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US 7,681,521 B2Granted
Insulation film formation device
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorTakahiro Nishibayashi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An SOD system (100A) comprises a process block (8) for performing a prescribed processing so as to form an insulating film on a wafer W, a carrier block (7) for transferring the wafer W from the outside into the process block (8), a sub-transfer mechanism (12) for transferring the substrate W between the process block (8) and the carrier block (7), and a main transfer mechanism (15). A process tower (T1) prepared by stacking one upon the other a plurality of process units for performing a series of processing for forming an insulating film on the wafer W is arranged detachable from the process block (8).
Claims17
An insulating film-forming apparatus, comprising:
- a substrate process section for forming an insulating film on the substrate;
- a substrate transfer section for transferring the substrate from the outside into the substrate process section;
- and
- a substrate transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate between the substrate process section and the substrate transfer section,
- the substrate process section includes a process tower comprising plural process units stacked one above the other for performing a series of processes for forming an insulating film on the substrate, said plurality of process units including a coating unit for coating the substrate with a chemical liquid containing a material of the insulating film so as to form a coating film, a temperature control unit for controlling the substrate before coating with the chemical liquid at a prescribed temperature and a heating unit for heating the substrate having the coating film formed thereon,
- the process tower is detachable from the substrate process section,
- each of the plural process units is housed in a casing,
- the process tower includes a housing which has a plurality of levels for detachably accommodating the casings of the process units,
- the casing of the temperature control unit is isolated and sealed from the passage of air therethrough and is set in the housing at a level below the casing of the heating unit which also is isolated and sealed from the passage of air therethrough, and the casing of the coating unit is set in the housing at a level below the casing of the temperature control unit,
- the casing of the heating unit, the casing of the temperature control unit and the casing of the coating unit are arranged with an air passageway interposed therebetween within the housing so as to achieve heat insulation therebetween,
- an air blowing mechanism is connected to the coating unit and configured to blow air having a controlled temperature and humidity into the coating unit so as to control the temperature and humidity of the coating unit,
- the casing of the coating unit is constructed to cause the air blown from the air blowing mechanism into the coating unit to be exhausted from the coating unit into the air passageway,
- the air passageway is connected to an exhaust device through an exhaust port formed on the housing of the process tower and located above the casing of the heating unit, and
- the insulating film-forming apparatus is designed such that the air blown from the air blowing mechanism is forced by the exhaust device to pass through the coating unit and flow upward into the air passageway, then flow upward through a portion of the air passageway around the casing of the temperature control unit and a portion of the air passageway around the casing of the heating unit, in this order, and then exhaust at the exhaust device.
11 more elements
An insulating film-forming apparatus comprising:
- a process tower comprising a plurality of process units stacked one above the other for performing a series of processes for forming an insulating film on the substrate, said plurality of process units including a coating unit for coating a substrate with a coating liquid containing a material of an insulating film, a temperature control unit for controlling the substrate before coating with the coating liquid at a prescribed temperature and a heating unit for heating the substrate having the coating liquid applied thereon,
- each of the plurality of process units is housed in a casing,
- the process tower includes a housing which has a plurality of levels for detachably accommodating the casings of the process units,
- the casing of the temperature control unit is isolated and sealed from the passage of air therethrough and is set in the housing at a level below the casing of the heating unit which also is isolated and sealed from the passage of air therethrough, and the casing of the coating unit is set in the housing at a level below the casing of the temperature control unit,
- the casing of the heating unit, the casing of the temperature control unit and the casing of the coating unit are arranged with an air passageway interposed therebetween within the housing so as to achieve heat insulation therebetween,
- an air blowing mechanism is connected to the coating unit and configured to blow air having a controlled temperature and humidity into the coating unit so as to control the temperature and humidity of the coating unit,
- the casing of the coating unit is constructed to cause the air blown from the air blowing mechanism into the coating unit to be exhausted from the coating unit into the air passageway,
- the air passageway is connected to an exhaust device through an exhaust port formed on the housing of the process tower and located above the casing of the heating unit,
- the insulating film-forming apparatus is designed such that the air blown from the air blowing mechanism is forced by the exhaust device to pass through the coating unit and flow upward into the air passageway, then flow upward through a portion of the air passageway around the casing of the temperature control unit and a portion of the air passageway around the casing of the heating unit, in this order, and then exhaust at the exhaust device,
- a waste liquid tank disposed below the coating unit, for storing waste liquid exhausted from the coating unit;
- a substrate transfer section for transferring the substrate from outside;
- a substrate transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate between the substrate transfer section and the process units of the process tower;
- a coating liquid tank disposed below the coating unit, for storing the coating liquid;
- and
- a pump disposed below the coating unit or on a lateral side thereof, for supplying the coating liquid from the coating liquid tank into a supply nozzle,
- wherein the coating unit comprises a substrate holding mechanism for holding the substrate substantially horizontal, a nozzle for supplying a coating liquid onto the substrate, a cup for surrounding the substrate held by the substrate holding mechanism to prevent the coating liquid from being scattered outside, and a waste liquid passageway having an upper end connected to the cup and a lower end connected to the waste liquid tank and including no horizontal portion.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.