JP3452795B2 - Coating film forming method and coating device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device (L
The present invention relates to a coating film forming method and a coating device for forming a liquid coating film with a solvent such as a resist film on the surface of a (CD) substrate or a semiconductor substrate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in manufacturing an LCD substrate,
A circuit is formed by applying a photoresist to the LCD substrate, transferring the circuit pattern to the photoresist using a photolithography technique, and developing the photoresist.
This step includes a coating film forming step of supplying the coating liquid onto the surface of the substrate.

As a method of forming the resist film in this case, for example, a rectangular LCD substrate is mounted and fixed on a mounting table arranged in the processing container, and the opening of the processing container is closed with a lid. , The processing container and the mounting table are rotated together, a resist solution (coating solution) consisting of a solvent and a photosensitive resin is dropped on the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate, and the resist solution is applied by the rotational force and centrifugal force of the substrate A method is known in which a substrate is diffused in a spiral shape from the central portion toward the peripheral portion and applied.

In this method, the substrate is rotated to diffuse the resist liquid from the center of the substrate toward the peripheral portion to apply the resist liquid onto the substrate, and the peripheral speed is significantly higher than the central position. A certain amount of resist liquid is scattered toward the processing container. In this case, the amount of the dropped resist solution applied to the substrate surface is 10 to 20%, and the remaining 80 to 90% is scattered toward the processing container.

In particular, when a resist solution is applied to a rectangular LCD substrate, a very large amount of resist solution is wasted because the resist solution is applied to the entire surface of the substrate without being left uncoated. In recent years, the size of LCD substrates has been increasing, and the conventional method causes more waste of resist liquid.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a coating film forming method and a coating apparatus capable of minimizing the amount of coating liquid used. To do.

[0007]

In order to solve the above problems, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a coating liquid is supplied onto the surface of a substrate contained in a processing container to form a coating film. a coating film forming method of, in a state of not rotating the substrate, the entire substrate surface by spraying a coating solution a coating solution spray means onto the surface of the substrate while scanning along the substrate surface
There is provided a coating film forming method comprising: a step of applying a coating liquid to a surface to form a coating film; and a step of rotating the substrate to adjust the film thickness of the coating film.

According to the above construction, when the coating liquid is applied to the substrate, the coating liquid is sprayed without rotating the substrate.
Move the step and spray the coating liquid on the surface of the substrate
Since applying the coating solution to the entire surface, can be supplied evenly coating liquid Rukoto without substrate was as in the conventional substrate rotating <br/>, prevent to scatter the coating liquid by centrifugal force of the substrate rotating can do. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of the coating liquid required to coat the entire surface of the substrate, and also to reduce the wasteful coating liquid scattered around, so that the amount of the coating liquid used can be extremely reduced. it can. In particular, as the size of the substrate increases, the centrifugal force due to the rotation at the peripheral edge increases, and the probability that the coating liquid will scatter increases, so spraying the coating liquid without rotating the substrate is a viewpoint of saving coating liquid. Is effective from. Also, by moving the means for spraying the coating liquid, the substrate
Spray the coating liquid on the surface of the
As a result, even if the size of the substrate is large
Can be applied to the entire surface of the substrate.

In the above coating method, the coating film is formed.
The step of applying a solvent on the surface of the substrate prior to the step of
Can be further included.

[0010] Thus, by applying the solvent onto the surface of the substrate prior to the supply of the coating liquid, the coating liquid is spread on the substrate surface through a solvent when sprayed a coating liquid on the substrate surface. Therefore, the coating liquid can be uniformly applied to the entire surface of the substrate, and the amount of the coating liquid can be further reduced. To spray the solvent when applying it
Even if a small amount of solvent is used, the solvent can be applied uniformly to the substrate surface.
You can

Further, after forming a coating film on the surface of the substrate, there is provided a step of closing the processing container with a lid to seal the substrate in the processing container, and then performing a step of adjusting the film thickness. As a result, the uniformity of the film thickness can be improved. In this case, the processing vessel is rotated together with the substrate.
To keep the inside of the processing container sealed during rotation.
It will be easy.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coating device for forming a coating film by supplying a coating liquid onto the surface of a substrate housed in a processing container, which has a cup shape having an opening. None, a processing container surrounding the substrate, a supporting means for supporting the substrate in a state where the surface of the substrate is horizontal, a substrate rotating means for rotating the substrate by rotating the supporting means, and a surface of the substrate Coating liquid spraying means for spraying the coating liquid onto the substrate, and scanning the coating liquid spraying means along the substrate surface
And causing the scanning means, the coating liquid mosquito covering the coating liquid spraying unit
There is provided a coating device comprising a bar and a cleaning means for cleaning the inside of the coating liquid cover .

[0013] Thus, since supplied to the substrate by spraying a coating solution, the coating solution tends spreads across the substrate, the substrate total
To reduce the amount of coating liquid required to coat the surface
Can be done, and less wasted coating liquid is scattered around
It is possible to reduce the amount of coating liquid used
it can. Further, since the coating liquid spraying means for spraying the coating liquid on the surface of the substrate is provided with the scanning means for scanning along the surface of the substrate, it is possible to sufficiently coat the coating liquid on the entire surface of the substrate even if the size of the substrate is large. it can. Furthermore, the application liquid spraying means
By covering with the coating liquid cover, the coating liquid will be scattered around.
The inside of the cover can be washed to prevent
By providing a cleaning means, the dried coating liquid can
It is possible to prevent it from becoming a loop.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coating apparatus for supplying a coating liquid onto a surface of a substrate housed in a processing container to form a coating film, which has a cup shape having an opening. None, a processing container surrounding the substrate, a supporting means for supporting the substrate in a state where the surface of the substrate is horizontal, a coating solution spraying means for spraying a coating solution onto the surface of the substrate, and the coating solution spraying means. A scanning unit configured to scan along the surface of the substrate, and supplying the coating liquid from the coating liquid spraying unit to the entire surface of the substrate in a stopped state while scanning the coating liquid spraying unit by the scanning unit. A featured applicator is provided.

As described above, since the coating liquid is sprayed and supplied to the substrate, the amount of the coating liquid used can be extremely reduced as in the second aspect, and the coating liquid is sprayed on the surface of the substrate. A scanning unit that scans the coating liquid spraying unit along the substrate surface is provided, and the coating liquid is supplied from the coating liquid spraying unit to the entire surface of the substrate in a stopped state while scanning the coating liquid spraying unit by the scanning unit. Therefore, the coating liquid can be sufficiently applied to the entire surface of the substrate even if the size of the substrate is large.

In the third aspect, the support means is rotated.
Rotate the substrate on it by rotating it Rotate substrate
Means is further provided, and after spraying the coating liquid on the substrate,
Coating film by rotating the substrate by the substrate rotating means
The film thickness can be adjusted.

In the above second and third aspects,
The coating liquid spraying means includes a coating liquid nozzle for spraying the coating liquid,
A shaft supporting the coating liquid nozzle,
The inspection means to rotate and advance and retract the shaft.
Can be configured. In addition, a plurality of spraying application liquids
A coating liquid nozzle and a support for supporting the plurality of coating liquid nozzles.
And a holding member, wherein the scanning means linearly moves the support member.
It can also be configured to be moved manually. in this case
In addition, the plurality of coating liquid nozzles may be rotated individually or integrally.
You may further provide the means to rotate.

In the above second and third aspects,
Solvent supply means that to supply solvent for the coating liquid to the surface of the substrate
You may equip them. As a result, the coating liquid can be applied to the surface of the substrate by diffusing it through the solvent, the coating liquid can be evenly applied to the entire surface of the substrate, and the amount of the coating liquid used can be further reduced. it can.

Further , the solvent supply means is provided along the substrate surface.
You may further comprise the scanning means to scan. Further, the solvent supply means may spray and supply the solvent . This
Thereby , the solvent can be uniformly applied to the substrate surface even with a small amount of solvent. In this case, it is possible to prevent the sprayed solvent from scattering around by further including a solvent cover that covers the solvent supply means. The solvent cover may be provided with an exhaust unit to exhaust the inside of the cover.
Further, since the solvent cover has the partition wall that separates the exhaust part and the solvent supply means, it is possible to more effectively prevent the vapor of the solvent discharged from the solvent supply means from diffusing to the surroundings.

In the devices of the second and third aspects,
By having a lid for closing the processing container, the coating film can be formed on the surface of the substrate , and then the processing container can be closed with the lid to seal the substrate in the processing container. The thickness uniformity can be improved. Furthermore, by rotating the processing container together with the substrate,
It becomes easy to make the inside of the processing container hermetically closed during rotation.

Further, by covering the coating liquid spraying means with the coating liquid cover in the apparatus of the third aspect, it is possible to prevent the coating liquid from scattering around. In this case, by providing a cleaning means for cleaning the inside of the cover, it is possible to prevent the dried coating liquid from becoming particles. Further, the coating liquid cover may be provided with an exhaust portion to exhaust the inside of the cover. Further, since the coating liquid cover has the partition wall that separates the exhaust unit and the solvent supply unit, the coating liquid sprayed from the coating liquid spraying unit can be more effectively prevented from diffusing to the surroundings.

[0022]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an LCD substrate coating / developing system to which the present invention is applied.

This coating / developing system includes a cassette station 1 for mounting a cassette C containing a plurality of substrates G and a plurality of processing units for performing a series of processes including resist coating and development on the substrates G. The processing unit 2 is provided with an interface unit 3 for transferring the substrate G to and from an exposure apparatus (not shown). The cassette station 2 and the interface unit 3 are provided at both ends of the processing unit 2, respectively. It is arranged.

The cassette station 1 is equipped with a carrying mechanism 10 for carrying the LCD substrate between the cassette C and the processing section 2. And cassette station 1
In, the loading and unloading of the cassette C is performed. Further, the transfer mechanism 10 includes a transfer arm 11 that can move on a transfer path 10a provided along the arrangement direction of the cassettes, and the transfer arm 11 allows the substrate G to be transferred between the cassette C and the processing section 2.
Is carried.

The processing section 2 is divided into a front section 2a, a middle section 2b and a rear section 2c, and the transport path 1 is located at the center of each section.
2, 13, and 14, and the processing units are arranged on both sides of these conveyance paths. Further, relay units 15 and 16 are provided between them.

The front stage portion 2a is provided with a main carrier device 17 which can move along the transport path 12, and two cleaning units (SCR) 21a and 21b are arranged on one side of the transport path 12. , UV irradiation on the other side of the transport path 12
A cooling unit (UV / COL) 25, a heat treatment unit (HP) 26 and a cooling unit (COL) 27, which are vertically stacked in two stages, are arranged.

Further, the middle section 2b is provided with a main transfer device 18 which is movable along the transfer path 13, and on one side of the transfer path 13, the resist coating processing unit (CT) 22 and the peripheral edge of the substrate G are provided. A peripheral edge resist removal unit (ER) 23 that removes the resist in a certain portion is integrally provided,
On the other side of the transport path 13, a heat treatment unit (HP) 28 formed by stacking in two stages, a heat treatment / cooling unit (HP / COL) 29 formed by stacking a heat treatment unit and a cooling treatment unit vertically, and An adhesion processing / cooling unit (AD / COL) 30 in which an adhesion processing unit and a cooling unit are vertically stacked is arranged.

Further, the rear stage portion 2c is provided with a main transfer device 19 which can move along the transfer path 14,
On one side, three development processing units 24a, 24
b and 24c are arranged, on the other side of the transport path 14, a heat treatment unit 31 which is vertically stacked in two layers, and two heat treatment units in which a heat treatment unit and a cooling treatment unit are vertically stacked. Cooling unit (HP / CO
L) 32 and 33 are arranged.

The processing section 2 has a cleaning processing unit 21a and a resist processing unit 2 on one side across the transport path.
2. Only the spinner system unit such as the development processing unit 24a is arranged, and only the thermal system processing unit such as the heat processing unit or the cooling processing unit is arranged on the other side.

Further, a chemical solution supply unit 34 is arranged at the portion of the relay portions 15 and 16 on the side where the spinner system unit is arranged, and further a space 35 is provided in which the main carrier can be taken in and out.

The main transfer devices 17, 18, and 19 are respectively provided with an X-axis drive mechanism, a Y-axis drive mechanism in two directions in a horizontal plane,
And a vertical Z-axis drive mechanism.
It has a rotary drive mechanism that rotates about an axis.

[0032] The main transfer device 17, transportable of the transport mechanism 10
It has a function of transferring the substrate G to and from the transfer arm 11, carrying in and out the substrate G to and from each processing unit of the pre-stage section 2a, and further transferring the substrate G to and from the relay section 15. There is. Further, the main transfer device 18 transfers the substrate G to and from the relay unit 15, and carries in / out the substrate G from / to each processing unit of the middle stage section 2b.
Further, it has a function of transferring the substrate G to and from the relay section 16. Further, the main carrier 19 is connected to the relay unit 16
The substrate G is transferred to and from the rear stage part 2c.
The substrate G has a function of loading and unloading the substrate G with respect to each processing unit, and further, delivering the substrate G to and from the interface unit 3. The relay portions 15 and 16 also function as cooling plates.

The interface section 3 has an extension 36 for temporarily holding the substrate when transferring the substrate to and from the processing section 2, and two buffer stages 37 provided on both sides of the extension 36 for arranging a buffer cassette. And the substrate G between these and the exposure apparatus (not shown)
And a transport mechanism 38 for loading and unloading the same. The transport mechanism 38 includes the extension 36 and the buffer stage 3.
A transfer arm 39 that is movable along a transfer path 38a provided along the arrangement direction of 7 is provided, and the transfer arm 39 transfers the substrate G between the processing unit 2 and the exposure apparatus.

By thus integrating and integrating the processing units, it is possible to save space and improve processing efficiency.

In the coating / developing processing system having such a structure, the substrate G in the cassette C is conveyed to the processing section 2, and in the processing section 2, first, the ultraviolet irradiation / cooling unit (UV) of the pre-stage section 2a is first. / COL) 25 after surface modification / cleaning treatment and subsequent cooling treatment , cleaning unit (S
After scrubber cleaning with CR) 21a and 21b and heat drying with one of the heat treatment units (HP) 26,
It is cooled by one of the cooling units (COL) 27.

After that, the substrate G is transferred to the middle stage portion 2b,
In order to improve the fixability of the resist, the upper part of the unit 30 is subjected to a hydrophobic treatment (HMDS treatment) in an adhesion treatment unit (AD), cooled in a cooling unit (COL), and then resist-coated in a resist coating unit (CT) 22. After being applied, the peripheral resist removing unit (ER) 23 removes excess resist on the peripheral edge of the substrate G. After that, the substrate G is pre-baked by one of the heat treatment units (HP) in the middle section 2b and cooled by the lower cooling unit (COL) of the unit 29 or 30.

After that, the substrate G is transferred from the relay section 16 to the exposure apparatus via the interface section 3 by the main transfer apparatus 19 and the predetermined pattern is exposed there. And
The board G is carried in again via the interface unit 3,
Development is performed by any of the development processing units (DEV) 24a, 24b, 24c, and a predetermined circuit pattern is formed. The developed substrate G is post-baked by any one of the heat treatment units (HP) of the rear stage section 2c and then cooled by the cooling unit (COL), and the main transfer devices 19, 18, 17 are processed. And, it is accommodated in a predetermined cassette on the cassette station 1 by the transport mechanism 10.

Next, the resist coating unit 25 to which the coating film forming method and coating apparatus of the present invention are applied will be described.

FIG. 2 shows a coating unit 25, which is a coating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The spin chuck 40 holds the LCD substrate G in a horizontal state rotatably by vacuum suction, and the spin chuck 40. A cup-shaped rotatable processing container (rotating cup) 4 having a processing chamber 41 surrounding the upper and outer peripheral portions of the chuck 40 and having an open upper portion.
2 and a lid body 4 which is provided so as to be capable of closing the opening 42a of the rotary cup 42 and detachably attached to the rotary cup 42.
6, a robot arm 50 for moving the lid 46 between a closed position and a standby position, a hollow ring-shaped drain cup 44 arranged so as to surround the outer peripheral side of the rotary cup 42, and the spin chuck 40. A drive motor 51 for rotating the rotary cup 42 and the rotary cup 42, a nozzle head 90 movably provided above the spin chuck 40, and a moving mechanism for holding the nozzle head 90 and moving it between the nozzle head standby position and the substrate upper position. 100 and. The spray head 90 has a structure in which a solvent supply nozzle 70 for supplying a solvent (solvent) A (for example, thinner) of a coating liquid and a coating liquid supply nozzle 80 for supplying a resist liquid B which is a coating liquid are closely attached to each other. Have

The solvent A and the resist solution B flowing through the nozzles 70 and 80 are supplied to the solvent supply path and the resist solution supply path, respectively.
A temperature adjusting mechanism 91 is provided to circulate and supply the temperature adjusting liquid D for controlling the temperature.

The spin chuck 40 is formed of a heat-resistant synthetic resin such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and is driven by a drive motor 51 which can be driven according to a preset program and whose rotation speed can be varied. It can rotate (rotate) in the horizontal direction via a rotating shaft 52 that is rotated, and can move in the vertical direction by driving an elevating cylinder 53 connected to the rotating shaft 52. In this case, the rotary shaft 52 is connected to the spline bearing 57 so as to be vertically slidable. The spline bearing 57 is fitted to the inner peripheral surface of a rotating inner cylinder 56a that is rotatably mounted on the inner peripheral surface of the fixed collar 54 via a bearing 55a. A driven pulley 58a is attached to the spline bearing 57, and a belt 59a is stretched between the driven pulley 58a and the drive pulley 51b attached to the drive shaft 51a of the drive motor 51. Therefore, the rotation shaft 52 is rotated by the drive of the drive motor 51 via the belt 59a, and the spin chuck 40 is rotated. Further, the lower side of the rotary shaft 52 is disposed in a cylinder body (not shown),
In this cylinder, the rotary shaft 52 is attached to the vacuum seal portion 6
The rotary shaft 52 is connected to the lifting cylinder 53 via 0, and the rotating shaft 52 is movable in the vertical direction by driving the lifting cylinder 53, whereby the spin chuck moves in the vertical direction.

A connecting cylinder 61 is fixed to the upper end of a rotating outer cylinder 56b mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the fixed collar 54 via a bearing 55b, and the rotary cup 42 is attached via the connecting cylinder 61. Has been. A bearing 52 having a sealing function is interposed between the bottom portion 42b of the rotary cup 42 and the lower surface of the spin chuck 40, and the rotary cup 42 is rotatable relative to the spin chuck 40. A driven pulley 58b is attached to the rotating outer cylinder 56b.
A belt 59b is wound around the drive pulley 51b mounted on the drive motor 51. Therefore, the drive from the drive motor 51 is transmitted to the rotary cup 42 by the belt 59b, and the rotary cup 42 is rotated.

In this case, the diameter of the driven pulley 58b is formed to be the same as the diameter of the driven pulley 58a mounted on the rotary shaft 52, and the belts 59a, 5a and 5b are attached to the same drive motor 51.
Since 9b is bridged, the rotating cup 42 and the spin chuck 40 are rotated at the same speed.

The rotary cup 42 has a side wall 42c whose diameter is reduced upward, and the surface of the side wall 42c is a tapered surface 42e. An inward flange 42d is formed on the upper end of the side wall 42c toward the inner side.
The inward flange 42d of the rotary cup 42 is provided with air supply holes 64 at appropriate intervals in the circumferential direction, and exhaust holes 65 are provided at appropriate positions in the circumferential direction on the lower side of the side wall 42c. By providing the air supply hole 64 and the exhaust hole 65 in this manner, when the rotary cup 42 rotates, the air flowing from the air supply hole 64 into the processing chamber 41 flows from the exhaust hole 65 to the outside. At times, it is possible to prevent the pressure inside the processing chamber 41 from becoming negative, and after processing, the rotation cup 4
It is possible to easily open the lid body 46 without requiring a large force when opening the lid body 46 from 2.

On the other hand, an annular passage 44a is provided inside the drain cup 44, and exhaust ports 66 are provided at appropriate locations (for example, four locations in the circumferential direction) on the outer peripheral wall thereof. 66 is connected to an exhaust device (not shown). Further, in the upper portion on the inner peripheral side of the drain cup 44,
A radial exhaust passage 67 communicating with the annular passage 44a and the exhaust port 66 is formed. As described above, the exhaust port 66 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the drain cup 44, and the exhaust passage 67 is formed on the upper inner peripheral side portion of the drain cup 44. The mist that has flowed into the drain cup 44 through the hole 64 is prevented from rising to the upper side of the rotary cup 42, and the mist can be discharged from the exhaust port 66 to the outside.

The annular passage 44a has a drain cup 44.
The outer wall 44b standing up from the bottom of the drain cup 44 and the inner wall 44c hanging from the ceiling of the drain cup 44 define a detour path, so that exhaust can be performed uniformly. Further, drain holes 44e are provided in the bottom portion 44d located between the outer side wall 44b and the inner side wall 44c at appropriate intervals along the circumferential direction.

A taper surface 44f having a taper corresponding to the taper surface 42e of the rotary cup 42 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the drain cup 44.
2 of the tapered surface 42e and the tapered surface 44 of the drain cup 44
A minute gap is formed with f. By forming the tapered minute gap that expands downwards in this way, a pressure difference is induced from the peripheral speed difference that occurs between the upper and lower sides of the minute gap when the rotary cup 42 rotates, and this pressure difference rotates. It is possible to promote the air flow from the upper side to the lower side of the minute gap in the outer peripheral portion of the cup 42 to prevent the exhaust mist in the drain cup 44 from scattering through the minute gap to the outside of the rotary cup 42.

Further, even if there is a mist that is directed upward through the minute gap and is scattered outside the rotary cup 42, it is discharged from the exhaust port 66 through the exhaust passage 67 and the annular passage 44a in the drain cup 44. It Here, the case where the drain cup 44 is arranged so as to surround the outer peripheral side of the rotary cup 42 has been described, but the drain cup 44 does not necessarily have to be arranged on the outer peripheral side of the rotary cup 42.
It may be arranged on the lower side of the rotating cup 42.

A supporting member 49 extending upward is provided at the center of the upper surface of the lid 46, and a head portion 48 having a diameter larger than that of the supporting member 49 is provided at the upper end thereof. When the lid 46 is opened and closed, the cover 46 is placed under the head 48 provided on the upper surface of the lid 46 via the support member 49.
As shown by the chain double-dashed line, the robot arm 50 is inserted, and the robot arm 50 is inserted into the locking groove provided on the head 48.
After engaging the locking pin 50a protruding from the robot arm 50, the robot arm 50 is moved up and down.

A baffle plate (not shown) formed of a perforated plate having a size larger than that of the substrate G attached to the lid 46 at the central portion is provided at an intermediate position between the lid 46 and the substrate G. ) Can also be arranged. By arranging the baffle plate in this way, the processing chamber 4 can be more reliably operated during the coating process.
It is possible to prevent the generation of turbulent flow in the nozzle 1.

The solvent supply nozzle 70 is connected to a solvent tank 73 via a solvent supply tube 71 which is a solvent supply path and an opening / closing valve 72, and supplies nitrogen (N ₂ ) gas into the solvent tank 73. Thus, the solvent A in the solvent tank 73 is supplied onto the substrate G by the applied pressure. In this case, the flow rate of the solvent A is controlled by controlling the pressure of the N ₂ gas, and a predetermined amount of the solvent A is supplied for a predetermined time. The solvent supply nozzle may spray the solvent.

The resist solution supply nozzle 80 is composed of a plurality of fine holes so that the resist solution can be sprayed, and a resist solution tank for containing the resist solution B via a resist solution supply tube 81 which is a resist solution supply passage. 82 (coating liquid supply source). In this tube 81,
A suck back valve 83, an air operation valve 84, a bubble removing mechanism 85 for separating and removing bubbles in the resist solution B, a filter 86 and a bellows pump 87.
Are provided in sequence. The bellows pump 87 can be expanded and contracted by a driving unit, and by controlling the expansion and contraction, a predetermined amount of resist liquid B can be sprayed onto the surface of the substrate G through the resist liquid supply nozzle 80. Has become. The bellows pump 87 makes it possible to control the supply amount of the resist liquid B which is smaller than the conventional supply amount of the resist liquid B. This drive unit has a ball screw mechanism 88 including a screw 88a having one end attached to one end of a bellows pump and a nut 88b screwed to the screw 88a.
And by rotating this nut 88b, the screw 88
and a stepping motor 89 that linearly moves a.

After sucking the resist solution from the resist solution supply nozzle 80, the suck back valve 83 provided in the resist solution supply system removes the resist solution B remaining on the inner wall of the tip of the resist solution supply nozzle 80 due to surface tension. This is to return the resist liquid to the inside of the resist liquid supply nozzle 80, thereby preventing solidification of the residual resist liquid. In this case, in the resist liquid supply nozzle 80 that discharges a small amount of the resist liquid B, the resist liquid B is normally supplied by the negative pressure of the suck back valve 83.
When it is pulled back to 0, the air near the tip of the nozzle 80 is also entrained in the nozzle 80, and the residue of the resist solution B adhering to the tip of the nozzle 80 enters the nozzle 80, causing clogging of the nozzle 80. In addition, the dried resist may become particles to contaminate the substrate G and reduce the yield.

The jet nozzle 90 is movably provided by a moving mechanism 100. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the moving mechanism 100 includes a support member 101 that supports the jet nozzle 90.
And a rotation shaft 102 that rotatably and advancingly supports the support member 101, and drive means (not shown) that drives the support member 101. With this configuration, the spout 90 provided on the support member 101
Is capable of rotating in the direction of arrow E in the drawing with the rotating shaft 102 as the axis of rotation and advancing and retreating in the direction of arrow F in the drawing. While moving the nozzle 90 in the directions of arrows E and F in the drawing, the solvent Supply nozzle 70 and resist supply nozzle 80
The resist solution and solvent are supplied to the substrate G from the above.

A first method of applying the resist solution onto the surface of the substrate G by the application device having the above structure will be described. First, the spin chuck 4 in which the lid 46 of the rotary cup 42 is opened and the substrate G is stopped by a transfer arm (not shown)
0, and the substrate G is held by the spin chuck 40 by vacuum suction.

In this state, the moving mechanism 100 rotates the support member 101 about the rotary shaft 102 in the direction of arrow E in FIG. 3 to move the position of the jet nozzle 90, while the substrate G is not rotated. 8
The resist solution is sprayed onto the substrate G from 0. further,
While the resist solution is sprayed, the supporting member 101 is moved back and forth in the direction of arrow F, and the resist solution is uniformly applied to the entire surface of the substrate G to form a resist film on the entire surface of the substrate G.

Then, after stopping the supply of the resist solution,
The resist solution supply nozzle 80 is moved to the standby position, and the robot arm 50 closes the lid 46 in the upper opening 42a of the rotary cup 42 to seal the substrate G in the rotary cup 42.

In this way, the opening 4 of the rotary cup 42
The spin chuck 40 and the rotary cup 42 are rotated (for example , the number of rotations: 2a) with the lid 46 closed and sealed.
1350 rpm, acceleration: 500 rpm / sec) to adjust the film thickness of the resist film.

After the coating process is completed, the spin chuck 4
0 and the rotation of the rotary cup 42 are stopped, the lid 46 is moved to the standby position by the robot arm 50,
The substrate G is taken out by a transfer arm (not shown), and the coating operation is completed.

Next, the second method for applying the resist solution to the surface of the substrate G by the application device having the above-mentioned structure will be described. First, the lid 46 of the rotary cup 42 is opened, the substrate G is transferred onto the stationary spin chuck 40 by a transfer arm (not shown), and the substrate G is held on the spin chuck 40 by vacuum suction.

In this state, the spin chuck 40 is rotationally driven to rotate the substrate G at a speed lower than the steady rotation during processing (for example , rotation speed: 100 to 600 rpm, acceleration: 300).
(About 500 rpm / sec), the rotary cup 42 is rotated at the same speed. During this rotation, for example, ethyl cellosolve acetate (ECA) is used as the solvent A of the coating liquid on the surface of the substrate from the solvent supply nozzle 70 of the jet nozzle 90 which is gripped by the supporting member 101 by the moving mechanism 100 and moved above the center of the substrate G. Is supplied (for example, dropped) by 26.7 cc. Further, the solvent A may be dropped while the substrate G is stationary without being rotated, and then the substrate G may be rotated.

After the solvent A is supplied in this manner, the supply of the solvent A is stopped while the rotation speeds of the spin chuck 40 and the rotary cup 42 are maintained at the low speed rotation speed, and then the spin chuck 40 and the rotary cup 42. Stop rotating.

In this state, the moving mechanism 100 rotates the supporting member 101 about the rotary shaft 102 in the direction of arrow E in FIG. 3 to move the position of the jet nozzle 90, while the resist supply nozzle 80 transfers the resist solution B onto the substrate. G
Spray towards. Further, while the resist solution B is being sprayed, the supporting member 101 is moved back and forth in the direction of arrow F, and the resist solution is uniformly applied to the entire surface of the substrate G to form a resist film on the entire surface of the substrate G.

After spraying the resist solution B in this way, the supply of the resist solution B is stopped and at the same time, the rotation of the spin chuck 40 and the rotary cup 42 is stopped. After that, the supply of the resist solution is stopped, the resist solution supply nozzle 80 is moved to the standby position, and then the lid 46 is closed by the robot arm 50 at the upper opening 42 a of the rotary cup 42 to place the substrate G in the rotary cup 42. Encapsulate.

In this way, the opening 4 of the rotary cup 42
The spin chuck 40 and the rotary cup 42 are rotated (for example , the number of rotations: 2a) with the lid 46 closed and sealed.
1350 rpm, acceleration: 500 rpm / sec) to adjust the film thickness of the resist film.

After the coating process is completed, the spin chuck 4
0 and the rotation of the rotary cup 42 are stopped, the lid 46 is moved to the standby position by the robot arm 50,
The substrate G is taken out by a transfer arm (not shown), and the coating operation is completed.

As described above, by spraying the resist liquid, the resist liquid can be evenly supplied to the substrate G, so that the amount of the resist liquid required for coating the entire surface of the substrate G can be reduced. it can.

Further, since the substrate G is not rotated when the resist liquid is sprayed on the surface of the substrate G, it is possible to prevent the resist liquid from scattering due to the centrifugal force of the rotation of the substrate G. The amount of wasted resist can be reduced, and the amount of resist used can be extremely reduced.

Furthermore, by coating the surface of the substrate G with the solvent A prior to spraying the resist solution, when the resist solution is sprayed, the resist solution is transferred through the solvent A to the substrate G.
Since it diffuses to the surface of the substrate, the resist solution can be evenly applied to the entire surface of the substrate G.

Furthermore, by moving the supporting member 101 without rotating the substrate G and spraying the resist solution onto the surface of the substrate G as described above, the coating solution can be sufficiently applied even if the size of the substrate is large. Can be applied to the entire surface of the substrate. Further, since the mechanism that rotates the rotating cup 42 when the substrate G is rotated is adopted, it becomes easy to keep the inside of the processing container in a sealed state during the rotation.

Next, another example of the resist solution supply nozzle will be described. Here, a case where a plurality of resist solution supply nozzles 80 'are provided and the resist solution is sprayed from each nozzle will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the rotating cup 42
A pair of shafts 1 that can move in the direction of arrow H so as to sandwich
05 is provided, and four resist solution supply nozzles 8 are provided.
Support member 10 in which 0'is hung between both shafts 105
It is supported by 4. The resist solution is supplied to each nozzle 80 'through a resist solution supply tube 81'. A pair of guide members 106 that guide the shafts 105 are provided outside the rotary cup 42. A pair of pulleys 10 is provided outside each guide member 106.
9 is attached, and the belt 1 is attached to the pulley 109.
07 is wrapped around. A shaft 105 is attached to the belt 107, and one pulley is attached to a shaft of a motor 108. Therefore,
By the rotation of the motor 108, the pair of shafts 105
Are moved along the arrow H direction by the belt drive while being guided by the guide rails 106, respectively, so that the resist solution supply nozzle 80 ′ supported by the supporting member 104 can be moved along the arrow H direction. Has become. Then, the resist solution supply nozzle 80 ′ is moved to a retracted position shown by a two-dot chain line separated from the substrate G when the resist solution is not applied.

In this case, since the plurality of resist supply nozzles 80 'are provided, the resist solution can be efficiently sprayed on the entire surface of the substrate G. The resist supply nozzles 80 'may be individually or integrally swirled to spray the resist liquid in various directions.
In this case, the solvent supply nozzle may be provided separately from the resist supply nozzle, or some of the plurality of nozzles may be used as solvent supply nozzles to supply the solvent and the resist solution as described above. It may be done.

Next, another example of the solvent supply nozzle will be described. In the above-described embodiment, the solvent supply nozzle 70 is a normal dropping type nozzle, but in this example, a spray type solvent supply nozzle 70 'is used as shown in FIG.
By making the solvent supply nozzle a spray type in this way,
The solvent A can be uniformly applied to the substrate surface with a smaller amount of solvent to improve the wettability. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of spray type solvent nozzles 70 ″ may be provided.
In this case, a pair of shafts 111 that are movable in the arrow H direction so as to sandwich the rotary cup 42 are provided,
Four spray-type solvent nozzles 70 ″ are supported by a support member 110 that is stretched between both shafts 111. The solvent is supplied to each nozzle 70 ″ through a solvent supply tube 71 ″. In this way, by providing a plurality of spray-type solvent supply nozzles 70 ″, the solvent can be efficiently sprayed onto the entire surface of the substrate G. The solvent supply nozzle 7
The solvent may be sprayed in various directions by rotating 0 ″ individually or integrally. In addition to the parallel movement of the nozzles in this way, the substrate G may be rotated. .

In this embodiment, the resist solution is sprayed and supplied to the substrate G. However, when spraying the resist solution in this way, there is a risk that the atomized resist solution is scattered and adheres to the surroundings. is there. In order to prevent this, as shown in FIG. 7, it is effective to cover the resist solution supply nozzle with a cover. Here, a state in which a plurality of resist liquid supply nozzles 80 'as shown in FIG. 3 are covered with a cover 120 is shown. The resist solution supply tube 81 ′ is inserted into the inside of the cover 120 from the upper surface of the cover 120.
The resist liquid is sprayed from the nozzle 80 'inside. Further, two exhaust ducts 121 are connected to the upper surface of the cover 120 so that the inside of the cover 120 can be exhausted. Further, a plurality of cleaning nozzles 123 are inserted into the cover 120 from the side surface of the cover 120, and the cleaning liquid tube 12 connected to the nozzles 123.
A cleaning liquid, for example, a thinner can be ejected from the nozzle 2. As a result, the resist attached to the inner surface of the cover 120 can be washed off, and the dried resist can be prevented from scattering as particles.

Similarly, when the solvent is sprayed, the solvent is also sprayed around. To prevent this, as shown in FIG. 8, it is effective to cover the solvent supply nozzle with a cover. Here, a state is shown in which a plurality of solvent supply nozzles 70 ″ as shown in FIG. 6 are covered with a cover 130. From the upper surface of this cover 130, a resist solution supply tube 71 ″ is inserted, and the cover 130 is opened. The solvent is sprayed from inside the nozzle 70 ″. Further, the two exhaust ducts 1 are provided on the upper surface of the cover 130.
31 is connected so that the inside of the cover 130 can be exhausted.

Cover 1 of the resist supply nozzle 80 '
As shown in FIG. 9, the 20 may be provided with a partition 125 therein to be divided into a central spray area 126 and an exhaust area 127 on both outer sides thereof. An exhaust duct 121 ′ is connected to each exhaust region 127.
Exhausted via 1 '. In such a configuration,
By exhausting the exhaust region 127, the resist sprayed from the nozzle 80 ′ can be more effectively prevented from diffusing to the surroundings. Such a structure can be similarly applied to the cover 130 of the solvent supply nozzle 70 ″.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, in the above embodiment, the processing container is rotated together with the substrate, but only the substrate may be rotated. Although the rotary cup is closed with the lid when adjusting the resist film thickness, it is not always necessary to close the rotary cup with the lid. Further, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the resist coating unit 25 and the resist liquid is used as the coating liquid. However, the present invention is applied to the developing unit 29 and the developing liquid is used as the coating liquid. The same effect as above can be obtained by using, and it is also possible to use other coating liquid. Furthermore, the present invention is applicable without being limited to the resist coating / developing system. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the LCD substrate is used as the object to be processed has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to the formation of a coating film on another substrate such as a semiconductor wafer.

[0078]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The state where the substrate is not rotated when applying the coating liquid to the substrate
On the surface of the substrate by moving the means for spraying the coating liquid with
Since applying the coating solution on the entire surface of the substrate by spraying a coating solution, follow
Can be supplied evenly coating liquid Rukoto substrate without rotating the substrate as come, it is possible to prevent to scatter the coating liquid by centrifugal force of the substrate rotation. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of the coating liquid required to coat the entire surface of the substrate, and also to reduce the wasteful coating liquid scattered around, so that the amount of the coating liquid used can be extremely reduced. it can. In particular, as the size of the substrate increases, the centrifugal force due to the rotation at the peripheral edge increases, and the probability that the coating liquid will scatter increases, so spraying the coating liquid without rotating the substrate is a viewpoint of saving coating liquid. Is effective from. Also, means for spraying the coating liquid
To move the substrate and spray the coating liquid onto the surface of the substrate.
The size of the substrate can be increased by applying the coating liquid to the surface.
The coating liquid can be applied to the entire surface of the substrate
It

The surface of the substrate housed in the processing container
It is a coating device that supplies a coating liquid on top to form a coating film.
To form a cup shape with an opening to surround the substrate
Place the substrate in a state that the surface of the substrate is horizontal with the processing container.
Supporting means for supporting and rotating the supporting means
A substrate rotating means for rotating the substrate,
Coating liquid spraying means for spraying the coating liquid onto the surface, and the coating liquid
Scanning means for scanning the spraying means along the surface of the substrate;
A coating liquid cover for covering the coating liquid spraying means, and the coating liquid cover.
The cleaning means for cleaning the inside of the
The coating liquid can easily spread over the entire substrate, reducing the amount of coating liquid used.
Can be extremely reduced and applied to the surface of the substrate
The coating liquid spraying means for spraying the liquid is scanned along the surface of the substrate.
Since it has a scanning means, even if the size of the substrate is large
The coating solution can be applied to the entire surface of the substrate sufficiently
By covering the coating solution spraying means with the coating solution cover,
The coating liquid can be prevented from splashing around,
Drying by providing cleaning means to clean the inside of the bar
It is possible to prevent the applied coating liquid from becoming particles.
it can.

Furthermore, a coating apparatus for forming a coating film by supplying a coating liquid onto the surface of a substrate housed in the processing container, the processing container having a cup shape having an opening and surrounding the substrate. Supporting means for supporting the substrate with the surface of the substrate horizontal, coating solution spraying means for spraying the coating solution on the surface of the substrate, and scanning means for scanning the coating solution spraying means along the substrate surface. Since the coating liquid is supplied from the coating liquid spraying device to the entire surface of the substrate in the stopped state while scanning the coating liquid spraying device by the scanning device, the usage amount of the coating liquid is extremely reduced. In addition, the coating liquid can be sufficiently applied to the entire surface of the substrate even if the size of the substrate is large.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a resist coating / developing system to which a coating liquid forming method and a coating apparatus, which are objects of the present invention, are applied.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a resist coating unit as a coating device applied for carrying out the coating liquid forming method of the present invention.

3 is a perspective view showing a scanning method of a resist solution supply nozzle in the resist coating unit of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a coating apparatus having a plurality of resist solution supply nozzles together with a scanning mechanism of the resist solution supply nozzles.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a jet head provided with a spray type solvent supply nozzle.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a coating apparatus having a plurality of spray type solvent supply nozzles.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of resist solution supply nozzles are covered with a cover.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of spray type solvent supply nozzles are covered with a cover.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of a cover that covers a plurality of resist solution supply nozzles.

[Explanation of symbols]

40 ... Spin chuck 41 ... Processing room 42 ... Rotating cup 44 ... Drain cup 46 ... Lid 50 ... Robot arm 51 ... Drive motor 70, 70 ', 70 "... Solvent supply nozzle 80, 80 '... Resist solution supply nozzle 90 ... Spout 100, 110 ... Moving mechanism 101, 112 ... Support member 102 ... rotating shaft 111 ... Movable shaft G ... Substrate

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── --Continued from the front page (56) Reference JP-A-8-255745 (JP, A) JP-A-6-210230 (JP, A) JP-A-7-328517 (JP, A) JP-A-6- 262125 (JP, A) JP-A-1-227437 (JP, A) Actually developed 58-174282 (JP, U) Actually developed 1-12-14271 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B05C 11/08 B05B 1/00 H01L 21/027

Claims (23)

(57) [Claims] 1. A coating film forming method for forming a coating film by supplying a coating liquid onto the surface of a substrate housed in a processing container, wherein the coating liquid spraying means is provided on the substrate without rotating the substrate. Coating the coating liquid on the entire surface of the substrate by spraying the coating liquid on the surface of the substrate while scanning along the surface to form a coating film; and rotating the substrate to form a film of the coating film. And a step of adjusting the thickness. 2. The method for forming a coating film according to claim 1, further comprising the step of coating a solvent on the surface of the substrate prior to the step of forming the coating film. 3. The coating film forming method according to claim 2, wherein the coating of the solvent is performed by spraying the solvent. 4. A step of forming a coating film on the surface of the substrate, closing the processing container with a lid to seal the substrate in the processing container, and then performing a step of adjusting the film thickness. The coating film forming method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: 5. The step of adjusting the film thickness is performed by rotating the processing container together with the substrate.
The method for forming a coating film according to item 4. 6. A coating apparatus for forming a coating film by supplying a coating liquid onto the surface of a substrate housed in a processing container, the processing container having a cup shape having an opening and surrounding the substrate. Supporting means for supporting the substrate in a state where the surface of the substrate is horizontal, substrate rotating means for rotating the substrate by rotating the supporting means, and coating liquid spray for spraying the coating liquid on the surface of the substrate Means, a scanning means for scanning the coating solution spraying means along the substrate surface, a coating solution cover for covering the coating solution spraying means, and a cleaning means for cleaning the inside of the coating solution cover. And coating equipment. 7. A coating apparatus for forming a coating film by supplying a coating liquid onto the surface of a substrate housed in a processing container, the processing container having a cup shape having an opening and surrounding the substrate. Supporting means for supporting the substrate in a state where the surface of the substrate is horizontal; coating solution spraying means for spraying a coating solution on the surface of the substrate; and scanning means for scanning the coating solution spraying means along the substrate surface. A coating apparatus comprising: a coating solution spraying means for scanning the coating solution spraying means by the scanning means to supply the coating solution from the coating solution spraying means to the entire surface of the substrate in a stopped state. 8. Further comprising substrate rotating means for rotating the substrate thereon by rotating the supporting means,
The coating device according to claim 7, wherein the coating film is adjusted in thickness by spraying the coating liquid onto the substrate and then rotating the substrate by the substrate rotating means. 9. The coating liquid spraying unit has a coating liquid nozzle for spraying the coating liquid, and a shaft supporting the coating liquid nozzle, and the scanning unit rotates and reciprocates the shaft. The coating device according to any one of claims 6 to 8. 10. The coating liquid spraying unit has a plurality of coating liquid nozzles for spraying the coating liquid, and a support member for supporting the plurality of coating liquid nozzles, and the scanning unit linearly moves the support member. The coating device according to claim 6, wherein the coating device is moved mechanically. 11. The coating apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a unit for individually or integrally rotating the plurality of coating liquid nozzles. 12. The coating apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a solvent supply unit that supplies a solvent for the coating liquid onto the surface of the substrate. 13. The coating apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a scanning unit that scans the solvent supply unit along the surface of the substrate. 14. The solvent supply unit supplies the solvent by spraying the solvent.
The coating device according to 1. 15. The coating apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a solvent cover that covers the solvent supply unit. 16. The coating apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the solvent cover has an exhaust portion. 17. The coating apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the solvent cover has a partition wall that separates the exhaust unit and the solvent supply unit. 18. The coating apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a lid that closes an opening of the processing container. 19. The coating apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising container rotating means for rotating the processing container together with the substrate. 20. The coating apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a coating liquid cover that covers the coating liquid spraying means. 21. The coating apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the coating liquid cover has an exhaust portion. 22. The coating apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the coating liquid cover has a partition wall that separates the exhaust unit from the coating liquid spraying unit. 23. The coating apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising cleaning means for cleaning the inside of the coating liquid cover.