JP3625264B2 - Substrate processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for supplying an etching solution to a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, a photomask glass substrate, a liquid crystal glass substrate, or an optical disk substrate and performing a predetermined process such as an etching process on the substrate.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a series of processing steps of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, there are a plurality of film forming steps for forming a thin film such as a photoresist on the surface of the substrate. The film may also be formed on the part. However, in general, it is only the surface of the substrate that needs to be formed on the substrate. If the film is formed on the back surface or the end of the surface of the substrate, contact with other devices in the subsequent step of the film forming process The thin film formed on the back surface or the surface edge of the substrate may be peeled off, which may cause a decrease in yield and trouble in the substrate processing apparatus itself.
[0003]
Therefore, in order to remove the thin film formed on the back surface or the front edge of the substrate, the following removal method is employed in the conventional substrate processing apparatus.
[0004]
FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional substrate processing apparatus.
A hollow rotating shaft 101 shown in FIG. 5 is conductively connected to a motor (not shown) and can rotate about a vertical axis. A disc-shaped spin base 102 as a base member is integrally connected to the upper end portion of the rotating shaft 101. In the vicinity of the periphery of the spin base 102, a holding member 103 that holds the outer peripheral edge of the substrate at three or more locations is provided. The holding member 103 includes a base portion 103a that can rotate with respect to the spin base 102, a support member 103b that protrudes from the center upper portion of the base portion 103a and abuts against the back surface of the substrate W, and an outer periphery of the substrate W that protrudes from the upper portion of the base portion 103a. And a chuck pin 103c in contact with the end. Note that the base portion 103a is rotatable around the support member 103b.
[0005]
The hollow rotating shaft 101 is provided with an etching solution supply pipe 104 coaxially with the rotating shaft 101 and on the inner periphery. The etching solution supply pipe 104 is connected in communication with an etching solution supply source 105, and an opening / closing valve 106 is provided in the middle of the etching solution supply pipe 104. The on-off valve 106 controls the amount of etching solution supplied to the back surface of the substrate W. When performing the etching process on the back surface and the front edge of the substrate W, the on-off valve 106 is opened while the substrate W is rotated, and the etching solution is supplied from the etching solution supply source 105 to the etching solution supply pipe. The liquid is supplied from the discharge unit 107 to the back surface of the substrate W through 104.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional substrate processing apparatus described above, it is possible to surely etch the back surface of the substrate W. However, the chuck pin 103c and the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate W are in contact with each other, and therefore the contacted portion. However, there is a problem that the etching solution does not reach the outer peripheral end of the substrate W. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, a portion that is not etched occurs at the outer peripheral edge of the surface of the substrate W, and as a result, etching unevenness occurs on the surface of the substrate W.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a substrate processing apparatus that can reliably remove a thin film formed on an end portion of a surface of a substrate and prevents the occurrence of etching unevenness. Objective.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 is a substrate processing apparatus for performing predetermined processing on a substrate, and has a facing surface facing a back surface of a substrate having a thin film formed on the surface. A base member, a plurality of base members provided on opposite surfaces of the base member, a base portion that is rotatable with respect to the base member, a first holding portion that is provided on the base portion and holds an end portion of the substrate, and a substrate provided on the base portion A substrate holding means having a second holding portion for holding the end of the substrate, a base member driving means for rotating the base member, and a back surface of the substrate held by the first holding portion or the second holding portion. Etching solution supply means for supplying an etching solution, switching means for switching between holding the end portion of the substrate by the first holding portion and holding the end portion of the substrate by the second holding portion, and the substrate by the first holding portion End of While being held, the base member driving means rotates the substrate while the etching liquid supply means supplies the etching liquid to the back surface of the substrate, and the base member driving means temporarily stops the rotation of the substrate and the switching means. The holding of the end portion of the substrate is switched from the first holding portion to the second holding portion, and the substrate member is rotated by the base member driving means while the end portion of the substrate is held by the second holding portion. And control means for supplying the etchant to the back surface of the substrate by the etchant supply means .
[0009]
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 is the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit stops rotation of the substrate by the base member driving unit and the switching unit stops the substrate end. When the holding of the part is switched from the first holding part to the second holding part, the supply of the etching liquid to the back surface of the substrate by the etching liquid supply means is stopped.
[0010]
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 is a substrate processing apparatus that performs predetermined processing on a substrate,
A base member having a facing surface facing the back surface of the substrate having a thin film formed on the surface, a plurality of base members provided on the facing surface of the base member, a base portion rotatable relative to the base member, and a base member provided on the base portion. A substrate holding means having a first holding portion for holding an end portion and a second holding portion provided on the base portion for holding an end portion of the substrate; a base member driving means for rotating the base member; Etching liquid supply means for supplying an etching liquid to the back surface of the substrate held by one holding part or the second holding part; holding the edge of the substrate by the first holding part; and end of the substrate by the second holding part and a switching means for switching between parts of the holding, the substrate holding means, said at a surface facing the base member is rotatable with the base, and the shaft portion extending through the base member, said base A rotating member attached to the shaft portion on the back side of the material and having a first protrusion and a second protrusion, and the switching means is in contact with the first protrusion or the second protrusion Then, the holding of the end portion of the substrate by the first holding portion and the holding of the end portion of the substrate by the second holding portion are switched.
[0011]
A substrate processing apparatus according to a fourth aspect is the substrate processing apparatus according to the third aspect, wherein an upper end of the shaft portion supports a back surface of the substrate.
[0012]
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 is the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the switching means includes a first position on the back surface of the base member and a position outside the back surface of the base member. An arm member that is movable to the second position and contacts the first protrusion or the second protrusion at the first position, and the arm member is moved to the first position and the second position. And an arm member driving means for moving the arm member.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus is an etching processing apparatus that performs an etching process on a thin film formed on the surface of the substrate.
[0014]
The hollow rotating shaft 1 is conductively connected to a motor 10 (FIG. 3) and can rotate around a vertical axis. A disc-shaped spin base 2 as a base member is integrally connected to the upper end portion of the rotating shaft 1. Near the periphery of the spin base 2, there are provided holding members 3 that hold the outer peripheral edge of a wafer W, which is a kind of substrate, at three or more locations. The wafer W is held in a horizontal posture in a state where it is separated from the facing surface of the spin base 2 by a predetermined interval by holding the outer peripheral end of the wafer W by the holding member 3, and the motor 10 (see FIG. 3) is driven to rotate. Is rotated around the vertical axis. An apparatus for holding the wafer W above the spin base 2 like this substrate processing apparatus usually has the surface of the wafer W facing up, that is, the upper surface of the wafer W shown in FIG. It is held by the holding member 3 so as to be the back surface. Note that the rotation drive of the motor 10 is controlled by the control unit 50.
[0015]
The hollow portion of the rotating shaft 1 is provided with an etching solution supply pipe 4 coaxially with the rotating shaft 1 and on the inner periphery. The etching solution supply pipe 4 is connected in communication with an etching solution supply source 5, and an opening / closing valve 6 is provided in the middle of the etching solution supply pipe 4. The on-off valve 6 controls the amount of etching solution supplied to the back surface of the wafer W. Then, the etching solution is supplied from the etching solution supply source 5 to the back surface of the wafer W from the discharge port 7 through the etching solution supply pipe 4.
[0016]
The holding member 3 includes a base portion 31 (base portion ) that is rotatable with respect to the spin base 2 on the opposing surface (surface) of the spin base 2. The base portion 31 is formed integrally with a shaft 32 (shaft portion) penetrating through a hole 21 provided in the spin base 2. The upper end portion of the shaft 32 supports the back surface of the wafer W. If it does so, there exists an effect that the contamination of the back surface of the wafer W is suppressed. On the upper surface of the base portion 31, a first pin 33 a corresponding to the first holding portion that contacts the outer peripheral end portion of the wafer W and a second pin 33 b corresponding to the second holding portion are provided. The first pins 33a and the second pins 33b have protrusions at their tips in order to keep the wafer W held. Thus, the wafer W is not released from the holding of the outer peripheral end portion of the wafer W by the first pins 33a and the holding of the outer peripheral end portion of the wafer W by the second pins 33b.
[0017]
The holding member 3 includes a rotating member 34 that is rotatable with respect to the spin base 2 on the back surface side of the spin base 2. The rotating member 34 is attached to a shaft 32 that passes through a hole 21 provided in the spin base 2. The lower side of the rotating member 34 is attached to a pin 22 provided on the back surface of the spin base 2 via a tension spring 35. As shown in FIG. 2, a first protrusion 34 a and a second protrusion 34 b are provided on both sides of the rotating member 34. In addition, the 1st protrusion part 34a and the 2nd protrusion part 34b are provided in the position facing the rotation member 34 main body.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 2, a switching mechanism 40 is provided on the side of the spin base 2. The switching mechanism 40 includes an arm member 41 that can move to a first position below the spin base 2 and a second position outside the spin base 2 around the axis 42. The arm member 41 has contact portions 43 that contact the first protrusion portion 34a and the second protrusion portion 34b, respectively. The arm member 41 is moved as indicated by an arrow A by a stepping motor 44 as shown in FIGS. The three rotating members 34 are connected by a ring (not shown) on the back surface of the spin base 2, and if one switching mechanism 40 operates one rotating member 34, the three rotating members 34 are automatically set. The three holding members 3 hold and release the wafer W at the same time.
[0019]
Next, a control system of the substrate processing apparatus will be described.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a control system of the substrate processing apparatus. The controller 50 controls the motor 10 to control the driving of the wafer W and to control the rotation speed of the wafer W. Further, the control unit 50 controls one stepping motor 44 to switch between the first pin 33a and the second pin 33b. Further, the control unit 50 controls the on-off valve 6 to control the supply and stop of the etching solution.
[0020]
Next, the processing operation of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
First, the control unit 50 controls the stepping motor 44 to move the arm member 41 from the second position to the first position, so that the contact portion 43 of the arm member 41 and the first protruding portion 34a contact each other. Then, the first protrusion 34a is half-pressed to bring the three holding members 3 into the “open” state. Then, the wafer W on which the thin film F is formed is placed on the upper end portion of the shaft center 32. Next, the control unit 50 controls the stepping motor 44 to push the first projecting portion 34a to the end in a state where the contact portion 43 of the arm member 41 and the first projecting portion 34a are in contact with each other. As shown to (a), the 1st pin 33a is contact | abutted to the outer peripheral end part of the wafer W, and the wafer W is hold | maintained. Thereafter, the control unit 50 controls the stepping motor 44 to move the arm member 41 from the first position to the second position, and temporarily retracts the arm member 41 from the lower position of the spin base 2.
[0021]
When the retracting of the arm member 41 is completed, the first etching process is started. In the first etching process, first, the control unit 50 controls the motor 10 to start the rotation of the wafer W at a predetermined rotational speed. At the same time, the control unit 50 switches the on-off valve 6 from the “closed” state to the “open” state, and with the wafer W rotated, the etching solution is transferred from the discharge port 7 to the center of the back surface of the wafer W. Supply. The etching solution supplied to the center of the back surface of the wafer W moves to the outer peripheral side of the wafer W through the space between the back surface of the wafer W and the opposing surface of the spin base 2 as the wafer W and the spin base 2 rotate. As a result, the back surface and the front surface edge of the wafer W are etched. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4A, an unetched portion B is generated at the surface edge of the wafer W.
[0022]
When a predetermined time elapses after the first etching process is performed, the control unit 50 controls the motor 10 to stop the rotation of the wafer W, and the open / close valve 6 is changed from the “open” state to the “closed” state. The supply of the etching solution to the back surface of the wafer W is stopped. Thereby, the first etching process is completed.
[0023]
When the first etching process is completed, the control unit 50 controls the stepping motor 44 to move the arm member 41 from the second position to the first position, so that the contact portion 43 of the arm member 41 and the second protrusion are moved. 4B, the second pin 33b is brought into contact with the outer peripheral end portion of the wafer W, and the wafer W is held. Thereafter, the control unit 50 controls the stepping motor 44 to move the arm member 41 from the first position to the second position, and temporarily retracts the arm member 41 from the lower position of the spin base 2.
[0024]
When the retracting of the arm member 41 is completed, the second etching process is started. In the second etching process, first, the control unit 50 controls the motor 10 to start the rotation of the wafer W at a predetermined rotational speed. At the same time, the control unit 50 switches the on-off valve 6 from the “closed” state to the “open” state, and with the wafer W rotated, the etching solution is transferred from the discharge port 7 to the center of the back surface of the wafer W. Supply. The etching solution supplied to the center of the back surface of the wafer W moves to the outer peripheral side of the wafer W through the space between the back surface of the wafer W and the opposing surface of the spin base 2 as the wafer W and the spin base 2 rotate. As a result, the back surface and the front surface edge of the wafer W are etched.
[0025]
When a predetermined time elapses after the second etching process is performed, the control unit 50 controls the motor 10 to stop the rotation of the wafer W, and the open / close valve 6 is changed from the “open” state to the “closed” state. The supply of the etching solution to the back surface of the wafer W is stopped. Thereby, the second etching process is completed. By the end of the second etching process, as shown in FIG. 4B, the portion B that is not etched at the surface edge of the wafer W generated at the end of the first etching process disappears.
[0026]
The configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention described above has the following effects.
[0027]
When performing the etching process, as the first etching process, the etching process is performed with the outer peripheral edge of the wafer W held by the first pins 33a, and the switching mechanism 40 holds the outer peripheral edge of the wafer W for the first time. The second pin 33b is switched to the second pin 33b and the second pin 33b holds the outer peripheral edge of the wafer W as the second etching process. The thin film F formed at the end can be surely removed, and etching unevenness can be prevented.
[0028]
When the first etching process is performed and a predetermined time elapses, the control unit 50 controls the motor 10 to stop the rotation of the wafer W, and the open / close valve 6 is changed from the “open” state to the “closed” state. Since the state is switched to and the supply of the etching solution to the back surface of the wafer W is stopped, the etching solution can be used efficiently.
[0029]
A first pin 33 a and a second pin 33 b are provided on the upper surface of the base portion 31, and a rotating member 34 is attached to a shaft 32 that allows the base member 31 to rotate, and the first projecting portion 34 a and the rotating member 34 are attached to the rotating member 34. Since the second protrusion 34b is provided and the switching mechanism 40 contacts the first protrusion 34a and the second protrusion 34b to switch the holding of the wafer W, the holding member 3 is configured with a simple configuration. be able to.
[0030]
Further, since the switching mechanism 40 includes an arm member 41 that moves between the first position and the second position, and a stepping motor 44 that moves the arm member 41, the switching mechanism 40 can be switched with a simple configuration. The mechanism 40 can be configured.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, the switching means switches between holding the edge portion of the substrate by the first holding portion and holding the edge portion of the substrate by the second holding portion. Since the etching solution is supplied to the back surface of the substrate by the etching solution supply means and the etching process is performed, the thin film formed on the front end portion of the substrate can be surely removed, and the occurrence of uneven etching can be prevented.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a view showing a switching mechanism and a holding member.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a control system of the substrate processing apparatus.
4A is a diagram showing a state in which the first pins are in contact with the outer peripheral edge of the wafer to hold the wafer, and FIG. 4B is a diagram showing the second pins at the outer peripheral edge of the wafer. It is a figure which shows the state which contact | abutted and is holding the wafer.
FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional substrate processing apparatus.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a problem of a conventional substrate processing apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rotating shaft 2 Spin base 3 Holding member 4 Etching liquid supply pipe 7 Discharge port 10 Motor 31 Base part 32 Shaft 33a 1st pin 33b 2nd pin 34 Rotating member 34a 1st protrusion part 34b 2nd protrusion part 40 Switching mechanism 41 Arm member 42 Shaft 43 Contact portion 44 Stepping motor F Thin film W Wafer

Claims (5)

A substrate processing apparatus for performing predetermined processing on a substrate,
A base member having a facing surface facing the back surface of the substrate having a thin film formed on the surface;
A plurality of base portions provided on the opposing surface of the base member and rotatable with respect to the base member, a first holding portion provided on the base portion for holding an end portion of the substrate, and an end portion of the substrate provided on the base portion. A substrate holding means having a second holding portion for holding;
Base member driving means for rotating the base member;
Etching solution supply means for supplying an etching solution to the back surface of the substrate held by the first holding unit or the second holding unit, holding of the end of the substrate by the first holding unit, and substrate by the second holding unit Switching means for switching between holding the end of
While the substrate is rotated by the base member driving means while the end portion of the substrate is held by the first holding portion, the etching liquid is supplied to the back surface of the substrate by the etching liquid supply means, and the base member driving means The rotation of the substrate is temporarily stopped, the holding of the end of the substrate is switched from the first holding unit to the second holding unit by the switching means, and the base is held while the end of the substrate is held by the second holding unit. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: control means for supplying an etchant to the back surface of the substrate by the etchant supply means while rotating the substrate by the member drive means . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The control unit stops the rotation of the substrate by the base member driving unit, and the switching unit switches the holding of the end of the substrate from the first holding unit to the second holding unit. A substrate processing apparatus, wherein supply of an etching solution to the back surface of the substrate by the liquid supply means is stopped. A substrate processing apparatus for performing predetermined processing on a substrate,
A base member having a facing surface facing the back surface of the substrate having a thin film formed on the surface;
A plurality of base portions provided on the opposing surface of the base member, and a base portion that is rotatable with respect to the base member, a first holding portion that is provided on the base portion and holds an end portion of the substrate, and an end portion of the substrate that is provided on the base portion. A substrate holding means having a second holding portion for holding;
Base member driving means for rotating the base member;
  Etching solution supply means for supplying an etching solution to the back surface of the substrate held by the first holding unit or the second holding unit, holding of the end of the substrate by the first holding unit, and substrate by the second holding unit Switching means for switching between holding the end of the
The substrate holding means is attached to the shaft portion on the opposite surface side of the base member so that the base portion is rotatable and penetrates the base member, and on the back surface side of the base member. A rotating member having a first protrusion and a second protrusion;
The switching means switches between holding the end portion of the substrate by the first holding portion and holding the end portion of the substrate by the second holding portion in contact with the first protruding portion or the second protruding portion. A substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein an upper end of the shaft portion supports a back surface of the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein:
The switching means is movable to a first position on the back surface of the base member and a second position outside the back surface of the base member, and the first protrusion or the second protrusion at the first position. An arm member in contact with the arm member, and moving the arm member to the first position and the second position. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: an arm member driving means for moving.

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