JP2007214506A - Substrate processing method and program thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the amount of a resist pattern dimension reduction agent used for the RELACS technology, and to uniform pattern dimensions within the wafer surface. <P>SOLUTION: A predetermined amount of deionized water is supplied above the center of a wafer on which a resist pattern is formed, and the wafer is rotated to spread the deionized water in a circular pattern in the vicinity of the center of the wafer. A water-soluble resist pattern dimension reduction agent is supplied onto the deionized water on the wafer. Then, the wafer is rotated at high speed to spread the resist pattern dimension reduction agent over the entire surface of the wafer. Subsequent heating changes a lower layer of the resist pattern dimension reduction agent close to the surface of the resist pattern to be water-insoluble for hardening. Afterwards, an unhardened portion of the resist pattern dimension reduction agent is cleaned with the deionized water for removal. Such a method forms a hardened film on the inner wall surface at a concave portion of the resist pattern, resulting in reduction in dimensions of the resist pattern. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing method for reducing the size of a resist pattern formed on a substrate, and a program for causing a computer to realize the substrate processing method.

  For example, in a photolithography process in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a resist film is formed on a wafer, the resist film is exposed and developed, and a resist pattern is formed on the wafer.

  In forming a resist pattern, miniaturization of the resist pattern is required in order to further increase the integration of semiconductor devices, and in response to this, the wavelength of the exposure light source is being shortened. However, at present, there are technical and cost limitations to shortening the wavelength of the exposure light source. Therefore, a technology for reducing dimensions such as a hole diameter and a line width of a resist pattern by forming a film layer made of a water-soluble resist pattern dimension reducing agent on the inner wall surface of the resist pattern hole or groove (RELACS (Resolution Enhancement Lithography). (Assisted by Chemical Shrink technique) has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

  In this RELACS technology, for example, a predetermined resist pattern size reducing agent (RELACS agent) is supplied to the center of the wafer, and the resist pattern size reducing agent is applied to the entire surface of the wafer by rotating the wafer. Then, for example, the resist pattern size reducing agent on the inner wall surface of the hole or groove is cured insoluble by heat, and then the resist pattern size reducing agent in other uncured portions is removed with pure water, thereby reducing the resist pattern size. Has been.

JP 2003-234279 A

  However, when the RELACS technology as described above is used, the resist pattern size reducing agent has a high water repellency with respect to the underlying resist. Therefore, if a large amount of resist pattern size reducing agent is not supplied, the resist is applied to the entire wafer surface. The pattern size reducing agent could not be applied properly. The resist pattern size reducing agent is an extremely expensive material, and as a result, the cost required for wafer processing for reducing the resist pattern has increased. In addition, due to water repellency, it is difficult to uniformly apply the resist pattern size reducing agent to the entire surface of the wafer, and the dimensions of the finally formed resist pattern may vary within the wafer surface.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and when reducing the size of a resist pattern using the RELACS technology, the amount of the resist pattern size reducing agent is reduced, and the resist is reduced within the surface of a substrate such as a wafer. The purpose is to make the dimensions of the pattern uniform.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a substrate processing method for reducing the size of a resist pattern formed on a substrate, the pure water supplying pure water onto the substrate on which the resist pattern is formed. A supply step, and then a water-soluble resist pattern size reducing agent is supplied onto the substrate, the substrate is rotated, and the resist pattern size reducing agent is applied to the entire surface of the substrate; An alteration process for altering a lower layer portion of the resist pattern size reducing agent in contact with the surface to be insoluble in a removal liquid, and then a removal process for removing an unmodified upper layer portion of the resist pattern dimension reduction agent with a removal liquid. It is characterized by having.

  According to the present invention, pure water is supplied onto the substrate, and then a water-soluble resist pattern size reducing agent is supplied. Therefore, pure water and the resist pattern size reducing agent are mixed on the substrate, thereby reducing the resist pattern size. The wettability of the agent to the base is improved. As a result, the resist pattern size reducing agent can be spread over the entire surface of the substrate even in a small amount, and the amount of the resist pattern size reducing agent used can be reduced. In addition, since the resist pattern size reducing agent easily spreads over the entire surface of the substrate, the resist pattern size reducing agent can be uniformly applied in the substrate surface, and finally the resist pattern size can be made uniform in the substrate surface.

  The pure water supply step includes a step of rotating the substrate to spread the pure water supplied on the substrate to such an extent that it does not spread over the entire surface of the substrate. In the subsequent coating step, the spread pure water is added to the spread pure water. The resist pattern size reducing agent may be supplied, and the resist pattern size reducing agent may be spread over the entire surface of the substrate by rotating the substrate.

  The substrate processing method includes a step of adjusting the film thickness of the resist pattern size reducing agent by rotating the substrate at a first rotation speed after the resist pattern size reducing agent spreads over the entire surface of the substrate in the coating step. Then, the resist pattern size reducing agent may be dried by rotating at a second rotation speed higher than the first rotation speed.

  After the resist pattern size reducing agent spreads over the entire surface of the substrate in the coating step, the rotational speed of the substrate is temporarily reduced, and then the substrate is raised to the first rotational speed to form the resist pattern size reducing agent film. The thickness may be adjusted.

  When drying the resist pattern size reducing agent, a dry gas may be supplied to the outer peripheral portion of the substrate.

  At least when the resist pattern dimension reducing agent is dried, the ambient atmosphere around the substrate may be set to a humidity of 40% or less.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for causing a computer to implement the substrate processing method.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the cost when reducing the size of a resist pattern using the RELACS technology. In addition, a resist pattern having no variation in the substrate surface can be formed to improve the yield.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration of a substrate processing system 1 in which a substrate processing method according to the present embodiment is implemented, FIG. 2 is a front view of the substrate processing system 1, and FIG. 1 is a rear view of the substrate processing system 1. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 1 includes, for example, a cassette station 2 for loading and unloading a plurality of wafers W from the outside to the substrate processing system 1 and loading and unloading wafers W into and from the cassette C. And a processing station 3 provided with a plurality of processing apparatuses for performing various processes in a series of wafer processing in a single sheet form in a united manner.

  The cassette station 2 is provided with a cassette mounting table 10 that can mount a plurality of cassettes C in a row in the X direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1). The cassette station 2 is provided with a wafer transfer body 12 that can move in the X direction on the transfer path 11. The wafer carrier 12 is also movable in the arrangement direction (vertical direction) of the wafers W accommodated in the cassette C, and can selectively access each wafer W in each cassette C arranged in the X direction. .

  The wafer carrier 12 can rotate in the θ direction around the vertical axis, and can also access an extension device 32 belonging to a third processing device group G3 on the processing station 3 side described later.

  The processing station 3 is provided with a main transfer device 13 at the center thereof, and various processing devices are arranged in multiple stages around the main transfer device 13 to form a processing device group. In the substrate processing system 1, four processing device groups G1, G2, G3, and G4 are arranged. The first and second processing device groups G1 and G2 are arranged on the front side of the substrate processing system 1. The third processing unit group G3 is arranged on the cassette station 2 side of the main transfer unit 13, and the fourth processing unit group G4 is on the opposite side of the third transfer unit group G3 across the main transfer unit 13. Has been placed. Further, as an option, a fifth processing unit group G5 indicated by a broken line can be separately arranged on the back side. The main transfer device 13 can transfer the wafer W to various processing devices (described later) arranged in these processing device groups G1 to G5.

  In the first processing unit group G1, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a coating processing unit 20 for applying a predetermined resist pattern size reducing agent on the wafer W and an excess resist pattern size reducing agent are washed and removed. The cleaning device 21 is arranged in two stages in order from the bottom. Similarly, in the second processing unit group G2, the coating processing unit 22 and the cleaning unit 23 are stacked in two stages in order from the bottom.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the third processing unit group G3 includes cooling processing units 30 and 31 for cooling the wafer W, an extension unit 32 for waiting the wafer W, a heating processing unit 33 and 34 for heating the wafer W, and the like. Are stacked, for example, in five steps from the bottom.

  In the fourth processing unit group G4, for example, cooling processing units 40 and 41, extension units 42, heating processing units 43 and 44, and the like are stacked, for example, in five stages in order from the bottom.

  The cooling processing apparatuses 30, 31, 40, 41 can cool the wafer W by placing the wafer W on a cooling plate cooled to a predetermined temperature, for example. Further, the heat treatment apparatuses 33, 34, 43, and 44 can heat the wafer W by placing the wafer W on a hot plate heated to a predetermined temperature, for example.

  Next, the configuration of the above-described coating processing apparatuses 20 and 22 will be described. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a vertical cross section showing an outline of the configuration of the coating treatment apparatus 20, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a transverse section of the coating treatment apparatus 20.

  The coating treatment apparatus 20 has a casing 70 that can be closed, for example. A spin chuck 71 that holds and rotates the wafer W is provided at the center of the casing 70. The spin chuck 71 has a horizontal upper surface, and a suction port (not shown) for sucking, for example, the wafer W is provided on the upper surface. The wafer W can be sucked and held on the spin chuck 71 by suction from the suction port.

  The spin chuck 71 can be rotated at a predetermined speed by, for example, a chuck driving mechanism 72 having a motor or the like. Further, the chuck drive mechanism 72 is provided with an elevating drive source such as a cylinder, and the spin chuck 71 can move up and down.

  Around the spin chuck 71, there is provided a cup 73 that receives and collects the liquid scattered or dropped from the wafer W. Connected to the lower surface of the cup 73 are a discharge pipe 74 for discharging the collected liquid and an exhaust pipe 75 for exhausting the atmosphere in the cup 73. The exhaust pipe 75 is connected to a negative pressure generator 76 such as a pump and can forcibly exhaust the atmosphere in the cup 73.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a rail 80 extending along the Y direction (left and right direction in FIG. 5) is formed on the negative side of X direction (downward direction in FIG. 5) of the cup 73. The rail 80 is formed, for example, from the outside of the cup 73 in the Y direction negative direction (left direction in FIG. 5) to the outside in the Y direction positive direction (right direction in FIG. 5). For example, two arms 81 and 82 are attached to the rail 80.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first arm 81 supports a first nozzle 83 that discharges a resist pattern size reducing agent. The first arm 81 is movable on the rail 80 by a nozzle driving unit 84 shown in FIG. 5, and the first nozzle 83 is installed on the outside of the cup 73 on the Y direction positive direction side. It can be moved from 85 to above the center of the wafer W in the cup 73. Further, the first arm 81 can be moved up and down by a nozzle driving unit 84, and the height of the first nozzle 83 can be adjusted.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a supply pipe 87 communicating with a reducing agent supply source 86 is connected to the first nozzle 83. In the present embodiment, for example, the reducing agent supply source 86 is a water-soluble resist pattern size reducing agent (which is cured by heat and becomes insoluble to water, and has resistance to an etching material after the alteration). RELACS agent) is stored.

  A second nozzle 90 that discharges pure water is supported on the second arm 82. The second arm 82 is movable on the rail 80 by, for example, a nozzle driving unit 91 shown in FIG. 5, and the second nozzle 90 is provided on the outside of the cup 73 on the Y direction negative direction side. It can be moved from 92 to above the center of the wafer W in the cup 73. Further, the second arm 82 can be moved up and down by the nozzle driving unit 91, and the height of the second nozzle 90 can be adjusted.

  A supply pipe 94 communicating with a pure water supply source 93 is connected to the second nozzle 90 as shown in FIG.

  For example, the air supply pipe 100 is connected to the center of the ceiling surface of the casing 70. A temperature / humidity adjusting device 101 is connected to the air supply pipe 100. By supplying the gas whose temperature and humidity are adjusted by the temperature and humidity adjusting device 101 into the casing 70, the inside of the casing 70 can be adjusted to an atmosphere of a predetermined temperature and humidity.

  Note that the configuration of the coating processing apparatus 22 is the same as that of the above-described coating processing apparatus 20, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  Next, the configuration of the cleaning devices 21 and 23 will be described. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a longitudinal section showing an outline of the configuration of the cleaning device 21.

  The cleaning device 21 includes, for example, a spin chuck 111 that holds and rotates the wafer W in the casing 110. The spin chuck 111 can be rotated at a predetermined speed by the chuck driving mechanism 112. Around the spin chuck 111, there is provided a cup 113 that receives and collects the liquid scattered or dropped from the wafer W. A discharge pipe 114 for discharging the collected liquid is connected to the lower surface of the cup 113.

  In the casing 110, a pure water discharge nozzle 120 for discharging pure water is provided. The pure water discharge nozzle 120 is held by an arm 121 that is movable in the horizontal direction, and can move from the standby unit 122 outside the cup 113 to above the center of the wafer W in the cup 113. The pure water discharge nozzle 120 communicates with a pure water supply source 124 through a supply pipe 123.

  In addition, since the structure of the washing | cleaning apparatus 23 is the same as that of the above-mentioned washing | cleaning apparatus 21, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  Wafer processing performed in the substrate processing system 1 is controlled by a control unit 130 provided in the cassette station 2, for example, as shown in FIG. The control unit 130 is a computer, for example, and has a program storage unit. The program storage unit stores a program P for controlling the operation of a driving system such as the above-described various processing apparatuses and transfer bodies and executing wafer processing of a predetermined recipe described later. The program P may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and installed in the control unit 130 from the recording medium.

  Next, wafer processing performed in the substrate processing system 1 configured as described above will be described. This wafer process is a process for reducing the size of the resist pattern by forming a cured film on the inner wall surface of a recess such as a hole or groove of the resist pattern on the wafer W. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the main steps of this wafer processing.

  First, the wafer W in the cassette C on the cassette mounting table 10 is taken out by the wafer transfer body 12 and transferred to the extension device 32 of the third processing unit group G3. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to, for example, the cooling processing device 30 by the main transfer device 13, adjusted to a predetermined temperature, and then transferred to the coating processing device 20. FIG. 8 shows a change in the rotational speed of the wafer W in the coating process performed by the coating processing apparatus 20. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the state of the wafer W in each step of the coating process.

  The wafer W transferred to the coating processing apparatus 20 is first sucked and held by the spin chuck 71 as shown in FIG. Next, the second nozzle 90 moves to above the center of the wafer W. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9A, a predetermined amount of pure water A is supplied from the second nozzle 90 to the center of the wafer W on which the resist pattern P is formed on the surface (step S1 in FIG. 7). . Thereafter, the wafer W is rotated at about 1000 rpm, for example, and the pure water A on the wafer W is spread by centrifugal force as shown in FIG. 9B. At this time, the pure water A is not spread over the entire surface of the wafer W, but is spread in a circular water pool near the center of the wafer W. The second nozzle 90 that has finished supplying the predetermined amount of pure water A is returned to the standby unit 92.

  Next, the first nozzle 83 is moved to above the center of the wafer W. At this time, the rotation speed of the wafer W is lowered to about 30 rpm. With the rotational speed of the wafer W lowered, a predetermined amount of resist pattern dimension reducing agent B is supplied from the first nozzle 83 onto the pure water A at the center of the wafer W as shown in FIG. The As a result, the resist pattern size reducing agent B is mixed with the pure water A collected near the center of the wafer W. The first nozzle 83 that has finished supplying the resist pattern dimension reducing agent B is returned to the standby unit 85. Thereafter, the rotation speed of the wafer W is increased to, for example, about 2000 rpm, and the resist pattern size reducing agent B is spread over the entire surface of the wafer W as shown in FIG. In this way, as shown in FIG. 10, the resist pattern size reducing agent B is applied on the uneven surface of the resist pattern R on the wafer W (step S2 shown in FIG. 7).

  Next, the rotation speed of the wafer W is once lowered to about 100 rpm. Thereafter, the rotation speed of the wafer W is increased to about 1300 to 1500 rpm as the first rotation speed, and the liquid film of the resist pattern size reducing agent B is adjusted to a predetermined film thickness (step S3 shown in FIG. 7). After the film thickness is adjusted, the rotation speed of the wafer W is further increased to about 3000 rpm, and the resist pattern size reducing agent B is dried (step S4 shown in FIG. 7).

  Thereafter, the rotation of the wafer W is stopped, and a series of coating processes is completed.

  The wafer W for which the coating process has been completed is then transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 33 and heated. By this heating, as shown in FIG. 11, the lower layer portion B1 of the resist pattern size reducing agent B close to the concavo-convex surface of the resist pattern P is cured, and the lower layer portion B1 is altered to be insoluble in water. Thereby, a cured film of the resist pattern size reducing agent B is formed on the inner wall surface of the recess of the resist pattern P (step S5 in FIG. 7).

  The wafer W that has been subjected to the heat treatment is transferred to, for example, the cooling processing apparatus 40, and returned to room temperature, for example, and then transferred to the cleaning apparatus 21. The wafer W carried into the cleaning device 21 is held by the spin chuck 111 as shown in FIG. Thereafter, the wafer W is rotated by the spin chuck 111, and in the rotated state, pure water as a removal liquid is supplied from the pure water discharge nozzle 120 to the center of the wafer W. Thereby, the uncured and water-soluble upper layer portion (portion other than the lower layer portion B1) of the resist pattern dimension reducing agent B is washed away (step S6 in FIG. 7). Thereafter, the wafer W is rotated at high speed and is shaken and dried. Thus, as shown in FIG. 12, the cured film (lower layer portion B1) made of the resist pattern size reducing agent B is left on the inner wall surface of the recess of the resist pattern P, and the size of the resist pattern P is reduced.

  Thereafter, the wafer W that has been cleaned is returned from the processing station 3 to the cassette C of the cassette station 2 by the main transfer device 13 and the wafer transfer body 12, for example.

  According to the above embodiment, since the resist pattern size reducing agent B is supplied after supplying pure water A onto the wafer W, the wettability of the resist pattern size reducing agent B with respect to the resist pattern P is improved, and the resist The resist pattern size reducing agent B tends to spread on the pattern P. Therefore, the resist pattern size reducing agent B can be applied to the entire surface of the wafer W by supplying a small amount of the resist pattern size reducing agent B. As a result, the usage amount of the resist pattern size reducing agent B can be reduced. Further, since the resist pattern size reducing agent B is easy to spread, the resist pattern size reducing agent B can be uniformly applied in the wafer surface without unevenness.

  According to the above embodiment, after the pure water A is supplied onto the wafer W, the wafer W is rotated, and the pure water A is spread in a circular shape so as not to be spread over the entire surface of the wafer W. Then, the resist pattern dimension reducing agent B is supplied onto the pure water A, the wafer W is further rotated, and the resist pattern dimension reducing agent B is spread over the entire surface of the wafer W. By doing so, the pure water A and the resist pattern size reducing agent B are properly mixed on the wafer W, and the mixing reduces the water repellency of the resist pattern size reducing agent B to the resist pattern P, thereby reducing the resist pattern size. The agent B spreads properly over the entire surface of the wafer W. Further, the resist pattern size reducing agent B is supplied to the pure water A collected in a circular shape at the center of the wafer W, and then the resist pattern size reducing agent B is spread outward at a stretch by centrifugal force. As a result, the resist pattern reducing agent B is uniformly applied within the wafer W surface without spots.

  After the resist pattern size reducing agent B is spread over the entire surface of the wafer W, the rotational speed of the wafer W is temporarily reduced and then increased to the first rotational speed to adjust the film thickness of the resist pattern size reducing agent B. As a result, when adjusting the film thickness, the radial outward inertia of the wafer W always acts on the resist pattern size reducing agent B, and the resist pattern size reducing agent B flows outward of the wafer W. The in-plane film thickness is adjusted without unevenness.

  Note that after the resist pattern size reducing agent B is spread over the entire surface of the wafer W, it is not always necessary to temporarily reduce the rotational speed of the wafer W, and the resist pattern size reducing agent B is applied over the entire surface of the wafer W. Immediately after spreading, the rotation speed of the wafer W may be adjusted to the first rotation speed.

  By the way, it has been confirmed by the inventors that a hole-like defect is formed in the film of the resist pattern dimension reducing agent B on the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W when the drying speed of the spin-coated resist pattern dimension reducing agent B is slow. According to the above embodiment, after the wafer W is rotated at the first rotation speed to adjust the film thickness of the resist pattern size reducing agent B, the wafer W is rotated at a high speed at the second rotation speed higher than that and the resist W is rotated at a high speed. Since the pattern size reducing agent B is dried, the drying speed of the resist pattern size reducing agent B is increased, and a film of the resist pattern size reducing agent B can be appropriately formed on the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W.

  In the embodiment, the drying of the resist pattern dimension reducing agent B is promoted by increasing the rotation speed of the wafer W to the second rotation speed. However, the drying gas is supplied to the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W during the drying process. By this, drying of the resist pattern dimension reducing agent B may be promoted.

  In such a case, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the coating processing apparatus 20 is provided with a third nozzle 150 that ejects, for example, nitrogen gas having a low dew point as a dry gas to the outer periphery of the wafer W. The third nozzle 150 is supported by, for example, a horizontally movable nozzle arm 151 and can move in the horizontal direction on the surface of the wafer W in the spin chuck 71. The third nozzle 150 is connected to the nitrogen gas supply source 153 through an air supply pipe 152, for example. Then, the film thickness of the resist pattern size reducing agent B on the wafer W is adjusted, and when the resist pattern size reducing agent B is dried, the third nozzle 150 moves above the outer periphery of the wafer W, and the first Nitrogen gas is supplied from the third nozzle 150 to the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W rotated. By doing so, drying of the resist pattern size reducing agent B on the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W is promoted, and a film having no defect can be formed on the wafer W. FIG. 14A is a photograph of the surface of the film on the outer periphery of the wafer W when the drying speed of the resist pattern size reducing agent B is low, and FIG. 14B shows the resist pattern size reducing agent B as described above. It is the surface photograph of the film | membrane of the outer peripheral part of the wafer W at the time of raising the drying speed of. In FIG. 14A, it can be confirmed that a hole-like defect is formed, and in FIG. 14B, the hole-like defect is eliminated.

  Further, at the time of the coating process, a dry gas having a humidity lower than at least the outside of the casing 70 may be supplied from the air supply pipe 100 into the casing 70 to reduce the humidity of the atmosphere around the wafer W. For example, when the atmosphere outside the casing 70 is set to a humidity of 45% (temperature 23 ° C.), the ambient atmosphere around the wafer W in the casing 70 is set to a humidity of 40% or less (temperature 23 ° C.). This also promotes drying of the resist pattern dimension reducing agent B, and a film having no defect is formed. More preferably, the ambient atmosphere around the wafer W is set to a humidity of 40%.

  The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the spirit described in the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. It is understood that it belongs.

  For example, in the above embodiment, only the wafer processing for reducing the size of the resist pattern is performed in the substrate processing system 1, but a photolithography process for forming a resist pattern may also be performed. In such a case, the substrate processing system 1 is provided with a resist coating processing apparatus for forming a resist film by applying a resist solution to the wafer W and a developing processing apparatus for developing the resist film on the wafer W at the processing station 3. An exposure apparatus for exposing the resist film may be provided adjacent to the processing station 3.

  In the above embodiment, after the coating process, the lower layer portion B1 of the resist pattern size reducing agent B is altered and cured by heating, but it may be altered by light. In the above embodiment, after the coating process, the lower layer portion B1 of the resist pattern size reducing agent B is changed to be insoluble in water and cured, and then the unnecessary upper layer portion is removed with pure water. Later, the lower layer portion B1 of the resist pattern dimension reducing agent B may be changed to be insoluble in the developing solution, and then the unnecessary upper layer portion may be removed by the developing solution as the removing solution. In this case, as the resist pattern dimension reducing agent B, a resist pattern dimension reducing agent B that is insoluble in a developer by heat or light is used.

  The present invention can also be applied to substrate processing when reducing the size of a resist pattern formed on an FPD (flat panel display) other than the wafer W, a mask reticle for a photomask, or the like.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful for reducing the amount of a resist pattern size reducing agent used when reducing the size of a resist pattern using the RELACS technology and making the pattern size in the substrate surface uniform.

It is a top view which shows the outline of a structure of a substrate processing system. It is a front view of the substrate processing system of FIG. It is a rear view of the substrate processing system of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the longitudinal cross-section which shows the outline of a structure of a coating processing apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of the cross section which shows the outline of a structure of a coating processing apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of the longitudinal cross-section which shows the outline of a structure of a washing | cleaning apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the main processes of a wafer process. It is a graph which shows the change of the rotational speed of the wafer in a coating process. (A) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a wafer showing a state in which pure water is supplied onto the wafer. (B) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a wafer showing a state in which pure water on the wafer is spread. (C) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a wafer showing a state in which a resist pattern size reducing agent is supplied to pure water on the wafer. (D) is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a wafer showing a state in which a resist pattern size reducing agent is spread over the entire surface of the wafer. It is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a wafer coated with a resist pattern dimension reducing agent. It is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of the wafer which shows the state in which the cured film was formed in some resist pattern dimension reducing agents. It is an expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view of the wafer which shows the state from which the uncured part of the resist pattern dimension reducing agent was removed. It is explanatory drawing of the longitudinal cross-section which shows the outline of a structure of the coating processing apparatus provided with the 3rd nozzle which ejects nitrogen gas. (A) is a photograph of a film of a resist pattern size reducing agent formed on the outer periphery of the wafer when the drying speed of the resist pattern size reducing agent is low. (B) is a photograph of a resist pattern size reducing agent film formed on the outer periphery of the wafer W when the drying speed of the resist pattern size reducing agent is increased.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate processing system 20 Coating processing apparatus 21 Cleaning apparatus A Pure water B Resist pattern size reducing agent W Wafer

Claims (7)

A substrate processing method for reducing a dimension of a resist pattern formed on a substrate, comprising:
A pure water supply process for supplying pure water onto the substrate on which the resist pattern is formed;
Thereafter, an application step of supplying a water-soluble resist pattern size reducing agent on the substrate, rotating the substrate, and applying the resist pattern size reducing agent to the entire surface of the substrate;
Thereafter, an alteration step of altering a lower layer portion of the resist pattern size reducing agent in contact with the surface of the resist pattern to be insoluble in the removing solution;
And a removing step of removing an unmodified upper layer portion of the resist pattern size reducing agent with a removing liquid. The pure water supply step includes a step of rotating the substrate to spread the pure water supplied on the substrate to such an extent that it does not spread over the entire surface of the substrate;
In the subsequent coating step, the resist pattern size reducing agent is supplied to the spread pure water, and the resist pattern size reducing agent is spread over the entire surface of the substrate by rotating the substrate. The processing method of the board | substrate of description. After the resist pattern size reducing agent spreads over the entire surface of the substrate in the coating step, the step of adjusting the film thickness of the resist pattern size reducing agent by rotating the substrate at a first rotation speed, and then the first 3. The substrate processing method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of drying the resist pattern size reducing agent by rotating at a second rotation speed higher than the rotation speed of the resist pattern dimension reducing agent. After the resist pattern size reducing agent spreads over the entire surface of the substrate in the coating step, the rotational speed of the substrate is once lowered, and then the substrate is raised to the first rotational speed to form the resist pattern size reducing agent film. The substrate processing method according to claim 3, wherein the thickness is adjusted. 5. The substrate processing method according to claim 3, wherein when the resist pattern size reducing agent is dried, a dry gas is supplied to an outer peripheral portion of the substrate. 6. 6. The substrate processing method according to claim 3, wherein the ambient atmosphere of the substrate is set to a humidity of 40% or less when at least the resist pattern size reducing agent is dried. The program for making a computer implement | achieve the processing method of the board | substrate in any one of Claims 1-6.