Heating apparatus, heating method, coating apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

A heating apparatus cooling a substrate heated by a hot plate at a cooling position adjacent to the hot plate, capable of achieving a smaller height and reducing an operation time in the apparatus, in which contamination of the substrate by particles or the like is less likely, and the like, are provided. The heating apparatus includes a hot plate for heating a wafer representing a substrate from below, in a heating chamber having a wafer load/unload port. In addition, a wire for transferring the wafer between a cooling position of the substrate adjacent to the load/unload port of the heating chamber (position above a cooling plate) and a position above the hot plate is provided and extends. The wafer is mounted on a gap forming member provided on the wire, and thereafter loaded into the heating chamber.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a heating apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a gap forming member and a restricting member used in the heating apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a heating chamber used in the heating apparatus.

FIG. 6A is a side view showing a state where a wafer is mounted on the gap forming member in the heating chamber.

FIG. 6B is an enlarged view showing the state where the wafer is mounted on the gap forming member in the heating chamber.

FIG. 7A is a plan view showing an external substrate transfer mechanism for transferring the wafer to the heating apparatus and a cooling plate provided in the heating apparatus.

FIG. 7B is a perspective view of the external substrate transfer mechanism for transferring the wafer to the heating apparatus and the cooling plate provided in the heating apparatus.

FIGS. 8A-8D are diagrams of a first step for illustrating an action of the heating apparatus.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams of a second step for illustrating an action of the heating apparatus.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a coating and development apparatus incorporating the heating apparatus.

FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an example of the coating and development apparatus.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional heating apparatus.

Claims

1. A heating apparatus comprising: a heating chamber having a load/unload port of a substrate formed on one side;a hot plate provided in said heating chamber, for heating the substrate from below;a plurality of wires provided in a manner extending along a direction of transfer of the substrate and wound around pulleys provided at opposing ends of a transfer path of the substrate, for transferring the substrate between a cooling position of the substrate adjacent to the load/unload port of the heating chamber and a position above the hot plate;a groove portion provided in a surface portion of the hot plate for passage of said wire; anda gap forming member provided on said wire for mounting the substrate, such that the substrate is in a state floating above the surface of the hot plate with a gap therefrom when the substrate is located above the hot plate; whereinsaid substrate loaded from outside to said cooling position is subjected to heat treatment in the heating chamber and thereafter returned to said cooling position.

2. The heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gap forming member serves to hold the substrate in a state floating above the hot plate with a gap of at most 0.5 mm therefrom.

3. The heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gap forming member is formed to have a spherical shape and said wire passes through a central portion of the member.

4. The heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein on said wire, a plurality of restriction members are provided along a contour of the substrate, in order to prevent displacement of the substrate by restricting an outer edge of the substrate.

5. The heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wire is divided at a location on a lower side of the transfer path of the substrate, and an elastic member constantly applying restoring force in a direction of compression is provided between division locations.

6. The heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in said heating chamber, a top plate is provided and fixed, opposed to the hot plate.

7. The heating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a distance between the hot plate and the top plate is set to at most 6 mm.

8. The heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a gas discharge port for discharging a gas is provided on a load/unload port side of the heating chamber, an exhaust port for exhausting the gas is provided on a side opposite to the load/unload port of the heating chamber, and when the substrate is subjected to heat treatment, airflow from the gas discharge port toward the exhaust port is formed.

9. The heating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said gas is a gas for hydrophobic treatment of a surface of the substrate.

10. The heating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a curtain with a gas is formed at the load/unload port of said heating chamber, for partition of atmosphere between inside and outside of the heating chamber.

11. The heating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a shutter is formed at the load/unload port of said heating chamber, for partition of atmosphere between inside and outside of the heating chamber.

12. The heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in delivery of the substrate from an external substrate transfer mechanism holding a peripheral edge of the substrate to the gap forming member waiting at the cooling position, the external substrate transfer mechanism carrying said substrate is introduced to an upper side of the cooling position, moves from the upper side to a lower side of the cooling position while forming a space for passage of a pulley provided at one end of a substrate transfer path between said substrate transfer mechanism and the cooling position, delivers the substrate to the gap forming member, and returns from the lower side of the cooling position.

13. The heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a cooling plate is provided at said cooling position, anda groove portion is provided in a surface portion of the cooling plate for passage of the wire, and when the substrate is located above the cooling plate, the substrate is in a state floating above the surface of the cooling plate with a gap therefrom.

14. The heating apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a notch portion corresponding to a shape of the external substrate transfer mechanism is formed in a peripheral edge of said cooling plate, andin delivery of the substrate from the external substrate transfer mechanism holding a peripheral edge portion of the substrate to the gap forming member waiting on the cooling plate, the external substrate transfer mechanism carrying said substrate is introduced to an upper side of the cooling plate, moves from the upper side to a lower side of the cooling plate while forming a space for passage of a pulley provided at one end of a substrate transfer path between said substrate transfer mechanism and the cooling plate, delivers the substrate to the gap forming member, and returns from the lower side of the cooling plate.

15. A coating apparatus, comprising: a carrier load/unload portion accommodating a substrate and loading/unloading a carrier;a coating portion applying coating liquid to a surface of the substrate taken out from said carrier;the heating apparatus according to claim 1 for performing heat treatment of the substrate for pre-treatment or post-treatment of coating treatment by the coating portion; anda substrate transfer mechanism delivering the substrate to the heating apparatus; whereinin delivery of the substrate to a gap forming member waiting at a cooling position, said substrate transfer mechanism is introduced to an upper side of the cooling position, moves from the upper side to a lower side of the cooling position while forming a space for passage of a pulley provided at one end of a substrate transfer path between said substrate transfer mechanism and the cooling position, delivers the substrate to the gap forming member, and returns from the lower side of the cooling position.

16. The coating apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a cooling plate is provided at said cooling position, a groove portion is provided in a surface portion of the cooling plate for passage of a wire, and when the substrate is located above the cooling plate, the substrate is in a state floating above the surface of the cooling plate with a gap therefrom, and a notch portion corresponding to a shape of the substrate transfer mechanism is formed in a peripheral edge of said cooling plate, andsaid substrate transfer mechanism holds a peripheral edge of the substrate, and in delivery of the substrate to the gap forming member waiting on the cooling plate, the substrate transfer mechanism is introduced to an upper side of the cooling plate, moves from the upper side to a lower side of the cooling plate while forming a space for passage of the pulley provided at one end of the substrate transfer path between said substrate transfer mechanism and the cooling plate, delivers the substrate to the gap forming member, and returns from the lower side of the cooling plate.

17. A heating method, comprising the steps of: mounting a substrate on a gap forming member provided on a wire at a cooling position from outside, by means of a plurality of wires provided in a manner extending along a direction of transfer of the substrate, while wound around pulleys provided at opposing ends of a transfer path of the substrate, between a heating chamber having a load/unload port of the substrate formed on one side and including a hot plate for heating the substrate from below and the cooling position of the substrate adjacent to the load/unload port;positioning the substrate above the hot plate in a state floating above a surface of the hot plate with a gap therefrom by moving the wire toward the hot plate in such a manner as passing through a groove portion formed in a surface portion of the hot plate;subjecting the substrate to heat treatment by using the hot plate; andthereafter transferring the substrate to the cooling position by moving the wire to the cooling position, and cooling the substrate.

18. The heating method according to claim 17, wherein said gap forming member serves to hold the substrate in a state floating above the hot plate with a gap of at most 0.5 mm therefrom.

19. The heating method according to claim 17, wherein said gap forming member is formed to have a spherical shape and said wire passes through a central portion of the member.

20. The heating method according to claim 17, wherein said substrate is transferred while an outer edge position of the substrate is restricted by a plurality of restriction members provided on the wire along a contour of the substrate.

21. The heating method according to claim 17, wherein tension is applied to the wire as a result that an elastic member interposed at a location on a lower side of the transfer path of the substrate is constantly biased in a direction of compression.

22. The heating method according to claim 17, wherein said substrate is subjected to heat treatment while a gas is fed from a gas discharge port provided on a side of the load/unload port of the heating chamber to an exhaust port provided on a side opposite to the load/unload port of the heating chamber.

23. The heating method according to claim 22, wherein said gas is a gas for hydrophobic treatment of a surface of the substrate.

24. The heating method according to claim 22, wherein when the substrate is subjected to heat treatment in said heating chamber, a curtain with a gas is formed at the load/unload port.

25. The heating method according to claim 22, wherein when the substrate is subjected to heat treatment in said heating chamber, a shutter closes said load/unload port.

26. The heating method according to claim 17, wherein in said step of transferring the substrate to the cooling position and cooling the substrate, the substrate is cooled in such a manner that the substrate is positioned in a state floating, with a gap, above the cooling plate having a groove portion provided in a surface portion for passage of the wire.

27. The heating method according to claim 26, wherein a notch portion corresponding to a shape of the external substrate transfer mechanism is formed in a peripheral edge of said cooling plate, andin said step of mounting a substrate on a gap forming member provided on a wire above said cooling plate from outside, the external substrate transfer mechanism holding a peripheral edge portion of the substrate is introduced to an upper side of the cooling plate, moves from the upper side to a lower side of the cooling plate while forming a space for passage of a pulley provided at one end of the substrate transfer path between the substrate transfer mechanism and the cooling plate, delivers the substrate to the gap forming member, and returns from the lower side of the cooling plate.

28. The heating method according to claim 17, wherein in said step of mounting a substrate on a gap forming member provided on a wire at a cooling position from outside, the external substrate transfer mechanism holding a peripheral edge of the substrate is introduced to an upper side of the cooling position, moves from the upper side to a lower side of the cooling position while forming a space for passage of a pulley provided at one end of the substrate transfer path between the substrate transfer mechanism and the cooling position, delivers the substrate to the gap forming member, and returns from the lower side of the cooling position.

29. A storage medium storing a computer program used in a heating apparatus structured to transfer a substrate between a heating chamber having a load/unload port of the substrate formed on one side, a hot plate provided in said heating chamber for heating the substrate from below, and a cooling position of the substrate adjacent to the load/unload port of the heating chamber and a position above the hot plate, said computer program including the steps for performing the heating method according to claim 17.