JP4318709B2 - Development processing method and development processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a development processing method and a development processing apparatus for performing development processing on a substrate to be processed on a flat-flow conveying path using a roller.

  In photolithography, the development process is a process of forming a resist pattern by immersing a resist film on a substrate to be processed after the exposure of the pattern in a developing solution to remove portions other than the latent image on the resist film. .

  In recent years, a resist coating and developing processing system for manufacturing an FPD (flat panel display), as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1, horizontal rollers are used to cope with an increase in the size of a substrate to be processed (for example, a glass substrate). Increasingly, a so-called flat-flow type development processing apparatus in which a series of development processing steps of development, rinsing, and drying is performed while transporting a substrate on a transport path that is laid in a direction is increasing.

In general, a flat-flow type development processing apparatus is provided with a long-sized developer nozzle, a rinse nozzle and an air knife along a conveyance path, and supplies the developer from the developer nozzle to a substrate moving on the conveyance path. Then, the developer is put on the substrate (paddle development), and after a predetermined time has passed, a rinse solution such as pure water is supplied from the rinse nozzle to replace the developer on the substrate with pure water (development stop). Pure water is removed (dried) from the substrate by blowing an air flow.
JP 2003-83675 A

  As described above, in the flat-flow type development processing apparatus, a series of process processing is performed in the pipeline on the roller conveyance path, and a large number of substrates are subjected to the same development processing with a fixed tact time. However, if the operation of the device is stopped for a long time (for example, more than half a day) for the convenience of production schedule, production operation status, maintenance, etc., and then restarted, the pattern line width which is an important development quality immediately after the restart is There was a problem in that it fluctuated for a while and a considerable number (usually about 10) of substrates was sacrificed (development defective product) until it stabilized to a substantially constant value. The fluctuation of the pattern line width in this case shows a tendency that the average line width on the first substrate is most greatly deviated from the stable value, and the average line width gradually approaches the stable value as the subsequent substrates continue.

  The present invention solves the problems of the prior art as described above, and is a product that can obtain a stable desired development quality immediately after restarting when the apparatus operation is stopped for a while and restarted. An object of the present invention is to provide a development processing method and a development processing apparatus that improve the yield.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the development processing method of the present invention has a predetermined tact time on a substrate to be processed after exposure processing on a flat flow path formed by laying a large number of rollers horizontally at a predetermined pitch. In the development processing method of performing development processing one by one in order, before starting continuous development processing for the group of the substrates at the tact time, at least a part of the rollers on the transport path The roller temperature adjusting liquid is continuously or intermittently applied over a predetermined time period to adjust the temperature of the roller to a temperature lower than the ambient temperature.

  Further, the development processing apparatus of the present invention sequentially develops one by one with a predetermined tact time on a substrate to be processed after exposure processing on a flat flow path formed by laying a large number of rollers in a horizontal direction at a predetermined pitch. A development processing apparatus that performs processing, a developer supply unit that supplies a developer onto the substrate in a first section on the transport path, and a second downstream of the first section on the transport path. A developing stop section for removing the developing solution from the substrate in the section and stopping the development, and a rinsing liquid for cleaning on the substrate in the third section on the transport path downstream of the second section. A rinsing liquid supply unit for supplying the substrate, a drying unit for drying the substrate by applying a drying gas to the substrate in a fourth section downstream of the third section on the conveyance path, and the group of the substrates Prior to starting continuous development processing at the tact time The roller temperature adjusting liquid is continuously or intermittently applied to the rollers belonging to the first section of the transport path for a predetermined time period to adjust the temperature of the rollers to a temperature lower than the ambient temperature. And a roller temperature adjusting unit.

  In a flat-flow development processing device with roller transport, if the device operation (continuous development processing) is stopped for a while and the roller is left in a dry state, the temperature of the roller becomes equal to the ambient temperature. The roller temperature fluctuates when the roller gets wet with the processing solution, which causes fluctuations in the pattern line width. In the present invention, the roller is wetted with liquid before the operation is restarted, that is, before the substrate is introduced, and the temperature of the roller is lower than the ambient temperature (preferably within 1 ° C. of the steady roller temperature after the operation is restarted). Therefore, the fluctuation of the roller temperature after the restart of operation can be reduced, and the fluctuation of the pattern line width can be reduced.

  According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, a roller for temperature adjustment is applied to the roller for temperature adjustment at a time interval of 5 minutes or less (more preferably 3 minutes or less). Further, in order to wet the roller efficiently, it is preferable to rotate the roller. The roller temperature adjusting solution may be the same type as the processing solution used in the development process. However, a different type of liquid from the processing liquid may be used. Cooling efficiency is better when the temperature of the roller temperature adjustment liquid is lower than the ambient temperature or lower than the temperature of the treatment liquid. However, since the evaporation heat effect can be used, for example, a liquid temperature comparable to the ambient temperature is possible. It is.

  In the development processing method of the present invention, according to a preferred aspect, the development processing includes a first step of supplying the developer onto the substrate within the first section of the transport path, and a substrate on which the developer is accumulated. A second step of stopping the development by removing the developer from the substrate in a second section downstream of the first section of the transport path; and a second process downstream of the third section of the transport path. A fourth step of cleaning the substrate in the third section, and a fifth step of drying the substrate in the fourth section on the downstream side of the fourth section of the transport path. In this case, it is preferable that the same type of developer as the developer used in the first step is applied as a roller temperature adjusting liquid to the temperature adjustment target roller in the first section. In addition, when the second step includes a step of replacing the developer with a rinse solution, the rinse solution used in the second step is applied to the temperature adjustment target roller in the second section before starting the development process. It is preferable to apply the same type of rinse liquid as that for adjusting the roller temperature.

  In the development processing apparatus of the present invention, according to a preferred aspect, the developer supply unit discharges the developer from above toward the transport path, and the first nozzle is transported through the transport path. A first nozzle scanning mechanism for moving the first nozzle scanning mechanism, and the roller temperature adjusting unit uses the first nozzle scanning mechanism and the first nozzle to move the first nozzle within the first section. The first nozzle is moved back and forth along the transport path by the scanning mechanism, the developer is discharged to the moving first nozzle, and the discharged developer is used as the roller temperature adjusting liquid in the first section. Hang on some or all of the rollers.

  In this case, before the roller temperature adjusting unit starts the continuous development processing with the tact time for the group of substrates, the roller temperature adjusting liquid is further added to the rollers belonging to the second section of the transport path. Is preferably continuously or intermittently applied over a predetermined period of time to adjust the temperature of the rollers to a temperature lower than the ambient temperature.

  In addition, the developing stop unit discharges the replacement rinse liquid from above toward the transport path, and the second nozzle scan for moving the second nozzle along the transport path. The roller temperature adjusting unit uses the second nozzle scanning mechanism and the second nozzle, and the second nozzle scanning mechanism in the second section moves the second nozzle to the transport path. Reciprocating along, causing the second nozzle being moved to discharge the rinsing liquid, and applying the discharged rinsing liquid as a temperature adjusting liquid to a part or all of the rollers in the second section. Is preferred.

  As another preferable aspect, the roller temperature adjustment unit is configured to provide a third nozzle exclusively for temperature adjustment that discharges the temperature adjustment liquid toward the temperature adjustment target roller, or the roller is rotationally driven. It is also preferable that the roller transport mechanism is used to rotate the roller by the roller transport mechanism when the roller temperature adjustment liquid is applied to the roller to be temperature adjusted.

  According to the development processing method or the development processing apparatus of the present invention, with the above-described configuration and operation, when the apparatus operation is paused for a while and the operation is restarted, a stable desired development quality is obtained immediately after the restart, Product yield can be improved.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a coating and developing treatment system as one configuration example to which the development processing method and the development processing apparatus of the present invention can be applied. The coating and developing processing system 10 is installed in a clean room, and uses, for example, an LCD substrate as a substrate to be processed, and performs various processes such as cleaning, resist coating, pre-baking, developing, and post-baking in the photolithography process in the LCD manufacturing process. Is. The exposure process is performed by an external exposure apparatus 12 installed adjacent to this system.

  In the coating and developing system 10, a horizontally long process station (P / S) 16 is disposed at the center, and a cassette station (C / S) 14 and an interface station (I / F) are disposed at both ends in the longitudinal direction (X direction). ) 18.

  The cassette station (C / S) 14 is a cassette loading / unloading port of the system 10, and can accommodate up to four cassettes C that can accommodate a plurality of substrates C in a horizontal direction, for example, in the Y direction by stacking substrates G in multiple stages. A cassette stage 20 and a transport mechanism 22 for loading and unloading the substrate G with respect to the cassette C on the stage 20. The transport mechanism 22 has a means for holding the substrate G, for example, a transport arm 22a, can be operated with four axes of X, Y, Z, and θ, and is adjacent to the adjacent process station (P / S) 16 side and the substrate G. Delivery is now possible.

  In the process station (P / S) 16, the processing units are arranged in the order of the process flow or process on a pair of parallel and opposite lines A and B extending in the system longitudinal direction (X direction). More specifically, the upstream process line A from the cassette station (C / S) 14 side to the interface station (I / F) 18 side includes a cleaning process unit 24, a first thermal processing unit 26, and The coating process section 28 and the second thermal processing section 30 are arranged in a horizontal row. On the other hand, in the downstream process line B from the interface station (I / F) 18 side to the cassette station (C / S) 14 side, a second thermal processing unit 30, a development processing unit 32, and a decolorization process are provided. The unit 34 and the third thermal processing unit 36 are arranged in a horizontal row. In this line configuration, the second thermal processing unit 30 is located at the end of the upstream process line A and at the beginning of the downstream process line B, and straddles between both lines A and B. ing.

  An auxiliary transfer space 38 is provided between the process lines A and B, and a shuttle 40 that can horizontally place the substrate G in units of one sheet is bidirectional in the line direction (X direction) by a drive mechanism (not shown). Can be moved to.

  In the upstream process line A, the cleaning process unit 24 includes a scrubber cleaning unit (SCR) 42, and an excimer is disposed at a location adjacent to the cassette station (C / S) 10 in the scrubber cleaning unit (SCR) 42. A UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 41 is arranged. The cleaning unit in the scrubber cleaning unit (SCR) 42 performs brushing cleaning or blow cleaning on the upper surface (surface to be processed) of the substrate G while transporting the LCD substrate G in the horizontal direction by roller transport or belt transport. It is like that.

  The first thermal processing unit 26 adjacent to the downstream side of the cleaning process unit 24 is provided with a vertical transfer mechanism 46 at the center along the process line A, and a plurality of units are arranged in multiple stages on both front and rear sides thereof. is doing. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the upstream multi-stage unit section (TB) 44 includes a substrate passing pass unit (PASS) 50, dehydrating baking heating units (DHP) 52 and 54, and an adhesion unit. (AD) 56 are stacked in order from the bottom. Here, the pass unit (PASS) 50 is used to transfer the substrate G to the scrubber cleaning unit (SCR) 42 side. Further, in the downstream multistage unit section (TB) 48, a substrate passing pass unit (PASS) 60, cooling units (COL) 62 and 64, and an adhesion unit (AD) 66 are stacked in order from the bottom. Here, the pass unit (PASS) 60 is for delivering the substrate G to the coating process unit 28 side.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the transport mechanism 46 includes a lift transport body 70 that can be moved up and down along a guide rail 68 that extends in the vertical direction, and a turn that can rotate or swivel in the θ direction on the lift transport body 70. It has a transport body 72 and a transport arm or tweezers 74 that can move back and forth in the front-rear direction while supporting the substrate G on the revolving transport body 72. A drive unit 76 for driving the lifting and lowering conveyance body 70 up and down is provided on the base end side of the vertical guide rail 68, and a driving unit 78 for driving the swiveling conveyance body 72 to rotate is attached to the lifting and lowering conveyance body 70. A drive unit 80 for advancing and retracting 74 is attached to the rotary transport body 72. Each drive part 76,78,80 may be comprised by the electric motor etc., for example.

  The transport mechanism 46 configured as described above can move up and down or swivel at high speed to access any unit in the multistage unit sections (TB) 44 and 48 on both sides, and the shuttle on the auxiliary transport space 38 side. 40 can also deliver the substrate G.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the coating process unit 28 adjacent to the downstream side of the first thermal processing unit 26 includes a resist coating unit (CT) 82, a vacuum drying unit (VD) 84, and an edge remover unit (ER). 86 are arranged in a line along the process line A. Although not shown in the drawing, in the coating process section 28, a transport device is provided for loading and unloading the substrates G one by one in the order of the processes in these three units (CT) 82, (VD) 84, and (ER) 86. In each unit (CT) 82, (VD) 84, and (ER) 86, each process is performed in units of one substrate.

  The second thermal processing unit 30 adjacent to the downstream side of the coating process unit 28 has the same configuration as that of the first thermal processing unit 26, and a vertical type between the process lines A and B. , A multi-stage unit portion (TB) 88 is provided on the process line A side (last), and the other multi-stage unit portion (TB) 92 is provided on the process line B side (lead).

  Although not shown, for example, in the multi-stage unit section (TB) 88 on the process line A side, a pass unit (PASS) for substrate transfer is placed at the bottom, and a heating unit (PREBAKE) for pre-baking is placed thereon. For example, they may be stacked in three stages. In the multi-stage unit section (TB) 92 on the process line B side, a pass unit (PASS) for substrate transfer is placed at the bottom, and a cooling unit (COL) is stacked thereon, for example, one stage above it. In addition, prebaking heating units (PREBAKE) may be stacked in a two-stage stack, for example.

  The transport mechanism 90 in the second thermal processing unit 30 includes the coating process unit 28, the development process unit 32, and the substrate G through the pass units (PASS) of both the multistage unit units (TB) 88 and 92. In addition to delivering in units, the substrate G can also be delivered in units of sheets to the shuttle 40 in the auxiliary transport space 38 and the interface station (I / F) 18 described later.

  In the downstream process line B, the development process unit 32 includes a so-called flat-flow development unit (DEV) 94 that performs a series of development processing steps while transporting the substrate G in a horizontal posture.

  A third thermal processing unit 36 is disposed downstream of the development process unit 32 with the decolorization process unit 34 interposed therebetween. The decoloring process unit 34 includes an i-ray UV irradiation unit (i-UV) 96 for performing a decoloring process by irradiating the surface to be processed of the substrate G with i-line (wavelength 365 nm).

  The third thermal processing unit 36 has the same configuration as that of the first thermal processing unit 26 and the second thermal processing unit 30, and the vertical transport mechanism 100 along the process line B. A pair of multi-stage unit portions (TB) 98 and 102 are provided on both the front and rear sides.

  Although not shown in the figure, for example, in the upstream multi-stage unit section (TB) 98, a pass unit (PASS) is placed at the bottom, and a post-baking heating unit (POBAKE) is stacked in, for example, three stages. May be overlaid. In the downstream multi-stage unit section (TB) 102, a post-baking heating unit (POBAKE) is placed at the lowermost stage, and a substrate-passing / cooling unit (PASS / COL) for transferring and cooling the substrate is provided thereon. The heating unit (POBAKE) for post-baking may be stacked in two layers.

  The transport mechanism 100 in the third thermal processing section 36 includes i-line UV irradiation units (PASS) (PASS) and pass cooling units (PASS / COL) of both multi-stage unit sections (TB) 98 and 102, respectively. i-UV) 96 and cassette station (C / S) 14 and the substrate G can be transferred not only in units of one sheet, but also can be transferred in units of sheets to the shuttle 40 in the auxiliary transport space 38. .

  The interface station (I / F) 18 includes a transfer device 104 for exchanging the substrate G with the adjacent exposure device 12, and a buffer stage (BUF) 106 and an extension / cooling stage (EXT / COL) around the transfer device 104. ) 108 and peripheral device 110 are arranged. A stationary buffer cassette (not shown) is placed on the buffer stage (BUF) 106. The extension / cooling stage (EXT / COL) 108 is a stage for transferring a substrate having a cooling function, and is used when the substrate G is exchanged with the process station (P / S) 16 side. For example, the peripheral device 110 may have a configuration in which a titler (TITLER) and a peripheral exposure device (EE) are stacked vertically. The transfer device 104 has a means for holding the substrate G, for example, a transfer arm 104a, and transfers the substrate G to and from the adjacent exposure device 12, each unit (BUF) 106, (EXT / COL) 108, (TITLER / EE) 110. Can be done.

  FIG. 3 shows a processing procedure in this coating and developing processing system. First, in the cassette station (C / S) 14, the transport mechanism 22 takes out one substrate G from a predetermined cassette C on the stage 20, and the excimer of the cleaning process unit 24 of the process station (P / S) 16. It is carried into the UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 41 (step S1).

  In the excimer UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 41, the substrate G is subjected to dry cleaning by ultraviolet irradiation (step S2). This UV cleaning mainly removes organic substances on the substrate surface. After completion of the ultraviolet cleaning, the substrate G is moved to the scrubber cleaning unit (SCR) 42 of the cleaning process unit 24 by the transport mechanism 22 of the cassette station (C / S) 14.

  In the scrubber cleaning unit (SCR) 42, as described above, the substrate G is brushed or blown onto the upper surface (surface to be processed) of the substrate G while being transported in a horizontal position in the horizontal direction by roller transport or belt transport. By performing cleaning, particulate dirt is removed from the substrate surface (step S3). After the cleaning, the substrate G is rinsed while being conveyed in a flat flow, and finally the substrate G is dried using an air knife or the like.

  The substrate G that has been cleaned in the scrubber cleaning unit (SCR) 42 is carried into the pass unit (PASS) 50 in the upstream multistage unit section (TB) 44 of the first thermal processing section 26.

  In the first thermal processing unit 26, the substrate G is rotated in a predetermined unit by the transport mechanism 46 in a predetermined sequence. For example, the substrate G is first transferred from the pass unit (PASS) 50 to one of the heating units (DHP) 52 and 54, where it undergoes a dehydration process (step S4). Next, the substrate G is transferred to one of the cooling units (COL) 62 and 64, where it is cooled to a constant substrate temperature (step S5). Thereafter, the substrate G is transferred to one of the adhesion units (AD) 56 and 66, where it is subjected to a hydrophobic treatment (step S6). After completion of the hydrophobic treatment, the substrate G is cooled to a constant substrate temperature by one of the cooling units (COL) 62 and 64 (step S7). Finally, the substrate G is moved to the pass unit (PASS) 60 belonging to the downstream multi-stage unit section (TB) 48.

  As described above, in the first thermal processing unit 26, the substrate G is interposed between the upstream multi-stage unit unit (TB) 44 and the downstream multi-stage unit unit (TB) 48 via the transport mechanism 46. You can come and go arbitrarily. The second and third thermal processing units 30 and 36 can perform the same substrate transfer operation.

  The substrate G that has undergone a series of thermal or thermal processing as described above in the first thermal processing section 26 is adjacent to the downstream side from the pass unit (PASS) 60 in the downstream multistage unit section (TB) 48. Is moved to a resist coating unit (CT) 82 of the coating process unit 28.

  The substrate G is coated with a resist solution on the upper surface (surface to be processed) by a resist coating unit (CT) 82, for example, by spin coating, and immediately after that, it is subjected to a drying process by a reduced pressure drying unit (VD) 84 adjacent to the downstream side. Then, the unnecessary (unnecessary) resist on the peripheral edge of the substrate is removed by the edge remover unit (ER) 86 adjacent to the downstream side (step S8).

  The substrate G that has undergone the resist coating process as described above is a pass unit (PASS) belonging to the upstream multi-stage unit section (TB) 88 of the second thermal processing section 30 adjacent to the edge remover unit (ER) 86. Is passed on.

  Within the second thermal processing unit 30, the substrate G is rotated through a predetermined unit by the transport mechanism 90 in a predetermined sequence. For example, the substrate G is first transferred from the pass unit (PASS) to one of the heating units (PREBAKE), where it is subjected to baking after resist coating (step S9). Next, the substrate G is transferred to one of the cooling units (COL), where it is cooled to a constant substrate temperature (step S10). Thereafter, the substrate G is delivered to the extension / cooling stage (EXT / COL) 108 on the interface station (I / F) 18 side.

  In the interface station (I / F) 18, the substrate G is transferred from the extension / cooling stage (EXT / COL) 108 to the peripheral exposure device (EE) of the peripheral device 110, where the resist adhering to the peripheral portion of the substrate G is removed. After receiving an exposure for removal at the time of development, it is sent to the adjacent exposure apparatus 12 (step S11).

  In the exposure apparatus 12, a predetermined circuit pattern is exposed to the resist on the substrate G. Then, when the substrate G that has undergone pattern exposure is returned from the exposure apparatus 12 to the interface station (I / F) 18 (step S11), it is first carried into a titler (TITLER) of the peripheral device 110, where there is a predetermined on the substrate. Predetermined information is written in the part (step S12). Thereafter, the substrate G is returned to the extension / cooling stage (EXT / COL) 108. Transfer of the substrate G in the interface station (I / F) 18 and exchange of the substrate G with the exposure apparatus 12 is performed by the transfer device 104.

  In the process station (P / S) 16, the transport mechanism 90 receives the exposed substrate G from the extension / cooling stage (EXT / COL) 108 in the second thermal processing unit 30, and the multi-stage unit unit on the process line B side (TB) The image is transferred to the development process unit 32 via the pass unit (PASS) in 92.

  In the development process unit 32, the substrate G received from the pass unit (PASS) in the multi-stage unit unit (TB) 92 is carried into the development unit (DEV) 94. In the development unit (DEV) 94, the substrate G is conveyed in a flat flow manner toward the downstream of the process line B, and a series of development processing steps such as development, rinsing, and drying are performed during the conveyance (step S13).

  The substrate G that has undergone the development process in the development process unit 32 is carried into the decolorization process unit 34 adjacent to the downstream side, where it undergoes a decolorization process by i-line irradiation (step S14). The substrate G that has been subjected to the decoloring process is transferred to the pass unit (PASS) in the upstream multistage unit section (TB) 98 of the third thermal processing section 36.

  In the third thermal processing section 36, the substrate G is first transferred from the pass unit (PASS) to one of the heating units (POBAKE), where it is subjected to post-baking (step S15). Next, the substrate G is transferred to a path cooling unit (PASS COL) in the downstream multistage unit section (TB) 102, where it is cooled to a predetermined substrate temperature (step S16). The transport mechanism 100 transports the substrate G in the third thermal processing unit 36.

  On the cassette station (C / S) 14 side, the transport mechanism 22 receives and receives the substrate G that has completed all the steps of the coating and developing process from the pass cooling unit (PASS COL) of the third thermal processing unit 36. The substrate G is accommodated in any one cassette C (step S1).

  In the coating and developing processing system 10, the present invention can be applied to the developing unit (DEV) 94 of the developing process unit 32. Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a developing unit (DEV) 94 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 4 schematically shows the overall configuration of the developing unit (DEV) 94 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system in the developing unit (DEV) 94. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the developing unit (DEV) 94 includes a plurality of, for example, eight modules M ₁ that form a continuous conveyance path 120 extending in a certain horizontal direction (X direction) along the process line B. the ~M ₈ is configured by continuously arranged in a row.

Of these eight modules M ₁ ~M _8, loading unit 122 to the first module M ₁ located at the most upstream end, second, third and fourth module M _2, M _3, M ₄ The developing unit 124 includes a cleaning rinse unit 126 for the fifth and sixth modules M ₅ and M ₆ , a drying unit 128 for the _seventh module M ₇ , and an unloading unit 130 for the _eighth module M _8. Are provided.

The loading section 122 of the module M ₁ includes a lift pin lifting mechanism 134 that receives a substrate G delivered from an adjacent substrate transport mechanism (not shown) by a plurality of lift pins 132 and transfers it onto the transport path 120. The carry-out unit 130 also includes a lift pin raising / lowering mechanism 138 that lifts the substrate G with a plurality of lift pins 136 and hands it to an adjacent substrate transfer mechanism (not shown). The carry-in unit 122 and the carry-out unit 130 may be configured by pass units (PASS) in the multistage unit units (TB) 92 and 98, respectively.

Developing unit 124, more specifically, it consists of a developing solution supply unit dev1 and developing proceeding portion dev2 development stopping unit dev3 Prefecture, the developer supply unit dev1 is a second module M _2, developing proceeding portion dev2 is a third The module M ₃ is provided with a development stop portion dev ₃ in the fourth module M ₄ .

  The developer supply unit dev1 is configured to supply developer to the substrate G. In this example, the developer supply unit dev1 is a long type that discharges developer from above toward the substrate G on the transport path 120 in order to perform paddle development. One or a plurality of developer nozzles 146 are provided. These developer nozzles 146 are connected to a developer supply source 148 (FIG. 5) via a pipe (not shown), and the first nozzle scanning mechanism 150 moves in the horizontal direction (X direction) on the conveyance path 120. ) Can be moved to. The discharge ports of the developer nozzle 146 are formed as slits extending in the nozzle longitudinal direction or as a large number of discharge holes arranged in a line in the nozzle longitudinal direction. Other long nozzles to be described later also have similar discharge ports.

  The development advancing unit dev2 is a section in which development on the substrate G proceeds while the substrate G on which the developing solution is accumulated in the developing solution supply unit dev1 moves on the transport path 120. It is also possible to provide a developer supply nozzle (152) indicated by a dotted line for changing characteristics (for example, concentration dilution). In this case, the developer supply nozzle (152) can be horizontally moved along the conveyance path 120 by an individual nozzle scanning mechanism (not shown).

  The development stop unit dev3 is configured to stop the development reaction by removing the developer from the substrate G. In this example, the development stop unit dev3 includes a substrate tilting mechanism 154 that tilts the substrate G backward or forward in the transport direction. A rinsing liquid nozzle 156 for supplying a rinsing liquid for replacement onto the substrate G in an inclined posture is provided in order to quickly stop development. The rinsing liquid nozzle 156 is connected to a replacement rinsing liquid supply source 158 (FIG. 5) via a pipe (not shown), and along the upper surface of the substrate G in an inclined posture by the second nozzle scanning mechanism 160. It can be moved obliquely in the horizontal direction (X direction) and the vertical direction (Z direction) on the conveyance path 120.

The cleaning rinse section 126 has two stages of cleaning rinse sections 162 and 164. The first rinse section 162 of the module M ₅ has one long rinse liquid nozzle 166 for spraying a rinse liquid for primary cleaning on the upper surface (surface to be processed) of the substrate G immediately after the development stops. Or have multiple. The second rinsing section 164 of the module M ₆ has one long rinsing liquid nozzle 168 for spraying a rinsing liquid for secondary cleaning or finishing cleaning on the upper surface of the substrate G after the primary cleaning. A plurality of long rinsing liquid nozzles 170 for spraying a rinsing liquid for cleaning on the lower surface of the substrate G are disposed below or below the conveyance path 120. These rinse liquid nozzles 166, 168, and 170 are connected to a cleaning rinse liquid supply source 172 (FIG. 5) via piping (not shown).

The drying unit 128 of the module M ₇ has one or more long gas flow discharge nozzles or air knives 174 for draining the rinsing liquid adhering to the substrate G above and below the conveyance path 120, respectively. The book is arranged.

In addition, each processing module M _{2 to} M ₇ is provided with pans 176 to 186 for collecting the liquid dropped under the transport path 120. Among these pans 176 to 186, pans 176 and 178 that collect only the developer are communicated with a developer recycling mechanism (not shown) through a drain pipe. Pans 180, 182, 184, and 186 for recovering the rinse liquid communicate with a waste liquid treatment unit (not shown) through a drain pipe.

In the transport path 120, columnar or cylindrical transport rollers or rollers 190 on which the substrate G can be placed almost horizontally are laid along the process line B at regular intervals. Transfer drive 192 consisting of an electric motor and transmission mechanism or the like (FIG. 5) each roller 190 by the driving force of the rotating (rotation) as a rotation about its central axis, a horizontal substrate G from the module M ₁ to the module M ₈ It conveys in the direction (X direction). Note that the transport path 120 is divided into a plurality of sections, and individual transport driving units 192 are provided in each section so that the substrate transport operation (temporary stop, transport speed, etc.) is individually controlled for each section. Good.

  In the control system (FIG. 5), the control unit 200 is composed of a microcomputer, takes in a development processing program stored in a storage medium such as an optical disk or a semiconductor memory, and executes it in a main memory, and develops a development unit (DEV) 94. The operation of each of the above-described units and the operation of the entire unit are controlled. Furthermore, the control unit 200 is also connected to a host computer (not shown) that performs overall control of the entire coating and developing treatment system, and receives information and instructions regarding the operation of the developing unit (DEV) 94 from the host computer. It has become.

  Next, the overall operation of the developing unit (DEV) 94 will be described. The substrate carry-in unit 122 receives the substrates G from the adjacent substrate transport mechanism (not shown) one by one and transfers them to the transport path 120. When the substrate G is transferred onto the transport path 120, the substrate G is immediately transported toward the adjacent developing unit 124 by driving of the transport driving unit 192.

  In the developing unit 124, the substrate G is first loaded with the developing solution on the substrate by the developing solution supply unit dev1. In order to deposit the developer, the first nozzle scanning mechanism 150 and the developer supply source 148 operate in synchronization with each other, and the developer nozzle 146 transports the substrate G over the substrate G while discharging the developer in a strip shape. Scan at a constant speed from one end of the substrate to the other in the direction (X direction) or the opposite direction. During this time, the substrate G is preferably stopped or stationary on the transport path 120, but may continue to move in the transport direction (X direction) at a constant speed. The developer spilled from the substrate G is collected by the pan 176 directly below the transport path 120. Thus, the developing reaction is started by depositing the developer on the substrate G.

  The substrate G on which the developer is deposited as described above in the developer supply unit dev1 moves in a flat flow on the transport path 120, passes through the development progressing unit dev2, and is carried into the development stop unit dev3. The developer spilled from the substrate G at the development progressing part dev2 is collected and collected by the pan 178 directly under the transport path 120.

  When the substrate G arrives at a predetermined position in the development stop unit dev3, the substrate tilting mechanism 154 operates to lift the substrate G above the transport path 120 so that the substrate G is facing backwards in the transport direction (for example, the upper surface of the substrate is directed rearward). ) The substrate G is tilted. Due to this tilted posture, most of the developer accumulated on the substrate G moves to the rear of the substrate and flows down to the pan 180 immediately below. At the same time, the second nozzle scanning mechanism 160 and the replacement developer supply source 158 operate at the appropriate timing, preferably at substantially the same time as the inclination angle of the substrate G reaches the set value. While the rinsing liquid nozzle 156 is moved along the upper surface of the inclined substrate G in the direction opposite to the conveying direction, a rinsing liquid for replacement, for example, pure water is discharged, and the liquid on the substrate G is replaced with the rinsing liquid to develop. Stop. The rinse liquid that has fallen from the substrate G is also collected by the pan 180.

  The substrate G that has been subjected to the developing process in the developing unit 124 as described above is transported onto the transport path 120 and sent to the cleaning rinse unit 126. In the first rinse section 162, the rinse liquid nozzle 166 sprays a rinse liquid for primary cleaning, such as pure water, on the upper surface of the substrate G passing therethrough. The rinse liquid that has fallen under the substrate G in the primary cleaning process is collected by the pan 182 under the conveyance path 120. In the second rinse section 164, the upper rinse liquid nozzle 168 sprays a new rinse liquid for secondary cleaning, such as pure water, on the substrate G passing therethrough, and the lower rinse liquid nozzle 170 cleans the substrate G passing therethrough. For example, pure water is sprayed. The rinse liquid that has fallen under the substrate G in the secondary cleaning process is collected by the pan 184 under the conveyance path 120.

  The substrate G that has been subjected to the cleaning process as described above in the cleaning rinse section 126 is transferred to the drying section 128 on the transport path 120. In the drying unit 128, the air knife 174 applies a knife-like sharp air blow to the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate G passing therethrough, so that the liquid adhering to the substrate G (mainly the rinsing liquid) is removed to the rear of the substrate. (Drain the liquid). The substrate G that has passed through the drying unit 128 arrives at the carry-out unit 130, where it is lifted upward by the lift pin lifting mechanism 138 and the lift pin 136, and delivered to the next substrate transport mechanism.

  A series of development processing steps as described above in the development unit (DEV) 94 is repeated at a fixed tact time in conjunction with or in cooperation with other units in this coating and development processing system, and a large number of substrates G are continuously formed. Receive the same treatment. Therefore, a constant average line width can be obtained in the resist pattern on each substrate G after the development processing. The average line width is an average line width obtained from a measurement value of the pattern line width obtained at each measurement point by setting a large number of measurement points in a matrix at a constant distance interval (for example, 15 cm interval) on the substrate. It is.

  However, if the operation of the development unit (DEV) 94 is stopped for a long time due to production operation or maintenance, etc., if the operation is resumed without taking any action during the downtime, Immediately after the restart, the pattern line width fluctuates for each substrate for a while, and a considerable number of substrates are sacrificed (development defective products) until it stabilizes to a substantially constant value within an allowable range.

  As a result of repeatedly examining various experiments on the variation in the pattern line width immediately after resuming the operation as described above, the present inventor has found that there is a correlation with the temperature of the conveying roller 190 in the developing unit 124.

  FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show experimental data relating to the fluctuation characteristics of the average line width immediately after the resumption of operation and the temperature characteristics of the transport roller 190 in the developing unit 124, respectively. As shown in FIG. 7, the temperature of the roller 190 before resuming the operation is substantially equal to the ambient temperature (about 25.3 ° C.), and when it restarts the operation, each part in the developing unit 124 every time the substrate is inserted. Thus, the temperature of the roller 190 decreases, and the temperature of the seventh sheet is 23.5 ° C. or lower, and the temperature of the ninth sheet is 22.5 ° C. or lower. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the average line width is the smallest at about 2.8 μm for the first sheet, and increases as the number of loaded substrates increases, and becomes 2.9 μm or more from the third sheet. After the first piece, it settles to about 3.2 μm. As described above, immediately after the restart of operation, as the number of substrates inserted increases, (1) the temperature of the rollers 190 in the developing unit 124 decreases, and (2) the average line width of the resist pattern on the substrate goes against this. (3) After the temperature of the roller 190 decreases to a predetermined value (about 22.5 ° C. in the illustrated example) or less (after the ninth substrate), the average line width is a substantially constant value (about 3 .2 μm).

  Here, the temperature of the roller 190 in the developing unit 124 decreases immediately after the restart of the operation because the roller 190 is wetted with the developer or the rinse solution (pure water). That is, when the substrate G on which the developer is accumulated moves from the developer supply unit dev1 to the development stop unit dev3 by the roller conveyance in the flat flow through the conveyance path 120, the developer spilled from the substrate G is applied to the roller 190. . In particular, when the rear end of the substrate G moves away from the roller 190, the developer easily moves from the substrate G to the roller 190. Further, in the development stop unit dev3, the rinsing liquid for replacement (pure water) used for the development stop spills from the substrate G and is applied to the nearby roller 190. In general, the use temperature of the developer or the rinsing solution is lower than the ambient temperature or the environmental temperature, and is adjusted to, for example, 22 ° C. to 23 ° C. Therefore, immediately after the operation is resumed, the roller 190 gets wet by the developer or the rinsing liquid, so that heat is dissipated, and the temperature of the roller 190 decreases. Furthermore, as a more dominant cause of cooling, there is evaporation heat that takes heat away from the roller when the developer and the rinsing liquid adhering to the roller 190 evaporate, thereby further decreasing the temperature of the roller 190. Thus, the roller 190 is cooled to a temperature lower than the temperature of those liquids by being wet with the developer or the rinse liquid.

  Moreover, the reason why the average line width increases as the number of substrates inserted immediately after restarting the operation is that the reaction rate between the resist and the developer depends on the temperature. For example, in a positive resist, a novolak resin or a photosensitizer as a resist component becomes weakly acidic (soluble in alkali) upon exposure, and is dissolved in a developing solution (antariness) to form a pattern. Here, the reaction rate between the exposed novolak resin and the developer shows a maximum value at about 19 to 20 ° C. with respect to the temperature, and the higher the temperature, the higher the reaction rate and the pattern line width. Becomes larger. In this embodiment, the “pattern line width” of the positive resist means the width of a space portion between adjacent resist portions (line portions) remaining after development.

  In any case, when the steady-state value (stable value) of the average line width during continuous processing is about 3.2 μm, an error of 0.2 μm or less is within an allowable range even if it is roughly considered, and an error larger than that A substrate (in the example shown, the first to eighth sheets) is a defective product.

  Based on the above knowledge and viewpoint, in this embodiment, the developing unit (DEV) 94 is provided with a function of adjusting the temperature of the roller 190 in the developing unit 124 to an appropriate temperature before restarting the operation.

  FIG. 8 shows a specific example. In this embodiment, the developer supply source 148, the first nozzle scanning mechanism 150, the replacement rinse supply source 158, the second nozzle scanning mechanism 160, and the transport drive unit 192 are controlled during the operation stop under the control of the control unit 200. As shown in the figure, the developing solution nozzle 146 is moved back and forth along the conveying path 120 in the developing solution supply unit dev1 and the rinsing solution nozzle 156 is moved in the developing stop unit dev3. The developer R is applied to the roller 190 in the liquid supply unit dev1, and the rinse liquid (pure water) S is applied to the roller 190 in the development stop unit dev3 from the rinse liquid nozzle 156. In this case, the developing solution R and the rinsing solution S to be used are of the same type used during operation (during development processing). However, the moving speeds and discharge pressures of the nozzles 146 and 156 need not be the same as during operation (during development processing), and may be set to unique values suitable for roller temperature adjustment during operation suspension. . In addition, the nozzles 146 and 156 do not necessarily need to continuously discharge the liquids R and S on the transport path 120, and temporarily stop the liquid discharge between the adjacent rollers 190 and 190. Also good. Further, since the rotation speed of the roller 190 is not actually transported, the roller 190 may be set to a value at which the roller 190 gets wet most efficiently.

  In the nozzle scan method as described above, each roller 190 in the developer supply unit dev1 is repeatedly supplied with the developer R every time the developer nozzle 146 passes immediately above, that is, with a certain interval (time interval) therebetween. It is hung. Similarly, each roller 190 in the development stop unit dev3 is repeatedly applied with the rinsing liquid S every time the rinsing liquid nozzle 156 passes immediately above it, that is, with a certain interval. During the interval, the liquid 190 is left without being supplied with the liquid. However, since the roller 190 dissipates heat due to the evaporation of the liquid, the temperature of the roller 190 decreases. However, if the interval is too long, the roller cooling efficiency decreases due to the influence of the ambient temperature.

  FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show experimental data of roller temperature change characteristics using the roller wetting interval as a parameter in the developer supply unit dev1 and the development stop unit dev3, respectively. In this example, three intervals of “1 minute”, “3 minutes”, and “5 minutes” are selected as the interval. “Left” is a case where the liquid is applied to the roller only once (scanned) and left as it is. Further, the ambient temperature is 25 ° C., the temperature of the developer R in the developer supply unit dev 1 is 23.1 ° C., and the temperature of the rinse solution S in the development stop unit dev 3 is 25.1 ° C.

  According to the experimental data of FIG. 9, the roller 190 can be cooled only to about 25 ° C. to about 23 ° C. if the roller 190 in the developer supply unit dev 1 is wetted only once by the developer nozzle 146 and “left”. . As described above with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the temperature of the roller 190 falls below 23 ° C. immediately after the operation is resumed, and the average line width is finally stabilized when it reaches 22.5 ° C. or less. Therefore, it can be seen that a single wetting is insufficient to lower the roller temperature to the level during normal operation. On the other hand, when the roller 190 is repeatedly wetted at intervals of “5 minutes” or less, the temperature of the roller 190 drops to 22 ° C. or less after about 30 minutes, and particularly at intervals of “3 minutes” or less, about 21 minutes after about 40 minutes. There is a tendency for the temperature to fall below ℃ and then stabilize at a nearly constant temperature. On the other hand, it can also be seen that the roller temperature drop characteristics are hardly different between the “3 minutes” interval and the “1 minute” interval. Incidentally, the tact time during operation in the developing unit (DEV) 94 is normally about 1 minute.

  According to the experimental data shown in FIG. 10, the development stop unit dev3 provides a roller temperature reduction characteristic that surpasses the developer supply unit dev1. That is, the roller 190 can be lowered to about 22.5 ° C. even if the roller 190 in the development stop portion dev3 is wetted only once by the rinse liquid nozzle 146 and is “left”. In addition, when the roller 190 is repeatedly wetted at intervals of “5 minutes” or less, the temperature of the roller 190 decreases to 22 ° C. or less after about 15 minutes, and in particular, at intervals of “3 minutes” or less, about 21 minutes after about 30 minutes. It drops to below ℃ and eventually stabilizes at a certain temperature. Also in the development stop unit dev3, the roller temperature reduction characteristics are almost the same between the "3 minute" interval and the "1 minute" interval.

  From the experimental data as described above, the temperature of the roller 190 in the developer supply unit dev1 and the development stop unit dev3 during the operation suspension period is changed from the ambient temperature (about 25 ° C.) to the temperature during steady operation (22.5 ° C. or less). It can be seen that it takes about 30 minutes to lower the temperature to a sufficient level. Therefore, even when the operation of the developing unit (DEV) 94 is stopped for a long time (for example, half a day or more), it is not necessary to carry out the roller temperature adjustment as described above over the entire suspension period, and 30 minutes before the start of the operation. Can be used to adjust the roller temperature. From a system point of view, it is necessary to notify the control unit 200 of the developing unit (DEV) 94 from the host computer about the operation resumption time at least 30 minutes before.

  Note that the roller 190 in the developing progress section dev2 passes through the substrate G at a constant speed without stopping in this section (because there is little time for contact with the roller), so that the rollers 190 in the developer supply section dev1 The influence on the pattern line width is less than that of the roller 190 in the development stop portion dev3. Actually, although specific experimental data is omitted, the degree of the influence of the roller temperature on the pattern line width is conspicuously large in the roller 190 in the developer supply unit dev1, and then the roller 190 in the development stop unit dev3 is large. It is confirmed that the roller 190 in the development progressing part dev2 is the smallest.

  Of course, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 4, when the developing solution nozzle (152) is provided in the developing progress section dev2, the developing solution nozzle 152 may be used for adjusting the roller temperature during the operation stop. Alternatively, as shown by a dotted line 202 in FIG. 8, for example, a plurality of spray type nozzles 202 may be installed under the conveyance path 120 and used exclusively for adjusting the roller temperature during operation stop. As an application of this modified example, it is possible to provide a large number of spray type nozzles dedicated for roller temperature adjustment in the developer supply unit dev1 and the development stop unit dev3. In this case, each roller 190 is continuously connected without interruption. It is also possible to pour a liquid for temperature adjustment on the top.

  FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 show the experimental results for verifying the effect of the roller temperature adjustment before restarting operation in this embodiment. In this experiment, the temperature of the rollers 190 in the developer supply unit dev1 and the development stop unit dev3 is adjusted to be cooled to 22 ° C. and 21 ° C. respectively before the operation is restarted at an ambient temperature of 25 ° C., and then the development unit (DEV ) 94 operation resumed.

  The data in FIG. 11 is based on the average line width of the eleventh substrate (No. 11) from the start of loading, and the error of the average line width in the odd-numbered substrates (No. 1 to 9) before that Was obtained as the amount of change in line width. In this case, the average line width in the reference substrate (No. 11) is 4.57 μm. The roller temperature characteristic in the figure is the temperature characteristic of the roller 190 in the developer supply unit dev1 (see FIG. 12). As shown in FIG. 11, the line width variation (error) is 0.12 μm for the first sheet (No. 1), 0.087 μm for the third sheet, 0.035 μm for the fifth sheet, and 0 for the seventh sheet. .011 μm and the ninth sheet is 0.019 μm. That is, the amount of change (error) is about 0.1 μm from the first sheet at the start of loading, sufficiently clearing the large tolerance (0.2 μm), and one defectively developed substrate is taken out. It was verified that it was not necessary.

  The data in FIG. 12 shows the change in the roller temperature in each part of the developing unit 126 immediately after the restart of the operation in comparison with the change in the line width. As illustrated, the temperature of the roller 190 in the developer supply unit dev1 is 21.8 ° C. (first sheet) → 21.4 ° C. (third sheet) → 21.2 ° C. (fifth sheet) → 21.1 ℃ (7th sheet) → 21.0 ℃ (9th sheet) → 21.0 ℃ (11th sheet), the range before and after restarting is somewhat lower, but the fluctuation range Is only 0.8 ° C. (within 1 ° C.). Further, the temperature of the roller 190 in the development stop portion dev3 is also 20.6 ° C. (first sheet) → 20.3 ° C. (third sheet) → 20.3 ° C. (fifth sheet) → 20.3 ° C. (seven sheets) Eye) → 20.3 ° C. (9th sheet) → 20.4 ° C. (11th sheet), and there is substantially no change between before and after the restart of operation. On the other hand, the line width is 4.45 μm (first sheet) → 4.48 μm (third sheet) → 4.53 μm (fifth sheet) → 4.58 μm (seventh sheet) → 4.55 μm (ninth sheet) → It changes to 4.57 μm (11th sheet), and the fluctuation range is maximum at 0.12 μm of the first sheet. Further, it can be understood from the data of FIG. 12 that the line width immediately after the restart of operation can be kept within the allowable range without cooling the roller 160 in the development progress part dev2 before the restart of operation.

  In this embodiment, with respect to the line width control, the rollers subject to temperature adjustment before resuming operation according to the present invention are all the rollers 190 of the developer supply unit dev1, the development progressing unit dev2, and the development stopping unit dev3 of the developing unit 126. However, it can be seen that the roller 190 of the developer supply unit dev1 and the development stop unit dev3 alone is practically sufficient as described above. Further, depending on conditions (for example, when the ambient temperature is relatively low), it is possible to use only the roller 190 in the developer supply unit dev1 that has the greatest influence on the line width. It is also possible to exclude some rollers (for example, the roller at the most upstream end of the developer supply unit dev1 and the roller at the most downstream end of the development stop unit dev3) from the temperature adjustment target in each section.

  In the above-described embodiment, the temperature of the roller before resuming operation, in particular, the temperature of the roller in the developer supply unit dev1 is approximated within 1 ° C. to the steady roller temperature after resuming operation. Development defects could be prevented from the eyes. However, although the reliability of the development quality is lowered, it is possible to make a larger approximate width (for example, within 2 ° C.). In principle, if the roller temperature is adjusted to be lower than the ambient temperature, the present invention It is possible to obtain the effect of preventing the yield from being lowered.

  In the above-described embodiment, the liquid used for adjusting the roller temperature before resuming operation is the same type and the same temperature as during operation (development processing). However, it is also possible to use a different type or a different temperature. is there. In the above embodiment, paddle development is used. However, spray development or dip development can also be performed by roller conveyance, and the present invention can also be applied to those development methods.

  The substrate to be processed in the present invention is not limited to an LCD substrate, and various substrates for flat panel displays, semiconductor wafers, CD substrates, glass substrates, photomasks, printed substrates, and the like are also possible.

It is a top view which shows the structure of the application | coating development processing system which can apply this invention. It is a side view which shows the structure of the thermal process part in the said application | coating development processing system. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence in the said application | coating development processing system. FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating an overall configuration of a developing unit in the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control system of the developing unit in the embodiment. It is a figure of the experimental data which shows the average line | wire width fluctuation | variation characteristic immediately after the driving | operation restart in the image development unit of embodiment. It is a figure of the experimental data which shows the roller temperature fluctuation characteristic immediately after the driving | operation restart in the developing unit of embodiment. It is a schematic front view which shows the method of roller temperature adjustment before the driving | operation restart in embodiment. It is a figure of the experimental data which shows the roller temperature change characteristic which used the interval of roller wetting as a parameter in the developing solution supply part of embodiment. It is a figure of the experimental data which shows the roller temperature change characteristic by making the interval of roller wetting into a parameter in the development stop part of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the experimental result which verified the effect of roller temperature adjustment before the driving | operation restart in embodiment. It is a figure which shows the experimental result which verified the effect of roller temperature adjustment before the driving | operation restart in embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Application | coating development system 16 (P / S) Process station 94 (DEV) Development unit 120 Conveyance path 122 Carry-in part 124 Developing part 126 Rinse part 128 Drying part 130 Unloading part dev1 Developer progress part dev3 Development stop part 146 Developer nozzle 148 Developer supply source 150 First nozzle scanning mechanism 152 Developer nozzle 156 Replacement rinse liquid nozzle 158 Replacement rinse liquid supply source 160 Second nozzle scanning mechanism 166, 168, 170 Cleaning rinse nozzle 172 Cleaning Rinse solution supply source 200 Control unit 202 Developer nozzle

Claims (16)

A development processing method of performing development processing one by one on a substrate to be processed after exposure processing in a predetermined tact time one by one on a flat flow path formed by laying a large number of rollers horizontally at a predetermined pitch,
Prior to starting a continuous development process at the tact time for a group of the substrates, the temperature adjusting liquid is continuously or intermittently applied to at least a part of the rollers on the transport path over a predetermined time period. continue over the manner, can it the temperature of the roller is adjusted to a temperature lower than the ambient temperature,
After starting the continuous development processing, stop the operation of applying the roller temperature adjusting liquid to the rollers,
Development processing method.   2. The temperature of the temperature adjustment target roller immediately before starting the development processing is approximated within 1 ° C. to the temperature of the roller during the continuous development processing being constantly performed. Development processing method.   The development processing method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature adjusting target roller is multiplied by the temperature adjusting liquid at a time interval of 5 minutes or less.   The development processing method according to claim 3, wherein the roller for temperature adjustment is applied with the temperature adjustment liquid at a time interval of 3 minutes or less.   The development processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the roller is rotated when the roller temperature adjusting liquid is applied to the roller to be temperature-adjusted.   The development processing method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the roller temperature adjusting liquid is equal to or lower than an ambient temperature.   The development processing method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the roller temperature adjusting liquid is equal to or lower than a temperature of a processing liquid used in the development processing. The development process
A first step of supplying a developer onto the substrate within a first section of the transport path;
A second step of stopping development by removing the developer from the substrate in a second section downstream of the first section of the transport path on the substrate on which the developer is stacked;
A third step of cleaning the substrate in a third section downstream of the second section of the transport path;
The development processing method according to claim 1, further comprising: a fourth step of drying the substrate in a fourth section downstream of the third section of the transport path.   The development processing method according to claim 8, wherein a developing solution of the same type as the developing solution used in the first step is applied as a temperature adjusting liquid to a temperature adjustment target roller in the first section. The second step includes a step of replacing the developer with a rinse solution,
9. The rinsing liquid of the same type as the rinsing liquid used in the second step is applied as a temperature adjusting liquid to the temperature adjustment target roller in the second section before the development processing is started. Alternatively, the development processing method according to claim 9. A development processing apparatus for performing development processing in order one by one with a predetermined tact time on a substrate to be processed after exposure processing on a flat-carrying conveyance path formed by laying a large number of rollers in a horizontal direction at a predetermined pitch,
A developer supply unit for supplying a developer onto the substrate in a first section on the transport path;
A development stop unit that removes the developer from the substrate and stops development in the second section downstream of the first section on the transport path;
A rinsing liquid supply unit for supplying a rinsing liquid for cleaning onto the substrate in a third section downstream from the second section on the transport path;
A drying unit for drying the substrate by applying a drying gas to the substrate in a fourth section on the downstream side of the third section on the transport path;
Before starting the continuous development processing at the tact time for the group of the substrates, the roller temperature adjusting liquid is continuously applied to the rollers belonging to the first section of the transport path over a predetermined time period. continued over intermittently, aft the temperature of the rollers is adjusted to a temperature lower than the ambient temperature, after starting the continuous development processing, the operation of applying the liquid for the roller temperature adjustment roller A development processing apparatus having a roller temperature adjustment unit for stopping . A first nozzle for discharging the developer from above toward the transport path; and a first nozzle scanning mechanism for moving the first nozzle along the transport path. And
The roller temperature adjusting unit utilizes the first nozzle scanning mechanism and the first nozzle, and the first nozzle is moved to the transport path by the first nozzle scanning mechanism within the first section. The developer is discharged to the first nozzle while moving, and the discharged developer is used as the roller temperature adjusting liquid for a part or all of the rollers in the first section. The development processing apparatus according to claim 11.   Before the roller temperature adjusting unit starts continuous development processing with the tact on the group of substrates, a roller temperature adjusting liquid is further applied to the rollers belonging to the second section of the transport path. The development processing apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the temperature of the roller is adjusted to a temperature lower than the ambient temperature by continuously or intermittently applying over a predetermined time period. A second nozzle for discharging the rinsing liquid for replacement from above toward the transport path; and a second nozzle for moving the second nozzle along the transport path. A scanning mechanism,
The roller temperature adjusting unit uses the second nozzle scanning mechanism and the second nozzle, and the second nozzle scanning mechanism moves the second nozzle into the transport path within the second section. And the second nozzle being moved is discharged into the second nozzle, and the discharged rinse liquid is used as the roller temperature adjusting liquid for a part or all of the rollers in the second section. The development processing apparatus according to claim 13.   The said roller temperature adjustment part has a 3rd nozzle only for temperature adjustment which discharges the liquid for the said roller temperature adjustment toward the roller used as the object of temperature adjustment. Development processing equipment.   The roller temperature adjustment unit uses a roller conveyance mechanism that rotationally drives the roller, and rotates the roller by the roller conveyance mechanism when the roller temperature adjustment liquid is put on the roller to be temperature adjusted. Item 16. The development processing apparatus according to any one of Items 11 to 15.

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