JP2022020735A - Liquid processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress adhesion of particles to a wafer W in a liquid processing apparatus that supplies the wafer W with processing liquid and performs processing.

SOLUTION: A liquid processing method uses a top plate part 20 where an opening 16a is formed at a part corresponding to a moving path of a support part above a drive region in which a drive mechanism moving a nozzle arm 52 between a standby position and a processing position via the support part and a cover member for dividing the drive region from a processing region in a cup body 3 in supplying the water W held in the cup body 3 with developing solution from a nozzle 51, moves the nozzle arm 52 from the standby position to the processing position in a state that an exhaust flow rate in the drive region is made larger by an exhaust damper 95 than that in the cup body 3, and supplies the water W with the developing liquid from the nozzle 51 in a state that the exhaust flow rate in the cup body 3 is made larger than that in the drive region 94.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid treatment method in which a treatment liquid is supplied to a substrate from a nozzle to perform treatment.

In the photoresist process, which is one of the semiconductor device manufacturing processes, a resist is applied to the surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as "wafer"), and this resist is exposed to a predetermined pattern and then developed to form a resist pattern. are doing. Such processing is generally performed by using a system in which an exposure device is connected to a coating / developing device for coating and developing a resist, and the coating / developing device is used to treat a wafer with a resist solution, a developing solution, or the like. Various liquid processing devices for supplying liquid are incorporated.

In such a liquid processing apparatus, a nozzle for discharging a processing fluid as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 is positioned at a standby position away from a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as “wafer”) which is a substrate. In this state, the wafer is placed on the substrate holding portion. Further, there is known a configuration in which a nozzle is moved above the wafer and a processing fluid is discharged toward the wafer to perform liquid processing.
Further, for example, in a developing apparatus, after the developer is supplied to the wafer and the development is completed, for example, the cleaning liquid and the inert gas are discharged from the dedicated nozzles to remove the dissolved matter from the surface of the wafer. There is.

The moving mechanism for moving the processing fluid nozzle for discharging the processing liquid or the processing gas is provided with, for example, a ball screw, and is configured to move along the guide rail by driving the ball screw mechanism. Further, a pipe for transmitting power is connected to the moving mechanism, and a pipe regulating member for regulating the bending direction of the pipe is provided.
Such a ball screw, a guide rail, or a piping restricting member may generate dust when the moving mechanism moves, and the dust generated from the moving mechanism scatters above the cup body to hold the substrate. There was a risk of adhering to the wafer held in the section.

JP-A-2015-26744 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-28571

The present invention has been made under such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for suppressing the adhesion of particles to a substrate in a liquid treatment apparatus that supplies a treatment liquid to the substrate for processing. There is something in it.

The liquid treatment method of the present invention is a method of supplying a treatment liquid from a nozzle to a substrate to perform liquid treatment.
A cup body provided so as to surround the board holding portion for holding the board horizontally, and
A nozzle arm in which the nozzle is provided at the front end portion and the rear end portion is supported by the support portion, and
A moving mechanism for moving the nozzle arm between the standby position and the processing position for supplying the processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate via the support portion.
An elevating mechanism that elevates and lowers the support
An opening is formed in a portion corresponding to the movement path of the support portion so that the support portion can move, and the drive region is provided above the drive region in which the movement mechanism and the elevating mechanism are arranged. Using a liquid treatment device provided with a cover member for partitioning the area where the substrate is held in the cup body.
The nozzle arm is set in a state where the exhaust flow rate of the second exhaust port opened to the outside of the cup body for exhausting the drive region is larger than the exhaust flow rate of the first exhaust port opened in the cup body. The process of moving from the standby position to the processing position,
Next, it is characterized by including a step of supplying the processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate in a state where the exhaust flow rate of the first exhaust port is larger than the exhaust flow rate of the second exhaust port.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is a cover for partitioning a drive region in which a mechanism for moving a support portion that supports a nozzle arm at its rear end in a lateral direction and a vertical direction is arranged from a region in which a substrate is held in a cup body. A member is provided to exhaust the drive area. Therefore, it is possible to prevent particles generated from the mechanism arranged in the drive region from adhering to the substrate in the cup.

It is a perspective view which shows the developing apparatus which is an example of the liquid processing apparatus which carries out the liquid treatment method of this invention. It is a vertical sectional side view of the developing apparatus. It is sectional drawing which shows the development processing part. It is a top view which shows the lower side of a cover member and a punching plate in a developing apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the 1st nozzle part. It is a side view which looked at the 1st nozzle part from the rear side. It is a perspective view which shows the wiring regulation member. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the other example of the liquid processing apparatus of this invention.

A developing device which is an example of a device for carrying out the liquid treatment method according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of a developing device, and FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional side view showing the developing device. The developing apparatus is provided with a rectangular housing 10, and a loading / unloading outlet 11 for loading / unloading a wafer W, which is a substrate, is formed on a side surface on one end side in the length direction. Is provided. Assuming that the carry-in outlet 11 side of the housing 10 is the front side and the back side of the housing 10 as viewed from the carry-in outlet 11 is the rear side, the developing processing unit 1 is provided at a position closer to the front side of the housing 10. Hereinafter, in the specification, the carry-in / exit 11 side of the housing 10 will be described as the front side, and the back side of the housing 10 as viewed from the carry-in / out port 11 will be described as the rear side.

The development processing unit 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The development processing unit 1 includes a spin chuck 2 which is a substrate holding unit that horizontally attracts and holds the wafer W. The spin chuck 2 horizontally attracts and holds the central portion of the back surface of the wafer W, and is rotatably configured around the vertical axis. The spin chuck 2 is formed in a circular shape in a plan view and is connected to a drive mechanism (spin chuck motor) 22 via a rotary elevating shaft 21. Further, the spin chuck 2 is connected to a suction tube (not shown), and has a function as a vacuum chuck that sucks and holds the wafer W through a suction hole (not shown). Further, on the side of the spin chuck 2, three support pins 392 connected to the elevating mechanism 391 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the spin chuck is provided by the cooperative action of the external transfer mechanism and the support pins 392. It is configured so that the wafer W can be delivered to 2.

Around the spin chuck 2, the developer, which is a processing fluid, is suppressed from scattering, and in order to collect the developer, the wafer W held by the spin chuck 2 is laterally and downwardly extending in the entire circumferential direction. A cup body 3 having an annular shape in a plan view is provided so as to surround the cup body 3. The upper surface of the cup body 3 has an opening 31 having a diameter larger than that of the wafer W, and the wafer W is formed between the transfer mechanism of the coating and developing apparatus described later and the spin chuck 2 through the opening 31. It is possible to deliver.

Further, the cup body 3 is provided with a side wall 32, and the upper end side of the side wall 32 is inclined inward to form an inclined portion 321, and the bottom side of the cup body 3 is formed as, for example, a concave liquid receiving portion 33. ing. The liquid receiving portion 33 extends toward the lower peripheral side of the annular inner cup 34, and is divided into an outer region and an inner region by a partition wall portion 36 formed on the lower peripheral side of the wafer W over the entire circumference. ing. A drain pipe 35 for draining the drain of the stored developer is connected to the bottom surface of the outer region. A circular plate-shaped flat plate portion 37 is provided on the inner peripheral side of the inner cup, and an edge portion for making a very narrow gap with the wafer W held by the spin chuck 2 is provided on the upper surface side of the peripheral edge of the flat plate portion 37. 37a is formed over the entire circumference.

Looking forward from the rear side, exhaust pipes 38 for exhausting the atmosphere inside the cup body 3 rush into the left and right positions of the spin chuck 2 inside the partition wall 36 from the bottom surface of the cup body 3 to exhaust air. The upper end of the pipe 38 forms a first exhaust port 39 that opens inside the cup body 3.

Below the cup body 3, an exhaust duct 9 which is an exhaust passage is provided as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. The exhaust duct 9 is arranged so as to extend in the horizontal direction, and as shown in FIG. 4, one end side is branched into two to form a branch duct 91, and the other end side is connected to the collecting duct 92. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, an opening 93 is formed on the upper surface side of each end of the branch duct 91, and the lower end of the exhaust pipe 38 is connected to each opening 93, respectively. .. Further, a casing is placed on the upper surface side of the exhaust duct 9 between the collecting duct 92 side, specifically, the cup body 3 and the carry-in outlet 11 formed in the housing 10 with respect to the branch position of the branch duct 91 in the exhaust duct 9. A second exhaust port 94 for exhausting the atmosphere inside the body 10 is formed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the second exhaust port 94 is provided with an exhaust damper 95 for adjusting the flow rate ratio between the displacement of the first exhaust port 39 and the displacement of the second exhaust port 94. ing. By adjusting this exhaust damper 95, a large amount of exhaust is performed from the first exhaust port side 39, the displacement of the second exhaust port 94 is reduced, and the displacement inside the cup body 3 is increased. The state of "cup exhaust", the displacement of the first exhaust port 39 is reduced, the displacement of the second exhaust port 94 is increased, and the displacement outside the cup body 3 is larger than the displacement inside the cup body 3. It is configured to be able to switch between the many "module exhaust" states. Further, 96 shown in FIG. 2 is a drainage passage for draining the liquid discharged from the drainage pipe 35.

Further, the developing apparatus includes a developing nozzle unit 5, a cleaning nozzle unit 6, and an auxiliary nozzle unit 7 for supplying a processing fluid to the wafer W held by the spin chuck 2. The developing nozzle unit 5 is a nozzle for supplying a developing solution which is a first processing fluid, the cleaning nozzle unit 6 is a nozzle for supplying a cleaning solution (rinse solution) and a drying gas, and the auxiliary nozzle unit is from a developing nozzle. The developer to be supplied is used as a nozzle for supplying a different developer to which a surfactant is added, for example.

The developing nozzle portion 5 is provided with a developing nozzle 51 having an elongated slit-shaped opening extending in the front-rear direction on the lower end surface thereof, and when the developing nozzle portion 5 is in the processing position, the developer is formed in a strip shape in a region including the central portion of the wafer W. Is designed to be discharged. As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the developing nozzle 51 extends horizontally in the front-rear direction, and the tip side looks at the front from the rear, and the beam extends horizontally toward the right. It is provided at the tip of. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the rear end portion of the first nozzle arm 52 is connected to the upper end of the support pillar 53 which is a support portion extending downward. The lower end of the support column 53 is connected to the moving base 54 via the elevating mechanism 59. In the developing nozzle unit 5, the lower end of the support column 53 is connected to a position from the right side of the moving base 54. The elevating mechanism 59 is connected to, for example, a support column for a guide (not shown) extending from the upper surface of the moving base 54 to a height position half the height position of the upper surface of the top plate portion 20, which will be described later. The support pillar 53 is configured to be raised and lowered by such means.
Further, on the bottom surface of the housing 10, a guide rail 55 extending in the front-rear direction and a motor, a timing belt, a pulley, and the like for moving the moving base 54 in the front-rear direction along the guide rail 55 are shown. There is a drive mechanism that does not. By rotating the pulley with this motor to drive the timing belt, the moving base 54 moves in the front-rear direction along the guide rail 55. The moving base 54, the drive mechanism, and the guide rail 55 constitute a moving mechanism for advancing and retreating the developing nozzle 51 in the front-rear direction.

In the developing nozzle unit 5, the guide rail 55 is provided at a position to the left of the first nozzle arm 52, and the guide rail 55 is connected to the position to the left of the moving base 54. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the moving mechanism including the moving base 54 and the guide rail 55 is provided at a position lower than the upper end of the cup body 3.

Further, inside the first nozzle arm 52, a developer supply path (not shown) having a downstream end connected to the developing nozzle 51 is formed, and the upstream end of the developer supply path is shown in FIG. As shown, it is connected to one end side of the developer supply pipe 56 connected to the rear side surface of the base end of the first nozzle arm 52. The developer supply tube 56 is bent downward, and the other end side is further routed forward. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the first nozzle arm 52 side of the developer supply pipe 56 is the downstream side, the portion on the upstream side of the developer supply pipe 56 is the moving path of the first nozzle arm 52. It is fixed below by a fixture 50 arranged so as not to interfere with the first nozzle arm 52, the support column 53, and the moving base 54. As a result, when the moving base 54 moves, the portion of the developer supply pipe 56 fixed to the fixture 50 is configured to be stationary, and is downstream of the fixture 50 of the developer supply pipe 56. The side is configured to flex and deform freely. Further, the upstream side of the developer supply pipe 56 with respect to the fixture 50 is further routed and connected to the developer supply source 58 described later.

Further, the moving base 54 transmits, for example, a power supply line for driving a ball screw motor for driving an elevating mechanism for raising and lowering the nozzle arm 52 in the vertical direction, and a signal wave of a moving position confirmation sensor. One end of the wiring portion 57 composed of a signal line or the like for the purpose is connected. The wiring portion 57 is bent upward, and the other end side is further routed forward. The other end side of the wiring portion 57 is fixed at a position closer to the left upper side of the fixing tool 50 described above, and further, on the other end side of the wiring portion 57 from the fixing tool 50, for example, a signal line is connected to the control unit and an electric wire is connected. Is connected to the power supply.

Further, a wiring restricting member 8 is provided at a portion of the wiring portion 57 between the moving base 54 and the fixture 50 to regulate the bending direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the wiring restricting member 8 is configured by connecting a plurality of connecting members 81 in the length direction of the wiring restricting member 8. Each connecting member 81 includes two connecting plates 82 arranged facing each other, and each connecting plate 82 has both ends in the width direction (one side and the other side of the connecting member 81) by a cross-linking plate 83, respectively. It is formed fixed to each other. A step is formed on the opposite surface (inner surface) of each of the two connecting plates 82 in the length direction, and a connecting hole 84 penetrating in the thickness direction is formed in the step portion. There is. Further, on the other end side of each of the two connecting plates in the length direction, a step is formed on the outer surface, and a connecting pin 85 projecting outward is formed on the step portion. Each connecting member 81 is set to have a shape in which one end side in the length direction and the other end side in the length direction of the connecting plate 82 are engaged with each other. The connecting members 81 adjacent to each other are connected in the length direction of the connecting plate 82 by fitting the connecting pin 85 into the connecting hole 84. At this time, the connecting plates 82 fitted to each other can rotate within a predetermined angle range with the connecting pin 85 as the rotation axis, but the two connecting plates 82 are fixed to each other by the cross-linking plate 83. Therefore, the movement in the thickness direction (the direction in which the two opposing connecting plates 82 are lined up) is restricted.

The wiring restricting member 8 is formed in a long shape in which a plurality of connecting members 81 are connected in the length direction of the connecting plate 82 to form a large number of joints, and power is supplied between the bridging plates 83 in each connecting member 81. Wiring 80s such as supply lines and signal lines are arranged side by side in the width direction of the wiring restricting member 8. Therefore, each wiring 80 can be bent in the thickness direction of the wiring restricting member 8, but the movement of the connecting plate 82 in the thickness direction, that is, in the width direction of the wiring restricting member 8 is restricted. The wiring portion 57 is connected to the moving base 54 so that the thickness direction of the wiring restricting member 8 is aligned with the vertical direction, and is bent from the rear side to the front side of the moving base 54 so that the wiring restricting member 8 is aligned. Is connected to the fixture 50 with the vertical direction reversed.

As shown in FIG. 6, the wiring portion 57 and the developer supply pipe 56 are connected to each other so as not to intersect each other, and the wiring portion 57 is restricted from bending to the left and right by the wiring restricting member 8. .. Therefore, when the moving base 54 moves along the guide rail 55, the wiring portion 57 and the developer supply pipe 56 are configured so as not to intersect each other. Further, the wiring portion 57 is also provided at a position lower than the upper end of the cup body 3.

The cleaning nozzle unit 6 is configured as a composite nozzle including a cleaning nozzle 61a for discharging a cleaning liquid, for example, pure water, and a gas nozzle 61b for supplying a dry gas, for example, nitrogen gas. As shown in FIG. 4, the cleaning nozzle unit 6 includes a second nozzle arm 62, a support column 63, a moving base 64, and a guide rail 65, similarly to the developing nozzle unit 5. The arm 62, the support pillar 63, the moving base 64, and the guide rail 65 have a shape that is reversed left and right from the first nozzle arm 52, the support pillar 53, the moving base 54, and the guide rail 55 shown in FIG. There is.

A cleaning liquid supply path and a gas supply path (not shown) connected to the cleaning nozzle 61a and the gas nozzle 61b are formed inside the second nozzle arm 62, respectively, and the cleaning liquid supply path and the gas supply path are each a second nozzle. It is connected to a cleaning liquid supply pipe 66a and a gas supply pipe 66b connected to the rear side surface of the base end of the arm 62. In this example, the cleaning liquid supply pipe 66a and the gas supply pipe 66b are strip-shaped pipes 66 whose sides are connected. The strip-shaped pipe 66 is bent downward from the base end portion of the second nozzle arm 62, and the other end side is further routed forward.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a wiring portion 67 provided with a wiring restricting member 8 is connected to the moving base 64 as in the case of the moving base 54 provided in the developing nozzle portion 5. Similar to the example of the developing nozzle portion 5, the strip-shaped pipe 66 and the wiring portion 67 are also fixed to the fixture 60 so that the wiring 80 and the strip-shaped pipe 66 do not intersect with each other. Therefore, the region from the fixture 60 to the second nozzle arm 62 in the strip-shaped pipe 66 is flexibly configured, and the region from the fixture 60 to the second nozzle arm 62 of the wiring portion 67 is bent in the left-right direction. The auxiliary nozzle portion 7 is configured to slide back and forth while being restricted, and the auxiliary nozzle portion 7 is configured in substantially the same manner as the developing nozzle portion 5 shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, the third nozzle arm, the support column, the moving base, and the guide rail in the third nozzle portion 7 are indicated by reference numerals 72, 73, 74, and 75, respectively.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the developing nozzle 51, the cleaning nozzle 61a of the cleaning nozzle portion 6, the gas nozzle 61b, and the auxiliary nozzle 71 are the developer supply pipe 56, the developer supply pipe 66a, the gas supply pipe 66b, and the developer solution pipe 76, respectively. It is connected to the developer supply source 58, the cleaning liquid supply source 68a, the gas supply source 68b, and the developer supply source 78 via the above. Note that V56, V66a, V66b and V76 in FIG. 3 are valves opened in the developer supply pipe 56, the cleaning liquid supply pipe 66a, the gas supply pipe 66b and the developer supply pipe 76, respectively, and are M56, M66a, M66b and Each M76 is a flow rate adjusting unit.

These developing nozzles 5 are opposite to the processing position where the processing fluid is supplied to the wafer W on the spin chuck 2 shown in FIG. 1 and the front side where the wafer W in the front-rear direction is carried in and out as shown in FIG. It is configured to be able to move forward and backward between the standby position on the rear side and the standby position on the rear side. Similarly, in the cleaning nozzle portion 6 and the auxiliary nozzle portion 7, the moving bases 64 and 74 guide the processing fluid between the processing position for supplying the processing fluid to the wafer W on the spin chuck 2 and the standby position shown in FIG. It is configured to freely move forward and backward along the rails 65 and 75.

In this example, the advancing / retreating directions of the developing nozzle unit 5, the cleaning nozzle unit 6, and the auxiliary nozzle unit 7 are aligned in the front-rear direction of the housing 10. The developing nozzle unit 5, the cleaning nozzle unit 6, and the auxiliary nozzle unit 7 are arranged side by side in the order of the developing nozzle unit 5, the auxiliary nozzle unit 7, and the cleaning nozzle unit 6 from the left in the left-right direction of the housing 10. FIG. When the nozzle portions 5, 6 and 7 are positioned in the standby positions as shown in the above, the developing nozzle 51, the cleaning nozzle 61a, the gas nozzle 61b and the auxiliary nozzle 71 are lined up in this order from the front to the rear. It is arranged like this. Further, when the nozzle portions 5, 6 and 7 are positioned at the standby positions, the height positions of the upper surfaces of the nozzle arms 52, 62 and 72 of the nozzle portions 5, 6 and 7 are aligned. Further, a collecting bus 79 is provided below the developing nozzle 51, the cleaning nozzle 61a, the gas nozzle 61b and the auxiliary nozzle 71 when the developing nozzle unit 5, the cleaning nozzle unit 6 and the auxiliary nozzle unit 7 are positioned at the standby positions. There is.

Further, returning to FIGS. 1 and 2, in the area closer to the rear of the housing 10, a moving mechanism including the moving bases 54, 64, 74 and the guide rails 55, 65, 75 on the rear side of the housing 10 and a support are provided. A cover member 15 is provided to cover the upper side of the drive region in which the elevating mechanisms 59 and 69 for raising and lowering the columns 53, 63 and 73 are arranged. The cover member 15 includes a rectangular plate-shaped top plate portion 20 and a partition wall portion 19 provided so as to extend downward from the front end portion of the top plate portion 20. The top plate portion 20 is formed with three hook-shaped openings 16a, 16b, 16c corresponding to the shapes of the nozzle arms 52, 62, 72 of the nozzle portions 5, 6, and 7 in the standby position. The openings 16a, 16b, 16c are formed in such a size that the nozzle arms 52, 62, 72 corresponding to the openings 16a, 16b, 16c can be accommodated. By locating the nozzle portions 5, 6 and 7 in the standby position, the openings 16a, 16b and 16c are configured to be closed by the nozzle arms 52, 62 and 72, respectively. Therefore, by positioning the nozzle portions 5, 6 and 7 in the standby position, the cover member 15 and the nozzle arms 52 and 62 are above the moving bases 54, 64 and 74 of the nozzle portions 5, 6 and 7. It can be said that it is covered by 72. The openings 16a, 16b, 16c are formed so as to extend from the rear end toward the front, and this direction is the nozzle arm when the nozzle portions 5, 6 and 7 are moved forward from the standby position. The support columns 53, 63, and 73 that support the 52, 62, and 72 are aligned in the moving direction. Therefore, the support columns 53, 63, 73 can move along the respective openings 16a, 16b, 16c, and the respective openings 16a, 16b, 16c are formed along the movement path of the support columns 53, 63, 73. It can be said that it has been done.

Further, in the region near the front of the housing 10, a punching plate 17 is provided so as to surround the cup body 3 and is a partition plate that vertically partitions the periphery of the cup body 3. The punching plate 17 is continuously provided so as to extend horizontally from the lower end of the partition wall portion 19. Therefore, the gap between the punching plate 17 and the cover member 15 is closed by the partition wall portion 19. Further, the space below the punching plate 17 communicates with a space that serves as a drive region below the cover member 15, and the second exhaust port 94 described above is open to the space below the punching plate 17. .. Therefore, by discarding from the second exhaust port 94, the space below the punching plate 17 and the space serving as the drive region below the cover member 15 are exhausted. Further, an FFU (Fun Filter unit) 18 is provided above the cup body 3 in the housing 10 so that a downflow of clean air can be supplied toward the cup body 3.

The developing device also includes a control unit 100. The control unit 100 is composed of a computer having, for example, a program storage unit (not shown), and the program storage unit includes an operation of performing a development process described later using a development nozzle unit 5, a cleaning nozzle unit 6, and an auxiliary nozzle unit 7. Contains a computer program with steps (instructions). Then, when the computer program is read out by the control unit 100, the control unit 100 controls the operation of the developing device. This computer program is stored in the program storage unit in a state of being stored in a storage mechanism such as a hard disk, a compact disk, a magnet optical disk, or a memory card.

Subsequently, the operation of the developing apparatus according to the above-described embodiment will be described. The wafer W is carried into the developing apparatus by an external transport mechanism (not shown). A resist is applied to the wafer W carried into the developing apparatus, and the resist is subjected to a predetermined exposure process.

First, as shown in FIG. 8, the shutter 12 of the carry-in outlet 11 is closed before the wafer W is carried in, and the downflow is supplied from the FFU 18 in a state where the nozzle portions 5, 6 and 7 are positioned in the standby positions. Further, the exhaust duct 9 is switched to the module exhaust. As a result, the inside of the cup body 3 is not exhausted as described above, and the inside of the housing 10 is exhausted from the second exhaust port 94.

Further, at this time, since the nozzles 5, 6 and 7 are located at the standby positions, the openings 16a, 16b and 16c of the cover member 15 are closed. Therefore, the downflow supplied from the FFU 18 is blocked by the nozzle arms 52, 62, 72 that close the cover member 15 and the openings 16a, 16b, 16c on the rear side of the housing 10, and convection is performed above the cover member 15. Further, on the front side of the housing 10, the cup body 3 is not sucked, but passes through the punching plate 17 and flows into the lower side of the housing 10.

Further, since the module is exhausted, the atmosphere on the lower side of the punching plate 17 is exhausted from the second exhaust port 94. Further, the atmosphere on the lower side of the cover member 15 also flows below the punching plate 17 and is exhausted from the second exhaust port 94.
At this time, for example, particles generated by the drive may be attached to the driven parts such as the moving bases 54, 64, 74 and the wiring restricting member 8, but the cover member 15 is above the driven parts. It is blocked. Further, the partition wall portion 29 of the cover member 15 blocks the positions where the moving bases 54, 64, and 74 face from the wafer W held by the spin chuck 2. Therefore, the downflow supplied from the FFU 18 does not reach the particles, and the particles are not wound up by the down claw. Further, the particles adhering to the moving bases 54, 64, 74 and the wiring restricting member 8 are captured and removed by the air flow flowing into the second exhaust port 94 from the lower side of the cover member 15.
After that, the wafer W is carried above the developing processing unit 1 through the carry-in / outlet by an external transport mechanism, and the wafer W is delivered to the spin chuck 2 by the cooperative action of the transport mechanism and the support pin 392.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9, the developing nozzle portion 5 is raised while maintaining the module exhaust. At this time, by raising the first nozzle arm 52 while slightly advancing the moving base 54, interference between the developer supply pipe 56 connected to the rear of the first nozzle arm 52 and the cover member 15 is caused. avoid. Further, the moving base 54 is advanced to move the developing nozzle 51 above the wafer W. At this time, the support pillar 53 that supports the first nozzle arm 52 moves forward along the opening 16a formed corresponding to the developing nozzle portion 5. Further, the developing nozzle 51 is lowered to a height position where the ejection port is 15 mm to 20 mm from the surface of the wafer W. At this time, since the atmosphere in the drive region below the cover member 15 is exhausted, an air flow flowing into the drive region is formed through the opening 16a.

Next, the exhaust is switched so as to perform cup exhaust as shown in FIG. As a result, an air flow flowing into the exhaust pipe 38 is formed in the cup body 3 from the upper side of the cup body 3 and is exhausted. Further, the exhaust by the second exhaust port 94 is continuously performed although the amount is small. At this time, since the downflow of the FFU 18 is blocked by the cover member 15 as described above, the particles adhering to the driven portion are not wound up, and the particles adhere to the wafer W held by the spin chuck 2. Is suppressed.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the developer W is supplied from the developing nozzle 51 to the region including the central portion of the wafer W while rotating the wafer W by the spin chuck 2. The developer D supplied to the center of the wafer W spreads to the peripheral edge side of the wafer W by spin coating. At this time, the developing nozzle 51 may be moved back and forth between the central portion of the wafer W and the outer direction while discharging the developing solution from the developing nozzle 51.
When the developing nozzle 51 is moved to the processing position, the developer supply pipe 56 is fixed to the fixture 50 on the upstream side and the end on the downstream side is fixed to the rear of the first nozzle arm 52 as shown in FIG. ing. Therefore, as the first nozzle arm 52 advances, it bends and deforms in the front-rear direction.

Further, the wiring portion 57 tries to bend and deform in the vertical direction like the developer supply pipe 56, but since the wiring restricting member 8 regulates the left and right bending, the wiring portion 57 does not shift in the left and right direction and moves in the front-rear direction. It bends and deforms while sliding. In this way, the developer supply pipe 56 and the wiring portion 57 are arranged so as to be separated from each other in the left-right direction and bend in the front-rear direction. Therefore, when the first nozzle arm 52 is moved in the front-rear direction, the developer supply pipe 56 and the wiring portion 57 do not interfere with each other.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, in the cover member 15, the opening 16a in which the first nozzle arm 52 is located is in an open state, but the other openings 16b and 16c are second, respectively. It is in a state of being blocked by the nozzle arm 62 and the third nozzle arm 72. Therefore, there is only one opening 16a to be opened, and the downflow supplied from the upper FFU 18 enters the lower side of the cover member 15, but the downflow is counteracted from the opening 16a to the upper side. It's difficult to flow. Therefore, the particles on the lower side of the cover member 15 are not wound up and flow to the cup body 3 side.

Next, as shown in FIG. 12, after stopping the discharge of the developer, the first nozzle arm 52 is raised, and then the developing nozzle portion 5 is moved backward and the first nozzle arm 52 is lowered. At this time, the first nozzle arm 52 is lowered while moving the moving base 54 rearward to avoid interference between the developer supply pipe 56 connected to the rear of the first nozzle arm 52 and the cover member 15. As a result, the developing nozzle portion 5 returns to the standby position, and the opening portion 16a is closed by the first nozzle arm 52. Then, while maintaining the cup exhaust, the wafer W is rotated to spread the developer over the entire surface of the wafer W, a developing process is performed, and the number of rotations of the wafer W is further increased to shake off the developer.

At this time, since the nozzle portions 5, 6 and 7 are located at the standby positions as shown in FIG. 13, the openings 16a, 16b and 16c of the cover member 15 are the first nozzle arms 52 and the second, respectively. It is in a state of being blocked by the nozzle arm 62 and the third nozzle arm 73. Therefore, the downflow supplied from the FFU 18 is blocked by the cover member 15 and the nozzle arms 52, 62, 72.

Subsequently, the exhaust gas is switched to the module exhaust gas, and as shown in FIG. 14, the cleaning nozzle unit 6 is raised and advanced in the same manner as the movement of the developing nozzle unit 5. Further, the cleaning nozzle portion 6 is moved to the upper part of the center of the wafer and then lowered to adjust the height of the cleaning nozzle 61a. Further, the wafer W is switched to the cup exhaust, and while rotating the wafer W, pure water, which is a cleaning liquid, is discharged to a region including the central portion of the surface of the wafer W. The discharged cleaning liquid spreads outward along the liquid surface by the action of the centrifugal force of the wafer W, and the developer containing the resist-dissolving component on the surface of the wafer W is washed away to clean the surface of the wafer W.

When a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of discharging the cleaning liquid, the supply of the cleaning liquid is stopped, the cleaning nozzle portion 6 is moved back and forth so that the gas nozzle 61b is located at the processing position, and the dry gas is moved to the region including the central portion of the wafer W. Supply nitrogen gas. An air flow from the center of the wafer W to the peripheral edge is formed by the supply of the dry gas and the exhaust in the cup body 3, and the liquid adhering to the wafer W is released from the wafer W by the action of this air flow and the centrifugal force. It is removed and the wafer W is dried.

Further, when the development process of the wafer W is completed, the exhaust gas is switched to the module exhaust gas as shown in FIG. 15, and the wafer W is carried out. Then, for example, the module is exhausted with the nozzle portions 5, 6 and 7 positioned at the standby positions. Since the nozzles 5, 6 and 7 are moved by the processing of the wafer W, particles may be generated in the moving mechanism, the elevating mechanism 59 and the wiring restricting member 8, but the downflow supplied from the FFU 18 is the cover member. Since the particles are blocked by the nozzle arms 52, 62, and 72 that block the 15 and the openings 16a, 16b, and 16c, the particles are not raised. Further, since the atmosphere on the lower side of the cover member 15 is exhausted from the second exhaust port 94, the generated particles are removed.

The above description is for the case where the processing is performed using the developing nozzle unit 5, but when supplying another developing solution to the substrate of another lot different from the above lot, the developing nozzle unit 5 is used. Instead, the development process is performed using the auxiliary nozzle unit 7.
Also in this case, when the developer is supplied to the wafer W, the auxiliary nozzle portion 7 is moved while the developing nozzle portion 5 is positioned at the standby position, so that the openings 16a and 16b of the cover member 15 are moved. , 16c can be limited to open.

According to the above-described embodiment, when the processing fluid is supplied from the nozzle portions 5, 6 and 7 to the horizontally held wafer W for processing, the nozzle portions 5, 6 and 7 are above the wafer W. 16a, 16b, 16c for moving the nozzle portions 5, 6 and 7 are provided above the moving bases 54, 64, 74 and the guide rails 55, 65, 75 to be moved to and from the standby position. It is covered with a cover member 15 and is configured to exhaust the drive region below the cover member 15. Further, when the nozzle portions 5, 6 and 7 are positioned in the standby positions, the openings 16a, 16b and 16c are configured to be closed by the nozzle arms 52, 62 and 72 of the nozzle portions 5, 6 and 7, respectively. are doing. Therefore, the particles generated at the moving bases 54, 64, and 74 of the nozzle portions 5, 6, and 7 do not scatter toward the wafer W, and the adhesion of the particles to the wafer W can be suppressed.

Further, the size of the openings 16a, 16b, 16c is such that the cover member 15 faces the wafer W held by the spin chuck 2 even if there is a slight gap when the nozzle arms 52, 62, 72 are housed. The size may be such that the particles on the lower side do not flow out. The width of the gap between the nozzle arms 52, 62, 72 housed in the openings 16a, 16b, 16c and the top plate portion 15a may be, for example, in the range of 2 to 7 mm.
Further, the moving bases 54, 64, 74 of the nozzle portions 5, 6 and 7 are provided at positions lower than the upper end of the cup body 3. When the positions of the moving bases 54, 64, and 74, which are the sources of particles, are high, they are close to FFU18 and are easily affected by the air flow, and there is a high possibility that they will be wound up by the downflow. Therefore, by setting the moving bases 54, 64, 74, the guide rails 55, 65, 75 and the wiring restricting member 8 to a lower position, specifically, a position lower than the upper end of the cup body 3, particles on the wafer W are formed. Adhesion can be suppressed.

Further, in the present invention, the nozzle supported by the nozzle arm extending in the front-rear direction may be configured to move in the left-right direction of the housing 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, a developer nozzle 51 is provided at the tip of a nozzle arm 52a extending in the front-rear direction, and the rear end of the nozzle arm 52a is supported by a support pillar 53. Then, the support column 53 is configured to move in the left-right direction, and the developer nozzle 51 is moved below the cover member 15 in the left-right direction between the upper part of the cup body 3 and the external standby bus 79a of the cup body 3. A mechanism may be provided to form an opening 16d extending in the left-right direction in the top plate portion 20. Note that 16e in the figure is an opening in which a support column for supporting another nozzle (not shown) is arranged.

Even in such a configuration, by covering the upper part of the drive region with the cover member 15 and forming an opening 16d in the cover member 15 for the nozzle to move, the particles generated in the drive region are scattered to the cup body 3 side. Can be suppressed, so that an effect can be obtained.

Further, in the present invention, the number of nozzles may be one. Further, in the configuration in which a plurality of nozzles are provided as shown in the above-described embodiment, the nozzles other than the nozzles that supply the processing fluid to the wafer W may be configured to be positioned at the standby position. When the nozzle moves from the standby position, the opening corresponding to the nozzle is opened. Therefore, by limiting the processing liquid nozzles that move simultaneously from the standby position, it is possible to prevent many openings from being opened at the same time. Therefore, the possibility that the particles generated below the cover member 15 will be wound up on the upper side of the cover member 15 is reduced.
Further, as shown in the above-described embodiment, when the nozzle is moved from the standby position to the processing position, it may be switched to the module exhaust. This makes it possible to form an air flow in which the atmosphere outside the cover member 15 flows into the drive region through the openings 16a, 16b, 16c when the nozzle is moved from the standby position to the processing position. Therefore, it is possible to further prevent the particles generated in the drive region from flowing out to the cup body 3 side.

A top plate portion may be provided above the moving mechanism, and a partition wall portion extending downward may be provided at the end portion of the top plate portion on the spin chuck side. When the moving bases 54, 64, 74 face below the top plate when viewed from the wafer W held by the spin chuck 2, the particles generated below the cover member are the spin chuck of the top plate. It becomes difficult for the particles to flow out from the lower side to the spin chuck side. Therefore, by providing the partition wall portion, it is possible to further suppress the scattering of particles to the wafer W side.
Alternatively, the standby position of the nozzle may be lowered to lower the top plate portion 20. By arranging the top plate portion 20 low, the moving mechanism and the elevating mechanism can be removed from the position facing the wafer W held by the spin chuck 2 even in a configuration in which the partition wall portion 19 is not provided. Therefore, the scattering of particles generated in the moving mechanism and the elevating mechanism to the wafer W side is suppressed.

Further, the auxiliary nozzle may be configured as a nozzle for discharging the cleaning liquid and the _N2 gas, respectively, and the second nozzle and the third nozzle may be simultaneously moved above the wafer W to perform the cleaning process. Even in such a configuration, when the second nozzle and the third nozzle are simultaneously moved above the wafer W, the first nozzle is made to stand by at the standby position, so that the number of openings to be opened is reduced. Because it can be done, the effect can be obtained.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, a cup body 3 is provided inside which the first exhaust port 39 is opened while surrounding the side and the lower side of the wafer W held by the spin chuck 2 from the first exhaust port 39. An exhaust duct 9 for exhausting is provided. Further, in the exhaust duct 9, a second exhaust port is provided at a portion between the cup body 3 and the carry-in port 11 of the wafer W formed in the housing 10, and the exhaust is exhausted to the exhaust passage. A damper 95 for switching between the 39 and the second exhaust port 94 is provided. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the outflow of particles to the outside of the housing 10 through the carry-in outlet 11. Further, when viewed from the cup body 3, the exhaust passage is provided in a direction different from the direction in which the nozzle moving mechanism is provided, so that the height position of the moving mechanism can be further lowered. Therefore, the risk of particle scattering is smaller.

Further, the movement of the wiring 80 connected to the moving bases 54, 64, 74 is regulated by the wiring restricting member 8 so that the wiring 80 and the processing fluid supply pipe do not come into contact with each other. Since the members rub against each other, particles are likely to be generated. Therefore, in the liquid treatment device to which the wiring restricting member 8 is applied, by arranging the wiring restricting member 8 below the cover member 15 and further below the opening 31 of the cup body 3, particles generated from the wiring restricting member 8 are generated. It is more effective because it can suppress the scattering of the particles to the wafer W side.
Further, the present invention may be applied to a resist coating device, a cleaning device, or the like. Further, the device is not limited to a device that supplies a processing liquid such as a developing solution, and may be a device that supplies a processing fluid such as gas or mist to the substrate. Alternatively, it may be a device that supplies steam to the substrate.

1 Development processing part 2 Spin chuck 3 Cup body 5 Development nozzle part 6 Cleaning nozzle part 7 Auxiliary nozzle part 8 Wiring restriction member 9 Exhaust duct 15 Cover member 16a to 16c Opening 18 FFU
38 Exhaust pipe 39 First exhaust port 52, 62, 72 Nozzle arm 54, 64, 74 Moving base 94 Second exhaust port 95 Exhaust damper W Wafer

The liquid treatment method of the present invention is a method of supplying a treatment liquid from a nozzle to a substrate to perform liquid treatment.
A cup body provided so as to surround the board holding portion for holding the board horizontally, and
A nozzle arm in which the nozzle is provided at the front end portion and the rear end portion is supported by the support portion, and
A moving mechanism for moving the nozzle arm between the standby position and the processing position for supplying the processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate via the support portion.
An elevating mechanism that elevates and lowers the support
An opening is formed in a portion corresponding to the movement path of the support portion so that the support portion can move, and the drive region is provided above the drive region in which the movement mechanism and the elevating mechanism are arranged. Using a liquid treatment device provided with a cover member for partitioning the area where the substrate is held in the cup body.
The nozzle arm is set in a state where the exhaust flow rate of the second exhaust port opened to the outside of the cup body for exhausting the drive region is larger than the exhaust flow rate of the first exhaust port opened in the cup body. The process of moving from the standby position to the processing position,
Next, it is characterized by including a step of supplying the processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate in a state where the exhaust flow rate of the first exhaust port is larger than the exhaust flow rate of the second exhaust port.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is a cover for partitioning a drive region in which a mechanism for moving a support portion that supports a nozzle arm at its rear end in a lateral direction and a vertical direction is arranged from a region in which a substrate is held in a cup body. A member is provided to exhaust the drive area . Therefore , it is possible to prevent particles generated from the mechanism arranged in the drive region from adhering to the substrate in the cup.

Claims (6)

In the method of supplying the treatment liquid from the nozzle to the substrate to perform the liquid treatment, a cup body provided so as to surround the substrate holding portion for holding the substrate horizontally and the nozzle provided at the front end portion and the rear end thereof. A moving mechanism for moving the nozzle arm via the support portion between the nozzle arm whose portion is supported by the support portion, the standby position, and the processing position where the treatment liquid is supplied from the nozzle to the substrate, and the support. An elevating mechanism for raising and lowering the portion, and an opening provided above the drive area in which the moving mechanism and the elevating mechanism are arranged so that the supporting portion can move to a portion corresponding to the moving path of the supporting portion. An exhaust flow rate of a first exhaust port opened in the cup body by using a liquid treatment device provided with a cover member formed and for partitioning the drive area from a region in which the substrate is held in the cup body. A step of moving the nozzle arm from the standby position to the processing position in a state where the exhaust flow rate of the second exhaust port opened to the outside of the cup body for exhausting the drive region is increased, and then the step. A liquid treatment method comprising a step of supplying a treatment liquid from a nozzle to a substrate in a state where the exhaust flow rate of the first exhaust port is larger than the exhaust flow rate of the second exhaust port. The liquid treatment device is provided so as to surround the cup body and includes a partition plate for partitioning an upper space and a lower space, and the cover member is continuously formed on the partition plate. The liquid treatment method according to claim 1, wherein the liquid treatment method is characterized by the above. The standby position is located on the rear side of the cup body, the moving mechanism is configured to move the nozzle arm in the front-rear direction, and the opening is closed by the nozzle arm placed in the standby position. The liquid treatment method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the liquid treatment method is configured to be the same. It is equipped with a plurality of nozzle arms configured to be independently movable in the lateral direction and can be raised and lowered, and a plurality of support portions for supporting the plurality of nozzle arms are arranged in the left-right direction with each other, and the plurality of nozzle arms are combined with each other. The liquid treatment method according to claim 3, wherein the nozzles provided in each are arranged in the front-rear direction with each other. The liquid treatment method according to claim 4, wherein when the nozzle that supplies the processing fluid in the plurality of nozzles to the substrate moves from the standby position, the other nozzles are located in the standby position. The moving area of the nozzle arm and the cup body are surrounded by a housing, and a fan filter unit that supplies a downflow of clean gas toward the cup body is provided above the cup body in the housing. The liquid treatment method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the liquid treatment method is characterized.

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