Substrate heat treatment apparatus

• US 8,003,919 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Akira, Matsuchika, Keiji, Goto, Shigehiro, Morita, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): PELHAM, JOSEPH MOORE
• Application Number:
  US11/566,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20070128888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,723 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 219/390
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6838 with gripping and holding devices using a vacuum; Bernoulli devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6875 characterised by a plurality of individual support members, e.g. support posts or protrusions

Abstract

A heat-treating plate has support elements projecting from an upper surface thereof. The support elements are located at apexes of equilateral triangles arranged regularly and continually. The heat-treating plate and a substrate placed on the support elements form a minute space therebetween which is sealed by a sealer. The substrate is sucked by reducing the pressure in the minute space to a negative pressure through exhaust bores. Since all the distances between adjoining support elements are equal, the substrate sags in the same amount between these support elements. With such arrangement of the support elements, sagging of the substrate is inhibited efficiently by a reduced number of support elements.

Claims

1. A substrate heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating a substrate, comprising:

a heat-treating plate;

support devices projecting from an upper surface of said heat-treating plate for contacting and supporting a lower surface of the substrate, said support devices being located at apexes of equilateral triangles arranged regularly and continually on said upper surface;

a seal device disposed annularly on the upper surface of said heat-treating plate for contacting an edge region of the substrate to render gastight a space formed between the substrate and said heat-treating plate; and

exhaust bores for exhausting gas from said space;

wherein

said substrate is circular and 300 mm in diameter;

said space has an inner pressure reduced to —

4kPa or above and less than 0Pa by exhaust through said exhaust bores; and

said support devices are arranged at intervals of 35 to 40 mm inclusive.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein one of said support devices is located at a center point of said heat-treating plate.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said support devices are formed of one of ceramic and resin.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said heat-treating plate has recesses formed in the upper surface thereof for fixing said support devices.

5. A substrate heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating a substrate, comprising:

a heat-treating plate;

support devices projecting from an upper surface of said heat-treating plate for contacting and supporting a lower surface of the substrate, said support devices being located at intersections of a first group of equidistant, parallel imaginary lines extending across the upper surface of said heat-treating plate, and a second group of equidistant, parallel imaginary lines crossing said first group of imaginary lines at 60-degree angles on the upper surface of said heat-treating plate, said first group of imaginary lines having equal spacing to said second group of imaginary lines;

a seal device disposed annularly on the upper surface of said heat-treating plate for contacting an edge region of the substrate to render gastight a space formed between the substrate and said heat-treating plate; and

exhaust bores for exhausting gas from said space;

wherein

said substrate is circular and 300 mm in diameter;

said space has an inner pressure reduced to —

4kPa or above and less than 0Pa by exhaust through said exhaust bores; and

said support devices are arranged at intervals of 35 to 40 mm inclusive.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein one of said support devices is located at a center point of said heat-treating plate.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said support devices are formed of one of ceramic and resin.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said heat-treating plate has recesses formed in the upper surface thereof for fixing said support devices.

9. A substrate heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating a substrate, comprising:

a heat-treating plate;

a plurality of annular support devices arranged concentrically on an upper surface of said heat-treating plate for contacting and supporting a lower surface of the substrate;

vents provided in said support devices for communicating between regions inside and outside said support devices;

a seal device disposed annularly on the upper surface of said heat-treating plate for contacting positions inward of edges of the substrate to render gastight a space formed between the substrate and said heat-treating plate; and

exhaust bores for exhausting gas from said space;

wherein

an interval between said seal device and an outermost one of said support devices is smaller than intervals between said support devices.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said vents are grooves formed in each of said support devices.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said support devices are formed of one of polyimide resin and fluororesin.