JP6294761B2 - Heat treatment apparatus and film forming system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus for heat treating a substrate and a film forming system including the heat treatment apparatus.

  For example, in a semiconductor device manufacturing process, heat treatment of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as “wafer”) is performed.

  For example, in a photolithography process for forming a predetermined resist pattern on a wafer, various heat treatments such as a heat treatment after resist application, a heat treatment after exposure, and a heat treatment after development are performed. Specifically, for example, in a heat treatment apparatus, the wafer is heat-treated by a heater built in a hot plate while supplying an inert gas such as air or nitrogen gas to the inside of the heat treatment apparatus and exhausting the internal atmosphere. (Patent Document 1).

  Further, for example, when an interlayer insulating film is formed in an SOD (Spin On Dielectric) system, heat treatment of the wafer is performed. Specifically, for example, in a heat treatment apparatus, an inert gas is supplied to the inside of the heat treatment apparatus and the inside is maintained in a low oxygen atmosphere, and is placed on the heat plate by a heater incorporated in the heat plate. The wafer is heat-treated (Patent Document 2).

JP-A-11-204391 JP 2002-151504 A

  However, in both of the heat treatment apparatuses described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, since the inert gas is supplied to the entire processing space provided with the hot plate, the supply amount of the inert gas is increased.

  In particular, in a so-called post-process, for example, a coating film is formed on a wafer having a plurality of circuits formed on the surface to seal the circuits. For example, the coating film is formed by supplying a coating liquid between the chip and the wiring substrate and filling the coating film, and then heating the coating film formed thereby (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-252325). Issue gazette). This heat treatment of the coating film also needs to be performed in a low oxygen atmosphere in order to prevent the formation of an oxide film on the wafer. Conventionally, however, it has been completely considered to suppress the supply amount of the inert gas. It wasn't.

  The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to appropriately perform the heat treatment of the substrate while suppressing the supply amount of the inert gas supplied during the heat treatment of the substrate to a small amount.

To achieve the above object, the present invention is a heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating a substrate, and a heat treatment plate for heat-treating the substrate by suction and holding, and provided integrally with the heat treatment plate. A lid for forming a heat treatment chamber for accommodating the substrate and performing heat treatment, a pressure reducing mechanism for reducing the atmosphere in the heat treatment chamber to a predetermined degree of vacuum that allows the heat treatment plate to suck and hold the substrate, and the pressure reducing mechanism A gas supply mechanism for supplying an inert gas to the heat treatment chamber maintained at a predetermined degree of vacuum, and an annular shape between the upper surface of the heat treatment plate and the lower surface of the lid, and the airtightness in the heat treatment chamber And a sealing material for holding the structure.
In this case, a suction tube for adsorbing and holding the substrate may be provided inside the heat treatment plate.
The inert gas supplied from the gas supply mechanism to the outer peripheral portion of the substrate may be set at a higher pressure, higher speed, or higher flow rate than the inert gas supplied to the central portion of the substrate.

  According to the present invention, when the heat treatment plate and the lid are integrally formed to form the heat treatment chamber, the airtightness in the heat treatment chamber can be maintained by the sealing material. The atmosphere in the heat treatment chamber is maintained at a predetermined degree of vacuum by the decompression mechanism while supplying an inert gas from the gas supply mechanism into the heat treatment chamber. At this time, since the inert gas is supplied to a small space called a heat treatment chamber, the supply amount of the inert gas is suppressed to a small amount as compared with the case where the inert gas is supplied to the entire treatment space of the heat treatment apparatus as in the past. be able to. Moreover, since the substrate is heat-treated in an inert gas atmosphere having a predetermined degree of vacuum, that is, a low-oxygen atmosphere, the formation of an oxide film on the substrate can be suppressed, and the substrate can be appropriately heat-treated. it can.

  A plurality of circuits may be formed on the surface of the substrate to be heat-treated in the heat treatment chamber, and the heat treatment may be performed after a coating liquid is applied to the surface of the substrate to form a coating film.

  The inert gas in the heat treatment chamber may be heated to a predetermined temperature.

  The inert gas in the heat treatment chamber may be heated by the heat of the heat treatment plate.

  The gas supply mechanism may have a heating mechanism for heating the inert gas supplied to the heat treatment chamber.

  The lid may be provided with another heating mechanism for heating the inert gas in the heat treatment chamber.

  The heat treatment plate may be divided into a plurality of regions, and the temperature may be set for each region.

  The heat treatment plate may suck and hold the substrate.

  A partition plate may be provided on the outer peripheral portion of the heat treatment plate in an annular shape outside the substrate held on the heat treatment plate.

  The heat treatment apparatus may have an elevating mechanism for elevating the substrate above the heat treatment plate.

  A plurality of circuits are formed on the surface of the substrate to be heat-treated in the heat treatment chamber, and the heat treatment is performed after a coating solution is applied to the surface of the substrate to form a coating film, and the coating solution seals the circuit It may be a coating material or a resist.

  Another aspect of the present invention is a film forming system including the heat treatment apparatus, a treatment station having the heat treatment apparatus, and a carry-in that can hold a plurality of substrates and carries a substrate into and out of the treatment station. A coating station that coats the surface of the substrate to form a coating film, and a grinding device that grinds the coating film on the surface of the substrate heat-treated by the heat treatment apparatus. And a cleaning device that cleans the substrate on which the coating film has been ground by the grinding device, and a transport area for transporting the substrate to the coating device, the heat treatment device, the grinding device, and the cleaning device. It is characterized by having.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the heat processing of a board | substrate can be performed appropriately, suppressing the supply amount of the inert gas supplied in the case of the heat processing of a board | substrate to small quantity.

It is a top view which shows the outline of a structure of the film-forming system concerning this Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the outline of the internal structure of the film-forming system concerning this Embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of a 1st heat processing apparatus. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of a 1st heat processing apparatus. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of a 2nd heat processing apparatus. It is a top view which shows the outline of a structure of a wafer conveyance mechanism. It is a top view which shows the outline of a structure of a hot platen. It is sectional drawing which shows the outline of a structure of a hot platen. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of a coating device. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of a coating device. It is a perspective view which shows the outline of a structure of a coating head. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that a coating liquid is apply | coated on a wafer. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of a grinding device. It is a side view which shows the outline of a structure of a grinding device. It is a top view which shows the outline of a structure of a 3rd processing block. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of a surface cleaning unit. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of a surface cleaning unit. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the outline of a structure of a back surface cleaning unit. It is a top view which shows the outline of a structure of a spin chuck. It is a top view which shows the outline of a structure of a 1st conveyance arm. It is a side view which shows the outline of a structure of a 1st conveyance arm. It is a flowchart which shows the main processes of the film-forming process. In other embodiment, it is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the temperature of a wafer is adjusted in the heat processing chamber. It is sectional drawing which shows the outline of a structure of the hot platen concerning other embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the outline of a structure of the cover body concerning other embodiment.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of a configuration of a film forming system 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing an outline of the internal configuration of the film forming system 1. In the present embodiment, a plurality of circuits are formed on the surface of a wafer as a substrate on which film formation processing is performed in the film formation system 1. Further, in the film forming system 1, a coating film is formed on the wafer in order to seal this circuit.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the film forming system 1 performs a predetermined process on the wafer W and a loading / unloading station 2 for loading / unloading a cassette C capable of accommodating a plurality of wafers W with the outside, for example. It has a configuration in which a processing station 3 provided with various processing devices is integrally connected.

  The loading / unloading station 2 is provided with a cassette mounting table 10. The cassette mounting table 10 is provided with a plurality of, for example, four cassette mounting plates 11. The cassette mounting plates 11 are arranged in a line in the X direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1). The cassette C can be placed on these cassette placement plates 11 when the cassette C is carried into and out of the film forming system 1. Thus, the carry-in / out station 2 is configured to be able to hold a plurality of wafers W. The number of cassette mounting plates 11 is not limited to the present embodiment, and can be arbitrarily determined.

  In the loading / unloading station 2, a wafer transfer area 20 is provided adjacent to the cassette mounting table 10. The wafer transfer area 20 is provided with a wafer transfer device 22 that is movable on a transfer path 21 extending in the X direction. The wafer transfer device 22 is also movable in the vertical direction and around the vertical axis (θ direction), and is a transition device for a cassette C on each cassette mounting plate 11 and a fourth processing block G4 of the processing station 3 described later. The wafer W can be transferred between 60 and 61.

  The processing station 3 is provided with a plurality of, for example, four processing blocks G1, G2, G3, and G4 having various processing devices. For example, a first processing block G1 is provided on the front side of the processing station 3 (X direction negative direction side in FIG. 1), and on the back side of the processing station 3 (X direction positive direction side in FIG. 1). A second processing block G2 and a third processing block G3 are provided. The second processing block G2 and the third processing block G3 are arranged in the Y direction in this order from the loading / unloading station 2 side. A fourth processing block G4 is provided on the loading / unloading station 2 side of the processing station 3 (Y direction negative direction side in FIG. 1).

  For example, in the first processing block G1, as shown in FIG. 2, first heat treatment apparatuses 30 to 33 that heat-treat the wafer W at a low temperature (first temperature) and the wafer W at a high temperature (higher than the first temperature). A second heat treatment apparatus 34 that performs heat treatment at a second temperature) is arranged in the Y direction in this order from the loading / unloading station 2 side. The first heat treatment devices 30 and 31 and the first heat treatment devices 32 and 33 are arranged in this order in the Y direction from the loading / unloading station 2 side, and are provided in two stages in this order from the bottom in the vertical direction. ing. The number of the first heat treatment apparatuses 30 to 33 and the arrangement in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction are not limited to the present embodiment, and can be arbitrarily set.

  For example, in the second processing block G2, as shown in FIG. 1, coating apparatuses 40 and 41 for coating a wafer W to form a coating film are applied in this order from the loading / unloading station 2 in the Y direction. They are arranged side by side.

  For example, the third processing block G3 includes a grinding device 50 for grinding the coating film on the wafer W, a cleaning device 51 for cleaning the wafer W whose coating film has been ground by the grinding device 50, and a transition device 52 for the wafer W. , 53 are provided. A wafer transfer region 54 is formed in an area surrounded by the grinding device 50, the cleaning device 51, and the transition devices 52 and 53. In the wafer transfer region 54, for example, a wafer transfer device 55 that transfers the wafer W to the grinding device 50, the cleaning device 51, and the transition devices 52 and 53 is disposed. The cleaning device 51, the wafer transfer region 54, and the grinding device 50 are arranged in this order in the Y direction from the carry-in / out station 2 side. Further, the transition devices 52 and 53 are provided on the negative side in the X direction of the wafer transfer region 54, and are provided in two stages in this order from the bottom.

  For example, in the fourth processing block G4, transition devices 60 and 61 for the wafer W are provided in two stages in this order from the bottom.

  A wafer transfer region 70 is formed in a region surrounded by the first processing block G1 to the fourth processing block G4. For example, a wafer transfer device 71 is disposed in the wafer transfer region 70.

  The wafer transfer device 71 has, for example, a transfer arm that is movable in the vertical direction, the horizontal direction (Y direction, X direction), and the vertical axis. The wafer transfer device 71 moves in the wafer transfer region 70 and is transferred to a predetermined device in the surrounding first processing block G1, second processing block G2, third processing block G3, and fourth processing block G4. The wafer W can be transferred.

  Next, the structure of the 1st heat processing apparatus 30-33 of the 1st process block G1 mentioned above is demonstrated. The 1st heat processing apparatus 30 has the processing container 100 which can seal an inside, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, a loading / unloading port 101 for the wafer W is formed on the side surface of the processing container 100 on the wafer transfer region 70 side, and an opening / closing shutter 102 is provided at the loading / unloading port 101.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a heating unit 110 that heats the wafer W and a temperature adjustment unit 111 that adjusts the temperature of the wafer W are provided inside the processing container 100. The heating unit 110 and the temperature adjustment unit 111 are arranged side by side in the Y direction.

  The heating unit 110 includes an annular holding member 121 that houses a hot plate 120 as a heat treatment plate and holds the outer peripheral portion of the hot plate 120, and a substantially cylindrical support ring 122 that surrounds the outer periphery of the holding member 121. Yes. The hot plate 120 has a thick and substantially disk shape. Inside the hot plate 120, a suction tube 123 for adsorbing and holding the wafer W is provided. The suction pipe 123 is connected to a negative pressure generator (not shown) such as a vacuum pump. Then, the wafer W is sucked from the suction tube 123, and the wafer W is sucked and held on the hot plate 120. For example, even when the wafer W is warped, it is appropriately sucked and held by the suction force from the suction tube 123. Further, for example, a heater 124 is provided in the hot plate 120. The heating temperature of the hot plate 120 is controlled by the control unit 500, for example, and the wafer W placed on the hot plate 120 is heated to a predetermined first temperature, for example, 120 ° C to 150 ° C.

  An elevating mechanism 130 that elevates and lowers the wafer W is provided below the hot plate 120. The elevating mechanism 130 has, for example, three elevating pins 131 for supporting the wafer W from below and elevating it. The elevating pins 131 can be moved up and down by the elevating drive unit 132. Near the center of the hot plate 120, through holes 133 that penetrate the hot plate 120 in the thickness direction are formed, for example, at three locations. The elevating pins 131 can be inserted through the through holes 133 and protrude from the upper surface of the hot plate 120.

  Above the heat plate 120, a lid 140 that can be raised and lowered is provided. The lid 140 has an open bottom surface and forms a heat treatment chamber K together with the heat plate 120. A sealing material 141 is provided on the lower surface of the lid 140 in an annular shape. When the heat treatment chamber K is formed by the hot plate 120 and the lid 140, the inside of the heat treatment chamber K is hermetically sealed by the sealing material 141 provided between the upper surface of the hot plate 120 and the lower surface of the lid 140. Sex is preserved.

  The lid 140 is provided with a gas supply mechanism 150 that supplies an inert gas such as nitrogen gas to the heat treatment chamber K. The gas supply mechanism 150 is connected to the center of the ceiling surface of the lid 140, and a gas supply pipe 151 that supplies an inert gas is connected to the inside of the heat treatment chamber K. The gas supply pipe 151 communicates with a gas supply source 152 that stores an inert gas therein. Further, the gas supply pipe 151 is provided with a supply device group 153 including a valve for controlling the flow of the inert gas, a flow rate adjusting unit, and the like. Further, the gas supply pipe 151 is provided with a heater 154 as a heating mechanism for heating the inert gas supplied to the heat treatment chamber K to a predetermined temperature, for example, 120 ° C. to 150 ° C. The heating of the inert gas in the heat treatment chamber K is not limited to the present embodiment, and the inert gas may be heated using the heat of the hot plate 120 or provided inside the lid 140. The inert gas may be heated by a heating mechanism (not shown).

  The lid 140 is provided with a decompression mechanism 160 that decompresses the atmosphere of the heat treatment chamber K to a predetermined degree of vacuum, for example, 20 kPa. The decompression mechanism 160 is connected to the side surface of the lid 140 and is connected to an intake pipe 161 for evacuating the interior of the heat treatment chamber K to decompress the interior. The intake pipe 161 communicates with a negative pressure generator 162 such as a vacuum pump.

  The temperature adjustment unit 111 has a temperature adjustment plate 170. As shown in FIG. 4, the temperature adjustment plate 170 has a substantially square flat plate shape, and the end surface on the heat plate 120 side is curved in an arc shape. In the temperature adjusting plate 170, two slits 171 are formed along the Y direction. The slit 171 is formed from the end surface of the temperature adjustment plate 170 on the hot plate 120 side to the vicinity of the center portion of the temperature adjustment plate 170. The slits 171 can prevent the temperature adjustment plate 170 from interfering with the elevation pins 131 of the heating unit 110 and the elevation pins 180 of the temperature adjustment unit 111 described later. The temperature adjustment plate 170 includes a temperature adjustment member (not shown) such as a Peltier element. The cooling temperature of the temperature adjustment plate 170 is controlled by the control unit 500, for example, and the wafer W placed on the temperature adjustment plate 170 is cooled to a predetermined temperature, for example, 50 ° C.

  The temperature adjustment plate 170 is supported by a support arm 172 as shown in FIG. A driving unit 173 is attached to the support arm 172. The drive unit 173 is attached to a rail 174 extending in the Y direction. The rail 174 extends from the temperature adjustment unit 111 to the heating unit 110. With this drive unit 173, the temperature adjustment plate 170 can move between the heating unit 110 and the temperature adjustment unit 111 along the rail 174.

  Below the temperature adjustment plate 170, for example, three elevating pins 180 for supporting the wafer W from below and elevating it are provided. The elevating pin 180 can be moved up and down by the elevating drive unit 181. The elevating pin 180 is inserted through the slit 171 and can protrude from the upper surface of the temperature adjustment plate 170.

  In addition, since the structure of the 1st heat processing apparatuses 31-33 is the same as that of the structure of the 1st heat processing apparatus 30 mentioned above, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  Next, the configuration of the second heat treatment apparatus 34 of the first processing block G1 described above will be described. The 2nd heat processing apparatus 34 has the housing | casing 190 as shown in FIG. A fan filter unit 191 (FFU: Fan Filter Unit) is provided on the ceiling surface of the housing 190. The fan filter unit 191 forms a downward air flow (down flow) inside the housing 190.

  In the housing 190, two processing blocks H1 and H2 including various processing units are provided. For example, the first processing block H1 is provided on the X direction positive direction side in the housing 190, and the second processing block H2 is provided on the X direction negative direction side in the housing 190, that is, on the wafer transfer region 70 side. It has been.

  For example, the first processing block H1 includes a heat treatment unit 200 that accommodates a plurality of wafers W and performs heat treatment.

  For example, the second processing block H2 includes a temperature adjustment unit 210 that adjusts the heat-treated wafer W to a predetermined temperature, transition units 211 and 212 that carry the wafer W into and out of the outside, and a plurality of Buffer units 213 for temporarily storing wafers W are provided in four stages in this order from the bottom.

  A wafer transfer region 220 is formed between the first processing block H1 and the second processing block H2. The wafer transfer area 220 includes a wafer transfer mechanism 221 that transfers the wafer W to a predetermined unit in the first processing block H1 and the second processing block H2.

  The wafer transfer mechanism 221 has a plurality of, for example, two transfer arms 222. As shown in FIG. 6, the transfer arm 222 has an arm portion 223 configured in a substantially C shape. The arm part 223 is curved along the peripheral edge of the wafer W with a radius of curvature larger than the diameter of the wafer W. The arm portion 223 is provided with holding portions 224 that protrude inward from the arm portion 223 and hold the outer peripheral portion of the back surface of the wafer W, for example, at three locations. The transfer arm 222 can hold the wafer W horizontally on the holding unit 224.

  A support portion 225 that is integrally formed with the arm portion 223 and supports the arm portion 223 is provided at the base end portion of the arm portion 223. The support unit 225 is provided with an arm driving unit (not shown).

  An arm driving unit 226 is provided at the base end of the transfer arm 222. Each arm 222 can move independently in the horizontal direction by the arm driving unit 226. The transfer arm 222 and the arm driving unit 226 are supported by the base 227. The base 227 is provided with a moving mechanism (not shown). The wafer transport mechanism 221 is configured to be movable up and down by the moving mechanism, and is configured to be rotatable around the vertical axis.

  Next, the configuration of the heat treatment unit 200 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the heat treatment unit 200 includes a processing container 230 that can be sealed inside.

  The processing container 230 is provided with a gas supply mechanism 231 that supplies an inert gas such as nitrogen gas into the processing container 230. The gas supply mechanism 231 is connected to the bottom surface of the processing container 230, and a gas supply pipe 232 that supplies an inert gas is connected to the inside of the processing container 230. The gas supply pipe 232 communicates with a gas supply source 233 that stores an inert gas therein. Further, the gas supply pipe 232 is provided with a supply device group 234 including a valve for controlling the flow of the inert gas, a flow rate adjusting unit, and the like. Further, the gas supply pipe 232 is provided with a heater 235 as a heating mechanism for heating the inert gas supplied to the processing container 230 to a predetermined temperature. Note that the inert gas may be supplied, for example, at 23 ° C., which is normal temperature, or may be supplied after being heated to a temperature higher than normal temperature by the heater 235. Further, the heating of the inert gas in the processing container 230 is not limited to the present embodiment, and the inert gas may be heated using heat of a hot plate 240 described later, or the inside of the processing container 230 may be heated. The inert gas may be heated by a heating mechanism (not shown) provided in the.

  Further, the processing container 230 is provided with an exhaust mechanism 236 for exhausting the atmosphere in the processing container 230. The exhaust mechanism 236 is connected to the ceiling surface of the processing container 230 and is connected to an exhaust pipe 237 for evacuating and exhausting the inside of the processing container 230. The exhaust pipe 237 communicates with a negative pressure generator 238 such as a vacuum pump.

  Inside the processing vessel 230, a hot plate 240 is provided for mounting and heat-treating the wafer W. The hot plate 240 is provided in a plurality of stages, for example, 12 stages in the vertical direction. A loading / unloading port 241 for the wafer W is formed on the side surface of the processing container 230 on the wafer transfer region 220 side so as to face each hot plate 240, and an opening / closing shutter 242 is provided at each loading / unloading port 241. The number of hot plates 240 is not limited to this embodiment, and can be set arbitrarily.

  The hot plate 240 has a substantially disk shape with a thickness as shown in FIG. Cutouts 243 are formed, for example, at three locations on the outer periphery of the hot plate 240. These notches 243 can prevent the holding portion 224 of the transfer arm 222 of the wafer transfer mechanism 221 from interfering with the hot plate 240 when the wafer W is transferred between the hot plate 240 and the wafer transfer mechanism 221.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a suction tube 244 for sucking and holding the wafer W is provided inside the hot plate 240. The suction tube 244 is connected to a negative pressure generator (not shown) such as a vacuum pump. Then, the wafer W is sucked from the suction tube 244 and the wafer W is sucked and held on the hot plate 240. For example, even when the wafer W is warped, it is appropriately sucked and held by the suction force from the suction tube 244. Further, for example, a heater 245 is incorporated in the hot plate 240. The heating temperature of the hot plate 240 is controlled by the control unit 500, for example, and the wafer W placed on the hot plate 240 is heated to a predetermined second temperature, for example, 150 ° C to 250 ° C.

  Next, the configuration of the temperature adjustment unit 210 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the temperature control unit 210 has a processing container 250 that can be sealed inside. A loading / unloading port 251 for the wafer W is formed on the side surface of the processing container 250 on the wafer transfer region 220 side, and an opening / closing shutter 252 is provided at the loading / unloading port 251.

  A temperature adjustment plate 253 for adjusting the temperature of the wafer W heat-treated with the hot plate 240 is provided inside the processing container 250. The temperature adjustment plate 253 has a substantially disk shape like the heat plate 240, and a notch (not shown) similar to the notch 243 is formed on the outer periphery of the temperature adjustment plate 253. The temperature adjustment plate 253 contains a temperature adjustment member (not shown) such as a Peltier element. The cooling temperature of the temperature adjustment plate 253 is controlled by the control unit 500, for example, and the wafer W placed on the temperature adjustment plate 253 is cooled to a predetermined temperature, for example, 23 ° C. which is normal temperature. The number of temperature control plates 253 is not limited to the present embodiment, and can be set arbitrarily.

  Next, the configuration of the transition units 211 and 212 will be described. The transition unit 211 has a processing container 260 that can accommodate the wafer W. A loading / unloading port 261 for the wafer W is formed on the side surface of the processing container 260 on the wafer transfer region 70 side, and an opening / closing shutter 262 is provided at the loading / unloading port 261. In addition, a loading / unloading port 263 for the wafer W is formed on the side surface of the processing container 260 on the wafer transfer region 220 side. Support pins 264 that support the wafer W are provided inside the processing container 260. With this configuration, the processing container 260 can temporarily accommodate the wafer W. Note that the configuration of the transition unit 212 is the same as the configuration of the transition unit 211, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  Next, the configuration of the buffer unit 213 will be described. The buffer unit 213 has a processing container 270 having an open side surface on the wafer transfer region 220 side. A holding member 271 that holds the wafer W is provided inside the processing container 270. The holding member 271 is provided in a plurality of stages, for example, 12 stages in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the buffer unit 213 can temporarily store a plurality of wafers W.

  The buffer unit 213 is used, for example, when the heat treatment unit 200 interrupts the heat treatment on the plurality of wafers W in the middle. For example, in the film forming system 1, when a failure occurs in an apparatus other than the second heat treatment apparatus 34, a series of film forming processes may be stopped. In such a case, the plurality of wafers W in the heat treatment unit 200 are transferred from the processing container 230 to the buffer unit 213 and are temporarily accommodated in the buffer unit 213. Then, for example, overheating of the wafer W by the hot plate 240 of the heat treatment unit 200 can be prevented.

  Next, the configuration of the coating apparatuses 40 and 41 in the second processing block G2 described above will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, the coating apparatus 40 includes a processing container 280 that can be sealed inside. As shown in FIG. 10, a loading / unloading port 281 for the wafer W is formed on the side surface of the processing container 280 on the wafer transfer area 70 side, and an opening / closing shutter 282 is provided at the loading / unloading port 281.

  A chuck 290 for holding the wafer W is provided at the center of the processing container 280 as shown in FIG. The chuck 290 has a horizontal upper surface, and a suction port (not shown) for sucking, for example, the wafer W is provided on the upper surface. The wafer W can be sucked and held on the chuck 290 by suction from the suction port.

  A chuck drive unit 291 is provided below the chuck 290. The chuck drive unit 291 is provided with a lift drive source such as a cylinder, for example, and the chuck 290 can be lifted and lowered.

  Around the chuck 290, a cup 292 for receiving and collecting the liquid falling from the wafer W is provided. Connected to the lower surface of the cup 292 are a discharge pipe 293 for discharging the collected liquid and an exhaust pipe 294 for evacuating and exhausting the atmosphere in the cup 292.

  As shown in FIG. 10, a rail 300 extending along the Y direction (left-right direction in FIG. 10) is formed on the side of the cup 292 in the negative X direction (downward direction in FIG. 10). The rail 300 is formed, for example, from the outside of the cup 292 on the Y direction negative direction (left direction in FIG. 10) side to the outside of the Y direction positive direction (right direction in FIG. 10) side. An arm 301 is attached to the rail 300.

  The arm 301 supports a coating head 302 for supplying a liquid coating solution to the wafer W as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The arm 301 is movable on the rail 300 by a head driving unit 303 shown in FIG. As a result, the coating head 302 can move from the standby unit 304 installed on the outer side of the cup 292 on the positive side in the Y direction to above the center of the wafer W in the cup 292, and further on the wafer W. It can move in the radial direction. Further, the arm 301 can be moved up and down by a head driving unit 303, and the height of the coating head 302 can be adjusted.

  The coating head 302 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that extends in the X direction as shown in FIG. The coating head 302 is formed longer than the diameter of the wafer W, for example. A slit-like coating liquid discharge port 302 a is formed at the lower end of the coating head 302.

  As shown in FIG. 9, a supply pipe 305 that supplies a coating solution to the coating head 302 is connected to the coating head 302. The supply pipe 305 communicates with a coating liquid supply source 306 that stores the coating liquid therein. Further, the supply pipe 305 is provided with a supply device group 307 including a valve for controlling the flow of the coating liquid, a flow rate adjusting unit, and the like.

  In the coating device 40, the coating head 302 is moved in the radial direction of the wafer W (with the coating liquid F exposed by the surface tension from the discharge port 302a of the coating head 302 in contact with the surface of the wafer W as shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 12, it is moved in the negative Y direction). Then, the coating liquid F exposed from the discharge port 302a is sequentially supplied to the surface of the wafer W by the action of surface tension, and the coating liquid F is applied to the entire surface of the wafer W.

  In addition, since the structure of the coating device 41 is the same as that of the coating device 40 mentioned above, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  Next, the configuration of the grinding device 50 of the third processing block G3 described above will be described. As shown in FIG. 13, the grinding device 50 has a processing container 310 that can be sealed inside. On the side surface of the processing container 310 on the wafer transfer region 54 side, a wafer entrance 311 for the wafer W is formed at a position facing a later-described carry-in section 320, and an opening / closing shutter 312 is provided at the entrance 311. Further, on the side surface of the processing container 310 on the wafer transfer region 54 side, a wafer W exit 313 is formed at a position facing a later-described unloading unit 321, and an opening / closing shutter 314 is provided at the exit 313.

  Inside the processing container 310, a loading unit 320 that temporarily places a wafer W carried into the processing container 310 from the outside, and a wafer W that is carried outside from the processing container 310 are temporarily placed. An unloading unit 321 is provided. The carry-in unit 320 and the carry-out unit 321 are arranged in this order in the positive direction of the X direction. The carry-in unit 320 and the carry-out unit 321 are provided with support pins 322 for supporting the wafer W, respectively.

  In addition, a stage 330 for mounting the wafer W and grinding the coating film F on the wafer W is provided inside the processing container 310. The stage 330 is provided on the Y direction positive direction side of the carry-in unit 320 and the carry-out unit 321. The stage 330 is configured to be rotatable by a rotation mechanism (not shown).

  On the stage 330, two chucks 331 and 331 for attracting and holding the wafer W are provided. These chucks 331 and 331 are arranged at positions facing each other across the center point of the stage 330, for example. The chuck 331 is configured to be rotatable by a rotation mechanism (not shown). Further, by rotating the stage 330, the chucks 331 and 331 are movable between a processing position P1 for grinding the coating film F on the wafer W and a standby position P2 for waiting the wafer W.

  A grinding mechanism 340 for polishing and grinding the coating film F on the wafer W is provided at the processing position P1 and above the chuck 331 as shown in FIG. The grinding mechanism 340 functions as a polishing mechanism, and for example, a grinding wheel is used.

  The grinding mechanism 340 is provided with a rotating mechanism 341 that rotates the grinding mechanism 340. The rotating mechanism 341 includes a rotating plate 342 that supports the grinding mechanism 340, a spindle 343 provided on the rotating plate 342, and a drive unit 344 that rotates the rotating plate 342 via the spindle 343. Then, the coating film F on the wafer W is ground by rotating the chuck 331 and the grinding mechanism 340 in a state where the wafer W held on the chuck 331 is in contact with the grinding mechanism 340.

  A wafer transfer mechanism (not shown) that transfers the wafer W between the carry-in unit 320, the carry-out unit 321, and the stage 330 is provided inside the processing container 310 of the grinding apparatus 50.

  Next, the configuration of the cleaning device 51 of the third processing block G3 described above will be described. As shown in FIG. 15, the cleaning device 51 includes a front surface cleaning unit 350 that cleans the front surface of the wafer W, a back surface cleaning unit 351 that cleans the back surface of the wafer W, and cleaning and back surface of the wafer W in the front surface cleaning unit 350. And a finish cleaning unit 352 for finishing and cleaning the front surface of the wafer W after the cleaning of the back surface of the wafer W in the cleaning unit 351 is completed. The front surface cleaning unit 350, the back surface cleaning unit 351, and the finish cleaning unit 352 are arranged in this order in the negative X direction.

  As shown in FIG. 16, the surface cleaning unit 350 has a processing container 360 that can be sealed inside. As shown in FIG. 17, a loading / unloading port 361 for the wafer W is formed on the side surface of the processing container 360 on the wafer transfer region 54 side, and an opening / closing shutter 362 is provided at the loading / unloading port 361.

  A spin chuck 370 that holds and rotates the wafer W as shown in FIG. 16 is provided at the center of the processing container 360. The spin chuck 370 has a horizontal upper surface, and a suction port (not shown) for sucking the wafer W, for example, is provided on the upper surface. By suction from the suction port, the wafer W can be sucked and held on the spin chuck 370.

  The spin chuck 370 includes a chuck driving unit 371 and can be rotated at a predetermined speed by the chuck driving unit 371. The chuck driving unit 371 is provided with an elevating drive source such as a cylinder, and the spin chuck 370 can be moved up and down.

  Around the spin chuck 370, a cup 372 that receives and collects the liquid scattered or dropped from the wafer W is provided. A discharge pipe 373 for discharging the collected liquid and an exhaust pipe 374 for evacuating and exhausting the atmosphere in the cup 372 are connected to the lower surface of the cup 372.

  As shown in FIG. 17, a rail 380 extending along the Y direction (left and right direction in FIG. 17) is formed on the X direction negative direction (downward direction in FIG. 17) side of the cup 372. The rail 380 is formed, for example, from the outer side of the cup 372 on the Y direction negative direction (left direction in FIG. 17) to the outer side on the Y direction positive direction (right direction in FIG. 17). For example, a nozzle arm 381 and a scrub arm 382 are attached to the rail 380.

  A pure water nozzle 383 that supplies high-pressure pure water to the wafer W is supported on the nozzle arm 381 as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17. The nozzle arm 381 is movable on the rail 380 by a nozzle driving unit 384 shown in FIG. As a result, the pure water nozzle 383 can move from the standby portion 385 installed outside the cup 372 on the positive side in the Y direction to the upper part of the center of the wafer W in the cup 372, and further on the wafer W. It can move in the radial direction. The nozzle arm 381 can be moved up and down by a nozzle driving unit 384 and the height of the pure water nozzle 383 can be adjusted.

  As shown in FIG. 16, a supply pipe 386 for supplying high-pressure pure water to the pure water nozzle 383 is connected to the pure water nozzle 383. The supply pipe 386 communicates with a pure water supply source 387 that stores pure water therein. The supply pipe 386 is provided with a supply device group 388 including a valve for controlling the flow of pure water, a flow rate adjusting unit, and the like.

  A scrub cleaning tool 390 is supported on the scrub arm 382. For example, a plurality of thread-like or sponge-like brushes 390a are provided at the tip of the scrub cleaner 390. The scrub arm 382 is movable on the rail 380 by the cleaning tool driving unit 391 shown in FIG. 17, and the scrub cleaning tool 390 is moved from the outside of the cup 372 on the Y direction negative direction side to the center of the wafer W in the cup 372. It can be moved to the upper part. Further, the scrub arm 382 can be raised and lowered by the cleaning tool driving unit 391, and the height of the scrub cleaning tool 390 can be adjusted.

  In the above configuration, the pure water nozzle 383 and the scrub cleaning tool 390 are supported by separate arms, but may be supported by the same arm. The pure water nozzle 383 may be omitted and pure water may be supplied from the scrub cleaning tool 390.

  The back surface cleaning unit 351 has substantially the same configuration as the surface cleaning unit 350 described above. As shown in FIG. 18, the back surface cleaning unit 351 is provided with a spin chuck 400 that holds the outer peripheral portion of the front surface of the wafer W instead of the spin chuck 370 of the front surface cleaning unit 350. As shown in FIG. 19, the spin chuck 400 has a substantially disc-shaped main body 401 and a holding portion 402 that holds the outer peripheral portion of the surface of the wafer W by suction. A plurality of holding portions 402 are provided at equal intervals on the outer peripheral portion of the upper surface of the main body portion 401. As described above, since the plurality of holding units 402 suck and hold the outer peripheral portion of the surface of the wafer W, the circuit formed on the surface of the wafer W is not damaged. In the back surface cleaning unit 351, the scrub arm 382, the scrub cleaning tool 390, and the cleaning tool driving unit 391 of the front surface cleaning unit 350 are omitted. Since the other configuration of the back surface cleaning unit 351 is the same as the configuration of the front surface cleaning unit 350 described above, the description thereof is omitted.

  The finish cleaning unit 352 also has substantially the same configuration as the surface cleaning unit 350 described above. In the finish cleaning unit 352, the scrub arm 382, the scrub cleaning tool 390, and the cleaning tool drive unit 391 of the surface cleaning unit 350 are omitted. The pure water supplied from the pure water nozzle 383 of the finish cleaning unit 352 may not be high pressure. Since the other structure of the finish cleaning unit 352 is the same as the structure of the surface cleaning unit 350 described above, the description thereof is omitted.

  Next, the structure of the wafer conveyance area | region 54 and the wafer conveyance apparatus 55 of the 3rd process block G3 mentioned above is demonstrated. In the wafer transfer region 54, a transfer path 410 extending in the X direction is provided as shown in FIG. The wafer transfer device 55 has three transfer arms 420, 421, and 422. The transfer arms 420, 421, and 422 are arranged in this order on the positive side in the X direction, and are movable on the transfer path 410, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 20, the first transfer arm 420 has an arm portion 430 configured in a substantially C shape. The arm portion 430 is curved along the peripheral edge of the wafer W with a radius of curvature larger than the diameter of the wafer W. The arm portion 430 is provided with holding portions 431 that protrude inward from the arm portion 430 and hold the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W, for example, at three locations. A suction pad 432 is provided at the tip of the holding portion 431. By this suction pad 432, the holding unit 431 suctions and holds the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W. The first transfer arm 420 can hold the wafer W horizontally on the holding unit 431.

  A support portion 433 that is formed integrally with the arm portion 430 and supports the arm portion 430 is provided at the base end portion of the arm portion 430. The support part 433 is supported by the first drive part 434. The first drive unit 434 allows the support unit 433 to rotate about the horizontal axis and extend and contract in the horizontal direction. That is, the first drive unit 434 functions as a reversing mechanism that reverses the front and back surfaces of the wafer W. A second drive unit 436 is provided below the first drive unit 434 via a shaft 435 as shown in FIG. By this second drive unit 436, the first drive unit 434 can rotate about the vertical axis and can move up and down in the vertical direction. Note that the second drive unit 436 is attached to the above-described transport path 410, and the first transport arm 420 is movable on the transport path 410.

  Note that the configurations of the second transfer arm 421 and the third transfer arm 422 are the same as the configuration of the first transfer arm 420 described above, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the first transfer arm 420 transfers the wafer W before the coating film F is ground between the transition devices 52 and 53 and the carry-in portion 320 of the grinding device 50. The first transfer arm 420 transfers the cleaned wafer W between the finish cleaning unit 352 of the cleaning apparatus 51 and the transition apparatuses 52 and 53. That is, the first transfer arm 420 is a transfer arm dedicated to a clean wafer W.

  The second transfer arm 421 transfers the wafer W whose surface has been cleaned between the front surface cleaning unit 350 and the back surface cleaning unit 351 of the cleaning device 51. Further, the second transfer arm 421 transfers the wafer W whose back surface is cleaned between the back surface cleaning unit 351 and the finish cleaning unit 352 of the cleaning device 51. That is, the second transfer arm 421 is a transfer arm dedicated to the dirty wafer W that has not been completely cleaned.

  The third transfer arm 422 transfers the wafer W after the coating film F is ground between the unloading unit 321 of the grinding device 50 and the surface cleaning unit 350 of the cleaning device 51. That is, the third transfer arm 422 is a transfer arm dedicated to the dirty wafer W that has not been cleaned.

  The film forming system 1 includes a control unit 500 as shown in FIG. The control unit 500 is a computer, for example, and has a program storage unit (not shown). The program storage unit stores a program for controlling the film forming process for the wafer W in the film forming system 1. The program storage unit also stores a program for controlling operations of drive systems such as the above-described various processing apparatuses and transfer apparatuses to realize a film forming process described later in the film forming system 1. The program is recorded on a computer-readable storage medium H such as a computer-readable hard disk (HD), a flexible disk (FD), a compact disk (CD), a magnetic optical desk (MO), or a memory card. May have been installed in the control unit 500 from the storage medium H.

  Next, a film forming method for the wafer W performed using the film forming system 1 configured as described above will be described. FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing an example of main steps of the film forming process.

  First, a cassette C containing a plurality of wafers W is placed on a predetermined cassette placement plate 11 in the carry-in / out station 2. Thereafter, the wafers W in the cassette C are sequentially taken out by the wafer transfer device 22 and transferred to the transition device 60 in the fourth block G4 of the processing station 3.

  Next, the wafer W is transferred to the coating device 40 by the wafer transfer device 71. The wafer W carried into the coating device 40 is transferred from the wafer transfer device 71 to the chuck 290 and held by suction.

  Subsequently, the coating head 302 of the standby unit 304 is moved above the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W by the arm 301. Then, the coating liquid F is supplied from the coating liquid supply source 306 to the coating head 302, and the coating liquid F is exposed from the discharge port 302a of the coating head 302 by surface tension. Thereafter, the coating head 302 is moved in the radial direction of the wafer W in a state where the coating head 302 is lowered and the coating liquid F is in contact with the surface of the wafer W. Then, the coating liquid F exposed from the discharge port 302a is sequentially supplied to the surface of the wafer W by the action of surface tension. Thus, the coating liquid F is applied to the entire surface of the wafer W to form the coating film F (step S1 in FIG. 22). In step S1, the coating liquid F is applied with a film thickness of 20 μm to 70 μm, for example. The film thickness of the coating liquid F is adjusted by controlling the moving speed of the coating head 302 and the distance between the coating head 302 and the wafer W.

  Next, the wafer W is transferred to the first heat treatment apparatus 30 by the wafer transfer apparatus 71. When the wafer W is loaded into the first heat treatment apparatus 30, the wafer W is transferred from the wafer transfer apparatus 71 to the lift pins 180 that have been lifted and waited in advance. Subsequently, the lift pins 180 are lowered, and the wafer W is placed on the temperature adjustment plate 170.

  Thereafter, the temperature control plate 170 is moved along the rails 174 to above the hot plate 120 by the driving unit 173, and the wafer W is transferred to the lift pins 131 that have been lifted and waited in advance.

  Thereafter, in a state where the wafer W supported by the lift pins 131 is not in contact with the hot plate 120, the lid 140 is lowered to form a heat treatment chamber K whose inside is sealed by the sealing material 141. Subsequently, the atmosphere in the heat treatment chamber K is decompressed to a predetermined degree of vacuum, for example, 20 kPa, by the decompression mechanism 160. Further, an inert gas is supplied into the heat treatment chamber K by the gas supply mechanism 150, and the atmosphere in the heat treatment chamber K is reduced by the pressure reduction mechanism 160 to maintain the above degree of vacuum. As described above, the atmosphere in the heat treatment chamber K is not completely vacuum but maintained at a predetermined degree of vacuum, so that the wafer W can be sucked appropriately by the suction tube 123 and the wafer W is sucked and held appropriately by the hot plate 120. be able to.

  The atmosphere in the heat treatment chamber K is maintained in a low oxygen atmosphere of 10 ppm or less, for example. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the formation of an oxide film on the wafer W to be heat-treated in the heat treatment chamber K. The inert gas supplied into the heat treatment chamber K is heated to, for example, 120 ° C. to 150 ° C. by the heater 154 of the gas supply mechanism 150.

  Thereafter, the lift pins 131 are lowered and the wafer W is placed on the hot plate 120. Then, the wafer W on the hot plate 120 is heated to a first temperature, for example, 120 ° C. to 150 ° C. (step S2 in FIG. 22). In addition, the inert gas is supplied into the heat treatment chamber K by the gas supply mechanism 150 and the atmosphere in the heat treatment chamber K is depressurized by the decompression mechanism 160, so that the sublimate generated when the coating film F is heated is the lid 140. It removes without adhering to etc. The heating of the wafer W at the first temperature in step S2 is performed for 10 minutes, for example.

  Thereafter, the lid 140 is raised and the elevating pins 131 are raised, and the temperature adjusting plate 170 is moved above the hot plate 120. Subsequently, the wafer W is transferred from the lift pins 131 to the temperature adjustment plate 170, and the temperature adjustment plate 170 moves to the wafer transfer region 70 side. During the movement of the temperature adjusting plate 170, the wafer W is adjusted to a predetermined temperature, for example, 50 ° C.

  Next, the wafer W is transferred to the second heat treatment apparatus 34 by the wafer transfer apparatus 71. The wafer W carried into the second heat treatment apparatus 34 is accommodated in the transition unit 211. Subsequently, the wafer W is transferred to one hot plate 240 in the processing container 230 of the heat treatment unit 200 by the wafer transfer mechanism 221. Then, the wafer W is transferred from the wafer transfer mechanism 221 to the hot plate 240. At this time, since the notch 243 is formed in the hot plate 240, the transfer arm 222 of the wafer transfer mechanism 221 and the hot plate 240 do not interfere with each other.

  When the wafer W is transferred to the hot plate 240, an inert gas is supplied into the processing container 230 by the gas supply mechanism 231 and the atmosphere in the processing container 230 is exhausted by the exhaust mechanism 236. Thus, since the atmospheric pressure in the processing container 230 is maintained at, for example, 110 kPa, the wafer W can be appropriately sucked by the suction tube 244, and the wafer W can be appropriately sucked and held by the hot plate 240. Note that the atmosphere inside the processing container 230 is maintained at a positive pressure with respect to the outside atmosphere, and the atmosphere inside the processing container 230 can be maintained even when the wafer W is loaded into and unloaded from the processing container 230. it can.

  The inside of the processing container 230 is maintained in a low oxygen atmosphere. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the formation of an oxide film on the wafer W to be heat-treated in the processing container 230. Further, the inert gas supplied into the processing container 230 may be, for example, 23 ° C., which is normal temperature, or may be heated to a temperature higher than normal temperature by the heater 235 of the gas supply mechanism 231.

  Then, the wafer W on the hot plate 240 is heated to a second temperature higher than the first temperature, for example, 150 ° C. to 250 ° C. (step S3 in FIG. 22). Further, the inert gas is supplied into the processing container 230 by the gas supply mechanism 231, and the atmosphere in the processing container 230 is reduced by the exhaust mechanism 236, so that the sublimate generated when the coating film F is heated is treated by the processing container 230. It removes without adhering to etc.

  The heating of the wafer W at the second temperature in step S3 is performed, for example, for 15 minutes to 1 hour. As described above, since the heating of the wafer W at the second temperature is performed for a long time, the heat treatment of the plurality of wafers W is performed in parallel in the processing container 230 by the plurality of hot plates 240.

  Thereafter, the wafer W is unloaded from the heat treatment unit 200 by the wafer transfer mechanism 221 and transferred to the temperature adjustment unit 210. Then, the wafer W is transferred from the wafer transfer mechanism 221 to the temperature adjustment plate 253 and adjusted to a predetermined temperature, for example, 23 ° C., which is normal temperature.

  Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the transition unit 212 by the wafer transfer mechanism 221.

  Next, the wafer W is transferred to the transition device 52 by the wafer transfer device 71. Subsequently, the wafer W is transferred to the loading unit 320 of the grinding apparatus 50 by the first transfer arm 420 of the wafer transfer apparatus 55. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred from the carry-in unit 320 to the chuck 331 at the standby position P2 of the stage 330 and is sucked and held. After the predetermined time has elapsed, when the wafer W at the standby position P2 can be processed, the stage 330 is rotated, and the chuck 331 at the standby position P2 is moved to the processing position P1.

  At the processing position P1, the grinding mechanism 340 is lowered and the wafer W held by the chuck 331 is brought into contact with the grinding mechanism 340. In this state, the coating film F on the wafer W is ground by rotating the chuck 331 and the grinding mechanism 340, respectively (step S4 in FIG. 22). In this step S4, the coating film F is ground so as to have a film thickness of 15 μm, for example.

  Thereafter, the stage 330 is rotated, and the chuck 331 at the processing position P1 is moved to the standby position P2. Subsequently, the wafer W is transferred from the chuck 331 at the standby position P2 to the unloading unit 321.

  Next, the wafer W is transferred to the surface cleaning unit 350 of the cleaning device 51 by the third transfer arm 422 of the wafer transfer device 55. The wafer W carried into the surface cleaning unit 350 is transferred from the third transfer arm 422 to the spin chuck 370 and held by suction.

  Subsequently, the nozzle arm 381 moves the pure water nozzle 383 of the standby unit 385 to above the center of the wafer W, and the scrub arm 382 moves the scrub cleaning tool 390 onto the wafer W. Thereafter, high-pressure pure water is supplied onto the wafer W from the pure water nozzle 383 while rotating the wafer W by the spin chuck 370. Then, the surface of the wafer W is cleaned by the high-pressure pure water from the pure water nozzle 383 and the scrub cleaning tool 390 (step S5 in FIG. 22). In step S5, the surface of the wafer W may be cleaned by supplying high-pressure pure water from the pure water nozzle 383 onto the wafer W while moving the pure water nozzle 383 in the radial direction of the wafer W.

  Next, the wafer W is transferred to the back surface cleaning unit 351 by the second transfer arm 421. During the transfer of the wafer W, the first transfer unit 434 reverses the second transfer arm 421 to reverse the front and back surfaces of the wafer W. That is, the back surface of the wafer W is directed upward.

  The wafer W carried into the back surface cleaning unit 351 is sucked and held by the spin chuck 400. Subsequently, high-pressure pure water is supplied from the pure water nozzle 383 to the rotating wafer W by the spin chuck 400, and the back surface of the wafer W is cleaned (step S6 in FIG. 22). Note that the cleaning of the back surface of the wafer W in this step S6 is the same as the cleaning of the front surface of the wafer W in the above-described step S5, and therefore description thereof is omitted. However, in step S6, the cleaning by the scrub cleaning tool 390 in step S5 is omitted.

  Next, the wafer W is transferred to the finish cleaning unit 352 by the second transfer arm 421. During the transfer of the wafer W, the first transfer unit 434 reverses the second transfer arm 421 to reverse the front and back surfaces of the wafer W. That is, the surface of the wafer W is directed upward. Then, in the finish cleaning unit 352, the surface of the wafer W is finish cleaned (step S7 in FIG. 22). Note that the finish cleaning of the surface of the wafer W in this step S6 is the same as the cleaning of the surface of the wafer W in the above-described step S5, and thus the description thereof is omitted. However, in step S7, the cleaning by the scrub cleaning tool 390 in step S5 is omitted.

  Next, the wafer W is transferred to the transition device 53 by the first transfer arm 420. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred to the transition device 61 by the wafer transfer device 71 and then transferred to the cassette C of the predetermined cassette mounting plate 11 by the wafer transfer device 22 of the loading / unloading station 2. Thus, the film forming process for the series of wafers W is completed.

  According to the above embodiment, the air-tightness in the heat treatment chamber K is maintained by the sealing material 141 in the step S2, and the heat treatment is performed by the decompression mechanism 160 while supplying the inert gas from the gas supply mechanism 150 into the heat treatment chamber K. The atmosphere in the room K can be maintained at a predetermined degree of vacuum. At this time, since the inert gas is supplied to a small space called the heat treatment chamber K, the supply amount of the inert gas is made small compared to the case where the inert gas is supplied to the entire processing space of the heat treatment apparatus as in the past. Can be suppressed. Moreover, since the wafer W is heat-treated in an inert gas atmosphere having a predetermined degree of vacuum, that is, a low-oxygen atmosphere in this way, formation of an oxide film on the wafer W can be suppressed, and the heat treatment of the wafer W can be appropriately performed. It can be carried out.

  In addition, since the inert gas supplied into the heat treatment chamber K in step S2 is heated to a predetermined temperature, the wafer W can be efficiently heated.

  In step S2, the atmosphere in the heat treatment chamber K is reduced to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the pressure reduction mechanism 160 prior to the supply of the inert gas into the heat treatment chamber K by the gas supply mechanism 150. The internal pressure reduction can be performed in a short time. Therefore, the heat treatment time of the wafer W in step S2 can be shortened.

  Further, since the inside of the heat treatment chamber K is not completely vacuum but maintained at a predetermined degree of vacuum in step S <b> 2, the wafer W can be appropriately sucked by the suction pipe 123. For this reason, it is not necessary to use an expensive chuck such as an electrostatic chuck, and the wafer W can be appropriately attracted and held by the inexpensive hot plate 120.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the film forming system 1 can perform the coating film forming process in units of wafers, so that the time required for the film forming process can be shortened. Further, in one film forming system 1, the coating solution F is coated in step S1, the low-temperature heat treatment of the wafer W in step S2, the high-temperature heat treatment of the wafer W in step S3, the grinding treatment of the coating film F in step S4, and the step S5. Since the cleaning process of the wafer W in .about.S7 is performed, a series of film forming processes can be performed efficiently. Furthermore, in one film forming system, the series of film forming processes of the above-described steps S1 to S7 can be performed on a plurality of wafers W in parallel. Therefore, the throughput of the film forming process for the wafer W can be improved.

  In step S2 of the above embodiment, after the wafer W is heat-treated in the heat treatment chamber K by the hot plate 120, the wafer W may be adjusted to a predetermined temperature in the heat treatment chamber K. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 23, the lifting pins 131 of the lifting mechanism 130 are raised, and the wafer W is raised to a position above the hot plate 120 and not in contact with the hot plate 120. Then, for example, an inert gas of 23 ° C. that is normal temperature is supplied from the gas supply mechanism 150 into the heat treatment chamber K. In this state, the wafer W is maintained for a predetermined time, and the wafer W is adjusted to a predetermined temperature, for example, 100 ° C. In such a case, the temperature adjustment of the wafer W in the heat treatment chamber K and the temperature adjustment of the wafer W by the subsequent temperature adjustment plate 170 are performed, and the temperature adjustment is performed in two stages. Therefore, the wafer in the first heat treatment apparatus 30 is adjusted. The heat treatment of W can be performed efficiently.

  In the first heat treatment apparatus 30 of the above embodiment, the hot plate 120 may be partitioned into a plurality of hot plate regions. A heater 124 is individually incorporated in each hot plate area of the hot plate 120 and can be heated for each hot plate area. The amount of heat generated by the heater 124 in each hot plate area is adjusted by the control unit 500. The controller 500 can adjust the amount of heat generated by the heater 124 to control the temperature of each hot plate area to a predetermined heating temperature.

  A partition plate 600 may be provided on the outer periphery of the upper surface of the hot plate 120 of the first heat treatment apparatus 30 of the above embodiment as shown in FIG. The partition plate 600 is annularly provided outside the wafer W held on the hot plate 120. The partition plate 600 has a height of, for example, 0.8 mm. Thus, by making the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W on the hot plate 120 a substantially closed space, the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W can be sucked by the suction pipe 123 with a large pressure. Then, for example, even when the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W to be heat-treated by the hot plate 120 is warped (dotted line in FIG. 24), the warpage of the wafer W is corrected and the wafer W is appropriately sucked and held on the hot plate 120. can do. Therefore, the heat treatment of the wafer W by the hot plate 120 can be performed more uniformly in the wafer surface.

  In order to correct the warp of the wafer W sucked and held by the hot plate 120, the pressure of the suction tube 123 that sucks the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W may be made larger than the pressure of the suction tube 123 that sucks the central portion. Good. Alternatively, the inert gas supplied from the gas supply mechanism 150 to the outer periphery of the wafer W may be set at a higher pressure, a higher speed, or a higher flow rate than the inert gas supplied to the center of the wafer W.

  In the above embodiment, the inert gas supplied to the heat treatment chamber K is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater 154 of the gas supply mechanism 150 in step S2, but the method of heating the inert gas is limited to this. Not. For example, the inert gas in the heat treatment chamber K may be heated by the heat of the hot plate 120. For example, as shown in FIG. 25, the inert gas in the heat treatment chamber K may be heated by a heater 610 as another heating mechanism provided on the ceiling surface of the lid 140. In any case, the wafer W can be efficiently heated by heating the inert gas in the heat treatment chamber K to a predetermined temperature.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the coating material for sealing the circuit is used as the coating solution applied onto the wafer W has been described. However, the coating solution used in the film forming system 1 is not limited to this. For example, a resist (solder resist) may be used as the coating solution. In such a case, for example, a resist as a coating solution is further applied to the wafer W after the coating film F is formed. In the film forming system 1, the above-described steps S1 to S7 are performed, and a resist having a predetermined film thickness is formed on the wafer W (on the coating film F). When the resist is formed on the wafer W in this way, the heat treatment after the resist application may be only a low temperature heat treatment. In such a case, the high temperature heat treatment of the wafer W in step S3 may be omitted.

  In the above embodiment, the film forming system 1 separately forms the coating film F and the resist. However, the film forming system 1 forms the coating film F and the resist. You may be able to do both. In such a case, for example, the coating liquid 40 may be applied onto the wafer W in the coating apparatus 40 and the resist may be applied onto the wafer W in the coating apparatus 41. The other first heat treatment apparatuses 30 to 33, the second heat treatment apparatus 34, the grinding apparatus 50, and the cleaning apparatus 51 can be used in common for the film forming process of the coating film F and the film forming process of the resist.

  The first heat treatment apparatus 30 of the above embodiment can also be used for various heat treatments in photolithography processing, for example, heat treatment after resist coating, heat treatment after exposure, heat treatment after development, and the like. For example, when it is required to perform these heat treatments in a low oxygen atmosphere, the first heat treatment apparatus 30 is particularly useful.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is obvious for those skilled in the art that various modifications or modifications can be conceived within the scope of the idea described in the claims, and these naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. It is understood.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Film-forming system 2 Carry-in / out station 3 Processing station 30-33 1st heat processing apparatus 34 2nd heat processing apparatus 40, 41 Coating apparatus 50 Grinding apparatus 51 Cleaning apparatus 70 Wafer conveyance area 120 Hot plate 123 Suction pipe 130 Lifting mechanism 140 Lid 141 Seal material 150 Gas supply mechanism 154 Heater 160 Depressurization mechanism 500 Control unit 600 Partition plate 610 Heater F Coating liquid (coating film)
K Heat treatment chamber W Wafer

Claims (14)

A heat treatment apparatus for heat treating a substrate,
A heat treatment plate for adsorbing and holding the substrate for heat treatment;
A lid that is provided above the heat treatment plate and is integrated with the heat treatment plate to form a heat treatment chamber that houses the substrate and performs heat treatment;
A depressurization mechanism for depressurizing the atmosphere in the heat treatment chamber to a predetermined degree of vacuum at which the heat treatment plate can adsorb and hold the substrate ;
A gas supply mechanism for supplying an inert gas to the heat treatment chamber maintained at a predetermined degree of vacuum by the decompression mechanism ;
A heat treatment apparatus comprising: a sealing material provided in an annular shape between an upper surface of the heat treatment plate and a lower surface of the lid, and for maintaining airtightness in the heat treatment chamber. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a suction pipe for adsorbing and holding the substrate is provided inside the heat treatment plate. The inert gas supplied to the outer peripheral portion of the substrate from the gas supply mechanism is set at a higher pressure, a higher speed, or a higher flow rate than the inert gas supplied to the central portion of the substrate. Heat treatment equipment. The surface of the substrate to be heat-treated by the heat treatment chamber plurality of circuits are formed, the heat treatment is characterized in that it is performed after forming the coating film by coating a coating solution on the surface of the substrate, according to claim 1 The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of 3 . The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inert gas in the heat treatment chamber is heated to a predetermined temperature. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the inert gas in the heat treatment chamber is heated by heat of the heat treatment plate. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the gas supply mechanism includes a heating mechanism that heats an inert gas supplied to the heat treatment chamber. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the lid body is provided with another heating mechanism for heating the inert gas in the heat treatment chamber. The heating plate is partitioned into a plurality of regions, characterized in that it is a temperature can be set for each said region, a heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1-8. The thermal processing plate, characterized in that holding by suction a substrate, a heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1-9. 11. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein an outer peripheral portion on the heat treatment plate is provided with an annular partition plate outside the substrate held on the heat treatment plate. And having a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the substrate at above the heating plate, a heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11. A plurality of circuits are formed on the surface of the substrate to be heat-treated in the heat treatment chamber, and the heat treatment is performed after applying a coating liquid on the surface of the substrate to form a coating film,
The coating solution is characterized in that it is a coating material or resist for sealing the circuit, a heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12. A deposition system comprising a heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13
A processing station having the heat treatment apparatus;
A plurality of substrates, and a loading / unloading station for loading / unloading substrates to / from the processing station,
The processing station is
A coating apparatus that forms a coating film by coating a coating liquid on the surface of the substrate;
A grinding device for grinding the coating film on the surface of the substrate heat treated by the heat treatment device;
A cleaning device for cleaning the substrate on which the coating film has been ground by the grinding device;
A film forming system comprising: a transfer region for transferring a substrate to the coating apparatus, the heat treatment apparatus, the grinding apparatus, and the cleaning apparatus.

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