THERMAL PROCESSING APPARATUS

Abstract

A thermal processing apparatus for thermally processing a substrate in a processing chamber includes a heating plate for mounting and thermally processing the substrate thereon, and a lid body covering the heating plate from above to constitute a portion of the processing chamber. The lid body has a ceiling plate and a peripheral side portion vertically provided at a peripheral end portion of the ceiling plate. The ceiling plate is provided with a supply port for supplying a gas into the processing chamber, and a side portion of the ceiling plate is provided with a plurality of exhaust ports for exhausting the gas in the processing chamber. An exhaust pipe communicating with the exhaust ports and having an outlet at a point at equal distances from the exhaust ports is provided to be attachable and detachable to/from the lid body. According to the present invention, the maintenance work against clogging due to the impurities such as a sublimate and the like generated by the thermal processing can be easily performed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a resist coating and developing treatment system in which a thermal processing apparatus according to an embodiment is installed;

FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the resist coating and developing treatment system in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear view schematically showing the resist coating and developing treatment system in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a cross section showing the usage state of the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the principal part of the thermal processing apparatus in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along a I-I line in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along a II-II line in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along a III-III line in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a lid body, an exhaust pipe and a dispersion nozzle in the embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a cross section of a part of the principal part of the exhaust dispersion ring in the embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a cross section showing the state in which a coating film is applied to the inner surface of the exhaust pipe in the embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a cross section showing the state in which an inner tube is inserted into the exhaust pipe in the embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view schematically showing the state in which a plurality of thermal processing apparatuses are connected to an exhaust duct;

FIG. 14 is a plan view showing the principal part of a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a plan view showing the principal part of a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16A is a plan view of the principal part of a fourth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 16B is a cross-sectional view taken along a IV-IV line in FIG. 16A, and FIG. 16C is a cross-sectional view taken along a V-V line in FIG. 16A; and

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a cross section of the principal part of an exhaust dispersion ring showing another modified example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A thermal processing apparatus for thermally processing a substrate in a processing chamber, comprising: a thermal processing plate for mounting and thermally processing the substrate thereon; anda lid body covering said thermal processing plate from above to constitute a portion of the processing chamber,wherein said lid body comprises an upper surface portion and a peripheral side portion vertically provided at a peripheral end portion of the upper surface portion,wherein the upper surface portion of said lid body is provided with a supply port for supplying a gas into the processing chamber, and a side portion of the upper surface portion of said lid body is provided with a plurality of exhaust ports for exhausting the gas in the processing chamber, andwherein an exhaust pipe communicating with the exhaust ports and having an outlet at a point at equal distances from the exhaust ports is provided to be attachable and detachable to/from said lid body.

2. The thermal processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein an exhaust dispersion ring constituting an exhaust path in cooperation with the peripheral side portion and having a plurality of air holes is provided on the inner side of the peripheral side portion of said lid body in a manner to be attachable and detachable to/from said lid body.

3. The thermal processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the upper surface portion of said lid body is provided with four exhaust ports at regular intervals,wherein said exhaust pipe comprises two exhaust pipe bodies each of which communicates with the exhaust ports at two positions via sealing members respectively, and a coupling pipe body allowing the two exhaust pipe bodies to communicate with each other, andwherein said coupling pipe body is provided with an outlet.

4. The thermal processing apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said coupling pipe body is attachable and detachable to/from said exhaust pipe bodies.

5. The thermal processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein an attachment member having an attachment hole is provided projecting in a horizontal direction at a central portion of said exhaust pipe, and a fixing member penetrating through the attachment hole is fixed to an attachment receiving portion provided on the upper surface portion of said lid body to be attachable and detachable.

6. The thermal processing apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said exhaust dispersion ring comprises an upper piece and a lower piece vertically opposed to each other and has a cross section in a channel shape,wherein the upper piece and the lower piece are formed with a plurality of air holes respectively at positions not aligned with each other in the vertical direction, andwherein an aperture ratio of the air holes in the lower piece is greater than an aperture ratio of the air holes in the upper piece.

7. The thermal processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein a dispersion nozzle is provided on a lower surface of said lid body, said dispersion nozzle having radial flow paths for dividing the gas to be supplied into the processing chamber via the support port in radial directions.

8. The thermal processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein a coating film made of a synthetic resin, which a volatile component hardly adheres to and easily peels off even if the component adheres thereto, is formed on an inner side surface of said exhaust pipe.

9. The thermal processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein an inner tube made of a synthetic resin, which a volatile component hardly adheres to and easily peels off even if the component adheres thereto, is inserted in said exhaust pipe.

10. The thermal processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein an impurity collecting portion is provided in said exhaust pipe.

11. The thermal processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said exhaust pipe is provided with two outlets, and a sensor for detecting clogging with an exhaust fluid is provided along one of exhaust paths connected to the outlets, and a valve opening/closing based on a signal from said sensor is provided along the other exhaust path.

12. The thermal processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein an exhauster is provided along an outlet pipe connected to the outlet of said exhaust pipe at a position near the outlet.

13. The thermal processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the exhaust ports provided in said lid body are arranged and formed so that the exhaust flowing from the exhaust ports to said exhaust pipe flows in a spiral form as seen in plan view.

14. The thermal processing apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein a spiral groove is formed in a surface of said exhaust dispersion ring opposed to the peripheral side portion.