JP5249593B2 - Resist solution recovery method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for recovering a used resist solution, and more specifically, relates to a method for supplying a resist solution to a use facility equipped with a resist coating apparatus, and recovering the used resist solution after application and using it for recycling or the like. .

  In a manufacturing process of a semiconductor, a liquid crystal panel, etc., lithography is performed in which a resist solution is applied onto a substrate and exposed and developed. With the recent increase in size of liquid crystal panels and the like, the amount of resist solution used has also increased because the size of the substrate used has been increased. Typical coating methods include a spin coating method and a die coating (slit coating) method.

  In applying the resist solution to the substrate, an excessive amount of resist solution larger than the actual application amount is required, so that an excessive used resist solution is always generated. In particular, when using spin coating, the amount of used resist solution is not negligible. Therefore, it is economically and environmentally desirable to recover and recycle it as an effective use.

  With respect to such recovery and recycling of the resist solution, recovery devices such as those in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below are known. In this system, a recovery / regeneration device is attached to the resist solution coating apparatus itself, and the resist solution is recycled by adjusting the viscosity or filtering the filter.

  In addition to this, a common large collection line is installed in a facility equipped with a plurality of resist solution coating devices, and used resist solutions from a plurality of coating devices are collectively collected in a tank or the like. It is also sent back to the manufacturer and recycled by the resist manufacturer.

On the other hand, a resist solution is usually supplied from a resist manufacturer to users such as semiconductor manufacturers and liquid crystal panel manufacturers. In this case, for example, a small dedicated container having a predetermined capacity as described in Patent Document 3 is used. This dedicated container has a double structure of a small rigid container and an inner bag made of a flexible material that can be attached and detached. Such a dedicated container has become mainstream because it can be directly connected to a user's line as it is, is easy to handle, and has a low risk of contamination of the resist solution. This special container is delivered to the user with the inner bag filled with the resist solution, used by the user directly connected to the line of the coating device, etc., and after being used (the inner bag is empty) After being collected and returned to a resist manufacturer or the like, cleaned, etc., the resist solution is filled again and used as a so-called return container.
JP-A-9-34121 JP-A-11-245226 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-100087

  The resist solution recovery systems such as Patent Documents 1 and 2 are basically intended for recycling on the user side. In this case, it is necessary for the user to perform quality control of the recycled resist solution, and it is difficult for the user who is not familiar with the resist solution to stably perform the above quality control.

  Also, the method of collecting the used resist solution from multiple coating devices in a tank etc. and returning it to the resist solution maker requires the installation of a collection facility on the user side. There is a problem that a new burden is generated.

  In addition, the dedicated container of Patent Document 3 is only a resist solution supply container, and it is not assumed that the used resist solution is refilled after the pumping is finished. Can not.

  As a result of intensive studies to solve the above problems, the present inventors have also used a conventional container used as a resist solution supply container as a resist solution recovery container as a supply and recovery container. By using it, it discovered that said problem could be solved, and came to complete this invention.

  That is, the present invention supplies a resist solution from a resist solution supply facility to a resist solution use facility using a dedicated container having a predetermined capacity, and collects the used resist solution at the resist solution use facility using the dedicated container. This resist solution recovery method is also used as a resist solution recovery container.

  A feature of the present invention is that what has been conventionally used as a resist solution supply container is used as a supply and recovery container. In this respect, the present invention provides a new method for recovering a resist solution, and can be said to have found a new use for recovery in a conventional supply-only container.

  According to the present invention, an existing resist solution supply system using a returnable container can be used as it is. Therefore, it is not necessary for the user to provide special recovery equipment or recycling equipment. For this reason, the degree of freedom of equipment on the user side is high. Specifically, the present invention can be effectively used when the resist solution recovery equipment cannot be installed in a space due to the line arrangement of the existing resist solution coating apparatus.

  In addition, because it can be recovered using the existing resist solution supply system as it is, compared to the conventional method of collecting the used resist solution from a plurality of coating devices in a tank and returning it to the resist solution manufacturer, Collection costs and labor can be greatly reduced.

  In the present invention, the meaning of “use a dedicated container as a resist solution recovery container” in the present invention means that the dedicated container is sufficient if it can be used for both supply and recovery. For this reason, it is not required that the supply operation and the recovery operation are close in time. That is, if the exclusive container used for supply is used as a collection container after that, it is within the scope of the present invention. In addition, even if the type and capacity of the supply container is different from that of the collection container when viewed in units of resist solution coating equipment, the supply container will eventually be somewhere in the resist solution use facility. If it is used as a recovery container, it is still within the scope of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, the recovery of the resist solution can be made much more efficient than before, the resist solution can be recovered at a low cost, and the recycling rate can be increased.

  Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a process diagram showing an example of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment of a dedicated container (feeding and collecting container), and FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing the opening of FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional exploded view of the opening portion of FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which the packaging bag with spout is accommodated in the outer container, and (a) inserts the packaging bag with spout into the outer container. The partial perspective view which shows a state, (b) is a partial perspective view which shows the state after the packaging bag with a spout is accommodated in the exterior container, FIG. 6: is schematic which shows an example of a resist liquid collection | recovery system.

<Dedicated container>
First, the dedicated container 1 serving as a supply and recovery container in the present invention will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the dedicated container 1 includes a flexible packaging bag 10 with a spout and an opening 24. The outer container 20, the cylindrical joint bracket 30 held in the opening 24, the liquid discharge tube 40 inserted into the tube portion 32 of the joint bracket 30, and the opening 24 are screwed into the spout 11. And an annular first lid 50 for holding the joint bracket 30 in the opening 24, and a second lid 60 having a bush 62 protruding inside.

  The spout-equipped packaging bag 10 has a spout 11 that opens so that liquid can be injected and a packaging bag body 12 that fills with a resist solution. The spout 11 includes a spout mounting portion 111 and a spout engaging portion 112 connected to one side of the spout mounting portion 111. As shown in FIG. It is heat-sealed.

  The exterior container 20 can support the spout 11 with the opening 24 and store the spout-equipped packaging bag 10. And as shown in FIG. 5, the packaging bag 10 with a spout is accommodated in the exterior container 20 as an inner bag. Thus, the exclusive container 1 is a double container in which the outer container 20 is repeatedly used and a new packaging bag 10 with a spout can be used each time.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the outer container 20 is composed of a bottom plate 21, a side wall 22, and a top plate 23 with a raised center, and a steel container in which an opening 24 is formed in a substantially central portion of the top plate 23. Is preferably used. A male screw 24 a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the opening 24. Moreover, you may make conveyance easy by providing a pair of hand part 25 (refer FIG. 5) in the upper position of the top plate 23 of the side wall 22. FIG. Examples of the outer container 20 include, but are not limited to, a rigid container made of paper such as metal, synthetic resin, and cardboard.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a flange 112b is formed on the opening side of the spout 11 of the packaging bag 10 with a spout, while a step is provided on the inner wall of the opening 24. The spout 11 is supported by the opening 24 by being locked to the step.

  The joint used in the resist solution supply step S20 described later includes a cylindrical joint bracket 30 and a liquid discharge tube 40 (see FIG. 3 or FIG. 4). In FIG. 3, the joint bracket 30 is held in the opening 24. In addition, the joint bracket 30 has a substantially cylindrical header portion 31 on one end side and a cylindrical portion 32 on the other end side. Further, the joint bracket 30 has a second through hole 33 that penetrates from one end side to the other end side. The header portion 31 is raised from the cylindrical bottom of the joint bracket 30. The cylindrical portion 32 is fitted into the first through hole 111a of the spout 11 (see FIG. 3).

  In FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, the liquid discharge tube 40 has a flange portion 41 that is in close contact with the top surface 311 of the header portion 31 of the joint bracket 30 on one end side. Further, the other end side of the liquid discharge tube 40 is inserted into the second through hole 33 of the joint bracket 30. The liquid discharge tube 40 has a fluid passage 42 extending from one end to the other end, and is configured so that the liquid in the spout-equipped packaging bag 10 can be discharged through the fluid passage 42 (see FIG. 2).

  The outer diameter of the joint bracket 30 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the spout 11, and the joint bracket 30 is fitted to the spout 11 supported by the opening 24 (see FIG. 3). A flange 34 having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the opening 24 is provided at one end of the joint bracket 30, and an O-ring is supported on the flange 34 to seal the opening 24 (see FIG. 3 or FIG. 3). (See FIG. 4).

  The joint bracket 30 is held in the opening 24 together with the spout 11 when the first lid 50 is fastened to the opening 24 (see FIG. 3). A predetermined gap is provided between the bottom outer wall of the joint bracket 30 and the bottom inner wall of the tubular portion 112a of the spout 11 (see FIG. 3).

  In FIG. 4, the cylindrical portion 32 is provided so as to protrude from the bottom portion of the joint bracket 30, and the cylindrical portion 32 is fitted into the first through hole 111 a of the spout 11. An O-ring is carried inside the first through hole 111a of the spout 11, and the O-ring is in close contact with the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 32, whereby the gas in the spout-equipped packaging bag 10 can be sealed ( Not shown). The second through hole 33 penetrates from the upper end of the header portion 31 to the lower end of the cylindrical portion 32, and the liquid discharge tube 40 is inserted into the second through hole 33 (see FIG. 3). A gap is provided in the outer periphery of the second through hole 33 and the liquid discharge tube 40 so that the gas in the spout-equipped packaging bag 10 can be vented to the plurality of second openings 43 (see FIG. 3).

  The joint includes a first ventilation means capable of venting gas from the inside of the outer container 20 to the opening 24, a second ventilation means capable of venting gas from the inside of the packaging bag with spout 10 to the opening 24, and the opening. And a second lid 60 for sealing 24. The first ventilation means has a plurality of first openings 35 of the joint bracket 30. The plurality of first openings 35 communicate with the top surface 311 of the header portion 31 from the periphery of the cylindrical portion 32. The second ventilation means has a plurality of second openings 43. The plurality of second openings 43 are provided in the flange 41 of the liquid discharge tube 40, and communicate the opening 24 with the inside of the second through hole 33 of the joint bracket 30 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

  The joint prevents the liquid and gas from flowing out from the opening 24 when the second lid 60 is attached. Further, when the second lid 60 is removed, before the liquid in the liquid discharge tube 40 is discharged to the opening 24, the gas in the outer container 20 and the gas in the spout-equipped packaging bag 10 are first changed. It escapes out of the opening 24 through the first and second ventilation means.

  The first opening 35 may be a slit that penetrates from the periphery of the cylindrical portion 32 to the top surface 311 of the header portion 31, and is provided between the cylindrical portion 32 and the header portion 31. The first opening 35 substantially communicates the gap provided between the joint bracket 30 and the spout 11 and the atmosphere (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the second opening 43 is a through hole formed in the flange 41 of the liquid discharge tube 40, and penetrates from the upper surface of the flange 41 to the periphery of the liquid discharge tube 40. In FIG. 3, an O-ring is supported on the lower surface of the flange portion 41, and the O-ring is in close contact with the top surface 311 of the header portion 31, thereby sealing the second through hole 33. The second opening 43 substantially communicates the gap provided in the inner wall of the second through hole 33 and the outer wall of the liquid discharge tube 40 with the atmosphere (see FIGS. 3 and 4). As described above, this gap can be vented to the internal space of the packaging bag 10 with the spout.

  3 or 4, a first lid 50 that is screwed with the opening 24 of the outer container 20 and a second lid 60 that is screwed with the first lid 50 are provided. The first lid 50 has a female or synthetic resin lid body 51 formed with a female screw threadedly engaged with the outer surface of the opening 24 of the outer container 20 on the inner side surface and a male screw formed on the outer side surface. A fourth opening 52 having a size substantially the same as the outer size of is formed concentrically. The joint bracket 30 is held by screwing and tightening the first lid 50 to the opening 24.

  The second lid 60 includes a light-blocking closure main body 61 that is screwed into the first lid 50 provided in the opening 24, and a corrosion-resistant bush 62 that protrudes into the closure main body 61. The bush 62 includes an O-ring 63 that is in close contact with the surface of the flange portion 41 and seals ventilation from the fluid passage 42.

  The closure main body 61 is made of metal or synthetic resin, and a female screw that is screwed into the first lid 50 is provided on the inner periphery of the closure main body 61. When the second lid 60 is tightened, the inner wall of the closure main body 61 is in contact with the top surface 311 of the joint bracket 30. The closure main body 61 has a light shielding property so that the chemical stored in the spout-equipped packaging bag 10 does not change chemically. The bush 62 is preferably made of a synthetic resin having corrosion resistance because there is a high possibility that the bush 62 may come into contact with the chemical stored in the packaging bag 10 with a spout. One end of the bush 62 is press-fitted into the closure main body 61 so that the bush 62 and the closure main body 61 are integrated (see FIG. 3). The other end side of the bush 62 protrudes into the closure main body 61 and carries an O-ring 63 on the tip surface. The O-ring 63 is in close contact with the surface of the flange 41 and can prevent both liquid and gas from flowing out from the fluid passage 42.

  Further, when the screwing with the first lid 50 is released on the side periphery of the closure main body 61, before the liquid in the liquid discharge tube 40 is discharged to the opening 24, the gas in the outer container 20 and the injection One or more vent holes 64 through which the gas in the outlet-attached packaging bag 10 escapes from the opening 24 through the first and second vent means are provided (see FIG. 3 or FIG. 4). Thus, by providing the vent hole 64 on the side periphery of the closure main body 61, when the second lid 60 is loosened, the close contact between the O-ring 63 and the surface of the flange 41 is released, and at least a plurality of second The gas in the opening 43 is discharged from the vent hole 64 to the outside. And it can prevent that the liquid in the liquid discharge tube 40 spouts.

<Resist liquid filling step S10>
Hereinafter, an example of the present invention using the dedicated container 1 will be described with reference to the process chart shown in FIG. First, the resist solution manufactured in the resist solution supply facility 100 of a resist manufacturer or the like is filled in the dedicated container 1 with the resist solution in the resist solution filling step S10. The resist solution supply facility 100 only needs to be able to fill a dedicated container, and does not necessarily require a resist solution manufacturing facility. That is, the resist solution supply facility 100 is a concept including a relay base for supplying the resist solution to the user.

  In the filling step S10, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), the exclusive container 1 has the spouted packaging bag 10 inserted into the exterior container 20 through the opening 24 of the exterior container 20, as shown in FIG. 5 (b). As shown, the spout 11 is attached to the opening 24 of the outer container 20. At this time, the opening 24 of the outer container 20 has a substantially cylindrical projecting shape that is shorter than the dimension in the height direction of the spout engaging portion 112, and the flange portion 112 b of FIG. By contacting the upper peripheral end of the step formed on the side surface, the spout-equipped packaging bag 10 is supported in the outer container 20.

  In this state, first, the packaging bag with spout 10 is inflated by introducing preferably nitrogen or compressed air from the first through hole 111a. Next, a filling tube (not shown) for filling the resist solution is inserted into the first through hole 111a, and a predetermined amount of the resist solution is filled through the filling tube. As a result, the resist solution can be filled in a sealed system without contamination.

  Thereafter, the joint bracket 30 is inserted into the spout 11, and then the first lid 50 is screwed into the opening 24 to fix the spout 11 and the joint bracket 30, thereby supporting the spout-equipped packaging bag 10. Thereafter, the tube 44 of the liquid discharge tube 40 is inserted into the second through-hole 33 of the joint bracket 30 and the liquid discharge tube 40 is mounted. Then, the second lid 60 is screwed onto the first lid 50 to discharge the liquid discharge tube. The top surface of 40 is sealed to cover the opening 24. As a result, the dedicated container 1 is in a state in which the opening 24 and the spout 11 are sealed and can be transferred.

<Resist Solution Supply Step S20>
Next, the dedicated container 1 is transported from the resist solution supply facility 100 to the user-side resist solution use facility 200. The resist solution use facility 200 includes one or a plurality of resist solution coating apparatuses such as a spin coater and a slit coater, and a dedicated container 1 is substantially provided to each resist solution coating apparatus via a supply joint or the like. The resist solution is supplied by connecting to the supply pipe in a closed system. The supply joint is not particularly limited as long as it can maintain a closed system, and a conventionally known one can be used.

  2 or 3, when the second lid 60 is removed, the gas in the outer container 20 and the injection liquid are discharged before the liquid in the liquid discharge tube 40 is discharged to the opening 24. Since the gas in the packaging bag with outlet 10 escapes outside the opening 24 through the first and second ventilation means, the liquid in the liquid discharge tube 40 is discharged out of the opening 24. Can be prevented. That is, in this joint, the gas in the liquid discharge tube 40, the gas in the outer container 20, and the gas in the spout-equipped packaging bag 10 are individually sealed by the second lid 60. When the second lid 60 is removed, the pressure in the liquid discharge tube 40, the pressure in the outer container 20, and the pressure in the spout-equipped packaging bag 10 immediately coincide with the atmospheric pressure. The liquid inside can be prevented from being discharged out of the opening 24.

  Thus, when the resist solution is used, that is, when the resist solution is pumped out, it can be pumped out from the spout 11 through the liquid discharge tube 40. As a result, the resist solution in the spout-equipped packaging bag 10 is pumped out to form a nearly empty used container. When the pumping of the resist solution is completed, the supply joint is removed, the liquid discharge tube 40 is pulled out, and the opening 24 is sealed with the second lid 60. In addition, the packaging bag 10 with a spout at this time is in a state of shrinking as a result of drawing out the resist solution.

<Resist Solution Recovery Step S30>
A feature of the present invention resides in that the dedicated container 1 (used container) after the resist solution is pumped out is not returned to the resist maker as it is and used again in the resist solution recovery step. That is, the used container is later used as a recovery container in the resist solution recovery step S30. The later interval is set as appropriate depending on the number of used containers and the operation status of the resist coating apparatus. That is, in FIG. 1, the resist solution recovery step S30 has been described following the resist solution supply step S20 for the sake of convenience. However, in an actual resist solution coating apparatus, S20 and S30 proceed simultaneously in parallel. The used container generated in the liquid supply step S20 is used in the current resist solution recovery step S30. The collection work will be described below.

  An example of the resist solution recovery system shown in FIG. 6 recovers a used resist solution 252 generated by a spin coater 250, which is an example of a resist coating apparatus, and a recovery pan 251 provided around the rotating portion of the spin coater 250. For recovery, a recovery pump 254 provided in the recovery pipe 253, a dedicated container 1 that is the above-mentioned used container connected to the tip of the recovery pipe 253, and a branch from the middle of the recovery pipe 253 The switching valve 259, a piping 255 extending from the switching valve 259 and a recovery pipe 253, and a cleaning liquid recovery tank 256 connected to the tip of the pipe 255.

  First, after removing the second lid 60 of the dedicated container 1 which is a used container, a collection tube (not shown) for collecting the resist solution is attached. The recovery tube constituting the recovery joint is configured to be closely inserted into the second through hole 33 of the joint bracket 30 in the same manner as the pumping tube 40 described above. The recovery pipe 253 is connected in a closed system through the recovery tube.

  When the spin coater 250 is operated, a resist solution is applied from the application portion 258 on the substrate 257. This resist solution diffuses to the surroundings by centrifugal force, and excess used resist solution 252 is stored in the recovery pan 251. Here, by operating the recovery pump 254, the used resist solution 252 is recovered in the dedicated container 1 via the recovery pipe 253. That is, the used resist solution 252 is refilled in the packaging bag 10 with the spout of the dedicated container 1.

  In addition, as mentioned above, the packaging bag 10 with the spout at the start of the collection operation is in a state of being shrunk by passing through the pumping process in the resist solution supply process S20, and the capacity of the bag cannot be restored by refilling alone. It is. For this reason, the refillable capacity (recoverable capacity) at this time is smaller than that in the resist solution supply process S20 in which the spout-equipped packaging bag 10 is previously inflated with nitrogen or air. However, since the amount of used resist solution that can be collected is reduced by the amount actually applied, the amount of used resist solution that matches the amount of resist supplied to the coating device is sufficient in a dedicated container of the same capacity. Can be recovered.

  The switching valve 259 and the cleaning liquid recovery tank 256 are for cleaning the recovery pipe 253 with thinner or the like, and send the recovery liquid to the cleaning liquid recovery tank 256 side while a predetermined cleaning operation is performed. Thereby, contamination other than the resist solution to the dedicated container 1 can be effectively prevented.

  After the collection of a predetermined amount, the collection tube is removed from the dedicated container 1, the liquid discharge tube 40 is inserted again, and the second lid 60 is attached and sealed. This is returned to the resist solution supply facility 100 such as a resist manufacturer. Thereby, the exclusive container 1 functions as a supply and collection container and contributes to the improvement of the collection efficiency. In addition, it is preferable that said resist liquid collection | recovery process S30 is performed per resist liquid coating device unit similarly to resist liquid supply process S20.

<Composition confirmation process S40>
The refilled dedicated container 1 is returned to the resist solution supply facility 100, and the composition confirmation step S40 is performed at the receiving stage. This step is a step of confirming the composition and type of resist for each dedicated container in order to avoid contamination of various resists sent from a plurality of different resist solution use facilities 200. Although the confirmation method is not particularly limited, an example is a method of measuring the concentration or type using infrared or near infrared spectroscopy.

<Recycling process S50>
Thereafter, the used resist solution is pumped out by the same method as in the resist solution supply step S20, and the resist solution is recycled in the recycling step S50. A conventionally known recycling method can be used and is not particularly limited. In addition, from the exclusive container 1 after completion | finish of pumping-out, the packaging bag 10 with a spout is removed and discarded. After cleaning the outer container 20, a new packaging bag with a spout 10 is mounted and used in the resist solution filling step S10.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the recovery of the resist solution can be made more efficient than before, and the recovery cost can be reduced and the recycling rate of the resist solution can be increased.

It is process drawing which shows an example of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows one Embodiment of an exclusive container (supply and collection | recovery container). It is an expanded sectional view which expands and shows the opening part of FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded sectional view of the opening portion of FIG. 2. It is a figure which shows the accommodation state of the packaging bag with a spout in the exterior container, (a) is a partial perspective view which shows the state which inserts the packaging bag with a spout into an exterior container, (b) is with a spout in an exterior container It is a fragmentary perspective view which shows the state after the packaging bag was accommodated. It is the schematic which shows an example of a resist liquid collection | recovery system.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Dedicated container 10 Packing bag 11 with spout Outlet 12 Packaging bag main body 20 Exterior container 24 Opening part 50 1st cover 60 2nd cover 100 Resist solution supply facility 200 Resist solution use facility 250 Spin coater S10 Resist solution filling process S20 Resist Liquid supply process S30 Resist liquid recovery process S40 Composition confirmation process S50 Recycling process

Claims (2)

A double container consisting of an outer container having an opening and an inner bag of the outer container, and using a dedicated container of a predetermined capacity, supplying a resist solution from a resist solution supply facility to a resist solution use facility,
This dedicated container is also used as a resist solution recovery container for recovering the used resist solution in the resist solution use facility ,
The resist solution use facility is a facility provided with a resist solution coating apparatus, and a supply operation for supplying the resist solution from an inner bag filled with the resist solution to the resist solution coating apparatus, and substantially from the resist solution coating apparatus. And a recovery operation for refilling the used resist solution into the inner bag after the supply operation, which is an empty bag, in a substantially sealed system,
A resist solution recovery method in which the resist solution recovery container is returned to the resist solution supply facility after the recovery, and the used resist solution is pumped out of the inner bag and recycled at the resist solution supply facility . The resist solution recovery method according to claim 1 , wherein the supply operation and the recovery operation are performed in units of the resist solution application apparatus.

Images