JPH0420753Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial technical field] The present invention relates to a resist solution supply device, and in particular,
The present invention relates to a resist solution supply device that supplies a resist solution contained in a resist solution dedicated container to a wafer for forming an integrated circuit that is being rotated by a wafer rotation mechanism, and drops the resist solution onto the wafer.

[Conventional technology]

It is well known that in the manufacturing process of integrated circuits such as ICs and LSIs, wafers are subjected to one or more photosensitive treatments to form desired circuits. During photosensitive treatment in this manufacturing process, a resist solution is applied onto the wafer to form a resist layer with a desired thickness. The resist solution supplied to the wafer for coating on the wafer is generally stored in a special container and managed to prevent deterioration as much as possible.

Conventionally, a glass bottle with a screw cap attached to it or a stainless steel canister has been used as a special container. As a resist solution supply device for taking out the resist solution from these containers, supplying it to the wafer, and coating it on the wafer, those shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 are used.

The resist solution supply device shown in FIG. 7 discharges a resist solution 3 from inside a container 1 using a bellows pump 2, and transfers the resist solution 3 via an air operator 4 and a suction bag 5 onto a wafer 6 being rotated by a wafer rotation mechanism R. It is applied dropwise. At this time, in order to prevent the internal pressure from decreasing due to the decrease in the resist solution 3 and the deterioration of the resist solution 3, for example,
An inert gas 7 such as _N2 gas is supplied.

The resist solution supply device shown in FIG. 8 injects a pressurized inert gas 7 into a container 1 from the outside, and uses this pressure to supply a resist solution 3 to a wafer 6 via an air operator 4 and a suction bag 5, and then It is applied dropwise.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, in both the above devices, the container 1
Since the inert gas is injected into the resist solution 3, the solvent in the resist solution 3 evaporates and the viscosity of the solution 3 changes. This change in viscosity makes the finished film thickness after resist coating unstable, which may impede the production of integrated circuits.

This invention was made in view of the above points,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a resist solution supply device that can supply a resist solution to be applied onto a wafer without deteriorating its quality.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, a resist solution supply device according to the present invention supplies a resist solution contained in a resist solution dedicated container to a wafer for forming an integrated circuit that is rotated by a wafer rotation mechanism, In the resist solution supply device for dropwise coating onto the wafer, the resist solution container is formed of a corrosion-resistant synthetic resin material such as polypropylene, polyethylene, Teflon, etc. with creases in advance, and the resist solution is supplied by a pump communicating with the resist solution container. Due to a decrease in the internal pressure or an increase in the external pressure due to the pressurized container containing the resist solution container, the crease is bent and the inner volume of the resist solution container is reduced, and the resist solution solution is reduced in internal volume. A special feature is that the resist solution inside is discharged from the dedicated container, and the discharged resist solution is supplied to the wafer.

Further, in a preferred embodiment, the resist solution dedicated container has a light shielding film such as an aluminum film that prevents light from entering the resist solution inside.

[Effect]

With the above configuration, a resist solution container containing a resist solution to be supplied to a wafer for forming an integrated circuit and applied dropwise onto the wafer is made of a corrosion-resistant synthetic resin material such as polypropylene, polyethylene, or Teflon, and has creases formed in advance. It is formed by This dedicated resist solution container reduces its internal pressure by the pump connected to it.
Alternatively, due to an increase in the external pressure caused by the pressurized container that houses it, it will break at the folds and its internal volume will decrease. Due to this reduction in internal volume, the resist solution inside the resist solution container is drained and supplied to the wafer, so the resist solution in the resist solution container is supplied to the wafer and dripped onto it. It is kept isolated from any gas until it is applied.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is an overview diagram showing an embodiment of a container exclusively for resist solution used in the resist solution supply device of the present invention. The surface 1a has a vertical fold line 1b and an oblique fold line 1c continuous with the fold line 1b. Therefore,
When pressure is applied from the outer periphery of container 1, crease 1
Since both b and 1c are bent inward, container 1
The internal volume of will decrease. Incidentally, a connection port 1d is integrally provided in the upper part of the container 1.

FIG. 2 shows this container 1 connected to a resist coating line, and the resist solution 3 in the container 1 is pulled up by a bellows pump 2, and then passed through an air operator 4 and a suction back 5 to a wafer rotation mechanism R. The liquid is dropped onto the wafer 6 which is rotating on the constituent chuck. As the resist liquid 3 decreases, the pressure inside the container 1 is reduced, but the folds 1b and 1c are pressed and bent inward by atmospheric pressure, so the internal volume of the container 1 decreases, and as a result, the inside volume of the container 1 decreases. is held at a predetermined pressure.

In FIG. 3, the container 1 is placed inside another pressurized container 8, an inert gas 7 for pressurization is injected into the pressurized container 8, and the pressure of the inert gas 7 is applied to the resist solution in the container 1. 3 is supplied onto the wafer 6.

Figures 4, 5, and 6 show connection port 1 in container 1.
d is attached in a later step, and a protector 9 is attached to the inner surface of the container body 1, and a cap 10 shaped as shown in FIG. 6 is attached to the upper part of the protector 9. ing. The cap 10 is composed of a pair of arcuate parts, and has a pair of tapered guide portions 10a and a stepped lock portion 10b provided at the end of the guide portion 10a.

The connector 11 that is secured to the cap 10 is as shown in FIG. 6, and includes a needle 11b with an introduction hole 11a in the center, a clasp portion 11d with bosses 11c formed on both sides, and an uneven outer periphery. The provided clamp part 11e
As shown in FIG.
A Teflon tube 12 is attached to the outer periphery of the tube, and is connected to the Teflon tube 12 by a clamp member 13 without a gap. Note that 14 is an O-ring that comes into pressure contact with the upper surface of the container 1.

Therefore, the container 1 containing the resist solution can be stored separately from the manufacturing process line, and when used, the Teflon tube 12 is attached to the connector 11 with the clamp member 13 in advance, and the needle of the connector 11 is 11b is inserted into the container 1, and the boss 11c of the connector 11 is attached to the lock portion 10b of the mouthpiece 10 via the guide portion 10a, thereby making it possible to easily install it on a manufacturing process line.

Although the protector 9 protects the container 1 when the needle 11b is inserted, it may be omitted. In this case, the cap 10 is
It can also be formed integrally with.

Further, in the above embodiment, the container 1 was formed only from a colored synthetic resin material, but if the outer surface is coated with a light-shielding thin film such as an aluminum film or a sand-chilled material is used, the resist inside the container 1 can be The solution is shielded from light, and deterioration of the resist solution can be further prevented.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that the shape of the container 1 can be modified in various ways, such as a rectangular or elliptical cross section, as long as a fold is formed.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, according to the present invention, a resist solution exclusive container made of a corrosion-resistant synthetic resin material such as polypropylene, polyethylene, Teflon, etc. with creases in advance is used, and the internal pressure is reduced by a pump communicating with the resist solution container. By folding the container at the above-mentioned crease and reducing its internal volume by increasing the external pressure of the pressurized container containing the resist solution, the resist solution inside the container is drained and supplied to the wafer. hand,
Since the resist solution is supplied to the wafer and kept in a state cut off from any gas until it is applied dropwise onto the wafer, deterioration of the resist solution applied to the wafer can be suppressed, and the resist solution applied to the wafer can be Solution application can always be performed with high precision.

Further, in a preferred embodiment, since the resist solution container has a light-shielding film such as an aluminum film that prevents light from entering the resist solution, deterioration of the resist solution due to light can be easily prevented.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing an embodiment of a dedicated resist solution container used in the resist solution supply device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an embodiment of the resist solution supply device of the present invention using the container shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment, FIG. 4 is an external view showing a partial modification of the container in FIG. 1, and FIG.
The figure is a cross-sectional view of the cap part used in the embodiment of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the connector and cap in FIGS. 4 and 5, and FIGS. 7 and 8 are conventional resist solution supply devices. It is an explanatory view showing an example. 1... Container, 1b, 1c... Crease, 2... Pump (bellows pump), 6... Wafer, 8...
...Pressure container, R...Wafer rotation mechanism.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) A resist solution contained in a container exclusively for resist solution is supplied to a wafer for forming an integrated circuit which is being rotated by a wafer rotation mechanism, and applied dropwise onto the wafer. In the resist solution supply device, the resist solution dedicated container is formed of a corrosion-resistant synthetic resin material such as polypropylene, polyethylene, or Teflon with creases formed in advance, and the internal pressure is reduced by a pump communicating with the resist solution dedicated container, or Due to an increase in the external pressure of the pressurized container housing the resist solution container, the crease is bent and the internal volume of the resist solution container is reduced, and due to the decrease in internal volume, the resist solution container is compressed by the resist solution inside. A resist solution supply device characterized in that the resist solution is discharged and the discharged resist solution is supplied to the wafer. (2) Utility model registration claim 1, characterized in that the resist solution exclusive container has a light-shielding film such as an aluminum film that prevents light from entering the resist solution inside.
The resist solution supply device described in Section 3.