US-12625437-B2 - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

US12625437B2US 12625437 B2US12625437 B2US 12625437B2US-12625437-B2

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a base including a drive mechanism; a cover enclosing the base; a lifting body protruding from an internal region enclosed by the cover to an external region outside the internal region, and moving up and down with respect to the base by the drive mechanism; a processing body that is connected to the lifting body in the external region, and processes a substrate; and a suction tube with a suction port for sucking particles generated from the drive mechanism.

Inventors

Shinichi Machidori

Assignees

TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240321
Priority Date: 20230329

Claims (15)

1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a base including a driver; a cover enclosing the base; a lifting body protruding from an internal region enclosed by the cover to an external region outside the internal region, and configured to move up and down with respect to the base by the driver; a processing body connected to the lifting body in the external region, and configured to process a substrate; and a suction tube having a suction port configured to suck particles generated from the driver, wherein the driver includes a slider connected to the lifting body, and the suction port is opened at a higher position than a center of a height of a vertically movable range of the slider.
2 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the suction port is provided in the internal region.
3 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the suction port communicates with the external region through a gap formed between the cover and the lifting body.
4 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the cover includes a top wall that covers the base from above and allows the lifting body to penetrate therethrough, and a space between the top wall and the base communicates with the gap to serve as a suction path through which the particles are sucked from the suction port.
5 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the suction port is opened upward.
6 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein in the internal region, a first partition is provided to extend horizontally while dividing the internal region into an upper space where the suction port is provided and a lower space below the upper space.
7 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the internal region, a second partition is provided to extend vertically while dividing the internal region into a one-side space where the suction port is provided and an opposite-side space positioned beside the one-side space.
8 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the lifting body, the base, and the suction tube are arranged horizontally in this order in the internal region, and in the internal region, a third partition is provided on a side of the lifting body with respect to the driver to extend vertically while dividing the internal region into two spaces arranged in an arrangement direction of the lifting body, the base, and the suction tube.
9 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the cover includes a side wall enclosing the lifting body, the base, and the suction tube from side, a top wall covering the base from above and allowing the lifting body to penetrate therethrough, a bottom wall formed below the top wall and protruding from the side wall toward a lifting path of the lifting body.
10 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the lifting body is provided with a support that supports the processing body, and the processing body is either a nozzle or a brush supported by the support.
11 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a processing container configured to accommodate the substrate; and a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate in the processing container to process the substrate using the processing body.
12 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a suction is performed from the suction port at all times during an operation of the substrate processing apparatus.
13 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate processing apparatus further includes a suction tube supporter configured to support the suction tube, and the suction port is opened at a height lower than an upper end of the suction tube supporter.
14 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate processing apparatus further includes a ball screw, the slider being connected to the ball screw and configured to move up and down along a rotation of the ball screw.
15 . A substrate processing method comprising: providing a substrate processing apparatus including: a base including a driver; a cover enclosing the base; a lifting body protruding from an internal region enclosed by the cover to an external region outside the internal region, and configured to move up and down with respect to the base by the driver; a processing body connected to the lifting body in the external region, and configured to process a substrate; and a suction tube having a suction port configured to suck particles generated from the driver, moving up and down the lifting body with respect to the base; processing the substrate by the processing body; and sucking particles generated from the driver, by the suction port provided in the suction tube, wherein: the suction port is provided in the internal region enclosed by the cover; the driver includes a slider connected to the lifting body; and the suction port is opened at a higher position than a center of a height of a vertically movable range of the slider.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is based on and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-053905, filed on Mar. 29, 2023, with the Japan Patent Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method. BACKGROUND In manufacturing semiconductor devices, various processes are performed on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, referred to as “wafer”) that is a substrate, in an apparatus. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2014-003181 describes a technology, in which when moving up/down and transferring a wafer in an apparatus, a transfer arm for holding and transferring the wafer is moved up and down using a drive mechanism including a ball screw. SUMMARY According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a substrate processing apparatus includes: a base including a drive mechanism; a cover enclosing the base; a lifting body protruding from an internal region enclosed by the cover to an external region outside the internal region, and moving up and down with respect to the base by the drive mechanism; a processing body that is connected to the lifting body in the external region, and processes a substrate; and a suction tube having a suction port that sucks particles generated from the drive mechanism. The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a developing apparatus, which is a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a side view of the developing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a lifting unit provided in the developing apparatus. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the lifting unit. FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional front view of the lifting unit. FIG. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional plan view of the lifting unit. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of the lifting unit. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of members that make up an upper cover included in the lifting unit. FIG. 9 is a plan view illustrating a positional relationship of members that make up the developing apparatus. FIG. 10 is a view illustrating an air flow in the lifting unit. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional front view illustrating another example of the lifting unit. FIG. 12 is a horizontal cross-sectional plan view illustrating another example of the lifting unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here. A developing apparatus 1 will be described as a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, with reference to the plan view of FIG. 1 and the side view of FIG. 2. In the drawings, the X and Y directions are horizontal directions, and are orthogonal to each other. The Z direction is a vertical direction. The X direction may be referred to as the front-rear direction, and the Y direction may be referred to as the left-right direction. A wafer W is transferred to the developing apparatus 1 by a transfer mechanism (not illustrated). A resist film is formed on the surface of the wafer W, and exposed along a predetermined pattern. In the developing apparatus 1, the wafer W is sequentially subjected to a developing process by supply of a developing liquid and a cleaning process by supply of a cleaning liquid. The developing apparatus 1 includes a spin chuck 11, a rotation mechanism 12, a cup 13, a developing unit 2, and a cleaning unit 2A. The spin chuck 11 is a stage that holds the wafer W horizontally while adsorbing the center of the back surface of the wafer W. The spin chuck 11, which is a substrate holding unit, is connected to the rotation mechanism 12, to rotate around a vertical axis in a state of holding the wafer W and also rotate around the center of the wafer W. The cup 13 surrounds the wafer W placed on the spin chuck 11 from side, and the inner surface thereof receives a processing liquid (the developing liquid and the cleaning liquid) repelled from the wafer W after supplied to the wafer W, thereby preventing the scattering of the processing liquid. Accordingly, the cup 13 is configured as a processing container that accommodates the wafer W on the spin chuck 11. The opening at the upper end of the cup is indicated by the reference numeral “14.” In or