WO2023276723A1 - Substrate processing device and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

This substrate processing device includes: a hydroxylation unit that performs hydroxylation, for each substrate on which a metal-containing resist film has been formed and which has been subjected to exposure processing, the film of the substrate; a heat treatment unit that performs heat treatment on the substrate on which the coating film has been subjected to the hydroxylation; and a development processing unit that performs development processing on the coating film of the substrate subjected to the heat treatment. The hydroxylation unit has a substrate support part for supporting the substrate, a lid body covering a processing space on the substrate support part, and a gas discharge part that discharges moisture-containing gas into the processing space.

Description

SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD

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

Patent Document 1 discloses a pattern forming apparatus for forming a predetermined resist pattern on a semiconductor substrate using a chemically amplified resist. In this substrate processing apparatus, the control section controls the delivery section and the post-exposure bake unit so that the time from the end of exposure in the exposure device to the start of post-exposure bake processing in the post-exposure bake unit is constant for each substrate. The substrates are kept waiting at two places in the waiting section of .

JP 2008-130857 A

The technology according to the present disclosure improves the in-plane uniformity of the dimensions of a resist pattern using a metal-containing resist.

One aspect of the present disclosure includes a hydroxylation treatment unit that performs hydroxylation treatment on each substrate on which a film of a metal-containing resist is formed and has been subjected to exposure treatment, and the hydroxylation treatment is performed on the film. a heat treatment unit for applying heat treatment to a substrate that has been subjected to heat treatment; and a development treatment unit for applying development treatment to the film on the substrate that has been subjected to the heat treatment, wherein the hydroxylation treatment unit supports a substrate for supporting the substrate. a lid covering a processing space on the substrate support; and a gas discharger for discharging gas containing moisture into the processing space.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the in-plane uniformity of the dimensions of a resist pattern using a metal-containing resist.

1 is an explanatory view showing an outline of an internal configuration of a coating and developing treatment apparatus as a substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the outline of the internal configuration on the front side of the coating and developing treatment apparatus; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the outline of the internal configuration on the back side of the coating and developing treatment apparatus; FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of a heat treatment unit used for PEB treatment; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of a heat treatment unit used for PEB treatment; FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of a heating region; FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of a hydroxylated region; It is a bottom view which shows the outline of a structure of a cover typically. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the mixing unit during hydroxylation treatment and PEB treatment; FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the mixing unit during hydroxylation treatment and PEB treatment;

In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, etc., a predetermined process is performed to form a resist pattern on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as "wafer"). The above predetermined processing includes, for example, a resist coating processing in which a resist solution is supplied onto a wafer to form a resist film, an exposure processing in which the resist film is exposed, and a PEB in which heat is applied to promote a chemical reaction in the resist film after exposure. (Post Exposure Bake) processing, development processing for developing the exposed resist film, and the like.

In recent years, metal-containing resists are sometimes used as resists instead of chemically amplified resists. In addition, the PEB process using a metal-containing resist is performed while evacuating the atmosphere around the substrate, but depending on the form of the evacuation, etc., the dimensions of the resist pattern may vary within the plane.

Therefore, the technology according to the present disclosure improves the in-plane uniformity of the dimensions of the resist pattern using the metal-containing resist.

A substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, thereby omitting redundant description.

<Coating and developing device>
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the outline of the internal configuration of a coating and developing treatment apparatus as a substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment. 2 and 3 are diagrams showing the outline of the internal configuration on the front side and the back side of the coating and developing treatment apparatus 1, respectively.

The coating and developing treatment apparatus 1 forms a resist pattern on a wafer W as a substrate using a negative metal-containing resist (more specifically, a metal oxide resist). The metal contained in the metal-containing resist is arbitrary, but is tin, for example.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the coating and developing treatment apparatus 1 includes a cassette station 2 in which a cassette C, which is a container capable of accommodating a plurality of wafers, is loaded and unloaded, and various processing units for performing predetermined processes such as resist coating. and a processing station 3 comprising a plurality of The coating and developing treatment apparatus 1 has a configuration in which a cassette station 2, a treatment station 3, and an interface station 5 for transferring wafers W between an exposure apparatus 4 adjacent to the treatment station 3 are integrally connected. doing.

The cassette station 2 is divided into, for example, a cassette loading/unloading section 10 and a wafer transfer section 11 . For example, the cassette loading/unloading section 10 is provided at the end of the coating and developing treatment apparatus 1 in the negative Y direction (leftward direction in FIG. 1). A cassette mounting table 12 is provided in the cassette loading/unloading section 10 . A plurality of, for example, four mounting plates 13 are provided on the cassette mounting table 12 . The mounting plates 13 are arranged in a row in the horizontal X direction (vertical direction in FIG. 1). The cassette C can be placed on these mounting plates 13 when the cassette C is carried into and out of the coating and developing treatment apparatus 1 .

A transfer unit 20 for transferring the wafer W is provided in the wafer transfer section 11 . The transport unit 20 is configured to be movable along a transport path 21 extending in the X direction. The transport unit 20 is movable in the vertical direction and around the vertical axis (θ direction). , the wafer W can be transported.

The processing station 3 is provided with a plurality of, for example, first to fourth blocks G1, G2, G3, and G4 each having various units. For example, a first block G1 is provided on the front side of the processing station 3 (negative X direction side in FIG. 1), and a second block G1 is provided on the back side of the processing station 3 (positive X direction side in FIG. 1). A block G2 of is provided. A third block G3 is provided on the cassette station 2 side of the processing station 3 (negative Y direction side in FIG. 1), and the interface station 5 side of the processing station 3 (positive Y direction side in FIG. 1). is provided with a fourth block G4.

In the first block G1, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of liquid processing units such as a developing processing unit 30, a lower antireflection film forming unit 31, a resist coating unit 32, and an upper antireflection film forming unit 33 are arranged from below. are arranged in order. The development processing unit 30 subjects the wafer W to development processing. Specifically, the development processing unit 30 develops the metal-containing resist film of the wafer W that has undergone the PEB processing. The lower antireflection film forming unit 31 forms an antireflection film (hereinafter referred to as “lower antireflection film”) on the wafer W under the metal-containing resist film. The resist coating unit 32 coats the wafer W with a metal-containing resist to form a coating of the metal-containing resist, that is, a metal-containing resist film. The upper antireflection film forming unit 33 forms an antireflection film (hereinafter referred to as “upper antireflection film”) on the metal-containing resist film of the wafer W. As shown in FIG.

For example, three development processing units 30, lower antireflection film forming units 31, resist coating units 32, and upper antireflection film forming units 33 are arranged horizontally. The number and arrangement of these development processing units 30, lower antireflection film forming units 31, resist coating units 32, and upper antireflection film forming units 33 can be arbitrarily selected.

In the developing processing unit 30, the lower antireflection film forming unit 31, the resist coating unit 32, and the upper antireflection film forming unit 33, a predetermined processing liquid is applied onto the wafer W by spin coating, for example. In the spin coating method, for example, the processing liquid is discharged onto the wafer W from a discharge nozzle, and the wafer W is rotated to spread the processing liquid on the surface of the wafer W. FIG.

For example, in the second block G2, as shown in FIG. A processing unit 41 and a peripheral exposure unit 42 for exposing the peripheral portion of the resist film on the wafer W are arranged vertically and horizontally. The number and arrangement of these thermal processing units 40, hydrophobic processing units 41, and peripheral exposure units 42 can also be selected arbitrarily. In the heat treatment unit 40, a pre-baking process (hereinafter referred to as "PAB process") for heat-treating the wafer W after the resist coating process, a PEB process for heat-treating the wafer W after the exposure process, and a wafer after the development process. A post-baking process (hereinafter referred to as "POST process") for heat-treating W is performed. In the present embodiment, among the heat treatment units 40, the heat treatment unit 40 used for the PEB treatment is integrated with the hydroxylation treatment unit 40a for performing the hydroxylation treatment, as described later, and constitutes the mixing unit M described later. there is The configurations of the heat treatment unit 40, the hydroxylation treatment unit 40a and the mixing unit M used for this PEB treatment will be described later.

For example, in the third block G3, a plurality of delivery units 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, and 56 are provided in order from the bottom. Further, in the fourth block G4, a plurality of transfer units 60, 61, 62 and a back surface cleaning unit 63 for cleaning the back surface of the wafer W are provided in this order from the bottom.

As shown in FIG. 1, a wafer transfer area D is formed in the area surrounded by the first block G1 to the fourth block G4. In the wafer transfer area D, a transfer unit 70 as a substrate transfer unit for transferring the wafer W, for example, is arranged.

The transport unit 70 has a transport arm 70a that is movable in, for example, the Y direction, the θ direction, and the vertical direction. The transfer unit 70 moves the transfer arm 70a holding the wafer W within the wafer transfer area D, and moves the transfer arm 70a within the surrounding first block G1, second block G2, third block G3 and fourth block G4. A wafer W can be transported to a predetermined device. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of transport units 70 are arranged vertically, and wafers W can be transported to predetermined units having approximately the same height in blocks G1 to G4, for example.

Also, in the wafer transfer area D, a shuttle transfer unit 80 is provided for transferring the wafer W linearly between the third block G3 and the fourth block G4.

The shuttle transport unit 80 linearly moves the supported wafer W in the Y direction, and transfers the wafer between the delivery unit 51 of the third block G3 and the delivery unit 60 of the fourth block G4, which are approximately the same height. W can be transported.

As shown in FIG. 1, a transport unit 90 is provided on the positive X-direction side of the third block G3. The transport unit 90 has a transport arm 90a movable in, for example, the θ direction and the vertical direction. The transfer unit 90 can move the transfer arm 90a holding the wafer W up and down to transfer the wafer W to each transfer unit in the third block G3.

The interface station 5 is provided with a transport unit 100 and a delivery unit 101 . The transport unit 100 has a transport arm 100a movable in, for example, the θ direction and the vertical direction. The transport unit 100 can hold the wafer W on the transport arm 100a and transport the wafer W between the delivery units, the delivery unit 101 and the exposure apparatus 4 in the fourth block G4.

The coating and developing treatment apparatus 1 described above is provided with a control section 200 as shown in FIG. The control unit 200 is, for example, a computer including a processor such as a CPU, a memory, and the like, and has a program storage unit (not shown). The program storage unit stores programs for controlling the operation of drive systems such as the above-described various processing units and various transfer units, and for controlling wafer processing, which will be described later. The program may be recorded in a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium H and installed in the control unit 200 from the storage medium H. The storage medium H may be temporary or non-temporary. Part or all of the program may be realized by dedicated hardware (circuit board).

<Wafer processing>
Next, an example of wafer processing using the coating and developing treatment apparatus 1 will be described. Note that the following processing is performed under the control of the control unit 200. FIG.

First, a cassette C containing a plurality of wafers W is carried into the cassette station 2 of the coating and developing treatment apparatus 1 and placed on the placing plate 13 . After that, the wafers W in the cassette C are sequentially taken out by the transfer unit 20 and transferred to the transfer unit 53 of the third block G3 of the processing station 3 .

Next, the wafer W is transferred by the transfer unit 70 to the heat treatment unit 40 of the second block G2 and subjected to temperature adjustment processing. After that, the wafer W is transferred by the transfer unit 70 to, for example, the lower antireflection film forming unit 31 of the first block G1, and a lower antireflection film is formed on the wafer W. FIG. After that, the wafer W is transported to the heat treatment unit 40 of the second block G2 and subjected to heat treatment. After that, the wafer W is returned to the delivery unit 53 of the third block G3.

Next, the wafer W is transferred by the transfer unit 90 to the delivery unit 54 of the same third block G3. After that, the wafer W is transported by the transport unit 70 to the hydrophobization processing unit 41 of the second block G2, and subjected to the hydrophobization processing.

Next, the wafer W is transferred to the resist coating unit 32 by the transfer unit 70, and a metal-containing resist film is formed on the wafer W. After that, the wafer W is transferred to the heat treatment unit 40 by the transfer unit 70 and subjected to PAB processing. After that, the wafer W is transferred by the transfer unit 70 to the delivery unit 55 of the third block G3.

Next, the wafer W is transferred by the transfer unit 70 to the upper antireflection film forming unit 33, and an upper antireflection film is formed on the wafer W. After that, the wafer W is transferred to the thermal processing unit 40 by the transfer unit 70, heated, and temperature-controlled. After that, the wafer W is transferred to the edge exposure unit 42 and subjected to edge exposure processing.

After that, the wafer W is transferred by the transfer unit 70 to the delivery unit 56 of the third block G3.

Next, the wafer W is transported by the transport unit 90 to the delivery unit 52 and transported by the shuttle transport unit 80 to the delivery unit 62 of the fourth block G4. After that, the wafer W is transferred by the transfer unit 100 to the back surface cleaning unit 63, and the back surface thereof is cleaned. Next, the wafer W is transported to the exposure apparatus 4 by the transport unit 100 of the interface station 5, and exposed in a predetermined pattern using EUV light.

Next, the wafer W is transferred by the transfer unit 100 to the delivery unit 60 of the fourth block G4. After that, the wafer W is transported by the transport unit 70 to the heat treatment unit 40 integrated with the later-described hydroxylation unit 40a, where it is hydroxylated and then PEB-treated. The hydroxylation treatment and PEB treatment in this heat treatment unit 40 will be described later.

Next, the wafer W is transported by the transport unit 70 to the developing unit 30 and developed. After completion of the development, the wafer W is transported to the thermal processing unit 40 by the transport unit 90 and subjected to POST processing.

After that, the wafer W is transferred by the transfer unit 70 to the delivery unit 50 of the third block G3, and then transferred to the cassette C on the predetermined mounting plate 13 by the transfer unit 20 of the cassette station 2. Thus, a series of photolithography steps are completed.

<Heat treatment unit>
Next, among the thermal processing units 40, the thermal processing unit 40 used for PEB processing will be described. 4 and 5 are longitudinal sectional view and transverse sectional view, respectively, schematically showing the outline of the structure of a thermal processing unit 40 used for PEB processing. FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of the heating region 310, which will be described later. FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing the outline of the structure of the hydroxylation treatment region 311, which will be described later. FIG. 8 is a bottom view schematically showing the outline of the configuration of the lid body 390, which will be described later.

The heat treatment unit 40 in FIGS. 4 and 5 is integrated with a hydroxylation treatment unit 40a arranged adjacent to the heat treatment unit 40 to form a mixing unit M. The hydroxylation treatment unit 40a applies a hydroxylation treatment to the metal-containing resist film of each wafer W on which the metal-containing resist film is formed and subjected to the exposure treatment. Then, the heat treatment unit 40 heats the wafer W having the metal-containing resist film subjected to the hydroxylation treatment. The hydroxylating unit 40a is provided in the mixing unit M on the wafer transfer area D side.

The mixing unit M has a processing container 300 whose inside can be closed. A loading/unloading port (not shown) for the wafer W is formed on the side surface of the processing container 300 on the side of the hydroxylating unit 40a, that is, on the side of the wafer transfer region D, and the loading/unloading port is provided with an opening/closing shutter (not shown). ing.

A heating region 310 for heat-treating the wafer W and a hydroxylating region 311 for hydroxylating the metal-containing resist film on the wafer W are provided inside the processing container 300 . The heating region 310 and the hydroxylating region 311 are arranged side by side in the Y direction.

As shown in FIG. 6, the heating region 310 is provided with a chamber 320 that covers a heat treatment space S1 above a hot plate 350 to be described later and accommodates a wafer W during heat treatment. The chamber 320 has an upper chamber 321 which is positioned on the upper side and can be raised and lowered, and a lower chamber 322 which is positioned on the lower side and can be sealed integrally with the upper chamber 321 .

The upper chamber 321 has a substantially cylindrical shape with an open bottom surface. Inside the upper chamber 321, at a position facing a hot plate 350, which will be described later, is provided a shower head 330 serving as a gas ejection section for ejecting a gas containing moisture, that is, a moisture-containing gas, into the heat treatment space S1. there is Specifically, the shower head 330 is provided on a wafer W supported by a hot plate 350, which will be described later, and discharges moisture-containing gas. Also, the shower head 330 is configured to move up and down in synchronization with the upper chamber 321 .

A plurality of gas supply holes 331 are formed on the bottom surface of the shower head 330 . The plurality of gas supply holes 331 are evenly arranged on the lower surface of the shower head 330 except for a central exhaust passage 340, which will be described later. A gas supply pipe 332 is connected to the shower head 330 . Furthermore, the gas supply pipe 332 is connected to a gas supply source 333 that supplies moisture-containing gas to the shower head 330 . Further, the gas supply pipe 332 is provided with a supply device group 334 including a valve for controlling the flow of the moisture-containing gas, a flow control valve, etc., and a temperature adjustment mechanism 335 for adjusting the temperature of the moisture-containing gas.

Inside the gas supply source 333, gas with a moisture concentration adjusted to, for example, 20% to 80% is stored. Then, by supplying the moisture-containing gas with the moisture concentration adjusted in this way to the heat treatment space S1 inside the chamber 320 through the shower head 330, the heat treatment space S1 is reduced to a predetermined range, for example, 20% to 80%. adjusted to the humidity of The temperature of the moisture-containing gas supplied to the heat treatment space S1 is adjusted to a predetermined range, eg, 20.degree. C. to 50.degree.

Furthermore, the shower head 330 is provided with a central exhaust passage 340 as an exhaust section for exhausting the heat treatment space S1. The central exhaust path 340 is formed to extend from the central portion of the lower surface of the shower head 330 to the central portion of the upper surface. A central exhaust pipe 341 provided at the center of the upper surface of the upper chamber 321 is connected to the central exhaust passage 340 . Furthermore, an exhaust device 342 such as a vacuum pump is connected to the central exhaust pipe 341 . In addition, the central exhaust pipe 341 is provided with an exhaust device group 343 having valves and the like for controlling the flow of the exhausted gas. The central exhaust path 340 can exhaust the heat treatment space S1 from above the center of the wafer W supported by a hot plate 350, which will be described later.

By evacuating the heat treatment space S1 as described above, the gas containing the metal-containing sublimate generated from the metal-containing resist film during the PEB process can be recovered, and the contamination of the wafer W by the metal-containing sublimate can be prevented. can be suppressed. In particular, as described above, by evacuating the heat treatment space S1 from above the center of the wafer W, it is possible to prevent the rear surface and the peripheral edge of the wafer W from coming into contact with the gas containing the metal-containing sublimate and being contaminated. can.

The lower chamber 322 has a substantially cylindrical shape with an open top. At the upper opening of the lower chamber 322, a hot plate 350 as a supporting heating unit that supports and heats the wafer W, and an annular holding member 351 that accommodates the hot plate 350 and holds the outer peripheral portion of the hot plate 350. and is provided. The hot plate 350 has a thick, substantially disk shape. Further, the hot plate 350 incorporates, for example, a heater 352 . The temperature of the hot plate 350 is controlled by, for example, the controller 200, and the wafer W placed on the hot plate 350 is heated to a predetermined temperature.

Inside the lower chamber 322 and below the hot plate 350, there are provided, for example, three elevating pins 360 for supporting the wafer W from below and elevating it. The lifting pin 360 can be moved up and down by a lifting drive unit 361 having a drive source such as a motor. In the vicinity of the central portion of the hot plate 350, for example, three through-holes 362 are formed through the hot plate 350 in the thickness direction. The elevating pins 360 can pass through the through holes 362 and protrude from the upper surface of the hot plate 350 . The elevating pins 360 and the elevating drive unit 361 constitute an elevating mechanism that elevates the wafer W within the heat treatment space S1.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the hydroxylation treatment area 311 is provided with a temperature control plate 370 as a substrate support. The temperature control plate 370 has a substantially square flat plate shape, and the end face on the hot plate 350 side is curved in an arc shape. Two slits 371 are formed in the temperature control plate 370 along the Y direction. The slit 371 is formed from the end surface of the temperature control plate 370 on the hot plate 350 side to the vicinity of the central portion of the temperature control plate 370 . The slits 371 prevent the temperature control plate 370 from interfering with the lifting pins 360 of the heating region 310 and the lifting pins 380 of the hydroxylating region 311, which will be described later. Further, the temperature control plate 370 incorporates a temperature control member (not shown) such as cooling water or a Peltier device. The temperature of the temperature control plate 370 is controlled by, for example, the control unit 200, and the wafer W placed on the temperature control plate 370 is adjusted to a predetermined temperature. Thereby, the temperature control plate 370 can control the temperature of the wafer W placed on the temperature control plate 370 at a predetermined temperature at which the dehydration condensation of the metal-containing resist film does not proceed.

The temperature control plate 370 is supported by a support arm 372. A drive unit 373 having a drive source such as a motor is attached to the support arm 372 . The drive unit 373 is attached to a rail 374 extending in the Y direction. Rail 374 extends from hydroxylation zone 311 to heating zone 310 . The driving portion 373 allows the temperature control plate 370 to move along rails 374 between an initial position within the hydroxylation treatment area 311 and a transfer position within the heating area 310 . Temperature control plate 370, support arm 372, drive unit 373, and rail 374 transport wafer W between hydroxylation area 311 and heating area 310 (that is, between heat treatment unit 40 and hydroxylation unit 40a). A substrate transfer mechanism is configured. In other words, in this embodiment, the temperature control plate 370 constitutes the substrate transfer mechanism.

For example, three elevating pins 380 for supporting the wafer W from below and elevating it are provided below the temperature control plate 370 . The lift pin 380 can be moved up and down by a lift driver 381 . The elevating pin 380 is inserted through the slit 371 and can protrude from the upper surface of the temperature control plate 370 .

As shown in FIG. 7, the hydroxylation treatment area 311 is provided with a lid body 390 that covers the treatment space S2 above the temperature control plate 370 . Lid 390 is configured to move up and down with respect to temperature control plate 370, and accommodates wafer W placed on temperature control plate 370 between temperature control plate 370 during the hydroxylation treatment. In other words, the lid 390 and the temperature control plate 370 constitute a chamber that accommodates the wafer W during the hydroxylation treatment.

The lid 390 has a substantially cylindrical shape with an open bottom surface. A shower head 400 serving as a gas ejection unit that ejects a moisture-containing gas into the processing space S2 is provided inside the lid 390 and at a position facing the temperature control plate 370 . Specifically, the shower head 400 is provided on the wafer W supported by the temperature control plate 370 at the initial position, and discharges moisture-containing gas. Also, the shower head 400 is configured to move up and down in synchronization with the lid body 390 .

Furthermore, the shower head 400 is formed with a plurality of discharge holes 401 scattered along the surface facing the wafer W supported by the temperature control plate 370 (that is, the lower surface). More specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the plurality of discharge holes 401 are substantially uniformly arranged in a region of the lower surface of the shower head 400 on the temperature control plate 370 facing the wafer W. As shown in FIG. The plurality of discharge holes 401 may be scattered so that the amount of water (humidity) in the space along the upper surface of the wafer W on the temperature control plate 370 is substantially uniform within the wafer W surface. The opening area of each ejection hole 401 is, for example, substantially the same.

As shown in FIG. 7, a gas supply pipe 402 is connected to the shower head 400 . Furthermore, the gas supply pipe 402 is connected to a gas supply source 403 that supplies moisture-containing gas to the shower head 400 . Further, the gas supply pipe 402 is provided with a supply device group 404 including a valve for controlling the flow of the moisture-containing gas, a flow control valve, etc., and a temperature adjustment mechanism 405 for adjusting the temperature of the moisture-containing gas.

Inside the gas supply source 403, gas with a moisture concentration adjusted to, for example, 20% to 80% is stored. By supplying the moisture-containing gas having the moisture concentration adjusted in this way to the processing space S2 via the shower head 400, the humidity of the processing space S2 is adjusted to a predetermined range, for example, 20% to 80%. be. Note that the temperature of the moisture-containing gas supplied to the processing space S2 is adjusted to a predetermined range, eg, 20.degree. C. to 50.degree.

Here, the hydroxylation treatment will be explained. As a result of intensive studies by the present inventors, unlike the present embodiment, when PEB treatment is performed without performing hydroxylation treatment, the dimension (for example, line width) of the resist pattern becomes non-uniform within the surface of the wafer W. was there. In particular, in the PEB process, evacuation is performed to recover gas containing metal-containing sublimate, and depending on the form of the evacuation, there have been cases where the uniformity of the above dimensions within the wafer plane is poor. Specifically, in the central exhaust method in which the heat treatment space S1 is exhausted from above the center of the wafer W as in the present embodiment, compared to the outer peripheral exhaust method in which the wafer W is exhausted from the outer periphery, was able to suppress contamination from the metal-containing sublimate, but there were cases where the uniformity of the above dimensions within the wafer surface was poor. The causes of in-plane non-uniformity in the dimensions of the resist pattern when the PEB treatment is performed without the hydroxylation treatment are considered as follows.

In other words, the metal-containing resist becomes active when the bond between the metal in the resist and the ligand (organometallic complex) is cut by the ultraviolet rays in the exposure process. This metal-containing resist in the active state reacts with moisture in the atmosphere, and hydroxyl groups are bonded as side chains of the metal-containing resist. That is, the metal-containing resist is hydroxylated and becomes a precursor. Then, the hydroxylated metal-containing resist (precursor) undergoes dehydration condensation during the PEB treatment and becomes insoluble in the developer. In addition, only a portion of the metal-containing resist in the active state described above is hydroxylated only by atmospheric moisture. In normal PEB treatment, water generated by dehydration condensation during PEB treatment also causes hydroxylation (precursor formation). Furthermore, water in the water-containing gas supplied to the wafer W during the PEB process also causes hydroxylation. Therefore, in a normal PEB process, the dimension of the resist pattern becomes uneven within the wafer W depending on the exhaust method of the heat treatment space S1 that affects the flow of the moisture-containing gas supplied to the wafer W during the process. It is considered that there is a case where it becomes. For example, in the above-described central exhaust system, since the water concentration (humidity) of the wafer W is higher above the center of the wafer W in the heat treatment space S1 than above the peripheral edge of the wafer W, hydration and dehydration aggregation proceed. As a result, it is considered that the line width of the resist pattern becomes thicker at the center of the wafer W, and the line width becomes thinner at the peripheral portion of the wafer W.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, prior to the PEB process, the wafer W is subjected to a hydroxylation process for hydroxylating the metal-containing resist in an active state so that only dehydration condensation is mainly performed in the PEB process. . As a result, the metal-containing resist film on the wafer W is not affected by moisture in the moisture-containing gas during the PEB process. can be uniform within

Returning to the description of the hydroxylated region 311 .
As shown in FIG. 7, an outer exhaust passage 410 is formed as an exhaust unit for exhausting the processing space S2 inside the lid 390 and in the outer peripheral portion of the shower head 400 . An outer exhaust pipe 411 provided on the upper surface of the lid 390 is connected to the outer exhaust path 410 . Further, an exhaust device 412 such as a vacuum pump is connected to the outer exhaust pipe 411 . Further, the outer exhaust pipe 411 is provided with an exhaust device group 413 having a valve or the like for controlling the flow of the exhausted gas. The outer exhaust path 410 can exhaust the processing space S<b>2 from above the outer periphery of the wafer W supported by the temperature control plate 370 .

<Hydroxylation treatment and PEB treatment>
Next, the hydroxylation treatment and PEB treatment performed using the mixing unit M will be described. 9 and 10 are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the mixing unit M, respectively. A metal-containing resist film is formed on the wafer W carried into the mixing unit M. As shown in FIG.

(Step S1: Wafer loading)
First, when the wafer W is carried into the hydroxylating unit 40 a of the mixing unit M by the transfer unit 70 , the elevating pins 380 are raised and the wafer W is transferred from the transfer unit 70 to the elevating pins 380 . Subsequently, the lifting pins 380 are lowered, and the wafer W is placed on the temperature control plate 370 at the initial position as shown in FIG. 9(a).

(Step S2: Hydroxylation treatment)
After that, as shown in FIG. 9B, the lid 390 is lowered and brought into contact with the temperature control plate 370, and the processing space S2 is defined by the lid 390 and the temperature control plate 370. As shown in FIG. After that, the wafer W on the temperature control plate 370 is subjected to a hydroxylation treatment.

In this hydroxylation treatment, a water-containing gas having a water concentration adjusted to, for example, 20% to 80% is supplied from the shower head 400 at a flow rate of, for example, 4 L/min, and the processing space S2 is, for example, 20% to 80%. Humidity adjusted. Then, the moisture contained in this moisture-containing gas condenses and adheres to the metal-containing resist film of the wafer W, and this moisture promotes hydroxylation (precursor conversion) of the metal-containing resist.

In addition, in this hydroxylation treatment, the temperature of the moisture-containing gas supplied from the shower head 400 and the temperature of the wafer W on the temperature control plate 370, which is temperature-controlled by the temperature control plate 370, are such that dehydration condensation of the metal-containing resist occurs. A predetermined temperature is set at which no progress is made. The predetermined temperature in the hydroxylation treatment is specifically, for example, 20°C to 50°C, more specifically, for example, 20°C to 30°C.

Furthermore, in this hydroxylation treatment, a water-containing gas is supplied to the wafer W from a plurality of discharge holes 401 scattered along the surface facing the wafer W supported by the temperature control plate 370 , i.e., the lower surface, by the shower head 400 . is supplied uniformly. Therefore, the metal-containing resist on the wafer W can be uniformly hydrated within the wafer W surface.

Furthermore, in the hydroxylation process, the processing space S2 is exhausted from the outer exhaust path 410 (that is, above the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W). By evacuating in this way, the metal-containing resist on the wafer W can be more uniformly hydrated within the wafer W surface. The exhaust amount by the outer exhaust passage 410 is, for example, 4 L/min or more.

Note that, in the hydroxylation treatment, dehydration condensation of the metal-containing resist does not proceed, so no metal-containing sublimate is generated from the metal-containing resist.

Also, the hydroxylation treatment is performed, for example, for 1 to 10 minutes.

(Step S3: Wafer transfer)
When the hydroxylation treatment is completed, the supply of moisture-containing gas from the shower head 400 and the exhaust through the outer exhaust passage 410 are stopped, and the lid 390 is raised as shown in FIG. 9(c). Next, the drive unit 373 moves the temperature control plate 370 along the rails 374 to the delivery position above the hot plate 350 . Subsequently, the lifting pins 360 are lifted and the wafer W is transferred to the lifting pins 360 . Then, the temperature control plate 370 is returned to the initial position.

(Step S4: PEB processing)
Next, as shown in FIG. 10(a), the upper chamber 321 is lowered to abut on the lower chamber 322, and the interior of the chamber 320 is sealed. After that, the lifting pins 360 are lowered and the wafer W is placed on the hot plate 350 . Then, the wafer W is PEB processed.

In this PEB process, the temperature on the hot plate 350 heated by the hot plate 350 is set to a predetermined temperature so that the dehydration condensation of the metal-containing resist on the wafer W proceeds. Specifically, the predetermined temperature in the PEB treatment is, for example, 150.degree. C. to 200.degree.

In the PEB treatment according to the present embodiment, as in the hydroxylation treatment, a water-containing gas having a water concentration adjusted to, for example, 20% to 80% is supplied from the shower head 330 at a flow rate of, for example, 4 L/min. , the heat treatment space S1 is adjusted to a humidity of, for example, 20% to 80%. The water contained in the water-containing gas can promote the hydroxylation of the metal-containing resist when the metal-containing resist is not yet completely hydrated during the water-containing gas.

Also, in the PEB process, the temperature of the hot plate 350 is made uniform within the surface. Therefore, the dehydration condensation of the metal-containing resist that has been completely hydroxylated can be uniformly performed within the wafer surface, and the dimensions of the resist pattern can be made uniform within the wafer surface.

Furthermore, in the PEB process, the heat treatment space S1 is evacuated from the central exhaust path 340 (that is, above the center of the wafer W). By exhausting in this way, the back surface and the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W are contaminated by the gas containing the metal-containing sublimate generated during the PEB process, compared to the case where the outer peripheral portion of the wafer W is exhausted from above. can be suppressed.

(Step S5: Rise to intermediate standby position)
When the PEB process is finished, the lifting pins 360 are lifted while the supply of moisture-containing gas from the shower head 330 and the exhaust through the central exhaust path 340 are continued, and the wafer W is transferred to the lifting pins 360. As shown in FIG. 10(b), it is moved to the intermediate standby position. The intermediate standby position is, for example, a position where the distance from the upper surface of the wafer W to the lower surface of the shower head 330 is half that of the PEB processing.

The lifting speed of the wafer W by the lifting pins 360 during the movement to the intermediate standby position, that is, the lifting speed of the wafer W immediately after being heated by the hot plate 350 by the lifting pins 360 is determined by the lifting speed of the wafer W to the standby position in step S6, which will be described later. It is smaller than the speed, specifically 10 mm/s or less (for example, 5 mm/s). Reducing the rising speed of the wafer W in this way has the following effects. That is, the metal-containing sublimate is generated from the metal-containing resist film on the wafer W immediately after heating by the hot plate 350, that is, immediately after the PEB processing. In contrast, by reducing the rising speed of the wafer W as described above, the gas containing the metal-containing sublimate between the wafer W and the lower surface of the shower head 330 is released while the wafer W is moving to the intermediate standby position. , flow radially outward of the wafer W, thereby suppressing contamination of the back surface and the peripheral edge of the wafer W.

(Step S6: Move to standby position)
After that, the upper chamber 321 is raised as shown in FIG. 10(c) while the supply of moisture-containing gas from the shower head 330 and the exhaust through the central exhaust passage 340 are continued. At the same time, the lifting pins 360 are further raised to move the wafer W to the standby position. In this step, the distance between the lower surface of the shower head 330 and the upper surface of the wafer W is set to a predetermined range in which the gas containing the metal-containing sublimate does not leak from between the lower surface of the shower head 330 and the upper surface of the wafer W. To accommodate, the lifting of the upper chamber 321 and the lifting pin 360 are performed simultaneously or alternately. In other words, in this step, the distance between the lower surface of the showerhead 330 and the upper surface of the wafer W is such that the central exhaust path 340 maintains an airflow that removes the gas containing the metal-containing sublimate. The lifting of the upper chamber 321 and the lifting pin 360 are performed simultaneously or alternately. As a result, it is possible to prevent the gas containing the metal-containing sublimate from flowing into the back surface of the wafer W, so that contamination of the back surface of the wafer W and the like can be suppressed.

(Step S7: Wafer transfer)
After that, the supply of moisture-containing gas from the shower head 330 and the exhaust through the central exhaust path 340 are stopped, and the temperature control plate 370 is moved by the drive unit 373 along the rails 374 to the transfer position above the hot plate 350. be. Subsequently, the lifting pins 360 are lowered and the wafer W is transferred to the temperature control plate 370 . Then, the temperature control plate 370 is returned to the initial position.

(Step S8: Wafer cooling and unloading)
Then, the wafer W is placed on the temperature control plate 370 and cooled for a predetermined time. After that, the wafer W is transferred to the lifting pins 360 in the reverse order of the wafer loading in step S1, and then transferred to the transfer unit 70. The wafer W is unloaded from the

<Main effects of the present embodiment>
As described above, in the present embodiment, the hydroxylating unit 40a performs the hydroxylating treatment for each wafer before performing the PEB treatment on the metal-containing resist film of the wafer W subjected to the exposure treatment. is provided. The hydroxylating unit 40a includes a temperature control plate 370 that supports the substrate, a lid 390 that covers the processing space S2 of the temperature control plate 370, a shower head 400 that discharges a moisture-containing gas into the processing space S2, have.
By using the hydroxylating unit 40a, the metal-containing resist film on the wafer W can be sufficiently and uniformly hydroxylated before the PEB process. Therefore, in the PEB treatment, dehydration condensation of the metal-containing resist can be mainly performed without the above-mentioned hydroxylation. The dehydration condensation of each portion of the metal-containing resist is hardly affected by moisture supplied to the portion from the metal-containing resist film or the like surrounding the portion. Therefore, if the metal-containing resist film on the wafer W is sufficiently and uniformly hydrated as described above before the PEB process, the PEB process will cause dehydration condensation of the metal-containing resist on the wafer. In-plane uniformity of W can be performed. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the in-wafer uniformity of the dimension of the resist pattern using the metal-containing resist.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the PEB treatment does not perform the above-described hydroxylation, but mainly performs dehydration condensation of the metal-containing resist. Not affected. Therefore, in this embodiment, various methods can be adopted as the evacuation method of the heat treatment space S1 in the PEB process. For example, the aforementioned central exhaust scheme can be employed. With this method, it is possible to prevent the gas containing the metal-containing sublimate from coming into contact with the rear surface and the peripheral portion of the wafer W and contaminating them, compared to the outer peripheral exhaust method described above. In other words, according to the present embodiment, while suppressing contamination due to contact of the gas containing the metal-containing sublimate with the rear surface and the peripheral portion of the wafer W, the wafer in-plane of the dimension of the resist pattern using the metal-containing resist is controlled. Uniformity can be improved.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the heat treatment unit 40 and the hydroxylation treatment unit 40a are arranged adjacent to each other. Therefore, the PEB treatment by the heat treatment unit 40 can be performed immediately after the hydroxylation treatment by the hydroxylation treatment unit 40a. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the in-plane uniformity of the line width of the resist pattern from being adversely affected by moisture in the air or the like on the metal-containing resist film from the end of the hydroxylation treatment to the start of the PEB treatment.

In addition, in this embodiment, the temperature control plate 370 constitutes part of a substrate transport mechanism that transports the wafer W between the heat treatment unit 40 and the hydroxylating unit 40a. Therefore, the time from the hydroxylation treatment of the wafer W on the temperature control plate 370 to the PEB treatment in the heat treatment unit 40 can be shortened.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the mixing unit M in which the heat treatment unit 40 and the hydroxylating unit 40a are integrated incorporates a substrate transfer mechanism for transferring the wafer W between the heat treatment unit 40 and the hydroxylating unit 40a. ing. Therefore, the wafer W after the hydroxylation treatment in the hydroxylation treatment unit 40a can be transferred to the heat treatment unit 40 without being affected by the transfer schedule of the other wafers W, and the PEB treatment can be performed immediately. .

<Confirmation test 1>
Measure the line width of the resist pattern of the metal-containing resist in the case where PEB treatment is performed by the above-mentioned central exhaust method without hydroxylation treatment and in the case where the same PEB treatment is performed after hydroxylation treatment. I did a test to do. When the hydroxylation treatment was not performed, the average value of the line width was about 13.8 nm, and the variation of the line width (specifically, the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value) within the wafer surface was about 1.2 nm. there were. On the other hand, when the hydroxylation treatment was performed, the average value of the line width was about 15.4 nm, and the variation of the line width within the wafer surface was 0.5 nm or less. From this result, it can be seen that the in-plane uniformity of the resist pattern can be improved by performing the hydroxylation treatment.

<Confirmation test 2>
In addition, in the PEB process after the hydroxylation process, the center exhaust method is the same as in the case where the central exhaust method is used and the wafer W immediately after heating is raised at a low speed of 10 mm/s or less (specifically, 5 mm/s). The tin atoms detected at the peripheral edge and back surface of the wafer W after processing in the case where the wafer W is evacuated by the method and the wafer W immediately after heating is raised at a high speed exceeding 10 mm / s (specifically, 15 mm / s). A test was conducted to measure the number of The number of tin atoms detected was 1.6×10 ¹² /cm ² for the fast ascent compared to 8.1×10 ⁹ /cm for the slow ascent. was ² . From this result, it can be seen that contamination of the back surface and peripheral portion of the wafer W by the metal-containing resist film from the metal-containing resist film can be suppressed by slowing the rising speed of the wafer W immediately after heating.

<Modification>
In the above example, the water-containing gas is supplied from above the wafer W toward the upper surface of the wafer W, but the method of supplying the water-containing gas is not limited to this. For example, the moisture-containing gas may be supplied in the form of a unidirectional flow that flows along the upper surface of the wafer W from one end in the Y direction to the other end.

Also, in the above example, the heat treatment unit 40 and the hydroxylation treatment unit 40a were integrated, but they may be separate bodies.

The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The embodiments described above may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the appended claims, the appended claims, and the spirit thereof. For example, the constituent elements of the above embodiments can be combined arbitrarily within a range that does not impair the above effects. In addition to the above effects, or instead of the above effects, the technology according to the present disclosure can produce other effects that are obvious to those skilled in the art from the description of this specification.

Note that the following configuration also belongs to the technical scope of the present disclosure.
[Appendix 1]
a hydroxylation treatment unit for applying hydroxylation treatment to each substrate on which a film of a metal-containing resist has been formed and which has been exposed to light;
a heat treatment unit for heat-treating the substrate having the film subjected to the hydroxylation treatment;
a development processing unit that performs development processing on the film of the substrate that has been subjected to the heat processing;
The hydroxylation unit is
a substrate support that supports the substrate;
a lid covering the processing space on the substrate support;
A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a gas discharger for discharging a gas containing moisture into the processing space.
[Appendix 2]
2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate supporting portion has a temperature control plate for controlling the temperature of the substrate at a predetermined temperature at which the substrate is placed and the dehydration condensation of the film does not proceed.
[Appendix 3]
3. The substrate processing apparatus according to item 2, wherein the predetermined temperature is 30° C. or less.
[Appendix 4]
4. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of additional items 1 to 3, wherein the gas discharge section has a plurality of discharge holes scattered along a surface facing the substrate supported by the substrate support section.
[Appendix 5]
5. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of additional items 1 to 4, wherein the hydroxylating unit has an exhaust section that exhausts the processing space from the outer peripheral side of the substrate supported by the substrate support section.
[Appendix 6]
The heat treatment unit is
a support heating unit that supports and heats the substrate;
a chamber covering a heat treatment space on the support heating part;
6. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of additional items 1 to 5, further comprising an exhaust unit for exhausting the heat treatment space.
[Appendix 7]
A substrate transport unit for loading and unloading the substrate to and from the hydroxylating unit,
The heat treatment unit is arranged adjacent to the hydroxylation unit,
7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a substrate transport mechanism that transports the substrate between the heat treatment unit and the hydroxylating unit.
[Appendix 8]
8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the substrate support part constitutes the substrate transfer mechanism.
[Appendix 9]
9. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of additional items 6 to 8, wherein the exhaust section of the thermal processing unit exhausts air from above the center of the substrate supported by the support heating section.
[Appendix 10]
The heat treatment unit has an elevating mechanism for elevating the substrate in the heat treatment space,
10. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of additional items 6 to 9, wherein the elevating mechanism elevates the substrate immediately after being heated by the support heating unit at a speed of 10 mm/s or less.
[Appendix 11]
a step of applying a hydroxylation treatment to each substrate on which a film of a metal-containing resist has been formed and which has been exposed to light;
a step of heat-treating the substrate on which the coating has been subjected to the hydroxylation treatment;
and developing the coating of the heat-treated substrate,
The step of performing the hydroxylation treatment is
A substrate processing method, comprising the step of discharging a gas containing moisture into a processing space above a substrate support that supports a substrate.

1 Coating and developing apparatus 30 Development unit 40 Heat treatment unit 40a Hydroxylation unit 370 Temperature control plate 390 Lid 400 Shower head S2 Processing space W Wafer

Claims (11)

1. a hydroxylation treatment unit for applying hydroxylation treatment to each substrate on which a film of a metal-containing resist has been formed and which has been exposed to light;
   a heat treatment unit for heat-treating the substrate having the film subjected to the hydroxylation treatment;
   a development processing unit that performs development processing on the film of the substrate that has been subjected to the heat processing;
   The hydroxylation unit is
   a substrate support that supports the substrate;
   a lid covering the processing space on the substrate support;
   A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a gas discharger for discharging a gas containing moisture into the processing space.
2. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate supporting portion has a temperature control plate for controlling the temperature of the substrate at a predetermined temperature at which the substrate is placed and the dehydration condensation of the film does not proceed.
3. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined temperature is 30[deg.] C. or less.
4. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gas discharge part has a plurality of discharge holes scattered along a surface facing the substrate supported by said substrate support part.
5. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said hydroxylating unit has an exhaust section for exhausting said processing space from an outer peripheral side of said substrate supported by said substrate support section.
6. The heat treatment unit is
   a support heating unit that supports and heats the substrate;
   a chamber covering a heat treatment space on the support heating part;
   4. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an exhaust section for exhausting said heat treatment space.
7. A substrate transport unit for loading and unloading the substrate to and from the hydroxylating unit,
   The heat treatment unit is arranged adjacent to the hydroxylation unit,
   7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a substrate transfer mechanism for transferring substrates between said heat treatment unit and said hydroxylating unit.
8. 8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said substrate support part constitutes said substrate transfer mechanism.
9. 7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said exhaust part of said heat treatment unit exhausts air from above the center of the substrate supported by said support heating part.
10. The heat treatment unit has an elevating mechanism for elevating the substrate in the heat treatment space,
    7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said elevating mechanism lifts the substrate immediately after being heated by said support heating unit at a speed of 10 mm/s or less.
11. a step of applying a hydroxylation treatment to each substrate on which a film of a metal-containing resist has been formed and which has been exposed to light;
    a step of subjecting the substrate having the coating to the hydroxylation treatment to a heat treatment;
    and developing the coating of the heat-treated substrate,
    The step of performing the hydroxylation treatment is
    A substrate processing method, comprising the step of discharging a gas containing moisture into a processing space above a substrate support that supports a substrate.

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