T.

[0043] The number of cassette mounting trays 21 can be determined arbitrarily. Furthermore, while this example shows two of the four cassette mounting trays 21 with cassette Cts, one of these trays could, for example, be used to mount a cassette for recovering a faulty circuit board.

[0044] In the first transfer area 3, a transfer path 31 extending in the Y-axis direction and a first transfer device 32 movable along this transfer path 31 are arranged. The first transfer device 32 is also movable in the X-axis direction and rotatable around the Z-axis, and transfers the substrates W, glass substrates S, and polymerized substrates T between the cassettes Cw, Cs, Ct placed on the cassette mounting table 21 and the first delivery section 41 of the bonding station 4 described later.

[0045] The bonding station 4 includes a first delivery section 41 and a second transfer area 42. Further, the bonding station 4 includes a coating / heat treatment block G1 and a bonding treatment block G2.

[0046] The first delivery section 41 is arranged between the first transfer area 3 and the second transfer area 42. At such a first delivery section 41, the substrates W, glass substrates S, and polymerized substrates T are delivered between the first transfer device 32 in the first transfer area 3 and the second transfer device 420 in the second transfer area 42 described later.

[0047] In the second transfer area 42, a second transfer device 420 is arranged. The second transfer device 420 is movable in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction and rotatable around the Z-axis, and transfers the substrates W, glass substrates S, and polymerized substrates T between the first delivery section 41, the coating / heat treatment block G1, and the bonding treatment block G2.

[0048] The coating / heat treatment block G1 and the bonding treatment block G2 are arranged to face each other with the second transfer area 42 interposed therebetween.

[0049] In the coating / heat treatment block G1, two coating devices 43 and one heat treatment device 44 are arranged side by side adjacent to the second transfer area 42. The coating device 43 is a device for applying an adhesive G to the bonding surface Wj of the substrate W to be processed, and the heat treatment device 44 is a device for heating the substrate W to be processed to a predetermined temperature with the adhesive G applied thereto.

[0050] In the bonding treatment block G2, four bonding devices 45 are arranged side by side adjacent to the second transfer area 42. The number of the bonding devices 45 is not particularly limited. The bonding device 45 bonds the substrate W to be processed and the glass substrate S. The specific configuration of such a bonding device 45 will be described later.

[0051] Furthermore, the bonding system 1 includes a control circuit 5. The control circuit 5 includes electronic circuits such as a CPU, GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control circuit 5 performs various control operations described in this specification by executing instruction codes stored in a storage medium such as memory, or by being circuit-designed for special applications. The control circuit 5 may include the control circuit 1090 shown in Figure 3.

[0052] In the bonding system 1 configured as described above, first, the first transport device 32 in the first transport area 3 takes out the substrate W to be processed from the cassette Cw placed on the cassette mounting table 21, and transports the taken substrate W to the first transfer unit 41. At this time, the substrate W to be processed is transported with the non-bonding surface Wn facing downwards.

[0053] The substrate W to be processed, transported to the first transfer unit 41, is removed from the first transfer unit 41 by the second transfer device 420 and transported to the coating device 43 of the coating and heat treatment block G1. The coating device 43 is equipped with, for example, a spin chuck, which holds the non-bonding surface Wn of the substrate to be processed by suction. The coating device 43 then rotates the substrate W that it is holding by suction and supplies liquid adhesive G to the bonding surface Wj of the substrate W. This spreads the adhesive G over the bonding surface Wj of the substrate W.

[0054] After the adhesive G is applied by the coating device 43, the substrate W to be treated is removed from the coating device 43 by the second transport device 420 and transported to the heat treatment device 44. The heat treatment device 44 heats the substrate W to be treated in an inert atmosphere, for example, to volatilize the solvents such as organic solvents contained in the adhesive G, making the adhesive G harder than when it was applied. After that, the substrate W to be treated is heated to a predetermined temperature, for example, room temperature, by the heat treatment device 44.

[0055] After heat treatment is performed by the heat treatment apparatus 44, the substrate W to be treated is removed from the heat treatment apparatus 44 by the second transport apparatus 420 and transported to the bonding apparatus 45.

[0056] Meanwhile, the glass substrate S is removed from the cassette Cs by the first transport device 32 and transported to the first transfer unit 41, and then removed from the first transfer unit 41 by the second transport device 420 and transported to the bonding device 45.

[0057] When the substrate W to be processed and the glass substrate S are brought into the bonding apparatus 45, the bonding apparatus 45 performs a bonding process on the substrate W and the glass substrate S. This forms a polymerized substrate T. The polymerized substrate T is then transported to the first transfer section 41 by the second transport apparatus 420 and then to the cassette Ct by the first transport apparatus 32. In this way, the series of processes is completed.

[0058] An example of a bonding apparatus 45 will be described with reference to Figure 6. The bonding apparatus 45 is an example of the substrate processing apparatus 1000 shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 6, the bonding apparatus 45 is equipped with a processing chamber 50 whose interior can be sealed. An inlet / outlet 51 for the substrate to be processed W, the glass substrate S, and the polymer substrate T is formed on the side of the processing chamber 50 on the second transport area 42 side. An opening / closing shutter (not shown) is provided at the inlet / outlet 51.

[0059] An inner wall 52 may be provided inside the processing chamber 50 to divide the area within the processing chamber 50 into a pre-processing area D1 and a bonding area D2. If an inner wall 52 is provided, an inlet / outlet 53 for the substrate to be processed W, the glass substrate S, and the polymer substrate T is formed in the inner wall 52, and an opening / closing shutter (not shown) is provided in the inlet / outlet 53. The aforementioned inlet / outlet 51 is formed on the side of the processing chamber 50 in the pre-processing area D1.

[0060] The pre-processing area D1 is provided with a transfer section 60 for transferring the substrate W to be processed, the glass substrate S, and the polymer substrate T to and from the outside of the bonding apparatus 45. The transfer section 60 is located adjacent to the input / output 51.

[0061] The transfer unit 60 includes a transfer arm 61 and support pins 62. The transfer arm 61 transfers the substrate W to be processed, the glass substrate S, and the polymer substrate T between the second transport device 420 (see Figure 4) and the support pins 62. Multiple support pins 62 are provided, for example, in three locations, to support the substrate W to be processed, the glass substrate S, and the polymer substrate T.

[0062] The transfer units 60 are arranged in multiple vertical rows, for example, in two stages, and can simultaneously transfer any two of the substrates to be processed W, glass substrates S, and polymer substrates T. For example, one transfer unit 60 may receive the substrate W or glass substrate S before bonding, and another transfer unit 60 may receive the polymer substrate T after bonding. Alternatively, one transfer unit 60 may receive the substrate W before bonding, and another transfer unit 60 may receive the glass substrate S before bonding.

[0063] On the negative Y-axis side of the pre-processing area D1, that is, on the side of the input / output port 53, there is a reversal section 70 for, for example, reversing the front and back surfaces of the substrate W to be processed.

[0064] The reversing unit 70 includes a holding arm 71 that clamps and holds the substrate W or glass substrate S to be processed. The holding arm 71 extends horizontally (in the X-axis direction in Figure 6), is rotatable around the horizontal axis, and is movable in the horizontal direction (X-axis and Y-axis direction) and the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

[0065] Furthermore, the inversion unit 70 also includes an adjustment function for adjusting the horizontal orientation of the substrate W or glass substrate S to be processed. Specifically, the inversion unit 70 includes a detection unit 72 for detecting the position of the notch portion of the glass substrate S or substrate W to be processed. The inversion unit 70 then adjusts the horizontal orientation of the substrate W or glass substrate S by adjusting the position of the notch portion by detecting the position of the notch portion with the detection unit 72 while moving the glass substrate S or substrate W to be processed, which is held by the holding arm 71, in the horizontal direction.

[0066] On the positive Y-axis side of the bonding region D2, a transport unit 80 is provided for transporting the substrate W to be processed, the glass substrate S, and the polymer substrate T to the transfer unit 60, the reversal unit 70, and the bonding unit 90, which will be described later. The transport unit 80 is located adjacent to the input / output 53.

[0067] The transport unit 80 is equipped with two transport arms 81 and 82. These transport arms 81 and 82 are arranged in two stages vertically from bottom to top and are movable horizontally and vertically by a drive unit (not shown).

[0068] Of the transport arms 81 and 82, transport arm 81 holds and transports the back surface, i.e., the non-bonding surface Sn, of a glass substrate S, for example. Transport arm 82 holds and transports the outer periphery of the surface, i.e., the bonding surface Wj, of the substrate W to be processed, which has been reversed in the reversal unit 70.

[0069] Furthermore, a bonding portion 90 is provided on the negative Y-axis side of the bonding region D2 to bond the substrate W to be processed and the glass substrate S.

[0070] In the bonding apparatus 45 configured as described above, when the substrate W to be processed is transferred to the transfer arm 61 of the transfer unit 60 by the second transport device 420, the transfer arm 61 transfers the substrate W to the support pin 62. After that, the substrate W to be processed is transported from the support pin 62 to the reversing unit 70 by the transport arm 81 of the transport unit 80.

[0071] The substrate W to be processed, transported to the inversion unit 70, has its horizontal orientation adjusted by the detection unit 72 of the inversion unit 70, which detects the position of the notch. Subsequently, the substrate W to be processed is inverted by the inversion unit 70, so that the bonding surface Wj faces downwards.

[0072] Subsequently, the substrate W to be processed is transported from the inversion section 70 to the joining section 90 by the transport arm 82 of the transport section 80. At this time, the transport arm 82 holds the outer periphery of the substrate W to be processed, thus preventing contamination of the joining surface Wj by particles adhering to the transport arm 82, for example.

[0073] Meanwhile, when the glass substrate S is transferred to the transfer arm 61 of the transfer unit 60 by the second transport device 420, the transfer arm 61 transfers the glass substrate S to the support pin 62. After that, the glass substrate S is transported from the support pin 62 to the reversing unit 70 by the transport arm 81 of the transport unit 80.

[0074] The glass substrate S, transported to the inversion unit 70, has its horizontal orientation adjusted by the detection unit 72 of the inversion unit 70, which detects the position of the notch. Subsequently, the glass substrate S is transported from the inversion unit 70 to the joining unit 90 by the transport arm 81 of the transport unit 80.

[0075] Once the substrate W and glass substrate S have been loaded into the joining section 90, the substrate W and glass substrate S are joined by the joining section 90 to form a polymer substrate T. The formed polymer substrate T is then transported from the joining section 90 to the transfer section 60 by the transport arm 81 of the transport section 80, then transferred to the transfer arm 61 via the support pin 62, and finally transferred from the transfer arm 61 to the second transport device 420.

[0076] An example of the joint portion 90 will be described with reference to Figure 7. As shown in Figure 7, the joint portion 90 comprises a first holding portion 201 and a second holding portion 101. The first holding portion 201 is an example of the first electrostatic chuck 1010 shown in Figure 3, and the second holding portion 101 is an example of the second electrostatic chuck 1030 shown in Figure 3. The first holding portion 201 holds the glass substrate S. The second holding portion 101 is positioned above the first holding portion 201 and holds the substrate W to be processed. The first holding portion 201 and the second holding portion 101 have a substantially disc shape with a diameter larger than the substrate W to be processed and the glass substrate S.

[0077] The first retaining portion 201 and the second retaining portion 101 are formed from ceramics such as aluminum nitride.

[0078] The first holding section 201 and the second holding section 101 each incorporate a first heating mechanism 217 and a second heating mechanism 117, respectively. The second heating mechanism 117 heats the substrate W to be processed held by the second holding section 101, and the first heating mechanism 217 heats the glass substrate S held by the first holding section 201.

[0079] The bonding process between the substrate W to be processed and the glass substrate S is carried out under reduced pressure. For this reason, a ceramic heater that can be used even under reduced pressure is used as the second heating mechanism 117 built into the second holding part 101.

[0080] On the other hand, the first holding portion 201 has through holes for inserting the first temperature detection portion 301, etc., which will be described later, making it difficult to install a sheathed heater. Therefore, a ceramic heater is used as the first heating mechanism 217 built into the first holding portion 201.

[0081] Furthermore, the joint portion 90 includes a first cooling mechanism 102, a third heating mechanism 103, a pressing portion 104, a base member 105, and a pressurizing mechanism 106. The pressurizing mechanism 106 is an example of the moving mechanism 1050 shown in Figure 3.

[0082] The first cooling mechanism 102 is provided in contact with the side of the second holding portion 101 opposite to the first holding portion 201. The first cooling mechanism 102 can be, for example, a metal cooling jacket, and cools the second holding portion 101 using a cooling fluid such as cold water as a medium, thereby cooling the substrate W to be processed held in the second holding portion 101.

[0083] The third heating mechanism 103 has, for example, a disc shape with approximately the same diameter as the substrate W to be processed. This third heating mechanism 103 is positioned on the side of the first cooling mechanism 102 opposite to the side where the second holding portion 101 is located, and heats the first cooling mechanism 102. A sheathed heater that can be used even under reduced pressure can be used as the third heating mechanism 103.

[0084] The pressing portion 104 presses the third heating mechanism 103 against the first cooling mechanism 102. The pressing portion 104 comprises a plate 141 and support members 142. The plate 141 is a metal member having a disc shape with approximately the same diameter as the third heating mechanism 103, and is positioned on the upper surface of the third heating mechanism 103. The support members 142 are expandable and contractible in the vertical direction, and multiple support members are positioned on the upper surface of the plate 141 to prevent misalignment of the plate 141 and the third heating mechanism 103.

[0085] The pressing portion 104 can, for example, press the third heating mechanism 103 against the first cooling mechanism 102 by the weight of the plate 141. Alternatively, a biasing member such as a coil spring may be provided inside the support member 142, and the third heating mechanism 103 may be pressed against the first cooling mechanism 102 by this biasing member. By pressing the third heating mechanism 103 against the first cooling mechanism 102 in this way, and making the third heating mechanism 103 tightly attached to the first cooling mechanism 102, warping due to thermal deformation of the first cooling mechanism 102 can be prevented more reliably.

[0086] The base member 105 is attached to the lower surface of the ceiling of the second chamber section 511, which will be described later, above the pressing section 104. The upper end of the support member 142 is fixed, for example, to the lower surface of the base member 105.

[0087] The pressurizing mechanism 106 pressurizes the substrate W to be processed by bringing it into contact with the glass substrate S by moving the second holding part 101 vertically downward. The pressurizing mechanism 106 comprises a pressure vessel 161, a gas supply pipe 162, and a gas supply source 163.

[0088] The pressure vessel 161 is constructed, for example, from a stainless steel bellows that is expandable and contractible in the vertical direction. The lower end of the pressure vessel 161 is fixed to the upper surface of the first cooling mechanism 102, and the upper end is fixed to the lower surface of the base member 105. The third heating mechanism 103 and the pressing part 104 described above are located inside this pressure vessel 161.

[0089] One end of the gas supply pipe 162 is connected to the pressure vessel 161 via the base member 105 and the second chamber section 511, which will be described later, and the other end is connected to the gas supply source 163.

[0090] In such a pressure vessel 161, gas is supplied to the inside of the pressure vessel 161 from a gas supply source 163 via a gas supply pipe 162, causing the pressure vessel 161 to extend and lower the second holding portion 101. As a result, the substrate W to be processed comes into contact with the glass substrate S and is pressurized. The pressure applied to the substrate W and the glass substrate S is adjusted by adjusting the pressure of the gas supplied to the pressure vessel 161.

[0091] Furthermore, since the pressure vessel 161 is expandable and contractible, it can absorb any difference in parallelism between the second holding portion 101 and the first holding portion 201. In addition, since the inside of the pressure vessel 161 is uniformly pressurized by gas, the substrate W to be processed and the glass substrate S can be uniformly pressurized.

[0092] Furthermore, the joint portion 90 includes a second cooling mechanism 202, a fourth heating mechanism 203, and a spacer 204. The first holding portion 201, the second cooling mechanism 202, the fourth heating mechanism 203, and the spacer 204 are stacked in the order of spacer 204, fourth heating mechanism 203, second cooling mechanism 202, and first holding portion 201 from bottom to top.

[0093] The second cooling mechanism 202 has, for example, a disc shape with substantially the same diameter as the first holding portion 201. The second cooling mechanism 202 is provided in contact with the surface of the first holding portion 201 opposite to the second holding portion 101. Similar to the first cooling mechanism 102, the second cooling mechanism 202 can use, for example, a metal cooling jacket, and cools the glass substrate S held by the first holding portion 201 by cooling the first holding portion 201 with a cooling fluid such as cold water as a medium.

[0094] The fourth heating mechanism 203 has a disc shape with a larger diameter than the second cooling mechanism 202, for example. The fourth heating mechanism 203 is positioned on the side of the second cooling mechanism 202 opposite to the side where the first holding portion 201 is located, and heats the second cooling mechanism 202. A ceramic heater is used in the fourth heating mechanism 203 for the same reasons as in the second heating mechanism 117.

[0095] The spacer 204 is a component positioned on the lower surface of the fourth heating mechanism 203 and is provided, for example, to adjust the height of the first holding portion 201. This spacer 204 is placed on the lower surface of the first chamber portion 512, which will be described later. Note that the joint portion 90 does not necessarily need to be equipped with a spacer 204.

[0096] As described above, in the joint 90 according to this embodiment, the second heating mechanism 117 and the third heating mechanism 103 are provided so as to sandwich both the upper and lower surfaces of the first cooling mechanism 102, and the first heating mechanism 217 and the fourth heating mechanism 203 are provided so as to sandwich both the upper and lower surfaces of the second cooling mechanism 202. This makes it possible to suppress warping of the first cooling mechanism 102 and the second cooling mechanism 202 due to heating, and to prevent damage to the first holding part 201 and the second holding part 101 due to such warping.

[0097] As shown in Figure 7, the second holding unit 101 is provided with a third temperature detection unit 303 for detecting the temperature of the substrate W to be processed. In addition, a second temperature detection unit 302 for detecting the temperature of the first cooling mechanism 102 is attached to the outer periphery of the first cooling mechanism 102. Thermocouples, for example, are used for the third temperature detection unit 303 and the second temperature detection unit 302.

[0098] The detection results from the third temperature detection unit 303 and the second temperature detection unit 302 are transmitted to the control circuit 5. Based on these detection results, the control circuit 5 determines that warping has occurred in the first cooling mechanism 102 and executes a fail-safe process to stop heating by the second heating mechanism 117, etc.

[0099] Similarly, the first holding unit 201 is provided with a first temperature detection unit 301 for detecting the temperature of the glass substrate S, and a fourth temperature detection unit 304 for detecting the temperature of the second cooling mechanism 202 is attached to the outer periphery of the second cooling mechanism 202. Thermocouples, for example, are used for the first temperature detection unit 301 and the fourth temperature detection unit 304.

[0100] The detection results from the first temperature detection unit 301 and the fourth temperature detection unit 304 are transmitted to the control circuit 5. Based on these detection results, the control circuit 5 determines that warping has occurred in the second cooling mechanism 202 and stops heating by the second heating mechanism 117, etc.

[0101] By providing such a fail-safe mechanism, even if warping occurs in the first cooling mechanism 102 and the second cooling mechanism 202, further warping can be prevented, and damage to the first holding part 201 and the second holding part 101 can be prevented.

[0102] The first holding portion 201, the second cooling mechanism 202, the fourth heating mechanism 203, the spacer 204, the first chamber portion 512, and each positioning pin 11 each have through holes that penetrate vertically. When these components are stacked, a through hole 205 is formed that penetrates from the lower surface of the first chamber portion 512 to the upper surface of the first holding portion 201. A first temperature detection unit 301 for detecting the temperature of the glass substrate S is inserted through the through hole 205.

[0103] The joint 90 also includes a chamber 501, a moving mechanism 502, a depressurization mechanism 503, a first imaging unit 504, and a second imaging unit 505.

[0104] Chamber 501 is a processing container whose interior can be sealed, and comprises a first chamber section 512 and a second chamber section 511. The first chamber section 512 is a bottomed cylindrical container with an open top, and houses a first holding section 201, a second cooling mechanism 202, a fourth heating mechanism 203, a spacer 204, and the like. The second chamber section 511 is a bottomed cylindrical container with an open bottom, and houses a second holding section 101, a first cooling mechanism 102, a third heating mechanism 103, a pressing section 104, a pressure vessel 161, a second temperature detection section 302, and the like.

[0105] The second chamber section 511 is configured to be vertically movable by a lifting mechanism (not shown), such as an air cylinder. By lowering the second chamber section 511 using this lifting mechanism and bringing it into contact with the first chamber section 512, a sealed space is formed inside the chamber 501. A sealing member 513 is provided on the contact surface of the second chamber section 511 with the first chamber section 512 to ensure the airtightness of the chamber 501. For example, an O-ring can be used as the sealing member 513.

[0106] The moving mechanism 502 is provided on the outer periphery of the second chamber portion 511 and moves the second holding portion 101 horizontally via the second chamber portion 511. Multiple such moving mechanisms 502 are provided on the outer periphery of the second chamber portion 511 (for example, five), with four of the five moving mechanisms 502 used for the horizontal movement of the second holding portion 101 and the remaining one used for the rotation of the second holding portion 101 around its vertical axis.

[0107] The moving mechanism 502 includes a cam 521 that contacts the outer circumference of the second chamber portion 511 to move the second holding portion 101, and a rotational drive unit 523 that rotates the cam 521 via the shaft 522. The cam 521 is positioned eccentrically with respect to the central axis of the shaft 522. By rotating the cam 521 with the rotational drive unit 523, the center position of the cam 521 relative to the second holding portion 101 is moved, and the second holding portion 101 can be moved horizontally.

[0108] The depressurization mechanism 503 is provided, for example, at the bottom of the first chamber section 512 and depressurizes the inside of the chamber 501. The depressurization mechanism 503 includes an intake pipe 531 for drawing in the atmosphere inside the chamber 501 and an intake device 532, such as a vacuum pump, connected to the intake pipe 531.

[0109] The first imaging unit 504 is positioned below the second holding unit 101 and images the surface of the substrate W to be processed held by the second holding unit 101. The second imaging unit 505 is positioned above the first holding unit 201 and images the surface of the glass substrate S held by the first holding unit 201.

[0110] The first imaging unit 504 and the second imaging unit 505 are configured to move horizontally by a moving mechanism (not shown), and enter the chamber 501 before the second chamber 511 is lowered to image the substrate W and the glass substrate S to be processed. The imaging data from the first imaging unit 504 and the second imaging unit 505 are transmitted to the control circuit 5. For example, wide-angle CCD cameras are used as the first imaging unit 504 and the second imaging unit 505, respectively.

[0111] Next, the procedure for the processing performed by the joint 90 described above will be explained. In the joint 90, first, the substrate to be processed W is held by the second holding part 101, and the glass substrate S is held by the first holding part 201. At this time, the first holding part 201 and the second holding part 101 are preheated to a first temperature by the second heating mechanism 117 of the second holding part 101 and the first heating mechanism 217 of the first holding part 201. The first temperature is, for example, 200°C or lower.

[0112] At the same time, the third heating mechanism 103 and the fourth heating mechanism 203 are also heated at the same first temperature as the first heating mechanism 217 and the second heating mechanism 117. This suppresses warping of the first cooling mechanism 102 and the second cooling mechanism 202, and prevents damage to the first holding part 201 and the second holding part 101.

[0113] Next, an alignment process is performed at the joint 90. In this alignment process, the first imaging unit 504 and the second imaging unit 505 shown in Figure 7 move horizontally and enter the chamber 501, and the surfaces of the substrate W and the glass substrate S are imaged, respectively.

[0114] Subsequently, the horizontal position of the substrate W to be processed is adjusted by the moving mechanism 502 so that the position of the reference point of the substrate W to be processed, as displayed in the image captured by the first imaging unit 504, coincides with the position of the reference point of the glass substrate S, as displayed in the image captured by the second imaging unit 505. In this way, the horizontal position of the substrate W to be processed relative to the glass substrate S is adjusted.

[0115] Next, after the first imaging unit 504 and the second imaging unit 505 exit the chamber 501, the second chamber unit 511 descends by a moving mechanism (not shown). Then, as the second chamber unit 511 comes into contact with the first chamber unit 512, a sealed space is formed inside the chamber 501.

[0116] Next, a depressurization process is performed at the joint 90. In this depressurization process, the atmosphere inside the chamber 501 is drawn in by the depressurization mechanism 503, thereby reducing the pressure inside the chamber 501.

[0117] Subsequently, a heating process is performed at the joint 90. In the heating process, the substrate W to be processed and the glass substrate S are heated by the second heating mechanism 117 of the second holding part 101 and the first heating mechanism 217 of the first holding part 201. In this heating process, the substrate W to be processed and the glass substrate S are heated from a first temperature to a second temperature. The second temperature is, for example, 300°C or higher.

[0118] At this time, the third heating mechanism 103 and the fourth heating mechanism 203 also heat up to the second temperature at the same heating rate as the first heating mechanism 217 and the second heating mechanism 117. This suppresses warping of the first cooling mechanism 102 and the second cooling mechanism 202, and prevents damage to the first holding part 201 and the second holding part 101.

[0119] Next, the bonding process is carried out at the joint 90. In this bonding process, gas is supplied to the pressure vessel 161 to bring the inside of the pressure vessel 161 to a desired pressure. As a result, the second holding part 101 descends and the substrate W to be processed and the glass substrate S are pressurized to the desired pressure. The adhesive G applied to the bonding surface Wj of the substrate W to be processed has softened due to the heating to the second temperature, and the substrate W to be processed and the glass substrate S are bonded together as the substrate W is pressed against the glass substrate S with the desired pressure.

[0120] Furthermore, by creating a reduced-pressure atmosphere inside the chamber 501, it is possible to prevent voids from forming between the substrate W to be processed and the glass substrate S.

[0121] Next, a cooling process is performed at the joint 90. In this cooling process, the substrate W and glass substrate S are cooled to a first temperature while maintaining the pressurized state of the substrate W and glass substrate S by the pressurizing mechanism 106. As a result, the softened adhesive G hardens and the substrate W and glass substrate S are joined together.

[0122] The polymerized substrate T formed in this manner is then removed from the joint 90 by the transport unit 80 after the second chamber 511 is raised by a moving mechanism (not shown), and transported to the cassette Ct in the procedure described above.

[0123] The embodiments of the substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method described above have been explained, but the disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Various changes, modifications, substitutions, additions, deletions, and combinations are possible within the scope of the claims. These also naturally fall within the technical scope of the disclosure.

[0124] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-011470, filed with the Japan Patent Office on January 27, 2025, and the entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-011470 are incorporated herein by reference.

[0125] 1000 Substrate processing unit 1010 First electrostatic chuck 1011 First electrode 1012 Second electrode 1020 First sensor 1090 Control circuit 1100 First substrate

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a first electrostatic chuck having a first electrode and a second electrode to which a voltage is applied, for adsorbing a first substrate; a first sensor for measuring the capacitance between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a control circuit, wherein the control circuit performs: a control that, after contact between the first substrate and the first electrostatic chuck, applies a first voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode and measures the capacitance with the first sensor; a control that determines whether or not the material of the first substrate is a first material using the measurement value of the first sensor; and, if the material of the first substrate is a first material, applies a second voltage greater than the first voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode and adsorbs the first substrate to the first electrostatic chuck.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit performs control to notify an alarm when the material of the first substrate is not the first material.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit, when the material of the first substrate is not the first material, applies a voltage corresponding to the material of the first substrate between the first electrode and the second electrode, and controls the first substrate to be attracted to the first electrostatic chuck.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the nth first substrate is made of the first material, the control circuit applies the second voltage to adsorb the (n+1)th first substrate after the (n+1)th first substrate and the first electrostatic chuck, without applying the first voltage and determining the material.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: a second electrostatic chuck having a third electrode and a fourth electrode to which a voltage is applied, for adsorbing a second substrate; and a second sensor for measuring the capacitance between the third electrode and the fourth electrode, wherein the control circuit performs: a control that, after contact between the second substrate and the second electrostatic chuck, applies a third voltage between the third electrode and the fourth electrode and measures the capacitance with the second sensor; a control that determines whether the material of the second substrate is the second material using the measurement value of the second sensor; and, if the material of the second substrate is the second material, applies a fourth voltage greater than the third voltage between the third electrode and the fourth electrode and adsorbs the second substrate to the second electrostatic chuck.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first material and the second material are different, and the second voltage and the fourth voltage are different.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first material is glass, the second material is a semiconductor, and the fourth voltage is smaller than the second voltage.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first material and the second material are the same, and the second voltage and the fourth voltage are the same.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first material and the second material are glass, and the second voltage and the fourth voltage are the same.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a moving mechanism for moving the first electrostatic chuck and the second electrostatic chuck relative to each other to join the first substrate and the second substrate.

11. A substrate processing method comprising processing the first substrate using a substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images