JP3540111B2 - Substrate heat treatment equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a substrate heat treatment apparatus that heat-treats a substrate (hereinafter, referred to as a “substrate”) such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a photomask, and a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display on a heat treatment plate provided inside a housing.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in a photolithography process in semiconductor manufacturing, a substrate heat treatment apparatus as shown in a cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 has been used. This device includes a housing 910, a substrate loading / unloading shutter 920, a cover 930, and a hot plate 940. Then, as shown in FIG. 4A, the cover 930 is lowered to form a closed space between the cover 930 and the hot plate 940 (hereinafter, referred to as a “closed state”), and the substrate loading / unloading shutter 920 is closed. 4B, the cover 930 may be raised (hereinafter referred to as “open state”) and the substrate carry-in / out shutter 920 may be opened.
[0003]
In such an apparatus, in the state shown in FIG. 4B, the substrate W is loaded / unloaded through the substrate loading / unloading port 910a of the housing 910, and the standby until the next processing is performed. Heat treatment of the substrate W is performed in this state.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in a process using a chemically amplified resist, a heat treatment performed on a substrate after exposure (hereinafter, referred to as “PEB (Post Exposure Bake) treatment”) requires extremely high-precision temperature uniformity. You.
[0005]
However, at the time of substrate transfer and standby, as shown in FIG. 4B, since the cover 930 is in the open state, the high-temperature atmosphere above the cover 930 flows out through the substrate loading / unloading port to the outside, and the cold outside air flows over the hot plate. Flows over the substrate W placed on the substrate. Therefore, the temperature of the atmosphere on the substrate loading / unloading side becomes lower than the temperature of the atmosphere on the back side of the apparatus opposite thereto, and a temperature gradient occurs in the internal atmosphere, and the substrate temperature also has the same temperature gradient. There has been a problem that the width distribution varies.
[0006]
An object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned problems in the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate heat treatment apparatus having high internal atmosphere temperature uniformity.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention is a substrate heat treatment apparatus for heat treating a substrate on a heat treatment plate provided inside a housing, comprising: a cover for covering the substrate on the heat treatment plate; A cover driving means for moving the cover between a covered closed state and an opened state, and a shutter for closing the substrate entrance of the housing; a shutter driving means for driving the shutter to open and close; and a state before the cover is closed. Drive control means for controlling the cover drive means and the shutter drive means so as to close the shutter.
[0008]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate heat treatment apparatus for heat treating a substrate on a heat treatment plate provided inside a housing, wherein a cover for covering the substrate on the heat treatment plate, a closed state for covering the substrate, and a release state. Cover driving means for moving the cover between the opened state, a shutter closing the substrate entrance of the housing, shutter driving means for opening and closing the shutter, and a cover for opening the shutter after opening the cover. Drive control means for controlling the drive means and the shutter drive means.
[0009]
An apparatus according to claim 3 of the present invention is a substrate heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating a substrate on a heat treatment plate, wherein a housing having the heat treatment plate therein, and an exhaust port leading to an exhaust passage for exhausting an atmosphere in the housing, A cover for covering the substrate on the heat-treating plate, cover driving means for moving the cover between a closed state and an open state where the substrate is covered, and an exhaust operation via an exhaust path when the cover is in an open state; Exhaust control means for controlling the exhaust operation to be turned on when the cover is in the closed state.
[0010]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate heat treatment apparatus used for a post-exposure bake treatment for heat-treating a substrate after exposure on a heat treatment plate. An exhaust port that communicates with an exhaust path for exhausting air, a cover that covers the substrate on the heat treatment plate inside the housing, a cover driving unit that moves the cover between a closed state and a released open state that cover the substrate, and a housing. A shutter that closes the substrate loading / unloading port of the body, a shutter driving unit that opens and closes the shutter, a cover driving unit and a shutter that closes the shutter before closing the cover and opens the shutter after the cover is opened. A drive control means for controlling the drive means, and when the cover is in the open state, the exhaust operation via the exhaust path is turned off and Cover and a discharge control means for controlling to turn on the discharging operation when in the closed state.
[0011]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0012]
[1. Mechanical configuration in the embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. Hereinafter, the mechanical configuration of this device will be described with reference to FIG.
[0013]
The substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 includes a housing 10, a loading / unloading opening / closing unit 20, a cover 30, a hot plate 40, a lift pin 50, an exhaust unit 60, a lifting / lowering air cylinder 70, and a control unit 80.
[0014]
The casing 10 has a substrate loading / unloading port 10a and an exhaust port 10b on the side surface, and functions as a processing chamber for performing a PEB process on the substrate W by a hot plate 40 described later provided therein.
[0015]
The loading / unloading opening / closing section 20 includes a substrate loading / unloading shutter 210 and a loading / unloading air cylinder 220, and the substrate loading / unloading shutter 210 provided at the substrate loading / unloading port 10 a of the housing 10 is moved up and down by driving the loading / unloading air cylinder 220. This opens and closes at a predetermined timing described later, and the substrate W is carried in and out while it is opened.
[0016]
The cover 30 is provided so as to be able to ascend and descend above a hot plate 40 described later, and is lowered during the PEB processing to form a closed space on the hot plate 40.
[0017]
The hot plate 40 is provided at the center of the inside of the housing 10 and heats the substrate W supported on its upper surface by an internal heat generating mechanism.
[0018]
The lift pins 50 are divided into three (only two are shown in the figure), and are configured to be able to move up and down through a through hole in the hot plate 40. Upon receiving and descending, the substrate W is placed on the hot plate 40.
[0019]
The exhaust unit 60 includes an exhaust port shutter 610 and an exhaust air cylinder 620, and can open and close the exhaust port 10b. The exhaust port 10b is connected to a factory exhaust line outside the casing 10, through which the atmosphere in the casing 10 is exhausted or stopped.
[0020]
The elevating air cylinder 70 corresponds to a cover driving unit, and is connected to the cover 30 and the lift pins 50, and drives the cover 30 and the lift pins 50 to move up and down.
[0021]
The control unit 80 corresponds to a combination of a drive control unit and an exhaust control unit. The control unit 80 is connected to the hot plate 40, the elevating air cylinder 70, the carry-in / out air cylinder 220, and the exhaust air cylinder 620. The temperature of the hot plate 40 is controlled by the signal of the sensor, and the driving of the lifting / lowering air cylinder 70, the carry-in / out air cylinder 220, and the exhaust air cylinder 620 is controlled.
[0022]
Next, the main parts will be described in more detail.
[0023]
As described above, since both the cover 30 and the lift pins 50 are connected to the lifting / lowering air cylinder 70, their operations are inevitably synchronized, so that the cover 30 is always in the state where the lift pins 50 are lowered. The cover 30 is closed, and conversely, the cover 30 is opened when the lift pin 50 is raised.
[0024]
On the other hand, the substrate loading / unloading shutter 210 is connected to the loading / unloading air cylinder 220 (corresponding to shutter driving means) instead of the lifting / lowering air cylinder 70 and is driven by the same. Can be opened and closed independently.
[0025]
Further, the exhaust unit 60 is opened and closed by an exhaust port shutter 610 provided at an exhaust port 10 b of the housing 10 being moved up and down by driving an exhaust air cylinder 620. The outside of the exhaust port 10b is set to a negative pressure by a suction mechanism (not shown), and the internal atmosphere is exhausted to the outside in a state where the exhaust port shutter 610 is opened (corresponding to a state of “exhaust operation is on”). On the other hand, when the exhaust port shutter 610 is closed (corresponding to a state where the exhaust operation is off), the internal atmosphere is not exhausted to the outside. Then, the exhaust in the housing 10 is performed or stopped at a predetermined timing described later.
[0026]
[2. Processing procedure in the embodiment]
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment. 3 is a diagram comparing operation timings of the substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 of the embodiment and the conventional apparatus. FIG. 3 (a) is a timing chart of the apparatus of the embodiment, and FIG. 3 (b) is a conventional apparatus. 5 is a timing chart of FIG.
[0027]
Hereinafter, the processing procedure of this apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3A.
[0028]
<Substrate delivery process>
In this step, the substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 is in a state shown in FIG. 2A, and after the processed substrate W is carried out of the substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 by an external transfer unit (not shown), the substrate W is transferred to the substrate heat treatment apparatus 1. This is the process of being carried in. In this step, each part is in the following state.
[0029]
That is, the cover 30 and the substrate loading / unloading shutter 210 are open, the transport unit performs the loading operation, and the exhaust shutter 610 is in a closed state and does not exhaust. Since the cover 30 is in the open state, the lift pins 50 are in the raised state as shown in FIG. 2A, and the substrate W is carried in so as to be supported by the lift pins 50.
[0030]
<First standby step>
In this step, the substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 is in the state shown in FIG. 2B, and the substrate W is supported on the lift pins 50 in the raised state in the substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 until the start of the PEB treatment step in the next step. In a process in which the substrate is in a standby state, the substrate loading / unloading shutter 210 is closed when this process starts. In this step, each part is in the following state.
[0031]
That is, although the cover 30 is in the open state, the substrate loading / unloading shutter 210 is closed, the transport unit is stopped, and the exhaust shutter 610 is in the closed state, and the exhaust is not performed.
[0032]
<PEB processing step>
In this step, the substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 is in the state shown in FIG. In this step, each part is in the following state.
[0033]
That is, the cover 30 and the substrate loading / unloading shutter 210 are closed, and the transport unit is stopped, but the exhaust is performed with the exhaust shutter 610 opened.
[0034]
<Second standby step>
In this step, the substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 is in a state shown in FIG. 2D, and is a step in which the substrate W after the PEB processing waits for the timing of being carried out by the transfer unit. In this step, each part is in the same state as in the first standby step, the cover 30 is open but the substrate loading / unloading shutter 210 is closed, the transport unit is stopped, and the exhaust shutter 610 is closed. It is in a state and not exhausting.
[0035]
Then, at the end of the second standby step, the substrate loading / unloading shutter 210 is opened, and the process returns to the substrate delivery step. Then, the above four steps are repeated, and the PEB processing of each substrate W is sequentially performed.
[0036]
By the way, in the conventional apparatus, as shown in FIG. 3B, the cover and the substrate loading / unloading shutter are simultaneously opened during the first standby step and the second standby step, and the exhaust is also performed. The outside air reaches the substrate position, and at that time, the temperature of the internal atmosphere becomes non-uniform as described above due to the inflow of outside air from the substrate carry-in / out port.
[0037]
In addition, since the air is exhausted also in the substrate delivery process, the temperature of the internal atmosphere becomes non-uniform for the same reason, and the temperature distribution of the atmosphere already becomes non-uniform at the stage when the substrate W is loaded. Had been lost.
[0038]
On the other hand, in the apparatus of this embodiment, the cover 30 is open in the first standby step and the second standby step, but the substrate loading / unloading shutter 210 is closed, and the exhaust is also stopped. Does not flow into the housing 10, and therefore, the temperature of the internal atmosphere of the apparatus does not become uneven.
[0039]
Further, since the evacuation is stopped in the substrate transfer process, the flow of outside air is small even when the substrate W is transferred, so that the temperature uniformity of the internal atmosphere is maintained high even during the standby. Therefore, even in the subsequent steps, the temperature uniformity of the internal atmosphere is increased, and the temperature uniformity of the internal atmosphere can be maintained high throughout the entire process.
[0040]
As described above, in the substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the substrate loading / unloading shutter 210 is closed from the first standby step to the second standby step, and the exhaust is stopped except in the PEB processing step. This has the effect that the temperature uniformity of the internal atmosphere is further increased and the temperature uniformity of the substrate is further increased.
[0041]
[3. Modifications]
In the substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the exhaust is not performed while the cover 30 is open. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the exhaust is always performed without providing an exhaust port and a shutter for opening and closing the exhaust port. It is good also as composition not to perform. This utilizes the fact that the solvent is less likely to evaporate in the PEB treatment step, so that there is little harm caused by not performing the exhaust. Therefore, the temperature uniformity of the internal atmosphere is further improved by not performing the exhaust. Can be.
[0042]
Further, in the substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, exhaust is not performed while the cover 30 is in the open state in the PEB processing step. However, when heat treatment other than PEB processing such as pre-baking is performed, the vapor of the solvent is generated. Since a large amount of gas is generated, it is better to always exhaust gas.
[0043]
Further, in the substrate heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the exhaust control is performed by opening and closing the exhaust port shutter 610, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the air pump for exhaust is turned on / off. It is good also as a structure which controls by doing.
[0044]
Further, in the substrate heat treatment apparatus of this embodiment, the cover 30 and the lift pins 50, the substrate loading / unloading shutter 210, and the exhaust port shutter 610 are driven by the lifting / lowering air cylinder 70, the loading / unloading air cylinder 220, and the exhausting air cylinder 620, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and each drive mechanism may be configured to use a ball screw or the like.
[0045]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the cover driving means is configured to close the shutter before the cover is closed, and in the second aspect of the present invention to open the shutter after the cover is opened. Since the shutter driving means is configured to be controlled, the amount of outside air flowing through the substrate carry-in / out port to the substrate position is smaller than in the case where the cover and the shutter are simultaneously opened and closed, so that the temperature uniformity of the internal atmosphere is increased.
[0046]
According to the third aspect of the invention, the exhaust means is turned off when the cover is open and the exhaust means is turned on when the cover is closed. Is not performed, the inflow of outside air decreases, and the amount of outside air reaching the substrate position is small, so that the temperature uniformity of the internal atmosphere increases.
[0047]
Further, in the invention according to claim 4, the cover driving unit and the shutter driving unit are controlled so that the shutter is closed before the cover is closed and the shutter is opened after the cover is opened, and the cover is opened. The exhaust means is turned off at a certain time, and the exhaust means is controlled to be turned on when the cover is closed. Therefore, the effects of the first, second and third aspects are synergistically achieved. As a result, the temperature uniformity of the internal atmosphere becomes higher, and thus the temperature uniformity of the substrate through a series of heat treatments becomes higher.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a substrate heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an operation of the substrate heat treatment apparatus of the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a diagram comparing operation timings of the substrate heat treatment apparatus of the embodiment and a conventional apparatus.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a conventional device.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate heat treatment apparatus 10 Case 10a Substrate carry-in / out port 10b Exhaust port 20 Carry-in / out port opening / closing part 30 Cover 40 Hot plate 60 Exhaust part 70 Elevating air cylinder 80 Control part 210 Substrate carry-in / out shutter 220 Carry-in / out air cylinder 610 Exhaust port shutter 620 Exhaust air cylinder W Substrate

Claims (4)

In a substrate heat treatment apparatus that heat-treats a substrate on a heat treatment plate provided inside a housing,
A cover covering the substrate on the heat treatment plate,
Cover driving means for moving the cover between a closed state covering the substrate and an open state released,
A shutter for closing a substrate loading / unloading port of the housing;
Shutter driving means for driving the shutter to open and close;
Drive control means for controlling the cover drive means and the shutter drive means to close the shutter before the cover is in the closed state,
A substrate heat treatment apparatus comprising: In a substrate heat treatment apparatus that heat-treats a substrate on a heat treatment plate provided inside a housing,
A cover covering the substrate on the heat treatment plate,
Cover driving means for moving the cover between a closed state covering the substrate and an open state released,
A shutter for closing a substrate loading / unloading port of the housing;
Shutter driving means for driving the shutter to open and close;
Drive control means for controlling the cover drive means and the shutter drive means to open the shutter after the cover is in the open state,
A substrate heat treatment apparatus comprising: In a substrate heat treatment apparatus for heat treating a substrate on a heat treatment plate,
A housing having the heat treatment plate therein,
An exhaust port leading to an exhaust path for exhausting the atmosphere in the housing;
A cover covering the substrate on the heat treatment plate,
Cover driving means for moving the cover between a closed state covering the substrate and an open state released,
When the cover is in the open state, the exhaust operation through the exhaust path is turned off, and when the cover is in the closed state, exhaust control means that controls the exhaust operation to be on,
A substrate heat treatment apparatus comprising: In a substrate heat treatment apparatus used for post-exposure bake processing to heat-treat the exposed substrate on the heat treatment plate
A housing having the heat treatment plate therein,
An exhaust port leading to an exhaust path for exhausting the atmosphere in the housing;
A cover that covers the substrate on the heat treatment plate inside the housing,
Cover driving means for moving the cover between a closed state covering the substrate and an open state released,
A shutter for closing a substrate loading / unloading port of the housing;
Shutter driving means for driving the shutter to open and close;
A drive control unit that controls the cover driving unit and the shutter driving unit to close the shutter before the cover is closed, and to open the shutter after the cover is opened.
When the cover is in the open state, the exhaust operation through the exhaust path is turned off, and when the cover is in the closed state, exhaust control means that controls the exhaust operation to be on,
A substrate heat treatment apparatus comprising:

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