JP3796469B2 - Substrate processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for applying a processing liquid such as a resist to a glass substrate used in, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD).
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the LCD manufacturing process, photolithography technology similar to that used in semiconductor device manufacturing to form ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) thin films and electrode patterns on the glass substrate for LCD, which is the object to be processed Is used. In the photolithography technique, a photoresist is applied to a glass substrate, which is exposed and further developed.
[0003]
In the resist coating step, first, a glass substrate is vacuum-sucked from the back side of the substrate by a chuck mechanism and held in a cup that accommodates the substrate. Then, a resist solution is supplied to the center of the glass substrate, and the substrate is rotated by rotating the chuck mechanism itself, and the entire surface of the substrate is diffused and applied by the centrifugal force. This is called spin coating. Further, in such spin coating, measures such as rotating the cup together with the substrate are taken in order to suppress turbulence generated around the substrate by the rotation of the substrate.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, such a spin coating apparatus requires a driving mechanism such as a chuck mechanism and a motor for rotating the cup, and has a problem that dust is generated from a bearing portion of the motor. In addition, the use of such a drive mechanism increases the size of the device, increasing costs and power consumption. There is also a safety problem due to the high-speed rotation of the substrate. In particular, considering the recent increase in size of glass substrates, problems such as power consumption and safety are serious.
[0005]
In view of the circumstances as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of improving safety with low power consumption and preventing dust generation when applying a processing solution such as a resist solution. Is to provide.
[0006]
In addition to the above object, a further object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of efficiently flattening the processing liquid and ensuring the uniformity of the film thickness.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is arranged to be accommodated in a container, holds a substrate, means for supplying a processing liquid onto the substrate held on the holding table, A vibration generating unit provided on the holding table for applying vibration to the substrate held on the holding table, and means for separating the container and the holding table at least when the vibration generating unit applies vibration to the substrate. The means for separating the container and the holding table is to float the holding table by a first electromagnet provided on the container or the holding table .
[0008]
In the present invention, the processing table on the supplied substrate is leveled and flattened while the processing liquid film is made uniform by vibrating the holding table by the vibration generating unit. This vibration is, for example, an ultrasonic vibration (vibration of 20 kHz or more) by an ultrasonic vibrator, and it is preferable to use a minute vibration. Thus, in the present invention, since a motor or the like for rotating the substrate is not used, dust generation can be prevented and power consumption can be reduced. In the present invention, since the processing liquid is flattened without rotating the substrate, the apparatus can be miniaturized and the safety can be improved. Further, according to the present invention, when the vibration is applied to the substrate, the container and the holding base are separated from each other so that the vibration is not transmitted to the container while the substrate is vibrated. In this way, by vibrating only the holding table that is in contact with the substrate, it is possible to suppress the transmission of vibration to unnecessary parts and enhance the dust prevention effect, and also reduce the power consumption. Can be improved.
[0009]
Further, it is possible to prevent the contact portion is eliminated dust between the container and the supporter by floating the holder is provided an electromagnet in a container or holder.
[0010]
One embodiment of the present invention further includes a second electromagnet provided on the side surface of the container or the side surface of the holding table, for holding the horizontal position of the container and the holding table. Thus, the floating state by the first electromagnet can be stabilized by positioning the container and the holding table in the horizontal direction using the second electromagnet. In particular, it is possible to supply stable vibration to the holding table while preventing the side surface of the holding table from coming into contact with the inner side surface of the container due to the vibration generated by the vibration generating unit.
[0017]
One aspect of the present invention further includes means for controlling the holding base to vibrate by applying a voltage to at least one of the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet. In addition to the vibration generated by the vibration generating unit, the treatment liquid can be efficiently flattened by generating vibration on the holding table by at least one of the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet, and the film thickness can be made uniform. Contributes to
[0025]
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus accommodated in a container and holding a substrate, means for supplying a processing liquid onto the substrate held on the holding table, and the container And an electromagnet mechanism that vibrates the substrate held on the holding table.
[0026]
In the present invention, by driving the electromagnet mechanism, the container and the holding table are separated from each other and the supplied processing liquid on the substrate is leveled and flattened. As this vibration, for example, ultrasonic vibration can be used. Thus, in the present invention, since a motor or the like for rotating the substrate is not used, dust generation can be prevented and power consumption can be reduced. In the present invention, since the processing liquid is flattened without rotating the substrate, the apparatus can be miniaturized and the safety can be improved.
[0027]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0028]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a coating and developing system for an LCD substrate to which the conveying apparatus of the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a front view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a rear view thereof.
[0029]
The coating and developing processing system 1 includes a cassette station 2 on which a cassette C that stores a plurality of glass substrates G is placed, and a plurality of processing units for performing a series of processes including resist coating and development on the substrates G. An interface unit 4 for transferring the substrate G between the processing unit 3 and the exposure apparatus 32 is provided, and a cassette station 2 and an interface unit 4 are disposed at both ends of the processing unit 3, respectively.
[0030]
The cassette station 2 includes a transport mechanism 10 for transporting the LCD substrate between the cassette C and the processing unit 3. Then, loading and unloading of the cassette C is performed at the cassette station 2. In addition, the transport mechanism 10 includes a transport arm 11 that can move on a transport path 12 provided along the cassette arrangement direction, and the transport arm 11 can transport the substrate G between the cassette C and the processing unit 3. Done.
[0031]
The processing section 3 includes a main transport section 3a extending in the direction (X direction) perpendicular to the arrangement direction (Y direction) of the cassette C in the cassette station 2, and a resist coating processing unit along the main transport section 3a. An upstream portion 3b in which processing units including (CT) are arranged in parallel and a downstream portion 3c in which processing units including development processing unit (DEV) 18 are arranged in parallel are provided.
[0032]
The main transport unit 3a is provided with a transport path 31 extending in the X direction, and a main transport device 23 configured to move along the transport path 31 and transport the glass substrate G in the X direction. . The main transfer device 23 is configured to hold and transfer the substrate G with, for example, support pins. Further, a vertical transfer unit 7 that transfers the substrate G between the processing unit 3 and the interface unit 4 is provided at the end of the main transfer unit 3a on the interface unit 4 side.
[0033]
In the upstream part 3b, a scrubber cleaning unit (SCR) 20 for cleaning the substrate G is provided at the end of the cassette station 2 side, and an organic substance on the substrate G is disposed above the scrubber cleaning unit (SCR) 20. An excimer UV processing unit (e-UV) 19 is provided for removing water.
[0034]
Next to the scrubber cleaning processing unit (SCR) 20, thermal processing blocks 24 and 25 are arranged in which units for performing thermal processing on the glass substrate G are stacked in multiple stages. Between these heat treatment blocks 24 and 25, the vertical transfer unit 5 is arranged, and the transfer arm 5a is movable in the Z direction and the horizontal direction and is rotatable in the θ direction. The substrate G is transferred by accessing each heat treatment system unit in the blocks 24 and 25. The vertical transport unit 7 in the processing unit 3 has the same configuration as the vertical transport unit 5.
[0035]
As shown in FIG. 2, the heat treatment system block 24 includes a baking unit (BAKE) for performing heat treatment before applying a resist to the substrate G, and an adhesion unit (AD) for performing hydrophobization treatment with HMDS gas. They are stacked in order from the bottom. On the other hand, in the heat treatment block 25, two stages of cooling units (COL) for cooling the substrate G and an adhesion unit (AD) are stacked in order from the bottom.
[0036]
A resist processing block 15 extends in the X direction adjacent to the heat treatment block 25. The resist processing block 15 includes a resist coating processing unit (CT) 49 for applying a resist to the substrate G, a reduced pressure drying unit (VD) 40 for drying the applied resist under reduced pressure, and a substrate G according to the present invention. An edge remover (ER) 48 for removing the resist at the peripheral edge portion is integrally provided. The resist processing block 15 is provided with a sub arm (not shown) that moves from the resist coating processing unit (CT) 49 to the edge remover (ER) 48, and the substrate G is transported in the resist processing block 15 by this sub arm. It is like that.
[0037]
A multi-stage heat treatment system block 26 is disposed adjacent to the resist processing block 15, and the pre-baking unit (PREBAKE) for performing a heat treatment after applying the resist to the substrate G is arranged in this heat treatment system block 26. Are stacked.
[0038]
In the downstream portion 3c, as shown in FIG. 3, a heat treatment system block 29 is provided at the end on the interface portion 4 side, which includes a cooling unit (COL), a heat treatment before the development process after the exposure. Post-exposure baking units (PEBAKE) that perform the above are stacked in order from the bottom.
[0039]
A development processing unit (DEV) 18 that performs development processing adjacent to the heat treatment block 29 extends in the X direction. Next to the development processing unit (DEV) 18, heat treatment system blocks 28 and 27 are arranged. Between these heat treatment system blocks 28 and 27, the same structure as the vertical transport unit 5 is provided. A vertical transfer unit 6 that can access the heat treatment units 28 and 27 is provided. An i-line processing unit (i-UV) 33 is provided on the end of the development processing unit (DEV) 18.
[0040]
In the heat treatment block 28, a cooling unit (COL) and a post baking unit (POBAKE) for performing heat treatment after development on the substrate G are stacked in order from the bottom. On the other hand, in the heat treatment block 27, similarly, a cooling unit (COL) and a post baking unit (POBAKE) are stacked in order from the bottom.
[0041]
The interface unit 4 is provided with a titler and peripheral exposure unit (Title / EE) 22 on the front side, an extension cooling unit (EXTCOL) 35 adjacent to the vertical transfer unit 7, and a buffer cassette 34 on the back side. There is a vertical transfer unit 8 that transfers the substrate G between the titler / peripheral exposure unit (Title / EE) 22, the extension cooling unit (EXTCOL) 35, the buffer cassette 34, and the adjacent exposure device 32. Has been placed. The vertical transport unit 8 has the same configuration as the vertical transport unit 5.
[0042]
Regarding the processing steps of the coating and developing processing system 1 configured as described above, first, the substrate G in the cassette C is transported to the upstream portion 3b in the processing portion 3 portion. In the upstream portion 3b, surface modification / organic matter removal processing is performed in the excimer UV processing unit (e-UV) 19, and then cleaning processing is performed in the scrubber cleaning processing unit (SCR) 20 while the substrate G is transported substantially horizontally. And a drying process is performed. Subsequently, the substrate G is taken out by the transfer arm 5a in the vertical transfer unit at the lowermost stage of the heat treatment system block 24, heated in the baking unit (BAKE) of the heat treatment system block 24, and in the adhesion unit (AD). In order to improve the adhesion between the glass substrate G and the resist film, a process of spraying HMDS gas onto the substrate G is performed. Thereafter, a cooling process by a cooling unit (COL) of the heat treatment system block 25 is performed.
[0043]
Next, the substrate G is transferred from the transfer arm 5 a to the main transfer device 23. After being transferred to the resist coating processing unit (CT) and subjected to the resist coating processing, the reduced pressure drying processing unit (VD) performs the reduced pressure drying processing, and the edge remover (ER) 48 performs the resist removal processing on the periphery of the substrate. It is done sequentially.
[0044]
Next, the substrate G is transferred from the main transfer device 23 to the transfer arm of the vertical transfer unit 7, subjected to heat treatment in the pre-baking unit (PREBAKE) in the heat treatment block 26, and then cooled in the heat treatment block 29. A cooling process is performed in the unit (COL). Subsequently, the substrate G is cooled by an extension cooling unit (EXTCOL) 35 and exposed by an exposure apparatus.
[0045]
Next, the substrate G is transferred to the post-exposure baking unit (PEBAKE) of the heat treatment system block 29 via the transfer arms of the vertical transfer units 8 and 7, where the heat treatment is performed and then the cooling unit (COL). The cooling process is performed. Then, the development process, the rinsing process and the drying process are performed while the substrate G is transported substantially horizontally in the development processing unit (DEV) 18 via the transport arm of the vertical transport unit 7.
[0046]
Next, the substrate G is transferred from the lowermost stage in the heat treatment system block 28 by the transfer arm 6a of the vertical transfer unit 6, and is subjected to heat treatment in the post baking unit (POBAKE) in the heat treatment system block 28 or 27, and the cooling unit. The cooling process is performed at (COL). The substrate G is transferred to the transport mechanism 10 and accommodated in the cassette C.
[0047]
4 and 5 are a perspective view and a sectional view showing the resist coating unit (CT) according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0048]
The resist coating unit (CT) is provided with a holding table 60 that holds the entire glass substrate G from the back side. The holding table 60 is accommodated in a container 52 and arranged. An upper portion of the container 52 is opened, and a lid member 51 (see FIG. 5) for sealing the inside of the container 52 to form the processing chamber R is disposed so as to be movable up and down by a lift driving mechanism (not shown). ing.
[0049]
FIG. 6 is a simplified perspective view of the holding table 60 from below. As shown in the figure, for example, eight permanent magnets 45 are arranged around the lower end of the holding table 60. For example, eight levitation electromagnets 43 as first electromagnets are fixedly arranged at the position of the outer bottom portion of the container 52 facing the plurality of permanent magnets 45 (only two are shown in FIG. 5). .) These levitation electromagnets 43 are connected to an AC power supply 55, for example, and are controlled by the levitation electromagnet control section 37a in the electromagnet control section 37. Specifically, for example, the applied voltage and its timing are controlled, and the levitation electromagnet controller 37a further includes a rectifier circuit, an AC frequency converter circuit, and the like. By operating such an electromagnet 43, the holding base 60 is separated from the container 52 and floats.
[0050]
Further, for example, eight permanent magnets 46 are fixedly arranged around the side surface of the holding table 60. For example, eight horizontal position holding electromagnets 44 as second electromagnets are disposed at positions on the outer side surface of the container 52 facing the permanent magnets 46. These horizontal position holding electromagnets 44 are respectively connected to an AC power source 56 and controlled by a horizontal position holding electromagnet control section 37b in the same manner as the levitation electromagnet 43. Specifically, for example, the applied voltage and its timing are controlled in the same manner as described above, and a rectifier circuit, an AC frequency conversion circuit, and the like are provided.
[0051]
The holding table 60 is provided with a plurality of holes 60a penetrating from the upper part to the lower part thereof, and support pins 61 for supporting the back side of the substrate G are erected in the holes 60a. These support pins 61 are fixed to the bottom of the container 52. The length of the support pin 61 is such that the bottom of the holding table 60 and the bottom of the container 52 are in contact with each other when the levitation electromagnet 43 is not powered, that is, as shown in FIG. The length is sticking out. Thereby, the board | substrate G can be delivered between the exteriors.
[0052]
Further, a chuck hole 60 b for holding the substrate is formed in the holding table 60, and the substrate G is vacuum-sucked by being evacuated by the vacuum pump 53. Furthermore, an ultrasonic transducer 50 that generates ultrasonic waves is incorporated in the holding table 60. Thereby, ultrasonic vibration is applied to the holding table 60 and the vibration is transmitted to the substrate placed on the holding table 60. The ultrasonic transducer 50 is configured such that, for example, the frequency, amplitude, and the like thereof are controlled by the ultrasonic transducer control unit 36.
[0053]
For example, a central portion of the lid member 51 is provided with a supply port 51a for supplying solvent gas from the solvent gas supply source 58 through the supply pipe 57 into the processing chamber R. Here, for example, thinner is used as the solvent gas. A diffusion plate 59 is provided in the processing chamber R and below the supply port 51a, so that the supplied solvent gas is diffused in the processing chamber R so that the chamber has a solvent atmosphere. It has become.
[0054]
A drain 67 is provided at the bottom of the container 52 for draining and exhausting the resist solution in the resist coating process.
[0055]
Further, the positional relationship between the electromagnet 43 (44) and the permanent magnet 45 (46) may be opposite to each other. The arrangement and number of electromagnets 43 (44) and the arrangement and number of permanent magnets 45 (46) can be changed as appropriate.
[0056]
With reference to FIG. 4, an elongated nozzle 41 is arranged outside the container 52 in parallel with one side of the glass substrate G held on the holding table 60. The nozzle 41 is connected to a resist tank 39 or a pump 39 that serves as a resist solution supply source, and is supplied with a resist solution via a pipe 65.
[0057]
The long nozzle 41 is provided with a plurality of holes for discharging a resist solution (not shown) in the longitudinal direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a long nozzle in which a slit-like opening for discharging a resist solution is provided in the longitudinal direction may be used. The nozzle 41 is attached and fixed to an attachment member 64, and the attachment member 64 is attached to the vertical support 42. The vertical support 42 is connected to a ball screw 63 that is rotated by a motor 62, and the nozzle 41 moves in the horizontal direction on the substrate G by the operation of the motor 62. The motor 62 is controlled by, for example, the rotational speed by the motor control unit 38.
[0058]
The ultrasonic transducer control unit 36, electromagnet control unit 37, motor control unit 38, and resist tank / pump 39 are controlled centrally by the central control unit 30.
[0059]
Next, the operation of the resist coating unit (CT) configured as described above will be described.
[0060]
First, as shown in FIG. 7A, the lid member 51 is opened, and the substrate G is transferred to the support pins 61 by the transfer arm 23 a of the main transfer device 23, for example. Then, the rectified high-frequency voltage is applied to the levitation electromagnet 43, and the holding table 60 is levitated from the container 52 as shown in FIG. Thereby, the substrate G is placed on the holding table 60. As described above, since the substrate 52 can be held on the holding table 60 or supported by the support pins 61 by the relative movement between the container 52 and the holding table 60, the support member that has been conventionally required is moved up and down. A drive mechanism becomes unnecessary. Thereby, dust generation from the drive mechanism can be prevented, and the apparatus can be simplified and the cost can be reduced. Further, by operating the horizontal position holding electromagnet 44 simultaneously with the floating of the holding table 60, the floating state of the holding table 60 can be stabilized. In particular, it is possible to supply stable vibration to the holding table while preventing the side surface of the holding table from coming into contact with the inner side surface of the container due to the vibration generated by the vibration generating unit.
[0061]
Next, in the state shown in FIG. 7B, the ultrasonic vibrator 50 applies vibration to the substrate G via the holding table 60 and discharge of the resist by the movement of the nozzle 41 is started. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the resist is applied to the entire surface of the substrate G by discharging the resist onto the substrate G while the nozzle 41 moves. In this way, by supplying the resist while applying ultrasonic vibration to the substrate G, the resist is flattened and the film thickness is made uniform.
[0062]
In the present embodiment, the lid member 51 is closed after the resist discharge is completed, and the solvent gas is supplied into the processing chamber R. As a result, the processing chamber R is filled with a solvent atmosphere, drying of the supplied resist is suppressed, and planarization of the resist by ultrasonic vibration can be promoted. This is because if the resist is dry, planarization becomes difficult even if the substrate is vibrated.
[0063]
FIG. 10 shows the timing of each operation in the resist coating process as described above, and shows discharge and stop of the resist, ON and OFF of the ultrasonic vibration, opening and closing of the lid member 51, and supply and stop of the solvent gas. Yes.
[0064]
As described above, in the present embodiment, since a motor or the like for rotating the substrate G is not used, dust generation can be prevented and power consumption can be reduced. Further, since the resist is flattened without rotating the substrate G, the apparatus can be miniaturized and the safety can be improved.
[0065]
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the substrate G is subjected to vibration, the holding table 60 is lifted from the container 52 so that the vibration is not transmitted to the container 52 while the substrate is vibrated. . In this way, by vibrating only the holding table that is in contact with the substrate, it is possible to suppress the transmission of vibration to unnecessary parts and enhance the dust prevention effect, and also reduce the power consumption. Can be improved.
[0066]
Further, in the present embodiment, by using the electromagnets 43 and 44, the contact portion between the container and the holding table is eliminated, and dust generation can be prevented.
[0067]
In addition, since the horizontal position holding electromagnet 44 is activated simultaneously with the floating of the holding table 60, it is possible to prevent the side surface of the holding table 60 from coming into contact with the inner side surface of the container 52 due to the vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator 50. A stable vibration can be supplied to the holding table 60.
[0068]
In the present embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, the amplitude of vibration by the ultrasonic transducer 50 may be controlled so as to decrease with time. As described above, if the amplitude is increased at the time of starting the resist discharge, the resist solution that has already been supplied and is about to diffuse and flatten flows so as to cover the resist solution supplied later. As a result, the resist can be planarized while reducing power consumption. In this case, it is particularly effective to further give the electromagnet 43 vibration that vibrates greatly in the moving direction component of the nozzle 41 and vibrates in the opposite direction component.
[0069]
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a resist coating processing unit (CT) according to an embodiment when performing scan coating. In FIG. 12, the same components as those in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.
[0070]
In such a resist coating processing unit for scan coating, for example, a nozzle 72 for discharging a resist is held by a nozzle holding member 71. The nozzle holding member is connected to a ball screw 73 that is rotated by a motor 74 and is configured to move in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the vertical support 42. Thereby, the nozzle 41 can move in the horizontal and vertical directions within a horizontal plane on the substrate G.
[0071]
As for the operation of the resist coating unit of this embodiment, as in the case described above, the substrate is first transferred to the support pins 61 with the lid member 51 opened, and the substrate is lifted by the holding table 60 and the holding table 60 is lifted. Placed on. Then, along with the generation of vibration by the ultrasonic vibrator 50, the discharge of the resist is started. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the resist is discharged from the corner of the substrate G as indicated by 70 while alternately moving in a direction parallel to the short side of the substrate and a direction parallel to the long side, for example. . As a result, a resist is applied to the entire surface of the substrate G.
[0072]
Also in the present embodiment, since a motor or the like for rotating the substrate G is not used, dust generation can be prevented and power consumption can be reduced. Further, since the resist is flattened without rotating the substrate G, the apparatus can be miniaturized and the safety can be improved.
[0073]
By the way, in the case of the scan coating, if the coating process is performed while vibrating the substrate G, for example, when the coating for one row is finished on the substrate and the coating for the next row is to be applied, the pitch between the rows If is very narrow, the rows may interfere with each other. That is, the treatment liquid at the start of application spreads to some extent due to vibration, and the coating liquid for a certain row interferes with the coating liquid for the next row, and there is a possibility that coating with a uniform film thickness cannot be obtained. Therefore, in this embodiment, the resist may be applied to the entire surface of the substrate G by the nozzle 72, and then the substrate may be vibrated. Thereby, such interference can be prevented and the film thickness can be made uniform.
[0074]
Alternatively, resist discharge and ultrasonic vibration may be performed at the timing shown in FIG. For example, after discharging the resist for one row in the movement parallel to the short side Gb of the substrate shown in FIG. 9, the discharge is temporarily stopped, and the substrate is vibrated while the discharge is stopped. Such an operation is repeated to apply a resist to the entire surface of the substrate. In the case of scan coating, it takes more time to apply the resist to the entire surface of the substrate than when spin coating or the above-described long nozzle is used, and as a result, the resist at the start of coating starts to dry over time. However, in this embodiment, such inconvenience does not occur because vibration is intermittently applied before the resist is dried. In this case, it is preferable to vibrate for a long time after the entire surface is coated. Further, as shown in FIG. 14, the amplitude of vibration may be reduced after the coating on the entire surface of the substrate is completed.
[0075]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
[0076]
FIG. 15 is a side view according to the embodiment. Reference numeral 82 denotes a coating unit, on which a vibration unit 81 is stacked. Both units 81 and 82 are accessible by the main transfer device 23. A holding member 84 that holds the substrate G is provided in the coating unit 82, and the resist is applied by the nozzle 41 while being held by the holding member 84. In the vibration unit 81, a holding base 60 in which the ultrasonic transducer 50 is incorporated is housed and disposed in the container 52, as in the first embodiment. Each processing unit 81, 82 is provided with an opening 79 for loading and unloading a substrate, and can be opened and closed by a shutter 83. Further, each processing unit 81, 82 is provided with a supply port 77 for supplying the solvent gas 76.
[0077]
Note that the coating unit 82 and the vibration unit 81 may be arranged in the horizontal direction instead of being stacked in the vertical direction.
[0078]
In such an apparatus, first, after a resist is applied by the application unit 82, the main transfer device 23 takes out the substrate from the application unit 82, transfers it to the vibration unit 81, and places it on the holding table 60. By applying ultrasonic vibration, the resist is flattened to make the film thickness uniform.
[0079]
Also according to the present embodiment, since a motor or the like for rotating the substrate is not used, dust generation can be prevented and power consumption can be reduced. Moreover, since rotation is not required, safety can be improved.
[0080]
In the present embodiment, the solvent gas is supplied during the processing in each of the processing units 81 and 82, so that the resist can be prevented from drying.
[0081]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible.
[0082]
For example, although the solvent gas is supplied to the processing chamber R in the above embodiment, it is also possible to pressurize the processing chamber and suppress drying of the resist instead. Alternatively, for example, a Peltier element or the like may be provided on the holding table 60 in order to keep the holding table 60 at a predetermined temperature. Thereby, for example, the temperature in the container can be adjusted to a temperature at which the processing liquid is hardly dried.
[0083]
In the above embodiment, the ultrasonic vibrator 50 is used. However, by applying a voltage having the same frequency of 20 kHz or higher as that of the ultrasonic wave to the levitation electromagnet 43 and the horizontal position holding electromagnet 44, the electromagnets 43, 44 are used. The holding table 60 can be vibrated only by this.
[0084]
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the glass substrate is taken as an example, but the present invention can be applied to an apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer.
[0085]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, when applying a processing solution such as a resist solution, safety can be improved with low power consumption, and dust generation can be prevented. In addition, the processing liquid can be efficiently flattened to ensure the uniformity of the film thickness.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of a coating and developing treatment system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the coating and developing treatment system shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a rear view of the coating and developing treatment system shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a resist coating unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view of the resist coating unit shown in FIG.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view from below of the holding table.
FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating an operation of holding a substrate on a holding table in order of (a) and (b).
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an operation of applying a resist with a long nozzle.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an operation of performing vertical and horizontal scan coating.
FIG. 10 is a timing chart of each operation in the resist coating process.
FIG. 11 is a timing chart showing another vibration operation.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a resist coating processing unit according to an embodiment of scan coating.
FIG. 13 is a timing chart showing resist discharge and vibration operation according to an embodiment of scan coating.
FIG. 14 is a timing chart showing another vibration operation.
FIG. 15 is a side view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
G ... Glass substrate R ... Processing chamber 15 ... Resist processing block 23 ... Main transfer device 30 ... Central control unit 36 ... Ultrasonic transducer control unit 37a ... Levitation electromagnet control unit 37b ... Horizontal position holding electromagnet control unit 38 ... Motor Control unit 39 ... Registration tank / pump 40 ... Low pressure drying unit 41 ... Nozzle 43 ... Floating electromagnet 44 ... Horizontal position holding electromagnet 45,46 ... Permanent magnet 50 ... Ultrasonic vibrator 51 ... Cover member 58 ... Solvent gas supply source 60 ... Holding stand 61 ... Support pin 66 ... Nozzle 81 ... Vibration unit 82 ... Application unit

Claims (4)

A holding base arranged in a container and holding a substrate;
Means for supplying the processing liquid onto the substrate held on the holding table;
A vibration generating unit that is provided on the holding table and applies vibrations to the substrate held on the holding table;
Means for separating the container and the holding table when the substrate is vibrated at least by the vibration generating unit ;
The substrate processing apparatus characterized in that the means for separating the container and the holding table floats the holding table with a first electromagnet provided on the container or the holding table . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
A substrate processing apparatus, further comprising: a second electromagnet provided on a side surface of the container or the side surface of the holding table, for holding a horizontal position of the container and the holding table. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
The substrate processing apparatus further comprising means for controlling the holding table to vibrate by applying a voltage to at least one of the first electromagnet and the second electromagnet. A holding base arranged in a container and holding a substrate;
Means for supplying the processing liquid onto the substrate held on the holding table;
The substrate processing apparatus comprising: an electromagnet mechanism that separates the container and the holding table and applies vibration to the substrate held on the holding table.

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