JP2005085813A - Developing device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To supply, without waste, a developing solution onto the surface of a substrate which is coated with a resist and subjected to an exposure process while restraining it from flowing. <P>SOLUTION: A developing device has a configuration wherein a liquid flow control plate and a liquid receiving plate which are each equal to or slightly larger than the substrate are arranged in a vertical direction in face to face with the surfaces of the substrate that is held by a substrate holder, the developing solution is supplied from a supply vent provided to the one edge of the surface of the liquid flow control plate to a gap between the liquid flow control plate and the liquid receiving plate, then the liquid receiving plate is pulled away in a lateral direction making its front surface pass below the supply vent and dropping down the developing solution staying on its surface on the surface of the substrate. In this case, the developing solution is moved down by the thickness of the liquid receiving plate and transferred onto the surface of the substrate, so that the developing solution supplied onto the substrate is restrained from flowing, exuding outside from the substrate, and wasting uselessly. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a developing apparatus and a developing method for supplying a developing solution to a substrate after a resist is applied and exposed and developing the substrate.

  Conventionally, in a photoresist process, which is one of semiconductor manufacturing processes, for example, a chemically amplified resist is applied to a surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) in the form of a thin film, and the resist is exposed in a predetermined pattern. The resist pattern is developed with a developer to form a mask pattern. Such processing is generally performed using a system in which an exposure apparatus is connected to a coating / developing apparatus that performs resist coating / development.

  As one method for supplying a developing solution to the surface of a wafer, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, a supply nozzle 1 in which a discharge port 10 is formed over a length corresponding to the diameter of the wafer W is used. The entire surface of the wafer W is moved by moving from one end side to the other end side of the wafer W while discharging the developer while slightly floating with respect to the surface of the wafer W held in a horizontal posture on the holding portion. Scan coating for supplying a developer is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  As another method for supplying developer to the wafer surface, gap coating is performed by placing two wafers vertically with the surfaces facing each other and injecting developer into the gap between the wafers. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).

JP 2003-77820 A (paragraph 0003, FIG. 15) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-244097 (paragraphs 0007 to 0014, FIGS. 1 and 6)

  However, in the scan coating disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the developing solution is supplied while the supply nozzle 1 moves in the lateral direction, there is a problem that a slight liquid flow can be generated in the developing solution accumulated on the surface of the wafer W. There is. When this liquid flow is made, an unscheduled portion of the surface of the resist pattern is scraped, and the line width accuracy of the pattern after development may be lowered. Even if the surface of the pattern was scraped by the liquid flow, it was not a problem because the line width of the pattern was large in the past, but with the increase in capacity of integrated circuits in recent years, the pattern became ultrafine and the line width Since the ratio of the area to be cut is increased, the lack of pattern due to the liquid flow has been raised as a problem, and examination of a method for suppressing the occurrence is desired. Further, when the scan application is performed on the circular wafer W, there is a problem that at one end or the other end of the wafer W, the discharge port 10 protrudes to the outside and a lot of developer is wasted.

  Further, in the gap application of Patent Document 2, if the developer discharge means is inserted into a slight gap between wafers and the developer is injected, the pattern collapse may occur due to the discharge pressure. In addition, if the developer is injected into the gap from one end of the wafer using the capillary phenomenon, the liquid flow is suppressed as compared with the scan coating, but this also develops the entire surface of the wafer from the one end by the capillary phenomenon. Since the liquid can flow, there is a concern that the pattern may be cut by the flow. Furthermore, when trying to spread the developer in the gap by relying on the capillary phenomenon, it is difficult to spread the developer evenly over the entire surface of the wafer that has become larger in recent years. There is a case where a pattern defect is generated due to a portion that is connected at the tip and cannot be coated with a developer inside.

  The present invention has been made based on such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a developing device and a developing method capable of supplying a developing solution having no liquid flow to the surface of the substrate while suppressing waste. is there.

The developing device of the present invention is a developing device for developing a substrate on which a resist is applied and subjected to an exposure process.
A substrate holder for horizontally holding the substrate;
A liquid flow regulating plate that is provided opposite to the surface of the substrate and is the same as or slightly larger than the substrate,
A liquid receiving plate that is provided so that the surfaces of the liquid flow regulating plate and the substrate face each other, and is the same as or larger than the substrate,
A developer supply unit for supplying a developer from a supply port provided at one end edge of the surface of the liquid flow regulating plate to a gap between the liquid flow regulating plate and the liquid receiving plate;
A drive mechanism for pulling out the liquid receiving plate laterally so that the surface of the liquid receiving plate passes under the supply port;
The liquid receiving plate is pulled out and the developer on the surface is dropped onto the surface of the substrate.

  If the size of the liquid flow regulating plate is too large for the substrate, the amount of developer that spills without being placed on the substrate when the liquid receiving plate is pulled sideways increases, so the size should be large. However, even if the size is large, it does not depart from the technical scope of the present invention. A developer may be supplied between the liquid flow restricting plate and the liquid receiving plate by the capillary action from the supply port. Further, when the developer on the liquid receiving plate is dropped onto the substrate, the developer may be supplied from the supply port between the liquid flow regulating plate and the liquid receiving plate. The developing solution may be filled in the gap between the substrate and the liquid flow regulating plate by pulling out the receiving plate. Further, the developer discharge pressure at the supply port is such that when the liquid receiving plate is pulled out, the developer on the liquid receiving plate is dropped onto the substrate, but the developing solution on the substrate does not spill out. Good.

  One end edge of the peripheral edge of the liquid flow regulating plate may be provided with a weir portion extending downward to restrict the flow of the developing solution to the outside. Further, the edge of the liquid receiving plate that passes over the surface of the substrate may be provided with a guide plate that is inclined outward and downward. Furthermore, the hydrophilic property of the developer with respect to the liquid flow regulating plate may be larger than the hydrophilic property of the developer with respect to the liquid receiving plate.

The developing method of the present invention is a developing method in which a developing solution is supplied to a substrate on which a resist is applied and exposed to light, and then developed.
A step of holding the substrate horizontally in the substrate holding portion;
A step of filling the developer in the gap between the liquid flow regulating plate and the liquid receiving plate that are arranged vertically facing the surface of the substrate;
And a step of drawing the liquid receiving plate horizontally to drop the developer on the surface onto the surface of the substrate.

  The step of filling the developer in the gap between the liquid flow regulating plate and the liquid receiving plate may be a step of supplying the developer into the gap between the liquid flow regulating plate and the liquid receiving plate by capillary action. In addition, the step of dropping the developer on the liquid receiving plate onto the surface of the substrate may include a step of supplying the developer into the gap between the liquid flow regulating plate and the liquid receiving plate. The step of dropping the developer onto the surface of the substrate may be a step of filling the developer between the liquid flow regulating plate and the substrate. Further, the supply pressure of the developer supplied when the liquid receiving plate is pulled out is such that the developer on the liquid receiving plate is dropped onto the substrate, but may be so large that the developer on the substrate does not spill out. .

  According to the developing device of the present invention, the developer is filled in the gap between the liquid flow regulating plate and the liquid receiving plate provided opposite to the surface of the substrate, and the liquid receiving plate is slowly pulled out to the side, for example. By dropping the liquid onto the surface of the substrate, the developer moves by the height of the liquid receiving plate and is placed on the surface of the substrate, so that a liquid flow is generated in the developer supplied to the substrate. It is possible to reduce the amount of wasted developer that is suppressed and is thrown out and discarded.

  A developing device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the figure, reference numeral 20 denotes a chuck that is a substrate holding unit that sucks and sucks the back surface of the wafer W, which is a substrate, and holds the wafer W in a horizontal position. The chuck 20 can be moved up and down while holding the wafer W by the driving unit 21. It is configured. Further, a cup body made up of, for example, a rectangular outer cup 22 and an inner cup 23 is provided so as to surround the side of the wafer W held by the chuck 20, and the upper side of the inner cup 23 is inclined upward and inward. The portion is formed so as to be narrower than the opening on the lower side, and when the outer cup 22 is raised by the elevating part 24, it is configured to move up and down in a part of the movement range of the outer cup 22. Further, on the side surface of the outer cup 22, for example, a rectangular opening 22 a for carrying in and out a liquid receiving plate described later is formed. The lower side of the outer cup 22 has a disc 25 surrounding the periphery of the chuck 20, a liquid receiving portion 27 in which a recess is formed all around the disc 25, and a drainage port 26 is formed on the bottom surface. It is comprised by. A ring body 28 having a mountain-shaped cross section whose upper end is close to the back surface of the wafer W is provided at the periphery of the disc 25.

  A circular liquid flow regulating plate 3 having a thickness of, for example, 10 mm, which is the same as or slightly larger than the wafer W, is provided so as to face the surface of the wafer W on the chuck 20. The distance from the surface of the liquid flow regulating plate 3 is set to a height position where the distance is, for example, 3 to 4 mm. This separation distance is the same width as the thickness of the developer that is to be deposited on the surface of the wafer W. Further, at least the surface portion of the liquid flow regulating plate 3 that comes into contact with the developer is selected from materials having hydrophilicity with respect to the developer selected from, for example, stainless steel and fluorine resin. Further, the liquid flow regulating plate 3 is provided with a dam portion 31 having a width of, for example, 1 to 1.5 mm extending in the downward direction along the outer peripheral edge in a semicircular arc shape. On the upper surface side of the liquid flow restricting plate 3, a rectangular liquid splash preventing plate 32 having a width equal to or longer than the diameter of the liquid flow restricting plate 3 is provided. A support member 33 is provided on, for example, the upper surface of the liquid splash prevention plate 32, and is connected to, for example, a drive unit 34 provided on the outside of the outer cup 22 via the support member 33. The flow regulating plate 3, the dam portion 31, and the liquid splash preventing plate 32 are configured so as to be lifted and lowered together.

  In the gap between the wafer W and the liquid flow regulating plate 3, a rectangular liquid receiving plate 4 having a thickness of 0.5 mm, for example, which is the same as or larger than the wafer W so that the surfaces thereof face each other can move horizontally. The distance between the surface and the lower end of the dam portion 31 is set at a height position where the distance is, for example, 0.5 mm. At least the surface portion of the liquid receiving plate 4 that is in contact with the developing solution is water repellent on the surface of a material such as stainless steel or fluorine-based resin that is less hydrophilic than the developing solution of the liquid flow restricting plate 3. A treated water-repellent material is selected. Further, a peripheral edge of the liquid receiving plate 4, for example, the liquid receiving plate 4 is laterally moved (pulled out) in a predetermined direction. For example, a guide plate 41 having a surface portion inclined at an inclination angle of 45 degrees is provided, and the tip of the guide plate 41 is set at a height position, for example, 0.5 mm higher than the surface of the wafer W. For the guide plate 41, for example, the same material as the liquid receiving plate 4 is selected. The above-mentioned “same as wafer W or larger than wafer W” includes a case where it is set equal to or larger than the effective area (semiconductor device formation area) of wafer W.

  A drive mechanism for horizontally moving the liquid receiving plate 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. A support member 42 is provided on the side surface of the liquid receiving plate 4, and the support member 42 is provided outside the outer cup 22. In addition, the ball screw portion 44 provided side by side with the guide member 43 is screwed together. Further, a rotation drive unit 45 is connected to the base end of the ball screw unit 44, and the ball screw unit 44 is rotated by the rotation drive unit 45 so that the liquid receiving plate 4 can be moved horizontally at a moving speed of, for example, 10 to 150 mm / sec. It is configured as follows. That is, the liquid receiving plate 4 can advance and retreat between a position facing the surface of the wafer W and a standby position outside the outer cup 22 through the opening 22 a of the outer cup 22.

  Next, the developer supply unit of the developing device will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5. The surface of the liquid flow restricting plate 3 and the liquid are disposed inside the center of the weir 31 that is one end edge of the surface of the liquid flow restricting plate 3. For example, three developer supply ports 5 for supplying the developer to the gap with the surface of the receiving plate 4 are provided side by side (see FIG. 2), and a developer supply valve 50 is provided above each. . Further, one end of a liquid flow path, for example, a pipe 51 is connected to each developer supply port 5, and the other end of the pipe 51 is connected to, for example, the bottom of a developer tank 52 provided outside the outer cup 22. ing. More specifically, the pipe 51 is provided with, for example, an S-shaped portion having a portion once higher than the liquid level in the tank and a portion lower than the liquid level. Further, a developer supply pipe 53 having one end connected to a developer supply source (not shown) is disposed on the upper side of the developer tank 52, and a discharge pipe 54 for discharging the developer in the developer tank 52 at the bottom. Is provided. Further, a liquid level detector 55 for detecting the liquid level of the developer is provided on the side surface of the developer tank 5, and provided in the developer supply pipe 53 based on the detection result of the liquid level detector 55. The opening / closing operation of the opening / closing valve 53a or the opening / closing valve 54a provided in the discharge pipe 54 is controlled by the controller 56 so that the liquid level in the developer tank 5 can be adjusted. That is, in this example, for example, by setting the liquid level in the developer tank 5 to the same height level L1 as that of the developer supply port 5, the discharge pressure becomes substantially zero at the developer supply port 5. The discharge pressure can be applied by setting the liquid level slightly higher than L1, and the discharge pressure can be finely adjusted within a very low pressure range by adjusting the liquid level. be able to. The developer supply port 5 is not limited to the configuration provided in the inner region of the surface of the liquid flow restricting plate 3, and may be disposed near the outside of the liquid flow restricting plate 3, for example.

  Outside the wafer W on the chuck 20, there is a vertical shielding plate 6 for preventing the rinsing liquid hitting the inclined surface of the guide plate 41 during the cleaning process of the liquid receiving plate 4 described later from splashing to the wafer W side. For example, it is provided so that the outer periphery of the outer periphery of the dam part 31 may be enclosed, and this shielding board 6 is comprised so that raising / lowering is possible by the raising / lowering mechanism which is not shown in figure.

  A rinse liquid nozzle 7 and a dry air nozzle 8 are provided side by side outside the shielding plate 6 (see FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 6 in detail, the nozzles 7 and 8 each have a liquid storage part 71a (71b) formed vertically inside the rinse liquid nozzle 7, and further, a wafer W communicating with each liquid storage part 71a (71b). For example, slit-like discharge ports 72a (72b) (see FIG. 2) longer than the diameter are formed on the top and the bottom, respectively. Each liquid storage section 71a (71b) is connected to a common rinse liquid supply section 74 provided outside the outer cup 22, for example, via a flow path such as a pipe 73a (73b), and is further connected to a pipe 73a (73b). ) Are provided with automatic valves 75a (75b), respectively, so that the rinsing liquid can be discharged upward and / or downward by opening and closing the automatic valves 75a (75b).

  Inside the dry gas nozzle 8, gas storage portions 81a (81b) are formed vertically, and further, for example, slit-like discharge ports 82a (82b) longer than the diameter of the wafer W communicating with each gas storage portion 81a (81b). (See FIG. 2) are formed on the top and bottom, respectively. Each gas storage part 81a (81b) is connected to a common dry gas supply part 84 provided outside the outer cup 22, for example, via a flow path such as a pipe 83a (83b), and further connected to a pipe 83a (83b). ) Are provided with automatic valves 85a (85b), respectively, and are configured to be able to discharge dry gas upward and / or downward by opening and closing the automatic valves 85a (85b). One end side of the rinsing liquid nozzle 7 and one end side of the dry gas nozzle 8 are connected to a driving mechanism (not shown) provided outside the outer cup 22 via a common supporting member (not shown), for example, and the rinsing is performed by this driving mechanism. The liquid nozzle 7 and the dry gas nozzle 8 are configured so as to be horizontally movable together.

  Subsequently, a process of developing the wafer W by the above-described developing device will be described with reference to FIG. First, in a state where the outer cup 22 and the inner cup 23 are set at the lowered position, the liquid flow restricting plate 3 is set at the raised position and the liquid receiving plate 4 is moved to the outer cup 22 as shown in FIG. Set to the outside standby position. Then, for example, when a chemically amplified resist is applied to the surface and the exposed wafer W is loaded by the substrate transfer arm A and guided to a position above the chuck 20, the substrate transfer arm A, the chuck 20, The wafer W is transferred to the chuck 20 and held in a horizontal posture by the cooperative action. In this embodiment, the description is made on the assumption that the chuck 20 is raised to access the wafer W. However, for example, an elevating pin penetrating the disc 25 is provided, and the wafer W is pushed up by the elevating pin to be above the chuck 20. The wafer W may be transferred to and from the substrate transfer arm A.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, the liquid receiving plate 4 enters through the opening 22a of the outer cup 22, and is set to face the surface of the wafer W at the predetermined height position described above. Thereafter, the liquid flow regulating plate 3 is lowered and set to the predetermined height position described above. When the liquid level of the developer tank 52 is adjusted so as to be at the same height position L1 as the developer supply port 5 (see FIG. 5), the discharge pressure of the developer supply port 5 is in a pressure-free state. Become. In addition, when the inside of the pipe 51 is empty at the initialization, the developer is supplied into the pipe 51 by opening the on-off valve 53a and supplying the developer into the developer tank 52 to increase the liquid level. The pipe 51 is filled with the developer.

  As shown in FIG. 7C, when the developer supply valve 50 is opened, the surface tension of the developer is generally low. Therefore, even if no supply pressure is applied to the developer supply port 5, the liquid flow is caused by capillary action. The gap between the surface of the regulating plate 3 and the surface of the liquid receiving plate 4 spreads, and the gap is filled with the developer. At the peripheral edge of the liquid flow restricting plate 3, the developer is pulled inward by the surface tension and stays in the projection region of the liquid flow restricting plate 3 (the region corresponding to the projected area of the wafer W), and is pressure free. In this state, when the gap between the liquid flow restricting plate 3 and the liquid receiving plate 4 is filled with the developer, the developer does not enter the gap any more, and therefore does not protrude outside the liquid flow restricting plate 3. That is, the “pressure-free state” here is a state in which the discharge pressure of the developer is zero or almost zero, and a gap between the liquid flow regulating plate 3 and the liquid receiving plate 4 or a liquid flow regulation to be described later. This means that the developer pressure is such that the developer does not spill out from the gap between the plate 3 and the wafer W, and even if the pressure is slightly negative, if the developer is supplied by capillary action, it is “pressure free. State.

  As shown in FIG. 7D, the developer supply valve 50 is opened in a pressure-free state so that the surface of the liquid receiving plate 4 passes below the developer supply port 5 and the guide plate 41 For example, when the liquid receiving plate 4 is slowly pulled out to the side so that the projection region passes through the surface of the wafer W, the developer on the liquid receiving plate 4 is regulated by the dam portion 31 and is not pulled outward. Since the surface of the liquid receiving plate 4 is made of a water-repellent material, the developer is not pulled by the liquid receiving plate 4 and slides down along the inclined surface of the guide plate 41 and is placed on the surface of the wafer W. Go. Further, since the surface of the liquid receiving plate 4 passes below the developing solution supply port 5 so that the developing solution in the gap and the developing solution in the developing solution supply port 5 are connected, the liquid is received before the liquid receiving plate 4 is pulled out. An amount of developer corresponding to the portion where the developer was not present between the receiving plate 4 and the wafer W is filled by the capillarity on the surfaces of the liquid receiving plate 4 and the liquid flow restricting plate 3. The developer is filled in the gap between the flow regulating plate 3 and the wafer W.

  As shown in FIG. 8 (e), the surface of the liquid receiving plate 4 pulled out from the gap between the wafer W and the liquid flow restricting plate 3 matches the timing when the surface passes below the rinse liquid nozzle 7 and the dry gas nozzle 8. Rinse, for example, pure water is discharged downward from the discharge port 72b of the rinse liquid nozzle 7 and, for example, dry air is discharged downward from the discharge port 82b of the dry gas nozzle 8. As a result, the developer adhering to the surface of the liquid receiving plate 4 is washed away and then dried.

  As shown in FIG. 8 (f), when the gap between the surface of the liquid flow restricting plate 3 and the surface of the wafer W is filled with the developer by pulling out the liquid receiving plate 4, then the developer supply valve 50. Then, static development is performed in which the resist is closed and allowed to stand for a predetermined time, whereby, for example, a resist at a predetermined site is dissolved in the developer and the resist is developed. The timing for closing the developing solution supply valve 50 is obtained by calculating in advance the time required for the liquid receiving plate 4 to come out of the wafer W from the start of drawing based on the drawing speed of the liquid receiving plate 4, for example, a timer. It is also possible to use this time when elapses. Further, for example, the shielding plate 6 is lowered like the timing of closing the developing solution supply valve 50 so that the side surface of the shielding plate 6 straddles the height of the surface of the wafer W and the surface height of the liquid receiving plate. As a result, when the guide plate 41 is cleaned, it is possible to prevent the rinse liquid that has hit the inclined surface and splashed toward the wafer W from being mixed into the developer in the gap.

  Thereafter, when the predetermined time has elapsed and the static development is completed, the outer cup 22 and the inner cup 23 are raised and set to the raised position, and then the liquid flow regulating plate 3 and The shielding plate 6 is raised. At this time, when the liquid flow restricting plate 3 rises and separates from the surface of the wafer W, a part of the developer that has been held on the liquid flow restricting plate 3 by the surface tension with respect to the surface so far flows down from the surface of the wafer W. Next, the rinse liquid nozzle 7 and the dry gas nozzle 8 are guided to a cleaning start position slightly outside one end of the wafer W, and then the rinse liquid and the dry gas are discharged upward and downward, respectively, from one end to the other end of the wafer W. First, the developer, the resist-dissolved component, and the like adhering to the surface of the wafer W and the surface of the liquid flow restricting plate 3 are washed away with the rinse liquid, and then dried with a dry gas. The number of scans may be one, but it is preferable to perform, for example, about two to three times, and the rinse liquid nozzle 7 and the dry gas nozzle 8 are retracted to the outside of the wafer W when the predetermined number of scans is performed. The rinse liquid and the dry gas discharged upward from the discharge ports 71a and 81a protruding outside the liquid flow regulating plate 3 collide with the liquid splash preventing plate 32 and are dropped downward, and the outer cup 22 is dropped. Jumping out of the outside is suppressed.

  Subsequently, the outer cup 22 and the inner cup 23 are lowered, and as shown in FIG. 8 (h), the substrate transfer arm A enters and the chuck 20 moves upward while holding the wafer W, and the substrate transfer arm A and The wafer W is transferred to the substrate transfer arm A by the cooperative action with the chuck 20. The wafer W is carried out of the developing device, and the developing process for the wafer W is completed. Further, when another wafer W is repeatedly developed, it is possible to process a large number of wafers W by repeating the above-described steps.

  In the above-described embodiment, the developer is filled in the gap between the liquid flow regulating plate 3 and the liquid receiving plate 4 provided close to the surface of the wafer W, and the liquid receiving plate 4 is slowly pulled out, for example, sideways. The developer is dropped onto the surface of the wafer W so that the developer moves by the height of the liquid receiving plate and is supplied to the surface of the wafer W. Therefore, the movement width is extremely small. Generation of liquid flow in the liquid is suppressed. As a result, the surface of the part which is not planned for the resist pattern is hardly scraped off, and a pattern with high line width accuracy can be obtained after development.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, when the discharge pressure of the developer supply port 5 is set in a pressure-free state, the gap between the liquid flow restricting plate 3 and the liquid receiving plate 4 is widened by capillary action ( 7C), or when the gap between the liquid flow restricting plate 3 and the wafer W is filled with a developing solution (step of FIG. 7D), the liquid flow having approximately the same size as the wafer W due to surface tension. It is possible to more reliably realize the retention of the developer in the projection area of the regulation plate 3. For this reason, since it is possible to reduce the amount of developer that is squeezed out and is wasted, generally expensive developer can be saved.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, since the hydrophilicity of the liquid flow restricting plate 3 is set large and the hydrophilicity of the liquid receiving plate 4 is set small, when the liquid receiving plate 4 is pulled, the liquid flow restricting plate 3 On the other hand, the developer is prevented from moving laterally by the surface tension of the developer that acts strongly, so that the developer is hardly pulled outside the wafer W by being pulled by the solution receiving plate 4. Further, by providing the weir portion 31, it is possible to reduce the amount of the developer that is pulled to the outer side by being more reliably pulled by the liquid receiving plate 4. As a result, waste developer can be reduced.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the guide plate 41 having an inclined surface whose tip is very close to the surface of the wafer W is provided, so that the guide plate 41 that moves when the liquid receiving plate 4 is pulled out is provided. Since the developer is placed on the surface of the wafer W along the trajectory, there are fewer portions that cannot be applied as compared with the case where the developer is spread on the surface of the wafer W by relying on the capillary phenomenon. Further, since the tip is very close to the surface of the wafer W, the impact when the developer collides with the surface of the wafer W is small, and therefore the occurrence of pattern collapse can be suppressed. Further, when the liquid receiving plate 4 is pulled out, it is possible to prevent the developer from flowing around the back surface side of the liquid receiving plate 4, so that it is wasteful to go around the back surface side and be pushed by the back surface of the guide plate 41 and dropped out of the wafer W There is little developing solution.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the developer is filled in the gap between the liquid flow restricting plate 3 and the wafer W and developed, so that a liquid film of the developer having a uniform thickness is provided for each wafer W process. Can be formed. As a result, uniform development processing can be performed for each wafer W. Further, since the separation distance between the liquid flow regulating plate 3 and the wafer W is set small, it is possible to prevent the upper corner portion of the developer at the peripheral edge of the wafer W from being rounded due to surface tension.

  In the present invention, for example, the discharge pressure of the developer supply port 5 is not limited to a pressure-free configuration in the step of FIG. 7C or 7D, for example, the liquid level in the developer tank 52 is increased. Alternatively, a slight discharge pressure may be applied. Specifically, the discharge pressure of the developer supply port 50 is preferably set within a range smaller than the surface tension of the developer with respect to the surface of the liquid flow regulating plate 3. Even in such a configuration, since the surface tension is superior to the discharge pressure, the developer does not protrude beyond the projected area of the liquid flow restricting plate 3, so that the same effect as described above can be obtained. Further, in this example, since a slight discharge pressure is applied, the gap can be quickly filled with the developer, and as a result, the processing time can be shortened. However, the present invention includes a case where the discharge pressure is larger than the surface tension and the developer spills outward when the developer is supplied between the liquid flow regulating plate 3 and the liquid receiving plate 4. The configuration is not limited to the configuration in which the liquid level is adjusted based on the detection result of the liquid level detector 55. For example, the configuration may be such that the liquid level is adjusted by moving the developer tank 52 up and down by an elevating mechanism.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, the dam portion 31 is not limited to the configuration provided in the semicircular arc shape, and may be configured such that the dam portion 31 is provided over the entire periphery of the liquid flow regulating plate 3, for example. Even with such a configuration, the same effect as described above can be obtained. In this case, the developer supplied to the gap between the liquid flow restricting plate 3 and the liquid receiving plate 4 is also supplied to the weir 31. Since the clogging is prevented from protruding to the outside, it is possible to reduce the amount of the developer that is more reliably wasted.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, the liquid receiving plate 4 is not limited to a rectangular shape, and the liquid receiving plate 4 may be formed in a circular shape that is the same as the wafer W or slightly larger than the wafer W. Furthermore, the liquid flow restricting plate 3 may be rectangular. Even in this case, since the developer stays in the projection area of the liquid receiving plate 4 corresponding to the projection area of the wafer W, the same effect as in the above case can be obtained. Further, when the liquid flow restricting plate 3 has a quadrangular shape, there is no need to provide the liquid splash preventing plate 32, which is advantageous in that the apparatus configuration can be simplified. Further, in the present invention, the substrate is not limited to a wafer, and can be applied to, for example, development processing of an LCD substrate or a photomask reticle substrate.

  Next, an example of a coating / developing apparatus in which the above developing apparatus is incorporated in a developing unit will be described with reference to FIGS. In the figure, B1 is a cassette mounting section for loading and unloading a cassette 9 in which, for example, 13 wafers W as substrates are hermetically stored, and a cassette station having a mounting section 90a on which a plurality of cassettes 3 can be mounted. 90, an opening / closing part 91 provided on the wall surface in front of the cassette station 90, and a delivery means A1 for taking out the wafer W from the cassette 9 via the opening / closing part 91. Further, a processing unit B2 is connected to the back side of the cassette mounting unit B1, and the processing unit B2 uses a shelf unit U1, U2, U3 in which heating / cooling units are multi-staged and a wafer using processing liquid. Liquid processing units U4 and U5 for performing predetermined liquid processing on W, and main transfer means A2 and A3 for delivering the wafer W to each unit are provided. That is, the main transfer means A2 and A3 are configured to be accessible to adjacent units, and the wafer W can freely move in the processing section B1 from the shelf unit U1 on one end side to the shelf unit U3 on the other end side. It has become. In the figure, reference numerals 92 and 93 denote temperature / humidity adjusting units including a temperature adjusting device for the processing liquid used in each unit, a duct for adjusting temperature and humidity, and the like.

  The liquid processing units U4 and U5 are provided on a storage portion 94 that forms a space for supplying a chemical solution such as a coating solution (resist solution) and a developing solution, a coating unit (COT), a developing unit (DEV), and an antireflection film forming unit (BARC). ) And the like are stacked in a plurality of stages, for example, five stages. In addition, the above-described shelf units U1, U2, and U3 are configured such that various units for performing pre-processing and post-processing of the processing performed in the liquid processing units U4 and U5 are stacked in a plurality of stages, for example, 10 stages. The combination includes a heating unit for heating (baking) the wafer W, a cooling unit for cooling the wafer W, and the like.

  An exposure unit B4 is connected to an inner side of the shelf unit U3 in the processing unit B2 via an interface unit B3 including, for example, a first transfer chamber 95 and a second transfer chamber 96. In addition to two transfer means A4 and A5 for transferring the wafer W between the processing unit B2 and the exposure unit B4, a shelf unit U6 and a buffer cassette C0 are provided inside the interface unit B3.

  An example of the flow of the wafer W in this coating / developing apparatus is as follows. First, when the cassette 9 containing the wafer W is placed on the placement portion 90a from the outside, the lid of the cassette 90 is removed together with the opening / closing portion 91. Then, the wafer W is taken out by the transfer means A1. Then, the wafer W is transferred to the main transfer means A2 via a transfer unit (not shown) that forms one stage of the shelf unit U1, and is pre-processed as a coating process on one shelf in the shelf units U1 to U3. For example, an antireflection film forming process and a cooling process are performed, and then a resist solution is applied by a coating unit (COT). Next, the wafer W is heated (baked) by a heating unit forming one shelf of the shelf units U1 to U3, and further cooled, and then transferred to the interface unit B3 via the delivery unit of the shelf unit U3. In this interface section B3, the wafer W is transferred to the exposure section B4 through a path of transfer means A4 → shelf unit U6 → transfer means A5, for example, and exposure is performed. After the exposure, the wafer W is transferred to the main transfer means A2 through the reverse path, and developed by a developing unit (DEV) to form a resist mask. Thereafter, the wafer W is returned to the original cassette 9 of the mounting portion 90a.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the developing device concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the image development apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the liquid flow control board and liquid receiving plate of the said developing device. It is a perspective view which shows the drive mechanism of the liquid receiving plate of the said developing device. It is explanatory drawing which shows the developing solution supply part of the said developing device. It is explanatory drawing which shows the rinse liquid supply nozzle and dry gas nozzle of the said developing device. It is explanatory drawing which shows the process of developing a board | substrate using the said developing device. It is explanatory drawing which shows the process of developing a board | substrate using the said developing device. It is a top view which shows the coating and developing apparatus incorporating the developing device of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the application | coating and developing apparatus incorporating the developing device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the conventional developing solution supply method.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Liquid flow control board 31 Weir part 4 Liquid receiving board 41 Guide plate 5 Developer supply port 52 Developer tank 6 Shielding board 7 Rinse liquid nozzle 8 Drying gas nozzle

Claims (13)

In a developing device for developing a substrate on which a resist is applied and subjected to an exposure process,
A substrate holder for horizontally holding the substrate;
A liquid flow regulating plate that is provided opposite to the surface of the substrate and is the same as or slightly larger than the substrate,
A liquid receiving plate that is provided so that the surfaces of the liquid flow regulating plate and the substrate face each other, and is the same as or larger than the substrate,
A developer supply unit for supplying a developer from a supply port provided at one end edge of the surface of the liquid flow regulating plate to a gap between the liquid flow regulating plate and the liquid receiving plate;
A drive mechanism for pulling out the liquid receiving plate laterally so that the surface of the liquid receiving plate passes under the supply port;
A developing device characterized in that the liquid receiving plate is pulled out and the developer on the surface is dropped onto the surface of the substrate.   2. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein a developer is supplied from the supply port by a capillary phenomenon between the liquid flow regulating plate and the liquid receiving plate.   3. The developing according to claim 1, wherein when the developer on the liquid receiving plate is dropped onto the substrate, the developing solution is supplied from the supply port between the liquid flow regulating plate and the liquid receiving plate. apparatus.   4. The developing device according to claim 3, wherein the developing solution is filled in a gap between the substrate and the liquid flow regulating plate by pulling out the liquid receiving plate.   The developer discharge pressure at the supply port is such that when the liquid receiving plate is pulled out, the developer on the liquid receiving plate is dropped onto the substrate, but the developer on the substrate does not spill out. The developing device according to claim 3 or 4.   6. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein one end edge of the peripheral edge of the liquid flow restricting plate is provided with a weir portion extending downward to restrict the flow of the developing solution to the outside.   7. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein a guide plate inclined outward and downward is provided at an edge portion of the liquid receiving plate passing over the surface of the substrate.   The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophilicity of the developer with respect to the liquid flow regulating plate is larger than the hydrophilicity of the developer with respect to the liquid receiving plate. In a developing method of developing by supplying a developing solution to a substrate on which a resist is applied and subjected to an exposure process on the surface,
A step of holding the substrate horizontally in the substrate holding portion;
A step of filling the developer in the gap between the liquid flow regulating plate and the liquid receiving plate that are arranged vertically facing the surface of the substrate;
And a step of drawing the liquid receiving plate horizontally to drop the developer on the surface onto the surface of the substrate.   10. The step of filling the developer in the gap between the liquid flow restricting plate and the liquid receiving plate is a step of supplying the developer into the gap between the liquid flow restricting plate and the liquid receiving plate by a capillary phenomenon. The developing method as described.   11. The step of dropping the developer on the liquid receiving plate onto the surface of the substrate includes a step of supplying the developer into a gap between the liquid flow regulating plate and the liquid receiving plate. Development method.   12. The developing method according to claim 11, wherein the step of dropping the developer on the liquid receiving plate onto the surface of the substrate is a step of filling the developer between the liquid flow regulating plate and the substrate.   The supply pressure of the developer supplied when the liquid receiving plate is pulled out is such that the developer on the liquid receiving plate is dropped onto the substrate but the developer on the substrate does not spill out. The developing method according to claim 11 or 12.

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