JPS62148943A - Treatment with silane coupling agent - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To maintain the specified initial amt. of the vapor of a silane coupling agent and to stably execute the treatment under a constant condition by reducing the pressure in a reduced pressure vessel contg. the silane coupling agent prior to the treatment then evaporating the agent up to a prescribed pressure. CONSTITUTION:The pressure in the reduced pressure vessel 1 is reduced down to the prescribed pressure to evaporate the silane coupling agent and thereafter the pressure in the 2nd reduced pressure vessel contg. a glass substrate 5 is reduced down to the prescribed pressure. The evaporation of the silane coupling agent progresses in the vessel 1 and after the pressure therein increases up t the prescribed pressure, gaseous nitrogen is introduced into the vessel 1 until the atm. pressure is restored in the vessel. A valve 4 is then opened to introduce the gaseous nitrogen and the silane coupling agent vapor in the vessel 1 into the reduce pressure vessel 2 where the surface of the substrate 5 is treated for the prescribed time. The valve 4 is closed upon lapse of the prescribed time and the substrate 5 is taken out of the vessel 2. The treatment with the silane coupling agent is thus completed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a method for treating a silane coupling agent, and more particularly to a method for treating a substrate with a silane coupling agent vapor.

[Technical Environment] In recent years, pattern formation using photoresists has become increasingly finer, and as a result, it has become necessary to strengthen the adhesion, that is, the adhesion, between the photoresist and the substrate.

In particular, novolak-based positive photoresists are widely used due to their high resolution, but when the substrate surface is glass or an oxide such as silicon dioxide*,
The adhesion between the photoresist and the substrate surface was weak and needed to be strengthened.

[Common technology]

Generally, it is known to coat a surface 161 of glass or the like with a silane coupling agent as a pretreatment in order to strengthen the adhesion between a resin such as a photoresist and glass or the like. For example, US Pat. No. 3,549,368 (RoHlC
ollins and F.T., Diverse"Pr.
Occessfor Improving Photor
7 Before applying the photoresist, spin-coding hexaalkyldisilazane such as hexamethyldisilazane is performed as shown in ``Pretreatment with a silane coupling agent, which is hydrophilic. The surface of a certain substrate is made hydrophobic through coupling, and the adhesive force is strengthened by increasing the affinity with a hydrophobic resin such as a photoresist.

[Conventional technology]

As described above, coating methods using a spinner or coating methods using dipping have been known as conventional silane coupling agent treatment methods.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 2, the substrate 5 is left standing in a closed container 20 containing the silane coupling agent 0 for a predetermined period of time, thereby performing the treatment in the silane coupling agent vapor.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Among the conventional treatment methods described above, treatment using silane coupling agent vapor is free from the influence of dust and impurities in the silane coupling agent, and is more advantageous than treatment by coating or dipping.

However, in this steam treatment, when the substrate is placed in a sealed container, a. Since the sealed container is opened when taking out the silane coupling agent, the concentration of silane coupling agent vapor in the sealed container decreases. Not only does the initial concentration of the silane coupling agent vapor vary depending on the opening time during substrate storage or the holding time before storage, but the concentration also changes during processing, making it difficult to control the silane coupling agent processing conditions. There were drawbacks.

In addition, silane coupling agents react with moisture in the air,
to degrade. For example, hexamethyldisilazane reacts with moisture in the air to produce ammonia.

Therefore, it is necessary to store and use the silane coupling agent in a moisture-free atmosphere, but conventional methods also have the disadvantage that they can only be processed in air.

[Means for solving problems]

The silane coupling agent processing method of the present invention involves reducing the pressure in a first vacuum container containing the silane coupling agent to vaporize the silane coupling agent, and then vaporizing the silane coupling agent in a second vacuum container containing the substrate and reducing the pressure. The silane coupling agent vapor is introduced together with the inert gas for a predetermined period of time to treat the substrate surface.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

First Example As shown in FIG. 1, a first vacuum container l containing a silane coupling agent 10 placed in a container 11 is depressurized to a predetermined pressure with a vacuum pump (not shown), and the silane coupling vaporize the agent.

Next, the pressure of the second vacuum container 2 containing the glass substrate 5 is reduced to a predetermined pressure. After the silane coupling agent vaporizes in the first reduced pressure container and rises to a predetermined pressure, nitrogen gas is introduced until the inside of the first reduced pressure container reaches atmospheric pressure (nitrogen gas inlet and valve are not shown). figure). Next, the valve 4 provided in the piping 3 connecting the first reduced pressure container l and the second reduced pressure container 2 is opened, and the nitrogen gas in the first reduced pressure container is introduced into the glass substrate 50 for a predetermined period of time. Treat the surface.

After a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the valve 4 is closed, the glass substrate 5 is taken out from the second vacuum container, and the silane coupling agent treatment is completed.

Second Example: Vaporizing the silane coupling agent in the first vacuum container,
The same procedure as in Example 1 is carried out until the second vacuum container containing the substrate 5 is depressurized. After the pressure inside the first reduced pressure container rises to a predetermined pressure, nitrogen gas is introduced into the first reduced pressure container, and at the same time, the valve 4 is opened, and silane coupling agent vapor is introduced into the second reduced pressure container together with the nitrogen gas, When the two pressure reduction containers reach atmospheric pressure, the introduction of nitrogen gas to the first pressure reduction container is stopped and the valve 4 is closed.

The surface of the glass substrate in the second vacuum container is treated with the introduced silane coupling agent for a predetermined period of time.

〔Effect of the invention〕

In the silane coupling agent treatment method of the present invention, the initial amount of silane coupling agent vapor can be kept constant during treatment by vaporizing the agent in a vacuum container containing the silane coupling agent before treatment. That is, there is an effect that the silane coupling agent treatment can be performed very stably under certain conditions.

In addition, by introducing a dry inert gas, the silane coupling agent vapor can be smoothly introduced into the second vacuum container containing the substrate, which not only shortens processing time but also facilitates the storage and use of the silane coupling agent. Since it is a dry inert gas atmosphere, it has the effect of preventing deterioration due to moisture.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. g4''J2 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional method. Second reduced pressure container, 3... Piping, 4... Valve, 5... Substrate, lO... Silane coupling agent, 11... ... Silane coupling agent container. -7-'' Figure 1 Figure Z

Claims (1)

[Claims] After reducing the pressure in the first vacuum container containing the silane coupling agent and vaporizing the silane coupling agent, the first vacuum container containing the silane coupling agent is vaporized.
introducing a dry inert gas into a reduced pressure container, and introducing the silane coupling agent vapor together with the dry inert gas into a second reduced pressure container containing the substrate and reducing the pressure for a predetermined time;
A method for treating a silane coupling agent, which comprises treating the surface of the substrate.