JPH02133916A - Resist coating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To form a uniform resist film and to form a high-accuracy pattern by providing a spray means, toward a substrate, of a solvent used to form an atmosphere of the solvent in a prescribed region of the substrate. CONSTITUTION:A water 1 is vacuum-sucked to a wafer chuck 2; a prescribed amount of a resist 8 is dripped from a resist discharge nozzle 7; the water 1 is turned. The air is discharged from an evacuation tube 5 and a liquid is discharged from a drainage tube 6. In addition, a gas, e.g., nitrogen gas, is supplied, in a direction of 14, to a gas supply tube connected to a solvent container 10; the inside of the solvent container 10 is pressurized by a vapor of a solvent 11; the vapor of the solvent 11 flows in a direction of 16 through a liquid supply tube 15 and is supplied to a solvent discharge nozzle 12. An atmosphere of the solvent 11 is formed; thereby, it is possible to restrain the solvent 11 in the resist 8 to be coated from being volatilized; it is possible to avoid that a difference in viscosity of the resist 8 between the central part and a peripheral part of the water 1 is caused.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a resist coating apparatus used for manufacturing semiconductor devices.

[Conventional technology]

In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, there is a resist coating process for pattern formation. High integration of the above semiconductor devices
As miniaturization progresses, the above-mentioned pattern is also required to be highly accurate, and for this reason, it is necessary to form a uniform resist film.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a conventional resist coating device. In the figure, +11 is a substrate to be processed, for example, a wafer made of silicon single crystal, etc. (2 is this wafer i
The wafer chuck (3) is a rotary shaft that is connected to the wafer chuck (2) and is rotatable. (4) is a cup in which the wafer chuck (2) is contained, (5) is an exhaust pipe provided at the bottom of the cup (4), and (6) is a drain port also provided at the bottom. (7) is a resist discharge nozzle provided on the upper part of the wafer chuck 12), and (8) is a dropped resist discharged onto the wafer fil from this resist discharge nozzle.

Resist coating is performed on the wafer 11+ in the following manner. First, when the wafer ill is supplied onto the wafer chuck (2), the wafer chuck (2)
A vacuum system (not shown) connected to the wafer (1) is operated, and the wafer (1) is vacuum-adsorbed. Next, a predetermined amount of resist (8) is dropped from the resist discharge nozzle (7). Thereafter, a motor (not shown) connected to the rotating shaft (3) is operated, and the wafer il+ is rotated at a predetermined rotation speed for a predetermined period of time. At this time, the air is exhausted from the exhaust pipe (5) at a constant speed, and when the wafer +11 is rotated, mist is generated by the splashing of unnecessary resist from the cup (4) of the dripping resist (8) onto the main surface of the wafer +11. This is done to prevent re-attachment of Further, most of the unnecessary resist is drained from the drain pipe 16). When the wafer 111 is rotated for a predetermined period of time, the rotation shaft (31) is stopped, the vacuum system of the wafer chuck (2) is turned off, and the vacuum suction is released.
The wafer (1) is carried out. In this way, the resist (8) is coated on the wafer Ill, and a resist film (9) is obtained as shown in FIG. This resist film (9) is thin in the central part (9a) and thin in the peripheral part (9b).
), the film thickness is thicker than that of the central portion (9a).

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The conventional resist coating apparatus is configured as described above, and a resist film (9) is formed on the wafer +ll.

At this time, the resist (
8) is rotated, as shown in FIG.
It spreads radially in the direction of the outer periphery of the wafer il+ in the direction of the illustrated arrow. Here, by rotating at a predetermined high speed for a predetermined time, it is controlled to have a desired film thickness, but while the resist (8) moves toward the outer periphery, friction with the wafer tl+ and air A phenomenon occurs in which the solvent component forming the resist f8I t m evaporates due to contact with the resist f8I tm. Therefore, the resist film (9) formed by increasing the viscosity of the resist 18) on the outer circumferential side of the wafer (1) is thicker in the peripheral part (9b) than in the central part (9a). It becomes.

Therefore, when the entire resist pattern is formed, the width of the pattern will be different between the center and the periphery of the wafer 111 due to the cracks, resulting in poor dimensional accuracy. there were.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a resist coating apparatus t that can form a resist film with a uniform thickness and improve pattern accuracy.

[Means to solve the problem]

The resist coating apparatus according to the present invention supplies a resist onto a substrate and rotates the substrate to form a resist film of a predetermined thickness. It is equipped with means for spraying a solvent to create an atmosphere.

[Effect]

The means for supplying a solvent in the present invention suppresses volatilization of the solvent in the resist when the resist to be applied is supplied to the substrate and spreads. Therefore, it has a function of keeping the viscosity of the resist uniform between the central part and the peripheral part of the substrate.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Hereinafter, all the drawings of the embodiments of this invention will be explained.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure of a resist coating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. What is shown in this figure differs from what is shown in FIG. 4 in the following points.

That is, the exhaust fi51. A drain pipe (6) is provided, and a wafer chuck (3) is inserted into the cup (4) and attached to the end of the rotary shaft (3) which can be rotated.
2) are connected, and the wafer chuck (2) is contained in the cup. The above wafer chuck (21
A resist discharge nozzle (7) is attached to the upper m of the resist, and the resist (8) to be applied from the nozzle (7) is
Wafer fi vacuum-adsorbed on the wafer chuck (2)
It is the same as the conventional method in that the drop is applied to the wafer 1! ) is provided with a solvent discharge nozzle 021 that supplies the solvent in the form of a spray to the upper part of the periphery.

This solvent discharge nozzle (liquid supply pipe 05 connecting with the solvent container (1O) containing bath salts (11)) is connected to the nozzle.

Using the resist coating apparatus configured as described above, resist coating is performed on the wafer (1) in the following manner.

First, when the wafer (l) is supplied onto the wafer chuck (2), a vacuum system (not shown) connected to the wafer chuck (2) is operated, and the wafer t11 is vacuum-adsorbed.

Next, the resist (
8) is dropped in a fixed manner. Subsequently, a motor (not shown) connected to the rotating shaft (3) operates, and the wafer (
11 is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed for a predetermined time. Usually, this rotation is performed at a low speed to remove the dropped resist (
8) is applied so as to spread over the entire surface of the wafer, and then a film of a predetermined thickness is formed at high speed. This is to prevent the mist generated when the wafer bounces off the cup (4) from re-adhering to the main surface of the wafer t11. Further, most of the unnecessary resist is drained from the drain pipe (6).

Furthermore, simultaneously with the rotation of the wafer (11), gas, for example nitrogen gas, is supplied in the direction of arrow 04 to a gas supply pipe connected to the solvent container (10). This allows the solvent (11) in the solvent container (10) to be removed, for example for positive resist (
The main solvent of No. 8 is bubbled, and the inside of the solvent container (101) is pressurized by the vapor of the solvent (11). At this time,
The valve (19) is in the open state, and the liquid supply pipe 05)
The vapor of the solvent (11) flows in the direction of arrow α0 and is supplied to the solvent discharge nozzle 021. The vapor of this solvent (11) is supplied onto the wafer III to form a solvent (11) atmosphere, so that the solvent (11) in the resist (8) evaporates during resist application. is suppressed.

Therefore, the occurrence of a viscosity difference between the central portion and the peripheral portion of the wafer (1) of the coated resist (8) is avoided. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, if a resist film I201 is formed on the wafer (1),
ll5t with a predetermined film thickness and uniform over the entire surface
It becomes thick. Note that after applying the resist, the valve (l)
@ becomes a closed state.

By the way, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a resist coating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. This device is different from the one shown in FIG. 1 in that an upper nozzle (12a) and a lower nozzle (12b) are provided sandwiching the wafer i11, and the solvent container 101 is connected to the solvent container 10 through the valve θ9.1.
The upper liquid supply pipe (15) and the lower liquid supply pipe (lη) are connected to the fidgeting upper nozzle (12a) and the lower nozzle (12b). The resist film 12 is coated with a resist coating device.
When 0) is formed, a more uniform 1 (>j thickness) can be obtained, and a highly accurate resist pattern is formed.

FoC, in the description of the above embodiments, all examples are shown in which one solvent discharge nozzle (12) is provided around the wafer (1), or one each on the upper and lower parts sandwiching the wafer (1). My thoughts are these/cheating t121 (12a) (1
2b), the number of attachments, the attachment position, etc., and the supply chest, etc. may be selected as appropriate, and are not limited to the above.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, when a resist film is entirely formed on a substrate, a means for supplying a jet of solvent toward the board is provided, so that a bath agent atmosphere is formed and a uniform resist is formed. ), which has the effect of allowing highly accurate pattern formation.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a resist coating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a resist film coated with the same as shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a resist coating device according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a conventional resist coating device, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a conventional resist coating device. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a resist film coated by the method shown in FIG. In the figure, (1) is the wafer, (8) is the resistor l-, +
IO+ is a solvent container, (11) is a solvent, (12) is a solvent discharge nozzle, r12a) is an upper nozzle, and (12b) is a lower nozzle. In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent parts.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim] A resist coating device that supplies a resist onto a semiconductor substrate and forms a resist film of a predetermined thickness by rotating the substrate, wherein a predetermined area of the resist is applied toward the substrate. A resist coating device equipped with a means for spraying and supplying a solvent to create a solvent atmosphere.