KR101909187B1 - Substrate treating apparatus and liquid monitoring method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a chemical liquid monitoring method. A substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a valve positioned in a chemical liquid supply pipe; A pump located in the chemical liquid supply pipe; A sensor disposed in the pump or the chemical liquid supply pipe for sensing pressure; And the pressure detected by the sensor is compared with a preset reference pressure waveform to monitor the supply state of the chemical liquid supplied through the chemical liquid supply pipe.

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION [0002] Substrate treating apparatus and liquid monitoring method [

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a chemical liquid monitoring method.

To fabricate semiconductor devices or liquid crystal displays, various processes such as photolithography, etching, ashing, ion implantation, thin film deposition, and cleaning are performed on the substrate. The photolithography process is a process for forming a desired circuit pattern on a substrate, and the application process, the exposure process, and the development process are sequentially performed. In the coating step, a photosensitive liquid such as a photoresist is coated on the substrate. In the exposure step, a circuit pattern is exposed on the substrate having the photosensitive film. In the developing step, the exposed region is selectively developed on the substrate. The substrate etching process or the cleaning process is largely performed by a chemical processing step, a rinsing processing step, and a drying processing step. In the chemical treatment step, a chemical for etching the thin film formed on the substrate or removing foreign substances on the substrate is supplied to the substrate, and in the rinsing step, a rinsing liquid such as pure water is supplied onto the substrate. As described above, the processing of the substrate includes a step of processing the substrate in such a manner that the liquid is applied to the substrate.

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a chemical liquid monitoring method for efficiently processing a substrate.

The present invention also provides a substrate processing apparatus and a chemical liquid monitoring method capable of efficiently detecting abnormality in the supply state of a chemical liquid.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus for performing a process of discharging a chemical liquid supplied to a chemical liquid supply pipe, the apparatus comprising: a valve positioned in the chemical liquid supply pipe; A pump located in the chemical liquid supply pipe; A sensor disposed in the pump or the chemical liquid supply pipe for sensing pressure; And a substrate processing apparatus for monitoring the supply state of the chemical liquid supplied through the chemical liquid supply pipe by comparing the pressure sensed by the sensor with a preset reference pressure waveform.

The reference pressure waveform may include a first interval between a set time before and after the start of the supply of the chemical liquid; A second section in which the chemical solution is continuously supplied immediately after the first section; And a third section in which the supply of the chemical solution is terminated immediately after the second section. In a first section, the controller compares a maximum value of the pressure detected by the sensor with a maximum value of the reference pressure waveform .

In addition, the controller may compare the reference pressure waveform with the waveform of the pressure sensed by the sensor.

The reference pressure waveform may be set to a measured pressure waveform sensed through the sensor in the chemical liquid supply process when it is confirmed that the chemical liquid of the set condition is supplied through the quality check of the processed substrate.

The reference pressure waveform may be set to a measured pressure waveform sensed by the sensor during the supply of the chemical liquid when it is confirmed that the chemical liquid of the set condition is supplied through the monitoring of the chemical liquid discharged to the substrate.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling an apparatus for opening a valve, comprising: opening a valve to initiate supply of a chemical liquid through a chemical liquid supply pipe at a pressure provided by a pump; Continuing the supply of the chemical liquid; And stopping the supply of the chemical solution by closing the valve, wherein the pressure detected by the sensor located in the chemical solution supply pipe or the pump is compared with a preset reference pressure waveform, and the pressure of the chemical solution supplied through the chemical solution supply pipe A chemical solution monitoring method for monitoring the supply state can be provided.

In addition, the maximum value of the pressure sensed by the sensor may be compared with the maximum value of the reference pressure waveform in a period between a set time before and after the start of the supply of the chemical liquid.

In addition, it is possible to compare the reference pressure waveform with the waveform of the pressure sensed by the sensor in a period between a set time before and after the end of the supply of the chemical liquid.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a substrate processing apparatus and a chemical liquid monitoring method for efficiently processing a substrate can be provided.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a substrate processing apparatus and a chemical liquid monitoring method capable of efficiently detecting abnormality in the supply state of a chemical liquid can be provided.

1 is a top view of a substrate processing apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a view of the facility of Fig. 1 viewed from the direction AA.
Fig. 3 is a view of the equipment of Fig. 1 viewed from the BB direction.
Fig. 4 is a view of the facility of Fig. 1 viewed from the CC direction; Fig.
5 is a view showing a chemical solution applying unit and a piping structure connected thereto.
6 is a diagram showing a control relationship by the controller.
7 is a view showing a reference pressure waveform.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments of the present invention can 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.

FIG. 1 is a view of the substrate processing apparatus viewed from above, FIG. 2 is a view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 viewed from the AA direction, FIG. 3 is a view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 viewed from the BB direction, In the CC direction.

1 to 4, 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 chamber 410, a bake chamber 420, and a transfer chamber 430. The resist application chamber 410, the bake chamber 420, and the transfer chamber 430 are sequentially disposed along the second direction 14. [ The resist application chamber 410 and the bake chamber 420 are positioned apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 430 interposed therebetween. A plurality of resist coating chambers 410 are provided, and a plurality of resist coating chambers 410 are provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. In the figure, six resist coating chambers 410 are provided. A plurality of bake chambers 420 are provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. In the drawing, six bake chambers 420 are provided. Alternatively, however, the bake chamber 420 may be provided in a greater number.

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 applicator robot 432 is connected to the bake chambers 420, the resist application chambers 400, the first buffer 320 of the first buffer module 300, and the first buffer module 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 chambers 410 all have the same structure. However, the types of the photoresist used in each of the resist coating chambers 410 may be different from each other. As an example, a chemical amplification resist may be used as the photoresist. The resist coating chamber 410 applies a photoresist on the substrate W. [ The resist coating chamber 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 photoresist onto the substrate W placed on the support plate 412. The nozzle 413 has a circular tube shape and can supply photoresist 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 chamber 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 to which the photoresist is applied.

The bake chamber 420 heat-treats the substrate W. For example, the bake chambers 420 may be formed by a prebake process for heating the substrate W to a predetermined temperature to remove organic substances and moisture on the surface of the substrate W, A soft bake process is performed after coating the substrate W on the substrate W, and a cooling process for cooling the substrate W after each heating process is performed. The bake chamber 420 has a cooling plate 421 or a heating plate 422. The cooling plate 421 is provided with a cooling means 423 such as a cooling water or a thermoelectric element. The heating plate 422 is also provided with a heating means 424, such as a hot wire or a thermoelectric element. The cooling plate 421 and the heating plate 422 may be provided in a single bake chamber 420, respectively. Optionally, some of the bake chambers 420 may include only the cooling plate 421, and the other portions may include only the heating plate 422.

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 heat treatment process such as heating and cooling performed on the substrate W before and after the developing process . The development module 402 has a development chamber 800, a bake chamber 470, and a transfer chamber 480. [ The development chamber 800, the bake chamber 470, and the transfer chamber 480 are sequentially disposed along the second direction 14. The development chamber 800 and the bake chamber 470 are positioned apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 480 therebetween. A plurality of developing chambers 800 are provided and a plurality of developing chambers 800 are provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. In the drawing, an example in which six developing chambers 800 are provided is shown. A plurality of bake chambers 470 are provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. In the drawing, six bake chambers 470 are provided. Alternatively, however, the bake chamber 470 can be provided in greater numbers.

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 development robot 482 is connected to the bake chambers 470, the development chambers 800, the second buffer 330 and the cooling chamber 350 of the first buffer module 300 and the 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 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 pretreatment module 601 has a protective film application chamber 610, a bake chamber 620, and a transfer chamber 630. The protective film application chamber 610, the transfer chamber 630, and the bake chamber 620 are sequentially disposed along the second direction 14. The protective film application chamber 610 and the bake chamber 620 are positioned apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 630 therebetween. A plurality of protective film application chambers 610 are provided and are arranged along the third direction 16 to form layers. Alternatively, a plurality of protective film application chambers 610 may be provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. A plurality of bake chambers 620 are provided and are disposed along the third direction 16 to form layers. Alternatively, a plurality of bake chambers 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 chambers 610, the bake chambers 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 applying chamber 610 applies a protective film for protecting the resist film on the substrate W during liquid immersion exposure. The protective film application chamber 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 application chamber 610 supplies the protective liquid to the central region of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W placed on the support plate 612.

The bake chamber 620 heat-treats the substrate W coated with the protective film. The bake chamber 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 chamber 620, respectively. Optionally, some of the bake chambers 620 may have only the heating plate 622, while others may only have the cooling plate 621.

The post-processing module 602 has a cleaning chamber 660, a post-exposure bake chamber 670, and a delivery chamber 680. The cleaning chamber 660, the transfer chamber 680, and the post-exposure bake chamber 670 are sequentially disposed along the second direction 14. Accordingly, the cleaning chamber 660 and the post-exposure baking chamber 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 chambers 670 are provided and may be disposed along the third direction 16 to form layers. Alternatively, a plurality of post-exposure bake chambers 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, post-exposure bake chambers 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 chamber 670 heats the substrate W subjected to the exposure process using deep UV light. 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 chamber 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 chamber 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 chamber having only the 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. Further, the protective film application chamber 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 with each other when viewed from above. Further, the bake chamber 620 and the post-exposure bake chamber 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 731 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. Only the buffers and robots can be provided as described above without providing a chamber for performing a predetermined process on the substrate W in the interface module.

The development chambers 800 all have the same structure. However, the types of developers used in the respective developing chambers 800 may be different from each other. The development chamber 800 is provided with an apparatus for developing a substrate. The development chamber 800 removes a region of the photoresist on the substrate W where light is irradiated. 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.

5 is a view showing a chemical solution applying unit and a piping structure connected thereto.

5, the chemical liquid application unit 1000 applies a chemical liquid, which is supplied through a chemical liquid supply pipe 1100, to a substrate to process the substrate. As an example, the chemical solution applying unit 1000 may be an apparatus that is provided in the resist application chamber 410 to apply a resist to the substrate. The amount of the resist supplied to the chemical solution applying unit 1000 should be adjusted to a set value since a small amount of the resist must be uniformly applied over the entire upper surface of the substrate. As another example, the chemical solution applying unit 1000 may be an apparatus for applying a chemical solution to the substrate for hydrophobizing the substrate in advance of the resist grape, a device for applying developer to the substrate,

A valve 1110 and a pump 1120 are located in the chemical liquid supply pipe 1100. The valve 1110 opens and closes the chemical liquid supply pipe 1100. The pump 1120 provides a pressure at which the chemical liquid flows through the chemical liquid supply pipe 1100.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a control relationship by the controller, and FIG. 7 is a view showing a reference pressure waveform.

6 and 7, the controller 1200 may sense whether the valve 1110 is opened or closed. In addition, the controller 1200 may control the open and close operation of the valve 1110. The pump 1120 may be provided with a sensor 1130. In addition, the sensor 1130 may be located in the chemical liquid supply pipe 1100 between the pump 1120 and the valve 1110. The sensor 1130 senses the pressure of the pump 1120 or the chemical liquid supply pipe 1100. The controller 1200 can monitor the pressure when the chemical liquid is supplied through the sensor 1130 or before and after the chemical liquid supply. The controller 1200 compares the pressure signal provided by the sensor 1130 with the reference pressure waveform to detect whether the chemical liquid is supplied according to the set condition or the set amount.

The reference pressure waveform can be set in consideration of the waveform of the signal sensed by the sensor 1130 when the chemical liquid is supplied according to the set condition or the set amount. For example, when it is confirmed that the chemical liquid of the set condition or the set amount is supplied through the confirmation of the quality of the processed substrate or the monitoring of the chemical liquid discharged to the substrate, Can be set as the reference pressure waveform. Even if the chemical liquid is supplied according to the setting conditions, the waveform of the pressure sensed by the sensor 1130 may be deviated. In consideration of this, the reference pressure waveform can be set to a waveform obtained by averaging two or more actual pressure waveforms.

Referring to the reference pressure waveform, the reference pressure waveform is divided into a first section S1, a second section S2, and a third section S3.

The first section S1 is a section between the set time before and after the time point at which the chemical liquid supply is started. When the chemical liquid supply is started, the valve 1110 is opened and the pump 1120 starts operating. At this time, the opening of the valve 1110 and the operation of the pump 1120 can be interlocked with each other to supply the chemical solution according to the setting conditions. For example, the operation of the pump 1120 and the opening of the valve 1110 can be made simultaneously. The pump 1120 can be started when the set time elapses after the start of the operation of the pump 1120 or when the set time has elapsed after the valve 1110 is opened.

In the first section S1, the reference pressure waveform has a maximum value. This is because when the chemical liquid starts to flow, the static chemical solution in the front section of the pump 1120 against the pressure provided by the pump 1120, the frictional force between the chemical liquid and the piping configuration acts as a load, To increase the pressure. When the chemical solution is supplied in the first section S1, the maximum value of the pressure signal detected by the sensor 1130 is different from the maximum value of the reference pressure waveform. This is because the operation of the valve 1110 or the operation of the pump 1120 causes the valve 1110 and the pump 1120 not to operate in accordance with the set operating conditions, Clogging of these constituents due to foreign matter trapped in the chemical solution inlet pipe 1120 or a change in degree of friction acting between these components and the chemical liquid, leakage due to deterioration of the chemical liquid supply pipe 1100, valve or pump 1120, It is confirmed that the maximum value of the pressure signal is changed according to the change of the degree of friction between the two. Accordingly, the controller 1200 can detect that the device is malfunctioning when the maximum value of the pressure signal in the first section S1 deviates from the start tolerance value with respect to the maximum value of the reference pressure waveform.

The second section S2 is a section in which the chemical solution is continuously supplied immediately after the first section S1. In the second section S2, the reference pressure waveform vibrates up and down with reference to a certain pressure. This is due to the fact that the pressure is due to the operating characteristics of the sensor 1130, which is actually vibrating or electrically configured. The controller 1200 does not compare the reference pressure waveform with the pressure signal in the second section S2 when no abnormality is detected in the first section S1.

The third section S3 is a section between a set time before and after the end of the supply of the chemical immediately after the second section S2. At the end of the chemical liquid supply, the valve 1110 is closed, and the pump 1120 ends the operation. At this time, the closing of the valve 1110 and the stoppage of the pump 1120 can be interlocked according to the setting conditions. For example, the operation stop of the pump 1120 and the closing of the valve 1110 can be performed at the same time. The pump 1120 can be stopped when the set time elapses after the pump 1120 stops operating or when the set time has elapsed after the valve 1110 is closed.

In the third section S3, the reference pressure waveform has a period in which the pressure decreases during the set time period by the pump 1120 stopping operation. The controller 1200 may compare the waveform of the pressure signal to the reference pressure waveform and sense that the device is out of order if the waveform is outside the end tolerance value. It is confirmed that the frequency of abnormality of the substrate processing increases as the degree of the pressure signal waveform differs from the reference pressure waveform in the third section S3. It has been confirmed that the waveform change of the pressure signal is caused by the mismatch of the valve 1110 and the pump 1120 or by the leakage of the valve 1110. And, this is controlled to terminate the supply of the chemical liquid to the substrate, causing a drop of the chemical liquid droplets on the substrate, thereby deteriorating the substrate processing quality. Therefore, the control unit can detect occurrence of such a phenomenon. The controller 1200 may use the Pearson product correlation coefficient for comparing waveforms of the reference pressure waveform and the pressure signal in the third section S3.

The above-described chemical solution applying unit is located in a substrate processing apparatus that performs a photolithography process. However, the chemical liquid application unit is not limited to this, and may be provided in an apparatus using a chemical liquid for processing a substrate such as an etching process, a cleaning process, and the like.

The foregoing detailed description is illustrative of the present invention. In addition, the foregoing is intended to illustrate and explain the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention may be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments. That is, it is possible to make changes or modifications within the scope of the concept of the invention disclosed in this specification, within the scope of the disclosure, and / or within the skill and knowledge of the art. The embodiments described herein are intended to illustrate the best mode for implementing the technical idea of the present invention and various modifications required for specific applications and uses of the present invention are also possible. Accordingly, the detailed description of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiments. It is also to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover such other embodiments.

100: Load port 200: Index module
300: first buffer module 400: application and development module
500: second buffer module 600: pre-exposure processing module
700: Interface module 1000: Chemical solution dispensing unit

Claims (8)

delete A substrate processing apparatus for performing a process of discharging a chemical liquid supplied to a chemical liquid supply pipe,
A valve positioned in the chemical liquid supply pipe;
A pump located in the chemical liquid supply pipe;
A sensor disposed in the pump or the chemical liquid supply pipe for sensing pressure; And
A controller,
The controller monitors the supply state of the chemical liquid supplied through the chemical liquid supply pipe by comparing the pressure sensed by the sensor with a preset reference pressure waveform,
The reference pressure waveform,
A first interval between a set time before and after a time point when the supply of the chemical liquid is started;
A second section in which the chemical solution is continuously supplied immediately after the first section; And
And a third section in which the supply of the chemical liquid is terminated immediately after the second section,
Wherein the controller compares a maximum value of the pressure detected by the sensor with a maximum value of the reference pressure waveform in the first section,
The controller in the second section does not perform a comparison of the pressure sensed by the sensor with the reference pressure waveform,
And in the third period, the controller compares the reference pressure waveform with the waveform of the pressure sensed by the sensor. delete 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the reference pressure waveform is set to a measured pressure waveform sensed by the sensor during the supply of the chemical liquid when the chemical liquid of the set condition is confirmed through the quality check of the processed substrate. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the reference pressure waveform is set to an actual pressure waveform sensed through the sensor in the chemical liquid supply process when it is confirmed that the chemical liquid of the set condition is supplied through monitoring of the chemical liquid discharged to the substrate. delete A chemical liquid monitoring method for monitoring a supply state of a chemical liquid supplied through a chemical liquid supply pipe,
Opening the valve and initiating the supply of the chemical liquid through the chemical liquid supply pipe at a pressure provided by the pump;
Continuing the supply of the chemical liquid; And
Closing the valve to terminate the supply of the chemical liquid,
Comparing the pressure sensed by the sensor located in the chemical liquid supply pipe or the pump with a preset reference pressure waveform,
Comparing a maximum value of the pressure detected by the sensor with a maximum value of the reference pressure waveform in a period between a set time before and after the start of the supply of the chemical liquid,
Without performing the comparison between the pressure sensed by the sensor and the reference pressure waveform in the step of continuing the supply of the chemical liquid,
And comparing the waveform of the pressure sensed by the sensor with the reference pressure waveform in a period between a set time before and after the end of the supply of the chemical liquid. delete

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