Substrate holding/rotating device, substrate processing apparatus including the same, and substrate processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10998220-B2
Application number	US-201815901960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2018
Priority date	Mar 24, 2017
Publication date	May 4, 2021
Grant date	May 4, 2021

Abstract

The substrate holding/rotating device includes a plurality of movable pins each having a support portion in contact with a peripheral edge portion of the substrate to support the substrate, and a rotation unit which rotates the plurality of movable pins around the rotation axis, a support portion of each of the movable pins included in a first pin group is disposed so as to move between a first hold position included hold positions, the first hold position close to a rotation axis and a second hold position included the hold positions, the second hold position far apart from the first hold position to one in a circumferential direction and also so as to move between the first and second hold positions and an open position far apart from the rotation axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate holding/rotating device which rotates a substrate around a rotation axis extending along a vertical direction, while holding the substrate horizontally,
the substrate holding/rotating device, comprising:
a spin base provided to be rotatable around the rotation axis; and
a plurality of movable pins which are arranged along a circumference centered on the rotation axis, the movable pins each having a support portion configured to contact with a peripheral edge portion of the substrate to support the substrate; wherein
the plurality of movable pins include a first pin group including at least three movable pins and a second pin group including at least three movable pins,
the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the first pin group is disposed so as to move between a hold position close to the rotation axis and an open position further away from the rotation axis than the hold position, the hold position including a first hold position and a second hold position defined with respect to the spin base, the second hold position being apart from the first hold position in a circumferential direction around the rotation axis, the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the first pin group being movable in the circumferential direction between the first hold position and the second hold position with respect to the spin base, and
the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the second pin group is disposed so as to move between a hold position close to the rotation axis and an open position further away from the rotation axis than the hold position,
the substrate holding/rotating device further comprising:
a first pin support member that supports the movable pins included in the first pin group, the first pin support member coupled to the spin base so as to rotate together with the spin base around the rotation axis such that the first pin support member is rotationally relatively movable around the rotation axis with respect to the spin base while rotating together with the spin base around the rotation axis, thereby to move the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the first pin group in the circumferential direction between the first hold position and the second hold position with respect to the spin base when the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the first pin group is at the hold position thereof;
a second pin support member, provided separately from the first pin support member, that supports the movable pins included in second pin group, the second pin support member coupled to the spin base so as to rotate together with the spin base around the rotation axis;
a motor for rotating the spin base, the first pin support member and the second pin support member together around the rotation axis; and
a first movement unit which causes the first pin support member to move rotationally relatively with respect to the spin base around the rotation axis,
wherein when the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the first pin group is at the hold position and the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the second pin group is at the respective open position, the substrate can be supported by each of the movable pins included in the first pin group, and
the first movement unit rotates the first pin support member relative to the spin base around the rotation axis, whereby the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the first pin group is moved directly in the circumferential direction between the first hold position and the second hold position without moving through the open position.

2. The substrate holding/rotating device according to claim 1 , wherein
where the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the second pin group is at the hold position and also the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the first pin group is at the open position, the substrate can be supported by each of the movable pins included in the second pin group,
the substrate holding/rotating device further comprising: a first support portion movement unit which moves the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the first pin group between the open position and the hold position, and
a second support portion movement unit which moves the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the second pin group between the open position and the hold position, and
a controller which controls the first movement unit, the first support portion movement unit and the second support portion movement unit, wherein
the controller is programmed to execute a first circumferential direction movement step in which, in a state that each of the movable pins included in the first pin group is at the hold position and each of the movable pins included in the second pin group is at the open position, the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the first pin group is moved in the circumferential direction by the first movement unit from the first hold position to the second hold position with respect to the spin base, and a first movement step in which, after completion of the first circumferential direction movement step, the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the second pin group is moved by the second support portion movement unit from the open position to the hold position.

3. The substrate holding/rotating device according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller is further programmed to execute a second movement step in which, after completion of the first movement step, the first support portion movement unit is controlled to move the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the first pin group from the second hold position to the open position, and a third movement step in which, after the second movement step, the first support portion movement unit is controlled to move the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the first pin group from the open position to the first hold position.

4. The substrate holding/rotating device according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller is further programmed to execute a fourth movement step in which, in a state that the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the first pin group and that in the second pin group are arranged at the hold position, prior to start of the first circumferential direction movement step, the second support portion movement unit is controlled to move the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the second pin group from the hold position to the open position.

5. The substrate holding/rotating device according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller is further programmed to execute a rotation step in which the motor is controlled to rotate the spin base together with the plurality of movable pins around the rotation axis, and to execute the first circumferential direction movement step and the first movement step in parallel with the rotation step.

6. The substrate holding/rotating device according to claim 2 , wherein
the hold position of the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the second pin group includes a third hold position and a fourth hold position defined with respect to the spin base, the fourth hold position being apart from the third hold position in the circumferential direction, the support portion of each of the movable pins included in the second pin group being movable in the circumferential direction between the third hold position and the fourth hold position with respect to the spin base,
the second pin support member is rotationally relatively movable around the rotation axis with respect to the spin base while rotating together

Assignees

• Screen Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ishii Hiroaki
• Muramoto Ryo

Classifications

• H10P72/7624

  characterised by the mechanical construction of the susceptor, stage or support · CPC title

• H10P72/7612

  characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins · CPC title

• H10P72/7608 Primary

  characterised by a plurality of separate clamping members, e.g. clamping fingers · CPC title

• H10P72/0424

  using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles · CPC title

• H10P72/0414

  using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles · CPC title