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 . An apparatus for fabricating a bonded substrate by bonding an upper substrate and a lower substrate, comprising:
 a first holding plate arranged in a process chamber and holding the upper substrate;   a second holding plate arranged in the process chamber to face the first holding plate and holding the second substrate; and   a transfer robot which transfers the upper and lower substrates into the process chamber and includes first and second transfer arms, wherein the first transfer arm includes a first holding member that holds the upper substrate and a second holding member that holds a bonded substrate fabricated in a previous operation cycle, and wherein the second transfer arm includes a third holding member that holds the lower substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the transfer robot holds an outer surface of the upper substrate in an approximately horizontal state with the first holding member of the first transfer arm and holds an outer surface of the lower substrate in an approximately horizontal state with the third holding member of the second transfer arm, and wherein the transfer robot is programmed to carry the upper substrate into the process chamber, carry the bonded substrate fabricated in a previous operation cycle out of the process chamber, and carry the lower substrate into the process chamber in a row. 
     
     
         3 . An apparatus for fabricating a bonded substrate by bonding an upper substrate and a lower substrate, comprising:
 a first holding plate arranged in a process chamber and holding the upper substrate;   a second holding plate arranged in the process chamber to face the first holding plate and holding the second substrate; and   a transfer robot which transfers the upper and lower substrates into the process chamber and includes a first transfer arm and a second transfer arm arranged below the first transfer arm, wherein the first transfer arm includes a first holding member that holds the lower substrate, and wherein the second transfer arm includes a second holding member that holds the upper substrate and a third holding member that holds a bonded substrate fabricated in a previous operation cycle.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the transfer robot holds an outer surface of the lower substrate in an approximately horizontal state with the first holding member of the first transfer arm and holds an outer surface of the upper substrate in an approximately horizontal state with the second holding member of the second transfer arm, wherein the transfer robot is programmed to carry the upper substrate into the process chamber by the second transfer arm to transfer the upper substrate to the first holding plate, to carry a bonded substrate fabricated in a previous operation cycle out of the process chamber by the second transfer arm, and to carry the lower substrate held by the first transfer arm into the process chamber.