JP3998389B2 - Substrate processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that performs thermal processing on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the photolithography process of semiconductor devices, a resist is applied to a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter simply referred to as “wafer”), the resist film formed thereby is exposed according to a predetermined circuit pattern, and this exposure pattern is developed. By processing, a circuit pattern is formed on the resist film.
[0003]
Conventionally, a resist coating and developing treatment system has been used to carry out such a series of steps. In this resist coating and developing system, wafers are taken out one by one from the cassette in the cassette station and transferred to the processing station. In the processing station, first, a hydrophobic treatment is performed in the adhesion processing unit, then a resist is applied in the resist coating processing unit, and then a pre-baking process is performed. Thereafter, the wafer is transferred from the processing station to the exposure apparatus via the interface unit, and after a predetermined pattern is exposed by the exposure apparatus, it is carried into the processing station again via the interface unit. The exposed wafer is subjected to a post-exposure bake process, followed by a development process in a development processing unit, and then the developed wafer is subjected to a post-bake process. Thus, a series of processing is completed, and the wafer is transferred to the cassette station and accommodated in the wafer cassette.
[0004]
Such a series of processing includes processing steps involving heating of the substrate such as adhesion processing, pre-baking processing, post-exposure baking processing, post-baking processing, etc. as described above. Therefore, a cooling process is performed after these steps.
[0005]
Such a cooling process is performed by a cooling unit that places a wafer on or close to a cooling plate having a cooling mechanism. Conventionally, in this type of cooling unit, a bent cooling water passage is formed in the cooling plate by casting or the like, and the cooling water is circulated in the cooling water passage to cool the cooling plate to a predetermined temperature.
[0006]
On the other hand, the post-exposure bake treatment is usually performed to promote a chemical reaction after exposure when using a chemically amplified resist, and it is necessary to strictly manage not only the processing temperature but also the processing time. For this reason, a hot plate unit having both a heating plate and a cooling plate is used so that the heating plate can be cooled immediately after being heated to a predetermined temperature. And the cooling plate used for such a unit has the structure where the cooling water channel was formed by casting etc. in the cooling plate similarly to the structure mentioned above.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the case of such a structure in which the cooling water is circulated in the cooling water channel, there is a drawback that it takes a long time to make the cooling temperature of the cooling plate uniform over the entire surface, and the temperature easily varies. In addition, since the pressure loss in the cooling water channel is large, a large cooling water circulation pump is required, and since the bent cooling water channel is formed by casting or the like, the cooling plate must be complex and thick. I don't get it.
[0008]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and is capable of quickly maintaining a substrate on a plate at a desired temperature, having high temperature uniformity, and having a simple structure and a compact substrate processing. An object is to provide an apparatus.
[0009]
The present invention, first, A substrate processing apparatus capable of heat-treating a substrate and cooling the substrate, the heat-treating unit that places the substrate on or close to the heating plate, and the heat-treating unit is provided separately from the surface. Cooling is performed in order to exchange heat between a plate that is close to or placed on the substrate and cooled, a heat pipe arranged in a straight line in the plate, and a cooling medium at one end of the heat pipe. A heat exchanging section through which a medium flows, and a transport means for transporting a substrate between the heating plate and the plate, and one end of the heat pipe protrudes from the plate. Provided, and the protruding end of the heat pipe is inserted into the heat exchange part A substrate processing apparatus is provided.
[0010]
The present invention secondly, A substrate processing apparatus capable of heat-treating a substrate and cooling the substrate, the heat-treating unit that places the substrate on or close to the heating plate, and the heat-treating unit is provided separately from the surface. A cooling medium is passed through in order to exchange heat between the plate that is placed close to or placed on the substrate and cooled, the heat pipe disposed in the plate, and the cooling medium at one end of the heat pipe. And a moving means for moving the plate between a substrate transfer position of the heating plate and a retreat position separated from the heating plate in order to transfer the substrate between the heating plate and the heating plate. The heat exchanging part and the plate are provided so as to be separable, and when the plate moves, the plate is separated from the heat exchanging part, During the cooling, characterized in that the plate is connected to the heat exchanger A substrate processing apparatus is provided.
[0013]
According to the present invention, the heat pipe is disposed in the plate that is close to or placed on the substrate, and the heat exchanging unit that performs heat exchange by bringing the thermal medium into contact with one end of the heat pipe is provided. The heat pipe makes use of the evaporation and condensation phenomenon of the working fluid filled inside, quickly transporting a large amount of heat from one end to the other, and quickly when there is high or low temperature Since it has the function of transporting heat and making the temperature uniform, the heat of the thermal medium in the heat exchange section can be quickly transported to the plate, and the substrate on the plate can be quickly maintained at the desired temperature. In addition, the temperature of the plate can be made uniform by the temperature equalizing action of the heat pipe, and the temperature uniformity of the substrate can be made good. In addition, since only the heat pipe is provided in the plate, the structure is simple and can be made compact. And A cooling medium is brought into contact with one end of the heat pipe in the heat exchange section By doing Since the cooling heat from the cooling medium is supplied quickly and in large quantities to the plate via the heat pipe, the substrate can be cooled more quickly than when the cooling water is passed through the bent cooling water passage, Due to the temperature equalizing action of the pipe, the temperature uniformity of the plate can be improved and the temperature uniformity of the substrate can be made better than when cooling water is passed through the cooling water channel. In addition, since it is only necessary to provide a heat pipe in the plate, the structure can be simplified as compared with the conventional case of forming a bent cooling water channel in the cooling plate, and cooling water channel formation by casting or the like is unnecessary. In addition, since a large circulation pump is not required, the cooling plate can be made thinner and the unit can be made compact.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 is a schematic plan view showing a resist coating / development processing system to which a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is a front view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a rear view thereof.
[0015]
The processing system 1 receives a wafer W between a cassette station 10 which is a transfer station, a processing station 11 having a plurality of processing units, and an exposure apparatus (not shown) provided adjacent to the processing station 11. And an interface unit 12 for delivery.
[0016]
The cassette station 10 carries in a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter simply referred to as a wafer) W as an object to be processed from another system in a state where a plurality of, for example, 25 wafers W are mounted on the wafer cassette CR. To carry out the wafer W from the wafer cassette CR to the processing station 11.
[0017]
In the cassette station 10, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of (four in the figure) positioning projections 20a are formed on the cassette mounting table 20 along the X direction in the figure, and at the positions of the projections 20a. The wafer cassette CR can be placed in a line with each wafer inlet / outlet facing the processing station 11 side. In the wafer cassette CR, the wafers W are arranged in the vertical direction (Z direction). The cassette station 10 has a wafer transfer mechanism 21 located between the wafer cassette mounting table 20 and the processing station 11. The wafer transfer mechanism 21 has a wafer transfer arm 21a that can move in the cassette arrangement direction (X direction) and the wafer arrangement direction (Z direction) of the wafer W in the cassette arrangement direction. The wafer cassette CR can be selectively accessed. Further, the wafer transfer arm 21a is configured to be rotatable in the θ direction, and a third processing unit G on the processing station 11 side to be described later. ₃ An alignment unit (ALIM) and an extension unit (EXT) belonging to can be accessed.
[0018]
The processing station 11 is provided with a plurality of processing units for performing a series of steps when coating / phenomenon is performed on the semiconductor wafer W, and these are arranged in multiple stages at predetermined positions. W is processed one by one. As shown in FIG. 1, the processing station 11 has a transfer path 22a at the center thereof, in which a main wafer transfer mechanism 22 is provided, and all the processing units are arranged around the wafer transfer path 22a. Yes. The plurality of processing units are divided into a plurality of processing units, and each processing unit includes a plurality of processing units arranged in multiple stages along the vertical direction.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 3, the main wafer transfer mechanism 22 is equipped with a wafer transfer device 46 that can move up and down in the vertical direction (Z direction) inside a cylindrical support 49. The cylindrical support 49 can be rotated by a rotational driving force of a motor (not shown), and the wafer transfer device 46 can also be rotated integrally with the cylindrical support 49.
[0020]
The wafer transfer device 46 includes a plurality of holding members 48 that are movable in the front-rear direction of the transfer base 47, and the transfer of the wafers W between the processing units is realized by these holding members 48.
[0021]
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, four processing units G ₁ , G ₂ , G ₃ , G ₄ Are actually arranged around the wafer transfer path 22a, and the processing unit G ₅ Can be arranged as needed.
[0022]
Of these, the first and second processing units G ₁ , G ₂ Are arranged in parallel on the front side of the system (front side in FIG. 1), and the third processing unit G ₃ Is arranged adjacent to the cassette station 10 and the fourth processing section G ₄ Is disposed adjacent to the interface unit 12. The fifth processing unit G ₅ Can be placed on the back.
[0023]
First processing unit G ₁ And the second processing unit G ₂ In each case, a resist coating unit (COT) for coating a resist on the wafer W and a developing unit (DEV) for developing a resist pattern are stacked in two stages from the bottom.
[0024]
Third processing unit G ₃ In FIG. 3, oven-type processing units that perform predetermined processing by placing the wafer W on the mounting table SP are stacked in multiple stages. That is, a cooling unit (COL) that performs a cooling process, an adhesion unit (AD) that performs a so-called hydrophobic process for improving the fixability of the resist, an alignment unit (ALIM) that performs alignment, and a wafer W are carried in and out. The extension unit (EXT), four hot plate units (HP) that heat-treat the wafer W before and after the exposure process, and after the development process are stacked in eight stages in order from the bottom. A cooling unit (COL) may be provided instead of the alignment unit (ALIM), and the cooling unit (COL) may have an alignment function.
[0025]
Fourth processing unit G ₄ Also, oven-type processing units are stacked in multiple stages. That is, a cooling unit (COL), an extension / cooling unit (EXTCOL), which is a wafer loading / unloading section equipped with a cooling plate, an extension unit (EXT), a cooling unit (COL), and a hot plate unit (CHP) with two cooling plates And two normal hot plate units (HP) are stacked in 8 steps from the bottom.
[0026]
On the back side of the main wafer transfer mechanism 22 is a fifth processing unit G. ₅ Is provided, it can be moved laterally along the guide rail 25 as viewed from the main wafer transfer mechanism 22. Therefore, the fifth processing unit G ₅ Even in the case where the space is provided, the space is secured by sliding the guide rail 25 along the guide rail 25, so that the maintenance work can be easily performed from the back with respect to the main wafer transfer mechanism 22.
[0027]
The interface unit 12 has the same length as the processing station 11 in the depth direction (X direction). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a portable pickup cassette CR and a stationary buffer cassette BR are arranged in two stages on the front part of the interface part 12, and a peripheral exposure device 23 is arranged on the rear part. A wafer transfer mechanism 24 is disposed at the center. The wafer transfer mechanism 24 has a wafer transfer arm 24a. The wafer transfer arm 24a moves in the X direction and the Z direction so that both cassettes CR and BR and the peripheral exposure device 23 can be accessed. ing. Further, the wafer transfer arm 24a is rotatable in the θ direction, and the fourth processing unit G of the processing station 11 is used. ₄ It is also possible to access an extension unit (EXT) belonging to No. 1 and a wafer transfer table (not shown) on the adjacent exposure apparatus side.
[0028]
In such a resist coating and developing system, first, in the cassette station 10, the wafer transfer arm 21a of the wafer transfer mechanism 21 accesses the wafer cassette CR containing the unprocessed wafers W on the cassette mounting table 20. Then, one wafer W is taken out from the cassette CR, and the third processing unit G ₃ To the extension unit (EXT).
[0029]
The wafer W is transferred from the extension unit (EXT) to the processing station 11 by the wafer transfer device 46 of the main wafer transfer mechanism 22. And the third processing unit G ₃ After being aligned by the alignment unit (ALIM), it is transported to an adhesion processing unit (AD), where it is subjected to a hydrophobization process (HMDS process) for improving the fixability of the resist. Since this process involves heating, the wafer W is then transferred to the cooling unit (COL) by the wafer transfer device 46 and cooled.
[0030]
After completion of the adhesion process, the wafer W cooled by the cooling unit (COL) is subsequently transferred to the resist coating unit (COT) by the wafer transfer device 46, where a coating film is formed. After the coating process, ₃ , G ₄ Are pre-baked in one of the hot plate units (HP), and then cooled in one of the cooling units (COL).
[0031]
The cooled wafer W is transferred to the third processing unit G. ₃ After being transferred to the alignment unit (ALIM) and aligned there, the fourth processing unit group G ₄ Are transferred to the interface unit 12 via the extension unit (EXT).
[0032]
In the interface unit 12, the peripheral exposure device 23 performs peripheral exposure for removing excess resist, and then an exposure device (not shown) provided adjacent to the interface unit 12 forms a wafer W according to a predetermined pattern. An exposure process is performed on the resist film.
[0033]
The exposed wafer W is returned to the interface unit 12 again, and the fourth processing unit G is processed by the wafer transfer mechanism 24. ₄ To the extension unit (EXT) belonging to The wafer W is then transferred by a wafer transfer device 46 to a hot plate unit (CHP) having a cooling plate, which will be described later, and subjected to post-exposure baking.
[0034]
Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to a developing unit (DEV) where the exposure pattern is developed. After the development is completed, the wafer W is transferred to one of the hot plate units (HP), subjected to a post-baking process, and then cooled by a cooling unit (COL). After such a series of processing ends, the third processing unit group G ₃ Is returned to the cassette station 10 via the extension unit (EXT) and accommodated in one of the wafer cassettes CR.
[0035]
Next, a hot plate unit (CHP) having a cooling plate to which the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a hot plate unit (CHP) having a cooling plate to which the embodiment of the present invention is applied, FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view thereof, FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the cooling plate in the unit of FIGS. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the heat exchanging portion, FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a part of the heat pipe provided on the cooling plate, and FIG. 8 is a view showing a control system of the hot plate unit of FIG.
[0036]
The hot plate unit (CHP) having the cooling plate has a casing 50, has a heating plate 51 having a disk shape on one side, and has a cooling plate 71 on the other side. Yes.
[0037]
The heating plate 51 is made of, for example, aluminum, and a proximity pin 52 is provided on the surface thereof. The wafer W is placed on the proximity pin 52 in a state of being close to the heating plate 51. An electric heater 53 having a predetermined pattern is disposed on the back surface of the heating plate 51.
[0038]
The heating plate 51 is supported by a support member 54, and the support member 54 is hollow. The heating plate 51 is formed with three through holes 55 at the center thereof, and these through holes 55 are provided with three elevating pins 56 for raising and lowering the wafer W so as to be raised and lowered (see FIG. 5). A cylindrical guide member 57 that is continuous with the through hole 55 is provided between the heating plate 51 and the bottom plate 54 a of the support member 54. These guide members 57 can move the raising / lowering pins 56 without being obstructed by heater wiring or the like under the heating plate 51. These elevating pins 56 are supported by a support plate 58, and are moved up and down by a cylinder 59 provided on the side of the support member 54 via the support plate 58.
[0039]
A support ring 61 that surrounds and supports the heating plate 51 and the support member 54 is provided, and a lid 62 that can be raised and lowered is provided on the support ring 61. Then, the processing chamber S for the wafer W is formed with the lid 62 lowered to the upper surface of the support ring 61. Further, when the wafer W is carried into and out of the heating plate 51, it is retracted upward.
[0040]
The lid 62 has, for example, a conical shape that gradually increases from the outside toward the center, and has an exhaust port 63 to which an exhaust pipe 64 is connected at the top of the center. And exhausted through the exhaust pipe 64.
[0041]
Proximity pins 72 are provided on the cooling plate 71, and the wafer W is placed on the proximity pins 72 in a state of being close to the cooling plate 71 and subjected to a cooling process. The cooling plate 71 is configured to be movable toward the heating plate 51 by, for example, belt driving by a driving mechanism 73, and the cooling plate avoids interference with the lift pins 56 during this movement as shown in FIG. A groove 74 is formed. By providing the cooling plate 71 so as to be movable in this manner, the wafer W can be transferred to and from the cooling plate 71 with the elevating pins 56 protruding from the heating plate 51. Then, when the wafer W is received and cooled, and after the wafer W is transferred to the heating plate 51, the wafer W returns to the illustrated position.
[0042]
In the cooling plate 71, as shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of linear heat pipes 75 are arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals. As shown in FIG. 7, the linear heat pipe 75 includes a container 76 of an outer shell member made of a metal having a closed end, for example, copper or a copper alloy, and a mesh member provided on the inner peripheral wall thereof. And a sealed structure filled with a hydraulic fluid such as water. The wick 77 has a function of moving the working fluid by utilizing capillary action. This linear heat pipe 75 has a function of easily transporting a large amount of heat from one end to the other using the evaporation phenomenon and the condensation phenomenon of the working fluid filled therein, and has a high and low temperature therein. In some cases, it has a function of quickly transporting heat to make the temperature uniform. Instead of using the wick 77, the hydraulic fluid can be moved using gravity.
[0043]
One end of the heat pipe 75 is provided so as to protrude from the cooling plate 71, and a heat exchange part 80 is provided at the protruding end of the heat pipe 75 as shown in FIG. This heat exchanging unit 80 is inserted with a protruding end of the heat pipe 75 and houses a cooling medium contact unit 81 for bringing a cooling medium such as cooling water into contact with the end, and the cooling medium contact unit 81 for cooling. The plate 71 and a receiving portion 82 that continues are connected to the contact portion 81, a supply pipe 83 for supplying a cooling medium, and a discharge pipe 85 for discharging the cooling medium from the contact portion 81, The supply pipe 83 is provided with an open / close valve, for example, an electromagnetic valve 84, for adjusting the flow rate of the supplied cooling medium. Then, heat exchange is performed when the cooling medium comes into contact with the heat pipe 75 in the cooling medium contact part 81 of the heat exchange unit 80, and the cold heat of the cooling medium is supplied to the cooling plate 71 via the heat pipe 75. The heat exchanging unit 80 may be moved together with the cooling plate 71 when the driving mechanism 73 moves the cooling plate 71, or from the cooling plate 71 when the cooling plate 71 is moved. It may be cut off.
[0044]
A plurality of temperature sensors 91 are provided at appropriate locations on the heating plate 51, and a plurality of temperature sensors 92 are also provided at appropriate locations on the cooling plate 71. The temperature of the heating plate 51 and the cooling plate 71 is detected. As shown in FIG. 8, the detection signals from the temperature sensors 91 and 92 are transmitted to the unit controller 93 for controlling the unit (CHP), and the controller 93 sends the detection signal to the temperature controller 94 based on the detection information. A control signal is transmitted, and based on the control signal, a signal is transmitted from the temperature controller 94 to the heater power supply 95 and the electromagnetic valve 84, and the temperatures of the heating plate 51 and the cooling plate 71 are controlled. Specifically, the temperature of the cooling plate 71 is controlled by adjusting the amount of cooling medium supplied to the heat pipe 75 by adjusting the amount of cooling medium flowing through the contact portion 81 by the electromagnetic valve 84. The Further, the unit controller 93 sends a control signal to the cylinder 59 during the heat treatment to control the raising and lowering of the raising and lowering pins 56. Further, the unit controller 93 sends a control signal to the drive mechanism 73 to control the movement of the cooling plate 71. The unit controller 93 outputs a control signal based on a command from a system controller (not shown) of the resist coating and developing system.
[0045]
In the hot plate unit (CHP) having the cooling plate configured as described above, the heat treatment of the wafer W is performed as follows.
[0046]
First, the wafer W after the exposure processing is carried by the wafer transfer device 46 into the housing 50 of a hot plate unit (CHP) having a rapid cooling function in a state heated to a predetermined temperature and having a cooling plate. , And passed to the lift pin 56. Then, the elevating pins 56 are lowered and the wafer W is placed on the proximity pins 52 of the heating plate 51. Next, the lid 62 is lowered to the upper surface of the support ring 61 to form the processing chamber S for the wafer W.
[0047]
In this state, the wafer W is heated by the heating plate 51 at a predetermined temperature, for example, post-exposure processing. At this time, the temperature of the heating plate 51 undershooted by the wafer W being placed is compensated by the electric heater 53.
[0048]
After the wafer W is heated for a predetermined time, the wafer W is pushed up by the lifting pins 56, and then the cooling plate 71 is moved onto the heating plate 51 as shown in FIG. 9A, and further, FIG. The wafer W is placed on the proximity pins 72 on the cooling plate 71 by lowering the elevating pins 56 as shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 7C, the cooling plate 71 is moved to the original position, and the cooling process is performed. After this cooling process, the wafer W is unloaded by the wafer transfer device 46 of the main wafer transfer mechanism 22 through an unshown transfer port.
[0049]
In the cooling process of the wafer W, one end of the heat pipe 75 provided in the cooling plate 71 is inserted into the cooling medium contact part 81 of the heat exchange unit 80, and the heat pipe 75 is connected to the cooling medium contact part 81. Heat exchange is performed by the contact of the cooling medium, and the cooling heat of the cooling medium is supplied to the cooling plate 71 via the heat pipe 75. In this case, as described above, the heat pipe 75 has a function of easily transporting a large amount of heat from one end to the other end thereof, and when there is a high or low temperature in the heat pipe 75, the heat pipe 75 quickly transports the temperature to adjust the temperature. Since it has the function of making it uniform, the cooling heat of the cooling medium in the heat exchanging unit 80 can be quickly transported to the cooling plate 71, and the wafer W on the cooling plate 71 can be quickly cooled to a predetermined temperature. The temperature of the cooling plate 75 can be made uniform by the temperature equalizing action of the heat pipe 75, and the temperature uniformity of the cooled wafer W can be made good.
[0050]
Further, since it is only necessary to provide the heat pipe 75 in the cooling plate 71 in this way, the structure can be simplified as compared with the conventional case in which a bent cooling water channel is formed in the cooling plate 71, and by casting or the like. Since the cooling water channel is not required and a large circulation pump is not required, the cooling plate 71 can be made thinner and the unit can be made compact.
[0051]
In particular, in the case of a hot plate unit (CHP) having such a cooling plate, it is necessary to move the cooling plate 71, so that the thickness of the cooling plate 71 is extremely beneficial. Further, by reducing the thickness of the cooling plate 71, the moving mechanism 73 and the like of the cooling plate 71 can be reduced in size, and accordingly, the unit itself can be further reduced in size.
[0052]
Next, another example of the heat pipe provided in the cooling plate 71 will be described with reference to FIG. A heat pipe 100 shown in FIG. 10 has a wide container 101 and has a structure in which the inside of the container 101 is partitioned into a plurality of working chambers 103 by a plurality of partition walls 102 to form a so-called mold heat pipe. ing. The plurality of working chambers 103 are filled with working fluid, and a wick 105 for moving the working fluid is mounted inside the outer wall 104 of the working chamber 103. In such a heat pipe 100, each working chamber 103 functions as a heat pipe. Like the heat pipe 75, the heat pipe 100 utilizes a vaporization phenomenon and a condensation phenomenon of the working fluid filled therein, so that a large amount is obtained from one end to the other end. The effect of easily transporting the heat and the temperature equalizing effect can be exhibited.
[0053]
Such a heat pipe 100 can be used as a cooling plate 71 as shown in FIG. 11 because the outer wall is flat. Thus, by configuring the cooling plate 71 with the heat pipe 100 itself, the work of embedding the heat pipe in the plate is not required and manufacturing becomes easy, and the cooling plate 71 can be made thinner and more compact. it can.
[0054]
In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible. In the above embodiment, the example in which the present invention is applied to the cooling mechanism of the hot plate unit (CHP) having the cooling plate has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is also applied to a normal cooling unit (COL) having only the cooling plate. It goes without saying that you can do it. In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the cooling process. However, if a heating medium is used as a thermal medium supplied to the heat exchanging unit, a large amount of heat is quickly transported through the heat pipe to quickly move the plate. Since it can be heated and the temperature equalizing action of the heat pipe can be exhibited, it can also be applied to heat treatment. In the above embodiment, the cooling water is exemplified as the cooling medium that is the thermal medium. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other liquids may be used. In addition, when a heating medium is used as the thermal medium, a high-temperature liquid or gas, a spray flow, or the like can be used.
[0055]
Further, the heat pipe is not limited to that shown in the embodiment, and various types of heat pipes can be used. For example, it is not always necessary to use a plurality of heat pipes, and one wide heat pipe can be used. In this case, the plate itself can be used as one heat pipe if the inside of the plate is made hollow and the working fluid is filled therein.
[0056]
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the wafer is placed on the proximity pins and indirectly heated and cooled. However, the wafer may be placed in direct contact with the plate. In the above embodiment, the case where a semiconductor wafer is used as the substrate has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to a case where heat treatment is performed on a substrate other than the semiconductor wafer, for example, an LCD substrate. Furthermore, although the case where the present invention is applied to a unit of a resist coating and developing treatment system has been shown, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to substrate cooling and heating for other purposes.
[0057]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, heat exchange is performed by placing a heat pipe in a plate that is close to or placing a substrate and bringing a thermal medium into contact with one end of the heat pipe for heat exchange. The heat pipe has a function to easily transport a large amount of heat from one end to the other, and a function to quickly transport heat and make the temperature uniform when there is high or low temperature in it. Therefore, the heat of the thermal medium in the heat exchange part can be quickly transported to the plate, the substrate on the plate can be quickly maintained at a desired temperature, and the temperature equalizing action of the heat pipe The temperature of the plate can be made uniform, and the temperature uniformity of the substrate can be made good. In addition, since only the heat pipe is provided in the plate, the structure is simple and can be made compact.
[0058]
In particular, when the cooling medium is brought into contact with one end of the heat pipe in the heat exchanging section, since the cooling heat from the cooling medium is supplied to the plate through the heat pipe quickly and in large quantities, the conventional bending is performed. The substrate can be cooled more quickly than when cooling water is supplied to the cooling water channel, and the temperature uniformity of the heat pipe can improve the temperature uniformity of the plate compared to when cooling water is supplied to the cooling water channel. The temperature uniformity of the substrate can be made better. In addition, since it is only necessary to provide a heat pipe in the plate, the structure can be simplified as compared with the conventional case of forming a bent cooling water channel in the cooling plate, and cooling water channel formation by casting or the like is unnecessary. In addition, since a large circulation pump is not required, the cooling plate can be made thinner and the unit can be made compact.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an overall configuration of a resist coating / development processing system to which a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a front view showing an overall configuration of a resist coating / development processing system to which a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 3 is a rear view showing an overall configuration of a resist coating / development processing system to which a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a hot plate unit (CHP) having a cooling plate to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.
5 is a plan view showing a hot plate unit (CHP) having the cooling plate shown in FIG. 4. FIG.
6 is a perspective view showing a cooling plate and a heat exchanging unit used in the hot plate unit of FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG.
7 is a schematic view showing a heat pipe provided on the cooling plate of FIG.
8 is a diagram showing a control system of a hot plate unit having the cooling plate of FIG.
9 is a view for explaining a process of transferring a wafer from a heating plate to a cooling plate in the hot plate unit having the cooling plate of FIG. 4;
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another example of a heat pipe provided on the cooling plate.
11 is a perspective view showing an example in which the heat pipe of FIG. 10 is used as a cooling plate itself.
[Explanation of symbols]
50; casing
51; heating plate
52,72; Proximity pins
71; cooling plate
73; Movement mechanism
75,100; heat pipe
76; Container
77,105; wick
80; heat exchanger
81; Cooling medium contact portion
101; container
102; partition wall
103; working chamber
CHP; Hot plate unit with cooling plate
W: Semiconductor wafer (substrate)

Claims (7)

A substrate processing apparatus capable of heating a substrate and cooling the substrate,
A heat treatment unit for placing the substrate on the heating plate or in proximity to the heat treatment unit; and
A plate that is provided separately from the heat treatment unit and that cools the substrate on or close to the surface thereof,
A heat pipe arranged in a straight line in the plate;
A heat exchange section through which the cooling medium flows in order to exchange heat with the cooling medium at one end of the heat pipe;
Transport means for transporting a substrate between the heating plate and the plate ,
One end portion of the heat pipe is provided so as to protrude from the plate, and the protruding end portion of the heat pipe is inserted into the heat exchange portion . A substrate processing apparatus capable of heating a substrate and cooling the substrate,
  A heat treatment unit for placing the substrate on the heating plate or in proximity to the heat treatment;
  A plate that is provided separately from the heat treatment unit and that cools the substrate by placing it on or close to the surface,
  A heat pipe arranged in this plate;
  A heat exchange section through which the cooling medium flows in order to exchange heat with the cooling medium at one end of the heat pipe;
  Moving means for moving the plate between a substrate delivery position of the heating plate and a retracted position separated from the heating plate in order to transport the substrate between the heating plate and the plate;
Comprising
  The heat exchange part and the plate are detachably provided, the plate is separated from the heat exchange part when the plate moves, and the plate is connected to the heat exchange part when the substrate is cooled. A substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein a plurality of the heat pipes are provided and are arranged in a straight line and in parallel with each other. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein one end of each of the plurality of heat pipes is provided so as to protrude from the plate, and the heat exchange unit is provided at the one end. The heat pipe includes a container and a plurality of partition walls that divide the container into a plurality of working chambers, and each working chamber is filled with a working fluid and functions as a heat pipe. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to 2. 6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein a container of the heat pipe is used as the plate. A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the plate;
A valve for adjusting a supply amount of a cooling medium brought into contact with one end of the heat pipe;
The apparatus further comprises control means for controlling the amount of cooling heat supplied to the heat pipe by adjusting the amount of the cooling medium by operating the valve based on detection information of the temperature sensor. The substrate processing apparatus of any one of Claims 1-6.

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