TRANSPORT APPARATUS AND EXPOSURE APPARATUS

• US 20110001953A1
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: ONO, Kazuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,312,159 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/72
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/52 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7075 Handling workpieces outside exposure position, e.g. SMIF box
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67126 Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like processes H01L23/02, H01L23/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67748 horizontal transfer of a single workpiece

Abstract

A substrate is transported between a first space and a second space, which are separated by a partition wall, through an opening portion formed in the partition wall. A transport apparatus includes a support device having a support portion which supports the substrate, the support device being provided so as to block the opening portion while a clearance between the partition wall and the support device is formed, the support device moving the support portion from a state where the support portion faces the first space to a state where the support portion faces the second space; and an adjustment device which adjusts an amount of the clearance, thereby suppressing the movement of fluid from the first space to the second space.

Claims

1. A transport apparatus which transports a substrate between a first space and a second space, which are separated by a partition wall, through an opening portion formed in the partition wall, the apparatus comprising:

a support device having a support portion which supports the substrate, the support device being provided so as to block the opening portion while a clearance between the partition wall and the support device is formed, the support device moving the support portion from a state where the support portion faces the first space to a state where the support portion faces the second space; and

an adjustment device which adjusts an amount of the clearance, thereby suppressing the movement of fluid from the first space to the second space.

2. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a driving device which drives the support device, thereby moving the support portion through the opening portion and between the first space and the second space and makes a portion of the support device be in a state where the portion is inserted into the opening portion, during a transport operation of the substrate.

3. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support device moves in a given direction, thereby moving the support portion between the first space and the second space, and a dimension related to the given direction of the support device is larger than the summed dimensions of a dimension related to the given direction of the partition wall in the opening portion and a dimension related to the given direction of the substrate.

4. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment device includes

a first member formed of a magnetic material and provided at the support device along the movement direction of the substrate, and

a second member which is disposed to face the first member and adjusts a distance between the second member and the first member by an electromagnetic force which is generated between the second member and the first member.

5. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first member and the second member are respectively provided on one side in a vertical direction of the support device and on both sides in a horizontal direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the support device.

6. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an exhaust device which exhausts fluid that is in the vicinity of the opening portion of the partition wall.

7. The transport apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the exhaust device has an exhaust port opened facing the opening portion of the partition wall.

8. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support device is formed into a substantially rectangular cross-section shape, and

the opening portion has a cross-section shape of a substantial rectangle extending in the horizontal direction.

9. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support device is formed into a substantially rectangular cross-section shape, and

the opening portion has a cross-section shape of a substantial rectangle extending in the vertical direction.

10. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support portion is disposed in a recessed portion provided at the support device.

11. The transport apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a depth of the recessed portion is substantially equal to a thickness of the substrate.

12. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support portion has an electrostatic chuck device.

13. The transport apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a dimension related to the given direction of the support device is equal to or more than three times a dimension related to the given direction of the substrate.

14. The transport apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a dimension related to the given direction of the opening portion is equal to or more than a dimension related to the given direction of the substrate.

15. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support portions are provided on both sides in the thickness direction of the support device.

16. The transport apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the driving device makes the support device be in a state where the support device has passed through the opening portion, during the transport operation.

17. The transport apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the driving device rotates the support device, thereby rotationally moving the support portion between the first space and the second space.

18. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein pressure of the first space and pressure of the second space are set to be different from each other.

24. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least the second space is a vacuum.

25. An exposure apparatus comprising:

the transport apparatus according to claim 1.

26. An exposure apparatus comprising:

a chamber member which forms an exposure space;

a substrate holding device disposed in the exposure space; and

the transport apparatus according to claim 1, which transports a substrate from the outside of the exposure space to the substrate holding device,

wherein the exposure space is the first space, and the partition wall is a portion of the chamber member.

19. A transport apparatus which transports a substrate between a first space and a second space, which are separated by a partition wall, the apparatus comprising:

a support device having a support portion which supports the substrate and moves between the first space and the second space;

a third space which is connected to the first space and the second space and forms at least a portion of a movement pathway of the support device; and

an exhaust device which exhausts gas in the third space,

wherein the exhaust device has a plurality of exhaust portions which have different exhaust characteristics and are disposed in order along the movement pathway of the substrate.

20. The transport apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the first space is set to have a pressure higher than that of the second space, and the plurality of exhaust portions of the exhaust device is disposed in order from the exhaust portion having a larger exhaust amount and a smaller exhaust power to the exhaust portion having a smaller exhaust amount and a larger exhaust power along the movement pathway from the first space toward the second space.

21. The transport apparatus according to claim 19, wherein a dimension of the third space along the movement pathway is larger than a dimension of the substrate along the movement pathway.

22. A transport apparatus which is opened facing each of a first space and a second space and transports a substrate between the first space and the second space through a connection portion which connects the first space and the second space, the apparatus comprising:

an isolation member which is inserted into the connection portion, thereby isolating the first space from the second space;

a substrate holding portion provided at the isolation member; and

a driving device which moves the isolation member such that a disposition state of the substrate holding portion is changed from a state where the substrate holding portion is located in the first space to a state where the substrate holding portion is located in the second space.

23. A transport apparatus which transports a substrate between a first space and a second space, which are separated by a partition wall, the apparatus comprising:

a support device having a support portion which supports the substrate and moves between the first space and the second space;

a third space which is connected to the first space and the second space and forms at least a portion of a movement pathway of the support device; and

an exhaust device which exhausts gas in the third space,

wherein a dimension related to a transport direction of the substrate of the third space is equal to or more than a dimension in the transport direction of the substrate.

27. A chamber device for forming an internal space, the device comprising:

a communication space which has an opening portion facing the internal space and makes the internal space communicates with an external space; and

a suction device which has a suction port provided at the communication space.