TWI401543B - Coating-developing apparatus, coating-developing method and storage medium - Google Patents

Description

Coating and developing device and method and memory medium

The present invention relates to a coating and developing apparatus and method for applying a resist liquid to a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or an LCD substrate (a glass substrate for liquid crystal display), or a development process after exposure, and the like. A memory medium that implements a program of coating and development methods.

In the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device or an LCD substrate, a resist pattern is formed on a substrate by a so-called photolithography technique. The technique is carried out in a series of steps of applying a resist liquid to a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) to form a liquid film on the surface of the wafer, and using the mask to expose the resist After the film is exposed, development processing is carried out to obtain a desired pattern.

Such a treatment is generally performed by using a resist pattern forming apparatus to which an exposure apparatus is attached to a coating or developing apparatus that performs coating and development of a resist liquid. In this apparatus, as shown in FIG. 7, the carrier 10 in which a plurality of wafers are accommodated is fed to the transport platform 11 of the carrier mounting portion 1A, and the wafer in the carrier 10 is transferred to the processing unit 1B by the transfer arm 12. . Then, in the processing unit 1B, an anti-reflection film forming module (not shown) is formed, and the resist film of the coating module 13 is formed, and then transported to the exposure device 1D via the dielectric surface 1C. . On the other hand, the exposed wafer is returned to the processing unit 1B, developed by the developing module 14, and returned to the original carrier 10. The heat treatment or cooling treatment of the wafer before and after the formation of the anti-reflection film or the resist film, and the heating module for performing the heat treatment or the cooling module for performing the cooling treatment are arranged in multiple stages. In the scaffolding module 15 (15a to 15c), the wafer is transported between the modules by the main arms 16 (16A, 16B) provided in the processing unit 1B. Here, when the wafer is subjected to the above-described processing, as described in Patent Document 1, all of the wafers to be processed are transported in accordance with a transportation plan in which the respective wafers are transported to which module at a predetermined time.

However, in the above apparatus, the plurality of wafers of the same type of wafers removed from one carrier, that is, the wafer A of the preceding batch A and the wafer B of the subsequent batch B are continuously removed from the carrier mounting portion 1A to When the processing unit 1B performs processing, when the same heating module is used between the batch A and the batch B, the heating temperature of the heating module between the batch A and the batch B may be changed.

At this time, the temperature stabilization time (time required for temperature change) of the heating module is conventionally predicted, and timing control is performed for the time point when the subsequent batch B is removed from the carrier mounting portion 1A. The timing control will be described by taking the transportation plan shown in FIG. 8 as an example. The vertical axis of the transport plan represents the cycle, and the horizontal axis represents the module being transported. Moreover, the FOUP is a carrier, and the M1 to M6 are modules. In this example, the module M4 is subjected to temperature stabilization processing.

Further, the control time T1 at the time of the removal is obtained by the following formula (1).

T1=P+Q-R......(1)

P: the time until the wafer of the preceding batch A is sent out from the module M4

Q: Temperature adjustment time

R: time until the wafer of the subsequent batch B is sent to the module M4

Here, the P is (the processing time in the module M1) + (the moving time to the module M2 + the processing time in the module M2) + (to the moving time of the module M3 + the module M3) The processing time is + (to the movement time of the module M4 + the processing time in the module M4), for example, 15 seconds.

Moreover, the R is (the moving time to the module M1 + the processing time in the module M1) + (the moving time to the module M2 + the processing time in the module M2) + (the moving time to the module M3 + The processing time in the module M3 is obtained, for example, 20 seconds.

When the temperature adjustment time Q is 30 seconds, the control time T1 becomes P+Q-R=(15+30)-(20)=25 seconds, and the initial removal of the wafer of the subsequent batch B is delayed by the 25 seconds. However, the main arm 16 is controlled according to the transportation schedule to match the spin ring time to the slowest processing time (the total time of the wafer transfer time to the module M4 and the processing time required), and implement the cycle time. One transport cycle; however, since the number of wafers transferred by the main arm is different depending on the cycle, the cycle may be performed in a short time or a long time compared to the cycle time, and the wafer is in the module M4. After the completion of the processing, the main arm 16 is not immediately sent out from the module M4, but may be in a state in which the main arm 16 is waiting to be received in the module M4. Here, due to the waiting time The calculation formula is not included in the above calculation, so even if the timing control as described above is performed, the wafer B of the subsequent batch B arrives at the module M4 early, or the arrival is delayed.

As described above, when the time of the wafer B of the subsequent batch B reaches the module M4 is earlier, since the temperature stabilization processing in the module M4 is not completed, the wafer B cannot be transferred to the module, and the main arm 16 It is necessary to stand by while holding the wafer B, and there is a possibility that the transport cycle cannot be stopped and stopped. On the other hand, when the time of reaching the module M4 is delayed, although the temperature stabilization process in the module M4 is completed, the process can be processed, but the module M4 waits for the wafer W to be fed. The transport interval of the wafer A with the preceding batch A is excessively vacated, and the supply delay of the wafer B of the subsequent batch B to the exposure device occurs, which causes a decrease in productivity. Therefore, when the wafer B of the subsequent batch B arrives at the module M4 earlier, or arrives delayed, the processing amount is lowered.

Further, Patent Document 2 proposes a configuration in which the first temperature adjustment module, the first coating module, the first heating module, the second temperature adjustment module, the second coating module, and the second heating are used. The module and the cooling module sequentially transport the substrate, and the device includes a retracting module capable of retracting the plurality of substrates. After the final substrate of the batch is finished, the second heating module ends the heating process, and the second heating module is used. When the heating temperature is changed to the temperature of the substrate of the subsequent batch, the next substrate from which the first substrate of the subsequent batch is transported to the next transport cycle of the second temperature regulating module is formed, and the formation is continued. The substrate heated by the first heating module of the substrate is sequentially filled in the evacuation module, and after the heating temperature of the second heating module is changed, the substrate in the evacuation module is sequentially transported to the downstream. Side module. However, in this configuration, since the substrate is waited in the evacuation module, the time until the entire processing of the wafer is completed may be lengthened, and the problem of the present invention cannot be solved.

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-193597

[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-34746

The present invention is designed in such a situation, and the object thereof is to provide a technique for improving the throughput when the stable object module is stably processed between the preceding batch and the subsequent batch.

Therefore, the coating and development process of the present invention includes: a carrier placing unit that mounts a carrier that houses a plurality of substrates; and includes a transmission mechanism that transfers the substrate between the transmission mechanism and the carrier; and a processing unit a coating film is formed on the substrate transferred from the carrier mounting portion, and the exposed substrate is developed; and in the processing portion, the substrate is transported to the following modules by the substrate transfer mechanism: a temperature adjustment module for adjusting the temperature of the substrate, a coating module for coating the coating liquid on the substrate, a heating module for heating the substrate, and a development module for developing the substrate; if the position where the substrate is placed is called For the module, according to the pre-set transportation plan, the substrate of the front number is formed by the substrate transport mechanism, and the substrate of the subsequent number is located in the downstream module, thereby performing a transport cycle; after the end of the transport cycle, the implementation is performed. a transport cycle for transporting the substrate; the feature comprising: a stable object module, comprising at least one of the coating module and the heating module, wherein the module pair is from a carrier After the substrate of the removed batch is finished, the substrate is stabilized after the substrate of the subsequent batch is transported to the module; the transportation plan is prepared by the transportation plan: in the transportation plan, After the last substrate of the preceding batch is transferred to the processing unit, until the first substrate of the subsequent batch is transferred to the processing unit, the cycle is idled for a delay cycle number; the delay cycle number is the time required for the stabilization process In addition to the cycle time required to implement one transport cycle, that is, the cycle time; and the substrate transport mechanism control mechanism, the stable target module performs a cycle of stabilization processing in the transport plan prepared, and the stabilization is performed. The object module has a loop for stably processing the remaining time, that is, the loop is executed to end, and before the start of the next loop, the appropriate time for performing the next loop is determined one by one for each stable object module, and the longest appropriate time is compared. And the implementation of the implementation cycle At the time, the substrate transport mechanism is controlled such that when the appropriate time is long, the start standby of one cycle of the execution cycle is equivalent to a period of time between the appropriate time and the execution time.

At this time, the appropriate time is {(the stable processing remaining time of the stable object module) + (the execution time of the execution cycle) - (the substrate of the subsequent batch is fed into the cycle of the stable object module, the substrate The time required for the transport mechanism to transfer the substrate is calculated as the number of cycles from the cycle in which the subsequent batch is fed to the stable target module. Further, the start of the next cycle means that the substrate transport mechanism receives the substrate that is transferred from the carrier mounting portion to the processing portion. For example, the stabilization target module is a heating module, and the stabilization process is a process of changing the heating temperature.

Moreover, the coating and developing method of the present invention is carried out by a coating and developing device comprising: a carrier placing portion on which a carrier in which a plurality of substrates are housed is mounted, and includes a transfer mechanism that transfers a substrate between the transfer mechanism and the carrier; and a processing unit that forms a coating film on the substrate transferred from the carrier mounting portion and develops the exposed substrate; and the processing In the section, the substrate transport mechanism is used to transport the substrate to each of the following modules: a temperature adjustment module that adjusts the temperature of the substrate, a coating module that applies the coating liquid to the substrate, a heating module that heats the substrate, and a counter substrate. a developing module that performs development processing; a position at which the substrate is placed is referred to as a module, and a substrate on which the front number is formed by the substrate transport mechanism is located in a state of the downstream module, and the substrate is numbered on the downstream side, according to a predetermined transport schedule. This carries out a transport cycle; after the end of the transport cycle, the next transport cycle is carried out to carry out the transport of the substrate; the coating and development method is characterized by: a stabilization treatment step, the coating Performing at least one of the group and the heating module, after the module finishes processing the substrate of the preceding batch removed from a carrier, before the substrate of the subsequent batch is delivered to the module, The group performs stabilization processing; the transportation plan preparation step, and the transportation plan is: in the transportation plan, after the last substrate of the preceding batch is transferred to the processing unit, the initial substrate of the subsequent batch is transferred to the processing unit So, let the loop idle for a delay loop number; this delay The number of cycles is obtained by dividing the time required for the stabilization process by the maximum time required to execute one transport cycle, that is, the cycle time; and the substrate transport mechanism control step in which the stable target module is to be Performing a cycle of stabilization processing, and the loop of the stable object module has a stable processing remaining time, that is, the loop is executed to end, and each stable object module is determined one by one for the next loop before the start of the next loop. Appropriate time, and comparing the longest appropriate time and the execution time for implementing the execution cycle, the substrate transport mechanism is controlled to: when the appropriate time is long, the start standby of the cycle under the execution cycle is equivalent to the A period of time between the appropriate time and the time of implementation.

At this time, the appropriate time is {(the stable processing remaining time of the stable object module) + (the execution time of the execution cycle) - (the substrate of the subsequent batch is fed into the cycle of the stable object module, the substrate The time required for the transport mechanism to transfer the substrate is calculated as the number of cycles from the cycle in which the subsequent batch is fed to the stable target module.

Further, the memory medium of the present invention stores a computer program used in the coating and developing device, and the coating and developing device receives the substrate from the carrier mounting portion on which the carrier for storing the plurality of substrates is placed in the processing unit. A coating film is formed thereon, and the exposed substrate is developed; and the program is combined with a step group to perform the coating and developing method.

As described above, in the present invention, in the case where the same stable object module processes the substrate of the preceding batch and the subsequent batch of substrates, the substrate of the preceding batch is processed, and the substrate of the subsequent batch is processed. When the stabilization process is performed, the substrate of the subsequent batch is quickly transported to the stabilization target module after the stabilization process of the stabilization target module is completed, whereby the throughput can be improved.

(Best form of implementing the invention)

First, an exposure device is connected to the developing device with reference to the drawings. The resist pattern forming device 2. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view. In the figure, B1 is a carrier mounting portion for feeding and transporting a carrier C in which, for example, 13 substrates such as a wafer W are housed and sealed, and a transport station 22 is provided, and a plurality of carriers C can be placed. The unit 21 is placed side by side; the opening and closing unit 23 is disposed on the front wall surface as viewed from the transport station 22, and the transmission mechanism 24 is configured to take out the wafer W from the carrier C and transfer it to the processing unit B2, which will be described later.

The processing unit B2 around the frame 25 is connected to the back side of the carrier mounting portion B1, and the main arm A (A1, A2) is alternately arranged in the processing unit B2 to form a substrate transport mechanism, which is sequentially arranged from the front side. The wafer W is formed between the scaffolding modules U1, U2, and U3 forming the heating and cooling module in a plurality of stages, and the scaffolding modules U1 to U3 and the respective modules of the liquid processing modules U4 and U5 to be described later. transfer. In other words, the scaffolding modules U1, U2, and U3 and the main arms A1 and A2 are arranged side by side from the side of the carrier mounting portion B1, and each of the connecting portions forms an opening for wafer transfer (not shown). The wafer W is freely movable in the processing unit B2 from the scaffolding module U1 on one end side to the scaffolding module U3 on the other end side.

The scaffolding modules U1, U2, and U3 are configured to stack various modules for processing and post-processing of the liquid processing modules U4 and U5 into a plurality of segments, for example, 10 segments, and the combination includes: a transfer module TRS The temperature regulating module CPL is used to adjust the wafer W to a predetermined temperature; the heating module CLH is used for heating the wafer W; and the heating module CPH is used for coating the resist liquid. The heat treatment of the circle W; and the heating module PEB, etc., heats the wafer W before the development process; the heating module POST, heats the wafer W after the development process.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the liquid processing modules U4 and U5 are configured by stacking the following modules into a plurality of stages, for example, five stages: an anti-reflection film forming module BCT, and a chemical for forming an anti-reflection film on the wafer W. The chemical solution; the coating module COT applies a resist liquid to the wafer W; and the developing module DEV or the like, and supplies the developing solution to the wafer W to perform development processing.

The exposure unit B4 is connected to the back side of the scaffolding module U3 in the processing unit B2 via the interfacial surface B3. The interfacial portion B3 is composed of a first transport chamber 31 and a second transport chamber 32 which are provided between the processing unit B2 and the exposure unit B4, and each of which can be arbitrarily raised and lowered. The first transport arm 33 and the second transport arm 34 are rotatable around the vertical axis of rotation and are arbitrarily movable forward and backward. Further, the first transport chamber 31 is provided with a scaffolding module U6 provided, for example, by a transfer module or the like.

For the heating module CPH, a device having a structure including a heating plate on which, for example, the wafer W is placed for heating, and a cooling plate serving as a transfer arm, and the main arm A is cooled by the cooling plate The wafer W is transferred to and from the heating plate, that is, it can be heated and cooled in one module.

The main arm A will be described below. The main arm A is used for all the modules in the processing unit B2 (the position where the wafer W is placed), for example, the processing modules of the scaffolding modules U1 to U3, and the modules of the liquid processing modules U4 and U5. Inter-transfer wafer configuration. Therefore, it can be arbitrarily advanced and retracted, can be arbitrarily raised and lowered, can be arbitrarily rotated around the vertical rotating shaft, and includes two holding arms for supporting the peripheral side region of the back side of the wafer W, and the holding arms can advance independently of each other. Composition.

An example of the movement process of the wafer W for such a resist pattern forming system will be described below with reference to FIG. 3. The wafer W in the carrier C placed on the carrier mounting portion B1 is transferred to the transfer module TRSA of the scaffolding module U1 of the processing unit B2, thereby forming a mold by the temperature regulating module CPL→antireflection film. The BCT→heating module CLH→temperature regulating module CPL→coating module COT→transfer module TRS→heating module CPH→interfacial B3→exposure unit B4 path transport, and exposure processing is performed here. On the other hand, the wafer W after the exposure processing is sent back to the processing unit B2, and the heating module PEB→the temperature regulating module CPL→the developing module DEV→the heating module POST→the temperature regulating module CPL→the scaffolding module The path of the transfer module TRSA of U1 is transported and returned to the carrier C of the carrier mounting portion B1.

At this time, in the processing unit B2, the main arm A (A1, A2) receives the wafer from the transfer module TRSA of the scaffolding module U1, and sequentially passes the wafer along the transport path via the temperature regulating module CPL or the like. After being transported to the heating module CPH, the exposed wafer W is received from the dielectric surface B3, and the wafer is sequentially transported to the transfer module TRSA along the transport path via the heating module PEB or the like, so as to be processed. The part B2 is configured to carry out a transport cycle. In the transport cycle, as shown in FIG. 3, the transport module TRSA is transferred from the transfer module TRSA to the transport system main arm A for the initial transport. The TRSA becomes the starting module for the transport cycle. Since the wafer W is transferred from the carrier mounting portion B1 to the transfer module TRSA, the wafer W is transferred to the transfer module TRSA to transfer the wafer W to the processing portion B2, and the main arm A is The transfer module TRSA takes the wafer W and starts the transport cycle.

Further, the resist pattern forming apparatus includes a control unit 4 that manages the location of each processing module, the recipe management of the wafer W transport process (transport path), and the processing of each processing module, and The transmission mechanism 24 and the main arm A1, A2 and the like are controlled by a computer. The control unit 4 includes a program storage unit including, for example, a computer program, and the program storage unit stores a program including a software including a step (command) group, and is implemented to generate a resist pattern forming device as a whole. The function of the processing module, the wafer W, and the like for forming a predetermined resist pattern on the wafer W. Further, the programs are read by the control unit 4, whereby the control unit 4 controls the overall function of the resist pattern forming apparatus. Further, the program is stored in the program storage unit in a state of being stored in a memory medium such as a floppy disk, a hard disk, a compact disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a memory card.

4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 4, which is actually constituted by a CPU (Central Processing Module), a program, a memory, etc.; however, since the present invention is characterized in that the wafer W is transported before the development processing, This will be explained by boxing some of the components that are associated with it. 40 in FIG. 4 is a bus bar 40, and the prescription storage unit 41, the prescription selection unit 42, the stabilization processing unit 43, the transportation plan preparation unit 44, the standby control unit 45, and the conveyance control unit 46 are connected.

The prescription storage unit 41 is a portion corresponding to the memory unit, and stores a plurality of prescriptions such as a shipping prescription in which a transport path of the wafer W is stored, and processing conditions for the wafer W. The prescription selection unit 42 selects a suitable portion from the place where the prescription storage unit 41 is stored, and may input, for example, the number of processed wafers, the type of the resist, the temperature during the heat treatment, and the like.

The stabilization processing unit 43 is a mechanism for outputting a command for the collection of a plurality of wafers of the same type that are removed from one carrier, that is, one batch (hereinafter referred to as "batch A"). After the stable object module ends the predetermined process, the module is stabilized. The stabilization process is a process of adjusting the state of the module, such as a temperature change process or an adjustment process such as an empty liquid injection process of the coating module COT. In this example, the stabilization target module is the heating module CPH, and the stabilization process of the module changes the heating temperature to the processing of the temperature of the wafer B in response to subsequent batches (hereinafter referred to as "batch B"). Therefore, after the heating process of the heating module CPH of the wafer A of the lot A is completed, a command for changing the temperature of the heating plate is output to the heating module CPH.

The transportation plan preparation unit 44 is a mechanism for creating a transportation plan based on the transportation prescription, and the transportation plan is a plan for which module to which all the wafers in the batch are delivered to, for example, a wafer number. The number of wafers is created in accordance with the order of each module and the delivery cycle data of the specified transport cycle is arranged in chronological order. At this time, the transportation plan preparation unit 44 creates a transportation plan by transferring the wafer A at the end of the preceding batch A to the processing unit B2, and then transferring the first wafer B of the subsequent batch B. Until the processing unit B2, the cycle is idled by a delay cycle number obtained by dividing the time required for the stabilization process by the cycle time required to execute one transport cycle, that is, the cycle time.

The standby control unit 45 controls the mechanism of the main arm A in such a manner that the predetermined cycle is executed and the next cycle is started, and each of the stable object modules is determined one by one for the next cycle. Appropriate time, and compare the longest appropriate time with the execution time of the execution cycle, and wait for the time equivalent to the difference between the appropriate time and the execution time when the appropriate time is long, that is, wait for the next cycle of the execution cycle to start.

The conveyance control unit 46 is a conveyance cycle executing mechanism that controls the transfer mechanism 24 and the main arms A1 and A2 to transfer the wafer written in the transfer cycle data to the module corresponding to the wafer by referring to the transfer plan. This implements a shipping cycle.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6 . First, the operator selects the prescription before starting the processing of the substrate, that is, the wafer W. However, as described above, the case where the antireflection film is formed by the coating film and the antireflection film is formed thereon will be described as an example. In the present invention, since the transport path of the wafer W until the target module is stabilized, the case where the temperature stabilization process is performed on the heating module CPH after the formation of the resist film is taken as an example, focusing on the heating mode. The transportation route up to the group CPH will be described.

First, as shown in FIG. 5, the operator selects and forms an anti-reflection film and a resist film for the five wafers A01 to A05 of the batch A and the five wafers B01 to B05 of the subsequent batch B. The prescription at the time of coating the film (step S1). Next, the transportation plan preparation unit 44 creates a transportation plan for the lot A and the lot B based on the selected place (step S2).

At this time, the transportation plan is prepared as follows: the number of delay cycles obtained by the following formula (2) is delayed between the batch A and the batch B, and the crystal from the carrier mounting portion B1 to the transfer module TRSA is delayed. The circle is removed.

Delayed Cycles = Stable Processing Time ÷ Cycle Time... (2)

The stabilization treatment time is the time required for the stabilization process, and in this example, the time required for the temperature stabilization process of the heating module CPH is, for example, 90 seconds. Again, the cycle time is the maximum time required to carry out a shipping cycle for the shipping schedule, in this case 22.8 seconds. Therefore, the number of delay cycles = 90 seconds ÷ 22.8 seconds = 3.95, and the carry becomes 4.

Here, in the module in the processing unit B2, since the latest processing time (the total time of the transfer time of the wafer to the module and the time required for the processing) is the rate of the transport cycle, the rate is determined. The time is the cycle time.

An example of this shipping plan is shown in Figure 6. In the figure, the vertical axis is a cycle, and the horizontal axis describes each module according to the number of the transport path along the wafer W. Among the different types of modules, the module on the left side in FIG. 6 is the upstream side module of the transport path. The more moving to the right side of the partition, the more the downstream side of the transport path module. In addition, BCT1 and BCT2 in the transportation plan mean that two anti-reflection film forming modules are used, and CPH1 to CPH5 means that five heating modules are used.

The main arm A includes two or more holding arms, and the wafers in the module on the downstream side are sequentially transferred to the module of the next number to form the wafer of the previous number than the wafer of the following number. The state of the downstream module is thereby performed by one cycle (transport cycle); after the cycle is completed, the process proceeds to the next cycle, and each cycle is sequentially executed, whereby the wafer is sequentially transported by the above path to perform predetermined processing. .

In the transportation plan, the first wafer A01 of the cycle 3 series lot A is sent to the anti-reflection film forming module BCT1, and the wafer A01 is also processed in the anti-reflection film forming module BCT1 in the cycle 4. In the cycle 5, one of the holding arms of the main arm A sends the wafer A01 from the anti-reflection film forming module BCT1, and the wafer A03 held by the other holding arm of the main arm A is sent to the anti-reflection. The film forming module BCT1 then sends the wafer A01 held by the one holding arm to the downstream side module of the anti-reflection film forming module BCT2, that is, the heating module CLH1.

The following is a description of the number of delay cycles. As described above, since the number of delay cycles is four, a transportation plan is created such that the wafer from the carrier mounting portion B1 to the transfer module TRSA is delayed by the number of delay cycles. That is, the transportation plan is prepared such that the first wafer B01 of the batch B is transferred to the transfer module TRSA at the last wafer A05 of the lot A, and is vacated after the cycle number 4 is vacated. Passed to the delivery module TRSA. That is, after the last wafer A05 of the batch A is transferred to the transfer module TRSA in the cycle 5, it is vacated with the just cycle number 4 as an empty cycle, and then the initial wafer B01 of the batch B is in the cycle 10 Passed to the delivery module TRSA.

Next, the control unit 4 outputs the instruction to each unit with reference to the created transportation plan, and performs the processing of the wafer A of the lot A (step S3), and directly executes the cycle 22 in accordance with the transportation plan. At this time, the temperature stabilization process of the heating module CPH1 is started in the cycle 22 (step S4). Further, the hatched portion in the transport cycle of Fig. 6 means that the temperature stabilization process is performed.

Next, when the execution cycle of both of the following conditions (1) and (2) is satisfied, the standby control unit 45 determines whether or not the standby control of the main arm A is performed before the start of the next cycle. Here, before the start of the next cycle, the main arm A returns to the start module of the forward transport cycle, that is, the position of the transfer module TRSA, and thus the next cycle is started. Further, the standby control of the main arm A means that the main arm A receives the wafer from the transfer module TRSA and controls it to stand by for a predetermined period of time.

Condition (1) has a past process of stabilization in a stable object module

Condition (2) There is remaining time for stabilization processing

Here, the condition (1) will be described. In the past, the stable process of a stable object module has been stabilized in a stable object module; in this example, since the heating module CPH1 starts stable processing in cycle 22, that is, temperature stabilization processing, At the time of ending the cycle 22, there is a past passage in which the heating module CPH1 performs stabilization processing. Therefore, in the transportation plan shown in the figure, the end of the cycle satisfying the condition (1) means the end of the cycle 22 to the cycle 29.

As for the condition (2), in this example, since the heating module CPH1 is stabilized at the end of the cycle 25, that is, the temperature is stable, the cycle 22 to the cycle 24 are cycles in which the remaining time of the stabilization process exists. Therefore, in the transportation plan shown in the figure, when the cycle satisfying the condition (2) is completed, the cycle 22 to the end of the cycle 28 is completed.

According to the above description, in the transportation plan, when the execution of both the above-mentioned conditions (1) and (2) is completed, the loop 22 is executed until the end of the loop 28, and the loops 22 to 28 are executed, and the subsequent loop 23 is started. Before the ~29, the appropriate time T2 of each of the main arms A is calculated to determine whether or not the standby control of the main arm A is performed based on the calculation result. Here, the appropriate time T2 is the ideal time for the main arm A to perform a cycle under the execution cycle, and is calculated according to the following formula (3).

Appropriate time T2=(I+II-III)÷IV.........(3)

I: The remaining processing time of the stable object module

II: Implementation of the cycle implementation time

III: The transfer time of the main arm A in the cycle of the subsequent batch B wafer B being fed into the stable object module

IV: Number of cycles until the subsequent batch B wafer B is fed into the stable object module from the execution cycle

Specifically, the calculation of the appropriate time T2 of the main arm A at the start of the cycle 23 at the end of the cycle 22 will be described. At this time, the loop is executed as the loop 22, and the stable target module is the heating module CPH1, and I-IV is as follows. Further, the execution time (II) of the execution of the cycle is the time required to actually execute the execution cycle, and the change of the execution time is because the control of the transportation at a constant interval is not performed.

I: 73 seconds

II: The implementation time of the implementation loop 22 is 26 seconds.

III: The cycle in which the wafer B01 is fed into the heating module CPH1 is the cycle 26, and the wafer W transferred in the cycle 26 is B05, B02, B01, and the transfer time is 9.5 seconds.

IV: The number of cycles until the wafer B01 is fed into the cycle 26 of the heating module CPH1 from the execution cycle 22 is (26-22)=4

Therefore, the appropriate time T2 is calculated by the equation (3) as: T2 = (73 + 26 - 9.5) ÷ 4 = 22.375 seconds → 22.4 seconds (step S5).

Then, whether or not the standby control of the main arm A is performed, the appropriate time T2 is compared with the execution time (26 seconds) of the execution cycle 22, and it is determined that the standby control of the main arm A is performed when the appropriate time T2 is long, and the standby time is short. This standby control is not implemented. In this example, since the appropriate time T2 < the execution time, it is determined that the standby control is not executed, and the standby control of the main arm A is not performed, and the subsequent loop 23 is executed (step S6).

Next, the standby control of the main boom at the start of the cycle 24 at the end of the cycle 23 will be described. At this time, the loop is executed as the loop 23, and the stabilization target module is the heating module CPH1 and the heating module CPH2, and the appropriate time T2 for each situation is calculated (step S7), and any longer appropriate time T2 and execution cycle 23 are compared. The time is implemented to determine whether or not the standby control of the main arm is performed (step S8).

First, regarding the heating module CPH1, I to IV are as follows.

I: 53 seconds

II: The implementation time of the implementation of the loop 23 is 20 seconds.

III: Since the wafer B01 is fed into the heating module CPH1 in the cycle 26, the transfer time is 9.5 seconds as described above.

IV: The number of cycles until the wafer B01 is fed into the cycle 26 of the heating module CPH1 from the execution cycle 23 is (26-23)=3

Therefore, the appropriate time T2 is calculated by the equation (3) as: T2 = (53 + 20 - 9.5) ÷ 3 = 21.167 seconds → 21.2 seconds.

Similarly, regarding the heating module CPH2, I to IV are as follows.

I: 77 seconds

II: The implementation time of the implementation of the loop 23 is 20 seconds.

III: Wafer B02 is sent to the heating module CPH2 in the cycle 27, and the wafer W transferred in the cycle 27 is B02, B03, and the transfer time is 6 seconds.

IV: The number of cycles until the wafer B02 is sent to the cycle 27 of the heating module CPH2 from the execution cycle 23 is (27-23)=4

Therefore, the appropriate time T2 is calculated by the equation (3) as: T2 = (77 + 20-6) ÷ 4 = 22.75 seconds → 22.8 seconds.

As described above, since the appropriate time T2 of the heating module CPH1 is 21.2 seconds, and the appropriate time T2 of the heating module CPH2 is 22.8 seconds, the longer appropriate time T2 (22.8 seconds) and the execution time of the execution cycle 23 (20 seconds) ). At this time, since the appropriate time T2>the execution time, the standby time T3 of the main arm is obtained at the appropriate time T2-execution time. In this case, the standby time T3 is determined to be 22.8 seconds to 20 seconds = 2.8 seconds, and for example, the standby control of the main arm A is performed for 3 seconds. In this example, when the subsequent cycle 24 is started after the end of the loop 23, the position of the main arm A approaching the cycle start point and the transfer module TRSA is performed at a timing equivalent to the standby time (3 seconds). After the standby adjustment, the wafer B05 is received from the heating module CLH4, and the cycle 24 is started (step S8).

Further, the standby control of the main arm A at the start of the cycle 25 at the end of the cycle 24 will be described. At this time, the stabilization target module is the heating module CPH1, the heating module CPH2, and the heating module CPH3, and the circulation is performed as the cycle 24.

First, regarding the heating module CPH1, I to IV are as follows.

I: 33 seconds

II: The implementation time of the implementation of the loop 24 is 20 seconds.

III: Wafer B01 is fed into the heating module CPH1 in cycle 26, and the transfer time in the cycle 26 is 9.5 seconds as described above.

IV: The number of cycles until the wafer B01 is fed into the cycle 26 of the heating module CPH1 from the execution cycle 24 is (26-24)=2

Therefore, the appropriate time T2 is obtained from the equation (3) as: T2 = (33 + 20 - 9.5) ÷ 2 = 21.75 sec → 21.8 sec.

Next, regarding the heating module CPH2, I to IV are as follows.

I: 57 seconds

II: The implementation time of the implementation of the loop 24 is 20 seconds.

III: Wafer B02 is sent to the heating module CPH2 in the cycle 27, and the transfer time of the cycle 27 is 6 seconds as described above.

IV: The number of cycles until the wafer B02 is fed into the cycle 27 of the heating module CPH2 from the execution cycle 24 is (27-24)=3

Therefore, the appropriate time T2 is obtained from the equation (3) as: T2 = (57 + 20-6) ÷ 3 = 23.67 seconds → 23.7 seconds.

Finally, regarding the heating module CPH3, I~IV are as follows.

I: 76 seconds

II: The implementation time of the implementation of the loop 24 is 20 seconds.

III: Wafer B03 is sent to the heating module CPH3 in the cycle 28, and the wafer W transferred in the cycle 28 is B04, B03, and the transfer time is 6 seconds.

IV: The number of cycles until the wafer B03 is fed into the cycle 28 of the heating module CPH3 from the execution cycle 24 is (28-24)=4

Therefore, the appropriate time T2 is obtained from the equation (3) as: T2 = (76 + 20-6) ÷ 4 = 22.5 seconds.

As described above, since the appropriate time T2 of the heating module CPH1 is 21.8 seconds, the appropriate time T2 of the heating module CPH2 is 23.7 seconds, and the appropriate time T2 of the heating module CPH3 is 22.5 seconds (step S9), so the longest appropriate time is compared. T2 (23.7 seconds) and implementation time of loop 24 (20 seconds). At this time, since the appropriate time T2>the execution time, the standby time T3 of the main arm A is obtained at the appropriate time T2-execution time (3.7 seconds→the carry is 4 seconds), and the main arm A stands by for 4 seconds and then starts the subsequent operation. Loop 25 (step 10).

As described above, loops 22 to 28 are used to execute the loop, and before the end of the loop is executed and the next loop is started, the appropriate time for executing the next loop is determined one by one for each stable object module, and the longest one is compared. The appropriate time and the execution time of the execution cycle are such that the main arm A is controlled such that when the appropriate time is long, the standby is equivalent to the time between the appropriate time and the execution time, that is, the next cycle of waiting for the execution cycle is started. The remaining cycle is implemented in accordance with the above transportation plan.

In such a resist pattern forming apparatus, even in the case where the processing unit B2 continuously processes the wafer A of the preceding batch A and the wafer B of the subsequent batch B, the wafer A of the batch A is processed. When the stabilization process of the stabilization target module is performed between the processing of the wafer B and the processing of the wafer B of the batch B, it is possible to suppress the advancement of the wafer B to the module, or the occurrence of a delay.

In other words, since the cycle corresponding to the time required for the stabilization process is vacated at the time of the production of the transportation plan, the wafer W is removed from the carrier placement portion B1 to the processing portion. B2, therefore, it is possible to suppress the advancement of the transport time of the wafer B to the module, and the situation in which the wafer B is transported to the module before the end of the stabilization process occurs.

As described above, since the wafer B is prevented from being transported to the module before the end of the stabilization process, the following situation is suppressed: the wafer B cannot be transferred to the module, and the main arm A is holding the wafer B. Stand by, it is impossible to stop the transport cycle. Thereby, since the main arm A is not stopped, the transportation plan can be sequentially executed in a stable state, so that wafer transportation can be smoothly performed, and the throughput can be improved.

Further, in the cycle satisfying the predetermined condition, the appropriate time T2 when the next cycle is executed is obtained, and the timing of the main arm A is controlled such that the time is longer than the execution time of the execution cycle, and the standby is equivalent to the appropriate time T2. - the time of implementation, that is, waiting for the module to receive the wafer W from the beginning of the transport cycle, to suppress the slowing of the transport time of the wafer B to the module, and the wafer B01 can be sent immediately after the stabilization process is completed. The stable object module. Therefore, it is suppressed that the transport interval of the wafer A with the preceding lot A is excessively vacated, and the supply delay of the wafer to the exposure apparatus can be prevented from occurring. Since the wafer transfer can be smoothly performed from the processing unit B2 to the exposure device B4 in this manner, the throughput can be improved from this viewpoint.

Here, the appropriate time is as shown in the above formula (3), and is an ideal time for performing a cycle under the execution cycle, considering the past of the stable processing time of the stable target module and the execution time of the execution cycle. After the determination. Further, each time the loop is completed, the appropriate time is obtained, the appropriate time and the execution time are compared, and the standby control of the main arm is performed only when the appropriate time is long, whereby the re-evaluation can be performed at the end of each execution cycle. The time for the next cycle is performed, so it can be controlled to: if necessary, wait for the minimum time necessary, that is, wait for the next cycle to start. On the other hand, in the conventional control method, since the control is performed based on the maximum time of the transport cycle, that is, the cycle time, the standby time is changed as compared with the case where the appropriate time is obtained for each of the execution cycles as in the present invention. If it is too long, the time until the wafer B is sent to the stable object module after the stabilization process of the module is completed becomes long.

In the above description, as the stabilization target module of the present invention, a coating module may be used in addition to the heating module. The coating module is configured to rotatably hold the wafer W with a transfer chuck, and drip the coating liquid onto the wafer W on the rotary chuck from the coating nozzle, thereby making the wafer W is rotated to apply a coating liquid to the wafer W. At this time, the stabilization treatment is performed by preemptively discharging the coating liquid from the nozzle before supplying the coating liquid to the substrate. Further, the stabilization process includes all preparatory processes for performing wafer processing such as temperature adjustment processing of the resist liquid and brightness stabilization processing of the edge exposure apparatus.

Further, the present invention is also applicable to the conveyance control of the wafer W of the coating and developing apparatus, and the coating and developing apparatus includes a resist liquid coating unit and an anti-reflection film forming unit, and is separately used to form a resist. The block of the film and the block subjected to the development process are independently formed by the transport path for moving the wafer from the carrier block to the exposure device and the transport path for moving from the exposure device to the carrier block. Moreover, the present invention is applicable not only to a semiconductor wafer but also to a coating and developing apparatus for processing a substrate of a glass substrate (LCD substrate) for a liquid crystal display.

1A. . . Vehicle placement

1B. . . Processing department

1C. . . Face

1D. . . Exposure device

2. . . Resist pattern forming device

4. . . Control department

10. . . vehicle

11. . . Shipping platform

12. . . Transfer arm

13. . . Coating module

14. . . Developing module

15a~15c. . . Scaffolding module

16A, 16B. . . Main arm

twenty one. . . Mounting department

twenty two. . . Transport station

twenty three. . . Opening and closing department

twenty four. . . Transmission mechanism

25. . . framework

31, 32. . . Shipping room

33, 34. . . Transport arm

40. . . Busbar

41. . . Prescription storage department

42. . . Prescription selection department

43. . . Stable processing department

44. . . Transportation Planning Department

45. . . Standby control unit

46. . . Transportation control department

A1, A2. . . Main arm

B1. . . Vehicle placement

B2. . . Processing department

B3. . . Face

B4. . . Exposure section (exposure device)

BCT. . . Anti-reflection film forming module

C. . . vehicle

CLH, CPH. . . Heating module

COT. . . Coating module

CPL. . . Temperature control module

DEV. . . Developing module

PEB, POST. . . Heating module

S1~S10. . . step

TRS, TRSA. . . Transfer module

U1~U3, U6. . . Scaffolding module

U4, U5. . . Liquid processing module

W. . . Semiconductor wafer

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a resist pattern forming apparatus according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the resist pattern forming device.

3 is a plan view showing a conveyance path of the wafer W in the processing portion of the resist pattern forming apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a view showing a configuration of a part of a control unit of the resist pattern forming apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the action of the resist pattern forming device.

Fig. 6 is a view showing a transportation plan of an example of a transportation plan used in the resist pattern forming apparatus.

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a conventional coating and developing device.

Fig. 8 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a conventional transportation plan.

S1~S10. . . step

Claims (7)

The developing device includes: a carrier placing unit that mounts a carrier that houses the plurality of substrates; and includes a transmission mechanism that transfers the substrate between the transmission mechanism and the carrier; and a processing unit for receiving the carrier A coating film is formed on the substrate transferred from the mounting portion, and the exposed substrate is developed; and in the processing portion, the substrate is transported by the substrate transport mechanism for the following modules: temperature adjustment of the substrate a module, a coating module for applying a coating liquid on a substrate, a heating module for heating the substrate, and a developing module for developing the substrate; if the position at which the substrate is placed is referred to as a module, according to a preset In the transport plan, the substrate transporting mechanism forms a substrate of the front number, and the substrate of the subsequent number is located in the downstream module, thereby performing a transport cycle; after the transport cycle is completed, the next transport cycle is performed to perform the substrate. The method includes: a stable object module, comprising at least one of the coating module and the heating module, wherein the module performs a batch of batches removed from a carrier After the processing of the board is finished, the module is stably processed before the substrate of the subsequent batch is transported to the module; the transportation planning organization creates the transportation plan into: in the transportation plan, at the end of the batch After the substrate is transferred to the processing portion, until the first substrate of the subsequent batch is transferred to the processing portion, the cycle is idled for a delay cycle number; the delay cycle number is divided by the time required for the stabilization process to perform a delivery cycle The maximum time required for the time is obtained by the cycle time; and the substrate transport mechanism control means, in the transport plan prepared, the stabilization target module performs a cycle of stabilization processing, and the stable object module has stable processing The loop of the remaining time, that is, the loop is executed to end, and before the start of the next loop, the appropriate time for performing the next loop is determined one by one for each stable object module, and the longest appropriate time is compared and used to implement the implementation. The execution time of the cycle controls the substrate transport mechanism to: when the appropriate time is long, the next cycle of the execution cycle Start standby ring with an appropriate time corresponding to the period of the time difference between the implementation. The coating and developing device of claim 1, wherein the appropriate time is calculated as follows: {(the remaining processing time of the stable object module) + (the execution time of the execution cycle) - (The substrate of the subsequent batch is fed into the cycle of the stable object module, and the time required for the substrate transport mechanism to transfer the substrate)}÷ (the substrate from the execution cycle to the subsequent batch is fed to the stable object) The number of cycles until the module is cycled). The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the start of the next cycle means that the substrate transport mechanism receives the substrate transferred from the carrier mounting portion to the processing portion. The coating and developing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the stabilization target module is a heating module, and the stabilization process is a heating temperature change process. The developing method is carried out by a coating and developing device comprising: a carrier placing portion on which a carrier in which a plurality of substrates are housed is mounted, and a transfer mechanism including the transfer mechanism and the carrier The substrate is transferred between the members; and the processing portion is configured to form a coating film on the substrate transferred from the carrier mounting portion, and develop the exposed substrate; and the substrate transporting mechanism is used in the processing portion. The substrate is transported by the following modules: a temperature adjustment module for adjusting the temperature of the substrate, a coating module for applying the coating liquid to the substrate, a heating module for heating the substrate, and a developing module for developing the substrate; The position at which the substrate is placed is referred to as a module, and a substrate having the front number is formed by the substrate transport mechanism in a state in which the substrate of the front number is located in the downstream module according to a predetermined transport schedule, thereby performing a transport cycle; After the transport cycle, the next transport cycle is performed to carry out the transport of the substrate; the coating and development method is characterized by: a stabilization process step, to the coating module and the heating module One of the processes is performed after the module finishes processing the substrate of the preceding batch removed from a carrier, and then performs stable processing on the module before the substrate of the subsequent batch is delivered to the module; Production steps to make the shipping plan into: in the shipping plan, After the last substrate of the preceding batch is transferred to the processing unit, until the first substrate of the subsequent batch is transferred to the processing unit, the cycle is idled for a delay cycle number; the delay cycle number is the time required for the stabilization process Divided by the maximum time required to carry out one transport cycle, that is, the cycle time; and the substrate transport mechanism control step, in the transport plan prepared, the stabilization target module performs a cycle of stabilization processing, and the stabilization The object module has a loop for stably processing the remaining time, that is, the loop is executed to end, and before the start of the next loop, the appropriate time for performing the next loop is determined one by one for each stable object module, and the longest appropriate time is compared. And the execution time for performing the execution cycle, the substrate transport mechanism is controlled to: when the appropriate time is long, the start standby of one cycle of the execution cycle is equivalent to a period of the difference between the appropriate time and the execution time time. The coating and developing method of claim 5, wherein the appropriate time is calculated as follows: {(the remaining processing time of the stable object module) + (the execution time of the execution cycle) - (The substrate of the subsequent batch is fed into the cycle of the stable object module, and the time required for the substrate transport mechanism to transfer the substrate)}÷ (the substrate from the execution cycle to the subsequent batch is fed to the stable object) The number of cycles until the module is cycled). A memory medium storing a computer program used in a coating and developing device, wherein the coating and developing device forms a coating on a substrate received from a carrier mounting portion on which a carrier for accommodating a plurality of substrates is placed in a processing unit. The film is deposited and the exposed substrate is developed; and the program includes a step group for performing the coating and developing method of claim 5 or 6.