JPH1174188A - Substrate thermal treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a bake cover from spoiling in temperature uniformity by a method, wherein the bake cover is set higher in heat capacity at its part near the inlet/outlet of a chamber than at its part distant from the inlet/outlet. SOLUTION: A bake cover 16 is so formed as to make its part 24 near the inlet/outlet 20 of a chamber 18 larger in thickness than its part which is distant from the inlet/outlet 20 of a chamber 18. The part 24 of the bake cover 16 near the inlet/outlet 20 of the chamber 18 is set larger in heat capacity than the part of the bake cover 16 distant from the inlet/outlet 20. The bake cover 16 is formed through a manner, wherein a base is formed of stainless steel material, and the surface of the base is coated with a material such as ceramics material which is lower in thermal conductivity than that of stainless steel material. The bake cover is provided with a ceramic coating layer which is located confronting a hot plate 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer,
After applying a coating solution such as a coating solution for forming a silica-based film such as a photoresist, an SOG material or a dopant material on a surface of a substrate such as a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device or a photomask, the substrate is subjected to heat treatment, The present invention relates to a substrate heat treatment apparatus used when a substrate coated with a chemically amplified resist is subjected to bake processing after exposure or heat treatment after development.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A substrate processing apparatus such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for sequentially performing a plurality of processes on a substrate includes a cassette 1 capable of storing a plurality of substrates W as shown in a schematic plan view of FIG. The substrates W to be mounted and processed are taken out of the cassette 1 one by one and carried out. At the same time, all the processed substrates are received one by one and the cassette 1
An indexer unit I housed in the inside, a transfer unit T in which a self-propelled substrate transfer robot 2 having a substrate transfer arm is arranged, a plurality of heat treatment units including a hot plate (not shown), and a cool plate ( (Not shown), a coating section C having a spin coater (not shown), and a developing section D having a spin developer (not shown). It is composed of Among these, in the heat treatment unit of the heat treatment unit H, the substrate after the coating liquid such as a photoresist is applied to the surface in the coating treatment unit C, or the substrate on which the chemically amplified resist is applied is subjected to external heating. After the exposure processing by the exposure apparatus, heat treatment such as post-exposure bake (PEB) processing is performed.

As shown in a schematic vertical sectional view of FIG. 5, a substrate heat treatment apparatus constituting a heat treatment unit directly places a substrate W coated with a coating liquid such as a photoresist on an upper surface thereof.
Alternatively, there is provided a hot plate 10 on which a minute sphere having a size of 1 mm or less is placed with a small space between the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate W, for example. A plurality of, for example, three, through holes 12 are formed in the hot plate 10, and lift pins 14 are respectively slidably inserted in the respective through holes 12 in a vertical direction. Although not shown, the three lift pins 14 are fixed to an elevating plate, and the elevating plate is connected to an actuator that reciprocates it vertically. Then, the lift plate is raised by the actuator, so that the upper ends of the three lift pins 14 protrude upward from the upper surface of the hot plate 10, and the substrate W is lifted by the three lift pins 14.
Is supported while being separated from the upper surface of the hot plate 10. Further, by lowering the elevating plate by the actuator while the substrate W is supported by the three lift pins 14, as shown in FIG.
The lift pins 14 are pulled downward from the upper surface of the hot plate 10, so that the substrate W is transferred from above the lift pins 14 to the upper surface of the hot plate 10. Such lifting operation on the lift pins 14 is performed when the substrate W is carried out of the apparatus and when the substrate W is carried in the apparatus.

A bake cover 36 is disposed above the hot plate 10 so as to cover the substrate W placed on the hot plate 10, and a heat treatment space is provided between the bake cover 36 and the hot plate 10. Is formed. The bake cover 36 is supported in parallel with the upper surface of the hot plate 10 by a support mechanism (not shown), and is reciprocated vertically by a lifting mechanism (not shown). The bake cover 36 is held at the illustrated position when the substrate W is carried in and out, and is moved downward during the heat treatment of the substrate W so that the hot plate 10
Is formed between them.

[0005] Hot plate 10 and bake cover 3
6 is disposed in a chamber 18 having a housing shape. An entrance / exit 20 for carrying in / out the substrate W is formed on a side surface of the chamber 18, and the entrance / exit 20 is opened and closed by a shutter 22. This substrate heat treatment apparatus is provided with an entrance 2
0 is disposed so as to face the transport unit T of the substrate processing apparatus.
Further, although not shown, an exhaust unit for performing a weak exhaust from the periphery of the hot plate 10 downward is provided, and is provided on the back side of the apparatus (opposite the surface facing the transfer unit T of the substrate processing apparatus). Has been exhausted.

[0006]

The substrate processing apparatus as shown in FIG. 4 is installed in a clean room. In order to maintain a high degree of cleanliness in the substrate processing apparatus, the area where the substrate processing apparatus is installed must be clean. The downflow of air is strengthened. For this reason, the installation space of the substrate processing apparatus has a higher atmospheric pressure than its surroundings, and an airflow is generated from the installation space of the substrate processing apparatus to the outside. As a result, when the substrate W is loaded and unloaded in the substrate heating apparatus shown in FIG. 5, air flows into the chamber 18 from the transfer section T of the substrate processing apparatus through the entrance 20 of the chamber 18, and the air is discharged. The high temperature atmosphere between the hot plate 10 and the bake cover 36 is pushed to the back side of the apparatus.
Further, when the substrate W is loaded into the chamber 18 through the opened entrance 20, air is moved together with the substrate W along with the movement of the substrate transfer arm of the substrate transfer robot 2.
8, and the air pushes the high-temperature atmosphere between the hot plate 10 and the bake cover 36 to the back side of the apparatus.

[0007] The bake cover 36 has conventionally been incorporated into the apparatus with an emphasis on maintaining temperature uniformity and reducing the weight, and therefore has a relatively small heat capacity. For this reason, as described above, when the substrate W is taken in and out, air at room temperature flows through the entrance 20 of the chamber 18, and the high temperature atmosphere between the hot plate 10 and the bake cover 36 is pushed to the back side of the apparatus by the air. When the heat of the portion of the cover 36 near the entrance 20 of the chamber 18 is removed, the temperature of that portion easily falls as compared with the temperature of the portion far from the entrance 20. As a result, a temperature gradient is generated on the surface of the bake cover 36 from the side closer to the entrance 20 of the chamber 18 toward the inner side of the chamber 18. As described above, when the temperature gradient occurs in the bake cover 36 and the temperature uniformity of the bake cover 36 is impaired, the in-plane temperature of the substrate W becomes non-uniform immediately after the start of the heat treatment. As a result, the heat treatment of the substrate W becomes non-uniform in the plane, resulting in a decrease in treatment quality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and when a substrate is taken in and out, a temperature drop in a portion of the bake cover near the entrance and exit of the chamber is suppressed, and the temperature uniformity of the bake cover is reduced. Provided is a substrate heat treatment apparatus capable of preventing damage to the substrate, making the in-plane temperature of the substrate uniform during the heat treatment, performing the heat treatment of the substrate uniformly, and preventing a decrease in the processing quality. The purpose is to:

[0009]

The invention according to claim 1 is
A chamber having a side face formed with an openable and closable entrance for loading and unloading a substrate, a hot plate disposed in the chamber, and placing the substrate directly or close to the upper surface, and the chamber And a bake cover arranged to cover above the substrate placed on the hot plate, wherein the bake cover has a portion close to an entrance of the chamber. The heat capacity is made larger than the heat capacity of a portion farther from the entrance of the chamber than that portion.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the apparatus according to the first aspect, the plate thickness of a portion of the bake cover near the entrance of the chamber is larger than that of a portion farther from the entrance of the chamber than that portion. Then, of the bake cover,
The heat capacity of a portion near the entrance of the chamber is larger than the heat capacity of a portion farther from the entrance of the chamber than that portion.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the apparatus according to the first aspect, a member having a large heat capacity is fixed to a portion of the bake cover near the entrance and exit of the chamber, and the bake cover is located near the entrance and exit of the chamber. The heat capacity of the portion is larger than the heat capacity of the portion farther from the entrance of the chamber than the portion.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a chamber having, on a side surface, an openable / closable entrance for carrying in / out a substrate, and a chamber disposed in the chamber, wherein the substrate is directly or close to an upper surface. A substrate heating processing apparatus, comprising: a hot plate to be placed on the hot plate; and a bake cover disposed in the chamber and disposed above the substrate placed on the hot plate. At least a portion of the cover near the entrance to the chamber,
It is characterized by being formed of a material that is less likely to conduct heat than stainless steel.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a chamber having an openable and closable entrance formed on a side surface for loading and unloading a substrate, and a chamber disposed in the chamber and directly or in close proximity to the upper surface. A substrate heating processing apparatus, comprising: a hot plate to be placed on the hot plate; and a bake cover disposed in the chamber and disposed above the substrate placed on the hot plate. A coating process is performed on a surface of at least a portion of the cover close to the entrance of the chamber facing the hot plate with a material that is less likely to conduct heat than a stainless steel material.

[0014] In the substrate heating apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the heat capacity of the portion of the bake cover near the entrance of the chamber is made larger than the heat capacity of the portion farther from the entrance of the chamber than that portion. At the time of in / out, air at room temperature flows in from the entrance / exit of the chamber, and the air pushes a high-temperature atmosphere between the hot plate and the bake cover to the back side of the apparatus, so that the heat of the bake cover near the entrance / exit of the chamber is removed. Also, the temperature drop in that part can be suppressed. Therefore, the temperature uniformity of the bake cover is not impaired.

In the substrate heating apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, the plate thickness of the portion of the bake cover near the entrance of the chamber is made larger than that of the portion farther from the entrance of the chamber than that portion. The heat capacity of the former part is larger than the heat capacity of the latter part, so that the above-mentioned effect of the invention according to claim 1 is achieved.

In the substrate heating apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, since a member having a large heat capacity is fixed to a portion of the bake cover near the entrance and exit of the chamber, the heat capacity of the portion is more than that of the chamber. The heat capacity is larger than the heat capacity of the portion far from the entrance, and the above-described effect of the invention according to claim 1 is exerted.

In the substrate heating apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the bake cover is formed of a material that is less likely to conduct heat than the stainless steel material, room temperature air flows from the chamber entrance and exit when the substrate is taken in and out. Therefore, even if the high-temperature atmosphere between the hot plate and the bake cover is pushed to the back side of the apparatus, the heat of the bake cover is not largely taken away by the room temperature air. As a result, the temperature drop of the whole is suppressed, and the temperature drop of the bake cover is suppressed. For this reason, the portion of the bake cover close to the entrance of the chamber does not drop in temperature as compared with the other portions, so that the temperature uniformity of the bake cover is prevented from being impaired.

In the substrate heating apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the surface of the bake cover on the side facing the hot plate is coated with a material that is less heat-transferable than stainless steel, the baking cover is coated. Even when room temperature air flows into and out of the chamber at the entrance and exit, and the air pushes the high-temperature atmosphere between the hot plate and the bake cover to the back side of the device, the heat of the bake cover can be largely taken away by the room temperature air. Not
The entire temperature drop of the bake cover including the portion near the entrance and exit of the chamber is suppressed. For this reason, the portion of the bake cover close to the entrance of the chamber does not drop in temperature as compared with the other portions, so that the temperature uniformity of the bake cover is prevented from being impaired.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention and showing a configuration of a main part of a substrate heating apparatus. In this apparatus, the configuration other than the bake cover is the same as that of the conventional substrate heating apparatus described above with reference to FIG. 5, and therefore, in FIG. 1, the same reference numerals as those used in FIG. do it,
A description thereof will be omitted. Also, the operation of the device
Since it is the same as the conventional device, the description is omitted. Therefore, only the bake cover will be described below.

The bake cover 16 of the apparatus shown in FIG.
The plate thickness of a portion 24 near the entrance 20 of the chamber 18 is formed to be larger than that of a portion farther from the entrance 20 of the chamber 18 than that portion 24. The bake cover 16 is entirely formed of, for example, stainless steel material, and thus has a large entrance / exit 20 of the chamber 18.
The heat capacity of the portion 24 close to the
Greater than the heat capacity of the portion remote from the entrance 20 of the vehicle. Therefore, when the processed substrate W is unloaded from the chamber 18 and the unprocessed substrate is loaded into the chamber 18, room temperature air flows through the entrance 20 of the chamber 18, and the air causes the hot plate 10 and the bake cover to flow. When the high-temperature atmosphere between the bake cover 16 and the portion 16 near the entrance 20 of the chamber 18 is deprived of heat by pushing the high-temperature atmosphere between the bake cover 16 and the interior of the chamber 18, the temperature of the portion 24 increases. It descends greatly compared to the part on the back side,
Such is suppressed. Therefore, the bake cover 16
When the substrate W is placed on the hot plate 10 and then the bake cover 16 is lowered to heat the substrate W, the in-plane temperature of the substrate W becomes uniform. The heat treatment of the substrate W is performed uniformly in the plane.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing another example of the structure of the bake cover. Bake cover 26 shown in FIG.
Has a structure in which a member having a large heat capacity, for example, a plate member 28 made of a ceramic material is adhered to a portion near the entrance 20 (see FIG. 1) of the chamber 18. Therefore,
In the bake cover 18, the heat capacity of the portion to which the plate member 28 is adhered, that is, the heat capacity of the portion near the entrance 20 of the chamber 18 is larger than the heat capacity of the portion far from the entrance 20 of the chamber 18. Therefore, the same operation and effect as those of the bake cover 16 shown in FIG. 1 can be obtained.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing still another example of the configuration of the bake cover. The bake cover 30 shown in FIG. 3 includes a base 32 made of, for example, a stainless steel material.
Has a structure in which a coating process is performed on a surface of the substrate with a material that is less likely to conduct heat than a stainless steel material, for example, a ceramic material. The bake cover 30 is arranged such that the ceramic coating layer 34 is on the side facing the hot plate 10 (see FIG. 1). In the substrate heating apparatus provided with the bake cover 30, the substrate W
At the time of loading and unloading, air at room temperature flows in through the entrance 20 of the chamber 18 and the hot plate 1
0 and the high temperature atmosphere between the bake cover 30
Even when the bake cover 8 is pushed to the rear side, heat is hardly transmitted from the bake cover 30 to the air, so that the heat of the bake cover 30 is not largely taken away by the air. For this reason, since the temperature drop of the bake cover 30 is suppressed, the temperature of only the portion near the entrance 20 of the chamber 18 does not drop as compared with the portion on the back side. Therefore, bake cover 3
Since the temperature uniformity of 0 is maintained, the in-plane temperature of the substrate W becomes uniform at the time of the heat treatment of the substrate W, and the heat treatment of the substrate W is performed uniformly in the surface.

The bake cover 30 shown in FIG. 3 has a ceramic coating layer 34 formed on the entire surface facing the hot plate 10.
The ceramic coating may be applied only to the portion near zero. Further, even if the entire bake cover or the portion of the bake cover close to the entrance of the chamber is made of a material that is less likely to conduct heat than stainless steel, for example, a ceramic material, the bake cover 30 shown in FIG. The same operation and effect can be obtained.

[0025]

When the substrate heating apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention is used, when the substrate is taken in and out, the temperature drop of the portion of the bake cover near the entrance and exit of the chamber is suppressed, and the temperature uniformity of the bake cover is impaired. Therefore, the in-plane temperature of the substrate at the time of the heat treatment becomes uniform, and the heat treatment of the substrate is performed uniformly, so that a decrease in the processing quality can be prevented.

In the substrate heating apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, the plate thickness of the portion of the bake cover near the entrance of the chamber is made larger than that of the portion farther from the entrance of the chamber than that portion. The heat capacity of the former part is larger than the heat capacity of the latter part, so that when the substrate is taken in and out, the temperature drop in the part of the bake cover near the entrance and exit of the chamber is suppressed, and the temperature uniformity of the bake cover may be impaired. Therefore, the above effect of the invention according to claim 1 can be obtained.

In the substrate heating apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, since a member having a large heat capacity is fixed to a portion of the bake cover near the entrance and exit of the chamber, the heat capacity of the portion is larger than that of the chamber. The heat capacity becomes larger than the heat capacity of the portion far from the entrance and exit, and the temperature drop of the portion of the bake cover near the entrance and exit of the chamber is suppressed when the substrate is taken in and out, so that the temperature uniformity of the bake cover is not impaired. The above effects of the invention according to the above are obtained.

The use of the substrate heating apparatus according to each of the fourth and fifth aspects of the present invention makes it possible to reduce the overall temperature drop of the bake cover including the portion near the entrance and exit of the chamber when the substrate is taken in and out. Since the temperature uniformity of the bake cover is not impaired, the in-plane temperature of the substrate at the time of the heat treatment becomes uniform, and the heat treatment of the substrate is performed uniformly. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view illustrating an example of an embodiment of the present invention and illustrating a configuration of a main part of a substrate heating apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a configuration example of a bake cover different from FIG.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration example of a bake cover different from FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view illustrating a configuration example of a substrate processing apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a main part showing an example of a configuration of a conventional substrate heating apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Hot plate 10 14 Lift pin 16, 26, 30 Bake cover 18 Chamber 20 Chamber entrance / exit 22 Shutter 24 Portion of bake cover near entrance / exit of chamber 28 Plate member made of ceramic material 32 Substrate made of stainless steel material 34 ceramic coating layer W substrate

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Takanori Kawamoto 322 Hainashishi Furukawa-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto Dainichi Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kazunori Nakano 4 chome Tenjin Kitamachi 1-1-1 Kita-machi 1 Dainippon Screen Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A chamber having, on its side surface, an openable / closable entrance for carrying in and out a substrate, a hot / cooling chamber disposed in the chamber and having the substrate placed directly or close to the upper surface. A plate, and a bake cover disposed in the chamber and disposed so as to cover above a substrate placed on the hot plate. A heat treatment apparatus for a substrate, wherein a heat capacity of a portion near the entrance is larger than a heat capacity of a portion far from the entrance of the chamber than that portion. 2. A plate thickness of a portion of the bake cover closer to an entrance of the chamber is made larger than a plate thickness of a portion farther from the entrance of the chamber than that portion, and a thickness of a portion of the bake cover near the entrance of the chamber is increased. 2. The substrate heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat capacity is made larger than the heat capacity of a portion farther from the entrance of the chamber than that portion. 3. A member having a large heat capacity is fixed to a portion of the bake cover near the entrance of the chamber, and a heat capacity of a portion of the bake cover near the entrance of the chamber is:
2. The substrate heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat capacity of the portion farther from the entrance of the chamber than the portion is larger. 4. A chamber provided on a side surface thereof with an openable / closable entrance for loading and unloading a substrate, and a hot-hole provided in the chamber and for placing the substrate directly or close to the upper surface. A substrate heating processing apparatus, comprising: a plate; and a bake cover disposed in the chamber and disposed so as to cover above a substrate placed on the hot plate, wherein at least the chamber of the bake cover is provided. A substrate heat treatment apparatus characterized in that a portion near an entrance of a substrate is formed of a material that is less likely to conduct heat than a stainless steel material. 5. A chamber provided on a side surface thereof with an openable / closable entrance for loading / unloading a substrate, and a hot / cooling unit disposed in the chamber and for placing the substrate directly or close to the upper surface. A substrate heating processing apparatus, comprising: a plate; and a bake cover disposed in the chamber and disposed so as to cover above a substrate placed on the hot plate, wherein at least the chamber of the bake cover is provided. A substrate heat treatment apparatus characterized in that a coating process is performed on a surface of a portion close to an entrance of the device on a side facing the hot plate with a material that is less likely to conduct heat than a stainless steel material.