JP2007214365A - Substrate processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate processor, capable of preventing pattern failures caused by contamination on a rear surface of a substrate. <P>SOLUTION: The substrate processor 500 includes an indexer block 9, an anti-reflection film processing block 10, a resist film processing block 11, a development block 12, a resist cover film processing block 13, a resist cover film removing block 14, and an interface block 15. A photolithographic device 16 is provided adjacent to the interface block 15. The interface block 15 includes a rear surface cleaning unit RSW. The rear surface of the substrate W is cleaned in the rear-surface cleaning unit RSW, before exposure processing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

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

  In order to perform various processes on various substrates such as a semiconductor substrate, a liquid crystal display substrate, a plasma display substrate, an optical disk substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, a magneto-optical disk substrate, and a photomask substrate, It is used.

  In such a substrate processing apparatus, generally, a plurality of different processes are continuously performed on a single substrate. The substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes an indexer block, an antireflection film processing block, a resist film processing block, a development processing block, and an interface block. An exposure apparatus that is an external apparatus separate from the substrate processing apparatus is disposed adjacent to the interface block.

  In the substrate processing apparatus described above, the substrate carried in from the indexer block is configured such that after the formation of the antireflection film and the coating process of the resist film are performed in the antireflection film processing block and the resist film processing block, the interface block is To the exposure apparatus. After the exposure process is performed on the resist film on the substrate in the exposure apparatus, the substrate is transported to the development processing block via the interface block. After a resist pattern is formed by performing development processing on the resist film on the substrate in the development processing block, the substrate is transported to the indexer block.

  In recent years, miniaturization of resist patterns has become an important issue as the density and integration of devices increase. In a conventional general exposure apparatus, exposure processing is performed by reducing and projecting a reticle pattern onto a substrate via a projection lens. However, in such a conventional exposure apparatus, since the line width of the exposure pattern is determined by the wavelength of the light source of the exposure apparatus, there is a limit to the miniaturization of the resist pattern.

Accordingly, a liquid immersion method has been proposed as a projection exposure method that enables further miniaturization of the exposure pattern (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In the projection exposure apparatus of Patent Document 2, a liquid is filled between the projection optical system and the substrate, and the exposure light on the substrate surface can be shortened. Thereby, the exposure pattern can be further miniaturized.
JP 2003-324139 A International Publication No. 99/49504 Pamphlet

  Before the exposure process, various film forming processes are performed on the substrate. In the course of the film forming process, the back surface of the substrate may be contaminated. In that case, unevenness occurs on the back surface of the substrate due to the contaminant, and the substrate becomes unstable. Therefore, when the exposure process is performed by a general method that does not use a liquid, defocusing may occur in which the focus of the lens of the exposure apparatus deviates from the surface of the resist film on the substrate. As a result, there is a possibility that a dimensional defect and a shape defect of the exposure pattern may occur.

  On the other hand, in the case of performing exposure processing of a substrate using the immersion method as described in Patent Document 2, if the back surface of the substrate is contaminated, contaminants attached to the back surface of the substrate are exposed to the exposure apparatus. Mix in the liquid inside. As a result, the lens of the exposure apparatus is contaminated, and there is a risk that a dimension defect and shape defect of the exposure pattern may occur.

  The objective of this invention is providing the substrate processing apparatus which can prevent the pattern defect resulting from the contamination of the back surface of a board | substrate.

  (1) A substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus arranged so as to be adjacent to an exposure apparatus, a processing section for performing processing on the surface of the substrate, and between the processing section and the exposure apparatus And a processing unit including a photosensitive film forming unit that forms a photosensitive film made of a photosensitive material on the surface of the substrate, and at least one of the processing unit and the transfer unit includes And a back surface cleaning unit for cleaning the back surface of the substrate before the exposure processing by the exposure apparatus.

  In the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, predetermined processing is performed on the substrate in the processing unit, and the transfer unit transfers the substrate between the processing unit and the exposure apparatus.

  In the processing section, a photosensitive film made of a photosensitive material is formed on the surface of the substrate by the photosensitive film forming unit. Moreover, the back surface of the substrate is cleaned by the back surface cleaning unit in at least one of the processing unit and the transfer unit.

  In this case, by cleaning the back surface of the substrate by the back surface cleaning unit, it is possible to remove contaminants attached to the back surface of the substrate before the exposure processing. As a result, contamination in the exposure apparatus due to contamination of the back surface of the substrate can be prevented, and pattern defects such as dimensional defects and shape defects can be prevented.

  Further, the contaminants adhering to the back surface of the substrate are removed before the exposure process, so that the state of the substrate W is stabilized during the exposure process. Therefore, it is possible to prevent pattern defects due to defocus during the exposure process.

  (2) The back surface cleaning unit may include substrate cleaning means for cleaning the back surface of the substrate, and reversing means for inverting the substrate around the horizontal axis before and after cleaning the back surface of the substrate by the substrate cleaning means.

  In this case, after the substrate is inverted around the horizontal axis by the inversion unit, the back surface of the substrate is cleaned by the substrate cleaning unit. Thereby, the back surface of the substrate can be easily cleaned. Further, after cleaning the back surface of the substrate, the substrate is inverted around the horizontal axis by the inversion means. Thereby, since the substrate can be carried out from the back surface cleaning unit in the same state as when the substrate is carried into the back surface cleaning unit, the substrate can be processed without inverting the substrate in the next step.

  (3) The back surface cleaning unit may clean the back surface of the substrate using a brush.

  In this case, even if the contaminant is firmly attached to the back surface of the substrate, the contaminant can be physically peeled off by the brush. Thereby, the back surface of the substrate can be reliably cleaned.

  (4) The back surface cleaning unit may dry the substrate after cleaning the back surface of the substrate.

  In this case, dust and the like in the atmosphere are prevented from adhering to the cleaned substrate again. Thereby, contamination in the exposure apparatus can be reliably prevented.

  (5) The processing unit may further include a protective film forming unit that forms a protective film for protecting the photosensitive film.

  In this case, since the protective film is formed on the photosensitive film, the components of the photosensitive film are prevented from being eluted into the liquid even when the exposure processing is performed in a state where the substrate is in contact with the liquid in the exposure apparatus. The Thereby, contamination in the exposure apparatus can be surely prevented and pattern defects on the substrate can be prevented.

  Further, even if the back surface of the substrate is cleaned using a liquid in the back surface cleaning unit, the liquid is prevented from coming into direct contact with the photosensitive film. This prevents the components of the photosensitive film from being eluted. Therefore, the occurrence of pattern defects can be prevented.

  (6) At least one of the processing unit and the transfer unit may include a cleaning processing unit that cleans the surface of the substrate before the exposure processing by the exposure apparatus.

  In this case, the surface of the substrate before the exposure processing is cleaned in the cleaning processing unit. Thereby, dust or the like attached to the surface of the substrate in the processing step before the exposure processing can be removed. As a result, contamination in the exposure apparatus can be prevented.

  (7) The back surface cleaning unit may clean the back surface of the substrate after cleaning the surface of the substrate by the cleaning processing unit.

  In this case, even if the back surface of the substrate is contaminated in the cleaning processing unit, the contaminant can be removed by the back surface cleaning unit. Thereby, contamination in the exposure apparatus due to contamination of the back surface of the substrate and defocus during exposure processing can be prevented.

  (8) The back surface cleaning unit may function as a cleaning processing unit.

  In this case, in the back surface cleaning unit, both the front surface and the back surface of the substrate are cleaned. This eliminates the need for a transfer step between the back surface cleaning unit and the cleaning processing unit, thereby improving the throughput.

  Further, since it is not necessary to provide the cleaning processing unit separately from the back surface cleaning unit, the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced in cost and size.

  (9) At least one of the processing unit and the transfer unit may include a drying processing unit that dries the substrate after the exposure processing by the exposure apparatus.

  In this case, the substrate after the exposure processing is transported to the processing section after being dried in the drying processing unit. Thereby, even if a liquid adheres to the substrate in the exposure apparatus, the liquid can be prevented from falling into the substrate processing apparatus. As a result, malfunction of the substrate processing apparatus can be prevented.

  In addition, by drying the substrate, it is possible to prevent dust and the like in the atmosphere from adhering to the liquid attached to the substrate during the exposure process. Thereby, the processing defect of a board | substrate can be prevented.

  (10) The back surface cleaning unit, the cleaning processing unit, and the drying processing unit are disposed in the transfer unit, and the transfer unit includes a mounting unit on which the substrate is temporarily mounted, a processing unit, a cleaning processing unit, and a back surface cleaning process. You may further include the 1st conveyance unit which conveys a board | substrate between a unit and a mounting part, and the 2nd conveyance unit which conveys a board | substrate between a mounting part, an exposure apparatus, and a drying process unit.

  In this case, after predetermined processing is performed on the substrate in the processing unit, the substrate is transported to the cleaning processing unit or the back surface cleaning unit by the first transport unit of the transfer unit, and the front surface or the back surface of the substrate is cleaned. . Thereafter, the substrate is transported to the back surface cleaning unit or the cleaning processing unit by the first transport unit, and the back surface or front surface of the substrate is cleaned. Thereafter, the substrate is transported to the placement unit by the first transport unit. Next, the substrate is transported from the placement unit to the exposure apparatus by the second transport unit. After the exposure processing is performed on the substrate in the exposure apparatus, the substrate is transported to the drying processing unit by the second transport unit. In the drying processing unit, after the substrate is dried, the substrate is transported to the placement unit by the second transport unit. Thereafter, the substrate is transported from the placement unit to the processing unit by the first transport unit.

  In this way, the front and back surfaces of the substrate can be cleaned immediately before being transferred to the exposure apparatus. Therefore, contamination in the exposure apparatus and defocus during exposure processing can be reliably prevented.

  Further, the substrate can be dried immediately after the exposure process. Thereby, even if a liquid adheres to the substrate in the exposure apparatus, the liquid can be reliably prevented from falling into the substrate processing apparatus. In addition, it is possible to reliably prevent dust in the atmosphere from adhering to the liquid adhering to the substrate during the exposure process.

  (11) The processing unit, the transfer unit, and the exposure apparatus are juxtaposed in the first direction, and the transfer unit has at least one side surface in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction in the horizontal plane, and is subjected to a drying process. The unit may be arranged on one side surface in the transfer section.

  In this case, since the drying processing unit is arranged on the one side surface that is not in contact with the processing unit and the exposure apparatus in the transfer unit, maintenance of the drying processing unit can be easily performed from the one side surface.

  (12) The transfer unit may have another side surface that faces one side surface in the second direction, and the cleaning unit may be disposed on the other side surface in the transfer unit.

  In this case, since the cleaning processing unit is arranged on the other side of the transfer unit that is not in contact with the processing unit and the exposure apparatus, the cleaning unit can be easily maintained from the other side.

  (13) The second transport unit includes first and second holding means for holding the substrate, and the first holding unit is used when transporting the substrate before exposure processing by the exposure apparatus and after drying by the drying processing unit. The substrate may be held by the means, and the substrate may be held by the second holding means when the substrate after the exposure processing is transported from the exposure apparatus to the drying processing unit.

  In this case, the first holding unit is used when transporting the substrate before the exposure process, and the second holding unit is used when transporting the substrate after the exposure process. Thereby, even if the liquid adheres to the substrate in the exposure apparatus, the liquid does not adhere to the first holding means. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the liquid from adhering to the substrate before the exposure process. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent dust and the like in the atmosphere from adhering to the substrate before the exposure process.

  (14) The second holding means may be provided below the first holding means.

  In this case, even if the liquid falls from the second holding means and the substrate held by the second holding means, the liquid does not adhere to the first holding means and the substrate held by the first holding means. This reliably prevents the liquid from adhering to the substrate before the exposure process.

  According to the present invention, the contaminant attached to the back surface of the substrate before the exposure processing can be removed by cleaning the back surface of the substrate by the back surface cleaning unit. As a result, contamination in the exposure apparatus due to contamination of the back surface of the substrate can be prevented, and pattern defects such as dimensional defects and shape defects can be prevented.

  Further, the contaminants adhering to the back surface of the substrate are removed before the exposure process, so that the state of the substrate W is stabilized during the exposure process. Therefore, it is possible to prevent pattern defects due to defocus during the exposure process.

  Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the substrate refers to a semiconductor substrate, a liquid crystal display substrate, a plasma display substrate, a photomask glass substrate, an optical disk substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, a magneto-optical disk substrate, a photomask substrate, and the like. Say.

(A) This Embodiment (1) Configuration of Substrate Processing Apparatus FIG. 1 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2 to 4 to be described later, in order to clarify the positional relationship, arrows indicating X direction, Y direction, and Z direction orthogonal to each other are attached. The X direction and the Y direction are orthogonal to each other in the horizontal plane, and the Z direction corresponds to the vertical direction. In each direction, the direction in which the arrow points is the + direction, and the opposite direction is the-direction. Further, the rotation direction around the Z direction is defined as the θ direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 500 includes an indexer block 9, an antireflection film processing block 10, a resist film processing block 11, a development processing block 12, a resist cover film processing block 13, and a resist cover film removal block. 14 and an interface block 15. An exposure device 16 is arranged adjacent to the interface block 15. In the exposure apparatus 16, the substrate W is subjected to an exposure process by a liquid immersion method.

  Hereinafter, each of the indexer block 9, the antireflection film processing block 10, the resist film processing block 11, the development processing block 12, the resist cover film processing block 13, the resist cover film removal block 14 and the interface block 15 is referred to as a processing block. Call.

  The indexer block 9 includes a main controller (control unit) 30 that controls the operation of each processing block, a plurality of carrier platforms 40, and an indexer robot IR. The indexer robot IR is provided with a hand IRH for delivering the substrate W.

  The antireflection film processing block 10 includes antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101, an antireflection film application processing unit 50, and a first central robot CR1. The antireflection film coating processing unit 50 is provided opposite to the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101 with the first central robot CR1 interposed therebetween. The first center robot CR1 is provided with hands CRH1 and CRH2 for transferring the substrate W up and down.

  A partition wall 17 is provided between the indexer block 9 and the antireflection film processing block 10 for shielding the atmosphere. In the partition wall 17, substrate platforms PASS 1 and PASS 2 for transferring the substrate W between the indexer block 9 and the anti-reflection film processing block 10 are provided close to each other in the vertical direction. The upper substrate platform PASS1 is used when transporting the substrate W from the indexer block 9 to the antireflection film processing block 10, and the lower substrate platform PASS2 is used to transport the substrate W to the antireflection film processing block. It is used when transporting from 10 to the indexer block 9.

  The substrate platforms PASS1, PASS2 are provided with optical sensors (not shown) that detect the presence or absence of the substrate W. Thereby, it is possible to determine whether or not the substrate W is placed on the substrate platforms PASS1 and PASS2. The substrate platforms PASS1, PASS2 are provided with a plurality of support pins fixedly installed. The optical sensor and the support pin are also provided in the same manner on the substrate platforms PASS3 to PASS13 described later.

  The resist film processing block 11 includes resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111, a resist film coating processing unit 60, and a second central robot CR2. The resist film application processing unit 60 is provided to face the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111 with the second central robot CR2 interposed therebetween. The second center robot CR2 is provided with hands CRH3 and CRH4 for transferring the substrate W up and down.

  A partition wall 18 is provided between the antireflection film processing block 10 and the resist film processing block 11 for shielding the atmosphere. The partition wall 18 is provided with substrate platforms PASS3 and PASS4 that are close to each other in the vertical direction for transferring the substrate W between the anti-reflection film processing block 10 and the resist film processing block 11. The upper substrate platform PASS3 is used when the substrate W is transported from the antireflection film processing block 10 to the resist film processing block 11, and the lower substrate platform PASS4 is used to transfer the substrate W to the resist film. It is used when transporting from the processing block 11 to the processing block 10 for antireflection film.

  The development processing block 12 includes development heat treatment units 120 and 121, a development processing unit 70, and a third central robot CR3. The development processing unit 70 is provided to face the development heat treatment units 120 and 121 with the third central robot CR3 interposed therebetween. The third center robot CR3 is provided with hands CRH5 and CRH6 for transferring the substrate W up and down.

  A partition wall 19 is provided between the resist film processing block 11 and the development processing block 12 for shielding the atmosphere. In the partition wall 19, substrate platforms PASS 5 and PASS 6 for transferring the substrate W between the resist film processing block 11 and the development processing block 12 are provided close to each other in the vertical direction. The upper substrate platform PASS5 is used when the substrate W is transported from the resist film processing block 11 to the development processing block 12, and the lower substrate platform PASS6 is used to transfer the substrate W from the development processing block 12 to the resist processing block 12. Used when transported to the film processing block 11.

  The resist cover film processing block 13 includes resist cover film heat treatment units 130 and 131, a resist cover film coating processing unit 80, and a fourth central robot CR4. The resist cover film coating processing unit 80 is provided to face the resist cover film heat treatment units 130 and 131 with the fourth central robot CR4 interposed therebetween. The fourth center robot CR4 is provided with hands CRH7 and CRH8 for delivering the substrate W up and down.

  A partition wall 20 is provided between the development processing block 12 and the resist cover film processing block 13 for shielding the atmosphere. The partition wall 20 is provided with substrate platforms PASS 7 and PASS 8 that are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction for transferring the substrate W between the development processing block 12 and the resist cover film processing block 13. The upper substrate platform PASS7 is used when the substrate W is transferred from the development processing block 12 to the resist cover film processing block 13, and the lower substrate platform PASS8 is used to process the substrate W on the resist cover film. Used when transported from the block 13 to the development processing block 12.

  The resist cover film removal block 14 includes post-exposure baking heat treatment units 140 and 141, a resist cover film removal processing unit 90, and a fifth central robot CR5. The post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 141 is adjacent to the interface block 15 and includes substrate platforms PASS11 and PASS12 as described later. The resist cover film removal processing unit 90 is provided to face the post-exposure bake heat treatment units 140 and 141 with the fifth central robot CR5 interposed therebetween. The fifth center robot CR5 is provided with hands CRH9 and CRH10 for transferring the substrate W up and down.

  A partition wall 21 is provided between the resist cover film processing block 13 and the resist cover film removal block 14 for shielding the atmosphere. The partition wall 21 is provided with substrate platforms PASS9 and PASS10 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction for transferring the substrate W between the resist cover film processing block 13 and the resist cover film removal block. The upper substrate platform PASS9 is used when the substrate W is transferred from the resist cover film processing block 13 to the resist cover film removal block 14, and the lower substrate platform PASS10 is used to transfer the substrate W to the resist cover film. It is used when transporting from the removal block 14 to the resist cover film processing block 13.

  The interface block 15 includes a back surface cleaning processing unit RSW, a first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1, a sixth central robot CR6, an edge exposure unit EEW, a feed buffer unit SBF, a return buffer unit RBF, a placement / cooling unit PASS- A CP (hereinafter abbreviated as P-CP), a substrate platform PASS13, an interface transport mechanism IFR, and a second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2. The first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1 and the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW perform cleaning processing and drying processing of the substrate W before exposure processing, and the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2 performs processing of the substrate W after exposure processing. Perform cleaning and drying.

  The first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 and SD2 clean the front surface of the substrate W, and the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW cleans the back surface of the substrate W. Here, the surface of the substrate W refers to the surface on which various films are formed by each processing block, and the back surface of the substrate W refers to the opposite surface. Hereinafter, the cleaning process for the front surface of the substrate W is referred to as a front surface cleaning process for the substrate W, and the cleaning process for the back surface of the substrate W is referred to as a back surface cleaning process for the substrate W. Details of the first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 and SD2 and the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW will be described later.

  The sixth central robot CR6 is provided with hands CRH11 and CRH12 (see FIG. 4) for delivering the substrate W up and down, and a hand H1 for delivering the substrate W to the interface transport mechanism IFR. , H2 (see FIG. 4) are provided above and below. Details of the interface block 15 will be described later.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 500 according to the present embodiment, an indexer block 9, an antireflection film processing block 10, a resist film processing block 11, a development processing block 12, a resist cover film processing block 13, along the Y direction, The resist cover film removal block 14 and the interface block 15 are arranged in order.

  2 is a schematic side view of the substrate processing apparatus 500 of FIG. 1 viewed from the + X direction, and FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the substrate processing apparatus 500 of FIG. 1 viewed from the −X direction. 2 mainly shows what is provided on the + X side of the substrate processing apparatus 500, and FIG. 3 mainly shows what is provided on the −X side of the substrate processing apparatus 500.

  First, the configuration on the + X side of the substrate processing apparatus 500 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, in the antireflection film coating processing unit 50 (see FIG. 1) of the antireflection film processing block 10, three coating units BARC are vertically stacked. Each coating unit BARC includes a spin chuck 51 that rotates while adsorbing and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a supply nozzle 52 that supplies a coating liquid for an antireflection film to the substrate W held on the spin chuck 51.

  In the resist film coating processing section 60 (see FIG. 1) of the resist film processing block 11, three coating units RES are stacked in a vertical direction. Each coating unit RES includes a spin chuck 61 that rotates while adsorbing and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a supply nozzle 62 that supplies a coating liquid for a resist film to the substrate W held on the spin chuck 61.

  In the development processing unit 70 of the development processing block 12, five development processing units DEV are stacked one above the other. Each development processing unit DEV includes a spin chuck 71 that rotates by sucking and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a supply nozzle 72 that supplies the developer to the substrate W held on the spin chuck 71.

  In the resist cover film coating processing unit 80 of the resist cover film processing block 13, three coating units COV are stacked one above the other. Each coating unit COV includes a spin chuck 81 that rotates while adsorbing and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a supply nozzle 82 that supplies a coating liquid for the resist cover film to the substrate W held on the spin chuck 81. As a coating solution for the resist cover film, a material having a low affinity with the resist and water (a material having low reactivity with the resist and water) can be used. For example, a fluororesin. The coating unit COV forms a resist cover film on the resist film formed on the substrate W by applying a coating liquid onto the substrate W while rotating the substrate W.

  In the resist cover film removal processing unit 90 of the resist cover film removal block 14, three removal units REM are vertically stacked. Each removal unit REM includes a spin chuck 91 that rotates while adsorbing and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a supply nozzle 92 that supplies a peeling liquid (for example, a fluororesin) to the substrate W held on the spin chuck 91. The removal unit REM removes the resist cover film formed on the substrate W by applying a stripping solution onto the substrate W while rotating the substrate W.

  The method for removing the resist cover film in the removal unit REM is not limited to the above example. For example, the resist cover film may be removed by supplying a stripping solution onto the substrate W while moving the slit nozzle above the substrate W.

  On the + X side in the interface block 15, an edge exposure unit EEW and three second cleaning / drying processing units SD2 are stacked in a vertical direction. Each edge exposure unit EEW includes a spin chuck 98 that rotates by attracting and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a light irradiator 99 that exposes the periphery of the substrate W held on the spin chuck 98.

  Next, the configuration on the −X side of the substrate processing apparatus 500 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, two heating units (hot plates) HP and two cooling units (cooling plates) CP are provided in the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101 of the antireflection film processing block 10, respectively. Laminated. In addition, in the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101, local controllers LC for controlling the temperatures of the heating unit HP and the cooling unit CP are respectively arranged at the top.

  Two heating units HP and two cooling units CP are stacked in the resist film heat treatment sections 110 and 111 of the resist film processing block 11, respectively. In addition, in the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111, local controllers LC for controlling the temperatures of the heating unit HP and the cooling unit CP are respectively arranged at the top.

  In the development heat treatment sections 120 and 121 of the development processing block 12, two heating units HP and two cooling units CP are respectively stacked. Further, in the development heat treatment sections 120 and 121, local controllers LC for controlling the temperatures of the heating unit HP and the cooling unit CP are respectively arranged at the top.

  In the resist cover film heat treatment section 130 of the resist cover film processing blocks 130 and 131, two heating units HP and two cooling units CP are respectively stacked. In addition, in the resist cover film heat treatment sections 130 and 131, local controllers LC for controlling the temperatures of the heating unit HP and the cooling unit CP are respectively arranged at the top.

  In the post-exposure baking heat treatment section 140 of the resist cover film removal block 14, two heating units HP and two cooling units CP are stacked one above the other, and the two post-exposure baking heat treatment section 141 has two heating units. The unit HP, the two cooling units CP, and the substrate platforms PASS11 and PASS12 are stacked one above the other. In addition, in the post-exposure bake heat treatment sections 140 and 141, local controllers LC for controlling the temperatures of the heating unit HP and the cooling unit CP are arranged at the top.

  Next, the interface block 15 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the interface block 15 as viewed from the + Y side. As shown in FIG. 4, in the interface block 15, on the −X side, a back surface cleaning processing unit RSW and three first cleaning / drying processing units SD1 are stacked. In the interface block 15, an edge exposure unit EEW is disposed at the upper part on the + X side.

  Below the edge exposure unit EEW, a sending buffer unit SBF, a return buffer unit RBF, two mounting / cooling units P-CP, and a substrate mounting unit PASS13 are stacked in a vertical direction at a substantially central portion in the interface block 15. Be placed. Below the edge exposure unit EEW, on the + X side in the interface block 15, three second cleaning / drying processing units SD2 are vertically stacked.

  A sixth center robot CR6 and an interface transport mechanism IFR are provided in the lower part of the interface block 15. The sixth central robot CR6 includes a back surface cleaning processing unit RSW, a first cleaning / drying processing unit SD, an edge exposure unit EEW, a feed buffer unit SBF, a return buffer unit RBF, a placement / cooling unit P-CP, and a substrate mounting. It is provided so as to be movable up and down and rotatable between the mounting portions PASS13. The interface transport mechanism IFR is provided to be movable up and down and rotatable between the return buffer unit RBF, the placement / cooling unit P-CP, the substrate platform PASS13, and the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2. ing.

(2) Operation of Substrate Processing Apparatus Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 500 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

(2-1) Operation of Indexer Block to Resist Cover Film Removal Block First, the operation of the indexer block 9 to the resist cover film removal block 14 will be briefly described.

  On the carrier mounting table 40 of the indexer block 9, a carrier C that stores a plurality of substrates W in multiple stages is loaded. The indexer robot IR takes out the unprocessed substrate W stored in the carrier C using the hand IRH. Thereafter, the indexer robot IR rotates in the ± θ direction while moving in the ± X direction, and places the unprocessed substrate W on the substrate platform PASS1.

  In the present embodiment, a front opening unified pod (FOUP) is adopted as the carrier C. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an OC (open cassette) that exposes the standard mechanical interface (SMIF) pod and the storage substrate W to the outside air. ) Etc. may be used.

  Further, the indexer robot IR, the first to sixth center robots CR1 to CR6, and the interface transport mechanism IFR are each provided with a direct-acting transport robot that slides linearly with respect to the substrate W and moves the hand back and forth. Although it is used, the present invention is not limited to this, and an articulated transfer robot that linearly moves the hand forward and backward by moving the joint may be used.

  The unprocessed substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS1 is received by the first central robot CR1 of the antireflection film processing block 10. The first center robot CR1 carries the substrate W into the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101.

  Thereafter, the first central robot CR1 takes out the heat-treated substrate W from the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101, and carries the substrate W into the antireflection film application processing unit 50. In the antireflection film coating processing unit 50, an antireflection film is applied and formed on the substrate W by the coating unit BARC in order to reduce low standing waves and halation that occur during exposure.

  Next, the first central robot CR1 takes out the coated substrate W from the antireflection film coating processing unit 50 and carries the substrate W into the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101. Thereafter, the first central robot CR1 takes out the heat-treated substrate W from the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101, and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS3.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS3 is received by the second central robot CR2 of the resist film processing block 11. The second central robot CR2 carries the substrate W into the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111.

  Thereafter, the second central robot CR2 takes out the heat-treated substrate W from the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111, and carries the substrate W into the resist film coating treatment unit 60. In the resist film application processing unit 60, a resist film is applied and formed on the substrate W on which the antireflection film is applied and formed by the application unit RES.

  Next, the second central robot CR2 takes out the coated substrate W from the resist film coating processing unit 60, and carries the substrate W into the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111. Thereafter, the second central robot CR2 takes out the heat-treated substrate W from the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111, and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS5.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS5 is received by the third central robot CR3 of the development processing block 12. The third central robot CR3 places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS7.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS7 is received by the fourth central robot CR4 of the resist cover film processing block 13. The fourth central robot CR4 carries the substrate W into the resist cover film coating processing unit 80. In this resist cover film coating processing section 80, a resist cover film is applied and formed on the substrate W on which the resist film has been applied and formed by the coating unit COV.

  Next, the fourth central robot CR4 takes out the coated substrate W from the resist cover film coating processing unit 80 and carries the substrate W into the resist cover film heat treatment units 130 and 131. Thereafter, the fourth central robot CR4 takes out the heat-treated substrate W from the resist cover film heat treatment units 130 and 131, and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS9.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS9 is received by the fifth central robot CR5 of the resist cover film removal block 14. The fifth central robot CR5 places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS11.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS11 is received by the sixth central robot CR6 of the interface block 15, and predetermined processing is performed in the interface block 15 and the exposure device 16, as will be described later. After predetermined processing is performed on the substrate W in the interface block 15 and the exposure apparatus 16, the substrate W is carried into the post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 141 of the resist cover film removal block 14 by the sixth central robot CR6. .

  In the post-exposure baking heat treatment unit 141, post-exposure baking (PEB) is performed on the substrate W. Thereafter, the sixth central robot CR6 takes out the substrate W from the post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 141 and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS12.

  In this embodiment, post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 141 performs post-exposure bake, but post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 140 may perform post-exposure bake.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS12 is received by the fifth central robot CR5 of the resist cover film removal block 14. The fifth central robot CR5 carries the substrate W into the resist cover film removal processing unit 90. In the resist cover film removal processing unit 90, the resist cover film is removed.

  Next, the fifth central robot CR5 takes out the processed substrate W from the resist cover film removal processing unit 90 and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS10.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS10 is placed on the substrate platform PASS8 by the fourth central robot CR4 of the resist cover film processing block 13.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS8 is received by the third central robot CR3 of the development processing block 12. The third central robot CR3 carries the substrate W into the development processing unit 70. In the development processing unit 70, development processing is performed on the exposed substrate W.

  Next, the third central robot CR3 takes out the development-processed substrate W from the development processing unit 70, and carries the substrate W into the development heat treatment units 120 and 121. Thereafter, the third central robot CR3 takes out the substrate W after the heat treatment from the development heat treatment units 120 and 121, and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS6.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS6 is placed on the substrate platform PASS4 by the second central robot CR2 of the resist film processing block 11. The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS4 is placed on the substrate platform PASS2 by the first central robot CR1 of the anti-reflection film processing block 10.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS 2 is stored in the carrier C by the indexer robot IR of the indexer block 9. Thereby, each process of the board | substrate W in the substrate processing apparatus 500 is complete | finished.

(2-2) Operation of Interface Block Next, the operation of the interface block 15 will be described in detail.

  As described above, the substrate W carried into the indexer block 9 is subjected to a predetermined process and then placed on the substrate platform PASS11 of the resist cover film removal block 14 (FIG. 1).

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS11 is received by the sixth central robot CR6 of the interface block 15. The sixth central robot CR6 carries the substrate W into the edge exposure unit EEW (FIG. 4). In the edge exposure unit EEW, the peripheral portion of the substrate W is subjected to exposure processing.

  Next, the sixth central robot CR6 takes out the edge-exposed substrate W from the edge exposure unit EEW and carries the substrate W into one of the first cleaning / drying processing units SD1. In the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1, the surface cleaning process and the drying process of the substrate W before the exposure process are performed as described above.

  Next, the sixth central robot CR6 takes out the substrate W that has been subjected to the front surface cleaning process and the drying process, and carries the substrate W into the back surface cleaning unit RSW. In the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW, as described above, the back surface cleaning processing and drying processing of the substrate W before the exposure processing are performed.

  Here, the time of the exposure process by the exposure apparatus 16 is usually longer than the other process steps and the transport step. As a result, the exposure apparatus 16 often cannot accept a subsequent substrate W. In this case, the substrate W is temporarily stored in the sending buffer unit SBF (FIG. 4). In the present embodiment, the sixth central robot CR6 takes out the substrate W that has been subjected to the back surface cleaning processing and the drying processing from the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW, and transports the substrate W to the sending buffer unit SBF.

  Next, the sixth central robot CR6 takes out the substrate W stored and stored in the sending buffer unit SBF and carries the substrate W into the placement / cooling unit P-CP. The substrate W carried into the placement / cooling unit P-CP is maintained at the same temperature (for example, 23 ° C.) as that in the exposure apparatus 16.

  If the exposure apparatus 16 has a sufficient processing speed, the substrate W is transported from the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW to the placement / cooling unit P-CP without storing and storing the substrate W in the sending buffer unit SBF. May be.

  Subsequently, the substrate W maintained at the predetermined temperature by the placement / cooling unit P-CP is received by the upper hand H1 (FIG. 4) of the interface transport mechanism IFR, and the substrate carry-in section 16a in the exposure apparatus 16 is received. (FIG. 1).

  The substrate W that has been subjected to the exposure processing in the exposure device 16 is unloaded from the substrate unloading portion 16b (FIG. 1) by the lower hand H2 (FIG. 4) of the interface transport mechanism IFR. The interface transport mechanism IFR carries the substrate W into one of the second cleaning / drying processing units SD2 by the hand H2. In the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2, the surface cleaning process and the drying process of the substrate W after the exposure process are performed as described above.

  The substrate W that has been subjected to the surface cleaning process and the drying process in the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2 is taken out by the hand H1 of the interface transport mechanism IFR (FIG. 4). The interface transport mechanism IFR places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS13 with the hand H1.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS13 is received by the sixth central robot CR6. The sixth central robot CR6 transports the substrate W to the post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 141 of the resist cover film removal block 14 (FIG. 1).

  When the resist cover film removal block 14 temporarily cannot accept the substrate W due to a failure of the removal unit REM (FIG. 2), the substrate W after the exposure processing is temporarily stored in the return buffer unit RBF. can do.

(3) Cleaning / Drying Processing Unit Next, the first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1, SD2 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 and SD2 may have the same configuration.

(3-1) Configuration FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 and SD2. As shown in FIG. 5, the first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD <b> 1 and SD <b> 2 hold the substrate W horizontally and rotate the substrate W around a vertical rotation axis passing through the center of the substrate W. A spin chuck 621 is provided.

  The spin chuck 621 is fixed to the upper end of the rotation shaft 625 rotated by the chuck rotation drive mechanism 636. The spin chuck 621 is formed with an intake path (not shown), and the substrate W is placed on the spin chuck 621 and the inside of the intake path is evacuated so that the back surface of the substrate W is placed on the spin chuck 621. Thus, the substrate W can be held in a horizontal posture.

  A first rotation motor 660 is provided outside the spin chuck 621. A first rotation shaft 661 is connected to the first rotation motor 660. A first arm 662 is connected to the first rotation shaft 661 so as to extend in the horizontal direction, and a cleaning nozzle 650 is provided at the tip of the first arm 662.

  The first rotation shaft 661 is rotated by the first rotation motor 660 and the first arm 662 is rotated, so that the cleaning nozzle 650 is moved above the substrate W held by the spin chuck 621.

  A cleaning treatment supply pipe 663 is provided so as to pass through the first rotation motor 660, the first rotation shaft 661, and the first arm 662. The cleaning processing supply pipe 663 is connected to the cleaning liquid supply source R1 and the rinsing liquid supply source R2 via the valves Va and Vb.

  By controlling the opening and closing of the valves Va and Vb, the processing liquid supplied to the cleaning processing supply pipe 663 can be selected and the supply amount can be adjusted. In the configuration of FIG. 5, the cleaning liquid can be supplied to the cleaning processing supply pipe 663 by opening the valve Va, and the rinsing liquid can be supplied to the cleaning processing supply pipe 663 by opening the valve Vb. it can.

  The cleaning liquid or the rinse liquid is supplied to the cleaning process nozzle 650 from the cleaning liquid supply source R1 or the rinse liquid supply source R2 through the cleaning process supply pipe 663. Thereby, the cleaning liquid or the rinsing liquid can be supplied to the surface of the substrate W. As the cleaning liquid, for example, pure water, a liquid obtained by dissolving a complex (ionized) in pure water, a fluorine-based chemical liquid, or the like is used. As the rinsing liquid, for example, pure water, carbonated water, hydrogen water, or electrolytic ion water HFE (hydrofluoroether) is used.

  A second rotation motor 671 is provided outside the spin chuck 621. A second rotation shaft 672 is connected to the second rotation motor 671. A second arm 673 is connected to the second rotating shaft 672 so as to extend in the horizontal direction, and a drying processing nozzle 670 is provided at the tip of the second arm 673.

  The second rotation shaft 672 is rotated by the second rotation motor 671, the second arm 673 is rotated, and the drying processing nozzle 670 moves above the substrate W held by the spin chuck 621. .

  A drying treatment supply pipe 674 is provided so as to pass through the inside of the second rotation motor 671, the second rotation shaft 672, and the second arm 673. The drying processing supply pipe 674 is connected to an inert gas supply source R3 via a valve Vc. By controlling the opening and closing of the valve Vc, the supply amount of the inert gas supplied to the drying treatment supply pipe 674 can be adjusted.

  The inert gas is supplied to the drying processing nozzle 670 from the inert gas supply source R3 through the drying processing supply pipe 674. Thereby, an inert gas can be supplied to the surface of the substrate W. As the inert gas, for example, nitrogen gas is used.

  When supplying the cleaning liquid or the rinsing liquid to the surface of the substrate W, the cleaning processing nozzle 650 is positioned above the substrate. When supplying the inert gas to the surface of the substrate W, the cleaning processing nozzle 650 is Retreated to a predetermined position.

  Further, when supplying the cleaning liquid or the rinsing liquid to the surface of the substrate W, the drying processing nozzle 670 is retracted to a predetermined position, and when supplying the inert gas to the surface of the substrate W, the drying processing nozzle 670 is located above the substrate W.

  The substrate W held on the spin chuck 621 is accommodated in the processing cup 623. A cylindrical partition wall 633 is provided inside the processing cup 623. A drainage space 631 for draining the processing liquid (cleaning liquid or rinsing liquid) used for processing the substrate W is formed so as to surround the periphery of the spin chuck 621. Further, a recovery liquid space 632 for recovering the processing liquid used for processing the substrate W is formed between the processing cup 623 and the partition wall 633 so as to surround the drainage space 631.

  The drainage space 631 is connected to a drainage pipe 634 for guiding the processing liquid to a drainage processing apparatus (not shown), and the recovery liquid space 632 is supplied with the processing liquid to the recovery processing apparatus (not shown). A collection pipe 635 for guiding is connected.

  A guard 624 for preventing the processing liquid from the substrate W from splashing outward is provided above the processing cup 623. The guard 624 has a rotationally symmetric shape with respect to the rotation shaft 625. A drainage guide groove 641 having a square cross section is formed in an annular shape on the inner surface of the upper end portion of the guard 624.

  In addition, a recovery liquid guide portion 642 is formed on the inner surface of the lower end portion of the guard 624. The recovery liquid guide portion 642 includes an inclined surface that is inclined outward and downward. A partition wall storage groove 643 for receiving the partition wall 633 of the processing cup 623 is formed near the upper end of the recovered liquid guide portion 642.

  The guard 624 is provided with a guard lifting / lowering drive mechanism (not shown) configured by a ball screw mechanism or the like. The guard lifting / lowering drive mechanism includes a guard 624, a recovery position where the recovery liquid guide portion 642 faces the outer peripheral end surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 621, and the substrate W where the drainage guide groove 641 is held by the spin chuck 621. The liquid is moved up and down with respect to the drainage position facing the outer peripheral end face. When the guard 624 is at the recovery position (the guard position shown in FIG. 5), the processing liquid splashed outward from the substrate W is guided to the recovery liquid space 632 by the recovery liquid guide 642 and recovered through the recovery pipe 635. Is done. On the other hand, when the guard 624 is at the drainage position, the processing liquid splashed outward from the substrate W is guided to the drainage space 631 by the drainage guide groove 641 and drained through the drainage pipe 634. With the above configuration, the processing liquid is drained and collected.

(3-2) Operation Next, processing operations of the first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 and SD2 having the above-described configuration will be described. The operations of the constituent elements of the first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 and SD2 described below are controlled by the main controller (control unit) 30 shown in FIG.

  First, when the substrate W is loaded, the guard 624 is lowered, and the sixth central robot CR 6 or the interface transport mechanism IFR in FIG. 1 places the substrate W on the spin chuck 621. The substrate W placed on the spin chuck 621 is sucked and held by the spin chuck 621.

  Next, the guard 624 moves to the above-described liquid discharge position, and the cleaning nozzle 650 moves above the center of the substrate W. Thereafter, the rotation shaft 625 rotates, and the substrate W held on the spin chuck 621 rotates with this rotation. Thereafter, the cleaning liquid is discharged from the cleaning nozzle 650 onto the surface of the substrate W. Thereby, the surface cleaning process of the board | substrate W is performed.

  In the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1, the components of the resist cover film on the substrate W are eluted in the cleaning liquid during the cleaning. Further, in the surface cleaning process of the substrate W, the cleaning liquid is supplied onto the substrate W while rotating the substrate W. In this case, the cleaning liquid on the substrate W always moves to the periphery of the substrate W due to centrifugal force and scatters. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the components of the resist cover film eluted in the cleaning liquid from remaining on the substrate W.

  The components of the resist cover film may be eluted by, for example, depositing pure water on the substrate W and holding it for a certain time. Further, the supply of the cleaning liquid to the substrate W may be performed by a soft spray method using a two-fluid nozzle.

  After a predetermined time has elapsed, the supply of the cleaning liquid is stopped, and the rinsing liquid is discharged from the cleaning processing nozzle 650. Thereby, the cleaning liquid on the substrate W is washed away.

  Further, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the rotational speed of the rotating shaft 625 decreases. As a result, the amount of the rinsing liquid shaken off by the rotation of the substrate W is reduced, and a liquid layer L of the rinsing liquid is formed on the entire surface of the substrate W as shown in FIG. Note that the rotation of the rotation shaft 625 may be stopped to form the liquid layer L over the entire surface of the substrate W.

  Next, the supply of the rinsing liquid is stopped, the cleaning processing nozzle 650 is retracted to a predetermined position, and the drying processing nozzle 670 is moved above the center of the substrate W. Thereafter, an inert gas is discharged from the drying processing nozzle 670. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 6B, the rinse liquid at the center of the substrate W moves to the peripheral edge of the substrate W, and the liquid layer L exists only at the peripheral edge of the substrate W.

  Next, as the number of rotations of the rotation shaft 625 (see FIG. 5) increases, the drying processing nozzle 670 gradually moves from above the central portion of the substrate W to above the peripheral portion as shown in FIG. 6C. . As a result, a large centrifugal force acts on the liquid layer L on the substrate W, and an inert gas can be blown over the entire surface of the substrate W, so that the liquid layer L on the substrate W can be reliably removed. As a result, the substrate W can be reliably dried.

  Next, the supply of the inert gas is stopped, the drying processing nozzle 670 is retracted to a predetermined position, and the rotation of the rotating shaft 625 is stopped. Thereafter, the guard 624 is lowered, and the sixth central robot CR6 or the interface transport mechanism IFR in FIG. As a result, the processing operation in the first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 and SD2 is completed. Note that the position of the guard 624 during the surface cleaning process of the substrate W and the drying process of the substrate W is preferably changed as appropriate according to the necessity of collecting or draining the processing liquid.

  In the above embodiment, the cleaning liquid processing nozzle 650 is commonly used for supplying the cleaning liquid and the rinsing liquid so that both the cleaning liquid and the rinsing liquid can be supplied from the cleaning liquid processing nozzle 650. However, a configuration in which the cleaning liquid supply nozzle and the rinsing liquid supply nozzle are separately provided may be employed.

  Further, when supplying the rinsing liquid, pure water may be supplied from a back rinsing nozzle (not shown) to the back surface of the substrate W so that the rinsing liquid does not flow around the back surface of the substrate W.

  In addition, when pure water is used as a cleaning liquid for cleaning the substrate W, it is not necessary to supply a rinse liquid.

  In the above embodiment, the substrate W is dried by the spin drying method. However, the substrate W may be dried by other drying methods such as a reduced pressure drying method and an air knife drying method.

  In the above embodiment, the inert gas is supplied from the drying processing nozzle 670 in a state where the liquid layer L of the rinsing liquid is formed, but the liquid layer L of the rinsing liquid is not formed. Alternatively, when the rinsing liquid is not used, the substrate W is completely dried by immediately supplying an inert gas from the drying nozzle 670 after the substrate W is rotated and the liquid layer of the cleaning liquid is once shaken off. May be.

(4) Back surface cleaning unit Next, details of the back surface cleaning unit RSW will be described.

(4-1) Configuration FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the back surface cleaning unit RSW.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW includes a spin chuck 721 for holding the substrate W horizontally and rotating the substrate W around a vertical rotation axis passing through the center of the substrate W. In the first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 and SD2 shown in FIG. 5, the spin chuck 621 sucks and holds the back surface of the substrate W. In the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW of FIG. Holds the end surface of the substrate W by a plurality of holding pins 722. The spin chuck 721 is fixed to the upper end of the rotation shaft 725 rotated by the chuck rotation drive mechanism 736.

  An arm driving device 710 is provided outside the spin chuck 721. A rotation shaft 711 is connected to the arm driving device 710. An arm 712 is connected to the rotation shaft 711 so as to extend in the horizontal direction, and a brushing device 713 is attached to the tip of the arm 712. The brushing device 713 includes a brush 714 that faces downward, and a brushing motor 715 that rotates the brush 714.

  The arm driving device 710 rotates the rotation shaft 711 and the arm 712 to move the brushing device 713 above the substrate W held by the spin chuck 721. In addition, the arm driving device 710 causes the rotation shaft 711 and the arm 712 to move up and down, and the brush 714 of the brushing device 713 moves toward or away from the substrate W.

  A substrate inversion device 760 is provided outside the spin chuck 721. The substrate reversing device 760 includes an elevating drive device 761. The lifting drive device 761 is provided with a lifting shaft 762, and a chuck opening / closing device 763 is attached to the upper end of the lifting shaft 762. A pair of chucks 764 and 765 for holding the substrate W is attached to the chuck opening / closing device 763.

  The elevating shaft 762 is moved in the vertical direction by the elevating drive device 761. Accordingly, the chucks 764 and 765 are positioned at the same height as the substrate W on the spin chuck 721 (hereinafter referred to as a substrate holding position) and a position above the spin chuck 721 (hereinafter referred to as a substrate inversion position). Move up and down between. The substrate inversion device 760 can invert the substrate W by 180 ° at the substrate inversion position. Details of the substrate reversing device 760 will be described later.

  A cleaning liquid supply nozzle 751 and an inert gas supply nozzle 752 are provided obliquely above the outside of the spin chuck 721. The cleaning liquid supply nozzle 751 and the inert gas supply nozzle 752 are arranged so as not to prevent the substrate reversing device 760 from moving up and down. The cleaning liquid supply nozzle 751 is connected to the cleaning liquid supply source R1 through the cleaning liquid supply pipe 753 and the valve Vd. The inert gas supply nozzle 752 is connected to an inert gas supply source R3 via an inert gas supply pipe 754 and a valve Ve.

  By controlling the opening and closing of the valve Vd, the supply amount of the cleaning liquid supplied to the cleaning liquid supply pipe 753 can be adjusted. The cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply source R1 to the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 751 through the cleaning liquid supply pipe 753. Thereby, the cleaning liquid can be supplied onto the substrate W. As the cleaning liquid, for example, pure water, a liquid obtained by dissolving a complex (ionized) in pure water, a fluorine-based chemical liquid, or the like is used.

  By controlling the opening and closing of the valve Ve, the supply amount of the inert gas supplied to the inert gas supply pipe 754 can be adjusted. The inert gas is supplied from the inert gas supply source R3 to the inert gas supply nozzle 752 through the inert gas supply pipe 754. Thereby, an inert gas can be supplied onto the substrate W. As the inert gas, for example, nitrogen gas is used.

  The substrate W held on the spin chuck 721 is accommodated in the processing cup 723. A cylindrical partition wall 733 is provided inside the processing cup 723. Further, a drain space 731 for draining the cleaning liquid used for processing the substrate W is formed so as to surround the periphery of the spin chuck 721. Further, a recovery liquid space 732 for recovering the cleaning liquid used for the back surface cleaning process of the substrate W is formed between the processing cup 723 and the partition wall 733 so as to surround the drainage space 731.

  A drainage pipe 734 for guiding the cleaning liquid to a drainage processing apparatus (not shown) is connected to the drainage space 731, and a cleaning liquid is guided to the recovery processing apparatus (not shown) in the recovery liquid space 732. The recovery pipe 735 is connected.

  A guard 724 for preventing the cleaning liquid from the substrate W from splashing outward is provided above the processing cup 723. The guard 724 has a rotationally symmetric shape with respect to the rotation shaft 725. A drainage guide groove 741 having a square cross section is formed in an annular shape on the inner surface of the upper end portion of the guard 724.

  Further, a recovery liquid guide portion 742 is formed on the inner surface of the lower end portion of the guard 724. A partition wall storage groove 743 for receiving the partition wall 733 of the processing cup 723 is formed in the vicinity of the upper end of the recovered liquid guide portion 742.

  The guard 724 is provided with a guard lifting / lowering drive mechanism (not shown) constituted by a ball screw mechanism or the like. The guard 724 moves up and down by the guard elevating drive mechanism.

  Here, in a state where the recovered liquid guide portion 742 faces the outer peripheral end surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 721 (the state of the guard 724 shown in FIG. 7), the cleaning liquid scattered outward from the substrate W is recovered liquid guide. The portion 742 is guided to the recovery liquid space 732 and is recovered through the recovery pipe 735. Hereinafter, such a position of the guard 724 is referred to as a collection position.

  In the state where the drainage guide groove 741 faces the outer peripheral end surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 721, the cleaning liquid splashed outward from the substrate W is guided to the drainage space 731 by the drainage guide groove 741. The liquid is drained through the drain pipe 734. Hereinafter, such a guard position is referred to as a drainage position.

  Further, when the substrate W is carried in or out of the spin chuck 721, the height of the upper end portion of the guard 724 becomes lower than the height of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 721. Hereinafter, such a guard position is referred to as a loading / unloading position.

  In the present embodiment, the guard 724 moves up and down between the carry-in / carry-out position and the drainage position.

(4-1-a) Details of Substrate Inversion Device Here, details of the chuck opening / closing device 763 and the chucks 764 and 765 of the substrate inversion device 760 will be described. 8A is a top view of the chuck opening and closing device 763 and chucks 764 and 765 shown in FIG. 7, and FIG. 8B is a diagram of the chuck opening and closing device 763 and chucks 764 and 765 shown in FIG. It is AA sectional view.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the chucks 764 and 765 have a substantially arc shape along the end surface of the substrate W, are arranged symmetrically with respect to the substrate W, and are shown in FIG. 8B. In this way, they are arranged slightly shifted in the vertical direction. Further, two support members 768 are provided so as to protrude from one surface of the chuck 764 (lower surface in FIG. 8B), and protrude from one surface of the chuck 765 (upper surface in FIG. 8B). Two support members 768 are provided. The support member 768 is formed by integrally forming a frustoconical support portion 768a and an inverted frustoconical support portion 768b. A groove is formed between the support portions 768a and 768b, and the end surface of the substrate W is held by the groove. The support member 768 is made of, for example, a fluororesin.

  The chucks 764 and 765 are connected to the chuck opening / closing device 763 via the supports 766 and 767, respectively. The chuck opening and closing device 763 moves the chucks 764 and 765 toward and away from each other (see the arrow M1 in FIG. 8A). Hereinafter, a state in which the chucks 764 and 765 are separated as much as possible is referred to as an open state.

  Further, the chuck opening / closing device 763 has a motor (not shown) and can rotate the chucks 764 and 765 by 180 ° about the axis J1 extending in the horizontal direction.

(4-2) Operation Next, the processing operation of the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW having the above configuration will be described. The operation of each component of the back surface cleaning unit RSW described below is controlled by the main controller (control unit) 30 in FIG.

  First, when the substrate W is loaded, the guard 724 moves to the loading / unloading position described above, and the sixth central robot CR6 in FIG. 1 places the substrate W on the spin chuck 721. At this time, the substrate W is in a state where the surface faces upward.

  Subsequently, the open chucks 764 and 765 are lowered to the above-described substrate holding position. Next, the chucks 764 and 765 are moved toward each other by the chuck opening / closing device 763. Accordingly, the support member 768 of the chucks 764 and 765 contacts the end surface of the substrate W, and the substrate W is held by the chucks 764 and 765.

  Subsequently, the chucks 764 and 765 are raised to the above-described substrate inversion position. Therefore, the chucks 764 and 765 are rotated 180 ° by the chuck opening / closing device 763. As a result, the substrate W is inverted and the back surface of the substrate W faces upward.

  Next, the chucks 764 and 765 are lowered to the substrate holding position while maintaining the above state. Subsequently, the chucks 764 and 765 are opened. Thus, the substrate W is placed on the spin chuck 721 with the back surface facing upward. Subsequently, the end surface of the substrate W is held by the holding pins 722. On the other hand, the chucks 764 and 765 are retracted above the substrate W.

  Next, the guard 724 moves to the above-described drainage position, and the rotating shaft 725 rotates. As the rotation shaft 725 rotates, the substrate W held on the spin chuck 721 rotates. At this time, the brush 714 moves upward in the center of the substrate W.

  Subsequently, the cleaning liquid is discharged from the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 751 to the back surface of the substrate W, and the brush 714 descends while rotating and contacts the back surface of the substrate W. Thereby, the back surface of the substrate W is cleaned by the brush 714.

  After a predetermined time has elapsed, the supply of the cleaning liquid is stopped and the brush 714 moves to the outside of the substrate W. Next, the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 725 increases. Thereby, the cleaning liquid on the substrate W is removed by centrifugal force.

  Next, an inert gas is discharged from the inert gas supply nozzle 752 to the back surface of the substrate W. Thereby, the back surface of the substrate W is reliably dried. After a predetermined time has passed, the supply of the inert gas is stopped, and the rotation of the rotary shaft 725 is stopped. Moreover, the guard 724 moves to the carry-in / carry-out position.

  Subsequently, the holding of the substrate W by the spin chuck 721 is released and the substrate W is held by the chucks 764 and 765 of the substrate inverting device 760, and the substrate W is inverted again at the substrate inverting position in the same manner as described above. Thereby, the substrate W is in a state where the surface is directed upward.

  Then, the substrate W is placed on the spin chuck 721 and carried out of the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW by the sixth central robot CR6 in FIG. Thereby, the back surface cleaning processing of the substrate W and the drying processing of the substrate W in the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW are completed. Note that the position of the guard 724 during the back surface cleaning process and the drying process is preferably changed as appropriate according to the necessity of collecting or draining the cleaning liquid.

  Note that the rinse liquid may be supplied to the back surface of the substrate W after the back surface of the substrate W is cleaned by the brush 714. As the rinsing liquid, for example, pure water, carbonated water, hydrogen water, or electrolytic ion water HFE (hydrofluoroether) is used. In this case, since the cleaning liquid is washed away by the rinse liquid, it is possible to more reliably prevent the cleaning liquid from remaining on the substrate W.

  In the present embodiment, the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 751 and the inert gas supply nozzle 752 are fixed in the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW. However, the first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 shown in FIG. , SD2 may be attached to an arm that is rotated by a motor. In that case, the discharge area of the cleaning liquid or the discharge area of the inert gas can be easily adjusted. Therefore, the back surface cleaning process and the drying process of the substrate W can be effectively performed. For example, when the back surface of the substrate W is dried, the inert gas supply nozzle 752 is moved from above the central portion of the substrate W to above the peripheral portion of the substrate W, so that the inert gas is blown over the entire back surface of the substrate W. The cleaning liquid on the back surface of the substrate W can be removed more effectively.

  In this embodiment, the back surface cleaning process of the substrate W is performed using the brush 714. However, the back surface cleaning process of the substrate W is performed by other methods such as a high-pressure spray nozzle, an ultrasonic nozzle, or a two-fluid nozzle described later. You may go.

  In this embodiment, the substrate W is dried by a spin drying method. However, the substrate W may be dried by another drying method such as a reduced pressure drying method or an air knife drying method.

  In the present embodiment, the front surface cleaning process and the drying process of the substrate W are performed in the first cleaning / drying process unit SD1 before the back surface cleaning process and the drying process of the substrate W in the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW. In the back surface cleaning unit RSW, both the front surface and the back surface of the substrate W may be cleaned and dried.

  In this case, after the edge exposure unit EEW (FIG. 4) performs exposure processing on the peripheral portion of the substrate W, the sixth central robot CR6 carries the substrate W into the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW. In the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW, first, surface cleaning processing and drying processing are performed on the substrate W placed on the spin chuck 721. Thereafter, as described above, the substrate W is reversed by the substrate reversing device 760, and the back surface cleaning process and the drying process of the substrate W are performed.

  In this way, by performing the cleaning process on both the front surface and the back surface of the substrate W in the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW, the step of carrying in and out the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1 by the sixth central robot CR6 is reduced. Thus, throughput can be improved.

  In addition, when the surface cleaning process of the substrate W is performed in the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW, in order to prevent the film formed on the surface of the substrate W from being damaged, a high-pressure spray nozzle, an ultrasonic nozzle, a two-fluid nozzle, etc. The surface of the substrate W may be cleaned with

  In this embodiment, the substrate W is inverted by the substrate reversing device 760 to perform the back surface cleaning process of the substrate W. The nozzle that discharges the cleaning liquid from the lower side of the substrate W toward the substrate W or the lower side of the substrate W is used. Alternatively, a brush that contacts the substrate W may be provided to perform the back surface cleaning process of the substrate W without inverting the substrate W.

(5) Effects in the present embodiment (5-1) Effects of the back surface cleaning processing unit In the present embodiment, the back surface cleaning processing of the substrate W is performed before the exposure processing in the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW of the interface block 15. . Thereby, contaminants attached to the back surface of the substrate W before the exposure process can be removed. As a result, contamination in the exposure apparatus due to contamination of the back surface of the substrate W can be prevented, and pattern defects such as defective dimensions and defective shapes can be prevented.

  Further, after the front surface cleaning process of the substrate W in the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1, the back surface cleaning process of the substrate W in the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW is performed. Here, in the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1, the back surface of the substrate W is held by the suction spin chuck 621. Therefore, if the spin chuck 621 is contaminated, the contaminated material is deposited on the back surface of the substrate W. There is a risk of transcription.

  On the other hand, in the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW, since the end surface of the substrate W is held by the end surface holding type spin chuck 721, the back surface of the substrate W is not contaminated. Further, in the process from the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW to the exposure device 16, the back surface of the substrate W is not held by the suction spin chuck. Therefore, after the cleaning process of the substrate W in the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1, the back surface of the substrate W is cleaned in the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW, so that the back surface of the substrate W is cleaned and the exposure of the substrate W is performed. Processing can be performed.

  Further, in the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW, the substrate W is dried after the back surface cleaning processing of the substrate W. Thereby, since the cleaning liquid or the rinse liquid adhered to the substrate W during the back surface cleaning process is removed, it is possible to prevent the dust in the atmosphere from adhering to the substrate W after the cleaning process again. As a result, contamination within the exposure apparatus 16 can be reliably prevented.

(5-2) Effect of drying process of substrate after exposure process In the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2, the drying process of the substrate W after the exposure process is performed. This prevents the liquid adhering to the substrate W during the exposure process from falling into the substrate processing apparatus 500.

  In addition, by performing a drying process on the substrate W after the exposure process, it is possible to prevent dust and the like in the atmosphere from adhering to the substrate W after the exposure process, thereby preventing contamination of the substrate W.

  In addition, since it is possible to prevent the substrate W to which the liquid is attached from being transported through the substrate processing apparatus 500, the liquid attached to the substrate W during the exposure process affects the atmosphere in the substrate processing apparatus 500. Can be prevented. Thereby, temperature and humidity adjustment in the substrate processing apparatus 500 is facilitated.

  Further, since the liquid adhering to the substrate W during the exposure processing is prevented from adhering to the indexer robot IR and the first to sixth center robots CR1 to CR6, the liquid may adhere to the substrate W before the exposure processing. Is prevented. This prevents dust and the like in the atmosphere from adhering to the substrate W before the exposure process, so that contamination of the substrate W is prevented. As a result, it is possible to prevent the resolution performance from being deteriorated during the exposure process and to prevent contamination in the exposure apparatus 16.

  Further, while the substrate W is transported from the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2 to the development processing unit 70, the resist component or the resist cover film component is eluted in the cleaning liquid and the rinsing liquid remaining on the substrate W. Can be reliably prevented. Thereby, deformation of the exposure pattern formed on the resist film can be prevented. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent a reduction in line width accuracy during the development process.

  As a result, it is possible to prevent malfunctions such as abnormalities in the electrical system of the substrate processing apparatus 500 and to reliably prevent malfunctions of the substrate W.

  Further, in the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2, the substrate W is dried by blowing an inert gas from the central portion to the peripheral portion while rotating the substrate W. In this case, the cleaning liquid and the rinsing liquid on the substrate W can be reliably removed, so that it is possible to reliably prevent dust and the like in the atmosphere from adhering to the cleaned substrate W. Thereby, the contamination of the substrate W can be surely prevented, and the occurrence of dry spots on the surface of the substrate W can be prevented.

(5-3) Effect of the substrate cleaning process after the exposure process In the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2, the surface cleaning process of the substrate W is performed before the drying process. In this case, even if dust or the like in the atmosphere adheres to the substrate W to which the liquid has adhered during the exposure process, the adhered matter can be removed. Thereby, contamination of the substrate W can be prevented. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent substrate processing defects.

(5-4) Effect of resist cover film coating process In the resist cover film processing block 13, a resist cover film is formed on the resist film. In this case, even if the substrate W is in contact with the liquid in the exposure apparatus 16, the resist film is prevented from coming into contact with the liquid by the resist cover film, so that the resist components are prevented from eluting into the liquid.

  Further, in the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD and the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW, the cleaning liquid or the rinsing liquid directly contacts the resist film on the substrate W when performing the front surface and back surface cleaning processing of the substrate W before the exposure processing. do not do. Therefore, the resist components are prevented from being eluted during the front surface cleaning process and the back surface cleaning process of the substrate W. Thereby, it is possible to prevent a defect from occurring in the exposure pattern by the exposure process.

(5-5) Effect of Removal Process of Resist Cover Film Before the development process is performed on the substrate W in the development process block 12, the resist cover film removal process is performed in the resist cover film removal block 14. In this case, since the resist cover film is reliably removed before the development processing, the development processing can be performed reliably.

(5-6) Effects of Cleaning Process and Drying Process of Substrate Before Exposure Process Before the exposure process of the substrate W is performed in the exposure apparatus 16, the surface cleaning process of the substrate W is performed in the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1. Done. During the surface cleaning process, a part of the components of the resist cover film on the substrate W is eluted into the cleaning solution or the rinsing solution and washed away. Therefore, even if the substrate W comes into contact with the liquid in the exposure apparatus 16, the components of the resist cover film on the substrate W are hardly eluted in the liquid. Further, dust and the like attached to the substrate W before the exposure process can be removed. As a result, contamination in the exposure apparatus 16 is prevented.

  In the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1, the substrate W is dried after the surface cleaning process of the substrate W, and the cleaning liquid or the rinsing liquid attached to the substrate W during the surface cleaning process is removed.

  This prevents the cleaning liquid or the rinsing liquid from falling into the interface block 15 when the substrate W after the front surface cleaning process is transported from the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1 to the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW. . Further, the cleaning liquid or the rinsing liquid is prevented from adhering to the sixth central robot CR6.

  Further, in the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1, the substrate W is dried by blowing an inert gas from the central portion to the peripheral portion while rotating the substrate W. In this case, the cleaning liquid and the rinse liquid on the substrate W can be surely removed.

  This reliably prevents the cleaning liquid or the rinse liquid from falling into the interface block 15 when the substrate W after the front surface cleaning process is transported from the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1 to the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW. Is done. Further, the cleaning liquid or the rinsing liquid is reliably prevented from adhering to the sixth central robot CR6.

(5-7) Effect of Interface Block In the interface block 15, the sixth central robot CR6 carries the substrate W into and out of the edge exposure unit EEW and carries the substrate W into and out of the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1. , Loading / unloading of the substrate W into / from the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW, loading / unloading of the substrate W into / from the sending buffer unit SBF, loading of the substrate into the placement / cooling unit P-CP, and substrate W from the substrate platform PASS13 The interface transport mechanism IFR carries out the substrate W from the placement / cooling unit P-CP, carries the substrate W into and out of the exposure apparatus 16, and the substrate W to the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2. Are carried in and out, and the substrate W is carried into the substrate platform PASS13. As described above, since the substrate W is efficiently transferred by the sixth central robot CR6 and the interface transfer mechanism IFR, the throughput can be improved.

  In the interface block 15, the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1 and the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2 are provided in the vicinity of the side surfaces in the X direction. In this case, maintenance of the first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 and SD2 can be easily performed from the side surface of the substrate processing apparatus 500 without removing the interface block 15.

  Further, the first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 and SD2 can clean and dry the substrate W before and after the exposure processing in one processing block. Therefore, an increase in the footprint of the substrate processing apparatus 500 can be prevented.

(5-8) Effects of Interface Transport Mechanism In the interface block 15, when the substrate W is transported from the placement / cooling unit P-CP to the exposure apparatus 16, the substrate is placed from the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2. When transporting the substrate W to the part PASS13, the hand H1 of the interface transport mechanism IFR is used, and when transporting the substrate from the exposure device 16 to the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2, the interface transport mechanism An IFR hand H2 is used.

  That is, the hand H1 is used for transporting the substrate W to which no liquid is attached, and the hand H2 is used for transporting the substrate W to which the liquid is attached.

  In this case, since the liquid adhering to the substrate W during the exposure process is prevented from adhering to the hand H1, the liquid is prevented from adhering to the substrate W before the exposure process. Further, since the hand H2 is provided below the hand H1, even if the liquid falls from the hand H2 and the substrate W held by the hand H2, the liquid is prevented from adhering to the hand H1 and the substrate W held by the hand H2. Can do. Thereby, it is possible to reliably prevent the liquid from adhering to the substrate W before the exposure processing. As a result, contamination of the substrate W before the exposure process can be reliably prevented.

(5-9) Effect of Placing the Placement / Cooling Unit P-CP In the interface block 15, the function of placing the substrate W before the exposure processing by the exposure device 16 and the temperature of the substrate W are set to the exposure device 16. By providing the mounting / cooling unit P-CP having a cooling function for adjusting to the internal temperature, the transporting process can be reduced. In performing exposure processing by a liquid immersion method that requires strict temperature control of the substrate, it is important to reduce the number of transport steps.

  As a result, the throughput can be improved and the transport access position can be reduced, so that the reliability can be improved.

  In particular, the throughput can be further improved by providing two mounting / cooling units P-CP.

(6) Another Example of Cleaning / Drying Processing Unit In the cleaning / drying processing unit shown in FIG. 5, the cleaning processing nozzle 650 and the drying processing nozzle 670 are provided separately, but are shown in FIG. As described above, the cleaning processing nozzle 650 and the drying processing nozzle 670 may be provided integrally. In this case, since it is not necessary to move the cleaning nozzle 650 and the drying nozzle 670 separately during the cleaning process or the drying process of the substrate W, the driving mechanism can be simplified.

  Further, instead of the drying processing nozzle 670 shown in FIG. 5, a drying processing nozzle 770 as shown in FIG. 10 may be used.

  The drying processing nozzle 770 in FIG. 10 has branch pipes 771 and 772 that extend vertically downward and obliquely downward from the side surface. Gas discharge ports 770a, 770b, and 770c for discharging an inert gas are formed at the lower end of the drying processing nozzle 770 and the lower ends of the branch pipes 771 and 772.

  An inert gas is discharged vertically and obliquely downward from the discharge ports 770a, 770b, and 770c, respectively, as indicated by arrows in FIG. That is, in the drying processing nozzle 770, the inert gas is discharged so that the spraying range expands downward.

  Here, when the drying processing nozzle 770 is used, the first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 and SD2 perform the drying processing of the substrate W by the operation described below.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a method of drying the substrate W when the drying processing nozzle 770 is used.

  First, after the liquid layer L is formed on the surface of the substrate W by the method described with reference to FIG. 6A, the drying processing nozzle 770 moves above the center of the substrate W as shown in FIG. To do.

  Thereafter, an inert gas is discharged from the drying processing nozzle 770. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 11B, the rinse liquid at the center of the substrate W moves to the peripheral edge of the substrate W, and the liquid layer L exists only at the peripheral edge of the substrate W. At this time, the drying processing nozzle 770 is placed close to the surface of the substrate W so that the rinsing liquid present at the center of the substrate W can be moved reliably.

  Next, the rotational speed of the rotating shaft 625 (see FIG. 5) increases, and the drying processing nozzle 770 moves upward as shown in FIG. 11C. Thereby, a large centrifugal force acts on the liquid layer L on the substrate W, and the range in which the inert gas on the substrate W is sprayed is expanded. As a result, the liquid layer L on the substrate W can be reliably removed. The drying processing nozzle 770 moves up and down by moving the second rotating shaft 672 up and down by a rotating shaft lifting mechanism (not shown) provided on the second rotating shaft 672 in FIG. Can be moved.

  Further, instead of the drying processing nozzle 770, a drying processing nozzle 870 as shown in FIG. 12 may be used. The drying processing nozzle 870 in FIG. 12 has a discharge port 870a whose diameter gradually increases downward.

  From the discharge port 870a, an inert gas is discharged vertically downward and obliquely downward as indicated by arrows in FIG. That is, also in the drying processing nozzle 870, in the same manner as the drying processing nozzle 770 in FIG. Therefore, even when the drying processing nozzle 870 is used, the substrate W can be dried by the same method as that when the drying processing nozzle 770 is used.

  Further, instead of the cleaning / drying processing unit shown in FIG. 5, a cleaning / drying processing unit as shown in FIG. 13 may be used.

  The cleaning / drying processing unit shown in FIG. 13 is different from the cleaning / drying processing unit shown in FIG. 5 in the following points.

  In the cleaning / drying processing unit of FIG. 13, a disc-shaped blocking plate 682 having an opening at the center is provided above the spin chuck 621. A support shaft 689 is provided vertically downward from the vicinity of the tip of the arm 688, and a blocking plate 682 is attached to the lower end of the support shaft 689 so as to face the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 621.

  A gas supply path 690 communicating with the opening of the blocking plate 682 is inserted into the support shaft 689. For example, nitrogen gas is supplied to the gas supply path 690.

  The arm 688 is connected to a shield plate lifting / lowering drive mechanism 697 and a shield plate rotation drive mechanism 698. The blocking plate lifting / lowering drive mechanism 697 moves the blocking plate 682 up and down between a position close to the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 621 and a position away from the spin chuck 621.

  In the cleaning / drying processing unit of FIG. 13, during the drying process of the substrate W, the gap between the substrate W and the blocking plate 682 is placed with the blocking plate 682 close to the substrate W as shown in FIG. In contrast, an inert gas is supplied from a gas supply path 690. In this case, since the inert gas can be efficiently supplied from the central portion of the substrate W to the peripheral portion, the liquid layer L on the substrate W can be reliably removed.

(7) Example of cleaning / drying processing unit using two-fluid nozzle (7-1) Configuration and operation when two-fluid nozzle is used In the above embodiment, the first and second cleaning / drying processing units In SD1 and SD2, the case where the cleaning processing nozzle 650 and the drying processing nozzle 670 as shown in FIG. 5 are used has been described. However, instead of one or both of the cleaning processing nozzle 650 and the drying processing nozzle 670, FIG. A two-fluid nozzle as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of the internal structure of the two-fluid nozzle 950 used for the cleaning process and the drying process. From the two-fluid nozzle 950, gas, liquid, and mixed fluid of gas and liquid can be selectively discharged.

  The two-fluid nozzle 950 of the present embodiment is called an external mixing type. An external mixing type two-fluid nozzle 950 shown in FIG. 15 includes an inner main body 311 and an outer main body 312. The inner main body 311 is made of, for example, quartz, and the outer main body 312 is made of, for example, a fluororesin such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene).

  A cylindrical liquid introduction portion 311 b is formed along the central axis of the inner main body portion 311. The cleaning process supply pipe 663 shown in FIG. 5 is attached to the liquid introduction part 311b. As a result, the cleaning liquid or the rinsing liquid supplied from the cleaning processing supply pipe 663 is introduced into the liquid introducing portion 311b.

  A liquid discharge port 311 a communicating with the liquid introduction part 311 b is formed at the lower end of the internal main body part 311. The internal main body 311 is inserted into the external main body 312. Note that the upper ends of the inner main body 311 and the outer main body 312 are joined to each other, and the lower ends are not joined.

  A cylindrical gas passage portion 312 b is formed between the inner main body portion 311 and the outer main body portion 312. A gas discharge port 312a communicating with the gas passage 312b is formed at the lower end of the external main body 312. A drying processing supply pipe 674 of FIG. 5 is attached to the peripheral wall of the external main body 312 so as to communicate with the gas passage 312b. As a result, the inert gas supplied from the drying processing supply pipe 674 is introduced into the gas passage portion 312b.

  The gas passage portion 312b becomes smaller in diameter in the vicinity of the gas discharge port 312a as it goes downward. As a result, the flow rate of the inert gas is accelerated and discharged from the gas discharge port 312a.

  The cleaning liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port 311a and the inert gas discharged from the gas discharge port 312a are mixed outside near the lower end of the two-fluid nozzle 950, so that a mist-like mixed fluid containing fine droplets of the cleaning liquid is formed. Generated.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining a surface cleaning process and a drying process method for the substrate W when the two-fluid nozzle 950 of FIG. 15 is used.

  First, as shown in FIG. 5, the substrate W is sucked and held by the spin chuck 621 and rotates with the rotation of the rotation shaft 625. In this case, the rotational speed of the rotating shaft 625 is about 500 rpm, for example.

  In this state, as shown in FIG. 16A, the two-fluid nozzle 950 discharges a mist-like mixed fluid made of a cleaning liquid and an inert gas onto the upper surface of the substrate W, and the two-fluid nozzle 950 moves to the substrate W. It moves gradually from above the central part to above the peripheral part. As a result, the mixed fluid is sprayed from the two-fluid nozzle 950 onto the entire surface of the substrate W, and the substrate W is cleaned.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 16B, the supply of the mixed fluid is stopped, the rotation speed of the rotation shaft 625 is decreased, and the rinse liquid is discharged from the two-fluid nozzle 950 onto the substrate W. In this case, the rotational speed of the rotating shaft 625 is, for example, about 10 rpm. Thereby, the liquid layer L of the rinse liquid is formed on the entire surface of the substrate W. Note that the rotation of the rotation shaft 625 may be stopped to form the liquid layer L over the entire surface of the substrate W. In addition, when pure water is used as the cleaning liquid in the mixed fluid for cleaning the substrate W, the rinse liquid need not be supplied.

  After the liquid layer L is formed, the supply of the rinsing liquid is stopped. Next, as shown in FIG. 16C, the inert gas is discharged from the two-fluid nozzle 950 onto the substrate W. As a result, the cleaning liquid at the center of the substrate W moves to the peripheral edge of the substrate W, and the liquid layer L exists only at the peripheral edge of the substrate W.

  Thereafter, the rotation speed of the rotation shaft 625 increases. In this case, the rotational speed of the rotating shaft 625 is about 100 rpm, for example. Thereby, since a big centrifugal force acts on the liquid layer L on the substrate W, the liquid layer L on the substrate W can be removed. As a result, the substrate W is dried.

  When removing the liquid layer L on the substrate W, the two-fluid nozzle 950 may gradually move from the upper center of the substrate W to the upper peripheral edge. Thereby, since the inert gas can be sprayed on the entire surface of the substrate W, the liquid layer L on the substrate W can be reliably removed. As a result, the substrate W can be reliably dried.

(7-2) Effect of Using Two-Fluid Nozzle In the two-fluid nozzle shown in FIG. 15, the mixed fluid discharged from the two-fluid nozzle 950 contains fine droplets of cleaning liquid. Even in some cases, the dirt attached to the substrate W is stripped off by the fine droplets of the cleaning liquid. Thereby, the contamination on the surface of the substrate W can be surely removed. Even when the wettability of the film on the substrate W is low, the dirt on the surface of the substrate W is peeled off by the fine droplets of the cleaning liquid, so that the dirt on the surface of the substrate W can be surely removed.

  Therefore, in particular, when a two-fluid nozzle is used in the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1, when the substrate W is heat-treated by the heating unit HP before the exposure processing, the resist film or the resist cover film Even when the solvent or the like is sublimated in the heating unit HP and the sublimated product is reattached to the substrate W, the attached matter can be surely removed in the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1. Thereby, contamination in the exposure device 16 can be reliably prevented.

  Further, the cleaning power when cleaning the substrate W can be easily adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the inert gas. Thereby, when the organic film (resist film or resist cover film) on the substrate W has a property of being easily damaged, the organic film on the substrate W can be prevented from being damaged by weakening the cleaning power. Further, when the dirt on the surface of the substrate W is strong, the dirt on the surface of the substrate W can be surely removed by increasing the cleaning power. Thus, by adjusting the cleaning power according to the nature of the organic film on the substrate W and the degree of contamination, the substrate W can be reliably cleaned while preventing the organic film on the substrate W from being damaged. .

  In the external mixing type two-fluid nozzle 950, the mixed fluid is generated by mixing the cleaning liquid and the inert gas outside the two-fluid nozzle 950. In the two-fluid nozzle 950, the inert gas and the cleaning liquid are divided into separate flow paths. Thereby, the cleaning liquid does not remain in the gas passage portion 312b, and the inert gas can be discharged from the two-fluid nozzle 950 alone. Further, by supplying the rinse liquid from the cleaning treatment supply pipe 663, the rinse liquid can be discharged independently from the two-fluid nozzle 950. Therefore, the mixed fluid, the inert gas, and the rinse liquid can be selectively discharged from the two-fluid nozzle 950.

  When the two-fluid nozzle 950 is used, it is not necessary to separately provide a nozzle for supplying a cleaning liquid or a rinsing liquid to the substrate W and a nozzle for supplying an inert gas to the substrate W. Accordingly, the substrate W can be reliably cleaned and dried with a simple structure.

  In the above description, the rinsing liquid is supplied to the substrate W by the two-fluid nozzle 950, but the rinsing liquid may be supplied to the substrate W using a separate nozzle.

  In the above description, the inert gas is supplied to the substrate W by the two-fluid nozzle 950. However, the inert gas may be supplied to the substrate W using a separate nozzle.

(B) Other Embodiments In the above embodiment, the back surface cleaning process and the drying process for the substrate W are performed after the front surface cleaning process and the drying process for the substrate W before the exposure process for the substrate W. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, after the back surface cleaning process and the drying process of the substrate W, the surface cleaning process and the drying process of the substrate W may be performed.

  In addition, the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1, the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2, the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW, the coating units BARC, RES, COV, the development processing unit DEV, the removal unit REM, the heating unit HP, and the cooling The number of units CP and placement / cooling units P-CP may be changed as appropriate according to the processing speed of each processing block. For example, when two edge exposure units EEW are provided, the number of second cleaning / drying processing units SD2 may be two.

  In the above embodiment, the first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 and SD2 and the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW are arranged in the interface block 15. However, the first and second cleaning / drying processing units At least one of SD1, SD2 and the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW may be disposed in the resist cover film removal block 14 shown in FIG. Alternatively, a cleaning / drying processing block including at least one of the first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 and SD2 and the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW is defined as the resist cover film removal block 14 and the interface block 15 shown in FIG. It may be provided between them.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the exposure apparatus 16 that performs the exposure processing of the substrate W by the immersion method is provided as an external device of the substrate processing apparatus 500 is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the substrate is not used. A conventional exposure apparatus that performs W exposure processing may be provided as an external apparatus.

  In this case, since the contaminants adhering to the back surface of the substrate W before the exposure processing are removed in the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW, the state of the substrate W is stabilized during the exposure processing. Thereby, defocus in exposure processing can be prevented.

  When the conventional exposure apparatus is provided as an external apparatus, the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1 and the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2 may not be provided.

(C) Correspondence between each constituent element of claims and each part of the embodiment Hereinafter, an example of correspondence between each constituent element of the claims and each part of the embodiment will be described, but the present invention is limited to the following examples. Not.

  In the above embodiment, the anti-reflection film processing block 10, the resist film processing block 11, the development processing block 12, the resist cover film processing block 13 and the resist cover film removal block 14 correspond to the processing section, and the interface block. 15 corresponds to a transfer unit, the coating unit RES corresponds to a photosensitive film forming unit, and the back surface cleaning processing unit RSW corresponds to a back surface cleaning unit.

  Further, the brushing device 713, the spin chuck 721, the rotating shaft 725, the cleaning liquid supply nozzle 751 and the inert gas supply nozzle 752 correspond to the substrate cleaning means, the substrate reversing device 760 corresponds to the reversing means, and the coating unit COV is the protective film. The first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1 corresponds to the cleaning processing unit, the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2 corresponds to the drying processing unit, and the sixth central robot CR6 corresponds to the first processing unit SD1. Corresponding to the transport unit, the interface transport mechanism IFR corresponds to the second transport unit, the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1 corresponds to the cleaning processing unit, and the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2 performs the drying process. Corresponding to the unit, the placement and cooling unit P-CP and the substrate platform PASS13 correspond to the platform. , Y-direction corresponds to the first direction, X direction corresponds to a second direction, the hand H1 is equivalent to the first holding means, hand H2 corresponds to the second holding means.

  The present invention can be used for processing various substrates.

1 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic side view which looked at the substrate processing apparatus of Drawing 1 from the + X direction. It is the schematic side view which looked at the substrate processing apparatus of Drawing 1 from the -X direction. It is the schematic side view which looked at the interface block from the + Y side. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of a washing | cleaning / drying processing unit. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of a washing | cleaning / drying processing unit. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of a back surface cleaning process unit. It is a figure which shows the detail of a chuck | zipper opening / closing apparatus and a chuck | zipper. It is a schematic diagram when the nozzle for washing processing and the nozzle for drying processing are provided integrally. It is a schematic diagram which shows the other example of the nozzle for a drying process. It is a figure for demonstrating the drying processing method of the board | substrate at the time of using the nozzle for drying processing of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the other example of the nozzle for a drying process. It is a schematic diagram which shows the other example of a washing | cleaning / drying processing unit. It is a figure for demonstrating the drying processing method of the board | substrate at the time of using the washing | cleaning / drying processing unit of FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of the internal structure of the 2 fluid nozzle used for a washing process and a drying process. It is a figure for demonstrating the washing | cleaning process and drying processing method of a board | substrate at the time of using the 2 fluid nozzle of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 Indexer block 10 Antireflection film processing block 11 Resist film processing block 12 Development processing block 13 Resist cover film processing block 14 Resist cover film removal block 15 Interface block 16 Exposure apparatus 50 Antireflection film coating processing part 60 Resist film Application processing section 70 Development processing section 80 Resist cover film coating processing section 90 Resist cover film removal processing section 100, 101 Antireflection film heat treatment section 110, 111 Resist film heat treatment section 120, 121 Development heat treatment section 130, 131 Heat treatment section for resist cover film 140, 141 Heat treatment section for post-exposure baking 500 Substrate processing apparatus 650 Cleaning processing nozzle 670, 770, 870 Drying processing nozzle 682 Blocking plate 713 Brushing apparatus 714 Brush 721 Spin chuck 725 Rotating shaft 751 Cleaning liquid supply nozzle 752 Inert gas supply nozzle 950 Two-fluid nozzle EEW Edge exposure unit BARC, RES, COV coating unit DEV Development processing unit REM removal unit RSW Back surface cleaning processing unit SD1 First cleaning / drying processing Unit SD2 Second cleaning / drying processing unit IFR interface transport mechanism P-CP mounting / cooling unit W substrate PASS1 to PASS13 substrate mounting unit

Claims (14)

A substrate processing apparatus disposed adjacent to an exposure apparatus,
A processing unit for processing the surface of the substrate;
A delivery unit for delivering a substrate between the processing unit and the exposure apparatus;
The processor is
Including a photosensitive film forming unit for forming a photosensitive film made of a photosensitive material on the surface of the substrate;
At least one of the processing unit and the delivery unit is
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a back surface cleaning unit for cleaning the back surface of the substrate before the exposure processing by the exposure device. The back surface cleaning unit is
A substrate cleaning means for cleaning the back surface of the substrate;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a reversing unit that reverses the substrate around a horizontal axis before and after cleaning the back surface of the substrate by the substrate cleaning unit. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the back surface cleaning unit cleans the back surface of the substrate using a brush. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the back surface cleaning unit dries the substrate after cleaning the back surface of the substrate. The processor is
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a protective film forming unit that forms a protective film for protecting the photosensitive film. 6. The substrate processing according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the processing unit and the transfer unit includes a cleaning processing unit that cleans the surface of the substrate before the exposure processing by the exposure apparatus. apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the back surface cleaning unit cleans the back surface of the substrate after cleaning the front surface of the substrate by the cleaning processing unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the back surface cleaning unit functions as the cleaning processing unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the processing unit and the transfer unit includes a drying processing unit that dries the substrate after the exposure processing by the exposure apparatus. The back surface cleaning unit, the drying processing unit, and the cleaning processing unit are arranged in the delivery unit,
The delivery unit is
A placement section on which the substrate is placed temporarily;
A first transport unit that transports a substrate between the processing unit, the cleaning processing unit, the back surface cleaning processing unit, and the placement unit;
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a second transport unit that transports the substrate between the placing section, the exposure apparatus, and the drying processing unit. The processing unit, the delivery unit, and the exposure apparatus are juxtaposed in a first direction,
The delivery unit has at least one side surface in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction in a horizontal plane,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the drying processing unit is disposed on the one side surface side in the delivery unit. The delivery unit has another side surface facing the one side surface in the second direction,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the cleaning processing unit is disposed on the other side surface in the delivery unit. The second transport unit includes first and second holding means for holding a substrate,
When transporting the substrate before exposure processing by the exposure apparatus and after drying by the drying processing unit, the substrate is held by the first holding means,
The substrate processing according to claim 10, wherein the substrate is held by the second holding unit when the substrate after the exposure processing is transported from the exposure apparatus to the drying processing unit. apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second holding unit is provided below the first holding unit.

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