Method for carrying substrate

• US 20050163598A1
• Filed: 12/26/2002
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Yuasa, Mitsuhiro, Homma, Koji
• Application Number:
  US10/505,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20050163598A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/217
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67748 horizontal transfer of a single workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6838 with gripping and holding devices using a vacuum; Bernoulli devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68707 the wafers being placed on a robot blade, or gripped by a gripper for conveyance
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 13/00 Clutches or holding devices using electrostatic attraction, e.g. using Johnson-Rahbek effect

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of conveying a substrate that can convey even a thinned substrate while maintaining its flatness and prevents particles from adhering to the substrate, wherein the step of a conveyor attaching a third substrate holding mechanism to the substrate with a first substrate holding mechanism holding the substrate, the step of driving the third substrate holding mechanism so as to hold the substrate by the conveyor while a first base is holding the substrate, and thereafter canceling the holding of the substrate by the first substrate holding mechanism and jetting out fluid from a first fluid jetting mechanism, the step of conveying the substrate from the first base to a second base and attaching the substrate to a second substrate holding mechanism, and the step of driving the second substrate holding mechanism so as to hold the substrate by the second base while the third base is holding the substrate, and thereafter jetting out fluid from a second fluid jetting mechanism and canceling the holding of the substrate by the third substrate holding mechanism are provided.

Claims

1. A method of conveying a substrate from a first base including a first substrate holding mechanism and a first fluid jetting mechanism to a second base including a second substrate holding mechanism using a conveyor including a third substrate holding mechanism and a second fluid jetting mechanism, the method comprising:

the conveyor attaching the third substrate holding mechanism to the substrate with the first substrate holding mechanism holding the substrate;

driving the third substrate holding mechanism so as to hold the substrate by the conveyor while the first base is holding the substrate, and thereafter canceling the holding of the substrate by the first substrate holding mechanism and jetting out fluid from the first fluid jetting mechanism;

conveying the substrate from the first base to the second base and attaching the substrate to the second substrate holding mechanism; and

driving the second substrate holding mechanism so as to hold the substrate by the second base while the third substrate holding mechanism is holding the substrate, and thereafter jetting out fluid from the second fluid jetting mechanism and canceling the holding of the substrate by the third substrate holding mechanism.

5. The method of conveying the substrate as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the first and second bases and the conveyor are provided in reduced pressure chambers, and the substrate holding mechanism provided to the base provided in the reduced pressure chamber and the third substrate holding mechanism are electrostatic chucks.

2. A method of conveying a substrate from a first base including a first substrate holding mechanism and a first fluid jetting mechanism to a second base including a second substrate holding mechanism using a conveyor including a third substrate holding mechanism and a second fluid jetting mechanism, the method comprising:

the conveyor attaching the third substrate holding mechanism to the substrate with the first substrate holding mechanism holding the substrate;

driving the third substrate holding mechanism so as to hold the substrate by the conveyor while the first base is holding the substrate, and thereafter canceling the holding of the substrate by the first substrate holding mechanism and jetting out fluid from the first fluid jetting mechanism;

conveying the substrate from the first base to the second base and attaching the substrate to the second substrate holding mechanism;

driving the second substrate holding mechanism so as to hold the substrate by the second base while the third substrate holding mechanism is holding the substrate, and thereafter jetting out fluid from the second fluid jetting mechanism and canceling the holding of the substrate by the third substrate holding mechanism; and

cleaning the third substrate holding mechanism provided to the conveyor.

6. The method of conveying the substrate as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

at least one of the first and second bases and the conveyor are provided in reduced pressure chambers, and the substrate holding mechanism provided to the base provided in the reduced pressure chamber and the third substrate holding mechanism are electrostatic chucks.

3. A method of conveying a substrate from a first base including a first substrate holding mechanism and a first fluid jetting mechanism to a second base including a second substrate holding mechanism using a conveyor including a third substrate holding mechanism and a second fluid jetting mechanism, the method comprising:

the conveyor attaching the third substrate holding mechanism to the substrate with the first substrate holding mechanism holding the substrate;

driving the third substrate holding mechanism so as to hold the substrate by the conveyor while the first base is holding the substrate, and thereafter canceling the holding of the substrate by the first substrate holding mechanism and jetting out fluid from the first fluid jetting mechanism;

conveying the substrate from the first base to the second base and attaching the substrate to the second substrate holding mechanism; and

driving the second substrate holding mechanism so as to hold the substrate by the second base while the third substrate holding mechanism is holding the substrate, and thereafter jetting out fluid from the second fluid jetting mechanism and canceling the holding of the substrate by the third substrate holding mechanism,

wherein the substrate is held by the first substrate holding mechanism after being subjected to backgrinding.

7. The method of conveying the substrate as claimed in claim 3, wherein:

at least one of the first and second bases and the conveyor are provided in reduced pressure chambers, and the substrate holding mechanism provided to the base provided in the reduced pressure chamber and the third substrate holding mechanism are electrostatic chucks.

4. A method of conveying a substrate from a first base including a first substrate holding mechanism and a first fluid jetting mechanism to a second base including a second substrate holding mechanism using a conveyor including a third substrate holding mechanism and a second fluid jetting mechanism, the method comprising:

the conveyor attaching the third substrate holding mechanism to the substrate with the first substrate holding mechanism holding the substrate;

driving the third substrate holding mechanism so as to hold the substrate by the conveyor while the first base is holding the substrate, and thereafter canceling the holding of the substrate by the first substrate holding mechanism and jetting out fluid from the first fluid jetting mechanism;

conveying the substrate from the first base to the second base and attaching the substrate to the second substrate holding mechanism;

driving the second substrate holding mechanism so as to hold the substrate by the second base while the third substrate holding mechanism is holding the substrate, and thereafter jetting out fluid from the second fluid jetting mechanism and canceling the holding of the substrate by the third substrate holding mechanism; and

cleaning the third substrate holding mechanism provided to the conveyor,

wherein the substrate is held by the first substrate holding mechanism after being subjected to backgrinding.

8. The method of conveying the substrate as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

at least one of the first and second bases and the conveyor are provided in reduced pressure chambers, and the substrate holding mechanism provided to the base provided in the reduced pressure chamber and the third substrate holding mechanism are electrostatic chucks.

9. A method of conveying a substrate from a first base including a first substrate holding mechanism to a second base including a second substrate holding mechanism using a conveyor including a third substrate holding mechanism, the method comprising:

the conveyor attaching the third substrate holding mechanism including a first substrate including an electrostatic chuck and a second fluid jetting mechanism to the substrate with the first substrate holding mechanism holding the substrate;

driving the third substrate holding mechanism so as to hold the substrate by the conveyor while the first base is holding the substrate, and thereafter canceling the holding of the substrate by the first substrate holding mechanism;

conveying the substrate from the first base to the second base and attaching the substrate to the second substrate holding mechanism; and

driving the second substrate holding mechanism so as to hold the substrate by the second base while the third substrate holding mechanism is holding the substrate, and thereafter jetting out fluid from the second fluid jetting mechanism and canceling the holding of the substrate by the third substrate holding mechanism.

11. The method of conveying the substrate as claimed in claim 9, wherein the substrate is held by the first substrate holding mechanism after being subjected to backgrinding.

12. The method of conveying the substrate as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

at least one of the first and second bases and the conveyor are provided in reduced pressure chambers, and the substrate holding mechanism provided to the base provided in the reduced pressure chamber is an electrostatic chuck.

13. The method of conveying the substrate as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

in transferring the substrate between the substrate holding mechanism provided to the base provided in the reduced pressure chamber and the third substrate holding mechanism, voltage is applied to the electrostatic chuck from which the substrate is transferred so that an electrostatic force is generated in a direction to separate the substrate therefrom.

10. A method of conveying a substrate to a base including a first substrate holding mechanism using a conveyor including a second substrate holding mechanism, the method comprising:

the conveyor attaching the substrate on the first substrate holding mechanism of the base with the second substrate holding mechanism holding the substrate;

releasing the holding of the substrate by the second substrate holding mechanism after mechanically holding the substrate between the first substrate holding mechanism and the second substrate holding mechanism; and

driving the first substrate holding mechanism so as to hold the substrate by the base while the substrate is being held mechanically between the first and second substrate holding mechanisms.