KR101997932B1 - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to improve the uniformity of the in-plane temperature of the substrate transferred to the exposure apparatus, thereby improving the production efficiency.
The peripheral exposure module 4 is installed in the interface block S3 disposed between the processing block S2 and the exposure station S4. The wafer W on which the resist film has been formed is transferred to the moving mounting plate 51 of the peripheral exposure module 4 by the first transmission mechanism 31 of the processing block S3. The peripheral exposure module 4 carries out the detection of the notch position of the wafer W and the peripheral exposure processing by loading the wafer W on the rotary stage 42 to align the notches, . The wafer W is moved to the temperature required by the exposure station S4 on the moving mount plate 51 and then the wafer W of the movable mount plate 51 is moved to the first position of the exposure station S4 And transported to the exposure station S4 by the transport mechanism 61.

Description

[0001] SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technical field for applying a resist to a substrate to perform development.

In a photoresist process which is one of semiconductor manufacturing processes, a resist is applied to the surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer), and the resist is exposed in a predetermined pattern and then developed to form a resist pattern. The formation of the resist pattern is carried out by a system in which a coating process for forming and developing various coating films such as a resist, and an exposure device for performing exposure process on the developing apparatus are connected.

Between the coating and developing apparatus and the exposure apparatus, for example, an interface block including a transfer stage of the wafer and a transfer arm is provided. Then, the wafer coated with the resist in the coating and developing apparatus is transported to the transfer stage of the interface block, and transported to the exposure apparatus by the transfer arm.

In the exposure apparatus, since the temperature affects the exposure process, the temperature of the wafer is adjusted to, for example, 23 deg. C to perform the exposure process. Further, if a temperature deviation occurs in the wafer surface, there is a possibility that the in-plane uniformity of the exposure process is lowered. Therefore, the temperature of the wafer is adjusted so that the deviation of the in-plane temperature is limited to, for example, 23 ° C ± 0.1 ° C . Adjustment of the temperature of the wafer in such an exposure apparatus is carried out by, for example, loading the wafer on a plate provided with a temperature adjusting mechanism, supplying the substrate with temperature and humidity adjusted to the wafer, and the like.

Therefore, when the temperature of the wafer transferred from the interface block to the exposure apparatus deviates from the set temperature during exposure processing or the uniformity of the in-plane temperature of the wafer is low, it takes time to adjust the wafer temperature in the exposure apparatus, The throughput on the exposure apparatus side is lowered. Generally, the throughput of the exposure apparatus is lower than that of the coating and developing apparatus. Therefore, in order to improve the production efficiency of the entire system, it is expected to increase the throughput of the exposure apparatus by devising a coating and developing apparatus side. As one of such methods, it has been studied to bring a wafer into which the wafer is temperature-adjusted with high accuracy and the uniformity of the in-plane temperature is increased in the exposure apparatus.

Further, in the coating and developing system, the interface block is removed to secure a work space, and the maintenance of the interface block, the processing block, and the exposure apparatus may be performed. In the configuration in which the transfer arm is provided in the interface block, by removing the interface block, the positional relationship between the transfer arm and the transfer stage on the processing block and the exposure apparatus side is changed. Therefore, it is necessary to align the transfer arm and the transfer stage after returning the interface block to the original state after the completion of the maintenance. It takes a long time to adjust the alignment of the transfer arms, which is one of the causes of lowering the production efficiency of the coating and developing apparatuses.

Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which cooling means is provided on an intermediate transfer belt provided in an interface device. In this example, in the intermediate transfer belt, the wafer cooled to the temperature for the exposure processing is loaded on the carry-out stand by the transport mechanism and carried into the exposure apparatus by the arm on the exposure apparatus side.

Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which a stacking and cooling unit and a hand for loading into and out of the exposure apparatus are provided in the interface unit. In this example, the substrate held at the predetermined temperature in the stacking and cooling unit is carried into the loading section for loading the substrate into the exposure apparatus by the loading hand, and the substrate after the exposure is carried out by the loading hand from the substrate loading section of the exposure apparatus . Patent Document 3 discloses a configuration in which a CHP apparatus (chilling hot plate process station) for heating a post-exposure wafer W and then cooling it is provided in an interface station.

However, in the structure of Patent Document 1, since the wafer is transported to the path of the intermediate transfer belt, the transfer mechanism, the carry-out transfer belt, and the exposure apparatus, even if the wafer is cooled by the intermediate transfer belt, the wafer is held in the transfer mechanism, When loaded on the stand, heat exchange occurs at the contact points of each other. As a result, when the wafer is brought into the exposure apparatus, the wafer becomes in a state where a deviation occurs in the in-plane temperature. Also in the configuration of Patent Document 2, the substrate held at the predetermined temperature in the stacking and cooling unit is transported to the substrate loading portion of the exposure apparatus by the carrying-out hand of the interface unit. Therefore, heat exchange occurs between the substrate and the hand yarn, or between the substrate and the substrate carry-in loading section, and the wafer placed on the substrate carry-in loading section is deviated in the in-plane temperature. Thus, it is difficult to solve the problems of the present invention even in Patent Documents 1 to 3. [

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-274221 (see paragraphs 0019, 0028, 0029) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-260032 (see paragraphs 0050, 0090, 0091) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-308005 (see paragraph 0035)

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of increasing the uniformity of the in-plane temperature of a substrate transferred to an exposure apparatus and improving the production efficiency.

The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus connected to an exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate on which a resist film is formed,

A processing block which performs a series of processes for forming a resist film on a substrate and performs a developing process on the substrate after the exposure process,

An interface block provided between the processing block and the exposure apparatus so as to be movable in the left and right direction with respect to the processing block when the connection direction of the processing block and the exposure apparatus is in the forward and backward directions,

A transfer mechanism for carrying out transfer of the substrate provided with the resist film on the processing block,

Wherein the substrate is once transferred from the transfer mechanism for transfer to adjust the temperature of the substrate to a temperature required by the exposure apparatus to transfer the substrate by the transfer mechanism of the exposure apparatus, Wealth,

A carrying-in loading section provided in the interface block, for transferring the exposed substrate by the carrying mechanism of the exposure apparatus once,

And a carry-in transfer mechanism provided in the processing block for receiving the substrate from the carry-in loading unit and carrying it into the processing block,

And the carry-out transfer mechanism and the carry-in transfer mechanism are located on the opposite side of the exposure apparatus when viewed from the carry-out loading unit and the carry-in loading unit.

In the present invention, an interface block is provided between a processing block for performing a series of processes for forming a resist film on a substrate and a developing process for the substrate after the exposure process and an exposure device, A loading section is provided. The substrate on which the resist film is formed is transferred to the carry-out section by the transfer mechanism for transferring the processing block, and is adjusted to the temperature required by the exposure apparatus side. Then, the temperature-adjusted substrate is directly received by the transport mechanism of the exposure apparatus from the carry-out loading section. After the temperature is adjusted, the substrate is directly transferred to the exposure apparatus side without contacting the transport mechanism of the processing block or the interface block, so that there is no possibility that the heat of the substrate moves to a transport mechanism other than the transport apparatus of the exposure apparatus. As a result, the substrate is transferred to the exposure apparatus side in a state where the uniformity of the in-plane temperature is high. As a result, in the exposure apparatus, the adjustment time of the substrate temperature can be shortened, thereby improving the throughput and consequently increasing the production efficiency of the substrate processing apparatus.

In addition, the transfer mechanism for transfer and the transfer mechanism for transfer are located on the opposite side of the exposure apparatus as seen from the carry-out loading unit and the carry-in loading unit. Thus, when the interface block is moved in the lateral direction with respect to the processing block, the positional relationship between the carry-out transfer mechanism, the carry-in transfer mechanism, and the transfer mechanism on the exposure apparatus side is not changed. Thus, even if the interface block S3 is attached to or detached from the processing block S2 at the time of maintenance, for example, the alignment operation of the transfer mechanism for carrying out the maintenance and the transfer mechanism at the exposure apparatus side becomes unnecessary. This reduces the number of operations and shortens the adjustment time after maintenance, thereby increasing the production efficiency of the substrate processing apparatus.

1 is a plan view of a coating and developing system of the present invention;
2 is a perspective view of a coating and developing system;
3 is a longitudinal side view of a coating and developing system.
4 is a longitudinal side view of a coating and developing system.
5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a peripheral exposure module.
6 is a plan view showing a peripheral exposure module;
7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the peripheral exposure module.
8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a delivery module for carrying in. Fig.
Fig. 9 is a plan view showing the loading portion. Fig.
10 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an interface block;
11 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a part of the interface block.
12 is a perspective view schematically showing a processing block and an interface block;
13 is a process chart showing a process in the peripheral exposure module;
14 is a plan view showing a peripheral exposure module;
15 is a plan view showing a peripheral exposure module;
16 is a plan view showing a peripheral exposure module;
17 is a plan view showing a peripheral exposure module;
18 is a plan view showing a peripheral exposure module;
19 is a plan view showing a peripheral exposure module;
20 is a plan view showing a wafer.
21 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the peripheral exposure module.
22 is a plan view showing a peripheral exposure module;
23 is a plan view showing another example of a coating and developing system.
24 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the delivery module for carrying out.
25 is a plan view showing still another example of a coating and developing system;
26 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the delivery module for carrying out.
Fig. 27 is a side view showing the carrier, the carry-out transfer module, and the first transport mechanism; Fig.
28 is a side view showing the carrier, the carry-out transfer module and the first transport mechanism;
29 is a plan view showing an interface block and an exposure station;
30 is a plan view showing an interface block and an exposure station;
31 is a plan view showing still another example of a coating and developing system;
32 is a side view showing a carrier, a carry-out transfer module and a carry-in transfer module.
33 is a plan view showing an interface block and an exposure station;
34 is a plan view showing an interface block and an exposure station;
35 is a plan view showing an interface block and an exposure station;
36 is a plan view showing an interface block and an exposure station;
37 is a plan view showing still another example of a coating and developing system;

An embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention will be described. First, a general overview of the substrate processing apparatus will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. This substrate processing apparatus is constituted by connecting a carrier block S1, a processing block S2 and an interface block S3 in a linear shape. The interface block S3 is also connected to an exposure station S4 to form a coating and developing system.

The carrier block S1 has a role of loading and unloading the carrier C in which a plurality of wafers W of the same lot are accommodated into the apparatus and is provided with the loading table 11 of the carrier C, And a mobile mounting mechanism 13 for carrying the wafer W from the carrier C through the opening and closing part 12. [ In the following description, the connecting direction (X direction in FIG. 1) between the processing block S2 and the exposure station S4 is referred to as the forward and backward direction, and the arrangement direction of the carrier C (Y direction in FIG.

The processing block S2 includes a coating and developing block S2A provided on the carrier block S1 side and a cleaning block S2B provided on the interface block S3 side. Since these coating, the developing block S2A and the cleaning block S2B are integrally provided, they will be described as the processing block S2. The processing block S2 is constituted by sequentially stacking first to sixth unit blocks B1 to B6 for performing liquid processing on the wafer W from below. A process for forming a resist film on a wafer W is called " COT ", a process for forming a resist pattern on a wafer W after exposure, a process for forming an anti- The processing may be expressed as "DEV", and the unit block may be expressed as "layer".

In this example, the processing block S2 has a BCT layer, a COT layer and a DEV layer stacked in layers from the bottom by two layers, and the COT layers B3 and B4 will be described with reference to Fig. 1 on behalf of the COT layers B3 and B4. The shelf units U1 to U6 are arranged in the front and rear direction on one side of the transfer area R3 from the carrier block S1 toward the interface block S3 and the other side is provided with the resist coating module 24, And a protective film forming module 25 are arranged in a front-back direction. The resist coating module 24 is provided with two cup units 21. The wafer W is held in the cup unit 21 and the resist solution is supplied onto the wafer W from the chemical liquid nozzle, Coating is performed. The protective film forming module 25 is configured so that the processing is performed using the cup module 22 in the same manner by the chemical liquid for forming the protective film.

A transfer arm A3, which is a substrate transfer mechanism for transferring the wafer W, is provided in the transfer region R3. The transfer arm A3 is configured to be capable of advancing and retracting, capable of ascending and descending, being rotatable about a vertical axis, and movable in the longitudinal direction of the carrying region R3, Can be performed. The shelf units U1 to U6 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the carrying region R3 and are formed by stacking two heating modules 26 for performing the heating process of the wafers W have.

The other unit blocks B1, B2, B5, and B6 are configured similarly to the unit blocks B3 and B4 except for the chemical solution to be supplied to the wafer W and the like. The unit blocks B 1 and B 2 include an antireflection film forming module instead of the resist coating module 24 and the protective film forming module 25 and the unit blocks B 5 and B 6 include a developing module. In Fig. 3, the carrying arms of the unit blocks B1 to B6 are shown as A1 to A6.

The carrier block S1 side of the processing block S2 is provided with a tower T1 extending vertically across each unit block B1 to B6 and a tower T1 extending vertically across the unit blocks B1 to B6. A transfer arm 30 capable of being elevated is provided. The tower T1 is constituted by a plurality of modules laminated to each other. These modules actually include a transfer module installed at the height position of each unit block, a temperature control module for transferring the wafer W, a buffer module for temporarily storing a plurality of wafers W, And a hydrophobic processing module for hydrophobizing the surface of the substrate. Here, in order to simplify the explanation, these modules constitute a transfer module TRS for transferring the wafer W between the transfer arm 30 and the transfer arms A1 to A6 of the unit blocks B1 to B6 .

The cleaning block S2B in the processing block S2 is provided with a tower T2 extending vertically across the unit blocks B1 to B6. The tower T2 is formed by laminating the transfer modules TRS to each other. A first transmission mechanism 31 and a second transmission mechanism 32 are provided on both sides in the left and right direction of the tower T2. On both sides of the transmission mechanisms 31 and 32, A cleaning module 27 before the exposure process and a cleaning module 28 after the exposure process are provided on the side of the first transfer mechanism 31 and the second transfer mechanism 32, respectively. The first transmission mechanism 31 corresponds to the delivery mechanism for delivery, and the second transmission mechanism 32 corresponds to the delivery mechanism for delivery.

The first transfer mechanism 31 is a transfer mechanism for transferring the wafer W to the tower T2 and the cleaning module 27 and the second transfer mechanism 32 is a transfer mechanism for transferring the wafer W to the tower T2 and the cleaning module 27. [ Is a transfer mechanism for transferring the wafer (W) to the wafer (28). Therefore, the first transmitting mechanism 31 and the second transmitting mechanism 32 are configured to be movable forward and downward, capable of ascending and descending, and rotatable about the vertical axis. The transfer module TRS of the tower T2 transfers the wafer W between the first transfer mechanism 31 and the second transfer mechanism 32 and the transfer arms A1 to A6 of the unit blocks B1 to B6 ). ≪ / RTI > The first transfer mechanism 31 transfers the wafer W to the interface block S3 and the second transfer mechanism 32 also has a function of receiving the wafer W from the interface block S3. The configurations of the first transmitting mechanism 31 and the second transmitting mechanism 32 will be described later.

The interface block S3 is provided with shelf units U7 and U8. The lathe unit U7 is provided with a peripheral exposure module 4 stacked on top of each other and the peripheral transfer module 4 is adapted to transfer the wafer W by the first transfer mechanism 31. [ The peripheral exposure module 4 is for exposing the periphery of the wafer W after application of the resist. The lathe unit U8 is provided with a carry-in transfer module 6 stacked on each other and the second transfer mechanism 32 receives the wafer W from the carry-in transfer module 6 have.

At the rear end side of the interface block S3 in the front-rear direction, there is provided an exposure station S4 constituting an exposure apparatus. The exposure station S4 is provided with a first transport mechanism 61 for carrying a wafer W on which a resist film has been formed from the interface block S3 and a second transport mechanism 61 for transporting the wafer W after the exposure process to the interface block S3 A second transport mechanism 62 is provided. The first transport mechanism 61 is configured to receive the wafer W from the peripheral exposure module 4 and the second transport mechanism 62 is configured to receive the wafer W with respect to the carry- . The first transport mechanism 61 corresponds to the carry-in transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism 62 corresponds to the carry-out transport mechanism, respectively, and the structure thereof will be described later.

Next, the peripheral exposure module 4 will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 7. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the peripheral exposure module 4 when the interface block S3 is viewed from the processing block S2 side, Fig. 6 is a plan view of the peripheral exposure module 4, Fig. Fig. As shown in these figures, the peripheral exposure module 4 has a processing section 41 for performing peripheral exposure processing on the wafer W, and a processing section 41 for transferring the wafer W to the processing section 41, And a movable mounting plate 51 for adjusting the wafer W to a predetermined temperature. The mobile mounting plate 51 corresponds to the carry-out mounting portion. These processing units 41 and the moving plate 51 are arranged inside the common housing 40 so as to be arranged in the left and right direction (Y direction in FIG. 5). In Fig. 6, reference numerals 40a and 40b denote conveying ports for the wafers W, respectively. The housing 40 constitutes a part of the shelf unit U7, for example, and the housing 40 is stacked on the shelf unit U7.

The processing section 41 includes a rotation stage 42 on which the wafer W is horizontally mounted. The rotary stage 42 is formed in a disk shape smaller than, for example, the wafer W, and is configured to be rotatable about a vertical axis by a rotating mechanism 42a. The rotary stage 42 is configured to be movable along the guide rail 42c which is extended, for example, in the left-right direction by the moving portion 42b. In addition, a plurality of transfer pins 43 are inserted through the rotating stage 42. These transfer pins 43 are projected and depressed on the rotary stage 42 by the elevating mechanism 43a and serve to transfer the wafer W to and from the moving plate 51. [

The exposure section 44 is disposed so as to expose the peripheral edge of the surface of the wafer W placed at the processing position when the position where the wafer W is loaded on the rotary stage 42 is the processing position. The exposure section 44 is provided with a lamp house 45. An ultraviolet lamp, for example, a mercury lamp or a xenon lamp, which is a light source 45a for irradiating ultraviolet rays, for example, . From the lamp house 45, an optical path member 47 (47a, 47b) for guiding light of the light source 45a, for example ultraviolet light, to the light irradiation end portion 46 is stretched. The light irradiation end portion 46 is provided with an optical system member such as a mirror or a lens and a mask for partitioning the exposure region and is provided with a wafer W so as to irradiate the periphery of the surface of the wafer W placed at the processing position, As shown in Fig.

The processing section 41 is also provided with a peripheral detection section (a detection section) 48 having a light emitting section 48a and a light receiving section 48b provided above and below the passage region of the peripheral edge to detect the position of the peripheral edge of the wafer W placed at the processing position 48 are provided. As the light emitting portion 48a, for example, a light source in which a plurality of LEDs are linearly arranged or a single LED that is linearly drawn is used. As the light receiving section 48b, a linear image sensor in which light receiving elements are arranged in a linear shape can be used. As this linear image sensor, various sensors such as a CCD line sensor, a fiber line sensor, and a photoelectric sensor are used. Hereinafter, the case where the CCD line sensor is used will be described as an example.

The light emitting portion 48a and the light receiving portion 48b are provided so as to face each other with the peripheral edge of the wafer W in the processing position interposed therebetween. The light receiving section 48b is arranged such that the light receiving elements are linearly arranged in the radial direction of the wafer W and the light emitting section 48a is configured to be able to irradiate light in the entire longitudinal direction of the corresponding light receiving section 48b have. Thus, an optical axis corresponding to the arrangement region of the light receiving element is formed between the light emitting portion 48a and the light receiving portion 48b.

The amount of light incident on the light receiving portion 48b changes depending on the position of the wafer W on the rotary stage 42 so that the degree of blocking of the optical axis is changed. Thus, the position of the periphery of the wafer W can be detected do. For example, 100 light-receiving elements are arranged along the diameter direction of the wafer W, for example, a voltage drop corresponding to the number of received light-receiving elements occurs, and the voltage value of the voltage drop is , And is sent to the control unit 100 through the A / D (analog / digital conversion unit) 49 shown in Fig.

The movable mounting plate 51 is formed in a horizontal disc shape having substantially the same size as the wafer W and has a temperature adjusting mechanism 54 made of, for example, a Peltier element, The wafer W placed on the wafer stage 51 can be adjusted to a preset temperature. In the figure, reference numeral 54a denotes a controller including a power supply unit of the temperature adjusting mechanism 54 and the like. The movable mounting plate 51 is configured to horizontally move in the left and right direction by the moving mechanism 53 along the base 52. [ 5 and 6 is set to the standby position, the movable mounting plate 51 is moved by the moving mechanism 53 to the standby position and the rotating stage 42 of the processing unit 41, And moves horizontally between phases. The movable mounting plate 51 is provided with the slit 55 to form the passing area of the transfer pin 43 for transferring the wafer W to and from the rotating stage 42. [

The wafer W is transferred by the first transfer mechanism 31 and the first transfer mechanism 61 to the movable mounting plate 51 at the standby position. The movable mounting plate 51 is provided with a notch 56 for transferring the wafer W between the first transfer mechanism 31 and the first transfer mechanism 61. [ When the movable mounting plate 51 is in the standby position, the first transmitting mechanism (carrying-out conveying mechanism) 31 moves in the exposure station S4 as seen from the moving mounting plate (carry-out mounting portion) As shown in FIG.

Two such peripheral exposure modules 4 are prepared for one COT layer B3 (B4), for example. As shown in Fig. 4, the shelf unit U7 is provided with, for example, four And a peripheral exposure module 4 are laminated.

The first transmitting mechanism 31, the second transmitting mechanism 32, the first feeding mechanism 61, and the second feeding mechanism 62 are configured similarly in this example. As shown in Fig. 6, the first transfer mechanism 31 and the first transfer mechanism 61 are constituted by a flat fork 63 surrounding the side of the wafer W, And a support portion 64 which protrudes to support the back surface of the wafer W. These forks 63 can be moved forward and backward by a moving mechanism 65a along the base 65 as shown in Fig. 10, and are configured to be able to move up and down around the vertical axis by a drive mechanism (not shown). When the fork 63 and the movable mount plate 51 are moved so that the fork 63 can move up and down with respect to the movable mount plate 51 when the wafer W is transferred between the fork 63 and the movable mount plate 51, The shape of the plate 51 is set. The support portion 64 and the cutout portion 56 correspond to each other when the fork 63 advances to the transfer position on the upper side or the lower side of the mobile mounting plate 51 at the standby position The support portion 64 is formed to be smaller than the notch portion 56. The transfer of the wafer W is performed between the fork 63 and the movable mounting plate 51 by advancing the fork 63 to the transfer position and raising and lowering the movable mounting plate 51 in this manner.

8 and 9, the carry-on transfer module 6 is supported by a plurality of support pins 67 provided on a stage 66 in the housing 60, on the back side of the wafer W As shown in Fig. In this example, the support pin 67 corresponds to the carry-in loading portion. The second transfer mechanism 32 and the second transfer mechanism 62 move up and down with respect to the support pin 67, and the wafer W is transferred. Therefore, the shape and position of the support pin 67 are set so that they do not interfere with each other when the second transfer mechanism 32 and the second transfer mechanism 62 perform transfer operations. At this time, the second transfer mechanism (carry-in transfer mechanism) 32 is located on the opposite side of the exposure station S4 as viewed from the support pin (carry-in loading section) The housing 60 is formed with transfer openings 60a and 60b for the wafer W at positions corresponding to the second transfer mechanism 32 and the second transfer mechanism 62, respectively. The housing 60 constitutes a part of the shelf unit U8, and two shelf unit U8, for example, two carry-in transfer modules 6 are stacked.

The interface block S3 is partitioned by a wall portion and is provided so as to be movable in the horizontal direction (Y direction) relative to the processing block S2. 10, the side wall portion 71 between the interface block S3 and the processing block S2 and the side wall portion 72 between the interface block S3 and the exposure station S4 are provided with, for example, Openings 71a and 72a for forming the moving regions of the first transmitting mechanism 31 and the second transmitting mechanism 32 and the first and second transport mechanisms 61 and 62 are formed respectively . The wafer transfer openings 14a and 15a are also formed in the side wall portions 14 and 15 of the processing block S2 and the exposure station S4 adjacent to the side wall portions 71 and 72, respectively.

In the case where a chemically amplified resist is used, for example, a filter for cleaning the air, an acid component is added to the ceiling of the interface block S3 to remove an alkali component such as an ammonia component or an amine in the air And a filter unit 73 having a chemical filter, a suction fan, and the like. In Fig. 10, only the housing 60 is shown for the carry-on transfer module 6 provided in the shelf unit U8 in order to show the flow of the gas.

An exhaust passage 29 is connected to an area close to the interface block S3 at the bottom of the processing block S2 so that the atmosphere recovered from the processing block S2 is exhausted to the factory exhaust system, 74). The air cleaned in the filter unit 74 is jetted as a downflow into the interface block S3 through the filter unit 73. [ The filter unit 74 includes, for example, an impurity removing unit for removing impurities, a heating mechanism, a humidifying mechanism, a delivery unit for delivering air, and the like.

In this manner, clean air from the filter unit 73 is supplied into the interface block S3, and the temperature and humidity adjusted atmosphere enters the exposure station S4. These gases enter the respective housings 40 and 60 of the lathe units U7 and U8 through the openings 40b and 60b and exit through the housing 40 to the side of the processing block S2 And is exhausted through the exhaust passage 29. As shown in Fig.

10 to 12, the interface block S3 is provided with a caster 75 at its bottom portion, for example. A guide mechanism 76 is provided between the side wall portion 14 of the processing block S2 and the side wall portion 71 of the interface block S3, for example. 11, the guide mechanism 76 includes guide rails 77 extending in the lateral direction (Y direction) provided on one side of the side wall portions 14, 71, And a guide member 78 installed on the other side of the guide rails 14 and 71 and moving while being engaged with the guide rails 77. In this example, a guide rail 77 is provided on the side wall portion 14, and a guide member 78 is provided on the side wall portion 71. In this way, the interface block S3 is connected to the processing block S2 so as to be movable in the left-right direction while being guided by the guide mechanism 76. [ For example, the guide rail 77 is provided with a positioning mechanism (not shown) for fixing the interface block S3 in a state of being positioned relative to the processing block S2. The position to be positioned is determined by the position of the interface block S3 (position shown in Fig. 2) and the position of the interface block S3 taken out at the time of maintenance 12). 12, the guide rail 77 is simplified, and the guide mechanism 76 is omitted in Fig.

The coating and developing system includes a control unit 100 including a computer. The control unit 100 includes a program 102, a memory 103, and a data processing unit including a CPU 101 have. The program 102 includes a moving mounting mechanism 13, a transfer arm 30, respective transfer arms A1 to A6, a first transfer mechanism 31 and a second transfer mechanism 32, a first transfer mechanism 61, A transport control program for outputting a control signal to the carry-in transport mechanism 62 and the like, and a program for controlling each module with reference to the process recipe 105, all of which are necessary for operating the system.

5 and Fig. 7 show the deeper portions of the control system of the coating and developing system related to the present invention. The control unit 100 is not limited to a single computer, and may be a system equivalent to a system including a host computer and a controller for controlling each mechanism. The rotating mechanism 42a and the moving part 42b of the rotating stage 42 of the peripheral exposure module 4 and the moving mechanism 53 of the moving mounting plate 51 are controlled by a control signal from the controller 100 . The light source 45a of the exposure unit 44 is turned on and off by a control signal from the control unit 100. [ The detection value from the peripheral edge detection unit 48 is input to the control unit 100. [

The program 102 includes a program for executing the process in the peripheral exposure module 4, and the program 102 is operated as described below. First, as shown in Fig. 13, a process of transferring the wafer W from the first transfer mechanism 31 to the movable mounting plate 51 (Step S1), and a step of transferring the wafer W from the mobile mounting plate 51 to the rotary stage 42 (step S2). Next, a step (step S3) of detecting the notch, which is the notch for the peripheral edge and the positioning of the wafer W, and a step (step S4) of performing the peripheral exposure processing with respect to the wafer W are performed. Subsequently, a step (step S5) of aligning the wafer W so that the notches are aligned with the set position and a step (step S6) of transferring the aligned wafers W to the movable mounting plate 51 are performed All. Subsequently, the process of adjusting the temperature of the wafer W to a predetermined temperature by the moving plate 51 (Step S7) and the process of moving the temperature-adjusted wafer W from the moving plate 51 to the first transporting mechanism 61 (Step S8) is carried out.

The process of detecting the periphery and the notch of the wafer W is performed by rotating the wafer W at a predetermined rotation speed by the rotation stage 42 while rotating the wafer W by the peripheral edge detection unit 48 By detecting the periphery. The program 102 includes a position acquisition program constituting a position acquisition section for acquiring position data of the periphery and the notch of the wafer W based on the detection value of the peripheral detection section 48. [ In this position acquiring program, position data in which the position in the rotational direction of the wafer W and the position in the circumferential edge of the wafer W are correlated with each other is acquired, thereby acquiring the position data of the notch. Although the processing recipes 105 and the programs 102 are stored in the memory 103, in FIG. 7, the memory part storing them is omitted for the sake of convenience.

Next, the operation of the above-described embodiment will be described. First, the outline of the conveying path of the wafer W in the coating and developing system will be briefly described. The wafer W is transferred from the carrier C to the mobile loading mechanism 13 through the transfer module TRS of the tower T1 of the processing block S2 to the transfer arm 30 of the tower T1, The unit block [B1 (B2)] - the unit block B3 (B4) - the transfer module TRS of the tower T2 → the first transfer mechanism 31 → the peripheral block exposure module 4 of the interface block S3, → the first transport mechanism 61 of the exposure station S4 → the exposure station S4. Subsequently, the exposed wafer W is transferred from the second transport mechanism 62 of the exposure station S4 to the carry-on transfer module 6 of the interface block S3, the second transfer mechanism 32, The transfer module TRS of the tower T2 of the tower T2 → the unit block B5 (B6) → the transfer arm 30 → the transfer module TRS of the tower T1 → the mobile loading mechanism 13 → the carrier C ).

Next, the process in the peripheral exposure module 4 will be described with reference to Figs. 14 to 20. Fig. First, as shown in Fig. 14, the wafer W is transferred from the first transfer mechanism 31 of the processing block S2 to the moving mounting plate 51 at the waiting position. Next, the movable mounting plate 51 moves toward the rotating stage 42 and the wafer W is loaded on the rotating stage 42 by the cooperative operation of the movable mounting plate 51 and the transmitting pin 43 . 15, the peripheral edge of the wafer W is optically detected by the peripheral edge detecting section 48 by one rotation of the wafer W, and the position data of the peripheral edge and the notch of the wafer W are obtained . Thereafter, exposure is performed by the ultraviolet light (more specifically, the light irradiation end portion 46) from the exposure section 44 to the periphery of the surface of the wafer W, the wafer W is rotated, (Peripheral exposure) is performed over the entire circumference of the substrate (see Fig. 16). In rotating the wafer W, the position of the rotating stage 42 is adjusted by the moving unit 42b based on the detection result of the peripheral edge detecting unit 48, thereby making the exposure width uniform. Thereafter, the wafer W is aligned (aligned) so that the notches N are aligned at preset positions (see FIG. 17). This alignment is performed, for example, by rotating the rotation stage 42 so that the notch N of the wafer W is aligned in the required direction at the exposure station S4 side.

The wafers W aligned in this manner are transferred from the rotation stage 42 to the movable mounting plate 51 and adjusted to the temperature required by the movable mounting plate 51 at the exposure station S4 side 18). Here, for example, the temperature is adjusted so that the in-plane temperature of the wafer W is 23 占 폚. Subsequently, the wafer W on the movable mounting plate 51 is received by the first transport mechanism 61 of the exposure station S4 and is carried into the exposure station S4 (see Fig. 19). Thus, the wafer W on the movable mounting plate 51 is directly received by the first transport mechanism 61 of the exposure station S4. The alignment of the notches N in the peripheral exposure module 4 is performed by aligning the notches of the wafers W received by the first transport mechanism 61 to the positions required by the exposure station S4 . Here, the alignment of the position of the notch N of the wafer W means that, as shown in Fig. 20, when the center N0 of the notch N is present at a normal position, the center N0 of the notch N Refers to a line connecting the rotation center O of the rotation stage 42 as a reference line S, and is positioned so as to be within ± θ ° (θ≤10) from the reference line S.

In the exposure station S4, for example, after the temperature of the wafer W and the position of the notch N are finely adjusted, exposure processing is performed. The wafer W after the exposure processing is once transferred to the carrying-in transfer module 6 of the interface block S3 by the second carrying mechanism 62 of the exposure station S4, To the processing block S2 by the second transmission mechanism 32 of the second processing unit.

According to the above-described embodiment, the wafer W on which the resist film is formed is transferred to the movable mounting plate 51 (carry-out mounting portion) by the first transmitting mechanism 31 (carrying-out transfer mechanism) of the processing block S2 Where it is adjusted to the temperature required at the exposure station S4 side. The temperature-adjusted wafer W is received directly from the moving plate 51 by the first transport mechanism 61 of the exposure station S4. The wafer W is not in contact with any other than the first transport mechanism 61 after the temperature is adjusted so that the heat of the wafer W other than the first transport mechanism 61 is not likely to move. As a result, the wafer W is carried to the exposure station S4 side in a state where the in-plane temperature uniformity is high. Thus, in the exposure station S4, the temperature adjustment of the wafer W is sufficient for fine adjustment, and the adjustment time is shortened, so that the processing time in the exposure station S4 is shortened. As a result, The overall production efficiency is improved.

The first transfer mechanism 31 (transfer mechanism for transfer) and the second transfer mechanism 32 (transfer mechanism for transfer) are connected to the transfer plate 51 (transfer unit for transfer) and transfer module 6 (Loading part for carrying-in), as shown in FIG. Thus, even if the interface block S3 is attached to or detached from the processing block S2 at the time of, for example, maintenance or the like, the first and second transfer mechanisms 31 and 32 and the first and second transport mechanisms 61 and 62 Is not changed. The transfer mechanism 31 and 32 on the side of the processing block S2 and the transfer mechanism 61 on the side of the exposure station S4 are connected to the processing block S2 after the interface block S3 is taken out and again connected to the processing block S2 And 62 are unnecessary, thereby making it possible to suppress the number of operations. As a result, the adjustment time after the maintenance is shortened, and the production efficiency of the coating and developing system as a whole is enhanced.

In the above-described embodiment, when the wafer W is transferred from the moving plate 51 to the first transport mechanism 61, the notches N are aligned in the required direction at the exposure station S4 side, And the position of the notch N is aligned. As a result, in the exposure station S4 side, the alignment of the notches N of the wafers W is sufficient, and the time required for alignment is shortened. Therefore, since the processing time in the exposure station S4 is shortened, the production efficiency of the coating and developing system as a whole is improved.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the peripheral exposure module 4 is provided in the interface block S3, and the movable mounting plate 51 is used as a carry-out loading portion. The process in the peripheral exposure module 4 is the final process performed on the wafer W before it is brought into the exposure station S4. This makes it possible to commonly use the carry-out loading section for transferring the wafers W to the peripheral exposure module 4 and the exposure station S4 by providing the peripheral exposure module 4 in the interface block S3, . For example, in the case of installing the peripheral exposure module 4 in the processing block S2, it is necessary to provide the carry-out mounting portion in the interface block S3 separately from the peripheral exposure module 4, . In the case where the peripheral exposure module 4 is provided on the COT layers B3 and B4, if the processing time of the peripheral exposure module 4 is long, the peripheral exposure processing may be rate-limiting, Because. On the other hand, when the peripheral exposure module 4 is provided in the interface block S2, since the series of processes in the COT layers B3 and B4 and the peripheral exposure process can be performed independently of each other, The number of the peripheral exposure modules 4 to be assembled with the lathe unit U7 may be adjusted.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, since the interface block S3 is not provided with the transport mechanism, the size and weight of the interface block S3 can be reduced. This facilitates the drawing operation of the interface block S3 at the time of maintenance. A guide mechanism 76 is provided in the interface block S3 and the processing block S2 to position a position at the time of operation of the apparatus and a position at the time of maintenance to determine a large positional deviation with respect to the processing block S3 So that the interface block S3 can be attached and detached. Therefore, when the interface block S3 is returned to the predetermined position after the maintenance, the movable mount plate 51 of the peripheral exposure module 4, the first transfer mechanism 31 and the first transfer mechanism 61 Position alignment work becomes easy.

Here, in the peripheral exposure module 4, the wafer W is transferred from the first transfer mechanism 31 to the movable mounting plate 51, and then the wafer W is transferred to the exposure station S4 by the movable mounting plate 51, The wafer W may be transferred to the rotating stage 42 after adjusting the temperature to a desired temperature. In this case, since the peripheral exposure process is performed on the wafer W in which the in-plane temperature deviation is suppressed by the temperature adjustment, the peripheral exposure process with higher uniformity can be performed.

In the above-described carry-in transfer module 6, the carrying openings 60a and 60b may be provided so as to be openable and closable so that an inert gas such as nitrogen gas may be supplied into the housing 60. [ In this case, for example, the exposed wafer W is carried into the housing 60 while the inside of the housing 60 is kept in an inert gas atmosphere. As a result, contact between the amines in the atmosphere and the pattern formed on the surface of the wafer W is suppressed, and a change in the shape of the pattern can be suppressed.

Next, another example of the peripheral exposure module provided in the interface block S3 will be described with reference to Figs. 21 and 22. Fig. The peripheral exposure module 400 of this example has a structure in which the movable mounting plate 51 is not provided in the peripheral exposure module 4 shown in Figs. 5 to 7, Are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a description thereof will be omitted.

The rotating stage 420 of this example constitutes a carrying-out loading section, and is formed in a disk shape larger than, for example, the wafer W, and a temperature adjusting mechanism 54 is provided in the rotating stage 420. Since the rotation stage 420 is formed larger than the wafer W, a cutout portion 421 is formed in the rotation stage 420 so that an optical axis is formed between the light emitting portion 48a and the light receiving portion 48b .

The peripheral exposure module 400 may be configured such that the position of the rotation stage 420 is adjusted such that the transfer of the wafer W is performed between the rotation stage 420 and the first transfer mechanism 31 and the first transfer mechanism 61 Is set. At this time, the first transmission mechanism 31 is located on the opposite side of the exposure station S4 as viewed from the rotation stage 420. [

When transferring the wafer W to the rotation stage 420, the transferring pin 43 is placed on the upper side of the rotation stage 420 and the first transfer mechanism 31 holding the wafer W, Is moved to the upper side of the transfer pin 43, then lowered, and subsequently, the transfer pin 43 is lowered. When transferring the wafer W to the first transfer mechanism 61, the transfer pin 43 is moved upward to hold the wafer W on the upper side of the rotation stage 420, (61) to the lower side of the transmission pin (43) and then raising it. Reference numeral 410 denotes a housing, and reference numerals 411 and 412 denote openings for transporting the wafers W, respectively.

In the peripheral exposure module 400, the wafer W is transferred from the first transfer mechanism 31 to the rotating stage 420, and then the temperature of the wafer W is adjusted by the rotating stage 420, The peripheral edge of the wafer W and the position of the notch are acquired and the peripheral exposure process is performed based on the position of the peripheral edge of the obtained wafer W. [ Subsequently, the rotating stage 420 is rotated to align the position of the notch N to a position required by the exposure station S4 side. In this way, the temperature is adjusted to the temperature required by the exposure station S4, and the wafer W on which the alignment of the notch N is performed is transferred to the first transport mechanism 61.

The peripheral exposure module 400 is also adjusted to the temperature required by the exposure station S4 and transfers the wafer W on which the notches N are aligned to the first transport mechanism 61 have. This shortens the temperature adjustment time and alignment time of the wafer W on the side of the exposure station S4, and increases the production efficiency of the coating and developing system. It is also possible to attach and detach the interface block S3 to and from the processing block without changing the positional relationship between the first and second transmission mechanisms 31 and 32 and the first and second transport mechanisms 61 and 62. [ Therefore, when the interface block S3 is attached to and detached from the processing block S2, the first and second transfer mechanisms 31 and 32 and the positioning operation of the first and second transport mechanisms 61 and 62 .

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 23 and 24. Fig. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the delivery module 7 for alignment provided with an alignment function is provided instead of installing the peripheral exposure module in the shelf unit U7 of the interface block S3 to be. In this example, as shown in Fig. 23, the peripheral exposure module 4A is assembled to the lathe unit U6 of the COT layers B3 and B4. The peripheral exposure module 4A has a configuration in which, for example, the peripheral edge detection unit 48 is not provided in the configurations of Figs.

As shown in Fig. 24, for example, the carrying-out transfer module 7 has a structure in which the exposure section 44, the moving section 42b and the guide rail 42c are not provided, 21, and the rotating stage 420 corresponds to the carrying-out mounting portion. The first transfer mechanism 31 and the second transfer mechanism 32 are located on the opposite side of the exposure station S4 as seen from the rotary stage 420 and the transfer module 6 for transfer. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as the above-described configuration, and a description thereof will be omitted.

In this example, the wafer W is transferred to the unit block B3 (B4) in the same manner as the above example to form a resist film. In the final step of the unit block B3, And is conveyed to the exposure module 4A. Subsequently, the wafer W is transferred from the transfer module TRS of the tower T2, the first transfer mechanism 31, the transfer module 7 of the interface block S3 to the transfer module 7 of the interface block S3, And is conveyed to the path of the mechanism 61. The conveyance path of the wafer W after exposure is similar to the above-described example.

The transfer module 7 transfers the wafer W from the first transfer mechanism 31 to the rotary stage 420 and then controls the temperature of the wafer W by the rotary stage 420, The position of the periphery of the wafer W and the position of the notch N are obtained. Subsequently, the rotating stage 420 is rotated to align the position of the notch N to a position required by the exposure station S4 side. In this way, the temperature is adjusted to the temperature required by the exposure station S4, and the wafer W on which the alignment of the notch N is performed is transferred to the first transport mechanism 61.

In the transfer module 7, the wafer W transferred by the first transfer mechanism 31 of the processing block S2 is adjusted to the temperature required by the exposure station S4, (N) is aligned and transferred to the first transport mechanism 61, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. Since the interface block S3 can be attached to and detached from the processing block without changing the positional relationship between the first and second transmission mechanisms 31 and 32 and the first and second transport mechanisms 61 and 62, The same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 25 to 30. Fig. This embodiment is an example in which the carry-in portion 81 and the carry-out portion 82 of the carrier C are provided in the interface block S3. These carry-in unit 81 and carry-out unit 82 are connected to both sides in the left-right direction (Y direction in FIG. 25) of the interface block S3 when the interface block S3 is viewed from the side of the process block S2 . In this example, a carry-in portion 81 is provided on the right side of the shelf unit U7 and a carry-out portion 82 is provided on the left side of the shelf unit U8 when viewed from the processing block S2 side. Further, a plurality of, for example, two carry-out transfer modules 91 are stacked on the shelf unit U7.

As shown in Fig. 26, the carrying-out transfer module 91 of this example is provided with a stage 92 constituting a carry-out loading section provided with a temperature regulating mechanism 92a, And a pin 93 is provided. Reference numeral 94 in Fig. 26 denotes a supporting member of the stage 92. Fig. The wafer W is supported by the proximity fins 95 on the surface of the stage 92 so as to be stacked with a slight gap between the stage 92 and the stage 92. [ This transfer module 91 is accommodated in a housing 96 constituting a part of the shelf unit U7 and the housing 96 can be elevated by the elevating mechanism 97 . A transfer opening 96a is formed in the housing 96 so that the wafer W can be transferred between the first transfer mechanism 31 and the first transfer mechanism 85 and the stage 92. The first transmitting mechanism 31 and the second transmitting mechanism 32 are located on the opposite side of the exposure station S4 as viewed from the stage 92 and the carrying module 6 for carrying-in.

27 and 28 are diagrams schematically illustrating the state of delivery of the carrier C1 provided in the carry-in unit 81 and the transfer of the wafer W between the stage 92 and the first transfer mechanism 85. Fig. As shown in these drawings, the carry-in section 81 is provided with a loading stage 83 for loading the carrier C1, for example. The carrier C1 is disposed such that the opening portion 80 thereof is directed to the side of the transfer module 91 for carrying out and is elevably mounted on the loading stage 83 by means of the elevating mechanism 84, for example. The carry-on transfer module 6 in this example is structured such that it can be raised and lowered in the same manner as the carry-out transfer module 91 and the carry-out portion 82 is configured similarly to the carry-in portion 81, for example. Also in this example, for example, the peripheral exposure module 4A is provided in the lathe unit U6.

The first transport mechanism 85 and the second transport mechanism 86 of this example are constituted by, for example, a multi-joint arm as shown in Figs. 25, 27, and 28. The multi-joint arm includes, for example, two arms 88 and 88 stacked on the base 87 and a plurality of arms 88 and 88 disposed on the tip of the arm 88 on the upper side of the arms 88 and 88, (Not shown). They are rotatable about the vertical axis through the base 87 and are capable of advancing and retreating the peak 89 by the driving unit 87a. In this example, the first transport mechanism 85 and the second transport mechanism 86 are not provided with a lifting mechanism, but a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the peak 89 may be provided.

29, the first transfer mechanism 85 receives the wafer W in the transfer module 91 for transfer and transfers the wafer W in the carrier C1, as shown in Fig. 30, . Similarly, the second transport mechanism 86 is configured to transfer the wafer W into the carrier C2 while transferring the wafer W to the transfer module 6 for transfer.

27 and 28, when the wafer W in the carrier C1 is received, the first transport mechanism 85 moves the stage 92 on which the wafer W is to be loaded, So as to be accessible within the carrier C1. The wafer W received from the carrier C1 is configured to be delivered to the stage 92 as it is. In this way, the height position of the carrier C1 and the carry-out transfer module 91 is set at an appropriate position, and the wafer W is transferred. When the wafer W is transferred into the carrier C2, for example, the second transport mechanism 86 is moved to the upper side of the transfer module 6 for transfer or the region above the support pin 67 So as to be able to access the carrier C2. In this example, since the first and second transport mechanisms 85 and 86 do not move up and down, the distance between the carriers C1 and C2, the transfer module 91 for transfer, and the transfer module 6 The transfer is performed by raising and lowering the carriers C1 and C2, the transfer module for transfer 92 and the transfer module 6 for transfer.

In such a configuration, the transport of the wafer W at the normal time is performed in the same manner as the above-described configuration until it is transported to the interface block S3. The wafer W having the resist film formed thereon by the processing block S2 is transferred to the path of the transfer module TRS of the tower T2 → the first transfer mechanism 31 → the transfer module 91 for transfer. The transfer module 91 transfers the wafer W onto the proximity pin 95 of the stage 92 by the cooperative operation of the first transfer mechanism 31 and the transfer pin 93 and transfers the wafer W to the stage 92 To control the temperature of the wafer W. In this way, the wafer W adjusted to the temperature required by the exposure station S4 side is transferred to the first transport mechanism 85 by the cooperative operation with the transfer pin 73. The conveyance path of the wafer W after exposure is similar to the above-described example.

In the coating and developing system of this embodiment, for example, the wafer W on which the resist film is formed in the external coating and developing apparatus can be exposed to light in the exposure station S4. In this case, the carrier C1 containing the wafer W on which the resist film is formed is placed on the carry-in portion 81 and the carrier C2 on which the wafer W after exposure is stored is loaded on the carry-out portion 82. [ 27 and 28, the height of the carrier C1 and the stage 92 on which the wafer W is to be loaded is set to a preset position. The carriers C1 and C2 are opened and closed by an opening and closing section (not shown). The first transfer mechanism 85 is configured to load the wafer W received from the carrier C1 on the stage 92 to adjust the temperature and to transfer the wafer W adjusted to the required temperature at the exposure station S4 side, And transmits it to the first transport mechanism 85. The wafer W after the exposure process passes through, for example, the upper side of the carrying module 6 for transfer and transfers it into the carrier C2. 28, when the next wafer W is received from the carrier C1, the carrier C1 and the height of the stage 92 on which the wafer W is to be stacked are set at And transfers the wafer W similarly.

According to this example, since the wafer W is adjusted to the temperature required at the exposure station S4 side by the carry-out transfer module 91 and then transferred to the first transport mechanism 85, The same effect as that of FIG. Since the interface block S3 can be attached to and detached from the processing block without changing the positional relationship between the first and second transfer mechanisms 31 and 32 and the first and second transport mechanisms 85 and 86, The same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained. Since the carriers C1 and C2 and the transfer module 91 for transfer and the transfer module 6 for transfer are provided so as to be able to ascend and descend, the first and second transfer mechanisms 85 and 86 are provided so as to be movable up and down It is possible to transfer the wafer W even if the wafer W does not exist. In this example, only the carrier C1 may be provided in the interface block S3, and the wafer W after the exposure process may be transferred into the same carrier C1 by the first transport mechanism 61. [

Further, as shown in Figs. 31 to 33, the carrier C may be mounted on the interface block S3. In this example, the carrier C1 is adjacent to the carrying-out transfer module 91, and the carrier C2 is loaded adjacent to the carrying module 6 for carrying-in. The carriers C1 and C2 and the carrying-out transfer module 91 and the carrying-in transfer module 6 are moved by the moving mechanisms 98a and 98b so as to be ascendable and descendable by the lifting mechanisms 84, 84a, 97 and 97a, respectively. And is movable along a guide rail 98c extending in the left-right direction (Y direction). The carriers (C1, C2) are arranged such that the openings (80) thereof face the exposure station (S4) side.

The first and second transport mechanisms 111 and 112 of this example are configured such that the holding arm 113 holding the central region on the back side of the wafer W can move forward and backward and rotate about the vertical axis . In this example, the elevating mechanism is not provided in the first transporting mechanism 111 and the second transporting mechanism 112, but a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the holding arm 113 may be provided. As shown in Fig. 31, for example, the carrying-out transfer module 91 is positioned so as to correspond to the first carrying mechanism 111, and the carrying-out transfer module 91 is moved up and down, The transfer of the wafer W is performed between the first transfer mechanism 91 and the first transfer mechanism 111. 33, the carrier C1 is positioned so as to be in correspondence with the first transport mechanism 111 and the carrier C1 is moved up and down so that the wafer W in the carrier C1 is moved And is received by the mechanism 91. On the other hand, by bringing the transfer module 6 for transfer and the carrier C2 into correspondence with the second transfer mechanism 92, it is possible to transfer the transfer module 6 or the carrier C2 from the second transfer mechanism 92 The wafer W is transferred.

In the case where exposure processing is performed in the exposure station S4 on the wafer W on which the resist film is formed in the external coating or developing apparatus, for example, the wafer W on which the resist film is formed is housed in the carrier C1 To the interface block S3. Further, the carrier C2 for accommodating the exposed wafer W is loaded in the interface block S3. For example, the carriers C1 and C2 are loaded through openings (not shown) provided in the interface block S3 and the carriers C1 and C2 are opened by an opening and closing section (not shown). The carrier C1 is moved to a position corresponding to the first transport mechanism 111 and its height position is adjusted to transfer the wafer W to the first transport mechanism 111. [ Subsequently, the carrying-out transfer module 91 is moved to a position corresponding to the first transport mechanism 111, and the height position thereof is adjusted to load the wafer W on the stage 92. By thus raising and lowering the wafer W adjusted to the required temperature by the stage 92 on the side of the exposure station S4 to the first transfer mechanism 111 . The exposed wafer W moves the carrier C2 to a position corresponding to the second transport mechanism 112 and lifts the carrier C2 side to move the carrier C2 from the second transport mechanism 92 into the carrier C2 . In this example as well, only the carrier C1 may be provided, and the wafer W after exposure processing may be transferred into the same carrier C1 by the first transport mechanism 111. [

As shown in Fig. 34, the carrying-out transfer module 91 (the shelf unit U7) and the carrying-in transfer module 6 (shelf unit U8) But may be provided so as to be movable in the forward and backward directions (X direction). In this example, for example, the Y-direction guide rail 98c is movable along a X-direction guide rail 98d by a moving mechanism (not shown).

In this configuration, in accordance with the distance and the stroke of the first transport mechanism 111 and the second transport mechanism 112 of the exposure station S4, the transport module 91 and the transfer module 6 for carry- You can adjust the position. This increases the degree of freedom in selecting the exposure station S4.

35 and 36, the lift mechanisms 84, 84a, 97, and 84 of the carriers C1 and C2 and the lathe units U7 and U8, respectively, in the configurations of Figs. 31 to 34, The first transporting mechanism 111 and the second transporting mechanism 112 may be provided so as to be movable up and down without installing the moving mechanisms 98a and 98b. In this case, since the interface block S3 is movable in the left and right direction, the interface block S3 itself is moved in the left and right directions. In this way, as shown in Fig. 35, the transfer conveying module 91 is positioned so as to correspond to the first transfer arm 111, and the wafer W is transferred. 36, the carrier C1 is positioned so as to correspond to the first transport mechanism 111, and the wafer W is transferred. When the wafer W is transferred to the carrier C2 and the carry-in transfer module 6, the carrier C2 and the carry-in transfer module 6 are placed so as to correspond to the transfer mechanism 112, .

As described above, in the present invention, as shown in Fig. 37, the carry-out loading unit and the carry-in loading unit may be stacked on the shelf unit U10 provided in the interface block S3. In this case, the transfer mechanism 121 that also serves as the first transfer mechanism (transfer mechanism for transfer) and the second transfer mechanism (transfer mechanism for transfer), and the transfer mechanism 122 ). The transfer mechanism 121 and the transfer mechanism 122 are configured to be movable up and down and rotatable around the vertical axis so as to transfer the wafer W to these carry-out and carry-in units . The transfer mechanism 123 is used for transferring the wafer W between each part of the tower T2 and the cleaning module 28. [

As described above, in the present invention, a CCD camera may be used as the peripheral edge detecting unit to pick up the wafer W to detect the position of the peripheral edge and the position of the notch N. It is not always necessary to align the notches N of the wafers W in the peripheral exposure module provided in the interface block S3.

Further, the carrying-in loading unit may be configured so that the temperature is adjusted by mounting the wafer W thereon. For example, when a shelf unit U8 of the interface block S3 is provided with an inspection module for inspecting after exposure processing, depending on the type of inspection, it may be influenced by temperature. Therefore, when the temperature of the wafer after the exposure processing is adjusted to secure high uniformity and then the predetermined inspection is performed by the inspection module, the reliability of inspection is improved. As the inspection module, for example, a module for inspecting particles or film thickness is provided. In the peripheral exposure module 4, the lifting mechanism may be assembled to the drive mechanism 53 of the movable mount plate 51 so that the movable mount plate 51 can be raised and lowered. The notch for alignment of the wafer W may be an orientation flat.

The transfer mechanism for transfer and the transfer mechanism for transfer may be located on the opposite side of the exposure apparatus when viewed from the transfer unit and the transfer unit. It is not necessary to arrange the transfer mechanism for the carry-out and the transfer mechanism of the exposure apparatus in a straight line in the back-and-forth direction as long as they can transfer the wafers W to the carry-out loading section. In addition, as long as the carrying mechanism of the carry-in transfer mechanism and the transfer mechanism of the exposure apparatus can transfer the substrates to the carry-on part, it is not necessary to arrange them in a straight line in the longitudinal direction. At least one carry-out loading portion and carry-in loading portion may be provided, and the number thereof is appropriately determined in consideration of the conveying speed and the throughput of the substrate.

31: First transmission mechanism (transmission mechanism for carrying out)
32: Second transmission mechanism (transfer mechanism for carrying-in)
4, 4A, 400: peripheral exposure module
42, 420: rotating stage
44: Exposure section
48:
51: Moving mounting plate (carry-out loading part)
7, 91: Transfer module for export
92: stage (carry-out loading section)
100:
B1 to B6: unit block
S2: Processing block
S3: Interface block
S4: Exposure station
W: Wafer

Claims (8)

There is provided a substrate processing apparatus connected to an exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate on which a resist film has been formed, the substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processing block for performing a series of processes for forming a resist film on a substrate,
An interface block provided between the processing block and the exposure apparatus so as to be movable in the left and right direction with respect to the processing block when the connection direction of the processing block and the exposure apparatus is in the forward and backward directions,
A transfer mechanism for carrying out transfer of the substrate provided with the resist film on the processing block,
Wherein the substrate is once transferred from the transfer mechanism for transfer to adjust the temperature of the substrate to a temperature required by the exposure apparatus to transfer the substrate by the transfer mechanism of the exposure apparatus, Wealth,
A carrying-in loading section provided in the interface block, for transferring the exposed substrate by the carrying mechanism of the exposure apparatus once,
A transferring mechanism provided in the processing block for receiving a substrate from the carrying-in carrying unit and carrying it into the processing block,
A rotating stage which is rotated about a vertical axis by a rotating mechanism,
An exposure unit for exposing a peripheral portion of the substrate placed on the rotary stage,
Wherein the carrying-out stacking portion is provided between a position for transferring the substrate between the carrying-out carrying portion and the carrying mechanism of the carrying-out transfer mechanism or the exposure apparatus, and a position for transferring the substrate between the carrying-out carrying portion and the rotating stage And a moving mechanism for moving the movable member
Wherein the substrate is a semiconductor wafer having a positioning notch,
Wherein the transfer mechanism for transfer and the transfer mechanism for transfer are located on the opposite side of the exposure apparatus when viewed from the transfer stacking unit and the loading stacking unit. 2. The semiconductor wafer cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a peripheral edge detecting section for detecting a position of a peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer mounted on the rotating stage;
And a position acquiring section for acquiring position data of the notch portion based on the detection value of the peripheral edge detecting section,
And a controller for controlling the rotation mechanism based on the position data of the notch portion so that the cutout portion is aligned in a required direction on the exposure apparatus side when the semiconductor wafer is transferred from the carry- Wherein the substrate processing apparatus further comprises: 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the carry-out mounting portion and the carry-in mounting portion are provided so as to be laterally divided when viewed from the side of the exposure apparatus. delete delete delete delete delete

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