JPS63281428A - Developing device for semiconductor substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the waste of the consumption of a developer, and to prevent contamination due to the developer of a wafer by concentrically mounting a spin chuck in the opening section of the bottom of a ring-shaped pan and disposing both the pan and the spin chuck in a relative displaceable manner in the vertical direction. CONSTITUTION:A spin chuck 2 has a rotary function, a vertical operation function and a vacuum suction function, and a ring-shaped pan 7 is set up concentrically to the spin chuck 2. A developer 6 is discharged to the ring-shaped pan 7 from a developer discharge nozzle 4, and the surface of a wafer 1 is dipped and a development reaction is conducted. A gas purge piping 9 fitted to the ring-shaped pan 7 gas-purges the permeation of the developer 6 from a section between the rear of the wafer 1 and the vacuum suction surface of the ring- shaped pan 7. The development reaction is completed, the developer 6 is drained, and the wafer 1 is lifted up to a rotational position 11 by the spin chuck 2. The wafer 1 is sucked to the spin chuck 2, treated with a rinsing liquid from a rinsing-liquid discharge nozzle 5 while being rotated, and turned at high speed and the wafer 1 is dried.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a semiconductor substrate developing apparatus that is used in a photolithography process for manufacturing semiconductor devices, and is particularly compatible with positive photoresists.

[Conventional technology]

As semiconductor devices become smaller, positive type photoresists are becoming mainstream for use in photolithography processes.

When positive photoresists were first used, batch-type developing equipment was used that immersed multiple wafers in a developer at once.
In accordance with requests for improvements such as reproducibility of development processing, reduction of developer consumption, automation of wafer transport system, and management of the number of wafers processed, currently semiconductor substrates (hereinafter referred to as , a wafer) 1 was mounted, and a developer 6 was discharged from a developer discharge nozzle 4 onto the surface of the wafer 1, and a thin liquid layer of the developer 6 was formed using the surface tension to cause a development reaction. After that, while the wafer 1 is rotated by the spin chuck 2 in the developing treatment tank 3, the rinse liquid discharging nozzle 5 is
Single-wafer type semiconductor substrate developing apparatuses have become mainstream, in which a rinsing liquid is discharged onto the surface of the wafer 1 to perform a rinsing process, and then the wafer 1 is rotated at high speed to dry the wafer 1.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the conventional semiconductor substrate developing apparatus described above, a thin layer of developer is formed over the entire surface of the wafer using only the surface tension of the developer. If the developer is not discharged onto the wafer, a thin liquid layer of the developer will not be formed over the entire surface of the wafer.

Further, there is a problem in that developer solution spilled from the wafer surface penetrates between the wafer back surface and the spin chuck surface, leaving behind contamination that is difficult to clean on the wafer back surface, resulting in wasted developer consumption and wafer contamination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor substrate developing apparatus that solves the above-mentioned problems.

[Differences between the invention and the prior art]

In contrast to the conventional semiconductor substrate developing apparatus described above, the present invention is an original method that reduces developer consumption and eliminates problems such as wafer contamination by immersing a semiconductor substrate in a developer and causing a development reaction. have content.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a developing device in which a semiconductor substrate is mounted on a rotating spin chuck and a developing solution is discharged onto the surface of the substrate for development processing. A ring-shaped receiver that closes the bottom opening with the surface of the substrate by vacuum suction and stores a developer inside the ring-shaped receiver is equipped with a tray, and a drain pipe is connected to the tray, and the ring-shaped receiver is equipped with a tray. A semiconductor substrate developing device is characterized in that the spin chuck is provided concentrically in the bottom opening of the plate in the shape receiver, and the ring type receiver is arranged such that the plate and the spin chuck are movable relative to each other in the vertical direction.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to schematic diagrams.

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention.

The spin chuck 2 has a rotation function, a vertical movement function, and a vacuum suction function. It includes a purge gas pipe 9 connected to a ring-shaped groove 7b formed around the mouth edge, and a vacuum suction pipe 10 connected to a ring-shaped groove 7C provided on the inner peripheral side of the groove 7b. Further, the tray 7 and the spin chuck 2 are surrounded by a processing tank 3 equipped with a drainage pipe, and a developer discharge nozzle 4 for discharging a developer and a rinsing liquid discharge nozzle for discharging a rinsing solution are provided above. Nozzle 5
It is equipped with Furthermore, the spin chuck 2 is installed so that the receiver can move vertically through the bottom opening 7a of the plate 7.

In the embodiment, the spin chuck 2 is passed through the bottom opening 7a of the tray 7 and raised to a wafer rotation position where the tray is located above the tray 7. In this state, the wafer 1 is centered and mounted on the spin chuck 2 by the transport mechanism, and by the lowering movement of the spin chuck 2, the wafer 1 is moved from the ring-shaped receiver to the plate 7.
The receiver is mounted on the tray 7 by being hooked to the edge of the bottom opening 7a of the receiver. At this time, the spin chuck 2 retreats downward so as not to interfere with the wafer 1 on the plate 7.

In the ring-shaped receiver, the wafer 1 mounted on the dish 7 is vacuum-adsorbed on the outer periphery of the rear surface, and the bottom opening 7a of the dish 7 is closed by the surface of the wafer 1, so that the ring-shaped receiver is configured as a container.

This ring-shaped receiver discharges enough developer 6 to form a thin liquid layer on the plate 7 from the developer discharge nozzle 4, and immerses the surface of the wafer 1 in the developer 6 to perform a development reaction. The gas purge piping 9 provided on the ring-shaped receiver serves to prevent the developer 6 from penetrating between the back surface of the wafer 1 and the vacuum suction surface of the ring-shaped receiver 7 by performing a gas purge. be.

After the development reaction is completed, the developer 6 is drained from the drain pipe 8, and the wafer 1 is rotated to position 1 by the upward movement of the spin chuck 2.
1, the wafer 1 is attracted to the spin chuck 2, and while being rotated, the wafer 1 is rinsed with the rinsing liquid discharged from the rinsing liquid discharge nozzle 5, and then the wafer 1 is rotated at high speed to dry the wafer 1 and the development process is completed. It is something.

In the example, the spin chuck 2 was moved up and down with respect to the plate 7, but in contrast to the spin chuck, the ring-shaped receiver moves up and down the entire processing tank to which the plate is fixed, or the ring-shaped receiver moves only the plate. A structure that moves up and down is also possible, and these are also included in the scope of the present invention.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, since the wafer is immersed in the developer to perform the development reaction, the developer is not consumed more than necessary, and waste of developer consumption can be reduced. Furthermore, the developer does not penetrate between the back surface of the wafer and the surface of the spin chuck, thereby eliminating contamination.

In addition, the outer periphery of the back surface of the wafer comes into contact with the developer, but since it is the outer periphery, a wafer back rinse nozzle or the like can be installed to clean the outer periphery of the wafer back surface during the rinsing process, and the present invention does not cause any new problems. It is effective.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of a semiconductor substrate developing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a conventional semiconductor substrate developing apparatus. 1...Wafer 2...Spin chuck 3...Development treatment tank 4...Developer solution discharge nozzle 5...Rinse solution discharge nozzle 6...Developer solution 7...
・The ring-shaped receiver is a plate 8...Drainage pipe 9...Purge gas pipe 10...Vacuum suction pipe 11...Wafer rotation position

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A semiconductor substrate is mounted on a rotating spin chuck,
In a developing device that discharges a developing solution and a rinsing solution onto the surface of the substrate and performs a developing process, the back surface of the semiconductor substrate is vacuum-adsorbed, the bottom opening is closed with the surface of the substrate, and the developing solution is stored inside. A drain pipe is connected to the ring-shaped receiver, the spin chuck is provided concentrically within the bottom opening of the ring-shaped receiver, and the ring-shaped receiver and the spin chuck are vertically opposed to each other. A semiconductor substrate developing device characterized in that it is disposed in a movable manner.