JP2001244241A - Resist ashing equipment and wafer temperature increasing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain resist ashing equipment applicable to wafer heating before resist ashing treatment wherein wafer temperature before resist ashing treatment can be increased as desired without decreasing throughput capacity of the resist ashing equipment, so that throughput capacity of the equipment can be improved, and to provide a wafer temperature increasing method. SOLUTION: A temperature increasing means which increases the temperature of a wafer 1 by heat of a lamp 7 in installed in a vacuum stand-by chamber 4 connecting a resist ashing treatment chamber 6 (vacuum part) and an atmosphere. While the vacuum stand-by chamber 4 is made vacuous from the atmospheric pressure and in the case that the wafer 1 is treated just before, the wafer 1 stays only for its treatment time in the vacuum stand-by chamber 4 and the temperature of the wafer is increased up as desired during the stay time. As a result, desired ashing speed is obtained from just after start of the resist ashing treatment without decreasing throughput capacity of the equipment.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technology for increasing the temperature of a wafer before processing in a resist ashing apparatus, which is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly to a resist ashing processing without reducing the processing capacity of the resist ashing apparatus. It is possible to raise the temperature of the previous wafer to a desired temperature, and as a result, it is possible to improve the processing capability of the apparatus. It concerns the warming method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Ashing processing in a resist ashing apparatus is usually performed on a wafer stage heated to a temperature of about 250.degree. With conventional resist ashing equipment, a wafer transported at room temperature is placed on a high-temperature wafer stage in a resist ashing processing chamber, and then heated before the resist ashing processing, and then the resist ashing processing starts. (First prior art) or a method in which resist ashing is started without heating before such resist ashing (second prior art).

As a conventional technique for heating a wafer with a heater, for example, there is a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-189541 (third conventional technique).

[0004] Further, as a conventional technique of ozone asher using ultraviolet rays for removing the resist itself, for example,
There is one described in JP-A-6-201448 (fourth prior art). This patent uses ultraviolet light for resist removal itself, and does not include the concept of "preheating before resist removal" at all, and all claims contain "ozone" and "ultraviolet light". It is a limited patent.

[0005]

However, in the former method (first prior art) of performing a resist ashing process with preheating on a wafer stage, the heating time causes a reduction in the processing capability of the apparatus. There was a problem of becoming.

On the other hand, in the latter method (second prior art) in which resist ashing is performed without heating before processing, a decrease in the ash acceleration immediately after the start of the resist ashing due to a low wafer temperature is caused by the processing of the apparatus. There is a problem that it causes a decrease in ability. Further, in any of the above-described conventional techniques, there is also a problem that the processing capability of the apparatus is reduced mainly because the wafer temperature before the resist ashing process is not sufficiently high.

For this reason, it has been a problem to raise the wafer temperature to a desired temperature before the resist ashing process without lowering the processing capability of the apparatus.

In the third prior art, the wafer is heated by a heater. However, if the heater is heated in a high vacuum, the thermal conductivity is poor, and the temperature rise time becomes very long. As a result, there is a problem that the processing capacity is reduced.

The fourth prior art uses ultraviolet rays for removing the resist itself, and does not include the idea of preheating before removing the resist at all.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to raise the wafer temperature before a resist ashing process to a desired temperature without lowering the processing capacity of a resist ashing device. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a resist ashing apparatus and a wafer heating method applicable to heating of a wafer before a resist ashing process, whereby the processing capability of the apparatus can be improved.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a resist ashing apparatus comprising: a vacuum preparatory chamber provided between a resist ashing processing chamber, which is an atmosphere part and a vacuum part; Has a wafer heating lamp for heating the wafer.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the resist ashing apparatus, wherein the wafer for heating the wafer is provided outside the vacuum preparatory chamber provided between the atmospheric ashing section and the resist ashing processing chamber which is a vacuum section. A heating lamp is provided, and heating energy generated and output by the wafer heating lamp is given to the wafer through a transmission window provided on an outer wall of the vacuum preliminary chamber to heat the wafer.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a resist ashing apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the invention.
A control unit capable of controlling a heating energy generated and output by the wafer heating lamp and setting a wafer heating sequence.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the resist ashing apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, the control unit performs feedback temperature monitoring during execution of a wafer temperature increasing sequence in the vacuum preliminary chamber. To
The apparatus has means for feeding back as a setting condition of the temperature raising sequence of the wafer heating lamp.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the resist ashing apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, the control unit includes a wafer temperature data acquired by a temperature measuring sensor for measuring a substrate temperature of the wafer. And the irradiation intensity of the wafer heating lamp is adjusted based on the measured temperature value to appropriately control the wafer heating rate and the wafer temperature.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the resist ashing apparatus according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, the control unit is configured to control the wafer before the resist ashing process to perform the vacuum backup. During the time you stay in the room,
The apparatus has means for controlling the heating of the wafer by the wafer heating lamp without lowering the processing capability of the apparatus.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided a resist ashing apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein an infrared lamp is used as the wafer heating lamp.

According to a eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for raising a temperature of a wafer, comprising: a wafer carrier for accommodating a wafer; an atmosphere transfer arm provided in the atmosphere for transferring the wafer between the wafer carrier and the vacuum preliminary chamber; An atmosphere side gate valve which is a gate valve which includes a step of raising a wafer temperature by a heating lamp and which is connected to the resist ashing processing chamber at a subsequent stage and which is a gate valve for shutting off the inside of the vacuum preliminary chamber from the atmosphere; A resist ashing process chamber for performing a resist ashing process, and a wafer heating device provided inside a vacuum preliminary chamber interposed between the resist ashing process chamber, which is an atmospheric portion and a vacuum portion. A wafer heating lamp; a vacuum transfer arm for transferring a wafer between the vacuum preparatory chamber and the resist ashing processing chamber; A vacuum side gate valve that is a gate valve that shuts off the preparatory chamber, and a single-wafer resist ashing apparatus that is provided in the resist ashing processing chamber and includes a processing stage on which a wafer is mounted during the resist ashing processing. When the wafer is being processed while the vacuum preliminary chamber is being evacuated from the atmosphere and immediately before, the wafer is allowed to stay in the vacuum preliminary chamber for the processing time of the wafer, and the wafer is stored during the staying time. The control is performed to increase the temperature to a desired temperature.

In a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for raising a wafer temperature, comprising: a wafer carrier for accommodating a wafer; an atmosphere transport arm provided in the atmosphere for transporting the wafer between the wafer carrier and the vacuum preliminary chamber; An atmosphere side gate valve which is a gate valve which includes a step of raising a wafer temperature by a heating lamp and which is connected to the resist ashing processing chamber at a subsequent stage and which is a gate valve for shutting off the inside of the vacuum preliminary chamber from the atmosphere; A resist ashing chamber for performing a resist ashing process, and a wafer heating unit provided outside the vacuum preparatory chamber provided between the resist ashing chamber, which is an atmospheric part and a vacuum part. A wafer heating lamp, a vacuum transfer arm for transferring a wafer between the vacuum preparatory chamber and the resist ashing chamber, A vacuum-side gate valve that is a gate valve that shuts off the vacuum preparatory chamber, and a single-wafer type resist ashing apparatus that is provided in the resist ashing processing chamber and has a processing stage on which a wafer is mounted during resist ashing processing. On the other hand, the heating energy generated and output by the wafer heating lamp is applied to the wafer through a transmission window provided on the outer wall of the vacuum preliminary chamber to heat the wafer, and the vacuum preliminary chamber is evacuated from the atmosphere to a vacuum. While the wafer is being pulled, and when the wafer is being processed immediately before, the wafer is kept in the vacuum preparatory chamber for the processing time of the wafer, and control is performed to raise the wafer temperature to a desired temperature during the stay time. Things.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the wafer temperature increasing method according to the eighth or ninth aspect, the heating energy generated and output by the wafer heating lamp is controlled to increase the temperature of the wafer. Is provided.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the method of the tenth aspect, the control step includes the step of performing feedback monitoring during the execution of a temperature increasing sequence of the wafer temperature in the pre-vacuum chamber. To
The method includes a step of feeding back as a setting condition of the temperature raising sequence of the wafer heating lamp.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the method of the tenth aspect, the control step comprises the step of controlling the wafer temperature data obtained by a temperature measuring sensor for measuring a substrate temperature of the wafer. And the irradiation intensity is adjusted based on the measured temperature value to appropriately control the wafer heating rate and the wafer temperature.

[0023]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The feature of each embodiment described below is that the wafer temperature is increased by a wafer heating lamp 7 in a pre-vacuum chamber 4 connecting a resist ashing processing chamber 6 (vacuum section) and an atmosphere section. Means for causing the wafer 1 to stay in the vacuum preparatory chamber 4 for the processing time while the vacuum preparatory chamber 4 is being evacuated from the atmosphere and immediately before and when the wafer 1 is being processed. The configuration is such that the wafer temperature is raised to a desired temperature during time. That is, by providing the wafer heating lamp 7 in the vacuum preparatory chamber 4, the wafer 1 before the resist ashing process stays in the vacuum preparatory chamber 4 without lowering the processing capacity of the apparatus, and The heating of the wafer 1 by the heating lamp 7 becomes possible. As a result, the desired ashing rate can be obtained immediately after the start of the resist ashing process without reducing the processing capability of the apparatus. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Embodiment 1 Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining a single-wafer resist ashing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a wafer, 2 denotes a wafer carrier, 3 denotes an atmospheric transfer arm, 4
Denotes a vacuum spare chamber, 5 denotes an atmosphere side gate valve, 6 denotes a resist ashing processing chamber, 7 denotes a wafer heating lamp, 8 denotes a vacuum transfer arm, 9 denotes a vacuum side gate valve, and 10 denotes a processing stage.

Referring to FIG. 1, a single wafer type resist ashing apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a wafer carrier 2 for accommodating a wafer 1 and a wafer carrier 2 provided in the atmosphere and a vacuum preparatory chamber 4. 1, a vacuum preparatory chamber 4 provided with an atmosphere transport arm 3 for transporting the wafer 1, a means for raising the wafer temperature by heating a wafer heating lamp 7, and connected to a resist ashing processing chamber 6 at the subsequent stage, and the inside of the vacuum preparatory chamber 4. Gate valve 5 that is a gate valve that shuts off the air and the atmosphere.
A resist ashing chamber 6 for performing a resist ashing process, a wafer heating lamp 7 provided inside the vacuum preliminary chamber 4, and a wafer 1 between the vacuum preliminary chamber 4 and the resist ashing chamber 6. Transfer arm 8, a vacuum side gate valve 9 which is a gate valve for shutting off the inside of the resist ashing processing chamber 6 and the vacuum preparatory chamber 4, and a resist ashing process provided in the resist ashing processing chamber 6. It is characterized by having a processing stage 10 on which the wafer 1 is sometimes placed.

Next, the operation (wafer heating method) of the single wafer type resist ashing apparatus of this embodiment will be described. Referring to FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, first, a wafer 1 to be subjected to a resist ashing process is taken out of a wafer carrier 2 by an atmospheric transfer arm 3 and carried into a vacuum preliminary chamber 4 in an atmospheric state. Subsequently, after the wafer 1 is transferred, the atmosphere side gate valve 5 which is on the atmosphere side of the vacuum preparatory chamber 4 is closed, and the vacuum preparatory chamber 4 is ashed by a vacuum pump (not shown) as a resist in a vacuum section. Evacuation is performed until the pressure reaches a level corresponding to the degree of vacuum in the processing chamber 6. During this evacuation time and during the continuous processing until the processing of the wafer 1 that has been processed in the resist ashing processing chamber 6 immediately before is completed, the wafer 1 before the resist ashing processing is placed in the vacuum preparatory chamber 4. Will stay. During this stay period, the wafer 1 is heated to a desired temperature by the wafer heating lamp 7 provided in the pre-vacuum chamber 4. Thereafter, the wafer 1 is held at a high temperature set in the resist ashing processing chamber 6 by a vacuum section transfer arm 8 which is in the vacuum preparatory chamber 4 through a vacuum side gate valve 9 on the vacuum side. It is placed on the stage 10 and undergoes a resist ashing process. At this time, since the wafer 1 is heated to a desired temperature, the resist ashing process can be performed without lowering the resist ashing speed.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to raise the wafer temperature before the resist ashing process to a desired temperature without reducing the processing capability of the resist ashing device. As a result, the processing time required for resist incineration can be shortened, and as a result, the processing capability of the apparatus can be improved.

Embodiment 2 Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a single-wafer resist ashing apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a wafer, 2 denotes a wafer carrier, 3 denotes an atmospheric transfer arm, 4
Denotes a vacuum spare chamber, 5 denotes an atmosphere side gate valve, 6 denotes a resist ashing processing chamber, 7 denotes a wafer heating lamp, 8 denotes a vacuum transfer arm, 9 denotes a vacuum side gate valve, and 10 denotes a processing stage.

Referring to FIG. 2, a single-wafer resist ashing apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a wafer carrier 2 for accommodating a wafer 1 and a wafer carrier 2 provided in the atmosphere and between the wafer carrier 2 and the vacuum preparatory chamber 4. 1, a vacuum preparatory chamber 4 provided with an atmosphere transport arm 3 for transporting the wafer 1, a means for raising the wafer temperature by heating a wafer heating lamp 7, and connected to a resist ashing processing chamber 6 at the subsequent stage, and the inside of the vacuum preparatory chamber 4. Gate valve 5 that is a gate valve that shuts off the air and the atmosphere.
A resist ashing process chamber 6 for performing a resist ashing process, a wafer heating lamp 7 provided outside (outside wall) of the vacuum preparatory chamber 4, a vacuum preparatory room 4, and a resist ashing process chamber 6. Vacuum transport arm 8 for transporting wafer 1 between
A vacuum side gate valve 9 which is a gate valve for shutting off the inside of the resist ashing processing chamber 6 from the vacuum preparatory chamber 4, and a processing provided in the resist ashing processing chamber 6 for mounting the wafer 1 during the resist ashing processing The feature is that the stage 10 is provided.

In the present embodiment, although not shown in FIG. 2, a quartz transmission window is provided on the outer wall of the vacuum preparatory chamber 4 where the wafer heating lamp 7 is installed. The light from the lamp 7 is applied to the wafer 1 so that the wafer 1 can be heated.

In the resist ashing apparatus of the present embodiment, the wafer temperature before the resist ashing processing can be increased to a desired temperature without lowering the processing capacity of the resist ashing apparatus. As a result, the processing time required for resist ashing can be reduced, and as a result, the processing capability of the apparatus can be improved. In addition, although the heating efficiency of the wafer 1 by the wafer heating lamp 7 is lower than that of the resist ashing apparatus of the first embodiment, since the wafer heating lamp 7 is on the atmosphere side, the wafer heating lamp 7 needs to be replaced. It is considered that the present embodiment is superior in terms of maintainability.

Embodiment 3 FIG. Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a pre-vacuum chamber 4 of a single-wafer resist ashing apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In FIG. 3, 1 is a wafer, 4 is a vacuum preparatory chamber, 5 is an atmosphere side gate valve, 6 is a resist ashing processing chamber, 7 is a wafer heating lamp, 8 is a vacuum transfer arm, 9 is a vacuum side gate valve, 10 is a processing stage, 11 is a temperature measurement sensor, 12
Indicates a control unit.

Referring to FIG. 3, the single-wafer resist ashing apparatus according to the present embodiment is provided with a means for raising the wafer temperature by heating a wafer heating lamp 7 and is connected to a subsequent resist ashing processing chamber 6. Vacuum preparatory chamber 4 and vacuum preparatory chamber 4
An atmosphere side gate valve 5 which is a gate valve for shutting off the inside and the atmosphere, a resist ashing process chamber 6 for performing a resist ashing process, and a wafer provided outside the vacuum preparatory chamber 4 (outside wall). A heating lamp 7, a vacuum transfer arm 8 for transferring the wafer 1 between the vacuum preparatory chamber 4 and the resist ashing chamber 6, and a gate valve for shutting off the inside of the resist ashing chamber 6 and the vacuum preparatory chamber 4. A vacuum side gate valve 9, a processing stage 10 provided in the resist ashing processing chamber 6, on which the wafer 1 is mounted during the resist ashing processing, a temperature measurement sensor 11 for measuring the substrate temperature of the wafer 1, It is characterized in that a control unit 12 for the lamp 7 is provided. As the temperature measurement sensor 11, for example, a sensor for measuring the temperature of the wafer 1 by measuring thermal radiation energy from the wafer 1 or a thermocouple provided in close contact with the wafer 1 can be used.
As the control unit 12 of the wafer heating lamp 7, for example, a power controller that controls the power applied to the wafer heating lamp 7 can be used.

Next, the operation of the resist ashing apparatus (wafer heating method) will be described. In the present embodiment, the wafer temperature acquired by the temperature measurement sensor 11 is sent to the control unit 12 of the wafer heating lamp 7. The control unit 12 of the wafer heating lamp 7 adjusts the irradiation intensity based on the measured temperature value. Thereby, the wafer 1
It is possible to appropriately control the temperature rising speed and the wafer temperature.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and that the embodiments can be appropriately modified within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. Further, the number, position, shape, and the like of the constituent members are not limited to the above-described embodiment,
The number, position, shape, and the like suitable for carrying out the present invention can be obtained. In each drawing, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0036]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the wafer preheating chamber is provided between the atmosphere part and the resist ashing processing chamber which is a vacuum part. Since the wafer heating lamp is provided, the wafer can be heated in a short time even under a high vacuum. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the degree of vacuum for heating, and the wafer can be heated in a short time even under a high vacuum. This allows
The wafer temperature before the resist ashing process can be increased to a desired temperature without reducing the processing capability of the resist ashing device. As a result, the processing time required for the resist ashing can be shortened, and as a result, the processing capability of the apparatus can be improved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, as described above, the wafer heating for wafer heating is provided outside the vacuum preparatory chamber interposed between the atmosphere ashing section and the resist ashing processing chamber. A heating lamp, and heating energy generated and output by the wafer heating lamp is given to the wafer through a transmission window provided on an outer wall of the vacuum preliminary chamber to heat the wafer, so that the wafer can be heated even under a high vacuum. Heating can be performed in a short time. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the degree of vacuum for heating, and the wafer can be heated in a short time even under a high vacuum. This makes it possible to increase the wafer temperature before the resist ashing process to a desired temperature without reducing the processing capability of the resist ashing device. As a result, the processing time required for resist ashing can be reduced, and as a result, the processing capability of the apparatus can be improved. In addition, although the heating efficiency of the wafer by the wafer heating lamp is reduced, since the wafer heating lamp is on the atmosphere side, there is an effect that the maintenance performance such as replacement of the wafer heating lamp can be improved.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, as described above, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the heating energy generated and output by the wafer heating lamp is controlled to execute the wafer temperature increasing sequence. With the control unit that can be set, in addition to the effects described in the first or second aspect, there is an effect that it is possible to appropriately control the temperature rising rate of the wafer and the wafer temperature.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, as described above, in the third aspect of the present invention, the control unit controls the temperature which is feedback-monitored at the time of executing a wafer temperature increasing sequence in the vacuum preliminary chamber. 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: means for feeding back as a setting condition of the heating sequence of the wafer heating lamp.
In addition to the effects described in (1), there is an effect that it is possible to appropriately perform feedback control on the wafer temperature rising rate and the wafer temperature.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, as described above, in the third aspect of the present invention, the control unit converts the wafer temperature data acquired by the temperature measurement sensor for measuring the substrate temperature of the wafer. 4. Since the irradiation intensity is adjusted based on the value of the received measurement temperature to appropriately control the rate of temperature rise of the wafer and the wafer temperature, the wafer acquired by the temperature measurement sensor in addition to the effect according to claim 3 above. By adjusting the irradiation intensity by the control unit of the wafer heating lamp based on the temperature value, it is possible to appropriately control the temperature rising rate of the wafer and the wafer temperature.

As described above, in the invention according to claim 6, in the invention according to any one of claims 3 to 5, the control unit is configured to control the wafer before the resist ashing process into the vacuum preliminary chamber. 6. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means for controlling heating of the wafer by the wafer heating lamp without lowering the processing capability of the apparatus during the time of staying in the apparatus. In addition to the above, there is an effect that a reduction in apparatus processing capacity can be avoided.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, as described above, an infrared lamp is used as the wafer heating lamp in the first aspect of the present invention. Wafer infrared heating can be performed in a short time. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the degree of vacuum for heating, and at the same time, there is an effect that the wafer can be heated using infrared rays in a short time even under a high vacuum.

According to the present invention, as described above, a wafer carrier for accommodating a wafer, an atmosphere transfer arm provided in the atmosphere for transferring the wafer between the wafer carrier and the vacuum preliminary chamber, A vacuum preparatory chamber connected to the resist ashing processing chamber at the subsequent stage comprising a wafer temperature increasing step by heating the lamp for;
An atmosphere-side gate valve that is a gate valve that shuts off the inside of the vacuum preliminary chamber and the atmosphere, a resist ashing chamber for performing a resist ashing process, and the resist ashing chamber that is an atmosphere and a vacuum A wafer heating lamp for heating a wafer provided inside a vacuum preliminary chamber interposed between the vacuum preliminary chamber and a vacuum transfer arm for transporting a wafer between the vacuum preliminary chamber and the resist ashing processing chamber; A vacuum gate valve that is a gate valve that shuts off the inside of the resist ashing chamber and the vacuum preparatory chamber, and a processing stage provided in the resist ashing chamber and on which a wafer is mounted during the resist ashing process. For a leaf-type resist ashing apparatus, the wafer is processed while the vacuum pre-chamber is being evacuated from the atmosphere and immediately before the wafer is processed. Since the time duration only the preliminary vacuum chamber to stay in wafer temperature during the residence time performs control for increasing to the desired temperature, allows in a short time wafer heating even under high vacuum. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the degree of vacuum for heating, and the wafer can be heated in a short time even under a high vacuum. This makes it possible to increase the wafer temperature before the resist ashing process to a desired temperature without reducing the processing capability of the resist ashing device. As a result, the processing time required for the resist ashing can be shortened, and as a result, the processing capability of the apparatus can be improved.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wafer carrier for accommodating a wafer, an atmosphere transfer arm provided in the atmosphere for transferring the wafer between the wafer carrier and the vacuum preliminary chamber, and A vacuum preparatory chamber connected to the resist ashing processing chamber at the subsequent stage comprising a wafer temperature increasing step by heating the lamp for;
An atmosphere-side gate valve that is a gate valve that shuts off the inside of the vacuum preliminary chamber and the atmosphere, a resist ashing chamber for performing a resist ashing process, and the resist ashing chamber that is an atmosphere and a vacuum A wafer heating lamp for heating a wafer provided outside the vacuum preliminary chamber interposed between the vacuum preliminary chamber and a vacuum transfer arm for transporting a wafer between the vacuum preliminary chamber and the resist ashing processing chamber, A vacuum side gate valve which is a gate valve for shutting off the inside of the resist ashing processing chamber and the vacuum preparatory chamber, and a processing stage provided in the resist ashing processing chamber and for mounting a wafer during the resist ashing processing. The heating energy generated and output by the wafer heating lamp is supplied to the wafer ashing type resist incinerator through a transmission window provided on the outer wall of the vacuum preliminary chamber. And heating the wafer to cause the wafer to stay in the vacuum prechamber for the processing time of the wafer while the vacuum prechamber is being vacuumed from the atmosphere and immediately before and when the wafer is being processed. Since the control for raising the wafer temperature to a desired temperature is performed during the stay time, the wafer can be heated in a short time even under a high vacuum. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the degree of vacuum for heating, and the wafer can be heated in a short time even under a high vacuum. This makes it possible to increase the wafer temperature before the resist ashing process to a desired temperature without reducing the processing capability of the resist ashing device. As a result, the processing time required for resist ashing can be reduced, and as a result, the processing capability of the apparatus can be improved. In addition, although the heating efficiency of the wafer by the wafer heating lamp is reduced, there is an effect that the maintenance property such as replacement of the wafer heating lamp can be improved because the wafer heating lamp is on the atmosphere side.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, as described above, in the eighth or ninth aspect of the present invention, the heating energy generated and output by the wafer heating lamp is controlled to execute the wafer temperature increasing sequence. Since there is a control step that can be set, in addition to the effects described in claim 8 or 9, there is an effect that it is possible to appropriately control the temperature rising rate of the wafer and the wafer temperature.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, as described above, in the tenth aspect of the present invention, the control step includes controlling the temperature which is feedback-monitored at the time of executing the temperature increasing sequence of the wafer temperature in the vacuum preliminary chamber. 11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising a step of feeding back as a setting condition of a temperature raising sequence of the wafer heating lamp.
In addition to the effects described in (1), there is an effect that it is possible to appropriately perform feedback control on the wafer temperature rising rate and the wafer temperature.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, as described above, in the tenth aspect of the present invention, the control step includes the step of converting the data of the wafer temperature acquired by the temperature measuring sensor for measuring the substrate temperature of the wafer. Since the irradiation intensity is adjusted based on the value of the received measurement temperature to appropriately control the temperature rise rate of the wafer and the wafer temperature, the wafer acquired by the temperature measurement sensor in addition to the effect of the above-described claim 10 is obtained. By adjusting the irradiation intensity by the control unit of the wafer heating lamp based on the temperature value, it is possible to appropriately control the temperature rising rate of the wafer and the wafer temperature.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view for explaining a single-wafer resist ashing apparatus (an apparatus in which a wafer heating lamp is inside a pre-vacuum chamber) according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a single-wafer resist ashing apparatus (apparatus in which a wafer heating lamp is outside a vacuum prechamber) according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a pre-vacuum chamber of a single-wafer resist ashing apparatus (an apparatus provided with a wafer temperature sensor and a lamp control unit) according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 wafer, 2 wafer carrier, 3 atmosphere transfer arm, 4 vacuum preparatory chamber, 5 atmosphere side gate valve, 6 resist ashing processing chamber, 7 wafer heating lamp, 8 vacuum section transfer arm, 9 vacuum side gate valve, 10 Processing stage, 11 temperature measurement sensor, 12 control unit.

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A resist ashing apparatus comprising: a wafer heating lamp for heating a wafer inside a vacuum preparatory chamber interposed between an atmospheric part and a resist ashing processing chamber which is a vacuum part. 2. A wafer heating lamp is provided outside the vacuum preparatory chamber interposed between the atmospheric part and the resist ashing processing chamber which is a vacuum part, and the wafer heating lamp is generated and output. A resist ashing apparatus, wherein heating energy is applied to a wafer through a transmission window provided on an outer wall of the vacuum preparatory chamber to heat the wafer. 3. The resist ashing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit capable of controlling a heating energy generated and output by the wafer heating lamp and setting a wafer heating sequence. . 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit has a means for feeding back a temperature monitored by feedback during execution of a temperature raising sequence of the wafer temperature in the vacuum preliminary chamber as a setting condition of the temperature raising sequence of the wafer heating lamp. The resist ashing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: 5. The control unit receives data of a wafer temperature acquired by a temperature measurement sensor for measuring a substrate temperature of a wafer, and adjusts an irradiation intensity of the wafer heating lamp based on the measured temperature value. 4. The resist ashing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the temperature rising rate of the wafer and the wafer temperature are appropriately controlled. 6. The control unit controls heating of the wafer by the wafer heating lamp without lowering the processing capability of the apparatus during the time that the wafer before the resist ashing process stays in the vacuum preparatory chamber. The resist ashing apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising means for performing: 7. The resist ashing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an infrared lamp is used as the wafer heating lamp. 8. A wafer carrier for accommodating a wafer, an atmosphere transfer arm provided in the atmosphere for transferring the wafer between the wafer carrier and the vacuum preliminary chamber, and a step of raising the wafer temperature by a wafer heating lamp. A vacuum preparatory chamber connected to the subsequent resist ashing processing chamber, an atmosphere-side gate valve that is a gate valve for shutting off the inside of the vacuum preparatory chamber from the atmosphere, and a resist ash for performing a resist ashing process. And a wafer heating lamp for heating a wafer provided inside a vacuum preparatory chamber interposed between the resist ashing processing chamber, which is an atmosphere part and a vacuum part, the vacuum preparatory chamber and the A vacuum transfer arm for transferring a wafer between the resist ashing processing chambers, and a vacuum side gate serving as a gate valve for shutting off the inside of the resist ashing processing chamber and the vacuum preliminary chamber. For a single-wafer resist ashing apparatus provided in the resist ashing processing chamber and provided with a processing stage for mounting a wafer during the resist ashing processing, the vacuum preparatory chamber is evacuated from the atmosphere to a vacuum. During and immediately before the wafer is being processed, the wafer is kept in the vacuum preparatory chamber for the processing time of the wafer, and control is performed to raise the wafer temperature to a desired temperature during the stay time. Characteristic wafer heating method. 9. A wafer carrier for accommodating a wafer, an atmosphere transfer arm provided in the atmosphere for transferring the wafer between the wafer carrier and the vacuum preparatory chamber, and a step of raising the wafer temperature by a wafer heating lamp. A vacuum preparatory chamber connected to the subsequent resist ashing processing chamber, an atmosphere-side gate valve that is a gate valve for shutting off the inside of the vacuum preparatory chamber from the atmosphere, and a resist ash for performing a resist ashing process. And a wafer heating lamp for heating a wafer provided outside the vacuum preparatory chamber interposed between the resist ashing processing chamber, which is an atmospheric part and a vacuum part, and the vacuum preparatory chamber. A vacuum section transfer arm for transferring a wafer between the resist ashing chambers, and a vacuum as a gate valve for shutting off the inside of the resist ashing chamber and the vacuum preliminary chamber The wafer heating lamp is generated and output to a single-wafer resist ashing apparatus provided with a side gate valve and a processing stage provided in the resist ashing processing chamber and mounting a wafer during the resist ashing processing. Heating energy is applied to the wafer through a transmission window provided on the outer wall of the vacuum preliminary chamber to heat the wafer, and the wafer is processed while the vacuum preliminary chamber is evacuated from the atmosphere and immediately before. And controlling the wafer to stay in the vacuum preparatory chamber for the processing time of the wafer and raising the wafer temperature to a desired temperature during the staying time. 10. The wafer heating method according to claim 8, further comprising a control step of controlling a heating energy generated and output by the wafer heating lamp to set a wafer heating sequence. . 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the controlling step includes a step of feeding back a temperature monitored by feedback during execution of a temperature raising sequence of the wafer temperature in the vacuum preliminary chamber as a setting condition of the temperature raising sequence of the wafer heating lamp. The method according to claim 10, wherein the temperature of the wafer is increased. 12. The control step includes receiving data of a wafer temperature obtained by a temperature measurement sensor for measuring a substrate temperature of the wafer, adjusting irradiation intensity based on the value of the measured temperature, and controlling a temperature rise rate of the wafer and 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the wafer temperature is appropriately controlled.