JPH09213616A - Rotary substrate coating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To specify the discharging direction of a thin film-melting nozzle onto a substrate surface by horizontally moving the thin film-melting nozzle so that the virtual prolonged line of the movement locus of the arrival point of the substrate surface level of the molten solution discharge from the thin film-melting nozzle may pass the turning center of the substrate or nearby part thereof. SOLUTION: The length of the straight line connecting the axial core P1 of a motor shaft to the turning center of a substrate W held on a rotary base 3 is set up to be equal to the straight line connecting the arrival point Q of the molten solution discharged from the thin film-melting nozzle 13 in the state on the axial core P1 and the discharge position on the surface level of the substrate W. A nozzle moving means is composed so that, when the thin film- melting nozzle 13 is to be moved in the horizontal direction in the state of said nozzle 13 on the discharging position, the virtual prolonged line L of the movement locus T from the arrival point Q of the molten solution discharged from said nozzle 13 on the surface level of the substrate W may pass the turning center P of the substrate W.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photoresist, a photosensitive polyimide, a dopant material, a coating solution for forming a silica-based coating film, which is formed by spin coating on the surface of a circular substrate such as a semiconductor substrate or a substrate for optical disks. In order to remove the unnecessary thin film on the outer peripheral edge of the thin film, the substrate holding means holds the circular substrate rotatably, and the coating liquid is supplied to a portion corresponding to the rotation center of the substrate held by the substrate holding means. A liquid supply unit, a thin film dissolving nozzle for dissolving and removing an unnecessary thin film on the outer peripheral edge of the substrate by discharging a dissolving liquid to the outer peripheral edge of the substrate after forming a thin film by spin coating on the surface, and the thin film dissolving nozzle, A nozzle provided with a nozzle moving means that moves in a horizontal direction between a standby position located outside the outer peripheral edge of the substrate in plan view and a discharge position of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate overlapping the substrate in plan view. For Formula substrate coating apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As described above, a method for removing an unnecessary thin film on the outer peripheral edge of a substrate is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 62-89.
The one disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 134 is known. That is, according to this conventional example, by changing the position of the thin film dissolving nozzle in the radial direction, the thin film dissolving nozzle is moved between the standby position and the discharge position, and by using the moving structure, the difference in the size of the substrate to be processed is obtained. It is configured so that it can also be used.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, the ejection position of the thin film melting nozzle is moved in the radial direction in order to cope with the difference in the size of the substrate to be processed. Accordingly, there is a drawback that the discharge direction of the thin film melting nozzle changes with respect to the substrate surface. More specifically, there is no problem if the discharge direction of the thin film melting nozzle is the vertical direction, but it is generally inclined with respect to the rotation direction of the substrate and the radial direction of the substrate. The angle will change.

As a result, when substrates of different sizes are used, or in the case of multi-layer coating, the position where the solution reaches the thin film from the outer peripheral edge of the substrate is to be changed between the first layer and the second layer. However, there has been a drawback that the degree of removal of the unnecessary thin film on the outer peripheral edge of the substrate changes and the quality deteriorates.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the rotary substrate coating apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention is adapted to the substrate surface regardless of the movement of the discharge position of the thin film melting nozzle. An object of the present invention is to maintain the discharge direction of the thin film dissolving nozzle constant, and the rotary substrate coating apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention removes the unnecessary thin film on the outer peripheral edge of the substrate with easy operation and accuracy. The purpose is to be able to.

[0006]

The invention according to claim 1 is
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a substrate holding means for holding a circular substrate rotatably and a coating liquid supply means for supplying a coating liquid to a portion corresponding to the rotation center of the substrate held by the substrate holding means. In a plan view, the thin film dissolving nozzle that discharges the dissolving liquid to the outer peripheral edge of the substrate after the thin film is formed by spin coating on the surface to dissolve and remove the unnecessary thin film on the outer peripheral edge of the substrate, and the thin film dissolving nozzle are seen in a plan view. A nozzle for a rotary substrate coating apparatus comprising: a standby position located outside the outer peripheral edge of the substrate; and a nozzle moving unit that horizontally moves over a discharge position of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate overlapping the substrate in plan view. When the moving means is moved in the horizontal direction with the thin film dissolving nozzle in the discharge position, the virtual extension line of the moving locus of the arrival point at the surface level of the substrate of the dissolving liquid discharged from the thin film dissolving nozzle is the rotation of the substrate. Center or configured to pass through the vicinity thereof.

Further, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the rotary substrate coating apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention should be the arrival point of the solution discharged from the thin film dissolving nozzle at the surface level of the substrate. It comprises a setting input means for setting and inputting a position and a control means for controlling the movement amount of the nozzle moving means based on the setting input by the setting input means.

[0008]

According to the structure of the rotary type substrate coating apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, when the position of the thin film melting nozzle is moved, the position and the rotation center of the substrate are connected at any position. The movement trajectory of the arrival point of the solution discharged from the thin film dissolution nozzle on the substrate surface becomes orthogonal to the tangential direction of the virtual circle of the radius, and the dissolution solution is discharged from the thin film dissolution nozzle to the substrate surface. You can keep the direction unchanged.

Further, according to the structure of the rotary type substrate coating apparatus of the second aspect of the invention, the position of the arrival point of the dissolving liquid discharged from the thin film dissolving nozzle to the substrate surface is automatically set to a desired position. Can be made.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a rotary substrate coating apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. A rotary base 3 for vacuum-holding a substrate W is attached to the upper end of a rotary shaft 2 that rotates around P so as to be integrally rotatable, and the substrate W has a vertical axis (rotation center of the substrate) P.
Substrate holding means 4 for holding the substrate so that it can be driven to rotate is configured.

Above the substrate holding means 4, a coating liquid supply nozzle (not shown) is provided as a coating liquid supply means for supplying a coating liquid such as a photoresist liquid onto the substrate W. A scattering prevention cup 5 that receives the coating liquid that has been scattered during spin coating is provided around the periphery, and the coating liquid is dripped and supplied from the coating liquid supply nozzle to the center of rotation of the surface of the substrate W to rotate the substrate W. It is configured to spread over the entire surface of the substrate by a centrifugal force to form a thin film on the surface of the substrate.

A base member 6 on the outer side of the scattering prevention cup 5
Further, as shown in the partially cutaway front view of the main part of FIG. 3, the rear view of the main part of FIG. 4, and the perspective view of the main part of FIG. At the same time, the support block 8 is slidable only in the vertical direction on the motor shaft 7a of the pulse motor 7 by the spline fitting configuration.
Is attached, and the thin film melting nozzle 13 is attached to the upper end of the column member 9 attached to the support block 8 via the horizontal arm 10, the angle-shaped support bracket 11, and the nozzle holding member 12.

A guide rod 15 and an air cylinder 16, which are slidably provided only in the vertical direction on the base member 6, are connected to a plate member 14 mounted on the support block 8 so as to be relatively rotatable.

With these configurations, the pulse motor 7 is driven to rotate about the axis P1 of the motor shaft 7a, and the thin film melting nozzle 13 is located at a standby position outside the outer peripheral edge of the substrate in plan view. The air cylinder 16 is moved to the discharge position of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate overlapping the substrate W in a plan view, and when moving on the splash prevention cup 5, the air cylinder 16 is extended and positioned at a high position, while at the discharge position, The air cylinder 16 is shortened and lowered so that the tip position of the thin film melting nozzle 13 can be positioned at a position close to a predetermined level on the substrate surface.

As shown in FIG. 1, the axis P of the motor shaft 7a
1 and the length of a straight line connecting the rotation center P of the substrate W held on the turntable 3 and the axis P1 of the motor shaft 7a and the substrate of the dissolution liquid discharged from the thin film dissolution nozzle 13 in the discharge position. The length of the straight line connecting the arrival point Q at the surface level of W is set to be equal, and when the thin film melting nozzle 13 is moved horizontally in the discharging position, the thin film melting nozzle 13 ejects The nozzle is moved so that a virtual extension line L (shown by a chain double-dashed line) of a movement locus T (shown by a chain double-dashed line) of the reaching point Q of the dissolved solution on the surface level of the substrate W passes through the rotation center of the substrate P. Means are configured.

The arm 10 is composed of a first arm 10a on the support member 9 side and a second arm 10b on the tip side.
The second arm 10b is slidably fitted onto the first arm 10a, and a pair of bolts 17 is formed through an elongated hole (not shown) formed in the second arm 10b and extending in the arm longitudinal direction. , 17, and the length of the arm 10 can be adjusted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the support bracket 11
Is rotatably attached to the second arm 10b about the axis in the arm longitudinal direction so that the angle can be adjusted with the axis in the arm longitudinal direction, and the axis R formed on the support bracket 11 It is fixed by a bolt 19 through an elongated hole 18 having an arc shape centered at, and the discharge angle of the thin film melting nozzle 13 to the substrate surface with respect to the rotation direction of the substrate W can be adjusted. For example, when the substrate W is rotated counterclockwise, which is the general rotation direction of the substrate W, the discharge angle of the thin film melting nozzle 13 to the substrate surface with respect to the rotation direction of the substrate W is as shown in FIG. , It is set to about 15 ° from the vertical direction, but this angle can be adjusted.

The nozzle holding member 12 is a support bracket 1
1 is rotatably mounted around an axis perpendicular to the arm longitudinal direction, and is fixed by a bolt 21 through an arcuate slot 20 centered on the axis S formed in the support bracket 11, and the substrate W It is possible to adjust the discharge angle of the thin film melting nozzle 13 to the substrate surface with respect to the radial direction. Normally, the discharge angle of the thin film melting nozzle 13 to the substrate surface with respect to the radial direction of the substrate W is as shown in FIG. 6 (B in FIG. 1).
As shown in the (-B line arrow view), it is set to about 15 ° from the vertical direction, but this angle can be adjusted.

With the above structure, the length of the arm 10 is adjusted in accordance with the adjustment of the discharge angle of the thin film melting nozzle 13 to the substrate surface with respect to the rotation direction and the radial direction of the substrate W, and the arm 10 is in the discharge position. The length of a straight line connecting the arrival point Q of the solution discharged from the thin film dissolution nozzle 13 at the surface level of the substrate W and the axis P1 of the motor shaft 7a can be maintained constant.

Above the motor shaft 7a, an origin sensor for detecting the rotation angle of the motor shaft 7a by arranging sensors in the vertical direction in parallel, and an angle detecting means 22 as a limit sensor are provided.

As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 7, the controller 23 is connected to the setting device 24, the pulse motor 7 is connected thereto, and the controller 23 is provided with the position setting means 26 and the memory 27. .

The setting device 24 is adapted to input and set a processing mode for dissolving and removing unnecessary thin films such as 6-inch wafers, 8-inch wafers, and multi-layer coatings, whereby the dissolving liquid discharged from the thin film dissolving nozzle 13 is set. The position to be the arrival point at the surface level of the substrate W is set. The setting device 24 corresponds to the setting input means in the claims. In the position setting means 6, the preset pulse number of the pulse motor 7 up to the reaching point to be stopped, which is obtained in advance, is read from the memory 27 based on the processing mode input and set by the setter 24, and the pulse is set at the preset pulse number. The motor 7 is driven.

When the operation of the pulse motor 7 for the set number of pulses is completed, the movement of the thin film melting nozzle 13 is automatically stopped. As a result, the substrate W of the dissolution liquid discharged from the thin film dissolution nozzle 13
The position of the reaching point will be moved to the set position.

With the above configuration, there is a difference in the size of the substrate W such as a 6 inch wafer and an 8 inch wafer,
In the case of multi-layer coating, for example, when the position is gradually changed from the outer peripheral edge to the rotation center P side of the substrate W in order to sequentially remove the raised portion of the outer peripheral edge, the thin film melting nozzle 13 ejects the liquid. Dissolved liquid substrate W
The position of the reaching point can be automatically moved to the set position easily and accurately.

Further, in the above embodiment, the length of the straight line connecting the axis P1 of the motor shaft 7a and the rotation center P of the substrate W held on the turntable 3, the axis P1 of the motor shaft 7a and the discharge position. Is set so that the length of the straight line connecting the reaching point Q at the surface level of the substrate W of the dissolving liquid ejected from the thin film dissolving nozzle 13 is equal to the ejecting position of the thin film dissolving nozzle 13. When moving horizontally in the state of, the virtual extension line L of the moving locus of the arrival point Q of the solution discharged from the thin film dissolution nozzle 13 at the surface level of the substrate W passes through the rotation center P of the substrate W. Since the moving means is configured to do so, even when the substrate size is different, or when it is desired to change the discharge position of the dissolution liquid such as in the case of multilayer coating, the inclination angle of the thin film dissolution nozzle with respect to the rotation direction of the substrate or the radial direction of the substrate one It can be discharged in solution while maintaining the. Therefore, the quality of removal of the unnecessary thin film from the outer peripheral edge of the substrate can be maintained depending on the discharge position of the dissolving liquid onto the substrate. In addition, when it is desired to change the discharge position of the solution, the thin film dissolution nozzle 13 is in the discharge position within a range in which the inclination angle of the thin film dissolution nozzle with respect to the rotation direction of the substrate and the radial direction of the substrate can be kept constant to some extent. When moving in the horizontal direction, the arrival point Q at the surface level of the substrate W of the solution discharged from the thin film dissolution nozzle 13
The moving means may be configured so that the virtual extension line L of the movement locus of (1) passes near the rotation center P of the substrate W.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the virtual extension line of the moving trajectory T of the arrival point of the solution discharged from the thin film dissolution nozzle 13 at the surface level of the substrate W passes through the rotation center P of the substrate W. However, the arm 10 having the thin film melting nozzle 13 at the tip is rotated by the pulse motor 7 so as to form an arc-shaped movement locus T having a radius larger than the radius of the substrate W. Instead of this, a rotary drive structure such as a swing structure using a servomotor or a rodless cylinder may be used. Further, if it is configured so as to have such an arc-shaped movement locus T, there is an advantage that the apparatus space can be made small. For example, an internal screw member integrally provided with the arm 10 is driven by a motor to rotate a screw shaft. It is also possible to adopt a so-called ball screw configuration in which a guide that linearly moves the inner screw member is provided while being externally fitted to the nozzle, and the nozzle moving means may be configured to have a linear movement locus.

[0027]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the rotary substrate coating apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to move the position of the reaching point of the substrate surface of the solution discharged from the thin film dissolving nozzle. Regardless, the direction in which the solution is discharged from the thin film dissolution nozzle to the surface of the substrate does not change, so the thin film will remain in the same state even if the substrate size is changed or the position is changed layer by layer in the case of multilayer coating. It is possible to discharge the dissolution liquid to the and improve the quality.

According to the rotary type substrate coating apparatus of the second aspect of the present invention, the position of the arrival point of the solution from the thin film dissolving nozzle for changing the size of the substrate is changed, and the layer in the case of multilayer coating is applied. When changing the position of the reaching point of the dissolving liquid from the thin film dissolving nozzle in each, the position to be the reaching point at the substrate surface level of the dissolving liquid discharged from the thin film dissolving nozzle, just by resetting from the setting input means, The amount of movement of the nozzle moving means is controlled, and the position of the reaching point is automatically controlled to the set position.
Therefore, the unnecessary thin film on the outer peripheral edge of the substrate can be removed with high accuracy by an easy operation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a rotary type substrate coating apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway front view of a main part.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the main part.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main part.

FIG. 6 is a view taken along the line BB of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 ... Substrate holding means 7 ... Pulse motor constituting nozzle moving means 13 ... Thin film melting nozzle 22 ... Angle detecting means 23 ... Controller as control means L ... Virtual extension line of moving path P ... Rotation axis core Q of substrate Point T ... Movement trajectory W ... Substrate

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A substrate holding means for holding a circular substrate rotatably and rotatably, a coating liquid supplying means for supplying a coating liquid to a portion corresponding to the center of rotation of the substrate held by the substrate holding means, and a surface rotating device. A thin film dissolving nozzle that discharges a dissolving liquid to the outer peripheral edge of the substrate after forming a thin film by coating to dissolve and remove an unnecessary thin film on the outer peripheral edge of the substrate, and the thin film dissolving nozzle from the outer peripheral edge of the substrate in plan view. A nozzle moving unit that horizontally moves between a standby position located outside and a discharge position of a substrate outer peripheral edge portion that overlaps the substrate in a plan view. , A virtual extension line of a movement locus of a reaching point at the surface level of the substrate of the solution discharged from the thin film dissolution nozzle when the thin film dissolution nozzle is moved in the horizontal direction in the discharge position is Rotary substrate coating apparatus characterized by being configured to pass through the rotation center or near the plate. 2. A setting input means for setting and inputting a position to be a reaching point on the surface level of the substrate of the dissolving liquid discharged from the thin film dissolving nozzle, and the nozzle movement based on the setting input by the setting input means. The rotary substrate coating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls a moving amount of the unit.