Apparatus for processing substrate in chamber and maintenance method therefor

• US 20050051102A1
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dainippon Screen Manufacturing Company Limited (SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Dainippon Screen Manufacturing Company Limited (SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Jun, Sato, Toru
• Application Number:
  US10/931,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20050051102A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/729
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4401 Means for minimising impurities, e.g. dust, moisture or residual gas, in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/481 by radiant heating of the substrate

Abstract

A thermal processing apparatus (1) comprises a chamber body (6) having an upper opening (60), a transparent plate attached to the upper opening (60) to close the upper opening (60), a holding part (7) for holding and heating a substrate in the inside of the chamber body (6) and a holding-part moving mechanism (4) for moving the holding part (7) up and down. In performing maintenance of the thermal processing apparatus (1), the transparent plate is removed from the chamber body (6) and then the holding part (7) is moved by the holding-part moving mechanism (4) up to a position where a lower surface (77) of the holding part (7) is higher than an upper surface (69) of an edge of the upper opening (60). This allows maintenance for the inside of the chamber body (6) from a gap (601) between the holding part (7) and the chamber body (6) without removing the holding part (7) from the chamber body (6).

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate in a chamber, comprising:

a chamber body forming a chamber which is a space for processing a substrate and having an opening in its upper portion;

a closing member attached to said opening, for closing said opening;

a holding part for holding a substrate in said chamber; and

a moving mechanism for moving a lower surface of said holding part up to a level higher than an upper surface of an edge of said opening while said closing member is not attached to said opening.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

another opening which is smaller than said holding part is provided in a lower portion of said chamber body, and

said moving mechanism comprises a shaft inserted to said another opening and connected to said lower surface of said holding part, moving up and down.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said moving mechanism comprises a driving mechanism for moving said holding part up and down inside said chamber body during processing of a substrate.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said lower surface of said holding part is moved by said moving mechanism up to a level higher than said upper surface of said edge of said opening by 100 mm or more.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a light emitting part for emitting light through said closing member to a substrate held by said holding part, to heat said substrate.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said light emitting part comprises flash lamps.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said lower surface of said holding part is moved manually up to a level higher than said upper surface of said edge of said opening.

8. A maintenance method used in a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate in a chamber, comprising the steps of:

removing a closing member used for closing an opening in an upper portion of a chamber body forming a chamber which is a space for processing a substrate;

moving a lower surface of a holding part for holding a substrate in said chamber up to a level higher than an upper surface of an edge of said opening; and

performing maintenance of the inside of said chamber through a gap between said lower surface of said holding part and said edge of said opening.

9. The maintenance method according to claim 8, wherein

said lower surface of said holding part is moved up to a level higher than said upper surface of said edge of said opening by 100 mm or more.

10. The maintenance method according to claim 8, wherein

said closing member passes light to be emitted to a substrate held by said holding part.

11. The maintenance method according to claim 10, wherein

said closing member passes light emitted from flash lamps.

12. The maintenance method according to claim 8, wherein

said lower surface of said holding part is manually moved up to a level higher than said upper surface of said edge of said opening.