JP2005193174A - Apparatus and method for processing substrates - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently form a liquid reservoir as desired between the principal plane of a substrate and the tip of a slit nozzle. <P>SOLUTION: Before the initiation of a coating process for the apparatus for processing substrates, a process is conducted for forming a liquid reservoir between the principal plane of a substrate and the tip of a slit nozzle. In this process for forming a liquid reservoir, a resist liquid is supplied from a discharge pump to the slit nozzle so that the resist liquid is discharged in a predetermined amount from the slit nozzle. Furthermore, when the resist liquid is discharged in the predetermined amount, supplying of the resist liquid is ceased for a predetermined time. After the formation of a liquid reservoir in this manner, movement of the slit nozzle into a scanning direction is initiated, thereby initiating the coating process. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for applying a processing liquid to a main surface of a substrate by a slit nozzle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technique for efficiently forming an appropriate liquid reservoir in advance between a slit nozzle and a substrate before starting application.

  While discharging a processing liquid such as a resist liquid from a slit nozzle provided with a linear slit, scanning is performed by moving the slit nozzle along the main surface of the substrate, and a resist liquid film is formed on the main surface of the substrate. A substrate processing apparatus (slit coater) to be formed is known.

  In the slit coater, the discharge of the resist solution from the slit nozzle is started by starting the supply of the resist solution to the slit nozzle. However, if the supply to the slit nozzle is started at the moment when scanning by the slit nozzle is started, there is a problem that a film of the resist solution is formed in the vicinity of the coating start position due to a response delay or the like.

  Therefore, conventionally, in order to improve the coating accuracy at the coating start end, in the slit coater, before starting scanning with the slit nozzle, a resist solution is supplied to the slit nozzle in advance, and the resist solution is applied to the tip of the slit nozzle. Techniques for forming a pool (meniscus) have been proposed. A technique related to such a slit coater is described in Patent Document 1, for example.

  In the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, before the scanning by the slit nozzle is started, the slit nozzle is brought close to the substrate and the discharge of the resist solution is started. Then, a liquid pool is formed by stopping the slit nozzle with respect to the substrate for a predetermined time. That is, the scanning by the slit nozzle is started when a certain time has elapsed after the discharge of the resist solution is started.

JP-A-8-229497

  FIG. 23 is a schematic view showing a state of a liquid pool of the resist solution R formed at the tip of the slit nozzle SN in the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1. FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the resist solution R film formed on the substrate 91 when scanning is started by the slit nozzle SN in the state shown in FIG.

  Immediately after being discharged, the resist solution R discharged from the slit nozzle SN forms a substantially spherical liquid pool due to non-uniform processing in the longitudinal direction of the slit nozzle SN as shown in FIG. . However, in the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when scanning by the slit nozzle SN is started in such a state, the film of the resist solution R is uneven at the coating start end as shown in FIG. There was a problem of becoming.

  In order to solve such a problem, for example, it is conceivable to delay the timing at which scanning by the slit nozzle SN is started. FIG. 25 is a schematic view showing a state of a liquid pool of the resist solution R formed at the tip of the slit nozzle SN when the scanning start by the slit nozzle SN is relatively delayed. In this case, the liquid pools that are initially formed in a substantially spherical shape sufficiently come into contact with each other by further discharging the resist liquid R. However, since the discharge amount of the resist solution R increases, the excess resist solution R rises along the side surface of the tip of the slit nozzle SN and adheres to the side surface. When the coating process is performed by the slit nozzle SN in such a state, there is a problem that the film thickness of the resist solution R becomes non-uniform and uneven coating occurs.

  Moreover, in the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, since the liquid pool of the resist solution is formed from the state in which the slit nozzle is close to the substrate, there is a problem that the processing time is increased by the time required for the liquid pool formation. there were.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to efficiently form an appropriate liquid pool in order to prevent non-uniformity of a resist solution film at a coating start position.

  In order to solve the above problems, the invention of claim 1 is a substrate processing apparatus for forming a film of a predetermined processing solution on a substrate, and includes a holding table for holding the substrate and a slit-like discharge provided at the tip. A slit nozzle that discharges the predetermined processing liquid to the main surface of the substrate held by the holding table from an outlet, a processing liquid supply unit that supplies the predetermined processing liquid to the slit nozzle, and a main surface of the substrate A nozzle moving means for relatively moving the slit nozzle along the surface, and the predetermined processing to the processing liquid supply means in a state where the main surface of the substrate and the tip of the slit nozzle are close to each other. Supplying the liquid, and then stopping the supply of the predetermined processing liquid by the processing liquid supply means for a predetermined time, thereby causing the predetermined processing between the main surface of the substrate and the tip of the slit nozzle. Liquid After the liquid pool is formed by the liquid pool forming unit and the liquid pool forming unit, the substrate and the slit nozzle are relatively moved by the nozzle moving unit while the supply by the processing liquid supply unit is resumed. And an application control means for controlling to move it.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus for forming a film of a predetermined processing solution on a substrate, and a holder that holds the substrate, and a slit-like discharge port provided at a tip to the holder. A slit nozzle that discharges the predetermined processing liquid to the main surface of the held substrate, a processing liquid supply unit that supplies the predetermined processing liquid to the slit nozzle, a main surface of the substrate, and a slit nozzle A changing means for relatively changing the distance from the tip, a nozzle moving means for moving the slit nozzle relatively along the main surface of the substrate, and a main surface of the substrate and the tip of the slit nozzle are separated from each other. The predetermined processing liquid is supplied between the main surface of the substrate and the tip of the slit nozzle by driving the processing liquid supply means to supply the predetermined processing liquid to the slit nozzle. Puddle After the liquid pool is formed by the liquid pool forming unit to be formed and the liquid pool forming unit, the change unit is controlled so that the main surface of the substrate and the tip of the slit nozzle are close to each other. The processing liquid supply means and the nozzle movement are set so that the substrate and the slit nozzle are relatively moved by the nozzle moving means while the predetermined processing liquid is supplied by the processing liquid supply means. Application control means for controlling the means.

  The invention of claim 3 is the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the liquid pool forming means starts supplying the predetermined processing liquid by the processing liquid supply means, and thereafter The liquid pool is formed by stopping the supply of the predetermined processing liquid by the processing liquid supply means for a predetermined time.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the liquid pool forming means is based on an output from the processing liquid supply means. The processing liquid supply means is controlled so that the amount of the predetermined processing liquid supplied from the supply means becomes the first discharge amount.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the substrate processing apparatus according to the invention of claim 4, wherein the first discharge amount is obtained when the slit nozzle is in the proximity position and the main surface of the substrate and the slit. The volume of the gap space formed between the tip of the nozzle and the volume is substantially equal to or less.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the coating control means is supplied with the predetermined processing liquid by the processing liquid supply means. In this state, the movement of the slit nozzle by the nozzle moving means is started.

  The invention of claim 7 is the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the coating control means starts the movement of the slit nozzle by the nozzle moving means, The supply acceleration of the predetermined processing liquid by the processing liquid supply means is changed from the low acceleration state to the high acceleration state.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the processing liquid supply means feeds the predetermined processing liquid toward the slit nozzle. A pump and a valve for opening and closing the flow path of the predetermined processing liquid from the pump to the slit nozzle, and the application control unit drives the pump in advance before starting the supply of the predetermined processing liquid. Then, the processing liquid supply means is controlled so that the valve opens the flow path in accordance with the timing of starting the supply of the predetermined processing liquid.

  A ninth aspect of the present invention is the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the processing liquid is in a standby position where the slit nozzle does not face the main surface of the substrate. Preliminary discharge control means for controlling the processing liquid supply means based on the output from the supply means so that the amount of the predetermined processing liquid discharged from the slit nozzle becomes a preset second discharge amount; Prepare.

  The invention of claim 10 is a substrate processing method for forming a film of a predetermined processing solution on a substrate, the holding step for holding the substrate, and the main surface of the substrate held in the holding step After supplying the predetermined processing liquid to the slit nozzle that discharges the predetermined processing liquid, by temporarily stopping the supply of the predetermined processing liquid, the liquid of the predetermined processing liquid is provided at the tip of the slit nozzle. A forming step for forming a pool; a supplying step for supplying the predetermined processing liquid to the slit nozzle after the liquid pool is formed by the forming step; and the substrate and the slit nozzle held in the holding step. And a moving step of relatively moving in the direction along the main surface of the substrate.

  The invention according to an eleventh aspect is the substrate processing method according to the invention according to the tenth aspect, wherein the moving step starts supplying the predetermined processing liquid by the supplying step, and then the substrate and the slit nozzle. Start relative movement with.

  The invention of claim 12 is the substrate processing method according to the invention of claim 10 or 11, wherein the supplying step is relative to the slit nozzle because the moving step is executed. And changing the supply acceleration of the predetermined processing liquid to a high acceleration state.

  The invention of claim 13 is the substrate processing method according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the supplying step includes a driving step of driving a pump, and driving of the pump by the driving step. After the start, the method further includes an opening step of opening the flow path of the predetermined processing liquid from the pump to the slit nozzle, and a closing step of closing the flow path opened by the opening step.

  In the first aspect of the present invention, the processing liquid supply means supplies the predetermined processing liquid in a state where the main surface of the substrate and the tip of the slit nozzle are close to each other, and then the processing liquid supply means. By stopping the supply of the predetermined processing liquid by the predetermined time, a liquid pool of the predetermined processing liquid is formed between the main surface of the substrate and the tip of the slit nozzle, so that the liquid pool formed is non-uniform Can be prevented. Therefore, the application accuracy can be improved.

  In the second aspect of the present invention, the processing liquid supply means is driven to supply a predetermined processing liquid to the slit nozzle in a state where the main surface of the substrate and the tip of the slit nozzle are separated from each other. By forming a liquid pool in advance that forms a liquid pool of a predetermined processing liquid between the main surface and the tip of the slit nozzle, the liquid pool is formed compared to the case where the liquid pool is formed after moving to a close position. A pool can be formed efficiently. Therefore, the tact time can be shortened.

  According to the third to tenth aspects of the present invention, the supply of the predetermined processing liquid by the processing liquid supply means is started, and then the supply of the predetermined processing liquid by the processing liquid supply means is stopped for a predetermined time. By forming the pool, the liquid pool to be formed can be prevented from becoming uneven. Therefore, the application accuracy can be improved.

  In the invention described in claim 4, based on the output from the processing liquid supply means, the processing liquid supply means is controlled so that the amount of the predetermined processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply means becomes the first discharge amount. By doing so, it is possible to accurately determine the discharge amount of the processing liquid.

  In the invention according to claim 5, the first discharge amount is substantially equal to or less than the volume of the gap space formed between the main surface of the substrate and the tip of the slit nozzle when the slit nozzle is in the proximity position. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the processing liquid from adhering to the side surface of the tip of the slit nozzle.

  In the invention described in claims 6 and 11, the treatment liquid in which a liquid pool is formed by the movement of the slit nozzle by starting the movement of the slit nozzle in a state where the predetermined treatment liquid is being supplied. Can be prevented from running out.

  According to the seventh and twelfth aspects of the present invention, after the movement of the slit nozzle is started, the supply is started in advance in the low acceleration state by changing the supply acceleration of the predetermined processing liquid from the low acceleration state to the high acceleration state. Thus, the steady discharge can be achieved in a short time by changing to the high acceleration state in the middle while suppressing the rapid discharge of the processing liquid.

  According to the eighth and thirteenth aspects of the present invention, the flow path of the processing liquid is started in accordance with the timing at which the supply of the predetermined processing liquid is started after the pump is started in advance before the supply of the predetermined processing liquid is started. By controlling so as to be in an open state, the discharge pressure can be applied to the pump in advance, and the pump can be brought into a steady state in a short time.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, in a state where the slit nozzle is in the standby position where it does not face the main surface of the substrate, the amount of the predetermined processing liquid discharged from the slit nozzle is based on the output from the processing liquid supply means. By controlling the processing liquid supply means so that the second discharge amount is set in advance, the air can be easily removed.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<1. First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view showing a side cross section of the main body 2 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and showing main components related to the application operation of the resist solution. In FIG. 1, for the sake of illustration and explanation, the Z-axis direction is defined as the vertical direction and the XY plane is defined as the horizontal plane, but these are defined for convenience in order to grasp the positional relationship. The directions described below are not limited. The same applies to the following figures.

<Overall configuration>
The substrate processing apparatus 1 is roughly divided into a main body 2 and a control system 6, and a square glass substrate for manufacturing a screen panel of a liquid crystal display device is a substrate to be processed (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”) 90. In a process of selectively etching an electrode layer or the like formed on the surface of the substrate 90, the coating device is configured to apply a resist solution as a processing solution to the surface of the substrate 90. Therefore, in this embodiment, the slit nozzle 41 discharges the resist solution. In addition, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be modified and used not only as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device but also as a device for applying a processing liquid (chemical solution) to various substrates for a flat panel display.

  The main body 2 includes a stage 3 that functions as a holding table for mounting and holding the substrate 90 and also functions as a base for each attached mechanism. The stage 3 is made of, for example, an integral stone having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and its upper surface (holding surface 30) and side surfaces are processed into flat surfaces.

  The upper surface of the stage 3 is a horizontal plane and serves as a holding surface 30 for the substrate 90. A number of vacuum suction ports (not shown) are formed on the holding surface 30 in a distributed manner, and the substrate 90 is held in a predetermined horizontal position by sucking the substrate 90 while the substrate processing apparatus 1 processes the substrate 90. To do. The holding surface 30 is provided with a plurality of lift pins LP that can be moved up and down by driving means (not shown) at appropriate intervals. The lift pins LP are used to push up the substrate 90 when the substrate 90 is removed.

  A pair of running rails 31 extending in parallel in a substantially horizontal direction are fixed to both ends of the holding surface 30 across the holding area of the substrate 90 (region where the substrate 90 is held). The traveling rail 31 guides the movement of the bridging structure 4 together with a support block (not shown) fixed at the lowermost part of both ends of the bridging structure 4 (the moving direction is defined in a predetermined direction), and holds the bridging structure 4. A linear guide supported above the surface 30 is configured.

  Above the stage 3, a bridging structure 4 is provided that extends substantially horizontally from both sides of the stage 3. The bridging structure 4 is mainly composed of, for example, a nozzle support portion 40 that uses carbon fiber reinforced resin as an aggregate, and lifting mechanisms 43 and 44 that support both ends thereof.

  A slit nozzle 41 and a gap sensor 42 are attached to the nozzle support portion 40. A supply mechanism 7 for supplying a resist solution to the slit nozzle 41 is connected to the slit nozzle 41 having a longitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction.

  FIG. 3 is a view of the slit nozzle 41 as viewed from the −Z direction. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the slit nozzle 41 taken along line IV-IV shown in FIG. FIG. 4 shows the positional relationship with the substrate 90 when the slit nozzle 41 is arranged at a close position (position of the slit nozzle 41 when a desired liquid pool is formed). As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the value of the distance between the tip of the slit nozzle 41 and the main surface of the substrate 90 at the proximity position is “b”.

  The slit nozzle 41 is a predetermined region (hereinafter referred to as “resist coating region”) on the surface of the substrate 90 where the resist solution supplied by the supply mechanism 7 is held on the stage 3 from the slit-like discharge port 410 provided at the tip. To be discharged). Thereby, the substrate processing apparatus 1 applies the resist solution to the substrate 90. Here, the resist application region is a region in the surface of the substrate 90 where the resist solution is to be applied, and is usually a region obtained by excluding a region having a predetermined width along the edge from the entire area of the substrate 90. It is.

  The tip of the slit nozzle 41 is a flat surface 411 that faces the main surface of the substrate 90 held on the stage 3. The discharge port 410 is formed on the flat surface 411 of the slit nozzle 41 as an opening having a width a in the Y-axis direction and a width e in the X-axis direction. Note that a space formed between the main surface of the substrate 90 and the tip of the slit nozzle 41 in a state where the slit nozzle 41 is in the close position is referred to as a “gap space DV”. The length of the gap space DV in the X-axis direction is “width c”.

  Inside the slit nozzle 41, a flow path having a length d extending from the discharge port 410 in the (+ Z) direction is provided, and a manifold 412 is further formed on the flow path. The interior of the slit nozzle 41 has a substantially similar structure over the width a of the discharge port 410 in the Y-axis direction.

  The gap sensor 42 is attached to the nozzle support portion 40 so as to be in the vicinity of the slit nozzle 41, and the height difference (gap) between the lower presence object (for example, the surface of the substrate 90 or the surface of the resist film) is determined. The measurement result is transmitted to the control system 6. Thereby, the control system 6 can control the distance between the existence object and the slit nozzle 41 based on the measurement result of the gap sensor 42.

  The elevating mechanisms 43 and 44 are divided on both sides of the slit nozzle 41 and connected to the slit nozzle 41 by the nozzle support portion 40. The elevating mechanisms 43 and 44 are mainly composed of AC servomotors 43 a and 44 a and a ball screw (not shown), and generate elevating driving force for the bridge structure 4 based on a control signal from the control system 6. Thereby, the raising / lowering mechanisms 43 and 44 raise / lower the slit nozzle 41 in translation. The lifting mechanisms 43 and 44 are also used to adjust the posture of the slit nozzle 41 in the YZ plane. Further, the AC servomotors 43a and 44a have a function of detecting the rotation amount and outputting it to the control system 6.

  A pair of AC coreless linear motors (hereinafter simply referred to as “stator”) and a “moving element 50b” and “stator 51a” and “moving element 51b” are provided at both ends of the bridging structure 4 along the edges on both sides of the stage 3, respectively. , Abbreviated as “linear motor”.) 50 and 51 are fixed. In addition, linear encoders 52 and 53 each having a scale portion and a detector are fixed to both ends of the bridging structure 4. The linear encoders 52 and 53 detect the positions of the linear motors 50 and 51. The linear motors 50 and 51 and the linear encoders 52 and 53 mainly constitute the traveling mechanism 5 for moving the bridge structure 4 on the stage 3 while being guided by the traveling rail 31. That is, the traveling mechanism 5 acts as a nozzle moving unit that relatively moves the slit nozzle 41 in a substantially horizontal direction along the surface of the substrate 90. Based on the detection results from the linear encoders 52 and 53, the control system 6 controls the operation of the linear motor 50, thereby controlling the movement of the bridging structure 4 on the stage 3, that is, the scanning of the substrate 90 by the slit nozzle 41. Is done.

  On the holding surface 30 of the main body 2, an opening 32 is provided on the (−X) direction side of the holding area. The opening 32 has a longitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction similar to the slit nozzle 41, and the longitudinal length is substantially the same as the longitudinal direction length of the slit nozzle 41. Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a standby pot, a nozzle cleaning mechanism, and a pre-coating mechanism are provided inside the main body 2 below the opening 32.

  The nozzle support 40 is provided with a supply mechanism 7 for supplying a resist solution to the slit nozzle 41 at a position above the slit nozzle 41. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the supply mechanism 7. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a buffer tank 70, opening / closing valves 71 and 72, a filter 73, a check valve 74, and a discharge pump 80 as a supply mechanism 7 that supplies a resist solution to the slit nozzle 41.

  The buffer tank 70 is provided for separating and removing the air mixed in the resist solution by temporarily storing the resist solution. That is, the air mixed in the resist solution gathers in the upper part of the storage tank of the buffer tank 70 while the resist solution is stored in the buffer tank 70 and is exhausted outside the apparatus by an exhaust mechanism (not shown).

  Although not shown in FIG. 1, the buffer tank 70 is provided on the side of the lifting mechanism 43 at substantially the same height as the slit nozzle 41, and the liquid level in the buffer tank 70 is higher than the discharge port 410 of the slit nozzle 41. It is set to be a slightly lower position.

  In response to a control signal from the control system 6, the resist solution is sent to the slit nozzle 41 through a pipe when all the valves 72 that open and close the flow path at a predetermined timing are open.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the filter 73 is provided on the primary side of the discharge pump 80 and has a function of removing foreign substances from the resist solution fed to the slit nozzle 41. The check valve 74 is arranged to prevent the resist solution in the pipe from flowing backward, and allows the resist solution to pass only in the right direction (the direction toward the discharge pump 80) in FIG.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing details of the discharge pump 80. The discharge pump 80 is mainly composed of a main body 81 and a drive mechanism 82. In FIG. 6, a cross section of the main body 81 is shown.

  The main body 81 includes a first bellows 811, a second bellows 812, a joining member 813, and a tube 814. The main body 81 is provided with a suction port 815 that serves as an inlet for the resist solution when the resist solution is sucked and an ejection port 816 that serves as an exit for the resist solution when the resist solution is discharged. The suction port 815 is connected to the buffer tank 70 through a pipe, the discharge port 816 is connected to the slit nozzle 41 through a pipe, and the suction port 815 is disposed below the discharge port 816. Yes.

  In order to improve the discharge accuracy from the slit nozzle 41, it is desirable to shorten the distance from the discharge port 816 of the main body 81 to the slit nozzle 41. In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the discharge pump 80 is disposed on the nozzle support portion 40 and is disposed so that the distance becomes shorter. Therefore, the discharge accuracy of the slit nozzle 41 can be improved. .

  The first bellows 811 and the second bellows 812 are configured by members that can be expanded and contracted along the Z-axis direction, and the end on the (−Z) side of the first bellows 811 via the joining member 813, and the second The end of the bellows 812 on the (+ Z) side is fixed to each other, and the inside communicates with each other. Further, both ends of the first bellows 811 and the second bellows 812 are supported by a rigid body (not shown) via a lid 810 so that the total length (X in the figure) is constant. Since the inner diameter area of the first bellows 811 (the area of the surface perpendicular to the Z-axis) is smaller than the inner diameter area of the second bellows 812, the first bellows 811 extends and the second bellows 812 extends. The volume of the main body 81 can be changed by changing the state between the two.

  A tube 814 is disposed inside the first bellows 811 and the second bellows 812. The tube 814 is formed of a tubular plastic member, and both ends thereof are connected to the suction port 815 and the discharge port 816, respectively. That is, the tube 814 forms a flow path for the resist solution. In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the tube 814 is disposed in a substantially vertical direction along the Z axis.

  An indirect liquid LQ is enclosed in the space surrounded by the first and second bellows 811 and 812 and the tube 814. As the indirect liquid LQ, a liquid having a low volume change rate with respect to changes in pressure, temperature and the like is used. Thereby, even if the first bellows 811 and the second bellows 812 are deformed by expansion and contraction, the volume of the indirect liquid LQ hardly changes.

  With such a configuration, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, when the first bellows 811 extends (when the bonding member 813 is moved downward), the first and second bellows 811 of the main body 81 are used. As the internal volume of the space formed by 812 decreases, the indirect liquid LQ is pressurized. Since the indirect liquid LQ is a liquid whose volume hardly decreases even when pressurized, the tube 814 is contracted (squeezed) by the pressurized indirect liquid LQ, and the inside of the tube 814 is pressurized. At this time, since the check valve 74 is provided on the suction port 815 side, the resist solution in the tube 814 does not flow backward from the suction port 815. If the valve 72 is open, the resist solution in the tube 814 is discharged from the discharge port 816 and fed toward the slit nozzle 41.

  On the other hand, when the second bellows 812 extends (when the joining member 813 is moved upward), the internal volume of the space formed by the first and second bellows 811 and 812 of the main body 81 increases, and the indirect liquid LQ is depressurized. Since the indirect liquid LQ is a liquid whose volume hardly increases even under reduced pressure, the tube 814 is expanded by the indirect liquid LQ, and the inside of the tube 814 is depressurized. At this time, if the valve 72 is closed, the resist solution does not flow back into the tube 814 from the slit nozzle 41 side. If the valve 71 is open, the resist solution in the buffer tank 70 is sucked into the discharge pump 80 (tube 814) from the suction port 815.

  That is, the main body 81 can repeatedly perform the resist liquid suction operation and the discharge operation by reciprocating the bonding member 813 along the Z-axis direction. Accordingly, the discharge pump 80 has a function of feeding the resist solution toward the slit nozzle 41.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment, the joining member 813 is reciprocated in the Z-axis direction by the drive mechanism 82. The drive mechanism 82 includes a pump drive motor 821, a ball screw 822, a nut member 823, an attachment member 824, and a guide 825.

  The drive shaft of the pump drive motor 821 is attached to the ball screw 822. Thereby, the pump drive motor 821 can rotate the ball screw 822 about the axis P. The ball screw 822 is screwed into the nut member 823 so as to penetrate the nut member 823, and the nut member 823 moves along the longitudinal direction of the ball screw 822 as the ball screw 822 rotates. A joining member 813 is fixed to the nut member 823 via an attachment member 824. Therefore, in conjunction with the movement of the nut member 823, the joining member 813 moves in the same direction. Further, the nut member 823 is in contact with the guide 825, and the moving direction thereof is defined to be a direction along the Z axis. As shown in FIG. 5, the rotation direction, rotation speed, and rotation amount of the pump drive motor 821 can be controlled by a control signal from the control system 6. The pump drive motor 821 also has a function of outputting the rotation amount to the control system 6. That is, the pump drive motor 821 is a motor having an encoder (not shown) that detects its own rotation amount.

  1 and 2, the control system 6 includes an arithmetic unit 60 that processes various data according to a program and a storage unit 61 that stores the program and various data. In addition, an operation unit 62 for an operator to input necessary instructions to the substrate processing apparatus 1 and a display unit 63 for displaying various data are provided on the front surface.

  Specifically, a RAM that temporarily stores data, a read-only ROM, a magnetic disk device, and the like correspond to the storage unit 61. Alternatively, it may be a storage medium such as a portable magneto-optical disk or a memory card, and a reading device thereof. The operation unit 62 corresponds to buttons and switches (including a keyboard and a mouse). Or what has the function of the display part 63 like a touchscreen display may be used. The display unit 63 corresponds to a liquid crystal display or various lamps.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration realized by the calculation unit 60 together with a data flow. The liquid pool forming unit 601 and the application control unit 602 illustrated in FIG. 7 are functional configurations realized by the calculation unit 60 executing a program.

  The lift amount data 610 is data generated based on the rotation amounts of the AC servomotors 43a, 44a output from the AC servomotors 43a, 44a of the lift mechanisms 43, 44. In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the slit nozzle 41 moves in the Z-axis direction by the rotation of the AC servo motors 43a and 44a, so that the calculation unit 60 refers to the lift amount data 610 to thereby determine the slit nozzle 41. The amount of movement in the Z-axis direction can be detected.

  The drive amount data 611 is data generated based on the rotation amount of the pump drive motor 821 output from the pump drive motor 821, and the amount of movement of the joining member 813 of the discharge pump 80 in the Z-axis direction. This is data for detection. In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the calculation unit 60 uses the movement amount of the joining member 813 as an index, so that the discharge amount of the discharge pump 80 (the supply amount to the slit nozzle 41), A pressurization state etc. can be detected.

  The setting data 612 is data relating to initial values such as the resist solution discharge amount (discharge amounts RV1, RV2) and the movement amount of each member required in each step. As the data included in the setting data 612, an appropriate value is obtained in advance by an experiment or the like and stored in the storage unit 61.

  Further, the movement amount data 613 is data relating to the positions of the linear motors 50 and 51 output from the linear encoders 52 and 53. In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the calculation unit 60 can detect the amount of movement of the slit nozzle 41 in the X-axis direction by detecting the positions of the linear motors 50 and 51.

  The liquid pool forming unit 601 controls the valve 72 and the pump drive motor 821 of the supply mechanism 7 by appropriately referring to the amount of lift data 610, the drive amount data 611, the setting data 612, and the input from the timer 64. A resist liquid pool is formed between the main surface of the substrate 90 and the tip of the slit nozzle 41. Further, when the formation of a desired liquid pool is completed, the liquid pool forming unit 601 notifies the application control unit 602 of the timing at which the liquid pool is formed by outputting a message to that effect to the application control unit 602.

  The application control unit 602 controls the AC servo motors 43a and 44a, the linear motors 50 and 51, the valve 72, and the pump drive motor 821 while referring to the drive amount data 611, the setting data 612, and the movement amount data 613. In particular, the traveling mechanism 5 (linear motors 50 and 51) detects the timing at which the formation of the liquid pool is completed based on the input from the liquid pool forming unit 601 and restarts the supply of the resist solution by the supply mechanism 7. Control is performed so that the substrate 90 and the slit nozzle 41 move relative to each other.

  In addition, the application control unit 602 controls the traveling mechanism 5 to move the slit nozzle 41 to the standby position, and in a state where the slit nozzle 41 is in the standby position, controls the supply mechanism 7 to control the predetermined amount (second discharge amount). The resist solution is discharged. That is, the application control unit 602 also has a function corresponding to the preliminary application means in the present invention. The standby position is a position where the slit nozzle 41 is disposed when the substrate processing apparatus 1 is not performing the coating process using the slit nozzle 41. The standby position is set so that the slit nozzle 41 and the main surface of the substrate 90 do not face each other so that the resist solution discharged from the slit nozzle 41 does not adhere to the substrate 90. Further, the standby position is preferably set as a position where a mechanism for processing the discharged resist solution exists, such as a position where the slit nozzle 41 is disposed above a standby pot (not shown).

  The above is description of the structure and function of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in this Embodiment.

<Description of operation>
8 to 10 are flowcharts showing the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the driving speed of the discharge pump 80 and the moving speed of the slit nozzle 41 in the X-axis direction in the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1. Hereinafter, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. The following operations of the substrate processing apparatus 1 are performed based on control from the control system 6 (calculation unit 60) unless otherwise specified.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1, processing is started when the substrate 90 is transported to a predetermined position by an operator or a transport mechanism (not shown). The substrate 90 thus transported is held at a predetermined position on the holding surface 30 by the stage 3 (step S11).

  Subsequently, the elevating mechanisms 43 and 44 raise and lower the bridging structure 4, so that the gap sensor 42 attached to the nozzle support portion 40 has a predetermined altitude (hereinafter referred to as “measurement altitude”) higher than the thickness of the substrate 90. To be moved).

  When the gap sensor 42 is set at the measurement altitude, the linear motors 50 and 51 of the traveling mechanism 5 move the bridge structure 4 in the (+ X) direction, thereby moving the gap sensor 42 to above the resist coating region. At this time, the control system 6 controls the position of the gap sensor 42 in the X-axis direction by giving control signals to the linear motors 50 and 51 based on the detection results of the linear encoders 52 and 53.

  Next, the gap sensor 42 starts measuring the gap between the surface of the substrate 90 and the slit nozzle 41 while scanning the resist coating region on the surface of the substrate 90 in the (+ X) direction, and transmits the measurement result to the control system 6. . At this time, the control system 6 stores the measurement result of the gap sensor 42 in the storage unit 61.

  When the measurement by the gap sensor 42 is completed, the control system 6 obtains the movement amount in the Z-axis direction for moving the slit nozzle 41 to the separation position based on the detection result from the gap sensor 42 by the calculation unit 60. The separation position is a height position at which the tip of the slit nozzle 41 is relatively separated from the main surface of the substrate 90, and the distance between the tip of the slit nozzle 41 and the main surface of the substrate 90 at the separation position is in advance. It is assumed that the setting data 612 is set. The separation position in the present embodiment may be a position where the distance between the tip of the slit nozzle 41 and the main surface of the substrate 90 is sufficiently separated. Therefore, since it is not necessary to determine the separation position with high accuracy, the separation position may be set based on the measurement altitude. In that case, the control system 6 does not have to obtain the amount of movement to the separation position for each substrate 90.

  Similarly, based on the detection result from the gap sensor 42, the control system 6 has an appropriate posture in the YZ plane of the slit nozzle 41 (because the interval between the slit nozzle 41 and the resist coating region applies the resist solution). The position of the nozzle support portion 40 is calculated as a posture at an appropriate interval (hereinafter referred to as “appropriate posture”).

  Next, according to the control signal from the control system 6, the elevating mechanisms 43 and 44 adjust the position of the slit nozzle 41 in the Z-axis direction, and move the slit nozzle 41 to the separated position (step S12). FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the main surface of the substrate 90 and the slit nozzle 41 are in a separated position. In addition, when the separated position is determined based on the measured altitude, the height position of the slit nozzle 41 at the measured altitude may be set as the separated position. In that case, the elevating mechanisms 43 and 44 do not need to elevate the slit nozzle 41 at the measurement altitude to the separated position, and step S12 is not executed.

  In parallel with the operation of moving the slit nozzle 41 to the separation position, the linear motors 50 and 51 of the traveling mechanism 5 move the bridging structure 4 in the (−X) direction and move the slit nozzle 41 to the discharge start position. Here, the ejection start position is a position where the slit nozzle 41 substantially extends along one side of the resist coating region. It is assumed that a necessary amount of resist solution is sucked into the discharge pump 80 by the time this operation is completed.

  Next, the elevating mechanisms 43 and 44 move the slit nozzle 41 to the close position by lowering the slit nozzle 41 in the (−Z) direction (step S13). FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the main surface of the substrate 90 and the slit nozzle 41 are in close proximity. The proximity position is a position where the tip of the slit nozzle 41 is at a height that is relatively close to the main surface of the substrate 90, as shown in FIG. A value “b” between the tip of the slit nozzle 41 and the main surface of the substrate at the close position is stored as setting data 612 in advance.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the liquid pool forming unit 601 monitors the position of the lowering slit nozzle 41 by calculating the lowering amount of the slit nozzle 41 from the separated position while referring to the lift amount data 610. Then, when it is detected that the slit nozzle 41 has moved to the close position, the liquid pool forming unit 601 stops the AC servomotors 43a and 44a.

  Thus, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment outputs the slit nozzle 41 from the AC servo motors 43a and 44a of the lifting mechanisms 43 and 44 when the slit nozzle 41 is moved up and down (when moved in the Z-axis direction). Based on the lift data 610, the position of the slit nozzle 41 is controlled. Therefore, for example, after starting up and down of the slit nozzle 41 at a predetermined speed, the amount of movement is estimated by measuring the elapsed time, and thereby the position of the slit nozzle 41 is controlled higher than when the position of the slit nozzle 41 is controlled. The position (position in the Z-axis direction) can be controlled with high accuracy. If the separation position is not obtained based on the measurement result of the gap sensor 42, the proximity position may be obtained based on the measurement result of the gap sensor 42. Thereby, the slit nozzle 41 can be accurately moved so that the distance between the tip of the slit nozzle 41 and the main surface of the substrate 90 becomes the ideal value “b” at the proximity position.

  When the slit nozzle 41 moves to the proximity position, the substrate processing apparatus 1 executes a forming process (step S14). FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing details of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1, particularly the operation in the formation process of step S <b> 14.

  In the forming process, first, the resist solution is supplied to the slit nozzle 41 by the supply mechanism 7 in a state where the slit nozzle 41 is in the proximity position (step S31).

  The processing in step S31 will be specifically described. First, the liquid pool forming unit 601 outputs a control signal to the valve 72 and the pump drive motor 821 of the supply mechanism 7. The valve 72 opens the pipe from the discharge pump 80 to the slit nozzle 41 by this control signal. Further, the pump drive motor 821 drives the discharge pump 80 by moving the joining member 813 of the discharge pump 80 in the (−Z) direction. As a result, the supply of the resist solution from the discharge pump 80 is started, and the resist solution is supplied to the slit nozzle 41. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the driving of the pump drive motor 821 in step S31 is started at time t1. The resist solution supplied to the slit nozzle 41 is discharged from the discharge port 410 to the main surface of the substrate 90.

  Next, the liquid pool forming unit 601 detects the amount of movement of the joining member 813 of the discharge pump 80 by referring to the drive amount data 611, and based on this, the amount of liquid fed (approximately the slit nozzle 41) of the discharge pump 80 is detected. (Corresponding to the discharge amount of the resist solution discharged from). Further, by comparing the discharge amount RV1 preset in the setting data 612 with the actual discharge amount obtained by the calculation, it is determined whether or not a predetermined amount of resist liquid has been discharged to form a liquid pool. Determination is made (step S32). When the liquid pool forming unit 601 determines that the actual discharge amount obtained by the calculation is smaller than the discharge amount RV1 (No in step S32), the supply mechanism 7 further performs resist processing by repeating the process in step S31. Control to supply liquid.

  FIG. 14 is a view showing a state in which the resist solution is being discharged from the discharge port 410 of the slit nozzle 41. By repeatedly executing Steps S31 and S32, the resist solution is discharged from the slit nozzle 41 located at the close position, and a liquid pool of the resist solution is formed between the tip of the slit nozzle 41 and the main surface of the substrate 90. It is being done.

  On the other hand, when the liquid pool forming unit 601 determines that the actual discharge amount obtained by the calculation is the discharge amount RV1 (Yes in step S32), the slit nozzle 41 discharges a predetermined amount (discharge amount RV1) of the resist solution. The supply of the resist solution by the supply mechanism 7 is stopped (step S33). In the example shown in FIG. 11, the speed of the discharge pump 80 becomes “0” at time t2, and the supply of the resist solution for forming the liquid pool is stopped.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the discharge amount RV1 is set so that the volume of the resist solution discharged in steps S31 and S32 is equal to or less than the volume (a × b × c) of the gap space DV (FIG. 4). Is set in the setting data 612 in advance.

  Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the amount of resist solution discharged from the slit nozzle 41 from becoming excessive when forming the liquid pool, and the side surface of the tip portion of the slit nozzle 41 due to overflow of the resist solution from the gap space DV. It is possible to prevent the resist solution from adhering to the surface.

  Further, the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment determines the discharge amount of the resist solution discharged from the slit nozzle 41 based on the actual rotation amount (drive amount) output from the pump drive motor 821. Therefore, for example, the actual discharge amount can be detected with higher accuracy than when the actual discharge amount is obtained indirectly based on the driving time. Accordingly, accurate determination can be made in step S32, and an error between the actual discharge amount and the ideal discharge amount (discharge amount RV1 set in the setting data 612) can be suppressed.

  The liquid pool forming unit 601 waits until a predetermined time Ta elapses after the supply of the resist solution is stopped (step S34), and after the predetermined time Ta elapses, a liquid pool is formed in the application control unit 602. The signal of is transmitted. When the liquid pool is formed by the liquid pool forming unit 601, the substrate processing apparatus 1 ends the forming process of step S14 and returns to the process of FIG.

  As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, after the resist solution having the discharge amount RV1 is discharged, the subsequent processing (processing for moving the slit nozzle 41) is not performed until a predetermined time Ta has elapsed. To wait. This corresponds to waiting until the spherical liquid pool (see FIG. 23) formed by the discharged resist liquid is uniform in the Y-axis direction. That is, the forming process in the present embodiment includes a process of discharging a predetermined amount of resist liquid, and a process of waiting by stopping the discharge pump 80 and the slit nozzle 41 until a desired liquid pool is formed by the discharged resist liquid. It is composed of

  As a result, even if a relatively small amount of resist solution is discharged to form the liquid pool, a uniform liquid pool can be formed in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, as in the example shown in FIG. 24, it is possible to prevent the end portion (application start end) of the resist application region from becoming uneven.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a liquid pool is formed between the tip of the slit nozzle 41 and the main surface of the substrate 90 by the liquid pool forming unit 601. Since the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment does not lengthen the discharge time in order to eliminate the spherical liquid pool formed immediately after discharge, an appropriate amount (gap space DV) as shown in FIG. A liquid pool is formed by the resist solution in an amount that does not overflow from the liquid. Therefore, the discharge amount of the resist solution does not increase more than necessary as in the conventional apparatus, and the resist solution overflowing from the gap space DV adheres to the side surface of the slit nozzle 41 as in the example shown in FIG. Can be prevented. Thereby, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can improve the coating accuracy in the coating process performed thereafter.

  Returning to FIG. 8, when the formation process is completed, the application control unit 602 starts the application process (steps S15 to S19, steps S21 to 23). The application process is a process for applying a resist solution to the resist application region of the substrate 90, and is mainly a step of supplying the resist solution to the slit nozzle 41 by the supply mechanism 7 (mainly in the supply step in the present invention). And a step (mainly corresponding to the moving step in the present invention) of moving the slit nozzle 41 that receives the supply of the resist solution and discharges the resist solution in the X-axis direction by the traveling mechanism 5. .

  First, the application control unit 602 transmits a control signal to the pump drive motor 821 so as to rotate at an acceleration α1. With this control signal, the pump drive motor 821 starts rotating at an acceleration α1 in a direction to move the joining member 813 of the discharge pump 80 in the (−Z) direction. Thereby, the drive process which drives the pump drive motor 821 is started (step S15), and it continues until step S21 mentioned later is performed. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the driving process is started at time t3. It is assumed that the acceleration α1 is set in the setting data 612 in advance as a relatively low value so that the discharge flow rate gradually increases.

  The application control unit 602 refers to the drive amount data 611 to rotate the pump drive motor 821 by a predetermined amount, and then outputs a control signal to the valve 72 to open the valve 72. Thus, the resist solution piping from the discharge pump 80 to the slit nozzle 41 is opened (opening step: step S16), and the resist solution piping is opened until a closing step is executed in step S22 described later. Accordingly, the resist solution is fed to the slit nozzle 41 by the discharge pump 80, and the resist solution is supplied to the slit nozzle 41.

  As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment drives the discharge pump 80 in advance for a predetermined time before the supply of the resist solution to the slit nozzle 41 is started (before the valve 72 is opened). Thus, a discharge pressure can be appropriately applied in the discharge pump 80.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the film thickness of the resist solution when the application of the resist solution is started without applying the discharge pressure in advance. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the film thickness of the resist solution applied by the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment. 16 and 17, the horizontal axis corresponds to the X axis, and the vicinity of the left end indicates the vicinity of the application start position.

  If the resist liquid is discharged from the slit nozzle 41 while the valve 72 is opened simultaneously with the driving of the discharge pump 80, a relatively long time is required until the discharge speed of the discharge pump 80 reaches a steady state. Therefore, due to the delay in response of the slit nozzle 41, as shown in FIG. 16, the film thickness of the resist solution becomes thin at the position where the application is started, and a decrease in the thickness of the resist solution film occurs. This phenomenon remarkably occurs when the resist solution used has a high viscosity (for example, 10 cp or more), or when the resist solution to be applied has a relatively large thickness.

  However, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment improves the responsiveness of the slit nozzle 41 by applying the discharge pressure in advance as described above. Accordingly, uniform coating is realized as shown in FIG. 17 without the resist solution film being depressed. That is, the application accuracy is improved.

  In parallel with the operation of starting the supply of the resist solution by executing the opening / closing process of step S16, the substrate processing apparatus 1 moves the nozzle support portion 40 in the Z-axis direction by the elevating mechanisms 43 and 44, and the slit nozzle 41 The operation to adjust to the proper posture is started. In general, in order to realize uniform application of the resist solution, it is necessary to strictly adjust the distance between the slit nozzle 41 and the surface of the substrate 90. In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the control system 6 determines an appropriate posture based on the detection result of the gap sensor 42 obtained for each individual substrate 90, and controls the elevating mechanisms 43 and 44 to increase the distance adjustment. Go to accuracy.

  When the slit nozzle 41 is moved from the proximity position to an appropriate posture, the volume of the gap space DV increases with time. In the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment, the resist nozzle already has a resist resist from the slit nozzle 41 during this operation. Since the discharge of the liquid is started, there is no shortage of the amount of the resist liquid in the liquid pool portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the resist solution thin film from becoming non-uniform at the application start position.

  As described above, the driving acceleration α1 of the discharge pump 80 at this time is set to be relatively low. Thereby, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, it is possible to prevent the resist solution from adhering to the side surface of the tip of the slit nozzle 41 by rapidly discharging a large amount of the resist solution.

  When the slit nozzle 41 is in an appropriate posture and a predetermined amount of resist solution is discharged from the slit nozzle 41, the coating control unit 602 outputs a control signal to the traveling mechanism 5. In response to this control signal, the linear motors 50 and 51 of the traveling mechanism 5 are driven, and the movement of the bridging structure 4 in the (+ X) direction is started. Thus, the slit nozzle 41 starts moving in the direction along the main surface of the substrate 90 while discharging the resist solution, and the moving process in the present invention is started (step S17). The application control unit 602 refers to the drive amount data 611 to determine whether a predetermined amount of resist solution has been discharged. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the movement process is started at time t4.

  When the movement process is started, the application control unit 602 changes the acceleration (corresponding to the supply acceleration) of the pump drive motor 821 of the supply mechanism 7 from the relatively low acceleration α1 to the relatively high acceleration α2 (step S1). S18). In the example shown in FIG. 11, the changing process is executed at time t5.

  As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment starts supply in a low acceleration state in advance, and changes to a high acceleration state in the middle while suppressing rapid discharge of the resist solution as described above. As a result, the driving state of the discharge pump 80 can be brought into a steady state in a short time as compared with the case of accelerating in the low acceleration state. Therefore, the speed in the steady state can be set to a relatively high speed, and the effective range of speed can be widened.

  Next, when the speeds of the traveling mechanism 5 and the supply mechanism 7 reach the speeds in the steady state, the application control unit 602 drives those accelerations to “0” at a constant speed. In the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment, the moving speed of the slit nozzle 41 and the supply speed of the discharge pump 80 are constant speeds in a steady state, but are not limited thereto.

  After the change process of step S18 is executed, the control system 6 continues scanning by the slit nozzle 41 until the slit nozzle 41 moves to the application end position based on the detection results of the linear encoders 52 and 53 (step S19). ). By the operation as described above, the slit nozzle 41 discharges the resist solution to the resist coating region, and a layer (thin film) of the resist solution is formed on the surface of the substrate 90.

  When the slit nozzle 41 moves to the application end position, the application control unit 602 outputs a control signal to the pump drive motor 821 and the valve 72. With this control signal, the pump drive motor 821 is stopped and the driving process is ended (step S21), and the closing process is executed when the valve 72 is closed (step S22). Thereby, the discharge of the resist solution from the slit nozzle 41 is stopped, and the supply process of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is completed. Further, the application control unit 602 outputs a control signal to the linear motors 50 and 51 of the traveling mechanism 5 to stop the movement of the bridging structure 4. Thereby, the movement process of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is completed (step S23). And the coating process of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is complete | finished by complete | finishing a supply process and a movement process.

  When the coating process is completed, the coating control unit 602 outputs a control signal to the traveling mechanism 5 and the lifting mechanisms 43 and 44 to move the slit nozzle 41 to the standby position (step S24).

  In parallel with the process of moving the slit nozzle 41 to the standby position, the substrate processing apparatus 1 executes a process for carrying out the processed substrate 90. In the carry-out process, the suction of the substrate 90 by the stage 3 is stopped, and the lift pins LP lift the substrate 90. Then, the operator or the transport mechanism receives the substrate 90 from the holding surface 30 and transports it to the next processing step.

  Next, the substrate processing apparatus 1 determines whether or not to end the processing depending on whether or not there is a substrate 90 to be further processed (step S25). If there is a substrate 90 to be processed, a preliminary ejection process is executed (step S26).

  In the preliminary ejection process, the application control unit 602 controls the pump drive motor 821 of the supply mechanism 7 to be driven to supply the resist solution to the slit nozzle 41 while the slit nozzle 41 is in the standby position.

  As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the preliminary discharge process is performed immediately after the coating process is completed. As a result, air mixed into the slit nozzle 41 from the discharge port 410 of the slit nozzle 41 due to suck back or the like can be pushed out before reaching the manifold 412 provided in the slit nozzle 41. Therefore, air can be easily extracted from the slit nozzle 41.

  Further, the application control unit 602 monitors the amount of the resist solution discharged from the slit nozzle 41 while referring to the drive amount data 611, and the amount of the resist solution discharged is the discharge amount RV2 (second discharge amount). At that time, the pump drive motor 821 is stopped.

  As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment determines the discharge amount of the resist solution discharged from the slit nozzle 41 based on the actual rotation amount (drive amount data 611) output from the pump drive motor 821. judge. As a result, for example, the actual discharge amount can be detected more accurately than when the actual discharge amount is obtained indirectly based on the drive time. Therefore, the resist solution can be discharged without excess or deficiency in the preliminary discharge step.

  Further, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment, the discharge amount RV2 is equal to the volume (a × d × e) of the flow path (FIG. 4) of the resist solution formed between the discharge port 410 and the manifold 412. It is set as substantially the same volume.

  As a result, the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment can suppress the amount of the resist solution discharged in the preliminary discharge step, and obtain the maximum effect with the minimum necessary amount of resist solution.

  When the pump drive motor 821 is stopped and the supply of the resist solution from the supply mechanism 7 to the slit nozzle 41 is stopped, the preliminary discharge process is finished. When the preliminary ejection process is completed, the substrate processing apparatus 1 returns to step S11 and repeats the above-described processing for the other substrates 90.

  On the other hand, when there is no other substrate 90 to be processed (Yes in step S25), the process is terminated.

  As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment causes the supply mechanism 7 to supply the resist solution while the slit nozzle 41 is in the proximity position, and then supplies the resist solution by the supply mechanism 7. By stopping until the time Ta elapses, a liquid pool of the resist solution is formed between the main surface of the substrate 90 and the tip of the slit nozzle 41, thereby preventing the formed liquid pool from becoming uneven. it can. Therefore, the application accuracy can be improved.

  Further, based on the output from the supply mechanism 7 (pump drive motor 821), by controlling the supply mechanism 7 so that the amount of the resist solution supplied from the supply mechanism 7 becomes the discharge amount RV1, the resist solution The discharge amount can be accurately controlled.

  Further, the discharge amount RV1 is set to be substantially equal to or less than the volume of the gap space DV formed between the main surface of the substrate 90 and the tip of the slit nozzle 41 in a state where the slit nozzle 41 is in the close position. Thus, it is possible to prevent the resist solution from adhering to the side surface of the tip of the slit nozzle 41.

  Further, when the supply of the resist solution by the supply mechanism 7 is started, the movement of the slit nozzle 41 by the traveling mechanism 5 is started, so that the resist solution forming the liquid pool is moved by the movement of the slit nozzle 41. The shortage can be prevented.

  In addition, after the movement of the slit nozzle 41 by the traveling mechanism 5 is started, the supply acceleration of the resist solution by the supply mechanism 7 is changed from the low acceleration state to the high acceleration state, thereby starting supply in advance in the low acceleration state. The supply speed can be made steady in a short time by changing to the high acceleration state in the middle while suppressing the rapid discharge of the resist solution.

  In addition, before the supply of the resist solution for performing the coating process is started, the driving of the discharge pump 80 is started in advance, and then the valve 72 is opened according to the timing at which the supply of the resist solution is started. Since the discharge pressure can be applied to the discharge pump 80 before the discharge is started, the discharge pump 80 can be brought into a steady state in a short time.

  Further, in a state where the slit nozzle is in a standby position where it does not face the main surface of the substrate 90, the amount of resist solution discharged from the slit nozzle 41 is set to a discharge amount RV2 (a preset value) based on the output from the supply mechanism 7. By controlling the supply mechanism 7 so that the second discharge amount is obtained, the air mixed in the slit nozzle 41 by suck back or the like can be easily removed.

<2. Second Embodiment>
In the first embodiment, the liquid reservoir is formed after the slit nozzle 41 moves to the close position. That is, the formation process of step S14 was performed after step S13. However, the forming step may be performed before the slit nozzle 41 moves to the close position.

  FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the second embodiment configured based on such a principle. In addition, since the structure of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in 2nd Embodiment is as substantially the same as the substrate processing apparatus 1 in 1st Embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted. The operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the second embodiment is the reverse of the execution order of the processing in step S13 and the processing in step S14 among the operations of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the first embodiment. Except for this point, the description is omitted as appropriate.

  Also in the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment, the processing is started when the substrate 90 is held by the holding surface 30 of the stage 3 (step S41), and the slit nozzle 41 is moved to the separation position (step S42). FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the slit nozzle 41 has been moved to the separation position by executing Step S42.

  When the slit nozzle 41 moves to the separated position, the gap measurement by the gap sensor 42 is performed. That is, in the present embodiment, the distance between the main surface of the substrate 90 and the tip of the slit nozzle 41 at the separated position is the measurement altitude.

  In parallel with the process in which the gap measurement is performed, the liquid pool forming unit 601 executes a forming process (step S43). The forming process in the present embodiment is substantially the same as the forming process in the first embodiment shown in FIG. That is, the resist solution is supplied to the slit nozzle 41 by the supply mechanism 7 until the resist solution of the discharge amount RV1 is discharged, and the resist solution is supplied by the supply mechanism 7 when the resist solution of the discharge amount RV1 is discharged. To stop. Further, after the supply is stopped, the process waits until a predetermined time Ta elapses, after which the forming process is terminated and the process returns to the process shown in FIG. Thereby, also in the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the present embodiment, the formed liquid reservoir is made uniform in the Y-axis direction.

  FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a liquid pool formed by the forming process in the present embodiment. Also in the formation process (step S43) in the present embodiment, the same amount of resist solution is discharged as in the formation process (step S14) in the first embodiment, but the slit nozzle 41 is in the separated position. At this time, the liquid pool still does not come into contact with the main surface of the substrate 90.

  In general, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the formation process is a process that is completed in a shorter time than a gap measurement process by the gap sensor 42. Therefore, the formation process is completed before the gap measurement process is completed. Thereby, the substrate processing apparatus 1 in this Embodiment can shorten processing time compared with the case where a liquid pool is formed after moving to a proximity position.

  When the formation process and the gap measurement process are completed, the application control unit 602 outputs a control signal to the elevating mechanisms 43 and 44 to lower the nozzle support unit 40 and move the slit nozzle 41 to the close position (step). S44). FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the slit nozzle 41 is moving from the separation position to the proximity position. FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the slit nozzle 41 is disposed in the proximity position. As shown in FIG. 22, in the state where the slit nozzle 41 is disposed in the proximity position, the state of the liquid pool is substantially the same as the state in the first embodiment shown in FIG.

  Thereafter, the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the second embodiment repeats the same processes as steps S15 to S19 (FIG. 8) and steps S21 to S26 (FIG. 9) of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the first embodiment. .

  As described above, also in the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the second embodiment, the same effect as that of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  In addition, in a state where the slit nozzle 41 is in the separated position, the supply mechanism 7 is driven to supply the resist solution to the slit nozzle 41, and the resist solution pools between the main surface of the substrate 90 and the tip of the slit nozzle 41. By forming the liquid reservoir, the liquid reservoir can be efficiently formed as compared with the case where the liquid reservoir is formed after moving to a close position. Therefore, the tact time can be shortened.

<3. Modification>
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made.

  For example, the discharge pump 80 may be a generally used syringe pump. That is, a pump having any structure may be used as long as it can output the drive amount of the drive mechanism related to the discharge amount (pump drive motor 821 in the above embodiment) to the control system 6.

  In the above embodiment, the manifold 412 in the slit nozzle 41 is described as being provided along the Y axis. However, the manifold 412 is inclined toward both ends of the slit nozzle 41 in the Y axis direction. May be provided. In this case, the length “d” in the Z-axis direction of the flow path of the resist solution provided between the manifold 412 and the discharge port 410 changes over the entire width of the slit nozzle 41. However, even in that case, the discharge amount RV2 is set to be substantially the same volume as the volume of the flow path, so that it is possible to suppress the excessive resist solution from being consumed in the preliminary discharge process.

1 is a perspective view schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the main component concerning the application | coating operation | movement of a resist liquid while showing the side cross section of the main body of a substrate processing apparatus. It is the figure which looked at the slit nozzle from the -Z direction. It is a fragmentary sectional view of the slit nozzle in the IV-IV line shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of a supply mechanism roughly. It is a figure which shows the detail of a discharge pump. It is a figure which shows the function structure implement | achieved by the calculating part with the flow of data. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the substrate processing apparatus in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the substrate processing apparatus in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the detail of operation | movement in the formation process of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a figure which illustrates the drive speed of the discharge pump in operation | movement of a substrate processing apparatus, and the moving speed of the X-axis direction of a slit nozzle. It is a figure which shows the state which has the main surface of a board | substrate and a slit nozzle in a separation position. It is a figure which shows the state which has the main surface of a board | substrate and a slit nozzle in a proximity | contact position. It is a figure which shows the state by which the resist liquid is discharged from the discharge outlet of a slit nozzle. It is a figure which shows the state in which the liquid pool was formed between the front-end | tip part of a slit nozzle, and the main surface of a board | substrate by the liquid pool formation part. It is a figure which shows the film thickness of a resist liquid at the time of starting application | coating of a resist liquid, without applying discharge pressure beforehand. It is a figure which shows the film thickness of the resist liquid apply | coated by the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the substrate processing apparatus in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state which the slit nozzle moved to the separation position. It is a figure which shows the liquid pool formed of the formation process in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state in the middle of the slit nozzle moving from the separation position to the proximity position. It is a figure which shows the state by which the slit nozzle is arrange | positioned in the proximity position. In the conventional substrate processing apparatus, it is the schematic which shows the mode of the liquid pool formed in the front-end | tip part of a slit nozzle. It is the schematic which shows the state of the film | membrane of a resist liquid when a scan is started by the slit nozzle of the state shown in FIG. In the conventional substrate processing apparatus, it is the schematic which shows the mode of the liquid pool formed in the front-end | tip part of a slit nozzle, when the scanning by a slit nozzle is delayed.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate processing apparatus 3 Stage 30 Holding surface 4 Bridging structure 41 Slit nozzle 410 Discharge port 412 Manifold 43, 44 Lifting mechanism 43a, 44a Servo motor 5 Traveling mechanism 50, 51 Linear motor 52, 53 Linear encoder 6 Control system 60 Calculation part 601 Liquid pool forming unit 602 Application control unit 61 Storage unit 610 Ascending / descending amount data 611 Driving amount data 612 Setting data 613 Movement amount data 64 Timer 7 Supply mechanism 71, 72 Valve 80 Discharge pump 821 Pump driving motor 90 Substrate

Claims (13)

A substrate processing apparatus for forming a film of a predetermined processing solution on a substrate,
A holding table for holding a substrate;
A slit nozzle that discharges the predetermined processing liquid to the main surface of the substrate held by the holding table from a slit-like discharge port provided at the tip;
Processing liquid supply means for supplying the predetermined processing liquid to the slit nozzle;
Nozzle moving means for relatively moving the slit nozzle along the main surface of the substrate;
In a state where the main surface of the substrate and the tip of the slit nozzle are close to each other, the processing liquid supply unit supplies the predetermined processing liquid, and then the predetermined processing liquid supply unit performs the predetermined processing. A liquid pool forming means for forming a liquid pool of the predetermined processing liquid between the main surface of the substrate and the tip of the slit nozzle by stopping the supply of the processing liquid for a predetermined time;
After the liquid pool is formed by the liquid pool forming unit, the application control is performed so that the nozzle moving unit relatively moves the substrate and the slit nozzle while restarting the supply by the processing liquid supply unit. Means,
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: A substrate processing apparatus for forming a film of a predetermined processing solution on a substrate,
A holding table for holding a substrate;
A slit nozzle that discharges the predetermined processing liquid to the main surface of the substrate held by the holding table from a slit-like discharge port provided at the tip;
Processing liquid supply means for supplying the predetermined processing liquid to the slit nozzle;
Changing means for relatively changing the distance between the main surface of the substrate and the tip of the slit nozzle;
Nozzle moving means for relatively moving the slit nozzle along the main surface of the substrate;
In a state where the main surface of the substrate and the tip of the slit nozzle are separated from each other, the processing liquid supply means is driven to supply the predetermined processing liquid to the slit nozzle, and the main surface of the substrate A liquid pool forming means for forming a liquid pool of the predetermined processing liquid between the tip of the slit nozzle,
After the liquid pool is formed by the liquid pool forming means, the change means is controlled so that the main surface of the substrate and the tip of the slit nozzle are in close proximity to each other, and the processing Application control means for controlling the processing liquid supply means and the nozzle movement means so that the nozzle moving means relatively moves the substrate and the slit nozzle while supplying the predetermined processing liquid by the liquid supply means; ,
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2,
The liquid pool forming means starts supplying the predetermined processing liquid by the processing liquid supply means, and then stops supplying the predetermined processing liquid by the processing liquid supply means for a predetermined time. A substrate processing apparatus for forming a pool. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The liquid pool forming unit is configured to supply the processing liquid supply unit so that an amount of the predetermined processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply unit becomes a first discharge amount based on an output from the processing liquid supply unit. The substrate processing apparatus characterized by controlling. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4,
The first discharge amount is set to be substantially equal to or less than the volume of a gap space formed between the main surface of the substrate and the tip of the slit nozzle in a state where the slit nozzle is in the close position. A substrate processing apparatus. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the coating control means starts the movement of the slit nozzle by the nozzle moving means in a state where the predetermined processing liquid is being supplied by the processing liquid supply means. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The application control unit changes the supply acceleration of the predetermined processing liquid by the processing liquid supply unit from a low acceleration state to a high acceleration state after starting the movement of the slit nozzle by the nozzle moving unit. Substrate processing apparatus. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The treatment liquid supply means
A pump for feeding the predetermined processing liquid toward the slit nozzle;
A valve for opening and closing a flow path of the predetermined processing liquid from the pump to the slit nozzle;
With
The application control unit starts driving the pump in advance before starting the supply of the predetermined processing liquid, and then the valve moves the flow path in accordance with the timing of starting the supply of the predetermined processing liquid. A substrate processing apparatus, wherein the processing liquid supply means is controlled to be in an open state. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
In a state where the slit nozzle is in a standby position where it does not face the main surface of the substrate, the amount of the predetermined processing liquid discharged from the slit nozzle is preset based on an output from the processing liquid supply unit. A substrate processing apparatus, further comprising preliminary discharge control means for controlling the processing liquid supply means so as to obtain a second discharge amount. A substrate processing method for forming a film of a predetermined processing solution on a substrate,
A holding step for holding the substrate;
After supplying the predetermined processing liquid to the slit nozzle that discharges the predetermined processing liquid to the main surface of the substrate held in the holding step, the supply of the predetermined processing liquid is once stopped. A forming step of forming a pool of the predetermined processing liquid at the tip of the slit nozzle;
A supply step of supplying the predetermined processing liquid to the slit nozzle after the liquid pool is formed by the forming step;
A moving step of relatively moving the substrate held in the holding step and the slit nozzle in a direction along the main surface of the substrate;
A substrate processing method comprising: The substrate processing method according to claim 10, comprising:
The substrate processing method is characterized in that the moving step starts relative movement between the substrate and the slit nozzle after the supply of the predetermined processing liquid is started in the supplying step. The substrate processing method according to claim 10 or 11,
The supplying step
A change step of changing the supply acceleration of the predetermined processing liquid to a high acceleration state in a state where the substrate and the slit nozzle are relatively moved by the movement step being performed. A substrate processing method. A substrate processing method according to any one of claims 10 to 12,
The supplying step
A driving process for driving the pump;
An opening step of opening a flow path of the predetermined processing liquid from the pump to the slit nozzle after the driving of the pump by the driving step is started;
A closing step of closing the flow path opened by the opening step;
The substrate processing method further comprising:

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