JP6850627B2 - Substrate processing equipment and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method.

Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus that heat-treats a coating film formed on a substrate. In the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, an outer peripheral exhaust port is provided outside the substrate and a central exhaust port is provided above the central portion of the substrate to improve the film thickness uniformity of the coating film.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-115919

In the substrate processing apparatus as described above, further film thickness uniformity may be required. The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for improving the film thickness uniformity of the coating film.

The present inventors have conducted intensive studies on the cause of the deterioration of the film thickness uniformity of the coating film, and found that the excessive inflow of airflow into the space (chamber) where the substrate is heat-treated is the film thickness. We found that it contributed to the deterioration of uniformity. Therefore, the present inventors have studied a method for reducing the flow rate of the airflow flowing into the chamber. For example, it is conceivable to reduce the total amount of airflow, but in that case, it is difficult to realize because the state of the entire substrate processing apparatus is affected. Further, it is conceivable to adjust the exhaust setting as described in Patent Document 1, but the exhaust setting has already been set in consideration of other parameters in order to realize film thickness uniformity. Therefore, it is difficult to change. In consideration of these circumstances, the present inventors have adopted the following configuration.

That is, the substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first space for accommodating a substrate to be heat-treated, a first opening for allowing an air flow flowing toward the first space to flow into the first space, and a first space. A second space provided below the space and a second opening for allowing a part of the air flow to flow into the second space are provided.

In the substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure, a part of the airflow flowing toward the first space accommodating the substrate to be heat-treated flows into the second space provided below the first space from the second opening. .. As a result, the flow rate of the airflow flowing into the first space from the first opening can be reduced without changing the total amount of the airflow. This makes it possible to improve the film thickness uniformity of the coating film formed on the substrate.

The substrate processing apparatus may further include an exhaust unit provided in the second space. As a result, the airflow that has flowed into the second space can be appropriately discharged, and the airflow that has flowed into the second space can be suppressed from flowing into the first space thereafter. This makes it possible to more preferably achieve the above-mentioned effect of reducing the inflow of airflow into the first space.

The substrate processing apparatus may further include an aperture ratio adjusting member that makes the aperture ratio of the second opening variable. As a result, the second opening can be opened and closed as needed, and the flow rate of the airflow flowing into the first space can be adjusted according to the processing status in the substrate processing apparatus.

The aperture ratio adjusting member may be an opening / closing plate configured to open / close the second opening.

The substrate processing apparatus further includes a control unit, which controls a heat treatment unit that heat-treats the substrate and an opening / closing plate during at least a part of the heat treatment period during which the heat treatment is performed. May be configured to control the plate drive that displaces the open / close plate so that the second opening is opened. By opening the second opening in at least a part of the heat treatment period, the amount of airflow flowing into the first space during the heat treatment period can be reduced, and the film thickness uniformity can be improved.

The control unit may control the plate drive unit so that the opening / closing plate continuously opens the second opening from before the start of the heat treatment period to the end of the heat treatment period. As a result, the inflow amount of the airflow into the first space is continuously reduced during the heat treatment period, and the film thickness uniformity can be improved.

The substrate processing device further includes a carry-in entrance for carrying the substrate into the first space and a shutter unit configured to open and close the carry-in entrance, and the control unit opens the carry-in entrance by the shutter unit. As described above, the plate drive unit may be controlled so that the opening / closing plate opens the second opening before controlling the shutter drive unit that displaces the shutter unit. As a result, the state in which the second opening is opened, that is, the inflow amount of the airflow into the first space is reduced before the carry-in entrance is opened and the substrate is carried into the first space. When the carry-in inlet is opened and the substrate is carried into the first space, the heating part (hot plate) on which the substrate is not placed is exposed to the air flow that has flowed in through the carry-in inlet. .. In this case, if the flow rate of the airflow is large, it may affect the temperature distribution of the hot plate. In this respect, since the inflow amount of the airflow into the first space is already reduced when the carry-in port is opened, the influence on the temperature distribution of the hot plate described above can be reduced.

The control unit may control the plate drive unit so that the opening / closing plate closes the second opening after the end of the heat treatment period. If the airflow flowing into the first space weakens after the heat treatment period has expired, the sublimated material may flow out from the first opening to the outside of the first space. In this regard, the sublimated material is outside the first space by closing the second opening and increasing the inflow of airflow into the first space after the heat treatment period is completed (that is, a period not related to film thickness uniformity). It is possible to suppress the outflow to.

The substrate processing apparatus further includes a support portion for supporting the substrate from below and arranging the substrate at a predetermined position by moving up and down in the vertical direction, and the second space may be a space for accommodating the support portion. Good. As a result, it is possible to effectively utilize the existing space and reduce the amount of airflow flowing into the first space described above.

In the substrate processing method according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a step of accommodating the substrate in the first space accommodating the substrate to be heat-treated and a part of the airflow flowing toward the first space are introduced into the first space. This includes a step of heat-treating the substrate in the first space with the remaining part of the air flow introduced into the second space provided below the first space.

In the above-mentioned substrate processing method, in the step of heat-treating the substrate in the first space, the remaining part of the air flow is introduced into the second space according to the treatment liquid applied to the substrate before the heat treatment. The degree of opening of the second opening of the above may be determined. Thereby, the inflow amount of the airflow into the first space can be adjusted according to the treatment liquid, and the uniformity of the film thickness can be improved according to the treatment liquid.

According to the present disclosure, the film thickness uniformity of the coating film can be improved.

It is a perspective view which shows the schematic structure of the substrate processing system. It is sectional drawing which follows the line II-II in FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the line III-III in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the heat treatment unit, and is the figure which shows the state which the under plate is closed at the air supply port. It is a schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of a ring shutter. It is a schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the heat treatment unit, and is the figure which shows the state which the under plate opened the air supply port. It is a schematic diagram which shows the flow of the system airflow SA according to the open / closed state of the air supply port, FIG. 7A is the system airflow SA in the state where the under plate is closed by the under plate, and FIG. 7B is the under. The system airflow SA in the state where the plate opens the air supply port is shown respectively. It is a hardware block diagram of a controller. It is a figure which shows the sequence of heat treatment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the heat treatment unit which concerns on a modification. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the under plate which concerns on the modification.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same elements or elements having the same function are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted.

[Board processing system]
The substrate processing system 1 is a system that forms a photosensitive film, exposes the photosensitive film, and develops the photosensitive film on the substrate. The substrate to be processed is, for example, a semiconductor wafer W. The photosensitive film is, for example, a resist film.

The substrate processing system 1 includes a coating / developing device 2 and an exposure device 3. The exposure apparatus 3 exposes the resist film formed on the wafer W. Specifically, the exposed portion of the resist film is irradiated with energy rays by a method such as immersion exposure. The coating / developing device 2 performs a process of forming a resist film on the surface of the wafer W before the exposure process by the exposure device 3, and develops the resist film after the exposure process.

(Applying / developing equipment)
Hereinafter, the configuration of the coating / developing device 2 will be described as an example of the substrate processing device. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the coating / developing device 2 includes a carrier block 4, a processing block 5, an interface block 6, and a controller 100.

The carrier block 4 introduces the wafer W into the coating / developing device 2 and derives the wafer W from the coating / developing device 2. For example, the carrier block 4 can support a plurality of carriers 11 for the wafer W, and has a built-in transfer arm A1. The carrier 11 accommodates, for example, a plurality of circular wafers W. The transfer arm A1 takes out the wafer W from the carrier 11 and passes it to the processing block 5, receives the wafer W from the processing block 5, and returns it to the carrier 11.

The processing block 5 has a plurality of processing modules 14, 15, 16, and 17. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the processing modules 14, 15, 16 and 17 include a plurality of liquid processing units U1, a plurality of heat treatment units U2, and a transfer arm A3 for transporting the wafer W to these units. Built-in. The processing module 17 further incorporates a direct transfer arm A6 that transfers the wafer W without passing through the liquid processing unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2. The liquid treatment unit U1 applies the treatment liquid to the surface of the wafer W. The heat treatment unit U2 has, for example, a hot plate and a cooling plate built-in, and heats the wafer W by the hot plate, and cools the heated wafer W by the cooling plate to perform heat treatment.

The processing module 14 forms an underlayer film on the surface of the wafer W by the liquid processing unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2. The liquid treatment unit U1 of the treatment module 14 coats the treatment liquid for forming the underlayer film on the wafer W. The heat treatment unit U2 of the processing module 14 performs various heat treatments accompanying the formation of the underlayer film.

The treatment module 15 forms a resist film on the lower layer film by the liquid treatment unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2. The liquid treatment unit U1 of the treatment module 15 coats a treatment liquid (coating liquid) for forming a resist film on the lower film. The heat treatment unit U2 of the processing module 15 performs various heat treatments accompanying the formation of the resist film. Details of the liquid processing unit U1 of the processing module 15 will be described later.

The treatment module 16 forms an upper layer film on the resist film by the liquid treatment unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2. The liquid treatment unit U1 of the treatment module 16 applies a treatment liquid for forming an upper layer film on the resist film. The heat treatment unit U2 of the processing module 16 performs various heat treatments accompanying the formation of the upper layer film.

The processing module 17 develops the resist film after exposure by the liquid processing unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2. The liquid treatment unit U1 of the treatment module 17 applies a treatment liquid (developer) for development on the surface of the exposed wafer W and then rinses it with a treatment liquid (rinse liquid) for cleaning to resist. The film is developed. The heat treatment unit U2 of the processing module 17 performs various heat treatments associated with the development process. Specific examples of the heat treatment include heat treatment before development treatment (PEB: Post Exposure Bake), heat treatment after development treatment (PB: Post Bake), and the like.

A shelf unit U10 is provided on the carrier block 4 side in the processing block 5. The shelf unit U10 is divided into a plurality of cells arranged in the vertical direction. An elevating arm A7 is provided in the vicinity of the shelf unit U10. The elevating arm A7 elevates the wafer W between the cells of the shelf unit U10. A shelf unit U11 is provided on the interface block 6 side in the processing block 5. The shelf unit U11 is divided into a plurality of cells arranged in the vertical direction.

The interface block 6 transfers the wafer W to and from the exposure apparatus 3. For example, the interface block 6 has a built-in transfer arm A8 and is connected to the exposure device 3. The transfer arm A8 passes the wafer W arranged on the shelf unit U11 to the exposure device 3, receives the wafer W from the exposure device 3, and returns the wafer W to the shelf unit U11.

The controller 100 controls the coating / developing device 2 so as to execute the coating / developing process in the following procedure, for example.

First, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A1 so as to convey the wafer W in the carrier 11 to the shelf unit U10, and controls the elevating arm A7 so as to arrange the wafer W in the cell for the processing module 14.

Next, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 so as to transfer the wafer W of the shelf unit U10 to the liquid processing unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2 in the processing module 14, and forms an underlayer film on the surface of the wafer W. The liquid treatment unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2 are controlled in this way. After that, the controller 100 controls the transport arm A3 so as to return the wafer W on which the underlayer film is formed to the shelf unit U10, and controls the elevating arm A7 so as to arrange the wafer W in the cell for the processing module 15.

Next, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 so as to transfer the wafer W of the shelf unit U10 to the liquid processing unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2 in the processing module 15, and forms a resist film on the lower film of the wafer W. The liquid treatment unit U1 and the heat treatment unit U2 are controlled so as to do so. After that, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 so as to return the wafer W to the shelf unit U10, and controls the elevating arm A7 so as to arrange the wafer W in the cell for the processing module 16.

Next, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 so as to transfer the wafer W of the shelf unit U10 to each unit in the processing module 16, and the liquid processing unit so as to form an upper layer film on the resist film of the wafer W. Controls U1 and heat treatment unit U2. After that, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 so as to return the wafer W to the shelf unit U10, and controls the elevating arm A7 so as to arrange the wafer W in the cell for the processing module 17.

Next, the controller 100 directly controls the transfer arm A6 so as to transfer the wafer W of the shelf unit U10 to the shelf unit U11, and controls the transfer arm A8 so as to send the wafer W to the exposure apparatus 3. After that, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A8 so as to receive the exposed wafer W from the exposure apparatus 3 and return it to the shelf unit U11.

Next, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 so as to transfer the wafer W of the shelf unit U11 to each unit in the processing module 17, and the liquid processing unit U1 and the liquid processing unit U1 and the liquid processing unit U1 and the resist film of the wafer W are developed. The heat treatment unit U2 is controlled. After that, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 so as to return the wafer W to the shelf unit U10, and controls the elevating arm A7 and the transfer arm A1 so as to return the wafer W to the carrier 11. This completes the coating / developing process.

The specific configuration of the substrate processing apparatus is not limited to the configuration of the coating / developing apparatus 2 illustrated above. The substrate processing apparatus may be any as long as it includes a liquid processing unit U1 for film formation (liquid processing units U1 of the processing modules 14, 15 and 16) and a controller 100 capable of controlling the liquid processing unit U1. Good.

[Heat treatment unit]
Subsequently, the heat treatment unit U2 of the processing module 15 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 4, the heat treatment unit U2 includes a processing container 20, a support pin accommodating portion 40, an exhaust facility 50, and a controller 100 (control unit).

(Processing container)
The processing container 20 has a bottom structure 21 that constitutes the bottom portion of the processing container 20, a top plate portion 22 that constitutes the ceiling portion, and a ring shutter 23 that constitutes the side surface portion. The region of the processing container 20 surrounded by the bottom structure 21, the top plate portion 22, and the ring shutter 23 is the upper space 24 (first space) for accommodating the wafer W to be heat-treated.

The bottom structure 21 has a support base 25 having a cylindrical shape with a recess formed in the central portion, and a mounting base 26 (heat treatment portion) that is fitted into the recess of the support base 25 and on which the wafer W is placed. .. The mounting table 26 has a heater for heat-treating the wafer W. The heater is composed of, for example, a resistance heating element. As described above, the mounting table 26 has a function as a heat treatment unit that heat-treats the wafer W.

Further, a plurality of support pins 70 (support portions) are provided so as to penetrate the bottom structure 21 in the thickness direction. The support pin 70 supports the wafer W from below and raises and lowers the wafer W in the vertical direction to arrange the wafer W at a predetermined position. The support pin 70 has a configuration in which the wafer W is transferred to and from the cool arm 71 that conveys the wafer W into the upper space 24. Three support pins 70 are provided, for example, at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The support pin 70 is moved up and down by an elevating mechanism 72 arranged on the base 41 of the support pin accommodating portion 40 provided below the bottom structure 21.

The top plate portion 22 is composed of a disk-shaped member having a diameter larger than that of the bottom structure 21. The top plate portion 22 is supported by the ceiling of a housing (not shown), faces the bottom structure 21 via a gap (upper space 24), and its outer edge is outside the outer edge of the bottom structure 21 when viewed in a plane. It is provided so as to be located in. The top plate portion 22 has a plurality of outer peripheral exhaust ports 27, an exhaust chamber 28, and a central exhaust port 29.

The outer peripheral exhaust port 27 is an opening formed so as to penetrate the bottom surface at the outer edge portion of the top plate portion 22. For example, about 100 outer peripheral exhaust ports 27 are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The exhaust chamber 28 is a cylindrical space formed inside the top plate portion 22. The exhaust chamber 28 is continuous with the outer peripheral exhaust port 27 and is formed from the outer edge portion of the top plate portion 22 toward the central portion. The outer edge of the exhaust chamber 28 substantially coincides with the position of the outer edge of the bottom structure 21. The central exhaust port 29 is formed in the central portion of the top plate portion 22, and is formed so as to penetrate the top plate portion 22 in the thickness direction in the central portion. The central exhaust port 29 is formed at a position corresponding to the center of the wafer W mounted on the bottom structure 21 (specifically, the mounting table 26) when viewed in a plane.

The ring shutter 23 (shutter portion) is a shutter member for closing the periphery of the gap between the bottom structure 21 and the top plate portion 22 to form an upper space 24 which is a processing space for the wafer W. The ring shutter 23 has an annular portion 31 and an annular plate 32.

The annular portion 31 has a structure in which a hollow band-shaped member is formed in an annular shape. At a position closer to the upper side on the outer peripheral surface of the annular portion 31, a suction port 34 for sucking the airflow (system airflow SA) generated in operating the substrate processing system 1 into the internal space 33 of the annular portion 31 is provided. It is formed at equal intervals over the circumference. Further, at a position closer to the lower side on the inner peripheral surface of the annular portion 31, an air supply port 35 (first opening) for supplying the system airflow SA flowing through the internal space 33 into the upper space 24 is provided all around. It is formed at equal intervals over. As described above, the air supply port 35 is an opening for allowing the system airflow SA flowing toward the upper space 24 to flow into the upper space 24. The annular plate 32 is a plate-shaped member formed in an annular shape, on which the annular portion 31 is placed. The annular plate 32 is moved up and down by an elevating mechanism 36 (shutter drive unit) arranged on the base 41 of the support pin accommodating portion 40 provided below in a state where the annular portion 31 is placed. That is, the annular portion 31 and the annular plate 32 are configured to be integrally raised and lowered (displaced) by the elevating mechanism 36.

As shown in FIG. 5, the ring shutter 23 is arranged so that the inner peripheral surface of the annular portion 31 faces the edge portion of the bottom structure 21 via a gap. When the ring shutter 23 is raised by the elevating mechanism 36, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 5, the upper surface of the annular portion 31 is in contact with the lower surface of the peripheral edge portion of the top plate portion 22, and the inner edge portion of the annular plate 32 is the bottom structure 21. It touches the edge. As a result, the upper space 24, which is a processing space partitioned by the bottom structure 21, the top plate portion 22, and the ring shutter 23, is formed. Further, when the ring shutter 23 is lowered by the elevating mechanism 36, the periphery of the upper space 24 is opened over the entire circumference as shown by the solid line in FIG. 5, and the wafer W can be carried in and out. In this way, the gap between the bottom structure 21 and the top plate 22 that is opened by lowering the ring shutter 23 is a carry-in inlet 75 for carrying the wafer W into the upper space 24. Further, the ring shutter 23 is provided at the carry-in entrance 75, and is configured to be able to open and close the carry-in entrance 75 by moving up and down.

(Support pin housing)
The support pin accommodating portion 40 has a lower space 42 (second space) provided below the upper space 24, and accommodates the support pin 70 in the lower space 42. More specifically, the support pin accommodating portion 40 is provided below the upper space 24 and below the cool arm 71 adjacent to the upper space 24. The support pin accommodating portion 40 has a substantially rectangular base 41, a side surface portion 43 erected from each side of the base base 41, and a substantially rectangular top surface facing the base base 41 and connected to the upper end of the side surface portion 43. It has a plate portion 44. The area surrounded by the base 41, the side surface portion 43, and the top plate portion 44 is the lower space 42. As described above, the base 41 is provided with an elevating mechanism 72 for elevating and lowering the support pin 70 and an elevating mechanism 36 for elevating and lowering the ring shutter 23. Therefore, the area directly above the elevating mechanism 72 and the elevating mechanism 36 in the top plate portion 44 penetrates in the thickness direction so as to be able to elevate. Further, one side surface portion 43 is formed with an air supply port 45 (second opening) (see FIGS. 6 and 7 (b)) for allowing the above-mentioned system airflow SA to flow into the lower space 42. The air supply port 45 is provided with an under plate 76 (opening / closing plate), which is a member for adjusting the opening ratio of the air supply port 45 so that the air supply port 45 can be opened and closed. ing. Further, an exhaust port 46 (exhaust portion) for exhausting the airflow flowing into the lower space 42 is formed on the side surface portion 43 facing the side surface portion 43 on which the air supply port 45 is formed. From the exhaust port 46, not only the system airflow SA flowing in from the air supply port 45 but also the gas discharged downward from the mounting table 26 for heat-treating the wafer W is discharged.

The under plate 76 is displaced by, for example, an opening / closing mechanism 77 (plate driving unit) provided on the top plate portion 44, and is arranged at a position where the air supply port 45 is closed as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 (a). And, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 (b), the air supply port 45 may be arranged at an open position. Hereinafter, the state shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 (a) may be described as a “closed state”, and the state shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 (b) may be described as an “open state”.

In the closed state shown in FIGS. 4 and 7A, since the air supply port 45 is closed by the under plate 76, the system airflow SA does not flow into the lower space 42 and is supplied through the suction port 34. It will flow into the upper space 24 from the air opening 35. On the other hand, in the open state shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 (b), since the air supply port 45 is not closed by the under plate 76, a part of the system airflow SA moves from the air supply port 45 to the lower space 42. It will flow in. That is, in the open state, the system airflow SA flows into both the upper space 24 and the lower space 42.

(Exhaust equipment)
The exhaust facility 50 is a facility for sending the exhaust gas from the processing container 20 to the factory exhaust passage (not shown) installed in the factory. The exhaust facility 50 includes an outer peripheral exhaust pipe 51, a valve V1, and a flow rate adjusting unit 52 as a configuration related to exhaust from the exhaust chamber 28, and a central exhaust pipe 53 as a configuration related to exhaust from the central exhaust port 29. And a valve V2 and a flow rate adjusting unit 54. One end of the outer peripheral exhaust pipe 51 is connected to the exhaust chamber 28, and the other end is connected to a factory exhaust passage (not shown). A valve V1 and a flow rate adjusting unit 52 are interposed in the outer peripheral exhaust pipe 51 in order from the upstream side (exhaust chamber 28 side). One end of the central exhaust pipe 53 is connected to the central exhaust port 29, and the other end is connected to the factory exhaust passage (not shown). A valve V2 and a flow rate adjusting unit 54 are interposed in the central exhaust pipe 53 in order from the upstream side (central exhaust port 29 side).

(controller)
The controller 100 controls the mounting table 26 that heat-treats the wafer W, and causes the underplate 76 to open the air supply port 45 during at least a part of the heat-treating period during which the heat treatment is performed. It is configured to control the opening / closing mechanism 77 that displaces the underplate 76 and to execute the operation.

The controller 100 controls the opening / closing mechanism 77 so that the under plate 76 continuously opens the air supply port 45 from before the start of the heat treatment until the end of the heat treatment.

The controller 100 opens the opening / closing mechanism 77 so that the under plate 76 opens the air supply port 45 before controlling the elevating mechanism 36 that displaces the ring shutter 23 so that the ring shutter 23 opens the carry-in inlet 75. Control.

The controller 100 controls the opening / closing mechanism 77 so that the under plate 76 closes the air supply port 45 after the end of the heat treatment period.

As shown in FIG. 4, the controller 100 has a heating control unit 101, a shutter control unit 102, a pin control unit 103, an exhaust control unit 104, and a plate control unit 105 as functional modules.

The heating control unit 101 controls a heater (for example, a resistance heating element) of the mounting table 26 that heat-treats the wafer W. In the heating control unit 101, the under plate 76 opens the air supply port 45 under the control of the plate control unit 105, and the ring shutter 23 rises under the control of the shutter control unit 102 to close the carry-in inlet 75. In this state, the heat treatment is started. The heat control unit 101 controls the heater of the mounting table 26 so that the heat treatment is performed only for a predetermined heat treatment period.

In the shutter control unit 102, before the start of the heat treatment period, in a state where the under plate 76 opens the air supply port 45, the ring shutter 23 opens the carry-in port 75 and the wafer W enters the upper space 24 from the carry-in port 75. The elevating mechanism 36 is controlled so that the wafer can be carried in. That is, the shutter control unit 102 moves up and down in a state where the heat treatment under the control of the heat control unit 101 has not been started and the under plate 76 has the air supply port 45 opened under the control of the plate control unit 105. By controlling the mechanism 36, the ring shutter 23 is lowered to open the carry-in inlet 75. The shutter control unit 102 raises the ring shutter 23 by controlling the elevating mechanism 36 after a sufficient time has elapsed for the wafer W to be set on the mounting table 26 by, for example, the cool arm 71 or the like. Close 75. After the heat treatment period has elapsed, the shutter control unit 102 lowers the ring shutter 23 by controlling the elevating mechanism 36 to open the carry-in inlet 75. The shutter control unit 102 raises the ring shutter 23 by controlling the elevating mechanism 36 after a sufficient time has elapsed for the wafer W to be carried out from the processing container 20 by, for example, a cool arm 71 or the like. Close 75.

The pin control unit 103 raises and lowers the support pin 70 by controlling the elevating mechanism 72 at the timing of loading or unloading the wafer W into or out of the processing container 20 (specifically, the mounting table 26). .. When the wafer W is carried in, the pin control unit 103 raises the support pin 70, for example, before the carry-in inlet 75 is opened by the shutter control unit 102 (before the wafer W is started to be carried in). Controls the elevating mechanism 72. After the wafer W is delivered from the cool arm 71 to the support pin 70, the pin control unit 103 controls the elevating mechanism 72 so that the support pin 70 is lowered and the wafer W is placed on the mounting table 26. Further, the pin control unit 103 supports the wafer W at a timing substantially coincident with the timing at which the carry-in inlet 75 is opened by the shutter control unit 102 (before the wafer W is started to be carried out). The elevating mechanism 72 is controlled so that the pin 70 is raised. The pin control unit 103 controls the elevating mechanism 72 so that the support pin 70 descends after the wafer W is delivered from the support pin 70 to the cool arm 71.

The exhaust control unit 104 controls the valve V1 and the flow rate adjusting unit 52 which are configured to be exhausted from the exhaust chamber 28, and the valve V2 and the flow rate adjusting unit 54 which are configured to be exhausted from the central exhaust port 29. Controls the exhaust gas discharged from the processing container 20. Specifically, the exhaust control unit 104 opens the valve V1 at the same time as the operation of the heat treatment unit U2 starts, and controls the flow rate adjusting unit 52 to reduce the exhaust flow rate from the outer peripheral exhaust port 27 by a predetermined amount (for example, 10 L /). Minutes) is set, and exhaust from the outer peripheral exhaust port 27 is started. For example, the exhaust control unit 104 continuously exhausts air from the outer peripheral exhaust port 27 while operating the heat treatment unit U2. The exhaust control unit 104 opens the valve V2 and the flow rate adjusting unit 54 after a predetermined time (for example, 20 seconds) has elapsed from the start of the heat treatment and the cross-linking reaction is completed and the fluidity of the coating film is reduced. Is controlled to set the exhaust flow rate from the central exhaust port 29 to a predetermined amount (for example, 20 L / min), and exhaust from the central exhaust port 29 is started. Regarding the exhaust from the central exhaust port 29, for example, by controlling the flow rate adjusting unit 54, the displacement is gradually increased from the exhaust start time, and the target displacement (for example, 20 L) is reached when about 10 seconds have passed from the start of the exhaust. / Minutes) may be reached. For example, the exhaust control unit 104 may continuously perform exhaust from the outer peripheral exhaust port 27, and may perform exhaust from the central exhaust port 29 only for a predetermined time during the heat treatment.

By performing such control, in the initial stage of the heat treatment period in which the cross-linking reaction of the coating film proceeds, only the exhaust from the outer peripheral exhaust port 27 is performed, and the exhaust from the central exhaust port 29 is not performed. Therefore, the central portion of the surface of the wafer W is not exposed to the strong airflow from the outer circumference to the upper center, and the formation of the bulge in the central portion of the wafer W can be suppressed. Since the amount of volatile substances and sublimated substances from the coating film is small during this period, it is possible to prevent particles from leaking to the outside of the processing container 20 even when only exhaust from the outer peripheral exhaust port 27 is performed. it can.

During the period when the cross-linking reaction is completed and the air is exhausted from the central exhaust port 29, the fluidity of the central surface of the wafer W is low, so that even if the surface of the wafer W is exposed to a strong air flow, the surface of the film Is hard to get excited. Therefore, during this period, in addition to the exhaust from the outer peripheral exhaust port 27, the central exhaust port 29 can be exhausted with a large amount of exhaust gas, and the sublimated material can be efficiently removed in a situation where the generation of sublimated material is increasing. can do.

By controlling the opening / closing mechanism 77, the plate control unit 105 displaces the under plate 76 and changes the opening / closing state of the air supply port 45. The plate control unit 105 controls the opening / closing mechanism 77 so that the under plate 76 opens the air supply port 45 during at least a part of the heat treatment period in which the heat treatment is performed. The plate control unit 105 controls the opening / closing mechanism 77 so that the under plate 76 continuously opens the air supply port 45 from before the start of the heat treatment period to the end of the heat treatment period. More specifically, in the plate control unit 105, the under plate 76 is the air supply port before the ring shutter 23 is lowered by the control of the shutter control unit 102 and the carry-in inlet 75 is opened for carrying in the wafer W. The opening / closing mechanism 77 is controlled so as to open 45. Further, the plate control unit 105 controls the opening / closing mechanism 77 so that the under plate 76 closes the air supply port 45 after the end of the heat treatment period.

The controller 100 is composed of one or a plurality of control computers. For example, the controller 100 has a circuit 120 shown in FIG. The circuit 120 has one or more processors 121, a memory 122, a storage 123, an input / output port 124, and a timer 125.

The input / output port 124 inputs / outputs an electric signal to / from the heater of the mounting table 26, the valves V1 and V2, the flow rate adjusting units 52 and 54, the elevating mechanism 36 and 72, and the opening / closing mechanism 77. The timer 125 measures the elapsed time, for example, by counting a reference pulse having a fixed cycle. The storage 123 has a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk. The recording medium records a program for executing the substrate processing procedure described later. The recording medium may be a removable medium such as a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. The memory 122 temporarily records the program loaded from the recording medium of the storage 123 and the calculation result by the processor 121. The processor 121 constitutes each of the above-mentioned functional modules by executing the above program in cooperation with the memory 122.

The hardware configuration of the controller 100 is not necessarily limited to the one in which each functional module is configured by a program. For example, each functional module of the controller 100 may be configured by a dedicated logic circuit or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) in which the logic circuit is integrated.

[Heat treatment procedure]
Next, as an example of the substrate processing method, the heat treatment procedure executed by the heat treatment unit U2 under the control of the controller 100 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the controller 100 transfers the wafer W to the heat treatment unit U2 by controlling the transfer arm A3. Subsequently, at time t1, the pin control unit 103 raises the support pin 70 by controlling the elevating mechanism 72 (support pin UP). Subsequently, at time t2, the plate control unit 105 controls the opening / closing mechanism 77 so that the under plate 76 opens the air supply port 45 (under plate Open). As a result, a part of the system airflow AS is introduced from the air supply port 45 into the lower space 42.

Subsequently, at time t3, the shutter control unit 102 controls the elevating mechanism 36 so that the ring shutter 23 opens the carry-in inlet 75 and the wafer W can be carried into the upper space 24 from the carry-in entrance 75. Specifically, the shutter control unit 102 lowers the ring shutter 23 by controlling the elevating mechanism 36 to open the carry-in inlet 75 (ring shutter Down).

After that, when the wafer W carried in from the carry-in inlet 75 is delivered from the cool arm 71 to the support pin 70, the pin control unit 103 lowers the support pin 70 by controlling the elevating mechanism 72 at time t4. (Support pin Down), the wafer W is placed on the mounting table 26. Further, at time t4, the shutter control unit 102 raises the ring shutter 23 (ring shutter UP) by controlling the elevating mechanism 36, and closes the carry-in inlet 75. The steps up to this point are "a step of accommodating the wafer W in the upper space 24 accommodating the wafer W to be processed".

Subsequently, at time t5, the heat control unit 101 controls the heater (for example, a resistance heating element) of the mounting table 26 so that the heat treatment of the wafer W is started (heat treatment ON). The process is performed in the upper space 24 in a state where a part of the system airflow AS flowing toward the upper space 24 is introduced into the upper space 24 and the remaining part of the system airflow AS is introduced into the lower space 42. This is a step of heat-treating the wafer W of the above. Further, at time t5 or after a predetermined time thereof, the exhaust control unit 104 opens the valve V2 and controls the flow rate adjusting unit 54 to set the exhaust flow rate from the central exhaust port 29 to a predetermined amount (for example, 20 L / min). Then, the exhaust from the central exhaust port 29 is started (exhaust (center) ON). The exhaust control unit 104 continuously exhausts air from the outer peripheral exhaust port 27 during the period during which the heat treatment unit U2 operates (exhaust (outer circumference) ON). That is, the exhaust control unit 104 opens the valve V1 and controls the flow rate adjusting unit 52 to set the exhaust flow rate from the outer peripheral exhaust port 27 to a predetermined amount (for example, 10 L / min), and exhausts from the outer peripheral exhaust port 27. To be done continuously.

At time t6, when a predetermined time has elapsed from time t5, the exhaust control unit 104 closes the valve V2 and ends the exhaust from the central exhaust port 29 (exhaust (center) OFF). Further, at a time t7 when a predetermined time elapses from the time t6, the exhaust control unit 104 opens the valve V2 and controls the flow rate adjusting unit 54 to reduce the exhaust flow rate from the central exhaust port 29 by a predetermined amount (for example, 20 L / min). Set to and restart the exhaust from the central exhaust port 29 (exhaust (center) ON)

Subsequently, at the time t8 when the predetermined heat treatment period elapses from the time t5, the heat control unit 101 controls the heater of the mounting table 26 so that the heat treatment of the wafer W is completed (heat treatment OFF). At time t8 after the heat treatment period elapses, the shutter control unit 102 lowers the ring shutter 23 (ring shutter Down) by controlling the elevating mechanism 36 to open the carry-in inlet 75. Further, at time t8, the plate control unit 105 controls the opening / closing mechanism 77 so that the under plate 76 closes the air supply port 45 (under plate Close). Further, at time t8, the pin control unit 103 raises the support pin 70 by controlling the elevating mechanism 72 (support pin UP). After that, when the wafer W is handed over from the support pin 70 to the cool arm 71, at time t9, the pin control unit 103 lowers the support pin 70 by controlling the elevating mechanism 72 (support pin Down).

After that, when the wafer W is carried out from the upper space 24 by the cool arm 71, at time t10, the shutter control unit 102 raises the ring shutter 23 by controlling the elevating mechanism 36 (ring shutter UP) and carries it in. Close mouth 75. The above is an example of the heat treatment procedure executed by the heat treatment unit U2.

[Action effect]
The heat treatment unit U2 is provided below the upper space 24, which accommodates the wafer W to be heat-treated, the air supply port 35 that allows the system airflow AS flowing toward the upper space 24 to flow into the upper space 24, and the upper space 24. The lower space 42 is provided, and an air supply port 45 for allowing a part of the system airflow AS to flow into the lower space 42 is provided.

In such a heat treatment unit U2, a part of the system airflow AS flowing toward the upper space 24 accommodating the wafer W to be heat-treated is provided from the air supply port 45 to the lower space 42 below the upper space 24. Inflow to. As a result, the flow rate of the system airflow AS flowing into the upper space 24 from the air supply port 35 can be reduced without changing the total amount of the system airflow AS. This makes it possible to improve the film thickness uniformity of the coating film formed on the wafer W.

The heat treatment unit U2 includes an under plate 76 configured to open and close the air supply port 45. As a result, the air supply port 45 can be opened and closed as needed, and the flow rate of the system airflow AS flowing into the upper space 24 can be adjusted according to the processing status in the heat treatment unit U2.

The heat treatment unit U2 includes a controller 100, which controls a mounting table 26 for heat-treating the wafer W and underplates during at least a part of the heat-treatment period during which the heat treatment is performed. It is configured to control the opening / closing mechanism 77 that displaces the underplate 76 so that the 76 opens the air supply port 45. By opening the air supply port 45 during at least a part of the heat treatment period, the inflow amount of the system airflow AS into the upper space 24 during the heat treatment period can be reduced, and the film thickness uniformity can be improved. Can be done.

The controller 100 controls the opening / closing mechanism 77 so that the under plate 76 continuously opens the air supply port 45 from before the start of the heat treatment period to the end of the heat treatment period. As a result, the inflow amount of the system airflow AS into the upper space 24 is continuously reduced during the heat treatment period, and the film thickness uniformity can be improved.

The heat treatment unit U2 includes a carry-in entrance 75 for carrying the wafer W into the upper space 24, and a ring shutter 23 provided at the carry-in entrance 75 so that the carry-in entrance 75 can be opened and closed. Before controlling the elevating mechanism 36 that displaces the ring shutter 23 so that the ring shutter 23 opens the carry-in inlet 75, the opening / closing mechanism 77 is controlled so that the under plate 76 opens the air supply port 45. As a result, before the carry-in port 75 is opened and the wafer W is carried into the upper space 24, the air supply port 45 is opened, that is, the inflow amount of the system airflow AS into the upper space 24 is reduced. It is said that. When the carry-in port 75 is opened and the wafer W is carried into the upper space 24, the mounting table 26 on which the wafer W is not placed is exposed to the system airflow AS that has flowed in through the carry-in port 75. It will be. In this case, if the flow rate of the system airflow AS is large, it may affect the temperature distribution of the mounting table 26. In this respect, since the inflow amount of the airflow into the upper space 24 is already reduced when the carry-in port 75 is opened, the influence on the temperature distribution of the mounting table 26 described above can be reduced.

The controller 100 controls the opening / closing mechanism 77 so that the under plate 76 closes the air supply port 45 after the end of the heat treatment period. If the system airflow AS flowing into the upper space 24 is weakened after the heat treatment period is completed, a large amount of sublimated material may flow out from the air supply port 35 to the outside of the upper space 24. In this regard, after the heat treatment period is completed (that is, a period not related to film thickness uniformity), the sublimated material is placed in the upper space by closing the air supply port 45 and increasing the inflow amount of the system airflow AS into the upper space 24. It is possible to suppress the outflow to the outside of 24.

The heat treatment unit U2 further includes a support pin 70 for supporting the wafer W from below and arranging the wafer W at a predetermined position by moving up and down in the vertical direction, and the lower space 42 is a space for accommodating the support pin 70. is there. As a result, it is possible to effectively utilize the existing space and reduce the inflow amount of the system airflow AS into the above-mentioned upper space 24.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments.

For example, it has been described that the opening / closing mechanism 77 is controlled by the controller 100 to displace the under plate 76 to change the open / closed state of the air supply port 45, but the present invention is not limited to this. It may be fixed at a predetermined position of the air supply port of the space. Further, the under plate does not have to completely (100%) open (or close) the air supply port. For example, as in the under plate 176 shown in FIG. 10, the air supply port 45 of the lower space 42 About half (50%) may be opened (or closed).

Further, in the step of heat-treating the wafer W in the upper space 24 in the heat treatment procedure, the degree of opening of the air supply port in the lower space is determined according to the treatment liquid applied to the wafer W before the heat treatment. You may. Thereby, the inflow amount of the system airflow into the upper space can be adjusted according to the treatment liquid, and the uniformity of the film thickness can be improved according to the treatment liquid.

The degree of opening of the air supply port in the lower space may be adjusted, for example, by providing the under plate at a position where only a predetermined area of the air supply port is opened, as described above. Alternatively, for the degree of opening (aperture ratio) of the air supply port in the lower space, use an underplate having an opening (notch) formed in the underplate itself as shown in FIGS. 11A to 11E. It may be adjusted by. When such an under plate (opening ratio adjusting member) is used, the opening ratio of the air supply port can be adjusted according to the area of the opening (notch) of the under plate. The opening ratio of the air supply port may be adjusted by appropriately combining or replacing plates having different opening ratios.

2 ... Coating / developing device (board processing device), 23 ... Ring shutter (shutter section), 24 ... Upper space (first space), 26 ... Mounting table (heat treatment section), 35 ... Air supply port (first opening) , 36 ... Elevating mechanism (shutter drive unit), 42 ... Lower space (second space), 45 ... Air supply port (second opening), 46 ... Exhaust port (exhaust part), 70 ... Support pin (support part), 75 ... Carry-in inlet, 76 ... Under plate (opening / closing plate, aperture ratio adjusting member), 77 ... Opening / closing mechanism (plate drive unit), 100 ... Controller (control unit), AS ... System airflow (airflow), W ... Wafer ( substrate).

Claims (10)

The first space for accommodating the substrate to be heat-treated and
A first opening that allows an air flow flowing toward the first space to flow into the first space,
An area provided below the first space and surrounded by a base, a side surface portion erected upward from the base base, and a top plate portion facing the base base and connected to the upper end of the side surface portion. The second space, which is
A second opening formed in the side surface portion, which allows a part of the air flow to flow into the second space ,
A substrate processing apparatus including a space upstream of the first opening in the direction of the air flow above the second space and an arm for transferring the substrate between the first space. A member for adjusting the aperture ratio that makes the aperture ratio of the second opening variable is further provided .
The opening ratio adjusting member, by increasing the aperture ratio of the second opening, the airflow flowing toward the arm and the first space is in a state of being reduced, claim 1 Symbol mounting substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the aperture ratio adjusting member is an opening / closing plate configured to open / close the second opening. Further equipped with a control unit
The control unit
Controlling the heat treatment section that heat-treats the substrate and
Controlling the plate drive unit that displaces the opening / closing plate so that the opening / closing plate opens the second opening during at least a part of the heat treatment period in which the heat treatment is performed.
3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, which is configured to execute the above. The control unit, the to said heat processing period before the start of the heat treatment period has ended, so that the closing plate is continuously opening the second opening, and controls the plate driving unit, according to claim 4 The substrate processing apparatus described. A carry-in entrance for carrying the substrate into the first space, and
A shutter unit configured to open and close the carry-in entrance is further provided.
The control unit drives the plate so that the opening / closing plate opens the second opening before controlling the shutter drive unit that displaces the shutter unit so that the shutter unit opens the carry-in inlet. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , which controls a unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 or 6 , wherein the control unit controls the plate driving unit so that the opening / closing plate closes the second opening after the end of the heat treatment period. A support portion for arranging the substrate at a predetermined position by supporting the substrate from below and moving it up and down in the vertical direction is further provided.
The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the second space is a space for accommodating the support portion. The process of accommodating the substrate with an arm in the first space for accommodating the substrate to be heat-treated,
Wherein the first portion of the airflow flowing toward the space is introduced to the arm and around the first space, the remaining portion of the air flow is provided below the first space, the base a base From the opening formed in the side surface portion in the second space which is an area surrounded by the side surface portion erected upward from the side and the top plate portion which faces the base and is connected to the upper end of the side surface portion. A substrate processing method including a step of heat-treating a substrate in the first space in the introduced state. The substrate according to claim 9, wherein the aperture ratio of the opening is widened and the remaining part of the airflow is introduced into the second space to reduce the airflow around the arm and in the first space. Processing method.

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