Multistage spin type substrate processing system

• US 6,444,029 B1
• Filed: 06/23/1999
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Kimura, Yoshio, Ueda, Issei
• Primary Examiner(s): Crispino, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shortsle, Kevin P
• Application Number:
  US09/338,544
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 118/52, 118/66, 118/319, 118/321, 118/326, 396/611
• US Class Current: 118/52
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/08 Spreading liquid or other fluent material by manipulating the work, e.g. tilting
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/162 Coating on a rotating support, e.g. using a whirler or a spinner
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/3021 from a wafer supported on a rotating chuck
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67051 using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6708 using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6715 Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like H01L21/67126 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67178 vertical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67184 characterized by the presence of more than one transfer chamber

Abstract

The system comprises a multistage spin unit having a plurality of compartments stacked vertically in a multistage, a main arm mechanism comprising a wafer holder and driving means for causing the wafer holder to advance and retreat longitudinally, moving the wafer holder up and down along a vertical shaft and turning the wafer holder around the vertical shaft, a spin chuck provided on each of the compartments for holding and spin-rotating the wafer delivered by the main arm mechanism, a cup for surrounding the spin chuck to receive and discharge a treatment solution separated from the substrate by centrifugal force, a shared nozzle for supplying the treatment solution toward the substrate held by the spin chuck in the compartment, a nozzle moving passageway provided along the multistage spin unit for communicating with each compartment to move the shared nozzle therethrough, and a nozzle moving mechanism for moving the shared nozzle.

Claims

1. A multistage spin type substrate processing system comprising:

a multistage spin unit having at least three compartments stacked vertically in a multistage;

a main arm mechanism comprising a holder for holding a processed substrate to put the processed substrate in and out of each of the compartments, and driving means for causing the holder to advance and retreat longitudinally, moving the holder up and down along a vertical shaft and turning the holder around the vertical shaft;

a spin chuck provided on each of the compartments for holding and spin-rotating the substrate delivered by the main arm mechanism;

a cup for surrounding the spin chuck to receive and discharge a treatment solution separated from the substrate by centrifugal force;

a common nozzle for supplying the treatment solution toward the substrate held by the spin chuck in the compartment;

a vertical nozzle moving passageway provided along the multistage spin unit for communicating with each of the compartments to move the common nozzle therethrough;

a nozzle moving mechanism for moving the common nozzle in a vertical direction in the nozzle moving passageway;

a clean air introducing mechanism provided in an upper portion of each of the compartments for introducing clean air into each of the compartments;

a dividing member having an opening for letting the common nozzle in and out, and dividing the nozzle moving passageway from the compartment; and

an exhaust mechanism for exhausting the nozzle moving passageway.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the multistage spin unit has compartments stacked in at least three stages or more, each compartment being provided with a developing device for developing a latent image pattern applied to the substrate.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein a rinse nozzle for supplying a rinse solution to the substrate is provided in each compartment.

4. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a collecting drain device communicating with each of the cups through a drain passageway, and a collecting exhaust device communicating with each cup through an exhaust passageway.

5. A system according to claim 4, further comprising an opening/closing valve provided on the exhaust passageway and a controller for controlling an operation of the opening/closing valve in such a manner that exhaust timings of the cups do not overlap each other.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle moving mechanism comprises an elevator mechanism for moving the shared nozzle along the nozzle moving passageway, and a swinging and turning mechanism for swinging and turning the shared nozzle around a vertical shaft.

7. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a heating unit having a hot plate provided apart from the multistage spin unit for heating the substrate, and a cooling unit provided below the heating unit for cooling the substrate.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the spin chuck which comprises a spin motor, said spin motor having a first length in a direction of a rotation drive axis is less than one-half a second length of a conventional motor in a direction of the rotation axis, and the spin motor has a reduced a thickness in a vertical direction of the cup.