TW201341982A - Developing apparatus and developing method - Google Patents

Abstract

A developer nozzle starts to eject developer when it is located above a central part of a substrate. Then, the developer nozzle keeps ejecting developer as moving from the top of the central part to the top of an edge part of the substrate. Thereby, the substrate is entirely and sufficiently provided with developer. Further, the rotation speed of the substrate is decreased and the developer nozzle is forced to keep ejecting developer as moving from the top of an edge part to the top of the central part of the substrate. In this condition, the amount of developer that is ejected out of the substrate is reduced so that the provided developer will be maintained on the substrate. As a result, a developer layer is formed on the substrate.

Description

Developing device and developing method

The present invention relates to a developing device and a developing method for performing a substrate developing process.

In the prior art, a developing device is used for performing development processing of a photoresist film formed on a substrate. For example, the developing device includes a rotating jig that holds the substrate horizontally and rotates around the vertical axis, and a nozzle that supplies the developing solution to the substrate. At the time of the development process, when the substrate is rotated by the rotating jig, the nozzle is ejected from the outside of the substrate to the upper portion of the substrate while ejecting the developer (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-210059).

In this case, the developer is supplied to the entire substrate, and the liquid layer of the developer is formed in such a manner as to cover the photoresist film on the substrate. In this state, the photoresist film on the substrate undergoes a dissolution reaction. Then, the developing solution on the substrate and the dissolved photoresist are removed, and the development process is terminated.

When the development treatment is carried out as described above, if the water repellency of the photoresist film is high, the developer liquid is plucked on the photoresist film. Therefore, it is difficult to form a liquid layer of the developer well. As a result, the desired portion of the photoresist film cannot be reliably dissolved, resulting in development failure.

Further, although the liquid layer can be formed by increasing the discharge amount of the developer from the nozzle, the cost is increased, and the development spot is likely to occur.

An object of the present invention is to provide a developing device and a developing method capable of suppressing an increase in cost and preventing occurrence of development failure.

(1) A developing device according to an aspect of the present invention is provided with a rotation holding device and a developer supply portion; wherein the rotation holding device holds the substrate slightly horizontally and rotates about an axis perpendicular to the substrate; In the developer supply unit, the developer is continuously supplied toward the peripheral portion from the center portion of the substrate while the substrate is rotated by the rotation holding device, and then the developer is continuously supplied toward the center portion from the peripheral portion of the substrate.

In the developing device, the substrate is held at a slight level by the rotation holding device and rotated. In this state, the developer supply unit continuously supplies the developer from the center portion of the substrate toward the peripheral portion. Thereby, the entire developer is supplied onto the substrate so that the surface of the substrate is sufficiently wet.

Next, the developer supply unit continuously supplies the developer from the peripheral edge portion of the substrate toward the center portion, and a liquid layer of the developer is formed on the substrate. In this case, the surface of the substrate is sufficiently wetted by the developer, and even if the water repellency on the surface of the substrate is high, the developer on the substrate is less likely to be plucked. Thereby, the liquid layer of the developer can be surely formed with a small amount of developer. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in cost and prevent occurrence of development failure.

Further, by forming the liquid layer of the developer while rotating the substrate, the liquid layer of the developer can be thinned and extended by centrifugal force. Therefore, the amount of the developer used can be further suppressed as compared with the case where the liquid layer of the developer is formed in a state where the substrate is fixed.

Further, since the developer supply position is moved between the center portion and the peripheral portion of the substrate, it is possible to prevent the reaction of the photoresist film from being biased compared to the case where the developer is continuously supplied to a specific region on the substrate. Thereby, the occurrence of development spots can be suppressed, and the sputum can be lifted. Line width uniformity.

(2) The developer supply unit may not supply the developer to the outer side of the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate. In this case, the supply of the developer does not cross the outer peripheral end of the substrate. Thereby, the scattering of the developer can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the developer from adhering to the respective portions in the developing device.

(3) The developer supply unit may continuously supply the developer from the center portion of the substrate toward the peripheral portion while rotating the substrate at the first rotation speed, and the second substrate may be lower than the first rotation speed. In a state where the rotation speed is rotated, the developer is continuously supplied from the peripheral edge portion of the substrate toward the center portion.

In this case, by continuously supplying the developer from the center portion of the substrate toward the peripheral portion in a state where the substrate rotation speed is high, the surface of the substrate can be quickly wetted by the developer. Further, by continuously supplying the developer from the peripheral edge portion of the substrate toward the center portion in a state where the substrate rotation speed is low, the liquid layer of the developer can be surely formed on the substrate in a state where the centrifugal force is small.

(4) The rotation holding device may also lower the substrate rotation speed from the second rotation speed. In this case, the rotation speed of the substrate can be lowered while the liquid layer of the developing solution which has been thinned and stretched is stably maintained on the substrate.

(5) The developer supply unit may continue to supply the developer to the center portion of the substrate while the substrate is rotated at the third rotation speed lower than the first rotation speed, and the substrate rotation speed may be increased from the third rotation speed to the third rotation speed. After the first rotation speed, the developer is continuously supplied from the center portion of the substrate toward the peripheral portion.

In this case, when the substrate is rotated at the third rotation speed, it is not on the substrate. The supplied developer exerts a large centrifugal force. Therefore, the developer can be held in the region near the center of the substrate. When the substrate rotation speed is increased from the third rotation speed to the first rotation speed, the developer held in the center portion of the substrate is easily spread over the entire substrate by the centrifugal force.

Thereby, the surface of the substrate can be wetted by the developer in advance before the developer is continuously supplied from the center portion of the substrate to the peripheral portion. Thereby, the entire surface of the substrate can be efficiently and reliably wetted by the developer, and the liquid layer of the developer can be formed more reliably with a smaller amount of the developer.

(6) A developing method according to another aspect of the present invention, comprising: maintaining a substrate slightly horizontally and rotating around an axis perpendicular to the substrate; and continuously continuing from a rotating substrate center portion toward a peripheral portion After the developer is supplied, the developer is continuously supplied from the peripheral edge portion of the substrate toward the center portion.

In this developing method, the developer is continuously supplied from the center portion of the substrate toward the peripheral portion while the substrate is held at a substantially horizontal level and rotated. Thereby, the developer is supplied to the entire substrate to make the surface of the substrate sufficiently wet.

Next, the developer is continuously supplied from the peripheral edge portion of the substrate toward the center portion, and a liquid layer of the developer is formed on the substrate. In this case, the surface of the substrate is sufficiently wetted, and even if the water repellency of the surface of the substrate is high, the developer on the substrate is not easily plucked. Thereby, the liquid layer of the developer can be surely formed with a small amount of developer. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in cost and prevent occurrence of development failure.

Further, by forming the liquid layer of the developer under the state in which the substrate is rotated, the liquid layer of the developer can be thinned and extended by centrifugal force. Therefore, compared to the case where the substrate is fixed In the case where the developer liquid layer is formed, the amount of developer used can be further suppressed.

Further, since the supply position of the developer moves between the center portion and the peripheral portion of the substrate, it is possible to prevent the reaction of the photoresist film from being biased compared to the case where the developer is continuously supplied to a specific region on the substrate. Thereby, occurrence of development spots can be suppressed, and line width uniformity can be improved.

According to the present invention, the liquid layer of the developer can be surely formed with a small amount of developer. Thereby, it is possible to suppress an increase in cost and prevent development failure.

(7) A developing device according to still another aspect of the present invention is provided with a rotation holding device and a liquid layer forming portion; and the rotation holding device holds the substrate slightly horizontally and around an axis perpendicular to the substrate Rotation; the liquid layer forming portion forms a liquid layer of the developing solution on the substrate rotated by the rotation holding device; and the rotation holding device is configured to form the liquid layer of the developing liquid by the liquid layer forming portion. The rotation speed is rotated, and after the liquid layer of the developer is formed, the rotation speed of the substrate is gradually lowered from the first rotation speed.

In the developing device, the substrate is held slightly rotated by the rotation holding device. In a state in which the substrate is rotated at the first rotation speed, a liquid layer of the developer is formed on the substrate by the liquid layer forming portion. In this case, by forming the liquid layer of the developer in a state where the substrate is rotated, the liquid layer of the developer can be thinned and extended by centrifugal force.

After the formation of the liquid layer of the developer, the substrate rotation speed is gradually lowered from the first rotation speed. In this case, the rotation speed of the substrate can be lowered while maintaining the liquid layer of the developing solution which is thinned and stretched stably on the substrate. By lowering the rotation speed of the substrate, the amount of the developer that is smashed by the centrifugal force can be reduced, and the supply amount of the developer can be reduced or the supply of the developer can be stopped. Thereby, it is possible to suppress an increase in cost and prevent development failure.

(8) The liquid layer forming portion may continuously supply the developer from the center portion of the substrate toward the peripheral portion, and then continuously supply the developer from the peripheral portion of the substrate toward the center portion.

In this case, the developer is continuously supplied from the center portion of the substrate toward the peripheral portion, and the entire developer is supplied onto the substrate to sufficiently wet the surface of the substrate. Next, the liquid layer forming portion continuously supplies the developer from the peripheral edge portion of the substrate toward the center portion, and a liquid layer of the developer is formed on the substrate.

In this case, the surface of the substrate is sufficiently wetted by the developer before the formation of the liquid layer of the developer, and even if the water repellency on the surface of the substrate is high, the developer on the substrate is less likely to be plucked. Thereby, the liquid layer of the developer can be surely formed with a small amount of developer. Therefore, the increase in cost can be further suppressed, and the development failure condition can be prevented more surely.

Further, since the developer supply position is moved between the center portion and the peripheral portion of the substrate, it is possible to prevent the reaction of the photoresist film from being biased when the developer is continuously supplied to a specific region on the substrate. Thereby, occurrence of development spots can be suppressed, and line width uniformity can be improved.

(9) The rotation holding device may rotate the substrate at a second rotation speed higher than the first rotation speed while the liquid layer forming portion continuously supplies the developer from the center portion of the substrate toward the peripheral portion. While the liquid layer forming portion continuously supplies the developer from the peripheral edge portion of the substrate toward the center portion, the substrate is rotated at the first rotation speed.

In this case, by continuously supplying the developer from the center portion of the substrate toward the peripheral portion in a state where the substrate rotation speed is high, the surface of the substrate can be quickly wetted by the developer. Further, by continuously supplying the developer from the peripheral edge portion of the substrate toward the center portion in a state where the substrate rotation speed is low, the centrifugal force can be made small, and the developer can be surely formed on the substrate. The liquid layer.

(10) The rotation holding device may increase the substrate from a third rotation speed lower than the first rotation speed to a fourth rotation speed equal to or higher than the first rotation speed before the liquid layer formation portion of the developer is formed by the liquid layer formation portion. The liquid layer forming portion supplies the developer to the center portion of the substrate while the substrate is rotated at the third rotation speed.

In this case, in a state where the substrate is rotated at the third rotation speed, a large centrifugal force is not applied to the developer supplied on the substrate. Therefore, the developer can be held in the region near the center of the substrate. When the substrate rotation speed is increased from the third rotation speed to the fourth rotation speed, the developer held in the center portion of the substrate is easily spread over the entire substrate by the centrifugal force.

Thereby, the surface of the substrate can be wetted by the developer, and the liquid layer of the developer can be surely formed by a small amount of the developer. Therefore, the increase in cost can be further suppressed, and the development failure condition can be prevented more surely.

(11) A developing method according to still another aspect of the present invention, comprising the steps of: maintaining a substrate at a substantially horizontal level and rotating about an axis perpendicular to the substrate; on a substrate rotating at a first rotation speed a step of forming a liquid layer of the developer; and a step of gradually lowering the substrate rotation speed from the first rotation speed after the formation of the liquid layer of the developer.

In this developing method, a liquid layer of a developing solution is formed on a substrate while the substrate is held horizontally and rotated at a first rotation speed. In this case, by forming the liquid layer of the developer while rotating the substrate, the liquid layer of the developer can be thinned and extended by centrifugal force.

After the formation of the liquid layer of the developer, the substrate rotation speed is gradually lowered from the first rotation speed. In this case, the rotation speed of the substrate can be lowered while maintaining the liquid layer of the developing solution which is thinned and stretched stably on the substrate. By lowering the rotation speed of the substrate, the amount of the developer that is smashed by the centrifugal force can be reduced, and the supply amount of the developer can be reduced or the supply of the developer can be stopped. Thereby, it is possible to suppress an increase in cost and prevent development failure.

(12) A developing device according to still another aspect of the present invention is provided with: a rotation holding device, a cleaning liquid supply portion, and a developer supply portion; and the rotation holding device holds the substrate slightly horizontally and around the vertical Rotating the shaft of the substrate; the cleaning liquid supply unit supplies the cleaning liquid to the substrate rotated by the rotation holding device; the developing solution supply unit supplies the developing solution to the substrate rotated by the rotation holding device; wherein the cleaning liquid The supply unit supplies the cleaning liquid to the center portion of the substrate in the first period, and the rotation holding device holds the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply unit on the substrate, and the substrate is first in the first period. The rotation speed is rotated, and after the first period, the substrate rotation speed is increased to a second rotation speed higher than the first rotation speed; and the developer supply unit is configured to increase the substrate rotation speed from the first rotation speed by the rotation holding device. At the second rotation speed, the developer is supplied to the center portion of the substrate.

In the developing device, the substrate is held slightly horizontal by the rotation holding device during the first period, and is rotated at the first rotation speed. In this state, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the center portion of the substrate by the cleaning liquid supply unit. The cleaning liquid is held on the substrate.

Next, the substrate rotation speed is increased from the first rotation speed to the second rotation speed. Thereby, the centrifugal force is applied to the cleaning liquid held on the substrate, and the cleaning liquid is expanded on the substrate. At this time, the developer is supplied to the center portion of the substrate by the developer supply unit. Supply The developer will instantaneously spread over the substrate as a whole with the cleaning solution. Then, the cleaning liquid on the substrate is replaced by the developing solution, and a liquid layer of the developing solution is formed on the substrate.

Accordingly, the cleaning liquid held on the substrate is expanded by the centrifugal force, so that the developer is instantaneously spread over the entire substrate. Thereby, it is possible to form a liquid layer of the developer on the substrate with high efficiency while suppressing the amount of developer consumption.

Further, by instantaneously expanding the developer on the substrate, the entire surface of the substrate W can be wetted by the developer. Thereby, even if the water repellency of the substrate surface is high, the developer on the substrate is not easily plucked. Therefore, the liquid layer can be formed easily and surely with a small amount of developer. Therefore, the cost can be reduced, and development failure can be prevented.

(13) The rotation holding device may rotate the substrate at a third rotation speed lower than the second rotation speed in the second period after the substrate rotation speed is increased from the first rotation speed to the second rotation speed. The developer supply unit continues to supply the developer to the substrate during the second period.

In this case, by continuously supplying the developer to the substrate while the substrate rotation speed is low, the liquid layer of the developer can be surely formed on the substrate in a state where the centrifugal force is small.

(14) After the second period, the rotation holding device may lower the rotation speed of the substrate from the second rotation speed in a stepwise manner.

In this case, the rotation speed of the substrate can be lowered while maintaining the liquid layer of the developing solution which is thinned and stretched stably on the substrate.

(15) The developer supply unit may continuously supply the developer from the center portion of the substrate toward the peripheral portion, and then continuously supply the developer from the peripheral edge portion of the substrate toward the center portion.

In this case, by continuously supplying the developer from the center portion of the substrate toward the peripheral portion, the developer is supplied to the entire substrate, and the surface of the substrate is sufficiently wetted. Then, by continuously supplying the developer from the peripheral edge portion of the substrate toward the center portion by the developer supply portion, a liquid layer of the developer is formed on the substrate.

According to this, since the surface of the substrate can be sufficiently wetted before the formation of the developer liquid layer, the liquid layer of the developer can be formed more reliably with a smaller amount of the developer. Therefore, the increase in cost can be further suppressed, and the development failure condition can be prevented more surely.

Further, since the developer supply position is moved between the center portion and the peripheral portion of the substrate, it is possible to prevent the reaction of the photoresist film from being biased when the developer is continuously supplied to a specific region on the substrate. Thereby, occurrence of development spots can be suppressed, and line width uniformity can be improved.

(16) A development method according to still another aspect of the present invention, comprising: maintaining a substrate at a substantially horizontal level and rotating around a axis perpendicular to the substrate at a first rotation speed; a step of supplying a cleaning liquid on the substrate to be rotated; a step of increasing the rotation speed of the substrate from the first rotation speed to the second rotation speed; and when the rotation speed of the substrate is increased from the first rotation speed to the second rotation speed, A step of supplying a developer on the substrate.

In this developing method, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the center portion of the substrate while the substrate is held at a slight level and rotated at the first rotation speed. The cleaning liquid is held on the substrate.

Next, the substrate rotation speed is increased from the first rotation speed to the second rotation speed. Thereby, the centrifugal force is applied to the cleaning liquid held on the substrate, and the cleaning liquid is expanded on the substrate. At this time, the developer is supplied to the center portion of the substrate. The supplied developer will be one with the cleaning solution It instantly expands on the entire substrate. Then, the cleaning liquid on the substrate is replaced by the developing solution, and a liquid layer of the developing solution is formed on the substrate.

Accordingly, the cleaning liquid held on the substrate is expanded by the centrifugal force, so that the developer is instantaneously spread over the entire substrate. Thereby, it is possible to form a liquid layer of the developer on the substrate with high efficiency while suppressing the amount of developer consumption.

Further, by instantaneously expanding the developer on the substrate, the entire surface of the substrate W can be wetted by the developer. Thereby, even if the water repellency of the substrate surface is high, the developer on the substrate is not easily plucked. Therefore, the liquid layer can be formed easily and surely with a small amount of developer. Therefore, the cost can be reduced, and development failure can be prevented.

10‧‧‧Rotary fixture

11‧‧‧Motor

12‧‧‧Rotary axis

13‧‧‧ inside cup

14‧‧‧ outside cup

15‧‧‧Stand-closed pod container

16‧‧‧rails

17‧‧‧ Robotic arm drive

18‧‧‧Nozzle arm

19‧‧‧Clean liquid spout nozzle

19a‧‧‧Clean liquid nozzle

21‧‧‧developer nozzle

22‧‧‧ developer discharge

31, 35‧‧‧ supply tube

32‧‧‧Clean liquid discharge

50‧‧‧Control Department

100‧‧‧Developing device

G1‧‧‧ developer supply source

G2‧‧‧ cleaning fluid supply source

V1, V2‧‧‧ valve

W‧‧‧Substrate

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a developing device.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line Q-Q of the developing device shown in Figure 1.

3 is a schematic perspective view of a developer nozzle.

Figure 4 is a block diagram of a control system of the developing device.

Fig. 5 is a timing chart showing changes in the substrate rotation speed, the developer flow rate, and the cleaning liquid flow rate when the substrate development processing is performed.

6(a) to 6(f) are schematic plan views and side views for explaining the operation of the developing device in the liquid layer forming step.

7(a) and 7(b) are a perspective view and a side view showing a process of forming a developer liquid layer.

Fig. 8 is a timing chart showing changes in the substrate rotation speed, the developing solution flow rate, and the cleaning liquid flow rate in another example of the liquid layer forming step.

9(a) to 9(d) are a plan view and a side view showing a state of a developer supplied onto a substrate.

Fig. 10 is a timing chart showing changes in the rotational speed of the substrate W, the developing solution flow rate, and the cleaning liquid flow rate in the third operation example.

11(a) to 11(f) are schematic plan and side views for explaining a state on a relevant substrate in the liquid layer forming step of the third operation example.

FIGS. 12(g) and (h) are schematic plan views and side views for explaining a state on the relevant substrate in the liquid layer forming step of the third operation example.

Fig. 13 (a) to (c) are side views for explaining other operation examples in the period from the time point t3 to t7 of the liquid layer forming step.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing the appearance of another example of the cleaning liquid discharge nozzle.

Hereinafter, a developing device and a developing method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the term "substrate" refers to a semiconductor substrate, a substrate for a liquid crystal display device, a substrate for a plasma display, a glass substrate for a photomask, a substrate for a disk, a substrate for a disk, a substrate for a magneto-optical disk, and a substrate for a mask. Wait.

(1) Structure of developing device

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the structure of a developing device, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line Q-Q of the developing device shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the developing device 100 includes a rotating jig 10 that sucks and holds the substrate W in a horizontal posture. The structure of the rotating jig 10 is fixed to the front end portion of the rotating shaft 12 of the motor 11 (Fig. 2), and is rotatable about an axis in the vertical direction. A circular inner cup 13 that can move up and down is provided around the rotating jig 10 so as to surround the substrate W. Further, a square outer cup 14 is provided around the inner cup 13.

As shown in FIG. 1, a standby closed pod 15 is provided on the side of the outer cup 14. Further, the guide rails 16 are provided in parallel with the outer cup 14 and the standby closed pod container 15 in parallel. A robot arm driving portion 17 that is movable along the guide rail 16 is provided. In the arm driving portion 17, a nozzle robot arm 18 that extends in the horizontal direction toward the vertical direction of the guide rail 16 is attached. The nozzle arm 18 is driven by the arm driving unit 17, moves in the direction along the guide rail 16, and moves up and down.

In the rotating jig 10, in the opposite side region of the guide rail 16, the cleaning liquid discharge nozzle 19 that discharges the pure water of the cleaning cleaning liquid is provided so as to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow R1.

As shown in Fig. 2, a developing solution nozzle 21 having a plurality of (in this example, five) developing solution discharge ports 22 is provided at the front end portion of the nozzle arm 18. When the development process of the substrate W is performed, the developer nozzle 21 is moved from the standby sealed pod container 15 to the upper side of the substrate W by driving the nozzle arm 18.

The developer nozzle 21 is connected to the developer supply source G1 via the supply pipe 31. The valve V1 is interposed in the supply pipe 31. By opening the valve V1, the developer liquid 21 is supplied with the developer from the developer supply source G1.

The cleaning liquid discharge nozzle 19 is connected to the cleaning liquid supply source G2 via the supply pipe 35. The valve V2 is interposed in the supply pipe 35. By opening the valve V2, the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply source G2 to the cleaning liquid discharge nozzle 19.

Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the developing solution nozzle 21. As shown in FIG. 3, in the developer nozzle 21, five developer discharge ports 22 facing vertically downward are provided at equal intervals in the width direction (the direction parallel to the guide rails 16 in Fig. 1). The developer supplied to the developer nozzle 21 It is discharged from the developer discharge port 22. Each of the developing solution discharge ports 22 is disposed in a state in which the center portion of the substrate W is held by the rotating jig 10 in accordance with the movement of the developing solution nozzle 21.

4 is a block diagram showing a control system of the developing device 100. As shown in FIG. 4, the developing device 100 is provided with a control unit 50. The operations of the rotating jig 10, the motor 11, the arm driving unit 17, the cleaning liquid discharge nozzle 19, and the valves V1 and V2 are controlled by the control unit 50.

(2) Action of the developing device

(2-1) First operation example

Next, a first operation example of the developing device 100 will be described. Fig. 5 is a timing chart showing changes in the rotational speed of the substrate W, the flow rate of the developing solution, and the flow rate of the cleaning liquid when the substrate W is developed. In the present embodiment, the steps of the development processing are divided into a liquid layer forming step, a developing step, and a washing step. In addition, the "development processing" described below is performed after performing exposure processing on the photoresist film formed on the substrate W.

As shown in FIG. 5, at the time t1 of the liquid layer forming step, the rotation of the substrate W is started by the rotating jig 10. Next, at time t2, the discharge of the developer from the developer nozzle 21 is started. During the time point t1 to t3, the rotational speed of the substrate W is maintained at, for example, 1000 rpm.

At the time point t3, the rotational speed of the substrate W is lowered to, for example, 200 rpm, and at the time point t4, the rotational speed of the substrate W is lowered to, for example, 50 rpm. Then, at time t5, the rotation of the substrate W is stopped. Further, at time t6, the discharge of the developer from the developer nozzle 21 is stopped. In addition, during the period from time t2 to time t6, the developer nozzle 21 discharges the developer while being in the base. The upper portion of the center portion of the plate W moves between the upper portion and the upper portion of the peripheral portion. The discharge flow rate of the developer is maintained at, for example, 400 ml/min.

In the liquid layer forming step, the developer liquid layer is formed in such a manner as to cover the photoresist film on the substrate W. The details of the relevant liquid layer forming step will be described later.

During the period from the time point t6 to t7 of the development step, the state in which the developer discharge and the substrate W rotation are stopped is maintained. During this period, the dissolution reaction of the portion other than the photoresist pattern portion is performed by the developer held on the substrate W.

During the period from the time point t7 to t8 of the cleaning step, the substrate W is rotated by, for example, 700 rpm by the rotating jig 10, and the cleaning liquid is discharged from the cleaning liquid discharge nozzle 19 toward the substrate W. Thereby, the developer on the substrate W and the dissolved photoresist are washed. Next, during the period from time t8 to time t9, the substrate W is rotated at a high speed (for example, 2000 rpm). With the centrifugal force generated by the rotation, the cleaning liquid adhering to the substrate W is thrown off, and the substrate W is dried. Thereby, the development processing of the substrate W is completed.

Next, the details of the operation of the developing device 100 in the liquid layer forming step will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. Fig. 6 is a schematic plan view and a side view for explaining the operation of the developing device 100 in the liquid layer forming step.

At time t2 in FIG. 5, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), the developer liquid nozzle 21 is placed above the center portion of the substrate W, and discharge of the developer is started. Then, as shown in FIG. 6(c) and FIG. 6(d), in the state where the developer liquid 21 discharges the developer, the upper portion of the substrate W is moved from the upper portion to the peripheral portion of the substrate W. Above. Thereby, the entire developer is supplied onto the substrate W.

During the period from time t3 to time t4 shown in FIG. 5, the rotational speed of the substrate W will decrease, and As shown in Fig. 6 (e) and Fig. 6 (f), the developer liquid nozzle 21 is moved from above the peripheral edge portion of the substrate W to the upper portion of the center portion in a state where the developer liquid 21 is discharged. In this case, the amount of developer that is thrown off toward the outside of the substrate W is reduced, and the supplied developer is held on the substrate W. Thereby, a developer liquid layer is formed on the substrate W.

In the period from the time t2 to the time t4, the developer liquid nozzle 21 moves so that the developer liquid discharge port 22 does not protrude from the upper region of the substrate W. In this case, the developer is supplied so as not to cross the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate W. Thereby, scattering of the developer can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the developer from being attached to each portion in the developing device 100.

Further, when the diameter of the substrate W is, for example, 300 mm, the developer nozzle 21 moves from the upper portion of the center portion of the substrate W to the upper portion of the peripheral portion, for example, for 1 to 3 seconds, and moves from the upper portion of the peripheral portion of the substrate W to, for example, 1 to 5 seconds. Above the center.

The moving speed of the developer nozzle 21 can be constant, and can also be changed in accordance with the moving direction or position. For example, the moving speed of the developing solution nozzle 21 in the vicinity of the upper portion of the peripheral portion of the substrate W may be lower than the moving speed of the developing solution nozzle 21 near the upper portion of the center portion of the substrate W. In this case, the developer can be sufficiently supplied to the peripheral portion region of the substrate W having a large area.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view and a side view showing a process of forming a developing solution layer. As shown in Fig. 7 (a) and Fig. 7 (b), when the substrate W is rotated, the developer nozzle 21 moves from above the peripheral portion of the substrate W toward the upper portion of the center portion of the substrate W while discharging the developer. The developer is spirally supplied from the peripheral edge portion of the substrate W toward the center portion. Thereby, the developer liquid layer is formed from the peripheral edge portion of the substrate W toward the center portion.

In the present embodiment, in the period from the time point t2 to t3 before the formation of the liquid layer, the substrate W is The developer is supplied on the entire surface. Thereby, the entire surface of the substrate W is wetted by the developer, and the surface wettability of the substrate W is good. Therefore, even if the water repellency of the surface of the substrate W (the surface of the photoresist film) is high, it is difficult to pluck the developer on the substrate W. Thereby, the liquid layer can be surely formed with a small amount of the developer. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in cost and prevent occurrence of development failure.

Further, by forming the developer liquid layer while rotating the substrate W, the developer liquid layer can be thinned and extended by centrifugal force. Therefore, the amount of the developer used can be suppressed as compared with the case where the developer liquid layer is formed in the fixed state of the substrate W.

Further, by supplying the developer to the substrate W while moving the developer nozzle 21, it is possible to prevent the photoresist film from being deviated in a specific region on the substrate W. Thereby, the occurrence of the development spot can be suppressed, and the CD (line width) uniformity can be improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, after the developer liquid layer is formed, the rotation speed of the substrate W is temporarily maintained at a low speed of 50 rpm, and then the rotation of the substrate W is stopped. In this case, by temporarily maintaining the rotational speed of the substrate W at an extremely low state before the rotation of the substrate W is stopped, the developer liquid layer can be stably maintained on the substrate W while being stopped. The rotation of the substrate W. Thereby, the development of the photoresist film can be surely performed while the supply of the developer to the substrate W is stopped. Therefore, the amount of developer used can be further reduced.

In addition, the rotation speed of the substrate W and the flow rate of the developer are not limited to the above examples, and can be appropriately changed in accordance with various conditions such as the size of the substrate W or the water repellency.

For example, during the period from time t1 to time t3, it is preferable to adjust the rotation speed of the substrate W within a range of 500 rpm or more and 2000 rpm or less. During the period from time t1 to time t3, the rotational speed of the substrate W corresponds to the first rotational speed and phase of the third to fifth patent claims. It is the second rotation speed of the ninth application patent range and corresponds to the fourth rotation speed of the tenth item of the patent application. When the rotation speed of the substrate W is too high, most of the developer supplied to the substrate W is smashed out of the substrate W by the centrifugal force, and the surface of the substrate W cannot be sufficiently wetted by the developer. On the other hand, if the rotation speed of the substrate W is too low, the developer cannot be appropriately spread on the substrate W.

Further, in the period from the time point t3 to t4, it is preferable to adjust the rotation speed of the substrate W within a range of 100 rpm or more and 500 rpm or less. In the period from the time point t3 to t4, the rotation speed of the substrate W corresponds to the second rotation speed in the third to fifth claims of the patent application, and corresponds to the first rotation speed in the seventh to eleventh aspects of the patent application. If the rotation speed of the substrate W is too high, the developer liquid cannot be held on the substrate W. On the other hand, if the rotational speed of the substrate W is too low, the time efficiency is deteriorated.

Further, in the period from the time point t4 to t5, it is preferable to adjust the rotation speed of the substrate W within a range of 10 rpm or more and 100 rpm or less. When the rotation speed of the substrate W is too high, the rotation of the substrate W cannot be stopped while the developer liquid layer is stably held on the substrate W. On the other hand, if the rotation speed of the substrate W is too low, the state in which the developer liquid layer is thinned and stretched cannot be maintained, and the developer may be concentrated on a part of the region of the substrate W due to the surface tension.

Further, the developer flow rate is preferably adjusted in the range of 300 ml/min or more and 600 ml/min. Further, the flow rate of the developer may be changed in accordance with the moving direction or position of the developer nozzle 21.

In the liquid layer forming step, the developer nozzle 21 moves between the upper portion of the center portion of the substrate W and the upper portion of the peripheral portion while discharging the developer, but is not limited thereto. The developer liquid nozzle 21 can also continuously discharge the developer liquid above the center portion of the substrate W.

(2-2) Second operation example

Next, a description will be given of a second operation example of the developing device 100, which is different from the first operation example. FIG. 8 is a timing chart showing changes in the rotational speed of the substrate W, the developing solution flow rate, and the cleaning liquid flow rate in the liquid layer forming step of the second operation example. Further, in the developing step and the washing step, the operation of the developing device 100 is as in the first operation example described above.

This example differs from the example shown in Fig. 5 as follows. As shown in FIG. 8, in this example, first, at time t11, the substrate W starts to rotate at a low speed of 20 rpm, and the developer nozzle 21 starts to discharge the developer liquid above the center portion of the substrate W. Then, the rotation speed of the substrate W is increased to 1000 rpm, and the developer nozzle 21 starts moving while discharging the developer. Then, the same action as the above example is performed. In addition, the rotation speed of the substrate W in the period from time t11 to t1 corresponds to the third rotation speed in the fifth item of the patent application, and corresponds to the third rotation speed in the tenth item of the patent application.

Fig. 9 is a plan view and a side view showing the state of the developer supplied to the substrate W. In the period from the time point t11 to t1 shown in Fig. 8, since the rotation speed of the substrate W is low, the developer supplied to the substrate W does not have a centrifugal force. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b), the developer supplied to the center portion of the substrate W does not spread toward the peripheral portion of the substrate W, but the surface tension is kept in a certain region. .

At the time point t1 shown in Fig. 8, when the rotational speed of the substrate W is increased, as shown in Figs. 9(c) and 9(d), the developer held on the central portion of the substrate W is instantaneously expanded by the centrifugal force. It is integral on the substrate W.

According to this, at time t1, since it can be expanded on the entire surface of the substrate W in advance Since the liquid is liquid, it is possible to efficiently and surely wet the entire surface of the substrate W with the developer. Therefore, the liquid layer can be formed more surely with a smaller amount of developer.

In the present example, the developer is continuously discharged during the period from time t11 to time t6, but the discharge of the developer may be temporarily stopped after the predetermined amount of developer is discharged from time t11.

(2-3) Third operation example

Next, a description will be given of a third operation example of the developing device 100, which is different from the first operation example. Fig. 10 is a timing chart showing changes in the rotational speed of the substrate W, the developing solution flow rate, and the cleaning liquid flow rate in the third operation example.

As shown in FIG. 10, at the time point t21, the rotation of the substrate W is started by the rotation jig 10 at a rotation speed of, for example, 20 rpm, and the cleaning liquid is discharged from the cleaning liquid discharge nozzle 19. In this case, the cleaning liquid is discharged toward the center portion of the substrate W, and the discharge flow rate is maintained at, for example, 800 ml/min.

At time t22, the discharge of the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid discharge nozzle 19 is stopped. Next, at time t23, the rotation speed of the substrate W rises to, for example, 1000 rpm, and the discharge of the developer from the developer nozzle 21 is started. In this case, the developer is discharged toward the center of the substrate W, and the discharge flow rate is maintained at, for example, 400 ml/min.

At the time point t24, the rotational speed of the substrate W will drop to, for example, 200 rpm, and at the time point t25, the rotational speed of the substrate W may fall to, for example, 50 rpm. Then, at time t26, the rotation of the substrate W is stopped. Further, at time t27, the discharge of the developer from the developer nozzle 21 is stopped.

Further, in the developing step and the washing step, the operation of the developing device 100 is as in the first operation example described above.

Next, referring to FIGS. 10 to 12, in the liquid layer forming step, the developing device 100 The details of the action are explained. 11 and 12 are schematic plan views and side views for explaining a state on the substrate W in the liquid layer forming step.

During the time point t21 to t22 in FIG. 10, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the center portion of the substrate W. During this period, since the rotation speed of the substrate W is low, centrifugal force is not applied to the cleaning liquid on the substrate W. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b), the cleaning liquid supplied to the center portion of the substrate W is almost kept in a constant region due to the surface tension.

At the time t23 in Fig. 10, when the rotational speed of the substrate W is increased, as shown in Figs. 11(c) and 11(d), the centrifugal force is applied to the cleaning liquid held on the substrate W, so that the cleaning liquid faces the substrate. W peripheral section expansion. At this time, the developer is supplied from the developer nozzle 21 toward the center portion of the substrate W. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 11(e) and 11(f), the developer supplied to the center portion of the substrate W is instantaneously spread over the entire substrate W together with the cleaning liquid or the expanded cleaning liquid.

Then, by continuing to supply the developer, the cleaning liquid on the substrate W is replaced by the developer. Then, at the time point t24 of FIG. 10, if the rotational speed of the substrate W is lowered, the amount of the developing solution that is pulled out of the substrate W is reduced, and the developing solution is held on the substrate W. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 12(g) and FIG. 12(h), a developer liquid layer is formed on the substrate W.

In this case, in the present example, the developer is instantaneously spread over the entire substrate W by the force of the cleaning liquid held on the substrate W due to the centrifugal force. Thereby, the amount of developer consumption can be suppressed, and the developer liquid layer can be formed on the substrate W with high efficiency.

Further, by continuously expanding the developer on the substrate W, the entire surface of the substrate W can be wetted by the developer. Thereby, the wettability of the surface of the substrate W is good. Therefore, even if the water repellency of the surface of the substrate W (the surface of the photoresist film) is high, it can be reduced by a small amount. The developer easily and surely forms a liquid layer. Therefore, it is possible to reduce costs and prevent development failure.

Further, since the developer liquid layer is formed in a state where the substrate W is rotated, the thinning and stretching of the developer liquid layer can be performed by centrifugal force. Therefore, the amount of developer used can be further suppressed as compared with the case where the developer liquid layer is formed in a state where the substrate W is fixed.

Further, since the developing solution reaches (drops) on the substrate W and also spreads over the entire substrate W, it is possible to prevent the photoresist film from being biased in a specific region on the substrate W. Thereby, occurrence of development spots can be suppressed, and CD (line width) uniformity can be improved.

Furthermore, in this example, after the formation of the developer liquid layer, the rotation speed of the substrate W was temporarily maintained at a low speed of 50 rpm, and then the rotation of the substrate W was stopped. In this case, by temporarily maintaining the rotation speed of the substrate W at an extremely low state before the rotation of the substrate W is stopped, the substrate W can be stably maintained while the developer liquid layer is thinned and extended on the substrate W. The rotation stops. Thereby, the reaction of the photoresist film can be performed while the supply of the developer to the substrate W is stopped. Therefore, the amount of developer used can be further reduced.

In the present example, at the time point t23, the rotation speed of the substrate W is increased and the discharge of the developer is started. However, the discharge timing of the developer can match the distance between the substrate W and the developer nozzle 21, or the developer. The discharge speed and the like are appropriately changed within a few seconds before and after the time point t23.

Specifically, in order to efficiently and reliably spread the developer onto the substrate W, it is preferable that the developer reaches the substrate W when the substrate W is rotationally accelerated. Therefore, when the distance between the substrate W and the developer nozzle 21 is relatively long or the discharge speed of the developer is low, development is started only when the timing at which the rotation speed of the substrate W rises is slightly advanced. The liquid is spit out.

In addition, the rotation speed of the substrate W, the flow rate of the developer, and the flow rate of the cleaning liquid are not limited to the above examples, and can be appropriately changed in accordance with various conditions such as the size of the substrate W or the water repellency.

For example, in the period from the time point t21 to t23, in order to stably hold the cleaning liquid in the vicinity of the center portion of the substrate W, it is preferable to adjust the rotation speed of the substrate W within a range of 10 rpm or more and 100 rpm or less. In addition, the period from the time point t21 to t23 corresponds to the first period of the 12th to 16th items of the patent application, and the rotation speed of the substrate W in the period from the time point t21 to t23 is equivalent to the first item of the 12th to 16th of the patent application range. spinning speed.

Further, in the period from the time point t23 to t24, in order to allow the cleaning liquid and the developer to be surely spread over the entire substrate W, it is preferable to adjust the rotation speed of the substrate W within a range of 500 rpm or more and 1500 rpm or less. The rotation speed of the substrate W during the period from time t23 to time t24 corresponds to the second rotation speed of the 12th to 16th items of the patent application.

Further, during the period from time t24 to time t25, it is preferable to adjust the rotation speed of the substrate W within a range of 100 rpm or more and 500 rpm or less. If the rotation speed of the substrate W is too high, the developer cannot be held on the substrate W. On the other hand, if the rotational speed of the substrate W is too low, the time efficiency is deteriorated. In addition, the period from time t24 to time t25 corresponds to the second period of the thirteenth and fourteenthth paragraphs of the patent application, and the rotation speed of the substrate W in the period from time t24 to t25 corresponds to the third rotation of the thirteenth and fourteenthth aspects of the patent application. speed.

Further, in the period from the time point t25 to t26, it is preferable to adjust the substrate W rotation speed within a range of 10 rpm or more and 100 rpm or less. When the rotation speed of the substrate W is too high, the rotation of the substrate W can be stopped in a state where the developer liquid layer cannot be stably held on the substrate W. On the other hand, if the rotation speed of the substrate W is too low, it is impossible to maintain the thinning of the developer liquid layer. In the stretched state, there is a possibility that the developer concentrates on a part of the substrate W due to the surface tension.

Further, the flow rate of the developer is preferably adjusted in the range of 300 ml/min or more and 600 ml/min, and the flow rate of the cleaning liquid is preferably adjusted in the range of 200 ml/min or more and 1200 ml/min. In addition, the developer flow rate and the cleaning liquid flow rate may be constant, and may also be changed in accordance with the timing.

(2-4) Fourth operation example

Next, a description will be given of a fourth operation example of the developing device 100, which is different from the third operation example. In the third operation example, the developing solution is continuously discharged while the developing solution nozzle 21 is positioned above the center portion of the substrate W during the time t23 to t27, but the fourth operation example is the first and second operation examples, and the developing solution The nozzle 21 discharges the developer toward the substrate W while moving over the substrate W.

Fig. 13 is a side view showing another operation example during the liquid layer forming step, from the time point t23 to t27.

In the time point t23 of FIG. 10, as shown in FIG. 13(a), the developer liquid nozzle 21 is placed above the center portion of the substrate W, and the developer discharge is started. Then, as shown in FIG. 13(b), the developing solution nozzle 21 moves from the upper side of the center portion of the substrate W to the upper side of the peripheral portion as shown in FIG. 13(b).

In the period from the time point t24 to the time t25 of FIG. 10, as shown in FIG. 13(c), the developer liquid nozzle 21 moves from above the peripheral edge portion of the substrate W to the upper portion of the center portion while discharging the developer. Thereby, a developer liquid layer is formed on the substrate W.

In response to this, the developer nozzle 21 is supplied while being moved toward the substrate W. With the developer, the entire surface of the substrate W can be more sufficiently wetted by the developer. Thereby, the developer liquid layer can be formed more easily, and the amount of developer used can be further reduced. Further, since the developer supply position on the substrate W is moved, it is possible to more reliably prevent the photoresist film from being biased in a specific region.

In the period from the time point t23 to t25, it is preferable that the developer liquid nozzle 21 moves so that the developer liquid discharge port 22 does not protrude from the upper region of the substrate W. In this case, the supply of the developer does not cross the end of the substrate W. Therefore, scattering of the developer can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the developer from adhering to the respective portions in the developing device 100.

Further, for example, when the diameter of the substrate W is 300 mm, the developer nozzle 21 is moved from above the center portion of the substrate W to the upper portion of the peripheral portion, for example, for 1 to 3 seconds, and is over the peripheral portion of the substrate W for, for example, 1 to 5 seconds. Move to the top of the center.

The moving speed of the developer nozzle 21 can be constant, and can be changed in accordance with the moving direction or position. For example, the moving speed of the developing solution nozzle 21 in the vicinity of the upper side of the peripheral portion of the substrate W can be lower than the moving speed of the developing solution nozzle 21 near the upper portion of the center portion of the substrate W. In this case, the developer can be sufficiently supplied even to the peripheral portion region of the substrate W having a large area.

(2-5) Another action example

In the above example, the rotation of the substrate W is stopped in the development processing step, but it is not limited thereto, and the rotation of the substrate may be maintained in the development processing step. In this case, the rotational speed of the substrate W is adjusted to, for example, 200 rpm or less. Further, in this case, it is also possible to continue supplying the developer to the rotating substrate W.

Further, when the substrate rotation is maintained during the development processing step, the developer liquid layer can be stably maintained on the substrate W by gradually lowering the rotation speed of the substrate W. The state of thinning and extension.

(3) Another example of the cleaning liquid discharge nozzle

In the above embodiment, the cleaning liquid discharge nozzle 19 is provided independently of the rotating jig 10, but the cleaning liquid discharge nozzle 19 may be integrally provided with the developing solution nozzle 21. Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing the appearance of another example of the cleaning liquid discharge nozzle.

The example of FIG. 14 is a cleaning liquid nozzle 19a having a cleaning liquid discharge port 32, and is attached to the nozzle arm 18 together with the developer nozzle 21. According to this, by integrally providing the developer nozzle 21 and the cleaning liquid nozzle 19a, the operation control can be simplified, and the size and space of the developing device 100 can be reduced.

(4) Correspondence between the constituent elements of the scope of application for patents and the requirements of the implementation forms

Hereinafter, a description will be given of a corresponding example of each component and an embodiment of the application, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

In the above embodiment, the rotary jig 10 and the motor 11 are examples of the rotation holding device, the cleaning liquid discharge nozzle 19 is an example of the cleaning liquid supply portion, and the developer liquid nozzle 21 is an example of the developer supply portion and the liquid layer forming portion.

The various components of the scope of the patent application may also use other various elements having the structure or function described in the scope of the patent application.

21‧‧‧developer nozzle

22‧‧‧ developer discharge

W‧‧‧Substrate

Claims (5)

A developing device comprising: a rotation holding device that holds a substrate horizontally and rotates about an axis perpendicular to the substrate; and a cleaning liquid supply portion that supplies cleaning to a substrate that is rotated by the rotation holding device And a developer supply unit that supplies the developer to the substrate that is rotated by the rotation holding device; wherein the cleaning liquid supply unit supplies the cleaning liquid to the center of the substrate in the first period; and the rotation holding device The substrate is rotated at a first rotation speed in the first period so that the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply unit is held on the substrate, and the cleaning liquid held on the substrate is applied to the substrate by centrifugal force. In the above-described first period, the substrate rotation speed is increased from the first rotation speed to the second rotation speed, and the developer supply unit is configured to rotate the substrate rotation speed by the first rotation speed by the rotation holding device. When the second rotation speed is raised to the above, the developer is expanded on the substrate with the cleaning liquid, or has been expanded. The cleaning liquid spreading on the substrate of the way, the developer supply portion to the center of the substrate. The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation holding device rotates the substrate in the second period after the substrate rotation speed is increased from the first rotation speed to the second rotation speed. The second rotation speed is reduced to the third rotation The rotational speed; the developer supply unit continues to supply the developer to the substrate during the second period. The developing device according to claim 2, wherein the rotation holding device lowers a rotation speed of the substrate by the third rotation speed in a stepwise manner after the second period. The developing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the developer supply unit continuously supplies the developer from the center portion to the peripheral portion of the substrate, and then continuously extends from the peripheral portion to the center portion of the substrate. Supply developer. A developing method includes the steps of: maintaining a substrate horizontally and rotating about a axis perpendicular to the substrate at a first rotation speed; and supplying a cleaning liquid to a substrate rotating at the first rotation speed a step of increasing the rotational speed of the substrate from the first rotational speed to the second rotational speed so that the cleaning liquid held on the substrate spreads on the substrate by centrifugal force; and when the rotational speed of the substrate is rotated by the first rotation When the speed is increased to the second rotation speed, the developing solution is supplied to the substrate such that the developer expands on the substrate with the cleaning liquid or spreads on the substrate on the expanded cleaning liquid.