JP2003188068A - Heat treatment apparatus for substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heat treatment apparatus for a substrate capable of easy replacement of a pin and easy adjusting of protrusion height of the pin from a hot plate heating surface, while a synthetic resin material is used for the pin that supports the substrate to keep a prescribed distance from the hot plate heating surface. <P>SOLUTION: Related to a heat treatment apparatus 1, a hot plate 2 is provided with multiple pins 9 which protrude from a heating surface 2a of the hot plate 2, and a substrate 4 so supported by the pins 9 as to keep a prescribed interval from the heating surface 2a of the hot plate 2 and heated by the hot plate 2. The pin 9 is made of synthetic resin material and screwed into the hot plate 2 from above the heating surface 2a of the hot plate 2. The central section of the top face of the pin 9 is a convex part 9b, with a groove 9c in which a rotary jig is inserted being formed symmetrically relative to the convex part 9b. A compression spring 10 is interposed between the pin 9 and the hot plate 2 to prevent the loosening of coupling with a screw between them. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate for liquid crystal, in particular, a hot plate is used as a heating means, and the substrate serves as a heating surface of the hot plate. The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus for a substrate which is supported at a predetermined interval and is heated by the hot plate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In this type of substrate heat treatment apparatus,
Conventionally, pins (also called proximity pins) have been used as a means for supporting a substrate at a predetermined distance from the heating surface of a hot plate. As the condition of this pin, it is required that the contact point with the substrate is as small as possible and that it is excellent in non-thermal conductivity and heat resistance, and a material such as ceramic or ruby formed into a spherical shape is used. The pin thus obtained is embedded in a large number of holes formed on the heating surface of the hot plate so that half of its spherical shape is projected upward from the heating surface, and is fixed by an adhesive.

However, if a material harder than the substrate is used as the material of the pins, the back surface of the substrate is scratched, which is not preferable. Therefore, a resin pin having excellent non-thermal conductivity and heat resistance has been proposed (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-279548). This pin is a resin molded product called Vespel, and it is formed into a mushroom shape, and the cross-sectional shape of its head is roughly trapezoidal or semi-circular, and its legs are formed on the heating surface of the hot plate. It is embedded in a large number of holes formed so as not to easily come out. Therefore, even if it is not possible to replace the pin, such as when the pin head that is in contact with the board wears away due to wear or has deteriorated due to heat, there is a function to adjust the height that pops out from the heating surface of the hot plate. do not do.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-70007 discloses a device capable of exchanging pins and adjusting the protrusion height of the pins from the hot plate heating surface. In this structure, the hot plate is composed of a main plate which is in contact with the heating means or the cooling means, and a sub plate which is placed on the upper surface of the main plate and has a pin accommodating recess. The pin accommodating recess has an opening smaller than the diameter of the pin that opens on the upper surface (heating surface) of the sub-plate, and the top of the pin projects upward from the upper surface of the sub-plate through the opening. It is stored. The lower part of the pin is supported by a pin support member, and by adjusting the position of the pin support surface of this pin support member to high or low, the amount by which the pin projects upward from the upper surface of the sub plate can be adjusted. . Also, the pins can be replaced by removing the pin support member.

However, in this device, the hot plate is turned over and fixed to connect the sub plate and the main plate in order to replace the pin or adjust the height of the pin protruding from the heating surface of the hot plate. Work such as removing screws and separating the sub-plate from the main plate is required, which is extremely complicated and time-consuming.

[0006]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The invention of the present application solves the above-mentioned problems of the conventional heat treatment apparatus for a substrate, and uses a synthetic resin material as the material of the pin, while exchanging the pin and the pin. It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate heat treatment apparatus in which the height of protrusion from the hot plate heating surface can be easily adjusted.

[0007]

The invention of the present application relates to a substrate heat treatment apparatus which solves the above-mentioned problems, and the invention described in claim 1 relates to a hot plate and a hot plate of the hot plate. A large number of pins are arranged so as to project from the heating surface, and the substrate supported by the pins is supported by the heating surface of the hot plate at a predetermined interval and is heated by the hot plate. In the heat treatment apparatus for a substrate, the pins are
A heat treatment apparatus for a substrate, which is made of a synthetic resin material and is mounted by being screwed onto the hot plate from above a heating surface of the hot plate.

Since the invention described in claim 1 is configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained. Since the pins are made of a synthetic resin material, they are softer than the substrate and do not damage the back surface of the substrate when supporting the substrate. This improves the production yield of substrates. Also, since the pin is screwed onto the hot plate from above the heating surface of the hot plate, the pin can be replaced by loosening or tightening the screw from above the heating surface of the hot plate. It can be done easily. Furthermore, by adjusting the screwing amount from above the heating surface of the hot plate, it is possible to easily adjust the height at which the pin pops out (projects) from the heating surface of the hot plate, and the pin head wear It is possible to freely deal with the fluctuation of the pop-out amount due to the above, individually and at any time.

Further, by constructing the invention according to claim 1 as described in claim 2, the pin has a rounded convex portion at the center of its top surface, and sandwiches the convex portion. A concave groove for inserting a rotary jig is formed at a symmetrical position.

As a result, when the pin supports the substrate, the contact point where the pin contacts the substrate can be made relatively small.
The effect of heat conduction through the pins on the uniform heating of the substrate can be made negligible. Further, since the concave groove for inserting the rotary jig is formed at symmetrical positions with the convex portion at the center of the top surface of the pin interposed, a pair of claw portions (hooking portions) of the rotary jig are formed in the concave groove. By inserting and rotating the rotary jig in the forward and reverse directions, the pin can be easily screwed in and pulled out, and the pin can be replaced and the protruding amount of the pin can be adjusted very easily.

Further, as described in claim 3, claim 1
Alternatively, the compression spring for preventing the loosened screw connection between the pin and the hot plate is interposed between the pin and the hot plate.

As a result, the screw connection between the pin and the hot plate is always kept in a tension relationship by the restoring force of the compression spring, so that the screw connection is not loosened, and the runout of the pin and the pin become hot plate. It is possible to suppress the fluctuation of the height that jumps out (protrudes) from the heating surface of. Thereby, the uniform heating of the substrate can be further facilitated, and the possibility that the pins rub against the substrate and damage the back surface of the substrate is further reduced.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, an embodiment of the invention described in claims 1 to 3 of the present application shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 will be described. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a substrate heat treatment apparatus according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a II-I of FIG.
1 is a front view of the pin, FIG. 4 is a left side view of the same, FIG. 5 is a plan view of the same, and FIG. 6 is VI-VI of FIG.
FIG.

The substrate heat treatment apparatus in this embodiment is
It is used for heat treating substrates such as semiconductor wafers and glass substrates for liquid crystals. For example, in order to remove the solvent in this coating film with the photoresist film coated on the substrate,
Used to heat the substrate. This heating is performed in order to prevent uneven development in the subsequent developing process.
It is required to be performed as uniformly as possible. A hot plate is used as the heating means, and the substrate is supported at a predetermined distance from the heating surface of the hot plate, and is heated by the hot plate from a close position exclusively through radiation heat transfer. .

As shown in FIG. 1, the hot plate 2 used in the substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment has a plurality of heater elements 3 arranged in parallel inside a rectangular metal plate in plan view. The plate, which is embedded and is heated to a high temperature by the heat generated by the plurality of heater elements 3, uniformly radiatively heats the substrate 4 supported at a predetermined small distance from the plate. The dimensions of the hot plate 2 and the substrate 4 are over 1000 mm in both length and width.

The hot plate 2 is formed with circular holes 6 along its four sides through which the lift pins 8 (see FIG. 6) are inserted at predetermined intervals. Further, in the central portion of the hot plate 2 as well, similar circular holes 6 are formed at four locations surrounding the central point. As shown in FIG. 6, lift pins 8 are vertically movably inserted into these circular holes 6, and when the substrate 4 is transferred onto the hot plate 2 by a transfer device (not shown), All the lift pins 8 simultaneously rise in the circular hole 6 to receive the substrate 4 at its peripheral portion and central portion. Next, the lift pins 8 simultaneously descend in the circular hole 6 and transfer the substrate 4 onto a plurality of pins 9 (see FIG. 2) described later. Then lift pin 8
Moves further down in the circular hole 6 and stands by at a predetermined position. By mounting the substrate 4 on the plurality of support pins 9, the substrate 4 is supported on the hot plate 2 with a predetermined small distance from the upper surface (heating surface) 2a of the hot plate 2. Become.

The hot plate 2 is also provided with a large number of screw holes 7 for arranging pins 9 used for supporting the substrate 4 in a grid pattern over the entire area thereof. . Unlike the circular hole 6, the screw hole 7 does not penetrate the hot plate 2, is formed as a bottomed circular hole, and has an internal thread 7a formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof. When the pin 9 is screwed into the screw hole 7, the female screw 7a is screwed with the male screw portion of the pin 9 (male screw 9a described later). The distance between the squares of the cross is made small enough to maintain the required smoothness over the entire surface of the flat substrate 4 when the substrate 4 is supported by all the pins 9.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a state in which the pin 9 is screwed into the screw hole 7. 3 to 5, the structure of the pin 9 is shown in a front view, a side view, and a plan view. As is clear from these figures, pin 9
Is a stepped cylindrical body having an upper large diameter portion and a lower small diameter portion, and the upper large diameter portion has a female screw 7a of a screw hole 7.
A male screw 9a is engraved to be screwed with. The central portion of the top surface is a rounded convex portion 9b.
A concave groove 9c into which a pair of claws (hooking parts) of a rotating jig (not shown) used when screwing the pin 9 into the screw hole 7 is inserted is provided at a symmetrical position with b sandwiched therebetween. Has been done.
The groove 9c is formed by scraping off the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter portion of the pin 9 and opening it laterally. Pin 9
Is made of a synthetic resin material that is softer than the substrate 4 and has excellent non-thermal conductivity, heat resistance, and abrasion resistance, and a Vespel material is preferably used.

The pin 9 having such a structure is installed on the hot plate 2 from above the heating surface 2a.
It is screwed into the screw hole 7 formed in the, and is planted and attached to the hot plate 2. The amount of screwing the pin 9 into the screw hole 7 is such that the tip of the convex portion 9b formed at the center of the top surface of the pin 9 protrudes from the heating surface 2a of the hot plate 2 by a predetermined distance d. As a result, the substrate 4 is supported by the pins 9 at a predetermined distance d from the heating surface 2a of the hot plate 2. "Predetermined interval d" is
Usually, it is on the order of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, and the substrate 4 is subjected to radiant heating (proximity bake) by the hot plate 2 through such an interval. Then, the entire surface of the plate is heated uniformly.

As is clear from the above description, the pin 9
Is configured as a screw pin consisting of a stepped cylinder.
The length of the pin 9 is such that when the tip of the pin 9 is screwed in until it reaches the bottom 7b of the screw hole 7, the protrusion 9 at the center of the top surface thereof is
The tip of b is exactly from the heating surface 2a of the hot plate 2,
It is preferable to set the dimensions such that the above-mentioned “predetermined distance d” is projected.

A compression spring 10 is interposed between the pin 9 and the screw hole 7 so that when the pin 9 is screwed into the screw hole 7 of the hot plate 2, the screw connection between them is not loosened. . The compression spring 10 is actually mounted on the small diameter portion of the pin 9 and guided by the space between the bottom portion 7b of the screw hole 7 and the step portion 9d between the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion of the pin 9. Has been reduced to. The means for preventing the loosening of the screw connection between the pin 9 and the screw hole 7 is not limited to this, and various other means are conceivable. However, the use of the compression spring 10 can be carried out easily. preferable.

On the heating surface 2a of the hot plate 2, a pair of projecting pieces 5 are provided at each of the four corners thereof for positioning the substrate 4 in the horizontal direction and preventing displacement. Further, the light emitting portion 11a and the light receiving portion 11b of the transmissive sensor 11 are installed at each of two diagonal corners of the four corners. These transmissive sensors 11 confirm that the substrate 4 is on the hot plate 2.

Since this embodiment is constructed as described above, the following effects can be obtained. Pin 9
Is made of synthetic resin material, so it is softer than the substrate 4,
When supporting the substrate 4, the back surface of the substrate 4 is not damaged. This improves the production yield of the substrates 4. Further, since the pin 9 is attached to the hot plate 2 by screwing it from above the heating surface 2a of the hot plate 2, by loosening or tightening the screw from above the heating surface 2a of the hot plate 2. The replacement work of the pins 4 can be easily performed. Furthermore, by adjusting the screwing amount from above the heating surface 2a of the hot plate 2, it is possible to easily adjust the height at which the pin 9 projects (projects) from the heating surface 2a of the hot plate 2, It is possible to freely deal with the fluctuation of the pop-out amount due to wear of the head of 9 and the like, individually and at any time.

Further, the pin 9 has a rounded convex portion 9b at the center of its top surface, and a concave groove 9c for inserting a rotary jig is bored at a symmetrical position with the convex portion 9b sandwiched therebetween. Because
When the pin 9 supports the substrate 4, the contact point where the pin 9 contacts the substrate 4 can be made relatively small, and the effect of heat conduction via the pin 9 on the uniform heating of the substrate 4 is negligible. can do. Also, by inserting a pair of claw portions (hooking portions) of the rotary jig into the groove 9c and rotating the rotary jig in the forward and reverse directions, the pin 9 can be easily screwed in.
Further, the pin 9 can be pulled out, and the replacement of the pin 9 and the adjustment of the protruding amount of the pin 9 can be performed very easily.

Further, since the compression spring 10 for preventing loosening of the screw connection between the pin 9 and the hot plate 2 is interposed, the compression spring 10 between the pin 9 and the hot plate 2 is interposed. The screw connection is always kept in a tension relationship by the restoring force of the compression spring 10. The screw connection does not loosen, and the pin 9 swings or the height of the pin 9 protruding (protruding) from the heating surface of the hot plate 2 is increased. Fluctuations can be suppressed.
Thereby, the uniform heating of the substrate 4 can be further facilitated, and the possibility that the pins 9 rub against the substrate 4 and damage the back surface of the substrate 4 is further reduced.

In this embodiment, the concave groove 9c for inserting the rotary jig is provided at symmetrical positions with the convex portion 9b at the center of the top surface of the pin 9 interposed therebetween. The present invention is not limited to this, and the concave grooves of various shapes can be formed according to the shapes of the pair of claw portions (hooking portions) of the rotating jig. For example, a circular hole-shaped groove and a square hole-shaped groove may be formed at the same position. Besides, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention of the present application.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a heat treatment apparatus for a substrate according to an embodiment of the invention described in claims 1 to 3 of the present application.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a pin.

FIG. 4 is a left side view of the same.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the same.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Heat treatment apparatus, 2 ... Hot plate, 2a ... Hot plate upper surface (heating surface), 3 ... Heater element, 4 ... Substrate,
5 ... Projecting piece, 6 ... Circular hole, 7 ... Screw hole, 7a ... Female screw, 7
b ... bottom part, 8 ... lift pin, 9 ... (support) pin, 9a ...
Male screw, 9b ... convex portion, 9c ... concave groove, 9d ... step portion, 10 ... compression spring, 11 ... transmissive sensor, 11a ... light emitting portion, 11b ... light receiving portion.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of pins are arranged on a hot plate so as to project from a heating surface of the hot plate,
In the substrate heat treatment apparatus, wherein the substrate supported by the pins is supported at a predetermined distance from the heating surface of the hot plate and is heated by the hot plate, the pins are made of synthetic resin. A heat treatment apparatus for a substrate, which is made of a material and is screwed and attached to the hot plate from above a heating surface of the hot plate. 2. The pin has a rounded convex portion at the center of its top surface, and concave grooves for inserting a rotary jig are formed at symmetrical positions with the convex portion sandwiched therebetween. The heat treatment apparatus for a substrate according to claim 1. 3. The compression spring according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a compression spring is interposed between the pin and the hot plate to prevent loosening of a screw connection therebetween. Substrate heat treatment equipment.