JPH1131646A - Method and apparatus for peripheral exposure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a method and an apparatus for peripheral exposure operation, in which it is possible to restrain a resist in an exposed wafer edge part from being bubbled in the peripheral exposure operation, which is performed before and after the patterning operation of the resist by an aligner of a step- and-repeat system or the like. SOLUTION: A wafer 2 which is coated with a resist is conveyed onto a wafer chuck 1 at an exposure unit, it is chucked, and after that, a wafer edge part is covered with a light-transmitting member 3. After that, the wafer 2 is turned by using a wafer chuck shaft 5 as the center, light from a light source 4 is transmitted through the light-transmitting member 3, and a wafer outer circumferential part is exposed. At this time, even if the bubbling phenomenon of the resist is generated directly under the light-transmitting member 3, the scraps and the fragments of the resist will not scatter because the light- transmitting member 3 is situated on the film face of the resist. Moreover, it is possible to restrain the scraps and the fragments of the resist from being stuck to the neighborhood of the wafer edge part and to other regions.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an exposure method for exposing a resist on a wafer and a peripheral exposure apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a semiconductor device, a resist is patterned by an exposure apparatus such as a step-and-repeat method, and an etching operation or the like is performed using the pattern as a mask. Normally, the wafer to be used for this operation is placed either before or after the resist pattern exposure operation so that resist debris and dust are not generated from a portion that holds the wafer during a wafer process such as an etching operation, that is, an edge portion of the wafer. Then, a portion corresponding to the wafer edge portion is exposed to a predetermined exposure amount, and the resist is removed.

[0003]

However, in the exposure of the wafer edge, the resist gas bubbles due to the reaction gas generated by the photoreaction of the resist,
As a result, a problem arises in that a resist foam is attached to the vicinity thereof and other regions to cause a pattern defect and lower the yield of the semiconductor device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. In a peripheral exposure performed before and after patterning of a resist by an exposure apparatus such as a step-and-repeat method, a resist at an exposed wafer edge portion is exposed. It is an object of the present invention to obtain a peripheral exposure method and apparatus capable of suppressing foaming.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an exposure method which does not block light in a peripheral exposure for exposing a portion corresponding to a wafer edge of a resist formed on an upper surface of a wafer with a predetermined exposure amount. An exposure method comprising covering a portion corresponding to a wafer edge with a member, and performing exposure with the member provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a peripheral exposure apparatus for exposing a portion corresponding to a wafer edge of a resist film formed on an upper surface of a wafer with a predetermined exposure amount, wherein a member which does not block light corresponds to the wafer edge. Cover the part to be
An exposure apparatus is characterized in that exposure is performed with the above members provided.

[0007]

According to the present invention, since the portion corresponding to the wafer edge is covered with a member that does not block light, and exposure is performed with the above member provided, resist dust and debris due to foaming adhere to the vicinity of the wafer edge and other regions. Can be suppressed.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a state of an edge exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention at the time of exposure.
1A is a cross-sectional view thereof, and FIG. 1B is a top view thereof.
In the figure, a wafer 2 adsorbed on a wafer chuck 1 is covered with a light transmitting member 3, and a light source 4 is disposed on an upper portion.

The operation will be described below. The wafer 2 coated with the resist is transported onto the wafer chuck of the exposure unit shown in FIG. 1, and after chucking, the light transmitting member 3 covers the wafer edge. Thereafter, the wafer rotates about the wafer chuck shaft 5, and the light from the light source 4 passes through the light transmitting member 3 to expose the outer peripheral portion of the wafer. At this time, even if the resist bubbling phenomenon occurs immediately below the light transmitting member 3, since the light transmitting member 3 is on the resist film surface, the resist dust and debris due to the foaming do not scatter and the vicinity of the wafer edge and other areas. It is possible to suppress the adhesion of resist dust and fragments to the surface. In the above embodiment, the light transmitting member 3 for controlling the scattering of resist dust and fragments is in contact with the wafer 2 and rotates together with the wafer 2, but the light transmitting member 3 does not need to be in contact with the wafer 2. It is only necessary that the space for controlling the scattering of resist dust and debris be kept with the wafer 2, and there is no need to rotate with the wafer 2.

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the light transmitting member is provided on the resist film surface during the peripheral exposure, even if the resist foams, the resist debris and debris are removed from the wafer edge. Adhesion to the vicinity and other regions can be suppressed, and as a result, there is an effect that pattern defects generated due to resist dust and fragments are suppressed and the product yield of semiconductor devices is not reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a state in which a wafer is placed on an exposure unit of a peripheral exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention and exposed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wafer chuck 2 Wafer 3 Light transmission member 4 Light source 5 Wafer chuck shaft

Claims (2)

[Claims] In a peripheral exposure for exposing a portion corresponding to a wafer edge of a resist formed on an upper surface of a wafer with a predetermined exposure amount, a portion corresponding to the wafer edge is covered with a member that does not block light, and An exposure method, wherein exposure is performed in a state where the exposure apparatus is provided. 2. A peripheral exposure apparatus for exposing a portion corresponding to a wafer edge of a resist formed on an upper surface of a wafer with a predetermined exposure amount, comprising a member that covers the wafer edge and does not block light. Exposure equipment.