JP3535053B2 - Development processing apparatus and development processing method - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a developing treatment apparatus and a developing treatment method for supplying a developing solution to the surface of a substrate to be treated such as a semiconductor wafer to perform a developing treatment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, a photoresist is applied to a semiconductor wafer as a substrate to be processed, a predetermined pattern is transferred to the photoresist by using a photolithography technique, and the photoresist is developed. Form a circuit pattern.

In the developing process, the developing solution is continuously supplied from the nozzle onto the semiconductor wafer, and the developing solution is kept in contact with the pattern forming surface for a predetermined period of time. A so-called paddle method of developing an image pattern is generally adopted.

As the paddle system, a so-called linear nozzle in which a large number of liquid discharge holes are arranged in a straight line at a predetermined interval is mainly used. As a developing method using such a linear nozzle, (1) a "rotating method" in which a developing solution is discharged from the linear nozzle and the wafer is rotated by 180 degrees to deposit the liquid on the wafer, and (2)
There is a “scan method” in which the linear nozzle is moved in parallel to the wafer in one direction without rotating the wafer to perform the liquid deposition.

The former rotation method was devised in view of the recent demand for reducing the consumption of the developing solution and uniformly piling the solution in a short time. However, with this rotation method, depending on the type of resist, the chips near the center of the wafer, which is the center of rotation, may become defective.

That is, in the rotation method, the wafer is rotated 180 ° while the nozzle is fixed to puddle the developing solution over the entire wafer. With such a method, near the central portion of the wafer. Since a fresh developing solution is always supplied only to the peripheral part, it is considered that the developing proceeds excessively only in this part as compared with the peripheral part.
With the recent miniaturization and high density of circuit patterns, resists have become higher in performance or resolution, and problems that have been ignored in the past have been highlighted. For example, chemically amplified resist (KAR). When this is used, this phenomenon appears remarkably and the desired resolution may not be obtained.

On the other hand, according to the scan method, although the puddle takes a little longer than that of the above-mentioned rotation method, the problem as described above does not occur, and thus it is regarded as promising in recent years.

[0008]

By the way, in the scan developing system, the above-described linear nozzle is used, and the discharge hole of this linear nozzle and the surface of the wafer are brought close to each other, and the developing solution is discharged simultaneously from a large number of discharge holes. Then, the linear nozzle is moved in parallel to the horizontal direction (scan movement) to form a developer film on the wafer.
Further, in this method, the lower surface of the linear nozzle is moved while being brought into contact with the developer supplied onto the wafer, so that the liquid surface of the developer is leveled.

However, with such a conventional scanning method, the developing solution also comes into contact with the area between the ejection holes on the lower surface of the nozzle, so that the developing solution adhering to this area may cause dripping later. May become. Further, when the developer adhering to this portion is exposed to the air, water in the developer evaporates and deteriorates. If the developer thus deteriorated adheres to the wafer during the next development, a development defect may occur.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its main object is to provide a developing processing apparatus capable of effectively removing the liquid droplets adhering to the lower end of the developing solution supply section in the scan developing system. To provide.

[0011]

To achieve the above object, according to a main aspect of the present invention, a developing solution is supplied to a substrate having a photoresist film having a pattern exposed to form a photoresist film. A development processing device for performing a development process, comprising: a substrate holding mechanism for horizontally holding the substrate to be processed; a substrate holding mechanism held by the substrate holding mechanism with a lower end portion thereof facing above the substrate to be processed; And a droplet removing mechanism that removes droplets adhering to the lower end of the developing solution supply section while moving the developing solution onto the substrate to be processed from the lower end while moving in the horizontal direction. Have the above
A droplet removing mechanism is provided in the developing solution supply section,
By swinging at least the lower end of the image liquid supply section,
It is a swing drive mechanism that removes the liquid droplets attached to the lower end.
Developing apparatus is provided, characterized in that that. Here, this development processing device controls the droplet removing mechanism,
Supplying the developing solution to the substrate to be processed by the developing solution supply section.
The droplet removing mechanism is operated at the timing immediately after the end of the supply.
In addition , it is preferable to have control means for removing the liquid droplets adhering to the lower end of the developing solution supply section.

According to this structure, it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of a situation in which a liquid drop occurs from the developing solution supply unit and adheres to the substrate to be processed in the scanning type developing apparatus.

Further, since it is possible to effectively remove the droplets of the developing solution attached to the developing solution supply section, it is possible to prevent the droplets from being deteriorated and supplied to the substrate to be processed next.

[0014]

With such a structure, it becomes possible to remove the droplets attached to the developing solution supply section with a simple structure.

Further, in this case, it is preferable that the swinging direction of the swinging drive mechanism is the same as the traveling direction of the developing solution supply section when the developing solution is supplied.

With this structure, it is possible to prevent the droplets removed from the lower end of the developing solution supply section from accidentally adhering to the substrate to be processed.

[0018] According to a second aspect of the present invention, Pas
A substrate to be processed having a photoresist film whose turn is exposed
Supply the developer to the plate to develop the photoresist film
A development processing device for holding the substrate to be processed horizontally.
Substrate holding mechanism and a processing target held by the substrate holding mechanism.
Is held with the lower end facing above the processing board.
The workpiece to be processed is moved from the lower end while moving in a fixed horizontal direction.
A developing solution supply section for supplying a developing solution onto the substrate;
Droplet removal mechanism for removing droplets attached to the lower end of the supply unit
The developing solution supply unit is held with its lower end facing the substrate with a predetermined gap, and one surface thereof is held facing the driving direction of the developing solution supply unit. By supplying the developing solution to the developing solution guide plate and the one surface of the developing solution guide plate, the developing solution is guided along the developing solution guide plate to develop on the substrate to be processed from the lower end portion of the developing solution guide plate. There is provided a development processing apparatus having a developing solution supply system for supplying a solution.

According to this structure, in the developing processing apparatus for supplying the developing solution using the developing solution guide plate, the developing solution attached to the lower end of the developing solution guide plate can be effectively removed.

Further, according to the developing apparatus using such a developer guide plate, the developer supplied by the developer supply system is diffused on one surface of the developer guide plate and is transmitted downward. It can be provided on the substrate to be processed. By this, the developing solution can be uniformly supplied to the substrate to be processed,
Further, it is possible to puddle the liquid while effectively suppressing the impact given to the resist film at the time of supply. Therefore, good paddle development can be performed.

Further, since the developing solution is supplied to the upper portion of the developing solution guide plate, it is effective that the cleaning solution enters the developing solution supply system when cleaning the developing solution supply plate. It can be prevented.

In such a developing processing apparatus,
In order to remove the developer from the surface of the developer guide plate,
It is preferable to provide a high-pressure gas supply mechanism by blowing high-pressure gas onto the lower end of the developer guide plate. It is preferable that the high pressure gas supply mechanism operates before the operation of the droplet removing mechanism.

With this structure, the developer adhering to the surface of the developer guide plate can be blown off or collected at the lower end of the developer guide plate, and then the droplet removing mechanism is activated. By removing the liquid droplets attached to the lower end of the developer guide plate, the developer can be almost completely removed from the developer guide plate.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the pattern
On the substrate to be processed having the exposed photoresist film.
Development process that supplies image liquid and develops photoresist film
Substrate for holding the substrate to be processed horizontally
Holding mechanism and substrate to be processed held by the substrate holding mechanism
Hold it with the lower end facing above the
On the substrate to be processed from the lower end while moving in the horizontal direction
Developing solution supply section for supplying a developing solution to the developer, and the developing solution supply section
It has a droplet removal mechanism that removes droplets attached to the lower end of the
The developing solution supply unit is held with the lower end surface provided with the discharge hole facing the substrate to be processed with a predetermined gap, and one surface thereof is in the driving direction of the developing solution supply unit. There is provided one having a developer supply nozzle held opposite to each other.

With such a structure, it becomes possible to effectively remove the droplets of the developing solution attached to the periphery of the discharge hole.

Further, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, as the droplet removing mechanism, a high pressure gas is blown to the lower end of the developing solution supply section so that the droplet adhered to the lower end. There is provided a development processing apparatus having a high-pressure gas blowing mechanism for removing the above.

With such a structure as well, the droplets of the developing solution attached to the developing solution supply section can be blown off and removed.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a developing method for supplying a developing solution to a substrate having a photoresist film having a pattern exposed to develop the photoresist film. A step of horizontally holding the processing substrate; and a step of holding the developing solution supply unit above the substrate to be processed with the lower end portion facing the substrate, and moving the substrate from the lower end portion to the substrate to be processed while moving in a predetermined horizontal direction. Droplet removal mechanism at the timing of supplying the developing solution to the
Is operated to remove the liquid droplets adhering to the lower end of the developing solution supply section, and the step of returning the developing solution supply section to the initial position.

According to this structure, it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of a situation in which a developer drips from the developer supply unit and adheres to the substrate to be processed in the scanning type developing apparatus.

Further, since it is possible to effectively remove the droplets of the developing solution attached to the developing solution supply section, it is possible to prevent the droplets from being deteriorated and supplied to the substrate to be processed next.

[0031]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an embodiment of a developing processing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

This developing processing apparatus includes a wafer holding section 2 for holding a wafer 1 (a wafer that has been coated with a resist solution and has been subjected to exposure processing) as a substrate to be processed, and a developing solution supply section for supplying a developing solution onto the wafer 1. 3, a cup 4 for receiving the developing solution scattered from the wafer 1, a cleaning processing section 5 for cleaning the wafer 1 after development, and a control section 6 for controlling each of these mechanisms.

The wafer holder 2 is provided with a spin chuck 7 that holds the wafer 1 by suction, and a spin chuck drive mechanism 8 that drives the spin chuck 7 to rotate and ascend and descend. The wafer holder 2 is provided with a developer supply unit 3
Wafer 1 when cleaning and removing the developer supplied by
Has a function of rotating the developer at a high speed and shaking off the developing solution by centrifugal force. The developing solution shaken off from the edge of the wafer 1
It is received by the cup 4 and is discharged to the outside from a drainage passage 10 provided at the lower end of the cup 4.

On the other hand, the developing solution supply unit 3 includes an X-direction drive mechanism 11, a Z-direction drive mechanism 12 held by the X-direction drive mechanism 11 so as to be reciprocally driven in the X-direction, and a Z-direction drive mechanism 12. The developing solution supply unit 13 is held so that it can be driven in the Z direction. The developer supply unit 13 includes a holder 14 and a developer guide plate 15 held by the holder 14 such that the front surface in the traveling direction is inclined backward.
A developing solution supply nozzle 16 held by the holder 14 so as to face the developing solution guide plate 15, and a developing solution supply nozzle 16 provided above the developing solution supply nozzle 16 so as to face the developing solution guide plate 15. The air blow nozzle 17 is held. Further, the developer guide plate 15 is held by a swing drive mechanism 18 provided in the holder 14 so as to be swingable in a direction indicated by a dotted line β in the figure.

2 and 3 are enlarged views showing the main part of the developer supply unit 13. As shown in FIG.

First, the shape of the developing solution guide plate 15 and the developing solution supply system will be described in detail, and then the swing drive mechanism will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, the developing solution guide plate 15 has a length in the width direction substantially the same as the diameter of the wafer 1,
For example, if the diameter of the wafer is 200 mm, the plate member is made of, for example, quartz and has a length of 204 mm. Also,
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, bumps 19 are formed in the height direction midway portion of the front surface of the plate 15 in the traveling direction (indicated by an arrow α in the drawing). The bumps 19 are formed over the entire width of the developer guide plate 15 in the width direction.

The developing solution supply nozzle 16 is held so as to eject the developing solution to a position higher than the bumps 19 of the plate 15. Also, FIG.
As shown in, a plurality of the developer supply nozzles 16 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the developer guide plate 15. Developer 21 sprayed from each developer supply nozzle 16
Are diffused along the entire length of the guide plate 15 in the width direction along the bumps 19, and the speed of the developing solution is reduced when the bumps 19 are passed over, so that the supply speed when reaching the wafer 1 falls by its own weight. Controlled to a close speed. Therefore, the developing solution 21 is supplied to the surface of the wafer 1 more uniformly and with a soft impact.

The lower end of the guide plate 15 is
The edge portion 22 at the front end in the traveling direction is formed round, the lower surface 23 is formed in a corrugated shape, and the rear end portion 24 in the traveling direction is formed at an acute angle. Further, this guide plate 15 is driven in the X direction with the lower end surface 23 being brought close to the surface of the wafer 1 by, for example, 1 to 3 mm. According to such a configuration, the developing solution 21 supplied to the surface of the wafer 1 can be satisfactorily flowed backward while being leveled, and the rear end portion 24 is formed at an acute angle. The separation from the plate 15 can be performed well.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the air blow nozzle 17 is provided, for example, only one, and faces the front surface of the developer guide plate 15 at a position higher than the developer supply nozzle 16. According to such a configuration,
Since high-pressure air can be blown from the nozzle 17 onto the front surface of the developer guide plate 15, the developer remaining on the surface of the developer guide plate 15 can be effectively removed.

The developing solution supply nozzle 16 and the air blow nozzle 17 are connected to the supply system 25 shown in FIG. First, the developer supply section will be described. The developer tank 26 containing the developer contains an inert gas such as N 2.
_Two gases are blown in, and the gas pressure causes the developing solution to be sent to the developing solution supply nozzle 16 through the filter 27, the solution amount controller 28, the opening / closing valve 29, and the supply pipe 30. In addition, explaining the high pressure air supply system,
High-pressure air supplied by the air pump 31 is connected to the air blowing nozzle 17 through the filter 32, the opening / closing valve 33, and the supply pipe 34.

The supply / stop of the developing solution and the high-pressure air is controlled by the open / close valves 29, 33, and the open / close valves 29, 33 are controlled by the controller 6. Further, the liquid volume controller 28
Is also connected to the control unit 6.

Next, the swing drive mechanism 18 for swinging the developer guide plate 15 will be described.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the swing drive mechanism 18.

The swing drive mechanism 18 is, for example, the electromagnet 3
A driving means such as 6 drives the developing solution guide plate 15 so as to instantly jump up in the upward direction (arrow β direction). That is, the upper end of the developer guide plate 15 is swingably supported by the support shaft 37 provided on the holder 14. A drive lever 39 is provided at the upper end of the developer guide plate 15 so as to project in the traveling direction α of the developer supply unit 13. The drive lever 39 is restricted from swinging downward by a stopper 40 provided on the holder 14 and is biased in a direction (a direction opposite to β) to be pressed against the stopper 40 by a spring 41. Has been done.

A magnetic body 42 such as iron is attached to the upper surface of the drive lever 39 by an adhesive material or the like. The electromagnet 36 is held in a state of being firmly fixed to the holder 14 at a position facing the adhesive material 42. Therefore, by operating the electromagnet 36, the developer guide plate 15 can be swingably driven so as to instantly jump up in the upward direction (β direction) against the restoring force of the spring 41. And
The swing amount of the developer guide plate is defined by the gap amount between the drive lever 39 and the electromagnet 36. In addition to the electromagnet 36, a stopper for restricting the amount of upward swing of the drive lever 39 may be provided.

The electromagnet 36 is connected to the control unit 6 and is operated by a command from the control unit 6.

The control section 6 is also connected to the X-direction drive mechanism 11 and the Z-direction drive mechanism 12, and by controlling these, the developer supply unit 13 is lowered to move the plate 15 to the plate 15. Is brought close to the wafer 1, and the unit 13 can be scan-driven in the X direction. The electromagnet 36 is actuated immediately after the scan development is completed and the developer on the surface of the developer guide plate is removed by the air blowing nozzle 17. As a result, the liquid droplets attached to the lower end of the developer guide plate 15 are shaken off and removed.

Next, the cleaning processing section 5 provided on the side of the developing solution supply section 3 will be described.

The cleaning processing unit 5 includes a Zθ drive mechanism 46.
A cleaning nozzle 47 held by the Zθ drive mechanism 46 and positioned to face the central portion of the wafer 1 held by the spin chuck 7, and a Zθ drive unit 48 for operating the Zθ drive mechanism 46. . From the Zθ drive mechanism 46, the supply pipe 5 connected to the cleaning nozzle 47.
0 is led out, and this supply pipe 50 is connected to a cleaning liquid supply tank 52 via an opening / closing valve 51.

The cleaning liquid in the cleaning liquid supply tank 52 is supplied to the cleaning nozzle 47 through the on-off valve 51 by this gas pressure when an inert gas such as N ₂ gas is blown into the tank 52. . The on-off valve 51 and the Zθ drive unit 48 are connected to the control unit 6, and the nozzle 47 is controlled by a command from the control unit 6.
Are positioned so as to face the central portion of the wafer 1, and the cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the wafer 1.

Next, regarding the operation of this developing processing apparatus,
This will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, the wafer 1 is loaded into the development processing apparatus (step S1). That is, the spin chuck 7 is driven up to above the cup 4, and the wafer 1 which has been coated with the resist solution and exposed in the previous step is transferred from the arm (not shown) and held on the spin chuck 7. Then, the spin chuck 7 is driven downward, and the wafer 1 is housed in the cup 4.

Next, the developer supply unit 13 is driven downward by the Z-direction drive mechanism 12 while being positioned at the initial position (home position) on the left side of the paper surface of FIG. 1 (step S2). At this time, the lower end portion of the guide plate 15 of the supply unit 13 is located outside the wafer 1, and the lower end surface thereof is held at a height higher than the surface of the wafer 1 by about 1 mm.

Next, the X-direction drive mechanism 11 operates,
The supply unit 13 is scan-driven in the X direction (α direction) (step S3), and the opening / closing valve 29 is opened at a predetermined developer supply start timing to open the supply nozzle 16.
Then, the supply of the developing solution is started (step S4). It is preferable that the supply start position of the developing solution is immediately before the edge portion 22 of the developing solution guide plate 15 reaches the wafer 1. The actual opening timing of the opening / closing valve 29 is
After the opening / closing valve 29 is opened, the developing solution is actually applied to the wafer 1
It is decided in consideration of the time lag to reach the top.

By starting the supply of the developing solution through the above steps, the supply unit 13 moves on the wafer 1 while moving in the X direction at a constant speed, for example, a scan speed of 5 to 20 cm / sec in the state shown by the arrow α. The developing solution is supplied to (step S5). As shown in FIG. 3, the developer supplied onto the wafer 1 is smoothly moved to the lower end surface 23 of the plate 15 by the edge portion 22 formed of the curved surface.
While being guided to the side, it is evenly leveled by this lower end surface 23, and as a result, a uniform developer film of about 1 mm is formed after passing through the plate 15.

In this embodiment, the supply flow rate of the developing solution from the developing solution supply nozzle 16 is constant over the entire process. However, the supply area of the developing solution gradually increases toward the central portion of the wafer 1 and gradually decreases with increasing distance from the central portion. Therefore, the amount of the developing solution may be changed accordingly. In the case of reducing the supply amount of the developing solution, it is preferable to provide only one developing solution supply nozzle 16 so as to face the central portion of the developing solution guide plate 15 and to control it by the flow rate controller 29. In this case, if the flow rate is small, the spread of the developing solution can be made small, so that the supply range of the developing solution can be narrowed
On the contrary, if the flow rate is increased, the supply range can be widened. Therefore, the developer can be saved as a whole.

Then, the supply of the developing solution is stopped immediately before the developing solution guide plate 15 overscans the other end of the wafer 1 (step S6), and after the overscan, the scanning of the supply unit 13 in the X direction is also stopped. (Step S7). During the above developing solution supplying step, the excess developing solution dripping from the peripheral portion of the wafer 1 is removed by the cup 4
And is discharged to the outside through the discharge passage 10.

When the supply of the developing solution is stopped, the current solution adhering to the surface of the developing solution guide plate 15 is removed (step S8). That is, high-pressure air is jetted toward the developer guide plate 15 from the air-blowing nozzle 17 mounted above the developer supply nozzle 16. As a result, the low-viscosity developer is driven toward the lower end of the developer guide plate 15 or blown off by the pressure of air.

However, even in this case, since there is a high possibility that the developing solution adheres to the lower end surface of the developing solution guide plate 15 as droplets, the swing drive mechanism 18 is operated to cause the droplets at the lower end portion to operate. Is flipped up and removed (step S9). That is, power is supplied to the electromagnet 36 so that the developer guide plate 15 is instantly flipped up (arrow β).
Direction), whereby the droplets adhering to the lower end of the developer guide plate 15 are shaken off and removed.

Upon completion of the above series of steps, the developing solution supply unit 13 is driven to move upward, is withdrawn from the cup 4, and the X drive mechanism 11 is operated to operate the initial position of the left end portion of the drawing. (Step S1)
0).

When the developing solution supply unit 13 has been returned to the initial position and a predetermined developing time has elapsed, the wafer 1 is washed (developing solution is removed) (step S11). That is, first, the Zθ drive mechanism 48 is operated to make the cleaning nozzle 47 face the central portion of the wafer 1. Then, the opening / closing valve 51 is operated to supply pure water as a cleaning liquid to the central portion of the wafer, and the spin chuck drive mechanism 8 is operated to rotate the wafer 1 at a high speed. The developing solution is washed away with the cleaning solution. Next, by stopping the supply of pure water, the wafer 1
Is shaken off and dried (step S12).

When the drying of the wafer 1 is completed, the wafer 1 is unloaded from the development processing apparatus (step S13). That is, the wafer 1 is attached to the spin chuck 7
Is driven to rise, is taken out by an arm (not shown), and is discharged from the developing processing apparatus.

With the above arrangement, the following effects can be obtained.

First, in the scanning type developing process, it is possible to effectively remove the droplets attached to the lower end of the developing solution guide plate 15 (developing solution supply section) at the end of scanning. This prevents dripping when the developer guide plate 15 is returned to the home position. Further, the developing solution attached to the lower end of the developing solution guide plate 15 is prevented from being deteriorated and the deteriorated developing solution is prevented from being supplied onto the next wafer 1.

Further, according to this structure, since the liquid droplets at the lower end of the developer guide plate 15 are removed immediately after the developer is supplied, the pre-dispensing step immediately before the developer is supplied can be eliminated. Such a developer guide plate 1
When pre-dispensing is performed in the configuration using No. 5, there is a possibility that the developer adhering to the surface of the developer guide plate 15 may deteriorate between the time the pre-dispensing is performed and the actual developer is supplied. It becomes possible to prevent such a phenomenon from occurring.

Secondly, according to the configuration of the above embodiment,
It is possible to uniformly supply the developing solution onto the wafer 1 on which the resist film is formed and with a small impact on the resist film at the time of supply.

That is, in the conventional scan developing method using the linear nozzle, the developing solution is sprayed onto the resist film at a high pressure from the ejection holes arranged in a straight line at a predetermined interval, so that it corresponds to the ejection holes. The impact on the resist solution differs between the part and the part that does not face. Therefore, there is a possibility that unevenness may occur in the amount of development and the resolution.

However, in one embodiment of the present invention, the developing solution is first supplied to the upper part of the developing solution guide plate 15 and is uniformly dispersed on the developing solution guide plate 15. It is possible to reach the wafer 1 by transmitting 15. This makes it possible to supply the developing solution onto the wafer 1 uniformly and in a state where the impact on the resist film is minimized.

Further, in this embodiment, the front surface of the guide plate 15 is tilted backward, and the bumps 19 are provided in the middle portion in the height direction. As a result, the flow velocity of the developing solution is effectively decelerated, and the state becomes closer to that of gravity drop, so that there is an effect that the impact on the resist solution film can be more effectively reduced.

Thirdly, there is an effect that the cleaning solution can be effectively prevented from entering the developing solution supply nozzle 16 when cleaning the developing solution guide plate 15.

That is, in the conventional scanning method, the lower end surface of the linear nozzle provided with the ejection hole is brought into contact with the surface of the developing solution to eject the developing solution and level the surface. For this reason, it is necessary to clean the lower end surface of the nozzle at regular intervals. However, at this time, the cleaning water may enter the discharge holes. There is a problem that various developments cannot be performed.

However, according to the structure of this embodiment, the developer supply nozzle 16 is disposed above the developer guide plate 15 so as to face the developer guide plate 1.
The cleaning liquid does not enter the developing solution supply nozzle 16 when cleaning 5.

Therefore, the developer can be immediately supplied without removing the washing water as in the conventional case.

The developing processing apparatus is preferably applied to the coating and developing processing system shown in FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 6, in this coating and developing treatment system, a cassette unit 60 for sequentially taking out the wafers 1 from the cassette CR in which the wafers 1 are housed, and a resist solution coating process for the wafers 1 taken out by the cassette unit 60. And a process processing unit 61 for performing a process process of development, and an interface unit 62 for transferring the wafer 1 coated with the resist solution to an exposure device (not shown).

The cassette portion 60 has four protrusions 70a for positioning and holding the cassette CR, and the wafer 1 from the inside of the cassette held by the protrusions 70a.
And a first sub-arm mechanism 71 for taking out. When the wafer 1 is taken out, the sub-arm mechanism 71 is rotated in the θ direction to change the direction, and the wafer 1 can be transferred to the main arm mechanism 72 provided in the process processing section 61. ing.

The wafer 1 is transferred between the cassette unit 60 and the process processing unit 61 via the third processing unit group G3. This third processing unit group G3 is shown in FIG.
As shown in, a plurality of process processing units are vertically stacked and configured. That is, the processing unit group G3 includes a cooling unit (COL) for cooling the wafer 1 and an adhesion unit (A) for performing a hydrophobic treatment for improving the fixability of the resist liquid on the wafer 1.
D), an alignment unit (ALIM) for aligning the wafer 1, an extension unit (EXT) for keeping the wafer 1 on standby, and two pre-baking units (PREBAK) for performing heat treatment before the exposure treatment.
E) and two post-baking units (POBAKE) for performing heat treatment after the exposure treatment are sequentially stacked from bottom to top.

The wafer 1 is transferred to the main arm mechanism 72 by the extension unit (EXT).
And the alignment unit (ALIM).

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the third processing unit group G3 is provided around the main arm mechanism 72.
First to fifth processing unit groups G1 to G5 including are provided so as to surround the main arm mechanism 72. Similar to the third processing unit group G3 described above, the other processing unit groups G1, G2, G4, G5 are also configured by vertically stacking various processing units.

Development Processing Apparatus (DEV) of this Embodiment
Are provided in the first and second processing unit groups G1 and G2 as shown in FIG. The first and second processing unit groups G1 and G2 are a resist coating device (COT).
And a development processing device (DEV) are vertically stacked.

On the other hand, the main arm mechanism 72 is shown in FIG.
As shown in, a cylindrical guide 79 extending vertically is provided.
And the main arm 7 that is vertically driven along the guide 79.
Eight. Further, the main arm 78 is configured to rotate in the plane direction and be driven back and forth. Therefore, by driving the main arm 78 in the vertical direction, the wafer 1 is moved to the processing unit group G1.
It is possible to arbitrarily access each processing unit of G5 to G5.

The main arm mechanism 72, which receives the wafer 1 from the cassette section 60 via the extension unit (EXT) of the third processing unit group G3, first adds the wafer 1 to the third processing unit group G3. It is carried into a fusion unit (AD) and subjected to a hydrophobic treatment. Next, the wafer 1 is unloaded from the adhesion unit (AD) and cooled by the cooling unit (COL).

The cooled wafer 1 is processed by the main arm mechanism 72 to the first processing unit group G1.
(Or the second processing unit group G2) is positioned so as to face the resist solution coating device (COT) and is carried in. The wafer 1 coated with the resist liquid by the resist liquid coating device is unloaded by the main arm mechanism,
The interface unit 6 via the fourth processing unit group G4
Handed over to 2.

As shown in FIG. 8, the fourth processing unit group G4 includes a cooling unit (COL), an extension / cooling unit (EXT / COL), an extension unit (EXT), a cooling unit (COL), Two post-exposure baking units (PEBAKE) and post-baking units (POBAKE) are sequentially stacked from bottom to top.

The wafer 1 taken out from the resist solution coating device (COT) is first inserted into a prebaking unit (PREBAKE) and dried by removing the solvent (thinner) from the resist solution.

Next, the wafer 1 is cooled by the cooling unit (COL) and then transferred to the second sub-arm mechanism 64 provided in the interface section 62 via the extension unit (EXT).

The second sub-arm mechanism 64 that receives the wafer 1 sequentially stores the received wafer 1 in the cassette CR. The interface section transfers the wafer 1 to the exposure device (not shown) in a state in which the wafer CR is stored in the cassette CR, and the cassette C in which the wafer 1 after the exposure processing is stored.
Receive R.

The wafer 1 after the exposure processing is transferred to the main arm mechanism 72 through the fourth processing unit group G4 contrary to the above, and the main arm mechanism 72 receives the wafer 1 after the exposure processing. Is inserted into the post-exposure baking unit (PEBAKE) if necessary, and then inserted into the developing device (DEV) of this embodiment to perform the developing process by the scanning method. The wafer 1 after the development processing is processed in one of the post-baking units (POBs).
AKE), after being heated and dried, the extension unit (EXT) of the third processing unit group G3
It is discharged to the cassette unit 60 via the.

The fifth processing unit group G5 is
It is selectively provided, and in this example, it is configured similarly to the fourth processing unit group G4. Further, the fifth processing unit group G5 is movably held by a rail 65, and the main arm mechanism 72 and the first to first
The maintenance processing for the fourth processing unit groups G1 to G4 can be easily performed.

When the developing processing apparatus of the present invention is applied to the coating and developing unit shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, parallel processing of a plurality of wafers can be easily performed, so that the coating and developing processing step of the wafer 1 can be performed very much. It can be done efficiently. Also,
Since each processing unit is vertically stacked, the installation area of the apparatus can be significantly reduced.

Of course, this embodiment can be applied to an apparatus other than the coating and developing unit. Further, the above-described one embodiment can be variously modified without changing the gist of the invention.

First, the swing drive mechanism 18 for driving the developer guide plate 15 is not limited to that of the above-described embodiment. The one in the above embodiment uses the electromagnet 36 and the spring 41. However, for example, as shown in FIG. 19A, an actuator 91 (a DC motor in this example) is used to directly drive the actuator. Is also good. In this case, the developer guide plate 1
The holder 14 may be provided with a pair of stoppers 92a and 92b in order to regulate the amount of rocking of the holder 5.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the entire developer guide plate 15 is driven, but the present invention is not limited to this, and at least only the lower end of the developer guide plate 15 swings. It may be configured.

Secondly, the droplet removing mechanism of the present invention is not limited to the swing drive mechanism 18.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9B, a vibrating element 93 is attached to the back surface of the developing solution guide plate 15, and the vibrating element 93 is operated to vibrate the developing solution guide plate 15 so that the lower end thereof is vibrated. You may make it remove the droplet which adhered to. Further, as shown in FIG. 9C, the nozzle 94 is provided from below the developer guide plate 15.
Droplets may be removed by blowing high-pressure air through them.

Thirdly, in the above-described embodiment, the developing solution supply nozzle 16 is opposed to the front surface of the developing solution guide plate 15, and the developing solution is jetted toward the developing solution guide plate 15. , But is not limited to this.

For example, as shown in FIGS.
The developer may be discharged from the inside of the developer guide plate 15. That is, in this structure, a plurality of developing solution supply passages 101 opening to the front surface of the developing solution guide plate 15 are provided at a predetermined equal interval above the developing solution guide plate 15, and the developing solution supply pipes 30 are provided with the developing solution supply pipes 30. The back side of 15 is connected to the supply passage 101. A guide cover 102 is attached to the front surface of the plate 15 to guide the developer discharged from the developer supply passages 101 downward.

According to this structure, the developing solution is discharged from the upper portion of the guide plate 15 in a comb shape, and while flowing downward through the guide plate 15, the developing solution is spread over the entire surface of the plate 15. Diffuse into a uniform film and reach the surface of the wafer 1. Therefore, even with such a configuration, the same effect as that of the one embodiment can be obtained. In the embodiment, the number of the air blow nozzles 17 is one, but in order to blow the high pressure air more evenly over the front surface of the developer guide plate 15, the four air blow nozzles 17 are provided. The plate 15 is arranged to face the front surface. In this case, in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, if the air blow nozzle 17 is swung downward from above, the developer on the surface of the developer guide plate 15 can be more effectively removed.

Further, instead of the nozzle 17 shown in this figure,
High-pressure air may be blown by using a nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge hole having the entire width of the plate 15.

Fourthly, in the above-described embodiment, the bumps 19 are provided in the middle of the developing solution guide plate 15 in the height direction, but instead of the bumps 19, the recesses 121 as shown in FIG. Is also good. With such a configuration, the flow velocity of the developing solution is reduced when the developing solution passes through the recess 121, so that the impact of the developing solution on the resist film can be reduced.

Fifth, in the above-described embodiment, only one bump 19 is provided in the middle portion in the height direction of the developer guide plate 15, but if necessary, for example, three bumps 19 may be provided as shown in FIG. (19a to 19c) may be provided. According to such a configuration, there is an effect that the flow velocity of the developing solution can be controlled more reliably.

Further, in the example of this figure, the edge portion on the traveling direction side of the lower end portion of the plate 15 is also formed as the bump 19c. In this way, the bumps 19c are attached to the plate 15
By providing the resist film at the lowermost end, the flow velocity of the developing solution when coming into contact with the resist film (the upper surface of the wafer 1) can be decelerated very effectively.

Sixth, in the above-described embodiment, the number of the developing solution supply unit 13 is only one, but a plurality of developing solution supply units may be provided. For example, in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, two developer supply units 13a, 1
3b may be provided so as to be separated from each other by the radial dimension of the wafer 1 in the traveling direction of the units 13a and 13b.

In this case, the first supply unit 13a
The supply of the developing solution by (1) starts from one end of the wafer 1, and the supply of the developing solution by the second supply unit 13b starts from the central portion of the wafer 1. Further, the supply by the first supply unit 13a ends at the central portion of the wafer 1,
The supply by the supply unit 13b of 1 ends at the other end of the wafer 1.

However, in this case, it is desirable that a part of the supply range of the first supply unit 13a and the supply range of the second supply unit 13b overlap so that a portion where the developer is not supplied is not generated. . In this case, the overlapping supply range is near the center of the wafer 1.

In FIG. 14B, the horizontal axis indicates each unit 13
Take the moving positions of a and 13b, and move each unit 1 in the vertical direction.
3 is a chart showing the supply flow rates of the developing solutions 3a and 13b. As shown in this figure, each unit 13a, 1
The supply amount by 3b is reduced to about half of the other supply range in the overlapping supply range near the central portion of the wafer 1. In this figure, the Tstart and Tend points in the diagram for the first unit and the Tstart and Tend points in the diagram for the second unit have the same timing. As a result of such control, the supply amount in this overlapping supply range becomes equal to that of the other parts.

Incidentally, the control of the supply amount is as shown in FIG.
The control unit 6 individually controls the liquid volume controller 28 for each of the units 13a and 13b shown in FIG. 1 according to the drive position of each of the units 13a and 13b.

According to such a constitution, since the puddle can be formed by the two supply units 13a and 13b, the puddle of the developing solution can be completed in a shorter time. Also,
By controlling the supply amount in the central portion of the wafer, more uniform puddle of the developing solution can be performed, and good development can be expected.

Eighthly, in the above-described one embodiment, the droplet removing mechanism of the present invention is applied to the developer supply unit 13 using the developer guide plate 15, but the invention is not limited to this. Instead, it may be applied to a linear type developer supply nozzle 151 as shown in FIG.

The developing solution supply nozzle 151 has a width slightly longer than the diameter of the wafer 1, and a plurality of developing solution discharge holes 152 are formed on the lower surface thereof at a pitch of 2 mm, for example. A liquid reservoir (not shown) is provided in the nozzle 151, and the developer is temporarily stored in the liquid reservoir and then discharged from the discharge hole 152 at a substantially uniform pressure. The developer flow discharged from each discharge hole 152 is
Adjacent developer streams come into contact with each other to form a curtain and are supplied onto the wafer 1.

When such a developing solution supply nozzle 151 is applied to the present invention, as shown in FIG.
A drive lever 153 is provided on the side surface of the nozzle 151, and the nozzle 151 is connected to the developing solution supply unit 1.
The bracket 154 provided in FIG. 3 is swingably supported. A magnetic body 155 is attached to the drive lever 153 as in the case of the one embodiment, and an electromagnet 156 is fixed to a position of the bracket 154 facing the magnetic body 155. Therefore, by controlling and operating the electromagnet 156 by the control unit 6, the magnetic body 155 can be attracted and the nozzle 151 can be flipped up in the β direction.

A spring 158 is inserted between the drive lever 153 and the bracket 154 in a compressed state to urge this nozzle 151 in the direction opposite to the β direction. The bracket 154 is integrally formed with a stopper 159 for restricting the rotation of the nozzle 151 in the β direction.

With this structure as well, the developer supply nozzle 151 can be flipped up and driven, so that the same effect as in the above-described embodiment can be obtained. In particular,
In the developer supply nozzle 151 having such a shape,
The developing solution may adhere and remain on the lower surface of the nozzle 151 between the ejection holes 152, but this can be effectively removed.

The discharge hole shape can be applied to a so-called slit nozzle in which all the discharge holes are continuous and have a slit shape.

[0117]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In the conventional scan developing method, it is possible to effectively remove the droplets of the developing solution attached to the developing solution supply section.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a developing solution supply unit that is a main part of the same.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram similarly showing the positional relationship between the developer guide plate and the developer supply nozzle.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram similarly showing a swing drive mechanism provided in the developer supply unit.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a development processing step.

FIG. 6 is a plan layout view showing an overall configuration of a coating and developing system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 7 is a front layout diagram showing the overall configuration of a coating and developing system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 8 is a rear layout view showing the overall configuration of a coating and developing system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a schematic configuration diagram and a timing chart showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

β ... dotted line α ... arrow β ... arrow α: Direction of travel CR ... cassette G1 to G5 ... First to fifth processing unit groups 1 ... Semiconductor wafer 2 ... Wafer holder 3 ... Developer supply unit 4 ... cup 5 ... Cleaning section 6 ... Control unit 7 ... Spin chuck 8 ... Spin chuck drive mechanism 10 ... Drainage channel 11 ... X-direction drive mechanism 12 ... Z direction drive mechanism 13 ... Developer supply unit 14 ... Holder 15 ... Developer guide plate 16 ... Developer supply nozzle 16 ... Supply nozzle 17 ... Nozzle for air blow 18 ... Swing drive mechanism 19 ... Bump 21 ... Developer 22 ... Edge part 24 ... rear end 25 ... Supply system 26 ... Developer tank 27 ... Filter 28 ... Liquid volume controller 29 ... Open / close valve 30 ... Developer supply pipe 31 ... Air pump 32 ... Filter 33 ... Open / close valve 34 ... Supply pipe 36 ... Electromagnet 37 ... Spindle 39 ... Drive lever 40 ... Stopper 41 ... Spring 42 ... Magnetic material 46 ... Zθ drive mechanism 47 ... Washing nozzle 48 ... Zθ drive unit 50 ... Supply pipe 51 ... Open / close valve 52 ... Cleaning liquid supply tank 60 ... Cassette section 61 ... Process processing unit 62 ... Interface section 64 ... Second sub-arm mechanism 65 ... Rail 70a ... Projection 71 ... Sub-arm mechanism 72 ... Main arm mechanism 78 ... Main arm 79 ... Guide 91 ... Actuator 92a. 92b ... a pair of stoppers 93 ... Vibration element 94 ... Nozzle 101 ... Developer supply passage 102 ... Information cover 121 ... Recess 151 ... Developer supply nozzle 152 ... Developer discharge hole 153 ... Drive lever 154 ... Bracket 155 ... Magnetic material 156 ... Electromagnet 158 ... Spring 159 ... Stopper

Continuation of front page (56) Reference JP-A-11-74179 (JP, A) JP-A-11-186141 (JP, A) JP-A-11-67622 (JP, A) JP-A-10-270336 (JP , A) JP-A-7-326554 (JP, A) JP-A-9-122553 (JP, A) JP-A-10-223507 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB) Name) H01L 21/027

Claims (12)

(57) [Claims] 1. A development processing apparatus for supplying a developing solution to a substrate to be processed having a photoresist film having a pattern exposed to develop the photoresist film, the substrate holding device holding the substrate to be processed horizontally. The mechanism and the substrate to be processed held by the substrate holding mechanism are held with their lower ends facing each other, and the developing solution is supplied from the lower ends to the substrate to be processed while moving in a predetermined horizontal direction. a developer supply unit to said and a developer liquid droplet removal mechanism for removing droplets attached to the lower end portion of the feed section, the droplet removing mechanism is provided in the developer supply unit, this
At least the lower end of the developer supply section
An oscillating drive mechanism that removes the liquid droplets attached to the lower end with
Developing apparatus, characterized in that it. 2. The development processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the timing for controlling the droplet removing mechanism and immediately after the completion of the supply of the developing solution to the substrate to be processed by the developing solution supply section.
And a control means for operating the droplet removing mechanism to remove the droplets adhering to the lower end of the developing solution supply section. 3. The developing processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the swinging direction of the swinging drive mechanism is such that
Development characterized by being in the same direction as the supply direction
Processing equipment. 4. A photoresist film having a pattern exposed.
Photoresist by supplying a developing solution to the substrate to be processed having
A development processing apparatus for developing a film, comprising a substrate holding mechanism for holding the substrate to be processed horizontally, and a lower end above the substrate to be processed held by the substrate holding mechanism.
Hold the parts facing each other and move in the specified horizontal direction
While supplying the developing solution onto the substrate to be processed from the lower end portion,
A developer supply part to be supplied and a liquid for removing liquid droplets attached to the lower end part of the developer supply part.
State and a droplet removing mechanism, the developing solution supply portion, where the lower portion is opposed to presence of the substrate with a predetermined gap
Held in place, and one side of the
To supply the developer to the developer guide plates held opposite to each other and to the upper part of one surface of the developer guide plates.
Then, under this developer guide plate, let it pass through this developer guide plate.
A developer solution is supplied from the edge onto the substrate to be processed.
Development processing characterized by having a supply system
apparatus. 5. A development processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the developing solution adhering to one surface of said developing solution guide plate is removed.
A development processing apparatus having an image liquid removing mechanism. 6. The development processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control means controls the developing solution removing mechanism and the droplet removing mechanism.
This control means has a step for supplying the developing solution to the substrate to be processed by the developing solution supply section.
The developer removing mechanism is activated immediately after the end of the supply.
Then, the developer adhering to one surface of the developer guide plate is removed.
And then the droplet removing mechanism is activated to perform the development.
It removes the liquid droplets adhering to the lower end of the liquid guide plate.
A development processing device characterized by the above. 7. The developing treatment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the droplet removing mechanism swings at least the lower end portion of the developing solution supply section.
A swing drive machine that removes the liquid droplets attached to the lower end by
A development processing device characterized in that it is a structure. 8. The development processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the droplet removing mechanism blows a high-pressure gas onto the lower end of the developing solution supply section.
High pressure to remove the droplets attached to this lower end by squeezing
Characterized by having a gas blowing mechanism
Development processor. 9. A photoresist film having a pattern exposed.
Photoresist by supplying a developing solution to the substrate to be processed having
A development processing apparatus for developing a film, comprising a substrate holding mechanism for holding the substrate to be processed horizontally, and a lower end above the substrate to be processed held by the substrate holding mechanism.
Hold the parts facing each other and move in the specified horizontal direction
While supplying the developing solution onto the substrate to be processed from the lower end portion,
A developer supply part to be supplied and a liquid for removing liquid droplets attached to the lower end part of the developer supply part.
The developing solution supply unit has a lower end surface provided with a discharge hole and a predetermined gap with the substrate to be processed.
It is held in a state of facing each other with a space in between, and one side of this is
Developer held opposite to the driving direction of the developer supply section
A development processing apparatus having a supply nozzle. 10. A photoresist having a pattern exposed.
Photoresist is supplied by supplying a developing solution to the substrate to be processed that has a film.
The door film A developing method for developing, the counter of the steps of holding a substrate to be processed horizontally, the lower end portion of the developer supply portion above the substrate to be processed
Hold it in place and move it in the specified horizontal direction while
Supplying a developing solution onto the substrate to be processed from the lower end
And the liquid droplet removal mechanism operates at the timing immediately after the end of the supply of the developing solution.
Then, the droplets adhering to the lower end of the developer supply section are removed.
It has a step of removing and a step of returning the developer supply section to the initial position.
Development processing method to be considered. 11. The development processing method according to claim 10.
In the step of removing the liquid droplets , at least the lower end portion of the developer supply unit is rocked.
This is the process of removing the droplets attached to the lower end.
A development processing method characterized by the above. 12. The development processing method according to claim 11.
And the developing solution supply section has a lower end portion facing the substrate with a predetermined gap.
Held in place, and one side of the
To supply the developer to the developer guide plates held opposite to each other and to the upper part of one surface of the developer guide plates.
Then, under this developer guide plate, let it pass through this developer guide plate.
A developer solution is supplied from the edge onto the substrate to be processed.
The developing treatment method is provided before removing the droplets adhering to the lower end portion of the developer guide plate.
To remove the developer adhering to one surface of the developer guide plate.
A development processing method comprising the steps of: