JPH08181185A - Continuous vacuum processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] A continuous vacuum that performs vacuum processing using a substrate exchange device that also serves as a lid for the substrate loading / unloading chamber provided in the vacuum processing device and uses the vacuum suction member to transfer the substrate to the substrate loading / unloading chamber. The influence of the vacuum leak of the substrate exchange device of the processing apparatus should not be exerted on the vacuum processing apparatus. With the exchange arm 51 hermetically sealing the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 of the vacuum processing apparatus body 10, suction members 55a, 55 are provided.
Vacuum pipes 57, 5 near valves b via valves 70, 71
8 connected to the valve 59 to the vacuum pump 56 side
The valves 70 and 71 are opened and closed in synchronization with the opening and closing of 62 so that the influence of vacuum leakage generated in the middle of the pipes 57 and 58 does not affect the vacuum processing apparatus 10 via the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention sequentially introduces a substrate to be processed into a vacuum chamber from outside, and performs vapor deposition, sputtering, CVD,
The present invention relates to a continuous vacuum processing apparatus that continuously performs substrate processing such as etching.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a thin film is formed on a substrate such as a wafer or a compact disk, or an etching process is performed by a dry process using a vacuum apparatus. In a vacuum device that performs such processing, one or a relatively small number of substrates are sequentially transferred to a small substrate processing chamber for processing, the processed substrate is taken out, and the next substrate to be processed is introduced. There is a system that performs continuous processing.

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of a conventional continuous vacuum processing apparatus. This apparatus mainly includes a vacuum processing apparatus main body 10 and a substrate exchanging apparatus 50.

The vacuum processing apparatus main body 10 has a large cylindrical vacuum chamber 11 and a substrate loading / unloading chamber 12, which is smaller than the vacuum chamber connected to the vacuum chamber 11.
A vacuum processing chamber 1 which is also connected to the vacuum chamber
3 (there may be a plurality of vacuum processing chambers) is the vacuum chamber 1
1 is provided on the upper wall of the first wall, and is evacuated by a high vacuum exhaust system (not shown). When the substrate processing is processing such as sputtering that requires high vacuum, a high vacuum exhaust system (not shown) may be separately provided for each vacuum processing chamber 13.

A turntable 14 supported by a rotary shaft is provided inside the vacuum chamber 11 and is rotationally driven by a rotary motor 15. At least two table recesses 16 are provided in the table portion of the turntable 14.

The table recesses 16 are each table recess 16
Is centered on the center of rotation of the turntable 14, and a substrate holder 17 having a size that can be accommodated in the recess is placed in each recess. Further, a table hole portion 18 penetrating the table portion of the turntable 14 is provided in the center portion of the table concave portion 16.

The substrate holder 17 has an outer dimension and a thickness that are slightly smaller than the inner dimension and the depth of the recess, and is normally fitted in the recess of the turntable 14. The upper surface of the substrate holder 17 is finished to be smooth, and the substrate holder 1
When the substrate 7 rises and comes into contact with the upper wall of the vacuum chamber 11, the substrate holder 17 seals the lower surface side of the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 with a gasket. A recess is provided in the center of the upper surface of the substrate holder 17 for mounting a substrate, and the substrate to be processed can be mounted in this recess. That is, the substrate holder 17 forms the bottom portion of the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 in a state where the substrate holder 17 is raised and abuts on the upper wall of the vacuum chamber 11, and the substrate holder 17 is transported by the substrate exchanging device 50, which will be described later, and is transferred to the substrate loading / unloading chamber. The substrate to be processed that has been loaded into the substrate 12 can be placed on the substrate holder 17.

A turntable hole 18 is provided on the bottom wall of the vacuum chamber 11 at a position facing the turntable hole 18 provided in the turntable 14, that is, with respect to the center of rotation of the turntable 14. A through hole 19a is provided on the same concentric circle, and an elevating rod 20a is fitted and inserted by a gasket or the like while maintaining a vacuum. The lifting rod 20a is lifted and lowered by an external cylinder 21a, and when one of the table hole portions 18 of the turntable 14 is stopped at a facing position by a turntable rotation control mechanism (including a turntable rotation position detection mechanism) (not shown), the lifting rod 20a is lifted. Is designed to rise so as to pass through the table hole portion 18. Then, the substrate holder 17 placed in the table recess 16 is moved up and down by the lifting rod 2
0, the substrate holder 17 is moved to the vacuum chamber 11
Is abutted on the inner wall surface of the upper wall.

Similarly, at the position facing the vacuum processing chamber 13 in the other part of the vacuum chamber 11, the through hole 19 is formed.
b, an elevating rod 20b, and a cylinder 21b are provided, and the turntable 14 is rotationally controlled to control the substrate S to be processed.
When the substrate holder 17 on which is mounted is stopped at a position facing the vacuum processing chamber 13, the lifting rod 20b is lifted by the driving of the cylinder 21b, and the substrate holder 17 is brought into contact with the upper wall of the vacuum chamber to move the substrate. The vacuum processing chamber is hermetically sealed while being included in the vacuum processing chamber 13.

The number of substrate holders on the turntable 14 may be two or more, but the substrate holders 17 are arranged equiangularly, and one substrate holder 17 is provided in the substrate loading / unloading chamber 1.
One of the other substrate holders 17 faces the substrate processing chamber 13 when facing the substrate processing chamber 13.

Next, the substrate exchanging device 50 will be described. The substrate exchanging device 50 mainly includes an exchanging arm 51 on the upper side,
An exchange arm shaft 52 that supports the exchange arm 51, a motor 53 that drives a rotation mechanism that rotates the exchange arm shaft, a cylinder 54 that raises and lowers the exchange arm shaft, vacuum suction members 55a and 55b provided on the exchange arm 51, and a vacuum. Adsorption member 55
It is composed of a vacuum pump 56 for evacuating a and 55b.

The exchange arm 51 is supported by an exchange arm shaft 52 which can be raised and lowered and rotated.
The two adsorbing members 55a described above at positions symmetrical with respect to
55b is attached. Then, when one of the suction members comes to the position A in the figure, the other suction member comes to the position B. The suction members 55a and 55b are attached so as to project from the smoothly finished lower surfaces 51a and 51b of the exchange arm 51. The position B is a position where the suction members 55a and 55b are just put into and taken out of the substrate loading / unloading chamber 13, and the position A is a position where the substrate is supplied by an external robot mechanism (not shown). In other words, in the exchange arm 51, one suction member 55a is attached to the substrate loading / unloading chamber 1
3, when the other suction member 55b
Is installed so that the substrate can be transferred to and from an external robot mechanism (the same applies when 55a and 55b are reversed). The exchange arm lower surfaces 51a and 51b are attached to the suction member 55a,
55b in the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 and the substrate loading / unloading chamber 13
It is also used as a lid to seal the upper side of. That is, when the exchange arm 51 descends at the position B, the exchange arm lower surface 51a or 51b comes into contact with the outer wall surface of the upper wall of the vacuum chamber 11, and the exchange arm lower surface 51a or 51b is caused by the gasket provided on the upper wall. Seal the upper side of the. At the same time, the other suction member 55b or 55a that has come to the position A is to be replaced with the substrate sent by the external robot mechanism.

The suction members 55a and 55b are the exchange arms 5.
1 and pipes 57 and 5 provided on the exchange arm shaft 52
8, connected to a vacuum pump 56 via valves 59 and 60. In the exchange arm shaft 52, the pipes 57 and 58 are double pipes. Further, valves 61 and 62 for venting are provided in the pipes 57 and 58.

The vacuum pump 56 evacuates the suction member 55 through the valves 59 and 60, and the valve 6
3. It is connected to the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 via a pipe 64, and the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 can be exhausted. A valve 65 for venting is also connected to the pipe 64.

Next, the operation of continuous processing in the continuous vacuum processing apparatus having the above structure will be described. The substrate S to be processed prepared at the transfer position of the position A by an external robot mechanism or the like is vacuum-sucked by the suction member 55a by opening the valve 60, lifted by the cylinder 54, and further moved above the position B by the motor 53. It is rotated until it comes. The rotation is stopped above the position B, and the cylinder 5
4, the suction member 55a is put into the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 together with the substrate S to be processed, and the exchange arm lower surface 51a comes into contact with the outer wall surface of the upper wall of the vacuum chamber 11, so that the exchange arm 51 serves as a lid. The substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 is sealed.

On the side of the vacuum processing apparatus body 10, the cylinder 21 is raised in advance so that the substrate holder 17 is moved to the vacuum chamber 11
Is in contact with the inner wall surface of the upper wall. Therefore, by subsequently closing the valve 60 and opening the valve 63, the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 is evacuated, so that the substrate S is placed on the substrate holder 17 away from the suction member 51a by gravity. After that, the valve 63 is closed and the cylinder 21a is lowered, so that the substrate S to be processed is housed together with the substrate holder 17 in the table recess 16 of the turntable 14 in the vacuum chamber 11, and is opposed to the vacuum processing chamber 13 by the rotation of the motor 15. It is rotated to the position. Then, the substrate holder 17 contacts the upper wall of the vacuum chamber in a state where the substrate S to be processed faces the vacuum processing chamber 13 due to the rise of the cylinder 21b, and the vacuum processing is performed in this state. The processed substrate is sent to the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 again by lowering the cylinder 21b, rotating the turntable 14, and raising the cylinder 21a. Then, by opening the valve 65, the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 is returned to the atmospheric pressure, and by opening the valve 59, the substrate S is vacuum-sucked by the suction member 55b, and the exchange arm 51 is moved by the cylinder 54.
Is raised by the motor 53, rotated by the motor 53, lowered by the cylinder 54, conveyed to the position A, the valve 59 is closed, and the valve 6 is closed.
When 1 is opened, the suction member 55b is returned to atmospheric pressure, and the processed substrate S is transferred to the external robot.

[0017]

In such a continuous vacuum processing apparatus, the substrate exchanging device also functions as a lid for the substrate loading / unloading chamber. Therefore, when vacuuming the substrate loading / unloading chamber, it is necessary that there is no vacuum leakage in the portion of the substrate exchanging device that is placed in the substrate loading / unloading chamber.

By the way, in the continuous vacuum processing apparatus, since the substrate exchanging apparatus frequently repeats the rotation and the vertical movement, a minute leak is likely to occur. In particular, some gaskets and O-rings are used for the exchange arm shaft in order to maintain the degree of vacuum of the vacuum piping connected to the suction member, but vacuum leakage is likely to occur at these parts. If a vacuum leak occurs in these parts, the pressure in the substrate loading / unloading chamber or the vacuum chamber will rise,
There arises a problem that the continuous substrate processing cannot be performed, or the vacuum processing is performed in a state including the atmosphere, which has an adverse effect.

The present invention solves the problems as described above, and in a continuous substrate processing apparatus having a substrate exchanging device, vacuum leakage hardly occurs, and even if a minute leak occurs, the vacuum processing is not affected. The purpose is to do so.

[0020]

A continuous vacuum processing apparatus according to the present invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, holds a substrate to be processed by a vacuum suction means and stores it in a substrate loading / unloading chamber connected to a vacuum chamber. A substrate exchanging device that conveys a processed substrate, and a main body of a vacuum processing device that performs vacuum processing by feeding a substrate to be processed that has been transferred into a substrate loading / unloading chamber into a substrate processing chamber through a vacuum chamber by a transfer means provided in the vacuum chamber. A continuous vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a substrate exchanging device, wherein the substrate exchanging device forms a lid of the substrate loading / unloading chamber with the vacuum suction means in the substrate loading / unloading chamber, and an exchange arm shaft supporting the exchange arm. A rotary elevating and lowering drive means for rotating and elevating the exchange arm shaft; a vacuum pipe provided to the exchange arm and the exchange arm shaft for evacuating the vacuum suction means; and a vacuum pipe. A vacuum pump to be connected and a valve provided both in the vicinity of the vacuum suction means of the vacuum pipe and in the vicinity of the vacuum pump are provided, and the valve on the vacuum suction means side is opened and closed when opening and closing the valve near the vacuum pump of the vacuum pipe. The feature is that they are operated in synchronization. The operation of this continuous vacuum processing apparatus will be described below.

[0021]

In the continuous vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention, the vacuum pipe provided in the substrate exchanging device is provided with a valve in the vicinity of the vacuum suction means, so that a vacuum seal is provided when the substrate exchanging device rotates and moves up and down. The gasket and O-ring used will be closer to the vacuum pump than this valve. Therefore, by closing the valve near the vacuum pump as well as the valve near the vacuum suction means when the vacuum suction of the vacuum suction means is stopped, even if a leak occurs in the vacuum seal part, the effect is not affected by the vacuum suction means. Does not reach the vacuum chamber side.

[0022]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a continuous vacuum processing apparatus showing an embodiment according to the present invention. Those not specifically shown are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the conventional example shown in FIG.

In the figure, valves 70 and 71 are provided in the middle of the pipe 57 and the pipe 58 of the exchange arm 51. The valve 70 is opened and closed in synchronization with the valves 60 and 62, and the valve 71 is opened and closed in synchronization with the valves 59 and 61.

Next, the operation of the continuous vacuum processing apparatus of this structure will be described. The substrate S to be processed prepared at the position A by an external robot mechanism or the like is vacuum-sucked by the suction member 55a by opening the valve 60 and the valve 70 interlocked therewith, and the exchange arm 51 is lifted by the cylinder 54. The motor 53 rotates the suction member 55a until it is located above the position B. When the rotation is stopped above the position B and the cylinder 54 is lowered, the suction member 55a
Is placed in the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 together with the substrate S to be processed, and the exchange arm lower surface 51a comes into contact with the outer wall surface of the upper wall of the vacuum chamber 11, whereby the exchange arm 51 serves as a lid to seal the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12.

On the side of the vacuum processing apparatus body 10, the cylinder 21 is raised in advance so that the substrate holder 17 is moved to the vacuum chamber 11
Is in contact with the inner wall surface of the upper wall. Therefore, subsequently, the valve 60 and the valve 70 associated therewith are closed and the valve 63 is opened, so that the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 is evacuated, and thus the substrate S is separated from the suction member 51a by the gravity to the substrate holder 17. Can be posted.

Then, the valve 63 is closed and the cylinder 21a is closed.
As the substrate S is lowered, the substrate S to be processed is housed together with the substrate holder 17 in the table recess 16 of the turntable 14 in the vacuum chamber 11, and is rotated by the rotation of the motor 15 to a position facing the vacuum processing chamber 13. Then, the substrate holder 17 contacts the upper wall of the vacuum chamber in a state where the substrate S to be processed faces the vacuum processing chamber 13 due to the rise of the cylinder 21b, and the vacuum processing is performed in this state. The processed substrate is sent to the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 again by lowering the cylinder 21b, rotating the turntable 14, and raising the cylinder 21a. Then, by opening the valve 65, the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 is returned to the atmospheric pressure, and the substrate S is loaded with the valve 59 and the valve 7.
By opening 1, vacuum suction is performed on the suction member 55b,
The exchange arm 51 is lifted by the cylinder 54, and the motor 53
Is rotated by the cylinder 54 and lowered by the cylinder 54.
b is brought to position A, valve 59 is closed and valve 61
Is opened, the suction member 55b is returned to atmospheric pressure, and the processed substrate S is transferred to the external robot. The same operation is performed when the substrate to be processed is transported by the suction member 55b and the valve 71 and the valves 59 and 61.
This is done by linking and.

In this way, the valve 70 is interlocked when the valve 60 or the valve 62 is opened, and the valve 60,
When the valves 62 are both closed, they are controlled so as to be interlocked. Further, the valve 71 is controlled to open in conjunction with the opening of the valve 59 or 61, and to close in conjunction with the closing of both the valve 59 and the valve 61. By doing so, when the cylinder 21a is descending, that is, when the vacuum chamber 11 and the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 communicate with each other, even if the pipe 57,
Even if a vacuum leak occurs in the pipe 58, the substrate loading / unloading chamber 12 and the vacuum chamber 11 are not affected.

In this embodiment, the substrate loading / unloading chamber is connected to the vacuum chamber and the substrate is loaded / unloaded in / from the substrate loading / unloading chamber. This is the case when it is required to make the substrate loading / unloading chamber as small as possible to reduce the vacuum area to be evacuated when loading / unloading the substrate to shorten the vacuum exhaust time and to maintain the vacuum processing chamber at a high vacuum. In addition, it is advantageous to maintain a high vacuum in the vacuum processing chamber by providing a vacuum chamber as an intermediate chamber between the vacuum processing chamber and the substrate loading / unloading chamber that is exposed to the atmosphere.

However, if there is no such need, and instead the apparatus is desired to be as simple as possible, the substrate loading / unloading chamber may not be provided and the exchanging arm may be directly transferred to the transfer means of the vacuum chamber. The configuration of the device in that case is as follows. A substrate exchanging device that holds the substrate to be processed by the vacuum suction means and conveys the substrate to be processed into the vacuum chamber, and a substrate processing chamber by the conveying means that is provided to the substrate to be processed conveyed into the vacuum chamber. A continuous vacuum processing apparatus having a vacuum processing apparatus main body for performing vacuum processing by sending the substrate to the substrate exchange apparatus,
An exchange arm that forms a lid of the vacuum chamber in a state where the vacuum suction means is placed in the vacuum chamber, an exchange arm shaft that supports the exchange arm, a rotary lift drive means that rotates and drives the exchange arm shaft, an exchange arm and an exchange. A vacuum pipe provided on the arm shaft for evacuating the vacuum suction means, a vacuum pump connected to the vacuum pipe, and a valve provided both near the vacuum suction means of the vacuum pipe and near the vacuum pump. A continuous vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a valve for vacuum suction means, which is operated synchronously when a valve near the vacuum pump of the vacuum pipe is opened and closed.

[0030]

As described above, in the continuous vacuum processing apparatus according to the present invention, since the valve is provided in the vicinity of the vacuum suction means, even if the gasket of the vacuum pipe and the O-ring portion of the substrate exchanging apparatus are not leaked. Even if there is, it does not affect the vacuum processing device. Further, the O-ring and the like need only be exchanged when the substrate cannot be sufficiently vacuum-sucked, and the O-ring and the like are exchanged significantly less frequently.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a continuous vacuum processing apparatus that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a conventional continuous vacuum processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10: Vacuum processing apparatus main body 11: Vacuum chamber 12: Substrate loading / unloading chamber 13: Vacuum processing chamber 14: Turntable 15: Motor 17: Substrate holder 20a, 20b: Lifting rods 21a, 21b: Cylinder 50: Substrate exchanging device 51: Exchange Arm 52: Replacement arm shaft 53: Motor 54: Cylinder 55a, 55b: Adsorption member 56: Vacuum pump 57, 58: Piping 59-63, 65, 70, 71: Valve

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical indication H01L 21/203 21/205 21/3065

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A substrate to be processed is held by a vacuum suction means,
A substrate exchanging device for transferring a substrate to be processed into a substrate loading / unloading chamber connected to the vacuum chamber, and a substrate processing chamber for transferring the substrate to be processed transferred to the substrate loading / unloading chamber through the vacuum chamber by a transport means provided in the vacuum chamber. Is a continuous vacuum processing apparatus having a vacuum processing apparatus main body for performing vacuum processing by feeding the substrate to the substrate, wherein the substrate exchanging apparatus forms a lid of the substrate loading / unloading chamber with the vacuum suction means placed in the substrate loading / unloading chamber. An exchange arm shaft that supports the exchange arm, a rotation elevating and lowering drive unit that rotationally elevates and lowers the exchange arm shaft, a vacuum pipe that is provided on the exchange arm and the exchange arm shaft, and that evacuates the vacuum suction unit. A vacuum pump connected to the vacuum pipe, and a valve provided both near the vacuum suction means of the vacuum pipe and near the vacuum pump are provided. Continuous vacuum processing apparatus is characterized in that so as to operate in synchronization with the vacuum suction means side valve when to open and close the drive.