Photo apparatus and method

A photo process apparatus including: a loading/unloading unit that loads and unloads a substrate; a coating line that coats photoresist on the substrate; an exposure line that exposes the photoresist coated on the substrate; a development line that develops the exposed substrate; and a transferring line that temporarily stores the substrate coated with the photoresist and loads the substrate coated with the photoresist to the exposure line and temporarily stores the exposed substrate and loads the exposed substrate to the development line.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. P2006-50468, filed on Jun. 5, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a photo apparatus and method, and more particularly, to a photo apparatus and method to enhance yield by minimizing the entire layout of photo process line.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

Generally, a photo process is used for patterning a substrate when fabricating semiconductor devices, flat display devices, etc. The photo process includes coating a photoresist on a substrate, exposing the photoresist coated onto the substrate, and developing the exposed substrate. When the exposing the photoresist, the coated photoresist is selectively exposed.

FIG. 1is a layout schematically illustrating a related art photo apparatus.

As shown inFIG. 1, the related art photo apparatus is provided with a loading/unloading unit10that loads or unloads a substrate; a cleaning unit20that cleans the substrate; a coating line that coats a photoresist onto the cleaned substrate; an exposure unit110that applies an exposure process to the photoresist coated onto the substrate; a titler120that forms an identification code on the exposed substrate; and a development line that applies a development process to the substrate via the titler120.

The loading/unloading unit10loads the substrate into the cleaning unit20after taking the substrate from a cassette being moved by a conveying device. Also, the loading/unloading unit10unloads the substrate from the development line, and then loads the substrate into the cassette.

The cleaning unit20cleans the substrate that is loaded by the loading/unloading unit10. The cleaning unit20has a cleaning conveyor that conveys the substrate to the coating line and a cleaning part that sprays a cleaning solution onto the substrate conveyed so as to clean the substrate.

The coating line includes: a first robot arm30that takes the cleaned substrate out from the cleaning unit20; a dehydration bake unit (DHP)40that dehydrates the substrate supplied by the first robot arm30; a first conveyor50that conveys the dehydrated substrate; a coating unit60that coats the photoresist onto the substrate conveyed by the first conveyor50; a vacuum dryer (VCD)70that hardens the photoresist coated on the substrate; a solvent remover80that removes solvent from the substrate; a buffer90that temporarily stores the substrate from which the solvent is removed; a temperature reducer92that reduces the temperature of the substrate supplied from the buffer90; and a second robot arm100that provides the substrate from the buffer90to the temperature reducer92, loads the substrate having the reduced temperature to the exposure unit110, takes the exposed substrate out from the exposure unit110, and loads the exposed substrate to the titler120.

The first robot arm30takes the cleaned substrate out from the cleaning unit20, and loads the cleaned substrate to the dehydration bake unit40. Also, the first robot arm30takes the dehydrated substrate out from the dehydration bake unit40, and loads the dehydrated substrate to the first conveyor50.

The dehydration bake unit40is formed of a hot plate that is heated at a temperature between about 110° C. and about 130° C. Also, the dehydration bake unit40dehydrates the substrate, loaded by the first robot arm30, using the hot plate.

The first conveyor50conveys the dehydrated substrate loaded by the first robot arm30to the coating unit60.

The coating unit60includes: a third robot arm62that takes the substrate from the first conveyor50; a coater64that coats the photoresist on the substrate loaded by the third robot arm62; and a fourth robot arm66that takes the substrate from the coater64and loads the same into the VCD70, takes the substrate from the VCD70, and loads the same into the solvent remover80.

The third robot arm62takes the substrate from the first conveyor50and loads the substrate into the coater64. The coater64coats the photoresist on the substrate loaded by the third robot arm62.

After the coater64coats the photoresist on the substrate, the fourth robot arm66takes the substrate coated with the photoresist out from the coater64and loads the same the vacuum dryer70into the vacuum dryer70. Also, after the vacuum dryer70hardens the photoresist coated on the substrate, the fourth robot arm66takes the hardened substrate out of the vacuum dryer70and loads the same into the solvent remover80.

The vacuum dryer70dries the photoresist of the substrate loaded by the fourth robot arm66in a low vacuum state.

The solvent remover80includes a solvent-removing oven82that removes the solvent from the substrate with a softbake hot plate (SHP) and a fifth robot arm84that takes the substrate out of the solvent-removing oven82and loads the same into the buffer90.

The solvent-removing oven82removes the solvent from the substrate loaded by the fourth robot arm66with the SHP, and the substrate is heated to a temperature between about 110° and about 130°.

After removing the solvent from the substrate in the solvent-removing oven82, the fifth robot arm84takes the substrate having no solvent out of the solvent-removing oven82and loads the same into the buffer90.

The buffer90temporarily stores the substrate loaded by the fifth robot arm84.

The temperature reducer92lowers the temperature of the substrate loaded by the fifth robot arm84to about 23° C. The temperature reducer92may be formed in a dual-layered structure including a cool plate.

The second robot arm100takes the substrate that is temporarily stored out of the buffer90and loads the same into the temperature reducer92. Also, as the temperature of the substrate is decreased by the temperature reducer92, the second robot arm100takes the substrate having the decreased temperature of the temperature reducer92and loads the same to the exposure unit110. Also, the second robot arm100takes the exposed substrate out of the exposure unit110and loads the same into the titler120.

The exposure unit110arranges the substrate loaded by the second robot arm100and patterns the photoresist on the substrate by applying light to the arranged substrate.

The titler120forms the identification code at one side of the substrate loaded by the second robot arm100. At this time, the titler120is provided on the conveyor, so as to form the identification code on the conveyed substrate.

The development line includes: a developing unit130that develops the substrate; a drying unit140that dries the developed substrate; a turn-conveyor that turns the conveying direction of the dried substrate; and a second conveyor160that conveys the turned substrate to the loading/unloading unit10.

The developing unit130develops the substrate that is exposed by the exposure unit110and is provided with the identification code formed by the titler. The developing unit130includes a developing conveyor connected to the titler120and a developing part that develops the substrate by spraying a developer onto the developing conveyor.

The drying unit140includes a drying oven142that dries the developed substrate by using a hard hot plate (HHP) and a sixth robot arm144that takes the substrate out from the drying oven142and loads the same to the turn-conveyor150.

The drying oven142heats and dries the substrate conveyed by the developing conveyor of the developing unit130with the HHP that is heated to a temperature between about 110° and about 130°.

After the drying oven142dries the substrate, the sixth robot arm144takes the substrate from the drying oven142and loads the same to the turn-conveyor150.

The turn-conveyor150turns the conveying direction of the substrate loaded by the sixth robot arm144toward the second conveyor160. The second conveyor160conveys the substrate turned by the turn-conveyor150to the loading/unloading unit160.

The related art photo apparatus includes the cleaning unit20, the coating line, the exposure unit110, the titler120, and the development line, that are arranged in one line. Thus, the substrate loaded by the loading/unloading unit10is cleaned, coated, and exposed in series, and then the substrate progresses through the titling and development lines, whereby the photo process is completed.

However, the related art photo apparatus and method has the following disadvantages.

In the related art photo apparatus, the coating line and the exposure unit connected with the development line are formed as one photo line, whereby the entire layout is increased. Also, the coating line, the development line and the exposure line have the different processing times, so that a waiting time occurs, thereby increasing an entire processing time.

If there are problems in any one unit of the photo apparatus, the entire operation rate decreases. If the problems are in the exposure unit110, it is impossible to operate the coating line, the titler and the development line.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a photo apparatus and method that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.

An advantage of the present invention is to provide a photo apparatus and method to enhance the yield by minimizing an entire layout of photo process line.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a photo process apparatus including: a loading/unloading unit that loads and unloads a substrate; a coating line that coats photoresist on the substrate; an exposure line that exposes the photoresist coated on the substrate; a development line that develops the exposed substrate; and a transferring line that temporarily stores the substrate coated with the photoresist and loads the substrate coated with the photoresist to the exposure line and temporarily stores the exposed substrate and loads the exposed substrate to the development line.

In another aspect of the present invention, a photo process apparatus including: a plurality of photo-process lines arranged in parallel, each photo-process line including a loading/unloading unit that loads or unloads a substrate, a coating line that coats photoresist on the substrate, an exposure line that exposes the photoresist coated on the substrate, and a development line that develops the exposed substrate; and a transferring line that transfers the substrate to the coating line, the exposure line, and the development line in each photo-process line according to the processing state of the photo-process line.

In another aspect of the present invention, a photo process method including: loading a substrate; coating a photoresist on the loaded substrate; temporarily storing the substrate coated with the photoresist; receiving the temporarily stored substrate, and exposing the substrate coated with the photoresist; temporarily storing the exposed substrate; receiving the temporarily stored substrate, and developing the exposed substrate; and unloading the developed substrate.

In another aspect of the present invention, a photo process method that includes a plurality of photo-process lines arranged in parallel, each photo-process line including a loading/unloading unit that loads or unloads a substrate, a coating line that coats photoresist on the substrate, an exposure line that exposes the photoresist coated on the substrate, and a development line that develops the exposed substrate, including: loading the substrates onto each coating line so as to coat the photoresist on each substrate; temporarily storing the substrates coated in each coating line by using a transferring line that transfers the substrate to the coating line, the exposure line and the development line; exposing the photoresist coated on the substrate by loading the substrate onto the exposure line for each photo-process line that requires the coated substrate through the transferring line; temporarily storing the exposed substrate from each exposure line by using the transferring line; developing the exposed substrate by loading the exposed substrate onto the development line for each photo-process line through the transferring line; and unloading the substrate using the loading/unloading unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to an embodiment of the present invention, example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

Hereinafter, a photo apparatus and method according to the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2is a layout schematically illustrating a photo apparatus according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 2, the photo apparatus according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention includes: a loading/unloading unit300that loads or unloads a substrate; a cleaning line400that cleans the substrate; a coating line500that coats the cleaned substrate with photoresist; an exposure line700that exposes the photoresist coated onto the substrate; a titling line800that forms an identification code in the exposed substrate; a transferring line600that temporarily stores the substrate coated with the photoresist and transfers the same to the exposure line700, or temporarily stores the exposed substrate and transfers the same to the titling line800; and a development line900that develops the substrate via the titling line800, and loads the developed substrate into the loading/unloading unit300.

The loading/unloading unit300loads the substrate onto the cleaning line400after taking the substrate out of a cassette moved by a transferring device. Also, the loading/unloading unit300takes the substrate out from the development line900and then loads the substrate into the cassette. In this case, although not shown, the loading/unloading unit300includes at least one robot arm that loads and unloads the substrate.

In the meantime, the loading/unloading unit300may include a loading part that has a robot arm for loading the substrate onto the cleaning line400and an unloading part that has a robot arm for unloading the exposed substrate from the development line900. Using the loading/unloading unit300including the loading part and the unloading part, it is possible to decrease a processing time for the loading and unloading of the substrate.

The cleaning line400cleans the substrate unloaded from the loading/unloading unit300. The cleaning line400includes a cleaning conveyor410that conveys the substrate to the coating line500and a cleaning unit420that cleans the substrate by spraying a cleaning solution to the substrate.

The coating line500includes a first robot arm510that takes the cleaned substrate out of the cleaning conveyor410; a coater520that coats the substrate loaded by the first robot arm510with the photoresist; a second robot arm530that takes the substrate coated with the photoresist out of the coater520; a vacuum dryer (VCD)540that hardens the photoresist coated onto the substrate loaded by the second robot arm530; a solvent remover550that removes solvent from the substrate on which the photoresist is hardened; a first temperature controller560that lowers the temperature of the substrate from which the solvent is removed; and a third robot arm570that takes the substrate having the lowered temperature out of the first temperature controller560.

The first robot arm510takes the cleaned substrate from the cleaning conveyor410and loads the cleaned substrate into the coater520. The coater520may rotational or irrotational method to coat the photoresist on the substrate loaded by the first robot arm510.

After the coater520coats the substrate with the photoresist, the second robot arm530takes the substrate coated with the photoresist out from the coater520and loads the substrate into the vacuum dryer540.

The vacuum dryer540dries the photoresist of the substrate loaded by the second robot arm530using a low-vacuum state, whereby the photoresist of the substrate is hardened.

The solvent remover550includes a fourth robot arm552that takes the substrate on which the photoresist is hardened out of the vacuum dryer540and a solvent-removing oven554that removes the solvent from the substrate by using a softbake hot plate (SHP).

The fourth robot arm552takes the substrate on which the photoresist is hardened out of the vacuum dryer540and loads the substrate into the solvent-removing oven554. Also, the fourth robot arm552takes the substrate, from which the solvent is removed, out of the solvent-removing oven554and loads the substrate into the first temperature controller560.

The solvent-removing oven554heats the substrate loaded by the fourth robot arm552at a temperature between about 110° and about 130° using the SHP, to thereby remove the solvent from the substrate.

The first temperature controller560heats or cools the substrate loaded by the fourth robot arm552, to thereby the substrate temperature to about 23°. The first temperature controller560may be formed in a dual-layered structure.

After the temperature of the substrate is decreased by the first temperature controller560, the third robot arm570takes the substrate out of the first temperature controller560and loads the substrate into the transferring line600.

The transferring line600a first conveyor610that conveys the substrate loaded by the third robot arm570; a second conveyor640that conveys the exposed substrate to the titling line800; a stacker630that temporarily stores the coated substrate conveyed by the first conveyor610and temporarily stores the substrate exposed in the exposure line700; and a transferring unit (AGV)620that transfers the substrate between the first and second conveyors610and the stacker630.

The first conveyor610conveys the coated substrate that is loaded by the third robot arm570to the cassette shown in the drawings.

As the transferring unit620is moved along a predetermined path between the first conveyor610and the stacker630, the transferring unit620stores the cassette, in which the plurality of substrates are accommodated, in the stacker630. During movement of transferring unit620along a predetermined path between the second conveyor640and the stacker630, the transferring unit620supplies the cassette, which accommodates the plurality of substrates exposed in the stacker630, to the second conveyor640.

The stacker630temporarily stores the cassette that accommodates the plurality of substrates coated with the photoresist and conveyed by the transferring unit620. Also, the stacker630temporarily stores the cassette that accommodates the plurality of substrates exposed by the exposure line700.

The second conveyor640takes the exposed substrate out from the cassette conveyed by the transferring unit620and conveys the exposed substrate to the titling line800.

The exposure line700includes: a second temperature controller710that receives the cassette including the plurality of substrates from the stacker630and maintains the temperature of the substrate at a value that is appropriate for the exposure process; a fifth robot arm720that takes the substrate out from the second temperature controller710; and an exposure unit730exposes the substrate loaded by the fifth robot arm720.

The second temperature controller710heats or cools the substrate accommodated in the cassette, so that the substrate has a temperature of about 23°. The second temperature controller710is formed in a dual-layered structure. Meanwhile, the second temperature controller710includes a particle-removing unit that sprays high-pressure air onto the substrate in order to remove particles from the substrate.

The fifth robot arm720takes the substrate out of the second temperature controller710and loads the substrate to the exposure unit730. Also, after completing the exposure process, the fifth robot arm720takes the exposed substrate out of the exposure unit730and loads the exposed substrate to the cassette provided in the stacker630.

The exposure unit730arranges the substrate loaded by the fifth robot arm720and applies the light onto the arranged substrate so as to pattern the photoresist thereon.

The titling line800includes a sixth robot arm810that takes the substrate from the second conveyor640and a titler820that forms the identification code in the substrate loaded by the sixth robot arm810. The sixth robot arm810takes the exposed substrate off of the second conveyor640and loads the exposed substrate into the titler820. The titler820forms an identification code for the substrate on one side of the substrate loaded by the sixth robot arm810. At this time, the titler820is installed on the conveyor, so as to form the identification code on the substrate.

The development line900includes a development conveyor910that conveys the substrate having the identification code and a development unit920that develops the substrate by spaying a developer onto the substrate.

The development conveyor910conveys the substrate having the identification code to the loading/unloading unit300from the titler820.

The development unit920sprays the developer onto the substrate conveyed by the development conveyor910. Accordingly, the substrate exposed by the exposure unit730and the titler820is developed by the developer sprayed from the development unit920.

In the photo apparatus and method according to the present invention, the cleaning line400and the coating line500are arranged in one line, whereby the substrate coated with the photoresist is temporarily stored in the transferring line600, and the substrate stored in the transferring line600is supplied to the exposure line700, to thereby proceed with the exposure process. Then, the substrate exposed by the exposure line700is temporarily stored in the transferring line600, and the substrate stored in the transferring line600is supplied to the titling line800, whereby the titling process proceeds. After that, the substrate is supplied to the development line900, so as to perform the development process, and then the substrate is unloaded externally.

In the photo apparatus and method according to the present invention, the coating line500, the exposure line700and the development line900are arranged separately from one another. In this state, the transferring line600is provided to convey the substrate among the coating line500, the exposure line700and the development line900, to thereby decrease the entire layout of the photo-process line. Also, even though the coating line500, the development line600and the exposure line700have the different processing times from one another, it is possible to decrease the entire processing time of the photo line by temporarily storing the substrate in the transferring line600. Even if there are the problems in any one line, these bad effects do not effect the entire process line, so that it is possible to enhance the rate of operation.

As shown inFIG. 3, the photo apparatus according to the present invention includes the plurality of photo-process lines (2001to200n) arranged in parallel.

Each photo-process line (2001to200n) is the same in structure as the photo apparatus shown inFIG. 2. Among the coating line500, the exposure line700and the development line900, the exposure line700has the largest process time period, and the development line900has the shortest process time period. Thus, in order to minimize the processing time in each line, it is possible to control the number of lines. For example, if the exposure line700is arranged by 12-lines, the cleaning line400and coating line500arranged in one line are formed by 9-lines, and the titling line800and development line900arranged in one line are formed by 6-lines, to thereby maximize the rate of operation in each line.

The transferring line600includes at least one transferring unit620, wherein the transferring unit620transfers the substrate to the coating line500, the exposure line700and titling line800for each photo-process line (2001to200n).

Referring toFIG. 3in association withFIG. 2, at least one transferring unit620stores the substrate coated with the photoresist by each coating line500in the stacker630. Based on the process state in each exposure line700, the transferring unit620takes the substrate coated with the photoresist out from the stacker630and loads the substrate coated with the photoresist to the exposure line700of the photo-process line (2001to200n).

Also, at least one transferring unit620stores the substrate exposed by each exposure line700in the stacker630. Based on the processing state for each development line900, at least one transferring unit620takes the exposed substrate out from the stacker630and loads the exposed substrate to the titling line800for the photo-process line (2001to200n).

In the photo apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of photo-process lines (2001to200n) are arranged by separately providing a coating line500, an exposure line700and a development line900. In this case, the substrate is transferred to each photo-process line (2001to200n) by using the transferring line600, to thereby decrease the entire layout. Also, the substrate is conveyed based on the processing state for each photo-process line (2001to200n), so that it is possible to decrease the entire processing time. Even if there are the problems in any one line, it has no effect on the entire process line because the other photo-process line (2001to200n) substitutes for the line having the problems, so that it is possible to increase the rate of operation.

As mentioned above, the photo apparatus and method according to the present invention has the following advantages.

First, the coating line, the exposure line and the development line are arranged separately. In this state, the substrate is transferred among the coating line, the exposure line, and the development line by using the transferring line, to thereby decrease the entire layout of the photo-process line.

Even though the coating line, the development line and the exposure line have the different processing times, the substrate is temporarily stored by the transferring line, whereby the entire processing time of the photo process is decreased.

If any problems occur in any one line for each photo-process line, it does not adversely affect the other process lines, thereby enhancing the rate of operation.

Based on the processing state for each photo-process line, the substrate is transferred to thereby decrease the entire processing time of the photo process.