JP2000243816A - Substrate chuck device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: A non-contact portion between a substrate and a chuck, which is caused by a through hole for a push-up pin provided in the chuck, is reduced as much as possible. SOLUTION: A chuck means sucks and holds a substrate.
The push-up pin means is composed of a plurality of pins provided to freely move through the through hole of the chuck means to move the substrate in the up-down direction, and to a plurality of pins while the substrate is being sucked and held by the chuck means. A predetermined stress is applied from the through hole toward the substrate, so that each of the plurality of pins contacts the lower surface of the substrate. As means for applying a predetermined stress to the push-up pin, the push-up pin is lifted using a compression spring. The pin driving means moves each pin of the push-up pin means in the vertical direction. Further, the plurality of pins of the push-up pin means have a portion having a shape following the shape of the through hole, and this portion is configured to be in close contact with the substrate sucked and held by the chuck means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate chuck device for holding semiconductor devices such as ICs and LSIs and a liquid crystal display device in a process of manufacturing such devices, and more particularly to a substrate chucking device for loading and unloading a substrate when the substrate is loaded and transferred. 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate chuck device in which the configuration of a push-up pin that lifts a substrate is improved.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an exposure process or the like performed in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a liquid crystal display device, or the like, various processes are performed while a substrate is held by suction using a substrate chuck device. Conventionally, a substrate is carried into or out of the substrate chuck using a transfer arm having a U-shaped or comb-shaped tip. Some substrate chuck devices have a guide groove for guiding the arm tip, and some have a push-up pin for lifting the substrate itself from the chuck surface instead of the guide groove. In the case of a substrate chuck device having a guide groove, the chuck surface and the substrate do not come into contact with each other at the guide groove portion, so that there is a problem that uneven exposure occurs. Therefore, the substrate chuck device using the push-up pins is preferable because the area of the non-contact portion between the chuck surface and the substrate is small.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a schematic structure of a conventional substrate chuck apparatus using a push-up pin, FIG. 4 (A) shows a state where the substrate 30 is lifted by the push-up pin, and FIG. The state where the substrate 30 is arranged on the surface of the chuck 60 is shown. Push-up pins 1 to 6 are attached to chuck 60
Is provided. Since FIG. 4 is a side view, only six push-up pins are shown, but the chuck 60 is provided with a total of 36 pin holes. The number of the push-up pins is an example, and is actually smaller than this, and in many cases, the total is 4 to 9 pins. Each of the push-up pins 1 to 6 is connected to a table 70, and the push-up pins 1 to 6 move in the vertical direction by driving the table 70 in the vertical direction by the pin lifting drive shaft 40. The chuck 60 is also driven in the vertical direction by the chuck lifting drive shaft 50.

[0004]

In the case of the substrate chuck apparatus using such push-up pins 1 to 6, the push-up pins 1 to 6 are configured to be buried in the through holes of the chuck 60. Due to the through-hole, the substrate 30 and the chuck 60 are brought into a non-contact state, and there is a problem that exposure unevenness occurs in the portion of the through-hole.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and is configured so that a non-contact portion between a substrate and a chuck caused by a through hole for a push-up pin provided in the chuck is reduced as much as possible. It is an object to provide a substrate chuck device.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate chuck apparatus for chucking and holding a substrate, and vertically moving the substrate by freely moving a through hole of the chuck unit. A plurality of pins provided so as to move in the direction, and apply a predetermined stress to the plurality of pins from the through hole toward the substrate in a state where the substrate is suction-held by the chuck means. And a push-up pin means configured such that each of the plurality of pins is in contact with the lower surface of the substrate, and a pin drive means for moving each pin of the push-up pin means in a vertical direction. It is.

Conventionally, the push-up pin lifts the substrate from the chuck surface or arranges the substrate on the chuck surface by a pin projecting through a through hole. When the substrate was placed on the chuck surface, the push-up pins were buried in the through holes and did not come into contact with the substrate. However, in the present invention, the push-up pin is configured to contact the substrate with a predetermined stress even in a state where the substrate is sucked and held by the chuck means, so that a non-contact portion does not occur between the substrate and the through hole. did. Here, as a means for applying a predetermined stress to the push-up pin, there is a method of lifting the push-up pin using a compression spring.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate chuck apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the plurality of pins of the push-up pin means are formed in a shape of the through hole. , And this portion is configured to be in close contact with the substrate sucked and held by the chuck means. The non-contact portion between the substrate and the through-hole is reduced by making the shape of the push-up pin in contact with the substrate held by the chuck means conform to the shape of the through-hole.

[0009]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate chuck device according to the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.
It is the top view which omitted and showed 0. In FIG. 2A, the same components as those in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The point that the substrate chuck apparatus according to this embodiment is different from the conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 4 is apparent from FIG.
Push-up pins 33, 34, 4 near the center of chuck 1
3, 44 are the shortest, and push-up pins 11 to 16, 21, 26, 31, 36, 4 near the outside of the chuck 1.
1,46,51,56,61-66 are the longest,
The push-up pins 22 to 25, 32,
35, 42, 45, and 52 to 55 are constituted by intermediate lengths. The difference between the length of the longest push pin and the shortest push pin is about 1 mm. By gradually changing the length of the push-up pins, the substrate 30 on the push-up pins 11 to 66 is curved into a spherical surface. In addition, each push-up pin 11-66
Is separated from the table 20, and is provided so that the pin hole of the chuck 10 can be freely linearly moved. It is desirable that the difference between the lengths of the push-up pins is appropriately changed according to the size and thickness of the substrate.

FIG. 3A shows a state where the surface of the substrate 30 and the surface of the chuck 10 are in contact with each other near the center thereof.
(B) shows a state where the substrate 30 is completely adhered to the surface of the chuck 10. As is apparent from the figure, according to the substrate chucking apparatus of this embodiment, the substrate 30 is pushed down by the push-up pins 33, 34, 43,
A central portion of the substrate 30 near 44 contacts the surface of the chuck 10 first, and the entire central portion of the substrate 30 gradually contacts the chuck 10 from the contacted central portion. The push-up pins 11 to 66 and the table 20 are separated, and FIG.
As shown in (B), the push-up pins 11 to 66 are out of contact with the table. Thereby, the substrate 30
The floating phenomenon of air which occurs when the entire surface of the chuck 10 and the chuck 10 try to come into contact at the same time does not occur.
Also, there is no occurrence of lateral displacement on the surface. Conversely, when lifting the substrate 30 from the surface of the chuck 10, push-up pins 11 to 16 near the outside of the substrate 30
21, 26, 31, 36, 41, 46, 51, 56, 6
1 to 66 lift the substrate 30 first, and then gradually the vicinity of the center of the substrate 30 can be lifted from the chuck surface.

FIG. 1 is a view showing a detailed configuration of a push-up pin of a substrate chuck device according to the present invention. 1A shows a state in which no load (weight of the substrate 30) is applied to the push-up pins 11 (a state in which the substrate 30 is not suction-held by the chuck 10), and FIG. (A state in which the substrate 30 is suction-held by the chuck 10). As is clear from the figure, the push-up pin 11 projects from the surface of the chuck 10 by the compression spring 11A when no load is applied. When the substrate 30 is placed on the chuck 10 as shown in FIG.
A is compressed, and the upper surface of the push-up pin 11 and the lower surface of the substrate 30 come into close contact with each other. At this time, the push-up pin 11 comes into close contact with the lower surface of the substrate 30 with a predetermined compressive stress by the compression spring 11A. Being large enough, the substrate 30 will maintain a flat surface without deformation. Thereby, the non-contact portion between the substrate 30 and the through-hole of the chuck 10 can be minimized, and the exposure unevenness can be reduced. In this case, the plate portion on the upper surface of the push-up pin may be rotatable with respect to the pin axis, and the plate portion may be bent along the curved surface of the substrate when the substrate is lifted.

The chuck 10 shown in FIG. 2B has a large number of openings in addition to the through holes of the push-up pins 11 to 66. Although this opening is indicated by a dot in the figure, this is a vacuum suction hole having a diameter of about 1 mm provided in place of the vacuum suction groove provided in the chuck 10. By forming the vacuum suction groove with a large number of small holes in this way, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of exposure unevenness.

The push-up pins 13, 14, 23, 2
4,33,34,43,44,53,54,63,64
Are the shortest, push-up pins 12, 15, 22,
25, 32, 35, 42, 45, 52, 55, 62, 6
5 are the next longest, push-up pins 11,16,
21, 26, 31, 36, 41, 46, 51, 56, 6
1,66 may be the longest. In this case, the substrate 30 is curved like a side surface of a columnar body.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the push-up pins 11 to 66 are separated from the table 20 has been described, but it goes without saying that the push-up pins 11 to 66 may be fixed to the table 20. In this embodiment, the case where the lengths of the push-up pins 11 to 66 are different has been described. However, the length of the push-up pins 11 to 66 may be fixed, and the shape of the table 20 may be spherical or cylindrical. It goes without saying that it is good. Also, the case where the vicinity of the center of the substrate 30 first contacts the surface of the chuck 10 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a part of the substrate 30 contacts the surface of the chuck 10 first, and then gradually the entire substrate 30 It is only necessary that the contact member be configured to contact the chuck 10.
Although the embodiment of FIG. 2 has described the case where the number of push-up pins is 36, this is merely an example, and it goes without saying that other numbers may be used. However, at least three push-up pins are required, in which case if one or two push-up pins are short, a portion of the substrate will first contact the chuck surface.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the lengths of the push-up pins are different from each other has been described, but it goes without saying that the lengths of the push-up pins may be the same. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where a predetermined stress is applied to the push-up pin using the compression spring has been described.
A contraction spring may be provided on the lower surface side of the chuck 10 to apply a predetermined stress to the push-up pin.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the push-up pin and the table are separated has been described. However, when the push-up pin and the table are fixed as shown in FIG. It may be added.

[0017]

According to the substrate chuck apparatus of the present invention, there is an effect that the non-contact portion between the substrate and the chuck caused by the through-hole for the push-up pin provided in the chuck can be minimized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing a detailed configuration of a push-up pin of a substrate chuck device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate chuck device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the substrate and the surface of the chuck are in contact with each other near the center, and a state in which the substrate is completely in contact with the surface of the chuck.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conventional substrate chuck device using a push-up pin.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 to 66: push-up pin, 10, 60: chuck, 2
0, 70: table, 30: substrate, 40: pin lifting drive shaft, 50: chuck lifting drive shaft, 11A: compression spring

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A chuck means for sucking and holding a substrate, and a plurality of pins provided so as to freely move a through hole of the chuck means to move the substrate in a vertical direction. A predetermined stress is applied to the plurality of pins from the through hole toward the substrate in a state where the plurality of pins are sucked and held by the chuck means, and each of the plurality of pins is configured to contact a lower surface of the substrate. A substrate chuck device comprising: a push-up pin means; and a pin drive means for moving each pin of the push-up pin means in a vertical direction. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pins of the push-up pin has a portion having a shape conforming to the shape of the through-hole, and this portion is brought into close contact with the substrate sucked and held by the chuck. The substrate chuck device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate chuck device is configured.