JP3283251B2 - Resist processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a resist processing apparatus, and more particularly to a developing apparatus for supplying a developing solution to a photoresist film formed on a surface of a semiconductor wafer to develop the photoresist film.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the production of semiconductor devices, a photoresist is applied to a semiconductor wafer as an object to be processed.
A circuit is formed by transferring a circuit pattern to a photoresist using a photolithography technique and developing the same.

In this developing process, a developing solution is supplied from a developing solution supply nozzle onto a semiconductor wafer as an object to be processed, and the developing solution is filled by the surface tension and held for a predetermined time, thereby forming a circuit pattern. A method of performing development is generally employed.

Recently, from the viewpoint of uniformly supplying the developing solution, such a system is used, for example, by using a developing solution supply nozzle in which a large number of nozzle holes are arranged in a straight line, and the developing solution is spread from the nozzle. A paddle type is used in which a semiconductor wafer is rotated at a low speed while being ejected to spread a developing solution over the entire semiconductor wafer.

[0005] By the way, since a method of pressure-feeding a developing solution in a tank toward a nozzle with nitrogen gas is generally adopted, a part of the pressure-feeding gas dissolves into the developing solution, and as a dissolved gas component, reaches the nozzle. As soon as the developer reaches the nozzle and discharges the developing solution from the nozzle, there is a problem that the dissolved gas component materializes as a gas, which becomes bubbles and appears in the liquid developer on the semiconductor wafer. If such bubbles are present in the liquid developer, a portion where the developer does not come into contact with the surface of the resist coating film occurs, and the non-developed portion becomes a defect.

In order to solve such a problem, conventionally,
Defoaming the developer under reduced pressure (Jpn.
No. 23) and a method of eliminating bubbles in a developer using a foam breaking agent (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-259523).

[0007]

However, in the method of defoaming under reduced pressure described in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 62-37923, the concentration of the developer changes due to evaporation of water in the developer. Would. In addition, with the recent miniaturization of circuit patterns, resists have become more sophisticated, that is, have higher resolution, and fine bubbles, which have not been a problem in the past, cause poor development, and the conventional degassing method described above. However, such fine bubbles cannot be sufficiently removed.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is possible to remove a dissolved gas component dissolved in a developing solution without changing the concentration of the developing solution, thereby preventing development defects from occurring. An object of the present invention is to provide a resist processing apparatus.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a resist processing apparatus capable of performing a developing process with high accuracy without generating fine bubbles which are a problem when developing a high resolution resist.

[0010]

A resist processing apparatus according to the present invention is a resist processing apparatus for developing a resist coating film by bringing a developing solution into contact with a resist coating film applied to a substrate. A nozzle for discharging and supplying a developing solution to the film, a developing solution sending unit for introducing a pressurized gas into the developing solution supply source and forcing the developing solution toward the nozzle, and a developing solution sending unit and the nozzle; A processing liquid degassing mechanism for degassing the developer before being discharged from the nozzle, the processing liquid degassing mechanism having a first diameter,
A first tube made of a porous material, and a second tube made of a porous material having a second diameter larger than the first diameter and forming a flow path through which the developer flows between the first tube and the first tube; A second tube, a third tube having a third diameter larger than the second diameter and made of a non-porous material, an inner exhaust means provided inside the first tube, And an outside exhaust means provided between the tube and the third tube.

In the present invention, the treatment liquid degassing mechanism is made of a porous material (for example, having an average pore diameter of 0.2 to 0.2).
The first tube having a minimum diameter of 0.8 μm (made of polytetrafluoroethylene), the second tube having an intermediate diameter, and the third tube having a maximum diameter made of a non-porous material are arranged in three layers. An inner exhaust means provided inside the first tube, an outer exhaust means provided between the second tube and the third tube, and a passage formed between the first tube and the second tube. What passes through the inside may be used.

Here, the term "bubble" means both a gas component dissolved in a liquid (dissolved gas component) and a gas in a tube through which a developer flows.

[0013]

According to the resist processing apparatus of the present invention, the processing liquid is exhausted through a member having a gas-liquid separation function, so that only the gas contained therein is separated without discharging the processing liquid itself. You. Therefore, bubbles (gas components) in the processing liquid can be removed without changing the concentration of the processing liquid as much as possible.

According to the present invention, there is provided a porous / porous / non-porous porous / porous / non-porous member having a gas-liquid separation function and having a plurality of protrusions formed along the pipe axis direction. The gas component (dissolved gas component) is separated and removed from the developer through the wall of the gas-liquid separation function member by flowing the developing solution into the porous tube and exhausting the outside, thereby discharging the gas component. As a result, only the gaseous component can be removed from the developer very efficiently. Therefore, the dissolved gas in the developer can be removed without changing the concentration of the developing solution, and the resist processing is performed with high precision without generating fine bubbles which are a problem when developing a high-resolution resist. be able to.

That is, in the conventional method of degassing simply under reduced pressure, the inside of the processing liquid is not completely degassed, and the gas remaining in the processing liquid when the processing liquid collides with the object to be processed is fine bubbles. In the case of a method in which the bubbles adhere to the object to be treated and bubbles in the treatment liquid are eliminated by using a foam breaking agent, the treatment liquid cannot be completely degassed, and the remaining gas components cause fine bubbles. Although formed, in the present invention, since only gas can be efficiently removed through a plurality of tubular bodies having a gas-liquid separation function,
The generation of fine bubbles can be almost completely prevented without changing the processing solution concentration.

In the resist processing apparatus of the present invention, when the processing solution degassing mechanism is constituted by a porous tube having a triple structure, the processing solution flows between the porous tubes and is simultaneously removed from the inside and outside of the tube. Since it is possible to degas, even if the tube is a single tube having a short passage, degassing can be performed with high efficiency. As a result, the size of the degassing mechanism can be reduced, the processing can be made uniform, and the yield can be improved.

Further, the first tube (innermost layer) and the second tube (intermediate layer) of the porous tube having a triple structure are formed in a bellows structure, so that the degassing tube and the processing liquid come into contact with each other. Since the area can be enlarged, the degassing efficiency can be further increased. And at that time, the liquid flow path,
That is, by disposing the first tube and the second tube such that the substantially horizontal cross sections of the deaeration path have substantially the same area, that is, the pitch of the bellows peaks and the pitch of the valleys match. A flow path can be secured, that is, the flow rate is prevented from being disordered, and the processing solution can be supplied stably.

Further, since a porous tube made of polytetrafluoroethylene having an average pore diameter of 0.2 to 0.8 μm has excellent liquid pressure resistance, this porous tube is used as the first tube.
By using the tube and the second tube, the liquid ratio (the pressure difference between the liquid side and the vacuum side across the degassing film) can be increased in order to increase the degassing efficiency.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a substrate coating / developing apparatus incorporating the developing apparatus of the present invention. The coating / developing apparatus mainly includes a load / unload unit 94, a first processing unit 95, a second processing unit 96, and an exposure device 93. 1, reference numeral 71 denotes a carrier stage of the load / unload section 94. On the carrier stage 71, a carrier C1 for accommodating a plurality of substrates to be processed before processing and a carrier C2 for storing substrates after processing are mounted. Also,
On the unloading section 94, tweezers 72 for loading and unloading substrates from the openings of the carriers C1 and C2 are placed. Main arms 73 and 74 for transporting substrates are arranged at the center of the first and second processing units, respectively. In addition, a transfer table 75 is placed between the first processing unit 95 and the second processing unit 96.

On both sides of the transport path of the main arm 73, a brush washing device 81, a jet washing unit 82, a coating device 8
3. Adhesion processing unit 84 and cooling processing unit 85
Are disposed on both sides of the conveyance path of the main arm 74. A heating processing section 86 and a developing processing section 87 are disposed. A tweezer 91 and a transfer table 92 are arranged between the second processing unit 96 and the exposure device 93.

In the coating / developing apparatus having the above configuration, the unprocessed substrate accommodated in the cassette C1 is taken out by the tweezers 72 and then removed from the main arm 7 by the tweezers 72.
3 and transported into the brush cleaning section 81. The substrate that has been brush-cleaned in the brush cleaning unit 81 is subsequently cleaned with high-pressure jet water in the jet water cleaning unit 82 as necessary. Thereafter, the substrate is subjected to a hydrophobic treatment in an adhesion processing section 84 and cooled in a cooling processing section 85, and then a photoresist film, that is, a photosensitive film is applied and formed in an application device 85. After that, an exposure process is performed in the exposure device 93 to transfer a predetermined pattern to the photoresist film. Then, the exposed substrate is transported into the development processing unit 87, and after being developed by the developing solution degassed by the processing liquid degassing mechanism 300, the developing solution is washed away by the rinsing solution,
Thus, the development processing ends.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing one embodiment of the developing apparatus of the present invention. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a tank. Tank 1
In the tank 1, a gas cylinder 3 storing a pressurized gas such as nitrogen gas is connected to a pipe 4.
Connected through. The developer 2 in the tank 1
The end of a pipe 5 is immersed in the pipe, and an intermediate tank 6 and a processing liquid degassing mechanism 7 are provided in the middle of the pipe 5 in this order. Then, the developing solution 2 in the tank 1 is supplied to the tank 1 through a pipe 4 by a pressurized gas, for example, a nitrogen gas, in a gas cylinder 3, and is supplied to the nozzle 12 through a pipe 5.

The pipe 5 is divided into a pipe 5a and a pipe 5b on the downstream side of the processing liquid degassing mechanism 7, and each pipe has a flow meter 8a, 8b, a filter 9a, 9b, Jackets 10a, 10
b, an air operation valve 11a, 11b is provided in order, and a developing solution is introduced into the nozzle 12 from two places through these two pipes.

On the other hand, the developing section 13 includes a chuck 14 for sucking and holding a substrate, for example, a semiconductor wafer W, and a chuck 14.
And a cup 16 surrounding the semiconductor wafer W held by the chuck 14.

Outside the intermediate tank 6, a limit sensor 6a and an empty sensor 6b composed of, for example, a capacitance sensor are provided. Signals from these are output to a controller (not shown), and the level of the developing solution is measured. The position is controlled. The flow rate of the developer 2 flowing through the pipes 5a and 5b is controlled by the flow meters 8a and 8b, and impurities and the like are removed by the filters 9a and 9b. The temperature-controlled water is circulated through the water jackets 10a and 10b, and thereby the pipes 5a and
The temperature of the developer 2 flowing through 5b is controlled.

The developing solution 2 thus processed is sent to the nozzle 12 and supplied from the nozzle 12 onto the semiconductor wafer W on the chuck 14 to perform the developing process. next,
The nozzle 12 will be described. This nozzle 12 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4 which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV, a developer storage chamber 23 defined by a side wall 21 and a bottom wall 22 is provided. The upper opening of the accommodation chamber 23 is closed by a lid member 24, and the lid member 24 and the side wall 21 are closed.
Is sealed with a packing 25. Lid member 24
Is provided with a developer supply port 27 at two places, and the developer 2 sent through the pipes 5a and 5b is supplied into the developer storage chamber 23 through the two supply ports 27,
Housed in it. A plurality of liquid discharge holes 28 are formed in the bottom wall 22 along the longitudinal direction, and the developer 2 is supplied onto the semiconductor wafer W from the liquid discharge holes 28.
The horizontal length of the nozzle 12 is substantially equal to the diameter of the semiconductor wafer W.

When the developer 2 is actually supplied to the semiconductor wafer W from the nozzle 12, the nozzle 12 is positioned above the center of the wafer W as shown in FIG.
The semiconductor wafer W is rotated by モ ー タ by the motor 15 while discharging the developing solution onto the semiconductor wafer W from 8. As a result, the developer 2 having a predetermined thickness is loaded on the semiconductor wafer 2.

It is preferable to discharge pure water to form a liquid film of pure water on the photoresist film before discharging the developing solution when the developing solution is filled. In this way, by forming a liquid film of pure water in advance, the influence on the photoresist film by discharging the developing solution,
For example, the first impact can be reduced.
As a result, defects due to first impact and the like can be reduced.

Next, the processing liquid degassing mechanism 7 will be described. FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing an example of the processing liquid degassing mechanism 7. The processing liquid degassing mechanism 7 includes a closed container 31, an inlet 32 for introducing the processing liquid 2 into the closed container 31, an outlet 33 for sending out the processing liquid from the closed container 31, and a closed container 31.
A partition member 34 having a gas-liquid separation function provided to partition the inside of the container horizontally above the inlet 32 and the outlet 33 in the inside, and an exhaust pipe 35 connected to the upper wall of the closed container
And a vacuum pump 36 for exhausting the inside of the container 31 through the exhaust pipe 35.

The partition member 34 having a gas-liquid separation function is
Unlike a normal porous body, it is a so-called non-porous body having a property of passing gas but not liquid. Such materials include polytetrafluoroethylene (P
TFE), polyethylene, polycarbonate and the like.

When the inside of the container 31 is evacuated by the operation of the vacuum pump 36, the developer introduced from the inlet 32 into the portion below the partition member 34 of the container 31 has a gas-liquid separation function. The gas is degassed through the partition member 34 having the gas, and the gas contained therein is separated. The developer 2 from which the gas has been separated is sent out from the outlet 33 toward the nozzle 12.

When such a processing solution degassing mechanism is provided, the developing solution is degassed via the partition member 34 having a gas-liquid separating function, so that only the gas is removed without removing the developing solution itself. be able to. Therefore, the developer can be degassed without changing the concentration of the developer. In addition, since the developer is not removed in this manner, the vacuum degassing can be strengthened, the amount of remaining gas can be reduced as compared with the conventional case, and fine bubbles are generated in the semiconductor wafer as the object to be processed. The rate of adhesion can be reduced.

Next, an example of a more advanced processing liquid degassing mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. This example has a closed container 31 provided with an inlet 32 for introducing the developer 2 similar to that shown in FIG. 6 and an outlet 33 for sending out the same, and similarly to the mechanism shown in FIG. It has a pump 36.
In this example, a plurality of pipe members 38 from the inlet 32 to the outlet 33 are provided instead of the partition member 34. The pipe member 38 is made of a material having the same gas-liquid separation function as the above-described partition member 34, for example, PTFE.

When the inside of the container 31 is evacuated by the operation of the vacuum pump 36, the developing solution flowing through the pipe member 38 is degassed through the wall portion and contained therein. Gas is separated. The developer 2 from which the gas has been separated is sent out from the outlet 33 toward the nozzle 12.

When such a processing liquid degassing mechanism is provided, the developing solution is caused to flow through a plurality of pipe members 38 having a gas-liquid separating function, and the developing solution is exhausted through its wall. Since the gas component is separated from the processing liquid, the surface area from which the gas is discharged becomes large, and only the gas component can be removed from the processing liquid very efficiently. Therefore, it is not only necessary to remove the gas components therein without changing the concentration of the processing solution, but also to perform the developing process with high precision without generating fine bubbles which are a problem when developing a resist for high resolution. It can be carried out.

From the viewpoint of exhibiting such effects, the tube member 38 having the gas-liquid separation function is preferably as thin and large as possible, and the inner diameter is preferably 1 mm or less and the number is preferably 100 or more.

A tube member 39 as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B may be used. That is, FIG.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, instead of the partition member 34, the inlet 3
A tube member 39 having a plurality of protrusions in a cross section from 2 to the outlet 33 is provided. The pipe member 39 is made of a material having a gas-liquid separation function similar to that of the partition member 34 described above,
For example, it is composed of a porous body of PTFE. With this configuration, the area of the degassing film can be dramatically increased as compared with the pipe member 38 (flat pipe material), and gas components can be removed with high efficiency.

Each of the processing liquid degassing mechanisms shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 11 can effectively remove impurity gases other than the pumping gas. Therefore, occurrence of an undesired reaction can be prevented, and gelation and the like can be prevented.

Using a developing apparatus equipped with the processing solution degassing mechanism shown in FIG. 7 and a conventional developing apparatus, an 8-inch wafer actually coated with a high-resolution resist is subjected to a developing process, and a developing defect is generated. As a result of the observation, in the case of the conventional apparatus, there were several tens of development defects centered on the portion corresponding to the position where the nozzle was at the beginning of the wafer.
In the development processing apparatus of the embodiment having the deaeration mechanism described above, no development defect occurred. This confirmed the effect of the present invention.

In the above example, the processing liquid degassing mechanism is provided between the intermediate tank 6 and the flow meters 8a and 8b.
Not only at that position, but also downstream of the filters 9a and 9b, for example, as shown in FIG.
It may be provided between 10b and the air operation valves 11a and 11b (shown by reference numerals 7a and 7b in the figure). By providing the processing liquid degassing mechanism on the downstream side of the filter as described above, large bubbles can be trapped when passing through the filter, so that an improvement in degassing ability is expected.

Further, the nozzle is not limited to the one having the above structure.
It may be a stream nozzle 42 as shown in FIG. 9 or a multi-nozzle type in which a plurality of nozzles 44 are provided in a nozzle body 43 as shown in FIG.
These all move the nozzle linearly while rotating the semiconductor wafer W as the object to be processed.

When these stream nozzles and multi-nozzles are used, fine bubbles are easily generated in the conventional developing apparatus. However, by using the processing solution degassing mechanism of the present invention, the generation of fine bubbles is almost completely prevented. The development defects can be substantially eliminated even when developing a high-resolution resist.

By the way, as a result of developing a high-resolution resist on a wafer by a conventional developing apparatus using a stream nozzle, several hundred development defects were observed.
When development was performed by the development processing apparatus employing the degassing mechanism shown in FIG. 7, no development defect occurred. Further, as a result of developing a high-resolution resist on a wafer using a conventional developing apparatus using a multi-nozzle, more than 10,000 development defects were observed. However, in the developing apparatus employing the degassing mechanism shown in FIG. When developed, the number of development defects was about a dozen.

The deaeration conditions of the processing solution deaeration mechanism in the development processing method of the present invention are desirably appropriately selected in consideration of the pressure reduction, the type of photoresist, the deaeration time, the developer concentration, and the like. For example, if degassing is performed with an excessively high decompression force, the developer starts to boil below the ambient temperature and turns into steam, so that moisture permeates the film and the concentration of the developer increases. In this case, that is, when the depressurizing force is too high, the developing process becomes unstable as shown in FIG. 12, and the line width becomes narrow as shown in FIG. 13 and FIG.
As shown in the figure, the type of photoresist (X, Y, Z),
Depending on the deaeration time and the depressurizing force, the developer concentration (FIG. 13)
And the minimum exposure time (Eth) changes.

In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which a semiconductor wafer is used as the object to be processed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In addition, various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 15 is a schematic structural view showing another example of the developing apparatus of the present invention. This development processing apparatus mainly includes a developer supply system 100, a development processing unit 200, and a deaeration mechanism 300. As shown in FIG. 15, the developer supply system 100 includes a tank 102 for storing the developer and a flow meter 103 for measuring the flow rate of the developer.
And a filter 104 for filtering the developing solution, a temperature controller 105 for adjusting the temperature of the developing solution, a degassing mechanism 300 for removing fine bubbles in the developing solution, and a valve 106. The developer stored in the tank 102 is pushed out by the pressure of nitrogen gas, passes through a flow meter 103, a filter 104, and a temperature controller 105, and passes through a deaeration mechanism 300.
Is supplied to the developing section 200 via the valve 106.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing the development processing section.
In the figure, reference numeral 202 denotes a rotating cup having an open upper surface and rotatable around a vertical axis. A lid 204 for opening and closing the opening 202A is provided in the upper opening 202A of the rotating cup 202. In addition, the rotating cup 2
An opening 202B is formed at the center of the bottom surface of 02, and an upper edge of a rotating collar 202C for rotating the rotating cup 202 is connected to the opening edge. In this embodiment, the rotating cup 202 and the lid 204
Is a rotating container.

In the rotary cup 202, a rotary mounting table, such as a spin chuck 206, which is rotatable about the vertical axis, has an opening 202B on the bottom surface of the rotary cup 202 on the back surface of the peripheral portion and a sealing member such as an O-ring. A seal 208 is provided. This spin chuck 20
Numeral 6 is attached to the top of an elevating shaft 214 that moves up and down by an elevating mechanism 212 such as an air cylinder. The elevating shaft 214 is connected to a driving pulley 222 via a spline bearing 216, a driven pulley 218, and a driving belt 220. By applying a rotational driving force to the elevating shaft 214 by a spin motor 224, The spin chuck 206 can be rotated.

Similarly, the rotating collar 202C is connected to a common driving pulley 230 via a driven pulley 226 and a driving belt 228. The driving pulley 222 and the driving pulley 230 are arranged on a common shaft 232, and the rotation driving force is applied by a common spin motor 224, so that the spin chuck 206 and the rotating collar 202 C (accordingly, the rotating cup 202 is Rotating container).

Further, the spin chuck 206 has a vacuum chuck (not shown) on an upper surface thereof, and has a function of chucking a processing object 234, for example, an LCD substrate (a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display). . The vacuum chuck is connected to an external vacuum device via a vacuum passage (not shown) formed in the elevating shaft 214.

At the center of the lid 204, a nozzle 236 for supplying a developing solution is provided to the lid 204 via a bearing 238.
It is mounted so as to be relatively rotatable around the second rotation axis. Therefore, the developing solution degassed by the degassing mechanism 300 described later flows through the valve 236 through the valve 106.
Is supplied to the surface of the target object 234 placed on the spin chuck 206 by a predetermined amount.

Further, a drain cup 250 is provided outside the rotation cup 202 so as to surround the rotation cup 202.
Are fixedly provided on a fixing portion (not shown). The drain cup 250 has a drain hole 254 for discharging the drain liquid discharged from the drain holes 252A and 252B provided at the outer periphery and the side of the bottom of the rotary cup 202, and an exhaust bent radially inward. A path 256 and an exhaust port 258 communicating with the exhaust path 256 and connected to an exhaust device (not shown) are provided. In addition, the exhaust path 256
Is formed so as to pass through a position higher than the drain hole 254 so that the drainage liquid does not flow into the exhaust port 258.

As shown in FIG. 18, the lid 204 is inserted into an arm 242 which is moved up and down by an elevating unit 240.
The second upper surface opening 202A is configured to be opened and closed. A part of the nozzle 236 is fixed to the arm 242, for example. A transfer arm 244 is separately provided for loading / unloading of the object 234, and the spin chuck 200 and the transfer arm 24 of the object are provided.
The spin chuck 206 is moved up and down by the elevating means 212 when the lid 204 is raised and the upper opening 202A is opened.
Arm 244 is higher than the upper surface of the spin chuck 2
This is performed by entering the spin chuck 206 at a level lower than the lower surface of the object 206 chucked at 06.

Next, referring to FIG.
An example of 00 will be described. As shown in FIG. 17, the deaeration mechanism 300 mainly includes a manifold section 302 and a deaeration tube section 304. Manifold section 302
The degassing tube portion 304 is detachably connected to the degassing tube portion 304 via an engaging portion 306, so that the degassing tube which has been clogged due to long-term use can be easily replaced.

The degassing tube section 304 has a flexible triple tube structure. The triple tube structure includes a first tube 308 having a minimum diameter of a porous material having flexibility, a second tube 310 having an intermediate diameter, and a third tube having a maximum diameter made of a non-porous material having flexibility. And a tube 312. Thus, the first to third tubes 308, 310, 31
2 is made of a flexible material, so that it can be flexed freely according to the location, and has a high degree of design freedom.

The first tube 308 and the second tube 310
Has a bellows structure that is configured so that the pitches substantially match, and the respective tubes are positioned so that peaks and peaks, and valleys and valleys face each other. A path 314 is formed. Accordingly, the area of the substantially horizontal cross section of the developer flow path 314 surrounded by the outside of the first tube 308 and the inside of the second tube 310, that is, the cross section having the central axis of the tube perpendicular to the bellows portion, Since the developing solution has substantially the same area, the developer can flow smoothly, prevent disturbance in the flow rate, and provide a stable supply. In the present embodiment, the surface area of the tube can be increased even if the circulation process has the same length, and the first and second tubes 308 and 310 can be used.
Although a bellows structure is employed so that the contact area between the first and second liquid and the developer can be further increased, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the first and second tubular members are simply formed in a tubular shape. It is also possible to arrange tubes.

A hollow first deaeration path 316 is formed inside the first tube 308, and the second tube 3
Between the 10 and the third tube 312, a tubular second degassing path 318 is formed. Further, the first tube 308 and the second tube 310 are formed of a porous tube made of polytetrafluoroethylene having an average pore diameter of 0.2 to 0.8 μm. In the present embodiment, polytetrafluoroethylene is used as the porous material, because porous tetrafluoroethylene can be obtained with high precision by a relatively simple rolling and stretching process. . However, the material constituting the first and second tubes is not limited to polytetrafluoroethylene, and various commercially available porous materials can be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, a porous tube made of polytetrafluoroethylene having an average pore diameter of 0.2 to 0.8 μm is used. If the average pore size is too large, the tube is likely to be deformed when a high liquid pressure is applied in order to increase the degassing efficiency, and there is a tendency that sufficient hydraulic resistance cannot be obtained. On the other hand, if the average pore size is too small, the air permeability is hindered, and there is a tendency that sufficient degassing cannot be performed. In consideration of these, the average pore diameter is preferably in the range of 0.2 to 0.8 μm.

On the other hand, the outermost third tube 312 has flexibility but does not need to be ventilated, and is made of a non-porous material having a strength such that it does not deform when deaerated. For example, polyvinyl chloride other than FE (PV
C), a gas impermeable material such as stainless steel (SUS), acrylic resin, tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkoxyethylene copolymer (PF #).

Next, the configuration of the manifold section 302 will be described. As shown in the drawing, a first path 320 through which the developer flows and second and third paths 322 and 324 independently formed are formed in the manifold section 302. On one side of the manifold section 302, a first
Is installed. This first joint 326
Is for connecting the first path 320 to a PFA tube 328 communicating with a developer tank (not shown).

A second joint 330 is provided below the center of the manifold 302. The second joint 330 is for connecting an exhaust unit (not shown), for example, a vacuum suction device and the second path 322. The second path 322 is connected to the degassing tube section 30.
4 and communicates with a first deaeration path 316 formed inside the first tube 308.
2. Therefore, by exhausting the inside of the first degassing path 316, the developer flowing in the developer flowing path 314 formed outside the first tube 308 is degassed from the inside to remove bubbles in the developer. It is possible to remove it.

Further, on the other side of the manifold section 302, a third joint 332 is provided. The third joint 332 is connected to an exhaust unit (not shown) and the third path 32.
4 for connection to the control unit 4. The third path 324 communicates with a second deaeration passage 318 formed between the second tube 310 and the third tube 312 of the deaeration tube 304, and is connected to the third path 324. 32
4, by exhausting the inside of the second deaeration path 318, the developer flowing in the developer circulation path 314 formed inside the second tube 310 can be deaerated from the outside.

As described above, according to the deaeration mechanism in the development processing apparatus of the present invention, the processing liquid such as the developer flowing through the deaeration tube is supplied to the inside of the substantially circular distribution path. Since it is possible to simultaneously deaerate from both sides on the outside, it is possible to increase the deaeration efficiency as compared with the conventional deaeration mechanism. In the illustrated embodiment, a configuration is shown in which the developer is sent to the degassing tube portion 304 and the gas is exhausted from the degassing tube portion 304 via the single manifold portion 302, but the present invention is limited to such a configuration. Not done. For example, the manifold section for supplying the developer and the manifold section for exhausting can be formed separately, or the exhaust section can be exhausted from a plurality of locations.
Note that the manifold section 302 can be provided also at the other end side of the degassing tube 304 shown in FIG. 17 to exhaust air from both ends.

Next, the operation of the entire developing apparatus shown in FIG. 15 will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 18, the lid 204 is lifted up from the rotating cup 202 and opened,
The spin chuck 206 is raised to transfer the object 234, for example, an LCD substrate, from the transfer arm 244 to the spin chuck 206, and vacuum-suck the spin chuck 206. Next, the spin chuck 206 is lowered to bring the spin chuck 206 into close contact with the bottom of the rotating cup 202. In this state, nitrogen gas is supplied to the tank 102, and the developer is fed into the developer supply system 100 by the gas pressure. The sent out developer is flow-controlled by the flow meter 103, filtered by the filter 104, adjusted to an optimum temperature by the temperature adjusting means 105, and then sent to the deaeration mechanism 300.

In the deaeration mechanism 300, as shown in FIG. 17, the developer is supplied to the first tube 308 and the second tube 31.
During the meandering flow between zero and zero, air is efficiently degassed from both the inner and outer sides, and bubbles in the developer are removed. A predetermined amount of the developer degassed by the degassing mechanism 300 is dropped from the nozzle 236 above the target object 234 via the valve 106 by a supply method such as spray from the central part of the target object. (See FIG. 19).

Next, when the motor 224 is driven, the rotating color 202C and the lifting shaft 2 are driven by the belts 220 and 228.
14 rotates at a low speed at the same rotation speed. As a result, the rotating cup 202 and the spin chuck 206 rotate synchronously at the same rotation speed, and the developer on the processing object 234 is stretched by centrifugal force to cover the surface of the processing object 234, thereby The development processing of the object is performed. Thereafter, while rotating at a high speed, a rinsing liquid is supplied, and the developing solution is washed away, thereby completing the developing process.

During this processing, the remaining developer blown off by the centrifugal force is discharged into the drain cup 250 through drain holes 252 # and 252B provided on the outer edge and the side of the bottom of the rotating cup 202, and is discharged to the drain cup 250. 250
Is discharged to the outside through a drain port 254 provided at the bottom of the.

The structure, shape and the like of each part in the above-described embodiment are merely examples, and various changes and modifications can be made. For example, in the above embodiment, an apparatus for applying a developing solution to an LCD substrate has been described as an example. However, the present invention applies various processing solutions, such as a coating solution, to another object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer. The present invention is also applicable to a device that performs the above. In the above-described embodiment, the developing device 200 is described as a cup rotating type in which the rotating cup 202 and the object 234 are simultaneously rotated. However, a spinner type in which the object is rotated while the cup is fixed. Can also be configured.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the processing liquid flows through the intermediate portion of the porous tube having a triple structure, and can be simultaneously deaerated from the inside and the outside of the deaeration tube. Since it is possible, even if the tube is a single tube and has a short path, degassing can be performed with high efficiency. As a result, the size of the degassing mechanism can be reduced, the processing can be made uniform, and the yield can be improved.

The first and second embodiments can be implemented in an appropriate combination. Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the developing solution is used as the processing liquid is described. However, the present invention can be applied to a case where the processing liquid is a resist liquid. In this case, since the resist liquid contains a volatile liquid, the concentration and viscosity of the resist liquid can be adjusted by degassing.

[0071]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the processing liquid is exhausted through a member having a gas-liquid separation function, only the gas component in the processing liquid is separated without discharging the processing liquid itself. Accordingly, there is provided a resist processing apparatus and a resist processing method capable of removing bubbles therein without changing the concentration of the processing liquid.

Further, according to the present invention, the processing liquid is caused to flow through a plurality of tubular members having a gas-liquid separation function, and the processing liquid is exhausted through the walls to separate the gas from the processing liquid. Therefore, the surface area from which the gas is discharged becomes large, and only the gas can be removed from the processing liquid very efficiently. Therefore, it is possible to remove bubbles in the processing solution without changing the concentration of the processing solution, and to perform the resist processing with high precision without generating fine bubbles that are a problem when developing a high-resolution resist. A resist processing apparatus and a resist processing method are provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a coating / developing processing apparatus incorporating a resist processing apparatus (developing processing apparatus) of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a resist processing apparatus (developing processing apparatus) of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a structure of a nozzle used in the developing apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of the nozzle shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view for explaining a developer supply operation of a nozzle.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing an example of a processing liquid degassing mechanism used in the developing apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a processing liquid degassing mechanism used in the developing apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a developing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of a nozzle used in the developing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a nozzle used in the developing apparatus of the present invention.

11A is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the processing liquid degassing mechanism used in the development processing apparatus shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view of the processing liquid degassing mechanism XIB-XIB shown in FIG. Sectional view along the line.

FIG. 12 is a graph showing a relationship between a deaeration time and a line width in a processing solution deaeration mechanism used in the development processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a graph showing a relationship between a deaeration time and a developer concentration in a processing solution deaeration mechanism used in the developing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a graph showing the relationship between the degassing time and the minimum exposure time in the processing liquid degassing mechanism used in the developing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a processing liquid degassing mechanism of the developing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a processing liquid degassing mechanism of the developing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is an enlarged view of a processing liquid degassing mechanism of the developing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a view for explaining opening / closing of a cover of the developing apparatus of the present invention and transfer of an object to be processed.

FIG. 19 is a view for explaining the operation of the developing apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

102 tank, 2 developer, 3 gas cylinder, 4,
5, 5a, 5b: piping, 6: intermediate tank, 6a: limit sensor, 6b: empty sensor, 7: treatment liquid degassing mechanism, 8a, 8b: flow meter, 9a, 9b, 104
... filters, 10a, 10b ... water jackets,
11a, 11b: air operation valve, 12: nozzle, 13: developing unit, 14: chuck, 15: motor, 1
6 cup, 21 side wall, 22 bottom wall, 23 developer storage chamber, 24 lid member, 25 packing, 27 developer liquid supply port, 28 liquid discharge hole, 31 sealed container, 32 introduction Mouth, 33: Outlet, 34: Partition member, 35: Exhaust pipe,
36 ... vacuum pump, 38, 39 ... pipe member, 42 ... stream nozzle, 43 ... nozzle body, 44, 236 ... nozzle, 72, 91 ... tweezers, 73, 74 ... substrate transfer main arm, 75, 92 ... delivery Table, 81: brush washing device, 82: jet washing unit, 83: coating device,
84 ... adhesion processing unit, 85 ... cooling processing unit, 86
... heat treatment section, 87 ... development processing section, 93 ... exposure apparatus, 9
4: Load / unload unit, 95: first processing unit, 96:
Second processing unit, 100: developer supply system, 103: flow meter,
105: temperature controller, 106: valve, 200: developing section, 202: rotating cup, 202A, 202B: opening, 202C: rotating collar, 204: lid, 206: spin chuck, 208: sealing member, 212: Elevating mechanism, 214: elevating shaft, 216: spline bearing, 21
8, 226: driven pulley, 220, 228: drive belt, 222, 230: drive pulley, 224: spin motor, 232: common shaft, 234: workpiece, 238: bearing, 240: elevating unit, 242: arm, 244: transfer arm, 250: drain cup, 252A, 252B
... drain holes, 254 ... drain holes, 256 ... exhaust paths, 25
8 exhaust port, 300 degassing mechanism, 302 manifold section, 304 degassing tube section, 306 engaging section, 308
... first tube, 310 ... second tube, 312 ... third
Tubes, 314: developer flow path, 316: first deaeration path, 318: second deaeration path, 320: first path, 322: second path, 324: third path, 326
... first joint, 328 ... PFA tube, 330 ... second
Fittings.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Norio Chiba 2655 Tsukure, Kikuyo-cho, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture Inside the Tokyo Electron Kyushu Kumamoto Office (72) Inventor Yoshio Kimura Tsukure, Kikuyo-cho, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture 2655, Tokyo Electron Kyushu Co., Ltd. Kumamoto Office (56) References JP-A-6-254304 (JP, A) JP-A-5-267149 (JP, A) JP-A-3-196517 (JP, A) JP-A-4-197434 (JP, A) JP-A-4-363015 (JP, A) JP-A-3-1341 (JP, A) JP-A 8-153675 (JP, A) JP-A 8-51065 (JP, A) (58) Fields surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01L 21/027 G03F 7/30

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A resist processing apparatus for developing a resist coating by bringing a developer into contact with a resist coating applied to a substrate, comprising: a nozzle for supplying a developing solution to the resist coating; A developing solution sending means for introducing a pressurized gas into the supply source to gas-feed the developing solution toward the nozzle; and a developing solution sending means provided between the developing solution sending means and the nozzle, before being discharged from the nozzle. A processing solution degassing mechanism for degassing the developer, wherein the processing solution degassing mechanism has a first diameter, a first tube made of a porous material, and larger than the first diameter. A second tube made of a porous material having a second diameter and forming a flow path through which the developer flows between the first tube and the first tube; and a third diameter larger than the second diameter. A third tube made of a non-porous material, and provided inside the first tube. Resist processing apparatus characterized by comprising a side exhaust means, and an outer exhaust means that is provided between the second tube and the third tube. 2. The porous material has an average pore size of 0.2 to 0.2.
The device of claim 1, wherein the device is 0.8 microns. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said porous material is a polytetrafluoroethylene resin. 4. The non-porous material is a material selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinyl chloride, stainless steel, acrylic resin, and tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkoxyethylene copolymer. An apparatus according to claim 1. 5. The bellows structure of each of the first tube and the second tube.
The resist processing apparatus as described in the above. 6. The bellows of the first tube and the second tube
6. The resist processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the bellows of the tube, the valley of the bellows of the first tube, and the valley of the bellows of the second tube are positioned so as to face each other.