JP2004319626A - Heat treatment apparatus and substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heat treatment apparatus capable of surely preventing overbaking caused by a hot plate and obtaining high throughput. <P>SOLUTION: The heat treatment apparatus 16 is provided with a post-exposure bake plate PEB, a cooling plate CP3, and a local transfer robot LHU. A holding plate 51 of the local transfer robot LHU can move closely to the substantially whole surface of the bottom of a substrate W to hold the substrate W. Also, the holding plate 51 is configured so that it can reciprocate between the bake plate PEB and the cooling plate CP3 and can also move in the upward and downward directions. The substrate heated with the bake plate PEB is somewhat cooled by being received by the holding plate 51, and is moved to the cooling plate CP3 and fits a recessed portion 49, thereby cooling the substrate W and performing accurate temperature control. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a hot plate for heating a semiconductor substrate, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a glass substrate for a photomask, a substrate for an optical disk (hereinafter, referred to as a “substrate”), a cool plate for cooling the substrate, The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus having a transfer mechanism for transferring a substrate between a hot plate and the cool plate, and a substrate processing apparatus incorporating the heat treatment apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As is well known, products such as semiconductors and liquid crystal displays are manufactured by applying a series of processes such as cleaning, resist coating, exposure, development, etching, formation of an interlayer insulating film, heat treatment, and dicing on the above-mentioned substrate. Have been. Among these various processes, for example, a plurality of processing units for performing each of a resist coating process, a developing process, and a heat treatment associated therewith are incorporated, and a substrate is circulated and transported between the respective processing units by a transport robot. A substrate processing apparatus for performing a photolithography process is widely used as a so-called coater & developer.
[0003]
Also, with the demand for finer patterns, coaters and developers in recent years have become mainstream devices that are compatible with chemically amplified resists. In such an apparatus corresponding to a chemically amplified resist, baking treatment after exposure is very important in order to obtain high sensitivity by heating the acid catalyst generated at the time of exposure and proceeding the reaction, thereby obtaining high sensitivity. Specifically, if the baking temperature is not kept constant, the in-plane line width uniformity of the substrate is reduced, and if the baking time is not kept constant, the line width uniformity between the substrates in continuous processing is affected.
[0004]
Therefore, management is performed so that the processing conditions of the post-exposure bake processing are constant. However, when the processing time in the post-process (for example, the development process) is long, or when there is a trouble in the post-process, If there is a stop, the post-exposure bake processing is overbaked, and the line width uniformity is reduced.
[0005]
Therefore, a unit that integrates a hot plate that performs baking after exposure, a cool plate that performs cooling, and a dedicated arm that conveys between them is provided, and if there is a problem in the post-process, the baking process is performed for a predetermined time. Various devices have been proposed in which a substrate having been completed is transferred from a hot plate to a cool plate by a dedicated arm, and the substrate temperature is lowered to a temperature that does not affect line width uniformity (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2). .
[0006]
In some cases, overheating is prevented by attaching a local transfer arm to the heat treatment unit and providing the local transfer arm itself with a cooling function such as a Peltier element (for example, see Patent Document 3).
[0007]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-10-270307
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-10-270523
[Patent Document 3]
JP-A-8-162405
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, even if the substrate that has been subjected to the baking process for a predetermined time is immediately transferred from the hot plate to the cool plate by the dedicated arm, the transfer itself requires a certain period of time, so it is difficult to reliably prevent overbaking. Was. Even if the local transfer arm is provided with a cooling function, it can be cooled to the extent that overbaking is prevented, but the temperature control accuracy is not sufficient. This requires a temperature control step, which is a factor that hinders an improvement in throughput.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described embodiment, and provides a heat treatment apparatus capable of reliably preventing overbaking by a hot plate and obtaining a high throughput, and providing a substrate processing apparatus incorporating the heat treatment apparatus. Aim.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problem, the invention according to claim 1 includes a hot plate for heating a substrate, a cool plate for cooling the substrate, and a transport mechanism for transporting the substrate between the hot plate and the cool plate. A heat treatment apparatus comprising: a holding plate that holds the substrate in proximity to substantially the entire lower surface of the substrate; and a reciprocating movement that reciprocates the holding plate between the hot plate and the cool plate. Mechanism, and an elevating mechanism for elevating and lowering the holding plate, wherein the holding plate that has received the substrate heated by the hot plate has been moved above the cool plate by the reciprocating mechanism. The holding plate is moved down by an elevating mechanism to make close contact with the cool plate.
[0011]
The invention according to claim 2 is the heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cooling plate is formed with a concave portion along the shape of the holding plate, and the substrate heated by the hot plate is received. In a state where the holding plate is moved above the cool plate by the reciprocating mechanism, the holding plate is lowered by the elevating mechanism and fitted into the recess.
[0012]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the heat treatment apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, the hot plate and the cool plate are raised and lowered between below and above the respective plate surfaces. A substrate support pin for bringing the substrate into and out of contact with the plate surface; a first position above the raised substrate support pin, a second position in close contact with the cool plate, and the first Raising and lowering the holding plate between an intermediate position between the position and the second position, wherein the substrate supporting pin of the hot plate and / or the cool plate is raised, and the holding plate is located at the intermediate position. The substrate support so that a holding plate can be moved above the hot plate and / or the cool plate by the reciprocating mechanism. It is arranged the pin.
[0013]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the heat treatment apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the hot plate is used for a post-exposure bake for performing a heat treatment of the substrate after the exposure process is performed. Has a hot plate.
[0014]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus for performing a predetermined processing on a substrate, a liquid processing unit for supplying a processing liquid to the substrate and performing a liquid processing, and any one of the first to fourth aspects of the invention. And a transfer unit for transferring the substrate between the liquid processing unit and the heat treatment apparatus.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0016]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the vicinity of a heat treatment section of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG.
[0017]
The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a so-called coater and developer that performs a resist coating process, a developing process, and a heat treatment associated therewith. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes an indexer IND for unloading one substrate W to be processed from a carrier C storing a plurality of substrates W one by one and reloading the processed substrate W into the carrier C; Two coating processing units SC for performing resist coating processing on W, two development processing units SD for performing development processing of the exposed substrate W, and a heat treatment unit that performs heat treatment accompanying the coating processing and the development processing 16, a main transport robot TR for transporting the substrate W between the coating processing unit SC, the development processing unit SD, and the heat treatment unit 16, and for transferring the substrate W to an exposure apparatus (stepper) (not shown). Interface IFB.
[0018]
The indexer IND includes a transfer robot TF and a mounting stage 10. Four carriers C can be arranged and mounted on the mounting stage 10 along the horizontal direction. Each carrier C has a plurality of storage grooves formed therein, and each groove can store one substrate W in a horizontal posture (with the main surface along a horizontal plane). Therefore, in each carrier C, a plurality of substrates W (for example, 25 substrates) can be stored in a horizontal posture and in a state of being stacked in multiple stages at predetermined intervals. The form of the carrier C is any of a front opening unified pod (FOUP) or a standard mechanical inter face (SMIF) pod for accommodating the substrate W in a closed space, or an OC (open casing) for exposing the substrate W to the outside air. There may be.
[0019]
The transfer robot TF includes one transfer arm TFA, and can move the transfer arm TFA up and down in the height direction, rotate the transfer arm TFA, and move in the horizontal direction. The transfer robot TF is slidably provided on two guide rails 13 and is screwed to the ball screw 12. When the ball screw 12 is rotated by a motor (not shown), the transfer robot TF moves horizontally along the guide rail 13 and the transfer arm TFA slides accordingly. That is, the transfer robot TF can move the transfer arm TFA three-dimensionally. By such an operation of the transfer robot TF, the indexer IND takes out the unprocessed substrates W one by one from the carrier C and transfers them to the main transport robot TR, and receives the processed substrates W from the main transport robot TR. Can be stored in the carrier C.
[0020]
In the center of the substrate processing apparatus 1, a main transport robot TR is disposed, and two coating processing units SC and two developing processing units SD are disposed so as to surround the main transport robot TR. That is, two coating processing units SC are arranged side by side on the front side (lower side in the drawing) of the substrate processing apparatus 1, and two development processing units SD are arranged side by side on the rear side (upper side in the drawing). The main transfer robot TR is arranged.
[0021]
The coating unit SC is a so-called spin coater that performs a resist coating process by dropping a photoresist while rotating the substrate W. On the other hand, the developing unit SD is a so-called spin developer that performs a developing process by supplying a developing solution onto the exposed substrate W. Each of the coating processing unit SC and the developing processing unit SD is a processing unit for supplying a processing liquid such as a photoresist and a developing liquid to the substrate W. In this specification, the processing units using these processing liquids are referred to as “liquid processing”. Unit ". A cleaning unit for cleaning the substrate W with a cleaning liquid may be provided in place of either the coating unit SC or the developing unit SD, or the edge of the substrate W after resist application is exposed. An edge exposure unit may be provided.
[0022]
A heat treatment section 16 is arranged above each of the coating processing unit SC and the developing processing unit SD. The heat treatment sections 16 are stacked and arranged in multiple stages, but FIG. 2 shows only four heat treatment sections 16 in one stage for convenience of illustration. Each heat treatment unit 16 includes a hot plate for heating the substrate W, a cool plate for cooling the substrate W, and a local transfer robot for transferring the substrate W between the hot plate and the cool plate. The details of the configuration will be described later. In this specification, the liquid processing unit and the heat treatment unit are collectively referred to as a “processing unit”.
[0023]
FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the main transport robot TR. The main transfer robot TR has a configuration similar to that of a robot as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-186360, in which a pair of transfer arms 5a and 5b holding a substrate W are horizontally independent of each other. (X direction), a telescopic elevating mechanism for synchronously moving the transfer arms 5a and 5b in the vertical direction (Z direction), and a rotating mechanism for rotating around the vertical axis (θ direction). A rotation drive mechanism. The transport arms 5a and 5b can move three-dimensionally by these mechanisms.
[0024]
The telescopic elevating mechanism of the main transport robot TR1 is a so-called telescopic type telescopic mechanism. That is, the multi-stage nesting structure is expanded and contracted by driving a combination of a plurality of belts and rollers by a motor. The cover 40d can be stored in the cover 40c, and the cover 40c can be stored in the cover 40b. Yes, the cover 40b can be stored in the cover 40a. When lowering the transfer arms 5a and 5b, the covers can be sequentially stored. Conversely, when raising the transfer arms 5a and 5b, the stored covers are sequentially pulled out. It is configured as follows. These covers 40a to 40d are provided in order that the telescopic elevating mechanism provided inside does not allow the dust generated during operation to be emitted to the outside of the main transport robot TR1. Adhesion can be suppressed.
[0025]
The main transfer robot TR1 is installed on the base 25, and has a rotation drive mechanism that can rotate in the θ direction about the center of the base 25 as an axis. Note that the fixed cover 26 is attached while being fixed to the base 25. Further, the horizontal movement mechanism is configured such that the pair of transfer arms 5a and 5b can linearly advance and retreat independently of each other by bending and extending operations of the two arm segments.
[0026]
With the above operation mechanism, the main transport robot TR can move the pair of transport arms 5a and 5b three-dimensionally, and transfers the substrate W between the indexer IND, each processing unit, and the interface IFB.
[0027]
The interface IFB includes a transport mechanism and a buffer cassette (not shown). The interface IFB receives the resist-coated substrate W from the main transport robot TR and transfers the substrate W to an exposure device (not shown). It has a function of receiving W and passing it to the main transport robot TR. Further, the interface IFB temporarily stores the substrates W before and after exposure in a buffer cassette in order to adjust a shift in substrate delivery timing due to a difference between a processing time in the substrate processing apparatus 1 and a processing time in the exposure apparatus. Sometimes.
[0028]
Next, the configuration of the heat treatment unit 16 will be further described with reference to FIGS. As described above, the heat treatment unit 16 includes the hot plate for heating the substrate W, the cool plate for cooling the substrate W, and the local transport robot for transporting the substrate W between them. The hot plate heats the substrate W and raises the temperature to a predetermined temperature. The substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes an adhesion strengthening plate AHL for performing an adhesion strengthening process, There are provided a pre-bake plate HP1 for heat-treating the resist-coated substrate, a post-exposure bake plate PEB for heat-treating the substrate immediately after exposure, and a hot plate HP2 for heat-treating the developed substrate (see FIG. 2). Hereinafter, the heat treatment unit 16 having the post-exposure bake plate PEB as the hot plate will be described. However, the heat treatment unit 16 having another hot plate has the same configuration.
[0029]
FIGS. 4 and 5 are a perspective view and a plan view, respectively, of a main part of the heat treatment unit 16. The heat treatment unit 16 includes a post-exposure bake plate PEB for performing a post-exposure bake process, a cool plate CP3 for performing a cooling process after the post-exposure bake process, and a substrate W between the post-exposure bake plate PEB and the cool plate CP3. And a local transfer robot LHU for transferring.
[0030]
The post-exposure bake plate PEB is a hot plate that heats the substrate W and raises the temperature to a temperature required for post-exposure bake processing, for example, about 140 ° C. The cool plate CP3 is a cool plate that cools the substrate W to lower the temperature to a predetermined temperature and maintains the substrate W at the predetermined temperature. The post-exposure bake plate PEB and the cool plate CP3 are provided with support pins for supporting the substrate W from the back and moving it up and down. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line XX of the cool plate CP3 in FIG.
[0031]
The cool plate CP3 is provided with six support pins 61. The six support pins 61 penetrate through through holes provided in the cool plate CP3 and are erected on a link member 65, and the link member 65 is moved up and down by an air cylinder 66. When the link member 65 is moved up and down by the air cylinder 66, the six support pins 61 are also moved up and down in synchronization therewith. When the link member 65 is raised, the six support pins 61 are also raised accordingly, and their tips project above the plate surface (two-dot chain line in FIG. 6). Conversely, when the link member 65 is lowered, the six support pins 61 are also lowered accordingly, and their tips enter the through holes and lower below the plate surface (solid line in FIG. 6).
[0032]
As shown in FIG. 5, the post-exposure bake plate PEB is provided with four support pins 62. Similarly to the support pins 61, these support pins 62 are moved up and down synchronously between a position above and below the plate surface of the post-exposure bake plate PEB.
[0033]
The local transfer robot LHU includes a holding plate 51, a reciprocating mechanism 71 for moving the holding plate 51 back and forth between the post-exposure bake plate PEB and the cool plate CP3 along the horizontal direction, and an elevating unit for moving the holding plate 51 up and down. And a mechanism 70.
[0034]
The holding plate 51 is a plate-like member formed of a metal having good heat conductivity, for example, aluminum. The shape of the holding plate 51 as viewed from above is such that rectangular notches are provided at four corners of a rectangular plate member. The length of the holding plate 51 in the width direction D is slightly shorter than the diameter of the substrate W even at a position where the notch does not exist. The length of the holding plate 51 in the longitudinal direction L is longer than the diameter of the substrate W at the position where the notch does not exist, but is slightly shorter than the diameter of the substrate W at the position where the notch exists. Therefore, when the holding plate 51 holds the substrate W by aligning the center of the substrate W with the center of the holding plate 51, a part of the substrate W protrudes from the holding plate 51. The upper surface of the holding plate 51 is provided with four wafer guides 48 for positioning the substrate W and a plurality of protrusions for mounting the substrate W, whereby the center of the substrate W is aligned with the center of the holding plate 51. In this state, the substrate W is held by the holding plate 51, and a predetermined proximity gap is formed between the holding plate 51 and the back surface of the substrate W held thereby. Therefore, the holding plate 51 holds the substrate W close to almost the entire lower surface of the substrate W.
[0035]
FIG. 7 is a front view illustrating the reciprocating mechanism 71 and the elevating mechanism 70 of the local transfer robot LHU. The holding plate 51 is connected to the arm 52. The holding plate 51 is not completely fixed to the arm 52, but is connected to the arm 52 by an elastic member such as rubber, or is hooked at a single point. It is connected so that it can move slightly. The arm 52 is slidable on a guide rail 57 erected on the base 50 and is screwed to a ball screw 58 erected on the base 50 so as to be rotatable. The ball screw 58 is linked to a motor 59 fixed to the base 50 via a belt 60. That is, the belt 60 is wound around a driven pulley fixed to the outer periphery of the ball screw 58 and a driven pulley connected to the rotation shaft of the motor 59. When the motor 59 is driven, the driving force is transmitted to the ball screw 58 via the belt 60, and the lifting mechanism 70 is configured such that the arm 52 and the holding plate 51 are raised and lowered by the rotation of the ball screw 58.
[0036]
At this time, according to the amount of rotation of the motor 59, the holding plate 51 moves up and down between a raised position H1 (first position), a lowered position H3 (second position), and an intermediate position H2 therebetween. . The rising position H1 is a position above the tips of the raised support pins 61 and 62. The descending position H3 is a position where the holding plate 51 is in close contact with the cool plate CP3. The intermediate position H2 is a position that is lower than the ends of the raised support pins 61 and 62, but higher than the plate surfaces of the cool plate CP3 and the post-exposure bake plate PEB.
[0037]
The base 50 is fixed to the belt 56. The belt 56 is wound around a main pulley 54 and a driven pulley 55 connected to a rotation shaft of a motor 53 fixedly disposed on the local transfer robot LHU. When the motor 53 is driven, the reciprocating mechanism 71 is configured so that the belt 56 runs and the base 50 and the holding plate 51 connected thereto move along the horizontal direction. The reciprocating mechanism 71 allows the holding plate 51 to reciprocate between the cool plate CP3 and the post-exposure bake plate PEB.
[0038]
By the way, the support pins 61 and 62 are arranged at positions as shown in FIG. In a state where the holding plate 51 holding the substrate W is located at the ascending position H1 above the post-exposure bake plate PEB, the support pins 62 are raised, and when the holding plate 51 is further lowered to the intermediate position H2, the holding plate 51 The substrate W is transferred to the support pins 62 from. At this time, since the arrangement of the four support pins 62 is such that the cool plate CP3 side is open, even if the holding plate 51 at the intermediate position H2 slides toward the cool plate CP3, it does not interfere with the support pins 62. . That is, the four support pins 62 are arranged such that the holding plate 51 located at the intermediate position H2 can be moved above the cool plate CP3 by the reciprocating mechanism 71 in a state where the support pins 62 of the post-exposure bake plate PEB are raised. It is being done.
[0039]
When the support pins 62 having received the substrate W are lowered, the substrate W is placed on the plate surface of the post-exposure bake plate PEB. Thereafter, when the support pins 62 rise again, the substrate W is lifted by the support pins 62 from the plate surface of the post-exposure bake plate PEB. That is, the substrate W comes into contact with or separates from the plate surface of the post-exposure bake plate PEB by moving up and down between below and above the plate surface.
[0040]
On the other hand, in a state where the holding plate 51 holding the substrate W is located at the rising position H1 above the cool plate CP3, the support pins 61 are raised, and when the holding plate 51 is further lowered to the intermediate position H2, the holding plate 51 is lowered. The substrate W is transferred to the support pins 61 from the substrate. Since the arrangement of the six support pins 61 is not such that the bake plate PEB side after exposure is open, the holding plate 51 at the intermediate position H2 cannot slide toward the cool plate CP3.
[0041]
In addition, a concave portion 49 is formed on the plate surface of the cool plate CP3 along the shape of the holding plate 51. When the holding plate 51 is located above the cool plate CP3, the lifting plate 70 lowers the holding plate 51 to the lowering position H3, so that the holding plate 51 can be fitted into the concave portion 49. At this time, since the holding plate 51 is connected to the arm 52 so as to be able to move slightly, the holding plate 51 is fitted in a state of being in close contact with the concave portion 49 even if there is some installation error or the like. When the holding plate 51 is fitted in the concave portion 49, the plate surface of the cool plate CP3 is flush. Therefore, when the holding plate 51 holding the substrate W fits into the concave portion 49 while the support pins 61 are lowered, the substrate W is placed on the plate surface of the cool plate CP3.
[0042]
When the support pins 61 rise in this state, the substrate W is lifted by the support pins 61 from the plate surface of the cool plate CP3. That is, the substrate W is brought into contact with and separated from the plate surface by moving the support pins 61 up and down below and above the plate surface of the cool plate CP3.
[0043]
Note that the transfer of the substrate W between the main transfer robot TR and the heat treatment unit 16 can be performed by using either a hot plate or a cool plate. However, usually, in order to reduce the thermal effect on the transfer arms 5a and 5b. Performed on a cool plate.
[0044]
The processing procedure of the substrate W in the substrate processing apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described. First, the flow of the entire substrate processing apparatus 1 will be briefly described, and then the operation of the heat treatment unit 16 will be described.
[0045]
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a procedure for transporting the substrate W in the substrate processing apparatus 1. First, an unprocessed substrate W is paid out from the indexer IND. Specifically, the transfer robot TF takes out one unprocessed substrate W from the carrier C and transfers it to the main transport robot TR. The main transport robot TR carries the received substrate W into the adhesion strengthening plate AHL. The substrate W after the adhesion strengthening process is transferred to the cool plate CP1 by the main transfer robot TR and cooled. Then, the main transport robot TR transports the substrate W from the cool plate CP1 to the coating unit SC. In the coating processing unit SC, a resist coating processing of the substrate W is performed. Although two coating processing units SC are provided, the main transport robot TR may transport the substrate W to any of them. The resist applied in the present embodiment is a chemically amplified resist.
[0046]
The substrate W after the completion of the resist coating process is transported by the main transport robot TR from the coating unit SC to the heat treatment unit 16 having the pre-bake plate HP1. At this time, the substrate W is once carried into the cool plate CP2 in the heat treatment unit 16, and the substrate W is transferred to the pre-bake plate HP1 by the local transfer robot in the heat treatment unit 16. In the pre-bake plate HP1, a heat treatment (pre-bake) is performed to evaporate excess solvent components in the applied resist, to strengthen the adhesion between the resist and the substrate W, and to form a resist film with stable sensitivity. . The substrate W on which the pre-bake is completed and the resist film is formed is transferred from the pre-bake plate HP1 to the cool plate CP2 again by the local transfer robot and cooled.
[0047]
After that, the main transport robot TR takes out the substrate W from the cool plate CP2 of the heat treatment section 16 and transfers it to the interface IFB. The substrate W conveyed to the interface IFB is transferred to an exposure device connected to the substrate processing apparatus 1, where pattern exposure is performed.
[0048]
The substrate W on which the pattern exposure has been completed is returned to the interface IFB again, and is transferred by the main transfer robot TR to the heat treatment section 16 having the post-exposure bake plate PEB. At this time, the substrate W is once carried into the cool plate CP3 in the heat treatment unit 16, and the substrate W is transferred to the post-exposure bake plate PEB by the local transfer robot LHU in the heat treatment unit 16. In the post-exposure bake plate PEB, a heat treatment (Post Exposure Bake) is performed to uniformly diffuse the product generated by the photochemical reaction at the time of exposure into the resist film. The substrate W after the post-exposure bake processing is transferred again from the post-exposure bake plate PEB to the cool plate CP3 by the local transfer robot LHU and cooled.
[0049]
Next, the main transport robot TR takes out the substrate W from the cool plate CP3 of the heat treatment unit 16 and transports the substrate W to the development processing unit SD. In the development processing unit SD, the development processing of the substrate W is performed. Although two development processing units SD are also provided, the main transport robot TR may transport the substrate W to any one of them.
[0050]
The substrate W after the development processing is transferred by the main transfer robot TR from the development processing unit SD to the heat treatment section 16 having the hot plate HP2. Also at this time, the substrate W is once carried into the cool plate CP4 in the heat treatment unit 16, and the substrate W is transferred to the hot plate HP2 by the local transfer robot in the heat treatment unit 16. In the hot plate HP2, a heating process of the substrate W after the development process is performed. The substrate W after the heating process is transferred from the hot plate HP2 to the cool plate CP4 again by the local transfer robot and cooled.
[0051]
After that, the main transport robot TR takes out the substrate W from the cool plate CP4 of the heat treatment unit 16 and returns the substrate W to the indexer IND. Specifically, the transfer robot TF receives the processed substrate W from the main transport robot TR and stores it in the carrier C. In this way, a series of photolithography processing ends.
[0052]
Next, the operation of the heat treatment unit 16 will be further described with reference to FIGS. Here, the heat treatment unit 16 including the post-exposure bake plate PEB will be described, but the same operation is performed for the heat treatment unit 16 including another hot plate.
[0053]
As described above, the substrate W immediately after exposure is carried into the heat treatment unit 16 including the post-exposure bake plate PEB by the main transport robot TR. When the substrate W is carried in, as shown in FIG. 9, both the support pins 61 and 62 are raised, and the holding plate 51 is lowered to the lowering position H3 of the cool plate CP3 to be in a state of being fitted into the concave portion 49. ing. In this state, the main transfer robot TR moves the transfer arm 5a (or the transfer arm 5b) holding the substrate above the cool plate CP3 and descends, so that the substrate W is transferred from the transfer arm 5a to the support pins 61. It is. FIG. 10 shows a state where the substrate W has been transferred to the support pins 61. Since the transfer arms 5a and 5b hold the edge of the substrate W, they do not interfere with the support pins 61 when the substrate W is transferred. At this time, the holding plate 51 is fitted and adhered to the concave portion 49 of the cool plate CP3, and the temperature is controlled to about 23 ° C. by the cool plate CP3.
[0054]
Next, the holding plate 51 is raised from the lowered position H3 to the raised position H1 by the lifting mechanism 70, and receives the substrate W from the support pins 61 (FIG. 11). At this time, since the substrate W is held in a state where substantially the entire lower surface of the substrate W is close to the holding plate 51, the temperature of the substrate W is also controlled.
[0055]
Next, the holding plate 51 having received the substrate W is slid by the reciprocating mechanism 71 from the cool plate CP3 to the post-exposure bake plate PEB (FIG. 12). In this sliding movement, since the holding plate 51 has moved up to the ascending position H1, there is no possibility that the holding plate 51 will interfere with the support pins 61 and 62.
[0056]
Next, the holding plate 51 holding the substrate W is lowered from the raised position H1 to the intermediate position H2. As a result, the substrate W is transferred from the holding plate 51 to the support pins 62 as shown in FIG. At this time, since the holding plate 51 is lowered only to the intermediate position H2, the holding plate 51 does not come into contact with the post-exposure bake plate PEB, and its thermal influence is suppressed to a minimum. At the same time as the substrate W is transferred to the support pins 62, the support pins 61 are lowered below the plate surface.
[0057]
Then, the holding plate 51 having passed the substrate W is slid from the post-exposure bake plate PEB to the cool plate CP3 by the reciprocating movement mechanism 71 and returned. At the same time, the support pins 62 that have received the substrate W are lowered, and the substrate W is placed on the plate surface of the post-exposure bake plate PEB (FIG. 14). Thereby, the post-exposure bake processing of the substrate W proceeds. The bake temperature of the post-exposure bake plate PEB is, for example, 140 ° C.
[0058]
When the holding plate 51 having passed the substrate W slides toward the cool plate CP3, the holding plate 51 moves in the horizontal direction at the intermediate position H2. At this time, since the arrangement of the four support pins 62 is such that the cool plate CP3 side is open, even if the holding plate 51 at the intermediate position H2 slides toward the cool plate CP3, it does not interfere with the support pins 62. . Further, since the support pins 61 of the cool plate CP3 are lowered, there is no interference between the support pins 61 and the holding plate 51. Thus, the holding plate 51 can return to the position above the cool plate CP3 with the intermediate position H2. Since the purpose of lowering the support pins 61 is to prevent interference with the holding plate 51, the support pins 61 are not limited to being lowered simultaneously with the transfer of the substrate W to the support pins 62. It is possible to lower the support pins 61 at any time from when the substrate W is raised to receive the substrate W from the support pins 61 and returns to the cool plate CP3.
[0059]
In the state of FIG. 14, a post-exposure bake process is performed for a predetermined time. At the same time, the holding plate 51 returning to the cool plate CP3 may be lowered to the lowering position H3 to be fitted and adhered to the concave portion 49, and the temperature may be controlled by the cool plate CP3.
[0060]
After a lapse of a predetermined time, the support pins 62 rise to receive and raise the substrate W from the plate surface of the post-exposure bake plate PEB. Thus, the heating of the substrate W ends. At the same time, the holding plate 51 slides from the cool plate CP3 to the post-exposure bake plate PEB at the height of the intermediate position H2. As a result, the state becomes the same as that shown in FIG.
[0061]
Next, the holding plate 51 is raised from the intermediate position H2 to the raised position H1, and receives the substrate W from the support pins 62 (FIG. 15). At this time, since the substrate W is held in a state where almost the entire lower surface of the substrate W is close to the holding plate 51, the temperature of the substrate W is immediately lowered by about 30 ° C. by the holding plate 51, and the reaction by heating stops. .
[0062]
Next, the holding plate 51 that has received the substrate W slides from the post-exposure bake plate PEB toward the cool plate CP3 by the reciprocating movement mechanism 71 (FIG. 16). In this sliding movement, since the holding plate 51 has moved up to the ascending position H1, there is no possibility of interference with the support pins 62. Note that the support pin 62 remains down.
[0063]
Then, the holding plate 51 holding the substrate W is lowered from the raised position H1 to the lowered position H3. As a result, as shown in FIG. 17, the holding plate 51 is fitted and adhered to the concave portion 49, so that the cooling of the substrate W by the cool plate CP3 and precise temperature control are performed.
[0064]
Thereafter, after the cooling / temperature control processing for a predetermined time is completed, the support pins 61 are raised to receive and raise the substrate W from the plate surface of the cool plate CP3. Then, the main transfer robot TR causes the transfer arm 5a (or the transfer arm 5b) to enter above the cool plate CP3, and after the substrate W is received from the support pin 61, the transfer arm 5a is retreated. Thus, a series of operations in the heat treatment section 16 is completed.
[0065]
In this manner, the substrate W after the post-exposure bake processing is immediately held on the holding plate 51 with almost the entire lower surface thereof being close to the holding plate 51. It will be cooled rapidly to the temperature range where the reaction does not proceed. Therefore, even if there is a trouble in a subsequent step (for example, a developing process), overbake can be reliably prevented. In particular, in the post-exposure bake processing, since the heat treatment time affects the line width uniformity between the substrates W in the continuous processing, it is significant to reliably prevent overbake.
[0066]
Further, the substrate W cooled to such an extent that overbake is prevented by the holding plate 51 is transferred to the cool plate CP3 by the local transfer robot LHU as it is, and cooled and temperature-controlled. Since the cool plate CP3 can precisely control the temperature of the substrate W, the main transport robot TR does not need to receive the substrate W from the heat treatment unit 16 and transport the substrate W to another cool plate. can do. That is, in the related art, the substrate W after the post-exposure bake processing has to be transferred to the cool plate capable of precise temperature control by the main transfer robot TR. By simply transporting the substrate W to the heat treatment section 16, post-exposure bake processing and subsequent cooling and precise temperature control are performed. Therefore, the number of transfer steps by the main transfer robot TR can be reduced, and the throughput of the entire substrate processing apparatus 1 can be improved.
[0067]
The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above examples. For example, the local transfer robot LHU for transferring the substrate W between the post-exposure bake plate PEB and the cool plate CP3 may be configured as shown in FIGS. In this local transfer robot, the substrate W is slid by the bending and stretching movement of the holding arm 93 and the link member 92.
[0068]
A shaft 96 is provided at the base end of the holding arm 93, and a pulley 97 is fixed to the shaft 96. A shaft 98 is provided at the base end of the link member 92, and a gear 89 and a pulley 99 are fixed to the shaft 98. A belt 88 is wound between the pulley 97 and the pulley 99. In addition, the diameter of the pulley 99 and the diameter of the pulley 97 are set to 2: 1.
[0069]
The gear 89 is meshed with a rotation shaft of a motor 87 built in the base 91. The base 91 itself is also screwed into a ball screw 95 built in the fixed base 90. The rotating shaft of the motor 94 is meshed with a gear fixed on the outer periphery of the ball screw 95.
[0070]
With such a configuration, when the motor 94 is driven, the ball screw 95 rotates, and the base 91 and the holding arm 93 move up and down. When the motor 87 is driven to rotate the link member 92 clockwise, the holding arm 93 is driven via the pulley 99, the belt 88, and the pulley 97, and rotates counterclockwise with respect to the link member 92. I do. In this manner, the holding arm 93 reciprocates between the post-exposure bake plate PEB and the cool plate CP3.
[0071]
Further, in addition to such a local transfer robot, a robot employing a two-axis vertical link mechanism or the like can be employed. That is, as the local transfer robot, a holding plate that holds the substrate W in close proximity to substantially the entire lower surface of the substrate W, a reciprocating mechanism that reciprocates the holding plate between the hot plate and the cool plate, Various devices can be used as long as they have a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the plate.
[0072]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the heat treatment unit 16 including the post-exposure bake plate PEB is mainly described. However, the heat treatment unit 16 including the pre-bake plate HP1 and the hot plate HP2 may be configured in the same manner, so that the same Of course, an effect can be obtained.
[0073]
In the above embodiment, the concave portion 49 is provided in the cool plate CP3, and the holding plate 51 is fitted therein. However, the concave portion 49 is not particularly provided, and the holding plate 51 is simply brought into close contact with the plate surface of the cool plate CP3. You may make it do. Since the holding plate 51 is formed of a metal having good heat conductivity, the temperature of the holding plate 51 can be easily adjusted only by bringing the metal into close contact with the cool plate CP3. However, by fitting the holding plate 51 into the concave portion 49 of the cool plate CP3 as in the above embodiment, more accurate temperature control can be performed.
[0074]
Further, the heat treatment apparatus and the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention can be applied not only to apparatuses for processing semiconductor substrates, but also to apparatuses for processing glass substrates for liquid crystal display devices, glass substrates for photomasks, substrates for optical disks, and the like. .
[0075]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the transfer mechanism includes the holding plate that holds the substrate in close proximity to substantially the entire lower surface of the substrate, and holds the substrate heated by the hot plate. When the plate is moved above the cool plate by the reciprocating mechanism, the elevating mechanism lowers the holding plate and makes it closely adhere to the cool plate. The temperature can be reliably prevented, and the temperature can be precisely controlled by bringing the holding plate into close contact with the cool plate, so that a high throughput can be obtained.
[0076]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the holding plate receiving the substrate heated by the hot plate is moved above the cool plate by the reciprocating mechanism, and the elevating mechanism lowers the holding plate to cool the plate. Since the substrate is fitted into the concave portion of the plate, precise temperature control of the substrate by the cool plate via the holding plate is more reliable.
[0077]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the substrate support pins of the hot plate and / or the cool plate are raised, the holding plate located at the intermediate position is moved above the hot plate and / or the cool plate by the reciprocating mechanism. Since the substrate supporting pins are arranged so as to be movable, even if the holding plate holds the substrate in close proximity to substantially the entire lower surface of the substrate, the substrate can be transferred to the hot plate and / or the cool plate. .
[0078]
Further, according to the invention of claim 4, since the hot plate is a post-exposure bake hot plate for performing a heating process on the substrate after the exposure process is performed, it is possible to prevent over-baking of the post-exposure bake. In addition, uniformity of line width between substrates can be maintained.
[0079]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the substrate processing apparatus includes the heat treatment apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, overbaking by a hot plate can be reliably prevented and the substrate can be held. By bringing the plate into close contact with the cool plate, precise temperature control becomes possible. As a result, there is no need for the transfer means to transfer the substrate to the cool plate again, and high throughput can be obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the vicinity of a heat treatment section of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG.
FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of a main transfer robot of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of a heat treatment unit of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a heat treatment section of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG.
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line XX of the cool plate in FIG.
FIG. 7 is a front view illustrating a reciprocating mechanism and an elevating mechanism of the local transfer robot.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a substrate transfer procedure in the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 9 is a view showing the operation of a heat treatment unit.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an operation of a heat treatment unit.
FIG. 11 is a view showing the operation of a heat treatment unit.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an operation of a heat treatment unit.
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an operation of a heat treatment unit.
FIG. 14 is a view showing the operation of a heat treatment unit.
FIG. 15 is a view showing the operation of a heat treatment unit.
FIG. 16 is a view showing the operation of a heat treatment section.
FIG. 17 is a view showing the operation of the heat treatment section.
FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating another example of the local transfer robot.
FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating another example of the local transfer robot.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Substrate processing equipment
16 Heat treatment section
49 recess
51 Holding plate
61,62 Support pin
70 Lifting mechanism
71 Reciprocating mechanism
CP1, CP2, CP3, CP4 Cool plate
HP1, HP2 hot plate
IFB interface
IND indexer
LHU local transfer robot
PEB Bake plate after exposure
SC coating unit
SD processing unit
TR main transfer robot
W substrate

Claims (5)

A hot plate for heating the substrate, a cool plate for cooling the substrate, and a heat treatment apparatus including a transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate between the hot plate and the cool plate,
The transport mechanism,
A holding plate that holds the substrate in proximity to substantially the entire lower surface of the substrate;
A reciprocating mechanism for reciprocating the holding plate between the hot plate and the cool plate,
An elevating mechanism for elevating the holding plate,
With
In a state where the holding plate receiving the substrate heated by the hot plate is moved above the cool plate by the reciprocating mechanism, the elevating mechanism lowers the holding plate to bring the holding plate into close contact with the cool plate. A heat treatment apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1,
Forming a recess along the shape of the holding plate in the cool plate,
With the holding plate receiving the substrate heated by the hot plate being moved above the cool plate by the reciprocating mechanism, the elevating mechanism lowers the holding plate and fits the holding plate into the recess. A heat treatment apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The hot plate and the cool plate each include a substrate supporting pin that moves the substrate toward and away from the plate surface by moving up and down below and above the respective plate surfaces,
The elevating mechanism includes a first position above the raised substrate support pin, a second position in close contact with the cool plate, and an intermediate position between the first position and the second position. Raising and lowering the holding plate with
In a state where the substrate support pins of the hot plate and / or the cool plate are raised, the holding plate located at the intermediate position can be moved above the hot plate and / or the cool plate by the reciprocating mechanism. A heat treatment apparatus, wherein the substrate support pins are arranged on the substrate. The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hot plate is a post-exposure bake hot plate that performs a heating process on the substrate after the exposure process. In a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a substrate,
A liquid processing unit for performing a liquid processing by supplying a processing liquid to the substrate,
A heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
Transport means for transporting the substrate between the liquid processing unit and the heat treatment apparatus,
A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

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