KR100811825B1 - Heater and bake apparatus with the heater - Google Patents

Abstract

A heater and a bake apparatus including the same are provided to heat uniformly the entire surface of a substrate by heating independently regions of the substrate in a bake process. A housing(110) includes a predetermined space for performing a bake process. A supporter(122) is formed to support the substrate in the inside of the housing in the bake process. A plurality of heating bodies(130) are formed at the supporter to heat different regions of the substrate in the bake process. Each of the heating bodies includes a body, a heating coil, and a power supply unit. The body has a shape of bar and is attached to or detached from an upper part and a lower part of the supporter. The heating coil is formed in the inside of the body. The power supply unit supplies the electric power to the heating coil.

Description

Heater and baking apparatus provided with the said heater {HEATER AND BAKE APPARATUS WITH THE HEATER}

1 is a perspective view of a spinner installation equipped with a baking apparatus according to the present invention.

2 is a perspective view of the baking apparatus according to the present invention.

3 is a configuration diagram of the baking apparatus illustrated in FIG. 2.

4 is a configuration diagram of a heating element illustrated in FIG. 3.

5 is a plan view illustrating an arrangement of heating elements according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a plan view illustrating an arrangement of heating elements according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a baking process according to the present invention.

* Description of Signs of Main Parts of Drawings *

1: Spinner Facility 100: Bake Device

10: indexer 110: housing

20: process treatment unit 120: heater

30 interface 120 support

40: exposure step 130: heating element

The present invention relates to a heater and a substrate processing apparatus including the heater, and more particularly, to a heater for heating a semiconductor substrate and a baking apparatus including the heater to perform a semiconductor baking process.

A photo-lithography process is a process of forming a desired pattern on a wafer. The photographic process is carried out in a spinner local facility in which exposure equipment is connected to continuously process an application process, an exposure process, and a developing process. Such spinner installations sequentially or selectively perform a coating process, a bake process, and a development process. Here, the baking process is a process of heating and cooling the wafer to strengthen the photoresist film formed on the wafer or to adjust the temperature of the wafer to a predetermined process temperature.

An apparatus for carrying out the above-described baking process generally comprises a heater. The heater heats the wafer to a predetermined process temperature during the process. A general heater includes a support for supporting a wafer during a process and a heating plate provided inside the support to heat the wafer during a process. The heating plate has a generally disk shape and has at least one heating coil for generating heat by applying a predetermined power therein.

However, the heater having the above-described structure was difficult to uniformly heat the substrate during the process. That is, the general heater heats the temperature of the substrate to a predetermined temperature by mounting the substrate on the support during the process, but since the surface area increases from the center to the edge, it is difficult for the heating plate to heat the entire substrate to a uniform temperature. In particular, in the case of heating a recent large-sized wafer using a heating plate set at a constant temperature as a whole, a temperature imbalance occurs for each region of the wafer.

In addition, common heaters were difficult to precisely heat the wafer. In other words, in order to heat the entire large-sized wafer at a uniform temperature during the baking process, the heater must be precisely heated throughout the wafer so that temperature nonuniformity does not occur throughout the wafer. However, since the one-sided heater simply heats the entire wafer to the same heating temperature, it is difficult to precisely control the temperature of each wafer, making it difficult to precisely control the temperature of the wafer.

In addition, a general heater has a large maintenance burden on an operator when an error occurs in the heating plate. That is, if an error occurs in the heating plate, the operator must stop the baking process and repair the heating plate or replace it with a new heating plate. However, in order to repair and replace a general heating plate, a worker needs to repair and replace a heating plate after removing and dismantling a heater, and thus a large burden on the worker and a lot of time are consumed. In addition, since the baking process is stopped during the maintenance of the heating plate, the facility operation rate is lowered to reduce the process yield.

In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a heater that performs the baking process effectively and a baking device having the heater.

Moreover, an object of this invention is to provide the heater which heats so that the board | substrate of a board | substrate may have uniform temperature, and the baking apparatus provided with the said heater.

Moreover, an object of this invention is to provide the heater which heats the first half of a board | substrate precisely, and the baking apparatus provided with the said heater.

Moreover, an object of this invention is to provide the heater which is easy to maintain, and the baking apparatus provided with the said heater.

Baking apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object is provided with a housing for providing a space for performing the process therein, a support for supporting a substrate in the housing during the process, and a plurality of the support is provided during the process Heating elements respectively heating different regions of the substrate, wherein the heating elements have a bar shape, a body inserted to be detachable up and down from the support, a heating coil provided in the body, and power to the heating coil. And applying a power applicator.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the fastening portion is a screw thread formed on the outer circumferential surface of the body to be screwed into the hole formed in the support.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the baking apparatus determines a temperature sensing unit for detecting a temperature of each of the regions during the process and temperature data of the regions detected by the sensing unit, and a process temperature at which the temperature of the entire substrate is preset Further comprising a control unit for independently controlling the heating temperature of each of the heating elements to satisfy the.

The baking method according to the present invention for achieving the above object is to sense the temperature of the predetermined region of the substrate during the process, and to independently heat the regions so that the temperature of each of the regions satisfy the predetermined process temperature, Heating of the substrate is effected by a plurality of cartridge heaters which each independently heat the regions.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided so that the disclosure may be made thorough and complete, and to fully convey the spirit of the present invention to those skilled in the art. Portions denoted by like reference numerals denote like elements throughout the specification.

In addition, the present embodiment has been described as an example of the apparatus provided in the spinner facility to perform the baking process for adjusting the temperature of the semiconductor substrate, the present invention is applicable to all semiconductor and flat panel display manufacturing apparatus for heating a variety of substrates It may be possible.

(Example)

1 is a perspective view of a spinner installation with a baking apparatus according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the baking apparatus according to the present invention. 3 is a configuration diagram of the baking apparatus illustrated in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of the heating element illustrated in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 1, the spinner local facility 1 according to the present invention includes an indexer unit 10, a process processing unit 20, an interface unit 30, and an exposure process unit (not shown). do. The indexer portion 10 has a load port and a transfer unit 14. Each load port is provided with a seating portion 12 on which a cassette (not shown) for receiving a plurality of semiconductor substrates W is seated. At least one transfer unit 14 is provided, and transfers and conveys the substrate W between the cassette seated on the seating portion 12 of the load port and the process processor 20.

The process processor 20 performs a photo-lithography process except for an exposure process. That is, the process treatment unit 20 performs a coating process, a development process, and a bake process. To this end, the process processor 20 includes a plurality of spin processing apparatuses 22, a transfer unit 24, and a plurality of baking apparatuses 100. Each of the spin processing apparatuses 22 supplies a processing liquid onto the substrate by rotating the substrate during the process. The spin processing apparatuses 22 include a coater module for coating a photoresist on a substrate and a developer module for developing the substrate by spraying a developer on the substrate. The transfer unit 24 transfers the substrate to each of the spin processing apparatuses 22 and the baking apparatuses 100 of the process processor 20. The bake apparatus 100 performs heating and cooling of the substrate. Next, the structure of the baking apparatus 100 is demonstrated in detail. In the present embodiment, a baking apparatus that performs a process of heating a substrate among the baking apparatuses 100 will be described as an example.

2 and 3, the baking apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes a housing 110, a heater 120, a detector (not shown), and a controller 140. . The housing 110 provides a space for performing a baking process therein. The interior of the housing 110 is maintained at the process temperature during the process. One side of the housing 110 is provided with a substrate entrance 112 through which the substrate W enters and exits during the process.

The heater 120 heats the substrate W to a predetermined process temperature in the housing 110 during the process. The heater 120 includes a supporter 122 and a heating body 130. At least one support 122 is installed inside the housing 110. The support 122 supports the substrate W in the housing 110 during the process. The support 122 has a generally cylindrical shape, and is provided with a seating surface 122a on which the substrate W is seated. The support 122 is provided with lift pins (not shown) that perform loading and unloading of the substrate W. In addition, insertion holes 122b into which the heating elements 130 are inserted are formed in the support 122. The insertion holes 122b are vertically formed upward from the bottom surface of the support 122. Threads are formed on the inner circumferential surface of each of the insertion holes 122b to be screwed with the heating element 130.

Each of the heating elements 130 independently heats different regions of the substrate W during the process. The heating elements 130 are inserted into and fixed to the respective insertion holes 122b. Referring to FIG. 4, the heating element 130 includes a body 132, a heating coil 134, and a power supply part 136. Body 132 has a long bar (bar) shape. In one embodiment, the body 132 has a generally long cylindrical shape. The body 132 is provided with a space in which at least one heating coil 134 is provided. In addition, the body 132 is fastened to be detachable to the insertion holes 122b. To this end, the fastening part 132a is provided in the body 132. In one embodiment, the fastening part 132a may be a thread formed on the outer circumferential surface of the body 132. Heating coil 134 (heating coil) is installed inside the body 132. At least one heating coil 134 is provided inside the body 132. The heating coil 134 receives power from the power applicator 136 and generates heat at a predetermined process temperature.

Here, the arrangement of the heating elements 130 may be variously applied to the support 120. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, each of the heating elements 130 may be disposed at equal intervals. In this case, since the heating elements 130 may be densely installed on the support 120, the heating elements 130 may heat the substrate W for each subdivided area during the baking process. Alternatively, the heating elements 130 may be arranged at different intervals for each region of the support 120. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, each of the heating elements 130 is more densely installed in the edge region than in the central region of the support 120. This is to precisely heat the edge region than the center region of the substrate W during the baking process.

In addition, the heating elements 130 have been described as having an elongated cylindrical shape as an example, but this is for densely installing the heating elements 130 to the support 122 so that the heating elements 130 heat the subdivided regions of the substrate W. The shape of the field 130 may be variously modified. In one embodiment, the heating elements 130 may be a cartridge heater.

The detector (not shown) detects temperatures of respective regions of the substrate W during the baking process. The sensing unit includes a plurality of temperature sensing sensors (not shown). Each temperature sensor is assigned one per said zone, measuring the temperature of said zones. In the process, the temperature data for each phase of the upper part measured by the sensing unit is transmitted to the controller 130.

The controller 140 receives the temperature data from the sensing unit, determines whether the temperature of the regions satisfies a preset process temperature, and adjusts the heating temperature of the heating element 130 so that the substrate temperature satisfies the preset process temperature. Independently controlled

Hereinafter, the process of the above-described baking apparatus 100 will be described in detail. Here, the same reference numerals for the same components as the above-described components, and the detailed description of the components will be omitted.

When the process of the spinner installation 1 starts, a cassette is seated in the load port of the indexer part 10, and the transfer unit 12 transfers the board | substrate W sequentially from the cassette to the process process part 20. FIG. The transfer unit 24 of the process processing unit 20 selectively or sequentially carries the substrate W transferred from the indexer unit 10 into the devices 22 and 100 required for the process, and the respective devices 22 , 100) perform a photographic process. In one embodiment, the transfer unit 24 transfers the substrates W to a coating apparatus of the spin processing apparatuses 22, which apply a photo-resist onto the substrate W. As shown in FIG. The transfer unit 24 transfers the substrate W coated with the photosensitive liquid from the coating apparatus to the interface unit 30, and the interface unit 30 transfers the substrate W to an exposure apparatus (not shown). The exposure apparatus performs an exposure process for transferring the pattern onto the substrate W. As shown in FIG. The substrate W on which the exposure process is completed is transferred to the developing device among the spin processing apparatuses 22 via the interface unit 30 again. The developing apparatus injects the developing solution onto the substrate W to develop the substrate W. FIG. After the development process is completed, the substrate W is moved to the indexer unit 10 by the transfer unit 24 and then transported to a facility (not shown) in which a subsequent process is performed.

In the process of performing the substrate treatment process described above, a baking process for heating the substrate W to a predetermined process temperature is added. The bake process includes a pre-bake process for curing the photoresist applied on the substrate W after the coating process is performed and a post-bake process for heating the substrate W after the exposure process. , A hard bake process for curing the substrate W after the developing process, and a bake process for cooling the substrate W to a predetermined temperature. In this embodiment, a process of heating the substrate W to a predetermined process temperature will be described as an example. However, the present invention can be applied to any apparatus that performs various kinds of baking processes.

7 is a flowchart illustrating a baking process according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 7, when the baking process is started, the substrate W is loaded on the heater 120 of the baking apparatus 100 (S110). That is, the substrate W is transferred to the housing 110 through the substrate entrance 112 and then seated on the support 122 by lift pins (not shown) provided in the heater 120. When the substrate W is seated on the support 122, the substrate W is heated to a predetermined process temperature (S120). That is, the substrate W is heated to a predetermined process temperature by the heating elements 130 heating the respective regions. In particular, the substrate W is independently heated for each region by the heating elements 130 allocated to the respective regions.

When the substrate W is heated for a predetermined time, the detector (not shown) senses a temperature of each of the regions of the substrate W (S130). That is, the temperature measuring sensors of the detector measure the temperature of the regions of the substrate W to which the respective heating elements 130 heat. Temperature data for each region measured by the detector is transmitted to the controller 140. The control unit 140 determines the received temperature data, and determines whether or not the predetermined process temperature for each region of the substrate (W) (S140). If an area outside the process temperature is generated among the areas of the substrate W, the controller 140 adjusts the heating temperature of the heating element 130 for heating the area outside the process temperature (S160). That is, if the temperature outside the process temperature is lower than the process temperature, the controller 140 increases the heating temperature of the heating element 130 for heating the region below the process temperature, and the temperature outside the process temperature is increased. When the temperature is higher than the process temperature, the controller 140 decreases the heating temperature of the heating element 130 that heats the region at a temperature higher than the process temperature. In addition, when the regions of each of the substrates W satisfy the process temperature, the substrate W is unloaded from the heater 120 and then transported out of the housing 110 through the substrate entrance 112 ( S150).

In the above-described baking apparatus and method, the substrate W is independently heated for each of a plurality of regions during the baking process, and thus the temperature of the first half of the substrate W may be heated to satisfy a uniform process temperature.

In addition, the heater and the baking apparatus having the heater according to the present invention includes the heating elements 130 having a long bar shape, and thus, the substrate W may be subdivided into a plurality of regions to control temperature. That is, since the heating elements manufactured to have a long bar shape may be densely installed on the support 122 of the heater 120, the heating elements may be divided and heated to precisely control the temperature of the substrate W. Do. For example, since the substrate becomes larger in size, the surface area increases from the center to the edge, and when the arrangement of each of the heating elements 130 is installed such that the density increases from the center region to the edge, the baking process according to the surface area difference of the substrate W is performed. Substrate temperature nonuniformity at the time can be prevented.

In addition, the heater and the baking device having the heater according to the present invention, the heating elements 130 are easily detachable to the support 120. Therefore, during maintenance work such as repair and replacement of the heating element 130, the operator can separate and repair only the heating element in which an error occurs without interruption of the baking process, thereby improving the maintenance efficiency of the operator.

The foregoing detailed description illustrates the present invention. In addition, the foregoing description merely shows and describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments. That is, changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the concept of the invention disclosed in this specification, the scope equivalent to the disclosed contents, and / or the skill or knowledge in the art. The above-described embodiments are for explaining the best state in carrying out the present invention, the use of other inventions such as the present invention in other state known in the art, and the specific fields of application and uses of the present invention. Various changes are also possible. Accordingly, the detailed description of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiments. Also, the appended claims should be construed to include other embodiments.

As described above, the heater according to the present invention and the baking apparatus having the heater independently heat the regions of the substrate during the baking process, thereby improving the baking process efficiency by allowing the first half of the substrate to be heated to a uniform temperature.

In addition, the heater and the baking apparatus having the heater according to the present invention can be precisely temperature control for each area of the substrate it is possible to precise temperature control of the substrate.

In addition, the heater according to the present invention and the baking apparatus having the heater, the operator can easily perform maintenance of the heating element without interruption of the baking process when an error occurs in the heating elements for heating the substrate.

Claims (4)

In the apparatus for performing the baking process, A housing providing a space therein for performing the process; A support for supporting the substrate inside the housing during the process, and Is provided with a plurality on the support, including a heating element for heating different areas of the substrate in each process, Each of the heating elements, A body having a bar shape and inserted into the support body to be detachable from the support body; A heating coil provided inside the body, and And a power applicator for applying power to the heating coil. The method of claim 1, Each of the heating elements, Further comprising a fastening portion provided so that the body is detachable to the support, The fastening portion, Bake apparatus, characterized in that the screw thread formed on the outer peripheral surface of the body to be screwed into the hole formed in the support. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The baking device, A sensing unit sensing a temperature of each of the regions during the process; And a controller for determining temperature data of the regions sensed by the sensing unit and independently controlling a heating temperature of each of the heating elements so that the temperature of the entire substrate satisfies a predetermined process temperature. . In the method of performing a baking process, By sensing the temperature of the predetermined regions of the substrate during the process, and heating the regions independently so that the temperature of each of the regions meet the predetermined process temperature, the heating of the substrate is a plurality of A baking method, characterized by the cartridge heaters.

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