JP2004165614A - Apparatus and method for treating substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To dry a wafer, while improving the uniformity in the wafer surface of a resist film. <P>SOLUTION: A gas feed member 80 is formed in a treatment vessel 60. One end of the gas feed member 80 is connected to an air supply port 70, and the other end is opened to the surface of a wafer W. A porous current plate 83 is attached in an opening 80b of the gas feed member 80. The current plate 83 is attached in parallel with the wafer W. The treatment vessel 60 is provided with a discharge port 71 for decompressing the inside of a treatment room S. A solvent gas is supplied to the wafer W from the gas feed memeber 80 through the current plate 83, and is exhausted through the discharge port 71. The solvent gas supplied on the wafer W flows in the outer side direction on the wafer W and is exhausted through the disharge port 71. A resist film on the wafer W is leveled toward the outside of the wafer W by the air flow. Thereafter, the solvent in the resist film vaporizes by stopping the air feed, and the wafer W is dried. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, in a photolithography process in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a resist coating process for applying a resist liquid to a wafer surface to form a resist film, an exposure process for exposing a pattern to a wafer, and a developing process for developing the exposed wafer are performed. Processing and the like are performed to form a predetermined circuit pattern on the wafer.
[0003]
In the above-described resist coating process, a so-called scan type coating method in which a nozzle and a wafer are relatively moved while a linear resist solution is discharged from a nozzle to apply a resist solution on a wafer surface is performed. (For example, see Patent Documents 1 to 4).
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2000-77326 A
[Patent Document 2]
JP 2000-188251 A
[Patent Document 3]
JP 2001-148338A
[Patent Document 4]
JP 2001-176765 A
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the above-described so-called scanning coating method, irregularities along the coating path of the resist liquid are easily formed on the surface of the resist film. For this reason, in the so-called scanning coating method, a resist liquid having a relatively large proportion of a solvent and a low viscosity is used in order to promote the diffusion of the resist liquid immediately after the coating and the flattening of the resist film. Along with this, after the resist coating process, the wafer is exposed to a reduced-pressure atmosphere to evaporate the solvent in the resist solution and dry the wafer under reduced pressure. However, in this drying under reduced pressure, a so-called shrink phenomenon occurs in which the entire resist film formed on the wafer shrinks toward the center and the center of the resist film rises. This so-called shrink phenomenon makes the thickness of the resist film non-uniform in the wafer surface, and it is necessary to deal with this shrink phenomenon.
[0006]
Further, as described above, even if a low-viscosity resist solution is used in the resist coating process, a swell along the application path of the resist solution remains on the surface of the resist film. The line of the resist solution may be interrupted during the application of the resist solution, and a concave portion is formed in that portion. As described above, the flatness of the resist film is not sufficiently ensured, and some measure for promoting the flattening of the resist film after the resist coating treatment is required.
[0007]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances. It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method for processing a substrate.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus for drying a coating liquid on a substrate, wherein the processing container accommodates the substrate and forms a process chamber capable of being sealed, and a substrate accommodated in the processing container. And a mounting portion on which the processing container is placed. The processing container has an air supply port for supplying gas into the processing container, an atmosphere in the processing container is exhausted, and the inside of the processing container is depressurized. And a gas supply port for supplying the gas to the surface of the substrate mounted on the mounting portion, wherein the gas supply port communicates with the air supply port in the processing container. A member is provided, the gas supply member has an opening facing the surface of the substrate, and the opening is provided with a rectifying plate that covers the surface of the substrate and has air permeability. The plate is provided in parallel with the substrate, and the exhaust port is provided through the current plate. Gas supplied onto the surface of the substrate processing apparatus is characterized in that it is arranged to flow outwardly between the substrate and the rectifying plate from the central portion of the substrate is provided.
[0009]
According to the present invention, for example, when the pressure is reduced by the exhaust from the exhaust port, the gas can be supplied to the substrate surface through the gas permeable rectifying plate of the gas supply member. The gas supplied to the substrate surface flows between the current plate and the substrate toward the outside of the substrate, and can be exhausted from the exhaust port of the processing container. By forming an airflow flowing from the center side to the outer side on the substrate in this manner, for example, the coating liquid applied on the substrate is leveled and flattened by the airflow. Further, the so-called shrink phenomenon in which the coating film contracts from the outer side to the center side of the substrate is mitigated by the airflow flowing from the center side to the outer side of the substrate. The substrate can be dried under reduced pressure while the uniformity of the thickness of the coating film on the substrate is secured in this manner.
[0010]
A porous material may be used for the current plate. In such a case, when the gas passes through the current plate, the flow velocity and pressure of the gas are averaged in the substrate surface, so that a uniform gas flows out of the current plate. That is, a gas having a uniform flow rate and pressure is supplied to the substrate surface without bias, and for example, a coating film on the substrate can be evenly flattened.
[0011]
The air supply port may be provided at a position facing a center portion of the substrate placed on the placement section. Further, the exhaust port may be formed in an annular shape over the outer periphery of the air supply port. In this case, due to the exhaust from the exhaust port, a uniform flow is formed between the substrate and the current plate from the center side of the substrate toward the outside. Thereby, for example, the coating film on the substrate can be flattened. Further, the solvent in the coating film can be volatilized without bias.
[0012]
The opening of the gas supply member may have the same shape as the outer shape of the substrate when viewed from above. In such a case, gas can be appropriately supplied from the opening to the entire surface of the substrate.
[0013]
The processing container may include a lid that covers the substrate placed on the placement unit from above and moves up and down, and the gas supply member may be fixed to the lid. In this case, the gas supply member also moves up and down as the lid moves up and down, so that the gas supply member does not hinder the transfer of the substrate when the substrate is carried into and out of the processing container. Further, there is no need to separately provide a drive mechanism for vertically moving the gas supply member, and the drive system of the processing apparatus can be simplified.
[0014]
A pressure loss member for reducing the pressure of the gas supplied from the air supply port may be provided in the gas supply member. With this pressure loss member, the pressure distribution of the airflow in the gas supply member can be averaged, and then the gas can flow into the rectifying plate. By doing so, the pressure distribution of the airflow passing through the current plate and flowing out onto the substrate can be made more uniform in the substrate plane.
[0015]
The pressure loss member may be provided in front of the air supply port, and the gas flowing from the air supply port collides with the pressure loss member, so that the pressure loss of the gas is suitably performed. The pressure loss member may be formed in a plate shape.
[0016]
According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing method using the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein air is supplied from the gas supply member to the surface of the substrate, Exhausting air from an exhaust port to form an airflow flowing from the center of the substrate toward the outside on the surface of the substrate, and then stopping supply of air from the gas supply member to the surface of the substrate; And a step of continuing the exhaust from the exhaust port to reduce the pressure inside the processing container.
[0017]
According to the present invention, since an airflow is first formed on the surface of the substrate, for example, the coating film on the substrate is leveled. Thereafter, the pressure in the processing container is reduced, so that the solvent in the coating film is volatilized, and the substrate is dried. Therefore, the coating film on the substrate can be made uniform, and the substrate thereon can be dried.
[0018]
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing apparatus for drying a coating solution on a substrate, comprising: a mounting portion on which a substrate is mounted; and a substrate mounted on the mounting portion, wherein the substrate is covered from above. A lid that forms a processing chamber integrally with the mounting part, wherein the lid supplies gas to the substrate mounted on the mounting part and exhausts gas on the substrate. And a gas supplied from the vent to the substrate on the mounting portion between the substrate on the mounting portion and the ventilation hole inside the lid and between the substrate on the mounting portion and the ventilation hole. And a ventilation plate through which gas exhausted from the substrate toward the ventilation hole is provided. The ventilation plate covers a surface of the substrate on the mounting portion and is provided in parallel with the substrate. An apparatus for processing a substrate is provided.
[0019]
According to the present invention, the gas supplied from the ventilation port to the inside of the lid is supplied to the entire surface of the substrate through the ventilation plate. By the supply of this gas, an air flow is formed on the substrate surface, and the coating liquid having unevenness on the substrate is leveled by the air flow. Further, for example, when the supplied gas is a gas containing a solvent for the coating liquid, the supply of the gas lowers the viscosity of the coating liquid, and the flattening of the coating liquid is further promoted. On the other hand, the gas on the substrate is uniformly exhausted from the entire surface of the substrate through the ventilation plate. The solvent in the coating liquid is evaporated by the uniform exhaust, and the coating liquid is uniformly dried. Thus, a flat coating film having a uniform thickness can be formed on the substrate.
[0020]
The ventilation plate may be made of a porous material. In such a case, when the gas passes through the ventilation plate, the flow velocity and pressure of the gas are averaged in the substrate surface, so that the supply of the gas to the substrate and the exhaust from the substrate are performed more uniformly in the substrate surface. The vent may be provided at a position facing a center of the substrate placed on the placement section.
[0021]
An airflow control member may be provided between the ventilation plate and the ventilation hole inside the lid to control the flow of the gas so that the gas passes through the ventilation plate surface at a uniform flow rate. . The airflow control member may be provided at a position in front of the ventilation port. Further, the airflow control member may be formed in a plate shape. In such a case, since the gas is controlled by the airflow control member so as to pass through the ventilation plate at a uniform flow rate, the gas is more uniformly supplied to the surface of the substrate. The gas is exhausted more evenly. As a result, the coating liquid on the surface of the substrate is evenly leveled and dried, and a coating film having a more uniform film thickness is formed on the substrate. The gas supplied from the vent may be a gas containing a solvent for the coating liquid.
[0022]
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of processing a substrate using the apparatus for processing a substrate according to any one of claims 12 to 18, wherein a gas is supplied to the substrate from the ventilation port of the lid via the ventilation plate. And a step of exhausting the gas on the substrate from the vent through the ventilation plate after the supply of the gas to the substrate is stopped.
[0023]
According to the present invention, first, gas is supplied to the substrate through the ventilation plate, thereby forming an airflow on the surface of the substrate, thereby facilitating the flow of the coating liquid on the substrate and leveling the coating liquid. . Thereafter, by exhausting the gas on the substrate from the ventilation plate, for example, the solvent in the coating liquid on the surface of the substrate can be uniformly evaporated. As a result, a flat coating film having a uniform thickness can be formed on the substrate. Note that the step of supplying gas to the substrate may be performed with the processing chamber opened with the lid raised.
[0024]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a coating and developing processing system 1 equipped with a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the coating and developing processing system 1, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the coating and developing processing system 1.
[0025]
As shown in FIG. 1, the coating and developing processing system 1 carries, for example, 25 wafers W into and out of the coating and developing processing system 1 in units of cassettes, and loads and unloads wafers W into and from 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 process are arranged in multiple stages, and an exposure device (not shown) provided adjacent to the processing station 3 It has a configuration in which an interface unit 4 for transferring a wafer W to and from the apparatus is integrally connected.
[0026]
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 (the vertical direction in FIG. 1). A wafer carrier 7 that can be transported in the cassette arrangement direction (X direction) and the wafer arrangement direction (Z direction; vertical direction) of the wafers W accommodated in the cassette C is movable along the transfer path 8. Provided so that each cassette C can be selectively accessed.
[0027]
The wafer carrier 7 has an alignment function for positioning the wafer W. The wafer carrier 7 is configured so as to be able to access an extension device 32 belonging to the third processing device group G3 on the processing station 3 side as described later.
[0028]
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 constitute a processing device group. In the 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 disposed adjacent to the cassette station 2, and the fourth processing unit group G4 is disposed adjacent to the interface unit 4. Further, a fifth processing unit group G5 shown by a broken line as an option can be separately arranged on the back side. The main transfer device 13 is capable of loading and unloading wafers W from and to various processing devices described below arranged in the processing device groups G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5. The number and arrangement of the processing device groups can be arbitrarily changed depending on the type of processing performed on the wafer W.
[0029]
In the first processing apparatus group G1, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a resist coating apparatus 17 for applying a resist solution to the wafer W and a developing processing apparatus 18 for developing the wafer W after exposure are arranged in two stages from the bottom. Are located in Similarly, in the case of the second processing unit group G2, similarly, the resist coating unit 19 and the developing unit 20 are stacked in two stages from the bottom.
[0030]
The resist coating devices 17 and 19 are so-called scan type resist coating devices, and include a nozzle (not shown) for discharging a resist solution and a moving mechanism (not shown) for relatively moving the nozzle and the wafer W. And In the resist coating devices 17 and 19, the nozzle moves relative to the wafer W while the nozzle discharges the resist liquid to the wafer W, and the resist liquid is coated on the surface of the wafer W.
[0031]
In the third processing unit group G3, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, a cooling device 30 for cooling the wafer W, an adhesion device 31 for improving the fixability between the resist solution and the wafer W, and an extension for waiting the wafer W An apparatus 32, vacuum drying apparatuses 33 and 34 as a substrate processing apparatus according to the present embodiment, and pre-baking apparatuses 35 and 36 for volatilizing the solvent remaining in the resist film are stacked in, for example, seven stages from the bottom. ing.
[0032]
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, a post-exposure baking device 44 for performing a heating process after exposure, 45, and post-baking devices 46 and 47 for performing a heat treatment after the development treatment are stacked in, for example, eight stages from the bottom.
[0033]
At the center of the interface section 4, for example, a wafer carrier 50 is provided as shown in FIG. The wafer transfer body 50 is configured to be able 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, and the wafer W can be transferred to each of them. I have.
[0034]
Next, the configuration of the above-described reduced-pressure drying devices 33 and 34 will be described using the reduced-pressure drying device 33 as an example. The reduced-pressure drying device 33 has a processing container 60 that accommodates the wafer W and forms a process chamber S that can be sealed, as shown in FIG. The processing container 60 mainly includes, for example, a cooling plate 61 as a mounting portion on which the wafer W is mounted and cooled, and a lid 62 that covers the wafer W on the cooling plate 61 from above.
[0035]
The cooling plate 61 has a substantially disk shape with a thickness, and inside the cooling plate 61, for example, a Peltier element 63 serving as a cooling source is built. The cooling plate 61 itself is cooled to a predetermined temperature by the Peltier element 63, and the wafer W can be cooled to a predetermined cooling temperature by the cooling plate 61.
[0036]
The lid 62 has, for example, a substantially cylindrical shape with an open lower surface. The lid 62 has a slightly smaller diameter than the cooling plate 61, and the lower end of the lid 62 corresponds to the shape of the outer periphery of the cooling plate 61. The lid 62 is provided with an elevating mechanism 64 for moving the entire lid 62 up and down. By lowering the lid 62, the lower end of the lid 62 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the cooling plate 61 to close the lid 62. A processed chamber S can be formed. In addition, by raising the lid 62, the processing chamber S can be opened and the wafer W can be carried in and out of the processing container 60. A sealing member 65 is provided at a contact portion between the lid 62 and the cooling plate 61, and can seal the processing chamber S formed by the lid 62 and the cooling plate 61. The elevating mechanism 64 includes, for example, a support bar 66 that supports the lid 62 and a cylinder 67 that drives the support bar 66 in the vertical direction.
[0037]
A circular air supply port 70 is opened on the upper surface of the lid 62 at a position facing the center of the wafer W on the cooling plate 61. An exhaust port 71 is formed in the air supply port 70 in an annular shape over the outer periphery of the air supply port 70. That is, the air supply port 70 and the exhaust port 71 are opened in a double concentric shape, a predetermined gas is supplied from the inner air supply port 70, and the atmosphere in the processing chamber S is supplied from the outer exhaust port 71. Exhausted.
[0038]
The exhaust port 71 communicates with a negative pressure generator 73 outside the processing vessel 60 through a first pipe 72, and the negative pressure generator 73 exhausts the atmosphere in the processing vessel 60 at a predetermined pressure. The inside of 60 can be reduced in pressure. On the other hand, the air supply port 70 is connected to a gas supply device 75 outside the processing vessel 60 through a second pipe 74. The gas supply device 75 is a device for supplying a predetermined gas such as a solvent gas containing a solvent in the processing liquid (resist liquid), for example, a thinner gas or an inert gas, for example, a nitrogen gas. The second pipe 74 is provided with a damper 76, which can adjust the supply pressure and supply flow rate of the gas supplied to the air supply port 70. The operations of the negative pressure generating device 73, the gas supply device 75, and the damper 76 are controlled by, for example, a control device 77. The control device 77 stops the supply of air into the processing container 60, the supply pressure, and the processing container. It is possible to control the halting of the exhaust from the inside, the exhaust pressure, and the like. Therefore, under the control of the control device 77, air supply and exhaust can be performed at the same time to form an air flow in the processing container 60, or the pressure inside the processing container 60 can be reduced by performing only the exhaust. The control device 77 also controls the operation of the elevating mechanism 64 of the lid 62, so that the lid 62 can be moved up and down at a predetermined timing.
[0039]
A gas supply member 80 that supplies the gas flowing from the air supply port 70 to the wafer W on the cooling plate 61 is provided in the processing container 60. The gas supply member 80 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. A connection pipe 81 communicating with the air supply port 70 is connected to the upper surface 80 a of the gas supply member 80. The gas supply member 80 moves up and down integrally with the lid 62 by the connection pipe 81. The gas supply member 80 and the connection pipe 81 are arranged coaxially with the air supply port 70.
[0040]
An opening 80b is formed on the lower surface of the gas supply member 80. The opening 80b has a circular shape that is the same as the outer shape of the wafer W when viewed from above, and has an inner diameter slightly larger than the wafer W. are doing. Therefore, the gas supply member 80 can supply gas to the entire surface of the wafer W. A rectifying plate 83 that covers the entire surface of the opening 80b, and thus the entire surface of the wafer W, is attached to the opening 80b. As the material of the current plate 83, a material having a porous property such as a porous material is used. When the gas in the gas supply member 80 passes through the current plate 83, the flow velocity and pressure thereof are averaged, and the gas is uniformly supplied onto the wafer W. The current plate 83 is formed parallel to the wafer W on the cooling plate 61, and the current plate 83 and the wafer W are close to each other at a distance of, for example, about 1 to 5 mm. As a result, the gas that has passed through the current plate 83 and supplied onto the wafer W flows along the current plate 83 to the outside of the wafer W.
[0041]
The gas supply member 80 is formed smaller than the diameter of the lid 62, and a gap is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the gas supply member 80 and the processing container 60. This gap communicates with the exhaust port 71. Therefore, the gas supplied from the supply unit 82 onto the wafer W flows to the outside of the wafer W, and then rises through the gap between the gas supply member 80 and the processing container 60 so as to bypass the gas supply member 80. Then, the air is exhausted from the exhaust port 71 in the upper part of the processing container 60.
[0042]
Next, the operation of the reduced-pressure drying device 33 configured as described above will be described together with the photolithography process performed in the coating and developing treatment system 1.
[0043]
First, the wafer carrier 7 takes out one unprocessed wafer W from the cassette C and carries it to the extension device 32 belonging to the third processing device group G3. Next, the wafer W is sequentially transferred to the adhesion device 31 and the cooling device 30 by the main transfer device 13, and a predetermined process is performed in each device. The wafer W cooled to a predetermined temperature is transferred by the main transfer device 13 to, for example, a resist coating device 17.
[0044]
In the resist coating device 17, a resist film is formed on the wafer W by a so-called scanning coating method in which a linear resist solution is discharged onto the wafer W while the nozzle moves on the wafer W. Then, the wafer W on which the resist film is formed is transferred to the reduced-pressure drying device 33 by the main transfer device 13.
[0045]
The wafer W that has been subjected to the reduced-pressure drying process by the reduced-pressure drying device 33 is sequentially transferred to the pre-baking device 35 and the extension cooling device 41 by the main transfer device 13, and thereafter, the peripheral exposure device 51 and the exposure device ( (Not shown). The wafer W that has been subjected to the exposure processing in the exposure device is transferred to the extension device 42 by the wafer transfer body 50, and the main transfer device 13 causes the post-exposure baking device 44, the cooling device 43, the developing device 18, the post-baking device 46, and the cooling device. The sheets are sequentially conveyed to the devices 30 and subjected to predetermined processing in each device. Thereafter, the wafer W is returned to the cassette C via the extension device 32, and a series of photolithography steps is completed.
[0046]
Next, the operation of the above-described reduced-pressure drying device 33 will be described in detail. FIG. 5 is a time chart showing the timing of raising and lowering the lid 62, moving and stopping the supply of air to the processing container 60, and moving and stopping the exhaust from the processing container 60. First, the wafer W on which the resist film is formed is carried into the processing vessel 60 from between the raised lid 62 and the cooling plate 61, and is placed at the center of the cooling plate 61 (T1). At this time, the negative pressure generating device 73 and the gas supply device 75 are not operating, and the supply and exhaust of the processing container 60 are not performed. The cooling plate 61 on which the wafer W is placed is controlled at a predetermined temperature, for example, at a normal temperature.
[0047]
Next, the lid 62 is lowered, and the inside of the processing container 60 is sealed (T2). At this time, the gas supply member 80 also descends integrally with the lid 62, and the surface of the wafer W is covered with the rectifying plate 83. Next, the negative pressure generating device 73 operates to start the exhaust (T3). For example, immediately after that, the gas supply device 75 is operated, the damper 76 is opened, and a gas, for example, a solvent gas containing a solvent of the resist solution, is supplied into the processing container 60 (T4). The solvent gas supplied from the air supply port 70 is supplied onto the wafer W through the gas supply member 80 as shown in FIG. At this time, the solvent gas passes through the porous current plate 83 and is uniformly supplied to the entire surface of the wafer W. The solvent gas supplied onto the wafer W radially flows toward the outside of the wafer W through the gap between the current plate 83 and the wafer W. The resist film on the wafer W is leveled outward from the center of the wafer W by the airflow formed on the wafer W. Then, the solvent gas that has reached the outside of the wafer W rises bypassing the outside of the gas supply member 80 and is exhausted from the exhaust port 71 above the lid 62. At this time, the pressure in the processing chamber 60 is controlled to a pressure at which the solvent in the resist film on the wafer W hardly volatilizes, for example, a pressure of 400 Pa or more by controlling the supply pressure and the exhaust pressure.
[0048]
After the resist film on the surface of the wafer W is flattened for a predetermined time, only air supply into the processing chamber 60 is stopped (T5), and exhaust is continued. As a result, the pressure inside the processing container 60 is reduced. The pressure in the processing container 60 is reduced to a pressure at which the solvent in the resist film evaporates, for example, 133 Pa, and the resist film on the wafer W is dried. When a predetermined time elapses after the resist film is dried, the evacuation is stopped (T6), and then the lid 62 is raised (T7). Thus, when the inside of the processing container 60 is opened and the wafer W on the cooling plate 61 is carried out by the main transfer device 13, a series of processing is completed.
[0049]
According to the present embodiment, the gas supply member 80 is provided in the processing container 60, and the porous rectifying plate 83 is provided in the opening 80b of the gas supply member 80. It is evenly distributed over the entire surface. As a result, for example, the supply pressure of the solvent gas does not adversely affect the in-plane uniformity of the resist film. Since the current plate 83 is formed parallel to the wafer W, the gap between the current plate 83 and the wafer W is kept constant. Therefore, the solvent gas supplied onto the wafer W flows on the wafer W at a constant speed, and the resist film on the wafer W is evenly distributed. Since the opening 80b of the gas supply member 80 is formed in the same circular shape as the shape of the surface of the wafer W, the solvent gas can be supplied to the wafer W without excess or shortage.
[0050]
The exhaust port 71 is disposed at a position facing the center of the wafer W, and the atmosphere between the wafer W and the current plate 83 can be uniformly sucked from the outer peripheral direction of the wafer W. Is formed. As a result, the so-called shrink phenomenon in which the resist film on the wafer W moves toward the center of the wafer W can be reduced. Therefore, the uniformity of the thickness of the resist film in the surface of the wafer W is improved. In addition, by exhausting the atmosphere in the processing container 60 from the exhaust port 71 and depressurizing the processing container 60, the solvent in the resist film is volatilized and the wafer W can be dried.
[0051]
The gas supply member 80 is fixed to the lid 62 by the connection pipe 81 so that the gas supply member 80 and the lid 62 move integrally. As a result, when the wafer W is carried in and out of the processing chamber 60, the gas supply member 80 moves up and down together with the lid 62, and, for example, the main carrier 13 enters between the gas supply member 80 and the wafer W. A space can be formed. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a separate elevating mechanism for the gas supply member 80 in order to secure the space, and the drive system in the reduced-pressure drying device 33 can be simplified accordingly.
[0052]
Further, in the above embodiment, since the solvent gas of the resist solution is supplied onto the wafer W, the volatilization amount of the solvent on the surface of the resist film is temporarily reduced at that time, and the surface of the resist film is preferably evenly distributed. Is done.
[0053]
The air permeability of the current plate 83 described in the above embodiment may be changed in the wafer surface depending on the drying state of the resist liquid in the wafer surface. For example, the porous hole diameter of the current plate 83 may be changed between the peripheral portion of the wafer W and the central peripheral portion.
[0054]
In the gas supply member 80 described in the above-described embodiment, a pressure loss member that reduces the pressure of the gas flowing out from the air supply port 70 may be provided. In such a case, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, a baffle plate 100 as a pressure loss member may be provided upstream of the straightening plate 83 in the gas supply member 80 and in front of the air supply port 70. The baffle plate 100 has, for example, a circular shape and is provided in parallel with the wafer W. The gas supplied from the air supply port 70 into the gas supply member 80 through the connection pipe 81 collides with the baffle plate 100 and flows into the rectifying plate 83 after the pressure is lost. This prevents more gas from flowing into the central portion of the rectifier plate 83 facing the air supply port 70, and the air supply to the wafer W via the rectifier plate 83 is more evenly performed within the wafer W surface. Is
[0055]
As described above, an example of the embodiment of the present invention has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and can take various aspects. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the position of the air supply port 70 is a position facing the wafer W, but may be another position, for example, a side surface of the processing container 60. The exhaust port 71 is also located at a position facing the center of the wafer W, but is provided at another position, for example, in the outer peripheral direction of the wafer W, as long as a radial uniform air flow can be formed on the wafer W. May be.
[0056]
In the above embodiment, the air supply port 70 and the air exhaust port 71 are provided separately, but a ventilation port that can perform both air supply and exhaust may be provided in the lid. Hereinafter, an example of a reduced-pressure drying apparatus in such a case will be described.
[0057]
FIG. 7 shows such an example, in which a vent 123 is formed on the upper surface of a lid 122 of a processing container 121 provided in a reduced-pressure drying device 120. The lid 122 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with an open lower surface, similarly to the lid 62 of the above embodiment. The vent 123 is provided at the center of the upper surface of the lid 122. The vent 123 communicates with a gas supply device 125 and a negative pressure generator 126 via, for example, a pipe 124. The conduit 124 is provided with, for example, a three-way valve 127, and can switch between supply and exhaust of gas to the vent 123. The switching between supply and exhaust is controlled by, for example, a control device 128 that controls the operations of the gas supply device 125, the negative pressure generator 126, and the three-way valve 127. The control device 128 also controls the operation of the elevating mechanism 129 that moves the lid 122 up and down.
[0058]
An air-permeable ventilation plate 131 is provided inside the lid 122 and between the ventilation port 123 and the cooling plate 130 as a mounting portion. The ventilation plate 131 is formed in a substantially disk shape so as to cover the entire surface of the wafer surface on the cooling plate 130 and close the opening of the lid 122. Therefore, gas entering and exiting from below the lid 122 between the inside and the outside of the lid 122 always passes through the ventilation plate 131. As the material of the ventilation plate 131, a porous material such as a porous material is used, and when the gas passes through the ventilation plate 131, the flow velocity and pressure of the gas are made uniform within the surface of the ventilation plate 131.
[0059]
Further, an airflow control plate 132 as an airflow control member for controlling the flow of gas in the lid 122 is provided inside the lid 122 and between the ventilation plate 131 and the ventilation port 123. The airflow control plate 132 is formed in a substantially disk shape, for example, like the ventilation plate 131, and is arranged so as to face the ventilation hole 123 in front of the ventilation hole 123. The diameter of the airflow control plate 132 is smaller than the inner diameter of the lid 122, and the gas in the lid 122 flows through the outside of the airflow control plate 132. Note that other configurations such as the sealing member 133 and the Peltier element 134 of the reduced-pressure drying device 20 are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.
[0060]
Next, a drying process in the reduced-pressure drying device 120 will be described. FIG. 8 is a time chart showing timings of raising and lowering the lid 122, stopping the supply of air, and stopping the movement of the exhaust.
[0061]
First, the wafer W is placed on the cooling plate 130 with the lid 122 raised as shown in FIG. 9 (K1 in FIG. 8). Subsequently, the gas supply device 125 is operated, the three-way valve 127 is opened, and the solvent gas of the resist solution is supplied from the vent 123 (K2 in FIG. 8). As shown in FIG. 9, the solvent gas bypasses the upper surface of the airflow control plate 132 in the lid 122 to the outside and flows into the back surface of the airflow control plate 132. Then, the solvent gas passes through the ventilation plate 131 from the back surface of the airflow control plate 132 and is supplied onto the wafer W. At this time, the solvent gas is evenly supplied within the surface of the wafer W. By the supply of the solvent gas, an airflow is formed on the surface of the wafer W, and the resist liquid on the wafer W flows and is flattened.
[0062]
After the resist solution is flattened for a predetermined time, the three-way valve 127 is switched, the supply of the solvent gas is stopped, and the exhaust from the vent 123 is started by the operation of the negative pressure generator 126 (FIG. 8). K3). At this time, the lid 122 is also lowered, and the processing chamber S is closed as shown in FIG. During this evacuation, gas on the surface of the wafer W is evenly sucked from the entire surface of the ventilation plate 131 and passes through the ventilation plate 131. Then, the gas bypasses the outside of the airflow control plate 132 from the back surface of the airflow control plate 132, and is exhausted from the vent 123 through the surface of the airflow control plate 132. Due to this evacuation, the solvent in the resist solution on the wafer W is volatilized and dried evenly within the wafer surface, and a resist film having a uniform film thickness is formed on the wafer W.
[0063]
After a lapse of a predetermined time, the exhaust from the vent 123 is stopped (K4 in FIG. 8), and when the drying of the wafer W is completed, the lid 122 is raised (K5 in FIG. 8), and the processing chamber S is opened. Is done. After that, the wafer W is unloaded from the cooling plate 130, and a series of drying processes is completed.
[0064]
According to the present embodiment, since the porous ventilation plate 131 is provided inside the lid 122, the supply of the solvent gas to the wafer W and the exhaust from the wafer surface are evenly performed in the wafer W surface. Done. In the supply of the solvent gas, the resist liquid on the wafer W is leveled by the gas flow generated by the supply. Further, the supply of the solvent gas replenishes the solvent in the resist solution on the wafer W, so that the viscosity of the resist solution is reduced, the flow of the resist solution is promoted, and the resist solution is more effectively planarized. Is done. On the other hand, in the evacuation, the solvent in the resist solution is volatilized evenly in the wafer surface, so that a resist film having a uniform film thickness is formed on the wafer W.
[0065]
Further, an airflow control plate 132 is provided inside the lid 122 so that the gas flows around the outside of the airflow control plate 132 so that the airflow in the front portion of the ventilation hole 123 in the lid 122 is formed. Does not increase only the flow rate. That is, the gas passes through the ventilation plate 131 at a uniform flow rate within the ventilation plate surface. As a result, the supply of the solvent gas to the wafer W and the exhaust from the wafer W are performed evenly within the wafer surface. The shape of the airflow control plate 132 may be any other shape as long as the flow rate of the gas passing through the ventilation plate 131 is made uniform.
[0066]
In the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to a reduced-pressure drying apparatus in a photolithography step of wafer processing. However, the present invention is applied to a reduced-pressure drying of a substrate other than a wafer, such as an LCD substrate or a glass substrate for a photomask. It can also be applied to devices.
[0067]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, since a coating film having a uniform thickness is formed on the substrate, the subsequent substrate processing is appropriately performed, and the yield of the substrate processing is improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration of a coating and developing system equipped with a reduced-pressure drying device according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the coating and developing processing 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 an outline of a configuration of a reduced-pressure drying device.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing, in chronological order, timings of elevating and lowering a lid, stopping movement of exhaust and air supply.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a reduced-pressure drying apparatus when a baffle plate is attached.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a reduced-pressure drying apparatus provided with a vent in a lid.
8 is an explanatory diagram showing in chronological order the timing of lifting and lowering of the lid and stopping the movement of exhaust and air supply in the drying process in the reduced-pressure drying apparatus of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing the reduced-pressure drying device in a state where the lid is raised.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Coating and developing system
33 Vacuum drying equipment
60 processing container
70 air inlet
71 Exhaust port
80 Gas supply member
80b opening
83 Current plate
W wafer

Claims (20)

A processing apparatus for drying a coating liquid on a substrate,
A processing container for accommodating substrates and forming a process chamber capable of being sealed;
A mounting portion for mounting a substrate housed in the processing container,
In the processing container,
An air supply port for supplying gas into the processing container;
An exhaust port for exhausting an atmosphere in the processing container and depressurizing the processing container,
A gas supply member communicating with the air supply port and supplying the gas to the surface of the substrate mounted on the mounting portion is provided in the processing container,
The gas supply member has an opening facing the surface of the substrate,
The opening is provided with a rectifying plate that covers the surface of the substrate and has air permeability.
The current plate is provided in parallel with the substrate,
The exhaust port is arranged such that gas supplied to the surface of the substrate through the rectifying plate flows between the substrate and the rectifying plate toward the outside from the center of the substrate. , Substrate processing equipment. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a porous material is used for the current plate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air supply port is provided at a position facing a center of the substrate placed on the placement unit. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the exhaust port is formed in an annular shape around an outer periphery of the air supply port. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening of the gas supply member has the same shape as the outer shape of the substrate when viewed from above. The processing container includes a lid that covers the substrate mounted on the mounting unit from above and moves up and down,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas supply member is fixed to the lid. 6. The pressure supply member according to claim 1, wherein a pressure loss member for reducing a pressure of the gas supplied from the air supply port is provided in the gas supply member. 7. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of 6. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the pressure loss member is provided in front of the air supply port. 9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the pressure loss member is formed in a plate shape. The gas according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, wherein the gas supplied to the substrate is a gas containing a solvent of the coating liquid. Substrate processing equipment. A substrate processing method using the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
Supplying air from the gas supply member to the surface of the substrate and exhausting from the exhaust port to form an airflow on the surface of the substrate from the center of the substrate toward the outside;
Stopping the air supply from the gas supply member to the surface of the substrate, continuing the exhaust from the exhaust port, and depressurizing the inside of the processing container. . A processing apparatus for drying a coating liquid on a substrate,
A mounting portion for mounting a substrate,
A lid that covers the substrate mounted on the mounting section from above and forms a processing chamber integrally with the mounting section;
The lid is provided with a vent for supplying gas to the substrate mounted on the mounting portion and exhausting the gas on the substrate,
Inside the lid, between the substrate on the mounting portion and the vent, between the gas supplied from the vent to the substrate on the mounting portion and the vent from above the substrate. A ventilation plate through which the gas exhausted toward
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ventilation plate covers a surface of the substrate on the placement unit and is provided in parallel with the substrate. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the ventilation plate is made of a porous material. 14. The apparatus for processing a substrate according to claim 12, wherein the vent is provided at a position facing a central portion of the substrate placed on the placement section. An airflow control member is provided between the ventilation plate and the ventilation hole inside the lid to control the flow of the gas so that the gas passes through the ventilation plate at a uniform flow rate. 15. The apparatus for processing a substrate according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is used for processing a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the airflow control member is provided at a position in front of the vent. 17. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the airflow control member is formed in a plate shape. 18. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the gas supplied from the vent is a gas containing a solvent of the coating liquid. A substrate processing method using the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 18,
Supplying gas to the substrate from the vent of the lid via the ventilation plate;
Exhausting the gas on the substrate from the vent through the ventilation plate after stopping the supply of the gas to the substrate. 20. The substrate processing method according to claim 19, wherein the step of supplying gas to the substrate is performed in a state where the processing chamber is opened by raising the lid.

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