JP2012114273A - Liquid supply device and resist development apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem of a liquid supply device of a resist development apparatus or the like where temperature fluctuation of a liquid actually supplied to a base substance hinders stability of processing.SOLUTION: A resist development apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes: a hermetic type storage part 4 for storing a developing solution 11 controlled to a constant temperature state; a holding part 8 for holding a processing target substrate 6 to which the developing solution 11 stored in the storage part 4 is supplied; a supply pipe 5 that is arranged to be led out from the inside of the storage part 4 to the outside of the storage part 4, includes a led-out portion arranged to extend to a position facing the holding part 8, and supplies the developing solution 11 in the storage part toward the processing target substrate 6 held by the holding part 8; and an on-off valve 15 that is an accessory member accessorily provided midway through the arrangement of the supply pipe 5, wherein the on-off valve 15 is disposed inside the storage part 4.

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid supply device and a resist developing device.

  Many devices for supplying liquid to a substance have been known so far. For example, a resist developing device is known as an example of a liquid supply device used in the field of lithography (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The resist developing apparatus is an apparatus that dissolves unnecessary portions of the resist film with the developer by supplying the developer to the exposed resist film.

  In recent years, with the high integration of semiconductor devices, it has been strongly desired to improve the resolution of development. When developing a resist film with a developer (hereinafter also referred to as “resist development”), the unnecessary portion of the resist film is removed with the developer as described above, but the edge of the pattern may sag during development. There is. As a result, the corners of the edges of the pattern are deformed in shape, leading to a decrease in resolution.

  Therefore, as a technique for improving the resolution of resist development, a method of developing a resist film using a “low temperature developer” lower than room temperature (hereinafter referred to as “low temperature development method”) is known (for example, (See Patent Document 2). When the resist film is developed using a low-temperature developer, the edge portion of the pattern is less likely to sag during development. As a result, the shape collapse of the edge portion of the pattern is suppressed, and the resolution is improved. Incidentally, “normal temperature” described in this document refers to “temperature within a range of 15 ° C. to 25 ° C.”. Therefore, the temperature of the developer used in the low temperature development method is at least less than 15 ° C.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-154641 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-142322

  Recently, for example, in the field of nanoimprinting, formation of nano-level fine uneven patterns is required. In order to form such a fine concavo-convex pattern with high accuracy, it is necessary to set the temperature of the developer to a desired predetermined temperature depending on the type of resist as in the low temperature development method.

However, the following problems occur due to setting the temperature of the developer to a desired predetermined temperature as described above.
In general, in a resist developing apparatus, a developing solution is stored in a storage unit and controlled to a constant (desired) temperature, and a substrate (covered) is supplied from the storage unit through a developer supply pipe (hereinafter referred to as a “supply pipe”). The developer is supplied to a processing substrate or the like. In such a case, even if the developer stored in the storage unit is controlled to a constant temperature, if the temperature of the developer supplied to the substrate through the supply pipe changes, the same (one) substrate is used. Unevenness of development is incurred, and variation in development is caused between different substrates.

  For this reason, the structure which covers a supply pipe | tube with a jacket is employ | adopted. The jacket covers the supply pipe with a double-pipe structure or a multi-ply structure having multiple layers, thereby reducing the influence of the outside air temperature on the supply pipe. However, an opening / closing valve for starting and stopping the supply of the developer is provided in the middle of the supply pipe extending from the reservoir to the vicinity of the substrate. Then, in the length direction of the supply pipe, the part to which the on-off valve or the like is attached projects greatly outside the supply pipe compared to other parts, and the protruding part has a complicated structure and shape with unevenness. Will be presented.

  In such a case, it is very difficult to cover the attachment site such as the on-off valve with the jacket. There are two main reasons. The first reason is that it is extremely difficult to form the cross-sectional shape of the jacket in accordance with the outer shape of an on-off valve or the like that exhibits a complicated uneven shape. The second reason is that if the jacket is constructed so as to include all of the supply pipe, the on-off valve, etc., the equipment becomes very large and the equipment cost increases.

  From such a background, until now, a part other than the attachment part such as the on-off valve has been covered with a jacket. In addition, since the developer that is not properly temperature-controlled due to the outside air temperature remains in the pipe part that cannot be covered with the jacket, in order to suppress the influence of the developer as much as possible, an attachment site such as an on-off valve is provided at the end of the supply pipe It is set near the part. The terminal portion of the supply pipe is a discharge portion for supplying (discharging) the developer from there to the substrate. However, even if the attachment part such as the opening / closing valve is set in this way, the residual amount of the developer whose temperature is not controlled does not become zero, and the influence remains.

  A main object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of stably processing a substrate accompanied with the supply of liquid while suppressing temperature fluctuation of the liquid actually supplied to the substrate.

The first aspect of the present invention is:
A sealed storage section for storing a liquid controlled in a constant temperature state;
A holding unit for holding a substrate to which the liquid stored in the storage unit is to be supplied;
The pipe is led out from the inside of the storage part to the outside of the storage part, and the lead-out part is piped up to a position facing the holding part, and the storage is performed toward the base held by the holding part. A supply pipe for supplying the liquid in the section;
An auxiliary member provided attached to the supply pipe in the middle of the supply pipe;
The attachment member is a liquid supply device, which is disposed inside the storage unit.

The second aspect of the present invention is:
The reservoir has a sealed space on the liquid level of the liquid stored in the reservoir,
The said supply member is arrange | positioned in the said sealed space of the said storage part. It is a liquid supply apparatus as described in the said 1st aspect characterized by the above-mentioned.

The third aspect of the present invention is:
The liquid supply apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the attachment member is at least one of a joint member and a valve member.

The fourth aspect of the present invention is:
The liquid supply apparatus according to the first, second, or third aspect, wherein a temperature adjustment unit is provided in a part of the supply pipe.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention,
A resist developing apparatus for supplying a developing solution to a substrate to be processed and developing the substrate,
A sealed reservoir for storing the developer controlled to a constant temperature;
A holding unit for holding the substrate to be processed;
Piped to lead out from the inside of the storage part to the outside of the storage part, and piped to a position where the lead-out part faces the holding part, toward the substrate to be processed held by the holding part A supply pipe for supplying the developer in the reservoir;
An auxiliary member provided attached to the supply pipe in the middle of the supply pipe;
The accessory member is a resist developing device, which is disposed inside the storage portion.

The sixth aspect of the present invention is:
The resist developing apparatus according to the fifth aspect, in which the substrate to be processed to which the developer is supplied is a mold substrate for nanoimprinting.

The seventh aspect of the present invention is
The resist developing apparatus according to the fifth or sixth aspect, further comprising a liquid temperature control unit configured to control the developer stored in the storage unit to a low temperature of 0 ° C. or lower.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to stably perform the processing of the substrate accompanying the supply of the liquid while suppressing the temperature fluctuation of the liquid actually supplied to the substrate.

It is the schematic which shows the whole structure of the resist image development apparatus used as an example of a liquid supply apparatus. It is sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the jacket which covers a supply pipe | tube. It is the schematic which shows the 1st modification of the resist image development apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic which shows the 2nd modification of the resist developing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the liquid supply apparatus according to the present invention is applied to, for example, a resist developing apparatus used in the field of photolithography will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
However, the liquid supply apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the resist developing apparatus mentioned here, but can be widely applied to other liquid supply apparatuses that supply liquid to a substrate in other fields. For example, the present invention can be applied to a coating apparatus that injects and supplies a liquid paint for the purpose of decorating and protecting the substrate. Further, the “substrate” to which the liquid is to be supplied is not particularly limited in terms of structure, and objects having various structures can be the “substrate”. For example, assuming that the liquid supply device is a resist developing device, “substrate having an exposed resist film” corresponds to “substrate”.

In the embodiment of the present invention, description will be given in the following order.
1. 1. Configuration of a resist developing device as an example of a liquid supply device 2. Operation of resist developing apparatus Effects of the embodiment 4. Modified example

<1. Configuration of resist developing apparatus>
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a resist developing apparatus as an example of a liquid supply apparatus. The resist developing apparatus 1 shown in the figure is largely configured to include a developer supply unit 2 and a development processing unit 3. The developer supply unit 2 is a part that supplies a developer necessary for the development processing in the development processing unit 3. The developer supply unit 2 includes at least a storage unit 4 that stores the developer and a supply pipe 5 that supplies (transports) the developer. The development processing unit 3 is a part that performs development processing on the substrate 6 to be processed. The development processing unit 3 includes at least a processing chamber 7 having a space for development processing, a holding unit 8 that holds the substrate to be processed 6 in the processing chamber 7, a driving unit 9 that drives the holding unit 8, Is provided. Hereinafter, the configurations of the developer supply unit 2 and the development processing unit 3 will be described in more detail.

(Configuration of developer supply unit)
Although not shown in detail, the storage unit 4 includes, for example, a tank body that is open at the top and a lid that closes the upper opening of the tank body, and has a structure that allows the inside of the tank body to be sealed by the lid. It has become. That is, the storage part 4 has a sealed tank structure. An appropriate amount of developer 11 is stored (stored) in the storage unit 4. The developer 11 is liquid at an assumed set temperature. In the storage unit 4, a space above the liquid level of the developer 11 is a space 12 (hereinafter referred to as “sealed space”) that is hermetically sealed by the lid described above.

  The developer 11 stored in the storage unit 4 is controlled to a constant temperature state by a liquid temperature control unit (not shown). As a specific form of the liquid temperature control means, for example, although not shown, the developer 11 in the storage unit 4 is circulated by a pump, and the developer 11 is cooled by a cooler in the middle of the circulation, thereby developing the liquid. A mode in which the temperature of the liquid 11 is maintained at a predetermined temperature (hereinafter, “set temperature”) is conceivable. Whichever form is adopted, the temperature of the developer 11 in the reservoir 4 is within an allowable range (for example, within ± 0.2 ° C.) centered on a set temperature (for example, −10 ° C.). Controlled to hold

  The supply pipe 5 supplies the developer 11 stored in the storage unit 4 toward the substrate 6 to be processed. The substrate 6 to be processed is set in the processing chamber 7 of the development processing unit 3 as an example of a substrate to which a liquid (developer in this embodiment) is to be supplied. The substrate 6 to be processed is a substrate having an exposed resist film. As an example of the substrate 6 to be processed, a mold substrate for nanoimprinting can be cited. A mold substrate for nanoimprinting (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “mold substrate”) is a substrate that serves as a base material for a master mold that serves as an original mold when a pattern is transferred by a nanoimprinting method.

  The supply pipe 5 is configured using, for example, an elongated hollow pipe having a circular cross section. One end of the supply pipe 5 is a take-in part 13, and the other end is a discharge part 14. The take-in part 13 of the supply pipe 5 is opened to take the developer 11 into the pipe. The discharge portion 14 of the supply pipe 5 is opened to discharge the developer 11 toward the substrate 6 to be processed. The discharge part 14 may be a simple opening, or may have a structure like a shower head provided with a plurality of small openings. Further, the discharge unit 14 may have a spray-like structure that ejects the developer 11 in a mist form.

  The take-in part 13 of the supply pipe 5 is arranged in the storage part 4 of the developer supply part 2. Further, the discharge section 14 of the supply pipe 5 is disposed in the processing chamber 11 of the development processing section 3. The supply pipe 5 is piped so that the flow path of the developer 11 is formed between the intake part 13 as the most upstream part and the discharge part 14 as the most downstream part. Specifically, the supply pipe 5 is piped so as to lead out from the inside of the storage section 4 to the outside. Furthermore, the lead-out portion of the supply pipe 5 outside the storage unit 4 extends through the outer wall portion of the development processing unit 3 into the processing chamber 7 and is piped to a position facing the holding unit 8 in the processing chamber 7. Has been. The position facing the holding unit 8 is a position where the developer 11 discharged from the discharge unit 14 of the supply pipe 5 can be supplied to the substrate 6 to be processed held by the holding unit 8. In the illustrated example, the discharge section 14 located on the most downstream side of the supply pipe 5 is disposed immediately above the substrate 6 to be processed held by the holding section 8.

  In addition, an on-off valve 15 and a pump 16 are provided in the middle of the supply pipe 5 as an example of an accessory member attached to the supply pipe 5. The on-off valve 15 is disposed inside the storage unit 4, and more specifically, is disposed in the sealed space 12 in the storage unit 4. The pump 16 is disposed outside the storage unit 4, and more specifically, is disposed in the vicinity of the storage unit 4.

  Both the on-off valve 15 and the pump 16 correspond to members for controlling the flow of the developer 11 in the supply pipe 5. That is, when supplying the developing solution 11 through the supply pipe 5, the on-off valve 15 allows the flow of the developing solution 11 by opening the pipe line of the supply pipe 5, and the pipe line of the supply pipe 5. Is closed to prevent the developer 11 from flowing. When the flow of the developer 11 is permitted by the on-off valve 15, the supply of the developer 11 through the supply pipe 5 is started. If the flow of the developer 11 is blocked by the on-off valve 15, the supply of the developer 11 through the supply pipe 5 is stopped. Therefore, the on-off valve 15 serves as a member that functions to start or stop the supply of the developer 11.

  The pump 16 generates power for generating a flow of the developer 11 along the supply pipe 5 when the pump 16 is actually driven. When supplying the developer 11 through the supply pipe 5, the pump 16 applies pressure to the developer 11 for suction and transfer of the developer 11. That is, the pump 16 serves as a drive source for sucking the developer 11 stored in the storage unit 4 into the supply pipe 5 and transferring the sucked developer 11 along the supply pipe 5. Therefore, in the state where the driving of the pump 16 is stopped (off state), the flow of the developing solution 11 is not formed inside the supply pipe 5, but in the state where the driving of the pump 16 is started or continued (on state), the supply is performed. A flow of the developer 11 is formed inside the tube 5. The driving (on / off) state of the pump 16 can be controlled by, for example, a main control unit of a resist developing device (not shown).

  The supply pipe 5 led out of the storage unit 4 is covered with a jacket 17. The jacket 17 is provided in a part of the supply pipe 5 as an example of a temperature adjustment unit. The jacket 17 is interposed between the supply pipe 5 and the surrounding outside air (atmosphere) to form a temperature adjustment function. More preferably, the jacket 17 is circulated by supplying a coolant around the supply pipe 5. Accordingly, the developer 11 in the supply pipe 5 has a function (cooling function) for maintaining the same temperature (set temperature) as that in the storage unit 4. The jacket 17 has, for example, a multiple tube structure (including a double tube structure) centered on the supply tube 5.

  For example, the jacket 17 has a triple pipe structure including the supply pipe 5 as shown in FIG. The supply pipe 5 is a pipe located on the innermost side, a second pipe 18 having a diameter larger than that of the supply pipe 5 is disposed on the outer side thereof, and a second pipe on the outer side (that is, the outermost side). A third pipe 19 having a diameter larger than 18 is arranged. In this triple-pipe structure jacket 17, for example, a cooling liquid circulates between the outer peripheral surface of the supply pipe 5 and the inner peripheral surface of the second pipe 18 in order to form a cooling layer 18 a there. ing. Further, for example, air is circulated between the outer peripheral surface of the second tube 18 and the inner peripheral surface of the third tube 19 in order to form a heat insulating layer 19a therein.

  The jacket 17 is continuous in the length direction of the supply pipe 5 with a pipe portion extending from the storage section 4 to the processing chamber 7 of the development processing section 3 and a pipe section reaching the position facing the holding section 8 in the processing chamber 7. It is provided in a state covering the supply pipe 5. The jacket 17 is a pipe portion extending from the storage section 4 to the processing chamber 7 of the development processing section 3, and is provided in a state of covering the supply pipe 5 on the upstream side and the downstream side except for the attachment portion of the pump 16. It has been.

  The supply pipe 5 piped in the storage section 4 is not covered with the jacket 17 including the pipe part immersed in the developer 11, but the supply pipe 5 in this part is not covered with the jacket 17. It does not matter if you cover it with. In that case, it is difficult to cover the attachment portion of the on-off valve 15 with the jacket 17 for the reason described above, and therefore, the piping portion excluding the attachment portion may be covered with the jacket 17.

(Configuration of development processing section)
The development processing unit 3 includes the processing chamber 7, the holding unit 8, and the driving unit 9 as described above. Among these, the holding unit 8 is configured by using a table 21 that supports the substrate 6 to be processed in a fixed state, and a spindle shaft 22 connected to the table 21. For example, if the substrate 6 to be processed is a disk, the table 21 is formed in a circular shape in plan view similar to this. In the illustrated example, the outer diameter of the table 21 is larger than the outer diameter of the substrate 6 to be processed. However, the magnitude relationship between the two is not limited to this, and the same outer diameter may be used. It may be a large or small relationship. Moreover, the planar view shape of the table 21 is not limited to a circle, but may be a polygon including a rectangle.

  The table 21 has at least a surface facing the substrate 6 to be processed (table upper surface in the illustrated example) disposed horizontally. The table 21 supports the substrate 6 to be processed from the lower surface side with the substrate 6 to be processed placed on the upper surface of the table. The table 21 is configured to fix the substrate 6 to be processed by a vacuum suction method. Specifically, the table 21 has a plurality of suction holes (or suction grooves) on its upper surface, and a suction force by vacuuming is applied to the lower surface of the substrate 6 to be processed through these suction holes. 6 can be adsorbed (vacuum adsorbed). However, the support structure by the table 21 is not limited to the vacuum suction method described here, and is a configuration in which the substrate 6 to be processed is supported in a fixed state by another method (for example, an abutment method using pins or the like). May be.

  The spindle shaft 22 is a shaft that is rotationally driven by the driving force of the driving unit 9. The spindle shaft 22 is coupled to the center portion on the lower surface side of the table 21 using fastening means such as bolts, for example. For this reason, when the spindle shaft 22 rotates, the table 21 rotates integrally therewith. The spindle shaft 22 is disposed so as to penetrate the bottom wall of the processing chamber 7 partitioned by a box-shaped wall. Further, a seal member 23 is provided in a portion where the spindle shaft 22 penetrates in the bottom wall of the processing chamber 7. The seal member 23 prevents leakage of liquid (including the developing solution 11) from the penetrating portion of the spindle shaft 22 to the outside of the processing chamber 7 while allowing the spindle shaft 22 to rotate. The drive unit 9 is disposed in a lower chamber 24 that is partitioned from the processing chamber 7 by a wall. The drive unit 9 is configured using, for example, a motor that is a rotation drive source, and a drive force transmission mechanism (gear train or the like) that transmits the drive force of the motor to the spindle shaft 22, although not shown.

  Although not shown in FIG. 1, the resist developing apparatus 1 includes a rinse liquid supply unit as an additional functional unit. The rinsing liquid supply unit is a functional unit for supplying a rinsing liquid to the substrate to be processed 6 that has undergone the development process and performing a rinsing process.

<2. Operation of resist developing apparatus>
Next, the operation of the resist developing apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described. The operation of the resist developing apparatus 1 is performed based on the control command from the main control unit described above.

  First, for the developer supply unit 2, the temperature of the developer 11 stored in the storage unit 4 is controlled by liquid temperature control means (not shown), whereby the developer 11 in the storage unit 4 is set to a set temperature (for example, -10 ° C). On the other hand, with respect to the development processing unit 3, after the substrate 6 to be processed is placed on the table 21 of the holding unit 8, the substrate 6 to be processed is supported in a fixed state by vacuum suction or the like. Next, the drive unit 9 is driven to rotate the spindle shaft 22. As a result, the table 21 supporting the substrate 6 to be processed is rotated integrally with the spindle shaft 22.

  Under such a state, by opening the on-off valve 15 in the storage unit 4 and driving the pump 16, the developer 11 in the storage unit 4 is taken into the supply pipe 5 and this supply is performed. The developer 11 is sent out to the development processing unit 3 side through the tube 5. Then, the developer 11 is discharged from the discharge portion 14 located on the most downstream side of the supply pipe 5. At this time, if the target substrate 6 is horizontally supported by the table 21 of the holding unit 8 and the table 21 is rotated by driving of the driving unit 9, the developer 11 discharged from the discharge unit 14 of the supply pipe 5 is discharged. It is supplied to the entire substrate 6 to be processed. As a result, the soluble part of the exposed resist film formed on the surface (upper surface) of the substrate 6 to be processed is dissolved and removed by a chemical reaction with the developer 11.

  As a result, the substrate 6 to be processed is developed in the processing chamber 7. Incidentally, when a resist film is formed using a negative resist during the formation and exposure of the resist film on the substrate 6 to be processed, a portion that has not been exposed in the subsequent exposure processing becomes a soluble portion. On the other hand, when a resist film is formed using a positive resist, a portion exposed in the subsequent exposure process becomes a soluble portion. Therefore, when the development process is performed, the following resist pattern is obtained. That is, when a negative resist is used, a resist pattern in which the exposure pattern is reversed can be obtained. When a positive resist is used, a resist pattern that matches the exposure pattern can be obtained.

  After completing the development processing, the supply of the developer 11 is stopped by switching the open / close valve 15 from the open state to the closed state, and then the driving of the pump 16 is stopped as necessary. Next, a rinsing process is performed by supplying a rinsing liquid to the substrate 6 to be processed by a rinsing liquid supply unit (not shown). Next, after the rinsing process is finished, the supply of the rinsing liquid is stopped and spin drying is performed, and then the drive of the drive unit 9 is stopped. Thereby, the rotation of the spindle shaft 22 and the table 21 is stopped.

  Thereafter, when the next substrate to be processed 6 is developed, the developed substrate to be processed 6 is removed from the table 21 of the holding unit 8, and instead, the undeveloped substrate 6 to be processed is held in the holding unit 8 in the same manner as described above. Hold on. Thereafter, development processing, rinsing processing, and drying processing (spin drying) of the substrate 6 to be processed are performed in the same procedure as described above.

  In the operation of the resist developing apparatus 1 described above, after the development processing of the nth substrate (n is a natural number) is finished, the development processing of the (n + 1) th substrate 6 is started. The supply of the developer 11 is maintained in a stopped state by the on-off valve 15. For this reason, the developer 11 remains in the supply pipe 5 during that time. When the development processing of the (n + 1) th substrate to be processed 6 is started, the developer 11 remaining in the supply pipe 5 until then is directed from the discharge portion 14 of the supply pipe 5 toward the substrate 6 to be processed. Supplied.

  In that case, the temperature of the developer 11 remaining in the supply pipe 5 is maintained at a temperature equivalent to that of the developer 11 in the reservoir 4 by the jacket 17. For this reason, the temperature of the developing solution 11 discharged from the discharge unit 14 of the supply pipe 5 by resuming the developing process becomes the same temperature as the developing solution 11 in the storage unit 4. Therefore, when starting the development processing of the (n + 1) th substrate 6 to be processed, temperature fluctuations (particularly, initial temperature fluctuations) of the developer 11 supplied to the substrate 6 to be processed are suppressed.

  Further, the supply pipe 5 piped in the storage section 4 and the on-off valve 15 attached thereto are not covered by the jacket 17, but the sealed space 12 in which those attached members are arranged is at the temperature of the developer 11. Maintained at close temperature. For example, when the temperature of the developer 11 in the storage unit 4 is controlled to be −10 ° C., the sealed space 12 is maintained at a temperature of about −7 ° C. The reason is that the liquid level of the developer 11 controlled to a constant temperature state faces the sealed space 12, and the air in the sealed space 12 is cooled by touching the liquid level. Therefore, the supply pipe 5 and the on-off valve 15 are kept at a low temperature as in the sealed space 12. For this reason, even if the supply pipe 5 and the on-off valve 15 are not covered with the jacket 17, their attached members have little influence on the temperature fluctuation of the developing solution 11 in the supply pipe 5.

<3. Effects of the embodiment>
According to the resist developing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

  That is, as the configuration of the resist developing apparatus 1, a sealed storage unit 4 is employed, and an opening / closing valve 15 is provided inside the storage unit 4 and in the middle of the supply pipe 5. It is not necessary to provide the opening / closing valve 15 in the middle of the piping of the supply pipe 5 drawn out. For this reason, the entire supply pipe 5 can be covered with the jacket 17 outside the storage section 4 without being obstructed by the presence of the on-off valve 15.

  Even if the developer 11 remains in the supply pipe 5 outside the reservoir 4, the temperature of the residual developer can be maintained at the same temperature as the developer 11 in the reservoir 4 by the jacket 17. . As a result, the substrate to be processed from the supply pipe 5 is compared with the conventional apparatus configuration (a structure in which an opening / closing valve is attached in the middle of the pipe of the supply pipe outside the storage section, and the portion excluding the attachment portion is covered with a jacket). 6 can suppress temperature fluctuations of the developer 11 supplied to. For this reason, for example, in the change or changeover of the production lot, etc., from the development processing of the last substrate 6 of the previous lot to the development processing of the first substrate 6 of the next lot. The developer 11 maintained at a low temperature by the covering of the jacket 17 can be supplied to the first substrate to be processed 6 even if the time of (1) becomes longer. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress the initial temperature fluctuation of the developer 11 supplied to the substrate 6 to be processed by restarting the development process at the change of the production lot.

  As a result, it is possible to form a pattern (resist pattern) with high resolution while suppressing uneven dissolution during development caused by temperature fluctuations of the developer 11. This effect can be obtained, for example, when the development process is temporarily stopped for maintenance of the resist development apparatus 1 and then the maintenance process is completed and the development process is resumed, or because of various other factors. This is also obtained in the case where a predetermined time or more has elapsed from the completion of the process until the current development process is restarted.

  In particular, when the substrate 6 to be processed is a mold substrate for nanoimprinting, the temperature variation of the developer 11 supplied to the substrate 6 to be processed is reduced, so that a fine uneven pattern can be formed with high accuracy. It becomes possible. The reason for this is that when forming a concavo-convex pattern on a mold substrate for nanoimprinting, the development temperature is lowered and the development process is performed to reduce the resolution of development due to the shape collapse at the edge of the pattern. This is because it can be prevented. In particular, when development processing is performed at a temperature set to 0 ° C. or lower, the effect is remarkable. Under such circumstances, if the configuration of the resist developing device 1 is employed, the temperature of the developer 11 is maintained at a low temperature of 0 ° C. or less, and the temperature of the developer 11 is not changed in the middle of the supply pipe 5. Can be supplied to the substrate 6 to be processed. For this reason, when a mold substrate for nanoimprinting is developed as the substrate 6 to be processed, it is possible to realize formation of a fine uneven pattern at a nano level.

  Further, since the liquid level of the developer 11 stored in the storage unit 4 is defined as a sealed space 12 and the on-off valve 15 is disposed in the sealed space 12, the low temperature energy of the developer 11 in the storage unit 4 is obtained. The on-off valve 15 can be cooled using it. This makes it possible to increase the resolution of resist development in the low-temperature development method by efficiently using low-temperature energy provided by liquid temperature control means (not shown) attached to the storage unit 4.

<4. Modified example>
The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications and improvements as long as the specific effects obtained by the constituent elements of the invention and combinations thereof can be derived. Hereinafter, specific modifications will be described.

(First modification)
FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a first modification of the resist developing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the first modification, the arrangement of the on-off valve 15 in the storage unit 4 is different from the configuration of the resist developing apparatus according to the above embodiment. That is, in the above-described embodiment, the on-off valve 15 is disposed in the sealed space 12 in the storage unit 4. However, in the first modification, the on-off valve 15 is contained in the developer 11 stored in the storage unit 4. Is placed. Even when the on-off valve 15 is arranged in the reservoir 4 as in the first modification, the same effect as in the above embodiment can be obtained. In addition, as an arrangement state of the on-off valve 15 in the storage unit 4, a part (upper part) of the on-off valve 15 is arranged in the sealed space 12 and the other part (lower part) is immersed in the developer 11. It may be in a state of being arranged.

(Second modification)
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a second modification of the resist developing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the second modification, the arrangement of the pump 16 is different from the configuration of the resist developing apparatus according to the above embodiment. That is, in the said embodiment, although the pump 16 was arrange | positioned outside the storage part 4, the pump 16 is arrange | positioned with the on-off valve 15 in the storage part 4 in the 2nd modification. Specifically, an on-off valve 15 and a pump 16 are disposed in the sealed space 12 of the storage unit 4. When the on-off valve 15 and the pump 16 are arranged in the storage unit 4 as in the second modification, it is not necessary to provide the pump 16 in the middle of the piping outside the storage unit 4. Instead, the entire supply pipe 5 can be covered with the jacket 17 outside the storage section 4. For this reason, the construction of the jacket 17 is facilitated compared to the above embodiment.

  Further, as a combination of the first modification and the second modification, although not shown, both the on-off valve 15 and the pump 16 are soaked in the liquid of the developer 11 stored in the storage unit 4. May be. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which one of the on-off valve 15 and the pump 16 is disposed so as to be immersed in the developer 11 and the other is disposed in the sealed space 12.

  Further, the attachment member provided along with the supply pipe 5 is not limited to the on-off valve 15 and the pump 16 described above, and is a member attached to the supply pipe 5 for controlling the flow of the developer 11 (liquid). I just need it. Specifically, for example, a valve member (such as a flow rate control valve) other than the on-off valve or a joint member such as a T-shaped joint may be disposed in the storage unit 4 as an accessory member. Any of these attachment members can be a temperature fluctuation factor when attached to a pipe portion outside the storage portion. For this reason, if the said attachment member is arrange | positioned in the storage part 4, a desired effect will be acquired.

  In addition, the liquid supply apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the liquid cooled to a constant temperature like the developer 11 described above, but is a liquid heated to a constant temperature or a constant temperature within a range of room temperature. The present invention can be widely applied to liquid supply apparatuses that supply a controlled liquid to a target substrate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Resist developing device 2 ... Developer supply part 3 ... Development processing part 4 ... Storage part 5 ... Supply pipe 6 ... Substrate 7 ... Processing chamber 8 ... Holding part 11 ... Developer 12 ... Sealed space 15 ... On-off valve 16 ... Pump 17 ... Jacket

Claims (7)

A sealed storage section for storing a liquid controlled in a constant temperature state;
A holding unit for holding a substrate to which the liquid stored in the storage unit is to be supplied;
The pipe is led out from the inside of the storage part to the outside of the storage part, and the lead-out part is piped up to a position facing the holding part, and the storage is performed toward the base held by the holding part. A supply pipe for supplying the liquid in the section;
An auxiliary member provided attached to the supply pipe in the middle of the supply pipe;
The liquid supply apparatus, wherein the attachment member is disposed inside the storage unit. The reservoir has a sealed space on the liquid level of the liquid stored in the reservoir,
The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the attachment member is disposed in the sealed space of the storage unit. The liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment member is at least one of a joint member and a valve member. The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a temperature adjustment unit is provided in a part of the supply pipe. A resist developing apparatus for supplying a developing solution to a substrate to be processed and developing the substrate,
A sealed reservoir for storing the developer controlled to a constant temperature;
A holding unit for holding the substrate to be processed;
Piped to lead out from the inside of the storage part to the outside of the storage part, and piped to a position where the lead-out part faces the holding part, toward the substrate to be processed held by the holding part A supply pipe for supplying the developer in the reservoir;
An auxiliary member provided attached to the supply pipe in the middle of the supply pipe;
The resist developing apparatus, wherein the attachment member is disposed inside the storage unit. The resist developing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processing target substrate to which the developer is supplied is a mold substrate for nanoimprinting. The resist developing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a liquid temperature control unit configured to control the developer stored in the storage unit to a low temperature of 0 ° C. or less.

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