JP2003178965A - Method of treating substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent change in quality and deterioration of the coating liquid in a nozzle by removing the coating liquid attaching to the nozzle. <P>SOLUTION: After the delivery of the coating liquid, residual coating liquid inside the coating-liquid delivery nozzle 60 is sucked toward the supply-source side to retreat the top-end liquid level A of the coating liquid. At this moment, atmospheric gas H is flowed in the coating-liquid delivery nozzle 60. Then, the top-end 60a of the coating-liquid delivery nozzle 60 is immersed in a solvent S in a storage 80, and is cleaned. Under this condition, the coating liquid inside the coating-liquid delivery nozzle 60 is further sucked toward the supply-source side to introduce the solvent S within the top-end 60a, and the inside wall of the top-end 60a is cleaned by the solvent S. Besides, the opening of the coating- liquid delivery nozzle 60 is closed by the solvent S to separate the coating liquid within the coating-liquid delivery nozzle 60 from the atmosphere, preventing drying of the coating liquid. Furthermore, the coating liquid inside the coating-liquid delivery nozzle 60 is closed via the atmospheric gas H to prevent mixing of the solvent S with the coating liquid. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate processing method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices,
For example, on the surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter "wafer")
A film forming process for forming an interlayer insulating film such as an SOD (Spin on Dielectric) film is performed. In the film forming process, a coating process for coating a wafer with a coating liquid that forms an interlayer insulating film is performed.

In this coating process, for example, a nozzle is moved above the center of the wafer, a predetermined amount of coating liquid is discharged from the nozzle to the center of the wafer, the wafer is rotated, and the wafer surface is rotated by its centrifugal force. Diffuse the coating liquid onto the. By doing so, a coating film having a predetermined film thickness is formed on the wafer surface.

By the way, the coating liquid adheres to the tip portion of the nozzle which has finished discharging the coating liquid. If the adhered coating liquid is left to stand, the coating liquid will eventually dry and crystallize to become a particle generation source. Therefore, it is necessary to remove the coating liquid adhering to the tip of the nozzle as much as possible after the discharge of the coating liquid is completed. Further, when the discharge of the coating liquid from the nozzle is stopped, the liquid level at the tip of the coating liquid in the nozzle stops near the tip of the nozzle. , The coating liquid deteriorates. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the coating liquid in the nozzle from drying and prevent the coating liquid from deteriorating until the nozzle is used next time.

In order to solve such a problem, for example, a method is known in which a nozzle for which the coating liquid has been discharged is immersed in a nozzle bath in which a solvent is stored (JP-A-4-2007).
68).

[0006]

However, in the method of immersing the nozzle in the solvent, the solvent is not sufficiently supplied to the inner wall of the nozzle, so that the inner wall of the nozzle is not sufficiently cleaned. Also, by dipping the nozzle, it is possible to prevent the coating liquid in the nozzle from drying,
The coating liquid in the nozzle may come into contact with the solvent in the nozzle bath, and the solvent may be mixed in the coating liquid in the nozzle. The mixing of the solvent in the coating liquid as described above may lead to contamination, deterioration and deterioration of the coating liquid, and an appropriate coating film may not be formed on the wafer to be processed next. Further, if the dummy dispense is frequently performed in order to supply the pure coating liquid onto the wafer, the consumption amount of the coating liquid increases correspondingly, resulting in cost increase.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and is a substrate for appropriately removing a processing liquid such as a coating liquid adhering to a nozzle while preventing the processing liquid in the nozzle from being contaminated, altered or deteriorated. Its purpose is to provide a processing method of.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing method for processing a substrate, wherein the processing liquid is discharged from a nozzle attached to the front end of the processing liquid supply pipe, After the step of supplying a predetermined amount of the treatment liquid and the step of supplying the treatment liquid are finished, the treatment liquid remaining in the nozzle is sucked toward the treatment liquid supply pipe side by the suction means, and the tip portion of the nozzle is And the step of immersing the tip of the nozzle in the liquid, and then sucking the processing liquid in the nozzle toward the processing liquid supply pipe by suction means. Then, the step of further retracting the liquid surface of the processing liquid at the tip of the nozzle and sucking a predetermined amount of the liquid into the tip of the nozzle is provided. It The liquid contains a solvent for the processing liquid, pure water, and the like. Also,
After the step of immersing, the treatment liquid in the nozzle is sucked toward the treatment liquid supply pipe side by the suction means, the liquid surface of the treatment liquid at the tip of the nozzle is further retracted, and a predetermined amount of the liquid is removed. When sucking into the tip portion of the nozzle, it is desirable that the liquid surface of the processing liquid and the liquid do not come into contact with each other in the nozzle.

According to this substrate processing method, since a predetermined amount of liquid such as solvent is sucked into the tip of the nozzle, the discharge port of the nozzle is blocked by the liquid, and the processing liquid in the nozzle is discharged. Can be isolated from the outside atmosphere. This prevents the coating liquid in the nozzle from volatilizing and deteriorating. In addition, since the liquid level of the processing liquid is once retracted and the surrounding gas is sucked, the liquid is sucked, so that the gas is present between the liquid and the processing liquid, and the processing liquid and the liquid can be prevented from being mixed. . When the liquid is sucked into the nozzle, the tip of the nozzle is immersed in the liquid, so that the processing liquid attached to the nozzle can be washed. Also, the inside of the nozzle can be cleaned by the liquid sucked at this time.

Further, in the step of retreating, the step of retreating the liquid surface of the processing liquid in the nozzle to inhale gas volatilized from the liquid and inhaling the liquid in the nozzle is performed in the nozzle. A predetermined amount of the liquid may be sucked into the tip portion of the nozzle after the liquid surface of the treatment liquid is not in contact with the liquid. As a result, since the gas volatilized from the liquid is present between the liquid and the processing liquid, it is possible to prevent the liquid and the processing liquid from being mixed with each other.
In the method for processing the substrate, the liquid at the tip of the nozzle may be discharged before the processing liquid in the nozzle is discharged onto the substrate to be processed next. By doing so, only the predetermined processing liquid can be supplied to the next processing substrate.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing method for processing a substrate, wherein the processing liquid is discharged from a nozzle attached to the tip of the processing liquid supply pipe, and a predetermined amount of the processing liquid is discharged onto the substrate. After the supply step and the step of supplying the treatment liquid, the step of immersing the tip of the nozzle in an insoluble solution insoluble in the treatment liquid, and the treatment liquid remaining in the nozzle thereafter Is sucked toward the treatment liquid supply pipe side by a suction means, the liquid surface of the treatment liquid in the nozzle is retracted, and a predetermined amount of the insoluble solution is sucked into the tip portion of the nozzle; The step of immersing the tip of the nozzle in the liquid, and then sucking the processing liquid in the nozzle toward the processing liquid supply pipe by suction means to further recede the liquid surface of the processing liquid in the nozzle. A predetermined amount of the liquid Method of processing a substrate and having a step for sucking in the tip portion of the Le, is provided.

According to this substrate processing method, since the discharge port of the nozzle is closed with a predetermined amount of liquid such as solvent, it is possible to prevent the processing liquid in the nozzle from being exposed to the outside air and deteriorated. Further, since the non-solution which is insoluble in the processing liquid is sucked into the nozzle, the liquid is sucked,
The non-solution is interposed between the liquid and the processing liquid, and it is possible to prevent the liquid and the processing liquid from being mixed with each other. Further, when the liquid is sucked into the nozzle, the tip of the nozzle is immersed in the liquid, so that the tip of the nozzle can be washed. Further, since the liquid is sucked into the nozzle, the inside of the nozzle can be washed with the liquid.

Further, in the method for processing a substrate, before the processing liquid in the nozzle is discharged onto the substrate to be processed next, the liquid and the insoluble solution at the tip of the nozzle are discharged. You may do it.

The substrate processing method described above may include a step of advancing and retracting the liquid sucked into the nozzle within the tip portion of the nozzle. In this case, the liquid in the nozzle can reciprocate in the nozzle to wash away the contaminants adhering to the inner wall of the nozzle, so that the inside of the nozzle can be cleaned more cleanly.

Further, the method may include a step of cleaning the outer wall of the nozzle. For example, it can be proposed to supply a liquid to the outer wall of the nozzle to clean the outer wall, or to inject nitrogen gas to the outer wall of the nozzle to clean the outer wall. By doing so, the contaminants adhering to the outer wall of the nozzle can be washed off. In this case, since the nozzle is immersed in the liquid and the liquid and the nitrogen gas are supplied to the outer wall of the nozzle, the nozzle can be sufficiently cleaned. Further, the “liquid” used in the substrate processing method described above may be a solvent of the processing liquid, and in this case, the processing liquid can dissolve the crystallized contaminants and can be suitably washed. . The method may further include the step of replacing the liquid by measuring the time, the number of times or the dielectric constant of the liquid for immersing the tip portion of the nozzle in the liquid,

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below. 1 is a plan view showing the outline of the configuration of an SOD film forming system 1 equipped with a coating processing apparatus for carrying out the processing method according to the present embodiment.
Is a front view of the SOD film forming system 1, and FIG.
3 is a rear view of the SOD film forming system 1. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the SOD film forming system 1 carries in and out, for example, 25 wafers W from the outside in a cassette unit to the SOD film forming system 1 or carries a wafer W into a cassette C. The cassette station 2 for ejecting and the like and the processing station 3 formed by arranging various kinds of processing devices for performing a predetermined processing in a single-wafer type in the SOD film forming process are integrally connected.

In the cassette station 2, a plurality of cassettes C can be placed in a line in the X direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1) at a predetermined position on the cassette placing table 10 serving as a placing portion. And this cassette arrangement direction (X direction)
Further, a wafer carrier 11 that is movable in the wafer arranging direction (Z direction; vertical direction) of the wafers W accommodated in the cassette C is provided movably along the carrier path 12.
Each cassette C can be selectively accessed.

The wafer carrier 11 has an alignment function for aligning the wafer W. This wafer carrier 11 is provided on the third side of the processing station 3 side as described later.
The extension device 31 belonging to the processing device group G3 is also accessible.

In the processing station 3, a main carrier unit 13 is provided in the center thereof, and various processing units are arranged in multiple stages around the main carrier unit 13 to form a group of processing units. In this SOD film forming system 1, four processing device groups G1, G2, G3, G4 are arranged, and the first and second processing device groups G1, G2 are arranged on the front side of the SOD film forming system 1. The third processing unit group G3 is
The fourth processing unit group G4 is arranged adjacent to the cassette station 2, and is arranged on the opposite side of the third processing unit group G3 with the main carrier unit 13 interposed therebetween. The main carrier 13 is
The wafer W can be loaded and unloaded into / from various processing devices (described later) arranged in the processing device groups G1, G2, G3, and G4. The number and arrangement of the processing device groups differ depending on the type of processing performed on the wafer W, and the number of processing device groups can be arbitrarily selected as long as it is one or more.

In the first processing unit group G1, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a coating processing unit 17 and a coating processing unit 18 for carrying out the processing method according to the present embodiment are arranged in two stages in order from the bottom. There is. In the second processing device group G2, for example, a coating solution used in the coating processing apparatus 17 and the like, a solvent of the coating solution, and the like are stored, and a chemical solution cabinet 19 serving as a supply source of the chemical solution such as the coating solution, and the coating processing apparatus. 20 and 2 from the bottom
It is arranged in columns.

In the third processing unit group G3, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, a cooling unit 3 for cooling the wafer W is used.
0, an extension device 31 for delivering the wafer W, a DCC (Dielectr) for curing the wafer W
ic Cure and Cooling-off) processing devices 32, 33,
Low-temperature heat treatment devices 34 that heat-treat the wafers W at low temperatures are stacked in, for example, five stages from the bottom.

In the fourth processing device group G4, for example, cooling devices 40 and 41, a low temperature heat processing device 42, and low oxygen heat processing devices 43 and 44 for heating the wafer W in a low oxygen atmosphere in order from the bottom. For example, they are stacked in 5 layers.

Next, the structure of the coating processing apparatus 17 described above will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a vertical section showing an outline of the configuration of the coating processing apparatus 17, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a horizontal section of the coating processing apparatus 17.

The coating processing apparatus 17 has a casing 17a as shown in FIG. 4, for example, and a spin chuck 50 for holding and rotating the wafer W is provided at the center of the casing 17a. . Spin chuck 5
The upper surface of 0 is formed horizontally, and a suction port (not shown) for sucking the wafer W, for example, is provided on the upper surface. As a result, the spin chuck 50 can horizontally hold the wafer W by suction.

The spin chuck 50 has a rotary drive unit 51 for rotating the spin chuck 50 at a predetermined speed.
have. The rotation drive unit 51 is provided, for example, below the spin chuck 50, and includes, for example, a motor.

A wafer W is provided outside the spin chuck 50.
A cup 52 is provided for receiving and collecting the coating liquid and the like scattered from. The cup 52 has a substantially cylindrical shape with an open upper surface, and the wafer W on the spin chuck 50 is
Is formed so as to surround the outer side and the lower side. Cup 5
On the lower surface 52a of No. 2, a drainage pipe 53 for draining the recovered coating liquid and the like and an exhaust pipe 54 for exhausting the atmosphere in the cup 52 are provided.

A cleaning liquid supply nozzle 55 (not shown) is provided in the cup 52 below the wafer W held by the spin chuck 50 to supply a cleaning liquid such as thinner to the back surface of the wafer W. Then, the back surface of the wafer W can be cleaned.

The coating processing apparatus 17 is equipped with a coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 as a nozzle for discharging a coating liquid as a processing liquid such as polyphenylene to be an SOD film onto the wafer W. The coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is held by a nozzle arm 61. The nozzle arm 61 is supported by a support column 62 that extends in the vertical direction. The nozzle arm 61 is configured to be vertically movable with respect to the support column 62 by, for example, a drive mechanism (not shown). As a result, the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 can be moved in the vertical direction, the distance from the wafer W can be adjusted, and the tip portion 60a of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 can be immersed in the solvent of the storage unit 80 described later. You can
Further, the nozzle arm 61 is configured to be horizontally movable in the X direction (left and right direction in FIG. 4) by a drive mechanism (not shown). As a result, the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 can move in the X direction.

On the bottom surface of the coating processing device 17, as shown in FIG. 5, a guide rail 63 is provided along one direction (Y direction in FIG. 5).
Is laid, and the support pillar 62 is the guide rail 63.
It is provided so that it can move freely. The support column 62 is provided with a drive mechanism (not shown).
2 can be moved to any position on the guide rail 63. Therefore, the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is provided in the standby portion 8 which will be described later.
The coating liquid can be discharged onto the wafer W by moving from 1 to above the center of the wafer W.

As shown in FIG. 4, a coating liquid supply pipe 64 as a processing liquid supply pipe is connected to the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60, and the coating liquid supply pipe 64 serves as a coating liquid supply source. It is connected to the tank 65 for communication. Coating liquid supply pipe 6
4 is provided with, for example, a pump 66 that pressure-feeds the coating liquid stored in the coating liquid tank 65 to the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60, and an open / close valve 67 that opens and closes the flow path in the coating liquid supply pipe 64. As a result, the coating liquid pumped from the coating liquid tank 65 by the pump 66 is discharged from the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 by opening the open / close valve 67, and the discharge of the coating liquid is stopped by closing the open / close valve 67. To be done.

The coating liquid supply pipe 64 is provided with a suck back valve 68 as a suction means. The suck back valve 68 retracts (sucks back) the tip liquid level of the coating liquid remaining in the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 when the discharge from the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is stopped to the coating liquid supply pipe 64 side. It is for.

The suck back bubble 68 is provided with, for example, a bellows 68a, and a suction chamber 68b communicating with the coating liquid supply pipe 64 is formed in the bellows 68a. Then, by expanding the bellows 68a and increasing the volume of the suction chamber 68b, the inside of the coating liquid supply pipe 64 is made a negative pressure, and the coating liquid in the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 retreats toward the coating liquid supply pipe 64 side. Can be made. Further, the suck back valve 68 is provided with a needle (not shown), and by changing the maximum volume of the suction chamber 68b with this needle, the retreat distance of the tip liquid surface of the coating liquid can be adjusted.

The pump 66, the on-off valve 67 and the suck back valve 68 are controlled by, for example, a control unit 69. That is, the control unit 69 controls the stoppage of the pump 66, the opening / closing of the open / close valve 67, and the expansion / contraction of the bellows 68a of the suck back valve 68. Therefore, the discharge of the coating liquid, suck back, and the like are performed according to the processing program set in the control unit 69.

As shown in FIG. 5, for example, Y of the cup 52
On the outside of the negative direction side (lower side in FIG. 5), a coating liquid such as cyclohexanone, mesitylene, PG
A storage section 80 for storing a solvent such as MEA (propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate) is provided. The storage part 80 is formed in a substantially box shape so as to accommodate the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60, for example, and is provided within a movable range of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60.
As a result, the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 can be moved to the storage portion 80, and the tip portion 60a of the solvent coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 can be immersed in the solvent in the storage portion 80. In addition, the tip portion 60a of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is sucked back in a state of being immersed in the solvent, and the tip portion 6 of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is
The solvent can be inhaled into 0a.

A standby portion 81 of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60, for example, is provided further outside the storage unit 80, and the coating liquid discharge nozzle 6 is provided while the coating liquid discharge process is not performed.
0 can stand by in the standby unit 81.

On the other hand, on the upper surface of the casing 17a, a duct 82 for supplying a gas such as nitrogen gas, inert gas, air, etc., whose temperature and humidity have been adjusted and which has been cleaned, into the cup 52.
Are connected, and the gas can be supplied during the coating process of the wafer W to maintain the inside of the cup 52 in a predetermined atmosphere.

Next, with respect to the processing method of the wafer W carried out by the coating processing apparatus 17 configured as described above, the SO
It will be described together with the process of the SOD film forming step performed in the D film forming system 1.

First, one unprocessed wafer W is taken out from the cassette C by the wafer transfer body 7 and transferred to the extension device 31 belonging to the third processing device group G3.
Next, the wafer W is transferred to the cooling device 30 by the main transfer device 13 and cooled to a predetermined temperature. The wafer W cooled to a predetermined temperature is
It is conveyed to the coating processing apparatus 17.

The wafer W on which the coating film is formed in the coating processing apparatus 17 is processed by the main carrier 13 at a low temperature heating processing apparatus 34 or 42, a low oxygen heating processing apparatus 43 or 44,
The DCC processing device 32 or 33 and the cooling device 30 are sequentially conveyed, and each device performs a predetermined process. The wafer W that has been cooled by the cooling device 30 is returned to the extension device 31 and then returned to the cassette C by the wafer carrier 11 to complete a series of SOD film forming processes.

Next, the method of processing the wafer W carried out by the coating processing apparatus 17 will be described in detail. First,
Before the wafer W is loaded into the coating processing apparatus 17, for example, clean air is supplied from the duct 82 to the exhaust pipe 54.
Then, the inside of the cup 52 is replaced and maintained with a predetermined atmosphere.

Then, the wafer W after the cooling processing is carried into the coating processing apparatus 17, and the spin chuck 5
When it is adsorbed and held on the surface of the wafer W, the nozzle arm 61 and the support column 62 move the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 of the standby portion 81 to a position above the central portion of the wafer W. Then, for example, the opening / closing valve 67 is opened, and a predetermined amount of the coating liquid such as polyphenylene is discharged from the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 to the central portion of the wafer W. When a predetermined amount of the coating liquid is discharged from the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60, the open / close valve 67 is closed and the discharging of the coating liquid is stopped. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the tip liquid level A of the coating liquid in the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is located near the opening of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60. Then, the suck back valve 68 is actuated, and the tip liquid level A is moved to the coating liquid supply pipe 64 side as shown in FIG. At this time, the gas (volatilized solvent) H in the casing 17a is sucked into the tip portion 60a of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60. The moving distance of the tip liquid level A is preferably, for example, about 1.0 to 5.0 mm, and if the tip liquid level A is further raised, bubbles are generated in the gas H, which hinders the coating process of the next wafer W. May come.

On the other hand, the wafer W supplied with the coating solution immediately starts to rotate at a predetermined rotation speed, for example, 1500 rpm, and the coating solution on the wafer W is diffused to the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W. When the coating liquid is spread over the entire surface of the wafer W, the wafer W
The rotation speed is accelerated to 2000 rpm, for example, and a coating film having a predetermined film thickness is formed on the wafer W.

For example, when the coating film forming process of the wafer W is being performed, the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is guided by the guide rail 63.
And moves to above the storage section 80. When reaching the upper part of the storage portion 80, the nozzle arm 61 descends, and the tip portion 60a of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is immersed in the solvent S as shown in FIG. As a result, the outer wall of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is cleaned. Next, the suck back valve 68 sucks the coating liquid in the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 as shown in FIG. 9, and the front end liquid surface A of the coating liquid further recedes toward the coating liquid supply pipe 64 side, and is stored accordingly. A predetermined amount of the solvent S in the portion 80 is sucked into the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60. As a result, the inner wall of the tip portion 60a of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is cleaned, the coating liquid in the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is confined by the solvent S, and is isolated from the other atmosphere in the casing 17a. This can prevent the coating liquid in the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 from drying. The moving distance of the tip liquid surface A at this time is preferably about 1.0 to 5.0 mm, for example.

After that, the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is raised by the nozzle arm 61, and is discharged from the storage portion 80 in a state where the solvent S is retained in the tip portion 60a as shown in FIG. Then, the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is moved to the standby portion 81 and stands by in that state until the next wafer processing is started. As a result, the coating liquid discharge nozzle 6
It is possible to prevent the coating liquid in 0 from being exposed to the atmosphere and drying.

On the other hand, the wafer W on which the coating film is formed is decelerated to, for example, 500 rpm, thinner is supplied to the back surface of the wafer W, and the back surface of the wafer W is cleaned. When the back surface cleaning is finished for a predetermined time, the supply of thinner is stopped and the wafer W is shaken off and dried. When the drying process of the wafer W is completed, the rotation of the wafer W is stopped and the wafer W
Is transferred from the spin chuck 50 to the main transfer device 13 and is unloaded from the coating processing device 17.

Then, for example, after the next processed wafer is loaded into the coating processing apparatus 17 and before the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 moves to the central portion of the wafer, for example, the standby unit 8
The coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is tested on the upper surface of the nozzle 2. As a result, the solvent in the tip portion 60a of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is discharged.

According to the above embodiment, after the discharge of the coating liquid is completed, the tip liquid surface A of the coating liquid remaining in the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is retracted, and then the gas H (volatilized solvent) is obtained. The coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 through the reservoir 8
Since it is soaked in the solvent S of 0, it is possible to prevent the coating liquid in the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 and the solvent S in the reservoir 80 from being mixed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent alteration and deterioration of the coating liquid discharged onto the wafer to be processed next.
Further, by dipping the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 in the solvent, the coating liquid attached to the outer wall of the tip portion 60a of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 can be washed off. With the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 immersed in the solvent S, the tip liquid level A of the coating liquid is further retracted to suck up the solvent S in the reservoir 80. It is possible to prevent the coating liquid from being exposed to the atmosphere and being dried. In addition, the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60
Since the atmosphere H sucked by the initial suckback is present between the coating liquid and the solvent therein, the mixing of the coating liquid and the solvent is prevented. Further, the inner wall of the tip portion 60a can be cleaned by the solvent S sucked into the tip portion 60a of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60.

Since the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is tested before the discharge of the next wafer is started,
The solvent S in the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is discharged, and only the predetermined coating liquid can be supplied to the next wafer.

The dipping of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 into the solvent, which is carried out in the above-mentioned embodiment, is not required every time the processing of one wafer W is completed, but every predetermined number of processed wafers, every predetermined time or It may be performed for each lot, may be performed when the recipe is changed, or may be performed when the coating processing apparatus 17 is stopped. When the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is not immersed in the solvent, the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is
After the ejection is completed, the wafer W is moved directly from above the wafer W to the standby portion 81 and stands by until the next wafer is loaded. Note that the solvent S in the storage tank 80 needs to be replaced as appropriate, but the number of times the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is immersed in the solvent S, the time for immersion, or the dielectric constant of the solvent S that changes due to this immersion treatment can be detected by a sensor. You may make it measure and exchange it suitably based on it.

In the above embodiment, the solvent S sucked into the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 may be moved inside the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60. The movement of the solvent S is performed by, for example, the suck back valve 68 and the opening / closing valve 6.
7 is controlled. For example, the suck back valve 68 moves the solvent S to the coating liquid supply pipe 64 side by retracting the tip liquid level A of the coating liquid in the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60, and the opening / closing valve 67 is momentarily opened. The solvent S is moved to the tip 60a side. Such reciprocating movement of the solvent S is repeated a predetermined number of times. By doing so, the solvent S reciprocates in the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60, and the dirt attached to the inner wall of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 can be washed off. The number of repetitions can be arbitrarily selected.

In the embodiment described above, a step of supplying the solvent of the coating liquid as a liquid to the outer wall of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 may be added. In order to carry out this example, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is provided with a plurality of solvent supply nozzles 90 for supplying a solvent to the outer wall of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60. The solvent supply nozzles 90 are attached to the outer surface of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 at equal intervals, for example, above the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60. The solvent supply nozzle 90 is connected to a solvent supply pipe 91 which is connected to a solvent supply source (not shown). Then, for example, after the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is raised and discharged from the solvent in the reservoir 80, the solvent is supplied from the solvent supply nozzle 90 to the outer wall of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60. The solvent supplied is the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60.
It flows along the outer wall of the car and the dirt on the outer wall is washed away. Then, the solvent that has flowed along the outer wall falls into the storage section 80, for example. According to this example, it is possible to properly remove the dirt attached to the outer wall of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60. Further, it is possible to remove stains that cannot be removed by dipping the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 in a solvent. Note that the solvent supply nozzle 90 may be used to spray nitrogen gas instead of the solvent to wash off the outer wall of the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60.

In the above embodiment, the coating liquid discharge nozzle 6
Although the atmosphere H has flowed into the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 by retracting the front end liquid level A of the coating liquid of 0, pure water as an insoluble insoluble liquid to the coating liquid may flow in. . In order to carry out this example, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, a pure water storage portion 100 in which pure water J is stored is provided adjacent to the storage portion 80. Then, the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60, which has finished discharging the coating liquid, first sets the pure water reservoir 1
It is moved to 00 and immersed. Then, the suck-back valve 68 sucks, and a predetermined amount of pure water J is sucked into the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 instead of the atmosphere H. After that, the coating liquid discharge nozzle 60 is moved to the storage section 80,
It is immersed in the solvent S, and the solvent S is sucked in as in the above embodiment. By doing so, as shown in FIG. 13, pure water J is interposed between the coating liquid and the solvent S, the mixing of the coating liquid and the solvent S is prevented, and the coating liquid is prevented from drying. it can. The liquid interposed between the coating liquid and the solvent is not limited to pure water, but may be any insoluble non-solution, and is appropriately selected according to the coating liquid and the solvent.

In the above embodiment, the coating liquid dropped on the central portion of the wafer is diffused by the rotation of the wafer,
Although the present invention has been described by applying the present invention to a coating method for forming a coating film on a wafer, the present invention supplies the coating liquid in, for example, a rectangular wave shape while moving the coating liquid discharge nozzle relative to the wafer. It can also be applied to a so-called one-stroke writing method, in which a coating film is formed on a wafer. Further, the present invention can be applied to a coating method using a slit type nozzle that supplies the coating liquid in a strip shape.

In addition, the above-described embodiment is an SO
Although it was applied to the processing method when forming the D film, the present invention is applicable to other kinds of films, for example, SOG which is an insulating film.
It can also be applied to a processing method for forming a film, a polyimide film as a protective film, a resist film, or the like. Further, although the present invention is applied to the processing method at the time of coating processing, the present invention can be applied to other processing other than coating processing, such as development processing. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to the processing of substrates other than the wafer W, such as LCD substrates, mask substrates, and reticle substrates.

[0056]

According to the present invention, the deterioration and deterioration of the processing liquid in the nozzle can be prevented, so that the dummy dispense before supplying the processing liquid can be reduced and the cost can be reduced. Further, it is possible to prevent impurities from being mixed in the processing liquid ejected from the nozzle, so that the yield of substrates can be improved. Further, since it is possible to prevent the generation of particles due to the contamination of the nozzle, the substrate can be processed in a clean atmosphere.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of a configuration of an SOD film forming system in an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the SOD film forming system of FIG.

3 is a rear view of the SOD film forming system of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a vertical cross section showing the outline of the configuration of a coating treatment apparatus.

5 is an explanatory view of a cross section of the coating treatment apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a vertical cross section of the coating liquid ejection nozzle showing a state inside the coating liquid ejection nozzle when the ejection of the coating liquid is stopped.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a vertical cross section of the coating liquid discharge nozzle showing a state in which the front end liquid surface of the coating liquid in the coating liquid discharge nozzle is retracted.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a vertical cross section of the coating liquid discharge nozzle showing a state inside the coating liquid discharge nozzle when immersed in a solvent.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of a vertical cross section of the coating liquid discharge nozzle showing a state inside the coating liquid discharge nozzle when the solvent is sucked.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of a vertical cross section of the coating liquid discharge nozzle showing a state inside the coating liquid discharge nozzle when the coating liquid discharge nozzle of FIG. 9 is on standby.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the coating liquid discharge nozzle when a plurality of solvent supply nozzles are attached to the coating liquid discharge nozzle.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a cross section of the coating treatment apparatus when a pure water storage unit is provided.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory view of a vertical cross section of a coating liquid discharge nozzle when pure water is interposed between the coating liquid and the solvent.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 SOD film forming system 17 Coating treatment device 60 coating liquid discharge nozzle 60a tip 67 on-off valve 68 suck back valve 80 Storage A tip liquid level H atmosphere S solvent W wafer

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F term (reference) 2H025 AB16 EA05                 4D073 AA09 BB03 CC02 CC05 CC07                       CC13                 5F046 JA01 JA02

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A processing method for processing a substrate, comprising a step of discharging a processing liquid from a nozzle attached to a tip of a processing liquid supply pipe to supply a predetermined amount of the processing liquid onto the substrate, and the processing. After the completion of the step of supplying the liquid, a step of sucking the processing liquid remaining in the nozzle toward the processing liquid supply pipe by a suction means, and retreating the liquid surface of the processing liquid in the nozzle; The step of immersing the tip of the nozzle in the liquid, and then sucking the processing liquid in the nozzle toward the processing liquid supply pipe by suction means to further recede the liquid surface of the processing liquid in the nozzle. And a step of sucking a predetermined amount of the liquid into the tip portion of the nozzle. 2. The step of retreating, the step of retreating the liquid surface of the processing liquid in the nozzle to inhale the gas volatilized from the liquid, and the step of inhaling the liquid are performed in the nozzle by the gas. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined amount of the liquid is sucked into the tip portion of the nozzle after the liquid surface of the processing liquid is not in contact with the liquid. 3. The liquid at the tip of the nozzle is discharged before discharging the processing liquid in the nozzle onto a substrate to be processed next.
The method for processing a substrate according to. 4. A processing method for processing a substrate, comprising the steps of discharging a processing liquid from a nozzle attached to the tip of a processing liquid supply pipe and supplying a predetermined amount of the processing liquid onto the substrate; After the step of supplying the solution, the step of immersing the tip of the nozzle in an insoluble solution insoluble to the processing solution, and then the processing solution remaining in the nozzle is sucked by the processing solution supply pipe. Sucking to the side, retracting the liquid surface of the treatment liquid in the nozzle, and sucking a predetermined amount of the insoluble solution into the tip of the nozzle, and then dipping the tip of the nozzle into the liquid. And then, the treatment liquid in the nozzle is sucked toward the treatment liquid supply pipe side by the suction means, and the liquid surface of the treatment liquid in the nozzle is further retracted to remove a predetermined amount of the liquid. Inhaling into the tip of the nozzle, A method for processing a substrate, comprising: 5. The non-solution and the liquid at the tip of the nozzle are discharged before the processing liquid in the nozzle is discharged onto the substrate to be processed next. Item 4. The method for processing a substrate according to item 4. 6. The substrate according to claim 1, further comprising the step of advancing and retracting the liquid sucked into the nozzle within a tip portion of the nozzle. Processing method. 7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of cleaning an outer wall of the nozzle.
The method for treating a substrate according to any one of 1. 8. The method for treating a substrate according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning step includes a step of supplying a liquid to the outer wall of the nozzle to clean the outer wall. 9. The method of treating a substrate according to claim 7, wherein the cleaning step includes a step of injecting nitrogen gas onto the outer wall of the nozzle to clean the outer wall. 10. The liquid is a solvent for the processing liquid, and the liquid is a solvent for the processing liquid.
10. The method for treating a substrate according to any one of 7, 8 and 9. 11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of replacing the liquid by measuring the time, the number of times or the dielectric constant of the liquid for immersing the tip portion of the nozzle in the liquid. , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10, the method for processing a substrate.