US 7,607,967 B2Granted

Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus

AssigneeDainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.

InventorsKazuki Naoki, Katsuhiko Miya

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Abstract

A holding mode is selectively switched, in accordance with the content of processing of a substrate, among three holding modes: (a) a first holding mode in which while first support pins F1 through F12 abut on the back surface of a substrate W and support the substrate W, the substrate W is held because of nitrogen gas which is supplied to the front surface of the substrate W; (b) a second holding mode in which while second support pins S1 through S12 abut on the edge surface of the substrate W as the substrate W moves along the horizontal direction, thereby restricting horizontal movement of the substrate W, and abut on the back surface of the substrate W, thereby supporting the substrate W, the substrate W is held because of nitrogen gas which is supplied to the back surface of the substrate W; and (c) a third holding mode in which while the first and the second support pins F1 through F12 and support pins S1 through S12 abut on the back surface of the substrate W, the substrate W is held because of nitrogen gas which is supplied to the front surface of the substrate W.

A substrate processing apparatus which performs predetermined processing on a substrate while rotating the substrate approximately horizontally, the apparatus comprising:

a rotating part which is structured to rotate freely;
a rotator which rotates the rotating part;
a first supporter including at least three or more first support members each of which is disposed upward on the rotating part, the first supporter being structured to ascend and descend freely, and having a support portion which is structured to abut on a bottom surface of the substrate so as to support the substrate approximately horizontally;
a second supporter including at least three or more second support members each of which is disposed upward on the rotating part, the second supporter being structured to ascend and descend freely, and having a support portion and a restricting portion which are formed in a leading end thereof, the support portion being structured to abut on the bottom surface of the substrate so as to support the substrate approximately horizontally, the restricting portion being located closer to a rim of the substrate than the support portion so as to abut on the edge surface of the substrate and accordingly restrict horizontal movement of the substrate;
an ascend/descend section which makes the first support members and the second support members ascend and descend;
a pressing section which is structured to supply gas to a top surface of the substrate from above so as to press the substrate toward the first support members and/or the second support members;
and
a controller which controls the ascend/descend section and the pressing section, thereby selectively switching between a first holding mode and a second holding mode in accordance with a content of processing of the substrate, the first holding mode being a mode in which the first support members support the substrate and the pressing section presses the substrate toward the first support members to make the rotating part hold the substrate, the second holding mode being a mode in which the second support members support the substrate and the pressing section presses the substrate toward the second support members to make the rotating part hold the substrate.

5 more elements

Facts

Application

11/612,948Filed 19 Dec 2006

Priority

JP 2005-36629820 Dec 2005

Published

US 2007/0141951 A121 Jun 2007

Granted

27 Oct 2009

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

H10P 72/53
For positioning, orientation or alignment: using optical controlling means
H10P 72/0414
For wet cleaning or washing: using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
H10P 72/0606
Apparatus for monitoring, sorting, marking, testing or measuring: position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection
H10P 72/7608
The wafers being placed on a susceptor, stage or support: characterised by a plurality of separate clamping members, e.g. clamping fingers

Abstract

Claims12