JPH0312918A - Spray development method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To contrive the uniformity of developing dimensions and the removal of a resist residuum by regulating rotation angles rotating about the axis of a spray nozzle having a slit and spraying a developing solution on a substrate in such a way as to allow a distance from the periphery of the substrate to the point of the slit to be shorter than a distance from the center part of the substrate to the point of the slit. CONSTITUTION:A slit 2 is provided at the point of a uniform fan-shaped spray nozzle 1 and a developing solution is sprayed fanwise. Its spraying makes an incident angle theta1 with respect to the face of a substrate 3 of the spray nozzle 1 large; besides, the longitudinal piece of the slit is allowed to be perpendicular to the face of the substrate 3 and the distance l1 from the periphery of the substrate to the slit is allowed to be shorter than the distance l0 from the center part to the slit by regulating rotation angles theta2 rotating about the axis of the spray nozzle having the slit 2. In this way, the amount of spraying from the center part to the periphery increases and the rate of development becomes even. A resist residuum left at the periphery of the substrate after development is thus removed; besides, the dimension distribution in the face of the substrate of a photomask and the like becomes uniform.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Summary] The present invention relates to a spray developing device for a substrate such as a photomask.

The angle of rotation of a slit provided at the tip of the spray nozzle around the axis of the spray nozzle is adjusted for the purpose of uniform development dimensions and removal of resist residue, and the distance from the periphery of the substrate to the tip of the slit is adjusted. The developing solution is constructed by spraying the developer onto the substrate from the spray nozzle at a distance shorter than the distance from the center of the substrate to the tip of the slit.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a spray developing apparatus for substrates such as photomasks.

As integrated circuits become more highly integrated and miniaturized, the accuracy of pattern dimensions and distribution required for substrates such as photomasks is becoming increasingly strict.

For this reason, in the development process of substrates such as photomasks, spray development has been increasingly used instead of dipping treatment.

[Conventional technology] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example.

In the figure, 13 is a spray nozzle, and 14 is a substrate.

15 is a vacuum chuck, 16 is a cup, 17 is a rebound prevention plate, and 18 is an injection surface.

The advantages of spray development are that the process is easy to automate, the size distribution of the developed pattern is highly uniform, and
Examples include that the developer sprayed from the spray nozzle is always fresh and that the amount of developer used can be significantly reduced.

However, in the current situation where even stricter precision is required, it is not possible to deal with variations in dimensions within the plane of a substrate such as a photomask.

This is due to the following secondary factors.

FIG. 3(a) shows a cross-sectional view of a developing device having uniform fan-shaped spray nozzles 13. In this device, during development,
A substrate 14 such as a photomask is fixed by a vacuum chuck 15 and rotated once. The developer is sprayed onto the spray surface 18 of the substrate 14 in a fan shape.

Therefore, as shown in a perspective view of the jetting surface 18 on the substrate 14 in FIG. 3(b), the rotation of the substrate 14 is slow at the center and 9
The peripheral areas are fast. In the uniform fan-shaped spray nozzle 13, the developer is evenly sprayed onto the spray surface on a straight line from the center 0 to the periphery r. The difference is that it is more in the center and less in the periphery.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Therefore, the development speed at the periphery of a substrate such as a photomask is slower than at the center, and the pattern after development has a difference in size between the periphery and the center. A problem arises in that a residue remains.

The present invention is provided for the purpose of making the developed size uniform and removing residues in spray development of a substrate such as a photomask.

[Means to solve the problem]

FIG. 1 is a diagram explaining the principle of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is a spray nozzle, 2 is a slit, 3 is a substrate, and 4 is a spray surface.

As shown in FIG. 1(b), a uniform fan-shaped spray nozzle 1 is provided with a slit 2 at its tip.

From this, the developer is sprayed in a fan shape. At the current position where the slit 2 is parallel to the surface of the substrate 3, the distance from the center O to the tip of the spray nozzle is ρ. and 2. Distance from the periphery r to the tip of the spray nozzle! 2 are equidistant, so the developer is injected at the same amount as the entire flow rate at each part of the injection surface.2 The flow rate of developer per unit area in the periphery with a long peripheral length is relatively lower than that in the center. In addition to the phenomenon that the development speed in one peripheral area becomes slow due to the decrease in the amount of water, there is also a problem in that resist residue is generated due to insufficient flow rate.

Therefore, as a method to solve this problem, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. The rotation angle θ2 is adjusted so that the long piece of the slit is perpendicular to the surface of the substrate 3, and the distance 11 from the periphery of the substrate is made shorter than the distance 10 from the center.

In this way, the amount of spraying to the peripheral area is larger than that to the central area, and a developing method with uniform developing speed and no resist residues can be achieved.

Furthermore, if the width of the slit is not uniform, but is formed into a wedge shape with one side widened, the flow rate at one peripheral portion can be increased, and the resist residue can be quickly washed away.

[Effect]

As described above, by rotating twice, the position (angle) of the spray nozzle slit relative to the substrate surface is moved so that more developer hits the peripheral area where the development speed is slow, and the position (angle) of the spray nozzle slit with respect to the substrate surface is moved closer to the peripheral area (as it gets closer, the flow rate is increased and the developing Make sure the speed is the same as the center.

In addition, by flushing and removing resist residues in the peripheral areas, it is possible to improve treatment of one-dimensional non-uniformity and residues.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 5 is a spray nozzle, and 6 is a substrate.

7 is a vacuum chuck, 8 is a cup, 9 is a rebound prevention plate,
10 is a lid, and 11 is a slit.

FIG. 2(a) is a sectional view of the spray developing device of the present invention.

In the device used, the spray nozzle 5 is located on the side with a large incident angle, and the flow rate is adjusted by aligning the axis of the spray nozzle with the long piece of the slit 1 of the spray nozzle 5 perpendicular to the surface of the substrate 6. This was done by adjusting the rotation angle.

An enlarged view of the jetting surface 12 relative to the substrate is shown in FIG. 2(b).

Further, an enlarged view of the slit 1 of the spray nozzle 5 and its rotation angle are shown in FIG. 2(c).

The rotation angle θ2 of the slit 11 can be adjusted from vertical to horizontal by rotating the tip of the spray nozzle 5.

In the embodiment, a substrate 6 such as a photomask that has been sent is fixed to a vacuum chuck 7 and rotated at 200 to 300 rpm.

Thereafter, under nitrogen pressure (1 to 2 kg/cm<2>), the developer is sprayed from the spray nozzle 5 (*11) and hits the spray surface 12 on the surface of the substrate 6.

The distance from the tip of the spray nozzle 5 to the center 0 and the periphery r of the substrate 6 is the incident angle O1 of the spray nozzle 5.
By taking a large value, the injection amount in each part can be adjusted uniformly.

FIG. 2(d) shows the shape of the slit model.

This expands the range in which the spray amount at each part of the spray surface can be freely adjusted, taking into account the angle of incidence of the spray nozzle.

(Effects of the invention) By the above method, it is possible to remove resist residue remaining on the periphery of the substrate after development, and also to equalize the size distribution within the substrate surface of the photomask etc. - minimum value) was also halved from 0.1 μm to about 0.05 μm.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram explaining the principle of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of the conventional example. It is. In the figure l is spray nozzle 2 is slit 3 is the substrate, 4 is the injection surface 5 is a spray nozzle, 6 is a substrate 7 is a vacuum chuck, 8 is a cup 9 is the bounce prevention plate, 10 is the lid 11 is the slit, 12 is the injection surface The sound of a whisper

Claims (1)

[Claims] The rotation angle of the slit (2) provided at the tip of the spray nozzle (1) around the axis of the spray nozzle (1) is adjusted, and the slit (2) is rotated from the periphery of the substrate (3). 2) from the center of the substrate (3) to the tip of the slit (2).
A spray developing method characterized in that the developer is sprayed from the spray nozzle (1) onto the substrate (3) at a distance shorter than the distance to the tip of the spray nozzle.