KR20200052078A - Apparatus for treating substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus of treating a substrate. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus of treating a substrate comprises: a process chamber for providing an inner space therein; a treatment container provided in the inner space and having a cup shape with an opened upper part; a support unit located in the treatment container to support a substrate and rotate the same; a nozzle for discharging a treatment liquid onto the substrate supported by the support unit; a moving member for relatively moving the nozzle with respect to the substrate supported by the support unit; an exhaust unit for discharging byproducts generated in the inner space to the outside of the inner space; and an edge pipe unit located at an edge of the substrate to discharge byproducts generated in the edge of the substrate to the outside of the inner space.

Description

Substrate processing device {APPARATUS FOR TREATING SUBSTRATE}

The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing a substrate.

Various processes such as lithography, etching, ashing, thin film deposition, and cleaning processes are performed to manufacture semiconductor devices and flat panel displays. 1 shows a flow chart of a lithography process among the above processes. The lithography process sequentially performs wafer cleaning (S10), photoresist coating (S20), soft bait (S30), exposure (S40), edge exposure (S50), development (S60), and hard bake (S70) processes.

The photoresist coating process is a process of applying a photoresist such as resist on 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. The edge exposure process is a process of exposing the edge region of the substrate.

In the course of the photolithography process, the photoresist film formed on the edge of the substrate is easily separated and frequently acts as a foreign material, resulting in a problem of decreasing the yield of the chip. To solve this problem, the photoresist of the edge portion is removed in advance by exposing the edge of the substrate.

The developing process is a process of selectively developing the exposed area of the substrate.

Since the edge exposure process and the development process illuminate an exposure beam or supply a developer on a rotating substrate, process by-products generated in the substrate are scattered to generate contamination in the process chamber.

2 is a view showing the movement path of the fume according to the rotation of the substrate in the development chamber. In the developing process, the processing container corresponding to the upper surface of the substrate is open, and due to the structure that exhausts to the lower portion of the processing container, some process by-products are not exhausted to the lower portion of the processing container, but are bounced off the edge of the substrate to escape outside the processing container. do. As the rotational speed of the substrate increases, the amount of process by-products deviating increases.

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of improving the processing efficiency of a substrate.

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of effectively evacuating process by-products scattered during edge exposure of a substrate.

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of effectively evacuating process by-products scattered during development processing of a substrate.

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus having high exhaust efficiency even when the same displacement is used.

The present invention can reduce the footprint of the substrate processing facility.

The object of the present invention is not limited to this, and other objects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

The present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate. In one embodiment, an apparatus for processing a substrate includes: a process chamber providing an interior space therein; A processing container provided in the interior space and having an open cup shape; A support unit positioned in the processing container to support and rotate the substrate; A nozzle that discharges a processing liquid on the substrate supported by the support unit; A moving member for moving the nozzle relative to the substrate supported by the support unit; An exhaust unit that discharges by-products generated in the interior space to the outside of the interior space; And an edge pipe unit located at the edge of the substrate to discharge byproducts generated at the edge of the substrate to the outside of the interior space.

In one embodiment, the edge pipe unit includes an edge pipe positioned at the edge of the substrate; It may include an exhaust line connected to the edge pipe to discharge by-products inside the edge pipe to the outside of the interior space.

In one embodiment, the edge pipe may be provided in a cylindrical shape.

In one embodiment, the edge pipe, a slit having a width wider than the thickness of the substrate may be formed in the longitudinal direction of the edge pipe.

In one embodiment, the edge pipe unit, the edge pipe may be linearly moved with respect to any one or more of the longitudinal direction or a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

In one embodiment, the exhaust line of the edge pipe unit may be connected to the exhaust unit.

In one embodiment, the edge pipe unit may be provided movably from a standby position before substrate processing to a process position when processing the substrate.

In one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus may further include an edge exposure unit that exposes the edge of the substrate by providing an exposure beam to the edge of the substrate.

In one embodiment, the edge of the substrate may be exposed before the substrate is developed.

In one embodiment, the edge pipe may be formed with a slit along a direction corresponding to the path of the exposure beam so that the exposure beam can pass through in correspondence to a region where the exposure beam is provided.

In one embodiment, the treatment solution may be a positive developer.

An apparatus for processing a substrate according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a process chamber providing an interior space therein; A support unit for supporting and rotating the substrate within the interior space; An exhaust unit that discharges by-products generated in the interior space to the outside of the interior space; An edge exposure unit that exposes the edge of the substrate by providing an exposure beam to the edge of the substrate; And an edge pipe unit located at the edge of the substrate to exhaust byproducts generated at the edge of the substrate.

In one embodiment, the upper portion has an open cup shape, and may further include a processing container provided with the support unit therein.

In one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus may expose an edge of the substrate before developing the substrate.

In one embodiment, the edge pipe unit, the edge pipe is provided on the edge of the substrate and provided in a cylindrical shape; It may include an exhaust line connected to the edge pipe to discharge by-products inside the edge pipe to the outside of the interior space.

In one embodiment, the edge pipe, a slit having a width wider than the thickness of the substrate may be formed in the longitudinal direction of the edge pipe.

In one embodiment, the edge pipe may be formed with a slit along a direction corresponding to the path of the exposure beam so that the exposure beam can pass through in correspondence to a region where the exposure beam is provided.

In one embodiment, the edge pipe unit may be movable in a straight line with respect to any one or more of a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction or the longitudinal direction of the edge pipe.

In one embodiment, the exhaust line of the edge pipe unit may be connected to the exhaust unit.

In one embodiment, the edge pipe unit may be provided movably from a standby position before substrate processing to a process position when processing the substrate.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the processing efficiency of the substrate is improved.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to effectively exhaust process by-products scattered during edge exposure of the substrate.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to effectively exhaust process by-products that are scattered during development processing of the substrate.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust efficiency is high even if the same displacement is used.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the footprint of the substrate processing facility.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and the effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

1 is a flow chart of a lithography process.
2 is a view showing the movement path of the fume according to the rotation of the substrate in the development chamber.
3 is a plan view of a substrate processing facility according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a cross-sectional view of the equipment of FIG. 3 viewed from AA '.
5 is a cross-sectional view of the equipment of FIG. 3 viewed from the direction BB '.
6 is a cross-sectional view of the equipment of FIG. 3 viewed from the CC 'direction.
7 is a cross-sectional view showing the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 3.
8 is a plan view showing the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 7.
9 is a perspective view illustrating an edge pipe and a substrate to be processed in the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 7.
10 is a cross-sectional view showing the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 3 according to another embodiment.
11 is a plan view showing the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 10.
12 is a perspective view illustrating an edge pipe and a substrate of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 10.

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 interpreted as being limited to the following embodiments. This embodiment is provided to more fully describe the present invention to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the shape of the elements in the drawings has been exaggerated to emphasize a clearer explanation.

The equipment of this embodiment can be used to perform a photolithography process on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or flat panel display panel. In particular, the equipment of this embodiment can be used to perform a development process on a substrate connected to an exposure apparatus. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and may be variously applied as long as it is a process for processing a substrate. Also, in this embodiment, a case where a wafer is used as a substrate will be described as an example.

Hereinafter, the substrate processing facility of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 12.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a substrate processing facility according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a view of the facility of FIG. 3 viewed from the AA 'direction, and FIG. 5 is a view of the facility of FIG. 3 viewed from the BB' direction, FIG. 6 is a view of the installation of Figure 3 viewed from the CC 'direction.

3 to 6, the substrate processing facility 1 includes a load port 100, an index module 200, a first buffer module 300, a coating and developing module 400, and a second buffer module 500 ), Before and after the exposure processing module 600, and the interface module 700. Load port 100, index module 200, first buffer module 300, application and development module 400, second buffer module 500, pre-exposure processing module 600, and interface module 700 Are sequentially arranged in one direction.

Hereinafter, the load port 100, the index module 200, the first buffer module 300, the coating and developing module 400, the second buffer module 500, the pre-exposure processing module 600, and the interface module ( The direction in which 700) is arranged is referred to as a first direction 12, and a direction perpendicular to the first direction 12 when viewed from the top is referred to as a second direction 14, and the first direction 12 and second The direction perpendicular to each of the directions 14 is referred to as a third direction 16.

The substrate W is moved in a state accommodated in the cassette 20. At this time, the cassette 20 has a structure that can be sealed from the outside. For example, a front open unified pod (FOUP) having a door in the front may be used as the cassette 20.

Hereinafter, the load port 100, the index module 200, the first buffer module 300, the coating and developing module 400, the second buffer module 500, the pre-exposure processing module 600, and the interface module ( 700) will be described in detail.

The load port 100 has a mounting table 120 on which the cassettes 20 on which the substrates W are placed are placed. A plurality of the mounting table 120 is provided, and the mounting tables 200 are arranged in a line along the second direction 14. In FIG. 3, four mounts 120 are provided.

The index module 200 transfers the substrate W between the cassette 20 placed on the mounting table 120 of the load port 100 and the first buffer module 300. The index module 200 has a frame 210, an index robot 220, and a guide rail 230. The frame 210 is generally provided in the shape of an empty rectangular parallelepiped, and is disposed between the load port 100 and the first buffer module 300. The frame 210 of the index module 200 may be provided at a lower height than the frame 310 of the first buffer module 300 described later. The index robot 220 and the guide rail 230 are disposed in the frame 210. The index robot 220 is driven by four axes so that the hand 221 that directly handles the substrate W can be moved and rotated in the first direction 12, the second direction 14, and the third direction 16. It has a possible structure. The index robot 220 has a hand 221, an arm 222, a support 223, and a pedestal 224. The hand 221 is fixed to the arm 222. The arm 222 is provided in a stretchable and rotatable structure. The support 223 is disposed in the longitudinal direction along the third direction (16). The arm 222 is coupled to the support 223 so as to be movable along the support 223. The support 223 is fixedly coupled to the pedestal 224. The guide rail 230 is provided so that its longitudinal direction is arranged along the second direction 14. The base 224 is coupled to the guide rail 230 so as to be able to move linearly along the guide rail 230. In addition, although not shown, the frame 210 is further provided with a door opener that opens and closes the door of the cassette 20.

Referring to FIG. 4, the first buffer module 300 has a frame 310, a first buffer 320, a second buffer 330, a cooling chamber 350, and a first buffer robot 360. The frame 310 is provided in the shape of an empty rectangular parallelepiped, and is disposed between the index module 200 and the coating and developing module 400. The first buffer 320, the second buffer 330, the cooling chamber 350, and the first buffer robot 360 are located in the frame 310. The cooling chamber 350, the second buffer 330, and the first buffer 320 are sequentially arranged along the third direction 16 from below. The first buffer 320 is positioned at a height corresponding to the application module 401 of the application and development module 400 described later, and the second buffer 330 and the cooling chamber 350 are applied to the application and development module described later ( 400) is positioned at a height corresponding to the developing module 402. The first buffer robot 360 is positioned at a predetermined distance apart in the second buffer 330, the cooling chamber 350, and the first buffer 320 and the second direction 14.

The first buffer 320 and the second buffer 330 temporarily store a plurality of substrates W, respectively. The second buffer 330 has a housing 331 and a plurality of supports 332. The supports 332 are disposed within the housing 331 and are spaced apart from each other along the third direction 16. One substrate W is placed on each support 332. In the housing 331, the index robot 220, the first buffer robot 360, and the developing unit robot 482 of the developing module 402 described later attach the substrate W to the support 332 in the housing 331. It has an opening (not shown) in a direction in which the index robot 220 is provided, a direction in which the first buffer robot 360 is provided, and a direction in which the developing unit robot 482 is provided so as to be carried in or out. The first buffer 320 has a structure substantially similar to the second buffer 330. However, the housing 321 of the first buffer 320 has an opening in the direction in which the first buffer robot 360 is provided and in the direction in which the coating unit robot 432 located in the application module 401 described later is provided. The number of supports 322 provided in the first buffer 320 and the number of supports 332 provided in the second buffer 330 may be the same or different. According to an example, the number of supports 332 provided in the second buffer 330 may be greater than the number of supports 322 provided in the first buffer 320.

The first buffer robot 360 transfers the substrate W between the first buffer 320 and the second buffer 330. The first buffer robot 360 has a hand 361, an arm 362, and a support 363. The hand 361 is fixed to the arm 362. The arm 362 is provided in a stretchable structure, allowing the hand 361 to move along the second direction 14. The arm 362 is coupled to the support 363 so as to be able to move linearly in the third direction 16 along the support 363. The support 363 has a length extending from a position corresponding to the second buffer 330 to a position corresponding to the first buffer 320. The support 363 may be provided longer in the up or down direction. The first buffer robot 360 may be provided so that the hand 361 is only two-axis driving along the second direction 14 and the third direction 16.

The cooling chambers 350 cool the substrates W, respectively. The cooling chamber 350 has a housing 351 and a cooling plate 352. The cooling plate 352 has an upper surface on which the substrate W is placed and a cooling means 353 for cooling the substrate W. As the cooling means 353, various methods such as cooling by cooling water or cooling using a thermoelectric element may be used. Further, the cooling chamber 350 may be provided with a lift pin assembly (not shown) that positions the substrate W on the cooling plate 352. The housing 351 is provided with an index robot 220 so that the index robot 220 and the developing unit robot 482 provided in the developing module 402, which will be described later, can carry in or out the substrate W on the cooling plate 352. The provided direction and the developing part robot 482 has an opening (not shown) in the provided direction. Further, the cooling chamber 350 may be provided with doors (not shown) for opening and closing the above-described opening.

The coating and developing module 400 performs a process of applying a photoresist onto the substrate W before the exposure process and a process of developing the substrate W after the exposure process. The coating and developing module 400 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The application and development module 400 has an application module 401 and a development module 402. The application module 401 and the development module 402 are arranged to be divided into layers between each other. According to one example, the application module 401 is located on top of the development module 402.

The application module 401 includes a process of applying a photoresist such as photoresist to the substrate W and a heat treatment process such as heating and cooling of the substrate W before and after the resist application process. The application module 401 has a resist application chamber 410, a bake chamber 420, and a transfer chamber 430. The resist application chamber 410, the bake chamber 420, and the transfer chamber 430 are sequentially arranged along the second direction 14. Therefore, the resist coating chamber 410 and the bake chamber 420 are spaced apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 430 therebetween. A plurality of resist coating chambers 410 are provided, and a plurality of each is provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16. In the drawing, an example in which six resist application chambers 410 are provided is illustrated. A plurality of bake chambers 420 are provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. The drawing shows an example in which six bake chambers 420 are provided. However, unlike this, the bake chamber 420 may be provided in a larger number.

The transfer chamber 430 is positioned side by side in the first direction 12 with the first buffer 320 of the first buffer module 300. In the transfer chamber 430, an applicator robot 432 and a guide rail 433 are positioned. The transport chamber 430 has a substantially rectangular shape. The applicator robot 432 includes the bake chambers 420, the resist application chambers 400, the first buffer 320 of the first buffer module 300, and the first of the second buffer module 500 described later. The substrate W is transferred between the cooling chambers 520. The guide rail 433 is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first direction 12. The guide rail 433 guides the applicator robot 432 to move linearly in the first direction 12. The applicator robot 432 has a hand 434, an arm 435, a support 436, and a pedestal 437. The hand 434 is fixed to the arm 435. The arm 435 is provided in a stretchable structure so that the hand 434 is movable in the horizontal direction. The support 436 is provided so that its longitudinal direction is arranged along the third direction 16. The arm 435 is coupled to the support 436 such that it can move linearly in the third direction 16 along the support 436. The support 436 is fixedly coupled to the pedestal 437, and the pedestal 437 is coupled to the guide rail 433 so as to be movable along the guide rail 433.

All of the resist coating chambers 410 have the same structure. However, the types of photoresist used in each resist coating chamber 410 may be different from each other. As an example, a chemical amplification resist may be used as the photoresist. The resist coating chamber 410 applies a photo resist on the substrate W. The resist coating chamber 410 has a processing container 411, a support plate 412, and a nozzle 413. The processing container 411 has a cup shape with an open top. The support plate 412 is located in the processing container 411 and supports the substrate W. The support plate 412 is rotatably provided. The nozzle 413 supplies photoresist onto the substrate W placed on the support plate 412. The nozzle 413 has a circular tube shape and can supply a photoresist to the center of the substrate W. Optionally, the nozzle 413 has a length corresponding to the diameter of the substrate W, and the discharge port of the nozzle 413 may be provided as a slit. In addition, a nozzle 414 for supplying a cleaning solution such as deionized water may be further provided in the resist coating chamber 410 to clean the surface of the substrate W coated with the photoresist.

The baking chamber 420 heat-treats the substrate W. For example, the bake chambers 420 may include a pre-bake process or photoresist that removes organic matter or moisture on the surface of the substrate W by heating the substrate W to a predetermined temperature before applying the photoresist. W) performs a soft bake process or the like performed after coating on the substrate, and performs a cooling process or the like to cool the substrate W after each heating process. The baking chamber 420 has a cooling plate 421 or a heating plate 422. The cooling plate 421 is provided with cooling means 423 such as cooling water or a thermoelectric element. In addition, the heating plate 422 is provided with heating means 424 such as a hot wire or a thermoelectric element. The cooling plate 421 and the heating plate 422 may be provided in one bake chamber 420, respectively. Optionally, some of the bake chambers 420 may have only the cooling plate 421, and other portions may have only the heating plate 422.

The developing module 402 supplies a developer to obtain a pattern on the substrate W to remove a portion of the photoresist, and a heat treatment such as heating and cooling performed on the substrate W before and after the developing process. Process. The developing module 402 has a developing chamber 460, a bake chamber 470, and a transfer chamber 480. The developing chamber 460, the bake chamber 470, and the transfer chamber 480 are sequentially arranged along the second direction 14. Therefore, the development chamber 460 and the bake chamber 470 are spaced apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 480 therebetween. A plurality of developing chambers 460 are provided, and a plurality of each is provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16. The drawing shows an example in which six developing chambers 460 are provided. A plurality of bake chambers 470 are provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. The drawing shows an example in which six bake chambers 470 are provided. However, unlike this, the bake chamber 470 may be provided in a larger number.

The transfer chamber 480 is positioned side by side in the first direction 12 with the second buffer 330 of the first buffer module 300. The developer robot 482 and the guide rail 483 are located in the transfer chamber 480. The transport chamber 480 has a substantially rectangular shape. The developing unit robot 482 includes the bake chambers 470, the developing chambers 460, the second buffer 330 and the cooling chamber 350 of the first buffer module 300, and the second buffer module 500. The substrate W is transferred between the second cooling chambers 540. The guide rail 483 is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first direction 12. The guide rail 483 guides the developing robot 482 to move linearly in the first direction 12. The developing unit robot 482 has a hand 484, an arm 485, a support 486, and a support 487. The hand 484 is fixed to the arm 485. The arm 485 is provided in a stretchable structure so that the hand 484 is movable in the horizontal direction. The support 486 is provided so that its longitudinal direction is arranged along the third direction 16. The arm 485 is coupled to the support 486 such that it can move linearly in the third direction 16 along the support 486. The support 486 is fixedly coupled to the pedestal 487. The base 487 is coupled to the guide rail 483 so as to be movable along the guide rail 483.

The developing chambers 460 all have the same structure. However, the types of the developer used in each developing chamber 460 may be different from each other. The developing chamber 460 is provided as an apparatus for developing a substrate. The development chamber 460 has a processing container 461, a support plate 462, and a nozzle 463. The processing container 461 has a cup shape with an open top. The support plate 462 is located in the processing container 461 and supports the substrate W. The support plate 462 is provided rotatably. The nozzle 463 supplies the developer onto the substrate W placed on the support plate 462. The development chamber 460 removes a region irradiated with light among photoresists on the substrate W. At this time, the light-irradiated region of the protective film is also removed. Depending on the type of the photoresist used selectively, only the region of the photoresist and the protective film that is not irradiated can be removed.

In this embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus 800 for liquid-processing the substrate W in one embodiment of the developing chamber 460 is provided. FIG. 7 is a front view showing the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 3, FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the edge pipe unit and the substrate to be processed of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 7 . 8 and 9, the substrate processing apparatus 800 performs a development processing process on a single substrate W. The substrate processing apparatus 800 includes a substrate support unit 810, a processing container 820, a lifting unit 840, a liquid supply unit 850, an edge pipe unit 860, an edge exposure unit 890, and a controller 900 ).

The substrate support unit 810 supports and rotates the substrate W. The substrate support unit 810 includes a support plate 812 and a rotation drive member 813. The support plate 812 is an embodiment of the support plate 463 shown in FIG. 5. The support plate 812 supports the substrate. The support plate 812 is provided to have a circular plate shape. The support plate 812 may have a smaller diameter than the substrate W. An adsorption hole 816 is formed on the support surface of the support plate 812, and the adsorption hole 816 is provided with negative pressure. The substrate W may be vacuum adsorbed to the support surface by negative pressure.

The rotation drive member 813 rotates the support plate 812. The rotation drive member 813 includes a rotation shaft 814 and a driver 815. The rotating shaft 814 is provided to have a cylindrical shape with its longitudinal direction pointing up and down. The rotating shaft 814 is coupled to the bottom surface of the support plate 812. The driver 815 transmits rotational force to the rotation shaft 814. The rotation shaft 814 is rotatable about the central axis by the rotational force provided from the driver 815. The support plate 812 is rotatable together with the rotation shaft 814. The rotation shaft 814 is controlled by the rotation speed of the driver 815 to control the rotation speed of the substrate W. For example, the driver 815 may be a motor.

The processing container 820 provides a processing space in which a developing process is performed. The processing container 820 is an embodiment of the processing container 461 shown in FIG. 5. The processing vessel 820 is accommodated in the interior space of the process chamber. The processing container 820 is provided to have a cup shape with an open top. The processing container 820 includes an inner cup 822 and an outer cup 826. The processing container 820 recovers the liquid used in the developing process.

The inner cup 822 is provided in a circular plate shape surrounding the rotating shaft 814. The top surface of the inner cup 822 when viewed from the top is provided such that its outer and inner regions are each inclined at different angles. According to one example, the outer region of the inner cup 822 faces the downwardly inclined direction away from the substrate support unit 810, and the inner region faces the upwardly inclined direction away from the substrate support unit 810. Is provided. The point where the outer region and the inner region of the inner cup 822 meet each other is provided to correspond to the side ends of the substrate W in the vertical direction. The area outside the upper surface of the inner cup 822 is provided to be rounded. The area outside the top surface of the inner cup 822 is provided concave down. An area outside the upper surface of the inner cup 822 may be provided as an area through which the processing liquid supplied from the liquid supply unit 850 flows. The outer cup 826 is provided to have a cup shape surrounding the substrate support unit 810 and the inner cup 822. The outer cup 826 has a bottom wall 826c, a side wall 826d, and an inclined wall 826e. The bottom wall 826c is provided to have a circular plate shape having a hollow. A recovery line 826b is formed in the bottom wall 826c. The recovery line 826b recovers the processing liquid supplied on the substrate W. The treatment liquid recovered by the recovery line 826b can be reused by an external liquid regeneration system. The side walls 826d are provided to have a circular cylindrical shape surrounding the substrate support unit 810. The side wall 826d extends in a vertical direction from the side end of the bottom wall 826c. The side wall 826d extends upward from the bottom wall 826c. The inclined wall 826e extends from the top of the side wall 826d in the inner direction of the outer cup 826. The inclined wall 826e is provided to be closer to the substrate support unit 810 as it goes upward. The inclined wall 826e is provided to have a ring shape. The upper end of the inclined wall 826e is positioned higher than the substrate W supported by the substrate support unit 810.

The inner cup 822 is connected to the exhaust unit 830. The exhaust unit 830 includes an exhaust port 831, an exhaust line 832, and an exhaust pump 833. The exhaust port 831 is provided under the inner cup 822. The exhaust port 831 when viewed from the top is provided to overlap the substrate supported by the support unit 810. The exhaust port 831 is connected to the exhaust line 832. An exhaust pump 833 is installed in the exhaust line 832 to exhaust the interior of the processing space.

The lifting unit 840 adjusts the relative height between the processing container 820 and the substrate W. The lifting unit 840 moves the processing container 820 in the vertical direction. The lifting unit 840 includes a bracket 842, a moving shaft 844, and a driver 846. The bracket 842 connects the processing container 820 and the moving shaft 844. The bracket 842 is fixed to the side wall 826d of the processing container 820. The moving shaft 844 is provided so that its longitudinal direction faces up and down. The upper end of the moving shaft 844 is fixedly coupled to the bracket 842. The moving shaft 844 is moved in the vertical direction by the driver 846, and the processing container 820 can be moved up and down together with the moving shaft 844. For example, the driver 846 can be a cylinder or a motor.

The liquid supply unit 850 supplies liquid on the substrate W supported by the substrate support unit 810. The liquid supply unit 850 includes a first supply member 870 and a second supply member 880.

The first supply member 870 supplies a pre-wetting liquid and a processing liquid. The first supply member 870 includes a first nozzle member 1400 and a first moving member 1100. The first moving member 1100 linearly moves the first nozzle member 1400 in the first direction 12. The first moving member 1100 moves the first nozzle member 1400 to a process position or a standby position. Here, the process position is a position where the first nozzle member 1400 faces the substrate W, and the standby position is a position outside the process position. The first moving member 1100 includes a first guide rail 1120 and a first arm 1140. The first guide rail 1120 is located on one side of the processing container 820. The first guide rail 1120 is provided to have a longitudinal direction parallel to the moving direction of the first nozzle member 1400. For example, the longitudinal direction of the first guide rail 1120 may be provided to face the first direction 12.

The first arm 1140 is provided to have a bar shape. When viewed from the top, the first arm 1140 is provided to have a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the first guide rail 1120. for example. The longitudinal direction of the first arm 1140 may be provided to face the second direction 14. The first nozzle member 1400 is hinged to one end of the first arm 1140, and the other end is connected to the first guide rail 1120 by a bracket. A hinge shaft 1490 is provided between the first arm 1140 and the first nozzle member 1400. The first arm 1140 and the first nozzle member 1400 are movable together along the longitudinal direction of the first guide rail 1120.

The second supply member 880 supplies a rinse liquid and a cleaning liquid. The second supply member 880 includes a second nozzle member 1700 and a second moving member 1500. The second moving member 1500 moves the second nozzle member 1700 in the vertical direction and in the horizontal direction perpendicular thereto. For example, the horizontal direction may be a direction parallel to the first direction 12. The second moving member 1500 simultaneously moves the second nozzle member 1700 to a process position or a standby position. The second moving member 1500 includes a second guide rail 1520 and a vertical driver 1540. The second guide rail 1520 is located on one side of the processing container 820. The second guide rail 1520 is provided to have a longitudinal direction parallel to the moving direction of the second nozzle member 1700. For example, the longitudinal direction of the second guide rail 1520 may be provided to face the first direction 12. A vertical driver 1540 is installed on the second guide rail 1520. The second guide rail 1520 is provided as a horizontal driver 882 that moves the vertical driver 1540 in the horizontal direction. The vertical actuator 1540 moves the second nozzle member 1700 in the vertical direction. For example, the vertical driver 1540 may be a cylinder or a motor. Therefore, the second nozzle member 1700 is moved in the vertical direction by the vertical driver 1540, and is movable in the horizontal direction by the second guide rail 1520.

The second nozzle member 1700 includes a second arm 1720, a rinse nozzle 1740, and a cleaning nozzle 1760. The second arm 1720 has a bar shape. When viewed from the top, the second arm 1720 is provided to have a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the second guide rail 1520. for example. The longitudinal direction of the second arm 1720 may be provided to face the second direction 14. A second nozzle member 1700 is installed at one end of the second arm 1720, and the other end is connected to the vertical driver 1540. The vertical driver 1540 adjusts the relative height of the cleaning nozzle 1760 with respect to the substrate W.

The rinse nozzle 1740 supplies a rinse liquid, and the cleaning nozzle 1760 supplies a cleaning liquid. The rinse nozzle 1740 supplies the rinse liquid in a dripping manner, and the cleaning nozzle 1760 supplies the cleaning liquid in a mist manner. When viewed from the top, the rinse nozzle 1740 and the cleaning nozzle 1760 may be positioned to be arranged in a direction parallel to the first direction. For example, the rinse liquid and the washing liquid may be the same kind of liquid. The rinse liquid and cleaning liquid may be pure water. The rinse liquid may be firstly supplied to the substrate W, and then the cleaning liquid may be secondly supplied. The cleaning liquid can be supplied on the liquid film formed by the rinse liquid.

The edge pipe unit 860 is provided in the processing space inside the processing container 820. The edge pipe unit 860 discharges byproducts generated at the edge of the substrate W to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 800. The edge pipe unit 860 includes an edge pipe 861 and an exhaust line 865.

The edge pipe 861 is provided in a cylindrical shape. The edge pipe 861 encloses an area of the edge of the substrate W in the interior space 861a. The edge pipe 861 is formed with a slit 861b having a wider width than the thickness of the substrate W so that the substrate W can enter the interior space 861a. The slit 861b is formed at a position corresponding to the position of the substrate W. The slit 861b is formed along the longitudinal direction of the edge pipe 861.

The edge pipe 861 is connected to an exhaust line 865 at its end. The exhaust line 865 discharges by-products flowing into the inner space 861a of the edge pipe 861 to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 800. The exhaust line 865 is connected to the exhaust line 832 of the exhaust unit 830. Since the edge pipe 861 is provided in a cylindrical shape, even if an exhaust amount such as the exhaust structure of the processing vessel is used, the concentration of exhaust is high, thereby increasing the exhaust effect.

The edge pipe 861 is linearly movable in the longitudinal direction. The edge pipe 861 is positioned at a waiting position outside the processing vessel before the substrate W is carried in, and may be moved to a process position when the substrate is carried. 7 to 9 show the state where the edge pipe 861 is located in the process position. The edge pipe 861 may perform a process at a process location and then return to a standby location. Since the substrate W may be obstructed with respect to the path direction during the front-rear movement of the edge pipe 861, the slit 861c is further formed.

The edge exposure unit 890 provides an exposure beam to the edge of the substrate W. The edge exposure unit is supported by the third arm 891. The third arm 891 is provided to have a bar shape. The third arm 891 is connected to a rotation driver 892. The third arm 891 is rotationally driven with respect to the axial direction by a rotation driver 892. The edge exposure unit 890 moves between the process position and the standby position by rotational driving of the third arm 891. The process position of the edge exposure unit 890 is a position corresponding to the upper surface of the edge of the substrate W located inside the edge pipe 861. The edge exposure unit 890 may reciprocate the edge region of the substrate and perform exposure to the edge region. In the course of exposure, the substrate is rotated.

The edge pipe 861 is formed with a slit 861d along the path direction of the exposure beam so that the exposure beam can pass through corresponding to the area of the exposure beam provided by the edge exposure unit 890. In the illustrated embodiment, the slit 861d may be provided in an arc shape because the edge exposure unit 890 rotates around the drive shaft of the rotation driver 892. According to an embodiment, the path direction of the exposure beam may be a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the edge pipe 861.

In one embodiment, the edge exposure by the edge exposure unit 890 is performed before the development process of the substrate W. In the process of performing the edge exposure, by-products generated through the exhaust line 865 are exhausted. The substrate W may be developed immediately after the edge exposure is performed. The edge pipe 861 is continuously positioned at the process position while performing the development process. During the development process, by-products generated in the substrate are exhausted through the exhaust line 865.

In one embodiment, the photoresist PR applied to the substrate W is a positive photoresist, and the treatment solution provided to the substrate W is a positive developer.

10 is a cross-sectional view showing the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 2 according to another embodiment, FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the edge pipe unit and the substrate in the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 10, and FIG. 12 is a view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 10 It is a perspective view showing the edge pipe unit and the substrate.

The edge pipe 861 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 has been described as being movable along the longitudinal direction. However, the edge pipe 1861 according to another embodiment is provided to be movable linearly with respect to a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The edge pipe 1861 is received inside the processing vessel 820. The edge pipe 1861 is positioned at a waiting position (shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 11) inside the processing container 820 before the substrate W is carried in, and then moved to the process position when the substrate W is carried in. . The edge pipe 1861 may perform the process at the process location and then return to the standby location. The edge of the substrate W may be positioned in the inner space 1861a of the edge pipe 1861 or outside the inner space 1861a by the left and right movement of the edge pipe 861. The edge pipe 1861 is formed with a slit 1861b to enter the edge of the substrate W into the interior space 1861a. In addition, a slit 1861d is formed in the edge pipe 1861 so that the exposure beam generated by the edge exposure unit 890 can be provided to the substrate W. One end of the edge pipe 1861 is connected to the exhaust line 1865. The exhaust line 1865 is connected to the exhaust line 832 of the exhaust unit 830.

The controller 900 controls the substrate support unit 810, the processing container 820, the lifting unit 840, the liquid supply unit 850, the edge pipe unit 860, and the edge exposure unit 890.

The controller 900 controls the nozzles of the first supply member 870 and the second supply member 880 of the liquid supply unit 850 to be moved relative to the substrate W. The controller 900 controls the edge exposure unit 890 to irradiate the exposure beam and move relative to the substrate to expose the edge region of the substrate. The controller 900 controls the substrate support unit 810 such that the substrate W rotates when the exposure beam is irradiated. The controller 900 controls the elevation of the processing container 820 when the substrate is carried in and out. The controller 900 controls the edge pipe unit 860 to move between the process position and the standby position when the substrate is brought in and out.

Next, a process of processing the substrate W using the above-described substrate processing apparatus will be described. The method of processing the substrate W includes an edge exposure step, a pre-wetting liquid supply step, a treatment liquid supply step, and a rinse liquid supply step. The edge exposure step, the pre-wetting liquid supply step, the processing liquid supply step, and the rinse liquid supply step are sequentially performed.

When the substrate W is carried in, the processing container 820 rises. The edge pipe 861 is then moved from the standby position to the process position.

The edge exposure step is a step of exposing the edge of the substrate W. The edge exposure unit 890 is located in the edge region of the substrate W, and the exposure beam passes through the slit 1861d of the edge pipe 861 to reach the edge of the substrate W. The exposure beam reaches the edge of the substrate The area is reciprocated and exposed. By-products generated in the edge region of the substrate W ride through the inside of the edge pipe 861 and are discharged through the exhaust line 865.

The pre-wetting liquid supply step is a step of supplying a pre-wetting liquid on the substrate W. The pre-wetting liquid is supplied to the center of the substrate W, and is diffused into the entire area of the substrate W by rotation of the substrate W. The surface of the substrate W is converted into a wet state by a pre-wetting liquid. In the pre-wetting liquid supply step, the edge pipe 861 is located at a process location to suck by-products.

The processing liquid supply step is a step of supplying the processing liquid on the substrate W. The substrate W is rotated while the processing liquid is supplied to the central region. Accordingly, the processing liquid develops the developing region on the substrate W. The treatment liquid may be separately supplied to the first treatment liquid and the second treatment liquid. When the first processing liquid is supplied, the substrate is rotated at a first rotational speed, and when the second processing liquid is supplied, the substrate can be rotated at a second rotational speed. In the processing liquid supply step, the edge pipe 861 may be located at a process location to suck by-products.

In the rinse liquid supply step, the treatment liquid remaining on the substrate W is rinsed. In the rinse liquid supply step, the rinse liquid is supplied onto the substrate W in a dropping manner. The treatment liquid film is removed by the rinse liquid, and a liquid film of the rinse liquid is formed. In the rinse liquid supply step, the edge pipe 861 may be located at a process location to suck by-products.

Referring back to FIGS. 3 to 6, the baking chamber 470 of the developing module 402 heat-treats the substrate W. For example, the bake chambers 470 include a post-baking process for heating the substrate W before the development process is performed, and a hard bake process for heating the substrate W after the development process is performed, and heating after each baking process. A cooling process for cooling the substrate W is performed. The baking chamber 470 has a cooling plate 471 or a heating plate 472. The cooling plate 471 is provided with cooling means 473 such as cooling water or thermoelectric elements. Alternatively, the heating plate 472 is provided with heating means 474, such as a hot wire or thermoelectric element. The cooling plate 471 and the heating plate 472 may be provided in one bake chamber 470, respectively. Optionally, some of the bake chambers 470 may have only the cooling plate 471, and other portions may have only the heating plate 472.

As described above, in the application and development module 400, the application module 401 and the development module 402 are provided to be separated from each other. Further, when viewed from the top, the application module 401 and the development module 402 may have the same chamber arrangement.

The second buffer module 500 is provided as a passage through which the substrate W is transported between the coating and developing module 400 and the pre-exposure processing module 600. Further, the second buffer module 500 performs a predetermined process, such as a cooling process or an edge exposure process, on the substrate W. The second buffer module 500 includes a frame 510, a buffer 520, a first cooling chamber 530, a second cooling chamber 540, an edge exposure chamber 550, and a second buffer robot 560. Have The frame 510 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The buffer 520, the first cooling chamber 530, the second cooling chamber 540, the edge exposure chamber 550, and the second buffer robot 560 are located in the frame 510. The buffer 520, the first cooling chamber 530, and the edge exposure chamber 550 are disposed at a height corresponding to the application module 401. The second cooling chamber 540 is disposed at a height corresponding to the developing module 402. The buffer 520, the first cooling chamber 530, and the second cooling chamber 540 are sequentially arranged in a line along the third direction 16. When viewed from the top, the buffer 520 is disposed along the transfer chamber 430 of the application module 401 and the first direction 12. The edge exposure chamber 550 is disposed to be spaced a predetermined distance in the second direction 14 from the buffer 520 or the first cooling chamber 530.

The second buffer robot 560 transports the substrate W between the buffer 520, the first cooling chamber 530, and the edge exposure chamber 550. The second buffer robot 560 is positioned between the edge exposure chamber 550 and the buffer 520. The second buffer robot 560 may be provided with a structure similar to the first buffer robot 360. The first cooling chamber 530 and the edge exposure chamber 550 perform a subsequent process on the substrates W on which the process was performed in the application module 401. The first cooling chamber 530 cools the substrate W on which the process has been performed in the application module 401. The first cooling chamber 530 has a structure similar to the cooling chamber 350 of the first buffer module 300. The edge exposure chamber 550 exposes its edges to the substrates W on which the cooling process is performed in the first cooling chamber 530. The buffer 520 temporarily stores the substrate W before the substrates W processed in the edge exposure chamber 550 are transferred to the pre-processing module 601 described below. The second cooling chamber 540 cools the substrates W before the substrates W having been processed in the post-processing module 602 described below are transferred to the developing module 402. The second buffer module 500 may further have a buffer added to a height corresponding to the developing module 402. In this case, the substrates W processed in the post-processing module 602 may be temporarily stored in the added buffer and then transferred to the developing module 402.

Before and after the exposure processing module 600, when the exposure apparatus 900 performs an immersion exposure process, a process of applying a protective film that protects the photoresist film applied to the substrate W during the immersion exposure may be processed. In addition, the pre- and post-exposure processing module 600 may perform a process of cleaning the substrate W after exposure. In addition, when the coating process is performed using a chemically amplified resist, the pre-exposure processing module 600 may process the bake process after exposure.

The pre-exposure processing module 600 has a pre-processing module 601 and a post-processing module 602. The pre-processing module 601 performs a process of processing the substrate W before performing the exposure process, and the post-processing module 602 performs a process of processing the substrate W after the exposure process. The pre-processing module 601 and the post-processing module 602 are arranged to be divided into layers between each other. According to one example, the pre-processing module 601 is located above the post-processing module 602. The pretreatment module 601 is provided at the same height as the application module 401. The post-processing module 602 is provided at the same height as the developing module 402. The pretreatment module 601 has a protective film application chamber 610, a bake chamber 620, and a transfer chamber 630. The protective film application chamber 610, the transfer chamber 630, and the bake chamber 620 are sequentially arranged along the second direction 14. Therefore, the protective film coating chamber 610 and the baking chamber 620 are spaced apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 630 therebetween. A plurality of protective film coating chambers 610 are provided, and are disposed along the third direction 16 to form a layer with each other. Optionally, a plurality of protective film application chambers 610 may be provided in each of the first direction 12 and the third direction 16. A plurality of bake chambers 620 are provided, and are disposed along the third direction 16 to form a layer with each other. Optionally, a plurality of bake chambers 620 may be provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively.

The transfer chamber 630 is positioned side by side in the first direction 12 with the first cooling chamber 530 of the second buffer module 500. The pretreatment robot 632 is located in the transfer chamber 630. The transport chamber 630 has a generally square or rectangular shape. The pre-processing robot 632 is provided between the protective film coating chambers 610, the bake chambers 620, the buffer 520 of the second buffer module 500, and the first buffer 720 of the interface module 700 to be described later. The substrate W is transferred. The pre-processing robot 632 has a hand 633, an arm 634, and a support 635. The hand 633 is fixed to the arm 634. The arm 634 is provided in a stretchable and rotatable structure. The arm 634 is coupled to the support 635 such that it can move linearly in the third direction 16 along the support 635.

The protective film coating chamber 610 applies a protective film protecting the resist film on the substrate W during liquid immersion exposure. The protective film application chamber 610 has a housing 611, a support plate 612, and a nozzle 613. The housing 611 has a cup shape with an open top. The support plate 612 is located in the housing 611 and supports the substrate W. The support plate 612 is rotatably provided. The nozzle 613 supplies a protective liquid for forming a protective film onto the substrate W placed on the support plate 612. The nozzle 613 has a circular tube shape and can supply a protective liquid to the center of the substrate W. Optionally, the nozzle 613 has a length corresponding to the diameter of the substrate W, and the discharge port of the nozzle 613 may be provided as a slit. In this case, the support plate 612 may be provided in a fixed state. The protective liquid contains a foamable material. As the protective liquid, a material having a low affinity with photoresist and water may be used. For example, the protective liquid may contain a fluorine-based solvent. The protective film coating chamber 610 supplies the protective liquid to the central region of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W placed on the support plate 612.

The baking chamber 620 heat-treats the substrate W coated with the protective film. The baking chamber 620 has a cooling plate 621 or a heating plate 622. The cooling plate 621 is provided with cooling means 623 such as cooling water or a thermoelectric element. Alternatively, the heating plate 622 is provided with heating means 624 such as a hot wire or a thermoelectric element. The heating plate 622 and the cooling plate 621 may be provided in one bake chamber 620, respectively. Optionally, some of the bake chambers 620 may include only the heating plate 622, and other portions may include only the cooling plate 621.

The post-processing module 602 has a cleaning chamber 660, a post-exposure bake chamber 670, and a transfer chamber 680. The cleaning chamber 660, the transfer chamber 680, and the bake chamber 670 after exposure are sequentially arranged along the second direction 14. Therefore, the cleaning chamber 660 and the bake chamber 670 after exposure are spaced apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 680 therebetween. A plurality of cleaning chambers 660 are provided, and may be disposed along the third direction 16 to form layers with each other. Optionally, a plurality of cleaning chambers 660 may be provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16, respectively. After exposure, a plurality of bake chambers 670 are provided, and may be disposed along the third direction 16 to form a layer with each other. Optionally, a plurality of bake chambers 670 may be provided in the first direction 12 and the third direction 16 after exposure.

The transfer chamber 680 is positioned side by side in the first direction 12 with the second cooling chamber 540 of the second buffer module 500 when viewed from the top. The transport chamber 680 has a generally square or rectangular shape. A post-processing robot 682 is located in the transfer chamber 680. The post-processing robot 682 includes cleaning chambers 660, post-exposure bake chambers 670, a second cooling chamber 540 of the second buffer module 500, and a second of the interface module 700 described below. The substrate W is transported between the buffers 730. The post-processing robot 682 provided in the post-processing module 602 may be provided with the same structure as the pre-processing robot 632 provided in the pre-processing module 601.

The cleaning chamber 660 cleans the substrate W after the exposure process. The cleaning chamber 660 has a housing 661, a support plate 662, and a nozzle 663. The housing 661 has a cup shape with an open top. The support plate 662 is located in the housing 661 and supports the substrate W. The support plate 662 is rotatably provided. The nozzle 663 supplies the cleaning liquid onto the substrate W placed on the support plate 662. Water such as deionized water may be used as the cleaning solution. The cleaning chamber 660 supplies cleaning liquid to the central region of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W placed on the support plate 662. Optionally, while the substrate W is rotated, the nozzle 663 may move linearly or rotationally from the center region of the substrate W to the edge region. According to an embodiment, the edge pipe unit 860 applied to the developing chamber 800 may be applied to the cleaning chamber 660. The edge pipe unit 860 may be applied to the cleaning chamber 660 to increase the exhaust efficiency under the same exhaust conditions.

After exposure, the bake chamber 670 heats the substrate W on which the exposure process has been performed using far ultraviolet rays. The post-exposure bake process heats the substrate W to amplify the acid generated in the photoresist by exposure to complete the change in the properties of the photoresist. After exposure, the bake chamber 670 has a heating plate 672. The heating plate 672 is provided with heating means 674, such as a hot wire or thermoelectric element. After exposure, the bake chamber 670 may further include a cooling plate 671 therein. The cooling plate 671 is provided with cooling means 673, such as cooling water or a thermoelectric element. Also, a baking chamber with only the cooling plate 671 can be further provided.

In one embodiment, when the edge exposure is performed by including the edge exposure module 890 in the developing chamber 800, the edge exposure chamber 550 may be omitted.

In one embodiment, the edge pipe unit 860 and the edge exposure unit 890 are provided in the edge exposure chamber 550 to prevent scattering of byproducts at the edge of the substrate.

As described above, in the pre- and post-exposure processing module 600, the pre-processing module 601 and the post-processing module 602 are provided to be completely separated from each other. In addition, the transfer chamber 630 of the pre-processing module 601 and the transfer chamber 680 of the post-processing module 602 are provided with the same size, and may be provided to completely overlap each other when viewed from the top. In addition, the protective film coating chamber 610 and the cleaning chamber 660 may be provided with the same size as each other, so that they can be completely overlapped with each other when viewed from the top. In addition, the bake chamber 620 and the bake chamber 670 after exposure are provided with the same size, and may be provided to completely overlap each other when viewed from the top.

The interface module 700 transfers the substrate W between the pre- and post-exposure processing modules 600 and the exposure apparatus 900. The interface module 700 has a frame 710, a first buffer 720, a second buffer 730, and an interface robot 740. The first buffer 720, the second buffer 730, and the interface robot 740 are located in the frame 710. The first buffer 720 and the second buffer 730 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, and are disposed to be stacked with each other. The first buffer 720 is disposed higher than the second buffer 730. The first buffer 720 is positioned at a height corresponding to the pre-processing module 601, and the second buffer 730 is positioned at a height corresponding to the post-processing module 602. When viewed from the top, the first buffer 720 is arranged in line along the first chamber 12 and the transfer chamber 630 of the pre-processing module 601, and the second buffer 730 is a post-processing module 602 It is positioned to be arranged in a line along the transport chamber 630 and the first direction (12).

The interface robot 740 is spaced apart from the first buffer 720 and the second buffer 730 and the second direction 14. The interface robot 740 transports the substrate W between the first buffer 720, the second buffer 730, and the exposure apparatus 900. The interface robot 740 has a structure substantially similar to the second buffer robot 560.

The first buffer 720 temporarily stores the substrates W processed in the pre-processing module 601 before they are moved to the exposure apparatus 900. In addition, the second buffer 730 temporarily stores the substrates W having been processed in the exposure apparatus 900 before they are moved to the post-processing module 602. The first buffer 720 has a housing 721 and a plurality of supports 722. The supports 722 are disposed in the housing 721 and are provided spaced apart from each other along the third direction 16. One substrate W is placed on each support 722. The housing 721 is provided with an interface robot 740 and a pre-processing robot ( 632) has an opening (not shown) in the direction provided. The second buffer 730 has a structure substantially similar to the first buffer 720. However, the housing 731 of the second buffer 730 has an opening (not shown) in the direction in which the interface robot 740 is provided and in the direction in which the post-processing robot 682 is provided. As described above, only buffers and robots may be provided in the interface module without providing a chamber that performs a predetermined process on the substrate W.

810: substrate support unit 820: processing vessel
840: lifting unit 850: liquid supply unit
860: edge pipe unit 890: edge exposure unit
900: controller

Claims (20)

In the apparatus for processing a substrate,
A process chamber providing an interior space therein;
A processing container provided in the interior space and having an open cup shape;
A support unit positioned in the processing container to support and rotate the substrate;
A nozzle that discharges a processing liquid on the substrate supported by the support unit;
A moving member for moving the nozzle relative to the substrate supported by the support unit;
An exhaust unit that discharges by-products generated in the interior space to the outside of the interior space;
And an edge pipe unit located at the edge of the substrate to discharge byproducts generated at the edge of the substrate to the outside of the interior space. According to claim 1,
The edge pipe unit,
An edge pipe located at the edge of the substrate;
And an exhaust line connected to the edge pipe to discharge by-products inside the edge pipe to the outside of the interior space. According to claim 2,
The edge pipe is a substrate processing apparatus provided in a cylindrical shape. According to claim 2,
The edge pipe, the substrate processing apparatus having a slit having a width wider than the thickness of the substrate is formed in the longitudinal direction of the edge pipe. According to claim 2,
The edge pipe unit,
A substrate processing apparatus capable of linear movement with respect to at least one of a length direction of the edge pipe or a direction perpendicular to the length direction. According to claim 2,
The exhaust line of the edge pipe unit is a substrate processing apparatus connected to the exhaust unit. According to claim 1,
The edge pipe unit,
A substrate processing apparatus provided to be movable from a standby position prior to substrate processing to a processing position during substrate processing. According to claim 1,
The substrate processing apparatus,
And an edge exposure unit that exposes the edge of the substrate by providing an exposure beam at the edge of the substrate. The method of claim 8,
A substrate processing apparatus that exposes the edges of a substrate before developing the substrate. The method of claim 9,
The edge pipe unit,
An edge pipe located at the edge of the substrate;
And an exhaust line connected to the edge pipe to discharge by-products inside the edge pipe to the outside of the interior space,
The edge pipe is a substrate processing apparatus in which a slit is formed along a direction corresponding to a path of the exposure beam so that the exposure beam can pass through corresponding to a region where the exposure beam is provided. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The processing liquid is a substrate processing apparatus that is a positive developer. In the apparatus for processing a substrate,
A process chamber providing an interior space therein;
A support unit for supporting and rotating the substrate within the interior space;
An exhaust unit that discharges by-products generated in the interior space to the outside of the interior space;
An edge exposure unit that exposes the edge of the substrate by providing an exposure beam to the edge of the substrate;
A substrate processing apparatus including an edge pipe unit located at the edge of the substrate to exhaust byproducts generated at the edge of the substrate. The method of claim 12,
A substrate processing apparatus having a cup shape having an open top, and further comprising a processing container provided with the support unit therein. The method of claim 12,
The substrate processing apparatus,
A substrate processing apparatus that exposes an edge of a substrate before developing the substrate. The method of claim 12,
The edge pipe unit,
An edge pipe located at the edge of the substrate and provided in a cylindrical shape;
And an exhaust line connected to the edge pipe to discharge by-products inside the edge pipe to the outside of the interior space. The method of claim 15,
The edge pipe, the substrate processing apparatus having a slit having a width wider than the thickness of the substrate is formed in the longitudinal direction of the edge pipe. The method of claim 15,
The edge pipe is a substrate processing apparatus in which a slit is formed along a direction corresponding to a path of the exposure beam so that the exposure beam can pass through corresponding to a region where the exposure beam is provided. The method of claim 15,
The edge pipe unit,
A substrate processing apparatus capable of linear movement with respect to at least one of a length direction of the edge pipe or a direction perpendicular to the length direction. The method of claim 15,
The exhaust line of the edge pipe unit is a substrate processing apparatus connected to the exhaust unit. The method of claim 12,
The edge pipe unit,
A substrate processing apparatus provided to be movable from a standby position prior to substrate processing to a processing position during substrate processing.

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