Abstract:
A lithography equipment is provided, which includes: a coater coating a substrate with resist; a first buffer storing the substrate supplied from the coater; a baker baking the substrate supplied from the first buffer; a first turn table rotating the substrate supplied from the baker; a first transferor communicating the substrate with the coater, the first buffer, the baker, and the first turntable; an exposer exposing light to the substrate supplied from the first turntable; a developer developing the resist on the substrate supplied from the exposer; and a second transferor communicating the substrate with the first turntable, the exposer, and the developer.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     (a) Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a lithography equipment.  
         [0003]     (b) Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Flat panel displays including a liquid crystal display (LCD) and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) include a plurality of thin films formed by lithography process.  
         [0005]     The lithography includes resist coating using a coater, light exposure using an exposer or an aligner, and development using a developer.  
         [0006]     The coater, the exposer, and the developer are arranged adapted to an in-line system via transferors.  
         [0007]     Since recently-available exposers are so effective to process substrates without pose, it is preferable that the substrates are continually taken into and off from the exposers. Furthermore, since the light-exposed resist is continuously subjected to chemical reaction, it is preferable that the substrates taken off from the exposer are immediately transferred into the developer.  
         [0008]     However, the different process times of the above-described devices and the transferring time taken by the transferors cause loss time such as the rest time of the transferors or the exposer.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     A lithography equipment is provided, which includes: a coater coating a substrate with resist; a first buffer storing the substrate supplied from the coater; a baker baking the substrate supplied from the first buffer; a first turn table rotating the substrate supplied from the baker; a first transferor communicating the substrate with the coater, the first buffer, the baker, and the first turntable; an exposer exposing light to the substrate supplied from the first turntable; a developer developing the resist on the substrate supplied from the exposer; and a second transferor communicating the substrate with the first turntable, the exposer, and the developer.  
         [0010]     The first turntable and the first buffer may be vertically aligned.  
         [0011]     The lithography equipment may further include a second turntable rotating the substrate supplied from the exposer.  
         [0012]     The lithography equipment may further include a second buffer aligned vertical to the second turntable.  
         [0013]     The second transferor further may communicate the substrate with the second buffer and the second turntable.  
         [0014]     The first transferor may be disposed close to the coater, the baker, and the first turntable.  
         [0015]     The first transferor may take off the substrate from the coater, take the substrate into and off from the first buffer and the baker, and take the substrate into the first turntable.  
         [0016]     The second transferor may be disposed close to the first buffer, the exposer, and the second buffer.  
         [0017]     The second transferor may take off the substrate from the first turntable, take the substrate into and off the exposer and the second buffer, and take the substrate into the second turntable.  
         [0018]     The lithography equipment may further include an auxiliary exposer disposed between the second turntable and the developer.  
         [0019]     The lithography equipment may further include a conveyor transferring the substrate from the second buffer to the auxiliary exposer and developer.  
         [0020]     The lithography equipment may further include a third transferor disposed between the second turntable and the auxiliary exposer.  
         [0021]     A lithography equipment is provided, which includes: a coater coating a substrate with resist; a first buffer storing the substrate supplied from the coater; a baker baking the substrate supplied from the first buffer; a first turn table rotating the substrate supplied from the baker; a first transferor communicating the substrate with the coater, the first buffer, the baker, and the first turntable; first and second exposers exposing light to the substrate supplied from the first turntable and spaced apart from each other; a second turntable mounting the substrate supplied from the first and the second exposers; a second transferor communicating the substrate with the first and the second exposers, and the first and the second turntables; and a developer developing the resist on the substrate supplied from the first and the second exposers.  
         [0022]     The lithography equipment may further include a second buffer aligned vertical to the second turntable.  
         [0023]     The second transferor may move between the first and the second turntables and the first and the second exposers. The lithography equipment may further include a third buffer disposed between the first exposer and the second exposer.  
         [0024]     Alternatively, the lithography equipment may further include: a third buffer disposed between the first exposer and the second exposer and communicating the second transferor; and a third transferor communicating the substrate with the third buffer and the first and the second exposers.  
         [0025]     A lithography equipment is provided, which includes: a coater coating a substrate with resist; a first buffer storing the substrate supplied from the coater; a baker baking the substrate supplied from the first buffer; a first turn table rotating the substrate supplied from the baker; a first transferor communicating the substrate with the coater, the first buffer, the baker, and the first turntable; first and second exposers exposing light to the substrate supplied from the first turntable; a second turntable mounting the substrate supplied from the first and the second exposers; a second transferor communicating the substrate with the second exposer and the first and the second turntables; a third transferor communicating the substrate with the first exposer and the first turntable; and a developer developing the resist on the substrate supplied from the first and the second exposers.  
         [0026]     The second transferor may transfer the substrate on the first turntable that is transferred by the third transferor to the second turntable.  
         [0027]     The lithography equipment may further include a second buffer aligned vertical to the second turntable. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0028]     The present invention will become more apparent by describing embodiments thereof in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0029]      FIG. 1  is a schematic layout view of a lithography equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0030]      FIG. 2  is a schematic sectional view of a pair of a buffer and a turn table in the lithography equipment shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0031]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating the transfer of the substrate in the lithography equipment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ;  
         [0032]      FIG. 4  is a schematic layout view of a lithography equipment according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0033]      FIGS. 5 and 6  are schematic layout views of a lithography equipment according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0034]      FIGS. 7 and 8  are schematic layout views of lithography equipments according to other embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0035]     The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In the drawings, like numerals refer to like elements throughout.  
         [0036]     Now, lithography equipments according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to accompanying drawings.  
         [0037]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a lithography equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.  
         [0038]      FIG. 1  is a schematic layout view of a lithography equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention and  FIG. 2  is a schematic sectional view of a pair of a buffer and a turn table in the lithography equipment shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0039]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a lithography equipment according to this embodiment includes a coater  10 , a baker  20 , a pair of a first buffer  31  and a first turntable  32 , an exposer (or an aligner)  40 , a pair of a second buffer  51  and a second turntable  52 , an edge exposer  60 , a developer  70 , and first and second transferors  81  and  82 , which are arranged in a character “U.” 
         [0040]     The coater  10 , the first transferor  81 , and the first pair of the buffer  31  and the turntable  32  are aligned in series, and the developer  70 , the edge exposer  60 , and the second pair of the buffer  51  and the turntable  52  are aligned in series such that they are parallel to the coater  10 , the first transferor  81 , and the first pair of the buffer  31  and the turntable  32 . The second transferor  82  is disposed between the first pair of the buffer  31  and the turntable  32  and the second pair of the buffer  51  and the turntable  52 . The exposer  40  is disposed near the second transferor  82  and the baker  20  is disposed near the first transferor  81 .  
         [0041]     The coater  10  coats a substrate  1  with photoresist (not shown).  
         [0042]     The baker  20  soft bakes the substrate  1  coated with the photoresist. The soft bake evaporates remnant solvent in the photoresist and enhances the adhesion between the photoresist and the substrate  1 .  
         [0043]     The exposer  40  aligns a mask (not shown), which has a primary pattern to be transferred to the substrate  1  for forming elements on the substrate  1 , with the substrate  1  and exposes the substrate  1  to light through the mask.  
         [0044]     The edge exposer  60  exposes the substrate  1  to light through another mask having a secondary pattern that may represent information about the substrate  1 , etc and is disposed near the edges. A titler may be provided along with the edge exposer  60 .  
         [0045]     The developer  70  develops and hard bakes the photoresist on the substrate  1 .  
         [0046]     The buffers  31  and  51  and the turntables  32  and  52  temporarily store the substrate  1 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , the turntables  32  and  52  that are rotatable are disposed below the buffers  31  and  32 . However, the turntables  32  and  52  may be disposed over the buffers  31  and  51 . The second buffer  51  may include a conveyor or may be omitted.  
         [0047]     The first transferor  81  is surrounded by the coater  10 , the baker  20 , and the first pair of the buffer  31  and the turntable  32  to communicate the substrate  1  therewith and the second transferor  82  is surrounded by the first pair of the buffer  31  and the turntable  32 , the exposer  40 , and the second pair of the buffer  51  and the turntable  52  to communicate the substrate  1  therewith. The first and the second transferors  81  and  82  can rotate or move in a vertical direction and they may include robot arms that are movable in a horizontal plane.  
         [0048]     The operation of the lithography equipment will be described in detail with reference to  FIG. 3 .  
         [0049]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating the transfer of the substrate in the lithography equipment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  
         [0050]     A substrate  1  is coated with photoresist (not shown) by the coater  10  and taken off from the coater  10  and taken into the first buffer  31  by the first transferor  81  (S 100 ). The first buffer  31  temporarily stores the substrate  1  until the baker  20  is ready to process the substrate  1 .  
         [0051]     When the baker  20  is ready, the substrate  1  is taken out from the first buffer  31  and transferred to the baker  20  by the first transferor  81  (S 200 ). The substrate  1  is soft baked by the baker  20  and taken off from the baker  20  and mounted on the first turntable  32  by the first transferor  81  (S 300 ). In this case, the soft baking and the light exposure are sequentially performed without a rest. When a waiting time is required between the soft baking and the light exposure, the substrate  1  taken off from the baker  20  may be stored in the first buffer  31 . However, it is also possible that the time for loading the substrate  1  into the baker  20  is controlled in consideration of the processing time difference between soft baking and the light exposure such that the soft baking and the light exposure are sequentially performed without a rest. That is, the loading time into the baker  20  is determined the processing time of the baker  20  and the time required for the exposer  40  to be ready. Then, the substrate  1  may be loaded into the baker  20  as earlier as the processing time of the baker  20  before the exposer  40  is ready.  
         [0052]     The substrate  1  is rotated by the first turntable  32  and transferred to the exposer  40  by the second transferor  82  (S 400 ). After the light exposure, the substrate  1  is taken off from the exposer  40  and loaded on the second turntable  52  by the second transferor  82  (S 500 ).  
         [0053]     The substrate  1  is rotated by the second turntable  52  and transferred to the second buffer  51  by the second transferor  82  (S 600 ). The substrate  1  loaded on the second buffer  51  is transferred to the edge exposer  60  by a conveyor (not shown) (S 700 ) and subjected to a secondary light exposure.  
         [0054]     After the secondary light exposure, the substrate  1  is transferred to the developer  70  by a conveyor (not shown) (S 800 ) and the photoresist coated on the substrate  1  is developed to form a desired pattern.  
         [0055]     The above-described procedure is preferably designed according the tact time of the exposer  40 . That is, the substrates  1  can be sequentially fed from the baker  20  to the exposer  40  without a rest such that the exposer  40  does not take a rest and the substrates  1  experienced light exposure by the exposer  40  are immediately transferred to the edge exposer  60  and then to the developer  70  in order to prevent the deterioration of the light-exposed photoresist.  
         [0056]     As described above, two transferors  81  and  82  and two turntables  32  and  52  are provided between the baker  20  and the exposer  40 , and the buffers  31  and  51  and the turntables  32  are  52  are vertically aligned. Accordingly, a bottle neck phenomenon is reduced to decrease the total tact time and thus the lithography equipment is effectively operated. Here, the tact time means a time taken by a device from feed-on of a substrate to take-off of the substrate, and the total tact time indicates a time taken by the lithography equipment from feed-on of a substrate to take-off of the substrate. In addition, the configuration of the lithography system is simplified.  
         [0057]     Next, a lithography equipment according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to  FIG. 4 .  
         [0058]      FIG. 4  is a schematic layout view of a lithography equipment according to another embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0059]     Like the lithography equipment shown in  FIG. 1 , a lithography equipment shown in  FIG. 4  includes a coater  10 , a baker  20 , a pair of a first buffer  31  and a first turntable  32 , an exposer (or an aligner)  40 , a pair of a second buffer  51  and a second turntable  52 , an edge exposer  60 , a developer  70 , and first and second transferors  81  and  82 , and they are arranged in a manner similar to those shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0060]     However, the lithography equipment according to this embodiment further includes a third transferor  83  disposed between the second turntable  52  and the edge exposer  60  unlike that shown in  FIG. 1 . The third transferor  83  takes off a substrate  1  disposed on the second buffer  51  and feed the substrate  1  to the edge exposer  60 .  
         [0061]     Many of the above-described features of the lithography equipment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  may be appropriate to the lithography equipment shown in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0062]     Next, a lithography equipment according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 .  
         [0063]      FIGS. 5 and 6  are schematic layout views of a lithography equipment according to another embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0064]     Like the lithography equipment shown in  FIG. 1 , a lithography equipment shown in  FIG. 4  includes a coater  10 , a baker  20 , a pair of a first buffer  31  and a first turntable  32 , a pair of a second buffer  51  and a second turntable  52 , an edge exposer  60 , a developer  70 , and first and second transferors  81  and  82 , and they are arranged in a manner similar to those shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0065]     However, the lithography equipment according to this embodiment includes a pair of first and second exposers  41  and  42  instead of a single exposer  40  shown in  FIG. 1  and a third buffer  4  disposed between the exposers  41  and  42 . The first exposer  41  is aligned with the coater  10 , the first transferor  81 , and the first pair of the buffer  31  and the turntable  32 , while the second exposer  42  is aligned with the developer  70 , the edge exposer  60 , and the second pair of the buffer  51  and the turntable  52 .  
         [0066]     In addition, the first and the second exposers  41  and  42  are spaced apart from each other to form a path and the second transferor  82  moves from a position shown in  FIG. 5  to a position shown in  FIG. 6  along the path such that it can reach the third buffer  4  as well as the exposers  41  and  42 , the first and the second buffers  31  and  51 , and the first and the second turntables  32  and  52 .  
         [0067]     The second transferor  82  takes off a substrate  1  from the first turntable  32 , moves to the exposers  41  and  42 , and feed the substrate  1  into one of the exposers  41  and  42 . After the light exposure, the second transferor  82  takes off the substrate  1  from the exposers  41  and  42 , moves to the second turntable  52 , and mounts the substrate  1  on the second turntable  52 . The second transferor  82  repeats this operation. At this time, the third buffer  4  temporarily stores the substrate  1  until the exposers  41  and  42  are ready.  
         [0068]     Accordingly, the lithography equipment according to this embodiment resolves the bottle neck before a single exposer. This system is effectively used for a photolithography process for forming a organic insulating layer on a substrate for a display panel such as a liquid crystal display panel since the exposure time for forming the organic insulating layer is somewhat longer than that for a normal photoresist and the tact time of the exposer is long.  
         [0069]     Many of the above-described features of the lithography equipment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  may be appropriate to the lithography equipment shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 .  
         [0070]     Next, a lithography equipment according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to  FIG. 7 .  
         [0071]      FIG. 7  is a schematic layout view of a lithography equipment according to another embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0072]     Like the lithography equipment shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a lithography equipment shown in  FIG. 7  includes a coater  10 , a baker  20 , a pair of a first buffer  31  and a first turntable  32 , a pair of first and second exposers (or aligners)  41  and  42 , a pair of a second buffer  51  and a second turntable  52 , an edge exposer  60 , a developer  70 , a third buffer  5 , and first and second transferors  81  and  82 , and they are arranged in a manner similar to those shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 .  
         [0073]     However, the lithography equipment according to this embodiment further includes a third transferor  83  disposed between the first exposer  41  and the second exposer  42  and the third buffer  5  is disposed between the second transferor  82  and the third transferor  83 , unlike that shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The second transferor  82  mounts a substrate  1 , which is taken off from the first turntable  32 , on the third buffer  5  instead of moving toward the first and the second exposers  41  and  42  and the third transferor  83  picks up the substrate  1  and transfers it to the first and the second exposers  41  and  42 .  
         [0074]     Many of the above-described features of the lithography equipment shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  may be appropriate to the lithography equipment shown in  FIG. 7 .  
         [0075]     Next, a lithography equipment according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to  FIG. 8 .  
         [0076]      FIG. 8  is a schematic layout view of a lithography equipment according to another embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0077]     Like the lithography equipment shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , a lithography equipment shown in  FIG. 8  includes a coater  10 , a baker  20 , a pair of a first buffer  31  and a first turntable  32 , a pair of first and second exposers (or aligners)  41  and  42 , a pair of a second buffer  51  and a second turntable  52 , an edge exposer  60 , a developer  70 , and first and second transferors  81  and  82 , and they are arranged in a manner similar to those shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 .  
         [0078]     However, the lithography equipment according to this embodiment further includes a third transferor  83  disposed dose to the first pair of the buffer  31  and the turntable  32  and opposite the second transferor  82  and the first and the second exposers  41  and  42  are disposed dose to the third transferor  83  and the second transferor  82 , respectively, unlike that shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . In addition, the lithography equipment according to this embodiment further includes no third buffer.  
         [0079]     The third transferor  83  unload a substrate  1  from the first turntable  32 , which can rotate in a range of about 180 degrees, and feed the substrate  1  to the first exposer  41 , while the second transferor  82  feed a substrate  1 , which is taken off from the first turntable  32 , to the second exposer  42 . After the light exposure in the first exposer  41 , the third transferor  83  takes off the substrate  1  from the first exposer  41  and loads it on the first turntable  32 . The first turntable  32  rotate about  180  degrees and the substrate  1  on the first turntable  32 , which is transferred from the first exposer  41 , is transferred to the second turntable  52  by the second transferor  82 . The light-exposed substrate  1  in the second exposer  42  is taken off and transferred to the second turntable  52  by the second transferor  82 .  
         [0080]     Many of the above-described features of the lithography equipment shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  may be appropriate to the lithography equipment shown in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0081]     As described above, the lithography equipments according to the embodiments of the present invention reduce the loss time during the transfer of the substrates and make the total tact time in harmony with the tact time of the exposer(s) by reducing the load on the transferors and by increasing the number of the exposers.  
         [0082]     While the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and substitutions can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.