Apparatus and method for fabricating bonded substrate

Abstract

A bonded-substrate fabricating apparatus capable of reducing defective bonded substrates fabricated. A transfer robot sucks the outer edge area of the bottom surface of a substrate and spouts gas toward the bottom surface of the substrate to carry the substrate into a vacuum process chamber of a press machine while keeping the substrate horizontally. A press plate holds the substrate, which is held by the transfer robot, by suction.

1 . A method of operating an apparatus for bonding upper and lower substrates to one another to fabricate a bonded substrate, wherein the apparatus includes upper and lower holding plates, arranged in a process chamber to face each other, to hold an upper surface of the upper substrate and a lower surface of the lower substrate, respectively; a transfer robot to transfer the upper substrate to and from the process chamber; a chuck mechanism, which is movable up and down with respect to the upper holding plate, the chuck mechanism including chuck portions each movable up and down individually; and a controller coupled to the upper and lower holding plates, the transfer robot, and the chuck mechanism,
 the method comprising:   the controller causing the chuck mechanism to chuck the upper substrate, which is distanced from and located below the upper holding plate and is on the transfer robot, to transfer the upper substrate from the transfer robot to the chuck mechanism;   the controller causing the chuck mechanism to place the chucked upper substrate to a location where the chucked upper substrate comes close to, but not in contact with, the upper holding plate while holding the chucked upper substrate in a flat state;   the controller causing the upper holding plate to apply at least one of suction and electrostatic force to the upper substrate that is in the flat state and is placed at the location where the upper substrate comes close to, but not in contact with, the upper holding plate, to hold the upper surface of the upper substrate; and thereafter   the controller causing the upper and lower holding plates to bond a lower surface of the upper substrate and an upper surface of the lower substrate to each other.   
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the controller causing the chuck portions of the chuck mechanism to move up and down in vertically extending through passages of the upper holding plate.   
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the controller causing the chuck portions of the chuck mechanism to individually and independently chuck the substrate.   
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 the controller causing the chuck portions of the chuck mechanism to individually and independently chuck the substrate.   
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper holding plate is located above the lower holding plate. 
   
   
       6 . A method of operating an apparatus for bonding upper and lower substrates to one another to fabricate a bonded substrate, wherein the apparatus includes upper and lower holding plates, arranged in a process chamber to face each other, to hold an upper surface of the upper substrate and a lower surface of the lower substrate, respectively; a transfer robot to transfer the upper substrate to and from the process chamber; a chuck mechanism, which is movable up and down with respect to the upper holding plate, the chuck mechanism including chuck portions each movable up and down individually; and a controller coupled to the upper and lower holding plates, the transfer robot, and the chuck mechanism,
 the method comprising:   the controller causing the chuck mechanism to chuck the upper surface of the upper substrate, which is distanced from and located below the upper holding plate and is on the transfer robot, to correct bending of the upper substrate when transferring the upper substrate from the transfer robot to the chuck mechanism;   the controller causing the chuck mechanism to place the bend-corrected, chucked upper substrate to a location where the bend-corrected, chucked upper substrate comes close to, but not in contact with, the upper holding plate;   the controller causing the upper holding plate to apply at least one of suction and electrostatic force to the bend-corrected upper substrate that is placed at the location where the bend-corrected upper substrate comes close to, but not in contact with, the upper holding plate, to receive the bend-corrected upper substrate from the chuck mechanism; and thereafter   the controller causing the upper and lower holding plates to bond a lower surface of the upper substrate and an upper surface of the lower substrate to each other.   
   
   
       7 . A method for bonding upper and lower substrates to one another to fabricate a bonded substrate, the method comprising:
 transferring, with a transfer robot, an upper substrate and a lower substrate to a process chamber;   holding, with a lower holding plate, the lower substrate;   chucking, with a chuck mechanism, the upper substrate, which is distanced from and located below an upper holding plate and is on the transfer robot, to transfer the upper substrate from the transfer robot to the chuck mechanism;   placing, with the chuck mechanism, the chucked upper substrate to a location where the chucked upper substrate comes close to, but not in contact with, the upper holding plate while holding the chucked upper substrate in a flat state;   applying, with the upper holding plate, at least one of suction and electrostatic force to the upper substrate that is in the flat state and is placed at the location where the upper substrate comes close to, but not in contact with, the upper holding plate, to hold the upper surface of the upper substrate; and thereafter   bonding, with the upper and lower holding plates, a lower surface of the upper substrate and an upper surface of the lower substrate to each other.