KR102207312B1 - Method and Apparatus for treating substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a method and apparatus for forming a liquid film on a substrate. As a method of treating a substrate with a liquid, a liquid film is formed by supplying a liquid on a rotating substrate, and the amount of the liquid supplied per unit time is changed according to the rotation speed of the substrate. Accordingly, it is possible to control the diffusion region of the liquid film and reduce the amount of liquid consumption.

Description

Substrate processing method and apparatus TECHNICAL FIELD [Method and Apparatus for treating substrate}

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for liquid processing a substrate, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for forming a liquid film on a substrate.

In order to manufacture a semiconductor device, various processes such as cleaning, deposition, photography, etching, and ion implantation are performed. Among these processes, the photographic process sequentially performs coating, exposure, and development steps. The coating process is a process of applying a photosensitive liquid such as a resist to the surface of the substrate. The exposure process is a process of exposing a circuit pattern on a substrate on which a photosensitive film is formed. In the developing process, the exposed area of the substrate is selectively developed.

In general, the coating process requires a liquid film having a uniform thickness over the entire area of the substrate. Accordingly, a photoresist with a constant flow rate is supplied to the center position of the substrate, and the substrate is rotated. The photoresist supplied to the center of the substrate diffuses from the center to the edge of the substrate by centrifugal force.

The photoresist is viscous, and the diffusion region in which the photoresist diffuses from the center of the substrate is controlled by the rotation speed of the substrate. For example, as the rotation speed of the substrate increases, the diffusion area becomes wider, and as the rotation speed of the substrate decreases, the diffusion area narrows. Accordingly, a method of variously controlling the rotation speed of the substrate step by step has been proposed.

1 and 2 are diagrams showing liquid film thicknesses different from the rotation speed of the substrate. 1 is a view in which a substrate is rotated at a first speed when a photoresist is applied to the substrate. In this case, the liquid film has a shape inclined toward the edge region by the centrifugal force of the substrate. That is, the thickness of the liquid film has a shape in which the edge region is thicker than the center. In addition, when the substrate is rotated at the first speed, the diffusion region of the liquid film deviates from the substrate and the consumption of the photoresist increases.

2 is a view in which the substrate is rotated at a second speed slower than the first speed when a photoresist is applied to the substrate. In this case, the diffusion region of the liquid film is provided smaller than that of the substrate. As a result, a region where the liquid film is not applied is generated on the substrate. In addition, the photoresist supplied to the center of the substrate does not diffuse smoothly. Accordingly, the thickness of the liquid film has a shape whose center is thicker than the edge.

An object of the present invention is to solve a problem in that it is difficult to control the thickness of each liquid film and control the diffusion region only by adjusting the rotation speed of the substrate.

In addition, an object of the present invention is to reduce the consumption amount of liquid in the process of forming a liquid film on a substrate.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a method and apparatus for forming a liquid film on a substrate. As a method of treating a substrate with a liquid, a liquid film is formed by supplying a liquid on a rotating substrate, and the amount of the liquid supplied per unit time is changed according to the rotation speed of the substrate.

The rotation speed and the supply amount per unit time may have a direct proportional relationship. The method includes a first supply step of supplying the liquid to the substrate by rotating the substrate at a first speed and supplying the liquid to the substrate by using the supply amount per unit time of the liquid as a first flow rate, and after the first supply step, the substrate is removed. A second supply step of supplying the liquid to the substrate while rotating at two speeds, using the supply amount per unit time of the liquid as a second flow rate, wherein the first speed is faster than the second speed, and the first flow rate May be greater than the second flow rate.

The method further includes a deceleration step of decelerating the substrate from the first speed to the second speed between the first supply step and the second supply step, wherein the deceleration step includes The liquid may be supplied to the substrate using the supply amount as the second flow rate.

In addition, the method further comprises a deceleration step of decelerating the substrate from the first speed to the second speed between the first supplying step and the second supplying step, wherein the deceleration step includes a unit of the liquid. The amount supplied per hour is synchronized with the rotational speed, so that the amount supplied per unit time of the liquid may be gradually reduced.

The liquid film may be a film formed by a photosensitive liquid.

The method comprises a first diffusion step and the first diffusion step of stopping the supply of the liquid and rotating the substrate at a third speed slower than the first speed and faster than the second speed after the second supply step. Thereafter, a second diffusion step of rotating the substrate at a fourth speed slower than the first speed and faster than the third speed may be further included.

The apparatus for liquid processing a substrate includes a substrate support unit that supports and rotates the substrate, a liquid supply unit that supplies a liquid onto a substrate rotated by the substrate support unit, and controls the substrate support unit and the liquid supply unit. And a controller, wherein the controller controls the substrate support unit and the liquid supply unit so that the amount of the liquid supplied per unit time is changed according to the rotation speed of the substrate.

The controller includes a first supply step of supplying the liquid to the substrate by rotating the substrate at a first speed, using the supply amount per unit time of the liquid as a first flow rate, and rotating the substrate at a second speed, The substrate support unit and the liquid supply unit are controlled so that a second supply step of supplying the liquid to the substrate is sequentially performed by using the supply amount per unit time of the second flow rate, wherein the first speed is higher than the second speed. It is fast, and the first flow rate may be greater than the second flow rate.

The controller controls the substrate support unit and the liquid supply unit so that a deceleration step of decelerating the substrate from the first speed to the second speed is performed between the first supply step and the second supply step. In the deceleration step, the liquid may be supplied to the substrate by making the supply amount of the liquid per unit time the second flow rate.

After the second supply step, the controller stops the supply of the liquid and rotates the substrate at a third speed slower than the first speed and faster than the second speed, and the first diffusion step of rotating the substrate. The substrate support unit and the liquid supply unit may be controlled so that a second diffusion step of rotating at a fourth speed slower than the speed and faster than the third speed proceeds sequentially.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rotational speed of the substrate and the amount of liquid supplied per unit time are changed together. Accordingly, the thickness of each region of the liquid film can be uniformly adjusted and the diffusion region of the liquid film can be controlled.

In addition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the amount of liquid supplied per unit time is smaller in the second speed, which is a low-speed section, compared to the first speed, which is a higher-speed section. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the amount of consumption of the liquid in the process of forming the liquid film.

1 and 2 are diagrams showing liquid film thicknesses different from the rotation speed of the substrate.
3 is a schematic perspective view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a front view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 3.
5 is a plan view of the substrate processing apparatus showing the coating block or developing block of FIG. 4.
6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hand of the transfer robot of FIG. 5.
7 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the heat treatment chamber of FIG. 5.
8 is a front view of the heat treatment chamber of FIG. 5.
9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the liquid processing chamber of FIG. 4.
10 is a plan view showing the liquid processing chamber of FIG. 9.
11 is a flow chart showing a process of forming a liquid film on a substrate.
12 is a graph showing the rotation speed of the substrate of FIG. 11 and the flow rate per unit time of the liquid.
13 to 16 are views showing the thickness of the liquid film in stages (first supply/deceleration/second supply)
17 is a flow chart showing another embodiment of FIG. 11 (synchronization)

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more 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 completely explain the present invention to those with average knowledge in the industry. Therefore, the shape of the element in the drawings is exaggerated to emphasize a more clear description.

3 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a front view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 3. 5 is a plan view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 3 showing a coating block or a developing block of FIG. 4.

3 to 5, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes an index module 20, a treating module 30, and an interface module 40. According to an embodiment, the index module 20, the processing module 30, and the interface module 40 are sequentially arranged in a row. Hereinafter, the direction in which the index module 20, the processing module 30, and the interface module 40 are arranged is referred to as the first direction 12, and the direction perpendicular to the first direction 12 when viewed from the top is referred to as The second direction 14 is referred to as, and a direction perpendicular to both the first direction 12 and the second direction 14 is referred to as the third direction 16.

The index module 20 transfers the substrate W from the container 10 in which the substrate W is stored to the processing module 30, and stores the processed substrate W into the container 10. The longitudinal direction of the index module 20 is provided in the second direction 14. The index module 20 has a load port 22 and an index frame 24. The load port 22 is located on the opposite side of the processing module 30 based on the index frame 24. The container 10 in which the substrates W are accommodated is placed on the load port 22. A plurality of load ports 22 may be provided, and a plurality of load ports 22 may be disposed along the second direction 14.

As the container 10, a container 10 for sealing such as a front open unified pod (FOUP) may be used. The container 10 may be placed on the load port 22 by an operator or a transport means (not shown) such as an overhead transfer, an overhead conveyor, or an automatic guided vehicle. I can.

An index robot 2200 is provided inside the index frame 24. In the index frame 24, a guide rail 2300 in which the longitudinal direction is provided in the second direction 14 may be provided, and the index robot 2200 may be provided to be movable on the guide rail 2300. The index robot 2200 includes a hand 2220 on which the substrate W is placed, and the hand 2220 moves forward and backward, rotates about the third direction 16, and performs a third direction 16. It may be provided to be movable along the way.

The processing module 30 performs a coating process and a developing process on the substrate W. The processing module 30 has a coating block 30a and a developing block 30b. The coating block 30a performs a coating process on the substrate W, and the developing block 30b performs a developing process on the substrate W. A plurality of coating blocks 30a are provided, and they are provided to be stacked on each other. A plurality of developing blocks 30b are provided, and the developing blocks 30b are provided to be stacked on each other. According to the embodiment of FIG. 3, two coating blocks 30a are provided, and two developing blocks 30b are provided. The coating blocks 30a may be disposed under the developing blocks 30b. According to an example, the two coating blocks 30a perform the same process and may be provided in the same structure. In addition, the two developing blocks 30b perform the same process with each other, and may be provided with the same structure.

Referring to FIG. 5, the coating block 30a includes a heat treatment chamber 3200, a transfer chamber 3400, a liquid processing chamber 3600, and a buffer chamber 3800. The heat treatment chamber 3200 performs a heat treatment process on the substrate W. The heat treatment process may include a cooling process and a heating process. The liquid processing chamber 3600 supplies a liquid on the substrate W to form a liquid film. The liquid film may be a photoresist film or an antireflection film. The transfer chamber 3400 transfers the substrate W between the heat treatment chamber 3200 and the liquid processing chamber 3600 within the coating block 30a.

The conveying chamber 3400 is provided with its longitudinal direction parallel to the first direction 12. A transfer robot 3422 is provided in the transfer chamber 3400. The transfer robot 3422 transfers the substrate between the heat treatment chamber 3200, the liquid treatment chamber 3600, and the buffer chamber 3800. According to an example, the transfer robot 3422 has a hand 3420 on which a substrate W is placed, and the hand 3420 moves forward and backward, a rotation about the third direction 16, and a third direction. It may be provided to be movable along (16). In the transfer chamber 3400, a guide rail 3300 whose longitudinal direction is provided parallel to the first direction 12 may be provided, and the transfer robot 3422 may be provided to be movable on the guide rail 3300. .

6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hand of the transfer robot of FIG. 5. 6, the hand 3420 has a base 3428 and a support protrusion 3429. The base 3428 may have an annular ring shape in which a part of the circumference is bent. The base 3428 has an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the substrate W. The support protrusion 3429 extends inwardly from the base 3428. A plurality of support protrusions 3429 are provided and support an edge region of the substrate W. According to an example, four support protrusions 3429 may be provided at equal intervals.

The heat treatment chamber 3200 is provided in plural. 4 and 5, the heat treatment chambers 3200 are arranged to be arranged along the first direction 12. The heat treatment chambers 3200 are located on one side of the transfer chamber 3400.

7 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the heat treatment chamber of FIG. 5, and FIG. 8 is a front view of the heat treatment chamber of FIG. 7. The heat treatment chamber 3200 has a housing 3210, a cooling unit 3220, a heating unit 3230, and a conveying plate 3240.

The housing 3210 is generally provided in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. A carrying port (not shown) through which the substrate W enters and exits is formed on the sidewall of the housing 3210. The entrance can be kept open. A door (not shown) may be provided to selectively open and close the entrance. A cooling unit 3220, a heating unit 3230, and a conveying plate 3240 are provided in the housing 3210. The cooling unit 3220 and the heating unit 3230 are provided side by side along the second direction 14. According to an example, the cooling unit 3220 may be located closer to the transfer chamber 3400 than the heating unit 3230.

The cooling unit 3220 has a cooling plate 3222. The cooling plate 3222 may have a generally circular shape when viewed from the top. A cooling member 3224 is provided on the cooling plate 3222. According to an example, the cooling member 3224 is formed inside the cooling plate 3222 and may be provided as a flow path through which the cooling fluid flows.

The heating unit 3230 has a heating plate 3232, a cover 3234, and a heater 3233. The heating plate 3232 has a generally circular shape when viewed from the top. The heating plate 3232 has a larger diameter than the substrate W. A heater 3233 is installed on the heating plate 3232. The heater 3233 may be provided as a heating resistor to which current is applied. The heating plate 3232 is provided with lift pins 3238 that can be driven in the vertical direction along the third direction 16. The lift pin 3238 receives the substrate W from the conveying means outside the heating unit 3230 and puts it down on the heating plate 3232 or lifts the substrate W from the heating plate 3232 to the outside of the heating unit 3230. Hand over by means of transport. According to an example, three lift pins 3238 may be provided. The cover 3234 has a space in which the lower part is open. The cover 3234 is located above the heating plate 3232 and is moved in the vertical direction by the driver 3236. When the cover 3234 comes into contact with the heating plate 3232, the space surrounded by the cover 3234 and the heating plate 3232 is provided as a heating space for heating the substrate W.

The transfer plate 3240 has a generally disk shape and has a diameter corresponding to the substrate W. A notch 3244 is formed at the edge of the transfer plate 3240. The notch 3244 may have a shape corresponding to the protrusion 3429 formed on the hand 3420 of the transfer robot 3422 and 3424 described above. In addition, the notch 3244 is provided in a number corresponding to the protrusion 3429 formed in the hand 3420 and is formed at a position corresponding to the protrusion 3429. When the vertical position of the hand 3420 and the transfer plate 3240 is changed in the position where the hand 3420 and the transfer plate 3240 are aligned in the vertical direction, the substrate W between the hand 3420 and the transfer plate 3240 is changed. Delivery takes place. The transfer plate 3240 is mounted on the guide rail 3249 and may be moved between the first area 3212 and the second area 3214 along the guide rail 3249 by a driver 3246. The conveying plate 3240 is provided with a plurality of slit-shaped guide grooves 3242. The guide groove 3242 extends from the end of the transfer plate 3240 to the inside of the transfer plate 3240. The guide groove 3242 is provided along the second direction 14 in its longitudinal direction, and the guide grooves 3242 are positioned to be spaced apart from each other along the first direction 12. The guide groove 3242 prevents the transfer plate 3240 and the lift pin 1340 from interfering with each other when the transfer of the substrate W is made between the transfer plate 3240 and the heating unit 3230.

The substrate W is heated while the substrate W is directly placed on the support plate 1320, and the substrate W is cooled by the transfer plate 3240 on which the substrate W is placed. It is made while in contact with. The transfer plate 3240 is made of a material having a high heat transfer rate so that heat transfer between the cooling plate 3222 and the substrate W is well performed. According to an example, the transfer plate 3240 may be made of a metal material.

The heating unit 3230 provided in some of the heat treatment chambers 3200 may supply gas while heating the substrate W to improve the adhesion rate of the photoresist to the substrate W. According to an example, the gas may be hexamethyldisilane gas.

The liquid processing chamber 3600 is provided in plural. Some of the liquid treatment chambers 3600 may be provided to be stacked on each other. 4 and 5, the liquid processing chambers 3600 are disposed on one side of the transfer chamber 3402. The liquid processing chambers 3600 are arranged side by side along the first direction 12. Some of the liquid processing chambers 3600 are provided at positions adjacent to the index module 20. Hereinafter, these liquid treatment chambers are referred to as a front liquid treatment chamber 3602 (front liquid treating chamber). Other portions of the liquid processing chambers 3600 are provided at positions adjacent to the interface module 40. Hereinafter, these liquid treatment chambers are referred to as rear heat treating chambers 3604.

The front-end liquid treatment chamber 3602 applies the first liquid onto the substrate W, and the rear-end liquid treatment chamber 3604 applies the second liquid onto the substrate W. The first liquid and the second liquid may be different types of liquids. According to an embodiment, the first liquid is an antireflection film, and the second liquid is a photoresist. The photoresist may be applied on the substrate W on which the antireflection film is applied. Optionally, the first liquid may be a photoresist, and the second liquid may be an antireflection film. In this case, the antireflection film may be applied on the substrate W on which the photoresist is applied. Optionally, the first liquid and the second liquid are of the same type, and they may all be photoresists.

Both the liquid processing chambers 3602 and 3604 have the same structure, and the front end liquid processing chamber 3602 will be described as an example. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the liquid processing chamber of FIG. 4, and FIG. 10 is a plan view illustrating the liquid processing chamber of FIG. 9. Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the front end liquid processing chamber 3602 is provided as an apparatus 800 for forming a liquid film on a substrate. The front end liquid treatment chambers 3602 and 800 include a housing 810, an airflow providing unit 820, a substrate support unit 830, a processing container 850, an elevating unit 890, a liquid supply unit 840, and a controller. Includes (880).

The housing 810 is provided in a rectangular cylindrical shape having a space 812 therein. An opening (not shown) is formed at one side of the housing 810. The opening functions as an inlet through which the substrate W is carried. A door is installed in the opening, and the door opens and closes the opening. When the substrate processing process proceeds, the door closes the opening to seal the inner space 812 of the housing 810. An inner exhaust port 814 and an outer exhaust port 816 are formed on the lower surface of the housing 810. The airflow formed in the housing 810 is exhausted to the outside through the inner exhaust port 814 and the outer exhaust port 816. According to an example, the airflow provided in the processing container 850 may be exhausted through the inner exhaust port 814, and the airflow provided outside the processing container 850 may be exhausted through the outer exhaust port 816.

The airflow providing unit 820 forms a downward airflow in the inner space of the housing 810. The airflow providing unit 820 includes an airflow supply line 822, a fan 824, and a filter 826. The airflow supply line 822 is connected to the housing 810. The airflow supply line 822 supplies external air to the housing 810. The filter 826 filters 826 the air provided from the airflow supply line 822. The filter 826 removes impurities contained in air. The fan 824 is installed on the upper surface of the housing 810. The fan 824 is located in a central area on the top surface of the housing 810. The fan 824 forms a downward airflow in the interior space of the housing 810. When air is supplied to the fan 824 from the airflow supply line 822, the fan 824 supplies air in a downward direction.

The substrate support unit 830 supports the substrate W in the inner space of the housing 810. The substrate support unit 830 rotates the substrate W. The substrate support unit 830 includes a spin chuck 832, a rotation shaft 834, and a driver 836. The spin chuck 832 is provided as a substrate support member 832 supporting a substrate. The spin chuck 832 is provided to have a circular plate shape. The substrate W is in contact with the upper surface of the spin chuck 832. The spin chuck 832 is provided to have a diameter smaller than that of the substrate W. According to an example, the spin chuck 832 may chuck the substrate W by vacuum suctioning the substrate W. Optionally, the spin chuck 832 may be provided as an electrostatic chuck for chucking the substrate W using static electricity. Also, the spin chuck 832 may chuck the substrate W with a physical force.

The rotation shaft 834 and the driver 836 are provided as rotation drive members 834 and 836 that rotate the spin chuck 832. The rotation shaft 834 supports the spin chuck 832 under the spin chuck 832. The rotation shaft 834 is provided so that its longitudinal direction faces up and down. The rotation shaft 834 is provided so as to be rotatable about its central axis. The driver 836 provides a driving force so that the rotation shaft 834 is rotated. For example, the driver 836 may be a motor capable of varying the rotational speed of the rotation shaft 834.

The processing vessel 850 is located in the inner space 812 of the housing 810. The processing container 850 provides a processing space therein. The processing container 850 is provided to have a cup shape with an open top. The processing vessel 850 includes an inner cup 852 and an outer cup 862.

The inner cup 852 is provided in a circular plate shape surrounding the rotation shaft 834. When viewed from the top, the inner cup 852 is positioned to overlap the inner exhaust port 814. When viewed from above, the upper surface of the inner cup 852 is provided so that each of the outer and inner regions are inclined at different angles. According to an example, the outer region of the inner cup 852 faces a downwardly inclined direction as the distance from the substrate support unit 830 increases, and the inner region faces an upwardly inclined direction as the distance from the substrate support unit 830. Is provided to A point where the outer region and the inner region of the inner cup 852 meet each other is provided to correspond to the side end of the substrate W in the vertical direction. An area outside the upper surface of the inner cup 852 is provided to be rounded. An area outside the upper surface of the inner cup 852 is provided concave down. An area outside the upper surface of the inner cup 852 may be provided as an area through which the treatment liquid flows.

The outer cup 862 is provided to have a cup shape surrounding the substrate support unit 830 and the inner cup 852. The outer cup 862 has a bottom wall 864, a side wall 866, an upper wall 870, and an inclined wall 870. The bottom wall 864 is provided to have a circular plate shape having a hollow. A recovery line 865 is formed on the bottom wall 864. The recovery line 865 recovers the processing liquid supplied on the substrate W. The treated liquid recovered by the recovery line 865 may be reused by an external liquid recovery system. The sidewall 866 is provided to have a circular cylindrical shape surrounding the substrate support unit 830. The side wall 866 extends in a vertical direction from the side end of the bottom wall 864. Side wall 866 extends upward from bottom wall 864.

The inclined wall 870 extends from the upper end of the side wall 866 in the inner direction of the outer cup 862. The inclined wall 870 is provided to be closer to the substrate support unit 830 as it goes upward. The inclined wall 870 is provided to have a ring shape. The upper end of the inclined wall 870 is positioned higher than the substrate W supported by the substrate support unit 830.

The lifting unit 890 lifts and moves the inner cup 852 and the outer cup 862, respectively. The lifting unit 890 includes an inner moving member 892 and an outer moving member 894. The inner moving member 892 moves the inner cup 852 up and down, and the outer moving member 894 moves the outer cup 862 up and down.

The liquid supply unit 840 supplies the processing liquid and the pre-wet liquid onto the substrate W. The liquid supply unit 840 includes a guide member 846, an arm 848, a pre-wet nozzle 842 and a treatment nozzle 844. The guide member 846 includes a guide rail 846 that moves the arm 848 in the horizontal direction. The guide rail 846 is located on one side of the processing container 850. The guide rail 846 is provided so that its longitudinal direction faces the horizontal direction. According to an example, the length direction of the guide rail 846 may be provided to face a direction parallel to the first direction 12. An arm 848 is installed on the guide rail 846. The arm 848 may be moved by a linear motor provided inside the guide rail 846. The arm 848 is provided to face in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the guide rail 846 when viewed from above. One end of the arm 848 is mounted on the guide rail 846. A pre-wet nozzle 842 and a processing nozzle 844 are installed on the bottom of the other end of the arm 848, respectively. When viewed from above, the pre-wet nozzle 842 and the treatment nozzle 844 are arranged in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 846. Optionally, a plurality of arms 848 may be provided, and a pre-wet nozzle 842 and a treatment nozzle 844 may be installed on each of the arms 848. In addition, the arm 848 may be rotated by being coupled to a rotation shaft whose length direction faces the third direction.

The pre-wet nozzle 842 supplies the pre-wet liquid onto the substrate W, and the treatment nozzle 844 supplies the treatment liquid onto the substrate W. For example, the pre-wet liquid may be a liquid capable of changing the surface properties of the substrate. The pre-wet liquid can change the surface of the substrate to hydrophobic properties. The pre-wet liquid may be a thinner, and the treatment liquid may be a photoresist such as a photoresist. The pre-wet nozzle 842 receives the pre-wet liquid from the pre-wet liquid supply line. A first valve is installed in the pre-wet liquid supply line, and the first valve opens and closes the pre-wet liquid supply line. The treatment nozzles 844 are provided in plural. The treatment nozzles 844 are positioned to be arranged in a line on both sides with the pre-wet nozzle 842 interposed therebetween. Each of the treatment nozzles 844 may discharge different types of treatment liquids. Each of the treatment nozzles 844 receives treatment liquid from treatment liquid supply lines independent from each other. A second valve is installed in the treatment liquid supply line, and the second valve opens and closes the treatment liquid supply line. The amount of processing liquid supplied per unit time is controlled by the second valve.

Each of the pre-wet nozzle 842 and the treatment nozzle 844 supplies a pre-wet liquid and a treatment liquid to a central position of the substrate. Each of the pre-wet nozzle 842 and the treatment nozzle 844 is provided so that its discharge port faces vertically downward. Here, the central position is a position where the liquid supply position corresponds to the center of the substrate W. Optionally, the discharge port of the pre-wet nozzle 842 may be provided to face a downwardly inclined direction.

The controller 880 controls the substrate support unit 830 and the liquid supply unit 840. The controller 880 controls the rotational speed of the substrate W and the amount of liquid supplied per unit time. The controller 880 controls each unit so that the amount of liquid supplied per unit time is changed according to the rotational speed of the substrate W. The controller 880 controls each unit so that the rotational speed of the substrate W and the amount of liquid supplied per unit time have a direct proportional relationship. The controller 880 controls the rotation speed of the substrate W at a first speed (V₁), a second speed (V₂), a third speed (V₃), and a fourth speed (V₄), and the amount of liquid supplied per unit time May control the first flow rate (F₁) and the second flow rate (F2). Here, the rotational speed is provided as a first speed (V₁), a fourth speed (V₄), a third speed (V₃), and a second speed (V₂) in the order of fast to slow, and the first flow rate (F₁) is the second It may be provided larger than the flow rate (F₂).

The controller 880 controls each unit 830 and 840 so that the first supply step (S100), the second supply step (S300), the first diffusion step (S400), and the second diffusion step (S500) proceed sequentially. I can. The controller 880 controls the driver 836 to supply the substrate W at a first speed (V₁) in the first supplying step (S100), a second speed (V2) in the second supplying step (S300), and The rotation may be performed at a third speed V3 in the first diffusion step S400 and at a fourth speed V₄ in the second diffusion step S500. In addition, the controller 880 is supplied with the treatment liquid in the first supply step (S100) and the second supply step (S300), and the supply of the treatment liquid is stopped in the first diffusion step (S400) and the second diffusion step (S500). The second valve can be controlled as much as possible.

Next, a method of forming a liquid film on the substrate W using the substrate processing apparatus described above will be described. 11 is a flowchart showing a process of forming a liquid film on a substrate, and FIG. 12 is a graph showing a rotation speed of the substrate of FIG. 11 and a flow rate per unit time of the liquid. 11 and 12, the method of processing the substrate W is a pre-treatment step, a first supply step (S100), a deceleration step (S200), a second supply step (S300), and a first diffusion step (S400). , And a second diffusion step (S500). The pretreatment step, the first supply step (S100), the deceleration step (S200), the second supply step (S300), the first diffusion step (S400), and the second diffusion step (S500) are sequentially performed.

In the pretreatment step, the surface properties of the substrate W are changed so that the affinity between the surface of the substrate W and the treatment liquid is improved. In the pretreatment step, the surface of the substrate W is changed to have the same or similar properties as the treatment solution. In the pretreatment step, a pre-wetting liquid is supplied onto the substrate W. The surface of the substrate W is changed in properties by the pre-wetting liquid and has a wet state. When the pretreatment step is completed, the first supply step (S100) proceeds.

13 is a diagram illustrating a process of supplying a processing liquid onto a substrate in the first supply step of FIG. 11. Referring to FIG. 13, the first supplying step S100 is a first step of applying a processing liquid on the substrate W. In the first supply step S100, the substrate W is rotated at a first speed V₁, and the processing nozzle supplies the processing liquid onto the rotated substrate W. The processing liquid is supplied at the first flow rate F₁ per unit time and supplied to the center of the substrate W. Due to the centrifugal force of the substrate W, the processing liquid diffuses in the radial direction from the center of the substrate W. The processing liquid is diffused to a region adjacent to the side end of the substrate W. For example, the first speed (V₁) may be 1700 to 1900 rpm (RPM), and the supply amount per unit time may be 0.29 to 0.31 (cc/s). When the first supply step S100 is completed, the deceleration step S200 proceeds.

In the deceleration step S200, the rotational speed of the substrate W and the amount of processing liquid supplied per unit time are changed. In the deceleration step S200, the rotational speed of the substrate W is decelerated. In the deceleration step S200, the rotational speed of the substrate W is continuously decelerated at the first speed V₁, and the amount of processing liquid supplied per unit time is reduced from the first flow rate F₁ to the second flow rate F₂. . When the rotational speed of the substrate W is reduced to the second speed V2, the second supplying step S300 is performed.

14 is a diagram illustrating a process of supplying a processing liquid onto a substrate in the second supply step of FIG. 11. The second supplying step (S300) is a second step of applying a processing liquid on the substrate W. In the first supply step (S100), the deceleration step (S200), and the second supply step (S300), the supply of the processing liquid is continued. That is, the supply of the processing liquid is not stopped at the time when the first supply step (S100) is passed to the deceleration step (S200) and the deceleration step (S200) to the second supply step (S300). When the second supply step (S300) proceeds. The rotational speed of the substrate W is maintained at the second speed V2, and the amount of processing liquid supplied per unit time is maintained at the second flow rate F2. Accordingly, in the deceleration step (S200) and the second supply step (S300), unlike the first supply step (S100), the diffusion rate of the treatment liquid is different. Accordingly, the treatment liquid supplied in the deceleration step S200 and the second supply step S300 is applied on the treatment liquid film applied in the first supply step S100. For example, in the second supply step (S300), the second speed V2 may be a speed at which diffusion of the treatment liquid due to the centrifugal force of the substrate W does not occur. Only diffusion of the treatment liquid can be achieved by the amount of the applied treatment liquid. For example, the second speed V₂ may be 10 to 50 RPM (RPM), and the supply amount per unit time may be 0.215 to 0.235 (cc/s). When the second supply step (S300) is completed, the first diffusion step (S400) proceeds.

In the first diffusion step S400, the treatment liquid film applied on the substrate W in the first supply step S100, the deceleration step S200, and the second supply step S300 is diffused. In the first diffusion step (S400), the treatment liquid film biased in the central region of the substrate W is first diffused. 15 is a diagram illustrating a liquid film applied on a substrate in the first diffusion step of FIG. 11. In the first diffusion step S400, the supply of the processing liquid is stopped, and the rotational speed of the substrate W is accelerated from the second speed V2 to the third speed V3. For example, the third speed V3 may be a speed slower than the first speed V₁. The third speed V3 may be 1400 to 1600 rpm (RPM). Accordingly, the processing liquid applied on the substrate W is first diffused in the radial direction of the substrate W. When the time set in the first diffusion step S400 passes, the second diffusion step S500 proceeds.

In the second diffusion step S500, the treatment liquid film that was first diffused in the first diffusion step S400 is secondarily diffused. 16 is a diagram illustrating a liquid film applied on a substrate in a second diffusion step of FIG. 11. In the second diffusion step S500, the substrate W is accelerated from the third speed V3 to the fourth speed V₄. For example, the fourth speed V₄ may be slower than the first speed V₁ and may be faster than the third speed V3. The fourth speed (V₄) may be 1500 to 1700 RPM (RPM). Accordingly, the processing liquid film concentrated in the central region of the substrate W is diffused to the end of the substrate W, and the thickness of each region of the processing liquid film can be uniformly adjusted.

According to the above-described embodiment, the amount of processing liquid supplied to the substrate W per unit time is changed to have a direct proportional relationship with the rotational speed of the substrate W. Accordingly, the area in which the treatment liquid is diffused may be widened in the first supply step S100, and the consumption amount of the treatment liquid may be reduced in the second supply step S300.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the rotational speed of the substrate W is reduced at the first speed V₁ in the deceleration step S200, and the supply amount of the processing liquid per unit time is set as the second flow rate F2. However, as shown in FIG. 17, in the deceleration step S200, the amount of processing liquid supplied per unit time may be synchronized with the rotation speed of the substrate W. In the deceleration step S200, the amount of processing liquid supplied per unit time may be gradually reduced as the rotational speed of the substrate W is reduced.

Referring back to FIGS. 4 and 5, a plurality of buffer chambers 3800 are provided. Some of the buffer chambers 3800 are disposed between the index module 20 and the transfer chamber 3400. Hereinafter, these buffer chambers are referred to as a front buffer 3802 (front buffer). The shear buffers 3802 are provided in plural, and are positioned to be stacked with each other along the vertical direction. Other portions of the buffer chambers 3802 and 3804 are disposed between the transfer chamber 3400 and the interface module 40 below. These buffer chambers are referred to as rear buffer 3804 (rear buffer). The rear buffers 3804 are provided in plural, and are positioned to be stacked with each other along the vertical direction. Each of the front buffers 3802 and the rear buffers 3804 temporarily stores a plurality of substrates W. The substrate W stored in the shear buffer 3802 is carried in or taken out by the index robot 2200 and the transfer robot 3422. The substrate W stored in the rear buffer 3804 is carried in or taken out by the transfer robot 3422 and the first robot 4602.

The developing block 30b has a heat treatment chamber 3200, a transfer chamber 3400, and a liquid treatment chamber 3600. The heat treatment chamber 3200, the transfer chamber 3400, and the liquid treatment chamber 3600 of the developing block 30b are the heat treatment chamber 3200, the transfer chamber 3400, and the liquid treatment chamber 3600 of the coating block 30a. ) And is provided in a generally similar structure and arrangement, so it is for this. However, in the developing block 30b, all of the liquid processing chambers 3600 are provided as a developing chamber 3600 for developing and processing a substrate by supplying a developer in the same manner.

The interface module 40 connects the processing module 30 to an external exposure apparatus 50. The interface module 40 has an interface frame 4100, an additional process chamber 4200, an interface buffer 4400, and a conveying member 4600.

A fan filter unit may be provided at an upper end of the interface frame 4100 to form a downward airflow therein. The additional process chamber 4200, the interface buffer 4400, and the transfer member 4600 are disposed inside the interface frame 4100. The additional process chamber 4200 may perform a predetermined additional process before the substrate W, which has been processed in the coating block 30a, is carried into the exposure apparatus 50. Optionally, the additional process chamber 4200 may perform a predetermined additional process before the substrate W, which has been processed by the exposure apparatus 50, is carried into the developing block 30b. According to an example, the additional process is an edge exposure process of exposing the edge region of the substrate W, a top surface cleaning process of cleaning the upper surface of the substrate W, or a bottom surface cleaning process of cleaning the lower surface of the substrate W. I can. A plurality of additional process chambers 4200 may be provided, and they may be provided to be stacked on each other. All of the additional process chambers 4200 may be provided to perform the same process. Optionally, some of the additional process chambers 4200 may be provided to perform different processes.

The interface buffer 4400 provides a space in which the substrate W transferred between the coating block 30a, the additional process chamber 4200, the exposure apparatus 50, and the developing block 30b temporarily stays during the transfer process. A plurality of interface buffers 4400 may be provided, and a plurality of interface buffers 4400 may be provided to be stacked on each other.

According to an example, an additional process chamber 4200 may be disposed on one side and an interface buffer 4400 may be disposed on the other side based on an extension line in the longitudinal direction of the transfer chamber 3400.

The conveying member 4600 conveys the substrate W between the coating block 30a, the addition process chamber 4200, the exposure apparatus 50, and the developing block 30b. The transfer member 4600 may be provided as one or a plurality of robots. According to an example, the carrying member 4600 has a first robot 4602 and a second robot 4606. The first robot 4602 transfers the substrate W between the coating block 30a, the additional process chamber 4200, and the interface buffer 4400, and the interface robot 4606 includes the interface buffer 4400 and the exposure apparatus ( 50), and the second robot 4604 may be provided to transport the substrate W between the interface buffer 4400 and the developing block 30b.

Each of the first robot 4602 and the second robot 4606 includes a hand on which the substrate W is placed, and the hand moves forward and backward, rotates about an axis parallel to the third direction 16, and It may be provided to be movable along the three directions 16.

The hand of the index robot 2200, the first robot 4602, and the second robot 4606 may all be provided in the same shape as the hand 3420 of the transfer robots 3422 and 3424. Optionally, the hand of the robot that directly exchanges the substrate (W) with the transfer plate 3240 of the heat treatment chamber is provided in the same shape as the hand 3420 of the transfer robots 3422 and 3424, and the hands of the other robots have a different shape. Can be provided.

According to an embodiment, the index robot 2200 is provided to directly exchange the substrate W with the heating unit 3230 of the shear heat treatment chamber 3200 provided in the coating block 30a.

In addition, the transfer robot 3422 provided in the coating block 30a and the developing block 30b may be provided to directly exchange the substrate W with the transfer plate 3240 positioned in the heat treatment chamber 3200.

Next, an embodiment of a method of processing a substrate using the substrate processing apparatus 1 described above will be described.

A coating process (S20), an edge exposure process (S40), an exposure process (S60), and a developing process (S80) are sequentially performed on the substrate W.

The coating treatment process (S20) is a heat treatment process (S21) in the heat treatment chamber 3200, an antireflective coating process (S22) in the front liquid treatment chamber 3602, a heat treatment process (S23) in the heat treatment chamber 3200, and a liquid treatment at the subsequent stage A photoresist film application process (S24) in the chamber 3604 and a heat treatment process (S25) in the heat treatment chamber 3200 are sequentially performed.

Hereinafter, an example of a conveyance path of the substrate W from the container 10 to the exposure apparatus 50 will be described.

The index robot 2200 takes out the substrate W from the container 10 and transfers the substrate W to the front end buffer 3802. The transfer robot 3422 transfers the substrate W stored in the front end buffer 3802 to the front end heat treatment chamber 3200. The substrate W transfers the substrate W to the heating unit 3230 by the transfer plate 3240. When the heating process of the substrate in the heating unit 3230 is completed, the transfer plate 3240 transfers the substrate to the cooling unit 3220. The transfer plate 3240 is in contact with the cooling unit 3220 while supporting the substrate W to perform a cooling process of the substrate W. When the cooling process is completed, the transfer plate 3240 is moved to the upper portion of the cooling unit 3220, and the transfer robot 3422 carries out the substrate W from the heat treatment chamber 3200 to the front end liquid treatment chamber 3602. Return.

An anti-reflection film is applied on the substrate W in the shear liquid processing chamber 3602.

The transfer robot 3422 carries the substrate W from the front end liquid processing chamber 3602 and carries the substrate W into the heat treatment chamber 3200. The above-described heating process and cooling process are sequentially performed in the heat treatment chamber 3200, and when each heat treatment process is completed, the transfer robot 3422 carries out the substrate W and transfers the substrate W to the subsequent liquid treatment chamber 3604.

Thereafter, a photoresist film is applied on the substrate W in a liquid processing chamber 3604 at a later stage.

The transfer robot 3422 carries the substrate W out of the liquid processing chamber 3604 at the rear stage, and carries the substrate W into the heat treatment chamber 3200. The above-described heating process and cooling process are sequentially performed in the heat treatment chamber 3200, and when each heat treatment process is completed, the transfer robot 3422 transfers the substrate W to the rear buffer 3804. The first robot 4602 of the interface module 40 carries out the substrate W from the rear buffer 3804 and transfers the substrate W to the auxiliary process chamber 4200.

An edge exposure process is performed on the substrate W in the auxiliary process chamber 4200.

Thereafter, the first robot 4602 carries out the substrate W from the auxiliary process chamber 4200 and transfers the substrate W to the interface buffer 4400.

Thereafter, the second robot 4606 takes out the substrate W from the interface buffer 4400 and transfers it to the exposure apparatus 50.

The development treatment process (S80) is performed by sequentially performing a heat treatment process (S81) in the heat treatment chamber 3200, a development process (S82) in the liquid treatment chamber 3600, and a heat treatment process (S83) in the heat treatment chamber 3200 do.

Hereinafter, an example of a conveyance path of the substrate W from the exposure apparatus 50 to the container 10 will be described.

The second robot 4606 unloads the substrate W from the exposure apparatus 50 and transfers the substrate W to the interface buffer 4400.

Thereafter, the first robot 4602 removes the substrate W from the interface buffer 4400 and transfers the substrate W to the rear buffer 3804. The transfer robot 3422 carries out the substrate W from the rear buffer 3804 and transfers the substrate W to the heat treatment chamber 3200. In the heat treatment chamber 3200, a heating process and a cooling process of the substrate W are sequentially performed. When the cooling process is completed, the substrate W is transferred to the developing chamber 3600 by the transfer robot 3422.

A developing process is performed by supplying a developer onto the substrate W to the developing chamber 3600.

The substrate W is carried out from the developing chamber 3600 by the transfer robot 3422 and carried into the heat treatment chamber 3200. A heating process and a cooling process are sequentially performed on the substrate W in the heat treatment chamber 3200. When the cooling process is completed, the substrate W is carried out from the heat treatment chamber 3200 by the transfer robot 3422 and transferred to the front end buffer 3802.

Thereafter, the index robot 2200 takes out the substrate W from the shear buffer 3802 and transfers it to the container 10.

The processing block of the above-described substrate processing apparatus 1 has been described as performing a coating treatment process and a development treatment process. However, unlike this, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may include only the index module 20 and the processing block 37 without an interface module. In this case, the processing block 37 performs only a coating process, and a film applied on the substrate W may be a spin-on hard mask film SOH.

The detailed description above is illustrative of the present invention. In addition, the above description shows and describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments. That is, changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the concept of the invention disclosed in the present specification, the scope equivalent to the disclosed contents, and/or the skill or knowledge of the art. The above-described embodiments describe the best state for implementing the technical idea of the present invention, and various changes required in the specific application fields and uses of the present invention are possible. Therefore, the detailed description of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiment. In addition, the appended claims should be construed as including other embodiments.

830: substrate support unit 840: liquid supply unit
880: controller S100: first supply step
S200: deceleration step S300: second supply step
S400: first diffusion step S500: second diffusion step

Claims (11)

In the method of liquid processing a substrate,
A liquid film is formed by supplying liquid on the rotating substrate,
Change the supply amount of the liquid per unit time according to the rotation speed of the substrate,
The rotation speed and the supply amount per unit time have a direct proportional relationship,
The above method,
A first supply step of supplying the liquid to the substrate while rotating the substrate at a first speed, using the amount supplied per unit time of the liquid as a first flow rate;
A deceleration step of decelerating the substrate from the first speed to a second speed after the first supplying step;
After the deceleration step, while rotating the substrate at the second speed, a second supply step of supplying the liquid to the substrate using the supply amount per unit time of the liquid as a second flow rate,
The liquid is continuously supplied in the first supply step, the deceleration step, and the second supply step,
The first speed is faster than the second speed, the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate,
In the deceleration step, a supply amount of the liquid per unit time is synchronized with the rotation speed, so that the supply amount of the liquid per unit time gradually decreases from the first flow rate to the second flow rate. delete delete delete delete The method of claim 1,
The liquid film is a film formed by a photosensitive liquid. The method of claim 1 or 6,
The above method,
After the second supplying step, a first diffusion step of stopping the supply of the liquid and rotating the substrate at a third speed slower than the first speed and faster than the second speed;
After the first diffusion step, the substrate processing method further comprising a second diffusion step of rotating the substrate at a fourth speed slower than the first speed and faster than the third speed. In the apparatus for liquid processing a substrate,
A substrate support unit supporting and rotating the substrate;
A liquid supply unit for supplying a liquid onto the substrate rotated by the substrate support unit;
Including a controller for controlling the substrate support unit and the liquid supply unit,
The controller controls the substrate support unit and the liquid supply unit so that the supply amount per unit time of the liquid is changed according to the rotation speed of the substrate,
The controller includes a first supply step of supplying the liquid to the substrate by rotating the substrate at a first speed, using the supply amount per unit time of the liquid as a first flow rate, and rotating the substrate at a second speed, Control the substrate support unit and the liquid supply unit so that a second supply step of supplying the liquid to the substrate is sequentially performed by using the supply amount per unit time of as the second flow rate,
The first speed is faster than the second speed, the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate,
The controller further controls the substrate support unit and the liquid supply unit such that a deceleration step of decelerating the substrate from the first speed to the second speed is performed between the first supply step and the second supply step. But,
The liquid is continuously supplied in the first supply step, the deceleration step, and the second supply step,
The controller further controls the liquid supply unit so that the supply amount per unit time of the liquid is gradually reduced from the first flow rate to the second flow rate by synchronizing the supply amount of the liquid per unit time with the rotation speed in the deceleration step. Substrate processing apparatus. delete delete The method of claim 8,
After the second supply step, the controller stops the supply of the liquid and rotates the substrate at a third speed slower than the first speed and faster than the second speed, and the first diffusion step of rotating the substrate. A substrate processing apparatus for controlling the substrate support unit and the liquid supply unit such that a second diffusion step of rotating at a fourth speed slower than a speed and faster than the third speed is sequentially performed.

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