JP7158549B2 - SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEM AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing method, a substrate processing system, and a computer-readable storage medium for heat-treating a metal-containing film formed on a substrate.

For example, in the photolithography process in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, for example, a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as "wafer") is coated with a resist solution to form a resist film, and the resist film is exposed to a predetermined pattern. exposure processing, post-exposure baking processing (hereinafter referred to as “PEB processing”) to heat the resist film after exposure to promote chemical reaction, development processing to develop the exposed resist film, etc. A predetermined resist pattern is formed thereon.

By the way, in recent years, along with the further high integration of semiconductor devices, miniaturization of resist patterns is required. Accordingly, exposure processing using EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) light has been proposed in order to realize miniaturization of resist patterns. In addition, as a resist used for EUV, a resist containing metal (hereinafter referred to as "metal-containing resist") has been proposed from the characteristics of high resolution, high etching resistance, and high sensitivity to exposure (patent Reference 1).

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-530565

In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, metals are strictly controlled because they greatly affect electrical properties. In this regard, since metal-containing sublimates are generated in the PEB treatment of the metal-containing resist, it is necessary to recover the metal-containing sublimates by high exhaust and suppress metal contamination. Especially when metal-containing resists are used, the metal-containing sublimate is of a small molecular level, and metal contamination affects the electrical characteristics of semiconductor devices.

On the other hand, if high exhaust is performed in the current PEB process, outside air without humidity control flows into the processing chamber. As a result of intensive studies by the present inventors, the metal-containing resist is highly sensitive to moisture, and the uniformity of resist pattern dimensions (for example, line width) may deteriorate in a processing atmosphere with a humidity outside the predetermined range. Do you get it.

As described above, there is room for improvement in achieving both suppression of metal contamination and uniformity of resist pattern dimensions in the PEB treatment of a metal-containing resist.

The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to appropriately form a metal-containing film while suppressing metal contamination during heat treatment in substrate processing using a metal-containing material.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a substrate processing method for heat-treating a metal-containing film formed on a substrate by supplying moisture to the substrate, the substrate processing method comprising: , heat-treating the metal-containing film while the substrate is placed on a heat-treating plate provided inside the processing chamber while evacuating the inside of the processing chamber; In the substrate processing method, water is supplied to the metal-containing film before or during the step of performing the heat treatment, thereby promoting an aggregation reaction of the metal-containing film .

According to the present invention, water is supplied to the metal-containing film during heat treatment. This water supply may be performed before the heat treatment or may be performed during the heat treatment, as long as an appropriate amount of water is supplied to the metal-containing film during the heat treatment. Then, for example, when the metal-containing film is a metal-containing resist film, the dimensions of the resist pattern can be made uniform. In addition, since the inside of the processing chamber is evacuated during the heat treatment, the metal-containing sublimate generated during the heat treatment can be recovered, metal contamination can be suppressed, and defects in the semiconductor device can be suppressed. .

According to the present invention, in substrate processing using a metal-containing material, it is possible to appropriately form a metal-containing film while suppressing metal contamination during heat treatment. Especially when the metal-containing material is a metal-containing resist, the dimensions of the resist pattern can be made uniform.

1 is a plan view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of a substrate processing system according to this embodiment; FIG. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a front view which shows typically the outline of a structure of the substrate processing system concerning this embodiment. 1 is a rear view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of a substrate processing system according to this embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of main steps of wafer processing according to the present embodiment. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of a heat treatment apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a top view which shows typically the outline of a structure of the heat processing apparatus concerning 1st Embodiment. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of the heating unit according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the heat treatment apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of a heating unit according to a second embodiment; FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of a gas supply ring according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a perspective view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of the inner shutter according to the second embodiment; FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of a heat treatment apparatus according to a third embodiment; FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of a water coating device according to a third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of a heating unit according to a fourth embodiment; It is explanatory drawing which shows operation|movement of the heat processing apparatus concerning 4th Embodiment. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of a heating unit according to a fifth embodiment;

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, thereby omitting redundant description.

<Substrate processing system>
First, the configuration of a substrate processing system provided with a heat treatment apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of the substrate processing system 1. As shown in FIG. 2 and 3 are a front view and a rear view, respectively, schematically showing the outline of the internal configuration of the substrate processing system 1. FIG.

In the substrate processing system 1 of the present embodiment, a metal-containing resist is used as the metal-containing material to form a resist pattern on the wafer W as the substrate. The metal contained in the metal-containing resist is arbitrary, but is tin, for example.

As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 1 includes a cassette station 10 into which a cassette C containing a plurality of wafers W is loaded and unloaded, and a processing station 11 equipped with a plurality of various processing apparatuses for performing predetermined processing on the wafers W. and an interface station 13 for transferring wafers W to and from an exposure apparatus 12 adjacent to the processing station 11 are integrally connected.

A cassette mounting table 20 is provided in the cassette station 10 . The cassette mounting table 20 is provided with a plurality of cassette mounting plates 21 on which the cassettes C are mounted when the cassettes C are carried in and out of the substrate processing system 1 .

The cassette station 10 is provided with a wafer transfer device 23 which is movable on a transfer path 22 extending in the X direction as shown in FIG. The wafer transfer device 23 is movable in the vertical direction and around the vertical axis (.theta. direction), and is arranged between the cassette C on each cassette mounting plate 21 and the transfer device of the third block G3 of the processing station 11, which will be described later. The wafer W can be transported between

The processing station 11 is provided with a plurality of blocks, eg, four blocks, that is, a first block G1 to a fourth block G4, each having various devices. For example, a first block G1 is provided on the front side of the processing station 11 (negative side in the X direction in FIG. 1), and a first block G1 is provided on the back side of the processing station 11 (positive side in the X direction in FIG. 1, the upper side in the drawing). is provided with a second block G2. The third block G3 described above is provided on the cassette station 10 side of the processing station 11 (negative Y direction side in FIG. 1), and the interface station 13 side of the processing station 11 (positive Y direction in FIG. 1) is provided. direction side) is provided with a fourth block G4.

For example, the first block G1 includes, as shown in FIG. A lower antireflection film forming apparatus 31 for forming a lower antireflection film"), a resist coating apparatus 32 for applying a metal-containing resist to a wafer W to form a metal-containing resist film, and an upper layer of the metal-containing resist film on the wafer W. An upper antireflection film forming apparatus 33 for forming an antireflection film (hereinafter referred to as an "upper antireflection film") is arranged in this order from the bottom.

For example, three development processing devices 30, lower antireflection film forming devices 31, resist coating devices 32, and upper antireflection film forming devices 33 are arranged horizontally. The number and arrangement of the developing device 30, the lower antireflection film forming device 31, the resist coating device 32, and the upper antireflection film forming device 33 can be arbitrarily selected.

In the developing device 30, the lower anti-reflection film forming device 31, the resist coating device 32, and the upper anti-reflection film forming device 33, for example, spin coating of applying a predetermined processing liquid onto the wafer W is performed. In spin coating, for example, the processing liquid is discharged onto the wafer W from a coating nozzle, and the wafer W is rotated to spread the processing liquid on the surface of the wafer W. FIG.

For example, the second block G2 includes, as shown in FIG. A processing device 41 and a peripheral exposure device 42 for exposing the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W are arranged vertically and horizontally. The number and arrangement of these heat treatment devices 40, hydrophobic processing devices 41, and peripheral exposure devices 42 can also be selected arbitrarily. Note that the heat treatment apparatus 40 performs a pre-baking process (hereinafter referred to as "PAB process") for heat-treating the wafer W after the resist coating process, and a post-exposure baking process (hereinafter referred to as "PAB process") for heat-processing the wafer W after the exposure process. PEB processing”), post-baking processing (hereinafter referred to as “POST processing”) for heat-treating the wafer W after the development processing, and the like are performed. The configuration of this heat treatment apparatus 40 will be described later.

For example, in the third block G3, a plurality of transfer devices 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 and 56 are provided in order from the bottom. Further, in the fourth block G4, a plurality of transfer devices 60, 61, 62 and a back surface cleaning device 63 for cleaning the back surface of the wafer W are provided in this order from the bottom.

As shown in FIG. 1, a wafer transfer area D is formed in an area surrounded by first block G1 to fourth block G4. In the wafer transfer area D, a plurality of wafer transfer devices 70 having transfer arms movable in, for example, the Y direction, the X direction, the θ direction, and the vertical direction are arranged. The wafer transfer device 70 moves within the wafer transfer area D and transfers the wafer W to predetermined devices in the surrounding first block G1, second block G2, third block G3 and fourth block G4. can.

Further, in the wafer transfer area D, as shown in FIG. 3, a shuttle transfer device 80 is provided for transferring the wafer W linearly between the third block G3 and the fourth block G4.

The shuttle transport device 80 is linearly movable in the Y direction of FIG. 3, for example. The shuttle transfer device 80 moves in the Y direction while supporting the wafer W, and can transfer the wafer W between the transfer device 52 of the third block G3 and the transfer device 62 of the fourth block G4.

As shown in FIG. 1, a wafer transfer device 90 is provided next to the third block G3 on the positive side in the X direction. The wafer transfer device 90 has a transfer arm that is movable in, for example, the X direction, the θ direction, and the vertical direction. The wafer transfer device 90 can move up and down while supporting the wafer W to transfer the wafer W to each transfer device in the third block G3.

The interface station 13 is provided with a wafer transfer device 100 and a transfer device 101 . The wafer transfer device 100 has a transfer arm that is movable in, for example, the Y direction, the θ direction, and the vertical direction. The wafer transfer device 100 supports the wafer W on, for example, a transfer arm, and can transfer the wafer W between the transfer devices, the transfer device 101 and the exposure device 12 in the fourth block G4.

The substrate processing system 1 described above is provided with a controller 200 as shown in FIG. The control unit 200 is, for example, a computer, and has a program storage unit (not shown). A program for controlling the processing of the wafer W in the substrate processing system 1 is stored in the program storage unit. The program storage unit also stores a program for controlling the operation of drive systems such as the above-described various processing devices and transport devices to realize hydrophobization processing, which will be described later, in the substrate processing system 1 . The program is recorded on a computer-readable storage medium such as a computer-readable hard disk (HD), flexible disk (FD), compact disk (CD), magnet optical disk (MO), memory card, etc. It may have been installed in the control unit 200 from the storage medium.

Next, wafer processing performed using the substrate processing system 1 configured as described above will be described. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the main steps of such wafer processing.

First, a cassette C containing a plurality of wafers W is carried into the cassette station 10 of the substrate processing system 1 and placed on the cassette placing plate 21 . After that, the wafers W in the cassette C are sequentially taken out by the wafer transfer device 23 and transferred to the delivery device 53 of the third block G3 of the processing station 11 .

Next, the wafer W is transferred by the wafer transfer device 70 to the heat treatment device 40 of the second block G2 and subjected to temperature control processing. After that, the wafer W is transferred by the wafer transfer device 70 to, for example, the lower antireflection film forming device 31 of the first block G1, and a lower antireflection film is formed on the wafer W. FIG. After that, the wafer W is transported to the heat treatment device 40 of the second block G2 and subjected to heat treatment. After that, the wafer W is returned to the delivery device 53 of the third block G3.

Next, the wafer W is transferred by the wafer transfer device 90 to the delivery device 54 of the same third block G3. After that, the wafer W is transferred by the wafer transfer device 70 to the hydrophobization processing device 41 of the second block G2, where the hydrophobization processing is performed.

Next, the wafer W is transferred to the resist coating device 32 by the wafer transfer device 70, and a metal-containing resist film is formed on the wafer W (step S1 in FIG. 4). After that, the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 40 by the wafer transfer apparatus 70 and subjected to PAB processing (step S2 in FIG. 4). After that, the wafer W is transferred by the wafer transfer device 70 to the delivery device 55 of the third block G3.

Next, the wafer W is transferred to the upper antireflection film forming apparatus 33 by the wafer transfer apparatus 70, and an upper antireflection film is formed on the wafer W. FIG. After that, the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 40 by the wafer transfer apparatus 70, heated, and temperature-controlled. After that, the wafer W is transported to the edge exposure device 42 and subjected to edge exposure processing.

After that, the wafer W is transferred by the wafer transfer device 70 to the delivery device 56 of the third block G3.

Next, the wafer W is transferred to the transfer device 52 by the wafer transfer device 90 and transferred to the transfer device 62 of the fourth block G4 by the shuttle transfer device 80 . After that, the wafer W is transferred by the wafer transfer device 100 to the back surface cleaning device 63, and the back surface thereof is cleaned (step S3 in FIG. 4). After that, the wafer W is transferred to the exposure device 12 by the wafer transfer device 100 of the interface station 13, and is exposed in a predetermined pattern using EUV light (step S4 in FIG. 4).

Next, the wafer W is transferred by the wafer transfer device 100 to the delivery device 60 of the fourth block G4. After that, the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 40 by the wafer transfer apparatus 70 and subjected to PEB processing (step S5 in FIG. 4). The PEB processing in this heat treatment apparatus 40 will be described later.

Next, the wafer W is transferred to the developing device 30 by the wafer transfer device 70 and developed (step S6 in FIG. 4). After completion of the development, the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment apparatus 40 by the wafer transfer apparatus 90 and subjected to POST processing (step S7 in FIG. 4).

After that, the wafer W is transferred to the delivery device 50 of the third block G3 by the wafer transfer device 70, and then transferred to the cassette C on the predetermined cassette mounting plate 21 by the wafer transfer device 23 of the cassette station 10. FIG. Thus, a series of photolithography steps are completed.

<First Embodiment>
Next, a first embodiment of the heat treatment apparatus 40 will be described. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of the heat treatment apparatus 40 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a plan view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of the heat treatment apparatus 40 according to the first embodiment.

The heat treatment apparatus 40 has a processing container 300 whose inside can be closed. A loading/unloading port (not shown) for the wafer W is formed on the side surface of the processing container 300 on the wafer transfer area D side, and the loading/unloading port is provided with an open/close shutter (not shown).

A heating unit 310 for heating the wafer W and a temperature control unit 311 for controlling the temperature of the wafer W are provided inside the processing container 300 . The heating unit 310 and the temperature control unit 311 are arranged side by side in the Y direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, the heating section 310 has a processing chamber 320 in which the wafer W is accommodated and subjected to heat processing. The processing chamber 320 has an upper chamber 321 that can be moved up and down, and a lower chamber 322 that is integrated with the upper chamber 321 and can be sealed inside.

The upper chamber 321 has a substantially cylindrical shape with an open bottom surface. Inside the upper chamber 321 , a shower head 330 serving as a water supply section for supplying a water-containing gas to the inside of the processing chamber 320 is provided at a position facing a heat treatment plate 360 to be described later. The shower head 330 is configured to move up and down in synchronization with the upper chamber 321 .

A plurality of gas supply holes 331 are formed in the bottom surface of the shower head 330 . The plurality of gas supply holes 331 are evenly arranged on the lower surface of the shower head 330 except for a central exhaust passage 340, which will be described later. A gas supply pipe 332 is connected to the shower head 330 . Furthermore, the gas supply pipe 332 is connected to a gas supply source 333 that supplies moisture-containing gas to the shower head 330 . Also, the gas supply pipe 332 is provided with a valve 334 that controls the flow of the moisture-containing gas.

Inside the gas supply source 333, a gas with a moisture concentration adjusted to, for example, 43% to 60% is stored. Then, by supplying the moisture-containing gas with the moisture concentration adjusted in this way into the processing chamber 320 through the shower head 330, the internal atmosphere of the processing chamber 320 is adjusted to a predetermined range, for example, 43% to 60%. % humidity.

Here, in the PEB process, water in the process atmosphere promotes aggregation reaction of the metal-containing resist. The aggregation reaction is a reaction in which the bond between the metal and the ligand (organometallic complex) in the metal-containing resist is cut by the ultraviolet rays in the exposure treatment, and in the state where the ligand is released, a metal oxide is generated in the PEB treatment. be. The water in the PEB treatment further oxidizes this metal and promotes the agglomeration reaction. For example, if the internal atmosphere of the processing chamber 320 is humid and watery, the agglomeration reaction of the metal-containing resist is promoted. Then, since the metal-containing resist is a negative type resist, the dimension of the resist pattern formed on the wafer W, for example, the line width becomes large. On the other hand, when the internal atmosphere of the processing chamber 320 has low humidity and little water, the agglomeration reaction of the metal-containing resist does not progress so much, and the resist pattern dimension becomes small. Therefore, it is important to control the humidity in order to properly control the dimensions of the resist pattern.

Further, as a result of the inventors' intensive studies as described above, it was found that metal-containing resists are highly sensitive to moisture. It has been found that the dimensions of the resist pattern become uniform within the wafer surface when the internal atmosphere of the processing chamber 320 during the PEB process is maintained at a humidity of 43% to 60%. Specifically, when the PEB treatment was performed in an atmosphere with a humidity of less than 42%, the dimensions of the resist pattern became non-uniform.

The inventors have also found that metal-containing resists are less sensitive to temperature.

As shown in FIG. 7, the shower head 330 is formed with a central exhaust passage 340 extending from the center of the lower surface of the shower head 330 to the center of the upper surface. A central exhaust pipe 341 provided at the center of the upper surface of the upper chamber 321 is connected to the central exhaust passage 340 . Furthermore, an exhaust device 342 such as a vacuum pump is connected to the central exhaust pipe 341 . Also, the central exhaust pipe 341 is provided with a valve 343 that controls the flow of exhausted gas. In addition, in this embodiment, the central exhaust path 340, the central exhaust pipe 341, the exhaust device 342, and the valve 343 constitute the central exhaust section in the present invention.

Inside the upper chamber 321 and at the outer periphery of the shower head 330 , an outer exhaust path 350 is formed for exhausting the inside of the processing chamber 320 from the outer periphery of the processing chamber 320 . An outer exhaust pipe 351 provided on the upper surface of the upper chamber 321 is connected to the outer exhaust path 350 . Furthermore, an exhaust device 352 such as a vacuum pump is connected to the outer exhaust pipe 351 . Further, the outer exhaust pipe 351 is provided with a valve 353 for controlling the flow of the exhausted gas. In this embodiment, the outer exhaust path 350, the outer exhaust pipe 351, the exhaust device 352, and the valve 353 constitute the outer exhaust section of the present invention.

The lower chamber 322 has a substantially cylindrical shape with an open top. A heat treatment plate 360 and an annular holding member 361 that accommodates the heat treatment plate 360 and holds the outer peripheral portion of the heat treatment plate 360 are provided in the upper opening of the lower chamber 322 . The heat-treating plate 360 has a thick, substantially disk-like shape, and can heat a wafer W placed thereon. Further, the heat treatment plate 360 has a built-in heater 362, for example. The heating temperature of the heat treatment plate 360 is controlled by, for example, the control unit 200, and the wafer W placed on the heat treatment plate 360 is heated to a predetermined temperature.

Inside the lower chamber 322 and below the heat treatment plate 360, for example, three elevating pins 370 are provided as an elevating section for supporting the wafer W from below and elevating it. The lifting pin 370 can be moved up and down by a lifting drive section 371 . In the vicinity of the central portion of the heat treatment plate 360, for example, three through holes 372 are formed through the heat treatment plate 360 in the thickness direction. The elevating pins 370 are inserted through the through holes 372 and can protrude from the upper surface of the heat treatment plate 360 .

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the temperature control section 311 has a temperature control plate 380 . The temperature control plate 380 has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape, and the end face on the heat treatment plate 360 side is curved in an arc shape. Two slits 381 are formed in the temperature control plate 380 along the Y direction. The slit 381 is formed from the end surface of the heat treatment plate 360 side of the temperature control plate 380 to near the central portion of the temperature control plate 380 . This slit 381 can prevent the temperature control plate 380 from interfering with the lifting pin 370 of the heating unit 310 and the lifting pin 390 of the temperature control unit 311, which will be described later. Further, the temperature control plate 380 incorporates a temperature control member (not shown) such as cooling water or a Peltier device. The temperature of the temperature adjustment plate 380 is controlled by, for example, the control unit 200, and the wafer W placed on the temperature adjustment plate 380 is adjusted to a predetermined temperature.

Temperature control plate 380 is supported by support arm 382 . A driving portion 383 is attached to the support arm 382 . The drive unit 383 is attached to a rail 384 extending in the Y direction. Rail 384 extends from temperature control section 311 to heating section 310 . The driving portion 383 allows the temperature control plate 380 to move between the heating portion 310 and the temperature control portion 311 along the rails 384 .

For example, three elevating pins 390 for supporting the wafer W from below and elevating it are provided below the temperature control plate 380 . The lifting pin 390 can be moved up and down by a lifting drive section 391 . The elevating pin 390 is inserted through the slit 381 and can protrude from the upper surface of the temperature control plate 380 .

Next, the PEB treatment performed using the heat treatment apparatus 40 configured as described above will be described. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the heat treatment apparatus 40. As shown in FIG. A metal-containing resist film is formed on the wafer W carried into the heat treatment apparatus 40 .

First, when the wafer W is loaded into the heat treatment device 40 by the wafer transfer device 70, the wafer W is transferred from the wafer transfer device 70 to the elevating pins 390 which have been previously raised and waited. Subsequently, the elevating pins 390 are lowered to place the wafer W on the temperature control plate 380 .

After that, the drive unit 383 moves the temperature control plate 380 along the rails 384 to above the heat treatment plate 360, and the wafer W is transferred to the lifting pins 370 which have been raised in advance and are waiting.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 8A, the upper chamber 321 is lowered to bring the upper chamber 321 and the lower chamber 322 into contact with each other, thereby sealing the inside of the processing chamber 320 . Thereafter, the elevating pins 370 are lowered to place the wafer W on the heat treatment plate 360 . Then, the wafer W on the heat treatment plate 360 is heated to a predetermined temperature (step A1).

In this step A1, a moisture-containing gas having a moisture concentration adjusted to, for example, 43% to 60% is supplied from the shower head 330 at a flow rate of, for example, 4 L/min, and the internal atmosphere of the processing chamber 320 is adjusted to, for example, 43% to 60%. Humidity adjusted. Then, the water contained in the water-containing gas condenses and adheres to the metal-containing resist film of the wafer W, and this water accelerates the agglomeration reaction of the metal-containing resist. In the agglomeration reaction, moisture oxidizes the metal and condenses the metal-containing resist. The dimension of the resist pattern is determined by advancing the agglomeration reaction of the metal-containing resist in this manner.

Further, in step A1, since the moisture-containing gas is uniformly supplied to the wafer W from the plurality of gas supply holes 331 of the shower head 330, the agglomeration reaction of the metal-containing resist can be uniformly performed within the wafer surface. , the dimensions of the resist pattern can be made uniform within the wafer surface.

Furthermore, in step A1, the inside of the processing chamber 320 is exhausted from the outer exhaust path 350 (the outer periphery of the processing chamber 320) at a first exhaust rate, for example, 4 L/min or more. By evacuating the interior of the processing chamber 320 from the outer peripheral portion to a low level in this way, the agglomeration reaction of the metal-containing resist can be performed more uniformly within the wafer surface.

In addition, in the heat treatment of step A1, a metal-containing sublimate is generated from the metal-containing resist as the aggregation reaction of the metal-containing resist progresses.

After that, as shown in FIG. 8B, the supply of water-containing gas from the shower head 330 is stopped to stop the agglomeration reaction of the metal-containing resist (step A2). At the stage of step A2, the agglomeration reaction of the metal-containing resist has stopped, so that the effect on the resist pattern is small and the generation of metal-containing sublimate from the metal-containing resist is suppressed.

In step A2, the inside of the processing chamber 320 is continuously exhausted from the outer exhaust path 350 at the above-described first exhaust amount.

After that, as shown in FIG. 8C, the upper chamber 321 is lifted to allow outside air to flow into the processing chamber 320 from the outer peripheral portion thereof, and to exhaust the processing chamber 320 from the central exhaust passage 340 (central portion of the processing chamber 320). is evacuated at a second displacement, for example, 20 L/min to 70 L/min, which is larger than the first displacement (step A3). By highly evacuating the inside of the processing chamber 320 from the central portion in this manner, the metal-containing sublimate inside the processing chamber 320 can be recovered and the concentration of the metal-containing sublimate can be reduced. Therefore, metal contamination can be suppressed, and defects in the semiconductor device can be suppressed.

Further, in step A3, since the central portion of the processing chamber 320 is exhausted and the outside air is introduced from the outer peripheral portion of the processing chamber 320, the metal-containing sublimate does not leak out of the processing chamber 320. Therefore, metal contamination can be further suppressed.

In step A3, in addition to exhausting from the central portion of the processing chamber 320, exhaust may also be performed from the outer peripheral portion. However, it is preferable to exhaust only from the central portion, because the fewer the exhaust paths, the faster the exhaust can be performed.

After that, the upper chamber 321 is further raised as shown in FIG. 8(d). The wafer W is lifted by the elevating pins 370 , the temperature control plate 380 is moved above the heat treatment plate 360 , and the wafer W is transferred from the elevating pins 370 to the temperature control plate 380 . After that, the temperature control plate 380 is moved to the wafer transfer area D side, and the wafer W is adjusted to a predetermined temperature while the temperature control plate 380 is being moved (step A4).

According to this embodiment, since the water-containing gas is supplied to the inside of the processing chamber 320 in step A1, the aggregation reaction of the metal-containing resist can be promoted, and the dimensions of the resist pattern can be made uniform. Further, since the interior of the processing chamber 320 is highly evacuated in step A3, the metal-containing sublimate generated in step A1 can be recovered, and metal contamination can be suppressed. As a result, defects in the semiconductor device can be suppressed. Also, by suppressing metal contamination, there is an effect of suppressing the frequency of cleaning and maintenance of the processing chamber 320 .

In the above embodiment, the case where the aggregation reaction of the metal-containing resist is accelerated in step A1 and then the supply of the water-containing gas is stopped in step A2 to stop the aggregation reaction of the metal-containing resist has been described. In such a case, step A2 attenuates the generation of the metal-containing sublimate.

On the other hand, for example, after the end of step A1, the ligands in the metal-containing resist are not completely released and some of them remain, and even if the supply of the water-containing gas is stopped in step A2, the aggregation reaction of the metal-containing resist does not stop. Sometimes. In such a case, the metal-containing sublimate is continuously generated and does not decay even in step A2.

In the following, as a modified example of the first embodiment, a case in which metal-containing sublimates are continuously generated even when the supply of moisture-containing gas is stopped will be described. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the heat treatment apparatus 40. As shown in FIG.

First, as shown in FIG. 9A, the wafer W is placed on the heat treatment plate 360 and heated to a predetermined temperature while the inside of the processing chamber 320 is sealed (step B1). This step B1 is the same as the above step A1. That is, in step B1, a moisture-containing gas having a moisture concentration adjusted to, for example, 43% to 60% is supplied from the shower head 330 at a flow rate of, for example, 4 L/min, and the internal atmosphere of the processing chamber 320 is adjusted to, for example, 43% to 60%. adjusted to the humidity of Then, the aggregation reaction of the metal-containing resist is promoted. Also, the inside of the processing chamber 320 is exhausted from the outer exhaust path 350 (the outer periphery of the processing chamber 320) at a first exhaust rate, for example, 4 L/min or more.

After that, as shown in FIG. 9B, the supply of moisture-containing gas from the shower head 330 is stopped, and the exhaust of the inside of the processing chamber 320 from the outer exhaust path 350 is also stopped. Then, the upper chamber 321 is lifted to let outside air flow into the interior from the outer peripheral portion of the processing chamber 320, and the interior of the processing chamber 320 is evacuated from the central exhaust passage 340 (central portion of the processing chamber 320) to the second exhaust rate. , for example, at 20 L/min to 70 L/min (step B2).

In step B2, the supply of the moisture-containing gas is stopped, but the wafer W is placed on the heat treatment plate 360, and the metal-containing sublimate is continuously generated. Therefore, by highly evacuating the interior of the processing chamber 320 from the central portion, the metal-containing sublimate that is continuously generated in this way is recovered, and the concentration of the metal-containing sublimate inside the processing chamber 320 is reduced.

After that, when the collection of the metal-containing sublimate in step B2 is completed to some extent, the wafer W is lifted by the lift pins 370 as shown in FIG. Evacuation from 340 is continued (step B3). That is, the inside of the processing chamber 320 is exhausted from the central portion of the processing chamber 320 at a second exhaust rate, eg, 20 L/min to 70 L/min.

In step B3, since the wafer W is separated from the heat treatment plate 360, the heat treatment of the wafer W is stopped, and the agglomeration reaction of the metal-containing resist is also stopped. In addition, generation of metal-containing sublimate from the metal-containing resist is also suppressed.

Further, in step B3, the inside of the processing chamber 320 is highly evacuated from the central portion, so that the metal-containing sublimate inside the processing chamber 320 can be recovered and the concentration of the metal-containing sublimate can be reduced. Therefore, metal contamination can be suppressed. Further, in step B3, since the central portion of the processing chamber 320 is exhausted and the external air is introduced from the outer peripheral portion of the processing chamber 320, the metal-containing sublimate does not leak outside the processing chamber 320. Therefore, metal contamination can be further suppressed.

After that, the upper chamber 321 is further raised as shown in FIG. 9(d). Then, the wafer W is transferred from the lifting pins 370 to the temperature adjustment plate 380, and then the wafer W is adjusted to a predetermined temperature while the temperature adjustment plate 380 is being moved (step B4). This step B4 is the same as the above step A4.

This embodiment can also enjoy the same effect as the above embodiment. That is, by supplying the moisture-containing gas into the processing chamber 320 in step B1, the agglomeration reaction of the metal-containing resist can be promoted, and the dimensions of the resist pattern can be made uniform. Further, by highly evacuating the inside of the processing chamber 320 from the central portion in the steps B2 and B3, the metal-containing sublimate can be recovered, and metal contamination can be suppressed.

In the first embodiment, the metal-containing resist is used as the metal-containing material, but the first embodiment can also be applied to other metal-containing materials. For example, a metal hard mask material may be used as the metal-containing material. Any metal may be included in the metal hard mask material, such as titanium and zirconium.

In recent years, it has been proposed to form a metal hard mask on the wafer W in order to achieve miniaturization of the resist pattern. In forming this metal hard mask, the current problem is that after the metal hard mask material is spin-coated on the wafer W, when the metal hard mask is heat-treated or the metal hard mask is heat-treated after wet etching, the wafer surface In some cases, the film thickness may not be uniform.

As a result of extensive studies by the inventors of the present invention, the cause of this non-uniformity in wet etching is uneven film quality of the metal hard mask. It was found to be caused by For example, when the air is exhausted from one end of the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W, an air flow toward the one end is generated within the wafer surface. Further, when the air is exhausted from the central portion of the wafer W, an airflow is generated from the outer peripheral portion to the central portion within the wafer surface. Such an airflow causes film quality spots in the metal hard mask.

Further, when the metal hard mask is heat-treated, a metal-containing sublimate is generated similarly to the metal-containing resist. Therefore, it is also necessary to recover this metal-containing sublimate and suppress metal contamination.

In this respect, in the first embodiment, when a metal hard mask material is used as the metal-containing material, the moisture-containing gas is uniformly supplied from the shower head 330 in the steps A1 and B1, and the outer exhaust path 350 is used to supply the moisture-containing gas to the processing chamber. Since the inside of 320 is uniformly evacuated, the airflow of wafer W can be made uniform. Therefore, the film quality of the metal hard mask can be suppressed to make the film quality uniform, and the metal hard mask can be uniformly wet-etched.

Moreover, in the steps A1 and B1, the water contained in the water-containing gas can promote the agglomeration reaction of the metal hard mask.

Further, in steps A3, B2 and B3, the inside of the processing chamber 320 is highly exhausted from the central exhaust path 340, so that the metal-containing sublimate inside the processing chamber 320 is recovered and the concentration of the metal-containing sublimate is reduced. can be made Therefore, metal contamination can be suppressed. As a result, it is possible to suppress the defects of the wafer W being processed, and furthermore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects due to adhesion of metal to subsequent wafers W. Moreover, since the wafer W is replaced, leakage of the metal-containing sublimate to the outside can be suppressed when the upper chamber 321 is raised.

<Second embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the heat treatment apparatus 40 will be described. The heat treatment apparatus 40 according to the second embodiment has the same structure as that of the heat treatment apparatus 40 according to the first embodiment except for the configuration of the heating unit 310 .

First, the configuration of the heating unit 310 will be described. FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of the heating section 310 according to the second embodiment.

Inside the upper chamber 321 of the heating unit 310, instead of the shower head 330 in the first embodiment, a gas supply ring 400 is provided as a moisture supply unit for supplying moisture-containing gas to the inside of the processing chamber 320. ing. The gas supply ring 400 is annularly provided along the outer circumference of the upper chamber 321 .

As shown in FIG. 11, a plurality of gas supply holes 401 are formed on the upper surface of the gas supply ring 400 at equal intervals on the circumference of the gas supply ring 400 . The gas supply ring 400 can uniformly supply the moisture-containing gas upward through the plurality of gas supply holes 401 .

As shown in FIG. 10, a gas supply pipe 402 is connected to the gas supply ring 400 . Furthermore, the gas supply pipe 402 is connected to a gas supply source 403 that supplies moisture-containing gas to the gas supply ring 400 . Also, the gas supply pipe 402 is provided with a valve 404 for controlling the flow of the moisture-containing gas.

Inside the gas supply source 403, a gas with a moisture concentration adjusted to, for example, 43% to 60% is stored, like the gas supply source 333 in the first embodiment. Then, by supplying the moisture-containing gas with the moisture concentration adjusted in this way into the processing chamber 320 through the gas supply ring 400, the internal atmosphere of the processing chamber 320 reaches a predetermined range, for example, 43% to 43%. Humidity is adjusted to 60%.

An inner shutter 410 as an annular gas circulation portion is provided inside the gas supply ring 400 at the outer periphery of the upper chamber 321 . That is, a gas flow passage 411 surrounded by the upper chamber 321 , the gas supply ring 400 and the inner shutter 410 is annularly formed along the outer circumference of the upper chamber 321 . Also, in order to prevent outside air from flowing into the gas flow path 411, the spaces between the upper chamber 321, the gas supply ring 400, and the inner shutter 410 are sealed.

As shown in FIG. 12, the inner shutter 410 has a plurality of gas flow holes 412 formed at equal intervals on the circumference thereof. The inner shutter 410 can uniformly supply the moisture-containing gas horizontally into the processing chamber 320 through the gas flow holes 412 .

A central exhaust pipe 420 is connected to the central portion of the upper surface of the upper chamber 321 . Furthermore, an exhaust device 421 such as a vacuum pump is connected to the central exhaust pipe 420 . Also, the central exhaust pipe 420 is provided with a valve 422 for controlling the flow of exhausted gas. In addition, in this embodiment, the central exhaust pipe 420, the exhaust device 421 and the valve 422 constitute the central exhaust section in the present invention.

The rest of the configuration of the heating unit 310 is the same as the configuration of the heating unit 310 in the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

In the heating unit 310 configured as described above, the wafer W is placed on the heat treatment plate 360 and heated to a predetermined temperature (PEB process) while the inside of the process chamber 320 is sealed.

In the PEB process, a moisture-containing gas with a moisture concentration adjusted to, for example, 43% to 60% is supplied from the gas supply ring 400 through the inner shutter 410 into the processing chamber 320 at a flow rate of, for example, 20 L/min to 70 L/min. It is supplied at a flow rate and the internal atmosphere of processing chamber 320 is adjusted to a humidity of, for example, 43% to 60%. By adjusting the internal atmosphere of the processing chamber 320 to a predetermined humidity in this manner, the agglomeration reaction of the metal-containing resist can be promoted and the dimensions of the resist pattern can be made uniform.

In the PEB process, the inside of the processing chamber 320 is evacuated from the central exhaust pipe 420 (the central portion of the processing chamber 320) at, for example, 20 L/min to 70 L/min. By highly evacuating the inside of the processing chamber 320 from the central portion in this manner, the metal-containing sublimate inside the processing chamber 320 can be recovered and the concentration of the metal-containing sublimate can be reduced. Therefore, metal contamination can be suppressed.

In the PEB process, the flow rate of the moisture-containing gas supplied from the gas supply ring 400 and the exhaust amount exhausted from the central exhaust pipe 420 are substantially the same.

In addition, in the second embodiment, the case where a metal-containing resist is used as the metal-containing material has been described. It can also be applied to materials.

<Third Embodiment>
In the first and second embodiments described above, the moisture-containing gas is supplied to the interior of the processing chamber 320 during the PEB process. good too. Moreover, the water supply before the PEB treatment may be performed inside the heat treatment apparatus 40 or may be performed outside the heat treatment apparatus 40 .

First, the case where the water supply before the PEB process is performed inside the heat treatment apparatus 40 will be described. FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of the heat treatment apparatus 40 according to the third embodiment.

The heat treatment apparatus 40 has a configuration similar to that of the heat treatment apparatus 40 of the first embodiment. As a water supply nozzle 500 is provided. The moisture-containing gas may contain liquid water (mist). Also, the water supply nozzle 500 may eject liquid water.

The water supply nozzle 500 is provided above the temperature control plate 380 of the temperature control section 311 and is horizontally movable by a moving mechanism 501 . The water supply nozzle 500 has an elongated shape equal to or longer than the diameter of the wafer W, and the discharge port of the water supply nozzle 500 is formed in a slit shape. The water supply nozzle 500 supplies the water-containing gas to the entire surface of the metal-containing resist film on the wafer W by discharging the water-containing gas while moving above the wafer W in the horizontal direction. The supplied moisture-containing gas condenses and adheres to the metal-containing resist film, and water is supplied to the entire surface of the metal-containing resist film.

A water supply pipe 502 is connected to the water supply nozzle 500 . Furthermore, the water supply pipe 502 is connected to a water supply source 503 that supplies moisture-containing gas to the water supply nozzle 500 . Also, the water supply pipe 502 is provided with a valve 504 that controls the flow of the moisture-containing gas.

In the upper chamber 321 of the heating unit 310, the shower head 330, the gas supply pipe 332, the gas supply source 333, the valve 334, the outer exhaust passage 350, the outer exhaust pipe 351, the exhaust device 352, and the valve 353 of the first embodiment are provided. is omitted. That is, the upper chamber 321 is provided with a central exhaust pipe 341 , an exhaust device 342 and a valve 343 .

Next, the PEB treatment performed using the heat treatment apparatus 40 configured as described above will be described.

First, when the wafer W is loaded into the heat treatment device 40 by the wafer transfer device 70, the wafer W is transferred from the wafer transfer device 70 to the elevating pins 390 which have been previously raised and waited. Subsequently, the elevating pins 390 are lowered to place the wafer W on the temperature control plate 380 .

After that, the moisture-containing gas is discharged from the water supply nozzle 500 while moving the water supply nozzle 500 horizontally above the wafer by the moving mechanism 501 . The discharged moisture-containing gas condenses and adheres to the metal-containing resist film, and water is supplied to the entire surface of the metal-containing resist film. The amount of water supplied at this time corresponds to a predetermined humidity of the internal atmosphere of the processing chamber 320 in the above-described first embodiment, eg, 43% to 60%.

After that, the drive unit 383 moves the temperature control plate 380 along the rails 384 to above the heat treatment plate 360, and the wafer W is transferred to the lifting pins 370 which have been raised in advance and are waiting.

After that, the upper chamber 321 is lowered to bring the upper chamber 321 and the lower chamber 322 into contact with each other, thereby sealing the inside of the processing chamber 320 . Thereafter, the elevating pins 370 are lowered to place the wafer W on the heat treatment plate 360 . Then, the wafer W on the heat treatment plate 360 is heated to a predetermined temperature.

In the heat treatment of the wafer W, since water is supplied on the metal-containing resist film in advance, the agglomeration reaction of the metal-containing resist can be accelerated and the dimensions of the resist pattern can be made uniform.

Further, in the heat treatment of the wafer W, the inside of the processing chamber 320 is exhausted from the central exhaust pipe 341 (the central portion of the processing chamber 320) at, for example, 20 L/min to 70 L/min. By highly evacuating the inside of the processing chamber 320 from the central portion in this manner, the metal-containing sublimate inside the processing chamber 320 can be recovered and the concentration of the metal-containing sublimate can be reduced. Therefore, metal contamination can be suppressed.

After that, the upper chamber 321 is raised. The wafer W is lifted by the elevating pins 370 , the temperature control plate 380 is moved above the heat treatment plate 360 , and the wafer W is transferred from the elevating pins 370 to the temperature control plate 380 . After that, the temperature adjustment plate 380 is moved to the wafer transfer area D side, and the wafer W is adjusted to a predetermined temperature while the temperature adjustment plate 380 is being moved.

In addition, in the case where water supply before the PEB treatment is performed inside the heat treatment apparatus 40 , the water supply unit is not limited to the water supply nozzle 500 . For example, the water supply nozzle 500 may be provided at the loading/unloading port of the wafer W formed in the processing container 300. In such a case, the water containing gas is supplied from the water supply nozzle 500 to the wafer W loaded into the processing container 300. be done.

Next, a case where moisture supply before PEB processing is performed outside the heat treatment apparatus 40 will be described. FIG. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of a water coating device 510 according to the third embodiment.

The water coating device 510 has a processing container 520 whose inside can be closed. A loading/unloading port (not shown) for the wafer W is formed on the side surface of the processing container 520 on the wafer transfer area D side, and the loading/unloading port is provided with an open/close shutter (not shown).

A spin chuck 530 that holds and rotates the wafer W is provided in the center of the processing container 520 . The spin chuck 530 has a horizontal upper surface, and the upper surface is provided with a suction port (not shown) for sucking the wafer W, for example. The wafer W can be sucked and held on the spin chuck 530 by suction from this suction port.

Below the spin chuck 530, a driving section 531 including, for example, a motor is provided. Spin chuck 530 can be rotated at a predetermined speed by driving unit 531 . Further, the drive unit 531 is provided with an elevation drive source such as a cylinder, and the spin chuck 530 can be moved up and down.

A cup 532 is provided around the spin chuck 530 to receive and collect liquid that scatters or drops from the wafer W. As shown in FIG. A discharge pipe 533 for discharging the collected liquid and an exhaust pipe 534 for evacuating the atmosphere in the cup 532 are connected to the lower surface of the cup 532 .

Above the spin chuck 530, a water supply nozzle 540 is provided as a water supply unit for supplying liquid water to the metal-containing resist film on the wafer W. As shown in FIG. The water supply nozzle 540 is horizontally movable by a moving mechanism 541 . As a result, the water supply nozzle 540 can move from the standby portion 542 installed outside the cup 532 to above the central portion of the wafer W in the cup 532, and further move over the wafer W in the radial direction of the wafer W. .

A water supply pipe 543 is connected to the water supply nozzle 540 . Furthermore, a water supply source 544 that supplies water to the water supply nozzle 540 is connected to the water supply pipe 543 . Also, the water supply pipe 543 is provided with a valve 545 for controlling the flow of water.

In the water coating device 510 , after holding the wafer W by the spin chuck 530 , the water supply nozzle 540 is moved above the center of the wafer W by the moving mechanism 541 . After that, water is supplied to the wafer W from the water supply nozzle 540 while the wafer W is being rotated by the spin chuck 530 . The supplied water is diffused over the entire surface of the wafer W by centrifugal force, and the entire surface of the metal-containing resist film on the wafer W is coated with water. The amount of water supplied at this time corresponds to a predetermined humidity of the internal atmosphere of the processing chamber 320 in the above-described first embodiment, eg, 43% to 60%.

The water coating device 510 configured as described above is arranged in the first block G1 of the substrate processing system 1, for example.

Water is supplied to the metal-containing resist film in the water coating device 510 after the PAB treatment in step S2 shown in FIG. 4 and before the PEB treatment in step S5. However, from the viewpoint of the throughput of wafer processing, it is preferable to carry out before the exposure processing of step S4.

Note that the heat treatment apparatus 40 of the present embodiment has a configuration in which the water supply unit is omitted from the heat treatment apparatus 40 shown in FIG. is omitted.

This embodiment can also enjoy the same effect as the above embodiment. That is, water is supplied to the metal-containing resist film from the water supply nozzle 540 of the water coating device 510 instead of supplying the moisture-containing gas from the water supply nozzle 500 of the heat treatment device 40 . Therefore, in the PEB processing of the heat treatment apparatus 40, the agglomeration reaction of the metal-containing resist can be promoted, and the dimensions of the resist pattern can be made uniform. Further, by highly evacuating the inside of the processing chamber 320 from the central portion in the PEB process, the metal-containing sublimate can be recovered, and metal contamination can be suppressed.

In addition, when water supply before the PEB treatment is performed outside the heat treatment apparatus 40 , the water supply unit is not limited to the water supply nozzle 540 in the water coating apparatus 510 . For example, the interface station 13 may be provided with a moisture supply section, and moisture-containing gas may be supplied from the moisture supply section to increase the humidity inside the interface station 13 .

In the third embodiment, a metal-containing resist is used as the metal-containing material. However, the third embodiment is similar to the first and second embodiments. It can also be applied to materials such as metal hard mask materials.

<Fourth Embodiment>
Next, a fourth embodiment of the heat treatment apparatus 40 will be described. The heat treatment apparatus 40 according to the fourth embodiment has the same structure as that of the heat treatment apparatus 40 according to the first embodiment except for the configuration of the heating unit 310 .

First, the configuration of the heating unit 310 will be described. FIG. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of the heating section 310 according to the fourth embodiment.

An upper chamber 600 of the heating unit 310 is provided instead of the upper chamber 321 in the first embodiment. The upper chamber 600 has a generally cylindrical shape with an open bottom as a whole. The upper chamber 600 has a top plate 601 and an opening/closing shutter 602 provided downward from the outer peripheral portion of the top plate 601 . A top plate 601 is fixed, and an opening/closing shutter 602 is configured to be movable up and down.

Then, the opening/closing shutter 602 and the lower chamber 322 abut to seal the inside of the processing chamber 320 . That is, in the first embodiment, the processing chamber 320 is opened and closed by raising and lowering the upper chamber 321 itself. there is

The rest of the configuration of the heating unit 310 is the same as the configuration of the heating unit 310 in the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

Next, the PEB treatment performed using the heat treatment apparatus 40 configured as described above will be described. 16A and 16B are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the heat treatment apparatus 40. FIG.

First, as shown in FIG. 16A, the opening/closing shutter 602 is raised to seal the inside of the processing chamber 320, and the wafer W is placed on the heat treatment plate 360 and heated to a predetermined temperature. This step is substantially the same as step B1 in the first embodiment. That is, a moisture-containing gas whose moisture concentration is adjusted to, for example, 43% to 60% is supplied from the shower head 330 at a flow rate of, for example, 4 L/min, and the internal atmosphere of the processing chamber 320 is adjusted to a humidity of, for example, 43% to 60%. be done. Then, the aggregation reaction of the metal-containing resist is promoted. Further, the inside of the processing chamber 320 is exhausted from the outer exhaust path 350 (the outer peripheral portion of the processing chamber 320) at, for example, 4 L/min or more.

After that, as shown in FIG. 16B, the wafer W is lifted by the lift pins 370 to separate the wafer W from the heat treatment plate 360 . In this state, the supply of moisture-containing gas from the shower head 330 is stopped, and the exhaust of the inside of the processing chamber 320 from the outer exhaust path 350 is stopped. Then, the inside of the processing chamber 320 is exhausted from the central exhaust path 340 (the central portion of the processing chamber 320) at, for example, 20 L/min to 70 L/min. At this time, since the wafer W is separated from the heat treatment plate 360, the aggregation reaction of the metal-containing resist is stopped, and the generation of the metal-containing sublimate from the metal-containing resist is suppressed. Moreover, since the wafer W is brought closer to the central exhaust path 340, the metal-containing sublimate can be recovered more efficiently. This step is substantially the same as step B3 in the first embodiment, and is performed for 10 to 15 seconds, for example.

After that, as shown in FIG. 16C, the opening/closing shutter 602 is lowered to open the processing chamber 320 . At this time, as shown in FIG. 16(b), generation of the metal-containing sublimate is suppressed, and the metal-containing sublimate is appropriately recovered, so that leakage of the metal-containing sublimate to the outside is suppressed. can be done.

Then, as shown in FIG. 16(d), the wafer W is transferred from the elevating pins 370 to the temperature control plate 380, after which the wafer W is adjusted to a predetermined temperature while the temperature control plate 380 is moving. This step is almost the same as step B4 in the first embodiment.

This embodiment can also enjoy the same effect as the above embodiment. That is, by supplying the moisture-containing gas into the processing chamber 320, the agglomeration reaction of the metal-containing resist can be promoted, and the dimensions of the resist pattern can be made uniform. Further, by highly evacuating the inside of the processing chamber 320 from the central portion, the metal-containing sublimate can be recovered, and metal contamination can be suppressed.

In the fourth embodiment, the case where a metal-containing resist is used as the metal-containing material has been described. It can also be applied to materials such as metal hard mask materials.

<Fifth Embodiment>
In the first to fourth embodiments described above, water is supplied to the metal-containing resist film as the metal-containing film before or during the PEB process. In this case, since the sensitivity to moisture is lower than that of the metal-containing resist, active moisture supply may be omitted.

However, even in such a case, it is necessary to control the airflow in the heat treatment in order to suppress film quality unevenness of the metal hard mask, which causes unevenness in wet etching as described above. Therefore, in the heating unit 310 of the heat treatment apparatus 40, in order to prevent the inflow of external air that may disturb the airflow inside the processing chamber 320, an outer peripheral portion of the processing chamber 320 (upper chamber 321) is vertically and annularly arranged. An airflow (so-called air curtain) may be formed.

A fifth embodiment of the heat treatment apparatus 40 forms such an air curtain in the heating section 310 . The heat treatment apparatus 40 according to the fifth embodiment has the same structure as that of the heat treatment apparatus 40 according to the first embodiment except for the configuration of the heating unit 310 .

First, the configuration of the heating unit 310 will be described. FIG. 17 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of the heating section 310 according to the fifth embodiment.

The upper chamber 321 of the heating unit 310 includes the shower head 330, the gas supply pipe 332, the gas supply source 333, the valve 334, the central exhaust pipe 341, the exhaust device 342, the valve 343, the outer exhaust path 350, The outer exhaust pipe 351, the exhaust device 352, and the valve 353 are omitted.

An air supply ring 700 serving as an air supply unit is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the upper surface of the upper chamber 321 to supply air to the outer peripheral portion of the processing chamber 320 . The air supply ring 700 is annularly provided along the outer circumference of the upper chamber 321 . The air supply hole of the air supply ring 700 is also formed annularly along the air supply ring 700 .

An air supply pipe 701 is connected to the air supply ring 700 . Further, an air supply source 702 for supplying air to the air supply ring 700 is connected to the air supply pipe 701 . Further, the air supply pipe 701 is provided with a valve 703 for controlling air circulation.

An exhaust ring 710 serving as an air exhaust portion for exhausting air supplied from the air supply ring 700 is provided at the lower end portion of the side surface of the upper chamber 321 . The exhaust ring 710 is annularly provided along the outer circumference of the upper chamber 321 .

An exhaust pipe 711 is connected to the exhaust ring 710 . Furthermore, an exhaust device 712 such as a vacuum pump is connected to the exhaust pipe 711 . Also, the exhaust pipe 711 is provided with a valve 713 for controlling the circulation of the exhausted air.

The rest of the configuration of the heating unit 310 is the same as the configuration of the heating unit 310 in the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

In the heating unit 310 configured as described above, the wafer W is placed on the heat treatment plate 360 and heated to a predetermined temperature while the inside of the processing chamber 320 is sealed. During the heat treatment, air supplied from the air supply ring 700 is discharged from the exhaust ring 710 to form a so-called air curtain. Since the air curtain suppresses the inflow of outside air into the processing chamber 320, it is possible to suppress the generation of air currents during the heat treatment. Therefore, film quality unevenness of the metal hard mask can be suppressed, and wet etching of the metal hard mask can be performed uniformly.

In the above embodiment, the air curtain is formed by an air current directed downward, but may be formed by an air current directed upward from the bottom.

Also, the air curtain around the outer periphery of the processing chamber 320 in the fifth embodiment may be applied to the first to fourth embodiments. For example, in the heat treatment of step A1 of the first embodiment, an air curtain may be formed around the outer periphery of the processing chamber 320 to prevent outside air from flowing into the processing chamber 320 . Alternatively, this air curtain may be used when the inside of the processing chamber 320 is highly evacuated in step A3.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that a person skilled in the art can conceive various modifications or modifications within the scope of the idea described in the claims, and these naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. understood as a thing.
Furthermore, the following disclosure is also proposed.
(1) A heat treatment method for heat-treating a metal-containing film formed on a substrate by supplying moisture to the inside of the processing chamber while the substrate is placed on a heat-treating plate provided inside the processing chamber. A first step of evacuating the inside of the processing chamber at a first exhaust rate while supplying the moisture-containing gas; and a second step of exhausting at an exhaust rate of .
(2) In the heat treatment, a moisture-containing gas is supplied to the inside of the processing chamber while the substrate is placed on a heat treatment plate provided inside the processing chamber, and the inside of the processing chamber is evacuated at a first exhaust rate. and then stopping the supply of the water-containing gas, and evacuating the inside of the processing chamber from the central portion of the processing chamber at a second evacuation rate larger than the first evacuation rate. and a second step of evacuating.
(3) The processing chamber has an upper chamber that can be raised and lowered, and a lower chamber that can be sealed integrally with the upper chamber, and in the second step, the upper chamber is raised, Outside air may flow into the inside of the processing chamber from the outer peripheral portion, and the inside of the processing chamber may be exhausted from the central portion of the processing chamber.
(4) In the heat treatment method, after the second step, the substrate is lifted from the heat treatment plate, the supply of the water-containing gas is stopped, and the inside of the treatment chamber is moved from the central portion of the treatment chamber to the second step. may further include a step of exhausting with an exhaust amount of .
(5) A shower head having a plurality of gas supply holes formed in a lower surface is provided inside the processing chamber and at a position facing the heat treatment plate, and in the first step, the The water-containing gas may be provided inside the processing chamber.
(6) In the heat treatment, with the substrate placed on the heat treatment plate, a moisture-containing gas is supplied to the interior of the processing chamber from a moisture supply section provided annularly on the outer periphery of the processing chamber, and The inside of the processing chamber may be exhausted from a central exhaust section provided in the center of the upper surface of the processing chamber.
(7) A plurality of gas supply holes are formed in the water supply part at equal intervals on the circumference of the water supply part, and the water-containing gas is supplied into the processing chamber from the gas supply holes. may be
(8) An annular gas circulation part is provided inside the water supply part in the outer peripheral part of the processing chamber, and the gas circulation part has a plurality of gas circulation parts at equal intervals on the circumference of the gas circulation part. A hole may be formed, and the moisture-containing gas supplied from the moisture supply part may be supplied to the inside of the processing chamber through the plurality of gas flow holes.
(9) In the heat treatment method, a metal-containing material is applied to a substrate to form the metal-containing film, the metal-containing film is exposed, and then the metal-containing film is heat-treated before or during the heat treatment. Alternatively, water may be supplied to the metal-containing film.
(10) An opening/closing shutter for opening and closing the processing chamber is provided at an outer peripheral portion of the processing chamber, and the heat treatment is performed with the processing chamber closed by the opening/closing shutter and the substrate placed on the heat treatment plate. a first step of supplying a moisture-containing gas to the interior of the processing chamber and evacuating the interior of the processing chamber from an outer peripheral portion of the processing chamber; and evacuating the inside of the processing chamber from the central portion of the processing chamber, and then a third step of opening the processing chamber by the open/close shutter. good.
(11) In the heat treatment, an air flow may be formed in a vertical direction and in an annular shape in an outer peripheral portion of the processing chamber.
(12) A heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating a metal-containing film formed on a substrate,
A processing chamber for housing a substrate, a heat treatment plate provided inside the processing chamber on which the substrate is placed, a moisture supply section for supplying moisture to the metal-containing film, and an exhaust section for exhausting the interior of the processing chamber. and a controller for controlling operations of the processing chamber, the heat treatment plate, the moisture supply unit, and the exhaust unit, wherein the moisture supply unit supplies a moisture-containing gas into the processing chamber,
The control unit
a first step of supplying the moisture-containing gas to the inside of the processing chamber from the moisture supply unit while the substrate is placed on the heat treatment plate, and exhausting the interior of the processing chamber; a second step of stopping the supply of the moisture-containing gas from the unit and increasing the exhaust amount of the exhaust, and controlling the operations of the heat treatment plate, the moisture supply unit, and the exhaust unit. , heat treatment equipment.
(13) The water supply unit is a shower head provided inside the processing chamber and at a position facing the heat treatment plate, and a plurality of gas supply holes are formed in the lower surface of the shower head. may be
(14) The processing chamber has an upper chamber that can be raised and lowered, and a lower chamber that can be sealed integrally with the upper chamber. The processing chamber and the exhaust unit may be controlled such that the chamber is raised to allow outside air to flow into the processing chamber from the outer peripheral portion thereof, and the exhaust unit exhausts the interior of the processing chamber.
(15) The heat treatment apparatus further includes an elevating unit that elevates the substrate, and the control unit elevates the substrate from the heat treatment plate by the elevating unit after the second step, and the moisture supply unit raises the substrate. The lifting section, the water supply section, and the exhaust section are controlled so that the supply of the moisture-containing gas is stopped, and the interior of the processing chamber is exhausted by the exhaust section at the same exhaust amount as in the second step. You may
(16) The moisture supply section is provided in an annular shape on the outer periphery of the processing chamber to supply a moisture-containing gas into the processing chamber, and the moisture supply section has a plurality of gas supply holes. It may be formed at equal intervals on the circumference of the part.
(17) The heat treatment apparatus further includes a gas circulation portion annularly provided inside the moisture supply portion in the outer peripheral portion of the processing chamber, and the gas circulation portion has a plurality of gas circulation holes. They may be formed at equal intervals on the periphery of the circulation portion.
(18) The water supply unit may supply water to the metal-containing film on the substrate before being placed on the heat treatment plate.
(19) The heat treatment apparatus includes an opening/closing shutter provided on the outer periphery of the processing chamber for opening and closing the processing chamber, an elevating unit for elevating the substrate inside the substrate, the opening/closing shutter, the heat treatment plate, a control unit that controls the elevating unit, the moisture supply unit, and the exhaust unit, the moisture supply unit supplying a moisture-containing gas into the processing chamber, and the control unit controlling the opening and closing of the processing chamber. The processing chamber is closed by a shutter, and the moisture-containing gas is supplied from the moisture supply unit to the inside of the processing chamber in a state where the substrate is placed on the heat treatment plate, and the inside of the processing chamber is exhausted by the exhaust unit. a first step of evacuating, after which the substrate is lifted from the heat treatment plate by the elevating section, supply of the water-containing gas from the water supply section is stopped, and the inside of the processing chamber is evacuated by the exhaust section. and then a third step of opening the processing chamber by the opening/closing shutter, the heat treatment plate, the elevating section, the moisture supply section, and the exhaust section. may be controlled.
(20) The heat treatment apparatus includes an air supply unit that is annularly provided at one end in the vertical direction of the outer periphery of the processing chamber and supplies air to the outer periphery of the processing chamber, and an air supply unit that supplies air to the outer periphery of the processing chamber. It may further include an air discharge section that is annularly provided at the other end and that discharges the air supplied from the air supply section.

1 substrate processing system 40 heat treatment apparatus 200 control unit 310 heating unit 311 temperature control unit 320 processing chamber 321 upper chamber 322 lower chamber 330 shower head 331 gas supply hole 340 central exhaust passage 341 central exhaust pipe 350 outer exhaust passage 351 outer exhaust pipe 360 Heat treatment plate 370 lifting pin 400 gas supply ring 401 gas supply hole 410 inner shutter 412 gas flow hole 420 central exhaust pipe 500 water supply nozzle 510 water coating device 540 water supply nozzle 600 upper chamber 601 top plate 602 open/close shutter 700 air supply ring 710 Exhaust ring W Wafer

Claims (7)

A substrate processing method in which moisture is supplied to a metal-containing film formed on a substrate for heat treatment,
The substrate processing method includes
heat-treating the metal-containing film on the substrate having the metal-containing film exposed while the processing chamber is evacuated while the substrate is placed on a heat-treating plate provided inside the processing chamber; have
A substrate processing method, wherein water is supplied to the metal-containing film before or during the heat-treating step to promote an aggregation reaction of the metal-containing film . Before the step of performing the heat treatment, supplying moisture to the metal-containing film on the substrate on which the metal-containing film is formed in a container that is different from the processing chamber and can be closed inside. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 . 3. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein in said heat treatment, an air flow is formed in a vertical direction and in an annular shape around an outer peripheral portion of said processing chamber. A substrate processing system for heat-treating a metal-containing film formed on a substrate,
a processing chamber containing a substrate;
a heat treatment plate provided inside the processing chamber on which the substrate is placed;
a water supply unit that supplies water to the metal-containing film;
an exhaust unit for exhausting the inside of the processing chamber;
a control unit that controls operations of the heat treatment plate, the moisture supply unit, and the exhaust unit;
The control unit
With respect to the substrate having the metal-containing film exposed to light, the substrate is placed on the heat-treating plate, and the heat treatment is performed on the metal-containing film while the inside of the processing chamber is being evacuated by the exhaust part. Operation of the heat treatment plate, the water supply unit and the exhaust unit so as to supply water to the metal-containing film to promote an agglomeration reaction of the metal-containing film before the step or during the step of performing the heat treatment. A substrate processing system that controls A substrate processing system for heat-treating a metal-containing film formed on a substrate,
a processing chamber containing a substrate;
a heat treatment plate provided inside the processing chamber on which the substrate is placed;
a water supply unit that supplies water to the metal-containing film;
an exhaust unit for exhausting the inside of the processing chamber;
a control unit that controls operations of the heat treatment plate, the moisture supply unit, and the exhaust unit;
The water supply unit is provided inside another processing container provided outside the processing chamber,
The control unit
With respect to the substrate having the metal-containing film exposed to light, the heat-treating plate is arranged such that the heat-treating of the metal-containing film is performed while the substrate is placed on the heat-treating plate and the inside of the processing chamber is evacuated by the exhaust unit. and controlling the operation of the exhaust unit, and supplying moisture to the metal-containing film inside the separate processing container before the step of performing the heat treatment, in order to promote an agglomeration reaction of the metal-containing film. a substrate processing system for controlling the operation of the water supply unit. an air supply unit that is annularly provided at one end in the vertical direction of the outer peripheral portion of the processing chamber and that supplies air to the outer peripheral portion of the processing chamber;
6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 4 and 5 , further comprising an air discharge section provided annularly at the other end in the vertical direction of the outer periphery of the processing chamber and discharging air supplied from the air supply section. A substrate processing system as described. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program that runs on a computer of a control unit that controls a substrate processing system so that the substrate processing method is executed by the substrate processing system,
The substrate processing method includes
A substrate processing method in which moisture is supplied to a metal-containing film formed on a substrate for heat treatment,
The substrate processing method includes
heat-treating the metal-containing film on the substrate having the metal-containing film exposed while the processing chamber is evacuated while the substrate is placed on a heat-treating plate provided inside the processing chamber; have
Moisture is supplied to the metal-containing film before or during the heat-treating step to promote aggregation reaction of the metal-containing film.

Images