KR20160129768A - Substrate processing method, substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

Provides are a method, an apparatus, and a system for more simply increasing the smoothness of a resist pattern. A substrate processing method includes a step of performing a development process on a resist film formed on the surface of a substrate; and a step of supplying an inert gas to a space arranged on the substrate, and a step irradiating an energy ray to the resist film through the inert gas.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing method, a substrate processing apparatus, and a substrate processing system. [0002] SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEM [

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing method, a substrate processing apparatus, and a substrate processing system.

In a semiconductor manufacturing process, it has been widely practiced to form a pattern (hereinafter referred to as " resist pattern ") on a resist film by photolithography. In recent years, it is required to increase the smoothness (hereinafter referred to as " smoothness of the resist pattern ") of the boundary line of the resist pattern as the resist pattern becomes finer. Patent Document 1 discloses a method of supplying a solvent gas to the surface of a resist pattern so that only the surface of the resist pattern is dissolved after irradiating the resist pattern after the development (development) treatment with an energy ray to decompose the dissolution inhibiting protecting group have.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-19969

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a method, an apparatus, and a system that can more easily increase the smoothness of a resist pattern.

A substrate processing method according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes the steps of: performing a developing process on a resist film formed on a surface of a substrate; supplying an inert gas to a space where the substrate is disposed after the developing process; And irradiating the film with an energy beam.

In the surface layer portion of the resist pattern formed by photolithography, the chemical reaction in the exposure treatment and the development treatment tends to become insufficient. In this case, irregularities are likely to be formed in the surface layer portion, which may cause the smoothness of the resist pattern to deteriorate. On the other hand, the portion of the resist pattern where the chemical reaction is insufficient can be sublimated by irradiation of energy rays.

Thus, in the present substrate processing method, the resist film is irradiated with an energy ray after the development processing. As a result, the surface layer portion with irregularities is removed, and the smoothness of the resist pattern is enhanced. Further, the energy ray is irradiated to the resist film through an inert gas. That is, the energy ray is irradiated to the portion covered with the inert gas in the resist film. As a result, the generation of gas which can erode the resist pattern is suppressed, for example, ozone is suppressed, so that the smoothness of the resist pattern increased by the irradiation of the energy beam is maintained. Therefore, since the smoothness of the resist pattern is increased without performing the dissolution treatment by the solvent, the smoothness of the boundary line of the resist pattern can be further easily increased.

After the development processing, the step of heating the substrate may be further included. In this case, in addition to the increase in the smoothness of the resist pattern, since the stability of the resist pattern is increased by heating, a more ideal resist pattern can be obtained.

Further, according to the present substrate processing method, the charged substrate can be removed. In a liquid treatment step such as a developing treatment, the substrate may be charged. For example, when the piping of the treatment liquid is constituted by a resin tube (e.g., a tube made of a fluorine resin) which is liable to be negatively charged, the treatment liquid can be positively charged until reaching the substrate. When the treatment liquid charged with the positive is supplied to the surface of the substrate, electrons are easily collected on the surface of the substrate, and thereby the surface of the substrate can be negatively charged. When the energy line is irradiated to the substrate thus charged, electrons that are scattered within the substrate are activated. The activated electrons move to eliminate the potential difference generated within the substrate. Thereby, the surface of the substrate is discharged.

As another method for discharging a charged substrate, for example, a method of activating electrons by heating, or a method of supplying a material charged with an opposite polarity (hereinafter referred to as " defoaming material ") to the surface of a substrate by an ionization apparatus And a method of neutralizing the polarity. In the case of the method of activating electrons by heating, the quality of the resist pattern may be adversely affected. In the case of a method using an ionization apparatus, foreign matter may remain on the surface of the substrate. In some cases, depending on the supply amount of the defoaming material, the substrate may be charged with an opposite polarity. On the other hand, according to the method of irradiating the energy rays, the charged substrate can be discharged without causing adverse effects on the quality of the resist pattern, charging of the substrate with residual and reverse polarity of foreign matter, and the like.

As a method for suppressing the charging of the substrate, a method of suppressing the charging of the treatment liquid itself may be mentioned. As a method of suppressing the charging of the treatment liquid itself, a method of dissolving carbon dioxide in the treatment liquid may be mentioned. However, since it is difficult to completely prevent the treatment liquid from being charged, there is a possibility that the charging of the substrate can not be sufficiently eliminated. On the other hand, according to the method of discharging the charged substrate by the irradiation of the energy ray, the charging of the substrate can be sufficiently eliminated by adjusting the irradiation amount of the energy ray.

There is a possibility that the charging of the substrate becomes a factor in the subsequent steps. For example, there is a possibility that problems such as destruction of an electric circuit element formed on a substrate may occur. Therefore, the present substrate processing method can contribute to the improvement of the yield in the subsequent process.

The substrate may be heated after irradiating the resist film with energy rays. In this case, after the sublimation by the irradiation of the energy ray, the component adhered to the resist pattern again can be removed by heating, so that the smoothness of the resist pattern can be more reliably enhanced.

After the development process, the substrate may be heated before irradiating the resist film with energy rays. In this case, since the supply of the inert gas and the heating of the substrate can be performed in parallel, the throughput can be improved.

And transferring the substrate so as to change the irradiated portion of the energy ray when the resist film is irradiated with the energy ray. In this case, the light source of the energy ray can be miniaturized as compared with the case where the entire area of the substrate is irradiated with energy rays at the same time.

Setting a target value of the irradiation amount of the energy ray based on at least one of the type of the resist film, the size of the pattern formed on the resist film by the developing treatment, and the thickness of the resist film; The step of setting the conveying speed of the substrate during irradiation of the energy beam may be further included. In this case, it is possible to more reliably enhance the smoothness of the resist pattern by adjusting the irradiation amount of the energy ray by adjusting the conveying speed of the substrate.

A substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a first processing chamber having a heating portion for heating a substrate, a first processing chamber for accommodating the substrate, a second processing chamber adjacent to the first processing chamber, the second processing chamber accommodating the substrate, An irradiation section which is provided on the first processing chamber side in the second processing chamber and which irradiates the surface of the substrate transferred by the transfer mechanism with energy rays and an inert gas And a gas supply unit for supplying the gas.

According to this substrate processing apparatus, after the resist film formed on the surface of the substrate is subjected to development processing, an inert gas is supplied to a space where the substrate is placed, and an energy ray is irradiated to the resist film through an inert gas It is possible. Therefore, the smoothness of the boundary line of the resist pattern can be more easily increased. In addition, since the stability of the resist pattern can be increased by heating, a more ideal resist pattern can be obtained. Further, since the irradiation position of the energy ray can be changed by transporting the substrate by the transport mechanism, the light source of the energy ray can be miniaturized as compared with a configuration in which the entire area to be irradiated is irradiated with the energy ray at the same time.

The gas supply part may have a discharge port for discharging the inert gas so as to block the gap between the first treatment chamber and the second treatment chamber. In this case, leakage of the inert gas from the second processing chamber is suppressed when the substrate is transported from one of the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber to the other. As a result, the resist film can be more reliably covered with the inert gas in the irradiation of the energy ray. Therefore, the smoothness of the resist pattern can be more reliably increased.

A first exhaust port that opens into the first process chamber to exhaust gas in the first process chamber and a second exhaust port that opens into the second process chamber and discharges the gas in the second process chamber. In this case, since the component sublimated by irradiation and heating of the energy ray is discharged from the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port, it is possible to restrain the component from reattaching to the resist film. Therefore, the smoothness of the resist pattern can be more reliably increased.

The first exhaust port may be arranged to face the surface of the substrate disposed in the first process chamber. In this case, the component that sublimates from the resist film by heating can be reliably discharged from the first exhaust port.

The substrate processing system according to the present disclosure includes the substrate processing apparatus, the developing apparatus, and the controller, wherein the controller controls the developing apparatus to perform development processing on the resist film formed on the surface of the substrate, Controlling the gas supply unit so as to supply the inert gas into the second processing chamber; controlling the transport mechanism to transport the substrate from one of the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber to the other; and, when the transport mechanism is transporting the substrate, And the irradiating unit is controlled so as to irradiate the resist film with the energy ray through the gas.

In this substrate processing system, a resist film is subjected to development processing by a controller, an inert gas is supplied to a space where the substrate is disposed after the development processing, and an energy ray is irradiated to the resist film through an inert gas It is automatically executable. Therefore, the smoothness of the boundary line of the resist pattern can be more easily increased. The processing executed by the controller includes a step of changing the irradiating position of the energy ray by transporting the substrate by the transport mechanism. Therefore, as compared with a configuration in which the entire region to be irradiated is irradiated with the energy ray at the same time, It can be downsized.

The recording medium according to the present disclosure is a computer-readable recording medium on which a program for causing the apparatus to execute the substrate processing method is recorded.

According to the present disclosure, the smoothness of the resist pattern can be more easily increased.

1 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a substrate processing system.
2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in Fig.
3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III in Fig.
4 is a schematic view of an energy ray irradiating unit.
5 is a sectional view taken along the line VV in Fig.
6 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the energy ray irradiation unit.
7 is a flowchart showing a substrate processing procedure.
8 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a substrate is loaded into a second processing chamber.
9 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which an inert gas is supplied to the second treatment chamber.
10 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a resist film is irradiated with energy rays.
11 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the substrate is lifted by the lift pins.
12 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the substrate is being heated.
13 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the substrate processing procedure.
Fig. 14 is an enlarged view of a resist pattern viewed from a plane.
15 is a diagram showing the principle of increasing the smoothness of the resist pattern.
16 is a graph showing the measurement results of the surface potentials before and after the irradiation of the energy rays.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same elements or elements having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[Substrate processing system]

First, the outline of the coating and developing apparatus 2 will be described as an example of the substrate processing system. 1, the coating and developing apparatus 2 constitutes a resist pattern forming system 1 in cooperation with the exposure apparatus 3. [ The coating and developing apparatus 2 performs a process of forming a resist film on the surface of the wafer W (substrate) before the exposure process by the exposure apparatus 3, and performs a developing process of the resist film after the exposure process.

1 to 3, the coating and developing apparatus 2 includes a carrier block 4, a processing block 5, an interface block 6, and a controller 100. As shown in Fig. The carrier block 4, the processing block 5, and the interface block 6 are arranged in the horizontal direction.

The carrier block 4 has a carrier station 12 and a carry-in / carry-out section 13. The loading / unloading section 13 is interposed between the carrier station 12 and the processing block 5. [ The carrier station 12 supports a plurality of carriers 11. The carrier 11 has, for example, a plurality of circular wafers W in a sealed state and has an opening / closing door (not shown) on the side of one side 11a for loading / unloading the wafers W. The carrier 11 is detachably mounted on the carrier station 12 such that the side surface 11a faces the loading / unloading portion 13 side.

The loading / unloading section 13 has a plurality of opening / closing doors 13a corresponding to the plurality of carriers 11 on the carrier station 12. [ The opening and closing door of the side face 11a and the opening and closing door 13a are simultaneously opened so that the inside of the carrier 11 and the carry-in / carry-out section 13 communicate with each other. The loading / unloading section 13 incorporates a transfer arm A1. The transfer arm A1 takes out the wafer W from the carrier 11 and transfers it to the processing block 5. The transfer arm A1 receives the wafer W from the processing block 5 and returns it to the carrier 11. [

The processing block 5 has a plurality of processing modules 14, 15, 16 and 17. The processing modules 14, 15 and 16 include a plurality of liquid processing units, a plurality of thermal processing units, and a transfer arm A3 for transferring the wafers W to these units.

The processing module 14 forms a lower layer film on the surface of the wafer W by a liquid processing unit and a thermal processing unit. The liquid processing unit applies liquid for forming a lower layer film onto the wafer W as an example of the processing liquid. The heat treatment unit performs various heat treatments according to the formation of the lower layer film. As a specific example of the heat treatment, a heat treatment for curing the liquid film formed by applying the liquid may be mentioned.

The processing module 15 forms a resist film on the lower layer film by the liquid processing unit and the thermal processing unit. The liquid processing unit applies a liquid for forming a resist film onto the lower layer film as an example of the processing liquid. The heat treatment unit performs various heat treatments according to the formation of the resist film. As a specific example of the heat treatment, a heat treatment for curing the liquid film formed by applying the liquid may be mentioned.

The processing module 16 forms an upper layer film on the resist film by the liquid processing unit and the thermal processing unit. The liquid processing unit of the processing module 16 applies the liquid for forming the upper layer film as an example of the processing liquid onto the resist film. The heat treatment unit of the treatment module 16 performs various heat treatments according to the formation of the upper layer film. As a specific example of the heat treatment, a heat treatment for curing the liquid film formed by applying the liquid may be mentioned.

2 and 3, the processing module 17 includes a developing unit U1, a thermal processing unit U2, an energy ray irradiating unit U3, and a processing unit U3 for transferring the wafer W to these units A transfer arm A3 and a direct transfer arm A6 for transferring the wafer W without passing through these units. The developing unit U1 performs development processing of the exposed resist film. Specifically, a developing solution and a rinse solution are sequentially supplied to the resist film to remove the soluble portion of the resist film. The heat treatment unit U2 performs various heat treatments according to the development process. As a specific example of the heat treatment, heat treatment (PEB: Post Exposure Bake) before development processing can be mentioned. The energy ray irradiating unit U3 performs a process of irradiating the resist film with energy rays.

On the side of the carrier block 4 in the processing block 5, a lathe unit U10 is provided. The shelf unit U10 is provided to extend from the bottom surface to the processing module 16 and is divided into a plurality of cells arranged in the vertical direction. An elevating arm A7 is provided near the shelf unit U10. The lifting arm A7 lifts the wafer W between the cells of the lathe unit U10.

On the side of the interface block 6 in the processing block 5, a shelf unit U11 is provided. The shelf unit U11 is provided so as to extend from the bottom surface to the upper portion of the processing module 17 and is divided into a plurality of cells arranged in the vertical direction.

The interface block 6 incorporates a transfer arm A8 and is connected to the exposure apparatus 3. [ The transfer arm A8 transfers the wafer W placed on the lathe unit U11 to the exposure apparatus 3 and receives the wafer W from the exposure apparatus 3 and returns it to the lathe unit U11.

The controller 100 controls the coating and developing apparatus 2 in the following order. The controller 100 controls the transfer arm A1 to transfer the wafers W in the carrier 11 to the lathe unit U10 and places the wafers W in the cells for the processing module 14 So that the lifting arm A7 is controlled. The controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 to transfer the wafer W to each unit of the processing module 14 and controls the surface Wa of the wafer W transferred by the transfer arm A3, The liquid processing unit and the thermal processing unit are controlled so as to form a lower layer film on the substrate. When formation of the lower layer film is completed, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 to return the wafer W to the lathe unit U10.

Next, the controller 100 controls the lifting arm A7 to place the wafer W in the cell for the processing module 15. [ The controller 100 then controls the transfer arm A3 to transfer the wafer W to each unit of the processing module 15 and transfers the wafer W onto the lower layer film of the wafer W transferred by the transfer arm A3 The liquid processing unit and the thermal processing unit are controlled so as to form a resist film. When the formation of the resist film is completed, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 to return the wafer W to the lathe unit U10.

Next, the controller 100 controls the lifting arm A7 to place the wafer W in the cell for the processing module 16. [ The controller 100 then controls the transfer arm A3 to transfer the wafer W to each unit of the processing module 16 and transfers the wafer W onto the resist film of the wafer W transferred by the transfer arm A3 And controls the liquid processing unit and the heat processing unit to form an upper layer film. When formation of the upper layer film is completed, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 to return the wafer W to the lathe unit U10.

Next, the controller 100 controls the elevating arm A7 so as to place the wafer W in the cell for the processing module 17. The controller 100 directly controls the transfer arm A6 to transfer the wafer W to the lathe unit U11 and transfers the transfer arm A8 to the exposure apparatus 3 . Upon completion of the exposure processing in the exposure apparatus 3, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A8 to take the wafer W from the exposure apparatus 3 and return it to the lathe unit U11.

Next, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 to transfer the wafer W to the developing unit U1 and the thermal processing unit U2 of the processing module 17, and the transfer arm A3 The developing unit U1 and the thermal processing unit U2 are controlled so as to perform the development processing of the resist film of the transferred wafer W and the thermal processing accordingly. The controller 100 further controls the transfer arm A3 to transfer the wafer W to the energy ray irradiating unit U3 and controls the energy ray irradiating unit U3 to irradiate the resist film with energy rays. The controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 to return the wafer W to the lathe unit U10 and controls the transfer arm A3 to return the wafer W to the carrier 11. [ (A7) and the transfer arm (A1). Thus, the coating and developing process is completed.

(Substrate processing apparatus)

Next, as an example of the substrate processing apparatus, the energy ray irradiating unit U3 will be described in detail. 4 and 5, the energy ray irradiating unit U3 includes a first processing chamber 20A, a second processing chamber 20B, a transport mechanism 40, an irradiating unit 50, a gas supply unit 60).

The first processing chamber 20A has a heating section 30 for heating the wafer W and accommodates the wafer W. [ The heating section 30 illustrated in Fig. 4 has a heat plate 31 and a lifting mechanism 32. Fig. The heat plate 31 is a horizontal plate member, and one or a plurality of heaters are built in the inside thereof. The lifting mechanism (32) lifts the wafer (W) on the heat plate (31). The elevating mechanism 32 includes a plurality of (for example, three) elevating pins 33 in the vertical direction, a supporting plate 34 for supporting the elevating pins 33, and a driving unit 35 for elevating and lowering the supporting plate 34 And is disposed below the heat plate 31. [0033] The heat plate (31) is provided with a plurality of through holes corresponding to the plurality of lift pins (33). As the lifting pin 33 ascends and descends, the leading end portion of the lifting pin 33 comes into and out of the upper portion of the heating plate 31. As a result, the wafer W is lifted and lowered on the heat plate 31. The configuration of the heating unit 30 is not limited to that shown in Fig. The heating section 30 may be any as long as the wafer W can be heated. For example, the heating section 30 may heat the wafer W by irradiating infrared rays.

The second processing chamber 20B is adjacent to the first processing chamber 20A and accommodates the wafer W. The inside of the second treatment chamber 20B communicates with the inside of the first treatment chamber 20A. On the opposite side of the first treatment chamber 20A, the second treatment chamber 20B is open to the outside. This opening functions as an entrance and exit of the wafer W.

The transport mechanism 40 transports the wafer W from one of the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B to the other. The transfer mechanism 40 conveys the wafer W from the second processing chamber 20B to the first processing chamber 20A and transfers the wafer W from the first processing chamber 20A to the second processing chamber 20B . The transport mechanism 40 illustrated in Fig. 4 has a cooling plate 41 and a driving unit 42. Fig. The cooling plate 41 is of a horizontal plate shape and supports the wafer W to be transported. The cooling plate 41 is provided with a plurality of groove portions 41a for avoiding interference with the lift pins 33.

The cooling plate 41 also serves to cool the wafer W heated by the heating unit 30. [ In order to quickly cool the wafer W, a channel for passing a cooling fluid may be embedded in the cooling plate 41. [ The driving unit 42 moves the cooling plate 41 along the direction in which the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B are arranged. As a specific example of the driving unit 42, an electric linear actuator and the like can be mentioned, but the present invention is not limited to this. The driving unit 42 may be any type as long as the cooling plate 41 can be moved and positioned.

The irradiation unit 50 is provided on the side of the first processing chamber 20A in the second processing chamber 20B and irradiates the surface of the wafer W conveyed by the conveying mechanism 40 with an energy ray. The irradiation unit 50 illustrated in Fig. 4 is attached to a ceiling portion in the second treatment chamber 20B and incorporates a light source that emits an energy ray downward. Examples of the energy ray include ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 172 nm to 193 nm.

The gas supply unit 60 supplies an inert gas into the second process chamber 20B. Examples of the inert gas include nitrogen gas and argon gas. The gas supply unit 60 illustrated in FIG. 4 has at least one discharge port 61, a supply source 62, and a valve 63. The discharge port 61 opens into the second treatment chamber 20B. The supply source 62 supplies an inert gas to the discharge port 61. The valve 63 is provided in a pipe connecting the supply source 62 and the discharge port 61, and opens and closes the pipe.

The discharge port 61 may be arranged as long as the inert gas can be discharged into the second treatment chamber 20B. The gas supply unit 60 may have a plurality of discharge ports 61. At least a part of the plurality of discharge ports 61 may be arranged so as to discharge the inert gas in a direction blocking the space between the first process chamber 20A and the second process chamber 20B. That is, the gas supply unit 60 may have a discharge port 61 for discharging the inert gas so as to block the gap between the first process chamber 20A and the second process chamber 20B. At least some of the plurality of discharge ports 61 are arranged along the boundary line between the first treatment chamber 20A and the second treatment chamber 20B between the first treatment chamber 20A and the irradiation portion 50, It may be open.

The energy ray irradiating unit U3 may further include exhaust ports 21A and 21B. The exhaust port 21A (first exhaust port) opens in the first process chamber 20A and discharges gas in the first process chamber 20A. The exhaust port 21B (second exhaust port) opens in the second process chamber 20B and discharges gas in the second process chamber 20B. In the energy ray irradiating unit U3 shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the exhaust port 21A is provided in the wall portion on the inner side of the first processing chamber 20A, and a plurality of And an exhaust port 21B is provided. These exhaust ports 21A and 21B are connected to the exhaust duct 22. The gas flowing out from the first treatment chamber 20A and the second treatment chamber 20B to the exhaust duct 22 is discharged through a purifier such as a filter.

The exhaust ports 21A and 21B may be arranged so as to be capable of exhausting gas in the first process chamber 20A and the second process chamber 20B. For example, the exhaust port 21A may be disposed so as to face the surface of the wafer W disposed in the first processing chamber 20A. Specifically, the exhaust port 21A may be provided in the ceiling portion in the first process chamber 20A and open downward (see Fig. 6).

The energy ray irradiating unit U3 may further include shutters 23A and 23B. The shutter 23A opens and closes between the first process chamber 20A and the second process chamber 20B. The shutter 23B opens and closes the entrance of the second processing chamber 20B. Each of the shutters 23A and 23B has, for example, a partition plate 24 for opening and closing and a drive unit 25 for moving the partition plate 24 up and down. As a specific example of the driving unit 25, an electric actuator or an air cylinder can be given.

(controller)

Next, the controller 100 will be described in detail. The controller 100 controls the developing unit U1 to perform development processing on at least a resist film formed on the surface of the wafer W. The controller 100 controls the developing unit U1 so as to supply an inert gas into the second processing chamber 20B, Controlling the transfer mechanism 40 to transfer the wafer W from one of the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B to the other side; The irradiating unit 50 is controlled to irradiate the resist film with an energy ray through the inert gas while the wafer W is being transported.

Hereinafter, a specific example of the controller 100 constructed as described above will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 3, the controller 100 has a development control section 111 and an irradiation control section 112 as functional modules. The developing control unit 111 controls the developing unit U1 to execute the developing process of the resist film. The irradiation control unit 112 has an entrance control unit 121, a gas supply control unit 122, a transportation control unit 123 and a light source control unit 124 as shown in Fig. The entrance control unit 121 controls the shutter 23B to open and close the entrance of the second process chamber 20B. The gas supply control unit 122 controls the gas supply unit 60 to open and close the valve 63. The transport control unit 123 controls the transport mechanism 40 to transport the wafer W from one of the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B to the other. The light source control unit 124 controls the irradiation unit 50 to emit the energy rays.

The controller 100 is constituted by, for example, one or a plurality of control computers, and constitutes each functional module according to a program recorded in the memory. The controller 100 may be configured to read the program from a computer readable recording medium such as a hard disk, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, or an optical disk. The program includes a program for causing the coating and developing apparatus 2 to execute a substrate processing method to be described later.

[Substrate processing method]

Next, the processing procedure executed in the processing module 17 of the coating and developing apparatus 2 will be described in detail as an example of the substrate processing method. This processing sequence includes at least: performing a developing process on a resist film formed on the surface of the wafer W; supplying an inert gas to the space where the wafer W is disposed after the developing process; And irradiating the film with an energy beam. This processing sequence may further include heating the wafer W after development processing, and further transferring the wafer W so as to change the irradiated portion of the energy ray when the resist film is irradiated with energy rays .

These processing procedures are executed by the controller 100 controlling the coating and developing apparatus 2. Hereinafter, specific examples of these processing procedures will be described.

As shown in Fig. 7, the controller 100 first executes step S01. In step S01, the developing control unit 111 controls the developing unit U1 to perform the developing process on the resist film, and controls the thermal processing unit U2 to perform various thermal processes according to the developing process. Next, the controller 100 executes step S02. In step S02, the entrance / exit controller 121 controls the shutter 23B so that the entrance / exit of the second processing chamber 20B is opened to receive the wafer W (refer to Fig. 8). In this state, the wafer W after the development processing is carried into the second processing chamber 20B by the transfer arm A3. When the wafer W is carried into the second process chamber 20B, the entrance control unit 121 controls the shutter 23B to close the door.

Next, the controller 100 executes step S03. In step S03, the gas supply control section 122 controls the gas supply section 60 to supply the inert gas G into the second process chamber 20B (see Fig. 9). The gas in the second processing chamber 20B is replaced with the inert gas G by the simultaneous supply of the inert gas G and the exhaust from the exhaust port 21B.

Next, the controller 100 executes step S04. In step S04, the transport control unit 123 controls the shutter 23A to open the space between the first process chamber 20A and the second process chamber 20B. The gas supply control unit 122 may control the gas supply unit 60 to continue the discharge of the inert gas from the discharge port 61 after the first treatment chamber 20A and the second treatment chamber 20B are opened. When at least a part of the plurality of discharge ports 61 discharges the inert gas G so as to block the gap between the first process chamber 20A and the second process chamber 20B, Leakage of the inert gas G from the first processing chamber 20B side to the first processing chamber 20A side is suppressed.

After the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B are opened, the transport control unit 123 controls the transport mechanism 40 (not shown) to transport the wafer W from the second processing chamber 20B to the first processing chamber 20A. ). The light source control unit 124 controls the irradiation unit 50 to irradiate the energy line when the transport mechanism 40 is transporting the wafer W from the second processing chamber 20B to the first processing chamber 20A 10). Since inert gas G is filled in the second treatment chamber 20B, an inert gas G is interposed between the irradiation unit 50 and the resist film. That is, the energy ray is irradiated to the resist film through the inert gas (G). When the transfer of the wafer W is completed, the light source control unit 124 controls the irradiation unit 50 to stop the irradiation of the energy ray.

The irradiation amount of the energy ray in step S04 is determined according to the dose exiting from the irradiation part 50 and the conveying speed of the wafer W. [ That is, it is possible to adjust the irradiation amount of the energy ray by the conveying speed of the wafer W. The irradiation amount of the required energy ray varies depending on, for example, the kind of the resist film, the size of the pattern (resist pattern) formed on the resist film by the developing process, the thickness of the resist film, and the like. Thus, the processing sequence executed by the energy ray irradiating unit U3 is to set the target value of the irradiation amount of the energy ray on the basis of at least one of the kind of the resist film, the size of the resist pattern and the thickness of the resist film, May further include setting the conveying speed of the wafer W during irradiation of the energy beam such that the irradiation amount of the energy line for the energy line approaches (for example, substantially coincides with) the target value. That is, the controller 100 sets the target value of the irradiation amount of the energy ray based on at least one of the type of the resist film, the size of the resist pattern, and the thickness of the resist film. The irradiation amount of the energy ray to the resist film approaches (For example, substantially coincide with each other) of the wafer W during the irradiation of the energy beam.

Further, the target value can be set by referring to, for example, a table prepared in advance by an experiment. It is also possible to calculate using an approximate function previously obtained by an experiment. The phrase " substantially coincides with the target value " includes a state where an allowable small deviation remains.

Next, the controller 100 executes step S05. In step S05, the transport control section 123 controls the transport mechanism 40 and the lifting mechanism 32 so as to dispose the wafer W on the hot plate 31. [ More specifically, the transport control section 123 controls the transport mechanism 40 to transport the wafer W to the upper side of the hot plate 31. [ Thereafter, the conveyance control section 123 controls the lifting mechanism 32 to raise the wafer W on the cooling plate 41 by raising the lifting pin 33 by the driving section 35 (see FIG. 11) ). Thereafter, the transport control section 123 controls the transport mechanism 40 to return the cooling plate 41 to the second processing chamber 20B, and the lift section 33 is lowered by the drive section 35 to the wafer W is placed on the heat plate 31 (see Fig. 12). When the cooling plate 41 is returned to the second process chamber 20B, the transfer control unit 123 controls the shutter 23A to close the space between the first process chamber 20A and the second process chamber 20B.

When the preset heating time has elapsed and heating of the wafer W by the heating unit 30 is completed, the controller 100 executes step S06. In step S06, the transport controller 123 controls the shutter 23A, the lifting mechanism 32, and the transport mechanism 40 so as to return the wafer W onto the cooling plate 41 in the reverse order to step S05. . Thereafter, the transport control section 123 controls the transport mechanism 40 to transport the wafer W from the first process chamber 20A to the second process chamber 20B. When the transfer of the wafers W is completed, the transfer control unit 123 controls the shutter 23A to close the space between the first process chamber 20A and the second process chamber 20B.

Next, the controller 100 executes step S07. In step S07, the entrance control unit 121 controls the shutter 23B to open the entrance of the second process chamber 20B. Thereafter, the wafer W on the cooling plate 41 is taken out by the transfer arm A3, and the processing is completed.

The processing sequence of the developing unit U1 and the energy ray irradiating unit U3 can be appropriately changed. For example, after the development process, the wafer W may be heated before the resist film is irradiated with the energy beam. A specific example of the processing procedure in this case will also be described. As shown in Fig. 13, the controller 100 first executes steps S11 and S12 which are the same as steps S01 and S02.

Next, the controller 100 executes step S13. In step S13, the transport control section 123 controls the transport mechanism 40 so as to dispose the wafer W in the first processing chamber 20A. The transfer control unit 123 controls the shutter 23A to open the space between the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B and then transfers the wafer W from the second processing chamber 20B to the first processing chamber 20A. The transport mechanism 40 is controlled. The transport control unit 123 further controls the transport mechanism 40 and the lifting mechanism 32 so that the wafer W is placed on the hot plate 31 and the cooling plate 41 is returned into the second processing chamber 20B And controls the shutter 23A to close the space between the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B.

Next, the controller 100 executes step S14. In step S14, the gas supply control unit 122 controls the gas supply unit 60 so as to supply the inert gas into the second process chamber 20B while the heating unit 30 is heating the wafer W.

Next, the controller 100 executes step S15. In step S15, the transport control unit 123 controls the lifting mechanism 32, the shutter 23A, and the transport mechanism 40 so as to return the wafer W onto the cooling plate 41 in the order opposite to the step S13 . The transport control unit 123 further controls the transport mechanism 40 to transport the wafer W from the first processing chamber 20A to the second processing chamber 20B. When the transport mechanism 40 transports the wafer W from the first processing chamber 20A to the second processing chamber 20B, the light source control unit 124 controls the irradiating unit 50 to irradiate the resist film with energy rays do.

In step S14, since the gas in the second processing chamber 20B is replaced by an inert gas, an inert gas is interposed between the irradiation part 50 and the resist film. That is, the energy ray is irradiated to the resist film through the inert gas (G). When the transfer of the wafer W is completed, the light source control unit 124 controls the irradiation unit 50 to stop the irradiation of the energy ray. The transport control unit 123 controls the shutter 23A so as to close the space between the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B.

Next, the controller 100 executes the same step S16 as in step S07. This completes the processing.

[Effect of this embodiment]

As described above, the substrate processing method executed by the coating and developing apparatus 2 is a method in which the resist film formed on the surface of the wafer W is subjected to development processing, and after the development processing, Supplying an inert gas to the space to be disposed, and irradiating the resist film with an energy ray through an inert gas.

As shown in Fig. 14, in the surface layer portion 91 of the resist pattern 90 formed by photolithography, the chemical reaction in the exposure process and the development process tends to become insufficient. In this case, the surface layer portion 91 tends to have irregularities, which may cause the smoothness of the resist pattern to deteriorate. On the other hand, a constitution in which the chemical reaction is insufficient in the resist pattern 90 can be sublimated by irradiation of energy rays.

Thus, in the present substrate processing method, the resist film is irradiated with an energy ray after the development processing. As a result, as shown in Fig. 15, the surface layer portion 91 having irregularities is removed, and the smoothness of the resist pattern 90 is increased. Further, the energy ray is irradiated to the resist film through an inert gas. That is, the energy ray is irradiated to the portion covered with the inert gas in the resist film. As a result, the generation of gas which can erode the resist pattern is suppressed, for example, ozone is suppressed, so that the smoothness of the resist pattern increased by the irradiation of the energy beam is maintained. Therefore, since the smoothness of the resist pattern is increased without performing the dissolution treatment by the solvent, the smoothness of the boundary line of the resist pattern can be further easily increased.

Further, according to the present substrate processing method, the charged wafer W can be discharged. In a liquid treatment process such as a development process, the wafer W may be charged. For example, when a piping of the treatment liquid is constituted by a resin tube (e.g., a tube made of a fluorine resin) which is liable to be negatively charged, the treatment liquid can be positively charged until reaching the wafer W. When the treatment liquid positively charged is supplied to the surface Wa of the wafer W, electrons are easily collected on the surface Wa, whereby the surface Wa can be negatively charged. When the energy beam is irradiated to the wafer W charged in this manner, the electrons that are unevenly distributed in the wafer W are activated. The activated electrons move to eliminate the potential difference generated in the wafer W. [ Thereby, the surface of the wafer W is discharged.

As another method of discharging the charged wafer W, for example, a method of activating electrons by heating, or a method of charging a material (hereinafter referred to as " defoaming material " ) To neutralize the polarity, and the like. In the case of the method of activating electrons by heating, the quality of the resist pattern may be adversely affected. In the case of using the ionization apparatus, foreign matter may remain on the surface Wa. In some cases, depending on the supply amount of the defoaming material, the wafer W may be charged in an opposite polarity. On the other hand, according to the method of irradiating the energy beam, the charged wafer W can be discharged without adverse effects on the quality of the resist pattern, charging of the wafer W with residual and reverse polarity of the foreign matter, have.

As a method for suppressing the charging of the wafer W, there is a method of suppressing the charging of the treatment liquid itself. As a method of suppressing the charging of the treatment liquid itself, a method of dissolving carbon dioxide in the treatment liquid may be mentioned. However, since it is difficult to completely prevent the treatment liquid from being charged, there is a possibility that the charging of the wafer W can not be sufficiently eliminated. On the other hand, according to the method of discharging the charged wafer W by the irradiation of energy rays, the charging of the wafer W can be sufficiently solved by adjusting the irradiation amount of the energy ray.

There is a possibility that the charging of the wafer W becomes a factor in the subsequent steps. For example, there is a possibility that problems such as destruction of electric circuit elements formed on the wafer W may occur. Therefore, the present substrate processing method can contribute to the improvement of the yield in the subsequent process.

And may further include heating the wafer W after development processing. In this case, in addition to the increase in the smoothness of the resist pattern, since the stability of the resist pattern is increased by heating, a more ideal resist pattern can be obtained.

The wafer W may be heated after irradiating the resist film with energy rays. In this case, after the sublimation by the irradiation of the energy ray, the component adhered to the resist pattern again can be removed by heating, so that the smoothness of the resist pattern can be more reliably enhanced.

After the development processing, the wafer W may be heated before the resist film is irradiated with the energy rays. In this case, since the supply of the inert gas and the heating of the wafer W can be performed in parallel, the throughput can be improved.

And transferring the wafer W so as to change the irradiated portion of the energy ray when the resist film is irradiated with the energy ray. In this case, as compared with the case where the entire area of the wafer W is irradiated with the energy beam at the same time, the light source can be downsized.

Setting a target value of the irradiation amount of the energy ray based on at least one of the type of the resist film, the size of the resist pattern, and the thickness of the resist film; setting the target value of the irradiation amount of the energy ray during the irradiation of the energy ray And setting the conveying speed of the wafer W in the conveying direction. In this case, it is possible to more reliably improve the smoothness of the resist pattern by adjusting the irradiation amount of the energy line by adjusting the transfer speed of the wafer W.

According to the coating and developing apparatus 2, the above-described substrate processing method can be automatically executed by the controller 100. [ Therefore, the smoothness of the boundary line of the resist pattern can be more easily increased.

The gas supply unit 60 of the energy ray irradiation unit U3 may have a discharge port 61 for discharging the inert gas so as to block the gap between the first process chamber 20A and the second process chamber 20B. In this case, leakage of the inert gas from the second processing chamber 20B is suppressed when the wafer W is transferred from one of the first processing chamber 20A and the second processing chamber 20B to the other. As a result, the resist film can be more reliably covered with the inert gas in the irradiation of the energy ray. Therefore, the smoothness of the resist pattern can be more reliably increased.

The energy ray irradiating unit U3 has an exhaust port 21A that opens into the first process chamber 20A and discharges the gas in the first process chamber 20A and a second process chamber 20B that opens into the second process chamber 20B, And an exhaust port 21B for exhausting the gas in the exhaust pipe 21A. In this case, since the components sublimated by the irradiation of the energy rays and the heating are discharged from the exhaust ports 21A and 21B, the components can be restrained from reattaching to the resist film. Therefore, the smoothness of the resist pattern can be more reliably increased.

The exhaust port 21A may be arranged to face the surface of the wafer W disposed in the first processing chamber 20A. In this case, the component that sublimates from the resist film by heating can be reliably discharged from the air outlet 21A.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the invention. For example, the configuration exemplified as the energy ray irradiating unit U3 is also applicable to a configuration in which a substrate other than a semiconductor wafer is to be processed. Examples of the substrate to be processed include a glass substrate, a mask substrate, and a flat panel display (FPD).

Example

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

[Example 1]

(1) Production of a sample

(Sample 1)

Using a resist agent for ArF laser, a resist film having a thickness of 80 nm was formed on the wafer. This resist film was subjected to development processing to obtain a resist pattern. Thereafter, a resist film was irradiated with ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 172 nm in air to prepare a sample. The dose was 80 mJ.

(Sample 2)

After obtaining the same resist pattern as Sample 1, a resist film was irradiated with ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 172 nm in nitrogen gas to prepare a sample. The dose was 80 mJ.

(Sample 3)

After obtaining the same resist pattern as that of Sample 1, a sample was prepared without conducting the energy ray irradiation.

(2) Comparative evaluation

For each sample, enlarged image data of the resist pattern was acquired using an electron microscope, and line width average value, line edge roughness (LER) and line width roughness (LWR) were calculated based on the image data. LER is a value indicating the variation from the baseline (e.g., center line) of the resist pattern to the side edge of the resist pattern, and LWR is a value indicating the variation of the line width of the resist pattern. In this evaluation, both LER and LWR were calculated to be three times the standard deviation. The calculated values were compared and evaluated, and the following results were obtained.

Results 1) The difference between the line width average value of Samples 1 and 2 and the line width average value of Sample 3 was small (less than 1% difference).

Results 2) The LER and LWR of Sample 1 were about 9% smaller than Sample 3.

Results 3) The LER and LWR of Sample 2 were about 9% smaller than Sample 1.

From the result 1, it was confirmed that the influence on the line width was insignificant even when the energy ray was irradiated. From the result 2, it was confirmed that the smoothness of the resist pattern was increased by the irradiation of the energy ray. From the result 3, it was confirmed that the smoothness of the resist pattern was further increased by supplying the inert gas.

[Example 2]

(1) Production of a sample

(Sample 4)

A wafer charged with a negatively charged surface was prepared and the surface of the wafer was irradiated with ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 172 nm at an irradiation dose of 100 mJ.

(Sample 5)

After obtaining the same resist pattern as Sample 4, ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 172 nm were irradiated onto the surface of the wafer at an irradiation dose of 200 mJ.

(Sample 6)

After obtaining the same resist pattern as that of Sample 4, ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 172 nm were irradiated onto the surface of the wafer at an irradiation dose of 500 mJ.

(Sample 7)

After obtaining the same resist pattern as that of Sample 4, the surface of the wafer was irradiated with an ultraviolet ray having a wavelength of 172 nm at an irradiation dose of 1000 mJ.

(Sample 8)

After obtaining the same resist pattern as Sample 4, the surface of the wafer was irradiated with an ultraviolet ray having a wavelength of 172 nm at an irradiation dose of 2000 mJ.

(2) Evaluation of antifriction effect

For each sample, the surface potential of the wafer before and after irradiation with ultraviolet rays was measured. The measurement results are shown in Fig. 16 is a bar graph showing the measured surface potentials on a sample-by-sample basis. The bar graph with hatching of large pitch is surface potential before ultraviolet irradiation, and the bar graph with hatching of small pitch is surface potential after ultraviolet irradiation. As shown in Fig. 16, it was confirmed that the surface potential of any sample was lowered by the irradiation of the energy ray.

It was also confirmed from the measurement results of the samples (samples 4 to 6) with the irradiation amount of up to 500 mJ that a large static eliminating effect was obtained as the irradiation amount was increased and the surface potential was close to zero.

Further, from the measurement results of the samples (samples 6 to 8) having the irradiation amount of 500 mJ or more, even if the minimum irradiation amount obtained by reducing the surface potential to zero is exceeded, the surface potential is maintained at substantially zero, The phenomenon of discarding is not practically confirmed.

From the above, it was confirmed that irradiating the energy line is effective for eliminating charged wafers.

2… Coating / developing device (substrate processing system), 20A ... The first processing chamber, 20B ... The second processing chamber, 21A ... The exhaust port (first exhaust port), 21B ... Exhaust (second exhaust), 30 ... Heating section, 40 ... Conveying mechanism, 50 ... Investigation department, 60 ... Gas supply, 61 ... Outlet, 100 ... Controller, U3 ... Energy ray irradiation unit (substrate processing device), W ... wafer.

Claims (12)

In the substrate processing method,
Subjecting the resist film formed on the surface of the substrate to development processing,
Supplying an inert gas to the space in which the substrate is disposed after the development processing,
Irradiating the resist film with an energy ray through the inert gas
≪ / RTI > 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising heating the substrate after the developing process. The substrate processing method according to claim 2, wherein the substrate is heated after irradiating the resist film with the energy beam. The substrate processing method according to claim 2, wherein after the development processing, the substrate is heated before the resist film is irradiated with the energy rays. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising the step of transporting the substrate so as to change an irradiated portion of the energy ray while the energy ray is irradiated to the resist film. 6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: setting a target value of the irradiation amount of the energy ray based on at least one of a type of the resist film, a size of a pattern formed on the resist film by the developing treatment,
Setting a conveying speed of the substrate during irradiation of the energy ray such that an irradiation amount of the energy ray to the resist film is close to the target value
≪ / RTI > A first processing chamber having a heating portion for heating the substrate, the first processing chamber receiving the substrate,
A second processing chamber adjacent to the first processing chamber and containing the substrate,
A transport mechanism for transporting the substrate from one of the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber to the other,
An irradiating unit which is provided on the first processing chamber side in the second processing chamber and irradiates a surface of the substrate conveyed by the conveying mechanism with energy rays,
And a gas supply unit for supplying an inert gas into the second processing chamber. 8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the gas supply section has a discharge port for discharging the inert gas so as to interpose between the first process chamber and the second process chamber. 9. The apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising: a first exhaust port that is opened in the first process chamber and discharges gas in the first process chamber; and a second exhaust port that opens in the second process chamber and discharges gas in the second process chamber And a second exhaust port. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first exhaust port is arranged to face the surface of the substrate disposed in the first processing chamber. 11. A substrate processing apparatus comprising a substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 10, a developing apparatus, and a controller,
The controller comprising:
Controlling the developing apparatus to perform development processing on the resist film formed on the surface of the substrate,
Controlling the gas supply unit to supply the inert gas into the second process chamber after the development process,
Controlling the transport mechanism to transport the substrate from one of the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber to the other,
And controls the irradiation unit to irradiate the resist film with the energy ray through the inert gas when the transport mechanism is transporting the substrate. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing an apparatus to execute the substrate processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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