JP2003282681A - Substrate holding device and substrate processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] To switch between holding and release of a substrate with a simple configuration. SOLUTION: A coil spring 51 and one end of a shape memory alloy wire 61 are connected to a distal end portion 15 of a first arm portion 13 of a movable holding member 11, respectively. Is contracted, and a tension against the coil spring 51 is applied to the movable holding member 11 by the wire 61, and the movable holding member 11
Moves to the holding release position. When the power supply to the wire 61 is stopped, the wire 61 is naturally cooled and returns to the original relaxed state.
Moves to the holding position.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer,
A process fluid such as a process liquid or a process gas is supplied to various substrates such as a photomask glass substrate, a liquid crystal display glass substrate, a plasma display glass substrate, and an optical disc substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”) to perform a predetermined process The present invention relates to a substrate holding apparatus and a substrate processing apparatus which are applied to a substrate processing apparatus that performs the above process and can hold and release the substrate with a particularly simple structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to supply a processing fluid such as a processing liquid or a processing gas to a substrate to perform a predetermined process, the substrate is held by a substrate holding member and rotated about a vertical axis to appropriately process the substrate. There is known a substrate processing apparatus configured to perform the above (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-135172).

[0003]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention
The conventional substrate processing apparatus described in Japanese Patent No. 5172 is provided with a link mechanism for rotatably and surely holding a substrate by a substrate holding member.
The link member for rotating the substrate holding member to hold the substrate and the release mechanism for releasing the rotation biasing force by the link member are provided, and the structure thereof is complicated.

Since the link member rotates together with the substrate, it is desirable that the link member is a small member.
Further, regarding the release mechanism, if the complicated structure is used, the number of parts increases and the number of dust generation sources increases, which in turn increases the generation amount of dust. What has a simple structure is desired.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a substrate holding apparatus and a substrate processing apparatus capable of switching between holding and releasing a substrate with a simple structure.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a substrate holding device according to the present invention holds a plurality of substrate holding members by engaging the outer peripheral ends of the substrates to hold the substrate. Between a holding position in which at least one substrate holding member of the plurality of substrate holding members engages with the outer peripheral end of the substrate as a movable holding member and a holding release position separated from the outer peripheral end of the substrate. Is movably provided and is connected to each of the movable holding members,
A biasing member that biases the movable holding member in a direction of moving to the holding position or the holding release position, a shape memory alloy wire connected to each of the movable holding members, and a temperature of the shape memory alloy wire is controlled. A controller for contracting or expanding the shape memory alloy wire to move the movable holding member in a direction opposite to the direction biased by the biasing member while resisting the biasing force of the biasing member. ing.

Also, the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention is
A substrate holding means comprising the substrate holding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and a substrate rotating means for rotating the substrate held by the substrate holding means.

In the invention thus constructed (substrate holding device and substrate processing device), at least one of the plurality of substrate holding members that holds the substrate by engaging the outer peripheral edge of the substrate is at least one substrate holding member. The movable holding member is movably provided between a holding position that engages the outer peripheral end of the substrate and a holding release position that is separated from the outer peripheral end of the substrate. Further, a biasing member that biases the movable holding member in the direction of moving to the holding position or the holding release position is connected to each movable holding member, and the shape memory alloy wire is connected to each movable holding member.

Then, the controller controls the temperature of the shape memory alloy wire to cause contraction or extension of the wire, and the movable holding member is biased by the biasing member while resisting the biasing force of the biasing member. And move in the opposite direction. Specifically, for example, when the movable holding member is biased in the direction of moving to the holding position by the biasing member, the movable holding member moves to the holding release position due to contraction or extension of the shape memory alloy wire, and When the movable holding member is biased by the biasing member in the direction of moving to the holding release position, the movable holding member moves to the holding position due to contraction or extension of the shape memory alloy wire.

As a result, the movable holding member can be moved between the holding position and the holding release position with a simple structure, and the number of parts constituting the apparatus for holding the substrate can be reduced.

Here, the connection form of the biasing member and the shape memory alloy wire to the movable holding member is not particularly limited, but, for example, the movable holding member is provided on a plate-shaped base member in a standing manner. A main body portion rotatably disposed on the moving shaft and a first arm portion and a second arm portion extending from the main body portion are provided, and the first arm portion includes the biasing member and the shape memory alloy. One ends of the wires are connected to each other, the second arm portion engages the outer peripheral edge of the substrate at the holding position, and the second arm portion engages the outer peripheral edge of the substrate at the holding release position. Is configured to be released, and the other end of the biasing member and the shape memory alloy wire are fixed to the base member, respectively, with a simple configuration, the biasing member and the shape memory alloy. Wai Mutual opposing force by chromatography can be efficiently applied to the movable holding member, which is preferable.

If the controller is provided with a power supply and an energization control unit that adjusts the timing of energizing the shape memory alloy wire with a current output from the power supply, the controller shrinks or expands the shape memory alloy wire. Can be done in good timing.

The contraction or extension of the shape memory alloy wire means that the wire length is contracted in a relaxed state by temperature control, in addition to the case where the wire length is contracted or extended by temperature control. It includes a case where the state and the stretched state are switched, and a case where the state where the wire length is contracted by temperature control and the state where the wire is stretched in the relaxed state are switched.

[0014]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a main part of a substrate cleaning apparatus which is an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.
(A) is a plan view and (b) is a side view. Further, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main part of an electrical configuration of the substrate cleaning apparatus.

In FIG. 1 (b), this substrate processing apparatus comprises a cylindrical rotary shaft portion 1, and this rotary shaft portion 1 is connected to a motor 3 by a driving force transmission mechanism 2 composed of a belt,
It is erected so as to be rotatable around the rotation center axis. A disc-shaped spin base 4 is fixed to the upper end of the rotary shaft portion 1,
A substrate holding mechanism 5 is arranged on the spin base 4. Then, this substrate cleaning apparatus rotates the substrate 6 held by the substrate holding mechanism 5 to discharge the cleaning liquid from the nozzle 7 to clean the surface of the substrate 6 and stop the discharge of the cleaning liquid from the nozzle 7. In this state, the substrate 6 is rotated to dry the substrate 6. The liquid used as the cleaning liquid is not particularly limited as long as it is a liquid used for the substrate cleaning process, such as pure water, acid, alkali, diluted developing solution, and ozone water in which ozone is dissolved in pure water.

The substrate holding mechanism 5 is provided with substrate holding portions 10, 20, 30 as shown in FIG. 1 (a). The substrate holding unit 10 includes a movable holding member 11, a coil spring 51,
The shape memory alloy wire (hereinafter, simply referred to as “wire”) 61 is provided.

The movable holding member 11 is a body portion 12 rotatably arranged on a rotation shaft 41 provided upright on the spin base 4.
And a first arm portion 13 and a second arm portion 13 extending from the body portion 12.
And an arm portion 14. One ends of the coil spring 51 and the wire 61 are connected to the tip portion 15 of the first arm portion 13, respectively. The second arm portion 14 has a tip extending vertically, and the engaging portion 1 formed at the extended tip.
6 is provided.

The coil spring 51 urges the movable holding member 11 clockwise around the rotation shaft 41, and the other end is fixed to the spin base 4 at the mounting portion 17. The wire 61 is made of, for example, a Ti—Ni-based shape memory alloy, and the other end is fixed to the spin base 4 at the mounting portion 18. The function of the wire 61 will be described later.

A stopper 71 provided upright on the spin base 4.
Is for stopping the rotational biasing of the movable holding member 11 by the coil spring 51 at an appropriate position (solid line in FIG. 1A), and when the substrate 6 is not present, the movable holding member 11 is stopped by the coil spring 51. Is prevented from being rotated more than necessary.

The substrate holders 20 and 30 are the substrate holder 10
It has the same structure as. That is, the substrate holding unit 20
Is a movable holding member 21, a coil spring 52, and a shape memory alloy wire (hereinafter, simply referred to as “wire”) 62.
It has and. The movable holding member 21 has the same structure as the movable holding member 11, and includes a main body portion 22, a first arm portion 23 having a tip portion 25, and a second arm portion 24 having an engaging portion 26. 4 is made rotatable about a rotation shaft 42 provided upright, and the range of rotation by a coil spring 52 is restricted by a stopper 72 provided upright on the spin base 4. One end of the coil spring 52 is connected to the tip portion 25, and the other end is fixed to the spin base 4.
One end of the wire 62 is connected to the tip portion 25, and the other end is fixed to the spin base 4.

Further, the substrate holding section 30 is a movable holding member 3.
1, a coil spring 53, and a shape memory alloy wire (hereinafter, simply referred to as “wire”) 63.
The movable holding member 31 has the same structure as the movable holding member 11, and has a body portion 32 and a first arm portion 33 having a tip portion 35.
The second arm portion 34 having the engaging portion 36 is provided, and the second arm portion 34 is rotatable about a rotation shaft 43 provided upright on the spin base 4, and the rotation range of the coil spring 53 is set up on the spin base 4. It is regulated by a stopper 73 provided. One end of the coil spring 53 is connected to the tip portion 35, and the other end is fixed to the spin base 4. One end of the wire 63 is connected to the tip portion 35, and the other end is connected to the spin base 4
It is fixed to. The functions of the wires 62 and 63 will be described later.

This substrate processing apparatus, as shown in FIG.
Controller 80 having power supply unit 81 and CPU 82
This controller 80 includes a wire 61, a connecting portion 83 including a slip ring and a connecting terminal, and the like.
It is connected to both ends of 62 and 63. The CPU 82 outputs the current output from the power supply unit 81 to the wires 61, 62, 6
The timing of energizing 3 is adjusted. By adjusting the energizing timing, the temperature of the wires 61, 62, 63 is controlled, and the wires 61, 62, 63 are contracted or relaxed.

Next, referring to FIG. 3, the substrate holder 1
The operations of 0, 20, and 30 will be described. Since the substrate holders 10, 20, and 30 have the same configuration as described above, the operation of the substrate holder 10 will be described in detail here, while description of the substrate holders 20 and 30 will be omitted. 3A and 3B are views showing the substrate holding unit 10. FIG. 3A is a plan view of the wire 61 in a non-energized state, and FIG. 3B is B of FIG.
View from the arrow, (c) is a plan view of the wire 61 in a conducting state,
(D) is a D arrow view of (c). In addition, (a),
In (c), the substrate 6 is not shown for convenience of description.

When the wire 61 is in the non-energized state, as shown in FIG.
As shown in (a), the wire 61 is in a relaxed and stretched state, and the wire 61 is movable.
The tension applied to is almost zero. Therefore, the movable holding member 11 is rotated clockwise about the rotation shaft 41 by the urging force of the coil spring 51 in FIG.
As shown in (b), the engaging portion 16 of the second arm portion 14 moves to the holding position where it engages with the substrate 6, and the substrate 6 is held.
As a result, the substrate 6 can be washed and dried by driving the motor 3 and rotating the substrate 6.

Then, the CPU 82 energizes the wire 61, and Joule heat is generated in the wire 61 to generate the wire 61.
When the temperature rises, the wire 61 contracts as shown in FIG. In this way, the wire 6
When 1 is contracted, the tension applied to the movable holding member 11 by the wire 61 increases, and the movable holding member 11 rotates counterclockwise in the figure about the rotation shaft 41 against the biasing force of the coil spring 51. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3D, the engaging portion 16 of the second arm portion 14 moves to the holding release position where it does not engage with the substrate 6, and the holding of the substrate 6 is released. This makes it possible to replace the substrate 6, for example. Then, when the energization by the controller 80 is stopped, the wire 61 is naturally cooled and returns to the stretched state in the original relaxed state.

The holding release positions of the movable holding members 11, 21, 31 are indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1 (a).

As described above, according to this embodiment, the temperature of the wires 61, 62, 63 is controlled by the controller 80 so that the wires 61, 62, 63 are contracted or expanded and the 61, 62, 63 are movably held. Members 11 and 2
The tension applied to 1, 31 can be changed. Therefore, the substrate holding mechanism 5 that moves the movable holding members 11, 21, 31 to the holding position and the holding release position of the substrate 6 includes the wires 61, 62, 63 and the coil springs 51, 52 ,.
This can be realized with a simple configuration including only 53. As a result, the number of parts constituting the substrate holding mechanism 5 can be reduced and the load on the motor 3 can also be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, although the substrate cleaning apparatus that cleans the substrate 6 is used in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on the substrate 6, such as a resist coating process or a developing process. .

For example, the present invention can be applied to a substrate holding device in a so-called spin dryer in which a plurality of substrates are rotatably held and are dried by rotation.

In the above embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus that rotatably holds the substrate 6 is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the substrate 6 may be simply held or the substrate 6 may be held. It can be applied to a substrate holding device for positioning the center of a substrate.

Further, the number of wires constituting the wires 61, 62, 63 is not limited, and one wire or a plurality of wires may be constructed so that the required tension can be obtained.

Further, in the above embodiment, the wires 61, 6 are
2, 63 contract when energized and coil springs 51, 52,
Although the counter force against the biasing force of 53 is generated and the counter force is not relaxed when the coil springs 51 and 5 are deenergized when they are de-energized, the coil springs 51 and 5 are not limited to this.
It suffices that the presence or absence of the generation of the opposing force against the biasing forces of 2, 53 can be switched. In this case, it is preferable if the counter force is not generated when the substrate 6 is not energized, because it is not necessary to energize it while the substrate 6 is rotating.

For example, as the wires 61, 62, 63, it is possible to employ wires that expand when energized and contract in a relaxed state when not energized. In this case, for example, the mounting portion 17 that fixes the other end of the coil spring 51 to the spin base 4 and the mounting portion 18 that fixes the other end of the wire 61 to the spin base 4 are the first portion of the movable holding member 11.
It may be arranged on the same side of the tip portion 15 of the arm portion 13. With this arrangement, the wire 61 expands when energized to generate a counter force against the biasing force of the coil spring 51, and the movable holding member 11 can be moved to the holding release position as in the above embodiment. .

In the above embodiment, the wires 61,
The temperature of the wires 61, 62, 63 is controlled by cooling the wires 61, 62, 63 by energizing them while cooling them by energizing them. However, the temperature control method for the wires 61, 62, 63 is not limited to this. However, the wires 61, 62, 63 may be configured to be heated and cooled from the outside, for example.

Further, in the above embodiment, the current is applied during the replacement work of the substrate 6 to release the engagement of the engaging portion 16 with the substrate 6, but the current is applied to the substrate 6 held by the substrate cleaning device during rotation. May be canceled. Specifically, there may be a case where the pinching state in which the rotational driving force is surely transmitted during the rotation process and a sliding state in which the rotational driving force is not transmitted without being pinched but held on the engaging portion 16 may be switched. That is, the substrate 6 is clamped at the holding position by the engaging portion 16, and the substrate 6 is simply placed on the engaging portion 16 at the holding releasing position. As described above, the engaging portion 16 may be released by supplying electricity during the rotation of the substrate. By doing so, the movable holding member that is rotating can be moved between the holding position and the holding release position with a simple configuration.

Further, in the above embodiment, the substrate holding mechanism 5 is arranged on the upper surface of the spin base 4 so as to face the substrate 6, but a cover may be arranged between the substrate holding mechanism 5 and the substrate 6. You may comprise. Alternatively, the main part of the substrate holding mechanism 5, at least the shape memory alloy wires 61, 6
2, 63 may be arranged below the spin base 4. By doing so, exposure of the substrate holding mechanism 5, that is, the shape memory alloy wires 61, 62, 63 to the processing liquid can be suppressed as much as possible.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention, by controlling the temperature of the shape memory alloy wire by the controller, the wire is contracted or expanded, and the movable holding member resists the urging force of the urging member. While moving in the direction opposite to the direction biased by the biasing member,
The movable holding member can be moved between the holding position and the holding release position with a simple structure, and the number of parts constituting the device for holding the substrate can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a main part of a substrate cleaning apparatus which is an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, in which (a) is a plan view,
(B) is a side view.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a main part of an electrical configuration of the substrate cleaning apparatus shown in FIG.

3A and 3B are diagrams showing a substrate holding portion, FIG. 3A is a plan view of a wire in a non-energized state, FIG. 3B is a view of arrow B in FIG. 3A, and FIG.
Is a plan view of the wire in the energized state, and (d) is a view as seen from the arrow D of (c).

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Rotating shaft part (substrate rotating means) 2 ... Driving force transmission mechanism (substrate rotating means) 3 ... Motor (board rotating means) 4 ... Spin base (base member, substrate rotating means) 5 ... Substrate holding mechanism 6 ... Substrate 10, 20, 30 ... Substrate holding unit 11, 21, 31 ... Movable holding member 12, 22, 32 ... Main body 13, 23, 33 ... First arm 14, 24, 34 ... Second arm 51, 52, 53 ... Coil spring (biasing member) 61, 62, 63 ... Shape memory alloy wire 80 ... Controller 81 ... Power supply unit 82 ... CPU (energization control unit)

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Tsutomu Ueyama             4 Horikawa-dori Teranouchi, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture             No. 1 at Tenjin Kitamachi             Manufacturing Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 5F031 CA01 CA02 CA05 HA24 HA27                       HA29 HA30 HA59 MA23 MA26                 5F046 LA19

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A substrate holding device for holding a substrate by engaging a plurality of substrate holding members with an outer peripheral end portion of the substrate,
At least one of the plurality of substrate holding members moves as a movable holding member between a holding position in which it engages with the outer peripheral end of the substrate and a holding release position separated from the outer peripheral end of the substrate. A biasing member that is freely provided and that is connected to each of the movable holding members and that biases the movable holding member to the holding position or the holding release position, and is connected to each of the movable holding members. Shape memory alloy wire, and the biasing member while controlling the temperature of the shape memory alloy wire to contract or expand the shape memory alloy wire to resist the biasing force of the biasing member to the movable holding member. A substrate holding device, comprising: a controller that moves in a direction opposite to the direction biased by the. 2. The movable holding member includes a body portion rotatably arranged on a rotation shaft provided upright on a plate-shaped base member,
A first arm portion and a second arm portion extending from the main body portion are provided, and the biasing member and one end of the shape memory alloy wire are connected to the first arm portion, respectively, and the first arm portion and the shape memory alloy wire are connected to the first arm portion. The two arm portions are configured to engage with the outer peripheral edge of the substrate and the second arm portion is disengaged from the outer peripheral edge of the substrate at the holding release position. The biasing member and the other end of the shape memory alloy wire are fixed to the base member, respectively.
The substrate holding device described. 3. The substrate holding device according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes a power supply and an energization control unit that adjusts a timing of energizing the shape memory alloy wire with a current output from the power supply. 4. A substrate holding means comprising the substrate holding device according to claim 1, and a substrate rotating means for rotating the substrate held by the substrate holding means. Substrate processing equipment.