JP2002198304A - Treatment liquid supply system and treatment liquid supply method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a fine control easily possible for a position of a supply nozzle of resist liquid so that the resist liquid is accurately supplied to a fixed position on a wafer. SOLUTION: A transfer equipment 67 which holds a resist liquid supply nozzle 66 and transports it onto the wafer W is installed free to move on a rail 80 elongating in the direction of X. A cylinder is installed at a vertical arm portion 78, and is made extensible in the direction of Z. A driving belt 81 is provided at a horizontal arm portion 79, a nozzle holding member 75 is made free to move in the direction of Y by the driving belt 81. By such configuration, the supply nozzle 66 held by the nozzle holding member 75 becomes free to move three dimensionally, and the fine control of the resist liquid supply position can be performed accurately and easily.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a processing liquid supply apparatus and a processing liquid supply method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a photolithography process in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a resist solution is applied to a surface of a substrate, for example, a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, referred to as a "wafer") to form a resist film. Exposure processing for exposing the pattern, development processing for developing the exposed wafer, and the like are performed to form a predetermined circuit pattern on the wafer.

The above-described resist coating process is usually performed by a resist coating device. In this resist coating device,
For example, as shown in FIG. 15, a spin chuck 120 for mounting and rotating a wafer during application of a resist solution, a plurality of resist solution supply nozzles 121 for supplying the resist solution to the wafer from above the center of the wafer, and the supply of the resist solution A transport device 122 that holds and transports the nozzle 121 is provided.

The transfer device 122 has a nozzle holding member 123 that can hold the resist liquid supply nozzle 121 in a suspended manner, and an arm 124 to which the nozzle holding member 123 is fixed. The arm 124 is
Rail 1 extending in the X direction beside spin chuck 120
25 so as to be movable. In addition, arm part 1
Reference numeral 24 is also configured to be movable in the Z direction. When the arm 124 moves above the center of the wafer W, the nozzle holding member 123 is positioned above the center of the wafer W.
The nozzle holding member 123 is provided fixed to the arm 124.

Before the resist liquid supply nozzle 121 is held by the nozzle holding member 123, the spin chuck 1
It is on standby in the nozzle box 126 located on the side of 20. This nozzle box 126 is movable in the Y direction. When the resist liquid supply nozzle 121 is replaced, the nozzle box 126 moves in the Y direction, and the resist liquid supply nozzle 121 to be held next moves below the nozzle holding member 123.

Therefore, in this resist coating apparatus, the nozzle holding member 123 holds the resist solution supply nozzle 121 waiting in the nozzle box 126 by moving the arm portion 124 in the X and Z directions, and The resist coating process has been performed by moving the supply nozzle 121 to above the center of the wafer and then supplying the resist liquid to the rotated wafer from the resist liquid supply nozzle 121.

[0007]

However, since the nozzle holding member 123 is provided fixed to the arm portion 124, if the resist solution discharged from the resist solution supply nozzle 121 held by the nozzle holding member 123 However, when the nozzle was not accurately supplied to the center of the wafer, the position of the nozzle holding member 123 could not be finely adjusted in the Y direction. As described above, if the position of the nozzle holding member 123 cannot be finely adjusted and the resist solution cannot be supplied to the center of the wafer, the supply amount of the resist solution must be reduced accordingly to form a uniform resist film on the wafer. It is necessary to increase it, which leads to an increase in cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has been developed in such a manner that a processing liquid such as a resist liquid discharged from a resist liquid supply nozzle is supplied to an accurate position on a substrate such as a wafer. It is an object of the present invention to provide a processing liquid supply device capable of easily adjusting the position of a liquid supply nozzle and a processing liquid supply method implemented using the processing liquid supply device.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing liquid supply apparatus having a processing liquid supply nozzle for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate disposed at a predetermined processing position.
A nozzle holding means capable of holding the processing liquid supply nozzle, wherein the processing liquid supply nozzle is disposed at a predetermined standby position, and the nozzle holding means is configured to be three-dimensionally movable. A processing liquid supply device is provided.

As described above, by arranging the nozzle holding means so as to be movable three-dimensionally, the position of the processing liquid supply nozzle can be finely adjusted to accurately supply the processing liquid to an appropriate position on the substrate. . Accordingly, for example, when the processing liquid is supplied onto the rotated substrate, the processing liquid can be accurately supplied to the center of the substrate, and accordingly, the amount of the processing liquid used can be reduced. In addition, when performing so-called positioning, which is performed before supplying the processing liquid to the substrate, for example, for specifying the center position of the substrate or the position where a plurality of processing liquid supply nozzles are on standby, the nozzle holding means is used for tertiary. It can be moved back and positioned more accurately and without mechanical adjustment.

In the first aspect of the present invention, the second aspect
As described above, the nozzle holding means is provided with an insertion portion, and the processing liquid supply nozzle is provided with a receiving portion into which the insertion portion is inserted, and the insertion portion is provided with the receiving portion. You may make it have the press part which can be pressed from inside. According to the second aspect, the pressing portion of the insertion portion of the nozzle holding device presses the receiving portion of the processing liquid supply nozzle from the inside, whereby the nozzle holding device holds the processing liquid supply nozzle, and the pressing portion is connected to the receiving portion. The nozzle holding means can release the processing liquid supply nozzle by moving away from the nozzle.
Thereby, the attachment / detachment when replacing the processing liquid supply nozzle is suitably performed.

The nozzle holding means is provided with an insertion portion, and the processing liquid supply nozzle is provided with a receiving portion into which the insertion portion is inserted. The insertion portion may have a protrusion that can freely protrude toward the inner wall of the receiving portion, and the receiving portion may have a locking portion that locks the protrusion. According to the third aspect, the protrusion of the insertion portion of the nozzle holding means projects and is locked by the locking portion of the receiving portion of the processing liquid supply nozzle, so that the nozzle holding means holds the processing liquid supply nozzle, When the protrusion is retracted, the nozzle holding means can release the processing liquid supply nozzle. by this,
The replacement of the processing liquid supply nozzle can be suitably performed. Further, as compared with the second aspect, since the locking portion is provided, the nozzle holding means can more reliably hold the processing liquid supply nozzle.

In each of the processing liquid supply apparatuses according to the first to third aspects, as in the fourth aspect, the plurality of processing liquid supply nozzles are provided, and the plurality of processing liquid supply nozzles are arranged at the processing position. The processing liquid supply nozzles are provided outside the substrate, and are arranged in a substantially arc shape with the center of the substrate as the center of gravity, and each of the processing liquid supply nozzles is provided with a processing liquid supply pipe for supplying the processing liquid. The processing liquid supply pipes may be arranged radially outward from the substrate from the processing liquid supply nozzles. By arranging the processing liquid supply nozzles in a substantially arc shape and arranging the processing liquid supply pipes radially as described above, the distance between the processing liquid supply nozzles and the distance between the processing liquid supply pipes becomes longer. When the processing liquid supply nozzle is moved, it is possible to prevent the processing liquid supply pipe from contacting another processing liquid supply nozzle or the like and being damaged. Also,
Since the distance between each processing liquid supply nozzle and the center of the substrate becomes equal, the position of each processing liquid supply nozzle can be easily determined with reference to the center of the substrate.

Further, the processing liquid supply device has a plurality of processing liquid supply nozzles, and the plurality of processing liquid supply nozzles are arranged outside the substrate arranged at the processing position and linearly arranged. Each of the processing liquid supply nozzles is provided with a processing liquid supply pipe for supplying the processing liquid, and each of the processing liquid supply pipes is disposed outside the substrate from each processing liquid supply nozzle. It may be arranged radially toward the center and around the center of the substrate. By arranging the processing liquid supply nozzles in a straight line in this manner, for example, when the processing liquid supply nozzles are linearly arranged in the X direction, each processing liquid can be simply moved by moving the nozzle holding means in the Y direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the X direction. The supply nozzle can be held. That is, the holding and releasing operations of the nozzle holding means can be quickly and accurately performed. Further, since the processing liquid supply pipes are arranged radially, it is possible to prevent the processing liquid supply pipes from interfering with each other and being damaged when the processing liquid supply nozzle is moved.

According to the invention of claim 6, according to claim 4 or 5,
A processing liquid supply method using the processing liquid supply device described in (1), wherein the nozzle holding means moves and holds the processing liquid supply nozzle at the standby position; Linearly transporting the supply nozzle from the standby position to above the center of the substrate disposed at the processing position.

As described above, the processing liquid supply nozzles arranged in an arc are linearly conveyed from the standby position to the center of the substrate, thereby supplying processing liquid extending from each processing liquid supply nozzle. And the like radially extend from the center of the substrate, so that they do not interfere with other processing liquid supply nozzles, and it is possible to prevent the piping and the like from being damaged or damaged.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in each of the processing liquid supply devices according to the first to fifth aspects, a hole is provided at a central portion of the processing position, and a hole is provided below the processing position. , A light-emitting portion for emitting light upward is provided so as to pass through the hole, and the nozzle holding means is provided with a light-receiving portion for receiving the emitted light. And a specifying device for specifying a position of a center of the substrate disposed at the processing position based on a position at which the unit receives light from the light emitting unit. In addition, the inside of the hole is included below the processing position.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, by moving the nozzle holding means having the light receiving portion to receive the light from the light emitting portion provided below the processing position,
The nozzle holding means is positioned above the center of the processing position, and the accurate position of the center of the substrate placed at the processing position can be specified based on the position. By doing so, for example, the processing liquid can be accurately supplied to the center of the substrate from the processing liquid supply nozzle held by the nozzle holding means. Further, since such a so-called alignment is performed using light, accurate and quick alignment is performed as compared with a case where an operator manually performs the alignment manually.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the processing liquid supply apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, a hole is provided at a central portion of the processing position, and the nozzle holding means is provided with the nozzle at the processing position. A laser displacement meter that detects holes is provided.
Based on the position of the hole detected by the laser displacement meter,
There is provided a processing liquid supply device comprising a specification device for specifying a position of a center of a substrate arranged at the processing position.

According to the eighth aspect, it is possible to move the nozzle holding means provided with the laser displacement gauge, and to detect the hole at the center of the processing position by the laser displacement gauge. Then, the position of the center of the substrate can be specified based on the position of the nozzle holding means at the time of detection.
Therefore, the processing liquid can be accurately supplied to the center of the substrate from the processing liquid supply nozzle as in the seventh aspect. In addition, the center of the substrate can be accurately and quickly aligned.

The processing liquid supply apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the nozzle holding means holds any of the processing liquid supply nozzles at the standby position as in claim 9. The information processing apparatus may further include a specifying mechanism that specifies the coordinates of the standby position of the processing liquid supply nozzle in the coordinate system including the processing position based on the position of the means. In this way, the standby position is recognized by specifying the coordinates of the standby position of the processing liquid supply nozzle in the coordinate system including the processing position from the position when the nozzle holding unit holds the processing liquid supply nozzle. , The position of the standby position can be adjusted. This makes it possible to quickly and accurately perform positioning performed when the standby position is shifted due to vibration or the like. In particular, when a plurality of processing liquid supply nozzles are provided and the relationship between the standby positions of each processing liquid supply nozzle is clarified, if one standby position is specified, the other standby positions are also specified. Therefore, the time required for the positioning can be greatly reduced.

Further, in the inventions of claims 7 to 9, as in claim 10, there may be provided an imaging device for monitoring the substrate arranged at the processing position. According to the tenth aspect, the substrate to which the processing liquid is actually supplied is monitored, and when the monitoring reveals that the processing liquid is not correctly supplied to the center of the substrate, for example, the processing liquid supply nozzle Can be adjusted. Thereby, for example, even when the processing liquid supply nozzle is accurately positioned above the center of the substrate, if the processing liquid is not supplied to the correct position on the substrate, the position of the processing liquid supply nozzle is adjusted and the processing liquid is adjusted. The liquid can be supplied to an accurate position on the substrate.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing liquid supply method for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate.
6. The processing liquid supply device according to 3, 4 or 5, and two light emitting units having the same shape as the substrate and emitting light linearly so as to pass through the center from different positions when viewed from a plane, and Using a position detecting member having two light receiving portions for receiving the emitted light, and supplying the processing liquid to the substrate,
Arranging the position detecting member at the processing position, and moving the processing liquid supply nozzle held by the nozzle holding means to the center of the position detecting member so as to be at a position where two linear lights are simultaneously blocked. Positioning the processing liquid supply nozzle.

According to the eleventh aspect, the position detecting member is disposed at the processing position, and thereafter, the processing liquid supply nozzle is moved to the center of the position detecting member to block light from the position detecting member. The processing liquid supply nozzle.
Then, the cutoff position is imitated as the center position, and the center position of the substrate placed in the processing position in the same manner can be specified. Thus, the processing liquid supply nozzle can be accurately moved above the center of the substrate, and the processing liquid can be accurately supplied to the center of the substrate. As a result, the supply amount of the processing liquid can be reduced. In addition, since the alignment of the substrate center is performed using a position detecting member using light,
It is done faster and more accurately than before. This is particularly effective when a plurality of alignments are required.

[0025]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a coating and developing processing system 1 having a resist coating apparatus using a processing liquid supply device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the coating and developing processing system 1, and FIG. 1 is a rear view of the coating and developing system 1. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the coating and developing system 1 carries, for example, 25 wafers W into and out of the coating and developing system 1 in cassette units, and carries in and out wafers W into and from the cassette C. A cassette station 2 for unloading, a processing station 3 in which various processing apparatuses for performing predetermined processing in a single-sheet type in a coating and developing processing step are arranged in multiple stages, and provided adjacent to the processing station 3. An interface unit 4 for transferring a wafer W to and from an exposure apparatus (not shown) is integrally connected.

In the cassette station 2, a plurality of cassettes C can be mounted in a row in the R direction (up and down direction in FIG. 1) at predetermined positions on a cassette mounting table 5 serving as a mounting portion. Then, the cassette arrangement direction (R direction) and the wafer arrangement direction (Z
(A vertical direction) is provided movably along a transfer path 8 so that each cassette C can be selectively accessed.

The wafer carrier 7 has an alignment function for positioning the wafer W. As will be described later, the wafer carrier 7 is configured to be able to access the extension device 32 belonging to the third processing device group G3 on the processing station 3 side.

In the processing station 3, a main transfer unit 13 is provided at the center thereof, and various processing units are arranged in multiple stages around the main transfer unit 13 to constitute a processing unit group. In the coating and developing system 1,
Four processing unit groups G1, G2, G3, G4 are arranged, the first and second processing unit groups G1, G2 are arranged on the front side of the development processing system 1, and the third processing unit group G3 is , Disposed adjacent to the cassette station 2, and a fourth processing unit group G4
Are arranged adjacent to the interface unit 4.
A fifth processing unit group optionally indicated by a broken line
G5 can be placed separately on the back side. The main transfer unit 13 is provided with a group of these processing units G1, G3, G4, G5.
The wafer W can be loaded and unloaded to and from various processing apparatuses described below. Note that the number and arrangement of the processing apparatus groups differ depending on the type of processing performed on the wafer W, and the number of processing apparatus groups need not be four as long as it is one or more.

In the first processing apparatus group G1, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a resist coating apparatus 17 for applying a resist liquid to a wafer W, provided with a processing liquid supply apparatus according to the present embodiment, The developing device 18 for developing the subsequent wafer W is arranged in two stages from the bottom. Similarly, in the case of the processing device group G2, the resist coating device 19 and the developing device 20 are stacked in two stages from the bottom in the same manner.

In the third processing unit group G3, for example, as shown in FIG.
0, an adhesion device 31 for improving the fixability between the resist solution and the wafer W, an extension device 32 for holding the wafer W on standby, pre-baking devices 33 and 34 for drying the solvent in the resist solution, and a heating process after the development process. Post-baking devices 35 and 36 to be applied are stacked in, for example, seven stages from the bottom.

In the fourth processing unit group G4, for example, a cooling unit 40, an extension cooling unit 41 for naturally cooling the mounted wafer W, an extension unit 42, a cooling unit 43, and a post-exposure unit for performing a heating process after the exposure process. Baking equipment 44,4
5, post-baking devices 46, 47, etc. are stacked in, for example, eight stages from the bottom.

At the center of the interface section 4, a wafer carrier 50 is provided. The wafer carrier 50 is configured to freely move in the R direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1), the Z direction (vertical direction), and rotate in the θ direction (rotation direction about the Z axis). , The extension cooling device 41, the extension device 42, the peripheral exposure device 51, and the exposure device (not shown) belonging to the fourth processing device group G4, and
Can be transported.

Next, the configuration of the above-described resist coating device 17 will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing an outline of the resist coating apparatus 17, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a transverse section of the resist coating apparatus 17.

At the center of the resist coating device 17, a spin chuck 60 having a flat upper surface and holding the wafer W at a predetermined processing position S by suction is provided. At the center of the spin chuck 60, as shown in FIG. 5, a hole 60a is provided which is located at the center of the spin chuck 60 and is recognized as the center of the wafer W held at the processing position S on the spin chuck 60. I have. A drive mechanism 61 for vertically moving and rotating the spin chuck 60 is provided below the spin chuck 60, as shown in FIG. The wafer W is rotated at a rotation speed,
When mounted on the top, the spin chuck 60 can be moved up and down.

An annular cup 62 having an open upper surface is provided outside the outer periphery of the spin chuck 60 so as to surround the outer periphery of the spin chuck 60. The resist solution spilled by the centrifugal force is received so that peripheral devices are not contaminated. At the bottom of the cup 62, a drain tube 63 for draining the resist solution spilled from the wafer W is provided.

On the outer side of the outer periphery of the cup 62 and on the negative side in the X direction (left direction in FIGS. 4 and 5), a resist liquid supply nozzle for supplying a resist liquid to the wafer W described later is on standby. There is provided a standby position T to be performed. In the standby position T, a plurality of, for example, four resist liquid supply nozzles 6 are provided.
There is provided a nozzle box 64 capable of holding 6a, 66b, 66c, 66d on standby. The nozzle box 64 has four concave portions 64a, 64b, 64c, 64 having the same shape as the outer shapes of the resist solution supply nozzles 66a to 66d.
d is formed in an arc shape along the outer periphery of the cup 62, and the resist solution supply nozzles 66a, 66b, 66c, 66d are provided in the concave portions 64a, 64b, 64c, 64d.
, The plurality of resist liquid supply nozzles 66a to 66d can be arranged in an arc shape and can be put on standby.

Here, a resist liquid supply device 65 for supplying a resist liquid to the wafer W held by suction on the spin chuck 60 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 6, the resist liquid supply device 65 has four resist liquid supply nozzles 66a to 66d and a transfer device 67 for transferring the resist liquid supply nozzles 66a to 66d.

As shown in FIG. 7, the resist solution supply nozzle 66a is formed in a shape such that its outer shape can be received in the recesses 64a to 64d of the nozzle box 64, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Resist liquid supply nozzle 6
A discharge port 68a for discharging the resist liquid is provided below 6a. A supply pipe 69a for supplying a resist solution into the resist solution supply nozzle 66a is connected to a side surface of the resist solution supply nozzle 66a, and a resist solution from a resist solution supply source (not shown) is supplied to the resist solution supply nozzle 66a. And discharged from the discharge port 68a. The supply pipe 69a is arranged radially outward from the resist solution supply nozzle 66a toward the standby position T side of the cup 62 as shown in FIG. 5, and moves radially as the resist solution supply nozzle 66a moves. It is configured to be movable in the direction. A temperature control pipe (not shown) through which temperature control water for controlling the temperature of the resist liquid flows is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the supply pipe 69a. Can be supplied.

At the top of the resist solution supply nozzle 66a,
A receiving portion 70a for the transfer device 67 to hold the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a is provided. Receiving part 70
a is a bottomed hole having a predetermined depth going downward from the upper surface of the resist solution supply nozzle 66a, and is formed, for example, in a circular shape when viewed from a plane. 87 can be inserted.
The other resist solution supply nozzles 66b, 66c, 66
d and the arrangement of the supply pipes 69b, 69c, 69d are as follows:
Since they are the same as the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a and the supply pipe 69a, the description is omitted.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the transfer device 67 includes a nozzle holding member 75 for holding the resist solution supply nozzles 66a to 66d, and an arm 76 for supporting the nozzle holding member 75 and making it movable. Have.

The arm 76 includes a base 77 and the base 7.
The arm 7 comprises an arm vertical portion 78 extending in the Z direction, and an arm horizontal portion 79 extending from the tip of the arm vertical portion 78 in the Y direction (horizontal direction perpendicular to the X direction).
The base 77 is configured to be movable on a rail 80 extending in the X direction along the side wall of the resist coating device 17 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, whereby the transfer device 67 moves in the X direction. It is free.

The arm vertical portion 78 has a cylinder that moves in the vertical direction, and the arm vertical portion 78 can be extended and contracted in the Z direction. Thereby, the nozzle holding member 75 supported by the arm portion 76 is movable in the Z direction.
A drive belt 81 extending in the Y direction is provided in a casing 79a of the arm horizontal portion 79 as shown in FIG. A slider 82 is fixedly provided on the drive belt 81, and a nozzle holding member 75 is fixed to the slider 82. The drive belt 81
Are the drive pulleys 8 provided at both ends of the arm horizontal portion 79.
3, between the driven pulley 84 and the driving pulley 8
3 is rotated forward / reversely by the rotary drive motor 85.
With this configuration, the drive belt 81 is driven, and the nozzle holding member 75 fixed to the slider 82 is movable in the Y direction.

With the above configuration, the nozzle holding member 75 is
It is movable in the X, Y and Z directions, that is, three-dimensionally movable. The drive control in each direction is performed by the control device 8.
6 is performed. The control device 86 specifies a target position based on the home position of the transfer device 67,
Control is performed to move the nozzle holding member 75 to the target position.

On the other hand, a lower portion of the nozzle holding member 75 is provided with a convex insertion portion 87 extending downward as shown in FIG. As described above, the insertion portion 87 is formed, for example, in a columnar shape, and can be inserted into the receiving portion 70a of the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a. The receiving portion 70a is inserted into the receiving portion 70a.
A plurality of pressing portions 88 are provided to freely press the inner wall of the resist liquid supply nozzle 66 by this pressing.
a can be held. The pressing portion 88 is pressed by, for example, an air pipe (not shown) connected to the inside of the insertion portion 87, and the pressing portion pressure 88 protruding outward by air pressure from the air pipe. Note that the pressing portion 88 may be moved in and out using magnetic force instead of air pressure. In this case, an electromagnet whose polarity can be switched is provided inside the insertion portion 87, and a permanent magnet having a fixed polarity is used for the pressing portion 88. Then, by changing the polarity of the electromagnet inside the insertion portion 87, the permanent magnet of the pressing portion 88 is repelled or attracted by the electromagnet, and the pressing portion 8 is pressed.
8 can enter and leave. Also, an electromagnet capable of turning on and off a magnetic force is provided inside the insertion portion 87, a magnetic material is used for the pressing portion 88, and an elastic body, for example, a spring, which urges the pressing portion 88 in the protruding direction is provided. You may do so. In this case, for example, when the electromagnet is OFF, the urging force causes the pressing portion 88 to protrude. When the electromagnet is turned on, the pressing portion 88 is sucked against the urging, and the pressing portion 88 enters the insertion portion 87. Thus, the pressing portion 88 is configured to be able to enter and exit.

At the center of the lower surface of the insertion portion 87, there is provided a laser displacement meter 89 which emits laser light in the downward direction in the Z direction and detects the hole 60a at the center of the spin chuck 60.
The detection result of the laser displacement meter 89 is shown in FIG.
The control device 86 is configured to be able to transmit to the spin chuck 60 based on the detection result.
The position of the center of the hole 60a, that is, the center of the wafer W placed at the processing position S can be accurately specified.

Next, the operation of the resist coating apparatus 17 configured as described above will be described together with the photolithography process performed in the coating and developing processing system 1.

First, the wafer carrier 7 takes out one unprocessed wafer W from the cassette C and carries it into the adhesion unit 31 belonging to the third processing unit group G3. In this adhesion apparatus 31, the wafer W coated with an adhesion enhancer such as HMDS for improving the adhesion with the resist solution is applied.
Is transported by the main transport unit 13 to the cooling device 30 and cooled to a predetermined temperature. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the resist coating device 17 or 19.

Then, the wafer W having the resist film formed on the wafer W is successively again transferred to the pre-baking device 33 or 34 and the extension cooling device 41 by the main transfer device 13 again and subjected to a predetermined process.

Next, the wafer W is taken out of the extension cooling device 41 by the wafer carrier 50, and is carried to the exposure device (not shown) via the peripheral exposure device 51. The wafer W that has been subjected to the exposure processing is transferred to the extension device 42 by the wafer transfer body 50,
Further, the main transport device 13 causes the post exposure baking device 44 or 45, the development processing device 18 or 20, and the post baking device 35, 36, 46 or 4 to operate.
7. It is sequentially conveyed to the cooling device 30, and is subjected to predetermined processing in each device. Thereafter, the wafer W is returned to the cassette C by the wafer carrier 7 via the extension device 32, and a series of predetermined coating and developing processes is completed.

Next, the operation of the above-described resist coating device 17 will be described in detail. First, before the resist coating process of the wafer W is started, for example, at the stage of mechanical and electrical adjustment of the resist coating device 17, the nozzle holding member 7
5 is scanned on the spin chuck 60 and the laser displacement meter 8 is scanned.
9, the hole 60a is detected. Then, the information of the detection is transmitted to the control device 86, and the control device 86 specifies the position P where the laser displacement meter 89 has detected the hole 60a. The control device 86 recognizes the position P as the center position of the wafer W placed on the processing position S on the spin chuck 60, and stores the position data. Thereafter, when the nozzle holding member 75 is moved to the center position of the wafer W,
A command to move to the position P is issued based on the stored position data.

When the resist coating process is started, first, the wafer W for which the previous process has been completed is carried into the resist coating device 17 by the main transfer device 13. And the wafer W
Is transferred to the spin chuck 60 which has been raised and waited in advance, and is sucked and held at a predetermined processing position S on the spin chuck 60. When the wafer W is held on the spin chuck 60, the transfer device 67 moves in the X direction, and the nozzle holding member 75 is moved above the nozzle box 64. At this time, the nozzle holding member 75 is also moved in the Y direction by the drive belt 81, and is moved to, for example, a position above the resist solution supply nozzle 66a waiting in the recess 64a of the nozzle box 64. Next, the nozzle holding member 75
The insertion portion 87 of the nozzle holding member 75 is inserted into the receiving portion 70a of the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a. Then, for example, air flows into the insertion portion 87,
The pressing portion 88 presses the inner wall of the receiving portion 70a, and the nozzle holding member 75 holds the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a.

The resist supply nozzle 66a held by the nozzle holding member 75 is moved by the transfer device 67 to the position P above the center of the wafer W. At this time,
The resist liquid supply nozzle 66a moves from the standby position T to the position P
Is moved linearly to After that, the spin chuck 60
Is started, and the wafer W is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed. Next, a predetermined amount of resist liquid is supplied from the discharge port 68a of the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a toward the center of the wafer W for a predetermined time, and a predetermined resist film is formed on the wafer W.

When a predetermined amount of resist solution is dropped on the wafer W and a resist film is formed, the resist solution supply nozzle 66a is linearly moved again to the standby position T by the transfer device 67, and the nozzle box 64 It is returned to the recess 64a.

On the other hand, the wafer W on which the resist film is formed
Is lifted by the spin chuck 60 and is transferred from the spin chuck 60 to the main carrier 13. And
It is conveyed from the resist coating device 17 to the pre-baking device 33 where the next step is performed, and the resist coating process ends.

The next wafer W is transferred to the resist coating device 1
7, the resist coating process is performed as described above. However, if the recipe is changed, another resist solution supply nozzle, for example, the resist solution supply nozzle 6 is used.
6b is similarly selected and used.

According to the above embodiment, the nozzle holding member 75 can be moved three-dimensionally by making the nozzle holding member 75 movable also in the Y direction, so that the position of the nozzle holding member 75 can be finely adjusted. In particular, fine adjustment for positioning the resist solution supply nozzle 66a at the center of the wafer W can be suitably performed. Therefore, the resist liquid discharged from the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a is accurately supplied to the center of the wafer W, and the discharge time is shorter than when the resist liquid is not supplied to the center of the wafer W. Can be reduced.

Further, the resist solution supply nozzles 66a-66
When the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a is transported linearly toward the center position P of the wafer W when the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a is transported in an arc shape, the supply pipe 69a extending from the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a causes another resist to flow. Liquid supply nozzle 66
b and the supply pipe 69b can be prevented from contacting,
Breakage of the supply pipe 69a due to the contact can be prevented.

Further, a laser displacement gauge 89 is provided in the insertion portion 87 of the nozzle holding member 75, and detects the hole 60a of the spin chuck 60 before the resist coating process, and specifies the position P of the hole 60a based on the detection result. Thus, the actual position P of the hole 60a, that is, the position P of the center of the wafer W
You can know. Therefore, even when the actual position of the center of the wafer W is deviated from the designed position,
The position P at the center of the wafer W can be accurately specified, and the resist solution supply nozzle 66a can be accurately moved above the center of the wafer W.

In the above embodiment, the nozzle holding member 7
The pressing part 88 of the insertion part 87 of the resist liquid supply nozzle 6
The nozzle holding member 75 holds the resist solution supply nozzle 66a by pressing the inner wall of the receiving portion 70a of FIG. 6a. However, as shown in FIG. A locking portion 91 may be provided on the inner wall of the first member, and the projection 90 may be locked to the locking portion 91 so as to be held. The locking portion 91 is formed, for example, by providing a ring-shaped groove 92 on the inner wall of the receiving portion 70a. In this manner, the nozzle holding member 75 can hold the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a by inserting and removing the protrusion 90.

Further, in the above embodiment, the position of the center of the wafer W before the start of the resist coating process is specified by using the laser displacement meter 89, but may be specified by other means. Hereinafter, other means will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 11, it is proposed to provide a light emitting section 95 in the hole 60a of the spin chuck 60 and a light receiving section 96 at the center of the lower end of the nozzle holding member 75. As a light source of the light emitting unit 95, LED light or laser light by a light emitting diode is used. At this time, the light receiving information of the light receiving unit 96 is input to the control device 86 and stored, and the control device 86 specifies the position where the light receiving unit 96 receives the laser light or the LED light. When specifying the center position of the wafer W,
By causing the nozzle holding member 75 to scan, light is received by the light receiving section 96, and the position P of the center of the spin chuck 60 and the center of the wafer W held by the spin chuck 60 is specified based on the received light information. Even in such a case, since the position P at the center of the wafer W is specified, the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a is moved to the accurate position P on the wafer W to supply the resist liquid to the center of the wafer W accurately. be able to.

Next, a method for specifying the center position of the wafer W using a dummy wafer D as a position detecting member having the same shape as the wafer W is proposed. In such a case, for example, as shown in FIGS. 12 (a) and 12 (b), a light emitting unit that emits light in the X direction through the center of the dummy wafer D and emits coherent laser light to the dummy wafer D, as shown in FIGS. A portion 100 and a light emitting portion 101 that emits light in the Y direction through the center of the dummy wafer D and emits laser light are provided. Further, light receiving units 102 and 103 for receiving the laser lights emitted from the laser light emitting units 100 and 101, respectively, are provided. Therefore,
The intersection of the light beams M and N emitted in a straight line becomes the central portion of the dummy wafer D. Each light receiving unit 102, 103
When the laser light is cut off and the laser light is not received, the light cut-off information can be transmitted to the control device 86. The light rays M and N need only intersect on the center of the dummy wafer D when viewed from the plane, and do not necessarily have to intersect on the same plane.

When specifying the center position of the wafer W, the dummy wafer D is first placed on the processing position S on the spin chuck 60. Next, the resist solution supply nozzle 66
The nozzle holding member 75 holding “a” is moved on the dummy wafer D in the X direction. In this case, the arm portion 76 supporting the resist solution supply nozzle 66a is appropriately moved in the vertical direction in advance, so that the lower end of the resist solution supply nozzle 66a does not contact the surface of the dummy wafer D and is lower than the light beams M and N. Adjust vertically so that it is in the lower position. Then, when the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a passes through the X coordinate of the center of the dummy wafer D, the laser light in the Y direction is temporarily blocked, and the blocking information is transmitted from the light receiving unit 103 to the control device 86. As shown in FIG. 12B, since the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a has a constant width d, the control device 86 may, for example, set a position between the position where the laser beam starts to be blocked and the position where the laser beam is not blocked. By calculating the position, the X coordinate of the center of the dummy wafer D can be specified. Similarly, the Y coordinate of the center of the dummy wafer D can be specified by moving the resist liquid supply nozzle 66 in the Y direction and blocking the laser light in the X direction. Therefore, the position where both the light beams M and N are simultaneously blocked is the central portion of the dummy wafer D.

As described above, by specifying the center position of the dummy wafer D, the center position P of the wafer W when the normal wafer W is placed at the predetermined position S can be specified. Further, as described above, if the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a is moved to a position where the light beams M and N are simultaneously blocked, the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a is easily moved to the center P of the dummy wafer D, that is, the center P of the wafer W. Since it can be positioned, it is possible to easily derive the correct resist liquid discharge position. The light emitting section may use not only a laser but also an LED light using a light emitting diode.

In the above embodiment, the spin chuck 6
0, the center position P of the wafer W placed at the processing position S
Only the standby position T of the resist liquid supply nozzle 66a may be specified. In such a case, for example, the nozzle holding member 7 is inserted into the receiving portion 70a of the resist solution supply nozzle 66a waiting in the concave portion 64a.
5 is manually inserted. By recognizing the position of the nozzle holding member 75 at this time by the control device 86 as a specifying mechanism, the position of the concave portion 64a can be specified accurately. When the position of the concave portion 64a is specified, the position of the nozzle box 64 is specified, and the position of the standby position T can be specified.

By doing so, the nozzle box 6
Even when the position 4 slightly deviates from the designed position, the exact position of the standby position T can be known, and the nozzle holding member 75 can suitably hold the resist liquid supply nozzles 66a to 66d. .

Further, the wafer W may be monitored after the resist coating process on the wafer W is started and the resist solution is supplied onto the wafer W. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, a CCD camera 105 as an imaging device is set above the resist coating device 17. Then, the wafer W supplied with the resist solution is monitored, and if the resist solution is not strictly supplied to the center of the wafer W, the position of the resist solution supply nozzle 66a is finely adjusted. By doing so, the resist solution is accurately supplied to the center of the wafer W, and the amount of the resist solution can be reduced.

In the embodiment described above, the resist solution supply nozzles 66 a to 66
Although d was arranged in an arc shape, as shown in FIG.
The resist solution supply nozzles 66a to 66d may be arranged linearly.

In the example shown in FIG. 14, the resist solution supply nozzles 66a to 66d are linearly arranged in the Y direction. Further, each of the resist liquid supply nozzles 66a to 66d
It is itself arranged radially towards the center Q. That is, each of the resist solution supply nozzles 66a to 66d
Is aimed at. Accordingly, supply pipes 69a to 69d
Are also arranged radially outward.

According to such a nozzle arrangement example, when the nozzle holding member 75 releases a certain resist liquid supply nozzle and then grips another resist liquid supply nozzle, it is not necessary to adjust the position in the X direction. Release and grasping operations can be performed quickly and accurately. Also in this case, the respective resist solution supply nozzles 66a to 66d are arranged radially toward the center Q, and the respective supply pipes 69a to 69d.
Also, the supply pipes 69a to 69d are not damaged when the release and gripping operations are performed because the supply pipes d are also arranged radially outward.

Although the above embodiment has been described with respect to the resist solution supply device used in the resist coating device, the present invention can be applied to a device for supplying another processing solution, for example, a developing solution. The present invention is also applied to a processing liquid supply device for a substrate other than the wafer W, for example, an LCD substrate.

[0074]

According to the present invention, since the position of the processing liquid supply nozzle can be finely adjusted and the processing liquid can be accurately supplied to the center of the substrate, the amount of the processing liquid to be used is reduced accordingly. It is reduced and cost is reduced. In addition, using the three-dimensionally movable function of the nozzle holding means, it is possible to automate the work that was conventionally performed manually, thereby improving the accuracy of work,
Speed is improved.

In particular, according to claims 7 to 11, since the actual position of the center of the substrate can be specified, even if the position of the center of the substrate deviates from the designed position due to vibration or the like, The processing liquid can be supplied accurately to the center.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration of a coating and developing processing system having a resist coating device provided with a resist liquid supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the coating and developing system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the coating and developing system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section of the resist coating device.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a cross section of the resist coating apparatus of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing a resist liquid supply device.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view schematically showing a resist liquid supply nozzle.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view schematically showing an arm horizontal portion of the transfer device.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view schematically showing a nozzle holding member.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory longitudinal sectional view showing another example in which a nozzle holding member holds a resist liquid supply nozzle.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another means for specifying the center of a wafer placed on a spin chuck.

FIG. 12 shows a configuration example of a dummy wafer, and FIG.
Is a plan view, and FIG. 12B is a side view.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section of a resist coating apparatus provided with a CCD camera.

FIG. 14 is a plan view showing the inside of the resist coating apparatus when the resist liquid supply nozzles are arranged linearly.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory view schematically showing a conventional resist liquid supply device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 coating / developing processing system 17 resist coating device 64 nozzle box 65 resist liquid supply device 66 a to 66 d resist liquid supply nozzle 67 transport device 69 a to 69 d supply pipe 75 nozzle holding member 76 arm portion 78 vertical arm portion 79 horizontal arm portion 80 rail 81 Drive belt P position T Standby position W Wafer

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G03F 7/30 501 H01L 21/30 564C 569C F term (Reference) 2H096 AA25 GA26 4D075 AC06 AC09 AC64 AC84 AC88 AC93 CA47 DA08 DC22 EA07 EA45 4F041 AA02 AA06 AB02 BA05 BA13 BA22 4F042 AA02 AA07 BA08 BA22 EB18 EB29 5F046 JA01 JA02 LA03 LA04

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A processing liquid supply device having a processing liquid supply nozzle for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate arranged at a predetermined processing position, comprising: a nozzle holding means capable of holding the processing liquid supply nozzle; The processing liquid supply device is characterized in that the processing liquid supply nozzle is disposed at a predetermined standby position, and the nozzle holding means is configured to be three-dimensionally movable. 2. The nozzle holding means is provided with an insertion portion, and the processing liquid supply nozzle is provided with a receiving portion into which the insertion portion is inserted, and the insertion portion is provided with the receiving portion. 2. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a pressing portion capable of pressing the portion from the inside. 3. The nozzle holding means is provided with an insertion portion, and the processing liquid supply nozzle is provided with a receiving portion into which the insertion portion is inserted, and the insertion portion is provided with the receiving portion. 2. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 1, further comprising: a protruding portion that can protrude toward an inner wall of the portion, wherein the receiving portion includes a locking portion that locks the protruding portion. 4. A plurality of processing liquid supply nozzles, wherein the plurality of processing liquid supply nozzles are located outside a substrate disposed at the processing position, and have a center of the substrate as a center. Each of the processing liquid supply nozzles is provided with a processing liquid supply pipe for supplying the processing liquid, and each of the processing liquid supply pipes is connected to the processing liquid supply nozzle by the processing liquid supply nozzle. 4. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the processing liquid supply device is arranged radially outward of the substrate. 5. A processing liquid supply nozzle having a plurality of processing liquid supply nozzles, wherein the plurality of processing liquid supply nozzles are arranged outside the substrate arranged at the processing position and in a line. Each of the processing liquid supply nozzles is provided with a processing liquid supply pipe for supplying the processing liquid, and each of the processing liquid supply pipes extends from each of the processing liquid supply nozzles to the outside of the substrate. 4. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the processing liquid supply device is arranged radially around a center of the substrate. 6. A processing liquid supply method using a processing liquid supply device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein said nozzle holding means moves to hold said processing liquid supply nozzle at said standby position. Wherein the nozzle holding means linearly transports the processing liquid supply nozzle from the standby position to above the center of the substrate disposed at the processing position. 7. A hole is provided at a central portion of the processing position, and a light emitting portion which emits light upward in a lower portion of the processing position so as to pass through the hole is provided. The nozzle holding means is provided with a light receiving section for receiving the emitted light, and is arranged at the processing position based on a position at which the light receiving section of the nozzle holding means receives light from the light emitting section. 6. A device for specifying a position of a center of a substrate, said device comprising:
A processing liquid supply device according to any one of the above. 8. A hole is provided in the center of the processing position, and the nozzle holding means is provided with a laser displacement meter for detecting the hole at the processing position. 6. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a specifying device for specifying a position of a center of the substrate arranged at the processing position based on the position of the hole detected by the device. 3. The processing liquid supply device according to 1. 9. An arbitrary processing liquid supply of a coordinate system including the processing position based on a position of the processing liquid supply nozzle at the standby position when the nozzle holding means holds the arbitrary processing liquid supply nozzle. 9. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 7, further comprising a specifying mechanism for specifying coordinates of a standby position of the nozzle. 10. The processing liquid supply device according to claim 7, further comprising an imaging device for monitoring a substrate disposed at the processing position. 11. A processing liquid supply method for supplying a processing liquid to a substrate, wherein the processing liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 has the same shape as the substrate, and Using a position detecting member having two light emitting portions that emit light linearly so as to pass through the center from different positions when viewed from a plane and two light receiving portions that receive light emitted from the light emitting portions, processing is performed on the substrate. Arranging the position detecting member at the processing position before supplying the liquid; and moving the processing liquid supply nozzle held by the nozzle holding means to the center of the position detecting member to form two linear A step of positioning the processing liquid supply nozzle at a position that simultaneously blocks the light of the processing liquid.