JP2000164503A - Rotation processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To validly collect fluid which flows into a substrate or the shaft of a chuck. SOLUTION: A bottom part 5 of a cup 3 is provided as a double structure constituted of an upper plate 14 and a lower plate 15, and the inside part is obtained as a trap space S. Also, an inside rectifying ring 18 used at development processing to a substrate W in a small dimension is mounted on an upper support piece 17c so that position adjustment can be attained, and an outside rectifying ring 20 to be used at development processing through a support piece 19 to a substrate W in a large dimension is mounted on the inside of an outside wall 4 of the cup 3 capable of being position adjustable.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rotary processing apparatus for applying a developing solution, a cleaning solution, an SOG solution, a resist solution and the like to a substrate such as a glass substrate or a semiconductor wafer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An apparatus for rotating a substrate such as a glass substrate or a semiconductor wafer and supplying a liquid such as a developing solution to the surface of the substrate to perform a predetermined process is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-32.
An apparatus disclosed in 1460 is known.

In this apparatus, a chuck for holding and rotating a substrate in a fixed cup is arranged, and a case (outer cup) having a quadrangular shape in a plan view is arranged outside the cup. Is provided as a detour passage, clean air is supplied to the lower surface side of the substrate via the detour passage, and the supplied clean air is guided radially outward along the lower surface of the substrate.

Further, in the above apparatus, a drain duct and an exhaust duct are separately provided, the drain duct penetrates downward from the outer peripheral portion of the cup through the bottom of the case, and the exhaust duct is the drain duct. At the inner side in the radial direction, it penetrates the case bottom surface and hangs downward.

[0005]

In the above-mentioned conventional rotary processing apparatus, the inner wall surface of the cup itself is used as a guide surface in order to collect the processing liquid scattered from the substrate. In this case, since the rotation speed of the substrate is low, the force of the liquid hitting the inner wall surface of the cup is weak, and it is rather difficult to collect the liquid. In particular, when the developing process is performed on a large-sized substrate, the diameter of the cup increases, so that it adheres to other parts before hitting the inner wall surface of the cup, and is difficult to collect.

In particular, when a large-sized cup capable of processing a large-sized substrate is used for developing a small-sized glass substrate, the distance from the substrate to the inner wall of the cup is too large. , Further reducing the collection efficiency.

On the other hand, not only the substrate but also the chuck and the shaft of the chuck are rotating during the processing.
For this reason, the liquid that has reached the axis of the chuck is scattered by the rotation of the axis, adheres to the back side of the bottom surface of the cup, or the like, and is dried to become fine particles, which may fall on the substrate surface. Further, fine particles or the like generated by the rotation of the rotating shaft may fall on the substrate surface.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in order to effectively collect the liquid scattered from the substrate, the liquid scattered from the substrate is collected in a cup of a rotary processing apparatus. And an outer rectifying ring that guides the liquid scattered from the substrate to the recovery port was provided inside the outer peripheral wall of the cup.

In a rotary processing apparatus for processing a large-sized substrate, by providing an inner rectifying ring detachably inside the outer rectifying ring, it is possible to cope with a substrate having a conventional size as it is.

In order to effectively collect the liquid scattered from the rotating shaft of the chuck, the invention according to claim 3 is to open the bottom of the cup of the rotary processing apparatus toward the rotating shaft of the chuck. The inside of this double structure was used as a trap space for collecting liquid scattered from the rotating shaft of the chuck, particles generated by rotation of the rotating shaft, and the like.

In the above-mentioned rotary processing apparatus, the liquid can be more effectively recovered by inclining the trap space downward toward the outside in the radial direction.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, FIG. 1 is an overall side view of the rotation processing apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the rotation processing apparatus, FIG.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, a rotary processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention is disposed below a clean air blowing portion including a duct D and a filter F, and a floor G is shaped like a saw-tooth. The structure allows air to escape downward, creating an atmosphere in which fine dust hardly adheres to the surface during development processing.

In the rotation processing device 1, a ring-shaped cup 3 is arranged in a case 2 having a rectangular shape in plan view. The cup 3 is composed of an outer wall 4 and a bottom portion 5. The outer wall 4 gradually decreases in diameter upward, and a rectifying cylinder 6 is provided at the upper end opening.

The rectifying cylinder 6 can be moved up and down by a cylinder unit 7 so as to be lowered when the substrate W is loaded into the rotary processing apparatus 1 so as not to hinder the loading of the substrate W, and to be raised during the development processing. However, turbulence is hardly generated in the cup 3.

On the other hand, the bottom 5 of the cup 3 has a double structure consisting of an upper plate 14 and a lower plate 15. These upper plates 1
The lower plate 4 and the lower plate 15 have a donut shape surrounding the spinner shaft 9 in a plan view, and the surface of the upper plate 14 is coated with a fluororesin so that the developer dropped on the surface flows smoothly. And a space surrounded by the lower plate 15 is a trap space S in which an opening 8 is formed toward the spinner axis 9.

Here, a disadvantage occurs when only one of the upper plate 14 and the lower plate 15 is used. That is, if the lower plate 15 is omitted, the liquid that has reached the spinner shaft 9 is scattered toward the back surface of the upper plate 14 by rotation, and when the attached liquid is dried, it becomes fine particles and goes around the substrate surface. If the upper plate 14 is omitted, the space inside the cup becomes too large and turbulence is generated.

As described above, the trap space S is a space for mainly collecting the liquid that has reached the spinner axis 9. Also, one or more drain outlets 16
A plurality of drain outlets 26 are provided where the upper plate 14 and the lower plate 15 are inclined downward and merge. If the opening of the drain outlet 16 is higher than the lower plate 15 by 3 mm or more, the liquid is discharged from the drain outlet 26 without entering the drain outlet 16, and contamination of the exhaust system is reduced. Can be prevented. Further, since the trap space S itself is inclined downward toward the outside in the radial direction, the liquid once collected in the trap space S does not go around the bearing portion.

The spinner shaft 9 is rotated by a motor 11 mounted on a base 10 and can be moved up and down by the operation of a cylinder unit 12. Further, a chuck 13 for sucking and holding the substrate W is provided on the upper end of the spinner shaft 9. Installed.

The upper plate 14 and the lower plate 15 are attached to the base 10 via support pieces 17. The support piece 17 includes a lower support piece 17a, an intermediate support piece 17b, and an upper support piece 17c, and the lower plate 1 is placed on the lower support piece 17a.
5 is fixed with bolts or the like, and the upper plate 14 is placed on the intermediate support piece 17b.
Are fixed by bolts or the like, and an inner rectifying ring 18 used when developing a small-sized substrate W is mounted on the upper support piece 17c so as to be position-adjustable.

On the inner side of the side wall 4 of the cup 3, an outer rectifying ring 20 used for performing development processing on a large-sized substrate W via a support piece 19 is attached so as to be adjustable in position. When developing a large-sized substrate W,
By removing the upper support piece 17c from the intermediate support piece 17b, the inner rectifying ring 18 is removed from the inside of the cup 3.

On the other hand, the inside of the case 2 and the inside of the ring-shaped cup 3 communicate with each other through a recovery port 21. In particular, at least one of the four corners of the case 2 has an exhaust / drain port 22 on the bottom surface. In the exhaust / drain port 22, a foreign matter collecting member 23 made of a wire mesh or the like is detachably provided.

A rectifying plate 24 for guiding gas and liquid from the inside of the ring-shaped cup 3 to the exhaust / drain port 22 is disposed above the exhaust / drain port 22.
A maintenance port 25 is formed on the upper surface of the case 2 above.

In the above, the substrate W after the exposure processing has been completed.
When the cylinder unit 12 is operated to raise the chuck 13 together with the spinner shaft 9 and at the same time the cylinder unit 7 is operated to lower the rectifying cylinder 6, the substrate W And is placed on the chuck 13.

Thereafter, the cylinder unit 12 is operated in the reverse direction to lower the chuck 13, and a developing solution is supplied to the surface of the substrate W from a nozzle (not shown) so as to be filled.
Then, immediately before the rotation processing, the cylinder unit 7 is operated in the reverse direction to raise the flow straightening cylinder 6. As the supply nozzle for the developer, for example, a slit nozzle is preferable.

After a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the developing solution was applied to the surface of the substrate W as described above, the motor 11 is driven to rotate the substrate W, and the developing solution applied on the substrate W is removed. The rotation speed at this time is 5 to 200 rpm. The rotation time is set to 0.1 to 10 seconds.

This rotation speed is extremely low as compared with the rotation speed at the time of drying the developing solution. By rotating at such a low speed, the speed of the developing solution removed from the substrate W by centrifugal force is reduced. Then, a large proportion of the developer scattered from the substrate W falls on the upper plate 14 constituting the cup bottom 5, flows radially outward along the inclination of the upper plate 14, and is discharged. The liquid flows into a developer collection pocket (not shown) via the liquid discharge port 26, is collected in a tank by driving a pump, and is reused.

The unrecovered developer and exhaust gas are guided to the current plate 24 and discharged from the exhaust / drain port 22 to the outside. If the substrate W is damaged, small debris is collected in the foreign matter collecting member 23. Therefore, after the rotation of the substrate W is stopped, a hand is inserted through the maintenance port 25 to remove the foreign matter collecting member 23. The foreign matter collecting member 23 is removed, and the debris that has entered the foreign matter collecting member 23 is removed. The foreign matter collecting member 23 is set in the exhaust / drain port 22 again to prepare for the next process.

[0029]

According to the present invention as described above,
A recovery port for collecting liquid scattered from the substrate is provided in the cup of the rotary processing device, and an outer rectifying ring that guides the liquid scattered from the substrate to the recovery port is attached inside the outer peripheral wall of the cup, so that the liquid scatters from the substrate. Liquid can be effectively recovered. Particularly, by providing the inner rectifying ring detachably inside the outer rectifying ring, the liquid can be effectively collected regardless of the size of the substrate.

Further, according to the present invention, the bottom of the cup of the rotary processing device has a double structure that opens toward the rotation axis of the chuck, and the inside of the double structure is formed by a liquid or the like that has passed around the rotation axis of the chuck. , Particles generated by drying of the coating liquid,
Further, since a trap space for collecting particles and the like generated by the rotation of the rotating shaft is provided, these can be effectively collected. In particular, by inclining the trap space downward toward the outside in the radial direction, the liquid can be more effectively collected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall side view of a rotation processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the rotation processing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the rotary processing device taken along line AA.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Rotating apparatus, 2 ... Rectangular case, 3 ... Ring-shaped cup, 4 ... Cup side wall, 5 ... Cup bottom, 6 ... Rectifying cylinder, 7, 12 ... Cylinder unit, 8 ... Opening, 9 ... Spinner shaft Reference numeral 10: base, 11: motor, 13: chuck, 14: upper plate, 15: lower plate, 16: drain outlet, 1
7 ... support piece, 18 ... inner rectifying ring, 20 ... outer rectifying ring, 21 ... recovery port, 22 ... exhaust / drainage port, 23 ... foreign matter recovery member, 24 ... rectifier plate, 25 ... maintenance port, 26
… The drain outlet, S… trap space.

Claims (4)

[Claims] In a rotary processing apparatus, a chuck is disposed in a cup, and the substrate is held and rotated by the chuck to supply a liquid dropped on the substrate surface to the entire substrate surface. A rotation port provided with a recovery port for recovering the liquid scattered from the substrate, and an outer rectifying ring for guiding the liquid scattered from the substrate to the recovery port provided inside the outer peripheral wall of the cup; apparatus. 2. The rotation processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an inner rectification ring is detachably provided inside the outer rectification ring. 3. A rotary processing apparatus in which a chuck is disposed in a cup, and the substrate is held and rotated by the chuck to supply a liquid dropped on the substrate surface to the entire substrate surface. Has a double structure that opens toward the rotation axis of the chuck, and the interior of the double structure is a trap space for collecting liquid scattered from the rotation axis of the chuck, particles generated from the rotation axis, and the like. Rotation processing device. 4. The rotation processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the trap space is inclined downward toward the outside in the radial direction.