Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments of the present invention may be modified in various forms, and the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the following embodiments. This embodiment is provided to more fully describe the present invention to those skilled in the art. Thus, the shape of the elements in the figures has been exaggerated to emphasize a clearer description.
The facilities of this embodiment can be used to perform a photolithography process on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a flat panel display panel. In particular, the apparatus of this embodiment can be used to perform a coating process and a developing process on a substrate, which is connected to an exposure apparatus. Hereinafter, a case where a wafer is used as a substrate will be described as an example.
3 to 12 are schematic views of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view of the substrate processing apparatus viewed from above, FIG. 3 is a view of the apparatus of FIG. 2 viewed from the AA direction, FIG. 4 is a view of the apparatus of FIG. 2 viewed from the BB direction, In the CC direction.
2 to 5, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a load port 100, an index module 200, a first buffer module 300, a coating and developing module 400, a second buffer module 500 An exposure pre- and post-processing module 600, and an interface module 700. The load port 100, the index module 200, the first buffer module 300, the application and development module 400, the second buffer module 500, the pre-exposure processing module 600, and the interface module 700, Are sequentially arranged in one direction in a single direction.
Hereinafter, the load port 100, the index module 200, the first buffer module 300, the coating and developing module 400, the second buffer module 500, the pre-exposure processing module 600, 700 are referred to as a first direction 12 and a direction perpendicular to the first direction 12 as viewed from above is referred to as a second direction 14 and a direction in which the first direction 12 and the second And a direction perpendicular to the direction 14 is referred to as a third direction 16.
The substrate W is moved in a state accommodated in the cassette 20. At this time, the cassette 20 has a structure that can be sealed from the outside. For example, as the cassette 20, a front open unified pod (FOUP) having a door at the front can be used.
Hereinafter, the load port 100, the index module 200, the first buffer module 300, the application and development module 400, the second buffer module 500, the pre-exposure processing module 600, 700 will be described in detail.
The load port 100 has a mounting table 120 on which the cassette 20 accommodating the substrates W is placed. A plurality of mounts 120 are provided, and the mounts 200 are arranged in a line along the second direction 14. [ In Fig. 2, four placement tables 120 are provided.
The index module 200 transfers the substrate W between the cassette 20 placed on the table 120 of the load port 100 and the first buffer module 300. The index module 200 has a frame 210, an index robot 220, and a guide rail 230. The frame 210 is provided generally in the shape of an inner rectangular parallelepiped and is disposed between the load port 100 and the first buffer module 300. The frame 210 of the index module 200 may be provided at a lower height than the frame 310 of the first buffer module 300 described later. The index robot 220 and the guide rail 230 are disposed within the frame 210. The index robot 220 is moved in the first direction 12, the second direction 14 and the third direction 16 so that the hand 221 that directly handles the substrate W can be moved and rotated in the first direction 12, the second direction 14, . The index robot 220 has a hand 221, an arm 222, a support 223, and a pedestal 224. The hand 221 is fixed to the arm 222. The arm 222 is provided with a stretchable structure and a rotatable structure. The support base 223 is disposed along the third direction 16 in the longitudinal direction. The arm 222 is coupled to the support 223 to be movable along the support 223. The support 223 is fixedly coupled to the pedestal 224. The guide rails 230 are provided so that their longitudinal direction is arranged along the second direction 14. The pedestal 224 is coupled to the guide rail 230 so as to be linearly movable along the guide rail 230. Further, although not shown, the frame 210 is further provided with a door opener for opening and closing the door of the cassette 20.
The first buffer module 300 has a frame 310, a first buffer 320, a second buffer 330, a cooling chamber 350, and a first buffer robot 360. The frame 310 is provided in the shape of an inner rectangular parallelepiped and is disposed between the index module 200 and the application and development module 400. The first buffer 320, the second buffer 330, the cooling chamber 350, and the first buffer robot 360 are located within the frame 310. The cooling chamber 350, the second buffer 330, and the first buffer 320 are sequentially disposed in the third direction 16 from below. The second buffer 330 and the cooling chamber 350 are located at a height corresponding to the coating module 401 of the coating and developing module 400 described later and the coating and developing module 400 at a height corresponding to the developing module 402. [ The first buffer robot 360 is spaced apart from the second buffer 330, the cooling chamber 350 and the first buffer 320 by a predetermined distance in the second direction 14.
The first buffer 320 and the second buffer 330 temporarily store a plurality of substrates W, respectively. The second buffer 330 has a housing 331 and a plurality of supports 332. The supports 332 are disposed within the housing 331 and are provided spaced apart from each other in the third direction 16. One substrate W is placed on each support 332. The housing 331 is constructed so that the index robot 220, the first buffer robot 360 and the developing robot 482 of the developing module 402 described later mount the substrate W on the support 332 in the housing 331 (Not shown) in the direction in which the index robot 220 is provided, in the direction in which the first buffer robot 360 is provided, and in the direction in which the developing robot 482 is provided, so that the developing robot 482 can carry it in or out. The first buffer 320 has a structure substantially similar to that of the second buffer 330. The housing 321 of the first buffer 320 has an opening in a direction in which the first buffer robot 360 is provided and in a direction in which the application unit robot 432 located in the application module 401 described later is provided. The number of supports 322 provided in the first buffer 320 and the number of supports 332 provided in the second buffer 330 may be the same or different. According to one example, the number of supports 332 provided in the second buffer 330 may be greater than the number of supports 322 provided in the first buffer 320.
The first buffer robot 360 transfers the substrate W between the first buffer 320 and the second buffer 330. The first buffer robot 360 has a hand 361, an arm 362, and a support base 363. The hand 361 is fixed to the arm 362. The arm 362 is provided in a stretchable configuration so that the hand 361 is movable along the second direction 14. The arm 362 is coupled to the support 363 so as to be linearly movable along the support 363 in the third direction 16. The support base 363 has a length extending from a position corresponding to the second buffer 330 to a position corresponding to the first buffer 320. The support member 363 may be provided longer in the upward or downward direction. The first buffer robot 360 may be provided so that the hand 361 is simply driven in two directions along the second direction 14 and the third direction 16.
The cooling chamber 350 cools the substrate W, respectively. The cooling chamber 350 has a housing 351 and a cooling plate 352. The cooling plate 352 has an upper surface on which the substrate W is placed and a cooling means 353 for cooling the substrate W. [ As the cooling means 353, various methods such as cooling with cooling water and cooling using a thermoelectric element can be used. In addition, the cooling chamber 350 may be provided with a lift pin assembly (not shown) for positioning the substrate W on the cooling plate 352. The housing 351 is provided with an index robot 220 so that the developing robot 482 provided in the index robot 220 and a developing module 402 to be described later can carry the substrate W into or out of the cooling plate 352 (Not shown) in the direction provided and the direction in which the developing robot 482 is provided. Further, the cooling chamber 350 may be provided with doors (not shown) for opening and closing the above-described opening.
The application and development module 400 performs a process of applying a photoresist on the substrate W before the exposure process and a process of developing the substrate W after the exposure process. The application and development module 400 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. The coating and developing module 400 has a coating module 401 and a developing module 402. The application module 401 and the development module 402 are arranged so as to be partitioned into layers with respect to each other. According to one example, the application module 401 is located on top of the development module 402.
The application module 401 includes a process of applying a photosensitive liquid such as a photoresist to the substrate W and a heat treatment process such as heating and cooling for the substrate W before and after the resist application process. The application module 401 has a resist application unit 410, a bake unit 420, and a transfer chamber 430. The resist application unit 410, the bake unit 420, and the transfer chamber 430 are sequentially disposed along the second direction 14. [ The resist coating unit 410 and the bake unit 420 are positioned apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 430 therebetween. A plurality of resist coating units 410 are provided, and a plurality of resist coating units 410 are provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. In the drawing, an example in which six resist application units 410 are provided is shown. A plurality of bake units 420 are provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. In the drawing, an example in which six bake units 420 are provided is shown. Alternatively, however, the bake unit 420 may be provided in more or less numbers.
The transfer chamber 430 is positioned in parallel with the first buffer 320 of the first buffer module 300 in the first direction 12. In the transfer chamber 430, a dispenser robot 432 and a guide rail 433 are positioned. The transfer chamber 430 has a generally rectangular shape. The application unit robot 432 is connected to the bake units 420, the resist application units 400, the first buffer 320 of the first buffer module 300 and the first buffer unit 500 of the second buffer module 500 And transfers the substrate W between the cooling chambers 520. The guide rails 433 are arranged so that their longitudinal directions are parallel to the first direction 12. The guide rails 433 guide the applying robot 432 to move linearly in the first direction 12. The applicator robot 432 has a hand 434, an arm 435, a support 436, and a pedestal 437. The hand 434 is fixed to the arm 435. The arm 435 is provided in a stretchable configuration so that the hand 434 is movable in the horizontal direction. The support 436 is provided so that its longitudinal direction is disposed along the third direction 16. The arm 435 is coupled to the support 436 so as to be linearly movable in the third direction 16 along the support 436. The support 436 is fixedly coupled to the pedestal 437 and the pedestal 437 is coupled to the guide rail 433 so as to be movable along the guide rail 433.
The resist coating units 410 all have the same structure. However, the types of the sensitizing solution used in the respective resist coating units 410 may be different from each other. For example, a chemical amplification resist may be used as the sensitizing solution. The resist coating unit 410 applies the photosensitive liquid onto the substrate W. [ The resist coating unit 410 has a housing 411, a support plate 412, and a nozzle 413. The housing 411 has a cup shape with an open top. The support plate 412 is located in the housing 411 and supports the substrate W. [ The support plate 412 is rotatably provided. The nozzle 413 supplies the sensitizing solution onto the substrate W placed on the support plate 412. The nozzle 413 has a circular tube shape and can supply the photosensitive liquid to the center of the substrate W. [ Alternatively, the nozzle 413 may have a length corresponding to the diameter of the substrate W, and the discharge port of the nozzle 413 may be provided as a slit. In addition, the resist coating unit 410 may further be provided with a nozzle 414 for supplying a cleaning liquid such as deionized water to clean the surface of the substrate W on which the photosensitive liquid is applied.
The bake unit 800 heat-treats the substrate W. The bake unit 800 heat-treats the substrate W before and after applying the photosensitive liquid. The bake unit 800 can heat the substrate W to a predetermined temperature so as to change the surface properties of the substrate W before applying the photosensitive liquid and form a process liquid film such as an adhesive on the substrate W have. The bake unit 800 can heat-treat the photosensitive liquid film in a reduced-pressure atmosphere on the substrate W coated with the photosensitive liquid. The volatile substance contained in the photosensitive liquid film can be volatilized. In this embodiment, the bake unit 800 is described as a unit for performing the heat treatment on the photosensitive liquid film.
The bake unit 800 includes a cooling plate 820 and a heating unit. The cooling plate 820 cools the substrate W heated by the heating unit 830. The cooling plate 820 is provided in the shape of a circular plate. Inside the cooling plate 820, cooling means such as cooling water or a thermoelectric element are provided. For example, the cooling plate 820 can cool the heat-treated substrate W to room temperature.
The heating unit 830 heats the substrate W. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the heating unit of Fig. 6, the heating unit 830 includes a substrate support member 840, a heater 850, a cable 835, and a connecting member 860. [ The substrate support member 840 supports the substrate W. The substrate support member 840 is positioned on one side of the cooling plate 820. The substrate support member 840 is provided with a plate 840 having a circular plate shape. The upper surface of the plate 840 is provided with a seating surface on which the substrate W is seated. The plate 840 is positioned such that the bottom plate 842, the heater plate 844, and the top plate 846 are stacked. The bottom plate 842, the heater plate 844, and the top plate 846 are sequentially positioned along the downward direction. For example, the bottom plate 842 and the top plate 846 may comprise a metal material. The bottom plate 842 and the top plate 846 may comprise aluminum material.
The heater plate 844 is provided with a plurality of heaters 850. The heater 850 includes a resistor 850 that is supplied with electric power and can generate heat. Power can be supplied to the heater 850 via cable 835. 7 is a plan view showing the heater of Fig. Referring to Fig. 7, each heater 850 is located on the same plane. Each heater 850 heats different areas of the top plate 846. The areas of the top plate 846 corresponding to each heater 850 are provided with heating zones. For example, the heating zones may be fifteen. For example, the heater 850 may be a thermoelectric element or a hot wire.
Referring again to FIG. 6, a plurality of connection holes 843 are formed in the lower plate 842. The connection hole 843 is provided as a hole into which a cable 835 for supplying electric power to the resistor 850 located inside the plate 840 is inserted. Each of the connection holes 843 is provided in a number corresponding one-to-one with the resistor 850. Each of the connection holes 843 is formed to face the resistor 850. A center hole 847 is formed in the top plate 846. A center hole 847 is formed in the center of the top plate 846. The center hole 847 has a first hole 848 and a second hole 849. The first hole 848 is positioned higher than the second hole 849. The first hole 848 has a wider width than the second hole 849. The second hole 849 is located under the first hole 848. The second hole 849 is provided to extend downward from the first hole 848. The second hole 849 extends from the top plate 846 to the bottom of the bottom plate 842.
The connecting member 860 connects the terminal of the resistor 850 and the cable 835. [ The connecting member 860 includes a housing 870, a contact terminal 880, and a gap adjusting member 890.
The housing 870 aligns the plurality of cables 835. The housing 870 also protects the plurality of cables 835. 8 is a plan view showing the housing and contact terminals of Fig. 6; Referring to FIG. 8, the housing 870 has a circular plate shape. The housing 870 has a generally similar diameter to the plate 840. The housing 870 is positioned below the plate 840. The housing 870 is positioned to face the bottom plate 842. The housing 870 is formed in the space 872 inside. The inner space 872 of the housing 870 is provided with a space 872 in which the upper area of the cable 835 is located. In the housing 870, a terminal hole, a lower hole 874, an upper opening, and a lower opening are formed. A plurality of terminal holes are provided, and each is formed on the upper surface of the housing 870. The terminal holes are provided in a number corresponding one-to-one with the resistor 850. The terminal holes are positioned so as to have the same arrangement as the connection hole 843. [ The terminal holes and the connection holes 843 can be positioned so as to be aligned in the vertical direction. A lower hole 874 is formed in the lower surface of the housing 870. The lower hole 874 functions as a hole through which a plurality of cables 835 pass. A plurality of cables 835 can be passed through the lower hole 874 to maintain a bundled state. The lower hole 874 is formed in an area off the center axis of the housing 870. An upper opening is formed in the upper surface of the housing 870, and a lower opening is formed in the lower surface of the housing 870. The upper opening and the lower opening are positioned to face each other along the vertical direction. The lower opening may have a larger diameter than the upper opening.
The resistor 850 is supplied with electric power from the cable 835 by the contact terminal 880. A plurality of contact terminals 880 are provided. For example, the contact terminals 880 may be provided in a number corresponding one-to-one with the resistor 850. The contact terminal 880 includes a contact portion 883 and a support portion 886. 9 is a perspective view showing the contact terminal of Fig. Referring to FIG. 9, the contact portion 883 is provided in contact with the terminal of the resistor 850. Here, the contacted state is defined as a state in which the contact portions 883 and the terminals of the resistor 850 are in contact with each other, not bonding or bonding.
Contact portion 883 includes a first portion 882 and a second portion 884. The first portion 882 is provided to be in contact with and opposed to the resistor 850 terminal. The second portion 884 extends downwardly from the first portion 882. According to one example, the contact portion 883 may be provided in a bent state in contact with the resistor 850. [ When viewed from the side, the contact portion 883 may have an "a" shape. The support portion 886 supports the contact portion 883. The support portion 886 extends downward from the lower end of the contact portion 883. Each support 886 is positioned to be inserted into the terminal hole. Each support 886 is fixedly coupled to a housing 870. A cable 835 is electrically connected to the lower end of the support portion 886. Therefore, electric power is supplied to the resistor 850 terminal through the cable 835, the support portion 886, and the contact portion 883 in order. For example, the contact terminal 880 may be provided with a material containing a metal.
The gap adjusting member 890 moves the contact terminal 880 to the contact position and the separation position. Here, the contact position is a position at which the contact portion 883 contacts the terminal of the resistor 850, and the contact position 883 defines a position at which the contact portion 883 is separated from the terminal of the resistor 850. The spacing member 890 adjusts the spacing between the plate 840 and the housing 870 so that the contact 883 is in contact with the bent state by the terminals of the resistor 850. The spacing member 890 includes a tension bolt 896 and a support block 898. The tension bolt 896 is positioned to be inserted into the center hole 847. The tension bolt 896 has a screw head 892 and a screw body 894. The screw head 892 has a larger diameter than the screw body 894. The screw body 894 has a cylindrical shape extending long downward from the lower end of the screw head 892. A screw thread is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the screw body 894. The screw head 892 has a diameter larger than the second hole 849 of the center hole 847 and smaller than the first hole 848. The screw body 894 has a diameter equal to or smaller than the second hole 849 of the center hole 847. The screw body 894 has a length longer than the second hole 849 of the center hole 847 with respect to the downward direction. Therefore, the lower end of the screw body 894 is positioned to have a lower height than the lower end of the lower plate 842.
The support block 898 is provided in a cylindrical shape whose longitudinal direction is directed upward and downward. The support block 898 is positioned below the tension bolt 896. The support block 898 is positioned opposite the tension bolt 896. A support block 898 is positioned to be inserted into the upper and lower openings of the housing 870. The support block 898 is fixedly coupled to the housing 870. On the upper surface of the support block 898, a screw groove is formed. A screw body 894 can be inserted into the screw groove. A screw threadable with the tension bolt 896 is formed on the inner surface of the support block 898 forming the thread groove. By the rotation of the tension bolt 896, the height of the support block 898 is adjusted. Accordingly, the housing 870 is adjusted in height together with the support block 898, and the distance between the housing 870 and the plate 840 is adjustable.
Next, a process of connecting the cable 835 to the resistor 850 terminal in the heating unit 830 will be described. 10 to 12, the process of connecting the cable 835 to the terminal of the resistor 850 may be a process in which the contact terminal 880 is moved from the separated position to the contact position. The worker mounts the support block 898 and the tension bolt 896 such that the tension bolt 896 is inserted into the thread groove of the support block 898. [ The tension bolt 896 is rotated while the support block 898 and the tension bolt 896 are mounted. The support block 898 is moved upwardly along the thread of the tension bolt 896. [ The housing 870 is moved upward with the support block 898, and the contact portion 883 is in contact with the terminal of the resistor 850. The operator further rotates the tension bolt 896 so that the contact portion 883 is bent by the terminal of the resistor 850. [ As a result, the contact area between the contact portion 883 and the resistor 850 terminal is widened, and the resistance against the power supply is reduced.
2 to 5, the developing module 402 includes a developing process for supplying a developing solution to obtain a pattern on the substrate W to remove a part of the photoresist, and a developing process for removing a portion of the photoresist on the substrate W And a heat treatment process such as heating and cooling performed on the substrate. The development module 402 has a development unit 460, a bake unit 470, and a transfer chamber 480. [ The developing unit 460, the bake unit 470, and the transfer chamber 480 are sequentially disposed along the second direction 14. The developing unit 460 and the bake unit 470 are positioned apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 480 therebetween. A plurality of developing units 460 are provided, and a plurality of developing units 460 are provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. In the drawing, an example in which six developing units 460 are provided is shown. A plurality of bake units 470 are provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. In the drawing, an example in which six bake units 470 are provided is shown. Alternatively, however, the bake unit 470 may be provided in a greater number.
The transfer chamber 480 is positioned in parallel with the second buffer 330 of the first buffer module 300 in the first direction 12. In the transfer chamber 480, the developing robot 482 and the guide rail 483 are positioned. The delivery chamber 480 has a generally rectangular shape. The developing robot 482 includes bake units 470, developing units 460, a second buffer 330 and a cooling chamber 350 of the first buffer module 300 and a second buffer module 500, And the second cooling chamber 540 of the second cooling chamber 540. The guide rail 483 is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first direction 12. The guide rail 483 guides the developing robot 482 to linearly move in the first direction 12. The developing sub-robot 482 has a hand 484, an arm 485, a supporting stand 486, and a pedestal 487. The hand 484 is fixed to the arm 485. The arm 485 is provided in a stretchable configuration to allow the hand 484 to move in a horizontal direction. The support 486 is provided so that its longitudinal direction is disposed along the third direction 16. The arm 485 is coupled to the support 486 such that it is linearly movable along the support 486 in the third direction 16. The support table 486 is fixedly coupled to the pedestal 487. The pedestal 487 is coupled to the guide rail 483 so as to be movable along the guide rail 483.
The developing units 460 all have the same structure. However, the types of developers used in the respective developing units 460 may be different from each other. The developing unit 460 removes a region of the photoresist on the substrate W irradiated with light. At this time, the area of the protective film irradiated with the light is also removed. Depending on the type of selectively used photoresist, only the areas of the photoresist and protective film that are not irradiated with light can be removed.
The developing unit 460 has a housing 461, a support plate 462, and a nozzle 463. The housing 461 has a cup shape with an open top. The support plate 462 is located in the housing 461 and supports the substrate W. [ The support plate 462 is rotatably provided. The nozzle 463 supplies the developer onto the substrate W placed on the support plate 462. The nozzle 463 has a circular tube shape and can supply developer to the center of the substrate W. [ Alternatively, the nozzle 463 may have a length corresponding to the diameter of the substrate W, and the discharge port of the nozzle 463 may be provided with a slit. Further, the developing unit 460 may further be provided with a nozzle 464 for supplying a cleaning liquid such as deionized water to clean the surface of the substrate W to which the developer is supplied.
The bake unit 470 of the developing module 402 heat-treats the substrate W. [ For example, the bake units 470 may include a post bake process in which the substrate W is heated before the development process is performed, a hard bake process in which the substrate W is heated after the development process is performed, And a cooling step for cooling the substrate W is performed. The bake unit 470 has a cooling plate 471 or a heating plate 472. The cooling plate 471 is provided with a cooling means 473 such as a cooling water or a thermoelectric element. Or the heating plate 472 is provided with a heating means 474 such as a hot wire or a thermoelectric element. The cooling plate 471 and the heating plate 472 may be provided in a single bake unit 470, respectively. Optionally, some of the bake units 470 may include only the cooling plate 471, while others may only have the heating plate 472. [ Since the bake unit 470 of the developing module 402 has the same configuration as that of the bake unit of the application module 401, detailed description thereof will be omitted.
The second buffer module 500 is provided as a path through which the substrate W is transferred between the coating and developing module 400 and the pre- and post-exposure processing module 600. The second buffer module 500 performs a predetermined process on the substrate W such as a cooling process or an edge exposure process. The second buffer module 500 includes a frame 510, a buffer 520, a first cooling chamber 530, a second cooling chamber 540, an edge exposure chamber 550, and a second buffer robot 560 I have. The frame 510 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The buffer 520, the first cooling chamber 530, the second cooling chamber 540, the edge exposure chamber 550, and the second buffer robot 560 are located within the frame 510. The buffer 520, the first cooling chamber 530, and the edge exposure chamber 550 are disposed at a height corresponding to the application module 401. The second cooling chamber 540 is disposed at a height corresponding to the development module 402. The buffer 520, the first cooling chamber 530, and the second cooling chamber 540 are sequentially arranged in a row along the third direction 16. The buffer 520 is disposed along the first direction 12 with the transfer chamber 430 of the application module 401. [ The edge exposure chamber 550 is spaced a certain distance in the second direction 14 from the buffer 520 or the first cooling chamber 530.
The second buffer robot 560 carries the substrate W between the buffer 520, the first cooling chamber 530, and the edge exposure chamber 550. A second buffer robot 560 is positioned between the edge exposure chamber 550 and the buffer 520. The second buffer robot 560 may be provided in a structure similar to that of the first buffer robot 360. The first cooling chamber 530 and the edge exposure chamber 550 perform a subsequent process on the substrates W that have been processed in the application module 401. The first cooling chamber 530 cools the substrate W processed in the application module 401. The first cooling chamber 530 has a structure similar to the cooling chamber 350 of the first buffer module 300. The edge exposure chamber 550 exposes its edge to the substrates W that have undergone the cooling process in the first cooling chamber 530. [ The buffer 520 temporarily stores the substrate W before the substrates W processed in the edge exposure chamber 550 are transported to a preprocessing module 601 described later. The second cooling chamber 540 cools the substrates W before the processed substrates W are transferred to the developing module 402 in the post-processing module 602 described later. The second buffer module 500 may further have a buffer added to the height corresponding to the development module 402. In this case, the substrates W processed in the post-processing module 602 may be temporarily stored in the added buffer and then conveyed to the developing module 402.
The pre- and post-exposure processing module 600 may process a process of applying a protective film for protecting the photoresist film applied to the substrate W during liquid immersion exposure, when the exposure apparatus 900 performs the liquid immersion exposure process. In addition, the pre- and post-exposure processing module 600 may perform a process of cleaning the substrate W after exposure. In addition, when the coating process is performed using the chemically amplified resist, the pre- and post-exposure processing module 600 can process the post-exposure bake process.
The pre-exposure post-processing module 600 has a pre-processing module 601 and a post-processing module 602. The pre-processing module 601 performs a process of processing the substrate W before the exposure process, and the post-process module 602 performs a process of processing the substrate W after the exposure process. The pre-processing module 601 and the post-processing module 602 are arranged so as to be partitioned into layers with respect to each other. According to one example, the preprocessing module 601 is located on top of the post-processing module 602. The preprocessing module 601 is provided at the same height as the application module 401. The post-processing module 602 is provided at the same height as the developing module 402. The preprocessing module 601 has a protective film application unit 610, a bake unit 620, and a transfer chamber 630. The protective film application unit 610, the transfer chamber 630, and the bake unit 620 are sequentially disposed along the second direction 14. [ The protective film applying unit 610 and the bake unit 620 are positioned apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 630 therebetween. A plurality of protective film application units 610 are provided, and are arranged along the third direction 16 to form a layer with each other. Alternatively, a plurality of protective film application units 610 may be provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. A plurality of bake units 620 are provided and are disposed along the third direction 16 to form layers. Alternatively, the plurality of bake units 620 may be provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively.
The transfer chamber 630 is positioned in parallel with the first cooling chamber 530 of the second buffer module 500 in the first direction 12. In the transfer chamber 630, a pre-processing robot 632 is located. The transfer chamber 630 has a generally square or rectangular shape. The preprocessing robot 632 is connected between the protective film application units 610, the bake units 620, the buffer 520 of the second buffer module 500 and the first buffer 720 of the interface module 700, The substrate W is transferred. The preprocessing robot 632 has a hand 633, an arm 634, and a support 635. The hand 633 is fixed to the arm 634. The arm 634 is provided with a retractable structure and a rotatable structure. The arm 634 is coupled to the support 635 so as to be linearly movable along the support 635 in the third direction 16.
The protective film coating unit 610 applies a protective film for protecting the resist film on the substrate W during liquid immersion exposure. The protective film application unit 610 has a housing 611, a support plate 612, and a nozzle 613. The housing 611 has a cup shape with its top opened. The support plate 612 is located in the housing 611 and supports the substrate W. [ The support plate 612 is rotatably provided. The nozzle 613 supplies a protective liquid for forming a protective film onto the substrate W placed on the supporting plate 612. The nozzle 613 has a circular tube shape and can supply the protective liquid to the center of the substrate W. [ Alternatively, the nozzle 613 may have a length corresponding to the diameter of the substrate W, and the discharge port of the nozzle 613 may be provided with a slit. In this case, the support plate 612 may be provided in a fixed state. The protective liquid includes a foamable material. The protective liquid may be a photoresist and a material having a low affinity for water. For example, the protective liquid may contain a fluorine-based solvent. The protective film applying unit 610 supplies the protective liquid to the central region of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W placed on the supporting plate 612. [
The bake unit 620 heat-treats the substrate W coated with the protective film. The bake unit 620 has a cooling plate 621 or a heating plate 622. The cooling plate 621 is provided with a cooling means 623 such as a cooling water or a thermoelectric element. Or heating plate 622 is provided with a heating means 624, such as a hot wire or a thermoelectric element. The heating plate 622 and the cooling plate 621 may be provided in a single bake unit 620, respectively. Optionally, some of the bake units 620 may include only the heating plate 622, while others may only include the cooling plate 621.
The post-processing module 602 has a cleaning chamber 660, a post-exposure bake unit 670, and a delivery chamber 680. The cleaning chamber 660, the transfer chamber 680, and the post-exposure bake unit 670 are sequentially disposed along the second direction 14. Therefore, the cleaning chamber 660 and the post-exposure bake unit 670 are positioned apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 680 therebetween. A plurality of cleaning chambers 660 are provided and may be disposed along the third direction 16 to form layers. Alternatively, a plurality of cleaning chambers 660 may be provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. A plurality of post-exposure bake units 670 are provided, and may be disposed along the third direction 16 to form layers. Alternatively, a plurality of post-exposure bake units 670 may be provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively.
The transfer chamber 680 is positioned in parallel with the second cooling chamber 540 of the second buffer module 500 in the first direction 12 as viewed from above. The transfer chamber 680 has a generally square or rectangular shape. A post processing robot 682 is located in the transfer chamber 680. The post-processing robot 682 is connected to the cleaning chambers 660, the post-exposure bake units 670, the second cooling chamber 540 of the second buffer module 500, and the second And transfers the substrate W between the buffers 730. The postprocessing robot 682 provided in the postprocessing module 602 may be provided with the same structure as the preprocessing robot 632 provided in the preprocessing module 601. [
The cleaning chamber 660 cleans the substrate W after the exposure process. The cleaning chamber 660 has a housing 661, a support plate 662, and a nozzle 663. The housing 661 has a cup shape with an open top. The support plate 662 is located in the housing 661 and supports the substrate W. [ The support plate 662 is rotatably provided. The nozzle 663 supplies the cleaning liquid onto the substrate W placed on the support plate 662. As the cleaning liquid, water such as deionized water may be used. The cleaning chamber 660 supplies the cleaning liquid to the central region of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W placed on the support plate 662. Optionally, while the substrate W is rotating, the nozzle 663 may move linearly or rotationally from the central region of the substrate W to the edge region.
The post-exposure bake unit 670 uses the deep ultraviolet light to heat the substrate W subjected to the exposure process. The post-exposure baking step heats the substrate W and amplifies the acid generated in the photoresist by exposure to complete the property change of the photoresist. The post-exposure bake unit 670 has a heating plate 672. The heating plate 672 is provided with a heating means 674 such as a hot wire or a thermoelectric element. The post-exposure bake unit 670 may further include a cooling plate 671 therein. The cooling plate 671 is provided with a cooling means 673 such as a cooling water or a thermoelectric element. Further, a bake unit having only a cooling plate 671 may be further provided.
As described above, the pre-processing module 601 and the post-processing module 602 in the pre-exposure processing module 600 are provided to be completely separated from each other. The transfer chamber 630 of the preprocessing module 601 and the transfer chamber 680 of the postprocessing module 602 are provided in the same size and can be provided so as to completely overlap each other when viewed from above. In addition, the protective film application unit 610 and the cleaning chamber 660 may be provided to have the same size as each other and be provided so as to completely overlap each other when viewed from above. In addition, the bake unit 620 and the post-exposure bake unit 670 are provided in the same size and can be provided so as to completely overlap each other when viewed from above.
The interface module 700 transfers the substrate W between the exposure pre- and post-processing module 600 and the exposure apparatus 900. The interface module 700 has a frame 710, a first buffer 720, a second buffer 730, and an interface robot 740. The first buffer 720, the second buffer 730, and the interface robot 740 are located within the frame 710. The first buffer 720 and the second buffer 730 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance and are stacked on each other. The first buffer 720 is disposed higher than the second buffer 730. The first buffer 720 is positioned at a height corresponding to the preprocessing module 601 and the second buffer 730 is positioned at a height corresponding to the postprocessing module 602. The first buffer 720 is arranged in a line along the first direction 12 with the transfer chamber 630 of the preprocessing module 601 while the second buffer 730 is arranged in the postprocessing module 602, Are arranged in a line along the first direction 12 with the transfer chamber 630 of the transfer chamber 630. [
The interface robot 740 is spaced apart from the first buffer 720 and the second buffer 730 in the second direction 14. The interface robot 740 carries the substrate W between the first buffer 720, the second buffer 730 and the exposure apparatus 900. The interface robot 740 has a structure substantially similar to that of the second buffer robot 560.
The first buffer 720 temporarily stores the substrates W processed in the preprocessing module 601 before they are transferred to the exposure apparatus 900. The second buffer 730 temporarily stores the processed substrates W in the exposure apparatus 900 before they are transferred to the post-processing module 602. The first buffer 720 has a housing 721 and a plurality of supports 722. The supports 722 are disposed within the housing 721 and are provided spaced apart from each other in the third direction 16. One substrate W is placed on each support 722. The housing 721 is movable in the direction in which the interface robot 740 is provided and in the direction in which the interface robot 740 and the preprocessing robot 632 transfer the substrate W to and from the support table 722, 632 are provided with openings (not shown) in the direction in which they are provided. The second buffer 730 has a structure substantially similar to that of the first buffer 720. However, the housing 4531 of the second buffer 730 has an opening (not shown) in the direction in which the interface robot 740 is provided and in a direction in which the postprocessing robot 682 is provided. The interface module may be provided with only the buffers and robots as described above without providing a chamber for performing a predetermined process on the substrate.
