Load lock apparatus, load lock section, substrate processing system and substrate processing method

• US 20060245852A1
• Filed: 03/28/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Iwabuchi, Katsuhiko
• Application Number:
  US11/390,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20060245852A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/217
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67201 characterized by the construction of the load-lock chamber

Abstract

A substrate processing system including a processing section for processing a substrate; a carry-in/out section for carrying in/out the substrate; and a load lock section provided between the processing section and the carry-in/out section, is characterized in that the load lock section includes a first load lock apparatus including a carry-in port provided on a side of the carry-in/out section for carrying in/out the substrate, a carry-out port provided on a side of the processing section for processing the substrate, and supporting members for supporting the substrate; and a second load lock apparatus including a carry-out port provided on the carry-in/out section side, a carry-in port provided on the processing section side, and supporting members for supporting the substrate, that the second load lock apparatus includes a first cooling plate and a second cooling plate each for cooling the substrate supported on the supporting members, and that one of the first cooling plate and the second cooling plate is located on a front surface side of the substrate and another is located on a rear surface side of the substrate.

Claims

1. A load lock apparatus including a carry-in port provided on a side of a carry-in/out section for carrying in/out a substrate, a carry-out port provided on a side of a processing section for processing the substrate, and supporting members for supporting the substrate, said apparatus comprising:

a first heating plate and a second heating plate each for heating the substrate supported on said supporting members,

wherein one of said first heating plate and said second heating plate is located on a front surface side of the substrate and another is located on a rear surface side of the substrate.

2. The load lock apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the substrate is substantially horizontally supported on said supporting members.

3. The load lock apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein said first heating plate and/or said second heating plate are/is capable of being relatively brought close to or away from the substrate.

4. A load lock apparatus including a carry-out port provided on a side of a carry-in/out section for carrying in/out a substrate, a carry-in port provided on a side of a processing section for processing the substrate, and supporting members for supporting the substrate, said apparatus comprising:

a first cooling plate and a second cooling plate each for cooling the substrate supported on said supporting members,

wherein one of said first cooling plate and said second cooling plate is located on a front surface side of the substrate and another is located on a rear surface side of the substrate.

5. The load lock apparatus as set forth in claim 4,

wherein the substrate is substantially horizontally supported on said supporting members.

6. The load lock apparatus as set forth in claim 4,

wherein said first cooling plate and/or said second cooling plate are/is capable of being relatively brought close to or away from the substrate.

7. A load lock section comprising a first load lock apparatus including a carry-in port provided on a side of a carry-in/out section for carrying in/out a substrate, a carry-out port provided on a side of a processing section for processing the substrate, and supporting members for supporting the substrate;

and a second load lock apparatus including a carry-out port provided on the carry-in/out section side, a carry-in port provided on the processing section side, and supporting members for supporting the substrate,

wherein said first load lock apparatus comprises a first heating plate and a second heating plate each for heating the substrate supported on said supporting members,

wherein one of said first heating plate and said second heating plate is located on a front surface side of the substrate and another is located on a rear surface side of the substrate,

wherein said second load lock apparatus comprises a first cooling plate and a second cooling plate each for cooling the substrate supported on said supporting members, and

wherein one of said first cooling plate and said second cooling plate is located on the front surface side of the substrate and another is located on the rear surface side of the substrate.

8. The load lock section as set forth in claim 7,

wherein said first load lock apparatus and said second load lock apparatus are stacked one on the other.

9. A substrate processing system comprising a processing section for processing a substrate;

a carry-in/out section for carrying in/out the substrate; and

a load lock section provided between said processing section and said carry-in/out section,

wherein said load lock section comprises a first load lock apparatus including a carry-in port provided on a side of the carry-in/out section for carrying in/out the substrate, a carry-out port provided on a side of the processing section for processing the substrate, and supporting members for supporting the substrate; and

a second load lock apparatus including a carry-out port provided on the carry-in/out section side, a carry-in port provided on the processing section side, and supporting members for supporting the substrate,

wherein said first load lock apparatus comprises a first heating plate and a second heating plate each for heating the substrate supported on said supporting members,

wherein one of said first heating plate and said second heating plate is located on a front surface side of the substrate and another is located on a rear surface side of the substrate, and

wherein said processing section comprises a carrier unit for carrying the substrate between a substrate processing apparatus for processing the substrate and said load lock section.

10. A substrate processing system comprising a processing section for processing a substrate;

a carry-in/out section for carrying in/out the substrate; and

a load lock section provided between said processing section and said carry-in/out section,

wherein said load lock section comprises a first load lock apparatus including a carry-in port provided on a side of the carry-in/out section for carrying in/out the substrate, a carry-out port provided on a side of the processing section for processing the substrate, and supporting members for supporting the substrate; and

a second load lock apparatus including a carry-out port provided on the carry-in/out section side, a carry-in port provided on the processing section side, and supporting members for supporting the substrate,

wherein said second load lock apparatus comprises a first cooling plate and a second cooling plate each for cooling the substrate supported on said supporting members,

wherein one of said first cooling plate and said second cooling plate is located on a front surface side of the substrate and another is located on a rear surface side of the substrate, and

wherein said processing section comprises a carrier unit for carrying the substrate between a substrate processing apparatus for processing the substrate and said load lock section.

11. A substrate processing system comprising a processing section for processing a substrate;

a carry-in/out section for carrying in/out the substrate; and

a load lock section provided between said processing section and said carry-in/out section,

wherein said load lock section comprises a first load lock apparatus including a carry-in port provided on a side of the carry-in/out section for carrying in/out the substrate, a carry-out port provided on a side of the processing section for processing the substrate, and supporting members for supporting the substrate; and

a second load lock apparatus including a carry-out port provided on the carry-in/out section side, a carry-in port provided on the processing section side, and supporting members for supporting the substrate,

wherein said first load lock apparatus comprises a first heating plate and a second heating plate each for heating the substrate supported on said supporting members,

wherein one of said first heating plate and said second heating plate is located on a front surface side of the substrate and another is located on a rear surface side of the substrate,

wherein said second load lock apparatus comprises a first cooling plate and a second heating plate each for cooling the substrate supported on said supporting members,

wherein one of said first cooling plate and said second cooling plate is located on the front surface side of the substrate and another is located on the rear surface side of the substrate, and

wherein said processing section comprises a carrier unit for carrying the substrate between a substrate processing apparatus for processing the substrate and said load lock section.

12. A substrate processing method of carrying a substrate from a carry-in/out section into a processing section via a first load lock apparatus provided in a load lock section, processing the substrate in the processing section, and carrying the substrate out of the processing section into the carry-in/out section via a second load lock apparatus provided in the load lock section, said method comprising the steps of:

opening a carry-in port provided on the carry in/our section side of the first load lock apparatus with a carry-out port provided on the processing section side of the first load lock apparatus kept closed;

carrying the substrate into the first load lock apparatus via the carry-in port of the first load lock apparatus, housing the substrate between a first heating plate and a second heating plate provided in the first load lock apparatus, and closing the carry-in port of the first load lock apparatus;

heating the substrate housed in the first load lock apparatus from both surfaces by the first heating plate and the second heating plate; and

opening the carry-out port of the first load lock apparatus with the carry-in port of the first load lock apparatus kept closed, and carrying the substrate into the processing section via the carry-out port of the first load lock apparatus.

13. The processing method as set forth in claim 12,

wherein a pressure in the processing section is reduced below a pressure in the carry-in/out section,

wherein after the substrate is carried into the first load lock apparatus, the carry-in port of the first load lock apparatus is closed to bring an inside of the first load lock apparatus into a hermetically closed state;

and

wherein a pressure in the first load lock apparatus is reduced to a predetermined pressure, and the carry-out port of the first load lock apparatus is then opened to carry the substrate out of the first load lock apparatus to the processing section.

14. The processing method as set forth in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

opening a carry-in port provided on the processing section side of the second load lock apparatus with a carry-out port provided on the carry-in/out section side of the second load lock apparatus kept closed;

carrying the substrate into the second load lock apparatus via the carry-in port of the second load lock apparatus, housing the substrate between a first cooling plate and a second cooling plate provided in the second load lock apparatus, and closing the carry-in port of the second load lock apparatus;

cooling the substrate housed in the second load lock apparatus from both surfaces by the first cooling plate and the second cooling plate; and

opening the carry-out port of the second load lock apparatus with the carry-in port of the second load lock apparatus kept closed, and carrying out the substrate to the carry-in/out section via the carry-out port of the second load lock apparatus.

15. The processing method as set forth in claim 14,

wherein a pressure in the processing section is reduced below a pressure in the carry-in/out section,

wherein after the substrate is carried into the second load lock apparatus, the carry-in port of the second load lock apparatus is closed to bring an inside of the second load lock apparatus into a hermetically closed state, and

wherein a pressure in the second load lock apparatus is increased to a predetermined pressure, and the carry-out port of the second load lock apparatus is then opened to carry the substrate out of the second load lock apparatus to the carry-in/out section.

16. A substrate processing method of carrying a substrate from a carry-in/out section into a processing section via a first load lock apparatus provided in a load lock section, processing the substrate in the processing section, and carrying the substrate out of the processing section into the carry-in/out section via a second load lock apparatus provided in the load lock section, said method comprising the steps of:

at the time of carrying the substrate from the processing section to the carry-in/out section, opening a carry-in port provided on the processing section side of the second load lock apparatus with a carry-out port provided on the carry-in/out section side of the second load lock apparatus kept closed;

carrying the substrate into the second load lock apparatus via the carry-in port of the second load lock apparatus, housing the substrate between a first cooling plate and a second cooling plate provided in the second load lock apparatus, and closing the carry-in port of the second load lock apparatus;

cooling the substrate housed in the second load lock apparatus from both surfaces by the first cooling plate and the second cooling plate; and

opening the carry-out port of the second load lock apparatus with the carry-in port of the second load lock apparatus kept closed, and carrying out the substrate to the carry-in/out section via the carry-out port of the second load lock apparatus.

17. The processing method as set forth in claim 16,

wherein a pressure in the processing section is reduced below a pressure in the carry-in/out section,

wherein after the substrate is carried into the second load lock apparatus, the carry-in port of the second load lock apparatus is closed to bring an inside of the second load lock apparatus into a hermetically closed state;

and

wherein a pressure in the second load lock apparatus is increased to a predetermined pressure, and the carry-out port of the second load lock apparatus is then opened to carry the substrate out of the second load lock apparatus to the carry-in/out section.