KR20220047059A - Substrate processing apparatus, treatment solution supply apparatus and treatment solution supply method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a processing liquid supply device. The processing liquid supply device comprises: a processing liquid tank; a circulation line connected to the processing liquid tank to circulate the processing liquid; a supply line branched from the circulation line and supplying the processing liquid to each processing liquid treatment unit; a return line branching from the supply line and returning the processing liquid to the processing liquid tank; and a return pump installed in the return line to supply and cut off the processing liquid and control a flow rate of the processing liquid.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus, processing liquid supply apparatus, and processing liquid supply method

The present invention relates to a processing liquid supply apparatus and a processing liquid supply method in an apparatus for processing a substrate with a processing liquid.

A photo-lithography process among semiconductor manufacturing processes is a process of forming a desired pattern on a wafer. The photographic process is usually carried out in a spinner local facility that is connected to an exposure facility and continuously processes the coating process, exposure process, and development process. This spinner equipment sequentially or selectively performs the HMDS (Hexamethyl disilazane) process, the coating process, the baking process, and the developing process.

8 is a view showing a treatment liquid supply device in a treatment device in which a general application process is performed.

As shown in FIG. 8 , the treatment liquid supply device 11 sucks the treatment liquid in the tank 13 through the pump 12 , controls the temperature of the treatment liquid through a heater, and removes foreign substances through the filter. The treatment liquid that has undergone the corresponding process is supplied to the liquid treatment device 19 through the supply line 15 connected to the circulation line 14 . The supply line 15 is provided with a flow meter 17a, a flow rate control valve 17b, and an on-off valve 17c to control discharge and flow rate of the treatment liquid in the liquid treatment device.

However, the flow path of the treatment liquid supplied to the liquid treatment device 19 through the supply line 15 is changed by the structure and opening/closing of the valves 17b and 17c installed on the supply line itself, and accordingly, bubbles in the treatment liquid and particles. In addition, the treatment liquid remains in the flow path in the valve, thereby contaminating the pipe (supply line) and draining the remaining treatment liquid, thereby increasing the amount of the treatment liquid and the amount of waste liquid.

An object of the present invention is to provide a treatment liquid supply device and a treatment liquid supply method capable of supplying a treatment liquid without a valve on a supply line.

An object of the present invention is to provide a treatment liquid supply apparatus and a treatment liquid supply method capable of minimizing the generation of bubbles and particles (parties) while the treatment liquid is supplied.

An object of the present invention is to provide a treatment liquid supply device and a treatment liquid supply method capable of reducing the amount of waste liquid.

An object of the present invention is to provide a treatment liquid supply apparatus and a treatment liquid supply method capable of controlling the supply and flow rate of the treatment liquid using a pump.

The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above. Other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs from the following description.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a treatment liquid tank; a circulation line connected to the treatment liquid tank to circulate the treatment liquid; a supply line branched from the circulation line and supplying the treatment liquid to each treatment liquid processing unit; a return line branching from the supply line and returning the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid tank; and a return pump installed in the return line and configured to supply and block the processing liquid and control a flow rate of the processing liquid.

In addition, it may further include a control unit for controlling the return pump.

In addition, the control unit may control the output of the return pump to increase to cut off the supply of the processing liquid to the processing liquid processing unit.

In addition, the control unit may control the output of the return pump to decrease or stop so as to adjust the processing liquid supply to the processing liquid processing unit and the processing liquid supply flow rate.

In addition, it may further include a supply pump installed in the circulation line.

Also, the return pump may be a vacuum pump.

According to another aspect of the present invention, processing apparatuses for processing a substrate using a processing liquid; a processing liquid supply unit supplying the processing liquid to each nozzle of the processing apparatuses; The processing liquid supply unit may be provided with a substrate processing apparatus in which a valve is not provided on a processing liquid movement path between the supply pump and the nozzle.

In addition, the treatment liquid supply unit includes a treatment liquid tank; a circulation line connected to the treatment liquid tank through which the treatment liquid is circulated and the supply pump is provided; a supply line branched from the circulation line and supplying the treatment liquid to the nozzles of each of the treatment devices; a return line branching from the supply line and returning the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid tank; and a return pump installed on the return line.

In addition, whether the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle may be provided by the return pump.

In addition, the control unit may include a control unit for controlling the return pump to control whether or not the processing liquid is supplied through the supply line and the processing liquid supply flow rate.

In addition, the controller may control the return pump to block supply of the processing liquid to the processing liquid processing unit by increasing the output of the return pump.

In addition, the controller may control an output of the return pump to be lower than an output of the supply pump installed in the circulation line when the processing liquid is supplied to the processing liquid processing unit.

Also, the controller may control to stop the output of the return pump when the processing liquid is supplied to the processing liquid processing unit.

In addition, the control unit may control the output of the return pump to be higher than the output of the supply pump installed in the circulation line when the processing liquid is blocked from the processing liquid processing unit.

Also, the return pump may be a vacuum pump.

Also, the processing devices may be stacked in multiple stages.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the method comprising: (a) circulating a treatment liquid in a circulation line connected to the treatment liquid tank; and (B) supplying the treatment liquid from the circulation line to a nozzle connected to a branched supply line; In the step (b), the supply and cut-off of the processing liquid may be provided by a return pump installed in the return line.

In addition, the supply of the treatment liquid in step (b) may be controlled such that the output of the return pump is lower than the output of the supply pump installed in the circulation line.

In addition, the blocking of the treatment liquid in step (b) may be controlled such that the output of the return pump is higher than the output of the supply pump installed in the circulation line.

In addition, in step (b), the control of the supply flow rate of the processing liquid may be performed by controlling the output of the return pump.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, by supplying the treatment liquid without a valve on the supply line, it is possible to minimize the generation of bubbles and particles (particles).

According to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the amount of waste liquid.

In the present invention, the supply and flow rate of the treatment liquid can be controlled by using a pump.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above. Effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains from this specification and the accompanying drawings.

1 is a plan view of a substrate processing facility according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the facility of FIG. 1 viewed from the AA direction.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the facility of FIG. 1 viewed from the BB direction.
4 is a cross-sectional view of the facility of FIG. 1 viewed from the CC direction.
5 is a view for explaining a processing liquid supply device for supplying a processing liquid to each of the resist application chambers.
FIG. 6 is a view for explaining supply of a treatment liquid in FIG. 5 .
7 is a view for explaining blocking of the treatment liquid in FIG. 5 .
8 is a view showing a treatment liquid supply device in a treatment device in which a general application process is performed.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can easily implement them. However, the present invention may be implemented in several different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in describing a preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings for parts having similar functions and functions.

"Including" a certain component means that other components may be further included, rather than excluding other components, unless otherwise stated. Specifically, terms such as “comprise” or “have” are intended to designate that a feature, number, step, action, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification is present, and includes one or more other features or It should be understood that the existence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof does not preclude the possibility of addition.

Terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may also be referred to as a first component.

The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, shapes and sizes of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clearer description.

The equipment of this embodiment may be used to perform a photolithography process on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a flat panel display panel. In particular, the equipment of this embodiment may be connected to an exposure apparatus and used to perform a coating process and a developing process on a substrate. Hereinafter, a case in which a wafer is used as a substrate will be described as an example.

Hereinafter, a substrate processing facility of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 .

1 is a view of the substrate processing facility viewed from the top, FIG. 2 is a view seen from the A-A direction of the facility of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a view of the facility of FIG. 1 viewed from the B-B direction, and FIG. 4 is the facility of FIG. is a view viewed from the C-C direction.

1 to 4 , 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 . ), an exposure processing module 600 , and an interface module 700 .

Load port 100, index module 200, first buffer module 300, coating and developing module 400, second buffer module 500, pre-exposure processing module 600, and interface module 700 may be sequentially arranged in a line in one direction.

Hereinafter, the load port 100, the index module 200, the first buffer module 300, the application and development module 400, the second buffer module 500, the pre-exposure processing module 600, and the interface module ( A direction in which 700 is arranged is referred to as a first direction 12 , a direction perpendicular to the first direction 12 when viewed from above is referred to as a second direction 14 , and the first direction 12 and the second direction A direction each perpendicular to the direction 14 is referred to as a third direction 16 .

The substrate W is moved while being accommodated in the cassette 20 . At this time, the cassette 20 has a structure that can be sealed from the outside. For example, as the cassette 20, a Front Open Unified Pod (FOUP) having a door at the front may be used.

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

The load port 100 has a mounting table 120 on which the cassette 20 in which the substrates W are accommodated is placed. A plurality of mounting tables 120 are provided, and the mounting tables 200 are arranged in a line along the second direction 14 . In FIG. 1, four mounting tables 120 were 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 includes a frame 210 , an index robot 220 , and a guide rail 230 . The frame 210 is provided in the shape of a substantially hollow 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 to be described later. The index robot 220 and the guide rail 230 are disposed in the frame 210 . The index robot 220 is a 4-axis drive 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 this possible structure. The index robot 220 has a hand 221 , an arm 222 , a support 223 , and a pedestal 224 . The hand 221 is fixedly installed on the arm 222 . The arm 222 is provided in a telescoping structure and a rotatable structure. The support 223 is disposed along the third direction 16 in its longitudinal direction. The arm 222 is coupled to the support 223 to be movable along the support 223 . The support 223 is fixedly coupled to the support 224 . The guide rail 230 is provided such that its longitudinal direction is disposed along the second direction 14 . The pedestal 224 is coupled to the guide rail 230 so as to be linearly movable along the guide rail 230 . In addition, although not shown, the frame 210 is further provided with a door opener for opening and closing the door of the cassette 20 .

The first buffer module 300 includes 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 a rectangular parallelepiped with an empty interior, and is disposed between the index module 200 and the application and development module 400 . The first buffer 320 , the second buffer 330 , the cooling chamber 350 , and the first buffer robot 360 are positioned in the frame 310 . The cooling chamber 350 , the second buffer 330 , and the first buffer 320 are sequentially disposed along the third direction 16 from the bottom. The first buffer 320 is positioned at a height corresponding to the application module 401 of the coating and developing module 400 to be described later, and the second buffer 330 and the cooling chamber 350 are provided in the coating and developing module (to be described later) ( It is located at a height corresponding to the developing module 402 of the 400). The first buffer robot 360 is positioned to be spaced apart from the second buffer 330 , the cooling chamber 350 , and the first buffer 320 by a predetermined distance in the second direction 14 .

The first buffer 320 and the second buffer 330 temporarily store the plurality of substrates W, respectively. The second buffer 330 has a housing 331 and a plurality of supports 332 . The supports 332 are disposed in the housing 331 and are provided to be 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 to be described later apply the substrate W to the support 332 in the housing 331 . An opening (not shown) is provided 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 taken out. The first buffer 320 has a structure substantially similar to that of 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 applicator robot 432 positioned in the application module 401 is provided, which will be described later. 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 fixedly installed on the arm 362 . The arm 362 is provided in a telescoping structure such that the hand 361 is movable along the second direction 14 . The arm 362 is coupled to the support 363 so as to be linearly movable 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 than this in the upward or downward direction. The first buffer robot 360 may simply be provided such that the hand 361 is only biaxially driven along the second direction 14 and the third direction 16 .

The cooling chamber 350 cools the substrate W, respectively. The cooling chamber 350 has a housing 351 and a cooling plate 352 . The cooling plate 352 has an upper surface on which the substrate W is placed and 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. Also, a lift pin assembly (not shown) for positioning the substrate W on the cooling plate 352 may be provided in the cooling chamber 350 . The housing 351 includes the index robot 220 and the index robot 220 so that the developing unit robot 482 provided in the developing module 402 to be described later can load or unload the substrate W into or out of the cooling plate 352 . The provided direction and the developing unit robot 482 have an opening (not shown) in the provided direction. In addition, doors (not shown) for opening and closing the above-described opening may be provided in the cooling chamber 350 .

The coating and developing module 400 performs a process of applying a photoresist on the substrate W before the exposure process and a process of developing the substrate W after the exposure process. The application and development module 400 generally has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The application and development module 400 includes an application module 401 and a development module 402 . The application module 401 and the developing module 402 are arranged to be partitioned between each other in layers. According to an example, the application module 401 is located above the developing module 402 .

The application module 401 includes a process of applying a photoresist such as a photoresist to the substrate W and a heat treatment process such as heating and cooling on the substrate W before and after the resist application process. The application module 401 has a resist application chamber 410 , a bake chamber 420 , and a transfer chamber 430 . The resist application chamber 410 , the bake chamber 420 , and the transfer chamber 430 are sequentially disposed along the second direction 14 . Accordingly, 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 interposed therebetween. A plurality of resist coating chambers 410 are provided, and a plurality of resist coating chambers are provided in each of the first direction 12 and the third direction 16 . In the drawing, an example in which six resist application chambers 410 are provided is shown. A plurality of bake chambers 420 are provided in each of the first direction 12 and the third direction 16 . In the drawing, an example in which six bake chambers 420 are provided is shown. However, alternatively, a larger number of the bake chambers 420 may be provided.

The transfer chamber 430 is positioned in parallel with the first buffer 320 of the first buffer module 300 in the first direction 12 . An applicator robot 432 and a guide rail 433 are positioned in the transfer chamber 430 . The transfer chamber 430 has a generally rectangular shape. The applicator robot 432 includes the bake chambers 420 , the resist application chambers 410 , the first buffer 320 of the first buffer module 300 , and the first of the second buffer module 500 to be described later. The substrate W is transferred between the cooling chambers 520 . The guide rail 433 is disposed so 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 fixedly installed on the arm 435 . The arm 435 is provided in a telescoping structure so that the hand 434 is movable in the horizontal direction. The support 436 is provided such that its longitudinal direction is disposed along the third direction 16 . Arm 435 is coupled to support 436 so as to be movable linearly in third direction 16 along support 436 . The support 436 is fixedly coupled to the pedestal 437 , and the pedestal 437 is coupled to the guide rail 433 to be movable along the guide rail 433 .

The resist application chambers 410 all have the same structure. However, the types of photoresists used in each resist application 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 photoresist on the substrate W.

The resist application chamber 410 has a housing 411 , a support plate 412 , and a nozzle 413 . The housing 411 has a cup shape with an open top. The support plate 412 is positioned in the housing 411 and supports the substrate W. The support plate 412 is provided rotatably. The nozzle 413 supplies the photoresist onto the substrate W placed on the support plate 412 . The nozzle 413 may have a circular tubular shape, and may supply a photoresist to the center of the substrate W. Optionally, the nozzle 413 may have a length corresponding to the diameter of the substrate W, and the outlet of the nozzle 413 may be provided as a slit. In addition, a nozzle 414 for supplying a cleaning solution such as deionized water to clean the surface of the substrate W on which the photoresist is applied may be further provided in the resist coating chamber 410 .

Referring back to FIGS. 1 to 4 , the bake chamber 420 heats the substrate W. As shown in FIG. For example, the bake chambers 420 heat the substrate W to a predetermined temperature before applying the photoresist to remove organic matter or moisture from the surface of the substrate W or apply the photoresist to the substrate ( A soft bake process, etc. performed after coating on W) is performed, and a cooling process of cooling the substrate W is performed after each heating process. The bake 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. The heating plate 422 is also provided with heating means 424 such as a hot wire or 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 include only a cooling plate 421 , and some may include only a heating plate 422 .

The developing module 402 includes a developing process for removing a part of the photoresist by supplying a developer solution to obtain a pattern on the substrate W, and a heat treatment process such as heating and cooling performed on the substrate W before and after the developing process. includes The developing module 402 includes a developing chamber 460 , a bake chamber 470 , and a transfer chamber 480 . The development chamber 460 , the bake chamber 470 , and the transfer chamber 480 are sequentially disposed along the second direction 14 . Accordingly, the development chamber 460 and the bake chamber 470 are positioned to be spaced apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 480 interposed therebetween. A plurality of development chambers 460 are provided, and a plurality of development chambers 460 are provided in each of the first direction 12 and the third direction 16 . In the drawing, an example in which six developing chambers 460 are provided is shown. A plurality of bake chambers 470 are provided in each of the first direction 12 and the third direction 16 . In the drawing, an example in which six bake chambers 470 are provided is shown. However, alternatively, a larger number of bake chambers 470 may be provided.

The transfer chamber 480 is positioned in parallel with the second buffer 330 of the first buffer module 300 in the first direction 12 . A developing unit robot 482 and a guide rail 483 are positioned in the transfer chamber 480 . The transfer chamber 480 has a generally 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 of the The guide rail 483 is disposed so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first direction 12 . The guide rail 483 guides the developing unit 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 pedestal 487 . The hand 484 is fixedly installed on the arm 485 . The arm 485 is provided in a telescoping structure so that the hand 484 is movable in the horizontal direction. The support 486 is provided such that its longitudinal direction is disposed along the third direction 16 . Arm 485 is coupled to support 486 to be linearly movable in third direction 16 along support 486 . The support 486 is fixedly coupled to the support 487 . The pedestal 487 is coupled to the guide rail 483 so as to be movable along the guide rail 483 .

The development chambers 460 all have the same structure. However, the type of developer used in each of the developing chambers 460 may be different from each other. The developing chamber 460 removes a region irradiated with light from the photoresist on the substrate W. At this time, the region irradiated with light among the protective film is also removed. Only a region to which light is not irradiated among regions of the photoresist and the passivation layer may be removed according to the type of the selectively used photoresist.

The developing chamber 460 has a housing 461 , a support plate 462 , and a nozzle 463 . The housing 461 has a cup shape with an open top. The support plate 462 is positioned in the housing 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 nozzle 463 has a circular tubular shape, and may supply a developer to the center of the substrate W. Optionally, the nozzle 463 may have a length corresponding to the diameter of the substrate W, and the outlet of the nozzle 463 may be provided as a slit. In addition, a nozzle 464 for supplying a cleaning solution such as deionized water to clean the surface of the substrate W to which the developer is additionally supplied may be further provided in the developing chamber 460 .

The bake chamber 470 of the developing module 402 heat-treats the substrate W. For example, in the bake chambers 470 , a post-bake process of heating the substrate W before the development process is performed, a hard bake process of heating the substrate W after the development process is performed, and heating after each bake process A cooling process for cooling the wafer is performed. The bake 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 a thermoelectric element. Alternatively, the heating plate 472 is provided with heating means 474 such as a heating wire or thermoelectric element. The cooling plate 471 and the heating plate 472 may be respectively provided in one bake chamber 470 . Optionally, some of the bake chambers 470 may include only a cooling plate 471 , and some may include only a 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. Also, when viewed from above, the application module 401 and the developing 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 application and development module 400 and the pre-exposure processing module 600 . In addition, 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 positioned 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 above, the buffer 520 is disposed along the transfer chamber 430 and the first direction 12 of the application module 401 . The edge exposure chamber 550 is disposed to be spaced apart from the buffer 520 or the first cooling chamber 530 by a predetermined distance in the second direction 14 .

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

When the exposure apparatus 1000 performs an immersion exposure process, the pre-exposure processing module 600 may perform a process of applying a protective layer protecting the photoresist layer applied to the substrate W during immersion exposure. In addition, the pre-exposure processing module 600 may perform a process of cleaning the substrate W after exposure. In addition, when the coating process is performed using the chemically amplified resist, the pre-exposure processing module 600 may perform a post-exposure bake process.

The pre-exposure processing module 600 includes a pre-processing module 601 and a post-processing module 602 . The pre-processing module 601 performs a process of treating the substrate W before performing the exposure process, and the post-processing module 602 performs a process of treating the substrate W after the exposure process. The pre-processing module 601 and the post-processing module 602 are arranged to be partitioned between each other in layers. According to an 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 pre-processing module 601 has a protective film application chamber 610 , a bake chamber 620 , and a transfer chamber 630 . The passivation layer application chamber 610 , the transfer chamber 630 , and the bake chamber 620 are sequentially disposed along the second direction 14 . Accordingly, the passivation layer application chamber 610 and the bake chamber 620 are positioned to be spaced apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 630 interposed therebetween. A plurality of passivation film application chambers 610 are provided and are arranged along the third direction 16 to form a layer on each other. Optionally, a plurality of passivation 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 arranged along the third direction 16 to form a layer on each other. Optionally, a plurality of bake chambers 620 may be provided in each of the first direction 12 and the third direction 16 .

The transfer chamber 630 is positioned in parallel with the first cooling chamber 530 of the second buffer module 500 in the first direction 12 . A pre-processing robot 632 is located in the transfer chamber 630 . The transfer chamber 630 has a generally square or rectangular shape. The pre-processing robot 632 is installed between the protective film application chambers 610 , the bake chambers 620 , the buffer 520 of the second buffer module 500 , and the first buffer 720 of the interface module 700 to be described later. The substrate W is transferred. The pretreatment robot 632 has a hand 633 , an arm 634 , and a support 635 . The hand 633 is fixedly installed on the arm 634 . The arm 634 is provided in a telescoping structure and a rotatable structure. The arm 634 is coupled to the support 635 so as to be linearly movable in the third direction 16 along the support 635 .

The passivation film application chamber 610 applies a passivation film for protecting the resist film on the substrate W during 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 positioned in the housing 611 and supports the substrate W. The support plate 612 is provided rotatably. The nozzle 613 supplies a protective liquid for forming a protective film on the substrate W placed on the support plate 612 . The nozzle 613 has a circular tubular shape, and may supply the protective liquid to the center of the substrate W. Optionally, the nozzle 613 may have a length corresponding to the diameter of the substrate W, and the outlet 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 comprises a foaming material. As the protective liquid, a material having a low affinity for photoresist and water may be used. For example, the protective liquid may contain a fluorine-based solvent. The protective film application chamber 610 supplies the protective liquid to the central region of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W placed on the support plate 612 .

The bake chamber 620 heat-treats the substrate W on which the protective film is applied. The bake 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 heating wire or 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 a heating plate 622 , and some may include only a 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 post-exposure bake chamber 670 are sequentially disposed along the second direction 14 . Accordingly, the cleaning chamber 660 and the post-exposure bake chamber 670 are positioned to be spaced apart from each other in the second direction 14 with the transfer chamber 680 interposed therebetween. A plurality of cleaning chambers 660 may be provided and may be disposed along the third direction 16 to form a layer on each other. Optionally, a plurality of cleaning chambers 660 may be provided in each of the first direction 12 and the third direction 16 . A plurality of post-exposure bake chambers 670 may be provided, and may be disposed along the third direction 16 to form a layer on each other. Optionally, a plurality of post-exposure bake chambers 670 may be provided in each of the first direction 12 and the third direction 16 .

The transfer chamber 680 is positioned in parallel with the second cooling chamber 540 of the second buffer module 500 in the first direction 12 when viewed from above. The transfer chamber 680 has a generally square or rectangular shape. A post-processing robot 682 is located within the transfer chamber 680 . The post-processing robot 682 includes the cleaning chambers 660 , the post-exposure bake chambers 670 , the second cooling chamber 540 of the second buffer module 500 , and the second of the interface module 700 to be described later. The substrate W is transferred between the buffers 730 . The post-processing robot 682 provided in the post-processing module 602 may be provided in 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 positioned in the housing 661 and supports the substrate W. The support plate 662 is provided rotatably. The nozzle 663 supplies a cleaning solution onto the substrate W placed on the support plate 662 . As the cleaning solution, water such as deionized water may be used. The cleaning chamber 660 supplies the cleaning liquid to the central region of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W placed on the support plate 662 . Optionally, while the substrate W is rotated, the nozzle 663 may move linearly or rotationally from the center region of the substrate W to the edge region.

After exposure, the bake chamber 670 heats the substrate W on which the exposure process has been performed using deep ultraviolet rays. In the post-exposure bake process, the substrate W is heated to amplify the acid generated in the photoresist by exposure to complete the change in the properties of the photoresist. Post exposure bake chamber 670 has heating plate 672 . The heating plate 672 is provided with heating means 674 such as a hot wire or thermoelectric element. The post-exposure 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. In addition, optionally, a bake chamber having only the cooling plate 671 may be further provided.

As described above, in the pre-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 may be provided to have the same size, so that they completely overlap each other when viewed from the top. In addition, the passivation layer application chamber 610 and the cleaning chamber 660 may be provided to have the same size and to completely overlap each other when viewed from above. In addition, the bake chamber 620 and the post-exposure bake chamber 670 may have 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-exposure processing module 600 and the exposure apparatus 1000 . The interface module 700 includes 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 positioned 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 arranged to be stacked on each other. The first buffer 720 is disposed higher than the second buffer 730 . The first buffer 720 is positioned at a height corresponding to the 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 a line along the first direction 12 with the transfer chamber 630 of the pre-processing module 601 , and the second buffer 730 is the post-processing module 602 . The transfer chamber 630 and the first direction 12 are positioned to be arranged in a line.

The interface robot 740 is positioned to be spaced apart from the first buffer 720 and the second buffer 730 in the second direction 14 . The interface robot 740 transfers the substrate W between the first buffer 720 , the second buffer 730 , and the exposure apparatus 1000 . The interface robot 740 has a structure substantially similar to that of the second buffer robot 560 .

The first buffer 720 temporarily stores the substrates W, which have been processed in the pre-processing module 601 , before they are moved to the exposure apparatus 1000 . In addition, the second buffer 730 temporarily stores the substrates W that have been processed in the exposure apparatus 1000 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 within the housing 721 and are provided to be spaced apart from each other along the third direction 16 . One substrate W is placed on each support 722 . The housing 721 includes the interface robot 740 and the pre-processing robot 632 in the direction and pre-processing robot ( 632 has an opening (not shown) in the direction provided. The second buffer 730 has a structure substantially similar to that of the first buffer 720 . However, the housing 4531 of the second buffer 730 has an opening (not shown) in the direction in which the interface robot 740 is provided and the direction in which the post-processing robot 682 is provided. As described above, only the buffers and the robot may be provided in the interface module without providing a chamber for performing a predetermined process on the wafer.

5 is a view for explaining a processing liquid supply device for supplying a photosensitive liquid to each of the resist application chambers.

In the present embodiment, the processing liquid supplying device 900 is described as supplying the photoresist to each of the resist coating chambers, but the present invention is not limited thereto and may be applied to any liquid processing apparatus that processes the substrate surface using the processing liquid. . The resist application chamber may be provided as a liquid processing apparatus 800 for applying a photoresist on the substrate W, which will be described below. Each of the liquid processing apparatuses 800 may include a substrate support unit 810 , a processing container 820 , and a nozzle 830 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , the liquid processing apparatuses 800 may be stacked. The processing liquid supply device 900 controls discharge and flow rate of the processing liquid through the return pump 960 .

For example, the treatment liquid supply device 900 includes a bottle 910 , a storage tank 920 , a circulation line 932 , a supply line 942 , a return line 952 , a supply pump 934 , and a return pump. (960).

The bottle 910 is filled with a treatment liquid, and the inert gas supply line 912 and the main supply line L1 are connected. An inert gas (helium gas or nitrogen gas) is supplied to the bottle 910 through a regulator to make the inside of the sealed bottle 910 an inert gas atmosphere through an inert gas supply line 912, and The treatment liquid is moved to the storage tank 920 through the main supply line L1.

The storage tank 920 stores the treatment liquid provided through the main supply line L1, and a water level sensor 922 is installed on one side to detect the water level of the treatment liquid so that the treatment liquid is continuously filled up to an appropriate level. do. On the other hand, the upper end of the storage tank 920 is connected to a drain line 924, which removes air bubbles collected at the upper end of the storage tank 920 or passively in response to a change in the properties of the treatment liquid. to drain the treatment solution. The bubbles and the treatment liquid having changed properties discharged through the drain line 924 may be provided to a waste liquid tank (not shown). A circulation line 932 is connected to the bottom of the storage tank 920 . A supply pump 934 is installed in the circulation supply line 932 .

The supply pump 934 supplies the processing liquid stored in the storage tank 920 to the nozzles 830 of each of the liquid processing apparatuses.

A heater and a filter may be installed in the circulation line 932 . Supply lines 942 that are branch pipes connected to the nozzles 830 of each of the liquid treatment devices may be connected to the circulation line 932 . The supply line may be equipped with a flow meter. Flow data measured by the flow meter may be provided to the controller 970 . The controller 970 may control the return pump 960 according to the flow rate data. A return line 952 is connected to each of the supply lines 942 . The treatment liquid is returned to the storage tank 920 through the return line 952 when it is not discharged from the nozzle of the liquid treatment apparatus 800 .

A return pump 960 is installed on the return line 952 . The return pump 960 is controlled by the controller 970 .

FIG. 6 is a view for explaining supply of a treatment liquid in FIG. 5 .

As shown in FIG. 6 , when the nozzle 830 is not discharged, the controller 970 increases the output of the return pump 960 to pump the processing liquid so that the processing liquid is not supplied to the nozzle 830 . That is, the processing liquid is introduced into the supply line 942 by the supply pump 934 , and the processing liquid introduced into the supply line 942 is a storage tank through the return line 952 by the negative pressure of the return pump 960 . (920) is returned. In addition, the residual processing liquid on the supply line 942 between the nozzles 830 is sucked at the branch point of the return line 952 . Here, it is preferable that the controller 970 controls the output of the return pump 960 to be higher than the supply pressure of the treatment liquid by the output of the supply pump 934 installed in the circulation line 932 . The line indicated by the dotted line in the drawing shows the movement path of the treatment liquid.

FIG. 7 is a view for explaining supply of a treatment liquid in FIG. 5 .

Referring to FIG. 7 , during the discharging operation of the nozzle 820 , the control unit 970 lowers or stops the output of the return pump 960 to supply the processing liquid to the nozzle 930 . That is, the processing liquid is introduced into the supply line 942 by the supply pump 934 , and the processing liquid introduced into the supply line 942 is discharged through the nozzle 830 . Here, it is preferable that the controller 970 stops the return pump 960 or controls to have an output lower than the supply pressure of the processing liquid on the supply line 942 . The line indicated by the dotted line in the drawing shows the movement path of the treatment liquid.

In addition, the control unit 970 may adjust the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged through the nozzle 830 by adjusting the output of the return pump 960 .

As described above, the treatment liquid supply apparatus of the present invention can prevent the generation of bubbles and particles by removing a flow path changing element such as a valve on the movement path of the treatment liquid from the supply pump to the nozzle.

The above embodiments are presented to help the understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention, and it should be understood that various modified embodiments therefrom also fall within the scope of the present invention. The technical protection scope of the present invention should be defined by the technical idea of the claims, and the technical protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the literal description of the claims itself, but is substantially equivalent to the technical value. It should be understood that it extends to the invention of

800: liquid processing device 810: substrate support unit
820: processing vessel 830: nozzle
900: treatment liquid supply device 910: bottle
920: storage tank 932: circulation line
942: supply line 952: return line
934: supply pump 960: return pump
970: control unit

Claims (20)

treatment liquid tank;
a circulation line connected to the treatment liquid tank to circulate the treatment liquid;
a supply line branched from the circulation line and supplying the treatment liquid to each treatment liquid processing unit;
a return line branching from the supply line and returning the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid tank; and
and a return pump installed on the return line and configured to supply and block the processing liquid and control a flow rate of the processing liquid. The method of claim 1,
The processing liquid supply apparatus further comprising a control unit for controlling the return pump. 3. The method of claim 2,
the control unit
A processing liquid supply device for controlling the output of the return pump to increase to cut off the supply of the processing liquid to the processing liquid processing unit. 4. The method of claim 2 or 3,
the control unit
The processing liquid supply apparatus for controlling the output of the return pump to decrease or stop to adjust the processing liquid supply to the processing liquid processing unit and the processing liquid supply flow rate. The method of claim 1,
The processing liquid supply apparatus further comprising a supply pump installed in the circulation line. 4. The method of claim 3,
The return pump is a vacuum pump. processing apparatuses for processing a substrate using a processing liquid;
a processing liquid supply unit supplying the processing liquid to each nozzle of the processing apparatuses;
The treatment liquid supply unit
A substrate processing apparatus in which a valve is not provided on a processing liquid movement path between the supply pump and the nozzle. 8. The method of claim 7,
The treatment liquid supply unit
treatment liquid tank;
a circulation line connected to the treatment liquid tank through which the treatment liquid is circulated and the supply pump is provided;
a supply line branched from the circulation line and supplying the treatment liquid to each nozzle of the treatment devices;
a return line branching from the supply line to return the treatment liquid to the treatment liquid tank; and
and a return pump installed on the return line. 9. The method of claim 8,
The presence or absence of discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle is provided by the return pump. 10. The method of claim 9,
and a control unit controlling the return pump to control whether or not the processing liquid is supplied through the supply line and a processing liquid supply flow rate. 11. The method of claim 10,
the control unit
A substrate processing apparatus controlling the return pump to cut off supply of the processing liquid to the processing liquid processing unit through an output increase of the return pump. 12. The method of claim 11,
the control unit
When supplying the processing liquid to the processing liquid processing unit, the output of the return pump is controlled to be lower than the output of the supply pump installed in the circulation line. 12. The method of claim 11,
the control unit
The substrate processing apparatus controls to stop the output of the return pump when the processing liquid is supplied to the processing liquid processing unit. 12. The method of claim 11,
the control unit
When the processing liquid is blocked from the processing liquid processing unit, the output of the return pump is controlled to be higher than the output of the supply pump installed in the circulation line. 9. The method of claim 8,
The return pump is a vacuum pump. 8. The method of claim 7,
The processing devices are
A substrate processing apparatus stacked in multiple stages. A method for supplying a treatment liquid comprising:
(A) circulating the treatment liquid in a circulation line connected to the treatment liquid tank; and
(b) supplying the treatment liquid from the circulation line to a nozzle connected to a branched supply line;
In step (b) above
A method of supplying and blocking the treatment liquid by a return pump installed in the return line. 18. The method of claim 17,
In step (b), the supply of the treatment liquid is
A method for supplying a treatment liquid, wherein the output of the return pump is controlled to be lower than that of a supply pump installed in the circulation line. 18. The method of claim 17,
In step (b), the blocking of the treatment liquid is
A method for supplying a treatment liquid, wherein the output of the return pump is controlled to be higher than that of a supply pump installed in the circulation line. 18. The method of claim 17,
In step (b), the control of the supply flow rate of the treatment liquid is
A method of supplying a treatment liquid through output control of the return pump.

Images