JP2016184672A - Coating liquid supply device, cleaning method in coating liquid supply device and computer storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coating liquid supply device for cleaning a coating liquid supply nozzle and a nozzle bath waiting for the nozzle efficiently.SOLUTION: A coating liquid supply device for supplying the coating liquid to a wafer has: a supply nozzle in which a supply hole for supplying the coating liquid is formed; a nozzle bath 155 including a housing section 160 for housing the supply nozzle; a first photocatalyst layer 161 formed on the outer side face of the supply nozzle and at at least the tip of the supply hole 152a of the supply nozzle; a second photocatalyst layer formed on the inner side face of the housing section 160 of the nozzle bath 155; light sources 164, 173 for irradiating the first photocatalyst layer 161 and second photocatalyst layer with photocatalyst possible light; and cleaning nozzle 170 disposed in the nozzle bath 155, and discharging the cleaning liquid to the supply nozzle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a coating liquid supply apparatus that supplies a coating liquid to a substrate, a cleaning method in the coating liquid supply apparatus, and a computer storage medium.

  For example, in a photolithography process in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, for example, a resist coating process for coating a resist solution on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as “wafer”) as a substrate to form a resist film; A predetermined resist pattern is formed on the wafer by sequentially performing an exposure process for exposing the wafer and a developing process for developing the exposed resist film. The processing of these wafers is continuously performed in a single wafer manner in a coating processing system provided with a number of various processing apparatuses.

  Liquid processing such as resist coating processing and development processing performed in this coating processing system is performed by an apparatus including a spin chuck that mounts, holds, and rotates a wafer and a nozzle that discharges a predetermined coating liquid from above the wafer. Is called. For example, at the time of resist coating processing, the wafer is placed on the spin chuck, the spin chuck is rotated, the resist solution is discharged from the nozzle to the central portion of the rotating wafer, and the resist solution is entirely discharged from the central portion of the wafer. Spread. Further, at the time of development processing, for example, a nozzle having a length corresponding to the diameter of the wafer and having a large number of discharge ports is supplied from the outer peripheral edge of the wafer to the outer peripheral edge on the opposite side while supplying the developer. By moving, the developer is supplied into the wafer surface.

  In such a liquid treatment, the coating liquid may dry and solidify at the tip of the nozzle, which may cause particles or be unable to supply the coating liquid to a desired position. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, a photocatalyst is provided in the flow path through which the coating liquid flows at the nozzle tip, and the photocatalyst is irradiated with light of a predetermined wavelength, whereby the dried and solidified deposits are decomposed to remove the nozzle. A method to keep it normal has been proposed.

JP 2011-173091 A

  However, in the method of Patent Document 1, the coating solution adhering to the nozzle cannot be completely removed, and coating defects are caused by particles that are considered to be caused by drying and solidification of the coating solution. It is considered that this is because the coating liquid adheres to the outer surface of the nozzle and the side surface of the nozzle bath that waits for the nozzle, other than the tip of the nozzle, and the nozzle is thereby contaminated.

  For such dirt on the outer surface of the nozzle, there is a method of cleaning by supplying a cleaning liquid to the nozzle in a nozzle bath, for example, but it is difficult to wash away the adhered foreign matter with only the cleaning liquid, The consumption of the cleaning liquid becomes enormous. In addition, the time required for cleaning becomes longer.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object thereof is to efficiently clean a coating liquid supply apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a coating liquid supply apparatus for supplying a coating liquid to a substrate, and includes a supply nozzle having a supply hole for supplying the coating liquid, and the supply nozzle A nozzle bath provided with an accommodating portion, a first photocatalyst layer formed on at least a tip portion of the supply nozzle and an outer surface of the supply nozzle, and an inner surface of the accommodating portion of the nozzle bath. A second photocatalyst layer, a light source that irradiates the first photocatalyst layer and the second photocatalyst layer with light that can be photocatalyzed, and a cleaning that is disposed in the nozzle bath and that discharges a cleaning liquid to the supply nozzle And a nozzle.

  According to the present invention, since the light source for irradiating each photocatalyst layer formed on the supply nozzle and the nozzle bath and the cleaning nozzle for discharging the cleaning liquid to the supply nozzle are provided, for example, the coating liquid is dried. Foreign matter derived from the fixation can be decomposed by the photocatalyst. Therefore, by washing the foreign matter after decomposition with the cleaning liquid, the foreign matter can be easily removed and the supply amount of the cleaning liquid can be reduced. In addition, the cleaning time can be shortened at the same time.

  The light source includes a first light source that irradiates light to the supply nozzle from above the supply nozzle, and a second light source that irradiates light to the supply nozzle from a lower end side of the accommodating portion of the nozzle bath. , You may have.

  The nozzle nozzle further includes another nozzle bath provided adjacent to the nozzle bath, the other nozzle bath including another accommodating portion that accommodates the supply nozzle, and a first of the supply nozzles accommodated in the other accommodating portion. The 3rd light source which irradiates the light which can be photocatalyzed from the side may be provided with respect to this photocatalyst layer.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coating liquid supply apparatus for supplying a coating liquid to a substrate, wherein a liquid contact surface is formed on a lower surface of a cylindrical main body, and the liquid coating is supplied to the liquid contact surface. A supply nozzle having a supply hole formed therein, a nozzle bath for waiting the supply nozzle, the liquid contact surface of the supply nozzle, a side surface of the supply nozzle, and at least a tip portion of the supply hole of the supply nozzle. It has a photocatalyst layer, a light source that irradiates photocatalytic light to the photocatalyst layer, and a cleaning nozzle that is disposed in the nozzle bath and discharges a cleaning liquid to the supply nozzle.

  The bottom surface of the nozzle bath is formed of a transmission member that transmits the wavelength of light emitted from the light source, and the light source may be disposed below the nozzle bath so as to face the liquid contact surface of the supply nozzle. Good.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cleaning method in a coating liquid supply apparatus for supplying a coating liquid to a substrate, comprising a supply hole for supplying the coating liquid, and an outer surface and at least a tip of the supply hole The supply nozzle having the first photocatalyst layer formed on the part is irradiated with light capable of photocatalysis and includes a storage part for storing the supply nozzle, and the second photocatalyst layer is provided on the inner surface of the storage part. The formed nozzle bath is irradiated with light capable of photocatalysis, and a cleaning liquid is supplied to the supply nozzle accommodated in the accommodating portion.

  The irradiation of the light to the supply nozzle and the supply of the cleaning liquid may be performed in a state where the supply nozzle is accommodated in an accommodating portion of the nozzle bath.

  The light irradiation to the supply nozzle is performed by irradiating the supply nozzle with light from the first light source that irradiates light to the supply nozzle from above the supply nozzle, and the lower end side of the accommodating portion of the nozzle bath. The second light source may be used.

  The coating liquid supply device further includes another nozzle bath provided adjacent to the nozzle bath and provided with another storage portion for storing the supply nozzle, and the other nozzle bath includes the other storage portion. A third light source for irradiating the photocatalystable light to the first photocatalyst layer of the supplied supply nozzle is provided, and at least before or after irradiation of the light and supply of the cleaning liquid in the nozzle bath In any case, the supply nozzle may be accommodated in the accommodating portion of the other nozzle bath, and light may be emitted from the third light source to the supply nozzle.

  A cleaning method in a coating liquid supply apparatus for supplying a coating liquid to a substrate, comprising: a liquid contact surface formed on a bottom surface of a cylindrical main body, and a supply hole for supplying the coating liquid to the liquid contact surface Irradiating photocatalytic light to the photocatalytic layer formed on the liquid contact surface, the side surface, and the tip of the supply hole, and supplying a cleaning liquid to the supply nozzle, The irradiation of the light to the supply nozzle and the supply of the cleaning liquid may be performed by a nozzle bath that makes the supply nozzle stand by.

  The bottom surface of the nozzle bath may be formed of a transmission member that transmits a wavelength of light applied to the photocatalyst layer, and the light irradiation to the supply nozzle may be performed through the transmission member.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a readable program storing a program that operates on a computer of a control unit that controls the coating liquid supply apparatus so that the cleaning method is executed by the coating liquid supply apparatus. A computer storage medium is provided

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a coating liquid supply apparatus can be wash | cleaned efficiently.

It is a top view which shows the outline of a structure of the substrate processing system concerning this Embodiment. It is a front view which shows the outline of a structure of the substrate processing system concerning this Embodiment. It is a rear view which shows the outline of a structure of the substrate processing system concerning this Embodiment. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of a resist coating apparatus. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of a resist coating device. It is explanatory drawing of the longitudinal cross-section which shows the outline of a structure in the vicinity of a supply nozzle and a nozzle bath. It is explanatory drawing of the longitudinal cross-section which shows the outline of a structure in the vicinity of a supply nozzle and a nozzle bath. It is a perspective view which shows the outline of a structure of a 3rd light source and another accommodating part. It is explanatory drawing of the plane which shows the state which moved the nozzle head above the center part of the wafer. It is explanatory drawing of the plane which shows the state which moved the nozzle head to the bus | bath for light irradiation. It is explanatory drawing of the plane which shows the state which moved the nozzle head to the front of the other wafer. It is explanatory drawing of the plane which shows the state which moved the nozzle head above the center part of the other wafer. It is a top view which shows the outline of a structure of the supply nozzle vicinity concerning other embodiment. It is explanatory drawing of the longitudinal cross-section which shows the outline of the structure of the supply nozzle vicinity concerning other embodiment. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of the resist coating apparatus concerning other embodiment. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of a development processing apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the outline of a structure of the supply nozzle which supplies a developing solution. It is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of a configuration of a nozzle bath provided in the development processing apparatus.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a configuration of a substrate processing system 1 including a coating liquid supply apparatus according to the present embodiment. 2 and 3 are a front view and a rear view, respectively, schematically showing the outline of the internal configuration of the substrate processing system 1. In the present embodiment, a case where the substrate processing system 1 is a coating and developing processing system that performs photolithography processing on the wafer W will be described as an example. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 1 includes a cassette station 10 in which a cassette C containing a plurality of wafers W is loaded and unloaded, and a processing station 11 having a plurality of various processing apparatuses for performing predetermined processing on the wafers W. And an interface station 13 that transfers the wafer W to and from the exposure apparatus 12 adjacent to the processing station 11 is integrally connected.

  The cassette station 10 is provided with a cassette mounting table 20. The cassette mounting table 20 is provided with a plurality of cassette mounting plates 21 on which the cassette C is mounted when the cassette C is carried into and out of the substrate processing system 1.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the cassette station 10 is provided with a wafer transfer device 23 that is movable on a transfer path 22 that extends in the X direction. The wafer transfer device 23 is also movable in the vertical direction and the vertical axis direction (θ direction), and includes a cassette C on each cassette mounting plate 21 and a delivery device for a third block G3 of the processing station 11 described later. The wafer W can be transferred between the two.

  The processing station 11 is provided with a plurality of, for example, four blocks G1, G2, G3, and G4 having various devices. For example, the first block G1 is provided on the front side of the processing station 11 (X direction negative direction side in FIG. 1), and the second block is provided on the back side of the processing station 11 (X direction positive direction side in FIG. 1). Block G2 is provided. A third block G3 is provided on the cassette station 10 side (Y direction negative direction side in FIG. 1) of the processing station 11, and the interface station 13 side (Y direction positive direction side in FIG. 1) of the processing station 11 is provided. Is provided with a fourth block G4.

  For example, in the first block G1, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of coating processing apparatuses, for example, a development processing apparatus 30 for developing the wafer W, an antireflection film (hereinafter referred to as “lower antireflection”) under the resist film of the wafer W. A lower antireflection film forming device 31 for forming a film), a resist coating device 32 for applying a resist solution to the wafer W to form a resist film, and an antireflection film (hereinafter referred to as “upper reflection” on the resist film of the wafer W). An upper antireflection film forming device 33 for forming an “antireflection film” is arranged in this order from the bottom.

  For example, three development processing devices 30, a lower antireflection film forming device 31, a resist coating device 32, and an upper antireflection film forming device 33 are arranged in a horizontal direction. The number and arrangement of the development processing device 30, the lower antireflection film forming device 31, the resist coating device 32, and the upper antireflection film forming device 33 can be arbitrarily selected.

  In the development processing device 30, the lower antireflection film forming device 31, the resist coating device 32, and the upper antireflection film forming device 33, for example, spin coating for applying a predetermined coating solution onto the wafer W is performed. In spin coating, for example, a coating liquid is discharged onto the wafer W from a coating nozzle, and the wafer W is rotated to diffuse the coating liquid to the surface of the wafer W. The configuration of the coating processing apparatus such as the development processing apparatus 30 will be described later.

  For example, in the second block G2, as shown in FIG. 3, a heat treatment apparatus 40 for performing heat treatment such as heating and cooling of the wafer W, an adhesion apparatus 41 for improving the fixability between the resist solution and the wafer W, and the wafer W A peripheral exposure device 42 for exposing the outer peripheral portion is provided side by side in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. The number and arrangement of the heat treatment apparatus 40, the adhesion apparatus 41, and the peripheral exposure apparatus 42 can be arbitrarily selected.

  For example, in the third block G3, a plurality of delivery devices 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, and 56 are provided in order from the bottom. The fourth block G4 is provided with a plurality of delivery devices 60, 61, 62 in order from the bottom.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a wafer transfer region D is formed in a region surrounded by the first block G1 to the fourth block G4. In the wafer transfer region D, for example, a plurality of wafer transfer devices 70 having transfer arms that are movable in the Y direction, the X direction, the θ direction, and the vertical direction are arranged. The wafer transfer device 70 moves in the wafer transfer area D and transfers the wafer W to a predetermined device in the surrounding first block G1, second block G2, third block G3, and fourth block G4. it can.

  Further, in the wafer transfer region D, a shuttle transfer device 80 that transfers the wafer W linearly between the third block G3 and the fourth block G4 is provided.

  The shuttle conveyance device 80 is linearly movable in the Y direction of FIG. 3, for example. The shuttle transfer device 80 moves in the Y direction while supporting the wafer W, and can transfer the wafer W between the transfer device 52 of the third block G3 and the transfer device 62 of the fourth block G4.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a wafer transfer apparatus 100 is provided next to the third block G3 on the positive side in the X direction. The wafer transfer apparatus 100 has a transfer arm that is movable in the X direction, the θ direction, and the vertical direction, for example. The wafer transfer device 100 can move up and down while supporting the wafer W, and can transfer the wafer W to each delivery device in the third block G3.

  The interface station 13 is provided with a wafer transfer device 110 and a delivery device 111. The wafer transfer device 110 has a transfer arm that is movable in the Y direction, the θ direction, and the vertical direction, for example. The wafer transfer device 110 can transfer the wafer W between each transfer device, the transfer device 111, and the exposure device 12 in the fourth block G4, for example, by supporting the wafer W on a transfer arm.

  Next, the configuration of the resist coating apparatus 32 as the above-described coating processing apparatus will be described. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the resist coating apparatus 32 has a processing container 130 that can be sealed inside. A wafer W loading / unloading port (not shown) is formed on the side surface of the processing container 130.

  A plurality of, for example, two spin chucks 140 that hold and rotate the wafer W are provided in the processing container 130 along the Y direction. The spin chuck 140 can be rotated at a predetermined speed by a chuck driving unit 141 such as a motor. Further, the chuck driving unit 141 is provided with an elevating drive mechanism such as a cylinder, and the spin chuck 140 can be moved up and down.

  Around each spin chuck 140, there are provided cups 142 for receiving and recovering the liquid scattered or dropped from the wafer W. A discharge pipe 143 that discharges the collected liquid and an exhaust pipe 144 that exhausts the atmosphere in the cup 142 are connected to the lower surface of the cup 142. Each spin chuck 140 and each cup 142 are arranged side by side along the Y direction in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a rail 150 extending along the Y direction is formed on the negative side of the cup 142 in the X direction. For example, the rail 150 is formed from the outside of the cup 142 located on the Y direction negative direction side in FIG. 5 to the outside of the other cup 142 on the Y direction positive direction side. An arm 151 is attached to the rail 150.

  A plurality of supply nozzles 152 for supplying a resist solution as a coating solution are supported on the arm 151 via a nozzle head 153. 4 and 5 depict a state where five supply nozzles 152 are provided in the nozzle head 153, the number of supply nozzles 152 is limited to the contents of the present embodiment. Rather, it can be set arbitrarily. The arm 151 is movable on the rail 150 by an arm driving unit 154. Thereby, the supply nozzle 152 can move from the outside of the cup 142 positioned on the Y direction negative direction side in FIG. 5 to the outside of the other cup 142 on the Y direction positive direction side, for example. Further, the arm 151 can be moved up and down by the arm driving unit 154 and can be moved along the X direction in FIG. 5, and the height of the supply nozzle 152 and the position in the X direction can be adjusted.

  In addition, the arm driving unit 154 is provided with a nozzle bus 155 for waiting the supply nozzle 152 and a light irradiation bus 156 as another nozzle bus. Therefore, the nozzle bath 155 and the light irradiation bus 156 are movable on the rail 150 as in the case of the supply nozzle 152. 5 illustrates a state in which the nozzle bus 155 is disposed on the negative side in the X direction and the light irradiation bus 156 is disposed on the positive direction side in the X direction, the nozzle bath is illustrated on the positive direction side in the X direction. 155 may be provided.

  As shown in FIG. 5, for example, the same number of accommodating portions 160 as the supply nozzles 152 provided in the nozzle head 153 are provided in the nozzle bath 155 at positions corresponding to the supply nozzles 152. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the accommodating portion 160 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the supply nozzle 152 and can accommodate the supply nozzle 152 therein. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a vertical section viewed from the side, showing an outline of the configuration in the vicinity of the supply nozzle 152 and the nozzle bath 155, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a vertical section viewed from the front.

As shown in FIG. 6, a first photocatalyst layer 161 is formed on the outer surface of the supply nozzle 152 and the tip of the supply hole 152 a provided in the supply nozzle 152. Note that the first photocatalyst layer 161 provided in the supply hole 152a is not limited to the tip portion, and may be formed on the entire surface of the supply hole 152a as long as it is formed at least at the tip portion. The supply nozzle 152 is connected to the nozzle head 153 via a support member 162 provided on the lower surface of the nozzle head 153. A first light source 164 connected to an optical fiber 163 built in the nozzle head 153 is provided on the lower surface of the nozzle head 153 so as to surround the outside of the upper end portion of the supply nozzle 152. A UV light generation source (not shown) is connected to the optical fiber 163, and light from the UV light generation source is irradiated from the first light source 164 through the optical fiber 163. As the first photocatalyst layer 161, for example, TiO ₂ (titanium oxide) and SiC (silicon carbide) and the like. In addition, the wavelength of the light emitted from the first light source 164 is the wavelength of the light emitted for causing the first photocatalyst layer 161 to function as a photocatalyst, and the first photocatalyst layer 161 is, for example, TiO _2. As the UV light generation source, a high-pressure UV lamp or the like that generates i-line with a wavelength of 365 nm is used. When the first photocatalyst layer 161 is, for example, SiC, a halogen lamp that generates h-ray with a wavelength of 405 nm or the like is used. All of these wavelengths are outside the photosensitive region of the resist solution, and the resist solution is not affected by the irradiation of light from the first light source 164. Note that the first photocatalyst layer 161 and the second photocatalyst layer 165 described later are not limited to the contents of the present embodiment, and the wavelength of the photocatalytic light of each photocatalyst layer is outside the photosensitive region of the resist solution. If there is, it can be set arbitrarily.

A second photocatalyst layer 165 is formed on the inner side surface of the accommodating portion 160 at a position corresponding generally to the outer side surface of the supply nozzle 152. Similarly to the first photocatalyst layer 161, the second photocatalyst layer 165 is also formed of TiO ₂ or SiC.

  A cleaning nozzle 170 that supplies a cleaning liquid to the outer surface of the supply nozzle 152 is provided on the inner surface of the housing portion 160. 6 illustrates a state in which the cleaning nozzle 170 is provided at positions corresponding to the vicinity of the lower end portion and the vicinity of the intermediate portion of the supply nozzle 152. If the cleaning liquid can be appropriately supplied to the supply nozzle 152, The arrangement and the number of installed cleaning nozzles 170 are not limited to the contents of the present embodiment, and can be set arbitrarily. Any cleaning solution may be used as long as it can dissolve the resist solution. In the present embodiment, for example, a developing solution is used.

  A drain discharge pipe 171 is connected to the bottom of the storage section 160, and the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning nozzle 170 is discharged from the drain discharge pipe 171. Further, an overflow pipe 172 is provided in the upper part of the storage section 160, and for example, overflow of the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning nozzle 170 is discharged from the overflow pipe 172.

  In addition, a second light source 173 is provided via a transmission member 174 on the bottom of the housing portion 160, more specifically, on the lower end surface of the drain discharge pipe 171. An optical fiber 163 connected to a UV light generation source (not shown) is connected to the second light source 173 in the same manner as the first light source 164. The transmitting member 174 can be arbitrarily selected as long as it transmits light emitted from the second light source 173, and in this embodiment, for example, quartz is used.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the same number of other accommodating portions 180 as the supply nozzles 152 are formed in the light irradiation bath 156, similarly to the nozzle bath 155. A third light source 181 serving as another light source that irradiates the inside of the other housing portion 180 is provided outside the other housing portion 180. Note that light emitted from the third light source 181 has the same wavelength as that of the first light source 164 and the second light source 173.

  For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the third light source 181 is formed in a rectangular plate shape, and is disposed so as to sandwich another accommodating portion 180. The entire light irradiation bus 156 is formed of a transmissive member such as quartz. Accordingly, the light irradiation bus 156 can irradiate light from the third light source 181 to the entire surface of the first photocatalyst layer 161 of the supply nozzle 152 accommodated in the other accommodating portion 180.

  The substrate processing system 1 is provided with a control unit 300 as shown in FIG. The control unit 300 is a computer, for example, and has a program storage unit (not shown). The program storage unit stores a program for controlling various processes such as the heat treatment and coating process of the wafer W in the substrate processing system 1 by controlling the operation of driving systems such as the above-described various processing apparatuses and transfer apparatuses. The above program is recorded on a computer-readable storage medium H such as a computer-readable hard disk (HD), a flexible disk (FD), a compact disk (CD), a magnetic optical desk (MO), or a memory card. May have been installed in the control unit 300 from the storage medium.

  The substrate processing system 1 of the present embodiment is configured as described above. Next, wafer processing performed in the substrate processing system 1 will be described.

  First, a cassette C storing a plurality of wafers W is carried into the cassette station 10 of the substrate processing system 1, and each wafer W in the cassette C is sequentially transferred to the transfer device 53 of the processing station 11 by the wafer transfer device 23. .

  Next, the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 40 of the second block G2 and subjected to temperature adjustment processing. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the lower antireflection film forming device 31 of the first block G1, for example, by the wafer transfer device 70, and the lower antireflection film is formed on the wafer W. Thereafter, the wafer W is changed to the second block. It is conveyed to the heat treatment apparatus 40 of G2, and is heat-processed.

  When the heat treatment in the heat treatment apparatus 40 is completed, the wafer W is next transferred to the adhesion apparatus 41 and subjected to an adhesion process. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the resist coating device 32 of the first block G1, and a resist film is formed on the wafer W. Details of the resist coating process in the resist coating apparatus 32 will be described later.

  Next, the wafer W is transferred to the upper antireflection film forming apparatus 33 of the first block G1, and an upper antireflection film is formed on the wafer W. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 40 of the second block G2, and heat treatment is performed. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the peripheral exposure device 42 and subjected to peripheral exposure processing.

  Next, the wafer W is transferred to the exposure apparatus 12 via the wafer transfer apparatus 110 of the interface station 13 and subjected to exposure processing with a predetermined pattern.

  Next, the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 40 by the wafer transfer apparatus 70 and subjected to post-exposure baking. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the development processing apparatus 30 and subjected to development processing.

  After the development process is completed, the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 40 and subjected to a post-bake process. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the cassette C of the predetermined cassette mounting plate 21 via the wafer transfer device 70 and the wafer transfer device 23, and a series of photolithography steps is completed.

  Next, the resist coating process in the resist coating apparatus 32 will be described in detail. In the resist coating apparatus 32, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, first, the nozzle head 153 is moved by the arm 151 so that the supply nozzle 152 for supplying a desired resist solution is positioned above the center of an arbitrary wafer W. Let Then, a resist solution is supplied onto the wafer W to apply the resist solution.

  Next, the supply nozzle 152 after supplying the resist solution, that is, the nozzle head 153 is moved to the light irradiation bus 156 as shown in FIG. 10 and the supply nozzle 152 is accommodated in the other accommodating portion 180 of the light irradiation bus 156. To do. In this state, light is emitted from the third light source 181. Thereby, light is irradiated to the entire surface of the first photocatalyst layer 161 formed on the outer surface of the supply nozzle 152, and the resist solution attached to the supply nozzle 152 is caused by the photocatalytic action of the first photocatalyst layer 161. Decomposed and removed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the arm driving unit 154 is moved to the front surface of the other wafer W, and the nozzle head 153 is moved to the nozzle bus 155. In the nozzle bath 155, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning nozzle 170 to the supply nozzle 152, and light is emitted from the first light source 164 and the second light source 173. As a result, the resist solution adhering to the inside of the housing portion 160 and the supply nozzle 152 is decomposed and removed by the photocatalytic action of the first photocatalyst layer 161 and the second photocatalyst layer 165. The decomposed resist solution is washed away by the cleaning solution and discharged from the drain discharge pipe 171.

  When the cleaning of the supply nozzle 152 in the nozzle bath 155 is completed, as shown in FIG. 12, the nozzle head 153 is moved above the other wafer W to supply the resist solution. Thereby, the supply nozzle 152 is always maintained in a clean state, and for example, it is possible to prevent foreign matters resulting from drying and solidification of the resist solution from adhering to the wafer W or the like.

  According to the above embodiment, the first photocatalyst layer 161 is formed on the outer surface and the tip of the supply nozzle 152, and the second photocatalyst layer 165 is formed on the inner surface of the accommodating portion 160 of the nozzle bath 155. Since the photocatalyst layer is irradiated with light having a predetermined wavelength from the first light source 164 and the second light source 173, the resist solution dried and solidified by the photocatalytic reaction can be decomposed. Therefore, by supplying the cleaning liquid from the cleaning nozzle 170, foreign matters can be easily removed, and the supply nozzle 152 and the nozzle bath 155 can be always kept clean. Further, by decomposing the foreign matter by the photocatalytic reaction, the supply amount of the cleaning liquid and the cleaning time can be shortened, and the resist coating device 32 can be cleaned efficiently.

  Furthermore, in addition to the nozzle bath 155, the light irradiation bus 156 provided with the third light source 181 irradiates the supply nozzle 152 with light from the side surface, so that the entire surface of the supply nozzle 152 is more reliably irradiated with light. Thus, the photocatalytic reaction in the first photocatalyst layer 161 can be promoted. As a result, the supply nozzle 152 can be cleaned more reliably. In particular, the supply nozzle 152 is irradiated with light entirely from the upper first light source 164, the lower second light source 173, and the side third light source 181, so that, for example, the cleaning liquid is structurally structured. It is also possible to remove foreign matters that are difficult to reach.

  Note that the shape and arrangement of the third light source 181 are not limited to the contents of the present embodiment, and the shape can be arbitrarily set as long as light can be irradiated from the side surface of the supply nozzle 152. In the above embodiment, the third light source 181 is provided in the light irradiation bus 156. However, for example, the third light source 181 may be provided in the nozzle bus 155 so as to sandwich the accommodating portion 160. In such a case, the third light source 181 is provided via a transmission member.

  In the above embodiment, the first light source 164 is arranged so as to surround the outer periphery of the supply nozzle 152. However, the arrangement and shape of the first light source 164 are also appropriate for the supply nozzle 152. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, for example, the first light source 164 may be discretely provided on the outer periphery of the supply nozzle 152. In addition, it is not always necessary to provide both the first light source 164 and the second light source 173 in the nozzle bath 155. If the first photocatalyst layer 161 and the second photocatalyst layer 165 can be appropriately irradiated with light, Only one of them may be provided. Similarly, when the third light source 181 is provided in the nozzle bath 155, it is not always necessary to have a plate shape, and as in the case shown in FIG. 13, the third light source 181 is discretely formed on the side of the supply nozzle 152. May be arranged.

  In the above embodiment, the supply nozzle 152 is cleaned by moving the nozzle bus 155 after irradiating light with the light irradiation bus 156, but the cleaning procedure for the supply nozzle 152 is limited to the contents of this embodiment. Not. First, after the supply nozzle 152 is cleaned by the cleaning liquid and the photocatalytic reaction in the nozzle bath 155, light may be irradiated in the light irradiation bus 156, and cleaning may be performed in the nozzle bus 155 again. Alternatively, the light irradiation bath 156 may repeat the light irradiation and the nozzle bath 155 for cleaning. According to the present inventor, after irradiating light with the light irradiation bath 156, cleaning is performed for about 10 seconds with the nozzle bath 155, and this is repeated 4 to 6 times, thereby cleaning the supply nozzle 152 more effectively. be able to.

  In the above embodiment, the nozzle bus 155 and the light irradiation bus 156 are configured to move together with the arm driving unit 154. However, the arrangement of the nozzle bus 155 and the light irradiation bus 156 is also limited to the contents of the present embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, a nozzle bath 155 and a light irradiation bath 156 may be disposed between the cups 142, 142.

  In the above embodiment, a plurality of supply nozzles 152 are supported by the nozzle head 153, which is a so-called collective nozzle. However, only one supply nozzle 152 may be installed. A so-called long nozzle in which the length along the direction is longer than the diameter of the wafer W may be used.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the coating solution is a resist solution has been described as an example. However, the application of the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the coating solution is a developer or SOG (Spin On). The present invention can also be applied to different coating liquids such as a coating liquid for forming a glass) film, a SOD (Spin On Dielectric) film, or the like, or a coating liquid for an antireflection film.

  In the case where the coating solution is a developing solution, for example, a developing processing device 30 including a supply nozzle 240 on which a liquid contact surface in contact with the developing solution is formed as shown in FIG. 16 may be used. According to the present inventor, if the development processing of the wafer W is continued in the development processing apparatus 30, it is caused by adhesion of foreign matter to the lower end surface 240a, specifically, adhesion of reaction products during the development processing. It has been confirmed that possible development defects occur. In the development processing apparatus 30 as well, as in the resist coating apparatus 32, it has been confirmed that such development defects can be reduced by performing cleaning using a photocatalyst together. Hereinafter, application of the present invention in the development processing apparatus 30 will be described. Note that elements having substantially the same functional configuration as the resist coating apparatus 32 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  The development processing apparatus 30 includes a processing container 230 as shown in FIG. On the side surface of the processing container 130, a loading / unloading port (not shown) for the wafer W is formed. A spin chuck 140 is provided in the processing container 230. A cup 142 is provided around the spin chuck 140.

  Nozzle baths 231 and 232 are provided outside the cup, and a supply nozzle 240 for supplying a developer and a cleaning liquid nozzle 241 for supplying a cleaning liquid are disposed in each of the nozzle buses 231 and 232. Each nozzle is supported by drivable arms 242 and 243, respectively, similarly to the resist coating apparatus 32, and can freely move between the nozzle buses 231 and 232 and the upper side of the wafer W.

As shown in FIG. 17, the supply nozzle 240 is supported by an arm 242 via a rotation drive mechanism 250. The supply nozzle 240 has a cylindrical shape as a whole, and a lower end surface 240 a thereof is parallel to the wafer W, for example. This lower end surface 240a functions as a liquid contact surface in contact with the developer. The lower end surface 240a is not necessarily parallel to the wafer W. A supply hole 240b for supplying a developing solution is formed, for example, at the center of the lower end surface 240a of the supply nozzle 240. The diameter L of the supply nozzle 240 is configured to be smaller than the diameter of the wafer W. A photocatalyst layer 270 is formed on the lower end surface 240 a and the side surface of the supply nozzle 240. As the photocatalyst layer 270, TiO ₂ or SiC is used as in the first photocatalyst layer 161 and the like. The supply nozzle 240 is made of a material having chemical resistance, such as PTFE.

  The rotation drive mechanism 250 supports the upper surface of the supply nozzle 240 and can rotate the supply nozzle 240 about the vertical axis.

  As shown in FIG. 18, the nozzle bath 231 is a substantially cylindrical container having an open upper surface, and a cleaning nozzle 251 for supplying a cleaning liquid to the supply nozzle 240 is provided on a side surface. A drain discharge pipe 171 is provided on the side of the bottom surface of the nozzle bath 231. An overflow pipe 172 is connected to the side surface of the nozzle bath 231 above the cleaning nozzle 251 via, for example, an overflow pot 260.

  Below the bottom of the nozzle bath 231, for example, a substantially disk-shaped light source 261 is provided. The light emitted from the light source 261 is also light having a wavelength that allows the photocatalyst layer 270 to function as a photocatalyst, like the first light source 164 and the like. The diameter of the light source 261 is set to be equal to or larger than the diameter of the supply nozzle 240, for example.

  A region corresponding to the supply nozzle 240 at the bottom of the nozzle bath 231 is formed by a transmission member 262 having a diameter equal to or larger than that of the light source 261. Thereby, the photocatalyst layer 270 formed on the supply nozzle 240 can be irradiated with light having a predetermined wavelength.

  The development processing apparatus 30 is configured as described above, and in the development processing, a developer liquid film is formed between the lower end surface 240a of the supply nozzle 240 and the wafer W, and the developer is supplied from the supply nozzle 240. While rotating the wafer W, the supply nozzle 240 is moved from the central portion of the wafer W to the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W to supply the developer to the entire surface of the wafer W.

  Then, the supply nozzle 240 that has finished supplying the developer is moved to the nozzle bath 231, and the photocatalyst layer 270 is irradiated with light from the light source 261, and the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning nozzle 251 to clean the supply nozzle 240. I do. Even in such a case, the reaction product accompanying the development process is decomposed by the photocatalytic action of the photocatalyst layer 270 and the cleaning is performed with the cleaning liquid, so that the supply nozzle 240 can be efficiently cleaned.

  Further, similarly to the case of the resist coating apparatus 32, the light irradiation and the cleaning may be repeated. Unlike the resist coating apparatus 32, the development processing apparatus 30 does not require a separate light irradiation bath 156, so that the nozzle bath 231 can be repeatedly cleaned without moving the supply nozzle 240.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is obvious for those skilled in the art that various modifications or modifications can be conceived within the scope of the idea described in the claims, and these naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. It is understood. The present invention is not limited to this example and can take various forms. The present invention can also be applied to a case where the substrate is another substrate such as an FPD (flat panel display) other than a wafer or a mask reticle for a photomask.

  The present invention is useful when applying a coating solution on a substrate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate processing system 30 Development processing apparatus 31 Lower antireflection film forming apparatus 32 Resist coating apparatus 33 Upper antireflection film forming apparatus 40 Heat treatment apparatus 41 Adhesion apparatus 42 Peripheral exposure apparatus 152 Supply nozzle 155 Nozzle bus 156 Light irradiation bus 161 First Photocatalyst layer 164 First light source 165 Second photocatalyst layer 170 Cleaning nozzle 173 Second light source 181 Third light source 240 Developer supply nozzle 270 Photocatalyst layer 261 Light source 300 Controller W Wafer

Claims (12)

A coating liquid supply apparatus for supplying a coating liquid to a substrate,
A supply nozzle having a supply hole for supplying the coating liquid;
A nozzle bath provided with an accommodating portion for accommodating the supply nozzle;
A first photocatalyst layer formed on an outer surface of the supply nozzle and at least a tip of the supply hole of the supply nozzle;
A second photocatalyst layer formed on the inner surface of the accommodating portion of the nozzle bath;
A light source that emits photocatalytic light to the first photocatalyst layer and the second photocatalyst layer;
A coating liquid supply apparatus, comprising: a cleaning nozzle that is disposed in the nozzle bath and that discharges a cleaning liquid to the supply nozzle. The light source includes a first light source that irradiates light to the supply nozzle from above the supply nozzle, and a second light source that irradiates light to the supply nozzle from a lower end side of the accommodating portion of the nozzle bath. The coating liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: Further comprising another nozzle bath provided adjacent to the nozzle bath,
The other nozzle bath is
Another accommodating portion for accommodating the supply nozzle;
The third light source for irradiating light capable of photocatalysis from the side is provided to the first photocatalyst layer of the supply nozzle housed in the other housing portion. The coating liquid supply apparatus described in 1. A coating liquid supply apparatus for supplying a coating liquid to a substrate,
A supply nozzle in which a liquid contact surface is formed on the lower surface of the cylindrical main body, and a supply hole for supplying the coating liquid is formed on the liquid contact surface;
A nozzle bath for waiting the supply nozzle;
A photocatalytic layer formed on the liquid contact surface of the supply nozzle, the side surface of the supply nozzle, and at least the tip of the supply hole of the supply nozzle;
A light source that emits photocatalytic light to the photocatalyst layer;
A coating liquid supply apparatus, comprising: a cleaning nozzle that is disposed in the nozzle bath and that discharges a cleaning liquid to the supply nozzle. The bottom surface of the nozzle bath is formed of a transmission member that transmits the wavelength of light emitted from the light source,
5. The coating liquid supply apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the light source is disposed below the nozzle bath so as to face a liquid contact surface of the supply nozzle. A cleaning method in a coating liquid supply apparatus for supplying a coating liquid to a substrate,
Irradiating light that can be photocatalyzed to a supply nozzle having a supply hole for supplying the coating liquid, and having a first photocatalyst layer formed at least on the outer surface and the supply hole,
Irradiating light capable of photocatalysis with respect to a nozzle bath provided with a housing portion for housing the supply nozzle, and a second photocatalyst layer formed on the inner surface of the housing portion,
A cleaning method for a coating liquid supply apparatus, wherein a cleaning liquid is supplied to the supply nozzle stored in the storage section. The method of cleaning a coating liquid supply apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the irradiation of the light and the supply of the cleaning liquid to the supply nozzle are performed in a state where the supply nozzle is stored in a storage portion of the nozzle bath. The light irradiation to the supply nozzle is performed by irradiating the supply nozzle with light from the first light source that irradiates light to the supply nozzle from above the supply nozzle, and the lower end side of the accommodating portion of the nozzle bath. The cleaning method for a coating liquid supply apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the cleaning is performed by a second light source. The coating liquid supply device includes:
Further comprising another nozzle bath provided adjacent to the nozzle bath and provided with another accommodating portion for accommodating the supply nozzle;
The other nozzle bath is provided with a third light source that emits photocatalytic light to the first photocatalyst layer of the supply nozzle housed in the other housing portion,
Before or after the irradiation of the light in the nozzle bath and the supply of the cleaning liquid, the supply nozzle is accommodated in the accommodating portion of the other nozzle bath, and the supply nozzle is supplied from the third light source. The method for cleaning a coating liquid supply apparatus according to claim 8, wherein light is irradiated to the coating liquid supply apparatus. A cleaning method in a coating liquid supply apparatus for supplying a coating liquid to a substrate,
The liquid contact surface, the side surface, and the tip of the supply hole of a supply nozzle having a liquid contact surface formed on the lower surface of the cylindrical main body and a supply hole for supplying the coating liquid to the liquid contact surface Irradiate photocatalytic light to the photocatalyst layer formed in the part,
Supplying cleaning liquid to the supply nozzle;
The method of cleaning a coating liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation of the light to the supply nozzle and the supply of the cleaning liquid are performed by a nozzle bath that waits for the supply nozzle. The bottom surface of the nozzle bath is formed of a transmissive member that transmits the wavelength of light applied to the photocatalytic layer,
The method of cleaning a coating liquid supply apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the irradiation of the light to the supply nozzle is performed through the transmission member. A readable computer storage storing a program that operates on a computer of a control unit that controls the coating liquid supply apparatus so that the cleaning method according to any one of claims 6 to 11 is executed by the coating liquid supply apparatus. Medium.

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