JPH0748671A - Substrate exchanging device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the time required to evacuate a load-lock chamber at the time of exchanging substrates by using a tray to isolate the load-lock chamber from the external air. CONSTITUTION:A tray 21 carrying a substrate 22 coated with a film in a film forming chamber 1 is transferred on a lifting shaft 9 in a load-lock chamber 2 by a conveyor means 5, then a gate valve 3 is closed, and the chamber is purged with dry nitrogen, etc., and returned to atmospheric pressure. The shaft 9 is raised to press the tray 21 on the lower surface of a flange 23 and blocked, a lid 12 is opened, and the film-coated substrate 22 is exchanged for a fresh substrate by an exchanging means 28. The lid 12 is then closed, the tray 21 is returned to the original position by the shaft 9, the load-lock chamber is evacuated, and the tray is introduced into the film forming chamber 1. Consequently, the time required to evacuate the load-lock chamber is shortened after the substrates have been exchanged, and the efficiency in exchanging substrates is improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate exchanging device for efficiently exchanging a substrate between a load lock chamber adjacent to a film forming chamber and the outside.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional substrate exchanging device is shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, 1 is a film forming chamber for performing film forming processing, 2 is a load lock chamber provided on one side of the film forming chamber 1 through a square gate valve 3, and 4 is provided in the film forming chamber 1. A rotary shaft 5, a transfer arm fixed to the upper end of the rotary shaft 4, and a C-shaped support portion 6 formed at the tip of the transfer arm 5 are rotated by the rotary shaft 4 via the transfer arm 5. A transfer means 7 is formed by the rotation shaft 4, the transfer arm 5, and the support portion 6 while moving between the film formation position in the film formation chamber 1 and the transfer position in the load lock chamber 2. Reference numeral 8 denotes a tray on which a substrate is placed, which is placed on the support portion 6.

Reference numeral 9 is an elevating shaft introduced from the bottom plate of the load lock chamber 2, and 10 is a bellows which surrounds the base of the elevating shaft 9, and provides an airtight seal between the base of the elevating shaft 9 and the bottom plate of the load lock chamber 2. I am maintaining. 11 is an opening on the upper surface of the load lock chamber 2, 12 is a lid for opening and closing the opening 11, 13 is the opening 1
1 is an O-ring provided between the upper surface of the peripheral edge of 1 and the lid 12.

When the film formation on the substrate on the tray 8 is completed in the film forming chamber 1, the tray 8 is placed on the supporting portion 6 of the transfer means 7, the gate valve 3 is opened, and the rotary shaft 4 is rotated. Then, as shown by the solid line in the figure, the support portion 6 is carried into the load lock chamber 2.

Next, the elevating shaft 9 is moved upward from the position shown by the solid line in the figure, and the upper end of the elevating shaft 9 is fitted into the through hole in the center of the tray 8 to lift the tray 8 to the position shown by the chain line in the figure. Rotating shaft 4
Rotates in reverse. At this time, the supporting portion 6 is pulled out from the elevating shaft 9 by the C-shaped opening, the transfer arm 5 is moved to the film forming chamber 1, and the gate valve 3 is closed.

Then, the load-loak chamber 2 is purged with dry nitrogen or the like to return to atmospheric pressure, the lid 12 is opened, and the substrate after film formation is taken out by the exchanging means and replaced with an undeposited substrate. Close 12

Next, the load lock chamber 2 is evacuated to a vacuum,
The gate valve 3 is opened, the support portion 6 of the transfer means 7 is moved to the load lock chamber 2, the elevating shaft 9 is moved downward to place the tray 8 on the support portion 6, and the rotation shaft 4 forms the tray 8 into a film. The chamber 1 is moved to, the gate valve 3 is closed, and a film is formed.

[0008]

In the case of the above-mentioned conventional apparatus, when the lid 12 is opened and the substrate is exchanged, the atmospheric air enters the entire area of the load lock chamber 2 and the moisture in the air adheres to the inner wall. , It takes a long time to evacuate the load lock chamber 2,
There is a problem that the efficiency of substrate exchange is reduced. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate exchanging apparatus in which a region of a load lock chamber exposed to the atmosphere during substrate exchanging is reduced, vacuum evacuation time is shortened, and substrate exchanging efficiency is improved. And

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a substrate exchange apparatus of the present invention comprises a load lock chamber provided in a film formation chamber through a gate valve, and an opening / closing opening of the load lock chamber. And a tray on which a substrate is placed, a transfer unit that transfers the tray to the film forming chamber and the load lock chamber, and the transfer unit that transfers the tray to and from the transfer unit of the load lock chamber. The delivery means includes: a delivery means; a sealing means for hermetically pressing the peripheral edge of the tray of the delivery means to the inner edge of the opening; and an exchange means for exchanging the substrate between the tray and the outside of the sealing means. It is a thing.

[0010]

In the substrate exchanging device of the present invention configured as described above, the transfer means for transferring the substrate to and from the transfer means hermetically presses the peripheral edge of the tray to the inner edge of the opening of the load lock chamber. Since the sealing means is provided, the area of the load lock chamber exposed to the atmosphere during substrate exchange is extremely small, the vacuum evacuation time of the load lock chamber after the substrate exchange is significantly shortened, and the substrate exchange efficiency is improved.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In these figures, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 3 indicate the same or corresponding ones. 14 is an ion source provided on the other side of the film formation chamber 1, 15 is a target provided opposite to the ion source 14, 16 is an adhesion preventive plate, 17 is a film formation port formed in the adhesion preventive plate 16, Reference numeral 18 is a supporting device rotatably supported by a supporting rod 19, 20 is a vertical moving shaft, 21 is a tray having no through hole formed in the central portion, and 22 is a substrate placed on the tray 21.

When the supporting portion 6 is moved to the film forming chamber 1 by the rotating shaft 4 of the conveying means 7, the vertical moving shaft 20 is moved upward to position the tray 21 at the film forming port 17, and the tray 21 is placed on the tray 21. The substrate 22 is pressed against the support device 18, the vertical shaft 20 is rotated, and the substrate 22 is rotated together with the tray 21 to form a film.

Reference numeral 23 is a flange mounted on the upper surface of the load lock chamber 2 with a bolt 25 via an O-ring 24, and the flange 23 forms the opening 11 of the load lock chamber 2. Reference numeral 26 denotes a support shaft that supports the lid body 12, and the lid body 12 hermetically closes the opening 11 via the O-ring 24 on the upper surface of the flange 23.

Reference numeral 27 denotes a step portion formed on the peripheral portion of the tray 21, and when the tray 21 is moved upward, the step portion 27 is a flange 2.
The opening 11 is airtightly closed via the O-ring 24 on the lower surface of No. 3. Reference numeral 28 denotes an exchange means, which takes out the substrate 22 on the tray 21 and places a new substrate 22 on the tray 21 when the lid 12 is opened.

When the support means 6 is transferred to the load lock chamber 2 by the transfer means 7 after the film formation is completed, the elevating shaft 9 of the transfer means is slightly moved upward to abut on the central portion of the tray 21 to slightly move the tray 21. Lifting, the rotating shaft 4 rotates in the reverse direction, the supporting portion 6 moves to the film forming chamber 1, and the gate valve 3 is closed.

Next, the load lock chamber 2 is purged with dry nitrogen or the like to return to atmospheric pressure, and the elevating shaft 9 also serving as a sealing means is further moved upward to move the step portion 27 at the peripheral portion of the tray 21 to the flange 23. The opening 11 is airtightly closed by pressure contact with the lower surface. At this time, the upper surface of the substrate 22 on the tray 21 and the lid 12
The gap with the bottom surface of the is very small.

Next, the lid 12 is opened, the film-forming substrate 22 is taken out by the exchanging means 28, a new substrate 22 is placed on the tray 21, the lid 12 is closed, and the lifting shaft 9 is moved slightly downward. The step portion 27 of the tray 21 is removed from the flange 23, and the load lock chamber 2 is evacuated.

Then, the gate valve 3 is opened, the support portion 6 of the transfer means 7 is moved to the load lock chamber 2, and the elevating shaft 9 is further moved downward to mount the tray 21 on the support portion 6.

[0019]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. In the substrate exchanging device of the present invention, the transfer means for transferring the substrate 22 to and from the transfer means 7 is provided with a sealing means for air-tightly pressing the peripheral edge of the tray 21 to the inner edge of the opening 11 of the load lock chamber 2. Therefore, when the substrate 22 is replaced, the area of the load lock chamber 2 exposed to the atmosphere is extremely small, moisture is prevented from adhering to the inner wall of the load lock chamber 2, and the load lock chamber 2 is evacuated after the substrate is replaced. The time can be significantly shortened, and the substrate exchange efficiency can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cutaway front view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cut front view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 film-forming chamber 2 load-lock chamber 3 gate valve 7 transfer means 11 opening 12 lid 21 tray 22 substrate 28 exchange means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A load lock chamber provided in a film forming chamber through a gate valve, a lid for opening and closing an opening of the load lock chamber, a tray for placing a substrate, and the tray for the film forming chamber. And a transfer means for transferring the tray to and from the load lock chamber, a transfer means for transferring the tray between the transfer means in the load lock chamber, and a peripheral portion of the tray of the transfer means at an inner edge of the opening. A substrate exchanging device comprising an airtight pressure-sealing means and an exchanging means for exchanging a substrate between the tray of the sealing means and the outside.