JP2007234980A - Heat treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heat treatment apparatus capable of improving the accuracy of treatment by suppressing the discharge of impurity such as sublimates from a treatment room after heat treatment. <P>SOLUTION: The heat treatment apparatus is provided with: a heating plate 51 for mounting and heating a wafer W on which a resist film is formed; an outer peripheral ring 52 for surrounding the outer periphery of the heating plate 51; a cover 54 for covering an upper aperture part of the outer peripheral ring 52; and supporting pins 63 for supporting the wafer W movably up and down through the heating plate 51. Where, a gas feeding port 55 is formed on the cover 54, a suction port 56 is peripherally formed between the cover 54 and the outer peripheral ring 52, an exhaust port 57 is peripherally formed between the outer peripheral ring 52 and the heating plate 51, and an exhaust pump 62 is connected to an exhaust conduit line 61 connected to the exhaust port 57. After mounting the wafer W on the heating plate 51 and heating the wafer W on the basis of a control signal from a controller 70, the supporting pins 63 are lifted and the wafer W is separated from the heating plate 51 to cool the wafer W, so that impurity such as sublimates generated during heat treatment can be suppressed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus, and more particularly to a heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or an LCD glass substrate on which a coating film is formed.

  In general, in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, a photolithography technique is used to form an ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) thin film or electrode pattern on a semiconductor wafer, an LCD glass substrate or the like (hereinafter referred to as a wafer). Yes. In this photolithography technology, a photoresist is applied to a wafer or the like, the resist film formed thereby is exposed according to a predetermined circuit pattern, and the exposure pattern is developed to form a circuit pattern on the resist film. Has been.

  In such a photolithography process, various heat treatments such as heat treatment after resist coating (pre-baking), heat treatment after exposure (post-exposure baking), heat treatment after development processing (post-baking) and the like are performed. Yes.

  In this type of conventional heat treatment, for example, in pre-baking, a purge gas such as air or nitrogen (N2) gas is supplied into a processing chamber containing a wafer or the like, and an exhaust gas connected to the processing chamber is supplied to the fluid used for the processing. Exhaust to the outside through a pipe. At this time, a slight sublimation from the resist film formed on the surface of the wafer or the like during heating {such as an acid generator contained in the photoresist such as PAG (Photo asid grain) or a low molecular resin constituting the resist}. Foreign matter is generated. In particular, in a photoresist using a nonionic acid generator having a low boiling point, sublimates are often generated. In addition, it has been found that a sublimation product exists between the base antireflection film and the resist film in a wafer or the like in which a resist film is laminated on the base antireflection film.

Therefore, conventionally, the processing chamber includes a mounting table on which a wafer or the like is mounted and heated, a support ring that surrounds the outer periphery of the mounting table, and a lid that closes the upper opening of the support ring. A recovery member that forms a supply port for supplying a purge gas at the center of the body, and also forms an exhaust port inside the side portion of the support ring, and collects impurities such as sublimates in the gas at the exhaust port (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-347182 (Claims, FIG. 6)

  However, the sublimate generated during the heat treatment becomes a gas at a certain temperature, for example, 70 ° C. or more and floats in the processing chamber, and a part of the sublimate is not recovered and the inner wall of the processing chamber, for example, the lower surface of the lid or the support It adheres to the inner peripheral surface of the ring and scatters from the processing chamber as a solid foreign substance due to a temperature change in the heat treatment module when the processed wafer is replaced. The sublimate discharged from the processing chamber adheres to a transfer arm such as a wafer and adheres to a wafer or the like for the next processing, causing a defect.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a heat treatment apparatus capable of improving the processing accuracy by suppressing the release of impurities such as sublimates from the treatment chamber after the heat treatment. And

  In order to solve the above problems, a heat treatment apparatus of the present invention includes a mounting table for mounting and heating a substrate to be processed having a coating film formed on the surface, an outer ring surrounding the outer periphery of the mounting table, and the outer periphery. On the premise of a heat treatment apparatus comprising a lid that covers the upper opening of the ring and a support pin that penetrates the mounting table and supports the substrate to be processed so as to be movable up and down, the invention according to claim 1, A gas supply port is provided at the center of the lid, and an intake port is provided between the outer periphery of the lid and the inner periphery of the outer ring, and the lower side of the outer ring and the mounting table An exhaust port is provided around the exhaust port, and an exhaust unit is provided in an exhaust pipe line connected to the exhaust port, and a control unit for controlling the lifting and lowering unit of the support pin and the exhaust unit is provided. After the processing substrate is placed on the mounting table and heat-treated, the above control is performed. Made by forming to cool away from the mounting table target substrate is raised the support pin on the basis of a control signal from the means, characterized in that.

  By configuring in this way, the gas supplied into the processing chamber from the gas supply port at the center of the lid is exhausted from the exhaust port provided between the lower side of the outer ring and the mounting table, and the lid Since air is taken in and exhausted from an air inlet provided between the outer periphery of the body and the inner periphery of the outer ring, the amount of exhaust can be increased with respect to the gas supplied into the processing chamber, which occurs during heat treatment It can suppress that impurities, such as a sublimate to adhere, adhere to the lower surface of a cover body, and the inner peripheral wall of outer periphery phosphorus. In addition, after the heat treatment, the substrate to be processed can be moved above the mounting table by the support pins and can be cooled to a temperature at which no sublimate is generated.

  In the invention according to claim 2, the gas supply port is provided in the central portion of the lid body, and an intake port is provided between the outer periphery of the lid body and the inner periphery of the outer peripheral ring. An exhaust port is provided between the lower side of the ring and the mounting table, and an exhaust unit is provided in an exhaust line connected to the exhaust port. The shutter can be opened and closed on one side of the outer ring. A control plate for controlling the lifting and lowering means for the support pins, the exhaust means, and the moving means for the cooling plate, and a cooling plate that can move forward and backward through the opening. After the substrate to be processed is mounted on the mounting table and heat-treated, the support pin is raised based on a control signal from the control means to separate the substrate to be processed from the mounting table, The substrate to be treated by the cooling plate entering above the mounting table. Made by forming so as to cool by placing the, characterized in that.

  With this configuration, similarly to the first aspect of the invention, the gas supplied from the gas supply port at the center of the lid is exhausted between the lower side of the outer ring and the mounting table. As air is exhausted from the mouth and air is taken in and exhausted from an air inlet provided between the outer periphery of the lid and the inner circumference of the outer ring, impurities such as sublimates generated during the heat treatment cause the lower surface of the lid and It can suppress adhering to the inner peripheral wall of outer periphery phosphorus. Furthermore, after the heat treatment, the substrate to be processed can be cooled to a temperature at which no sublimate is generated in a short time by the cooling plate.

  Further, the invention according to claim 3 is provided with a gas supply port at the center of the lid, and an air inlet is provided between the outer periphery of the lid and the inner periphery of the outer ring, and The lid is formed so as to be movable toward and away from the mounting table, and an exhaust port is provided between the lower side of the outer ring and the mounting table, and an exhaust pipe connected to the exhaust port is provided. And a control means for controlling the lifting / lowering means of the support pin, the exhaust means and the contacting / separating movement means of the lid body, and is provided on the mounting table according to the control signal from the control means. In the initial stage of placing the substrate to be processed and performing the heat treatment, the lid is separated from the mounting table, and in the latter half of the heat treatment, the lid is formed so as to approach the mounting table. It is characterized by.

  With this configuration, similarly to the first and second aspects of the invention, the gas supplied from the gas supply port at the center of the lid is provided between the lower side of the outer ring and the mounting table. In addition to exhausting from the exhaust port, air is taken in and exhausted from the air intake port provided between the outer periphery of the lid and the inner periphery of the outer ring, so that impurities such as sublimates generated during heat treatment It can suppress adhering to a lower surface and the inner peripheral wall of outer periphery phosphorus. Further, at the initial stage of performing the heat treatment, the lid can be separated from the mounting table, and in particular, adhesion of the mist-like sublimate generated from the coating material containing the solvent to the inner surface of the lid can be suppressed. Further, in the latter half of the heat treatment, the processing body can be made to have an appropriate height that is uniform and does not cause natural stagnation by bringing the lid close to the mounting table.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the heat treatment apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, a heating element for preventing the adhesion of impurities such as sublimates generated by heat treatment to the outer peripheral ring. The heating element is formed so that the temperature can be adjusted.

  By comprising in this way, it can be set as the temperature which a sublimate does not solidify the inner peripheral wall of an outer peripheral ring with a heat generating body, and adhesion to the inner wall of an outer peripheral ring of a sublimate can be suppressed.

  In addition, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the heat treatment apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, a monitoring bypass pipe is branched to the exhaust pipe connected to the exhaust port, and the monitoring bypass pipe A detection means for detecting impurities in the exhaust is attached to the road, and based on the detection signal detected by the detection means, if the detected impurities are less than a predetermined amount, the post-processing is continued, and the impurities are less than the predetermined amount. In many cases, control means for sending a signal to the display means is provided.

  By comprising in this way, the impurity in exhaust_gas | exhaustion can be detected and heat processing can be monitored.

  Since the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention is configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained.

  (1) According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the exhaust amount can be increased with respect to the gas supplied into the processing chamber, impurities such as sublimates generated during the heat treatment cause the lower surface of the lid and the outer ring. Since it can be suppressed to adhere to the inner peripheral wall of, and after the heat treatment, the substrate to be processed can be moved above the mounting table by the support pins and cooled to a temperature at which no sublimate is generated. Release of impurities such as sublimates from the treatment chamber after completion of the heat treatment can be suppressed, and adhesion to the substrate to be treated can be prevented.

  (2) According to the invention described in claim 2, as in the invention described in claim 1, it is possible to suppress impurities such as sublimates generated during heat treatment from adhering to the lower surface of the lid and the inner peripheral wall of the outer ring. be able to. In addition to the above (1), since the substrate to be processed can be cooled to a temperature at which no sublimate is generated by the cooling plate in a short time after the heat treatment, the processing time can be further shortened. Throughput can be improved.

  (3) According to the invention described in claim 3, as in the inventions described in claims 1 and 2, impurities such as sublimates generated during heat treatment adhere to the lower surface of the lid and the inner peripheral wall of the outer phosphorus. Since it can suppress, discharge | release of impurities, such as a sublimate, from the process chamber after completion | finish of heat processing can be suppressed, and adhesion to a to-be-processed substrate can be prevented. Further, at the initial stage of performing the heat treatment, the lid can be separated from the mounting table, and in particular, adhesion of the mist-like sublimate generated from the coating material containing the solvent to the inner surface of the lid can be suppressed. In the latter half of the heat treatment, the processing body can be made to have an appropriate height that is uniform and free of natural stagnation by bringing the lid close to the mounting table. It is possible to improve the performance.

  (4) According to the invention described in claim 4, the heating element can bring the inner peripheral wall of the outer ring to a temperature at which the sublimate does not solidify, and the adhesion of the sublimate to the inner wall of the outer ring can be suppressed. Therefore, in addition to the above (1) to (3), it is possible to further suppress the release of impurities such as sublimates from the processing chamber after the heat treatment is completed, and to prevent adhesion to the substrate to be processed.

  (5) According to the invention described in claim 5, since impurities in the exhaust gas can be detected and the heat treatment can be monitored, in addition to the above (1) to (4), the reliability of the apparatus is further improved. Improvements can be made.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the best embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, a case where the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a heat treatment apparatus in a semiconductor wafer resist coating / development processing system will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment of the resist coating / developing system, FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a rear view of FIG.

  In the resist coating / development processing system, a plurality of semiconductor wafers W (hereinafter referred to as wafers W), which are substrates to be processed, are carried into or out of the system from the outside in units of a plurality of wafers, for example, 25 wafers. 1 is a cassette station 10 (carrying unit) for unloading / carrying a wafer W to / from 1 and various single-wafer processing units for performing predetermined processing on the wafer W one by one in a coating and developing process. A processing station 20 having processing apparatuses arranged in multiple stages at a position, and an interface unit 30 for transferring the wafer W between an exposure apparatus (not shown) provided adjacent to the processing station 20 The main part is composed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cassette station 10 has a plurality of, for example, up to four wafer cassettes 1 with lids at the positions of the protrusions 3 on the cassette mounting table 2 with their respective wafer entrances facing the processing station 20 side. Mounted in a line along the horizontal X direction, a lid opening / closing device 5 is disposed facing each wafer cassette 1, and also along the cassette arrangement direction (X direction) and the vertical direction in the wafer cassette 1. Wafer conveying tweezers 4 that can move in the wafer arrangement direction (Z direction) of the accommodated wafer W are configured to be selectively conveyed to each wafer cassette 1. Further, the wafer transfer tweezers 4 are configured to be rotatable in the θ direction, and are arranged in alignment units (ALIM) and extension units (EXT) belonging to a multi-stage unit portion of a third group G3 on the processing station 20 side described later. Can also be transported.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the processing station 20 is provided with a vertical transfer type main wafer transfer mechanism 21 that moves vertically by a moving mechanism 22 at the center, and all the processing is performed around the main wafer transfer mechanism 21. Units are arranged in multiple stages over one or more sets. In this example, the multi-stage arrangement configuration includes five groups G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5. The multi-stage units of the first and second groups G1, G2 are arranged in parallel on the system front side, and the multi-stage unit of the third group G3. The units are disposed adjacent to the cassette station 10, the multistage units of the fourth group G4 are disposed adjacent to the interface unit 30, and the multistage units of the fifth group G5 are disposed on the back side.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 2, in the first group G1, the developing unit (DEV) that develops the resist pattern by facing the wafer W and the developer supply means (not shown) in the cup (container) 23. ) And a resist coating unit (COT) for carrying out a predetermined process by placing the wafer W on a spin chuck (not shown) are stacked in two stages from the bottom in the vertical direction. Similarly, in the second group G2, two resist coating units (COT) and a developing unit (DEV) are stacked in two stages from the bottom in the vertical direction. The reason why the resist coating unit (COT) is arranged on the lower side in this way is that the drain of the resist solution is troublesome both in terms of mechanism and maintenance. However, the resist coating unit (COT) can be arranged in the upper stage as required.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the third group G3, an oven-type processing unit that performs a predetermined process by placing the wafer W on the wafer mounting table 24, for example, a cooling unit (COL) that cools the wafer W, and the wafer W An adhesion unit (AD) that performs a hydrophobic treatment, an alignment unit (ALIM) that aligns the wafer W, an extension unit (EXT) that carries the wafer W in and out, and a heat treatment according to the present invention for baking the wafer W Four hot plate units (HP) using the apparatus are stacked in, for example, eight stages in order from the bottom in the vertical direction. Similarly, the fourth group G4 includes an oven-type processing unit such as a cooling unit (COL), an extension / cooling unit (EXTCOL), an extension unit (EXT), a cooling unit (COL), and a heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention having a rapid cooling function. The two chilling hot plate units (CHP) using the heat exchanger and the two hot plate units (HP) using the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention are stacked in, for example, eight stages from the bottom in the vertical direction.

  As described above, the cooling unit (COL) and the extension cooling unit (EXTCOL) having a low processing temperature are arranged in the lower stage, and the hot plate unit (HP), the chilling hot plate unit (CHP) and the adhesion unit having a high processing temperature. By disposing (AD) in the upper stage, it is possible to reduce thermal mutual interference between units. Of course, a random multi-stage arrangement is also possible.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the processing station 20, the third and fourth sets G3 and G4 of multistage units (spinner type processing units) adjacent to the first and second sets of G1 and G2 (spinner type processing units) ( Ducts 25 and 26 are vertically cut in the side walls of the oven-type processing unit. Downflow clean air or specially temperature-controlled air is allowed to flow through these ducts 25 and 26. By this duct structure, the heat generated in the oven type processing units of the third and fourth groups G3 and G4 is cut off and does not reach the spinner type processing units of the first and second groups G1 and G2. ing.

  Further, in this processing system, a fifth stage G5 multi-stage unit can be arranged on the back side of the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 as shown by a dotted line in FIG. The multistage units of the fifth group G5 can move sideways along the guide rail 27 as viewed from the main wafer transfer mechanism 21. Therefore, even when the multi-stage unit of the fifth group G5 is provided, the space portion is secured by sliding the unit, so that the maintenance work can be easily performed from the back with respect to the main wafer transfer mechanism 21.

  The interface unit 30 has the same dimensions as the processing station 20 in the depth direction, but is made small in the width direction. A portable pickup cassette 31 and a stationary buffer cassette 32 are arranged in two stages on the front part of the interface unit 30, and exposure for exposing the peripheral part of the wafer W and exposing the identification mark area is performed on the rear part. A peripheral exposure apparatus 33 as a means is provided, and a wafer transfer arm 34 as a transfer means is provided at the center. The transport arm 34 is configured to move in the X and Z directions and transport to both cassettes 31 and 32 and the peripheral exposure device 33. Further, the transfer arm 34 is configured to be rotatable in the θ direction, and the extension unit (EXT) belonging to the multi-stage unit of the fourth group G4 on the processing station 20 side and a wafer transfer table (not shown) on the adjacent exposure apparatus side. ) Can also be transported.

  The processing system configured as described above is installed in the clean room 40, and the cleanliness of each part is increased by an efficient vertical laminar flow method in the system.

  In the resist coating / development processing system configured as described above, first, the lid opening / closing device 5 operates in the cassette station 10 to open the lid of a predetermined wafer cassette 1. Next, the wafer transfer tweezers 4 accesses the cassette 1 containing the unprocessed wafers W on the cassette mounting table 2 and takes out one wafer W from the cassette 1. When the wafer tweezers 4 takes out the wafer W from the cassette 1, it moves to the alignment unit (ALIM) arranged in the multi-stage unit of the third group G3 on the processing station 20 side, and in the unit (ALIM) A wafer W is placed on the wafer mounting table 24. The wafer W undergoes orientation flat alignment and centering on the wafer mounting table 24. Thereafter, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 accesses the alignment unit (ALIM) from the opposite side, and receives the wafer W from the wafer mounting table 24.

  In the processing station 20, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 first carries the wafer W into an adhesion unit (AD) belonging to the multistage unit of the third group G3. Within this adhesion unit (AD), the wafer W is subjected to a hydrophobic treatment. When the hydrophobization process is completed, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 unloads the wafer W from the adhesion unit (AD), and then cools the cooling units (belonging to the third group G3 or the fourth group G4 multi-stage unit). COL). In this cooling unit (COL), the wafer W is cooled to a set temperature before the resist coating process, for example, 23 ° C. When the cooling process is completed, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 unloads the wafer W from the cooling unit (COL), and then to the resist coating unit (COT) belonging to the first group G1 or the second group G2 multistage unit. Carry in. In this resist coating unit (COT), the wafer W is coated with a resist with a uniform film thickness on the wafer surface by spin coating.

  When the resist coating process is completed, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 unloads the wafer W from the resist coating unit (COT) and then loads it into the hot plate unit (HP). In the hot plate unit (HP), the wafer W is mounted on a mounting table and pre-baked at a predetermined temperature, for example, 100 ° C. for a predetermined time. As a result, the residual solvent can be removed by evaporation from the coating film on the wafer W. When pre-baking is completed, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 unloads the wafer W from the hot plate unit (HP), and then transfers the wafer W to the extension cooling unit (EXTCOL) belonging to the multistage unit of the fourth group G4. In this unit (EXTCOL), the wafer W is cooled to a temperature suitable for the peripheral exposure process in the next process, that is, the peripheral exposure apparatus 33, for example, 24 ° C. After this cooling, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 transfers the wafer W to the extension unit (EXT) immediately above, and places the wafer W on a mounting table (not shown) in the unit (EXT). When the wafer W is mounted on the mounting table of the extension unit (EXT), the transfer arm 34 of the interface unit 30 accesses from the opposite side and receives the wafer W. Then, the transfer arm 34 carries the wafer W into the peripheral exposure apparatus 33 in the interface unit 30. In the peripheral exposure apparatus 33, the peripheral resist is exposed to light by irradiating the surplus resist film (part) on the peripheral part of the surface of the wafer W with light.

  After the peripheral exposure is completed, the transfer arm 34 carries the wafer W out of the casing of the peripheral exposure apparatus 33 and transfers it to a wafer receiving table (not shown) on the adjacent exposure apparatus side. In this case, the wafer W may be temporarily stored in the buffer cassette 32 before being transferred to the exposure apparatus.

  When the entire exposure is completed in the exposure apparatus and the wafer W is returned to the wafer receiving table on the exposure apparatus side, the transfer arm 34 of the interface unit 30 accesses the wafer receiving table to receive the wafer W, and receives the received wafer W. It is loaded into an extension unit (EXT) belonging to the multi-stage unit of the fourth group G4 on the processing station 20 side, and placed on the wafer receiving table. Also in this case, the wafer W may be temporarily stored in the buffer cassette 32 in the interface unit 30 before being transferred to the processing station 20 side.

  The wafer W placed on the wafer receiving table is transferred to the chilling hot plate unit (CHP) by the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 to prevent fringes, or an acid catalyst in the chemically amplified resist (CAR). In order to induce the reaction, for example, a post-exposure bake treatment is performed at 120 ° C. for a predetermined time.

  Thereafter, the wafer W is carried into a developing unit (DEV) belonging to the multistage unit of the first group G1 or the second group G2. In the developing unit (DEV), a developing solution is uniformly supplied to the resist on the surface of the wafer W to perform a developing process. By this development processing, the resist film formed on the surface of the wafer W is developed into a predetermined circuit pattern, and the surplus resist film in the peripheral portion of the wafer W is removed, and further, the resist film formed on the surface of the wafer W is applied (applied). E) The resist film adhering to the region of the alignment mark M is removed. In this way, when the development is completed, a rinse liquid is applied to the surface of the wafer W to wash away the developer.

  When the developing process is completed, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 unloads the wafer W from the developing unit (DEV), and then the hot plate unit (HP) belonging to the third group G3 or the multistage unit of the fourth group G4. Carry in. In this unit (HP), the wafer W is post-baked for a predetermined time at 100 ° C., for example. Thereby, the resist swollen by development is cured, and chemical resistance is improved.

  When the post-baking is completed, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 unloads the wafer W from the hot plate unit (HP), and then loads it into one of the cooling units (COL). Here, after the wafer W returns to room temperature, the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 next transfers the wafer W to the extension unit (EXT) belonging to the third group G3. When the wafer W is mounted on a mounting table (not shown) of the extension unit (EXT), the wafer transfer tweezers 4 on the cassette station 10 side accesses from the opposite side and receives the wafer W. The wafer transfer tweezers 4 puts the received wafer W into a predetermined wafer receiving groove of the processed wafer storing wafer cassette 1 on the cassette mounting table, and all processed wafers W are placed in the wafer cassette 1. After the storage, the lid opening / closing device 5 operates to close the lid, and the processing is completed.

  Next, the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention constituting the hot plate unit (HP) and the chilling hot plate unit (CHP) will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. Here, the case where the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a heating apparatus for pre-baking a resist-coated wafer W will be described.

First Embodiment FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a heat treatment state of the first embodiment of the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a cooling state after the heat treatment.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the heat treatment apparatus 50 places a wafer W on which a resist film, which is a coating film, is placed and heated in a casing (not shown) of a heat treatment unit. A heating plate 51, an outer peripheral ring 52 that surrounds the outer periphery of the heating plate 51, and a lid 54 that covers the upper opening of the outer peripheral ring 52 and forms a processing chamber 53 in cooperation with the outer peripheral ring 52. It has.

  A purge gas supply port 55 is provided at the center of the lid 54, and an intake port 56 is provided between the outer periphery of the lid 54 and the inner periphery of the outer ring 52. . In this case, the gap between the intake ports 56 is formed to be, for example, about 3 to 6 mm so as not to adversely affect the atmosphere during the heat treatment in the processing chamber 53 constituted by the lid 54 and the outer peripheral ring 52. Has been.

  An exhaust port 57 is provided between the lower side of the outer ring 52 and the heating plate 51. In this case, the exhaust port 57 is formed in a stepped ring member 58 disposed at the lower end portion of the outer peripheral ring 52. The exhaust port 57 formed in the stepped ring member 58 is attached to the outer peripheral portion of the side wall 59 a of the substantially circular dish-shaped support ring 59 that supports the lower surface of the heating plate 51 and surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the heating plate 51. It is provided in communication with an exhaust passage 60 formed between an exhaust dispersion ring 59 c having an outward flange portion 59 b and an outer peripheral ring 52. Thus, by forming the exhaust passage 60 with the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral ring 52 and the exhaust dispersion ring 59c having the outward flange portion 59b, a narrow portion can be provided in a part of the exhaust passage 60. The flow velocity can be increased, and the intake of air from the intake port 56 can be made even and smooth. The outer ring 52 is separable from the support ring 59 and the exhaust dispersion ring 59c.

  An exhaust pipe 61 is connected to the exhaust port 57, and exhaust means such as an exhaust pump 62 is interposed in the exhaust pipe 61. The exhaust pump 62 is electrically connected to a controller 70 as control means, and is turned on and off based on a control signal from the controller 70.

  The heating plate 51 includes a heater 51a. For example, three through-holes 51b are formed in the heating plate 51, and support pins 63 that move up and down while supporting the back surface of the wafer W are inserted into the respective through-holes 51b. The support pin 63 moves up and down by elevating means 64 having a cylinder or the like, for example. The support pins 63 can be raised to above the heating plate 51 to transfer the wafer W to / from the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 or to place the received wafer W on the heating plate 51. The raising / lowering means 64 is electrically connected to the controller 70. Based on a control signal from the controller 70, the raising / lowering means 64 is lowered during the heating process to place the support pins 63 below the surface of the heating plate 51, thereby cooling after the heating process. At this time and when the wafer W is transferred to and from the main wafer transfer mechanism 21, the support pin 63 is positioned above the heating plate 51.

  The lid body 54 has a substantially bottomed cylindrical shape that is open on the lower surface side by a top plate 54a that is an upper surface portion and a peripheral side portion 54b that is suspended from a peripheral end portion of the top plate 54a. The top plate 54 a faces the wafer W on the heating plate 51. At the center of the top plate 54a, there is a supply port 55 to which a purge gas gas supply line 66 communicated with a gas supply source 65 of a purge gas such as air, nitrogen gas or inert gas is connected. Is provided. Further, a flow rate adjustment valve 67 is interposed in the gas supply line 66, and a controller 70 is electrically connected to the flow rate adjustment valve 67. Therefore, when the flow rate adjustment valve 67 is opened based on a signal from the controller 70, a predetermined flow rate of gas such as air, nitrogen gas or inert gas from the gas supply source 65 is supplied via the gas supply line 66. It can be supplied to the port 55 and introduced into the processing chamber 53 from the supply port 55.

  A dispersion nozzle 68 that divides the gas supplied into the processing chamber 53 through the supply port 55 in the radial direction is disposed at the supply port 55 portion of the lid 54. Between the lower part and the heating plate 51, for example, two circular first and second rectifying plates 69a and 69b provided with a large number of air holes (not shown) are arranged in parallel in the vertical direction. In this case, the dispersion nozzle 68 is formed in a disk shape, and a radial flow path is provided in a circular recess communicating with the supply port 55 provided in the center.

  The entire lid 54 can be moved up and down by an elevating mechanism (not shown) provided with a cylinder and the like, and the lid 54 is moved up and down when the wafer W is loaded and unloaded.

  The controller 70 includes a central processing unit (CPU). Based on a program stored in the controller 70 in advance, the controller 70 opens and closes the flow rate control valve 67 and controls the flow rate, and an exhaust pump. 62 is turned ON / OFF, and the lifting / lowering means 64 of the support pin 63 is turned ON / OFF.

  Next, the operation | movement aspect of the heat processing apparatus 50 which concerns on this invention is demonstrated. First, before the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 50, the purge gas is started to be supplied from the gas supply source 65. The heating plate 51 is maintained at a predetermined heating temperature, for example, 100 to 140 ° C. by the heater 51a.

  Then, after the resist coating process is completed in the coating apparatus, the wafer W held by the main wafer transport mechanism 21 is transported into a casing (not shown), and the support pins that have risen and waited in advance above the heating plate 51. Passed to 63. Subsequently, the lid 54 is lowered, and the processing chamber 53 is formed integrally with the outer peripheral ring 52. On the other hand, the support pins 63 are lowered and the wafer W is placed on the heating plate 51. At this time, gas is supplied from the gas supply source 65 into the processing chamber 53 through the supply port 55, and the exhaust pump 62 is operated, so that the gas supplied into the processing chamber 53 is radiated by the dispersion nozzle 68. Then, after passing through the first rectifying plate 69a and the second rectifying plate 69b, the direction of the airflow is directed toward the peripheral side of the heating plate 51. The gas that has passed through the second rectifying plate 69b does not reach the surface of the wafer W, but flows from the exhaust port 57 into the exhaust pipe 61 through the exhaust passage 60 constituted by the peripheral side portion and the exhaust dispersion ring 59c. The air is exhausted outside the apparatus. At this time, air is taken into the processing chamber 53 from the intake port 56 and flows to the outside of the apparatus through the exhaust passage 60 and the exhaust port 57 together with the purge gas, so that gaseous sublimates generated by the heat treatment, etc. A part of the impurities is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust pipe 61 connected to the exhaust port 57.

  When heating for a predetermined time is completed, as shown in FIG. 5, the support pins 63 are raised again with the lid 54 closed, and the wafer W is separated from the surface of the heating plate 51. Even in this state, the gas is supplied from the gas supply source 65 into the processing chamber 53, and the gas supplied into the processing chamber 53 and the air taken into the processing chamber 53 from the intake port 56 are supplied to the exhaust passage 60 and The air is exhausted to the outside of the apparatus through the exhaust port 57. Thereby, since the atmospheric temperature in the processing chamber 53 is cooled to a temperature at which no sublimate is generated, for example, 70 ° C., generation of impurities such as a sublimate can be suppressed.

  After cooling for a predetermined time, the lid 54 is raised and the processing chamber 53 is opened. When the processing chamber 53 is opened, the gas supply is stopped. Further, the exhaust pump 62 is adjusted to reduce the exhaust amount.

  Then, the wafer W on the support pins 63 is transferred to the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 that has entered the casing again, and is unloaded from the heat treatment apparatus 50.

  According to the first embodiment, the amount of air taken into the processing chamber 53 from the intake port 56 can be exhausted with respect to the gas supplied from the gas supply source 65 into the processing chamber 53. Further, impurities such as sublimates can be prevented from adhering to the lower back surface of the lid 54 (specifically, the back surface of the top plate 54a, the second rectifying plate 69b), the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral ring 52, and the like. . Therefore, when the lid 54 is opened after the heat treatment and the wafer W is transferred to the main wafer transfer mechanism 21, impurities such as sublimates are released from the processing chamber 53, and the arm portion of the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 and the wafer W are removed. Can be prevented from falling on.

Second Embodiment FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a use state of a second embodiment of the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a plan view of a main part in the use state of the second embodiment.

  The second embodiment is a case where the cooling time after the heat treatment is shortened to improve the throughput as compared with the first embodiment. In other words, an opening 81 that can be opened and closed by a shutter 80 is provided on one side of the outer ring 52, and a cooling plate 82 that can be moved forward and backward through the opening 81 is provided. .

  In this case, the shutter 80 is configured to be able to open and close the opening 81 by driving an opening / closing moving mechanism 83 such as a cylinder device, and the cooling plate 82 is heated by the moving mechanism 84 serving as moving means. And a standby position outside the outer ring 52 are configured to be movable.

  The cooling plate 82 is formed of a material having good thermal conductivity such as an aluminum alloy material or a stainless steel material, for example, and as shown in FIG. 85 and an opening groove 86 that avoids interference with the support pins 63 that push up the wafer W when the wafer W is transferred onto the heating plate 51. Further, the cooling plate 82 has gap pins 87 for supporting the wafer W on the cooling plate 82 with a gap therebetween, so that particles or the like can be prevented from adhering to the wafer W and can be efficiently cooled. It is formed to be able to.

  The opening groove 86 includes two long opening grooves 86a and a short opening groove 86b in parallel from the front end portion to the base portion of the cooling plate 82. When receiving the wafer W on the heating plate 51, three opening grooves 86 are supported. Two of the pins 63 are inserted into the long opening groove 86a, and the other one is formed to be inserted into the short opening groove 86b (see FIG. 7).

  The cooling flow path 85 is formed by a tubular flow path, and a wafer W placed on the cooling plate 82 by absorbing the heat of the cooling plate 82 by circulating a cooling medium such as cooling water in the tube. It is formed so that it can be cooled. As long as the wafer W is cooled, what is circulated in the tube is not limited to cooling water, and for example, a cooling gas or the like can be used. Of course, it is also possible to cool using a Peltier element or the like instead of the cooling flow path 85.

  The opening / closing moving mechanism 83 and the moving mechanism 84 are electrically connected to the controller 70, respectively, and based on a control signal from the controller 70, the shutter 80 is opened / closed and the cooling plate 82 is positioned above the heating plate 51. Advances and retreats are made.

  In the second embodiment, the other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment, so the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  According to the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, gas is supplied from the gas supply source 65 through the supply port 55 into the processing chamber 53 and the exhaust pump 62 is driven to In a state where the air taken into the processing chamber 53 from the intake port 56 together with the gas supplied to the substrate is exhausted through the exhaust passage 60 and the exhaust port 57, the wafer W is placed on the heating plate 51 and subjected to the heat treatment. Do. Then, after performing the heat treatment, the lifting / lowering means 64 is driven based on the control signal from the controller 70 to raise the support pins 63 to separate the wafer W from the heating plate 51 and enter above the heating plate 51. The wafer W can be placed on the cooling plate 82 and cooled. Therefore, the wafer W after the heat treatment is forcibly cooled by the cooling plate 82, and the atmosphere temperature in the processing chamber 53 can be cooled to a temperature at which no sublimate is generated, for example, 70 ° C. Occurrence can be suppressed.

  Thereby, according to 2nd Embodiment, the improvement of a throughput can be aimed at compared with 1st Embodiment.

Third Embodiment FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the initial state of the heat treatment of the third embodiment of the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the latter half of the heat treatment of the third embodiment. It is.

  The third embodiment is a case where it is possible to prevent the gaseous sublimate containing mist generated during the heat treatment from adhering to the lid 54 and the outer ring 52 and to improve the accuracy of the heat treatment. . That is, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the lid body 54 is supported by a contact / separation moving means 90 formed by, for example, a cylinder device so that the lid body 54 can be moved up and down, and the lid body 54 is heated by the drive of the contact / separation movement means 90. This is a case where it is formed so as to be movable toward and away from the upper surface of 51. In this case, the contact / separation moving means 90 is electrically connected to the controller 70, and the lid 54 is moved away from the upper surface of the heating plate 51 based on a control signal from the controller 70 and approaches the heating plate 51. The position to be moved is moved toward and away.

  In the third embodiment, the other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment. Therefore, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  According to the third embodiment, as in the first embodiment, gas is supplied from the gas supply source 65 through the supply port 55 into the processing chamber 53 and the exhaust pump 62 is driven to In a state where the air taken into the processing chamber 53 from the intake port 56 together with the gas supplied to the substrate is exhausted through the exhaust passage 60 and the exhaust port 57, the wafer W is placed on the heating plate 51 and subjected to the heat treatment. Do. At this time, in the initial stage of performing the heat treatment, the contact / separation moving means 90 is driven to separate the lid 54 from the heating plate 51, and in particular, it is included in a gaseous sublimate generated from a coating material containing a solvent. It is possible to suppress the mist from adhering to the inner surface of the lid 54 and the second rectifying plate 69b. Further, in the second half of the heat treatment, the contact / separation moving means 90 is driven to bring the lid 54 close to the heating plate 51, whereby the treatment atmosphere is made to have an appropriate height that is uniform and does not cause natural stagnation. Therefore, the processing accuracy can be improved.

Fourth Embodiment FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing a usage state of a fourth embodiment of the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention.

  The fourth embodiment is a case where the sublimate generated during the heat treatment is further prevented from adhering to the outer peripheral ring 52. That is, as shown in FIG. 11, a heating element such as a variable heater 52a is built in the outer ring 52, and the temperature of the variable heater 52a is formed so as to be adjustable by a temperature regulator 52b. The temperature regulator 52 b is electrically connected to the controller 70, and the temperature of the variable heater 52 a is determined based on a control signal from the controller 70 so that the sublimate does not adhere to the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 52. The temperature is set to be higher than the temperature at which the product becomes solid (about 70 ° C.), for example, about 150 ° C.

  In addition, in 4th Embodiment, since another part is the same as 1st Embodiment-3rd Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same part and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  With this configuration, the temperature of the variable heater 52a built in the outer ring 52 during the heat treatment can be set to a temperature at which the sublimate generated by the heat treatment does not solidify, and the inner wall of the outer ring 52 of the sublimate. Adhesion to can be suppressed.

  In addition, although FIG. 11 demonstrated the case where the variable heater 52a was incorporated in the outer periphery ring 52 in the heat processing apparatus 50 of 1st Embodiment, it is similarly variable also in the outer periphery ring 52 in 2nd Embodiment and 3rd Embodiment. The heater 52a is built in, and the temperature can be adjusted by the temperature adjuster 52b.

Fifth Embodiment FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a fifth embodiment of the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention.

  The fifth embodiment is a case in which it is monitored whether impurities such as sublimates generated in the processing chamber 53 are discharged from the processing chamber 53. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, a monitoring bypass pipe 61a is branched to an exhaust pipe 61 connected to the exhaust port 57 via a switching valve 61b, and impurities (foreign matter) in exhaust gas are branched into the monitoring bypass pipe 61a. ) A detecting means for detecting the concentration, for example, a transmissive laser sensor 100 is attached, and the laser sensor 100 and the switching valve 61b are electrically connected to the controller 70. Then, after the heat treatment, the switching valve 61b is switched to cause the foreign matter concentration in the exhaust flow flowing through the exhaust pipe to flow into the monitoring bypass pipe 61a, and impurities (foreign matters) such as sublimates in the exhaust are detected by the laser sensor 100. Then, the detection signal detected by the laser sensor 100 is sent to the controller 70. Based on this detection signal, the post-processing time is automatically controlled in accordance with the amount of impurities (foreign matter) detected by the CPU provided in the controller 70. If the detected impurity (foreign matter) is less than or equal to the predetermined amount, post-processing after the heat treatment is continued, that is, based on a control signal from the controller 70, the wafer W after the heat treatment is transferred to the main wafer transfer mechanism 21. Then, the next wafer W is received from the main wafer transfer mechanism 21 and the heat treatment is continued. If the laser sensor 100 detects that a predetermined amount of impurities (foreign matter) is larger than a predetermined amount, a signal is sent to display means, for example, an alarm 200 to notify the operator.

  Therefore, since it is possible to constantly monitor whether impurities such as sublimates generated in the processing chamber 53 are discharged from the processing chamber 53, heat treatment can be performed safely, and the reliability of the apparatus can be improved. Improvement can be achieved.

  In addition, in 5th Embodiment, since another part is the same as 1st Embodiment-4th Embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same part and description is abbreviate | omitted. In FIG. 12, when the monitoring bypass pipe 61a is branched to the exhaust pipe 61 of the heat treatment apparatus of the first embodiment via the switching valve 61b, and the laser sensor 100 is provided in the monitoring bypass pipe 61a. As described above, the monitoring bypass pipeline 61a is similarly branched to the exhaust pipeline 61 in the second to fourth embodiments via the switching valve 61b, and the laser sensor 100 is connected to the monitoring bypass pipeline 61a. Can be provided.

Other Embodiments In the above embodiment, the case where the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention is applied to a heating apparatus for pre-baking processing has been described. However, heating apparatuses other than pre-baking processing, for example, a hot plate unit (HP) and a chilling hot plate unit The same can be applied to the heat treatment apparatus constituting (CHP), and the same effect can be obtained.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention is applied to the heat treatment apparatus in the semiconductor wafer resist coating / development processing system has been described. However, the heat treatment apparatus in the LCD glass substrate resist coating / development processing system is described. Of course, the present invention can also be applied.

1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a resist coating / development processing system to which a heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention is applied. It is a schematic front view of the said resist application | coating / development processing system. It is a schematic rear view of the resist coating / developing system. It is sectional drawing which shows the use condition of 1st Embodiment of the heat processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the cooling state after the heat processing of the said heat processing apparatus. It is sectional drawing which shows the use condition of 2nd Embodiment of the heat processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a principal part top view in the use condition of 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic plan view which shows the cooling plate in 2nd Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the initial state of the heat processing of 3rd Embodiment of the heat processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the state of the second half of the heat processing of 3rd embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the heat processing state of 4th Embodiment of the heat processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the heat processing state of 5th Embodiment of the heat processing apparatus which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

W Semiconductor wafer (substrate to be processed)
51 Heating plate (mounting table)
52 outer ring 52a variable heater 52b temperature regulator 53 processing chamber 54 lid 55 gas supply port 56 intake port 57 exhaust port 60 exhaust channel 61 exhaust channel 61a monitoring bypass channel 61b switching valve 62 exhaust pump (exhaust means)
63 Support pin 64 Elevating means 70 Controller (control means)
80 Shutter 81 Opening 82 Cooling plate 83 Shutter opening / closing moving mechanism 84 Cooling plate moving mechanism (moving means)
90 Contact / separation moving means 100 Laser sensor (detection means)
200 Alarm (display means)

Claims (5)

A mounting table for mounting and heating a substrate to be processed on which a coating film is formed, an outer ring surrounding the outer periphery of the mounting table, a lid covering the upper opening of the outer ring, and the mounting table A heat treatment apparatus comprising a support pin that penetrates and supports the substrate to be processed so as to be movable up and down,
A gas supply port is provided at the center of the lid, and an intake port is provided between the outer periphery of the lid and the inner periphery of the outer ring,
An exhaust port is provided between the lower side of the outer ring and the mounting table, and an exhaust unit is provided in an exhaust pipe connected to the exhaust port.
Comprising control means for controlling the lifting and lowering means and the exhaust means of the support pin,
After the substrate to be processed is mounted on the mounting table and heat-treated, the support pins are raised based on a control signal from the control means to cool the substrate to be processed away from the mounting table. Become
The heat processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. A mounting table for mounting and heating a substrate to be processed on which a coating film is formed, an outer ring surrounding the outer periphery of the mounting table, a lid covering the upper opening of the outer ring, and the mounting table A heat treatment apparatus comprising a support pin that penetrates and supports the substrate to be processed so as to be movable up and down,
A gas supply port is provided at the center of the lid, and an intake port is provided between the outer periphery of the lid and the inner periphery of the outer ring,
An exhaust port is provided between the lower side of the outer ring and the mounting table, and an exhaust unit is provided in an exhaust pipe connected to the exhaust port.
An opening that can be opened and closed by a shutter is provided on one side of the outer ring,
A cooling plate is provided that can move forward and backward with respect to the upper side of the mounting table through the opening,
It comprises control means for controlling the lifting means of the support pins, the exhaust means and the moving means of the cooling plate,
After the substrate to be processed is mounted on the mounting table and heat-treated, the support pin is raised based on a control signal from the control means to separate the substrate to be processed from the mounting table, and above the mounting table. It is formed so that the substrate to be processed is placed and cooled by the cooling plate entering
The heat processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. A mounting table for mounting and heating a substrate to be processed on which a coating film is formed, an outer ring surrounding the outer periphery of the mounting table, a lid covering the upper opening of the outer ring, and the mounting table A heat treatment apparatus comprising a support pin that penetrates and supports the substrate to be processed so as to be movable up and down,
A gas supply port is provided at the center of the lid, an intake port is provided between the outer periphery of the lid and the inner periphery of the outer ring, and the lid is in contact with the mounting table. Formed so that it can be moved away,
An exhaust port is provided between the lower side of the outer ring and the mounting table, and an exhaust unit is provided in an exhaust pipe connected to the exhaust port.
Comprising a control means for controlling the lifting and lowering means of the support pin, the exhaust means and the contact and separation movement means of the lid,
Based on the control signal from the control means, in the initial stage of placing the substrate to be processed on the mounting table and performing the heat treatment, the lid is separated from the mounting table, and in the second half of the heat treatment, The lid is formed so as to approach the mounting table.
The heat processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A heat treatment apparatus comprising a heat generating element for preventing adhesion of impurities such as sublimates generated by heat treatment on the outer peripheral ring, and the heat generating element is formed so that the temperature can be adjusted. The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A monitoring bypass pipe is branched to the exhaust pipe connected to the exhaust port, and a detection means for detecting impurities in the exhaust is attached to the monitoring bypass pipe. Based on the detection signal detected by the detection means. A heat treatment apparatus comprising: control means for continuing post-processing when the detected impurity is less than or equal to a predetermined amount, and sending a signal to the display means when the impurity is greater than the predetermined amount.

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