JPS59175122A - Before-coating processing device for semiconductor wafer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ravel out the troubles generating from replacement of wafers and the like by a method wherein an excellent processing condition is maintained by performing a vapor gas processing method, and a conveying and a delivery means are used for individual wafer. CONSTITUTION:The wafer carried by a wafer conveying mechanism 3 from the carrier 2, wherein the wafer which is set on a supplying elevator 1 is housed, passes through a closed chamber entrance having the switching function to an exclusive carrier 5 with vertical movement function, and it is housed in the closed chamber 4. The wafer 7 placed in the carrier 5 is exposed to the vapor gas atmosphere generated from a before-coating processing solution vessel 8. The wafer 7 processed by the delivery mechanism 9 passes through the shutter 10 located at the outlet port of the closed chamber and sent out to a carrier 12.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a semiconductor substrate coating pretreatment apparatus, and more particularly to a semiconductor substrate coating pretreatment apparatus for a photolithography process in a semiconductor element manufacturing process.

Semiconductor substrate coating pre-treatment refers to the use of photosensitive material (hereinafter referred to as photoresist), which is an important factor in forming fine patterns of semiconductor elements in subsequent processing steps such as alignment, miscellaneous light processing, development processing, and etching processing. This is to improve the adhesion between a semiconductor substrate (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) and a semiconductor substrate (hereinafter referred to as a wafer).

If the adhesion between the wafer and the photoresist is poor, it will cause major problems in forming fine patterns for semiconductor devices, such as peeling of the photoresist and unstable etching amount, so a good pre-treatment for semiconductor substrate coating is required. There is a need to do.

There are two main types of pre-treatment methods for semiconductor substrate coating: the spin code method, in which a processing chemical is dropped onto the wafer surface, and the wafer is rotated to coat the wafer; There are a spray coating method in which the wafer is deposited on the wafer, and a paper gas treatment method in which the wafer is placed in a paper gas atmosphere containing a processing chemical and the processing chemical is deposited on the wafer.

Among the above-mentioned processing methods, the spin code method uses a large amount of processing chemicals, and also causes uneven coating film thickness.
etc. are likely to occur, and good processing conditions cannot be expected.

The spray coating method also has the same problem as described above, and a paper gas treatment method is often used.

In the paper gas treatment method, relatively few leaves are used for processing liquid, and leaves in good condition can be obtained.

However, since the paper gas processing method requires a relatively long processing time in which the wafers are placed in a processing chemical atmosphere, a batch processing method is usually used in which a plurality of wafers are processed simultaneously.

Normally, batch processing is carried out in units of a predetermined number of carriers; the wafers are exchanged to the carrier for processing, the whole carrier is placed in a processing chemical atmosphere, processing is executed, and the carrier is again taken out from the processing chemical atmosphere and placed for processing. The carrier will replace it.

As mentioned above, there is a lot of wafer exchange work, and since carriers are directly taken in and out of the processing chemical atmosphere, dust is generated and mixed into the processing atmosphere, and the sealed atmosphere of processing chemicals is opened to the extent that carriers can be taken out and put in. Therefore, there are problems such as disturbing the state of the processing chemical atmosphere. Furthermore, automation, labor saving, carrier to
Continuous processing using a carrier and connection (in-line) with processing equipment for other photo ring 2-fi processes are difficult, which impedes the development of the work.

The present invention provides a semiconductor substrate coating pretreatment apparatus which maintains a good treatment state by a paper gas treatment method, solves the various problems described above, and has a rich work expandability.

The present invention provides means for automatically sequentially transporting semiconductor substrates to a dedicated carrier having an elevating function housed in a sealed chamber, means for generating a pre-coating chemical atmosphere in the sealed chamber, and automatically transporting the semiconductor substrates from the dedicated carrier. 1 is a semiconductor substrate coating pretreatment apparatus characterized by comprising a sending means.

In addition, when a means for generating a pre-coating treatment chemical atmosphere is provided in a sealed chamber, or when a means is installed outside the sealed chamber and generated paper gas is guided into the sealed chamber via piping, or when the wafer is transported to a dedicated carrier in the sealed chamber and The scope of the present invention also includes a case where one means serves as the sending method.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing one embodiment of the present invention, in which wafers are transported by a wafer transport mechanism 3 from a carrier 2 containing wafers set in a supply elevator 1, and are stored inside a sealed chamber 4. It passes through a sealed room entrance shutter 6 that has an opening/closing function and is stored in a dedicated carrier 5 that has an elevating function.

The wafer 7 housed in the dedicated carrier 5 is placed in an atmosphere of paper gas generated from a coating pretreatment liquid tank 8 having a function of promoting paper gas generation, such as bubbling piping, for a certain period of time.

Thereafter, the processed wafer 7 is sent from the dedicated carrier 5 by a wafer delivery mechanism 9 to a carrier 12 that stores the wafer set in a storage elevator 11 through a closed chamber exit shutter 10 having an opening/closing function.

As described above, the present invention uses a paper gas treatment method to process wafers, maintains good processing conditions, and
It goes without saying that since a means for transporting and sending out each wafer is used, problems caused by changing wafers, etc. are eliminated, and it is easy to connect with other processing equipment such as the IJ Sogelahuie.

As described above, it is clear that the present invention provides a semiconductor substrate coating pretreatment apparatus that maintains a good processing state and has a wide range of operability.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, l... supply elevator, 2... supply carrier, 3... wafer transport mechanism, 4...
・Closed room, 5... Dedicated carrier, 6...
・Entrance shutter, 7...Wafer, 8...
...Coating pre-treatment liquid tank, 9...Wafer delivery mechanism,
10...Exit shutter, 11...Storage elevator, 12...Storage carrier. 6-

Claims (1)

[Claims] Means for automatically transporting a semiconductor substrate to a dedicated carrier having an elevating function housed in a sealed chamber, means for generating a pre-coating treatment chemical atmosphere in the sealed chamber, and automatic feeding of the semiconductor substrate from the dedicated carrier. 1. A semiconductor substrate coating pretreatment apparatus, characterized in that it is equipped with means for: