JP2003347182A - Treatment device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To properly and further quickly perform the maintenance of the inside of an exhaust passage extending inside a support ring which contains a heating plate. <P>SOLUTION: The support ring 62 is separated into three ring members, an upper ring member 70, a middle ring member 71, and a lower ring member 72. A gap is formed to a joint between the upper ring member 70 and the middle ring member 71, and the gap is made to serve as the exhaust passage 66. When maintenance such as the cleaning of the exhaust passage 66 is carried out, the upper ring member 70 and the middle ring member 71 are dismounted from the lower ring member 72 fixed to a treatment device, furthermore the upper ring member 70 and the middle ring member 71 are separated from each other to make the exhaust passage 66 exposed. By this setup, the maintenance of the inside of the exhaust passage 66 can be more properly performed in a shorter time. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,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 apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a photolithography process in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, a heat treatment (pre-baking) for evaporating a solvent in a resist solution applied to the surface of a wafer, and after exposing a pattern, a resist film on the wafer is exposed. Various heat treatments such as a heat treatment for promoting a chemical reaction (post-exposure baking) and a heat treatment after the development treatment (post-bake) are performed.

The above-mentioned heat treatment is carried out by a heat treatment apparatus, which usually comprises a disk-shaped hot plate 200 for mounting and heating a wafer W as shown in FIG.
The support ring 201 surrounds the outer periphery of the heat plate 200 and accommodates the hot plate 200. The cover ring 202 forms a processing chamber S integrally with the support ring 201, and the like. A supply port 203 for supplying a gas for purging into the processing chamber S is provided at the center of the lid 202. Also,
A plurality of exhaust ports 2 for exhausting the atmosphere in the processing chamber S are provided on the upper surface of the support ring 201 located outside the hot plate 200.
04 is provided. An exhaust passage 205 communicating with the exhaust port 204 is formed inside the support ring 201.

[0004] During the heating process, a processing chamber S is formed by the lid 202 and the support ring 201, and the wafer W is placed on the hot plate 200 in the processing chamber S and heated. During the heating process, a purge gas is supplied into the processing chamber S from the supply port 203 of the lid 202, and the gas is exhausted from the exhaust port 204 of the support ring 201. The gas flowing into the exhaust port 204 passes through the exhaust passage 205 and is exhausted outside the apparatus.

[0005]

In the above-described heat treatment, many impurities such as volatiles and sublimates are generated from the wafer W. Therefore, the interior of the exhaust passage 205 through which the impurities flow is easily contaminated and requires frequent cleaning and other maintenance.

The exhaust passage 20 in the conventional heat treatment apparatus
The maintenance in 5 was performed by removing the entire support ring 201 from the apparatus. For this reason,
The cleaning work was extensive and time-consuming. If the maintenance time is long as described above, the operation rate of the apparatus is reduced, which is not preferable. In addition, with the conventional heat treatment apparatus, it is difficult to reach every corner in the exhaust passage 205, and it is difficult to completely remove impurities adhered in the exhaust passage 205. If dirt such as impurities remains in the exhaust passage 205 in this way, the dirt narrows the flow path in the exhaust passage 205 and reduces the exhaust pressure in the processing chamber S. When the exhaust pressure decreases, exhaust of the impurities in the processing chamber S becomes insufficient, and there is a possibility that the impurities that have not been exhausted may adhere to the wafer. Such attachment of impurities to the wafer W obviously causes a product failure of the wafer. Further, in the conventional heat treatment apparatus, when the exhaust passage 205 is contaminated, the pipes connected to the exhaust passage 205 and thereafter are also contaminated, requiring maintenance in a wide range. As a result, there is a problem that the maintenance time is lengthened and the operation rate of the device is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and extends a maintenance interval in an exhaust passage formed in a surrounding member such as a support ring so that the maintenance can be performed in a shorter time and appropriately. It is an object of the present invention to provide a processing apparatus that can perform the processing.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus having a processing chamber for processing a substrate,
The processing chamber includes a mounting table on which the substrate is mounted, a gas supply port for supplying gas to the processing chamber, and a surrounding member surrounding the outer periphery of the mounting table. And has a substantially cylindrical shape having:
An exhaust passage for exhausting the atmosphere in the processing chamber is provided;
A processing apparatus is provided, wherein a side portion of the enclosing member is separable into at least two or more portions, and the inside of the exhaust passage can be exposed by separating the side portion of the enclosing member. You.

According to the present invention, the surrounding member provided with the exhaust passage is separable, and the separation allows the inside of the exhaust passage to be exposed. Therefore, even if the entire surrounding member is not removed from the apparatus main body, the inside of the exhaust passage can be removed. Maintenance such as cleaning can be performed. Therefore, maintenance of the exhaust passage is facilitated and maintenance time can be reduced. In addition, since the cleaning can be performed with the exhaust passage exposed, the cleaning is easy and the inside of the exhaust passage can be cleaned more cleanly. As a result, impurities are not clogged in the exhaust passage, and the exhaust in the processing chamber is appropriately performed, so that the substrate in the processing chamber can be processed in a clean atmosphere.

[0010] The side portion of the enclosing member is separable into a first portion on the inner circumference side and a second portion on the outer circumference side, and a gap between the first and second portions is provided. There may be a gap, and the gap may be the exhaust passage. According to the present invention, by separating the first portion and the second portion, the exhaust passage is exposed, and maintenance in the exhaust passage can be suitably performed.

The first portion has an annular vertical portion and an annular horizontal portion, and the horizontal portion is formed outward from a lower portion of the vertical portion, and the second portion is formed. Has an inner peripheral side surface facing the outer side surface of the vertical portion and the upper surface of the horizontal portion, and the exhaust passage is formed between the outer side surface of the vertical portion, the upper surface of the horizontal portion, and the second portion. It may be formed by a gap with the peripheral side surface.

A discharge port communicating with the outside of the enclosing member is opened on the upper surface of the horizontal portion, and a recovery member for recovering impurities in the gas passing through the exhaust passage is provided at the discharge port. You may. In this case, after recovering impurities in the gas in the exhaust passage, the gas can be discharged to, for example, an exhaust system outside the device. Further, since the recovery member is provided at the discharge port on the upper surface of the horizontal portion, when the exhaust passage is exposed and the exhaust passage is cleaned, maintenance such as cleaning and replacement of the recovery member can also be performed.

[0013] The surrounding member may have a lower surface portion for supporting a lower surface of the mounting table. Further, in the enclosing member, a portion constituting the exhaust passage may be detachable from the enclosing member main body. In such a case, only the portion having the exhaust passage is removed without removing the enclosing member main body from the device. This allows maintenance of the exhaust passage. Therefore, maintenance of the exhaust passage can be performed more easily, and maintenance time can be reduced. The processing apparatus may include a locking member that locks a portion of the surrounding member that forms the exhaust passage and the surrounding member body.

An exhaust port communicating with the exhaust passage is opened on the upper surface of the side of the enclosing member, and the exhaust port may be formed in an annular shape along the shape of the side of the enclosing member. Good. Further, a plurality of exhaust ports communicating with the exhaust passage are opened on the upper surface of the side portion of the surrounding member, and the exhaust ports are provided at equal intervals on the same circumference on the upper surface of the side portion. You may. According to these inventions, the atmosphere in the processing chamber is uniformly exhausted from the outer peripheral direction of the substrate on the mounting table. Therefore, since the atmosphere around the substrate is uniformly exhausted in the substrate surface, for example, the volatilization amount of the solvent on the substrate can be made uniform in the substrate surface. Further, the influence of the air flow generated by the exhaust on the substrate can be made the same in the substrate surface. As a result, in-plane uniformity of substrate processing is ensured. Note that the plurality of exhaust ports may be formed in a slit shape.

The exhaust passage may be provided with a pressure loss portion for reducing the pressure of the gas passing through the exhaust passage. In this case, for example, the exhaust pressure applied to one location on the downstream side of the exhaust passage can be lost in the exhaust passage, and the exhaust pressure at the upstream exhaust port can be made uniform. Therefore, the atmosphere in the processing chamber can be uniformly exhausted from the outer peripheral direction of the substrate.

The mounting table may be a heat-treated plate on which a substrate is mounted and heat-treated. The processing apparatus may further include a cover that covers the substrate on the mounting table from above and forms a part of the processing chamber, and the gas supply port is provided at a central portion of the cover. Good.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration of a coating and developing system 1 on which a processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is mounted, FIG. 2 is a front view of the coating and developing 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 in and out, 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 out of the cassette C. A cassette station 2, a processing station 3 in which various processing apparatuses for performing predetermined processing in a single-wafer manner in a coating and developing processing step are arranged in multiple stages, and an illustration provided adjacent to the processing station 3. And an interface unit 4 for transferring a wafer W to and from an exposure apparatus not to be connected.

In the cassette station 2, a plurality of cassettes C can be mounted at predetermined positions on the cassette mounting table 5 in a line in the X direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1).
The cassette arrangement direction (X direction) and the cassette C
A wafer carrier 7 that can be transported in the wafer arrangement direction (Z direction; vertical direction) of the wafers W accommodated in the cassette W is provided movably along the transport path 8, and is selectively provided for each cassette C. Is accessible.

The wafer carrier 7 has an alignment function for positioning the wafer W. The wafer carrier 7 is rotatable in the θ direction (rotational direction around the Z axis), and can also access an extension device 32 belonging to a third processing device group G3 on the processing station 3 side described later. It is configured as follows.

In the processing station 3, a main transfer device 13 is provided at the center thereof, and various processing devices are arranged in multiple stages around the main transfer device 13 to form a processing device group. In this coating and developing system 1, four processing unit groups G1, G2, G3 and G4 are arranged, and the first and second processing unit groups G1 and G2 are arranged on the front side of the coating and developing system 1. The third processing unit group G3
Is located adjacent to the cassette station 2 and the fourth
The processing unit group G4 is disposed adjacent to the interface unit 4. Further, a fifth processing unit group G5 indicated by a broken line as an option can be separately arranged on the back side. The main transfer device 13 includes these processing device groups G1, G
The wafer W can be loaded and unloaded to and from various processing apparatuses described below arranged at 2, G3, G4, and G5. Note that the number and arrangement of the processing apparatus groups differ depending on the type of processing performed on the wafer W, and can be arbitrarily selected.

In the first processing unit group G1, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a resist coating device 17 for applying a resist solution to the wafer W to form a resist film on the wafer W, and a developing process for the wafer W after the exposure. Developing processing devices 18 are arranged in two stages from the bottom. Similarly, in the case of the second processing unit group G2, the resist coating unit 19 and the development processing unit 20
Are stacked in two stages from the bottom.

In the third processing unit group G3, for example, as shown in FIG.
An adhesion device 31 for improving the fixability between the resist solution and the wafer W, an extension device 32 for transferring the wafer W, prebaking devices 33 and 34 as a processing device according to the present embodiment, and a post-development process. Post-baking devices 35 for performing a heat treatment are stacked in, for example, six stages from the bottom.

In the fourth processing unit group G4, for example, a cooling device 40, an extension cooling device 41 for naturally cooling the mounted wafer W, an extension device 42, a cooling device 43, and post-exposure baking for performing a heat treatment after exposure. The devices 44 and 45 and the post-baking device 46 are stacked, for example, in seven stages from the bottom.

At the center of the interface unit 4, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, a wafer carrier 50 is provided, for example. The wafer transfer body 50 is configured to freely move in the X 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 are accessed so that the wafer W can be transferred to each of them. I have.

Here, the configuration of the pre-baking devices 33 and 34 will be described using the pre-baking device 33 as an example. The pre-baking device 33 is a device that performs a heat treatment for volatilizing a solvent remaining in the resist film formed on the wafer W.

As shown in FIG. 4, the pre-baking device 33 includes a lid 61 which can be moved up and down in a casing 60, and a processing chamber S which is located below the lid 61 and is integrated with the lid 61.
, A mounting table accommodated in the support ring 62 for mounting and heating the wafer W, and a hot plate 63 as a heat treatment plate.

The hot plate 63 is formed in a substantially disk shape having a thickness, and the support ring 62 is formed, for example, in a substantially cylindrical shape having open upper and lower surfaces so as to surround the outer periphery of the hot plate 63. A side portion 64 of the support ring 62 is formed to be thick, and a ring-shaped exhaust port 6 for exhausting the atmosphere in the processing chamber S is provided on the upper surface of the side portion 64 as shown in FIG.
5 is open. The exhaust port 65 communicates with an exhaust passage 66 that passes through the inside of the side portion 64 of the support ring 62 as shown in FIG. 4, and the exhaust passage 66 is connected to an exhaust pipe 67 attached to a lower portion of the support ring 62. Communicating. The exhaust pipe 67 is connected to negative pressure generating means (not shown). For example, by applying a negative pressure to the downstream side of the exhaust pipe 67, the atmosphere in the processing chamber S is reduced through the exhaust port 65 and the exhaust passage 66. Can be exhausted.

The support ring 62 is provided with an upper ring member 7 as a second part as shown in FIGS.
0, a middle ring member 71 as a first portion, and a lower ring member 72 as a lower surface portion.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the upper ring member 70 has a ring shape whose longitudinal section is substantially square. As shown in FIG. 6, two pressure loss portions 70b and 70c projecting inward are formed on the inner peripheral wall 70a of the upper ring member 70. The pressure loss portions 70b and 70c are formed in a ring shape along the inner peripheral wall 70a. The pressure loss portion 70b is located at the upper end of the inner peripheral wall 70a.
It has become. The pressure loss portion 70c is, for example, an inner peripheral wall 70.
a. The support ring 62
An O-ring 80 as a seal member is provided on the upper surface of the upper ring member 70 which is the upper surface of the support ring 62.
The gas in the processing chamber S is prevented from flowing out of the gap between the upper surface of the cover 61 and the lower end of the lid 61.

The middle ring member 71 has a substantially L-shaped ring shape in vertical section as shown in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 6, the middle ring member 71 is mainly formed of a ring-shaped vertical portion 71a and a ring-shaped horizontal portion 71b. The horizontal part 71b is formed outward from the lower part of the vertical part 71a. Outer peripheral wall 71c of vertical portion 71a
Faces the inner peripheral wall 70a of the upper ring member 70. An annular gap K1 is provided between the outer peripheral wall 71c of the vertical portion 71a and the inner peripheral wall 70a of the upper ring member 70. The upper surface 71d of the horizontal portion 71b is
The upper ring member 70 faces the lower surface 70d. Upper surface 71d of horizontal portion 71b and lower surface 70d of upper ring member 70
Is provided with an annular gap K2. The gap K2 communicates with the gap K1, and the communicating gap K1 and the gap K2 form an exhaust passage 66. The outer side of the horizontal portion 71b projects upward and contacts the lower surface 70d of the upper ring member 70 to close the exhaust passage 66. Note that, in the present embodiment, the inner peripheral side surface of the upper ring member 70 is constituted by an inner peripheral wall 70a and a lower surface 70d.

A concave outlet 71e is formed on the upper surface 71d of the horizontal portion 71a. In this outlet 71e,
A filter 81 as a collecting member for collecting impurities in the gas passing through the exhaust passage 66 is attached. The filter 81 is detachable from the outlet 71e. The discharge port 71e has a middle ring member 71.
And an exhaust pipe 67 penetrating through the lower ring member 72. Therefore, the gas flowing into the exhaust passage 66 from the exhaust port 65 flows into the exhaust port 71e, and
Is discharged from

The lower ring member 72 is formed in a ring shape as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the upper surface 72a of the lower ring member 72 is formed so as to conform to the shape of the lower surface of the middle ring member 71. The lower ring member 72 includes a bottom plate 72b that supports the back surface of the hot plate 63. For example, the bottom plate 72b has an opening at the center as shown in FIG. 4, and the opening is closed by housing the hot plate 63 in the support ring 62. The lower ring member 72 is connected to the pre-baking device 33.
Fixed to.

Upper ring member 70 and middle ring member 71
As shown in FIG. 6, the upper ring member 70 and the middle ring member 71 can be separated by removing the screw 82, for example. As a result,
By removing the upper ring member 70 from the middle ring member 71, the exhaust passage 66 can be exposed.

The middle ring member 71 is connected to the lower ring member 7.
2, the middle ring member 71 is detachable from the lower ring member 72. A locking plate 83 for locking, for example, the lower ring member 72 and the middle ring member 71 is attached to the outer surface of the lower ring member 72. The locking plate 83 extends to a position facing the outer surface of the middle ring member 71. A locking member 84 urged toward the middle ring member 71 by a spring D is attached to the locking plate 83. Middle ring member 7
A hole 85 to which the locking member 84 fits is provided on the outer surface of the first member 1. Therefore, the locking member 84 of the lower ring member 72 is fitted into the hole 85 of the middle ring member 71 so that the middle ring member 71 is connected to the lower ring member 7.
2 can be locked.

On the upper surface of the lower ring member 72, for example, a guide portion 86 having a ring shape and a triangular longitudinal section is formed. On the lower surface of the middle ring member 71, a ring shape adapted to the guide portion 86 is formed. Ring groove 87 is formed. By aligning the ring groove 87 with the guide portion 86, the middle ring member 71 can be placed at a predetermined position on the lower ring member 72.

On the other hand, the heating plate 63 accommodated in the support ring 62 has a built-in heater 90 for generating heat by power supply as shown in FIG. 4, and can heat and maintain the heating plate 63 itself at a predetermined temperature. . That is, by placing the wafer W on the hot plate 63 heated to a predetermined temperature, the wafer W
Can be heated to a predetermined temperature.

The hot plate 63 has, for example, three through holes 91 formed therein. Elevating pins 92 that support the back surface of the wafer W and move up and down are inserted into the through holes 91, respectively. The elevating pin 92 is moved up and down by an elevating mechanism 93 having, for example, a cylinder. The elevating pins 92 can move up to above the hot plate 63 to transfer the wafer W to and from the main transfer device 13 or to place the received wafer W on the hot plate 63.

The lid 61 has a substantially cylindrical shape whose upper surface is closed by the top plate 94 and whose lower surface is open. The top plate 94 faces the wafer W on the hot plate 63. At the center of the top plate 94, a gas supply unit 95 for purging gas which is connected to a gas supply source (not shown) is provided. A gas supply port 96 communicating with the gas supply unit 95 is provided at the center of the top plate 94. Therefore, it is possible to supply a gas such as air, nitrogen gas, or an inert gas from a gas supply source (not shown) to the gas supply port 96 via the gas supply unit 95, and to introduce the gas into the processing chamber S from the gas supply port 96. it can.

Inside the lid 61, the top plate 94 and the hot plate 6
For example, a circular baffle plate 97 is provided between the first and third baffles. The baffle plate 97 is fixed to the lid 61 so as to be horizontal with respect to the top plate 94 and the hot plate 63. The baffle plate 97 is a predetermined distance from the top plate 94, for example, 15 mm.
It is located at the position. A plurality of ventilation holes (not shown) are equally distributed and opened in the baffle plate 97.
The gas supplied from the gas supply port 96 into the processing chamber S can be uniformly supplied onto the wafer W.

The entire lid 61 can be moved up and down by an elevating mechanism (not shown) provided with a cylinder and the like, and the lid 61 is moved up and down when the wafer W is loaded and unloaded. A loading / unloading port 98 for loading / unloading the wafer W into / from the casing 60 is provided on a side surface of the casing 60.

The pre-baking device 33 according to the present embodiment is configured as described above, and its operation will be described next. First, the operation of the pre-baking device 33 in the pre-baking process will be described. Wafer W
Before the gas is conveyed to the pre-baking device 33, a purge gas, for example, air, is supplied from the gas supply port 96. The heating plate 63 is maintained at a predetermined heating temperature by the heater 90.

Then, the exposure processing is completed in an exposure device (not shown), and the wafer W held in the main transfer device 13 is transferred from the loading / unloading port 98 into the casing 60,
The elevating pins 9 which have previously been raised above the hot plate 63 and are on standby
Handed over to 2. Subsequently, the lid 61 is lowered, and the processing chamber S is formed integrally with the support ring 62. At this time, the air introduced from the gas supply port 96 passes through the baffle plate 97 as shown in FIG. The air supplied onto the wafer W is supplied to a ring-shaped exhaust port 65 of the support ring 62 as shown in FIG.
It is exhausted from. At this time, the air is uniformly exhausted from the outer peripheral direction of the wafer W by the action of the pressure loss portions 70b and 70c in the exhaust passage 66. The air that has flowed into the exhaust port 65 passes through an exhaust path 66 between the upper ring member 70 and the middle ring member 71, and flows into the exhaust port 71e. The air that has flowed into the discharge port 71 e passes through the filter 81 and is discharged to the outside of the pre-baking device 33 via the exhaust pipe 67.

The gas supply port 9 as described above is provided in the processing chamber S.
When the descending airflow from the nozzle 6 to the exhaust port 65 is formed, the elevating pins 92 descend and the wafer W is placed on the hot plate 63. Thus, the heating of the wafer W is started, and the heating is performed for a predetermined time. Volatiles and sublimates such as a solvent generated from the wafer W by this heating are taken into the airflow and exhausted from the exhaust port 65. Impurities such as volatiles and sublimates contained in the airflow are collected by a filter 81 at an outlet 71a, and the air from which the impurities have been removed is sent to an exhaust system of a factory via an exhaust pipe 67, for example.

When the heating for a predetermined time is completed, the elevating pins 92 are raised again, and the wafer W is lifted onto the hot plate 63. At the same time, the lid 61 is raised, and the processing chamber S is opened. When the processing chamber S is opened, the supply of air may be stopped. The wafer W on the elevating pins 92 is transferred again to the loading / unloading port 9
It is delivered to the main transport device 13 that has entered from 8 and is unloaded from the pre-baking device 33. Thus, a series of pre-baking processing is completed.

Next, the operation of the pre-baking device 33 for cleaning the inside of the exhaust passage 66 will be described. First, for example, the upper ring member 70 and the middle ring member 71 are lifted and removed from the lower ring member 72 as shown in FIG. The removed upper ring member 70 and middle ring member 71 are transported, for example, to a place where cleaning work can be easily performed.

Subsequently, the screw 82 fixing the upper ring member 70 and the middle ring member 71 is removed, and the upper ring 70 and the middle ring member 71 are separated as shown in FIG. Thus, the exhaust passage 66 is exposed, and the exhaust passage 66
Cleaning of the inside is performed. At this time, cleaning of the filter 81,
It may be replaced.

When the cleaning in the exhaust passage 66 is completed, the upper ring member 70 and the middle ring member 71
The upper ring member 70 and the middle ring member 71 which are fixed and integrated with each other are stacked on the lower ring member 72 of the pre-baking device 33. At this time, the ring groove 87 of the middle ring member 71 is aligned with the guide portion 86. Also, the locking member 84 of the lower ring member 72 fits into the hole 85 of the middle ring member 71, and the middle ring member 71 is locked to the lower ring member 72. Thus, the upper ring member 70 and the middle ring member 71 are returned to their original positions,
A series of washing operations is completed.

According to the above embodiment, since the side portion 64 of the support ring 62 can be separated and the exhaust passage 66 can be exposed, maintenance such as cleaning of the exhaust passage 66 can be performed more easily. Can be. Therefore, maintenance time can be reduced. Further, since the inside of the exhaust passage 66 is easily cleaned, it is possible to clean without leaving any dirt such as impurities attached to the exhaust passage 66. As a result, the air flows smoothly in the exhaust passage 66, and the processing chamber S is properly exhausted, so that the wafer W in the processing chamber S is processed in a clean atmosphere, and the processing of the wafer W is performed appropriately. Done in

Upper ring member 7 forming exhaust passage 66
Since the inner ring member 71 and the lower ring member 71 are detachable from the lower ring member 72, the inside of the exhaust passage 66 can be washed at a place where the washing is easier. Therefore,
The cleaning operation of the exhaust passage 66 can be performed efficiently.

The filter 81 is connected to the outlet 71 of the exhaust passage 66.
e, the filter 81 can be washed or replaced when the exhaust passage 66 is washed. In addition, the filter 81 suppresses contamination in a pipe connected to the exhaust passage 66, thereby reducing the number of times of maintenance of the pipe and the like and shortening the maintenance time.

Since the locking member 84 for locking the middle ring member 71 at a predetermined position is attached to the lower ring member 72, the middle ring member 71 can be locked at a predetermined position on the lower ring member 72.

Since the exhaust port 65 on the upper surface of the support ring 62 is formed in a ring shape, the atmosphere in the processing chamber S can be uniformly exhausted from outside the wafer W. As a result, the solvent on the wafer W volatilizes evenly within the surface of the wafer W, and the heat treatment of the wafer W is performed uniformly within the surface of the wafer W. Further, since the pressure loss portions 70b and 70c are formed in the exhaust passage 66, the exhaust pressure on the ring-shaped exhaust port 65 can be made constant, and the exhaust from the exhaust port 65 can be performed more uniformly.

The inner surface of the exhaust passage 66 may be subjected to an antifouling treatment such as a Teflon (registered trademark of DuPont) treatment. In such a case, impurities such as sublimates generated in the processing chamber S may be exhausted. It is possible to suppress the fixation to 66, and to extend a maintenance interval such as cleaning.

Incidentally, as shown in FIG.
A plurality of circular exhaust ports 101 are formed on the upper surface of the nozzle 00, and the plurality of exhaust ports 101 may be arranged at equal intervals on the same circumference. Also in this case, since the atmosphere in the processing chamber S flows into the exhaust ports 101 at equal intervals, the atmosphere on the wafer W is uniformly exhausted from the outer peripheral direction of the wafer W. The exhaust port 101 has a slit shape, for example, as shown in FIG.
It may have an arc shape as shown in FIG.

Although the support ring 62 described in the above embodiment can be separated into three parts, the number can be arbitrarily selected. In addition, the number of outlets 71e opening to the exhaust passage 66 can be arbitrarily selected.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment but can take various forms. For example, the present invention can be applied to processing apparatuses other than the pre-baking apparatus, such as a post-exposure baking apparatus, a post-baking apparatus, and a cooling apparatus. Further, the substrate is not limited to the wafer W, and the present invention can be applied to a processing apparatus for processing another rectangular substrate, for example, an LCD substrate.

[0058]

According to the present invention, maintenance in the exhaust passage can be performed in a shorter time, so that the operation rate of the processing apparatus can be improved accordingly. Further, since the inside of the exhaust passage can be kept clean, the atmosphere in the processing chamber can be properly exhausted, and the substrate processing in the processing chamber can be performed in an appropriate environment. Therefore, the yield of substrate processing can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a coating and developing system including a prebaking apparatus according to an embodiment.

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

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 showing a configuration of a prebaking device.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a support ring accommodating a hot plate.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing a configuration of a side portion of a support ring.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing divided support rings.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a support ring provided with a plurality of exhaust ports.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the support ring when the exhaust port of FIG. 8 has a slit shape.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a longitudinal section schematically showing the configuration of a conventional heat treatment apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Coating and developing system 33 Pre-baking equipment 61 Lid 62 Support ring 64 sides 65 exhaust port 66 Exhaust passage 70 Upper ring member 71 Middle ring member 72 Lower ring member S processing room W wafer

   ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page    (72) Inventor Yukio Shigaki             TBS release at 5-3-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo             Transmission Center Tokyo Electron Limited F term (reference) 5F046 KA10

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A processing apparatus having a processing chamber for processing a substrate, wherein the processing chamber includes a mounting table for mounting the substrate,
A gas supply port for supplying gas to the processing chamber; and a surrounding member surrounding the outer periphery of the mounting table, wherein the surrounding member has a substantially cylindrical shape having a side portion, and a side portion of the surrounding member. An exhaust passage for exhausting the atmosphere in the processing chamber is provided inside the processing chamber, and a side portion of the enclosing member is separable into at least two or more portions. By separating the side portion of the enclosing member, A processing apparatus, wherein the inside of the exhaust passage is exposed. 2. A side part of the enclosing member is separable into a first part on an inner peripheral side and a second part on an outer peripheral side, and a part between the first part and the second part. 2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein there is a gap, and the gap forms an exhaust passage. 3. The first portion has an annular vertical portion and an annular horizontal portion, wherein the horizontal portion is formed outward from a lower portion of the vertical portion, and wherein Portion has an inner peripheral side surface facing the outer surface of the vertical portion and the upper surface of the horizontal portion, and the exhaust passage includes an outer surface of the vertical portion, an upper surface of the horizontal portion, and the second portion. 3. The processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processing apparatus is formed by a gap with an inner peripheral side face of the processing apparatus. 4. An exhaust port communicating with the outside of the surrounding member is opened on the upper surface of the horizontal portion, and a recovery member for recovering impurities in the gas passing through the exhaust passage is provided at the exhaust port. The processing device according to claim 3, wherein the processing device is used. 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the surrounding member has a lower surface portion for supporting a lower surface of the mounting table.
The processing apparatus according to any one of 2, 3, and 4. 6. The enclosure member according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the enclosure member that constitutes the exhaust passage is detachable from the enclosure member body. The processing device according to the above. 7. The processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a locking member for locking a portion of the surrounding member that constitutes the exhaust passage and the surrounding member main body. 8. An exhaust port communicating with the exhaust passage is opened on an upper surface of a side portion of the enclosing member.
The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, wherein the processing apparatus is formed in an annular shape along a shape of a side portion of the enclosing member. 9. A plurality of exhaust ports communicating with the exhaust passage are opened on an upper surface of a side portion of the enclosing member, and the exhaust ports are arranged at equal intervals on the same circumference of the upper surface of the side portion. Claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, characterized in that it is provided.
The processing device according to any one of 6 and 7, 10. The processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the exhaust port is formed in a slit shape. 11. A pressure loss portion for reducing a pressure of a gas passing through the exhaust passage is provided in the exhaust passage.
The processing apparatus according to any one of 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. 12. The mounting table according to claim 1, wherein the mounting table is a heat-treated plate on which a substrate is mounted and heat-treated.
The processing apparatus according to any one of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. 13. A substrate on the mounting table is covered from above,
7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a lid forming a part of the processing chamber, wherein the gas supply port is provided at a central portion of the lid. , 7,8,9,1
The processing apparatus according to any one of 0, 11 and 12.